TEXT:  
   
   
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
  SLEUTHING IN THE MIDDLE AGES 
   
   
  AN OLD SCHOOL ROLE PLAYING GAME 
  BY SIMON WASHBOURNE 
  
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  . 
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
  SLEUTHING IN THE  
  MIDDLE AGES 
   
  OLD SCHOOL RPG  
   
  © 2010 by Simon Washbourne 
  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
   
  GAME DESIGN 
  Simon Washbourne 
   
  ARTWORK 
  Darrel Miller 
  Other images: From the public domain 
   
  SPECIAL THANKS 
  Annette Washbourne, Nigel Uzzell, Janine Uzzell, Robert Irwin, Leigh 
  Wakefield, Paul Simonet, Ian Greenwood, Mike Richards,  
  Alison Richards, Mark George and Alyson George 
  
   
   
   
  Contents 
   
  I WHAT IS A ROLE PLAYING GAME? 1 
  II CREATING A CHARACTER 
  4 
  III CHARACTER CLASSES 
  9 
  IV SKILLS 
  32 
  V EQUIPMENT 
  38 
  VI THE GAME MASTER 
  43 
  VII THE GAME RULES 
  49 
  VII LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
  65 
  IX ANIMALS, FOLK & NPCS 
  88 
  X MYSTERY: A VIAL MURDER 
  94 
   APPENDICES 
   
   CHARACTER SHEET 
   
   INSPIRATIONAL READING 
   
   OGL 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  1 
   
  WHAT IS A 
  ROLE PLAYING 
  GAME? 
   
  roleplaying 
  game 
  (RPG) 
  is, 
  at 
  its 
  heart, a game of 
  make-believe. The play-
  ers all work to create a 
  story by talking to one 
  another, usually when 
  describing the actions of 
  their character and lis-
  tening to each other, 
  usually when the result 
  of those actions is being 
  described. 
   
  The players create the 
  characters in the game. 
  These characters under-
  take 
  adventures, 
  just 
  the same as characters 
  in a novel or a movie. 
  Only rather than the 
  scenes and dialogue be-
  ing predetermined, the 
  players get to speak for 
  their characters and de-
  cide 
  what 
  their 
  characters will do and 
  don’t need to write it 
  down – it all happens, 
  develops and grows as 
  the game is played. 
  The situations that the 
  characters become in-
  volved in are usually set 
  up by one of the other 
  players who takes the 
  role of the Game Master 
  (GM). The GM designs 
  the adventures, details 
  the towns and areas 
  where the adventures 
  take place and popu-
  lates it by creating and 
  speaking the parts of 
  the 
  people 
  that 
  the 
  characters meet during 
  the course of their ad-
  ventures. 
   
  You 
  can 
  play 
  RPGs 
  freeform, that is to say 
  without rules or with 
  very few rules and with-
  out dice or any other 
  method of randomly de-
  termining the results of 
  actions that characters 
  might take. This makes 
  the game closer to im-
  promptu 
  theatre 
  or 
  storytelling. 
  However, 
  most RPGs have rules 
  for character creation 
  and for determining the 
  course 
  of 
  actions 
  through the use of dice. 
  The Medieval Mysteries 
  RPG uses this latter 
  method. 
   
  Thus, a RPG is a game 
  in which the players as-
  sume 
  the 
  roles 
  of 
  characters who have all 
  sorts of adventures, the 
  outcomes of which are 
  subject to a degree of 
  chance. In these games 
  there is no winner like 
  there is in a board 
  game. The only aim of 
  the game is to create 
  your own epic story of 
  wonder and excitement 
  and to have fun doing 
  A
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  2 
  so. There isn’t even nec-
  essarily an ending to the 
  game because even as 
  you complete an adven-
  ture, another one might 
  arise in which the same 
  cast of characters can 
  feature. In this way, 
  characters 
  can 
  grow 
  with their experiences 
  and develop in skill and 
  depth. 
   
  The core mechanic 
  Whenever you 
  attempt an ac-
  tion that has 
  some 
  chance 
  of failure, you 
  roll a twenty-
  sided die (d20). 
  To determine if 
  your character 
  succeeds at a 
  task 
  you 
  do 
  this: 
   
  � Roll a d20. 
  � Add 
  any 
  relevant 
  modifiers. 
  � Compare 
  the result to a target 
  number. 
   
  If the result equals or 
  exceeds the target num-
  ber, 
  your 
  character 
  succeeds. If the result is 
  lower than the target 
  number, you fail.  
  � A natural 20 on the 
  die is always a suc-
  cess. Sometimes this 
  can also be a special 
  success, 
  called 
  a 
  critical success. 
  � A natural 1 on the 
  die is always a fail-
  ure. Sometimes this 
  can be a particularly 
  bad failure, called a 
  fumble in combat. 
   
  Dice 
  Several different types of 
  dice are needed to play 
  the Medieval Mysteries 
  RPG. Dice with 4, 6, 8, 
  10, 12 and 20 sides are 
  used. There are various 
  notations in the rules 
  telling what type and 
  how many dice should 
  be rolled during play. 
  These 
  notations 
  may 
  appear cryptic to first-
  time role players, but 
  they are easily learned.  
   
