TEXT: Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  ISBN: 0-29882-89386-9 
  Copyright © 2013 Iron Throne Publishing
  Blade of the Iron Throne and all associated names, characters, logos, marks, and illustrations are © and TM 2013 Iron Throne Publishing, 
  Phillip Jones and Michael Heider. All rights reserved.
  All artwork © and TM 2013 Iron Throne Publishing. All rights reserved.
  The World of Xoth and all related characters, names, places, items, plots, settings, descriptive text and concepts are copyright (C) 2008-
  2013, Morten Braten and Xoth.Net Publishing. They appear in this work with permission.
  Permission is granted to copy the character sheets and tables from the Appendices for personal use.
  CREDITS
  Written by Phillip Jones and Michael Heider
  Layout: Ivana Brajkovic
  Editing and Proofing: Vicky Gemmell
  Glossary: Alex Obernigg
  Passion Attribute description: Matthew Terry
  ITP Logo and Cover Design: Tommaso 
  Galmacci 
  Cover Art: Courtesy of Robin Olausson
  The World of Xoth is featured courtesy of:
  Morten Braten and Xoth.Net Publishing
  Special thanks to Paul Sharratt for providing 
  the model for the Blade Sorcery mechanics.
  Special Thanks
  to: Jake Norwood, creator of The Riddle of 
  Steel, the game that inspired this work; Mary, 
  my wife; and to Gordon Lepp, a great gamer 
  and my best friend, I will always miss you.
  Playtesters
  Jon Hyams, Ian Plumb, Lucas Gonasalves, 
  Antti Piipponen, Alegz Obernigg, Robert 
  Davis, Paul Reinwald, Mattia Corsini, John 
  Wirth, Helena K.
  Interior artwork
   Tom Galmacci, Grace Palmer, Michael 
  Heider, Adam Schmidt, Mike Perry, Earl Geier, 
  Ian Maclean, Luigi Castellani, Miguel Santos, 
  Michael Mikos, Alec Webb, Richard Luschek
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  “And on this throne of black iron, there shall be seated
  the great king of bloodshed and murder,
  and he shall be as a god unto slayers of men.
  And all who do his work in the lands shall be called his blades,
  and they shall strive to become alike him,
  and be feared and revered amongst their lesser brethren...”
  The Forlorn Tome of Du’Karrn
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  5
  Contents
  Introduction ...............................................11
  CHAPTER ONE 
  MECHANICS ...............................13
  What is a Role-playing Game? ...................15
  What kind of RPG is  ..................................16
  Blade of the Iron Throne? ...........................16
  Basic Rules - Checks  ..................................16
  I. Dice Types Used  .....................................16
  II. The Major Checks ..................................17
  III. Attribute Descriptions  .........................24
  CHAPTER TWO 
  CHARACTERS ...........................31
  I - Talents ....................................................33
  1. Sorcery  .........................................34
  2. Culture ...........................................35
  3. Attributes .......................................37
  4. Skills ..............................................38
  5. Proficiencies ..................................38
  6. Assets  ............................................39
  II. Other Details .........................................40
  III. Character Creation Example .................41
  IV. Creating your own Talent Table .............44
  CHAPTER THREE
  TRAINING ...................................49
  I. Skills Overview .......................................51
  II. Skill Descriptions ...................................51
  Acting (HT) ........................................51
  Ancient Languages (SY) ......................51
  Animal Ken (HT) ................................52
  Apothecary (SY) .................................52
  Battlefield Tactics (SY) ........................52
  Climbing (DG) ...................................53
  Customs (HT) .....................................53
  Dancing (DG) ....................................53
  Decipher (SY) .....................................53
  Detect Sorcery (CG) ...........................54
  Disguise (CG) .....................................55
  Etiquette (HT) .....................................55
  Falsehood (HT/SY) ..............................55
  Foreign Languages (SY) ......................55
  Healing (SY) .......................................57
  Information Gathering (HT) ................57
  Light Step (CG) ...................................57
  Lock Picking (CG) ..............................57
  Music (HT) .........................................58
  Navigation (TY) ..................................58
  Negotiation (HT) ................................58
  Occultism (SY) ...................................58
  Omen Reading (HT) ...........................59
  Pick Pockets (CG) ...............................59
  Precognition (CG) ..............................60
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  Prestidigitation (CG) ...........................60
  Riding (DG) .......................................60
  Seamanship (TY) ................................61
  Seduction (HT) ...................................61
  Sneaking (CG) ....................................62
  Soldiering (TY) ...................................62
  Survival (CG) ......................................62
  Swimming (DG) .................................63
  Theology (SY) .....................................63
  Tracking (CG) .....................................63
  Trailing (CG) ......................................63
  Trapping (CG) ....................................64
  More Skills? .......................................65
  Charioteering (DG) ............................65
  Streetwise (CG) ..................................65
  III. Assets Overview ...................................66
  1. Assets Described ............................66
  IV. Proficiencies Overview .........................88
  1. Proficiencies Described .................89
  V. Maneuvers .............................................93
  1. Offensive Maneuvers Described .....96
  2. Defensive Maneuvers Described 108
  Proficiencies ........................................109
  VI. Character Progression ........................113
  1. Passion Attributes .........................113
  2. Spending Passion Points ...............118
  3. Karma ..........................................119
  4. Basic Attributes ............................119
  5. Proficiencies ................................120
  6. Assets ...........................................120
  7. Skills ............................................120
  8. Loot .............................................121
  CHAPTER FOUR
  MELEE .....................................125
  I. Melee Combat Overview ......................127
  1. Limelight And The Combat 
  Round ..........................................127
  2. The Order Of A Combat Round ....131
  3. Steps 1 & 2: Stances, Initiative, 
  And Surprise ....................................132
  4. Steps 3 & 5: The Exchange  ..........135
  5. Steps 4 & 6: Damage ...................138
  6. Terrain Checks ..............................143
  7. Fatigue In The Combat Scene .......147
  II. Defense  ..............................................148
  1. Evasion  ............................................148
  2. Defensive Actions ............................149
  3. Armor Overview ..............................151
  4. Armor Types .....................................153
  5. Barbarian Chic (Optional) ...............154
  III. Ranged Combat ..................................155
  IV. Mounted Combat ................................161
  1. Rideby Melee Attacks ...................163
  2. Jousting ........................................164
  3. Mounted Archery  ........................165
  4. Barding ........................................166
  V. Animals In Combat  ..............................167
  Large Animals And Wounds .............167
  Huge Animals ..................................168
  Fighting Animals ..............................169
  Animal Maneuvers  ..........................169
  Pack Tactics ......................................175
  VI. An Example Of Melee Combat ...........176
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  CHAPTER FIVE
  TRAVEL AND HEALTH ...........183
  I. Travel, Scene Framing, 
  And Scene Requests .............................185
  II. Encumbrance (Optional) .....................186
  III. Health  ...............................................188
  1. Healing And Wounds ...................188
  2. Falling Damage ............................189
  3. Generic Damage ..........................190
  4. Poison ..........................................190
  5. Pain - It’s Just A Scratch! ...............192
  CHAPTER SIX
  SORCERY.................................195
  I. Sorcery Overview .................................197
  1. The Sorcery Pool ..............................198
  2. Taint .................................................200
  3. The Lesser Mysteries ........................202
  4. Greater Mysteries ............................210
  5. Arcane Secrets .................................218
  Abomination ....................................219
  The Acolyte’s Claw ...........................220
  Animate The Dead ...........................220
  Bind The Soul ...................................221
  Blight ...............................................222
  Chariot Of Sorcery ...........................222
  Eldritch Effigies.................................223
  Firestorm ..........................................224
  Hand Of Doom ................................225
  Master The Beast ..............................226
  Mold The Flesh ................................226
  Plague Wind ....................................227
  Portal ...............................................227
  Shake The Bones Of The Earth ..........228
  Whisper My Name In Fear ...............229
  6. Combining Sorcerous Efforts ................229
  7. Duel Of Wills  ......................................230
  Sorcerous Maneuvers:  .....................232
  Offensive Maneuvers:  .....................232
  Creep  ..............................................232
  Grind  ..............................................233
  Overpower  ......................................234
  Strike  ..............................................234
  Defensive Maneuvers:  .....................234
  Counterstroke  .................................234
  Deflect  ............................................235
  Endure  ............................................235
  Evade  ..............................................235
  8. Affecting Multiple Targets .....................235
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  S&S GAMING ............................239
  I. A Sword & Sorcery Overview ................241
  1. The World Of Sword & Sorcery ........241
  2. Faith And The Divine ........................242
  3. Magic And The Supernatural 
  In Sword & Sorcery ..........................243
  4. The Racial Makeup Of 
  Sword & Sorcery ..............................245
  5. Heroes And Villains In 
  Sword & Sorcery ..............................246
  6. The Sword & Sorcery Tale .................248
  II. 20 Tips For Running Your 
  Blade Game! ........................................251
  Final Word: The Iron Rule  ........................257
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  CHAPTER EIGHT
  XOTH .........................................261
  I. Xoth Overview ......................................263
  1. The People........................................263
  Azimbans .........................................263
  Bhangari ..........................................264
  Daka ................................................264
  Ghazorites .......................................264
  Ikunas ..............................................265
  Jairanians .........................................265
  Khazistanis .......................................266
  Khazrajites .......................................266
  Khoran .............................................266
  Kuthan, Halfbreed ............................267
  Kuthan, Pureblood ...........................267
  Lamurans .........................................268
  Mazanians .......................................268
  Nabastisseans ..................................268
  Ptahaanans ......................................269
  Shomas ............................................269
  Susrahnites .......................................270
  Taikangians ......................................270
  Taraamites ........................................271
  Tharag Thulans .................................271
  Yar-Ammonites .................................271
  Zadjites ............................................272
  Zorabi ..............................................273
  II. The Gods ..............................................273
  The Nature Of The “Gods” ...............273
  Ahyada ............................................274
  The High God Of Taraam .................274
  The Gods Of Tharag Thule ................277
  The Gods Of Yar-Ammon .................278
  III. The World ...........................................278
  IV. Drugs Of Xoth ....................................293
  APPENDICES ...............................297
  Cleaving Damage Tables ...........................299
  Piercing Damage Tables ............................306
  Blunt Damage Tables ................................312
  Swung Piercing Damage Tables ................325
  Melee Weapon Tables ...............................333
  Punches And Kicks ...................................343
  Animal Weapons ......................................344
  Missile Weapons .......................................345
  Weapon Quality .......................................347
  Enchanted Weapons .................................347
  Npcs .........................................................347
  Beasts .......................................................353
  Supernatural Menaces ..............................357
  Bibliography .............................................361
  1. The Precursors ..............................361
  2. The Pioneers ................................361
  3. The Founding Fathers ...................361
  4. The Emulators ..............................362
  5. The Defenders ..............................364
  Glossary ...................................................367
  Index ........................................................370
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  11
  Introduction
  Eleven years ago today Jake Norwood 
  and team were wrapping up development of 
  their revolutionary RPG, The Riddle of Steel. 
  The following March the game was released 
  at GAMA -- and the first print run sold out. 
  A second printing soon followed and it is this 
  version of the game that most players remem-
  ber so fondly.  
  The fact that we’re still talking about a game 
  that was released nearly eleven years ago, a 
  game that hasn’t had any official material pub-
  lished for it in the last five years, a game that 
  still has an active community behind it, is tes-
  tament to the originality of Jake’s game. What 
  attracted gamers to it all those years ago still 
  holds true today -- player-driven story and de-
  tailed, realistic combat mechanics producing 
  a true Narrativist-Simulationist hybrid that ap-
  peals to players and referees alike. 
  About two and a half years ago the trosfans 
  community broached the subject of a succes-
  sor game in earnest. Over the years many had 
  asked whether a new version of TRoS could 
  be produced, one that addressed the incon
  sistencies prevalent in the first edition. Issues 
  over ownership and copyright ruled out that 
  option and so the idea of a successor game 
  was introduced. Ninety threads and nearly two 
  thousand posts later every aspect of TRoS has 
  been picked apart and alternatives suggested. 
  Upon this maelstrom of ideas order needed 
  to be imposed. The greater pool of concepts 
  needed to be gleaned, the numbers winnowed, 
  until a coherent whole was formed. Who better 
  to do this than two of the communities’ most 
  active contributors? Phil and Michael had a 
  clear vision for an RPG that worked seamlessly 
  within the classic genre of Sword and Sorcery 
  fiction.
  Today, with Blade of the Iron Throne they 
  have produced a successor to TRoS that has 
  none of the anomalies, none of the inconsis-
  tencies, none of the gaps -- yet retains a clear 
  link to TRoS through player-driven story and 
  demanding, realistic combat scenes.
  If Conan were to pick up a role-playing 
  game, he’d choose this one. 
  Ian Plumb – December 2012
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  A battered, gut-weary handful of hunted men – ruthless, half-wild outlaws hound-
  ed by killers as remorseless as themselves. Shivering in their dirt and blood-caked bandages, 
  they rode on in grim determination, thoughts numb to pain and fear – although both phantoms 
  rode beside them – intent on nothing more than the deadly necessity of flight. Flight from the 
  hired bounty killers who followed almost on the sound of their hoofbeats.
  They were well mounted; their gear was chosen from the plunder of uncounted raids. But now 
  their horses stumbled with fatigue, their gear was worn and travel-stained, their weapons notched and 
  dulled from hard fighting. They were the last. The last on this side of Hell of those who had ridden 
  behind Kane, as feared and daring an outlaw pack as had ever roamed the Myceum Mountains.
  No more would they set upon travellers along the lonely mountain passes, pillage merchants’ camps, 
  terrorize isolated settlements. Never again would they sweep down from the dark-pined slopes and lay 
  waste to villages on the coastal plains, then dart back into the secret fastness of the mountains where the 
  Combine’s cavalry dared not venture. Their comrades were dead, fed ravens in a forgotten valley countless 
  twisted miles behind their bent shoulders. Their leader, whose infamous cunning and deadly sword at last 
  had failed them, was dying in his saddle.
  They were all dead men.
  And night was upon them.
  Karl Edward Wagner, “ Raven’s Eyrie”
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  “Ushered before it, they prostrated before this throne of iron,
  its visage as black as the ravaged souls of those votaries before it.
  But its stair granted none its purchase;
  It was an ebon boon that none could claim unless first claimed by it…”
  - The Forlorn Tome of Du’Karrn
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  What is a Role-playing Game?
  Role-playing is about being creative and 
  having fun. It involves getting together with 
  friends to write a story, perhaps joining around 
  a campfire or a dining room table to spin some 
  tall tales. 
  Role-playing games (RPGs) are stories in 
  which you create one of the main characters 
  and the story around that character. The rest 
  of the players create stories around their own 
  characters. The “referee” (or more simply “ref”) 
  brings those stories together. The referee can be 
  thought of as the “director” of the story.
  In most RPGs, the referee will - with input 
  from you, if you desire to give any - describe a 
  world or setting. You and your friends will play 
  the protagonist and characters in this world, 
  guiding your characters through the story that 
  you and your friends create.
  Each player plays a different character, and 
  each character interacts with each of the other 
  characters. Role-playing, in this sense, is very 
  much play-acting in the mind. You imagine 
  what the referee describes. Then you imagine 
  your character’s response to that situation, and 
  describe that to the ref and the other players. 
  They, in turn, each do the same with their 
  characters. 
  In most games – board games, card games, 
  and dice games – there is a clearly defined 
  way to win and a clearly defined way to lose. 
  Typically, winning is the goal of the game. In 
  role-playing games, the concepts of “winning” 
  and “losing” do not exist. Your goal as a player 
  is to help create a story and to have 
  fun. You may give your character oth-
  er goals, but the success of your char-
  acter does not determine any sense of 
  “winning” or “losing.” 
  Like life, it’s not so much whether 
  you win or lose, but how you play the game.
  That’s all well and good, you say, but what 
  actually goes on? What do these “characters” 
  do? 
  Most of the time, characters are involved 
  in adventures; adventures of the type that 
  are immortalized in adventure movies and 
  serial novels. In one game, the characters 
  might be a group of secret agents trying to 
  save the world from nuclear destruction.  In 
  another, you might play a rebel force 
  trying to overthrow an evil star-span-
  ning empire. You might play a group of 
  warriors in eleventh century Europe, or 
  King Arthur’s knights, or Superman, 
  or Batman, or an original charac-
  ter of your own creation - in any 
  world you choose.
  Like all games and many 
  RPGs, Blade of the Iron 
  Throne involves ele-
  ments of chance, skill, 
  and strategy. These 
  three elements are tight-
  ly related. 
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  What kind of RPG is 
  Blade of the Iron Throne?
  Blade of the Iron Throne (here-
  after Blade) is an amalgamation of 
  a number of different game system 
  mechanics, a blend of new and old 
  school gaming sensibilities. It is also 
  very much a game grounded in tales of 
  Sword & Sorcery (S&S) fiction.
  S&S is a sub-genre of fantasy fiction, 
  taking its name from the sword-slinging 
  adventurers, who generally make up the 
  genre’s protagonists, and the sorcery-using 
  characters, who are often the villains and/
  or antagonists. Common to S&S stories is the 
  mindset of the main character. The S&S hero 
  is always a man of action. He may be very 
  intelligent and given to brooding and pon-
  dering (e.g. Kull of Valusia), but when a sit-
  uation requires a response, he does not 
  hesitate or procrastinate endlessly. He 
  acts. 
  In S&S stories the world 
  is an intrinsically harsh and 
  tragic place; people’s lives 
  are ruined or even termi-
  nated left and right. Just to 
  survive, much less prosper, 
  in this harsh world, the pro-
  tagonist has to display a fair 
  degree of harshness himself. 
  However, a defining charac-
  teristic of S&S is that even 
  a quite wicked S&S hero has an unofficial 
  and informal code; one that does not allow 
  him to cross the line and treat unfairly friends 
  and companions, people he has shared dan-
  ger with, and even respected enemies. Indeed 
  some he treats with consideration and kind-
  ness. The most vicious S&S hero adheres to 
  this code; it separates him from the villains. 
  An S&S villain will cross the line - that’s what 
  makes him a villain. 
  (See Chapter Seven – S&S Gaming, for more 
  information on running a S&S campaign using 
  Blade.)
  BASIC RULES - CHECkS 
   I. Dice Types Used 
  Most of the time in old-style gaming, you 
  don’t use a rule; you make a ruling. The play-
  ers can describe any action without needing to 
  look at a character sheet to see if they “can” do 
  it. The referee, in turn, uses common sense to 
  decide what happens or rolls a die only if he 
  thinks there’s some random element involved.
  When needed, Blade uses two types of dice 
  during play, 12-sided dice (D12) and six-sid-
  ed dice (D6). These may be easily purchased 
  online or at your local game store. References 
  throughout this book refer to 12-sided dice un-
  less otherwise noted.
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  II. The Major Checks
  In Blade, Checks are made by rolling 
  an appropriate number of dice for the At-
  tribute or Skill level being tested against 
  a fixed Target Number (TN) of seven (7). 
  The number of successes needed for both 
  Attribute and Skill Checks are drawn 
  from Table 1.0.
  Table 1.0 Successes needed
  Successes
  Challenge level**
  1
  Average
  2
  Challenging
  3
  Difficult
  4
  Amazing
  5
  Legendary
  ** If the applicable dice pool is more than three times the required number of successes, no 
  roll is needed, instead the character is considered to have achieved the amount of successes 
  required.
  Only dice rolled that meet or exceed TN7 
  are successes. With the exception of Proficien-
  cy and Mystery Checks, all Checks are made 
  vs. TN7 unless modified by Assets.
  Quality of Success 
  may also denote an ac-
  tion’s degree of success 
  as indicated in Table 1.1:
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  TABLE 1.1 Quality of Success
  Net number  of successes
  Result
  Zero
  Failure
  (Ties)
  Result Varies
  One
  Basic Success
  Two
  Good
  Three
  Well done
  Four
  Expertly done
  Five
  Perfect
  While only one success is normally need-
  ed for an action to be successful, some ac-
  tions at the ref’s discretion may be tasked with 
  additional success requirements. One exam-
  ple could be a player character attempting 
  to pick a lock while pressed for time: 
  Ref: You want to pick this lock? 
  That would normally be only 
  Average, but to do it in time 
  is Challenging. You’re going 
  to need two successes. Get-
  ting no successes will mean 
  things 
  get 
  complicated! 
  (See the section on Compli-
  cations later in this chapter)
  Player: Rats! I don’t have 
  Lock Picking as a skill! Can 
  I try it using that lock-pick 
  Otho gave me?
  Ref: Sure - but it’ll be tougher since you 
  don’t know what you’re doing. Now you’re 
  going to need four successes. And any result 
  of two or less successes will earn you a Com-
  plication.
  In this example one success would normally 
  achieve the task (opening the lock), but an ad-
  ditional success is required to achieve the in-
  tended result (opening it before something else 
  happens), for a total of two successes. Attempt-
  ing this task as an Attribute Check instead of a 
  Skill Check, as required, doubles this number 
  to four successes. Blade follows the idea that 
  one action requires one Check.
  There are five basic types of Checks:
  1. Attribute Checks are made with a dice 
  pool derived from an Attribute level. They rep-
  resent tasks attempted with one’s natural, in-
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  born ability, one’s talent, with abilities one 
  has picked up along the way without formal 
  training.
  2. Skill Checks are tests made with a dice 
  pool derived from a Skill level. Skills reflect a 
  character’s aptitude in a trained, acquired pur-
  suit. The degree of capability a character can 
  attain through training is limited by his talent 
  for it. Thus when using a Skill, a character’s 
  Skill dice pool may never be as high or higher 
  than twice the value of the Attribute that would 
  be most applicable for the task attempted.
  For example, Cunning 3 means that you can 
  use no more than 5 dice from the Lock Pick-
  ing Skill in any situation, if Cunning would be 
  the most appropriate Attribute Checked for the 
  situation.
  Conversely, characters unskilled in a par-
  ticular discipline work at a strong disadvan-
  tage compared to their skilled counterparts. 
  They may attempt the Check by using the most 
  closely corresponding Attribute instead of the 
  Skill, but require twice as many successes as 
  somebody knowing the Skill would.
  Example: Otho wants to accomplish a task 
  requiring the Animal Ken Skill, but is untrained 
  in it. He has a HT of 6 and therefore may use it 
  for the Check instead. If someone skilled in An-
  imal Ken would normally need 2 successes to 
  succeed at a specific Animal Ken Check, Otho 
  would instead need 4.
  Attribute and Skill values range from 1-8, 
  with one Skill and one Attribute at level 9 al-
  lowed per PC or NPC. While no two 
  PCs may have a score of 9 in the same 
  Attribute or Skill, NPCs are not bound 
  by this stricture and thus may have 
  the same Skill or Attribute at level 9 
  that his PC counterpart enjoys. How-
  ever, for each Attribute or Skill there 
  may only be a single NPC per cam-
  paign who has this Attribute or Skill at 
  level 9. If this NPC dies or otherwise leaves the 
  campaign, he may not be replaced by another 
  NPC with a score of 9 in that Attribute or Skill 
  for the rest of the campaign.
  Skill Check Challenge Levels should al-
  ways frame the task in terms of how hard it 
  is for someone who does it all the time. They 
  are invariably vs. TN 7, unless modified by 
  an Asset.
  Example: Having gained admission to 
  the radja’s dinner ball, Otho prowls the 
  halls in search for his intended pick-
  pocket victim. The ref advises that the 
  society vultures are unusually acerbic 
  tonight and that Otho will have to 
  bluff his way through several social 
  encounters before locating the 
  victim. He declares drawing no 
  attention whatsoever to him a 
  Challenging (two success-
  es needed) feat of Eti-
  quette. 
  Skill levels are gen-
  erally rated as per Table 
  1.2.
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  TABLE 1.2  Skill Levels
  0
  Default for untrained characters
  1
  Beginner; most students
  2
  Apprentice; growing in Skill
  3-4 
  Journeyman; a trained professional
  5-7
  Adept; a skilled and respected veteran
  8-9
  Master; well-known and sought after
  3. Proficiency Checks are Checks made 
  with a dice pool calculated from several 
  contributing scores, and are made by rolling 
  any number of dice drawn from the appropri-
  ate pool (Melee Pool, Archery Pool, or Sor-
  cery Pool) against Target Numbers that may 
  frequently differ from the usual TN 7. They are 
  more fully explained in chapters four and six.
  4. Opposed Checks are made when-
  ever two characters or forces 
  match each other for suprem-
  acy. Examples include attack-
  ing an opponent, detecting 
  an ambush, or slipping past 
  a patrol.
  All manner of Checks may 
  be tested against any other, 
  with one player possibly at-
  tempting a Skill Check, while 
  his opponent rolls an Attri-
  bute Check in opposition.
  With Opposed Checks both participants roll 
  against TN 7. The number of successes of the 
  participant with the smaller number of success-
  es are subtracted from the other participant’s, 
  leaving the latter as the winner with a Quality 
  of Success (See Table 1.1) as an indicator of the 
  general degree of victory.
  If an Opposed Skill Check is called for and 
  one party is lacking the required Skill, he may 
  substitute the most appropriate Attribute, as 
  normal, but must compare his result to twice 
  the number of successes of his opponent.
  Ties are counted as victories for the party 
  who wants to maintain the status quo. In pick-
  ing somebody’s pockets, a tie would for exam-
  ple be a failure for the thief, but in attempting 
  to avoid detection by a guard, a tie would be 
  a success.
  A Quality of Success of 1 will always achieve 
  the desired task. If the referee deems this too 
  easy, thinking that additional factors would 
  make the task harder to achieve for one than 
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  21
  the other party, he is advised not to call for an 
  Opposed Check, but for a straightforward but 
  difficult Attribute or Skill Check instead.
  If an Opposed Check matches one charac-
  ter against several characters at the same time, 
  a single roll is made for every character, with 
  the solitary character comparing his result with 
  every opponent’s result. For example, if a thief 
  tries to sneak past two soldiers standing guard, 
  one roll is made for the thief and one for every 
  soldier, and the thief’s result compared sepa-
  rately to both results, for two Qualities of Suc-
  cess. 
  Example: Otho makes his move at the ball 
  and invites a rich old dowager (and her beau-
  tiful diamond necklace!) to dance. As they 
  swirl about the dance floor he directs her to a 
  somewhat unobserved spot and deft-
  ly attempts to remove the necklace. 
  An Opposed Check with two antago-
  nists to Otho is now called for:
  The guard closest to the pair makes 
  a Check of his Sagacity 4 Attribute, 
  testing his powers of observation. 
  The dowager makes a Check of her 
  Sagacity 3 Attribute, to determine if she 
  is aware of the necklace being removed.
  Otho will make a single Check of his Skill of 
  Pick Pockets 6 against both. Otho needs to tie 
  the guard’s result to pocket the necklace unob-
  served by the guard (the status quo being that 
  the guard notices nothing special), but he 
  needs to trump the dowager’s successes to 
  filch the necklace (the status quo being that 
  she has it).
  Otho achieves an unlucky 1 successes, the 
  guard an average 2 successes, and the 
  dowager a somewhat lucky 2 success-
  es. While the guard would have no-
  ticed nothing out of the ordinary, the 
  dowager feels Otho’s groping fingers 
  and raises a ruckus, leaving Otho to 
  bluff his way out of a tight spot.
  5. Timed Checks can be made 
  of any of the previously men-
  tioned Checks. These rolls 
  are made when the 
  time in which a lengthy 
  task is accomplished is 
  of importance, such as 
  when pursuing research, 
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  22
  crafting an item, or searching 
  the wilderness for the outlaws’ 
  encampment.
  Each Timed Check requires a 
  number of successes that must be 
  achieved over the course of any 
  amount of rolls. Each roll usual-
  ly represents the passage of a fixed 
  amount of time.
  With Opposed Timed Checks, the num-
  bers of successes from each component 
  Check are not usually subtracted from each 
  other, but every party totals their success-
  es. As soon as one party achieves the re-
  quired number of successes, it achieves its 
  goal. This number of successes may or may 
  not be equal. The former would for example 
  be the case in a race, the latter in a pursuit.
  Example 1: Otho, having been cheated 
  out of some swag from a robbery, is pursu-
  ing three fellow thieves through the White 
  Knuckle Mountains. As both parties are 
  traversing the trackless wilderness on 
  foot, the ref determines that 
  this is an Opposed Check 
  matching 
  Otho’s 
  Surviv-
  al Skill against the fugitives’ 
  single worst Survival Skill 
  (staying together, they are 
  travelling at the speed of the 
  slowest among them). He 
  advises that Otho will need 
  a Quality of Success of 12 
  against the fugitive’s QoS 
  of 8 to catch up with them 
  before they reach, cross, and destroy the 
  sole rope bridge across Raven’s Gorge.
  Example 2: As the stars are rapidly moving 
  into the constellation presaging the return of 
  the demon lord Yslsl, Braddeyas the sorcerer 
  is attempting to make sense of a coded pas-
  sage in the Tome of Du’Karrn that is thought 
  to instruct about Yslsl’s weakness. The referee 
  informs him that he has to achieve a Quality 
  of Success of 20 on his Decipher Skill Check, 
  with every Check taking an entire day, and the 
  stars moving in constellation in seven days.
  Complications: In Blade, any Unopposed 
  Check that fails to meet its required number 
  of successes by more than 1 or any Opposed 
  Check made with 5 or more dice and failing 
  to achieve even a single QoS success is what 
  amounts to a botch or bad fumble. However, 
  instead of penalties, catastrophes or comedic 
  moments of embarrassment inappropriate to 
  individuals as formidable as the PCs, such re-
  sults create “Complications”.
  While Drama use (see the section on Dra-
  ma under Passion Attributes in the Training 
  chapter) may add specific elements to a sto-
  ry that are of interest to the player, Complica-
  tions are a way for the referee to add their own 
  plot twists to the tale. They signify something 
  untoward happening to the PC, some newly 
  arising difficulty, or a stroke of luck for his op-
  ponents.
  Complications should be introduced quick-
  ly by the referee, certainly no later than by the 
  following scene, and should have an at least 
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  23
  tenuous connection with the task that was 
  badly failed.
  Example: Otho, abducting the radja’s daugh-
  ter for ransom, battles past a number of guards, 
  and after failing badly twice during the raid, 
  finally manages to slip away with his 
  prize slung over his shoulder. BANG! 
  The ref decides to have both his Com-
  plications kick in immediately: 
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  24
  1) One - His horse is miss-
  ing! Rats! The guards are not far 
  behind! 
  2) Two – Unknown to Otho, he 
  was against all odds recognized by 
  one of the guards. His identity is just 
  being disclosed to the radja.
  The ground might soon be getting 
  too hot for Otho…
  III. Attribute Descriptions 
  In Blade each character is defined by a 
  set of Attributes that combined, form the 
  core of that individual.
  1. Basic Attributes, or just Attributes, are 
  the character’s inherent physical, spiritual, 
  and social capabilities and govern, among 
  other things, how he is perceived by others, 
  how strong, fast, healthy, knowledgeable, 
  and smart he is, and  how well developed 
  his instincts and social intelligence 
  are. The six Basic Attributes are:
  Brawn – (BN) is a measure 
  of your muscle, your vitali-
  ty, or your frame. It indicates 
  how much damage you do 
  unaided, and how easily 
  you resist punishment, dis-
  ease, and poison. 
  Daring – (DG) is a mea-
  sure of your courage and 
  ability to take decisive ac-
  tion. It affects how well 
  you can strike and parry, as well as how 
  skilled you are with actions like climbing, 
  acrobatics and all kinds of athletics.
  Tenacity – (TY) is a measure of your ability 
  to focus on a task or goal, a measure of the 
  strength of your persona. It affects how easily 
  influenced you are, your inner discipline, and 
  your sanity. 
  Heart – (HT) is a measure of your social ap-
  titude. It affects both how charismatic you ap-
  pear to others (people and animals) and how 
  easily you can get them to do your bidding. It 
  governs your ability for empathy, and the un-
  derstanding of human and animal nature.
  Sagacity – (SY) is a measure of your mental 
  agility. It indicates how logical, intuitive, and 
  smart you are. It affects situations that require 
  reasoning, sharpness of the senses, as well as 
  any judgment relating to them.
  Cunning – (CG) is a measure of your raw in-
  stincts, agility, reaction time and balance. It af-
  fects how skilled you are with actions like lock 
  picking, pick pocketing, hiding, and sneaking.
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  25
  2. Passion Attributes - All characters possess 
  four Passion Attributes, or for short, Passions, 
  each having a maximum value of five points. 
  In addition, each character has a special fixed 
  Passion Attribute known as “Drama”.
  Quite simply, Passion Attributes give your 
  character the will, drive, and determination to 
  accomplish and succeed when the going gets 
  tough. 
  Now, how do they work?
  If your character is involved in 
  a situation where he is strug-
  gling to defend, protect, 
  further, or foster a PA, 
  that PA gives its nu-
  merical value as extra 
  dice added to the roll. For 
  Attribute or Skill Checks, 
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  26
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  27
  when one or more PAs potentially ap-
  ply, the highest applicable PA’s value will 
  be added to the appropriate dice pool for the 
  Check.
  For example, if you decide that one of your 
  PAs is to find all six artifacts of the first Emperor, 
  and you find an ancient rune clue in a tomb 
  you believe has one of the artifacts, then the ref 
  might let you add your applicable PA’s equiva-
  lent dice value to your roll to read the rune.
  In Combat, PAs work in a similar manner. 
  However, instead the highest applicable PA 
  adding its value to every roll, while in combat, 
  apply the highest applicable PA plus add +1 
  die for every other applicable PA, regardless 
  of its current rating, as a scene bonus to the 
  character’s Melee, Archery, and Sorcery Pools.
  All PAs should be collectively determined 
  before play begins, with thought given to the 
  harmony of the varied goals of all players par-
  ticipating in the session. Remember, Passion 
  Attributes let you, the PLAYERS, collectively 
  tell the referee exactly what YOU want the 
  game to be about. 
  I have to make them up myself?
  Yes, you do. This is understandably the most 
  daunting, yet also the most exciting, task of 
  character creation. 
  Regardless of whatever else is written on 
  that sheet, no matter how strong or weak the 
  characters other Attributes, combat skills, mag-
  ical aptitude, or skills, nothing is more influen-
  tial to that character than those FOUR lines. 
  While your four Passion Attributes 
  define the general story being told, the 
  Drama Passion fine tunes the result. 
  Want to develop a love interest with 
  the noblewoman you just met? Spend 
  a Drama point! Need a convenient hay 
  wagon to land in when leaping from a 
  window? Spend a Drama point! Dra-
  ma points can be used in most situations 
  and are earned by roleplaying your character 
  well.
  Passions Also Advance My Character?
  Yes, they do. You see, anytime you role-
  play and act on one of your PA’s, the ref may 
  reward your role-playing with a PA point. 
  By acting on a PA, it shows that it means 
  something to the character, and it advances.
  Now, as an aside, the numerical value of 
  any PA does not in any way represent 
  its importance to your character or its 
  priority over your other PA’s, that is de-
  termined by your role-playing alone, 
  and merely defines what PA is cur-
  rently the focus of you, the player. 
  So, by playing your PA’s, they 
  increase. Now, does the ref keep 
  a tally of what you did and then 
  dole points out at the end of 
  the session? No! He im-
  mediately awards you 
  with a point and there-
  fore the game becomes 
  a dynamic field, where 
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  28
  emotions and drama fluctuate 
  naturally, instead of waiting for 
  the pause between ‘episodes.’
  Wait, So If They Get Awarded 
  At Any Time...
  That’s right! You can spend them 
  at any time. Suddenly do you wish 
  you were a bit stronger, or maybe a bit 
  more nimble of mind? Then spend the points 
  mid game, and it is so. See Chapter Two - 
  Characters, and Chapter Three - Training, 
  for more on choosing and using Passion 
  Attributes.
  3. Combined Attributes are derived di-
  rectly from the Basic Attributes. These are:
  Reflex is the combination of Daring and 
  Cunning, which determines how quickly a 
  character may physically react to external stim-
  ulus.
  Aim, extracted from Sagacity and Cunning, 
  quantifies one’s natural ability to hit a target 
  over distances.
  Knockdown, derived from Brawn and Dar-
  ing, is a measure of how solid and balanced 
  one remains after taking a blow.
  Knockout is a measure of how hard it is 
  to knock a character unconscious, based on 
  Brawn and Tenacity.
  Move, derived from Brawn, Cunning, and 
  Daring, is a measure of how much distance 
  one can cover on foot in a hurry. 
  Sorcerous characters have a sixth Combined 
  Attribute governing the use of sorcery, Power.
  This concludes Chapter One
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  30
  The chamberlain faced the big man. He drew a scroll from his toga, unrolled it, scanned it 
  briefly, then looked up. “Are you Fafhrd the northern barbarian and brawler?”
  The big man considered that for a bit, then said, “And if I am –?”
  The chamberlain turned towards the small man. He once more consulted his parchment. “And 
  are you – your pardon, but it’s written here – that mongrel and long-suspected burglar, cut-
  purse, swindler, and assassin, the Gray Mouser?”
  The small man fluffed his gray cape and said, “If it’s any business of yours – well, he and I might 
  be connected in some way.”
  As if those vaguest answers settled everything, the chamberlain rolled up his parchment with a snap and 
  tucked it inside in his toga. “Then my master wishes to see you. There is a service you can render him, 
  to your own considerable profit.”
  The Gray Mouser inquired, “If the all-powerful Glipkerio Kistomerces has need of us, why did he 
  allow us to be assaulted and for all he might know slain by that company of hooligans who but now fled 
  this place?”
  The chamberlain answered, “If you were the sort of men to allow yourselves to be mur-
  dered by such a mob, then you would not be the right men to handle the assignment, or 
  fulfill the commission, which my master has in mind.”
  Fritz Leiber, “The Swords of Lankhmar”
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  31
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  32
  “Thus born with untamed souls, those slayers prowled like wolves amidst the sheep that were their 
  fellow men. No rules would bind them, and no courtesies keep them. 
  They thirsted for blood as others for wine, and drank lives with a bleak obstinacy and ardor merely 
  kindled all the brighter by all whom would say them nay.”                                                      
  - The Forlorn Tome of Du’Karrn,
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  33
  I - TALENTS
  “Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich 
  juices of red meat and the sting of wine on my palate, 
  the hot embrace of white arms, and the mad exultation 
  of battle when the blue blades flame crimson, and I am 
  content.”
  - Robert E. Howard, The Queen of the Black Coast
  Characters in Blade are painted in broad 
  strokes by their Talents. These Talents, primari-
  ly Attributes, Skills, and Proficiencies, are used 
  by the player as a metric of their character’s 
  strengths and weaknesses.
   Players can and should consult the wide 
  body of Sword & Sorcery literature available 
  for their inspiration. Joining in with their refer-
  ee and fellow players they can then exchange 
  ideas and work on creating character histories 
  (and Passions) that will work in harmony with 
  the rest of the group’s goals and story direc-
  tion. 
  This is where the Talent table now comes 
  into play. Our particular Blade Talent Table is 
  comprised of six Talents. While the described 
  categories of Attributes, Skills, and Proficien-
  cies form the heart of the entries on the Blade 
  Talent Table, there are many more possibilities 
  that should be pondered.
  Much of the choices concerning the re-
  maining three Talents will be based on both 
  the setting, and the needs and expectations of 
  the gaming group involved.  For example, one 
  should be concerned with the question of if 
  there is to be sorcery in the setting. If 
  so, to what degree? Will racial choices 
  other than human be offered to play-
  ers? These and many other questions 
  once answered will give a referee 
  his compass points when building his 
  own Talent Table.
  Having by now gotten a sense of the 
  character that they wish to build stories 
  around, players then translate these ideas to 
  Blade by selecting Talent levels based on their 
  importance to the player’s vision of their char-
  acter. 
  Will the character be a man of fierce fight-
  ing ability? Or, perhaps a deft thief prowling 
  the rooftops of fantastic cities! Whatever the 
  player decides will be the prime focus of his 
  character warrants a priority “A” or “B” pick. 
  Next come aspects of the character that 
  should still demonstrate competence 
  or training. These will likely merit a 
  “C” or “D” pick. And last comes those 
  picks that the player has determined are 
  not of major concern to his Blade ex-
  perience, the “E” and “F” picks.
  For our included sample setting 
  we’ve created a Talent table as an 
  example.
  Using this table as a guide-
  line, arrange the listed cat-
  egories into priorities 
  A-F (A being the high-
  est priority, F the lowest, 
  least important aspect of 
  your character). 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  34
  Each of these categories, and 
  the results of placing them in 
  various Priorities, is now explained 
  in detail.
  1. Sorcery 
  The lands of the Sword & Sorcery 
  campaign, though dominated by 
  skillful swordsmen, are still yet haunt-
  ed by powerful sorcerers wielding their dark 
  magic. The Sorcery Priority governs the re-
  lation of your character to the occult mys-
  teries of the supernatural, whether your 
  character is steeped in them, just a regu-
  lar guy, or victimized by those dark forces. If 
  you plan on playing a non-sorcerer character 
  then select either “Mundane” as your Prior-
  ity D (the Average priority), or “Cursed” as 
  your Priority E. Selecting “Doomed” as your 
  Priority F also gives you a character without 
  sorcerous powers, but shouldn’t be done 
  lightly; the character is not likely to sur-
  vive this choice.
  If you want to play any type 
  of wielder of arcane powers, 
  chose Sorcery as your Priori-
  ty A, B, or C, but choose care-
  fully as the sorcerous Mys-
  teries to which those Picks 
  give your character access 
  are all he will ever be able 
  to learn; no sorcerer can ever 
  learn more Mysteries than 
  those allowed by his initial 
  Sorcery Pick.
  Once you have made your choice, cre-
  ate a background that fits your concept, dis-
  cussing your choice with your fellow players 
  and the ref. This gives others the chance to riff 
  off your inspiration and create character ori-
  gins that will work well with your own.
  A) A Mysteriarch is one of the greatest mas-
  ters of the arcane alive. He can know all Mys-
  teries, both Lesser and Greater, and he starts 
  out the game with knowledge of a single Ar-
  cane Secret. He receives one free point in the 
  Occultism Skill and one free Proficiency point 
  to spend on Mysteries, but may not put more 
  Proficiency points into Greater than into Less-
  er Mysteries.
  B) Sorcerer denotes somebody deeply 
  steeped and well versed in arcane knowledge. 
  He can know either all six Lesser Mysteries, 
  or three Lesser and one Greater Mystery. He 
  receives one free point in the Occultism Skill. 
  Should he opt for a Greater Mystery, it may 
  be of no greater value than his highest Lesser 
  Mystery.
  C) Dabbler encompasses hedge wizards, 
  witch doctors, sages of secret lore, some of the 
  more devoted cultists of unwholesome deities 
  and other serious meddlers in the occult. Such 
  characters may know up to two Lesser Mys-
  teries and may also have the Occultism Skill. 
  Enslavement and Witchfire may not both be 
  chosen.
  D) Mundane denotes the common man. 
  He has heard whispers of sorcery but has most 
  likely never encountered it, has no affinity for 
  it, and most certainly doesn’t know any.
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  35
  E) Cursed denotes a person not only 
  unskilled in the arcane, but also somehow 
  particularly vulnerable to harmful sorcery. 
  When he checks to resist sorcerous harm or 
  influence, he does so at a +2 TN penalty.
  F) Doomed is a person not only devastat-
  ingly open to harmful sorcery, but actually 
  victimized by it. He resists sorcery as per the 
  E Pick, Cursed, and on top of this has already 
  contracted some kind of terrible supernatural 
  doom or weird. This doom hanging over him is 
  geared toward a specific, utterly ruinous fate, 
  expressing itself in mechanical terms as the 
  equivalent of a Curse Rating 6 (See the Cursing 
  Mystery), which can be lifted by neither faith 
  or sorcery.
  This doom need not be geared toward PC 
  death, but if it isn’t it needs to be geared to the 
  utter destruction of all the PC holds dear and 
  wants to achieve. Whatever the doom may 
  be, it must run its course, undoing the PC in 
  some nasty fashion. Alternatively, it might be 
  remotely possible to lift by means of an impos-
  sible quest. Such a quest should take up more 
  than five game sessions devoted solely to it, 
  during which time the PC should face more 
  than even odds of dying at least three times; in 
  short, the referee should make sure that such a 
  quest fails more often than it succeeds.
  Please be advised that this Priority Pick 
  should not be taken lightly, as the severity of 
  the curse will more likely than not result in the 
  destruction of the PC before the quest to lift it 
  can be completed.
  2. Culture
  The protagonists of the Sword & Sor-
  cery genre are often quite a bit darker 
  than those of heroic fantasy works like 
  Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. They tend 
  to be outsiders or social outcasts, re-
  jected or looked down upon by the 
  powers of the society they find 
  themselves in. Sword and Sor-
  cery also diverges sharply from 
  high fantasy in that non-hu-
  mans such as elves and 
  dwarves typically don’t 
  exist, and both player 
  characters and non-play-
  er characters are human.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  36
  The archetypes listed are not 
  meant as “character classes” nor 
  do they represent human realities, 
  but rather are descriptive clichés of 
  the genre, tropes that can be used to 
  distinguish characters that otherwise 
  would have the same racial abilities. 
  Both Asset and Skill choices for all 
  archetypes should be discussed and 
  agreed upon by both the player and ref be-
  fore either is assigned to the character.
  A) Enlightened - A few great civiliza-
  tions rise above others and gain near myth-
  ical status. Learned beyond normal men, 
  people of enlightened cultures are build-
  ers of cyclopean pyramids and towers that 
  pierce the skies. Their magnificent buildings 
  can last forever, and likewise monuments to 
  an enlightened one’s achievement can with-
  stand the passage of time. Enlightened char-
  acters are especially long lived and begin 
  play with these modifiers:
  +1 each to tenacity, Sagacity and 
  heart; minimum 2, maximum 8/9
  one bonuS Supernatural or 
  culture related aSSet 
  occultiSm Skill alwayS 
  allowed
  14 bonuS Skill pointS
  Extended life span – En-
  lightened Ones live half again 
  to three times as long as mere 
  mortals and need little to no 
  sustenance or sleep. 
  B) Savage - Savages include warriors 
  from the frozen north and witch-doctors 
  from the trackless wastes of the south. Savages 
  tend to have a close connection with nature, 
  but remain ignorant of many developments 
  that more civilized people take for granted. 
  Savage characters begin play with these mod-
  ifiers:
  +1 each to brawn, daring and tenacity; 
  minimum 2, maximum 8/9
  7 bonuS Skill pointS related to Survival, 
  climbing, animal ken, etc.
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  37
  C) Hillman /Nomad - Hillmen live in 
  broken mountainous regions that are hard to 
  traverse. Their homeland lies either at the edge 
  of civilized lands or is surrounded by them 
  and might even be at least nominally part of a 
  civilized nation. But in any case, the isolation 
  offered by their hills make Hillmen quite inde-
  pendent, and it is not uncommon for them to 
  sally forth from their mountain fastness to prey 
  upon softer people, forcibly collecting tribute 
  from all who trespass their land. 
  Nomads roam the empty wastes beyond the 
  civilized cities; quick to strike, and bound by no 
  laws. Nomads live with their animals and usual-
  ly ride into battle with them; they feel ill at ease 
  without them. Nomadic and Hillmen characters 
  begin play with the following modifiers:
  7 bonuS Skill pointS related to Survival, 
  climbing, animal ken, etc.
  D) Civilized - Savages and Hillmen eventu-
  ally gather together to cultivate the land, build 
  great cities, develop trade, and study medi-
  cine, mathematics and languages. In the civ-
  ilized lands dwell noble knights, wise kings, 
  and learned sages — as well as greedy mer-
  chants and cunning thieves. Civilized charac-
  ters begin play with no particular advantages 
  or disadvantages.
  E) Decadent - Great civilizations reach their 
  peak and eventually start to decline. Such fall-
  en empires are ruled by jaded nobles, corrupt 
  priests and wicked slave-traders. Demon-wor-
  ship, human sacrifice and drug abuse is all too 
  common in these cultures. 
  Decadent characters begin play 
  with the following modifiers:
  -1 to tenacity; minimum 1, maximum 7
  Player’s choice of either -1 to 
  Brawn (minimum 1, maximum 7) or 
  one Poor Asset related to mental hand-
  icaps like Addiction, Sadism, etc.
  F) Degenerate - The last survivors 
  of decadent civilizations start to feud over 
  dwindling resources, or are driven away by 
  stronger cultures. Fleeing into the wilderness, 
  or deep underground beneath their ruins, they 
  start to inbreed and devolve into something 
  no longer entirely human. Degenerates may 
  outwardly resemble savages, but they car-
  ry the evil taint of fallen empires. Degener-
  ate characters begin play with the following 
  modifiers:
  -1 to three attributeS; minimum 1, maximum 7
  Two Poor Assets chosen by player, 
  focused on bodily handicaps and grue-
  some mental illnesses such as Necro-
  philia, Inhuman, etc.
  3. Attributes
  Assigning points to your attri-
  butes is vital to constructing an 
  exciting character. Each player 
  is given a number of points 
  to distribute amongst 
  the 6 Basic Attributes. 
  Available points are de-
  termined by the Priority 
  level selected.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  38
  These points you may assign 
  as you will, with but two cau-
  tions:
  All players must nominate one 
  of their attributes as their “Focus.” 
  No other attribute may exceed the 
  point value of the “Focus” during the 
  process of character creation.
  In addition, no character should 
  start with any Attribute at the unique level of 
  9. This level should be reserved for develop-
  ment during play with others.
  Our example of character creation pro-
  vides some thoughts on the process of as-
  signment of points to Basic Attributes.
  Next, work with your fellow players and 
  ref to create your four Passion Attributes and 
  fill them in on your character sheet. 
  Beginning Passion Attribute Points are the 
  same for each beginning character: 7 points 
  to be distributed between the four open At-
  tributes and the fixed Drama Attribute. 
  Any given Passion Attribute may be as 
  low as zero or as high as five.
  Combined Attributes are 
  calculated by combining two 
  or more existing attributes. 
  These should be calculated 
  once all Basic and Passion 
  Attributes are finalized. All 
  numbers equal to or greater 
  than .50 are rounded up.
  reflex = (cunning + daring)/2
  aim = (Sagacity + cunning)/2
  knockdown = (brawn + daring)/2
  knockout = (brawn + tenacity)/2
  move = (brawn + cunning + daring)/3
  4. Skills
  Next, assign all available Skill points to 
  those Skills you desire for your character. 
  Again, available points are determined by 
  the Priority level selected, and no character 
  should begin initial play with any Skill at level 
  9. Pay close attention for any Sorcery, Cultural, 
  or Asset modifiers to your Skills that you may 
  be entitled to, and once each Skill has been 
  chosen; write those Skills down on your sheet. 
  For a complete listing and description of 
  Skills, see Chapter Three: Training.
  5. Proficiencies
  Proficiencies refer to weapons training. 
  Each selected Melee Proficiency or Missile 
  Proficiency conveys training in a single style 
  of combat or grouping of weapons. As always, 
  available points are determined by the Prior-
  ity level selected. Points may be distributed 
  in any manner the player desires, though no 
  Proficiency may start out with the maximum 
  rating of 13.
  Once you have your Proficiencies assigned, 
  write down any associated Maneuvers or Mys-
  teries (Both are described in Chapters Three 
  and Six respectively) on your character sheet.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  39
  Points granted by the Proficiency Prior-
  ity can also be spent on sorcerous Myster-
  ies, provided the character has access to any. 
  Again, points may be distributed in any way 
  the player desires.
  6. Assets 
  Assets are aspects of a character’s person-
  ality, background, or physique, that make him 
  better at some activities (Good) and worse at 
  others (Poor), depending on which portion of 
  the Asset is being explored. In addition to their 
  mechanical effects, Assets suggest character-
  istics about the character’s personality that 
  might lead to interesting role-playing opportu-
  nities. Assets offer a way for game mechanics 
  to encourage deeper character backgrounds 
  and more consistent role-playing. 
  Any character can begin play with up to 
  six Good or three Poor Assets, chosen by the 
  player at the time of character creation, plus 
  any other Assets the character may derive from 
  other Picks such as Culture. On top of the 
  Good or Poor Assets gained from his Picks, a 
  player may opt to choose one (and only one), 
  additional Good Asset for his character, if he 
  balances this with a Poor Asset.
  When selecting your “Good” or “Poor” As-
  set keep in mind that the entire Asset (both 
  Good and Poor) is now yours to develop as 
  you wish, but whatever form (again, Good or 
  Poor) you initially selected it in will be the as-
  pect that you first focus your role-playing ef-
  forts on. 
  Example: Picture a Barbarian who 
  arrives in his first big city, a character 
  that has begun the game with the 
  Poor aspect of the “Uncivilized” 
  Asset. He’s a savage man in civilized 
  surroundings and therefore his asset 
  would initially be rather detrimental to 
  him. 
  But over time as he gradually gets 
  accustomed to city life, he learns to better 
  deal with his own uncivilized nature - he then 
  begins to develop the Good aspect of the 
  Asset, which reflects how he has learned to 
  use his own savage nature to his advantage 
  in certain situations! 
  With the passing of yet more adventure 
  time, while he is still every bit as uncivilized 
  as he was in the beginning (years before in 
  some cases), he no longer suffers for it, and 
  has apparently learned to compensate 
  for it in other ways. The “Uncivilized” 
  portion of his nature is truly now an 
  advantage for him!
  As soon as you feel that you have 
  explored the current aspect of the 
  Asset to your (and the group’s) 
  satisfaction and would like to ex-
  pand your role-playing vision, 
  please feel free to purchase 
  the Asset’s opposite 
  side. You can then 
  move between the two 
  aspects of the Asset as 
  desired. When no longer 
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  40
  interested in the Asset you can 
  always buy it off.
  Note that Poor Assets normally 
  derived from the Culture Priority 
  Pick can only be bought off under 
  exceptional 
  circumstances, 
  and 
  only then if both the referee and 
  the rest of the gaming group agree 
  that PC’s experiences warrant such a radical 
  development.
  II. OTHER DETAILS
  Now is the time to fill in any blank spaces 
  on your character sheet with such information 
  as your character’s Movement rate,  or begin-
  ning Loot Level and Equipment (see Chapters 
  Three and  Appendices respectively for both), 
  for wealth and items that your character may 
  have acquired. Round out your character’s 
  Bio information by noting such items as your 
  hero’s appearance, age, hair and eye color, 
  and height and weight. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  41
  You may also now calculate any Pools 
  (such as Melee, Archery, or Sorcery) at this 
  time:
  melee pool: reflex + weapon proficiency
  archery pool: aim + miSSile proficiency
  Information on the Sorcery Pool is found in 
  Chapter Six - Sorcery.
  III. CHARACTER CREATION 
  EXAMPLE
  “No. Their god spared their city,” Kane told him 
  bitterly. “But I returned with an army of a hundred 
  thousand. And I spared not a soul, nor left one stone 
  standing, in all of Andalar.”
  - Karl Edward Wagner, The Other One
  The protagonists in sword-and-sorcery fic-
  tion are most often thieves, mercenaries, or 
  barbarians struggling not for worlds or king-
  doms, but for their own gain or mere surviv-
  al. They are rebels against authority, skeptical 
  of civilization and its rulers and adherents. A 
  thoughtful back-story or biography for your 
  Blade character is the surest way to transform 
  him from a two-dimensional figure to a fasci-
  nating and exciting S&S hero. 
  Hopefully, these character creation tips will 
  help you in that process.
  1) First, jot down some notes describing the 
  variety of plotlines that you, as a player, would 
  enjoy exploring. Ask yourself what your char-
  acter’s goals in such stories would be. What 
  would they fight or die for? Later, you 
  can expand these thoughts by explain-
  ing why the character has these goals 
  (What in his history led him to have 
  these goals? Do the character’s likes/
  dislikes have an influence on these 
  goals?). 
  Use any notes you come up with to 
  generate your four Passion Attributes.
  Paul wants a game based on greed, murder, 
  and revenge. His character Otho will be a 
  hoodrat, one of the city’s dregs, a sly street 
  tough who nurses a grudge against the local 
  crime lord who murdered his mother years 
  ago. His core motivations in life are revenge 
  for his mother, and the acquisition of wealth.
  He quickly decides all four of his Passions:
  Passion # 1 – Revenge on the gang boss 
  who murdered my mother!
  Passion # 2 - Get the money! 
  Passion # 3 - Keep my hide safe!
  Passion # 4 – Hatred for the rich!
  2) While S&S protagonists are 
  rarely lily-white, you should decide 
  what kind of ethics or creed your 
  character lives or dies by.
  Otho is not too trustworthy 
  and will exploit people and sit-
  uations if profit is available 
  (although he doesn’t 
  necessarily gain plea-
  sure from such exploita-
  tion; it’s usually just a 
  means to an end).
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  42
  When he sees an opportunity 
  for gain he will jump right into 
  it without too much thought, 
  although he is the opposite when 
  danger arises. 
  In battle he will tend to seek cover 
  and fight only when confident that 
  he will have the upper hand, though 
  if desperate he is capable of fighting with 
  tiger-like ferocity.
  3) Determine the physical qualities of 
  your character. This includes most of the 
  things you will find on the character sheet 
  (Name, Culture, Attributes, Assets, Race, 
  etc.). 
  Many of these items will be imperative 
  to determining the history and tastes of your 
  character.
  Paul decides on the following order of 
  Otho’s Talents: 
  First, Paul selects Sorcery for his “F” 
  pick, and decides that Otho is unaware 
  of the nature of the “Doom” 
  that he lives under.
  Next, mulling over his 
  choices on the Talent table, 
  Paul selects his “E” choice 
  as “Decadent” since he 
  feels this will best represent 
  the horrid conditions that 
  Otho grew up in.
   This will limit his Tenacity 
  to a maximum value of 7. 
  Paul opts to take a Poor 
  Asset instead of limiting his maximum 
  Brawn value to 7 as well. 
  Flipping over to the Assets section of chapter 
  three he selects the Poor aspect of Arrogance. 
  This Poor Asset reflects an area of Otho’s 
  personality that Paul would like to explore; 
  Otho’s temper and the fragility of his ego.
  Having gotten his two toughest picks out 
  of the way, Paul now selects “Proficiencies” 
  for his “D” pick, though this will limit him to 
  only 6 Proficiency points initially. Paul wants to 
  focus his build on strong Attributes and a good 
  selection of Skills. All 6 points go into the Cut 
  & Thrust Proficiency.
  To balance his Poor Asset, Paul opts to make 
  his “C” priority a Good Asset. From chapter 
  three he selects the Good aspect of Cautious, 
  again, a choice that well reflects Otho’s 
  personality.
  On to “B”! Paul now selects Skills for his “B” 
  pick. This will give him 33 points to drop on 
  Skills! He spends those points in the following 
  Skills:
  climbing 6, diSguiSe 3, etiquette 4, falSehood 
  4, lock picking 3, information gathering 3, 
  pick pocketS 6, Sneaking 4. 
  he now arrangeS hiS 34 pointS for the “a” 
  attribute pick aS followS: brawn 5, daring 
  6, tenacity 4 (5-1 for decadent), Sagacity 4, 
  heart 6, and cunning 8.
  4) Now you get to the environmental influ-
  ences upon your character. Where did he grow 
  up? What social class is he? Who are/were some 
  of the people closest to him (enemies, parents, 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  43
  friends, love interests, etc.)? 
  Remember that the physical and social 
  environment a character grew and lives in has 
  a huge effect on the philosophies of that char-
  acter.
  Paul decides his character Otho is none too 
  pleasant…
  Born in the worst slum area of the city, Otho 
  has only fragmented memories of his mother, 
  a prostitute whom the gang lord murdered in 
  a fit of rage when Otho was but six years old. 
  While he has no real friends, he has a healthy 
  libido and can be flirtatious and seductive 
  when he feels confident; however, his lack of 
  sincerity tends to put most women off.  
  Socially, he tends to keep to himself and is 
  evasive or deceitful about personal information. 
  He frequently seeks out strange and 
  countercultural groups and situations, as long 
  as his anonymity and safety is assured.
  5) Start to sculpt the personality of the char-
  acter by starting out generally and gradually 
  getting more specific (Ex: Is your character 
  more of a type A or type B personality? What 
  does he like and fear? Does he have any quirks? 
  What are some of the secrets your character 
  will have this adventure?) 
  Keep in mind that fellow players and your 
  referee can help you flesh out those final details 
  and grow your character, so don’t worry if you 
  are having difficulty deciding on the specifics.
  Otho is a generally anxious person and 
  the idea of having wealth is comforting, and 
  wealth he will need if he is to escape the city 
  if he manages to kill or rob the gang 
  boss who slew his mother. In all, he is 
  a tough-minded fellow with a bleak 
  and cynical view of the world.
  He is generally adaptable to 
  changing situations and doesn’t hold 
  allegiances or promises too tightly. He 
  is self-absorbed, greedy, and suspicious 
  of others and has a cold bearing — he 
  is quickly defensive and critical. His sense of 
  humor is dry, subtle, and under-the-radar. 
  When he does talk, it is usually about money 
  or complaining about something; when he 
  thinks there is potential gain, he will engage 
  in ham-fisted flattery. 
  Although he loathes people who are 
  socially or financially successful, he is too 
  anxious to act openly outside the boundaries 
  of acceptable behavior; his transgressions 
  are covert. 
  6) Move on to constructing the his-
  tory of your character. What has hap-
  pened to him to make him the person 
  he is today?
  Growing up under the worst of 
  circumstances, Otho has mas-
  tered both the fine arts of pick 
  pocketing and lock picking as 
  a way of surviving in an un-
  caring world. He will 
  most often be found 
  haunting 
  the 
  market 
  and great caravanserai of 
  the city center. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  44
  A harsh life has taught him 
  to trust no one, nor to grow too 
  attached to any person or place, 
  though if his loyalty was ever 
  earned it would be frightening in its 
  intensity.
  7) Lastly, it is up to both you and 
  your referee to graft your character’s 
  history to those plot elements that will 
  in turn bind the new character to the Blade 
  campaign. 
  Was your character somehow wronged 
  by a principal antagonist in one of the on-
  going plot arcs? Was your character simply 
  out to help himself or his people, or was he 
  simply swept up into the adventure?
  Having finished the history and personal-
  ity of your character, this should be a rather 
  simple thing to do working alongside your 
  referee.
  Both Paul and the referee determine that 
  one plot arc of the upcoming game will 
  revolve around the great shipment of 
  coin that the local gang boss 
  annually moves out of the 
  city. 
  Even getting information 
  on the timetable of the 
  coin’s movement will be 
  extremely dangerous. Otho 
  will most certainly need allies 
  in order to successfully hit the 
  crime lord’s money train.
  The FOUR Shoulds
  1. Your character should have a flaw 
  that balances out their strength. E.g.: A fierce 
  swordsman with an inability to trust anybody 
  at all.
  2. Your character should have its own ver-
  nacular and speech quirks based on where he 
  has come from.
  3. Your character should be played in a real-
  istic manner. If role-playing a slightly built teen-
  age girl, she must act like a teenager and not 
  like a full grown woman. She will be innocent 
  in some ways and worldly in others, depending 
  on her upbringing.
  4. Characters should interact with each oth-
  er! While normally a no-no in gaming, consid-
  er having a resentment or rivalry with another 
  player’s character. With your group’s agree-
  ment (Hey, they have to live with your char-
  acters too!), work with both your referee and 
  teammate to ratchet up the tension between 
  the two rivals.
  In S&S stories characters are more likely 
  to simply need each other rather than being 
  bound by ties of friendship. They can’t just all 
  get along like they’re on a jolly holiday, and 
  even if they’re friendly, there could still be ri-
  valry and insults when the action heats up!
  So there you have it. Now it’s your turn!
  IV. CREATING YOUR OWN 
  TALENT TABLE
  The Talent table as presented in this chap-
  ter is just one of many possible incarnations of 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  45
  this table; one that will probably suit most 
  games of Blade, but not necessarily all. 
  To some settings, such as gritty historical 
  ones, the Culture column might not apply; 
  others might be either devoid of anything su-
  pernatural or keeps such elements strictly out 
  of players’ hands, and thus have no Sorcery 
  column; and while the Asset column will like-
  ly be common, not all referees will be interest-
  ed in adding it. 
  The only three columns that are universal to 
  all games of Blade are Attributes, Proficiencies 
  and Skills. Some, but by no means all, possible 
  ideas for the other priorities are:
  Race: In campaigns where non-human 
  races are more common than the default for 
  Blade, the group might want to allow players 
  access to such races as PCs. A Race priority 
  would regulate access to the various racial 
  packages.
  Social: In some campaigns the players 
  might have the option to have their PCs belong 
  to widely different social classes. A Social pri-
  ority would give access to anything from slave 
  to nobleman, with the attendant wealth and 
  legal privileges or limitations.
  Connections: Especially in campaigns of 
  the cloak-and-dagger type, the extent of a PC’s 
  access to local flows of power and information 
  may be relevant. A Connections priority would 
  determine how well-connected a PC is.
  Status: In some campaigns all PCs might 
  be members of the same organization, for in-
  stance a cult or an army. A Status priority in 
  such campaigns could be used to determine 
  a PC’s status within the organization, 
  from grunt to mover and shaker.
  The design of Blade endorses and 
  actually encourages this type of col-
  umn customization; take them, make 
  them your own, and remold them to 
  best support the game you want to play. 
  There’s no need to have a column 
  that isn’t truly important in your game. 
  To help you design your own columns, here 
  are the basics of how we have designed ours:
  The D Pick is considered to be average, pro-
  viding no special benefit or disadvantage. 
  Descending the line from D, E is notice-
  ably worse, though not devastatingly so; the 
  difference amounts to 2 Attribute or Profi-
  ciency points, 6 Skill points, or 1 Asset.
  The F Pick is intended to be truly poor and 
  is set about three times as far below in value 
  to the D Pick as the E Pick is; the equiv-
  alent of about 6 Attribute or Proficien-
  cy points, 18 Skill points or 3 Assets 
  seeming about right to us.
  Our choice of numbering here is 
  very deliberate; we wanted every 
  step on the table away from D to 
  be larger than the one preceding 
  it. This uneven stepping also ap-
  plies when one ascends the 
  line of the table from the 
  average D Pick.
  The C Pick equal-
  ly scales improvement 
  from the D Pick as much 
  the E Pick worsens it; C 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  46
  and E are intended to mirror 
  the other’s separation from the 
  D Pick.
  In contrast, the B Pick is not in-
  tended to mirror the F Pick in the 
  same way. Instead there is a less dras-
  tic improvement from C compared to 
  the F Pick’s drop from D; the equiva-
  lent of 3 Attribute or Proficiency points, 
  9 Skill points or 2 Assets better than C seems 
  to us to be on target.
  The A Pick is obviously intended to be 
  the most advantageous, and thus is about 
  twice as rewarding compared to the D Pick 
  than the B Pick; the difference from A to D 
  amounting to about 10 Attribute or Proficiency 
  points, 30 Skill points, or 6 Assets. 
  So now you have our architecture of the 
  Talent table; now go forth and customize your 
  own!
  This concludes Chapter Two.
  TABLE 2.0 Talent Priorities
  Priority
  Sorcery
  Culture
  Attributes
  Skills
  Proficiencies
  Assets
  A
  Mysteriarch Enlightened
  34
  48
  16
  Six Good 
  Assets
  B
  Sorcerer
  Savage
  29
  33
  11
  Three Good 
  Assets
  C
  Dabbler
  Hillman/
     Nomad
  26
  24
  8
  One Good 
  Asset
  D
  Mundane
  Civilized
  24
  18
  6
  No Assets
  E
  Cursed
  Decadent
  22
  12
  4
  One Poor 
  Asset
  F
  Doomed
  Degenerate
  18
  0
  0
  Three Poor 
  Assets
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  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  48
  The oracle chamber held no clue for him. He went forth into the great throne room and 
  laid his hands on the throne. It was heavy, but he could tilt it up. The floor beneath, a thick 
  marble dais, was solid. Again he sought the alcove. His mind clung to a secret crypt near 
  the oracle. Painstakingly he began to tap along the walls, and presently his taps rang hollow 
  at a spot opposite the mouth of the narrow corridor. Looking more closely he saw that the crack 
  between the marble panel at that point and the next was wider than usual. He inserted a dagger 
  point and pried.
  Silently the panel swung open, revealing a niche in the wall, but nothing else. He swore feelingly. The 
  aperture was empty, and it did not look as if it had ever served as a crypt for treasure. Leaning into 
  the niche he saw a system of tiny holes in the wall, about on a level with a man’s mouth. He peered 
  through, and grunted understandingly. That was the wall that formed the partition between the alcove and 
  the oracle chamber. Those holes had not been visible in the chamber. 
  Conan grinned. This explained the mystery of the oracle, but it was a bit cruder than he had expected. 
  Gorulga would plant either himself or some trusted minion in that niche, to talk through the holes, the 
  credulous acolytes, black men all, would accept it as the veritable voice of Yelaya.
  Remembering something, the Cimmerian drew forth the roll of parchment he had taken from the 
  mummy and unrolled it carefully, as it seemed ready to fall to pieces with age. He 
  scowled over the dim characters with which it was covered. In his roaming about the 
  world the giant adventurer had picked up a wide smattering of knowledge, particularly 
  including the speaking and reading of many alien tongues. 
  Many a sheltered scholar would have been astonished at the Cimmerian’s linguistic 
  abilities, for he had experienced many adventures where knowledge of a strange language 
  had meant the difference between life and death.
  - Robert E Howard - Jewels of Gwahlur
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  49
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  50
  “Thus tempered in the fire of conflict and strife, each slayer discovers that he holds a flame locked 
  within his very heart, a blaze of passion that must ever char his soul lest it instead betray him to 
  his enemies.
  And while it may flicker and waver in time, only death can truly quench this fire, yet until such 
  time, it shall seek to consume him – or be unleashed upon those who would oppose him.”
  - The Forlorn Tome of Du’Karrn
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  51
  I. SkILLS OVERVIEW
  Skills are specialized bits of knowledge that 
  a character can learn and eventually master. 
  They are more specific applications of an Attri-
  bute. For example, the Skill Trapping is a more 
  specific use of a character’s Cunning. Skills are 
  areas of expertise that are not necessarily com-
  mon to every living creature - some creatures 
  simply don’t have the capacity to learn certain 
  Skills. Initially purchased with Skill points and 
  chosen according to the player’s particular in-
  terest, characters learn their Skills through in-
  struction or experience.
   
  II. SkILL DESCRIPTIONS
  As this Skill list includes broad definitions 
  not applicable to all settings for which Blade 
  could be used, the referee has the final say on 
  actual Skill applications. Skills are described 
  with the Attribute with which they are most 
  commonly associated.
  Acting (HT)
  The character is skilled in all aspects of 
  stage acting in front of crowds. Memorizing 
  lines, voice projection, body control and voice 
  mimicry are all within the range of the normal 
  use of this Skill. A character may be required 
  to make Checks when putting on an important 
  show; in front of an important crowd; or if re-
  quired to speak especially difficult lines. The 
  character can accurately mimic the voice of 
  any given individual that he has heard speak 
  at least once. Without the Disguise 
  Skill, this can be useful when shouting 
  or speaking to another person from 
  behind a door or while otherwise out 
  of sight. When combined with Dis-
  guise, Acting can be used to play the 
  part of a specific person. In these cas-
  es, only the worse of the two Skills is 
  checked during the interaction, not both.
  Ancient Languages (SY)
  This Skill provides the ability to read, write, 
  and eventually speak one chosen language 
  from a long ago, lost civilization. Ancient Lan-
  guages can only be used to learn languages 
  from the past that are not typically spoken 
  in the character’s modern world. The charac-
  ter’s ability with this Skill is directly related to 
  its level. At levels 1-3, the character can recog-
  nize common written glyphs and sym-
  bols in the language. As the character’s 
  Skill level increases, he gains an under-
  standing of progressively more obscure 
  elements of the language. At levels 
  4-6, he can begin to surmise how 
  the ancient language was spoken, 
  based on both his knowledge of 
  the language and later languag-
  es that developed from it. By 
  levels 7-9 he can speak 
  the language with flu-
  ency and flair. Literacy 
  is a prerequisite for this 
  Skill. At character cre-
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  52
  ation, every Skill point invested 
  into an Ancient Language Skill 
  buys two points in that Ancient 
  Language.
  Animal Ken (HT)
  A character with Animal Ken is 
  particularly keen on determining the 
  drive, desires, demeanor, and feelings of 
  an animal. To use the Skill, the character must 
  observe a creature for a few minutes and then 
  roll a Skill Check. If successful, the charac-
  ter can sense something about the creature’s 
  current motivation, desires, or the specifics 
  of its emotional state. Additional information 
  may be gained through further Skill Checks. 
  This Skill is useful when attempting to 
  train animals to behave in a particular way or 
  to teach them tricks. However it can only be 
  used to teach an animal something it is able 
  to perform usually, within the constraints 
  of its intelligence level and body shape. 
  Tricks might include searching out or 
  tracking specific prey; retriev-
  ing objects; guarding others 
  or an area; reacting in specif-
  ic ways to symbols or hand 
  motions; returning home 
  from any location; attack-
  ing or retreating on com-
  mand; walking with a partic-
  ular gait; and many more.
  This Skill can also be used 
  to affect the creature’s over-
  all behavior -perhaps to make it more pas-
  sive or aggressive than it normally would 
  be, for example.
  Apothecary (SY)
  Throughout history, different cultures have 
  devised remedies for a wide range of ailments. 
  The character with an Apothecary skill is able 
  to create non-magical, medicinal drugs from 
  plants, minerals, and animal parts. These med-
  icines’ benefits are not often instant; efficacy 
  may take between minutes and several hours. 
  They may carry side effects, especially when 
  they are very potent. 
  This skill includes the study of poisons, their 
  effects and detection, as well as the treatment 
  of poisoned individuals. The character can di-
  agnose a poisoned character and recommend 
  an antidote or treatment if he can identify the 
  symptoms and the source of the poison, or if 
  he has a sample of the poison itself. 
  A successful Skill Check allows the creation 
  of medicines, poisons, or antidotes from ingre-
  dients at hand. 
  Note that while this skill provides the knowl-
  edge of how to prepare ingredients to make 
  medicines, poisons, and antidotes, it does not 
  provide the character with the ability to find 
  the ingredients in the wild, which is an appli-
  cation of the Survival Skill. 
  Battlefield Tactics (SY)
  This Skill gives a character the savvy to 
  move troops and resources into optimal battle-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  53
  field position. He knows when and where 
  to fight to make the most of his available 
  troops and resources, taking advantage of ter-
  rain and weather. This allows an experienced 
  tactician to fight large-scale battles with few-
  er men than an opponent, with a reasonable 
  chance of success. 
  With knowledge of the battlefield and the 
  standard tactics of his opponent, the charac-
  ter will spend a few minutes with his com-
  rades, explaining the tactics to be employed 
  in the upcoming battle. This discussion must 
  take place within two hours of battle. He then 
  makes an opposed Battlefield Tactics Check 
  against the enemies commander. If success-
  ful, all comrades that received the instructions 
  gain –1 TN to all Soldiering Skill Checks made 
  during that combat.
  Climbing (DG)
  This Skill provides a character with the abil-
  ity to climb many types of vertical surfaces. 
  The number of successful Climbing Checks 
  needed to complete a task may vary, and es-
  pecially long climbs may require a string of 
  Checks. In this case each single Skill Check 
  should represent a real and tangible benefit, 
  like a concrete leg of the trek being complet-
  ed, not just some distance climbed.
  Customs (HT)
  This Skill provides an understanding of oth-
  er cultures’ customs. A character does not risk 
  of offending people from a known culture, and 
  is adept at quickly recognizing and 
  reacting to the customs of newly en-
  countered cultures. This differs from 
  Etiquette in that Etiquette only pro-
  vides knowledge of the social intri-
  cacies of the elite, whereas Customs is 
  equally effective across all portions of 
  a population. Customs cannot be used 
  to duplicate the effects of Etiquette. So a 
  character with Customs, but without Etiquette, 
  could not appear as one of the aristocracy.
  Dancing (DG)
  The character knows the artistry of danc-
  ing, and is trained in the art of performing in 
  front of an audience. The character is well 
  versed in all the popular dances of the time, 
  including those with complex or detailed 
  steps. He is also adept at picking up new danc-
  es, and can create his own which may 
  become popular.
  Decipher (SY)
  This Skill provides the ability to 
  decipher unknown written words, 
  codes or glyphs. When faced 
  with an unknown text, a char-
  acter uses this Skill to appraise 
  the frequency and patterns of 
  certain symbols, and to 
  come up with theories 
  of what he believes the 
  communication to hold. 
  This time consuming pro-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  54
  cess could take several minutes 
  to several months, depending 
  upon the length of the text. 
  It should be noted that while 
  Decipher can be used to interpret 
  any text, including unknown lan-
  guages, the process for reading such 
  a text is much longer than it would 
  be with any of the language Skills, and 
  it does not result in any improved knowledge 
  of the language.
  Detect Sorcery (CG)
  Successful use of this Skill allows a 
  character to detect the presence and effects 
  of sorcerous spells and the eldritch ener-
  gies that are emitted by all sorcerous objects 
  and supernatural beings. He is also, using 
  the Scrying Lesser Mystery, able to detect a 
  disembodied consciousness. However, this 
  Skill is not sensitive enough for awareness of 
  spells or effects once they have worn off.
  Sorcery can be detected casually, 
  even in passing, although de-
  tection is easier if a character 
  touches an object and con-
  centrates for a full Limelight. 
  During that time, a single 
  object or the character’s 
  immediate vicinity (to about 
  3 meters) can be examined. 
  To detect sorcery in a sin-
  gle object or being, 1 Suc-
  cess is usually sufficient, 
  providing the character touches it and 
  concentrates. 2 Successes are required if he 
  actively examines it but without touching it. 
  Detecting sorcery by chance -simply touching 
  an object without actively looking for sorcer-
  ous energies -requires 3 Successes. 
  For detection of sorcery in the vicinity, 2 
  Successes will alert a character to the presence 
  of sorcerous energies; 3 Successes will locate 
  their approximate source; and 4 Successes will 
  accurately pinpoint the origin, as long as the 
  character uses the Skill actively. To notice sor-
  cery simply in passing requires one additional 
  Success.
  This Skill is especially sensitive to the pres-
  ence of any disembodied consciousness’s us-
  ing the Scrying Lesser Mystery. These presenc-
  es can be noticed at a distance of up to 10 
  meters, and one less Success is required than 
  for detection of sorcery -in other words 1 to 
  3 successes if one uses the Skill actively, or 2 
  to 4 successes if passively. If enough Success-
  es are achieved to pinpoint the origin of this 
  supernatural effect (i.e. 3 or 4), the character 
  does not just feel the disembodied presence; 
  he actually sees it.
  Especially faint or strong manifestations of 
  sorcerous energies may require one or more 
  additional or fewer Successes than given in the 
  guidelines above.
  This Skill is available only to characters 
  created with Talent Table “Sorcery” choices 
  of A-C.
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  55
  Disguise (CG)
  This Skill endows a character with the 
  ability to transform himself or someone else. 
  A basic Check allows the character to appear 
  different from his current self with changes of 
  hair, clothing, sex, or social class, along with 
  measurable changes such as weight and height. 
  When combined with Acting, Disguise can be 
  used to play the part of a specific person. To do 
  this, all Skill Checks must be successful. In this 
  situation, only the worse of the two Skills need 
  be checked during the interaction, not both.
  Etiquette (HT)
  The character understands the social intri-
  cacies of encounters with the elite. He knows 
  what and what not to talk about; how to greet 
  others; which utensils to use when eating and 
  how these should be held; which dance steps 
  are in vogue; and any number of other verbal 
  and non-verbal upper-class courtesies. With 
  the Customs skill, but without Etiquette, one 
  might pass as a member of another culture, 
  but not as one of their aristocracy.
  Falsehood (HT/SY)
  Characters may use this Skill to tell lies 
  (Heart), or to detect lies (Sagacity) and resist 
  the detection of their own lies (Heart). 
  Success is automatic - unless the lie is out-
  landish enough for listeners to become suspi-
  cious. Such a case would require a Falsehood 
  vs. Falsehood Check. Should the target not 
  possess the Falsehood Skill, he would employ 
  Sagacity with twice the number of 
  needed successes.
  Studying the various forms of dis-
  honesty, one becomes necessarily 
  both doubtful of people’s honesty 
  and adept at behaving in a controlled 
  way so as to give nothing away.
  When somebody proficient in False-
  hood tells the truth and is suspected oth-
  erwise, as lying has become second nature to 
  him, he must use his Falsehood Skill and score 
  twice the usual number of successes required 
  in order to overcome the doubts of the listener. 
  Should the Check be tied or fails, he is auto-
  matically considered to be lying.
  Foreign Languages (SY)
  This Skill provides a character the abili-
  ty to speak one chosen non-native language 
  that is in current use in his world. The 
  level of the Skill determines the extent 
  of his knowledge. Thus a character 
  with a level of 1 to 3 would be able to 
  speak like a person who has arrived 
  in a new country and be able to 
  read everyday signs about town. 
  Those with the Skill at the level 
  of 7-9 have the vocabulary of a 
  highly intelligent scholar or 
  writer. At character cre-
  ation, every Skill point 
  invested into a Foreign 
  Language Skill buys two 
  points in that language.
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  56
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  57
  Healing (SY)
  In the event of injury, illness or disease, 
  the Healing Skill endows a character with 
  an understanding of medical procedures and 
  medicines to help himself and others. (Note 
  that the creation of medicines and poisons, or 
  the neutralizing of poisons requires the Apoth-
  ecary Skill.)
  One of the most important uses of the Heal-
  ing Skill is First Aid. When an injury occurs, if 
  a successful Healing Skill Check is performed 
  within an hour, the patient regains 1 Pain point 
  per success against the wound being tended. 
  The Healing Skill can also be used to pro-
  vide continuing care to an injured patient. 
  When a character rolls his weekly TY Check 
  to determine if he has shed Pain points, the 
  character with the Healing Skill can tend to 
  him, rolling his own Healing Skill Check just 
  prior to the injured character’s TY Check. If the 
  Healing Check is successful, the injured char-
  acter gains 1 bonus success for his TY Check 
  for each success scored in the caregiver’s 
  Check.
  Information Gathering (HT)
  A character with this Skill is adept at track-
  ing down the answers to questions and mys-
  teries by finding the right person to talk to. 
  Usually in a public location -perhaps a bar or 
  a shop-the character is led step by step to the 
  information he seeks through conversation, 
  purchasing goods, or making small bribes. 
  The character should be smart about how he 
  asks questions, especially when he is 
  seeking information about a powerful 
  person that has a lot of influence in 
  the area. It may require several steps, 
  each with a Check of its own, and 
  each with its own role-playing oppor-
  tunity.
  Penalties may be applied to the 
  Checks if the character is speaking to 
  someone who may be reluctant to reveal in-
  formation. 
  Light Step (CG)
  A character can use this Skill to place less 
  pressure upon any surface on which he 
  steps. This allows him to leave no tracks in 
  mud or snow, or even to walk across short 
  distances of liquid. If a trap were to be trig-
  gered by a pressure plate, this Skill could be 
  used to move across it without incident. 
  In all cases, the character must move 
  briskly while using Light Step.
  Attributes can never be used to stand 
  in for a Check of this Skill. If a char-
  acter isn’t explicitly trained in its 
  use, he cannot attempt it.
  Lock Picking (CG)
  A character with this Skill 
  is able to pick or oth-
  erwise disable locks. 
  Generally, two tools 
  are needed to pick a 
  lock: a flat-headed im-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  58
  plement (called a “tension 
  wrench”) used to turn the lock, 
  and a pointed tool (the “pick”) used 
  to manipulate the pins inside the 
  lock. These can be makeshift ver-
  sions, but without tools of some type 
  the character cannot use this Skill to 
  open a mechanical lock. This Skill 
  can also be used to disable other kinds 
  of locks, including bars and latches on the 
  opposite side of the door, as long as some 
  crack in or around the door is accessible.
  Most locks are Average (1 Success) to 
  pick, if proper tools are at hand. Quality 
  locks, lack of tools, or adverse conditions 
  will increase this difficulty.
  Music (HT)
  The character is skilled at singing or play-
  ing a particular type of musical instrument. 
  Those with a higher Skill rating can perform 
  more complex music. 
  A character may be required to 
  make Checks when putting on 
  an important show in front 
  of a significant audience, or 
  when required to perform an 
  especially difficult piece of 
  music.
  Navigation (TY)
  Navigation is the pro-
  cess of monitoring and con-
  trolling the movement of a 
  ship from one place to another. It is also 
  the term used for the specialized knowledge 
  used to perform navigational tasks, which in-
  volve locating the navigator’s position in con-
  junction to known locations.
  Negotiation (HT)
  The character with this Skill understands 
  the procedures and tactics of negotiations be-
  tween people, groups, and states. In practice, 
  a Check should be attempted at key points in 
  a negotiation or diplomatic encounter. Suc-
  cess means the encounter turns favorably for 
  the character. Failure means that the character 
  may need to give some concessions. Depend-
  ing upon the importance of the issues and the 
  stubbornness of his adversary, the exchange 
  could go on lengthily with many Checks.
  If a character has occasion to properly as-
  sess his opponent’s weaknesses, he gains up 
  to –2 TN to the pertinent Negotiation Checks. 
  Such assessment may require roleplaying and 
  the use of any number of Skills like Informa-
  tion Gathering or Falsehood, among many 
  possible others.
  Occultism (SY)
  This is the knowledge of the arcane, the su-
  pernatural and the sorcerous, the profession-
  al knowledge of sorcerers and those intimate 
  with their ways. 
  It cannot be learned if the character has 
  neither an Asset nor a Talent choice suggest-
  ing such familiarity.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  59
  The Skill entails a degree of knowledge 
  of mythical famous sorcerers, dead and 
  living, and their exploits, as well as concrete 
  knowledge of what sorcery is and isn’t capa-
  ble of. It also grants understanding of exactly 
  how sorcery works (to the extent that this is 
  understood at all). Depending on the setting, 
  it provides knowledge of supernatural beings 
  like demons -their names, spheres of influ-
  ence, attributes and other purported informa-
  tion about them.
  Omen Reading (HT)
  Often performed for profit, Omen Reading 
  allows a character to determine general infor-
  mation about his future or that of another per-
  son. 
  Fortune telling methods vary with each cul-
  ture. Examples include: throwing bones; palm 
  reading; astrology; tarot cards; reading tea 
  leaves; visions brought on by drugs, dreams, 
  and signs from gods; gaining insight from dead 
  ancestors; and many others. 
  Usually fixed around a celestial event, a 
  reading’s insight may span the minimum of a 
  day, or it may cover the time to the new moon, 
  the next week, or until the group reaches the 
  next town. However, Omen Reading never 
  provides exact information about an exact 
  event at an exact time. 
  The information provided by Omen Reading 
  is often very general and vague, such as “ill luck 
  will come to those that travel during the next 
  two days” or “with great chances come great 
  rewards in your near future” or “the 
  man in white has a forked tongue.” 
  Omens are the ref’s creations, but 
  it is up to the characters to determine 
  their meaning. The ref should put real 
  effort into making each omen mean-
  ingful for the characters, without giv-
  ing away too much information.
  To use this Skill, the character identi-
  fies the person or people for whom he wish-
  es to perform a reading, during which he will 
  make a Skill Check. 
  This Skill is available only to characters 
  created with Talent Table “Sorcery” choices 
  of A-C.
  Pick Pockets (CG)
  This Skill allows a character to secretly 
  palm an object or plant one onto another per-
  son, or to covertly manipulate objects in 
  the presence of others. Using this skill 
  one could, for example, steal coins 
  from a target’s pouch, a ring from a fin-
  ger, a dagger from a sheath, or plant 
  a stolen object on a target to frame 
  him. This Skill could be employed 
  to secretly swipe an item off a ta-
  ble or slip poison into someone’s 
  drink. 
  When using this Skill 
  in front of observers 
  other than the target, 
  the Challenge rating in-
  creases by one level for 
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  60
  every two people that might 
  potentially see the Pick Pocket 
  attempt. 
  Note that in larger groups, de-
  pending upon what is happening in 
  the surrounding area, it is unlikely 
  that everyone would have their at-
  tention focused towards the thief and 
  his target. A significant distraction, 
  such as a performer on a stage in front of a 
  crowd, would draw almost everyone’s atten-
  tion, allowing an easy harvest for a thief. 
  Precognition (CG)
  A character with this Skill has the uncan-
  ny ability to sense danger a moment before 
  it occurs. 
  Whenever the character is asked to make 
  a Surprise Check, he may choose to roll a 
  Precognition Check first. 1 Success does 
  away with the need for the character to roll 
  for Surprise. 2 Successes give the char-
  acter time to give a warning sig-
  nal to his closest team mate. 
  3 Successes afford these bo-
  nuses and an indication of 
  the direction from whence 
  the danger is coming. 4 
  Successes allow adequate 
  time to warn all the charac-
  ter’s teammates of the danger, 
  thus completely negating the 
  Surprise. Finally, 5 Successes 
  would indicate the nature 
  and origin of the danger a full Round be-
  fore it occurs.
  There is no penalty for a failed Precognition 
  Check. 
  This Skill is available only to characters 
  created with Talent Table “Sorcery” choices 
  of A-C.
  Prestidigitation (CG)
  A character with Prestidigitation is skilled at 
  sleight of hand and the creation of non-magic 
  tricks and illusions. The character is able to use 
  appropriate distraction techniques and hand 
  motions to make small objects in his hand dis-
  appear, or to make objects appear from noth-
  ing. He can perform tricks with decks of cards, 
  small animals, handkerchiefs, coins and other 
  items. 
  Note that Prestidigitation does not dupli-
  cate the Pick Pockets Skill, which can be used 
  to retrieve objects that are not in the charac-
  ter’s grasp prior to the Skill Check.
  Riding (DG)
  This Skill enables a character to control a 
  mount of a specific type. If he wishes to con-
  trol another type of mount, he will need time 
  to familiarize himself with it, until which time 
  all Skill Checks for the new mount are one 
  Challenge level more difficult. 
  A character with this Skill can keep control 
  of an animal at a full gallop without a Skill 
  Check, or roll a Check to calm a startled ani-
  mal. With a Check modified for difficulty, the 
  character can direct his mount to leap obsta-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  61
  cles and perform other tricks. A successful 
  skill Check allows the character, in combat, 
  to mount or dismount without penalty. If this 
  Skill Check fails, additional time for mounting 
  or dismounting is required, however this in-
  curs no additional cost. 
  To guide an animal in combat the charac-
  ter must spend a MP die during any round in 
  which he wishes to change direction or speed 
  of movement, as, having established these, the 
  animal is considered to continue along in that 
  direction and at that speed until the character 
  chooses to change either. This does not require 
  a Skill Check. 
  Any attack that causes damage to an animal 
  requires the character, in order to maintain 
  control of it, to spend an additional MP die 
  as well as make a successful Skill Check. If is 
  the Check is failed, the rider will be thrown 
  from the mount, and the animal will run until 
  calmed in a following round. Also a penalty, 
  appropriate to the amount of damage done, is 
  awarded.
  Seamanship (TY)
  Skilled in operating ships and boats, a char-
  acter with Seamanship is adept in all aspects 
  of vessel management from stringing rigging; 
  organizing the crew’s jobs; repairing canvas 
  and hulls; to steering and rowing. 
  A penalty may apply to the Skill Check if 
  the ship or boat encounters rough waters. Es-
  pecially harsh storms may require up to 3 ad-
  ditional Successes, making them treacherous 
  to all but the most seasoned sea captain. 
  Seduction (HT)
  While it is possible for a character 
  without Seduction to have a romantic 
  relationship, one skilled in the arts of 
  romance, enticement, and the seduc-
  tion of those in whom he is interested 
  is far more adept at successfully pur-
  suing others, including those who may 
  be hesitant. He knows the right things to 
  say, when to make eye contact, and how to 
  lie to succeed in his courtship. Seduction can 
  be used to entice those who might benefit the 
  character or his ambitions. Thus the use of this 
  Skill necessarily includes cool calculation, 
  feigned emotions, and allusions or outright 
  promises. 
  In practice, the character describes his 
  methods and motives for wooing his subject, 
  and rolls a Skill Check, adjusted for difficulty. 
  Seduction takes time and the higher the 
  Challenge Level, the longer it will take. 
  If the character is trying to convince his 
  subject to do something that she would 
  not normally do, the subject may 
  contest the attempt with Tenacity 
  or her own Seduction Skill. Con-
  tinuous failure of a Skill Check 
  against the same target will only 
  increase the Challenge Lev-
  el, as well as the sub-
  ject’s annoyance with 
  the character, until the 
  Checks begin automati-
  cally to fail.
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  62
  Sneaking (CG)
  A character with this Skill has 
  the ability to obfuscate himself and 
  his movements and to survey his 
  surroundings to find the best places 
  to hide. He understands how other 
  people will see and move through an 
  area, and knows how to create mi-
  nor disturbances to distract them. Most 
  importantly, he knows how to position and 
  fit his body to into small hiding spots and 
  move silently between them. A character 
  with this Skill can hide behind something 
  which provides less than complete cover. 
  To use this Skill, the character rolls a Skill 
  Check, with the Challenge Level based on 
  the amount of coverage available and vigi-
  lance of others in the area. The Skill Check 
  is rolled when the character first moves into 
  a concealed position and again with each 
  movement.
  This Skill cannot be used to hide 
  from others that are already 
  aware and within vision of the 
  character. 
  Soldiering (TY)
  This incorporates the 
  professional skills of all 
  soldiers, including low-level 
  organizational decisions such 
  as how and where best to set 
  up camp; how and where to 
  station guards; estimating 
  the size of an enemy body by the size of 
  its camp; judging the quality of a troop by 
  watching it perform; executing drills; drawing 
  up formations; etc.
