TEXT: 1
  
  2
  Project Director
  Daniel Alan Burrow 
  Gameplay Lead
  Henry White
   
  Gameplay Developers
   
  Tyler Hudson, Marc Seidel
  Lore Lead
  Marc Seidel
   
  Lore Developers
   
  Garrett Sweet, Alex Whisenhunt
  Art Director
  Victor G. Helton
   
  Artists & Illustrators
   
  Danielle Braden, Jordan Gray
   
  Character Sheet & Cartography
   
  Alex Whisenhunt
  Additional Cracked Monocle Staff
  Daniel Alan Burrow, executive director
  Alex Whisenhunt, marketing director
  Däna Schwarzlose, steampunk merchandise director
  Copyright © 2012 by Daniel Burrow, Cracked Monocle
  www.CrackedMonocle.com
  ISBN: 978-0-9853853-0-9         First Printing: May 2012
  All Right Reserved. The reproduction of material from within this PDF for the purposes of personal or corporate 
  profit, by photographic, electronic, or other methods of storage and retrieval, is prohibited. This PDF is a work of fic-
  tion. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. 
  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
  Cracked Monocle gives permission for printing this material for personal purposes only.
  Contributions
  Ahmed Abdel-Meguid (system critiques)
  Aaron Brazik (writing)
  Mark Fletcher (system concepts)
  Tracey Glass (editing)
  Amanda Longoria (concept art & creative design)
  Brandon Stevens (system design) 
  Benjamin Vought (system design)
  Zeeshan Waheed (system design)
  Kevin Walkup (editing)
  Andrew Watson (lore, system design, & writing)
  A special thanks to Larry Prinzivalli, Alan Rogers, Angie Black-
  mon and the rest of the staff at Dragon’s Lair ComiCs & Fan-
  tasy® for their continued help and support.
  
  3
  Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to Tephra and the Clockwork 
  Roleplaying System;
   
  Do you ever wish you could walk down the street, tipping 
  your hat to all of the good people you meet, enjoying the sights 
  and sounds of good Victorian elegance, and relishing the hiss of 
  steam coming from the nearby train station? If so, you’ve got a bit 
  of a neo-victorian in you. So let me ask a follow-up question.
   
  Do you ever wish that the street you were walking down 
  included bizarre yet intellectual creatures, maybe a couple zom-
  bies for flavoring, a courier standing on the street yelling about a 
  werewolf sighting in the forest outside of town, and, all the while, you’re on your way to see a mad tinkerer about 
  a fully sentient automaton he has pieced together? If so, you just may be a steampunk.
   
  And my fellow steampunks, have I got a roleplaying game that is going to revolutionize your gaming 
  experience.
  The steampunk genre has been on the surge for the past years. Though some say it bred out of the cyberpunk 
  movement of the 1980s, steampunk has seen an enormous push to the center of culture within just the past few 
  years. Day after day people tell me, “I wish I had known about steampunk sooner! I’ve been into this stuff all of 
  my life, and I only just found out there’s an actual word for it.” Oh yes, steampunk has had many dedicated and 
  loyal fans for years, and only now are many of us becoming cognizant of that fact. 
   
  When asked what I consider to be the most important facet of steampunk, I can without a doubt answer 
  the punk aspect. While the Victorian-flavored science fiction of the setting is important, the setting can only get 
  you so far. It is the characters that make the story, and, for it to be truly steampunk, those characters must be 
  daring, independent thinkers who are always willing to push forward despite the odds. Be you the lone tinkerer 
  attempting to piece together your newest idea, an exiled flux manipulator feared for your talents, or a dashing 
  swordsman always willing to defend your honor at the expense of others, you must be different. You must set 
  trends. You must, if I dare use the word, be a punk.
   
  That is what the clockwork system is all about. We have built, for your enjoyment, a system without bor-
  ders. There are no classes - we wouldn’t dare limit your imagination in such a way! You choose your own skills 
  and build your character from the bottom up. If you can imagine it, you can play it. 
   
  The system is fast-paced, intuitive, and leaves as much as possible up to you, the steampunk roleplayer. 
  When you sit down to play our game, in-between all of your tinkering, writing, and imagining, we want you to 
  live and experience the thrill of being in a steampunk world. We want you to experience the gut-wrenching ac-
  tion of slipping onto a train and fighting your way to the dastardly train-jackers who have taken over the lo-
  comotive. We want you to feel the pain of losing your arm, only to get it replaced with a mechanical one later, 
  albeit one with a hidden revolver in the wrist. We want you to concoct your most daring plans, build your craziest 
  contraptions, and set everything in motion. 
   
  Welcome to Tephra. Welcome to the Clockwork Roleplaying System. And welcome to the wildest adven-
  ture of your life. 
  Daniel Alan Burrow
  Daniel Alan Burrow
  Executive Editor of Cracked Monocle
  Foreword
  
  4
  introDuCtion
     Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
     Roleplaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
     Steampunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  Chapter 1: the CLoCkwork system
     Entering the Clockwork . . . . . . . . . . . 9 
     Breaking Down the Mechanism. . . . 10 
     Attacking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
     How We Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
     Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
     Reflexive Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
     Fighting Out of Combat . . . . . . . . . . 15
     Called Shot Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
     Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
        Resists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
     Social Tells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
     Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
     Status Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
     Battlefield Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
  Chapter 2: CharaCter Creation
     Making a Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
        Leveling Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
        Starting at a Higher Level . . . . . . . 27
        Retrofitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
  Chapter 3: raCes
     Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
     Humans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
     Ayodins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
     Elves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
     Farishtaas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
     Gnomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
     Satyrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
  Chapter 4: Context
     Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
     Map of Evangless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
     Evanglessians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
     Dalvozzeans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
     Izedans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
     Paldoran Exiles. .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
     Zel Hauds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
     Organizations
        The Brimstones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
        The Carnival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
        Coaldust Union  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
        Fulbourne Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
        Highflyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
        LaVrey Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
        Renovators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
        Sons of Strife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
     Background Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
     Religion: Tailemy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
     Religion: Free Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
     Religion: Jinzium  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Chapter 5: gear
     Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
     The Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
     Melee Weapons .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
        Variant Weaponry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
        Sidebar - Impromptu Weapons . . . 75
     Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
     Bows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
     Crossbows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
     Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
     Deflecting Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
     Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
     Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
     For Sale Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
  Chapter 6: the Brute attriBute
     Using Brute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
     Brute Skills
        Brawl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
        Frenzy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
        Overpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
        Resilience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
  Chapter 7: the Cunning attriBute
     Using Cunning . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
     Cunning Skills
        Espionage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
        Expertise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
        Showmanship .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
        Tactical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
  Chapter 8: the Dexterity attriBute
     Using Dexterity .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
     Dexterity Skills
        Ace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
        Agility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
        Marksmanship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
        Swashbuckling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Chapter 9: the spirit attriBute
     Using Spirit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
     Spirit Skills
        Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
        Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
        Luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
        Shamanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 
  Chapter 10: the sCienCes attriBute
     Using Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
     How Crafting Works . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
     Sciences Skills
        Alchemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
           Acids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
           Gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
           Medicines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
           Poisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
        Armsmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
           Firears & Crossbows . . . . . . . . . 177
           Melee Weapons & Thrown . . . . 182
           Bows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
           Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
        Automata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
           Steamers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
           Fuse Boxes . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
           Clockworks .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
           Prosthetics . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211
        Bio-Flux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 
           Essence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
           Bio-Zappers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
        Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
           Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
           Armoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
        Gadgetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
           Explosives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
           Eyewear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
           Trinkets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
  Chapter 11: narrating
     Introducing the Narrator . . . . . . . . 267
     Assembling a Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
     Handling the Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
     The Steampunk World . . . . . . . . . . 272
     Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
     Adventurer Ethics  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
     Adversaries & Challenges . . . . . . . . 276
     Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
     Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
  appenDiCes
     Specialty Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
     Character Sheet .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
     Playtester Credits  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
  Contents
  
  5
  A Note to Thieves & Pirates
  We understand if you felt the need to steal, pirate, or 
  indefinitely borrow this game from your friend, because 
  we  are also broke, sometimes-starving kids who are just 
  trying to produce roleplaying games.
   
  I forgive you... but on one condition.
   
  You must promise to tell at least 3 people about 
  how awesome this game is, and you must do what you 
  can to get them to play it with you or pick up the book 
  for themselves. 
   
  If you don’t, you’re a bad person and we didn’t 
  want to play with you anyways.
  This PDF includes all of the rules you 
  need in order to play; you just need a 
  pencil and a twelve-sided die (known as 
  a D12). 
  Character sheets are provided in the ap-
  pendices for your convenience. 
  
  6
  You as the Player
  If you’re joining us as a player, welcome to roleplaying. 
  Roleplaying is a wonderful gaming experience unlike 
  all other tabletop games. In many games you are giv-
  en a character to represent, and you take that character 
  around a board, attempting to win the game. Roleplay-
  ing games take that to an extreme, then twist it. 
   
  You create your own character, develop their per-
  sonality and abilities, then try to act and portray them 
  as closely as possible. You can build them however you 
  want, customize them, give them the hair you’ve always 
  wanted, a dashing vest, and that enormous firearm you 
  drool over in your daydreams. You give that character a 
  name, a back-story, and a personality. Once you’ve done 
  that, you’re pretty well ready to begin.
   
  You join up with a couple other players, each 
  with their own character. Together you become a party 
  of adventurers. 
   
  Another person takes on the role of narrator. In 
  many games, this is the game master (or GM, if you 
  will). The narrator weaves together a story, a setting, and 
  other characters for you to interact with, meet, and - 
  when necessary - kill. The narrator is there to give you 
  a scene and let you explore it. You may start in a pub, 
  travel across the city, and take off in an airship to ex-
  plore the rumors of a clockwork monstrosity in a nearby 
  town. After you become the hero of that town, you’ve 
  only just started your saga; soon, you’ll have numerous 
  stories under your belt, a scar or two, and a character to 
  be proud of.
  The Building of a Story
  Through your roleplaying you will create a story. You 
  will be one of the protagonists of this story, a story that 
  you make with a handful of other protagonist and a nar-
  rator who has no control over the heroes. 
   
  The art of roleplaying is getting deep into the 
  character and the saga. The entire game is about you 
  being another person in this alternate reality. You will 
  eventually learn what your character’s goals are, what 
  makes your character angry, and what gives your char-
  acter joy. That is roleplaying at its finest.
   
  But let’s be real... there’s another part to this ro-
  leplaying game. You want to be awesome, and you want 
  to be the best. Perfect then! This system is designed to 
  make every aspect of roleplaying fun, and that includes 
  challenging every person or thing you meet to a fierce 
  duel to the death!
  You as the Narrator
  Did you get the bug? Did you get the urge to make 
  your own story, see how your friends make it through, 
  overcome seemingly impossible odds, and fight off that 
  villain that you’ve been secretly fleshing out for the past 
  year? Don’t worry, this is normal. It happens to all of 
  us.
   
  When you narrate, you’re given a very special 
  duty by the players. You are there to ensure that they are 
  enjoying themselves, and that their characters are gain-
  ing all of the thrills and excitements you could possibly 
  lend to them. 
   
  If this is your first time, be prepared to have fun. 
  That’s both advice and a fact - narrating is exciting in 
  ways that players could never understand. It’s engag-
  ing, challenging, and requires a very active imagination. 
  More so than anyone else at the table, you are helping to 
  build a story. When you take on the mantle of the nar-
  rator, you get the pleasure of challenging your friends, 
  rewarding them for their victories, and creating a saga 
  of great stories they’ll all remember for years to come.
   
  Sounds promising, doesn’t it?
  Creating the Party
  Within Tephra, we often recommend that people play 
  with three to five players and a narrator. If you’re up to 
  the challenge, more or less players might be a better fit 
  for you. (And yes, less than three players can be quite 
  challenging, as only having a couple adventurers can 
  create a rather demanding game!) 
   
  If you’re having a hard time getting players, just 
  carry this book in a public space for a couple hours. Be-
  fore long, you’ll have a large horde of people wanting to 
  play (begging probably). And, if that doesn’t work, go to 
  your local gaming shop and ask them if they have any 
  suggestions. Most gaming stores will have places where 
  you can post that you’re looking for players. Our favorite 
  gaming stores will also have dedicated Tephra nights 
  ever week. I’ll bet my sideburns they can help you get a 
  game going or find a game for you to join.
   
  Once you’ve got your group together, you’ll need 
  one person to be the narrator and everyone else will 
  need to make characters. Go through our fast and easy 
  character creation process (over in Chapter 2), and soon 
  you’ll be on board your airship, taking on zombies and 
  sky pirates with a gun in one hand and a saber clenched 
  between your teeth.
  Roleplaying
  
  7
  Steampunk is one of those genres that seems to en-
  trance people as soon as they see it, something that 
  sparks their inner creativity. It appeals to our love for 
  the past and the marvels of the future, combining them 
  into a world of our own making. However, despite be-
  ing easily identifiable as you walk down the street or 
  look through a store window, defining steampunk is a 
  difficult task caused by the broad interpretation of what 
  “steampunk” is. From steampunk proper to dieselpunk, 
  biopunk to clockpunk and so many more, there are as 
  many different flavors of the movement as there are  of 
  the music. That being said, there are unifying themes 
  throughout them all, so no other title can truly encapsu-
  late just what the word steampunk entails. 
   
  On the surface, steampunk is an aesthetic move-
  ment, one that hails back to the Victorian times and the 
  industrial revolution, a time when the ins and outs of a 
  machine could be understood and mastered by a single 
  man. A time when you could look at the inner workings 
  of our technology and follow the cranks, pistons and 
  gears all the way from the boiler to the wheels. With a 
  curious mind, time and patience, any man could master 
  this new technology. Steampunk takes this mindset and 
  runs with it. As many felt during the Victorian era, in 
  Steampunk anything is possible!
   
  It was also during the Victorian Era when both 
  man and society began to change. Following on the 
  heels of the Enlightenment, thousands of slaves were 
  freed and a middle class was established. The culture of 
  Colonialism was in full swing around the world; revolu-
  tions were occurring that threw out old rulers, building 
  new governments in their stead. Everyone had a hope 
  for a better, brighter future. 
   
  Steampunk is more than just the aesthetics of a 
  proper London gentleman with his tailored coat and top 
  hat, and it’s more than the social reforms and explora-
  tion of the Victorian era. In fact, it’s more than the past 
  ever was. Steampunk is looking at a world that could 
  have been during a time where the Victorians thought 
  anything was possible. Who cares that sky-pirates, in-
  telligent clockwork automatons, machine-powered un-
  dead, time machines and ray guns never existed? The 
  Victorians believed someday steampowered airships or 
  cannons would allow us to reach the moon. In a future 
  of our own creation, why can’t these other things ex-
  ist just as easily? A world influenced from the past, but 
  purely created by those who live now. A world in which 
  anyone can experience an adventure. Steampunk is what 
  you make of it.
   
  In Tephra, we give reasons for why these things 
  are possible. We have forsaken following Earth’s history 
  and instead come to land on a new world, a world in 
  which their industrial revolution took a drastically differ-
  ent path than that of our own. Here, steampunk thrives 
  in a world full of steampowered machinery, clockwork 
  creations of massive scale, entire continents of unex-
  plored wilderness and lost civilizations just waiting to 
  be re-discovered. You can hop on an airship capable of 
  crossing the world, twisting science to your own end. 
  It’s a world where everywhere you look, an adventure is 
  waiting to happen. 
   
  So sure, you could define Steampunk simply by 
  the gears, leather outfits, top hats, and monocles, but it 
  is so much more than that. Steampunk embodies hope, 
  creativity and adventure. Whether you draw influences 
  from the Wild West, Victorian England, the Colonies of 
  Africa, the Far East, or anywhere else, it is these things 
  that truly define what the genre is. 
  Steampunk
  
  8
  Chapter 1
  System
  Chapter 1
  the CLoCkwork
  system
  
  9
  Chapter 1
  System
  Dice & Modifiers
  To begin, you’ll need a single die: a unique one with 12 sides. 
  This is the foundation for the Clockwork System, a die that can 
  randomly give you any number from 1 to 12. 
   
  With this special die, occassionally called the D12, you’ll 
  be able to determine how successful you are on any given task. 
  You’ll have skills, attributes, and various other traits that all have 
  numbers assigned to them. When you need to determine how 
  well you succeed at something, you’ll roll your die and add on the 
  appropriate number.
   
  Rolling your Dexterity? Roll your D12, add the number 
  in your Dexterity attribute, and you’ve got your result.
  Four Tiers of Success
  The game revolves around tiers - four tiers, to be exact. Once 
  you’ve received the result of your die roll, you’ll be able to deter-
  mine what tier it is.
  T1 (Tier 1): 
  Result of 1 through 9
  Barely Passing
  T2 (Tier 2): 
  Result of 10 through 19
  A Solid Success
  T3 (Tier 3): 
  Result of 20 through 29
  Phenomenal!
  T4 (Tier 4): 
  Result of 30 or more
  Beyond Human
  As you can see, tier 1 is going to be the most minimal of a suc-
  cess. If you’re trying to jump, all you can say is that you success-
  fully jumped. Nobody takes notice up until you get to tier 2. A 
  tier 3 is the utmost of human ability. If you’re hitting a tier 3, that 
  means you’ve just leapt a chasm.
   
  A tier 4? There are no words to explain a tier 4 success.
  Turns!
  Let’s discuss combat. If you’re in a fight with somebody, you’re 
  going to take turns. You’ll begin by rolling priority. The person 
  with the highest priority goes first, the person with the next high-
  est goes second, and so on. When it’s your turn, you’re going to 
  have a number of action points (AP) that you can spend.
   
  Let’s say it’s your turn, and you have 3 action points (the 
  norm for starting characters). You could run (1 AP) and shoot 
  your rifle (2 AP). Or, you could run (1 AP), open a door (1 AP), and 
  then duck behind a barrel (1 AP). Or, you could swing your sword 
  (2 AP) at somebody’s head (another 1 AP for aiming).
   
  The options are pretty open-ended.
  Attributes & Skills
  As we’ve said, your character is going to have a lot of numbers 
  associated with him. When you build your character (found in 
  Chapter 2 - Character Creation), you’ll first distribute some points 
  in your skills. Skills are those areas that you’ve trained in. Swash-
  buckling, Brawl, Gadgetry, Marksmanship - these are all skills.
   
  Now, your skills are going to determine your attributes. 
  Attributes are the core components of your character. If you have 
  a total of 6 points in your Dexterity skills, your Dexterity will be 
  a +6. 
   
  When do you use these numbers? For attributes: all the 
  time. Lifting something? Brute. Picking somebody’s wallet? Dex-
  terity. Trying to figure out a puzzle? Cunning. 
  Specialties
  The most exciting part of your character is their specialties. Spe-
  cialties are the defining aspects of your character, things that 
  make them awesome. At first level, you’ll start with three, and 
  you’ll choose them from your skills. When you need to make a 
  roll to determine how well you use your specialty, you’ll roll your 
  skill.
  Hit Points, Damage, and all that stuff
  A lot of your statistics will be determined by the specialties that 
  you select, the stories that you gain, and the race that you choose. 
  But, honestly, this is all clockwork. Once you start building a 
  character, everything else will fall into place.
  There’s a lot of text in this book. Don’t be afraid... 
  it won’t take you long to start enjoying your stay.
  This is a richly customizable mechanism with a variety of rules, ticking tidbits, and random 
  springs. Inside of this mechanism is a single clockwork movement that makes the rest of the 
  system function. Once you’ve seen how the basic movement works, everything else won’t  seem so 
  daunting. 
  Entering the
  Clockwork
  
  10
  Chapter 1
  System
  Action Points (AP)
  During your turn, you have 3 action points you can spend to move, 
  attack, or do virtually anything. Every action has an action point 
  cost, though some are free (and, often, can be done at any time).
   
  reFresh: Your action points refresh at the 
  end of your turn. So as soon as your turn ends, you 
  may start using reflexives that drain your next turn’s 
  action point pool. 
   
  reFLexives: You can use action points reflexively. When 
  you’ve trained yourself so well that you can act in a split second, 
  that’s when you’re using your AP reflexively. 
   
  Reflexives are action points you can use out-of-turn. 
  You might have a specialty, for example, that allows you to jump 
  in front of an incoming bullet for an ally (Interposition, found 
  under the Resilience skill). That specialty costs 2 action points 
  reflexively, which you may do any time an ally is being attacked. 
  Your reflexive action points come out of your next turn’s pool of 
  action points. So if you used interposition, 
  on your next turn you’d only have 1 action 
  point left.
   
  Your action point pool increases 
  at certain levels. You’ll find those in this 
  chart: 
  Turn Order
  When combat begins, every combatant rolls their priority, creat-
  ing a “turn order.” Everybody starts the combat with their action 
  points full, so they can start making reflexive actions right away. 
  The person with the highest priority roll goes first. That person 
  could then use any of their action points they have, and, once 
  they’re done, their action points refresh.
   
  A person can never save action points for their next turn. 
  When your action points refresh, they are hitting a hard reset and 
  going to their normal value. Any action points from your previous 
  turn that you did not use are wasted - so go ahead, use them!
  Attributes
  Your attributes are the key building blocks of your character. At-
  tributes reflect your training in your skills and are entirely based 
  off of them. Every skill falls under one of our five key attributes: 
  brute, cunning, dexterity, spirit, and sciences. Once you’ve select-
  ed your skills, add up the skills under those attributes to get your 
  points in that attribute.
   
  You’ll find yourself using attributes both in and out of 
  combat. Attributes are used to resist special attacks, called shots, 
  poisons, and all other manner of contraptions. If you’re being 
  tricked, you would resist with your cunning attribute. If you’ve 
  been hit in the head, you’d resist getting a concussion with your 
  brute attribute. 
   
  Likewise, attributes determine how well you interact 
  with people and the setting. How easily you can sneak around 
  depends on your dexterity. Holding the door closed as enemies 
  try to break in requires brute. Any time you’re trying to convince 
  somebody of something, you’ll roll your cunning. Throughout the 
  entire system, these five attributes will be keys to your character 
  and help him grow. 
  Hit Points & Wounds
  Hit points are a reflection of a character’s toughness and will-
  power to keep on fighting. During combat, every time a character 
  is successfully hit, their hit points will decrease. If all of a char-
  acter’s hit points are depleted, a character begins to take wounds. 
  Wounds are substantial damage taken to the character’s bodily 
  form, such as deep gashes or wracking blows.
   
  Your hit points are determined by your specialties, and 
  the amount of wounds you have will start at 12.
   
  Hit points are only in effect while you’re ready for ac-
  tion. When your character is asleep, in a focused conversation, or 
  for some reason not paying attention, your hit points don’t come 
  into play. Any time you are hit while not prepared, the damage 
  goes straight into your wounds pool. 
   
  wounDs Damage: Every time you take wounds dam-
  age, your character suffers a greivous hit. When you take wounds 
  damage, you roll on our called shot chart and take the wound 
  effect from that location. If you rolled “Left Hand,” for example, 
  your hand would be smashed and you’d have a hard time grasping 
  anything with it.
   
  If you’re hit by an attack and you run out of wounds, 
  you immediately roll randomly on the called shot chart, this time 
  for a fatal effect. If you rolled “Left Hand” again for the fatal ef-
  fect, your hand would be severed and you could never use that 
  Level 1
  3 AP
  Level 4
  4 AP
  Level 8
  5 AP
  Level 12
  6 AP
  regaining heaLth
  taking a Breather: Hit points don’t take a long time to return 
  to you. We assume that every blow to your stamina is a small 
  scrape, bruise, or just a representation of you becoming more 
  exhausted. 
   
  To replenish your hit points after a battle, just take a 
  breather. If you have time to rest for fifteen to thirty minutes 
  after a battle, all of your hit points will be returned.
   
  naturaLLy heaLing wounDs: Your wounds will return 
  to you at the rate of one wound per day. Your pool of wounds 
  is likely to be much smaller than your hit points, and it takes 
  longer to regenerate them. Be careful when you’re in wounds.
  Did the last page not explain things enough for you?
  Then keep on reading.                                     
  Breaking down the
  Mechanism
  
  11
  Chapter 1
  System
  hand again (unless somebody could create you a prosthetic hand). 
  Though that might sound bad, if you’re unlucky enough for the 
  attack to land across your head, you’re fatal effect is instantaneous 
  death. 
   
  Once you’re out of wounds, every time you take dam-
  age, you roll for a fatal effect.
  Priority
  Priority determines your turn order. Priority represents a charac-
  ter’s awareness of their current environment and their alertness 
  of the situation. To determine priority, each player involved in 
  combat will roll and add any bonuses to priority that they have.
   
  A player may request to be given a circumstancial bonus 
  by consulting the narrator. With proper justification, the narrator 
  has the right to grant the player a bonus to their priority (nor-
  mally a +6). This is typically done when a character is ready for 
  combat, has their revolver drawn, and is aching to go. This char-
  acter is likely to go before the guy sitting in the corner, drinking 
  a glass of wine. 
   
  Multiple players may request this benefit, but the narra-
  tor is never obligated to anybody. If too many people can justify 
  gaining a priority bonus, then everyone’s starting on the same 
  footing and should probably just go without any bonuses.
   
  If the characters are ready for the combat before the 
  combat truly begins, they can be in their stances and have their 
  weapons already drawn. 
  Damage Classes
  Weapons and most attacks have damage classes. The damage 
  class of a weapon varies based on the size of the weapon. Light 
  melee weapons, for example, have a damage class of 4, while 
  heavy melee weapons have a damage class of 8.
   
  The damage class determines how much damage it will 
  do for any given tier. If you get a tier 1 result, your damage dealt 
  will be equal to the damage class. If you get a tier 2 result, the 
  damage dealt will be twice the damage class. Tier 3 triples the 
  damage class.
   
  Most easily put, the damage you deal for an attack is 
  equal to your damage class times the tier. 
  Stories
  Stories are memories of adventures past, things you take with you 
  throughout your lifelong journeys. Stories are not active abilities 
  for you to use, they are simply past experiences that make ob-
  stacles you face now either easier to face or harder.
   
  You have some stories before you even start your days 
  as an adventurer, such as past job experiences in the form of 
  Background Stories, or affiliations with different organizations 
  through Membership Stories. All other Stories attached to your 
  character are awarded by your Narrator. For instance, should you 
  continually act crude and vulgar, your Narrator may choose to 
  give you the Yobbish Personality Story, and you gain all of the 
  bonuses and penalties that go along with it. However, should your 
  personality change and you cease your vulgarity, your Narrator is 
  fully within their rights to take that Story away. 
   
  Some Stories are, on the other hand, permanent modifi-
  ers of your character, and earning such a Story means you would 
  have to do something extremely drastic to be rid of it. This of 
  course would come in the form of a different Story taking the 
  former’s place. Perfect examples of this are Alteration Stories, 
  which are Stories that affect your character’s physical make-up.
  Rule #1 of the Infantry Survival Guide: In 
  the event of actual battle, do not rely on 
  this book to act as your shield
  Note to the Narrator:
  Awarding Stories
  Stories are entirely given out and taken away at your discretion. 
  If you don’t feel like giving a player a Story they seem to meet 
  the requirements of, you are fully able to simply ignore them 
  and not give it to them. At the same time, Stories make adven-
  tures that much more exciting. A player can go up to another 
  and show them the Stories their character has collected as a 
  symbol of pride. On the other end of the spectrum, Stories 
  can also be in your arsenal of weapons against the player. If 
  a player keeps trying to melee fight with clockwork abomina-
  tions that use giant torches, have the abomination attack their 
  face and give them the Burn Victim Alteration Story. Feel free 
  to let players take one or two Personality and Background Sto-
  ries when they first build their character, but make sure you 
  know have an idea about the roleplay requirements for them.
  
  12
  Chapter 1
  System
  how we roLL
  Explaining how to roll a single die may seem asinine, but I’m going to do it anyway (but only because we 
  have two special rules about die rolling)
  attaCking
  Attacking is a simple process. Both combatants roll, the attacker to hit and the defender to evade. If the accuracy meets 
  or exceeds the evade, the attack lands. Then the attacker rolls for strike and the defender rolls for defense. The damage 
  dealt is based on the weapon used and is put against a tiered result. The defense works the same way, soaking an amount 
  of damage based on the armor worn.
  Specialty Attacks
  Normally, melee attacks require 2 action points (unarmed attacks require 1 AP and ranged attacks vary). Characters can 
  make unique attacks using specialties for extra action points. Many specialties will be labeled as “attack + x AP.” There-
  fore, when you decide to make a specialty attack, you announce the attack and spend the total action point cost in order 
  to attempt it.
   
  You may stack special attacks if you have enough action points to do so. For example, if you have two specialties 
  that both say “melee attack +1 AP,” you may make your melee attack (for 2 action points) and add both specialties onto 
  it (at 1 action point apiece), which would be a single attack that costs 4 AP to make. Be careful, though: if your opponent 
  manages to evade, you’ve just used 4 action points on a single attack! You cannot add a single attack-modifying specialty 
  twice, however. 
  Accuracy
  When delivering an attack, you must first land it. You 
  make an attack against the target’s evade. If the ac-
  curacy meets or exceeds the evade, the attack hits.
  Evade
  When receiving an attack, you want to evade it. The 
  attacker makes an accuracy roll against the defend-
  er’s evade. If the evade exceeds the accuracy, the at-
  tack misses.
  vs
  Strike
  Once you are sure that an attack has landed, how 
  hard the strike hit is decided. Use your roll, add your 
  strike, and then tier the results. The tier will then deal 
  the indicated amount of damage to the defender.
  Defense
  In preparation for an incoming blow, the target read-
  ies his defenses. Roll again, add your defense, and 
  then tier the results. The tier will then soak damage 
  from the opponent’s attack. 
  vs
  Rule #1
  1 is 1
  This rule is simple.  A roll of a 1 results in a 1.  Whenever 
  you roll a 1 on your twelve-sided die, your are not allowed 
  to add anything to it. We don’t care if you have a +48 in 
  brute; when you roll that 1, you receive a 1.  
   
  The only exception to this rule regards negatives.  
  If you have some penalty on your roll (such as being 
  blind, which incurs a -4 on accuracy rolls), a 1 is not a 1.  
  Negatives still apply.  So your blind accuracy roll was not 
  a 1, it was a -3.  
  Rule #2
  Pure 12s Roll Again
  It’s true. If you roll a pure 12 (as in, a 12 on the twelve-
  sided die is showing), you roll again. You then add your 
  new roll to 12 in order to determine the result. 
   
  If you roll 12 again, you keep on going.  
   
  Just so it’s clear, if you roll a 1 after rolling a 12, 
  the result is a 13. Rule #1 no longer applies.
   
  If you are rolling a 12 randomly to determine 
  what called shot location you hit, this rule need not apply.
  
  13
  Chapter 1
  System
  Attack
  Cost: 2 AP for Most Weapons, 1 AP for Unarmed
  Attacking somebody can be anything from stabbing with your 
  rapier to swinging your whip to firing your pistol. You choose a 
  target and you attack. 
   
  Your choice of weapon determines how many action 
  points it cost, though most will use 2 action points. Your damage 
  is also determined by your choice of weapon. 
   
  non-LethaL attaCks: You hold your blows just a little 
  bit, aiming for areas that won’t kill the person. You can make a 
  non-lethal attack just like a regular attack; however, if the oppo-
  nent takes any wounds damage, he does not have to roll on the 
  wounds effect chart. Instead of dying, the opponent falls uncon-
  scious upon reaching 0 wounds.
  Called Shot
  Cost: Attack +1 AP
  Sometimes you don’t just want to hurt them. Sometimes you want 
  to stab them in the eyes, smash their fingers, or kick them in the 
  balls. These options are Called Shots.
   
  To make a called shot, choose one of the 12 key parts 
  of the body (found on the Called Shot pages, a couple pages 
  over) and make an attack. The attack is just like any other at-
  tack, except that it requires one extra action point to do. Thus, a 
  normal melee attack made as a called shot would be three action 
  points, whereas a called shot that was unarmed would be two ac-
  tion points. Called shots can also be made with ranged weapons.
   
  Every called shot is resistable. The resist is based on 
  your strike (or accuracy with firearms and crossbows), for which 
  the target must roll the appropriate attribute and exceed your 
  strike in order to resist. 
   
  staCking CaLLeD shot eFFeCts: The effects from 
  called shots do not stack. If somebody is disoriented from a 
  called shot to the brain, another called shot to the brain will only 
  renew the effect, not double it. A called shot to the torso (to knock 
  them back) or stunning them via a called shot to the neck are the 
  only exceptions.
   
  CaLLeD shot in wounDs & FataLs: A called shot 
  while the target is in wounds or fatal effects will automatically hit 
  that location. There’s no need to roll randomly. (For this reason, 
  many people will do a called shot to a lethal location once a per-
  son has reached wounds and fatals, like to the head or chest.)
  Deflect
  Cost: 1 AP interruption
  Shields are used for deflecting incoming attacks. To make a 
  shield deflection, you must be wielding a shield (or some other 
  item you can make a deflection with) and be in the process of 
  being attacked. Then, you can make a deflect attempt. When you 
  deflect with a shield, it costs you 1 action point and you gain a +4 
  on your evade roll.
  Draw or Swap an Item
  Cost: 1 ap
  You may swap weapons or pull out an item (such as a vial or ex-
  plosive) for one action point.
  Enter a Stance
  Cost: 1 ap
  You may enter a stance for 1 action point. You can only be in one 
  stance at a time. Often times when combat begins you can simul-
  taneously enter a stance, costing no action points. Any time you 
  take on a specialized stance, the effects of the stance remain ac-
  tive until you are knocked back, knocked prone, or are otherwise 
  knocked out of your stance. You must then re-enter the stance to 
  regain the benefits. At first the only stance your character knows 
  how to enter is the “Footing” stance used to wield Super-Heavy 
  items. You can learn more stances through certain specialties. 
  Grab
  Cost: as an Unarmed Attack (1 AP) or Whip Attack (2 AP)
  Grabs are similar to called shots, but rather than hitting them 
  there, you grab them. Your goal is not to deal damage but to 
  take hold of your opponent and limit their movement. 
  Now let’s see what you can do.
  Actions
  
  14
  Chapter 1
  System
   
  First choose a called shot location, then roll your 
  accuracy versus their evade just as though you were doing 
  a normal attack. However, you do not deal damage. If you 
  land the attack, the target is grabbed. Once you grab the op-
  ponent, a few rules apply: 
  Neither you nor the target can move without breaking the 
  grab.
  The target can attempt to break free for 1 AP by making 
  either a brute or dexterity resist against your brute or dex-
  terity. You can let go for 0 action points. 
  If you grab the target’s hand, the target cannot use the 
  weapon, item, or shield in that hand (beyond dropping it).
  Throw
  resist: Brute (tier down)
  Cost: 2 AP
  After successfully grabbing a person, you may then throw them. 
  Roll your Brute to determine how well you throw them. For every 
  tier over tier 1 that the opponent rolls their Brute, it lowers the 
  effect by 1 tier. Note: small creatures, such as gnomes and most 
  animals, are thrown an additional 5 feet.
  Opponent is thrown 5 feet.
  Opponent is thrown 10 feet.
  Opponent is thrown 10 feet and is now prone.
  Opponent is thrown 15 feet and is now prone.
  Move
  Cost: 1 AP
  You are able to move 25 feet for a single action point. Certain rac-
  es (elves, gnomes, and satyrs) have different movement speeds.
  Ready a Firearm
  Cost: Varies
  Many firearms require you to ready them between each firing. 
  This can be as simple as cocking back the hammer or as complex 
  as muzzle-loading the musket. It all depends on the firearm. You 
  can find out more about readying a firearm in the Gear chapter. 
  Stand Up
  Cost: 1 AP
  Sometimes, after you’ve been knocked prone, you just need to 
  stand back up. Do so for 1 action point. 
   
  Note, kneeling does not cost any action points as you 
  are doing that as a combat action. Thus, you could kneel behind a 
  low wall for no action points. If the wall’s only 1 foot tall, though, 
  your narrator might rule that you need that 1 action point to get 
  down into a flat position and stand up from it.
  Sunder
  Cost: as an Attack
  resist: Dexterity (tiers down)
  Rather than attacking the person, the attack is against the wield-
  1
  4
  5
  6
  7
  9
  8
  10
  3
  11-12
  2
  ed item, be it a weapon, shield, or vial of poison. Most items are 
  instantly destroyed when attacked (such as poisons, complex ma-
  chines, et cetera). Weapons last a little bit longer.
   
  A melee weapon’s damage class decreases every time 
  it is struck by a sunder. The tier of the attack will indicate how 
  much the weapon’s damage class decreases by. For example, a tier 
  2 attack would decrease the target’s weapon by 2 damage class. A 
  sunder made against a firearm, crossbow, or bow is twice as effec-
  tive, lowering the damage class by 2 for every tier of the attack. 
   
  The dexterity resist will tier the effect down against a 
  weapon (so if you get a tier 2 dexterity resist, it lowers the effect 
  by 1). If used against another item that is instantly destroyed by 
  a sunder, the dexterity resist can only negate by being a tier over 
  the attack.
   
  A damaged weapon can be repaired during a breather.
  Miscellaneous Actions
  Cost: Varies
  There are a wide variety of other actions you may want to make 
  while in combat. Here is a list of just some of those actions:
  aCtions
  ap Cost
  Breaking a Window
  1 AP
  Opening a Door
  1 AP
  Pulling a Lever
  1 AP
  Called Shot Locations
  
  15
  Chapter 1
  System
  Reflexive attacks are attacks that you can make when 
  an opponent leaves themselves open. They are just like 
  normal attacks - that is, they cost the same amount of 
  action points and you can upgrade them with your spe-
  cialties - but they can happen outside of your turn. And 
  remember, your action points reset at the end of your 
  turn, so after your turn, you’re back up to full. 
   
  For most people, there are two actions that leave 
  a person open to reflexive attacks: leaving cover and us-
  ing, consuming, or drawing an item.
  Leaving Cover
  Can only be made with ranged attacks
  If a gunman is hiding behind a crate and leaves cover 
  to take a shot, everyone can take a shot at him, because 
  he is now open. 
   
  If somebody is standing behind a tree and walks 
  out from behind the tree, anybody with a gun ready can 
  take a shot. 
  Using an Item
  Can only be made with melee attacks
  If somebody pulls out an accelerator rifle, tries to drink 
  a push potion, or flips on their unusual gadget within 
  melee distance, anybody within melee range can make 
  a reflexive attack.
  Fighting out oF ComBat
  Fighting out of Combat may sound like an oxymoron, but it occurs any time where the defender is not fighting 
  back. If you are stabbing somebody in their sleep, knocking somebody upside the head while they have their 
  back turned, or otherwise dealing damage to a person who doesn’t think they’re in combat, you are fighting 
  out of combat.
  No Hit Points
  Whenever a person is not at least partially ready for a fight themselves, they take direct wounds damage. Hit points are 
  a reflection of combat stamina, and a person who is not in combat has no hit points. Therefore, if you are stabbed in 
  the back, you take wounds damage.
  Coup de Grace
  Cost: 3 AP
  A coup de grace is a melee attack specifically meant to kill somebody. They can’t be fighting back, moving, or other-
  wise defending themselves. The attack deals direct damage to their wounds and they must roll on the wounds random 
  effects chart. In a coup de grace, the attacker takes a pure 12 on their strike roll with the defender takes a natural 1 on 
  their defense.
   
  knoCk out: A character can make a non-lethal coup de grace that works exactly like a coup de grace, except 
  that the target falls unconscious upon reaching 0 wounds and does receive wounds random effects. 
  Actions you can do in an instant.
  Reflexive Attacks
  
  16
  Chapter 1
  System
  3
  Ears
  resist: Cunning
  When a successful attack 
  is made against your aural 
  region, your hearing be-
  comes fuzzy (giving you a 
  -2 on evade) until the end 
  of your next turn.  
  4
  Neck
  resist: Brute
  An attack against your 
  neck can leave you gasp-
  ing for air, unable to take 
  actions. 
  A 
  successful 
  called shot against your 
  neck stuns you for 1 action 
  point.  
  2
  Eyes
  resist: Dexterity
  When a successful attack 
  is made against your ocu-
  lar region, your sight be-
  comes blurry (giving you a 
  -2 on accuracy and evade) 
  until the end of your next 
  turn. 
  Wounded
  Bleeding
  A wound to the neck 
  causes bleeding. Bleed-
  ing will cause you 1 point 
  of wounds damage every 
  turn after the one where 
  you take the wound, and 
  will last for 1 turn per 3 
  points of damage the at-
  tack dealt to you.
        Any sort of bloodclot-
  ting, medical healing, or 
  artificial flesh imbuing will 
  stop the bleeding.  
  Deafened
  A wound to the ears leaves 
  you deafened until you can 
  take a breather. You suffer 
  a -2 on evade rolls and any 
  roll that requires listening, 
  speaking, or performing a 
  sound-based action.   
  Blinded
  A wound to the eyes leaves 
  you blinded until you can 
  take a breather. You suffer 
  a -4 on accuracy and evade 
  rolls, and you cannot tar-
  get opponents you can’t 
  locate.  
  Fatal
  Blind
  A fatal to the eyes leaves 
  you permanently blinded. 
  You suffer a -4 on accura-
  cy and evade rolls, and you 
  cannot target opponents 
  you can’t locate. Losing 
  your eyes permanently 
  drops your wounds by 1 
  point. 
  Deaf
  A fatal to the ears leaves 
  you permanently deafened. 
  You suffer a -2 on evade 
  rolls and any roll that re-
  quires listening, speaking, 
  or performing a sound-
  based action. Losing your 
  ears permanently drops 
  your wounds by 1 point. 
  Slit Throat
  If your neck is dealt a fa-
  tal blow, you will die at the 
  end of your next turn. 
  Effect taken whenever you take wounds damage.
  Effect taken whenever you take damage and have no more wounds or hit points.
  1
  Head
  resist: Brute
  A shot to the head will dis-
  orient you (causing you 
  to lose 1 action point per 
  turn) until the end of your 
  next turn.
  Disoriented
  A wound to the head causes 
  long-term disorientation. 
  While disoriented, you lose 
  1 action point per turn, and 
  will be disoriented for 1 
  turn per 3 points of dam-
  age the attack dealt to you. 
  You cannot re-orient your-
  self from this wound. 
  Beheaded
  If your head is dealt a fatal 
  blow, you instantly die. 
  Called Shots
  
  17
  Chapter 1
  System
  5
  Torso
  resist: Brute
  A good blow to the torso 
  can knock a person back-
  wards. A successful torso 
  called shot sends you 
  backwards 5 feet. 
        If the person dealing 
  the attack is in melee with 
  you, they may choose to 
  follow you back the 5 feet 
  for 0 action points.
  Broken Ribs
  Suffering broken ribs can 
  make it difficult to breath. 
  Any time you want to 
  make any action, you must 
  roll your brute attribute. If 
  you do not receive a tier 2 
  result, you fail and lose 1 
  action point. This wound 
  will stay with you until 
  your next breather.  
  Slain
  You are instantly killed. 
  6
  Groin
  resist: Spirit
  A blow to the groin makes 
  you nauseous. You receive 
  a -2 to all rolls until 3 ac-
  tion points have been spent 
  emptying your stomache.
  9-10
  Hand
  resist: Dexterity
  An attack to the hand 
  causes you to drop whatev-
  er you’re holding. Picking 
  up a dropped item costs 1 
  action point.
  11-12
  Leg
  resist: Dexterity
  A called shot to the leg can 
  either trip you or slow you 
  down (attacker’s choice). 
  If you are slowed, it will 
  cost you 1 extra AP to move 
  until the end of your next 
  turn. If you’re tripped, 
  you’re brought prone and 
  lose your stance. While 
  prone, you suffer a -1 on 
  all combat rolls (accuracy, 
  evade, strike, and defense), 
  but can stand up for 1 ac-
  tion point.  
  Wounded
  Purge
  You’re body begins to 
  purge itself. You can take 
  no actions beyond mov-
  ing, and you only can go 
  at half your normal speed 
  (rounded down). While 
  purging, if anybody at-
  tacks you, you suffer a -4 
  on your evade roll. The 
  purging lasts for 3 turns.
  Sprained Arm
  Your arm is sprained, mak-
  ing it near impossible for 
  you to wield things with 
  that arm. Anything that 
  you do with the arm suffers 
  a -6 on the roll. The wound 
  will recover during your 
  next breather.  
  Bruised Hand
  Your hand is smashed, 
  making it impossible for 
  you to wield anything with 
  that hand. The wound will 
  recover during your next 
  breather. 
  Sprained Leg
  Your leg is sprained. You 
  suffer a -10 on your move-
  ment speed (though you 
  cannot be dropped below 
  a minimum of 5 feet) and 
  you’re tripped (bringing 
  you prone). The wound will 
  recover during your next 
  breather. 
        
  Fatal
  Gutted
  Your vital organs are ex-
  posed to the world, and 
  you are bleeding out. Un-
  less you can recover 10 
  points of damage (wounds 
  or hit points) before the 
  end of your next turn, you 
  will die.   
  Severed Arm
  Your arm is severed. You 
  now have one less arm, and 
  anything that requires you 
  to use two arms cannot be 
  accomplished. Ambiguous 
  actions that would normal-
  ly use two arms (such as 
  lifting something over head 
  or climbing) take a -6 on 
  the roll. Having a severed 
  arm permanently drops 
  your wounds by 2 points 
  (1 point for the arm and 1 
  point for the hand).
        The bleeding from a 
  severed arm will cause you 
  to die in 3 turns if you do 
  not spend at least 3 AP 
  bandaging it up. 
  Severed Hand
  Your hand is severed. You 
  now have one less hand, 
  and anything that requires 
  you to use two hands can-
  not be accomplished. Am-
  biguous actions that would 
  normally use two hands 
  (such as lifting something 
  over head or climbing) take 
  a -6 on the roll. Having a 
  severed hand permanently 
  drops your wounds by 1 
  point. 
        The bleeding from a 
  severed hand will cause 
  you to die in 6 turns if you 
  do not spend at least 3 AP 
  bandaging it up. 
  Severed Leg
  Part of your leg is severed. 
  You suffer a -20 on your 
  movement speed (though 
  you cannot be dropped be-
  low a minimum of 5 feet). 
  Anything that requires two 
  legs, such as swimming, 
  climbing, or kicking, suf-
  fers a -6 on the roll. Having 
  a severed leg permanently 
  drops your wounds by 1 
  point. 
        The bleeding from a 
  severed leg will cause you 
  to die in 3 turns if you do 
  not spend at least 3 AP 
  bandaging it up. 
  Effect taken whenever you take wounds damage.
  Effect taken whenever you take damage and have no more wounds or hit points.
  Called shots are all resistable. The defender must roll their resist attribute. If it exceeds the attacker’s strike roll 
  (or accuracy roll for firearms and crossbows), the called shot is resisted. 
  Wounded and Fatal effects can not be resisted.
  7-8
  Arm
  resist: Brute
  An attack against your arm 
  makes it difficult for you to 
  use that hand. You take a -2 
  on any roll that would use 
  that arm and hand, such 
  as accuracy and strike, or 
  evade if you are trying to 
  use a shield with that hand, 
  until the end of your next 
  turn.
  
  18
  Chapter 1
  System
  Attributes are the baseline pieces of your character. Your attri-
  butes determine how fast you react, how well you push back, how 
  long you survive poisons, how quickly you process information, 
  and a whole plethora of actions that anybody can do. 
   
  There are five attributes: brute, cunning, dexterity, spirit, 
  and sciences. You will start with a zero in each of these attributes, 
  but as you gain experience in your skills, your attributes will in-
  crease as well.
   
  Each attribute has a set of skills that fall underneath it. 
  As you gain points in your skills, add up all of the skills under the 
  attribute to figure out what your attribute score is. 
  Using Attributes
  Each attribute will include a variety of different options you can 
  use that attribute for.  Dexterity, for example, is used when trip-
  ping people, disarming them, trying to be stealthy, attempting to 
  squeeze into a tight spot, or anytime that your hand-eye coordi-
  nation is going to prove valuable.  
   
  Anybody can do anything listed under attributes. Using 
  attributes requires no training or skill. Most people will simply be 
  average in the attributes (which means they have a zero). Others 
  will excel in them.
  Note to the Narrator:
  When to Ask for Attribute Rolls
  Be sparing when asking for attribute rolls. On one hand, it 
  is completely within your power to ask the players to roll 
  their dexterity to see if they fall down the stairs, but is it 
  really necessary? Every attribute roll should have a deep 
  impact on the story, otherwise it begins to lose its excite-
  ment and meaning.
   
  In Tephra, we utilize a system built on “Four 
  Tiers of Success.” Whenever you ask for an attribute roll, 
  don’t think of it as win or lose. Think, instead, that your 
  player is going to succeed, but the roll will tell you how 
  well. If a failure is going to cause the story to stall, make 
  tier 1 a poor success. It’ll keep the story moving while giv-
  ing the players some fun consequences.
  Almost all abilities that affect somebody can also be resisted. The 
  most common resist is, of course, your evade and defense - when 
  attacked, your goal is to jump out of the way and take less dam-
  age. But other special attacks will often call for attribute-based 
  resists. When you need to resist a tiered effect with an attribute 
  resist, you simply lower the amount that the ability affects you 
  by 1 tier for every tier you receive over 
  tier 1.
   
  So, if you were using your brute 
  to resist against a marque 3 poison, and 
  you made a tier 2 brute roll, you would 
  lower the poison’s marque by 1, being af-
  fected as though it were a marque 2 poi-
  son. 
  Dodging Blasts      (1 AP Dexterity resist)
  Any time you are affected by a blast (something that affects a 
  large area), you may attempt to jump out of the blast area. It costs 
  1 action point reflexively, and you may only move up to your total 
  speed in order to get out of the blast range. Thus, if the edge of 
  the blast area is 40 feet away, and you only have a 30 foot move-
  ment speed, there is no way you can jump out of the blast area.
   
  In order to successfully jump out of the blast area, you 
  must roll your dexterity and receive a tier result equal to the tier 
  or marque of the blast. Thus, a tier 3 blast would require a tier 
  3 dexterity result in order to jump out of it. (This is different 
  from normal resists, which require you to receive a tier result one 
  higher than the tier or mark of the ability in order to fully resist 
  it.)
   
  If you fail to get out of the blast area, you move to the 
  edge of the blast area (while still remaining within it) and take 
  the normal damage, which you can still soak, if possible. 
  Tier 1 Unaffected
  Tier 2
  -1 Tier
  Tier 3
  -2 Tiers
  Tier 4 -3 Tiers 
  Attributes
  Resists
  
  19
  Chapter 1
  System
  When interacting with other characters, it’s nearly impos-
  sible to quantify how likely they are to believe your lie or 
  how stubborn they are toward your wild claims. Instead, you 
  can search for their social tells. These are their non-verbal 
  cues, often made unconsciously, that betray a character’s in-
  ner thoughts. You might be trying to decide if a man is ly-
  ing. Successfully reading his social tells might let you notice 
  his sweaty palms, his shifting eyes, and his constant check-
  ing of his watch. By this point, you’ll have a pretty good idea 
  that he’s lying. 
   
  Social tells are anything but absolute. He may look 
  like he’s lying, but in reality he might just be late for a very 
  important business meeting. The goal of social tells is to 
  guide you toward the answer without outright saying, “The 
  fellow is clearly lying.” The decision on how to act once 
  you’ve observed somebody’s social tells is still up to you.
   
  A character will use social tells by rolling their cun-
  ning and tiering the results. 
  Tells
  When a character rolls to determine somebody’s tells, the narrator 
  will describe key aspects of the target depending on the success 
  of the roll. For example, you might be attempting to decide if 
  he’s lying. Depending on how well you roll, you might get the 
  following results:
  He seems rather sweaty, despite the chill in the room. 
  Pretty much anybody would notice this.
  He is very stiff when he talks. He’s not making many 
  gestures, he’s not looking you in the eyes, and his posture 
  seems guarded.
  His humor seems forced. He’s scratching behind the ears 
  and looking toward the door, as though he’s about to be 
  rescued or make a quick get-away. He keeps looking at 
  your pistol.
  His breathing has changed, and you detect a change in 
  his heart beat due to the cadence in his voice. He has 
  shifted just slightly, so that the table is positioned more 
  between you.
  As the result for social tells gets higher, the narrator might give 
  you either more information or more useful information.
  Resisting Social Tells
  When a person begins looking for social tells, they are testing 
  the air for information. Other characters might be aware of their 
  social tells and attempt to hide them. As such, they can roll a cun-
  ning resist, which will tier down the player’s result. 
   
  Alternatively, some characters just won’t have social tells. 
  A man who is known for his stoic demeanor may have few noti-
  cable social tells, and he might need a tier 3 or tier 4 to figure out 
  his motives.
  Control Remains with the Character
  The social tell system is designed to help a character convince 
  others or manipulate a social situation. However, the ultimate 
  choice of how to act remains with the adventurers and NPCs. 
  The players are not told directly, “This man is lying,” just like 
  the NPC who is being intimidated is not forced to back down 
  because of a good roll. Their decisions should be made in-line 
  with their character and how they would react to the information 
  received. 
  Social Tells
  Using Social Tells
  Lie Detecting
  resist: Cunning (tiers down)
  When somebody has made a statement that you think isn’t true, 
  you can attempt to detect the lie. You can look for their level of 
  confidence and conviction, how strongly they make the state-
  ment, whether they seem nervous, are looking away, or are ex-
  cessively sweating. When you roll to detect a lie, the target can 
  resist with their own cunning.
  Pacifying & Intimidating
  resist: Spirit (tiers down)
  Attempting to pacify or intimidate a target can cause them to 
  back down, calm down, or suddenly fear you. It’s a great way to 
  get information or to get past a potential obstacle. When you 
  are attempting to pacify a target, you’re trying to find just the 
  right things to say in order to make the target less agressive. 
  Intimidation is similar, but it typically revolves around making 
  the target afraid of you.
   
  Unlike most social tells, the target will typically be re-
  sisting with their spirit attribute, as they are trying to bolster 
  their own resolve to keep on fighting. 
  Provoking
  resist: Cunning (tiers down)
  When you go to provoke somebody, you are trying to elicit a 
  certain type of response. Perhaps you’re attempting to make 
  them angry, to say something they don’t want to say, or even 
  just to laugh. Sometimes you will provoke somebody so that, in 
  the midst of combat, the target will only attack you. 
   
  When you roll for social tells to provoke a person, you’re 
  looking for a way to get your response. If your target is a proper 
  gentleman, you might look for a wedding ring to determine that 
  he’s in a committed marriage and some snide comments about 
  his wife could make him angry. If a guard seems to take great 
  pride in the emblem on his armor, you might make a joke about 
  his organization. 
  
  20
  Chapter 1
  System
  When an opponent is behind a wall, a thick sheet of rain, or an-
  other person, they have cover. 
   
  Cover gives you a bonus on your evade rolls, but can also 
  cover called shot locations and provide hiding places. There are 
  four degrees of cover - poor, light, medium, and heavy. Each de-
  gree of cover grants greater protection.
   
  CaLLeD shot LoCations: When you are behind cover, 
  you can choose certain called shot locations to be covered. For example, if you’re hiding behind a table on its side, the table might 
  count as medium cover and cover all of your called shot locations except your head (which you’re peeking over the table with in order 
  to see your targets), your gun hand, and your arm. 
   
  If you need a called shot location to perform an action, then you can’t hide it behind cover (like if you are using a heavy 
  rifle that requires both hands and arms and your head to see, then you’d have to reveal all 5 of those requisite called shot locations). 
  When you take cover, describe what part of you is hiding and allow you and your narrator to make judgment calls as to if the location 
  is hidden or not (but the ultimate decision is left to the narrator). For example, you might have thought only your head and eyes were 
  exposed, but the enemy saw your foot sticking out and took a shot at it. That’s the narrator’s call, which should be making the game 
  that much more fun. 
  (tier 1)
  Poor
  A post, side-table, or person
  Covers up to 3 called shot locations
  evaDe: +2 on evade rolls
  (tier 2)
  Light
  A bush, couch, or tree
  Covers up to 6 called shot locations
  evaDe: +4 on evade rolls
  (tier 3)
  Medium
  A large tree, barrel, trench, or around the corner
  Covers up to 9 called shot locations
  evaDe: +6 on evade rolls
  (tier 4)
  Heavy
  Around a full wall, ducked behind furniture
  Covers up to 11 called shot locations
  evaDe: +8 on evade rolls
  Total
  No portion of the person visible
  Covers all called shot locations
  evaDe: Cannot be targeted
  Light Cover
  Poor Cover
  Cover
  Soft Cover
  Soft cover is anything that obscures an opponent’s vision but 
  can still be attacked through. For instance, if you’re hiding be-
  hind dense shrubbery, a canvas screen, or behind a sheet, the 
  opponent can still attack you through that soft cover. 
   
  Soft cover causes the opponent to attack you blindly 
  (taking a -4 on the accuracy roll). If the opponent can barely 
  see you (like a shadow of you through the screen), they only 
  take a -2 on the accuracy roll.
   
  This is a double-edged sword: if you can’t accurately 
  tell how they’re attacking you, you suffer the same penalty on 
  your evade roll. 
  
  21
  Chapter 1
  System
  Hiding Spots
  Hiding spots are locations where you can keep yourself hidden 
  from on-lookers. You can use medium, heavy, or total cover as 
  hiding spots (the action of hiding in a hiding spot counts as tak-
  ing total cover). Once you’ve taken your hiding spot, people can 
  roll to notice you or they must search for you.
   
  notiCing: Attempting to “notice” somebody is a pas-
  sive action. When a character notices something, they did so 
  without any real effort, without actively searching for what they 
  noticed. When a person passes near another person’s hiding spot, 
  they both roll cunning (with the hiding person gaining a bonus 
  based on their degree of cover). If the person walking by meets 
  or exceeds the person hiding, they “notice” that there is some-
  body hiding there.
  Medium 
  Cover
  -4 on the cunning roll to hide, as this degree of 
  cover is difficult to hide behind
  Heavy 
  Cover
  No bonus on the cunning roll to hide, as this de-
  gree of cover is a typical hiding spot
  Total 
  Cover
  +4 on the cunning roll to hide, as this degree of 
  cover is ideal for hiding
   
  searChing: Searching is a much more involved process. 
  If someone says “I search behind the rock” and there somebody 
  is hiding behind the rock, they will automatically find that person. 
  The area must be specific (saying that one “searches the room” 
  is not specific enough: they must say that they search behind the 
  curtains and inside the closet).
   
  If somebody is found hiding, both parties may roll prior-
  ity. The winner will get to act first, often times taking the chance 
  to immediately run or get off a surprise attack. 
  Medium Cover
  Heavy Cover
  Taking Total Cover
  Cost: 1 AP (or at the end of a movement)
  For 1 action point or at the end of a move, you can take full cov-
  er behind an object that would normally only grant medium or 
  heavy cover. This is typically the act of ducking down behind the 
  cover or pressing yourself against it. 
   
  Once you’ve taken total cover, you can peek out from 
  behind that cover and return for 0 action points (such as poking 
  your head out from around a corner). Doing so, however, does 
  count as “leaving cover” and allows enemies with ranged weapons 
  to take reflexive attacks against you.
  Melee Attacks versus Cover
  Though cover is a constant concern for ranged attackers, it can 
  be less so for people carrying melee weapons. While a wall can be 
  great for peeking one’s head around, once that person closes in 
  with a saber, that wall isn’t going to be doing much. 
   
  Small objects (such as furniture and vegetation) can 
  provide cover as per normal, but characters will often just move 
  around larger objects (such as larger trees, walls, et cetera). 
  Firing Blindly
  While taking total cover, you can always choose to fire blindly 
  at your opponents. When you fire blindly, you are only reveal-
  ing your hand (the one firing the gun, crossbow, or throwing the 
  weapon) or hands (if you’re using two-handed ranged weapons or 
  a bow). This prevents enemies from targeting your vital locations, 
  as they can now only target your hand(s).
   
  However, you have difficulty aiming at the target while 
  firing blindly. You take a -4 on your accuracy roll against anybody 
  that you shoot (exactly as though you were blind). If you do not 
  know where the enemy is but shoot in the correct direction (at 
  your narrator’s discretion), you’ll suffer a -8 on the accuracy roll. 
  Precipitation & Wind
  Precipitation and wind can provide cover, as both make it more 
  difficult to aim at your target. Your narrator will use his discre-
  tion when determining a cover bonus provided from precipita-
  tion and wind. They can also increase cover; for example, if 
  you’re taking cover behind a barrel (say, medium cover), but it’s 
  also hailing outside, that medium cover can suddenly become 
  heavy cover. 
  
  22
  Chapter 1
  System
  Bleeding
  Any time you’re bleeding, you’re taking hit point damage until 
  your hit points are exhausted, at which point you start taking 
  wounds damage. Normally, bleeding will occur when the victim’s 
  action points refresh and last until stopped. This damage cannot 
  be soaked through normal defenses. Bleeding effects stack with 
  other bleeding effects.
   
  For every 1 action point spent to stop bleeding, 5 bleed 
  damage is negated. These action points must be spent by either 
  the victim or a character adjacent to the victim. 
  Blinded & Poor Vision
  When you’re blinded, in total darkness, or just plain can’t see your 
  opponent, you take a -4 on all accuracy and evade rolls against 
  him. If you’re in low levels of light, fog, or just have something in 
  your eye, you take a -2 on accuracy and evade rolls.
  Burning
  When you are on fire, you will suffer unsoakable damage every 
  turn, and the fire will damage or destroy your equipment. The 
  fire can be put out for a couple action points, depending on the 
  size of the fire. 
  tier 1
  This is a light flame such as as stepping in a camp-
  fire or a explosion’s aftermath. You take 2 unsoakable 
  damage per turn and items in your possession are 
  singed but still functional. 2 action points will put the 
  fire out. 
  tier 2
  This is a large fire, like from standing in a campfire 
  or being lit by an outside source such as a torch. You 
  take 4 unsoakable damage per turn and all wooden, 
  organic, and cloth items in your possession are de-
  stroyed or unuseable. 4 action points will put the fire 
  out.
  tier 3
  This is a fire fueled by outside means, such as oil or an 
  alchemical source. You take 8 unsoakable damage per 
  turn and all leather, cloth, and wooden items in your 
  possession are destroyed or unusable. 8 action points 
  will put out the fire. 
  tier 4
  This a highly intensive fire caused by lava or a full 
  inferno. You take 16 unsoakable damage per turn. All 
  items in your possession, including metal ones, are 
  damaged to a point of being unusable until repaired. 
  16 action points will put out the fire.
  Burnt
  Burns can be painful, debilitating wounds that heal very slowly. 
  General burns make armor uncomfortable to wear and hits harder 
  to soak. For specific call shot burns, consider giving equal penal-
  ties to abilities when using the burned body located. 
   
  As an example, burned hands might make climbing 
  or crafting intricate trinkets very difficult, where as burned feet 
  could cause a player trouble when attempting fancy footwork or 
  long treks across the country.
  tier 1
  You have minor burns on his body that make all in-
  coming attack sting just a little bit more. You suffer a 
  -1 to all defense rolls. 
  tier 2
  You have several 1st degree burns that make defend-
  ing difficult. You suffer a -3 to all defense rolls. 
  tier 3
  You have major 2nd degree burns that hurt when you 
  even move. You suffer a -5 to all defense rolls. 
  tier 4
  You’ve been burned incredibly badly. Several are 3rd 
  degree burns, making it almost impossible to take a 
  hit. You suffur a -7 to all defense rolls. 
  Deafened
  While deafened, you suffer a -2 on evade rolls. You also take that 
  -2 on any roll that requires listening, speaking, or performing a 
  sound-based action.  
  Disoriented
  When you’re disoriented, you have a hard time getting about. You 
  lose one action point per turn that you are disoriented. You can 
  re-orientate yourself by spending 3 action points.
  Drowning
  When you run out of air, make a brute roll for each turn until you 
  once again have air. The target tier for this roll begins at tier 2 and 
  increases each turn until you fail, at which case you’re knocked 
  out. You die within three turns of falling unconscious if you’re 
  not rescued.  
  Enraged
  Rage drives a person to act with one goal in mind: to destroy 
  whatever is making them angry. As such, when you are enraged 
  you suffer a -2 to all rolls when doing anything other then at-
  tacking whatever enraged you. You gain a +2 accuracy and strike 
  when attacking the object of your rage. You may spend 2 action 
  points at any time to clear your head and calm down, removing 
  your rage.
  Fatigued
  When you’re fatigued, your maximum hit points are reduced by 
  one half, rounded down. Thus, if you normally have 17 hit points 
  but start a battle fatigued, you’ll start the fight with 8 hit points.
  Status Effects
  
  23
  Chapter 1
  System
  Fear
  Fear comes in many forms and is caused by many things. It is 
  an emotion of power that causes nations and heroes to both rise 
  and fall. Fear is one of the most basic and powerful emotion in 
  the universe, as there are few who truly ever overcome it and even 
  fewer who are without it. At any point you may spend 1 reflex-
  ive action point to attempt to overcome fear. A strong willpower 
  always overcomes fear and as such you may always use a spirit 
  to resist or overcome fear. Lastly, fear only lasts until your next 
  downtime.  
  tier 1
  Being scared by someone or of something is the most 
  basic form of fear. This is the form of fear that comes 
  from being intimidated by the object of fear. When 
  you are scared you receive a -2 to all resist rolls. This 
  penalty increases to a -4 when rolling against the 
  source of your fear. 
  tier 2
  Fright has the ability to cause doubt in even the stron-
  gest and most skilled people. It consumes them and 
  makes them act irrationally which opens them for 
  mistakes. When Frightened you suffer a -2 to all rolls. 
  This penalty increases to a -4 when rolling against the 
  source of your fear.
  tier 3
  When you are terrified you body has only one re-
  sponse: put as much distance between you and the 
  object of your fear as possible. When you are terri-
  fied, you suffer a -2 to all rolls (-4 against your fear’s 
  source) and must spend at least 1 action point per turn 
  moving away from the object of your fear. In addition, 
  you may not move toward the object of your fear until 
  you are no longer terrified.
  tier 4
  True dread is sometimes referred to as crippling fear. 
  It gets this reputation because those unfortunate 
  enough to have experienced true dread had their basic 
  rights as a sentient creature stripped from them: the 
  ability to act. When you are experiencing true dread, 
  you suffer a -4 to all rolls (-6 against your fear’s source) 
  and may not do anything except when attempting to 
  overcome fear (and you can spend one action point at 
  a time to re-roll your resist against this effect).  
  Nausea
  You’ve become sick to your stomach and cannot focus until it’s 
  been dealt with. You receive a -2 to all rolls until 3 action points 
  have been spent emptying your stomache.
  Paralyzed
  A paralyzed person is helpless for several turns, minutes, hours, or 
  days. If paralyzed, a person cannot fight back. Any damage dealt 
  to them goes straight into wounds. They cannot move, talk, or 
  take any other actions (unless specified otherwise). 
  Prone
  If you’re prone, you’re low to the ground. It requires 1 action 
  point to stand from prone, which causes you to flinch (and thus 
  draw reflexes). While prone, your move speed is cut down to 5 
  feet. You take a -1 on all combat rolls (accuracy, evade, strike, and 
  defense) while prone. If you’re grabbed while prone, you cannot 
  stand up until you break the grab.
  Stunned
  When somebody is stunned, they lose an indicated amount of ac-
  tion points from their immediate pool.  If somebody is stunned for 
  1 action point, they lose the first available action point they have. 
  If somebody is stunned for more action points than they have per 
  turn, they cannot act until they have action points again.
   
  A stunned character is still aware of their environment 
  and can evade and resist attacks, and is therefore not helpless.
  Battlefield 
  Modifiers
  Falling
  You take 1 wounds damage per 20 feet that you fall. For every tier 
  result over tier 1 you receive on a dexterity roll, you may ignore 2 
  wounds damage. (Thus, a tier 2 dexterity roll would result in ig-
  noring the first 40 feet of falling damage, and a tier 3 result would 
  ignore the first 80 feet.) For every 2 wounds damage that you take 
  from falling, you roll once on the wounds random effects chart.
  Rough Terrain
  Rough terrain can be found anywhere, Sometimes it is a mere 
  inconvenience, slowing you down a notch or giving you uneven 
  footing. Other times it can be virtually impassable, making you 
  nearly crawl to get anywhere.
  Minor
  You take a -5 to your speed.
  Examples: A rocking boat, a light forest
  Unsteady
  You take a -10 to your speed.
  Examples: A forest, rocky terrain, snow
  Difficult
  You take a -15 to your speed.
  Examples: A swamp, a snowy mountain
  Impossible You take a -20 to your speed.
  Examples: A dense jungle, ancient rubble
  Note: No matter how dense or how many penalties you have to 
  speed, you can always crawl at a 5 feet movement.
  
  24
  Chapter 3
  Character Creation
  CharaCter 
  Creation
  Chapter 2
  
  25
  Chapter 2
  Character Creation
  1   Race & Nationality           
  The absolute foundation of your character is the race. As a char-
  acter in Tephra, you may choose from the following races: hu-
  man, ayodin, elf, farishtaa, gnome, or satyr. You can look up the 
  races in Chapter 3 - raCes. Once you select a race, your character 
  will gain their racial traits. 
   
  You will roll your twelve-sided die to determine which 
  random racial trait you receive. Racial traits are background traits 
  that you obtained growing up as that race. It might be a natu-
  ral-born talent or have been caused because of something that 
  happened to you, and that’s something nobody has control over. 
  Thus, it’s random.
   
  You may also choose your nationality. Nationalities can 
  be found in Chapter 4 - Context. You can choose from Evangles-
  sian (the most common), Dalvozzean, Izedan, Paldoran, or Zel 
  Haud. After choosing your nationality, you can select a couple 
  nationality stories that work for your character. 
  Note to the Narrator:
  c Choosing Traits c
  If you’d like, you can allow your players to choose their 
  no-longer-random traits. You could also allow players to 
  re-roll their random trait if it really does not work with 
  their character concept.
   
  Just be careful of allowing this. Don’t be too sur-
  prised when suddenly everyone in your party has their fa-
  vorite traits. You, of course, have the final say on any of 
  their selections, so use that control as necessary. 
  2   Skills                
  Skills represent your training and talents. Each skill is grouped 
  under an attribute. Choose one skill: that is your primary skill at 
  first level, and it gets 3 points (which means that you’ll get a +3 
  when rolling that skill). Then, choose two more skills. These are 
  your secondary skills, and each of them gets 2 points. Finally, 
  select three more skills, giving each 1 point. 
  Many consider making the character to be almost more fun that actually playing the game. The Clockwork 
  System uses a fast and easy way of character creation with the hardest part left entirely up to you: 
  figuring out exactly what you want your character to be.
   
  You’ll need a character sheet, a twelve-sided die, 
  and a pencil. You can find character sheets in the 
  back of this book or at our website, CrackedMono-
  cle.com. If you don’t have a character sheet handy, 
  no worries - you should be able to get this done 
  without one. (The character sheet just organizes the 
  character and makes it easier.) Now that we’re ready, 
  let’s get started. 
  In Brief         
  Though we’ll explain everything in full in just one moment, we’ll 
  start with a brief overview for returning players or new players 
  who want to get the gist of what they’re doing.
  1 - raCe & nationaLity c
  Choose your race and nationality. You receive the racial traits for 
  it, and then roll on the random racial traits chart. 
  2 - skiLLs c
  You may place 3 points in one skill, 2 points in two skills, and 1 
  point in 3 skills. These cannot stack (as in, be placed in the same 
  skills).
  3 - attriButes c
  Add up the skills under the attribute in order to determine the 
  attribute bonus. 
  4 - speCiaLties c
  Choose three specialties. They must come from skills that you 
  have placed points in, unless they are general specialties. Re-
  member to write down your combat statistics derived from those 
  specialties. 
  5 - augments c
  If you received any augments from your specialties, choose your 
  augments.
  6 - weapons & armor c
  Choose your weapons and armor.
  7 - gear c
  Choose your gear. You may have any gear you want from the Start-
  ing Gear selection, within reason. You also receive 10 princes. 
  8 - DeriveD statistiCs c
  Now that everything is chosen, fill in the rest of your character 
  sheet, including priority, speed (based on your race), and action 
  points (3 at first level).
  9 - BaCkgrounD stories c
  If your narrator is allowing you to, choose stories according to 
  their guidelines. For most characters, you may choose 1 back-
  ground story. 
  10 - Finishings c
  If you haven’t yet done so, choose a name, flavor your character, 
  give them a personality, and call it a day. 
  Making a Character
  
  26
  Chapter 3
  Character Creation
  So the rule is simple: 3 points 
  in one skill, 2 point in two 
  skills, and 1 point in three 
  skills. You cannot place these 
  points in the same skill - 
  therefore, at first level, you’ll 
  be placing points in a total of 
  six skills. 
   
  You can choose skills 
  from one attribute or multiple 
  attributes. The more points 
  you have in one attribute, the 
  greater that attribute is going 
  to be. On the other hand, if 
  you’re more spread out, you’ll 
  be better at doing multiple 
  things. 
  3   Attributes
  Where skills are the sprinkles 
  on your sundae, attributes are 
  the ice cream. You can de-
  termine your attributes very 
  easily - simply add up all of 
  the skills under an attribute, 
  and that’s your attribute score. 
  Done!
  4   Specialties                         
  Now that you’ve placed your skills and 
  attributes, you can choose your special-
  ties. You choose three specialties at first 
  level, and you will gain one specialty ev-
  ery level thereafter.
   Specialties are character defining abil-
  ities, allowing you to do amazing things. 
  Specialties are found under skills. If you 
  want an agility specialty, for example, 
  you flip to the Agility page and peruse 
  those specialties.
   You can only choose a specialty if you 
  have at least one point in the skill that 
  the specialty falls under, so your best bet 
  to find fitting specialties is to look under 
  the skills that you have points in - the 
  more points you have in a skill, the better you’re going to be at 
  using your specialties that come from that skill.
   
  speCiaLty Bonuses: Each specialty has a couple bo-
  nuses, or “combat statistics,” that it rewards the player with. When 
  you take a specialty, mark down on the back of your character 
  sheet any bonuses that the specialty grants you.
  5   Augments
  If you have any augments from your specialties, go ahead and 
  select them now.
   
  Everytime a specialty grants you an augment, you get 
  to choose an augment under a sciences skill (such as Alchemy, 
  Armsmith, Engineer, and Gadgetry) that you have points in and 
  learn it. Once you’ve learned the augment, you can craft it into 
  an item at any time. You may choose an augment regardless of 
  the amount of slots it takes up. To learn more about crafting and 
  augments, turn to Chapter 10 - sCienCes.
  6   Weapons & Armors
  You now get to choose your weapons. Weapons are largely chosen 
  based on their size and damage class. If you’d like a one-handed 
  sword, go for a medium melee weapon. If you’d like an elephant 
  gun, go for a heavy rifle. Each size deals a set amount of damage. 
  Weapons, found in Chapter 5 - gear, fully explains your options. 
   
  Your accuracy and strike are determined by bonuses 
  from your specialties. If the weapon has anything special about 
  it, feel free to put that in the Notes section. You can name your 
  weapon whatever you want, from “sword” to “meat cleaver” to 
  “Lord Hazard’s Razor-Edged Lance of Destruction,” if that’s 
  what you get kicks out of.
   
  Now select your armor. Just like with weapons, armor 
  comes in light, medium, and heavy categories. Your evade and 
  defense are determined by bonuses from your specialties. There’s 
  a page for armor and shields right after where you chose your 
  weapons.
  7   Gear    
  You’re almost finished, so now you get a reward: you get to go 
  shopping! For a beginning character, you may select anything 
  from the Starting Gear list in Chapter 5 - gear. There is no stiff 
  limit on how much gear you can have when you begin. Instead, 
  just select what you feel your character would be carrying on 
  them. Of course, we assume that you’ll be logical and not try to 
  carry ten tents on your person. 
   
  Once you’ve selected your equipment, go ahead and give 
  yourself 10 princes (as pocket cash).
  Note to the Narrator:
  c Altering Starting Cash c
  You are more than welcome to give the players more or 
  less to start off with. Many narrators will start characters 
  with no pocket cash and little more than a revolver with 
  the six rounds in the chamber. Or, if you’d like, you can 
  give them mansions full of equipment and call them rich 
  nobles. It’s your saga - feel free to re-write it. 
  8   Derived Statistics    
  Finish filling in the statistics for your character sheet. 
  You have 3 action points (AP) at first level. 
  Your speed is based on your race’s normal speed (generally 
  25 feet) plus any bonuses from your specialties. 
  Your priority is based on bonuses granted from specialties. 
  Unless you race says otherwise, you’ll start off with 12 
  wounds.
  Your hit points are entirely determined from your specialty-
  granted combat statistics.
   
  speCiaLty Bonuses
  Acc:
  Accuracy
  Eva:
  Evade
  Stk:
  Strike
  Def:
  Defense
  Pri:
  Priority
  Spd:
  Speed
  Aug:
  Augment
  DIY:
  Do-it-Yourself
  Wnd: Wound
  HP:
  Hit Points
  skiLL
  attriBute
  Brawl
  Frenzy
  Overpower
  Resilience
  Brute
  Espionage
  Expertise
  Showmanship
  Tactical
  Cunning
  Ace
  Agility
  Marksmanship
  Swashbuckling
  Dexterity
  Faith
  Grace
  Luck
  Shamanism
  Spirit
  Alchemy
  Armsmith
  Automata
  Bio-Flux
  Engineer
  Gadgetry
  Sciences
  
  27
  Chapter 2
  Character Creation
  Leveling Up
  Retrofitting
  Sometimes you’ll build a character but later decide that a specialty 
  you chose just isn’t something you use. You may also run into that 
  problem with augments or other aspects of your character. When 
  this happens, you feel the need to retrofit your character.
   
  retroFitting speCiaLties: You may retrofit one specialty 
  every time you gain an action point (thus, at levels 4, 8, and 12). 
  You may delete one specialty and gain a new one. However, that 
  new specialty must fall in the same attribute as the previous spe-
  cialty.
   
  retroFitting augments: You may retrofit one augment 
  every time you learn a new augment. However, the replacement 
  must come from the same skill as the one being replaced. 
  There are twelve levels a character can progress through, and it 
  takes twelve experience points to level. Once a person has that 
  twelfth experience point, the character goes to the next level. It’s 
  just like a clock. 
   
  At every level after first, your skills go up and you gain a 
  specialty. Leveling up is pretty easy - just use this list: 
  Place 2 points in any 1 skill
  Place 1 point in any 2 other skills
  Add the skills grouped under an attribute to determine 
  your new attribute score
  Learn 1 new specialty
  Apply that specialty’s granted bonuses
  aCtion point inCrease: If you’re reaching 4th, 8th, or 12th 
  level, your action points per turn increase by 1
  Level 1
  3 AP
  Level 4
  4 AP
  Level 8
  5 AP
  Level 12
  6 AP
  Note to the Narrator:
  c Further Retrofitting c
  While we generally don’t encourage it, players may sometimes 
  ask to retrofit a character outside of our listed rules. To what 
  extent that they do so is up to you, and you have full control 
  over any retrofitting they do. If they can make a valid case for 
  the retrofitting, let them - let’s face it, nobody wants to play a 
  character they don’t like.
   
  Just try not to let them completely destroy or rear-
  range their character concept. 
  9   Stories
  Later in Chapter 4 - Context, you’ll find a number of back-
  ground stories. These “stories” are bits and pieces of your char-
  acter’s background that have left an effect on your character. We 
  encourage you to choose a background story when you first cre-
  ate your character. 
  10   The Tasty Stuff
  Now it’s up to you to figure out all of the important roleplay-
  ing aspects of your character. Choose your character’s name, how 
  your character looks and acts, how they carry themselves, and 
  what matters in their life. Give your character a personality and 
  let your new character really come to life! 
  At the discretion of your narrator, you and 
  your fellow adventurers can create your 
  characters at higher experience levels. Per-
  haps you’re all playing highly experienced 
  government agents or even heroes of leg-
  end. When building a character at a level 
  higher than 1st level, build your character at 
  1st level as per normal and then level them 
  up once at a time. (This same system is used 
  when you rise multiple levels at a time.) As 
  a higher level character, you’ll start out with 
  a little more pocket money, as per the chart 
  to the right.
  starting prinCes 
  By LeveL
  1
  10 princes
  2
  18 princes
  3
  32 princes
  4
  58 princes
  5
  105 princes
  6
  190 princes
  7
  340 princes
  8
  615 princes
  9
  1,100 princes
  10
  2,000 princes
  11
  3,570 princes
  12
  6,425 princes
  Starting at a 
  Higher Level
  
  28
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Though humans have prospered and their metropolises dot the landscape across Tephra, there are five other known 
  races (though one has been bio-engineered and another is a forced evolution). With the tiny yet spiritually powerful 
  gnomes, the bio-engineered and rambunctious satyrs, the aquatic demons known as the ayodin, the powerful and 
  noble elves, or the elves with rebuilt souls known as farishtaas, humans have a long ways to go before they’re truly 
  the dominant species. 
  Gnome
  Satyr
  Ayodin
  Human
  Elf
  Farishtaa
  Races
  Chapter 3
  Racial Traits
  Every race has a handful of racial traits. When you choose your 
  race, you gain those racial traits. You also get to randomly  de-
  termine a unique racial trait. Roll your die. The number is ap-
  plied to the Random Racial Traits chart. 
  
  29
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Humans have spread quickly across the continent, originally as the powerful Haudi Empire, now as Evangless and 
  the many other human nations. Humans have set the standard on development and industry, and their touch can 
  be found in every corner of Tephra. 
   
  Long ago, the Haudi Empire rose quickly, conquering all known lands and enslaving the other races. The 
  Haudi Empire remained stable for several centuries and made much progress during its time. They enslaved the 
  gentle and mysterious gnomes, and, with their help, bio-engineered numerous creatures, the most successful of 
  which being the satyrs - a goat-legged people who would soon become a race in their own right.
   
  But the Haudi Empire did not last. Now the Hauds are segmented across the continent, most still claiming 
  loyalty to their Empress. But the sun has faded on their 
  once overwhelming might. 
   
  In the past century, Evangless has risen to prom-
  inence. With the help of their legendary founder, Velkya, 
  Evangless pioneered the steam engine and raised the first 
  modern metropolises. Though it’s doubted that they’ll 
  ever reach the breadth of the Haudi Empire, Evangless 
  spans the width of the continent, reaching from the west 
  coast to the east.
   
  While humans are transitioning, they are also 
  quickly learning. Following the recent Hurricane Wars 
  with the underwater ayodins, the humans have learned 
  the trick to true flight and taken to the skies. 
   
  While human society is thriving, it is doing so at 
  a price. The metropolises of humanity are surrounded 
  by the pollution of the so-called “cities of ash” where 
  industry has taken over. Abundance is the name of the 
  age, and technology is growing every day. And humans 
  will do everything they can to stay at the forefront of it 
  all. 
  Random Racial Traits
  1
  aCCustomeD to the Dark: Fighting in dark conditions 
  doesn’t frustrate you as much as others. You take no penal-
  ties for fighting in poor lighting conditions. Blindness and 
  other environmental circumstances affect you normally.  
  2
  aDaptaBLe: Extreme environments barely bother you. You 
  take no penalties for extreme heat, cold, humidity, or other 
  such environmental effects due to your surrounding area. 
  (But if you’re hit by a glob of lava, it still hurts you nor-
  mally.) 
  3
  easiLy reorienteD: Always keeping a level head, you can 
  easily regain your bearings when disoriented. If you are 
  disoriented, you may spend 1 AP to reorient yourself rather 
  than the normal 3 AP.
  4
  emotionaLLy Driven: Your loyalty, your rage, your passion: 
  these emotions will pull you through your worst moments. 
  When a friend is endangered, you cannot begin a battle 
  fatigued.  
  5
  great height: You are taller than other humans, giving you 
  more power behind your attacks. You gain a +2 to strike. 
  6
  harDy & stout: People know that it’s going to take a lot to 
  take you down. You have 6 extra hit points. 
  7
  momentum: Even in the seemingly calm moments, your 
  blood never stops boiling. When you know you are about to 
  take part in a battle, you gain a +5 on your priority. (You do 
  not gain this bonus when ambushed.)
  8
  monkey’s unCLe: Evolutionists claim that humankind de-
  scended from apes, and you do nothing to prove them 
  wrong. Your climb speed increases by 10 feet.
  9
  perCeptive: You are quick to notice your environment. 
  Whenever rolling cunning to notice something, add a +4 
  on to your result. 
  10 QuiCk Feet: You’re fast… really fast. Your movement speed 
  across land is 35 feet instead of 25 feet. 
  11
  reaCtionary: You can quickly assess and react to a situ-
  ation. You gain a +3 on all priority rolls, even when taken 
  off-guard.
  12
  ruCkus rowser: You raise people up, exciting them. Some-
  times that’s good, sometimes that’s bad. You gain a +4 
  bonus on cunning rolls when attempting to intimidate or 
  provoke a person.
  Humans
  traits oF a human              
  speeD: You have the average 25 foot movement speed. You 
  have a swim speed of 15 feet and a climbing speed of 15 
  feet.
  Choose any two oF the FoLLowing
  FavoreD attriBute: Choose one attribute. Whenever you 
  roll a 1 with that attribute, you may add your bonuses to 
  the attribute. (This does not apply to the skills under that 
  attribute.)
  innovative: You gain +1 DIY and +2 augments. (You 
  should only choose this option if you are starting off with 
  a craft.)
  peerLess: Normally, the aggressor or instigator wins on all 
  ties. You, however, always win on tied rolls.
  reLentLess: You start with three more hit points. With 
  every specialty you take, you gain 1 more hit point. 
  
  30
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Physiology
  The ayodin often look tiny and frail to humans, 
  who stand on average half a foot taller than them.
  They are long and sleek-bodied, with legs and 
  arms that extend further than a human’s would. 
  Ayodin’s nail-less fingers and toes are quite long, 
  and some ayodin have toxins that run through 
  their fingertips that are not unlike those of jel-
  lyfish.
  Seafarers have long been aware of the ocean-dwelling ayodin, with ancient myths and superstitious rituals sur-
  rounding them. On occassion, merchant ships would barter and trade with a rare ayodin tribe, but it was an un-
  usual occassion when many ayodin would make themselves known to the surface dwellers. Around a century ago, 
  however, ayodin began surfacing more and more. The people of the surface learned how the tribes 
  had begun to form nations, and then empires, deep under the waves. The unusual technologies 
  of the deep mixed with the flames and metals of the land, and both peoples prospered. Yet 
  something went awry, and the ayodin pulled back into the seas. 
   Seventeen years ago, in 826, a nation of ayodin rose from the Maselos Sea along the 
  eastern coast of Evangless. Millions of ayodin left their oceanic homes, fleeing to 
  the inland seas, and warning the Evanglessians and other surface nations of 
  an incoming threat. The Ayodin Exodus, as it would become known, was 
  the only warning the world had before the Hurricane Wars began.
   
  The ayodin who left the ocean became known as the 
  freshwater ayodin, a people who left the empires of the 
  deep out of fear. They were opposed to the inva-
  sion that the other ayodin were plotting against 
  the surface, and so they departed. On land, they 
  traded technologies with the surface peoples, 
  and, for that trade, were given territory.
   The oceanic ayodin attacked, razing coastal 
  cities and claiming thousands of lives in the 
  first weeks of the Hurricane Wars. These wars 
  ended maritime shipping, and it was all the 
  freshwater ayodin could do to keep their oce-
  anic brethren from attacking up-river. 
   It took eleven years for the Hurricane Wars 
  to draw to a close, though some persist that 
  they’ve never truly ended. Today, many 
  freshwater ayodin call Evangless and the 
  other surface nations home, though they 
  are deeply separated from the other citi-
  zens. There is a deep divide in the ayodin 
  people, as the ayodin are the most feared, 
  demonized race in all of Tephra. They are 
  a stalwart, calm, and powerful people - and 
  for all of those reasons, often they are the 
  most deadly.
  [ey-YO-den]
  Ayodin
  
  31
  Chapter 3
  Races
   
  The most immediately noticeable feature, their wings, 
  extend from their mid-back and shoulderblades upward. On land, 
  these look like folded-in batwings. Underwater, however, they ex-
  tend outwards, behind them, and between each of their wing’s 
  filanges is a thin, colorful membrane often compared with that of 
  a jellyfish. These wing-fins are very strong and deceptively light. 
  Ayodin can support their bodies on their wings if they so choose. 
  Fully extended, an ayodin can bring its height up to over ten feet 
  tall. 
   
  Their faces are much like that of other races, and they 
  can breath air as any other people. Small fins surround their faces, 
  and these fins will stand up or lie back depending on their mood. 
  Psychologists have noted how the ayodin keep their faces almost 
  frighteningly passive, while their facial fins make them the most 
  expressive race in the world (if you know how to read the signs). 
   
  Ayodin come in a miraculous spectrum of colors. The 
  freshwater ayodin are typically more mellow toned, with lighter 
  hues of blue and sea-green, colors that blend in well to the wa-
  ter. The deeper, oceanic ayodin are often more brightly colored, 
  with orange stripes, black skin, green spots, or any other colors 
  imaginable. Ayodin historians claim that color-evolution happens 
  quickly among the ayodin people, with the skin color of grand-
  parents looking nothing like that of their grandchildren. 
   
  Ayodin have gills on the underside of their ribcage. Due 
  to discomfort, they rarely cover these gills, so their clothes tend to 
  be shaped like harnesses or cover only their upper torso, leaving 
  their abdomens exposed. 
   
  LiFespans: Ayodin live just slightly longer than humans, 
  occassionally living as long as a full century. They reach maturity 
  a little sooner as well, with most ayodin being considered adults 
  by they time they’re just past ten years old. 
  Psychology
  Ayodin are renowned for their calm, their willingness to let things 
  happen and then react. They let themselves get pushed, and then 
  push back tenfold. These reactions cause people to reconsider 
  their initial impressions of the “mild-mannered” ayodin.
   
  Ayodin are very soft-spoken, having lived their lives un-
  derwater where the sound carries easier. Ayodin who have lived 
  on land for quite some time adjust their voices to match those 
  around them, but most ayodin will still speak quietly. Ayodin are 
  rarely talkers, and instead are a people of action. To them, un-
  necessary communication is just that: unnecessary. 
   
  The vast majority of ayodin live underwater. Their hab-
  itats range greatly, from coral reefs to island-sides to the dark 
  depths. Ayodin grow to prefer one style of water over others, be 
  it saline or fresh, high pressure or low, lit or dark. Ayodin that live 
  on land always live near the coast or on a river. 
   
  Ayodin have mixed relations with every race. Many ayo-
  din nations have declared war against ships in their territories, 
  and these underwater nations are nearly impossible for cartogra-
  phers to map out. This causes some major problems for shippers, 
  and every race has run into issues with territorial ayodins. 
   
  Ayodin can find kinship and differences with all of the 
  races. They get along well with gnomes (who they left largely 
  unscathed during the Hurricane Wars) and, surprisingly, Hauds. 
  Since the Hurricane Wars, relations between the oceanic ayodin 
  and Zelhost have openly blossomed, as each people find the other 
  equally respectful. Ayodin will tolerate satyrs, but they have the 
  most personality clashes.
  Roleplaying Tips
  There are a couple key things to remember when roleplaying an 
  ayodin. Foremost, ayodin are quieter than other races. This can 
  be difficult in some groups, but try talking a lot and not caring if 
  you’re disregarded. Eventually, the rest of the group will clue in 
  and start listening. People instinctively want to listen to a person 
  who’s not talking loudly. And don’t be afraid to be a little creepy.
   
  Yet, while you’re soft-spoken, remember to return any 
  abuse you take. Ayodin may seem calm (and they are), but they’re 
  calm in that “C’mon, keep on pushing, I dare you” sort-of-way. 
  When nobody expects it, push back.
   
  You are from the ocean, so your views on things may 
  be a little alien. Feel free to play with this if you’re fresh out of 
  the sea - maybe you don’t recognize some metals, or you’re still 
  largely unfamiliar with the concepts of open flame. Ayodin will 
  also be territorial of bodies of water, so have some fun with that.
  p Sample Adventurers M
  Below are three ayodin adventurers that you can use as inspira-
  tion when creating your own.
  Frost
  Frost grew up in a small lake-side village in Evangless, where he 
  spent most of his time trading with nearby Evanglessian estab-
  lishments. He was quick to pick up the language, as well as a 
  couple others from traveling merchants, and became his village’s 
  spokesperson. He became quite familiar with currency and en-
  listed to become his village’s Trust representative. One summer, 
  a chemical company up-river started dumping its wastes into the 
  water supply, and many things went sour for Frost’s village. He 
  found little that he could do, and - upset - took matters into his 
  own hands. After breaking into the company and sabotaging their 
  operations, it was all Frost could do to escape with his life.
  Excerpt from the 842 Census
  20 Most Common Male Names
  Seath, Kova, Awuli, Holshin, Vasha, Zilya, 
  Caradoq, Shiyal, Eiran, Gwydion, Iyoan, Myrd-
  din, Meris, Kye, Frost, Roqui, Merkhan, Krovi, 
  Quadan, Broj
  20 Most Common Female Names
  Tetra, Celebes, Gilkoroh, Angel, Molli, Ziema, 
  Brina, Geadal, Coral, Kemara, Ira, Akacia, Calan-
  tha, Delphine, Krysanthe, Linnea, Xeni, Thal-
  assa, Cliyona, Winter
  G
  Note: This pool of names was taken from fresh-
  water ayodin. Though no official data has been 
  collected, oceanic ayodin names tend to be 
  more unusual and include syllables difficult for 
  other tephrans to pronounce. There has been 
  a trend among freshwater ayodin in combin-
  ing their ancestral names with common human 
  names they live near.
  
  32
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Path of  Gilkoroh
  Saint Gilkoroh was a righteous ayodin woman who spent her 
  life doing good works and reaching out to unite the warring 
  ayodin clans with the the surface world. In her prime, she 
  was known as a resolute warrior who safeguarded those she 
  swam with. Among the speakers of  Harabe Mavi, she was 
  well respected. Leading up to the Hurricane Wars, Gilkoroh 
  spoke out against the planned invasion of  the surface. She 
  was found, dead and battered, months before the Hurricane 
  Wars would begin.
   
  Her martyrdom led to a fracturing of  Harabe Mavi, 
  and those who followed her became known as the Path of 
  Gilkoroh. Some touted that Gilkoroh was the avatar of  Aeon, 
  the traditional moon goddess of  Harabe Mavi. It was the fol-
  lowers of  the Path and their kin that exiled themselves and 
  became the freshwater ayodin. 
   
  Followers of  the Path believe that everyone should 
  have a fair chance at protecting themselves in time of  cri-
  sis. Though many in the Path are pacifists, others believe 
  that the Path simply requires a warning against aggression. 
  For example, assassins who believe in her teachings carry an 
  extra weapon on them for their prey, so as to give them an 
  oppurtunity to protect themselves for fear that Gilkoroh or 
  her ethereal servants, called Korohs, will smite them for their 
  misdeeds.
   
  Now Frost makes his living doing side-work, scams, 
  and using his knowledge of the Evanglessian monetary system 
  to make his own living. His run in with the chemical company 
  taught him a lot about the thrill and anxiety of breaking the law, 
  and its an addiction he fears he might soon bend to.
   
  Frost would probably have the following specialties: 
  Distract (under Showmanship), Distracting Attack (under Espio-
  nage), and Weak Point (under Expertise).
  Roiza Stormwings
  Roiza was in one of the few ayodin clans to migrate north into 
  Dalvozzea, the nation of elves and farishtaas. She grew up in the 
  seedier side of Daion (Dalvozzea’s capital) until she was hired as 
  a mercenary for a farishtaa noble. She served him for years and 
  eventually gained his personal interest. The farishtaa took Roiza 
  flying with him in his collection of ironbirds, and Roiza fell in 
  love with the sensation immediately.
   
  Though Roiza would eventually leave the employ of the 
  farishtaa, she hadn’t yet had enough of flying. She’s now an ad-
  venturer for hire, known for her skill in the air and on the ground. 
  She’s used to being surrounded by creatures much bigger and 
  stronger than her (having grown up among elves), and has the 
  personality to back it up.
   
  Roiza Stormwings would probably have the following 
  specialties: Free Movement (under Agility), Driving with Knees 
  (under Ace), and Fight Anywhere (under Swashbuckling).
  Vish’qua
  Vish’qua is a tough oceanic ayodin who has only recently come to 
  the surface. Though he’s a bit young to have fought in the Hur-
  ricane Wars, he knew quite a few people who did, and he lost his 
  father in the war with Tordryon to the north. While he doesn’t 
  respect most of the surface dwellers, his mother and sister fled 
  to the surface near the end of the war. Now he follows, searching 
  for them. 
   
  He came brashly, and he probably would not have sur-
  vived without the care of some freshwater ayodin (aid which he 
  begrudgingly took). After regaining his strength, he left them to 
  start searching, but has few clues to lead him forward.
   
  Vish’qua would probably have the following special-
  ties: Merciless (under Frenzy), Parting Waves (under Grace), and 
  Thick Skin (under Resilience).
  p Sample NPCs M
  Below are three ayodin non-player characters (NPCs) that a group 
  of adventurers might run into on their travels.
  Ambra No-Fins
  After the Hurricane Wars, many oceanic ayodin came to Aldamiir, 
  looking for a new home. They claim that they were cast out of 
  their homeland and told to join their cowardly freshwater breth-
  ren on the shore. One of them, Ambra, had her fins torturously 
  stripped of her before being exiled, and now works as fishmon-
  ger in the lower districts of Aldamiir. She’s a strong woman, and 
  many believe that she was a warrior during the wars. Today she 
  makes little and is treated poorly, but what she does make she 
  saves, hoping one day to have enough that she can find some way 
  of regaining both her wing-fins and her pride.
  Ayodin Religions
  Though the ayodin believe in many things, and to classify 
  any small sampling as “ayodin religions” would be a disser-
  vice to the numerous beliefs found underwater, there are a 
  couple religions that are well known to the surface dwellers. 
  The two most prevalent are Harabe Mavi and the followers 
  of  Saint Gilkoroh.
  Harabe Mavi
  The traditional faith amongst many ayodin, those who be-
  lieve in Harabe Mavi believe that in ancient times ayodin 
  lived on the surface with other, now-extinct races. While the 
  ayodin were a righteous people, the other races were sin-
  ful and murderous. Aeon, the moon goddess, saw how the 
  other races preyed upon the proud ayodin. In retribution, 
  Aeon crashed the moon into Tephra, wiping out all life on the 
  surface. To protect the ayodin, she gave them fins and gills 
  so they could swim to the ocean’s deepest depths in order 
  to avoid the blast. Modern members of  Harabe Mavi believe 
  the surface belongs to the ayodin, since it was theirs until the 
  moon’s impact forced them into the water.
   
  In many ways, Harabe Mavi is considered ancient 
  lore in ayodin culture more than it is a religion. So many take 
  it for fact that it is rarely debated as a tenent of  belief  and is 
  instead left to historians to understand it. 
   
  Harabe Mavi was one of  the leading factors in de-
  claring war upon the surface, which is why so many on the 
  surface know of  the religion. 
  
  33
  Chapter 3
  Races
  traits oF an ayoDin              
  amphiBious: You can breath both on land and in water.
  speeD: You have the average 25 foot movement speed. You 
  have a swim speed of 35 feet, and a climbing speed of 15 
  feet.
  versatiLe wing-Fins: Your wing-fins grant you a limber-
  ness to movement that few other races can cope with. You 
  gain a +1 on evade rolls.
  Random Racial Traits
  1
  BLinDsense: You have developed a limited sense of echo-
  location. You can see with your ears just as well as you see 
  with your eyes. As long as you aren’t deafened, you can see 
  regardless of lighting conditions. 
  2
  Born in the seas: None are as comfortable as you are while 
  swimming. Your swimming speed increases by 10 feet.
  3
  BuiLt-in BuLwark: You’ve become accustomed to defend-
  ing against attacks through superior use of your fins. Your 
  fins can act as shields (allowing you to use them for deflec-
  tions).
  4
  expressive FLair: Your facial fins lend themselves to your 
  expressions, giving you an exuberance and range of ex-
  pressions that few can match. You gain a +3 on cunning 
  rolls whenever attempting to convince or change people’s 
  emotions.
  5
  inner siLenCe: The crashing of waves has no effect upon 
  your inner calm. You are beyond fear. You gain a +2 on 
  cunning rolls whenever under duress or being intimidated 
  or provoked. 
  6
  master Diving: Ayodins pioneered graviton technology, 
  and so in turn had to learn how to safely dive back into 
  water when they fell off a high-flying graviton airship. You 
  take no falling damage regardless of how far you fall as 
  long as you land in water.
  7
  naturaL touCh: Utilizing the poison your fingertips ex-
  crete, your unarmed strikes have a damage class of 3.
  8
  passive: Your inner calm and carefree demeanor allow you 
  to let most problems simply roll off your back. You gain a 
  +4 on your spirit rolls when using it as a resist. 
  9
  powerFuL paraLysis: The poison in your touch slows its 
  target’s reaction time. Whenever you touch somebody, they 
  suffer a -3 on their next evade roll (this penalty will go away 
  at the end of their next turn if not expended).
  10
  terror From the Deep: At the ocean’s deepest depths it is 
  too dark to attack enemies at a distance. You have learned 
  to fight ferociously at close range. You gain a +3 on strike 
  rolls when attacking a foe adjacent to you. 
  11
  vanguarD: Ayodin culture breeds warriors who remain 
  calm even in the most chaotic of battles. Your impassive 
  attitude keeps your adjacent allies level-headed, granting 
  them a +2 on evade rolls. This effect does not stack with 
  multiple holders of this story.
  12
  wings as arms: Your wings are strong enough to hold one-
  handed items in them. You cannot use them to hold any-
  thing two-handed even if you try to use both.
  Technology of  the Deep
  The Ayodin Exodus of  826 led to many technological advanc-
  es on the surface. The ayodin had long ago learned of  gravi-
  ton spheres and were using them to control their vehicles’ 
  depths. A few years after the Hurricane Wars began, graviton 
  spheres would be successfully used in airships, ushering in a 
  new era of  airborne travel.
   