  Usually the type of dice 
  is designated with a‘d’ 
  followed by a number, 
  so d4 represents a 4-
  sided die and d10 repre-
  sents the 10-sided die 
  and so on. It is also 
  possible 
  to 
  generate 
  random scores for which 
  no die exists. The most 
  common are d2 and d3 
  respectively, 
  both 
  of 
  which can be made by 
  rolling a d6 and dividing 
  by 2 or 3 and dropping 
  the fraction. To roll a d2 
  using a 6-sided die, the 
  results 1-3 would be a 
  score of 1 and the re-
  sults 
  4-6 
  would equal 2. 
   
  When the rules 
  require it, rolls 
  of more than 
  one die will be 
  expressed by a 
  number 
  in 
  front of the ‘d’, 
  representing 
  the number of 
  dice 
  to 
  be 
  rolled. For ex-
  ample 
  in 
  character crea-
  tion you need 
  to 
  roll 
  three 
  six-sided 
  dice, 
  which 
  would be shown as 3d6. 
   
  A notation after the type 
  of dice would represent 
  either an addition to, or 
  a subtraction from, the 
  number generated 
  by 
  the 
  dice. 
  So, 
  2d6-2 
  would mean you roll two 
  six-sided dice and take 
  2 from the result. 1d4+1 
  would mean that you 
  
  WHAT IS A ROLE PLAYING GAME? 
   
   
   
  3 
  roll a four-sided dice 
  and add 1 to the result. 
   
  What is the Medieval 
  Mysteries RPG? 
  Medieval Mysteries is a 
  historical 
  role-playing 
  game set roughly in the 
  early middle-ages. It is 
  inspired by many works 
  of fiction, including the 
  Cadfael novels of Ellis 
  Peters, 
  the 
  Crowner 
  John novels of Bernard 
  Knight and the Matthew 
  Bartholomew novels of 
  Suzanne Gregory. A list-
  ing of other authors and 
  inspirational works ap-
  pears at the end of this 
  publication. 
   
  In this game, generally 
  speaking 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  characters will be the 
  primary investigator and 
  the other characters will 
  be 
  sidekicks, 
  friends, 
  colleagues, apprentices, 
  bodyguards, 
  clerks, 
  squires and assistants. 
  How he or she became a 
  sleuth depends on the 
  game, 
  the 
  player’s 
  choice of character class 
  and other factors. The 
  character could simply 
  be personally involved in 
  the 
  first 
  investigation 
  and 
  display 
  such 
  a 
  knack for solving mys-
  teries that he or she is 
  approached 
  by 
  other 
  parties as and when 
  they need help. 
   
  The character could be 
  an appointed agent or 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  church or the king, like 
  a spy or an archdea-
  con’s 
  summoner. 
  Maybe, the characters 
  job 
  is 
  to 
  investigate 
  crimes, like a coroner or 
  sheriff. There are other 
  possibilities and it’s up 
  to you, the GM and oth-
  er 
  players 
  to 
  decide 
  what suits you. 
   
  The Medieval Mysteries 
  RPG is a more cerebral 
  role-playing game than 
  many. The characters 
  are expected to use their 
  brains more than their 
  brawn. That isn’t to say 
  there is no conflict in 
  this game. The medieval 
  period was a dangerous 
  time, and anyone poking 
  around and asking too 
  many questions is going 
  to run into trouble every 
  now and again. But the 
  game isn’t one where 
  the characters ‘go on 
  adventures’. Most of the 
  action will take place in 
  and around the city 
  where 
  the 
  characters 
  live. So, characters will 
  get to know the locality 
  pretty well, developing 
  friendships, 
  contacts, 
  maybe even families. In 
  other words the charac-
  ters 
  have 
  a 
  proper 
  ‘home-life’ too. 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  4 
   
  CREATING A 
  CHARACTER 
   
  ach player in Medi-
  eval Mysteries RPG 
  needs to create a 
  character to use during 
  the 
  game. 
  The 
  GM 
  doesn’t need just one, 
  he 
  needs 
  several 
  or 
  more, but we’ll come on 
  to that later in these 
  rules. To start with, you 
  need to think about the 
  type of character you 
  want to play. You may 
  want to base your char-
  acter 
  on 
  a 
  favourite 
  character from a movie, 
  TV series or book, you 
  may already have a pic-
  ture in your head of the 
  type of person you want 
  to play, or you may 
  simply like the look of 
  one of the classes from 
  the 
  character 
  classes 
  section. 
   Once you have your 
  idea, you need to roll 
  dice to generate your six 
  attributes. These attrib-
  utes are important in 
  defining your character, 
  his 
  strengths, 
  weak-
  nesses 
  and 
  outlook. 
  Once you have generat-
  ed scores, you assign 
  the numbers to the at-
  tributes. 
  Naturally, 
  it 
  makes sense to place 
  the scores in a manner 
  that reflects your char-
  acter concept and char-
  character class. 
   