  More importantly, this Skill entirely replac-
  es weapon Proficiencies in any battlefield set-
  ting in which fighting is in a cramped, closed 
  formation, such as a shield wall. In any such 
  situation, a weapon Proficiency functions only 
  at 20% of it’s normal value, but Soldiering can 
  be used in its stead, no matter what the weap-
  on. If a character breaks rank to fight alone – 
  endangering both himself and his comrades– 
  his Proficiencies are penalized no longer, but 
  he cannot use Soldiering in their stead.
  Survival (CG)
  Survival provides the character with the 
  ability to find food, water, and shelter in any 
  environment. He has knowledge of the harsh 
  conditions in all of them, and can plan ahead 
  by packing the proper provisions. He has a 
  general idea of the risks posed by the creatures, 
  plants and terrain of a given environment, and 
  can take precautions to avoid them. 
  Additionally, this Skill helps the character 
  maintain a sense of direction and to navigate 
  unknown wildernesses and other surround-
  ings. This is important to any explorer travel-
  ling overland without the benefit of a road, or 
  delving into the twisted caverns of the under-
  world. If he arrives in a location that he does 
  not recognize, he can use Survival to get his 
  bearings and a general idea of the direction in 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  63
  which he needs to head to reach a familiar 
  destination. He will also be able to retrace 
  his steps in a confusingly arranged environ-
  ment. As well as skill in determining direc-
  tion, Survival equips the character to estimate 
  distance, travel time, and to recall important 
  landmarks along the way.
  The character must have some method of 
  orientation, such as the sun, stars, a compass, 
  or known landmarks (e.g., a mountain in the 
  distance). Without such directional indica-
  tions, the Skill Check will be at least one Chal-
  lenge Level more difficult than otherwise.
  When this Skill is chosen, a character is ba-
  sically competent in all terrains and climates, 
  but if he encounters circumstances in which 
  he has no previous first-hand experience, then 
  all Survival tasks are one Challenge Level high-
  er in difficulty until three meaningful Survival 
  Checks have been passed. Thereafter all Sur-
  vival Checks revert to their normal Challenge 
  Level and the character is assumed to have fa-
  miliarized himself with the new environment.
  Swimming (DG)
  Every hero of Blade can stay afloat - and 
  even swim clumsily, if unencumbered in rea-
  sonably calm waters - but Swimming incorpo-
  rates the skills to brave agitated waters under 
  difficult conditions, to dive, to stay afloat for 
  extended periods, and to move at speed while 
  in and under water.
  In combat, a Skill Check should be made 
  once per Combat Round, the swimmer’s MP 
  for the the Round being penalized 
  with 1 die for every Success this Check 
  falls short of 5.
  Theology (SY)
  With this skill a character has an 
  intimate academic knowledge of his 
  religion. Common areas of learning in-
  clude religious beliefs, temples and cults 
  of a chosen region and its surrounding area. 
  This Skill is likely acquired during academic ed-
  ucation training at a religious school, and will 
  likely be unknown to the majority of priests.
  Tracking (CG)
  A character with this Skill has the ability to 
  follow the trail left by another creature by ob-
  serving clues in the environment – footprints, 
  crushed grass, broken twigs, dropped items, 
  bits of cloth or fur, and other signs.
  To use the Tracking Skill, the char-
  acter rolls a Skill Check with a Chal-
  lenge Level based on how featureless 
  he might find the surface of that trail. 
  This Challenge Level is further ad-
  justed by how old the trail is and 
  the current weather conditions. If 
  the Check fails, the trail is con-
  sidered gone.
  Trailing (CG)
  A 
  character 
  with 
  this Skill is proficient at 
  covertly following anoth-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  64
  er person or creature. (This is 
  different from the Tracking Skill 
  because the target must be within 
  sight when the character begins fol-
  lowing it.) To use Trailing, the char-
  acter begins by spotting the person 
  or creature he wishes to trail, before 
  performing a Skill Check. A success-
  ful Check of average difficulty achieves 
  success for the entirety of the chase with the 
  character going unnoticed. Greater Challenge 
  Levels occur only when passing through 
  particularly open ground or especially de-
  serted environs. Initially failure results with 
  being seen and remembered, though not au-
  tomatically being recognized as a trailer.
  Once seen, a new Check is made for the 
  remainder of the chase, and this Check is now 
  Opposed with Trailing, (or CG, doubling the 
  required Successes needed if the target does 
  not possess the Trailing Skill). Failure of this 
  Opposed Check will result in the trailer 
  being revealed.
  Trapping (CG)
  A character with this Skill 
  can plan, set, find, and dis-
  able traps of all sorts. 
  The primary ability with-
  in Trapping is a predictive 
  one: What path is the tar-
  get likely to take? What will 
  lure the target into the trap? 
  Where would I set a trap in 
  this area?
  When planning and setting a trap, this Skill 
  provides the ability to produce very basic de-
  vices, such as a cover of branches and leaves 
  for a pit in the forest. The damage incurred by 
  a trap should be in accordance with such de-
  vices. 
  The ref secretly rolls the Skill Check for the 
  character that is setting a trap. Failing the Skill 
  Check could mean one of several things: the 
  trap may be visible to the target; the trap may 
  not go off as planned; or the trap may acci-
  dentally spring while the character is working 
  on it. Success implies that the trap has been 
  properly set.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  65
  More Skills?
  The Skills listed above should suffice for 
  the majority of campaigns and settings, but 
  groups are, of course, encouraged to create 
  new Skills they feel are vital for their game. 
  However some care should be taken because 
  Skills in Blade are a relatively expensive com-
  modity when compared with, for instance, At-
  tributes. They must therefore be truly useful. 
  Having a Skill or not should TRULY matter in 
  a game situation. Things that do little more 
  than add flavor or the fleshing out of a char-
  acter’s background should not be elevated to 
  Skill status. For example, carousing, teamster, 
  fishing, or animal husbandry - although these 
  doubtless require skill or at least talent, and 
  are probably known to a number of charac-
  ters, they are unlikely to be important outside 
  of rare instances, and so they are not suitable 
  as formal Skills. If something is not likely to 
  be critical to the action of the adventure with 
  frequency, it should not be a Skill.
  Below follows two examples of additional 
  Skills that maybe suitable for select campaigns.
  Charioteering (DG)
  Charioteering may be relevant as a Skill in 
  games where chariots fulfill a role in warfare, 
  or in those in which chariot races figure prom-
  inently. It involves proficiency at driving not 
  just any old cart or wagon, but an actual char-
  iot, often under adverse conditions. Among 
  other things, this Skill encompasses: use of 
  chariots on the battlefield; chariot racing; fa-
  miliarity with all types of chariot and 
  basic knowledge about their construc-
  tion, along with the ability to effect 
  simple repairs; and the proper treat-
  ment of horses or whichever animals 
  pull the chariots.
  Streetwise (CG)
  Replacing the Customs, Etiquette, and 
  Information Gathering Skills in many under-
  world situations, this Skill represents familiar-
  ity with criminal subcultures and everything 
  that goes with them. Characters proficient in 
  this Skill know how to behave among mem-
  bers of the half-world; how to pass them-
  selves off as one of their number (if they are 
  not already one); how to employ and read 
  secret signs and codes; and the usual criminal 
  modus operandi of a location. Streetwise is a 
  measure of the character’s knowledge 
  (who-is-who and what-is-what) of the 
  under and half worlds’ criminal struc-
  tures in any place he has spent some 
  time.
  Streetwise is relevant as a Skill if 
  a large part of the campaign is in-
  tended to be set in the urban un-
  derworld and to revolve around 
  it. Don’t bother making this 
  into a Skill if the under-
  world serves merely as 
  a backdrop.
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  66
  III. ASSETS 
  OVERVIEW
  If a player creates a character 
  with one or more of the Assets 
  described here, he has three ba-
  sic choices as to how the character 
  views each Asset. 
  Firstly, the character might view 
  the Asset as a weakness. One with this 
  view might try to hide the Asset or make ex-
  cuses for his behavior. On the other hand, 
  he might seek out others with the same As-
  set so as to feel better about his own idio-
  syncrasy. 
  Secondly, the character might view the 
  Asset as a strength, and thus may call atten-
  tion to it; encourage others to act in ways that 
  mimic it; or simply assume that those with-
  out the Asset are less worthy than those who 
  possess it. 
  Finally, the character might not acknowl-
  edge the Asset at all. A character might 
  adopt this attitude for sever-
  al reasons, each suggesting 
  something different about his 
  background and personality: 
  The character might not 
  be aware of the Asset. For 
  example, someone near-
  sighted might not realize that 
  others see better; his impair-
  ment is mild and its progres-
  sion so gradual that he never 
  notices the change. 
  The character might be aware of the 
  Asset but reluctant to admit that he possess-
  es it. For example, an abrasive character might 
  realize that his crass mannerisms affect others, 
  yet he finds solace in putting the blame on 
  those whom he offends rather than on himself. 
  Lastly, the character might know, but simply 
  not care, about his Asset. 
  1. Assets Described
  abraSive - You are difficult and demanding 
  in conversation. This tends to oppress those 
  around you. 
  Good: You gain a -2 TN modifier on all 
  Checks involving intimidation. 
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on Checks 
  involving endearing oneself to others, or 
  Negotiation. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset might be loud and abrupt or quiet and 
  sinister, but either way, most find them discon-
  certing or irritating. 
  abSent minded - You are fascinated by 
  knowledge and learning, and are capable 
  of pursuing complex trains of thought quite 
  quickly. However, your preoccupation with 
  such thoughts makes you less aware of your 
  surroundings. 
  Good: You gain a -2 TN modifier on Checks 
  involving knowledge or learning.
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on Checks 
  involving awareness of one’s surroundings. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset might flit from idea to idea, trailing off 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  67
  in mid-sentence or mumbling their way 
  through complex ideas. Conversely, char-
  acters with this Asset might be extremely ar-
  ticulate, but still allow their thoughts to move 
  faster than the pace of a conversation.
  addiction - The character is addicted to a 
  drug that has at least two out of the following 
  three properties: highly illegal, very expensive, 
  and/or debilitating. 
  Good: There are no good aspects to the Ad-
  diction Asset.
  Poor: An addict can go without a fix for a 
  full day, but his TNs increase as his withdraw-
  al pangs rise by a daily cumulative +1. (This 
  does not apply to rolls in highly stressful sit-
  uations when the rush of adrenaline drowns 
  out the withdrawal symptoms for a short time.)
  The daily penalty also equals the number of 
  successes the character must achieve on a Te-
  nacity Check in order to turn down an offer of 
  the drug when the player wants to stay free of 
  its scourge.
  Role-playing Ideas: A drug is regarded as 
  debilitating when a character under its in-
  fluence is completely unable to act at all, or 
  when it reduces his chances of success to one 
  third or less of what they would be when he 
  is in a sober state (i.e. three times the number 
  of successes necessary). Player and ref should 
  cooperate to come up with a drug from the 
  setting that fits the bill.
  This Asset is appropriate for Decadents.
  aggreSSive - You are quick to initiate combat, 
  and you tend to press the attack once battle is 
  joined. Your enthusiasm makes you 
  a dangerous foe, but you sometimes 
  leave yourself open to blows that a 
  more cautious warrior would avoid. 
  Good: You gain a –1 ATN modi-
  fier to all offensive Maneuvers made 
  during combat, until you execute your 
  first Defensive Maneuver.
  Poor: You gain a +1 DTN penalty to 
  all Defensive Maneuvers made during a com-
  bat, until you successfully execute an Offen-
  sive Maneuver.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set are often hotheaded and quick to anger, or 
  they simply think that the best defense is a 
  quick offense.
  ambidextrouS – The character is equally 
  agile and dexterous with his left and right 
  hands.
  Good: The character does not suffer 
  the usual +1 TN for weapons wielded 
  in the off hand. He has –1 TN for cer-
  tain rare activities that require dexterity 
  in both hands at the same time, for 
  example juggling.
  Poor: There is no poor aspect to 
  the Ambidextrous Asset.
  Role-playing Ideas: Ambidex-
  trous characters might enjoy 
  startling others with sur-
  prising displays of dex-
  terity in what is com-
  monly considered their 
  offhand.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  68
  arrogance - The character is 
  arrogant to a point that it is very 
  hard for him to give pride of place 
  to any lesser man, let alone follow 
  his orders. It is very galling for him 
  to be treated without the immense 
  respect he believes to be his due.
  Good: The character makes all 
  Checks to resist bullying, intimida-
  tion, being cowed or ordered around, and 
  the like against TN –2
  Poor: The character must succeed at a 
  TY Check to stomach even the smallest or 
  imagined slight. The difficulty of this Check 
  depends on the severity of the incident, but 
  it could easily rate Difficult or Amazing. A 
  failure implies the character cannot stand 
  the treatment, and he must take immediate 
  action. His condescension towards those he 
  considers his inferiors requires him to take a 
  +1 TN modifier for social interaction.
  Role-playing Ideas: The character might 
  be quietly confident, or exude an aura of 
  nobility, or be unbearably haughty. His 
  choice of dress and gear might 
  reflect his outlook.
  This Asset is appropriate 
  for Decadents.
  berSerk - The character is 
  known to engage in fits of 
  berserk rage, during which 
  he strikes out violently at all 
  who oppose him, with no re-
  gard for his own safety. 
  Good: 
  The 
  character 
  will never slip into a ber-
  serk rage by chance, but only by choice. 
  While somebody with the Poor aspect of 
  this Asset would be compelled to Check, the 
  character with the Good aspect must concen-
  trate for one Combat Round and succeed at a 
  Challenging DG Check. If he does not achieve 
  the necessary 2 Successes on a single roll, he 
  may opt to continue concentrating and turn 
  the task into Timed Check, with another Check 
  allowed every Round. When the player wants 
  his character to emerge from the berserk rage 
  he must accumulate 5 Successes on a Timed 
  HT Check, rolled each Combat Round. Until 
  he achieves the Successes, he must go on sav-
  aging everyone, including friends or allies.
  Poor: The character has little or no control 
  over his berserk fits and can’t enter them vol-
  untarily. Whenever he is struck in combat, he 
  must Check HT and achieve more Success-
  es than the inflicted Wound Level. A failure 
  means he will fall into a berserk rage. The same 
  Check is required when the character is griev-
  ously mistreated or when he discovers some-
  body for whom he has a positive PA has been 
  injured (Wound Level 1+). The number of Suc-
  cesses required must be one greater than the 
  PA’s current score. The player cannot choose 
  to forego these Checks and fail deliberately. To 
  snap out of the berserk rage a Legendary Timed 
  HT Check is required, beginning the Combat 
  Round after the last enemy in sight is defeated. 
  The character must continue his savage attacks 
  on anyone who looks alive, including friends, 
  until 5 Successes are accumulated.
  Role-playing Ideas: While berserk, a char-
  acter cannot make any defensive Maneuver 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  69
  that does not have an offensive compo-
  nent to it. This limits him to Block Open & 
  Strike, Duck & Weave, Evasive Attack, Mas-
  ter-Strike, Overrun, Simultaneous Block/Strike 
  and Winding & Binding. Also he may not exe-
  cute offensive Maneuvers whose goal is not di-
  rect injury to his opponent. This rules out Beat, 
  Disarm, Hook, Stop Short and Toss. 
  While berserk, the character’s frame of mind 
  is such that he suffers only ½ Shock and ⅓ Pain 
  from any wound he suffers. (Be sure to record 
  the unreduced values, as these will return full 
  force once the berserk rage wears off).
  Any opponent will be greatly unsettled in 
  the face of a berserk fighter who has no regard 
  for his own safety. An opponent must pay dou-
  ble the normal activation cost for all offensive 
  Maneuvers he aims at the berserk fighter. (Ac-
  tivation cost 0 becomes 1).
  This Asset is appropriate for Degenerates.
  brawler - Your instincts dictate that you fight 
  close to your opponent, grabbing and punch-
  ing, rather than striking with a weapon. 
  Good: You gain a -1 TN modifier on un-
  armed attack and Grapple Checks. 
  Poor: You take a +1 TN modifier for all your 
  attacks at medium or further range.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set often spurn weapons entirely. Some learn 
  refined martial arts to complement their in-
  stinctive fighting techniques. Many brawlers 
  may not have a conscious awareness of fight-
  ing differently from other characters; they sim-
  ply know that the best way to take someone 
  out of a fight is to grab him or punch him in 
  the face. 
  cannibaliSm - The character has a 
  craving for human flesh. 
  Good: There is no good aspect to 
  the Cannibalism Asset.
  Poor: Those who do not share this 
  taste will be shocked and will shun 
  any character discovered to be a can-
  nibal. Any Check for friendly social in-
  teraction by a known man-eater has a 
  raised TN between +1 (for impersonal ones, 
  like haggling) and +3 (for overtly intimate 
  ones, like seduction).
  Role-playing Ideas: This affliction pertains 
  largely to role-playing. However, should the 
  character encounter an opportunity to feast 
  on human flesh when it would be impolitic 
  to do so, he must Check Tenacity to resist his 
  appetite. The difficulty of this Check depends 
  on how hard it would be to sate his hunger, on 
  the period of abstinence he has endured, and 
  on the likelihood of another opportuni-
  ty to feed arising soon.
  This Asset is suitable for Degener-
  ates.
  cautiouS - You are cautious in 
  combat, even a bit cowardly, and 
  you take more care than others to 
  defend yourself. However, this 
  caution renders you susceptible 
  to fear. 
  Good: You gain a –1 
  TN modifier when Par-
  tially Evading and a –2 
  TN modifier when Fully 
  Evading. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  70
  Poor: You take a +2 TN mod-
  ifier on Checks made to resist 
  and overcome fear, and +1 TN to 
  Surprise Checks, as you tend to 
  freeze in face of sudden danger. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters 
  with this Asset might consistently 
  urge talking rather than fighting. Al-
  ternatively, while not actively discour-
  aging their companions from combat, they 
  might remain as far from foes as possible, 
  using ranged weapons or spells. 
  connection - The character has either a 
  useful friendly connection or a dangerous 
  enmity to a person or organization in the 
  core area of the campaign.
  Good: The character has an individual or 
  organization willing to go to great lengths to 
  aid him, even if this poses a risk to his / its 
  own reputation, affluence, wellbeing and – 
  in some instances -life. If the friendly indi-
  vidual or organization is destroyed, the 
  player must wait for sessions equal to 
  5 – successes on a HT Check 
  before he is allowed to re-
  place the connection with 
  another one, in consultation 
  with the ref.
  Poor: The character’s 
  sworn enemy - an individu-
  al or organization-is willing 
  to go to considerable lengths 
  to damage and undo him. 
  If this enemy is destroyed 
  and the player passes a HT Check, the ref 
  must allow a number of sessions equal to 
  the successes on this Check to pass before he 
  replaces the enemy with a new one, in consul-
  tation with the player.
  Role-playing Ideas: In a session during 
  which the connection could conceivably ap-
  pear, the ref rolls for this occurrence. If d12 
  comes up 7+ or 10+ the appearance is guaran-
  teed as follows: If the TN chosen for the Asset 
  is 7, the ally/opponent shows up with a total 
  strength and resources equal to no more than 
  twice those of a PC’s starting tally. If the TN 
  is 10, the strength and resources will be three 
  or four times the PC’s starting tally. The Con-
  nection may take many guises: an individual, 
  a group or a supernatural creature (like a totem 
  spirit).
  detached - You maintain a distance from 
  events. This keeps you grounded, but it limits 
  your reaction speed.
  Good: You take a –2 TN modifier on Checks 
  to keep your cool, resist pressure, or remain 
  sane or unimpressed. You choose your place 
  in the Order of Limelights as if your CG were 
  3 higher than its actual score.
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on Surprise 
  Checks and on Checks to notice things you are 
  not actively looking out for. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set are likely to be quiet and restrained, but 
  they might be vocal when others falter in their 
  beliefs. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  71
  diShoneSt - You are naturally deceitful 
  and insincere. You have a talent for lying, 
  but have difficulty convincing others when 
  you do speak truthfully. 
  Good: You gain a -2 TN modifier on Checks 
  related to bluffing or guile. 
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier to Negotia-
  tion and all Checks related to appearing truth-
  ful or gaining trust. People will generally be 
  disinclined to believe you. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set might be portrayed as crafty liars, or lying 
  might simply be second nature to them, mak-
  ing truth-telling a difficult chore. 
  diStinctive - You have a distinctive physi-
  cal feature such as a scar, a prominent nose, 
  a limp, or some similar characteristic that is 
  hard to disguise or conceal. 
  Good: If the characters you are dealing with 
  have any chance at all to have heard of you, 
  they will recognize you for who you are, pro-
  vided this is beneficial to you. If it isn’t benefi-
  cial, they will only recognize you if the alter-
  native would be ridiculously implausible.
  Poor: If the characters you are dealing with 
  have any chance at all to have heard of you, 
  they will recognize you for who you are, pro-
  vided this is detrimental to you. To avoid this, 
  you can use the Disguise Skill, which you uti-
  lize at +3 TN.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set might be sensitive about it, or they might 
  play up its presence to gather attention, sym-
  pathy, or notoriety. 
  dreaded - There is something about 
  you - a physical aspect, aura, or reputa-
  tion - that suggests you are supreme-
  ly dangerous or deadly. This palpable 
  menace does not impress and affect 
  animals or supernatural opponents.
  Good: In combat, your enemies are 
  only allowed to declare as aggressors 
  in the first Round if they pay an Activa-
  tion Cost equal to half your DG. Offensive 
  Maneuvers executed against you require 1 ad-
  ditional Activation Cost (minimum 1). All your 
  hostile sorceries are resisted at +1 TN by tar-
  gets who are aware of them. You take a –1 TN 
  modifier to intimidation Checks.
  Poor: In combat, hostiles will always 
  single you out as a primary target for im-
  mediate elimination. Take a +2 TN modifier 
  for friendly social interaction with people not 
  closely acquainted with you.
  Role-playing Ideas: It might be the 
  character’s reputation, or something 
  about him, that makes him project 
  dread. He may either play upon this or 
  try to play it down.
  dwarf - The character is abnor-
  mally small – at least 75% of the 
  height of an average person. This 
  may be extreme: s/he may mea-
  sure up to 60% less than the 
  average of his / her gen-
  der.
  Good: There is no 
  Good aspect to the 
  Dwarf Asset.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  72
  Poor: The characters Move 
  Attribute is decreased by –1. In 
  addition, all his effective weapon 
  lengths in combat are decreased 
  by one Reach increment, to a mini-
  mum of Hand.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters 
  with this Asset who use the Disguise 
  Skill to pass themselves off as normal 
  sized persons make such Checks at +4 TN.
  This Asset is appropriate for Degenerates.
  eaSygoing - You are naturally friendly. 
  Others feel comfortable around you, how-
  ever this Asset makes it difficult for you to 
  be pushy or suspicious. 
  Good: You gain a -2 TN modifier on Checks 
  related to making casual acquaintances and 
  gaining their trust, including Checks for In-
  formation Gathering. You also Check Seduc-
  tion at –1 TN. 
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier to all 
  Checks to intimidate or project authority, 
  and on Checks related to formal social 
  interaction, including most 
  applications of Etiquette. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Char-
  acters with this Asset might 
  be more easily manipu-
  lated in interactions with 
  NPCs, or they might simply 
  prefer not to argue and in-
  stead use their natural tal-
  ent to learn more about the 
  world around them. 
  eunuch - The (male) character has been 
  castrated. 
  Good: The character has been castrated 
  after the onset of puberty and is not readily 
  recognizable as a eunuch and able to func-
  tion sexually. Hits to his groin use the wound 
  description and values of hits to a woman’s 
  groin. He resists attempts at seduction with TN 
  –1 and is affected mechanically by a sexually 
  compatible character’s beauty as if sexually in-
  compatible.
  Poor: The character has been castrated 
  before the onset of puberty and is therefore 
  a readily recognizable eunuch. Most other 
  men and quite a few women (ref’s discretion), 
  Decadents excepted, will react poorly to an 
  allegedly “effeminate” eunuch. Thus all TNs 
  for the eunuch’s attempts at friendly social in-
  teraction will be raised by +1. This does not 
  apply to the character’s close acquaintances 
  who know him well enough to look beyond 
  prejudice. In addition, if he uses the Disguise 
  Skill to try to pass himself off as an un-castrat-
  ed man, his TN to do so is increased by +2. He 
  is unable to function sexually.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set need not be overweight, but if they have 
  been castrated before the onset of puberty 
  there is definitely a certain soft plumpness to 
  their features. Their voices lack male depth; 
  they cannot grow beards; and they are unable 
  to father children.
  farSighted - You have difficulty focusing 
  on nearby objects, but your distance vision is 
  more keen than normal. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  73
  Good: You gain a -2 TN modifier on Checks 
  related to spotting or discerning something at 
  mid to far distances. You gain +1 die to your 
  AP for every Range Band beyond Near (max-
  imum +3). 
  Poor: You have a +3 TN modifier on Checks 
  when attempting to discern small details very 
  close to you, for example when searching an 
  area, or scanning an object closely for clues.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set might be sensitive about it, or they might 
  simply be oblivious to its presence, having 
  never known any different way of experienc-
  ing the world.
  feral - During at least your early infancy 
  you were nurtured by wild animals, or you 
  were raised under conditions normal to wild 
  beasts rather than even primitive humanity.
  Good: You take –2 to TNs to Animal Ken 
  and Survival, and –1 to TNs to Surprise and 
  Tracking Checks.
  Poor: You take +1 on TNs to Cus-
  tom Checks and for all social inter-
  action, save intimidation, and an 
  additional +2 to TNs for social inter-
  actions under even remotely formal 
  circumstances. 
  Role-playing Ideas: The character 
  might prefer the company of beasts to 
  that of humans, or avoid settlements and 
  civilization as much as possible. He may at 
  times resort to expressing himself with snarls 
  and growls.
  focuSed - You can keep your attention on 
  a task, despite many distractions. However, 
  events in the background tend to pass you 
  by.
  Good: You gain a –3 TN modifier to ig-
  nore distractions and on Timed Checks to 
  work on some task under pressure.
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on 
  Surprise Checks and on Checks to no-
  tice things which are not actively look-
  ing out for.
  Role-playing 
  Ideas: 
  Characters 
  with this Asset often seem sin-
  gle-minded or even obsessive in 
  their focus on a specific task. 
  giant - The character is ab-
  normally huge, at least 25% 
  and maybe up to 35% tall-
  er than the average for 
  people of like gender. 
  Good: The charac-
  ter’s Terrain Check TNs 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  74
  are reduced by 1. In addition, 
  all his weapon lengths in com-
  bat are increased by one incre-
  ment, effectively allowing him to 
  attack at Short with his bare hands.
  Poor: The character’s hulking 
  frame lacks grace. The TNs for all 
  Checks involving graceful and agile 
  body movement are increased by +1, 
  including evasion Checks in combat.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset are virtually unmistakable; use of the 
  Disguise Skill to imitate any normal-sized 
  person is impossible, and for the reason of 
  general disguise its TNs are raised by +2.
  This Asset is appropriate for Degenerates.
  hallucinationS - Either because of a 
  strangely mystical bent or a long history of 
  heavy drug abuse, the character suffers fre-
  quent hallucinations. These hallucinations 
  arise from the character’s imagination, seem 
  perfectly real, and are devoid of any real 
  prophetic content.
  Good: There are no good 
  aspects to Hallucinations.
  Poor: In any scene, no 
  matter whether the charac-
  ter is stressed or relaxed, 
  with 11+ on a d12 there 
  is a chance of a disruptive 
  hallucination occurring. Mi-
  nor hallucinations of no con-
  sequence can occur more 
  frequently than this. What 
  makes these attacks critical is that they 
  instill in the character a belief that some in-
  stance requires a reaction that will at best be 
  awkward and alienate people, and at worst be 
  downright dangerous. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset have no way of telling whether a hallu-
  cination is real or not; they must decide this 
  alone and react, or refuse to react, based on 
  their judgment. This may lead to them taking 
  an unexpected real event for a mere hallucina-
  tion. The ref is encouraged to roll twice for the 
  occurrence of a hallucination in some scenes, 
  and to forgo the roll in others, so as to keep the 
  player unsure about the absolute limit of one 
  hallucination per scene.
  This Asset is suitable for Decadents.
  hard of hearing - You have a slight hearing 
  impairment. 
  Good: There is no good aspect to the Hard 
  of Hearing Asset.
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on all 
  Checks related to hearing something. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set maybe sensitive about it, or they might sim-
  ply be oblivious to its presence, having never 
  known any different way of experiencing the 
  world. 
  hardy - You are made of tougher stuff than 
  the average person, but you’re not quite as 
  quick to react to dangers. 
  Good: You gain a -1 TN modifier for endur-
  ing physical hardships like torture. Your Tenac-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  75
  ity is treated as being 1 higher for the pur-
  pose of reducing Pain from wounds.
  Poor: You take a +1 TN modifier on Reflex 
  Checks, including those for Surprise. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set might see their physical prowess as normal 
  and look down on less hardy individuals, or 
  they might see it as their duty to play the role 
  of protector and help those less able to endure 
  physical hardship. 
  hideouS - The character is not just plain or 
  ugly, but truly hideous. 
  Good: There is no good aspect to this Asset.
  Poor: Any Checks for the character’s friend-
  ly social interactions with strangers or passing 
  acquaintances have their TNs increased by +2. 
  Close acquaintances and friends have learned 
  to look past the revolting face and interact nor-
  mally with the hideous character.
  Role-playing Ideas: Plain scarification of 
  the face is not sufficient to attain this level of 
  ugliness, which requires a birth defect or de-
  liberate mutilation of the face. The character is 
  sure to become the subject of pity, but more 
  likely of abuse, should people dare to abuse 
  him.
  This Asset is suitable for Degenerates.
  honeSt - You are naturally straightforward 
  and sincere. This quality helps you win people 
  to your viewpoint, but you have difficulty tell-
  ing lies and seeing deception in others.
  Good: The character takes –2 TN on Checks 
  to detect lies and on the Negotiation Skill, pro-
  vided he negotiates honestly. When telling the 
  truth while somebody else is using 
  Falsehood to ascertain the truthfulness 
  of a claim, this character takes –4 TN 
  to the Check. People will generally 
  be inclined to believe the character’s 
  claims.
  Poor: The character takes +3 TN to 
  successfully tell a lie or sniff out some-
  body else’s lie. He takes +1 TN to all so-
  cial Checks in situations in which he is hiding 
  something.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset maybe naive and too unsophisticated to 
  lie, or they might be aware of worldly matters 
  and simply choose to take a higher ground.
  hunchback - The character’s spine is de-
  formed in such a way that he is constantly 
  bent forward significantly with a prominent 
  hunchback. 
  Good: There are no good aspects to 
  the Hunchback Asset.
  Poor: The difficulty of all the charac-
  ter’s Checks for action where fluidity and 
  grace of movement of the entire body 
  are important (e.g. uses of the Skills 
  Light Step, Dancing, or Climbing) 
  have their TN raised by +2. Eva-
  sion DTNs are raised by +1.
  Role-playing Ideas: Apart 
  from this malformation be-
  ing considered unat-
  tractive by many peo-
  ple, possibly causing 
  discomfort or even pain, 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  76
  it affects the grace of the char-
  acter’s movements.
  This Asset is suitable for Degen-
  erates.
  inattentive - You are skilled at 
  finishing simple tasks, but you have 
  a difficult time dealing with longer, 
  more complex tasks. 
  Good: You get a -2 TN to any Checks 
  to notice things going on around you.
  Poor: You take +3 TN to Timed Checks 
  requiring prolonged concentration or dedi-
  cation, and +2 TN to notice things you are 
  actively watching out or looking for.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset might flit from subject to subject in 
  conversation, or they may seem normal. 
  They leave their long-term projects perpetu-
  ally unfinished.
  indomitable - The character can draw upon 
  reserves of strength and resolve, but is prone 
  to overextending himself.
  Good: For one Limelight per scene 
  -or alternatively for a single, 
  short task per scene -the char-
  acter can ignore all wound 
  and fatigue penalties. He can 
  only do so if he has taken at 
  least a single level 3 wound 
  or a total of 4 wound levels 
  during an ongoing fight, or is 
  otherwise at a pronounced 
  disadvantage.
  Poor: 
  The 
  character 
  checks at +3 TN for the “It’s Just A Scratch” 
  rule. If the rule is not in use, the character 
  must instead never surrender, no matter how 
  insurmountable the odds.
  Role-playing Ideas: The character may not 
  know the meaning of quitting, or perhaps be 
  too plain dumb to know when he has lost – 
  which could lead to his demise.
  inhuman - The character is akin to a demi-hu-
  man species that preceded humankind. Possi-
  bly a distant strain asserts itself in his genes, 
  he is the product of some freak experiment of 
  sorcerous crossbreeding, or the fruit of an un-
  savory union in the not-too-distant past. What-
  ever he is, he is not entirely human.
  Good: The character has some easily hidden 
  bodily feature that sets him apart from the rest 
  of humanity (e.g. complete hairlessness, lack 
  of body odor, absence of a navel, or something 
  determined in collaboration between the play-
  er and ref). In addition he has some instinc-
  tive knowledge of his inhuman ancestors and 
  a strange rapport with them. The TNs of his 
  Checks to know facts about them or to interact 
  successfully with them are decreased by –2.
  Poor: The character not only has some con-
  spicuous feature branding him as unusual (e.g. 
  extra digits, strange-looking eyes, an unusual 
  complexion, something determined in collab-
  oration between the player and ref), he has also 
  something about him that makes most people 
  uneasy. The TNs of his social interactions with 
  Savages, Nomads and Hillmen are increased 
  by +2, and by +1 for those with Civilized peo-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  77
  ple. Enlightened, Decadents, and Degen-
  erates are unaffected. If the campaign does 
  not use Cultural Archetypes, he interacts with 
  everybody at +1 TN.
  Role-playing Ideas: This Asset can only exist 
  in campaigns where an appropriate non-hu-
  man race exists at least in legend.
  This Asset is appropriate for Degenerates.
  killer inStinct - A predatory beast lurks with-
  in the character. He always goes for the kill.
  Good: The character takes –1 ATN on me-
  lee attacks he makes with the immediate intent 
  to kill. This excludes all unarmed attacks, the 
  Maneuvers Bind & Strike, Disarm, Hook, Stop 
  Short, and Toss, and attacks where the charac-
  ter is even remotely holding back.
  Poor: The character pays double Activation 
  Cost (minimum 1) for Bind & Strike, offensive 
  Disarm and Grapple, Hook, Stop Short, and 
  Toss, and +1 Activation Cost (minimum 1) for 
  all Defensive Maneuvers other than Counter, 
  Master-Strike, Overrun, and Rota.
  Role-playing Ideas: The character may be a 
  cold-blooded killer, or it might be as if some-
  thing deadly slumbers within him, yearning to 
  be unleashed.
  lame - Somehow, maybe due to a wound 
  or a birth defect, one of the character’s legs is 
  either decidedly shorter and / or weaker than 
  the other. 
  Good: There are no good aspects to the 
  Lame Asset.
  Poor: All the character’s Checks for actions 
  in which being lame in one leg might be a detri-
  ment (the use of the Dancing, Climb-
  ing, or Light Step Skills, etc.) have their 
  TNs raised by +2. In combat, all three 
  types of Evasion and any Maneuvers 
  that include a great amount of step-
  ping (Stop Short and Evasive Attack, 
  and others as the situation demands) 
  have their TNs raised by +1.
  Role-playing Ideas: The character 
  walks with a very noticeable limp and is se-
  verely handicapped in all endeavors where 
  quick or sure steps are important.
  This Asset is suitable for Degenerates.
  lecherouS - Most heroes of S&S are very 
  fond of wenching, but this character takes it 
  to extremes. 
  Good: All the character’s TNs to win over 
  somebody on whom he has cast an eye are 
  reduced by –2. This is not limited to the Seduc-
  tion Skill alone, but can also apply to 
  other actions (such as Acting, Customs, 
  Dancing, Etiquette, Music, among oth-
  ers) provided their main purpose is to 
  impress the person the character 
  wants to bed. 
  Poor: The character is addict-
  ed to pretty faces. If he wants to 
  avoid having to make passes at 
  every possible attractive part-
  ner he comes across (or at 
  the most attractive one 
  if encountering several 
  at once), he has to pass 
  a TY Check. The ref ad-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  78
  judicates the difficulty of this 
  Check by how sexually sated 
  the character is at the time; the eli-
  gibility of the possible partner; and 
  the likely awkwardness of such a 
  pass. He will set it very rarely, if ever, 
  below Challenging.
  Role-playing 
  Ideas: 
  Characters 
  with this Asset will scarcely pass up 
  the opportunity for a tryst with anyone sexu-
  ally compatible.
  This Asset is appropriate for Decadents.
  legendary beauty - The character is more 
  than just being beautiful – his looks are sin-
  gularly breathtaking.
  Good: All Checks for friendly social inter-
  actions with sexually compatible people are 
  made against –1 TN, however, the character’s 
  rolls for friendly social interaction with sexu-
  ally incompatible persons are made at +2 TN, 
  as his good looks attract scorn and jealousy. 
  (The character’s close acquaintances are ex-
  empted from the latter modifier.) The ref 
  may not use the character’s beau-
  ty against him, so pestering 
  him with unwanted attention 
  of any kind because of his 
  beauty, for example, would 
  be unacceptable. The char-
  acter may be ravishing, but 
  fate smiles upon him in such 
  a way that he somehow es-
  capes special attention from 
  slavers, powerful letches and 
  the like.
  Poor: The character will regularly at-
  tract unwanted attention from powerful but 
  obnoxious suitors, letches, slavers and others 
  of the kind. As often as every other game ses-
  sion, the ref may justifiably introduce an epi-
  sode of potential danger that relates directly to 
  the character’s beauty.
  Role-playing Ideas: A character with this 
  Asset could either be a happy-go-lucky social 
  mixer, used to getting his way; or a quiet and 
  introverted soul, made shy by his own beauty.
  literacy - In a setting where literacy is un-
  common, the character can read and write. 
  Where it is common, he cannot.
  Good: The character can read and write.
  Poor: The character cannot read and write 
  and is unable ever to learn, due to some de-
  fect, a poor attention span or a plain dislike of 
  “book larnin’”.
  Role-playing Ideas: The Good aspect of the 
  Asset is available only in campaigns where 
  few people are literate. In such a campaign 
  characters without Literacy are automatically 
  illiterate. The Poor aspect of the Asset is only 
  available in campaigns where few people are 
  illiterate; in this case characters without Litera-
  cy are automatically literate.
  lithe - You are fast, but less sturdy than the 
  average member of your race. 
  Good: You gain –2 TN for Reflex Checks, 
  excluding Surprise Checks, and –1 TN for 
  Checks related to grace of movement, like 
  Dancing and some types of DG Checks.
  Poor: Your Knockdown score is reduced by 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  79
  1, and Brawn Attribute is treated as 1 low-
  er for the sake of resisting blunt trauma. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set typically try to stay away from physical com-
  bat. However a rare few might relish it, striving 
  to see if their superior speed is sufficient for 
  them to get the better of hardier warriors.
  loSt love - Somehow, somewhere, the char-
  acter found and enjoyed what he is convinced 
  was his one true love. He has since irrevoca-
  bly lost it. 
  Good: The character is virtually immune 
  to any seduction attempts. He resists these at-
  tempts at TN –4. Even if this resistance fails, he 
  will only ever be carnally aroused, never smit-
  ten. He takes –2 TN to resist sorceries designed 
  to make him fall in love or become 
  victim to his lusts. He is unfazed by 
  good looks, so he would be sexual-
  ly incompatible in the face of Assets 
  such as Legendary Beauty.
  Poor: The character suffers reflective 
  bouts of depression and black moods. 
  Such spells befall him automatically 
  when he witnesses closely other lovers’ 
  happiness. They can also afflict him at ran-
  dom. A spell of black mood is indicated if the 
  ref rolls D12 with a result of 10+ at the onset 
  of a new scene. Such a bout, and its accom-
  panying listlessness and acerbity, needs to be 
  role-played with the mechanical implica-
  tions of+2 to the TNs of all the character’s 
  attempts at friendly interaction.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset could be firmly convinced that they will 
  always be unable to regain the happi-
  ness they once knew.
  miSSing arm - The character is miss-
  ing not only a hand; he has lost an entire 
  arm or at least the greater portion of it 
  (from mid upper arm).
  Good: There is no benefit to 
  having lost an arm.
  Poor: Too little is left of the 
  lost arm to allow for any kind 
  of 
  effective 
  prosthetic. 
  Most activities where 
  a two-handed grip is 
  necessary are impossi-
  ble, but a few maybe at-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  80
  tempted with steep penalties.
  Role-playing Ideas: Common 
  sense will arbitrate the difficulties 
  that result from having only one 
  arm. If it is the dominant arm the 
  character has lost, it is given that he 
  has already trained himself to use his 
  other arm without handicap.
  This Asset can only be taken in 
  conjunction with Missing Hand.
  miSSing hand - The character is missing 
  one of his hands, possibly along with a 
  small portion of his forearm. 
  Good: There is no benefit to having lost 
  a hand.
  Poor: There is enough left of the forearm 
  for a crude prosthetic or to strap on a special-
  ly adapted shield. However, any activity that 
  necessitates the use of two hands (e.g. climb-
  ing) is either heavily penalized or deemed 
  impossible.
  Role-playing Ideas: Common sense 
  will arbitrate the difficulties that result 
  from having only one hand. If 
  it is the dominant hand the 
  character has lost, it is given 
  that he has already trained 
  himself to use his other 
  hand without handicap.
  This Asset may be com-
  bined with Missing Arm.
  muScle-bound - You are 
  good at almost everything 
  that requires strength, but 
  you are less adept than most at tasks that 
  require coordination. 
  Good: Your Brawn is treated as 1 higher 
  for the purpose of resisting Blunt and Cleav-
  ing damage. You take -2 TN to any feat of raw 
  strength.
  Poor: You take +2 TN to feats requiring 
  grace and agility.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set are likely to solve problems with physical 
  strength rather than through trickery or finesse. 
  nearSighted - You have difficulty focusing 
  on distant objects, however your near vision is 
  more keen than normal. 
  Good: You gain a -3 TN modifier on Checks 
  related to spotting or discerning something at 
  close distances. 
  Poor: You have a +3 TN modifier on Checks 
  related to spotting or discerning something at 
  mid to far ranges.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset maybe sensitive about it, or they might 
  simply be oblivious to its presence, having 
  never known a different way of experiencing 
  the world. 
  necrophilia - The character is sexually at-
  tracted to fresh (or reasonably fresh) corpses. 
  Good: There are no good aspects to the 
  Necrophilia Asset. 
  Poor: If the character is discovered to be 
  a necrophiliac, most persons not sharing his 
  taste will be shocked and will cease dealing 
  with him. Any roll for friendly social interac-
  tion by a known necrophiliac has its TN raised 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  81
  by +1 to +3, the former for rather imper-
  sonal interactions like haggling, the latter 
  for eminently intimate ones like seduction.
  Role-playing Ideas: The main impact of this 
  affliction is that it has to be role-played. How-
  ever, should the character have the opportu-
  nity to engage in a sexual act with a corpse 
  when it would be impolitic to do so, he has to 
  check Tenacity to resist his lust. 
  This Asset is suitable for Degenerates.
  night-Sighted - Your eyes are particularly 
  well suited to darkness, but they are less well 
  adapted to what others consider normal light. 
  Good: You must suffer the penalty to MP 
  and AP from poor lighting that is one step less 
  severe than the actual circumstance.
  Poor: You take +1 TN for all activities made 
  in very bright light (at least equivalent to a sun-
  ny day), and if fighting in such conditions, you 
  lose 1 or 2 dice (ref’s call) from your MP and 
  twice as many from your AP. 
  Role-playing Ideas: This Asset may not af-
  fect a character’s personality at all, but it might 
  indicate a preference for underground or 
  nighttime adventures. 
  This Asset is suitable for Degenerates.
  obeSe - You are pronouncedly overweight, 
  weighing at least 30% more than is normal for 
  your height.
  Good: Your BN is treated as if it were 1 
  higher for the purpose of withstanding Blunt 
  and Cleaving damage.
  Poor: Your obesity denotes 1 point Encum-
  brance, and you must use Encumbrance me-
  chanics even if the rest of the group 
  doesn’t. Your Move Attribute is 1 lower 
  than calculated.
  Role-playing Ideas: The Obese 
  character is often the comic relief in 
  a tale. The classic role-playing charac-
  ter model is Friar Tuck, a fat, bald and 
  jovial monk with a great love of ale.
  This 
  Asset 
  is 
  appropriate 
  for 
  Decadents.
  overconfidence - The character thinks he is 
  far more accomplished than reality dictates, 
  and is more than ready to go up against pro-
  hibitive odds.
  Good: Any Check to resist being bullied, 
  intimidated, frightened or cowed is made 
  against TN –2. The character takes –1 TN 
  on all non-combat Opposed Checks made 
  against any clearly superior opposition. If 
  fighting clearly superior odds, he pays 
  1 less Activation Cost for Offensive 
  Maneuvers, provided his current MP is 
  greater than 0. If this takes the Activa-
  tion Cost below 0, he gains +1 die on 
  the attack. 
  Poor: Whenever the ref feels 
  that the character is showing 
  too much sound judgment, he 
  can ask for a Daring Check. 
  The character must pass 
  this test to prevent him 
  throwing caution to 
  the wind. The difficulty 
  of this Check is Average - 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  82
  if the opposition appears more 
  than three times as formidable 
  as the character; Challenging - if 
  more than twice as formidable; 
  and Difficult - if only slightly more 
  formidable.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters 
  with this Asset should be constantly 
  challenged by the ref. Any situation 
  where the character goes beyond passively 
  following orders is ripe for a Check. This has 
  to be role-played to the hilt!
  panther reflexeS - You are difficult to sur-
  prise and you strike your opponents with 
  catlike speed. However this Asset also makes 
  it more difficult for you to relax and interact 
  with others.
  Good: You gain a –2 TN modifier on Sur-
  prise Checks, Reflex Checks to determine ini-
  tiative, and Checks to Steal Initiative.
  Poor: Due to your high-strung nature, 
  you take a +2 TN modifier on most ap-
  plications of Customs, Etiquette, Infor-
  mation Gathering, and Seduc-
  tion. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with 
  this Asset typically prefer operating as 
  scouts when seeking out the enemy. Any noise 
  from companions is a distraction to his finely 
  tuned instincts and reaction time.
  plodding - You are slow, but you are also 
  sturdier than the average member of your race. 
  Good: You take -2 TN to Knockdown, with 
  Brawn being treated as 1 higher for the sake of 
  withstanding blunt trauma.
  Poor: You take +1 TN to Terrain Checks, Full 
  Evasion, and Checks of the Move Attribute.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set tend to be relatively immobile in combat. 
  They typically prefer to wear strong armor (or 
  other protective devices), since it’s hard for 
  them to flee a fight. 
  plucky - You have a strength of will that is 
  not reflected in your limited physical gifts. 
  Good: You take –1 TN on all TY Checks.
  Poor: Your Knockout Attribute is 1 lower 
  than calculated, and you take +1 TN on all BN 
  Checks.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set maybe annoyingly optimistic, or they might 
  only show their mental resilience in times of 
  dire need. 
  polite -You are courteous and well spoken. 
  Good: You gain a -2 TN modifier on all 
  Checks related to Negotiation and Etiquette, 
  and a –1 TN modifier on other social Checks 
  in formal surroundings. 
  Poor: You take +3 TN on all Checks to pass 
  yourself off as a member of the uncouth so-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  83
  cial strata, and +2 TN to interact with such 
  people in a friendly way, or to impress or 
  intimidate them. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset maybe honestly polite and kind, or they 
  might simply be adept at mimicking social 
  conventions to get what they want. 
  prince of thieveS - You are a consummate 
  thief. Stealing is your calling and nature, and it 
  is what really makes you come alive.
  Good: You take a –1 TN modifier for all At-
  tribute and Skill Checks relating immediately 
  to tasks of stealth: stealing, filching, burglariz-
  ing, or breaking and entering.
  Poor: Your many acts of thievery have made 
  you a wanted man. As with a Connection Poor 
  Asset, others are willing to go to considerable 
  lengths to damage or undo you. 
  Role-playing Ideas: You maybe boastful or 
  slyly discreet about your status.
  reckleSS – Your instincts dictate that you sac-
  rifice accuracy to put more power behind your 
  blows. 
  Good: For as long as your current MP is 
  greater than 0, you pay 1 less Activation Cost 
  for Offensive Maneuvers. If this takes the Ac-
  tivation Cost below 0, you gain +1 die on the 
  attack.
  Poor: You pay a +1 Activation cost for de-
  fensive Maneuvers.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set maybe loudly passionate about entering 
  combat and overcoming foes through strength 
  of arms. Alternatively they may be quiet and so 
  desperate to avoid confrontation that 
  they put extra effort into every blow in 
  an attempt to end an encounter more 
  quickly. 
  relentleSS - You don’t know the 
  meaning of the word “tired.” You go all 
  out until you simply can’t continue. 
  Good: The character is at –2 TN to 
  shrug off fatigue and keep going. This in-
  cludes fatigue Checks, if those optional rules 
  are in use.
  Poor: If the optional Fatigue rules are not in 
  use, they are employed for this character only. 
  If in use, all the character’s fatigue Checks are 
  at +3 TN.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this 
  Asset may see others - especially those who 
  complain of tiredness or fatigue - as soft or 
  weak. They might openly scoff at others’ weak-
  nesses or encourage them to “tough it 
  out.” 
  Saddleborn - You are a natural in the 
  saddle. However you do not feel com-
  fortable walking.
  Good: You gain a –2 TN modi-
  fier on Riding and related Checks 
  with one particular type of riding 
  beast. When mounted on this 
  beast, your cap to your use-
  able Proficiency for horse 
  archery is 2 higher 
  than normal (i.e. Rid-
  ing Skill +2).
  Poor: You take +1 TN 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  84
  to Terrain Checks and +2 TN to 
  Move Checks due to a horse-
  man’s bent legs and rolling gait.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters 
  with this Asset rarely even consider 
  walking any but the shortest of dis-
  tances. 
  SadiSm - The character enjoys wit-
  nessing and inflicting suffering and 
  pain. 
  Good: There is no good aspect to the Sa-
  dism Asset.
  Poor: If the character is discovered to 
  be a sadist – and most of his closer asso-
  ciates will discover it sooner or later – the 
  more considerate will react with displeasure. 
  Any Check for friendly social interaction by a 
  known sadist usually has its TN raised by +1, 
  or by +2 if the person in question is partic-
  ularly scrupulous. Persons who are callous 
  themselves are unfazed by sadism.
  Role-playing Ideas: The primary im-
  pact of this Asset is on role-play-
  ing. The character will never 
  miss a public execution; he 
  will press for the torturing 
  of prisoners and regularly 
  beat animals and servants; 
  etc. He may Check Tenacity 
  to suppress his sadistic vein 
  when it would be impolitic 
  to follow his cruel streak (for 
  instance when the victim is 
  somebody who might di-
  rectly or indirectly seek vengeance, or 
  when the character’s urgent attention should 
  be directed elsewhere). The difficulty of this 
  Check depends on the degree of awkwardness 
  it would involve to indulge his sadism; on the 
  period of abstinence; and on the likelihood of 
  an equivalent opportunity arising soon.
  This Asset is suitable for Decadents and 
  Degenerates.
  Shadow- You are a master at going unno-
  ticed, however you may also be very nonde-
  script.
  Good: Whenever you try to remain unob-
  served or to vanish, you take a –2 TN modifier 
  to Light Step, Sneaking, Tracking, and Trailing 
  and related Checks to this end.
  Poor: You have an extremely hard time con-
  vincing somebody of any exceptional claims 
  you make, whether true or not. Take a +2 TN 
  modifier to such tasks, as well as to Seduction 
  Checks and attempts at intimidation. If you 
  mean to assume a position of leadership, you 
  have to prove your worth to every prospective 
  follower, personally.
  Role-playing Ideas: The character may take 
  pleasure in his ability to startle others with 
  his talent to melt into and appear from the 
  shadows, or he might purposely cultivate a 
  low and innocuous profile.
  Skinny - You are very slender for your race. 
  Good: You take a -2 TN modifier on all 
  Checks related to agility, elusiveness, or mov-
  ing in confined spaces. 
  Poor: You take +2 TN to Knockdown, with 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  85
  Brawn being treated as 1 lower for the 
  sake of withstanding blunt trauma. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Skinny characters tend 
  to be pushed around by tougher types, so 
  those with this Asset maybe shy, or they might 
  be very defensive. 
  Slippery - You are less adept at grappling and 
  wrestling than others of your size and strength, 
  however you are adept at slipping out of an-
  other’s hold. 
  Good: You gain a -2 TN modifier on Checks 
  to escape a grapple or avoid being grappled. 
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier 
  on all other grapple Checks. 
  Role-playing Ideas: In the knowl-
  edge that they are less skillful grap-
  plers than most opponents, characters 
  with this Asset may fear close combat. 
  On the other hand, good escape art-
  ists with this Asset might enjoy baiting 
  larger foes into grappling them, knowing 
  they can easily slip out of most adversaries’ 
  clutches. 
  Specialized - You have a knack for one kind
  of work or study. 
  Good: You gain a –3 TN modifier on 
  Checks of one specific craft, knowledge, or 
  professional Skill.
  Poor: There are no poor aspects to the 
  Specialized Asset.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set often see themselves as elite artists or 
  experts rather than mere professionals, 
  and they might regard their chosen vo-
  cation or study as more useful or inter-
  esting than other tasks. 
  Spell-gifted - The character has a 
  special flair for a certain sorcerous 
  Mystery – and perhaps for noth-
  ing other than the one Mystery. 
  This Asset may only be chosen 
  for characters created with 
  an A-C Sorcery Priority.
  Good: Having cho-
  sen a particular Great-
  er or Lesser Mystery, you 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  86
  take –2 TN when using that 
  Mystery.
  Poor: If your character is a Mys-
  teriarch, choose four particular 
  Greater or Lesser Mysteries; if a Sor-
  cerer, three; or if a Dabbler, one. You 
  take +1 TN when using these Myster-
  ies, or +3 TN if a mere Dabbler.
  Role-playing Ideas: The character 
  may loudly extol the virtues of his preferred 
  sorceries – or try to keep secret his deficien-
  cy in the others. 
  Stout - You are heavy for your race. 
  Good: To account for your heaviness 
  and the difficulty of your opponent’s task of 
  driving you back, you take -2 TN to Knock-
  down, with Brawn being treated as 1 higher 
  for the sake of withstanding blunt trauma. 
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on all
  Checks related to agility, speed, or melee 
  Evasion. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Overweight char-
  acters are often bullied, so those with 
  this Asset maybe shy, or they 
  might be very defensive. 
  Some turn to humor to defuse 
  their feelings of awkwardness, 
  while others become bitter. 
  SuperStitiouS - For good 
  or bad, you have an unwav-
  ering belief in the power of 
  the supernatural. You may be 
  intrigued by or afraid of it, or 
  both.
  Good: You may use an SY with twice 
  the normal number of required successes 
  instead of Occultism, even if you do not have 
  that Skill. You may choose one sorcerous Mys-
  tery to resist at –1 TN.
  Poor: You resist all hostile sorcery at +1 TN. 
  Any attack of yours against a known sorcerer 
  requires +1 Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Role-playing Ideas: The character maybe 
  either unwholesomely fascinated by the su-
  pernatural or afraid and distrustful of it. In any 
  case he might carry a lot of charms and amu-
  lets.
  SuSpiciouS - You are naturally suspicious 
  of everyone and everything. While this Asset 
  makes you hard to fool, it makes others more 
  likely to find you unpleasant. 
  Good: You take a –2 TN modifier to all 
  Checks to detect and see through lies. You 
  oppose Negotiation and Seduction at –1 TN, 
  even if no untruthfulness is involved.
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on Checks 
  related to friendly social interaction.
  Role-playing Ideas: This Asset may express it-
  self as comic levels of paranoia, or it might make 
  the character quietly cautious about others. 
  Swindler - Lying, swindling, and obfuscat-
  ing are not just a way of life to a character with 
  this Asset; they are his second nature.
  Good: The character takes –2 TN to all 
  Falsehood Checks to tell convincing lies, and 
  –1 TN to Checks of Acting, Disguise, Negotia-
  tion, and Seduction, as well as of the HT and 
  CG Attributes, provided telling or projecting 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  87
  an untruth is a significant part of the activ-
  ity that is Checked.
  Poor: The character constantly tells major, 
  minor, and petty lies. This becomes apparent 
  to anybody who knows him for even the short-
  est time and to those who have heard of him. 
  Against such characters, the character takes 
  either +1 TN or +2 TN on Checks for all activ-
  ities where being perceived as honest matters, 
  depending on the degree to which truthful-
  ness is a key issue. This does include, amongst 
  more readily apparent things, uses of Seduc-
  tion, Negotiation, and many uses of HT and 
  CG for plain social interaction.
  Role-playing Ideas: Somebody with this As-
  set may be a habitual and even compulsive liar, 
  possibly aggrandizing himself at every possi-
  ble and impossible opportunity. He might also 
  be a sly and shifty individual who makes a liv-
  ing off the gullible – whom he might despise.
  torpid - You are sluggish and slow to react 
  to danger, but also resistant to others’ com-
  mands. 
  Good: You gain a –2 TN modifier to resist 
  the Enslavement Mystery and similar sorcer-
  ous effects of command and befuddlement.
  Poor: You take a +2 modifier to TNs to no-
  tice and react to any kind of hidden danger, 
  including Surprise Checks. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Torpid characters may 
  be seen as lazy, or as methodical and mea-
  sured in their actions. 
  tough aS nailS - You are made of sterner 
  stuff than the average person. 
  Good: Take –1 TN to healing 
  Checks and Checks to resist and re-
  cover from poison, and to “It’s Just a 
  Scratch” Checks, if those are used. 
  Poor: There is no poor aspect to 
  the Tough as Nails Asset.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with 
  this Asset maybe gruff and place ex-
  treme value on overcoming physical ail-
  ments. 
  uncivilized - You relate better to animals 
  than you do to people. 
  Good: You gain a -3 TN to Checks of the An-
  imal Ken Skill and –1 TN to Checks of Riding, 
  and to Tracking if it is related to animals.
  Poor: You take a +2 TN modifier on 
  Checks related to Etiquette, Negotiation, 
  and Information Gathering, and to all social 
  Checks made in even moderately refined sur-
  roundings. 
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with 
  this Asset are likely to feel awkward 
  in many social situations. This might 
  be expressed as shyness and quiet 
  behavior, or through an overly ex-
  uberant need to participate in con-
  versations. 
  waStrel - The character ei-
  ther does not care at all about 
  hanging on to money or 
  else he is spectacularly 
  bad at it. 
  Good: There is no 
  benefit to being a wastrel.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  88
  Poor: When other characters 
  do not have to roll a Check for 
  a decrease in Loot between one 
  session and the next, this character 
  must roll. When others must Check, 
  his Challenge Level is (7 - Loot). He 
  also takes +3 TN to all Checks to buy 
  at a good price (not to sell).
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with 
  this Asset allow wealth to slip through their 
  fingers at an incredible pace.
  wordbound - The character feels bound 
  always to keep his word – either because 
  of a sense of honor, or possibly because of 
  some sorcery.
  Good: If the PC pledges himself to pursue 
  or eschew a certain course of action, this is 
  treated like an Omen rating 1 (see the Proph-
  ecy Mystery) applicable to all Checks made 
  to honor his word.
  Poor: If the PC pledges himself to pursue 
  or eschew a certain course of action, 
  this is treated like an Omen rat-
  ing 1 working against all the 
  Checks he makes breaking 
  his word. The ref will make 
  sure that the PC is frequent-
  ly faced with situations 
  where he is asked, enticed 
  or forced to make pledges he 
  doesn’t want to keep.
  Role-playing Ideas: The 
  character may take strength 
  from his innate sense of 
  honor, or he might be afraid of the conse-
  quences of breaking an oath, or he may be 
  under some sorcerous compulsion.
  zealot - The character adheres to very clear-
  cut and uncompromising morals. He is abso-
  lutely convinced that his moral standards are 
  correct and is unable and unwilling to view 
  moral questions other than in terms of black 
  and white.
  Good: The character takes –2 TN to all his 
  Checks to shrug off mental and physical hard-
  ship while pursuing what he perceives to be 
  right in the face of opposition.
  Poor: The character takes +1 TN to all his 
  Checks while doing something he considers 
  morally wrong.
  Role-playing Ideas: Characters with this As-
  set will often be harsh and uncompromising in 
  their judgments. They may take silent strength 
  from their convictions or be haunted and driv-
  en by them.
  IV. PROFICIENCIES 
  OVERVIEW
  A Proficiency is a measurement of the skill 
  that a Blade character has in a particular style 
  of fighting or with an assortment of similar 
  weapons. Incorporated in this is the use of var-
  ied weapons in combination, and the resulting 
  effects.
  It is possible for multiple Proficiencies to 
  cover the use of any weapon. For example, 
  a character with a sword-related Proficiency 
  may wield a mace, as long as the mace is used 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  89
  in a similar fashion to that with which one 
  would wield a sword. In other words, how 
  the weapon is wielded is more important than 
  what the weapon is.
  The Maneuvers that are described under 
  each Proficiency are specific applications of 
  that Proficiency. Some Maneuvers, such as ba-
  sic attacks, are granted automatically to a war-
  rior with only a single point in the applicable 
  Proficiency. 
  Maneuvers may also require the payment of 
  an “Activation Cost” from the character’s Me-
  lee Pool (MP). This cost is detailed in parenthe-
  ses next to each maneuver. 
  Other Maneuvers may only be learned 
  through play, and even then are only available 
  at certain Proficiency levels.
  Some fighting styles are quite similar to oth-
  ers, and each Proficiency lists those styles that 
  are closely related. These “Defaults” are des-
  ignated with a negative Proficiency modifier 
  based on the Proficiency from which the de-
  fault originates. 
  Defaults are listed in Table 3.0, which fol-
  lows the Proficiency descriptions. Thus, if your 
  primary Proficiency is Sword & Shield and you 
  need to find the default for Greatsword, read 
  the “defaults from Sword & Shield” column 
  on the Greatsword line of Table 3.0 and apply 
  this modifier to your Sword & Shield rating. 
  In this case it is –3, meaning that you can use 
  the Greatsword Proficiency at 3 less than your 
  Sword & Shield Proficiency.
  1. Proficiencies Described
  “Who won the war, Kane?” 
  “I did.”
  “You didn’t win a thing, Kane. You only 
  survived.” 
  “It means the same thing.”
  Karl Edward Wagner, Lynortis Reprise
  brawling - The one weapon ev-
  eryone has is his body. Variations of unarmed 
  combat exist all over the world. This version is 
  popular throughout the western half. Brawling 
  involves, first and foremost, punching and 
  kicking - delivered by means of the Bash 
  Maneuver –and also grappling and plenty of 
  dirty tricks. While mostly an unarmed Pro-
  ficiency, the use of knuckledusters, saps and 
  the like is also incorporated.
  cut & thruSt - This Proficiency refers 
  to swords that are usually wielded in a 
  quick fencing style, not in conjunction 
  with a shield. This includes such blades 
  as sideswords, rapiers, and perhaps 
  sabres. With this Proficiency, the 
  sword is often accompanied by a 
  buckler, dagger or arming glove 
  in the off hand.
  dagger - This small, easi-
  ly hidden weapon comes 
  in many forms. Found 
  in every place in the 
  world, 
  daggers 
  and 
  knives are used as both 
  tools and instruments of 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  90
  death. Daggers are extremely 
  popular civilian weapons, and 
  are carried by almost everyone. 
  This Proficiency covers stilettos, 
  poniards, rondels, and all manner of 
  short stabbing and slicing blades.
  greatSword - The true two-hand-
  ed sword is an enormous weapon. It 
  resembles a spear more than a sword 
  in actual use, and is wielded frequently with 
  a wide, half-swording grip. Greatswords are 
  generally at least 1.5 meters long -about a 
  quarter of that being hilt – and they often 
  sport a second pair of cross guards. They 
  are fearsome weapons with great range, but 
  the greatswordsman is easily overcome by any 
  fighter agile enough to get into close range.
  lance - As fighting from horseback became 
  more and more practical and efficient, heavy 
  cavalry came into being. Cavalry’s weapon of 
  choice in an opening charge is the lance, a long 
  spear, frequently of specialized design. This 
  weapon is found anywhere there are knights 
  or heavy cavalry. Lances range from 2.5 to just 
  Table 3.0 Melee Proficiency Defaults
  Defaults from
  Brawling
  Cut & 
  Thrust
  Dagger
  Greatsword
  Lance
  Brawling
  -
  -2
  -1
  -4
  n/a
  Cut & Thrust
  -4
  -
  -4
  -4
  n/a
  Dagger
  -1
  -2
  -
  -4
  n/a
  Greatsword
  -4
  -3
  -4
  -
  n/a
  Lance
  n/a
  n/a
  n/a
  n/a
  -
  Longsword
  -4
  -4
  -4
  -1
  n/a
  Mass Weapon & 
  Shield
  -3
  -2
  -4
  -4
  n/a
  Pole-arm
  -4
  -3
  -4
  -2
  -3
  Spear & Shield
  -4
  -2
  -4
  -3
  -2
  Sword & Shield
  -4
  -2
  -4
  -3
  n/a
  Wrestling
  -1
  -4
  -2
  -4
  n/a
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  91
  over 4 meters in length. They are usually 
  butted under the right arm and used with 
  a shield. Lances, though made of wood, are 
  usually capped with a long steel or iron point. 
  A sporting version, the jousting lance, has a 
  blunted tip for tournaments. The primary ad-
  vantages to a lance are its range and power in 
  a charge, where it uses the mount’s full BN, not 
  half the riders BN, to calculate Impact Rating.
  longSword - For those warriors who pre-
  fer to fight without shields, large swords are 
  very popular. They are fierce weapons, capa-
  ble of heavy damage when cleaving 
  or thrusting, and they are excellent 
  for complex maneuvering and coun-
  tering. The Longsword Proficiency 
  incorporates all swords that are pri-
  marily intended for two-handed wield-
  ing. However Longwords are still short 
  enough to be wielded in just one hand 
  with little or no discomfort. The primary 
  advantages of these weapons include extend-
  ed range, great cleaving power, and a wide va-
  riety of Maneuvers.
  Longsword
  Mass 
  Weapon & 
  Shield
  Pole-
  arm
  Spear & 
  Shield
  Sword & 
  Shield
  Wrestling
  -4
  -4
  -3
  -4
  -4
  -1
  -3
  -3
  -4
  -3
  -2
  -4
  -2
  -3
  -4
  -4
  -4
  -2
  -2
  -4
  -2
  -4
  -3
  -4
  n/a
  n/a
  -3
  -2
  n/a
  n/a
  -
  -4
  -3
  -3
  -2
  -3
  -4
  -
  -3
  -3
  -2
  -4
  -2
  -3
  -
  -2
  -4
  -4
  -3
  -3
  -3
  -
  -3
  -4
  -2
  -2
  -4
  -3
  -
  -4
  -3
  -4
  -4
  -4
  -4
  -
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  92
  maSS weapon & Shield - Since 
  the earliest clubs, mass weap-
  ons have found their place in war-
  fare. Alongside the development 
  of better armor, clubs and farming 
  tools were transformed into bat-
  tle-axes, picks, flails, morning stars, 
  and maces. These weapons are in 
  use the world over and are particularly 
  popular both with the peasant infantryman 
  (these weapons are cheap) and the armored 
  gentry (these weapons are especially effec-
  tive against tougher armors).Mass weapons 
  include any single-handed (and occasion-
  ally two-handed) weapon that is particular-
  ly heavy on the business end. These weap-
  ons’ balance makes them slow on the parry 
  and commends the use of constant evasion 
  or- more commonly- shields. Most axes and 
  hammers are fitted with a secondary spike or 
  hammer on the back and/or top. To flip the 
  weapon over, spend 1 MP if done during 
  a Combat Round. As with Pole-arms, 
  exact Maneuvers are depen-
  dent on the weapon at hand, 
  and discretion and common 
  sense need to be used. This 
  Proficiency may also be 
  used without a shield at 
  no penalty, but any shield-
  based Maneuvers are, in that 
  case, impossible.
  miSSile weapon proficiencieS - Missile 
  Weapon Proficiencies are not nearly as 
  complicated as hand-to-hand Weapon Profi-
  ciencies. These Proficiencies go towards build-
  ing the Archery Pool (see Chapter Four). There 
  are no attached Maneuvers, though each has 
  a few defaults.
  Black Powder Weapons (defaults from Bow 
  at -3 and Crossbow at -2)
  Bow (defaults from Crossbow at -4)
  Crossbow (defaults from Black Powder 
  Weapon and Bow at -2)
  Sling (defaults from Thrown Rock at -4)
  Spear/Javelin (defaults from Pole-arm and 
  Spear & Shield at -3)
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  93
  Thrown Knife (defaults from Dagger at -4)
  Thrown Axe (defaults from Mass Weapon 
  & Shield at -4)
  Thrown Rock (or irregularly shaped ob-
  ject defaults from Sling and any other Missile 
  Weapon Proficiency for thrown weapons -3)
  pole-armS - This broad group of weapons 
  encompasses items as ancient as the spear; as 
  new as the halberd; and as everlasting as the 
  quarterstaff. It includes all staff or pole-mount-
  ed weapons at least 1.5 m long, though most 
  range anywhere from under 2 m to just over 
  2.5 m.
  They have the advantage of range and of-
  ten speed, but are hard to conceal or transport. 
  Available Maneuvers vary greatly due to the 
  design of each individual weapon. Use discre-
  tion and common sense.
  Spear & Shield - This Proficiency incorpo-
  rates the use of a one-handed spear used either 
  over or under arm, frequently together with a 
  sizeable shield in the other hand. This method 
  of fighting and combination of equipment is 
  the mainstay of countless armies and warrior 
  cultures throughout the ages. While not this 
  Proficiency’s focus, there is also the option to 
  fight without shield, with the spear held in ei-
  ther one or, more commonly, two hands. In 
  this case all shield-based Maneuvers are, of 
  course, not available.
  Sword & Shield - This Proficiency involves 
  any one-handed sword and a shield. Although 
  this Proficiency could be used without a shield 
  with no penalty, any shield-based 
  Maneuvers would be impossible. 
  wreStling - Wrestling, though pop-
  ular as a sport, is really the most des-
  perate of all battle techniques. As with 
  Brawling, Wrestling is always an option 
  for the unarmed character. When fight-
  ers find themselves unarmed on the 
  ground in the course of battle or a duel, 
  knowledge of the Wrestling Proficiency comes 
  in handy.
  V. MANEUVERS
  “My enemies are all dead, or wished they were.”
  David Gemmell, Legend
  Maneuvers are listed together in a lump 
  sum. Each has an Activation Cost, which 
  is outlined above under Proficiencies. 
  What follows are mechanics for using 
  offensive and defensive Maneuvers in 
  the course of a bout or battle. 
  Every Maneuver description de-
  tails a minimum Proficiency score 
  at which the Maneuver becomes 
  available. Character may use 
  Maneuvers up to 2 Proficien-
  cy levels beyond their 
  own Proficiency, with 
  a flat +1 Activation 
  Cost.  Proficiencies more 
  than 2 levels beyond a 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  94
  Table 3.1 Offensive Maneuvers Activation Costs
  Bash
  Beat
  Bind & 
  Strike
  Cut
  Disarm Double 
  Attack
  Evasive 
  Attack
  Brawling*
  0/1
  (3)
  (3)
  (3)
  3
  (2)
  (2)
  Cut & Thrust
  (2)
  0
  0
  0
  1
  1
  1
  Dagger**
  1 (2)
  (3)
  (2)
  0
  2
  1
  1
  Greatsword
  (1)
  0
  (2)
  1
  1
  (3)
  1
  Lance
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  Longsword
  (1)
  0
  (1)
  0
  1
  (2)
  1
  Mass Weapon 
  & Shield
  0
  1
  0
  0
  1
  (3)
  2
  Pole-arms
  0
  0
  (3)
  0
  2
  (4)
  1
  Spear & 
  Shield
  (1)
  1
  0
  (1)
  (3)
  (4)
  2
  Sword & 
  Shield
  (1)
  0
  0
  0
  1
  (3)
  2
  Wrestling***
  1/2
  (3)
  (3)
  (3)
  2
  (3)
  (4)
  character’s Proficiency are en-
  tirely unusable.
  Activation Costs for Maneuvers 
  can be found on Tables 3.1 and 3.2 
  following the Proficiency descrip-
  tions.
  Much of the information below will be 
  difficult to use and understand without hav-
  ing first read Chapter Four – Melee Combat. 
  This information is included here instead 
  for ease of reference.
  Feint & Swing, Feint & Thrust, and Half-Sword are available for all Proficiencies at identical, 
  variable Activation Costs explained in the Maneuver descriptions.
  Activation Costs in parentheses are those not normally taught with a certain Proficiency, 
  but that might come up for use in unusual situation.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  95
  Grapple
  Hook
  Master-
  Strike
  Murder 
  Stroke
  Quick-
  Draw
  Simultaneous
  Block/Strike
  Stop 
  Short
  Thrust
  Toss
  1
  (3)
  (5)
  (4)
  (4)
  1
  (1)
  (3)
  0
  (2)
  (2)
  4
  (2)
  2
  0
  0
  0
  0
  1
  (3)
  (5)
  (4)
  1
  1
  1
  0
  0
  (3)
  (2)
  3
  1
  (4)
  (3)
  0
  0
  (2)
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  0
  -
  1
  -
  (2)
  (2)
  3
  1
  (3)
  (2)
  0
  0
  (1)
  (3)
  1
  (5)
  (2)
  (4)
  0
  0
  1
  (1)
  (3)
  1
  (6)
  (2)
  (4)
  (3)
  0
  0
  (2)
  (4)
  1
  (6)
  (3)
  (4)
  0
  0
  0
  (1)
  (3)
  (2)
  4
  1
  2
  0
  0
  0
  (1)
  0
  (2)
  (6)
  (4)
  (4)
  2
  (1)
  (3)
  (1)
  * Brawling: Bash Activation Cost 0 is for punches, 1 for kicks and any other Bashes 
  that might come up.
  ** Dagger: Bash Activation Cost 1 is for punches, 2 for any other Bashes that might 
  come up.
  *** Wrestling: Bash Activation Cost 1 is for punches, 2 for kicks and any other Bashes 
  that might come up.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  96
  Table 3.2 Defensive Maneuver Activation Costs
  Block
  Block Open 
  & Strike
  Counter
  Disarm
  Expulsion
  Brawling
  (1)
  (2)
  (2)
  5
  (3)
  Cut & Thrust
  0
  1
  1
  3
  2
  Dagger
  (1)
  (2)
  2
  4
  (3)
  Greatsword
  (2)
  (3)
  3
  3
  2
  Lance
  0
  -
  -
  -
  -
  Longsword
  (1)
  (2)
  2
  3
  2
  Mass Weapon & 
  Shield*
  0
  1
  (3)
  3
  2
  Pole-arms
  (2)
  (3)
  (3)
  4
  2
  Spear & Shield
  0
  1
  (3)
  (5)
  (2)
  Sword & Shield**
  0
  1
  3/2
  3
  2
  Wrestling
  (1)
  (2)
  (3)
  4
  (4)
  1. Offensive Maneuvers 
  Described
  Offensive Maneuvers are 
  those initiated by the ag-
  gressor/s in any Exchange 
  (see Chapter Four – Melee 
  Combat). 
  Most 
  Maneu-
  vers may be combined for a 
  greater effect, so long as all 
  Activation Costs are paid. 
  All offensive Maneuvers, un-
  less otherwise stated, use a 
  weapon’s Attack Target Number (ATN) for all 
  Checks. 
  baSh: This is the standard attack for all blunt 
  weapons that are swung. It is learned immedi-
  ately. Extra power may be added to a Bash by 
  expending 1 (and only 1) extra MP die prior to 
  rolling, and adding 1 to damage in the event 
  of a successful hit. If a Bash successfully strikes 
  the head, the Shock rating of such a hit is in-
  creased by half that hit’s Impact Rating before 
  the defender’s AV and half BN are subtracted. 
  This Shock even applies if no actual wound is 
  caused.
  Evasion and Half-Sword are available for all Proficiencies at identical, variable Activation Costs 
  explained in the Maneuver descriptions.
  Activation Costs in parentheses are those not normally taught with a certain Proficiency, but that 
  might come up for use in unusual situation.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  97
  Grapple
  Master 
  Strike
  Overrun
  Quick-
  Draw
  Parry
  Rota
  Winding & 
  Binding
  1
  (5)
  3
  (4)
  0
  (2)
  (4)
  1
  4
  2
  2
  0
  1
  1
  1
  (6)
  2
  1
  0
  (2)
  (2)
  2
  3
  2
  (4)
  0
  2
  1
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  2
  3
  2
  (3)
  0
  2
  1
  (2)
  (6)
  3/2
  (4)
  1
  2
  (3)
  (3)
  (6)
  3
  (4)
  0
  3
  (3)
  (3)
  (6)
  3
  (4)
  1
  (3)
  (3)
  (2)
  4
  2
  2
  1/0
  2
  2
  0
  (6)
  (4)
  (4)
  (1)
  (3)
  (3)
  This Maneuver is available at all Proficiency 
  levels.
  beat: The Beat is an attack upon an oppo-
  nent’s weapon or shield as an attempt to re-
  move it temporarily. Beats may only be per-
  formed at the start of a bout or following a 
  “pause,” as described in Chapter Four. This 
  sudden, brutal, and effective Maneuver is ex-
  ecuted by declaring “Beat” as your offensive 
  Maneuver, along with the dice allotted to the 
  attack. The defender assigns defense dice to a 
  defensive Maneuver (Parry, Evade, Block, etc.) 
  and the contest is rolled normally. If the 
  attacker wins the Beat, then the de-
  fender’s weapon (or whatever else 
  was being “Beaten”) is knocked 
  aside and cannot be used in the 
  following Exchange.
  Additionally, every success 
  in the attacker’s QoS costs 
  the defender 2 MP (this 
  functions similarly to 
  Shock, described under 
  Damage in Chapter Four). 
  * Mass Weapon & Shield: Lower of two given Activation Costs is for use without shield.
  ** Sword & Shield: Lower of two given Activation Costs is for use without shield.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  98
  If the defender wins, the round 
  is resolved normally and initia-
  tive changes over. Using a Beat is 
  an excellent way to handle oppo-
  nents with longer weapons as all 
  Reach penalties are cut in half (.50 
  rounds up) when Beating.
  The Beat Maneuver is available at 
  Proficiency level 3.
  bind & Strike: This Maneuver uses off hand 
  weapons (shields, poniards, etc.) to bind or 
  pin down an opponent’s weapon or shield, 
  opening up a clean follow-up attack. On 
  one Exchange roll attack as normal with 
  the shield or off hand weapon (taking into 
  account the normal +1 TN for attacking with 
  the off-hand). If using a shield to bind the 
  opponent’s weapon, ATN is 6 for both buck-
  lers and large shields, and 5 for small shields, 
  without penalty for using the off hand. The 
  defender can Evade or use the weapon or 
  shield that is being “Bound” to Parry or 
  Block, but he may not use another 
  weapon or shield to defend 
  against the Bind.
  If this attack is successful, 
  the opponent cannot use the 
  “Bound” weapon or shield 
  on the next Exchange and 
  he loses 1 MP per point of 
  QoS, also good on the next 
  Exchange. Thus if you beat 
  your opponent by 4 Victo-
  ries, his MP for the next 
  Exchange would be reduced by 4 dice. 
  If this would take the MP into the negative 
  range, those negative dice are still added as 
  bonus dice to the winner’s MP for the next Ex-
  change, as usual.
  This Maneuver is available at all Proficiency 
  levels.
  cut: This is the standard attack for all edged 
  weapons, and is learned immediately. Extra 
  power may be added to a slash by expending 
  one (and only one) extra MP die prior to roll-
  ing and adding 1 to damage in the event of 
  a successful hit. All edged weapons have an 
  Attack Target Number (ATN) for slashing and 
  cleaving. All beginning fighters — and most 
  people in general — know how to cut.
  This Maneuver is available at all Proficiency 
  levels.
  diSarm: Disarming is a popular Maneuver 
  when you are trying to avoid hurting your op-
  ponent or trying to make him surrender, but 
  it can just as easily be used as a prelude to 
  an easy kill. Disarms may be performed as an 
  attack or a defense. 
  As an attack it is performed in a similar 
  manner to the Beat Maneuver, except that it 
  is not necessary to perform the Disarm after a 
  break in the combat like a Beat. As with Beat, 
  all Reach modifiers are halved (0.50 rounds 
  up). The attacker assigns as many dice to the 
  Disarm as he likes (after paying the Activation 
  Cost) while the defender makes whichever de-
  fense he chooses. If the Disarm attack is suc-
  cessful, the defender must make a Knockdown 
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  99
  Check with a Difficulty equal to the at-
  tacker’s Quality of Success.
  If this Check is failed then the weapon has 
  been dropped. If the Knockdown Check is suc-
  cessful, then the defender has managed to re-
  tain his grip on his weapon, but the attacker 
  retains the role of aggressor.  
  As a defense the Disarm Maneuver is per-
  formed in a similar manner to a Parry. Perfect 
  timing is required, as the defender must wait 
  for the attack to come and sweep his attacker’s 
  weapon aside at the optimal moment, twist-
  ing it out of his hands. Unlike other defenses, 
  Disarm incurs a Reach penalty, such as an of-
  fense, if it is attempted against longer weap-
  ons, but only half the usual ones (0.50 rounds 
  up). After the Activation Cost has been paid, 
  dice are assigned as if for a Parry.
  If the defense is successful, the attacker must 
  make a Knockdown Check with a Difficulty 
  equal to the defender’s Quality of Success.
  Failure in the Knockdown Check means 
  that the attacker has instead been disarmed. 
  Whether the attacker drops his weapon or not, 
  the defender now takes initiative. Of course, if 
  the attacker wins, then the Disarm attempt has 
  failed and the attack goes through (minus the 
  defender’s QoS, as usual). 
  This maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 3. 
  double attack: Attacking with two weap-
  ons at once is a tricky thing. Divide your dice 
  on this attack in any proportion between both 
  weapons (remember weapon Reach penalties) 
  and attack. Note that any weapon 
  wielded in the off hand adds a penalty 
  of +1 to ATN for that weapon’s use. 
  Your opponent will have a difficult 
  time defending against both your at-
  tacks, viable defenses being only Eva-
  sion, Parry (if he has two weapons), or 
  Block and Parry (if he has both weapon 
  and shield).
  This Maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 4.
  evaSive attack: This is a defensive measure 
  that takes place during an attack (thus it counts 
  as an offensive Maneuver). In principle the 
  attacker cuts with his weapon while simul-
  taneously leaping backward so as to evade 
  an opponent’s attack. 
  This Maneuver requires a great deal of 
  skill, but it is indispensable to those who find 
  themselves in quick-draw style duels 
  with opponents that go straight for the 
  attack.
  To execute this Maneuver one at-
  tacks as normal with a slashing-type 
  attack, spending this Maneuver’s 
  Activation Cost in addition to the 
  normal Activation Cost of the 
  attack. If the optional Encum-
  brance rules are being used, 
  a further Activation Cost 
  equal to the Encum-
  brance score must be 
  paid, as per an Evasion.
  Once the Maneuver is 
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  100
  activated, any number of ad-
  ditional dice may be spent to 
  raise an opponent’s ATN by one 
  per additional die spent. On the 
  downside, your own ATN also ris-
  es, though only by one for every two 
  additional dice spent (round up all 
  fractions of .50 and above) – it’s hard 
  to hit a guy when you’re going the oth-
  er way…
  This Maneuver is impossible to use in 
  conjunction with any Thrust-based Maneu-
  ver. 
  This Maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 4.
  feint & Swing: This is a relatively difficult 
  trick to perform. It has a higher Activation 
  Cost than Feint & Thrust. It involves swinging 
  at one region of the body, then changing di-
  rection mid-swing in an effort to bypass the 
  defender’s defenses entirely.
  Once the Activation Cost is paid (see 
  below), any number of dice may be 
  added to the attacker’s hand, 
  at a cost of 1 MP for every 
  additional die rolled in the 
  attack. A Feint is always de-
  clared after the defender 
  declares defense but before 
  dice are rolled.
  It’s important to note that 
  a Feinted attack lands in a 
  different spot than original-
  ly declared. The attacker 
  must also state the new location of attack 
  (within no more than two Target Zones of 
  the original attack). Activation Cost is equal to 
  the “distance” from the original to the ultimate 
  Target Zone, i.e. either 1 or 2.
  When used against the same opponent 
  Feints have a tendency to lose their novel ef-
  fect after a while. Each repeated identical Feint 
  against a single opponent, in the same location 
  (over any number or duels — not just one), 
  costs an extra MP die to execute.
  The Feint & Cut is available at Proficiency 
  level 3.
  feint & thruSt: This is among the first “tricks” 
  that most swordsmen learn. Like the Feint & 
  Strike it begins with a false swing, in this case 
  always either overhand or across, but finishes 
  with a Thrust to the head, neck, or torso.
  This Maneuver is executed almost identi-
  cally to the Feint & Swing. When attempting a 
  Feint & Thrust the attacker declares a Slashing 
  attack aimed at Target Zones 3, 4, or 5, com-
  plete with MP dice expenditure. The defender 
  then declares his own defense — if this de-
  fense isn’t based on the Parry Maneuver, Feint 
  & Thrust cannot be executed and the aggressor 
  has to stick with his originally declared Swing-
  type offense.
  If the Maneuver can proceed, the attacker 
  now states that he is Feinting & Thrusting and 
  adds any number of MP dice to his pool at a 
  cost of one MP die thrown away for every one 
  added to the attacking hand (as per Feint & 
  Strike). He also declares a new Target Zone for 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  101
  his Thrust, which must be zones 11, 12, 
  or 13. 
  Feints have a tendency to lose their nov-
  el effect after a while when used against the 
  same opponent. Each repeated identical Feint 
  against a single opponent, in the same loca-
  tion (over any number or duels—not just one), 
  costs an extra MP die to execute.
  The Feint & Thrust is available at Proficiency 
  level 2.
  grapple: The basics of this Maneuver are 
  governed by many Proficiencies. It consists of 
  grabbing the opponent, removing any weap-
  on he wields, and changing the bout from 
  free-flowing combat into a wrestling match, 
  with the purpose of immobilizing the oppo-
  nent, throwing him to the ground or breaking 
  his limb.
  The Activation Costs assume that the Grap-
  ple Maneuver is launched against an oppo-
  nent’s limb, specifically the primary attacking 
  limb if the Maneuver is used defensively. In 
  this instance (and only then), it may be targeted 
  against other parts of the body, for instance the 
  torso or the head, but its Activation Cost is in 
  this case increases by +1. Also, if used defen-
  sively against any attack other than an unarmed 
  one, the Activation Cost is increased by a fur-
  ther +1. Finally, Reach modifiers apply to both 
  offensive and defensive use of the Maneuver, 
  which of course has a Reach range of Hand.
  Example: Using Grapple to defend against 
  a Longsword (Reach Long) by attempting to 
  grab the opponent’s weapon arm carries an 
  additional Activation Cost of +4 (+3 
  for Reach, +1 for defending against a 
  weapon).
  The Grapple’s TN, both for offen-
  sive and defensive use, is invariably 
  7.
  If the Maneuver is successfully used 
  defensively, a hit is not only avoided, 
  but a hold on the opponent’s weapon 
  arm is also established. If used successfully as 
  an offence, a hold is established on whichever 
  part of the body is targeted. In either case the 
  successful - even if previously the defending 
  -grappler is now the aggressor, and the op-
  ponent’s attack is merely tied (unless Grap-
  ple was used as defense against another 
  Grapple, in which case a tie establishes no 
  clinch and the roles of aggressor and defender 
  remain unchanged). After a successful Grap-
  ple both combatants find themselves in 
  a clinch at the Reach range of Hand. 
  Until the clinch is broken both must 
  use MP dice from their Wrestling Pro-
  ficiency. 
  Should the clinch be entered 
  mid-Round when another Profi-
  ciency – one other than Wres-
  tling - was being used in the first 
  Exchange, the MP is recal-
  culated for the second 
  Exchange based 
  on 
  Wrestling Proficiency, 
  with dice spent in the 
  first Exchange subtracted 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  102
  from the Wrestling MP.
  Example: On Exchange 1, 
  character A attacked with 6 dice 
  from his Longsword MP but met 
  with a successful defense in a 
  grapple. He is now in the clinch. 
  With Reflex 5 and Wrestling 4 he 
  has Wrestling MP 9. Having spent 6 
  dice in Exchange 1, he now has 3 MP 
  dice remaining for Exchange 2.
  Once the clinch is established, the ag-
  gressor, receiving his QoS in executing the 
  initial Grapple Maneuver as bonus dice for 
  his subsequent MP, now has three options:
  1) Immobilize: The aggressor tries to im-
  prove his initial hold in such a way as to 
  completely immobilize his opponent. This 
  may require several Exchanges of wrestling.
  The aggressor assigns MP dice and, with-
  out paying any Activation Cost, checks 
  against TN 7. If he is beaten by the oppo-
  nent’s defense, the hold is broken and 
  combat returns to a normal melee at 
  engagement range Hand, with 
  the former defender now the 
  aggressor. 
  If the defense is tied or 
  overcome, the victor’s QoS 
  is subtracted from the op-
  ponent’s MP for the next 
  Exchange. If this leads at any 
  time to one combatant begin-
  ning a Combat Round with 
  an MP of 0 or less dice, he 
  is completely immobilized and unable to 
  break free until circumstances change sig-
  nificantly.
  2) Throw: The aggressor tries to throw his 
  opponent to the ground. To do so, he assigns 
  MP dice and rolls his Opposed Check. The TN 
  is 6 if the initial hold was on a leg. It is 8 if on 
  torso, head or arm.
  If the defense against the throw is success-
  ful, the hold is broken and the previous de-
  fender becomes the new aggressor, at a cur-
  rent engagement Reach range of Hand. 
  In case of a tie, the clinch is broken and the 
  combat continues at Reach range Hand, but 
  without a change of aggressor. 
  If the aggressor is victorious, the clinch is 
  broken and he remains the aggressor, but the 
  opponent is thrown to the ground, with all the 
  attendant penalties of being prone.
  3) Break: The aggressor attempts to break 
  the limb he has grabbed. To do so, he assigns 
  MP dice and rolls them in an Opposed Check. 
  His TN for this roll is 7 if an arm is grabbed, 8 
  for a leg, and 9 for the neck, and is opposed by 
  the defender’s assigned MP dice. 
  If the defender is victorious, the clinch is 
  broken, and he becomes next Exchange’s ag-
  gressor, at an engagement range of Hand. 
  If the roll is tied, the outcome is identical to 
  a tied attempt to immobilize.
  If the aggressor is victorious, aggressor and 
  defender immediately make an Opposed BN 
  Check, with the aggressor receiving his QoS 
  as bonus dice. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  103
  If the aggressor wins this Opposed 
  Check with a QoS of at least 2, the limb in 
  question is broken – which in the case of it’s 
  being the neck is fatal. If any limb, other than 
  the neck, is affected, refer to the Blunt Swing 
  Damage Tables, Zone 1 for broken legs and 
  Zone 7 for broken arms. Roll d6 on the Table 
  for Zone 1 or 7 and apply the result of a level 
  4 wound to the exact location determined by 
  the die. 
  Any other outcome is treated as a tied at-
  tempt to immobilize.
  Break Out: An attempt to break out of an 
  opponent’s hold is one’s defense against at-
  tempts to immobilize, throw, or break a limb. 
  This is a defensive Maneuver, free of any 
  Activation Cost. The defender simply assigns 
  dice from his MP and checks them against TN 
  7. 
  Victory in this contest usually signifies the 
  breaking of the clinch and a switch of the roles 
  of aggressor and defender. However this may 
  vary according to the actual wrestling attack 
  defended against. For details, see the three of-
  fensive uses of the Maneuver above.
  Alternatively, a grabbed opponent may 
  choose to forego any attempt to break the en-
  emy’s hold on him and simply attack him in-
  stead. 
  He cannot use the limb that is being held 
  for such an attack, and the MP for attacks with 
  another part of the body are modified by –1/2 
  MP due to the awkwardness of having one’s 
  freedom of movement restricted by the hold. 
  Engagement Reach range for this at-
  tack is Hand, and it is only conducted 
  after the enemy has carried out his – 
  now unopposed – offensive Grapple 
  Maneuver.
  This Maneuver is available at all 
  Proficiency levels.
  half-Sword: This is one of the few 
  practical ways to kill an armored oppo-
  nent in full harness (full plate) with a sword. 
  Used with long swords, hand-and-a-half 
  swords, and other longer weapons, the Half-
  Sword technique is performed by grasping the 
  blade of the sword with the off (usually left) 
  hand in order to use the sword as a short 
  spear or pole-weapon. 
  This technique is particularly useful in 
  close-quarters when swinging a long weapon 
  may be impractical. 
  Half-Swording reduces a sword’s ef-
  fective Reach by one or two steps from 
  Long to Medium or Short, at the play-
  er’s discretion. Note that the Half-Sword 
  may be released into a one-handed 
  attack at any time, nullifying any 
  Half-Sword bonuses, but gaining 
  Reach. 
  Half-Swording precludes the 
  sword being used for slash-
  ing, but it increases con-
  trol over the weapon 
  and thus lowers both 
  DTN and Thrust ATN 
  by 1. The latter effec-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  104
  tively increases damage dealt, 
  but against any type of armor 
  Half-Swording it also raises the 
  Thrust DR by +1.
  One can shift from normal grip to 
  the Half-Sword at any time, though 
  doing so during an Exchange (shift-
  ing suddenly into or out of the Half-
  Sword in order to execute a particular 
  counter, for example) costs 1 MP.
  This Maneuver is available at all 
  Proficiency levels.
  hook: Many pole-arms and axes are 
  capable of hooking an opponent’s limb 
  or head. This Maneuver is executed like a 
  Thrust that intentionally misses, and the shaft 
  is pressed against the target and pulled. 