  Ayodin are masters of  water manipulation and travel. 
  The ayodin have re-routed entire underwater currents to cre-
  ate ocean highways. The Hurricane Wars were called such 
  because of  their ability to shift the tides, and, to a lesser 
  extent, weather patterns. 
   
  Ayodin have found ways of  creating flames underwa-
  ter, building air-piping from the surface that leads down to 
  enclosed workspaces. Solid-form alchemy was created a few 
  decades ago, as liquid alchemy of  the surface found little 
  place underwater. Coral, stone, and fish-warping has contin-
  ued to be the primary source of  tools for the ayodin, though 
  many new advances have been found.
   
  The ayodin use a currency system remarkably simi-
  lar to that on land (though the currency was never converted 
  to paper money). As such, it’s not difficult for ayodin settle-
  ments to trade and barter with surface dwellers.
  Mikhail
  A true mesh of cultures, Mikhail was raised along the riverbank in 
  the Evanglessian capital of Razule. He grew up without much in 
  his pocket or his stomach. So when he came of age, Mikhail com-
  bined his knowledge of being a big city criminal with his family’s 
  knowledge of the open seas, taking a profession that suited him 
  wonderfully: piracy. Borrowing a skiff and taking his small-time 
  gang of thugs out on the high seas, this amphibious buccaneer 
  sees no fear in going down with his ship. Cold and merciless to 
  those he raids, he isn’t known for taking prisoners. 
  Quadan
  Living in an oceanview apartment in the Evanglessian city of 
  Qui, Quadan is a successful merchant who brings the sights of 
  the ocean’s floor to land-dwellers. His primary trade is selling 
  beautiful seashells and other baubles of the sea to tourists. Known 
  for his ayodin stoicism, attempting to barter with this avid poker 
  player will get you nowhere. Amicable and talkative, nothing ever 
  flusters this jovial entrepreneur.
  
  34
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Physiology
  Elves have enormous bodies more than capable of withstand-
  ing tough living in the wilderness. They build muscle rapidly, 
  and even the most lethargic of elves will still be powerful beings. 
  Elves have long arms, and many elves have an almost gorilla-
  like stoop. (A few elves develop the habit of knuckle-walking, 
  though it’s an old trait that most elves have stopped doing.) Elves 
  will comfortably stand around six and a half feet tall. Sometimes  
  elves who are surrounded by humans and farishtaas will force 
  their posture more upright, making them both significantly taller 
  and much more intimidating. Elves will weigh, on average, fifty to 
  a hundred pounds more than humans of the same size. 
   
  Elves have long, narrow faces and great pointed ears 
  which extend to be over a foot long. Their skin is dark, the color 
  often compared to the full spectrum of human bruising. Elves 
  have eyes that are bright and primal, composed of dozens of 
  fiery hues. Their hair comes in many shades, from the pale colors 
  of their angelic ancestors to pitch black. It is typically dry and 
  rough hair, and it grows low onto their back. They otherwise grow 
  relatively little body hair. 
   
  LiFespans: Elves live to be around 80 to 90 years old, 
  though some grow significantly older. Elves grow fast and reach 
  adulthood within twelve years.
  Psychology
  Elves have an innate understanding of the world and nature, but 
  thanks to the discriminations of most major civilizations, almost 
  all elves forego what would be considered “book-smarts.” Excep-
  tions do arise. If it weren’t for the acclaimed elven scholar Gi-
  razza, the scientific marvel known as farishtaas would have never 
  come to be, as Girazza pioneered the science of bio-flux espe-
  cially in regards to essence manipulation. 
   
  Elves are noble and caring beings, loyal to a fault. They 
  can be quick to anger when their loved ones are threatened; an 
  angry elf (especially one carrying something heavy and bladed) 
  can be a scary sight indeed! Elves enjoy beauty and colors. Far-
  ishtaas, who adorn themselves with blacks and whites, find the 
  elves to be gaudy. Elves collect brightly colored stones and deco-
  rate themselves with them.
   
  Many elves are acutely aware of what they were. The 
  surviving murals and statues of their ancient angelic civilization 
  act as constant reminders for elves. This is why it has been so 
  easy for farishtaas to convince the elves that they are there to help, 
  to rescue, and to re-enlighten the elves. It is propaganda that the 
  elves embrace, hoping to return to their former glory. Elves who 
  line themselves up to become farishtaa know the risks involved, 
  but they see the end-result and how much happier their former 
  elven comrades have become in their post-conversion life. They 
  live in denial of the fact that the process replaces them with a dif-
  ferent-yet-similar person.
   
  It is a common misconception that all elves live in deep 
  jungles. The largest elven cities taken over by the farishtaas were, 
  indeed, in the jungles and forests of central Rilausia, yet elves can 
  be found in most temperate environments, commonly on large 
  plains and sometimes in more hilly or mountainous areas. Some 
  elves, such as the Sunrage Elves in Izeda, live in the harshest parts 
  of the desert. 
   
  Among the other races, farishtaas have ensured that oth-
  er peoples see elves as nothing more than inferior brutes. Howev-
  er, gnomes and satyrs have stayed especially fond of elves and get 
  along with them famously. Elves are often seen as dangerous and 
  disruptive due to their size; however, elves are never mistrusted. 
  Most people see elves as incapable of betrayal.
  Elves aren’t your typical fallen angels. 
   
  Ancient murals depict the elves as upstanding, strong individuals that tower over all other races. Angelic, 
  their skin shined like the sun, with great feathered wings and halos. The religion of Jinzium teaches that elves 
  were once the rightful rulers of Tephra but lost favor with the gods. Though the exact details are lost, the effects 
  are obvious: today, elves are warped, bruise-colored creatures that survive meagerly in the forests. Some elves say 
  their souls are fractured as punishment for their ancestors’ hubris. With the recent rise of the farishtaas, scientists 
  are beginning to agree with the sentiment.
   
  Elves are noble beings, haunted by a reputation that pins them as being inferior to the other races. Their 
  reputation paints them as slow, uncivilized creatures of the forest, but the stereotypes have been proven false time 
  and time again. Elves, roaming the vast plains and building their towns in deep jungles, are the oldest race of 
  Tephra. Though their society is not as advanced as that of the other races, elves are content being among the best 
  agriculturalists and hunters in the world. The comprehension of the natural world rivals that of even the gnomes, 
  though - unlike the gnomes - elves are less prone to changing the world’s course. 
  Elves
  
  35
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Roleplaying Tips
  There are a couple primary options for roleplaying an elf. Some 
  will play an elf as a noble, intelligent creature fighting against the 
  slander of his race. On the other end, some people will choose to 
  play them like a strong but dumb brute. Many people will play in-
  telligent elves just to contradict society’s unfounded stereotypes, 
  and some will play elves who have lost loved ones through far-
  ishtaa conversion, just for the unique roleplaying opportunities.
   
  An important decision for any elf is their stance on far-
  ishtaa. Some elves see farishtaa as the next stage of life and evolu-
  tion, while others see the sacrifice necessary to make the change 
  as an abomination of nature. This varies from elf to elf. 
  p Sample Adventurers M
  Below are three elven adventurers that you can use as inspiration 
  when creating your own.
  Acholata
  Raised as a silent huntress, Acholata grew up eating only what 
  she could catch or kill with one of her arrows. As she grew she 
  became one of her tribes premiere huntresses and would often 
  led the hunt. One winter, her brother Hikano left the tribe with 
  enough spare coin to become a farishtaa. She received a letter a 
  few months later from Zevhel, a newly converted farishtaa - her 
  brother’s new personality. The letter invited her to Cyronia, where 
  he would pay for her to undergo the transformation.
   
  Acholata joined her new brother, Zevhel, in Cyronia. 
  Over the few days she spent with him, she grew disgusted. Zevhel 
  was living a life of filth and nothing remained of Hikano, her 
  beloved brother. She vowed never to become a farishtaa, and she 
  Anti-Elven Prejudices 
  Elves are the most common victims of  undue prejudice in 
  Tephra. Their grotesque appearance and massive size have 
  led many people to fear or even hate them. This problem is 
  only compounded upon by the fact that large populations 
  of  elves shy away from human civilization, opting instead to 
  live as traditional hunters and gatherers in the High Rilau-
  sian Forest in Dalvozzea or among the Izedan caravans of 
  the Quist. This causes many young Tephrans to see elves 
  as a kind of  boogeymen, existing just beyond their horizon 
  but still out of  sight. Elves who do choose to spend their 
  days in the countries of  younger races are treated as second-
  class citizens, not enjoying many of  the same civil rights as 
  the other races. Elves often must use worse facilities and are 
  sometimes banned from certain events, high-class neighbor-
  hoods, and restaurants.
   
  The exception to this is the Highborne Elf, the re-
  maining elven nobility whose royal blood heralds back to the 
  times of  angelic elves. While far from being respected as 
  equals to their non-elven counterparts, they are held in high-
  er regard than the average person. Few dare disrespect an elf 
  who can prove their Highborne lineage, most often through 
  a signet ring or brooch the elf  refuses to remove.
   
  Many elves have begun to migrate to Evangless, the 
  nation most known for its open-mindedness and accepting 
  culture. At least there they can bond with ayodin, a race dis-
  criminated against because of  their involvement with the 
  Hurricane Wars. 
  Excerpt from the 842 Census
  20 Most Common Male Names
  Phlox, Balam, Ahpel, Wej, Sugnil, Yanluk, Acat, 
  Sorrell, Qahlom, Berilo, Kalani, Ciyopa, Cedar, 
  Tamarack, Dalzik, Itzamna, Rycrafi, Suufild, 
  Kawil, Hevel 
  20 Most Common Female Names
  Kelan, Axani, Chloris, Nurit, Ruflina, Suri, Zahra, 
  Audhel, Vanora, Aximelka, Korvili, Enfys, Ami-
  tola, Hadassah, Tirzah, Elysia, Elodie, Vallom-
  brosa, Eilat, Brier 
  
  36
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Rebellious
  Many elves will choose not to become a farishtaa because 
  they don’t support the hierarchy that has arisen around it. 
  Following the recent Night of  Feathers rebellion and the re-
  turn of  the original Girazza, many elves left the capital and 
  surrounding towns and came to Adoipa, where they could 
  live without farishtaas ruling over them. 
   
  These elves have partially returned to their tribal 
  roots, but they’ve also embraced technology and many of 
  the new advances found throughout Dalvozzea. They are op-
  posed to the farishtaas, believing them to be an abomination 
  of  the angels they were supposed to be. 
  True to Themselves
  It didn’t take long for elves to make the realization that the 
  farishtaa conversion process does not leave the original per-
  sonality in tact. Sure, fragments of  the original personality 
  remain, but the original elf  is difficult to find under the new 
  farishtaa personality that emerges. 
   
  Some elves consider this to be akin to death and re-
  fuse to go through the conversion process. Those who be-
  lieve that the conversion leads to death are sometimes chided 
  as being stubborn or hard-headed. That doesn’t change the 
  truth, however. None can deny that when an elf  becomes a 
  farishtaa, the change is more than cosmetic - the entire per-
  son becomes something different. 
  Lack of  Resources
  Of  course, the number one reason elves stay elves is because 
  they can’t afford it. The farishtaa conversion process is be-
  coming more and more costly, and the wealth is being eaten 
  up across Dalvozzea, the elven homeland. Most elves simply 
  cannot afford the process, since the majority of  elves live off 
  sustenance farming or hunting and gathering. 
  Why Elves stay Elves
  In the last hundred years, wealthy elves have gone in droves 
  to be converted into farishtaas. The core city of  the conver-
  sion process, Cyronia in Dalvozzea, on any given day will 
  have hundreds of  newly converted farishtaas, and thousands 
  of  elves struggling to get by as they wait their turn. Yet not 
  all elves want to become farishtaas. Why?
  scorns all those who make the mistake.
   
  Today, Acholata has experienced too much of Dalvozzea 
  and the hold that the farishtaas have over the nation. She’s ven-
  tured south, to Evangless, to put her skills to the test. Surely, she 
  thought, a proven huntress and archer could find a way of living 
  in the civilized world. 
   
  Acholata would probably have the following specialties: 
  Efficient Ranger (under Marksmanship), Phase Step (under Agil-
  ity), and Still as Stone (under Shamanism).
  Dalzik
  Dalzik has always been a freedom fighter. When he was younger 
  his Highborne parents paid for him to undergo the farishtaa con-
  version process, but either something went wrong with the ma-
  chine or his body rejected it and Dalzik remained an elf. He took 
  that as a sign. Strong-willed and with some princes in his pocket, 
  he took the best swordsmanship classes he could in the Daion 
  universities, and, when Girazza rebelled during the Night of 
  Feathers, joined in the fray (not that he had anything specifically 
  against the farishtaa government). After getting a taste of fun, he 
  went west, helping free satyr slaves in Siyesh, and thereafter went 
  south to Evangless, where he mingled with the Tharmurians and 
  gnomes who fell under the Evanglessian rule.
   
  Part adventure seeker, part freedom fighter, Dalzik is a 
  rebel without a cause. He’s constantly looking for something to 
  do, some trouble to create, and he’s quite adept at getting peo-
  ple stirred up and getting fights going. And he’ll do it all with a 
  smile.
   
  Dalzik would probably have the following specialties: 
  Ace up my Sleeve (under Luck), Opening (under Swashbuckling), 
  and Throw Off Balance (under Showmanship).
  Wej
  Some elves wonder how they got the reputation for being dumb 
  brutes. Then they meet Wej. Wej was born in a small tribe in 
  southern Dalvozzea and grew up as a hunter. Much of his tribe 
  migrated to Daion, a city that Wej always felt completely out of 
  place in. That is, until Wej got into a tussle with a couple outraged 
  mercenaries. That’s when Wej found his place in the world (and 
  proved it to everyone else in the pub): Wej was destined to bring 
  people together. Through violence and broken skulls. 
   
  Wej would probably have the following specialties: 
  Adrenaline Surge (under Frenzy), Keep them Down (under Over-
  power), and Fluid (under Brawl).
  
  37
  Chapter 3
  Races
  traits oF an eLF              
  Big BoneD: You gain a +2 on all brute rolls. 
  speeD: You have an improved speed of 30 feet. You have a 
  swim speed of 20 feet, and an amazing climbing speed of 
  30 feet.
  tough: You gain an additional 4 hit points.
  tree-ripping strength: Unarmed attacks and melee weap-
  ons you wield are 1 damage class higher than normal. 
  weak souLs: You suffer a -3 on all rolls with the spirit at-
  tribute (this does not apply to skills under spirit).
  DepLeteD essenCe: Elves have one less slot for essence ma-
  nipulations. 
   Random Racial Traits
  1
  gears oF the worLD: You see how even the most insig-
  nificant life fits into the larger ecosystem. You gain a +6 
  to Cunning when trying to discern if an area has recently 
  been disturbed by nonorganic forces.
  2
  Danger sense: You can sense incoming danger. You gain a 
  +3 on your priority.
  3
  ears to the heavens: Whenever attempting to hear some-
  thing, you automatically score one tier higher than you 
  roll.
  4
  FLight without wings: You move at an amazing sprint, 
  increasing your base land speed by 10 feet (to 40 feet).
  5
  Fruit oF the FaLLen: As a descendant of the angels of 
  yore, you have an indomitable spirit. You negate your Weak 
  Soul trait and gain a +3 on your spirit roll when using He-
  roics.  
  6
  improperLy typeCast: You prove that the stereotype of the 
  dumb elf couldn’t be further from the truth. You gain a +2 
  on Cunning rolls when attempting to gather information.
  7
  Like the grave: Elves are skilled and patient hunters who 
  are accustomed to remaining hidden in the same spot for 
  long periods of time. After being hidden for a full turn, you 
  gain a +5 to remaining unseen.
  8
  noBLe Creature: The blood of the predator courses 
  through your veins, feeding you sweet adrenaline. For an 
  extra action point when attacking, you can gain a bonus to 
  Strike equal to your experience level.
  9
  raging LoyaLty: Whenever an adjacent ally is struck in 
  combat, you can make a melee attack against the assailant 
  as a reflexive attack if the assailant is within reach.
  10
  tenaCious grip: If you get your hands onto something, 
  nothing can pry it away from you. Whenever you attempt 
  to remain holding onto something, you gain a +6 on the 
  roll.
  11
  unstoppaBLe: Despite whatever anyone throws at you, your 
  elven legs keep running. When you would normally suffer 
  a speed penalty for movement caused from a wound or 
  status effect, that penalty is reduced by 10 feet.   
  12
  vauLting preDator: Ancestors who leapt from tree to tree 
  while stalking prey have infused your elven physiology 
  with powerful legs capable of reaching incredible heights. 
  You gain 10 feet of movement when leaping forward and 2 
  feet of height when jumping vertically.
  p Sample NPCs M
  Below are three elven non-player characters (NPCs) that a group 
  of adventurers might run into on their travels.
  Enfys
  Enfys is a lady-in-waiting in the white towers of Daion. For sever-
  al years, she was employed as a waitress at a well-to-do restaurant 
  in the undercanopy of Daion. She became the favorite waitress 
  of a farishtaa, and, a few months later, was offered a cushy job 
  working above the canopy. Despite her improved position, Enfys 
  has little love for her employer and receives a lot of information 
  about his sometimes seedy dealings. If adventurers were to pull 
  her aside and ask her to spill some private information about her 
  farishtaa master, it wouldn’t be a first for her.
  Phlox
  Emulating his ancestors’ nomadic lifestyle and leaving civiliza-
  tion behind, Phlox and his small band of elven comrades live as 
  hunters in the High Rilausian Forest. Hidden from view in the 
  trees above and armed with little more than a sharpened stick, 
  Phlox has shut out all memory of his life as an indentured servant 
  in the service of a farishtaa merchant. While he misses the hustle 
  and bustle of the city, the elf’s wild spirit refuses to be tied down 
  on cramped city streets any longer.
  Professor Berilo
  As Professor Berilo looks out into the crowd of new students at 
  the onset of each semester, he reflects on the trials he underwent 
  on the road to attaining his degree in alchemy. The Evanglessian 
  university he attended had received few applications from elves, 
  much less seen one attain his doctorate. Of course, as a High-
  borne and with his résumé, there was no way they could refuse 
  him. Even now he sees students looking at him with disgust or 
  confusion. No matter; just like everyone, they will be in awe of 
  him after his lecture on acids.
  
  38
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Farishtaas are the reborn embodiment of a lost angelic race believed to have once ruled over Tephra. A tall, keen-
  thinking people, farishtaas are the end result of an elf having his soul restored to him. The elves have, for hundreds 
  if not thousands of years, known that they were once the most beloved, beautiful race in the lands, but something 
  caused their downfall. The elves became mutated, ugly, and - as they would later find out - possessing a fractured 
  soul. Through the relatively new bio-flux procedure known as synthetic essence insertion, an elf is able to be re-
  born as a farishtaa, both graceful and cunning.
   
  As their own species, farishtaas are only a little over a century old. The celebrated elven scientist, Girazza, 
  noted the absence of a biological chemical in the elves that he called “essence.” He developed a synthetic essence 
  that would bring elves up to the same essence levels as the other races. His assistant took the first injection, and 
  he went through the procedure soon thereafter. Girazza’s success was 
  extraordinary: he grew several feet taller and enormous white 
  wings sprouted from his back. Girazza took on the new name 
  Raviziel and heralded the rebirth of his race, the return of the 
  sacred farishtaas. 
   Though Girazza had long stated that it was a chem-
  ical deficiency that turned the elves into abomina-
  tions, the reborn Raviziel claimed that elves had bro-
  ken souls, souls that could be repaired through science. 
  Few elves remained skeptical upon seeing the stunning 
  Raviziel flying overhead. Though the process was expen-
  sive, many elves were giving up everything to become far-
  ishtaas.
   
  It soon became apparent that few elves have the re-
  markable results that Girazza had when he became Ravi-
  ziel. While all farishtaas become upright and graceful, few 
  farishtaas will ever grow wings or become the size of Ravi-
  ziel. Nonetheless, few elves were discouraged.
   
  While the farishtaas do change in mannerisms and 
  appearance, the most notable change comes through 
  in their personalities. After the process, very little 
  of the original elf’s personality remains in tact. 
  Many farishtaas say that this is part of the re-
  birth, where the strongest and most important 
  parts of the elves’ original personality become 
  the dominant features and the rest is forfeited. 
  Many elves, however, claim that the process ef-
  fectively kills the elf, leaving an entirely new be-
  ing in its place.
   
  Despite the sentiments, the rise of farishta-
  as continues on. Today, thousands of elves wait 
  patiently for their chance to become farishtaas. 
  Farishtaas have become the ruling society in the 
  ancient elven homeland of Dalvozzea, and their 
  arts and influences are spreading across Tephra. 
  The farishtaas are the newest race, but they shall 
  not long remain the weakest race. 
  [fah-rish-tuhz]
  Farishtaas
  
  39
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Physiology
  Farishtaas retain some of their elven host’s characteristics, but 
  not many. During the days following the synthetic essence inser-
  tion, farishtaas’ spines straighten out, their blemishes disappear, 
  and their skin and hair change tones. The entire spectrum of 
  human tones of hair and skin appear within the farishtaa race, as 
  well as many other softer or metallic tones. Their ears thicken and 
  extend to straight points. Most farishtaas are taller than six feet, 
  and many will tower over normal humans.
   
  Although a newborn farishtaa’s personality is a mangled 
  amalgamation of the former elf, appearance and age don’t always 
  correlate with farishtaa. Sometimes a highly mature personality 
  forms inside a young elf, or a childish being is created through 
  an older elf. While most farishtaas seem to match the maturity of 
  the elf used, this formula is not always an accurate predictor. A 
  newborn farishtaa knows everything their elf knew without hav-
  ing any of their memories.
   
  LiFespan: As the farishtaa race is still young, it is dif-
  ficult to ascertain their normal lifespans. Many of the original 
  farishtaas are still alive, though looking quite weathered. Scien-
  tists are claming that a farishtaa will have an average lifespan 
  of around 150 years (especially if the elf is young when he un-
  dergoes the conversion procedure). The winged farishtaas have 
  shown virtually no signs of aging, however, and many believe that 
  they are almost immortal.
   
  It has only been in the recent years that second genera-
  tion farishtaas have begun to occur. For the farishtaas’ first century, 
  it was believed that farishtaas were infertile. Recently farishtaa 
  parents have begun having children. Some of these children are 
  born elves, but most are born as farishtaas. (The elven children will 
  often go through the synthetic essence insertion soon after birth.) 
  Their growth rates vary extraordinarily - some will mature within 
  ten years, while others, especially among the first second-genera-
  tion farishtaas, have taken up to thirty years to reach maturity. 
  Psychology
  Farishtaas are unique among the other tephran races, as their cul-
  ture developed in round-about ways. They desire companionship, 
  though their friendships tend to be less based on loyalty than 
  friendships among other races. They form large rings of friends, 
  and sometimes even marry if they find another farishtaa they 
  have an immense connection with.
   
  Farishtaas value life and freedom. They keep immaculate 
  care of their bodies, as farishtaas truly see their bodies as their 
  temples. When a farishtaa comes into being, except in very rare 
  circumstances, they feel an intense connection with the sky. They 
  love open-air architecture and hate to be constantly cramped into 
  one small area. They are considered to be the best pilots in the 
  world; their natural love of the air allows them to understand the 
  way the wind flows. Most farishtaa dress themselves in all black 
  and white and maybe one splash of color in order to distance 
  themselves from the elves’ colorful and gaudy wardrobes.
   
  Most farishtaas look down upon the elves, seeing them 
  either as vessels for future farishtaas or as expendable creatures 
  that deserve a lowlier existence. Farishtaas have taken control over 
  the upper strata of elven society, and even the lowliest of farishta-
  as are often given preferential treatment over the most respected 
  of elves. 
   
  Things are changing, however, as not all elves are tak-
  ing this treatment laying down anymore. Many fight the farishtaa 
  regime through peaceful protest, violent riots, and everything in 
  between. A growing number of younger farishtaas have begun to 
  join the elven cry for freedom, and these farishtaas are showing 
  elves more and more respect. Still most elves see the farishtaas as 
  being worthy of praise bordering on worship. These social shack-
  les have kept the elves from enjoying the same privileges as other 
  races for many years. 
   
  A very rare elf will undergo the synthetic essence inser-
  tion and become a winged farishtaa. These winged farishtaas are 
  known as the Day Society, and they guide the other farishtaas as 
  though they are the sun. When a winged farishtaa is born, it is a 
  day of celebration across Dalvozzea, and the winged farishtaas 
  rule over farishtaas and elves with almost no question. 
   
  Farishtaa tend to mix well with the other races. They 
  are sometimes viewed as evil by gnomes, who have always been 
  close to the elves. Yet even this does not strain relations between 
  them (especially since gnomes are known for their forgiveness). 
  Farishtaas are also known to marry humans on occasion, though 
  this is often less well-received in their respective societies. 
  Roleplaying Tips
  While farishtaas do have similar traits, each farishtaa will have a 
  different, almost defining trait to their personality. The dominant 
  personality that surfaces with the creation of the farishtaa can be 
  just about anything. Some farishtaas are so warped in the process 
  that they become slightly insane, or their personality becomes 
  highly obsessed with certain values and ideologies. In any case, 
  Personality Blender
  While the physical changes an elf  goes through when be-
  coming a farishtaa are obvious, the mental changes are often 
  more subtle. The conversion process scrambles the personal-
  ity traits of  the elf, some minor traits becoming prominent 
  ones and vice-versa, while eliminating nearly all the far-
  ishtaa’s memories of  their life in their previous body. While 
  most farishtaas can pass off  as a reimagined version of  their 
  elf, many are so different that their elven family members 
  find themselves unable to recognize anything about their 
  former loved-one. This is by far the most dangerous aspect 
  of  creating a farishtaa, as once latent violent tendencies can 
  surface, unleashing a brutal force onto the streets that no 
  scientist could have predicted.
   
  The most common unexpected trait farishtaas ex-
  hibit is a personality tick: hardly noticable unconcious ac-
  tions a farishtaa will only act out on occasion. Below are 
  some of  the most populous personality ticks, in no particular 
  order.
  Confusing the names of  close associates with those 
  of  complete strangers
  Nonviolent mood swings lasting just a few seconds
  Looking at a non-elf  and seeing an elf  instead
  Random bursts of  laughter
  Delusions of  hearing the voice of  their old self
  Viciously scratching at their own skin
  Entering a trance-state after glancing at the sky
  Fixation on attaining something they cannot have
  
  40
  Chapter 3
  Races
  as a farishtaa you have plenty of leeway to keep people guessing 
  what you’re going to do next. 
   
  Farishtaas are often proud and a bit lofty. You’ll likely 
  appreciate beauty and life more than anyone else and have no 
  shame in showing it. Farishtaas hold their bodies to be their tem-
  ples, valuing their own beauty, grace, and poise. Farishtaas will fit 
  in well among nobility and take well to grazing about, lounging, 
  and enjoying the fruits of the world. However, their obsessions 
  can keep them motivated and working far longer than any other 
  race. 
  p Sample Adventurers M
  Below are three farishtaa adventurers that you can use as inspira-
  tion when creating your own.
  Dio
  When Dio emerged from the farishtaa conversion procedure, his 
  doctors said that he was one of their easiest procedures to date. 
  Dio was quiet, didn’t struggle, and remained in complete control 
  throughout the normally excrutiating conversion. When he left 
  the laboratory, he even recognized and greeted, by name, his old 
  elven friends - an action almost unheard of among new farishta-
  as. Yet he did not linger for long. The conversion had given him 
  a new insight into his own soul, a soul that was broken, undisci-
  plined, and in need of training.
   
  Dio refused to settle down. He moved from city to city, 
  seeking knowledge and training. He’s well known for his silence 
  and focus. His drive to master himself is an obsession that makes 
  other people’s life goals look like passing hobbies.
   
  Dio would probably have the following specialties: Inner 
  calm (under Grace), Iron Palm (under Grace), and Thick Skin 
  (under Resilience).
  Hephaeron
  One of the rare and prized second generation farishtaas, Hep-
  haeron was born a prince among the farishtaas. His father is the 
  head of the Erathos Legacy, making Hephaeron heir to a vast 
  fortune and much respect. 
   
  Hephaeron took to the Hunt like most young farishtaas. 
  The Hunt, as they call it, is the farishtaa sport of mounting zeph-
  yrs (their personal-sized flyers, much like the Evanglessian iron-
  birds) and searching the skies for pirates and trespassing ships 
  to shoot down or claim. Hephaeron was immediately talented 
  aboard his zephyr but was shot down after trying to show off 
  among his friends. They thought he was lost, but Hephaeron’s 
  crash left him barely alive. He pulled himself out of the wreckage 
  and made his way to a nearby elven village, where they aided him. 
  Feeling abandoned by his farishtaa friends, Hephaeron became 
  close with the elves, learning that these elves were disgusted by 
  their treatment from most farishtaas. His heart going out to them, 
  Hephaeron vowed to ensure that elves would be treated better in 
  the future and took to the world to make true on his vow. 
   
  Hephaeron would probably have the following special-
  ties: Driving with Knees (under Ace), Knock-Off (under Marks-
  manship), and Level Flying (under Ace).
  Lysandros
  When Lysandros was reborn a farishtaa, he immediately fixated 
  on the room he was in. All of the unique bio-flux equipment, the 
  unusual serums and devices - it all just enamored him. He spent 
  hours undergoing the usually painful physical transformation 
  without noticing the pain, as he was enthralled by the technolo-
  gies in the procedure room. He had to be physically escorted out 
  of the laboratory in order for them to work with the next patient.
   
  Lysandros’s obsession with bio-flux continued. He 
  quickly read (and grew bored with) everything he could find on 
  the subject. He then began traveling around, talking with any 
  scientists he could find. He worked for a time, helping administer 
  the synthetic essence insertion. Yet even that could not keep him 
  fully distracted. 
   
  So Lysandros left Dalvozzea, hoping he could learn more 
  from the humans who scorned bio-flux as an evil science, or the 
  gnomes who were basically born knowing bio-flux, or the satyrs 
  who were genetically built using the same principles as bio-flux. 
  He left home so he could study bio-flux, and he plans on doing 
  so no matter what gets in his way. 
   
  Lysandros would probably have the following special-
  ties: Bio-Invigoration, Bio-Zapper Developer, and Manipulate Es-
  sence (all of which are under Bio-Flux).
  p Sample NPCs M
  Below are three farishtaa non-player characters (NPCs) that a 
  group of adventurers might run into on their travels.
  Jesha
  Jesha was a poor elf when she became a farishtaa, and she has 
  since had to work hard to pay off her debts. She works helping 
  farishtaas have a smooth transition from elf to farishtaa, working 
  with patients after they’ve undergone the synthetic essence inser-
  tion procedure. Most notably, she helps farishtaas choose their 
  new name. Many years ago, the newborn farishtaa Raviziel cre-
  ated the custom of choosing a new name to signify a farishtaa’s 
  rebirth. Jesha takes notes of those new names and helps farishta-
  as choose their new one (though ultimately her opinion is rarely 
  used). 
  Osyra
  Osyra is one of the most frightening farishtaas in Dalvozzea. 
  When she walks the streets, her two enormous flails are always 
  drawn and dragging the ground behind her. Osyra has an im-
  mensely important job: she is one of the top guards for the Nine 
  Wings of Divinity, the ruling council in Dalvozzea. She is both 
  talented and frightening. She has decried most of the sinful life-
  styles that farishtaas partake in, instead devoting herself to en-
  suring that the revolution known as the Night of Feathers never 
  occurs again and that no elf ever again thinks that it can rise 
  above its farishtaa masters. 
  Pious the Knowledgeable 
  Pious is an ancient farishtaa; many believe he was among the 
  first hundred elves to make the conversion. He spent years as a 
  professor among the white tower universities in Daion, teaching 
  students from all across the continent. Pious has long since re-
  tired and is now an information broker of sorts. He’s constantly 
  entertaining, having all sorts of people enjoying coffees and teas 
  with him in his open-air abode. He sells off his knowledge and 
  theories; many people value him for his opinions almost more so 
  than they value his knowledge. Pious’s thoughts can be bought 
  off him, though he also appreciates a good trade. He has a special 
  fancy for foreign newspapers, which he collects. 
  
  41
  Chapter 3
  Races
  TRaiTs of a faRishTaa          
  Born to Be airBorne: Farishtaas begin with 2 skill points 
  in Ace (they may add their starting points there as per nor-
  mal). 
  speeD: You have the average 25 foot movement speed. You 
  have a swim speed of 15 feet and a climbing speed of 15 
  feet.
  pierCing sCrutiny: Even in the heat of battle, farishtaas 
  keep their calm and fixate on their target. This grants them 
  a +1 on their accuracy rolls. 
  unpreDiCtaBLe: Farishtaas can be difficult to anticipate and 
  manipulate. Whenever interacting with people, farishtaas 
  gain a +2 on their cunning roll.
  Random Racial Traits
  1
  BotCheD surgery: Though most people might not pick up 
  on it, your features are a bit more feral, a bit more elven, 
  than most farishtaas. You gain the Tree-Ripping Strength 
  and Weak Soul traits of an elf. 
  2
  DanCer’s BoDy: Your sleek farishtaa body is far more flex-
  ible than any of the other races could ever hope for. You 
  gain a +2 on your dexterity rolls.
  3
  emotionaL unavaiLaBiLity: It’s not that you are courageous 
  or fearless - you simply don’t notice fear most of the time. 
  When you would be affected by fear, lower the fear effect 
  by 1 tier. (As such, you are immune to tier 1 fear effects.)
  4
  instant motion: You’re always moving, always in motion, 
  and nothing catches you off-guard. You may spend 1 action 
  point reflexively in order to gain a +8 on your priority roll 
  when combat begins. 
  5
  haLo: You have an aura of light that slightly illuminates 10 
  feet around you and also creates a small amount of heat. 
  This effect is repressible at will and cannot overcome arti-
  ficially created darkness (like that created by an item).
  6
  prominent host: Your body exhibits some subtle charac-
  teristics of the elf it once was. Roll on the elven random 
  racial traits to determine your trait. 
  7
  skin-Deep vaLues: Farishtaa culture values beauty, so you’ve 
  learned how to protect your appearance. You gain a +2 to 
  evade and resist called shots to your head, eyes, and ears.
  8
  spirit oF the angeLs: Your will is strong. If you roll a 1 with 
  the spirit attribute, you may still add any bonuses to it as if 
  it were a normal roll. (This does not apply to skills under 
  the spirit attribute.)
  9
  superiority CompLex: You exude an aura of pure, unstop-
  pable confidence regardless of how hesitant you really are. 
  You cause foes adjacent to you to doubt themselves. Foes 
  adjacent to you suffer a -2 on their defense rolls.
  10
  tinge oF insanity: Ever-so-often a farishtaa surgery has a 
  few unexpected psychological side-effects. While it most 
  likely doesn’t affect you at all in your daily life, your mental 
  quirks begin to come out after a harsh beating. Whenever 
  you have lost all your hit points, you recieve a +4 to both 
  accuracy and strike.
  Become a Farishtaa Today!
  Brought to you By: the Farishtaas-for-Farishtaas Foundation
  Good day, elves! Once you’re ready to leave your incomplete body 
  behind to become the angel you were born to be, run, don’t walk, 
  to your nearest farishtaa-conversion facility! A simple process, re-
  ally. All we use is a table to strap you to, a vat of synthetic essence, 
  a set of injection rods to ensure proper dispersal of solution, and 
  a board-certified farishtaa technician. 
   
  After signing in and paying off any fines, you will be 
  brought into the conversion room where you will be invited to lay 
  on our state-of-the-art conversion table. Sensors will be attached 
  to your body so your vital signs can be monitored, although we 
  assure you this is simply a formality set forth by our insurance 
  provider.* You’ll be tightly fastened down by your arms and legs 
  for your own safety. The technician then painlessly* inserts the 
  foot-long injection rods into your body at various key points and 
  attaches the hoses at the ends of the rods into the tank of syn-
  thetic essence. 
   
  After several hours of forced infusion that you’ll hardly 
  notice,* your body will go limp from the mental strain of your 
  personality becoming shuffled. During this time your body will 
  begin to shift and slim, your skin clearing up, with most of your 
  body hair falling out. A 10,000 watt bolt of electricity is adminis-
  tered over time to your now-farishtaa body to complete the pro-
  cess and to jump-start your unconcious mind. A welcome guide 
  meets your new persona at the door to help them through the 
  paperwork accompanying birth, including the important steps of 
  selecting a name and being reintegrated into society.
  *Our insurance provider forces us to inform you the farishtaa-conversion process is believed to be incredibly 
  painful, but honestly, your new farishtaa mind won’t even remember it! Yes, on occasion an elf has died before 
  the process was complete, but that’s a better end then continuing to live as an elf, right?
  11
  unexpLainaBLe memories: Your mind knows things that 
  you (in this life or your previous) could never possibly have 
  learned. You gain a +2 on all cunning rolls.
  12
  unDeveLopeD wings: Though you’re no member of the 
  winged Day Society, your synthetic essence had a little 
  more punch than the normal batch. You have small wings 
  that make you lighter than air. Unless bound, unconscious, 
  or in inclement weather, you take no falling damage as 
  your wings will gently guide you to the ground. 
  
  42
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Physiology
  Gnomes are exceptionally short, but their small stature is made 
  up for with a large presence. The proportions on gnomes are often 
  very similar to that of a human - they are small, but not stubby. 
  Their hair and skin color is the same pigment range as humans, 
  though red hair is much more common. Their eyes come in many 
  hues, but always have a glassy or crystalline look to them. Some 
  gnome’s eyes flash brightly in the sunlight, looking like blinking, 
  red lights from a distance. 
   
  Their eyes are their strongest features, as gnomish eyes 
  are the best eyes in the world. They have the ability to pick out 
  details at a far distance, and some gnomes can even “bend” their 
  sight around angles, a skill they find easy. However, this often 
  stretches out their sight, and many gnomes are intensely far-
  sighted. For centuries gnomes have perfected spectacles, goggles, 
  and monocles for reading up close, one of their greatest weak-
  nesses.
   
  LiFespans: Gnomes have the longest lifespans of any 
  race, living to be almost 200 years old. Gnomes reach adulthood 
  at around 30 years, as it takes a while for their bodies to mature. 
  Surprisingly, however, it only takes a year or so from birth for 
  gnomes to mentally mature to the point where they can talk, read, 
  and interact with people at the same level as human teenagers.
  Psychology
  Gnomes are often kind, big-hearted people. They’ll go out of 
  their way for their neighbors and are always willing to treat their 
  guests well. However, an angry gnome is one out for vengeance, 
  and vengeance can be ugly. Gnomes are deceptive and fond of 
  tricks, only letting people know what they need to know. Some 
  gnomes are pathological liars and thieves yet seem entirely polite 
  until caught. 
   
  Younger gnomes are more likely to be hot-headed, but 
  the elders become very close with nature. Gnomes in their twi-
  light years can spend weeks in a forest, just communing with 
  nature. All gnomes are close with nature, understanding it better 
  than any other race. This understanding can sometimes build re-
  sentment toward other races, as the gnomes refuse to allow for the 
  destructive industrialization that other races push for. Gnomes 
  deeply believe that industrialization can come with nature’s good 
  graces, and they push for their technology to prove it.
   
  Rolling hills and sparse forests are gnomes’ favorite plac-
  es to live, though many also favor mountains and denser forests. 
  When gnomes aren’t living in pocket communities outside larger 
  cities, gnomes will often choose villages that are easily secluded 
  and difficult to find. 
   
  Gnomish communities are often very close. They will 
  share farmland, dispense with currencies, and almost entirely 
  ignore each other’s privacy. Strangers to these small communi-
  ties, however, are entirely unwelcome and ousted quickly. The 
  occasional gnomish city, often created out of necessity more-so 
  than want, will look nothing like a gnomish community. Gnomish 
  cities are larger affairs (though small by nature), with intricate 
  building complexes and roads that are terribly difficult to navi-
  gate. Gnomish cities will often look grown, with houses made out 
  of woven wood trees everywhere.
   
  Gnomes are a loving, carefree race of people that of-
  ten want almost nothing to do with any other race. Gnomes that 
  live in non-gnome nations, however, will treat most races equally. 
  Gnomes will even treat the Hauds, who gnomes have had a long 
  and violent relationship with, with respect until the Haud proves 
  otherwise. Gnomes are especially close with satyrs and elves, who 
  gnomes see as the most earthly and wise of the races. While most 
  gnomes won’t say anything, they are often at least slightly dis-
  gusted by farishtaas, as they fear the methods behind their cre-
  ation.
  The sly gnomes are, by far, the shortest people in the world, rarely standing much over two feet tall. As some would 
  say, their small stature keeps them closer to nature than the taller, loftier races. They have a knack for all things 
  natural, a quickness to their wit, and, though their physical prowess doesn’t touch that of the other races, gnomes 
  make up for it with their mental faculties. 
   
  For as long as any can remember, the gnomes have flourished as a hidden race. Keeping to themselves and 
  rarely wishing to interact with strangers, the gnomes built underground towns, nestled their homes within hills in 
  the forests, and chose locations that few would find reason to venture to. Yet times changed, and the rise of the 
  Haudi Empire saw the downfall of the gnomes’ quiet lifestyles. The gnomes were enslaved, and their keen minds 
  and understanding with nature was put to quick work for the Hauds. With the gnomish scientists serving them, 
  the Hauds were able to develop numerous creatures and begin bio-engineering new races, the most successful of 
  which being the satyrs.
   
  Today, centuries after gnomes have gained their freedom from the falling Haudi Empire, gnomes have been 
  unable to recapture their old, solitary lives. Though gnomes do, perhaps out of habit or old traditions, take many 
  steps to disguise their cities, many gnomes are outright and open about themselves now-a-days. Numerous gnom-
  ish communities thrive on the outskirts of other cities, and these communities can often be hubs for unusual pieces 
  of technology and wonders not found in any other race’s homes.  
  Gnomes
  
  43
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Roleplaying Tips
  Gnomes come in two varieties - those gnomes who have grown 
  up in hidden pocket communities, and gnomes who have lived on 
  the fringe of larger, more diverse societies. The reclusive gnomes 
  will be more shy, less willing to deal with strangers, but also more 
  likely to be nice and aim for non-violent means of solving dis-
  putes. 
   
  The most outward gnomes, on the other hand, are likely 
  to be more hot-headed, more rambunctious, and more willing to 
  say whatever is necessary to get what he wants. Gnomes can be 
  magnificent liars, and these gnomes won’t hide that fact. 
   
  Either way, your gnome is going to be very close with 
  nature. The gnomish “methods,” or the ways the gnomes com-
  municate with the earth, are very close to the gnomes. Gnomes 
  will build things differently, and they won’t be a fan of fire- and 
  steel-driven industry. If you’re playing a gnome, don’t be afraid to 
  get into a fight, but do understand that there are consequences to 
  that fight.
  p Sample Adventurers M
  Below are three gnomish adventurers that you can use as inspira-
  tion when creating your own.
  Jari Hungoo
  Jari might have been born in a home that many would describe 
  as nothing more than a cave, but Jari’s always been on the look 
  out for ways to go up, up, up! He habitually hangs out with ruf-
  fians, true, but Jari Hungoo likes good people, tasty and sweet 
  liquors, and making an honest prince. Jari’s a bit of a fighter, 
  scanty and quick, who makes good use of pushing his enemies’ 
  weight against them. 
   
  Jari will be quick to admit that he’s a recovering gambler 
  (but a good one!). He uses the phrase, “two sides of the same 
  coin,” with great frequency and little discretion. Jari is dedicated 
  to improving his life and that of his future family, whenever he’s 
  lucky enough to meet that right gal. He’s got a big personality, 
  and he’s not afraid to show it. 
   
  Jari Hungoo would probably have the following special-
  ties: Bone-Breaker (under Brawl), Dirty Fighting (under Brawl), 
  and Hex (under Luck).
  Wegdo the Sufficient
  From an early age, everybody knew that Wegdo was going to 
  be metal-deranged. His family of traveling merchants went from 
  town to town, selling their wares, and all Wegdo would ever do is 
  look for the newest contraption or greatest doodad. Wegdo was 
  so hyper-active that his family barely knew what to do with him, 
  up until they came to a town where a local automaton forger was 
  looking for an apprentice. Wegdo was quick to apply (and his 
  family vibrantly consented).
   
  Though many wanted to be the old automaton forger’s 
  apprentice, the man eventually made his decision, having sighed 
  and looked at the gnome, “Fine, you’ll be sufficient.” Ever since 
  then, Wegdo has gleefully (sometimes bitterly, depending on his 
  mood) called himself Wegdo the Sufficient. 
   
  But two wars and several decades later, Wegdo’s automa-
  tons are no longer merely sufficient. Wegdo loves to make the 
  biggest, craziest, most maniacal automatons possible. He special-
  izes in steamers, making enormous steam-powered automatons 
  that he walks around in. Wegdo has long since surpassed his mas-
  ter, and is now going about, looking for his betters, hoping to find 
  the newest whatchamacallit or gizmo, and always tinkering with 
  his automatons.
   
  Wegdo the Sufficient would probably have the following 
  specialties: Learn Augments (under Sciences), Steam-Powered 
  Crafter (under Automata), and Trinket Crafter (under Gadgetry).
  Metal-Deranged
  Gnomes love nature, the woods, and everything the world 
  provides to them. The naturally occuring ores and metals 
  help the gnomes construct greater machines and tools, but 
  gnomes rarely use excessive amounts of  worked metals in 
  their creations. Many gnomes who have been embraced by 
  human society, however, switch their allegiances away from 
  the organic woods and vegetation and instead bond with 
  metals. These gnomes are called metal-deranged.
   
  Metal-deranged gnomes often speak with their metal 
  creation, softly warping the metal with their brushing hands, 
  and use almost exclusively large, metal tools. The most com-
  mon metal-deranged gnomes will be machinists, working on 
  oversized metal automatons or enormous metal artillery or 
  monstrous metal-armored vehicles. 
   
  Metal-deranged gnomes forsake many of  their gnom-
  ish traits, becoming loud, excessive, and often-times obsessed 
  with material values, trinkets, and taking things apart. They 
  rarely value staying hidden, as many gnomes do, and many 
  metal-deranged gnomes can be rude, self-centered, and pay 
  little mind to others. Whereas most gnomes are known for 
  their hospitality and their inability to keep grudges, metal-
  deranged gnomes are the exact opposite.
   
  Until recently, metal-deranged gnomes have been 
  rare. A few were written about during the reign of  the Haudi 
  Empire when gnomes served under the Hauds. Today how-
  ever, metal-deranged gnomes are everywhere. The mental 
  disorder (as normal gnomes are prone to think of  it as) has 
  become widespread, and many humans, especially Evangles-
  sians, have come to think that metal-deranged gnomes are 
  the norm, not the exception.
  
  44
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Sandra N. Griffiths III
  Sandra comes from a long line of gnomish rangers who served 
  as the Siddeodru border guard. She was born after Siddeodru fell 
  to Evangless, but she valued her family’s lineage and her birth-
  right. She grew up with an artificially overgrown wolfhound by 
  her side named Whitethorn. Whitethorn grew large and became 
  her mount while Sandra learned the old gnomish ways of the bow 
  and the hunt. 
   
  Sandra joined the Evanglessian army as a ranger and 
  scout during the civil war, siding with the militarists. She spent 
  much of her time alone looking for enemy automaton move-
  ments. After the war, and with the militarist loss, she tried to leave 
  her reclusive ways. Sandra spent some time as mercenary, though 
  it was an uphill battle having to prove that she could be just as 
  efficient with her bow and wolfhound mount as others could be 
  with their firearms. 
   
  Sandra N. Griffith III would probably have the following 
  specialties: Efficient Ranger (under Marksmanship), Flesh Biter 
  (under Marksmanship), and Quick Mount (under Ace).
  p Sample NPCs M
  Below are three gnomish non-player characters (NPCs) that a 
  group of adventurers might run into on their travels.
  Bildra Hogglezards
  Professor Hogglezards is an old, paranoid woman who has a habit 
  of running to her wooden cottage (desperately far from civiliza-
  tion) and hiding. She’s an old Siddeodruid who was young during 
  the razing of her town. The shock left her jittery. 
   
  Regardless of her setbacks, Bildra Hogglezards is a well 
  respected lecturer and one of the foremost craftswomen in wood-
  en rifles and stocks. She knows quite a bit about the different 
  ways to grow wood and carving it for firearms. In fact, she has 
  quite a few examples stored in her hard-to-find cottage, just in 
  case anybody spooks her.
  Maddock
  With a temper as short as he is, Maddock is a rambunctious 
  gnome who has learned to surround himself with larger friends 
  who will back him up when he inevitably ends up in a brawl. His 
  elderly uncle berates him to learn to control his anger, trying to 
  get the quarrelsome scamp to relax himself in nature’s embrace. 
  Far too impatient for sitting calmly in the middle of the woods, 
  Maddock shows no intention of changing his ways. 
  Reiner
  Reiner made his fortune mass-producing prosthetic limbs for sol-
  diers on both sides of Evangless’ recent civil war. Rich beyond 
  his wildest dreams, the stout gnome built an impressive estate 
  just outside Evangless’ capital, Razule. Set on enjoying his new-
  found retirement, he spends his time hosting week-long banquets 
  for friends and nobles alike. Always the life of the party, Reiner 
  proves the size of your heart outweighs the size of your body. 
  
  45
  Chapter 3
  Races
  traits oF a gnome
  smaLL stature: Gnomes gain a +1 on evade rolls.
  greater spirit: Gnomes gain a +3 on Spirit rolls.
  Light BuiLD: Gnomes suffer a -2 on Brute rolls. 
  speeD: You have the lower 15 foot movement speed. You 
  have a swim speed of 10 feet and a climbing speed of 10 
  feet.
  smaLLer weapons: Because of their comparable size, 
  gnomes are too small to conceal light weapons on their 
  person. In addition, their smaller fists make their unarmed 
  attacks deal a damage class of 1. 
  ranDom raCiaL traits: In addition to rolling for their ran-
  dom racial trait, gnomes may select one random racial trait 
  without rolling. If they roll the same story that they chose, 
  re-roll.  
  Random Racial Traits
  1
  BenD sight: You can bend your sight - literally allowing 
  you to see around a wall, or over a building. You can bend 
  your sight up to 90 degrees.
  2
  Deep poCkets: No one knows quite how you do it, but you 
  can make items significantly larger than yourself van-
  ish into thin air. You can conceal both light and medium 
  items.
  3
  earthshape: You can speak with the earth and ask it to 
  move for you. For 2 action points, you can cause the earth 
  to either raise or lower by 5 feet in a 5 foot area. Once 
  raised or lowered in such a way, it cannot be shaped by a 
  gnome again until it naturally levels out (which will occur 
  within a couple days).  
  4
  FeeL the earth: You can feel the earth through your skin, 
  knowing what it feels. While barefoot or in some way 
  touching solid ground, you can feel footsteps and other 
  things that cause the ground to vibrate within 15 feet. If 
  somebody is attempting to keep their footsteps hidden, 
  you and that person may attempt opposed cunning rolls. 
  If you win, you sense their location. This ability does not 
  negate any penalties you would take for being blind, but it 
  does tell you where enemies could be standing.
  5
  growth intensity: You have learned one of the gnome’s 
  most complicated arts - that of natural growth. This 
  growth allows you to, in almost an instant, grow to the size 
  of an elf. You must be standing on solid ground to do this, 
  and it requires one action point to switch between your two 
  sizes. While large, you use the racial traits of elves and lose 
  those of gnomes. 
  6
  noiseLess: You walk as though you are on a pad of air, com-
  pletely unheard. When you are sneaking, you are entirely 
  silent and cannot be heard due to your footsteps alone. You 
  still make noise from the equipment that you are carrying 
  and wear. When you are trying to sneak, you automatically 
  receive 1 tier higher. 
  7
  parts oF nature: You may speak with nature, and nature 
  will lend you its aid. You may, for 3 action points, request 
  a tree or the earth to lend you a piece of itself. Your draw 
  a simple tool out of a tree or a patch of dirt, coming in 
  the shape of a light (or smaller) weapon, a tool such as a 
  hammer or wrench, a torch, or any other light-sized ba-
  sic equipment. This does not warp or deplete the wood or 
  earth that the item was drawn from, and that area of nature 
  cannot lend a piece of itself again for quite some time.  
  8
  pierCing sight: You can see a fly 300 feet away simply by 
  focusing in on it, and this ungodly sight has given you a 
  great precision with ranged weapons. Whenever firing a 
  ranged weapon, you can shoot it twice as far as normal, and 
  you gain a +2 on accuracy rolls with that weapon.  
  9
  ripCorD musCLes: Your powerful spirit flows through your 
  arms and into the items you carry. You negate your Light 
  Build trait and gain a +2 to strike. In addition, your un-
  armed attacks have a damage class of 2.
  10
  waterwaLk: You and water have reached a balance, allow-
  ing you to stand on calm waters. For 1 action point every 
  turn, you may stand on top of a body of water. If you cease 
  to spend that action point for even a turn, you fall into the 
  water. You cannot waterwalk while underwater - you must 
  first be above the water and then step onto it.  
  11
  winDwaLk: The wind is yours to control, and you may bor-
  row its power to glide across the ground. For 1 action point, 
  you may windwalk in one direction 40 feet. You cannot 
  change direction during this windwalking. Windwalking 
  does not allow you to fly - you are still walking on the 
  ground, though the wind is carrying your strides
  12 wry: Your size and your limberness make you terribly dif-
  ficult to hit. You gain an additional +1 on evade rolls.  
  
  46
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Physiology
  Satyrs are revised and altered humans, so many of their qualities 
  are those of humans. From their hair to their eyes to their body 
  types, they all run the gamut of human options. But satyrs are 
  bio-engineered race, and their differences are pronounced. The 
  two most common differences are in the satyrs’ legs and horns.
   
  Satyrs’ have the legs and hindquarters of a goat’s. They 
  are typically covered in thin hair that matches that on the rest of 
  their body. Like a human, their torso tends to be hairless or lightly 
  haired. 
   
  Satyr horns come in a great many styles, and many times 
  satyrs will use the style of their horns to denote what region they 
  were born in or what “strain” they were born from. Some will have 
  tight spiraling horns, while others will stand straight up. Others 
  will have slightly sloping horns. They typically come out near or 
  behind the satyr’s temples. Female satyrs typically have smaller 
  horns than the males, but this is certainly not always the case.
   
  Satyrs will dress in many of the same styles that their 
  fellow nationals have. Satyr pants typically come taller and in bag-
  gier styles because of satyrs’ thicker thighs and hairier legs. Horn 
  decorations and piercings are common, though satyrs can still 
  feel through their horns and any significant alterations to their 
  horns can be quite painful. 
   
  Because satyrs were created and come from numerous 
  strains, satyr physiology can differ greatly. Some scientists will 
  drastically alter a satyr strain before creation, giving them un-
  usual hair or eye colors, odd horns, or even slightly altered legs. 
  Though they are rare, some satyrs have tails. These tails might be 
  small, fluffy tails, long whipping tails, or haired horse tails. These 
  unusual strains can come off as strange among the other races, 
  but satyrs have a habit of accepting all satyr variations.
   
  Satyrs are renowned for their speed. No other race can 
  match a satyr step-for-step. Unfortunately, climbing and swim-
  ming tend to be problems for satyrs - actions best left to other 
  races. Satyrs get a wide variety of footwear and will often shave 
  down or shape their hooves. Because satyrs tend to make a good 
  deal of noise when they walk, many satyrs will wear padded or 
  leather shoes over their hooves to make themselves a little qui-
  eter. 
   
  Satyrs are almost entirely immune to the effects of al-
  cohol and resist other chemicals more easily. When originally de-
  signed, the Haudi scientists added this function to make satyrs 
  more dependable workers. Because of their immunity, satyrs have 
  made a culture around alcohol, enjoying the beverages for their 
  flavor rather than the mental effects.
   
  LiFespans: Satyr lifespans are almost identical to those 
  of humans. Satyr children are commonly called satyrisci, and sa-
  tyr children are typically much quieter than adults. Though it is 
  less common, older satyrs are called sileni. Sileni is often used as 
  a title of respect in satyr communities. 
  Satyrs are counted among the greatest successes from the long list of experiments that the Haudi Empire con-
  ducted. The Haudi Empire, long obsessed with combining their own knowledge of science and alchemy with the 
  knowledge of nature’s inner workings that their gnomish slaves possessed, endeavored to create a race of slaves. 
  Many of their experiments failed, leading to a number of warped and horrible creatures, creatures that the Haudi 
  Empire - to this day - is still trying to entirely exterminate. Eventually the Haudi Empire would create the satyrs, 
  a race of people that are known for their speed, their empathy, and their loyalties. This servant race has not stayed 
  loyal to the Haudi Empire, though. Satyr rebellions added fuel to the fire, helped crack the unbreakable Haudi 
  Empire, and today most satyrs are free to do as they will.
   
  The most common satyrs combine what, at first glance, look like the features of a goat with a human. 
  Though they’re bipedal, their legs look like those of a goat. Many satyrs will also have horns, but the sizes and 
  styles will vary from a small slight curve to large, spiraling horns. 
   
  Satyrs are found all over the continent now, having fully integrated with humans. Though there are still a 
  number of satyrs bound to slavery in the remnants of the Haudi Empire, most have escaped to free pastures. Satyrs 
  are common in Evangless, where they are largely seen as equals. Free satyrs, especially freeborn satyrs, tend to be 
  loud, rabble-rousing, and fun-loving. They drink all day and frequently share with their friends. Unfortunately for 
  their friends, satyrs are almost completely immune to the negative effects of alcohol, so it’s only their friends of 
  other races that are affected.
   
  Well known for their fun spirit, their never-say-die attitudes, and their newfound love of freedom, satyrs 
  who have broken free from slavery make the best of it. Unfortunately, individual experiences can quickly alter the 
  satyr norm, as satyrs born into slavery can differ drastically from the easily excited freeborns.
  Satyrs
  
  47
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Psychology
  Satyrs have a reputation for being fun, easily excited, and hard-
  working. The reputation isn’t always fitting, but there’s a good 
  deal of truth in it. They are naturally social, as they are perceptive 
  and empathetic to others. 
   
  Satyrs who are freeborn or have gained their freedom 
  enjoy wide open spaces and a simple life. They are typically hap-
  py as daily factory workers, as they are likely to spend their eve-
  nings enjoying themselves thoroughly. They don’t often give way 
  to depression.
   
  Yet satyrs are emotional beings. They switch emotions 
  quickly, being both quick to anger and quick to forgiveness. 
  Among satyrs, it is perfectly normal for one satyr to be badmouth-
  ing another, for them to have a heated argument, and to end the 
  night drinking together. That’s not to say that satyrs don’t hold 
  grudges, as many wonder if they’ll ever forgive the Haudi Em-
  pire for their enslavement. But when somebody has apologized or 
  learned their lesson, satyrs easily move forward.
   
  Satyr children, the satyrisci, are a quiet lot. They are 
  often overshadowed by the louder adults. It’s given rise to the 
  saying, “The devil’s in the horns.” In their teenage years, when 
  a satyrisci starts to grow its horns, is the time that the wild and 
  rambunctious side of the satyr will manifest. Satyrs tend to have 
  rough (but exciting) teenage years.
   
  Satyrs are exceptionally empathetic. Scientists debate 
  whether satyrs are just very perceptive of others or if they share 
  a mental connection with other creatures, but satyrs are always 
  aware of people’s emotions. Because of this, people will often 
  hire satyrs at jury hearings or to keep around when interrogating 
  somebody. They can easily and accurately discern most lies. 
   
  Satyrs are friends with humans and gnomes alike. They 
  easily blend in with human culture, and, despite their height dif-
  ferences, gnomes and satyrs often see eye-to-eye. Satyrs have a 
  great deal of difficulty relating to farishtaas. For some reason, 
  farishtaas seem so alien to satyrs that satyrs can’t accurately read 
  them.
  Culture of  Alcohol
  The Haud planned ahead. When they created the satyrs, they 
  specifically examined the effects of  alcohol on their sys-
  tem. They didn’t want servants who would be impaired by 
  drinking, so they altered the way alcohol effected the satyrs’ 
  bloodstream. Alcohol does not impair satyrs; rather, it works 
  like a mild stimulant. For a satyr, drinking a pint of  ale is no 
  different from a human drinking a cup of  coffee. 
   
  Due to water sanitation problems, drinking ferment-
  ed beverages became a mainstay among Hauds and their 
  servants. Satyrs almost exclusively drank ale and wine for 
  hundreds of  years, and, today, satyrs are known for carry-
  ing alcohol on them like other races carry canteens of  water. 
  Satyrs are known for creating the best beverages, and carry-
  ing satyr-made brews is a point of  pride among taverns and 
  pubs. 
   
  In Evangless, the most popular alcoholic beverages 
  sold in the public houses are all brewed by satyrs.
  eLympia Dark, a dark lager first brewed over two cen-
  turies ago by a satyr woman named Elympia in order to 
  please her Haud master. He was so impressed that he 
  had her brew more and more of it and started selling it. 
  Eventually the family gained their freedom and started 
  selling it under the name of the original brewer. 
  maCCLairies, a fruity, orange wine brewed from the 
  rare orange grapes in Arudika. The MacClairies family 
  owned the first vinyards in Arudika, and so all orange 
  wines from Arudika are now known as MacClairies, re-
  gardless of which vinyard they come from.
  empathy, a dark, red wine brewed in vinyards in south-
  eastern Evangless near the Zelhost border, known as be-
  ing the wine that people first use to celebrate marriages 
  and the wine used to mourn deceased lovers.
  high CaLiBer, a cheap spiced rum from Siyesh known 
  for having the most violent alcohol content of any liquor. 
  High Caliber has a reputation for causing numerous 
  riots, barfights, and wars. Regardless of its reputation, 
  High Caliber is a favorite drink among sky pirates, thugs, 
  and ruffians of all types. 
  
  48
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Roleplaying Tips
  A satyr will be excited and fast-talking. You might come from a 
  slave background, where you either more appreciate your current 
  freedom or you are stalwart and reserved from your tough days as 
  a slave. If you were born free, you’re much more likely to be well 
  adjusted, though perhaps a bit garrulous and rambunctious. Sa-
  tyrs tend toward the braggart and the good-natured loud mouths 
  and use a variety of skills and weapons. Satyrs are loving, but 
  they’re equally quick to action. 
  p Sample Adventurers M
  Below are three satyr adventurers that you can use as inspiration 
  when creating your own.
  Cassair Douglas
  Cassair spent several years working as a courier in Aldamiir, de-
  livering messages by hoof as fast as he could. He was well rec-
  ognized for his speed and reliability. His messages were always 
  delivered within a few hours and always to the hand of the recipi-
  ent. Everything changed when, one day, he delivered a message 
  right in the midst of a Brimstone assassination. In the heat of the 
  moment, his client hired him to get him out of there, and Cassair 
  escaped with the client out of the city.
   
  Cassair’s face, however, was well remembered by the as-
  sassin, and soon many Brimstones were after him. With no way 
  to return home, he took to the road, out-running his pursuers. 
  And, when he ran out of funds, he began taking whatever work 
  he could gather.
   
  Cassair Douglas would probably have the following spe-
  cialties: Feeling Lucky (under Luck), Wall Runner (under Agility), 
  and Walk Over (under Agility).
  Monica Moinnine
  People always used to joke that if you harmed one of Monica’s 
  flock, she’d bring down the fury of the heavens. Monica, who 
  worked at an orphanage in northern Evangless, was known both 
  for the fervor of her faith in the Beloved Mother of Tailemy as 
  well as the conviction with which she watched over the children 
  in her care. And it wasn’t a few times that Monica would have to 
  leave the orphanage to get one of the boys out of trouble.
   
  One day she heard a rumor about a satyr boy - a boy who 
  had been adopted less than a year ago - who was being abused by 
  his adopted human parents. Without a second thought, she made 
  her way across the countryside, found the small family manor, 
  and broke in. She found the boy, along with many others, tied up 
  in cages in the barn. Her fury visited the adoptive parents, who 
  were barely left alive.
   
  Equally ashamed of her act of violence as she was 
  moved to ensure that there were no other children being treated 
  in such a way, she left the orphanage and made her way into the 
  world, fighting for the freedom of children everywhere.
   
  Monica Moinnine would probably have the following 
  specialties: Greif & Hope (under Faith), Healing Halo (under 
  Faith), and Heavy-Handed (under Brawl).
  Silas Caughey
  Silas is a well known entrepreneur, both a serious and seriously 
  liked man. His grandfather was an escaped slave from Siyesh, in-
  spiring Silas to make honest money and never be a servant to any-
  body. Silas has started a fair number of businesses, and, through 
  some have been failures, he’s turned a good coin in his day. 
   
  A few years ago, Silas gained an interest in finding 
  ancient artifacts, especially elven and Izedan ones. He funded 
  a number of expeditions, eventually putting a very significant 
  amount of money behind a promising one. But the last expedi-
  tion did not return, and Silas’s invested fortune was lost to him.
   
  When Silas heard of another expedition forming, he 
  stepped in, both helping fund it but also requesting a place in 
  it. He couldn’t stand the idea of waiting at home; he wanted to 
  be involved. And that, he says, was just the start of a number of 
  adventures Silas Caughey would find himself embroiled in.
   
  Silas Caughey would probably have the following spe-
  cialties: Direct the Battle (under Tactical), Praise (under Show-
  manship), and Weapon Appropriations (under Expertise).
  p Sample NPCs M
  Below are a few satyr non-player characters (NPCs) that a group 
  of adventurers might run into on their travels.
  Brian Brennus
  Sometimes people just need to talk to someone who can under-
  stand their feelings. For many people in Aldamiir, that someone is 
  Brian Brennus: bartender of the Roaring Lion Pub. Brian’s natu-
  ral empathy and reputation as a great listener have made him the 
  favorite of regulars and newcomers alike. Bouncers know that 
  when Brian is on the clock they have little to worry about, as the 
  persuasive satyr knows quite a few tricks on how to calm an angry 
  patron.
  Druston of the Industrial Strain
  The fear of every young cadet in Evangless’ army, Drustan is the 
  fiercest drill sergeant the military dares remember. Never seen 
  outside of his uniform, the grizzled veteran refuses to be found 
  eating or sleeping in front of his men as it would make him ap-
  pear mortal. Drustan’s superiors love and fear him as none of his 
  peers can produce the same quality killing machines as the infan-
  trymen who survive a week with the ever-furious satyr.
  Old Miss Macushla
  Macushla has spent her many years accomplishing many tasks. 
  She’s worked as a waitress, a seamstress, and even put in a few 
  years at the factory. She and her husband kept orphans for several 
  years, but they’ve mostly moved on and her husband passed away 
  several years ago. It’s been in these last few years that Macushla 
  feels like she’s found her true calling, as her house sits on a road 
  just a little ways north of Zelhost. In fact, it’s perfectly situated 
  to taking in escaped satyr slaves and refugees and, if necessary, 
  hiding them for a few days. She’s had a few close calls with boun-
  ty hunters who have dared cross into Evanglessian territory, but 
  she’s not so attached to life that she’ll stop what she’s doing. And 
  few satyr escapees pass by Old Miss Macushla’s cottage without 
  forever owing her their gratitude. 
  
  49
  Chapter 3
  Races
  Gaining Freedom
  About three hundred years ago, the satyrs in Siyesh began a 
  rebellion, led by one of  history’s most enigmatic and blood-
  thirsty tacticians, a satyr named Arakrith. By the end of  the 
  rebellion, a new free nation of  satyrs had been carved out of 
  northwest Rilausia, named after the rebellion’s leader. 
   
  Over the years, even more satyrs have gained their 
  freedom from the Hauds. Many satyrs now live freely in 
  Evangless, where satyrs are the second most populace race. 
  There are still a lot of  satyrs living as servants in Zelhost 
  and Siyesh, but many escape their bonds and become free in 
  Evangless or other nations that do not accept slavery. 
  traits oF a satyr          
  aLCohoL immunity: Satyrs are not negatively affected by 
  alcohol.
  speeD: You have an amazing 35 foot movement speed. You 
  have a swim speed of 10 feet and a climbing speed of 10 
  feet.
  empathetiC: When attempting to determine if somebody 
  is lying, you are allowed to roll twice and take the higher 
  result.
  Random Racial Traits
  1
  Born hero: When using Heroics (found under the Spirit 
  attribute), roll twice and take the higher result. 
  2
  Brothers-in-arms: The hardships the satyrs have under-
  gone over the years has not broken them down but brought 
  them together in brotherhood. When you are adjacent to a 
  satyr ally, you both gain a +2 to accuracy. This effect does 
  not stack if the other satyr also has this story. 
  3
  BuiLt to Last: The Haudi Empire designed the satyrs for 
  harsh labor and thus made sure their creations wouldn’t 
  tire easily. You are no exception. You gain an additional 6 
  hit points.
  4
  expeCting the worst: Your natural awareness of people’s 
  emotions gives you a good insight into when a situation’s 
  about to turn sour. You gain a +4 on priority rolls. 
  5
  FLeet oF Foot: You’re one of the fastest creatures around. 
  Your movement speed increases by 10 feet, bringing your 
  35 feet movement speed up to 45 feet.
  6
  Frightening ComBatant: Your horns and hooves can be 
  used as weapons. Your unarmed attacks have a damage 
  class of 4. 
  7
  horneD & Dangerous: You keep the ends of your horns 
  clean and sharp, making unarmed attacks with them deal 1 
  point of unsoakable bleeding damage.
  8
  naturaL high: Alcohol is a stimulant for satyrs, not a de-
  pressant. You can ignore the effects of fatigue if you’ve 
  consumed alcohol in the past few hours. If you remain fa-
  tigued for more than a few days, even alcohol won’t help.
  9
  poison immunity: Your model was engineered to work with 
  hazardous chemicals. Whenever rolling to resist a poison 
  through Brute, your roll is one tier higher than it otherwise 
  would be. 
  10
  proteCtor: The satyr culture has imprinted your mind 
  with a compulsion to defend those close to you. All allies 
  adjacent to you gain a +2 to defense.  
  11
  staBLe hooFing: Your hooves are firm, catching the ground 
  with ease. You ignore the speed penalties for crossing mi-
  nor and unsteady rough terrains.  
  12
  unphaseD By war: Though you sympathize with people’s 
  fear of battle, the rush of the battlefield spurs you on. 
  When you are attempting to resist being stunned, you gain 
  a +4 on the roll.
  Original Creation
  Almost five hundred years ago the Haudi Empire was at its 
  height. They covered much of  Rilausia, and both gnomes 
  and elves fell under the empire. The Haudi Empire had long 
  been the innovative force in alchemy, and the gnomes, mas-
  ters over nature and life, made a unique combination that the 
  Haudi Empire planned on cashing in on.
   
  For years, the Haudi Empire worked alongside the 
  gnomes to create new races. They went through numerous 
  abominations before their first success: a warlike race called 
  the manticores. Yet the manticores were impossible to con-
  trol, their bloodlust exceeding their ability to reason. The 
  Hauds recognized their failures and began working toward a 
  new race. 
   
  The experimentations that followed led to the cre-
  ation of  satyrs. The satyrs were a race bred by combining 
  the essence of  the Satarrans, a nationality that the Haudi 
  Empire had almost wiped out during their subjugation, with 
  other animals - the most prominent of  which being goats and 
  rams. 
   
  Over the years, various satyr strains were born, each 
  with slightly different combinations of  animal essence and 
  in-born personalities. Yet the basic satyr formula remained 
  largely the same, and satyrs became the most popular form 
  of  servant throughout the Haudi Empire. 
  
  50
  Chapter 4
  Context
  Context
  Chapter 4
  Everything needs some context.
   
  You need to put your character into the context of the world. The context is the setting, your nationality, a 
  religion, some organizations, it’s the world around you, it’s everything. This is the context of your adventure.
   
  As you’re developing your character, you can use this chapter as much or as little as you’d like. There are 
  a ton of stories that you can choose from in here (take what you want!). If you just want to make a bland, back-
  ground-free gun-toting maniac (and believe me, we all do), feel free to skip this chapter. For some depth to your 
  character, you can stop here for some context.
   
  If your narrator has decided not to use the Tephra setting, then you can use this chapter for some ideas or 
  dismiss it entirely in favor of your narrator’s setting, nationalities, religions, and other such fun pieces of context.
  
  Chapter 4
  Context
  
  52
  Chapter 4
  Context
  The new capital of humanity, Evangless is growing quickly 
  and thriving all the same. Less than a century old, Evangless 
  was founded by a brilliant woman named Velkya, who pio-
  neered the steam engine and numerous other technologies 
  that are still being deceiphered today. Her great cities set the 
  foundation for an unshakable nation and her thoughts for a 
  strong-willed, proud people. Evangless grew to its prime be-
  fore the Hurricane Wars between the surface and the ocean-
  faring ayodin, and, despite numerous set-backs, the Evang-
  lessians still hold the center of the continent.
   
  Evanglessians are typically fair skinned, some with 
  freckles. Their hair colors vary, but are often lighter shades 
  of brown, blond, and occassionally red. Their eyes, too, vary 
  between the lighter colors. 
   
  The nation of Evangless has immense pride, power-
  ful industry, and a world-class railway system. The military 
  of Evangless is, by far, the world’s most elite, and Evangless’s 
  rather large population and control over the continent’s most 
  fertile lands helps cement their military dominance. 
   
  Evangless has long been insecure with its relations 
  with the remnants of the Haudi Empire, who they consider 
  a real threat. Yet even more so now, the airborne Paldorans 
  have become Evangless’s true menace, as the nation with-
  out a homeland has largely chosen Evangless as its primary 
  raiding spot. And though Evangless’s own airborne navy is 
  powerful, it has yet to put any serious stop to Paldorus.
   
  Meanwhile, the arts and culture of Evangless con-
  tinue to strive on. The Evanglessians elite, almost all of 
  which are immeasurably wealthy industrial barons, have 
  spearheaded technological development and begun funding 
  scientists whenever possible. Aether manipulation technol-
  ogy has most quickly grown in Evangless since the aether 
  disaster befell Paldorus and crushed Paldorus’s astounding 
  research speed. Evangless is the center of the human world, 
  with technology, industry, and agriculture all uniting to form 
  a thriving and cohesive culture. 
  p Ethnic Traits M
  The people of Evangless, regardless of their race, are known 
  for their light-colored skin and their blonde to brunette hair, 
  their eyes varying from dark browns to greens to blues. 
  Evanglessians come in all shapes and sizes and as such 
  have reputations for being vastly more open-minded about 
  strange customs than their neighboring countries. 
   
  Evangless is a melting pot of the cultures of Rilau-
  sia, although the people of Evangless have noticable com-
  mon mannerisms. Evanglessians are polite and proper with-
  out being weak-willed or prudish. They are a proud people 
  forged in the fires of conquest, although they remain young 
  and impressionable. A large majority of the Evanglessian 
  workforce is war veterans, whether it be middle-aged retirees 
  who expanded their national borders in the Hurricane Wars 
  or newcomers to the workforce who took sides during the 
  Evanglessian Civil War. While far from being bloodthirsty or 
  savage, the people of Evangless often use their military ex-
  perience as a way of connecting with one another, using old 
  war stories as anecdotal banter during polite conversation. 
  Evanglessians pride themselves on their skill in the art of 
  mannerly dialogue and generally will have trouble respond-
  ing positively to outlandish or violent behavior. 
  p Foreign Relations & Stereotypes M
  Despite their gentlemanly demeanors and friendly attitudes, 
  the people of Evangless have some long-standing grudges. 
  Freshest on the list are the Paldoran exiles, especially those 
  involved in piracy for their aerial empire. Some Evangles-
  sians distinguish between Paldoran pirates and Paldoran ref-
  ugees, but many discriminate against all those of Paldoran 
  descent. 
   
  A great deal of Hurricane Wars veterans, along with 
  their families, hate seawater ayodin for their declaration of 
  war on the surface. That being said, the great number of 
  freshwater ayodin who stood beside them on the battlefield 
  have quelled the chances of widespread ayodin prejudice.
   
  Velkya stole the land she used to build Evangless 
  from the Haudi Empire, and over a century and a half later 
  Hauds and Evanglessians still bicker. Many Evanglessians 
  see Hauds as narrow-minded and stuck in the past, stating 
  that the Haudi nations are far beyond their prime. However, 
  Evanglessians and Hauds rarely act on their mutual distrust, 
  other than the occasional alcohol-induced bar fight between 
  zealous patriots.
   
  Evanglessians and Izedans have cooperated with 
  each other numerous times in the past. This coupled with 
  the large number of Izedan immigrants now living in Evan-
  gless, the two cultures get along easily. The same is mostly 
  true with Dalvozzeans as well. Evangless and Dalvozzea are 
  the two newest superpowers on the continent of Rilausia, 
  but luckily the two of them have so far avoided stepping on 
  each others’ toes. Many farishtaa have immigrated to Evang-
  less to see if they cannot rise above the caste society they 
  were born into, some even opening farishtaa-conversion labs 
  on Evanglessian soil, opening up business for any willing 
  elf.  
  [ev-van-gles-ee-yuhnz]
  Evanglessians
  
  53
  Chapter 4
  Context
  p Nationality Stories M
  Below are some nationality stories you can select. While most 
  adventurers will only have one (if any) of these stories, you might 
  find that several apply to you.
  royaList   a
  nationaLity story
  During the Civil War, you sided with the automaton armies of 
  Emperor Deylus Luthricien, and thus get along better with other 
  Royalists.
  miLitarist   a
  nationaLity story
  While the Civil War was raging, you fought against the rise of the 
  current emperor, instead siding with the military coup and the 
  majority of the populous.
  veteran   a
  nationaLity story
  You fought in the Civil War. Regardless of which side you were 
  on, you have plenty of war stories that allow you to entertain fel-
  low Evanglessians.
  settLer oF the west   a
  nationaLity story
  As a frontiersman out in the formerly gnome-occupied land of 
  Western Evangless you’ve spent some time with ranch animals. 
  You can easily calm and direct most forms of livestock.
  naturaLizeD tharmurian   a
  nationaLity story
  Whether you welcomed them with open arms or scorned the ad-
  vances of their army, Tharmuris and its people now bow to the 
  Evanglessian throne. Your white hair and pale complexion make 
  other Evanglessians see you as a foreigner.
  evangLessian noBiLity   a
  nationaLity story
  As a member of a noble house in Evangless you are given unre-
  stricted access to government-run buildings, save those requiring 
  high levels of clearance. 
  aDopteD By evangLess   a
  nationaLity story
  You may not have been born here, but the open-minded culture 
  of Evangless has thoroughly assimilated you. You may have one 
  nationality story from a different nationality. If you previously 
  had more than one, you may choose which story to keep.
  ayoDin oF the exoDus   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Ayodin
  You left the armies behind during the Hurricane Wars, joining 
  the “surfacers”  in their fight against his genocide. You’re held in 
  high regard by Evanglessians old enough to remember yet young 
  enough to care.
  
  54
  Chapter 4
  Context
  [dal-vohz-zee-yuhnz]
  Dalvozzeans
  Dalvozzea is the jewel of Rilausia, a nation which plays host 
  to the High Rilausia Forest, the dense jungle which covers 
  nearly the entire country, known for its scenic vistas. Dal-
  vozzea is the only farishtaa-ruled nation in Rilausia, ruled 
  by the Nine Wings of Divinity, the most elite members of 
  the farishtaa Day Society. They insure the elves never rise 
  above their second-class status, cementing their national 
  power base. Dalvozzea is very inwardly focused, as almost 
  every city and region is self-sustaining. They have very little 
  contact with their continental neighbors and many farishtaa 
  never leave their home cities. 
   
  The social structure of Dalvozzea focuses primarily 
  on the farishtaa. Powerful members of the race known as 
  Day Society, a caste of winged farishtaa, rule absolutely over 
  the Night Society, the average farishtaa. All farishtaa hold 
  sway over the elves, which dwell at the bottom of the caste 
  system. Only a few places in Dalvozzea are elven friendly: 
  Miadru and Adoipa, gnomish and elven settlements respec-
  tively. Adoipa holds the seat of Girazza, the elven scientist 
  who invented the farishtaa, who regrets his discovery deeply.
   
  Dalvozzea has little in the way of a standing mili-
  tary and relies primarily on mercenary components to sup-
  port their endeavors. Their airpower, though limited, is a 
  sight to behold, as farishtaas hold an innate talent for flight 
  and aerial maneuvers and their vessels reflect those values.
   
  These elite pilots and their vessels guard the na-
  tion’s borders zealously with a sporting attitude, hunting air-
  ship pirates like noblemen on a foxhunt.   
  p Ethnic Traits M
  Internationally known for their chestnut skin, preconcieved 
  notions of Dalvozzeans changed with the creation of the 
  commonly light-skinned farishtaa. Regardless of their race, 
  the people of Dalvozzea are easily distinguishable by their 
  hair. Thin and wiry without being weak, Dalvozzean hair 
  comes in deep, dark shades of almost any imaginable color. 
  Dalvozzeans are also taller and more slender than the norm 
  for their respective races.
   
  Used to their caste-based society, Dalvozzeans treat 
  those in authority positions with respect. The obvious ex-
  ception to this rule are the unknown number of Dalvozzeans 
  living outside of civilization in the High Rilausian Forest. 
  Many “citizens” still live off the land as nomadic hunters and 
  gatherers. These brave men and women are far from primi-
  tive, many employing prototype technology to get what they 
  need while still endeavoring to keep the forest intact.
   
  Some Dalvozzeans fight against the rigid structure 
  of their culture. Ashen Angels and other social movements 
  (or terrorist cells as they’re called by the government) be-
  lieve the castes are outdated and oppressive, although these 
  groups are relatively small.
  p Foreign Relations & Stereotypes M
  Dalvozzea is the newest of the Rilausian nations. This is a 
  task they accomplished without enemies outside the Haudi 
  Empire. Like Evangless, Dalvozzea stole their land from its 
  Haudi rulers. Unlike their southern neighbor, Dalvozzea 
  waged bloody war with the Hauds to gain their indepen-
  dence. With Haud-ruled Siyesh on their western border, ten-
  sions run deep between Dalvozzeans and Hauds from the 
  motherland.
   
  Dalvozzean patriots occasionally bicker with Ize-
  dans. Used to the lush flora of the High Rilausian Forest, 
  the infamously well-educated Dalvozzeans see Izedan scav-
  engers as ignorant people obsessed with useless ruins. Many 
  Izedans are staunchly against the farishtaa-conversion pro-
  cess, another point of contension.
   
  Some Dalvozzean youth are known to joke about the 
  quality of Evanglessian education, since most Evanglessian 
  aristocrats send their spoiled-rotten offspring to Dalvozz-
  ean universities. This stereotype fades with age, especially 
  amongst Dalvozzeans who meet the numerous prim and 
  proper Evanglessians visiting their cities for business, vaca-
  tion, or school.
   
  Dalvozzea isn’t known for its waterways, and as such 
  ayodin are a rare sight within its borders. Equally rare are 
  Paldorans; Dalvozzea is simply too far north for the Pal-
  dorans, pirates or otherwise, to conveniently reach. Most 
  Dalvozzeans have reacted to these facts by treating the ayo-
  din and Paldorans they meet with upmost courtesy while 
  thinking themselves ambassadors for their people.
  p Daion M
  Deep in the High Rilausian Forest, looming over the dense 
  green canopies, rises the white marble towers of Daion. 
  These towers form the homes for the farishtaas, the taller 
  towers homing the wealthiest farishtaas. The tallest tower 
  among them is Aeon’s Summit. Atop the summit the Nine 
  Wings of Divinity meet, the nine day-society farishtaas 
  that collectively govern Daion and the larger affairs of Dal-
  vozzea.
   
  The Day Society spends their time in comfort and 
  laziness. These farishtaas overlook the forest from their high 
  terraces, living decadent and sometimes immoral lifestyles. 
  The universities of Daion are housed in these towers, where 
  nobility send their children from all over Rilausia to study. 
  Daion is well known for having the best pilots, and the nobil-
  ity will often pass their time hunting for airship pirates like 
  the Evanglessian gentry hunt foxes.
   
  While the farishtaas live in white towers and com-
  fort, the city of Daion below the canopy is something en-
  tirely different. Packed to the breaking point, Daion is an 
  
  55
  Chapter 4
  Context
  amalgamation of elves, mercenaries, and people who are 
  there because they can’t go anywhere else. The canopy and 
  smog-blowing factories keep the under-canopy of Daion 
  dark even on the brightest days. 
  p Nationality Stories M
  Below are some nationality stories you can select. While most 
  adventurers will only have one (if any) of these stories, you might 
  find that several apply to you.
  memBer oF the night soCiety   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Farishtaa
  Nearly all farishtaa of Dalvozzea belong to the Night Society. The 
  middle caste of your culture, you are free to enjoy all facilities in 
  Dalvozzea except those places reserved for the Day Society.
  seConD generation Farishtaa   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Farishtaa 
  As a child of two farishtaa parents, you have no knowledge of 
  what it’s like to be an elf, causing most elves you encounter to 
  look upon you with jealousy.
  white-tower merCenary   a
  nationaLity story
  Selected by the Day Society to protect their ivory palaces from the 
  disgusting rabble below, you are held in equal regard to members 
  of the Night Society. If you’re both a White-Tower Merc and a 
  Member of the Night Society, you enjoy a significantly larger 
  amount of prestige than either group individually.
  ashen angeL   a
  nationaLity story
  The tattoo on your body of black  feathers reminds you of the 
  wings you will never possess. A rebel against the Day Society, you 
  instantly get along with kindred spirits throughout Dalvozzea. 
  Better cover your feathers though, law enforcement will treat you 
  as a terrorist if they see your markings.
  eLF oF aDoipa   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Elf
  You come from the elven city-state of Adoipa, run by Girazza the 
  Devourer. Elves from other places look up to you as a scion of a 
  future of equality which many see as impossible.
  savage eLF   a
  nationaLity story
  The concept of civilization is lost on you. You’re much more ac-
  customed to the life of a hunter and gatherer, travelling through 
  the High Rilausian Forest, living as your ancestors had for cen-
  turies. You can easily survive indefinite amounts of time in any 
  forested area without provisions.
  highBorne eLF   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Elf
  Some elves can trace their lineage to the noble families who lord-
  ed over their fellow elves before the farishtaa were created and 
  seized control of elven society. While still looked down upon, you 
  are held in slightly higher regard than the average elf.
  miaDruiD   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Gnome
  Primarily consisting of gnomes, the province of Miadru is free 
  from the caste system of Dalvozzea... at least while no Day So-
  ciety member is visiting. You get along royally with Dalvozzeans 
  who do not ascribe themselves to the Day or Night Society.
  Nine Wings of  Divinity
  Since Raviziel formed the Nine Wings of  Divinity over 
  a century ago, the Nine Wings have stood as the perma-
  nent and unyielding backbone of  Dalvozzea. Composed 
  of  only the nine most elite winged farishtaas - the day 
  society - the Nine Wings served as a symbol of  Dal-
  vozzea’s new angelic grace, meeting atop the enormous 
  Aeon’s Summit that scrapes against the heavens. 
   
  Two years ago, the Nine Wings’ pristine image 
  was shattered. Its founder, Raviziel, lost control. Giraz-
  za gained primal control over his body, and the angelic 
  Raviziel, the first farishtaa, reverted back to its original 
  owner - Girazza, the elf  that created the farishtaa con-
  version process. Enraged, Girazza tore off  his own jaw 
  and replaced it with an essence-devouring mechanism. 
  In one night, he killed three members of  the Nine Wings 
  and drained their body of  all synthetic essence. He left 
  a fourth member half-drained and stark mad. Within the 
  same night he started a revolt in the undercanopy that 
  would become known as the Night of  Feathers.
   
  Girazza left the Nine Wings with only five sur-
  viving members, one of  which with little sanity intact. 
  They’ve since had to rebuild and work to recapture their 
  decimated image. With four new members, the Nine 
  Wings are doing everything they can to reclaim the or-
  der they once commanded.  
  
  56
  Chapter 4
  Context
  Izedans
  Of the human nationalities, the izedans are perhaps the 
  most peculiar. Hailing from the vast deserts of Izeda, few 
  could imagine anybody calling that hellhole a home. Yet the 
  izedans have done just that, and their culture reflects their 
  harsh climate.
   
  Sometimes known as the sunborne, the izedans 
  have pale, almost yellow, skin. They’re commonly bald (and 
  women often shave their heads), and many of them develop 
  miscolorations on their exposed skin. 
   
  Izedans live as scavengers. Though there are some 
  Izedan cities, they are rare and far apart. Izedans often live 
  as nomads, tending their herds and living off what little the 
  land provides. They’re quite accustomed to the heat, and 
  survive well in poor climates.
   
  The entire culture has an almost religious devotion 
  to pain. Ritual scarification is well known through Izeda, 
  and pain is a daily part of life. Adulthood is proven through 
  tests of endurance, and, by proxy, the medicine men of the 
  Izedans are some of the best in the world. Izedans rarely 
  stagger under a blow, having spent their entire lives pushing 
  [ai-zee-dahnz]
  themselves to the extreme. 
   
  Despite their unusual customs, the Izedans can be 
  quite hospitable. Izedans cherish their friends and are highly 
  protective of them. A friend of Izeda is a man with a long 
  life ahead of him. Nonetheless, Izedans often have a hard 
  time relating to and understanding most other cultures, and 
  Izedans who leave the desert adapt poorly to the comforts of 
  modern, industrial living.
   
  Though Izedans are not as engineering as the other 
  human nations, they do well with what they have. While oth-
  ers have created powerful rifles, the izedans still hold true 
  to their crossbows; and their steam-powered, high caliber 
  crossbows are some of the most vicious weapons ever seen. 
  Izedans travel in large armored caravans, pulled by great 
  beasts of burden that only the Izedans could tame. Izedan 
  merchants will often work along the outskirts of Izeda, bar-
  tering off their unusual collections in exchange for food and 
  other knick knacks they can trade elsewhere. 
  
  57
  Chapter 4
  Context
  p Ethnic Traits M
  Short and stocky, the bleach-white skinned Izedans are a 
  hardy people, bred to last in the harsh desert wasteland of 
  the Quist. Stereotyped as being jolly and flippant, Izedans 
  are extremely hard workers who live off of whatever they 
  can scavenge. Lovers of tall tales, many outsiders consider 
  it an incomparable experience to sit and watch an Izedan 
  campfire. Most Izedans have little hair on the tops of their 
  head, although they have no difficulty growing thick mutton 
  chops or full beards. Of the few Izedan satyrs, many cut or 
  trim their legs to avoid heat stroke.
   
  Elven Izedans, many of whom have family lines in 
  the Quist predating the rise of Izeda, are completely inter-
  mixed with their non-elven compatriots. They are held as 
  equals in Izedan caravans and have, over time, grown to ap-
  pear distinctly different than the elves who inhabit the rest 
  of the continent. Izedan elves have spines more bent than 
  their forest-dwelling peers, with longer, thicker arms they 
  sometimes use to run on all fours. Their skins’ texture is 
  rugged to the touch and light-brown in texture, making 
  them camoflauge into the sand more easily. Their hair is 
  also longer than the average elf, shielding their long backs 
  from harmful sunlight and keeping them cool when they 
  need to be. Because of their separation from the castes of 
  Dalvozzea, most Izedan elves see the farishtaa-conversion 
  process as a shameful equivalent to suicide and refuse to 
  partake.
  p Foreign Relations & Stereotypes M
  Izedans are an amicable people who rarely have problems 
  with anyone. In addition, since they are hardly a true nation, 
  they rarely deal with foreign affairs or politics of any kind. 
  The Quist may house the ruins of Izeda, but no nation cares 
  particularly for claiming a stake in anything lost in its burn-
  ing sands. Izedans and their neighboring gnomes of Val-
  dru have always had good relations, the former often trading 
  scrap parts for sustenence from the latter. Many Valdruid 
  gnomes have joined Izedan caravans over the years, hop-
  ing for adventure and discovery. Izedans and Hauds have 
  never gotten along. Fueling this fact is the knowledge that 
  they are the longest surviving nationalities on the continent, 
  both predating recorded history. Their mutual longevities 
  have given the two groups centuries of chances to be at each 
  other’s throats. Satyrs and Izedans from all walks of life are 
  inseparable allies as long as they stay outside of a bar. 
   
  Izedans were entirely separated from the brutal Hur-
  ricane Wars, though many left to assist their allies abroad. 
  The vast majority of Izedans have never seen an ayodin be-
  fore and are often known to act like curious schoolchildren 
  upon first meeting one. Evangless was the main reason why 
  many Izedans joined against the seawater ayodin. At the 
  time, numerous Evanglessian anthropologists were study-
  ing Izedan culture when they recieved the radio transmis-
  sions of the coastal attacks. Young Izedans wanting to prove 
  themselves as impassable warriors followed the anthropolo-
  gists home and enlisted in the Evanglessian military.
  p Nationality Stories M
  Below are some nationality stories you can select. While most 
  adventurers will only have one (if any) of these stories, you might 
  find that several apply to you.
  DisCipLe oF pain   a
  nationaLity story
  You follow the Severing. You have ritually scarred yourself in 
  honor of your heritage, following in the path of the Scarred 
  One who fought off the fearsome Hauds and survived when 
  none could. You have no fear of pain and have made it part 
  of your life. Though you may die from wounds, pain will not 
  slow you down.
  raiseD to sCavenge   a
  nationaLity story
  The ancient deserts of the Quist hold many secrets, pieces 
  and parts that must be cobbled together to make new trea-
  sures. You were raised to take the trash of the desert and sell 
  it for a living. To you, even the most petty of objects can be 
  scavenged and sold in the market. 
  asagnu Caravaneer   a
  nationaLity story
  The caravan of the ancient Izedan kings, you are of the car-
  avan that is most strong, most proud. No other caravan can 
  match yours in terms of military might, tradition, or breadth. 
  All other caravans are beneath yours, especially the Caravan 
  of Sapience, the superstitious rebels that caused the Izeda 
  Kingdom to collapse so many years ago. All other caravans 
  should pay yours with the rightful respects.
  Caravaneer oF sapienCe   a
  nationaLity story
  You are from one of the branches of the oldest, most sacred 
  caravan: the caravan of Sapience. Sapience, the Queen of 
  Vultures who rules over southern Izeda, will always look over 
  you. You have a strong affinity with vultures and know many 
  who have kept them as pets. The dead are a source of food, 
  and flight is best fit for the birds.
  sunrage eLF   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Elf
  You are an elf from the harsh deserts of the Quist, living 
  and growing among the Izeda people. You are not used to 
  the normal prejudices that elves from the north experience, 
  but you are stalwart and proud, ready to bear any obstacle. 
  Outsiders will often fear you for your unusual appearance, 
  but you can weather even the worst of comments. 
  
  58
  Chapter 4
  Context
  Flying the skies of Tephra, the Paldoran Exiles live in enor-
  mous Stormships, raiding and pillaging towns for food and 
  supplies. Years ago, the lands of Paldorus were ravaged by 
  radiation that destroyed the land and mutilated the popu-
  lace. Today, many of the survivors live in these enormous 
  raiding ships, dooming any town they mark as their prey.
   
  The Paldorans are a proud, strong people. They’re 
  easily identified for their dark brown skin and eyes of icy, 
  almost crystalline, blue. They’ve grown accustomed to the 
  harsh living above the cloudlines, where the cutting winds 
  and chill make life constantly difficult. 
   
  Lead by powerful airship captains and faithful to the 
  Infernal Jinzium Church, the Paldoran Exiles have become 
  a force to be reckoned with. They prowl the world with ad-
  vanced weaponry developed during the Hurricane Wars and 
  have lost their remorse for the other nations that they must 
  now pillage in order to survive. For Paldorans, survival of the 
  fittest is not just an empty phrase. It is a way of life.
  p Ethnic Traits M
  The darkest-skinned ethnicity on Rilausia, Paldorans are 
  also known for their bright blue eyes which, up-close, look 
  almost crystalline. While most Paldorans have dark hair 
  which refuses to grey with age, many Paldorans have opted 
  to dye streaks of their hair silver or gold tones to increase 
  their individuality on Stormships where military uniforms 
  are the unrelenting dress code.
  p Foreign Relations & Stereotypes M
  Paldorans are far from the most popular nationality on Rilau-
  sia. Ostracized for their refugee status, Paldorans inside and 
  outside the fleet suffer from untrusting glances from most 
  people they meet. Exiles have recieved the warmest welcome 
  from the open-minded Evanglessians.
   
  Many Paldorans have a minor phobia of Zel Hauds. 
  Archduke Zimarati of Zelhost seems to enjoy shooting 
  down Paldoran airships, although he hasn’t shown issue let-
  ting landborne Paldorans into his borders to work in his in-
  numerable foundries.
   
  Paldorans have the most trouble dealing with salt-
  water ayodin. Still openly hostile with each other, the start of 
  their sour relationship was the Hurricane Wars. The Paldoran 
  air force used aether-based cannons to superheat patches of 
  ocean, literally boiling ayodin legions alive. Paldorans now 
  avoid flight over the oceans, for it would lead to bloodshed. 
  [pal-dohr-anz]
  Paldoran Exiles
  p Becoming Exiles M
  For years the Paldorans led the world in numerous scien-
  tific advances. During the Hurricane Wars, the Paldorans 
  were the undisputed leaders in wartime technological ad-
  vances. Though they can’t claim that they invented aether 
  resonation, they pioneered many of the advances thereafter. 
  When the freshwater ayodin came ashore, it was the Pal-
  dorans that took the graviton sphere engines of the ayodin 
  and began building ironbirds and skyships. For years, the 
  Paldorans defended their coastlines against ayodin attacks, 
  using enormous engines of war, super-heating their water 
  with aether, and flying over the oceans in enormous airships. 
  But those advances would also be the Paldorans’ undoing.
   
  A decade ago, a rash of diseases spread across Pal-
  dorus. Physicians compared it to radiation, for the infected’s 
  skin would grow dry and cracked, almost like stone. Over 
  70% of the infected died while 20% survived with the un-
  usual skin deformities. A rare few survived with few, if any, 
  visual defects, as their bodies learned to cope and repress 
  the radiation.
   
  The infection did not stop with the populace. The 
  fields of Paldorus were decimated by the radiation. In hind-
  sight, the Paldorans could have seen the plague coming, for 
  it hit the crops first. What crops it didn’t kill, it mutated and 
  changed, making the food virtually inedible. 
   
  In the midst of the plague, scientists discovered its 
  source: the aether resonators that Paldorans relied on in their 
  everyday life. The resonators that the Paldorans had manu-
  factured for war were leaking radiation across the nation, 
  and, over time, had begun to kill and mutate everyone who 
  used them on a regular basis. 
   
  The people panicked. Many turned to the Paldoran 
  church - Infernal Jinzium - for guidance. And the church 
  responded, revealing a plan to escape the radiation that had 
  claimed their homeland. The church unveiled enormous 
  graviton spheres, none smaller than a house. These graviton 
  spheres were beyond the scope of any known spheres cur-
  rently in use today, and the church already knew how to use 
  them. “We have begun work on new ships, ships that will 
  carry an entire city’s worth of people,” said Lucius Yaroslav, 
  the head of the Infernal Church. “Jinzi has given us these 
  gifts to raise our people out of Paldorus! With them, we shall 
  build the Infernal Colony Ships and live among the clouds, 
  closest to our savior, Jinzi.”
   
  These Infernal Colony Ships were built, constructed 
  of mismatched parts on a solid steel frame. At their heart, 
  the enormous graviton spheres found by the Church. With 
  the king’s blessing, the church appropriated numerous air-
  ships, breaking them down to basic components and using 
  them to build their colony ships. Millions moved to Erodin, 
  the Paldoran capital, as these ships were built, expediting 
  
  59
  Chapter 4
  Context
  the process, but also clogging the city with miscreants and 
  refugees. And, after a year of work, the Infernal Colony Ships 
  were prepared. 
   
  These ships would become known as Stormships 
  across the rest of Rilausia. At their smallest, they carried 
  tens of thousands of Paldorans escaping Paldorus. From a 
  distance, it is said, a Stormship looks like an encroaching 
  storm cloud. 
   