  Attributes 
  Attributes represent a 
  character’s physical and 
  mental traits. All char-
  acters 
  in 
  Medieval 
  Mysteries RPG have six 
  attributes: 
  Strength 
  (Str), 
  Dexterity 
  (Dex), 
  Constitution (Con), In-
  telligence (Int), Wisdom 
  (Wis) 
  and 
  Charisma 
  (Cha). 
  Each 
  attribute 
  has a numeric score 
  ranging from 3 to 18. 
  Each attribute also has 
  a corresponding modi-
  fier, which is a bonus 
  or penalty added to or 
  subtracted from cer-
  tain die rolls during 
  the game. The times 
  these details are used 
  are set out throughout 
  the rules. 
   
  There are three types of 
  attributes: primary, sec-
  ondary and tertiary. Of 
  the six attributes, the 
  first primary attribute is 
  determined by the play-
  er’s choice of character 
  class; the player selects 
  his second primary at-
  tribute 
  and 
  then 
  chooses two as second-
  ary and two as tertiary. 
  The distinction is im-
  portant 
  when 
  determining 
  the 
  out-
  come of many actions in 
  the Medieval Mysteries 
  RPG.  
   
  When a character uses 
  a class ability or a cho-
  sen skill, such as a 
  forester attempting to 
  move silently or a mer-
  chant trying to haggle 
  the best price for some 
  goods, 
  an 
  attribute 
  check is rolled to deter-
  mine if the action is 
  successful. Many class 
  abilities have an attrib-
  ute 
  check 
  associated 
  with it. If the class abil-
  ity or skill’s associated 
  attribute is one of the 
  character’s primary at-
  tributes, the character 
  has a greater chance of 
  successfully completing 
  the task.  
   
  E 
  
  CREATING A CHARACTER 
   
   
   
  5 
  The 
  same 
  principle 
  holds true for Attribute 
  checks are explained in 
  greater detail later. For 
  now, just remember that 
  the selection of primary, 
  secondary and tertiary 
  attributes 
  significantly 
  affects the possibility of 
  success for many ac-
  tions in the game. Those 
  attribute checks associ-
  ated 
  with 
  a 
  primary 
  attribute are more likely 
  to succeed than those 
  actions performed with 
  a 
  secondary 
  attribute 
  and even more so than 
  those performed with a 
  tertiary attribute. 
   
  The six attributes 
  Each 
  ability 
  partially 
  describes your character 
  and affects some of his 
  or her actions. 
   
  Strength (Str) 
  Strength measures your 
  character’s muscle and 
  physical 
  power. 
  Strength also limits the 
  amount of equipment 
  your character can car-
  ry, 
  your 
  character’s 
  ability to make powerful 
  attacks or lift and move 
  heavy 
  objects. 
  The 
  modifier affects melee 
  combat and damage and 
  all checks for which 
  strength is the primary 
  influence. 
  Characters 
  can military press 10x 
  their strength and dead 
  lift 15x their strength. 
  You apply your charac-
  ter’s strength modifier 
  to: 
  � Melee 
  attack 
  rolls 
  � Damage 
  rolls 
  when 
  using 
  a 
  melee weapon or 
  a thrown weap-
  on. (Exceptions: 
  Off-hand attacks 
  receive only one-
  half the charac-
  ter’s 
  strength 
  bonus, 
  while 
  two-handed 
  at-
  tacks receive one 
  and a half times 
  the strength bo-
  nus 
  � Strength checks 
  (for 
  breaking 
  down doors and 
  the like) 
   
  Dexterity (Dex) 
  Dexterity 
  measures 
  hand-eye 
  coordination, 
  agility, reflexes and bal-
  ance. It is useful for 
  getting out of the way of 
  attacks, 
  for 
  hitting 
  things with bow fire and 
  for many other abilities 
  where speed and nim-
  bleness are most im-
  portant.  
  You apply your charac-
  ter’s dexterity modifier 
  to: 
  � Ranged 
  attack 
  rolls, 
  including 
  those for attacks 
  made with bows, 
  crossbows, 
  throwing 
  axes, 
  and other ranged 
  weapons. 
  � Armour 
  Class 
  (DC) 
  provided 
  that the charac-
  ter can react to 
  the attack. 
  � Saving 
  throws, 
  for avoiding rock 
  falls, traps, and 
  other 
  attacks 
  that you can es-
  cape by moving 
  quickly. 
   
  Constitution (Con) 
  Constitution represents 
  your character’s health 
  and stamina, the char-
  acter’s 
  ability 
  to 
  withstand pain, suffer 
  physical damage, avoid 
  fatigue 
  and 
  fight 
  off 
  sickness or poison.  
  You apply your charac-
  ter’s 
  constitution 
  modifier to: 
  � Each roll of a Hit 
  Die 
  (though 
  a 
  penalty can nev-
  er drop a result 
  below 1 - that is, 
  a character al-
  ways 
  gains 
  at 
  least 1 hit point 
  each time he or 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  6 
  she advances in 
  level). 
  � Saving 
  throws, 
  for resisting poi-
  son and similar 
  threats. 
  If a character’s constitu-
  tion 
  score 
  changes 
  enough to alter his or 
  her constitution modifi-
  er, the character’s hit 
  points also increase or 
  decrease accordingly. 
   