  It is particularly effective on the legs, caus-
  ing one’s opponent to fall and become prone. 
  After spending the Activation Cost (usually 
  1), allot dice for a regular Thrust-like attack. 
  The hooked party Checks Knock-
  down with a Challenge Level equal 
  to the aggressor’s QoS. Failure 
  drops him to the ground and 
  issues the usual attendant 
  penalty of half total MP for 
  lying prone.
  This Maneuver is avail-
  able at all Proficiency levels.
  maSter-Strike: The jewel of 
  the art of fighting is the Mas-
  ter-Strike, a type of attack 
  that both defends and of-
  fends in one motion. 
  The technique, as it applies to Blade, 
  can be used either as an offensive or defensive 
  Maneuver. In many ways it resembles the Si-
  multaneous Block/Strike Maneuver, however it 
  involves only one weapon.
  As an Offense, declare a Master-Strike 
  alongside any Cleaving attack, and pay the 
  Activation Cost. Divide the attacking dice into 
  offense and defense, in any proportion. This is 
  clearly most useful in a situation where both 
  opponents are attacking simultaneously. 
  As a Defense, declare a Master-Strike as 
  your defense or alongside a Parry, and pay the 
  Activation Cost. Split this Exchange’s dice into 
  offense and defense. 
  Roll the defense first, as your opponent at-
  tacks. If your defense is successful, carry the 
  dice in your Quality of Success over into the 
  offensive roll! Should your defense fail, regard-
  less of offensive or defensive role, the attack 
  also fails, and all dice assigned to it are lost. 
  This maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 10. 
  murder Stroke: The murder stroke is an un-
  usual Maneuver, used to take down a foe in 
  heavy armor when you’re having trouble get-
  ting through the armor with your blade. 
  The Murder Stroke can only be performed 
  when using heavier one- or two-handed 
  blades. It involves reversing the entire weapon, 
  gripping the blade with the hands and beating 
  the opponent in the head with the pommel of 
  the sword. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  105
  Obviously, this requires gauntlets or 
  some other form of hand protection! The 
  Murder Stroke reduces the effective Reach of 
  the weapon by one step, and the attack must 
  be a swing aimed at area 5, or 4 (either side). 
  If successful, and if the head is struck, the DR 
  is +1 Blunt, but the attendant Shock rating is 
  increased by +X, where X is half the attacker’s 
  total of QoS + half BN + DR before the defend-
  er’s BN and AV are subtracted -exactly as with 
  any other Bash to the head. This Shock even 
  applies if no actual wound is caused, also as 
  usual for Bashes to the head. This Maneuver is 
  not available to bashing weapons, which hit 
  the head for additional Shock in any case.
  This maneuver is available at Pro-
  ficiency level 3.
  quick-draw: 
  Characters 
  using 
  this maneuver can attack with a Cut, 
  Bash, or Parry with any weapon of 
  Medium Reach or shorter. 
  Because the curvature of a weap-
  on makes this Maneuver easier, 
  straight-bladed or hafted weapons of Me-
  dium or longer Reach require an additional 1 
  MP over the normal Activation Cost. Weapons 
  with a Reach of Hand and Short need no such 
  curvature, and can be quick-drawn with no 
  penalty.
  Weapons of Long Reach and shorter can 
  also benefit from this Maneuver by making 
  a sudden thrusting attack with the pommel 
  or butt end of the weapon. This has no addi-
  tional cost, but its statistics differ than the par-
  ent weapons Reach Hand, Thrust ATN 
  6, and DR –1 Blunt.
  In all cases, the weapon being 
  quick-drawn is assumed to be at the 
  hip or in some other very accessible 
  place.
  For those weapons carried in 
  less accessible places - such as 
  a boot knife or short weapon 
  over the shoulder -add 1 MP 
  to the Activation Cost 
  (compounding 
  with 
  any other penalties or 
  modifiers). Weapons in 
  packs or other immedi-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  106
  ately inaccessible places are 
  just that: inaccessible. 
  To perform this Maneuver in 
  play simply declare which weapon 
  is being quick-drawn at the begin-
  ning of any Exchange (usually the 
  first, but not necessarily), and state 
  whether it is being used to Cut, Bash, 
  or Parry. 
  After spending the Activation Cost and al-
  lowing for any penalties, a Terrain Check is 
  made against the weapons normal ATN -1 
  (if the drawing hand is free) or ATN -2 (if 
  the drawing hand is on the weapon’s grip 
  already). 
  If this Terrain Check is successful, the at-
  tack or Parry goes forward normally, using 
  standard attack and defense rules. If this Ter-
  rain Check fails, the character is forced to use 
  some form of Evasion or get hit. The weapon 
  will be free for the next Exchange.
  This Maneuver can be combined with 
  the rules for initiative (and stealing it. 
  Likewise, don’t forget to use 
  Reach rules here, including 
  those rules for getting inside 
  of a weapon’s Reach, or this 
  Maneuver will lose much 
  of its bite). 
  This maneuver is available 
  at Proficiency level 4.
  SimultaneouS block/Strike: 
  This gutsy Maneuver is not 
  unlike the Bind & Strike 
  Maneuver, except that it all happens in 
  the course of one Exchange. To perform this 
  Maneuver, divide your MP between attack and 
  defense (remember that you’ll still need dice 
  for the next Exchange). 
  The defense is then rolled against your op-
  ponent’s attack, and your offense against his 
  defense (if any). This Maneuver is obviously 
  only useful in situations where both you and 
  your opponent are attacking at once. All at-
  tacks are resolved normally. 
  This Maneuver maybe performed with a 
  parrying weapon instead of a shield in the off-
  hand, in which case it should more properly 
  be called “Simultaneous Parry/Strike”. Don’t 
  forget that, unlike shields, parrying weapons 
  wielded in the off hand have their DTN in-
  creased by +1.
  This Maneuver is available at all Proficiency 
  levels.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  107
  Stop Short: This Maneuver consists of 
  leaping or stomping at an opponent and 
  then halting suddenly to throw him off guard. 
  To execute the Maneuver, pay the Activation 
  Cost and then roll an Opposed Check of the 
  attacker’s CG against the defender’s SY. This 
  counts as an attack.
  The attacker, and only he, may spend ad-
  ditional dice from his MP to lower the TN for 
  this Check on a one-for-one basis, up to half 
  his HT score.
  If the defender at least ties the attacker, he 
  may assume the role of aggressor. If the attack-
  er wins, his opponent loses a number of dice 
  from his MP for the next Exchange equal to 
  the attacker’s Quality of Success. Should this 
  take his MP below 0, any negative dice are 
  still added as bonus dice to the winner’s MP 
  for this next Exchange.
  This is a Maneuver that can be performed 
  without expenditure of MP dice, apart from 
  any Activation Cost, and is therefore avail-
  able to an attacker who has run out of MP. 
  It is, however, effective only really once per 
  opponent (ever – not just per combat). Every 
  additional attempt against the same person, 
  whether previous ones were successful or not, 
  acquires a cumulative +1 MP Activation Cost.
  This Maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 2.
  thruSt: All Thrust-capable weapons have 
  an ATN for Thrusting. Some weapons are bet-
  ter suited to this form of attack, as reflected in 
  their ATN. Thrusts are also notoriously fast. In 
  cases where two combatants attack 
  at the same time, should one of them 
  Thrust as his Offensive Maneuver, he 
  receives a +1 die on his Opposed 
  Reflex Check to determine who goes 
  first. Should two parties with equal 
  Reflex Thrust at the same time, both 
  parties receive the +1 bonus to their 
  Reflex Check.
  This Maneuver is available at all Proficiency 
  levels.
  toSS: Distraction has always been an im-
  portant part of combat. This Maneuver allows 
  you to toss a hat, glove, sidearm, or other ob-
  ject into your opponent’s face, causing no 
  actual physical injury but distracting the op-
  ponent and making him lose MP dice.
  To execute this Maneuver, the aggressor 
  pays any Activation Cost and then assigns dice 
  from his MP for throwing a hand-held 
  object at the defender. 
  The ATN for most objects suitable 
  for the Toss Maneuver is 6, but as an 
  object will usually be thrown with 
  the off hand, the final ATN 7 is nor-
  mally increased by +1. 
  The opponent may defend 
  by using a shield to block (but 
  due to the surprise must use 
  the DTNs for projectile 
  weapons from Table 
  4.2), or he may opt to 
  use Partial Evasion as his 
  defense.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  108
  If the defender wins by a QoS 
  of at least 1, he takes initiative if 
  having used a shield, or may pur-
  chase it if having resorted to Partial 
  Evasion, as normal. 
  If the attacker is victorious, he not 
  only retains initiative but also sub-
  tracts his QoS from his opponent’s 
  MP for the following Exchange. As al-
  ways, if this would take the MP into the neg-
  ative range, these negative dice are added as 
  bonus dice to the winner’s MP for this next 
  Exchange.
  This Maneuver is available at all 
  Proficiency levels.
  2. Defensive Maneuvers Described
  “I will be back,” he told the tousled head and pair 
  of bright – and disappointed – blue eyes peering at him 
  from the bed, while he pulled on leggings. “If I am not, 
  I’ll ha’ been slain. Sure and that’s not likely.”
  Andrew J. Offut & Keith Taylor, The Tower of Death
  Most Defensive Maneuvers in a combat Ex-
  change can be combined with others for great-
  er effect. All Tests are assumed to be made 
  against the Defense Target Number (DTN) of 
  the weapon at hand, unless otherwise stated.
  block: This is the most basic of defenses 
  used to halt or deflect an incoming attack. 
  Where game mechanics are concerned, Block-
  ing works essentially the same as any Parry, ex-
  cept that it uses the shield’s DTN.
  Block is the one exception to the rule that a 
  character may only execute one Maneuver per 
  Exchange, as it may be combined with a Par-
  ry if both weapon and shield are wielded. In 
  this case, the DTN for Blocking is increased by 
  +1 for using the off-hand. Otherwise, Blocking 
  with a designated shield in the off-hand does 
  not increase DTN. 
  This Maneuver is available at all Proficiency 
  levels.
  block open & Strike: This Maneuver consists 
  of Blocking or Parrying an incoming attack in 
  an open manner in order to use a second (usu-
  ally the primary) weapon to attack the new 
  opening. In an Exchange, defend with either a 
  normal Block or Parry, but declare Block Open 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  109
  & Strike alongside this defense and pay its 
  Activation Cost. In the event of a success-
  ful defense, the follow-up attack in the subse-
  quent Exchange may be executed with bonus 
  dice equal to this Maneuver’s Quality of Suc-
  cess.
  This Maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 4.
  counter: Though primarily an offensive ac-
  tion, Counters are initiated by the defender. 
  Sometimes called a Riposte, a Counter relies 
  on receiving an opponent’s attack and using 
  it against him. There are literally hundreds or 
  even thousands of Counters, designed to deal 
  with almost any attack from any di-
  rection. 
  When a defender declares Count-
  er as his chosen defense he spends 
  this Maneuver’s Activation Cost and 
  then allocates dice as in any standard 
  Parry. If the defender fails the Parry, his 
  Counter also fails and he is hit. If the 
  Parry is successful with a QoS of at least 
  1, so is the Counter, and the defender assumes 
  the role of aggressor as normal. He receives 
  bonus dice on his counterattack equal to the 
  number of Successes that were rolled in the at-
  tack successfully defended with the Counter.
  table 3.3 effectS of counterS
  Roll (D6)
  Roll (D12)
  Effect
  Half-sword*
  Normal
  1
  Swing  to area 1
  2
  Swing  to area 2
  3
  Swing  to area 3
  4
  Swing  to area 4
  5
  Swing  to area 5
  1
  6
  Pommel to 13 (DR-1 Blunt)
  2
  7
  Thrust to face (13)
  3
  8
  Swing at same location that was attacked by 
  opponent
  4
  9
  Grapple
  5
  10
  Disarm**
  6
  11
  Thrust to body (11 or 12)
  12
   Thrust to body (11 or 12)
  *Roll on this column when half-swording. 
  **Defender has to pass a Knockdown Check with a Challenge Level equal to the aggressor’s 
  QoS. Failure results in the defender being disarmed, as per the Disarm Maneuver.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  110
  Additionally, due to the myri-
  ad nature of Counters, the coun-
  tering party should roll on Table 
  3.3 to determine the exact effect 
  of his Counter (note that Counters 
  with light, fencing-style blades use 
  the Half-sword column of the Table). 
  No Activation Cost for countering 
  Maneuvers derived from this table 
  need be paid, but Activation Costs for Reach 
  differences and those singular to the weapon 
  used have to be paid.
  If the countering attack changes the 
  engagement range of the combatants, the 
  countering party may decide whether to re-
  turn to the previous engagement range once 
  the Counter is concluded, or to remain at the 
  new one.
  This Maneuver is available at all Profi-
  ciency levels.
  evaSion: This is the Maneuver of avoid-
  ing an attack by moving out of its way. If 
  Evasion is chosen as a Defensive Ma-
  neuver, any number of Evasions 
  are possible during the Ex-
  change, provided that dice 
  from the MP are set aside for 
  each individual Evasion. 
  Activation Cost, DTNs, and 
  rules for use of the Evasion 
  Maneuver under various cir-
  cumstances can be found in 
  Chapter Four.
  This Maneuver is available 
  at all Proficiency levels.
  expulSion: This Maneuver is not dissim-
  ilar to the offensive Beat, but is initiated by 
  the defender’s side. It is only effective against 
  Thrusts and Thrust-based attacks, or against 
  Slash-based attacks made with 4 dice or less.
  To execute an Expulsion, simply declare 
  “Expulsion” alongside the standard Parry, pay 
  this Maneuver’s Activation Cost, and allocate 
  dice to the Parry as usual.
  The effects are nearly identical to those of 
  an offensive Beat. If the Parry fails, then the 
  round is resolved normally. If the Parry is effec-
  tive, then all Maneuvers utilizing the weapon 
  that was successfully expulsed receive a pen-
  alty equal to the defender’s Quality of Success, 
  applicable in the Exchange immediately fol-
  lowing the Expulsion.
  This Maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  Level 3.
  half-Sword: This technique has fine defen-
  sive properties. See Half-Sword as an offensive 
  Maneuver, (above) and Counters (also above).
  overrun: An Overrun is a highly specialized 
  and demanding Maneuver, similar in concept 
  to a Master-Strike, but it is more limited than 
  the latter. It combines a defense and an attack 
  in the same action, in the same Exchange, and 
  involves evading an opponent’s blow while 
  at the same time launching an attack of your 
  own.
  After paying the Activation Cost for the Ma-
  neuver, the player assigns dice to its defensive 
  and offensive actions. The defensive action is 
  an Evasion, rolled against TN 8 like a Partial 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  111
  Evasion. Any additional Activation Cost 
  from Encumbrance, if these optional rules 
  are being used, must be paid as well, out of 
  the dice assigned to the defense.
  If the Evasion is successful (QoS 0+), the 
  dice assigned to the offensive part of the Over-
  run are now used to launch an immediate 
  Bash, Cut, or Thrust against the opponent. Any 
  Activation Cost for this Offensive Maneuver, 
  including Reach penalties, must be paid as 
  well, out of the dice assigned to the offense.
  Any positive QoS from the Evasion carries 
  over into the offensive part of the Maneuver as 
  bonus dice.
  If the Evasion is unsuccessful, the offensive 
  part of the Overrun goes ahead anyway, but 
  any damage is determined before the Over-
  running character’s attack roll, and its conse-
  quences are applied in full, including Shock 
  penalties and any possible Knockdown.
  A combatant carrying out a successful Over-
  run as his defense may assume the role of ag-
  gressor, unless the attacker inflicted a higher 
  wound level on the Overrunner, than the Over-
  runner inflicted on the Attacker, in which case 
  the attacker remains the aggressor. In any case 
  the Overrun leaves the combatants at the en-
  gagement range of the Reach of the weapon of 
  the combatant who emerges as the aggressor. 
  This maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 8. 
  parry: This Maneuver is the basis for all 
  non-shield non-dodging defenses. It consists 
  primarily of using one’s own weapon to de-
  flect - not halt - an incoming attack. 
  Parries are performed by simply rolling 
  defense with the DTN of the weap-
  on at hand as the normal Opposed 
  check of a combat Exchange.
  If a combatant is wielding two 
  weapons, one in each hand, this Ma-
  neuver allows him to deflect two at-
  tacks, one with each weapon. To do so, 
  he assigns dice from his MP in any proportion 
  to either Parry. Remember that actions with a 
  weapon in the off hand are at +1 TN.
  This Maneuver is available at all Proficiency 
  levels.
  rota: The Rota is a riposte maneuver. The 
  back edge of the blade is used to deflect an 
  opposing attack, after which an immediate 
  cut with the forward edge is performed. 
  The weapon is not moved far, and as such, 
  the location of the counter attack is 
  fixed. This maneuver is only available 
  against swinging (Cleaving or Blunt) at-
  tacks, and the counter attack must be 
  a Cleaving or blunt swinging attack, 
  not a thrust. 
  The Rota is similar to the Count-
  er Maneuver with the same ben-
  efit for success (the attacker’s 
  successes as bonus dice for 
  the counter attack the 
  following 
  exchange). 
  However, instead of 
  the random location of 
  the counter attack, the 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  112
  Rota counter attacks the same 
  Target Zone on the opponent 
  that he originally targeted on the 
  character. 
  This maneuver is available at 
  Proficiency level 2. 
  winding & binding: Winding & 
  Binding is a deadly game that results 
  when two weapons clash and stick to-
  gether for a time. While declared as a stan-
  dard Parry, the Activation Cost of both Ma-
  neuvers must be paid. 
  If the Parry fails, the defender is struck 
  as normal. However if it is successful, the 
  Winding & Binding comes into play, with 
  an opponent’s weapon not deflected, but 
  instead collected on the defender’s sword, 
  both weapons sticking together.
  Even if the defender merely ties the at-
  tacker, the initiative passes to him and he 
  receives the Quality of Success of his Wind-
  ing & Binding defense as bonus dice for 
  his counterattack from the bind in the 
  subsequent Exchange.
  The nature of this fol-
  low-up attack, which has no 
  Activation Cost, is somewhat 
  random. It is the result of 
  the shoving and winding 
  match of the two combat-
  ants locked together, each 
  trying to either disengage or 
  strike past his foe’s defending 
  weapon. 
  While a Thrust past an opponent’s 
  guard is the most likely outcome, it is by no 
  means the only one possible. 
  To determine the actual form of the fol-
  low-up attack, the initiator of the Winding & 
  Binding rolls 1D6 on Table 3.4:
  table 3.4 winding & binding
  1 – Wind for advantage*
  2 – Thrust to area 13
  3 – Thrust to area 12
  4 – Thrust to area 11
  5 – Grapple opponent’s (primary) weapon arm
  6 – Head butt or hilt strike (player’s choice) to 
  area 13
  7 – Swing to area 7 (left or right, player’s 
  choice)
  * The combatant winds into an advantageous position 
  for an attack. The Winding & Binding continues into 
  the next Exchange without change of aggressors, but 
  with twice this Exchange’s QoS as bonus dice for the 
  current aggressor, any or all of  which may also be 
  used as a + / - modifier for the D6 roll on Table 3.3.
  Winding & Binding changes the engage-
  ment range. All attacks from Table 3.4 happen 
  at optimum Reach for the attacker, this now 
  being the new engagement range.
  The defender has the choice of three de-
  fenses against the Winding & Binding attack 
  determined on Table 3.4:
  1. If he knows the Winding & Binding Ma-
  neuver himself, he may declare it along-
  side a standard Parry, paying the Activa-
  tion Cost for both. If he at least ties his 
  opponent, the bind is maintained, but 
  he becomes the new aggressor, carrying 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  113
  his QoS in the defense over as bonus 
  dice into his follow-up attack, as deter-
  mined by by his roll on Table 3.4.
  2. He may try to disengage his weapon. 
  This is handled as a normal Parry with 
  an additional Activation Cost of +1. In 
  addition, initiative only switches to the 
  defender if he is successful by a Quality 
  of Success of at least 3.
  3. He may try to run off completely. This is 
  handled as an Evasion with an addition-
  al Activation Cost of +3. 
  On the first Exchange of the Winding & 
  Binding, only Partial Evasion is possible, as 
  the defender was attacking on the previous 
  Exchange. Should the Winding & Binding 
  continue into a second Exchange, the defend-
  er may now also try a Full Evasion, which - if 
  successful - ends the bout as usual.
  No matter how the Winding & Binding ul-
  timately ends, the loser is now at an optimum 
  engagement range for the combatant who 
  emerges from Winding & Binding as the ag-
  gressor, provided the bout is not broken up by 
  a successful Full Evasion.
  This maneuver is available at Proficiency 
  level 5. 
  VI. CHARACTER 
  PROGRESSION
  As your character experiences 
  new things, furthers his own goals, 
  beliefs, and personal philosophies, he 
  will also improve in many ways. There 
  is no concept of character “levels”, as 
  each trait grows independently, allow-
  ing the entire character to grow and change 
  according to his player’s wishes. All advance-
  ment comes from one source: constant effort 
  in playing out and furthering one’s Spiritual 
  Attributes. Each major aspect of your charac-
  ter, and how to advance in that area, is now 
  discussed. 
  1. Passion Attributes
  “To the mistress of all true adventurers!” he 
  whispered, choking on his own blood. “To the Lady 
  Death!”
  Robert E. Howard, The Lost Valley of Iskander
  Passion Attributes mirror things that 
  are important to the character, but 
  they comprise first and foremost 
  that which is important to the 
  player. Within the constraints of 
  his character’s fictional personal-
  ity, the player sets whatever he 
  wants as Passion Attributes. 
  The constraint of the 
  character’s personality 
  will mean that a Passion 
  Attribute has to concur 
  with something the char-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  114
  acter wants, likes or dislikes. 
  They need not be identical to 
  the character’s personality descrip-
  tion.
  The Passion Attributes are a way 
  for the player to signal to his ref what 
  he would like to have adventures 
  about. Together with making the char-
  acter more – almost cinematically – ef-
  ficient in these adventures, these are the most 
  important functions of the Passion Attribute. 
  A player may, for instance, create a charac-
  ter with a fierce hatred of slavery as one of 
  his central personality traits. However if the 
  player is not interested in leading his char-
  acter through adventures in which he would 
  regularly contend with slavery and slavers, 
  the player need not (and indeed should not) 
  turn this hatred of slavery into a Passion Attri-
  bute as this attribute would simply sit in the 
  background, adding color to the character’s 
  personality and certainly impacting the 
  way he is role-played, but not 
  be a central issue in his ad-
  ventures. Only items that a 
  player wants to figure heavi-
  ly in his character’s adven-
  tures should ever be made 
  into Passion Attributes.
  Should a player ever wish 
  to change the focus of his 
  character’s adventures, he 
  may just change one or more 
  of his Passion Attributes. 
  Doing so is permissible even in the middle 
  of a session. The sole constraint of the new 
  Passion Attribute is a degree of plausibility. If it 
  is sufficiently plausible within the framework 
  of the character’s established personality that a 
  new Passion Attribute is warranted, the change 
  is allowed. This process is not adjudicated by 
  the referee, but by the entire group communal-
  ly; the ref has no more say than anyone else at 
  the table. If the group approves of the change, 
  the player needs only to drop the Passion Attri-
  bute to be changed down to a score of 0, and 
  spend 1 point from any other Passion Attribute 
  to effect the change.
  In the case when a Passion Attribute has run 
  its course and attained its subject, the play-
  er may reduce it to 0 and then change it to 
  another Passion Attribute at no cost or point 
  reallocation from another. This is only possi-
  ble if the new Passion can be regarded as one 
  that develops naturally from the old, attained 
  one. For example, if a PC attains the Passion: 
  Become High-Priest of Set, the Passion: Have 
  the Worship of Set Elevated to State Religion 
  would be a logical and free new Passion, but 
  Passion: Win the Love of the Queen of Aqui-
  lonia wouldn’t (unless it was previously made 
  clear that becoming high-priest was only a 
  stepping stone for getting close to the queen).
  Whether a new Passion is a logical exten-
  sion of the old one is again adjudicated by the 
  group as a whole, not by the referee.
  The score of a Passion Attribute advances by 
  engaging it in play. Every time the character 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  115
  takes a considerable risk (e.g. enters com-
  bat) or accepts a considerable disadvantage 
  (e.g. alienating powerful people) to either fur-
  ther or defend one of his Passion Attributes, 
  he is immediately awarded a single point in 
  the pertinent Attribute. Also, if the Passion At-
  tribute represents a goal (e.g. freeing some-
  body or attaining something), every time the 
  character by his own efforts takes a significant 
  step towards the realization of this goal, he is 
  awarded a single point. How many points are 
  gained each session in this way depends on a 
  group’s tastes, but we think that it shouldn’t be 
  less than 3 or more than 6.
  The flip side is that the score of Passion 
  Attributes can – rarely – also decrease. Every 
  time a character acts grossly against one his 
  Passion Attributes (e.g. trafficking in slaves if 
  he has a Passion Attribute of hatred for slav-
  ery), or alternatively fails to follow up on an 
  obvious opportunity to draw nearer to a goal, 
  he immediately loses a point from the Passion 
  Attribute in question.
  Passion Attributes may not be kept secret 
  from one’s fellow players, even if they repre-
  sent some secret goal of the PC. Any player is 
  entitled at any time to know the Passion Attri-
  butes of all his fellow players. In fact this kind 
  of knowledge is strongly advised and encour-
  aged, as Passions can and should be used to 
  tie the individual PCs together into a group. 
  Protagonists of S&S fiction are often loners and 
  outcasts, headstrong and callous individuals 
  governed mainly by self-interest. Such persons 
  do not form well or naturally into the tradi-
  tional kind of adventuring group. In-
  stead, some plausible reason for such 
  PCs’ cooperation needs to be found, 
  and the most plausible is, of course, 
  mutual benefit. Passion Attributes, 
  often representing a character’s goals 
  and drives, are an excellent tool to this 
  end.
  By ensuring that all PCs have one or 
  more Passion Attribute compatible with, or 
  similar to, each other, the group will be given 
  coherence. Some of the goals of the various 
  PCs of such a group will complement each 
  other, and the PCs will have good reason to 
  cooperate. PC A might, for example, have 
  the Passion: Hate for Sultan Zafra of Sa-
  mara, PC B the Passion: Become Sultan of 
  Samara, and PC C the Passion: Destroy Cult 
  of Baraz (the main protector and adherent 
  of which happens to be Sultan Zafra). 
  Without the three Passions being iden-
  tical, any adventure in which Sultan 
  Zafra is the opponent or in which Sultan 
  Zafra stands to suffer will engage the 
  Passion Attributes of all three char-
  acters, giving them a reason to stay 
  together.
  The recommended method of 
  establishing a link between 
  PCs by means of Passion 
  Attributes is commu-
  nal character creation, 
  where all players are 
  present when everybody 
  else’s character is being 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  116
  created, and where everybody 
  may make suggestions and 
  throw out ideas. 
  While this is the best method of 
  establishing a strong link that does 
  not appear contrived, communal 
  character creation will unfortunately 
  not always be possible. If it isn’t, it 
  can be substituted by leaving one of 
  the four Passion Attribute slots of every par-
  ticipating PC undefined. This free slot should 
  be filled during the first session with a Pas-
  sion that makes the PCs collaborators of 
  convenience, tying them together into the 
  semblance of a group.
  Drama is the great wild card of all the Pas-
  sion Attributes, and much of what has been 
  said above does not apply to it. Every PC 
  has it, it can never be exchanged for another 
  Passion Attribute, and it does not represent 
  a facet of his personality. It is rather a me-
  chanical representation, an extra bit of 
  heroic capability, and sometimes even 
  luck. It is the player’s means 
  to influence game events di-
  rectly, above and beyond his 
  character’s actions, and it can 
  be used in several ways:
  Lucky Break
  A point of Drama can be 
  spent to effect some specific 
  change in the game world, 
  usually one that is beneficial 
  to the character for which 
  the Drama is expended. Examples:
  One of the jailers of the dungeon into 
  which the PC is thrown turns out to be a 
  buddy of the PC from his mercenary days.
  The kennel master has this evening 
  forgotten to turn loose the guardian lions 
  roaming the compound the PC is breaking 
  into at night.
  The daughter of the chieftain of the 
  barbarian tribe whose aid the PC needs 
  takes a romantic interest in the PC.
  The lucky break can be quite substantial. It 
  should not, however, solve some problem for 
  the PC outright. Instead, it should provide an 
  excellent opening for the PC to solve the prob-
  lem himself. 
  The specifics of the lucky break are up to 
  the player expending the Drama, but the ref-
  eree need not accept any wish of the player’s. 
  The referee is encouraged to go with the flow 
  and allow the lucky break the player desires, 
  even if it should be immensely advantageous, 
  but he is not required to do so. He can refuse 
  it, especially if he finds that a certain lucky 
  break would defuse the entire adventure.
  Scene Request
  A point of Drama can be spent to request 
  a certain scene from the referee. For details 
  about this, see Chapter Five.
  Have a Success
  A point of drama can be spent in a non-com-
  bat situation to achieve a considerable success 
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  117
  on a Check without the need to roll the 
  dice. Instead of rolling the dice, the player 
  expends a point of Drama. The result is treat-
  ed as if a number of dice out of his pool had 
  turned up as successes, as per Table 3.5. How-
  ever the choice to forego a Check and spend 
  Drama must be made before the dice are re-
  sorted to. Once a Check has been rolled, its 
  result stands.
  Table 3.5 Have a Success
  1-4 dice
  all successful
  5-7 dice
  all but 1 successful
  8-10 dice
  all but 2 successful
  11-13 dice
  all but 3 successful
  14+ dice
  all but 4 successful
  Stealing the Limelight
  A point of Drama can be spent to change a 
  combat’s Order of Limelights. For details about 
  this, see Chapter Four.
  Optional Drama Use: Melee Survival
  If the group so desires, it can allow a point 
  of Drama to be spent to reduce the effects of a 
  wound that would either kill a PC outright or 
  incapacitate him to die soon. Such Drama ex-
  penditure invariably incapacitates the PC, but 
  also ensures his survival. The referee may not 
  rule that the incapacitated PC is dispatched 
  by his victorious enemies. He is, however, en-
  couraged to come up with some other nasty 
  consequence for the character. What 
  this is depends entirely on the situa-
  tion. He may be captured by his vic-
  torious enemies, or his body may be 
  looted of some important possession, 
  or he may receive a nasty and lasting 
  scar. The referee should be creative, 
  but should avoid imposing something 
  on the PC that ruins the player’s contin-
  ued fun.
  The injury suffered is only assigned a defi-
  nite Wound Level once the PC regains con-
  sciousness. This should usually be a Level 4, 
  but it can be Level 3.
  Drama Use by NPCs
  NPCs, even the most important ones, 
  without exception never have Passion Attri-
  butes. This includes Drama. There is, however, 
  a way by which a referee can enjoy the 
  equivalent of spending a point of Dra-
  ma for one of his NPCs.
  When he wants an NPC to have a 
  Lucky Break, Have a Success, or Me-
  lee Survival (if this optional rule 
  is being used), he may announce 
  this and offer a single point of 
  Drama to the player of any PC 
  involved in the current scene. 
  If the player accepts, he 
  gets the Drama point, 
  and the NPC gets the 
  benefit, but if he refus-
  es, the referee may ask 
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  118
  any other player whose charac-
  ter is involved in the scene, and 
  so on, until a player either accepts 
  the deal or all have declined it.
  The order in which the refer-
  ee asks the players is entirely up to 
  him. A savvy referee will, of course, 
  use this discretion to best effect to get 
  his desired Drama use. After all, the in-
  stinct of the player asked first might be to de-
  cline, but then he can’t be sure that one asked 
  later will not accept anyway, in which case 
  he will have foregone a point of Drama for 
  nothing.
  In any case, the referee can resort to this 
  mechanic no more often than once per scene 
  – in total (not once per scene per NPC).
  Drama is not raised like the other Passion 
  Attributes, but may be gained in the way out-
  lined above, or through any of the following 
  three ways.
  First, any time you make the whole 
  group laugh or impress them with an 
  outstandingly fine plan, idea, 
  or dramatic piece of role-
  play you immediately gain 
  one point. This specifically 
  includes hearty and full-
  mouthed quips made by 
  the PCs in the face of dan-
  ger or after overcoming it. 
  Spit-spraying assertions of the 
  kind quoted throughout this 
  book are, after all, a main-
  stay of the genre.
  Second, if a player achieves a spectac-
  ular and unexpected success on any Check 
  in the course of one session, he gains one point 
  at the close of that session. If several players 
  qualify, the point goes to the one with the most 
  impressive success, as decided by the group.
  Third, any player who has rolled a spec-
  tacularly poor Check during the session gets a 
  “consolation point” at this session’s end. If sev-
  eral players qualify, the point is, again, award-
  ed the player decided upon by the group.
  No more than 3 Drama points may be 
  gained by any player in any one session.
  Finally, one can also transfer points to (but 
  not from) the Drama Attribute. At the very 
  beginning and the very end of a session, all 
  players have the opportunity to exchange any 
  number of points from any of their Passion At-
  tributes to points in the Drama Attribute (max-
  imum of 5), at a rate of a point for a point.
  2. Spending Passion Points
  Chapter One outlined a number of ways to 
  use Passion Attributes. Using Passion Attribute 
  points does not deplete them in any way; they 
  can be applied as bonus dice again and again. 
  Spending Passion Attribute points is differ-
  ent. All other traits increase by permanent-
  ly spending Passion Attribute Points. These 
  points, once spent, are lost - and may only be 
  regained through play (as described above). 
  When spending these points they may come 
  in any quantity from any combination of Pas-
  sion Attributes.
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  119
  3. Karma
  Another aspect of spending Passion Attri-
  bute points is Karma. One point of Karma is 
  gained every time you spend one Passion At-
  tribute point. These points come into play after 
  your character dies or leaves the game, allow-
  ing you to build a stronger new character. 
  When you are creating a new character 
  (whether the last one died or was simply “re-
  tired”), the player may spend any number of 
  his Karma points for better choices on the Tal-
  ent Table, as per Table 3.6.
  table 3.6 karma rewardS
  Karma
  Bonus Priorities
  11-30
  E
  31-50
  D
  51-70
  C
  71-90
  B
  91-110
  A
  111-130
  A, C
  131-150
  A, B
  151-170
  A, A
  171-190
  A, A, C
  191-210
  A, A, B
  211 +
  A, A, A
  Higher Karma grants additional “Priorities” 
  (see Chapter Two) for character creation. Thus, 
  instead of one Priority A, B, C and so on, you 
  may begin with one Priority A, two Priority Bs, 
  one C, D and so on.
  Karma is not so much earned and amassed 
  by the character, as earned and amassed by 
  the player through his character. It is the play-
  er’s to spend or hoard over several 
  characters. If the player’s current char-
  acter dies or retires permanently and 
  the player creates another character, 
  even for a different campaign, he can 
  spend part or all of his Karma to create 
  a new and better character. Karma that 
  the player does not spend is retained 
  by him and noted on the appropriate 
  space of the new character’s sheet. 
  Karma is even earned by the ref, most likely 
  in greater quantity than any other player in his 
  group. 
  Every session, the ref receives Karma points 
  equal to the player who earned the most 
  Karma during the session. These points are 
  not so much rewards for being the ref, but 
  rather a safeguard against the ref being left 
  behind should he one day become a player 
  himself. He can then use his amassed Kar-
  ma to create a stronger character for 
  himself, just as his former players did, 
  who earned Karma while he was direct-
  ing the game.
  4. Basic Attributes
  Any Attribute may be raised by 
  spending Passion Attribute equal 
  to three times its current score. 
  Raising a character’s “Fo-
  cus” Attribute costs 1 
  point less. No Attribute 
  may be increased by 
  more than one point per 
  session.
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  120
  5. Proficiencies
  These are easier to raise 
  than Attributes, but require that a 
  character either spend some time 
  training or use the Proficiency in the 
  course of play. Not much training is 
  needed, assuming the character has 
  an hour or so a day to spend practic-
  ing. 
  To raise Proficiency by one level, simply 
  spend a number of Passion Attribute points 
  equal to twice the current Proficiency lev-
  el. Hence the cost to raise the Greatsword 
  Proficiency from 4 to 5 would be 8 Passion 
  Attribute Points. As with Attributes only one 
  level increase per Proficiency is allowed 
  during any one game session.
  Acquiring a new Proficiency requires 
  either that the Proficiency has been used 
  during the course of play, or that a teach-
  er with Proficiency level 3 or better was 
  consulted. These cost a mere 1 Passion 
  point. Entirely new Proficiencies 
  are bought up from the PC’s 
  best default rating in that Pro-
  ficiency. Thus buying Cut & 
  Thrust would cost 1 point to 
  begin at level 1, but if al-
  ready proficient in Greats-
  word (which defaults to Cut 
  & Thrust at -3) you could buy 
  the new Proficiency as if you 
  were already at the same lev-
  el as Greatsword -3.
  6. Assets
  Some Assets may be bought or bought off 
  during the game, provided that these develop-
  ments seem plausible to the group. Acquiring 
  an entirely new Good Asset or buying off a 
  Poor Asset acquired from the Culture Priority 
  Pick costs 20 Passion. Buying off a Poor Asset 
  not derived from the Culture Priority choice, 
  or acquiring the Good aspect of an Asset of 
  which the character already has the Poor as-
  pect costs only 15 Passion.
  With some Assets, for example Berserk and 
  Spell-Gifted, it does not make sense to have 
  both their Good and Poor aspects simultane-
  ously. If a character has the Poor aspect of one 
  and buys it off, he can never acquire its Good 
  aspect. If he has designs of changing such an 
  Asset’s Poor aspect into the Good one, he first 
  must purchase the Good aspect and only then 
  buy off the Poor aspect. For as long as he has 
  not bought off the Poor aspect, it applies in full 
  and he does not receive the benefits from the 
  purchased Good aspect.
  7. Skills
  Skills are easy to develop. To raise a Skill by 
  one level, simply spend a number of Passion 
  Attribute points equal to the current Skill level. 
  Entirely new Skills may be purchased for 1 Pas-
  sion Attribute point, and begin at level 1. Keep 
  in mind that when purchasing a new Skill at a 
  level lower than the rating the PC has in that 
  Skill’s most applicable Attribute (as listed in 
  the Skill’s description), it will cost 1 point less 
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  121
  than the Attribute’s rating, though always 
  at least 1 point.
  Finally, improving one’s Skill rating in either 
  the Ancient Languages or Foreign Language Skill 
  costs one less Passion point than would other-
  wise be charged, though again a minimum of 
  1 point must be spent. Furthermore, the initial 
  Passion point expended towards the acquisition 
  of an entirely new Foreign Language (though 
  not Ancient Language) Skill immediately buys 
  an initial rating level of 2, not 1.  
  8. Loot
  Fafhrd the Northerner was dreaming of a great 
  mound of gold. The Gray Mouser the Southerner, ever 
  cleverer in his forever competitive fashion, was dreaming 
  of a heap of diamonds.
  Fritz Leiber, The Bait
  The Loot rating measures a character’s 
  wealth. Every point in it represents an ab-
  stract amount of affluence. In more concrete 
  terms, every point of Loot represents roughly 
  ten times the wealth of the level immediately 
  below it. 
  This encompasses a character’s total wealth 
  in both money and movable and immovable 
  goods.
  0: Dead broke. Just the shabby or torn and 
  thus worthless clothes on your back.
  1: Poor. A set of clothes, some coin, a few 
  items.
  2: Average. The normal amount of wealth 
  for a commoner.
  3: Rich.
  4: Filthy Rich.
  5: Fantastically Rich.
  If a character wants to buy some-
  thing, the referee judges whether his 
  Loot score suggests that he should be 
  able to afford it or not. If the purchase 
  seems clearly within the character’s 
  means, he can buy it. If it’s judged to 
  be well beyond it, he can’t.
  If the issue seems questionable, the charac-
  ter’s Cunning pool is typically rolled against 
  either a Challenging or Difficult task. If the 
  Check is successful, the character can make 
  the purchase, but he can’t afford to make any 
  other purchase that would require a roll for 
  the remainder of the session.
  A newly created character’s Loot is set at 
  any level the player wants, provided it corre-
  sponds to the PC’s backstory and the circum-
  stances under which he commences 
  play. The entire group is the communal 
  arbitrator of whether an assigned Loot 
  score is reasonable or not.
  When a character acquires mon-
  ey or valuables of a magnitude that 
  suggests an increase to his current 
  Loot, his rating is increased au-
  tomatically, provided the wealth 
  gained is judged to be clear-
  ly many times greater than 
  the character’s current 
  means. If it is merely 
  deemed to be consider-
  ably greater, the character 
  should make a Cunning 
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  122
  Check with his possible new 
  Loot rating as the Challenge 
  Level. If he passes the test, his Loot 
  rating increases. 
  S&S protagonists are notoriously 
  bad at hanging on to money, either 
  because they spend fistfuls of it on 
  drink, wenching, gambling and oth-
  er forms of hard carousing, or because 
  they simply don’t seem to care much about 
  keeping their accounts balanced. Therefore, 
  a character’s Loot rating is decreased by 1 
  between game sessions, provided that con-
  siderable game time has passed since the 
  last session. 
  The player can avoid having his Loot deteri-
  orate if he passes a Check of his character’s CG 
  with a Challenge Level of (5 – current Loot). 
  PAs don’t apply to this roll, but Drama can be 
  spent in the usual manner. What constitutes a 
  sufficient span of time for Loot to decrease due 
  to spending depends on the circumstances in 
  which this time is passed. In a city, a week is 
  definitely sufficient, but in a remote monastery 
  or some such, several months should pass be-
  fore a roll becomes necessary.
  This concludes Chapter Three
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  124
  Two streams of blood trickled slowly across the rough boards of the floor. One of them 
  emerged from a gaping wound in the throat of a prostrate, armour-clad body; the other 
  dripped from a chink in the battered cuirass, and the swaying light of a hanging lamp cast 
  grotesque shadows over the corpse and the two men who couched on their hams watching it. They 
  were both very drunk. One of them, a tall, extremely slender man whose bronzed body seemed 
  boneless, so supple was it, murmured:
  “I win Lycon- The blood wavers strangely, but the stream I spilt will reach this crack first.” He indi-
  cated a space between two planks with the point of his rapier.
  Lycon’s child-like eyes widened in astonishment. (…) He swayed slightly as he gasped, “By Ishtar! 
  The blood runs up-hill!”
  Elak, the slender man, chuckled. “After all the mead you swilled the ocean might run up-hill. Well, 
  the wager’s won; I get the loot.” He got up and stepped over to the dead man. Swiftly he searched him, 
  and suddenly muttered an explosive curse. “The swine’s as bare as a Bacchic vestal! He has no purse.”
  Lycon smiled broadly and looked more than ever like an undersized hairless ape. “The gods watch over 
  me,” he said in satisfaction.
  “Of all the millions in Atlantis you had to pick a fight with a pauper,” Elak groaned.
  Henry Kuttner, “The Spawn of Dagon”
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  125
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  126
  “Behold these warriors, each with a soul of steel forged in a thousand battles and of a fearless 
  cunning honed in our age of misery – my flawed tools of mayhem. Defy them and despair, for 
  they be my blades and none shall stand against them.”
  Noggrond Namebreaker, the Magnificent Shield of Lamu, 
  High Priest of Yot-Kamoth
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  127
   I. MELEE COMBAT 
  OVERVIEW
  The world of Blade is a dangerous one. 
  Though fierce monsters and abominations in-
  habit the far corners of the world, adventurers 
  must also be on the lookout for thugs, cutpurs-
  es, assassins, mercenaries and anybody else 
  who would kill them for their silver. 
  And the most deadly foes care nothing for 
  treasure, and instead want a hero’s corpse for 
  darker purposes…
  As characters adventure throughout the 
  world, they will encounter those who stand 
  in their way. Unfortunately, not all villains 
  will launch themselves at the characters with 
  sword in hand. 
  The more dangerous ones use their snake 
  tongues, devious minds, or sorcery to bring 
  the heroes to ruin. Good referees will throw 
  all types of foes against characters – those who 
  fight with tooth and claw, cowards who would 
  sooner run than battle, and those who seek 
  to undermine adventurers with a labyrinth of 
  plans and deception.
  Sometimes, battle is inevitable. Though the 
  warriors of Blade are well trained and deadly, 
  even the most inexperienced knave can thrust 
  a pitchfork into the throat of a battle-hardened 
  king. Players should always keep in mind that 
  more people walk into battle than walk from 
  it…
  1. LIMELIGHT AND THE 
  COMBAT ROUND
  The basic temporal unit any Com-
  bat Scene in Blade is the Combat 
  Round. During the Combat Round, 
  every combatant has dice to spend on 
  actions equal to his Melee Pool (MP).
  Players will have to be judicious 
  about what activities they spend their MP 
  dice on, and all associated costs to their MP 
  pool. A subdivision of the Combat Round is 
  the Exchange, with every Combat Round con-
  sisting of two. 
  The Exchange is thus the shortest temporal 
  division of a Combat Scene, which ultimate-
  ly consists of any number of Combat Rounds, 
  each made up of a pair of Exchanges.
  In Blade, combat is never handled by go-
  ing around the table from player to player in 
  order every single Round, let alone 
  Exchange. Instead, every player goes 
  through a number of Rounds before 
  it is the next player’s turn. This collec-
  tion of unbroken Combat Rounds is 
  called the “Limelight”.
  Limelight harks back to the 
  way swashbuckling fights were 
  once portrayed in movies, when 
  the camera focused on one 
  combatant and his ene-
  mies for an intense set 
  of actions and then, at 
  a suitably dramatic mo-
  ment, cut to another excit-
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  128
  ing moment within the scene. 
  This cut to another moment 
  sometimes pulled the viewer back 
  in time, if the scene’s new focus 
  took place prior to the moment cut 
  from. This tried and true dramatic 
  way of portraying fights is reborn in 
  Blade.
  There are no firm rules as to how 
  many Combat Rounds a Limelight has, only 
  guidelines when to end it and “cut” to an-
  other player’s Limelight. 
  Generally speaking, a Limelight is termi-
  nated at the end of its first Combat Round 
  in which something significant happens. We 
  call this a cliff-hanger! A cliff-hanger can be 
  a wound being inflicted, a combatant being 
  killed, a weapon being lost or knocked away, 
  a change in how the fight is being waged, for 
  instance when the opponents switch from 
  Melee combat to a grappling match, or any 
  other noticeable change in the flow of 
  the fight. 
  Once something like this 
  happens, the ref calls an end 
  to one Limelight and switch-
  es to another player’s new 
  Limelight.
  The order in which play-
  ers go through their Lime-
  light’s is largely determined 
  at the outset of the fight and 
  then remains fixed, unless 
  changed by player action; 
  see below.
  Under some circumstances, for in-
  stance when one PC out of several is under 
  surprise attack, it’s obvious whose Limelight is 
  handled first, but in most cases it isn’t. If cir-
  cumstances don’t dictate the order of Lime-
  light’s, the ref taps players in ascending order 
  of their PCs’ CG; low CGs go first and high 
  CGs last, with ties broken by Reflex, or by the 
  highest Melee Proficiency, if still tied.
  However, any player whose character’s CG 
  is higher than the CG of the PC being called 
  up by the ref may opt to step in before the 
  round begins and have his PC’s Limelight re-
  solved earlier. Thus characters with high CG 
  have control of the initial Limelight order.
  Once every player at the table has had a 
  Limelight, what’s called a Round of Limelights, 
  the order of Limelights is established, and this 
  order remains unchanged for the entire com-
  bat – unless players step in to change this se-
  quence.
  Before this is explained a word must be said 
  about time.
  Neither Exchanges nor Combat Rounds 
  take a fixed amount of time. Depending on 
  circumstances, a Round may easily be as lit-
  tle as 1 second and as much as 5 seconds, or 
  even more; as long as a PC is going through his 
  Limelight, there is no telling how much time 
  has actually passed. 
  However, once a Round of Limelights has 
  been completed, time snaps back, and the PCs 
  all realign to the same point in time. Thus the 
  player who has in his Limelight played through 
  five Combat Rounds is at the same point in 
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  129
  time as the player who played through just 
  two.
  At any time between one player’s Limelight 
  completion, but before the next player’s Lime-
  light commences, any player who has not yet 
  had his Limelight moment within the round 
  may step in and “Steal the Limelight”, thus 
  having his Limelight conducted immediately. 
  Doing so requires the payment of 1 Drama 
  point, and the sole caution that the player who 
  Steals the Limelight must not yet have had his 
  Limelight moment during the current Round of 
  Limelights.
  By Stealing the Limelight, the sequence of 
  Limelights is changed – and remains changed. 
  The player who has spent the Drama point 
  has thereby elevated himself from his old 
  place in the sequence to the new one, and the 
  order of Limelights created by this act of Steal-
  ing the Limelight becomes the new order of 
  Limelights for the remainder of the combat – 
  or until someone else Steals the Limelight yet 
  again.
  Stealing the Limelight can be advantageous 
  in many situations, and is often done to enable 
  one PC to rush to another character’s aid. 
  Example: Three characters, Rufo, Karg, and 
  Otho, are each fighting an enemy in this order 
  during the current round of Limelights. 
  When the second Round of Limelights be-
  gins, all three are engaged in melee combat. 
  Having his Limelight first, Rufo is wounded 
  during it, an appropriate point for the ref to 
  cut to Karg’s Limelight.
  Sometime into Karg’s Limelight, he and his 
  opponent go from melee into a grap-
  pling ground fight, again a useful junc-
  ture to cut to Otho, who during his 
  Limelight dispatches his opponent, 
  thereby ending his own Limelight.
  A new Round of Limelights be-
  gins, with Rufo going first – but as 
  Rufo has just been wounded, 
  there is a danger of him be-
  ing killed by his oppo-
  nent’s coup de grace, 
  so Otho’s player de-
  cides to spend 1 Drama 
  point to Steal the Lime-
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  130
  light. Otho, now going first and 
  being unengaged, has by Steal-
  ing the Limelight, gained a chance 
  to rush to injured Rufo’s side and 
  save him.
  In quite a few fights, not all PCs 
  will actually be Melee combatants, 
  or combatants at all, and their Lime-
  lights conversely work a bit differently. 
  While their place in the sequence of Lime-
  lights is determined normally, instead of 
  fighting, they use their Limelight to do one 
  relevant thing. 
  Doing something relevant - this truly 
  is the heart of the matter: Not preparing for 
  something relevant, but doing it, all the way.
  This relevant action could be a lot of 
  things. Often, it will be firing a missile (and 
  yes, even cocking a heavy crossbow, load-
  ing and then discharging it are accomplished 
  within the space of a single Limelight) or 
  casting a spell, but it might be picking a 
  lock, breaking down a door, lighting 
  a fire, untethering the group’s 
  horses – anything really. 
  The sole constraint is that 
  the action should be one 
  that could conceivably be 
  accomplished within the 
  space of 30 seconds. So, all 
  sorcery and missile attacks 
  work alike in melee situa-
  tions. You can use your pool, 
  whether AP or SP, once, and 
  only once per Limelight. 
  That said, there is nothing to prevent a sorcerer 
  from beginning a Limelight using his MP and 
  then switching over to a sorcerous action and 
  using his SP. This would be governed by exact-
  ly the same mechanics as somebody switching 
  over from using his MP to using his AP. But 
  note that he may do so only at the beginning 
  of a round’s 2nd Exchange, with an upfront SP 
  Activation Cost equaling the amount of MP 
  spent by him during the 1st Exchange. This 
  represents the rigors of invoking sorcery in the 
  middle of a hectic melee. 
  NPCs, even the most important ones, do not 
  have a Limelight of their own. An NPC’s op-
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  131
  portunity to act arrives when the PC with 
  whom he is locked in some kind of struggle 
  or other interaction has his own Limelight. If 
  this PC moves to a new place within the Order 
  of Limelights, the NPC moves with him. 
  In those cases where NPCs not currently in 
  some form of contest with a PC try to accom-
  plish something entirely on their own and un-
  opposed by a PC (e.g. breaking down a door), 
  the referee should adjudicate this action with 
  common sense and just announce its progress 
  or completion as seems right.
  In those very rare and exceptional cases 
  when timing should be more important, such 
  an NPC can be given a place within the Order 
  of Limelights of his own. 
  This is however only possible for as long as 
  this NPC does not interact with a PC; the mo-
  ment he starts interacting with a PC (e.g. hav-
  ing broken down the door, the NPC charges 
  the PC), he loses his own place within the Or-
  der of Limelights and commences acting on 
  the PC’s Limelight.
  All NPCs must be assigned to a given PC’s 
  Limelight right at the beginning of that Lime-
  light, with all players being informed of any 
  NPC attached to his character’s current Lime-
  light, whether the character would be aware of 
  the presence of the NPC or not. 
  An NPC who was not assigned to a PC’s 
  Limelight cannot interact with that PC during 
  this Limelight. 
  In addition, an NPC can only be assigned to 
  one PC’s Limelight during any given Round of 
  Limelights; should he fail to act on this Lime-
  light, he cannot be reassigned to anoth-
  er Limelight later taking place during 
  the current Round of Limelights.
  2. THE ORDER OF A COMBAT 
  ROUND
  A Combat Round is fought in 
  the following sequence:
  1) All stances are declared.
  2) Aggressor and defend-
  er is established 
  (initiative). Melee 
  Pool fills/refresh-
  es, with all Modi-
  fiers.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  132
  3) During the first half of the 
  Combat Round, the first Ex-
  change, the aggressor attacks and 
  defender defends.
  4) Damage is resolved and/or new 
  attitude determined (aggressor or de-
  fender).
  5) During the second half of the Com-
  bat Round, the second Exchange, the 
  aggressor attacks and defender defends. 
  These roles may have been reversed 
  since the first Exchange.
  6) All damage is resolved and/or new atti-
  tude determined (aggressor or defender).
  Steps 2-6 continue to repeat until the res-
  olution of the combat, or until the flow of 
  combat is interrupted otherwise (a pause). 
  At the beginning of each new melee con-
  flict (or following a pause) begin at step 1, 
  then repeat 2-6 as normal.
  3. STEPS 1 & 2: STANCES, 
  INITIATIVE, AND SURPRISE
  Unless taken by surprise, 
  combatants 
  will 
  usually 
  have time and opportunity 
  to declare a stance – these 
  should 
  be 
  clearly 
  an-
  nounced at the table. 
  Stances potentially pro-
  vide for a stronger attack or 
  defence, 
  though 
  perhaps 
  adding some rigidity to a 
  combatant’s action.
  Though every school speaks with con-
  fidence on the superiority of its teaching, 
  three stances are universal; Aggressive, Defen-
  sive, and Neutral stances.
  Aggressive stances provide an attack bonus 
  at the cost of making one’s defense more diffi-
  cult. Such stances add 2 MP dice for an attack 
  but increase activation costs for any Defensive 
  Maneuver by 2 MP.
  Defensive stances grant a defensive bonus 
  while making attack execution more difficult. 
  Such stances add 2 MP dice when Defending 
  but increase the activation costs for any Offen-
  sive Maneuver by 2 MP.
  Neutral stances are the favorite of many. In 
  a Neutral stance one’s weapon is positioned to 
  allow for either quick attack or defensive re-
  sponse. Neutral stances provide no bonus to 
  either attack or defense.
  Note: Stances are only in effect until the 
  first blow or movement—once a character’s 
  weapon moves, the stance is gone. Once me-
  lee is joined the stances of both attacker and 
  defender are treated as neutral, with no bonus 
  conveyed to either. A stance cannot be taken 
  (or regained) until the combatants separate for 
  a full pause.
  Initiative is determined after any stances are 
  declared, when each combatant announces 
  their intent to either attack or defend.
  The intent of the combatants will usually 
  be very clear from the circumstances under 
  which they enter combat – more often than 
  not, one or even both will charge the other. 
  Apart from of course counting as an aggressive 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  133
  stance, such a charge automatically sug-
  gests the intent to attack, leaving the other 
  party to decide whether to receive the charge 
  with a defence or to himself attack.
  Some rare combat encounters, for example 
  formal duels or gladiatorial bouts, may how-
  ever start out less unambiguous, with both 
  combatants gauging each other, shifting from 
  stance to stance and waiting for an opening 
  in their opponent’s defence to attack. In these 
  cases it is advisable to demand that both par-
  ties declare intent to attack or defend simulta-
  neously, maybe by lifting one finger for attack 
  and two for defence. Until at least one par-
  ty declares attack, the bout does not actually 
  commence.
  If a party fails to declare intent while the 
  other declares attack, then this character is 
  considered to have hesitated and may only de-
  fend for one full Combat Round – if even that 
  (see Surprise).
  The attacker, now having the initiative, de-
  clares how many dice from his Melee Pool are 
  being spent on the attack, where the attack is 
  aimed, and what Maneuver, if any, is being 
  used. 
  The defender in response to the attacker de-
  clares how many dice from his Melee Pool are 
  going towards defense, what defense is being 
  used, and what Maneuver, if any, is being ex-
  ecuted. If both combatants declare as aggres-
  sors, Offensive Maneuvers and assigned dice 
  are announced before the Reflex Check to 
  see who goes fractionally first. The combatant 
  with the higher Reflex may choose whether 
  to declare first or second; tied Re-
  flex scores are broken by the higher 
  CG score, and tied CG scores by the 
  higher Proficiency.
  An Opposed Reflex Check (with 
  the combatants’ own ATNs for Tar-
  get Numbers— see the Appendix for 
  weapon ATNs) then determines whose 
  strike lands first. For every step of Reach 
  difference of the weapons used, the wielder of 
  the longer weapon receives 1 bonus dice to this 
  Check, and the wielder of the shorter weapon 
  is penalized 1 die. In the rare cases where the 
  combat begins at the optimum engagement 
  range of the shorter Reach weapon, these 
  modifiers are reversed.
  Note that no defense is possible in the 
  middle of an attack, so the loser of this Check 
  will likely be killed. In the Exchange that fol-
  lows, the winner of this Exchange now 
  assumes the role of aggressor and his 
  opponent that of defender. Should the 
  Opposed Reflex Check be tied, both 
  combatants strike at exactly the same 
  time.
  Stealing Initiative is only and 
  exclusively possible immediately 
  before the first blows of any bout 
  are traded and is usually done 
  in one of two circumstanc-
  es: 
  The first is when two 
  combatants declare as 
  aggressors and attack si-
  multaneously.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  134
  If one combatant turns out 
  to be fractionally slower than 
  the other, he may attempt to Steal 
  Initiative, but if both combatants 
  attack at exactly the same time, 
  the combatant with the higher Re-
  flex score is the one first entitled to 
  attempt to Steal Initiative; tied Reflex 
  scores are broken by the higher CG 
  score, and tied CG scores by the higher 
  Proficiency. Should he decline to try Stealing 
  Initiative, the other combatant may then opt 
  to attempt to.
  The party attempting to Steal Initiative 
  pays an Actiation Cost equal to half his op-
  ponent’s SY (0.50 rounds up).
  The attempt itself is an Opposed Check 
  between the initiator’s CG and his oppo-
  nent’s DG.
  This contest is modified by differences in 
  the Reach of the weapons used; if there is 
  any difference, the wielder of the longer 
  weapon receives a flat +1 die bonus on 
  his Check while the wielder of the 
  shorter weapon must incur a 
  flat -1 die penalty.
  When 
  the 
  combatants 
  begin the bout already at 
  the Reach of the shorter 
  of the weapons involved, 
  the above modifiers are re-
  versed: Shorter weapons gar-
  ner a flat +1 die bonus, and 
  longer weapons a flat -1 die 
  penalty.
  Finally, the initiator of the attempt, and 
  only he, may buy bonus dice for his Check 
  by spending dice from his MP on a one-to-one 
  basis, up to the value of his DG rating.
  PAs do not modify to this check, as PAs are 
  added to one’s MP pool at the beginning of the 
  combat scene, and are thus already accounted 
  for.
  The winner of the Opposed Check strikes 
  first, and the loser, should he still be able to 
  continue after his opponent’s attack, second. 
  In a tie, both combatants strike simultaneously, 
  which might well result in the death of both. In 
  any case, a combatant who had the Initiative 
  stolen from him may immediately try to steal it 
  back. Such attempts to Steal Initiative or steal it 
  back may theoretically continue until one party 
  depletes his MP.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  135
  The second situation where one may 
  wish to Steal Initiative can occur when a 
  character who has previously declared defense 
  wishes to switch over and instead attack. The 
  process is identical to that described above.
  Surprise can occur at any time, even when 
  you suspect that danger is near. When a Sur-
  prise Check is called for, the player checks Re-
  flex against TN7, with the difficulty based on 
  how alert the character or NPC was. Table 4.0, 
  Surprise Challenge Levels, provides guide-
  lines. Failure indicates no action can be taken 
  until the next Combat Round. 
  Meeting the required number of Successes 
  means that the target may defend themselves 
  (or attempt to Steal Initiative).
  TABLE 4.0 
  Surprise Challenge levels
  1 - Target is on high alert – waiting for an 
  attack.
  2 - Target is uneasy or suspicious, attack 
  comes from unexpected source, or player 
  hesitated.
  3 - Target caught completely off-guard.
  4 - Target completely off-guard plus at-
  tacked from rear or side, sleeping.
  4. STEPS 3 & 5: THE EXCHANGE 
  Again, each Combat Round consists of two 
  Exchanges. During an Exchange each of the 
  participants may perform but one action, usual-
  ly attacking or defending by use of a single one 
  of either the Offensive or Defensive Maneuvers. 
  One who is in the role of aggres-
  sor may utilize both Offensive and 
  Defensive Maneuvers, though will of 
  course usually not choose one of the 
  latter. One who is in the role of de-
  fender may freely utilize nothing but 
  Defensive Maneuvers, but may choose 
  to execute an Offensive Maneuver 
  instead if he pays a special Activation 
  Cost (see below).
   All attacks must be aimed at a specific lo-
  cale, numbered 1-14 on the Target Zone di-
  agrams. Arrows indicate swing Target Zones, 
  while circles mark Target Zones for thrusting 
  or missile attacks.  
  While a player need not declare a spe-
  cific number, he must describe the attack 
  in terms that may be easily understood, 
  i.e., Thrust to the face, Slash to the right foot, 
  etc.), as random attacks are not a part of Blade 
  melee. Maneuvers and chosen Target 
  Zones may increase or decrease TNs 
  for both attacker and defender alike, 
  and may also require an additional Ac-
  tivation Cost: Optionally, all melee 
  thrusts to head and limbs (Target 
  Zones 8, 9, 13, and 14) require 
  an additional 1 point Activation 
  Cost to execute. 
  Both participants now roll 
  the allotted Dice from their 
  Melee Pool (See Step 
  2), with all modifiers 
  totaled from all Maneu-
  vers, stances, or other sit-
  uations factors. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  136
  This is a normal Opposed 
  Check, where one party’s Victo-
  ries are subtracted from the other’s, 
  leaving the winner with a net QoS. 
  An attack may potentially cause 
  damage only if the attacker achieves 
  a QoS of 1 or more. Ties in the Op-
  posed Check or an outright QoS in 
  the defender’s favor means no damage 
  was inflicted.
  All Target Numbers for this Check come 
  from the ATN (Attack Target Number, used 
  when attacking) or DTN (Defense Target 
  Number, used when defending) listed with 
  each weapon (see the Appendix) or defence.
  After all damage is resolved, a winning ag-
  gressor maintains his role as aggressor, unless 
  he declines it, or cannot continue because of 
  depleted MP, while conversely his opponent 
  still retains uncommitted MP dice. If either is 
  the case, the defender may choose to take 
  on the role of aggressor.
  With a successful net QoS, the de-
  fender may now take on the 
  role of aggressor, unless he 
  merely tied the aggressor, in 
  which case the latter retains 
  his role.
  Note that some Defen-
  sive Maneuvers may on a 
  case-by-case basis allow a 
  successful defender to either 
  assume the role of aggressor 
  upon a tie, or upon paying 
  an additional Activation 
  Cost, or perhaps under no circumstances 
  at all. Any such special mechanics are ex-
  plained within their respective Maneuvers.
  Finally, should  a defender enter a new Ex-
  change and wishes to execute an Offensive 
  Maneuver and attack, regardless of the con-
  sequences, he may declare an Offensive Ma-
  neuver like the aggressor, announcing both his 
  Maneuver for the Exchange and the number of 
  dice allocated to it. 
  This declaration of an Offensive Maneuver 
  carries an Activation Cost equal to half the 
  aggressor’s DG (0.50 rounds up, as always), 
  above and beyond any normal Activation Cost 
  for the Offensive Maneuver.
  In such circumstances, the aggressor re-
  solves his Maneuver first and only then does 
  the defender resolve his Offensive Maneuver, 
  should he still have the required dice in his MP 
  to do so.
  Sneaking in an attack does not in itself turn 
  the previous defender into the aggressor; he 
  still begins the next Exchange as the defend-
  er, and his opponent the aggressor. However, 
  should the defender manage to inflict a high-
  er Wound Level upon the aggressor than he 
  received himself, he now assumes the role of 
  aggressor.
  Visibility has a profound effect on combat. 
  In dim lighting (for example, dusk) deduct 1 
  die from all Melee Pools. During hours of dark-
  ness (moonlight) reduce all MPs to ¾. In pitch 
  black conditions drop all MPs to half value.
  Archery Pools are affected twice as severely 
  as MPs. Deduct 2 dice from all APs for dim 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  137
  lighting and drop it to half value for dark-
  ness. In pitch black conditions, all APs are 
  at 0 dice.
  Weapon Reach plays an enormous role in 
  any combat. Weapon Reach is in six distinct 
  Steps:
  1. Hand: Fists, daggers, knee-strikes, grap-
  pling, etc.
  2. Short: Long daggers, shortswords, mac-
  es, etc.
  3. Medium: Arming swo rds, ball-and-
  chains, sabers, short spears, etc.
  4. Long: Hand-and-a-half swords, rapiers, 
  spears, short pole-arms, etc.
  5. Very Long: Greatswords, long pole-arms, 
  etc.
  6. Extremely Long: Lances, pikes, etc.
  Attacks against a longer weapon are made 
  at -1 MP for each “Step” (i.e.: Short to Medi-
  um, or Medium to Long) the attacker wishes 
  to close; attacking a pikeman with a dagger 
  would cost 5MP! 
  This penalty holds until the shorter weapon 
  makes a damaging strike, after which the penal-
  ty transfers to the longer weapon until he scores 
  a damaging blow, when again the penalty goes 
  to the shorter weapon. When the shorter weap-
  on is out of range this penalty applies only to 
  attacks; when the longer weapon is penalized, 
  it applies to both offense and defense. 
  Often the best course of action for long 
  weapons is to use a full evasion in the event 
  of sudden close combat, or to drop weapons 
  and wrestle!
  Certain maneuvers (such as the 
  Half-sword) are particularly effective 
  in such situations. 
  Likewise, many weapons—such as 
  spears and other two-handed weap-
  ons—may shorten their reach.
  Botching in combat is left for the 
  referee to introduce as Complications 
  at dramatic moments, to spice up events, 
  increase tension, and put pressure on the PCs. 
  Still, if a group absolutely feels it has to have 
  a mechanic for random botches, this optional 
  rule can be used:
  When an attack or defence comes up with 
  0 Successes, a botch results. No Compli-
  cation arises from this botch, but the char-
  acter’s MP for the remainder of the Combat 
  Round, or the following Combat Round if the 
  botch occurs on the second Exchange, is re-
  duced by the number of dice rolled on 
  the botched Check.
  In addition, if the botched roll was 
  made with 5+ dice, something else det-
  rimental also happens. The exact na-
  ture of this fumble is up to the refer-
  ee, but most likely occurrences are 
  the weapon breaking or slipping 
  from the character’s hand, or the 
  character slipping and falling.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  138
  5. STEPS 4 & 6: DAMAGE
  Should an attacker have one 
  or more Successes over his oppo-
  nent then the attack has landed 
  (see Steps 3 & 5) and a D6 is rolled 
  to determine the specific location 
  within the Target Zone (i.e. 1-14, as 
  per the Target Zone diagrams). Nor-
  mally a lower roll means a lower hit and 
  a higher roll a higher hit. 
  A character can exert some control over 
  exactly where this blow lands by paying an 
  additional activation cost before launching 
  his attack. Spending 1 additional die from 
  his MP allows him to modify the d6 roll for 
  the exact hit location within Target Zone by 
  +/– 1; an additional 2 dice (i.e. a total of 3) 
  purchases a modifier of up to +/– 2, and fur-
  ther 3 dice, for a maximum of 6 dice achieves 
  a modifier of up to +/– 3. Note that a player 
  need not use his full modifier, but may use it 
  in part or none at all.
  Damage is calculated by add-
  ing the Quality of Success 
  (QoS) from the attack roll, 
  (after defence Successes have 
  been subtracted), to the 
  Damage Rating (DR) of the 
  weapon used. 
  The DRs for the various 
  types of attacks possible with 
  a weapon are found in the 
  Weapon Tables in the Ap-
  pendix and will often fall 
  in a range of –2 to +3. 
  To this value, half the attacker’s BN 
  (rounded up for .50 or higher) is then added. 
  This represents muscle power put behind the 
  attack, the overall toughness and muscle mass 
  protecting the body from serious injury (with a 
  bit of good fortune).This creates a subtotal, or 
  Impact Rating.
  From this Impact Rating, half the defender’s 
  BN (again, .50 or higher rounds up) is subtract-
  ed, representing a mixture of grit, health, and 
  muscle mass protecting the vitals.
  Last, if the defender is wearing armor at the 
  location hit, its Armor Value (AV) is subtracted 
  from the Impact Rating to arrive at a final dam-
  age number.
  This damage number is the Wound Level. 
  For every wound’s location and severity, 
  there will be a corresponding entry rendering 
  a few words describing the wound accompa-
  nied by several numeric values.
  Wound Levels are rated from 1 to 6. A level 
  1 wound is usually a bruise, scratch or minor 
  cut with no notable adverse effects. Wounds 
  of level 2 and 3 are worse, but hardly debili-
  tating, while a level 4 wound is quite a serious 
  matter that will, more likely than not, decide 
  the fight against the wounded person. 
  While level 4 wounds are very debilitating, 
  those of level 5 and 6 are lethal either imme-
  diately, because of massive bleeding, or with 
  other consequences, eventually fatal. 
  Otho’s weapon has a Damage Rating of 2, 
  and the wound that Otho inflicted on Olaf has 
  a sub-total (or Impact Rating) of 11. Rolling 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  139
  the location on a D6, we reference a di-
  rect hit by Otho to Olaf’s unprotected neck! 
  Having no armor at this location, Olaf may 
  only subtract half his BN (5) from the Impact 
  Rating... 11 - 3 (2.5 rounded up) = 8.
  This value of 8 defaults down to a level 6 
  wound, a Wound Level which indicates the 
  complete decapitation of Olaf’s head!
  Location always makes a difference with 
  wounds – a stab to an offhand will be much 
  less damaging than the same level stab wound 
  to the belly, and a well-placed cut to the throat 
  can be deadly at even low Wound Levels.
  Wound Levels are not cumulative, even 
  from multiple wounds to the exact same lo-
  cation.
  Each wound and all consequences from the 
  wound description are recorded separately, 
  and while the consequences of wounds may 
  add up (see below), many small wounds do 
  not combine into one larger wound. To kill 
  somebody, a solid injury is needed, not many 
  very minor ones. 
  Of course, a number of minor wounds may 
  well – and often will – accumulate and thus 
  handicap a fighter so that his enemy is likely 
  to drive home that one telling hit needed to 
  dispatch him.
  Barring more esoteric forms of damage such 
  as sorcery, the most common are listed below. 
  Melee and missile weapons deal one of 
  three wound types: Cleaving, Piercing, or 
  Blunt wounds.
  Cleaving wounds are the most common 
  form of wound delivered in a fight.
  Piercing wounds, wounds caused 
  by spear and sword thrusts, incoming 
  arrows, and the like, do their work in-
  ternally, and are in many ways dead-
  lier that sword cuts. They normally 
  use the thrust Target Zones (11-14).
  Bleeding from Piercing wounds is 
  usually much harder to control as such 
  wounds are typically located deep with-
  in the victim’s body.
  Blunt wounds, those caused by maces, 
  clubs, quarterstaffs, pommels and the like, in-
  cluding bare fists, can be deadly. The impact 
  of such strikes can cause large amounts of 
  Shock (see below), which often necessitates 
  difficult Knockdown Checks. 
  Blunt attacks are effective against many 
  types of armor, as much of a blow’s force will 
  transmit through armour without the need to 
  penetrate, causing the wearer substan-
  tial blunt trauma. 
  Blunt attacks are usually swung (ar-
  eas 1 – 7), but some, including those 
  delivered from fists, may be executed 
  with a straight thrust (areas 8-14).
  For all other forms of damage 
  there is a “Generic Damage Ta-
  ble” (see Appendix).
  Shock and Pain are both 
  metrics that measure how 
  badly any wound af-
  fects 
  a 
  combatant’s 
  ability to carry on and 
  continue to fight.
  Each wound descrip-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  140
  tor contains an individual rat-
  ing for both. Shock deducts dice 
  from all three dice pools (Melee, 
  Archery, and Sorcery) the moment 
  the character is struck by the blow.
  Shock is only applied once for 
  each wound.
  If the received Shock exceeds a 
  character’s total current MP for his very 
  next action, the remaining of the Shock pen-
  alty is instead added to the aggressor’s MP 
  for the next Combat Round, or Exchange, if 
  the current Exchange is the ongoing Com-
  bat Round’s first one. Such bonus dice are 
  of course only usable against the “Shocked” 
  opponent.
  Pain is deducted from one’s MP (and AP 
  and SP) at the beginning of each Combat 
  Round, starting with the one following the 
  Combat Round in which Shock from the 
  wound was applied. While Shock is a fixed 
  number, Pain is reduced by one’s TY. For 
  the purposes of wound healing, where 
  Pain is important, record the 
  unreduced Pain rating of ev-
  ery wound, but apply only 
  Pain in excess of the char-
  acter’s TY as penalty to his 
  pools. 
  TY is thus applied in full 
  to Pain with every single 
  wound; it is not correct to 
  total up Pain from several 
  wounds and only then ap-
  ply TY, but rather to apply 
  TY to every single wound and then add 
  up the reduced Pain ratings to determine 
  the penalty to dice pools.
  In addition to the die penalty to one’s ap-
  plicable pool from Blood Loss (BL), described 
  next, a Pain component is also added to a roll 
  when tasked with a Skill or Attribute Check for 
  any activity requiring fast, controlled move-
  ment, such as riding at a gallop, running, 
  climbing, jumping, or other similar tasks. 
  Such residual Pain is mechanically ex-
  pressed as one additional Success needed for 
  every 4 full points of dice pool penalty from 
  Pain. If the roll does not yield the required ad-
  ditional net Successes, the attempted Skill or 
  Attribute Check has failed.
  Of course, if the character is, after TY has 
  been applied to every wound, currently car-
  rying less than 4 cumulative points of Pain, no 
  additional Successes are required and the nor-
  mal needed amount of Successes will suffice.
  Example: Otho is at Pain 4 while plodding 
  along the King’s Highway on horseback. Brig-
  ands suddenly burst howling onto the road-
  way behind him in hot pursuit and Otho kicks 
  his mount into a gallop!
  The ref asks Otho’s player to make a Rid-
  ing Skill Check yielding at least 1 additional 
  Success in order to both cope with his Pain, 
  and stay in the saddle. He rolls 2 Successes 
  and therefore is able to keep his seat when his 
  horse explodes into a gallop, gritting his teeth 
  against the pain.
  Pain is also important in figuring out healing 
  times, as described in Chapter Five.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  141
  Shock and Pain are cumulative as long 
  as they are applied to different zones. Should 
  one attack the same area multiple times, the 
  highest shock penalty—new or old—is ap-
  plied (or re-applied) to the wounded party. 
  It can thus be beneficial to attack a 
  well-wounded area again and again, even 
  with weak attacks—the original shock penalty 
  will keep on returning to haunt the wounded!
  When recording wounds on your character 
  sheet, make a note of where the exact wound 
  is and what effects it may have, such as Shock, 
  Pain, or BL.
  Such shorthand as “Wound Level 3, cut, 6/4 
  left,” meaning “A level three Cleaving wound 
  at zone 6, section 4(from the d6 roll), on the 
  left side, can be useful when recording wounds 
  on your character sheet. 
  Make sure to record each individual 
  wound’s Pain rating as well. 
  Blood Loss covers the deterioration of one’s 
  body due to bleeding, the most dangerous of 
  which is the internal kind. Some wounds, es-
  pecially of the Piercing and Cleaving type, car-
  ry a BL value along with any Shock and Pain 
  ratings. 
  The BL ratings of all wounds sustained are 
  cumulative – as long as they come from dif-
  ferent parts of the body, with each limb, the 
  entire torso and the head each counting as one 
  large location. 
  If such a body part already sports a wound 
  with an attendant BL, and is wounded again 
  in a way to indicate BL, only the higher of the 
  two BL ratings is in effect.
  At the very end of the Limelight in 
  which the character first acquired BL, 
  and on the end of each subsequent 
  Limelight, he must check BN. This 
  Check must yield Successes equal to 
  or surpassing the current BL number. 
  If it doesn’t, the character suffers a 
  penalty of 2 dice on his MP, AP and 
  SP. In addition, his Attribute and Skill 
  Checks will need 1 additional Success per 
  full 4 dice penalty to MP, AP and SP. The BN 
  Check to avoid further BL is exempt from this 
  requirement for additional Successes. 
  These penalties represent dizziness or 
  weakness from loss of blood, and accu-
  mulate from failed BN Check to failed BN 
  Check.
  Once accumulated penalties from failed 
  BL Checks equal or exceed the character’s BN, 
  the character passes out from blood loss 
  and will likely die without quick med-
  ical attention. 
  Thereafter, a BL Check is made for 
  the unconscious character at the end 
  of each subsequent Round of Lime-
  lights, and if any Check fails, the 
  character has bled to death.
  Please note that BL Checks 
  made while the bleeding char-
  acter is at rest (no more 
  strenuous activity than 
  walking very slowly) 
  require one less Success 
  than indicated by the cur-
  rent BL rating to be suc-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  142
  cessful. This includes characters 
  unconscious from BL.
  BL ratings, unless from internal 
  damage, are quite easily removed 
  by the most elemental use of first 
  aid; for details, see Chapter Five. 
  However, even if a character’s BL 
  rating is reduced to 0; those penalties 
  accrued due to Blood Loss will not di-
  minish immediately. 
  Such penalties are reduced by 2 for MP, 
  AP and SP for each passing day spent rest-
  ing with proper nourishment and low ac-
  tivity, or by 1 per passing day of exertion.
  Knockdown (KD) can be the result of 
  some wounds, especially but not exclusively 
  those to the legs. 
  With such wounds, the wound description 
  will include a KD number, denoting the num-
  ber of Successes needed on a Check of the 
  Knockdown Attribute to avoid falling prone.
  A KD Check is also necessitated each 
  time a character’s remaining MP for 
  the Round is reduced to 0 or 
  less from a wound received. 
  The Challenge Rating of this 
  Check will be set at Chal-
  lenging if the character’s 
  MP is reduced to below –5, 
  or simply Average in other 
  cases. 
  If the wound which caused 
  the initial Shock reduced MP 
  to 0 or below, and calls 
  for a Check by itself, only 
  the more difficult of the two Checks need be 
  made, but the Challenge Rating of the Check 
  is increased by 1.
  Optionally, if a group wants an additional 
  layer of realism, every hit to the knee or below 
  that fails to cause a wound instead generates a 
  KD Check. The Challenge Level of this Check 
  is Average if the hit was from a thrust-based at-
  tack or one-handed swing, Challenging if from 
  a two-handed swing or a one-handed swing 
  with a mass weapon, and Difficult if from a 
  two-handed swing with a mass weapon or 
  pole-arm. 
  However, the required number of Success-
  es may never be greater than the QoS on the 
  attack roll; light blows to the legs don’t stagger 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  143
  many, even if from very massive weapons.
  Equally optional, any hit at the elbow or 
  below to the weapon arm of somebody wield-
  ing a weapon in one hand also necessitates 
  a KD of the same Challenge Level as above, 
  failure resulting in the weapon being dropped.
  A knocked down character is at half MP 
  while fighting from the ground. This MP is 
  halved after all other modifiers due to Pain 
  etc. have been applied. If he is knocked down 
  during an ongoing Combat Round, he imme-
  diately loses a number of dice from his MP 
  equal to the difference between his MP at the 
  beginning of the Round and half that number.
  Example: Togrul begins a Round with MP 
  13. If he is knocked down during this Round, 
  he immediately loses 6 dice from his MP (the 
  difference between MP 13 and MP 7). Provid-
  ed nothing else deducts from his MP, he re-
  freshes to MP 7 at the begnning of the next 
  Round.
  To get back on his feet while fighting an 
  opponent, he must win a defense Check in a 
  way that would otherwise enable him to as-
  sume the role of aggressor. He may in this case 
  choose between either remaining the defender 
  but getting back to his feet, or becoming the 
  aggressor but remaining on the ground.
  Knockout (KO) can be a consequence of 
  blows to the head. If the description of a wound 
  contains a KO number, this is the Challenge 
  Level the wounded character needs to pass on 
  an immediate Check of his Knockout Attribute. 
  Failure on this check indicates uncon-
  sciousness. Optionally, any blow to the head 
  that fails to cause a wound will still 
  call for a KO Check nonetheless, un-
  less the hit was received from a thrust 
  Piercing or thrust Cleaving attack. 
  The Challenge Level of this Check 
  is Average if a swung Piercing attack, 
  Challenging if a swung Cleaving or 
  thrusting Blunt attack, and Difficult if a 
  swung Blunt attack, but may be under no 
  circumstances higher than half the attack’s QoS.
  6. TERRAIN CHECKS
  Terrain Checks in Blade take place within 
  the abstracted combat environment. 
  During a melee, it is not only common 
  but actually necessary that combatants twist 
  and turn about, advance and step back, so 
  that once a combat begins, all fighters will by 
  default move significantly from the spot they 
  occupied at its outset. 
  Even a single Combat Round might 
  easily shift the combatants as much as 
  five meters in an unforeseen direc-
  tion, and frequently more; that’s the 
  nature of footwork.
  Once a combat with multi-
  ple fighters has been underway 
  for even one Round, it is nigh 
  impossible to determine 
  where anyone is in re-
  spect to anyone else 
  – except as it relates to 
  one’s own immediate op-
  ponents. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  144
  Their own footwork, the 
  press of enemies, and wheel-
  ing manoeuvres will have carried 
  every pair of fighters in a largely 
  random direction, where allies who 
  started out fighting side by side will 
  by necessity find themselves separat-
  ed very quickly. 
  In short, as long a Limelight is un-
  derway, it is impossible to tell where anyone 
  is in respect to anyone else.
  Locations are roughly re-established 
  once a Limelight ends, and with certainty 
  when a Round of Limelights completes. Po-
  sitions are determined by the ref’s common 
  sense, based on what has happened during 
  the previous Round of Limelights. 
  As a player vividly describes his combat 
  actions, the ref is encouraged to take note 
  and visualize the PC’s end location within 
  the combat environment. It can thus hap-
  pen that a player finds his PC in a loca-
  tion where he doesn’t want him to 
  be, which is only a concern if 
  the PC is desperately needed 
  elsewhere. 
  If the character wants to 
  engage somebody who is 
  quite a distance away, or 
  get to any other location in 
  the combat environment, this 
  is not handled by measuring 
  movement, but by a Terrain 
  Check.
  A Terrain Check is made 
  with dice from the character’s MP – any 
  number of dice, player’s choice. The ref sets 
  the Difficulty of the Check by how far and over 
  what difficult terrain the character will have to 
  move, but it will rarely, if ever, be greater than 
  a Difficult Challenge Rating. 
  If the optional Encumbrance rules are being 
  used, every Terrain Check other than one for 
  bad footing or refusing to be dislodged from 
  a fixed location carries an Activation Cost that 
  can be found in Table 5.2. If several such Ter-
  rain Checks should be made during the same 
  Combat Round, this Activation Cost must be 
  paid separately for every Check.
  If the Check is passed, the character arrives 
  at the point he wanted to reach “in time”, 
  whatever that may mean (usually to engage 
  somebody in melee with the dice remaining 
  in his MP), and if not, he arrives there “late”.
  Example: Returning to where we aban-
  doned Otho in the previous example, right af-
  ter spending a point of Drama to have his Lime-
  light out of the usual order to rush to Rufo’s 
  aid, the ref tells Otho’s player that 2 Successes 
  on the Terrain Check are necessary to get to 
  Rufo’s side in time. 
  Playing it safe, Otho’s player opts to spend 
  6 dice, and achieves 3 Successes. Rushing at 
  Rufo’s enemy, Otho attacks with the remaining 
  dice in his MP, just in time to save his compan-
  ion.
  Failing this kind of Terrain Check should 
  only rarely, if at all, be interpreted as the play-
  er having wasted his Limelight on a failed at-
  tempt. Instead, the ref should give him some-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  145
  thing else to do, or a new unexpected 
  challenge. 
  A failure might for example be interpreted 
  as the character being intercepted by a new 
  enemy, if applicable.
  The use of Terrain Checks are not limited to 
  simply getting somewhere on time. A Terrain 
  Check may also be needed to navigate an area 
  with poor footing. 
  Normal footing like broken ground, light 
  snow, mud, or deep sand do not necessitate a 
  Check, but truly poor areas such as steep, slip-
  pery slopes, scree fields, stairs, narrow ledges, 
  ice, deep snow, or water and the like, do. 
  If all combatants of a particular Melee are 
  on this kind of difficult ground, 2 dice are de-
  ducted from everyone’s MP and the need for 
  a Check simply done away with. If only one 
  combatant is on poor ground, a Terrain Check 
  must be made for that character. 
  If he achieves even a single Success with 
  the dice he sets aside for this purpose, he can 
  act and move normally, but if not, he slips, 
  stumbles, or falls down.
  It is thus clearly advantageous to fight on 
  level ground while forcing one’s opponent 
  into a position of poor footing. Provided there 
  is poor ground nearby, Terrain Checks can also 
  be used to force an opponent onto such bad 
  footing, and keep him there, or to get out of it 
  oneself. 
  Such attempts are handled through an Op-
  posed Terrain Check.
  The initiator of the attempt announces a 
  number of dice from his MP to be used, af-
  ter which his opponent sets aside a 
  number of dice from his MP as well, 
  then both roll. To win the contest, 
  the initiator needs a QoS of 1 if he is 
  currently the aggressor, or 2 if the de-
  fender – it is easier to force somebody 
  somewhere than to lure him. 
  This can even be used to force some-
  body over a nearby drop, but only if ini-
  tiated by the aggressor. As people are remark-
  ably reluctant to fall from heights, success on 
  such an attempt does not simply require a QoS 
  of 1, but now at least 3, provided that the drop 
  is of a kind likely to injure the falling person.
  In many cases, somebody on bad footing 
  facing an enemy on level ground need not 
  force his opponent back so that he can get 
  firm footing himself, but may well opt to sim-
  ply step back up a pace or two, enticing the 
  opponent to follow him onto the disad-
  vantageous ground and thus evening 
  the odds. 
  This need merely be announced and 
  requires just a normal Terrain Check 
  to avoid slippage on the poor sur-
  face, no opposed roll needed; if 
  the opponent declines to follow, 
  the bout ends.
  However, it is not always 
  feasible to entice the oppo-
  nent to follow; some-
  times one will want to, 
  and have to, fight one’s 
  way onto the opponent’s 
  better ground. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  146
  If the opponent is for example 
  holding the head of a stairway 
  or the top of a steep slope against 
  all comers, no normal amount of 
  enticement will force him down to 
  his opponent.
  While these cases assume at least 
  some room for lateral movement on 
  the holding character’s part, there may 
  be other scenarios, where he cannot move 
  anywhere at all, such as when defending a 
  doorway. 
  While such positions are advantageous 
  in terms of limiting the number of possible 
  attackers, they interdict footwork and thus 
  cramp combat performance. 
  An attempt to remain firmly in one spot 
  requires but 1 Success on a Terrain Check – if 
  unopposed. If an enemy is actively trying to 
  dislodge one from a position he is holding, 
  the Terrain Check becomes Opposed. 
  The initiator of the attempt, who must 
  be the current aggressor, declares the 
  number of dice committed, af-
  ter which his enemy does the 
  same, then both roll. To dis-
  lodge the holding person, a 
  victory with a QoS of 1+ is 
  needed; ties signify that the 
  holding opponent remains 
  firmly in place.
  Higher footing (as provid-
  ed by stairs or horses) adds 2 
  MP at the beginning of the 
  Round (Step 2). This also 
  affects attack zone targeting for all in-
  volved combatants according to common 
  sense. 
  Finally, Terrain Checks can be used by a 
  player with multiple opponents to avoid fac-
  ing several at once. By moving so that his op-
  ponents foul each other’s attacks, and by ex-
  ploiting the environment, the combatant tries 
  to limit the number of opponents he fights this 
  Combat Round. If these opponents are import-
  ant NPCs, the Terrain Check is an Opposed 
  one. 
  The player declares which opponent he 
  wants to avoid. This opponent announces a 
  number of dice from his MP to oppose the PC’s 
  attempt to avoid him, and the player then sets 
  aside a number of dice from his MP himself. 
  An Opposed Check using these dice is then 
  made. A QoS of 0 suffices to attain the play-
  er’s objective if the PC wasn’t engaged with the 
  opponent in the previous Combat Round, but 
  a QoS of 1 is required to avoid an opponent 
  with whom he was previously engaged.
  This means of breaking off a combat bout 
  can only be used if facing multiple opponents 
  at once, as it represents moving in a manner 
  that has one opponent getting in the other’s 
  way. If facing only one opponent, a bout can 
  only be broken off after a successful Full Eva-
  sion, or if both combatants decline to attack.
  If the first opponent is thus avoided, the 
  next opponent is treated in the same fashion. 
  A number of dice from both MPs are again 
  set aside and an Opposed Check made. The 
  QoS of the previous Opposed Terrain Check 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  147
  for avoiding the first opponent is added as 
  bonus dice to this second Check. There are 
  no additional Checks needed, as it is physical-
  ly impossible for more than three opponents to 
  beset the same person at the same time.
  If the enemies aren’t important NPCs, the 
  Terrain Check is unopposed. If the PC is trying 
  to avoid one of his two opponents, he simply 
  needs a QoS of 1.
  If he is facing three opponents, a QoS of 
  3 is required to avoid two opponents, while 
  a QoS of 2 avoids one. At the very outset of 
  the battle, the required QoS for avoiding one 
  or two out of three opponents are reduced by 
  one, provided the PC is not surrounded by his 
  opponents. A QoS of 2 avoids two out of three 
  opponents, and a QoS of 1 one out of three. As 
  soon as the PC has become engaged in com-
  bat with any of his opponents, this reduced 
  QoS to avoid opponents no longer applies, nor 
  does it apply if the PC started out surrounded 
  or in a comparably disadvantageous position.
  Please note that a character may use a Ter-
  rain Check to move into positions where the 
  number of opponents who can engage him 
  at once is limited, for example with his back 
  against a wall. In such an instance a maximum 
  of only two, not three opponents can attempt 
  to engage the character at the same time.
  There are a few further uses for Terrain 
  Checks, which are discussed in the section on 
  ranged combat.
  7. FATIGUE IN THE COMBAT 
  SCENE
  Fatigue is an optional rule used 
  only in combat situations. No one 
  enters a Combat Scene fatigued – if 
  he might be considered fatigued from 
  previous strenuous activity, the rush of 
  adrenaline at the onset of a new com-
  bat can be considered to have temporarily 
  drowned out any previous exhaustion.
  At the end of every Limelight, a character 
  who engaged in highly strenuous activity like 
  fighting must check BN, the Challenge Level 
  of this Check being equal to one’s Encum-
  brance level plus one, or 1 if the optional 
  Encumbrance mechanic is not being used. 
  Passion Atributes do not aid with this Check, 
  but the rules for automatic Successes (dice 
  pool higher than three times the required QoS) 
  do apply; dropping from fatigue is not 
  something much in keeping with most 
  protagonists of Sword & Sorcery.
  If this Check is failed, the charac-
  ter accrues a penalty of 2 dice on 
  his MP, AP and SP pools, similar 
  to (and cumulative with) diziness 
  from Blood Loss. Also as with BL, 
  his Attribute and Skill Checks 
  will need 1 additional Suc-
  cess per full 4 dice Fa-
  tigue penalty to MP, AP 
  and SP. Unlike BL, the 
  BN Check to avoid fur-
  ther Fatigue is not exempt 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  148
  from this requirement for addi-
  tional Successes.
  All Fatigue is reduced to 0 by 
  spending but a single Limelight 
  resting and catching one’s breath 
  (no more strenuous activity than 
  walking slowly). If a character spends 
  a Limelight in light activity (nothing 
  more strenuous than a slow jog), his 
  Fatigue penalty is reduced by 2.
  II. DEFENSE 
  Defense focuses squarely on a warrior’s 
  efforts to avoid being struck by an opponent. 
  1. EVASION 
  Evasion can be done by anyone and used 
  with every Proficiency. It doesn’t carry any 
  Activation Cost, unless the character is en-
  cumbered and the optional Encumbrance 
  rules are being used. In that case, there is 
  an Activation Cost; it can be found on 
  Table 5.2.
  Table 4.1 provides TNs for 
  the three common forms of 
  evasion.
  Full Evasion if success-
  ful, brings all melee to a 
  halt as the fighters separate 
  and possibly attempt to re-es-
  tablish initiative. The bout 
  ends, at least for the moment, 
  and stances can once again 
  be assumed. If a character 
  conducts multiple Full Evasions during an 
  Exchange, the QoS of the immediately pre-
  ceding Full Evasion is added as bonus dice to 
  the immediately following Full Evasion.
  TABLE 4.1 Evasion Target Numbers
  5 - Full Evasion.
  8 - Partial Evasion.
  10 - Duck and Weave.