  When the Stormships lifted off from Paldorus, they 
  did so leaving their king and families behind. Paldorus was 
  splintered. The colony ships were built simply to wait out 
  the radiation and return to Paldorus soon thereafter. But 
  luck was not on their side.
  Deal with the Devil
  King Agyros Caeliph was an ancient king. His two sons left 
  in the Stormships - one as a captain, the other as a rank-
  ing member of the Infernal Church. The king knew that his 
  land would take many years to recover. He knew that the 
  Valdruid gnomes to the west and the Zel Hauds of the north 
  were being overrun by Paldoran refugees (and, in the case 
  of Zelhost, the treatment of the refugees could, at best, be 
  described as poor). The king needed a way to improve the 
  quality of Paldorus’s land, and quickly.
   
  He contacted Jayro Tiin, a gnomish merchant lord 
  who governed the city-state of Ristvale. Ristvale had been 
  accepting of the Paldoran refugees, and Jayro Tiin had a 
  reputation for his understanding of bio-engineering and the 
  gnomish growth sciences. Jayro Tiin made a deal with the 
  Paldoran King to restore the land of Paldorus - and, he’d do 
  so for free.
   
  Though the king accepted the deal, he would only 
  later realize that Jayro’s definition of free was well out of his 
  price range. Jayro Tiin unveiled his most wicked machine 
  and ran death and mutations across Paldorus. He caused 
  the nation’s vegetation to grow and run wild, Jayro using 
  Paldorus as his own enormous scientific experiment. By 
  the time the Stormships could return to Paldorus, there was 
  no homeland left to return to. The nation was overrun by 
  wild, mutated creatures. The people that survived were more 
  monster than human, and the Paldoran exiles had no where 
  to turn to. 
  p Nationality Stories M
  Below are some nationality stories you can select. While most 
  adventurers will only have one (if any) of these stories, you might 
  find that several apply to you.
  signs oF raDiation   a
  nationaLity story
  You thought you had escaped the radiation, but your skin 
  has since started peeling, graying, turning to ash. Though 
  it’s minor and purely on the surface, the signs are obvious: 
  you were irradiated.
  stowaway   a
  nationaLity story
  When the stormships left Erodin, many people could not fit. 
  But, where your name was not on the list, you made room for 
  yourself. You stowed on board, hiding in the underbelly of 
  the ship. Perhaps you were discovered and sent to the sur-
  face. Perhaps you were discovered and made yourself useful. 
  Yet the facts remain unchanged: you were not invited to the 
  stormships, and cannot be a citizen of the colony.
  Chosen By Jinzi   a
  nationaLity story
  Many were invited to join the Infernal Colony Ships of Pal-
  dorus, but you were personally asked by a member of the 
  Infernal Church of Jinzium. You were chosen by the sun god 
  to lead the Paldoran people away from the mutated land and 
  into the skies. Let none doubt your worth.
  paLDoran miLitant   a
  nationaLity story
  Where the church built the ships, it is the Paldoran military 
  that runs them. You are or were a member of the Paldoran 
  military, commanding the ship and leading the raids that 
  supply it. If you are noted as a Paldoran militant in most 
  other nations, you will be, at best, shunned. At worst, hung 
  for crimes of piracy. But a militant must do what is neces-
  sary to ensure that his people survive, and you did nothing 
  less than that.
  grounDeD exiLe   a
  nationaLity story
  You were a citizen aboard an Infernal Colony Ship, but you 
  committed an act or were not found worthy enough to stay 
  aboard. Perhaps you were not keeping pace with your peers. 
  Perhaps the ship could not support its population. Perhaps 
  you committed a crime and were sent to the surface. Either 
  way, you were grounded and may not return to your original 
  stormship. You are no longer a citizen of the Air Empire.
  stormship engineer   a
  nationaLity story
  When the stormships were being built by the Church, you 
  were hired to work on them. When they lifted off, you lived 
  in the engine rooms, working as an engineer, ensuring that 
  the ships stayed aloft. Your position, perhaps more so than 
  even the ship’s captain, was the most important. Among oth-
  er Paldorans, you are shown great respect for your work. You 
  have extensive skill with Engineering and automatically start 
  off with a point in that skill.  
  
  60
  Chapter 4
  Context
  The Haudi Empire once stood dominant across the conti-
  nent, the complete rulers of their domain. The Hauds con-
  sider themselves the blessed race, and the slow collapse of 
  the Empire has done little to dissuade them of that notion. 
  The seat of their fallen Empire lies in the rugged northern 
  lands of Siyesh among tall mountains and rough terrain. A 
  people forged in harsh conditions, the strength of the Hauds 
  reflects their motherland. 
   
  The Zel Hauds themselves live far from their an-
  cestral northern home. Separated from Siyesh by the mas-
  sive Evangless, the Hauds of Zelhost, often shortened to Zel 
  Hauds, are an industrial people whose countryside is car-
  peted with manufactories, warehouses, and chemical plants 
  from border to border.  Under their peerless leader Archduke 
  Zimarati, the Zel Hauds have been growing increasingly in-
  dependent from the northern throne. In the matriarchal land 
  of Zelhost, you must prove yourself worthy of power and 
  respect. To Zimarati’s people, the failures of the Haudi Em-
  press in Siyesh have cost her their respect, although she still 
  clings to their loyalty. 
  p Ethnic Traits M
  For most Hauds, six feet is considered short. Easily the tall-
  est of all the ethnicities, Hauds have bred themselves to be 
  lofty in height, physically strong, and built to beat people to 
  a pulp when it is called for. Haudi women are actually taller 
  than the men, and women hold significantly more positions 
  of power than their male counterparts. Hauds are known for 
  their thick, course hair of light colors, but their varied skin 
  tones are all colored in dark shades that many people say re-
  sembles stone. Their features are all very pronounced, their 
  jawlines rigid, and their teeth, always frighteningly white, 
  are long and sharp looking, making them look as feral as a 
  civilized people can.
   
  While Siyeshi Hauds dress in traditional flowing 
  leathers and cloths depending on the heat, Zel Hauds aug-
  ment these outfits with more modern Evanglessian eccen-
  tricities such as derby hats and ties. 
  p Foreign Relations & Stereotypes M
  The Haudi Empire has a proud history of advancing the sci-
  ences and never taking no for an answer. The means to this 
  end, the Hauds built their empire on the backs of enslaved 
  humans, gnomes, and satyrs. There are scant few ethnicities 
  in Rilausia today that can’t find ancestors who were enslaved 
  by the Haudi Empire. The Empire pioneered the fields of 
  alchemy and bio-engineering (though the gnomes played a 
  vital role in bio-engineering). After all, it was the Hauds who 
  bio-engineered the satyrs, a species created to be the ulti-
  mate servants of the Empire. 
   
  In the years since the Empire’s decline, the capital 
  cities in Siyesh have crumbled while the industries in Zel-
  host have prospered. While their Siyeshi sisters still see the 
  satyrs as their property, Zel Hauds, much more kindly, see 
  satyrs as a simple-minded inferior creatures whose only use 
  is serving their mother species. Some Zel Hauds still keep 
  satyr slaves, although this is a dying trend. Most satyrs of 
  Zelhost are employed as low-level factory workers and ser-
  vants.
   
  Despite being so greatly separated from its moth-
  erland, Zelhost has inherited much of the long held rac-
  ism and elitism toward its surrounding nations. Izedans and 
  Evanglessians care not that Zelhost has rejected Siyesh as 
  its sovereign; a Haud is a Haud. In return, after witness-
  ing the rise of Evangless in his country’s backyard, Arch-
  duke Zimarati stays ready to invade his fledgling neighbor 
  at the first signs of aggression. Zimarati also has an invasion 
  of the largely abandoned Paldorus on his military agenda, 
  unbeknownst to the Paldoran migrants now working in his 
  foundries.
   
  The invasion of Khemli, Zelhost’s capital city, was 
  one of the first major battles of the Hurricane Wars. Ayodin 
  bombers levelled the city using graviton technology that far 
  surpassed the Haudi Aero-Navy at the time. In response the 
  Zel Hauds did two things. The first was filling their nation 
  with advanced anti-air guns and far reaching train tracks to 
  move them. The second was throwing the few ayodin found 
  within their borders into wartime prisons. In the years since 
  the war Zel Hauds have moved past this paranoid racism; 
  the families of the ayodin victims have not. 
  [hawdz]
  Zel Hauds
  
  61
  Chapter 4
  Context
  p Nationality Stories M
  Below are some nationality stories you can select. While most 
  adventurers will only have one (if any) of these stories, you 
  might find that several apply to you.
  imperiaL traDitionaList   a
  nationaLity story
  While you are a citizen of Zelhost, you pledge allegiance to 
  the true rulers of the Haudi Empire: the empress in Siyesh. 
  You get along with Hauds from Siyesh far better than your 
  countrymen, who feel a foul taste in their mouth whenever 
  you fondly talk about “the old country.”
  matriarCh   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Female
  Haudi culture is run by powerful women and you happen to 
  be one of them. Haudi men feel compelled to bow to you on 
  sight.
  satyr servant   a
  nationaLity story
  reQuires: Satyr
  You formerly were, or unfortunately still are, the vassal of a 
  Haudi lord. Muscle memory makes you flinch or cower when 
  a Haud raises his hand to strike you outside of combat.
  honor without etiQuette   a
  nationaLity story
  While outsiders may see you as uncouth or low-class, other 
  Hauds see right to your core. Your countrymen can tell how 
  respectable you are with a single glance.
  nationaL passtime   a
  nationaLity story
  Hauds are known for their mastery of the alchemical sciences. 
  You know a little more about alchemical theory than the aver-
  age person, giving you a +4 to Sciences when attempting to 
  determine what augments an alchemical solution contains. 
  
  62
  Chapter 4
  Context
  Organizations
  p The Carnival M
  Synonomous with insanity and anarchy, the Carnival is a na-
  tion-wide underground organization filled with the allegedly 
  mentally infirm. Though they seem insane (and claim to be 
  nothing but), stories and rumors abound about the Carni-
  val’s efforts against unjust rulers and useless royalty. Under 
  the guidance of Varas Dyrashi, their charismatic front-man, 
  the Carnival is the greatest fear of corrupt government of-
  ficials regardless of their sphere of influence. Around them 
  stand the public faces no one suspects - the butcher, the 
  haberdasher, the midwife. Members of the Carnival can be 
  found every where and from every walk of life, if one knows 
  where to look. 
   
  Always appearing disorganized in the general pub-
  lic, they made a scene during the Evanglessian Civil War 
  when they captured a near complete fleet of airships and 
  routed a Crimson Marshal’s forces. Rather than siding with 
  the royalists, the Carnival took their new-found fleet and put 
  it to use terrorizing the local aristocracy who suffered from 
  rumors of overtaxation and a lack of upkeep for their citi-
  zenry. Many leader still cave at the sound of the Carnival’s 
  bombastic anthem before a single hostile action is taken. 
  Often the fleet will disappear just as rapidly as it arrived, 
  returning to hangars unknown.
   
  Insane or just unpredictable? The average Evangles-
  sian remains still uncertain, the Carnival intent on keeping 
  the status quo. Regardless of spontaneity, the Carnival can 
  always be counted on to show where there is social unrest, 
  either as instigators or arbiters.
  Carnie   a
  memBership story
  You’ve joined up with the Carnival to fight against corrupt 
  leaders to build a better Evangless. If you can get into con-
  tact with a Carnival airship, you can hitch a ride without 
  issue, although the ship’s captain still determines the ship’s 
  path.
  CarnivaL perFormer   a
  memBership story
  You are a member of a Carnival sleeper cell. Whether work-
  ing alone or with others, you act indistinguishably from the 
  average citizen on matters of politics until it comes time 
  to stop active tyranny. Constantly searching for abuses of 
  power, you can instantly spot other Carnival members just 
  by speaking with them for a few brief seconds.
  p The Brimstones M
  Sovereigns of dust and dirt for as far as the eye can see, the 
  Brimstone Gang rules the western wilds in the name of the 
  cattle barons who fund and support them. They enforce the 
  laws of the land, although these laws are more often than not 
  of their own creation. The Brimstones also keep a keen eye 
  over the ranches and homesteads of their territory. 
   
  Begun by the cattle barons of western Evangless, 
  the Brimstones are a loose coalition of former gangs and ex-
  convicts brought together to keep the barons in power. With 
  numbers and monetary backing, the Brimstone Gang has 
  become the new aristocracy of the western wilds through 
  service to the barons, and they mean to keep it that way.
   
  With a reputation for political assassinations and 
  similar dirty deeds, the Brimstones operate solely for the 
  sake of money. No job is beneath them as long as the pay is 
  high enough. With the numbers they possess, the comple-
  tion of a job is often a matter of quantity, not quality, but 
  results are results in the Brimstones’ eyes. The versatility 
  of their members, covering everything from simple thugs to 
  stellar marksmen, ensures well paying jobs as the norm. 
   
  The Brimstones believe in small government, pref-
  erably with their own members sitting in seats of comfort 
  and power. They discourage the other powers from eastern 
  Evangless from interfering in their business and will use 
  force to  discourage interventions if inspectors and legisla-
  tors get too nosy. 
  Brimstone thug   a
  memBership story
  You’ve worked as a member of the Brimstones to ensure the 
  proliferation of the cattle barons’ rule of frontier Evangless. 
  In return, you can get non-market worthy beef for free from 
  any cattle baron you’ve worked for.
  smaLL government, Big gun   a
  memBership story
  You won’t stand for city folk nosing in on the Brimstones. 
  While on the land of a western Evanglessian cattle baron, 
  you have a +2 to resisting intimidations by non-military gov-
  ernment officials.
  
  63
  Chapter 4
  Context
  p Coaldust Unions M
  Colloquially known as the Coaldusters, the Coaldust Unions 
  were conceived to protect the rights of laborers employed in 
  the mines and refineries of Evangless. Stationed originally 
  in the heavy strip-mining areas of the mountains around 
  Varsylis, the Unions have spread across Evangless to encom-
  pass all industries, from coal to railways to textiles and ev-
  erything in between.
   
  The Unions at one time used strikes, minor sabo-
  tage and blackmail to draw attention to their cause, working 
  against big businesses who ran the mines. The corporations 
  they rallied against made use of the LaVrey National De-
  tective Agency to put a stop to the labor disputes whenever 
  they grew out of hand. This forced the Coaldusters to find 
  another method of working towards their goal. 
   
  Another nonprofit, the Sons of Strife helped ensure 
  the Coaldust Unions’ success by contributing funds and 
  time. As a result of these cooperations many Sons are also 
  Union members, helping find the youth in the Sons to find 
  employment through the Coaldust Unions’ many labor net-
  works.
   
  Today the Union has improved workers lives sig-
  nificantly, in many cases cutting work-related casualties and 
  incidents by as much as fifty percent. Like all large bodies, 
  though, corruption has taken hold. It is not unheard of for 
  some local union leaders to withhold wages or not pass them 
  out correctly, sometimes forcing laborers to work unpaid. 
  These events are few and far between, and no one can doubt 
  the good the Union has wrought in the large part.
  CoaLDust LaBorer   a
  memBership story
  A unionized member of the workforce, you’ve joined one of 
  the Coaldust Unions. Never shall you or your friends work in 
  hazardous conditions. You have a +4 to Notice when trying 
  to tell if a place of work is unfit for workers, although you 
  may not be able to tell why.
  CoaLDust protestor   a
  memBership story
  You’ve picketed against big business taking advantage of 
  the powerless wage-slave. When you fight against mistreat-
  ment of workers, you’ll always find any employees that share 
  your views. 
  p Fulbourne Society M
  Old wood chairs, tobacco-stained tables laden with finger-
  foods, and a snifter of cognac are the trappings that sur-
  round the Fulbourne Society. Founded long ago as a simple 
  aristocratic fraternity, these gentlemen have since become 
  the premier experts in social maneuvering. Using their re-
  sources, they can find out anything about anyone, provided 
  they care enough to try.
   
  Steeped in ritual and procedure, the Fulbourne re-
  serve their membership for only the most exclusive of old 
  families. They view the new money, the entrepreneurs, as 
  interlopers beneath their proven nobility. They show their 
  attitudes in holding members-only events where all arrive in 
  opulent horse-drawn carriages heralding back to a time be-
  fore their old money was all that old. The maxim, “You can’t 
  join the Fulbourne society unless you’re born to it,” blankets 
  everything they do despite being less than true. Ever-so-of-
  ten, new blood does manage to enter the ranks, but they are 
  often “recently rediscovered old family material.”
   
  The Fulbourne Society is very resistant to change. 
  They act as though the civil war never happened and stand 
  staunchly behind the traditional role of the Emperor. Up-
  start movements such as the Brimstones and the Sons of 
  Strife (and before them, the Militarists) infuriate them, lead-
  ing the Society to act against them as often as possible. 
   
  While stagnant and elitist, the Fulbourne Society 
  has remained a part of the backdoor political scene in Evan-
  gless for many generations. And though their aid may be dif-
  ficult to enlist, the information they provide is never wrong. 
  FuLBourne initiate   a
  memBership story
  Invited for and forged through a series of unknown initia-
  tion rituals, you are a member of the Fulbourne Society. You 
  have brothers and sisters in high places, granting you access 
  to hidden Fulbourne lodges, most commonly found in the 
  mansions of the long-lived rich.
  FuLBourne sCout   a
  memBership story
  You were trained to find new potential members for the Ful-
  bourne Society. When reading tells on a target, a tier 2 re-
  sult or higher will also tell you whether or not they’re old 
  money.
  new BLooD FuLBourne   a
  memBership story
  You somehow managed to worm your way into the Ful-
  bourne Society despite having no lineage to speak of. No 
  doubt you faked having noble lineage or tricked a Fulbourne 
  scout with your silver tongue. The elite of the Society will 
  keep extensive records on your dealings with them, which 
  they courteously grant you unrestricted access to.
  
  64
  Chapter 4
  Context
   LaVrey National
  p Detective Agency M
  Founded by Jordana LaVrey, the LaVrey National Detective 
  Agency has become known as the foremost security force for 
  hire in Evangless, as well as the largest. Primarily employed 
  and stationed in western Evangless by the cattle barons and 
  the railway companies, the LaVreys are composed of secu-
  rity personnel from all walks of life, incorporating mustered-
  out specialists from the Evanglessian army to mercenaries 
  on contract work and more. 
   
  From riding shotgun across an unfinished stretch of 
  rail to guarding cargo through the worst of the lawless wilds, 
  the LaVreys have earned a name for themselves as the best 
  (and most) bang for your buck outside of the big city. Many 
  bandits will outright abandon a job if signs of the LaVreys 
  are about. Their reputation has earned as many enemies as 
  it has potential business, however, and many times bandits 
  will attack a LaVrey warded target simply to test their mettle 
  against the LaVrey reputation.
   
  Jordana LaVrey herself is a woman in her early thir-
  ties who built her agency with her force of presence and 
  self-established network of contacts stretching as far as the 
  cities of eastern Evangless. She is a tall, strong-bodied wom-
  an striding through the tumult of battle wielding an enor-
  mous handheld gatling gun. Her continuous campaigning 
  within the eastern part of the country has won the LaVreys 
  several exclusive contracts with the government, including 
  staffing guard positions for government cargo trains.
   
  Be it a private investigation, a rumor of corporate 
  sabotage, or even an average citizen in need of a bodyguard, 
  the LaVrey National Detective Agency meets all challenges 
  with indomitable enthusiasm.
  Lavrey agent   a
  memBership story
  You’ve been hired by the LaVrey National Detective Agency. 
  You will periodically receive notice of available jobs for you 
  to take through the mail or via radio transciever.
  Lavrey DeteCtive   a
  memBership story
  You’ve established yourself as a member of the LaVreys. You 
  can flash your shiny membership badge to prove your com-
  bat prowess and reputation, although most people outside 
  of eastern Evangless will have no idea who the LaVreys are.
  Lavrey train guarD   a
  memBership story
  You’re commonly hired to protect cargo trains as they cross 
  Evangless. You can generally stop any Evanglessian cargo 
  train you’re riding by showing your credentials to the train 
  engineer. 
  p Highflyers M
  The founders of the Highflyers were once the elite aces of 
  Evangless. Several still are, though as time progresses they 
  spend less and less time in the cockpit. Still, many of these 
  older men can outmanuever the best of the standing Evan-
  glessian Air Fleet.
   
  During the civil war, these pilots were drawn together 
  at a four-star bar in Aldamiir called the Silver Lining. These 
  men eventually became known as the Highflyers, garnering 
  members from the both armies, to the point where pilots for 
  each side would paint the organization’s emblem on their 
  fuselage and engage each other in honor duels if they spot-
  ted a rival in the opposing forces. Unfortunately this led to 
  bad blood between members from opposing fleets. Most of 
  it consists of swaggering talk of professional rivals, but the 
  club still suffers sometimes lethal scrapes between members. 
  Sanctioned duels held in secret are commonplace among the 
  younger members, though death is thankfully rare during 
  such events.
   
  The Highflyers welcome all pilots, from those who 
  fly weighty airships to sleek ironbirds and everything in be-
  tween. The nature of the club’s founding, though, inevitably 
  leads the ironbird majority to look down on other pilots, giv-
  en the recent prevalence of ironbird use within the military. 
  Regardless, there’s no better place to go in Evangless for 
  piloting tips from the best.  
  highFLyer   a
  memBership story
  You’ve earned enough commendations as a pilot to be in-
  vited into the luxury world of the Highflyers. You have the 
  ability to requisition Highflyer badges and plates to prove 
  your membership. Displaying them on your person or your 
  vehicle will allow you to fly unrestricted through Evangles-
  sian aerospace.
  CiviL war aCe   a
  memBership story
  You were a Highflyer during the Evanglessian Civil War. 
  Since former foes are now fellow Highflyers, you’re prac-
  ticed in the art of nonlethal midair dueling. You can arrange 
  Highflyer-sanctioned duels without the need of other High-
  flyers.
  LegenDary highFLyer   a
  memBership story
  Not even the Highflyers question your legendary piloting 
  skills and your sheer power of presence. You have a VIP 
  pass to the Silver Lining in Aldamiir, allowing you to skip 
  any lines on the way in.
  
  65
  Chapter 4
  Context
  p Renovators M
  Founded by an inventor named Jed K. Sampson in the wake 
  of the civil war’s destruction, the Renovators have become a 
  respected institution across Evangless. With posts in every 
  major city and smaller travel stations scattered about, they 
  are everywhere one needs them to be.
   
  Jed believes that the many recent wars endured by 
  Evangless have shattered Evangless’ precious landmarks and 
  robbed the nation of key parts of its past. While many of 
  those structures were old and outdated, it was better to have  
  them refurbished than to have lost them completely. The 
  Renovators were conceived in order to rebuild the lost land-
  marks and adapt them to the current Evangless.
   
  The Renovators have a significant amount of re-
  sources. Some say their coffers fill from Jed’s own pockets, 
  others from investers with personal stakes in the Renovator’s 
  success. In truth, their wealth comes primarily from com-
  missions from wealthy patrons with worn and torn edifices, 
  as well as its members own pockets and other philanthro-
  pists. The Renovators consist of scientists, architects and 
  inventors who contribute to the design process. They also 
  contain untold numbers of laborers and security. They excel 
  at finding out historical information and  figuring out how 
  things work, thanks to a network of analytical engines.
   
  The Evanglessian government recognizes their 
  architectural prowess, and as such most of the new cities 
  built following the civil war were commissioned work of the 
  Renovators. Despite this, they see Evangless as it once was 
  and seek to restore her to her former beauty, aided by every 
  willing and able set of hands who cares to join.
  renovator   a
  memBership story
  You’ve volunteered to join the reconstruction effort. What-
  ever your talent, you’ve taken it upon yourself to restore 
  Evangless to her historic majesty. You have free access to 
  pictographs of Evanglessian landmarks and buildings, when 
  and where they exist.
  renovator Foreman   a
  memBership story
  You’ve led groups of Renovators to build or rebuild works 
  of art, whether a simple building or an intricate sculpture or 
  anything in between. When you have access to a Renovator 
  analytical engine in-person or via radio it takes you no time 
  at all to gather all historical records on available subjects.
  renovator Designer   a
  memBership story
  You’ve proven yourself as a planner, organizing Renovator 
  efforts on various projects. You have easy access to Renova-
  tor laborers provided they are used for Renovator-sanctioned 
  projects.
  p Sons of Strife M
  Founded by middle- and lower-class survivors of the Hurri-
  cane Wars and the Evanglessian Civil War, the Sons of Strife 
  are the people who were forced to rebuild after decades at 
  war. While many are actual sons and daughters of war vet-
  erans, the organization has branched out and enveloped all 
  people coping and adjusting to the wartorn Evangless. Just 
  as their parents, siblings, and friends fought for their lives, 
  now the Sons of Strife fight for change.
   
  The leaders of the Sons believe the dysfunctional 
  interplay of the military and aristocracy of Evangless caused 
  its civil war. Their goal is a complete restructuring of soci-
  ety, where people make decisions for the sake of people, as 
  opposed to the Emperor or his Crimson Marshals deciding 
  on their behalf. This view, while radical, is shared by most 
  Sons, although the more conservative members are fine with 
  the Emperor’s power, as long as a parliament can be founded 
  as a regulatory agency.
   
  The Sons began moving politically, calling for a re-
  construction and evaluation of the monarchy and the legis-
  lative process. Their cries for a regulatory parliament soon 
  began to echo among the less wealthy and rural citizenry, 
  and the movement overtook numerous regions, especially 
  those once occupied by Evanglessian Militarists. During this 
  time, the Sons of Strife cooperated extensively with similar 
  social movements, most notably the Coaldust Union. 
   
  Believers in the notion of fair rule, the Sons of Strife 
  aim for nothing less than a social revolution. Their move-
  ment is rapidly building steam, though against the impla-
  cable weight of Evangless’s long standing military heritage 
  their goals are far from achieved. 
  son oF striFe   a
  memBership story
  You’ve joined the Sons of Strife in their push for regulation 
  in government. Your political affiliation will find you friends 
  amongst Militarists, Coaldust Union members, and fellow 
  Sons.
  Born a son   a
  memBership story
  You were a member of one of the many widowed families 
  who helped build the Sons of Strife. Whether you agree with 
  them or not, your thoughts on Evangless’ government inter-
  est many political journalists looking for a good quote for a 
  filler article.
  CharitaBLe Daughter   a
  memBership story
  You are one of the beloved Daughters of Strife, who work to 
  bring prosperity back to the lower class throughout Tephra. 
  The charitable daughters of strife are well respected and 
  loved and will find allies in the lowest of areas. 
  
  66
  Chapter 4
  Context
  airBorne   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Whether it be standing on the wing of a flyer, using levitating 
  gadgets, or wearing armor augmented with the ability to fly, 
  you’ve trained yourself to fight unhindered in the air. 
  BartenDer   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  With bartending on your resume and the right ingredients at your 
  disposal, you know how to mix any beverage a bar patron orders.
  BurgLar   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Life as a thief has taught you how to spot valuables on a target. 
  When using your cunning, you automatically score one tier high-
  er to determine what a target has in their inventory.  
  CattLe wrangLer   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Thanks to your experience with a lasso, when attempting to grab 
  an animal with a whip you gain a +1 on your accuracy roll.
  CheF   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  From a simple baker to the king’s personal soup cook, you’ve had 
  some experience as a chef. Whenever you roll your sciences to 
  determine the quality of your cooking, roll twice and take the 
  higher result. 
  CLergy   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  reQuires: Faith Membership Story
  Thanks to your experience giving sermons from behind a pul-
  Background stories can normally only be chosen at character creation. On occassion, a background story 
  might appear later, if, by chance, the game takes a long break and the character goes off and spends several 
  years bartending. When he returned to active adventuring again, he might have gained a new background 
  story. Otherwise, characters will choose or be given background stories at character creation. 
   
  We normally recommend that you select one background story, but you or your narrator might allow 
  you to take more if you’d like. If you don’t find any background stories to your liking, feel 
  free to skip them, or - if you’re feeling quite adventurous - make your own!
  Background Stories - Listed         
  For your easy reading, here are the background stories, in a sim-
  ple, skimmable list format. 
  Airborne
  Railway Worker
  Bartender
  Repairman
  Burglar
  Rodeo Rider
  Cattle Wrangler
  Chef
  Clergy
  Conductor
  Cowboy
  Cutpurse
  Forgery Artist
  Forest Gatherer
  Gambler
  Gentry
  Handy Craftsman
  Kinematician
  Lawman
  Librarian
  Lumberjack
  Mariner
  Moneylender
  Mysterious Twin
  Nobility
  Physician
  Background Stories
  
  67
  Chapter 4
  Context
  pit, people of your faith trust you. When attempting to persuade 
  someone of your faith to do something, you automatically score 
  a tier higher.
  ConDuCtor   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  As a former train conductor, you’re used to the layout of different 
  train models. You instantly know the functions and layouts of any 
  civilian train car.
  CowBoy   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Long stretches of time spent on cattle drives has taught you how 
  to keep watch over the herd while still resting at camp. When us-
  ing Cunning to scout for enemies during any breather, roll twice 
  and take the higher result.
  Cutpurse   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your work as a pickpocket has taught you sleight of hand. You 
  can hand items or take items from a target stealthily and without 
  leaving yourself open to reflexes.
  Forgery artist   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Due to previous illicit experiences, you can create or duplicate 
  legal  and commercial documents such as proof of identifica-
  tion, train tickets, or the necessary paperwork to enter or exit a 
  country. 
  Forest gatherer   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Thanks to experience in surviving in the wild, when you’re out 
  in the wilderness, you never worry about finding food. You’ve 
  learned where to find all the nourishment you need! 
  gamBLer   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your habit of gambling has made your money a bit of a swaying 
  game. You can gamble away up to 10 princes, double-or-nothing, 
  during every period of downtime. Call odds or evens and then roll 
  your die - if you called it, you get double what you wagered. If 
  you failed, you lose it all and you can’t try again until your next 
  downtime.
  gentry   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your leisurely life out in the country has taught you how to ef-
  fectively run a farm-based estate. All employees of your estate 
  recieve a +1 on brute rolls.
  hanDy CraFtsman   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  You have worked as a crafter who made common items sold in 
  general stores around the world. You can make all of the equip-
  ment listed under “Adventuring Basics” during any period of 
  downtime. 
  kinematiCian   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your knowledge of the laws of physics and magnetism give you 
  insight on ranged weaponry. You can determine the range of a 
  weapon via a cunning roll.
  Lawman   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your time protecting the peace has given you a sixth sense for 
  lawbreaking. You gain a +2 on all cunning rolls to catch lawbreak-
  ers in the act.  
  LiBrarian   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your an old hat with books, their organization, and finding just 
  the right piece of information when you need it. When attempting 
  to research a piece of information, it takes you half the amount 
  of time it would take anybody else. Your narrator will still set that 
  amount of time.
  LumBerJaCk   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  You were once or still are a lumberjack of great skill who felled 
  many trees. Because of this you can predict where a falling tree 
  will land with great accuracy.
  mariner   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your many years at sea have taught you the necessary skills to be 
  able to tell what aquatic life is usually nearby. 
  moneyLenDer   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  At one point in your life you found that the lending of money in 
  varying amounts to people with interest can be profitable but re-
  quires an extremely keen memory. Because of this you can nearly 
  always remember the names and locations of people you have 
  met and have the credibility to lend money with predetermined 
  interest.
  
  68
  Chapter 4
  Context
  mysterious twin   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  By some cosmic coincidence, you have the exact same skills and 
  specialties as a member of the party who just died. Taking this 
  story gives you all their experience and any rewarded stories they 
  had earned.  
  noBiLity   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  You were born and raised in a house of both prestige and wealth 
  that is known throughout the land. You wear a signet ring that 
  makes you recognizable by most other social elites and their 
  guards and thus welcome in their homes.
  physiCian   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Because of your time working as a physician, you have skill at 
  diagnosing a variety of ailments. When rolling Cunning to deter-
  mine what ails a target, roll twice and take the higher result.
  raiLway worker   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  Your work as a union railway worker allows you to ride on any 
  passenger train for free. 
  repairman   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  You have experience repairing weapons, armor, and assorted gad-
  getry. You can repair broken items anytime outside of battle, even 
  if you don’t know how to make them yourself.
  roDeo riDer   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  You get a +4 to dexterity when attempting to hold onto your 
  mount whenever something attempts to knock you off of it.
  
  69
  Chapter 4
  Context
  Tailemy
  In the holy city of  Galantria stands the original Church of 
  Tailemy, where Saint Nerimsal carved the holy doctrine and 
  cosmogony of  Tailemy on every free wall in the building. 
  Saint Nerimsal wrote of  the death of  the Beloved Mother, 
  who sacrificed herself  to Aeon - goddess of  the moon and 
  the underworld - to birth the world. Scribes collected Saint 
  Nerimsal’s carvings into a single book, known as the Ak-
  tailem, which serves as the religious text for all of  Tailemy. 
   
  The tale of  the Beloved Mother’s sacrifice spread 
  across central Rilausia and became the dominant religion in 
  parts of  the Haudi Empire and Tharmuris for many years. 
  When Velkya established Evangless (which translates to 
  “Gates of  Heaven” in old Haud), she did so with Tailemy 
  as the recognized church of  the state. Since the Loveless 
  Wars, Tailemy has become the dominant religion in not only 
  Evangless, but in almost every location that Jinzium hasn’t 
  claimed. 
   
  The Triune heads the church in Galantria. The church 
  is composed of  three maidens, each of  whom take on a dif-
  ferent title: the Paladin, the Crusader, and the Martyr. The 
  Paladin (and her followers) protect the church from heretics 
  and those proposing evil. The paladins tout that Aeon will 
  again destroy the world and all members of  Tailemy must be 
  ready for it. The crusaders take that to the next level, push-
  ing against heretics and converting any they can. Finally, the 
  martyrs are the clergy who stay within the church, sacrific-
  ing their lives to helping those in need. The vast majority of 
  the Tailemite clergy fall within the martyr sect, following the 
  Beloved Mother’s footsteps. 
   
  The clergy are recognizable for their whites gowns 
  and red accents (the blood of  their Beloved Mother). The 
  doctrine of  the church calls for all people to rally together, 
  for only can the combined power of  all tephrans fight against 
  the world’s coming apocalypse. It is believed that Aeon hopes 
  to find a foothold in the world among the wicked and sinful. 
  The more people that can be brought under the purview of 
  Tailemy the better a chance humanity has to be saved. 
   
  Tailemy embraces change unlike any other known 
  religion. It often sees Jinzium as a tribal, pagan religion. 
  Meanwhile, Tailemy is known for embracing new technolo-
  gies and new ways of  thinking. Animals that undergo meto-
  morphoses are exalted by the religion, and the moth has be-
  come Tailemy’s symbol (often accompanied by a snake, who 
  represents Aeon). 
  CrusaDer oF taiLemy   a
  Faith memBership story
  You are fighting to unite the world against its future per-
  ils. You are a crusader of  Tailemy, never wanting the Be-
  loved Mother’s death to be in vain. You strive forward into 
  the world, spreading the good word of  Tailemy, the Aktailem, 
  and striking down sin at its heart. You will always find com-
  panionship with your fellow crusaders, and you gain a +1 
  on strike rolls against any who have announced their heresy 
  against the Beloved Mother. 
  Devout oF taiLemy   a
  personaLity story
  You are truly embroiled with the doctrine and beliefs of 
  Tailemy. Your belief  in yourself  is greatened through your 
  belief  in the Beloved Mother. Any week in which you’ve at-
  tended a sermon given by a clergyman of  Tailemy, you gain 
  a +1 on all spirit rolls.
  martyr oF taiLemy   a
  Faith memBership story
  You have joined the clergy of  Tailemy, sacrificing your well-
  being and livelihood to ensure that everyone else may live 
  their lives. Any fellow believer in Tailemy will likely treat you 
  well if  they recognize you for who you are.
  orDaineD By taiLemy   a
  Faith memBership story
  reQuires: Any other Tailemite membership story
  You have gained a good standing in the Tailemite church, 
  and you are given the privelage of  speaking publically about 
  Tailemy and performing religious rites. You are ordained 
  within the church, and may represent the Church of  Tailemy 
  in any of  its religious rites.  
  paLaDin oF taiLemy   a
  Faith memBership story
  You have become a paladin of  Tailemy, swearing your ser-
  vice to the protection of  the church. Wherever you go, you 
  will protect the faithful and help buffer the world against its 
  forthcoming doom. You have a strong belief  in humanity and 
  Tephra, the final bastion against Aeon. You gain a +1 on your 
  soak class when defending another member of  the Tailemite 
  faith.  
  raiseD By the ChurCh   a
  BaCkgrounD story
  You were raised by the Tailemite church, either as an orphan or 
  because your parents were residents of their church. Regard-
  less of whether you still believe in the religious doctrine, you 
  are intimately familiar with the layout of the church and will 
  probably know the right names to drop to get your way in any 
  church. You gain a +2 on cunning rolls when attempting to get 
  something from a Tailemite church.
  
  70
  Chapter 4
  Context
  Free Will
  The concept of  free will is an idea embraced by many teph-
  rans, though to the faithful of  Free Will, the concept is much 
  more all-encompassing and significant. Established by the 
  Haudi Empress Zoleesha IV, Free Will has become the lead-
  ing religion of  the Haudi people, since their estrangement 
  from Jinzium, though it has spread far and wide beyond the 
  Empire to all corners of  Rilausia.
   
  Free Will is tended to locally by Teachers, who are 
  often professors or academics in a recognized field. Savants 
  govern the activities of  the religion regionally and act as the 
  leaders of  churches and temples. These sanctuaries are most 
  often similar to libraries and lounges, where faithful and 
  non-faithful alike can use the research resources offered or 
  simply take a meal and discuss the day with fellow thinkers. 
  They convene annually in month-long assemblies where they 
  amend the works collected and dedicated to Free Will and 
  discuss how Free Will has expanded in the last year. All faith-
  ful answer to the Hierophant, the popularly-elected leader 
  of  the faith chosen by Savants. The Hierophant is typically a 
  member of  the royal family and though their bloodline car-
  ries great weight, their academic prowess still comes first. 
   
  Teachers and Savants have no standing uniform or 
  recognizable state of  attire save a tome they carry that holds 
  the greatest works in the religion’s archives, which are used 
  for the basis of  discussions and debates. New interpretations 
  of  these works are regularly presented to the Savants by the 
  Teachers. The tomes are often bound in red kid and have 
  pages trimmed in gilt.
   
  Free Will has no holy tome or sacred days or even any 
  special rites. It is a faith based upon scientific reasoning and 
  learning in all its forms, exalting reasoning and knowledge. 
  Its faithful are encouraged to question and test and to pursue 
  the truth of  the world in any manner they see fit. They take 
  to life with the certainty of  scientists, pursuing clarity and 
  understanding of  the world that surrounds them. In place of 
  sermons, they attend lectures and round-table discussions 
  about the community and the world at large, where they are 
  encouraged to debate freely without fear of  reprisal or cen-
  sorship. 
   
  With their open acceptance of  science, the average 
  member of  Free Will views life as a series of  academic chal-
  lenges that test one’s own statistical rigor. If  an acolyte is too 
  weak to overcome their problems, they need more teaching 
  and instruction, which has led to a somewhat universal view 
  of  the world as a great challenge that must be risen up to or 
  surpassed. While not cruel, many faithful are extremely clini-
  cal, and this has been mistaken by some as ruthless or cold.   
  Free wiLL aCoLyte   a
  Faith memBership story
  You stand in the light of  reason and science. The world holds 
  no secrets from you that you will not discover in time. People 
  who are mysterious or seek to hoard knowledge deserve only 
  the worst kind of  loathing. When interacting with the hide-
  bound and dogmatic, you gain a +1 to Spirit rolls.
  teaCher oF the Faith   a
  Faith memBership story
  Your contributions to the works of  Free Will have gained you 
  a reputation in the religion. You are treated courteously and 
  with deference. You may lead services of  the Free Will faith 
  and receive a +2 to Cunning rolls for the days you do so.
  Free wiLL savant   a
  Faith memBership story
  reQuires “Teacher of  the Faith” story and the publication of 
  an intellectual work
  You are renowned within the faith as a person of  standing 
  and intellectual insight. You gain the benefits of  the “Teach-
  er of  the Faith” story, and may represent Free Will in matters 
  that pertain to your community and region. 
  
  71
  Chapter 4
  Context
  Jinzium
  Jinzium is by far the oldest religion in Rilausia, with its roots 
  lying in the foundation of  the Haudi Empire. It venerates 
  the sun god Jinzi and his domain, the entirety of  the skies. 
  Its faithful believe that their souls become stars upon death, 
  and that at some point, all will be reunited with the sun in 
  harmony. As such, the faithful are often kind and caring and 
  can’t stand to see others in pain. It suffered a decline after 
  the Haud Empress Zoleesha IV changed the Empire’s na-
  tional religion to Free Will, but has seen a resurgence in the 
  last century since the Jinzium Revival of  735.
   
  Jinzium has spread like wildfire since its revival. 
  The Eternal Church is watched over by the Elf  Who Writes 
  in Fire, Igi, who holds Jinzium’s highest office, the Guiding 
  Paradigm. Igi is an older elf  who leads the faith (though not 
  without occassional problems), and is considered to be the 
  hand of  Jinzi.
   
  Jinzium’s long life has seen many separations from 
  the church proper and has resulted in many separate views 
  of  Jinzi and his nature. The eldest branch of  the church, the 
  Eternal Church, adheres to the original tenets prior to the 
  faith’s eviction from the Haudi Empire. Sometimes referred 
  to as Orthodox Jinzium, it is quartered within the High 
  Rilausian Forest and is watched over by Igi himself, who is 
  still revered by most of  the factions of  Jinzium and provides 
  guidance to all of  them, regardless of  stance. 
   
  The Revivalists, a faction centered in Dalvozzea 
  and led by the Nine Wings of  Divinity, often clashes with 
  the Eternal Church. The Revivalists are spiteful toward Igi, 
  claiming that an elf  is not a fit ruler for Jinzium. It has long 
  been believed that Jinzi orchestrates events through a choir 
  of  angels, and the winged farishtaas believe that they are 
  those angels. The Revivalists are adapting the dogma and 
  the scriptures to fit in with the new world, a world where 
  farishtaas rule, and the Eternal Church has been resistant to 
  that.
   
  Infernal Jinzium is the faction closest related to the 
  Eternal Church, but their failure to update to modern views 
  is the most pronounced. They view the winged farishtaas as 
  abominations, perversions that Jinzi long ago removed and 
  that science should not bring back. They are ruled by the 
  Six Infernals, a council of  bishop-like offices. Centuries ago, 
  they were sent by the Guiding Paradigm to spread the word 
  of  Jinzium to the barbaric lands of  Paldorus, but the Infer-
  nals, separated by distance, found their own path and strayed 
  from the Eternal Church. 
   
  Regardless of  their allegience, all factions of  Jinzi 
  revere the sacred kingdom of  the sky. From the walls and 
  gates of  the clouds where angels and fey stride across the 
  battlements to the blue sky where the faithful join Jinzi in 
  his court, to the night sky where Jinzi’s daughter Aeon dwells 
  and holds the souls of  the impure in captivity until they have 
  proven themselves and may be released to the blue. 
   
  Though it has seen many separations, Jinzium still 
  holds a strong place in the hearts of  Rilausia. Jinzium is 
  commonly found in almost every nation except Evangless, 
  where Tailemy holds sway. Though Tailemy is the state re-
  ligion in Evangless, many people still follow and practice 
  Jinzium, as the nations Evangless conquered were Scions of 
  the Sun. Though few Jinzium churches stand openly in Evan-
  glessian cities, followers are still easily found. 
  sCion oF the sun   a
  Faith memBership story
  You follow the path of  Jinzium and delight in the presence 
  of  the sun. On days where it is particularly bright and blue 
  outside you feel happy and ready to get things done, granting 
  you a +2 to Spirit rolls to stay focused.
  arChon   a
  Faith memBership story
  You have great standing within the church of  Jinzium. You 
  may lead services and speak for the local church community. 
  If  in need, churches and congregations will grant you aid 
  and shelter.
  souL oF soL   a
  Faith memBership story
  reQuires: Archon story
  You have embraced Jinzium with every fiber of  your being. 
  You spread the word wherever you travel, regardless of  how 
  darkly it is received, and through this your work has been no-
  ticed by the church. You are recognized as a person of  great 
  worth and may speak for the church in pressing times.
  orthoDox Jinzist   a
  Faith memBership story
  You ascribe to the purest form of  Jinzium, the Eternal 
  Church. Listening to the words of  Igi, The Elf  Who Writes 
  In Fire, fills you with pride in your faith. No matter how 
  much doubt about your faith you have, listening to a sermon 
  by Igi, even if  its over the radio, will completely reassure you 
  of  your beliefs.
  starBorn traDionaList   a
  Faith memBership story
  You’ve placed your faith in the immemorial rituals of  the Six 
  Infernals. While some other followers of  Jinzium may call 
  you old fashioned, your timeless prayers and holy symbols 
  never fail to intrigue agnostic folks.
  angeL Fever   a
  Faith memBership story
  You are a member of  the Revivalist sect of  Jinzium, ignoring 
  the Guiding Paradigm to place your attention on the angelic 
  winged farishtaa. Whenever you’re in the presence of  such a 
  divine creature, you’ll never feel fatigue. 
  
  72
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  gear
  Chapter 5
  Every item you have will be composed of something, of-
  ten times metal, wood, or fabric. Materials will be most 
  important for your weapons and armor, and you will 
  need to decide what an item is made of when you select 
  that item.
  Metal
  Weapons and armor made of metal are the modus operandi. 
  Metal items are magnetic and they can get hot, but they’re not 
  likely to catch on fire. Metal weapons also have the most variety 
  in things that they can do, so you’ll be able to upgrade them a lot 
  with augments. 
  Organic
  Organic items will often be made up of bone, though sometimes 
  they’ll also consist of animal hides or scales. Organic items are 
  very difficult to work with, and will always have 2 less slots for 
  augments than their metal counterparts. 
  Textile
  Textiles include basic fabrics and, more commonly, leathers. Gen-
  erally, the only thing you can make using textiles are light armor, 
  cloaks, and whips. Textile items have 1 less slot than metal items 
  to hold augments and will burn away easily, if lit on fire. 
  Wood
  Wood weapons and items are pretty common, and often your 
  polearms and shields will include wood, though it may not be the 
  primary material. Wood will give you 1 less slot on items to use for 
  augments. Wood is also more likely to burn than other items. 
  Materials Available for Weapons
  Melee & Throwing Weapons
  Any
  Firearms
  Metal, Wood
  Bows
  Metal, Organic, Wood
  Crossbows
  Metal, Organic, Wood
  Materials
  
  73
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  the trust
  The wealth of the nations is centered around a super-national bank known as the Trust. Hundreds of years old and charged with 
  the creation of money, the regulating of internation trade and tariffs, and supervising inflation rates inside of each nation, the Trust 
  has long been one of the most powerful, most prestigious organizations in the world. 
  your LoCaL trust BranCh
  A town is not a town until it has two things: a Trust branch and a 
  post office. The Trust has several services that are widely used and 
  widely believed in. Foremost, the Trust acts as any bank, safeguard-
  ing people’s money. It can also be used as storage, for a person who 
  has an account with the Trust will have their information kept on file 
  within the Trust. A person can go to any Trust branch and access 
  their account. Trusts will also have safeboxes, but the contents are 
  (for obvious reasons) only accessible at the branch that holds them.
   
  Trusts rarely have accounts that gain interest and they rarely 
  give out credit to individuals. On occassion, a Trust branch will offer 
  a special account that will change based on inflation, but, more often 
  than not, this is a faulty deal.
   
  The people who work at a Trust branch are members of the 
  Trust, but they can also act independently. As such, many people who work at Trust branches are also moneylenders. Though the 
  Trust does not give loans, the people who work within the Trust likely will.
  CurrenCy
  The Trust produces and regulates the amount of currency in circulation. The Trust uses an old 
  measurement of currency  known as the “Royalty System.” The currency uses three coins: the 
  duke, prince, and king. Most of the lower class deals almost exclusively with dukes, while the 
  mercantile class deals with princes. The rather valuable king is rarely seen and only the quite 
  wealthy will use them on a regular basis.
   
  the Duke: The duke is a unique coin, an oblong-shaped coin with a hollow square 
  center. The coin is mostly black with white veins through it, like dark marble or obsidian. The 
  most unique feature of the duke is its ability to be split into 8 pieces and then reconnected. The 
  duke is actually 8 small magnetic pieces that fit together to make one coin. They’re difficult to 
  split apart by accident, but the duke can be turned into a half duke, quarter duke, or eighth 
  duke, as needed.
   
  the prinCe: The prince was once a white and silver coin with a shape similar to the duke but a little bit larger. How-
  ever, the prince has been converted almost entirely into bills. A prince is a rectangular bill, mostly white with some silver and green 
  strands running through it. 
   
  the king: The king remains in its oldest form as a gold, thick, circular coin with black veins running through it. When 
  kings are made into bills, they are made of a thick parchment and have the same coloration as the coins. 
   
  Almost all one-serving goods will be a quarter-duke - a mug of ale, a couple vegetables, some meat, etc. A good sword will 
  be around 5 princes (equal to 50 dukes, or 200 mugs of ale). In a day’s work, the average person will make between a duke and three 
  dukes. 
  History & Culture
  The Trust is watched over by Caxan (kay-zen). Named after its founder, the title of Caxan has been held by many people over the 
  history of the Trust. Chosen by an elite council, Caxan is the embodiment of the Trust’s core tenets of balance and fair trade and 
  serves as the arbiter of equilibrium. Whenever a Caxan passes away, the time comes to select a new Caxan. Many apply but only 
  one is judged to truly incarnate the values set forth by the founder. Though this is certainly not the case, Caxan is often depicted 
  as a muscular, six-armed man.
   
  The Trust is akin to an enormous governing body, and it has membership worldwide. There are two types of member-
  ship - trustees and those who follow Caxan. Anybody can be a trustee. Being a trustee simply means that you follow the economic 
  standards put forward by the Trust, something that often helps businesses thrive in the capitalist societies around the globe. Being 
  a follower of Caxan is almost like a cult: you are a balancer, traveling worldwide to ensure that the economic balance is maintained 
  and that trade remains fair.  Caxan, his employees, and his followers are regulators, ensuring every economic exchange is fair and 
  just. While your average Tephran may never see a member of the Trust doing their job, you can be assured they are working behind 
  the scenes to keep the Rilausian economy running smoothly. As such, members of the Trust are held in high regard wherever they 
  go. The Trust is not tied to any country or land, and therefore takes no part in the collection of taxes. In addition, should a govern-
  ment try to manipulate or cheat them, the Trust will drop all financial support and ban them from Trust services. While this may 
  seem harsh, the Trust views this as a just reward for actions taken against them.
  serviCes
  Costs
  Opening an Account
  5 princes
  Buying a Safebox
  3 princes
  Buying a Safebox in the Vault
  15 princes
  Depositing or withdrawing from your 
  Trust branch
  no charge
  Depositing or withdrawing from a 
  Trust branch other than your own
  1 duke
  Converting currencies into princes
  1 duke per 5 princ-
  es converted
  Coin
  eQuaLs
  10 dukes
  1 prince
  100 dukes
  1 king
  1 prince
  10 dukes
  10 princes
  1 king
  1 king
  100 dukes
  1 king
  10 princes
  
  74
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Melee attacks are those that target adjacent foes. When 
  making a melee attack, you can either be using a close 
  melee weapon, be fighting unarmed, or using a polearm 
  or flexible weapon (like a chain or whip). There is a 
  wide variety of melee weapons available to you, and they 
  have the highest damage potential. 
  Light Weapons
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 4
  wieLDeD with: One Hand
  target: Adjacent Foe
  Light weapons are defined as any small, one-handed weapon that 
  is easily concealable. All small items can count as light weapons. 
  If you’re thinking about getting really good with light weapons, 
  you might want to check out the Espionage skill, one of the Cun-
  ning skills.
  Medium Weapons
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 6
  wieLDeD with: One Hand
  target: Adjacent Foe
  Medium weapons are one-handed weapons that are not easily 
  concealable. Medium weapons are the bulk of one-handed weap-
  ons - pretty much anything that looks large enough to deal some 
  real damage. If you want to get great with medium weapons, you 
  should look at the Swashbuckling skill under Dexterity. 
  Heavy Weapons
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 8
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  target: Adjacent Foe
  A heavy weapon is loosely defined as any weapon that is used in 
  two hands. A heavy weapon is virtually impossible to conceal on 
  your person. If you want to master heavy weapons, you should 
  look into the Overpower skill, located under the Brute attribute.
  Super-Heavy Weapons
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 10
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  target: Adjacent Foe
  Super-heavy weapons are immense, building-destroying tools of 
  destruction. Super-heavy weapons require two hands to wield and 
  two hands to carry. These do a lot of damage but require the 
  wielder to take up footing in order to swing them. Entering into 
  footing stance requires 1 action point, and you cannot normally 
  enter into another stance while you’re in footing.
   
  You may use a super-heavy weapon without taking foot-
  ing, but doing so gives you a -3 on your accuracy and strike rolls, 
  as if it were an impromptu weapon. 
  Melee Weaponry
  Unarmed       
  Cost: 1 AP
  Damage CLass: 2
  target: Adjacent Foe
  An unarmed attack is any attack that does not use a weapon. 
  Instead, unarmed attacks can be anything from your fists to 
  your elbows to your legs and knees. Unarmed attacks are the 
  fastest possible attacks at 1 action point apiece, but they do sig-
  nificantly less damage than attacks with weapons. 
   
  Unarmed attacks utilize no equipment and thus cannot 
  be upgraded by an armsmith. 
  Weapons Sizes
  There are four sizes of weapons: light, medium, heavy, and (the 
  more rare) super-heavy. This is how to define each one.
  weapon size
  how to DeFine
  Light
  small enough to fit in your pocket
  Medium
  too large to fit in your pocket, but you’ll only 
  need one hand to use it
  Heavy
  so large that you’ll need two hands to swing 
  it (and there’s no chance of fitting it in your 
  pocket)
  Super-Heavy you need two hands to carry it, swing it, and 
  you’ll need to get your footing right in order 
  to use it
  
  75
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Flexible 
  ability to grab, -1 damage class
  You can make any weapon into a non-rigid one, a weapon 
  that has flexible parts like a whip, chain, or flail. Flexible 
  weapons can be used to make a grab, just like a hand can. 
  Because the weapon loses some of its impact power, its 
  damage class is 1 lower.
  Polearm 
  +5 feet of reach, -1 damage class
  Medium and heavier weapons can be polearms. The longer 
  handle allows polearms to attack any foe within 10 feet, but 
  also makes the weapon more difficult to swing, decreasing 
  its damage class by 1.
  Throwing can be thrown, -1 damage class
  Throwing weapons can be anything from throwing knives 
  to javelins to gigantic hurling spheres. Weapons designed to 
  be thrown have 1 less damage class, but can hit people at a 
  distance. Each thrown weapon has a different distance, de-
  pending on its size. For every 10 feet you throw a weapon be-
  yond its distance, it takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. Weapons 
  not designed to be thrown can go no further than 25 feet. 
  Light: 25 feet
  meDium: 75 feet
  heavy: 50 feet
  Note: A thrown weapon is no longer a melee weapon for the pur-
  poses of determing how specialties work. 
  Impromptu Weapons        
  (-3 on Accuracy and Strike)
  Anything that is not designed to be used as a weapon is impromptu weaponry. Impromptu weaponry is assigned a weapon class by 
  the narrator and has a -3 to accuracy and strike rolls. Once a weapon is assigned a weapon class, it cannot change weapon classes 
  (unless it breaks in two!).
   
  For example, if some characters pick up their chairs, they are heavy melee weapons (because they’re using them two-
  handed), so they have a damage class of 8 and they take a -3 to their accuracy and strike rolls. If they later break off the chair legs, 
  they can use them as impromptu light weapons, so they’d have a damage class of 4.
  Combination Weapons
  While you can make any melee weapon into a flexible 
  weapon, a polearm, or a throwing weapon, you can also 
  combine those aspects. Want to make a flexible pole-
  arm? Go for it! You’ll just have to apply the damage class 
  penalty both times, but now you have a weapon that’ll hit 
  people 10 feet away and you can make grabs.
   
  If  you want to create a bolas, you can combine a 
  throwing weapon with a flexible weapon. Now you can 
  throw a weapon that can make grabs. Want to tie up an 
  opponent? Throw a light bolas at their legs, making a 
  grab, and you’ll nab them.
  Variant Weaponry
  You can also take any of your normal melee weapons and apply some variants onto them. Want to make a whip? 
  Make it flexible. Want to make a pike? Turn it into a polearm. Want to make a long stick with chains dangling from 
  it, make it into a flexible polearm!
  
  76
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Light Firearms
  Cost to Fire: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 2
  wieLDeD with: One Hand
  reaDying: 0 AP
  target: Any foe within 50 feet. For every 10 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Light firearms are peashooters, normally the type that could fit in 
  your palm or in your pocket, and a gun that somebody searching 
  you would often entirely overlook. On the flipside, though, they 
  deal very minimal damage and are more likely to be an irritant 
  than a killer.
  Medium Firearms
  Cost to Fire: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 4
  wieLDeD with: One Hand
  reaDying: 1 AP if you’re using one hand, or 0 AP if you’re using 
  two hands
  target: Any foe within 100 feet. For every 25 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Medium firearms are all of your revolvers, sawed-off shotguns, 
  and small rifles. These guns are handguns - they can be held in 
  one hand, though many will use two hands to help cock the ham-
  mer, rechamber the bullet, and lend support to absorb the recoil 
  of the firearm. Note that reloading them normally requires 1 ac-
  tion point, but if you dedicate a second hand to the gun, it costs 
  0 action points to reload. 
  Blasting people with double-barreled shotguns, unholstering your revolver in an instant and loading your 
  target with lead, or scoping down your rifle’s sights and shooting a man at two hundreds yards away - it 
  doesn’t matter who you’re trying to kill, firearms will do you right.
   
  Firearms come in several varieties, but they’ll be largely covered under four different categories: 
  light, medium, heavy, and super-heavy. Each of those categories will have a basic damage class and range. 
  Once you’ve chosen the size of your firearm, you will also choose your ammunition type. Most will choose 
  the standard cartridge, the normal damaging round. Some might choose “shot” to turn their weapon into 
  a shotgun and deal more damage up close. Others will use the sniper cartridge, a long range round with 
  slightly lower damage, or the high damage jacketed rounds. Once you’ve chosen your choice of ammuni-
  tion, you may change it for 1 action point, assuming you are carrying another ammunition type.
   
  Unlike other weapons, firearms use accuracy to determine your damage instead of your strike. You 
  only roll once for firearms - your accuracy will determine if you hit, and then you will tier the result to get 
  damage. As you can imagine, accuracy is twice as important for a gunslinger as most others.
   
  Firearms have to be readied between every shot. This can represent rechambering, reloading, or 
  cocking the hammer of the firearm. When combat begins, you can often assume that the firearm is readied, 
  but after firing, you must ready it again.
  Heavy Firearms
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 6
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  reaDying: 1 AP
  target: Any foe within 200 feet. For every 50 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Heavy firearms are your rifles and shotguns - your two-handed 
  long rifles. They have a pretty good range, but require 2 hands to 
  use and rechambering costs 1 action point. 
  Super-Heavy Firearms
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 8
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  reaDying: 2 AP
  target: Any foe within 300 feet. For every 100 feet beyond that 
  the target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Super-heavy firearms are very large guns, meant to take down 
  everything from elephants to raging, steam-powered automatons. 
  These do a lot of damage, but require the wielder to take up foot-
  ing in order to fire them. Entering into footing stance requires 1 
  action point, and you cannot normally enter into another stance 
  while you’re in footing.
   
  You may use a super-heavy firearm without taking foot-
  ing, but doing so gives you a -3 on your accuracy roll, as if it were 
  an impromptu weapon. 
  Firearms
  
  77
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Firearm Ammunitions        
  Firearms can use a wide range of ammunitions, 
  and each type of ammunition is going to give 
  you some different bonuses and penalties. You 
  may change your firearms ammunition for 1 ac-
  tion point. 
  Cartridge
  The cartridge is the most common type of ammuni-
  tion used. Normally a cartridge is a bullet packaged 
  with the gunpowder and primer to most easily blast 
  holes in nearby villains. The cartridge uses the basic 
  statistics for the firearm. 
  Blank
  Blanks are cartridges that do not fire anything - they 
  produce all of the effects of having fired the firearm, 
  but do not blast forward any projectile. Somebody us-
  ing blanks is going to have an easier time clubbing 
  somebody to death with their firearm than they will 
  shooting them with it. 
  High Damage Cartridge
  High damage cartridges, often jacketed or armor-
  piercing rounds or solid shot, increase the damage 
  class by 2 but also increase the readying time by 1 ac-
  tion point. High damage cartridges are very powerful 
  and deadly, but much more difficult to use. 
  Shot
  Shot, commonly known as lead shot or buckshot, is 
  composed of numerous small projectiles that are all 
  shot out of the firearm at the same time. At a dis-
  tance, shot has a higher likelihood of hitting. However, 
  the further the shot is from the firearm, the less pen-
  etrating power it has. Rather than losing accuracy at a 
  range, shot decreases its damage class by 1 for every 
  range increment past the basic distance. 
  Sniper Cartridge
  Sniper cartridges are specifically designed to go far 
  and go fast. A sniper cartridge only loses 1 accuracy 
  for every 2 range increments it travels. However, snip-
  er shots have 1 less damage class than normal. 
  Double-Barreled        
  Firearms can be made double-barreled for no 
  additional cost. By making a weapon into a 
  double-barreled firearm, you can fire it twice 
  before having to ready it. However, reloading 
  the double-barreled firearm takes 1 more ac-
  tion point per round loaded. 
  
  78
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Bows are difficult weapons to use, requiring great 
  amounts of training and skill. For those who master 
  them, however, they can easily rival firearms and deal a 
  great amount of damage. As per normal, bows use ac-
  curacy to determine if they hit and strike to determine 
  how much damage they deal. Though you can get a bow 
  of any size, they always require two hands to use.
  Light Bows
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 3
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  target: Any foe within 25 feet. For every 10 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Light bows are most commonly slightshots, though very small 
  bows do exist. They don’t deal much damage, but are faster than 
  their larger counterparts.
  Medium Bows
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 5
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  target: Any foe within 50 feet. For every 10 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Medium bows are between 2 and 4 feet tall, have decent pull, and 
  can deal fair amounts of damage.
  Bows
  Heavy Bows
  Cost: 3 AP
  Damage CLass: 7
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  target: Any foe within 75 feet. For every 25 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Heavy bows are typically about 4-5 feet tall. They have a decent 
  range, and deal some pretty solid damage when they strike. 
  Super-Heavy Bows
  Cost: 3 AP
  Damage CLass: 9 (wielded as a heavy weapon)
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  target: Any foe within 200 feet. For every 75 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Super-heavy bows are designed to hit opponents at a great dis-
  tance and their long arrows can deal excrutiating amounts of 
  damage. Super-heavy bows require the wielder to take up foot-
  ing in order to fire them. Entering into footing stance requires 1 
  action point, and you cannot normally enter into another stance 
  while you’re in footing.
   
  You may use a super-heavy bow without taking footing, 
  but doing so gives you a -3 on your accuracy roll, as if it were an 
  impromptu weapon. 
  Arrows & Bolts        
  Bows and crossbows shoot arrows and bolts, re-
  spectively. There are numerous ways to craft ar-
  rows and bolts, though they are often made of 
  wood with a stone or metal tip. You may change 
  your choice of crossbow bolt for 1 action point, 
  but changing your choice of arrow costs noth-
  ing. 
  Standard
  Most crossbows and bows will use the standard ar-
  rows and bolts. These can refer to broadhead arrows 
  or some other normal version.
  Bladed
  Bladed bolts and arrows have barbs near the tip that 
  cause bleeding from the target, though they fly less 
  true. Using a bladed bolt or arrow gives a -2 on the 
  accuracy roll, but causes 1 point of bleeding per tier 
  of damage dealt. 
  
  79
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Crossbows are weapons that in many ways are similar to 
  firearms, but they are more difficult to load and can deal 
  more damage. Bows and crossbows use the same types 
  of ammunitions, listed below under “Arrows & Bolts.”
   
  Crossbows use accuracy to determine your dam-
  age instead of your strike. You only roll once for cross-
  bows - your accuracy will determine if you hit, and then 
  you will tier the result to get damage. 
  Light Crossbows
  Cost to Fire: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 3
  wieLDeD with: One Hand
  reaDying: 1 AP
  target: Any foe within 25 feet. For every 10 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Light crossbows are often small, concealable crossbows that 
  shoot a small metal spike or dart. Many people will attach them 
  to their wrists.
  Medium Crossbows
  Cost to Fire: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 5
  wieLDeD with: One Hand
  reaDying: 1 AP
  target: Any foe within 50 feet. For every 10 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Medium crossbows are often called pistol crossbows, as they can 
  be held with one hand and fired like a pistol. 
  Heavy Crossbows
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 7
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  reaDying: 2 AP
  target: Any foe within 100 feet. For every 25 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Heavy crossbows require two hands to use and are difficult to 
  conceal. They’re good at a range, but have a hefty reload time. 
  Super-Heavy Crossbows
  Cost: 2 AP
  Damage CLass: 9
  wieLDeD with: Two Hands
  reaDying: 3 AP
  target: Any foe within 150 feet. For every 50 feet beyond that the 
  target stands, the shot takes a -1 on the accuracy roll. 
  Super-heavy crossbows are almost ballistas - they do a great deal 
  of damage but are very difficult to use in the heat of battle. These 
  do a lot of damage, but require the wielder to take up footing in 
  order to fire them. Entering into footing stance requires 1 action 
  point, and you cannot normally enter into another stance while 
  you’re in footing.
   
  You may use a super-heavy bow without taking footing, 
  but doing so gives you a -3 on your accuracy roll, as if it were an 
  impromptu weapon. 
  Crossbows
  Hooked
  These arrows and bolts are designed to stick in a tar-
  get and not come out. Though they do no less dam-
  age, removing them requires 2 action points (whereas 
  most arrows and bolts can be removed for one action 
  point, if it is even necessary to do so). 
   
  Hooked arrows and bolts are often used for 
  latching onto a wall. You can attach rope to a hooked 
  arrow or bolt for 1 action point and, when it strikes a 
  wall, you’ll be able to climb up or zip-line down the 
  rope to where the arrow or bolt struck.
  Signal
  Signal arrows and bolts are known for their whistling 
  qualities. They are extremely loud and will let every-
  one in a large area know that they were shot. Signal 
  bolts and arrows, however, have a damage class 1 lower 
  than normal. 
  
  80
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Armor comes in many shapes and sizes, types and qualities. Armor can be made out of leather, bone, iron, 
  steel, bronze, or numerous other materials. Armor was for many years a requirement for warriors, but re-
  cently has gone down in popularity with the rise in magnetech weaponry. Nonetheless, it remains a com-
  mon sight on the battlefield.
   
  using armor: There are five degrees of armor - minimal, light, medium, heavy, and super-heavy. 
  Armor negatively affects a person’s evade roll and speed, but gives them a great amount of damage soak. 
  The “soak class” works the exact same way as damage class - for every tier you receive on your defense roll, 
  you soak that damage. For example, if you received a tier 2 soak in heavy armor (soak class of 4), you would 
  soak 8 damage from the attack. 
   
  penaLties: Armor negatively affects your evade, speed, and ability to move about. You’ll suffer a 
  penalty to evade, a penalty to your land-based movement, and a penalty to your climbing and swimming 
  speeds while wearing armor.
   
  DesCriBing your armor: How your armor looks is up to you and your narrator. Thick robes  could 
  be defined as light armor, but so could a breastplate. Chainmail covered in fish bones and a suit of field 
  plate could both be heavy armor. How you describe your armor is your choice.
  type
  soak CLass
  evaDe
  penaLty
  speeD
  penaLty
  CLimBing & 
  swimming penaLty
  materiaL options
  Unarmored
  0
  -
  -0 ft.
  -0 ft.
  None, Organic, or Textile
  Minimal
  1
  -
  -0 ft.
  -0 ft.
  Metal, Organic, or Textile
  Light
  2
  -1
  -5 ft.
  -5 ft. 
  Metal, Organic, or Textile
  Medium
  3
  -2
  -5 ft.
  -10 ft. 
  Metal or Organic
  Heavy
  4
  -3
  -10 ft.
  -15 ft.
  Metal or Organic
  Super-Heavy
  5
  -4
  -10 ft.
  -20 ft.
  Metal
  Armor
  Donning your Armor       
  For thick suits, putting on your armor can be quite an 
  ordeal, and when you’re awoken in the middle of the 
  night in nothing but your skivvies, you might need to 
  put some armor on pronto. 
  type
  time to Don
  with heLp
  Unarmored
  -
  Minimal
  3 AP
  Light
  6 AP
  Medium
  24 AP
  12 AP
  Heavy
  3 minutes
  1 minute
  Super-Heavy
  10 minutes
  3 minutes
  
  81
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  A shield is used for deflecting incoming attacks. While the term “shield” indeed provokes in the mind a large, 
  bulwark strapped on one arm and used to protect the body, this is not the only defensive item used. Companion 
  weapons, such as the parrying dagger and cloak are also common, and each has its own merits. 
   
  You use shields and companion weapons to make deflections. A deflection costs 1 action point, and may be 
  used whenever you are attacked.
  Cloak  
  +3 to evade against melee attacks
  A cloak is often wrapped around one arm or, at the very least, guided by one arm, to blind opponents, throw off 
  their weapons, and mislead them. A cloak can only be used against melee attacks, granting a +3 to evade for the 
  deflection. The cloak, however, allows you to use your hand freely and make grabs.
  materiaL options: Organic or Textile
  Parrying Dagger  
  +3 to evade against melee attacks
  The parrying dagger is used to deflect attacks while the primary weapon makes them. A dagger can only be 
  used against melee attacks, granting a +3 to evade for the deflection roll. Furthermore, a dagger counts as a light 
  weapon.
  materiaL options: Metal, Organic, or Wood 
  Shield 
  +4 to evade against melee and ranged attacks
  A shield is strapped onto the forearm and held with the hand. You can hold things with your shield hand, but - 
  while doing so - you cannot make deflections. The shield grants you a +4 to evade for deflections, and can be used 
  both against melee and ranged attacks.
  materiaL options: Metal, Organic, or Wood 
  Deflection Items
  
  82
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  horses                       
  The quintessential mount, fast horses and durable war-
  horses will transport any gentleman adventurer across 
  the battlefield with ease. Simple enough to control, these 
  noble beasts may not be strong in combat, but they will 
  get you into or out of the fray.
  ap: 3 
   
  Cost: 100 princes
  hp: 16  
  wounDs: 9
  priority: +0 
  speeD: 50 feet
  Note: If the horse spends all of its action points moving in a turn, it moves 
  at twice its speed. A horse can be mounted.
  guarD                                                       
  hiDe (natural organic armor)
  eva: -1  
  DeF: +1
  soak:  3  |  6  |  9  |  12  
  note: Horses have two additional called shot locations for their legs, but have 
  no arms or hands. 
  attaCks                                                             
  hooF (2 AP)
  Natural Medium Weapon
  aCC: +0  
  stk: +1
  Damage:  6  |  12  |  18  |  24
  skiLLs  
   
  attriButes                                   
  agiLity: +2  
   
  Brute: +3
  BrawL: +1 
   
  Cunning: +0 
  overpower: +1  
  Dexterity: +2
  resiLienCe: +2  
  spirit: +1
  shamanism: +1  
  sCienCes: +0
  reFerenCe                                                                                
  speCiaLties: Gallop, Large
  stories: Four-Legged, Natural Armor
  movement c
  You only have to spend 1 action point a turn to guide 
  your animal. It will spend as much of its own action 
  points as it takes to get to the destination you desig-
  nate. Your animal shares your turn, so this will happen 
  instantly.
  attaCking & other options c
  To make your animal perform an action outside of mov-
  ing, both you and it have to spend the number of action 
  points it would take any normal character without spe-
  cialties to perform the action. 
  upkeep c
  Now, most high-class establishments won’t allow ani-
  mals inside, so remember to bring something to secure 
  your animal outside of the building before going in. 
  Also be prepared for paying for animal upkeep, which 
  generally amounts to a duke a day for feed. Veterinar-
  ians aren’t commonplace, so be sure to keep your animal 
  in good health.
  Animals
  
  83
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Canines                      
  From wolves to coyotes to domesticated dogs, canines 
  can be a gentleman adventurer’s best friend. Stronger 
  while in large groups, canines are always a worthy ally. 
  ap: 3 
   
  Cost: 35 princes
  hp: 12  
  wounDs: 8
  priority: +0 
  speeD: 40 feet
  note: A canine can be mounted by a gnome (and other similarly small peo-
  ple). A canine can track by scent alone.
  guarD                                                       
  hiDe (natural organic armor)
  eva: +0  
  DeF: +0
  soak:  2  |  4  |  6  |  8  
  note: Canines have two additional called shot locations for their legs, but 
  have no arms or hands. 
  attaCks                                                             
  Bite (2 AP)
  Natural Medium Weapon
  aCC: +1  
  stk: +3
  Damage:  6  |  12  |  18  |  24
  note: The canine gains a +1 to strike for each ally within 25 feet that also 
  has the Pack Instincts story. The canine can begin a move, attack, and then 
  complete the move.
  skiLLs  
   
  attriButes                                   
  espionage: +1   
  Brute: +2
  Frenzy: +1 
   
  Cunning: +4 (+2 when tracking by scent
  resiLienCe: +1  
  and another +2 when on guard) 
  showmanship: +2 
  Dexterity: +1
  taCtiCaL: +2  
  spirit: +0
   
   
   
  sCienCes: +0
  speCiaL aCtions                                                                                
  howL (2 AP)
  The canine gives a (Showmanship +2: +1 | +2 | +3 | +4 ) bonus to 
  strike to the next attack roll made by any allies within 25 feet. 
  reFerenCe                                                                                
  speCiaLties: Bounding Lunge, Howl
  stories: Four-Legged, Guard, Natural Armor, Pack Instincts, 
  Scent
  BirDs oF prey            
  Trained birds are not only worthy companions, they’re 
  also amazing messengers, guides, and scouts. With per-
  fect spatial memory, they’ll always know how to return 
  to previous locations.  
   
  ap: 3 
   
  Cost: 45 princes
  hp: 11  
  wounDs: 8
  priority: +0 
  speeD: 25 feet, 45 feet flight
  guarD                                                       
  unarmoreD
  eva: +1  
  DeF: +0
  soak:  0  |  0  |  0  |  0  
  note: Birds of prey have two additional called shot locations for their wings 
  (which are treated as legs), but have no arms or hands. 
  attaCks                                                             
  taLon (2 AP)
  Natural Light Weapon
  aCC: +3  
  stk: +1
  Damage:  4  |  8  |  12  |  16
  note: When the bird of prey has dived 10 or more feet before making an 
  attack, the target must make a brute resist against the bird’s agility (+2) or 
  fall prone. 
  skiLLs  
   
  attriButes                                   
  aCe: +1  
   
  Brute: +1
  agiLity: +2 
   
  Cunning: +3 (+10 when noticing)
  espionage: +2  
  Dexterity: +3
  resiLienCe: +1  
  spirit: +0
  taCtiCaL: +1 
   
  sCienCes: +0
   
   
   
  stanCes                                                                                
  thermaL gLiDing
  While in this stance, the bird of prey moves at double its flight speed.
  reFerenCe                                                                                
  speCiaLties: Death from Above, Thermal Gliding
  stories: Eagle Eye, Innate Sense of Direction (can find its way 
  back to any location it’s previously been), Small, Wings 
  
  84
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Adventuring Basics
  A beginning character has full reign to choose what they’d 
  like from the following list. The selections must be reason-
  able (that is, only what you could logically carry), but we’ll 
  let you be the judge of that. After character creation, you’ll 
  need to purchase your supplies normally. 
   
  If there’s something not on this list that you think 
  you could have, go ahead and take it. If it’s something big, 
  ask your narrator before hand. We obviously haven’t includ-
  ed every piece of equipment that a character might start off 
  with, so feel free to fill your character in as you’d like. 
  Backpack
  2 dukes
  A standard leather pack that can be used to carry 
  supplies, provisions and tools.  
  Bedroll
  1 duke
  A set of cotton bedding that makes sleeping in 
  the outdoors much more comfortable, especially 
  in cold climates.
  Cable (25 ft)
  5 princes
  Strings of metal wire woven together to form a 
  sturdy metal rope.
  Case
  1 duke
  A leather or wood case to keep scrolls from being 
  warped by the elements. Holds up to two scrolls 
  or maps. 
  Chain (10 ft)
  1 prince
  Large metal links connected end to end to form 
  a long chain.
  Chalk
  1 duke
  A white stick of gritty material that can be used 
  to draw on stone or paper.
  Charcoal
  1 duke
  Black nuggets of charcol which, when set on 
  fire, burn for an extended period of time. Can 
  also be used to draw on stone or paper.
  Chest
  1 prince
  A holding box of sorts, normally made of wood 
  or a stronger material, and often accompanied 
  by a lock.
  Clothing 
  (working)
  3 dukes
  Simple utilitarian clothing that would commonly 
  be owned by the working class.
  Clothing
  (middle-class)
  1 prince
  More formal clothing that could proudly be worn 
  on the streets in a city.
  Clothing 
  (gentry)
  5+ princes
  Very elegant and formal dresswear that can be 
  worn to any number of occassions. The cost of 
  this good can range from 5 princes (a meager 
  suit) to hundreds of princes. 
  Crowbar
  1 prince
  An Iron bar that uses leverage to pry open things 
  such as doors and chests.
  Flare
  10 princes
  A tube, filled with explosive chemicals which 
  launchs into the air and glows red.
  Glass Bottle
  1 duke
  A glass container which can hold liquids without 
  contaminating its contents.
  Grappling 
  Hook
  3 princes
  A three pronged iron hook which can be tied to a 
  rope and used to reach high up places.
  Hose (10 ft)
  10 princes
  A hollow rubber tube that can be used to funnel 
  and direct liquids
  Inkpen
  1 duke
  A small fountain pen with ink held inside and 
  funneled to the tip.
  Journal
  3 dukes
  A small, easily storable, notebook which can be 
  used to store important information or personal 
  memoirs  
  Ladder
  2 dukes
  A ten foot ladder which can be propped up 
  against walls to grant access to elevated areas.
  Lantern
  2 dukes
  A gas-filled lantern that pushes darkness away 
  25 feet.
  Lockpicks
  3 dukes
  Metal picks which are essential to openning 
  locks.
  Magnifying 
  Glass
  1 prince
  A round glass lens which provides a clearer view 
  of smaller objects and aids with delicate and de-
  tailed tasks.
  Metal 
  Canister
  4 dukes
  A metal cylinder designed to be resealable
  Musical
  Instrument
  2 princes
  A musical instrument, usually made of wood, 
  leather, hair, or bone depending on the type of 
  instrument.
  Equipment
  
  85
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  Pole (5 ft, 
  steel)
  5 dukes
  A five foot long steel pole.
  Pole (5 ft,
  wood)
  1 duke
  A five foot long wooden pole.
  Rope (25 ft)
  4 dukes
  A 25 foot length of woven fibers which can be 
  used to climb, carry, bind, or tie just about any-
  thing together.  
  Rations
  (1 day)
  2 dukes
  Enough food stuffs to provide an average adult 
  with enough energy to get through the day.
  Spyglass
  10 princes
  Two magnifying glasses fitted to opposite ends 
  of a cylinder which allows the user to see far into 
  the distance.
  Tent
  2 princes
  A large piece of canvas with supports which, 
  when inside, provides some protection from in-
  climate weather such as rain and snow.
  Torch
  1 duke
  A wooden handle wrapped with a slow burning 
  substance at one end that will provide light at 
  night or in poorly lit areas.
  Vials
  3 dukes
  A set of five glass vials and cork stoppers which 
  can carry liquids without contaminating them.
  Armor & Shields
  Minimal
  1 prince
  Light Armor
  5 princes
  Medium Armor
  15 princes
  Heavy Armor
  40 princes
  Super-Heavy Armor
  75 princes
  Shield
  4 princes
  Cloak
  1 prince
  Parrying Dagger
  1 princes
  Weapons
  Light Melee Weapon
  1 prince
  Medium Melee Weapon
  7 princes
  Heavy Melee Weapon
  15 princes
  Light Firearm
  2 princes
  Medium Firearm
  5 princes
  Heavy Firearm
  12 princes
  Super-Heavy Firearm
  20 princes
  Light Bow
  5 dukes
  Medium Bow
  1 prince
  Heavy Bow
  5 princes
  Super-Heavy Bow
  17 princes
  Light Crossbow
  2 princes
  Medium Crossbow
  4 princes
  Heavy Crossbow
  7 princes
  Super-Heavy Crossbow
  14 princes
  Can you have an animal?       
  Animals (found a couple pages back) are obvious-
  ly well outside your 10 prince starting budget, but 
  for many characters, such as hunters and mounted 
  knights, a horse or a dog might be necessary to your 
  character concept. If it’s necessary, ask your narrator 
  if you can have one. It’s probably okay. 
   
  That said, if your concept is “I have a hundred 
  hunting hounds that travel with me,” that might be a 
  concept you need to work toward.
  
  For Sale
  Elympia Dark               4 princes per glass, 40 princes per bottle
  One of the most popular drinks in Evangless, this satyr-brewed 
  dark lager never fails to pick one’s spirits up. It’s rich flavor re-
  stores 4 hit points per glass. A bottle contains 10 glasses worth. It 
  costs 1 AP per glass to drink. Please drink responsibly.
  CRIMSON  
   
              
    30 princes
  by Crimson Marshal Lucinda Mirasol
  This controversial fashion line by the infamous Evanglessian 
  militarist didn’t get its name simply for its creator’s rank; each 
  piece cannot be caught on tier 1 fire! This clothing counts as 
  minimal armor and is guaranteed to look downright dashing in 
  every season.
  Mindcuffs  
   
       
       
      3 princes
  Developed by the Dolby Home for the Scientifically Unstable, 
  these handcuffs can be used for one action point grabs. Attach-
  able to a maximum of two body parts, any hands or legs grabbed 
  become unusable. Perfect for keeping any doomsday-machine 
  obsessed evil genius unable to build, the target can only free a 
  body part by making a tier 2 brute resist or by the cuffs’ owner 
  releasing them.
  Water Filter  
   
   
       
    15 princes
  An essential gadget for safari hunters and desert scavengers alike, 
  this handy tool attaches to any flask or bottle. Simply by tipping 
  it over you will pour out any impurities leaving only the cleanest 
  of water behind. It can be used 15 times before breaking and is 
  concealable.
  p Spendo-Brand Trinkets M
  Any-Altitude Parachute  
   
      4 princes
  This state-of-the-art parachute by Spendo deploys quickly for one 
  reflexive action point whenever you’re falling. Never take falling 
  damage again! While not concealable, its multi-stage deployment 
  process ensures it will protect whether you fall 5 feet or 500 feet!
  SPENDO-BRAND: 91.6% GUARANTEED!
  Gas-Fabulous 
   
   
       
      4 princes
  Based on a design by the Coaldust Unions of Evangless, this 
  handy gasmask gives its wearer a +4 to resists against alchemical 
  gases. But you shouldn’t buy from them, oh no! Buy your gas-
  mask from Spendo and his hard-working artisans will customize 
  the mask’s appearance for free!
  SPENDO-BRAND: 91.6% GUARANTEED!
  Spendo-Grenade  
   
   
      3 princes
  Sometimes you just have to blow something up. Spendo under-
  stands. That’s why he created the Spendo-Grenade. This conceal-
  able bomb is a statuette of Spendo the gnome himself (if Spendo 
  smelled like gunpowder, had dark green skin and clothes, and 
  made ticking sounds like a bomb). It costs 1 action point to ac-
  tivate the bomb and 2 action points to throw it. It will explode at 
  the beginning of your next turn. It deals 10 damage to everyone 
  in your target square and all squares adjacent to it. People in 
  those squares can spend 1 action point to attempt a resist the 
  impending explosion with their Dexterity. If they recieve a tier 2 
  result or higher, they take no damage and move out of the blast 
  range.
  SPENDO-BRAND: 91.6% GUARANTEED!
  Spendo-Brand Illumitorch 
   
      2 princes
  Whether you’re afraid of the dark or simply can’t see in it, Spen-
  do the gnome has the perfect fix! Torches are hot and can burn 
  you; that’s dangerous! Use Spendo’s illumitorches instead! Eas-
  ily wielded in one hand and concealable, Spendo illumitorches 
  consist of small hand-cranked bulbs which project light 25 feet 
  around themselves. 
  SPENDO-BRAND: 91.6% GUARANTEED!
  The Lawn-Deformer 
   
   
    32 princes
  Spendo brings you his newest product in his line of landscaping 
  tools. Designed with vigilante gardeners in mind, this nifty chain-
  saw acts as a medium weapon. Whenever you successfully hit an 
  opponent, you can spend an action point to deal 1 unsoakable 
  damage to them by spinning the chainsaw blades. This can be 
  done as many times as you have remaining action points during 
  your current turn. 
  SPENDO-BRAND: 91.6% GUARANTEED!
  Protective Goggles 
   
   
    10 princes
  Spendo doesn’t like dirt in his eyes. Neither should you! These 
  handy industrial goggles protect you from dirt and other things 
  too! They grant you +1 to your soak class against called shots to 
  your eyes and a +3 to Brute resists against anything that would 
  affect your eyes. 
  SPENDO-BRAND: 91.6% GUARANTEED!
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  
  p MaskedMen Inc.* M
  Grapple Gun 
   
   
   
      6 princes
  Perfect for the gentleman thief on the run, this grapple-gun can 
  propel up to 50 feet of chain, rope, or cable and will attach to 
  rocky, magnetic, rough, or slick surfaces. It will increase your 
  climb speed by 20 feet while you retract the cord towards its latch. 
  It costs 1 action point to shoot your grapple-gun, 1 action point 
  to unlatch it, and 1 action point to retract it to climb. Just be wary, 
  this trinket isn’t concealable. 
  MaskedMen Inc.
  Unleash Your Inner Rogue!
  Heat-Sight Monocle 
   
   
    10 princes
  You’re in the middle of a barfight. Your chosen foe pushes a table 
  on its side and ducks behind it. Your curiousity piques. What is 
  he doing back there? With a Heat-Sight monocle from Masked-
  Men Incorporated, you could see his heat signature clear as day! 
  This handy monocle allows you to see heat through anything 
  deemed poor cover. 
  MaskedMen Inc.
  Unleash Your Inner Rogue!
  Hidden Intentions 
   
         8 princes per dose
  At MaskedMen Incorporated, we believe subtlety is the greatest 
  weapon in any gentleman’s arsenal. Simply add a dose of Hid-
  den Intentions to your target’s food or drink. Requiring a Tier 3 
  Cunning resist to detect the added ingredient in their meal, your 
  target will take 6 unsoakable damage roughly 6 seconds or three 
  action points after they ingest it.
  MaskedMen Inc.
  Unleash Your Inner Rogue!
  Reasonable Doubt 
   
   
      8 princes
  The premier product of MaskedMen Incorporated, this automat-
  ed lockpicking device keeps the lock fingerprint-free. It spends 1 
  action point lockpicking any lock it’s attached to whenever your 
  action points refresh. One-handed and concealable, you can place 
  it on a lock for 1 action point or throw it at a lock for 2 action 
  points. 
  MaskedMen Inc.
  Unleash Your Inner Rogue!
  *Though there are some rumors concerning the legitimacy and morality of 
  MaskedMen Incorporated, all of their agents have been very forthright with us 
  and leave us no reason to question the validity of their company.
   
  p Red-Gate Securities M
  Chains of Security 
   
   
    10 princes
  Back by popular demand, Red-Gate Security is proud to present 
  the Chains of Security! Attachable to any item, a single chain can 
  secure an item to its owner’s hands, granting the wielder a +2 on 
  resists against the item being disarmed. 
  reD-gate: Keeping Evangless Safe
  Tinted Glasses 
   
   
   
    10 princes
  Standard-issue for the Evanglessian military police, these styl-
  ish pieces of eyewear art by Red-Gate Security protect your eyes 
  from the harmful rays of the sun, as well as any flashes of light. 
  Wearing them grants you a +3 to resist being blinded by flashes 
  of light. 
  reD-gate: Keeping Evangless Safe
  p Burgenhind Industries M
  Graviton Board 
   
   
   
    85 princes
  A small hoverboard perfect for anyone wanting to travel in style, 
  this premium clanker by Burgenhind Industries may not fly 
  through the air, but it quickly skims across land and the surface 
  of water! With a speed of 40 feet per action point and 12 wounds 
  (losing 5 feet of speed whenever it takes damage), you’ll be the 
  envy of all pedestrians in your path!
  Burgenhind Industries: Need a Lift?
  The Fashionable Arrival  
            3,200 princes
  The latest in personal transportation clankers by Burgenhind 
  Industries, this graviton-sphere powered pack features a stylish 
  brass finish and fits comfortably on the back of any tailcoat or 
  corset. For every action point you spend moving it, the Fashion-
  able Arrival will fly up to 40 feet. It has 12 wounds and loses 5 feet 
  of movement whenever damaged. If you aren’t arriving fashion-
  ably, why show up at all?
  Burgenhind Industries: Need a Lift?
  Chapter 5
  Gear
  
  88
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  The Brute Attribute includes these skills:
   
   
   
   
  BrawL
   
   
   
   
  Frenzy
   
   
   
   
  overpower
   
   
   
   
  resiLienCe
  BRuTe
  Chapter 6
  
  89
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Brute is a measurement of your beefiness, your ability to stand and take punishment, and the strength you 
  put behind your actions. The brute is strong, difficult to take down, will fight the longest and push the hard-
  est. If you’re the brute amongst your fellow adventurers, odds are you’ll be meleeing opponents while your 
  friends stand back. You’ll be the one taking hits and dealing them in kind.
  What can you do with your brute attribute? 
  weight penaLties
  Large Rock 
  -3
  Tree 
   
  -6
  Automobile 
  -9
  House Ceiling -12
  Breath Holding
  Whether it be diving into a lake to grab treasure from the bottom, 
  or attempting to not breathe in a poisonous gas, you’re doing your 
  best to keep clean air inside your lungs for as long as possible. 
  Last Breath: When you decide that you’re going to hold your 
  breath, you immediately take a gulp of air and hold it. From that 
  point on, you can hold your breath based on your brute roll: 
  15 turns (about a minute and a half)
  30 turns (about three minutes)
  75 turns (about seven and a half minutes)
  200 turns (about twenty minutes)
  no Last Breath: However, if you were caught by surprise 
  by the sudden lack of air and didn’t have enough time to take a 
  breath, that’s going to drastically lower the amount of time you 
  can hold your breath. Instead, your brute roll will use this chart:
  5 turns (about half a minute)
  10 turns (about a minute)
  20 turns (about two minutes)
  40 turns (about four minutes)
  Difficult Lifting
  You can use your bodily strength to attempt to pick heavy things 
  up to move them. Lifting can also be applied when using your 
  strength to move something attempting to crush your party, such 
  as a boulder falling on the party or a lowering ceiling trap.
  You can barely lift it. After 3 turns, you’ll drop it, and you 
  cannot move while holding it. 
  You can lift it and move, but it costs 2 extra action points 
  to do so. After 10 turns, you’ll drop it. 
  You can lift it and move around fairly easily. It costs 1 
  extra action point to move, and you can hold it for 30 
  turns.
  The object is proving to be no problem. You can move 
  normally and put it down at your leisure. 
  Forceful Intimidation
  resist: Brute or Spirit (at their discretion, tiers down)
  attempt Cost: 1 AP
  You’re big, strong, and scary, and they should avoid you at all 
  costs! You can intimidate anyone, regardless of whether or not 
  they can actually understand you. You can intimidate anyone who 
  can see you.
  They are noticeably aware of your physical prowess.
  They feel inclined to avoid you, making them unable to 
  spend their next action point against you.
  They know they should avoid you, making them unable 
  to spend their next two action points against you.
  They want nothing less than to avoid you, making them 
  unable to spend their next three action points against 
  you! 
  note: A single target can only be affected by one intimidation 
  at a time.
  Hold
  Brute can be used for holding an item in place, a door shut, and 
  keeping a firm grip on a priceless artifact. If you are holding 
  something, and another person is trying to get it, you would sim-
  ply make opposed brute rolls. Since you’re acting defensively, if 
  there is a tie, they win.
  Pulling
  Instead of attempting to lift an object, you choose to pull it on 
  the ground. While easier, pulling an object requires extra effort 
  to move.
  Move +3 AP (not possible if you only have 3 AP per 
  turn)
  Move +2 AP
  Move +1 AP
  As a Move
  narrator: Determining Weight
  Obviously certain objects are going to 
  be heavier than others. The bigger the 
  object, the higher the penalty (or bo-
  nus) to brute when attempting to lift or 
  pull. A giant statue should be coupled
  with a high penalty to brute. However, lifting should only be 
  used when a large amount of strength would be required. For 
  example, players shouldn’t have to roll on lifting a small box of 
  feathers. Another thing to note is the object’s surface. A wide, 
  completely flat-surfaced stone block may be lifted, but has no 
  hand-holes to be pulled by. 
  
  90
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Block with a Grab
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Cost: 0 AP reflexively
  When your opponent throws their punch at you, you don’t just 
  block their fist: you grab hold of it. Whenever you successfully 
  evade an attack by an opponent who is within your reach and you 
  are able to grab them, you may automatically (and for 0 action 
  points) attempt a grab upon their hand (or, if they attacked you 
  with a different body part, the grab will be upon that location). 
  Dirty Fighting
  BrawL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You’re an expert at hitting where it hurts and causing the oppo-
  nent to flinch. While you are in this stance, every time your oppo-
  nent fails to resist one of your called shots, they open themselves 
  to reflexive attacks from those adjacent to them. The reflexive 
  attacks cost the normal amount of action points from those who 
  decide to take the opportunity. Since you caused it, you cannot 
  make a reflexive attack from this.
  Brawlers have no respect for such things 
  as personal space, codes of honor, or tradi-
  tional weaponry. They fight hard, they fight 
  dirty, and they fight to win. Brawlers are of-
  ten experts with unarmed blows and using 
  their fearsome strength to cripple, grab, and 
  kill their enemies. Yet sometimes too will 
  an enormous man with an even more enor-
  mous axe get right in and brawl as well.
  Brawl includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Drunken Boxing
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Cost: Called Shot +1 AP
  When you make a called shot, it’s so wild and unpredictable 
  that it’s difficult to evade. When you make a drunken called shot 
  (whether you’re sober or not), you roll your die to determine the 
  called shot location randomly. By doing this, you give yourself a 
  bonus to your accuracy equal to your skill in Brawl. 
  Fisticuffs
  BrawL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Bare-knuckle boxing is your forté. When you enter this stance, 
  you are ready to do some serious damage using just your fists. 
  You can only be in this stance if you have at least one hand not 
  holding anything. While in this stance, your unarmed attacks are 
  one damage class higher, plus an additional damage class per 6 
  skill points you have in Brawl.
   
  So, if you have 12 points in Brawl, while you’re in this 
  stance, your unarmed attack would have a damage class of 5 (2 
  normally, plus 1 for the stance, plus an additional 2 for the 12 
  points you have in Brawl). 
  Fluid
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You control all those who attack you. Any time an adjacent op-
  ponent attacks you but you successfully evade, you may spend 1 
  action point reflexively to move your attacker into any adjacent, 
  unoccupied space that has solid, non-lethal ground for them to 
  stand upon.  
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +2
  
  91
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Grapple
  BrawL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Once you grab somebody, you can turn it into a full on grapple, 
  shutting down their ability to move and making it difficult for 
  them to take any actions. You must be grabbing somebody to 
  enter a grapple stance, and you can only stay in this stance while 
  grabbing that person (thus, if they resist, you are knocked out 
  of stance). Anything that would let them break free of the grab 
  will automatically knock you out of this stance. When you switch 
  your grab to a grapple, you are no longer grabbing a single loca-
  tion - instead, you are now grappling their entire body. (For the 
  purposes of other specialties, however, it still counts as a grab.)
   
  A person who is grappled by you cannot move, just like 
  being grabbed. If they try to take any action, they suffer penalties 
  on every roll they make. Any time a grappled opponent rolls their 
  die (except for random rolls), roll your Brawl, tier the results, and 
  give them the corresponding penalty to their roll.
  -3 on the roll
  -6 on the roll
  -9 on the roll
  -12 on the roll
  Heavy-Handed
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Cost: Unarmed Attack +1 AP
  The blows from your unarmed attacks are so powerful that they 
  feel like they’re coming from giant hammers. When you make a 
  heavy-handed attack, roll your brawl before you deal damage but 
  after you’ve succeeded in your accuracy roll in order to increase 
  the damage class that you deal.
  +3 damage class
  +4 damage class
  +5 damage class
  +6 damage class
  Hold Steady
  BrawL speCiaLty
  You’ll grab the bloke while your friends beat the tar out of him. 
  When you’re grabbing somebody, anybody who attacks that per-
  son gains a hefty accuracy bonus. They get +3 on their accuracy 
  roll, +1 for every 4 skill points you have in Brawl (being a +4 at 4 
  points, a +5 at 8 points, and so forth).
  Knock Aside
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Cost: Deflect (1 AP reflexively)
  With a swift knock, you can push aside an attack with the sheer 
  force of your body. You may reflexively deflect attacks from melee 
  weapons, bows, or thrown weapons with your bare hands. When 
  you use such a deflection, you gain a bonus to your evade of +3, 
  plus an additional +1 per 8 skill points you have in Brawl (for +4 
  at 8 skill points, +5 at 16 skill points, and +6 at 24 skill points).
  Monkey Wrestler
  BrawL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Brawl
  You wrap your legs around their torso, sink your teeth into their 
  arm, grab their face, wrap your elbow around their eyes, and you 
  still have a spare hand to use your dagger. For every 5 points you 
  have in Brawl, you may grab an additional location on a person. 
  Normally you can only grab two locations (assuming you have 
  two hands). You may choose not to use your hands to initiate a 
  grab if you have enough points to do so.
  Reversal
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  The only person who’ll be doing the grabbing in this fight is you. 
  If someone successfully grabs you, you can attempt to reverse the 
  grab and capture your captor. Re-roll your resist for your oppo-
  nent’s grab, but add your skill in Brawl to the roll. If you succeed, 
  they must roll a resist against your Brawl to avoid getting grabbed 
  on a called-shot location of your choice. 
  Shrug Away
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Let’s just say that you don’t like being touched. If you are suc-
  cessfully grabbed, you may immediately make another resist (at 
  no action point cost) with your Brawl skill added to the attribute 
  you’re using to resist. 
  Throat Jab
  BrawL speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (negates)
  Cost: Called Shot to the Neck reflexively
  If anybody adjacent to you begins to speak, you can make a called 
  shot to their neck reflexively in order to shut them up. If they fail 
  on their resist, they cannot talk or use their voice (including using 
  specialties that rely on speaking, like Encouragement) until they 
  either spend 1 action point to clear their throat or they wait until 
  the end of their next turn. 
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Stk
  +2
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  
  92
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  p Combo Specialties M
  Combo Flow
  BrawL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Brawl
  You rage like rapids, following the path of least resistance. Every 
  melee attack that you land during a turn grants you a +2 on ac-
  curacy and strike rolls for the rest of your turn, and this bonus 
  accumulates with every successful melee attack until the end of 
  your turn.
   
  So, if you landed one melee attack, your next attack 
  would have a +2 on accuracy and strike. After your second suc-
  cessful attack, the third one would have a +4 on accuracy and 
  strike. This would continue to grow with every successful attack. 
  Combo Opener
  BrawL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Combo Flow specialty
  Cost: Unarmed Attack +1 AP
  You may perform a combo opener in order to improve the po-
  tency of your combo flow. If you successfully land your combo 
  opener (which for most purposes just looks like a normal un-
  armed attack), it might count as having successfully landed mul-
  tiple attacks. 
  Counts as two attacks (granting a +4 on accuracy and 
  strike for the next attack).
  Counts as three attacks (granting a +6 on accuracy and 
  strike for the next attack).
  Counts as four attacks (granting a +8 on accuracy and 
  strike for the next attack).
  Counts as five attacks (granting a +10 on accuracy and 
  strike for the next attack).
  Combo Breaker
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Any time an adjacent opponent successfully damages you with 
  two separate attacks in one turn, you may perform a combo 
  breaker - a free unarmed attack against your assailant that uses 
  your skill in brawl in place of your accuracy. 
  Finisher
  BrawL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Heavy-Handed specialty
  If you successfully make two unarmed attacks in one turn and 
  still have an additional action point, you can make a finisher. A 
  finisher is just like a heavy-handed attack, except that it does not 
  cost the extra action point to perform.
  p Bone-Breaking Specialties M
  Bone-Breaker
  BrawL speCiaLty
  Cost: Unarmed Called Shot +1 AP
  You smash a precision blow into the opponent, causing a called 
  shot that’s nearly impossible to resist. Do your called shot nor-
  mally. If they succeed in resisting, you are able to roll your strike 
  again to make them re-resist. The bone-breaker only does dam-
  age based on the original strike. 
  1 re-roll
  2 re-rolls
  3 re-rolls
  4 re-rolls
  Crippling Blow
  BrawL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Bone-Breaker specialty, 8 skill points in Brawl
  Cost: Bone-Breaking Attack, +1 AP per location
  Your bone-breaking attack reverberates through the victim, crip-
  pling much of their body. When you make your bone-breaking 
  attack, you may spend an extra action point in order to have the 
  same bone-breaker effect against another called shot location. 
  You may affect as many called shot locations as you’d like - each 
  one costs 1 additional action point. 
   