  Intelligence (Int) 
  Intelligence determines 
  how well your character 
  learns and reasons. It 
  represents mental apti-
  tude, 
  the 
  character’s 
  ability to learn quickly, 
  apply that learning ef-
  fectively 
  and 
  the 
  capacity of a character 
  for deductive reasoning. 
  You apply your charac-
  ter’s 
  Intelligence 
  modifier to: 
  � The number of 
  languages 
  your 
  character knows 
  at the start of 
  the game. 
  � Intelligence 
  de-
  termines 
  whether a char-
  acter has extra 
  skills 
  beyond 
  those 
  normally 
  available for his 
  or her class at 
  the start of the 
  game. 
  An animal has an Intel-
  ligence score of 1 or 2. A 
  creature of humanlike 
  intelligence has a score 
  of at least 3. 
   
   
  Wisdom (Wis) 
  Wisdom 
  describes 
  a 
  character’s 
  willpower, 
  common sense, percep-
  tion, 
  and 
  intuition. 
  While Intelligence repre-
  sents one’s ability to 
  analyse 
  information, 
  wisdom represents be-
  ing in tune with and 
  aware 
  of 
  one’s 
  sur-
  roundings.  
  You apply your charac-
  ter’s wisdom modifier to: 
  � Saving 
  throws 
  where willpower 
  is important. 
  � Checks made to 
  spot hidden or 
  distant things 
  � Checks made to 
  hear distant or 
  slight sounds 
   
  Charisma (Cha) 
  Charisma measures a 
  character’s force of per-
  sonality, 
  persuasiveness, person-
  al magnetism, ability to 
  lead, and physical at-
  tractiveness. This ability 
  represents 
  actual 
  strength of personality, 
  presence or spirit, not 
  merely how one is per-
  ceived by others in a 
  social setting.  
  You apply your charac-
  ter’s charisma modifier 
  to: 
  � Checks that rep-
  resent 
  attempts 
  to influence oth-
  ers 
  � Saving 
  throws 
  against fear or 
  morale effects  
   
  Generating attrib-
  ute scores 
  Attribute 
  scores 
  are 
  generated 
  by 
  rolling 
  3d6. The player adds 
  the totals on all three 
  dice together to create a 
  total score of between 3 
  and 18. The process is 
  repeated six times. Once 
  the six scores are gener-
  ated, you assign one 
  score to each attribute. 
  The scores may be as-
  signed in any order or to 
  whichever attribute you 
  like until all six attrib-
  utes have a score.   
  A second option for the 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG 
  character creation is to 
  distribute a set of scores 
  between the attributes. 
  This way, every player 
  starts with the same set 
  of scores. The recom-
  mended set of scores for 
  this method of character 
  creation is 15, 14, 13, 
  12, 10 and 8. 
  
  CREATING A CHARACTER 
   
   
   
  7 
   
  In the Medieval Myster-
  ies 
  RPG, 
  attribute 
  scores don’t change very 
  often. At 4th level and 
  every four levels thereaf-
  ter, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  character’s 
  attribute 
  scores increases by 1. 
  The 
  player 
  chooses 
  which attribute goes up. 
  Sometimes an attribute 
  might fall, as a result of 
  disease or injury. If an 
  attribute changes to a 
  point where the modifier 
  also changes, the modi-
  fier 
  changes 
  straight 
  away. Attributes in Me-
  dieval 
  Mysteries 
  RPG 
  rarely exceed 18 and 
  only do so where a 
  character is of a high 
  level. 
   
  Primary, 
  second-
  ary 
  and 
  tertiary 
  attributes 
  There are three types of 
  attributes in Medieval 
  Mysteries RPG primary, 
  secondary and tertiary. 
  Primary attributes are 
  those physical or mental 
  abilities a character is 
  particularly 
  well 
  trained, disciplined or 
  experienced in using. 
  Secondary attributes 
  are those where the 
  character is less ex-
  perienced 
  or 
  disciplined and ter-
  tiary ones are those 
  that a character is 
  only average at using. 
  After generating at-
  tribute scores, you need 
  to decide which of your 
  attributes will be prima-
  ry, 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  secondary 
  and 
  which 
  are tertiary. 
   
  Characters 
  have 
  two 
  attributes of each type, 
  primary secondary and 
  tertiary. Each class pro-
  vides 
  one 
  of 
  your 
  characters primary at-
  tributes that cannot be 
  changed, so 
  a 
  cleric 
  player character always 
  has wisdom as one of 
  his primes, for example. 
  The cleric would then 
  have one more prime, 
  selected by the player. 
  Then the player chooses 
  two attributes to be sec-
  ondary and the re-
  maining two are his 
  tertiary attributes by 
  default. 
   