  Partial Evasion, if successful, does not allow 
  the defender to assume the role of aggressor as 
  usual. No matter what the actual QoS of the 
  successful Partial Evasion, assuming the role of 
  aggressor requires the immediate expenditure 
  of 2 MP. If the successful defender is unwilling 
  or unable to spend those dice out of the MP 
  still remaining for the Exchange on which the 
  Partial Evasion was performed, the aggressor 
  retains his role.
  Duck and Weave if successful, gives the 
  evading warrior a great opportunity to strike 
  his opponent. He automatically assumes the 
  role of aggressor (even if his QoS was mere-
  ly 0) and moves into the optimum range for 
  his weapon’s Reach. His opponent may not 
  employ a shield against his follow-up attack 
  on the next Exchange, and loses dice from his 
  MP equal to the Successes on the attack roll 
  Duck and Weave defended against success-
  fully. Should this penalty take the MP into the 
  negative range, those dice are added as bonus 
  dice to the other party’s MP.
  Evasion can also be used to defend against 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  149
  missile attacks, provided the defending 
  person is aware of them. The TN for this is 
  8 (Partial Evasion) for thrown weapons, and 
  10 (“Duck and Weave”) for arrows, crossbow 
  bolts, and bullets.
  If the defending person is both aware that 
  a gun, bow, or crossbow is being aimed at 
  him, and has the opportunity to start evasive 
  movement before the missile is fired, the Eva-
  sion TN is now merely 8 (Partial Evasion). This 
  represents weaving around in a highly unpre-
  dictable way. If the character is at the time en-
  gaged in a bout of melee combat, his unpre-
  dictable combat moves  automatically count 
  as this type of weaving movement, allowing 
  him to use the Partial Evasion TN against a 
  missile attack.
  Evading missile attacks as outlined above is 
  also possible when a character is not in a melee 
  situation. In this case, he may use dice equal to 
  half his best MP, even if he may not currently 
  have the equipment necessary for fighting with 
  that Proficiency at hand. Applicable PAs figure 
  normally in this halved MP, i.e. they are added 
  before dividing the pool in two.
  When a character does during an Exchange 
  use either Partial Evasion or Duck & Weave as 
  a defense against either a melee or a missile 
  attack, the result of this single defense roll is 
  applied against all missile attacks aimed at 
  him during this Exchange. Equally, if a char-
  acter not currently in a melee is fired upon 
  AND uses” Partial Evasion to defend against 
  one missile attack, the result of this one roll 
  is applied against all missile attacks upon him 
  within this Combat Round. 
  Should he be targeted by both 
  thrown and launched weapons, 
  requiring different TNs to defend 
  against (8 and 10), a single roll  is 
  still used to defend against all of them, 
  but this roll will still cover two differ-
  ent QoSs, one against TN 8 and one 
  against TN 10.
  Example: Otho evades both a javelin and a 
  crossbow. He is not aware of the crossbow, so 
  his DTN against the javelin is 8 and against the 
  crossbow bolt 10.. His MP is 13, but as he is 
  currently not in a melee, he rolls half his MP, 
  i.e. 7 dice. The dice come up 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 
  12 – he has 3 Successes against the javelin 
  (8, 10, 12) and 2 against the crossbow (10, 
  12).
  If somebody fires into a melee combat, the 
  missile attack is always resolved on Ex-
  change 1.
  2. DEFENSIVE ACTIONS
  The bedrock of all Defensive Ma-
  neuvers discussed in Chapter Three 
  is the Block, the Parry, and the be-
  fore mentioned Evasion. Most 
  defensive Maneuvers are directly 
  tied to these basics.
  Parrying is the preferred 
  defense of warriors ev-
  erywhere. Most war-
  riors grasp the basic idea 
  of turning the attack of an 
  opponent’s weapon with 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  150
  their own. Any amount of MP 
  dice may be devoted to parrying 
  while defending. The challenge of 
  deflecting another’s weapon is re-
  flected by the defending weapon’s 
  Defense Target Number (DTN).
  Some weapon schools, for in-
  stance those of the Cut & Thrust 
  Proficiency, teach using a secondary 
  parrying weapon, usually a dagger, in the off 
  hand, allowing the person thus armed to po-
  tentially parry twice in a single Exchange 
  or to perform such Maneuvers as Simulta-
  neous Block/Strike. 
  However, though parrying does not in-
  volve great manual dexterity, a person’s sec-
  ondary arm is still handicapped. The DTN 
  of any parry conducted with the offhand is 
  therefore increased by +1.
  Blocking is the action of interposing an 
  object, usually a shield, between oneself 
  and the attack, perhaps in a rather un-
  sophisticated way, but also by skilful-
  ly angling a shield, or using it 
  offensively to beat aside an 
  attacking weapon. 
  In this use it is not dissimi-
  lar to parrying. Every block-
  ing object is assigned a TN 
  for defending with it, this TN 
  being dependent on the size 
  of the object, and how quick-
  ly and gracefully it can be 
  moved. 
  It is thus almost iden-
  tical to a weapon’s DTN, but with one 
  important difference: Shields (and only 
  shields, not improvised blocking objects like 
  chairs and the like) are designed to be used in 
  the offhand and therefore suffer no penalty for 
  being used with the “wrong” hand. 
  Shields are divided into three types, de-
  pending on size; Large, small, and bucklers.
  A large shield is just that – a very large 
  shield, measuring over one meter in length 
  if an oblong shape, or having a diameter of 
  not much less than one meter if more squar-
  ish or round. It offers superior protection but 
  is unwieldy to carry about and very awkward 
  to use on horseback as one’s horse constant-
  ly gets in the way of the shield. On the posi-
  tive side, most large shields are big enough to 
  completely hunker down behind, removing its 
  owner, provided he remains static, completely 
  from the danger of missile attacks.
  A small shield is anything clearly larger 
  than a buckler and smaller than a large shield. 
  It is very versatile and of equal use on foot or 
  horseback.
  Finally, a buckler is a very small, but agile 
  shield, never strapped to the arm, but always 
  carried in a fist grip. It is rarely any larger than 
  0.3 meters in diameter.
  All types of shields have variable DTNs 
  against different forms of attack such as me-
  lee, missile attacks with thrown weapons such 
  as javelins or hatchets, or against “fired” pro-
  jectiles like arrows, crossbow bolts, and sling 
  stones – though fired objects are often so fast 
  (causing the defender to roll vs. a high DTN) 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  151
  as to often rule out blocking as a viable 
  defence against fired missiles.  
  The applicable Defensive Target Number 
  depends on both the type of shield, and the 
  attack being resisted. See Table 4.2.
  TABLE 4.2 Shield DTN Values
  Shield 
  Type
  DTN 
  vs. 
  Melee
  DTN 
  vs. 
  Thrown
  DTN 
  vs. 
  Projectile
  Large
  5
  6
  7
  Small
  6
  7
  9
  Buckler
  7
  8
  11
  3. ARMOR OVERVIEW
  The function of armor is to reduce or out-
  right prevent injury to somebody being hit 
  in armoured spot. It does so by reducing the 
  Wound Level of any hit to an armoured loca-
  tion by the Armor Value (AV) of that armor. If 
  the Wound Level is thus reduced to 0 or less, 
  no wound is inflicted.
  Armor in Blade does not equally apply to 
  all locations of the armoured person, but to 
  each location only to the extent that armor is 
  worn in exactly the spot being struck. 
  Somebody wearing a short tunic of sturdy 
  leather and an iron helmet will thus have a dif-
  ferent AV to the crown of his head than to his 
  guts or shins. It is therefore essential to record 
  which spot is armoured to what degree, and 
  the Blade character sheet provides space for 
  such notation.
  Armor doesn’t provide the same 
  AV against all types of damage; a 
  thickly padded gambeson will for 
  example provide decent protection 
  against Blunt damage, but much less 
  so against Piercing. 
  Each and every armor has three 
  AVs, one against Piercing, one against 
  Blunt, and one vs. Cleaving. These AVs 
  can be found in Table 4.3.
   Not all armors have an AV against Cleaving 
  damage. Metal armors are virtually impossible 
  to actually cut through with any weapon driv-
  en by human strength; the most that can be 
  achieved is a dent or a very small rip, a far 
  cry from a serious wound. 
  But that doesn’t mean that the wearer 
  of such armor is immune against Cleaving 
  weapons – even if a blade does not actually cut 
  such armor, the impact will still transfer 
  Blunt trauma through the armor, pos-
  sibly breaking bones, or perhaps even 
  killing, all without greatly damaging the 
  armor. 
  For this reason, all weapon stats 
  in the Appendix include Blunt 
  DRs, even those that traditional-
  ly in RPG games haven’t caused 
  Blunt damage, such as swords. 
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  152
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  153
  TABLE 4.3 Armor Values vs. Weapon Type
  Protection Type
  AV vs. 
  Piercing
  AV vs. 
  Blunt
  AV vs. 
  Cleaving
  Gambeson
  1
  2
  2
  Leather
  2
  1
  2
  Leather with Metal
  2
  1
  3
  Hardened Leather
  3
  2
  2
  Leather/Horn Scale/Lamellar*
  3
  3
  3
  Metal Scale/Lamellar*
  4
  4
  N/A
  Brigandine*
  4
  4
  N/A
  Maille*
  4
  3
  N/A
  Brigandine over Maille*
  5
  3
  N/A
  Plate*
  6/7
  4/5
  N/A
  *Requires the wearing of a gambeson to be functional. If such armor is worn without gambeson, 
  all AVs are halved.
  Armor lacking a Cleaving AV uses Blunt AV 
  against Cleaving attacks, while attacking weap-
  ons calculate damage inflicted against such ar-
  mor not with Cleaving, but with Blunt DR.
  4. ARMOR TYPES
  Gambeson: Pliable textile armor made of a 
  number of layers of quilted cloth and stuffed 
  with cotton, animal hair or other padding. 
  Many other types of armor require the 
  wearing of a gambeson underneath to function 
  properly, which is why the gambeson is also 
  called an arming doublet.
  Leather: Tough, yet pliable, cured hide.
  Leather with Metal: Pliable leather with 
  short metal strips or rings sewn in strategic 
  places to guard against cuts.
  Hardened Leather: Cured hide 
  boiled and then dried to make it hard-
  er, at the cost of most of its pliability. 
  It can be fashioned into segments 
  large enough to serve as helmets 
  and greaves, but not for workable 
  breastplates.  
  Leather/Horn Scale/Lamellar: 
  Armor fashioned from strips of 
  either hardened leather or 
  animal bone. 
  For scale armor, the 
  strips are sewn onto a 
  backing of soft leather or 
  heavy canvas, and then 
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  154
  overlapped like roofing tiles. 
  For lamellar armor, each strip 
  has holes fashioned into its edges 
  and are then bound together and 
  overlapped by two neighbouring 
  pieces while yet again overlapping 
  others. 
  Lamellar is therefore quite rigid, 
  while scale is minimally pliable. Still, 
  neither can be used to protect a joint, and 
  both require the wearing of a gambeson un-
  derneath.
  Brigandine: Armor made of palm-sized 
  to hand-sized metal plates, each sand-
  wiched between two layers of heavy canvas 
  or soft leather and riveted together to stay in 
  place, also known as Coat of Plates. 
  Brigandine is quite rigid and cannot be 
  used to protect joints, and requires the wear-
  ing of a gambeson underneath. Brigandine 
  AVs can also be used for Imperial Roman 
  legionaries’ segmented armor.
  Maille: Also known as chainmail, 
  this armor consists of a mesh 
  of small metal rings, each in-
  terlinked with neighbouring 
  rings. It is supremely pliable 
  and can therefore be used 
  to protect joints, but it, too, 
  is dependent on a gambeson 
  being worn underneath.
  Brigandine over Maille: 
  A special blend of layering 
  armors, this was common 
  during the transitional pe-
  riod from maille to plate, and consists 
  of maille with additional brigandine worn 
  over it to protect the torso from shoulder to 
  hip.
  Plate: Metal plates shaped to encase the 
  body, including helmets. Two AVs are provid-
  ed for it. 
  The lesser value is to be used for all plate 
  armor pieces until the arrival of full articulated 
  suits of plate.
  Once such suits become available, the sec-
  ond, higher value is used to reflect the thicker 
  plate now protecting the head and torso, and 
  the lesser value is now reserved for the lighter 
  plate protecting the limbs. 
  Plate armor requires the wearing of a 
  gambeson, which along with an articulated 
  suit of plate may also have insets of maille.
  5. BARBARIAN CHIC (OPTIONAL)
  Some groups may want to go all the way 
  and embrace the iconic image of the nigh-na-
  ked barbarian warrior, or the warrior woman 
  clad in a skimpy mail bikini. For them, we of-
  fer this optional rule:
  If a character adheres to the dresscode out-
  lined below and has a current MP of at least 1, 
  all his Activation Costs are reduced by 1. If this 
  would reduce the Activation Cost to under 0, 
  he receives +1 die for the action.
  For male characters to qualify, all of the fol-
  lowing must be true:
  Chest, abdomen, shoulders and upper arms 
  need to be bare.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  155
  Groin and thighs may be protected 
  by nothing better than a kilt of reinforced 
  leather.
  Lower arms and shins need to be bare or 
  protected by greaves.
  Feet and hands need to be bare or protected 
  by leather boots or gauntlets. Sandals may be 
  worn.
  A helmet may be worn, provided the face 
  remains uncovered. A metal circlet is preferred 
  and in this case protects the entire dome of the 
  head.
  Female characters need to fuflfill all of the 
  following for the rule to apply:
  Shoulders and upper arms need to be bare.
  Either the chest must be protected by a mail 
  or scale bikini, or both chest and abdomen by 
  a (tight) corset of leather or reinforced leather, 
  leaving bare the shoulders.
  Either the groin must be protected by a mail 
  or scale thong, or both groin and thighs by a 
  kilt of leather or reinforced leather.
  Lower arms and shins must be bare or pro-
  tected by greaves.
  Feet and hands need to be bare or protected 
  by leater boots or gauntlets. Sandals may be 
  worn.
  A helmet may be worn, provided the face 
  remains uncovered. A metal circlet is preferred 
  and in this case protects the entire dome of the 
  head.
  III. RANGED COMBAT
  In Blade, ranged combat can in-
  clude attacks from a thrown rock to 
  a steel-pronged crossbow, and every 
  conceivable thrown or launched mis-
  sile in between. 
  Attacks may sometimes occur as 
  a single, sniper-like attack with no 
  chance for the target to react, but more 
  frequently the attack will be launched into a 
  scene of melee, or will perhaps lead to a me-
  lee situation. Such attacks are rolled with dice 
  from the character’s Archery Pool (AP), con-
  sisting of Aim + Missile Proficiency.
  For the latter case, ranged combat must 
  be integrated with melee combat, in order 
  to give archers and the like a place in the 
  Order of Limelights. This spot in the Limelight 
  sequence is determined exactly as if the archer 
  was a melee combatant, with the same 
  principles holding true for both partic-
  ipants. 
  That is to say that sometimes, when 
  it is clear who is going first (for ex-
  ample when an encounter is initi-
  ated by a crossbow bolt from an 
  ambush), the ref will establish 
  the Order of Limelights by call-
  ing up players in their logical 
  order.
  But, in those cases 
  where the sequence is 
  more random, players 
  will be called up to play 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  156
  out their characters’ Limelights 
  in ascending order of CG, as de-
  scribed in greater detail in the sec-
  tion on Limelight and the Combat 
  Round earlier in this chapter.
  During his Limelight, a charac-
  ter intending to launch a missile at-
  tack can do so, provided he has the 
  weapon at hand. 
  There is no preparation, loading, or aiming 
  times, as a Limelight is considered a span of 
  time sufficient to accomplish a significant 
  task – and this certainly includes firing a 
  weapon, not merely preparing to fire it.
  As melee combatants move about during 
  their own Limelights, it will usually not be 
  readily apparent at exactly what distance 
  they are from a missile combatant during the 
  missile combatant’s Limelight, and also not 
  whether there is a free line of sight between 
  the two. 
  The ref is thus called upon to decide 
  these things based upon common 
  sense, the players’ description 
  of their characters’ actions, 
  and also the scene’s dramatic 
  requirements.
  If the player of a missile 
  combatant is not happy 
  with the ref’s judgement, he 
  can have his character move 
  into a more advantageous fir-
  ing position. 
  Such movement to get an 
  unobstructed line of sight, 
  or merely closer to the target is accom-
  plished via a Terrain Check made with dice 
  from the character’s AP. 
  The ref first announces the Challenge Level 
  to get to closer range, or to achieve a free line 
  of sight (rarely harder than Difficult, if even 
  that), and the player then attempts to pass the 
  Check using dice out of his AP, rolling any 
  amount of dice desired. 
  Success does of course mean that the char-
  acter achieves his objective, while failure sig-
  nifies that he either must make the shot at lon-
  ger range or has to contend with some cover 
  obscuring the target, perhaps both – it never 
  means that a shot is outright impossible.
  A Terrain Check can also be used when a 
  missile combatant is charged by an enemy and 
  must shoot him down before being engaged in 
  melee combat. 
  In such cases, the ref decides the Challenge 
  Level based on how close the charging party 
  currently is, and how ready the missile com-
  batant is to fire. 
  Casting a spear that is ready in hand before 
  one is engaged will almost never be harder 
  than Average, while spanning and discharging 
  a heavy crossbow may be as difficult as Leg-
  endary, provided the attacker isn’t very far off.
  If, in the situation described in the preceding 
  paragraph, both opponents are important PCs 
  or NPCs, the Terrain Check is an Opposed one. 
  The charging combatant first declares how 
  many dice out of his MP he is going to spend 
  so to engage before he can be fired at, and the 
  missile combatant then declares the number 
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  157
  of dice from his AP he is going to spend. 
  Depending on the ref’s appraisal of the 
  situation (closeness of opponent vs. readiness 
  of the missile weapon), one opponent will 
  likely need a QoS of just 1 to be successful, 
  whereas the other may well need a higher 
  QoS.
  Whether the situation is handled by an Op-
  posed Check or not, victory on the part of the 
  missile combatant will mean that he gets a 
  shot in at practically point blank range. Failure 
  does however signify that he will be engaged 
  before he can fire and that the Combat Round 
  immediately commences, with the missile 
  combatant’s initial MP reduced by a number 
  of dice equalling those spent from his AP on 
  the Terrain Check. 
  If he was trying to throw a spear or similar 
  weapon useful in close combat, he may opt to 
  retain it in his hand, combat-ready, otherwise 
  he is assumed to have realized in time that his 
  attempt to shoot his opponent would not pan 
  out, has dropped his missile weapon and bare-
  ly managed to whip out a melee weapon – if 
  he has one.
  Range, like many aspects of Blade combat, 
  is handled in a slightly abstract way. It depends 
  first and foremost on the principle that the ul-
  timate limitation to all range is human vision 
  - it doesn’t matter one whit that a heavy cross-
  bow may well be able to launch a bolt over 
  300 yards when one can’t clearly discern the 
  target at such range. 
  Even missile weapons with theoretical 
  maximum ranges as long as some bows and 
  crossbows have realistic practical 
  ranges that are only a fraction of that 
  maximum. Extreme ranges are for 
  wide-shooting contests and battle-
  field area-fire, not for taking down 
  individual targets.
  Practical ranges vary from 2-100 
  meters, and are divided into Range 
  Bands from Point Blank to Extreme. 
  What actual distance each Range Band sig-
  nifies is different for each type of ranged weap-
  on. 
  Weapons that are thrown in such a way that 
  they tumble while in the air (knifes and hatch-
  ets) have the least range, while those that 
  are cast to fly straight (spears and javelins) 
  middling range, and finally those that are 
  launched (arrows, bolts and sling stones) the 
  greatest.
  Each Range Band determines how 
  difficult or easy it is to aim for a specif-
  ic body part by governing how many 
  dice from the AP must be spent for a 
  single +/-1 modifier on Table 4.5.
  The Target Zone of a ranged at-
  tack is determined randomly by 
  rolling 2D6 on Table 4.5. A mis-
  sile combatant does however 
  have some degree of control 
  over the exact Target Zone 
  by spending dice from 
  his AP before rolling 
  for the attack.  
  The number of dice 
  needed to be spent for a 
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  158
  single +/-1 move on Table 4.5 is 
  listed in each range band found 
  in Table 4.4. Also note that at Point 
  Blank range, the missile combatant 
  receives a free modifier of +/-2; if 
  your target is right in front of you, 
  one is not likely to aim either high 
  or low. Apart from this free +/- 2, the cost 
  for further desired modifiers is the same as 
  Near range. This modifier does not have to be 
  spent in full on Table 4.5; it can also be spent 
  in part or not at all, depending on the player’s 
  wishes.
  TABLE 4.4 Range Band Modifiers
  Ranges Types
  Range in 
  Meters For 
  Thrown 
  Weapons
  Range in 
  Meters 
  for Cast 
  Weapons
  Range in 
  Meters for 
  Launched 
  Missiles
  AP cost for  
  +/-1 move on 
  Table 4.7
  Point Blank
  2
  4
  6
  free +/-2
  Near
  4
  8
  12
  1 die
  Medium
  8
  16
  24
  2 dice
  Far
  15
  30
  50
  3 dice
  Extreme
  30*
  60*
  100*
  4 dice
  * Only hatchets and javelins can be thrown at Extreme range, spears and daggers are limited 
  to Far range. Shortbows, unlike other launched missile weapons, are also limited to Far 
  range.
  Cover 
  can 
  complicate 
  a 
  ranged attack, and while 
  some obstacles can be avoid-
  ed by means of a Terrain 
  Check, this is not possible 
  in all cases – no maneu-
  vering in the world will do 
  away with the cover given 
  by a breastwork to defenders 
  manning a wall.
  Soft cover that merely ob-
  structs vision but does not 
  completely block it, like foliage or a moving 
  crowd of people, does impart a negative mod-
  ifier to the AP. 
  Depending on the ref’s judgement of how 
  much the target is obstructed from clear view 
  by soft cover, this modifier can range from –1 
  to –3 per line on Table 4.4. The possible modi-
  fiers are therefore for example –1, –2, or –3 at 
  Point Blank range (line one on Table 4.4), and 
  –3, –6, and –9 at Medium range. It can range 
  from a mild –1 for a target at Point Blank range 
  past a single person moving through the line 
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  159
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  160
  of sight, to a whopping –15 for 
  a target at Extreme range that is 
  made almost invisible by the dens-
  est of foliage.
  The rules for soft cover also ap-
  ply if one wants to fire into an on-go-
  ing melee and hit one combatant 
  while avoiding the other, which is of 
  course difficult due to the unpredict-
  able movements of both. 
  In such a case, the minimum penalty for 
  soft cover (i.e. –1 per line on Table 4.4, ef-
  fectively –1 to –5) is used – and a Botch on 
  the attack roll should usually mean a hit 
  on a person the missile combatant does not 
  wish to hit.
  If that happens, the attack roll is repeated. 
  The original penalty dice for firing into a me-
  lee still apply for this roll, but neither penal-
  ty dice for soft cover, nor any dice possibly 
  set aside for buying modifiers on Table 4.5 
  do. Any such penalty dice on the original 
  roll are added to the new attack roll, 
  and any hit resulting from this 
  second roll applied to the 
  new target. The exact attack 
  location on the new target is 
  determined randomly on 
  Table 4.5, with no modifi-
  ers to this roll.
  Example: Otho is throwing 
  his dagger at Far range to aid 
  his friend Galen in his me-
  lee against two opponents. 
  Otho has an AP of 13, from 
  which 4 dice are subtracted for firing into 
  a melee at Far range, and a further 3 dice 
  for buying a +/–1 modifier on Table 4.5. 
  Otho Botches the attack roll with his re-
  maining 6 dice, and has to reroll his attack, 
  now with Galen as target. The 4 dice penalty 
  for firing into a melee still applies, but the 3 
  dice traded in for a +/–1 modifier don’t; his AP 
  is therefore 10. 
  Should the attack hit, the damage location 
  will be determined randomly on Table 4.5, 
  without the +/–1 modifier Otho had purchased 
  for his original attack.
  TABLE 4.5 Ranged Attack Zones
  Roll
  Location
  2
  Head (Area 13)
  3
  Arm 
  (Area 14, choose randomly)
  4
  Arm 
  (Area 14, choose randomly)
  5
  Torso (Area 12)
  6
  Torso (Area 12)
  7
  Torso (Area 11)
  8
  Torso (Area 10)
  9
  Torso (Area 10)
  10
  Upper Legs 
  (Area 9, choose randomly)
  11
  Upper Legs (
  Area 9, choose randomly)
  12
  Lower Legs 
  (Area 8, choose randomly)
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  161
  Hard cover that cannot be fired through 
  represents a more extreme problem for a 
  missile combatant. If it can’t be circumvented 
  to get a clear shot, the attacker will just have 
  to take his chances by investing heavily into 
  modifiers on Table 4.5 and hope that this mod-
  ifier is sufficient to hit a location that is not 
  covered.
  Defending against missile attacks is of 
  course only possible against attacks that one 
  is aware of. It is preferably done with a large 
  shield, or alternatively be evading. Details on 
  that process and its associated TNs can be 
  found in the section on defending above.
  IV. MOUNTED COMBAT
  In Blade the value of a mount extends far 
  beyond being just a means of transportation. 
  In a game where bloody, brutal and action-ori-
  ented combat is held in such high regard, it 
  seemed only natural that mounted combat 
  should be equally as exhilarating.
  Rider and mount are treated as a single en-
  tity for the purpose of mounted combat. All 
  combat actions, whether by the rider or by 
  the mount, and whether Maneuvers or Terrain 
  Checks, are performed out of the rider’s MP, 
  and the following rules apply while the char-
  acter is fighting mounted:
  If fighting opponents on the ground, the 
  mounted character receives +2 dice to his 
  MP, as he is effectively attacking from higher 
  ground.
  For as long as the mount is not stationary 
  but moving, the mounted combat-
  ant’s Riding Skill aids him in remaining 
  the tactical master of the combat situ-
  ation. At the beginning of every Com-
  bat Round, the mounted combatant 
  makes a Riding Check, unaided by any 
  PAs. The number of Successes on this 
  Riding Check (or half their number if 
  a DG Check is substituted for a Riding 
  Check) become bonus dice to the mounted 
  character’s MP for this Combat Round, useable 
  solely for Terrain Checks. An exception to this 
  limitation is Full Evasions and Bash or Stam-
  pede Maneuvers performed with the mount – 
  the bonus dice from the Riding Skill Check 
  can be used for these.
  If the Riding Check comes up with no 
  Successes, the character’s MP for the Com-
  bat Round is penalized 1 die. In addition, an 
  immediate second Riding Check has to 
  be made. If this Check again comes 
  up with no Successes, the character is 
  thrown.
  If a group isn’t bothered by the ab-
  sence of the likelihood that a poor 
  rider receives no benefit from be-
  ing mounted and wants to speed 
  up resolution, this Riding Check 
  can be waived and bonus dice 
  equal to half the mounted 
  character’s Riding Skill 
  level awarded as a flat 
  bonus every Combat 
  Round. In this case, low 
  Riding Skill levels impart 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  162
  no benefit. Skill level 1 (or DG 
  1 or 2 in absence of the Skill) 
  penalizes the MP 1 die, Skill level 
  2 (or DG 3 or 4) adds or subtracts 
  nothing, and Skill level 3 (or DG 5 
  or 6) imparts a 1 die bonus. Riding 
  Skill levels 4+ impart the usual mod-
  ifier of bonus dice equal to half the 
  level.
  If the optional Encumbrance rules are be-
  ing used, a mounted combatant must only 
  pay the additional Evasion Activation Cost 
  from Encumbrance for Partial Evasion, and 
  Duck and Weave. If he performs a Full Eva-
  sion, he pays no additional Activation Cost, 
  no matter what his or his mount’s Encum-
  brance. In addition, bonus MP dice from the 
  Riding Check at the outset of the Combat 
  Round are usable on a Full Evasion roll.
  If a mounted character’s only Maneuvers 
  for an entire Combat Round are Full Eva-
  sions, he may use his Riding Skill, plus 
  any bonus dice derived from the initial 
  Riding Skill Check, in lieu of 
  a weapon Proficiency to cal-
  culate his MP for the Combat 
  Round.
  If the optional Fatigue 
  rules are being used, a 
  mounted combatant needs 
  one Success less at the BN 
  Check to avoid Fatigue than 
  suggested by his Encum-
  brance. In many cases this 
  will mean that the BN 
  Check is an automatic Success.
  The character can, under certain circum-
  stances, use his mount like a weapon. Only 
  a combat-trained mount can be made to kick 
  at opponents on the ground, but pretty much 
  any mount can be forced to ride down an op-
  ponent on the ground. To do so, the mount-
  ed character can resort to the animal combat 
  Maneuvers Bash and Stampede, using his own 
  MP for the attack, but his mount’s BN to deter-
  mine any hit’s Impact Rating. Bonus MP dice 
  from the Riding Check can be used to deliver 
  such attacks.
  If the character during a Combat Round per-
  forms no other Maneuver but have his mount 
  Bash or Stampede, he may use his Riding Skill, 
  plus any bonus dice derived from the initial 
  Riding Skill Check, in lieu of a weapon Profi-
  ciency to calculate his MP for the Round.
  If a character performs both a Bash or Stam-
  pede with his mount and any weapon-based 
  Maneuver, the usual mechanic for switching 
  Proficiencies during a single Combat Round is 
  used, again treating Riding Skill plus bonus dice 
  from the Skill Check like a Proficiency: The MP 
  is re-calculated based upon the new Proficien-
  cy used. If the MP based on the new Proficiency 
  is lower than the one based on the original one, 
  the current MP is immediately penalized by the 
  difference in the pool sizes.
  A Bash with the mount can never be per-
  formed as a rideby attack, and a Stampede 
  with the mount may only be performed as a 
  rideby attack (see below).
  Some common sense is required in adjucat-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  163
  ing what Maneuvers are or aren’t possible 
  in mounted combat, with a few pointers be-
  ing given here:
  Unless using weapons of at least very Long 
  Reach, attacking Target Zones 1, 6, and 8 of an 
  opponent on the ground should be impossible 
  for a mounted combatant, and carry an addi-
  tional Activation Cost of 1 for even these weap-
  ons. Attacking Target Zones 2 and 9 should be 
  impossible with weapons of a Reach shorter 
  than Long and carry an additional Activation 
  Cost of 1 even for them. Some attacks can be 
  declared outright impossible (e.g dagger thrust 
  at the groin). 
  Conversely, a combatant on foot will not 
  be able to attack a mounted opponent with 
  swings aimed at Target Zones 4 or 5, unless 
  he is using a weapon of at least Long Reach 
  and paying an additional Activation Cost of 1. 
  Thrusts at Zone 13 should require an addition-
  al Activation Cost of 2 for weapons with Reach 
  Hand and of 1 for weapons with Reach Short, 
  and thrusts at Zone 12 should require an addi-
  tional Acitivation Cost of 1 for weapons with 
  Reach Hand. Some attacks can be declared 
  outright impossible.
  If a combatant on the ground is being at-
  tacked with a rideby Stampede and also de-
  clares an attack as his action for Exchange 
  One, he may only target the mount, not the 
  rider.
  If a mounted combatant performs an Eva-
  sion, keep in mind that Full Evasion is always 
  thought of as being performed by moving 
  away the entire mount, Duck and Weave and 
  Partial Evasion can both be thought 
  of as being performed either by the 
  rider alone, without moving the 
  mount much, or as being performed 
  by moving the entire mount. Evasions 
  performed by moving away the entire 
  mount, no matter with which of the 
  three evasive options, are also the only 
  means by which attacks directed against 
  the mount can be defended against. Neither 
  blocking nor parrying such attacks is possible.
  1. Rideby Melee Attacks
  Canny horsemen will use their mount’s 
  speed to to quickly strike and swoop out 
  again before their opponent has a chance 
  to retaliate. This requires that the mount be 
  moving at least at a canter, preferably a gal-
  lop, and is performed as a Terrain Check, un-
  less the opponent who is about to be at-
  tacked while being ridden by does not 
  object to this; in this case, no Check 
  is necessary and a one Exchange long 
  combat is conducted, as if the rider’s 
  Terrain Check had been victorious.
  Against unimportant NPCs, this 
  Check is an Unopposed one. A 
  single Success on the rider’s part 
  will limit the Combat Round 
  to a single Exchange 
  as the mounted com-
  batant swoops past his 
  opponent. If no Success 
  is achieved, the Combat 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  164
  Round lasts the usual two Ex-
  changes.
  Against an important PC, the 
  Terrain Check is an Opposed one. 
  The party that is ridden by first an-
  nounces a number of dice from his 
  MP to prolong the contact with the 
  mounted opponent, who then sets 
  aside a number of dice from his MP 
  in opposition. If the party wishing to prolong 
  the contact is victorious, the Combat Round 
  has the usual two Exchanges, if the result is 
  a tie or a victory for the mounted party, it is 
  limited to a single Exchange.
  No matter whether the Combat Round of 
  the rideby attack last for one or two Exchang-
  es the bout is over at the end of the Com-
  bat Round as the mounted combatant rides 
  away, possibly to turn around his mount for 
  another rideby.
  If both combatants are mounted and ei-
  ther stationary or going in the same di-
  rection, a rideby attack is not possible 
  and a normal, multi-Round 
  combat is conducted. If they 
  are not going in the same di-
  rection, it is automatically a 
  rideby attack of either one 
  or two Exchanges, depend-
  ing on the outcome of the 
  Terrain Check, provided the 
  Check is not forgone by both 
  riders being equally desirous 
  to limit their contact.
  During the first Ex-
  change of a rideby attack, the combatant 
  with the longer weapon performs his attack 
  at the optimum Reach for his weapon. If the 
  combatant with the shorter weapon attacks as 
  well, and happens to attack fractionally before 
  his opponent, either by winning the Opposed 
  Reflex Check or by Stealing Initiative, he at-
  tacks at the Reach of his opponent’s longer 
  weapon, with all attendant penalties. Inde-
  pendently of this attack hitting or not, the op-
  ponent with the longer weapon attacks at his 
  own optimum Reach.
  If a second Exchange is being fought, this 
  takes place at the optimum Reach for the 
  weapon of the combatant on foot, or at the 
  Reach of the shorter weapon if both combat-
  ants happen to be mounted.
  2. Jousting
  The following mechanics are used to sim-
  ulate a joust between two knights or similar 
  opponents who are both armed with lances. 
  If only one of the combatants is using a lance, 
  normal mounted combat rules for rideby at-
  tacks are used, of course with the mount’s full 
  BN being used instead to calculate the Impact 
  Rating, as per the description of the lance in 
  the Appendix.
  A knightly joust, whether for sport or actual 
  combat, is a rideby attack unresisted by both 
  combatants and handled in three stages:
  The charge is the usual Riding Check at the 
  beginning of the Combat Round, but this time 
  performed as an Opposed Check. The QoS is 
  applied twice – once as an MP bonus for the 
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  165
  winner and once as an MP penalty for the 
  loser. These dice can not only be used for 
  Terrain Checks, but become regular parts of 
  the MP, usable without restrictions.
  The clash sees each opponent declaring a 
  Simultaneous Block/Strike and dividing his 
  dicepool in any way they choose between at-
  tack and defence. If the joust is for sport, no ini-
  tiative is determined – both attacks are thought 
  to occur at the same time. If the joust is for 
  combat, there are also no Reflex Checks made 
  to determine which attack occurs fractionally 
  earlier, but Stealing Initiative is allowed. If no-
  body attempts to Steal Initiative, both attacks 
  occur simultaneously.
  The check occurs only in sporting jousts; in 
  case of a combat joust, damage is determined 
  as normal. For formal jousts, with lances pre-
  pared to break, each opponent makes a Riding 
  Check, with the Successes required 
  being equal to (3 – his Block QoS). 
  Failure means that the combatant is 
  unhorsed.  If one combatant fails to 
  block his opponent’s lance with his 
  shield, he makes a Riding Check with 
  4 Successes required, and also suffers 
  damage from the hit. With prepared 
  jousting lances, the damage caused 
  is half of (mount’s BN +1) Blunt, instead of 
  mount’s BN +1 Piercing.
  3. Mounted Archery 
  Firing any type of missile, not just arrows, 
  from a mount moving at speed is a tricky 
  thing. Any character attempting to do so 
  cannot use his Missile Proficiency at a rat-
  ing higher than he has in the Skill Riding, that 
  is, to a theoretical maximum of 9. Should the 
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  166
  character lack formal training 
  in the Riding Skill, his useable 
  Proficiency is instead capped at 
  half his DG.
  Speeding chariots are a slightly 
  more stable archery platform than 
  galloping horses or similar riding 
  animals. The same rules apply as for 
  firing missiles from horseback (using 
  Charioteering instead of Riding, of course), 
  but the thresholds are increased by 1 point. 
  Firing missiles from a chariot is thus done 
  at a Proficiency no higher than Charioteer-
  ing+1, or (DG/2)+1 if the Skill is unknown.
  In any case, missile weapons that require 
  both hands to use may never be fired by the 
  driver of the chariot himself, but only by a 
  passenger.The passenger’s applicable Missile 
  Proficiency is also limited exactly as outlined 
  above.
  4. Barding
  Barding is armor for horses, 
  granting them some measure 
  of protection in battle.
  The criniere is a set of 
  lamellar, scale, maille, or 
  segmented plates that pro-
  tects the horse’s neck.
  The chanfron protects the 
  horse’s face. It is made of 
  plate, lamellar, or scale and 
  often includes cheek plates.
  The peytral hangs down 
  from the Chanfron and protects the chest 
  of the horse down to the top of its front legs. 
  It may be had in either leather (with or without 
  metal reinforcement), scale, lamellar, maille or 
  plate.
  The croupiere protects the horse’s hind 
  quarters. It can be made of leather (with or 
  without metal), scale, lamellar, maille, or plate.
  The saddle is what the rider sits on. It has a 
  high cantle and pommel to prevent the rider 
  from being unseated, and is built on a wooden 
  frame that supports more weight from a rider 
  with armor and weapons. Saddles are made 
  of wood and many layers of thick and tough 
  leather and protect part of the mounts back 
  like leather lamellar armor.
  The flanchard is attached to the side of the 
  saddle, then around the front or rear of the 
  horse and back to the saddle again, protect-
  ing both sides and back of the mount. These 
  are either metal plates riveted to leather (pro-
  tecting like brigandine), or else scale, lamellar, 
  or maille. The use of such armor requires that 
  a saddle, croupiere and peytral also be used, 
  as the flanchard needs to be attached to those 
  items.
  The cuissart and grevíere are greaves for 
  the upper and lower legs of a horse, respec-
  tively. They come in sets of four and must be 
  carefully attached to the horse’s leg. Very thin 
  metal plating is used, and neither of the two 
  guards the knee or hoof.
  The AV provided by barding is identical to 
  the AV of the corresponding armor pieces for 
  humans, found in Table 4.3.The sole excep-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  167
  tions are cuissarts and grevíeres, which 
  using only very thin plate, protect with only 
  AV 5 against Piercing and AV 3 against Blunt 
  damage.
  V. ANIMALS IN COMBAT 
  In Blade, common animals of the wild are, 
  after men, the second most common combat 
  adversaries of PCs, and much more common 
  opponents than monsters or supernatural crit-
  ters. Referees are therefore advised to some-
  what ignore the actual behaviour of real-world 
  animals. 
  The latter have learned to fear man and 
  usually only attack him under exceptional 
  circumstances, and then as a last resort. The 
  world of Sword & Sorcery being the ferocious 
  place that it is, it is therefore absolutely appro-
  priate to reduce this natural fear. Here, man 
  may very well not be simply prey of the very 
  last resort for packs of wolves, bears, tigers, 
  and other predators, but may actually be well 
  within their normal range of prey.
  Still, while wild animals of the Sword & 
  Sorcery genre are often more aggressive, they 
  should not be portrayed as universally rabid. 
  In most cases they should not be portrayed as 
  fighting to the death. 
  A single level 3 wound should be enough 
  to drive off most animals, unless they are for 
  some reason truly desperate.
  In targeting animals with attacks, the hu-
  man Target Zone template will usually not be 
  appropriate. In many cases, common sense 
  may better serve instead of a tem-
  plate – hits to birds and snakes can for 
  example be allocated quite easily. 
  For quadrupeds of all sizes, a sepa-
  rate target location template is how-
  ever provided.
  No separate Wound Tables for an-
  imals are provided. Instead, just use 
  the human ones and interpret the results 
  with a bit of common sense.
  KD against quadrupeds is the one wound 
  result that usually needs modification. As long 
  as all four legs of a quadruped are function-
  ing without great impairment (i.e. no wound 
  greater than level 3 to any leg), KD success 
  requirements for any wound received is re-
  duced by 2. 
  If one leg is already impaired, KD is ap-
  plied normally, and if two legs should already 
  be impaired, and the animal is still ag-
  gressive, KD success requirements are 
  increased by 2.
  LARGE ANIMALS AND 
  WOUNDS
  Wounds to animals are calcu-
  lated exactly like wounds against 
  humans, but for large animals 
  that are much more massive, 
  this may yield odd results. 
  For those animals, final 
  Wound Levels suffered 
  after subtraction of half 
  BN and AV should be 
  halved.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  168
  For example: The wound 
  result of a large Grizzly bear’s 
  level 5 wound would be further 
  reduced to a level 3 wound (5 di-
  vided by 2 = 2.5 which then rounds 
  up to 3). 
  As a rule of the thumb, this ap-
  plies to wounds to the torso (not 
  head and limbs) to all animals larger 
  than a pony, and for all wounds (including 
  both head and limbs) to any animal the size 
  of a rhinoceros or larger.
  As an optional rule for those who want 
  added realism (and added complication), 
  all Piercing damage that would simply be 
  halved due to a target animal’s large size is 
  increased by +1 before being halved.
  HUGE ANIMALS
  Even though such creatures are rarely en-
  countered in Sword & Sorcery, some refs 
  might want to utilize truly huge creatures 
  as opponents for their PCs. A creature 
  that is at the very least as big 
  as a rhinoceros may engage 
  more than one PC at once, 
  provided its build does log-
  ically allow for this. A giant 
  octopus creature might for 
  example engage several PCs 
  simultaneously, as might a 
  tyrannosaur, biting one and 
  kicking another opponent, 
  but a giant wolf, lacking 
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  169
  multiple modes of attack, might not.
  A creature able to engage more than 
  one PC at once can within one and the same 
  Round of Limelights act upon more than just 
  one PC’s Limelight. During how many PCs’ 
  Limelight it could act, and how many PCs it 
  could thus engage, will have to be adjucated 
  by the ref on basis of the creature’s size and 
  physical shape.
  The creature need not split its MP between 
  the Limelights, but gets its full MP against ev-
  ery PC. However, the MP is reduced by 2 dice 
  for every PC after the first the creature engages. 
  This penalty does not become bigger by 2 for 
  every additional PC’s Limelight during which 
  the creature acts, but is applied to its MP for all 
  Limelights equally.
  Example: Otho and Rufo are fighting a gar-
  gantuan crab-demon huge enough to act on 
  both the PCs’ Limelights, attacking each of 
  them with one of its pincers. The demon’s MP 
  is 15, but this is reduced by 2 for fighting a 
  second PC; its effective MP against both Otho 
  and Rufo is 13.
  If the discontinuity between a huge crea-
  tures’s various combats in any given Round of 
  Limelights and the lack of cooperation among 
  its opponents worries a group, the following 
  optional rule may be used:
  The huge creature’s MP for any given 
  Limelight is penalized by the sum of the to-
  tal Wound Levels it has suffered previously 
  during the same Round of Limelights. This is a 
  slight violation of the basic principle that the 
  Limelights of any given Round of Limelights 
  occur at the same time, but simulates 
  how one character’s efforts in fighting 
  a huge animal carry over to dramati-
  cally aid his comrades’ efforts.
  If this optional rule is being used, 
  the huge creature’s MP is not reduced 
  by 2 dice per opponent after the first, 
  but by only 1 die per such opponent.
  FIGHTING ANIMALS
  Animals do not use the normal Offensive 
  and Defensive Maneuvers of humans, but their 
  own take on some of them, or Maneuvers en-
  tirely exclusive to them. By and large, ani-
  mals that enter combat at all fight very ag-
  gressively, using the better part of their MP 
  for offence. The single defensive action they 
  have at their disposal is Evasion, though they 
  do tend to make quite liberal use of the Evasive 
  Attack Offensive Maneuver.
  ANIMAL MANEUVERS 
  baSh: Most kicks by hooved animals 
  are handled by the Bash Maneuver, 
  but it may also be used for power-
  ful tail swipes or for example for a 
  hit by an elephant’s trunk.
  The Bash may also be used 
  by horned animals to butt 
  opponents with their 
  horns, for either Blunt, 
  or, more rarely, Pierc-
  ing damage, depending 
  on the beast in question. 
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  170
  This type of attack carries an 
  additional 1 MP Activation Cost 
  (i.e. 1, or 2 in case of an attack 
  causing +1 damage). Note that the 
  option of spending 1 MP to increase 
  the attack’s DR by +1 is not available 
  if the attack causes Piercing damage.
  bite: A simple bite, with most damage 
  being Cleaving. Metal armor offers very 
  good protection against bites.
  claw: A swipe with claws usually inflicts 
  Blunt damage with some additional Blood 
  Loss, but may with some rare animal’s long 
  talons inflict Cleaving damage instead. Metal 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  171
  armor protects very well against animal 
  clawing attacks.
  conStricting: Some animals kill their prey 
  through constricting them. Prime examples 
  are of course the many forms of large snakes, 
  but this form of attack may, at the referee’s dis-
  cretion, also be available to bears, if he desires 
  to include the (in)famous bear hug attack in 
  his game.
  To use the Constricting Maneuver the beast 
  must first have made a successful grapple at-
  tack on an opponent, though a bite attack may 
  be substituted for animals like snakes that can 
  establish the initial hold by biting.
  Once the hold is established by the use of 
  the Grapple (or Bite) Maneuver, the animal may 
  attack by use of a Constricting Maneuver each 
  Round, free of Activation Cost. MP dice are as-
  signed for the attack, and the constricted op-
  ponent assigns any number of MP dice for the 
  defense (remember that a grappled opponent 
  must use his Wrestling Proficiency to calculate 
  his MP). Both parties roll against TN 7.
  If the defender is victorious, he breaks free 
  of the constriction and normal melee combat 
  resumes at Reach Hand, with the victorious 
  defender now having initiative as aggressor.
  If the attacker ties or is victorious, he inflicts 
  Blunt damage on his opponent. The amount of 
  damage inflicted is calculated without use of 
  QoS or AV simply by subtracting half the de-
  fender’s BN from half the attacker’s BN, with cu-
  mulative +1 added for every subsequent Round 
  of constriction. The Wound Level inflicted may 
  however not surpass the constrictor’s QoS.
  The location of this Blunt damage 
  depends on the circumstances. With 
  snakes, it will usually be to the lower 
  abdomen or the legs, with a bear hug 
  to the chest.
  evaSive attack: This Offensive Ma-
  neuver is used quite extensively by 
  animals. It functions exactly as for hu-
  mans, i.e. the animal spends the Activa-
  tion Cost of 1 MP die, and additional dice as 
  desired. The enemy’s ATN is increased by the 
  number of additional dice thus spent, whereas 
  the animal’s own ATN is only increased by half 
  the number of the additional dice.
  grapple: Animals do use the Grapple Of-
  fensive Maneuver, but what they do with a 
  grappled opponent is different from what 
  humans may choose to do.
  A beast may not choose to immobilize a 
  grappled opponent, but it may attempt 
  to throw him to the ground or to break 
  the grappled limb. In addition, certain 
  types of animal have other options as 
  well: Snakes may attempt to crush 
  the opponent to death, felines may 
  rake him with their hind claws, 
  and canines may worry him with 
  their powerful jaws. Details can 
  be found under the respective 
  Maneuvers.
  Beasts that can ei-
  ther use the Constrict-
  ing, Raking, Pouncing, 
  or Worrying Maneuver 
  may use a successful bite 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  172
  attack to enter a clinch. They 
  can do this by attacking normal-
  ly with the Bite Maneuver and sim-
  ply declaring after a successful hit, 
  even one causing no wound, that 
  they won’t let go. This immediately 
  establishes a clinch, though one in 
  which the animal does not receive 
  the establishing attack’s QoS as bo-
  nus dice on its subsequent MP, as would be 
  the case with a clinch entered by use of the 
  Grapple Maneuver.
  pouncing: Some animals such as tigers 
  are quite proficient at surprising a victim 
  by leaping upon them, using their consider-
  able mass coupled with speed of impact to 
  stun their prey. This gives the Pouncing ani-
  mal a decided advantage in the Bite Maneu-
  ver that inevitably follows. All dice assigned 
  to Pouncing are checked against TN 7 and 
  can be defended against by only by Evasion 
  (target must probably first pass a Surprise 
  Check to be aware of the Pounc-
  ing animal and evade 
  it).
  If the Poun-
  cing attacker 
  is victori-
  ous, he 
  inflicts 
  B l u n t 
  damage 
  on his op-
  ponent. 
  The amount of damage inflicted is cal-
  culated without use of QoS or AV simply 
  by subtracting half the defender’s BN from half 
  the attacker’s BN. 
  Should the attacker be considerably heavier 
  than the defender (more than twice as heavy), 
  +1 is added to this damage; if the attacker is 
  considerably lighter (less than half as massive), 
  -1 is subtracted. The Wound Level inflicted 
  may however not surpass the Pouncing ani-
  mal’s QoS.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  173
  The location of this Blunt damage de-
  pends on the circumstances. With tigers for 
  example, it will usually be to the Shoulders, 
  Chest, Ribs, or Abs areas.
  A successful Pounce attack also requires 
  the opponent to pass a Knockdown Check 
  with a Challenge Level equal to the Pouncing 
  attacker’s QoS. If the Pounce is successfully 
  defended against (i.e. evaded) in such a way 
  that initiative passes to the defender, the melee 
  continues with Reach now set at Hand, and 
  the defender as the new aggressor. 
  raking: Felines are especially fond 
  of this Offensive Maneuver, one that 
  can be considered an option of the 
  Grapple Maneuver available to them.
  Any time the animal is in a clinch 
  with its opponent, whether this clinch 
  was established by use of the Grapple 
  or the Bite Maneuver, it may pay an 
  Activation Cost of 1 MP and attack with 
  its hind claws. Such an attack does not in itself 
  break the clinch.
  Stampede: Certain animals (such as bulls) 
  are able to attack opponents by charging and 
  running right over them. This requires a run 
  up and the expenditure of 1 MP Activation 
  Cost and can only be defended against by 
  Evasion.
  The attack is rolled against TN 7, and in-
  flicts Blunt damage with DR 0, or DR +1 if 
  the beast has substantial horns. KD from 
  this attack is increased by +1 to a min-
  imum of 1, and the Check to avoid KD 
  is not made against the standard TN 7, 
  but against 6 + QoS on the attack roll.
  If the stampede is successfully 
  defended against (i.e. evaded) in 
  such a way that initiative passes 
  to the defender, the follow-up 
  attack of the new aggressor 
  is made at +1 ATN. This is 
  due to the stampeding 
  animal’s 
  speed 
  car-
  rying it quickly out of 
  range of any attack.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  174
  Swooping: Swooping is the 
  favourite attack of birds and 
  other, sometimes larger, airborne 
  attackers. Essentially, it’s a fly-by 
  claw attack.
  To initiate the Maneuver, the avi-
  an aggressor announces a Swoop. 
  His opponent then declares any 
  number of dice from his MP to pro-
  long the contact with the avian, who then 
  sets aside a number of dice from his MP in 
  opposition. Those dice are rolled in an Op-
  posed Terrain Check. If the Swoop’s victim 
  is victorious, the Combat Round does have 
  the usual two Exchanges, if the result is a tie 
  or a victory for the avian it is limited to a sin-
  gle Exchange.
  Whether the avian is successful on Swoop-
  ing or not, it now has initiative as aggressor 
  at its optimum engagement Reach. An oppo-
  nent conscious of the attack may of course 
  attempt to Steal Initiative or simply de-
  clare as aggressor as well, in which 
  case his attack will only be re-
  solved after the Swooping at-
  tack and at the avian’s Reach.
  take down: Some ani-
  mals are especially adept 
  at bringing an opponent 
  down to their level, either by 
  launching their mass at him, 
  or by attacking his legs, or by 
  cunningly unbalancing him. 
  The dice assigned to the 
  Take Down Maneuver are 
  checked against TN 7 and can be defend-
  ed against by Blocking or Evasion, but not 
  by Parrying.
  A successful Take Down attack causes no 
  damage, but requires the opponent to pass 
  a Knockdown Check with a Challenge Level 
  equal to the Take Down’s QoS.
  Animal that are used to working as a team, 
  like packs of canines, may combine forces to 
  Take Down an opponent. Knockdown Checks 
  must be made against every individual Take 
  Down, but for every previous such Knockdown 
  Check passed in one and the same Exchange, 
  the Challenge Level of the Knockdown Checks 
  against Take Down is increased by +1.
  worrying: Certain beasts, particularly ca-
  nines and certain large felines, have extremely 
  strong jaws. Once such an animal has made a 
  successful bite attack on an opponent, it may 
  choose to hold on, thereby entering a clinch, 
  and to “Worry” the attack (meaning that it 
  locks its teeth and shakes its head).
  On the exchange following a successful bite 
  attack, the animal may assign any number of 
  dice to the Worrying Maneuver. The opponent 
  may assign dice from his MP, but as he is now 
  in a clinch, his MP is based upon his Wrestling 
  Proficiency. Should the bitten opponent wish 
  to go on attacking the animal, he is allowed 
  to use his weapon MP instead, but in this case 
  may not assign more dice to resisting the Wor-
  rying than the value of his Reflex score (plus 
  any PA dice figuring in the MP).
  Both opponents roll against TN 7. If the 
  worrying animal is victorious, the wound in-
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  175
  flicted by the previous bite becomes ag-
  gravated by one Wound Level, with all at-
  tending penalties, including Pain, BL, and KD, 
  but excluding Shock and KO. The animal may 
  choose to hold on and continue with the Wor-
  rying Maneuver, or it may let go.
  If the Check is tied, the wound does not be-
  come worse, but the animal may choose to let 
  go or hold on as above.
  If the defender is victorious, he breaks free 
  and the melee continues with Reach now set 
  at Hand, and with him as the new aggressor.
  The victim of a Worrying may attempt to 
  attack the animal with the part of the MP he 
  does not set aside for resisting the Worrying, 
  after the Worrying attack has been resolved. 
  Such an attack is made at Reach Hand and 
  carries an additional Activation Cost equal to 
  half the animal’s QoS on the Worrying Check, 
  plus the usual Activation Cost for declaring an 
  attack as defender (i.e. half the aggressor’s DG 
  score). If this Activation Cost reduces his MP to 
  0 or below, he may not attack.
  While holding on to the prey, the worry-
  ing animal can defend only by use of Duck & 
  Weave. Whether it is hit or not, the animal will 
  retain initiative as aggressor and will not be 
  forced to let go, though may of course choose 
  to do so. Apart from possibly killing the beast 
  or wounding it seriously enough to drive it off, 
  the use of attacking and wounding a worrying 
  beast lies in the dice it will lose from it MP for 
  the next Worrying attack.
  PACK TACTICS
  Many animals naturally tend to 
  form communities. Very strong ties 
  are often formed especially in the 
  case of canines (including wolves, 
  hyenas, jackals and the like) and some 
  wild cats (tigers and leopards, especial-
  ly). Such animals are highly effective at 
  working together to bring down foes.
  If a pack or team of animals is fought, and 
  the number of combatants on both sides are 
  roughly equal, the combat is handled as usual, 
  but if the animals clearly outnumber their op-
  ponents, the rules below should be used. In 
  such cases, predators, who are very cunning 
  at evaluating prey, will always concentrate 
  their surplus number on the weakest victim, 
  while more dangerous ones will simply be 
  kept in check by a single animal each. These 
  single beasts will not expose them-
  selves by fighting offensively, but will 
  merely attempt to stall their opponent 
  until their comrades bring down the 
  weaker prey.
  Swarming: Animals fighting in 
  packs are extremely good at sur-
  rounding an opponent, and at-
  tacking him from different sides 
  at the same time. Up to four 
  medium sized animals 
  (such as wolves) may 
  attack an opponent, 
  rather than the usual 
  limit of three.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  176
  Baiting: This is a form of 
  feint used by a group of animals 
  working together closely.
  The beast using the Baiting Ma-
  neuver pays an Activation Cost of 1 
  die, but declares another Offensive 
  Maneuver. Once the defender has 
  assigned dice to the defence, the 
  Baiting Maneuver is revealed for what 
  it is. The baiting beast may now add any 
  number of dice to the attack, at an addition-
  al Activation Cost equal to half the number 
  of dice added. The initially declared Offen-
  sive Maneuver is then rolled and defended 
  against as usual.
  If the defender wins the Opposed Check, 
  he takes initiative as normal. If the aggressor 
  ties or wins, no damage is dealt, as the entire 
  attack was only a ruse to draw out the defend-
  er. Instead, the defender loses dice equal to 
  the aggressor’s QoS from his MP for either 
  the following Exchange, or the following 
  Round if the current Exchange was this 
  Round’s last one.
  VI. AN EXAMPLE 
  OF MELEE 
  COMBAT
  Skold 
  Skullsplitter, 
  the 
  Danish 
  reaver, 
  has 
  just 
  plundered some foul deity’s 
  sacred jewel from its shrine 
  among the Orkneys. Trying 
  to make his way back to his 
  ship, two pursuing Pictish savages catch 
  up with him on the rocky beach and rush 
  him.
  Skold Skullsplitter:
  BN 7, DG 6, CG 5. 
  Ref 6, Pole-arms Proficiency 10, PA bonus 
  dice 3, MP 19. 
  Sleeveless metal scale shirt down to (and in-
  cluding) groin (Piercing AV 4). 
  Metal helmet for top of head only (Piercing 
  AV 6).
  Long-hafted axe, used two-handed (Reach 
  M: ATN 7, DR +2, DTN 7; Reach L: ATN 8, DR 
  +3, DTN 8; DR +1 against armor, Shock +1)
  Pictish savages: 
  BN 5, DG 5, TY 5, CG 5. 
  Ref 5, Kdown 5, Spear & Shield Proficiency 
  5, MP 10. 
  Short-sleeved leather jerkin down to (and 
  including) groin (Cleaving AV 2). 
  Hardened leather helmet for top of head 
  only (Cleaving AV 2). 
  Short spear, used one-handed (Reach M, 
  ATN 8, DR +1, DTN 7). 
  Small shield (DTN 6). 
  As the Picts rush at Skold, the ref informs 
  the player that the combat will take place on 
  particularly bad footing – the wet rocks of the 
  beach – necessitating a deduction of 2 dice 
  from all combatants’ MPs, bringing them down 
  to 17 and 8 respectively.
  At the outset of Combat Round One, the ref-
  eree declares that the Picts’ charge puts them 
  into an aggressive stance and that Skold, see-
  ing them rush at him, has time to prepare him-
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  177
  self and declare a stance as well. Wanting 
  to finish this combat before more Picts can 
  arrive, the player has Skold assume an aggres-
  sive stance as well and also announces that 
  Skold is going to move in such a way that one 
  Pict is between himself and the other, prevent-
  ing the second Pict from attacking him right 
  away. This necessitates an (Unopposed) Ter-
  rain Check, with a single Success required. The 
  player commits 5 dice (taking his MP to 12) 
  and rolls, achieving 4 Successes (1, 10, 10, 11, 
  11), for now easily avoiding the second Pict 
  among the rocks and boulders.
  The Pict’s intention to attack is apparent 
  from his ferocious charge, and the player de-
  clares Skold as attacker as well. As both com-
  batants have assumed aggressive stances, their 
  MPs receive 2 bonus dice each, for 
  14 and 10 respectively.
  With both combatants attacking, 
  an Opposed Reflex Check will de-
  termine who attacks fractionally first, 
  but Maneuvers and dice must be as-
  signed before this Check. The player 
  announces a Cleave from diagonally 
  above at the Pict’s head and shoulders 
  (Target Zone 4) for 11 dice, executed at Long 
  Reach. The ref declares a Thrust at the groin 
  (Target Zone 10) for all the Pict’s 10 dice.
  Both combatants’ Reflex is then Checked, 
  with a TN equal to their weapon’s ATN; as 
  the Pict’s spear has Reach M and Skold axe 
  Reach L, Skold receives a +1 die bonus and 
  the Pict a corresponding 1 die penalty. Skold 
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  178
  rolls 7 dice (Reflex 6 +1) against 
  TN 8, achieving but 1 Success 
  (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6, and 9). The Pict 
  rolls 4 dice (Reflex 5 –1) against 
  TN 8, achieving 4 Successes (8, 11, 
  12, 12) – the Pict goes first!
  The player has however an ace 
  up his sleeve and has Skold attempt 
  Stealing Initiative. He pays the Activa-
  tion Cost of 2 dice (half opponent’s SY), and 
  after his previous bad luck decides to play 
  it safe and purchase 1 bonus die for the 
  Check, for a total Activation Cost of 3 dice. 
  This uses up the uncommitted remainder of 
  his MP.  The Pict checks DG, with a flat pen-
  alty of 1 for having the weapon with short-
  er Reach, and Skold his own CG, with a flat 
  bonus of 1 for having the weapon with the 
  longer Reach, and the 1 purchased bonus die. 
  Skold thus rolls 7 dice (CG 5 +1 +1) against a 
  static TN 7, achieving 3 Successes (2, 2, 5, 5, 
  8, 9, 11). The Pict rolls 4 dice (DG 5 –1) 
  against a static TN 7, achieving 2 Suc-
  cesses (3, 4, 10, 11) – just as 
  the Pict thrusts with his spear, 
  Skold’s axe comes down hard.
  Skold attacks with the MP 
  dice previously committed, 
  rolling 11 dice against ATN 
  8 and achieving 5 Successes 
  (1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 11, 
  12). The Pict cannot defend, 
  so the attack QoS is 5. The 
  player rolls d6 on the Cleav-
  ing Damage Tables to de-
  termine the exact hit location, achieving a 
  3 for a result of a cross-cut across the Pict’s 
  chest, which is protected by his leather jerkin.
  The Impact Rating is determined by then 
  taking the QoS (5), adding half BN (4), and 
  adding DR (3 +1 for striking armor), for a total 
  of 13. From this Impact Rating is subtracted 
  half the Pict’s BN (3) and his chest AV (2), for 
  a remaining total of 8, corresponding to the 
  maximum Wound Level of 6. As the Pict is just 
  a mook, the Level 6 injury kills him instantly, 
  without any need to consult the Wound Tables.
  As Skold has neither MP nor opponent 
  remaining, there is no second Exchange to 
  this Combat Round, and the second Combat 
  Round commences with the remaining Pict 
  charging Skold across the rocky beach. The ref 
  decrees that all fighters still have to deduct 2 
  dice from their MP for treacherous footing, and 
  that Skold can only just turn in time to receive 
  the charging Pict and cannot thus assume a 
  stance. He announces that the Pict’s charge ef-
  fectively puts him into aggressive stance. 
  Combat Round two starts with the declara-
  tion of attack or defence. The Pict is declared 
  as aggressor, granting him 2 bonus dice from 
  stance for a total MP of 10, and Skold as de-
  fender. Next, the aggressor declares Maneuver 
  and assigned dice – he declares a Thrust with 
  7 dice at Skold’s crotch (Target Zone 10). Smil-
  ing evilly, Skold’s player declares a Counter, 
  paying the Activation Cost of 3 dice and as-
  signing 10 of his remaining 14 MP dice to it.
  The Pict rolls his assigned 7 dice against 
  ATN 8, with a penalty of 1 for having a weap-
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  179
  on one Reach increment shorter than 
  Skold, for a total of 6 dice, and achieves 3 
  Successes (1, 4, 6, 9, 10, and 11). Skold’s play-
  er rolls the assigned 10 dice against the axe’s 
  DTN of 8, as per the Counter rules, achieving 
  4 Successes (4, 4, 5, 6,7, 7,  8, 9, 9, 10). With 
  a defense QoS of 1, a sweep of the axe knocks 
  aside the thrusting spear harmlessly and the 
  attacker now on Exchange Two assumes the 
  role of defender (with Counter, even a defense 
  QoS of 0 would allow him to do so).
  Exchange Two commences with Skold as-
  suming the role of aggressor. The Pict has 3 
  remaining MP dice and so Skold 4, but as per 
  the Counter rules, Skold receives dice equal to 
  the total Successes in the countered attack as 
  bonus dice for his follow-up attack; as the Pict 
  achieved 3 Successes, so Skold now receives 3 
  bonus dice, for an MP of 7.
  The Exchange begins with the declaration 
  of attack, with the player declaring an attack 
  with all 7 dice, randomly as per the rules for 
  the follow-up on a Counter. A d12 is rolled on 
  Counter Table 3.3 to determine the exact na-
  ture of Skold’s attack, and yields a result of 2, 
  a cross-cut at thigh height. The Pict declares a 
  Block with his remaining 3 dice as his defense. 
  The player rolls the assigned 7 dice against 
  ATN 8, achieving 4 Successes (2, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 
  11). The Pict rolls 3 dice against his shield’s 
  DTN 6, achieving 2 Successes (2, 8, 10), for 
  an attack QoS of 2. The player rolls d6 on the 
  Cleaving Tables to determine exact hit loca-
  tion, achieving a 4 for a cut to the thigh, which 
  is unarmored.
  The Impact Rating is determined 
  by taking the attack QoS (2), adding 
  half BN (4) and weapon DR (3), for 
  a total of 9. From the Impact Rating is 
  subtracted half the defender’s BN (3), 
  for a net total of 6, once again enough 
  to kill a mook like the Pict without 
  the need to look up the injury on the 
  Wound Table.
  Exchange Two of Combat Round Two ends 
  with the second Pict falling down dead or dy-
  ing. 
   Combat Round Three begins with the refer-
  ee announcing that the 2 dice penalty for bad 
  footing does not apply to the prone Pict, but 
  that Skold is still on bad footing; as he is the 
  only combatant standing, he does not simply 
  subtract 2 dice, but rather must pass a Terrain 
  Check to avoid falling. The Pict is prone and 
  thus at half MP, for an MP of 5. To this, 
  Shock 15 from the preceding Exchange 
  is applied; Thus bringing the Pict’s MP 
  to 0, and the remaining 10 dice added 
  as bonus dice to Skold MP against the 
  Pict, raising his MP for the Combat 
  Round to 27.
  Two Picts charged Skold Skull-
  splitter. He wheeled, getting one 
  between himself and the oth-
  er. Skold then brought his 
  axe down a mere blink 
  of an eye before his 
  Pictish opponent’s spear 
  thrust hit home, cleaving 
  the savage’s chest to the 
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  180
  spine and knocking him to the 
  ground dead. He then wheeled 
  to receive the second Pict, coolly 
  swept aside his opponent’s spear 
  thrust with his axe, and in the same 
  fluid motion brought the weapon 
  around in a narrow arc, dipping under the 
  shield’s rim to sever the Pict’s leg just below 
  the crotch. With the fallen Pict screaming on 
  the ground and spurting out his life in but a 
  few heartbeats, Skold leaves the scene of car-
  nage.
  This concludes Chapter Four
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  182
  As it neared, Druss saw that Shaoshad’s description was correct in every detail: two 
  heads, one a bear, the other a serpent. What Shaoshad had not conveyed was the sense of evil 
  that radiated from the demon. It struck Druss like the numbing claws of a winter blizzard, 
  colossal in its power, dwarfing the strength of Man.
  The bridge had narrowed here to less than ten feet wide. The creature coming slowly towards them 
  seemed to fill the gap.
  “May the Gods of Stone and Water smile upon you, Druss!”, whispered Oshikai.
  Druss stepped forward. The beast gave a terrible roar, thunder deep and deafening. The wall of sound 
  struck the axeman like a blow, pushing him back.
  The beast spoke: “We are the Great Bear, devourers of souls. Your death will be agonizing, mortal!”
  “In your dreams, you whoreson!”, said Druss.
  David Gemmel, “The Legend of Deathwalker”
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  183
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  184
  “Crossing the trackless wastes of this land I have learned harshly the small truths of armor in 
  cowardice, and the vile deceit of secrecy in weakness… alas, only honest steel grants victory or 
  death!”
  Goran Karr of Khazistan, Warlord of the Barren Reaches
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  185
  I. TRAVEL, SCENE 
  FRAMING, AND SCENE 
  REqUESTS
  From our point of view, travel in Blade, 
  whether by land or sea, should normally be 
  abstracted by the referee to a large degree, 
  and thus there are no movement rates listed 
  in Blade for such activity. This snipping out 
  of mundane elements of travel falls under the 
  collective tent of Scene Framing. 
  With Scene Framing, the referee carefully 
  prunes out much of the typical flow of descrip-
  tions of what happens to the characters, and 
  instead focuses his energy on scenes that are 
  directly linked to the player’s PAs, and thus 
  their interests. 
  Bear in mind that even with Scene Framing 
  none of the game is actually being skipped. 
  Instead, arbitrary events are simply not played 
  out center-stage within the group’s Blade story.
  While seemingly counter-intuitive, we urge 
  referees to embrace this by largely refraining 
  from the lengthy setting descriptions that are 
  typically employed to increase a setting’s im-
  mersion factor. 
  This of course will involve having a dia-
  logue with your gaming group to best deter-
  mine how much setting description they want 
  for their Blade experience. 
  We respect the fact that some groups tru-
  ly do enjoy much of the detail of a well envi-
  sioned setting, and for those groups we suggest 
  the use of Transitional Scenes, which play out 
  like short film clips, and whose single 
  purpose is to move the characters from 
  one scene to the next. 
  For example if the characters are 
  traveling by ship, the ref could take 
  a few minutes to describe the terrif-
  ic storm that batters the ship, the 15 
  meter high waves that break over the 
  vessel’s bow, and the sodden miserable 
  attempts of the characters to grab but a few 
  precious hours of sleep. 
  Taking a few moments to describe such a 
  scene, as well as giving the players a chance 
  to role-play their characters shouting a few 
  choice epithets at the heavens, can simulta-
  neously serve both the color of a setting and 
  the advancement of the story.
  This brings us to the  Drama Attribute, 
  which  is a great tool for Scene Framing, whose 
  use should be encouraged for players 
  (with the approval of their teammates!) 
  as a powerful tool for moving a scene 
  forward (much like the Fast Forward 
  button on a DVD player!). 
  To advance a scene, the simple 
  expenditure of one Drama point 
  should be an ample fee. The ref-
  eree can then bring the current 
  scene to a close as soon as 
  practicable, and move on 
  to the next.
  Another flexible use 
  for the Drama Attribute 
  is for Scene Requests. 
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  186
  Like ordering room service 
  at a hotel, by way of the simple 
  expenditure of 1 point of Drama 
  (along with conveying their wishes 
  to the referee), the player may make 
  a request to the referee for a future 
  scene, one featuring content that’s of 
  particular interest to the player. 
  Perhaps a player would like his char-
  acter to begin a romance with the daughter 
  of the Jarl, or force a showdown with a hated 
  rival. The possibilities are endless!
  Such requests do not compel the referee 
  to dive headlong into the requested scene, 
  but does oblige the referee to begin the cre-
  ative process so that the requested scene 
  comes up as soon as possible for the character. 
  As long as he is honestly working to fulfill 
  the spirit of the player’s request, the details of 
  how the scene is framed, and exactly when it 
  occurs, is left to the referee’s discretion. 
  II. ENCUMBRANCE 
  (OPTIONAL)
  Despite many players’ 
  aversion to it, some sys-
  tems insist on meticulously 
  tracking a PC’s gear, weight 
  and bulk. Players who 
  use these optional Encum-
  brance rules should careful-
  ly ensure that their PC carries 
  only a reasonable amount of 
  gear, and that each item 
  has a commonsense home somewhere on 
  the PC.
  Basic items - such as shirts, hats, light back-
  packs, etc. - are not counted for Encumbrance 
  purposes. Full backpacks or sacks full of loot 
  count as oversized items. For example, a bag 
  containing 100 coins, a haunch of beef, and two 
  bottles of wine, counts as one oversized item. 
  To calculate a character’s Encumbrance 
  level, consult Table 5.0. Calculate a mount’s 
  Encumbrance using Table 5.1. Then total your 
  points for reference in Table 5.2.You will derive 
  an Encumbrance Level and an additional Ac-
  tivation Cost that must be paid for the Evasion 
  Maneuver and many Terrain Checks. 
  That’s it, you’re done!
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  187
  TABLE 5.0 Character Encumbrance
  Character wearing bulky robes or similar leg-obstructing clothes 1 Point
  Character wearing chain armor 1 Point
  Character wearing plate armor 2 Points
  Character is carrying 6 or more different items* overall 1 Point
  Character is carrying 11 or more different items* overall 1 Point
  Character is carrying 16 or more different items* overall 1 Point
  Character is carrying 21 or more different items* overall 1 Point
  Character is carrying an oversized item +1 Point per Item
  * Multiple small items of the same type (bolts, arrows, etc.) count as one item for this purpose. 
  Worn clothing/armor/jewelry does not count for this encumbrance calculation. All weapons count 
  as separate items. Very small single items do not count for encumbrance purposes. Oversized items 
  are counted separately.
  Oversized items include two handed weapons, any item that requires two hands to carry or is as 
  tall as the carrying character.
  TABLE 5.1 Mount Encumbrance
  For every person riding the animal 1 Point
  If the rider is Heavily Encumbered or greater 1 Point
  Animal is wearing barding 1 Point
  Animal is pulling a vehicle 1 Point per Axle
  A teamster has packed the animal’s load -1 Point
  Per 15 Items the animal is carrying 1 Point
  TABLE 5.2 Encumbrance Terrain Modifiers
  Encumbrance
  Points
  Encumbrance Level
  Additional Activation Costs 
  for Terrain Checks
  0-1
  Unencumbered
  0
  2
  Lightly Encumbered
  1
  3
  Heavily Encumbered
  2
  4
  Severely Encumbered
  3
  5+
  Over Encumbered
  4
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  188
  III. HEALTH 
  1. HEALING AND WOUNDS
  In Blade, even a slight wound is 
  no laughing matter. For the healing 
  process to begin in earnest, there are 
  some mandates: 
  First, you must be in a state of rest.
  Second, at least for the more serious 
  wounds, you need some form of treatment. 
  Wounds can be tended to by anyone pos-
  sessing the Healing Skill. Note that each 
  wound must be treated individually. A suc-
  cessful Healing Skill Check reduces BL by 3 
  per Success. A failed Healing Check increas-
  es BL by 1, while a Botched Healing Check 
  doubles the wound’s BL. 
  As introduced in chapter four, at the very 
  end of the Limelight in which the character 
  first acquired BL, and on the end of each 
  subsequent Limelight, he must check BN. 
  This Check must yield Successes equal 
  to or surpassing the current BL 
  number. 
  With that in mind, any 
  Limelight BL Check made 
  while the subject is at rest 
  (or at most, moving or 
  walking very slowly), re-
  quires one less Success than 
  indicated by the current BL 
  rating to be successful. This 
  includes characters uncon-
  scious from BL.
  However, even if a character’s BL rat-
  ing is reduced to 0, the penalties accrued 
  due to bleeding will not diminish immediately. 
  Such penalties are reduced by 2 for MP, AP 
  and SP for each passing day spent resting with 
  proper nourishment and low activity, or by 1 
  per passing day of exertion.
  Any Wound Level beyond 2 calls for a 
  chirurgeon (someone with the Healing Skill at 
  level 3 or higher). 
  At the end of each week make a TY Check 
  vs. the Pain rating of each individual wound. 
  Each Success lowers that wound’s Pain value 
  by 1. This Check is modified by three things: 
  Rest, medical care, and damage type.
  During convalescence, moderate activi-
  ty with no more than one or two instances 
  of strenuous activity is assumed. If a charac-
  ter spends a week completely at rest, with 
  no more than occasional light activity, the TY 
  Check for each injury is made against a TN of 
  (Pain -1). On the other hand, if he doesn’t take 
  it easy, this TN is (Pain +1).
  A caregiver character using the Healing 
  Skill and being available throughout much 
  of the week of healing time may make a Skill 
  Check before the patient rolls. Each Success in 
  this Check lowers the difficulty of all patient 
  healing Checks for this week by 1. Failure adds 
  nothing, but if not a single Success is achieved 
  on the Skill Check, all the patient’s healing 
  Checks for the week are made at +2 TN.
  Damage type — meaning Cleaving, Pierc-
  ing, or Blunt— affect this TY Check as well. To 
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  189
  heal a Blunt wound, the basic TN is equal 
  to Pain, but Piercing or Cleaving injuries 
  heal with a basic TN of Pain +1.
  2. FALLING DAMAGE
  Falling is defined as the free descent by 
  force of gravity. All damage derived from fall-
  ing is a result of both the distance fallen and 
  the surface landed upon. See Table 5.3.
  TABLE 5.3  
  Falling Damage
  Landing Surface
  Damage Rating
  Soft - A large pile of hay, 
  a featherbed, water (with 
  a successful Swimming 
  Check)
  1 per 3m fallen
  Mixed (crowd of people, 
  falling not diving—into 
  shallow water, muddy 
  banks)
  1 per 2m fallen
  Hard  - ground, stone, 
  armored people falling 
  from horses, water (with a 
  failed Swimming Check)
  1 per 1m fallen
  All damage caused by the fall is considered 
  to be Blunt damage. Damage is randomly 
  assigned to some location on the recipient’s 
  body; for every 2 points of damage suffered, 
  roll once on Table 5.4 and assign 
  damage accordingly. Damage to any 
  area rolled more than once is cumu-
  lative and applied with a single D6 
  roll on the Target Zone Charts (See 
  Appendices).
  TABLE 5.4 
  Allocation of Falling Damage
  D 12 roll
  Area  Location
  1-2
  1
  3-4
  2
  5
  3
  6
  4
  7-8
  5
  9-10
  6
  11-12
  7
  Only the longest of falls can af-
  fect more than one Target Zone. The 
  number of Zones the damage can be 
  spread to can never be higher than two, 
  or one quarter the fall’s height in me-
  ters, which ever is greater. As soon 
  as this number of Zones has been 
  derived from rolls on Table 5.4, 
  further damage is assigned ran-
  domly to the Zones already 
  determined.
  Example: Otho is 
  knocked from his horse. 
  The fall from the saddle 
  corresponds to a fall of 2m 
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  190
  to the hard ground. Consulting 
  Table 5.3, we see that’s a hard 
  fall. He then rolls 3 and 4 on a D12. 
  Consulting Table 5.4 we note that 
  Otho takes a level two Blunt wound 
  to his upper leg (area 2). He now must 
  roll 1D6 on the Damage Table in the 
  Appendices to determine the exact 
  location of the injury.
  3. GENERIC DAMAGE
  Any damage from fire, cold, electricity, 
  sorcery, the elements, or not specifically 
  covered by rules uses the “Generic Dam-
  age” chart in the Appendix. Such damage is 
  calculated like damage from any other at-
  tack described in chapter four. Such damage 
  is applied randomly using Table 5.4, unless 
  impacting a specific area (such as someone 
  with a flaming arrow, in which case any fire 
  damage is simply applied to the area struck).
  4. POISON
  When a character is poi-
  soned, he must pass frequent 
  Checks to avoid advancing 
  along the six levels of the 
  Poison Track, which, much 
  like the six Wound Levels of 
  melee combat, are progres-
  sive in their severity. Should 
  he advance to Poison Level 
  6, he dies.
  The frequency of such 
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  191
  “Progression” Checks (using the Knockout 
  Attribute) depends on how fast the poison 
  acts. Such can either be:
  • 
  A Limelight
  • 
  A Few minutes
  • 
  A Half an hour
  • 
  A Few hours
  Ingested poisons generally have a progres-
  sion rate of one half hour to several hours, un-
  less sorcerous by nature, in which case they 
  may have a progression time of only a few 
  minutes. 
  Injected poisons generally have a progres-
  sion rate of a few minutes to one half hour, but 
  if injected to the head, neck or torso, become 
  faster by one “step”. In such cases, a progres-
  sion rate of but a single Limelight is possible. 
  To successfully inject a poison, no Wound Lev-
  els need be inflicted. For as long as the poison 
  attack’s Impact Rating surpasses the victim’s 
  AV, the poison is successfully injected, even if 
  BN soaks up all actual damage.
  To avoid advancing along the Poison Track, a 
  Progression Check must be passed. This Check’s 
  required amount of successes is dependent on 
  the strength of the poison being resisted. 
  Such Checks typically must yield either QoS 
  2 or 3. Poisons requiring QoS 1 certainly ex-
  ist and are indeed much more common than 
  the more virulent ones, but their progression is 
  hardly dramatic enough to bother with at all. 
  Conversely, poisons necessitating QoS 4 or 
  greater are possible, but so sublimely deadly 
  that referees are strongly advised to have them 
  appear more as a threat of something to avoid 
  at all costs, rather than something to 
  actually afflict on the PCs.
  Medical aid can be provided to the 
  afflicted by any character with either 
  the Apothecary or the Healing Skill. 
  A successful Apothecary Check with a 
  Challenge Level equalling the virulence 
  of the poison (i.e. the QoS required by 
  the Knockout Check to avoid further pro-
  gression on the Poison Track) will lower the 
  TN of further Progression Checks by 1. 
  A Check using the Healing Skill brings the 
  same benefit, but instead must meet a Chal-
  lenge Level equal to twice the poison’s viru-
  lence.
  Once a character has passed three suc-
  cessive poison Progression Checks, further 
  advancement on the Poison Track is arrest-
  ed and the character has “ridden out” the 
  poisoning. From this point on he must pass a 
  Knockout Check every few hours at TN 
  7, with the poison recovery Challenge 
  Level equal to the poison’s current vir-
  ulence. 
  Successfully meeting this Check 
  signifies one step back along the 
  Poison Progression Chart (Table 
  5.5) and a commensurate re-
  duction to the poison’s recovery 
  Challenge Level. This down-
  ward spiral of Checks 
  continues until the ef-
  fects of the poisoning 
  fade completely and the 
  subject is hale once more.
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  TABLE 5.5 Poison Progression Chart
  Poison Level
  Effect
  TN
  1
  Soreness and itching; slight nausea if ingested. Pain 1
  9
  2
  Sweating and rapid breathing. Pain 3
  8
  3
  Hyperventilating. Pain 5
  8
  4
  Stops hyperventilating, but has trouble breathing. Pain 7, +1 
  Success required on all Checks for any activity. Pass Knock-
  out Check (Challenge Level 1) to not pass out.
  7
  5
  Heart murmurs/ palpitations. Pain 9, +2 Successes required 
  on all Checks for any activity. Pass Knockout Check (Chal-
  lenge Level 2) to not pass out.
  7
  6
  Coma followed by death within about half the progression 
  time.
  6
  5. PAIN - IT’S JUST A SCRATCH! 
  (Optional)
   The protagonists of Sword & Sorcery tales 
  are notoriously tough. Whether because of 
  an indomitable force of will or just sheer 
  machismo, they often shrug off hurt that 
  would lay low lesser men. The same is 
  true for PCs and named NPCs 
  in Blade.
   As soon as the action in a 
  scene in which the character 
  has received a wound sub-
  sides, the higher of either 
  BN or TY may be Checked 
  for the character; (NOTE: 
  PAs are not applied to this 
  Check!). Once Checked, an 
  amount of Pain equaling the QoS of the suc-
  cessful Check may be subtracted from any 
  newly inflicted wounds. The player then de-
  cides how this QoS bonus is applied against 
  those wounds, distributing Pain relief to any 
  fresh wound as desired.
  Example: Otho has 3 cuts received during 
  the fight he just emerged from as victor: 
  • 
  A Pain 1 cut to his hand
  • 
  A Pain 1 cut to his jaw
  • 
  A Pain 2 cut to his side
   Rolling a TN7 Check vs. Tenacity (His TY is 
  higher than his BN) he scores 3 Successes and 
  opts to reduce the Pain 2 cut to his side down 
  to zero, and to also get rid of the Pain 1 cut to 
  his hand. The cut to his jaw he opts to leave as 
  a dueling scar for the ladies to admire!
  This concludes Chapter Five.
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  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  194
  In a vast chamber beneath the Tower of Skulls, Zazamanc he Veiled Enchanter set 
  enthroned in Power. This throne stood on a dais composed of nine tiers of black marble, and 
  it was carved from the ivory of mastodons, Set within the broad arms of this throne were the 
  sigils whereby the Veiled Enchanter summoned the demons and genii and elementals that served 
  his wishes in all things. At this hour he wore the Green Robe of Conjuration, and his left hand 
  was set upon Ouphonx, the ninth sigil of the planet Saturn, which the Lemurians of his age 
  knew by a different name. Under his right hand lay Zoar, the third sigil of the Moon. Before him, on a 
  tabouret of jet, lay the Crossed Swords and the wand called Imgoth.
  Amulets were clasped about his wrists and throat. Pendent upon his brow hung the talisman the gri-
  moires named Arazamyon, and upon it a certain Name was written in runes fashioned of small black 
  pearls.
  The face of Zazamanc went masked this day behind a single tissue of pale green gauze; through it the 
  cold pallor of his handsome visage gleamed like an ivory mask, and his eyes glittered with frozen malice.
  Lin Carter, “The City in the Jewel”
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  196
  “I offer you the wisdom of snakes, eldritch knowledge older than this mountain you scaled for 
  my council: There is no knowledge that is not power, and no power that is not fleeting. Be wary 
  therein, lest questions you would slake draw you beyond the precipice.”
  The Teachings of Myr’vaan the Jealous
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  197
  I. SORCERY OVERVIEW
  “Wits and swords are as straws against the wisdom 
  of the Darkness.”
  Robert E. Howard, The Phoenix on the Sword
  Sorcery is not an academic, scholarly pur-
  suit. 
  Its practitioners do not theorize, do not en-
  gage in complicated convoluted experiments, 
  do not conduct research into sorcery’s under-
  lying principles, or how to apply them to nov-
  el uses. 
  The actual inner workings of sorcery are un-
  knowable, and even the greatest sorcerers can 
  no more than dimly guess at just why and how 
  their invocations work.
  While sorcerers in Blade may or may not be 
  erudite, bookish types, they are no scientists. 
  Sorcery is, after all, not science, but a strange, 
  unknowable force of uncertain origin, an ori-
  gin that is usually somehow transmundane; it 
  is never just another natural force like gravity 
  or magnetism. Instead, a degree of “outside-
  ness” is always inherent to it.
  Sorcerers certainly have ideas where the 
  sorcerous power they are manipulating de-
  rives from, but they can never be certain. 
  In one setting, it may be a dark power out of 
  the void between the stars, in another, power 
  channelled from some eldritch and alien dei-
  ty, or many other things. It is however never a 
  beneficent or wholesome power, and is likely 
  impersonal. 
  Those beings that impart and grant 
  sorcerous power, always have an agen-
  da of their own; an agenda that will 
  often be unfathomable, especially if 
  such eldritch power is not derived 
  from contact with supernatural, god-
  like beings. 
  This agenda is at best totally alien 
  and entirely indifferent to human be-
  ings and their plight, and at worst inimical to 
  humanity. The former might be true in cases 
  where sorcery is perceived as just a strange 
  power from beyond the limits of this universe, 
  the latter in cases where it is channelled from 
  some sinister deity.
  In the very common instances where a 
  given setting’s sorcery is derived from deal-
  ings with demonic gods, sorcerers are usually 
  to some degree worshippers or cultists of such 
  deities or have formed pacts with them. 
  This does not mean that such sorcerers 
  actually have to be devout – for many, 
  it will be a pact, where they further a 
  demonic being’s agenda in return for 
  receiving occult powers.
  This brings us to the topic of 
  whence sorcery is learned. 
  The fantasy trope of the ap-
  prenticeship to a sorcerer is 
  also alive in Blade, but it 
  is not the sole, and in 
  some settings perhaps 
  not the most common, 
  way of acquiring sorcer-
  ous knowledge. 
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  198
  Alongside it always exists the 
  possibility of approaching a sor-
  cerous deity – provided such exists 
  in the setting – and forging a pact 
  with it to receive sorcerous knowl-
  edge in return for whatever such an 
  unfathomable, but never wholesome, 
  being may require of a mere human. 
  As only the most driven and deter-
  mined of men will head down such a path, 
  it is usually strength of will and intensity of 
  personality that characterise a sorcerer in 
  Blade, not intelligence and erudition.
  Ultimately, sorcery means always deal-
  ing with strange, alien, and inimical powers, 
  whether personal, or detached. As it is no sci-
  ence, it hardly attracts practitioners who are 
  in it for the intellectual challenge or insight 
  offered, though it sometimes attracts curious 
  practitioners of a philosophical bent. 
  Overwhelmingly, it attracts practitioners 
  who are in it for sheer power.
  Much more often than scientists, 
  sorcerers will be priests, fanat-
  ical, sacrificial dagger wield-
  ing cultists of a god of dark-
  ness, or coolly calculating 
  schemers trying to get the 
  maximum out of their sinis-
  ter patron for a minimum of 
  their own involvement, per-
  haps even playing the dan-
  gerous game of playing one 
  patron against another.
  But whatever they are, they are never 
  detached, ivory-tower scholars in pointy 
  hats.
  Sorcery in Blade is therefore the manipula-
  tion of ultramundane powers that are at best 
  alien and at worst downright hostile towards 
  humanity. In working sorcery, one exposes 
  one’s body and soul to these inimical powers. 
  The wise sorcerer will refrain from overreach-
  ing himself and take good care not to open 
  his soul’s portals too far to the influences from 
  beyond, lest he become tainted with them.
  Mechanically, sorcery rests on three legs. 
  First, there are the six Lesser Mysteries, of which 
  the occasional hedge wizard, shaman, or cultist 
  may know one or two. Then there are the two 
  Greater Mysteries, powerful magics that are 
  the sole domain of dedicated sorcerers. Final-
  ly there are the Arcane Secrets, mythical feats 
  of great magic, the stuff of sorcerous legends, 
  known to only the very greatest of sorcerers.
  How Arcane Secrets are learned is a special 
  case explained later, but Lesser and Greater 
  Mysteries are learned in a fashion similar to 
  weapon Proficiencies. At character creation, 
  ratings in Mysteries are bought with points 
  from the Proficiency priority. As with Attributes 
  and Skills, the maximum rating that can be at-
  tained in any Mystery is 8, with a rating of 9 
  allowed in a single Mystery.
  1. THE SORCERY POOL
  The Mystery score is only one half of the 
  Sorcery Pool, hereafter SP. The other half is 
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  199
  Power, the sorcerer’s innate ability to cre-
  ate magic.
  power = (Sy + ty + bn + bonuS) / 3
  The Bonus is equal the number of Mysteries 
  the sorcerer is proficient in, but never higher 
  than the rating of the Mystery he is most pro-
  ficient in.
  The SP available for any sorcerous action 
  is thus Power + Mystery. SP dice are split into 
  two parts, with a minimum of 1 die in each. 
  The first of these parts is to work the sorcery, 
  to make the Casting Check, and the second to 
  contain the eldritch powers invoked, to make 
  the Containment Check.
  The base TNs of these Checks vary with the 
  Sorcery Priority the character is built upon: 
  Dabbler (C Priority) TN 8 
  Sorcerer (B Priority) TN 7 
  Mysteriarch (A Priority) TN 6 
  First, the Mystery, to achieve the effect, is 
  checked against the appropriate TN. Depend-
  ing on the sorcery, this Casting Check 
  may be an Opposed one; for specifics, 
  see the various Mysteries and Ar-
  cane Secrets. 1 Success will usually 
  be sufficient to achieve some kind of 
  effect, but more may be required for 
  the desired magnitude of effect; details 
  on this can also be found within the 
  description of the various Mysteries and 
  Arcane Secrets. 
  Once the Check for the effect is made, the 
  second half of the SP must be Checked imme-
  diately to contain the effect. This Containment 
  Check is made against TN 7, and at least as 
  many Successes as on the Casting Check are 
  required to fully contain the sorcerous en-
  ergies; for every Success short, the sorcerer 
  accumulates one point of Taint. 
  If the Containment Check does not yield at 
  least half as many Successes as the Cast-
  ing Check, the effect is uncontained. 
  In such cases, the sorcery takes effect 
  as intended but also turns against the 
  sorcerer himself. This takes the form 
  of a Complication to be effected by 
  the ref at the earliest opportunity. 
  Often, this will be a side or mi-
  nor effect of the sorcery turning 
  against the sorcerer himself, 
  or against somebody he 
  does not wish ensor-
  celled, but it can also 
  take the form of entirely 
  mundane unpleasantries 
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  200
  arising directly from his sorcery. 
  Optionally, any uncontained 
  effect (i.e. Containment Check 
  yields less than half the Successes 
  of the Casting Check) can addition-
  ally cause the sorcerer physical dam-
  age from eldritch energies turning 
  against himself. If this rule is used, 
  inflict a level 1 wound from the Ge-
  neric Damage Table upon the sorcerer every 
  time one of his effects is uncontained, or a 
  level 2 wound if the Containment Check 
  doesn’t even yield a single Success. 
  Depending on the setting, this may man-
  ifest as withering, bleeding, scorching, or an-
  other form of generic damage that cannot 
  be negated by use of the It’s Only A Scratch 
  mechanic.
  2. TAINT
  In working magic, the sorcerer opens 
  himself up to alien, transmundane pow-
  ers, and if he is not careful, these 
  powers will leave their mark 
  on him. This metaphysical 
  stench is called Taint.
  Every Success on the Cast-
  ing 
  Check 
  theoretically 
  imparts one point of Taint 
  to the sorcerer, minus one 
  point for each Success of the 
  Containment Check, down to 
  an absolute minimum of 0. 
  No Containment Check can 
  reduce the sorcerer’s Taint 
  score below what it was before the pres-
  ent sorcery was wrought.
  Taint interferes with the working of further 
  sorcery and also imparts an aura of sinister 
  otherworldliness to the character that is dis-
  turbing to man and beast alike. Depending on 
  the severity of a character’s current Taint, dice 
  are subtracted from his SP, and additional Suc-
  cesses are required on all Checks for non-hos-
  tile interaction with both beast and men, as 
  per the Taint Effect Table 6.0.