  So, say you make a bone-breaker attack against a per-
  son’s neck. You get a tier 3 on your bone-breaker, so they have to 
  make (a ridiculous) 4 resists in order to not be effected. In addi-
  tion, you spend 2 extra action points to activate the called shot ef-
  fects for the torso and the hand, which now also require 4 resists 
  to avoid. 
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Stk
  +3
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Stk
  +3
  
  93
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Twist
  BrawL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Crushing Grip specialty
  Cost: 1 AP
  Once you have a person grabbed with a hand, you may twist that 
  location to inflict pain. For 1 action point, you may automati-
  cally deal damage as per an unarmed attack (without the need to 
  roll accuracy and evade). You may also, for 1 action point, acti-
  vate the called shot that you have grabbed, rolling strike solely to 
  determine the necessary resist but otherwise doing no damage. 
  Though this does deal damage, it does not act as an attack.
  p Grip Specialties M
  Crushing Grip
  BrawL speCiaLty
  reQuires: +4 Strike
  Your grabs are vicious, crushing the opponent. When you make 
  a grab, you also deal damage as if you were attacking with the 
  attack normally. 
  
  94
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Frenzy is an emotionally-charged rage, 
  throwing yourself out there and giving 
  people everything they don’t want. Frenzy’s 
  not for the weak - you lose control easily 
  and take haphazard movements all over the 
  battlefield. When you’ve broken your lim-
  its, you are literally uncontrollable. Yet your 
  opponents will never know this weakness. 
  They’ll be dead long before that.
  Frenzy includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Backlash
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 7 skill points in Frenzy
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Large amounts of damage don’t stop you - rather, they enrage 
  you! Any time you take 10 or more damage (after damage soak), 
  you can make a reflexive attack against your assailant using your 
  skill in frenzy in place of your accuracy. This reflexive attack only 
  costs you 1 action point to make. 
  Burning Revenge
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Your foe drives you to greater strength. If an opponent damages 
  you, you may “collect” that damage in order to add it as a bonus 
  on your next strike roll against that opponent. When you are hit, 
  you may spend 1 action point reflexively to savor the damage 
  (after damage soak). The next time you attack that opponent, you 
  gain the damage as a bonus on the strike roll. 
  Carry Through
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP per adjacent opponent
  You carry your blow through one opponent and into another. 
  Once you’ve successfully attacked one opponent within your me-
  lee reach, you may continue the attack, cleaving through more 
  opponents within your reach. For every additional opponent you 
  choose, you must spend 1 more action point. You may not select 
  the same opponent twice. You must still roll accuracy to deter-
  mine if you hit, but you deal the same amount of damage that 
  you dealt with the first attack. 
   
  If you were using any other modifying specialties (that 
  would make it an “Attack +1 AP”), they only apply to the first 
  target.
  Adrenaline Surge
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  The deaths of your opponents sends a reinvigorating rush 
  through your body that pushes you to continue fighting. When-
  ever you deal a fatal effect or kill an opponent, you regain some 
  of your hit points.
  Immediately regain 3 hit points
  Immediately regain 6 hit points
  Immediately regain 9 hit points
  Immediately regain 12 hit points
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +14
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  
  95
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Crimson Weapon
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (tiers down)
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 ap
  You learn to make your weapon strike slice deep into the flesh 
  of your foes. If an opponent takes damage from your crimson 
  weapon, they will begin bleeding at the start of their next turn 
  (and ever turn thereafter). Bleeding damage is unsoakable, but 
  the opponent can roll their Brute to lower the tier result. A person 
  can stop 10 points worth of bleeding by spending 1 action point 
  patching the wound.
  Bleed for 2 damage per turn
  Bleed for 4 damage per turn
  Bleed for 6 damage per turn
  Bleed for 8 damage per turn
  Fray Fighter
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 ap
  An angry mob of slobbering beasts stare you down, looking to rip 
  you apart piece by piece. For you, this is just another day at work. 
  Using a heavy or smaller melee weapon, you can engage the fray. 
  Roll your tier to determine how many opponents adjacent to you 
  that you hit. They are allowed to roll defense against the attacks.
  Tier 1 damage to 2 adjacent opponents
  Tier 1 damage to 3 adjacent opponents
  Tier 1 damage to 4 adjacent opponents
  Tier 1 damage to all adjacent opponents
  Hundred Strikes
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: All of the AP you can spend in a single turn
  When you choose to use your hundred strikes ability, you must 
  still have your maximum amount of action points for the turn 
  and be wielding a heavy or smaller melee weapon. You designate 
  a single adjacent opponent as the target of your hundred strikes. 
  For one action point apiece, you can make a melee attack against 
  that opponent. After every attack, you and the target move a sin-
  gle space. The target chooses which space he will move into, and 
  you must either follow or forego the rest of your turn.
  Liberator
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You don’t like being touched, held, grabbed, or grappled. When-
  ever you are grabbed, you can make a melee attack called shot 
  against the person grabbing you in whatever way is going to get 
  them off (often by making a called shot against their hand, but 
  you can also make a called shot against their torso to push them 
  away, or a called shot against whatever else they’re using to grab 
  you). You can do this reflexively when they first grab you, and, 
  if you fail, you can continue to make these melee called shots 
  against your assailant for just 1 action point until they let go.  
  Merciless
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Once you go down this path, there’s no going back. Once you 
  enter your merciless stance, you cannot voluntarily exit it. Upon 
  entering, you choose a target of the stance. As long as you are 
  aware of the target or believe the target to be within a couple 
  hundred feet, you cannot exit your stance. While in this stance, 
  you can only attack your target and people who are directly pre-
  venting you from getting to your target. If you are not engaged 
  with your target, you must spend at least 1 action point every turn 
  moving toward your target. 
   
  While this stance is active, once per turn you may use 
  your skill in frenzy as a bonus to any one of your combat rolls, 
  or divide it among several. For example, you may add your skill 
  in frenzy to one strike roll, or you may give half of your skill in 
  frenzy to one accuracy roll and the other half to one evade roll. 
  These combat rolls must be made in opposition of the target of 
  your merciless stance.
  Neverending Bloodbath
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  For every enemy you kill during your turn, you gain 1 action point 
  that can only be used for running toward another enemy.
  No Escape
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: As Moving, reflexively
  Though your enemies may attempt to retreat, you’re prepared to 
  give chase. Any time a foe that you’re engaged with attempts to 
  move away from you using their land speed, you reflexively follow 
  them. If an opponent’s speed is greater than yours (but within 20 
  feet), you rise to the challenge and match their speed.
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +2
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +2
  
  96
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Raging
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Nothing can stop you. You will destroy everything in your path. 
  When you make an attack while raging, you pull your bonuses 
  from your accuracy, evade, and defense in order to add them to 
  your strike roll. Add your accuracy, evade, and defense bonuses 
  together and apply that number as a bonus to your strike. While 
  in this stance, however, you do not gain any bonuses on your 
  accuracy, evade, or defense rolls. If you leave this stance (either 
  voluntarily or by being forced out of it), you do not gain your bo-
  nuses to evade and defense back until the end of your next turn. 
  Straining Blow
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: as a Melee Attack
  You push yourself to your maximum, destroying yourself in or-
  der to lay waste to your opponents. When you make a straining 
  blow, you may deal 5 unsoakable hit point damage to yourself in 
  order to add a +1 damage class to your attack. You may deal as 
  much damage to yourself as you’d like in order to gain additional 
  damage classes, but you cannot deal more damage to yourself 
  than you have hit points. Once you are out of hit points, you can-
  not deal straining blows. 
  Soulless Blade
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  When you mean to finish an opponent, you do so mercilessly. 
  After you’ve made a melee attack that deals wounds damage to 
  the target, you may spend 2 action points reflexively in order to 
  convert it into a soulless blade. Now, instead of rolling on the 
  wounds chart, they roll for a fatal effect.
  Walking Destruction
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 15 skill points in Frenzy
  Cost: Move + Melee Attack + 2 AP
  You make a single move. During this move, you may attack any-
  body that you become adjacent to. You may not target the same 
  person more than once.
   
  Other specialties cannot be applied to this attack.
  p Bloodlust Specialties M
  Berserker
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  The sight of blood excites you. After successfully dealing damage 
  to an opponent, you a gain +1 damage class against that opponent 
  with all melee weapons. This bonus increases by +1 for every 6 
  skill points you have in frenzy. This bonus can be used against 
  multiple opponents. 
  Bloodlust
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  reQuires: Berserker specialty & 6 skill points in Frenzy
  Cost: 1 AP
  In the whirling chaos of battle you are a singular force of destruc-
  tion - relentless and unstoppable. When you enter into berserker 
  stance, you may spend an additional action point to upgrade your 
  stance and start bloodlusting. While bloodlusting, your damage 
  class with melee weapons increases by 1 for every enemy within 
  25 feet of you. 
   
  This bonus replaces the normal bonus you would get 
  from your berzerker stance. It is automatically added to all melee 
  weapon attacks, regardless of whether you have attacked the foe 
  before or not.
   
  If you are knocked out of berserker stance, you must re-
  enter the stance and spend the extra action point to begin blood-
  lusting again. 
  Unquenchable Thirst
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  reQuires: Berserker & Bloodlust specialties & 12 skill points in 
  Frenzy
  Cost: 1 AP
  Your unquenchable thirst for blood has become a full-fledged ob-
  session. After you have entered your berserker stance and started 
  bloodlusting, you may spend another action point to upgrade to 
  unquenchable thirst. Now, everybody within 25 feet of you acts as 
  an enemy (including allies) for the purpose of determining your 
  bloodlust bonus. You may now make normal  melee attacks (with 
  a heavy weapon or smaller) for just 1 action point, but if anybody 
  comes near you, enemy or ally, you are forced to make a reflexive 
  melee attack against them, if at all possible.
   
  If you are knocked out of berserker stance, you must 
  re-enter the stance and spend the extra actions point to begin 
  bloodlusting and enter unquenchable thirst again. 
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +13
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +12
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Stk
  +2
  
  97
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +2
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  Wnd
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  p Masochistic Specialties M
  Laugh Like You’re Crazy
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Your a manic, psychotic, laughing vision of evil on the battlefield. 
  For every 10 points of hit point damage you’ve taken, choose one 
  opponent within 25 feet. That opponent is now suffering the ef-
  fects of tier 1 fear. They may resist using their spirit against your 
  frenzy. If they resist, they cannot be affected again until after 
  their next breather. 
  Marriage to Suffering
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  reQuires: Laugh Like Your Crazy specialty
  When fighting on the edge, you fight even harder. When out of 
  hit points, you gain a +1 damage class per point of wounds lost. 
  This damage bonus is lost if your hitpoints are no long zero.  
  Seize Your Suffering
  Frenzy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 8 skill points in Frenzy, Laugh Like Your Crazy & Mar-
  riage to Suffering specialties
  Taking punishment has become your nourishment on the battle-
  field. For every point of wounds damage you take, you gain an 
  immediate action point. The action point only lasts for the turn 
  the damage was taken. You may gain no more than 1 action point 
  from this in a single turn than 1 per 8 skill points you have in 
  Frenzy.
   
  For example, if you take 3 wounds damage this turn, 
  you gain 3 action points in addition to your normal allotment of 
  action points for this turn.
  
  98
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Dragging
  overpower speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You pull your weapon behind you, letting your weapon take your 
  entire body weight upwards when you swing. Anytime that you 
  deal 10 or more damage (after damage soak), the enemy loses 
  their stance. 
  Follow-Through
  overpower speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Overpower
  While your first attack can leave an opponent realing, your second 
  attack is a true display of your power. If you make two consec-
  tutive and successful medium (or larger) melee attacks on your 
  turn against the same opponent, your second attack’s damage is 
  automatically one tier higher. 
  Heavy Hitter
  overpower speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Overpower
  Whenever in this stance and using a heavy (or larger) melee 
  weapon, add an extra point to your damage class for every 4 skill 
  points you have in overpower.
  Keep Them Down
  overpower speCiaLty
  Cost: Heavy (or larger) Melee Attack
  When an opponent is next to you and prone, you have no problem 
  finishing them off. Whenever attacking a prone opponent with a 
  heavy weapon, your damage automatically tiers up one. 
  Brickbreaker
  overpower speCiaLty
  Cost: as a Melee Attack
  Through sheer force you are able to break through cover and by-
  pass walls. Whenever an opponent is on the other side of cover, 
  you may attempt to bypass it with your melee attack (they must 
  still be within range of your melee weapon, however). You can 
  only break through cover that is as strong as brick. A reinforced 
  wall of iron could not be broken with brickbreaker, for instance. 
  The cover is not destroyed from the brickbreaker attack, but it is 
  damaged. 
  Bypasses poor cover
  Bypasses light cover
  Bypasses medium cover
  Bypasses heavy cover
  The ability to overpower an opponent is not one 
  to be overlooked. Nothing can be scarier than a 
  man whose blows can fell giants, strikes are so 
  powerful that they can send a man high into the 
  air, or swings so atrocious that they can sever the 
  fabric that holds our reality together. Overpower 
  is all about hitting your opponent hard and mak-
  ing sure that they never forget who it was that 
  gave them that scar - the one on their shoulder, 
  where their arm used to be.
  Overpower includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +3
  
  99
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Monstrous Attacks
  overpower speCiaLty
  Cost: Super-Heavy Melee Attack +1 AP
  Other people think that super-heavy melee weapons have a dam-
  age class of 10. You’re not sure what that means, but you know 
  you can kill those people in one hit! By spending an extra ac-
  tion point when you make an attack with a super-heavy melee 
  weapon, you deal considerably more damage. Your damage class 
  increases by 2, plus an additional +1 per 6 skill points you have 
  in overpower. 
  No Quarter
  overpower speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity (negates, see below)
  Cost: Heavy (or larger) Melee Attack +1 AP
  You smash down, not targeting a single person, but their entire 
  area. The only escape is for the target to move. When you make 
  a no quarter attack, you are not attacking the person: you are at-
  tacking a single space. Anybody in this space is either automati-
  cally hit or must spend 1 action point reflexively in order to try 
  to jump out of the space. If they choose to dodge, they roll their 
  dexterity. If their dexterity exceeds your accuracy, they can move 
  to 1 adjacent square. If it fails, you hit them.
   
  Note: If you are using any abilities that depend on the 
  opponent’s evade, treat their dexterity as evade. If the opponent 
  chooses not to dodge the attack, assume their evade matches your 
  accuracy.
  One-Handing It
  overpower speCiaLty
  You may wield two-handed weapons in one hand. Reloading a 
  marksmanship weapon and using bows of any size still requires 
  an additional free hand. For all purposes beyond how many hands 
  the weapon requires, this specialty changes nothing.
  Robust Toss
  overpower speCiaLty
  Cost: Medium (or larger) Thrown Attack
  Just because your opponent is out of reach doesn’t mean you 
  can’t smash their face in. Whenever you use a medium or larger 
  thrown weapon, you may deal extra damage with the attack. If it 
  lands, roll your overpower to determine its extra damage.  
  2 additional damage
  4 additional damage
  6 additional damage
  8 additional damage
  Shield Whack
  overpower speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack conversion
  Most people use their shields for protection, keeping their shield 
  in-between your weapon and their flesh. That’s an advantage that 
  you’ll use. Whenever an opponent attempts to use a shield to de-
  flect one of your attacks, you may instantly convert the attack 
  into a shield whack. Though you’ll deal no damage with the at-
  tack, you hit the victim’s shield so hard that it staggers them, 
  causing them to lose their stance, and they are disoriented for 
  their next turn.  
  Solid Assault
  overpower speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  You ready your strike and bring it in smoothly to deal just the 
  right amount of damage. If you successfully hit with your solid 
  assault, you deal damage as though it were one tier higher. 
  Stunning Blow
  overpower speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (tiers down)
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  With a well aimed strike, you stun your opponent. If the oppo-
  nent fails to resist against your overpower and your receive a tier 
  2 result or higher, the target is stunned. The target may roll their 
  brute in order to resist. For every tier over Tier 1 that they receive, 
  they lower the effect of Stunning Blow by one tier. 
  No effect
  Stunned for 1 AP
  Stunned for 2 AP
  Stunned for 3 AP
  Titanic Strength
  overpower speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Overpower
  You lift the heaviest of weapons and swing them around as 
  though they were tiny fencing blades. You do not need to enter 
  into a footing stance when you use super-heavy melee weapons. 
  
  100
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  With Gusto
  overpower speCiaLty
  reQuires: +13 to Strike
  resist: Brute (negates)
  When you attack with gusto, your attack is so powerful that no 
  armor can stand against it. If your melee attack deals tier 4 dam-
  age (or greater), you negate all of your opponent’s damage soak 
  from their armor unless they can make their resist against your 
  overpower.
  p Armor-Breaking Specialties M
  Chipping Away
  overpower speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity (tiers down)
  Cost: Heavy (or larger) Melee Attack +1 AP
  Your attacks wear on the opponent’s armor, slowly chipping it 
  away until it falls apart. When you make a chipping away attack, 
  you lower the soak class on the target’s armor by 1. The penalty 
  can never send their soak class below zero, but chipping away 
  does stack over time. If the armor’s soak class reaches 0, the ar-
  mor is effectively destroyed (and any augments on it or bonuses 
  that the target receives for wearing armor are negated). The op-
  ponent can negate the chipping away by making a dexterity roll 
  opposed by your overpower roll. 
   
  Note: Somebody with broken or damaged armor can 
  patch it back together during a breather.  
  Armor Sunder
  overpower speCiaLty
  reQuires: Chipping Away specialty
  resist: Dexterity (tiers down)
  Cost: Heavy (or larger) Melee Attack +1 AP
  The biggest obstacle between your sword and their heart is their 
  armor, and you’re not beyond destroying that too. An armor sun-
  dering attack lowers the soak class on their armor. The penalty 
  can never send their soak class below zero, but multiple armor 
  sundering attacks can stack. If the armor’s soak class reaches 0, 
  the armor is effectively destroyed (and any augments on it or bo-
  nuses that the target receives for wearing armor are negated).
  -2 soak class
  -3 soak class
  -4 soak class
  -5 soak class
  note: Somebody with broken or damaged armor can patch it 
  back together during a breather. 
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  
  101
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +3
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  p Earth-Shattering Specialties M
  Earthquaking Strike
  overpower speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: As a Heavy (or larger) Melee Attack
  Rather than attacking the target, you attack the ground in front 
  of the target, destroying the ground and destabilizing everyone 
  around unless they can make the a cunning resist against your 
  overpower skill.
  The person standing in the area attacked is disoriented 
  for one turn
  Everyone within 5 feet of the area attacked is disoriented 
  for one turn
  Everyone within 5 feet of the area attacked is disoriented 
  for two turns
  Everyone within 10 feet of the area attacked is disori-
  ented for three turns
  Rampant Destruction
  overpower speCiaLty
  reQuires: Earthquaking Strike specialty
  Cost: Earthquaking Strike +1 AP
  With just a bit more effort, you can turn your earthquaking strike 
  into rampant destruction. The effect of your rampant destruc-
  tion is exactly the same, except this doesn’t just cause the ground 
  around you to vibrate, it causes the ground to explode outward. 
  Roll only once for the earthquaking strike as for the rampant de-
  struction. 
  In the area struck, the ground is destroyed one foot 
  down.
  In the area effected, the ground is destroyed three feet 
  down.
  In the area effected, the ground is destroyed ten feet 
  down.
  In the area effected, the ground is destroyed twenty feet 
  down.
  note on CoLLapsing struCtures: This is especially effective while 
  standing on a bridge, on the second floor of a building, or while 
  out on the streets with a sewer underneath. Remember, however, 
  that if you are in the area of the rampant destruction’s effect, you 
  too will fall down. 
  p Push Away Specialties M
  Staggering Strike
  overpower speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (tiers down)
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 ap
  Throwing yourself completely into the attack, you toss your op-
  ponent into the air like a rag doll. You knock them back several 
  feet and potentially prone. The target may roll their brute in order 
  to resist. 
  5 feet
  10 feet
  10 feet and prone
  15 feet and prone
  Bullrush 
  overpower speCiaLty
  reQuires: Staggering Strike specialty
  Cost: Move + Melee Attack
  When you charge at an opponent, you can throw them backwards. 
  If you run toward an opponent in a straight line (for a minimum 
  of 15 feet) and then make a melee attack, your melee attack is 
  automatically a staggering strike.
   
  If you so choose, you may also move with the target 
  (staying adjacent to them) for the distance that you send them 
  from the staggering strike. This extra movement has no cost. 
  
  102
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Blast Proof
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (tiers down)
  Cost: Shield Deflection +1 AP reflexively
  In the face of explosives, blasts, and storms, you raise your shield 
  and carry on, shielding yourself and your allies from the blast. 
  Whenever you are in the midst of an explosion or similar effect 
  that has a blast area, you can negate the effect upon yourself and 
  potentially adjacent spaces unless the originator of the effect re-
  sists against your skill in resilience. 
  Negates effect in your space
  Negates effect in your space & 1 space behind you
  Negates effect in your space & 2 spaces behind you
  Negates effect in your space & 4 spaces behind you
  Body of Steel
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  You’re armored training allows you to push past called shots. 
  When an opponent attempts a called shot on you, you may add 
  your defense to the resist against the called shot.
  Resilience is your ability to weather attacks, con-
  tinue on, and protect your allies. A character with 
  resilience can use their great strength to keep 
  the good fight going and never stand down. Re-
  silience makes a character almost impossible to 
  take down, and so builds the perfect front-line 
  fighter and person that you want between the en-
  emy and the group’s travelling scientist. 
  Resilience includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Brace for Impact
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  Cost: as a Shield Deflection
  Instead of attempting to evade the attack, you brace for impact. 
  You may brace for impact at any time that you would normally 
  be able to deflect a blow. Bracing for impact converts your evade 
  bonus for deflecting into a defense bonus instead.
  Bulwark
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You ready yourself for any attack, becoming an untouchable bul-
  wark. While in this stance, roll twice for your defense rolls and 
  take the higher result. You still add your defense bonus to the roll 
  of your choice.
  Interposition
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: Move +1 AP reflexively
  You are able to gauge an opponent’s intent to strike a friend, al-
  lowing you to interpose yourself between them and one of your 
  allies. You must decide to interpose yourself before your ally rolls 
  their evade. For the cost of a move +1 action point, you may make 
  a single move to place yourself in front of the attack. 
   
  If the attack is a melee one, you must end your move 
  adjacent to both the ally being attacked and to the person making 
  the attack.
   
  If the attack is a ranged one, you must end your move 
  in-between your ally and the person making the attack. 
   
  Furthermore, the person making the attack is allowed to 
  resist against your resilience. If they successfully resist, the at-
  tack hits the intended target instead of you. If the resist fails, the 
  attack automatically hits you. 
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +14
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +13
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +15
  Acc
  +1
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +14
  Def
  +3
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +13
  Def
  +2
  
  103
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +14
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +15
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +17
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +14
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +13
  Eva
  +1
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +13
  Def
  +1
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Def
  +3
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +19
  Def
  +2
  Metal Embrace
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Any time you are struck in combat, you may, for 1 action point, 
  make a resilience roll, soaking an amount of additional damage 
  as determined below. 
  Soak 3 additional damage
  Soak 6 additional damage
  Soak 9 additional damage
  Soak 12 additional damage
  Never Off-Guard
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  You are always ready for an attack. Normally, your hit points 
  go down after combat while you’re resting or socializing. Your 
  hit points are always, at least partially, ready to go. When not 
  in combat, you always have a number of hit points up equal to 
  twice your skill in Resilience, even when you’re not conscious. Of 
  course, you can’t have more hit points up than your maximum. 
  Press
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  You choose a target, and as long as you’re adjacent to that target, 
  you can completely block him from attacking anybody but you. 
  When you enter this stance, choose a target of the stance. To 
  choose a different target, you must re-enter the stance. As long as 
  you are adjacent to the target, if the target tries to attack anybody, 
  they must succeed at the resist. If they fail, they do not attack 
  and, instead, lose 1 action point. 
  Protector
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  Cost: as a Shield Deflection
  You may protect those around you using your shield. Anytime an 
  adjacent ally would be the target of an attack, you may use your 
  shield to deflect the blow for them. The ally gains any bonuses 
  that you would gain for your deflection.
  Resolute
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 2 or more stances known from the Resilience skill
  You are the ultimate sentinel, transforming yourself into an im-
  pregnable barrier. When you enter into one of your stances from 
  the resilience skill, you may simultaneously enter all of your 
  known resilience stances and keep all of them active (as long as 
  they don’t negate each other for any reason). They all act as one 
  stance, so if you get knocked out of your stance, you get knocked 
  out of all of your stances.
  Second Skin
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Attacks which ignore damage soak still have trouble with you.  
  Whenever you are subject to an attack that is going to ignore 
  your damage soak, you may spend 1 action point to convert it into 
  soakable damage.
  Up to 3 points of unsoakable damage made soakable.
  Up to 6 points of unsoakable damage made soakable.
  Up to 9 points of unsoakable damage made soakable.
  Up to 12 points of unsoakable damage made soakable.
  Solid Stances
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  You have great balance and you understand how to keep your 
  posture. As long as you’re conscious, you cannot be voluntari-
  ly knocked out of your stance(s) from being pushed back or 
  knocked prone.
  Thick Skin
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  Your body naturally soaks some damage. Your body has a natural 
  soak class of 1. Furthermore, for every 5 skill points you have in 
  Resilience, you have an additional soak class of 1. So, if you have 
  a 20 in Resilience, you have would a soak class (without armor) 
  of 5. This soak class stacks with armor. 
  Tough Stuff
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  You gain bonus hit points depending on your skill in Resilience 
  and how many specialties you have. For every specialty you have 
  (including this one), you gain 1 extra hit point. For every 8 skill 
  points you have in Resilience, that number increases by 1. Thus, if 
  you have 8 skill points in Resilience and 6 specialties, you would 
  have 12 extra hit points. 
  
  104
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +12
  Eva
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +14
  Def
  +2
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +12
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Stk
  +2
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +13
  Def
  +2
  Unassailable Mountain
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: you to be wearing heavy (or heavier) armor
  Cost: 3 AP reflexively
  For 3 action points, you may greatly increase your damage soak. 
  This can be decided after the damage has been announced. If the 
  attack was a special attack, any other effects from the attack still 
  apply. This ability only works while in heavy (or heavier) armor. 
  To determine how much your soak class increases, roll below:
  +4 soak class
  +5 soak class
  +6 soak class
  +7 soak class
  Walking Fortress
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Resilience
  While in the Walking Fortress stance, your defense sky-rockets. 
  You gain a +1 to your defense for every 3 skill points you have in 
  resilience.
  Ward
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You won’t allow your foes to pass by you unscathed. When an 
  opponent moves into your melee range, you can make a reflex-
  ive attack against them for 1 action point. If an opponent moves 
  from one space within melee range to another space within me-
  lee range, this also leaves them open to your reflexive attacks. A 
  single opponent can only be the target of this specialty once per 
  turn. 
  p Armored Movement Specialties M
  Armored Ease
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  When you are wearing armor, you may consider it one degree 
  lighter at your discretion. Therefore, you can treat your medium 
  armor as light armor for determining penalties but still gain all of 
  the benefits of wearing medium armor.
  Armored Freedom
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: Armored Ease specialty & 7 skill points in Resilience
  Now, while wearing armor, you may consider it two degrees light-
  er for determining penalties (in addition to the one degree gained 
  from Armored Ease). Thus, you could be wearing super-heavy 
  armor, but only have the penalties of light armor. 
  
  105
  Chapter 6
  Brute
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +12
  Def
  +3
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +14
  Def
  +2
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +15
  Def
  +2
  p Barrier Specialties M
  Living Barrier
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Nothing bypasses you. When you enter your living barrier stance, 
  you strategically place yourself so that you take up three adjacent 
  spaces (as in, your normal space plus two more) and you may at-
  tack anything adjacent to your new size.
   
  Opponents attempting to move through your new space 
  must make a dexterity resist against your resilience. If the oppo-
  nent fails, they may not enter your new space and their movement 
  is stopped. 
  Living Wall
  resiLienCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: Living Barrier specialty
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  While in living barrier stance, if an opponent attempts to attack 
  someone through you or inside your newly expanded space, you 
  may spend 1 reflexive action point to intercept this attack. In do-
  ing so, you recieve no evade roll (acting as if the evade roll was a 
  1) and are hit with the attack. The opponent may roll a dexterity 
  resist against your resilience still in order to attempt to attack his 
  original target.
  Living Stronghold
  resiLienCe speCiaLty  
  resist: Dexterity
  reQuires: Living Barrier & Living Wall specialties
  Nothing bypasses you. While in living barrier stance, if an op-
  ponent attempts to target somebody through you or inside your 
  expanded space and fails their dexterity resist against you, the 
  attack is negated. They lose all of the action points spent to make 
  the attack. 
  
  106
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  The Cunning Attribute 
  includes these skills:
   
   
   
   
  espionage
   
   
   
   
  expertise
   
   
   
   
  showmanship
   
   
   
   
  taCtiCaL
  Cunning
  Chapter 7
  
  107
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Gather Intel
  Memory and research can be very valuable tools for finding in-
  formation. Intelligence can be found through talking to the right 
  people, reading, or simply having heard about it in the past. To 
  determine if you know the information, roll your cunning and tier 
  the result. The narrator will then tell you the appropriate amount 
  of information you know.
  You know nothing more than common knowledge, such 
  as the name of a road or the king’s name.
  You’ve heard some tidbits, a smidge of esoteric knowl-
  edge, like the year an old temple was built or the nick-
  name for the local baron’s favorite hunting dog.
  You know rather obscure information, such as where the 
  merchant lord of a large shipping company buys his ille-
  gal firearms from or how a famous doctor prevents people 
  from bleeding during his surgeries.
  You know the rarest of information, from the coordinates 
  of the tree a bartender in the next town over shared his 
  first kiss under, to the secret meaning behind the king’s 
  royal title.
  Research and intelligence gathering can allow you to roll again, 
  and potentially with bonuses. If you’ve spent quite a bit of time 
  in a library, looking up the reasons behind the current plague, 
  you may roll again. In addition, the advanced medical section in 
  the library may grant you a +3 on the roll. Likewise, if the local 
  librarian who you’ve been talking to also has some knowledge of 
  the plague, that +3 might jump up to a +6 on the roll.
  Lockpicking
  Attempt Cost: 3 AP
  The gunfire makes it hard to concentrate. Your friends have your 
  back, picking off the ravenous arachnid automatons while you 
  have your toolset in your hand, trying desperately to get through 
  this lock. There’s too many of them to fight off. If you can’t get 
  this done before the full swarm arrives, you’re all dead.
   
  Trying to pick a lock costs 3 action points, just to get 
  into position and starts the process. After that, you’re going to roll 
  cunning. For any given lock, you may only roll once. The tier that 
  you receive will tell you how well you pick the lock.
  Requires several minutes and is not something that can 
  be done during combat
  Requires 9 more action points
  Requires 3 more action points
  You got it on the first try.
  DiFFiCuLty oF LoCks: The basic door lock will rarely hamper a 
  person truly trying to open the lock. However, advanced locks 
  will decrease your tier result. For example, a solid, well-built lock 
  might lower the lockpicker’s result by 1 tier. The duke’s custom-
  made and advanced locking mechanism might lower the lock-
  picker’s tier by 3. If the lockpicking roll is brought below tier 1, it 
  simply cannot be accomplished (unless mitigating factors might 
  allow it - and the narrator might even say, “It seems possible, but 
  will require several hours of focus). 
   
  A lock that lowers the result by 4 tiers should probably 
  not even exist, as the lock is virtually unpickable. 
  Notice
  Notice is an immensely useful little trait, from noticing that the 
  building is on fire to noticing that the king is wearing the wrong 
  ring. Notice comes in two categories: noticing people and notic-
  ing objects. If you are looking for a person, you would roll your 
  cunning against their cunning (if they’re hiding) or their dexter-
  ity (if they’re sneaking). If you are attempting to notice an object, 
  you would roll your cunning and tier the result to see if you can 
  notice it.
  You can only notice readily visible items.
  You notice items that are partially hidden.
  You notice items that are almost entirely hidden, or some-
  thing else is betraying their whereabouts.
  You notice items that nobody else would, like a faint out-
  line under a curtain or that the airflow in the room is 
  slightly off. 
  Knowledge is power, and using it to your advantage can move worlds. At its most basic level, cunning is 
  the ability to process and retain information. As you grow, you can train yourself to be more keen, see into 
  things that other people would quickly disregard, and learn the skills to survive no matter where you go. 
  The attribute of cunning also increases you ability to see the whole picture and interact with others.
  What can you do with your cunning attribute? 
  
  108
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Feign Fatal Wounds
  espionage speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  When you’re struck in combat, you can overplay the success of 
  the attack, making your enemy think you’ve been taken out of the 
  battle or seriously injured. When damage is dealt to you, you may 
  spend 1 action point reflexively in order to trick the opponent into 
  thinking that they have wounded, dealt you a fatal attack, or out-
  right killed you. They may resist with a successful cunning roll 
  (opposed by your espionage roll). If they fail, you may choose to 
  what degree you appear to have been injured (or falling down and 
  feigning death entirely). 
   
  Do note that if you fall down as a result of feigning 
  death or a serious wound, standing up costs an action point. 
  First Strike
  espionage speCiaLty
  You make it your business knowing that you’re in a fight before 
  your enemies do. If you make the first strike of a combat - either 
  before priority is rolled or by being the first person to act in the 
  combat - your attack gains a bonus on your accuracy roll equal to 
  your skill in espionage. 
  Flowing Shadow
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Espionage
  You flow within the shadows, keeping your opponents guessing 
  as you weave and dart through the darkness. Any time the person 
  attacking you is blinded or in poor lighting, you can roll your 
  evade two times and take the higher result. In addition, you gain 
  a +1 on your evade rolls per 4 skill points you have in Espionage 
  while in darkness. If the opponent attacking you in unaffected by 
  darkness or relies on a way of finding you that is not based on 
  sight, you do not gain the evade bonus or the ability to roll twice 
  and take the higher result. 
  Destabilizing Strike
  espionage speCiaLty
  Cost: Attack +1 ap
  When your opponent is disoriented, you take advantage of their 
  weakened mind and can make a destabilizing strike. A destabi-
  lizing strike, if it deals damage, causes the opponent to become 
  open to a reflexive attack from every character within melee range 
  of the target. These reflexive attacks can be made either as un-
  armed attacks or by using super-heavy or smaller melee weap-
  ons, which will only cost 1 action point to perform instead of the 
  normal 2. As the person who made the destabilizing strike, you 
  cannot make a reflexive attack.
  Espionage includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Let’s face it: you just want to stab people 
  when nobody’s looking. It may be due to 
  personal, unresolved social problems. It 
  could be an emotional dependency on other 
  people’s pain. Or maybe you just like deliv-
  ering surprises. Regardless, you take people 
  off-guard, play with them in a fight, and then 
  trash them them like a rotting corpse in a 
  trench. In fact, that’s exactly what they are.
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +4
  HP
  +5
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  
  109
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Invisible Blade
  espionage speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You fight with your weapons palmed, keeping your attacks so 
  tight that your blades are little more than an extension of your 
  fists. When using a weapon that is both light and concealable, you 
  fight as if unarmed: you cannot be disarmed or have your weapon 
  sundered, and your attacks only cost 1 action point to make. For 
  all other purposes, your weapon still counts as a light weapon.
  Master Lockpick
  espionage speCiaLty
  Doors are of little bother to you; your skill in lockpicking turns 
  solid barriers into tiny inconveniences. This specialty improves 
  your ability to understand a lock and pick it. When you begin 
  picking a lock, roll for your Master Lockpick to further reduce the 
  action points that you’ll need in order to pick the lock. The AP 
  cost of the lock can never drop below marque I.
  No luck. Your normal cunning will have to deal with the 
  lock.
  You can kind of see it. The marque of the lock is reduced 
  by 1 for the purpose of this lockpicking. 
  It’s an average challenge. The marque of the lock is re-
  duced by 2 for the purpose of this lockpicking. 
  Aha! The marque of the lock is reduced by 3 for the pur-
  pose of this lockpicking. 
  Pierce the Darkness
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Espionage
  You launch your attack from the victim’s blindspot, ensuring your 
  success. When you are attacking from perfect darkness, poor 
  lighting, fog, or anything else that hampers vision, you gain a +1 
  on your accuracy roll for every 4 skill points you have in espio-
  nage. If the opponent has some way of seeing through the poor 
  visibility you’re hiding in, you do not gain the bonus.
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Heartseeker
  espionage speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack with a Light Weapon +1 AP
  When wielding a light weapon, you know the best way to get 
  through your enemy’s pesky armor. When you make a heartseek-
  ing attack, your opponent has more difficulty soaking it. For the 
  purposes of this attack, lower your opponent’s soak class by 1 for 
  every tier that you receive with your espionage roll. This does not 
  permanently affect the armor.
  -1 soak class
  -2 soak class
  -3 soak class
  -4 soak class
  
  110
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Acc
  +2
  Eva
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Eva
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Acc
  +2
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Silent Kill
  espionage speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (see below)
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  When you attack somebody, you may attempt to make the attack 
  absolutely silent. This is normally done when going for a killing 
  blow that the target is unaware of, in order to not get caught in 
  the act.
   
  You may be stiffling their scream or trying to make your 
  blade not chink against their armor. If the target does not try to 
  make a noise, you simply roll your skill in espionage against any-
  body listening.
   
  If, however, the target screams, yells out, or calls for help, 
  you must attempt to cover their mouth or stab them in the throat: 
  anything to keep the sound from carrying. If this happens, any-
  body listening can attempt a cunning resist to hear the cry.
  Sinister Strike
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: 18 skill points in Espionage
  Cost: Reflexive Melee Strike +3 AP
  Your ally has created an opening, and it’s time to go in for the kill. 
  After an ally hits an adjacent opponent, you can reflexively make 
  a sinister strike. This attack deals damage directly to wounds. If 
  it exhausts the target’s wounds, they suffer a fatal effect.
  p Nightwalker Specialties M
  Fighting Blind
  espionage speCiaLty
  You take no penalty for melee fighting while in poor lighting or 
  in absolute darkness. 
   
  If you do not know where your opponent is, this spe-
  cialty does not give you a way of locating them, and this Fighting 
  Blind does not negate the ranged penalty for blindess. 
  Deep Blind Senses
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: Fighting Blind specialty & 5 skill points in Espionage
  Your hearing, sense of the air vibration, or ability to locate your 
  opponents in the deepest of darknesses allows you to fire accu-
  rately upon distant targets even when blind. You may use ranged 
  attacked against opponents at no penalty when blind or in poor 
  lighting up to 5 feet away per skill point you have in espionage.  
  p Cover User Specialties M
  Cover Expert
  espionage speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You’re well practiced at taking advantage of whatever cover is 
  available. While you are in this stance, any cover that you take is 
  treated as though it were one level greater. If you exceed heavy 
  cover, you cannot be targeted by a ranged attack.
  Contort
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: Cover Expert specialty
  Cost: 1 AP
  Small barriers can fully eclipse your body as you contort yourself 
  to fit behind them. While in your Cover Expert stance and behind 
  cover, you may contort yourself so that the cover becomes com-
  plete cover, and you cannot be targeted by ranged attacks while 
  behind it. You may leave your cover for no action point cost. 
   
  Additionally, when you are in a hiding spot but some-
  body is actively searching that spot, they do not automatically 
  find you. Instead, they must still roll their cunning to notice you. 
  If they fail the roll, they do not notice you, even though they were 
  searching your exact area.
  p Critical Specialties M
  Critical Hits
  espionage speCiaLty
  Light weapons, while normally less damaging than other weap-
  ons, do seem to have a knack for finding soft spots in a target’s 
  defense. When you attack with a light weapon in melee, for ev-
  ery 5 points that your accuracy roll exceeds your target’s evade 
  roll, your attack’s damage class increases by 1. This extra damage 
  class cannot exceed your skill in espionage. 
   
  Thus, if your opponent rolled a 2 on their evade and you 
  rolled a 12, your attack’s damage class would be 2 higher than 
  normal. 
  Hairsplitter
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: Critical Hits specialty & +6 Accuracy (from specialties)
  Your precision and accuracy is not to be out done. When you 
  are making a melee attack with a light weapon, you gain an ad-
  ditional damage class for every 3 points that your accuracy roll 
  exceeds your target’s evade roll. This bonus replaces your bonus 
  from your Critical Hits specialty. This extra damage class cannot 
  exceed your skill in espionage. 
  
  111
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +2
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pinpoint Shot
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: Either the Critical Hits or Heartseeker specialty
  You’re just as accurate from a range as you are when you’re stand-
  ing right next to your victim. You may use any specialty that calls 
  for a melee attack with a light weapon when using a light ranged 
  weapon.
  p Dirt in the Eyes Specialties M
  Dirt in the Eyes
  espionage speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP
  Throwing dirt, blood, water, and other foul substances is an art 
  that has been perfected by dirty fighters for centuries. It’s perfect 
  for catching people off-guard and momentarily blinding them. If 
  you’d like to throw dirt in somebody’s eyes, they must be adjacent 
  to you, and you must succeed at making an accuracy roll against 
  their evade roll. (For all intensive purposes, this is similar to a 
  called shot against the head.) If they have anything protecting 
  their eyes, such as goggles, the target gains a +3 on their evade 
  roll. If you’re successful, the opponent suffers a penalty to their 
  next evade roll equal to your skill in espionage. 
   
  The target may, if he so chooses, spend 1 action point 
  to rub the subtance out before taking the penalty on his next 
  evade.
  Blind & Swing
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: Dirt in the Eyes specialty
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  You may combine your Dirt in the Eyes attack with a melee at-
  tack, more efficiently catching your foes in their crucial moment 
  of weakness. For the cost of a melee attack +1 action point, you 
  may throw dirt in your opponent’s eye and make a melee attack. 
  You resolve your Dirt in the Eyes attack first (which, if success-
  ful, gives them a large penalty on their evade roll) and then your 
  attack second. 
  p Disorienting Specialties M
  Distracting Attack
  espionage speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (tiers down)
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  Your attacks bewilder and confuse your opponent. You can make 
  a melee attack that, if successful, disorients the target (causing 
  them to lose 1 action point per turn) for a handful of turns.
  1 turn
  2 turns
  3 turns
  4 turns
  Taking Advantage
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: Distracting Attack specialty
  When your opponent is disoriented, you know all the tricks for 
  taking advantage of their momentary weakness. When fighting 
  somebody who is disoriented, it does not cost you the extra action 
  point in order to make called shots against the person. 
  Brain-Blowing Attack
  espionage speCiaLty
  reQuires: 12 skill points in Espionage & Distracting Attack specialty
  Your distracting attacks land beautifully, leaving the target fully 
  disoriented for a considerably longer period of time. Whenever 
  you make a distracting attack, you disorient them for twice as 
  long as usual.
  
  112
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Concentrated Focus
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Expertise
  Your concentration is so intense that it is difficult to stun you. 
  When making a resist against being stunned, you may add your 
  expertise onto the resist. (If the resist is a cunning roll, add your 
  expertise in addition to the cunning total.)
  Deep Breath
  expertise speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Expertise
  Taking one deep breath, you look around the battlefield, analyz-
  ing your environment. As you exhale, time itself grinds to a halt. 
  You receive 1 extra action point when your action points refresh. 
  You may only perform this once per turn. (Simply put, this spe-
  cialty lets you spend 1 action point in order to gain an extra action 
  point on your next turn, exceeding your normal maximum pool.)
  Demoman
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Expertise
  You don’t know how they work, but you sure know how to blow 
  them up! For every 3 skill points you have in expertise, you gain 
  a +1 damage class when attacking automatons and vehicles. This 
  applies to anything you use that has a damage class, including 
  explosives. 
  Expertise includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Your intelligence stems beyond book smarts 
  into the realm of practical use. Your keen ob-
  servations coupled with raw brainpower and 
  experience have given you the skills you use 
  on a daily basis. You are a thinker, combining 
  thought with action. Whether it be determining 
  the exact distance of an enemy force or doctor-
  ing the wounded, expertise gives you the know-
  how to do what needs to be done. 
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Appraisal
  expertise speCiaLty
  You’ve got a keen eye for exactly how much something is worth. 
  Though you can figure out the price of most items by looking 
  to the Trust, you’re skill lies in figuring out the price for ancient 
  prized relics, valuable gemstones, and precious works of art. You 
  may only appraise an item once per downtime. 
  You are able to determine the going market value of an 
  item within 10%.
  You are able to determine the market value of an item, 
  almost to the duke.
  Not only can you pinpoint the market value for an item, 
  you can deceipher any history or lore about it.
  You have a knack for knowing the exact price for an item, 
  obscure information about it, and whether it contains any 
  ancient secrets or certain people are searching for it. 
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  
  113
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Efficiency Expert
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Expertise
  When you or your friends are crafting items, you’re key to ensur-
  ing that no funds are wasted, that no screw is left behind. Not 
  only does your DIY (do-it-yourself) score increase (based on the 
  bonuses granted by this specialty), you improve your allies’ DIY 
  score. When you spend your downtime with your fellow adven-
  turers working on equipment, their DIY score becomes 3 points 
  higher. This bonus cannot increase their effective DIY score be-
  yond 12. 
   
  If you have multiple efficiency experts, the bonus do not 
  stack. Instead, for every additional efficiency expert you have in 
  your party, you gain an additional +1 DIY.
  Fire Fighter
  expertise speCiaLty
  You must’ve had a pyromaniac as a friend growing up - you’re 
  able to make battling back blazing infernos seem like child’s play. 
  If you are putting out fires, you gain 2 extra action points per turn 
  for putting out fires. You cannot catch on fire when extinguishing 
  a fire on another creature.
  Hurl
  expertise speCiaLty
  You can throw just about anything. Even if an item or weapon 
  is not classified as a throwing weapon, you may throw it as if it 
  were. You do not take penalties for impromptu weapons, and it 
  can go the distance it would go for its size categories (light: 25 
  feet; medium: 75 feet; and, heavy: 50 feet).
  Improv Fighter
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Expertise
  You’re a master of picking up whatever is nearby and using it to 
  its most destructive potential. Barstool, glass, painting, or ladder, 
  you’ve killed with them all. When using an impromptu weapon, 
  your penalties are eliminated. When fighting with such uncon-
  ventional melee objects, you gain a +1 to accuracy for every 3 
  points in expertise you have because opponents never expect you 
  to be so talented with them.
  DIY
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Pri
  +3
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +12
  Def
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Def
  +2
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Mechanic
  expertise speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP
  Though you may not be the original inventor, you have a knack 
  for seeing problems and figuring out how to fix them. You may 
  repair an adjacent automaton, vehicle, or any mechanical contrap-
  tion with wounds or hit points.
  repairs 6 wounds or hit points
  repairs 12 wounds or hit points
  repairs 18 wounds or hit points
  repairs 24 wounds or hit points
  Patch the Bleeding
  expertise speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP
  You’ve dealt with enough wounds to know how to make them 
  stop bleeding very quickly. You can spend 1 action point to stop 
  10 bleeding damage (as opposed to the normal 5). In addition, if 
  somebody is bleeding out (such as from losing a limb), for every 
  1 action point you spend it counts as 3 action points for the pur-
  poses of preventing bleeding out. 
  Observance
  expertise speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: 2 AP
  You watch the enemy closely, learning his movements and pre-
  dicting his actions. Once you have “observed” somebody (an act 
  that takes 2 action points), the next attack they make on you is 
  converted into a normal attack unless they can make the resist 
  against your Expertise. If they had applied any specialties to the 
  attack or were making a called shot, all of these additions are ne-
  gated. They still expend however many action points they would 
  have, however. 
   
  For example, an opponent is about to deliver an attack 
  with a heavy weapon (2 AP), but they upgrade it to a solid strike 
  (+1 AP) and called shot to the head (+1 AP). If they’ve been ob-
  served, their solid attack to the head becomes a regular attack 
  with their heavy weapon, but still costs the 4 action points they 
  would have used. If the observed opponent made a normal at-
  tack with their heavy weapon as their next attack, the observation 
  would be wasted.
  
  114
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Def
  +3
  p Anti-Poison Specialties M
  Poison Finder
  expertise speCiaLty
  Any time a poison comes within 10 feet of you, you may auto-
  matically roll your cunning to perceive it (unless you are not con-
  scious or otherwise have your senses dulled), and you add your 
  skill in expertise to the roll.
  Remove Poison
  expertise speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 ap
  You have a knack for drawing poison out of a victim. Any time 
  that you or an adjacent ally has been poisoned, you may attempt 
  to remove it. If the poison has not activated yet, you can attempt 
  to remove all effects. If it has activated, however, you can only 
  remove lingering effects. Thus, if the poison dealt damage upon 
  activation, you would have to remove the poison prior to activa-
  tion in order to prevent the damage from being dealt.
   
  When you remove poison, you are able to negate effects. 
  Once you attempt to remove the poison, you’re able to see what 
  effects the poison is going to have.
  remove 1 effect
  remove 2 effects
  remove 3 effects
  remove 4 effects
  Note: Poisons that have the same augment multiple times in or-
  der to increase the potency of that augment only count as one 
  effect.
  p Combat Insights Specialties M
  Combat Insight
  expertise speCiaLty
  While others are forced to rely on their brute strength or reflexes 
  to avoid called shots, you see them all coming and react accord-
  ingly. You may use your cunning for all called shot resists instead 
  of the normal attribute. 
  Combat Analytics
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: 11 skill points in Expertise & Combat Insight specialty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You’ve been in combat enough times that nothing surprises you 
  any more. Gone are the days of relying on brute, dexterity, or 
  spirit. Whenever a resist is required of you during combat, you 
  may always use your cunning by spending 1 action point. 
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +11
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Weak Point
  expertise speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 ap
  After carefully studying your enemy, you are able to locate its 
  weak point and exploit it. You may spend 2 action points studying 
  a single foe, attempting to locate a weakness. 
  You are able to detect any specific weaknesses to called 
  shots the enemy has.
  You are able to determine what called shots the oppo-
  nent would have the most trouble resisting or called shot 
  weaknesses it has.
  You are able to determine any called shot weaknesses it 
  has, which called shots it would have the most trouble 
  resisting, and, when striking a called shot weakness, the 
  effect of the called shot is doubled.
  You are able to determine any called shot weaknesses it 
  has, which called shots it would have the most trouble 
  resisting, and when striking a called shot weakness, the 
  effect of the called shot is doubled. Furthermore, you are 
  able to determine an immortal creature’s death trigger.
  Trick Counter
  expertise speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: 1 (or more) ap reflexively
  Your enemies think they are upgrading their attacks and coming 
  at you with unique tricks. You see through them. Whenever you 
  are being attacked with a specialized attack or called shot (one 
  that would have a cost of attack +1 AP, or attack +2 AP, et cetera), 
  you may spend an equal amount of action points to the upgrade 
  in order to attempt to negate it. The opponent could then resist 
  with a cunning roll against your expertise. If they fail, their at-
  tack is converted to normal, though the opponent still spends the 
  same amount of action points. 
   
  For example, if you are being attacked by a solid strike 
  (attack +1 AP), you can spend 1 action point in order to attempt 
  to make it a normal attack. If they have added multiple special-
  ties on to the attack, you can choose to negate just a portion of it, 
  or negate all specialties, and the opponent resists against losing 
  each specialty separately. 
  
  115
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  p Item Appropriation Specialties M
  Weapon Appropriations
  expertise speCiaLty
  Though you might not have an armsmith handy, your knack for 
  bargaining and making contacts allows you to get some higher 
  quality weapons than normal. You may add a single weapon aug-
  ment on to your weapon of choice (be it firearm, crossbow, melee 
  weapon, throwing weapon, or bow). The augment must take up 
  a single slot. The augment begins at marque 1, but increases by 
  marque as though your expertise was determining its marque. 
  (Thus, at 5 skill points in Expertise, you’ll have a marque II aug-
  ment, 15 skill points will give you a marque III, and 25 skill points 
  a marque IV.) 
   
  You may only have one such augment on a weapon that 
  you carry, though you may select a different augment during ev-
  ery downtime that you have. (The downtime must occur in a loca-
  tion that has commerce and trade, otherwise you wouldn’t be able 
  to procure the augment.) If the augment does not have a marque, 
  you cannot appropriate it until you reach the equivalent cost for 
  the augment. 
  Quality Weapon
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: Weapon Appropriations specialty
  You’re quite good at getting hand-outs. Your appropriated weap-
  on gains an additional augment (of the same marque). Once you 
  reach 10 skill points in Expertise, you gain a third augment on the 
  weapon. All augments must be on the same weapon. 
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Pri
  +2
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Pri
  +3
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +9
  Def
  +2
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  p Surgery Specialties M
  Field Surgeon
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Expertise
  Cost: 3 ap
  The field surgeon patches up major wounds to decrease their al-
  lied mortality rate throughout the battlefield. You are that sur-
  geon. You can restore wounds damage, but once you make your 
  attempt, you cannot restore any more wounds damage on a per-
  son unless they take more damage to their wounds. Furthermore, 
  you cannot restore more wounds damage than they’ve taken from 
  their most recent attack. Thus, if somebody cut your ally for 3 
  wounds damage, you could not heal 4 of their wounds.
   
  The patient must spend 3 action points reflexively in 
  order to be treated. The patient can do this over multiple turns, 
  pulling action points from their next turn if need be. If you are 
  engaged with a melee attacker, this leaves both you and the pa-
  tient open to reflexive attacks (which they can make for the nor-
  mal cost of their attack). 
  restores 1 wound
  restores 2 wounds
  restores 3 wounds
  restores 4 wounds
  First Aid
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: Field Surgeon specialty
  Cost: Move + Field Surgeon reflexively
  When somebody near you takes damage, you’re able to leap to 
  the rescue and help them out. When somebody has taken wounds 
  damage that is within one move’s distance of you, you may re-
  flexively move to them and heal them using your Field Surgeon 
  specialties. 
  Self-Surgery
  expertise speCiaLty
  reQuires: Field Surgeon specialty
  Though its difficulty is beyond most people, you’re able to grit 
  through self-surgery. You may now use Field Surgeon on your-
  self. 
  
  116
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Showmanship includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Blindside
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  Large hand gestures and loud noises keep your opponent focused 
  in a direction of your choosing, allowing you to make them blind 
  to everything in the opposite direction. The target must be within 
  25 feet of you. The opponent acts blind and deaf toward any-
  thing from that direction until something attacks them from that 
  direction, at which time your Blindside is cancelled and must be 
  restarted. You may have blindside activated on multiple people at 
  once, but a single opponent can only be the target of one blind-
  side. 
  You are a performer, the master of showman-
  ship, the troubadour of the world, the man 
  who was born on a stage. You control people’s 
  emotions through your performances, stopping 
  people dead in their tracks with your bravado 
  and encouraging them to do impossible feats 
  through your inspiration. The person with a 
  knack in showmanship is going to be useful no 
  matter where they go, and their allies will never 
  regret having a performer around. 
  Captive Audience
  showmanship speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Once you’ve got someone close to you, you never let them go. 
  When entering this stance, choose a single adjacent target. You 
  cannot move away from the target, but you also prevent the target 
  from moving away from you unless they resist. They can attempt 
  to resist immediately when you enter the stance, and then at the 
  end of their turn, when tier action points refresh. If they success-
  fully resist, you exit your stance.
  Catchphrase
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP
  You reveal your hidden catchphrase and jump into your next ac-
  tion. Saying your catchphrase requires 1 action point, but the next 
  time you roll a tier result for a specialty, you use your showman-
  ship skill in place of the skill the specialty normally requires.
  Chime In
  showmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: 2 skill points in Showmanship
  By adding in little snippets of information to help an argument, 
  you add a bonus to another player’s cunning roll whenever they 
  are attempting diplomacy, bluff, or any social interaction. The 
  bonus is a +1 for every 2 skill points you have in showmanship.
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  
  117
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +2
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +2
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Conveyor
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You can duplicate effects that you see, extending an ally’s buffing 
  range. When an ally creates an effect that affects all allies within a 
  certain range, you can spend 1 action point reflexively in order to 
  also affect all allies within the same range of you.  
  Deafening Roar
  showmanship speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (tiers down)
  Cost: 1 AP
  You choose one adjacent opponent and roar so loudly in his ear 
  that his eardrum bursts. The opponent is deafened (suffering a -2 
  to evade) for a number of turns.
  1 turns
  2 turns
  3 turns
  4 turns
  Distract
  showmanship speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  Sometimes you’re right in front of them. Other times, they’re not 
  so sure. You can distract an opponent during their turn, momen-
  tarily thinking that you’re somewhere else. Whenever an oppo-
  nent takes an action against you, you may attempt to distract 
  them. Choose another location within 10 feet to create your dis-
  traction. If the opponent fails their cunning resist against your 
  showmanship, they - for the purpose of this one action - believe 
  that you are in the location where you caused the distraction. If 
  there is something else there (like a wall or a person), they gain 
  a +10 on the resist. 
  Jester
  showmanship speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (tiers down)
  Cost: 2 AP
  You can throw your voice, yell, or dance to bewilder opponents. 
  On-looking opponents within 25 feet may become disoriented 
  simply from laughing at you. Jester can affect multiple people, 
  and all effected may attempt to resist. For every tier that they 
  receive above tier 1, they decrease the amount of turns they are 
  disoriented by 1. 
  1 target is disoriented for 1 turn 
  2 targets are disoriented for 2 turns
  3 targets are disoriented for 3 turns
  4 targets are disoriented for 4 turns
  Marionette Strings
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You guide the attack of a nearby ally, ensuring their success. Any 
  time an ally makes an attack within 25 feet, you may use your 
  marionette strings to give them a bonus on their accuracy. This 
  can be decided even after the roll has been made.
  +2 on their accuracy roll 
  +4 on their accuracy roll
  +6 on their accuracy roll
  +8 on their accuracy roll
  Praise
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You sing the praises of your fellow adventurers. You may spend 
  1 action point reflexively to allow a party member to re-roll any 
  resist, as long as they can hear you. You can only do this once 
  per resist. 
  Sleight of Hand
  showmanship speCiaLty
  When you use an item, one second it’s there, the next it’s gone. 
  Your opponents won’t be able to take advantage of you while you 
  use items. Activating and using items does not leave you open to 
  reflexive attacks.
  
  118
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Smoke & Mirrors
  showmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Showmanship
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: 3 AP reflexively
  With the flick of your wrist, you can make an ally within 25 feet 
  appear in one location when they thought they were elsewhere. 
  When an ally has failed an evade roll, you may reflexively move 
  your ally to an adjacent space. The assailant may resist against 
  your showmanship with their dexterity. If you succeed, your ally 
  may immediately move to an adjacent space, and the assailant’s 
  attack automatically misses.
  Throw Off Balance
  showmanship speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (tiers down)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Just as a melee attack hits one of your allies within 25 feet, you 
  distract the opponent and cause them to do minimal damage. 
  The attacker must roll their strike multiple times and take the 
  lowest roll, but they can use their cunning resist in order to lower 
  the result.  
  The attacker rolls two times and takes the lowest 
  The attacker rolls three times and takes the lowest 
  The attacker rolls four times and takes the lowest 
  The attacker rolls five times and takes the lowest 
  Unmarred Perfection
  showmanship speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  resist: Cunning or Spirit (negates)
  Opponents regret attacking you, for fear of harming your perfect 
  image. While in this stance, anybody that attempts to attack you 
  in melee must resist or suffer a penalty to their accuracy equal to 
  your skill in showmanship. However, while in this stance, you can 
  make only graceful and non-alarming moves, and thus must roll 
  all strike rolls twice and take the lower result.
  p Choreographed Specialties M
  Epic Dance
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  You bust out your best dance moves, chaining them together in a 
  beautifully unpredictable fashion. While dancing your epic dance, 
  you gain a +3 to evade. You gain an additional point of evade for 
  every 5 skill points you have in Showmanship. You can only have 
  one epic dance going at any given time.
   
  If tripped, your Epic Dance is cancelled and must be 
  restarted.
  Never Stop the Dance
  showmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: Epic Dance specialty
  While performing your epic dance, you use your choreography 
  to  block and brace your body against incoming blows. You gain 
  an identical bonus to your defense in addition to the evade bonus 
  you recieve from your epic dance.
  p Epic Music Specialties M
  Battle Theme
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  Don’t worry, you’ve got this. The epic music in the air says that 
  you can’t fail. While performing your battle theme, you gain a +3 
  to accuracy rolls. You gain an additional point of accuracy for 
  every 5 skill points you have in showmanship. You can only be 
  singing one battle theme at any given time.
   
  If you are singing, a successful called shot to your neck 
  will cancel your battle theme. Alternatively, if you are using a 
  musical instrument, a successful sunder or disarm will also cancel 
  your battle theme.
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +2
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  
  119
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Heavenly Serenade
  showmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: Battle Theme specialty
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  Your battle theme is so beautiful that it digs deep into people’s 
  souls and prevents them from acting. While performing your bat-
  tle theme, any time anybody within 25 feet wants to make an ac-
  tion, you can reflexively spend 2 action points to make them roll 
  a resist against your showmanship in order to take that action. If 
  they fail the resist, they instead lose 1 action point. 
  Spotlight
  showmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: Battle Theme specialty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You point to an ally within 25 feet, signaling to them that it’s their 
  time to shine. While performing your Battle Theme, you may 
  spend 1 action point reflexively to grant your Battle Theme accu-
  racy bonus to an ally’s accuracy, evade, strike, or defense roll. 
  Unified Chorus
  showmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: Battle Theme specialty & 16 skill points in Showmanship 
  Your beautiful song causes your allies to lend you their voices! Any 
  bonuses to accuracy or strike you gain from your Battle Theme 
  now apply to all allies within 25 feet of you. If multiple allies have 
  this specialty, everyone only recieves bonuses from the one with 
  the highest amount of skill points in showmanship.
  Victory Theme
  showmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: Battle Theme specialty
  You begin to weave a power ballad which drives you forward; your 
  music crying for the utter destruction of your foes. Any bonus to 
  accuracy you recieve from your battle theme also acts as a bonus 
  to your strike.
  p Smokescreen Specialties M
  Smokescreen
  showmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP
  When you need to, you’ve always got a way to throw enemies 
  off for just a second or two. You may toss down a smokescreen 
  during your turn that lasts until the end of your turn (when your 
  action points refresh). This smokescreen only envelopes you, but 
  it hides all of your actions while in the smokescreen. If you move, 
  the smokescreen does not move with you and instead disperses. 
  Walking Darkness
  showmanship speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  reQuires: Smokescreen specialty
  More than a simple disappearing act, you walk across the battle-
  field shrouded by a magician’s smoke cloud. While in this stance, 
  you gain a +4 to evade and all of your actions are considered hid-
  den. If an opponent has some way of knowing where you are that 
  does not rely on sight or can see through perfect darkness, you do 
  not gain the bonus to evade against them.
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  
  120
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Blitzkreig
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You select the next foe and your allies attack. When you enter 
  into this stance, you select a single target within 50 feet. All of 
  your allies gain a speed bonus when moving toward that target. 
  The bonus is 10 feet, plus 5 feet for every 5 skill points you have 
  in tactical (thus being +15 feet at 5 skill points, +20 feet at 10 skill 
  points, et cetera).
  Call in a Favor
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Tactical
  When you’re cornered, you call in the guy with the sword to get 
  you out of your dangerous situation. You can give an ally 3 of 
  your action points in order for the ally to run over and attack an 
  opponent adjacent to you. The ally must be willing to make the 
  move and the attack. They may only use these action points for 
  moving toward the designated opponent and attacking, though 
  they may use the action points to upgrade the attack as they see 
  fit. In addition, if the ally has any action points of their own, they 
  may choose to use them reflexively to continue attacking or bol-
  ster their attack on the opponent adjacent to you.  
  Change Formation
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP
  You call for an immediate change of formation. All of your allies 
  within 50 feet are automatically allowed to change their stance, 
  free of cost, at their discretion. 
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Tactical includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Tactical is the skill of battlefield commanders, 
  great generals, and military leaders. As your 
  party’s tactician, you’re going to keep people 
  safe by making timely decisions to affect the 
  overall flow of the battlefield. The enemies are 
  your pawns, and you move everyone with equal 
  ease. Tactical is about knowing your enemy, fo-
  cusing your best attacks, and using all of your 
  best advantages to drive your pike into their 
  disadvantages.
  Ally of the Machine
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 6 skill points in Automata
  Using your keen sense of machinery and the way automatons 
  function, you can now treat automatons as your allies. When us-
  ing a specialty that allows you to affect your allies, automatons 
  may now act as allies.  
  Armistice
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Sometimes the best part of a battle is when you’re not fighting 
  in it. When you enter your armistice stance, opponents who at-
  tack you are stunned for 1 action point unless they resist against 
  your tactical. However, you must exit your armistice stance (for 
  0 action points) before attacking, else you will be stunned for 2 
  action points. 
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  
  121
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Change Places
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP
  You know where the forces that threaten your team members lie. 
  You can move your ally (as long as your ally is willing).
  Your ally moves 5 feet
  Your ally moves 10 feet
  Your ally moves 15 feet
  Your ally moves 20 feet
  Crippling Formation
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Tactical
  When an ally makes a called shot within 25 feet of you, you make 
  the shot more difficult to resist. The called shot’s strike roll is ef-
  fectively 1 point higher for every 3 skill points you have in tactical. 
  This only changes the resist and does not increase the damage 
  or the effect.
  Crossfire
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  When you enter this stance, choose a single location (a 5 foot 
  square). If anybody enters into that space, you and all of your 
  allies can make reflexive attacks against that person for only 1 
  action point.  
  Forewarned
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  When priority is called for at the beginning of a battle, you may 
  give a +3 to an ally’s priority roll within 25 feet, plus an additional 
  +1 per 3 skill points you have in tactical. Doing so costs 1 action 
  point reflexively (which comes from your first turn’s pool of ac-
  tion points).
  Focused Support
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 7 skill points in Tactical
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  You can build a bond with another that pushes them to greatness. 
  When you begin your focused support, you choose an ally within 
  25 feet. That ally gains 1 additional action point per turn for as 
  long as you are within 25 feet and continue focusing your support. 
  If you want to change the beneficiary of your focused support, 
  you must begin anew. You can only have one focused support ac-
  tive at any given time.
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +4
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  
  122
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Spd
  +5
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  Lead the March
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP
  When you lead the march, you give your allies within 25 feet a 
  bonus to their speed. This bonus lasts until the end of your next 
  turn (when your action points refresh). This bonus is granted to 
  you as well. Multiple bonuses from Lead the March do not stack.
  Speed increases by 10 feet
  Speed increases by 20 feet
  Speed increases by 30 feet
  Speed increases by 40 feet
  Malleable Formation
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Your allies can shift and move around the battlefield with ease, 
  keeping your enemies guessing. All allies within 25 feet of you can 
  make a 5 foot movement during their turn for 0 action points.
  Master Tactician
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 15 skill points in Tactical
  You’re at your best when thinking on your feet. You receive 1 extra 
  action point per turn which may be used only for reflexes. 
  Stand-Off
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Before anybody takes their first turn in a combat, right as priority 
  is about to be determined, you may call for a stand-off. This costs 
  1 action point, but puts the entire combat in a stand-off. Anybody 
  may voluntarily take the first action, but - if they do so - every roll 
  they make during their first turn suffers a penalty equal to your 
  skill in tactical.
   
  If multiple people attempt to act first in a stand-off, they 
  roll priority between themselves. After the first person in a stand-
  off acts, everyone determines priority normally and moves after 
  the stand-off breaker. 
  p Encouraging Specialties M
  Encouragement
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You call out encouragement, urging your allies to a more assured 
  victory. For 1 action point reflexively, you may give an ally within 
  50 feet a bonus on any one of the following rolls: accuracy, evade, 
  strike, or defense. This bonus must be determined before the roll 
  is made.
  +2
  +4
  +6
  +8
  Inspiring Words
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Tactical & Encouragement specialty
  Your words of encouragement invoke a deep drive within your 
  allies that brings about confidence, allowing them to continue 
  battling. When using encouragement, all of your within 50 feet  
  recover 1 hit point plus 1 for every 10 skill points you have in 
  tactical.
  
  123
  Chapter 7
  Cunning
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  p Flow of Battle Specialties M
  Direct the Battle
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You set the course of battle, proclaiming the next victim of the 
  tide. When you enter this stance, you choose one enemy within 50 
  feet to be the victim. While you are in this stance, you can allow 
  a single ally per turn to make a special attack or called shot that 
  costs “Attack +1 AP,” without spending the extra action point, so 
  long as it is directed at the target of the stance.  
  Concentrated Barrage
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Direct the Battle specialty
  When you enter into your direct the battle stance, you point at a 
  single target and exclaim, “Get that fool!” Every ally within 25 feet 
  can make a special attack or called shot that costs “Attack +1 AP” 
  against the target of your direct the battle stance without spend-
  ing that extra action point, though each ally only gets this benefit 
  once per turn.  
  Overwhelm
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Direct the Battle specialty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Any time the target of your direct the battle stance takes damage 
  from an ally, you may use 1 action point to encourage your ally’s 
  attack along. 
  Ally’s attack does an additional 3 damage
  Ally’s attack does an additional 6 damage
  Ally’s attack does an additional 9 damage
  Ally’s attack does an additional 12 damage
  p Order Specialties M
  Issue Orders
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP
  You yell an order across the battlefield, and one of your allies an-
  swers the call. The ally must be within 50 feet and be able to hear 
  you. Your order allows an ally to make a called shot using their 
  bonuses but without spending any of their action points. 
  Ally attempts the called shot
  Ally attempts the called shot with a +2 on the strike
  Ally attempts the called shot with a +4 on the strike
  Ally attempts the called shot with a +6 on the strike
  Complex Orders
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Issue Orders specialty & 5 skill points in Tactical
  When giving an ally a called shot order, you may spend the cost 
  of one of your ally’s attack-modifying specialties to allow that 
  ally to use that attack modifier for free. 
   
  For instance, if your ally knows Solid Assault (under 
  Overpower) you may spend an extra action point in addition to 
  the Issue Orders cost in order to allow your ally to use their attack 
  modifier for free. This additional action point expenditure can 
  utilize the action point bonus fromDirect the Battle.
  Improved Orders
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  reQuires: Issue Orders specialty, Complex Orders specialty, & 8 
  skill points in Tactical
  You are becoming more adept at giving orders to your allies, al-
  lowing you 1 free action point per turn for use with the effects of 
  Complex Orders.
  
  124
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  The Dexterity Attribute includes these skills:
   
  aCe
   
  agiLity
   
  marksmanship
   
  swashBuCkLing
  Dexterity
  Chapter 8
  
  125
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Dexterity is a representation of your speed, coordination, and reflexes. With dexterity, you can wiggle into 
  tight areas and turn just the right screws without being entirely sure where your hands are. A person high 
  in dexterity is always going to catch the ball thrown at them, will have no problem walking across a tight 
  rope, and might even known how to pick a lock. 
  What can you do with your dexterity attribute? 
  Balance
  attempt Cost: Movement +1 AP
  Want to walk that tight rope or simply just cross that rickety cat-
  walk over the lake of acid? You need to balance. Balancing comes 
  in four flavors, and your tier roll depends on what obstacle you are 
  able to cross. Your narrator will identify for you the difficulty of 
  the balancing check before you make your attempt. 
  You can barely keep your balance. Taking an action other 
  than moving or getting hit by something will cause you 
  to fall.
  You may wobble from time to time, but you hold your bal-
  ance. However, if the battlefield conditions change or you 
  perform any action other than moving, roll again.
  You can confidently balance yourself. You won’t fall un-
  less the condition of what you are balancing on changes, 
  in which case roll again.
  You move as if you were on solid ground. Nothing can 
  shake you from your position, save someone using an at-
  tack on you that moves you any distance.
  Jumping
  attempt Cost: as a move (normally 1 AP)
  Long Jump: Jumping is tiered, based on the difficulty of the jump. 
  You must get a moving start to jump your optimum distance. If 
  you do not move at least 20 feet before the jump (as a separate 
  action), you will jump half the distance. Any movement penalties 
  apply to the jump distance.
  10 feet forward
  20 feet forward
  30 feet forward
  40 feet forward
  vertiCaL Jump: You may attempt to jump vertically for 1 action 
  point as well. When you jump vertically, you can jump 1 foot up 
  for every 5 feet you’d be able to move forward. 
  CatChing a LeDge: If you just barely fail, your narrator might al-
  low you to roll your dexterity to catch a ledge and pull yourself 
  up. Normally, catching a ledge while jumping will require a tier 2 
  or higher dexterity result.
  Sneaking
  attempt Cost: Move +1 AP 
  Moving silently will almost always be little more than an opposed 
  roll against a listener’s cunning. If you succeed in beating their 
  cunning, you may determine how well you move silently.
  The listener is still paranoid and thinks somebody is in 
  your general vicinity.
  The listener believes that something rustled where you 
  are, but it was probably a mouse or some other innocent 
  thing..
  The listener failed to hear anything at all.
  The listener has no inkling that anybody is there, and will 
  probably not bother listening for anybody anytime soon.
  Note to the Narrator:
  c Noisiness c
  Characters in heavy armor, carrying lots of coin, or walk-
  ing on broken twigs will have a much more difficult time 
  not being heard. In such a case, the narrator may give them 
  a penalty on their opposed roll, such as a -6 if they are in 
  armor, or a -3 if they are walking on noisy terrain.
  Pickpocket
  resist: Cunning (tiers down)
  attempt Cost: 2 AP
  Someone in your party won’t share the map of the dungeon, or 
  you just saw a really flashy purse on someone’s belt. Roll your 
  dexterity to determine how stealthily you pickpocket the target. 
  The target resists with their cunning, tiering down your result. If 
  your result is less than tier 1, you fail to pickpocket the item and 
  they are aware of your failure. You don’t have to know what items 
  they have concealed in order to attempt to steal something, but in 
  such a case the item you would receive is the Narrator’s choice. 
  You can only pickpocket items not currently equipped to your 
  target. In other words, you can’t steal the sword they are wielding 
  or the jetpack they’re wearing, but you can steal the sword out of 
  their sheath and the keys to their clanker from their pocket. You 
  can only steal one item at a time.
  Your victim feels paranoid and may begin to check their 
  belongings for anything missing.
  Your victim thinks someone must have bumped into 
  them.
  Your victim failed to realize anything had happened.
  Your victim has no idea anything of theirs is missing and 
  won’t bother to check anytime soon.
  
  126
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Backseat Driver
  taCtiCaL speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  While in the Backseat Driver stance, you utilize your ability as 
  a pilot or rider to provide the person who is driving with useful 
  information, allowing them to react more quickly to situations. 
  While you are in this stance, the pilot of a vehicle that you are 
  riding (or the rider of the animal you are on) gets a bonus action 
  point per turn that can be used for maneuvering the vehicle or 
  mount or using Ace specialties. 
  Co-Pilot
  aCe speCiaLty
  You make a remarkably handy co-pilot when the need arises. If 
  adjacent to a ship’s pilot, you may give them any number of your 
  action points, reflexively, for the pilot to use while maneuvering, 
  accelerating, or slowing the vehicle.
  You are the ace. Whether you’re seated in a 
  world-class flying machine or mounted on 
  an overgrown weasel, you know how to guide 
  your ride and use it to its very best. You can 
  do crazy flyer tricks, a barrel roll with a tank, 
  and you’ll never be kicked off your horse pre-
  maturely. 
  Ace includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Crash Maneuver
  aCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP reflexively
  When you are driving an airborne vehicle that is crashing to the 
  ground, you can maintain your cool and attempt to prevent your-
  self from getting hurt in the crash. When the vehicle hits the 
  ground, you can wrest enough control of the vehicle to keep it on 
  a steady path. If you do so, everyone in the vehicle takes less fall-
  ing damage. The amount depends on the tier of your roll.
  -3 wounds damage
  -6 wounds damage
  -9 wounds damage
  -12 wounds damage
  Denial Maneuver
  aCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  You twist the vehicle’s controls at the last minute, making it dif-
  ficult to target specific sections of your vehicle. When someone 
  makes your vehicle the target of their attack, you can spend 2 ac-
  tion points in order to add your Ace skill to the ship’s evade roll. 
  Driving with Knees
  aCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You are able to control your vehicle or animal mount using your 
  knees. If you are on an animal mount or driving a clanker, you 
  get one free movement per turn. It also requires no hands to pilot 
  your vehicle or animal mount. 
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  
  127
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Flying Fortress
  aCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 2 skill points in Ace
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  When piloting a vehicle, you are able to maneuver it so that in-
  coming attacks won’t hit anything vital to its continued function-
  ing, ensuring the ultimate defense. Your vehicle gains +1 defense 
  for every 2 points you have in Ace. 
  Hold Together
  aCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 7 skill points in Ace
  During its final moments, even if everything is falling apart 
  around you, you push your vehicle forward one last time. If a 
  vehicle you’re piloting loses all of its wounds, you can still move 
  it normally for one more turn. Autos are forced to remain on their 
  previous speed setting during this final turn.
  Horseman’s Cut
  aCe speCiaLty
  Cost: Mounted Melee Attack +1 AP
  When attacking a non-mounted opponent atop your mount or 
  vehicle, you are able to make a horsemen’s cut that deals extra 
  damage. 
  +1 damage class 
  +2 damage class 
  +3 damage class 
  +4 damage class 
  Hostile Maneuvers
  aCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Ace
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  You move wrecklessly close to an opponent’s vehicle in an all out 
  siege. While using Hostile Maneuvers, your vehicle suffers -4 de-
  fense; however, all attacks made by allies on your vehicle hit for 1 
  damage class higher for every 5 points you have in Ace. 
  Level Flying
  aCe speCiaLty
  While you’re at the helm, nobody on board takes accuracy penal-
  ties for shooting from a fast moving vehicle. 
  Quick-Mount
  aCe speCiaLty
  You can now mount or dismount any auto, clanker, or animal 
  mount for no action point cost during your turn, whether you in-
  tend to pilot the vehicle or not. You can only make one such quick 
  mounting or dismounting per turn.
  Vehicular Teamwork
  aCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  When anything flies toward your vehicle, your gut instinct is to 
  move out of the way. When anyone on your piloted vehicle is the 
  target of an attack, you can attempt to move your entire vehicle 
  out of the way first. Before they roll evade, you may roll your 
  vehicle’s evade against the attack. The attacker only rolls accuracy 
  once. If either your vehicle or your passenger roll higher than the 
  accuracy of the attack, the attack misses.
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  
  128
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  p Auto Piloting Specialties M
  Strafe
  aCe speCiaLty
  You know how to quickly move your auto side-to-side. Once per 
  turn, you can strafe for no action point cost. This does not change 
  the direction your auto is travelling in.
  5 feet
  10 feet
  15 feet
  25 feet
  Evasive Strafe
  aCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: Strafe specialty
  The quick movements of your auto allow you to shake off incom-
  ing attacks. When you strafe, your vehicle gains a bonus to evade 
  until the beginning of your next turn. This bonus is taken away 
  if you stop piloting the vehicle.
  +1 evade
  +2 evade
  +3 evade
  +4 evade
  p Clanker Piloting Specialties M
  Extension of Self
  aCe speCiaLty
  The movements of your clanker are as smooth as the movements 
  of your body. When piloting a clanker you can move it using any 
  specialty you have related to moving yourself. When doing so, use 
  your skill in Ace for the specialty instead of your skill in the skill 
  the specialty comes from. This does not allow you to move your 
  clanker in ways it can’t on its own, such as jumping or flying.
  Piston-Spring
  aCe speCiaLty
  Cost: Jump
  Whenever piloting a clanker, you have the ability to use its mo-
  mentum to propel it into the air. This allows you to jump your 
  clanker just like a normal person jumps.
  p Focused Flying Specialties M
  Focused Flying
  aCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  With both hands on the wheel and every ounce of your being put 
  into your piloting, your control of your vehicle greatly increases. 
  While in this stance, you cannot take any action other than con-
  trolling your vehicle. You also must use two of your hands to hold 
  onto the controls of your vehicle. Clankers gain 5 feet of speed 
  for every point you have in Ace. Autos gain 10 feet of maximum 
  speed for every point you have in Ace.
  Fine-Tuned Flying
  aCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: Focused Flying specialty & 2 skill points in Ace
  You put your all into ensuring any attacks made on your vehicle 
  will not penetrate its armor. While in your Focused Flying stance, 
  your vehicle gains a +1 to defense for every 2 skill points you have 
  in Ace.
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Def
  +3
  
  129
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Fully Focused Flying
  aCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: Focused Flying specialty & 3 skill points in Ace
  By making the continued survival of your vehicle and its crew 
  your main priority, you make yourself more aware of incoming 
  attacks. While in your Focused Flying stance, your vehicle gains a 
  +1 to evade for every 3 skill points you have in Ace.
  p Mounted Cavalry Specialties M
  Fearless Mount
  aCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Ace
  You let your mountable animal know you’re the one in charge. 
  When riding an animal mount, the animal is immune to fear ef-
  fects. In addition, the animal will be willing to do anything you 
  ask of it (as long as it is capable).
  One with the Beast
  aCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  When mounted, you and your animal mount are perfectly in-sync. 
  You may add its strike and defense bonuses to yours. In addition, 
  your mount may not be directly attacked; you take all incoming 
  attacks, be they aimed at you or your mount. 
  p Ramming Specialties M
  Ram
  aCe speCiaLty
  Cost: Move + 1 AP
  You know how to ram your vehicle into things without damaging 
  yourself. For an extra action point during a move, you can slam 
  the vehicle you’re piloting into a target. This has a damage class 
  of 10. For autos, use your accuracy to tier damage. Clankers will 
  use your strike to tier damage. Ramming anything immediately 
  ends your move, even if you miss. 
  Puncture 
  aCe speCiaLty
  Cost: Ram +1 AP (typically the same as Move +2 AP)
  When you ram a target providing cover, you break it apart. Wheth-
  er attacking a solid wall or an armored vehicle, you can lower the 
  degree of cover your target provides while still dealing damage. 
  The cover is lowered in degree until someone repairs it during a 
  period of downtime.
  -1 degree of cover
  -2 degrees of cover
  -3 degrees of cover
  -4 degrees of cover
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Stk
  +2
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  
  130
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Speed, movement, lightning-fast reflexes, 
  and the quick wits to get out of dodge: these 
  are the focuses of a character with agility. 
  Specialties from agility will get you an in-
  sane movement speed, free actions during 
  combat, and numerous ways of clearing a 
  battlefield - either to get to your target, or 
  to get far, far away from him.
  Battlefield Flow
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: 0 AP
  You’re constantly ready to move to a more strategic (or just plain 
  safer) location. You can move 5 feet for free at any point during 
  your turn, or you can do so at the end of any other person’s turn 
  (when their action points refresh). You can only make one such 
  5-foot movement per your turn (that is, between the refreshing 
  periods of your action points).
  Bounding Lunge
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: Move + Attack
  You move and make a swipe at an opponent. By using your 
  bounding lunge, you can begin a normal move, attack an oppo-
  nent during the move, and then finish the same move. 
  Agility includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Charging Ram
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: Move + Melee Attack
  When you rush toward an opponent, you mean to take them down 
  with one swing. When you move toward an opponent, you gain a 
  bonus on your strike roll equal to +1 for every 5 feet you spend 
  moving toward them. This movement must all be in a straight 
  line, can only come from a single move action, and must be your 
  movement (it cannot be from a vehicle or mount). 
  Free Movement
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Movement is becoming a way of life. Once per turn (and only 
  during your turn), you can make a single free movement. You 
  must be in medium or lighter armor to do this. 
  10 feet
  20 feet
  30 feet
  40 feet
  Groundfighting
  agiLity speCiaLty
  You’re an old hand at hugging the ground and attacking like an 
  erupting geyser. You may switch from standing to prone and back 
  again for no action point cost. You take no penalties for fighting 
  while prone. You take no penalties for fighting in tight areas.
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +2
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Pri
  +2
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Stk
  +2
  
  131
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Eva
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Instant Draw
  agiLity speCiaLty
  In your hand or not, it doesn’t matter. You can draw your weapon 
  and other items without using any action points and at any point 
  (even during another person’s turn). You draw items and weapons 
  so fast that you do not leave yourself open to reflexives. (Activat-
  ing items still leaves you open to reflexives.)
  Slow Falling
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  When you fall, you are adept at finding ways to slow your decent. 
  You may ignore however much falling distance as your tier result 
  allows. You must be adjacent to something when you’re falling 
  (such as a wall, or through a canopy of trees). You cannot slow 
  your fall in open air. In addition, you can make attacks against 
  enemies along the line of decent or upon landing for no penalty.
  30 feet
  60 feet
  120 feet
  200 feet
  Side-Swipe
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: As a melee attack reflexively
  When an opponent over-extends their attack, your dodge allows 
  you to take advantage of their failure. When you successfully 
  evade a melee attack, you can make a side-swipe with any one-
  handed melee weapon against your attacker. You can optionally 
  move 5 feet around your opponent (staying adjacent to the at-
  tacking opponent) at no additional action point cost. You gain 
  a bonus on your accuracy roll for every point that the attacker’s 
  original accuracy roll missed you by.   
  Slipstreaming
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: Move + 1 AP
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Agility
  Your incredible speed sets the pace for your allies. For an ad-
  ditional action point while moving, you can designate your exact 
  path as a slipstream line. If any of your allies follow the path of 
  your slipstream for at least 15 feet within the next turn (before the 
  next time your action points refresh), they can make that move 
  at no cost.
   
  Note: If the ally would normally require multiple action 
  points to move, they may use your slipstream to move for 1 less 
  action point than they otherwise would. 
  Snake Bite 
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 ap
  You lash out at an opponent like a coiled snake before following 
  through with the rest of your attack. You may use your first ac-
  tion point of your turn to make a normal, unaltered melee attack 
  with a medium or smaller weapon. No specialties may alter this 
  attack.
  Step Back
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 ap reflexively
  Just before you’re about to take a pounding, you skip back a cou-
  ple feet and barely dodge the attack. After failing to evade, you 
  may attempt to step back. Roll your agility. If your agility result is 
  a tier higher than the opponent’s damage tier, then you can ignore 
  the blow and move to any adjacent square that is not adjacent to 
  the attacking opponent. 
   
  If the opponent rolls tier 4 damage, there is no way to 
  step back from it.
  Terrain Mastery
  agiLity speCiaLty
  You excel at crossing a wide variety of landscapes. You ignore 
  penalties for moving through rough terrain.
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +9
  Pri
  +4
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  
  132
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Wall Runner
  agiLity speCiaLty
  reQuires: 6 skill points in Agility
  Cost: move +1 ap
  Your feet move so quickly that you can bound up walls. When wall 
  running, if you end your turn (though not necessarily your move) 
  on a vertical surface, you will slip and fall off of it. 
   
  Note: You may also use this specialty in conjuction with 
  Free Movement for just 1 action point.
  Walk Over
  agiLity speCiaLty
  A row of enemies form little blockade against you. You can pass 
  through a space occupied by an enemy as though the enemy 
  wasn’t even there. If for some reason this would allow the enemy 
  to attack you, they are denied that privelage. You cannot end your 
  movement in their space - you must pass through.  
  p Explosion Dodging Specialties M
  Blast Dodger
  agiLity speCiaLty
  Perhaps it’s your nerves, perhaps you’ve been caught up in explo-
  sions too many times. Regardless, you’re always ready to get out 
  of dodge. You may jump out of the way of a blast, once per turn, 
  for 0 action points.
  Soaring Dodge
  agiLity speCiaLty
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Agility
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Large blast radiuses? It’s not anything you can’t get out of. While 
  you are dodging a blast, you may spend an additional action point 
  reflexively per 5 skill points you have in agility in order to make 
  extra moves and escape the blast radius. 
  p Phasing Specialties M
  Phase Step
  agiLity speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: Move (normally 1 AP)
  When you move, you may instead phase step. When you phase 
  step, you move quickly and in a way hard to notice. In order to 
  hit you while you move, an opponent must make a Cunning resist 
  against your agility to even notice your movement.
  Fleeting Shade
  agiLity speCiaLty
  reQuires: Phase Step specialty
  Cost: Move
  Face it, it’s a whole lot harder to hide yourself in broad daylight. 
  When phase-stepping from the open to a hiding place, you may 
  roll below to give yourself a bonus to your dexterity against op-
  ponents attempting to notice you so you can get hidden fast.
  +3 against enemies’ resists in attempt to see you. 
  +6 against enemies’ resists in attempt to see you. 
  +9 against enemies’ resists in attempt to see you. 
  +12 against enemies’ resists in attempt to see you. 
  Leave No Trace
  agiLity speCiaLty
  reQuires: Phase Step specialty
  Cost: Move (reflexively)
  You constantly move through the shadows so that enemies will 
  never be able to keep track of you or where you’ve been. You may 
  Phase Step reflexively when enemies attempt to find you in your 
  hiding place. 
  
  133
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  p Stance-Shifting Specialties M
  Shifting
  agiLity speCiaLty
  reQuires: 2 stances known
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You have learned how to switch between your stances using only 
  slight movements, keeping your enemy in the dark about your 
  next strike. When you are in one of your stances, you can shift to 
  another stance at any time, during anybody’s turn. 
  Freeform Shifting
  agiLity speCiaLty
  reQuires: 12 skill points in Agility, Shifting specialty, & 3 stances 
  known
  Your feet are constantly moving, guaranteeing your opponent 
  never has a clue. You may now use Shifting at no action point 
  cost once per combat turn (between the times when your action 
  points refresh).
  
  134
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Whether you’re one for pulling out your pistol 
  and getting off a warning shot at the start of 
  combat, or you like to stand behind a pillar 
  with your bow and pick off enemies as your 
  warrior-friend distracts them, marksmanship 
  is the right skill for you. Encompassing all as-
  pects of ranged weaponry, your skill at a dis-
  tance will make you a frightening foe. 
  Marksmanship includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Cover Fire
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: as a Ranged Attack
  While you don’t mind hitting the target, the real goal is to prevent 
  the target from firing at your friend. When you provide cover fire, 
  you take a -6 on your accuracy rolls but also provoke the target 
  into attacking you (see Social Tells in the Chapter 1). You gain a 
  bonus on the cunning roll equal to your skill in marksmanship.
  Follow Up
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  When you figure out how to nail that bastard, it’s not hard to do 
  it again. If you land a ranged attack on a target and they do not 
  move from their space before you attack again, you gain a bonus 
  to accuracy and strike for you second attack. As long as the oppo-
  nent does not move, the bonus continues with every subsequent 
  attack. You do not gain the bonus multiple times; however, you 
  may re-roll with every subsequent attack to gain a higher bonus, 
  at your discretion. 
  +2 to accuracy and strike
  +4 to accuracy and strike
  +6 to accuracy and strike
  +8 to accuracy and strike
  Head Popper
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  When they stick their head out of cover, you pop them right 
  quick. When a foe leaves cover (to any degree), you can instantly 
  make a reflexive ranged attack against them for 1 action point. If 
  there is any dispute as to who gets to make the first attack, you 
  win (unless there are two people with Head Popper, in which case 
  it’ll be decided by a priority roll).
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Acc
  +2
  Aim
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Marksmanship
  Cost: 1 AP
  Before you take your shot, you can spend some time lining up 
  your sights and aiming. You can spend any number of action 
  points preparing yourself, and, for every action point you spend 
  aiming, you may roll on the chart in order to gain a bonus to your 
  accuracy. You can start aiming one turn and then fire in a sub-
  sequent turn, but if you are attacked after you start aiming (but 
  before you fire), you lose any bonus you would’ve gained from 
  aiming. You cannot gain any more accuracy to an attack than you 
  have skill in marksmanship.
   
  +1 to the accuracy roll
  :
  +2 to the accuracy roll
  +3 to the accuracy roll
  +4 to the accuracy roll
  Eva
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  
  135
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +2
  Itchy Trigger Finger
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Your friends might think you just randomly shot a bush, but you 
  know better. If you have even the inkling that there’s somebody 
  sneaking around within your gun’s range and you’re not aware of 
  them, you can try to shoot them. You take the normal penalties 
  for firing blindly, but they are still targeted. If there are multiple 
  people sneaking around, your shot will target the closest one. 
   
  If you miss, there is no reason the sneaking person will 
  be identified, and you’ll probably just assume that there is nobody 
  there.
  Knock-Off
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: Ranged Attack +1 AP
  You take aim at a mounted opponent and attempt to shoot them 
  off their mount or personal vehicle. Use your skill in marksman-
  ship in a roll-off against their dexterity. If you succeed, they are 
  thrown off of their mount or personal vehicle. 
  Lockdown Gunner
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  When the villain pulls out his doomsday device or the assassin 
  draws a vial of poison, you’ll snipe it right out of their hands. You 
  can reflexively attack from a range whenever anybody draws or 
  activates an item. (And, as per normal, you can always make this a 
  called shot to their hand in order to disarm them of the item.)
  Long Shot
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: Ranged Attack +1 AP
  You test the air and adjust accordingly, doubling the range that 
  your weapon is accurate to. (Shooting beyond that range takes 
  accuracy penalties as is normal for your weapon.)
  Penetrating Shot
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: Ranged Attack +1 ap
  You use your ranged weapon in such a way that their armor of-
  fers little protection. For the purposes of this attack, lower your 
  opponent’s soak class by 1 for every tier that you receive with your 
  marksmanship roll. This does not permanently affect the armor. 
  Ignores 1 soak class
  Ignores 2 soak class
  Ignores 3 soak class
  Ignores 4 soak class
  Point Blank
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: Ranged Attack +1 AP
  When your opponent’s up close, you don’t lose your calm. You 
  just shoot them. You can make a point blank attack when using 
  a ranged weapon against an adjacent opponent. You gain an im-
  mediate accuracy bonus for making the point blank attack.
  +3 accuracy
  +6 accuracy
  +9 accuracy
  +12 accuracy
  Seeker
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  By focusing in on the opponent, you can ignore their cover bo-
  nuses. Any time an opponent is being granted evade bonuses 
  from cover, you may ignore it up to your skill in marksmanship. 
  Thus, if they have light cover (granting them a +4 to evade) and 
  you have 3 points in marksmanship, they only receive a +1 to 
  evade.
  Snap Reload
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  You’ve been in enough gunfights that you’re quite proficient at 
  readying your firearms and crossbows. You can ready any firearm 
  or crossbow that you’re wielding for one less action point (to a 
  minimum of 0). If you are wielding two or more crossbows or 
  firearms, each one gains the reduction from snap reload.
  Pri
  +4
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +2
  
  136
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Sneaky Seconds
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 action points per turn
  You let off two shots so fast that, though they might evade the 
  first one, they’re going to run straight into the second. Sneaky 
  seconds activates immediately upon two consecutive ranged at-
  tacks being made in the same turn. Regardless of whether the 
  first attack hits or not, the second ranged attack gains a bonus to 
  its accuracy equal to your skill in marksmanship for determining 
  if it hits (damage remains the same). 
   
  Note: If you can make a third attack in the turn, it does 
  not gain the sneaky seconds bonus. That said, a fourth attack 
  would!
  Stable Shot
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 points in Brute
  You no longer need to be in footing stance to fire a super-heavy 
  bow, crossbow, or firearm. You may do it from a standing, normal 
  position. 
  Turret
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You find the perfect spot on the battlefield. You sweep around the 
  field, raise your rifle, and fire. Nothing’s going to get to you.
   
  While in this stance, you cannot move. You must be sta-
  tionary and on your feet (you cannot be mounted). If you move, 
  you fall out of your turret stance. For 2 action points reflexively, 
  you can make a ranged attack at anything that moves so much as 
  five feet toward you. 
   
  If anybody comes into a space adjacent to you, you can 
  make ranged attacks against them for 1 action point during your 
  turn and with a bonus to your damage class, if you hit.
  +1 damage class
  +2 damage class
  +3 damage class
  +4 damage class
  Warning Shot
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: as a Ranged Attack
  You can take a shot designed to miss, but also designed to scare 
  the gods out of the target. When you take a warning shot, no at-
  tack rolls are necessary - instead, you may roll your cunning to 
  intimidate the person from afar (see Social Tells in Chapter 1). 
  You gain a bonus on the intimidation roll equal to your skill in 
  marksmanship.
  Wing Clipping
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (if the method of flight is physical) or Sciences (if 
  the method of flight is mechanical)
  Cost: Ranged Attack +1 AP
  You take aim at a foe flying under their own power and shoot 
  them out of the sky. Use your skill in marksmanship in a roll-off 
  against their resist. If you meet or exceed their resist, you suc-
  cessfully disable their ability to fly. They will be able to fly again 
  once they either successfully resist or they hit ground. They can 
  attempt to resist for free at the end of their turn (when their action 
  points refresh) or by spending 1 action point at any time. 
   
  Note: If the target has multiple ways of flying, wing clip-
  ping will only disable one at a time. 
  p Archery Specialties M
  Arching Shot
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: Bow Attack +1 AP
  You can now make an arching shot. An arching shot is one in 
  which you launch your arrow higher into the air, planning for it to 
  come down at just the right spot to strike your opponent. When 
  using an arching shot, your bow can shoot accurately another 25 
  feet per point you have in your marksmanship skill. To make this 
  attack, you cannot have a ceiling within 100 feet,
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  
  137
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Efficient Ranger
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Marksmanship
  You nock your arrow, pull the string back, and release as though 
  you’ve been doing it since you were a wee babe. You may now 
  make attacks with heavy and super-heavy bows for 2 action points 
  instead of the normal 3.
  Flight of Arrows
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: Bow Attack +1 AP
  You release a flight of arrows, having nocked multiple arrows all 
  at once. Make your normal attack. If you hit, instead of doing 
  damage with your strike, you act as if you hit them multiple times 
  with tier 1 damage. Each arrow may be soaked by the opponent’s 
  defense.
  2 arrows that deal tier 1 damage
  3 arrows that deal tier 1 damage
  4 arrows that deal tier 1 damage
  5 arrows that deal tier 1 damage
  Note: A flight of arrows acts as multiple attacks for the purposes 
  of determining damage, but other abilities (such as other attack-
  modifying specialties or bow augments) only affect the target 
  once if they’re applied to the flight of arrows.
  p Bleeding Arrow Specialties M
  Flesh Biter
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  Cost: Bow Attack +1 AP
  You’ve got a knack for using arrows to make the target bleed out. 
  When making a flesh biter attack, the arrow causes the target to 
  start bleeding out. They’ll continue to bleed until they spend 1 ac-
  tion point to stop the bleeding (which will stop up to 5 points of 
  bleeding). The damage will incur at the end of their turn (when 
  their action points refresh).
  2 point of bleeding
  4 points of bleeding
  6 points of bleeding
  8 points of bleeding
  Flesh Piercing
  marksmanship speCiaLty
  reQuires: Flesh Biter specialty
  Your flesh biting arrows sink in, dealing excrutiating damage ev-
  ery turn until removed. Bleeding done from a flesh biter is dif-
  ficult to stop, and acts as though it is twice as much when at-
  tempting to stop. (Thus, if the target has 4 points of bleeding on 
  them from a flesh biter, it counts as 8 points for the purposes of 
  stopping the bleeding.)
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  
  138
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Adaptable
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: 2 stances known
  Your footwork is solid, your training and familiarity perfect, and 
  your stances have become second nature. You can always keep 
  one stance active and you cannot be forcibly removed from that 
  stance. When you enter a stance, you can designate it as your 
  background stance. By designating one as your background 
  stance, you can have two stances going at the same time, one as 
  your background stance and one as your normal stance. 
   
  If you have two stances active, they cannot be mutually 
  exclusive in any way. 
  Circle Attack
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively (when melee attacking)
  When the opponent attempts to deflect your attack, you bring 
  your blade around their protections and into their gut. When an 
  opponent attempts to deflect one of your melee attacks, you can 
  spend 1 action point in order to circle around their deflection. 
  This negates their deflection bonus. 
   