  Attribute 
  checks 
  The distinction be-
  tween attributes is 
  important. 
  Almost 
  all non-combat re-
  lated actions in The 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG 
  that have a chance of 
  failure and for which the 
  GM deems a roll is nec-
  essary to resolve, re-
  require 
  an 
  attribute 
  check to determine the 
  outcome. 
  Every check has an as-
  sociated 
  attribute. 
  Whenever one of these 
  checks is made, the 
  player rolls a d20. The 
  attribute 
  (and 
  level) 
  modifier is added to the 
  result. If the final result 
  is equal to or greater 
  than a number generat-
  ed by the GM, called the 
  challenge class, then the 
  attribute check is suc-
  cessful. The challenge 
  class is determined by 
  two factors. The first is 
  the challenge base. This 
  depends on whether the 
  attribute being checked 
  is primary, secondary or 
  tertiary. If the attribute 
  is primary, the chal-
  lenge base is 12. If the 
  attribute is secondary, 
  the challenge base is 15. 
  If the attribute is ter-
  tiary, the challenge base 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  8 
  is 18. 
   
  Modifiers 
  The GM then adds any 
  modifiers to the chal-
  lenge 
  base 
  that 
  are 
  appropriate. These mod-
  ifiers 
  usually 
  range 
  between 0 and 10, but 
  can go higher. The sum 
  total is the challenge 
  class and the player 
  needs to roll higher than 
  that to succeed his ac-
  tion. For example, a 
  forester is tracking an 
  outlaw through a forest. 
  The player rolls a d20 
  (getting 15), adds the 
  forester’s level (2) and 
  the attribute modifier (1) 
  for a total of 18. The 
  challenge base is 15 as 
  wisdom is the forester’s 
  secondary attribute (in 
  this example) and there 
  are no other modifiers, 
  in this instance, so the 
  forester is keeping well 
  on the outlaw’s tail. 
   
  Attribute Modifier 
  1 
  -5 
  2-3 
  -4 
  4-5 
  -3 
  6-7 
  -2 
  8-9 
  -1 
  10-11 
  0 
  12-13 
  +1 
  14-15 
  +2 
  16-17 
  +3 
  18-19 
  +4 
  20-21 
  +5 
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  9 
   
  CHARACTER 
  CLASSES 
   
  ach of the character 
  classes represents a 
  broad archetype of 
  typical investigators and 
  sleuths and their asso-
  ciates, 
  officers, 
  colleagues 
  and 
  assis-
  tants found in medieval 
  mystery fiction. Whilst 
  each class is bound by 
  certain limitations and 
  abilities, 
  the 
  classes 
  should not be viewed as 
  restrictive. Every rogue 
  isn’t necessarily going to 
  be an uneducated peas-
  ant. Some will be con 
  men, 
  wandering 
  ped-
  dlers, entertainers and 
  even down on their luck 
  gentry, turned to crimi-
  nal activities to earn 
  their crust. Some clerics 
  will be ex-soldiers, phy-
  sicians, scholars or even 
  nobles. Your choice of 
  character helps get an 
  immediate 
  handle 
  on 
  the characters abilities, 
  but it is up to you as a 
  player to breathe some 
  life and personality into 
  the numbers and statis-
  tics. 
   
  There are nine character 
  classes in the Medieval 
  Mysteries RPG as well 
  as the option to take a 
  dual-class 
  or 
  multi-
  class. All of the players 
  should 
  consult 
  with 
  each other and with the 
  GM throughout charac-
  ter generation, because 
  the style of game in the 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG 
  is very different to the 
  normal type of fantasy 
  or medieval role-playing 
  game that you might be 
  used to. Characters do 
  not ‘go an adventures’ 
  for example and as a 
  rule will stay in or near 
  their hometown. For 
  another 
  thing, 
  the 
  characters will have 
  jobs and responsibili-
  ties that do not allow 
  them to just suddenly 
  drop everything and 
  go off on some quest. 
   
  A group of characters 
  in 
  this 
  roleplaying 
  game needs to be con-
  structed quite carefully, 
  with regard to the other 
  characters in the group, 
  so that everyone knows 
  what their role is in the 
  group and why they all 
  work together. For ex-
  ample, it is probably 
  best to have one charac-
  ter who is the primary 
  investigator 
  (although 
  this isn’t strictly neces-
  sary). The others are 
  then his or her assis-
  tants, 
  bodyguards, 
  officers, clerks or asso-
  ciates. For instance, if 
  the primary investigator 
  is a crowner, his specific 
  duties entail that he 
  looks into cases of un-
  expected death, murder, 
  arson and so on. He is 
  naturally the primary 
  investigator. He needs a 
  clerk to accompany him 
  and record all the de-
  tails 
  of 
  his 
  investigations, the fines 
  imposed and so on, so 
  naturally this falls to 
  someone who can read 
  and write like a cleric or 
  a scholar. If another 
  player wants a fighter 
  character, the crowner 
  could employ him to act 
  as an officer and body-
  guard. If a player wants 
  a rogue character, the 
  crowner could make use 
  E
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  10 
  his ‘street’ skills in his 
  investigations. 
   