  TABLE 6.0 Taint Effects
  Taint
  SP Penalty
  Interaction
  1
  1
  +0 suc
  2-3
  2
  +1 suc
  4-6
  3
  +2 suc
  7-10
  4
  +3 suc
  11-15
  5
  +4 suc
  16-21
  6
  +5 suc
  The additional Successes required for suc-
  cessful interaction do not apply to interaction 
  with sorcerous creatures and animals that have 
  a reputation in the setting as being sorcerous 
  themselves (e.g. cats, ravens, toads, etc), but 
  does apply to interaction with other sorcerers.
  Taint fades over time. Every 12 hours, at 
  concrete, setting-specific times (e.g. moonrise, 
  sunset, midnight, etc.), Taint is reduced by 1, 
  provided no new Taint was acquired during 
  the last 12 hours. Taint can also be reduced in 
  various ways: 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  201
  Player characters with a faith-related 
  PA can attempt to reduce their current Taint 
  by praying and offering up a sacrifice at an ap-
  propriately consecrated locale. After the sac-
  rifice the faith-related PA is checked against 
  TN 7, with the number of Successes deducted 
  from the current Taint rating. No more than 
  one such sacrifice per week is possible. 
  Alternatively, the sorcerer can conduct a rit-
  ual of purification, which might also take the 
  form of some nefarious rite in the case of sor-
  cerers invoking some supernatural patron for 
  their power. Such a ritual requires about 12 
  hours during which nothing else can be done, 
  and will, depending on the setting and the 
  culture, involve chanting, meditation, drug-in-
  duced trances and the like. After the ritual is 
  conducted, the sorcerer checks Power against 
  TN 7, with every Success reducing his current 
  Taint by 1 point. 
  Finally, Taint can also reduce itself in a 
  backlash. For this to occur the sorcerer’s cur-
  rent Taint must at least be equal to his HT and 
  he must either acquire at least another 3 points 
  of Taint at once or else cast some uncontained 
  sorcery (i.e. Containment Successes less than 
  half Casting Successes). In such a case, the 
  Taint discharges itself, usually in the guise of a 
  curse (see the Cursing Mystery). This discharge 
  cuts the sorcerer’s Taint rating in half (again, 
  round up fractions of 0.50 and above), but 
  the sorcerer becomes victim of a curse with 
  a curse rating equal to the number of Taint 
  points that were lost in the discharge. 
  In some settings it might be more 
  fitting to have the Taint backlash as-
  sume the form of some temporary 
  physical affliction like a twisted limb, 
  a bulging eye, scales instead of skin, 
  or a third eye popping up in some con-
  spicuous area of the body, or anything 
  else that fits the flavour of sorcery in 
  the setting. Such an affliction will have 
  the game effects of requiring 1 or more addi-
  tional Successes on one or more broad types 
  of action (social interaction, physical exertion, 
  mental exercises, etc). Each penalty of 1 thus 
  imparted reduces the curse rating from the 
  Taint backlash by 1. No more than half the 
  original curse rating may be thus converted. 
  These afflictions last until the curse from 
  the Taint discharge has run its course and then 
  fade. In some settings, it might be desirable 
  to have some very minor and certainly 
  non-debilitating trace of the afflictions 
  remain, like a scar from a wound. 
  If the group feels that even more 
  gruesome additional consequenc-
  es are appropriate for their setting, 
  that should be easy to enact. They 
  might for example decide that any 
  Taint backlash of a certain mag-
  nitude immediately deducts 
  one point from the sorcer-
  er’s HT Attribute, only 
  to be regained through 
  normal character devel-
  opment mechanics.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  202
  Finally, and independently of 
  any additional Taint mechanics, 
  if the optional rule about insuffi-
  cient containment causing damage 
  is used, any damage suffered from 
  an uncontained sorcery that also 
  causes a Taint backlash is increased 
  by 1 level (to a theoretical maximum 
  of 3).
  3. THE LESSER MYSTERIES
  The six Lesser Mysteries are:
  • 
  CURSING
  • 
  ENSLAVEMENT
  • 
  MENDING 
  • 
  PROPHECY 
  • 
  SCRYING
  • 
  WITCHFIRE 
  CURSING - Cursing is the dark art of plac-
  ing a doom on somebody.
  Curses are best placed on somebody 
  in the sorcerer’s immediate presence, 
  but if the victim of the curse is 
  not present, the sorcerer must 
  at least know the victim and 
  have either a close personal 
  possession (a piece of well-
  worn clothing or other item 
  to which the victim is emo-
  tionally attached), or a body 
  part or secretion (hair, saliva, 
  fingernails, etc.) of the victim 
  at hand. 
  In this case, a small ritual of about five 
  minutes is necessary to place the curse. 
  However if the victim is in the sorcerer’s im-
  mediate presence – no more than a stone’s 
  throw – the curse can be placed much more 
  quickly, in but a single combat round, simply 
  by uttering the curse formula, aloud and dra-
  matically pointing out the victim.
  To curse somebody, the sorcerer makes his 
  Casting Check as an Opposed Check against 
  the victim’s TY. A targeted sorcerer (A to C Sor-
  cery Priority) may opt instead to use his Pow-
  er instead of TY to oppose this Mystery, and 
  should he also know the Cursing Mystery him-
  self, receives bonus dice equal to half again 
  his Power (though no more than his rating in 
  the Cursing Mystery) to add to his choice of TY 
  or Power for the Opposed Check. If the victim 
  equals or surpasses the sorcerer’s Casting Suc-
  cesses, the curse does not take effect, but if the 
  sorcerer is victorious his curse takes hold.
  The sorcerer’s total Successes, not just those 
  surpassing the victim’s Successes, translate di-
  rectly into a curse rating, which works much 
  like a Passion Attribute. Whenever the cursed 
  character is making a Check to avoid dire con-
  sequences, the curse’s rating is either subtracted 
  from the number of dice he is entitled to roll, or 
  is added to the dice pool of whoever is oppos-
  ing him (but not both in the same instance). 
  Each time the curse rating causes something 
  bad to happen to the cursed character, the rat-
  ing drops by 2, until it is finally reduced to 0, at 
  which time the curse will have run its course. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  203
  Barring that, the only other way to get 
  rid of the curse is to have it lifted.
  A sorcerer can also curse a victim with a 
  specific doom. In this case, the curse rating is 
  not equal to the Casting Successes; if the spe-
  cific doom is merely unpleasant, the curse rat-
  ing is 1 point less than the number of Casting 
  Successes; if it is something very serious that 
  would be hard to put right again, the curse 
  rating is 2 points less; and if it is something 
  deadly or utterly ruinous the curse rating is 3 
  points less. Should the resulting curse rating 
  drop below 1, the curse fails to take hold. 
  The curse rating of this type in any case 
  works very similar to a curse of mere bad for-
  tune, but instead of applying to all Checks to 
  avoid something bad happening, it is subtract-
  ed either from all the cursed character’s dice 
  pools to avoid the specific doom, or added to 
  all dice pools of people working to bring the 
  doom about (again, not both in the same in-
  stance). This type of curse lasts until lifted or 
  until the doom has come to pass.
  Lifting a curse requires a Mending spell to 
  be cast upon the cursed character that achieves 
  more Successes than the original Casting Suc-
  cesses (which can be different from the curse 
  rating).
  Alternatively, if the cursed character has a 
  faith-related PA he can, at a suitable locale, 
  make an offering to his deity and ask for re-
  mittance of the curse. To do so, the charac-
  ter Checks the relevant PA against TN 7. If he 
  achieves Successes at least equal to the curse 
  rating, the rating is reduced to 0 and 
  the curse lifted, fewer Successes have 
  no effect at all. 
  This is all-or-nothing, and it can 
  only be attempted once per curse.
  Optional: A dying curse is a main-
  stay of sorcerers everywhere. Such a 
  curse will be powerful in any case, as 
  the sorcerer need not worry anymore 
  with Containment, but if this rule is in effect, 
  it can be made more powerful still: A dying 
  curse can always be uttered, no matter how 
  instant the manner of the sorcerer’s death, and 
  is made with a –2 Casting bonus to TN.
  ENSLAVEMENT - With the Mystery of En-
  slavement, the sorcerer forces his will on his 
  victims’ will, right up to the point where the 
  sorcerer commands his victim’s view of reality. 
  It is in essence a kind of very high-pow-
  ered hypnosis.
  This Mystery requires neither for-
  mulas nor gestures, just that the sorcer-
  er makes eye contact with his victim. 
  The sorcerer first makes his Cast-
  ing Check, which the victim can 
  oppose with the better of his TY 
  or SY. A sorcerous victim (A to 
  C Sorcery Priority) may opt to 
  use his Power instead of 
  TY or SY to oppose the 
  Mystery, and should he 
  also know the Enslave-
  ment Mystery himself, 
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  204
  he gets additional bonus dice 
  equal to half again his Power 
  (though no more than his rating 
  in the Enslavement Mystery) to his 
  choice of TY, SY, or Power. If the 
  sorcerer is victorious, the victim be-
  gins gazing into the sorcerer’s eyes, 
  forgetting everything else, largely 
  motionless and completely oblivious 
  to everything around him. As long as the 
  sorcerer maintains unbroken eye contact, 
  the victim cannot snap out of his magical 
  trance and would be unable to take action 
  even if his life was in serious danger; he is 
  like the rabbit before the snake. Any sharp 
  pain will however tear the victim out of the 
  trance – a slap in the face is insufficient for 
  this, a hard punch to the stomach suffices.
  Apart from filching a held character’s 
  pockets or just slitting his throat, a sorcerer 
  can use Enslavement to achieve one of two 
  effects on the victim:
  1) A sorcerer can command his 
  victim to do something – any-
  thing, really. The sorcerer tells 
  the victim – in a language the 
  victim can understand – what 
  to do and makes another 
  Casting Check, again Op-
  posed with the better of the 
  victim’s SY or TY. 
  For the attacking sorcerer, 
  while this second Opposed 
  Check must be made with 
  the same base number of dice as the orig-
  inal, additional bonus dice equaling his 
  QoS from the first Check are added, and does 
  not necessitate a new Containment Check. 
  Sorcerous targets of the Mystery at this stage 
  don’t gain any benefits from their own knowl-
  edge of the occult in resisting the Enslavement, 
  as their supernatural defences have already 
  been invaded by the previous Opposed Check.
  If the victim at least ties the sorcerer, he im-
  mediately snaps out of the ensorcelment and 
  is once again his own master. If the sorcerer is 
  victorious, the victim will carry out the com-
  mand, no matter what. If the command is more 
  than one single, concrete action, like disem-
  bowelling oneself or jumping down a cliff or 
  striking at somebody, its fulfilment can take no 
  longer than about one minute per Casting Suc-
  cess of the sorcerer (the total Successes, not 
  just the surpassing ones). 
  Such a command must be a simple action, a 
  single, concrete thing; it can encompass walk-
  ing to the locale where the mission can be ful-
  filled, but it can include neither sub-clauses 
  nor follow-ups. During the pursuit of this mis-
  sion, the enslaved character will move like in 
  a trance, unable to react to persons and events 
  outside of his command’s scope; he won’t be 
  even conscious of them. Once the command is 
  carried out, the ensorcelled person will stand 
  inactive for the remainder of the Enslavement’s 
  duration, after which he will regain his senses 
  and a hazy memory of what has transpired.
  2) In the victim’s mind, one thing in his vi-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  205
  cinity appears as something completely 
  different. The sorcerer must tell the enslaved 
  person what the thing “really” is (“What a fool 
  you are, to wear a reptile about your waist!”), 
  and the victim will react as if the object actu-
  ally were what he is told it is, providing any 
  movement or action of the hallucination from 
  his own imagination. 
  The limit to this sug-
  gestive power is that any 
  object can only appear 
  as something of similar 
  shape and size – sword 
  to snake, horse to tiger, 
  man to other man, cup 
  to tarantula, etc. 
  To thus befuddle 
  somebody, the sor-
  cerer makes a second 
  Casting Check, again 
  Opposed by the better 
  of the victim’s SY or TY. 
  The base number of Casting 
  dice must be the same as in the 
  original Casting Check, but 
  with the addition of bonus 
  dice equaling QoS from the 
  initial Check added to the second, 
  and no need for a Containment 
  Check. And again, sorcerous 
  targets receive no special ben-
  efits resisting. 
  If the victim at least ties the sorcerer, 
  he will immediately snap out of the hypnotic 
  trance and again be his own master. 
  If the sorcerer is victorious, the 
  affected character sees the object as 
  what he is told it is and will act ac-
  cordingly – as will the hallucination, 
  fuelled by the character’s imagination 
  and expectations. If anything halluci-
  natory happens that would cause the 
  death of the victim, 
  e.g. a bite by a poi-
  sonous animal or hav-
  ing the throat torn out 
  by a predator, the victim 
  passes out and must 
  pass a TY Check of 
  Average difficulty 
  to avoid actual-
  ly dying from the 
  shock. 
  If nothing of the 
  kind 
  hap-
  pens, 
  the 
  befuddled 
  state lasts for 
  as many 
  L i m e -
  lights as the 
  sorcerer had Successes 
  on the Casting Check 
  (the total Success-
  es, not just the 
  surpassing ones), after 
  which time the victim 
  will regain his senses.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  206
  MENDING - The Mending 
  Mystery can be used to aid in 
  and greatly speed up the recovery 
  from injuries, though it does not 
  normally heal them immediately.
  The Casting Check is made Unop-
  posed, and the resulting number of 
  Successes is divided into two equal 
  halves.
  The first (and smaller, if applicable) half 
  is the combined Pain rating that is deduct-
  ed from all the target character’s current 
  wounds. These deductions must be spread 
  among the injuries as evenly as possible. If 
  for instance 3 Pain is deducted from a char-
  acter’s three wounds, 1 Pain would be sub-
  tracted from every wound, if from his two 
  wounds, 1 Pain would be subtracted from 
  one and 2 Pain from the other.
  The other (and larger, if applicable) half of 
  the Casting Successes speeds up subsequent 
  wound recovery. Under normal circum-
  stances, healing Checks are made ev-
  ery seven days; but if a char-
  acter has been treated with 
  the Mending Mystery, this in-
  terval is halved once for each 
  one of the second half of 
  the Casting Successes. 
  If for example 6 total Cast-
  ing Successes are achieved, 
  putting 3 into the second half 
  of the Successes, healing 
  Checks are then made every 
  day (first Success halves interval from 7 to 
  4 days, second Success halves interval from 
  4 to 2 days, third Success halves interval from 
  2 to 1 day).
  A character cannot benefit again from the 
  Mending Mystery until all such magically 
  treated wounds have fully healed. New in-
  juries sustained during this time can only be 
  treated with Mending once all previously ma-
  jicked wounds have healed. Healing Checks 
  for these are made at the normal interval of 
  every seven days.
  Mending can also be used to lift a curse 
  (from the Lesser Mystery of this name) from a 
  character. More Casting Successes than were 
  achieved to with Cursing Mystery are neces-
  sary to break the curse.
  The Mending Mystery will also aid and 
  speed up recovery from diseases to a compara-
  ble degree than from wounds, but as Sword & 
  Sorcery tales do not concern themselves with 
  things as mundane as diseases, no mechanics 
  are provided. Should this aspect of the Mystery 
  be needed for flavour, the effects should be es-
  timated in analogy to its effect on injuries.
  The Mystery can also be used malicious-
  ly, to inflict pain upon somebody. This can be 
  done to a victim who is either present, or a 
  distant victim of whom the sorcerer owns ei-
  ther a close personal possession (well-worn 
  clothing, item to which the victim is emotion-
  ally attached, etc.) or a body part or secretion 
  (hair, nail clippings, blood, etc.). In the latter 
  case, a small ritual of five to ten minute is nec-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  207
  essary, whereas the sorcery can in the for-
  mer case be worked much quicker, merely 
  by dramatically pointing out the victim and 
  intoning a formula aloud.
  The sorcerer’s Casting Check is resisted by 
  the victim’s TY. Targeted sorcerers (A to C Sor-
  cery Priority) may opt to use their Power in-
  stead of TY to oppose; should they also know 
  the Mending Mystery themselves, they receive 
  additional bonus dice equal to half again their 
  Power (though no more than their rating in 
  the Mending Mystery) to their choice of TY 
  or Power. If the sorcerer achieves more Suc-
  cesses than his victim, the victim immediately 
  feels intense stabs of pain, corresponding to a 
  Pain rating equal to three times the sorcerer’s 
  total (not just surpassing) Casting Successes. 
  This Pain, from which TY is subtracted as usu-
  al, persists for as long as the sorcerer focuses 
  his attention upon the victim, and indeed in-
  creases by 3 with every subsequent Limelight. 
  Should the sorcerer be distracted from the vic-
  tim or chooses to end the effect, Pain drains 
  away at a rate of 3 points every Limelight.
  Sorcerers proficient in the Mending Mystery 
  have to decide whether they want to devote 
  themselves to its beneficent or malicious use. 
  The aspect that they opt for as their main use 
  of the Mystery has the usual Casting and Con-
  tainment TNs, the opposite use Checks against 
  a +2 TN penalty for both Casting and Contain-
  ment.
  PROPHECY - Prophecy is the art 
  of either seeing into the future or else 
  divining something that is not readily 
  apparent. The kind of questions that 
  can be answered by Prophecy fall 
  into two categories, the broader “Will 
  I succeed?” or “Should I go ahead?” 
  type of questions, and the much more 
  specific “Who is?” or “Where is?” type.
  To answer either, the sorcerer needs to uti-
  lize a Prophecy ritual specific to the setting 
  and his own preferences: It might be prophetic 
  dreams, stargazing, the casting of bones, ques-
  tioning the tarot, reading entrails of sacrificial 
  animals, and much more.
  For the broad type of question, the player 
  first states whether he’d rather like a nega-
  tive or positive answer to the question and 
  then makes his Casting Check. If the answer 
  is obvious to the referee, he simply de-
  cides upon “yes” or “no”, but if it isn’t, 
  he rolls a d12, subtracting one third 
  the sorcerer’s Casting Successes if the 
  player wished for a positive answer 
  or adding this number if the player 
  wished for a negative one. 
  A result of 1-5 yields a “yes”, 
  6-7 is indifferent, and 8-12 is “no”. 
  But however the answer was 
  determined, it translates 
  into an Omen rating 
  of 1, which functions 
  like a Passion Attribute. 
  The Omen rating is add-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  208
  ed to all Checks to bring about 
  a result in accordance with the 
  answer and subtracted from all 
  Checks to bring about a result con-
  trary to the answer.
  The more specific type of ques-
  tion after things like something’s or 
  somebody’s location or identity is 
  not as easily cast into rules. 
  A correct answer will require any num-
  ber of Successes deemed appropriate by 
  the referee, with 1 sufficient only for such 
  trivial questions like the location of a mis-
  placed item, while divining the identity of 
  an unseen mastermind behind some hardly 
  grasped intrigue would for instance require 
  at least 6 Successes, possibly more. If insuf-
  ficient Successes are achieved, the Prophecy 
  is inconclusive, but if the Casting Check is a 
  Botch, the resultant Complication is an an-
  swer that is either dangerously ambiguous 
  or outright maliciously misleading.
  SCRYING - The Mystery of Scry-
  ing is the practice of sending 
  one’s consciousness, or may-
  be one’s spirit, astral body, or 
  soul, away from one’s physi-
  cal self and having it travel 
  quickly to distant places to 
  spy out what is happening 
  there. To do so, the sorcerer 
  enters a deep trance, usually 
  one aided by certain drugs. 
  Depending on the specifics 
  of the setting, certain paraphernalia, like 
  mirrors or crystals to gaze into, might also 
  be necessary.
  While his body is resting senseless, his con-
  sciousness rises out of it, able to pass unseen 
  and unfelt through all matter and to travel at 
  vast speeds. This immaterial embodiment, 
  maybe an astral body or maybe the soul, of the 
  sorcerer is unable to affect the physical world, 
  but it may observe and listen in on what is tak-
  ing place in it.
  Once the sorcerer’s magical trance is suf-
  ficiently deep, which may take anywhere 
  from ten minutes to over an hour, he makes 
  a Casting Check. For every Success, he can, 
  depending on the setting or the sorcerous tra-
  dition employed, either stay out of his body 
  for five minutes while traveling at about 600 
  km an hour, or for half an hour while travel-
  ling at 200 km an hour. The more Successes 
  he achieves, the longer his consciousness can 
  stay away from his body, and the more distant 
  the places his consciousness may visit. At the 
  end of this timespan, the consciousness will 
  snap back into the physical self and the sorcer-
  er will awaken, usually disoriented, fatigued 
  or hung over.
  He can elect to have his consciousness re-
  turn before the maximum time is up, but he 
  is entirely unconscious of what is happening 
  around and to his body while his sorcerous 
  vision is travelling to distant places. Wounds, 
  danger or discomfort will come to his atten-
  tion only when he comes out of his magical 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  209
  trance. Should his body die while it is in 
  trance, so does the embodiment of his con-
  sciousness, and the soul then goes to whatever 
  place souls go after death.
  The presence of a scrying consciousness 
  cannot be noticed by humans, save those 
  with the Detect Sorcery Skill, who can make 
  a Check to sense a presence, and to other sor-
  cerers who know the Mystery of Scrying and 
  who will detect the presence of a scryer’s sor-
  cerous vision on even a single Success on an 
  Unopposed SY Check, and even clearly see 
  such a presence as a kind of astral body on 
  two Successes on this Check.
  Disembodied spirits can detect a sorcerer’s 
  disembodied consciousness automatically, as 
  can many supernatural beings like demons or 
  ghosts. Many such beings may even be able to 
  interact with the spiritual body and possibly 
  even harm it as if it were physical. Should the 
  astral body be killed by such an attack, the sor-
  cerer’s physical body dies as well.
  WITCHFIRE - The Witchfire Mystery sorcer-
  ously unleashes energies to damage or outright 
  destroy inanimate and animate things. Despite 
  the Mystery’s name, those energies need not 
  manifest as fire, but can take any number of 
  forms, depending on both the setting and the 
  sorcerous tradition employed. It can be beams 
  of searing light from the sorcerer’s eyes, bolts of 
  fire leaping from his fingertips, a spectral vor-
  tex of slavering demonic shapes, lightning or 
  pillars of fire from the sky, a dagger appearing 
  in the sorcerer’s hands and launched 
  by him, and a thousand more things. It 
  can even be innocuous and take the 
  form of a handy object striking the 
  target, like masonry collapsing on it 
  or a horse kicking it.
  Weapon
  Point 
  B. TN
  Near 
  TN
  Med. 
  TN
  Far 
  TN
  DR
  Witchfire
  5
  7
  9
  11
  Ca. 
  Successes
  In game terms, Witchfire manifests as a 
  ranged weapon of the launched type 
  (see Table 4.4), without the capability 
  to attack at Extreme Range and with 
  an AP cost for every +/– 1 on table 4.5, 
  taken from one Range band worse 
  than the actual attack (i.e. Near to 
  Extreme); Witchfire is notoriously 
  hard to aim precisely.
  The sorcerer utilizing Witch-
  fire makes Casting and Con-
  tainment Checks as normal. 
  Any Casting Success-
  es double as both the 
  Witchfire’s 
  eventual 
  Damage Rating, and as 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  210
  Proficiency dice for the Archery 
  Pool, which is Aim + Successes.
  Defense against Witch fire is pos-
  sible by Blocking and Evasion, ex-
  actly as against launched missiles 
  like arrows and bolts.
  However, to be able to defend 
  against it, the target must realize in 
  time what is coming his way.
  Most targets will thus need to pass a Sur-
  prise Check of Challenge Level 4 even if 
  they are watching the sorcerer intently. 
  Any previous experience with Witchfire 
  will make this Check one degree easier, as 
  will previous experience with Witchfire from 
  the same sorcerer, and already having been 
  attacked by Witchfire in the same Scene, for 
  a minimum Challenge Level of 1 if all three 
  apply (as per Table 4.0).
  A successful Precognition Skill Check 
  does away with the need for a Surprise 
  Check, as does any degree of the Occult-
  ism Skill, unless the target is in a situ-
  ation where he would have to 
  Check for Surprise even for a 
  mundane attack.
  If the Witchfire strike is 
  successful, hit location is 
  determined as with any 
  other missile weapon, i.e. by 
  rolling on Table 4.5 and then 
  the on the table for the corre-
  sponding Target Zone.
  The hit’s Impact Rating is 
  calculated by adding the original Casting 
  Successes to the QoS of the attack Roll (QoS 
  + Casting Successes). Both BN and AV protect 
  against Witchfire as normal. The Damage Ta-
  ble and AVs used are the ones most closely 
  corresponding to the manifestation of Witch-
  fire, or Cleaving if none seems to fit outright.
  The eldritch nature of sorcerers offers them 
  additional protection against Witchfire. Any 
  sorcerous character (A through C Sorcery Pri-
  ority) can use half his Power Attribute as ad-
  ditional AV against Witchfire strikes, or their 
  full Power if they know the Witchfire Mystery 
  themselves.
  Characters built with the E or F Sorcery 
  Priorities are particularly vulnerable against 
  Witchfire and may not use their BN ratings in 
  soaking up damage from it.
  4. GREATER MYSTERIES
  Not for naught had he gained access into darksome 
  cults, had harkened to the grisly whispers of the votaries 
  of Skelos under midnight trees, and read the forbidden 
  iron-bound books of Vathelos the Blind.
  Robert E. Howard, Black Colossus
  The two Greater Mysteries are:
  • GOETY
  • NECROMANCY
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  211
  GOETY - One of the two greater Mys-
  teries, this is the sorcery of conjuration, 
  command, and banishment of supernatural 
  creatures from beyond the boundaries of the 
  world, those commonly called demons. From 
  where these creatures originate is specific to 
  the setting – they may be from out of the dark 
  between the stars, from other dimensions, 
  from alien planets light years away, or some 
  other unfathomably strange place. The attitude 
  of these demons towards humanity and the 
  sorcerer also varies with the setting – it may 
  be anything from annoyed irritation to haugh-
  ty expectations of worship to all-consuming 
  hatred. Whatever it is, it is never friendly. The 
  Occultism Skill provides knowledge on the 
  outlook of demons, or at least what their out-
  look is perceived to be. What general type rit-
  ual the conjuration of such a demon requires 
  will depend again on the flavor of the setting. 
  The three necessary components of conjura-
  tion in all settings are purification of the sor-
  cerer (which might take anywhere from under 
  an hour to over a day, depending on the set-
  ting), a ritual taking from under ten minutes to 
  over an hour, and a blood sacrifice.
  The minimum sacrifice that is acceptable 
  again depends on the setting and might for ex-
  ample be a large mammal, a human being, or 
  a virgin. 
  To conjure the demon, the sorcerer makes 
  his Casting Check. His SP pool for this Casting 
  Check is modified by the result of a Difficult 
  Occultism Check; every Success the Occult-
  ism Check is short of the required 3 
  penalizes the SP pool by –1, while ev-
  ery Success over 3 adds +1 to it. The 
  second modifier is the extent of the 
  sacrifice. 
  The minimum sacrifice required 
  adds nothing, but every ‘step up’ from 
  this base (mammal to man and man to 
  virgin) adds +1 die, as does every time 
  the minimum is multiplied by 10. If the min-
  imum acceptable sacrifice is for example a 
  human being and the sorcerer offers up 10 vir-
  gins he receives +2 to his SP. 
  For the practiced sorcerer, piercing the 
  divides to the realms where demons dwell 
  isn’t difficult, but finding the one demon 
  he wants to conjure may well be, and the 
  search for the right one takes time, during 
  which the sorcerer’s consciousness is in close 
  contact with a very alien realm, expos-
  ing him to massive degrees of Taint. To 
  successfully conjure a demon into his 
  presence, the sorcerer needs to achieve 
  but 1 Success on his Casting Check. 
  However, for the summoned de-
  mon to be exactly the right one, 5 
  Casting Successes are necessary. 
  If the wrong demon is called 
  forth, its exact type depends 
  on the ref’s approach to de-
  mons. Some refs might 
  enjoy statting out long 
  catalogues of demons, 
  from which the sorcerer 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  212
  may choose one to conjure; if 
  that is the case, the ref choos-
  es another demon from the cata-
  logue, its difference in stats and 
  powers to the desired one being 1 
  point less or greater per each Casting 
  Success short of 5. Other refs may 
  allow players to stat out their own 
  demons; in that case, the ref changes 
  the Attribute total of the arriving demon by 
  2 points per Casting Success short of 5, or 
  adds or subtracts one special power per 
  Casting Success short of it. Please note 
  that all the changes should either make the 
  demon more or less powerful – which one 
  should be determined randomly. Whatever 
  the approach, the sorcerer has to state what 
  demon he wants to conjure before the dice 
  are resorted to, either by choosing one from 
  a list or by statting it out. 
  Should the sorcerer achieve more than 5 
  Casting Successes, the extra Successes 
  carry over as bonus dice to his SP for 
  the next stage of the summon-
  ing, the Coercion Check. This 
  Check represents the sorcerer 
  bargaining with the demon, 
  or intimidating it into com-
  pliance and is a second 
  Casting Check, with a SP al-
  ready impacted by any Taint 
  the sorcerer may have picked 
  up during the summoning 
  itself. The demon Opposes 
  this Casting Check with his worst Attri-
  bute, with +1 die added for every special 
  power it possesses. 
  Tying this Opposed Check yields an incon-
  clusive outcome, with the demon departing or 
  being pulled back to whence it came. If the 
  demon is victorious, it is unshackled from the 
  sorcerous constraints that held it during the 
  Coercion Check and is free to either attack 
  the summoner, depart, or stray into the world 
  to cause havoc. How long such an unbound 
  demon may roam the world depends on the 
  setting – it might be a day or a year per initial 
  Casting Success, or possibly for as long as the 
  sorcerer lives, or anything else. Should the de-
  mon choose to attack the sorcerer and manage 
  to incapacitate him (immobilize him through 
  grappling, knock him out, reduce his pools to 
  0 through Pain, etc.), he may and probably will 
  carry him off to its place of origin, never to be 
  heard of again. 
  For the remainder of the scene in which the 
  sorcerer failed his Opposed Coercion Check 
  against the demon, he is at +1 TN in all actions 
  directed against this demon. In addition, and 
  cumulative with that +1 TN, he is +2 TN to 
  use Goety against this demon for as long as it 
  remains free in the world. 
  If the sorcerer is victorious in the Coercion 
  Check, he may demand a number of tasks 
  from the demon equal to his QoS. A task is 
  defined as a simple, straightforward service, 
  for instance attempting to kill a single person. 
  If fulfillment of this task requires travel over a 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  213
  greater distance than a few hundred me-
  ters, this counts as a separate task, as does 
  returning to the sorcerer (should the sorcerer 
  demand this). If the place where the demon is 
  to travel to is ill defined or entirely undefined, 
  for instance when slaying a person whose cur-
  rent exact location is unknown to the sorcerer, 
  determining the locale also counts as a sepa-
  rate task. 
  Similarly, if a task can only be accomplished 
  in stages, each stage also counts as a task of its 
  own. Finally, if a task requires more than an 
  hour of the demon’s time, every doubling of 
  this initial span of time also counts as a task all 
  of its own. The exception to this is when the 
  task is to merely guard a stationary person or 
  item, or a locale; in this case, with no travel-
  ling required of the demon, the initial span of 
  time for the task is a day, not an hour. 
  Please note that demons travel virtually in-
  stantaneously as long as they are not carrying 
  living beings; if they are to take along a living 
  being their travel times are determined by their 
  mode and speed of locomotion. Examples: 
  “Fetch me the sceptre of King Yezdigerd.” – 
  4 tasks (1 base + 1 travel to location + 1 loca-
  tion ill-defined + 1 return to sorcerer). 
  “Kill Conan.” – 3 tasks (1 base + 1 travel to 
  location + 1 location undefined). 
  “Carry me to the top of Mount Yimsha.” – 2 
  tasks (1 base + 1 time), assuming a travel time 
  of over one but no more than two hours. 
  “Fetch me the Heart of Ahriman from the 
  vaults of the temple of Mitra.” – 6 tasks (1 base 
  + 1 travel to location + 1 location 
  ill-defined + 1 overcoming magical 
  wards + 1 defeating guardian of the 
  Heart + 1 return to sorcerer), and a 
  hefty chance of failing with ward and 
  guardian. 
  If the scope of such service is clear 
  at the moment of the Coercion attempt, 
  any shortage of the required number of 
  Successes results in the demon declaring that 
  the sorcerer is asking too much and returning 
  from whence it came, but if the scope is vari-
  able, as in killing an unspecified number of 
  persons or guarding something for as long as 
  possible, the demon will, provided that the 
  sorcerer was successful at all, at least begin 
  the task, but will abandon it as soon as the 
  sorcerer’s Successes are ‘spent.’ 
  Sometimes, a sorcerer will want to banish a 
  demon. This is relatively straightforward 
  in the case of a demon he himself con-
  jured, as he is already familiar with the 
  demon and its attributes, but it is more 
  difficult if the demon was conjured 
  by somebody else. In this latter 
  case, the sorcerer must make an 
  Occultism Check at Legendary 
  difficulty; and for every Success 
  short of 5, his sorcery pool to 
  banish the demon is penal-
  ized by 1.
  The banishing ritu-
  al itself takes anywhere 
  from half a minute to 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  214
  several minutes, and again is 
  setting-specific. Once the ritual 
  has been begun, the demon can-
  not leave the immediate surround-
  ings of the sorcerer, but must re-
  main both within earshot and sight. 
  He may not attack the sorcerer, who 
  is protected by the ritual he has in-
  voked, but is otherwise free to do as he 
  pleases, including trying to kill the sorcerer’s 
  companions and causing havoc to distract 
  the sorcerer or even harm him indirectly, 
  for example by setting ablaze the sorcerer’s 
  immediate surroundings. 
  The sorcerer’s Casting Check is opposed 
  by the demon’s worst Attribute, with +1 die 
  bonus per special power it possesses. To ban-
  ish a demon successfully, the sorcerer has to 
  emerge victorious from the contest; a tie or a 
  defeat for the sorcerer allows the demon to 
  remain. If a sorcerer does successfully ban-
  ish a demon he did not himself conjure 
  in the first place, he accrues only one 
  third the normal Taint (after 
  the Containment Check is 
  made), unless the Contain-
  ment Check results in a Taint 
  discharge, in which case 
  he accumulates the ordi-
  nary amount of Taint. 
  A few quick guidelines to 
  the power of demons:
  Demons never have HT 
  scores, not even the succu-
  bus-like ones. CG is used instead, where 
  necessary. 
  Demons should not have Attribute scores 
  much higher than 12, and their lowest Attri-
  bute should not normally be less than a quar-
  ter of their highest. Their Proficiency scores in 
  all their modes of attack should be identical to 
  Reflex, or very close to it, or to Aim in case of 
  ranged attacks. Their DR with special forms of 
  attack like fire breathing should be very close 
  to the DR of more mundane forms of attack 
  like bites. If the demon knows any Mysteries 
  (which would have to be purchased as a spe-
  cial power), its rating in it should be identical, 
  or very close to, its TY. 
  Demons may have additional traits that 
  are in line with their physical appearance – a 
  winged demon should for example be able to 
  fly, or a very shaggy demon have some kind of 
  AV. Only traits that are not reflected by their 
  appearance or that go clearly beyond anything 
  a mundane animal might exhibit should be re-
  garded as ‘special powers’ in the sense referred 
  to repeatedly above. This includes special 
  forms of attack like hypnosis or acid spitting, 
  any armor beyond AV 2 or not reflected by the 
  demon’s appearance, useful special abilities 
  like fast regeneration or ultramundane modes 
  of movement like shifting through walls, and 
  anything else along these lines. 
  Special powers to some degree also include 
  bulk, and the accompanying reduction of 
  damage, as for large and huge animals. A de-
  mon should receive one of these traits for free 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  215
  only if he is very clearly bulky enough for 
  it – the trait ‘large’ should for example only 
  be applied for free if the demon is of a bulk 
  where one would otherwise already consider 
  assigning the trait ‘huge’; otherwise, the trait 
  needs to be purchased as a special power. If a 
  demon who would not even receive the trait 
  ‘large’ for free is to be ‘huge’, this counts as 
  two special powers. 
  Size and bulk also extend to the special trait 
  of some large creatures to fully engage several 
  opponents at the same time, acting on their 
  respective Limelights. Being able to engage a 
  second opponent should only be assigned for 
  free if the demon is both huge and of a bodi-
  ly configuration to suggest this; otherwise, it 
  has to be purchased as a special power, as do 
  the ability to engage every single further op-
  ponent.
  Both players and ref should realize that 
  Goety is very powerful and versatile, and 
  that every summoning requires two Casting 
  Checks (Conjuration and Coercion) and thus 
  two Checks to contain Taint. Trafficking with 
  entities from beyond the human domain is a 
  sure way to amass Taint quickly.
  NECROMANCY - Necromancy deals with 
  calling up the dead from the beyond, but not 
  to revive them as undead – even though the 
  art of Necromancy can also open the door to 
  this unholy pursuit – but rather to question 
  the shades of the deceased and thereby learn 
  secrets beyond human ken. Where Goety al-
  lows the sorcerer to exert power in 
  the world, Necromancy enables him 
  to learn things about the world. 
  At the core of necromancy is the 
  calling up the spirit of a particular de-
  ceased person. How exactly this spirit 
  manifests itself, whether as a tradition-
  al ghost, or a disembodied voice from 
  the grave, or maybe a vision in a mirror, 
  is specific to the setting, but in any case, 
  the spirit thus summoned is unable to 
  affect the physical world, save per-
  haps with a Complication on its 
  Containment Check. 
  To summon a spirit from the 
  underworld, 
  the 
  sorcerer 
  must at least know the de-
  ceased’s name; if the 
  name is unknown, it 
  cannot be summoned at 
  all. The SP for the Necro-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  216
  mancy Mystery is modified as 
  follows: 
  In addition to knowing the 
  name, at least one of the following 
  three things must also apply for the 
  summoning to be possible at all. If 
  two of them apply, the sorcerer re-
  ceives +1 to his SP, and +2 if all three 
  apply:
  • +spec. if the sorcerer is in the presence 
  of the person’s mortal remains
  • +spec. if the sorcerer has one or more 
  items at hand that were of great personal 
  importance to the person while alive
  • +spec. if the sorcerer is in the place 
  where the person died
  Further SP modifiers:
  • +1 if the sorcerer knew the person in life
  • +1 if the sorcerer knows extensive and 
  correct biographic details of the person 
  (equivalent of at least twenty pages of 
  writing)
  • 
  +1 if the sorcerer is a direct de-
  scendant of the person
  • 
  -1 if the person has been 
  dead for longer than a month
  • 
  -1 if the person has been 
  dead for longer than a year 
  (cumulative with above)
  • -1 if the person has been 
  dead for longer than 10 years 
  (cumulative with above)
  • -1 if the person has been 
  dead for longer than 100 
  years (cumulative with above)
  • -1 if the person has been dead for 
  longer than 1000 years (cumulative with 
  above)
  The sorcerer makes his Casting Check, 
  which is opposed by the spirit’s TY modified 
  cumulatively as follows: 
  • +1 spirit was a powerful person (sorcer-
  er, nobleman, wealthy merchant, ranking 
  priest) 
  • +1 spirit was an independent ruler or 
  head of a cult 
  • +1 spirit knew one or more Lesser sor-
  cerous Mysteries 
  • +1 spirit knew one or two Greater sor-
  cerous Mysteries
  • +1 spirit knew Necromancy (cumula-
  tive with above; sorcerers knowing just 
  Goety get +1, those knowing Necroman-
  cy or both Necromancy and Goety gain 
  +2)
  If the spirit is victorious or ties the sorcer-
  er, the spirit does not appear and the sorcerer 
  cannot attempt to summon this spirit again for 
  a number of months equal to the spirit’s total 
  number of Successes (not just the surpassing 
  ones), unless he achieves a change in sum-
  moning circumstances in his favour, i.e. attains 
  better summoning modifiers than his last at-
  tempt. 
  If the sorcerer is victorious, the spirit must 
  answer one question per Success of the sorcer-
  er (total Successes, not just surpassing ones) 
  to his best ability. Asking a question the spirit 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  217
  cannot answer uses up one of the sorcer-
  er’s questions.
  Spirits know first and foremost details from 
  their own life, but they seem to also learn from 
  other spirits and therefore know much about 
  things that have come to pass after their death, 
  but know nothing that is only known to per-
  sons still alive. 
  They also seem to keep track less of more 
  recent events than earlier ones, or maybe they 
  have had too little time to learn about more re-
  cent events. To see whether a spirit knows the 
  answer to any given question, the spirit’s TY 
  (not SY) is checked, with the following num-
  bers of Successes required:
  • 0 if it pertains to something from the spir-
  it’s own life
  • +1 if it pertains to something from the 
  spirit’s walk of life that has happened in 
  the geographical area of the spirit’s life
  • +2 if it pertains to either something from 
  the spirit’s walk of life that has happened 
  outside his geographical area of life or to 
  something outside the spirit’s walk of life 
  that has happened in his geographical 
  area of life
  • +3 if it pertains to something both out-
  side the spirit’s walk of life and outside 
  his geographical area of life
  • +1 if it pertains to something that has 
  happened either closer to the present 
  time than the spirit’s time of death (e.g. 
  within the last 10 years if the spirit died 
  20 years ago) or that has happened a lon-
  ger time before his birth than he 
  is dead (e.g. more than 20 years 
  before his birth if the spirit died 
  20 years ago). This is cumula-
  tive with all modifiers above.
  • +1 if it pertains to something 
  that has happened either within 
  the recent 10% of time since the 
  spirit’s time of death (e.g. within 
  the last 2 years if the spirit died 20 years 
  ago) or that has happened more than 
  five times as long as he is dead before 
  the time of his birth (e.g. more than 100 
  years before his birth if the spirit died 20 
  years ago). This is cumulative with all 
  modifiers above.
  • +1 if it pertains to something that has 
  happened either within the recent 1% 
  of time since the spirit’s time of death 
  (e.g. within the last 0.2 years if the 
  spirit died 20 years ago) or that 
  has happened more than twenty 
  times as long as he is dead before 
  the time of his birth (e.g. more 
  than 400 years before his birth 
  if the spirit died 20 years 
  ago). This is cumulative 
  with all modifiers above.
  Spirits will not or cannot 
  answer questions pertain-
  ing to the afterlife itself, 
  including questions as 
  to whether they are well 
  or unwell in the afterlife 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  218
  or if they are acquainted to a 
  certain person’s spirit. Any such 
  question is a wasted one.
  Spirits can only report about 
  things that were known to a person 
  – any person, really – in life, pro-
  vided this person is by now dead. 
  If something is only known to living 
  persons, no spirit can know it.
  5. ARCANE SECRETS
  The final layer of magic is the Arcane 
  Secrets of ancient sages, single, incredible 
  acts of sorcery transcending the limits of 
  any single Mystery. Arcane Secrets are just 
  that – secret, only whispered in occult cir-
  cles, legends about what this or that famous 
  sorcerer was able to accomplish. 
  Not even the most powerful sorcerer of yore 
  knew all of them, and most of these legend-
  ary masters of eldritch power probably knew 
  only a handful. Still, this was enough to 
  make them the stuff of legend.
  With sorcery being no science, no Ar-
  cane Secret can ever be researched, and no 
  new one can be discovered, not if a thousand 
  lifetimes were spent on this pursuit. Sorcerers 
  desiring to learn one of these legendary acts 
  of sorcery must track down a source where it 
  might be obtained. 
  One possible source is the most powerful 
  living sorcerers, who might, just might, know 
  a few of them – though getting them to impart 
  this knowledge is a different matter. 
  Another source is demonic beings of im-
  mense power, which might be prevailed upon 
  to share their knowledge – or perhaps not. The 
  innermost circles of some cults or secret soci-
  eties, usually of the more unwholesome vari-
  ety, might also guard knowledge of one or two 
  Arcane Secrets. 
  Another possible source are the shades of 
  dead legendary sorcerers rumoured to have 
  possessed such knowledge, though their de-
  ceased consciousness will often be too frac-
  tured to give anything more but telling hints 
  – if they can be summoned at all. 
  The most uncommon and rarest source are 
  written ones, often not so much in the form 
  of books, but rather things like inscriptions in 
  some sanctum of an accursed temple – sorcer-
  ers being a jealous lot, most who manage to 
  track down a written source will destroy it to 
  prevent others from ever profiting from it.
  Needless to say, tracking down Arcane Se-
  crets opens up an avenue of adventure of sor-
  cerer PCs.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  219
  To be able to learn any Arcane Secrets 
  at all, a sorcerer must be proficient in at 
  least one Greater Mystery. There may well be 
  other prerequisites, such as skill in a specific 
  Greater or Lesser Mystery, but practical knowl-
  edge of a Greater Mystery is always a prereq-
  uisite, even without being noted specifically.
  The following is a selection of Arcane Se-
  crets, to give refs a feeling for the scope of 
  what they can accomplish. Refs are encour-
  aged not only to customise the names of these 
  Arcane Secrets, but also to disallow any or all 
  of them, or to create additional ones, as fits 
  their campaign. 
  The total number of Arcane Secrets existing 
  in any one setting is of course up to the ref, 
  but to us anything under 5 seems miserly and 
  anything over 20 much too lavish.
  ABOMINATION
  Prerequisite: Goety & Mending
  This hours long extended ritual must be 
  conducted, with slight alterations, every week 
  during about the first third of the pregnancy 
  over the body of a woman who is either a 
  willing participant or else powerless to resist. 
  It changes the embryo into some monstrosity, 
  whose eventual birth will almost certainly kill 
  the mother.
  When the abomination is born, the sorcer-
  er Checks the worse of his Goety or Mending 
  pool to determine how much demonic energy 
  he was able to infuse into the unborn, spend-
  ing his Successes on this unopposed Check to 
  purchase changes in the infant. For 
  every Success, he may either:
  Increase human minimum, aver-
  age and maximum value of one At-
  tribute by +2 or impart one useful 
  feature like horns, fangs, poison, func-
  tional wings, up to 2 points of natural 
  AV, etc., or grant an Asset.
  By default, without spending any Suc-
  cesses, the abomination will always have –1 
  SY, –1 HT, and +2 BN, and it will always look 
  decidedly inhuman and bestial. 
  Actual looks depend on what essence the 
  sorcerer infused into the embryo; the abomi-
  nation will always have clear visual traits of 
  one species of animal or legendary creature: 
  in some settings, this Arcane Secret may be 
  tied to imparting a specific essence, with all 
  abominations looking similar; for example, a 
  setting-specific Abomination Arcane Se-
  cret may be called “Son of the Bull” 
  and always produce minotaur-like 
  creatures.
  In any case, the abomination will 
  grow into adulthood at about five 
  times the speed of a human – and 
  it will only be as loyal to its cre-
  ator as the sorcerer is able to 
  make it by any means at his 
  disposal.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  220
  THE ACOLYTE’S CLAW
  Prerequisite: Goety & Mend-
  ing
  This Arcane Secret is no sorcer-
  ous spell at all, but rather a supreme-
  ly deadly martial art harnessing the 
  sorcerer’s eldritch power into smooth 
  movements and devastating blows. It 
  is usable only for hand strikes and Ma-
  neuvers conducted with the empty hands, 
  and for Evasion hand parries – which are 
  possible without any chance of harm to the 
  arm even against weapons. For all these 
  actions, the Melee Pool consists of Reflex + 
  Brawling + Goety.
  Depending on the group’s preferences for 
  the setting, the hand strikes take one the fol-
  lowing two forms:
  1) The hand hits with Blunt DR +1 and 
  causes additional Shock equal to the Wound 
  Level.
  2) The hand hits with Piercing DR 
  - 1 or Cleaving Swing DR 0, and all 
  AVs protect against it at only 
  quarter value – the sorcerer 
  practically reaches through 
  the armor and into the body.
  ANIMATE THE DEAD
  Prerequisite: Necromancy
  With this ritual lasting 30 minutes to an 
  hour, the sorcerer can animate a dead body 
  to a semblance of life and thereby create an 
  undead. 
  This Arcane Secret is intended to work on 
  embalmed mummies and reasonably fresh 
  corpses still physically largely intact, but may 
  in some settings also work on largely decom-
  posed corpses. If this is the case, such animat-
  ed skeletons do not receive the +1 BN of other 
  animated corpses (see below).
  To create a classic shambling corpse or 
  skeleton: Such undead are almost mindless 
  (equivalent of SY 1) and without memory or 
  personality, but very loyal to their creator, 
  whose commands they are unable to resist. 
  They have the same Attributes as when alive, 
  but both their HT and TY are limited by their 
  SY score, thus usually being 1 (in any case, 
  HT is only applicable to animated corpses that 
  are not obviously dead). Animated dead re-
  ceive –1 Move and +1 BN and are completely 
  immune against Blood Loss, and virtually so 
  against Pain; instead of subtracting TY from 
  Pain, all their Pain is flat out reduced by 10.
  To animate the corpse, the sorcerer’s Necro-
  mancy pool is checked. A single Success cre-
  ates an undead, and the sorcerer may spend 
  his additional Successes to purchase:
  Limited reasoning capacity for the undead – 
  every Success spent grants +1 SY.
  Great strength and ferocity – every Success 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  221
  spent grants +1 BN and +1 Proficiency.
  Skill at arms – every Success spent grants 
  3 Proficiency points (maximum 9).
  Increased durability – every Success spent 
  increases the life expectancy of the undead by 
  a factor of ten (base is one year).
  Multiple undead – a sorcerer can animate 
  any number of corpses at once. He has to 
  expend the Successes for the most powerful 
  or durable undead, with every additional un-
  dead requiring only 1 Success, even though it 
  may be of equal power as the first one. With 
  6 casting Successes, a sorcerer could therefore 
  animate 6 “basic” undead, or 5 undead with 
  BN +1 and Proficiency +1 (2 Successes for first 
  one and 1 Success for every additional one).
  For as long as the corpse is animated, it will 
  not continue to decay.
  BIND THE SOUL
  Prerequisite: Necromancy
  This Arcane Secret forces a dead person’s 
  soul into a body, in the process evicting the 
  owner’s soul.
  To conduct this hour-long ritual, the sorcer-
  er must first conjure a deceased person’s soul, 
  as normal for the Mystery of Necromancy. In-
  stead of questioning the soul, he instead con-
  ducts the ritual, anchoring the conjured soul 
  in another’s body. 
  During the ritual, the host body must be 
  conscious and either a willing participant (un-
  likely) or else restrained.
  The sorcerer makes a Casting Check with 
  his Necromancy pool, which both 
  the inserted soul and the body’s owner 
  may resist with HT. If either the vic-
  tim or the soul is victorious or ties the 
  sorcerer, the sorcery fails and the soul 
  returns to whatever place souls inhabit 
  in the afterlife. 
  If the sorcerer however wins both 
  Opposed Checks, the host body’s soul is 
  driven out and passes irrevocably into the af-
  terlife, as if the body had died, and the insert-
  ed soul now inhabits the body, until the body 
  dies and the soul returns, once again, to the 
  afterlife.
  If a sorcerer happens also to know An-
  imate the Dead, he can substitute a dead 
  (and thus soulless) animated body for a liv-
  ing one. The animated corpse will then func-
  tion with the SY of the soul inhabiting it, and 
  will be unable to disobey the sorcerer’s 
  direct orders, as is normal for animated 
  corpses. 
  If the sorcerer uses the conjured 
  soul’s own body, the animation of the 
  corpse last indefinitely – the soul 
  from then on inhabits an undead 
  but deathless body, potentially 
  forever.
  Forcing a deceased’s soul 
  back into a body will most 
  likely result in a de-
  ranged version of the 
  original 
  person. 
  The 
  more Casting Successes 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  222
  the sorcerer achieves, the more 
  likely will the resulting com-
  pound of soul and body to be sane. 
  Achieving but a single Success 
  signifies total and utter madness, 
  with more Successes making the re-
  sulting being increasingly normal; 6 
  Successes are required for complete 
  sanity.
  BLIGHT
  Prerequisite: Goety & Cursing
  In a ritual of roughly one hour’s dura-
  tion, the sorcerer curses a land and afflicts 
  it with a terrible blight. A single “unit” of 
  land with either geographical (e.g. a valley 
  or an island) or political (e.g. a county or a 
  city state) boundaries of up to about 5.000 
  km² can be affected.
  The sorcerer makes the Casting Check 
  with the worse of Goety and Cursing. Every 
  Success reduces the yield of next harvest 
  by about a third, applicable to all ag-
  ricultural produce either an-
  imal or vegetal; 3 Successes 
  therefore destroy a harvest 
  utterly. Any Successes over 
  3 either extend the dura-
  tion by doubling the num-
  ber of harvests destroyed or 
  (caster’s choice) doubles the 
  number of adjactent “units” 
  of land affected, or a combi-
  nation thereof. 7 Successes 
  will for example utterly destroy the next 
  sixteen harvests, or this harvest for sixteen 
  regions, or any combination.
  CHARIOT OF SORCERY
  Prerequisite: Goety & Necromancy
  By means of this ritual the sorcerer perma-
  nently enchants some kind of vehicle over the 
  course of one week to one month of labour. 
  With 1 Success on the Casting Check (made 
  with the worse of either Goety or Necromany 
  SP) the vehicle may be the size of a chariot, 
  palanquin or rowboat. 
  Additional Successes can be expended to 
  allow for larger vehicles: 1 additional Success 
  allows for a vehicle the size of a carriage or 
  small sailboat, 2 for one the size a very small 
  ship, 3 for one the size of small to mid-sized 
  ship, etc.
  Successes can also be expended to pur-
  chase sorcerous qualities for the vehicle. 1 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  223
  Success may purchase:
  An untiring crew or team
  The capability to move without crew or 
  team (requires an untiring crew having been 
  purchased)
  An unusual type of locomotion (e.g. flying, 
  diving, or burrowing) at a reasonable base 
  speed 
  Being faster than normal by 50% (per Suc-
  cess)
  Being bigger on the inside than on the out-
  side by 50% (per Success)
  Locomotion for a structure that isn’t a vehi-
  cle (e.g. a walking hut)
  The vehicle will always be most conspicu-
  oulsy sorcerous in nature. If the sorcerer de-
  sires that it look mundane and innocuous, he 
  is obliged to spend 1 Casting Success to pur-
  chase such an appearance.
  Usually, the vehicle can only utilize its sor-
  cerous means of locomotion if the sorcerer 
  who has created it is on board, though it may 
  be appropriate for some settings to allow any 
  sorcerer of sufficient might to control the craft.
  ELDRITCH EFFIGIES
  Prerequisite: Goety & Enslavement
  By use of this sorcerous ritual of a single 
  Limelight duration, the sorcerer splits himself 
  into as many versions of himself as he achieves 
  Casting Successes. Depending on the setting 
  these new versions of himself may either step 
  out of him or simply appear in his vicinity.
  The simulacra must stay in each others’ 
  presence. While they need not en-
  gage in identical activities, they can 
  only engage in similiar activities. If 
  one engages in conversation, the oth-
  ers must speak as well or at least look 
  at the interlocutor. If one is resting, the 
  others must not run or walk around. 
  If one is fighting, the others must fight 
  as well (not necessarily the same oppo-
  nent) or at least circle an opponent warily. If 
  one is reading, the others may not sleep, or run 
  around, or fight, or chat. While the effigies do 
  not have to move in identical ways what they 
  are doing needs to somehow mirror what all 
  the others are doing. The exception to this is 
  that it is always possible for the sorcerer to 
  will one or more effigies remain completely 
  passive.
  Effigies are completely real and can be in-
  teracted with in any way a human can. 
  This extends to their clothing and per-
  sonal effects, though these can nei-
  ther be given nor wrested away. Should 
  some possession somehow pass from 
  an effigy, both effigy and item im-
  mediately dissolve, unless it is 
  the effigy currently housing the 
  sorcerer’s essence (see below), 
  in which case the possession 
  passes from the effigy - and 
  also vanishes from all 
  others.
  While all the effi-
  gies are the sorcerer, and 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  224
  equally real and equally sorcer-
  ous in nature, only one holds 
  the sorcerer’s essence at any giv-
  en time. Which one is utterly in-
  discernible, and the sorcerer may 
  change this instantly, at a thought. 
  Theoretically, he could easily shift 
  his essence a dozen times within 
  the span of a single Exchange. Should 
  the effigy holding his essence be killed or 
  knocked out, the sorcerer will have ample 
  time to shift his essence to another effigy, 
  provided he is conscious.
  In combat, every effigy suffers wounds, 
  Shock, Pain, Blood Loss etc. individually. The 
  sorcerer himself suffers only from the wound 
  effects of the effigy currently housing his es-
  sence. After this sorcery has run its course, he 
  retains the wound affecting the final effigy he 
  inhabited at its end, which may be none at 
  all. It does not matter what the other effigies 
  have suffered
  The sorcerer may also work sorcery 
  while split into several effigies, 
  but only with the effigy cur-
  rently housing his essence. 
  While he invokes sorcery, the 
  other effigies will either re-
  main passive or very closely 
  mirror his words and gestures, 
  in which case the sorcery will 
  manifest in a manner not giv-
  ing away what effigy has ac-
  tually worked it.
  The sorcerer can dissolve any or all of the 
  effigies at any time. If he does not do so pre-
  maturely, they will fade at the end of the scene 
  or after about half an hour, whatever is most 
  appropriate.
  FIRESTORM
  Prerequisite:  Cursing & Witchfire
  This Arcane Secret imparts knowledge of 
  a ritual of three Limelights’ duration and al-
  lows the sorcerer to spread out the effect of his 
  Witchfire Mystery over a vast area, targeting 
  everybody within it.
  The affected area must somehow be logi-
  cally delineated, like an army, a fleet, a cas-
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  225
  tle, a village, or a city (which is about the 
  largest area that can be affected). A storm 
  of Witchfire attacks will erupt in this area, tar-
  geting people within it at random and lasting 
  for one Limelight (or about 30 seconds) per 
  Success on the Casting Check made with the 
  worse SP of either Cursing or Witchfire.
  During this time a base of about 50 people 
  will be hit (not merely attacked) by Witchfire. 
  This number doubles with every addition-
  al Casting Success. A Firestorm called down 
  upon an army with 7 Casting Successes would 
  therefore roll over that army for about three 
  to four minutes and strike down roughly 3200 
  people. Considering the probable raw power 
  of any sorcerer knowing Firestorm, all normal 
  victims of it can be considered killed or very 
  nearly dead.
  If special characters like PCs are among the 
  group affected, it should be randomly deter-
  mined whether they are attacked or not, based 
  upon the actual statistical likelihood of this 
  occurring, though slanted towards an attack 
  occurring. If the character is attacked, the orig-
  inal Casting dice are rolled again against TN 
  6 for a QoS of the hit, which can be defend-
  ed against as per the rules for Witchfire. If he 
  is hit, the Impact Rating is QoS + the Casting 
  Successes just rolled.
  HAND OF DOOM
  Prerequisite: Goety & Necroman-
  cy
  This is a dreadful Arcane Secret 
  that can be easily cast almost instanta-
  neously, definitely in a single Limelight. 
  The sorcerer calls words of power and 
  extends his hand towards a target within 
  no more than 10 meters and invokes cer-
  tain entities. 
  He then makes a Casting Check with the 
  worse of his Goety or Necromancy, which the 
  victim can resist with TY.
  If the victim is victorious or ties the sorcer-
  er, he feels merely intense pain, the equiva-
  lent of Pain equal to the dice in the sorcerer’s 
  pool for this Arcane Secret; this Pain is halved 
  with every passing Combat Round until it dis-
  appears and subsides, but unreduced by TY. 
  If the sorcerer is however victori-
  ous by but a single Success, one of 
  the victim’s organs (sorcerer’s choice) 
  will burst out of the victim’s body, rip-
  ping through any clothing and armor, 
  and jump into the sorcerer’s out-
  stretched hand. 
  Alternatively, the sorcerer can 
  decide to rip off a limb, includ-
  ing the head. Depending on 
  the organ, death is ei-
  ther instant or follows 
  within seconds from 
  blood loss and system 
  shock.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  226
  MASTER THE BEAST
  Prerequisite: Goety & En-
  slavement
  This short ritual, easily complet-
  ed within a single Limelight, calls lo-
  cal animals into the sorcerer’s pres-
  ence, enables them to understand his 
  wishes and forces them to his bidding 
  for the duration of the current scene, af-
  ter which they will disperse again. 
  Animals begin to arrive in the sorcerer’s 
  presence as soon as he finishes the ritual, 
  and continue to arrive in great numbers – 
  greater numbers than could conceivably 
  exist in the sorcerer’s vicinity. It is therefore 
  theorized that this Arcane Secret not only 
  calls animals, but actually also brings them 
  into being.
  The type of animals is always one specif-
  ic, locally existing species, and the species 
  that can be called must always be one that 
  has something sinister to it. Scorpi-
  ons, snakes, spiders, centipedes, 
  crows, vultures, wolves, hye-
  nas, jackals, bats, cats, and 
  crocodiles are possible, but 
  doves, horses and rabbits 
  are not. In some settings, 
  there may be further lim-
  itations as to the species that 
  can be invoked.
  The Casting Check is 
  made out of the worse of 
  the sorcerer’s Goety or En-
  slavement pool, and every Success results 
  in about 150 small animals like scorpions 
  and spiders answering the call, or about 50 
  mid-sized animals like jackals and vultures, or 
  about 15 large animals like crocodiles.
  MOLD THE FLESH
  Prerequisite: Goety & Necromancy
  This Arcane Secret imparts knowledge of a 
  surprisingly short ritual, easily completed in 
  but a single Limelight that allows the sorcer-
  er to temporarily shift his shape into another 
  creature’s, thereby attaining all this creature’s 
  physical characteristics.
  Mechanically, the worse of the sorcerer’s 
  Goety or Necromancy pool is checked, with 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  227
  every Success allowing the sorcerer to re-
  tain the changed shape for up to 15 min-
  utes; he can however end the sorcery and shift 
  back at any anterior time.
  Exactly what animal shape can be assumed 
  will vary from campaign to campaign but as a 
  guideline should be one between one twenti-
  eth and five times the sorcerer’s own mass. 
  Normally, it will have to be a type of animal 
  that has something sinister to it (see Master the 
  Beast), but if the ref waives this requirement 
  he is encouraged to instead limit the power of 
  this Arcane Secret by having it impart only the 
  ability to shift into one specific type of animal 
  and require it to be “rediscovered” for every 
  additional species.
  PLAGUE WIND
  Prerequisite: Necromancy & Mending
  This Arcane Secret imparts knowledge of 
  how to conduct a lengthy ritual requiring sev-
  eral hours to complete that will afflict an area 
  with a very deadly plague. The area where the 
  plague first appears must be one with distinct 
  political or geographical boundaries, exactly 
  as with Blight, but it will spread naturally be-
  yond this area.
  For every Success on the Casting Check, 
  which is made with the worse of the Mending 
  and Necromancy pool, about 10 % of the peo-
  ple in the boundary at the time of the casting 
  will contract the plague, some immediately, 
  some as much as ten days after the casting. 
  Of those who contract it 50% + 5% per 
  Casting Success will die from it. 
  Casting Successes also give a gauge of 
  how easy it is for people not origi-
  nally within the area affected by the 
  Arcane Secret to contract the plague 
  later on: 1 Success would mean that 
  actual ingesting of body fluids is nec-
  essary to contract it, while 10 Success-
  es would mean that just being within a 
  few meters of a plague carrier would suffice.
  The severity of the plague deteriorates over 
  time. Every week after the casting, the effective 
  number of Casting Successes is reduced by 1. 
  Still, a very successful application of this Ar-
  cane Secret might practically depopulate a 
  country.
  PORTAL
  Prerequisite: Goety & Necromancy
  By use of this ritual the sorcerer es-
  tablishes a link between two locales, 
  no matter how distant, effectively 
  conjoining those locales and allowing 
  things and beings from one to pass 
  through to the other.
  Opening a portal to a location 
  the sorcerer is currently seeing 
  or familiar with requires but 1 
  Casting Success on the Check 
  made with the worse of 
  either Goety or Necro-
  mancy SP. A portal to a 
  place he has only visit-
  ed once or twice requires 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  228
  2 Successes, and one to a place 
  he has never visited but is well 
  informed about requires 3 Success-
  es. He cannot open a gateway to 
  any locale he has no knowledge of.
  The aspects of the portal that may 
  be crafted fall under these broad cat-
  egories:
  Direction - A portal is usually two-
  way. Making it one-way uses up 1 Success. 
  This being exactly the other way around 
  may be more appropriate for some settings, 
  though.
  Access - The portal is by default open 
  to everybody. Limiting it to the sorcerer’s use 
  alone (in any or all directions) uses up 1 Suc-
  cess.
  Size - By default, the portal admits up to 
  human-sized creatures or things. Widening it 
  to admit large ones uses up 1 Success, and 
  huge ones yet another Success. Expending 
  a third Success makes it large enough to 
  sail a ship through it.
  Duration - A portal stays 
  open for a single Combat 
  Round. Expending addition-
  al Successes extends this to 
  a Limelight, a scene (or 
  about half an hour), a day, 
  a month, a year, a decade, 
  and permanent, in this order.
  The sorcerer must delin-
  eate these desired properties 
  before the Check is made, 
  and if necessary successes fall short, the 
  portal does either not open at all or else is 
  unstable, and before failing generates a unique 
  Complication related to some property of the 
  portal,  falling on any who still dare to brave it.
  The ritual to establish this gateway usually 
  requires about an hour, but in an emergency 
  the sorcerer may rip it open quickly and vio-
  lently in but a single Combat Round. This re-
  quires three times the ordinary number of total 
  Casting Successes for the desired portal.
  SHAKE THE BONES OF THE EARTH
  Prerequisite: Goety
  With this ritual’s duration of about an hour 
  or two, the sorcerer creates a violent earth-
  quake.
  The effect is slightly setting-specific, as its 
  mechanics orient themselves after the sturdiest 
  building technique and materials available in 
  the campaign. For every Success of the Cast-
  ing Check made with the worse of Goety or 
  Witchfire SP about 5% of the buildings of this 
  top durability are completely destroyed by the 
  earthquake and another 10% heavily dam-
  aged. Less sturdy buildings are of course af-
  fected to a greater degree.
  The area affected at full strength has a di-
  ameter of about half a kilometre, with areas 
  farther out being struck by less violent tremors. 
  The epicentre of the full strength is surrounded 
  by concentric rings of about half a kilometre 
  each, with each being affected with a severi-
  ty of 1 less Success. Alternatively, the sorcerer 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  229
  may forgo to have anything outside the 
  epicenter affected, invoking a blatantly sor-
  cerous, sharply delineated earthquake.
  WHISPER MY NAME IN FEAR
  Prerequisite: Prophecy, Scrying
  Once a sorcerer learns this Secret, he will 
  know from that moment on whenever his 
  name is spoken anywhere in the world. If 
  somebody utters the sorcerer’s name, the sor-
  cerer immediately and unfailingly learns this 
  person’s name, location, identity (e.g. farmer, 
  nobleman, soldier, etc.), in what context his 
  name was spoken (e.g. hostile, reverential, in 
  awe, plotting, etc.), and also the names and 
  identities of this person’s interlocutors. 
  There is no Check involved. In short, the 
  sorcerer cannot be spoken of anymore without 
  him becoming aware of it.
  The one chance to avoid drawing the sor-
  cerer’s attention is not using his name but re-
  ferring to him obliquely. Speaking about the 
  sorcerer in that way requires an Amazing CG 
  Check for it not to be noticed. If this is addi-
  tionally done in either hushed tones or a com-
  pletely enclosed space, the Challenge Level 
  becomes merely Difficult or Challenging if 
  both is the case. 
  This is however far from common knowl-
  edge: While it may well be part of common 
  folk lore that uttering a sorcerer’s name is bad 
  luck requiring only a QoS of 1 on an Occultism 
  Check to have heard of, knowing about the ef-
  fectiveness of whispering would be a Difficult 
  Occultism Check, and about that of 
  enclosed spaces an Amazing one.
  Gaining the knowledge of being 
  spoken about does not divert the sor-
  cerer’s attention or disrupt his con-
  centration in any way. Even if a thou-
  sand people were to speak about him 
  at the same time this would not disrupt 
  the sorcerer’s present doings in any way; 
  he just knows, without the knowledge drawing 
  his attention away from anything else.
  6. COMBINING SORCEROUS EFFORTS
  In Blade, sorcerers are a rare commodity, 
  most especially those knowing more than 
  one or two Lesser Mysteries. Thus, there will 
  seldom be a situation when several sorcerers 
  combine their arcane powers. When they do, 
  despite everything, it is an absolute necessity 
  for the combination of such efforts that 
  the cooperating sorcerers belong to the 
  same cult, coven, or sorcerous order. 
  Merely practicing sorcery of the 
  same general cultural tradition is not 
  enough; actual membership in some 
  kind of shared sorcerous broth-
  erhood is indispensable. If this 
  prerequisite is met, while it is not 
  necessary that every sorcerer 
  partaking in this pooling of 
  power know the par-
  ticular Mystery being 
  used, it is beneficial.
  The sorcerer with the 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  230
  highest rating in the Mystery 
  being attempted (not the sorcer-
  er with the largest Sorcery Pool), 
  heads the effort, and his pool is the 
  one modified.
  Dice from each participating sor-
  cerer are cumulatively added to his 
  SP thusly:
  • 
  +1 to the caster’s pool if the con-
  tributor knows a Lesser Mystery 
  • +1 to the caster’s pool if the contributor 
  knows more than three Lesser Mysteries
  • +1 to the caster’s pool if the contributor 
  knows a Greater Mystery 
  • +1 to the caster’s pool if the contributor 
  knows two Greater Mysteries 
  • +1 to the caster’s pool if the contributor 
  knows any Arcane Secrets 
  • - 1 to the caster’s pool if a Lesser Mystery 
  is being cast that is unknown to the con-
  tributor. 
  • - 2 to the caster’s pool if a Greater Mys-
  tery or Arcane Secret are being cast 
  that is unknown to the con-
  tributor.
  The downside of such 
  combined sorcerous efforts 
  is that its consequences 
  are not merely confined to 
  the primary caster, but afflict 
  every participant in full. This 
  includes both Taint and any 
  other negative effects result-
  ing from insufficiently suc-
  cessful Containment Checks – they afflict 
  every participating sorcerer in their entirety.
  7. DUEL OF WILLS 
  When two sorcerers battle, they don’t usu-
  ally slug it out Mystery against Mystery (though 
  they may of course), but engage in a Duel of 
  Will instead. The Duel of Wills matches SP 
  against SP in a way similar to how melee com-
  bat matches MP against MP, and it has a simi-
  lar structure of Exchanges and Rounds. 
  First of all, a Duel of Wills requires two will-
  ing participants. It is not possible for one sor-
  cerer to engage another in it against his will; 
  thus, there is also no possibility of surprise. 
  Each sorcerer uses an SP of his choice (usu-
  ally his best) and announces this choice. There 
  is no need for the SPs to derive from the same 
  Mystery, and no need to stick to the same 
  Mystery every Round. Penalties from Taint and 
  other sources fully apply to the SPs during the 
  Duel of Wills. 
  One sorcerer is determined as initial aggres-
  sor and one as defender. In some cases these 
  roles might be obvious from the circumstances 
  under which the Duel is entered, in other the 
  participants might be in agreement about who 
  is the initial aggressor. If neither is the case, 
  the roles are assigned as desired by the sorcer-
  er built with the better Sorcery Priority, or the 
  higher SP if that is a tie, or the higher Power 
  Attribute if this is a tie as well, or the higher 
  Occultism Skill if tied again. 
  The aggressor then announces a sorcerous 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  231
  Offensive Maneuver and a number of dice 
  from his SP assigned to it, to which the defend-
  er reacts by declaring a sorcerous Defensive 
  Maneuver and also assigns dice. Both then pay 
  any necessary Activation Costs for the chosen 
  Maneuver from their SP, roll their assigned 
  Maneuvers against their normal Casting TN for 
  the Mystery used (6 to 8), applying any modifi-
  ers from the Maneuver chosen, in an Opposed 
  Check. 
  If the aggressor is victorious, he retains ini-
  tiative as aggressor, and there are additional 
  effects as per the Maneuver chosen. If the De-
  fender is victorious, he may assume the part 
  of the aggressor and possibly also invoke ad-
  ditional effects as per his chosen Ma-
  neuver. In case of a tie, the aggressor 
  simply retains this role. 
  If the first Exchange does not re-
  sult in an immediate decision, a sec-
  ond Exchange follows, for which the 
  remainder of the SPs can be used, 
  exactly as per the melee rules. If this 
  Exchange does still not yield a decision, 
  the SPs refresh and a new Round of two Ex-
  changes begins.
  The eventual loser of the duel is thrown to 
  the ground bodily under the onslaught of his 
  opponent’s sorcerous power, where he lies 
  stunned for the next Combat Round (all 
  Pools at 0 dice). In addition, his sorcerous 
  defences have been invaded and battered 
  down by his opponent: For the remainder of 
  the scene, he is at +2 TN to resist the victor’s 
  sorceries and is at +2 Casting TN to af-
  fect the victor with his own sorcery. Fi-
  nally, he acquires 1 point of Taint. 
  Depending on the actual Offensive 
  Maneuver by which he was over-
  come, the loser may also suffer 
  physical damage on the Generic 
  Damage Table. AV never averts 
  such injury, but BN soaks up 
  some of it as normal.
  While crippling injuries 
  are entirely possible 
  from a Duel of Wills, 
  outright 
  annihilation 
  is rare. Wound Levels 1 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  232
  through 4 are attained normally, 
  by a result (Impact Rating – half 
  BN) of 1 to 4 respectively. Wound 
  Level 5 does however require a re-
  sult of (Impact Rating – half BN) of 
  6+, and Wound Level 6 of 8+. 
  Under certain circumstances a 
  group of sorcerers may gang up on a 
  single sorcerer, pooling their ultramun-
  dane strength to best him. The circumstances 
  under which this is possible and the mechan-
  ical aspects of combining efforts are exact-
  ly as with Combining Sorcerous Efforts, as 
  are the consequences of defeat (i.e. they 
  are experienced by all to their full extent). 
  The Duel of Wills is then handled normally, 
  with the leader of each group of combatants 
  making all decisions and Checks. The only 
  exception is that the Mystery used must re-
  main the same throughout the contest. 
  The default physical aspect of a Duel 
  of Wills is the two sorcerers staring at 
  each other intently, maybe breaking 
  into sweat from the strain and 
  swaying under the onslaught 
  of the opponent’s will. For 
  some settings it might how-
  ever be appropriate to be a 
  bit gaudier. Lightning flick-
  ering between the sorcerers, 
  gusts of wind tearing at them, 
  tongues of flame licking at 
  them, vortexes full of barely 
  glimpsed demonic entities 
  wavering between them 
  are only a small portion of the possibili-
  ties.
  Lastly, Duel of Will may, at the ref’s discre-
  tion, be used between sorcerers and certain 
  kinds of incorporeal creatures, whom the ref 
  would have to assign the equivalent of an SP. 
  It can also be used for battles between any 
  hostile beings they encounter while using the 
  Scrying Mystery, though the latter under these 
  circumstances is at a decided TN advantage, 
  being as they are on their home ground. 
  SORCEROUS MANEUVERS: 
  All Maneuvers have an Activation Cost that 
  has to be paid from the SP to utilize them. Some 
  Maneuvers are easier to use with SPs based on 
  certain Mysteries. Any such Mystery is listed 
  as “Favoured” with the Maneuver. Activation 
  Costs are 2 dice less if the SP used is based 
  on a favoured Mystery, though never less than 
  0 dice, with the sole exception of the Endure 
  defense, which may add +2 dice to SP if used 
  with the Mending Mystery. Minimum Activa-
  tion Costs are noted with the Maneuvers. 
  OFFENSIVE MANEUVERS: 
  CREEP 
  Activation: 2 (minimum 0) 
  Favoured: Necromancy, Prophecy, Scrying 
  The attempt to find a weak spot in the op-
  ponent’s psychic defences and to get one’s as-
  sault through there.
  It is in effect a feint: The aggressor at first 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  233
  declares another Offensive Maneuver and 
  only announces Creep once the defender 
  has committed dice to a Defensive Maneuver. 
  The aggressor may then add dice from his 
  uncommitted SP to those dice already com-
  mitted to the attack at the additional Activa-
  tion Cost of 1 die per die added. 
  The remainder of the offence is then re-
  solved as if it was a Strike Maneuver. 
  GRIND 
  Activation: 2 (minimum 0) 
  Favoured: Cursing 
  Grind is for keeping up a steady 
  sorcerous assault to finally wear down 
  the opponent’s defence. Assigned SP 
  are checked against Casting TN and 
  Opposed by enemy’s chosen defense. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  234
  If Grind is victorious, half the 
  QoS is added to the victor’s SP 
  for the following Exchange, up to a 
  maximum bonus dice equal to the 
  number of dice in his SP at the be-
  ginning of the following Exchange.
  Grind is no means to win a Duel 
  of Wills in itself; some other Offen-
  sive Maneuver is needed to finally de-
  liver the decisive blow. 
  OVERPOWER 
  Activation: 6 (minimum 4) 
  Favoured: Enslavement, Goety, Witch-
  fire 
  The tactic of the sorcerer sure of his own 
  superiority, this is a brutal onslaught of el-
  dritch power, attempting to outright shatter 
  the opponent’s defense. The assigned SP dice 
  are checked against Casting TN and Opposed 
  by the enemy’s assigned defence dice. 
  If the defender wins or ties, he may 
  immediately assume the part of ag-
  gressor. 
  If the aggressor is victori-
  ous, he has brutally broken 
  through the opponent’s de-
  fences and inflicts damage 
  of an Impact Rating equal 
  to the total number of his 
  Successes, not just those sur-
  passing the defense Success-
  es. 
  STRIKE 
  Activation: 0 (minimum 0) 
  The standard action of striking with one’s 
  sorcerous power at the opponent. Check as-
  signed dice against Casting TN, opposed by 
  enemy’s chosen defense. If victorious, the vic-
  tor may simply retain initiative as aggressor, 
  or may alternatively choose to inflict damage 
  of an Impact Rating equal to the QoS. If this 
  Impact Rating fails to inflict at least a level 1 
  wound, the attacker overestimated the power 
  of his strike: The Duel of Wills is still undecid-
  ed and the previous defender assumes the role 
  of the aggressor.
  DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS: 
  COUNTERSTROKE 
  Activation: 3 (minimum 1) 
  Favoured: Cursing 
  The finicky and difficult tactic of turning the 
  opponent’s power against himself. Defence 
  dice are assigned and checked as normal, with 
  a tie having the usual result of the aggressor 
  retaining this role.
  If the defender surpasses the attacker’s num-
  ber of Successes, he immediately becomes the 
  aggressor and attacks with a Strike on the very 
  next Exchange (no choice here). 
  He can assign as many dice from his SP as 
  he wants to this Strike, and will have addition-
  al bonus dice equal to the previous’ aggres-
  sor’s number of Successes on the attack suc-
  cessfully defended against. 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  235
  DEFLECT 
  Activation: 0 (minimum 0) 
  The standard tactic of simply deflecting the 
  opponent’s sorcerous onslaught. If the number 
  of Successes from the assigned SP checked 
  against Casting TN equals the aggressor’s at-
  tack Successes, the attack was deflected. If 
  it does not only equal, but actually exceed 
  them, the defender may assume the mantle of 
  aggressor. 
  ENDURE 
  Activation: 0 (minimum –2) 
  Favoured: Mending (including Pain), Nec-
  romancy 
  The tactic of hunkering down and taking 
  everything the opponent throws at you in the 
  hope that he will wear himself out. If the de-
  fence is successful, no matter to what degree, 
  the defender may still not assume the role of 
  aggressor. (See the sole exception below.) 
  However, the aggressor for his next Ex-
  change loses dice from his SP equal to half the 
  number of Successes on his attack; the success-
  ful defender, who took the punishment, loses 
  half as many dice as the aggressor, though al-
  ways less than him (i.e. if the aggressor loses 1 
  die, the defender loses 0 dice). 
  If this results in the next Exchange starting 
  with the current aggressor’s SP depleted and 
  the current defender still retaining dice in his 
  SP, the latter may assume the part of aggressor. 
  EVADE 
  Activation: 0 (minimum 0) 
  Favoured: Prophecy 
  The tactic of getting the hell out of 
  the fight, only possible if the sorcerer 
  wanting to utilize it did not use an Of-
  fensive Maneuver in the immediately 
  preceding Exchange; neither can this 
  Maneuver be used on a confrontation’s 
  very first Exchange. 
  The assigned defence dice are checked 
  against Casting TN –2, and if they at least tie 
  the attack dice’s Successes, the Duel of Will is 
  ended. 
  It does however entail a certain degree of 
  acknowledgement of defeat and inferiority. 
  For the remainder of the scene, the sorcerer 
  ending a Duel of Wits by means of Evade is at 
  Casting TN +1 to affect his opponent with any 
  sorcery, and the opponent affects him at 
  Casting TN –1.
  8. AFFECTING MULTIPLE 
  TARGETS
  Sorcerers can affect more than 
  one victim at once with a single 
  application of the Cursing, En-
  slavement, and Mending Mys-
  teries. The targets affected 
  must all constitute a 
  group, either in the 
  sense of their physi-
  cal proximity (with no 
  non-members 
  of 
  the 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  236
  group 
  interspersed 
  between 
  them), or else in another, clear-
  ly delineated sense; for example, 
  a sorcerer could affect all present 
  redheads, or eunuchs, or priests, 
  even if those are mixed into a larg-
  er group. Casting and Containment 
  Checks are made as usual, but 1 
  Casting Success is discarded for every 
  target after the first. The remaining Casting 
  Successes are Opposed as by the mechanics 
  for the Mystery used, but only once, by the 
  single target with the best chances to suc-
  ceed at resisting the Mystery. The outcome 
  of this single Check determines whether the 
  sorcery overcomes the resistance of all tar-
  gets; if it fails, all targets are affected, if it is 
  successful, no target is affected.
  Example: A sorcerer uses Pain against 
  three guardsmen charging him. He achieves 
  6 Casting Successes, of which 2 are discarded 
  for the two additional targets. The guardsmen 
  with the best TY Checks this Attribute to op-
  pose the 4 Casting Successes. If he achieves 4 
  or more Successes, no guardsman is affected; 
  if he achieves less than 4 Successes, all three 
  guardsmen suffer Pain 12. 
  The Witchfire Mystery can also be used 
  against several targets at once, wih the same 
  mechanic of discarding Casting Successes 
  for additional targets. The reduced number of 
  Casting Successes are used both for damage 
  calculation and for the attack rolls. Unlike with 
  the other Mysteries, Checks to hit and avoid 
  the Witchfire attack are made individually, for 
  every target and by every target.
  This concludes Chapter Six.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  238
  “Zilumi herself, forsaking her life of luxury and witchcraft, followed Hokannen into 
  the desert, where, to demonstrate her heart’s change, she lopped her hair and left her fine 
  clothes lying on the sands, and even her magic instruments she left, this mirror among them, 
  through which she had worked the worst enchantments of all.”
  Cyrion had not moved. “I know the tale. Many claim to own remnants of Zilumi’s possessions.”
  “But this mirror,” said Juved softly, “this mirror will prove to you that it is a piece of wick-
  edness.”
  The watcher from the tower had by now resumed sufficient equilibrium to advance to the doorway. 
  Reaching in and grasping Cyrion’s arm, he guided the young man from the bedroom, and back into 
  the outer chamber.
  “Did you feel the soul sucked from you, most elegant swordsman?”
  Cyrion’s colour was reestablished. Blithely he said: “What gives you to suppose I have a soul?”
  Tanith Lee, “Cyrion”
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  239
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  240
  “Thus he spoke to them: Come here and kill me, then, if indeed you can. But know this – within 
  these walls, death ends nothing.”
  Hen’r the Long-Hailed
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  241
  I. A SWORD & SORCERY 
  OVERVIEW
  This chapter takes a look at the setting, the 
  protagonists and the structure of the typical 
  Sword & Sorcery tale. It shows the common 
  traits of the many variants of the genre and at-
  tempts to aid both referees and players alike in 
  getting a feel for the conventions of Sword & 
  Sorcery, to better allow them to create settings 
  and characters appropriate for the genre.
  For the sake of demonstrating what the tales 
  have in common, a degree of generalisation is 
  inevitable. Please be aware that no writer has 
  at all times followed all of the tenets explained 
  in this chapter, and so you too should feel free 
  to ignore those that do not suit you. But please 
  be also aware that while you can and should 
  well deviate in a few precepts, you will be rap-
  idly abandoning the field of Sword & Sorcery 
  if you deviate in more than a handful at once. 
  If that’s what you want, fine, go ahead, more 
  power to you, just be conscious of it.
  1. THE WORLD OF SWORD & 
  SORCERY
  “I’ve invited ye to keep to your own company, ye 
  damned fool. Now begone or I’ll invite ye further with 
  my boot.”
  David C. Smith, The Witch of the Indies
  A Sword & Sorcery world is almost always a 
  harsh place where violence and even outright 
  cruelty are quite commonplace. The 
  world or the relevant part of it may be 
  outright lawless, but it need not be; if 
  it is, it will usually abound with pock-
  ets of lawless behaviour where might 
  makes right, either because a central 
  authority is non-existent, or too weak 
  to keep the peace, or simply does not 
  bother to do it. Callous and corrupt re-
  gimes interested in nothing but the perpetua-
  tion of their own power and comfort would be 
  typical, as would be regimes whose authority 
  and hold over their countries is undermined 
  by contenders, rebel, war or raiders, or may-
  be by the sheer size of the land and the re-
  moteness of the government. In any case, 
  the setting for Sword & Sorcery tales is one 
  where violence is not or not effectively mo-
  nopolized by whatever government there hap-
  pens to be.
  The majority of people in Sword & 
  Sorcery stories usually do little to alle-
  viate the harshness of the violent world. 
  Self-serving and callous people are 
  common, and only a minority of 
  people can be considered altruis-
  tic – which is of course not to say 
  that the latter don’t exist at all. 
  While decent people do ex-
  ist and actually figure quite 
  frequently in Sword 
  & Sorcery stories, it is 
  universally understood 
  that they constitute the 
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  242
  minority and mostly figure as 
  a device to throw the utter self-
  ishness of the majority into starker 
  relief. 
  By and large, most people will 
  have little interest in anything but 
  their own advantage, and compas-
  sion will, if they feel it at all, be lim-
  ited largely to their thoughts and only 
  rarely enter their deeds.
  Combined with this uncaring attitude, 
  the abundance of violence and the utter 
  egoism of the typical government, make 
  the Sword & Sorcery world into a tragic 
  place. While most common people do not of 
  course have to contend with the threat of a 
  violent end on a daily basis, the menace of it 
  is ever present in the background, and almost 
  everyone will have personally experienced 
  situations where somebody’s life was either 
  ruined or outright terminated by rampant 
  violence or the uncaring arbitrariness of 
  people in power. 
  It is typical that in spite of 
  these tragedies, the people of 
  the Sword and Sorcery world 
  do not strive to make their 
  world a better place. The 
  response of the majority is 
  either selfishly looking only 
  after themselves and their 
  own prosperity and safety, or 
  else outright fatalism, or a 
  combination of both. 
  In extreme cases, such a combination 
  might lead to an utterly decadent world 
  where everybody feels powerless in the face 
  of fate and does, while he waits for his turn for 
  fate to strike him inevitably down, look only 
  to his own pleasure and immediate advantage.
  This latter setting is a subset of the Sword & 
  Sorcery world, a decadent, fatalistic, and often 
  also quite sophisticated, wicked and sybaritic 
  type.
   It provides a distinctive flavour of its own 
  and therefore serves more often as the back-
  drop for stories of the cloak-and-dagger type 
  that play out rather in opulent pleasure palac-
  es and the dark back streets of ancient metrop-
  olises than in the wilderness or on battlefields. 
  But there is of course nothing to keep a 
  referee from providing his very own Sword & 
  Sorcery setting with different areas suffused 
  with either type of flavour, the savagely violent 
  and the wickedly depraved.
  2. FAITH AND THE DIVINE
  “Many a barbarian, both man and woman, 
  died screaming on the altar under this hand.”
  Robert E. Howard, The Hour of the Dragon
  Almost all Sword & Sorcery settings lack 
  direct manifestations of the divine. The priests 
  will typically run the gamut; from scholars to 
  Machiavellian plotters to ritualists humbug-
  ging either themselves or their flock, but they 
  will – with one notable exception – never be 
  recipients of any kind of special supernatural 
  powers of divine origin. There are no “clerical 
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  243
  spells”, and miracles are thus stuff of reli-
  gious legend, with no game mechanics to 
  regulate the contingency of their appearance. 
  The only priests who receive any kind of pow-
  ers from their deities are usually the celebrants 
  of evil, forbidden and secret cults, and they 
  can rather be considered sorcerers having re-
  ceived preternatural knowledge and powers 
  from their ultramundane patrons – typically at 
  a cost. 
  These cultists, turning to almost universally 
  malignant entities for arcane power and wis-
  dom are the magic users of the genre and will 
  be more thoroughly dealt with in the next sec-
  tion.
  Religion in Sword & Sorcery can be mono-
  theistic, but will more usually be polytheistic. 
  Religious practices are frequently steeped in 
  convoluted ritual, or actually consisting of 
  them entirely, with sacrificial rites common. 
  With the darker cults, this can definitely in-
  clude human sacrifice. The faithful almost cer-
  tainly believe in divine intervention, but ac-
  tual intervention is exceedingly rare. Mostly, 
  the gods, if they do exist at all, are remote and 
  uncaring; when they do show their hands at 
  all it is more likely that it will be to punish and 
  cast down than to rescue and reward. 
  Pantheons of gods that are not regarded as 
  benevolent but rather need to be appeased to 
  spare humanity their wrath are therefore more 
  common in Sword & Sorcery than in other 
  genres, but still overly in the minority.
  While common people in the setting may 
  well be deeply devout, the attitude of 
  the protagonists is more often than not 
  a deeply self-sufficient one of trying 
  to avoid the gods as much as possi-
  ble. 
  Most heroes of Sword & Sorcery re-
  spect divine power and will rarely in-
  sult it, but by and large avoid treading 
  on any deity’s shadow. 
  Exceptionally devout protagonists are the 
  exception – the majority feel that there is no 
  use turning to a god for something one can, 
  by sweat and supreme effort, achieve oneself. 
  Even a protagonist as deeply religious as 
  Howard’s Solomon Kane displays this latter 
  attitude of self-reliance over reliance on di-
  vine agency.
  3. MAGIC AND THE SUPERNATURAL IN 
  SWORD & SORCERY
  Even though it is in the name of the 
  genre, magic need not actually be real 
  in a world of Sword & Sorcery, though 
  it usually will be. In the rare cases 
  where magic does not exist, it will 
  still be practically universally be-
  lieved in, to such a degree that 
  it might be preferable not to in-
  form the players that it is all 
  rank superstition and that 
  magic does not actual-
  ly work.
  However, the default 
  is for magic to be very 
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  244
  real, but never commonplace. 
  In Sword & Sorcery, true mag-
  ic is always rare, rather powerful, 
  mysterious, and not completely 
  understood even by its practitioners 
  – and most of all, it is menacing and 
  strange to the point of being outright 
  alien. 
  Only seldom will magic work by 
  drawing upon some anonymous force per-
  vading the universe – usually the source of 
  magic is either a force or entity inimical to 
  life or at least humanity, and by working 
  magic the sorcerer is endangering his sani-
  ty, soul or humanity, or even all of them. 
  Acts of sorcery, especially the more pow-
  erful ones, will often involve blood sacrifice 
  and similar unpleasantries.
  It should by now have become apparent 
  that sorcerers in Sword & Sorcery tales are 
  rarely nice guys – at best they are shady and 
  ambiguous, and often they are outright 
  hell-raising fiends. Owing to the dan-
  ger that sorcery represents to 
  its own practitioners, sorcer-
  ers are usually driven people 
  with a strong will and great 
  self-discipline. 
  It does after all take a 
  certain kind of person to risk 
  his life, and probably also 
  soul or sanity, and flirt with 
  eternal damnation. This does 
  make sorcerers the perfect 
  villain of the Sword & Sorcery tale and 
  only marginally suitable as PCs. 
  Magic in Sword & Sorcery is universally sub-
  tle and never worked quickly, but rather the 
  product of more or less lengthy ritual. Its effects 
  are not obvious, or necessarily magical to the 
  onlooker, and they are almost never flashy. 
  The sorcerer of this genre may converse 
  with the dead, scrye out distant places, magi-
  cally enslave people to his sovereign will, in-
  flict wasting plagues upon those who irk him, 
  command the weather, fool with hallucina-
  tions, curse his enemies with terrible dooms, 
  summon demons to do his bidding and maybe 
  even shake the very earth to bring down en-
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  245
  tire cities, but he will not throw lightning 
  from his fingertips nor mass-produce mag-
  ical items.
  Such items of power are invariably rare in 
  tales of Sword & Sorcery, with most campaigns 
  playing out without a single magical item ever 
  turning up. When magic items do exist they 
  are usually the stuff of legend and eminent-
  ly powerful, on a level with Excalibur and the 
  Holy Grail, and are quite frequently cursed or 
  otherwise doom-laden. If they appear at all, 
  they take center stage and are the very focus 
  of an entire adventure, or better yet, a series of 
  adventures.
  4. THE RACIAL MAKEUP OF SWORD & 
  SORCERY
  With magic and the supernatural being so 
  rare, it will not come as a surprise that non-hu-
  man races are equally rare in Sword & Sorcery. 
  This is a world of humans, and while non-hu-
  mans do exist they are relegated to legend and 
  the very fringe of the setting. Such beings are 
  never commonplace and almost never inte-
  grated to any degree into human society, or 
  even familiar with it. 