  If the opponent can make multiple deflections against 
  your attack, you may spend 1 action point per deflection to circle 
  around each one. 
  The swashbuckler specializes in fancy flour-
  ishes, graceful attacks, and absolutely domi-
  nating their opponent. Excelling in one-on-
  one opponents, a swashbuckler chooses their 
  target and shuts them down. The swashbuck-
  ling skill is designed for fast attacks that weave 
  through an opponent’s defenses and sink in 
  right through the ribcage.
  Swashbuckling includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Counter-Stance
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You may declare a counter-stance against one opponent. If at any 
  point you are attacked by the marked opponent, you can make 
  a reflexive attack for 1 action point against that opponent, even 
  before they finish their attack.
  Efficient Strike
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  Focusing on the weakest points of your opponent, you are able 
  to home in on their vitals. When you use an efficient strike, you 
  may add the number by which your accuracy roll exceeded your 
  target’s evade roll as a bonus to your strike.
  Fight Anywhere
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Hanging off railing and fighting with your sword in your teeth? 
  No problem! You no longer take penalties for fighting on uneven 
  surfaces, awkward terrain, in an unusual position, with your sword 
  in your teeth, or while hanging from a wall.
  Hilt Bash
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: 0 AP reflexively
  When somebody attempts to keep you down, you bash them in 
  the face. Any time an adjacent opponent attempts to negate an 
  attack you’re in the process of making, you may instantly make a 
  melee attack against them with the weapon you’re attacking with 
  at no cost. (And no, the hilt bash can’t be negated.)
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  
  139
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Opening
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Your keen senses notice when somebody stumbles and leaves 
  themself open. If anybody within melee range of you gets a 1 
  or lower on their evade (when being attacked by another person), 
  you can immediately attack them for 1 action point, using the 
  evade that they rolled to determine if you hit them.
  Precise Attack
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  A precise attack is one that has an improved chance of hitting. 
  You roll your accuracy multiple times and take the highest result 
  to determine if you hit. (If you roll a pure 12, continue rolling to 
  figure out what the final result is. The pure 12 and attached rolls 
  will only count as one roll.)
  You roll two dice
  You roll three dice
  You roll four dice
  You roll five dice
  Saluted Opponent
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  When you enter into this stance, you select one opponent and you 
  salute him. You gain a bonus on your melee accuracy rolls against 
  that opponent equal to your skill in swashbuckling. When you are 
  in this stance, you take a -2 on evade rolls against all attacks from 
  people other than your saluted opponent.
   
  To select a new opponent, you must renew your stance 
  for 1 action point
  Sword and Board
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You’re a wiz at fending off incoming attacks. While in this stance, 
  you can make one free deflection per turn. 
  Wild Slash
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: as a Melee Attack
  Instead of a normal melee attack, you can make a wild slash. 
  This is effectively the same as a melee attack, but you determine 
  your accuracy differently. Instead, roll two dice and don’t add your 
  accuracy. Add the results from the two dice, and that is your ac-
  curacy roll.
   
  If either die shows a 1, the entire roll is a 1. When using 
  a wild slash, 12s do not explode (that is, you do not re-roll 12s and 
  add the next number) unless both dice show 12s, in which case 
  you may roll both again and add the result to 24.
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Stk
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  
  140
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +2
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  p En-Garde Specialties M
  En-Garde
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You may only enter this stance when you are wielding a melee 
  weapon in one hand and have the other hand empty, perhaps for 
  balance or perhaps for grabbing things coming your way. While in 
  the en-garde stance, you can take no penalties on your accuracy 
  rolls with melee attacks, and you gain a +4 on all accuracy rolls 
  for reflexive attacks. If you switch weapons or are disarmed, you 
  exit this stance.
  Find the Gap
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: En-Garde specialty & 8 skill points in Swashbuckling
  Armor? Pah! That stuff stands no chance against your fine blade. 
  While in your En-Garde stance, any time you hit an opponent, 
  their soak class is lowered by 1 point for every 8 skill points you 
  have in Swashbuckling for the purposes of the attack. 
  Lightning Slash
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: En-Garde specialty & 16 skill points in Swashbuckling
  Cost: 1 AP
  While in your en-garde stance, you can make lightning slashes 
  for 1 action point apiece. A lightning slash is similar to a normal 
  melee attack, except that it costs 1 action point and you add your 
  skill in swashbuckling in place of your strike in order to deter-
  mine your damage. A lightning slash must be using a one-handed 
  melee weapon and does not count as an attack. A lightning slash 
  cannot be used in conjunction with any other modifying specialty 
  that allows for “attack +1 AP,” as you are no longer making an at-
  tack but a lightning slash.
  p Flickering Specialties M
  Flickering
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: One-Handed Melee Attack +1 AP
  Sometimes the last thing the opponent ever sees is your hand 
  going for your weapon. Your attacks are like a flicker, getting in 
  multiple strikes all at once. Make your normal accuracy roll. If 
  you hit, instead of doing damage with your strike, you act as if 
  you hit them multiple times with tier 1 damage. Unfortunately, 
  each “attack” may be soaked by the opponent’s defense.
  2 attacks that deal tier 1 damage
  3 attacks that deal tier 1 damage
  5 attacks that deal tier 1 damage
  7 attacks that deal tier 1 damage
  Note: A flickering attack acts as multiple attacks for the purposes 
  of determining damage, but other abilities (such as other attack-
  modifying specialties or weapon augments) only affect the target 
  once if they’re applied to the flickering attack. 
  Torrent of Steel
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: Flickering specialty & 25 skill points in Swashbuckling
  Cost: Flickering +2 AP
  Small scrapes and scratches? No longer: your flickering attacks 
  blend the opponent into bloodied pieces. Your flickering attacks 
  each deal tier 2 damage.  
  
  141
  Chapter 8
  Dexterity
  p Footwork Specialties M
  Footwork Training
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  At the end of any turn during which you move, you receive a bo-
  nus to your accuracy and evade. Roll your swashbuckling at the 
  end of any turn in which you move, and you gain a bonus to your 
  accuracy and evade until the end of your next turn (when your 
  action points refresh).
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  Fancy Footwork
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: Footwork Training specialty
  You are no longer a trainee: your footwork is that of a master. 
  From now on, when determing your footwork training bonus, use 
  the fancy footwork chart.
  +3
  +4
  +5
  +6
  p Parry & Riposte Specialties M
  Parry
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  When you are hit in melee with an attack that deals tier 1 damage, 
  you have the option of parrying as a reflex. Roll accuracy and 
  add your skill in swashbuckling, and, if you score higher than the 
  accuracy roll that hit you, you negate the blow.
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Beat Parry
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: Parry specialty
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: Parry +1 AP
  When you parry, you smash the opponent’s weapon so hard they 
  have a difficult time keeping grasp of it. When you do a beat 
  parry, your parry also acts like a called shot to the hand primarily 
  holding the weapon attacking you. 
  Distance Parry
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: Parry specialty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You don’t parry with your blade. Oh no, you parry by simply not 
  being in the place they’re attacking. You can parry by moving. It 
  works exactly as a parry, except that you may also immediately 
  move. 
   
  Because you’re moving, you cannot distance parry and 
  then riposte. 
  Experienced Parries
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: Parry specialty & 9 skill points in Swashbuckling
  Cost: 1 (or more) AP
  You’re no longer restricted to parrying the tier 1 attacks - you can 
  push off the best of blows. You can attempt to parry any attack, 
  but you must spend 1 action point per tier of the attack’s damage. 
  (Thus, if an attack is dealing tier 3 damage, you’ll need to use 3 
  action points in order to attempt the parry.)
  Riposte
  swashBuCkLing speCiaLty
  reQuires: Parry specialty
  When you successfully parry an attack, you can then immedi-
  ately make a reflexive attack against the person you parried for 
  no additional action points cost. You may upgrade the riposte as 
  per a normal attack, but the upgrades cost action points as per 
  normal.
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +8
  Pri
  +3
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  
  142
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  The Spirit Attribute includes these skills:
   
   
   
   
  Faith
   
   
   
   
  graCe
   
   
   
   
  LuCk
   
   
   
   
  shamanism
  spirit
  Chapter 9
  
  143
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Spirit breaks the limits within oneself. You use spirit when attempting to focus yourself, resisting ethereal 
  forces, or when praying for aid from deities. With spirit, you can push for the stars, keep on going no matter 
  what, and always believe in your path.
  What can you do with your spirit attribute? 
  Concentration
  You stay focused on your task. Whether it be staying conscious 
  after being drugged, refusing to let a silver-tongued charmer ma-
  nipulate you, or focusing on an elusive target in a loud and crowd-
  ed space, Concentration allows you to weed out what you don’t 
  need to be paying attention to and puts all your mind towards 
  achieving your goal. 
  You lose track of what you were doing.
  You are able to shut out some of the extraneous noise. 
  You can see your objective, but you’re not fully able to 
  keep your eyes on them.
  You have your target locked in your sights but your focus 
  could still be broken by external stimuli.
  Everything else in the world fades away. All you see is 
  your objective and how to grasp it.  
  narrator: Determining DistraCtions
  If the player is in a grey room with no decorations and only 
  one other person, concentrating on them should be rather easy. 
  However, if the player finds themself in the middle of a crowd-
  ed, noisy market and the target is wearing the uniform of a 
  town guard, keeping track of them will be a lot harder. Keep 
  this in mind when determining bonuses and penalties. 
  Heroics
  attempt Cost: Any resist +1 AP (reflexively)
  Those who use spirit have little that they can do with it alone, but 
  a strong spirit can save a person in times of duress. Any time you 
  make a resist roll (or are making an attribute roll at a critical time, 
  as per your narrator’s discretion), you can attempt to do so hero-
  ically. This requires an extra action point, but will give you either 
  a bonus or a penalty, depending on how well your spirit is rolled. 
  Once you’ve rolled your spirit, you can roll the other attribute nor-
  mally - but now you get the following modifier on that roll:
  -4
  +2
  +6
  +12
  
  144
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Faith includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Faith is a powerful tool, and it’s one you can 
  utilize to make your foes wish they had half as 
  much faith as you. Regardless of where your 
  faith comes from or toward what goals you put 
  it, your devotion to a cause manifests itself in 
  your actions. A person of faith can reinvigo-
  rate allies, move through obstacles as though 
  they don’t exist, and survive far longer than 
  what the faithless think possible. 
  Blind Faith
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 6 skill points in Faith
  Cost: same as an Attack
  You lash out without hesitation, believing that your next attack 
  is going to land true. When making an unaltered attack (as in, 
  no other specialties are applied to it, including those that do not 
  use action points, such as Critical Hits in Espionage), you may 
  use your skill in Faith in place of your accuracy bonus for the 
  accuracy roll.
  Conviction
  Faith speCiaLty
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Cost: Attack +1 AP
  Any time you are attacking a corrupted creatures, such as those 
  who have risen from the dead, automatons, or horrible abomina-
  tions, you can attack with conviction. If the target fails to resist, 
  all of their damage soak is negated.
  Divine Guidance
  Faith speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  You close your eyes and guide your injured ally through faith 
  alone. You can eliminate all status penalties on a person for one 
  turn by giving them divine guidance at the beginning of their 
  turn. Divine guidance negates penalties from wounds, status ef-
  fects, stuns, et cetera. (It does not negate fatal effects.) Any pen-
  alties incurred during their turn begin when their action points 
  refresh, and all of their normal penalties return to them. 
  Flowing Vigor
  Faith speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP to begin and 1 AP to channel
  You channel life back into an ally within 25 feet, replenishing 
  their hit points. When you begin Flowing Vigor, you spend 2 ac-
  tion points and roll on the tier chart. Thereafter, you may heal that 
  amount of hit points again for only 1 action point. You may con-
  tinue the channel through your turn and into consecutive turns, 
  but if you take any action other than channeling and moving, 
  Flowing Vigor is broken and must be begun anew.
  2 hit points
  4 hit points
  6 hit points
  8 hit points
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Stk
  +2
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  
  145
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Grief & Hope
  Faith speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP (1 AP sacrifices)
  The healing power of grief and hope can be an awesome sight to 
  behold. You can channel that energy to reinvigorate ailing allies. 
  For three action points, you can call upon your allies within 25 feet 
  to give you their grief and hope in order to save another. When 
  you do this, you can roll your faith to heal 3 hit points per tier you 
  reach. The target of the healing can be any ally within 25 feet. 
  Restores 3 hit points
  Restores 6 hit points
  Restores 9 hit points
  Restores 12 hit points
  For each action point an ally gives you, the amount of hit points 
  the target heals increases by 2 per tier. Thus, if two people sac-
  rifice an action point each for your channeled healing, the target 
  will heal 7 hit points per tier your faith roll receives.
   
  Each ally may only sacrifice 1 action point for any given 
  usage of Grief & Hope.
  Healing Halo
  Faith speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Everyone around you draws upon your divine energies. At the 
  end of every turn that you are in your healing halo stance, you 
  and your living allies within 25 feet regain a small amount of hit 
  points. You and your allies gain 1 hit point, plus 1 for every 5 skill 
  points you have in faith, at the end of every turn that you spent in 
  healing halo (when your action points refresh).
  Infallible Faith
  Faith speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively (1 AP sacrifices)
  Your allies’ belief in you is infalliable, their faith ensuring that 
  you never fail. You may use infallible faith whenever you must 
  roll a resist. You immediately gain a +2 bonus on the resist. Every 
  ally within 25 feet may also sacrifice a single action point to you, 
  increasing the bonus by another +3 per sacrificing ally. 
  Moral Support
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: a Spirit of 8
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  When a friend is in need, you can push them forward to greater 
  feats of heroism. Any time you know of an ally within 25 feet be-
  ing forced to use an attribute as a resist or in some momentary 
  peril (such as having to jump a chasm or wrestle free a powerful 
  device from a crazed maniac), you may roll your heroics (found 
  under the Spirit attribute) and give them the bonus. If you roll 
  poorly and receive a penalty as per your heroics result, that pen-
  alty is applied on your ally’s attribute roll, regardless of whether 
  they want it there or not.  
  Prayer
  Faith speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP (1 AP sacrifices)
  With your allies on each side of you, you know you’re able to 
  push onward with only their prayers. When you begin the prayer, 
  you roll on the chart, granting yourself temporary hit points. For 
  each action point an ally gives you, roll again on the chart. Each 
  ally may only sacrifice 1 action point for your prayer and must be 
  within 25 feet to do so. Prayer may not be used again until these 
  temporary hit points are gone. If you were damaged at the time 
  the prayer begin, these hit points instead act as healing.
  Gain 2 temporary hit point
  Gain 3 temporary hit points
  Gain 4 temporary hit points
  Gain 5 temporary hit points
  Purify
  Faith speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP
  By laying your hands on yourself or an ally, your devotion al-
  lows your target to ignore the penalties from an ongoing poison, 
  disease, parasite, called shot, wound, or other effect for a number 
  of turns equal to your skill in faith. The target can not be puri-
  fied again until the effects of the first purification wear off. If the 
  effect of the penalty would have naturally worn off during the 
  time the purification was occuring, it does not resume once the 
  purification ends.
  Ignore 1 effect
  Ignore up to 2 effects
  Ignore up to 3 effects
  Ignore all effects
  
  146
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +11
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +2
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Shock of Life
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 10 skill points in Faith
  Cost: 2 AP
  When times seem dire, you know how to shock somebody back 
  into existence. You instantly heal, through touch, a number of hit 
  points equal to twice your skill in faith. This burst of energy, how-
  ever, has some negative effects on the target. You roll your faith 
  to determine how minor the negative effects are. A target may, at 
  their discretion, ignore the Shock of Life altogether, though this 
  must be decided prior to the faith roll.
  Target is stunned for 3 AP
  Target is stunned for 2 AP
  Target is stunned for 1 AP
  Target suffers no ill effect
  p AP Sacrifice Upgrade Specialties M
  Devoted Peers
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: any specialty that calls upon sacrificial action points
  Your friends are loyal and devoted like few others. When you call 
  upon them to sacrifice their action points for your specialties, 
  they may sacrifice up to two action points each.  
  Self-Sacrifice
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 action points per turn & any specialty that calls upon 
  sacrificial action points
  Your faith is so strong that it alone can guide your attacks. When 
  you call upon others to sacrifice action points to your specialties, 
  you may sacrifice your own action points as well. You, however, 
  are not limited, and may sacrifice as many action points as you 
  have available to you.
  Silent Devotion
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: any specialty that calls upon sacrificial action points
  Your beliefs do not need to be yelled, exclaimed, or shouted. 
  When you call upon others to sacrifice action points to you, you 
  do so by your willpower alone. You may now ask for your allies’ 
  sacrifices with complete silence and no outward visual or audible  
  cues to your foes.   
  p Champion Specialties M
  Appointed Champion
  Faith speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You mark a nearby ally as your champion and channel your faith 
  into him. While in this stance, any time said champion would 
  need to make a spirit roll, he may choose to let you roll for him 
  and apply your spirit attribute’s bonus.
  Conduit of Faith
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: Appointed Champion specialty
  You draw the breath from nearby allies and empower your cham-
  pion. Anyone within 25 feet may sacrifice their last action point 
  they have for the turn (at the end of their turn, when their action 
  points refresh) to your appointed champion. It must be their last 
  action point, and the action point is immediately added to the ap-
  pointed champion’s pool of action points.
  p Inquisition Specialties M
  Proclaim the Heretic
  Faith speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You proclaim an enemy to be a heretic, an unfaithless vagabond, 
  and now no one will lose their courage against him. Choose a 
  single opponent when you enter this stance. When that heretic 
  attacks you or one of your allies, you or the ally can spend 1 ac-
  tion point in order to roll the spirit attribute instead of defense in 
  order to determine damage soaked. 
   
  To proclaim a different heretic, you will need to change 
  stance (costing 1 action point).
  Light in the Dark
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: Proclaim the Heretic specialty
  Your allies are protected by your faith when confronting the her-
  etic. You and all of your allies may choose to use your spirit in 
  place of their defense bonus when soaking damage dealt by the 
  proclaimed heretic. Making this choice does not cost anybody 
  any action points. 
  
  147
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  p Smiting Specialties M
  Smite
  Faith speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP (1 AP sacrifices)
  Your allies’ belief in your attack guides your hand against the un-
  faithful. You call for your allies’ faith, and their prayers give your 
  attack strength. When you begin to make a smite, you call for 
  your allies within 25 feet to sacrifice 1 action point in order to em-
  power your attack. Any ally who can hear you (or knows that you 
  called for their belief) and is within range can, reflexively, sacrifice 
  the action point. If your attack lands, your attack deals damage 
  as if it were one damage class higher for every action point an 
  ally sacrificed to you. If nobody sacrificed an action point for the 
  smite, it is treated like a normal attack. 
   
  An ally can only sacrifice one action point per smite, and 
  if the smite misses, the sacrificed action points are simply lost. 
  Assured Success
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: Smite specialty
  When you smite your foes, your blade is guided by faith into the 
  enemy. For every action point sacrificed for your smite, the attack 
  gains a +1 on the accuracy roll.  
  Impassioned Victory
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 17 skill points in Faith & Smite specialty
  When your smite fells an evil foe, the attack is inspiring and leads 
  your allies on to greater deeds. When your smite kills or incapaci-
  tates the person being attacked, all of those who sacrificed action 
  points to empower your smite instantly regain those sacrificed 
  action points.
  Smiting Shot
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: Smite specialty
  Your allies’ faith steadies your shot and flies with the bullet. You 
  may now make ranged smites, be it with a bow, firearm, or other 
  ranged weapon.
  Zealous Smite
  Faith speCiaLty
  reQuires: Smite specialty & 7 skill points in Faith
  Your smite does not merely deal great destruction but is also 
  a weapon of finesse and a tool of your faith. Any action point 
  sacrificed to your smite can, instead of increasing your attack’s 
  damage class, be used like a normal action point for modifying 
  the attack with another specialty that you know. 
   
  For example, if you have the Conviction specialty (nor-
  mally made as an attack +1 AP) and you make a Smite, you can 
  convert one of the action points sacrificed to you in order to make 
  your Smite into a Smite with Conviction.  
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  
  148
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Bloodsoak 
  graCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Grace
  Your blood does not flow freely at another person’s convenience. 
  Through unearthly bodily training, you can keep yourself from 
  bleeding from deep gashes. When you would suffer bleeding 
  damage, you may ignore 1 point per 4 skill points you have in 
  Grace.
  Connection
  graCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  When you lock eyes with an opponent, they cannot easily break 
  the gaze. To make this connection, an opponent within 100 feet 
  makes a spirit roll opposed by your grace. If you succeed, their 
  gaze is locked with yours. They cannot move behind any cover 
  that would break the gaze or attack anybody else. If somebody 
  or something walks between the two of you, that will give the 
  opponent an automatic and free resist to break the gaze. The op-
  ponent can back away (moving with a -10 feet move penalty), and 
  the connection is automatically broken at 100 feet.
   
  If the opponent is actively avoiding your gaze (poten-
  tially because they know you have this ability), you might need to 
  be creative in order to force them to look toward you. If a connec-
  tion is made through a mirror, the connected people must stay at 
  that angle or the connection is lost. 
  Danger Sense
  graCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Grace
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively (to warn others)
  When a sniper locks onto you from a thousand feet away, you can 
  feel it in your bones and through the chill on your neck. When 
  you or an adjacent ally are about to be attacked, roll your grace 
  against the first attacker’s cunning. If your grace meets or ex-
  ceeds their cunning, you may have your hit points up and make a 
  full evade roll against the attack.
   
  If you spend 1 action point reflexively, you may warn 
  others in your vicinity so that they have the same bonus. This 
  warning is done as the attack is launched, so an opponent cannot 
  stop his first attack from going off after the warning is given.
  Destabilize
  graCe speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity or Spirit (target’s discretion, tiers down)
  Cost: Attack +1 AP
  Your attack disrupts their center of gravity, ensuring that they 
  won’t be able to enter a stance for several moments. If the op-
  ponent is in a stance, they are knocked out of it unless they can 
  resist against your skill in grace. 
   
  If the target is not in a stance, however, the target can-
  not enter a stance until they spend some action points to stabilize 
  again. 
  Destabilized until 1 action point is spent to stabilize 
  Destabilized until 2 action points are spent to stabilize
  Destabilized until 3 action points are spent to stabilize
  Destabilized until 4 action points are spent to stabilize
  Grace includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Grace is understanding yourself and bypassing 
  your inner limits. Those fully serene are often 
  known for their seemingly super-human abilities, 
  their ability to ignore pain, ignore barriers, and do 
  things that simply aren’t considered possible for 
  other people. Is grace magic? No, at least that’s 
  what the practitioners of grace will say. Grace is 
  simply the wisdom of knowing your limits and 
  how to bypass them.
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +2
  Pri
  +5
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  
  149
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Dispel Pain
  graCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  When an opponent successful lands a called shot on you, you can 
  dispel the pain. Doing so allows you to re-roll the resist, and you 
  add your grace to the roll.
  Force of Self
  graCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Your aura is so powerful that nobody can even come close to 
  you. When you enter this stance, anybody attempting to step into 
  an adjacent space to you must make a successful resist. If they 
  cannot make the resist, they can spend another action point in 
  order to try again. If somebody is already standing next to you, 
  they are unaffected. However, if you and anybody adjacent to you 
  is separated, and they try to move next to you again, they must 
  again succeed in rolling the resist.  You can allow allies to stand 
  next to you. 
  Inner Calm
  graCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  You center yourself, calming your emotions and focusing your 
  mind. While you are in your inner calm stance, you cannot be dis-
  oriented. If you become disoriented while outside of this stance, 
  you may enter this stance to end the disorientation.
  Iron Palm
  graCe speCiaLty
  Cost: Unarmed Called Shot +1 AP
  When you hit the opponent, your attack sends ripples through 
  their body, activating multiple called shot effects as if you had hit 
  each one separately. When you make a called shot with your iron 
  palm, your called shot affects multiple locations.
  Affects called shot and an adjacent location of your choice
  Affects called shot and two adjacent locations
  Affects called shot and any two called shot locations
  Affects called shot and any three called shot locations
  Master of Forms
  graCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 6 skill points in Grace & 2 stances known
  You can enter multiple stances, gaining all of their effects. You 
  can have one stance active per 3 skill points you have in grace. 
  You must enter each one separately (spending 1 action point for 
  each stance). Of course, you cannot enter two mutually-exclusive 
  stances. For instance, if a stance says that you cannot move while 
  in that stance, you cannot be in another stance that requires you 
  to move every turn.
  Parting Waves
  graCe speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Any time you successfully evade an attack from a melee weapon, 
  you can reflexively spend 1 action points in order to disarm the 
  opponent of the weapon they attacked you with. They must make 
  a dexterity resist against your skill in grace in order to keep their 
  weapon. If they fail, the weapon clatters to their feet. 
  Shocking Soul
  graCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: 9 skill points in Grace
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  If you are successfully struck by a melee attack, you can imme-
  diately channel the power of your soul through their weapon and 
  into your assailant. The enemy takes 1 unsoakable damage per 
  point you have in grace.
  Spirit Break
  graCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You focus your mind and your thoughts, reaching out to the peo-
  ple around you. Every time someone rolls their Spirit attribute 
  within 25 feet of you, you may lower the result of the roll by your 
  grace.
  
  150
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Spiritual Seal
  graCe speCiaLty
  Cost: Attack +1 AP
  Your attack can seal the spirit on another person, causing them 
  to be unable to tap into their strength of will. The target of your 
  attack takes a penalty on all of their spirit skills (faith, grace, 
  luck, and shamanism) and the spirit attribute until the end of 
  your next turn.
  -3
  -6
  -9
  -12
  Void Strike
  graCe speCiaLty
  resist: Spirit (as evade; see below)
  Cost: Melee Attack +1 AP
  You can guide your ki along the path of your strike, creating a 
  sharp wave that rends through the target. Your melee attack can 
  target those an additional 5 feet away from you per point you have 
  in Grace. Because of the nature of this attack, the target may 
  choose to use his Spirit in place of his evade in order to avoid the 
  attack. If they have a poor spirit, they may use their evade as per 
  normal.
  p Ki-Unleashing Specialties M
  Ki Flow
  graCe speCiaLty
  resist: Brute or Spirit (negates, target’s discretion)
  Cost: 2 AP
  Through meditation and will, you have refined the control of your 
  internal energy. Your spirit strains against your flesh, manifesting 
  itself in moments of duress. Enemy’s near you are pushed away 
  from you when you manifest your ki flow.
  Enemies within 5 feet of you must resist being pushed 
  away 5 feet. 
  Enemies within 10 feet of you must resist being pushed 
  away 5 feet. 
  Enemies within 15 feet of you must make resist being 
  pushed away 5 feet. 
  Enemies within 20 feet of you must resist being pushed 
  away 5 feet. 
  Ki Rage
  graCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: Ki Flow specialty
  Cost: Ki Flow +1 AP (3 AP total)
  The ki pressure that surrounds you has taken on a life of its own. 
  When you release your ki flow on the battlefield, it damages all 
  enemies that are affected by it. In addition to being pushed back, 
  they also take a few points of unsoakable damage.
  3 damage
  6 damage
  9 damage
  12 damage
  
  151
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  p Light-as-Air Specialties M
  Feather in the Wind
  graCe speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP (as a normal move)
  You may move across the air, over water, and skip across lava as 
  though you were completely weightless. When you move like this, 
  you can only move your normal speed weightlessly, and it must 
  be a horizontal direction (you cannot move upwards). You may 
  spend your next action point to continue moving weightlessly, 
  but during that brief second between moving weightlessly, your 
  weight returns. If you are falling when you activate weightless-
  ness, you remain falling, but can move your speed horizontally. 
   
  Any penalties you have to speed (such as from armor or 
  crippling attacks) affect your weightless speed. 
  Weightless
  graCe speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  reQuires: Feather in the Wind specialty
  When you are standing in a single spot, you can control your 
  body’s weight so that it is at equilibrium with its surroundings. 
  If you are on water in your weightless stance, you will not sink. 
  If you are in the air, in your weightless stance, you will not fall. 
  If you stop moving weightlessly while in this stance (with your 
  Feather in the Wind specialty), your weight does not return.
   
  If you are trying to enter this stance under duressed 
  conditions (such as while falling), you may do so for 2 action 
  points, and may do so reflexively. 
   
  You cannot jump from a point that would not normally 
  support your weight, such as from the surface of a pond or on the 
  edge of a palm leaf. 
  p Paralyzing Specialties M
  Touch of Paralysis
  graCe speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (negates)
  Cost: Unarmed Attack +2 AP
  You strike out at major nerve clusters and pressure points, twist-
  ing the target into a statue of agony. When you hit the target with 
  touch of paralysis, you also roll to determine the tier. The target 
  is allowed to resist against a roll of your grace every time they 
  would take damage from the paralysis, and, once successfully re-
  sisted, the effect ends. A person can be effected by only one touch 
  of paralysis at any given time, with the greater result overtaking 
  the previous.
  The target takes 1 point of damage every time they try 
  to move.
  The target takes 3 points of damage every time they try 
  to move.
  The target takes 5 points of damage every time they try 
  to move.
  The target takes 7 points of damage every time they try 
  to move.
  Blocked Ki
  graCe speCiaLty
  reQuires: Touch of Paralysis specialty
  resist: Brute or Spirit (target’s discretion, tiers down)
  Cost: Unarmed Attack +1 AP
  You strike one of your opponent’s chakra points, disrupting their 
  natural energy flow. This causes a massive blockage that explodes 
  in pain when the opponent makes even the slightest of move-
  ments. The opponent receives 1 point of unsoakable damage with 
  each action point they spend. The opponent may spend the indi-
  cated amount of action point meditating, trying to unblock their 
  blocked ki. 
  1 AP to unblock the ki channel
  2 AP to unblock the ki channel
  3 AP to unblock the ki channel
  4 AP to unblock the ki channel
  
  152
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Confident in your Luck
  LuCk speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You know the odds. You know that you’re oozing out good luck. 
  When you so choose, you may use your skill in luck in place of 
  any other resist. Is somebody trying to push you around and you 
  need a Brute resist to get out of it? Just spend 1 action point to 
  use your skill in luck in place of your Brute attribute.
  Don’t Tell Me the Odds
  LuCk speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  You refuse to accept a bad hand dealt by fate and push on to suc-
  ceed. You can spend 1 action point reflexively to get a +1 on any 
  roll, but you can only use it if the bonus will raise your roll high 
  enough that it will reach a higher tier result. This bonus increases 
  by +1 for every 10 points you have in luck.
  Luck includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Luck is everywhere. Everyone has it. Some 
  people have phenomenal luck, others are 
  commonly out on their luck. You, however, 
  know how to make your own luck. Now, it’s 
  often a gamble, but when you win, you win 
  big. Lucky people manipulate their own fate, 
  sticking their necks on the line and hoping 
  to persevere. The winners become the best, 
  and the losers, well, they often die. 
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Cheat Fate
  LuCk speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  Using your natural luck, you are able to prevent certain outcomes 
  from being rolled. When you enter this stance, choose a single 
  number from 2 to 11. If anybody near you rolls the number you 
  chose, they must re-roll it. If the same number is rolled on the 
  re-roll, it is kept. 
  Equalizing Force
  LuCk speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  Luck is the great balancer, bringing good luck to the misfortu-
  nate and bad luck to the fortunate. You can use equalizing force 
  whenever you see somebody roll a die. For 2 action points, you 
  change the die rolled to a 6. 
   
  If the target had rolled a 12, the 12 is now a 6 but they 
  roll again and add the results. If they had rolled a 1, it is now a 6, 
  but they can’t add any of their bonuses to the 6. Now, a 6 is a 6 
  is a 6. This specialty cannot be used to alter wound effect or fatal 
  effect rolls or any roll that requires a random die roll. 
  Hex
  LuCk speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity or Spirit (target’s discretion, negates)
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  When your enemies are moving toward you, there’s always some 
  loose piece of rubble or a stray twig that trips them up. For 2 ac-
  tion points, when anybody is moving directly toward you and is 
  within 25 feet, you can cause them to trip. They make an opposed 
  resist against your luck roll. If you meet or exceed their resist, 
  they fall to the ground and are prone (normally costing an action 
  point to stand up).  
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  
  153
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Jackpot
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Luck
  Lucky hits are rare to find, so you squeeze them for all their 
  worth. When rolling strike or accuracy to determine damage, in-
  crease your damage class by 2 every time you roll a pure 12. This 
  damage class increase only affects the one attack.
  Jinx
  LuCk speCiaLty
  Any time you are attacked, you can jinx that opponent. To do 
  so, you willingly take a 1 on the evade and defense rolls of the 
  incoming attack, letting them land a full blow against you. You 
  can only choose to do this if you would have gained the full bo-
  nuses to your evade and defense in the first place. Your attacker 
  is now jinxed. The next time they are attacked (be it from you or 
  an ally), you may add your skill in luck to either the accuracy or 
  strike roll.  
  Roll of the Dice
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: Any 1 other specialty from the Luck skill
  The fates of fortune seem drawn to you, giving you every op-
  portunity to take a gamble. At the begining of your turn you can 
  make one free roll for the sole purpose of activating one of your 
  other luck specialties. Dice rolled this way can be stored without 
  spending action points.
  Roulette
  LuCk speCiaLty
  Cost: Attack +1 AP
  The more you’re willing to risk, the greater the rewards. When you 
  announce your attack choose a number ranging from 1 through 
  12. Now roll your die without adding anything to it. If you get 
  that number or higher, you get the number you chose as a bonus 
  on your accuracy roll. If you get under that number, you resolve 
  the attack as per normal.
  Spot of Misfortune
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Luck
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Cost: 2 AP to create, 1 AP reflexively to enact
  You know when an area is filled with bad luck. Choose a 5 foot 
  spot within 25 feet of you. Any time somebody makes a combat 
  roll (accuracy, evade, strike, or defense) while in that spot, you 
  may spend 1 action point to cause them to take a 1 on that roll. 
  They can resist with their spirit opposed by your skill in luck. 
   
  When you use spot of misfortune on an opponent, they 
  get a feeling that they’re standing in an unlucky location. You can 
  make one such location for every 3 points you have in luck.
   
  You can create a spot of misfortune inside a vehicle only 
  if the vehicle has a cockpit larger than 10 feet by 10 feet. Other-
  wise, the vehicle is simply inside the spot of misfortune and can 
  move out of it. 
  p Failure Avoidance Specialties M
  Free from Failure
  LuCk speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  reQuires: 6 skill points in Luck
  While you might still do poorly, you have confidence that you’ll 
  never fail completely. While in this stance, your natural 1s are not 
  1s. You may still add appropriate bonuses to rolls of 1. You may 
  only do this if you rolled the 1 - having a specialty or effect that 
  causes you to take an effective 1 can’t be affected by Free from 
  Failure. 
  Steady Friends
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: 10 skill points in Luck & Free from Failure specialty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Your confidence extends to your friends and allies. When an ally 
  within 25 feet rolls a natural 1 and you are in your Free from Fail-
  ure stance, you may allow your ally to add their normal bonuses 
  to the natural 1.
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  
  154
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Leading the Lucky Life
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: Ace Up My Sleeve specialty
  Cost: 1 AP
  You cash in on your saved fortune for a rush of revitalizing en-
  ergy. When using Ace Up My Sleeve to store pure 12s, you can 
  instead use 1 action point to remove one of your saved 12s and roll 
  your luck to restore your hit points.
  You restore 7 hit points
  You restore 14 hit points
  You restore 21 hit points
  You restore 28 hit points
  Second Chance
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: Ace Up My Sleeve specialty
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  When things look their darkest you always seem to luck out of 
  the deadly blows. When hit by an attack which would normally 
  give you a fatal effect and you’ve stored a pure 12 with Ace Up My 
  Sleeve, you can spend 1 reflexive action point and a stored 12 to 
  recieve a wound effect instead of recieving the fatal effect. The 
  attacker may roll a spirit resist to negate this effect.
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  p Foul Luck Specialties M
  Curse
  LuCk speCiaLty
  resist: Spirit (negates) 
  Cost: 1 AP to store, 1 AP reflexively to use
  Your streaks of bad luck cause people to avoid you for fear of 
  your bad vibes rubbing off on to them. When you roll a 1 in 
  combat, you may spend 1 action point to save that roll. Your roll 
  remains a natural 1. 
   
  You may spend one action point to give another person 
  within 50 feet the same result. They roll their spirit against your 
  skill in luck to resist this effect. You may store a number of 1s 
  equal to 1 plus 1 per 3 skill points you have in luck. These 1s are 
  stored until your next breather and may only be used on any dice 
  rolled during combat.
  Fumble
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: Curse specialty
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP 
  Your foe gets overly excited and drops their weapon before they’re 
  even able to deliver an attack. When you’ve stored natural 1s with 
  curse, you can spend an action point and one of your stored natu-
  ral 1s to roll your luck against a target within 25 feet. If they fail to 
  resist, they drop their weapon as if they had been disarmed.
  p Luck Holder Specialties M
  Ace Up My Sleeve
  LuCk speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively to grab the die, 1 AP to use
  You’ve become strategic in your use of luck. You’re able to store 
  your successes and use them at more opportune times. Any time 
  you roll a pure 12 on a combat roll, you can store it. To do this 
  you must leave the die where it landed with the 12 showing and 
  announce to the table that you are storing that pure 12. You then 
  re-roll for the roll that you saved the die on. 
   
  You can use a saved pure 12 on any combat roll. 
   
  You must use the saved pure 12 before your next breath-
  er. You can save one pure 12, plus an additional pure 12 per 4 skill 
  points you have in luck. 
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  
  155
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Eva
  +2
  HP
  +5
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +2
  p Ranged Evading Specialties M
  Feeling Lucky
  LuCk speCiaLty
  resist: Spirit (tiers down)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Ranged marksmanship and archery weapons have a habit of not 
  working when they’re used to kill you. Hopefully that luck con-
  tinues. When being fired upon by a ranged weapon, the opponent 
  is allowed to resist. If they fail, roll your tier to determine the ill 
  effect that happens to them.
  You roll twice on your evade and take the highest result.
  The weapon fails to fire.
  The weapon fails to fire and the ammo is destroyed. The 
  weapon must be readied again, if applicable.
  The weapon backfires, dealing tier 1 damage to the user.
  Unfriendly Fire
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: Feeling Lucky specialty
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: 2 AP reflexively
  Sometimes your enemies miss you. Sometimes their guns misfire. 
  Sometimes they explode in their hands. And sometimes your en-
  emies accidently shoot each other. This specialty makes the latter 
  happen more often.
   
  When you are shot at with a firearm, crossbow, or bow, 
  you can attempt to make the attack unfriendly fire for 2 action 
  points. Choose a target within 10 feet of you. They are the new 
  target of the shot.
   
  The original attacker still determines if they hit against 
  the new target’s evade, but you roll your luck in order to deter-
  mine what tier of damage is done. For every tier that the original 
  attacker rolls their resist above tier 1, they lower the damage by 1 
  tier. The new target can attempt to soak damage, as per normal.
   
  If the attack was special (that is, had specialties modi-
  fying it), all of the specialty modifiers are lost and the attack 
  becomes a normal attack. The original attacker keeps the extra 
  action points required to make the attack special.
  Unfriendly Artillery
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: Feeling Lucky specialty & Unfriendly Fire specialty
  When your divert an attack into a new target through sheer luck 
  alone, it has the potential to be very powerful. Your unfriendly fire 
  no longer loses the specialty modifiers from the original attack, 
  and the original attacker does not regain their action points from 
  adding those specialty modifiers.
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  p Lucky #7 Specialties M
  Lucky Number 7
  LuCk speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  You have a habit of getting twice as many pure rolls as anyone 
  else. Any time your die rolls a 7, it becomes a “pure 7,” and you 
  may roll again and add the results. Fancy that!
  Luckier Number 7
  LuCk speCiaLty
  reQuires: Lucky Number 7 specialty & 16 skill points in Luck
  Not only are natural 7s lucky for you, they are overwhelmingly 
  lucky. Now, when you are in your Lucky Number 7 stance and 
  roll a 7, you can pick up the 7 and put it down as a 12. 7s equal 12s. 
  And then you can re-roll them.
  
  156
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Shamanism includes
  the following
  specialties:
  Shamanism is related to nature, the earth, 
  and everything organic. The shaman stands 
  out among the modern, industrial world as 
  a return to archaic times. Shamanism some-
  times represents a manipulation of the ele-
  ments. Other times it is a use of animals to 
  help further their causes. Regardless, those 
  with skill in shamanism will make a power-
  ful and distinctive mark on any game. 
  Control Beast
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP
  You are able to calm an animal and gain its loyalty. You may even 
  be able to redirect its anger.
   
  If you attempt to use this ability on an animal under 
  another shaman’s control, the owner and you must make opposed 
  shamanism rolls. If you succeed, you can attempt to control it. If 
  you fail, nothing occurs.
  The animal becomes cautious, only attacking if forced
  The animal becomes passive and will not attack
  The animal becomes passive and willing to help you
  The animal becomes your ally, and will not attack you. 
  You may direct it to attack another, at your discretion.
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Druidic
  shamanism speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  Warped metal feels unnatural in your hand, and you’ve always felt 
  more at home wielding your ancestral, tribal weaponry. When in 
  this stance, wood and organic weapons (not including unarmed 
  attacks) deal 2 damage classes higher.
  Fire Resistance
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Your natural body heat increases.  Your love of the flame has be-
  gun to manifest as you become more and more resistant to fire. 
  Any time you take damage from fire or a fire-based attack, you 
  soak a fair deal of the damage. 
  3 damage from heat or fire soaked
  6 damage from heat or fire soaked
  9 damage from heat or fire soaked
  12 damage from heat or fire soaked
  Geomancer
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Topographer specialty
  Choose an extreme terrain: jungle, desert, swamp, tundra, high at-
  mosphere, or the abyss (deep underwater); or an extreme weather 
  condition: raging thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado, blizzard, me-
  teor shower, sand-storm, or heat wave. When fighting in these 
  chosen conditions, you may use your skill in shamanism in place 
  of any tiered skill roll. 
  
  157
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Stk
  +2
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Acc
  +1
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Stk
  +2
  Hardened Trainer
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Through years of dealing with animals, you are keen at fighting 
  against them. When you are fending off an animal, you gain a 
  bonus to your defense equal to your skill in shamanism.
  Lion’s Roar
  shamanism speCiaLty
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Cost: 2 AP
  You breathe deeply and let out a mighty roar that strikes fear into 
  the heart of all nearby enemies. When making such a warcry, all 
  opponents within 50 feet who can hear you must roll a spirit re-
  sist against your Shamanism. If they do not resist, they become 
  frightened, suffering the effects of Tier 2 fear.
  Naturalist
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Shamanism
  Coating yourself in metal makes you uneasy. You gain an addi-
  tional soak class for every 5 skill points you have in Shamanism 
  while wearing organic or wooden armor.
  Parasite
  shamanism speCiaLty
  resist: Brute (tiers down)
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  By stomping in constant rythm, you draw out nearby insect colo-
  nies to assault an opponent within 25 feet. On the turn the swarm 
  attacks, and every turn thereafter, roll on the called shot chart. 
  The victim must roll to resist against your shamanism or suffer 
  the effects of this called shot.
   
  Anything that would effect an area disrupts the swarm 
  and it must be reformed (for 2 action points). If at any point you 
  lose the ability to move your legs or are knocked prone, the swarm 
  is disrupted. 
  Still as Stone
  shamanism speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter) 
  Stalking your prey like a crouched cougar, you wait for the ex-
  act correct moment to pounce, still as the world around you and 
  blending in as if you were a part of the scene itself. Whether 
  you’re in the quiet meadows and copses of the forest or a back-
  alley in the night, you can blend in with your surroundings per-
  fectly while standing still. When you enter this stance, you gain 
  a bonus equal to your skill in Shamanism to hide when you have 
  cover.
  Tactics of the Wolf
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Cost: Melee Attack reflexively
  You’ve learned to approach combat like a pack of wolves attack-
  ing their prey: all at once. When somebody attacks an adjacent 
  opponent, you can make a reflexive attack against that opponent. 
  If you hit, you gain a bonus on your strike.
  You gain +3 on the strike roll
  You gain +6 on the strike roll
  You gain +9 on the strike roll
  You gain +12 on the strike roll
  Topographer
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Be it huricane, heatwave, blizzard, or sleet, you are able to func-
  tion in all weather conditions without penalty. In addition, you 
  take no penalties for moving through rough or unsafe terrain.
  
  158
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Def
  +2
  HP
  +10
  Eva
  +1
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Def
  +2
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  p Bird Calling Specialties M
  Avian Wrath
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  Raising your hands above you and whistling, you call down death 
  from above. Native animals dive down and attack your victim, a 
  victim who can be up to 50 feet away. Depending on your sur-
  roundings, these creatures might be fish, bats, birds, or even in-
  sects, though they’re never larger than a human’s fist. When you 
  first call the animals, you must make an accuracy roll against the 
  target’s evade (just like a normal attack). If you hit them with 
  your summoned avians, they deal damage as per the tiers below. 
  This damage can be soaked. 
   
  Anything that would affect an area (such as an explosion 
  or gas) disrupts the swarm (forcing you to start over, if you so 
  desire). If at any point you lose the ability to speak, the swarm is 
  disrupted. You may not talk while continuing an avian wrath or 
  use any specialties requiring the use of your voice.
  Animals deal 6 inital damage, 3 damage when continued 
  Animals deal 12 inital damage, 6 damage when continued 
  Animals deal 18 inital damage, 9 damage when continued 
  Animals deal 24 inital damage, 12 damage when continued 
  Blacken the Sky
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Avian Wrath specialty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  When using avian wrath, the swarm of squaking animals becomes 
  so dense that it distracts your foe. Every turn an opponent is hit 
  by your avian wrath, they must resist against your Shamanism 
  or be disoriented (losing 1 action point). Once your avian wrath 
  stops, they become re-oriented. 
  Pitch Black
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Avian Wrath & Blacken the Sky specialties
  When using Avian Wrath, your swarm becomes so thick and fast 
  that it blocks out all light around your victim. The victim is now 
  blinded while they remain the target of the avian wrath.
  p Chemical Immunity Specialties M
  Venom Immunity
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Being stung, being bitten, having venom injected into your body: 
  these things used to be a big deal, but they’re less worrisome 
  now-a-days. When you are attempting to resist a poison, add your 
  skill in shamanism to the resist roll.
  Alchemical Resistance
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Venom Immunity specialty
  You’ve trained your body to ward off venoms, both natural and 
  unnatural. When resisting any alchemical substances (gases, ac-
  ids, poisons, et cetera), add your skill in Shamanism to the roll.
  p Protective Swarm Specialties M
  Protect the Monarch
  shamanism speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  By vibrating your vocal cords, you trgger a defense mechanism in 
  nearby creatures that swarm you, protecting you from harm. As 
  with all swarms, these are creatures native to the terrain ranging 
  from fishes to small woodland creatures and even insects, though 
  they are never larger than a fist. 
   
  Anything that would affect an area disrupts the swarm 
  and it must be reformed again (costing 2 action points). If at any 
  point you lose the ability to speak, the swarm is disrupted. You 
  may not talk while continuing a protect the monarch or use any 
  specialties requiring you to use your voice. You may only be cov-
  ered in one swarm at a time.
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  
  159
  Chapter 9
  Spirit
  Devoted Drones
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Protect the Monarch specialty
  The swarm covering your body is willing to die in order to protect 
  you. When using protect the monarch, the swarm is only dis-
  rupted when dismissed (such as when you stop spending action 
  points on it) or until your next breather.
  Hive Exodus
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Protect the Monarch specialty
  Be it from lifting you up into the air or dragging you across the 
  battlefield, each turn you spend with Protect the Monarch active, 
  your swarm may move you in any direction. If moved into the air 
  the swarm maintains you there each turn until disturbed. 
  You are moved 5 feet
  You are moved 10 feet
  You are moved 15 feet
  You are moved 20 feet
  p Swarming Insect Specialties M
  Colony of One
  shamanism speCiaLty
  resist: Brute or Dexterity (negates, as per a grab)
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  By humming at a very low frequency, you are able to call a swarm 
  of native insects or animals to overwhelm your victim and hold 
  them in place. These creatures can be anything smaller than your 
  fist and native to the area. The swarm uses your accuracy when 
  making a grab against its target no farther then 50 feet away. In 
  order for the victim to break free they must roll resist against your 
  skill in shamanism (using their brute or dexterity).
   
  Anything that would affect an area (such as an explosion 
  or gas) disrupts the swarm (forcing you to start over, if you so 
  desire). If at any point you lose the ability to speak, the swarm is 
  disrupted. You may not talk while continuing a colony of one or 
  use any specialties requiring the use of your voice.
  The swarm grabs one called shot location
  The swarm grabs one called shot location
  The swarm grabs two called shot locations
  The swarm grabs two called shot locations
  Drag Down
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Colony of One specialty
  resist: Brute (negates)
  The vermin swarm pulls its opponents to the ground. Any foe suc-
  cessfully grabbed by your Colony of One is also brought prone 
  unless they can make a brute resist against your Shamanism.
  Hive Mind
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Colony of One specialty
  When continuing a swarm, it is no longer disrupted when you are 
  knocked prone or rendered unable to speak. This means you may 
  now freely speak and use specialties requiring speech without 
  having to call out your swarms again.  
  Pressure Cooker
  shamanism speCiaLty
  reQuires: Colony of One specialty
  The swarm of creatures holding down the victim begins to move 
  rapidly, cooking them with sheer friction. Each turn after grab-
  bing a target with colony of one, a point or more of unsoakable 
  damage is dealt to the target.
  Takes 1 unsoakable damage
  Takes 2 unsoakable damage
  Takes 3 unsoakable damage
  Takes 4 unsoakable damage
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  Pri
  +1
  HP
  +10
  Def
  +3
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +7
  Def
  +2
  Stk
  +2
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  
  160
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  sCienCe
  Chapter 10
  The Sciences Attribute includes these skills:
   
   
   
   
  aLChemy
   
   
   
   
  armsmith
   
   
   
   
  automata
   
   
   
   
  Bio-FLux
   
   
   
   
  engineer
   
   
   
   
  gaDgetry
  
  161
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  The Sciences attribute represents a character’s proficiency to make items, invent new items, and utilize their 
  creations in ways better than anyone else can. Knowledge in the sciences will give you information of the 
  world, allowing you to deduct what are the elements in a serum, take apart and reassemble an advanced 
  firearm, and use general book knowledge to solve a number of riddles. 
  What can you do with your sciences attribute? 
  Disassemble
  Through your experience crafting, it’s also taught you how to 
  break things down. Disassembling will often be used for traps 
  and mines, to prevent their activation.
  You can disassemble small, practical things, such as a 
  clock or door.
  You can disassemble a simple trap or item (Marque I or II).
  You can disassemble a complicated trap or item (Marque 
  III).
  You can disassemble a clever trap or item (Marque IV).
  Understand
  Because of your knowledge of science, you have a knack for 
  comprehending what an item does and the purpose it serves. If 
  you see an item, you can attempt to ascertain what it does. 
  You can understand what its basic function is, but none 
  of its augments.
  You can determine its basic functions and Marque I aug-
  ments.
  You can determine its basic functions and up to Marque 
  II augments.
  You can determine its basic functions and all augments 
  up to Marque III. 
  
  162
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Learning Augments
  You gain augments by taking craft-oriented specialties. When 
  you learn a specialty in crafting, sometimes you will gain a num-
  ber of augments from the specialty. For each augment you gain 
  in this way, choose one augment from any list that you have ac-
  cess to from a specialty. (Weaponsmith, for instance, gives you 
  access to all of the Weaponsmith augments that you are eligible 
  to learn.) Once you have learned an augment, you may place it on 
  any item of its type that you craft. So, if you create a weapon, and 
  you know the “Accurate” augment, any weapon you craft that has 
  enough open slots may contain the “Accurate” augment. You can 
  only place an augment on an item once (so a sword could not be 
  augmented with “Accurate” multiple times). 
   
  The fastest way to gain augments is to take the Learn 
  Augments specialty on the next page.
  Do-It-Yourself
  Once you start taking crafting specialties, you’ll gain a DIY score. 
  This “Do-It-Yourself” score tells you how many of your hand-
  crafted items you can keep on yourself at any given time without 
  having to pay for the base materials.
   
  The items that you craft from your DIY score are shoddy, 
  somewhat rugged items that you have pieced together over time. 
  They’re not composed of the finest rifle-stock, the best wood, 
  or the clockmaker’s finest gears. These are the items that you’ve 
  simply figured out how to work and they’re the ones you keep 
  with you.
   
  You can lend out items that you’ve crafted from your 
  DIY score to your fellow adventurers and friends. However, be-
  cause of the rickshaw nature of DIY-made items, they require 
  constant upkeep. If one of your items is away from you for lon-
  ger than a single period of downtime (that is, a couple days), it’ll 
  stop working properly and become little more than useless scrap 
  materials.
   
  You may craft items of a higher quality by purchasing 
  them at the total cost of the item if it were one marque less than 
  your current marque. The resulting item requires little mainte-
  nance and is of high quality. It has your marque, even though it 
  cost less for you to craft. Items bought in this way are of selling 
  quality. This kind of purchase can only be made in a place that 
  can provide materials - consult your narrator.
  Augments & Marques
  Almost every item you can craft has 
  a number of slots on it that you can 
  place augments into. Most augments 
  will only take up one slot, but some 
  augments, called complex augments, 
  are very powerful and take up mul-
  tiple slots. Each augment will tell 
  you how many slots it is worth just 
  beneath its name.
   
  Augments often have four marques available to them 
  - upgrades that make the augment more powerful as you gain 
  skill in your craft. Marques are similar to tiers, except, instead of 
  rolling, you simply look at your skill. If your skill falls within a 
  certain range, that’ll be your marque. Consult the chart below.
  Crafting in your Downtime
  Crafting is something that takes time - you can’t just write it down 
  on your character sheet and suddenly have a dozen poisonous 
  chemicals. Unfortunately, real life (and that’s what we’re going for 
  here, obviously) doesn’t work that way. Instead, crafting is done 
  in your downtime.
   
  Downtime is loosely defined as all of the time you aren’t 
  actively roleplaying your character or forced to do something. If 
  your character has a couple days off, that’s downtime. If your 
  character is on a voyage at sea for a couple months, that’s down-
  time. Setting up camp in a dangerous dungeon complex is not 
  downtime - your character has no time to work on things and 
  replenish his supplies.
   
  During downtime you can make new items, repair old 
  ones, and refill your supplies. If you’re an alchemist that can have 
  five potions at any given time, downtime will allow you to replen-
  ish those five potions.
   
  Downtime is subject to the narrator’s discretion and is 
  a way for narrator’s to control the flow of time and the game. If 
  you’re out of supplies and the warrior’s equipment is all broken, 
  it might be time for some downtime to recuperate. Yet maybe you 
  have a very brief amount of downtime and your narrator decides 
  that you have enough time to replenish two of your potions, but 
  not all of them. That’s at your narrator’s discretion.
  Though each of the six crafting science skills are certainly different, they each utilize a similar system. This craft-
  ing system works on a few key principles: downtime, augments, and marques. All crafting occurs during downtime, 
  when the game is otherwise not running and the character is left to his own devices.  If the game goes a couple 
  days without any major plot unfolding, that’s downtime. 
   
  Let’s say that your party’s armsmith, Isabella, wants to craft herself a nice sword. She has 8 points in her 
  Armsmith skill and the Weapon Smith specialty, so she can craft a sword with three slots. She applies the augments 
  accurate and reach to the weapon (each of which being one slot). Because she has 8 points in the skill, they are 
  all Marque II. That means her accurate augment gives the sword a +2 on accuracy rolls, and her reach augment 
  extends the reach of the sword out by five feet (making it one long sword!).
  Skill of...
  Augment at...
  0-4
  mQ. i
  5-14
  mQ. II
  15-24
  mQ. III
  25
  mQ. IV
  Crafting
  
  163
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  speCiaLties                               
  Learn Augments
  generaL CraFting speCiaLty
  You learn the granted augments. You can take this specialty mul-
  tiple times. 
  Nothing up my Sleeve
  generaL CraFting speCiaLty
  You are known for always having the right item for the right job. 
  At any given moment, you can craft an item on the fly, acting as 
  though you already had it. It must be concealable (thus, you can’t 
  just pull a tank or heavy rifle out of your pocket). You can only do 
  this once between downtimes, and the item must be something 
  you know how to craft (as in, you have taken the basic crafting 
  specialty for the item and any augments you are going to put on 
  it).
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +4
  Acc
  +1
  c Augments with the Same Name c
  Sometimes, you’ll find an “Accurate” augment under bow augments and an “Ac-
  curate” augment under weapon augments. They might have slightly different flavor 
  text, but they do the exact same thing. Well, if you learn one, you’ve learned the 
  other.
   
  Anytime you learn an augment, you know that augment regardless of 
  which section of the book it falls under. If you learn how to craft firearms, cross-
  bows, bows, and melee weapons, there is no need to learn the “Damaging” aug-
  ment 4 different times. Just learn it once, and you’re good to go!
  The Cost of  Prototyping
  Many inventors can produce beta objects: creations that 
  exceed the normal augment limit of  3. These beta de-
  signs, however, are so difficult to use that only the origi-
  nal inventor can typically control them. But while many 
  crafters can build betas, very few can build prototypes. 
  Prototypes are objects that exceed the typical augment 
  limit of  3 but that anybody can use.
   
  The materials cost for creating the extra aug-
  ments for prototypes is the same as it always is. How-
  ever, because prototypes are so rare, those who create 
  them will typically inflate the price for the extra effort 
  and skill required to craft the items. When buying off 
  the market, the extra 2 augments that prototypes allow 
  will often be double the price of  the normal 3 augment 
  item.
  
  164
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Alchemy allows a person to create everything from basic acid to chemical weaponry. Alche-
  my uses chemicals to create a variety of potent solutions. Chemical weapons have gone into 
  rapid development over the past fifty years, yet the usage of poisons, medicinal potions, 
  and numerous other alchemic substances has been around for centuries. An alchemist can 
  bring great diversity to any group, being most noteworthy for his healing abilities. Beyond 
  medicinal, alchemist have a wide reportoir of explosives, corrosives, gases, and poisons. 
  This is not a person you want to see on a bad day.
  Using Potions        
  Potions find themselves being thrown around combat in all 
  sorts of ways: a friendly toss to an ally, a deadly throw at an 
  opponent, jabbed down someone’s throat, smashed into the 
  ground at your feet, or poured over a wound. Here are some 
  basic rules for using potions.
  Drawing & Drinking c
  Cost: 1 AP
  Drawing and drinking a potion can be one smooth action that 
  costs one action point. It does leave you open to melee reflexes: 
  reflexive attack, reflexive called shot to the lower arm (disarm), 
  or a reflexive called shot to the wielded item (sunder, this time 
  to the potion). Be careful of drinking in combat!
  Throwing c
  Cost: 2 AP
  You may throw a potion at an enemy. You must have already 
  drawn the weapon in order to do so. Attacking somebody with 
  it requires 2 AP, and it deals damage as an unarmed weapon. 
  Potions have a range of 25 feet.
   
  If you miss with a potion, it lands nearby and breaks. 
  The narrator will determine if it lands on the space the enemy 
  was in or near them.
   
  You can also toss a potion to an ally. This works in 
  much the same way, except you need not roll accuracy and 
  evade - unless, of course, the ally doesn’t want it! (For the ally 
  to catch the toss, they must have one hand free, but it doesn’t 
  cost any action points. They can drink it for 1 action point, as 
  per normal, but may do so reflexively when they catch it.)
  Applying Poison to a Weapon c
  Cost: 3 AP
  You can apply a poison to a weapon for 3 action points. Do-
  ing so coats the weapon. The first time that the weapon deals 
  damage (after damage soak), the poison is used. You can’t coat 
  a bullet with a poison, and a weapon can only be coated in one 
  poison at a time. 
  Alchemy
  pM
  p Immunity Specialties M
  Self-Made Immunity
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: Either Acid Brewer, Gas Brewer, or Poison Brewer specialty
  Due to prolonged exposures with your chemicals, your body has 
  become immune to all of your harmful conconctions. Any harm-
  ful potions that you create, including contact poisons, can no lon-
  ger harm you.
  Immunizations
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: Self-Made Immunity specialty
  You can brew your potions based on your friend’s chemical make-
  up, ensuring that they are also immune to your harmful concoc-
  tions. During any breather (a period of 15 minutes or more), you 
  can immunize an ally against your harmful potions. From that 
  point on, they are immune to any potions that you create un-
  til you specify that they are not. You can also designate potions 
  against which they are not immune.
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Def
  +2
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Def
  +2
  
  165
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +4
  Eva
  +1
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +5
  DIY
  +1
  p On-the-Fly Specialties M
  On-the-Fly Brewer
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP per augment slot
  You carry many of your basic chemicals on you and can mix 
  them during the heat of battle to create that all-so-necessary po-
  tion. You can create any potion on-the-fly as long as you have 
  some basic chemicals on you. You can never have any more of 
  your own potions brewed than your DIY score would allow. You 
  may divide the action points spent brewing your potions over as 
  many turns as you would like. Augments that do not have a slot 
  cost require only 1 action point to be put in the potion.
  Expiration
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: On-the-Fly Brewer specialty
  Any of the chemicals that you brew on-the-fly can be brewed 
  with an expiration time. The potion may either activate upon ex-
  piring or become a dud. If you set the potion to activate, acids 
  will eat through the vial, and gases will be automatically released. 
  Once the dud potion expires, it’s little more useful than water 
  (and fails to even provide the hydrating benefits of water). 
   
  You may set the potion to expire within up to 5 turns. 
  The potion will expire at the end of your turn, based on the num-
  ber of turns set. 
  Herbalist
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: On-the-Fly Brewer specialty
  The world is your chemistry set. You have no need for urban 
  chemicals, and can create your potions with only those things 
  found in the wild. Lost in the forest? The herbs will provide ev-
  erything you need. Stuck in a dank dungeon? Look for an under-
  ground stream and some moss. You can use On-the-Fly Brewer 
  without any need for basic chemicals, and can do so almost any-
  where. 
  Rapid Mixer
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: On-the-Fly Brewer specialty
  Cost: 1 AP per augment slot
  You have little need for pre-prepared potions. You can now brew 
  potions on-the-fly for only 1 action point per augment slot used 
  in the potion. Augments that cost 0 slots on the potion may be 
  placed on the potion for no action point cost.
  Walking Chemical Plant
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: On-the-Fly Brewer & Expiration specialty
  You can brew potions well past your normal DIY score. You may 
  brew as many potions as you’d like; however, all potions you brew 
  past your DIY limit expire and become duds within a number 
  of turns after you brew them. (At your discretion, you can cause 
  them to expire earlier.) 
  Expires at the end of your next turn
  Expires up to 2 turns later
  Expires up to 3 turns later
  Expires up to 4 turns later
  p General Alchemy Augments M
  These are augments that, once learned, can be placed on almost 
  any acid, gas, medicine, or poison.
  ContaCt 
  generaL aLChemiCaL augment
  The potion seeps through skin and armor, going straight into 
  the blood stream. You can now simply throw the vial at an ally in 
  order for the potion to affect them. They do not need to catch it 
  and drink it themselves. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy.
  soLiD 
  generaL aLChemiCaL augment
  You develop your alchemical substances as a pill or small glob 
  with a protective coating. The substance takes on a solid state, 
  so that it can exist underwater or in other liquids. It will stay that 
  way until broken. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy.
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +4
  Eva
  +1
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Eva
  +1
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Eva
  +1
  
  166
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Acid Brewer
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  When we say acids, we’re not talking about citrus-based cleaning 
  supplies. We’re talking about acids that eat through metals within 
  seconds, acids that burn skin, and acids that reduce the iron of a 
  sword to its original form. You can now brew acids. 
   
  Acids are often used to attack a single person. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can brew and main-
  tain several acids based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. These acids can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll 
  learn 2 augments from this specialty which can be selected under 
  “acid augments” below. These augments have marques. At lower 
  levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As your skill in Al-
  chemy improves, your marques will increase. See the “Crafting” 
  page at the beginning of this chapter for more information.
   
  Each acid can be upgraded with 3 augments. Sometimes 
  an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For example, 
  the “flesh burner” augment is worth 2 slots, so an acid only has 1 
  more available slot for an augment after “flesh burner” has been 
  applied.
  resisting aCiDs z
  All acids can be resisted with a brute roll. For every tier of brute 
  rolled above Tier 1, the marque of the acid is reduced by 1.
  numBer oF aCiDs you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy chemicals, you can brew some acids en-
  tirely out of scraps. These acids must be constantly maintained 
  by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. You can 
  build and maintain a number of acids based on your DIY score. 
  You can brew new acids or augment old ones during any period 
  of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  3
  4
  4
  4
  5
  5
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  5
  6
  6
  6
  7
  7
  the Cost oF aCiDs z
  If you need to brew an acid that you can’t build for free from your 
  DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  If you are brewing the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 6 dukes.
  Beta Acids
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Alchemy & Acid Brewer specialty
  Your acids go far beyond what most other chemists dream of, 
  yet they are difficult for most people to use. Such acids have two 
  more slots for you to place augments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta acids, they must succeed in rolling a science result one tier 
  higher than the highest level marque you have on your acid. If 
  your acid has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for them to 
  use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 with their 
  science attribute).
  Prototype Acids
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Alchemy, Acid Brewer, & Beta Acids 
  specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta acids and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can use an acid that you designate as being a pro-
  totype. 
  p Acid Augments M
  Burns 
  aCiD augment
  This acid burns the skin of the person it is thrown on. This is 
  resistable and goes away after taking a breather. 
  Tier 1 burns (giving you a -1 on defense rolls)
   
  Tier 2 burns (giving you a -3 on defense rolls)
  Tier 3 burns (giving you a -5 on defense rolls)
  Tier 4 burns (giving you a -7 on defense rolls)
  FLesh Burner 
  aCiD augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the aCiD
  Flesh burning acid damages living people and organic tissue. If 
  used on a person, it deals damage to them. If simply thrown on 
  somebody, it will lower the soak class of the person’s armor (and 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  Crafting Acids
  
  167
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  cannot be resisted). (If thrown on a person wearing organic ar-
  mor, it will affect the armor first.) If a called shot is made to the 
  person’s organic weapon (or another wielded item), it will lower 
  the damage class of the weapon. If used on an organic trinket 
  or gizmo of any sorts, it will render the item unusable until the 
  item can be hammered out. Normally a weapon or armor can be 
  banged back to its original form during a breather (15 minutes 
  or more). 
  6 damage or a -1 to damage or soak class
   
  12 damage or a -2 to damage or soak class
  18 damage or a -3 to damage or soak class
  24 damage or a -4 to damage or soak class
  metaL meLter 
  aCiD augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the aCiD
  This melts away metals, causing them to lose their form and 
  substance. If used on an automaton, metal vehicle, or somebody 
  inexplicably made of metal, it deals damage to them. If simply 
  thrown on somebody wearing armor, it will lower the soak class 
  of the person’s armor (and cannot be resisted). (If thrown on a 
  metal creation wearing armor, it will affect the armor first until 
  the armor is gone.) If a called shot is made to the person’s weap-
  on (or another wielded item), it will lower the damage class of the 
  weapon. If used on a trinket or gizmo of any sorts, it will render 
  the item unusable until the item can be hammered out. Normally 
  a weapon or armor can be banged back to its original form during 
  a breather (15 minutes or more). 
  6 damage or a -1 to damage or soak class
   
  12 damage or a -2 to damage or soak class
  18 damage or a -3 to damage or soak class
  24 damage or a -4 to damage or soak class
  rusting 
  aCiD augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the aCiD
  The acid rapidly begins to rust armor and washes out important 
  lubrication, causing the armor to lock up. When an opponent is in 
  medium or heavier metal armor, and is splashed with the acid, it 
  begins to grind on itself, decreasing movement speed.
  -5 speed, -10 swim and climb speeds
   
  -10 speed, -10 swim and climb speeds
  -10 speed, -15 swim and climb speeds
  -15 speed, -15 swim and climb speeds
  Automatons and vehicles effected by the rusting augment take 
  the penalty to regular speed only.
  spLash 
  aCiD augment
  Your acids splash against multiple spots. The marque of this aug-
  ment determines how many adjacent spaces the acid will splash 
  into an effect. 
  Affects 1 adjacent space
   
  Affects 2 adjacent spaces
  Affects 3 adjacent spaces
  Affects 4 adjacent spaces
  thiCk rust 
  aCiD augment
  reQuires: Rusting Augment
  The acid gets into the finer pieces of the armor, beginning to rust 
  in even the smallest movements. The opponent takes a penalty 
  to dexterity and also must spend twice as many action points to 
  get out of their armor. The armor can be cleaned out during the 
  next breather.
  -3 dexterity
   
  -6 dexterity
  -9 dexterity
  -12 dexterity
  wooD wreCker 
  aCiD augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the aCiD
  This melts away wood, causing it to lose its form and substance. 
  If used on a wooden automaton, vehicle, or somebody inexpli-
  cably made of wood, it deals damage to them. If simply thrown 
  on somebody wearing wooden armor, it will lower the soak class 
  of the person’s armor (and cannot be resisted). (If thrown on a 
  wooden creation wearing wooden armor, it will affect the armor 
  first, until the armor is gone.) If a called shot is made to the 
  person’s wooden weapon (or another wielded item), it will lower 
  the damage class of the weapon. If used on a wooden trinket 
  or gizmo of any sorts, it will render the item unusable until the 
  item can be hammered out. Normally a weapon or armor can be 
  banged back to its original form during a breather (15 minutes 
  or more).  
  6 damage or a -1 to damage or soak class
   
  12 damage or a -2 to damage or soak class
  18 damage or a -3 to damage or soak class
  24 damage or a -4 to damage or soak class
  
  168
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Gas Brewer
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  You can whip up the most eye-bleeding, mouth-gagging, toxic 
  gases around. You can now brew gases. 
   
  Gases affect the space that the gas was released, and 
  every adjacent space. Every turn, the gas has a chance of leaving, 
  which the narrator will roll for at the end of the every turn after 
  they throw it. The likelihood of the gas dissipating is based on 
  how windy it is, with Tier 1 being absolutely no wind (such as a 
  small, airtight room) and Tier 4 being a very windy area (such as 
  during a storm or aboard a fast-flying ironbird). See the sidebar: 
  Dispersing Gases. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can brew and main-
  tain several gases based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. These gases can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll 
  learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be selected under 
  “gas augments” below. These augments have marques. At lower 
  levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As your skill in Al-
  chemy improves, your marques will increase. See the “Crafting” 
  page at the beginning of this chapter for more information.
   
  Each gas can be upgraded with 3 augments. Sometimes 
  an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For example, 
  the “blinding” augment is worth 2 slots, so a gas only has 1 more 
  available slot for an augment after “blinding” has been applied.
  resisting gases z
  All gases can be resisted with a brute roll. For every tier of brute 
  rolled above Tier 1, the marque of the gas is reduced by 1.
  numBer oF gases you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy chemicals, you can brew some gases en-
  tirely out of scraps. These gases must be constantly maintained 
  by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. You can 
  build and maintain a number of gases based on your DIY score. 
  You can brew new gases or augment old ones during any period 
  of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  3
  3
  4
  4
  4
  5
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  5
  5
  6
  6
  6
  7
  the Cost oF gases z
  If you need to brew a gas that you can’t create for free from your 
  DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  If you are brewing the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 8 dukes.
  Beta Gases
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Alchemy & Gas Brewer specialty
  Your gases are much more lethal than most, yet they are difficult 
  for most people to use. Such gases have two more slots for you to 
  place augments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta gases, they must succeed in rolling a science result one tier 
  higher than the highest level marque you have on your gas. If 
  your gas has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for them to 
  use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 with their 
  science attribute).
  Crafting Gases
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Dispersing Gases
  The conditions of  the battlefield often determine the amount 
  of  time a gas can remain on the field without dispersing nat-
  urally. When determining if  a gas is dispersed, the narrator 
  rolls to determine whether or not the gas is dispersed, giving 
  no special bonuses to the roll unless otherwise stated.
   
  Gases cannot be deployed underwater, and the con-
  ditions of  wind have the greatest effect on the dispersing 
  of  gases. Each turn, the narrator rolls and must surpass the 
  required roll based on the tier of  the wind to determine if 
  the gas remains.
  tier 1
  The gas will stay on a roll of 2 or higher. Tier 1 wind 
  is stagnant air.
  tier 2
  The gas will stay on a roll of 5 or higher. Tier 2 wind 
  is a breeze.
  tier 3
  The gas will stay on a roll of 9 or higher. Tier 3 wind 
  is a gust.
  tier 4
  The gas will stay on a roll of 12 or higher. Tier 4 wind 
  is a strong gust.
  Gases can also be dispersed by certain other forces. When 
  something moves through the area, it will disperse the gas un-
  less the narrator rolls a 5 or more. If a bomb goes off in the 
  gas, it will disperse the gas unless the narrator rolls a 9 or more. 
  Gases with expirations disperse naturally or cannot be deployed 
  when they expire. 
  
  169
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Prototype Gases
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Alchemy, Gas Brewer, & Beta Gases 
  specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta gases and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can use a gas that you designate as being a pro-
  totype. 
  p Gas Augments M
  area oF eFFeCt 
  gas augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the gas
  Your gas affects more areas. You can, at your discretion, make the 
  area of effect smaller than your normal marque allows.
  within 10 feet of the original space
  within 15 feet of the original space
  within 20 feet of the original space
  within 25 feet of the original space
  arm mutation 
  gas augment
  Your gas causes the nerves in their arm to become unwound, for 
  their flesh to warp, and for their arms to become largely unus-
  able. If effected with an arm mutation, the target may resist with 
  a resilience result one tier higher than the mark of this augment. 
  Any time the target makes a roll that uses the arm, including ac-
  curacy and strike (and evade if they attempt to deflect), the target 
  suffers a penalty on the roll. The mutation lasts for a number of 
  turns based on the mark. 
  -1 for 3 turns
  -2 for 4 turns
  -3 for 5 turns
  -4 for 6 turns
  BLinDing 
  gas augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the gas
  A blinding chemical burns the eyes of everyone within the area 
  of the gas, to the point where opening their eyes is painful. Those 
  within the blinding area suffer a -4 on accuracy and evade rolls. 
  People may leave the area of the gas, but they remain blinded for 
  a number of turns afterwards based on the marque of this gas 
  (though this is resistable).
  1 turn
   
  2 turns
  3 turns
  4 turns
  Corrosive 
  gas augment
  A corrosive chemical weapon deals damage to everything it hits. 
  They can melt skin, destroy lungs, or worse. The corrosive does 
  hit point damage to every person inside, every time they end their 
  turn inside the corrosive gas (though this is resistable).
  3 damage
   
  6 damage
  9 damage
  12 damage
  ConFusing 
  gas augment
  Confusing gas disorients the target, making them unable to make 
  cunning rolls. If the target fails to resist, they will automatically 
  take a 1 on any cunning rolls they make. Furthermore, the con-
  fused victim will be unaware of their own confusion, and will 
  naturally default to cunning if that is their highest attribute. Any 
  person affected by the gas will remain in a confused state for a 
  number of turns after leaving the gas (though this is resistable).
  1 turn
   
  2 turns
  3 turns
  4 turns
  Fogging 
  gas augment
  A fogging gas blurs the vision of everyone within the area the 
  weapon effects. Those within the fogging are effectively in poor 
  lighting, suffering a -2 on accuracy and evade rolls. If somebody 
  leaves the area they are no longer effected, or if somebody enters 
  the area, they enter into the poor lighting. If somebody is trying 
  to shoot through the fogging gas, they take the penalty as well.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy. 
  internaL Burning 
  gas augment
  This gas burns mucles of the target with every action they take. 
  They take damage with every action point they spend until the 
  internal burning exhausts (though this is resistable). 
   
  They may choose, however, to forgo action points - that 
  is, if they have 3 action points for the turn, the target can wait for 
  those 3 action points, and no damage will be done. 
  1 damage for 3 action points
   
  2 damage for 4 action points
  3 damage for 5 action points
  4 damage for 6 action points
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +1
  
  170
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Lingering 
  gas augment
  Whatever you used, it stays where it was and continues to work 
  its magic. If the narrator does not roll high enough for the gas to 
  stay in the area, the narrator will re-roll. The narrator will do this 
  a number of times based on the marque of the lingering. 
  re-roll one time
   
  re-roll two times
  re-roll three times
  re-roll four times
  LuminesCent gas 
  gas augment
  The gas coats the skin and clothes of those within its range and 
  glows, causing them to have extreme difficulty hiding. Instead 
  of the normal brute resist, luminescent is resisted by dexterity. 
  Opponents who are already hidden are automatically forced to 
  re-roll if they fail to entirely resist the luminescence, this time 
  with the penalty.
   
  Luminescence will naturally wash off with water, after 
  being in rain for 1 turn, or if the target can spend 12 action points 
  brushing it off. 
  -3 on sneaking and hiding rolls
   
  -6 on sneaking and hiding rolls
  -9 on sneaking and hiding rolls
  -12 on sneaking and hiding rolls
  paranoia 
  gas augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on the gas
  This chemical distresses the target and causes them to see things 
  that aren’t there. Any affected by the paranoia must spend their 
  next available action point (or two, if their only attack requires 
  two action points) to attack the person closest to them, regardless 
  of whether they are friend or foe. The paranoia makes the attack 
  wild, however, and the targets suffer a penalty on their accuracy 
  and strike rolls during this attack. 
   
  Instead of the normal brute resist, cunning or spirit can 
  be used for the resist (at the target’s discretion).
  -3 on accuracy and strike rolls for the paranoia attack
  -2 on accuracy and strike rolls for the paranoia attack
  -1 on accuracy and strike rolls for the paranoia attack
  no penalty on the accuracy or strike rolls for the para-
  noia attack
  repLiCating 
  gas augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the gas
  Replicating gases feed on death, spreading further out with each 
  victim it claims. Any time somebody dies in replicating gas, it 
  feeds on the body to create more of itself, spreading out to affect 
  everything within several adjacent areas of the original victim. It 
  will continue to spread indefinitely.
  spreads to adjacent areas
  spreads to adjacent areas within 10 feet
  spreads to adjacent areas within 15 feet
  spreads to adjacent areas within 20 feet
  sLowing 
  gas augment
  Those affected by your gas get stiff joints, feel frozen, instantly 
  gain arthritis, or for some other reason can’t seem to move as fast 
  as they once did. Their speed is reduced by the specified footage 
  for three turns (though this reduction is resistable). They can 
  never go below 5 feet.
  5 feet speed reduction
   
  10 feet speed reduction
  15 feet speed reduction
  20 feet speed reduction
  stiCky 
  gas augment
  This chemical weapon causes the victims to become sticky, slow-
  ing down their reflexes. The target suffers a penalty on evade rolls 
  for three turns (though this penalty is resistable).
  -1 on evade rolls
  -2 on evade rolls
  -3 on evade rolls
  -4 on evade rolls
  stunning 
  gas augment
  Your targets are stunned when they get hit by this gas. They are 
  stunned for the specified action points (though this is resistable).
  stunned for 1 action point
   
  stunned for 1 action point
  stunned for 2 action points
  stunned for 2 action points
  thiCk 
  gas augment
  This gas hugs the ground it’s released at. Winds in the area act as 
  if they’re one tier lower when determining how long the gas lasts. 
  In addition, if used on board a moving vehicle, the gas will sink 
  onto the vehicle’s deck and move with the vehicle. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy. 
  
  171
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Medicine Brewer
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  Medicinal potions are used to restore hit points, heal wounds, 
  fight off poisons, and a variety of other beneficiary effects. All 
  medicinal potions must be injected or ingested.
   
  Without spending any money, you can brew and main-
  tain several medicines based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. These medicines can then be upgraded with aug-
  ments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be 
  selected under “medicine augments” below. These augments have 
  marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As 
  your skill in Alchemy improves, your marques will increase. See 
  the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter for more in-
  formation.
   
  Each medicine can be upgraded with 3 augments. 
  Sometimes an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For 
  example, the “heavy push” augment is worth 3 slots, so a medi-
  cine has 0 available slot for an augment after “heavy push” has 
  been applied.
  numBer oF meDiCines you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy chemicals, you can brew some medicines 
  entirely out of scraps. These medicines must be constantly main-
  tained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. You 
  may build and maintain a number of medicines based on your 
  DIY score. You may brew new medicines or augment old ones 
  during any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  5
  5
  5
  6
  6
  6
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  7
  7
  7
  8
  8
  9
  the Cost oF meDiCines z
  If you need to brew a medicines that you can’t create for free 
  from your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  If you are brewing the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 8 dukes.
  Beta Medicines
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Alchemy & Medicine Brewer specialty
  While it is impossible for others to administer your medicines, 
  they’re well worth the hassle. Your beta medicines have two more 
  slots for you to place augments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta medicines, they must succeed in rolling a science result one 
  tier higher than the highest level marque you have on your medi-
  cine. If your medicine has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible 
  for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result 
  of 5 with their science attribute).
  Prototype Medicine
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Alchemy, Medicine Brewer, & Beta 
  Medicine specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta medicines and made them user-friend-
  ly. Now anybody can use a medicine that you designate as being 
  a prototype. 
  p Medicine Augments M
  antitoxin 
  meDiCine augment
  When you take an antitoxin, you gain a specified bonus against 
  all poisons for the next hour. In addition, if you are currently 
  poisoned, you may instantly reroll your resist against the poison 
  with the bonus against it.
  +3
  +6
  +9
  +12
  heavy push 
  meDiCine augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on the meDiCine
  While push stimulates the body to help it get over the beating it’s 
  taken, heavy push takes it to a dangerous level. The muscles rip 
  and the body cannot deal with the stress it’s being put under. This 
  causes the heavy push to deal damage to the adminstrator, but 
  gains action points instead. You can only use 1 extra action point 
  per turn, and the damage is unsoakable. Any unused extra action 
  Crafting Medicines
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Aug
  +1
  
  172
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  points will go away during your next breather.
  10 backlash damage for each additional action point 
  used, up to 2 extra action points
  9 backlash damage for each additional action point 
  used, up to 3 extra action points
  7 backlash damage for each additional action point 
  used, up to 4 extra action points
  6 backlash damage for each additional action point 
  used, up to 5 extra action points
  improveD push 
  meDiCine augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the meDiCine
  reQuires: Push augment known
  Improved push takes your grandpappy’s old style push potions 
  and gives them a jolt of electricity, making them push that much 
  harder. Improved push potions return your hit points to you, 
  though you cannot go over your maximum.
  restores 10 hit points
  restores 20 hit points
  restores 30 hit points
  restores 40 hit points
  LiQuiD skin 
  - Wound Healing
  meDiCine augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the meDiCine
  Liquid skin instantly heals wounds damage. Healing this quickly, 
  however, does so by infuriating the body’s natural regenerative 
  system, and, made slightly wrong, can be very dangerous. When 
  this is administered, the target rolls their die. If they receive a 1 
  on the twelve-sided die, they take the healing as damage.
  1 wound healed
  2 wounds healed
  3 wounds healed
  4 wounds healed
  pain reLiever 
  meDiCine augment
  Pain relieving medicines are designed to allow you to keep push-
  ing on despite huge amounts of physical pain. When under the 
  effects of pain killers you can ignore the wound effects 6-12 until 
  your next breather. 
  Can ignore 1 such wound effect
  Can ignore 2 such wound effects
  Can ignore 3 such wound effects
  Can ignore 4 such wound effects
  push 
  - Hit Point Regain
  meDiCine augment
  Push is a body stimulant that allows a person a boost in stamina, 
  to ignore their wounds and to take a lot more punishment before 
  falling. Push refills a person’s hit points, though it will not go over 
  their maximum. 
  Restores 4 hit points
  Restores 8 hit points
  Restores 12 hit points
  Restores 16 hit points
  sLowheart 
  meDiCine augment
  This potion slows the target’s heart, releases stress, and allows the 
  person to relax and breath easily. If the target chooses, they may 
  ignore the calming effects of slowheart, but if they go with the 
  flow and slow down a little bit, their accuracy will improve. The 
  bonus lasts until their next breather.
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  stimuLant 
  meDiCine augment
  This stimulant is used to forego fatigue. If you are exhausted, 
  taking a stimulant will push off the fatigue for a number of hours 
  as specified by the potion’s marque. Once a stimulant has been 
  used, the fatigue returns after the designated amount of time and 
  another stimulant will have no effect until you rest.
  2 hours
  4 hours
  8 hours
  24 hours
  styptiC 
  meDiCine augment
  A styptic is a useful substance that, when poured on a wound, 
  dries the blood and keeps it from bleeding. Any person that this 
  is administered to stops bleeding and will not bleed from any 
  wounds or attacks they have suffered up to this point.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy. 
  
  173
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Poison Brewer
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  Poisons are rarely seen as the most savory tools of war; nonethe-
  less, they remain ever popular. Poisons kill, disable, and bring 
  great discomfort to those injected with them.
   
  Poisons are always a little difficult to find, requiring a 
  tier 2 cunning result to notice. A person can always volunteer to 
  look at something to see if it is poisoned, such as trying to notice 
  poison on a sword or in a drink. 
   
  Poisons must either be consumed by the target or in-
  jected (as can happen on the battlefield, when a blade is coated in 
  poison). The basic poison will activate within the target after the 
  target has used 3 action points. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can brew and main-
  tain several poisons based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. These poisons can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll 
  learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be selected un-
  der “poison augments” below. These augments have marques. At 
  lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As your skill in 
  Alchemy improves, your marques will increase. See the “Crafting” 
  page at the beginning of this chapter for more information.
   
  Each poison can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some-
  times an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For ex-
  ample, the “hallucinogenic” augment is worth 2 slots, so a poison 
  only has 1 available slot for an augment after “hallucinogenic” has 
  been applied.
  resisting poisons z
  All poisons can be resisted with a brute roll. For every tier of 
  brute rolled above Tier 1, the marque of the poison is reduced 
  by 1.
  numBer oF poisons you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy chemicals, you can brew some poisons 
  entirely out of scraps. These poisons must be constantly main-
  tained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. You 
  can brew and maintain a number of poisons based on your DIY 
  score. You can brew new poisons or augment old ones during any 
  period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  3
  3
  3
  4
  4
  4
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  4
  5
  5
  5
  5
  6
  the Cost oF poisons z
  If you need to brew a poison that you can’t create for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  If you are brewing the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 8 dukes.
  Beta Poisons
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Alchemy & Poison Brewer specialty
  Your poisons are difficult to use but oh-so-effective. Your beta 
  poisons have two more slots for you to place augments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta poisons, they must succeed in rolling a science result one 
  tier higher than the highest level marque you have on your poi-
  sons. If your poison has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible 
  for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result 
  of 5 with their science attribute).
  Prototype Poisons
  aLChemy speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Alchemy, Poison Brewer, & Beta Poi-
  sons specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta poisons and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can use a poison that you designate as being a 
  prototype. 
  Crafting Poisons
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  
  174
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  p Poison Augments M
  anti-toxin suppressor 
  poison augment
  Anti-toxin suppressors are built into poisons specifically to tar-
  get anti-toxins. If an anti-toxin is used against a poison that has 
  a suppressor brewed into it, the suppressor will entirely negate 
  the effects of the anti-toxin unless the anti-toxin is one marque 
  higher than the suppressor. 
  Negates Marque I anti-toxins
  Negates Marque II anti-toxins
  Negates Marque III anti-toxins
  Negates Marque IV anti-toxins
  BLinDing 
  poison augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the poison
  This poison blinds the person, causing them to temporarily lose 
  their eyesight. Being blind causes the target to take a -4 on ac-
  curacy and evade rolls. It lasts for an amount of time based on 
  the marque.
  2 turns
  4 turns
  6 turns
  8 turns
  Contortion 
  poison augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on the poison
  The target’s body siezes up and they fall to the ground, prone. 
  Whle prone, you suffer a -1 on all combat rolls (accuracy, evade, 
  strike, and defense) and cannot move more than 5 feet per turn. 
  The target cannot willingly stand from prone until the target has 
  used or forgone a specified number of action points, and if some-
  body lifts them, they immediately fall back down.
  2 action points
  4 action points
  6 action points
  8 action points
  Disorienting 
  poison augment
  A disorienting poison causes the person’s nerves to be shot, for 
  them to swoon and be unable to focus. A disorienting poison dis-
  orients the target (causing them to lose 1 action point per turn) 
  until the end of a specified number of turns.
  2 turn
  4 turns
  6 turns
  8 turns
  Dizzying 
  poison augment
  This poison dizzies the target, causing them to waver and fail to 
  walk in a straight line. While dizzied, the target’s speed is cut in 
  half (rounded down). The dizzying effect lasts until the end of a 
  specified number of turns.
  2 turns
  4 turns
  6 turns
  8 turns
  haLLuCinogeniC 
  poison augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the poison
  A hallucinogenic poison causes the brain to spaz out and see 
  things that are definitely not there (or so we think). A hallucino-
  genic poison forces the target to make a cunning roll every time 
  he wants to take an action. A failure causes the target to spend 
  one action point moving aimlessly (at the narrator’s discretion).
  Tier 2 Cunning results required to move for 1 turn
  Tier 2 Cunning results required to make any actions for 
  2 turns
  Tier 3 Cunning results required to make any actions for 
  3 turns
  Tier 3 Cunning results required to make any actions for 
  4 turns
  instant 
  poison augment
  This poison now blossoms very quickly. Upon delivery being 
  made, it occurs instantaneously. The poison acts as soon as it is 
  delivered.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy.
  
  175
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  irresistiBLe 
  poison augment
  When a poison is made irresistible, the brute result required to 
  resist the poison increases. Characters must act as if their brute 
  roll to resist the blast was one tier lower.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy.
  painFuL 
  poison augment
  Your poison does what poisons do best - it deals damage to their 
  hit points. The painful augment does straight hit point damage 
  (though it is resistable as per normal).
  6 damage
  12 damage
  18 damage
  24 damage
  push-BaCk 
  poison augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on the poison
  Push back is a rather devious poison used specifically to counter 
  enemies who rely on push potions (that is, potions that restore 
  their hit points). For the hour after somebody fails to resist a poi-
  son with push-back, any push potion they take will deal damage 
  to them instead of restoring their hit points. The damage dealt is 
  equal to the amount of hit points that would have been restored, 
  but this is now resistable with your Brute.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in alchemy.
  sLow-aCting 
  poison augment
  A slow-acting poison takes longer to occur and is therefore hard-
  er to trace back to the person who administered it. Within the 
  scope of your marque, you determine when the effect kicks in. 
  You make this decision when you create the poison, and cannot 
  alter it thereafter. 
  4 hours - 1 day
  3 hours - 3 days
  2 hours - 1 week
  1 hour - 1 month
  stunning 
  poison augment
  The poison stuns the opponent, causing the opponent to respond 
  slowly and lose action points. The target is stunned for the speci-
  fied amount of action points.
  1 action point stunned
  2 action points stunned
  3 action points stunned
  4 action points stunned
  thirst 
  poison augment
  The poison interacts with the water in the person’s body, mak-
  ing it almost impossible for the water to function normally. This 
  quickly dehydrates the person, causing them to lose focus. Due 
  to this, they take a penalty on accuracy and evade rolls until the 
  end of three turns. 
  -1 on accuracy and evade rolls
  -2 on accuracy and evade rolls
  -3 on accuracy and evade rolls
  -4 on accuracy and evade rolls
  unDeteCtaBLe 
  poison augment
  When a poison is made undetectable, the cunning tier required to 
  find it is increased.
  Tier 3 Cunning result
  Tier 3 Cunning result
  Tier 4 Cunning result
  Tier 4 Cunning result
  
  176
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  So you want to craft arms, do you? Do you have what it takes to create weapons, ar-
  mor, firearms and everything else that you and your fellows will need to slay villains 
  and save the land? Is it in you to sweat away your days creating items of war, giving 
  birth to items of destruction. The armsmith skill will allow you to do just that, creat-
  ing all sorts of weapons, firearms, armors, and worse. Much, much worse.
  Armsmith
  pM
  Belt Feeder
  armsmith speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP to begin, 1 AP to continue during subsequent turns
  You can feed in ammunition, allowing an adjacent gunman to 
  keep firing without interuption. When you begin belt feeding, 
  you select an adjacent ally. For that turn and every subsequent 
  turn that you continue belt feeding (at the cost of 1 action point 
  per turn), the targeted ally does not have to spend action points 
  to ready their firearm. This only works on firearms that have a 
  readying cost of 4 or less. If either you or your adjacent ally be-
  come separated, you must re-begin the belt feeding.  
  Interchangeable Parts
  armsmith speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP
  Your weapons are designed so that their parts can be replaced 
  and altered in the middle of battle. This gives the weapons ad-
  ditional slots for augments, but these augments are not always 
  active. At any time, a person can switch out the augments for 3 
  action points, activating one augment but deactivating another 
  augment. You may replace multiple augments at the same time 
  all for the cost of 3 action points.
   
  This specialty works within the marque system. The 
  amount of interchangeable slots the weapon has depends on the 
  marque of its creator.  
  1 interchangeable slot for an augment
  2 interchangeable slots for augments
  3 interchangeable slots for augments
  4 interchangeable slots for augments
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +2
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +5
  Pri
  +2
  
  177
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Crafting Firearms 
                           &
              Crossbows
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Gunsmith
  armsmith speCiaLty
  You can now create new firearms and upgrade them. These fire-
  arms can be of any size, type, or material. You can craft any fire-
  arm from the light peashooters to the super-heavy rifles.
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several firearms based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. These firearms can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll 
  learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be selected un-
  der “firearm & crossbow augments” below. These augments have 
  marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. 
  As your skill in Armsmith improves, your marques will increase. 
  See the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter for more 
  information.
   
  Each firearm can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some-
  times an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For ex-
  ample, the “damaging” augment is worth 2 slots, so a firearm only 
  has 1 more available slot for an augment after “damaging” has 
  been applied.
  numBer oF Firearms you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some fire-
  arms entirely out of scraps. These firearms must be constantly 
  maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. 
  You can build and maintain a number of firearms based on your 
  DIY score. You can build new firearms or augment old ones dur-
  ing any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  2
  3
  3
  3
  4
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  4
  4
  5
  5
  5
  6
  the Cost oF Firearms z
  If you need to build a firearm that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  A firearm will have a base materials cost. It is 1/5th the 
  market price. 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  Rapid Replacements
  armsmith speCiaLty
  Cost: 2 AP (to replace) or 1 AP (to fix)
  Your sniper’s rifle just got snapped in two, and your brawler just 
  got his chain cut in half. No worries - you’re there to help. For two 
  action points, you can replace any broken weapon that you cre-
  ated (with the same weapon) as long as the current wielder is ad-
  jacent to you. Furthermore, if a weapon’s damage class has been 
  lowered for any reason, you can return it to optimum efficiency 
  for one action point.  
  Temporary Attachments
  armsmith speCiaLty
  Cost: 1+ AP
  Suddenly, in the heat of battle, your friend wants his sword to be 
  sheathed in fire. Normally that would be insane. For you, though, 
  that requires surprisingly little effort. You can apply an augment 
  you know to a weapon you or an adjacent ally are wielding for 
  just 1 action point. If the augment takes up multiple augment 
  slots, it costs that many action points to attach (so an augment 
  that would take up 2 augment slots would cost 2 action points to 
  attach). The temporary attachment doesn’t last long: it will stop 
  functioning at the beginning of end of your next turn (when your 
  action points refresh). 
   
  The weapon you are attaching the temporary augment 
  to does not need to have free augment slots: this is a bonus aug-
  ment that does not fit into a weapon’s normal maximum number 
  of augments.  
  Weapon Support
  armsmith speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  You provide support repairs and guidance to adjacent allies on the 
  battlefield, tweaking their weapons as they mow down opponents. 
  Any ally using a weapon that you either created or augmented 
  gains a bonus to their accuracy as long as they are adjacent to 
  you while in your Weapon Support stance. The bonus is +1 plus 
  an additional +1 per 4 skill points you have in Armsmith (so +2 at 
  4 skill points, +3 at 8 skill points, and so forth). 
   
  If you have the Rapid Replacement specialty, an adja-
  cent ally’s weapon cannot be broken so long as you remain adja-
  cent to them and in the Weapon Support stance.
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Eva
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  
  178
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  3,125 princes
  If you are building the augment, 
  you pay 1/5th the price, which is 
  the same as if you were buying an 
  augment one marque lower. (As in, 
  the material cost for a Marque III 
  augment is the market price fo a 
  Marque II augment.) The material 
  cost for a Marque 1 augment is 5 
  princes.
  Beta Firearms
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Armsmith & Gunsmith specialty
  Your firearms are overly complex, but they can accomplish quite 
  a bit. Such firearms have two more slots for you to place aug-
  ments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta firearms, they must succeed in rolling a science result one 
  tier higher than the highest level marque you have on your fire-
  arm. If your firearm has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible 
  for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result 
  of 5 with their science attribute).
  Prototype Firearms
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Armsmith, Gunsmith, & Beta Firearms 
  specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta firearms and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can use a firearm that you designate as being a 
  prototype.  
  Crossbow Craftsman
  armsmith speCiaLty
  You can now create new crossbows and upgrade them. These 
  crossbows can be of any size, type, or material. You can craft 
  any crossbow from the light hand-crossbow to the super-heavy 
  ballistas.
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several crossbows based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. These crossbows can then be upgraded with aug-
  ments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can 
  be selected under “firearm & crossbow augments” below. These 
  augments have marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque 
  I augments. As your skill in Armsmith improves, your marques 
  will increase. See the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this 
  chapter for more information.
   
  Each crossbow can be upgraded with 3 augments. 
  Sometimes an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For 
  example, the “damaging” augment is worth 2 slots, so a crossbow 
  only has 1 more available slot for an augment after “damaging” 
  has been applied.
  numBer oF CrossBows you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some cross-
  bows entirely out of scraps. These crossbows must be constantly 
  maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. 
  You can build and maintain a number of crossbows based on 
  your DIY score. You can build new crossbows or augment old 
  ones during any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  3
  3
  4
  4
  4
  5
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  5
  5
  6
  6
  6
  7
  the Cost oF CrossBows z
  If you need to build a crossbows 
  that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to 
  buy the materials for it.
   
  A crossbow will have a 
  base materials cost. It is 1/5th the 
  market price. 
   
  Every augment will in-
  crease the price. The higher the marque, the greater the price. 
  The market price for an augment can be found in the chart be-
  low.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  3,125 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 5 princes.
  Beta Crossbows
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Armsmith & Crossbow Crafter specialty
  Your crossbows are overly complex, but they can accomplish 
  quite a bit. Such crossbows have two more slots for you to place 
  augments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta crossbows, they must succeed in rolling a science result one 
  tier higher than the highest level marque you have on your cross-
  bow. If your crossbow has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible 
  for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result 
  of 5 with their science attribute).
  Firearms
  Light Firearm
  2 princes
  Medium Firearm
  5 princes
  Heavy Firearm
  12 princes
  Super-Heavy Firearm
  20 princes
  Crossbows
  Light Crossbow
  2 princes
  Medium Crossbow
  4 princes
  Heavy Crossbow
  7 princes
  Super-Heavy Crossbow
  14 princes
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  
  179
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Prototype Crossbows
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Armsmith, Crossbow Crafter, & Beta 
  Crossbows specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta crossbows and made them user-
  friendly. Now anybody can use a crossbow that you designate as 
  being a prototype.  
  p Firearm & Crossbow Augments M
  aCCurate 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  Fine attention has been placed on the quality of your weapon. 
  The user gains a bonus to accuracy with the weapon.
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  automatiC reLoaD 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  The crossbow or firearm has a fast reloading mechanism, allow-
  ing it to be reloaded much more quickly than normal.
  1 less AP to reload
  1 less AP to reload
  2 less AP to reload
  2 less AP to reload
  BipoD 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  You can set up a bipod to level your weapon on. Setting up the 
  bipod requires 2 action points, and then pulling it back up so that 
  you can move again requires 1 action point. While the bipod is set 
  up, however, you gain a bonus on your accuracy. 
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  CoLLapsiBLe 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  Sometimes discretion is the better part of not having your weap-
  onry confiscated, so you create a clever collapsing mechanism for 
  your weapons which makes them easier to conceal. Any weapon 
  this is applied to can be broken down for 3 acion points and re-as-
  sembled for 3 action points. It is treated, for purposes of conceal-
  ment, as being smaller than it is, but only when broken down.
  1 category smaller
  2 categories smaller
  3 categories smaller
  4 categories smaller
  Crank-Free 
  Firearm augment
  reQuires: Augmented with Rotating Barrels
  Converting your firearm to be truly automatic, the crank-free 
  firearm no longer increases the need of hands - a one-handed 
  firearm is still one-handed, and a two-handed firearm is still just 
  two-handed.  
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  Custom 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  This weapon was designed to be used by one person and one 
  person only. That person must be designated at the time of the 
  weapon’s crafting. If anybody else attempts to use the custom 
  weapon, they suffer a penalty on all accuracy and strike rolls with 
  it. 
  -3
  -6
  -9
  -12
  Damaging 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a Firearm or CrossBow
  Your weapon is larger but lighter, dealing extra damage with each 
  shot. 
  +1 damage class
  +2 damage class
  +3 damage class
  +4 damage class
  DeFLeCting 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  You can use this weapon like a shield, allowing you to deflect in-
  coming attacks (gaining a +4 to evade in exchange for 1 reflexive 
  action point). 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  
  180
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  DeLivery 
  CrossBow augment
  You can launch an alchemic potion, explosives, or other items 
  through your firearm. If the item shot is friendly (as in, you’re 
  not trying to hit the target), you may shoot the item next to them, 
  and they may pick it up for 1 action point. Regardless, a delivery 
  weapon’s range is cut be a small portion whenever it is being used 
  to deliver an item.
  -75 feet
  -50 feet
  -25 feet
  no penalty
  easiLy aLtereD 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  reQuires: Weapon to be made with Interchangeable Parts
  The weapon is easily altered, allowing its interchangeable parts 
  to be used and switched around much more quickly than nor-
  mal. The easily altered augment is a permanent affixture of the 
  weapon, however, and cannot be activated or deactivated with in-
  terchangeable parts. 
  2 AP to interchange parts
  2 AP to interchange parts
  1 AP to interchange parts
  1 AP to interchange parts
  gnome-sizeD 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  reQuires: placed on light weapon
  You’ve been able to shrink the weapon down so that a gnome will 
  be able to conceal it.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  horriFying 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a Firearm or CrossBow
  The weapon is so twisted and wicked looking that it could strike 
  fear into the heart of even the bravest of warriors. When first 
  seeing the weapon, all enemies must make a spirit resist or suffer 
  from tier 1 fear. At any time a character can spend an action point 
  to attempt another resist roll. A single person can only evoke the 
  effect of one horrifying weapon per combat.
  Tier 2 spirit result to resist
  Tier 3 spirit result to resist
  Tier 4 spirit result to resist
  Irresistable (unless they can get a Tier 5 spirit resist)
  LoCation seeking 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  When crafting this weapon designate a called shot. The weapon 
  seems to guide itself toward that specific called on your victim’s 
  body with the greatest of ease. Called shots to the designated 
  location do not require an additional action point when made 
  with this weapon. However, attacking any other called shot loca-
  tion with this weapon can be problematic, as it was built with one 
  cause in mind. (This penalty does not apply to normal, unspeci-
  fied attacks.)
  -8 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  -6 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  -4 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  -2 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  Note: When crafting the augment, the word “location” should be 
  replaced with the specified called shot, such as “eye seeking” or 
  “torso seeking.”
  Luminous 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  Your weapon glows. Perhaps you strung lights along its barrel, 
  gave it a glow-in-the-dark coating, or made your weapon trans-
  parent with a light set inside. The light extends outwards from 
  your weapon a number of feet determined by the marque of this 
  augment. For 1 action point, you may turn it on, off, or dim it.
  25 feet
  50 feet
  100 feet
  200 feet
  reinForCeD 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  You build your weapon solidly, giving it little room to break on 
  the battlefield. When somebody attempts to sunder the reinforced 
  weapon, it acts as if it is several size categories larger than it is. 
  Once these “reinforced” size categories are gone, then its actual 
  damage begins to decrease. 
   