  Another campaign pos-
  sibility would be to have 
  characters all of the 
  same class, like all cler-
  ics, for example. They 
  could have slightly dif-
  ferent positions within 
  the clergy, but it would 
  certainly be a reason 
  they know each other 
  and do their sleuthing 
  as a team. Each cleric 
  character can be con-
  structed 
  slightly 
  differently, so as to give 
  them their own speciali-
  ties. For example one 
  could be a monk apoth-
  ecary, another could be 
  a 
  scholar 
  (librarian), 
  there could be a friar 
  with some slightly dubi-
  ous skills and one could 
  be the team’s strong-
  arm, for when things go 
  wrong - a proctor or an 
  ex-soldier perhaps.  
   
  CLASS DESCRIPTION 
  TERMINOLOGY 
   
  Prime attribute 
  Each 
  character 
  class 
  has one primary attrib-
  ute that is most closely 
  associated 
  with 
  that 
  class. This is the prima-
  ry attribute. It cannot be 
  changed. 
   
  Hit Die (HD) 
  This is the type of die 
  rolled to determine the 
  character’s hit points. 
  To the number generat-
  ed by the die, you add a 
  modifier based on the 
  character’s constitution. 
  You stop rolling for ex-
  tra hit points after level 
  4 and simply add the 
  number to your charac-
  ter’s 
  constitution 
  modifier for each addi-
  tional 
  level. 
  Your 
  character 
  always 
  re-
  ceives a minimum of 1 
  hit 
  point 
  per 
  level, 
  whatever his or her con-
  stitution modifier. 
   
  Weapons 
  These are the weapons 
  that can be used with-
  out 
  penalty 
  by 
  characters of that class. 
  If a character uses a 
  weapon that is not on 
  the list, he uses it with a 
  –4 penalty to all attack 
  rolls to hit. 
   
  Abilities 
  This is a list of abilities 
  possessed by members 
  of the character class. 
  Some abilities are not 
  gained until a certain 
  level is achieved, some 
  are automatic and some 
  require 
  an 
  attribute 
  check. The description 
  in the text tells you all 
  about this. 
   
  Skills 
  Besides class abilities, 
  each character class has 
  a choice of skills. Once 
  chosen, the skills be-
  come ‘class abilities’ and 
  all attribute checks are 
  made as appropriate for 
  a class ability. Each 
  character also gains an 
  additional skill at levels 
  3, 6, 9 and 12.  
   
  Level 
  Characters advance in 
  levels as they complete 
  their 
  adventures 
  and 
  gain experience. As they 
  gain levels, their chance 
  to hit, hit points and 
  defence bonus improve. 
  They may also gain new 
  abilities or extra uses of 
  an ability they already 
  have. 
  The 
  experience 
  required by each class 
  to gain levels differs. 
   
  Bonus to Hit (BtH) 
  This is the modifier that 
  is added to a ‘hit roll’ 
  when making a melee, 
  ranged or firearm at-
  tack. 
   
  Experience 
  point 
  table (EPP) 
  This is the number of 
  experience points that 
  members of that class 
  use to determine how 
  many experience points 
  (XP) they need to go up 
  to the next level. 
   
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  11 
  APOTHECARY 
  The apothecary is a dis-
  penser of medicines and 
  remedies and most ex-
  tend these skills into 
  those of physician and 
  doctor 
  too. 
  Medicine 
  wasn’t a very scientific 
  technique in the middle 
  ages.  
   
  Many 
  physicians 
  and 
  apothecaries still con-
  sidered 
  that 
  illnesses 
  depended on the phases 
  of the moon, the hu-
  mours 
  and 
  so 
  on. 
  Bleeding was a com-
  monly practised method 
  to cure most ailments. 
   
  This class really rep-
  resents the few, more 
  enlightened 
  of 
  the 
  apothecaries and doc-
  tors of the time - 
  those who believe that 
  clean water, a good 
  diet and so on are vi-
  tal to good health. 
  They combine sensi-
  ble advice with some 
  of the most effective 
  techniques of the day 
  and, combined with 
  some of the herbal 
  remedies that actually 
  work, 
  make 
  these 
  physicians 
  highly 
  sought after. 
   
  Apothecaries are intel-
  ligent, educated men, 
  often having learned 
  their arts in the minor 
  clerical orders (or, lat-
  er in the period, at uni-
  versity) before taking a 
  more secular path. An 
  apothecary character is 
  automatically able both 
  to 
  read 
  and 
  write. 
  Apothecaries can get a 
  bad press, because of 
  the 
  charlatans 
  and 
  rogues who travel from 
  village to village selling 
  coloured water and pro-
  posing 
  ridiculous 
  treatments as the next 
  ‘great cure’ for all ail-
  ments.  
   
  Most operate apothecary 
  shops 
  in 
  cities 
  and 
  towns but others prac-
  tice the trade but do not 
  operate out of a shop. In 
  addition to dispensing 
  medicines, they provid-
  ed 
  some 
  surgical, 
  midwifery, dental, and 
  general 
  medical 
  ser-
  vices. 
   
  Apothecaries 
  as 
  investigators 
  Apothecaries are astute, 
  patient 
  and 
  educated 
  and this makes them 
  very good investigators. 
  Of course, during the 
  course of their work, 
  they will often be deal-
  ing with patients who 
  were the victims of 
  various 
  crimes 
  and 
  this may lead them 
  into 
  investigation 
  work too. They are 
  also very good sup-
  porting 
  characters, 
  being able to read and 
  write 
  and 
  knowing 
  what they do of ail-
  ments, injuries, dead 
  bodies, and poisons.  
   