  Rather, they represent the uncanny, the 
  alien, and the utterly inhuman. Bitter survivors 
  of anterior races, scattered communities plot-
  ting the eventual downfall of man, degenerated 
  descendants of elder races preying upon man, 
  reclusive and solitary guardians of pre-human 
  wisdom, those are the usual roles for non-hu-
  mans in Sword & Sorcery, but certainly not one 
  of sharing the quintessentially human 
  world with any degree of equality or 
  amicability. What non-humans fig-
  ure in Sword & Sorcery are anything 
  but humans with pointed ears; rather, 
  they are ultimately unfathomable and 
  unknowable and thus quintessentially 
  non-human. 
  The role of the non-human in the 
  Sword & Sorcery adventure is therefore similar 
  to that of the magic item, though maybe to a 
  lesser degree: When one figures in an adven-
  ture, he will be central to it and much of the 
  adventure will revolve around him.
  The same does of course apply to mon-
  sters, those well-loved number one enemies 
  of role-playing heroes: In Sword & Sorcery, 
  they are ousted from this position. Here, the 
  most common adversary of the hero is his fel-
  low man, and monsters occupy a simi-
  larly special place as non-humans.
   If they appear in the stories, they 
  will not fulfil the role of the common 
  orc, to be slaughtered in untold num-
  bers, but rather the role of Grendel 
  or Count Dracula: The focus and 
  backbone of an entire adventure, 
  or a recurring pot device on the 
  way to the climax. It follows 
  that they usually appear 
  singly or at best in 
  tiny, closely connect-
  ed groups, for example 
  Grendel and his mother. 
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  246
  They are individual horrors, ca-
  pable of single-handedly men-
  acing all of the characters in a story 
  – and slaying more than a few.
  In Sword & Sorcery, the role of 
  non-humans and monsters is a sim-
  ilar one: Both represent an encoun-
  ter with the uncanny. Conan doesn’t 
  typically fight through hordes of mon-
  sters the way he does hordes of men, nor do 
  Clark Ashton Smith’s various heroes. 
  Even where Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser 
  confront monsters with steel, they only 
  once or twice battle them in great numbers. 
  Elric is the exception but even then only oc-
  casionally. And even more recent Sword & 
  Sorcery heroes, like Hercules or Xena, rarely 
  battle more than one true monster at a time – 
  and they live in an age of monsters. 
  In the few cases in the source literature 
  where monsters appear in groups, the hero’s 
  solution is almost always to run, while 
  villainous or simply less wary men are 
  slaughtered.
  5. HEROES AND 
  VILLAINS IN SWORD & 
  SORCERY
  “Think well about this venture. 
  For make no mistake, you cannot 
  stand before me and live. No man 
  ever has.”
  David Gemmell, Legend
  The heroes of Sword & Sorcery come 
  in many different shapes and sizes. Some, 
  like Elric, are deeply introspective intellectu-
  als, others, like Conan, are indomitable fight-
  ing men, others, like the Gray Mouser, are sly 
  bounders, others, like Cyrion, are suave so-
  phisticates, and yet again others, like Kane, 
  are simply badasses; with Myal Lemyal there 
  is even an outright goofball among the heroes 
  of the genre. The genre abounds with many 
  different types of protagonists, and by far not 
  all them meet their opposition head-on and 
  weapon in hand. But however divergent their 
  method, outlook on life, and temperament 
  may be, there are a few underlying, unifying 
  traits they all have in common.
  The Sword & Sorcery hero is usually a strang-
  er, outcast or outlaw, an alien or a misfit in 
  the region where his tale plays out, apart from 
  and outside of that locale’s community. He is 
  often, but not always, of humble descent, a 
  commoner, former slave or outright barbarian. 
  In cases where he hails from the higher classes 
  of society he is either discredited, disinherited 
  or irrevocably deposed from his once lofty po-
  sition. He comes from the very lowest stratum 
  of the upper class – the lowest of the mighty.
  He lives by his brawn or cunning, and often 
  by both. His personal capabilities are remark-
  able and lift him head and shoulders above the 
  masses. By their virtue, he imposes his own 
  brand of law upon desolate wilderness and 
  sophisticated civilisation alike. He is as gre-
  garious and as fond of companionship as the 
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  247
  next person, but at the end of the day he 
  is his own man and utterly self-reliant. This 
  self-reliance typically extends to his attitude 
  towards gods and the divine.
  While he may be a deep thinker and even 
  an outright intellectual, he is always a man of 
  action. When a decision is called for, he does 
  not hesitate or lose himself in doubt, but acts. 
  This doesn’t mean that he plunges head over 
  heels into hasty action, but rather that he is 
  neither afraid to act nor paralyzed by ponder-
  ing the possible consequences. When the cir-
  cumstances call for it, even a Sword & Sorcery 
  hero who is usually a brooder will be able to 
  quickly arrive at a decision and then have the 
  guts to follow it through.
  As he exists in a harsh and violent world, 
  the Sword & Sorcery hero is typically him-
  self a harsh person who does not shrink from 
  violence – he has to be to survive, let alone 
  prosper and further his goals. He well may, 
  like Solomon Kane, be utterly dedicated to 
  the pursuit of selfless and ulterior motives, but 
  even if he is, he is almost never “good” in the 
  conventional sense of the world – too uncom-
  promising would best describe the righteous 
  Sword & Sorcery hero, all too ready to dish 
  out his own brand of summary justice, and in-
  credibly callous towards those he judges to be 
  wicked. 
  But this type of hero is in the minority; 
  the clear majority of Sword & Sorcery heroes 
  are hardly heroic in the conventional sense. 
  Products of selfish and uncaring societies, they 
  are usually ruthless and self-serving. 
  Only a few of them shrink from acts of 
  savage violence, theft and even out-
  right murder and rapine. They are out 
  to make a living in a tragic, cruel and 
  unforgiving world, and they are ready 
  to do whatever it takes, by means foul 
  or fair.
  Nevertheless, there is a fine clear line 
  that divides the hero from the villain, a line 
  the hero will almost never cross. Unlike the 
  villain, the hero does typically treat people the 
  way they treat him. Strangers and enemies are 
  fair prey for whatever the hero deigns to vis-
  it upon them, but his friends, companions, 
  and those he has shared danger with are at 
  the very least exempt from the hero’s dep-
  redations, and will often find him a faithful 
  friend who will treat them fairly. This even ex-
  tends to respected and honourable en-
  emies, who will normally be treated 
  with a kind of rough chivalry. For as 
  long as those close to the hero play fair 
  by him, he will play fair by them.
  The Sword & Sorcery villain on 
  the other hand will not shrink 
  from stabbing anybody in the 
  back, even companions who 
  have never done anything but 
  right by him. This is what 
  constitutes 
  villainy 
  in Sword & Sorcery: 
  Acknowledging 
  no 
  bounds to one’s self-serv-
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  248
  ing behaviour, and being more 
  than ready to treat everybody, 
  even friends and allies, as mere 
  stepping stones on one’s own ego-
  istic path. 
  While the villain will readily prey 
  on everybody, the hero will at least 
  exempt friends and – this is import-
  ant – those he has shared danger with, 
  from his own depredations. This is the divid-
  ing line. 
  The hero, as savage and maybe even 
  cruel as he may be, is harsh and violent be-
  cause that’s the way of a world where one 
  has to be strong and possibly without mercy, 
  but he exempts those who have in their pre-
  vious behaviour towards him not been part 
  of the harshness and violence of the world. 
  The villain exempts nobody. All people, even 
  those treating him with kindness and consid-
  eration, are but tools to him.
  Even though this is not necessary, 
  Sword & Sorcery affords the player at 
  least the opportunity to portray 
  true bastards, but however 
  cold-blooded and callous a 
  player character may be, it is 
  of paramount importance 
  that he does not cross the 
  line into the realm where he 
  becomes a predator to all of 
  humankind. 
  A typical Sword & Sorcery 
  hero will often do some 
  very amoral, wicked and outright vicious 
  things, but this behaviour needs to be bal-
  anced with at least some degree of decency on 
  his part. If this decency is missing, he totally 
  lacks any redeeming quality. Such a protago-
  nist is disgusting; watching his exploits lacking 
  any glimpse of even vestigial propriety, and he 
  is hardly suitable to fulfil the role of the pro-
  tagonist of something that should, with all its 
  grittiness, be an entertaining pastime.
  If there is a single tenet of Sword & Sorcery 
  that must not be broken it would be this. The 
  hero, no matter how depraved otherwise – and 
  he need not necessarily be depraved at all – 
  must never cross the line into completely an-
  ti-social behaviour.
  6. THE SWORD & SORCERY TALE
  It should now hardly come as a surprise that 
  Sword & Sorcery adventures are not about the 
  exploits of heroes in shining armour on white 
  steeds, but rather about protagonists out for 
  very private reasons. In this genre, stakes tend 
  to be personal. 
  The Sword & Sorcery hero is never questing 
  to save the world; instead, he is usually moti-
  vated by revenge, trying to save his own butt, 
  or out to make a splash. Many will be total-
  ly indifferent to the classic damsel in distress, 
  though there are quite a few Sword & Sorcery 
  heroes who seem to display a peculiar kind of 
  – very rough! –chivalry towards women.
  Consequently, the antagonists are typical-
  ly not vicious people whose nefarious plans 
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  249
  have to be thwarted by the virtuous he-
  roes. Often they are rivals who happen to 
  be after the same goal as the heroes, who want 
  to thwart the heroes’ pursuit of this goal, or 
  simply personal enemies trying to get back at 
  them for some real or perceived slight, or may-
  be somebody with whom the heroes unluckily 
  cross paths.
  On occasion the antagonist is somebody 
  from whom a hero has to protect people close 
  to him, though such an unselfish motivation is 
  somewhat of an exception. By and large, the 
  hero is out to attain a goal that would be of 
  immediate benefit to himself (personal gain, 
  survival, escape), or to aid a friend of his, but 
  never to further the common good.
  As the supernatural is always rare in Sword 
  & Sorcery, the majority of the antagonists will 
  be human. When non-human antagonists ap-
  pear, they are always central to the adventure, 
  in such a way that they are effectively adven-
  tures in and of themselves – even when the ob-
  ject of the adventure isn’t to slay the monster. 
  Where non-human antagonists appear, a few 
  points usually apply universally:
  • The monster is not necessarily there to 
  be slain. (Though, to be sure, it prob-
  ably can be. Monsters are generally 
  as mortal as anything else.) Often the 
  objective is to avoid being slain by the 
  monster.
  • The monster is formidable enough to 
  challenge several PCs at once.
  • Most of the lesser – human – bad guys 
  are not minions or cultists of the 
  monster, but rivals of the PCs in 
  whatever goal the PCs happen 
  to pursue.
  • The monster’s lair is as danger-
  ous to the lesser bad guys as it 
  is to the PCs, and quite a few of 
  these lesser bad guys may well be 
  slain through the monster’s agency.
  As is often the case with Sword & Sorcery 
  gaming, horror provides a better model for sto-
  ries than high fantasy adventures. In the classic 
  Sword & Sorcery tale the monster is a series 
  of foreshadowed dangers and actual hazards 
  that may, later in the game, blossom into an 
  actual confrontation.
  The locales where Sword & Sorcery tales 
  are set vary widely, but are often exotic, and 
  when not desolate, resonate heavily with the 
  flavour of the setting. Dangerous back-
  streets of wicked cities, a countryside 
  ravaged by war, the marble halls of 
  opulent palaces, the encampment of a 
  mercenary company, a pirate ship on 
  the high seas, a military encamp-
  ment on the edge of civilisation, a 
  caravan of slavers, a squalid camp 
  of refugees and the like would all 
  be perfect examples. 
  The second type of the 
  locales are the des-
  olate ones: Ruins of 
  a lost civilisation, the 
  abandoned temple of a 
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  250
  forbidden deity, an inimical 
  wilderness, an island shown on 
  no map, the spider-haunted crypt 
  of an ancient king, the forbidding 
  lair of a legendary evil, and similar-
  ly hostile and mysterious places. 
  These isolated locales will more 
  often be the setting for adventures 
  revolving around non-human menac-
  es, who by virtue of being not integrated into 
  human society, are usually found on the des-
  olate edge of civilisation. 
  The exception to this would of course 
  be supernatural menaces that have been 
  able to somehow insinuate themselves se-
  cretly into human society, like for instance 
  vampires or maybe a thing inhabiting a tem-
  ple and passing itself off as deity.
  But whatever the locale of the Sword & 
  Sorcery tale may be, it is never ever boring. 
  It is exotic, or colourful, or even terrifying, 
  but always an interesting place, though 
  not one the wise would visit.
  The pace of Sword & 
  Sorcery adventures is fast and 
  furious, with rarely a scene 
  lacking action or conflict. 
  Long stretches of quietude, 
  where heroes gather infor-
  mation, or set up a convolut-
  ed intrigue, are absent from 
  this kind of adventure. 
  Not every scene needs 
  to have mad action – nor 
  should it –, but where it is absent there 
  should at least be a fair degree of tension, 
  menace or some kind of non-physical con-
  flict; for instance if a scene consists of nothing 
  but conversation, these conversations should 
  be laden with veiled threats, undercurrents of 
  hostility or other elements adding tension to 
  an otherwise peaceful stretch of adventure.
  For the referee this means that he must un-
  der no circumstance allow the PCs to spend 
  time just stalling, preparing, scouting, chat-
  ting, or otherwise passing long spans of time 
  in secure complacency. Events, namely those 
  of the exciting, rousing kind, should progress 
  briskly, and if the PCs stray down a quiet side 
  alley of the adventure for overlong, the referee 
  has to hit them with unfolding events. 
  The worlds of Sword & Sorcery aren’t safe 
  places, they don’t wait for their heroes, and 
  they certainly don’t afford them opportunities 
  to stall; if they do, events are likely to overtake 
  them at a furious, heart-throbbing pace. 
  To convey this, the referee should use NPCs, 
  especially villains, who don’t just sit around 
  and wait for the PCs, but who actively pursue 
  their own agendas; if the PCs want to thwart 
  them or beat them to some goal, they have to 
  act, and act decisively.
  This concludes the overview over what 
  Sword & Sorcery tales are like and what Blade 
  adventures should be like. At the very end, 
  once more a very quick checklist of the most 
  important and elementary corner stones of the 
  genre:
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  251
  • Settings are harsh – various combina-
  tions of corrupt, violent, decadent and 
  callous.
  • Heroes are often, though not always, 
  bastards, with most having reservations 
  about being total bastards.
  • Magic is mysterious, often rare and pow-
  erful and dangerous to its users, but with-
  out flashy effects.
  • Supernatural and non-human beings rare 
  and when they appear are central to the 
  adventure.
  • Human opponents are often not direct 
  enemies, but rivals in the pursuit of a 
  goal.
  • Stakes in adventures are personal, not 
  global.
  • Events in adventures progress at a fast 
  pace.
  II. 00 TIPS FOR RUNNING 
  YOUR BLADE GAME!
  “No. Their god spared their city,” Kane told him bit-
  terly. “But I returned with an army of a hundred thou-
  sand. And I spared not a soul, nor left one stone stand-
  ing, in all of Andalar.”
  Karl Edward Wagner, The Other One
  KEEP IT EXCITING
  Everything that follows is an extension of 
  this simple truth. The key to Blade is to keep it 
  exciting, entertaining, and surprising. 
  This is the responsibility of the ref and 
  the players alike. 
  1. GO…GET…SOME…BOOKS!
  Grab some Sword & Sorcery novels 
  and read them, then encourage every-
  one in your group to read them too. 
  The annotated bibliography in the ap-
  pendices will aid you in finding something to 
  your very own tastes. This is the stuff on which 
  Blade is based, so there’s no better source of 
  inspiration for your games. Movies will do if 
  you’ve got no alternatives, but it just isn’t the 
  same. 
  2. THE FRAY’S THE THING
  Combat is the heart of Blade, and the heart 
  of combat is the maneuvering. Every attack in 
  combat should be as creative and de-
  tailed and possible. Never simply say 
  “I kick the guy,” or “I swing at him.” 
  Explain how you’re doing it, and make 
  it exciting!
  Visualize your character as if 
  he were on a movie screen, and 
  use all the scenery and the props 
  at your disposal. If you don’t 
  know what I mean, go rent 
  Brotherhood of the Wolf 
  right now and study 
  the fight scenes. Think 
  about how they do it 
  in the movies, and then 
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  transfer that style to the game. 
  Blade combat should be fast, 
  fluid, and constantly jumping. The 
  fun is based a mostly on how well 
  you and your friends pull this off. 
  3. DO IT WITH STYLE
  Blade characters are action he-
  roes. That means that not only can 
  they do cool things, but they look cool doing 
  them. Everything should be done with flair, 
  panache, and attitude. Remember, you’re 
  one of the big fish, so act like it. 
  4. SUBTLETY IS NOT A VIRTUE
  Everything in Blade should be larger than 
  life. This doesn’t just apply to the action ei-
  ther; melodrama is a staple of S&S novels. 
  Betrayal, loyalty, honor, and revenge are all 
  common themes, and they should be played 
  to the hilt. When your mortal enemy re-
  appears, and your sweetheart turns up 
  murdered, don’t be lukewarm, that’s 
  not interesting. This is your 
  time in the spotlight — go 
  nuts!
  5. EVERYONE HAS A 
  PAST
  Melodramatic hooks are 
  not only one of the funda-
  mental keys to defining your 
  character; they’re also a fer-
  tile source for plot twists 
  and surprises. Everyone has a past, and 
  thus everyone has a purpose. 
  Grab your Passion Attributes and have a 
  blast! Maybe you’re out for revenge, or maybe 
  you’re out for redemption. Maybe you’re look-
  ing for something, or maybe you’re trying not 
  to be found. Maybe you’ve lost your memory, 
  or maybe you’re trying to forget. 
  What matters is that you’re trying to do 
  something, and the more defined the better. 
  With a little cooperation from both sides of the 
  table, there’s always room to introduce long-
  lost family or traitorous friends who are out to 
  get you.
   6. DON’T LOOT THE BODIES
  It’s crass. This may be a standard practice 
  in other RPGs, but it just isn’t done in Blade. 
  When was the last time you read about any 
  S&S hero rifling through the bad guys’ clothes 
  for a few coins? It’s perfectly acceptable to 
  search the bodies for vital clues, or just to grab 
  their weapons if you need them, but loot is 
  rarely an issue. You can usually get whatever 
  you need anyway, so don’t be a creep. 
  7. THE ENTIRE WORLD’S A CLICHÉ
  Nothing’s been done before that can’t be 
  done again in Blade. The stronger the stereo-
  type the better, so play it up. Villains always 
  come with an army of henchmen, a secret 
  fortress, and a nefarious plan which they will 
  boast about when they think you’re at their 
  mercy. Old hermits always are fonts of Zen-
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  like wisdom, cynical guards are always 
  idealists at heart, and assassins always have 
  the soul of a poet. 
  This doesn’t mean every character in your 
  story should be a walking cliché, but you 
  shouldn’t worry about using them in 
  your adventures either. However, don’t 
  let your games become predictable. 
  After all, the best clichés are the ones 
  that you put your own twist on. 
  8. IF IT’S NOT IMPORTANT, IT’S 
  OFF SCREEN
  Some referees love to play out every 
  situation the characters get into. That’s fine for 
  some RPGs, but not for Blade. Anything mun-
  dane, and thus uninteresting, should be dealt 
  with quickly and without fanfare. Things like 
  eating, sleeping, and shopping should all 
  take place off-screen. 
  Now sometimes the weekly trip to 
  the market will be an opportunity for 
  your PCs to get vital information, or daily 
  meditation in the shrine turns into a brawl. 
  On these special days the mundane 
  gets some screen time, but other-
  wise, forget about it. 
  9. A GAME IN MOTION 
  TENDS TO STAY IN MOTION
  Blade is a game of action, 
  so keep the action mov-
  ing. Think of your game as a 
  movie, and then think about 
  what you do — and 
  don’t — want to see 
  on the screen. Stick to 
  pulp author Raymond 
  Chandler’s 
  school 
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  of thought: “If things come to 
  a standstill, have a couple of 
  armed goons kick down the door”. 
  Any Blade setting worth gaming in 
  is a dangerous place, and attack-
  ers out of the blue raises questions 
  that can be investigated. This doesn’t 
  mean the game should be one con-
  tinuous battle, but you should keep 
  things moving along. Don’t let your players 
  get bogged down with trivia or become in-
  decisive. Keep the arrows flying and the 
  blades slinging!
  10. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT COMBAT
  A common criticism of the Sword & 
  Sorcery genre is that it’s just about hack-and-
  slash. This is only true if you let it be so. Like 
  all good action novels, what happens be-
  tween the fights is as important as the fights 
  themselves. 
  High melodrama, low comedy, and 
  complex plot twists are as much a 
  part of Blade as the action. 
  Give your players their story! 
  A story they really want to 
  work through and a chance 
  to develop their character’s 
  Passion Attributes. Endless 
  fight scenes quickly become 
  dull and meaningless. 
  11. MOOKS — SET DRESSING 
  THAT’S FUN TO BEAT UP
  Refs new to Blade could possibly feel that 
  unnamed characters die too easily, and ask 
  “How can I make them tougher?”. This is miss-
  ing the point. Mooks aren’t supposed to be 
  tough. 
  Mooks, thugs, goons, and Imperial Storm 
  troopers… call them what you will, they’re 
  meant to be cannon fodder for your PCs. Mind 
  you, this doesn’t mean that they’re harmless. 
  Throw enough mooks at your PCs, and they’ll 
  eventually wear them down. 
  It also doesn’t mean that mooks can’t have 
  a few interesting powers or use clever tactics. 
  However, mooks are the extras of the game, 
  meant to augment your main villains, not re-
  place them. The real challenge should be the 
  named characters. We would even go as far 
  as to say that a Wound Level of 4 or greater 
  should slay a mook. Instantly! This well re-
  flects S&S heroes clearing out a crowded hall 
  of enemies!
  By the way, don’t worry about where all 
  these mooks come from. Villains have an end-
  less supply of losers working for them. “Crunch 
  all you want, we’ll make more.” 
  12. EAT YOUR MOOKS — THEY’RE 
  GOOD FOR YOU
  To emphasize the appropriate respect the 
  players should have for mooks (i.e., not much), 
  keep bowls of hard candies like Reese’s Pieces 
  or M&Ms, and use them to represent mooks. 
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  The rule is simple: If you take down a 
  mook, you get to eat him. 
  Unless one of your players is diabetic, this 
  is sure to get them in the spirit. 
  13. LET YOUR PLAYERS SHINE
  Player Characters are the heroes of your 
  Blade novel — let them act like it. Most of 
  what the heroes do in novels or movies would 
  never work in real life anyway, so don’t apply 
  the “real life” rule to your players. Blade char-
  acters regularly bend the laws of physics to do 
  the things they do. Roll with it. 
  Now you shouldn’t let your players get 
  away with things that are obviously impossible 
  or just plain stupid. But don’t trip them up with 
  rules technicalities or reality checks. 
  14. LET YOUR PLAYERS FAIL
  As a counterpoint to the above, resist the 
  temptation to rig the game in favor of your 
  players. Players can smell a rigged game a 
  mile away. Make them succeed on their own 
  skills, smarts, and luck. 
  If too much attention is paid to story con-
  cerns, your Blade game may appear faithful to 
  the original stories in form, but, ironically it 
  will not feel that way. The trick with presenting 
  an uncaring Sword & Sorcery world is to refer-
  ee it impartially and without sentiment for the 
  survival or well-being of the player characters. 
  Some game theories espouse the concept that 
  PCs should be special and merit special con-
  sideration. 
  Don’t do this.
  If they are to be special, it should 
  be through their own actions and by 
  their already considerable capabili-
  ties against the hostile milieu
   So, no Plot or story Immunity!
  Blade Heroes can fail or even die — 
  it happens in novels all the time. Just 
  be sure you give the players their shot at 
  revenge later, and let them look good doing it. 
  15. GREAT VILLAINS NEVER DIE; THEY 
  COME BACK IN SEQUELS
  The most memorable villains keep coming 
  back. No matter how badly they seem beat-
  en, they always bounce back with a bigger 
  army of goons, deadlier sorcery, a more im-
  penetrable fortress, and an even more diabol-
  ical plan. 
  Always give your villain a hidden es-
  cape route, or at least an ambiguous 
  death. If your players are enjoying it, 
  they may help out with something like, 
  “Well, that’s the last we’ll be see-
  ing of old Thulsa. After all, no one 
  could have survived that fall.” 
  Of course players, being the 
  savvy (and bloodthirsty) individ-
  uals that they are, will still go 
  to great lengths to make 
  sure your villains are 
  truly and completely 
  dead. That’s normal, but 
  if you think the players are 
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  getting tired of it, let the villain 
  die. He can always return as a 
  cackling ghost if they miss him. 
  16. PAINT A PICTURE
  Blade is a game that depends high-
  ly on visualization, more so than most 
  other RPGs. The players say who they 
  are and what they’re doing; it’s up to you 
  to provide the rest. The better your description 
  of the scene, the characters in it, and what 
  they’re up to, the more creative your play-
  ers’ acts of mayhem will be. More than this, 
  a vivid description brings the game to life, 
  and is instrumental in introducing the Sword 
  and Sorcery feel to your players. 
  17. LET PLAYERS ROLL THE DICE
  In large combats, players often have little 
  control over the outcome of events when it 
  isn’t their turn in the Limelight. This can lead 
  to boredom if a player’s attention drifts 
  between his turns, threatening to dis-
  tance him from the outcome 
  of events. 
  The best method of dealing 
  with this problem is to put 
  more dice rolling into your 
  players’ hands: allow your 
  players to make all of the dice 
  rolls in and out of combat. 
  This takes a lot of the work 
  out of the ref’s hands since 
  he no longer needs to roll 
  those Checks needed to administer the 
  melee. This frees up his attention for other 
  important things, such as enemy tactics, spell 
  effects, terrain, and the like. 
  Conversely, it requires the players to be-
  come much more active and aware of what’s 
  going on. No longer can players snooze 
  through all Limelights but their own: They’ll 
  be rolling more dice than ever before—which 
  (among other benefits) gives them the feeling 
  of having greater control over their successes 
  and failure, plus, since the ref isn’t rolling the 
  dice, he can’t fudge a result to give the charac-
  ters a break (or take one away). 
  18. KEEP YOUR VILLAINS ON THEIR 
  TOES
  One major consideration for an arch-vil-
  lain’s organization that is often overlooked is 
  the infighting that goes on between members. 
  Any mook’s main goal in life should be to be-
  come the next Chief Lieutenant. With that in 
  mind, they should be quite willing to sell out 
  their fellow mooks for a chance of advance-
  ment. This can often be beneficial to players 
  who understand the value of a well-placed 
  bribe. In turn, the Chief Lieutenants should 
  have to watch out for daggers from the shad-
  ows, and the Arch Villain himself has to keep 
  his Chief Lieutenants from becoming pow-
  erful enough to become a threat to his own 
  schemes. It’s very, very dangerous to be in the 
  Hierarchy of Evil and the road to the top is 
  paved with daggers.
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  19. GIVE YOUR ENCOUNTER A 
  HOOK
  Call it what you will, but by ‘hook’ I’m 
  talking about giving your Blade encounter that 
  unusual element which will spark an immedi-
  ate interest in your players. If the players get 
  interested you can often feed off of that and be-
  come energized to referee a great encounter. A 
  hook is that special something that makes the 
  encounter strange, new, exciting, puzzling or 
  provoking:
  • A fascinating location (on a narrow, 
  crumbling bridge; above a massive spin-
  ning fan; in the roaring, pounding surf)
  • It could assail one of the senses (strobing 
  light caused by strange fungi, intense heat 
  from a blazing fire, strange noises, weird 
  lights, sudden temperature changes)
  20. GIVE YOUR PLAYERS SMALL 
  SECRETS
  Play with plenty of small secrets in your 
  Blade game. Why does the prim and proper 
  lady down the street go out every Thursday at 
  midnight and not return until noon the next 
  day? What’s that blue flickering light that 
  shines from a neighbor’s basement window at 
  night? 
  Why can’t you remember last Tuesday 
  morning, anyway? The “best” and most in-
  spiring RPG material I’ve seen is always ma-
  terial that contains dozens of tiny, throw-away 
  mysteries. Almost every paragraph mentions 
  some weird oddity and doesn’t really explain 
  it. These are small things, not secrets 
  that will change the nature of the uni-
  verse. In addition, they give the play-
  ers who can’t solve mysteries to save 
  their own lives something to play 
  with. 
  Small mysteries tend to be much 
  easier to solve: You follow the prim 
  and proper lady. You sneak into your 
  neighbor’s basement. You ask people around 
  your neighborhood whether they saw where 
  you went last Tuesday morning. Not all mys-
  teries involve webs of clues and payoffs. 
  Even someone who swears up and down 
  that they hate mysteries may find some 
  fun in hunting down the easy answer to a 
  small question. You’re no longer stuck with a 
  choice between leaving mysteries out entire-
  ly or alienating one of your players. Have Fun!
  FINAL WORD: THE IRON RULE 
  These rules are yours, and you are 
  invited to make them even more so 
  by customising them to your heart’s 
  content. Add, change, and ignore 
  what you like. There is however 
  only a single rule that cannot be 
  altered while still playing Blade 
  and this is the Iron Rule:
  When we encourage 
  “you” to make these 
  rules your own we are 
  referring to the gaming 
  group, not the referee. The 
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  gaming group has every author-
  ity to change the rules; the ref 
  on his own has none. He doesn’t 
  own the game he is refereeing, the 
  group does. If he wants to change 
  a rule, ignore a rule, or add a rule, 
  he has to run this by his group, and 
  if the majority of the group (himself 
  included as but one member among 
  several members of equal rights) repudiates 
  this change, the change cannot be enacted.
  The ref has but one special authori-
  ty over the rules: He can vetoe any rules 
  change proposed by any of the players. It 
  doesn’t matter if the majority of the group 
  wants to change one of the rules presented 
  herein, if the ref isn’t comfortable with such a 
  change, the rule still stands.
  So that’s the Rule of Iron. The group as a 
  whole may change the rules as it likes, the ref 
  without the group’s consent may not.
  This concludes Chapter Seven.
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  ”The nostalgia of things unknown, of lands forgotten or unfound, is upon me at times. 
  Often I long for the gleam of yellow suns upon terraces of translucent azure marble, 
  mocking the windless waters of lakes unfathomably calm; for lost, legendary palaces of ser-
  pentine, silver and ebony, whose columns are green stalactites; for the pillars of fallen temples, 
  standing in the vast purpureal sunset of a land of lost and marvellous romance. I sigh for (...) 
  the strange and hidden cities of the desert, with burning brazen domes and slender pinnacles of 
  gold and copper that pierce a heaven of heated lazuli.” 
  Clark Ashton Smith - Nostalgia of the Unknown
  The fisherman was typical of his race, that strange people whose origin is lost in the gray dawn of the past, 
  and who have dwelt in their rude fishing huts along the southern shore of the Sea of Vilayet since time 
  immemorial. He was broadly built, with long, apish arms and a mighty chest, but with lean loins and 
  thin, bandy legs. His face was broad, his forehead low and retreating, his hair thick and tangled. A belt 
  for a knife and a rag for a loincloth were all he wore in the way of clothing. That he was where he was 
  proved that he was less dully incurious than most of his people. Men seldom visited Xapur. It was 
  uninhabited, all but forgotten, merely one among the myriad isles which dotted the great 
  inland sea. Men called it Xapur, the Fortified, because of its ruins, remnants of some 
  prehistoric kingdom, lost and forgotten before the conquering Hyborians had ridden 
  southward. None knew who reared those stones, though dim legends lingered among the 
  Yuetshi which half intelligibly suggested a connection of immeasurable antiquity between 
  the fishers and the unknown island kingdom. 
  - Robert E. Howard  “The Devil in Iron”
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  “The currencies of this savage land are coined from threefold metal: There is the silver of talking, 
  the gold of brooding, and the steel of bloodshed.”
  On Lands Yet Tamed
  The Forlorn Tome of Du’Karrn 
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  I. XOTH OVERVIEW
  Welcome to a world where men are mighty, 
  women are voluptuous, kings are cruel, and 
  hidden terror lurks in every brooding ruin! It is 
  an age of splendorous but decadent kingdoms, 
  where armies clash at the whims of depraved 
  nobles, and the bloody sword of an adventurer 
  can topple empires.
  The opportunities for adventure in the World 
  of Xoth are endless. Perhaps the player charac-
  ters are shipwrecked on the bleak shores of the 
  cannibalistic Ikuna tribes, or encounter a Zad-
  jite merchant-fleet headed for the Silver Lotus 
  Isles. 
  Adventurers can explore the ancient ruins 
  and ziggurat-temples of the Sunken Isles of 
  Ptahaana, or head back to the warring city-
  states of Susrah to enlist as mercenary cap-
  tains. Others may travel to the domed palaces 
  and scented gardens of Zul-Bazzir, through the 
  scorching deserts of Khazistan, to the barbaric 
  stone cities of Azimba, or into the forbidden 
  temples of Susrah, and beyond.
  Read on, and prepare for high adventure! 
  From the forbidden catacombs of Belthaar to 
  the sunken temples of Namthu, a world of ad-
  venture awaits you!
  1. THE PEOPLE
  The following describes the various peoples 
  and cultures found in the world of Xoth. Survi-
  vors of older, pre-human races, such as the gi-
  ant-kings of Kuth and the Yalothan snakemen, 
  exist only in small numbers and are primari-
  ly intended as non-player characters 
  and villains. Each people have among 
  its numbers various cultural arche-
  types. 
  Languages: There is no common 
  language in the world of Xoth. Each 
  people speaks its own language.
  Azimbans
  Also known as the “dwellers in the cities 
  of stone” by their tribal neighbors, the Azim-
  bans have an old culture centered around their 
  stone fortresses and bird-worship.
  Physical Description: The black warriors 
  of Azimba are tall, strong and proud, known 
  for their discipline in formations with shield 
  and spear. The men are usually shaven-head-
  ed, and the wearing of brightly colored robes 
  and feathered plumes is common.
  Religion: The god of the Azimbans 
  is Jul-Juggah, a reptilian bird-god that 
  must be propitiated with human sac-
  rifice. His feather-cloaked priests know 
  the secret spells to summon lesser 
  winged lizards, survivors of a lost 
  age.
  Cultural Characteristics: Az-
  imbans are almost invariably 
  Civilized, with only some 
  of the more jaded or de-
  praved 
  members 
  of 
  their upper class qual-
  ifying as Decadent.
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  Bhangari
  The mysterious eastern realms 
  of Laksha, Ghoma and Azjan are in-
  habited by a multitudinous people 
  known for their fierce warrior castes, 
  master craftsmen, skilled herbal-
  ists, and ranks of ascetic priests. The 
  Bhangari live in great walled cities 
  and build temples that soar to the sky.
  Physical Description: Of medium height, 
  with golden skin, and delicate features. The 
  men keep their black hair cropped short 
  and dress in simple cotton garments, while 
  the women wear colorful silken gowns and 
  weave their hair in long braids. 
  The armies of Laksha, Ghoma and Azjan 
  wear medium armor decorated with silver 
  and gold; the officers have turbans set with 
  feathers or gems to denote their station.
  Religion: Not much is known about the 
  cults of the east. The cult of the ape-god Si-
  matala originated in the land of Laksha, 
  and there are several cults that 
  worship aspects of the ele-
  phant.
  Cultural Characteristics: 
  The remote Bhangari seem 
  to be mostly Civilized, ob-
  viously with a small sprin-
  kling of Hillmen. Apparently, 
  their upper classes consist of 
  a fairly equal Civilized and 
  Decadent proportions.
  Daka
  The Daka are the pygmies inhabiting the 
  Silver Isles of the Eastern Ocean. They live in 
  jungle caves and know the secrets of the rare 
  lotus herbs that grow only on their islands.
  Physical Description: Short of stature (usu-
  ally short of one and a half meters) with curly 
  black hair and dark, wrinkled skin; dressed in 
  loincloths and jewelry of feather and bones, 
  and armed with hunting bows and blowpipes.
  Religion: The Daka worship as gods the 
  monstrous slugs of colossal size that inhabit 
  the marshes and swamps of the Silver Isles.
  Cultural Characteristics: All known Daka 
  are Savages, but there might be the remote 
  possibility that their swamps harbour small 
  communities of Degenerates. In any case, ev-
  ery Daka character must take the Dwarf Poor 
  Asset.
  Ghazorites
  The Ghazorites are a sub-race of the Sus-
  rahnites, who dwell in and around the great 
  port-city of Ghazor on the coast of the eastern 
  ocean. The Ghazorites are known both as av-
  aricious merchants, ruthless warriors, and ex-
  cellent sailors.
  Physical Description: Slightly smaller of 
  stature than their plains-dwelling brethren, 
  Ghazorite men and women often have some 
  foreign blood, the result of intermingling of 
  races. Such crossbreeding usually manifests 
  as a flat nose, blond hair, green eyes, swarthy 
  skin, or some other unusual feature.
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  Religion: The Ghazorites worship the 
  gods of Susrah, in addition to many strange 
  gods brought to the city by foreign sailors, 
  mercenaries and merchants.
  Cultural Characteristics: Like their cousins 
  the Susrahnites, the Ghazorites are a people 
  both Civilized and Decadent. While Deca-
  dents are more commonly found among the 
  upper classes, they are in no way confined to 
  it, nor are they composed uniformly of them.
  Ikunas
  The cannibalistic tribes of the Ikuna lands 
  are a constant plague upon the neighboring 
  nations. From their homeland south of the 
  Hills of the Dead, between the jungle and the 
  coast, the Ikunas wage a war of terror upon 
  the Zadjites, Azimbans, and anyone ventur-
  ing into the southern waters. Few dare go into 
  these lands; likewise, an Ikuna raiding party 
  on the warpath is something best avoided.
  Physical Description: Copper-skinned with 
  wavy hair and slightly green-tinted eyes that 
  give them a preternatural, fearsome appear-
  ance. The Ikuna warriors are heavily muscled 
  and move with pantherish grace, clad only in 
  loincloths. The women, who are often sha-
  mans and tribal priestesses, adorn themselves 
  with necklaces of bone and teeth.
  Religion: The Ikunas worship several tribal 
  gods, some of which are simply deified ser-
  pents, giant bats and great lizards from the 
  nearby jungles of Yalotha. 
  But also on the blood-stained altars in the 
  witch-houses of the Ikuna are gro-
  tesque idols of older demon-gods and 
  grinning, inhuman skulls of unnatu-
  ral proportions.
  Cultural Characteristics: Charac-
  ters of Ikuna ancestry can be portrayed 
  as either Degenerates or Savages but in 
  any case start out with the Poor Canni-
  balism Asset.
  Jairanians
  Dwellers in the desert-cities of the west, the 
  Jairanians are renowned as master craftsmen, 
  breeders of fine horses, and cunning thieves. 
  Mercenaries from the cities of Jairan are em-
  ployed across the continent.
  Physical Description: Light brown skin, 
  deep brown or black hair and eyes, wearing 
  loose pants and short vests. The men usually 
  sport beards, often oiled or waxed.
  Religion: Various grim gods are 
  worshipped among the Jairanians, in-
  cluding Yadar, Othabbhon, and even 
  Al-Tawir.
  Cultural Characteristics: Jaira-
  nians from the desert can either 
  be Nomads, or, more rarely, 
  Civilized. City-dwelling Jairani-
  ans are Civilized, with part 
  of their upper class being 
  Decadent.
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  Khazistanis
  Conquering horsemen of the 
  northwestern steppes, the Khazis 
  or Khazistanis are a proud people, 
  and justly so. From humble nomadic 
  roots, they have established an em-
  pire with glittering cities stretching 
  from the Eastern Sea to the deserts of 
  Jairan, and scores of caravans bringing 
  tribute and loot to the proud nobles of Khaz-
  abad. 
  The ruling warrior caste consists of 
  mounted archers riding magnificent pure-
  bred horses into battle.
  Physical 
  Description: 
  Tan-skinned, 
  brown-eyed and black-haired. The Khazis 
  are generally lithe of build, although large 
  individuals certainly exist. The men some-
  times wear turbans and grow long moustach-
  es or beards. The women usually wear veils 
  and robes. 
  Religion: The Khazis primarily wor-
  ship Yadar and Nhakhramat, 
  neither of which are native 
  Khazistani gods, but whose 
  cults have replaced former 
  elemental 
  and 
  ancestor 
  worship.
  Cultural Characteristics: 
  Almost all Khazistanis are 
  Civilized, with the small por-
  tion clinging to a more tradi-
  tional, ancestral lifestyle still 
  being Nomads. As a still 
  vigorous, only recently conquering peo-
  ple, almost none of their upper class are as 
  of yet Decadent. Khazistanis and Khazrajites 
  speak almost identical dialects.
  Khazrajites
  The nomadic tribes of the northwestern 
  desert are descended from Khazistani stock. 
  Calling themselves the Khazraj, they are a 
  free-willed, fierce and stubborn lot; a constant 
  menace to caravans and travelers.
  Physical Description: The Khazrajites are 
  physically identical to the people of Khazistan, 
  but of a slightly darker tan due to their expo-
  sure to the desert sun. Adult men usually grow 
  thick, black beards, and wear white khaftan 
  robes and silver-hilted scimitars.
  Religion: Chief among the gods of the des-
  ert is Al-Tawir, the Ancient One, although his 
  name is more often used in curses than in 
  prayer. Still, the nomads fear the Lord of the 
  Empty Wastes and make small offerings to 
  avoid getting lost or suffering from hunger and 
  thirst.
  Cultural Characteristics: These fierce des-
  ert tribesmen, the more rustic brothers of the 
  Khazistanis, are invariably Nomads. Khazra-
  jites and Khazistanis speak almost identical 
  dialects.
  Khoran
  The Isles of the Sea Reavers are inhabit-
  ed by dangerous men and cunning women 
  from many nations, and their couplings have 
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  267
  brought forth many who are born as na-
  tives of the isles, in the fortified pirate-city 
  of Khora. Such children usually inherit the 
  worst traits of both parents.
  Physical Description: The skin-tone of 
  Khorans range from the icy white of Tharag 
  Thulans to the burnt copper of the Ikunas, but 
  is usually somewhere in-between. They dress 
  in gaudy pantaloons and adorn themselves 
  with gold earrings and ivory-hilted knives pil-
  fered from burning merchant-vessels.
  Religion: The gods are more feared than 
  worshipped in the lawless port of Khora, but 
  even the Sea Reavers occasionally offer sac-
  rifice to the gods of the sea and the sky. Akh-
  lathu, the god of twisted fate, is also a popular 
  patron of many pirate crews.
  Cultural Characteristics: The mongrel 
  Khorans are mostly Civilized or Decadent, but 
  encompass a small stratum of Hillmen and an 
  even smaller one of Degenerate throwbacks. 
  They don’t speak a proper language of their 
  own, but a dialect of Susrahnian, with a few 
  words from various languages thrown in for 
  good measure.
  Kuthan, Halfbreed
  The pureblooded giant-kings of Elder Kuth 
  took human concubines, and the results of 
  these unions were halfbreeds, exceptional 
  humans who would usually (but not always) 
  serve as loyal agents of their powerful masters.
  Physical Description: Of normal human 
  size, but usually heavily muscled and wield-
  ing huge swords crafted by the gi-
  ant-kings.
  Religion: Believing themselves the 
  sons of gods, the Kuthan halfbreeds 
  demand to be worshipped as demi-
  gods.
  Cultural Characteristics: If half 
  breed descendants of the ancient Ku-
  thans do at all still exist somewhere on 
  Xoth, they would surely either be god-like 
  Enlightened individuals, or else horrible Dec-
  adents. In any case they almost invariably 
  have the Giant Asset, either Good or Poor, and 
  speak the language of their non-Kuthian par-
  ent as their native one.
  Kuthan, Pureblood
  The people of Elder Kuth, known as the “Gi-
  ant-Kings”, is a race believed to have become 
  extinct after the fall of their ancient em-
  pire. The decayed ruins of their cyclo-
  pean cities can still be glimpsed in the 
  western wastes.
  Physical Description: Rumored 
  to have been over two and a half 
  meters tall (or even taller, by some 
  accounts), the Kuthans were truly 
  giants among men.
  Religion: The Giant-Kings 
  of Elder Kuth were them-
  selves worshipped as 
  gods by their human 
  slaves, servitors, and 
  concubines.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  268
  Cultural Characteristics: No 
  pure-blooded Kuthans do exists 
  anymore. Or do they?
  Lamurans
  The men of Lamu are regarded 
  as a degenerate and evil people by 
  other nations, a belief that mainly 
  springs from ignorance, but is strength-
  ened by the fact that the Lamurans have un-
  naturally keen eyesight in the dark, and that 
  they worship many weird and loathsome 
  gods in the isolation of their remote hill 
  kingdom.
  Physical Description: Gaunt of build 
  and pale-skinned, with long flowing hair, 
  although the priests are often shaven-head-
  ed. The Lamurans dress in flowing robes 
  and wear distinctive tall caps, often wound 
  around with turbans.
  Religion: The cult of Yot-Kamoth is best-
  known, but a multitude of other deities 
  are worshipped.
  Cultural 
  Characteristics: 
  The 
  Lamurans, 
  corrupted 
  by their worship of sinister 
  Yot-Kamoth, are mostly Dec-
  adent, but retain both a sig-
  nificant Civilized stratum 
  in and around their cities 
  and of Hillmen in the more 
  remote parts of their realm.
  Mazanians
  Deep in the southern jungles rise the 
  moss-grown palisade walls of the Mazanians, 
  a matriarchal society whose female warriors 
  raid into the surrounding lands for male slaves. 
  The jungle kingdom is ruled by the black sor-
  cerer-queen of Boma-Ya, the forbidden city of 
  the amazons.
  Physical Description: Female Mazanians 
  are all stunningly beautiful, since all girls with 
  the slightest physical flaw are quickly aban-
  doned in the jungle. These dusky-skinned war-
  riors are not shy about using their charms to 
  distract male opponents.
  Religion: The gods of the Mazanians are not 
  well-known. Some say they worship female 
  snake-beings, others that their queen is the 
  thrall of a male demon-god.
  Cultural Characteristics: Mazanians are in-
  variably Savages, but some Civilized individu-
  als might exist among their upper classes.
  Nabastisseans
  The sun-drenched land of Nabastis con-
  sists of a collection of city-states ruled by pet-
  ty kings with their own armies of bronze-ar-
  mored pikemen. While the interior terrain is 
  dominated by rolling hills and forest-covered 
  mountains, the coast has sandy coves nestled 
  amid jagged cliffs. The cities along the coast 
  are centers of trade and are protected by fleets 
  of trireme galleys.
  The great city of Khargamum is well-
  known for the temple of Apsis, with its vast 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  269
  library-halls, founded by the scribes and 
  philosophers of ancient Nabaos and Totha.
  Physical Description: Bronze-skinned, with 
  gleaming white teeth and curly black hair, and 
  short of stature. The Nabastisseans dress in 
  brightly colored robes, and don breastplates 
  and full helmets when going to war.
  Religion: The Nabastisseans have few gods 
  of their own, but tolerate the temples of for-
  eign gods to be built in their cities. The coast-
  al peoples usually make small offerings to the 
  gods of the sea before setting out on voyages 
  of trade or war.
  Cultural Characteristics: Nabas-
  tisseans are usually Civilized, but a 
  sizeable and increasing proportion of 
  their upper classes has become Dec-
  adent.
  Ptahaanans
  Like the people of Elder Kuth, the 
  Ptahaanans are believed to have become 
  extinct during the last days of their blood-
  stained empire. The bulk of the Isles of Ptahaa-
  na sunk beneath the waves in ancient times, 
  perhaps as a result of failed sorceries.
  Physical Description: Surviving depictions 
  of the Ptahaanans show them as short of 
  build, with bronze skin, and slightly slant-
  ed eyes. Other sources claim they were tall, 
  with elongated skulls and fingers, clad in vo-
  luminous robes that concealed blasphemously 
  mutated bodies.
  Religion: The Ptahaanans are said 
  to have worshipped Ia-Azutlatl, the 
  “Blood-God”, atop their stepped pyra-
  mids.
  Cultural Characteristics: Should 
  any descendants of the blood-
  stained Elder Ptahaana still sur-
  vive, they have surely devolved 
  into the most abject of De-
  generates.
  Shomas
  The kingdom of Sho-
  ma is rich in gold, to the 
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  270
  extent that even the king’s great 
  herds of cattle wear golden or-
  naments. There are many skilled 
  artisans and goldsmiths among the 
  Shoma. Outside of the capital city 
  of Katanga, the land is peopled by 
  semi-nomadic tribes.
  Physical Description: Dark brown 
  skin, with close-cropped curly black 
  hair. The Shoma dress in simple loincloths, 
  but even commoners are often adorned with 
  golden jewelry.
  Religion: Nataka, the ivory woman, is 
  worshipped among the nobles and upper 
  class, while various tribal gods are revered 
  by commoners. 
  Cultural Characteristics: City-dwelling 
  Shomas are almost invariably Decadent, 
  with only a scattering of simpler, Civilized 
  people. Among the semi-nomadic rural Sho-
  mas, Decadents are still largely confined to 
  the wealthy classes, with the commoners 
  being still mostly Civilized.
  Susrahnites
  The fertile plains of Susrah 
  are home to a race renowned 
  for their skill in war and 
  their religious devotion.
  Physical 
  Description: 
  Broad-shouldered, 
  with 
  hooked noses and black, 
  curly hair, the Susrahnites 
  are dressed in flowing 
  robes. The men braid their long beards. 
  The women are lithe, wearing golden arm-
  bands and necklaces of pearl; they are prized 
  as slaves in Taraamite seraglios.
  Religion: Nowhere, except perhaps in 
  Yar-Ammon, can there be found as many gods 
  as in the city-states of Susrah. Above the hun-
  dreds of lesser gods arise the names of greater 
  deities such as Baal-Khardah, Belet-Lil, Mag-
  gash, and Yammosh.
  Cultural Characteristics: Susrahnites are a 
  people both Civilized and Decadent. While 
  Decadents are more commonly found among 
  the upper classes, they are in no way confined 
  to it, and neither are they composed uniformly 
  of them.
  Taikangians
  The realm of Taikang is near-mythical, a 
  land of teeming yellow masses, bamboo tow-
  ers, and serpentine dragons. Few westerners 
  have ventured here, but merchants who brave 
  the unknown can make a fortune when they 
  return with caravans of silks, lotus flowers and 
  painted ceramics.
  Physical 
  Description: 
  Lithe 
  and 
  yel-
  low-skinned, with slanted eyes and long, black 
  hair. Both men and women dress in silk if they 
  can afford it, although the commoners often 
  wear little more than a loincloth.
  Religion: The chief god of the Taikangians is 
  Wa-Ying, the so-called “Emperor of Hell”.
  Cultural Characteristics: Taikang is a leg-
  endary land, but judging by what legends are 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  271
  told of it in the west and by what Taikang-
  ians have ventured forth from their home-
  land, they seem to be a wicked and almost 
  uniformly Decadent people. But who knows? 
  Maybe they still retain a few more wholesome, 
  Civilized individuals – or some utterly Degen-
  erate ones…
  Taraamites
  The plains and highlands of Taraam are in-
  habited by a people known both for the so-
  phistication of their culture and their talent for 
  intrigue. A caste of mounted warriors is the 
  backbone of their army, which threatens the 
  lesser cities of Susrah and Nabastis with de-
  struction unless tribute continues to flow into 
  the thousand-columned palace of Achad. 
  Taraam’s royal palace is also a place of thou-
  sand intrigues, where the eunuchs and priests 
  of the court wear coats of golden brocade and 
  baggy silk pants, great scimitars always at their 
  side.
  Physical Description: Male Taraamites usu-
  ally favor short, trimmed beards. Warriors car-
  ry straight short swords and lances, and dress 
  in robes decorated according to their status, 
  with the king’s personal guard wearing gold-
  trimmed robes and circlets of gold, in the fash-
  ion of princes.
  Religion: Ahyada, the “high god”, is the chief 
  god of the Taraamites, served by an influential 
  priesthood of astrologers and omen-readers.
  Cultural Characteristics: Taraamite com-
  moners are almost invariably Civilized, just as 
  the upper classes of this people are 
  almost invariably Decadent. Excep-
  tions to this generalisation do exist, 
  but are very rare.
  Tharag Thulans
  Also known as Tharagians, these 
  northern tribesmen inhabit the cold 
  taigas and tundras at the edge of the 
  world. In each generation, there are always 
  some northerners who leave their ancestral 
  lands to escape the ancient blood-feuds of 
  their clans and explore the decadent empires 
  of the south.
  Physical Description: Dressed in wolf-
  skin cloaks and tall boots of wolverine-fur, 
  these barbarians of the north have long, 
  yellow beards, white skin, and piercing blue 
  eyes.
  Religion: The Tharag Thulans revere 
  the Moon-God, the Wolf-God, and the 
  Skull-God.
  Cultural Characteristics: These re-
  mote northern barbarians are Savag-
  es.
  Yar-Ammonites
  Also known as the “kingdom 
  of tombs”, Yar-Ammon is a 
  land covered with des-
  ert and haunted by 
  ancient sorceries. The 
  silent streets and broad 
  ceremonial avenues of 
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  272
  black-templed Amenti is an 
  awesome sight to behold. The 
  papyrus used by the scribes and 
  sorcerers of Yar-Ammon is harvest-
  ed from the inland marshes of the 
  Fakhuum.
  Physical Description: Tall and 
  slender, with bronze skin, dark hair 
  and black eyes. The nobles and priests 
  wear golden pectorals and masks carved 
  with beastly visages, while commoners dress 
  in simple garments of white linen.
  Religion: The ancient ancestors of the 
  Yar-Ammonites, who are worshipped as 
  gods, are depicted as beast-headed human-
  oids. These ancient ones are said to have had 
  lives spanning millennia; they brought hu-
  mankind knowledge and civilization. Some 
  claim they returned to the stars from whence 
  they came after being buried in the depths of 
  the black pyramids of Amenti.
  Cultural Characteristics: Children of 
  an old culture steeped deeply in sor-
  cerous mysteries, Yar-Ammo-
  nites are a mixture of Civi-
  lized and Decadent people, 
  though leaning toward the 
  latter.
  Zadjites
  The turbaned fire-worshippers of Zadj are 
  an offshoot of the Jairanian race in the west. 
  They have exploited the riches of their new 
  homeland well, and grown rich as spice mer-
  chants and slave-traders. Having brought with 
  them a high level of culture from Jairan, the 
  Zadjites are skilled artisans and Iraab, the mar-
  ble capital by the sea, is a center of learning as 
  well as rich trade and exquisite craftmanship. 
  The interior plains and forests of Zadj are 
  dominated by the fortress-city of Al-Qazir, 
  also known as the City of Slave Sultans, for it is 
  held by a council of slavelords who only pay 
  lip service to the emir of Iraab.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  273
  Physical Description: Swarthy, tur-
  baned, wearing colorful robes and gold-hilt-
  ed curved daggers. The raven-haired Zadjite 
  women are famed for their sensual beauty; 
  they are often scantily clad and adorned with 
  glittering jewelry.
  Religion: The Zadjites hold “the Sacred 
  Flame”, a nameless elemental god, above all 
  others.
  Cultural Characteristics: This wealthy and 
  callous people of tradesmen is mostly Deca-
  dent, with only a smattering of Civilized in-
  dividuals remaining, virtually none of them 
  among the upper classes.
  Zorabi
  These tribesmen inhabit the Zorab Moun-
  tains that jut up between Lamu and Khazistan. 
  The southernmost tribes have accepted the 
  overlordship of the Khazistanis, at least in 
  name, while the rest are opportunistic raiders 
  who feud incessantly among themselves.
  Physical Description: These mountain 
  wolves wear white turbans and heavy cloaks, 
  and are armed with scimitars and shortbows. 
  They have long black beards, and their brown 
  skin is wrinkled by the sun and mountain 
  winds.
  Religion: There are few priests among the 
  Zorabi, but worship of certain Lamuran gods 
  is probable.
  Cultural Characteristics: Zorabi are invari-
  ably Hillmen.
  II. THE GODS
  ”In the temple of the city of Morm, which 
  lies between the desert and the sea, are two 
  images of the god Amanon, a bronze image 
  facing an iron image, across the fires and 
  blood-stains of the alter-stone. When the gory 
  sunset of the day of sacrifice is over and the 
  writhing fires of the sacrifice are dead, and the moon 
  smiles with a cold and marble smile on the blackened 
  altar — then Amanon speaks to Amanon, with a voice 
  of iron, and a voice of bronze…”
  Clark Ashton Smith: 
  The Image of Bronze and the Image of Iron
  The Nature of the “Gods”
  Here is the big secret: True deities do not 
  exist. Most of the “gods” are simply 
  monstrous or alien creatures of flesh 
  and blood; others don’t even exist ex-
  cept as an invention of the cult, a ruse 
  by the priests to gain power and in-
  fluence over the worshippers.
  Very few priests possess any de-
  gree of spellcasting ability. When 
  the rare priest does wield super-
  natural power, it is of sorcer-
  ous nature, independent 
  of the god the priest 
  claims to worship. The 
  “gods” 
  cannot 
  grant 
  spells and powers to their 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  274
  followers. Some can, however, 
  teach spells and other arcane 
  secrets to humans, and they often 
  live long and so accumulate a lot 
  of knowledge which they may (or 
  may not) share with their servants. 
  Even so, some of the creatures 
  worshipped as gods have alien minds 
  and/or do not care or know about their 
  followers, making it difficult for the priests to 
  benefit from such knowledge. 
  On the other hand, the “gods” may 
  gain various benefits from having a human 
  priesthood, including sacrifices of food, 
  wealth, slaves, and willing servants. In some 
  cases, blood sacrifices from the cult can also 
  empower sorcery cast by the “god”, or in-
  crease its powers.
  The following types of creatures may be 
  labelled “gods” and be worshipped or pla-
  cated by humans:
  • “Demons”, a definition that is itself 
  somewhat problematic. Any crea-
  ture with innate supernatural 
  or magical abilities may be 
  called a demon.
  • 
  Creatures 
  from 
  other 
  planets and stars, from the 
  void between the stars, and 
  the black gulfs of space.
  • 
  Monstrous and prehistor-
  ic animals, such as giant ser-
  pents, lizards, spiders, and 
  dinosaurs.
  • Undead and spirits are sometimes 
  worshipped as gods.
  AHYADA
  the High God of Taraam
  Ahyada is the bringer of truth and protec-
  tion to the people of Taraam, and the patron 
  of the royal house of Achad as well. He grants 
  visions and omens to the king, which is inter-
  preted by astrologer-priests and soothsayers. 
  Amulets of Ahyada are said to be effective 
  wards against demons.
  AKLATHU
  the God of Twisted Fate
  Figurines of this god, who has few temples 
  and no priests, depict Akhlathu as a deformed 
  dwarf, whose facial features even show a hint 
  of retardation. Many Susrahnites swear “By 
  Akhlathu’s Beard!” when in trouble. This is 
  also a god of thieves and gamblers.
  AL-TAWIR
  the Ancient One, the Sleeper Beneath the 
  Sands
  Some say that Al-Tawir dwells in the black 
  gulfs between the stars, others that he sleeps in 
  a sealed and forbidden tomb beneath the des-
  ert sand. Al-Tawir is one of the Old Gods. The 
  nomads hear his voice in the howling of the 
  desert winds, and they see his face in the rage 
  of sandstorms. He is the emptiness of the des-
  ert, associated with getting lost, with thirst and 
  hunger, with darkness, and with sandstorms.
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  275
  BAAL-KHARDAH
  the Sun-God of Susrah
  The lord of the sky, protector and judge of 
  humankind, Baal-Khardah is a distant god, 
  usually worshipped only by nobility. The com-
  mon people tend to favor the more earthly 
  passions of his mate, Belet-Lil. His lavish tem-
  ples are filled with ram-headed statues, golden 
  sun-discs, and sacred swords.
  BELET-LIL
  the Moon-Goddess of Susrah
  Voluptuous mate of Baal-Khardah, and 
  earth-mother, Belet-Lil is a goddess of fertility, 
  revelry, and beauty. She is very popular among 
  the Susrahnites, not least due to the large num-
  bers of temple prostitutes found in every city.
  IA-AZUTLATL
  the Blood-God of Sunken Ptahaana
  The true form of Ia-Azutlatl is unknown, but 
  he is one of the Old Gods; some even claim 
  that he is the greatest and oldest of those an-
  cient ones. It is known that the blood-dru-
  ids of now-sunken Pthaana worshipped him 
  with ceremonies of mass slaughter atop their 
  stepped pyramids of green stone. Today, his 
  name survives only in the rituals of primitive 
  savages and mad hierarchs.
  JUL-JUGGAH
  the Devil-Bird of Azimba
  The sweltering plains of Azimba are dot-
  ted with hundreds of monstrous statues of liz-
  ard-birds. Whether these grim effigies 
  were crafted by an older civilization, 
  or placed there more recently by the 
  feather-cloaked shamans of Jul-Jug-
  gah, is not known.
  THE LIVING FLAME
  Nameless God of Zadj
  The Zadjites worship a nameless ele-
  mental god, the Living Flame, above all other 
  gods. The priests tend everburning fires in their 
  marble temples. Fire is considered pure; both 
  the dead and the unbelievers are cast into the 
  flames to be purified. Fire also imbues metal 
  with a spark of the divine; the priests of the 
  Living Flame are skilled metal-workers and 
  weaponsmiths.
  MAGGASH
  the Brazen God of Zhaol
  Abominable are the brass idols of 
  Maggash, the fire-god of Zhaol, and 
  even worse are the rites of the priest-
  hood, which include the burning of 
  infants as sacrifice. The priests of 
  Zhaol accept no other god than 
  their own, and worship of oth-
  er gods is strictly forbidden and 
  punishable by death. Mag-
  gash is sometimes de-
  picted as a bull, or a 
  bull-headed 
  human-
  oid.
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  276
  NHAKHRAMAT
  the Six-Armed Woman
  The ivory woman, said by some 
  to be the mate of Yadar, is wor-
  shipped largely by Khazistanis who 
  disapprove of Belet-Lil’s open sen-
  suality, which is a source of conflict 
  between the Khazistanis and the Sus-
  rahnites.
  NWANGA ZHAAL
  the Lord of Beasts
  Known and feared across the Jungle 
  Kingdoms, this bloodthirsty god is master 
  of the beasts that howl at the moon. His sha-
  mans are always served by flocks of bonded 
  animals.
  OTHABBHON
  the Guardian of the Gates
  Depicted as a horse-headed humanoid 
  clutching a bronze key, this mysterious 
  god is a protector of homes and 
  vaults, as well as the guardian 
  of secret and hidden places.
  SIMATALA
  the Ape-God of Laksha
  Turbaned priests stran-
  gle sacrificial victims on the 
  white jade altars of this grim 
  ape-god of the east, whose 
  cult has even begun to 
  spread to the west.
  YAATHRA YOK
  the Wise One
  This is an elephant-headed god of the east, 
  revered for its great strength and wisdom. Tem-
  ples of the cult contain rich treasures of ivory.
   YADAR
  the Lord of Death and Secrets
  The mysterious high god of the Khazistanis, 
  Yadar, is said to live in the desert and to col-
  lect the souls of every living man and woman 
  when they give up their final breath.
  Yadar is associated with scorpions and bats. 
  Many carry charms and amulets in the image 
  of Yadar, said to ward against disease and vio-
  lent death.
  Such worship is often personal and unor-
  ganized, since the locations of Yadar’s temples 
  are generally kept secret and known only to 
  the priests. The cult is suspected to have sub-
  terranean shrines in cities and temples in des-
  ert ruins. The nomads stay well away from such 
  ruins, since any who stray too close disappear 
  without a trace.
  To be initiated into the cult of Yadar, the can-
  didate must spend a night in a sealed sar-coph-
  agus in a mausoleum haunted by ghouls.
  YAMMOSH
  the Sea-God of Ghazor
  The greatest temple of this Susrahnite sea-
  god is located in the sinful port city of Ghazor, 
  although sailors from many nations offer sac-
  rifice to him before setting out on long ocean 
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  277
  voyages. To be initiated into the cult of 
  Yammosh, the candidate must survive being 
  plunged into a water-filled pit for d6 minutes 
  without drowning. 
  YIBBOTH
  the Sacred Toad of Fakhuum
  Despite having its cult-center deep within 
  the poisoned marshes of Fakhuum, whether 
  Yibboth is part of the true Yar-Ammonite pan-
  theon is uncertain; some claim he is one of the 
  Old Gods. The priests of Yibboth are reputed 
  to worship a “golden frog-thing”, along with 
  mummified crocodiles and all manner of wa-
  ter lizards and giant toads.
  YOT-KAMOTH
  the Spider-God of Lamu
  The Lamurans bow before black idols of 
  Yot-Kamoth, the monstrous eight-legged god 
  worshipped for centuries in the mountain 
  fastness of Lamra, the capital city. In truth, 
  the priests of the spider-god are the royalty of 
  Lamu, for they wield considerable influence 
  and for a common man to resist their demands 
  is a certain death sentence.
  To be initiated into the cult of Yot-Kamoth, a 
  candidate with the proper qualifications must 
  survive the lethal bite of a temple-bred spider.
  ZANTHISS
  the Great Serpent
  The ancient demon-serpent of Yalotha, in 
  some worlds known as Hassith-Kaa, is the fa-
  ther of various ophidian races and a 
  master of sorcery. 
  Zanthiss is currently believed to 
  be confined to an extradimensional 
  prison, or perhaps banished to a re-
  mote star, after the downfall of the ser-
  pent-empire of Yalotha.
  However, cults of Zanthiss still lair 
  in ancient temples, with writhing ser-
  pent-pits, giant slithering temple snakes, mala-
  chite altars stained with the blood of centuries 
  of sacrifice, and demon-guarded vaults where-
  in lie hidden the lost papyri of jungle-lost Yal-
  otha. To become an initiate of the cult, the 
  candidate must survive the lethal bite of a 
  sacred temple cobra. 
  Ascension to greater titles within the 
  priesthood may involve the bites of greater 
  and more poisonous snakes.
  THE GODS OF THARAG THULE
  Among the gods worshipped in the 
  cold wastes of the north are the Moon-
  God, the Wolf-God, and the Skull-
  God.
  The Moon-God is served only by 
  female priestesses; old hags and 
  crones are respected omen-read-
  ers and oracles among the 
  Tharagians.
  The Wolf-God is a 
  god of strength, war, 
  and bloodlust. Tribal 
  chieftains are often also 
  priests of the Wolf-God.
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  278
  The Skull-God is the lord of the dead and 
  the king of ghosts; this god has no priests or 
  followers, but each village has a hut set up 
  with a skull-adorned altar where he is placat-
  ed with offerings.
  THE GODS OF YAR-AMMON
  The 
  Yar-Ammonites 
  wor-
  ship an ancient pantheon of 
  beast-headed man-gods, dis-
  turbing fragments of a lost 
  age. Depictions of these 
  gods, said to have brought 
  knowledge and wisdom 
  to the first civilization of 
  Yar-Ammon, 
  include 
  ser-
  pent-headed, vulture-head-
  ed, hyena-headed, and croc-
  odile-headed humanoids. 
  The priests of Yar-Ammon often wear masks in 
  imitation of these gods.
  III. THE WORLD
  “Stand aside, girl,” he mumbled. “Now is the feasting 
  of swords.”
  Robert E. Howard, The Slithering Shadow
  In the far distant, legendary past, Xoth is 
  said to have been ruled by the depraved snake-
  men of Yalotha, who used primitive early man 
  as slaves, food and objects for their sadistic 
  amusement. The snake-men’s empire of terror 
  is rumoured to have extended over all of Xoth, 
  save the frigid north, and it was from here that 
  men finally ventured south to overthrow evil 
  Yalotha. These men were the giant Kuthan, 
  who erected an empire of their own, replacing 
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  279
  the snake-men as overlords of men.
  Though the largest kingdom by far and 
  also the most powerful and advanced one, El-
  der Kuth was not the only realm. There was 
  also evil, blood-drenched Elder Ptahaana, and 
  others. Decadence, civil strife, barbarian in-
  cursions, and – some say – the secret machi-
  nations of surviving Yalothan snake-men, did, 
  after a period of greatness, finally bring about 
  the downfall of Elder Kuth. The giant Kuthans 
  passed into the realm of legend.
  With the march of the nine or ten centu-
  ries since the ruin of Elder Kuth, realms rose 
  and fell. In the modern age, the most power-
  ful realm is the recently risen desert empire of 
  Khazistan, likely followed by warlike Taraam 
  in the northeast.
  In the north, Taraam, though already past 
  the apogee of its greatness and wracked by 
  intrigue, is poised over Susrah and Nabastis, 
  two loose confederacies of city-states rent by 
  constant infighting and beset by their power-
  ful northern neighbor. Isolated and protected 
  by its mountain fastness, spider-haunted Lamu 
  keeps to itself.
  In the desert lands, Khazistan overshadows 
  all other kingdoms and threatens both hoary 
  Yar-Ammon with its mystery-shrouded tombs, 
  and far western Jairan. Only distant Zadj is 
  free from the shadow of powerful Khazistan, 
  its ships and caravans bringing the wealth of 
  Xoth to marble-pillared Iraab.
  In the Deep South, Azimba, land of the cit-
  ies of stone, is the most advanced of the Black 
  Kingdoms. and swamp-riddled Ikuna 
  with its cannibal tribes the most prim-
  itive. Shoma, renowned for its mines 
  and gold-adorned cattle herds, may 
  be primitive, but is still far from sav-
  age. 
  The Amazonian jungle realm of 
  Mazania is more myth than reality, 
  even more so than wolf-haunted Tharag 
  Thule in far frigid north. Only the realms of the 
  distant east, Laksha, Ghoma, Azjan and most 
  of all distant Taikang, are hidden behind an 
  even denser veil of legend and mystery.
  Modern languages spoken throughout 
  Xoth are Taikangian and Bhangari in the 
  Far East and Lamuran, Taraam, Nabastissan, 
  Susrahnite and remote Thulan in the north. 
  Of the languages of the desert lands, 
  Yar-Ammonite and Zorabi are distinct, but 
  Khazrajite and Khazraji are virtually 
  identical, and Jairani and Zadjite at 
  least similar enough to allow for some 
  degree of understanding between its 
  speakers. The languages of the black 
  peoples, Shoma, Azimban, Maza-
  nian, and Daka are all distinct as 
  well. 
  The dead languages used by 
  sorcerers and some sages are 
  first and foremost the dead 
  tongue of the giant 
  kings, Elder Kuthan. 
  Ptahaanan is another 
  ancient 
  language, 
  but 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  280
  known to only very few schol-
  ars. Even more rare is knowledge 
  of Yalothan, the reptilian sounds of 
  which are however largely unpro-
  nounceable by humans.
  The economy of the World of 
  Xoth is based on brass, silver, and 
  gold coins. Each country has its own 
  names and shapes for these coins. 
  Money-changers do a brisk business, but 
  coins from neighbouring realms are usual-
  ly accepted at least in the cities. In uncivi-
  lized areas, bartering with livestock, slaves, 
  ivory, gems, and similar items is more com-
  mon than using coins.
  Iron weapons are the campaign standard, 
  and are used by most cultural groups. The 
  exceptions are the Zadjites, who craft superi-
  or steel weapons; the ancient Yar-Ammonites, 
  who wield archaic weapons of bronze; and 
  the people of the jungle kingdoms, who 
  fashion weapons primarily from wood, 
  bone, or flint. 
  Swords on Xoth tend not to 
  be straight, but curved – ev-
  ery blade longer than a short 
  sword is always bent; the 
  weapons of the barbarian 
  Tharag Thulans being the 
  only exception to this rule. It 
  is possible to wield some of 
  the Xothian swords with both 
  hands, but they are mainly 
  intended to be used with 
  just one, and no swords exist intending 
  mainly two-handed use. 
  The most advanced types of armor are 
  chain, lamellar, and scale; neither brigandine 
  nor plate are known, save of course for hel-
  mets. With the possible exception of distant 
  Taikang, crossbows are unknown, but all other 
  types of bows see widespread use.
  Now that you have an idea of the peoples 
  and gods, the history and politics, and the 
  technology of Xoth it is our hope that you will 
  flesh it out to suite your needs and the interests 
  of your gaming group. What follows are some 
  points of interest to get you started.
  LAMU: THE CITY OF LAMRA
  In the city of Lamra, in the land of Lamu, 
  the dreaded priests of Yot-Kamoth have built 
  a temple to house their god, which is a colos-
  sal eight-legged spider-idol, carved from the 
  black stone of a fallen star. Great is the power 
  of the spider-priests of Lamu, for they outnum-
  ber even the austere priestesses of Nhakhra-
  mat and the muffled priests of Yadar, and they 
  ride as kings through the shadowed streets of 
  Lamra.
  But though the iron-fisted rule of the priests 
  is largely uncontested, such ruthless men and 
  women as worship Yot-Kamoth are often at 
  war with each other, driven by ambition and 
  power-thirst. 
  The cunning rule of wily old Hamadara, 
  Archapostle of Yot-Kamoth, is uncontested, but 
  his priestly cohorts are in a constant struggle 
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  281
  for predominance. Utilizing a extensive 
  network of spies and informers, Hamdara 
  keeps well abreast of temple intrigue and fu-
  els priestly rivalries; as long as his minions are 
  busy infighting, his position is unassailable.
  SUSRAH: LAND OF WARRING CITY-
  STATES
   THE CITY OF YAATANA
  There are many depraved cities in the land 
  of Susrah, such as red-walled Zhaol where 
  children are burned as sacrifice to Maggash 
  the fire-god, and the cesspool of vice that is 
  the harbour city of Ghazor. 
  But Yaatana, at the headwaters of the Ophrat 
  River, is said to be the most wicked city of them 
  all, and so all manner of debased folk flock to 
  it, like insects attracted to a greasy torch. 
  This wealthy trading post along the route 
  from the city-states of Susrah to Khazistan and 
  Jairan in the west is noted for its sinful back 
  alleys and nefarious inhabitants. It is a city of 
  furtive sorcerers, strange and depraved cults, 
  and a place where the most perverted desires 
  can be fulfilled by the arrangements of fat mer-
  chants eager to sell anything.
  The city is old and surrounded by ancient 
  clay walls faced with colourful glazed tiles. 
  Tarnished golden domes and marble minarets 
  are visible beyond the walls as one approach-
  es the city. The massive main gate is over 600 
  years old and receives a constant stream of 
  visitors entering and leaving. With somewhat 
  over 100,000 inhabitants, Yaatana 
  has over hundred temples (and proba-
  bly double that number of hidden or 
  secret underground shrines), a doz-
  en public bath-houses, and almost 
  10,000 houses, most of which are sev-
  eral stories high, topped with flat roofs, 
  and decorated with elaborate friezes 
  and intricately carved windows.
  Yaatana is ruled by an elected governor 
  (currently a middle-aged man named Akhdari 
  Marza), but the real power is in a council of 
  seven men drawn from the ranks of wealthy 
  merchants, sorcerers, and high priests. The 
  armed forces of the city are mostly com-
  prised of mercenaries; law is enforced hap-
  hazardly and most laws are ignored as long 
  as money from trade keeps flowing into the 
  city. The local magistrates are notoriously cor-
  rupt and rule in favour of the biggest 
  bribe.
  In the central souk (market), a va-
  riety of goods, including meat, spices, 
  cotton, silverware, cop-per, and pot-
  tery can be bargained for. There 
  are a number of smaller, more 
  specialized souks dealing with 
  slaves, weapons and drugs scat-
  tered throughout the city.
   THE CITY OF 
  GHAZOR
  The harbour city of 
  Ghazor is located stra-
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  282
  tegically at the mouth of the 
  Ophrat River. It has a large navy 
  of galleys, which is used to protect 
  the sea lanes from the raids of the 
  sea reavers of Khora, as well as in 
  occasional clashes with the Nabas-
  tissean fleet. As one of the Susrahnite 
  city-states, Ghazor is ruled inde-
  pendently by the petty king Rahim-Dul, 
  but is allied with the other cities of Susrah 
  through treaties and intermarriage. The city 
  has around 150,000 inhabitants.
  Much trade flows through Ghazor, arriv-
  ing by boats from the south, and carried in-
  land by river barges or donkey caravans. The 
  trade goods include Susrahnite wine, spices 
  from Laksha and Azjan, dried fruit, slaves, 
  and pearls harvested off the coast of Zadj.
  The main ziggurat of the city is dedicated 
  to Baal-Khardah, but the sea-god Yammosh 
  is more popular among the many sailors and 
  merchant-captains. Offerings of gold 
  and animals are often made to 
  the temple of Yammosh be-
  fore any sea-voyage.
  The southern quarters of 
  the city, home to sailors, sla-
  vers, mercenaries and oth-
  er foreigners, is well-known 
  outside Ghazor for its many 
  depraved vices and lawless 
  atmosphere. The king and his 
  nobles, busy with their own 
  schemes and pleasures be-
  hind massive palace walls to the north, 
  largely ignore the unruly docks. Thus the 
  southern seafront is rarely patrolled by the city 
  guard, but the naval docks to the northeast are 
  well-guarded.
  THE CITY OF BELTHAAR
  This city, located west of the Ophrat river, is 
  one of the smallest city-states of Susrah, with 
  a population of only 60,000 people, yet its 
  foundations are ancient and rest on a maze of 
  catacombs, and its gloomy, serpentine streets 
  wind their way between mighty monuments 
  and hoary towers. There are temples and zig-
  gurats dedicated to Belet-Lil, Baal-Khardah, 
  Yadar, and a multitude of others.
  Belthaar is currently ruled by the petty king 
  Simashattar III, whose army of pikemen and 
  charioteers are involved in a three-way war 
  with its bigger neighbours, Zhaol and Ghezath. 
  Despite his small army, Simashattar has avoid-
  ed defeat by capturing a princeling of Ghezath 
  and holding him hostage. At the same time, 
  he is secretly negotiating a separate truce with 
  emissaries of Zhaol.
  THE CULT OF THE KEEPERS:
  It is the custom and the law that all who die 
  within the walls of Belthaar, from commoners 
  to kings, are delivered into the hands of the 
  silent priests of Yadar after their death.
  It is the sacred duty of these Keepers to re-
  move the corpse, and to wash and purify the 
  body. If the bereaved have left a well-filled 
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  283
  purse for the Keepers, the corpse is usually 
  preserved and embalmed with utmost skill 
  by the priests; otherwise the corpse is burned 
  and the ashes placed in urns of clay, bronze, 
  or sometimes even gold.
  The Cult of the Keepers also maintains and 
  guards the extensive network of catacombs 
  and crypts beneath the city, where urns and 
  mummies are placed after the funereal cere-
  monies.
  No one except the priests are allowed to en-
  ter the catacombs, but on certain days friends 
  and family of the deceased may come to the 
  Shrine of the Keepers and place offerings on 
  the altar of Yadar to ensure the well-being of 
  lost ones. 
  It is even said that when such offerings are 
  plentiful, the priests may unlock the doors to 
  the catacombs and allow brief visits to private 
  crypts.
  Others whisper that the mute, cowled priests 
  are actually ghouls, who carry away and eat 
  the dead, and that they guard only empty urns 
  and coffins in the catacombs.
  ZORAB MOUNTAINS
  The foothills of the mighty Zorab Mountains 
  separate the plains of Susrah from the steppes 
  and deserts of Khazistan. The feuding clans of 
  the Zorabi inhabit impregnable stone towers 
  carved into the mountain-sides. 
  From here, they sally forth to raid each oth-
  er and the neighboring people of Lamu and 
  Susrah, and also their nominal sovereign Kha-
  zistan. 
  These mountain-men wear cloaks 
  of wolf fur, white turbans, and all war-
  riors have full beards bristling with 
  curly black hair. The Kharjah Pass 
  is the only crossing traversable oth-
  er than on foot (although several se-
  cret passes, known only to the Zorabi 
  mountain peoples, are rumoured to 
  exist), and is guarded by mountain tribes 
  loyal – least in name to the Padishah of Kha-
  zistan. 
  Two large stone tower-fortresses protect 
  the western end of the Kharjah, each housing 
  around fifty warriors and their families. Travel-
  lers are typically approached by troops con-
  sisting of at least ten warriors, or distinctly 
  more if large caravans are coming through. 
  The tribesmen collect taxes from caravans 
  passing through the pass. They claim one-tenth 
  of the value of trade goods carried (the 
  majority of this tax is in turn supposed 
  to be brought as tribute to Khazabad), 
  as well as a fixed amount for each man, 
  horse or camel making the passage. 
  However, the tribesmen are not 
  above demanding much more if 
  they think they can get away with 
  it.
  THE AL-KHAZI DESERT
  The wastelands of 
  the al-Khazi Desert are 
  harsh and inhospitable 
  to city-dwellers, igno-
  rant of the secrets of the 
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  284
  nomads. The al-Khazi is very hot (the aver-
  age daytime temperature is 38 degrees 
  Celsius), and the majority of this 
  desert is covered with vast 
  sand dunes, broken up here 
  and there by areas of stony 
  desert with hills, jagged 
  rocks and wind-worn cliffs.
  KHAZRAJ, THE WOLVES 
  OF THE DESERT
  At the fringes of the Kha-
  zistani Empire, the wild 
  Khazraj nomads (them-
  selves descended from the same racial stock as 
  the Khazistani peoples) are a constant menace 
  to caravans and travellers; sometimes even out-
  lying villages and towns of Khazistan, Yar-Am-
  mon and Jairan are subject to raids from these 
  free-willed nomad clans.
  These Khazraj raiders are lean, wolfish men 
  dressed in gleaming white khalats and green 
  turbans. Their skin is a wrinkled bronze. The 
  nomads sit easily atop their camels, striking 
  down foes with curved swords, but prefer to 
  attack from a distance, using their bows from 
  atop their war camels. They attempt to circle 
  around the caravan and pick their foes off at 
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  285
  their own leisure. 
  If possible, the nomads will strike at night 
  to soften their opponents up for a later attack, 
  sneaking into their opponents’ camp to steal, 
  kill or maim their animals, and likewise steal 
  or foul their water. They then retreat, but trail 
  the caravan and pick off starved and weakened 
  characters in the following days. 
  If the Khazraj manage to disable the camp 
  guards without being detected during the ini-
  tial attack, they simply proceed to slay the re-
  maining caravan members in their sleep.
  Being opportunistic raiders, they flee into 
  the desert if their leader is slain, if they take 
  significant casualties, or if they face a group of 
  well-equipped and clearly skilled opponents 
  (but no one dares retreat before their leader 
  flees).
  KHAZISTAN
  The Padishah of Khazistan is the most pow-
  erful monarch of Xoth. Showing little signs of 
  complacency, the power of Khazistan seems 
  to be still growing, and its shadow looms large 
  over Jairan and Yar-Ammon and is felt also in 
  Susrahn. Khazabad by the sea is the residence 
  of the Padishah, and with easily more than 
  300,000 inhabitants, the largest city of Xoth.
  THE CITY OF ZUL-BAZZIR
  Zul-Bazzir is the western metropolis of Kha-
  zistan and the largest city of the desert, located 
  amidst lush palm trees in the sprawling oasis 
  of Zul. It was founded five centuries ago by 
  Yar-Ammonite traders from the south and grew 
  quickly into a major center of trade, 
  a stopover for all major caravan routes 
  through the al-Khazi desert. 
  In the last century, Zul-Bazzir was 
  conquered by the Khazistani horse-
  men coming out of the western steppes. 
  Sizeable populations of Yar-Ammo-
  nites remain, along with people from 
  Susrah, Jairan and elsewhere, and the city 
  remains a thriving place of commerce, hous-
  ing a population of maybe as much as 200,000 
  people. 
  Located on the westernmost edge of Kha-
  zistani influence, the city is often threatened 
  by foreign invasion and raids. Despite this, 
  Zul-Bazzir is unwalled, although the bey’s 
  sprawling palace-citadel is protected by a 
  tall inner city wall. 
  Khadim Bey, the governor of the city de-
  pends heavily on mercenaries, to de-
  fend against occasional Yar-Ammonite 
  intrigues, Jairanian ambitions, and the 
  raids of wild Khazraj nomads. 
  He maintains an army of about 
  5,000 men, two thirds of which are 
  foreign mercenaries, mostly from 
  Yemar in Jairan.
  Typical houses are two-story 
  buildings with flat roofs. No-
  bles and wealthy mer-
  chants live in walled 
  mansions with lush gar-
  dens and artificial pools. 
  Between 
  the 
  outer 
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  286
  districts where foreigners and 
  slaves throng, and the golden 
  minarets and spires of the inner cit-
  adel, are bustling markets and ba-
  zaars. Lesser streets wind their way 
  through the maze-like districts of the 
  city, where thieves skulk and revelers 
  feast at night.
  The Citadel: The great citadel of the 
  governor rises above the crowded streets of 
  Zul-Bazzir. This walled district contains the 
  governor’s palace, the grand court, a lab-
  yrinthine harem said to have a hundred 
  bedrooms, a temple dedicated to Nhakh-
  ramat the six-armed ivory goddess, as well 
  as barracks housing Khazistani officers and 
  Yemarite mercenaries.
  Noble District: Occupied by Khazistani 
  nobles, officers and merchants, this district 
  has broad streets and walled mansions. 
  Slaves care for the desires of the Khazistani 
  nobles in their lush gardens here, day 
  and night.
  Caravanserai: The caravans 
  entering and leaving Zul-Ba-
  zzir are based in this district, 
  with its warehouses, stables 
  and sleeping-halls. Camels 
  and horses are bought and 
  sold here as well. The area 
  is plagued by beggars and 
  thieves preying on newcom-
  ers, as well as more respect-
  able-looking people trying 
  to attract customers to the Pleasure Dis-
  trict. 
  In reality, many foreigners are led into am-
  bushes by such people. There are plenty of 
  mercenaries and hired guards here, looking 
  after valuables from the caravans and guarding 
  the warehouses in the area.
  Bazaar: The bazaar is bustling with activi-
  ty during daylight hours. Almost anything can 
  be bought or bartered for here, including food 
  and drink, clothing, silks of distant Taikang, 
  equipment and tools, weapons and armor, 
  pottery, Jairanian carpets, gems, and jewel-
  lery fashioned by Susrahnite and Zadjite arti-
  sans. Camels and horses are offered across the 
  street, in stables near the caravanserai. 
  Among the more special offerings in the ba-
  zaar are caged exotic animals and birds, me-
  dicinal herbs, talismans and amulets said to 
  ward off evil, rare books and maps, as well as 
  large and small statuettes of gods and demons. 
  Extraordinary items, such as poison, silver 
  lotus juice and certain alchemical powders, 
  are usually not found in the Bazaar, and are 
  only available to those who have special con-
  tacts (an Information Gathering Check in the 
  Pleasure District steers a PC in the right direc-
  tion if he wishes to buy such items).
  Slave Market: An adjunct to the bazaar, the 
  slave market is filled with imports from the em-
  pire of Khazistan. Largely run by slavers from 
  Khazabad, the slave market is busy, with daily 
  displays of human wares. Once a week, spe-
  cial offers such as daughters of nobles, virgins, 
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  287
  and mighty warriors whose wills have 
  been broken by the whip, are auctioned off.
  Foreign District: Home to people of pre-
  dominantly Susrahnite origin, this district 
  contains a small shrine to Belet-Lil. Many of 
  the Yemarite mercenaries in the city’s employ, 
  as well as other foreigners, have their houses 
  here. This district is also the place to look for 
  healers and those skilled in the use of medic-
  inal herbs.
  Artisan District: Here one finds the work-
  shops and warehouses of the city’s artisans. 
  Makers of expensive wares, such as sword-
  smiths and gem-cutters, usually do not trust 
  the governor’s soldiers and keep a few hired 
  guards as backup in the case of burglary.
  Old Town: This is the oldest existing district 
  of the city, hailing from the time when the city 
  was little more than a collection of mud-brick 
  houses clustered around a central well. 
  The old town is still important, due to the 
  existence of underground tunnels that lead 
  water from here to the rest of the city. The 
  district is otherwise noted for its many sages, 
  scholars and students of the arcane.
  Temple District: In this maze of alleyways 
  and tall walls are a number of temples and 
  shrines devoted to various gods. Located here 
  is a temple dedicated to the beast-headed 
  Yar-Ammonite pantheon. Near the temple is a 
  small necropolis, where mummified Yar-Am-
  monites as well as preserved animals lie en-
  tombed for eternity. 
  Poor and desperate people from the near-
  by slums sometimes try to break into 
  these tombs to steal valuables, which 
  then surface for sale in the bazaar. 
  However, buying such tomb jew-
  ellery is associated with a certain 
  risk: it might be cursed, or the priests 
  of Yar-Ammon might take offense and 
  send assassins after the blasphemers.
  Slum District: Home to the poor, 
  homeless and diseased, and plagued by the 
  occasional fire, this is a place best avoided. 
  Unless, of course, one needs to hide from the 
  authorities. The Yemarite mercenaries of the 
  city guard rarely venture into this part of the 
  town.
  Pleasure District: A large district filled 
  with all manner of depravities, including 
  gambling-houses, drinking-houses, bordel-
  los, fighting-pits and lotus-smoking dens. 
  Thieves, thugs, prostitutes and slavers 
  abound. This is a great place to waste 
  coin quickly. One of the most notori-
  ous locations of the district is the House 
  of Abu Khafi. Also in this district is a 
  “temple” to Belet-Lil, in reality little 
  more than a gathering-place for 
  orgiastic revellers.
  SHOMA AND THE TOWN 
  OF KATANGA
  Katanga is the only 
  town of any impor-
  tance in the kingdom 
  of Shoma; the lesser 
  “towns” are merely crude 
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  288
  villages scattered across the 
  grassy plains. South and east of 
  Katanga are the Shining Hills, jun-
  gle-covered highlands that abound 
  with gold.
  Approaching the town, great 
  herds of cattle can be seen; these be-
  long to the king himself and many of 
  the animals wear ornaments of beaten 
  gold. The cattle in each herd number in the 
  hundreds, but are guarded closely by scores 
  of spearmen.
  Katanga itself is surrounded by a wood-
  en palisade, inside which over 12,000 
  people huddle together in wretched huts. 
  The average citizens of Katanga are poor, but 
  free, for the rulers of the Shoma do not keep 
  slaves. 
  However, people don’t live to be old, so 
  almost two thirds of the population are chil-
  dren and young adults. Most live in build-
  ings of sun-dried mud with roofs of straw 
  along with their animals, such as goats 
  and fowl.
  The spacious inner city, 
  forbidden to commoners is 
  ringed by a great mud-brick 
  wall. Its gates are adorned 
  with massive ivory tusks 
  taken from the greatest spec-
  imens of elephants. A guard 
  of spearmen at each gate 
  makes sure that only no-
  bles, royal guards, priests, 
  merchants and foreign dignitaries are al-
  lowed entry to the inner city, which houses 
  the royal palace and cattle pens, the temple of 
  Nataka, and the goldsmiths’ workshops.
  The current king is Mashota, a middle-aged 
  man with many wives and several young heirs, 
  all fighting for the king’s attention and favours. 
  The jungle-shrouded uplands south and 
  east of Katanga are known as the Shining Hills. 
  Like the Ishrahnites before them, the Shoma 
  people operate several gold mines in these 
  hills, all owned by the king and protected by 
  his loyal spearmen. These mines have a long 
  and evil history:
  In the centuries since the downfall of El-
  der Kuth, the former slave peoples of the gi-
  ant-kings migrated north and east to settle in 
  the lands of Susrah. An offshoot of these pro-
  to-Sushrahnites, called the Ishrah, chose in-
  stead to wander south into the hills of what is 
  now the black kingdom of Shoma.
   In the jungled hills of Shoma, the Ishrah 
  discovered rich deposits of gold and precious 
  stones. They enslaved the native tribes and set 
  their new slaves to toil day and night in the 
  mines. The small kingdom of the Ishrah pros-
  pered and a series of purple stone fortresses 
  were built to control the mines.
  Driven by greed, the Ishrah forced their 
  slaves to dig ever deeper into the rich ore, un-
  til one day the toiling workers unearthed a se-
  ries of stone chambers beneath the mine tun-
  nels in the most remote and inaccessible part 
  of the Shining Hills. The priests of the Ishrah 
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  studied the weird pictograms on the walls 
  and deemed it unwise to disturb these pre-
  human vaults. 
  The mine was sealed off and declared ta-
  boo by the priests, and soon the surrounding 
  area was abandoned by the Ishrahnites. Cen-
  turies later, the area was re-settled by a native 
  tribe, the Wamuba, who built a village in the 
  shadow of the ruined stone citadel of the Ish-
  rahnites. 
  Protected by their remoteness and the im-
  penetrable jungle, the Wamuba defy the rule 
  of Katanga. Strange things are whispered about 
  the Wamuba and their supposedly deathless 
  evil queen, Nugga-Tikanda.
  AZIMBA AND THE CITY OF 
  ZIMBALLAH
  The terrain of northern Azimba is dominat-
  ed by savannah, while the southern regions 
  are covered by jungle. Throughout the land 
  are hundreds of stone statues in the likeness of 
  Jul-Juggah, a great lizard-bird with monstrous 
  features and outstretched, leathery wings. 
  The statues range from three to ten meters 
  in height. They are sacred and offerings, some-
  times including blood sacrifice, are regularly 
  placed in front of the statues by the priests of 
  Jul-Juggah. To touch the statues or steal the of-
  ferings is an offense punishable by death.
  The main city, Zimballah, is situated to the 
  west, in the foothills of the Shining Hills. Al-
  though there are dozens of lesser stone-walled 
  settlements within Azimba’s borders, concen-
  trated mostly in the northern savannah lands, 
  whoever holds Zimballah dominates 
  the region and can claim to be king of 
  Azimba. 
  However, the king must be on 
  good terms with the influential cult of 
  Jul-Juggah, whose high priest formally 
  appoints new kings and provides ad-
  vice and auguries to the royal house. 