  This augment can be applied multiple times, its effect 
  stacking. 
  1 reinforced size category
  2 reinforced size categories
  3 reinforced size categories
  4 reinforced size categories
  
  181
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  rotating BarreLs 
  Firearm augment
  Creating what comes close to being a fully automatic weapon, 
  a firearm with multiple rotating barrels uses a crank to fire. Us-
  ing rotating barrels increases the need of hands - a one-handed 
  firearm now requires two hands, and a two-handed firearm now 
  requires you to be in a “firing position.” A rotating multi-barrel 
  firearm eliminates the reload time of the firearm, but at a price 
  to accuracy.
   
  This augment can only be placed on firearms that use 
  ammunition and have a reload time of 2 action points or less.
  -5 accuracy
  -3 accuracy
  -1 accuracy
  No accuracy penalty
  sCope 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  The range on your firearm increases greatly. This augment can be 
  applied multiple times, with its increases stacking. 
  +50 feet
  +100 feet
  +200 feet
  +300 feet
  signature weapon 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a Firearm or CrossBow
  reQuires: placed on weapon with Custom augment
  Be it a family heirloom or just your perfectly customized weapon, 
  the very sight of it invigorate you. As long as your weapon is in 
  hand there is still hope. You recover a small amount of hit points 
  when your action points refresh. This augment only affects the 
  person this weapon was customized for. 
  recover 1 hit point
  recover 2 hit points
  recover 3 hit points
  recover 4 hit points
  siLent 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  This weapon is whispering death. It makes almost no sound when 
  shot or reloaded, making it almost impossible for people to figure 
  out where it is by sound alone. Any time anybody is attempting to 
  figure out where the weapon was shot from based on sound must 
  make a tier result with their cunning.
  Tier 2
  Tier 3 
  Tier 4
  Impossible (or Tier 5)
  smaLL Choke 
  Firearm & CrossBow augment
  Introducing a small choke to a shotgun increases the effective 
  distance of its shot. A small choke doubles the range of the shot 
  fired from it. Other choices of ammunition fired from a small 
  choke suffer a -3 accuracy.  
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  p Firearm & Crossbow Accessories M
  You can learn weapon accessories just like augments. However, 
  firearm & crossbow accessories do not take up any augment slots 
  and can only be applied to a weapon once. Each accessory has its 
  own cost associated with it. 
  ChaineD-grip 
  Firearm & CrossBow aCCessory
  The user keeps a chain attached to both their wrist and the weap-
  on, making it difficult - if not impossible - to be disarmed. When-
  ever the target of a disarm (called shot to the hand), the user 
  gains a bonus to the resist roll.
  +2 to resist being disarmed
  +4 to resist being disarmed
  +6 to resist being disarmed
  +8 to resist being disarmed
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  10 princes
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1,250 princes
  
  182
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Weapon Smith
  armsmith speCiaLty
  You can create new melee weapons and throwing weapons and 
  upgrade them. These weapons can be of any size, type, or mate-
  rial. You can craft anything from a metal stiletto to a wooden pike 
  to a sword made from bone.
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several weapons based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. These weapons can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll 
  learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be selected un-
  der “weapon augments” below. These augments have marques. At 
  lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As your skill in 
  Armsmith improves, your marques will increase. See the “Craft-
  ing” page at the beginning of this chapter for more information.
   
  Each weapon can be 
  upgraded with 3 augments. 
  Some materials can only be 
  upgraded twice (like wooden 
  weapons) or just once (like 
  organic ones). Sometimes an 
  augment will take up multiple 
  augment slots. For example, 
  the “damaging” augment is 
  worth 2 slots, so a weapon only 
  has 1 more available slot for an 
  augment after “damaging” has 
  been applied.
  numBer oF weapons you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some weap-
  ons entirely out of scraps. These weapons must be constantly 
  maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. 
  You may build and maintain a number of weapons based on your 
  DIY score. You may build new weapons or augment old ones dur-
  ing any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  2
  3
  3
  3
  4
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  4
  4
  5
  5
  5
  6
  the Cost oF weapons z
  If you need to build a weapon that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  A weapon will have a base materials cost. It is 1/5th the 
  market price. 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  3,125 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 5 princes.
  Beta Weapons
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Armsmith & Weaponsmith specialty
  Your weapons are overly complex, but they can accomplish quite 
  a bit. Such weapons can be upgraded with 2 more augments 
  (bringing the total for metal melee weapons up to 5 augmentable 
  slots).
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta weapons, they must succeed in rolling a sciences result one 
  tier higher than the highest marque you have on your weapon. If 
  your weapon has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for them 
  to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 with 
  their sciences attribute).
  Prototype Weapons
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Armsmith, Weapon Smith, & Beta 
  Weapons specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta weapons and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can use a weapon that you designate as being a 
  prototype.  
  Interchangeable Parts
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: Weapon Smith specialty
  Cost: 3 AP
  Your weapons are designed so that their parts can be replaced 
  and altered in the middle of battle. This gives the weapons ad-
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +1
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Pri
  +2
  Crafting Melee 
                   
  Weapons & Throwing Weapons 
  Weapons
  Light Melee Weapon
  1 princes
  Medium Melee Weapon
  7 princes
  Heavy Melee Weapon
  15 princes
  One-Handed Polearm
  5 princes
  Two-Handed Polearm
  12 princes
  Basic Non-Rigid Weapon
  1 princes
  Larger Non-Rigid Weapon
  4 princes
  
  183
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  ditional slots for augments, but these augments are not always 
  active. At any time, a person may switch out the augments for 3 
  action points, activating one augment but deactivating another 
  augment. You may replace multiple augments at the same time 
  all for the cost of 3 action points.
   
  This specialty works within the marque system. The 
  amount of interchangeable slots the weapon has depends on the 
  marque of its creator. 
  1 interchangeable slot for an augment
  2 interchangeable slots for augments
  3 interchangeable slots for augments
  4 interchangeable slots for augments
  p Weapon Augments M
  aCCurate 
  weapon augment
  Fine attention has been placed on the quality of your weapon. 
  The user gains a bonus to accuracy with the weapon.
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  aeroDynamiC 
  weapon augment
  You can make your melee weapons into perfectly good throw-
  ing weapons. If you apply this augment onto one of your melee 
  weapons, you may throw it like a weapon designed for throwing.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  Bone-shattering 
  weapon augment
  By increasing the weapon’s density, the weapon allows its wielder 
  to make more effective called shots against his victims.
  +1 strike against all called shot locations 
  +3 strike against all called shot locations 
  +5 strike against all called shot locations 
  +7 strike against all called shot locations 
  Chainsaw 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on a melee weapon
  Cost: 1 AP (after a successful attack)
  Your weapon has a deadly, barbed spinning edge. If you make a 
  successful attack with a chainsaw weapon that deals damage, you 
  may spend 1 action point (as many times as you have AP left in 
  your turn) to deal additional unsoakable damage as the chainsaw 
  continues to rip into the person. 
  1 extra damage
  2 extra damage
  3 extra damage
  4 extra damage
  CoLLapsiBLe 
  weapon augment
  Sometimes discretion is the better part of not having your weap-
  onry confiscated, so you create a clever collapsing mechanism for 
  your weapons which makes them easier to conceal. Any weapon 
  this is applied to can be broken down for 3 acion points and re-as-
  sembled for 3 action points. It is treated, for purposes of conceal-
  ment, as being smaller than it is, but only when broken down.
  1 category smaller
  2 categories smaller
  3 categories smaller
  4 categories smaller
  CryothermaL 
  weapon augment
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively during an attack
  Your weapon leaks a subzero liquid that freezes the opponent 
  upon contact. When you make an attack with a cryothermal weap-
  on, you may spend 1 action point to make the target frosty. Unless 
  your victim can resist the entire effect, they become chilled, mak-
  ing them shiver when they attack.
  Victim suffers a -2 on strike rolls until your next turn
  Victim suffers a -4 on strike rolls until your next turn
  Victim suffers a -6 on strike rolls until your next turn
  Victim suffers a -8 on strike rolls until your next turn
  Custom 
  weapon augment
  This weapon was designed to be used by one person and one 
  person only. That person must be designated at the time of the 
  weapon’s crafting. If anybody else attempts to use the custom 
  weapon, they suffer a penalty on all accuracy and strike rolls with 
  it. 
  -3
  -6
  -9
  -12
  
  184
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Damaging 
  weapon augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a weapon
  Your weapon is larger but lighter, dealing extra damage with each 
  blow. 
  +1 damage class
  +2 damage class
  +3 damage class
  +4 damage class
  DeFLeCting 
  weapon augment
  You may use this weapon like a shield, allowing you to deflect in-
  coming attacks (gaining a +4 to evade in exchange for 1 reflexive 
  action point). 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  easiLy aLtereD 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: weapon to be made with Interchangeable Parts
  The weapon is easily altered, allowing its interchangeable parts 
  to be used and switched around much more quickly than nor-
  mal. The easily altered augment is a permanent affixture of the 
  weapon, however, and cannot be activated or deactivated with in-
  terchangeable parts. 
  2 AP to interchange parts
  2 AP to interchange parts
  1 AP to interchange parts
  1 AP to interchange parts
  eLeCtriCaL 
  weapon augment
  A small metal coil runs down the length of your weapon, leading 
  to a power source that electrifies it. After landing a hit, your victim 
  is shocked for a small amount of unsoakable damage. If the op-
  ponent is in metal armor or submersed in water, they take twice 
  the damage. (If they are both in water and metal armor, they take 
  four times the damage.)
  1 unsoakable electrical damage
  2 unsoakable electrical damage
  3 unsoakable electrical damage 
  4 unsoakable electrical damage
  pyrothermaL 
  weapon augment
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Cost to aCtivate: 1 AP reflexively during an attack
  Your weapon heats up, burning the target. When you attack, 
  you may spend 1 action point to make it pyrothermal. If it hits, 
  the attack burns its target should they fail to resist against your 
  melee attack. These burns last until the victim’s next breather, 
  when they can be treated. 
  Victim suffers Tier 1 burns (-1 on defense rolls)
  Victim suffers Tier 2 burns (-3 on defense rolls)
  Victim suffers Tier 3 burns (-5 on defense rolls)
  Victim suffers Tier 4 burns (-7 on defense rolls)
  ComBustion 
  weapon augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on a weapon
  resist: Dexterity (marques down)
  Cost to aCtivate: 1 AP reflexively during an attack
  Fire lashes out around your weapon, catching those struck with 
  it on fire. When you hit an opponent, you can spend 1 action 
  point in order to attempt to catch them on fire. The target 
  may resist with their dexterity (lowering the marques of the 
  combustion).
  The victim catches on Tier 1 fire
  The victim catches on Tier 2 fire
  The victim catches on Tier 2 fire
  The victim catches on Tier 3 fire
  Burn traiL 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on weapon with the Combustion augment
  Any person attempting to physically aid a victim of your 
  combustion must first make a dexterity resist that equals the 
  marque of your Combusion augment or be set on fire them-
  selves.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for 
  the purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this 
  augment despite your skill in armsmith.
  everBurning 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on weapon with the Combustion augment
  Despite your victim’s best efforts to put themselves out, they 
  seem to continue burning. When catching things on fire 
  through the use of a combustion attack, extra action points are 
  required to put out the fire.
  1 extra AP
  2 extra AP
  3 extra AP
  4 extra AP
  
  185
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  eLeCtriCaL arChs 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on weapon with the Electrical augment
  The electricity that runs down your blade now jumps about, hit-
  ting multiple victims. Once you’ve hit an opponent, the electricity 
  will arch to another opponent within 10 feet. Roll your accuracy 
  versus their evade. If you meet or exceed it, the second opponent 
  will be hit by the arch (dealing the normal damage for your elec-
  tricity). The electricity will arch a number of times based on the 
  marque of the augment. If, at any point, you miss a target, the 
  electricity will not continue to jump.
  Electricity jumps once 
  Electricity jumps twice
  Electricity jumps thrice
  Electricity jumps quatrice
  gas Leaks 
  weapon augment
  Cost to aCtivate: 1 AP reflexively during an attack
  Your weapon is hollow and covered in pores. You can fill your 
  weapon with deadly gases that you release when you hit your 
  opponent. You may choose to release multiple gases at the same 
  time, but each one costs 1 action point. The augment’s marque 
  determines how many gases it can hold. It costs 3 action points 
  to add refill a single canister of gas.
  Holds up to 1 dose
  Holds up to 2 doses
  Holds up to 3 doses
  Holds up to 4 doses
  Note: Unless you have doses of alchemical gas loaded into the 
  weapon, this augment grants no bonuses. See Alchemy for the 
  crafting of gases.
  gnome-sizeD 
  weapon augment
  Requires: placed on light weapon
  You’ve been able to shrink the weapon down so that a gnome will 
  be able to conceal it.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  horriFying 
  weapon augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a weapon
  The weapon is so twisted and wicked looking that it could strike 
  fear into the heart of even the bravest of warriors. When first 
  seeing the weapon, all enemies must make a spirit resist or suffer 
  from tier 1 fear. At anytime, a character may spend an action point 
  to attempt another resist roll. A single person can only evoke the 
  effect of one horrifying weapon per combat.
  Tier 2 spirit result to resist
  Tier 3 spirit result to resist
  Tier 4 spirit result to resist
  Irresistable (unless they can get a Tier 5 spirit resist)
  inspiring 
  weapon augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a weapon
  This weapon is symbolic to your allies, inspiring them to fight on-
  wards when it’s in your hand. All allies that can see your weapon 
  recover a small amount of hit points when you’re wielding it and 
  your action points refresh. This does not stack with other inspir-
  ing weapons.
  allies recover 1 hit point
  allies recover 2 hit points
  allies recover 2 hit points
  allies recover 3 hit points
  JaCkhammer 
  weapon augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a weapon
  A small, unbalanced sphere spins in the hilt of the weapon, caus-
  ing it to vibrate wildly. This allows the weapon to deal tremen-
  dous damage to machines, vehicles with moving parts, and sta-
  tionary structures.
  +2 damage class against automatons, vehicles, clock-
  works, and structures
  +4 damage class against automatons, vehicles, clock-
  works, and structures
  +6 damage class against automatons, vehicles, clock-
  works, and structures
  +8 damage class against automatons, vehicles, clock-
  works, and structures
  Lightning puLsing 
  weapon augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a weapon
  Cost to aCtivate anD DeaCtivate: 1 AP
  Your weapon pulses with lightning, just looking for a target to 
  vaporize. Lightning is a powerful force that is hard to control. It 
  causes the user to take a penalty on their accuracy roll, but the 
  attack is unsoakable if the opponent is wet or in metal armor. The 
  lightning pulse can be turned on or turned off for 1 action point. 
  While it is on, the penalty is always in effect. 
  -8 on the accuracy roll
  -6 on the accuracy roll
  -4 on the accuracy roll
  -2 on the accuracy roll
  
  186
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  LoCation seeking 
  weapon augment
  When crafting this weapon designate a called shot. The weapon 
  seems to guide itself toward that specific called shot on your 
  victim’s body with the greatest of ease. Called shots to the des-
  ignated location do not require an additional action point when 
  made with this weapon. However, attacking any other called shot 
  location with this weapon can be problematic, as it was built with 
  one cause in mind. (This penalty does not apply to normal, un-
  specified attacks.)
  -8 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  -6 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  -4 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  -2 on accuracy rolls when attacking a different called 
  shot location
  Note: When crafting the augment, the word “location” should be 
  replaced with the specified called shot, such as “eye seeking” or 
  “torso seeking.”
  Long arChs 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on a weapon with Electrical Archs augment
  Generally, electrical archs will jump from one target to another at 
  a very small distance. The electricity will simply fizzle out if it 
  goes too far. But with longer archs, your weapon’s electricity will 
  take great leaps across the battlefield. 
  Can arch up to 25 feet
  Can arch up to 50 feet
  Can arch up to 75 feet
  Can arch up to 100 feet
  Luminous 
  weapon augment
  Your weapon glows. Perhaps you strung lights along its blade, 
  gave it a glow-in-the-dark coating, or made your weapon trans-
  parent with a light set inside. The light extends outwards from 
  your weapon a number of feet determined by the marque of this 
  augment. For 1 action point, you may turn it on, off, or dim it.
  25 feet
  50 feet
  100 feet
  200 feet
  powerFuL 
  weapon augment
  Your weapon is stronger than others, be it due to a sharper blade, 
  large striking side, or a heftier head. Regardless, it gives the user 
  a bonus on their strike rolls.
  +2 on strike
  +4 on strike
  +6 on strike
  +8 on strike
  propeLLeD 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on throwing weapons
  The weapon sails through the air, being easy to throw and going 
  much further than its mundane counterparts. An easily thrown 
  weapon has a farther range. 
  +20 feet
  +30 feet
  +40 feet
  +60 feet
  reaCh 
  weapon augment
  You extend the weapon so that it can reach further. 
  5 feet further
  5 feet further
  10 feet further
  10 feet further
  reinForCeD 
  weapon augment
  You build your weapon solidly, giving it little room to break on 
  the battlefield. When somebody attempts to sunder the reinforced 
  weapon, it acts as if it is several size categories larger than it is. 
  Once these “reinforced” size categories are gone, then its actual 
  damage begins to decrease. 
  1 reinforced size category
  2 reinforced size categories
  3 reinforced size categories
  4 reinforced size categories
  
  187
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  returning 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on throwing weapon
  You can throw your weapon, and it will return to you. Due to this, 
  the range you can throw it is decreased, but you will always have 
  the weapon on hand. 
  -30 feet
  -20 feet
  -10 feet
  no ranged penalty
  signature weapon 
  weapon augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a weapon
  reQuires: placed on weapon with Custom augment
  Be it a family heirloom or just your perfectly customized weapon, 
  the very sight of it invigorate you. As long as your weapon is in 
  hand there is still hope. You recover a small amount of hit points 
  when your action points refresh. This augment only affects the 
  person this blade was customized for. 
  recover 1 hit point
  recover 2 hit points
  recover 3 hit points
  recover 4 hit points
  skuLLsmasher 
  weapon augment
  This weapon has a specially weighted spike designed to cause 
  severe brain trauma when striking against an opponent’s head 
  or eyes.
  +2 strike when making a called shot to the head or eyes 
  +4 strike when making a called shot to the head or eyes 
  +6 strike when making a called shot to the head or eyes 
  +8 strike when making a called shot to the head or eyes 
  speCiaLizeD 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on weapon with Custom augment
  Be it from pressurized spikes in its grip or an unearthly balance, 
  when a person attempts to wield the weapon, it causes them 
  harm. The person the weapon was customized for is immune to 
  this effect.   
  The weapon causes its user 2 unsoakable damage with 
  each use
  The weapon causes its user 4 unsoakable damage with 
  each use
  The weapon causes its user 6 unsoakable damage with 
  each use
  The weapon causes its user 8 unsoakable damage with 
  each use
  statiC 
  weapon augment
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Cost to aCtivate: 1 AP reflexively
  You can make sparks fly off your weapon as you bring it in to 
  decimate your foe. For 1 action point, you can make your attack 
  full of static, causing the target to lose their ability to react as 
  quickly. Meanwhile, their hair also stands on end. 
  Victim suffers a -1 on evade rolls until your next turn
  Victim suffers a -2 on evade rolls until your next turn
  Victim suffers a -3 on evade rolls until your next turn
  Victim suffers a -4 on evade rolls until your next turn
  streamLineD 
  weapon augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on a weapon
  reQuires: placed on light or medium weapon
  Made of only the lightest and highest quality parts, this weapon 
  has feels lighter then air. All attacks made with this weapon cost 
  1 action point.
  -3 damage class 
  -2 damage class 
  -1 damage class 
  no damage class penalty
  
  188
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  tangLing 
  weapon augment
  reQuires: placed on flexible weapon
  The whip is specially designed to make grabs against the op-
  ponent. Whenever used, the whip gains a bonus on all rolls to 
  prevent the target from resisting the grab. 
  +2
  +4
  +6
  +8
  p Weapon Accessories M
  You can learn weapon accessories just like augments. However, 
  weapon accessories do not take up any augment slots and can 
  only be applied to a weapon once. Each weapon accessory has 
  its own cost associated with it. 
  aLChemiC tuBe 
  weapon aCCessory
  The weapon has a container attached to it and a rivet or channel 
  that allows the weapon to strike with poison or another alchemical 
  substance. The container can hold one usage of the substance. 
  After its use, it takes some action points to snap a new alchemical 
  substance into. 
  3 AP
  2 AP
  1 AP
  1 AP reflexively
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  1,875 princes
  ChaineD-grip 
  weapon aCCessory
  The user keeps a chain attached to both their wrist and the weap-
  on, making it difficult - if not impossible - to be disarmed. When-
  ever the target of a disarm (called shot to the hand), the user 
  gains a bonus to the resist roll.
  +2 to resist being disarmed
  +4 to resist being disarmed
  +6 to resist being disarmed
  +8 to resist being disarmed
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  10 princes
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1,250 princes
  
  189
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Crafting Bows
  Bowyer
  armsmith speCiaLty
  You can now create new bows of any size and upgrade them. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several bows based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. These bows can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll 
  learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be selected under 
  “bow augments” below. These augments have marques. At lower 
  levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As your skill in Arm-
  smith improves, your marques will increase. See the “Crafting” 
  page at the beginning of this chapter for more information.
   
  Each bow can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some ma-
  terials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden bows) or just 
  once (like organic ones). Sometimes an augment will take up 
  multiple augment slots. For example, the “damaging” augment is 
  worth 2 slots, so a metal bow only has 1 more available slot for an 
  augment after “damaging” has been applied.
  numBer oF Bows you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can carve some bows 
  entirely out of scraps. These bows must be constantly maintained 
  by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. You may 
  build and maintain a number of bows based on your DIY score. 
  You may build new bows or augment old ones during any period 
  of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  2
  3
  3
  3
  4
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  4
  4
  5
  5
  5
  6
  the Cost oF Bows z
  If you need to build a bow that you can’t build for free from your 
  DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  A bow will have a base mate-
  rials cost. It is 1/5th the market price. 
   
  Every augment will increase 
  the price. The higher the marque, the 
  greater the price. The market price for 
  an augment can be found in the chart 
  below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  3,125 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 5 princes.
  Beta Bows
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Armsmith & Bowyer specialty
  Your bows are surprisingly complex, but they can do a lot more 
  than standard bows. Such bows can be upgraded with 2 more 
  augments (bringing the total for metal bow up to 5 augmentable 
  slots).
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta bows, they must succeed in rolling a sciences result one tier 
  higher than the highest marque you have on your bow. If your 
  bow has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for them to use it 
  (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 with their sci-
  ences attribute).
  Prototype Bows
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Armsmith, Bowyer, & Beta Bows spe-
  cialties
  You’ve perfected your beta bows and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can use a bow that you designate as being a pro-
  totype.  
  p Bow Augments M
  aCCurate 
  Bow augment
  Fine attention has been placed on the quality of your bow. The 
  user gains a bonus to accuracy with the bow.
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  CoLLapsiBLe 
  Bow augment
  Sometimes discretion is the better part of not having your weap-
  onry confiscated, so you create a clever collapsing mechanism 
  for your bows which makes them easier to conceal. Any bow this 
  is applied to can be broken down for 3 acion points and re-as-
  sembled for 3 action points. It is treated, for purposes of conceal-
  ment, as being smaller than it is, but only when broken down.
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +1
  Bows
  Light Bows
  5 dukes
  Medium Bows
  1 prince
  Heavy Bows
  5 princes
  Super-Heavy Bows
  17 princes
  
  190
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  1 category smaller
  2 categories smaller
  3 categories smaller
  4 categories smaller
  Custom 
  Bow augment
  This bow was designed to be used by one person and one person 
  only. That person must be designated at the time of the bow’s 
  crafting. If anybody else attempts to use the custom bow, they 
  suffer a penalty on all accuracy and strike rolls with it. 
  -3
  -6
  -9
  -12
  Damaging 
  Bow augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on a Bow
  Your bow is larger but lighter, dealing extra damage with each 
  blow. 
  +1 damage class
  +2 damage class
  +3 damage class
  +4 damage class
  grounD-mount 
  Bow augment
  You can set up your bow on the ground, using the earth to steady 
  your shot. Setting up the bow requires 2 action points, and then 
  pulling it back up so that you can move again requires 1 action 
  point. While the bow is set in place, however, you gain a bonus 
  on your accuracy. 
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  DeFLeCting 
  Bow augment
  You can use this bow like a shield, allowing you to deflect incom-
  ing attacks (gaining a +4 to evade in exchange for 1 reflexive 
  action point). 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  easiLy aLtereD 
  Bow augment
  reQuires: Weapon to be made with Interchangeable Parts
  The weapon is easily altered, allowing its interchangeable parts 
  to be used and switched around much more quickly than nor-
  mal. The easily altered augment is a permanent affixture of the 
  weapon, however, and cannot be activated or deactivated with in-
  terchangeable parts. 
  2 AP to interchange parts
  2 AP to interchange parts
  1 AP to interchange parts
  1 AP to interchange parts
  powerFuL 
  Bow augment
  Your weapon has a greater pull than others, giving the user a bo-
  nus on their strike rolls.
  +2 on strike
  +4 on strike
  +6 on strike
  +8 on strike
  QuiCkeneD arrows 
  Bow augment
  Your bow fires arrows faster and more forcefully than most, mak-
  ing them have a more powerful knockback effect. Whenever your 
  bow is used to make a called shot against a target’s torso, it gets a 
  bonus to strike just for the called shot effect. The bonus does not 
  affect the damage tier of the attack
  +2 to Strike for Torso called shots
  +4 to Strike for Torso called shots
  +6 to Strike for Torso called shots
  +10 to Strike for Torso called shots
  reinForCeD 
  Bow augment
  You build your bow solidly, giving it little room to break on the 
  battlefield. Whenever somebody attempts to sunder the reinforced 
  bow, it acts as if it is several size categories larger than it is. Once 
  these “reinforced” size categories are gone, then its actual dam-
  age begins to decrease. 
  1 reinforced size category
  2 reinforced size categories
  3 reinforced size categories
  4 reinforced size categories
  
  191
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  sCope 
  Bow augment
  The range on your bow increases greatly, improving the range 
  that the bow can accurate hit a target within.
  +50 feet
  +100 feet
  +200 feet
  +300 feet
  siLent 
  Bow augment
  This bow is whispering death. It makes almost no sound when an 
  arrow is notched or fired from it, making it almost impossible for 
  people to figure out where it is by sound alone. Any time anybody 
  is attempting to figure out where the bow was shot from based on 
  sound must make a tier result with their cunning.
  Tier 2
  Tier 3 
  Tier 4
  Impossible (or Tier 5)
  versatiLe 
  Bow augment
  Your bow is also an effective melee weapon. You can make at-
  tacks against adjacent opponents for 2 action points, although 
  your damage class is at a -1 when doing so.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  ComBustion 
  Bow augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on a Bow
  resist: Dexterity (marques down)
  Cost to aCtivate: Attack +1 AP
  Fire lashes out from your bow, allowing you to set your ar-
  rows on fire. You can use this to attempt to set your enemy 
  aflame. The target may resist with their dexterity (lowering the 
  marques of the combustion). 
  The victim catches on Tier 1 fire
  The victim catches on Tier 2 fire
  The victim catches on Tier 2 fire
  The victim catches on Tier 3 fire
  Burn traiL 
  Bow augment
  reQuires: placed on bow with the Combustion augment
  Any person attempting to physically aid a victim of your 
  combustion must first make a dexterity resist that equals the 
  marque of your Combusion augment or be set on fire them-
  selves.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for 
  the purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this 
  augment despite your skill in armsmith.
  everBurning 
  Bow augment
  reQuires: placed on bow with the Combustion augment
  Despite your victim’s best efforts to put themselves out, they 
  seem to continue burning. When catching things on fire 
  through the use of a combustion attack, extra action points are 
  required to put out the fire.
  1 extra AP
  2 extra AP
  3 extra AP
  4 extra AP
  
  192
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Armor Smith
  armsmith speCiaLty
  You can now create armor and upgrade it. You can upgrade any 
  type of armor. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several suits of armor based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. These armors can then be upgraded with augments. 
  You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be selected 
  under “armor augments” below. These augments have marques. 
  At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As your skill 
  in Armsmith improves, your marques will increase. See the “Craft-
  ing” page at the beginning of this chapter for more information.
   
  Each armor can be upgraded 
  with 3 augments. Some materials can 
  only be upgraded twice (like wooden 
  armors) or just once (like organic ar-
  mors). Sometimes an augment will take 
  up multiple augment slots. For example, 
  the “damage soaking” augment is worth 
  2 slots, so a metal suit of armor only has 
  1 more available slot for an augment after 
  “damage soaking” has been applied.
  numBer oF armors you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some ar-
  mor entirely out of scraps. These armors must be constantly 
  maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. 
  You may build and maintain a number of armors based on your 
  DIY score. You may build new armors or augment old ones dur-
  ing any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  1
  1
  1
  2
  2
  2
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  3
  3
  3
  3
  4
  the Cost oF armors z
  If you need to build a suit of armor that you can’t build for free 
  from your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Armor will have a base materials cost. It is 1/5th the mar-
  ket price. 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  2500 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 4 princes.
  Beta Armor
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Armsmith & Armor Smith specialty
  Your armor comes with a lot of weird straps and oddly placed 
  component, but their efficiency is unbreakable. Such armors have 
  two more slots for you to place augments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta armors, they must succeed in rolling a science result one tier 
  higher than the highest level marque you have on your armor. If 
  your armor has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for them 
  to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 with 
  their science attribute).
  Prototype Armor
  armsmith speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Armsmith, Armor Smith, & Beta Ar-
  mor specialty
  You’ve perfected your beta armor and made them user-friendly. 
  Now, any of your beta armors that you designate as being proto-
  types, anybody can use.
  p Armor & Shield Augments M
  airmeLting 
  armor augment
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP
  The armor has numerous exhausts, heat valves, and pipes on 
  it that, when released, super-heat the air around the wearer. If 
  you’re wearing this armor and spend 1 action point to release the 
  exhausts, it heats the air around you. Everyone within 5 feet of 
  you takes heat damage, and you take half that amount (unless 
  you have fireproofing).
  2 damage
  4 damage
  6 damage
  8 damage
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  Crafting Armor
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  Armor
  Minimal
  1 princes
  Light
  5 princes
  Medium
  15 princes
  Heavy
  40 princes
  Super-Heavy
  75 princes
  
  193
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Damage soaking 
  armor augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on armor
  Your armor is so thick that it soaks more damage than normal. 
  +1 damage soak class
  +2 damage soak class
  +3 damage soak class
  +4 damage soak class
  DeFensive 
  armor augment
  This armor is heavier, with more shock-absorbant plating and 
  less spots for enemy blade’s to find cleavage. This armor provides 
  a bonus to the wearer’s defense.
  +2 defense
  +4 defense
  +6 defense
  +8 defense
  eLeCtro-aBsorption 
  armor augment
  The armor re-routes electricity through it and into specially cre-
  ated devices that absorb the shock. Anything that deals electricity 
  damage is not entirely soakable, and attacks that deal electricity 
  damage (even if they are only partially electrical, such as attacks 
  with a pulsing weapon) increase the soak class of the armor.
  +2 soak class against electrical attacks
  +4 soak class against electrical attacks
  +6 soak class against electrical attacks
  +8 soak class against electrical attacks
  FireprooFing 
  armor augment
  While wearing armor that has fireproofing, all fire attacks are 
  soakable. Furthermore, the soak class for the armor is improved 
  against fire. (If the wearer would take burns or be set on fire 
  from a fire attack that is entirely soaked, the extra effects are 
  negated.)
  +1 soak class against fire 
  +2 soak class against fire 
  +3 soak class against fire 
  +4 soak class against fire 
  BraCings 
  armor augment
  The armor is braced to prevent you from ever falling prone. Un-
  less you choose to undo the bracings (an action that costs 1 action 
  point), there is no way the wearer of this armor can go prone.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  BuLLetprooFing 
  armor augment
  The armor is designed to take bullets. Whenever being shot by a 
  firearm, the wearer gains a bonus on their defense roll.
  +2 defense
  +4 defense
  +6 defense
  +8 defense
  CamouFLage 
  armor augment
  The armor has been painted, ruffled, and tarnishes added to al-
  low it to blend in more efficiently in natural terrains. When in the 
  uncivilized outdoors, this armor grants a bonus to cunning rolls 
  when attempting to hide. 
  +2
  +4
  +6
  +8
  CrashBreaking 
  armor augment
  This armor is designed to help cushion the wearer’s fall by ab-
  sorbing the shock and keeping the person inside from rattling 
  around. It’s not going to keep you alive in a crashing airship from 
  a high altitude, but it might help out when somebody pushes you 
  over the side of the building. While wearing crashbreaking armor, 
  you can fall further before taking wounds damage. 
  1 wounds damage per 30 feet fallen
  1 wounds damage per 40 feet fallen
  1 wounds damage per 50 feet fallen
  1 wounds damage per 60 feet fallen
   
  
  194
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  FLame retarDant 
  armor augment
  The armor generally cannot be caught on fire, depending on how 
  intense the fire is.
  Cannot be caught on tier 1 fire
  Cannot be caught on tier 2 fire
  Cannot be caught on tier 3 fire
  Cannot be caught on tier 4 fire
  hanDCrushing 
  armor augment
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP
  When people add gears to their armor, it’s not merely steampunk-
  themed decor. Those gears are designed to tear apart anybody 
  who lays a hand on that armor. If a person is grabbing you while 
  wearing this armor, you may spend 1 action point to activate the 
  spinning gears, the hydraulic spikes, or the built-in flamethrower 
  and deal unsoakable damage to the person touching you.  
  4 damage 
  8 damage 
  12 damage 
  16 damage 
  Note: As a courtesy, feel free to remind the person grabbing you 
  that they can reflexively let go of you for 0 action points when-
  ever they’d like.  
  inJeCtor 
  armor augment
  Through the use of a magnetic trigger system connected to a 
  liquid injector, this augment creates a quick injection system that 
  allows the wearer to, through the push of a button, inject himself 
  with a dose of a chemical. It requires 5 action points to reload 
  a dose of the chemical after it’s been used, but no action points 
  to inject it. At any given time, the armor can only hold so many 
  chemicals.
  1 alchemical potion
  2 alchemical potions
  3 alchemical potions
  4 alchemical potions
  moBiLe 
  armor augment
  Light, easy to move in, and with enhanced piston-joints to really 
  get you moving, this armor provides a bonus to your speed.
  +5 feet
  +10 feet
  +10 feet
  +15 feet
  QuiCk eQuip 
  armor augment
  Most armor takes a while to equip - not this stuff! It takes only 
  a turn or two.
  10 AP to equip
  6 AP to equip
  3 AP to equip
  1 AP to equip
  razor-riDgeD 
  armor augment
  Your armor has sharp edges, pointy bits, and moving pieces that 
  keep enemies from grabbing you. Any time an opponent grabs 
  onto you, they automatically take a number of unsoakable dam-
  age based on the razor-ridged marque. Every turn that they keep 
  holding on to you, they take that damage again (this damage is 
  dealt at the end of their turn, when their action points refresh).
  3 damage
  6 damage
  9 damage
  12 damage
  reinForCeD pLating 
  armor augment
  Through additional plating being added to various body parts, 
  you are able to decrease the chances of called shots effecting 
  you. When you choose this augment, choose one limb or area on 
  the body (either arm, either leg, the torso, or the head). Thereaf-
  ter, you gain a bonus whenever attempting to resist a called shot 
  there.
  +2
  +4
  +6
  +8
  staBiLizing roDs 
  armor augment
  Activation Cost: 0 AP (see below)
  Your armor is built with stabilizing rods in the arms that allow 
  you to automatically enter firing stance for 0 action points. This 
  allows you to fire super-heavy firearms and crossbows imme-
  diately. However, you are rooted to the spot you’re in until you 
  spend 1 action point to reset the stabilizing rods back into their 
  original location. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in armsmith.
  
  195
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  sLippery 
  armor augment
  While wearing this armor, you are very difficult to grab on to. Any 
  time you are attempting to evade a grab or resist a grab, you gain 
  a bonus on your roll.
  +2
  +4
  +6
  +8
  steaming 
  armor augment
  Your armor lets off steam, enveloping you and everyone around 
  you in a foggy, hard-to-see-through steam. You may turn it off for 
  1 action point, but otherwise it makes an area around you difficult 
  to see through. Anybody in the area is affected by poor vision, and 
  takes a -2 to accuracy and evade rolls.
  5 feet
  10 feet
  15 feet
  20 feet
  weLDeD weapon 
  armor augment
  You weld a weapon to your armor. The weapon cannot be dis-
  armed, dropped, or concealed, but it also does not need to be 
  drawn in order to be used. The maximum size of the weapon 
  depends on the mark.
  Medium
  Medium
  Heavy
  Heavy
  
  196
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Automaton Repairs
  automata speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP
  You’re able to quickly repair an automaton in battle. To do so, 
  you must be adjacent to it. By making the repairs, you restore a 
  number of wounds to the automaton.
  10 wounds
  15 wounds
  20 wounds
  30 wounds
  Interchangeable Parts
  automata speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP
  Your automatons are designed so that their parts can be replaced 
  and altered in the middle of battle. This gives the automatons 
  additional slots for augments, but these augments are not always 
  active. At any time, a person may switch out the augments for 3 
  action points, activating one augment but deactivating another 
  augment. You may replace multiple augments at the same time 
  all for the cost of 3 action points.
   
  This specialty works within the marque system. The 
  amount of interchangeable slots the automaton has depends on 
  the marque of its creator.  
  1 interchangeable slot for an augment
  2 interchangeable slots for augments
  3 interchangeable slots for augments
  4 interchangeable slots for augments
  Automata is the complex skill of piecing together machines that act on their own 
  or do things that people cannot do by themselves. If you’re interested in creating a 
  massive, mechanical juggernaut, an intelligent and self-serving automaton, or creat-
  ing prosthetics that can be attached to your friends in place of their fleshy limbs, 
  automata is your place. 
  Automata
  pM
  The 3 Types of Automatons
  There are three types of automatons that an automaton crafter 
  can choose to develop. 
  steamers: Steam-powered automatons that are remotely 
  controlled by their owner. Steamers are typically the larg-
  est and strongest of the three automatons.
  Fuse Boxes: Electric-powered automatons with brain-
  works that allow them to think on their own. Fuse boxes 
  are rarely very strong, but they move entirely on their own 
  accord. 
  CLoCkworks: Automatons comprised of clockwork and 
  springs that have pre-programmed analytical engines, 
  causing them to only react to their surroundings.
  Once you’ve chosen which type of automaton you want to craft, 
  you’ll take the specialty for that automaton. You may learn dif-
  ferent types of automatons, and even apply different control 
  styles to the same automaton. 
  Skill Organization
  This skill begins with specialties allowing you to build and cus-
  tomize automatons up front, followed by specialties for build-
  ing prosthetic body parts, which can be added to those autom-
  atons (or used as replacement limbs for other people). You’ll 
  find Steamers first (and their boiler augments), then Fuse Boxes 
  (along with their brainwork augments), and finally Clockworks 
  (accompanied by their analytical engine augments).
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Def
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  
  197
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Steam-Powered Crafter
  automata speCiaLty
  The first step in crafting your steamer, boilers are the machinery 
  that powers your automaton and gives it motion and strength.  
  Your boiler is automatically housed within the automaton’s torso, 
  onto which you can attach any body parts you wish. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several steamers based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. The boilers in these steamers can then be upgraded with 
  augments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can 
  be selected under “boiler augments” below. These augments have 
  marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. 
  As your skill in Automata improves, your marques will increase. 
  See the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter for more 
  information.
   
  Each boiler can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some-
  times an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For ex-
  ample, the “Flight” augment is worth 2 slots, so a boiler only has 
  1 more available slot for an augment after “Flight” has been ap-
  plied. 
  numBer oF steamers you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some 
  steamers entirely out of scraps. These automatons must be con-
  stantly maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving 
  your care. You may build and maintain a number of steamers for 
  free based on your DIY score. You may build new steamers or 
  augment old ones during any period of downtime you have. 
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  3
  the Cost oF steamers z
  If you need to build a steamer that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it. 
   
  A steamer without augments will cost 50 princes. If you 
  are building a steamer, the steamer will have a base materials cost. 
  It is 1/5th the market price (10 princes). 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1250 princes
  6250 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 10 princes.
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Using your Steamer
  Back in the day, steam-powered automatons used coal, so they 
  were often large, hulking affairs that moved slowly and ate 
  up a lot of fuel. Emperor Deylus Luthricien and the royalists 
  changed that during the civil war when they integrated aether 
  technology into their boilers for easier steam generation.  Now, 
  steam-powered automatons are fast, lighter-weight, and can be 
  controlled via remote controls and radio waves.
  ControL methoD c
  Steamers require the use of a two-handed remote control, emit-
  ting radio waves to the aether resonators inside the automatons. 
  These remote controls allow the user to be up to 100 feet away 
  and still control the automaton. The automaton can generally 
  do anything a normal person could do (such as walking, jump-
  ing, fighting, and deflecting), and it takes the controller the 
  same amount of action points to control the automaton as it 
  would for a normal person to make the action (such as 1 action 
  point to make the automaton move, or 2 action points to make 
  the automaton attack). A single remote control can be used to 
  control all of your automatons. Steamers have no action points 
  of their own; therefore, if your steamer is hit with an attack that 
  lowers its number of action points, your steamer is unaffected.  
  BoDy oF the maChine c
  Steamers will have a Boiler, which will be augmentable with 3 
  slots. One may later take Beta Boiler to improve on that. Body 
  parts may then be added to the boiler.
   
  Your steamer (by default) is built with a head to house 
  its radio receptors and a torso and groin to house its boiler. The 
  two are connected via a neck support. To its torso you may at-
  tach either two arms or one unit of movement. Its groin may 
  have a unit of movement attached to it. A unit of movement 
  is either a set of legs, wheels, or a propulsion device. (See the 
  Units of Movement sidebar for more information.)
   
  Your steamer has 0 hit points and 30 wounds. Any 
  “bleeding” damage your steamer takes causes steam to eracti-
  cally leak out of its boiler, making it take bleeding damage in 
  the same fashion as any regular organism. In addition, the rigid 
  structuring of your steamer’s boiler grants it an extra 3 soak 
  class. As your automaton has no mind of its own, it cannot be 
  affected by anything that requires Spirit or Cunning as a resist.
  Crafting Steamers
  
  198
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Beta Boilers
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Automata & Steam-Powered Crafter 
  specialty
  Your boilers are highly advanced yet difficult for most people to 
  use. Such boilers can be upgraded with 2 more augments (bring-
  ing the total up to 5 augmentable slots). 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta steamers, they must succeed in rolling a sciences result one 
  tier higher than the highest marque you have on your steamer. If 
  your steamer has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for them 
  to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 with 
  their sciences attribute).
  Prototype Boilers
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Automata, Steam-Powered Crafter, & 
  Beta Boiler specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta boilers and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can control an automaton with a boiler that you 
  designate as being a prototype. 
  p Steamer Operator Specialties M
  Steamer Operator
  automata speCiaLty
  As a practiced automaton fighter, you can make a steamer move 
  just the way you want it to. Whenever you are operating a steamer, 
  the steamer can use your accuracy, strike, defense, and evade.
  Steam Poser
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: Steam Operator & at least one stance known
  You know how to make a steamer accurately strike a pose. Steam-
  ers you control will automatically act as if they are in the same 
  stance(s) as you. The instant you stop being a steamer’s current 
  operator, the steamer loses all its stances.
  Steam Specialist
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Automata & Steam Operator specialty
  A true joystick master, you rise above any primitive control 
  scheme put in front of you to make your steamer move just as 
  you do. You can now modify the actions of any steamer you are 
  operating with specialties you know.
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Units of Movement
  Automatons will normally have a unit of movement attached 
  to them. This could be a set of legs, wheels, or a propulsion 
  device. 
  Legs c
  Legs provide movement. Legs can easily traverse almost any 
  terrain. By having a set of legs (typically two), an automaton 
  will have a speed of 20 feet, can walk up stairs, move over all 
  degrees rough terrain, and generally have little problem getting 
  about as do most tephrans. The legs do not allow the automa-
  ton to climb or swim. By having legs, the automaton can be 
  affected by called shots to the legs.
  wheeLs c
  Wheels allow for faster movement, though their are some clear 
  disadvantages compared to legs. Wheels will give the automa-
  ton a speed of 30 feet, but the automaton will only be able to 
  go up stairs at a speed of 10 feet, and the penalties for moving 
  through rough terrain are doubled. The wheels do not allow the 
  automaton to climb or swim. Wheels can be targeted as called 
  shot locations - they have the same effects as legs.
  propuLsion DeviCe c
  Sometimes legs and wheels don’t cut it. Underwater automa-
  tons will have propellors or automated fins. Some automatons 
  will stand on wheels but use a rocket to propel them forward. A 
  propulsion device will allow the automaton a speed of 20 feet 
  (on either land, surface waters, or under water). The penalties 
  for moving through rough terrain are doubled, and the propul-
  sion device does not allow the automaton to climb or swim 
  (unless the propulsion device is intended for underwater move-
  ment, in which case it does not allow the automaton to move 
  across the land). If a propulsion device is targeted as a called 
  shot location, it has the same effect as if it were a leg. 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +1
  
  199
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  p Boiler Augments M
  armoreD BoiLer 
  BoiLer augment
  Takes up 2 Augment Slots on a Boiler
  Your boiler has armoring built into it so that it won’t impede your 
  steamer in any way. This increases your steamer’s natural soak 
  class.
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  Note: this augment stacks with the soak class bonus granted from 
  the Brickhouse Boiler augment. 
  automateD BoiLer repair 
  BoiLer augment
  The boiler contains internal systems which patch up damage it 
  recieves. While this won’t remove wound effects, every turn it will 
  replenish some wounds damage.
  1 wound repaired
  2 wounds repaired
  3 wounds repaired
  4 wounds repaired
  BriCkhouse BoiLer 
  BoiLer augment
  Takes up 2 Augment Slots on a Boiler
  The walls of your boiler are exceptionally thick and well-insu-
  lated, protecting your steamer from damage. 
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  Note: this augment stacks with the soak class 
  bonus granted from the Armored Boiler 
  augment. 
  Fire aBsorBing 
  BoiLer augment
  You need heat to make steam. Your boiler can already produce 
  heat on its own, but you’re not opposed to other people helping 
  it out. Any heat damage your steamer would take from being on 
  fire instead heals it.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  easy repairs 
  BoiLer augment
  Used with the Automaton Repairs specialty
  The automaton is designed in a logical, accessible way that makes 
  repairs easy. Whenever somebody is attempting to repair it via the 
  Automaton Repairs specialty, they gain a bonus on their automata 
  roll.
  +3 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +6 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +9 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +12 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  
  200
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  FLight 
  BoiLer augment
  Takes up 2 Augment Slots on a Boiler
  The automaton has been outfitted with a graviton sphere, allow-
  ing it to float and move. It can now fly, with its speed depending 
  on the marque. Any speed penalties you take from armor will 
  penalize this speed.
  5 feet of fly speed per action point
  10 feet of fly speed per action point
  15 feet of fly speed per action point
  25 feet of fly speed per action point
  Lightning resistant 
  BoiLer augment
  The automaton is naturally resistant to lightning and electricity. 
  Electrical damage is now soakable as regular damage.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  passenger 
  BoiLer augment
  Your automaton has a hollow compartment inside, allowing peo-
  ple to ride inside and see out through eye holes or monitors of 
  your design. While inside an automaton, a character cannot be 
  directly targeted but they in turn cannot interact with anything 
  outside of the automaton, although the automaton can still hear 
  all voice commands. Any remote controls for the automaton can 
  still control it from its passenger compartment. The number of 
  people the automaton can hold is equal to the number of spaces 
  it takes up. The amount of action points required by passengers 
  to get into and out of the automaton is based on the marque of 
  this augment. 
  4 AP to enter or exit the automaton (can take multiple 
  turns)
  3 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  2 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  1 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  proteCteD Core 
  BoiLer augment
  If your automaton is defeated in battle, its insides are heavily 
  safeguarded to allow for easy repair during your next breather. 
  An automaton with a protected core can be entirely rebuilt in a 
  matter of minutes. The automaton can be repaired up to a certain 
  amount of maximum wounds, based on the marque. It cannot be 
  repaired past its normal maximum number of wounds
  10 wounds after repairs
  20 wounds after repairs
  30 wounds after repairs
  40 wounds after repairs
  reaListiC 
  BoiLer augment
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  You’ve designed the body of your automaton to look quite real, 
  replicating the appearance of a living or imaginary creature. Any 
  persons who looks upon it will believe it to be real unless they can 
  beat the automaton’s roll with their Cunning. The automaton’s 
  roll gains a bonus based on the marque of this augment.
  +5 to fool target
  +10 to foot target
  +15 to fool target
  +20 to fool target
  reinForCeD BoiLer 
  BoiLer augment
  The boiler is all-around better built, granting it extra points of 
  wounds.
  +10 wounds
  +20 wounds
  +30 wounds
  +40 wounds
  resiLient BoiLer 
  BoiLer augment
  Your steamer has a boiler any engineer would be proud of. Du-
  rable and reliable, your steamer has extra points of wounds.
  +10 wounds
  +20 wounds
  +30 wounds
  +40 wounds
  
  201
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  remoteLy remote ControLLeD 
  BoiLer augment
  The automaton can be controlled from a great distance. If the 
  user has no way of knowing what the automaton can see, they 
  might be wasting commands.
  Up to 200 feet away
  Up to 2,000 feet away
  Up to 2 miles away
  Up to 20 miles away
  shieLD moDe 
  BoiLer augment
  aCtivation Cost: 2 AP (see below)
  Your automaton can hunker down into a solid dense mass for two 
  of its controller’s action points, allowing it to be easily used as 
  medium cover (+6 to evade against ranged attacks) for the same 
  number of spaces it normally takes up. While in shield mode, 
  your automaton cannot move or act. You can command it to exit 
  this form for two action points. It also gains extra soak class while 
  this ability is active.
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  taCtiLe ControLs 
  BoiLer augment
  Your highly responsive control scheme allows your automaton to 
  use your Dexterity as a bonus to its own as long as you’re are 
  controlling it with a remote control.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  test oF strength ControLs 
  BoiLer augment
  Your steamer has been outfitted with pressurized bags of steam 
  which inflate and deflate to replicate the amount of torque placed 
  on the joystick of its remote control. When the person piloting 
  your steamer is using its remote control, the steamer is able to use 
  its operator’s Brute as a bonus onto its own.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  verBaL CommanD unit 
  BoiLer augment
  If your automaton has the ability to hear you, you can now issue 
  it verbal commands without the need for a remote control. It still 
  costs you the same amount of action points to get it to perform 
  any action since you have to guide the automaton through every 
  intricacy of the actions they take. The last person to give your 
  steamer any verbal commands is considered your steamer’s cur-
  rent operator. If your steamer is deafened, getting it to perform 
  an action through verbal commands costs an extra action point.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  
  202
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Fuse Box Builder
  automata speCiaLty
  You can now create electric-powered automatons and upgrade 
  the brainworks that power them and grant them artificial intel-
  ligence. Tephrans colloquially call them “fuse boxes.”
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain one fuse box. The brainworks of this fuse box can then be 
  upgraded with augments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this spe-
  cialty, which can be selected under “brainworks augments” below. 
  These augments have marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with 
  Marque I augments. As your skill in Automata improves, your 
  marques will increase. See the “Crafting” page at the beginning 
  of this chapter for more information. 
   
  Each brainworks can be upgraded with 3 augments. 
  Sometimes an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For 
  example, the “Lightning Soul” augment is worth 2 slots, so a 
  brainworks unit only has 1 more available slot for an augment 
  after “Lightning Soul” has been applied.
  maintaining your Fuse Box  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build a single 
  fuse box entirely out of scraps. This automaton must be con-
  stantly maintained by you and stops working soon after leaving 
  your care. You can replace your fuse box automaton or augment 
  your current one during any period of downtime you have. 
  the Cost oF Fuse Boxes z
  If you need to build a fuse box that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it. 
   
  The fuse box, unaugmented, will have a base cost de-
  pending on its marque. (The marque will determine its number 
  of action points per turn.) If you buy a fuse box and augments, 
  you will add the price of the augments onto the price of the au-
  tomaton. 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  200 princes
  1000 princes 5000 princes 25000 princes
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1250 princes
  6250 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 10 princes.
  Advanced Brainworks
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Automata & Fuse Box Builder specialty
  Your brainworks go far beyond what most other automata build-
  ers could conceptually imagine. Such brainworks have two more 
  slots for you to place augments into. 
  Superior Brainworks
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 6 skill points in Automata & Fuse Box Builder specialty
  Your brainworks are far more advanced than the common artifi-
  cial intelligence. All brainworks you create with your DIY have 3 
  action points per turn instead of 2. Buying fuse boxes with su-
  perior brainworks costs 10,000 princes (a materials cost of 2,000 
  princes) on top of any other costs.
  Heroic Brainworks
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 9 skill points in Automata, Fuse Box Builder, & Superior 
  Brainworks specialties
  Brainworks crafted with your DIY can fight with the tenacity of 
  a great warrior and think at the speed of a quick-witted rogue. 
  All brainworks you create with your DIY have 4 action points per 
  turn instead of 3. Buying fuse boxes with superior brainworks 
  costs 50,000 princes (a materials cost of 10,000 princes) on top 
  of any other costs.
  Personality
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: Fuse Box Builder specialty
  It’s understandable for a gentleman adventurer to get lonely on 
  the road. The cold embrace of an unfeeling automaton won’t 
  stave off feelings of solitude for long. Luckily for you, there’s an 
  easy solution: give that unfeeling automaton some feelings! Your 
  brainworks can now be built with personality, making the fuse 
  box you put them into feel the same emotional sensations as any 
  other Tephran. This gives them the ability to gain stories (includ-
  ing ones from your nationality) and learn specialties from the 
  Spirit attribute. Buying fuse boxes with personality costs 5,000 
  princes (a materials cost of 1,000 princes) on top of any other 
  costs.
   
  Note: They still cannot gain DIY or augments through 
  stories or specialties.
  Crafting Fuse Boxes
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  
  203
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  p Brainworks Augments M
  aLert 
  Brainworks augment
  The automaton is always alert (unless when out of power or 
  turned off), and will raise an alarm if its sensors pick up any-
  thing.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  Brute physiCs 
  Brainworks augment
  Your brainworks is filled with meticulous physics calculators, al-
  lowing it to use the power of mind over matter to perform feats 
  of incredible strength. It has a bonus to Brute.
  +3 Brute
  +12 Brute
  +31 Brute
  +47 Brute
  Dexterity DireCtory 
  Brainworks augment
  Your brainworks contains a vast directory of motion capture data 
  taken from some of the world’s greatest acrobats and rogues. 
  Whenever it needs them, your brainworks can make your automa-
  ton mimic these athletes, granting it a bonus to Dexterity.
  +3 Dexterity
  +12 Dexterity
  +31 Dexterity
  +47 Dexterity
  easy repairs 
  Brainworks augment
  Used with the Automaton Repairs specialty
  The automaton is designed in a logical, accessible way that makes 
  repairs easy. Whenever somebody is attempting to repair it via the 
  Automaton Repairs specialty, they gain a bonus on their automata 
  roll.
  +3 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +6 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +9 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +12 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  Using your Fuse Box
  The first electric-powered automatons were invented by the 
  Hazards, and later the technology was adapted and used to 
  create numerous smaller and more efficient automatons that 
  would protect the Hazardlands. Many Evanglessians called 
  electric-powered automatons “Sparkers” or “Fuse Boxes.” Fuse 
  Boxes have the most advanced sensory arrays, and can compute 
  information to such an extent that they seem almost lifelike. 
  This artificial intelligence is known as brainworks.
  ControL methoD c
  Fuse boxes use their brainworks to act independently. They be-
  gin as creations with 2 action points per turn. The sensory array 
  allows the creator to give it verbal commands, like telling it to 
  “attack that man” or “run to my side,” which costs the creator 
  no action points. Your fuse box must roll priority separately 
  from you as it is an autonomous being with its own turns. 
  BoDy oF the maChine c
  Fuse Boxes will begin with Brainworks, which has 3 slots that 
  can be augmented. This can be upgraded with Advanced Brain-
  works, which gives the automaton more control over itself and 
  an additional 2 slots for its brainworks. Body parts can then be 
  added onto the brainworks. 
   
  Your fuse box (by default) is built with a head to house 
  its brainworks and a torso and groin to house its drive core. 
  The two are connected via a neck support. To its torso you may 
  attach either two arms or one unit of movement. Its groin may 
  have a unit of movement attached to it. A unit of movement 
  is either a set of legs, wheels, or a propulsion device. (See the 
  Units of Movement sidebar for more information.)
   
  Your fuse box’s integrity comes from the electricity its 
  brainworks produces, which at default is 8 hit points. Once out 
  of hit points its brainworks is exposed and your automaton will 
  begin to take wounds damage. Fuse boxes have only 12 points of 
  wounds. Any “bleeding” damage your automaton takes causes 
  lightning to shoot out of its electrical conduit, making it take 
  bleeding damage in the same fashion as any regular organism.
   
  Fuse boxes have 2 action points per turn. As sen-
  tient machines, fuse boxes can learn specialties based on their 
  marque. They act as if they have 1 point in the skills they have 
  specialties in for the purposes of prerequisites and for the spe-
  cialty itself. This point does not increase their attributes at all.
  Has 1 specialty
  Has 2 specialties
  Has 3 specialties
  Has 5 specialties
  Pirates or Ninjas?  Obviously 
  the question is flawed, for 
  automatons rule.
  
  204
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  FLight 
  Brainworks augment
  Takes up 2 augment slots on the Brainworks
  The automaton has been outfitted with a graviton sphere, allow-
  ing it to float and move. It can now fly, with its speed depending 
  on the marque. Any speed penalties you take from armor will 
  penalize this speed.
  5 feet of flight speed per action point
  10 feet of flight speed per action point
  15 feet of flight speed per action point
  20 feet of flight speed per action point
  instaLLeD Cunning 
  Brainworks augment
  You’ve given your automaton street-smarts and wit, allowing it 
  to analyze the words of others and its surroundings, as well as 
  allowing it to effectively gather new information. This grants it a 
  bonus to Cunning.
  +3 Cunning
  +12 Cunning
  +31 Cunning
  +47 Cunning
  Lightning souL 
  Brainworks augment
  Takes up 2 augment slots on the Brainworks
  Electricity is your fuse box’s blood, so when someone makes 
  it bleed, they’re in for quite a shock! Whenever someone deals 
  bleeding damage to your fuse box, including any taken from 
  wounds or fatal effects, bolts of lightning erupt from its body 
  into the person dealing the damage, as long as they are within 20 
  feet of your fusebox when dealing the damage. The victim of this 
  augment is denied an evade roll.
  8 electric damage
  16 electric damage
  24 electric damage
  32 electric damage
  LinguistiCs 
  Brainworks augment
  Takes up 0 augment slots on the Brainworks
  The automaton has learned the basics of language and, with the 
  addition of a soundbox in its mouth, can now process and recre-
  ate language.
  It can speak its creator’s language, though poorly
  It can speak its creator’s language fluently
  It can speak three languages fluently
  It can speak ten languages fluently
  Note: As an augment that takes up 0 slots, the cost to apply lin-
  guistics to an automaton is half as much as a normal augment 
  (rounded down).
  meChaniCaL sharpness 
  Brainworks augment
  The fusebox can make precisely timed actions, granting it a bo-
  nus on its accuracy rolls.
  +2 Accuracy
  +4 Accuracy
  +6 Accuracy
  +8 Accuracy
  passenger 
  Brainworks augment
  Your automaton has a hollow compartment inside, allowing peo-
  ple to ride inside and see out through eye holes or monitors of 
  your design. While inside an automaton, a character cannot be 
  directly targeted but they in turn cannot interact with anything 
  outside of the automaton, although the automaton can still hear 
  all voice commands. The number of people the automaton can 
  hold is equal to the number of spaces it takes up. The amount of 
  action points required by passengers to get into and out of the 
  automaton is based on the marque of this augment. 
  Fuse Box speCiaList 
  Brainworks augment
  Your fusebox is better at using its specialties. Instead of having 
  1 point in their skills for using their specialties and for prereq-
  uisites, they use the following numbers:
  2 skill points for specialties
  4 skill points for specialties
  10 skill points for specialties
  18 skill points for specialties
  master Fuse Box 
  Brainworks augment
  reQuires: fusebox augmented with Fuse Box Specialist augment
  Your fusebox is a master of using their specialties. They have 
  an additional skill bonus for their specialties and for prerequi-
  sites on top of their Fusebox Specialist augment
  +1 skill points for specialties
  +3 skill points for specialties
  +5 skill points for specialties
  +7 skill points for specialties
  
  205
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  4 AP to enter or exit the automaton (can take multiple 
  turns)
  3 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  2 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  1 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  proteCteD Core 
  Brainworks augment
  If your automaton is defeated in battle, its insides are heavily 
  safeguarded to allow for easy repair during your next breather. 
  An automaton with a protected core can be entirely rebuilt in a 
  matter of minutes. The automaton can be repaired up to a certain 
  amount of maximum wounds, based on the marque. It cannot be 
  repaired past its normal maximum number of wounds
  10 wounds after repairs
  20 wounds after repairs
  30 wounds after repairs
  40 wounds after repairs
  reaListiC 
  Brainworks augment
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  You’ve designed the body of your automaton to look quite real, 
  replicating the appearance of a living or imaginary creature. Any 
  persons who looks upon it will believe it to be real unless they can 
  beat the automaton’s roll with their Cunning. The automaton’s 
  roll gains a bonus based on the marque of this augment.
  +5 to fool target
  +10 to foot target
  +15 to fool target
  +20 to fool target
  sCientiFiC DataBase 
  Brainworks augment
  Your automaton is a walking library of information and has deep 
  understanding on the inner workings of itself and other ma-
  chines, granting it a bonus to Sciences.
  +3 Sciences
  +12 Sciences
  +31 Sciences
  +47 Sciences
  shoCk aBsorBer 
  Brainworks augment
  Carefully hidden miniature conduits across your fuse box’s body 
  allow it to soak electric damage normally, even if the electric at-
  tack states it denies soak or defense. Any electric damage it soaks 
  is harnessed for energy, replenishing your fusebox’s hit points.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  sLippery CirCuits 
  Brainworks augment
  Your automaton always seems to slip right out from under its at-
  tackers. Its sensors are in full usage, fully optimizing the automa-
  ton for jumping away from harm. It gains a bonus of evade rolls.
  +2 Evade
  +3 Evade
  +4 Evade
  +5 Evade
  spirituaL ConneCtion 
  Brainworks augment
  reQuires: Brainworks built with Personality
  Your brainworks better understands what it means to be ‘alive’ and 
  has been programmed with the mental fortitude of a monk. This 
  allows the automaton to better replicate and control its Tephran 
  emotions, granting it bonuses to Spirit.
  +3 Spirit
  +12 Spirit
  +31 Spirit
  +47 Spirit
  targeting program 
  Brainworks augment
  Your brainworks can zero in on a target, calculating the exact at-
  tack trajectory required to hit them.
  +2 Accuracy
  +4 Accuracy
  +6 Accuracy
  +8 Accuracy
  
  206
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Clockwork Crafter
  automata speCiaLty
  You can now create new kinetically-powered automatons and 
  upgrade the analytical engine that controls its pre-determined 
  responses. Tephrans colloquially call them “clockworks.”
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several clockworks based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. The analytical engines of these clockworks can then 
  be upgraded with augments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this 
  specialty, which can be selected under “analytics augments” be-
  low. These augments have marques. At lower levels, you’ll start 
  with Marque I augments. As your skill in Automata improves, 
  your marques will increase. See the “Crafting” page at the begin-
  ning of this chapter for more information.  
   
  Each analytics can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some-
  times an augment will take up multiple augment slots. For ex-
  ample, the “flight” augment is worth 2 slots, so an analytics unit 
  only has 1 more available slot for an augment after “flight” has 
  been applied.
  numBer oF CLoCkworks you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some 
  clockworks entirely out of scraps. These automatons must be 
  constantly maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving 
  your care. You may build and maintain a number of clockworks 
  for free based on your DIY score. You may build new clockworks 
  or augment old ones during any period of downtime you have. 
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  3
  the Cost oF CLoCkworks z
  If you need to build a clockwork that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it. 
   
  A clockwork without augments will cost 50 princes. If 
  you are building a clockwork, the clockwork will have a base ma-
  terials cost. It is 1/5th the market price (10 princes). 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1250 princes
  6250 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 10 princes.
  Advanced Analytics
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Automata & Clockwork Crafter specialty
  Your analytics go far beyond what most other automata builders 
  could conceptually imagine. Such analytics have two more slots 
  for you to place augments into. 
  Using your Clockworks
  Clockwork automatons are the oldest automatons, as Velkya, 
  the founder of Evangless, was fond of using them. Clockwork 
  automatons have come a long way, however, and now use ana-
  lytical engines to evaluate their surroundings and enact pre-
  programmed responses. Clockworks can now work for hours 
  and hours without needing any maintenance (or winding up, 
  as it would be).
  ControL methoD c
  Clockworks work by using pre-programmed responses called 
  Directives. Without a Directive augmented onto them, a clock-
  work will not make any actions. Each directive acts separately 
  from the rest. Clockworks don’t have action points, and require 
  no action points from its master to function. Therefore if your 
  clockwork is hit with an attack that lowers its number of ac-
  tion points for a turn, your clockwork is unaffected. Outside of 
  combat you can temporarily turn off and on some (or all) of 
  your clockwork’s directives to avoid it attacking townsfolk.
  BoDy oF the maChine c
  Clockworks will begin with an analytical engine, which has 3 
  slots to be augmented with pre-programmed responses. This 
  can be upgraded with Advanced Analytics, which allows for 2 
  more slots. Some crafters learn how to make punch cards, to 
  re-program their clockworks on the spots. Body parts can then 
  be added onto the analytical engine.
   
  Your clockwork (by default) is built with a head to 
  house its analytical engine and a torso and groin to house its 
  perpetual motion clockwork. The two are connected via a neck 
  support. To its torso you may attach either two arms or one 
  unit of movement. Its groin may have a unit of movement at-
  tached to it. A unit of movement is either a set of legs, wheels, 
  or a propulsion device. (See the Units of Movement sidebar for 
  more information.)
   
  Clockworks have no hit points and 20 points of 
  wounds. Any “bleeding” damage your automaton takes causes 
  springs and cogs to pop out of place within its clockwork, mak-
  ing it take bleeding damage in the same fashion as any regular 
  organism. 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Crafting Clockworks
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  
  207
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  p Analytics Augments M
  avenge-me DireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Your analytical engine thoughtlessly fights back against those 
  who try and harm the target of this augment. When applying 
  this augment, choose someone (usually yourself) to be its target. 
  When the target of this augment is attacked and the attacker is 
  within range of this clockwork, the clockwork will automatically 
  attack the attacker once, using a weapon if it is wielding one. The 
  number of times the clockwork will do this per combat turn is 
  determined by the marque of this augment.
  Will perform this action once
  Will perform this action twice
  Will perform this action twice
  Will perform this action thrice
  DeFenD-your-area DireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Your clockwork attacks personnel who enter a space adjacent to 
  them, exempting anyone you’ve pre-programmed them to see as 
  an ally (usually you and any party members you don’t want your 
  automaton to chop into pieces). They will perform this action a 
  number of times per combat turn determined by the marque of 
  this augment. If they are blinded to or cannot recognize someone 
  they are pre-programmed to see as an ally, they will attack them 
  using this augment. They will only attack a specific target once 
  per adjacent space they walk through per turn.
  Will act out this directive once
  Will act out this directive twice
  Will act out this directive twice
  Will act out this directive thrice
  Do-not-Die Component 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Your clockwork is designed to take more hits before its inevitable 
  destruction, not that it cares.
  +10 wounds
  +20 wounds
  +30 wounds
  +40 wounds
  easy repairs 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Used with the Automaton Repairs specialty
  The automaton is designed in a logical, accessible way that makes 
  repairs easy. Whenever somebody is attempting to repair it via the 
  Automaton Repairs specialty, they gain a bonus on their automata 
  roll.
  +3 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +6 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +9 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  +12 on the Automaton Repairs rolls
  FLight 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Takes up 2 augment slots on the Brainworks
  The automaton has been outfitted with a graviton sphere, allow-
  ing it to float and move. It can now fly, with its speed depending 
  on the marque. Any speed penalties you take from armor will 
  penalize this speed.
  5 feet of flight speed per action point
  10 feet of flight speed per action point
  15 feet of flight speed per action point
  20 feet of flight speed per action point
  FoLLow-me DireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Your clockwork will aimlessly follow the target of this augment. 
  When applying this augment, choose someone (usually yourself) 
  to be its target. Whenever the target of this augment moves, this 
  clockwork will move as far as it can in the same direction, at-
  tempting to get to a space adjacent to them.
  Will move toward their target once per turn
  Will move toward their target twice per turn
  Will move toward their target three times per turn
  Will move toward their target four times per turn
  
  208
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  go-there DireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP (see below)
  Your clockwork is programmed to move where you want it to, 
  although its analytical engine needs guidance when doing so. 
  When applying this augment, choose someone (usually yourself) 
  to be its target. For 1 action point the target of this augment 
  can, through pointing and probably yelling, make your clockwork 
  move once. If your clockwork has a separate directive that makes 
  it move, directing your clockwork somewhere with this augment 
  will not prevent it from carrying out the other directive the first 
  chance it gets.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  heDge-your-area suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Defend-Your-Area Directive augment
  When someone causes your automaton to act out their Defend-
  Your-Area Directive, your clockwork is pre-programmed to not 
  fail its programmer. It gains an accuracy bonus on any attacks 
  made while acting out the Defend-Your-Area Directive.
  +3 Accuracy
  +6 Accuracy
  +9 Accuracy
  +12 Accuracy
  hit-them suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Avenge-Me Directive augment
  When your automaton acts out its Avenge-Me Directive it is ac-
  curate about doing so. It gains an accuracy bonus on any attacks 
  made while acting out the Avenge-Me Directive.
  +3 Accuracy
  +6 Accuracy
  +9 Accuracy
  +12 Accuracy
  hurt-them suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Avenge-Me Directive augment
  Your analytical engine is designed to mindlessly put all of its 
  strength into dealing more damage whenever it acts out its 
  Avenge-Me Directive. It gains a strike bonus on any attacks made 
  while acting out the Avenge-Me Directive.
  +4 Strike
  +8 Strike
  +12 Strike
  +16 Strike
  Lightning resistant 
  anaLytiCs augment
  The automaton is naturally resistant to lightning and electricity. 
  Electrical damage is now soakable as regular damage.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in automata.
  marCh-there suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Go-There Directive augment
  More people can guide your clockwork’s aimless wandering 
  around the battlefield. Based on the marque of this augment, you 
  can program in more targets for your Go-There Directive.
  One additional guide
  Two additional guides
  Three additional guides
  Four additional guides
  mark-your-area suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Defend-Your-Area Directive augment
  When someone causes your automaton to act out their Defend-
  Your-Area Directive, your clockwork is designed to make their 
  prey regret it. It gains a strike bonus on any attacks made while 
  acting out the Defend-Your-Area Directive.
  +4 Strike
  +8 Strike
  +12 Strike
  +16 Strike
  passenger 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Your automaton has a hollow compartment inside, allowing peo-
  ple to ride inside and see out through eye holes or monitors of 
  your design. While inside an automaton, a character cannot be 
  directly targeted but they in turn cannot interact with anything 
  outside of the automaton, although the automaton can still hear 
  all voice commands. The number of people the automaton can 
  hold is equal to the number of spaces it takes up. The amount of 
  action points required by passengers to get into and out of the 
  automaton is based on the marque of this augment. 
  4 AP to enter or exit the automaton (can take multiple 
  turns)
  3 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  2 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  1 AP to enter or exit the automaton
  
  209
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  proteCt-me DireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Your clockwork will witlessly jump in the way of attacks made 
  against the target of this augment. When applying this augment, 
  choose someone (usually yourself) to be its target. When adjacent 
  to the target of this augment, this clockwork will take damage in 
  their stead. This clockwork will only do this a certain number of 
  times per turn determined by the marque of this augment.
  Will take damage instead of their target once per turn
  Will take damage instead of their target twice per turn
  Will take damage instead of their target thrice per turn
  Will take damage instead of their target four times per 
  turn
  proteCt-us suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Protect-Me Directive augment
  You can program in additional targets (usually other party mem-
  bers) of your automaton’s Protect-Me Directive, although they 
  still must be adjacent to any persons they attempt to protect. 
  1 additional protectee
  2 additional protectees
  3 additional protectees
  4 additional protectees
  proteCt-yourseLF suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Protect-Me Directive augment
  When your automaton acts out its Protect-Me Directive it is bet-
  ter about protecting itself. It gains a defense bonus while acting 
  out the Protect-Me Directive.
  +4 Defense
  +8 Defense
  +12 Defense
  +16 Defense
  proteCteD Core 
  anaLytiCs augment
  If your automaton is defeated in battle, its insides are heavily 
  safeguarded to allow for easy repair during your next breather. 
  An automaton with a protected core can be entirely rebuilt in a 
  matter of minutes. The automaton can be repaired up to a certain 
  amount of maximum wounds, based on the marque. It cannot be 
  repaired past its normal maximum number of wounds.
  10 wounds after repairs
  20 wounds after repairs
  30 wounds after repairs
  40 wounds after repairs
  reaListiC 
  anaLytiCs augment
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  You’ve designed the body of your automaton to look quite real, 
  replicating the appearance of a living or imaginary creature. Any 
  persons who looks upon it will believe it to be real unless they can 
  beat the automaton’s roll with their Cunning. The automaton’s 
  roll gains a bonus based on the marque of this augment.
  +5 to fool target
  +10 to foot target
  +15 to fool target
  +20 to fool target
  run-there suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Go-There Directive augment
  While your analytical engine still has difficulties following direc-
  tions, it is faster in getting to its destination once you set it on the 
  right path. It gains a speed bonus while acting out the Go-There 
  Directive.
  +5 feet of movement
  +10 feet of movement
  +15 feet of movement
  +25 feet of movement
  shaDow-me suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Go-There Directive augment
  Your clockwork is designed to stay beside its target no matter 
  what. Whenever your clockwork acts out its Follow-Me Direc-
  tive, it can make one additional movement towards its target per 
  combat turn.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  seCure-your-area suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Defend-Your-Area Directive augment
  If someone attempts to attack your automaton while already in a 
  space adjacent to them, your automaton will spend one of its De-
  fend-Your-Area Directive actions (if it has any available) attack-
  ing them after they finish their attack. They still will not attack 
  anyone programmed into them as a friendly.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of  determining cost, though you can learn this aug-
  ment despite your skill in automata.
  
  210
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  shieLD-yourseLF suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Protect-Me Directive augment
  When your automaton acts out its Protect-Me Directive it won’t 
  take as much damage. It gains a soak class bonus while acting 
  out the Protect-Me Directive.
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  spring-into-aCtion Component 
  anaLytiCs augment
  Takes up 2 augment slots on the Brainworks
  You’ve made sure that anyone who attempts to damage the inner 
  clockwork of your automaton will rue the day they do. Whenever 
  someone deals bleeding damage to your wind-up, including any 
  taken from wounds or fatal effects, the clockwork that springs out 
  has been barbed and serrated and will fly in the direction of the 
  person who dealt the damage. With a range of 10 feet, the victim 
  of this augment is denied an evade roll.
  8 damage
  16 damage
  24 damage
  32 damage
  sprint-to-me suBDireCtive 
  anaLytiCs augment
  reQuires: Analytics with the Follow-Me Directive augment
  Your clockwork’s body inanely lurches towards its target as fast as 
  its body will allow. Your automaton can move further per move-
  ment whenever it is carrying out its Follow-Me Directive.
  +10 feet of movement
  +20 feet of movement
  +30 feet of movement
  +40 feet of movement
  stay-aLive Component 
  anaLytiCs augment
  You’ve built your wind-up to continue following its pre-pro-
  grammed directives well past when most other automatons would 
  have fallen on the battlefield.
  +10 wounds
  +20 wounds
  +30 wounds
  +40 wounds
  
  211
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Prosthetician
  automata speCiaLty
  You now have the ability to craft mechanical prosthetics onto 
  people or augment the limbs of automatons. When you create a 
  prosthetic for a person, it works as a limb replacement. Of course, 
  once you affix your prosthetics with hidden cannons, chainsaws, 
  and ridiculous pistons, the comparison stops there. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several prosthetics based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. The prosthetics can then be upgraded with aug-
  ments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be 
  selected under “univeral prosthetic augments,” “prosthetic arm 
  augments,” “prosthetic hand augments,” or “prosthetic leg aug-
  ments,” below. These augments have marques. At lower levels, 
  you’ll start with Marque I augments. As your skill in Automata 
  improves, your marques will increase. See the “Crafting” page at 
  the beginning of this chapter for more information.  
   
  Each prosthetic can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some 
  materials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden prosthetics) 
  or just once (like organic ones). Sometimes an augment will take 
  up multiple augment slots. For example, if an augment is worth 
  2 slots, a prosthetic only has 1 more available slot for an augment 
  after the 2-slot augment has been applied.
  numBer oF prosthetiCs you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some pros-
  thetics entirely out of scraps. These prosthetics must be con-
  stantly maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving 
  your care. You may build and maintain a number of prosthetics 
  for free based on your DIY score. You may build new prosthetics 
  or augment old ones during any period of downtime you have. 
   
  Replacing both an arm and hand does count as 2 pros-
  thetics.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  3
  3
  3
  4
  4
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  4
  5
  5
  5
  6
  7
  the Cost oF prosthetiCs z
  If you need to build prosthetics that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it. 
   
  A prosthetic without augments will cost 25 princes at 
  market value. If you are building a prosthetic, the prosthetic will 
  have a base materials cost. It is 1/5th the market price (5 princ-
  es). 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  3125 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 5 princes.
  Beta Prosthetics
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Automata & Prosthetician specialty
  Your prosthetics are quite complex, but they can accomplish quite 
  a bit. Such prosthetics can be upgraded with 2 more augments 
  (bringing the total for metal prosthetics up to 5 augmentable 
  slots).
   
  You can only apply beta prosthetics to yourself and au-
  tomatons that were created by you as either beta (for boilers) or 
  advanced (for analytics and brainworks) models. 
  Prototype Prosthetics
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Automata, Prosthetician, & Beta Pros-
  thetics specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta prosthetics and made them user-
  friendly. Now anybody can use a prosthetic that you designate as 
  being a prototype. 
  Crafting Prosthetics
  Using Prosthetics
  When you first learn to make prosthetics (through the Pros-
  thetician specialty), you can make and augment hands, arms, 
  and legs. If somebody is missing a hand, arm, or leg, you can 
  replace it with a prosthetic. The only lasting penalty to having 
  a prosthetic limb is the permanent loss of wounds that come 
  from losing a limb. Universal prosthetic augments can go on 
  any prosthetics. 
  wounDs & FataLs c
  If you suffer a wound or fatal effect against a prosthetic, the 
  effect is the same, except that you cannot bleed out by having 
  a severed prosthetic. 
  upgraDing automaton LimBs c
  You can add prosthetics onto an automaton or augment its de-
  fault limbs. If you upgrade the existing limbs, it counts against 
  your limit of prosthetics you can make and maintain with your 
  DIY score. 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Aug
  +1
  
  212
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Automata Tinkerer
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Automata & Prosthetician specialty
  You can augment all pieces of your automatons - from their eyes 
  to their ears to their torsos. You can learn augments for every part 
  of the automaton’s body.
   
  If you have Automata Upgrader, you can use that in 
  conjuction with Automata Tinkerer, causing all of the automa-
  ton’s body parts to not cost anything or count against your Do-It-
  Yourself (DIY) score.
  Automata Upgrader
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 3 skill points in Automata & Prosthetician specialty
  You’ve tinkered and played with your automatons so much that 
  you no longer use your Do-It-Yourself (DIY) score to determine 
  how many of your automaton’s limbs you can upgrade. Whenever 
  you are augmenting the default limbs of your automatons, those 
  limbs do not count against the maximum number of prosthetics 
  you can create. 
  Nerve Crafting
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: 7 skill points in Automata & Prosthetician specialty
  It is normally impossible to attach a prosthetic arm to one’s 
  ribcage, or a prosthetic hand to one’s spine. You, however, have 
  learned how to create nerve endings in a person where none 
  should exist. You may now apply extra prosthetics to a person 
  beyond what they could normally handle (allowing you to add a 
  third arm, an extra hand, maybe even another leg). 
   
  When you nerve craft somebody, they permanently lose 
  1 wound in order to gain the prosthetic. They gain the wound 
  back if they surgically remove the prosthetic. 
  Sensory Builder
  automata speCiaLty
  reQuires: Prosthetician specialty
  Some of the most difficult things to create prosthetics for are 
  one’s ears and eyes, but you’ve learned the craft. You may now 
  create prosthetics for ears and eyes, and they count against your 
  maximum crafting amount of prosthetics based on your Do-It-
  Yourself (DIY) score. 
  p Universal Prosthetic Augments M
  aCiD sprayer 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  You can insert doses of alchemical acids into the prosthetic. When 
  used in an unarmed attack, the body part will spray a single dose 
  of acid onto your target. Luckily the acid is held in such a way 
  that it will not damage your body part. Depending on the marque 
  of this augment, your body part can hold a certain number of 
  acid doses. It costs 3 action points to add in a single additional 
  dose of acid.
  Maximum of Two Doses 
  Maximum of Three Doses 
  Maximum of Four Doses 
  Maximum of Six Doses 
  Note: For the crafting of acids, see Alchemy.
  air BLaster 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP
  Powerful ventilators have been built into your body part, allowing 
  you to blow a strong, concentrated stream of pure air straight at 
  an opponent within your 25 feet of range. They cannot evade your 
  air blast, but they can resist with their Brute.
  Your target is pushed back 5 feet 
  Your target is pushed back 5 feet 
  Your target is pushed back 10 feet 
  Your target is pushed back 15 feet 
  air ConDitioner 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Prosthetic with the Air Blaster augment
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP (see below)
  You are able to superheat or supercool the air from your air blast-
  er, causing it to deal either heat or freezing damage whenever 
  you use it, in addition to its normal effects. For one action point, 
  you can switch your air blaster between heat and freezing dam-
  age or turn the effects of this augment on and off. The damage 
  is soakable.
  2 heat or freezing damage 
  4 heat or freezing damage 
  6 heat or freezing damage 
  8 heat or freezing damage 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Aug
  +2
  
  213
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  air tunneL 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Prosthetic with the Air Blaster augment
  Your air blaster has been overclocked, causing its normal gust of 
  wind to become a miniature tornado erupting from your body 
  part. Whenever you successfully push back your target with your 
  air blaster, they are moved an additional 5 feet backwards. In ad-
  dition, this augment increases your air blaster’s range. 
  5 additional feet of range 
  10 additional feet of range 
  15 additional feet of range 
  20 additional feet of range 
  BarBeD 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  You’ve laced the body part with spikes of your design. Whenever 
  someone attempts to grab the body part, you get a bonus on your 
  roll to avoid it. 
  +2 on the evade roll
  +4 on the evade roll
  +6 on the evade roll
  +8 on the evade roll
  Brute enhanCement 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  The body part is built for rigidity and power. When the body part 
  is involved in a brute roll, it gains a bonus.
  +2 to Brute
  +4 to Brute
  +6 to Brute
  +8 to Brute
  CoLD iron 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Body Part must be made of metal & the Freezer Aug-
  ment somewhere on subject’s body
  This prosthetic leaks small amounts of liquid nitrogen diverted 
  from your freezer. Whenever someone comes into contact with 
  this body part, whether it be them grabbing you or you punch-
  ing them, they suffer first degree frostbite. This means they will 
  suffer increased sensitivity to heat and cold lasting until their 
  next breather. This augment deactivates if your freezer is extin-
  guished. This effect will not stack with multiple exposures to a 
  cold iron body part.
  Target suffers a -3 when resisting effects caused by heat, 
  flames, cold, or ice 
  Target suffers a -6 when resisting effects caused by heat, 
  flames, cold, or ice 
  Target suffers a -9 when resisting effects caused by heat, 
  flames, cold, or ice 
  Target suffers a -12 when resisting effects caused by 
  heat, flames, cold, or ice 
  Compartment 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  Your prosthetic has a small hollow container inside of it, allowing 
  the storage of different items. It costs one action point to take an 
  item out of your compartment.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  DisguiseD 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  The prosthetic is disguised as either being a regular part of the 
  body or being covered in something so that it does not appear to 
  be mechanical, and is built to be silent and react like a normal 
  body part. In order to notice your prosthetic for what it truly is, 
  opponents must roll Cunning.
  Tier 2 Cunning to notice
  Tier 3 Cunning to notice
  Tier 3 Cunning to notice
  Tier 4 Cunning to notice
  Note: Organic body parts act one marque higher than normal. If 
  this would make it a Marque V, the body part is indistinguishable 
  from a normal limb unless somebody can get a Tier 5 Cunning 
  result to notice.
  
  214
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  FLame exhausts 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Furnace Augment somewhere on subject’s body
  resist: Dexterity (marques down)
  aCtivation Cost: 3 AP
  Exhausts protrude from the prosthetic, flames periodically leak-
  ing out of them. For three action points you cause the body part 
  to spray flames onto everyone adjacent to you to set them on fire, 
  although they can still attempt to resist the attack. You cannot 
  activate your flame exhausts if your furnace is extinguished.
  tier 1 Burning: 2 unsoakable damage per turn, 2 AP to 
  put out the fire 
  tier 1 Burning: 2 unsoakable damage per turn, 2 AP to 
  put out the fire
  tier 2 Burning: 4 unsoakable damage per turn, 4 AP to 
  put out the fire, wooden and cloth items destroyed
  tier 3 Burning: 8 unsoakable damage per turn, 8 AP to 
  put out the fire, wooden and cloth items destroyed
  Freeze exhausts 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Freezer augment somewhere on subject’s body
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  aCtivation Cost: 3 ap
  Exhausts protrude from the prosthetic, icy mist periodically leak-
  ing out of it. For three action points you cause the body part to 
  spray this mist onto everyone adjacent to you, although they can 
  still attempt to resist the attack. This mist causes your target’s 
  body temperature to rapidly drop, making them sluggish until the 
  start of your next turn. You cannot activate your freeze exhausts 
  if your freezer is extinguished.
  Target suffers a -2 to evade
  Target suffers a -4 to evade
  Target suffers a -6 to evade
  Target suffers a -8 to evade
  Freezer 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  A cooler filled with liquid nitrogen has been built into your pros-
  thetic. This keeps your body cool even in the hottest of environ-
  ments. However, if the body part is hit by an attack dealing heat 
  damage, the liquid nitrogen inside will evaporate rapidly, extin-
  guishing your freezer. It costs 1 action point to extinguish the 
  freezer yourself, and it will cost action points to reactivate your 
  freezer when extinguished depending on the augment’s marque.
  2 AP to reactivate
  1 AP to reactivate
  0 AP to reactivate
  0 AP reflexively to reactivate (can do out of turn)
  FurnaCe 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  Fueled by coal or aether, a live flame burns within you. It keeps 
  your entire body warm, allowing you to take no penalties in sub-
  zero environments. If the body part gets splashed with water it 
  will automatically extinguish the flames inside. It costs 1 action 
  point to extinguish the furnace yourself, and it will cost action 
  points to reactivate your furnace when extinguished depending 
  on the augment’s marque.
  2 AP to reactivate
  1 AP to reactivate
  0 AP to reactivate
  0 AP reflexively to reactivate (can do out of turn)
  Note: Your furnace is self-contained and will not burn you, though 
  you cannot apply the furnace augment to a wooden prosthetic.
  gLowing 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  Your prosthetic shines through the darkness either from a glow-
  in-the-dark coating, numerous lightbulbs placed in it, or another 
  source of built-in light. Light shines outward from you, dispelling 
  darkness and allowing those within its range to see normally. This 
  can be activated and repressed for 1 action point.
  Light extends to spaces adjacent to you
  Light extends outwards up to 10 feet away 
  Light extends outwards up to 15 feet away 
  Light extends outwards up to 20 feet away 
  hiDDen BLaDe 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Prosthetic augmented with Weapon Mounting
  The prosthetic has a secret weapon hidden inside that can flip 
  out at a moment’s notice. For no action point cost, you can now 
  retract your weapon into your body, as long as the weapon would 
  normally be concealable.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  hiDDen CLaymore 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Prosthetic augmented with Hidden Blade
  The prosthetic can fit an enormous weapon inside it by breaking 
  down its key components. For no action point cost you can now 
  retract your weapon into your body, even if the weapon would 
  normally not be concealable.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  
  215
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  hot iron 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Prosthetic must be made of metal & the Furnace aug-
  ment somewhere on subject’s body
  As long as fire burns within your body, it constantly heats up 
  this body part, making it burn to the touch. Whenever someone 
  comes into contact with this body part, whether it be them grab-
  bing you or you punching them, they take a small amount of heat 
  damage. This doesn’t apply if your furnace is extinguished. 
  2 heat damage
  4 heat damage
  6 heat damage
  8 heat damage
  overgLow 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Prosthetic with the Glowing Augment
  resist: Cunning (marques down)
  aCtivation Cost: 1 ap
  Light erupts from your prosthetic, arcing toward a single target 
  within 25 feet with the potential to blind them (giving them a -4 
  on accuracy and evade rolls). They can resist with their cunning 
  attribute.
  Blinds for one turn 
  Blinds for two turns
  Blinds for three turns
  Blinds for four turns
  poison inJeCtor 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  You can insert doses of alchemical poison into the prosthetic. 
  When used in an unarmed attack, a single dose of the poisons 
  held inside will automatically inject themselves into your target. 
  Depending on the marque of this augment, your body part can 
  hold a certain number of poison doses. It costs 3 action points to 
  add in a single additional dose of poison.
  Maximum of 1 Dose 
  Maximum of 2 Doses 
  Maximum of 3 Doses 
  Maximum of 4 Doses 
  Note: For the crafting of poisons, see Alchemy.
  preCision 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  The body part is built for precision and flexibility. When the body 
  part is involved in a Dexterity roll, it gains a bonus.
  +2 to Dexterity
  +4 to Dexterity
  +6 to Dexterity
  +8 to Dexterity
  reinForCeD 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  The prosthetic is strengthened with internal plating, granting it a 
  resist against called shots. 
  +4 to resist when struck
  +8 to resist when struck
  +12 to resist when struck
  +16 to resist when struck
  removaBLe 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  The prosthetic is easily removable and replacable. If other body 
  parts are connected to it (e.g. if this is placed on the arm, and a 
  hand is attached to the arm) they are removed along with this 
  body part.
  4 AP to remove
  3 AP to remove
  2 AP to remove
  1 AP to remove
  smokestaCk 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  reQuires: Furnace augment or Freezer augment somewhere on 
  subject’s body
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP (see below)
  A chimney or metal gratings constantly release clouds of smoke 
  or fog from your furnace. This cloud billows out around you, 
  making you and those within a certain range completely blinded. 
  This will instantly end if your furnace or freezer is extinguished. 
  You can spend one action point to start your smokescreen or to 
  adjust the range of the cloud from affecting characters adjacent 
  to you up to its maximum range detailed by the marque of this 
  augment.
  Only characters adjacent to you are blinded 
  Anyone up to 10 feet of you are blinded 
  Anyone up to 15 feet of you are blinded 
  Anyone up to 20 feet of you are blinded 
  
  216
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  weapon mounting 
  universaL prosthetiC augment
  A weapon of some kind can be mounted into the prosthetic in 
  such a way that in order to sunder or disarm the weapon, the body 
  part itself must be sundered or removed. The weapon can be re-
  moved or put into the weapon mounting for 1 action point. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  p Prosthetic Arm Augments M
  extenDaBLe hanD 
  prosthetiC arm augment
  reQuires: placed on an arm with an attached hand
  The hand attached to your augmented appendage can now be 
  extended outward, whether it be with springs, hydraulics, or some 
  other such method. It costs one action point to extend a limb but 
  no action points to retract it. Extended hands function as normal, 
  able to do anything they normally could do. 
  +5 feet of reach
  +10 feet of reach
  +10 feet of reach
  +15 feet of reach
  grasper 
  prosthetiC arm augment
  A grasper is a small set of pincers that can wield an item just 
  like a hand. A grasper is not dexterous enough to wield items in 
  conjunction with other limbs, preventing it from being able to use 
  two-handed items. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  p Prosthetic Hand Augments M
  FLame pores 
  prosthetiC hanD augment
  reQuires: Furnace augment somewhere on subject’s body
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP (after a successful unarmed attack)
  Holes in the limb make it expel flames from your furnace when it 
  is used in an unarmed strike. As long as your furnace isn’t extin-
  guished, you can spend 1 action point after a successful unarmed 
  attack in order to burn your target. Multiple burns caused by 
  your flame pores will not stack the penalties to a single target’s 
  defense. These burns will go away during the foe’s next breather.
  Tier 1 Burns (-1 on all defense rolls)
  Tier 2 Burns (-3 on all defense rolls)
  Tier 3 Burns (-5 on all defense rolls)
  Tier 4 Burns (-7 on all defense rolls)
  Freezing pores 
  prosthetiC hanD augment
  reQuires: Freezer augment somewhere on subject’s body
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP (after a successful unarmed called shot)
  Holes in the limb make it expel small streams of subzero mist 
  from your freezer which will freeze solid on impact when used 
  in an unarmed attack. As long as your freezer isn’t extinguished, 
  this makes unarmed called shots with this limb ice over the part 
  of your target you hit. This ice will temporarily impede the use 
  of extremities, making called shot effects to extremities (hands, 
  feet, head) last longer.
  Effects of the called shot last an additional turn 
  Effects of the called shot last two additional turns 
  Effects of the called shot last three additional turns 
  Effects of the called shot last four additional turns 
  hanD-LaunCher 
  prosthetiC hanD augment
  aCtivation Cost: 2 AP
  You are able to fire your hand at an opponent, dealing large 
  amounts of damage, though you do not retain the body part if 
  you fire it (at least until you go find it). The range of your hand 
  is 50 feet.
  Damage class 3
  Damage class 4
  Damage class 5
  Damage class 6
  
  217
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  neuromusCuLar inCapaCitator 
  prosthetiC hanD augment
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  An electrical current covering your body part disrupts voluntary 
  muscular control of anyone you hit it with during an unarmed 
  attack.  
  Your target vibrates for a second, but is otherwise fine
  Your target is stunned for one action point 
  Your target is stunned for one action point 
  Your target is stunned for two action points 
  propeLLers 
  prosthetiC hanD augment
  Your prosthetic is built with propellers for moving across water, 
  allowing your swim speed to increase based on its marque. Your 
  swim speed is still hindered by your armor.
  +10 swim speed 
  +15 swim speed
  +20 swim speed
  +25 swim speed
  retraCtaBLe 
  prosthetiC hanD augment
  reQuires: Hand-Launcher augment applied to the hand
  You can have your hand tethered to a rope or chain that automati-
  cally returns to you after being fired. Though you do not have to 
  do anything, it does take a little bit of time before the hand re-
  turns to you.
  Returns within 3 AP
  Returns within 2 AP
  Returns within 1 AP
  Returns immediately
  p Prosthetic Leg Augments M
  extreme speeD 
  prosthetiC Leg augment
  The appendage is streamlined for speed, allowing the user to 
  have greater overland velocity. 
  +5 speed
  +5 speed
  +10 speed
  +15 speed
  springs 
  prosthetiC Leg augment
  By melding high-tension springs into your graft, its user gains 
  extra height whenever jumping or leaping.
  +5 feet jump height
  +10 feet jump height
  +15 feet jump height
  +20 feet jump height
  propeLLers 
  prosthetiC Leg augment
  Your prosthetic is built with propellers for moving across water, 
  allowing your swim speed to increase based on its marque. Your 
  swim speed is still hindered by your armor.
  +10 swim speed 
  +15 swim speed
  +20 swim speed
  +25 swim speed
  
  218
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  p Automaton Head Augments M
  sensory transmission 
  automaton heaD augment
  The automaton can broadcast its senses to a single device (often 
  held by the user) for 1 action point. The distance it can broadcast 
  is determined by the marque of the augment.
  Up to 200 feet away
  Up to 2,000 feet away
  Up to 2 miles away
  Up to 20 miles away
  p Automaton Torso Augments M
  BaCk-paCk 
  automaton torso augment
  The automaton has the ability to latch onto an ally’s back, acting 
  as the ally’s backpack. This leaves all of the automaton’s limbs 
  free to act as normal while the ally carries the automaton around. 
  The automaton cannot move while being carried. It takes 1 turn 
  for the automaton to become a back-pack or unpack itself and 
  move under its own power again. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  mass propuLsion 
  automaton torso augment
  Using a propeller, steamjet, or some other such device attached to 
  the torso’s back, your subject is able to increase their thrust while 
  moving. While this cannot give you the ability to fly, it grants bo-
  nuses to both land and flight movement speeds. 
  +5 feet per move
  +10 feet per move
  +15 feet per move
  +20 feet per move
  poison gas epiCenter 
  automaton torso augment
  Takes up 2 Augment Slots on the Torso
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP
  You can insert a single vial of alchemical gas into the automaton’s 
  torso. Once you activate this augment, the gas starts taking effect. 
  When you end your turn, the gas releases from the automaton’s 
  torso, affecting those around the automaton. This allows the au-
  tomaton to move the gas around the battlefield. The automaton 
  serves as the center of the gas’s area of effect, although through 
  clever crafting the automaton doesn’t have to worry about the gas 
  spraying onto itself. The gas lasts as long as it normally would. 
   