  Skills 
  Apothecaries 
  can 
  choose 3 (+ Int mod) 
  skills from the follow-
  ing 
  list 
  as 
  class 
  abilities; Gossip, heal, 
  knowledge 
  (choose 
  any), 
  languages 
  (choose any), listen, 
  notice, search, sense 
  motive. 
  Abilities 
  Literate (Int): Apothe-
  caries are educated 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  12 
  men and need to be able 
  to read & write. Any 
  character of this class is 
  automatically 
  consid-
  ered 
  literate 
  in 
  any 
  language he or she can 
  speak. 
  An 
  attribute 
  check would normally 
  be 
  required 
  to 
  read 
  works of a very compli-
  cated 
  nature, 
  badly 
  written work or old and 
  faded writing. 
  Medicines 
  & 
  potions 
  (Int): Provided an apoth-
  ecary has access to the 
  raw 
  materials 
  and 
  equipment necessary to 
  mix the substance, he 
  can create a number of 
  different types of salve, 
  potion and remedy for 
  various 
  ailments 
  and 
  injuries. 
  Apothecaries 
  need ceramic containers 
  and phials by the hun-
  dreds in which to store 
  simple ingredients and 
  compounds for sale. The 
  ingredients that he used 
  would 
  include 
  plant, 
  animal, chemical and 
  mineral materials. He 
  would break them up 
  and mix them with a 
  mortar and pestle. The 
  medicines and their us-
  es are as follows: 
  Herbals The apothecary 
  knows how to make lo-
  tions 
  and 
  herbal 
  remedies for any num-
  ber of minor illnesses of 
  the day that people may 
  contract. Any character 
  given one of the herbals 
  receives a +2 bonus to 
  his save against a dis-
  ease or illness that he 
  has 
  contracted. 
  This 
  bonus increases to +3 if 
  the Physician is 4th lev-
  el, +4 at 8th level and 
  +5 at 12th level. 
  Sleeping Draught: An 
  apothecary can make a 
  potion 
  that, 
  when 
  drunk, will knock a per-
  son out for up to 12 
  hours (the apothecary 
  can determine the effi-
  cacy of the draught, up 
  to his own level in 
  hours). If given to a per-
  son against his wishes, 
  the recipient gets a con-
  stitution save to avoid 
  the full effects of the 
  draught, which has a 
  modifier equal to the 
  level of the apothecary. 
  Even if the recipient 
  does save, he will still 
  feel drowsy and less ef-
  fective (-1 on attribute 
  checks, attack rolls and 
  armour class). 
  Poisons: An apothecary 
  can identify poisons on 
  a successful attribute 
  check and can make 
  both poisons and anti-
  toxins. 
  The 
  poison’s 
  strength is equal to the 
  level of the apothecary, 
  plus his Int modifier. 
  This is the challenge 
  modifier to the recipi-
  ent’s constitution save 
  to avoid the full effects 
  of the poison. For an 
  antitoxin to be effective 
  the physician needs to 
  make a successful Int 
  attribute check, once he 
  has identified the poison 
  that he is trying to ne-
  gate. 
  Pain relief potion: At 
  2nd level, the apothe-
  cary can make potions 
  that dull the pain from 
  painful wounds. These 
  potions, 
  when 
  drunk 
  negate the effects of 
  negative 
  modifiers 
  on 
  attribute 
  checks 
  and 
  attack rolls from painful 
  wounds (see the combat 
  chapter).  
  Care & attention: If the 
  apothecary spends 
  at 
  least an hour a day with 
  a 
  recovering 
  patient 
  (changing the bandages, 
  checking for infection 
  and cleaning the wound, 
  making the patient com-
  fortable and getting him 
  to take food and water), 
  he can add a hit point to 
  the hit points that the 
  patient will recover nat-
  urally from bed rest. For 
  example, in the first 7 
  days a patient will re-
  cover 1 hit point per full 
  day of bed rest. An 
  apothecary will improve 
  this recovery rate to 2 
  points per day, as long 
  as he spends an hour a 
  day with the patient. At 
  4th level, this increases 
  to 2 hit points, at 8th 
  level 3 hit points and at 
  12th level the recovery 
  rate is increased by 4 
  hit points. An apothe-
  cary will also add to the 
  recovery 
  check 
  of 
  a 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  13 
  character who is suffer-
  ing 
  from 
  infected 
  wounds (see the Game 
  Rules section for more 
  details about this). He 
  will add +1 at levels 1 to 
  4, +2 at levels 5 to 8, 
  and +3 at level 9 and 
  above.  
  Perform minor surgery 
  (Int): This ability, gained 
  at 8th level, enables the 
  apothecary to perform 
  minor surgery and re-
  pair 
  small 
  wounds. 
  Large gashes can be 
  sewn 
  shut, 
  broken 
  bones can be set and 
  sprains 
  treated. 
  This 
  sort of work takes some 
  time to perform (includ-
  ing 
  preparation, 
  sterilising 
  tools 
  and 
  equipment, cleaning up 
  the wound and so on) 
  and the ability can be 
  used only once per day. 
  At 10th level, the apoth-
  ecary 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  skilled and speedy to 
  perform 2 such proce-
  dures 
  each 
  day. 
  A 
  successful check results 
  in 2d6 points of damage 
  being restored to the 
  patient after completion. 
  If the check is not suc-
  cessful, only 1d6 hit 
  points are recovered. 
   