  Zimballah is sometimes simply called 
  “the city of stone” by virtue of its size and im-
  portance. Surrounded by hills, the city has 
  massive walls, towers, and multiple interior 
  gates. No one knows who reared Zimballah’s 
  massive, concentric walls and circular tow-
  ers. The outer walls are ten meters tall and 
  four meters thick, and are fitted seamlessly 
  together without the use of mortar.
  Close to 30,000 inhabitants throng Zim-
  ballah’s inner districts, with several hundred 
  merchants, animal-herders, peasants, 
  mercenaries and beggars living in 
  semi-permanent caravan camps out-
  side the city walls. 
  Foreigners are free to roam the 
  market and residential districts, al-
  though all must return to the for-
  eign district at night, when the 
  gates are closed.
  At the top of the hillside in 
  which Zimballah nestles 
  is the noble district, 
  which houses the roy-
  al palace, the houses of 
  the nobles, the barracks 
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  of the king’s guard and the city’s 
  granaries, and finally the temple 
  of Jul-Juggah. It is a testament to 
  the cult’s influence in Zimballah 
  that the shrine of Jul-Juggah is more 
  grand and imposing than the pal-
  ace’s throne room. 
  The large hall of worship, domi-
  nated by a monumental idol of Jul-Jug-
  gah, is illuminated by sun or moonlight filter-
  ing in from somewhere above, and smells of 
  exotic drugs and incense. A pair of doors 
  leads out to the sacrificial platform.
  The city is an important trading center 
  in the jungle kingdoms region. Cattle and 
  ornaments of beaten gold from Shoma, steel 
  swords and cut gems from Zadj, jungle herbs 
  and animal-skins from Mazania, carpets and 
  peacock feathers from Jairan, and even silks 
  and ceramics from far-off Taikang finds its 
  way here. 
  The king levies a tax on all trade; five 
  per cent of the market value of all 
  trade goods must be paid to 
  the city guards upon entry 
  into the city.
  In a desolate valley north 
  of the city walls are 
  the “Caverns of 
  Bone”, ancient 
  burial-places 
  for the Azimban dead. The high priest of 
  Jul-Juggah has placed a taboo on the valley, 
  preventing people from worshipping their an-
  cestors, claiming the caverns are haunted by 
  the restless and malign ghosts of the dead.
  HILLS OF THE DEAD
  As one reaches the limit of the green, rank 
  jungles of the Ikuna lands, the jungle begins 
  thinning out to low shrubs, stunted trees and 
  tall grass. In the distance one will make out a 
  chain of bare, somber hills, littered with boul-
  ders, shimmering in the merciless heat of the 
  sun. 
  Between these hills and the jungle lay a 
  broad expanse of rough, uneven grasslands, 
  dotted here and there by clumps of thorn 
  trees. An utter silence hangs over the country. 
  The only sign of life is perhaps a 
  few vultures flapping heavily 
  across the distant hills.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
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  Amongst the greater of these hills there 
  is a silent city of stone, and in days of old 
  many folk lived there. They were human, but 
  they were not as mortal men, for they had 
  ruled those hills for ages and ages. 
  The ancestors of the Ikuna made war on 
  them and at last all died, but their magicians 
  brought them back from the dead and now 
  they listlessly dwell in burning hunger. For 
  ages have they preyed on the tribes of the jun-
  gle, stalking down from the hills at mid-night 
  and at sunset to haunt the jungle-ways and 
  slay and slay.
  ISLES OF THE SEA REAVERS
  Hopefully you will have entered of your 
  own free will and not as a slave, either to a 
  person or to a vice. Regardless, few will have 
  little or no idea the scale of debauchery and 
  villainy that waits in these infamous dens of 
  iniquity. The folk of the isles as a whole are 
  seducers and harlots, torturers and slavers, as-
  sassins and kidnappers, zealots and thieves.
  The denizens of Khora, however, are even 
  worse…
   Khora is the largest city of the isles and the 
  most lawless. Its strategic location has made 
  it an excellent hideout for its conglomeration 
  of merchants, thieves, bandits, soldiers, ren-
  egades, assassins, mercenaries, outlaws, cut-
  throats and more. 
  Said to have over 5,000 residents, bar 
  fights, riots, protests and general chaos are 
  normal and common. Because of this, Khora 
  has earned the nickname “The City of Blood”.
  From Khora, the “Brethren of the 
  Isles” sail forth and raid those wealthy 
  merchant vessels traversing the ocean 
  between the isles and the coast. 
  When they flee back to their sanctu-
  ary, no warship dares enter Khora in 
  pursuit, for it is zealously guarded by 
  four forts of immense size, giving this 
  den of murderers one of the best defend-
  ed ports in the world, and the most feared.
  Men of all races and cultures came to this 
  port to trade their treasures and booty, most 
  looted on the high seas from ships flying the 
  flags of Susrah or Taraam.
  CANNIBAL COAST
  The coastal Ikuna tribes are known to 
  their neighbors as ‘man-eaters”. Those forms 
  of cannibalism include both resorting to hu-
  man flesh during times of want, and rit-
  ual cannibalism, the latter usually con-
  sisting of eating a portion of an enemy 
  warrior. 
  When warriors from one tribe 
  slew 2,000 enemies they remained 
  on the battlefield “eating the van-
  quished until they were driven off 
  by the smell of decaying bodies”. 
  It’s said that when a witch or 
  shaman dies all members 
  of the community will 
  eat a portion of the el-
  dritch one’s heart.
  Considered a great tri-
  umph, the Ikuna great-
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  292
  ly enjoy eating their captives. 
  They treat such captives with 
  great cruelty and often break their 
  legs to prevent them from attempt-
  ing to escape before being eaten, 
  while still keeping them alive so that 
  they may brood over their impend-
  ing fate…female captives are always 
  in great demand.
  SILVER LOTUS ISLES
  These isles are the haunt of the pygmy 
  Daka, who dwell within the deep jungle 
  caves that dot the islands. There the Daka 
  cultivate delicate Silver Lotus for their 
  hidden rituals. The islands are a warren of 
  swamps, marshes, quicksand, and predatory 
  wildlife, chief of which are the many enor-
  mous man-eating slugs long used to ritually 
  feed on those who would trespass against the 
  Daka.
   The swamps themselves are a perilous 
  place for the inexperienced or unwary. 
  The few dry paths through these 
  marshes are all kept privy by 
  the Daka. Dense clouds of 
  swamp gas, marsh fog, and 
  an endless tangle of droop-
  ing moss tends to make 
  everything look the same. 
  Many become hopelessly 
  lost, go crazy, or circle for 
  days before the end comes…
  usually a grisly one.
  THE SUNKEN ISLES OF PTAHAANA
  Ten centuries ago, a rich and prosperous 
  civilization flourished on the Ptahaana islands. 
  Its people were expert sailors, and they wor-
  shipped the gods of the sea. In the central la-
  goon of the largest island, the Namthuans built 
  a great temple. A great hoard of treasure accu-
  mulated as sacrifices of gold and jewels, the 
  fruits of flourishing trade, were heaped upon 
  the cyclopean altars of the lagoon-temple.
  In the abyss beneath the temple dwelt the 
  living god of the Namthuans, a tentacled mon-
  strosity named Bhaomog by the priests. Some 
  say that this creature was attracted to the is-
  land because of the rich sacrifices thrown into 
  the seas by the bearded priests, while others 
  claim that the temple was built in its honor.
   It was at the height of the power of the 
  Namthuans that a dangerous ritual performed 
  by their high priest failed, causing earthquakes 
  radiating from the ocean floor to first tear apart 
  the temple, burying the entrance to the lower 
  catacombs and Bhaomog under tons of rock, 
  and then ultimately to destroy the islands them-
  selves. It is said that many loyal priests were 
  able to flee the temple and reach the safety of 
  boats, setting sail for what is now the Cannibal 
  Coast, along with other survivors fleeing the 
  aftershocks of the earthquake.
  YAR-AMMON AND THE CITY OF 
  KHADIS 
  The mysterious land of Yar-Ammon contin-
  ues many ancient traditions harkening back 
  to Elder Kuth and other, even more obscure 
  prehuman roots. For its people, the afterlife 
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  293
  seems to be more real than their mortal 
  existence. High and low alike are buried as 
  they can afford, making the country is right-
  fully known as the “Kingdom of Tombs”. The 
  grandest of these are the pyramids, immemo-
  rially ancient man-made mountains of stone 
  erected along the marshy banks of the lower 
  Fakhuum. 
  Yar-Ammon’s capital and only seaport is 
  Amenti, located slightly inland in the north-
  ern part of the Fakhuum’s delta. It is as an old 
  and alien city, as majestic as it is forbidding, 
  dominated by the High King’s palace, broad 
  ceremonial avenues, and – most of all – the 
  pylon-flanked, black temples dedicated to 
  Yar-Ammon’s beast-gods, whose priesthoods 
  wield more political power than even the High 
  King himself.
  Other important population centres are the 
  oasis cities of Akhet to the west, and Khadis 
  to the far north. With some 50,000 permanent 
  inhabitants, Khadis is one of Yar-Ammon’s 
  smaller cities, but important as the gateway to 
  Khazistan, who grows ever more covetous of 
  it as Khadis’ king, old Akhtesh, shows signs of 
  slipping into dementia. 
  As with all towns of Yar-Ammon, Khadis has 
  one god who is its patron and revered above 
  all others. In Khadis’ case, this is Kherarut, 
  the hyena-god. At the outskirts of the city, an 
  idol of Kherarut towers over Khadis, the Red 
  Sphinx, a fifteen meters high colossal sphinx 
  with a hyena’s mangy body, wings folded 
  along its sides, and enigmatically devoid of a 
  face. The Red Sphinx is venerated as sacred to 
  Kherarut, but it also frightens the peo-
  ple of Khadis: It is said to be older than 
  humanity, and to guard soul-blasting 
  secrets. Some also whisper about 
  half-men slinking in from the desert 
  during moonless nights and howling 
  in worship of the Red Sphinx.
   IV. DRUGS OF XOTH
  A great many types of drugs are used and 
  abused by the jaded or the desperate through-
  out Xoth. The following is a short list of known 
  drugs, to which the referee is encouraged to 
  add new ones. Most of these drugs are ad-
  dictive to a greater or lesser degree, but a 
  PC’s addiction to one of them should never 
  be handled as a chance occurrence but rath-
  er as a device player and referee are interested 
  in portraying for the character. Likewise, no 
  mechanical effects for these drugs are 
  provided – they are intended first and 
  foremost to add colour and not to have 
  a mechanical influence.
  Dreaming Powder: (Susrah) The 
  main ingredient of this flaky and 
  slightly moist powder is the bark 
  of a certain tree native to Susrah. 
  It is smoked and causes vivid, 
  fantastic, and utterly fasci-
  nating hallucinations, but 
  the apparitions con-
  jured up by a rare “bad 
  trip” can be outright 
  maddening. Addicts have 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  294
  progressive difficulties telling 
  reality from fantasy and may be-
  come outright mad.
  Grey Desert Lotus: (Khazistan) 
  The powdered leaves of the Grey 
  Lotus of the al-Khazi desert makes 
  a popular drug with the Khazraj 
  nomads, and also the settled Kha-
  zistanis. The powder is sniffed and 
  then imparts a heady feeling of power, gran-
  deur, and strength. These delusions fade out 
  into spells of nervousness, skittishness, and 
  sometimes aggression.
  Ghoma-Weed: (Ghoma) The Red Lotus 
  of Ghoma are the reddish leaves of a cer-
  tain type of lotus purportedly grown in dis-
  tant Ghoma, where they are harvested, dried 
  and specially treated by ascetic priests. When 
  the leaves are chewed they act as a power-
  ful stimulant counteracting both bodily fa-
  tigue and mental depression and imparting 
  a very pleasant feeling of calm confidence. 
  Addicts are progressively reliant on 
  Ghoma-Weed to feel any sense 
  of calm or confidence, and 
  are easily recognized by red 
  stains to their teeth.
  Silver Lotus: (Silver Lotus 
  Isles) The Silver Lotus is a 
  rare plant growing in the 
  dark depths of remote caves 
  on the Silver Lotus Isles, 
  where it is guarded by bellig-
  erent pygmy savages. The leaves are vul-
  nerable to sunlight and spoilt by just a few 
  moments of exposure to it, but they can, with 
  certain additives, be ground into a powder that 
  is usually burnt in censers or else smoked in 
  long-stemmed pipes. The fumes of the Silver 
  Lotus induce a deep sleep ripe with fantastic, 
  though sometimes frightening, dreams. 
  The drug has a certain sorcerous character-
  istics, and the dreams contain prophetic hints; 
  one Xothian version of the Omen Reading 
  Skill is the interpretation of visions imparted 
  by the Silver Lotus.
  Khanquah-Fungi: (Zorab) These fungi are 
  picked from sheer cliff walls of the Zorab 
  Mountains, dried and smoked over various 
  special fumes. Ingesting one of these fungi acts 
  as a powerful stimulant; the user doesn’t feel 
  fatigue and becomes energetic and hyper-ac-
  tive, but also high-strung and has problems 
  concentrating.
  Oolnar: (Zandj) The Zandjites extract the 
  bile of a certain leech from the Ikuna Swamps 
  along with a few other esoteric ingredients, mix 
  the lot into a sticky brown paste that is either 
  mixed with wine or coated under the tongue 
  to slowly dissolve. Users of Oolnar typically 
  become both sexually aroused and extremely 
  drowsy or languid when under the drug’s full 
  sway, many also experiencing dreamy halluci-
  nations of an erotic nature. Some heighten this 
  drugged arousal by watching dances or other 
  erotic displays from their barely conscious eyes.
  This concludes Chapter Eight
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  The twigs which N’Longa flung on the fire broke and crackled. The upleaping flames 
  lighted the countenances of the two men. N’Longa, voodoo man of the Slave Coast, was very 
  old. His wizened and gnarled frame was stooped and brittle, his face creased by hundreds of 
  wrinkles. The red firelight glinted on the human finger-bones which composed his necklace.
  The other was an Englishman, and his name was Solomon Kane. He was tall and broad-shoul-
  dered, clad in black close garments, the garb of the Puritan. His featherless slouch hat was drawn 
  low over his heavy brows, shadowing his darkly pallid face. His cold deep eyes brooded in the firelight.
  “You come again, brother,” droned the fetish-man, speaking in the jargon which passed for a com-
  mon language of black man and white on the West Coast. “Many moons burn and die since we make 
  blood-palaver.
  You go to the setting sun, but you come back!”
  “Aye,” Kane’s voice was deep and almost ghostly. “Yours is a grim land, N’Longa, a red land barred 
  with the black darkness of horror and the bloody shadows of death. Yet I have returned.”
  Robert E Howard, “The Hills of the Dead”
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  CLEAVING DAMAGE TABLES
  Cleaving Damage Table: Area 1, Right and Left (Lower Legs)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Foot
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 3
  Weak strike.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 5
  Struck foe with 
  more force than 
  edge.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  Foe steps 
  quickly out of 
  your reach.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Foe stumbles, 
  Quality strike.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Foe dances 
  right into your 
  swing.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 13
  Pain: 14
  KD: 4
  Opens up a terrible 
  wound. Blood 
  everywhere.
  2-4
  Shin and 
  Lower Leg
  BL: 0 
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Feeble strike 
  taps target.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  An opening 
  appears and 
  all you can do 
  is smack foe 
  lightly.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Foe avoids 
  your main 
  effort, but you 
  nick him on 
  your recovery.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Blow lands 
  solidly upon 
  foe‘s shin. 
  You get some 
  slashing action, 
  but no mortal 
  wound.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Reached long 
  and caught 
  foe in lower 
  leg. He twists 
  out of it, but is 
  unbalanced.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 13
  Pain: 14
  KD: 4
  Slashed muscle and 
  tendons in lower 
  leg. Foe stumbles 
  forward into you 
  with his guard 
  down.
  5-6
  Knee and 
  nearby 
  areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 3
  Unbalanced 
  foe.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  KD: 1
  You are lucky 
  to strike foe‘s 
  knee while 
  recovering from 
  a lunge.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Nick foe 
  above knee. 
  Wound bleeds 
  surprisingly 
  strongly.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Good Form! He 
  can‘t stand this 
  much longer.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain:13
  KD: 3
  Foe mistakenly 
  brings his leg in 
  line with your 
  attack. Severed 
  tendons.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 15
  KD: 4
  Your weapon slices 
  through foe’s calf. 
  Hideous wound! 
  Foe is instantly pale 
  from the pain.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  300
  Cleaving Damage Table: Area 2, Right and Left (Upper Legs)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 3
  Foe‘s evasion 
  puts him out of 
  an aggressive 
  posture.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  KD: 1
  The blow does 
  nothing more 
  than open a 
  wide shallow 
  cut.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  So-So strike. 
  Slight leg 
  wound.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Foe leaps back, 
  but you still catch 
  his thigh. It‘s a 
  bleeder!
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Slash foe‘s 
  knee. Your 
  strike tears 
  garments and 
  armor off.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 15
  KD: 4
  Strong blow to 
  foe‘s leg. Foe 
  drops his guard 
  and almost his 
  weapon.
  3-5
  Thigh
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe evades 
  frantically.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Foe goes 
  airborne to 
  evade your 
  strike.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Slash to foe‘s 
  thigh sends 
  a piece of 
  equipment 
  flying.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  The blow has 
  some edge, but 
  much impact.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 10
  KD: 3
  Wound falls 
  open and foe 
  is in agony. His 
  guard is still 
  up, amazingly 
  enough. 
  BL: 6
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  KD: 4
  Foe blocks your 
  attack with his 
  thigh. Take a blood 
  shower.
  6
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe backpedals 
  5 feet. 
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Strike passes 
  across left hip 
  and grazes 
  right. It lands 
  lightly.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Miss foe‘s arm 
  and strike his 
  hip. He drops 
  something.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  You follow your 
  training well. You 
  extend on your 
  slashing arc.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Catch part of 
  foe‘s hip. You 
  make an ugly 
  wound.
  Your blade gets 
  stuck in foe’s hip. 
  Lots of screaming 
  before he dies.
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  Cleaving Damage Table: Area 3, (Horizontal Swing Right and Left)
  Roll
  location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe evades 
  your much of 
  your swing.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  You should 
  have swung 
  much harder.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Blow to foe’s hip 
  causes his right 
  leg to falter for a 
  moment.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Disorient foe 
  with a tricky 
  shot. He is at a 
  loss for words.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Catch foe with 
  devastating hit. 
  A terrible howl 
  erupts from him.
  That does it for 
  him. He’s very 
  dead.
  2-3
  Upper (2) 
  and Lower 
  (3) Abs
  BL: 0 
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Your grip fails 
  you.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 5
  Glancing blow 
  takes skin 
  with it.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 8
  Strike blunted 
  by clothing.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 11
  Very solid strike 
  to foe’s shield 
  side.
  BL: 7
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 14
  Masterful strike 
  to foe‘s chest.
  Boom! Shot strikes 
  foe‘s abs with 
  stunning effect. 
  He’s dead. You’re 
  drenched.
  4-5
  Ribcage
  BL: 0 
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe steps right, 
  then left, and 
  almost evades 
  your blow.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Destroy one 
  of foe‘s silly 
  decorations.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Blow is forceful, 
  not hard.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 10
  Strong blow 
  breaks foe‘s 
  guard. He is 
  unbalanced.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  Foe yells out 
  before the 
  impact and is 
  silenced by 
  the blow. Ribs 
  crackle.
  Blow thunders as 
  it connects. Foe‘s 
  ribs shatter. Heart 
  destroyed. Dead on 
  his feet.
  6
  Arms
  Go to Area 7 (Arms) below.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  302
  Cleaving Damage Table: Area 4, (Overhand Right and Left)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Upper Arm 
  and Shoulder
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Good form, but 
  it disappoints.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Hard strike 
  with no edge. 
  Foe steps 
  clear before 
  you sort it out.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  You push aside 
  foe‘s weapon 
  and force him 
  back.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  You strike foe‘s 
  shoulder and 
  slash muscles.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 10
  Foe mistakenly 
  brings his weap-
  on arm across 
  your blade’s 
  path. Ripping 
  damage.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Bury your sword 
  into foe‘s shoulder. 
  He dances a jig.
  3
  Chest Cross-
  cut
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Strike lands 
  poorly.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Strike passes 
  under foe‘s 
  arm. It fails to 
  bite deep. He 
  recoils.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Foe blocks your 
  attack with his 
  chest.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 10
  You crack 
  foe‘s rib with a 
  lightning strike 
  to his chest.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  Vicious Slash 
  to foe‘s chest. 
  Massive internal 
  organ damage.
  Strike to chest. 
  Foe goes prone 
  trying to avoid your 
  strike. He gets up 
  facing the wrong 
  direction and 
  collapses dead.
  4
  Neck
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe is shaken 
  by your attack. 
  He screams.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Blow opens 
  shallow but 
  bloody cut in 
  neck.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Strike lands 
  against foe‘s 
  neck. Foe is 
  horrified.
  BL: 7
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Foe tries to 
  disarm you and 
  pays with a 
  massive chop to 
  his neck.
  Your edge bites 
  half its width 
  into foe. Opens 
  up a terrible 
  wound. It’s 
  raining blood as 
  he drops dead.
  Meat chopping 
  strike severs foe‘s 
  head.
  5
  Head (Lower), 
  including the 
  Face
  BL: 1
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 3
  Blade misses 
  foe‘s eye by 
  inches.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 5
  Foe defends 
  energetically 
  to avoid 
  disaster.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  KO: 1
  Foe is shaken by 
  your blow to his 
  head. His defen-
  sive measures 
  look clumsy.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  KO: 2
  Foe twists oddly 
  to avoid your 
  attack. Blow 
  strikes foe‘s 
  chin.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 13
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  KO: 3
  Foe moves his 
  shield arm too 
  slowly. You 
  gladly slash his 
  face.
  Foe turns out and 
  away from your 
  swing. You still 
  catch his face and 
  destroy his head. 
  Dead before he 
  hits the ground.
  6
  Head (Upper)
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  You force your 
  opponent back. 
  He keeps you 
  at bay with wild 
  swings.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Your attack is 
  weak.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  KO: 2
  Foe yelps with 
  pain!
  BL: 4
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  KO: 4
  Foe sobs as ear 
  is removed.
  Strike to foe‘s 
  head cracks 
  skull and 
  causes massive 
  brain damage. 
  He gibbers and 
  dies.
  Strike down, in, 
  and across foe‘s 
  forehead. Destroy 
  foe‘s eyes. He 
  drops dead in his 
  tracks.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  303
  Cleaving Damage Table: Area 5, (Vertical Swing)
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-3
  Head (Upper)
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Strike slides off.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Nick your 
  weapon and 
  your foe.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  KO: 2
  Foe blocks your 
  attack with his 
  ear.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  KO: 4
  Strike to brain 
  makes life 
  difficult for foe.
  Devastating 
  Strike through 
  foe‘s cranium. 
  He leaps to the 
  left and dies.
  Your weapon slices 
  through foe’s head 
  and out the other 
  side. Foe drops and 
  dies.
  4
  Head (Lower), 
  including the 
  Face
  BL: 1
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 3
  Strike lands flat.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 5
  Shot 
  unbalances 
  foe.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 7
  KD. 1
  KO: 1
  Catch foe in 
  the cheek. He 
  drops his guard 
  and stumbles 
  away from you.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  KO: 2
  Strike along foe‘s 
  neck. Foe is 
  frantic to escape 
  death.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 13
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  KO: 3
  Slice through 
  foe‘s cheek and 
  throat.
  Destroys foe’s 
  jaw. Drives bone 
  through brain. Foe 
  dies instantly.
  5-6
  Shoulders
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Glancing blow. 
  Nothing extra.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Strike failed 
  to connect 
  well.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Foe dances 
  clear of the 
  worst.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Shot raises 
  foe‘s arm up 
  in involuntary 
  salute.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 12
  Tear open foe‘s 
  shoulder in a 
  graphic display 
  of violence.
  Strike to foe‘s 
  shoulder severs an 
  artery. Foe drops to 
  his knees and dies.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  304
  Cleaving Damage Table: Area 6, (Upward Swing)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-3
  Inner Thigh
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe is 
  concerned 
  with his own 
  preservation. 
  He steps back 
  5 feet. 
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
   Good attack 
  angle but poor 
  follow up.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Foe jumps 
  in the wrong 
  direction and 
  gets clipped.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Foe loses some 
  resolve from 
  your solid strike.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 10
  KD: 3
  Strike to side slips 
  down into foe‘s 
  thigh. Foe reels 
  away in agony.
  BL: 7
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  KD: 4
  Blow to foe‘s 
  thigh. Foe twists 
  out of it and you 
  turn your weapon 
  to magnify the 
  wound. Foe 
  screams.
  4
  Groin (Male)
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Your swing 
  falls short 
  when foe leaps 
  back.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 7
  Light swing 
  to foe‘s groin. 
  Foe is nicked.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 9
  Glancing 
  blow takes 
  skin with it. 
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 2
  Blow to foe‘s 
  groin. The strike 
  is solid. The pain 
  is certain.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Strike to foe‘s groin 
  area. All vital organs 
  are destroyed 
  immediately.
  Chop through the 
  top of foe‘s groin 
  and sever foe‘s 
  leg. Foe drops and 
  dies.
  Groin (Female) BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Your swing 
  falls short 
  when foe leaps 
  back.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Light swing 
  to foe‘s groin. 
  Foe is nicked.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Glancing 
  blow takes 
  skin with it.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Blow to foe‘s 
  groin. The strike 
  is solid. The pain 
  is certain.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Strike to foe‘s groin 
  area. All vital organs 
  are destroyed 
  immediately.
  Chop through the 
  top of foe‘s groin 
  and sever foe‘s 
  leg. Foe drops and 
  dies.
  5
  Abdomen
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Good form but 
  ineffectual.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 5
  Your weapon 
  stings foe but 
  nothing solid.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 8
  Great finesse 
  but low 
  power.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Solid strike 
  sends foe into 
  defensive frenzy.
  BL: 7
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 14
  Your weapon rips 
  into foe‘s stomach. 
  Major abdominal 
  wound.
  Disembowel 
  foe, killing him 
  instantly.
  6
  Chest
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe rears back 
  just in time to 
  save his hide.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Foe’s fancy 
  move earns 
  him the tip of 
  your blade.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 7
  Your blow, 
  though 
  minor, takes 
  off most of 
  foe’s shirt.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 10
  A hard blow that 
  leaves your foe 
  shaking in his 
  boots.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Upward swing gets 
  hung up in foe’s 
  ribs. Screaming, he 
  tears himself away 
  from your blade.
  Slash up through 
  foe’s heart. Foe 
  dies instantly.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  305
  Cleaving Damage Table: Area 7, Right and Left (Arms)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hand
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Weak strike.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Foe‘s evasion 
  puts him out of 
  an aggressive 
  posture.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Foe’s knuckles 
  are laid bare 
  defending 
  against your 
  strike.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Foe tries to 
  disarm you 
  and pays with 
  fingers.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Butcher chop 
  to hand freezes 
  foe in agony.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Foe screams as 
  severed hand lands 
  behind him.
  2-3
  Forearm
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Strike lands 
  poorly.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Minor wound. 
  Cut foe with 
  the smallest of 
  slashes.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Catch part of 
  foe‘s forearm. 
  You make a 
  long slice in 
  foe‘s arm.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  You are lucky 
  to strike foe‘s 
  forearm while 
  recovering from 
  a lunge.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Your blow 
  cuts deep 
  and severs an 
  important vein.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Block foe‘s weapon 
  arm away and then 
  nearly sever it.
  4
  Elbow
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 3
  Your attack is 
  weak.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Point of your 
  blade makes 
  foe yelp.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Strike to foe’s 
  elbow causes 
  his shield to 
  crack teeth. 
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe’s clumsy 
  shield work 
  costs him.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Your strike 
  lays open foe’s 
  elbow to the 
  bone.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Foe dances away 
  in shock and pulls 
  free of your blade.
  5-6
  Upper 
  Arm and 
  Shoulder
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe steps 
  quickly out of 
  your reach.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Your assault 
  catches foe 
  in bicep and 
  forces him back 
  5 feet.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Your great 
  form makes foe 
  cautious.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Foe’s awkward 
  parry gives you 
  the opening 
  you’ve waited 
  for.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 10
  Blow to 
  shoulder has 
  foe panting in 
  pain. 
  BL: 6
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Massive wound to 
  upper arm causes 
  foe to howl in 
  agony.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  306
  PIERCING DAMAGE TABLES
  Piercing Damage Table: Area 8, (Lower Legs, Right and Left)
  Roll
  location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Foot
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Strike lands 
  without energy.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 4
  Foe‘s evasion 
  puts him out 
  of position.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Panic!
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Foe vibrates from 
  the impact of the 
  strike.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Massive thrust 
  to foot. If foe 
  has shoe, the 
  blow rips it off.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Your strike pins 
  foe’s foot to the 
  floor! You twist your 
  blade for luck.
  2-4
  Shin and 
  Lower Leg
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Convince foe of 
  his peril by just 
  missing his calf. 
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 4
  Strike lands 
  oddly.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Foe is fearful 
  of your skill 
  and steps 
  back from 
  your mighty 
  onslaught.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Deal foe a 
  measurable blow 
  to his leg. Any 
  one low hanging 
  container on your 
  foe now has a 
  hole in it.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Foe leaps high 
  to evade your 
  attack. Oops!
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Agonizing blow 
  to foe‘s leg. He 
  stumbles 5 feet to 
  your left.
  5
  Knee and 
  nearby 
  areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe questions 
  his resolve.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Cheap shot to 
  foe‘s knee.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  Foe steps back 
  defensively.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Catch foe‘s leg. 
  The wound opens 
  up nicely.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 11
  KD: 2
  Strike plunges 
  into leg with 
  deadly effect. 
  Foe completely 
  panics.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Strike pierces both 
  of foe‘s legs. He 
  moans in agony.
  6
  Passed 
  between 
  Legs
  Missed target, better luck next time!
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  307
  Piercing Damage Table: Area 9, (Upper Legs, Right and Left)
  Roll
  location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Glancing blow. 
  Nothing extra.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Strike to foe‘s 
  leg. He looks 
  impressed.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  Strike foe in 
  upper leg. You 
  rip his pretty 
  pants.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Excellent attack 
  to knee slides 
  and deeply 
  punctures 
  muscle.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 11
  KD: 2
  Savage strike 
  to kneecap has 
  foe shrieking in 
  agony.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Amazing strike to 
  knee area. If foe 
  has armor it is 
  ripped away.
  2-5
  Thigh
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe twitches 
  away and 
  wound does 
  very slight 
  damage.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Foe‘s evasion 
  exposes his 
  back to you.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Deep wound 
  in foe‘s thigh. 
  Well, it looked 
  like a killing 
  blow.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Strike to foe‘s 
  thigh. Slashes 
  muscle. Foe 
  teeters off-
  balance.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Strike pierces 
  cleanly but 
  tears free in 
  bloody finish.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Foe runs up half 
  the length of your 
  blade!
  6
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  For steps back 
  and avoids the 
  worst.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Hip strike 
  shakes foe up. 
  Foe attempts a 
  recovery.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  Strike bites 
  into foe‘s hip. 
  The impact 
  sounds truly 
  terrible.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 1
  Solid blow to 
  foe‘s hip leaves 
  his side numb. 
  He screams.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 12
  KD: 2
  Foe gets run 
  through the hip. 
  That must really 
  hurt!
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 14
  KD: 3
  Foe’s sloppy 
  footwork gets 
  him stuck on your 
  blade.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  308
  Piercing Damage Table: Area 10, (Pelvic Region)
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Strike fails to 
  pierce.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Strike pokes 
  foe‘s hip. 
  He yells 
  as though 
  burned.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  Probing strike 
  makes foe 
  cautious.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 1
  Foe’s sluggish 
  defense gives 
  you the opening 
  you’ve waited 
  for.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 12
  KD: 2
   Savage 
  strike strips 
  equipment from 
  right side of 
  foe’s waist.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 14
  KD: 3
  Authoritative thrust 
  briefly pins foe‘s 
  weapon hand to 
  his hip.
  3-4
  Groin (Male)
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 5
  Close call for 
  foe’s groin has 
  him sweating.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Foe dances 
  clear of the 
  worst.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 9 
  Foe reels back 
  from blow.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 11 
  KD: 1
  Foe screeches 
  in pain from 
  your combat 
  lesson.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13 
  KD: 2
  Foe dances in 
  agony as he 
  tears off your 
  point. He is 
  having trouble 
  breathing.
  BL: 7
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 15 
  KD: 3
  Rip foe’s groin wide 
  open with twisting 
  strike that leaves 
  him wide-eyed with 
  horror.
  Groin 
  (Female)
  Count as Lower Abdomen (on 3) or Hip (on 4) 
  5-6
  Lower 
  Abdomen
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe is fearful of 
  your skill and 
  leaps back from 
  your flashing 
  blade.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Foe evades 
  and maneu-
  vers for a bet-
  ter position.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 8
  Strike through 
  foe’s bladder 
  has him frantic 
  to escape.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  Strike up and 
  through foe’s 
  kidney. Lots of 
  screaming.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 12
  Major abdom-
  inal wound. 
  Blood pours out 
  in frightening 
  quantities.
  Tear out foe‘s guts 
  in a graphic display 
  of violence. Yep, 
  he’s dead.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  309
  Piercing Damage Table: Area 11, (Belly Thrust)
  Roll
  location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-5
  Lower 
  Abdomen
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Your thrust 
  falls short 
  when foe leaps 
  back.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Struck foe with 
  more force 
  than edge.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 8
  Foe staggers 
  away from the 
  worst of your 
  strike.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  Plunge through 
  foe‘s guts with 
  long follow 
  through and twist.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 12
  Strike tears in 
  just below foe‘s 
  belt. He’s frozen 
  in pain.
  Strike through foe‘s 
  belly spills his guts 
  to the floor. He’s 
  dead. 
  6
  Flesh to the 
  Side
  BL: 1
  Shock: lvl-1
  Pain: lvl+2
  Pierced body without hitting any major organs, mostly just flesh and muscles. It hurts and bleeds, but 
  probably isn’t lethal.
  Piercing Damage Table: Area 12, (Chest)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Under the 
  ribs (Upper 
  Abdomen)
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Catch foe in ribs. 
  He drops his 
  guard and leaps 
  back.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Foe mostly 
  deflects your 
  attack.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 8
  Foe‘s evasion 
  puts him out 
  of position.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  Solid strike 
  into abs has 
  blood spraying 
  everywhere.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 12
  Lightning strike 
  up and through 
  ribs staggers 
  foe back and off 
  your blade.
  Strike through both 
  of foe‘s lungs. Foe 
  drops and passes 
  out. He dies during 
  the next Limelight.
  3-6
  Chest
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 3
  Minor chest 
  wound. It could 
  have been much 
  better.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Foe‘s attempt at 
  daring riposte 
  earns him pain.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Minor chest 
  wound numbs 
  foe.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe whirls left 
  into your strike.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Strike plunges 
  into foe‘s chest 
  and emerges 
  from the other 
  side.
  Shot through heart 
  sends foe reeling 
  back 10 feet to a 
  place suitable for 
  death. Okay, he’s 
  gone.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  310
  Piercing Damage Table: Area 13, (Head)
  Roll
  location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Collar and 
  Throat
  BL: 1
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe dances and 
  weaves with 
  vigor to avoid 
  the worst of 
  your assault.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 4
  Foe deflects the 
  weight of your 
  strike at the last 
  moment with 
  his shoulder.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6 
  Shot caroms 
  off foe’s 
  shoulder and 
  up into throat. 
  BL: 6
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Excellent strike 
  to collar slices 
  through muscle 
  and tendons.
  BL: 7
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  KD: 1 
  Strike through 
  throat. Mangles 
  veins and 
  arteries. Foe 
  cannot breathe.
  Piercing strike up 
  through Adam’s 
  Apple. Foe dies 
  instantly. 
  3-6
  Face (3-4) or 
  Head
   (5-6)
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe’s slip allows 
  his narrow 
  escape.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Foe’s furious 
  defense 
  earns him a 
  momentary 
  reprieve.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Shot slips 
  through lips 
  and jaw. What 
  a mess.
  BL: 4 
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Strike through 
  nose. Foe‘s 
  eyes cross 
  momentarily.
  Strike plunges 
  through foe‘s 
  eye. Foe dies 
  immediately. 
  Shot through 
  both ears proves 
  effective. Foe 
  drops dead 
  instantly. Smooth 
  move.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  311
  Piercing Damage Table: Area 14, (Arm Thrust)
  Roll
  location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hand
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe evades and 
  maneuvers for a 
  better position.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  Strike lands 
  with much 
  force but no 
  edge.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Stinging thrust 
  through fleshy 
  web of foe’s 
  hand.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Artful attack 
  leaves foe 
  breathless and 
  minus a digit.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Strike and flick 
  leaves two 
  fingers hanging 
  by threads.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Completely pierce 
  foe’s hand. Oh 
  yeah, he’s howling.
  2-3
  Forearm
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Strike lands 
  without energy.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  Slice foe‘s 
  forearm with 
  long follow 
  through.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Strike along 
  foe‘s arm. The 
  damage takes 
  a moment to 
  show.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Deep wound to 
  foe‘s arm. It’s a 
  bleeder!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Savage stab to 
  foe’s arm makes 
  him hiss with 
  pain. 
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Strike ricochets 
  through muscle 
  in shield arm. If 
  foe has shield, he 
  drops it.
  4
  Elbow
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Strike prods foe 
  back.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Strike pierces 
  flesh of foe’s 
  elbow. Ow, It 
  burns!
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  Foe blocks 
  your attack 
  with his elbow.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  Foe’s leap 
  sends your 
  point tumbling 
  through the 
  flesh of his 
  elbow. He pulls 
  free.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 11
  Foe is stunned 
  when his flurry 
  ends with your 
  steel buried in 
  him.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 13
  Strike plunges 
  into doomed foe‘s 
  elbow and rips out 
  through other side.
  5-6
  Upper Arm 
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe veers away 
  and avoids all 
  but the tip of 
  your blade.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Strike costs 
  foe a piece of 
  his hide.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Stinging shot 
  through foe’s 
  bicep.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Solid strike 
  pierces flesh 
  and digs into 
  bone.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe loses 
  concentration 
  for just one 
  moment. That 
  was enough.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Savage strike pins 
  foe’s arm briefly 
  to his side. Take a 
  blood shower.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  312
  BLUNT DAMAGE TABLES
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 1, (Lower Legs)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Foot
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Thud.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  Foe recoils 
  as your blow 
  impacts.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  Ouch, dammit, 
  Ouch!
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Blow lands with 
  a crack! Foe’s 
  eyes roll in pain.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Foe’s hair 
  stands on end 
  as your strike 
  crushes toes.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Strike comes 
  down like a ton of 
  bricks smashing 
  foot to paste. So 
  much screaming!
  2-4
  Shin and 
  Lower Leg
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Practice this 
  one.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  He leans to your 
  shield side as 
  you strike.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  Shot takes 
  foe in lower 
  leg. He fails to 
  jump over it.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 3
  Foe dances a 
  strange agony 
  jig.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Masterful strike 
  to shin causes 
  foe to spit out 
  bone dentures. 
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Powerful blow 
  sweeps foe onto 
  his back. Bones 
  break and muscles 
  tear.
  5-6
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  The strike lost 
  something in 
  the translation.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 5
  KD: 1
  Glancing strike 
  to knee. Foe 
  turns away 
  to avoid the 
  damage. Foe 
  uses his weapon 
  for balance.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 2
  Big bruise, lots 
  of pain.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 3
  Foe leaps to 
  avoid strike 
  to guts and 
  catches blow 
  full on left knee. 
  He howls on 
  impact.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Massive Strike 
  to foe‘s right 
  knee. Oh that 
  hurts ya know!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 15
  KD: 4
  Blow to foe’s 
  kneecap breaks 
  it. Help! Foe has 
  fallen and cannot 
  get up!
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  313
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 2, (Upper Legs)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  Foe evades 
  frantically.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 5
  KD: 1
  Foe dances 
  first left, then 
  right, and 
  almost avoids 
  blow.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 2
  Blow lands just 
  above knee. 
  Minor fracture.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 3
  Disorient foe 
  with a tricky 
  shot. He is at a 
  loss for words.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Foe should have 
  stayed in bed. 
  Knee Joint is 
  shattered.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 15
  KD: 4
  Foe makes a 
  mistake and pays. 
  You send him 
  crashing to the 
  ground writhing in 
  pain. What a mess!
  3-5
  Thigh
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Light swing to 
  foe‘s thigh. Foe 
  is bruised.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  Strike blunted 
  by clothing. 
  What’s he got 
  under there?
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  No blood but 
  he’s yelling his 
  head off.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Strong blow 
  breaks foe‘s 
  guard. He is 
  unbalanced.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Blow to foe‘s 
  right thigh 
  crushes a 
  variety of 
  organs. He 
  curses you 
  between 
  screams.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Massive blow to 
  thigh. Compound 
  fracture severs an 
  artery. Foe goes 
  down hard.
  6
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Blow is forceful, 
  but not hard.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Blow to foe‘s 
  left hip. He 
  spins sideways
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  Blow to foe‘s 
  hip causes 
  his right leg 
  to shake 
  in bizarre 
  fashion.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Strike to side 
  slips down into 
  foe‘s hip. Good 
  strike!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Blow thunders 
  as it connects. 
  Foe‘s hip 
  contorts to a 
  crazy angle.
  Titan-like strike 
  renders foes hip 
  to powder. He 
  collapses and dies 
  in but a single 
  Limelight.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  314
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 3, (Upper Body)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe steps back 
  5 feet. He is out 
  of position. 
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  More noise 
  than impact.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  Blow to foe‘s 
  hip causes him 
  to rage at you.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Miss foe‘s arm 
  and strike his 
  hip. Something 
  flies off foe.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Deal foe an 
  Olympic blow to 
  his left hip. Any 
  one container 
  on your foe is 
  now flat.
  Crush what was 
  once foe‘s hip. He 
  takes 3 hops and 
  collapses dead.
  2-3
  Upper (2) 
  and Lower 
  (3) Abs
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Well it sounded 
  devastating!
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Precise strike 
  to foe‘s abs, 
  though it 
  needed more 
  weight.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Foe walks into 
  your blow. 
  Some strength 
  in the strike 
  would have 
  finished him.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Foe seeks to 
  avoid this attack 
  again. He has 
  lost his way.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Catch foe in 
  mid-swing and 
  disarm him with 
  crushing strike.
  Blast to foe‘s abs. 
  A bone is driven 
  into vital organs. 
  Foe is down 
  gasping and dies 
  in 1 Limelight.
  4-5
  Ribcage
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Cheap shot to 
  foe‘s ribs profits 
  you little.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Shot too close 
  to foe‘s throat. 
  He seeks to get 
  away.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Blow to chest. 
  He seeks to 
  regain his wind 
  and survive 
  your onslaught.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Drive foe’s 
  shield backward 
  into ribs and 
  break them.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Strike takes foe 
  down on one 
  knee. Finish 
  him.
  Demolish foe’s 
  chest cavity. He 
  grips your arm 
  then drops and 
  dies.
  6
  Arms
  Go to Area 7 (Arms) below.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  315
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 4, (Overhand Right and Left)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Upper 
  Arm and 
  Shoulder
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe is not sure 
  what you’re up 
  to.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Well, it didn’t 
  seem like a 
  solid hit, but 
  foe gasps and 
  shrieks.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Foe raises an 
  arm to block 
  your strike. He 
  does himself 
  harm. You profit.
  BL: 3 
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Miss foe‘s head 
  and strike his 
  arm. He gasps 
  and drops 
  something.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Catch foe in 
  shoulder blade. 
  Foe drops his 
  guard and reels 
  from your blow.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Thunderous 
  Blow to shoulder 
  crushes bone. Foe 
  mumbles and is 
  frozen in shock.
  3
  Upper Body
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Feeble tap.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  This needs 
  practice.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Your main effort 
  misses, but you 
  catch foe on 
  recovery.
  BL: 2 
  Shock: 12 
  Pain: 10
  Foe 
  miscalculates 
  his attack’s 
  timing and 
  lunges into your 
  swing.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Slam foe with 
  little grace. You 
  are unsure of 
  your success 
  until you see the 
  blood pouring 
  out of his tunic.
  Savage blow 
  pulps chest. Foe 
  falls down dead.
  4
  Neck
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Lots of smoke 
  but little fire.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Close strike to 
  neck has foe 
  panicking.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Foe’s flashy 
  moves earn him 
  a slap to the 
  Adam’s Apple.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  You are lucky to 
  strike foe‘s neck 
  as he ducks 
  strike to chest.
  Blow snaps 
  neck. Foe is 
  paralyzed from 
  the shoulders 
  down. He’ll be 
  dead in a bit.
  Foe’s head flops 
  at crazy angle. 
  He drops like 
  a brained cow, 
  twitches and dies. 
  5
  Head 
  (Lower), 
  including 
  the Face
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 2
  Terrific form 
  yields puzzling 
  result.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 4
  KO: 1
  KD: 1
  Strike splits 
  foe’s nose. 
  His frantic 
  defense saves 
  him for now.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 5
  KD: 2
  KO: 2
  Foe tries to 
  block your 
  strike with his 
  lips. Front teeth 
  knocked out.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 7
  KD: 3
  KO: 3
  Break foe‘s jaw.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 10
  KD: 4
  KO: 4
  Strike to foe’s 
  nose drives 
  cartilage back 
  into brain.
  Blow to foe‘s face. 
  If visored, the 
  visor is driven into 
  his face and foe 
  dies in 2 Limelight 
  rounds. Without 
  a visor, he dies 
  instantly. 
  6
  Head 
  (Upper)
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Light tap to the 
  noggin gives foe 
  headache.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  KO: 1
  Not much 
  blood, but 
  he’s bellowing 
  like a 
  wounded ox.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  KO: 3
  Blow to foe‘s 
  head pulps ear.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 8
  KD: 3
  KO: 5
  Foe gasps, leans 
  forward, and 
  receives your 
  blow.
  Iron-fisted strike 
  to crown of foe’s 
  head drives skull 
  into brain. Foe 
  falls down dead 
  while limbs 
  dance about.
  Strike to forehead 
  shatters foe‘s 
  brain. Instant 
  Death.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  316
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 5, (Vertical Swing)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Shoulders
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Okay, that’s 
  different.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Modest strike 
  to foe‘s shield 
  drives edge into 
  shoulder.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Foe bobs 
  and weaves 
  desperately 
  to avoid your 
  strike.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Bold slam to foe’s 
  shoulder has 
  him screeching 
  soprano.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Titan-like 
  swing drives 
  foe’s own 
  weapon into 
  shoulder.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  That does it 
  for him. Strike 
  pulverizes foe’s 
  shoulder blade.
  3
  Head 
  (Lower), 
  including the 
  Face
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 2 
  Your stroke rips 
  off half of foe’s 
  mustache.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  KO: 1
  Foe dances 
  away and 
  evades much of 
  your swing.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 5
  KD: 2
  KO: 2
  Foe attempts to 
  disarm you and 
  takes strike 
  to ear for his 
  trouble. 
  BL: 2
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 7
  KD: 3
  KO: 3
  Foe deflects your 
  stroke down into 
  his cheek.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 10
  KD: 4
  KO: 4
  Brilliant blow 
  to chin sends 
  foe reeling.
  Mangle what was 
  once foe‘s face. 
  Foe flings weapon 
  over shoulder and 
  dies instantly. 
  4-6
  Head (Upper) BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Well, it stung 
  a lot!
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  KO: 1
  Foe slips and 
  escapes the 
  brunt of your 
  attack.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  KO: 3
  Blow drives 
  foe’s shield 
  back between 
  his eyes.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 8
  KD: 3
  KO: 5
  Workmanlike 
  blow rings foe’s 
  helm like a 
  church bell. His 
  eyes glaze over.
  Furious stroke 
  to orbit of 
  foe’s eye 
  pulps both 
  eye and brain. 
  Dead before 
  he hits the 
  ground.
  Masterful strike 
  to hairline of foe‘s 
  head. He bows 
  before you and 
  dies.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  317
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 6, (Upward Swing)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-3
  Inner Thigh
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe snorts.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  Blow is forceful, 
  not hard.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  Foe howls in 
  pain.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Blow to foe‘s 
  thigh sends him 
  reeling to the 
  right.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Foe’s back 
  arches in agony. 
  It’s a bleeder!
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Foe’s leg nearly 
  torn from body. 
  Impact is heard far 
  and wide.
  4
  Groin (Male) BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 6
  Close call for 
  foe‘s groin.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  You now have 
  foe’s complete 
  attention.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 9
  KD: 1
  You have foe 
  hopping in 
  agony dance.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 13
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Foe throws 
  up. Mind your 
  shoes.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 15
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Blow drives 
  foe to frenzy of 
  agony. Oh, the 
  screaming!
  BL: 4
  Shock: 17
  Pain: 14
  KD: 4
  Master strike to 
  foe’s groin has foe 
  kneeling in front 
  of you. Massive 
  internal bleeding.
  Groin 
  (Female)
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Close call for 
  foe‘s groin.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  You now have 
  foe’s complete 
  attention.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  You have foe 
  hopping in 
  agony dance.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Foe throws 
  up. Mind your 
  shoes.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Blow drives 
  foe to frenzy of 
  agony. Oh, the 
  screaming!
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Master strike to 
  foe’s groin has foe 
  kneeling in front 
  of you. Massive 
  internal bleeding.
  5
  Abdomen
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Strike blunted by 
  thick gambeson.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  You knock the 
  air from foe’s 
  lungs.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Bash to the gut 
  has your foe 
  spitting blood.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Lightning 
  strike to foe’s 
  gut has him 
  gasping. Internal 
  bleeding.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Foe doubles 
  over in agony. 
  Blood pours 
  from his mouth.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 17
  Pain: 16
  Savage strike has 
  foe prostrate at 
  your feet. Finish 
  him.
  6
  Head 
  (Lower), 
  including 
  the Face
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 2
  Foe leans far 
  back to evade 
  blow. He is off-
  balance.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  KO: 1
  Your swing raps 
  foe’s jaw.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 5
  KD: 2
  KO: 2
  Foe’s lips burst 
  from blow’s 
  impact.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 7
  KD: 3
  KO: 3
  Journeyman 
  swing removes 
  foe’s nose and 
  upper lip.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 10
  KD: 4
  KO: 4
  Upward stroke 
  drives foe’s nose 
  cartilage into 
  brain.
  Foe’s face 
  sheared off from 
  force of blow. Foe 
  dances back and 
  collapses dead.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  318
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 7, (Swing to Arms)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hand
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Strike failed to 
  connect well.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Strike raps foe’s 
  knuckles. Ouch!
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Strike crosses 
  foe‘s hand. If he 
  has a gauntlet 
  it is dented and 
  knocked off.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Blow bends 
  back foe’s 
  fingers. Blood 
  streams from 
  wound.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Strike crushes 
  foe‘s wrist and 
  mangles vein.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Crush foe’s hand 
  to powder with 
  masterful strike. 
  Foe is speechless.
  2-3
  Forearm
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Strike lands 
  without energy.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Strike causes 
  foe to flinch.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Strike to 
  forearm rips 
  clothing.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Solid forearm 
  bash numbs 
  foe‘s grip.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Foe blocks 
  your strike with 
  his forearm. 
  He drops his 
  weapon.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Blow destroys 
  foe’s forearm. Arm 
  is useless.
  4
  Elbow
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Glancing blow. 
  Nothing extra.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Foe goes low 
  to evade your 
  attack.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Foe questions 
  his resolve.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Drive foe’s 
  elbow into 
  his side. 
  Some internal 
  bleeding.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Blow sends 
  bone shards 
  flying. Oh, the 
  noise!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Strike shatters 
  foe‘s elbow. Foe 
  screams his head 
  off.
  5-6
  Upper 
  Arm and 
  Shoulder
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe evades 
  and maneuvers 
  for a better 
  position.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Minor shoulder 
  wound. It could 
  have been 
  better.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Strike foe in 
  upper arm. You 
  tear his pretty 
  clothes.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Strike to 
  foe‘s arm 
  and he looks 
  impressed.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Reach long and 
  catch foe in his 
  upper arm. His 
  eyes glaze over.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Strike foe in 
  weapon arm, the 
  bone is broken. 
  Arm is useless, 
  artery is open.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  319
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 8, (Thrust to Lower Legs)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Foot
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe’s deft 
  footwork saves 
  him from the 
  worst of the 
  attack.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  Foe dances 
  back from your 
  strike.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  Solid whack to 
  foe’s big toe has 
  him cursing and 
  hopping.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Authoritative 
  blow delivered 
  to foe’s heel has 
  him gasping in 
  pain.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Savage thrust 
  to foe’s instep 
  crushes bone 
  and tears 
  muscle.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Foe tried to kick 
  you. Your response 
  shatters his foot 
  completely. So 
  much screaming.
  2-4
  Shin and 
  Lower Leg
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Not much 
  weight to your 
  strike, but he 
  yells anyway.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  Hard crack to 
  the shin-bone. 
  Ouch!
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  As foe spins 
  away from you, 
  you blast his 
  calf.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 3
  Cheap shot to 
  foe’s shin has 
  him ashen with 
  pain.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Foe leapt right 
  into your low 
  thrust. Blood 
  everywhere.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Pile-driving strike 
  to shin snaps foe’s 
  leg in half. Foe 
  stunned with pain.
  5
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  Foe smiles.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 5
  KD: 1
  Okay, at 
  least he’s not 
  smiling now.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 2
  Light swing, 
  but it hits foe’s 
  kneecap flush. 
  BL: 2
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 10
  KD: 3
  Powerful thrust 
  drives foe’s own 
  weapon into his 
  knee. Messy.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Foe blocks your 
  thrust to groin 
  with his leg. He 
  raves with pain.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 15
  Pain: 15
  KD: 4
  Foe mistimes his 
  attack and plants 
  his leg directly 
  beneath your 
  descending strike. 
  Take a blood 
  shower.
  6
  Passed 
  between 
  Legs
  Missed target, better luck next time!
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  320
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 9, (Thrust Upper Legs)
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  Feeble strike 
  taps target.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 5
  KD: 1
  Foe slips to 
  the left and 
  avoids the 
  brunt of the 
  strike.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 2
  Cheap shot to 
  the kneecap 
  forces foe to 
  hop back.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 10
  KD: 3
  You fake foe 
  into stepping 
  into your swing. 
  Oh, he yells all 
  right.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3
  Miss foe‘s hip 
  and strike his 
  knee. He gasps 
  and spits up 
  blood.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 15
  Pain: 15
  KD: 4
  That does it for 
  him. Your power 
  thrust lands flush 
  on foe‘s knee. The 
  knee buckles and 
  foe goes down 
  hard.
  2-5
  Thigh
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Strike slides off.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  Well, you 
  clipped him.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  Light thrust has 
  foe off-balance.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Solid slam to 
  thigh has foe 
  staggering. 
  Blood stains his 
  pants.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Blow to foe’s 
  thigh causes 
  his left leg to 
  tremble and 
  shake. Bloody 
  foam pours from 
  his lips.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  KD: 4
  Foe screeches and 
  babbles something 
  to you before 
  collapsing. Blood 
  fountains from the 
  wound.
  6
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe leans back 
  just in time to 
  save his hide.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Foe is getting 
  a bit nervous.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  Foe’s clumsy 
  footwork costs 
  him.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Foe screams 
  as your thrust 
  connects 
  straight to his 
  hip bone.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Monster 
  strike strips 
  equipment 
  from left side of 
  waist.
  Titan smash to 
  foe’s hip blasts it to 
  powder. Foe blows 
  an enormous spray 
  of blood over you 
  and collapses 
  moaning. He dies 
  in but 1 Limelight.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  321
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 10, (Pelvic/Groin Thrust)
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Lower 
  Abdomen
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Foe sucks in 
  his gut to avert 
  disaster.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Foe‘s evasion 
  puts him out 
  of position.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Foe quivers 
  from the impact 
  of your assault.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Foe stumbles, 
  Quality strike.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Blow thunders 
  as it connects. 
  Foe‘s guts 
  mangled.
  Hellish Blow to 
  foe‘s abdomen. 
  Strike destroys a 
  variety of organs. 
  Poor fool drops 
  and expires in 2 
  Limelights.
  3-4
  Groin (Male)
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 6 
  Foe twists at the 
  last moment to 
  save himself,
  BL: 0
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8 
  Foe goes 
  airborne to 
  avoid your 
  thrust.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 11
  Pain:9
  KD: 1
  Foe turns white 
  as a sheet and 
  panics as your 
  strike slaps his 
  jewels. 
  BL: 1
  Shock: 13
  Pain:10
  KD: 2
  Disorient foe 
  with a canny 
  strike. The air 
  is blue with his 
  curses.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 15
  Pain:12
  KD: 3
  Boom! Shot 
  to foe‘s groin 
  has him down 
  and screaming. 
  His pants are 
  soaked with 
  blood.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 17
  Pain:14
  KD: 4
  Crush foe‘s 
  stones. He kneels 
  clutching at his 
  ruined manhood. 
  Finish him.
  Groin 
  (Female)
  Count as Lower Abdomen (on 3) or Hip (on 4) 
  5-6
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Foe rolls away 
  from your blow.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Your thrust 
  catches foe in 
  hip and forces 
  him back 5 
  feet.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1
  Glancing blow 
  takes skin with 
  it.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2
  Inattentive foe 
  panicked by 
  your strike.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  KD: 3
  Foe‘s leg swings 
  around like 
  string. Joint is 
  shattered.
  Massive blow to 
  hip. Compound 
  fracture severs 
  major artery. 
  Foe goes down 
  hard and bleeds 
  out dead in 1 
  Limelight.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  322
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 11, (Belly Thrust)
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-6
  Lower 
  Abdomen
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  This needs 
  practice.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Foe fakes to 
  the left and 
  spoils your 
  aim.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Foe’s clever 
  move earns 
  him pain.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Well timed blow 
  delivered to foe’s 
  gut has him reeling 
  in agony.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Foe leaps high 
  in agony. Yep, 
  he’s bleeding!
  Blow to foe‘s 
  abdomen. Strike 
  shatters organs. 
  He collapses to the 
  ground moaning. 
  He’ll be gone in 2 
  Limelights.
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 12, (Chest)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Under the 
  ribs, (Upper 
  Abdomen)
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
   Foe vaults 
  back 5 feet.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Foe turns with 
  your strike.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Strike foe under 
  ribs. Muscles 
  and cartilage 
  are damaged.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Solid strike 
  causes a host of 
  troubles.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Masterful strike 
  up and into ribs 
  shatters bone 
  and rips muscle.
  Powerful blow flips 
  foe onto his back. 
  Bones break and 
  muscles tear. He 
  gags a bit and dies.
  3-6
  Chest
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Strike 
  absorbed by 
  thick clothing.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Foe dances to 
  the left, then 
  to the right, 
  and nearly 
  avoids your 
  strike. 
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 7
  Blow to foe‘s 
  ribs. It hurts 
  him to raise 
  his arms. Foe 
  cannot lean 
  over.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Blow to chest. 
  He seeks to 
  regain his wind 
  and survive your 
  onslaught.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Strike plunges 
  into chest with 
  deadly effect. 
  Foe completely 
  panics.
  Monster blow to 
  chest. Foe flung 
  back from your 
  strike. He jumps up 
  facing you, smirks, 
  and collapses dead.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  323
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 13, (Head Thrust)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Neck
  BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Foe is interested 
  in where you’re 
  going with this.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  Shot 
  unbalances 
  foe.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Foe spins to 
  disarm you and 
  instead gets 
  a strike to his 
  neck.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Blow lands with 
  a crack! Foe’s 
  eyes roll in pain.
  Foe yells out 
  before the 
  impact and is 
  silenced by the 
  blow. Yep, he’s 
  dead.
  Blow to foe‘s 
  weapon drives 
  edge back into 
  neck. His eyes 
  bulge with shock 
  before he dies.
  3-4
  Face and 
  Head (Lower)
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 2
  Good form but 
  poor results.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  KO: 1
  Foe is shaken 
  by your 
  attack. He 
  screams.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 5
  KD: 2
  KO: 2
  Solid blow to 
  face costs foe 
  his front teeth. 
  He lisps curses 
  at you.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 7
  KD: 3
  KO: 3
  Drive home 
  strike to foe’s 
  cranium. 
  Foe makes a 
  frenzied effort to 
  keep his footing.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 10
  KD: 4
  KO: 4
  Crush foe‘s 
  cheek and drive 
  bone into brain. 
  Foe turns about 
  to walk away.
  Face strike shatters 
  bone and destroys 
  eyes. Foe drops 
  dead at your feet.
  5-6
  Head (Upper) BL: 0
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 2
  Strike yields 
  small graze to 
  foe’s head.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 4
  KD: 1
  KO: 1
  Foe shakes 
  his head after 
  your weak 
  tap.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 6
  KD: 2
  KO: 3
  Light blow to 
  foe’s head 
  causes him to 
  retreat with odd 
  hopping motion.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 8
  KD: 3
  KO: 5
  Strike to hairline 
  sends helm 
  flying. Foe is 
  spun about.
  Strike to brain 
  causes foe to 
  babble before 
  he dies.
  Catch foe flush 
  with massive thrust 
  above the ear. Foe 
  sits down calmly 
  and dies.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  324
  Blunt Damage Table: Area 14, (Arms Thrust)
  Roll
  location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hand
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Light rap to 
  foe’s knuckles.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Cheap shot to 
  foe’s hand yield 
  meager results.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Foe yelps with 
  pain as you 
  relieve him of 
  some hand 
  hide.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Solid smash to 
  foe’s hand costs 
  him his thumb.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Foe foolishly 
  blocks your 
  strike with his 
  hand and pays 
  the price.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Lucky strike 
  shatters every bone 
  in foe’s hand. He 
  looks as though he 
  may faint.
  2-3
  Forearm
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Blow is 
  forceful, not 
  hard.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  You miss with 
  your main effort 
  but clip foe with 
  your recovery.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Foe was so 
  confident that 
  you would 
  miss.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Journeyman 
  thrust to 
  forearm has 
  foe panting in 
  agony.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Blow thunders 
  as it connects. 
  Foe‘s forearm 
  mangled. Stop 
  that screaming!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Shatter foe’s 
  forearm. He’s out 
  of his head with the 
  pain.
  4
  Elbow
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Odd, your 
  strike made 
  him cry out.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  Stinger to foe’s 
  elbow.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Foe’s misery is 
  proportionate 
  to wound.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  You crack foe‘s 
  elbow with a 
  lightning strike. 
  He’s making a 
  lot of noise.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  Crush foe’s 
  elbow against 
  his side. It’s a 
  bleeder!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 12
  Power blow to 
  elbow destroys 
  both muscle and 
  bone. Foe rages at 
  you weakly.
  5-6
  Upper 
  Arm and 
  Shoulder
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  Hard thrust 
  with poor 
  impact. Foe 
  steps clear 
  before you sort 
  it out.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 4
  You force your 
  opponent back. 
  He holds you 
  back with wild 
  swings.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 6
  Foe dances 
  back from the 
  brunt of your 
  thrust.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  Foe’s sluggish 
  form gives you 
  the opening 
  you’ve waited 
  for.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Strike into the 
  shield shoulder 
  of foe. Joint 
  shatters.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 13
  Blow breaks foe‘s 
  weapon arm. Slings 
  foe‘s weapon to the 
  right 5 feet. Foe‘s 
  arm is useless. 
  Tendon damage.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  325
  SWUNG PIERCING DAMAGE TABLES
  Swung Piercing Damage Table: Area 1, Right and Left (Lower Legs)
  Roll location
  level 1 
  negligible
  level 2 
  Slight
  level 3 
  MinoR
  level 4 
  SubStantial
  level 5 
  gRievouS
  level 6 
  cataStRophic
  1
  Foot
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe dodges 
  your wood-
  chopping strike.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 4
  Your point 
  drifted – foe 
  would have 
  been otherwise 
  dead.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Great recovery 
  slices foe’s 
  foot.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Power chop 
  hammers 
  through foe’s 
  foot.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Animal swing 
  tears into foe’s 
  instep. What a 
  mess!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Where’s my foot? 
  Color drains from 
  foe’s face as he 
  collapses.
  2-4
  Shin and 
  Lower Leg
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Okay, now he’s 
  worried.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 4
  Wild swing 
  would have 
  removed 
  foe’s leg had 
  it connected 
  properly.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Cheap shot 
  to foe’s shin 
  causes him to 
  rage at you.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 8
  KD: 2
  Okay, now he’s 
  in a frenzy.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  You shift gears 
  and surprise 
  foe with wicked 
  blow to shin.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Your raging swing 
  destroys foe’s leg 
  below the knee. 
  Call the meat 
  wagon!
  5-6
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe fakes to the 
  right and avoids 
  the brunt of your 
  strike.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain:  4
  Lazy strike 
  delivers weak 
  tap on knee.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1 
  Kamikaze 
  attack drives 
  foe back.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2 
  The strike was 
  solid, the pain is 
  certain.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 11
  KD: 2 
  Foe walked 
  right into it.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3 
  Foe tries to hold 
  his ground against 
  your assault. 
  You rip off his 
  kneecap.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  326
  Swung Piercing Damage Table: Area 2, Right and Left (Upper Legs)
  Roll
  location
  level 1 
  negligible
  level 2 
  Slight
  level 3 
  MinoR
  level 4 
  SubStantial
  level 5 
  gRievouS
  level 6 
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Knee and 
  nearby areas
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2 
  Foe is 
  successful 
  in mostly 
  deflecting your 
  blow.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4 
  Great energy! 
  Foe is getting 
  a solid 
  workout. Lots 
  of sweat.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 7
  KD: 1 
  Foe tries to end 
  fight early by 
  ducking into 
  your swing.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 2 
  Professional 
  shot has foe 
  panting in 
  agony.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 11
  KD: 2 
  You hit him. 
  Now he’s 
  sobbing.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13
  KD: 3 
  Missed. Missed. 
  Okay, the last one 
  nearly killed him.
  3-5
  Thigh
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Near miss to 
  groin has foe 
  panicked.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Scary swing 
  tears open 
  foe’s pants.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Foe sensed an 
  opening and 
  went for it – he 
  was wrong.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Smooth delivery 
  has foe dazed 
  and confused.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Fake foe out 
  and rip open 
  his thigh. It’s a 
  bleeder!
  BL: 5
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  Your odd shuffling 
  attack style had 
  foe confused. He 
  has other problems 
  now.
  6
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe snarls at 
  you.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Savage strike 
  rips off foe’s 
  belt.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  Foe is terrified 
  that you might 
  berserk.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 1
  Sweeping attack 
  staggers foe. He 
  is off-balance.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 12
  KD: 2
  Titan strike 
  buries point 
  deep in foe’s 
  hip. Foe faints.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 14
  KD: 3
  Foe was laughing 
  loudly and talking 
  smack - until your 
  blow landed.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  327
  Swung Piercing Damage Table: Area 3, (Horizontal Swing Right and Left)
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hip
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Well, your form 
  looks great!
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Foe vaults left to 
  avoid disaster.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  Foe screams 
  at you.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 1
  It connected. 
  Now he won’t 
  shut up.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 12
  KD: 2
  Foe screams 
  as you give 
  weapon a twist 
  to widen wound 
  track.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 14
  KD: 3
  Swing catches foe 
  on the recovery 
  and lays him flat. 
  No, he won’t be 
  getting up again.
  2-3
  Upper (2) 
  and Lower 
  (3) Abs
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Solid swing, 
  poor impact.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Foe is slammed 
  back but is 
  unafraid.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 8
  Foe roars as 
  blow tears 
  into his abs.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  One solid hit 
  and he’s pale 
  and shaking.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 12
  Foe tries to 
  speak. You 
  silence him.
  Foe goes berserk 
  – you calm him 
  with cold strike 
  to abs. He drops 
  dead.
  4-5
  Ribcage
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 3
  Strike landed 
  flat.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Foe’s attempt 
  to disarm you 
  earns him a 
  bleeder.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Okay, this 
  hurt like hell.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe screams as 
  your point tears 
  into his ribs.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Ruthless 
  strike leaves 
  blood spatter 
  everywhere.
  Foe smiles and 
  collapses dead. 
  Take a blood 
  shower.
  6
  Arms
  Go to Area 7 (Arms) below.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  328
  Swung Piercing Damage Table: Area 4, (Overhand Right and Left)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-2
  Upper Arm 
  and Shoulder
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  This is not 
  what you were 
  taught.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Light swing 
  backs foe up.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Foe tries to go 
  toe-to-toe with 
  you and loses 
  his nerve.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Clipped foe on 
  follow-through 
  and drove him 
  wild.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe ducks one 
  swing, two 
  swings, but the 
  third hits him 
  flush on his 
  weapon arm.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Savage swing 
  drives foe to his 
  knees before you. 
  Finish him.
  3
  Chest Cross-
  cut
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 3
  Foe gets 
  nervous, jumps 
  back 5 feet.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Swing partially 
  connects and 
  spoils foe’s 
  aim.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Foe seems 
  distracted. 
  There. That 
  focused him.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe is confused 
  by your style.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Your blow has 
  foe begging for 
  death’s release. 
  Help him.
  Your blow rips 
  through foe’s chest. 
  He tries to crawl 
  away and dies after 
  moving but a few 
  feet.
  4
  Neck
  BL: 1
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Clumsy strike 
  followed 
  by smooth 
  recovery nicks 
  foe.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 4 
  Foe shifts 
  stance at last 
  moment and 
  saves himself.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Foe slips and 
  stumbles into 
  your strike.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
   Foe can’t 
  keep up and 
  backs away - 
  exhausted and 
  bloody.
  BL: 7
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 10
  KD: 1
  Foe panics and 
  offers you his 
  neck. Oblige 
  him.
  Strike leaves foe 
  stuck on your point. 
  He weakly tries to 
  free himself. Okay, 
  he shudders and 
  dies.
  5
  Head 
  (Lower), 
  including the 
  Face
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2 
  Foe loudly 
  declares a 
  curse on you.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Glancing blow 
  takes skin 
  with it.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Your blow 
  hooks briefly 
  into foe’s 
  gum. His eyes 
  grow large as 
  saucers. Foe is 
  hysterical.
  BL: 4 
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Massive power 
  strike drives 
  foe’s weapon 
  back and 
  through his 
  cheek.
  BL: 5 
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Foe gibbers 
  and rages as he 
  pulls his face off 
  your point.
  Your point plows 
  through foe’s 
  forehead and 
  scrambles his 
  brains. He’s gone. 
  Shake him off your 
  weapon.
  6
  Head (Upper) BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  This could have 
  gone better.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4 
  Strike blunted 
  by hat.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  You dug your 
  point in a 
  bit! It took 
  a moment, 
  but there, it’s 
  bleeding now!
  BL: 4 
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Your blow 
  briefly nails 
  foe’s shield to 
  his forehead.
  Foe wheels 
  around to 
  run and you 
  bury your 
  point through 
  the back of 
  his head. 
  He trembles 
  violently before 
  dying.
  Foe mistimes his 
  block and you tear 
  his head off above 
  the ears. He points 
  behind you and 
  drops dead.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  329
  Swung Piercing Damage Table: Area 5, (Vertical Swing)
  Roll location level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-3
  Head 
  (Upper)
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe screams 
  “Say my name!”
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  Blow opens 
  shallow but 
  messy cut in 
  scalp.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Your strike 
  makes a lovely 
  hole through 
  foe’s earlobe.
  BL: 4 
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Foe deflects 
  your stroke to a 
  spot just above 
  his left eye. 
  Stop with the 
  screaming!
  Boom! Your 
  master stroke 
  tears out back 
  of foe’s head. 
  He spins, drops 
  his weapon and 
  collapses dead.
  Foe’s weapon is 
  shattered as he 
  tries to block your 
  thunderous strike. 
  Blow tears through 
  his cranium and 
  destroys brain. Um, 
  he’s dead.
  4
  Head 
  (Lower), 
  including 
  the Face
  BL: 1
  Shock: 1
  Pain: 2
  Foe backpedals 
  out of your 
  reach.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  An opening 
  appears and 
  all you can do 
  is tap at foe 
  lightly.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  Foe panics as 
  your stroke 
  nearly plucks 
  out an eye.
  BL: 4 
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  Solid strike 
  removes foe’s 
  nose and part of 
  chin.
  BL: 5 
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Master strike 
  removes foe’s 
  jaw.
  Block foe‘s 
  weapon arm away 
  and then rip off his 
  face. He retches 
  and dies.
  5-6
  Shoulders
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe begins 
  loudly counting 
  down to zero.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Your assault 
  catches foe in 
  right shoulder 
  and forces him 
  back 5 feet.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  You remove a 
  chunk of foe’s 
  shoulder on 
  your recovery.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Reaching blow 
  rips deeply 
  into foe’s right 
  shoulder blade. 
  He turns white 
  as a sheet.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Tricky strike 
  destroys foe’s 
  left shoulder. He 
  begs for mercy.
  Perfect execution! 
  You strike through 
  foe’s shoulder and 
  tear off his arm. 
  Yep, he’s really 
  dead.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  330
  Swung Piercing Damage Table: Area 6, (Upward Swing)
  Roll location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1-3
  Inner Thigh
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Needs practice.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Foe mostly 
  deflects your 
  attack.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  KD: 1
  Your weapon 
  stings foe, but 
  nothing solid.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 8
  KD: 1
  You lured foe in 
  and punished 
  him. Now make 
  him be quiet.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 10
  KD: 2
  Foe babbles at 
  you as you pull 
  your weapon 
  free. What a 
  mess!
  BL: 5
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 12
  KD: 3
  You gamble with 
  daring stroke. It 
  pays off as you 
  tear off foe’s leg.
  4
  Groin (Male)
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 5
  Foe is off-
  balance.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Strike pierces 
  flesh of foe’s 
  manhood. Oh, 
  It burns!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 9
  Slap foe in 
  groin. He drops 
  his guard and 
  stumbles away 
  from you.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 11 
  KD: 1
  Artful strike has 
  foe hooting in 
  agony.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 13 
  KD: 2
  Your strike 
  rips into foe, 
  skewering him. 
  He rages and 
  screams. 
  BL: 7
  Shock: 14
  Pain: 15
  KD: 3
  Foe drops weapon 
  and clutches 
  ruined manhood. 
  Okay, finish this.
  Groin 
  (Female)
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe is off-
  balance. 
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Strike pierces 
  flesh of foe’s 
  femininity. Oh, 
  It burns!
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  Slap foe in 
  groin. She 
  drops her guard 
  and stumbles 
  away from you.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  KD: 1
  Artful strike has 
  foe hooting in 
  agony.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 12
  KD: 2
  Your strike 
  rips into foe, 
  skewering her. 
  She rages and 
  screams. 
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 14
  KD: 3
  Foe drops weapon 
  and clutches 
  ruined femininity. 
  Okay, finish this.
  5
  Abdomen
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe trips.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  Foe laughs – 
  nervously.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 5
  Pain: 8
  Light swing up 
  removes six 
  inch strip of 
  foe’s hide.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 10
  Journeyman 
  strike hooks foe’s 
  naval. Shut this 
  guy up!
  BL: 6
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 12
  Foe stumbles 
  into your point 
  and vomits 
  blood on your 
  arm.
  Your weapon gets 
  fouled in foe’s 
  guts. You yank it 
  free and rip out 
  his entrails. He 
  sobs and tries to 
  push them back in 
  before collapsing 
  dead.
  6
  Chest
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 3
  Someone 
  shouted your 
  name.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 3
  Pain: 5
  You lift your 
  swing higher 
  and catch foe 
  off-guard.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 7
  Neatly remove 
  foe’s right 
  nipple.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe dances into 
  your blow. This 
  should just about 
  finish things.
  BL: 6
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 11
  Wild swing 
  buries your 
  weapon in foe’s 
  chest. He claws 
  at you weakly.
  Brilliant Strike rips 
  out foe’s chest. 
  Instant death.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  331
  Swung Piercing Damage Table: Area 7, Right and Left (Arms)
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  1
  Hand
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Motion to your 
  left distracted 
  you.
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  Foe’s plodding 
  defense costs 
  him.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Foe’s cat-
  like reflexes 
  betray him.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Your point 
  slides down 
  foe’s weapon 
  and removes a 
  finger.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Strike through 
  foe’s hand and 
  swing him about 
  on your point.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Tear off foe‘s hand 
  in a graphic display 
  of violence.
  2-3
  Forearm
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe glances 
  behind you.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 3
  Fake foe out 
  and score a 
  cheap hit.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Foe shows 
  you his fancy 
  moves. Not.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Foe tried to 
  block your 
  strike with his 
  arm. Oh, the 
  screaming!
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Foe ducked to 
  avoid strike to 
  guts and now 
  has your weapon 
  stuck in his arm. 
  Rip it free.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Your blow stabs 
  deep and shatters 
  foe’s weapon arm.
  4
  Elbow
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  Foe nods at 
  you.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
  Strike passes 
  slices into foe‘s 
  elbow. It fails 
  to bite deep. 
  He recoils.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 6
  Foe catches 
  your attack on 
  his bracer. He 
  howls when 
  your edge 
  slips into his 
  elbow.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 9
  Elbow cracking 
  strike has foe 
  dancing the 
  agony jig.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 11
  Foe is stunned 
  when his flurry 
  ends with your 
  steel buried 
  through his 
  entire elbow. 
  BL: 4
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 13 
  Strike ricochets 
  through elbow of 
  shield arm and 
  shreds it. Major 
  artery mangled. If 
  foe has shield, he 
  drops it.
  5-6
  Upper Arm 
  and Shoulder
  BL: 0
  Shock: 0
  Pain: 2
  A stinger, 
  nothing more.
  BL: 1
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 4
   Destroy one 
  of foe‘s silly 
  decorations.
  BL: 2
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 5
  Strike foe high 
  on bicep. Light 
  wound bleeds 
  surprisingly 
  strongly.
  BL: 3
  Shock: 7
  Pain: 7
  Pain from your 
  strike has foe 
  raving in pain.
  BL: 4
  Shock: 9
  Pain: 9
  Nail foe’s arm to 
  his side. He is 
  speechless.
  BL: 5
  Shock: 11
  Pain: 11
  Destroy foe’s shield 
  arm with savage 
  strike. Foe shrieks 
  and hops about.
  Generic Damage Table
  Roll
  location
  level 1
  negligible
  level 2
  Slight
  level 3
  MinoR
  level 4
  SubStantial
  level 5
  gRievouS
  level 6
  cataStRophic
  See 
  Chapter 5
  See 
  Chapter 5
  BL: 0
  Shock: 2
  Pain: 2
  BL: 0
  Shock: 4
  Pain: 4
  BL: 1
  Shock: 6
  Pain: 6
  BL: 1
  Shock: 8
  Pain: 8
  BL: 2
  Shock: 10
  Pain: 10
  BL: 2
  Shock: 12
  Pain: 12
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  332
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  333
  MELEE WEAPON TABLES
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Short Sword
  S
  6
  0
  6
  +1
  7
  -2
  A sword with a short, two-edged blade.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Arming Sword
  M
  7
  +1
  7
  +1
  7
  -1
  The basic, run-of-the-mill one-handed sword.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Hand-And-A-Half, 
  Two-Handed
  M
  7
  +2
  7
  +1
  6
  0
  Hand-And-A-Half, 
  One-Handed
  L
  8
  +2
  8
  +1
  8
  0
  An arming sword with a slightly longer blade and hilt long enough to accommodate both hands.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Hand-And-A-Half, Swing-
  Optimized, Two-Handed
  M
  7
  +3
  7
  +1
  6
  0
  Hand-And-A-Half, Swing-
  Optimized, One-Handed
  L
  8
  +3
  8
  +2
  8
  0
  Thrust- and swing-type Offensive Maneuvers with this tip-heavy blade require an additional 1 MP 
  Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  One-handed Thrust DR decreased by –1 against all metal armor.
  A hand-and-a-half sword with a slightly broader blade and parallel edges along most of its length.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Hand-And-A-Half, Thrust-
  Optimized, Two-Handed
  M
  7
  +1
  7
  +1
  6
  -1
  Hand-And-A-Half, Thrust-
  Optimized, One-Handed
  L
  8
  +1
  8
  +1
  7
  -1
  Thrust- and swing-type Offensive Maneuvers with this hilt-heavy blade have their Activation Cost 
  reduced by 1 MP. If the Activation Cost thus becomes –1, +1 is added to the MP for the Ma-
  neuver.
  Additional +1 Thrust DR against armor.
  A hand-and-a-half sword with a stiff diamond cross-section, and edges tapering even for most of 
  its length.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Greatsword
  VL
  8
  +3
  8
  +1
  8
  +1
  A hand-and-a-half sword with a longer blade, intended solely for use with both hands.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  334
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Falchion,
  One-Handed
  M
  8
  +2
  10
  0
  9
  -1
  Falchion,
  Two-Handed
  S
  7
  +2
  9
  0
  7
  -1
  Thrusts inflict Cleaving damage, not Piercing.
  Additional Swing DR +1 against armor.
  An arming sword with a slightly longer hilt and a heavy, broad blade, it’s back straight and blunt and its 
  one edge curved.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Sidesword
  M
  6
  -1
  7
  +1
  6
  -2
  Thrust-type Offensive Maneuvers have their Activation Cost reduced by 1 MP. If the Activation 
  Cost thus becomes –1, +1 is added to the MP for the Maneuver.
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against all metal armor.
  Thrust DR decreased by –1 against all metal armor with the exception of maille.
  The DTN is increased by +1 against two-handed and heavy one-handed swords, by +2 against 
  light pole-arms and one-handed mass weapons, and by +3 against heavy pole-arms and 
  two-handed mass weapons.
  An arming sword with a slender blade of stiff diamond cross-section tapering to an acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Rapier
  L
  6
  -3
  8
  +1
  6
  -3
  DR decreased by –2 against all metal armor with the exception of maille.
  DR decreased by –1 against maille and all non-metal armor.
  The DTN is increased by +1 against daggers and sideswords, by +2 against one-handed swords, 
  by +3 against two-handed and heavy one-handed swords, by +4 against light pole-arms and 
  one-handed mass weapons, and by +5 against heavy pole-arms and two-handed mass weap-
  ons.
  Point will break on any connecting swing against armor better than gambeson or pliable leather 
  unreinforced by metal, reducing Reach to Medium and Thrust DR to 0.
  A sidesword with a somewhat longer but even more slender blade, tapering for much of its length 
  to a very acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Saber
  M
  7
  +1
  8
  +1
  7
  -1
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers have their Activation Cost reduced by 1 MP. If the Activation 
  Cost thus becomes –1, +1 is added to the MP for the Maneuver.
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against all types of armor.
  A one edged arming sword with a slight to moderate back-curve.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  335
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Scimitar
  M
  7
  +1
  9
  +1
  7
  -1
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers have their Activation Cost reduced by 1 MP. If the Activation Cost thus 
  becomes –1, +1 is added to the MP for the Maneuver.
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against all types of armor with the exception of gambeson and pliable leather 
  unreinforced by metal.
  A saber with a more pronounced back-curve.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Greatsaber, 
  Two-handed
  L
  7
  +4
  9
  0
  7
  +1
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers with this tip-heavy blade require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost 
  (minimum 1).
  Defensive Maneuvers with this tip-heavy blade require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against all types of armor.
  A two-handed version of the saber, with a longer hilt and a longer, heavy chopping blade. The blade is 
  one-edged, slightly to moderately curved, flaring out from the crossguard, with the end of the blunt back 
  edge sharpened and descending towards the sharp edge to form a moderately sharp point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Dao
  M
  8
  +2
  9
  0
  7
  0
  Defensive Maneuvers with this heavy blade require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A far Eastern type of saber with a slight flare towards the – rather blunt – point of the blade.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Katana,
  Two-Handed
  M
  7
  +2
  8
  +1
  6
  -1
  Katana,
  One-Handed
  L
  8
  +2
  9
  +1
  8
  -1
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers have their Activation Cost reduced by 1 MP. If the Activation 
  Cost thus becomes –1, +1 is added to the MP for the Maneuver.
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against armor.
  A far Eastern hand-and-a-half sword with a long hilt and a one-edged, back-curved blade.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Wakizashi
  S
  6
  +1
  7
  +1
  7
  -2
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers have their Activation Cost reduced by 1 MP. If the Activation 
  Cost thus becomes –1, +1 is added to the MP for the Maneuver.
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against armor.
  A short sword with a blade of the Katana type.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  336
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Kopis / 
  Makhaira
  S
  7
  +1
  6
  +1
  7
  -1
  Defensive and thrust-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (mini-
  mum 1).
  An ancient Greek one-edged short sword with a forward curve and a slight flare to the blade be-
  fore it tapers to a point. 
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Yatagan
  M
  7
  +2
  7
  +1
  7
  -1
  Thrust-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against all armour with the exception of gambeson.
  A longer, Ottoman version of the kopis with a less pronounced flare to the blade.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Xiphos
  S
  6
  +1
  6
  +1
  7
  -2
  Thrust- and swing-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (mini-
  mum 1).
  An ancient Greek short sword with a leaf-shaped blade tapering to a slight waist before flaring out 
  and then tapering once again to an acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Khopesh
  S
  6
  +1
  8
  0
  7
  -2
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against any type of armor.
  Can be used to execute the Hook Maneuver. Activation Cost for this Maneuver is 1 less than nor-
  mal for the Proficiency used.
  A shortsword with a slender, peculiarly shaped, one-edged blade. The blade at first runs straight 
  for litle more than one third its overall length and then forms an arc, with the edge on the arc’s 
  “belly”.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Falx
  S
  6
  +1
  7
  0
  7
  -2
  Thrust-type offensive Maneuvers with this awkward blade require an additional +1 MP Activation 
  cost (minimum 1).
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against any type of armor.
  A very simple shortsword. It has a very long heft without any kind of crossguard and a one-edged 
  blade. The blade curves slightly forward for about half its length and tapers to a point along 
  this curve.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  337
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Gladius
  S
  6
  0
  6
  +1
  7
  -2
  Additional +1 Thrust DR against armor.
  An ancient Roman short sword with a stiff diamond cross-section and edges either parallel for 
  most of its length before tapering to an acute point, or else of more slightly flaring xiphos-type.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Spatha
  M
  7
  +1
  7
  +1
  7
  -1
  Thrust-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  The ancient Roman version of the arming sword, tapering slightly along most of its length before 
  suddenly tapering to an acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Viking Sword
  M
  7
  +1
  7
  +1
  7
  -1
  Thrust-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Thrust DR reduced by –1 against armor.
  The Viking version of the Roman spatha, with a less acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Dagger
  H
  6
  -1
  5
  0
  9
  -3
  A straight fighting knife with a substantial blade, usually two-edged.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Knife
  H
  6
  -2
  5
  0
  10
  -4
  A dagger with a shorter blade, one- or two-edged.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Stiletto, Edged H
  6
  -2
  5
  0
  9
  -4
  Additional +1 Thrust DR against armor.
  A dagger with a slender blade of very stiff diamond cross-section, tapering to a very acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Stiletto, Blunt
  H
  5
  0
  9
  Additional +2 Thrust DR against armor; this bonus cannot exceed the armour’s AV.
  An immensely stiff three- or four-sided bar of metal set in a dagger grip and tapering to a very 
  acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Broad Dagger
  H, S
  6
  0
  6
  +1
  8
  -2
  Can equally be used at Hand and Short Reach at the same time.
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A dagger with a slightly longer and significantly broader, two-edged blade.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  338
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Crescent 
  Dagger
  H
  6
  0
  6
  0
  9
  -3
  Swing DR decreased by –1 against all armour with the exception of gambeson.
  Usually a two-edged dagger with a slight to moderate curve and tapering along its entire length 
  to an acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Parrying 
  Dagger
  H
  6
  -1
  5
  0
  6
  -4
  Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  The DTN is increased by +1 against one-handed swords, by +2 against two-handed and heavy 
  one-handed swords, by +3 against light pole-arms and one-handed mass weapons, and by +4 
  against heavy pole-arms and two-handed mass weapons.
  Remember: Parrying with the off-hand is at an additional +1 DTN.
  A dagger with – usually – a slightly more slender blade, but a very broad and sturdy cross-guard.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Katar
  H, S
  6
  0
  6
  +1
  8
  -2
  Swing-type offensive Maneuvers require an additional +1 MP Activation cost (minimum 1).
  Additional +1 thrust Damage against all types of armor.
  Partially protects the hand and wrist; use AV of the gambeson (Piercing 1, Blunt & Cleaving 2).
  A stabbing dagger with a perpendicular handle set between two metal bars and a two-edged, tri-
  angular blade that’s broad at the base and tapers rather evenly to an acute point.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Pata
  M
  7
  +1
  7
  +1
  7
  -1
  Swing-type offensive Maneuvers require an additional +1 MP Activation cost (minimum 1).
  Additional +1 thrust Damage against all types of armor.
  Protects the hand and wrist like light plate armour worn without gambeson (i.e. AV Piercing 3, 
  Blunt 2).
  Cannot execute the Quick-Draw Maneuver. Drawing the weapon always takes one full Exchange.
  Knockdown Checks to avoid being disarmed of the Pata using the Disarm Maneuver only require 
  successes equal to one third the opponent’s QoS.
  An arming sword blade with a perpendicular handle set in a tubular metal glove, the Pata is slight-
  ly more unwieldy on the swing, but more powerful on the thrust.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Baton
  S
  5
  -1
  6
  -1
  7
  A stout stick.
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  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Club
  S
  6
  0
  7
  -1
  8
  Additional +1 Shock on any wounding Swing.
  Due to the surprise element inherent in such an attack, defending against the first thrust with a 
  club in any given combat requires an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A stout stick, thicker at the business end.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Mace
  S
  6
  +1
  7
  -1
  9
  Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Additional +1 Shock on any wounding Swing.
  Due to the surprise element inherent in such an attack, defending against the first thrust with a 
  mace in any given combat requires an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A stout stick with a head bound in metal or wholly made of metal or sometimes stone.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Flanged Mace
  S
  6
  +1
  7
  -1
  9
  Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Additional +1 Swing DR against armor.
  Additional +1 Shock on any wounding Swing.
  Due to the surprise element inherent in such an attack, defending against the first thrust with a 
  mace in any given combat requires an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A mace with flanges to the sides of the head, optimized to transfer damage through armor
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Spiked Mace
  S
  6
  +1
  7
  -1
  9
  Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Swing DR reduced by -1 against armor.
  Additional +1 Shock, +1 Pain, and +1 Blood loss on any wounding Swing.
  Due to the surprise element inherent in such an attack, defending against the first thrust with a 
  mace in any given combat requires an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A mace with spikes for tearing grisly wounds.
  Weapon
  Reach
   Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  DTN
  Ball-And-Chain
  M
  8
  +2
  10
  Additional +1 Swing DR against armor.
  Additional +2 Shock on any wounding Swing.
  Blocking the ball-and-chain requires an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Parrying the ball-and-chain requires an additional 2 MP Activation Cost (minimum 2).
  The Hook Maneuver is available with the ball-and-chain.
  A stout stick with a single metal ball affixed to its end by a chain of moderate length.
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  Weapon
  Reach
   Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  DTN
  War-Flail
  VL
  7
  +2
  8
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Additional +1 Swing DR against armor.
  Additional +2 Shock on any wounding Swing.
  Parrying the war-flail requires an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A long staff with a much shorter, metal-shod stick affixed to its end by a very short length of chain; 
  wielded with two hands.
  Weapon
  Reach
   Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  DTN
  Spiked War-Flail
  VL
  7
  +2
  8
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Additional +1 Shock, +1 Pain, and +1 Blood loss on any wounding Swing.
  Parrying the spiked war-flail requires an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  A war-flail with spikes all around the business end.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Hatchet
  H
  6
  0
  8
  -1
  An axe with a short haft.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Hand-Axe, Axe-Blade
  S
  7
  +1
  9
  0
  Hand-Axe, Back-Spike
  S
  7
  +1
  9
  n/a
  Additional Swing DR +1 against armor.
  Axe damage is Cleaving, damage from the back-spike existing on some axes is Piercing. Switching 
  between attacking with the axe blade and the back-spike is free in between Rounds, but carries 
  a 1 MP Activation Cost during Rounds.
  A hatchet with a longer haft and a slightly bigger axe-head, sometime with a spike opposite the 
  axe-head.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Long-Hafted Axe, One-Handed
  M
  7
  +1
  9
  +0
  Spike, One-Handed
  M
  7
  +1
  9
  n/a
  Long-Hafted Axe, Two-Handed
  M
  7
  +2
  7
  +1
  Spike, Two-Handed
  M
  7
  +2
  7
  n/a
  Long-Hafted Axe, Two-Handed
  L
  8
  +3
  8
  +2
  Spike, Two-Handed
  L
  8
  +3
  8
  n/a
  Additional Swing DR +1 against armor.
  Additional +1 Shock on any wound from the axe-blade (not back-spike).
  Axe damage is Cleaving, damage from the back-spike existing on some axes is Piercing.
  Any switch of grip on the axe, whether one-handed to two-handed, short to long, or between 
  attacking with the axe-blade and attacking with the back-spike is free in between Rounds, but 
  carries a 1 MP Activation Cost during Rounds.
  An axe with a much longer handle and a maybe slightly larger axe-head.
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  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Great-Axe, Axe-Blade
  M
  7
  +2
  7
  +1
  Great-Axe, Back-Spike
  M
  7
  +2
  7
  n/a
  Great-Axe, Axe-Blade
  L
  8
  +4
  9
  +2
  Great-Axe, Back-Spike
  L
  8
  +4
  9
  n/a
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers at Reach Long require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (min-
  imum 1).
  Additional Swing DR +1 against armor.
  Additional +1 Shock on 
  any wound from the axe-blade (not back-spike).
  Axe damage is Cleaving, damage from the back-spike existing on some rare great-axes is Piercing.
  Any switch of grip on the great-axe, whether short to long, or between attacking with the axe-
  blade and attacking with the back-spike is free in between Rounds, but carries a 1 MP Activa-
  tion Cost during Rounds.