  The amount of action points required to refill the gas 
  supply is based off of the marque of this augment. It costs two 
  action points to eject a dose of gas before it has run out on its 
  own. This will cause it to stay in the space the automaton is cur-
  rently standing in and will no longer move with the automaton.
  3 AP to refill gas chamber 
  3 AP to refill gas chamber 
  2 AP to refill gas chamber 
  1 AP to refill gas chamber 
  Note: For the crafting of gases, see Alchemy.
  poison gas reCeptor 
  automaton torso augment
  reQuires: Torso with the Poison Gas Epicenter augment
  You’ve upgraded your gas dispenser to hold extra doses of al-
  chemical gases. You still can only release one gas at a time.
  Maximum of Two Doses 
  Maximum of Three Doses 
  Maximum of Four Doses 
  Maximum of Six Doses 
  sensor array 
  automaton torso augment
  You’ve crafted a sensor array into your automaton’s torso. This 
  allows you to place automaton head augments on the torso as 
  well as the ability for the automaton to see and hear through its 
  torso.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in automata.
  Automaton-Specific
  While all prosthetic augments can be applied to automatons, 
  the following augments (which would augment an automaton’s 
  head, torso, or groin) cannot be applied to living people. Thus, 
  these are automaton-specific augments that you’ll need the Au-
  tomaton Tinkerer specialty for.
  
  219
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  
  220
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Bio-flux is the craft of scientifically altering a creature’s basic physiology. Essence 
  warping, genetic restructuring, and basic external flesh augmentations make up the 
  bulk of this science. This is an often grueling and taboo process that has yet to 
  become perfected and often leaves its subjects with unintentional side effects and 
  scars. These can be as subtle as an unexpected change in eye color to as drastic as a 
  reformed central nervous system. 
   
  In its younger years this school of science birthed both the satyr race and the 
  farishtaa-conversion process. It has revolutionized the medical fields, wiping out all 
  birth-defects and genetic diseases from those able to afford it. Even at its most basic 
  levels, bio-flux has the ability to fill a downtrodden gentleman with energy to keep 
  him awake and ready for action regardless of how badly he had been knocked down. 
  Bio-Flux
  pM
  Reputation of  Bio-Flux
  In addition to the sometimes monstrous consequenc-
  es of augmenting someone’s genetic code, the process 
  of bio-flux requires large amounts of essence to use 
  as a pallet. Most bio-flux scientists harvest this raw 
  essence from game and livestock animals, though it 
  must be greatly refined multiple times and even then 
  only yields a small amount of low quality essence. 
   
  It was only after many less-than-reputable ex-
  perimentations that it was discovered that sentient be-
  ings produce the purest essence available. These stud-
  ies led to the widespread superstition that essence was 
  more than primordial genetic material but a collection 
  of personality and memories: a person’s soul. A dis-
  dain grew among the populous against bio-flux, gain-
  ing its more fervent practioners the nickname of Soul 
  Merchants. Further outcry against the science came 
  when the crown princess of Evangless went mad af-
  ter being bio-revivified back to life. Unable to cope 
  with scrambled memories and mental inconsistencies 
  caused by the process, the princess’s mind became 
  splintered, causing many government officials from 
  around the world to ban bio-flux research. These days 
  pure essence is a rare commodity that forces most, if 
  not all, wishing to follow this forsaken art to turn to 
  the darker corners of Rilausia to further their studies. 
  Def
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  p Invigoration Specialties M
  Bio-Invigoration
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  Cost: 3 AP
  You’ve crafted a complex light device called a bio-invigorator. 
  This can be worn on any called shot location to avoid having to 
  hold it while it’s drawn. You can restore hit points during combat 
  by treating your allies. If you use invigorate on an ally, you must 
  be adjacent to them. 
   
  You can treat yourself, but you can only heal half as 
  many of your own hit points as you would if you were healing 
  another person. You cannot use Bio-Invigoration to restore hit 
  points to an automaton or other nonliving being. 
  restores 6 hit points (3 of your own)
  restores 12 hit points (6 of your own)
  restores 18 hit points (9 of your own)
  restores 24 hit points (12 of your own)
  
  221
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +11
  Acc
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  Spd
  +5
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Bio-Invigoration Expert
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: Bio-Invigoration specialty
  You optimize your bio-invigorator. When you use bio-invigora-
  tion, you now restore hit points based on this chart:
  restores 10 hit points (5 of your own)
  restores 20 hit points (10 of your own)
  restores 30 hit points (15 of your own)
  restores 40 hit points (20 of your own)
  Quickshot Bio-Invigoration
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: Bio-Invigoration specialty
  Cost: 2 AP
  Combat doesn’t wait for the slow bio-invigorator. You may now 
  use bio-invigoration for only 2 action points.
  Medical Marvel
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: Bio-Invigoration specialty
  You can heal beyond a person’s maximum hit points. If you over-
  heal somebody, the excess hit points stays with them until the end 
  of their turn (when their action points refresh). If their excess hit 
  points are damaged, then that damage is simply negated.
   
  For example, you use bio-invigoration on a friend who 
  has a maximum of 50 hit points. He is over-healed, granting him 
  5 extra hit points. Before the end of his next turn, he is stabbed 
  by an attack that deals 4 hit points, leaving him at 51. His turn 
  ends, and his hit points are reduced to 50, effectively leaving him 
  unharmed.
  Self-Administer
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: Bio-Invigoration specialty
  Though the bio-invigorator was originally difficult to use on 
  yourself, you’ve outfitted it to work on yourself efficiently. When 
  you use bio-invigoration on yourself, you heal just as much as you 
  would restore of another’s hit points. 
  Manipulate Essence
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  You have gained the knowledge and skill to manipulate a crea-
  ture’s essence. Using a bit of pure base essence, you are able to 
  modify genetics during downtime. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can maintain several 
  people with essence manipulations based on your current Do-It-
  Yourself (DIY) score. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, 
  which can be selected under “essence augments” below. These 
  augments have marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque 
  I augments. As your skill in Bio-Flux improves, your marques will 
  increase. See the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter 
  for more information.
   
  Every person can be upgraded with 3 essence manipu-
  lations. Sometimes an augment will take up multiple augment 
  slots. For example, the “regeneration” augment is worth 2 slots, 
  so a person only has 1 more available slot for an augment after 
  “regeneration” has been applied. 
   
  You have the ability to remove essence augments off of 
  people during downtime as well.
  numBer oF augmenteD peopLe you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy workshop space or essence, you can ma-
  nipulate a few people without spending anything. These people 
  must be constantly maintained by you and their essence reverts 
  back to normal soon after leaving your care, thus losing all of 
  their augments. You may manipulate and maintain a number of 
  people based on your DIY score. You may manipulate or re-aug-
  ment people during any period of downtime you have. 
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  2
  3
  3
  3
  3
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  3
  4
  4
  4
  4
  5
  the Cost oF essenCe manipuLations z
  Essence is a volatile and often illegal substance. Bio-flux special-
  ists are ostracized from their community and their manipulations 
  only carried out in the black market. Because of that, the Trust 
  (the world’s economic caretaker) does not regulate the cost of 
  essence manipulations. Nonetheless, an essence manipulator will 
  still need to pay for the materials of an essence manipulation they 
  choose to do. They can, however, get away with charging what-
  ever they’d like for the actual manipulation.
   
  If you need to manipulate essence that you can’t do for 
  free from your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Every augment increases the market price of the es-
  sence manipulation. The higher the marque, the greater the price. 
  The market price for an augment can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1250 princes
  6250 princes
  If you are manipulating the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, 
  which is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque 
  lower. (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the 
  market price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a 
  Marque 1 augment is 10 princes.
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Eva
  +1
  
  222
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Beta Essence
  Bio-Flux Specialty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Bio-Flux & Manipulate Essence specialty
  You know your own essence well enough to safely twist it and 
  strengthen it enough to add additional modification onto it. You 
  may now act as though your essence have two additional slots.
  Prototype Essence
  Bio-Flux Specialty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Bio-Flux, Manipulate Essence, & Beta 
  Essence specialties
  You are now able to manipulate other creatures as well as you 
  manipulate yourself. You may now treat other creatures as though 
  they had 2 additional slots when manipulating their essence.
  Fast Manipulation 
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: 6 skill points in Bio-Flux & Manipulate Essence specialty
  resist: Spirit (negates)
  Cost: 3 AP
  You are able to use advanced tools in order to quickly manipulate 
  essence on the battlefield. However, because of the haste of these 
  manipulations, they only last until the subject’s next breather.
   
  If the subject so chooses, they may roll a spirit resist 
  against your bio-flux to negate the manipulation.
  Body Renewal 
  Bio-Flux Specialty
  reQuires: Manipulate Essence specialty
  Cost: 3 AP
  By applying just the right amount of essence to a wounded area, 
  you are able to trigger a muscle memory that reverts the subject’s 
  body back to an undamaged state. You may spend 3 action points 
  to heal your subject of one wound point or one effect caused from 
  them (broken bones, blinded, lost senses, et cetera).
  Gene Therapy
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Bio-Flux, Manipulate Essence, & Body 
  Renewal specialties
  You  force a living subject’s body to painfully regrow a severed 
  body part or critically injured body part. Once per downtime, you 
  are able to remove a lasting Fatal Effect from your subject.  
  p Essence Augments M
  aeroDynamize 
  essenCe augment
  Your body and features become sleek and slender with curved 
  edges so the wind will always flow with your movements.
  +5 movement speed
  +10 movement speed
  +10 movement speed
  +15 movement speed
  aCiDiC BLooD 
  essenCe augment
  The blood within your veins is now dark and corrosive. This 
  highlights your veins, making them dark and easily visible. When 
  you recieve bleeding damage from a melee attack, the person in-
  flicting the damage suffers an equal amount of soakable damage 
  from being sprayed by your blood as long as they are adjacent to 
  you.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in bio-flux.
  aCiDiC spit 
  essenCe augment
  Cost: 1 AP
  Your saliva has been changed to become tar-like and acidic. For 
  1 action point, you can make a ranged attack using your acidic 
  saliva. This attack has a range of 10 feet and uses strike to deter-
  mine damage.
  damage class 1
  damage class 2
  damage class 3
  damage class 4
  amphiBious 
  essenCe augment
  You sprout gills and your lungs gain the ability to extract oxygen 
  from water naturally. You can now breathe while underwater.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in bio-flux.
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Def
  +2
  Wnd
  +1
  HP
  +9
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  
  223
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  BoDy oF FLames 
  essenCe augment
  The skin on your body is unnaturally warm to the touch, to the 
  point that it slightly burns those who touch you. This causes your 
  skin to have a slight red tinge and your hair to lighten. 
  When being grabbed or grabbing, victims take 1 heat 
  damage per turn
  When being grabbed or grabbing, victims take 2 heat 
  damage per turn
  When being grabbed or grabbing, victims take 3 heat 
  damage per turn
  When being grabbed or grabbing, victims take 4 heat 
  damage per turn
  ChameLeon 
  essenCe augment
  Cost: 1 AP (see below)
  Much like the scales of a lizard, you are able to change both the 
  color and texture of your skin and hair. For one action point you 
  may undergo this change. 
  +2 to Cunning rolls when hiding without clothing or 
  disguising yourself
  +4 to Cunning rolls when hiding without clothing or 
  disguising yourself
  +6 to Cunning rolls when hiding without clothing or 
  disguising yourself
  +8 to Cunning rolls when hiding without clothing or 
  disguising yourself
  ChLoropLast 
  essenCe augment
  You are able to survive with only a bit of sunlight and water due 
  to large amounts of chloroplasts in your cells. Unfortunately it’s 
  not easy being green, as your appearance becomes splotched with 
  patches of green skin.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in bio-flux.
  eLeCtriC FLow 
  essenCe augment
  Thin strains of static electricity flow across your body. When at-
  tacked by electricity, these strains help dissipate the electricity, 
  allowing you to defend against electrical attacks as per normal.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost.
  energize 
  essenCe augment
  Your body chemistry has been modified to grant you a seemingly 
  endless supply of energy. Because of this you rarely feel tired and 
  always shake when sitting still.
  +3 hit points
  +6 hit points
  +9 hit points
  +12 hit points
  exCess aDrenaLine 
  essenCe augment
  takes up 3 essenCe sLots on a person
  Your body has been modified to produce and use twice the 
  amount of adrenaline of a normal being. While this does speed 
  you up temporarily, it exhausts you immediately afterwards. You 
  are able to gain additional action points during a turn; however, 
  you are stunned for an equal number of action points when your 
  action points refresh. In other words, you’re stealing action points 
  away from your next turn.
  You can gain 1 action point
  You can gain up to 2 action points
  You can gain up to 2 action points
  You can gain up to 3 action points
  exoskeLeton 
  essenCe augment
  Your bones thicken and elongate, some slightly jutting out of 
  your body. This makes them harder to damage and even more 
  difficult to break.
  +2 to Brute when resisting a called shot
  +4 to Brute when resisting a called shot
  +6 to Brute when resisting a called shot
  +8 to Brute when resisting a called shot
  FLame retarDant 
  essenCe augment
  Your skin becomes a darkened charcoal color that is less likely to 
  ignite or burn. You are never denied your defense roll when on 
  fire. You also gain extra soak against damage from being on fire 
  and any other damage from fire.
  You gain a +2 soak against fire
  You gain a +3 soak against fire
  You gain a +4 soak against fire
  You gain a +5 soak against fire
  
  224
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  FLaming Breath 
  essenCe augment
  Cost: 2 AP
  You’ve grown an extra gland in your thoat that allows you to expel 
  flames from your mouth. For 2 action points, you may make a 
  ranged attack using your fiery saliva. This attack has a range of 
  10 feet, and uses strike to determine damage.
  damage class 3
  damage class 4
  damage class 5
  damage class 6
  genetiC staBiLity 
  essenCe augment
  Your essence has been solidified to a point that bio-fluxing your 
  essence is a gruelling, painful ordeal. This  augment negates any 
  cosmetic changes caused by other augments your essence has.
  +4 when resisting a Bio-Zapper
  +8 when resisting a Bio-Zapper
  +12 when resisting a Bio-Zapper
  +16 when resisting a Bio-Zapper
  iron Lung 
  essenCe augment
  Your lungs have adapted to filter anything you breathe in, allow-
  ing you to breathe normally even when surrounded by noxious 
  gases.
  +4 to Brute when resisting anything you inhale
  +8 to Brute when resisting anything you inhale
  +12 to Brute when resisting anything you inhale
  +16 to Brute when resisting anything you inhale
  JeLLyskin 
  essenCe augment
  Your skin is exceptionally flexible and holds shape when you 
  move it, allowing you to change the structure of your face more 
  easily. Any time you are attempting to disguise yourself, you 
  may gain a bonus to your roll. However, when you are nudged, 
  punched, or attacked, your face retains dents until you can fix 
  your appearance.
  +3
  +5
  +7
  +9
  LeaD BLooD 
  essenCe augment
  Your blood is made of molten metal, solidifying into small pellets 
  after leaving your body. Drops of your blood can thus be used 
  as crude ammunition for firearms. It causes you no damage and 
  costs no action points to bleed out bullets, although your firearm 
  must still be readied with them.
  -3 Accuracy when used as ammo 
  -2 Accuracy when used as ammo
  -1 Accuracy when used as ammo 
  No accuracy penalty when used as ammo
  LimitLess memory 
  essenCe augment
  Small flashing lights coming from the inside of your head skitter 
  across your crown, a visible sign of the massive amount of in-
  formation processing going on inside the left side of your brain.
  +3 to the Sciences attribute
  +6 to the Sciences attribute
  +9 to the Sciences attribute
  +12 to the Sciences attribute
  LuminesCent 
  essenCe augment
  You cause your essence to radiate light, making your entire body 
  glow. This light extends only so far.
  It lights the area adjacent to you
  It lights up the area 10 feet around you
  It lights up the area 15 feet around you
  It lights up the area 20 feet around you
  marathon BoDy 
  essenCe augment
  Your body has been enriched to take a beating. This change has 
  made you thick and stocky.
  Your maximum number of wounds is increased by 1
  Your maximum number of wounds is increased by 2
  Your maximum number of wounds is increased by 3
  Your maximum number of wounds is increased by 4
  
  225
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  metaL exoskeLeton 
  essenCe augment
  reQuires: Exoskeleton augment
  Your exoskeleton is made of natural metal armoring, weighing 
  you down but acting as a natural kind of armor. You may act as if 
  you were wearing any kind of armor on your body permanently, 
  so if you armor is broken or destroyed, you still act as if you are 
  wearing armor. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in bio-flux.
  neeDLes 
  essenCe augment
  Cost: same as a Light Throwing Weapon attack (generally 2 AP)
  Small porcupine needles quickly grow out of your body. You can 
  throw some of your needles at a single target with a damage class 
  of 3 without the need to be drawn.
  10 feet of range
  15 feet of range
  20 feet of range
  25 feet of range
  noBotiC 
  essenCe augment
  resist: Cunning (see below)
  Your body appears to be made out of metal, making you appear 
  to be some kind of robot when you aren’t. You gain a bonus to 
  Cunning against anyone using Notice on you when you’re trying 
  to hide the fact that you’re an organic being.
  +5, your body appears to be metallic
  +10, your metallic body is angular and disproportionate
  +15, your metallic body appears to be made of separate 
  parts bolted together
  +20, your metallic body looks machine-made with soul-
  less eyes, emitting clear water vapor instead of sweat
  osmote 
  essenCe augment
  reQuires: Jellyskin augment
  Your body is capable of actually absorbing the body of an op-
  ponent. When you successfully grapple or grab an opponent, your 
  skin sinks through their armor and they automatically begin to 
  take unsoakable damage. Your body is partially transparent and 
  your solid organs bend like rubber. When you absorb organic ma-
  terial, it counts as eating.
  2 unsoakable damage per turn
  3 unsoakable damage per turn
  4 unsoakable damage per turn
  5 unsoakable damage per turn
  overFLow 
  essenCe augment
  Your skin tone, regardless of its color, takes on a more vibrant, 
  healthy shade than it previously had. You find it increasingly easy 
  to focus and feel more in tune with yourself.
  +2 on all spirit resists
  +4 on all spirit resists
  +6 on all spirit resists
  +8 on all spirit resists
  perFormanCe enhanCer 
  essenCe augment
  You instantly swell with muscles all over your body, feeling stron-
  ger than usual.
  +1 Brute
  +2 Brute
  +3 Brute
  +4 Brute
  regeneration 
  essenCe augment
  takes up 2 essenCe sLots on a person
  Your body has been modified to heal at a much faster rate than 
  normal. The areas where you’ve taken wounds damage now have 
  yellow skin blemishes. Along with this accelerated wound recov-
  ery, lingering wound effects are removed twice as fast.
  You recover 1 additional wound per day
  You recover 2 additional wounds per day
  You recover 3 additional wounds per day
  You recover 4 additional wounds per day
  
  226
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  sCaLeskin 
  essenCe augment
  takes up 2 essenCe sLots on a person
  Your skin mutates into thick scales, the outer layer of your grafts 
  taking on a bumpy texture. This gives you a small amount of 
  natural armoring.
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  sCopeD vision 
  essenCe augment
  This modification manipulates your browline, making it more 
  narrow and focused. Your vision is radically enhanced granting, 
  you the ability to see things others often overlook. 
  +4 to Notice
  +8 to Notice
  +12 to Notice
  +16 to Notice
  semi-transparent skin 
  essenCe augment
  While making your skin partially see-through to reveal the in-
  ner workings of your body is horrifying to most, this serves as a 
  useful tool for doctors trying to figure out what ails their patient. 
  When being diagnosed, the person performing the diagnosis 
  gains a bonus on their roll.
  +4 to being diagnosed
  +8 to being diagnosed
  +12 to being diagnosed
  +16 to being diagnosed
  sixth sense 
  essenCe augment
  The frontal lobe of your brain has been enlarged, giving you the 
  ability to sense impending danger. This change in your brain 
  chemistry causes you to have frequent headaches.
  +2 priority
  +4 priority
  +6 priority
  +8 priority
  sLeepLess 
  essenCe augment
  You no longer have a need to sleep, although you still must rest 
  to recover from fatigue and regain hit points during breathers. 
  Thick ringlets form around your eyes.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in bio-flux.
  sLimy 
  essenCe augment
  Your sweat glands naturally secrete a thin layer of grease, making 
  it easier to slip out of grabs.
  +4 to Dexterity when trying to break a grab
  +8 to Dexterity when trying to break a grab
  +12 to Dexterity when trying to break a grab
  +16 to Dexterity when trying to break a grab
  stoneBones 
  essenCe augment
  Your bones have been augmented to be as hard as steel. Your 
  bones may not be severed or broken. If you receive a fatal effect 
  which would normally remove a limb, your limb stays attached. 
  However you still suffer all other negative effects of the fatal ef-
  fect. This makes your bones thicker and heavier, reducing your 
  movement speed.
  -10 feet of movement speed
  -10 feet of movement speed
  -5 feet of movement speed
  movement speed is unaffected
  viLe Fumes 
  essenCe augment
  Cost: 3 AP
  Your body expels an odor that causes those around you to be-
  come nauseated. For 3 action points, you may intensify these 
  gases, forcing all those adjacent to you to make a Brute resist or 
  become disoriented for a turn.
  tier 2 brute resist
  tier 3 brute resist
  tier 3 brute resist
  tier 4 brute resist
  waLL-CrawLer 
  essenCe augment
  Much like a gecko, your hands and feet are covered in small in-
  dentures that aid in climbing. You may climb on any ceiling or 
  wall in any direction as per your normal movement speed.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque III for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in bio-flux.
  
  227
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Crafting Bio-Zappers
  Bio-Zapper Developer
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  You can now create the battle-ready, essence-manipulating bio-
  zapper and use it in battle. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several bio-zappers based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. These bio-zappers can then be upgraded with aug-
  ments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be 
  selected under “bio-zapper augments” below. These augments 
  have marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I aug-
  ments. As your skill in Bio-Flux improves, your marques will in-
  crease. See the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter 
  for more information.
   
  Each bio-zapper can be upgraded with 3 augments. 
  Some materials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden bio-
  zappers) or just once (like organic bio-zappers). Sometimes an 
  augment will take up multiple augment slots. If an augment is 
  worth 2 slots, a metal bio-zapper only has 1 more available slot for 
  an augment after the 2-slot augment has been applied.
   
  Bio-zapper augments come in two varieties: those that 
  augment the bio-zapper (like normal) and bio-zapper settings. 
  Only one setting can be active at a time, and switching between 
  settings costs 1 action point. 
  numBer oF Bio-zappers you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can develop some 
  bio-zappers entirely out of scraps. These bio-zappers must be 
  constantly maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving 
  your care. You may build and maintain a number of bio-zappers 
  based on your DIY score. You may build new bio-zappers or aug-
  ment old ones during any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  2
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  3
  3
  3
  3
  4
  the Cost oF Bio-zappers z
  If you need to build a bio-zapper that you can’t build for free 
  from your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Every augment increases the market price of the bio-
  zapper. The higher the marque, the greater the price. The market 
  price for an augment can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  40 princes
  200 princes
  1000 princes 5000 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 8 princes.
  Beta Bio-Zappers
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Bio-Flux & Bio-Zapper Developer specialty
  Your bio-zappers are complex pieces of machinery, but they can 
  do some crazy things compared to most bio-zappers. Such bio-
  zappers can be upgraded with 2 more augments (bringing the 
  total for metal bio-zappers up to 5 augmentable slots).
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta bio-zappers, they must succeed in rolling a sciences result 
  one tier higher than the highest marque you have on your bio-
  zapper. If your bio-zapper has a Marque IV augment, it is impos-
  sible for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier 
  result of 5 with their sciences attribute).
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  For years bio-flux scientists experimented, attempting to find a way to affect somebody’s essence in a matter of seconds 
  rather than spending hours in surgery. Eventually, bio-zappers came about: a device that vaguely resembles a gun, but 
  blasts out a ray that instantly morphs the target’s essence. The change doesn’t last very long, but, in a battle, it definitely 
  gets the job done.
   
  A normal bio-zapper comes as a heavy weapon that looks like an advanced firearm. You point it at somebody 
  within 25 feet and pull the trigger (just like a ranged attack costing 2 action points). You roll your accuracy and they roll 
  their evade. If you meet or exceed their evade, you hit them with the bio-zapper. 
   
  You choose the setting on your bio-zapper. (Without a setting, the bio-zapper does nothing). The effect will last 
  until the target’s next breather. You can change the setting on your bio-zapper in order to gain different effects. Switching 
  between settings costs 1 action point. If you hit somebody with a new bio-zapper setting, the new effect replaces the old 
  one.
  
  228
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Prototype Bio-Zappers
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Bio-Flux, Bio-Zapper Developer, & 
  Beta Bio-Zappers specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta bio-zappers and made them user-
  friendly. Now anybody can use a bio-zapper that you designate 
  as being a prototype.  
  Concentrated Stream
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  Cost: Bio-Zapper Attack to initiate and 1 AP to continue in sub-
  sequent turns
  You lock your weapon onto your target, pull the trigger, and don’t 
  let go. After successfully hitting a target with a bio-zapper, all 
  subsequent attacks with that bio-zapper automatically hit. You 
  must spend one action point each turn to continue your ray. If 
  at any point you do not have a clear line of site to your target or 
  either of you moves out of the range of the bio-zapper, this ef-
  fect is broken.
  Extra Settings
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  Your bio-zappers are designed to hold extra settings, effectively 
  giving you extra augment slots to place bio-zapper settings into. 
   
  This specialty works within the marque system. The 
  amount of interchangeable slots the bio-zapper has depends on 
  the marque of its developer. Each extra augment slot increases 
  the price, just like normal, but only a person with this specialty 
  can access the extra settings.  
  1 extra augment slot of a setting
  2 extra augment slost of a setting
  3 extra augment slots of a setting
  4 extra augment slots of a setting
  Multi-Ray
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  Cost: Bio-Zapper Attack +1 AP
  By double tapping your trigger finger, you are able to quickly 
  launch off two rays. These rays may be launched at different tar-
  gets. 
  Splicer
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  Your bio-zapper settings don’t replace each other; now, they over-
  lap! When you hit an opponent with two different settings, they 
  both affect the target until the target’s next breather. (If you hit 
  the same target with the same setting twice, there’s no effect.)
  Tracing
  Bio-FLux speCiaLty
  Cost: Bio-Zapper Attack +1 AP
  You hold down the button on you bio-zapper, sending a ray arch-
  ing across the battlefield. Then you move your bio-zapper’s ray 
  until you hit the target, radically increasing its accuracy and your 
  chances of your hitting your target. 
  +4 accuracy
  +8 accuracy
  +12 accuracy
  +16 accuracy
  p Bio-Zapper Augments M
  aCCurate 
  Bio-zapper augment
  Fine attention has been placed on the quality of your bio-zapper. 
  You gain a bonus to accuracy with the bio-zapper.
  +1
  +2
  +3
  +4
  armor-enCumBering 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Dexterity (marques down)
  Your bio-zapper makes your target’s body react as if the clothing 
  on it is much heavier than it actually is. The penalty is greater 
  depending on how much armor the target is wearing.
  -5 speed penalty (heavy or larger armor)
  -10 speed penalty (heavy or larger armor) or -5 speed 
  penalty (light or medium armor)
  -15 speed penalty (heavy or larger armor) or -10 speed 
  penalty (light or medium armor)
  -20 speed penalty (heavy or larger armor) or -15 speed 
  penalty (light or medium armor)
  BLooD thinning 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  The victims blood refuses to clot when bleeding.
  Patching Bleeding now only stops 3 bleeding damage
  Patching Bleeding now only stops 2 bleeding damage
  Patching Bleeding now only stops 1 bleeding damage
  Bleeding can only be stopped when taking a breather
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +1
  Aug
  +2
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Acc
  +1
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  
  229
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Bone spurring 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Spirit (marques down)
  The victim’s bones become spiked inside of their bodies. This 
  causes extreme pain when the victim does anything.
  The victim takes 1 unsoakable damage for each action 
  point they spend
  The victim takes 1 unsoakable damage for each action 
  point they spend
  The victim takes 2 unsoakable damage for each action 
  point they spend
  The victim takes 2 unsoakable damage for each action 
  point they spend
  CoLLapsiBLe 
  Bio-zapper augment
  Sometimes discretion is the better part of not having your bio-
  zapper confiscated, so you create a clever collapsing mechanism 
  for your bio-zapper which makes it easier to conceal. Any bio-
  zapper this is applied to can be broken down for 3 acion points 
  and re-assembled for 3 action points. It is treated, for purposes 
  of concealment, as being smaller than it is, but only when broken 
  down.
  1 category smaller
  2 categories smaller
  3 categories smaller
  4 categories smaller
  CrippLing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  When hit by a crippling ray, your body becomes weak and sickly.
  -3 on Brute rolls
  -6 on Brute rolls
  -9 on Brute rolls
  -12 on Brute rolls
  Custom 
  Bio-zapper augment
  This bio-zapper was designed to be used by one person and one 
  person only. That person must be designated at the time of the 
  bio-zapper’s crafting. If anybody else attempts to use the custom 
  bio-zapper, they suffer a penalty on all accuracy rolls with it. 
  -3
  -6
  -9
  -12
  DeFLeCting 
  Bio-zapper augment
  You may use this bio-zapper like a shield, allowing you to deflect 
  incoming attacks (gaining a +4 to evade in exchange for 1 reflex-
  ive action point). 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in bio-flux.
  DeBiLitating 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Your target has sporatic spells of exhaustion, conveniently taking 
  place right as they try to attack.
  -2 on strike rolls
  -4 on strike rolls
  -6 on strike rolls
  -8 on strike rolls
  DemoraLizing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Cunning (marques down)
  Bio-Zappers on this setting rewrite its victim’s face to resemble a 
  cubist painting, making them feel less confident and ugly.
  -2 on Spirit rolls
  -4 on Spirit rolls
  -6 on Spirit rolls
  -8 on Spirit rolls
  DisComBoBuLating 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Spirit (negates, see below)
  Victims hit with rays on this setting have their organs rearranged 
  in such a weird way that it becomes impossible for them to re-
  cover from wounds damage (but not wounds effects) while under 
  its effects.
  tier 2 spirit resist to negate
  tier 3 spirit resist to negate
  tier 3 spirit resist to negate
  tier 4 spirit resist to negate
  
  230
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  essenCe Draining 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Spirit (marques down)
  Victims hit by this ray see their essence slots temporarily shut 
  down. This not only makes augments to those slots useless but 
  also causes the person to become grotesque like an elf. The per-
  son wielding the bio-zapper chooses which, if any, augments on 
  the target are deactivated.
  1 essence slot is turned off
  2 essence slots are turned off
  3 essence slots are turned off
  4 essence slots are turned off
  exhausting 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Spirit (marques down)
  Hitting a victim with a ray on the exhausting setting tires the op-
  ponent. A quick blast from one of these ensures the victim will 
  not be going the distance.
  maximum hit points are lowered by 5
  maximum hit points are lowered by 10
  maximum hit points are lowered by 15
  maximum hit points are lowered by 20
  extenDeD range 
  Bio-zapper augment
  Your bio-zapper can hit targets well past 25 feet. 
  targets up to 50 feet away
  targets up to 75 feet away
  targets up to 100 feet away
  targets up to 150 feet away
  eyeLiD-Fusing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (negates, see below)
  Victims unlucky enough to be in the path of a blinding ray find 
  their eye lids fused together, making it impossible for them the 
  see anything without drastic actions. For a single action point 
  they can deal a point of wounds damage to themselves to rip their 
  eyes open. They don’t take a wounds effect for doing so.
  tier 2 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 4 brute resist to negate
  FLesh meLting 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Flesh melting rays cause the victim’s skin to melt and tear, mak-
  ing all attacks against them more deadly. This cannot lower their 
  soak class below zero.
  soak class lowered by 1
  soak class lowered by 2
  soak class lowered by 3
  soak class lowered by 4
  growing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  This ray causes the victim to grow just large enough for their ar-
  mor and clothing to become unbearably tight and uncomfortable. 
  This ray only affects victims in armor.
  -2 on defense rolls
  -4 on defense rolls
  -6 on defense rolls
  -8 on defense rolls
  hesitating 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Spirit (marques down)
  When hit with this ray, its victim is dropped on the priority list as 
  they hesitate to act, allowing others to take their turn first. If it 
  drops them to the bottom of the priority list, they act there. They 
  must wait until everyone has taken their turn before going. 
  Dropped 1 priority slot
  Dropped 2 priority slots
  Dropped 3 priority slots
  Dropped 4 priority slots
  hexing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Spirit (negates, see below)
  This ray alters your victim’s body chemistry, causing them to feel 
  drained and demoralized. It forces them to see their own limits. 
  When effected by this ray, victims may no longer re-roll pure 12s.
  tier 2 spirit resist to negate
  tier 3 spirit resist to negate
  tier 3 spirit resist to negate
  tier 4 spirit resist to negate
  hinDering 
  
  231
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  The victim’s equilibrium is thrown off, making acrobatics and 
  fast movements almost impossible.
  -2 on Dexterity rolls
  -4 on Dexterity rolls
  -6 on Dexterity rolls
  -8 on Dexterity rolls
  intensity 
  Bio-zapper augment
  You have increased your victim’s dosage and in doing so made 
  the blast more difficult to resist.
  The target gets a -2 to resist the ray’s effects
  The target gets a -4 to resist the ray’s effects
  The target gets a -6 to resist the ray’s effects
  The target gets a -8 to resist the ray’s effects
  miCro-zapper 
  Bio-zapper augment
  You have made your bio-zapper significantly smaller, letting you 
  wield it as a smaller weapon.
  wields as a medium weapon
  wields as a medium weapon
  wields as a light weapon
  wields as a light weapon
  muFFLing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (negates, see below)
  The victim’s ears melt and fuse with the side of their head caus-
  ing them to become deafened. For a single action point they can 
  deal a point of wounds damage to themselves to rip their ears 
  open. They don’t take a wounds effect for doing so.
  tier 2 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 4 brute resist to negate
  muLti-setting 
  Bio-zapper augment
  This augment allows the bio-zapper to be in two settings at once. 
  This allows you to choose between multiple settings to fire with-
  out spending 1 action point to switch between them. You still can 
  only fire from one setting at a time.
  The zapper may be in 2 settings
  The zapper may be in 3 settings
  The zapper may be in 4 settings
  The zapper may be in 5 settings
  naiL growing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Dexterity (marques down)
  The victim’s fingers swell, making it difficult for them to smooth-
  ly pull the trigger on a firearm. 
  -2 accuracy with a firearm or crossbow
  -4 accuracy with a firearm or crossbow
  -6 accuracy with a firearm or crossbow
  -8 accuracy with a firearm or crossbow
  nausea-inDuCing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (negates, see below)
  Your bio-zapper shakes and rattles your target’s stomach, making 
  them unsettled and nauseous (-2 to all rolls until 3 action points 
  are spent emptying their stomach). 
  tier 2 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 4 brute resist to negate
  perspiring 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Victims hit by a bio-zapper set to perspiring will begin to rapidly 
  sweat. Their sweaty hands make it very difficult to hold on to any 
  items and even more difficult to hold on to a person.
  -2 to all disarm resists and maintaining grabs
  -4 to all disarm resists and maintaining grabs
  -6 to all disarm resists and maintaining grabs
  -8 to all disarm resists and maintaining grabs
  
  232
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  rattLing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  After being hit by a ray on this setting, the victim’s legs become 
  weak like jelly. Because of this, all called shots to to the legs be-
  come much more effective.
  -2 on resist rolls against the legs
  -4 on resist rolls against the legs
  -6 on resist rolls against the legs
  -8 on resist rolls against the legs
  reinForCeD 
  Bio-zapper augment
  You build your bio-zapper solidly, giving it little room to break on 
  the battlefield. Whenever somebody attempts to sunder the rein-
  forced bio-zapper, it acts as if it is several size categories larger 
  than it is. Once these “reinforced” size categories are gone, then 
  it will actually break.
  1 reinforced size category
  2 reinforced size categories
  3 reinforced size categories
  4 reinforced size categories
  skin-papering 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Your bio-zapper makes your target’s skin become thinner, less 
  moist, and burn easier.
  -4 on resists against burns
  -8 on resists against burns
  -12 on resists against burns
  -16 on resists against burns
  skin-inFLaming 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Your bio-zapper makes your target’s skin secrete a flammable liq-
  uid. They have a harder time resisting catching on fire.
  -3 on resists against catching on fire
  -6 on resists against catching on fire
  -9 on resists against catching on fire
  -12 on resists against catching on fire
  siLenCing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (negates, see below)
  Victims hit by this ray find their mouths sewn shut, their ability 
  to speak or make any sound stripped from them. In addition, 
  victims lose the ability to use any specialties with required vocal 
  components, such as yelling or singing. For a single action point 
  they can deal a point of wounds damage to themselves to rip their 
  lips open. They don’t take a wounds effect for doing so.
  tier 2 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 3 brute resist to negate
  tier 4 brute resist to negate
  siLent 
  Bio-zapper augment
  This bio-zapper is whispering death. It makes almost no sound 
  when fired, making it almost impossible for people to figure out 
  where it is by sound alone. Any time anybody is attempting to 
  figure out where the bio-zapper was shot from based on sound 
  they must make a tier result with their cunning.
  tier 2 cunning to hear
  tier 3 cunning to hear
  tier 4 cunning to hear
  impossible (unless they can get a tier 5 cunning)
  sLuggish 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  Your bio-zapper makes your target’s legs mutate to resemble el-
  ephant feet, slowing them down.
  speed reduced by 5 feet
  speed reduced by 10 feet
  speed reduced by 15 feet
  speed reduced by 20 feet
  stupiFying 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Cunning (marques down)
  The stupifying setting causes victims to become dazed and unob-
  servant. They take a penalty on cunning rolls.
  -3 on cunning rolls
  -6 on cunning rolls
  -9 on cunning rolls
  -12 on cunning rolls
  
  233
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  sweLLing 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  This setting creates rays that cause the victim’s called shot loca-
  tions to swell to ridiculous sizes. These swollen called shot are 
  then easier to hit due to their increased size. You must select a 
  single called shot location to affect when firing your bio-zapper 
  set to this setting.
  +2 accuracy to that called-shot
  +4 accuracy to that called-shot
  +6 accuracy to that called-shot
  +8 accuracy to that called-shot
  weakening 
  Bio-zapper augment (setting)
  resist: Brute (marques down)
  The rays fired from this zapper make it difficult for your victim to 
  lift their weapon, much less harm you with it. The damage class 
  on any melee attacks the target makes is lowered.
  melee damage class lowered by 1
  melee damage class lowered by 2
  melee damage class lowered by 3
  melee damage class lowered by 4
  
  234
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Engineering is the creation of vehicles. Engineering is one of the most inclusive skills, for 
  it involves the creation of everything from flyers to blimps to trains to sailing vessels. With 
  engineering, you could create walking land machines, a comfortable carriage with a can-
  non mounted on top, or a graviton sphere-powered flyer that spews poisonous gas and can 
  comfortably carry your entire party of stalwart adventures. A couple points in engineering 
  and soon the world is just a speck below you.
  Engineer
  Maintenance
  engineer speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  reQuires: 2 skill points in Engineer
  Patch up a few bullet holes here, change the pressure valves over 
  there - the job of a mechanic is never done. While in this stance, 
  you make a series of constant small repairs to the section of the 
  ship you’re in. This repairs 1 vehicle wound for every 2 points you 
  have in engineering at the end of your turn (when your action 
  points refresh).
  Power Surge
  engineer speCiaLty
  Cost: 1 AP
  When you’re not the pilot, you may tweak the coolant to grant 
  the vehicle greater movement without overheating. This grants 
  the pilot an additional action point in order to move or steer the 
  vehicle once more for the turn. 
  Quick Upgrades
  engineer speCiaLty
  You may switch the parts on a vehicle quickly without waiting for 
  downtime. You must know the augment you are about to put onto 
  the part. You choose which slot(s) to empty and which slot(s) to 
  replace. For every slot that you change, you roll your engineer 
  skill to determine how quickly you do so. You must be adjacent 
  to the vehicle in order to change its parts. 
   
  If changing out the parts requires more action points 
  than you have for the turn, you may do so over multiple, non-
  consecutive turns. For example, if it requires 7 action points to 
  change out an augment, you could spend 3 action points this 
  turn, and then wait a couple turns before spending the final 4 
  action points to switch out the augment. However, once you be-
  gin changing out parts, the original augment ceases to function 
  and the new augment does not function until it is completely 
  installed.
  10 AP
  7 AP
  4 AP
  2 AP
  Vehicle Repairs
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: either Auto-Wright or Manual-Wright specialty
  Cost: 3 AP
  You are capable of repairing any vehicle that you are capable of 
  building. You must be either inside or adjacent to the vehicle in 
  order to make these repairs.
  10 vehicle wounds
  20 vehicle wounds
  30 vehicle wounds
  40 vehicle wounds
  pM
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Def
  +2
  
  235
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  p Grease Monkey Specialties M
  Gearhead
  engineer speCiaLty
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  reQuires: 2 skill points in Engineering
  By constantly regulating steam in-take and graviton rotations, 
  you’re able to push a vehicle’s engine to its limits. When in this 
  stance and either inside or adjacent to a vehicle, the vehicle’s 
  speed increases by 5 feet per 2 skill points you have in Engineer-
  ing. Moving away from the vehicle breaks this stance. 
  Gearjunkie
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: 5 skill points in Engineer & Gearhead specialty
  When you’re working on a vehicle, efficiency is maximized. While 
  in Gearhead stance, you may also grant a vehicle a +1 on evade 
  rolls for every 5 points you have in engineer.
  Automatic versus Manual Vehicles
  There are two ways of controlling vehicles, automatically pro-
  pelled vehicles and those that require manual control.
   
  automatiCaLLy propeLLeD vehiCLes (autos) are 
  those that go at a constant speed unless the pilot changes the 
  direction or speed of the vehicle. Autos typically have propel-
  lers, wheels, jets, or sails. Autos have a maximum speed, and 
  they travel a set distance every turn (typically at the beginning 
  of the pilot’s turn).
   
  manuaL vehiCLes (clankers) require the pilot to 
  spend action points for every movement. Typically these are 
  walking vehicles, where the pilot must move gears and levers 
  every time the clanker wants to move. In effect, every time the 
  pilot spends 1 action point to move the clanker, the clanker 
  moves its speed. 
   
  You’ll find information on autos starting on this page, 
  with their augments directly after. After autos, you’ll get infor-
  mation on the clankers. Once all of that is done, you can build 
  a vehicle’s hull, providing it with armoring and protection for 
  those inside. 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  
  236
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Crafting Vehicles
  Auto-Wright
  engineer speCiaLty
  Automatically propelled vehicles are ideal at getting adventurers 
  from point A to point B. You’ll be able to craft everything from jet-
  packs to gyrocycles, ironbirds, motorcars, powerboats, and more. 
  You can now craft one-person automatically propelled vehicles 
  (called autos for short).
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several autos based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. They can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll learn 2 
  augments from this specialty, which can be selected under “auto 
  augments” below. These augments have marques. At lower levels, 
  you’ll start with Marque I augments. See the “Crafting” page at 
  the beginning of this chapter for more information. 
   
  Each auto can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some ma-
  terials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden autos) or just 
  once (like organic ones). Sometimes an augment will take up 
  multiple augment slots. If an augment is worth 2 slots, an auto 
  only has 1 more available slot for an augment after the 2-slot aug-
  ment has been applied. 
  numBer oF autos you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some autos 
  entirely out of scraps. These vehicles must be constantly main-
  tained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. You 
  may build and maintain a number of autos for free based on your 
  DIY score. You may build new autos or augment old ones during 
  any period of downtime you have. 
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  1
  1
  1
  2
  2
  2
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  3
  3
  3
  3
  4
  the Cost oF autos z
  If you need to build an auto that you can’t build for free from your 
  DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it. An auto will 
  have a base materials cost. It is 1/5th the market price. 
   
  The automatic vehicle, unaugmented, will have a base 
  cost depending on its marque. (The marque will determine its 
  maximum speed per turn.) If you buy a vehicle and augments, 
  you will add the price of the augments onto the price of the ve-
  hicle. 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  100 princes
  500 princes
  2500 princes 12500 princes
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  70 princes
  350 princes
  1750 princes
  8750 princes
  If you are building the augment outside of your DIY Score, you 
  pay 1/5th the price, which is the same as if you were buying an 
  augment one marque lower. (As in, the material cost for a Marque 
  III augment is the market price for a Marque II augment.) The 
  material cost for a Marque 1 augment is 14 princes. 
  Piloting your Auto
  ControL methoD c
  While autos can be propelled by anything in your imagination, 
  at default your craftable mount is grounded, with a maximum 
  land or water surface speed based off of the marque of this 
  specialty. It costs an action point to mount or dismount your 
  auto. Your auto can be turned on and off for one action point. 
  While piloting your auto, your defense and evade (and accuracy 
  and strike, if applicable) are added to that of the vehicle.
   
  When you start your auto, select a speed setting be-
  tween 5 feet per turn and its maximum speed per turn. While 
  turned on, it will move at that speed every turn at the beginning 
  of the pilot’s turn. It costs one action point to change the speed. 
  It also costs one action point to control its movement during 
  a turn, moving up to its current speed setting. If you do not 
  spend the action point to control it, it will automatically move 
  its last set speed in a straight line in the same direction it last 
  moved. 
  BoDy oF the maChine c
  At default your vehicle can hold only one person at a time: its 
  pilot. Your vehicle cannot protect its pilot from harm; the pilot 
  can still be targeted as per normal. 
   
  Your automatic vehicle has a default maximum wounds 
  of twelve and can be targeted by hostiles without the need of 
  a called shot. Whenever your vehicle takes wounds damage, its 
  maximum speed decreases by 10 feet. Should your automatic 
  vehicle lose all of its wounds, your auto ceases to move. If it 
  is in the air when this happens, anyone riding your vehicle will 
  suffer falling damage. If on water, your vehicle will begin to 
  sink at a rate of twenty feet per turn.
   
  This specialty works within the marque system. As 
  your skill in engineering grows, your autos will become faster 
  and more efficient, increasing its maximum speed per turn. 
  Maximum of 150 feet per turn 
  Maximum of 200 feet per turn 
  Maximum of 300 feet per turn 
  Maximum of 500 feet per turn 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  
  237
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Beta Autos
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Engineer & Auto-Wright specialty
  Your automatic vehicles are exceptionally advanced but quite dif-
  ficult to use. Such autos can be upgraded with 2 more augments 
  (bringing the total for metal autos up to 5 augmentable slots).
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to operate one of 
  your autos, they must succeed in rolling a science result one tier 
  higher than the highest level marque you have on your auto. If 
  your auto has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for them to 
  use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 with their 
  science attribute).
   
  If you are a passenger in a beta auto that you created, 
  you can allow another person to pilot the vehicle. 
  Prototype Autos
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Engineer, Auto-Wright, & Beta Autos 
  specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta autos and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can pilot your automatic vehicle as long as you 
  designate it as being a prototype.  
  Manual-Wright
  engineer speCiaLty
  Manual vehicles are complex, powerful vehicles that move under 
  the pilot’s power. You’ll be able to build walkers, steamtanks, or-
  nithopters, motorships, and everything in-between. You can now 
  craft one-person manual vehicles, called clankers for short. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several clankers based on your current Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 
  score. They can then be upgraded with augments. You’ll learn 2 
  augments from this specialty, which can be selected under “clank-
  er augments” below. These augments have marques. At lower lev-
  els, you’ll start with Marque I augments. See the “Crafting” page 
  at the beginning of this chapter for more information. 
   
  Each clanker can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some 
  materials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden clankers) or 
  just once (like organic ones). Sometimes an augment will take 
  up multiple augment slots. For example, the “flying” augment is 
  worth 2 slots, so a clanker only has 1 more available slot for an 
  augment after “flying” has been applied. 
  numBer oF CLankers you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some 
  clankers entirely out of scraps. These vehicles must be constantly 
  maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. 
  You may build and maintain a number of clankers for free based 
  on your DIY score. You may build new clankers or augment old 
  ones during any period of downtime you have. 
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  1
  1
  1
  2
  2
  2
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  3
  3
  3
  3
  4
  the Cost oF CLankers z
  If you need to build a clanker that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it. A clanker 
  will have a base materials cost. It is 1/5th the market price. 
   
  The manual vehicle, unaugmented, will have a base cost 
  depending on its marque. (The marque will determine its maxi-
  mum speed per action point spent.) If you buy a vehicle and aug-
  ments, you will add the price of the augments onto the price of 
  the vehicle. 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  80 princes
  400 princes
  2000 princes 10000 princes
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  60 princes
  300 princes
  1500 princes
  7500 princes
  If you are building the augment outside of your DIY Score, you 
  pay 1/5th the price, which is the same as if you were buying an 
  augment one marque lower. (As in, the material cost for a Marque 
  III augment is the market price for a Marque II augment.) The 
  material cost for a Marque 1 augment is 12 princes. 
  Conceptualizing your Vehicle
  When you first start building vehicles, they’re not going to be 
  full-fledged airships. Taking Auto-Wright will basically give 
  you an engine that you can sit on or strap to your back. At the 
  most basic levels, you probably have little more than a motor-
  ized bicycle or a propellered surf-board. 
   
  By taking augments, you can improve on the vehicle. 
  When you take Aerial Propulsion or Lift, you’ll be able to soar 
  the skies on a rocketpack. Want to take your friends with you? 
  The Passenger and Extra Passengers augments will be your 
  choice. Is your vehicle’s a little too rickety and easily destroyed 
  for your liking? Taking Improved Construction and Sturdy will 
  solve that problem.
   
  By adding armoring, your vehicle can become a mo-
  bile tank, a weapon platform, a flying gunship, or whatever you 
  can imagine. 
   
  And though you’ll be able to accomplish a lot, your 
  vehicle’s going to start off simple. Barely a vehicle at all: just 
  an engine, and some basic controls. 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  
  238
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Beta Clankers
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Engineer & Manual-Wright specialty
  Your manual vehicles are exceptionally advanced but quite diffi-
  cult to use. Such clankers can be upgraded with 2 more augments 
  (bringing the total for metal clankers up to 5 augmentable slots).
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to operate one of 
  your clankers, they must succeed in rolling a science result one 
  tier higher than the highest level marque you have on your ve-
  hicle. If your clanker has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible 
  for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result 
  of 5 with their science attribute).
   
  If you are a passenger in a beta clanker that you created, 
  you can allow another person to pilot the vehicle. 
  Prototype Clankers
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Engineer, Manual-Wright, & Beta 
  Clankers specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta clankers and made them user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can pilot your manual vehicle as long as you desig-
  nate it as being a prototype.  
  p Auto & Clanker Augments M
  aeriaL propuLsion 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to autos
  Your vehicle has jets, wings, propellers, sails, or some other way 
  of moving through the air. You may apply your vehicle speed to 
  moving in the air. You do not gain the ability to move vertically in 
  the air - you can only move horizontally. Aerial propulsion also al-
  lows you to move through water, but you move at half your speed 
  (unless you have Underwater Propulsion). 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in engineer. 
  aLChemy reFiLL station 
  vehiCLe augment
  You’ve equipped your vehicle with everything you need in or-
  der to refill consumed alchemical substances during a breather 
  (a 15-30 minute break). Over the course of a single breather the 
  refill station in your vehicle will allow an alchemist to refill used 
  alchemical potions they’ve brewed. The alchemy refill station will 
  allow a maximum number of refills per breather based on the 
  marque of this augment. You must be adjacent to or inside the 
  vehicle in order to use the refill station.  
  1 alchemical potion
  2 alchemical potions
  3 alchemical potions
  4 alchemical potions
  aLL terrain 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle is adept at moving through terrain (either by having 
  rotating machetes on the front or by having a vehicle that’s just 
  great at sliding in-between brush). Your vehicle cannot be slowed 
  by rough terrain.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in engineer. 
  Piloting your Clanker
  ControL methoD c
  While manual vehicles can be propelled by anything you imag-
  ine, by default your craftable mount is grounded, with a land or 
  water surface speed based off of the marque of this specialty. It 
  costs an action point to mount or dismount your clanker. Your 
  clanker can be turned on and off for one action point. While pi-
  loting your clanker, your defense and evade (and accuracy and 
  strike, if applicable) are added to that of the vehicle.
   
  It costs the pilot one action point to move the vehicle 
  up to its full movement speed. The vehicle can move as many 
  times per turn as the pilot can spend action points to do so. 
  It can move in any direction without having to spend action 
  points to turn, slow down, or any of that hogwash. It cannot 
  climb or submerge itself. It costs an action point to mount or 
  dismount your vehicle. 
  BoDy oF the maChine c
  At default your vehicle can hold only one person at a time: its 
  pilot. Your vehicle cannot protect its pilot from harm; the pilot 
  can still be targeted as per normal. 
   
  Your manual vehicle has a default maximum wounds 
  of twelve and can be targetted by hostiles without the need of 
  a called shot. Whenever your vehicle takes wounds damage, its 
  maximum speed decreases by 5 feet. Should your vehicle run 
  out of wounds, your manual vehicle ceases to move. If it is in 
  the air when this happens, anyone riding your manual vehicle 
  will suffer falling damage. If on water, your manual vehicle will 
  begin to sink at a rate of twenty feet per turn.
   
  This specialty works within the marque system. As 
  your skill in engineer grows, your clankers will become faster 
  and more efficient, increasing its speed per action point spent.
  Up to 40 feet per action point spent 
  Up to 80 feet per action point spent 
  Up to 120 feet per action point spent 
  Up to 160 feet per action point spent 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +1
  
  239
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  armsmith utiLities 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle is outfitted with a small forge, extra equipment, and 
  various tools used to fix your armor, weapons, and firearms. A 
  vehicle outfitted with armsmith utilities can be used to repair 
  any broken armor or weaponry during a breather (a 15-30 minute 
  break). A person who knows armsmith augments can also switch 
  out augments on an item. The armsmither may change a number 
  of marques based on the marque of this augment. You must be 
  adjacent to or inside this vehicle in order to use armsmith utili-
  ties.
  1 armsmith augment may be changed
  2 armsmith augments may be changed
  3 armsmith augments may be changed
  4 armsmith augments may be changed
  BLazing speeD 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to autos
  reQuires: vehicle to be augmented to have the Improved Speed 
  augment
  Your vehicle is stupidly fast. Your speed is improved based on the 
  marque of this augment. (This bonus stacks with that granted by 
  Improved Speed.)
  +50 speed
  +100 speed
  +150 speed
  +200 speed
  BLurring speeDs 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to autos
  Your vehicle is built to go so fast that nothing else can hit it. 
  When traveling at your top speeds, your vehicle is little more than 
  a blur. You vehicle gains a bonus to its evade rolls whenever you’re 
  moving at its top speed (and until the pilot’s next turn, when the 
  speed is adjusted). The evade bonus is based on the marque of 
  this augment. 
  +3 on evade rolls
  +4 on evade rolls
  +5 on evade rolls
  +6 on evade rolls
  BuoyanCy reLease 
  vehiCLe augment
  Cost to aCtivate: 1 AP reflexively
  When your vehicle starts to sink or hits the water and isn’t 
  equipped for staying afloat, you can hit your buoyancy release in 
  order to stay afloat. The pilot may activate the buoyancy release 
  for 1 action point, and it will cause the vehicle to stay afloat de-
  spite any injuries the vehicle has taken.
   
  A foe may attack the buoyancy release mechanism. The 
  buoyancy has a number of wounds based on the marque of this 
  augment.  
  6 wounds
  12 wounds
  18 wounds
  24 wounds
  CLimBer 
  vehiCLe augment
  Whether it be iron hooks built into your treads or a more straight-
  forward set of arms and legs extending from your vehicle, it now 
  has the ability to climb. You may apply your vehicle speed to 
  moving up and down verticle surfaces. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in engineer. 
  DiFFiCuLt ControLs 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle is complex, poorly organized, and the controls aren’t 
  well labeled. In all ways, it is designed for you. Anybody else at-
  tempting to pilot your vehicle must spend extra action points in 
  order to change the speed or turn the vehicle.
  +1 action point to pilot
  +2 action points to pilot
  +3 action points to pilot
  +4 action points to pilot
  Note: You may designate one other person as being able to pilot 
  your vehicle as well, so they do not take the penalties for the dif-
  ficult controls. 
  
  240
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  DriLL 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle has a drill, and this drill lets you move through the 
  earth. You may apply your vehicle speed to moving through the 
  earth. You may change directions as you drill forward, going up, 
  down, left, or right.
   
  The drill does not allow you to drill through all sub-
  stances. The thickness of the substance you can drill through 
  depends on the marque of this augment. If it is too thick for you 
  to drill through (which will be decided by the narrator), you will 
  not be able to pass through it.
  Thin soil, dirt, and sands
  Ice, thick soils, and wet sands
  Weak stone, compressed soils, and clays
  Worked stones, mountains, soft metals
  ease oF repair 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle is made so that the gears and engine are easy to 
  access and repair. Whenever somebody is attempting to use the 
  Vehicle Repairs specialty or Maintenance specialty on the vehicle, 
  they gain a bonus on the roll.
  +2
  +4
  +6
  +8
  eFFiCient movement 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to CLankers
  You clockwork engines respond seemlessly, letting you squeeze 
  out every ounce of movement from your clanker. Your speed in-
  creases.
  +20 speed
  +40 speed
  +60 speed
  +80 speed
  emergenCy paraChute 
  vehiCLe augment
  Cost to aCtivate: 1 AP reflexively
  When your vehicle starts to lose altitude and is going to crash, 
  you can release your emergency parachute in order to slow your 
  descent. The pilot may activate the emergency parachute for 1 
  action point, and it will cause the vehicle to float slowly to the 
  ground despite any injuries the vehicle has taken. The vehicle will 
  fall 10 feet per turn. 
   
  A foe may attack the emergency parachute. The para-
  chute has a number of wounds based on the marque of this aug-
  ment.  
  3 wounds
  6 wounds
  9 wounds
  12 wounds
  extra passengers 
  vehiCLe augment
  reQuires: vehicle to be augmented to have the Passenger augment
  You’ve outfitted your vehicle with small compartments, uncom-
  fortable back seats, and barrels that hang from the main seat 
  that are all capable of carrying extra passengers. You may add 
  a number of extra passengers (in addition to the passenger al-
  lowed from your Passenger augment). This does not make the 
  vehicle much larger, despite logic dictating otherwise (hey, it’s 
  steampunk!).
  +1 passengers (to a total of 1 pilot & 2 passengers)
  +2 passengers (to a total of 1 pilot & 3 passengers)
  +3 passengers (to a total of 1 pilot & 4 passengers)
  +4 passengers (to a total of 1 pilot & 5 passengers)
  FLying 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to CLankers & takes up 2 augment sLots
  You’ve attached cranked propellers or wings to your clanker, let-
  ting you soar through the air. You may move your vehicle through 
  the air, traveling in any direction. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in engineer. 
  
  241
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  gLiDing 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle is equipped to glide for a while after the vehicle has 
  stopped moving. If you turn off your vehicle or it can’t move (for 
  any reason) while it’s in the air, the vehicle will glide forward for a 
  number of turns before it loses its ability to glide. It will continue 
  to move forward at its speed but will lose 10 feet of altitude per 
  turn. It will glide for a number of turns based on the marque of 
  this augment.
  2 turns
  4 turns
  6 turns
  8 turns
  improveD ConstruCtion 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle is built exceptionally well, made sturdy, strong, and 
  tough to take down. Your vehicle has extra wounds based on the 
  marque of this augment. 
  +12 wounds
  +24 wounds
  +36 wounds
  +48 wounds
  improveD speeD 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to autos
  You’ve streamlined your vehicle to make it faster. Your speed is 
  improved based on the marque of this augment.
  +50 speed
  +100 speed
  +150 speed
  +200 speed
  LiFt 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to autos
  Your vehicle can support itself through verticle lift, either through 
  a lighter-than-air envelope or a graviton sphere. If you are com-
  bining Lift with Aerial Propulsion, you’ll be able to move verti-
  cally a certain distance based on the marque of this augment as 
  well as move horizontally based on your speed. Lift only lets you 
  move vertically, and it acts independently of all other speeds. The 
  pilot of the automatic vehicle will need to set the lift speed as well 
  (which costs 1 action point to change).
  20 feet of vertical movement
  40 feet of vertical movement
  60 feet of vertical movement
  80 feet of vertical movement
  passenger 
  vehiCLe augment
  You’ve installed a second seat in your vehicle - good job, now your 
  friend can come with you! You may carry a single passenger in 
  your vehicle. (This does not increase the size of your vehicle.)
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in engineer. 
  power thrusters 
  vehiCLe augment
  Can onLy Be appLieD to autos
  aCtivation Cost: 0 AP (but done when changing speed)
  You’ve applied extra thrusters to your vehicle that make you move 
  exceptionally fast. Unfortunately, it makes you so fast that your 
  vehicle starts to break down. Any time you adjust your speed, you 
  can choose to freely activate your power thrusters. This increases 
  the vehicle’s maximum speed based on the marque of this aug-
  ment. However, every turn that you have your power thrusters 
  activated, your vehicle loses 1 wound. 
  +100 speed beyond your vehicle’s maximum speed
  +200 speed beyond your vehicle’s maximum speed
  +300 speed beyond your vehicle’s maximum speed
  +400 speed beyond your vehicle’s maximum speed
  
  242
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  siDe thrusters 
  vehiCLe augment
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Side thrusters allow you to quickly toss to the side, bolting out of 
  the way. Side thrusters can be activated at any time for 1 action 
  point, and they send your vehicle a certain distance based on the 
  marque of this augment. You may have your side thrusters send 
  you in any direction (regardless of the direction you’re traveling), 
  and you may go any distance, up to the maximum allowed by the 
  side thrusters. You cannot travel through solid terrain.
  up to 20 feet
  up to 40 feet
  up to 60 feet
  up to 80 feet
  siLent movement 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle is well-greased, quiet, and difficult to hear. When 
  somebody is listening for your vehicle, they must make a cunning 
  result to hear, based on the marque of this augment. 
  Tier 2 cunning to detect
  Tier 3 cunning to detect
  Tier 4 cunning to detect
  Undetectable (unless you can achieve a tier 5 cunning)
  speeD DuraBiLity 
  vehiCLe augment
  It’s difficult for attacks to damage your engine. An attack that 
  damages your vehicle must do a certain amount of wounds dam-
  age before it decreases your speed. (Normally 1 wound damage 
  would decrease your speed by 10 for autos or 5 feet for clankers.)
  3 wounds from a single attack before speed is reduced
  6 wounds from a single attack before speed is reduced
  9 wounds from a single attack before speed is reduced
  12 wounds from a single attack before speed is reduced
  sturDy 
  vehiCLe augment
  The vehicle is strongly built and gains an increased soak class. 
  This soak class is not from armoring, but rather comes from the 
  basic soak of the vehicle. (As such, it cannot be sundered or bro-
  ken like normal armoring.) The amount of soak class is based on 
  the marque of this augment. 
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  thiCk exhausts 
  vehiCLe augment
  Thick steam, smoke, and smog rolls out from your vehicle, cloud-
  ing the area around you. The exhaust coats your vehicle, making 
  it difficult to target your vehicle. Generally, this is made not to 
  negatively effect the pilot of any gunners on board. The thick 
  exhausts gives you a bonus on your evade based on the marque of 
  the augment. (If the attacker has any ways of negating penalties 
  caused from cover or poor sight, they can negate this as well.)
  +1 on evade rolls
  +2 on evade rolls
  +3 on evade rolls
  +4 on evade rolls
  unDerwater propuLsion 
  vehiCLe augment
  Your vehicle has fins, jets, propellers, or some other way of mov-
  ing through the water. You may apply your vehicle speed to mov-
  ing underwater. You can change directions, moving up, down, or 
  forward. Underwater propulsion also allows you to move through 
  the air, but you move at half your speed (unless you have Aerial 
  Propulsion). 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in engineer. 
  weapon mount 
  vehiCLe augment
  You’ve outfitted your vehicle with a weapon turret that you can 
  fire from the cockpit. The weapon is built into the vehicle, and 
  can be augmented as a weapon. If you have any passengers in 
  the vehicle, they can operate the weapon instead. If the weapon 
  requires the wielder to be in firing position, the weapon always 
  counts as being in firing position.
   
  You can detach or re-attach the weapon for a number of 
  action points depending on the marque of this augment. 
  3 action points
  2 action points
  1 action point
  1 action point reflexively
  
  243
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  the Cost oF armoring z
  If you need to create armoring that you 
  can’t build for free from your DIY score, 
  you will need to buy the materials for it. 
  Armoring will have a base materials cost. 
  It is 1/5th the market price. 
   
  Armoring, unaugmented, will 
  have a base cost depending on its size. If 
  you buy armoring with augments, you will 
  add the price of the augments onto the 
  price of the vehicle. 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  150 princes
  750 princes
  3750 princes
  18750 princes
  If you are building the augment outside of your DIY Score, you 
  pay 1/5th the price, which is the same as if you were buying an 
  augment one marque lower. (As in, the material cost for a Marque 
  III augment is the market price for a Marque II augment.) The 
  material cost for a Marque 1 augment is 30 princes. 
  Beta Armoring
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Engineer & Vehicle Armorer specialty
  Your armoring is beyond that seen before, but it is nearly impos-
  sible to pilot a vehicle covered in the stuff. Such armoring can 
  be upgraded with 2 more augments (bringing the total for metal 
  armoring up to 5 augmentable slots).
  Armoring Vehicles
  Vehicle Armorer
  engineer speCiaLty
  A vehicle without armoring is little more than an engine and 
  some sort of control system. You’ll give it a shell, a hull to keep 
  the pilot, the engine, and everything you love safe. You can now 
  armor vehicles. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain the armoring on several vehicles based on your current Do-
  It-Yourself (DIY) score. They can then be upgraded with aug-
  ments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be 
  selected under “armoring augments” below. These augments have 
  marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. See 
  the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter for more in-
  formation. 
   
  Vehicle armoring can be upgraded with 3 augments. 
  Some materials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden armor-
  ing) or just once (if you choose organic armoring). Sometimes an 
  augment will take up multiple augment slots. If an augment is 
  worth 2 slots, armoring only has 1 more available slot for an aug-
  ment after the 2-slot augment has been applied. 
  amount oF armoring you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build the armor-
  ing on some vehicles entirely out of scraps. This armoring must 
  be constantly maintained by you and stops functioning soon after 
  leaving your care. You may build and maintain a number of ve-
  hicle armoring for free based on your DIY score. You may create 
  more armoring or augment old armoring during any period of 
  downtime you have. 
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  1
  1
  1
  2
  2
  2
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  2
  3
  3
  3
  3
  4
  type
  soak CLass
  evaDe
  penaLty
  auto
  penaLty
  CLanker 
  penaLty
  passenger Cover
  materiaL options
  Unarmored
  0
  -
  -0 ft.
  -0 ft.
  None
  None, Organic, or Textile
  Minimal
  1
  -1
  -10 ft.
  -5 ft.
  Poor (+2 evade)
  Metal, Organic, Textile, or 
  Wood
  Light
  2
  -2
  -20 ft.
  -10 ft. 
  Light (+4 evade)
  Metal, Organic, Textile, or 
  Wood
  Medium
  3
  -4
  -40 ft.
  -20 ft. 
  Medium (+6 evade)
  Metal, Organic, or Wood
  Heavy
  4
  -6
  -60 ft.
  -30 ft.
  Heavy (+8 evade)
  Metal or Wood
  Super-Heavy
  5
  -8
  -80 ft.
  -40 ft.
  Total (cannot be 
  targeted)
  Metal or Wood
  Armoring
  Minimal
  20 princes
  Light
  50 princes
  Medium
  100 princes
  Heavy
  300 princes
  Super-Heavy
  5000 princes
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  
  244
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to operate a vehicle 
  covered in your armoring, they must succeed in rolling a science 
  result one tier higher than the highest level marque you have on 
  your armoring. If your armoring has a Marque IV augment, it is 
  impossible for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a 
  tier result of 5 with their science attribute).
   
  If you are a passenger in a vehicle that has beta armor-
  ing that you created, you can allow another person to pilot the 
  vehicle. 
  Prototype Armoring
  engineer speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Engineer, Vehicle Armorer, & Beta 
  Armoring specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta armoring and made it user-friendly. 
  Now anybody can pilot a vehicle covered in your armoring as 
  long as you designate it as being a prototype.
  p Armoring Augments M
  airtight 
  armoring augment
  The vehicle can go higher in the atmosphere or underwater. While 
  the airtightness is a factor, so is the vehicle’s ability to withstand 
  pressure. If there is no way of breathing, oxygen will eventually 
  run out of an airtight vehicle.
  The vehicle can go to cloud level or just below the 
  surface of  water
  The vehicle can go to cloud level or deep underwater
  The vehicle can go above clouds or to the ocean’s bot-
  tom
  The vehicle can skim the top of  the atmosphere or 
  reach the abysses of  the ocean
  eFFeCtive armoring 
  armoring augment
  Your vehicle’s armoring is streamlined, slick, and it’s surprisingly 
  easy to ensure that bullets aren’t going to make it through. The 
  pilot gains a bonus on the vehicle’s defense roll.
  +2 on defense rolls
  +4 on defense rolls
  +6 on defense rolls
  +8 on defense rolls
  eLeCtro-aBsorption 
  armoring augment
  The armoring re-routes electricity through it and into specially 
  created devices that absorb the shock. Anything that deals elec-
  tricity damage is now entirely soakable, and attacks that deal 
  electricity damage (even if they are only partially electrical, such 
  as attacks with a pulsing weapon) increase the soak class of the 
  armor.
  +2 soak class against electrical attacks
  +4 soak class against electrical attacks
  +6 soak class against electrical attacks
  +8 soak class against electrical attacks
  emergenCy LanDing 
  armoring augment
  Your armor is built to withstand crashes. When crashing (though 
  we hope it’s not often), the hull can soak a certain amount of 
  damage and keep it from being inflicted upon the crew.
  10 damage
  50 damage
  100 damage
  250 damage
  exCeptionaL struCture 
  armoring augment
  reQuires: armoring to be augmented to have the Structural In-
  tegrity augment
  Your vehicle’s armoring is exceptional, providing greater support 
  and a thicker buffer between your hard, outer shell and the gooey 
  insides. This grants you additional hit points, which stack with 
  those granted by Structural Integrity. 
  +20 hit points
  +40 hit points
  +60 hit points
  +80 hit points
  FireprooFing 
  armoring augment
  While coated in armoring that has fireproofing, all fire attacks 
  are soakable. Furthermore, the soak class for the armoring is im-
  proved against fire. 
  +1 soak class against fire 
  +2 soak class against fire 
  +3 soak class against fire 
  +4 soak class against fire 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Aug
  +1
  
  245
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  FLame retarDant 
  armoring augment
  The armoring generally cannot be caught on fire, depending on 
  how intense the fire is.
  Cannot be caught on tier 1 fire
  Cannot be caught on tier 2 fire
  Cannot be caught on tier 3 fire
  Cannot be caught on tier 4 fire
  greater Crew Cover 
  armoring augment
  Your vehicle’s armoring is designed to keep you and any pas-
  sengers alive for significantly longer. The greater crew cover im-
  proves the cover by a degree (or more, depending on the marque). 
  For example, if you’re in vehicle with Marque I Greater Crew 
  Cover light armoring, everyone on board can take advantage of 
  medium cover. The maximum cover is total cover, in which the 
  people inside the vehicle cannot be targeted. 
  improves cover by 1 degree
  improves cover by 2 degrees
  improves cover by 3 degrees
  improves cover by 4 degrees
  high moBiLity 
  armoring augment
  The armor is optimized to be lightweight, easy to move in, and 
  not clutter up your vehicle’s amazing speed. This augment de-
  creases the speed penalty the vehicle takes from wearing the ar-
  mor. It decreases it by a degree - for example, if you’re using 
  Marque I High Mobility light armoring, it would have the speed 
  penalty of minimal armoring. 
  the speed penalty is 1 degree lighter
  the speed penalty is 2 degrees lighter
  the speed penalty is 3 degrees lighter
  the speed penalty is 4 degrees lighter
  internaL oxygen suppLy 
  armoring augment
  Your armoring provides oxygen for your vehicle. It will last for a 
  definite period, depending on the marque. 
  10 minutes
  60 minutes
  1 day
  1 week
  struCturaL integrity 
  armoring augment
  The armoring was built to be exceptionally sturdy, granting hit 
  points to the vehicle. Like normal, hit points are damaged before 
  wounds. 
  +10 hit points
  +20 hit points
  +30 hit points
  +40 hit points
  thiCk armoring 
  armoring augment
  You’ve thickened your armoring without impeding your creation 
  at all. You grant the armor extra soak.
  +1 soak class
  +2 soak class
  +3 soak class
  +4 soak class
  
  246
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Gadgets, doodads, trinkets, whatchamacallits - these are inventions that mad scientists 
  would be proud of, items that permeate society and make life easier (or, at the very least, 
  more exciting). A gadgeteer is a specialist in the wild mechanisms of technology, build-
  ing explosives, fantastic eyewear, and any number of trinkets. The gadgeteer can be rather 
  creative, using his skillset to build and augment a wide variety of items.
  Gadgetry     
  Beta Hacker
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  Your tinkering and logic has made you adept at hacking into beta 
  equipment. Whenever you are trying to work a beta item, you may 
  add your skill in gadgetry to the roll. In addition, if you receive a 
  result of 40 or higher, you have made a tier 5 result, and can now 
  use marque 4 beta items.
  Dud
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  resist: Cunning (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP reflexively
  Whenever someone adjacent to you is activating the fuse of an 
  explosive, you can make the explosive a dud. The explosive will 
  not explode, and your enemies must make a Cunning resist to 
  realize the explosive isn’t functioning.
  Item Breaker
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  reQuires: Saboteur specialty
  Cost: same as a Sunder
  Whenever you successfully sunder an item, you are able to turn 
  off some of its augments until the next breather. 
  Marque 1 augments are turned off
  Marque 2 augments are turned off
  Marque 3 augments are turned off
  Marque 4 augments are turned off
  p          M
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +8
  Eva
  +1
  Eva
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Acc
  +1
  Stk
  +3
  HP
  +9
  Acc
  +1
  
  247
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Reverse Engineer
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  You are able to move augments from one item to another, includ-
  ing those you yourself are not capable of crafting. When reverse 
  engineering an item, roll your Gadgetry. If you are unsuccessful, 
  the augment is destroyed. Augments may only be moved to an 
  item the augment could normally be attached to. For instance, 
  you cannot move a melee weapon augment to a vehicle. This can 
  be performed during any breather, though the exact amount of 
  time this takes is dependant on the size of the device, at the 
  narrator’s discretion.
  Can move up to a Marque 1 augment
  Can move up to a Marque 2 augment
  Can move up to a Marque 3 augment
  Can move up to a Marque 4 augment
  Saboteur
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  resist: Dexterity (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP
  You know how to throw a wrench into another person’s plans... 
  and their items. You can turn off a single augment of an item 
  either adjacent to you or being wielded by someone adjacent to 
  you.
  Improvised Improvements
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  Requires: 4 skill points in Gadgeteer
  stanCe (costs 1 AP to enter)
  Crafted items seem to perform better when you’re around. When 
  entering this stance, choose augments on any items within 5 feet 
  of your current position, whether you are wielding the item or 
  not. These augments act as if they were 1 marque higher. You can 
  do this to 1 augment for every 4 skill points you have in Gadgetry. 
  If any item whose augments you’re improving moves away from 
  being adjacent to you, the improvements wear off. To reassign 
  which augments you’re improving, you must reenter your Impro-
  vised Improvements stance. You cannot make an augment exceed 
  marque 4.
  Crafting Explosives 
  Using Explosives       
  Explosives are built to be small and easily thrown, just like a 
  light thrown weapon, and you can aim at an opponent with it 
  just like a regular thrown attack. Even if you don’t hit the op-
  ponent, the bomb still lands in the target’s space.
   
  When you activate an explosive, it will detonate at the 
  beginning of your next turn. Activating an explosive requires 1 
  action point. (You can both draw and activate an explosive for 
  just 1 action point.) Throwing it requires 2 action points. 
   
  The explosive deals 10 damage per marque of the 
  explosive. So, if you create Marque II explosives, you deal 20 
  damage to anybody in the explosion. Explosives damage every 
  person within the target space and all eight of the adjacent 
  spaces.
  Pyrotechnician
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  You’re a master of explosives, so full of gunpowder and fuses that 
  you always run the risk of blowing off your left ear. You turn the 
  battlefield into a place of nightmares, your explosions ringing in 
  your enemies’ ears and burns searing off their flesh. You can now 
  create explosives. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several explosives based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. These explosives can then be upgraded with aug-
  ments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be 
  selected under “explosive augments” below. These augments have 
  marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. As 
  your skill in Gadgetry improves, your marques will increase. See 
  the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter for more in-
  formation.
   
  Each explosive can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some 
  materials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden explosives) or 
  just once (like organic ones). Sometimes an augment will take up 
  multiple augment slots. For example, the “gear-rattler” augment 
  is worth 2 slots, so an explosive only has 1 more available slot for 
  an augment after “gear-rattler” has been applied.
  numBer oF expLosives you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some ex-
  plosives entirely out of scraps. These explosives must be con-
  stantly maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving 
  your care. You may build and maintain a number of explosives 
  based on your DIY score. You may build new explosives or aug-
  ment old ones during any period of downtime you have.
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Aug
  +1
  HP
  +7
  Eva
  +1
  Pri
  +3
  HP
  +8
  Acc
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  
  248
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  5
  6
  6
  7
  7
  8
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  8
  9
  9
  10
  10
  11
  the Cost oF expLosives z
  If you need to build an explo-
  sive that you can’t build for free 
  from your DIY score, you will 
  need to buy the materials for 
  it.
   
  An explosive will have 
  a base materials cost. It is 1/5th 
  the market price. 
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  8 princes
  40 princes
  200 princes
  1,000 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 1 prince and 6 dukes.
  Beta Explosives
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Gadgetry & Pyrotechnician specialty
  Your explosives are exceptionally complex little gizmos, but the 
  pack they punch is not to be underestimated. Such explosives can 
  be upgraded with 2 more augments (bringing the total for metal 
  explosives up to 5 augmentable slots).
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta explosives they must succeed in rolling a sciences result one 
  tier higher than the highest marque you have on your explosive. 
  If your explosive has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible for 
  them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result of 5 
  with their sciences attribute).
  Prototype Explosives
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Gadgetry, Pyrotechnician, & Beta Ex-
  plosives specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta explosives and made them user-friend-
  ly. Now anybody can use an explosive that you designate as being 
  a prototype. 
  Major Explosion
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  Cost: Activating the Fuse +1 ap
  You’re skill with explosives ensures that their blast radius is larger 
  than that of anybody else. When you use major explosion with 
  an explosive, roll below in order to increase the area of effect for 
  the blast.
  +5 feet spread
  +10 feet spread
  +15 feet spread
  +20 feet spread
  Note: You can, at your discretion, take a lower spread result.
  p Explosive Augments M
  Banshee 
  expLosive augment
  The blast releases an ear-splitting wail, causing its victims to 
  become temporarily deafened (and greatly annoying everybody 
  else).
  Deafened for 1 turn
  Deafened for 2 turns
  Deafened for 3 turns
  Deafened for 4 turns
  Resisting Explosives       
  If a person is within an explosion when it goes off, they’ll 
  take the damage from the explosion. The damage is soakable 
  (meaning that they can roll their defense and soak some or all 
  of the damage).
   
  A person can attempt to dive out of the explosion. In 
  order to get out of the explosion as it’s going off, the target 
  must spend 1 action point reflexively in order to try to move. 
  The affected targets must make a dexterity resist in order to 
  escape the blast. For every tier above tier 1 that the person re-
  ceives with their dexterity, they may lower the marque of the 
  explosion by 1 (normally taking the damage class down by 10). 
  If they lower it at all, they may move to the edge of the blast. 
  If they entirely negate the blast, they move out of it. 
  Explosives
  Marque I (10 damage)
  5 princes
  Marque II (20 damage)
  25 princes
  Marque III (30 damage)
  125 princes
  Marque IV (40 damage)
  625 princes
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  
  249
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  ConCeaLaBLe 
  expLosive augment
  The bomb is camouflaged and can be concealed in its environ-
  ment or on a character’s body. The character gains bonuses on 
  any cunning rolls used to hide the explosive.
  +3
  +6
  +9
  +12
  ConCussive 
  expLosive augment
  Characters caught within the blast are subject to a powerful pulse, 
  causing their brains to rattle in their skulls as their heads are 
  jerked by the shockwave.
  Disoriented for 1 turn
  Disoriented for 2 turns
  Disoriented for 3 turns
  Disoriented for 4 turns
  Damaging 
  expLosive augment
  The blast is souped-up to be more powerful, dealing greater 
  amounts of total damage to those caught within its range. 
  11 damage per the Explosive’s Marque
  12 damage per the Explosive’s Marque
  13 damage per the Explosive’s Marque
  14 damage per the Explosive’s Marque
  DeLay 
  expLosive augment
  The bomb can be set to automatically go off in a number of 
  turns specified by the player.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque I for the pur-
  poses of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  extenDeD BLast 
  expLosive augment
  reQuires: Marque II Explosives
  The bomb has a greater radius of effect. The bomb acts normally, 
  but also blasts out beyond its normal range. The bomb does dam-
  age of one marque lower than its own marque beyond its normal 
  range.
  5 feet further
  10 feet further
  15 feet further
  20 feet further
  FLare 
  expLosive augment
  The explosion leaves behind a piece of material which burns 
  brightly like a flare, lighting the area within 25 feet for sever-
  al turns. Dim light extends for an additional 25 feet from the 
  source.
  2 turns
  4 turns
  6 turns
  8 turns
  FLash 
  expLosive augment
  The blast releases a powerful flash of light, causing temporary 
  blindness to all within the area of the explosion.
  Blinded for 1 turn
  Blinded for 2 turns
  Blinded for 3 turns
  Blinded for 4 turns
  FLypaper 
  expLosive augment
  If the target is wearing organic or wooden armor, the bomb sticks 
  to them like a magnet. The target must spend 2 action point and 
  fully resist the augment or be denied their ability to evade the 
  blast. 
   
  If the target is not wearing organic or wooden armor, it 
  falls to the ground in front of them. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in engineer. 
  
  250
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  gear-rattLer 
  expLosive augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on an expLosive
  The bomb is built to explode in such a way that it disables ma-
  chinery, rattling gears and causing it to become stunned. When 
  an automaton is effected by this augment, it is stunned for a num-
  ber of action points.
  Stunned for 1 AP
  Stunned for 2 AP
  Stunned for 3 AP
  Stunned for 4 AP
  When a vehicle is effected by an explosive with this augment, it 
  is uncontrollable and moves directly forward for a number of ac-
  tion points.
  Cannot be controlled for 1 AP
  Cannot be controlled for 2 AP
  Cannot be controlled for 3 AP
  Cannot be controlled for 4 AP
  impLosion 
  expLosive augment
  Your explosive pulls anyone within its blast radius towards its 
  epicenter when it explodes.
  Pulled 5 feet towards the explosion’s center
  Pulled 10 feet towards the explosion’s center
  Pulled 10 feet towards the explosion’s center
  Pulled 15 feet towards the explosion’s center
  knoCk BaCk 
  expLosive augment
  The blast sends out a shock wave which knocks opponents back. 
  Opponents who are unable to dodge the blast are pushed back 
  from the center of the blast and may be knocked prone. 
  Pushed back 5 feet
  Pushed back 10 feet
  Pushed back 10 feet and prone
  Pushed back 15 feet and prone
  LatCh 
  expLosive augment
  The bomb contains a clamp which latches it to opponents. When 
  you throw or otherwise attach the bomb, the opponent must 
  spend 1 action point to remove the bomb or be denied their abil-
  ity to evade the blast. Also, if you make a called shot when at-
  taching the weapon, the blast counts as a called shot to the called 
  shot location. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  LaunChing 
  expLosive augment
  The bomb is built to be launchable, increasing the distance that 
  it can be fired.
  +10 feet
  +20 feet
  +30 feet
  +40 feet
  magnetiC 
  expLosive augment
  If the target is wearing metal armor, the bomb sticks to them like 
  flypaper. The target must spend 2 action point and fully resist the 
  augment or be denied their ability to evade the blast. 
   
  If the target is not wearing metal armor, it will stick on 
  to any person within 5 feet wearing the heaviest metal armor. (If 
  multiple people are wearing equally heavy armor within 5 feet, 
  have them roll randomly to see who wins the right to wear the 
  magnetic explosive. The highest roller gets the bomb.)
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  meLter 
  expLosive augment
  takes up 2 augment sLots on an expLosive
  The blast splashes molten metal onto armor and clothing, de-
  creasing its potency and melting through it, causing it to be less 
  useful until it can be repaired (which can normally be done dur-
  ing a breather). 
  -1 soak class
  -1 soak class
  -2 soak class
  -2 soak class
  proximity Fuse 
  expLosive augment
  The bomb is set up with a fuse that causes it to detonate when 
  somebody walks within the bomb’s blast area. Characters at-
  tempting to pass through the area without detonating the fuse 
  must move no faster than 10 feet per action point and roll to resist 
  setting off the trigger. 
   
  In order to activate a proximity fuse, you must first spend 
  the usual 1 action point to activate the fuse, then either drop or 
  throw it. The fuse effect becomes active at the end of your turn.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  
  251
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  powerFuL BLast 
  expLosive augment
  The blast occurs with such speed that it is more difficult to jump 
  out of its way. Characters who wish to use their dexterity to resist 
  the blast must act as if their dexterity roll to resist the blast was 
  one tier lower.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  QuiCk-set 
  expLosive augment
  Activating the fuse on an explosive costs 1 less action point (nor-
  mally bringing the cost down to 0 action points). 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  remote aCtivation 
  expLosive augment
  You have a trigger device that lets you activate the explosive from 
  a distance whenever you so desire. It must have been set previ-
  ously (for at least 1 turn) and you cannot be outside of a certain 
  distance (based on the marque). An explosive with remote activa-
  tion will not go off until you so designate and using the remote 
  activation costs 1 action point.
  25 foot range
  50 foot range
  75 foot range
  100 foot range
  searing 
  expLosive augment
  Victims caught within the white phosphorous blast find their skin 
  covered in hot material, searing the skin. These burns will recover 
  during the victim’s next breather. 
  Tier 1 Burns (-1 on defense rolls)
  Tier 2 Burns (-3 on defense rolls)
  Tier 3 Burns (-5 on defense rolls)
  Tier 4 Burns (-7 on defense rolls)
  sLippery 
  expLosive augment
  When your explosive is thrown, it begins to secrete a slimy liquid, 
  making it difficult to pick up. It costs 2 action points to attempt to 
  pick your explosive up, and the person attempting to do so must 
  roll their Dexterity.
  Tier 2 Dexterity to pick it up
  Tier 3 Dexterity to pick it up
  Tier 4 Dexterity to pick it up
  Impossible (Unless you can somehow attain a Tier 5 
  Dexterity result)
  smoking 
  expLosive augment
  The blast fills the area with a thick screen of smoke, causing 
  those within the area to be blinded.
  Dissipates in 1 turn
  Dissipates in 2 turns
  Dissipates in 3 turns
  Dissipates in 4 turns
  
  252
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Optician
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  While you’re friends are out there becoming master swordsmen 
  and crafting great war-engines, you’ve been learning how to craft 
  goggles. You can now create eyewear. 
   
  Unless you’ve gained extra eyes or somehow have graft-
  ed eyewear, you are limited to looking through one piece of eye-
  wear. Even if you have multiple sets of eyes, you can only look 
  through a single piece of eyewear at a time. 
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and main-
  tain several sets of eyewear based on your current Do-It-Yourself 
  (DIY) score. These eyewears can then be upgraded with aug-
  ments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which can be 
  selected under “eyewear augments” below. These augments have 
  marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with Marque I augments. 
  As your skill in Gadgetry improves, your marques will increase. 
  See the “Crafting” page at the beginning of this chapter for more 
  information.
   
  Each eyewear can be upgraded with 3 augments. Some 
  materials can only be upgraded twice (like wooden eyewear) or 
  just once (like organic ones). Sometimes an augment will take up 
  multiple augment slots. For example, the “alert” augment is worth 
  3 slots, so an eyewear has 0 more available slot for an augment 
  after “alert” has been applied.
  numBer oF eyewears you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some sets 
  of eyewear entirely out of scraps. These eyewears must be con-
  stantly maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving 
  your care. You may build and maintain a number of eyewears 
  based on your DIY score. You may build new eyewears or aug-
  ment old ones during any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  3
  3
  4
  4
  4
  5
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  5
  5
  6
  6
  6
  7
  the Cost oF eyewear z
  If you need to build eyewear that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Every augment will increase the price. The higher the 
  marque, the greater the price. The market price for an augment 
  can be found in the chart below.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  6 princes
  30 princes
  150 princes
  750 princes
  If you are building the augment, you pay 1/5th the price, which 
  is the same as if you were buying an augment one marque lower. 
  (As in, the material cost for a Marque III augment is the market 
  price fo a Marque II augment.) The material cost for a Marque 1 
  augment is 1 prince and 2 dukes.
  Beta Eyewear
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  reQuires: 4 skill points in Gadgetry & Optician specialty
  You thought you were being clever when you decided to add a 
  bunch of extra lenses and loupes onto your monocle. Instead, 
  now nobody else can figure out how to use them. Such eyewears 
  have two more slots for you to place augments into. 
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of your 
  beta eyewears, they must succeed in rolling a science result one 
  tier higher than the highest level marque you have on your eye-
  wear. If your eyewear has a Marque IV augment, it is impossible 
  for them to use it (unless they can somehow obtain a tier result 
  of 5 with their science attribute).
  Prototype Eyewear
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  reQuires: 16 skill points in Gadgetry, Optician, & Beta Eyewear 
  specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta eyewears and made them user-friend-
  ly. Now anybody can use an eyewear that you designate as being 
  a prototype. 
  p Eyewear Augments M
  aLert 
  eyewear augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on eyewear
  Alert goggles have small sirens built into them which go off 
  whenever they sense something headed in your direction. Small 
  lights in the lenses point you in the direction of the objects in 
  question.
  +1 on evade rolls
  +2 on evade rolls
  +3 on evade rolls
  +4 on evade rolls
  Crafting Eyewear 
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  Aug
  +2
  
  253
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  Dark aDaptor 
  eyewear augment
  The eyewear is built to allow you to see in the dark as if it were 
  normal daytime vision. 
  Poor Lighting
  Poor Lighting
  Total Darkness
  Total Darkness
  Far-sight 
  eyewear augment
  Far-sight goggles allow the wearer to see things at distances that 
  seem superhuman.
  Can see 1,000 feet further away with ease
  Can see 2,000 feet further away with ease
  Can see 3,000 feet further away with ease
  Can see 4,000 feet further away with ease
  Frightening FaCepLate 
  eyewear augment
  You’ve added decoration to your eyewear designed to make your 
  face more intimidating while wearing them. This gives you a bo-
  nus when intimidating someone
  +2 to Cunning for intimidation
  +4 to Cunning for intimidation
  +8 to Cunning for intimidation
  +16 to Cunning for intimidation
  happy pLaCe vision 
  eyewear augment
  takes up 3 augment sLots on eyewear
  Regardless of what kind of situation you are in, Happy Place 
  Vision makes whatever you fear the most look like your favorite 
  dessert! While using eyewear with Happy Place Vision, you will 
  never become scared or flustered.
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  heat DeteCtion 
  eyewear augment
  Your eyewear can pick up heat signitures on other people, allow-
  ing you to faintly see people through cover. You can see people 
  through degrees of cover based on your marque. 
  Poor Cover
  Light Cover
  Medium Cover
  Heavy Cover
  inventory investigator 
  eyewear augment
  Cost: 1 AP to activate
  Perfect for lawmen searching hoodlums for hidden weaponry 
  (and for pickpockets sizing up a potential target), you’ve aug-
  mented your googles with the ability to see some of the items a 
  target within 25 feet has concealed.
  Can tell if they have concealed items, but can’t identify 
  them
  Knows how many concealed items they have, but can’t 
  identify them
  Identifies all concealed items on target
  Identifies all items on target and determines if they are 
  augmented 
  pin-pointing 
  eyewear augment
  Cost: 1 AP to activate
  The user of pin-pointing eyewear is capable of improving his or 
  her depth perception and accuracy using a cross-hair and a series 
  of finely tuned zoom lenses. The lenses must be adjusted, so the 
  user must spend 1 action point before firing to reap its effects.
  +1 to accuracy
  +2 to accuracy
  +3 to accuracy
  +4 to accuracy
  poison DeteCtion 
  eyewear augment
  Poison-detecting eyewear reacts to invisible poisons, helping to 
  alert the wearer of possible threatening chemicals.
  +3 to notice poisons
  +6 to notice poisons
  +9 to notice poisons
  +12 to notice poisons
  
  254
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  proteCtive 
  eyewear augment
  Protective eyewear add extra tiers of soak and resist bonuses 
  against attacks that are directed against the eyes.
  +1 soak class against called shots to the eyes & +3 on 
  Brute resists against things that affect eyes
  +2 soak class against called shots to the eyes & +6 on 
  Brute resists against things that affect eyes
  +3 soak class against called shots to the eyes & +9 on 
  Brute resists against things that affect eyes
  +4 soak class against called shots to the eyes & +12 on 
  Brute resists against things that affect eyes
  tinteD 
  eyewear augment
  Tinted eyewear not only looks super-cool, but also prevents the 
  user from experiencing the negative effects of some flashes of 
  light.
  +3 to resist being blinded from flashes
  +6 to resist being blinded from flashes
  +9 to resist being blinded from flashes
  +12 to resist being blinded from flashes
  weatherprooF 
  eyewear augment
  The eyewear allows you to see well through sleet, snow, and rain. 
  You take no penalty for looking through inclement weather. 
   
  Note: This augment always acts as marque II for the 
  purposes of determining cost, though you can learn this augment 
  despite your skill in gadgetry. 
  zoom Lens 
  eyewear augment
  Cost: 1 AP to activate
  Zoom lenses are used commonly by long-ranged riflemen in or-
  der to increase their range on the battlefield. For an extra action 
  point to adjust, ranged weapon users (except those using throw-
  ing weapons) may gain a bonus to their range.
  +50 feet
  +100 feet
  +150 feet
  +200 feet
  
  255
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +4
  Aug
  +2
  Trinket Crafter
  gaDgetry speCiaLty
  You can create trinkets, a catch-all term for small contraptions 
  that do some really unique things. 
  numBer oF trinkets you Can maintain  z
  Without needing to buy pieces or parts, you can build some trin-
  kets entirely out of scraps. These trinkets must be constantly 
  maintained by you and stop working soon after leaving your care. 
  You may build and maintain a number of trinkets based on your 
  DIY score. You may build new trinkets or replace old ones during 
  any period of downtime you have.
  your Diy:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  you Can BuiLD:
  4
  5
  5
  6
  6
  7
  your Diy:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  you Can BuiLD:
  7
  8
  8
  9
  9
  10
  the Cost oF trinkets z
  If you need to build a trinket that you can’t build for free from 
  your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for it.
   
  Each trinket has a slight variation in cost, and that cost 
  will be noted below the trinket (in a chart showing the market 
  prices). 
   
  If you are building the trinket, you pay 1/5th the price, 
  which is the same as if you were buying a trinket one marque 
  lower. (As in, the material cost for a Marque III trinket is the mar-
  ket price fo a Marque II trinket.) The material cost for a Marque 
  1 trinket is 1/5th the price of the Marque I trinket.
  p Trinkets M
  aether pointer 
  trinket
  size: Light
  resist: Cunning (marques down)
  aCtivation Cost: 2 AP
  A miniscule, highly concentrated beam of light is emitted by this 
  contraption through the use of a weak aether resonator. Not large 
  enough to light much of anything, the best use of this object is 
  shining it into the eyes of others for your own enjoyment. (If you 
  attempt to point the aether pointer at somebody’s eyes, you must 
  make an accuracy versus their evade, and then they must resist 
  the effect.)
  Blurry vision (-2 to accuracy and evade) until the end of 
  their next turn
  Blurry vision (-2 accuracy & evade) for the next 2 turns
  Blurry vision (-2 accuracy & evade) for the next 3 turns
  Blurry vision (-2 accuracy & evade) for the next 4 turns
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  aLarm Box 
  trinket
  size: Light
  resist: Cunning (marques down)
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP (see below)
  This small, unremarkable box can be activated and deactivated 
  for 1 action point. Whenever someone enters a space adjacent to 
  the person carrying an activated alarm box, its pivoting speaker 
  turns toward them and blasts an ear-piercing siren. Afterward, the 
  alarm box shuts down, requiring it to be reactivated. Someone 
  must move towards the alarm box for it to sound; carrying or 
  throwing an alarm box past someone or activating an alarm box 
  for use against someone already adjacent to you will not activate 
  its alarm. 
  Deafened (-2 evade) for 1 turn
  Deafened (-2 evade) for 2 turns 
  Deafened (-2 evade) for 3 turns 
  Deafened (-2 evade) for 4 turns 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  Crafting Trinkets 
  
  256
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  aLChemiCaL tooth 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost: 0 AP
  This fake tooth is in reality a small capsule you can fill with a dose 
  of an alchemical potion! For no action point cost during your turn 
  you can bite down on it to release the potion into your system.
  Tooth is crushed after every use, ruining your smile
  Tooth can be refilled during a breather (15-30 minute 
  break)
  Tooth can be refilled for 3 AP
  Tooth can be refilled for 1 AP 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  CoLLapsiBLe LaDDer 
  trinket
  size: Medium or Heavy (when unwound)
  The collapsible ladder is a bundle of rods that, when unwound, 
  form together to make a ladder. The ladder requires action points 
  to set up and take down, and it only goes so high, depending on 
  the marque of the ladder.
  10 feet high and requires 10 AP to set up
  20 feet high and requires 7 AP to set up
  30 feet high and requires 4 AP to set up
  40 feet high and requires 2 AP to set up
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  5 princes
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  engineer’s patCh 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  appLiCation Cost: 2 AP
  Engineer’s patches are magnetic patches able to quickly attach 
  and shape to an automaton or vehicle, temporarily repairing it. 
  Patches are not a perminant fix. Patches can be hit as a called 
  shot location on the item they’re attached to. If the patch is hit 
  by a called shot, its wearer will lose the regained wounds from the 
  patch as well as take the damage from the attack.
  Restores 4 wounds 
  Restores 8 wounds 
  Restores 12 wounds 
  Restores 16 wounds 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  6 princes
  30 princes
  150 princes
  750 princes
  extenDing perisCope 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 1 AP per 5 feet extended
  You have a one-handed and portable periscope that can be ma-
  neuvered around any number of corners, out of water, or out of a 
  cloud of smoke. The periscope is not very discreet in-and-of it-
  self, and trying to be sneaky about it will require a cunning roll as 
  if you were hiding yourself. It costs 1 action point to extend your 
  periscope 5 feet, and the periscope can be extended a maximum 
  distance based on its marque. 
  20 feet
  40 feet
  60 feet
  80 feet
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  gasmask 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost to put on: 3 AP
  Not only does this poignant fashion statement require no hands 
  when it’s strapped to your face, it also helps filter your breathing, 
  protecting you from harmful airborne chemicals. Only one can 
  be worn at a time.
  +4 to resists against alchemical gases 
  +8 to resists against alchemical gases 
  +12 to resists against alchemical gases 
  +16 to resists against alchemical gases 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  
  257
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  graBnet 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: as a thrown weapon attack (generally 2 AP)
  A medium-sized restraining device, people you successfully hit 
  with your net act as if they have been grabbed without you hav-
  ing to be up-close-and-personal with them. While under your net 
  they cannot take any actions other than removing the net cap-
  turing them. It can be used on enemies adjacent to you or shot 
  through a firearm with the delivery augment. 
  Costs 1 AP to remove the grabnet
  Costs 2 AP to remove the grabnet
  Costs 3 AP to remove the grabnet
  Costs 4 AP to remove the grabnet
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  grappLe-gun 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 1 AP to launch, 1 AP to unlatch, 1 AP to retract
  This is a metal grappling hook launching device. The hook is de-
  signed to mechanically bend outward, attaching itself onto most 
  surfaces perfectly. You can unlatch the hook from any surface 
  with a simple tug on its line. It can stick to most ledges and flat 
  surfaces regardless of whether it is rocky, magnetic, rough, or 
  slick. The maximum length of chain, cable, or rope that it can 
  successfully propel upwards is 50 feet. How fast it can pull you 
  upwards is based on its marque. If you can get footing on the 
  surface you are climbing, your climb speed is added to the speed 
  of your grappling hook. While hanging from one grappling hook, 
  you can easily fire another one further upwards with your other 
  hand if you have a spare. 
  20 feet per action point spent retracting 
  30 feet per action point spent retracting
  40 feet per action point spent retracting
  50 feet per action point spent retracting
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  6 princes
  30 princes
  150 princes
  750 princes
  grease guzzLer 
  trinket
  size: Light
  resist: Dexterity (negates, see below)
  aCtivation Cost: 3 AP
  This little contraption pours slippery grease all over a small area. 
  Anybody who walks into the space of a grease guzzler must make 
  a Dexterity result of tier 2 or fall prone. Upon standing up and 
  trying to move, they must make the resist again. A grease guzzler 
  may be used up to three times before having to refill it with the 
  slippery grease. 
  Covers a space 5 feet x 5 feet
  Covers a space 10 feet x 5 feet
  Covers a space 10 feet x 10 feet
  Covers a space 15 feet x 10 feet
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  5 princes
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  hanDCuFFs 
  trinket
  size: Light
  resist: Brute (negates)
  Cost: 1 AP
  Handcuffs allow you to put a hold on someone you’re already 
  grabbing. Perfect for those gentlemen adventurers of weaker phy-
  sique, you can attach one cuff of your set to any body part you 
  currently are grabbing. Its extendable chain design allows it to 
  tighten around the biggest (and smallest) of limbs. One set of 
  handcuffs consists of two cuffs which can attach to one limb 
  apiece. They remain attached until the person bound by them 
  is able to break free or until you voluntarily remove them. Until 
  then, the wearer of your handcuffs acts constantly grabbed. They 
  can move, but once both cuffs are grabbing something they can’t 
  use any limbs your handcuffs are attached to.
  Tier 2 Brute to break free 
  Tier 3 Brute to break free 
  Tier 4 Brute to break free 
  Impossible (Unless you can somehow attain a Tier 5 
  Brute)
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  
  258
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  hoverpaCk 
  trinket
  size: Heavy
  The hover pack is a large boxy backpack that contains a graviton 
  sphere allowing its wearer to hover vertically. 
  May move vertically 5 feet per move
  May move vertically 10 feet per move
  May move vertically 15 feet per move
  May move vertically 20 feet per move
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  10 princes
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1250 princes
  iLLumitorCh 
  trinket
  size: Light
  aCtivation Cost: 1 AP
  An illumitorch looks, in many ways, like a normal torch. The dif-
  ference is that it has a small bulb at the end. By rotating a knob, 
  the illumitorch creates light up to a distance away determined by 
  its marque. It can be dimmed to illuminate anywhere from 5 to 
  the maximum feet away. If you’re using an illumitorch in a small 
  or enclosed area, it’s likely to light the entire area. 
  25 feet
  50 feet
  75 feet
  100 feet
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  2 princes
  10 princes
  50 princes
  250 princes
  insta-BriDge 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 1 AP (see below)
  The Insta-Bridge is perfect for the more venturesome traveler. 
  Perfect for passing over ravines or creating handy ramps up hills, 
  the Insta-Bridge is 5 feet wide and hand-cranked. For every ac-
  tion point you spend cranking it, it will extend or retract 10 feet, 
  extending as far as its maximum length. It can be cranked in and 
  out from either of its two ends. While extended out 10 feet or 
  more, the Insta-Bridge becomes too cumbersome to lift.
  25 foot maximum length
  50 foot maximum length
  75 foot maximum length
  100 foot maximum length
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  6 princes
  30 princes
  150 princes
  750 princes
  Jaws oF LiFe 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 2 AP to activate
  The jaws of life is a tool with thin, metal blades sticking out from 
  its base. It’s used for prying things open by sliding its blades into 
  an opening and activating it. Roll brute on behalf of the tool, us-
  ing the indicated bonus.
  +4 on the brute roll
  +8 on the brute roll
  +12 on the brute roll
  +16 on the brute roll
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  metaL Cutter 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 3 AP
  The metal cutter looks like a large pair of steam-powered wire 
  snips and functions in much the same way. Using the metal cut-
  ter requires 3 action points, but it can automatically cut through 
  a certain thickness of metal.
  3 inches of metal
  6 inches of metal
  1 foot of metal
  3 feet of metal
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  messenger sphere 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost: 2 AP to insert item, 3 AP to activate
  An efficient mode of communication, the messenger sphere ap-
  pears as nothing more than a small hollow sphere you can place 
  a single concealable item, most commonly a written note, into. A 
  destination can be programmed into it using dials representing 
  longitude and latitude. When activated sides of the sphere extend 
  outward to form propellors, spinning quickly to create lift. It will 
  then fly toward its destination at a speed based on its marque. 
  185 feet per turn (roughly 500 miles a day) 
  370 feet per turn (roughly 1000 miles a day) 
  555 feet per turn (roughly 1500 miles a day) 
  925 feet per turn (roughly 2500 miles a day) 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  7 princes
  35 princes
  175 princes
  875 princes
  
  259
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  moLD-maker 
  trinket
  size: Light
  A trinket made for the more thrifty adventurer, the mold-maker 
  is a blanket which hardens when it is wrapped around items of 
  a size determined by its marque. This allows you to recreate any 
  item you come across at its base material cost without the need 
  of a crafter specializing in that field. The mold-maker only copies 
  the shape of an item and thus cannot replicate augments of any 
  kind. After so many uses the mold-maker will become stuck in 
  the form of the last item it copied. The mold-maker takes about 
  two minutes to use.  
  Can wrap around light or smaller items 
  Can wrap around medium or smaller items 
  Can wrap around heavy or smaller items
  Can wrap around super-heavy or smaller items 
  Note: Most merchants won’t appreciate you making molds of 
  their wares. Please use responsibly.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  mostLy-universaL LoCk 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost: 1 AP to lock a held item, Ranged Called Shot to throw
  As the name implies, this lock can secure almost anything. Doors, 
  luggage, handcuffs, vehicles and more can be sealed shut with 
  this device, and it takes anyone trying to lockpick it two free 
  hands and an amount of action points based on the marque of 
  this augment to do so. If thrown accurately, it will automatically 
  lock any compatible item it lands on. 
   
  If you crafted the lock, you can also craft keys for it at 
  no cost. Keys allow you to unlock the lock for 1 action point.
  3 AP to pick the lock
  5 AP to pick the lock
  7 AP to pick the lock
  10 AP to pick the lock
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  5 princes
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  Note: Making keys for a Mostly-Universal Lock has a material 
  cost of 1 dukes per key and a market cost of 5 dukes. 
  omni-trinket 
  trinket
  size: Light (see below)
  Tired of having to switch between all of your trinkets? The omni-
  trinket combines trinkets together into a single item, allowing you 
  to hold multiple trinkets at once! The omni-trinket at default is a 
  light item, but increases in size to match the largest sized item at-
  tached to it. Items attached can be switched out during a breather 
  (a 15-30 minute break). You must spend action points to use each 
  item individually; you cannot combine actions to reduce action 
  point cost.
  Combines up to 2 Trinkets
  Combines up to 4 Trinkets
  Combines up to 6 Trinkets
  Combines up to 10 Trinkets
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  paLm inJeCtor 
  trinket
  size: Light
  aCtivation Cost: 0 AP
  This trinket puts a small button in your palm, hooked up to an 
  injector line. When you push the button (an action that requires 
  no action points), you are injected with a single alchemical sub-
  stance of your choosing. Replacing the alchemical substance af-
  ter use requires a number of action points based on the marque 
  of the palm injector.
  4 action points to reload
  3 action points to reload
  2 action points to reload
  1 action point to reload
  Alchemical substance not included.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  paraChute gLiDer 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 1 AP (can be done reflexively) 
  Designed with daredevils in mind, the parachute glider is a trin-
  ket you can wear on your back. Not only will it prevent you from 
  taking any damage from falling, it will also keep you aloft by glid-
  ing in place without falling for a number of turns based on its 
  marque, allowing you to keep on fighting any airborne foes who 
  sank your battle-airship. Your fall begins when your action points 
  refresh after your final turn of gliding. The parachute glider in-
  cludes a ripchord allowing you to end your time gliding prema-
  turely for no action point cost.
  1 turn before falling
  2 turns before falling 
  5 turns before falling 
  10 turns before falling 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  5 princes
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  
  260
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  pitCase 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 1 AP to place, 3 AP to throw 
  This trendy leather briefcase can quickly reveal the metal spiral 
  on its side to be a collapsible drill. When placed in an adjacent 
  space or thrown up to 25 feet away, the pitcase will drill a circle 5 
  feet in diameter downwards up to 15 feet (you can set it to a lower 
  distance manually for no action point cost at any time before use). 
  It can also be held to tunnel you in any direction at a rate of 15 
  feet per action point. The pitcase cannot burrow through worked 
  stones, mountains, metals or similar materials. 
   
  Note: This market price for this trinket is 25 princes 
  (and so costs 5 princes to make).
  portaBLe DoorFrame 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: Based on Marque (see below) 
  Designed for true eccentrics, this gadget produces a free-stand-
  ing doorframe, complete with door and knobs on both sides, at a 
  moment’s notice. This doorframe accomplishes little past putting 
  a door between you and any pursuers, although they can simply 
  open it for 1 action point or alternatively move around it. It easily 
  attaches to any wall or to other doorframes, although opening it 
  while it’s attached to a wall will reveal the solid wall behind it. It 
  provides heavy cover to anyone standing behind it while it is free-
  standing and closed.
  2 AP to deploy/retract
  1 AP to deploy/retract
  0 AP to deploy/retract
  0 AP to deploy/retract (and can be done reflexively)
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  porta-BuLL 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost: 3 AP
  Enemies behind cover will fear your crafty visage when you walk 
  up to their barricades and smash them with your tiny trinket. The 
  porta-bull is a handheld device designed to attach to a single 
  piece of cover and repeatedly beat it with a hydraulic ram until 
  it breaks. It can be thrown a maximum of 50 feet. After a certain 
  amount of damage to the cover it attaches itself to, the porta-bull 
  will fall off and will need to be picked up before it can be used 
  again. Any damage it does to a piece of cover lasts until someone 
  can repair the cover outside of combat. This device has too much 
  trouble staying attached to flat, unmoving surfaces to be able to 
  ever attach to a living creature. 
  Lowers cover by one degree before falling off 
  Lowers cover by two degrees before falling off 
  Lowers cover by three degrees before falling off 
  Lowers cover by four degrees before falling off 
  Note: The porta-bull is not strong enough to damage anything 
  considered full cover.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  5 princes
  25 princes
  125 princes
  625 princes
  propeLLer Boots 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  These boots are simple looking enough, except for the large flip-
  out device on the back. Once activated (for just 2 action points), 
  the boots activate a propeller on the back that comes around over 
  the heel of the boot. This grants a speed bonus to the wearer 
  when swimming. 
  +5 to swim speed
  +10 to swim speed
  +15 to swim speed
  +20 to swim speed
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  
  261
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  puLse DeteCtor 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Resist: Cunning or Spirit (negates, see below)
  aCtivation Cost: 2 AP
  This is a small, flat, metal device with a glass cover. It is able to 
  pick up on the heartbeats of organisms around it. After picking 
  up on a heart beat, the trinket will display it by raising small pins 
  under the glass in the direction of the heart beat’s source.
   
  Somebody who is aware of the pulse detector can at-
  tempt to hide their heartbeat, which requires a cunning or spirit 
  resist (target’s choice) with a result equal to the item’s marque.
  Detects heart beats within 25 feet
  Detects heart beats within 50 feet
  Detects heart beats within 75 feet
  Detects heart beats within 100 feet
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  6 princes
  30 princes
  150 princes
  750 princes
  reasonaBLe DouBt 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost: 1 AP to place, 2 AP to throw
  Worried about getting fingerprints on a lock? Perhaps you simply 
  prefer to have someone, or something, else do the dirty work? The 
  Reasonable Doubt lockpicking device will attach to any lock and 
  quickly get to work picking it for you. When your action points 
  refresh it will spend a number of action points picking the lock 
  based off of its marque.
  1 AP per turn spent lockpicking
  2 AP per turn spent lockpicking
  3 AP per turn spent lockpicking
  4 AP per turn spent lockpicking
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  8 princes
  40 princes
  200 princes
  1000 princes
  spring-LoaDeD sLeeve 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost: 0 AP to activate
  The spring loaded sleeve holds a light weapon or small item (such 
  as a potion vial or explosive). With a flick, you can release the 
  spring, sending the item straight into your hand. (If your hand is 
  not free, it’ll fall at your feet... and break, if it’s a potion vial.) Re-
  tracting the spring takes a few seconds, depending on the marque 
  of the sleeve. 
  2 AP to retract
  1 AP to retract
  0 AP to retract
  0 AP reflexively to retract (can do it during anyone’s 
  turn)
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  tooLBeLt 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  This utilitarian fashion accessory can store a number of light-size 
  items. These items are considered drawn, allowing you to switch 
  between them at no action point cost during your turn. Unfortu-
  nately any items attached to your toolbelt are unconcealable and 
  suffer a -8 when resisting sundering. Wearing the toolbelt does 
  not require hands.
  Can hold two light items
  Can hold four light items
  Can hold six light items
  Can hold eight light items
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  
  262
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  vaCuum oF Fire  
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 2 AP to release fire
  What appears to be nothing more than a common household 
  cleaning appliance is actually the latest in fire-fighting technol-
  ogy. When aimed at a fire of any kind within 10 feet, this suction 
  device will decrease the amount of action points required to put 
  the fire out to a minimum of 1 action point. Once the required ac-
  tion points have been spent, you can choose to extinguish the fire 
  normally or suck the fire into your vacuum. If you choose the lat-
  ter, you can spray the fire back out onto a different area or person. 
  It retains whatever tier of fire it was previously and can be blasted 
  anywhere within 10 feet. The vacuum can hold one charge of fire 
  at a time. If the fire it ingests would normally destroy it from the 
  outside, it will destroy it from the inside as well, the flame ex-
  tinguishing afterwards. You can permanently extinguish a flame 
  inside of your vacuum for no action point cost at any time. 
  -1 AP to extinguish flame (to a minimum of 1) 
  -2 AP to extinguish flame (to a minimum of 1) 
  -3 AP to extinguish flame (to a minimum of 1) 
  -4 AP to extinguish flame (to a minimum of 1) 
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  10 princes
  50 princes
  250 princes
  1250 princes
  waLker 
  trinket
  size: Medium
  Cost: 1 AP to activate
  This is a device that walks forward in a straight line at a speed of 
  20 feet per turn. It weighs roughly equivalent to a gnome and sets 
  off most traps it walks across.
  Will take 10 damage before breaking
  Will take 20 damage before breaking
  Will take 30 damage before breaking
  Will take 40 damage before breaking
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  waLL-sCaLer 
  trinket
  size: Light
  This handheld item has a rotating, barbed head at the end. It will 
  snatch on to any wall it is put up against and climb up it, leaving 
  small indentions along the wall. It requires one hand to hold on 
  to, and cannot climb up very solid walls (like a wall made out of 
  steel) or inclines. 
  Wall-scaler can move 10 feet per turn
  Wall-scaler can move 20 feet per turn
  Wall-scaler can move 30 feet per turn
  Wall-scaler can move 40 feet per turn
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  4 princes
  20 princes
  100 princes
  500 princes
  water-FiLter 
  trinket
  size: Light
  Cost: 2 AP per vial
  Ideal for travelers entering less-hospitable areas of the world (or 
  afraid of poisons), this bottle cap fits onto most vials of liquid. 
  Its perforated top can be used to pour out any unwanted particles 
  and chemicals, leaving you with a vial of pure water. This filter 
  will break with repeated uses. 
  3 uses before breaking
  15 uses before breaking 
  75 uses before breaking 
  500 uses before breaking 
  Note: A water filter made with your DIY will never break unless 
  it leaves your care.
  marQue
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  market priCe
  3 princes
  15 princes
  75 princes
  375 princes
  
  263
  Chapter 10
  Sciences
  
  264
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  narrating
  Chapter 11
  
  265
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  At the gaming table, the players are responsible for a hand-
  ful of things: they must bring their character sheet, a couple 
  pencils, some dice, maybe even a miniature. They should 
  also be keeping up with the game’s narrative and the recur-
  ring characters in the world. Of course, their greatest re-
  sponsibility is roleplaying their characters appropriately and 
  making sure that they’re adding to their fellow adventurers’ 
  enjoyment of the game.
   
  The narrator’s responsibilities are similar, except the 
  narrator must bring a greater imagination and energy level 
  to the game. What is the narrator? Where a player represents 
  a single character interacting with the world, the narrator is 
  literally everything else. 
   
  The narrator is every other person in the world. 
  The narrator is responsible for describing every setting and 
  event. The narrator is the director of the adventurers’ story. 
  They players are the main characters, and the narrator is the 
  supporting caste, the antagonists, the challenges, and the 
  setting it all takes place in. The narrator sets the stage, and 
  the players take the spotlight.
  Cinematic Control o
  The narrator’s greatest power lies in their cinematic control. The 
  narrator decides how fast the gameplay is, how quickly the next 
  adversary arrives, how awesome the adventurers are when they’re 
  swinging from chandeliers and fighting the berzerking elves down 
  below. These are all facets of the narrator’s power.
   
  Tephra is designed not to impede upon your cinematic 
  control. If you want the players to have to fight 20 enemies before 
  they get some downtime to relax, you have control. Or, at your 
  discretion, you can have the adventurers just encounter a lone 
  warrior in town during their downtime. This is all part of your 
  cinematic control.
   
  Build the plots you want to build and pace the story as 
  fast or slow as you want.
   
  awesomeness FaCtor: You get to choose how awe-
  some the adventurers feel. When the adventurers are fighting 
  some minions while sloshing through a swamp, there might not 
  be a high level of awesome. You might downplay that fight, mak-
  ing it dirty, painful, and slow. But when they beat those mooks 
  and make their way to the giant tentacled behemoth that is their 
  boss, that fight could have an enormous energy level, high action, 
  and great combo sequences. How awesome your characters feel 
  is up to you.
   
  evoking goD powers: As the narrator, you literally 
  control everything that is not the player’s character. You have 
  the ability to strike down an adventurer with a random lightning 
  bolt, have their gun explode on them for no apparent reson, or 
  simply say that they die from a heart attack while walking down 
  the street. Please avoid these options - nobody’s going to enjoy 
  them. 
   
  You have the power to bend the world as you will, but 
  by encouraging the adventurers to be outgoing and make of the 
  world what they will, you’re giving them the power. They’ll sur-
  prise you, keep you on your toes, and, in the end of the day, ev-
  eryone will be having fun. 
  Keeping Focused o
  Roleplaying among friends is always a fun and exciting dynamic 
  but can also be irritating when you’re trying to advance a story-
  line and the players just want to goof around. In order to stay 
  focused, here’re a couple possible solutions:
   
  start with a Bang: Getting the session started can 
  often be the hardest part of the game. There are a wide variety of 
  starting methods. You could simply begin describing the scene. 
  You could ask one of the players to describe what happened in 
  the last session. You could throw down a stack of Tephra books 
  on the table, making a bit of a thundercrack, and snap everyone’s 
  attention toward you. Or you could roll a die and ask the player to 
  your right to make a dexterity resist. That’ll get their attention!
   
  energy LeveLs: Narrating a game can be simultane-
  ously exhausting and exhilarating. Keeping everyone’s energy 
  level can be difficult, starting with your own. When you’re leaning 
  forward in your chair, waving your arms around, and talking in 
  excited voices, your players will follow suit. The more excited you 
  are, the more excited everyone else will be. Excitement and yawns 
  work the same way: they’re infectious.
   
  A lot of roleplayers will drink large quantities of soda, 
  Introducing 
  the Narrator
  c Different from the Master c
  A lot of games will use different terminology - you’ll see Game 
  Master, Dungeon Master, Game Referee, Storyteller, and any 
  number of other possible titles for the narrator. But the narra-
  tor is not the master. The narrator is charged with setting the 
  scene and controlling the cinematic pacing of the game, but 
  the players and their adventurers are the true masters of the 
  game. The adventurers control what happens during the story, 
  how they act, and what they do. The narrator simply reacts and 
  keeps the game flowing in the right direction.  
   
  That’s not to say that the narrator is without power. 
  The narrator is the decider on all rules matters, controls how 
  the world interacts with the characters, and whether the game 
  can even be played at all. And, of course, the narrator can al-
  ways use a stray lightning bolt to keep the players in line. 
  
  266
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  game all night, and snack on chips during the game. We at 
  Cracked Monocle would never officially advise against this, but 
  do try to get a little bit of sleep before the game and drink some 
  water - caffeine is so much more effective when it has some water 
  to keep hydrated.
   
  taBLe Banter: You game with a group of friends, and 
  friends like to talk, especially when they haven’t seen each other 
  in a while. Don’t try to quell the table banter entirely (it won’t 
  work!), but if it becomes too much, ask the players if they could 
  refocus on the storyline a bit, as you have some pretty awesome 
  scenes coming up. (Give them something to focus on - that’ll 
  quiet them down and get them focused!) 
   
  the gaming environment: You can game pretty 
  much anywhere: in the car, while tubing a river, or around a table. 
  Yet each environment offers its own set of distractions to keep 
  your game from running smoothly. If you’re at your house, it’s 
  going to be the television and those cursed video games. If it’s at 
  your friendly local gaming store, it’ll be everyone else there. If it’s 
  in your car, it’ll be all of those silly people driving around you. (In 
  all seriousness, please focus on driving before gaming.)
   
  If you’re playing in a public environment, such as at 
  a convention or in your friendly local gaming store, there’ll be 
  people passing by, things to look at, and interruptions. The best 
  thing to do is just to learn to ignore them and get into your game: 
  it’ll be a great life skill if you can master it.
  Descriptions o
  One of your greatest tasks is describing the world that the ad-
  venturers are experiencing. The better the description, the more 
  enthralled your audience will be. Every aspect that you describe 
  is an opportunity for the players to interact with the world. If you 
  describe the local pub’s table as having some names carved into 
  it, the adventurers might ask the bartender who it was that carved 
  their names into the table. That could introduce them to the bar-
  tender, who they’ll get to know, then the adventurers will build 
  a connection with the pub. Before long, you’ll have a permanent 
  feature in your game.
   
  One of the best ways of describing a location is to focus 
  in on a centerpiece. Say the adventurers are walking into a buzz-
  ing and crowded marketplace. What makes that marketplace dif-
  ferent? The statue in the center, towering over nearby buildings, 
  of Tailemy’s Beloved Mother, with fountains all around the tall 
  marble statue. The statue’s description sets a tone for the market-
  place, and helps the players fill in the rest of the location in their 
  mind.
  Designing NPCs o
  First off, what’s an NPC? It’s a non-player character, or anybody 
  in the world who is not one of the player’s characters. An NPC is 
  a member of the supporting cast, an adversary, a rival, or nothing 
  more than a person walking down the street, going about their 
  business.
   
  Every NPC should be treated as a real person. The NPC 
  will have emotions, goals, and wants. They aren’t there specifi-
  cally for the adventurers (though they exist because of the adven-
  turers). The more interesting and diverse your NPCs, the more 
  the players are going to buy into the world, the more friendships 
  they’re going to build with your characters, and the more that 
  horrible events are going to emotionally affect them. 
   
  Roleplaying a wide cast of NPCs can be difficult but ex-
  ceptionally rewarding. Giving an NPC a noticable cough, a habit 
  of rubbing his nose, or a twitch whenever somebody mentions 
  money will make memorable characters. Not every character 
  needs to be exciting and memorable. If you use the same voice 
  for all of the cityfolk, nobody’s going to be bothered by it. But 
  when an adventurer wants to start interacting with somebody of 
  note, give them a unique voice or mannerism and you’ll have an 
  instantly identifiable NPC.
   
  And try to remember how you played those characters. 
  The more consistent the characters are, the more attached and 
  realistic your world becomes.
   
  BuiLt to Die: You should keep in mind that all adver-
  saries, NPCs, and supporting character have a high chance of 
  dying during your saga. Don’t grow too attached to them - ad-
  venturers will either kill them, something terrible will happen to 
  them for the sake of advancing the plot, or they’ll be one of the 
  few lucky ones who survive the whole chain of events. Regard-
  less, be ready for it. 
   
  npC roLes: The supporting cast can come in many 
  shapes and colors. Your NPCs might be mere townspeople, the 
  bartender, or a crazed mastermind bent on taking over the world 
  using his small, toy-like, robot army. Some roles include the rival, 
  the adversary, the mentor, the assistant, the merchant, the friend,  
  or the wildcard. The more defined a person’s role is in the adven-
  turers’ lives, the more likely they are to seek that person out in the 
  future.
  Providing Direction o
  You don’t have control over where the adventurers go or how they 
  act, but you can provide direction to them. The local law enforce-
  ment might come to them, asking the adventurers to go out of 
  district and solve a gang problem for them. Or a scientist might 
  hire the adventurers to protect the scientist while he unveils his 
  newest experiment. These are hooks for quests and adventures 
  that your adventurers can endeavor on. They’re the most blatant 
  ways of providing direction; but, given the right rewards, they’re 
  a rather effective method.
   
  Sometimes you’ll want to provide directions that are a 
  bit more subtle. This can be done by providing clues in your 
  description. If the players walk into a pub, you could describe 
  certain characters in the pub in much greater detail. This draws 
  attention to them and encourages the adventurers to go interact 
  with those characters. Perhaps they’re exploring the sewers and 
  notice something shiny embedded in the walls. By exploring that 
  gem, they’re following your directions.
   
  The better your descriptions are, the more inquisitive 
  your players will become. If you describe the gem in the sewer 
  wall, they’ll start asking questions about it, trying to figure out 
  how it works, what it does, or why it’s here. Once you start getting 
  questions, you know your players are hooked.
   
  raiLroaDing: You should avoid railroading your ad-
  venturers. Railroading is dragging the players by the nose and 
  not allowing them to go out and explore on their own. Railroad-
  ing is when the players feel like they have no options beyond the 
  one that you’ve put in front of them, and that they have no control 
  over the storyline - it’s just going to progress exactly as you’ve set 
  it out to. 
   
  As you grow as a narrator, you’ll learn to give such solid 
  directions and descriptions that the adventurers will want to fol-
  low your plots and storylines without feeling like they’re being 
  led. If you absolutely must railroad the storyline, make sure that 
  the train’s cabins are plenty big enough for the players to still feel 
  like they have room to explore.
  
  267
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Narrating on the Fly o
  Often times you will be called on to make things up on the fly. 
  Suddenly, the adventurers are really interested in finding a per-
  fumery and getting to know the owner. Well, you’ve now got to 
  describe the perfumery, give it a name, and describe the old lady 
  running it. 
   
  Try to draw upon your own experiences or movies that 
  you’ve seen. If you’ve never been to a perfumery, just try to imag-
  ine what would be there. (If the players think that your perfumery 
  is unrealistic, just tell them that this is a unique perfumery, and 
  the owner is a little batty - it’ll solve all of your problems.) Can’t 
  think of a name? Just put a person’s name in front of the title of 
  the shop - “Rose’s Perfumery” or “Charlotte’s Scents” will work 
  perfectly.
   
  Being able to narrate on the fly will lead you to your 
  most creative moments and, as a narrator, nothing can get the 
  adrenaline going as much as an impromptu scene coming to-
  gether.
  Types of Adventures o
  There are thousands of possible adventures that your players 
  might find their way through, everything from daring rescues 
  aboard airships to interupting weddings because the prince is 
  marrying a mutated hag to saving the city from exploding be-
  cause a gnomish alchemist was about to accidently mix two rather 
  volatile chemicals in his underground laboratory. Here’s a couple 
  common adventures to get those gears rotating:
   
  airship raiD: The adventurers have to board an airship 
  that pirates have taken over. Pirates are attackig the adventurer’s 
  airship! An autonamous airship is devouring other airships in the 
  sky. The adventurers are aboard an airship when a mutiny occurs 
  and they need to stop it. A Paldoran stormship is approaching 
  and the adventurers need to buffer their airship’s defenses. When 
  you’re aboard an airship, the sky’s the limit for adventure design!
   
  Crypts, Dungeons, & sewers: A mad scientist left a 
  note at the capital saying that he’s planted a bomb in the sewers 
  under the city. A gang of miscreants and mutants are attack-
  ing people then taking refuge in the ancient crypts built under 
  the city’s cathedrals. Somebody breaks out of the local prison, 
  and now the prisoners have taken over the entire complex. Delv-
  ing into dark, dank, and dangerously enclosed spaces can be the 
  highlight of any adventure. 
   
  murDer mystery: The adventurers are hired as guards 
  at a noble ball, but the host is murdered during his favorite song. 
  The adventurers keep hearing about disappearances at their fa-
  vorite pub, and a hooded man has a clue about who’s going to be 
  targeted next. The maiden voyage of an airship begins with di-
  saster when the captain is killed. The adventurers are walking out 
  of a restraunt where they just had lunch with an important duke 
  when the entire building explodes, and they’re the only suspects! 
  Every game can begin with a murder, and the bigger and flashier 
  the murder, the more exciting the mystery.
   
  poLitiCaL: A local count has been challenged to a duel, 
  but believes that the duel is going to be rigged. A lady has had 
  an adulterous affair and needs somebody to come clean up after 
  her. A prolific scientist needs just a few more supplies to complete 
  his experiment, but the local mafia is hijacking his supplies. An 
  estranged son is the only person who knows the code to his late 
  father’s vault, and what’s inside is a city’s only chance for survival. 
  Political games are high-thought, roleplaying-oriented games 
  that require some light steps and some fast thinking.
   
  These are just a few of the types of games you might 
  encounter or think up, as there are literally thousands of op-
  tions.
  c Out of Bounds c
  Sometimes the adventurers will want to explore some facet of 
  your world that you haven’t developed or you aren’t ready for 
  them to be adventuring in. If that happens, just let them know 
  that you’re not ready for it. Ask your players if they wouldn’t 
  mind doing something else during this game, or, if there’s not 
  really any other option beyond going where they want to go, let 
  them know that you’re going to need to either end the session 
  early or take a break to prepare.
   
  For the sake of the game, hopefully they’ll understand.
  
  268
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Assembling a Party
  Sometimes the hardest part of narrating is getting a group of 
  friends who are willing to play together. Sometimes that transfers 
  over into the game, in which the greatest difficulty is getting a 
  group of eccentric, misfit adventurers to travel together. How-
  ever, there are tips and tricks for accomplishing both monumental 
  tasks.
  Appropriate Party Size o
  The game is designed for 4-5 people to be the average party size. 
  Our adventurers will be balanced against 4-5 adventurers. How-
  ever, the size of your party is whatever you are comfortable with. 
  If you just want to play with 2 or 3 of your friends, that can lead 
  to some fantastic and intimate roleplaying opportunities, where 
  each character can have plenty of limelight time and develop into 
  their own full character.
   
  Some parties, on the other hand, can be quite large. 
  Some narrators do well with 6, 7, or 12 players. Handling a larger 
  group can be a challenge, as it requires you to divert your atten-
  tion among multiple people and keep track of where they are. 
  In larger groups, it’ll be easier to focus on a handful of players 
  and allow other adventurers to get lost in the background. When 
  you’re handling a large group, expect some chaos, some splitting 
  up of the party, and a lot of table banter. But, with patience, hav-
  ing such a large audience can lead to some truly amazing scenes 
  and stories.
  Planning a Saga o
  The greatest stories are often told over multiple episodes. Every 
  time your group gets together and plays, that’s a session. If you 
  link the story and characters over multiple sessions, you’ve built 
  yourself a saga. A successful saga can be earth-shattering, full of 
  moments and memories that no other form of game can offer. 
  But there are a number of reasons why sagas will fail, and most 
  of the time that’s a lack of planning.
   
  While we’ll leave plotting out the saga to you, we have 
  a spot of advice for getting all of your players ready for a saga. 
  Foremost, let them know that you want a saga that will take multi-
  ple sessions. Your saga might just be three sessions long. It might 
  span several years, both in our world and that of the adventurers. 
  Try and find an appropriate time and place to meet. Many groups 
  will play every week. For others, that sort of time committment 
  can be daunting, and biweekly sessions or fewer are ideal. Of 
  course, for the truly dedicated players, even once per week isn’t 
  enough.
   
  Let your players know what you expect from the cam-
  paign. If you don’t communicate that you want to run a game 
  about big game hunters tracking down and killing bio-engi-
  neered abomination, you might get a player who makes an airship 
  captain, and another player who makes a lone ninja warrior who’s 
  only interest is in finding her missing family. Those characters 
  might not mesh so well with your saga’s goals. Let the players 
  know what you want to run, and work together to make characters 
  that will fit into the saga you envision. 
  Building Characters o
  When you begin a game, make sure everyone’s on the same page 
  with character creation. A brief description of the type of ad-
  venturers you expect can go a long way toward forming a cohe-
  sive group and a substantial narrative. If you tell the party, “build 
  mercenaries,” you’re going to get a wide range of morality. But 
  if you say, “build mercenaries who are generally good people,” 
  you’ve narrowed the focus down enough that the party should 
  come together, especially given goals that fit within that purview 
  (mercenaries like money and good people have a habit of per-
  forming good deeds, both aspects that make adventure planning 
  significantly easier). 
   
  Most groups will want to, and probably should, build 
  characters together. This will help drive home that cohesiveness, 
  especially if the party discusses their respective roles. While hav-
  ing solid and defined party roles isn’t always necessary, it can defi-
  nitely be beneficial when different aspects of combat are covered. 
  Most often, you can build characters according to attributes: is 
  there one character per major attribute? Is there a brute character 
  (who will likely be great at melee fighting), a cunning character 
  (who makes every other character even better, in addition to be-
  ing just the right person to take care of out-of-combat problems), 
  and a dextrous character (who can fill melee or ranged combat 
  roles, as well as having a strong speed advantage)? Spirit and sci-
  ence characters are mixed bags that are going to monumentally 
  improve the party or fill roles that are lacking elsewhere. 
   
  You can always have people build characters at home 
  and bring them to the game. It’ll give you more time to play and 
  probably create a slightly more eccentric group. Of course, the 
  decision is yours. 
  c Sagas versus Campaigns c
  Dungeons & Dragons players and those from numerous oth-
  er games will give the name “campaigns” to their multiple-
  session-spanning stories. We prefer sagas. Campaigns evoke 
  a sense of military strategy and warfare. Most campaigns in 
  Tephra are less about the military and battle aspect and more 
  about the story. When you combine multiple stories over a long 
  period of time, you have a saga. 
   
  That said, if you want to run a campaign, that’s no 
  skin off our back. We just think the word saga might be more 
  fitting. 
  
  269
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  So you’ve been told, at the very last minute, that you need to run 
  a Tephra game, and you’re not even very familiar with the rules. 
  This is a big book. There are a lot of rules. There are thousands 
  of character options. How in the world are you going to wrap 
  your mind around this enormous ruleset with so little time? 
  And with no ability to practice? 
   
  Actually, it’s all quite easy.
   
  You can run a pretty solid game knowing only the ba-
  sics of Tephra. Your players created their own characters so 
  they should be able to play their characters correctly. You don’t 
  need to know all of the rules for how their characters function. 
  Here’s what you need to know.
  Attributes o
  You’re going to be asking for attribute rolls whenever the char-
  acters make an action that has a chance for failure or great suc-
  cess. Your characters have five attributes: brute, cunning, dex-
  terity, spirit, and sciences. When they roll, they’ll tell you what 
  tier they received, ranking them from 1 (adequate or average) up 
  to 4 (stunningly beyond human). Here’s when to ask for them:
   
  Brute: Call for a brute roll when your characters are 
  doing something that involves physical strength and stamina. 
  Are they holding a door closed? Are they trying to wrestle an 
  object out of an enemy’s grasp? Are they trying to hold their 
  breath while swimming through underwater ruins?
   
  Dexterity: You’ll need a dexterity roll when your 
  characters are doing something that requires precision or flex-
  ibility. Are they acrobatically jumping off a roof? Are they per-
  forming an intricate dance that requires great footing? Or are 
  they trying to sneak down a hallway on the tips of their toes? 
   
  Cunning: The characters will need their cunning at 
  any point that smarts, charisma, or awareness come into the 
  equation. Are they trying to convince a guard to let them pass? 
  Are they trying to deceipher the old writing on a water-stained 
  parchment? Or are they attempting to find the escaped assas-
  sin who has surely hidden himself somewhere in the baron’s 
  manor? 
   
  spirit: You’ll call for a spirit roll when the characters 
  need to display their force of self and willpower. Are the heroes 
  tired, bedraggled, and aching when suddenly a chase scene oc-
  curs? Are they overcome by fear from size of the advancing 
  army and trying not to run away? Or has the enemy taken con-
  trol of their minds and only their overwhelming sense of self 
  can get control of their bodies back? 
   
  sCienCes: The need for specific knowledges will have 
  you asking for a sciences roll. Are the adventurers trying to dis-
  able a bomb from taking out the city? Are they attempting to 
  understand the mad scientists plans so they know how to thwart 
  them? Or are they trying to repair their dirigible before it crash-
  es into the mountains below?
   
  These five attributes will be the vast majority of rolls 
  that you, as a narrator, need to call for. The rest are going to be 
  combat specific. 
  Running a Combat o
  Thankfully, most of the difficulty in running a successful com-
  bat comes in setting up a cool story and scene. Players will en-
  joy having their characters shine and blow up the bad guys with 
  ease, so if you mess up a combat and make it too easy, not too 
  worry! The awesomeness of the players will quickly out-weigh 
  your mistakes.
   
  ComBat orDer: Begin a combat for calling for priori-
  ty. Rank everybody according to the highest priority rolls. Then, 
  roll for your enemies and throw yourself into the ranking. 
   
  attaCking: When you attack, you’re going to roll ac-
  curacy against their evade. If your accuracy is as good as their 
  evade, you hit them. If the players are attacking you, you’re go-
  ing to be rolling evade, and if their accuracy is equal or greater 
  than your evade, they hit you.
   
  Once an attack has successfully landed, damage will 
  be dealt. You can roll strike to see how much damage you deal. 
  Look at the weapon’s damage class (for example, a normal 
  sword, which is a medium weapon, will have a damage class of 
  6). The tier that your strike receives will multiply the damage 
  class. So if you get tier 1, you’ll deal 6 damage. If you get tier 2, 
  you’ll deal 12 damage. So on and so forth. 
   
  Soaking damage works the exact same way, except that 
  you’ll be rolling defense and multiplying the tier you receive 
  with your soak class. If they deal you 10 damage, and you soak 
  2 of it, your enemy takes 8 damage total.
   
  viCtory: Knowing how to attack is important, but 
  what’s more important is knowing when for your enemies to die. 
  If you have adversaries already built, you can just keep track of 
  their hit points. But, if you don’t, just have them die when you 
  think it’s best for the fight’s narrative. Did your adventurers just 
  deal an awesome amount of damage to the enemy? Time for 
  him to die! 
   
  You don’t always need to be precise with your adversar-
  ies’ hit points and wounds. You can have them last longer (to 
  keep a great fight scene going) or have them die earlier (if the 
  fight’s gone on long enough). Just do what seems natural. And 
  if you don’t want the enemy to die but you want to show that 
  progress is being made, have the player who hit him roll for a 
  random wound or fatal effect (found on the called shots page in 
  the first chapter). That’ll make them feel equally cool.
  Read the First Page o
  If you read this page and you’ve read the first page of the Chap-
  ter 1: the Clockwork System, you’ll be more than ready to run 
  a game using the Tephra rules. Now you’ve just got to make a 
  plotline! And remember - bring energy to the game and have 
  fun, and nobody will call you out for your rules-light approach 
  to the game. 
  c Everything You Need to Know to Run Tephra c
  
  270
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Handling the Rules
  Determining Priority o
  When combat begins, normally establishing priority is the first 
  thing that you’ll want to do. Priority tells you who acts first, sec-
  ond, and so-on. When everyone rolls priority, determine who has 
  the highest priority and have them act first. If people tie, they can 
  either roll off or allow one of the people in the tie to go first.
   
  enemy priority: You’ll roll an enemy’s priority and 
  mix it in with the adventurers’ priority rolls. If you have a ton of 
  enemies, have them all act at once (possibly using the average of 
  their priority bonus to determine when they go). If you only have 
  a handful, you can have them all go at separate times. 
   
  CirCumstanCes: Priority can sometimes be altered by 
  the circumstances of the fight. If one person is proclaiming that 
  they swing their steam-powered baton (and thus commencing 
  combat), you can feel free to give them a bonus on priority. This 
  could deserve a +3, +6, or +12 (depending on how much you 
  think they deserve to go first).
   
  Remember though, sometimes that steam-powered ba-
  ton might be in mid-swing, but another character still takes the 
  higher priority. This simulates one character’s phenomenal reac-
  tion time. Maybe the man making the first attack gains a +6 on 
  his priority, and he gets a 13 total. Still, Slim-Eyed Jack rolled 
  really well and came out with a 21. The man with the baton is at-
  tacking fast, but Slim-Eyed Jack was ready for it and his reaction 
  is going to come before the starting action is even resolved. 
   
  priority as a reaCtion speeD: Priority can also be 
  used to determine who acts first when something is immediately 
  happening. Maybe the villain is pulling out his doomsday device, 
  and two adventurers shoot at him (since it’s a reflexive attack). 
  You could have both adventurers roll priority to determine which 
  one gets their shot off first. 
  option: roLLing earLy
  Sometimes (especially in bigger groups), the excitement of en-
  tering a fight can be diluted by rolling priority and setting up a 
  turn order. If you feel like this tends to be the case, roll priority 
  well before the combat or during a break. Determine the turn 
  order in the event of a combat. (Then, if somebody gains a 
  circumstantial bonus to their priority, have them simply move 
  up the turn order.)
            This way, once combat begins, you instantly get to the 
  first person’s turn. No book-keeping required. 
  Terrain o
  Varying terrains are a great way to keep a battle interesting. While 
  a fight in the middle of a grassy plain is all fine and dandy, tak-
  ing that same fight and putting it on board a swaying airship 
  during a lightning storm can take it from merely fun all the way 
  to fantastic! 
   
  Feel free to have fun and get creative when dealing with 
  terrains. Wind, precipitation, and poor lighting will all provide 
  cover bonuses to those fighting. If a fight is taking place between 
  two speeding airships, give those firing between them an accu-
  racy penalty due to the whipping winds between the airships. If 
  a fight is on a bridge, let the adventurers and adversaries make 
  liberal usage of their trips and push-backs, but then - for a more 
  cinematic scene - let the adventurers make a dexterity roll as they 
  fall off the bridge to grab on to the ledge as they fall.
   
  Keep in mind that an enclosed area changes combat just 
  as much as an open one. Any character with a heavy rifle can 
  shoot accurately from 200 feet away, and if you’re using min-
  iatures on a grid map, that’s probably going to be the length of 
  the table. A fight taking place out in the open is going to make 
  heavy use of firearms while the melee fighters are trying to make 
  their way across the open field. But you take those same combat-
  ants and put them in a cramped alleyway and suddenly the melee 
  fighters will shine. If you’re going to use an open field for a fight, 
  throw in some rubble, trees, or old fences to act as cover. This 
  will let the melee fighters and sneaky characters get closer to the 
  ranged combatants while making use of cover and hiding spots, 
  evening out the playing field. 
  c “Fudging” Rolls c
  As the narrator, you can often fudge your rolls. What is fudg-
  ing? It is cheating, changing the number, or just assuming 
  the result of your roll. Maybe the enemy rolled a phenomenal 
  evade... for the 15th time... and you just want the adventurers to 
  hit him. So you fudge it. You tell the player that his character 
  hit, even though the die side otherwise.
   
  Why would you fudge your rolls? Some narrators will 
  never fudge a roll, as it decreases the randomness and the ex-
  citement of narrating. But, sometimes, for sake of the storyline 
  or the pacing of the combat, some narrators will alter the re-
  sults of the die in order to attain a specific effect. Maybe this 
  turn they really needed the enemy to hit harder than the die roll 
  allowed in order for another character to make an appearance 
  and save the day. Or perhaps, as in the example above, you’ve 
  realized that your adversary is just too powerful and you need 
  to start fudging the dice rolls to make the combat more excit-
  ing. 
   
  Regardless of your reason, make sure that your fudg-
  ing is appropriate and not overused. Also, don’t get caught do-
  ing it - as soon as your players recognize that you’re changing 
  your own die rolls, so much of the magic of rolling the dice is 
  lost. Use this power sparingly. 
  c Grids: Squares versus Hexes c
  Tephra is designed to most easily use a square grid. However, 
  you’ll have to change virtually nothing if you decide to go with 
  hexes. A hex grid will give you a more realistic since of move-
  ment, you won’t have to deal with any odd diagonal rulings, 
  and turning will make a little more sense. You can easily swap 
  between square grids and hex grids, so use whichever one you 
  like most. 
  
  271
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Stealth & Infiltrations o
  Stealth missions can be extremely rewarding, but likewise excep-
  tionally difficult to pull off, especially with a full team of 4-5 
  adventurers. Often times a stealth mission will be a brief aside 
  accomplished by one or two members of the party who are well 
  equipped for it. Here are some tricks to keep in mind when deal-
  ing with stealth and infiltrations.
   
  give pLayers DiFFerent roLes: Normally, an infil-
  tration is going to be led by the one or two people in the party 
  who have a high enough dexterity to sneak in somewhere si-
  lently. But while they’re doing that, where’s the brutish charac-
  ter in heavy armor going to be? Why, he’s making a distraction 
  downstairs! Perhaps the brute character helps pummel the guards 
  at the front door, drawing guards away from the back while the 
  stealthier characters rush in.
   
  Inventors and smart characters can help with the plan-
  ning, or they can tag along just behind the stealthy characters 
  to help deal with any surprises. Cunning is just as important to 
  stealth as is dexterity. Dexterity rolls will be used to see how qui-
  etly a person can move, but cunning will help pick locks, find hid-
  ing spots, and get through any situations with minimal problems. 
  Espionage, a cunning skill, is the bread and butter here.
   
  Your goal should be to make everyone feel important. 
  While not every character is properly equipped to perform the 
  infiltration, everyone brings something to the table. Some people 
  are talkers, some people are good at getting to the rooftop, and 
  the tinkerer is going to have a number of gadgets that will get 
  the party through locked doors, past traps, and right into their 
  destination. 
   
  reguLarity oF CheCks: Having the adventurers roll 
  their dexterity to see how quietly they sneak in doesn’t need to 
  be overdone. Have the players give you an intitial roll when they 
  get going to see, overall, how well they do. Then, if anything un-
  usual happens, have them roll again. If they are nearing guards, 
  they might roll again. If they step on a creaky step going up the 
  stairs, that might call for a roll. Likewise, you can let the cunning 
  characters shine by allowing them a roll to notice a creaky step 
  so that the adventurers might ignore it completely. Keep each roll 
  exciting and give it a reason. Let every roll increase the tension, 
  and it’ll make for a more dramatic scene.
   
  siLent kiLLs: Fights are loud, messy affairs. Without 
  silencers of some sort, firearms will be a dead giveaway for any 
  battle. Most lazy guards (as well as any encountered servants or 
  other random people the adventurers encounter during an infil-
  tration) will have their hit points down. If the adventurers can 
  deal a substantial amount of damage quickly before an enemy 
  can react, they should be able to kill or incapacitate the target 
  before the target can react and get their hit points up. More alert 
  guards will keep their hit points up, ready for an incoming attack. 
  These will be difficult battles and will likely bring trouble; use 
  alert guards when you’re ready for the stealth to be at an end.
   
  the QuiCk inFiLtration: Sometimes an infiltration 
  mission doesn’t need to take more than 10-20 minutes of time 
  at the table, and this is when having just one or two adventur-
  ers take part is key. If the adventurers just need to sneak into a 
  residence, grab a key, and get out, it might be best to let just the 
  more stealthy characters shine while the rest of the party waits 
  at the pub. These quick infiltration missions should revolve keep 
  guards mostly unaware (with their hit points down, allowing for 
  quick kills), and get the adventurers in and out quickly.
  Assigning Attribute Penalties o
  You should be fairly liberal with attribute penalties, as a charac-
  ter’s attributes can become fairly high (especially when a charac-
  ter is using their favored attribute). When a player announces that 
  they are going to roll for something, or you ask them to roll an at-
  tribute, let them know what penalties they’ll be taking and why. 
   
  A character’s attributes assume everything is “average.” 
  If they are trying to lift something heavy, it is of average heavi-
  ness. If they are trying to sneak into a room, the conditions are 
  average. If they are trying to convince a guard to leave his post, 
  there are not mitigating circumstances. Thus, when something is 
  unusual, that’s when you’ll apply penalties. Let the player know 
  that the statue is extremely heavy and will warrant a -8 on their 
  roll. Let the player know that the hallway is brightly lit and the 
  floors creak as they walk, warranting the -6 you’re going to assign 
  their roll.
   
  Sometimes a factor won’t be immediately obvious to the 
  adventurer. Perhaps they’re trying to convince a guard to leave 
  his post, but that guard is fiercely loyal to his employer and is 
  well paid to be so. The adventurers don’t have that information, 
  so they don’t know that it’s going to be exceptionally difficult to 
  convince the gaurd to leave. In this circumstance, don’t inform 
  the players of any penalties they’ll be receiving.
   
  Of course, this gives you the perfect opportunity to let 
  the cunning adventurer shine. Let the cunning adventurer try to 
  recognize when something is working against them. That way 
  they’ll know what penalties they’ll be receiving on their rolls, and 
  why.
  Ambushes & Surprise Attacks o
  It is when an ambush occurs that Tephra’s hit point system re-
  ally shines. Hit points are a reflection of combat adrenaline and 
  stamina, and when a person isn’t ready for a fight, they’re hit 
  points aren’t up. If the adventurers are in a pub, resting at the end 
  of the day, and they’re suddenly attacked by assassins, their hit 
  points are going to be down. This will give the ambushers a quick 
  way of dealing some solid wounds damage before the combat 
  starts in ernest, giving the adventurers a beginning handicap.
   
  Be careful with your use of ambushes and surprise at-
  tacks. Adventurers only have an average of 12 wounds, so a good 
  hit from a heavy rifle could take a character out before they even 
  know what’s going on. While this is accurate to real life, it doesn’t 
  make a very fun game. Nobody likes to have their prized charac-
  ter suddenly die when they weren’t ready for it. It’s not sporting. 
   
  It’s very rare that adventurers are able to pull off a suc-
  cessful ambush or surprise attack, but, when they do, give them 
  all of the bonuses that you can. An awesome victory caused by 
  good planning will be something the adventurers talk about for 
  ages to come. 
   
  point BLank anD oFF-guarD: Sometimes an adven-
  turer will end up surrounded by guards, with a dozen rifles point-
  ing at him, and his hands in the air. While the player might think 
  he’s perfectly justified in believing that he could reach down, grab 
  his revolvers, and start firing before a dozen bullets hit him and 
  kill him instantly, it isn’t terribly realistic. 
   
  Sometimes you must force your adventurers to have their 
  hit points down. In such a situation, you should let the player 
  know that if the gun-toting enemies all get off their shots first, 
  they’ll be hitting the character as if the character doesn’t have 
  their hit points up. This will encourage the adventurer to continue 
  the negotiation through its proper course.
  
  272
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
   
  Of course, a distraction (such as another character 
  shooting one of the riflemen in the back) or rising tensions dur-
  ing the negotiation might give the adventurer just the moment he 
  needs to pull out his revolver and get his hit points up. If such 
  a moment arises, let the player know. You can also let the player 
  make a priority roll to see how quickly he gets ready for combat; 
  of course, a poor priority roll in such a dire situation could be 
  lethal.
  Visualization o
  Tephra is designed to be a tabletop roleplaying game used with 
  a grid on the table and miniatures to represent the characters. 
  While not every scene or fight needs a map, some will benefit 
  from it. We recommend using a grid map with 1-inch squares, but 
  you can use whatever means you feel best work for you. Then just 
  draw up your map on the grid and you’re good to go.
   
  miniatures: Playing with miniatures representing your 
  characters can really bring the action to life. Miniatures are small 
  metal or plastic figurines, normally about an inch or two tall, and 
  fitted to work perfectly within 1-inch squares. If you don’t have 
  any miniatures on hand, pretty much anything will do. A player 
  can use a ring from their finger, a quarter from their pocket, or 
  a very small picture of their character as a representation on the 
  board. 
   
  You can also use dice, but we recommend that you 
  avoid using our beloved D12s to represent your character, since 
  they can mingle with the dice you’re rolling and cause confusion. 
  Use those other dice. You know, like the useless ones with only 
  six sides.
   
  moving DiagonaLLy: Square grids fail to accurately 
  reflect diagonal movement. We recommend that, when moving 
  diagonally, a character consider that every two squares moved 
  diagonally equals three squares moved normally. 
   
  This is a simple rule but can also require a lot more 
  thought at the table. If you choose to ignore it, that’s fine by us. 
  Just choose your ruling and stick to it. 
   
  the 3rD Dimension: Moving in the third dimen-
  sion, especially on a 2-dimension playing grid, can bring in a 
  whole slew of problems. You should probably mark the elevation 
  heights of different items on the map. For example, you might 
  note that the top of a building is “+20 feet” above the ground, 
  while a ditch is “-10 feet” below the ground level. If a character 
  is flying, you can use coins to represent how high they are (for 
  example, for every quarter they have under their miniature, they 
  are five feet above the ground). 
  House Rules o
  Sometimes you’ll make a ruling that differs from what Tephra 
  recommends. You might even find a hole in the rules that Tephra 
  doesn’t account for (oops). In these instances, just make up a 
  house rule on the fly, let the players know about the house rule, 
  and move forward. It’s also a good idea to let the players know 
  that the house rule might change after the session if you find a 
  better way of working it between sessions or discover the actual 
  rule. But during the session, when the intensity is high, make the 
  rule and move forward. 
   
  House rules can cause some problems that you should be 
  aware of. As we’ve said, Tephra is based on a complex clockwork 
  mechanism. If you adjust one part, the entire system can change. 
  When you make a house rule, let your players know and tell them 
  why. That way everyone knows what’s changed and what’s going 
  on. And, if another problem arises in the future based off your 
  house rule, you know how to address it. 
  
  273
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Time
  More than almost anything else, Tephra is designed to keep the 
  pacing of the story in the hands of the narrator. You can have a 
  fast-paced adventure full of chases, epic fight scenes, and dan-
  gerous missions all in the course of a single day in Tephra. Or 
  your adventure can span numerous weeks, taking time to play 
  out. The rules should never hinder your choice of pace.
  Breathers o
  Breathers are small spurts of time when the adventurers can rest 
  up, repair some basic gear problems, and tend to their wounds. 
  It’s typically fifteen to thirty minutes, but you can adjust the 
  length of a breather to fit the speed of your game. 
   
  If you want to wear down your players a bit, involve them 
  in a chase scene or multiple fights where time is of the essence. 
  If you have a ticking bomb, the adventurers won’t have time for a 
  breather to recuperate their hit points and fix their gear. 
   
  If you find that your heroes are getting dangerously 
  close to dying, let them have a few minutes of breathing space. 
  If you want to keep the pace going, you can even say they have 
  a breather while walking down the hallway from one fight to the 
  next. Just let them know they’ve had a breather and restored their 
  hit points: they’ll thank you for it. 
  Downtime o
  Downtime is most easily defined as any length of time in which 
  the characters are not actively partaking in adventure or roleplay-
  ing. You can often identify downtime as those periods of travel or 
  rest when the adventurers just spend a couple weeks in town, or 
  are taking an airship ride to a nearby city. That’s downtime.
   
  You should feel free to offer as much or little downtime as 
  your plot requires. During downtime, characters can completely 
  restock themselves, rebuild their constructions, and handle other 
  off-screen affairs. So if one of the adventurers is an alchemist 
  and he’s getting low on potions, it might be time to have some 
  downtime. 
   
  partiaL Downtime: You can always choose to give 
  partial downtime. Let’s say, for instance, that a party is delving 
  through a mad scientist’s laboratory. They’re pretty deep in, and 
  they’ve just found the scientist’s chemical set. So they want to 
  hang out and see if they can replenish some of their potions. 
  You can opt to give them partial downtime and let them craft a 
  fraction of their potions. (You could say half, you could say 2, or 
  you could say whatever number you feel like granting them.) You 
  can also rule that they don’t have the requisite supplies to make 
  their potions, so that will cut into their potential stock. You have 
  control over how much time they have to restock during partial 
  downtime. 
   
  numBer oF Fights Between Downtimes: When 
  you have characters who use expendables during a fight (such as 
  alchemic potions or explosives) or find that your adventurers’ gear 
  is being broken, you might decide it’s time for downtime. The 
  exact number of fights your adventurers might partake in be-
  tween downtime varies greatly, but typically you can fit 3-5 fights 
  between a single downtime before the players start to feel very 
  strained. It can also be a great learning experience for people 
  who use expendables, since they won’t be able to replenish their 
  supplies until their next downtime. Feel it out - when your ad-
  venturers are out of supplies and gear, downtime might be favor-
  able. However, a fight with sparce resources can be a great fight 
  indeed.
  
  274
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  The Steampunk 
  World
  Levels of Power o
  Sometimes it can be difficult to grasp just how powerful your ad-
  venturers are, or just how world-changing your adversaries might 
  be. 
   
  the average Citizen: The average citizen will be, at 
  most, a first level character. Most people who would be willing to 
  engage in a barfight will be first level. Most police officers will be 
  first level. Often times, a farmer, factory worker, or other normal 
  citizen will be a developing character - that is, below first level.
   
  From normaL to epiC: As your adventurers rise in 
  power, they’re quickly going to start outmatching normal citi-
  zens, move beyond the scope of the town militia, and, in time, 
  becoming the elites of a nation. 
   
  The power of your characters can be easily defined 
  based on how many action points they have. 
  LeveLs ap power LeveL
  1-3
  3
  In the earlier levels, your adventurers are start-
  ing off as average citizens and moving up to 
  well-regarded warriors and crafters. By third 
  level, an adventurer will be able to outmatch 
  most people in a city.
  4-7
  4
  Once 4 action points are achieved, an adven-
  turer starts becoming some of the best in their 
  field. The agile characters can jump as far as 
  the greatest of athletes, and the inventors are 
  crafting new technology with the best of them. 
  By 7th level, adventurers will be on par with the 
  best warriors in a nation or the best scientists 
  of their generation.
  8-11
  5
  From 8th level and on, the adventurers are hit-
  ting a whole new realm of experience. They 
  have moved beyond the concepts of human 
  ability. They are bordering on legendary and 
  they can single-handedly take on numerous 
  opponents. 
  12+
  6
  Attaining 12th level makes the adventurer one 
  of the greatest people to ever live. The scope 
  of their power and skill can barely even be 
  imagined by people. Their abilities far out-
  match that of most world-reknowned warriors, 
  and their inventions are incomprehensible. 
  Beginning a Saga at Higher Levels o
  Sometimes you’ll want to start a saga at a different level from level 
  1. You might envision a game that runs the heroes from level 5 
  (where they’re gaining quite the reputation) until they hit level 8 
  (when they start to feel legendary). Perhaps you just want to run 
  a game full of astonishing 12th level adventurers, almost unparal-
  leled in the world. 
   
  Higher level games can be both exciting and action-
  packed. When you skip the earlier levels, you are potentially skip-
  ping some solid character development and moving past the time 
  when the adventurers feel quite mortal. But when you want to run 
  an instantly heroic game, skipping those earlier levels might be 
  exactly what you need.
   
  We’ve listed the starting princes for characters begin-
  ning over first level in chapter 2: Character Creation. They are 
  our recommended amounts of princes a character of that level 
  would have acquired, and they may spend them before play to 
  buy goods at market value. You, as the narrator, might award 
  more or less starting gold to reflect the type of story you want to 
  tell. And remember: a group of high level impoverished heroes 
  can be just as exciting (sometimes more so) than a group of high 
  level wealthy adventurers. 
  c You Own Tephra c
  Tephra is a setting that we’ve designed for you to adventure 
  in, for you to create sagas and stories of your own within. The 
  world is designed to be rich and full of innovative adventures, 
  and we will be releasing more and more information to fill this 
  world, more ideas for you to steal and use in your game. 
   
  But, ultimately, when you’re playing in Tephra, you 
  own it. Tephra is what you make of it. If you decide that, for 
  your saga, all gnomes are idiot savants and all of the Izedans 
  were wiped out by a horrible plague, that’s entirely up to you. 
  And, even more so, you can feel free to change the details. If, in 
  some adventure, we say that there’s a pub in Aldamiir that gives 
  away free ale on Thursdays, you can say that the pub doesn’t 
  exist in your Tephra.
   
  You might run into a player or two that assumes cer-
  tain aspects of Tephra are there. But while you’re the narrator, 
  the setting is yours. Just let them know that those locations, 
  events, or people don’t exist like they do in canon Tephra.
   
  Own the world. It was made for you.
  
  275
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Designing your own Setting o
  We won’t force you to use the world of Tephra when playing the 
  Clockwork System. One of its strongest aspects is its ability to 
  be adapted to anything you can imagine. Does your world have 
  teleportation? Reflavor the ‘Phase Step’ specialty under Agility as 
  literally disappearing and reappearing somewhere else. Want a 
  more modern setting? Turn super-heavy armor into bullet-proof 
  riot gear. Summoning demons more your style? A quick trip to 
  Automata will allow you to create your own otherworldly part-
  ners-in-crime.
   
  There are a couple of things to keep in mind when de-
  signing your own setting. What time period does it take place 
  in? Does it take place on an alternate history Earth or a different 
  planet? What types of species or races are available? When adapt-
  ing Tephra to your setting, what parts of the system are unavail-
  able in your world? Are their robots? If not, automaton crafting 
  should probably not be a skill your players can use. 
  Technology o
  The technology of a steampunk world can be one of the hard-
  est aspects to grasp, especially for players coming from either a 
  fantasy or real-world background. Don’t feel too locked in to any 
  sort of technological realism (this is steampunk, after all!). If you 
  say that something exists, it does. If you say something hasn’t 
  been invented yet, that’s fine too. It’s your world. That said, here 
  are our recommendations for the technological level of Tephra, 
  explaining some concepts that a lot of people new to steampunk 
  might not be familiar with. 
   
  methoDs oF CommuniCation: Radio, both short 
  and long distance, is the most common form of communication, 
  which has led many on both sides of the law to learn how to lis-
  ten in to hidden frequencies to get the jump on their unsuspect-
  ing enemies. Telegrams are sent using simple codes (much like 
  Morse Code). Local post offices are the easiest places to send out 
  bulletins, whether it be through a letter or a radio broadcast.
   
  methoDs oF transportation: While personal ve-
  hicles are on the rise, their relatively high market price keeps the 
  average citizen from purchasing them. In addition, since most 
  laborers work within walking distance of their homes the price 
  of fuel far outweighs any convenience. Because of this, it is in-
  credibly rare to see parking for more than a handful of vehicles 
  outside of any establishments. Even those with personal vehicles 
  still use trains when travelling long distances, although the higher 
  classes have begun using airship ferries. People still commonly 
  use mounted animals, though the practice is much more common 
  in rural areas, as stagecoaches and steam-driven vehicles rule ur-
  ban areas.
   
   
  meDiCines (Both neCessary & otherwise): Instead 
  of sending their patients to pharmacists, doctors keep medicinal 
  alchemists on hand to cure most ailments. As such, disease is 
  rarely an issue for anyone with enough money for medical bills. 
  Every so often an illness or injury renders a patient incurable 
  through normal means, which causes many to take their chanc-
  es with illegal essence manipulation to rewrite their bodies to a 
  younger, uninjured state. Others take the same chances for cos-
  metic reasons. Prosthetics are becoming increasingly popular, 
  particularly in the industrial sector. While the surgery is impos-
  sibly expensive on a factory worker’s salary, a hydraulic-powered 
  arm can greatly increase productivity. Some more successful in-
  dustries will pay for building prosthetics onto their most loyal 
  employees, although there has been sporatic public outcry about 
  the safety and morality of such practices.
   
  CommonaLity oF super-sCienCe: Automatons, espe-
  cially ones able to think for themselves, are incredibly rare. Non-
  mechanical laborers’ salaries still outweigh the cost of maintain-
  ing and fueling robotic workers in the absence of a dedicated 
  crafter or mechanic, which most settlements won’t have. Bio-
  fluxxed townspeople are equally rare. Having essence manipu-
  lations aren’t illegal, and neither is gathering essence from wild 
  animals, but many people will still stop and stare at someone with 
  scales covering their skin. While prosthetics are more accepted, 
  they still are not considered an attractive trait. 
      
  Classism, Racism, Sexism, & Mechanicism
  Prejudice can be a useful tool for spicing up a setting. While a terrible reality most societies face, it can easily add tension between 
  characters when they interact. Technophobia is an interesting prejudice for a steampunk setting. Whether you introduce a character 
  who scorns technology as a whole or one who denies the humanity of an artificial intelligence, fighting against the advancement of 
  technology can be a fascinating goal in a world where technology is so prevalent. That being said, too much of anything is a bad 
  thing. A party of Paldoran Exiles unable to eat or find shelter because an entire Evanglessian town has rallied against them could 
  be considered excessive. 
  
  276
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Adversaries 
  Building adversaries is typically no different from building char-
  acters. Do you need a thug? Just create a character that has some 
  specialties from frenzy, brawl, marksmanship, or whatever fits 
  that particular thug. 
   
  Sometimes you’ll want to tweak an adversary to fit out-
  side the rules. Let’s say the adventurers are about to fight off a 
  sniper who has a blessed eye that ensures all of his shots hit. 
  There aren’t any specialties for that (and it certainly wouldn’t be 
  balanced for adventurers to have), but you could say that the ad-
  versary has a +8 to accuracy when determing if he hit. There 
  aren’t any specialties that do that, but you can adjust the rules as 
  you see fit in order to make an adversary work like you want.
   
  JuDging appropriate ChaLLenges: One of the most 
  difficult aspects of creating good fights is making sure that they 
  are both challenging without being impossible. The most basic 
  goal of most fights will be to get 1 or 2 characters into wounds, 
  which is just enough to make the characters feel threatened. If the 
  adventurers are getting into fatals too often, you should weaken 
  your opponents a bit. Likewise, if the players never see wounds, 
  you should up the adversaries’ levels or add more enemies.
   
  If the group of adventurers are fending off a single op-
  ponent, remember that it’s a group fighting one adversary. He’s 
  going to need to be 3-6 levels higher than the party in order to be 
  challenging. One of the easiest rules to remember when desig-
  ing an adversary is to set him “one action point higher” than the 
  party. So if you have a group of adventurers with 3 AP each, make 
  sure your main adversaries have at least 4 action points.  
   
  on-the-spot aDJustments: Even the best designed 
  villain sometimes needs to be adjusted on the spot. Always feel 
  free to adjust adversaries during the combat to make the fight 
  more exciting. Have the adventurers just gone through the adver-
  sary’s hit points like they were a bad joke? Just up his hit points. 
  Is he missing too often? Give him a slight bonus to his accuracy. 
   
  Be careful when doing this, as your players might call 
  you out on it and feel cheated. As long as your adjustments are for 
  the betterment of the fight scene, though, they’ll understand. 
  Rolling for Enemies o
  When you roll for an adversary, you can choose to either do it 
  out in the open (where the players can see) or in secrecy, either 
  behind a screen or in a box. 
   
  Generally, adversaries should not re-roll pure 12s. A pure 
  12 is a chance to do something heroic and amazing, and it almost 
  guarantees Tier 3 or Tier 4 success. While it can be really fun for 
  an unnamed enemy sniper to suddenly get a lucky shot, a beloved 
  adventurer dying from a lucky die roll against an unnamed and 
  unimportant enemy is terribly anti-climactic and a bit of a let-
  down.
   
  Important villains can re-roll pure 12s since they are of 
  the same importance to the story as the adventurers. It makes 
  them that much more exciting and frightening to fight. 
   
  While we don’t encourage re-rolling pure 12s for most 
  adversaries, go ahead and have them keep 1s as 1s. 
  c Character Death c
  Unfortunately, sometimes an adventurer dies. It’s a career haz-
  ard. But that doesn’t have to be the end of the player’s game.
  When a character dies, you have a ton of options as to how to 
  progress. 
   
  reCreateD: In a world of crazy science and bio-en-
  gineering, “death” might be as problematic as having a cold. 
  If an adventurer is well-connected or is an important part of 
  a quest, an organization or cult might recreate the adventurer. 
  Now, he might be brought back in an automaton body with 
  unusual bio-engineered augments, or through an unknown 
  religious ritual, but it’s definitely possible that he could be re-
  turned to the land of the living. 
   
  new CharaCter: Sometimes death is truly the final 
  frontier for an adventurer and the perfect time for a player to 
  bring in somebody new. Just have them create a new character 
  and find a way to fit into the current party. 
   
  The biggest problem is creating a new character that 
  meshes with the rest of the adventurers. Challenge the player 
  to build a character that works within the saga and will easily 
  mesh with the current party. Try to find a fluid reason for the 
  new adventurer to join the group, else things might be awk-
  ward for a while. 
   
  When you go to build a new character, you can have 
  them start off as the lowest level of any member of the party, 
  somewhere in the middle, or at the exact level of the deceased 
  character. 
   
  sharing the weaLth: When an adventurer dies, it’s 
  typical for parties to split their wealth. A clever player, however, 
  might note that the deceased adventurer had a Last Will and 
  Testament on him, which bequests all of his gear on to a cer-
  tain character or his family. This could also be the perfect way 
  of introducing a new adventurer; if the deceased character’s 
  will states that he leaves all of his gear to Arther Cadverius, 
  who will replace him in the event of his death, you instantly 
  have a way of working the new character into the party. 
  
  277
  Chapter 11
  Narrating
  Rewards
  Treasure & Payments o
  Nothing’s better than completing an adventure and raiding the 
  dead of all of their earthly possessions. While society may not 
  appreciate the blatant looting of corpses, that’s probably not go-
  ing to stop your adventurers from plundering the dead. Reward-
  ing adventurers with treasure and payment for their deeds is an 
  important part of being an adventurer or mercenary.
   
  When adventurers take on a paid mission, try to plan 
  your payment based on their level. Are the adventurers just first 
  level? Well, 5-10 princes would be a solid payment. If they’re fifth 
  level, 50 princes each would be pretty standard. Take a look at the 
  “starting princes per level” chart in the Chapter 2 - CharaCter 
  Creation. That will give you a pretty solid indicator of how many 
  princes they should gain per level. Feel free to go a bit higher than 
  that chart indicates - it assumes that players will be using items 
  (such as explosives and alchemic potions) and those little things 
  can add up quickly.
   
  Adventurers will typically steal any items they can off 
  dead bodies, so keep that in mind when giving items to your ad-
  versaries. If you don’t want the adventurers to have a Marque IV 
  accurate, chainsawing, lightning sword, you probably shouldn’t 
  let the villain die with one on him. (Now, if the villain suddenly 
  explodes right after he dies, that might solve that problem.)
   
  seLLing treasure For prinCes: Treasure can al-
  ways be sold to vendors after an adventure. Most vendors will 
  buy things off the adventurers for a quarter to half the price of 
  the item, though a well-used item might sell for even less. Let the 
  adventurers barter a bit if they feel like they’re being jipped - just 
  don’t let them jip the vendor! 
  Awarding Experience o
  From one level to the next, a character needs 12 experience points. 
  Just like the turning of a clock, a character goes from noon to 
  midnight, and, at the stroke of midnight, gains a new level.
   
  How quickly you hand out experience points determines 
  how quickly character level up and gain in power. The more ex-
  perience that you give to your characters per session, the sooner 
  that they are going to be nearing the top levels and the pinnacle 
  of their power.
   
  Typically, awarding 1 experience point per contentious 
  situation will serve you well. If the adventurers get into a tavern 
  brawl, that’s an experience point. If they figure out a puzzle to 
  keep the church from exploding, that’s an experience point. If 
  they talk their way past the guards to get in and see the local 
  baron, that’s an experience point.
   
  At the end of a session (4-6 hours of play), most narra-
  tors will hand out 3-4 experience points. 
   
  LeveLing speeD: If you’d like, you can think of experi-
  ence in terms of leveling speed. If you want your adventurers to 
  level up every 3 sessions, give them 4 experience points per ses-
  sion. If you want them to level up every 4 sessions, give them 3 
  experience per session. You can speed this up or slow it down at 
  your discretion.
   
  Sometimes, you’ll want to keep adventurers at a certain 
  level for a while, so you could give them 1 or 2 experience points 
  per session. On the other hand, you might want to see your ad-
  venturers at a higher level and faster, so you give them 7 or more 
  experience per session early on in the saga, then slow down expe-
  rience gains once they start reaching the levels you want to play 
  in.
   
  If you’re giving out a slim amount of experience for 
  a specific reason, but the players feel like they’re not getting 
  enough for the amount of work that they’re doing, let them know 
  why. Most players will be perfectly fine hearing from you that you 
  want to keep them at level X for a little while, so you’ve slowed 
  down the experience gain.
   
  And remember, if they don’t feel like they’re getting 
  enough rewards from their adventuring, you can always give them 
  more stories and treasures to make up for it!
  Awarding Stories o
  As adventurers progress and their exploits become things of leg-
  end, they’ll gain stories that you can award them. Pre-written ad-
  ventures will include a variety of stories they might earn during 
  the adventure, but you can always make up your own.
   
  If the adventurers save a town from a doomsday device 
  set to make the local volcano go off, you could make up a story 
  called “Saviors of Hollisburg.” Now all of the adventurers that 
  received that story are well known for the saving the town of Hol-
  lisburg, and the people of Hollisburg treat them with kindness 
  and reverance. 
   
  If one of your adventurers challenges a well known 
  swordsman to a duel and wins, they might earn the story “Van-
  quisher of Sir Wellington.” That story might come with two 
  prongs - enemies of Sir Wellington would celebrate and respect 
  the adventurer, while the friends of Sir Wellington might collabo-
  rate for vengeance.
   
  Stories work well as titles, scars, and small things that 
  a player can be proud of. If an adventurer can say, “I am Arther 
  Cadvarius, Savior of Hollisburg, Vanquisher of Sir Wellington,” 
  that’s going to make the character instantly come to life and have 
  a great background. 
  
  278
   
  Appendices
  appenDiCes
  
  279
   
  Appendices
  Brawl (brute)
  Block with a Grab
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +10
  Dirty Fighting
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Drunken Boxing
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Fisticuffs
  Strike +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +10
  Fluid
  Evade +2, Strike +1, Hit Points +7
  Grapple
  Accuracy +2, Strike +1, Hit Points +10
  Heavy-Handed
  Strike +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +9
  Hold Steady
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +10
  Knock Aside
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Monkey Wrestler
  Accuracy +1, Strike +1, Hit Points +10
  Reversal
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +10
  Shrug Away
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +10
  Throat Jab
  Strike +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +11
  Bone-Breaking speCiaLties
  Bone-Breaker
  Strike +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +11
  Crippling Blow
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +9
  ComBo speCiaLties
  Combo Flow
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Combo Opener
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Combo Breaker
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Finisher
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +9
  grip speCiaLties
  Crushing Grip
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +10
  Twist
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Frenzy (brute)
  Adrenaline Surge
  Evade +1, Strike +1, Hit Points +14
  Backlash
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +11
  Burning Revenge
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +11
  Carry Through
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Crimson Weapon
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +10
  Fray Fighter
  Evade +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Hundred Strikes
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Liberator
  Evade +2, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Merciless
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Neverending Bloodbath
  Strike +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +11
  No Escape
  Strike +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +10
  Raging
  Strike +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +9
  Straining Blow
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +13
  Soulless Blade
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Walking Destruction
  Strike +3, Speed +5, Hit Points +10
  BLooDLust speCiaLties
  Berserker
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +12
  Bloodlust
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Unquenchable Thirst
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +11
  masoChistiC speCiaLties
  Laugh Like You’re Crazy Strike +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +10
  Marriage to Suffering
  Strike +2, Wounds +1, Hit Points +11
  Seize Your Suffering
  Strike +2, Wounds +2, Hit Points +11
  Overpower (brute)
  Brickbreaker
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +10
  Dragging
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +11
  Follow-Through
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Heavy Hitter
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +9
  Keep Them Down
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +11
  Monstrous Attacks
  Strike +3, Defense +1, Hit Points +10
  No Quarter
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +11
  One-Handing It
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Robust Toss
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +11
  Shield Whack
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +7
  Solid Assault
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +11
  Stunning Blow
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Titanic Strength
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +8
  With Gusto
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +10
  armor-Breaking speCiaLties
  Chipping Away
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Armor Sunder
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  earth-shattering speCiaLties
  Earthquaking Strike
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +11
  Rampant Destruction
  Strike +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +11
  push away speCiaLties
  Staggering Strike
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Bullrush
  Strike +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +11
  Resilience (brute)
  Blast Proof
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +14
  Body of Steel
  Defense +3, Wounds +1, Hit Points +14
  Brace for Impact
  Accuracy +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +15
  Specialty Listings
  
  280
   
  Appendices
  Bulwark
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +13
  Interposition
  Defense +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +13
  Metal Embrace
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +15
  Never Off-Guard
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +17
  Press
  Strike +2, Defense +2, Hit Points +11
  Protector
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +14
  Resolute
  Defense +1, Wounds +1, Hit Points +13
  Second Skin
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +14
  Solid Stances
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +13
  Thick Skin
  Defense +3, Wounds +1, Hit Points +11
  Tough Stuff
  Defense +2, Wounds +1, Hit Points +19
  Unassailable Mountain
  Accuracy +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +12
  Walking Fortress
  Defense +2, Wounds +1, Hit Points +13
  Ward
  Strike +2, Defense +2, Hit Points +11
  armoreD movement speCiaLties
  Armored Ease
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +12
  Armored Freedom
  Defense +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +14
  Barrier speCiaLties
  Living Barrier
  Defense +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +12
  Living Wall
  Defense +2, Wounds +1, Hit Points +14
  Living Stronghold
  Defense +2, Wounds +1, Hit Points +15
  Espionage (cunning)
  Destabilizing Strike
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +7
  Feign Fatal Wounds
  Accuracy +1, Evade +2, Hit Points +7
  First Strike
  Accuracy +1, Priority +4, Hit Points +5
  Flowing Shadow
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  Heartseeker
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +6
  Invisible Blade
  Accuracy +1, Strike +1, Hit Points +7
  Master Lockpick
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +7
  Pierce the Darkness
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Silent Kill
  Accuracy +1, Evade +2, Hit Points +6
  Sinister Strike
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +7
  nightwaLker speCiaLties
  Fighting Blind
  Accuracy +2, Strike +1, Hit Points +6
  Deep Blind Senses
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  Cover user speCiaLties
  Cover Expert
  Evade +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +5
  Contort
  Accuracy +1, Evade +2, Hit Points +6
  CritiCaL speCiaLties
  Critical Hits
  Accuracy +2, Strike +1, Hit Points +5
  Hairsplitter
  Accuracy +2, Strike +1, Hit Points +5
  Pinpoint Shot
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +6
  Dirt in the eyes speCiaLties
  Dirt in the Eyes
  Evade +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Blind & Swing
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +6
  Disorienting speCiaLties
  Distracting Attack
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Taking Advantage
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Brain-Blowing Attack
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Expertise (cunning)
  Appraisal
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Concentrated Focus
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +10
  Deep Breath
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Demoman
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +8
  Efficiency Expert
  Priority +3, DIY +3, Hit Points +8
  Fire Fighter
  Defense +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +12
  Hurl
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +9
  Improv Fighter
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Mechanic
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +8
  Patch the Bleeding
  Defense +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +11
  Observance
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  Weak Point
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Trick Counter
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  anti-poison speCiaLties
  Poison Finder
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +11
  Remove Poison
  Defense +3, Priority +2, Hit Points +10
  ComBat insights speCiaLties
  Combat Insights
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +11
  Combat Analytics
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +10
  item appropriation speCiaLties
  Weapon Appropriations
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Quality Weapon
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +7
  surgery speCiaLties
  Field Surgeon
  Priority +2, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  First Aid
  Defense +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +9
  Self-Surgery
  Priority +3, Wounds +1, Hit Points +9
  Showmanship (cunning)
  Blindside
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Captive Audience
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Catchphrase
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Chime In
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Conveyor
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +9
  Deafening Roar
  Strike +2, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  Distract
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +7
  Jester
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Marionette Strings
  Accuracy +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  Praise
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Sleight of Hand
  Evade +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  
  281
   
  Appendices
  Smoke & Mirrors
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +7
  Throw Off Balance
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  Unmarred Perfection
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  ChoreographeD speCiaLties
  Epic Dance
  Evade +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +6
  Never Stop the Dance
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  epiC musiC speCiaLties
  Battle Theme
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Heavenly Serenade
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  Spotlight
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Unified Chorus
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +10
  Victory Theme
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  smokesCreen speCiaLties
  Smokescreen
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Walking Darkness
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +7
  Tactical (cunning)
  Ally of the Machine
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Armistice
  Evade +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +6
  Blitzkreig
  Accuracy +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +8
  Call in a Favor
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Change Formation
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  Change Places
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  Crippling Formation
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +7
  Crossfire
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Forewarned
  Accuracy +1, Priority +4, Hit Points +6
  Focused Support
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +6
  Lead the March
  Speed +5, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  Malleable Formation
  Accuracy +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +7
  Master Tactician
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Stand-Off
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  enCouraging speCiaLties
  Encouragement
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  Inspiring Words
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  FLow oF BattLe speCiaLties
  Direct the Battle
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Concentrated Barrage
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +7
  Overwhelm
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  orDer speCiaLties
  Issue Orders
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Complex Orders
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Improved Orders
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Ace (dexterity)
  Backseat Driver
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Co-Pilot
  Accuracy +1, Evade +3, Hit Points +8
  Crash Maneuver
  Accuracy +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +9
  Denial Maneuver
  Evade +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Driving with Knees
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Flying Fortress
  Accuracy +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +7
  Hold Together
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +8
  Horseman’s Cut
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +7
  Hostile Maneuvers
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Level Flying
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Quick-Mount
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +6
  Vehicular Teamwork
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +10
  auto piLoting speCiaLties
  Strafe
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Evasive Strafe
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +7
  CLanker piLoting speCiaLties
  Extension of Self
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Piston-Spring
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  FoCusing FLying speCiaLties
  Focused Flying
  Accuracy +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +8
  Fine-Tuned Flying
  Defense +3, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  Fully Focused Flying
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  mounteD CavaLry speCiaLties
  Fearless Mount
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  One with the Beast
  Strike +2, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  ramming speCiaLties
  Ram
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +7
  Puncture
  Accuracy +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +9
  Agility (dexterity)
  Battlefield Flow
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  Bounding Lunge
  Accuracy +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +7
  Charging Ram
  Strike +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  Free Movement
  Priority +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  Groundfighting
  Evade +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  Instant Draw
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +7
  Slow Falling
  Accuracy +1, Evade +2, Hit Points +6
  Side-Swipe
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Slipstreaming
  Accuracy +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +8
  Snake Bite
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +7
  Step Back
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Terrain Mastery
  Priority +4, Speed +5, Hit Points +9
  Wall Runner
  Accuracy +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +8
  Walk Over
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +7
  expLosion DoDging speCiaLties
  Blast Dodger
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +8
  Soaring Dodge
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +9
  
  282
   
  Appendices
  phasing speCiaLties
  Phase Step
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +7
  Fleeting Shade
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  Leave No Trace
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  stanCe-shiFting speCiaLties
  Shifting
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Freeform Shifting
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Marksmanship (dexterity)
  Aim
  Accuracy +2, Evade +1, Hit Points +5
  Cover Fire
  Accuracy +1, Evade +2, Hit Points +6
  Follow Up
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Head Popper
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Itchy Trigger Finger
  Evade +2, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Knock-Off
  Accuracy +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  Lockdown Gunner
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Long Shot
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Penetrating Shot
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Point Blank
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Seeker
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Snap Reload
  Accuracy +1, Priority +4, Hit Points +6
  Sneaky Seconds
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Stable Shot
  Accuracy +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +8
  Turret
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +5
  Warning Shot
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Wing Clipping
  Accuracy +2, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  arChery speCiaLties
  Arching Shot
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +7
  Efficient Ranger
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +7
  Flight of Arrows
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +8
  BLeeDing arrow speCiaLties
  Flesh Biter
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +7
  Flesh Piercing
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +6
  Swashbuckling (dexterity)
  Adaptable
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Circle Attack
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Counter-Stance
  Accuracy +2, Strike +1, Hit Points +6
  Efficient Strike
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Fight Anywhere
  Evade +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  Hilt Bash
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Opening
  Accuracy +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  Precise Attack
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Saluted Opponent
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  Sword and Board
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1 , Hit Points +8
  Wild Slash
  Strike +2, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  en-garDe speCiaLties
  En-Garde
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Find the Gap
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Lightning Slash
  Accuracy +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  FLiCkering speCiaLties
  Flickering
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Torrent of Steel
  Accuracy +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  Footwork speCiaLties
  Footwork Training
  Priority +3, Speed +5, Hit Points +8
  Fancy Footwork
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +9
  parry & riposte speCiaLties
  Parry
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Beat Parry
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +9
  Distance Parry
  Accuracy +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +8
  Experienced Parries
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +8
  Riposte
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Faith (spirit)
  Blind Faith
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  Conviction
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +8
  Divine Guidance
  Strike +2, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  Flowing Vigor
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  Grief & Hope
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  Healing Halo
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  Infallible Faith
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +8
  Moral Support
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Prayer
  Accuracy +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  Purify
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  Shock of Life
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +11
  ap saCriFiCe upgraDe speCiaLties
  Devoted Peers
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  Self-Sacrifice
  Evade +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Silent Devotion
  Evade +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Champion speCiaLties
  Appointed Champion
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  Conduit of Faith
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  inQuisition speCiaLties
  Proclaim the Heretic
  Evade +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Light in the Dark
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  smiting speCiaLties
  Smite
  Accuracy +1, Strike +1, Hit Points +8
  Assured Success
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +6
  Impassioned Victory
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +7
  Smiting Shot
  Accuracy +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  Zealous Smite
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +7
  
  283
   
  Appendices
  Grace (spirit)
  Bloodsoak
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  Connection
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +7
  Danger Sense
  Evade +1, Priority +5, Hit Points +9
  Destabilize
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Dispel Pain
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +9
  Force of Self
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Inner Calm
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +10
  Iron Palm
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  Master of Forms
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Parting Waves
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +8
  Shocking Soul
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Spirit Break
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Spiritual Seal
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Void Strike
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +10
  ki-unLeashing speCiaLties
  Ki Flow
  Evade +1, Strike +1, Hit Points +10
  Ki Rage
  Evade +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Light-as-air speCiaLties
  Feather in the Wind
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +6
  Weightless
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  paraLyzing speCiaLties
  Touch of Paralysis
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +7
  Blocked Ki
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Luck (spirit)
  Confident in your Luck
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Don’t Tell Me the Odds
  Evade +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  Cheat Fate
  Accuracy +2, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  Equalizing Force
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  Hex
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +7
  Jackpot
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +8
  Jinx
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  Roll of the Dice
  Accuracy +1, Evade +2, Hit Points +8
  Roulette
  Accuracy +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +6
  Spot of Misfortune
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  FaiLure avoiDanCe speCiaLties
  Free from Failure
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  Steady Friends
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  FouL LuCk speCiaLties
  Curse
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  Fumble
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  LuCk hoLDer speCiaLties
  Ace Up My Sleeve
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  Leading the Lucky Life
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Second Chance
  Evade +1, Wounds +1, Hit Points +10
  LuCky #7 speCiaLties
  Lucky Number 7
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +6
  Luckier Number 7
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  rangeD evaDing speCiaLties
  Feeling Lucky
  Evade +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +6
  Unfriendly Fire
  Accuracy +1, Evade +2, Hit Points +5
  Unfriendly Artillery
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Shamanism (spirit)
  Control Beast
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Druidic
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +8
  Fire Resistance
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +10
  Geomancer
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Hardened Trainer
  Accuracy +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  Lion’s Roar
  Strike +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +9
  Naturalist
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +9
  Parasite
  Strike +2, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  Still as Stone
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  Tactics of the Wolf
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +8
  Topographer
  Evade +1, Priority +2, Hit Points +7
  BirD CaLLing speCiaLties
  Avian Wrath
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Blacken the Sky
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  Pitch Black
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +8
  ChemiCaL immunity speCiaLties
  Venom Immunity
  Evade +1, Defense +2, Hit Points +10
  Alchemical Resistance
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +9
  proteCtive swarm speCiaLties
  Protect the Monarch
  Defense +2, Priority +1, Hit Points +9
  Devoted Drones
  Defense +3, Priority +1, Hit Points +10
  Hive Exodus
  Defense +2, Speed +5, Hit Points +7
  swarming inseCt speCiaLties
  Colony of One
  Accuracy +1, Strike +1, Hit Points +8
  Drag Down
  Accuracy +1, Strike +1, Hit Points +8
  Hive Mind
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +9
  Pressure Cooker
  Accuracy +1, Strike +2, Hit Points +9
  General Science Specialties
  Learn Augments
  Augments +4, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Nothing up my Sleeve
  Accuracy +1, Augments +2, Hit Points +4
  Alchemy (sciences)
  immunity speCiaLties
  Self-Made Immunity
  Defense +2, Augments +1, Hit Points +8
  
  284
   
  Appendices
  Immunizations
  Defense +2, Augments +1, Hit Points +6
  on-the-FLy speCiaLties
  On-the-Fly Brewer
  Evade +1, Augments +2, Hit Points +4
  Expiration
  Evade +1, Augments +2, Hit Points +4
  Herbalist
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Rapid Mixer
  Evade +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +5
  Walking Chemical Plant
  Evade +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +5
  CraFting aCiDs
  Acid Brewer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Beta Acids
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Prototype Acids
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  CraFting gases
  Gas Brewer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Augments +4
  Beta Gases
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Gases
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  CraFting meDiCines
  Medicine Brewer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Beta Medicines
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Prototype Medicines
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +7
  CraFting poisons
  Poison Brewer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Poisons
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Poisons
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Armsmith (sciences)
  Belt Feeder
  Evade +2, Augments +1, Hit Points +7
  Interchangeable Parts
  Priority +2, Augments +1, Hit Points +5
  Rapid Replacements
  Evade +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Temporary Attachments
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Weapon Support
  Accuracy +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +6
  CraFting Firearms & CrossBows
  Gunsmith
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Firearms
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Firearms
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Crossbow Craftsman
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Crossbows
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Crossbows
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  CraFting meLee weapons & throwing weapons
  Weapon Smith
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Weapons
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Weapons
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Interchangeable Parts
  Priority +2, Augments +1, Hit Points +5
  CraFting Bows
  Bowyer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Bows
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Bows
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  CraFting armor
  Armor Smith
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Beta Armor
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Prototype Armor
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Automata (sciences)
  Automaton Repairs
  Defense +2, Augments +2, Hit Points +7
  Interchangeable Parts
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  CraFting steamers
  Steam-Powered Crafter
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Boilers
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Boilers
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  steamer operator speCiaLties
  Steamer Operator
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  Steam Poser
  Evade +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +7
  Steam Specialist
  Accuracy +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +6
  CraFting Fuse Boxes
  Fuse Box Builder
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Advanced Brainworks
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Epic Brainworks
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Heroic Brainworks
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Personality
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  CraFting CLoCkworks
  Clockwork Crafter
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Advanced Analytics
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  CraFting prosthetiCs
  Prosthetician
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Beta Prosthetics
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Prototype Prosthetics
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +7
  Automata Tinkerer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Automata Upgrader
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Nerve Crafting
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +7
  Sensory Builder
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +7
  Bio-Flux (sciences)
  invigoration speCiaLties
  Bio-Invigoration
  Evade +1, Defense +3, Hit Points +8
  Bio-Invigoration Expert
  Evade +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +9
  Quickshot Bio-Invigoration
  Evade +1, Speed +5, Hit Points +8
  Bio-Invigoration Expert
  Evade +1, Wounds +1, Hit Points +11
  Self-Administer
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +11
  essenCe manipuLation
  Manipulate Essence
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Beta Essence
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Prototype Essence
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  
  285
   
  Appendices
  Fast Manipulation
  Evade +1, Augments +2, Hit Points +7
  Body Renewal
  Defense +2, Augments +1, Hit Points +9
  Gene Therapy
  Augments +2, Wounds +1, Hit Points +9
  CraFting Bio-zappers
  Bio-Zapper Developer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Bio-Zappers
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Bio-Zappers
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Concentrated Steam
  Accuracy +1, Augments +2, Hit Points +6
  Extra Settings
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Multi-Ray
  Accuracy +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +6
  Splicer
  Accuracy +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +6
  Tracing
  Accuracy +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +7
  Engineer (sciences)
  Maintenance
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Power Surge
  Augments +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +6
  Quick Upgrades
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Vehicle Repairs
  Defense +2, Augments +1, Hit Points +7
  grease monkey speCiaLties
  Gearhead
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Gearjunkie
  Augments +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +6
  CraFting vehiCLes
  Auto-Wright
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Autos
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Prototype Autos
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Manual-Wright
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Clankers
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Prototype Clankers
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  armoring vehiCLes
  Vehicle Armorer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Beta Armoring
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Prototype Armoring
  Augments +1, DIY +1, Hit Points +7
  Gadgetry (sciences)
  Beta Hacker
  Evade +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +8
  Dud
  Accuracy +1, Evade +1, Hit Points +7
  Item Breaker
  Accuracy +1, Strike +3, Hit Points +9
  Reverse Engineer
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Saboteur
  Accuracy +1, Priority +3, Hit Points +8
  Improvised Improvements Evade +1, Augments +1, Hit Points +7
  CraFting expLosives
  Pyrotechnician
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Explosives
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  Prototype Explosives
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +6
  Major Explosion
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  CraFting eyewear
  Optician
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Beta Eyewear
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  Prototype Eyewear
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +5
  CraFting trinkets
  Trinket Crafter
  Augments +2, DIY +1, Hit Points +4
  
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  Spirit
  Faith
  Grace
  Luck
  Shamanism
  Dexterity
  Ace
  Agility
  Marksmanship
  Swashbuckling
  Brute
  Brawl
  Frenzy
  Overpower
  Resilience
  Cunning
  Espionage
  Expertise
  Showmanship
  Tactical
  Science
  Bio-Flux
  Engineer
  Gadgetry
  Alchemy
  Armsmith
  Automata
  Player Name
  Character Name
  Race
  Nationality
  Age
  Height
  Weight
  Religion
  AP
  Hit Points
  Swim
  Speed
  Fly
  Speed
  1- 9
     10 - 19
  20 - 29
  30+
  3
  4
  1
  2
  Tiers
  Misc
  Misc
  Misc
  Misc
  Misc
  Weapon
  Description
  Size
  Reach
  AP to Use
  Damage Class
  Type
  AP to Ready
  Accuracy
  Strike
  Notes/Augments:
  Weapon
  Description
  Size
  Reach
  AP to Use
  Damage Class
  Type
  AP to Ready
  Accuracy
  Strike
  Notes/Augments:
  Notes/Augments:
  Armor
  Description
  Size
  Speed Penalty
  Soak
  Class
  Evade Penalty
  Climb/Swim Penalty
  Level
  Speed
  Priority
  1
  4
  5
  6
  7
  9
  8
  10
  3
  11
  2
  12
  Deflection
  Item
  Evade Bonus
  vs Ranged
  vs Melee
  Status Effects:
  Fatal Effects:
  Wound Effects:
  Evade
  Defense
  Wounds
  Max HP
  Max
  Wounds
  Climb
  Speed
  
  Character Name
  Specialties
  Accuracy
  Evade
  Strike
  Defense
  Priority
  Speed
  Augments
  Hit Points
  Lvl
  Wounds
  DIY
  1
  1
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  Totals
  Misc
  Stories:
  Racial Traits:
  Money
  on-hand
  Money
  in bank
  Gear
  Augments
  Notes
  
  288
   
  Appendices
  Character Creation 
  In Brief         
  You can find a full explanation of character creation in the “Mak-
  ing a Character” chapter, starting on page 24. If you just need a 
  reminder, however, here are all of the necessary steps. 
  1 - raCe & nationaLity c
  Choose your race and nationality. You receive the racial traits for 
  it, and then roll on the random racial traits chart. 
  2 - skiLLs c
  You may place 3 points in one skill, 2 points in two skills, and 1 
  point in 3 skills. These should be in 6 separate skills - they don’t 
  stack on top of each other. 
  3 - attriButes c
  Add up the skills under the attribute in order to determine the 
  attribute bonus. 
  4 - speCiaLties c
  Choose three specialties. They must come from skills that you 
  have placed points in to, unless they are general specialties. Re-
  member to write down your combat statistics derived from those 
  specialties. 
  5 - augments c
  If you received any augments from your specialties, choose your 
  augments.
  6 - weapons & armor c
  Choose your weapons and armor.
  7 - gear c
  Choose your gear. You may have any gear you want from the Start-
  ing Gear selection, within reason. You also receive 10 princes. 
  8 - DeriveD statistiCs c
  Now that everything is chosen, fill in the rest of your character 
  sheet, including priority, speed (based on your race), and action 
  points (3 at first level).
  9 - BaCkgrounD stories c
  If your narrator is allowing you to, choose stories according to 
  their guidelines. For most characters, you may choose 1 back-
  ground story. 
  10 - Finishings c
  If you haven’t yet done so, choose a name, flavor your character, 
  give them a personality, and call it a day. 
  Playtesting 
  Credits
  We’d like to give thanks to all of our playtesters, who’s 
  countless contributions have humbled us and made this 
  product into what it is today. Thank you, all. 
  epiC pLaytesting groups                                               
  C.r.e.e.p.s: John Baird, Jim Cook, Da’Rel Johnson, Adele 
  Spears, & Nyl Steward
  the Fraternity oF rather orDinary gentLemen: Bran-
  dynne C., Travis Francis, Ryan K., Adam L., Justin L., & 
  Raymond T.
  knights oF the geareD taBLe: Lazaro “Sado” Sanchez Ale-
  man, Alexander Brown, Alec Davis, Ty Davis, Erik Heaton, 
  Cody “Mister C” Lippard, Harley Jacob Schmalz, Xavier 
  Spence, & Joey Whalen
  Loth-smurFs: Adam, Carlos, David, Dillon, Gus, Michel, 
  Reed, & Rene
  LuBBoCk nuts & BoLts: Tracey Glass, Kathleen Rose Har-
  vill, Steven Lightfoot, Chris Province, Cade Schlaefli, & 
  Matthew Webster
  north austin tephra: Nathan “Maddigan” Doughty, Nik-
  ki Gee, Devlin Hyatt, Joseph Wenning
  rrhs games CLuB: Christian Bullock, Rachel David, Sky-
  lar Hamm, Cody Stillman, & Adam Thompson
  wenChes anD wrenChes: Amanda Howard, Jason Moravec, 
  Agnes Stelmach, Brianna, & Christina
  generaL pLaytesters                                                     
  Jaxom Aden • Ian Alloway • Alex Alston • Dayton Ames • Katy 
  Amicone • Krizia Aurelio • Kevin Baker • Karen Barbour • Ja-
  son Barnett • Zach Bartel • Robb Bates • Jimmy Baumann • 
  Travis Benavides • Tim Bedard • Tristan Binkley • Zach “Quee” 
  Blankenship • Kelly Bernard • Danielle Braden • Justin Boyle • 
  Tegan Budge • Bryan Callahan• Tina Marie Callahan • William 
  Childs • Richard Choi • Megan Clark • Jonni Cleveland • Wade 
  Cook • Reed Crosby • Jake Ellis • Ken Fisher • Jason Gallardo 
  • Steven Gamblin • Corbin Gault • Ben Glover • Christopher 
  Gohlke • Eric Hall • Zack Hamilton • Cameron “Sixpence” Cody 
  Hare • Alex Helton • Nikki Hodgins • Benjamin Huffman • 
  Eric Hungerford • The Crew of Airship Isabella • Jeff Johnson • 
  Hemmy Kanarski • Tarah Katerndahl • Nick Kice • Alex King • 
  Avery Ray Krushall • Marcus LaFrenz • Brady Langley • Chris-
  topher Ledenbach • Kelsey Lemaster • Ben Manry • Michael 
  Bradford Mac Farlane • Ramon Leon Del Mar • Gustavo Marti-
  nez • Spencer McAdams • Sean McDaniel • Shannon McKay • 
  Erin McLarty • Tommy Mendez • Matt Meyer • Eric Minnick 
  • Robert O’Brien • Nick Orzech • Alyssa Parsons • Anna Pham 
  • Michael Rey • Alan Rogers • Sarah Rosenman • Shaun Ross 
  • Jonathan Sallier • Kayla Schafer • Daniel Patrick Schumacher 
  • Macy Shrode • Jordan Smith • Callie Smith • Kalinda Smith • 
  Adam Sparks • Shane Staats • William Stapleton • Casey Steele 
  • Robert “Bobby” Stephens • Nathan Stracke • Alex Strom • Joe 
  Strom • Zachary Sweet • Phillip Tieman • Alana Torrez • David 
  Trimm • Brax Troncoso • Daniel Troncosco • Baron Von Lahey • 
  Jessica Vanover • Jorge J Barrera Vazquez • Pablo “Mister Sat-
  urday” Miguel Alberto Vazquez • Andrew Vought • Benjamin 
  Vought • Chris Weikert • Tiffany Whisenhunt • Kyle Whittemore 
  • Austen Williams • Leah Williams • Stephnie Williams • Steven 
  Wilson • Matt Wisneski • Cory Woodley • Kikuvian Yaslana • 
  Edward V. Zepeda
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Tephra/Core/Tephra Playing Guide.pdf