  A long-hafted axe with perhaps a slightly longer haft and a bigger axe-head, to be wielded with 
  both hands.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  War-Hammer, Hammerhead
  S
  6
  +1
  8
  -1
  9
  War-Hammer, Beak
  S
  7
  +1
  8
  -1
  9
  Additional Swing DR +1 against armor.
  Additional +1 Shock on any wound from the hammerhead (not beak or top-spike).
  Hammerhead damage is Blunt, damage from the beak and the top-spike is Piercing.
  Switching between attacking with the hammerhead and the beak is free in between Rounds, but 
  carries a 1 MP Activation Cost during Rounds. Thrusts with the top-spike can be delivered from 
  any of the two grips without additional Activation Cost.
  A warhammer with a rather small, but powerful head, often with a spike opposite it. 
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Quarterstaff
  M, L
  6
  0
  6
  0
  5
  Quarterstaff, sword grip
  VL
  7
  +1
  7
  0
  7
  Can equally be used at Medium and Long Reach at the same time.
  Thrust-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).This 
  does not apply when wielded like a two-handed sword.
  Quarterstaffs can be wielded like two-handed swords, using the lower set of stats while doing 
  so. Changing between ways of wielding the quarterstaff is free of Activation Cost but can only 
  be done at the very end or beginning of a Round and entails change of the Proficiency used 
  (Polearm to Longsword or Greatsword).
  A stout staff, as tall as its user or slightly taller.
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  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Short Spear, One-Handed
  M
  8
  0
  7
  +1
  7
  Short Spear, Two-Handed
  M
  n/a
  n/a
  6
  +1
  6
  Thrust DR is Piercing, Swing DR is for attacks with the shaft and thus Blunt.
  A spear, as tall as its wielder or slightly shorter.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Long Spear, One-Handed
  L
  9
  0
  8
  +1
  8
  Long Spear, Two-Handed
  M, L
  n/a
  n/a
  6
  +1
  6
  Used two-handed it can equally be used at Medium and Long Reach at the same time.
  Thrust DR is Piercing, Swing DR is for attacks with the shaft and thus Blunt.
  A spear, significantly taller than its wielder.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Halberd, Axe-Blade
  VL
  8
  +4
  7
  +1
  7
  +2
  Halberd, Back-Spike
  VL
  8
  +4
  7
  +1
  7
  -n/a
  Offensive and Defensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Axe damage is Cleaving, damage from the spikes opposite the axe-blade and on the top (the 
  thrusting attack) is Piercing. Additional +1 Swing DR against armor.
  Switching between attacking with the axe-blade and the spike opposite it is free in between 
  Rounds, but carries a 1 MP Activation Cost during Rounds. Thrusts with the top-spike can be 
  delivered from any of the two grips without additional Activation Cost.
  A long spear with additional axe-blade and a spike opposite that.
  Weapon
  Reach
  ATN
  DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Poll-Axe, Top-Spike
  M
  6 (thr)
  +1 (p)
  6
  n/a
  Poll-Axe, Axe-Blade
  L
  7 (sw)
  +3 (c)
  6
  +2
  Poll-Axe, Hammerhead
  L
  7 (sw)
  +3 (b)
  6
  n/a
  Poll-Axe, Back-Spike
  L
  7 (sw)
  +3 (p)
  6
  n/a
  Reach is different on thrusting and swung attacks without need to change the grip.
  Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Additional +1 Swing DR against armor.
  Additional +1 Shock on any wound from the hammerhead (not axe-blade or spikes).
  All poll-axes feature a spike at the top and an axe-blade, but opposite the axe-blade there is either 
  a hammerhead or a spike, depending on the individual weapon. Switching between attacking 
  with the axe-blade and the hammerhead or spike opposite it is free in between Rounds, but 
  carries a 1 MP Activation Cost during Rounds. Thrusts with the top-spike can be delivered from 
  any of the two grips without additional Activation Cost.
  A shorter halberd – about as tall as its wielder or slightly shorter – with a more compact head.
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  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Blunt DR
  Naginata
  L, VL
  8
  +3
  6
  +1
  6
  0
  Thrust-type Offensive Maneuvers require an additional 1 MP Activation Cost (minimum 1).
  Thrust DR decreased by –1 against any armor other than gambeson.
  A long spear with a long, one-edged, slightly curved blade, used with two hands for mostly slash-
  ing attacks.
  Weapon
  Reach
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  Lance
  VL or EL
  8
  +1
  On a mounted charge, DR is based on the mount’s full BN, not the half the wielder’s BN.
  Lances can be either had in VL or EL versions.
  These stats are only for couched use on a mounted charge. If used in any other way, use long spear 
  stats instead.
  Basically a long spear, often with additions like a guard for the hand.
  PUNCHES AND kICkS
  Weapon
  Reach
  Swing ATN
  Swing DR
  Thrust ATN
  Thrust DR
  DTN
  Punch
  H
  5
  -1
  5
  -2
  6
  Kick
  H, S
  6
  0
  n/a
  n/a
  7
  Swing-type Offensive Maneuvers with a punch require an additional +1 MP Activation Cost (mini-
  mum 1).
  DR for both punches and kicks is reduced by –1 against pliable textile and leather armor, and by –2 
  against any other type of armor.
  A kick can equally be aimed at Hand and Short Reach, but requires an additional 1 MP Activation 
  Cost if at Short Reach (minimum 1).
  Use of a knuckleduster or metal-capped boots or an equivalent will increase punch and kick DRs 
  respectively by +1.
  Common sense is needed in adjucating what body parts can be targets of unarmed attacks and what attacks 
  can be defended against unarmed. Unless the opponent is in something other than an upright position, 
  kicks can usually not be aimed higher than the hips, and punches cannot usually be thrown lower than 
  the groin. For defence, the leg can usually not parry attacks aimed higher than the hips, and arms cannot 
  usually parry attacks aimed lower than the thighs.
  A successful parry with hand or foot against anything other than an unarmed attack will result in dam age 
  to the parrying limb.
  Against a swung Cleaving attack, the parrying limb suffers a hit as if struck from an attack with double the 
  QoS the attacker actually achieved, and against all other attack forms one and a half times the QoS the 
  attacker ultimately achieved. The final wound to the defender is thus calculated as if the attack had been 
  aimed at the limb to which damage is now inflicted.
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  344
  Example: Galba thrusts at unarmed Otho’s belly with a dagger. Galba’s 8 attack dice yield 5 successes 
  and Otho’s 9 parrying dice yield 6 successes, successfully deflecting the belly thrust. To see whether 
  Otho managed to full deflect the dagger, Galba’s attack successes are multiplied by 1.5, for a total of 8 
  successes, from which Otho’s 6 parrying successes are subtracted, for a difference of 2 in Galba’s favor. 
  Adding the dagger’s DR (0), Galba’s BN (4 halved to 2, for damage purposes, remember?), +QoS of 2 
  equals 4 total. We then subtract Otho’s BN (5 halved to 3) and hand armor (0) leaving us with a level 1 
  wound to Otho’s hand – a small price to pay for averting a knife in the belly.
  ANIMAL WEAPONS
  Weapon
  Reach
   ATN
   DR
  Blunt DR
  Medium Fangs
  H
  5
  -3
  -5
  Large Fangs
  H
  6
  -1
  -4
  Damage is Cleaving.
  Medium fangs are those found on the vast majority of mammals and reptiles. Large fangs are 
  those that seem oversized even in relation to their owner, the incisors of the sabre-tooth being 
  a prime example.
  Weapon
  Reach
  ATN
  DR
  Medium Claws
  H
  5
  -1
  Large Claws
  H
  5
  -1
  Damage is Blunt.
  Medium claws inflict +1 Blood loss on any wound of Level 3 and above. This does not apply 
  against any type of metal armor.
  Large claws inflict +1 Blood loss on any wound. This does not apply against any type of metal 
  armor.
  Medium claws are those found on the vast majority of mammals and reptiles. Large claws are 
  those that seem oversized even in relation to their owner; hardly any real animal would qualify 
  for this.
  Weapon
  Reach
   ATN
   DR
  Blunt DR
  Talon
  H
  5
  -3
  -5
  Damage is Cleaving.
  The final Wound Level inflicted cannot be higher than half the attacker’s BN.
  The talons of birds of prey, used with the Raking Maneuver.
  Weapon
  Reach
   ATN
   DR
  Blunt DR
  Beak
  H
  5
  -2
  -4
  Damage is Cleaving.
  Cannot be used with the Raking Maneuver.
  The final Wound Level inflicted cannot be higher than the attacker’s BN.
  The wicked beak of birds of prey.
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  Weapon
  Reach
  ATN
  DR
  Front Kick
  H
  6
  -2
  Back Kick
  H, S
  6
  -1
  Damage is Blunt.
  Back kicks can be delivered equally at Hand and Short Reach.
  Kicks carry an Activation Cost of 2 MP and attack with the Bash Maneuver (see description of 
  animal version of this Maneuver).
  Front kicks are rearing attacks with the fore legs striking usually from above and using Swing 
  Target Zones, back kicks are attacks of, usually both hind legs lashing out to the back and use 
  Thrust Target Zones.
  Front kicks cause +1 Shock.
  Back kicks cause +2 Shock and +1 Knockdown (minimum 1).
  The kicks of most types of large hooved animals, usually delivered with much force but little skill.
  Weapon
  Reach
   ATN
   Blunt DR
  Pierce DR
  Horns
  H
  6
  -1
  -1
  Damage is Blunt or Piercing, depending on the horn.
  Butts with horns are delivered with the Bash Maneuver (see description of animal version of this 
  Maneuver).
  Horn attacks inflicting Blunt damage cause +1 Shock.
  Horn attacks causing Piercing damage have –1 DR against armor.
  The horns of many types of animal. Piercing should only be used for the most acutely pointed 
  types of horns; most cattle certainly don’t qualify, for example.
  MISSILE WEAPONS
  Weapon
  Point B. TN
  Near TN
  Medium TN
  Far TN
  Extreme TN
  DR
  Dagger
  6
  7
  8
  9
  n/a
  0
  Hatchet
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  0
  Spear
  6
  7
  8
  9
  n/a
  +1
  Javelin
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +1
  Daggers and spears cannot attain extreme range.
  Hatchets cause Cleaving damage, not Piercing damage.
  The dagger thrown to deadly effect is a mainstay of the Sword & Sorcery genre, and the stats 
  above reflect this. We strongly recommend that you use those stats for your game of Blade, but 
  if you really can’t bring yourself to cater to this cliché, you can tone down the thrown dagger 
  by changing its DR to –1.
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  Weapon
  Point B. TN
  Near TN
  Medium TN
  Far TN
  Extreme TN
  DR
  Sling
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  +1
  Does not use half firer’s BN for damage calculation but one third BN instead. As always, round 
  up fractions of 0.50 and above.
  Additional +1 DR against armor.
  Additional +1 Shock on any wound.
  Weapon
  Point B. TN
  Near TN
  Medium TN
  Far TN
  Extreme TN
  DR
  Shortbow
  6
  7
  8
  9
  n/a
  +1
  Bow
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +1
  Longbow
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +1
  Composite Bow
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +1
  All bows have a BN Attribute of their own, one related to their individual draw weight. Half of this 
  BN is used to calculate damage instead of half the user’s BN. Nobody can use a bow possessing 
  a higher BN rating than he himself possesses. Maximum BN possible for shortbows is 4, for 
  bows 5, and for longbows and composite bows 6.
  Shortbows cannot attain extreme range.
  Additional +1 DR for longbow and composite bow against armor.
  Weapon
  Point B. TN
  Near TN
  Medium TN
  Far TN
  Extreme TN
  DR
  Light Crossbow
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +4
  Heavy Crossbow
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +5
  Arbalest
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +6
  Crossbow damage is not affected by the wielder’s BN. Damage is calculated using only QoS + 
  DR.
  Additional +1 DR for light crossbow against armor.
  Additional +2 DR for heavy crossbow against armor; this bonus cannot exceed the armour’s AV.
  Additional +4 DR for arbalest against armor; this bonus cannot exceed the armour’s AV.
  Weapon
  Point B. TN
  Near TN
  Medium TN
  Far TN
  Extreme TN
  DR
  Handgun
  6
  7
  8
  9
  11
  +4
  Arquebus
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  +6
  Handgun and arquebus damage are not affected by the wielder’s BN. Damage is calculated using 
  only QoS + DR.
  Damage is Piercing.
  Additional +1 DR against armor.
  Additional Shock equal to half the Wound Level inflicted (round up).
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  347
  WEAPON QUALITY
  In Blade, different qualities of weapons are not 
  handled with modifications to the weapons’ stats, 
  but rather as situational modifiers that come into 
  play when a weapon of better quality opposes one 
  of lower quality. In such cases, the wielder of the 
  better weapon receives a +1 bonus to his MP.
  This +1 is sufficient to cover basically all differ-
  ences in weapon quality, but in those rare cases 
  when the difference seems huge – as for instance 
  in a master weaponsmith’s steel sword opposing a 
  bronze sword. In addition, the wielder of the lesser 
  weapon can also be penalized with –1 die to his 
  MP.
  ENCHANTED WEAPONS
  In the Sword & Sorcery genre, magical weapons 
  are exceedingly rare, and most campaigns of Blade 
  could be played out without even a single enchant-
  ed weapon figuring in them; in any case, there 
  rarely should ever be more than a single magic 
  weapon per campaign.
  With enchanted weapons being so scarce, it 
  should be clear that they cannot be treated as mere 
  combat efficiency booster. No, magic weapons in 
  Blade are artifacts with a purpose, of a stature on 
  par with Stormbringer or Excalibur.
  The recommended way to handle such a power-
  ful artifact is to provide it with its own individual 
  Passion Attribute. At the beginning of every com-
  bat Round, the wielder of the weapon may choose 
  whether to add the entire Passion score of the 
  weapon to his MP, or but 1 point. If he decides to 
  add the entire score, the weapon’s Passion rating 
  will drop by 1 point, but if he decides to add but 
  1 point, the rating remains unchanged. Note also 
  that some artifacts are sufficiently willful to with-
  hold use of their full Passion Attribute if currently at 
  cross purposes with the wielder; in that case, only 
  1 point can be added, period, until the weapon is 
  once again mollified.
  How the weapon’s Passion Attribute is recharged 
  depends on the purpose of the weapon. As a rule 
  of the thumb, most weapons will regain 1 Passion 
  point every time they slay or maim an opponent, 
  1 additional point if overcoming this opponent fur-
  thers the goal of the weapon, and 1 point every 
  time the wielder does something that furthers the 
  cause of the weapon.
  However, some rare artifacts may be willful enough 
  to not only withhold their full benefits but to actu-
  ally actively oppose their wielder. Such weapons 
  can deduct 1 die from its wielder’s MP, but every 
  time it does so, its Passion score drops by 1. 
  NPCs
  The creation table for PCs is geared towards the 
  creation of characters that are much more capable 
  than common NPCs. Characters created by these 
  mechanics are not representative of the inhabitants 
  of the various game worlds that Blade is intended 
  for.
  The vast majority of NPCs, including common sol-
  diers and other combat-trained individuals, will 
  be average persons. As such, they should have no 
  more than one or two Attributes with ratings other 
  than 4, and their total number of Attribute points 
  should be as close to 24 as possible, certainly with-
  in the 22 to 26 range. Attribute ratings under 3 and 
  over 5 are exclusive to very exceptional individu-
  als and should not occur with the vast majority of 
  common NPCs. 
  Skills and Proficiencies that are central to an NPC’s 
  profession or walk of life should also be at a rating 
  of 4, or very close to it. With Skills and Attributes, 
  anybody with but a single rating above 6 should be 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  348
  very rare, extremely noticeable, and probably also 
  renowned for it. The same holds for Proficiencies 
  above 9.
  True to the trope of Sword & Sorcery fiction, mem-
  bers of societies living more rugged lifestyles closer 
  to nature, namely those corresponding to the Hill-
  man/Nomad and especially the Savage cultural 
  archetype, are all around more capable than soft-
  er, civilized people and can as a rule be built with 
  slightly higher ratings.
  Attributes that are not expressly given in the write-
  ups are considered to have an average score of 4. 
  Skills listed are only the most important ones for 
  this NPC’s walk of life, and those that are likely to 
  be relevant in a game situation. If a Skill isn’t listed, 
  this doesn’t necessarily mean that the NPC doesn’t 
  possess it, but that a referee judgement is called for 
  in assigning further Skills. 
  Referees should customize these standard NPCs 
  above and beyond any variation already present-
  ed in these write-ups. When doing so it may be 
  helpful to keep in mind that a single +/– 1 to either 
  Attribute or Proficiency will result in an individual 
  who is noticeably above or below average to his 
  fellows, and greater than +/– 1 would be even far-
  ther outside the norm.
  SoldieR, Rank-and-file
  Attributes:
  BN or DG 5, HT or SY 3
  Ref 4 or 5, Aim 3 or 4, Kdown 4 or 5, 
  Kout 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  4 or 5
  MP
  8-10
  Key Skills
  Soldiering 4
  The run-of-the-mill common soldier or guardsman. 
  Melee Proficiency will most often be Sword & 
  Shield, Spear & Shield, or Mass Weapon & Shield.
  SoldieR, elite
  Attributes:
  DG 5, BN or TY 5, HT or SY 3
  Ref 5, Kdown 5, Kout 5, Move 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  5 or 6
  MP
  10 or 11
  Key Skills
  Soldiering 6
  A soldier of a crack unit.
  SoldieR, chaMpion
  Attributes:
  CG 5, BN 5, DG 5, HT or SY 3
  Ref 5, Aim 4 or 5, Kdown 5, Kout 5, 
  Move 5
  Melee Proficiency
  7
  MP
  12
  Key Skills
  Soldiering 4
  The best fighter of the company.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  349
  townSMan
  Attributes:
  BN 3 or 4, CG 4 or 5
  Ref 4 or 5, Aim 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  1
  MP
  5 or 6
  Key Skills
  6 among Falsehood and Information 
  Gathering (maximum 4)
  The average city-dweller, who often tends to be a 
  bit soft from living near the flesh-pots of the cities, 
  but frequently more savvy and cunning in return. 
  His melee Proficiency is usually Pugilism & Brawl-
  ing, or less frequently Dagger.
  countRy dwelleR
  Attributes:
  BN 4 or 5, SY 3 or 4
  Kdown 4 or 5, Kout 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Melee Proficiency 2; sometimes 
  Missile Proficiency 2
  MP
  6; sometimes AP 6
  Key Skills
  The average rustic inhabiting the rural parts of 
  civilized lands. A bit more rugged and hardy than 
  a townsman, but often less savvy or educated. 
  Their melee Proficiency is frequently related 
  to Pole-arms, but sometimes Spear & Shield is 
  acquired instead; a few are also familiar with the 
  Sling or Bow Proficiency.
  noMad RaideR
  Attributes:
  DG 5, CG or BN 5
  Ref 5, Aim 4 or 5, Kdown 5, Kout 4 or 
  5, Move 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Melee Proficiency 5 & Bow Proficiency 
  2 or Melee Proficiency 4 & Bow 
  Proficiency 4
  MP
  9 or 10, AP (Bow) 6-9
  Key Skills
  Riding 5, Sneaking 3, Survival 4
  Members of a nomad tribe, leading a dual exis-
  tence as both pastoralist and mounted raider upon 
  his settled neighbours or trespassing merchants. 
  Superb horsemen, they will usually attack from 
  horseback, often by initially circling their oppo-
  nents and weakening them with harassing arrows. 
  Their Missile Proficiency is invariably Bow, and 
  their Melee Proficiency either Sword & Shield, Cut 
  & Thrust, or Lance, or more rarely Mass & Weapon 
  & Shield.
  baRbaRian waRRioR
  Attributes:
  CG 4 or 5, BN 5, DG 5, TY 5
  Ref 5, Aim 4 or 5, Kdown 5, Kout 5, 
  Move 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Melee Proficiency 5 & Missile 
  Proficiency 4
  MP
  10, AP 8 or 9
  Key Skills
  Sneaking 4, Survival 4, Tracking 4; 8 
  among Climbing, Riding & Swimming 
  (maximum 4)
  An average vigorous barbarian from a tribal so-
  ciety. His Missile Proficiency is usually Bow or 
  Spear, and his Melee Proficiency most commonly 
  Sword & Shield, Spear & Shield, or Mass Weapon 
  & Shield.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  350
  bandit
  Attributes:
  CG 5, BN or DG 5, HT 3, SY 3
  Ref 5, Aim 5, Kdown 5, Kout 4 or 5, 
  Move 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Melee Proficiency 2 & Missile 
  Proficiency 4 or Melee Proficiency 4 & 
  Missile Proficiency 2
  MP
  7 or 9, AP 7 or 9
  Key Skills
  Sneaking 4, Survival 4
  The common highwayman. His ilk prefers to avoid 
  combat altogether and instead confront his victims 
  with such advantage that resistance seems futile. 
  His Missile Proficiency will be Bow, Crossbow or 
  Black powder Weapon, and his Melee Proficien-
  cy usually Cut & Thrust, Sword & Shield, or Mass 
  Weapon & Shield.
  piRate
  Attributes:
  CG 5, BN or DG 5, HT 3, SY 3
  Ref 5, Aim 5, Kdown 5, Kout 4 or 5, 
  Move 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Melee Proficiency 2 & Missile 
  Proficiency 4 or Melee Proficiency 4 & 
  Missile Proficiency 2
  MP
  7 or 9, AP 7 or 9
  Key Skills
  Seamanship 4
  A raider of coastal settlements and the sea lanes 
  alike. Like the bandit he much prefers surprising 
  his victim with such advantage that an actual fight 
  is not necessary. His Missile Proficiency is Bow, 
  Crossbow or Black Powder Weapon, and his Melee 
  Proficiency usually Cut & Thrust, Sword & Shield, 
  or Mass Weapon & Shield.
  whoRe
  Attributes:
  CG or HT 5, BN 3
  Ref 4 or 5, Aim 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Dagger Proficiency 2 or 3
  MP
  (Dagger) 6-8
  Key Skills
  Dancing 3, Seduction 3; sometimes 
  Pick Pockets 3
  The classic, ubiquitous, common prostitute, tavern 
  wench, streetwalker, or bordello bird. Saucy and 
  pretty in a cheap way. Sometimes with a heart of 
  gold, sometimes with sticky, money-grubbing fin-
  gers, but always with a hidden knife to stick in pes-
  ky customers.
  piMp
  Attributes:
  CG 5, HT 3 or SY 3
  Reflex 5, Aim 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Dagger Proficiency 4
  MP
  (Dagger) 9
  Key Skills
  Trailing 3
  One of the usually unpleasant fellows living off 
  prostitutes working the streets and taverns of cities. 
  For enforcers at brothels the Bouncer/Enforcer tem-
  plate below is more appropriate.
  couRteSan
  Attributes:
  HT 5, CG or SY 5
  Ref 4 or 5, Aim 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Dagger Proficiency 3; sometimes 
  Thrown Dagger Proficiency 3
  MP
  (Dagger) 7 or 8; sometimes AP 
  (Thrown Dagger) 8
  Key Skills
  Dancing 6, Etiquette 3, Falsehood 
  5, Information Gathering 3, Music 3, 
  Seduction 6
  A high-class courtesan for high-class customers ei-
  ther set up independently in a house of her own, or 
  some brothel’s crown jewel. She knows men like 
  the back of her hand, and controls them with ease. 
  And of course she’s ravishing.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  351
  bounceR, enfoRceR
  Attributes:
  BN 5, SY 3
  Kdown 5, Kout 5
  Melee Proficiency
  4
  MP
  8
  Key Skills
  Negotiation 3
  “Muscle” employed at brothels, certain taverns and 
  similar establishments to keep rowdy customers in 
  hand; also the rank-and-file of many a gang ter-
  rorizing the cities. The melee Proficiency of these 
  usually big intimidating guys is either Brawling or 
  Mass Weapon & Shield, the latter mostly for use 
  with clubs and saps.
  thug, bully, oR MuggeR
  Attributes:
  BN 5, HT or SY 3
  Aim 3 or 4, Kdown 5, Kout 5
  Melee Proficiency
  4
  MP
  8
  Key Skills
  Sneaking 4 (if mugger)
  The kind of scum populating dingy taverns and 
  dark back alleys. Proficiency is mostly Dagger, but 
  might also be Brawling or Cut & Thrust.
  SlaveR
  Attributes:
  CG 5, HT 3
  Ref 5, Aim 5
  Melee Proficiency
  3
  MP
  8
  Key Skills
  Falsehood 4
  A common nasty slaver, more proficient in abduct-
  ing the unsuspecting or terrorizing helpless folk 
  in chains, than honest fighting. Melee Proficiency 
  will usually be Sword & Shield, Cut & Thrust, or 
  Dagger.
  cultiSt
  Attributes:
  CG 5, one Attribute 3
  Ref 4 or 5, Aim 4 or 5
  Melee Proficiency
  Dagger Proficiency 2
  MP
  (Dagger) 6-7
  Key Skills
  Falsehood 4, Sneaking 2, Theology 2
  The rank and file of any one of the many unwhole-
  some secret cults. Secrecy and deception is their 
  second nature, but they have no real combat fight-
  ing training – their Proficiency is usually Dagger, for 
  those fanatically (but ineptly) brandished knives.
  gladiatoR, pit fighteR
  Attributes:
  BN 6 & DG 5 or DG 6 & BN 5, CG 5, 
  SY 3
  Ref 5 or 6, Kdown 5 or 6, Kout 5, 
  Move 5
  Melee Proficiency
  7
  MP
  12 or 13
  Key Skills
  Acting 3, Healing 2
  Gladiatorial shows are a feature in many worlds 
  of Sword & Sorcery, and this is the staple of these 
  shows’ protagonists: A very athletic man or woman 
  highly trained in both weapons and showmanship, 
  one of the deadliest single combatants still “com-
  mon” to any degree. Their melee Proficiency can 
  vary widely.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  352
  pickpocket
  Attributes:
  CG 5, TY 3
  Ref 5, Aim 5
  Melee Proficiency
  2
  MP
  7
  Key Skills
  Falsehood 3, Pick Pockets 4 or 5, 
  Sneaking 3, Trailing 3
  A weasel of a man (or woman), the common pick-
  pocket takes no chances. He preys only upon 
  those whom he judges to be safely inattentive and 
  unlikely to become dangerously violent; sober and 
  conscious PCs are therefore definitely not among 
  the victims chosen by the average pickpocket. His 
  melee Proficiency is usually either Dagger or Pugi-
  lism & Brawling, but he will of course fight only as 
  a last resort.
  StReet uRchin
  Attributes:
  BN 3
  Melee Proficiency
  2
  MP
  6
  Key Skills
  Falsehood 3, Information Gathering 3, 
  Trailing 3
  The big cities’ ubiquitous guttersnipes. Either 
  a poor child with a heart of gold underneath all 
  the grime, or else a little bastard whom the harsh 
  necessities of surviving on the street have inured 
  against all softer human emotions. His melee Pro-
  ficiency is usually Dagger, but can be Pugilism & 
  Brawling instead.
  Finally, a few sample NPCs who are far from being 
  average or common in any way. Each one of these 
  badasses should provide a tough challenge to most 
  PCs.
   high-claSS bodyguaRd
  Attributes:
  BN 5, DG 6, TY 5, SY 5, CG 5
  Ref 6, Aim 5, Kdown 6, Kout 5, Move 
  5
  Melee Proficiency
  Sword & Shield Proficiency 9, Bow 
  Proficiency 5
  MP
  (Sword & Shield) 15, AP (Bow) 10
  Key Skills
  Healing 3, Riding 5, Sneaking 4, 
  Soldiering 4, Survival 4
  The personal bodyguard and part-time enforcer 
  employed by a ranking nobleman or other person 
  of great wealth and power. He has lead an adven-
  turous life as soldier of fortune, sellsword, merce-
  nary, and bandit before ending up in his present 
  position.
  fanatical aSSaSSin
  Attributes:
  BN 5, DG 6, TY 6, SY 5, CG 6
  Ref 6, Aim 6, Kdown 6, Kout 6, Move 6
  Melee Proficiency
  Cut & Thrust Proficiency 10, Dagger 
  Proficiency 10, Crossbow Proficiency 
  8, Thrown Knife Proficiency 8
  MP
  (Cut & Thrust, Dagger) 16, AP 
  (Crossbow, Thrown Knife) 14
  Key Skills
  Acting 4, Apothecary 3, Climbing 6, 
  Customs 4, Disguise 4, Etiquette 4, 
  Falsehood 6, Information Gathering 5, 
  Lock Picking 4, Riding 4, Sneaking 6, 
  Survival 4
  A powerful death cult’s fanatical assassin. He was 
  kidnapped as a child, raised by the cult, and re-
  ceived years of intense training until he became 
  the utterly devoted agent of the cult he is today.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  353
  gladiatoRial chaMpion
  Attributes
  BN 7, DG 6, TY 5, CG 5
  Ref 6, Aim 5, Kdown 7, Kout 6, Move 6
  Melee Proficiency
  Mass Weapon & Shield Proficiency 10, 
  Brawling Proficiency 8
  MP
  (Mass Weapon & Shield) 16, (Brawling) 
  14
  Key Skills
  Acting 3
  A veteran of a city’s gladiatorial arena and one of 
  its most popular and famous champions.
  SoRceReR
  Attributes:
  DG 5, TY 7, SY 6, CG 5
  Ref 5, Aim 6, Kdown 5, Kout 6, Move 
  5, Power 7
  Melee Proficiency
  Dagger Proficiency 3
  MP
  (Dagger) 8
  Key Skills
  Ancient Language 5, Apothecary 
  4, Decipher 4, Detect Sorcery 5, 
  Occultism 6, Precognition 4
  Mysteries
  Cursing 3, Prophecy 3, Enslavement 
  5, Scrying 3, Witchfire 4
  SP
  Cursing 10, Prophecy 10, Enslavement 
  12, Scrying 10, Witchfire 11
  This sinister sorcerer is not a dry and weak old 
  man, but barely approaching his middle age, in 
  good shape, and not shrinking back from lead-
  ing – and enjoying – a physical life. He is already 
  deeply steeped in gruesome arcane secrets, and is 
  still delving deeper greedily, standing at the very 
  threshold of the greatest sorcerous mysteries. And 
  he will stop at nothing to cross this threshold, noth-
  ing at all.
  Beasts
  After humans and before supernatural creatures, 
  beasts are the second most common enemies bat-
  tled by protagonists of Sword & Sorcery, and thus 
  of course Blade.
  Beasts are lacking both the HT and the SY Attri-
  bute. This is not to say that they are neither smart 
  nor social, but merely that these traits of them can-
  not be reasonably put in relation to a human scale. 
  Instead of SY, CG is used, for example for the pur-
  pose of Stealing Initiative, and for the rare Check 
  that might become necessary. 
  Animals don’t have an Aim Attribute, and they are 
  both fast and hard to knock out; their Reflex and 
  Knockout Attributes are calculated as normal, but 
  receive a +1 bonus. Most beasts’ Move are calcu-
  lated as (Cunning + Daring + Daring)/2, though 
  some animals are faster or (rarely) slower, depend-
  ing on their build. In their case, a bonus or penalty 
  is given with the Move score, which is already cal-
  culated into this score.
  Usually, creatures do not have many points of “Pro-
  ficiencies”; their MPs are usually not much higher 
  than their Reflex Attribute.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  354
  waRhoRSe
  Attributes:
  BN 7 or 8, DG 5, TY 5, CG 5
  Ref 6, Kdown 6 or 7, Kout 7 or 8, Move 
  10 (+2)
  MP
  (Kick) 7
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  This encompasses battle-hardened horses of the 
  largest and fiercest type available in any given set-
  ting. Earlier, smaller warhorses (”chargers”) have 
  BN 7, later, more massive ones (“destriers”) BN 8.
  canine, MediuM
  Attributes:
  BN 4, DG 6, TY 4, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown 5, Kout 5, Move 11 (+2)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs) 8
  This encompasses common watch dogs and strays 
  as well as jackals and other canines large enough 
  to pose a danger to humans. They can come in 
  packs.
  canine, laRge
  Attributes:
  BN 5, DG 6, TY 4, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown 6, Kout 6, Move 9
  MP
  (Medium Fangs) 9
  Wolves, attack-trained warhounds, hyenas, or any 
  other really big and really mean dog – you name it. 
  In the wild they usually form packs.
  canine, MonStRouS
  Attributes:
  BN 7, DG 6, TY 5, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown 7, Kout 7, Move 9
  MP
  (Medium Fangs) 11
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  No earthly animal this, but instead an enormous 
  canine the size of a tiger or small pony. It might 
  have shaggy fur protecting it with an AV equiva-
  lent to a gambeson’s (AV 1 Piercing, AV 2 Blunt & 
  Cleaving).
  feline, MediuM
  Attributes:
  BN 6, DG 7, TY 4, CG 7
  Ref 8, Kdown 7, Kout 6, Move 11
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 10
  Any large and dangerous cat from the size of a 
  cheetah to about the size of a jaguar, encompass-
  ing leopards, panthers, pumas, lionesses, etc. Even 
  if they do hunt in packs, they still do rarely employ 
  pack combat tactics.
  feline, laRge
  Attributes:
  BN 7 or 8, DG 6, TY 5, CG 7
  Ref 8, Kdown 7, Kout 7 or 8, Move 10
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 11
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  Really big cats like tigers and male lions. They rare-
  ly hunt in packs, and they almost never employ 
  pack combat tactics.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  355
  feline, MonStRouS
  Attributes:
  BN 10, DG 6, TY 5, CG 7
  Ref 8, Kdown 8, Kout 9, Move 9 (-1)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 13
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  Any outlandishly huge feline, around the size of 
  a horse. In some settings, such creatures might 
  even serve as horses for select heroes. Such a beast 
  might have shaggy fur protecting it like a gambe-
  son (AV 1 Piercing, AV 2 Blunt & Cleaving).
  SabRetooth
  Sabretooths are a mainstay of Sword & Sorcery. For 
  a “realistic” sabretooth, base it on the Large Feline 
  with large instead of medium fangs. If you really 
  want to go for it, base it on the Monstrous Feline 
  instead.
  beaR, MediuM
  Attributes
  BN 7, DG 6, TY 4, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown 7, Kout 7, Move 9
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 10
  One of the smaller bears dangerous to man, like a 
  brown bear. If a slightly cinematic bent is desired, 
  it can also use the Constricting Offensive Maneu-
  ver.
  beaR, laRge
  Attributes
  BN 9, DG 6, TY 5, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown 7, Kout 7, Move 9
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 11
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  A bear the size of a grizzly or polar bear. Usually 
  has shaggy fur protecting it like a gambeson (AV 1 
  Piercing, AV 2 Blunt & Cleaving). May at the ref-
  eree’s discretion use the Constricting Maneuver to 
  attack with a bear hug.
  beaR, MonStRouS
  Attributes
  BN 11, DG 6, TY 6, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown 9, Kout 10, Move 9
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 12
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  A larger bear than exists on earth, about half again 
  as big as a polar bear. It has shaggy fur protecting it 
  like a gambeson (AV 1 Piercing, AV 2 Blunt & Cleav-
  ing) and may possibly use the Constricting Offensive 
  Maneuver.
  cRocodile, laRge
  Attributes
  BN 7, DG 6, TY 5, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown n/a, Kout 7, Move 8* (-1)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs) 10*
  On dry land: Move 4, MP 8, may use tail for Take 
  Down Maneuver.
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  The larger specimen of crocodile, measuring 
  over 5 m from snout to tail. It can use the Worry-
  ing Maneuver, and its tough hide protects it with 
  the equivalent of leather armor (AV 1 Blunt, AV 2 
  Piercing & Cleaving).
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  356
  conStRicting Snake, MonStRouS
  Attributes
  BN 8, DG 6, TY 5, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown n/a, Kout 8, Move 3 (-6)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs, Constricting) 12
  Piercing Wound Levels to anywhere but the head 
  are halved after AV has been applied. 
  A truly gargantuan constricting snake, well over 
  half again as long as the largest earthly specimens.
  cRocodile, MonStRouS
  Attributes
  BN 10, DG 6, TY 6, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown n/a, Kout 9, Move 7* (-2)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs) 10*
  On dry land: Move 3, MP 8, may use tail for Take 
  Down Maneuver.
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  A huge crocodile of the kind extinct nowadays, 
  measuring some 10 to 12 m. It can use the Wor-
  rying Maneuver, and its tough hide protects it with 
  the equivalent of hardened leather armor (AV 3 
  Piercing, AV 2 Blunt & Cleaving).
  poiSonouS Snake
  Attributes
  BN 2, DG 7, TY 3, CG 6
  Ref 8, Kdown n/a, Kout 4, Move 4 (-6)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs) 11
  Injects poison upon any bite whose Impact Rating 
  surpasses victim’s AV.
  Snakes like cobras, mambas, rattlesnakes, horn vi-
  pers, etc.
  conStRicting Snake, laRge
  Attributes
  BN 5, DG 6, TY 4, CG 6
  Ref 7, Kdown n/a, Kout 7, Move 3 (-6)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs, Constricting) 10
  Piercing Wound Levels to anywhere but the head 
  are halved after AV has been applied. 
  Pythons, anacondas and similar constricting snakes 
  large enough to be dangerous to a human, that is 
  measuring about 7 to 9 m.
  gReat ape
  Attributes
  BN 9, DG 7, TY 5, CG 6
  Ref 8, Kdown 8, Kout 8, Move 9 (-1)
  MP
  (Fist, Medium Fangs) 11
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  A carnivorous ape similar to a gorilla, but at least a 
  quarter again as tall. It might very well have shaggy 
  fur protecting it like a gambeson (AV 1 Piercing, 
  AV 2 Blunt & Cleaving). Another Sword & Sorcery 
  favorite!
  SpideR, MonStRouS
  Attributes
  BN 6, DG 8, TY 4, CG 5
  Ref 8, Kdown 7, Kout 7, Move 12 (+1)
  MP
  (Medium Fangs) 10
  Injects poison upon any bite whose Impact Rating 
  surpasses victim’s AV.
  Not an earthly spider, but one with a body at least 
  the size of a large pumpkin. It is has a chitinous 
  exoskeleton that protects it like hardened leather 
  (AV 3 Piercing, AV 2 Blunt & Cleaving). Its murder-
  ous poison has a progression rate of a few minutes, 
  and requires a QoS 4 to succeed at the Progression 
  Check. Take care: This is a PC-killer!
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  357
  dinoSauR
  Attributes
  BN 12, DG 6, TY 6, CG 5
  Ref 7, Kdown 9, Kout 10, Move 9
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 12; may use 
  tail for Take Down Maneuver
  Huge animal – all Wound Levels are halved after 
  AV has been applied.
  In remote places of quite a few worlds of Sword & 
  Sorcery, remnants of an earlier age can still be en-
  countered. This one here looks like a tyrannosaur, 
  but is only about two thirds its size. It is still massive 
  enough to engage two PCs during their respective 
  Limelights, as per the rule on huge creatures, using 
  his bite on one and his kick and maybe tail on an-
  other. Tail and claws can only be defended against 
  by Evasion, but both Evasion and Block are possi-
  ble against the bite; Parry is not a viable defence 
  against any of the dinosaur’s attacks. It’s tough hide 
  protects it with the equivalent of hardened leather 
  armor (AV 3 Piercing, AV 2 Blunt & Cleaving).
  Supernatural Menaces
  Demons, undead, and other supernatural be-
  ings are the toughest opponents the PCs can face. 
  If such creatures appear, they will invariably be the 
  center of the adventure, and the object of the ad-
  venture will be as frequently about avoiding them 
  as overcoming them.
  Supernatural menaces are rarely specimens of a 
  kind, but usually single, unique creatures. As such, 
  they will usually have a number of special powers 
  requiring special rules.
  vaMpiRe
  Attributes
  BN 10, DG 8, TY 7, SY 7, HT 7, CG 9
  Ref 9, Aim 8, Kdown 9, Kout 9, 
  Move 9, Power 9
  Weapon Proficiencies
  Melee (all) 13, Missile (all) 10
  MP
  22
  AP
  18
  Mysteries
  Cursing 6, Enslavement 9, 
  Mending (Pain) 6
  SP
  Cursing 15, Enslavement 18, 
  Mending [Pain] 15
  A cruel fiend that has lived through eons, one 
  part man, the other part demon, or maybe undead. 
  It feeds on the life essence in the blood of man, 
  having to kill every time it feeds, and has drunk dry 
  entire nations. Its outward form may appear pleas-
  ing, but Detect Sorcery will identify it as sorcerous, 
  and with a high QoS even reveal its true form: That 
  of an emaciated, barely human fiend with fangs, 
  talons, leathery skin and bat-like wings sprouting 
  from under his arms. It can also assume this form 
  openly, in which case it can fly.
  The vampire is nocturnal and sees perfectly in 
  even the tiniest bit of residual light; daylight irri-
  tates it, and all its TNs are at +2 if in direct sunlight, 
  or +1 if in deep shade. In addition, all his TNs are 
  at cumulative +1 for every day he fails to drink dry 
  a human being.
  The vampire can be destroyed by burning 
  (though it does not burn any better than a human, 
  that is, practically not at all) or by clean decap-
  itation, though knowing this requires a Check of 
  Occultism of Legendary Challenge Level. All other 
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  wounds the vampire suffers, including non-decap-
  itating ones to the head, heal almost instantly, in-
  cluding growing back severed limbs: Every single 
  wound’s Pain and Blood Loss are reduced by 1 at 
  the start of every Combat Round.
  eaRthbound deMon
  Attributes
  BN 12, DG 6, TY 7, SY 3, HT 
  n/a, CG 8
  Ref 7, Aim 6, Kdown 9, Kout 
  10, Move 9, Power 8
  MP
  (Tentacles, Medium Fangs, 
  Medium Claws) 14
  SP
  Cursing 14, Mending [Pain] 
  12
  Huge – all Wound Levels are halved after AV has 
  been applied.
  A huge beast, sized between a hippopotamus 
  and an elephant, and looking like a monstrous 
  cross between toad, lizard, and snail, its clammy 
  flesh part scaled, warty, and entirely gooey rubber, 
  oozing of into semi-material shadowstuff. Several 
  tentacles of different length and girth sprout asym-
  metrically from its flanks, their surfaces broken 
  in seemingly random places by many tiny blood-
  sucking maws. The entire maddening demon is 
  composed of matter not entirely from this world; 
  random parts of it seem at times to shift into imma-
  terial darkness, and its bloated shape is in constant, 
  pulsating flux.
  The beast is primitive and in a way rather simple, 
  but definitely capable of speech, and devilishly 
  cunning. It might very well be venerated or ap-
  peased as a god.
  In combat, the creature can use the Pounce Ma-
  neuver, and it can use its tentacles to constrict or 
  bash at any Reach of up to EL, its longue tongue 
  to constrict at any Reach up to EL, its fangs to bite, 
  and its powerful legs to kick with medium claws. 
  It can engage a maximum of three PCs at the same 
  time, acting on each of their Limelights. This insane 
  abomination’s moist, rubbery skin protects it with a 
  gambeson’s equivalent (AV 1 Piercing, AV 2 Blunt 
  & Cleaving).
  If this demon were to be used as a summoned 
  one, he would have a hefty 7 dice to Oppose the 
  sorcerer’s Coercion or Banishment Checks (3 for 
  low Attribute of 3, +1 each for the special pow-
  ers of being huge, knowing the Cursing Mystery, 
  knowing the Mending Mystery, and being able to 
  engage on a third Limelight).
  weRe-tigeR
  aniMal foRM
  Attributes
  BN 9, DG 6, TY 6, SY 5, HT n/a, CG 7
  Reflex 8, Kdown 8, Kout 9, Move 10
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 18
  SP
  Cursing 14, Mending [Pain] 12
  Large animal – Wound Levels to torso are halved 
  after AV has been applied.
  hybRid foRM
  Attributes
  BN 8, DG 7, TY 6, SY 5, HT n/a, CG 7
  Reflex 7, Aim 5, Kdown 8, Kout 7, 
  Move 7
  MP
  (Medium Fangs & Claws) 17
  Can attack with claws equally at Hand and Short 
  Reach.
  huMan foRM
  Attributes
  BN 7, DG 7, TY 6, SY 5, HT 5, CG 7
  Reflex 7, Aim 6, Kdown 7, Kout 7, 
  Move 7
  Melee Proficiency
  Brawling Proficiency 10, Pole-arm 
  Proficiency 8, Javelin Proficiency 8
  MP
  (Brawling) 17, (Pole-arm) 15
  AP
  (Javelin) 14
  Key Skills
  Animal Ken 8, Animal Mimicry 
  8, Climbing 8, Detect Sorcery 6, 
  Precognition 6, Light Step 8, Sneaking 
  8, Survival 8, Tracking 8
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  A powerful were-beast at home in hot and hu-
  mid jungles. Its human aspect is that of a powerful 
  warrior, but can at will assume the form of either a 
  well over 2 meters tall, ferocious human-tiger hy-
  brid, or of a very large tiger, these changes taking 
  no longer than a single Combat Round. In both of 
  the latter aspects it has a tiger’s superb senses, in-
  cluding smell, hearing, and vision.
  A were-tiger’s wounds heal preternaturally fast. 
  It’s Blood Loss and every single wound’s Pain rat-
  ings are reduced by 1 at the start of every Limelight.
  walking dead (SaMple aniMated coRpSe)
  Attributes
  BN 6, DG 5, TY 1, SY 1, HT 1, CG 4
  Ref 5, Aim 3, Kdown 6, Kout n/a, 
  Move 5
  Melee Proficiency
  4
  MP
  9
  AP
  3
  All Wound Levels from Piercing attacks are halved 
  after AV has been applied.
  Suffer only half Shock from any wound received.
  walking dead (SaMple aniMated Skeleton)
  Attributes
  BN 5, DG 5, TY 1, SY 1, HT n/a, CG 4
  Ref 5, Aim 3, Kdown 5, Kout n/a, Move 
  5
  Melee Proficiency
  4
  MP
  9
  AP
  3
  Immune against damage from Piercing attacks.
  The Impact Rating from Blunt and Cleaving wounds 
  suffered is not reduced by half BN, but only by one 
  quarter BN.
  Suffer only quarter Shock from any wound re-
  ceived.
  These are two sample animated dead creat-
  ed with the Arcane Secret of that name, one of a 
  fresh (soldier’s) corpse, the other that of a (soldier’s 
  dried) skeleton. A mere three casting successes are 
  assumed, buying an additional +1 BN and +4 Pro-
  ficiency (see Animate the Dead). Instead of dead 
  animated by use of this – sublimely rare – Arcane 
  Secret, walking dead might also occur as minions 
  of demons, the results of curses, or for other rea-
  sons.
  Both types of walking dead feel no pain, but are 
  merely hindered by the dismembering effects of 
  wounds; instead of by TY, any Pain from wounds 
  they suffer is reduced by 10. Animated dead can-
  not be killed, only damaged sufficiently to cease 
  to function properly. This is achieved by wound-
  ing them sufficiently that their wounds’ cumulative 
  Pain, after 10 has been subtracted from each sin-
  gle wound’s, equals or exceeds their MP – literally 
  hacking them to pieces. 
  SeRpent folk
  Attributes
  BN 4, DG 4, TY 5, SY 5, HT 2, CG 6
  Ref 5, Aim 6, Kdown 3, Kout 5, 
  Move 5, Power 5
  Weapon Proficiencies
  Melee 3, Crossbow 5
  MP
  8
  AP
  11
  Mysteries
  Enslavement 4
  SP
  Enslavement 9
  Spell-Gifted Good Asset (Enslavement TN –2)
  Night-sighted Good Asset (reduced darkness pen-
  alties)
  Lithe Good and Poor Asset (Reflex and some DG 
  Checks with reduced TN, susceptible to Blunt 
  damage, reduced Kdown already calculated into 
  attributes above)
  Serpent folk are a mainstay of Sword & Sorcery. 
  They are a humanoid people evolved from snakes, 
  scaled and cold-blooded reptiles, alien and inimi-
  cal to mammalian humanity. Usually they exist as 
  tiny, scattered remnants of a long-lost, advanced 
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  evil civilization predating humanity and possibly 
  having had enslaved the latter. What few serpent 
  folk survive, while still a sophisicated people, are 
  but a mere shadow of their former greatness. They 
  are bitter and full of acerbic spite and glacial hate 
  towards humanity. Their tiny communities might 
  exist in remote locales, or also insinuated into hu-
  manity, plotting its downfall and their own reas-
  cendence.
  The latter is made possible with the serpent folk’s 
  inborn powers of Enslavement. All of them use this 
  Mystery as Dabblers (TN 6 with the Spell-Gift-
  ed Asset), and apart from its normal powers they 
  can exude a strange ensorcelment making them 
  appear completely human, even as perfect dupli-
  cates of designated humans. No Check is normally 
  necessary for this. When confronted with Detect 
  Sorcery, they can oppose their unmasking with a 
  Check of their Enslavement SP against the Skill. If 
  viewed with Scrying they can avoid discovery with 
  an Opposed Check of their Enslavement SP against 
  the Scrying SP. Finally, when they take a wound, 
  they must pass a SP Check with a QoS equal to the 
  wound level or be revealed for what they are.
  All those Enslvement Checks are usually made 
  against TN 6, unless the individual serpent man is 
  more proficient in sorcery, in which case the TN 
  might be as low as 5 or even 4. Sorcerers are much 
  more common among serpent folk than among 
  men, though luckily for humanity serpent folk 
  seem to have lost their faculty for spawning truly 
  powerful ones of the Mysteriarch caliber.
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  Bibliography
  Sword & Sorcery is one of the oldest sub-genres 
  of fantasy, perhaps even its oldest one, emerging as 
  it did during the 1920s. Its popularity has waxed 
  and waned over the decades, as has the quality 
  of what was being published. Here is a personal 
  selection of authors and books that we consider 
  well worth checking out, and not only just for in-
  spirational reading!
  1. The Precursors
  Not exactly Sword & Sorcery fiction, but early 
  literary works containing elements of what was to 
  become Sword & Sorcery.
  Anonymous, Epic of Gilgamesh; 2000 BC
  A Babylonian king and half-god wrestling with 
  his own mortality.
  Homer, Iliad & Odyssey; 750 BC
  The tale of great, but flawed heroes in a tragic 
  war, and of a cunning trickster making his long way 
  back home through a world populated by mon-
  sters, sorceresses, and hostile deities.
  Anonymous, Beowulf; 900 AD
  A horror tale of nightly hauntings and a great 
  hero setting out to end them.
  Anonymous, The Nibelungenlied; 1200 AD
  Migration Age Germanic knights in a brutal tale 
  of great larger-than-life heroes and villains, treach-
  ery and unprecedented slaughter. Everybody dies.
  2. The Pioneers
  Not yet writers of proper Sword & Sorcery, but 
  rather immediate forerunners of the genre and great 
  influences upon the writers who really created it.
  Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1875 – 1950
  Much of his fiction, foremost which are his tales 
  of John Carter of Mars, but also of Tarzan, display 
  many traits of what was to become S & S.
  Lord Dunsany, 1878 – 1957
  Dunsany’s prolific literary output is mostly of a 
  fantastic bent, and his blend of dreamlike mytho-
  logical sketches and fairy tales such as those col-
  lected in Time and the Gods exerted great influ-
  ence on later writers.
  Talbot Mundy, 1879 - 1940
  Apart from adventure tales of the British Empire, 
  Mundy also wrote some earlier historical swash-
  buckling adventures with a certain S & S flair, fore-
  most among it Tros of Samothrace and its sequels.
  Harold Lamb, 1892 – 1962
  Historical adventure fiction of fighting men with 
  a raw edge to it. For S & S, his crusade and oriental 
  tales are particularly noteworthy, even though they 
  do not sit squarely within the emerging genre.
  3. The Founding Fathers
  These writers, largely of the so-called “Golden” 
  era of the pulp magazines of the late 1920s and 
  early 1930s, were the ones to amalgamate earli-
  er influences and their own creative energies with 
  often considerable literary talent into full-fledged 
  Sword & Sorcery. While some later writers certainly 
  pushed the boundaries of the genre and added in-
  teresting facets of their own, none come close to the 
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  362
  strength of prose and the freshness of creative vision 
  as those in this group. It is the founding fathers of the 
  genre who find themselves emulated practically to 
  the present (though less frequently today), but sadly 
  all too often by authors who merely repeat the for-
  mula of their precursor’s writing, without the soul, 
  strength, or creativity of these giants.
  Clark Ashton Smith, 1893 – 1961
  One of the most important formative influences 
  of S & S, those of Smith’s stories that fall within the 
  strictures of S & S are characterized by florid, po-
  etic language and a languid, exotic, decadent, and 
  sometimes outright defeatist atmosphere. His pro-
  tagonists often being at the mercy of forces beyond 
  their control, atmosphere is what his stories are all 
  about; spades of it.
  Manly Wade Wellman, 1903 – 1986
  An undeservedly forgotten writer who counts 
  tales of S & S among his output both prolific and 
  excellent, namely those of the Stone Age chieftain 
  Hok the Mighty, mankind’s first hero, and of Kar-
  dios, who sank Atlantis. Wellman was, together 
  with Leiber and Kuttner below, among the later 
  founding fathers of the genre, but his stories about 
  Hok and Kardios are all original creations and a far 
  cry from carbon copies.
  Robert E. Howard, 1906 - 1936
   The Man himself. In his short but very prolif-
  ic career, Howard, a born storyteller if ever there 
  was one, largely defined the conventions of the 
  genre, and wrote stories of high adventure with a 
  raw electric power that few could match. He cre-
  ated unforgettable heroes of Sword & Sorcery like 
  Conan, King Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, 
  Cormac MacArt, Black Vulmea, Turlough O’Brien, 
  El Borak, Kirby O’Donnell, and Cormac FitzGeof-
  frey, each one of them an undaunted fighting man. 
  Practically all of his writings, save maybe his box-
  ing and Wild West tales, are cornerstones of the 
  genre. Pick up any, and you’re in for a ride.
  Fritz Leiber, 1910 - 1992
  Leiber created the most memorable pair of ras-
  cals in all of S & S, the northern barbarian Fafhrd 
  and the southern, city-bred trickster Gray Mouser, 
  rogues, thieves, and unscrupulous sell-swords both 
  of them, if ever there were any. Leiber not only cre-
  ated many of the conventions of city-bound S & S 
  tales, but was also a superb stylist who could have 
  turned a laundry list into an absorbing read; maybe 
  the best pure writer of prose in this compilation.
  Catherine Lucille Moore, 1911 - 1987
  Even if Moore’s S & S tales about the swords-
  woman Jirel of Joiry were not enjoyable in them-
  selves, they would still be important in paving the 
  way for more S & S heroines, and also in establish-
  ing many of the tropes governing female protago-
  nists of the genre for many decades.
  Henry Kuttner, 1915 – 1958
  Kuttner wrote in many fields, touching upon S 
  & S with his stories about Elak of Atlantis, which 
  are at least decent, though not up to par with the 
  others in this group.
  4. The Emulators
  The writers in this group are largely honest fans 
  of the source material that did at the very least pro-
  duce faithful emulations, some of them of actual 
  high quality. There is also however a great many 
  emulators who produced soulless carbon-copies of 
  the source material, populated by loincloth-clad, 
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  psychopathic barbarian jocks solving their con-
  flicts by brute force of arms. Those copycat-au-
  thors who don’t have the ability to draw characters 
  who are even slightly three-dimensional or create 
  plots that are anything but a string of combats, are 
  still included in the list below, but the finger shall 
  be pointed at two especially shameful ones from 
  among their number: John Jakes and John Norman. 
  Avoid them like the plague.
  Norvell Page, 1904 – 1961
  His two short novels Flame Winds and Sons of 
  the Bear God about the hero Wan Tengri are a his-
  torical S & S take on the legendary Prester John 
  set in central Asia. The novels are rather unremark-
  able, but seem to have served as models for many 
  later S & S writers of decidedly inferior talent.
  Lyon Sprague de Camp, 1907 – 2000
  Most of de Camp’s numerous writings are clear-
  ly outside the genre, and his Conan pastiches fall 
  very short of the mark, but his Pusadian series is 
  decent S & S, with tongue slightly in cheek.
  Gardner Fox, 1911 - 1986
  Fox was a very prolific writer of both comics and 
  novels. Of the latter, those about the heroes Kothar 
  and Kyrik are S & S, and while largely for the dedi-
  cated fan of the genre, they are still important, and 
  Kyrik – not Moorcock’s Elric – has the distinction of 
  being the first sorcerer-hero of the genre.
  Philip José Farmer, 1918 – 2009
  A noteworthy author of fantasy and science fic-
  tion who also wrote two very decent tales of S & 
  S: Hadon of Ancient Opar and its sequel Flight to 
  Opar, set during the Ice Age among lost African 
  civilisations.
  David Mason, 1924 – 1974
  Mason’s novel The Sorcerer’s Skull is a little-
  known, but very good specimen of a S & S quest; 
  well worth checking out.
  Poul Anderson, 1926 – 2001
  Poul Anderson, one of the great names of specu-
  lative literature, wrote in many fields, S & S among 
  them. He pulled off one of the few Conan pas-
  tiches that work, Conan the Rebel, and also wrote 
  three rousing novels of Viking-flavoured S & S, The 
  Broken Sword, Hrolf Kraki’s Saga and War of the 
  Gods.
  Lin Carter, 1930 – 1988
  Lin Carter did invaluable work as editor, but his 
  original contributions to the field of S & S are much 
  less noteworthy. His Conan pastiches, co-created 
  with Lyon Sprague de Camp, are nothing to write 
  home about, but his tales about Thongor of Lemu-
  ria are at the very least half decent.
  Andrew J. Offutt, born 1934
  A sadly under-recognized writer of S & S. He 
  has written several novels of pastiches of Howard’s 
  heroes Conan and Cormac Mac Art, of which espe-
  cially the latter are among the best ones ever done, 
  and also at least one decent novel about an origi-
  nal creation of his, My Lord Barbarian.
  Michael Crichton, 1942 – 2008
  Among his prolific output of bestsellers is also 
  a historical adventure novel that can be counted 
  among the S & S genre, Eaters of the Dead, a take 
  on the Beowulf myth.
  Glen Cook, born 1944
  Much of Glen Cook’s work in the field of fantasy 
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  falls outside the genre, but his early tales about the 
  Dread Empire can be termed S & S of a sometimes 
  slightly experimental type.
  David Drake, born 1945
  Drake is nowadays known best for his mili-
  tary science fiction, but early in his career he also 
  wrote S & S. His short stories about the Roman of-
  ficer Vettius, handily collected in Vettius and His 
  Friends, are noteworthy, as is his novel The Dragon 
  Lord, set in a low-fantasy version of Migration Age 
  Britain, and the novel Killer, co-authored with Karl 
  Edward Wagner.
  Keith Taylor, born 1946
  His novels about the Irish bard Felimid mac Fal 
  are S & S of a raw Celtic flavour, without any New 
  Age stuff. He also co-wrote two Howard pastiches 
  with Andrew J. Offutt, which are nothing if not ex-
  cellent, The Tower of Death and When Death Birds 
  Fly.
  Robert Holdstock, 1948 – 2009
  Though known mainly for his mythological fan-
  tasy, Holdstock also wrote a few short novels of 
  S & S, using the pseudonym Richard Kirk. Raven: 
  Swordmistress of Chaos and its sequels are half-de-
  cent at best, but of interest for their warrior wom-
  an-heroine who is gustily enjoying all life has to 
  offer instead of denying it, as so many S & S hero-
  ines seem to do.
  David C. Smith, born 1952
  A faithful emulator of Robert E. Howard, Smith 
  has not only collaborated with Richard L. Tierney 
  on several decent pastiches, but also written a sur-
  prisingly fun one of his own, For the Witch of the 
  Indies, featuring Howard’s pirate protagonist Black 
  Vulmea. Among his own tolerably good S & S saga 
  revolving around the barbarian hero Oron, the two 
  novels Oron and The Sorcerer’s Shadow stand out 
  as well worth reading.
  Tim Lukeman, born 1954
  Lukeman’s two short novels Rajan and Koren 
  are S & S with an East Asian flavour. Nothing spe-
  cial in themselves they are still of interest for being 
  among the few S & S novels using this setting. 
  John C. Hocking, born 1960
  This writer has published very little, but he is 
  still notable for being one of the very few authors to 
  have pulled off a successful Conan pastiche. Those 
  who can’t get enough of the barbarian should find 
  his Conan and the Emerald Lotus pleasing, even 
  though hardly great literature.
  Scott Oden, born 1967
  One this writer’s usually strictly historical novels 
  with a strong S&S sentiment has actually crossed 
  over wholesale into the realm of S&S, namely The 
  Lion of Cairo, set in a very slightly sorcerous ver-
  sion of 12th century Egypt.
  Howard Andrew Jones, born ca. 1970 
   His The Desert of Souls is fine S & S with a clas-
  sical Arabian Nights backdrop, though filled with 
  overly virtuous protagonists and more psychology 
  than usual.
  5. The Defenders
  Conan was, beginning in the early 1970s, made 
  exceedingly popular by Marvel’s travesty of Conan 
  comics, book covers drawn to rather un-Conan-
  esque but iconic depictions by Frank Frazetta, and 
  the movies of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many third-
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  rate writers tried to milk the golden cow, with the 
  result that their hack efforts killed the poor beast. 
  Some writers – largely numbered in the previous 
  section – managed to maintain a certain standard, 
  but by and large, S & S was killed ignobly by those 
  attempting to capitalize on it.
  There were however a few writers whose efforts 
  in the genre stand out as worthy attempts to both 
  return to the roots of the original source material 
  and to push the boundaries of S & S. But with those 
  defenders of S & S either abandoning the genre, 
  failing to receive fitting recognition and thus con-
  tracts with publishers, or else outright dying early 
  deaths, the original voices with true creative vision 
  are as of now all silenced.
  Brian Lumley, born 1937
  Known mainly for his horror writings, Lum-
  ley has, early during his career, written a S & S 
  novel set in an early, fictionalized Egypt: Khai of 
  Khem. His short story cycle Tales of the Primal 
  Land, where Lovecraftian beasts are opposed with 
  swords and sorceries on an antediluvian continent, 
  is well worth checking out.
  Richard L. Tierney, born 1936
  Apart from authoring, together with David C. 
  Smith, six half-decent Red Sonja novels and the 
  Robert E. Howard pastiche For the Witch of the 
  Mists (featuring Bran Mak Morn), has also success-
  fully combined the Cthulhu Mythos with S & S and 
  historical fiction in his tales about Simon of Gitta.
  Michael Moorcock, born 1939
  Only a small part of this prolific and somewhat 
  controversial writer’s output is S & S, but his influ-
  ence on the genre is nonetheless an important one. 
  It was after all he who turned the previous tropes 
  of the genre upside down by creating a physically 
  weak sorcerous protagonist from an evil and dec-
  adent people – Elric of Melniboné. Especially the 
  early novels and tales of Elric are first-rate S & S.
  Michael Shea, born 1943
  Shea’s work in the field of S & S, his tales of the 
  roguish trickster Nifft the Lean, are an excursion 
  into the slightly decadent, slightly humorous, and 
  most definitely the darkly morbid and picaresque. 
  They are unlike anything else in the field, and well 
  worth reading for their imaginativeness and lan-
  guage alone.
  Karl Edward Wagner, 1945 – 1994
  Wagner is notable not only for writing one of 
  the few good Conan pastiches, Conan and the 
  Road of Kings, and another Howard pastiche, Le-
  gion from the Shadows (featuring Bran Mak Morn), 
  but mainly for his own anti-hero, Kane. The stories 
  revolving around Kane, a cursed immortal warrior, 
  sorcerer, and murderer inspired by the biblical 
  Cain, are very original and arguably the best, but 
  certainly the most profound and pessimistic prose 
  S & S has to offer.
  Charles Saunders, born 1946
  Saunder’s hero Imaro, a black outcast and war-
  rior blazing his way through a fantasy version of 
  Africa, is a fine S & S protagonist who deserves to 
  be more widely recognized. They are currently col-
  lected in Imaro, The Quest for Cush and The Trail 
  of Bohu.
  Tanith Lee, born 1947
  Before Lee turned to writing adolescent fantasy, 
  she was working well within the field of S & S. Her 
  Tales From The Flat Earth and the novels Volkha-
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  vaar and Kill the Dead, but especially Cyrion and 
  the Birthgrave trilogy are all well worth checking 
  out for great S & S of an often exotic and decadent 
  bent.
  David Gemmell, 1948 – 2006
  Practically all of this writer’s output is rousing, 
  gritty fighting fantasy, but his three novels about his 
  indomitable protagonist Druss the Legend stand 
  out as particular fine examples of modern S & S: 
  Legend, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend, 
  and The Legend of Deathwalker.
  Jessica Amanda Salmonson, born 1950
  Salmonson’s three novels Tomoe Gozen, The 
  Golden Naginata, and Thousand Shrine Warrior 
  are set in S & S version of feudal Japan and chron-
  icle the adventures of a haunted and driven female 
  samurai.
  Darrell Schweitzer, born 1952
  This author’s The White Isle and We Are All Leg-
  ends might be among the most unusual S & S ever 
  written, reading much like dark legends or even 
  fairy tales.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  367
  Glossary
  AIM Combined Attribute, determines a charac-
  ter’s ability with ranged weapons. Consists of 
  SY+CG/2.
  AP see Archery Pool.
  ARCANE SECRETS rituals, spells and invocations 
  known to very few sorcerers, more powerful 
  and rare than what any single Mystery can mus-
  ter.
  ARCHERY POOL the amount of dice used for at-
  tacking with ranged weapons. Consists of Aim + 
  Ranged Proficiency currently used. 
  ARMOR VALUE a measure of how much any given 
  attack will be weakened by a given piece of ar-
  mor, e.g. garment, harness, or barding.
  ASSETS advantages, flaws and quirks of a player 
  character, such as being uncivilized, short-  
  sighted, or especially polite. 
  ATN Attack Target Number, the TN for offensive 
  moves with a given weapon. Usually broken 
  down into Swing ATN and Thrust ATN.
  ATTRIBUTES the core defining qualities of a player 
  character, broken down into Basic, Combined, 
  and Passion Attributes.
  AV see Armor Value.
  BLOOD LOSS the amount to which a given wound 
  weakens a character’s metabolism by shedding 
  his or her lifeblood, may lead to unconscious-
  ness and even death.
  BOTCH any roll that fails badly, will lead to Com-
  plications.
  CASTING CHECK a roll made to determine the 
  success of an attempt to work magic, paid for 
  with dice from the Sorcery Pool.
  COMPLICATIONS plot twists and unfortunate 
  developments which happen as the result of a 
  Botch.
  CONTAINMENT CHECK a roll made to determine 
  the success of an attempt to ward off Taint, paid 
  for with dice from the Sorcery Pool.
  DR see Damage Rating.
  DAMAGE RATING a measure of how physically 
  harmful some weapons are compared to others, 
  added to an attack’s QoS to determine its IR.
  DRAMA allows players to influence direction or 
  details of the story as communally told through 
  the game. Can be used to change or invent as-
  pects of the game world, actions of its fictional 
  inhabitants, or the outcome of events described 
  by the Referee.
  DTN Defense Target Number, the TN for defensive 
  moves with a given weapon.
  ENCUMBRANCE a measure of how weighed-
  down characters are by the equipment they car-
  ry around;  can cause them to move about more 
  clumsily or slowly. 
  EXCHANGE the smallest meaningful unit of time 
  in a combat situation, two Exchanges complete 
  a  Combat Round, and typically several Combat 
  Rounds complete a Limelight.
  IMPACT RATING the sum of the power, finesse, 
  and luck with which an attack connects. Put to-
  gether from the accuracy of the attack, the at-
  tacker’s strength, and the size and viciousness of 
  the weapon used. IR = QoS + BN/2 + DR.
  INITIATIVE a measure of who goes first in com-
  bat situations, and also a way of determining 
  who  attacks and who defends at any given time 
  during melee.
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  368
  IR  see Impact Rating.
  KARMA a rating given to the player, not to his 
  or her character, which measures how  expe-
  rienced that player’s characters are and have 
  been. Used to improve the numerical values for 
  a new character when one is eventually made 
  by that player.
  KNOCKDOWN a Combined Attribute used to 
  avoid being knocked prone, falling off cliffs, or 
  dropping one’s weapons. Consists of BN+DG/2.
  KNOCKOUT a Combined Attribute used to avoid 
  losing consciousness as a result of grievous  in-
  juries. Consists of BN+TY/2.
  LIMELIGHT the figurative spotlight resting on a 
  player while he or she describes the actions of 
  their  character. Moves from player to player in 
  varying, dramatically appropriate intervals.
  MANEUVERS moves, techniques and tricks per-
  formed in combat in order to overcome oppo-
  nents. Divided into offensive and defensive Ma-
  neuvers, and paid for with dice from the MP.
  MP see Melee Pool.
  MELEE POOL the amount of dice used for attacking 
  and defending with melee weapons. Consists of 
  Reflex + Melee Proficiency currently used.
  MOUNTED COMBAT any violent conflict con-
  ducted from atop a riding animal or vehicle of 
  any kind. Can be both Melee and Ranged Com-
  bat, and follows many of the same basic mech-
  anisms as these, but also has its own specific 
  rules as well.
  MOVE a Combined Attribute used to abstract-
  ly gauge how fast a character can move on 
  foot during one Limelight. Consists of BN+C-
  G+DG/3. 
  MYSTERY a school of arcane lore, general area of 
  supernatural influence, or tradition of specific 
  rituals followed, taught and learned by sorcer-
  ers of all stripes.
  PAIN the amount to which a given wound distracts 
  a character, diminishing his or her full ability to 
  act to full potential due to debilitating effect of 
  the injury.
  PASSION a motivation, drive, belief or plan of a 
  player character, and more importantly, a way 
  for the player to signal to the group what he or 
  she desires the game to be about for his or her 
  player character.
  POWER a sorcerer’s innate ability to work with 
  supernatural forces, calculated from SY, TY, BN 
  and the number of Mysteries known to the char-
  acter.
  PROFICIENCY a combat capability, the learned 
  ability to wield weapons such as longswords, 
  axes, bows, or one’s own fists.
  QOS see Quality of Success. 
  QUALITY OF SUCCESS denotes an action’s net 
  degree of success after all modifiers have been 
  applied. For  example a defender’s 3 successes 
  subtracted from an attacker’s 5 successes yields 
  a  QoS of 2.
  RANGED COMBAT any violent conflict conduct-
  ed with thrown, cast, or launched weapons be-
  yond melee range. Has many of the same basic 
  mechanisms as Melee Combat, but also has ad-
  ditional different rules as well. 
  REFLEX a Combined Attribute used to determine a 
  character’s MP and thus his ability with  
   
  melee weapons. Consists of CG+DG/2.
  SCENE FRAMING 
  a technique employed by 
  the referee to help the gaming group narrate the 
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  369
  story unfolded in the course of the game. Not 
  playing out every moment in the characters’ fic-
  tional lives in great detail, the “juicy bits” are in-
  stead fast-forwarded to, in order to keep things 
  interesting and well-paced.
  SHOCK the amount to which a given wound stuns 
  a character, making him or her momentarily un-
  able to take actions.
  SKILLS abilities and training useful outside of com-
  bat, they allow a character to do things such 
  as healing, climbing or haggling exceptionally 
  well.
  SORCERY POOL the amount of dice used for cre-
  ating sorcerous effects and avoiding Taint. Con-
  sists of  Power + Mystery currently used.
  SP see Sorcery Pool.
  STANCES body postures signalling a combatant’s 
  intentions, but affording dice pool bonuses if 
  subsequently pursued. 
  SUCCESS each die in any given roll which shows 
  a result that meets or exceeds the required TN 
  for that roll.
  TAINT the eldritch stench exuded by all things 
  supernatural, also infesting practitioners of the 
  arcane arts. Cripples a sorcerer’s ability to inter-
  act socially, and can cause further unpleasant 
  consequences as well.
  TALENTS the priorities of capability chosen for 
  each player character at the beginning of the 
  character creation process, such as Culture, At-
  tributes, Skills, and so on.
  TARGET NUMBER the result on a D12 that must 
  be met or exceeded on a roll in order to count 
  that roll as a Success. Usually a static TN 7, but 
  may also be another number.
  TARGET ZONE an area on the human (or animal, or 
  monstrous) body where an attack can be aimed 
  at, such as arms, torso, or lower legs. Number 
  and details vary between swings, thrusts and 
  ranged attacks.
  TERRAIN CHECK a dice roll made to determine a 
  character’s ability to successfully move thru the 
  fictional environment, such as when jumping 
  over things, crossing difficult ground, or avoid-
  ing multiple opponents. 
  TN see Target Number
  WEAPON REACH a metric of the advantage or 
  disadvantage a combatant has when fighting 
  someone  wielding a shorter or longer weapon, 
  for example a dagger vs. a spear.
  WL see Wound Level.
  WOUND LEVEL a measure of how detrimental 
  any given injury is to the physical well-being 
  of a character. Derived from the attack’s Impact 
  Rating, the victim’s toughness, and his or her 
  armor. WL = IR – BN/2 – AV.
  WOUND TYPES injuries in Blade may be either of 
  the Cleaving, Piercing, or Blunt variety. Each of 
  these types has a number of defining qualities 
  differentiating it from the other types, such as 
  Blunt Wounds causing more Shock than other 
  wound types.
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  Index
  A
  Abomination, 219
  Abrasive, 66
  Acting, 51, 55, 77, 87, 351, 352, 353
  Aggressive, 67, 132
  Aim, 28, 38, 41, 155, 210, 214, 348, 
  349, 350, 351, 352, 353, 357, 
  358, 359, 367
  Ambidextrous, 67
  Ancient Languages, 51, 121
  Animal Ken, 19, 36, 37, 52, 73, 87, 
  358
  Animals in Combat, 167
  Animate the Dead, 221, 359
  Apothecary, 52, 57, 191, 352, 353
  Arcane Secrets, 198, 199, 218, 219, 
  230, 367
  Archery Pool, 20, 41, 92, 155, 210, 
  367
  Armor, 138, 151, 153, 154, 367
  Armor Value, 138, 151, 367
  Arrogance, 42, 68
  Assets, 17, 37, 39, 40, 42, 45, 46, 66, 
  79, 120, 367
  ATN, 67, 77, 96, 98, 99, 100, 103, 
  105, 106, 107, 136, 171, 173, 
  176, 177, 178, 179, 333, 334, 
  335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 
  341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 367
  Attack Target Number, 96, 98, 136, 
  367
  Attribute Checks, 18
  Attributes, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 33, 37, 
  38, 41, 42, 45, 46, 57, 65, 87, 
  113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 
  119, 120, 198, 220, 252, 254, 
  347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352, 
  353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 
  359, 367, 369
  AV, 96, 105, 138, 151, 153, 166, 
  167, 171, 172, 176, 178, 191, 
  210, 214, 219, 231, 337, 338, 
  346, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 
  359, 367, 369
  B
  Baiting, 176
  Barding, 166
  Bash, 89, 95, 96, 105, 106, 111, 161, 
  162, 169, 317, 345
  Basic Attributes, 24, 28, 37, 38, 119
  Beat, 69, 95, 97, 98, 110
  Berserk, 68, 120
  Bind & Strike, 77, 95, 98, 106
  Bite, 170, 171, 172, 173
  Blight, 227
  Block, 69, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 104, 
  106, 108, 149, 150, 165, 179, 
  305, 329, 357
  Blocking, 108, 150, 174, 210, 339
  Block Open & Strike, 69, 96, 108
  Blood Loss, 140, 141, 142, 147, 170, 
  220, 224, 358, 359, 367
  Blunt, 80, 81, 103, 105, 109, 111, 
  139, 143, 151, 153, 165, 167, 
  169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 188, 
  189, 190, 220, 299, 312, 313, 
  314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 
  320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 333, 
  334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 340, 
  341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 354, 
  355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 369
  Botch, 160, 208, 367
  Botching in combat, 137
  Bow, 92, 346, 349, 350, 352
  Brawler, 69
  Brawling, 89, 90, 93, 95, 96, 220, 
  349, 351, 352, 353, 358
  Brawn, 24, 28, 36, 37, 38, 42, 79, 80, 
  82, 85, 86
  Break, 102, 103, 116, 117, 315
  Brigandine, 153, 154
  Buckler, 151
  C
  Cannibalism, 69, 265
  Casting Check, 199, 200, 202, 203, 
  204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 211, 
  212, 214, 216, 221, 222, 225, 
  226, 227, 228, 367
  Cautious, 42, 69
  Challenge Level, 61, 62, 63, 88, 104, 
  109, 122, 142, 143, 147, 156, 
  173, 174, 191, 192, 210, 229, 
  357
  Chanfron, 166
  Character, 27, 41, 93, 113, 187
  Character Progression, 113
  Charioteering, 65, 166
  Check, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 52, 53, 
  55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 
  64, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 
  77, 78, 81, 82, 84, 88, 99, 102, 
  103, 106, 107, 109, 117, 118, 
  121, 122, 133, 134, 135, 136, 
  137, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 
  145, 146, 147, 156, 157, 158, 
  161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 172, 
  173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 
  179, 188, 189, 191, 192, 199, 
  200, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 
  207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 
  213, 214, 215, 216, 219, 221, 
  222, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 
  231, 234, 236, 286, 353, 356, 
  357, 360, 367, 369
  Checks, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 
  27, 51, 52, 53, 55, 57, 58, 60, 
  61, 63, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 
  73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 
  82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 96, 
  104, 139, 141, 142, 143, 144, 
  145, 146, 147, 161, 165, 174, 
  186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 192, 
  199, 200, 203, 206, 207, 208, 
  209, 215, 219, 221, 230, 232, 
  236, 256, 338, 358, 359, 360
  Civilized, 37, 46, 76, 263, 264, 265, 
  266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 
  272, 273
  Claw, 170
  Cleaving, 80, 81, 104, 111, 139, 
  141, 143, 151, 153, 170, 176, 
  178, 179, 188, 189, 210, 220, 
  299, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 
  305, 334, 338, 340, 341, 342, 
  343, 344, 345, 354, 355, 356, 
  357, 358, 359, 369
  Climbing, 36, 37, 42, 53, 75, 77, 
  349, 352, 358
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  371
  Coercion, 212, 213, 215, 358
  Combat Round, 63, 68, 92, 102, 
  127, 128, 131, 132, 133, 135, 
  137, 140, 143, 144, 146, 149, 
  156, 157, 161, 162, 163, 164, 
  174, 176, 178, 179, 225, 228, 
  231, 358, 359, 367
  Combined Attributes, 28, 38
  Complications, 18, 22, 23, 137, 367
  Connection, 70, 83
  Connections, 45
  Constricting, 171, 355, 356
  Containment Check, 199, 200, 204, 
  205, 214, 215, 367
  Counter, 77, 96, 109, 110, 111, 178, 
  179
  Cover, 2, 158
  Crossbow, 92, 346, 350, 352, 359
  Culture, 35, 39, 40, 42, 45, 46, 120, 
  369
  Cunning, 19, 24, 28, 38, 42, 51, 121, 
  353
  Cursing, 35, 201, 202, 206, 222, 
  224, 225, 233, 234, 235, 353, 
  357, 358
  Customs, 53, 55, 65, 77, 82, 352
  Cut, 42, 89, 90, 95, 96, 98, 100, 105, 
  106, 111, 120, 150, 305, 349, 
  350, 351, 352
  Cut & Thrust, 42, 89, 90, 95, 96, 120, 
  150, 349, 350, 351, 352
  D
  Dabbler, 34, 46, 86, 199
  Dagger, 90, 93, 95, 96, 337, 338, 
  345, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353
  Damage, 97, 103, 132, 138, 139, 
  178, 188, 189, 190, 200, 209, 
  210, 231, 299, 300, 301, 302, 
  303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 
  309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 
  315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 
  321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 
  327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 338, 
  344, 345, 346, 367
  Damage Rating, 138, 189, 209, 367
  Dancing, 53, 75, 77, 78, 350
  Daring, 24, 28, 36, 38, 42, 81, 353
  Decadent, 37, 42, 46, 263, 264, 265, 
  266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 
  272, 273
  Decipher, 22, 53, 54, 353
  Defense, 104, 108, 136, 148, 150, 
  210, 367
  Defense Target Number, 108, 136, 
  150, 367
  Degenerate, 37, 46, 267, 271
  Demon, 37, 358
  Detached, 70
  Dice, 16, 135, 230
  Disarm, 69, 77, 95, 96, 98, 99, 109, 
  338
  Disguise, 42, 51, 55, 71, 72, 74, 87, 
  352
  Dishonest, 71
  Distinctive, 71
  Doomed, 34, 35, 46
  DR, 104, 105, 109, 138, 153, 170, 
  173, 176, 178, 179, 209, 214, 
  220, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 
  338, 339, 340, 341, 342, 343, 
  344, 345, 346, 347, 367
  Drama, 22, 25, 27, 38, 116, 117, 
  118, 122, 129, 144, 185, 186, 
  367
  DTN, 67, 103, 106, 108, 111, 136, 
  150, 151, 176, 179, 333, 334, 
  335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 
  341, 342, 343, 367
  Duck & Weave, 69, 149, 175
  Dwarf, 71, 264
  E
  Easygoing, 72
  Encumbrance, 81, 99, 111, 144, 
  147, 148, 162, 186, 187, 367
  Enlightened, 36, 46, 77, 267
  Enslavement, 34, 87, 203, 204, 223, 
  226, 234, 235, 353, 357, 359, 
  360
  Etiquette, 19, 42, 53, 55, 65, 72, 77, 
  82, 87, 350, 352
  Eunuch, 72
  Evasion, 75, 77, 82, 96, 99, 106, 107, 
  108, 110, 111, 113, 146, 148, 
  149, 162, 163, 169, 172, 173, 
  174, 186, 210, 220, 357
  Evasive Attack, 69, 77, 95, 169, 171
  Exchange, 96, 97, 98, 101, 102, 104, 
  106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 
  112, 113, 127, 130, 132, 133, 
  135, 136, 137, 140, 148, 149, 
  150, 163, 164, 174, 176, 178, 
  179, 224, 231, 233, 234, 235, 
  338, 367
  Expulsion, 96, 110
  F
  Falsehood, 42, 55, 58, 75, 87, 349, 
  350, 351, 352
  Farsighted, 72
  Fatigue, 83, 147, 148, 162
  Feint & Thrust, 94, 100, 101
  Focused, 73
  Full Evasion, 82, 113, 146, 148, 162, 
  163
  G
  Gambeson, 153
  Giant, 73, 267
  Goety, 212, 215, 216, 219, 220, 222, 
  223, 225, 226, 227, 228, 234
  Grapple, 69, 77, 95, 96, 101, 102, 
  103, 109, 112, 171, 172, 173
  H
  Hallucinations, 74
  Hardy, 74
  Healing, 57, 188, 191, 206, 351, 352
  Health, 188
  Heart, 24, 36, 42, 55, 192, 213, 301
  Heroes, 251, 255
  Hideous, 75, 299
  Higher footing, 146
  Hillman, 37, 46, 348
  Honest, 75
  Hook, 69, 77, 95, 104, 336, 339
  Hunchback, 75
  I
  Immobilize, 102
  Impact Rating, 91, 96, 138, 139, 
  162, 164, 178, 179, 191, 210, 
  225, 232, 234, 356, 359, 367, 
  368, 369
  Inattentive, 76, 321
  Information Gathering, 42, 57, 58, 
  65, 72, 82, 87, 286, 349, 350, 
  352
  Inhuman, 37, 76
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  372
  Initiative, 82, 132, 133, 134, 135, 
  164, 165, 174, 178, 353, 367
  J
  Javelin, 92, 345, 358
  Jousting, 164
  k
  Karma, 119, 368
  Knockdown, 28, 38, 78, 82, 84, 86, 
  98, 99, 104, 109, 111, 139, 
  142, 173, 174, 338, 345, 368
  Knockout, 28, 38, 82, 143, 191, 192, 
  353, 368
  L
  Lame, 77
  Lance, 90, 95, 96, 343, 349
  Lecherous, 77
  Light Step, 57, 75, 77, 84, 358
  Limelight, 54, 76, 117, 127, 128, 
  129, 130, 131, 141, 144, 147, 
  148, 155, 156, 169, 188, 191, 
  207, 223, 225, 226, 228, 256, 
  309, 313, 314, 315, 320, 321, 
  358, 359, 367, 368
  Literacy, 51, 78
  Lithe, 78, 270, 359
  Lock Picking, 18, 19, 42, 57, 352
  Longsword, 90, 91, 95, 96, 101, 102, 
  341
  Loot, 40, 88, 121, 122
  M
  Magic, 244, 251
  Maille, 153, 154
  Mass Weapon & Shield, 90, 92, 93, 
  95, 96, 97, 348, 349, 350, 
  351, 353
  Melee combat, 128
  Melee Pool, 20, 41, 89, 127, 131, 
  133, 135, 220, 368
  Mending, 203, 206, 207, 219, 220, 
  227, 232, 235, 357, 358
  Mounted Archery, 165
  Move, 28, 38, 43, 72, 81, 82, 84, 
  220, 348, 349, 350, 353, 354, 
  355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 368
  Mundane, 34, 46
  Murder Stroke, 95, 104, 105
  Music, 58, 77, 350
  Mysteriarch, 34, 46, 86, 199, 360
  Mystery, 17, 34, 35, 54, 85, 86, 87, 
  88, 198, 199, 201, 202, 203, 
  204, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 
  216, 218, 219, 221, 224, 229, 
  230, 231, 232, 236, 358, 360, 
  367, 368, 369
  N
  Navigation, 58
  Nearsighted, 80
  Necromancy, 215, 216, 220, 221, 
  222, 225, 226, 227, 232, 235
  Necrophilia, 37, 80
  Negotiation, 58, 66, 71, 75, 82, 86, 
  87, 351
  O
  Occultism, 34, 36, 58, 86, 210, 211, 
  213, 229, 230, 353, 357
  Omen rating, 88, 207
  Omen Reading, 59, 294
  Opposed Checks, 20, 81, 221
  Overconfidence, 81
  Overrun, 69, 77, 96, 110, 111
  P
  Pain, 57, 69, 75, 139, 140, 141, 143, 
  175, 188, 189, 192, 206, 207, 
  212, 220, 224, 225, 235, 236, 
  299, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 
  305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 
  311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 
  317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 
  323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 
  329, 330, 331, 339, 340, 357, 
  358, 359, 360, 368
  Parry, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 104, 105, 
  106, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 
  113, 149, 357
  Parrying, 108, 149, 174, 338, 339, 
  340
  Partial Evasion, 107, 108, 110, 113, 
  148, 149, 162, 163
  Passion Attributes, 22, 25, 27, 38, 41, 
  113, 117, 118, 252, 254, 367
  Pick Pockets, 21, 42, 59, 60, 350, 
  352
  Piercing, 139, 141, 143, 151, 153, 
  165, 167, 168, 169, 170, 176, 
  188, 189, 220, 306, 307, 308, 
  309, 310, 311, 325, 326, 327, 
  328, 329, 330, 331, 334, 338, 
  340, 341, 342, 345, 346, 354, 
  355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 369
  Plate armor, 154
  Plodding, 82
  Plucky, 82
  Poison, 190, 191, 192
  Polite, 82
  Pouncing, 171, 172, 173
  Power, 28, 194, 199, 201, 202, 203, 
  204, 207, 210, 230, 324, 325, 
  353, 357, 358, 359, 368, 369
  Precognition, 60, 210, 353, 358
  Prestidigitation, 60
  Proficiencies, 33, 38, 42, 45, 46, 62, 
  88, 89, 92, 93, 94, 96, 101, 
  109, 120, 162, 198, 347, 348, 
  353, 357, 359
  Proficiency Checks, 20
  Prophecy, 88, 207, 208, 229, 232, 
  235, 353
  q
  Quality of Success, 17, 18, 20, 22, 
  99, 104, 107, 109, 110, 112, 
  113, 138, 368
  R
  Race, 42, 45
  Raking, 171, 173, 344
  Range, 73, 157, 158, 209
  Reckless, 83
  Reflex, 28, 38, 41, 75, 78, 82, 102, 
  107, 128, 133, 134, 135, 164, 
  165, 174, 177, 178, 220, 350, 
  353, 358, 359, 368
  Relentless, 83
  Rideby Melee Attacks, 163
  Riding, 60, 83, 87, 140, 161, 162, 
  164, 165, 166, 349, 352
  Rota, 77, 96, 111, 112
  RPG, 11, 16, 151, 257
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  373
  S
  Saddleborn, 83
  Sadism, 37, 84
  Sagacity, 21, 24, 28, 36, 38, 42, 55
  Savage, 36, 46, 307, 308, 311, 315, 
  317, 319, 326, 328, 348
  Scene Framing, 185, 368
  Scene Requests, 185
  Scrying, 54, 208, 209, 229, 232, 
  353, 360
  Seamanship, 61, 350
  Seduction, 61, 72, 77, 82, 84, 86, 87, 
  350
  Shock, 69, 96, 97, 105, 111, 139, 
  140, 141, 142, 175, 176, 179, 
  220, 224, 299, 300, 301, 302, 
  303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 
  309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 
  315, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 
  323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 
  329, 330, 331, 339, 340, 341, 
  343, 345, 346, 347, 359, 369
  Simultaneous Block, 69, 104, 106, 
  150, 165
  Skill Checks, 17, 19, 25, 52, 53, 55, 
  60, 83, 141, 147
  Skill level, 17, 19, 51, 120, 161, 162
  Skills, 19, 33, 38, 42, 45, 46, 51, 54, 
  55, 58, 65, 75, 77, 120, 198, 
  347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352, 
  353, 358, 369
  Skinny, 84, 85
  Sling, 92, 93, 346, 349
  Sneaking, 42, 62, 84, 136, 349, 350, 
  351, 352, 358
  Social, 45
  Soldiering, 53, 62, 348, 352
  Sorcerer, 34, 46, 86, 199, 353, 363, 
  364
  Sorcery, 2, 11, 16, 20, 27, 33, 34, 35, 
  38, 41, 42, 45, 46, 54, 59, 60, 
  85, 140, 147, 167, 168, 192, 
  197, 198, 199, 202, 203, 206, 
  207, 209, 210, 230, 241, 242, 
  243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 
  249, 250, 251, 254, 255, 256, 
  345, 347, 348, 351, 353, 355, 
  356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 
  362, 367, 369
  Sorcery Pool, 20, 41, 198, 230, 367, 
  369
  SP, 130, 140, 141, 142, 147, 188, 
  198, 199, 200, 211, 212, 215, 
  216, 222, 225, 227, 228, 230, 
  231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 353, 
  357, 358, 359, 360, 369
  Spear, 90, 92, 93, 95, 96, 176, 342, 
  345, 348, 349
  Spear & Shield, 90, 93, 95, 96, 176, 
  348, 349
  Specialized, 85
  Stampede, 161, 162, 163, 173
  Stances, 132, 369
  Status, 45
  Stop Short, 69, 77, 95, 107
  Stout, 86
  Streetwise, 65
  Success, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 54, 55, 
  58, 60, 63, 64, 99, 104, 107, 
  109, 110, 112, 113, 116, 117, 
  138, 140, 141, 145, 146, 147, 
  156, 162, 163, 178, 188, 192, 
  199, 200, 201, 204, 206, 208, 
  209, 211, 212, 213, 216, 219, 
  220, 221, 222, 223, 225, 226, 
  227, 228, 236, 368, 369
  Supernatural, 251, 357
  Surprise, 60, 70, 73, 75, 78, 82, 87, 
  133, 135, 172, 210
  Survival, 22, 36, 37, 52, 62, 63, 73, 
  117, 349, 350, 352, 358
  Suspicious, 86
  Swarming, 175
  Swimming, 63, 189, 349
  Swooping, 174
  Sword & Shield, 89, 90, 93, 95, 96, 
  97, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352
  Sword & Sorcery, 16, 33, 34, 35, 
  147, 167, 168, 192, 206, 241, 
  242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 
  248, 249, 250, 251, 254, 255, 
  345, 347, 348, 351, 353, 355
  T
  Taint, 199, 200, 201, 202, 211, 212, 
  214, 215, 230, 231, 367, 369
  Take Down, 174, 355, 356, 357
  Talents, 33, 42, 369
  Target Number, 17, 96, 98, 108, 136, 
  150, 151, 367, 369
  Target Zones, 100, 135, 139, 163, 
  345
  Tenacity, 24, 28, 36, 37, 38, 42, 61, 
  67, 69, 74, 81, 84, 192
  Terrain, 73, 82, 84, 106, 143, 144, 
  145, 146, 147, 156, 157, 158, 
  161, 163, 164, 165, 174, 177, 
  179, 186, 187, 369
  Terrain Check, 73, 106, 144, 145, 
  146, 147, 156, 157, 158, 163, 
  164, 174, 177, 179, 369
  Theology, 63, 351
  Throw, 102, 254
  Thrust, 42, 89, 90, 94, 95, 96, 100, 
  101, 103, 104, 105, 107, 109, 
  110, 111, 112, 120, 135, 150, 
  177, 178, 309, 311, 319, 320, 
  321, 322, 323, 324, 333, 334, 
  335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 341, 
  342, 343, 345, 349, 350, 351, 
  352, 367
  Timed Checks, 21, 22, 73, 76
  Torpid, 87
  Toss, 69, 77, 95, 107
  Tracking, 63, 64, 73, 84, 87, 349, 
  358
  Trailing, 63, 64, 84, 350, 352
  Trapping, 51, 64
  Travel, 185
  U
  Uncivilized, 39, 87
  V
  Villains, 252, 254
  Visibility, 136
  W
  Wastrel, 87
  Weapon Reach, 137, 369
  Winding & Binding, 69, 96, 112, 
  113
  Worrying, 171, 174, 175, 355, 356
  Wound Level, 68, 117, 136, 138, 
  139, 141, 151, 171, 172, 175, 
  178, 188, 220, 232, 254, 344, 
  346, 369
  Wrestling, 90, 93, 95, 96, 101, 102, 
  171, 174
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
  Quinten C. (order #5526127)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Blade of the Iron Throne/Blade of the Iron Throne - corebook.pdf