  Apothecary stats: 
  Prime Attribute: Intelli-
  gence 
  Hit Die: D6 
  Starting money: 40-240 
  pennies 
  Armour: Padded, leather 
  jerkin 
  Weapons: Club, dagger, 
  staff, light crossbow 
  Abilities: Literate, medi-
  cines & potions, care & 
  attention, perform mi-
  nor surgery 
   
  Apothecary 
  level 
  progression table: 
   
  CLERIC 
  Clerics are men and 
  women who have taken 
  holy orders and joined 
  the church, in one ca-
  pacity or another. The 
  cleric 
  character 
  class 
  represents 
  all 
  non-
  fighting holy men and 
  women, 
  including 
  priests, monks, nuns, 
  friars and even hermits. 
  Fighting 
  clerics 
  like 
  Knights Templar and so 
  on are better represent-
  ed as nobles or fighters. 
   
  Priests held a special 
  place within the Church 
  in the middle ages. Only 
  a priest could adminis-
  ter the sacraments, was 
  subject 
  to 
  special 
  Church law and was 
  generally exempt from 
  secular law, and gained 
  his 
  special 
  status 
  through a special cere-
  mony. All this served to 
  set priests apart from 
  society 
  as 
  a 
  whole. 
  Within the priesthood 
  was a tremendous range 
  of social standing. A vil-
  lage priest might be only 
  a local village boy who 
  was sent off to a mon-
  astery 
  to 
  learn 
  his 
  duties, as poor as his 
  parishioners. 
  On 
  the 
  other hand, a bishop 
  was also a priest, and 
  he might be the son (of-
  ten a second son) of a 
  nobleman, wealthy and 
  powerful. A priest might 
  Level HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D6 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D6 
  +1 
  900 
  3 
  D6 
  +1 
  2700 
  4 
  D6 
  +1 
  5400 
  5 
  +1 
  +2 
  9000 
  6 
  +1 
  +2 
  13500 
  7 
  +1 
  +2 
  18900 
  8 
  +1 
  +3 
  25200 
  9 
  +1 
  +3 
  32400 
  10 
  +1 
  +3 
  40500 
  11 
  +1 
  +4 
  49500 
  12 
  +1 
  +4 
  59400 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  14 
  even 
  be 
  illiterate, 
  though literacy was far 
  higher in the clergy than 
  in the general popula-
  tion. All player character 
  clerics are considered 
  literate. 
   
  Monks lived together in 
  a monastery under the 
  rule of an abbot. Some 
  monks 
  copied 
  manu-
  scripts 
  in 
  the 
  monastery’s library, or 
  taught other young boys 
  to read and write, or to 
  do the laundry for the 
  monastery. 
  Other 
  monks worked in the 
  fields 
  like 
  peasants, 
  planting grain for the 
  monastery and har-
  vesting it, and taking 
  care of the monas-
  tery’s pigs and sheep 
  and 
  cattle. 
  Monks 
  were not allowed to 
  marry or have chil-
  dren 
  or 
  own 
  any 
  property of their own. 
  Sometimes men joined 
  monasteries later in 
  life, 
  either 
  because 
  they felt drawn to a 
  religious life, or be-
  cause they were so 
  poor or sick that they 
  wanted 
  someone 
  to 
  take care of them. The 
  main orders in Eng-
  land 
  were 
  Benedictines, 
  Cister-
  cians, 
  Cluniacs, 
  Augustinians, 
  Pre-
  monstratians, and the 
  Carthusians. 
   
  Nuns 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  monks other than the 
  fact that they are fe-
  male. Nuns all lived 
  together, either in 
  a 
  dormitory or in their 
  own little rooms (called 
  cells). Like monks, they 
  prayed many times a 
  day and went to Mass 
  every day. Nuns were 
  not usually as well edu-
  cated as monks either, 
  though they did some-
  times learn to read and 
  write. 
  Mostly 
  nuns 
  spent their days the 
  same way other women 
  did. Poorer nuns worked 
  in the gardens and in 
  the fields, while nuns 
  from wealthier families, 
  whose families had giv-
  en money or land to the 
  convent, 
  spent 
  their 
  time spinning, weaving, 
  or 
  doing 
  embroidery. 
  Like monks, nuns never 
  married or had children, 
  and they did not own 
  any property of their 
  own. The leader of the 
  nuns was called an ab-
  bess. 
   
  A friar is a member of 
  one of the mendicant 
  orders. Friars follow a 
  vow of poverty like a 
  monk, but their vow 
  meant that they could 
  possess no fixed reve-
  nues 
  and 
  therefore 
  lived upon the volun-
  tary offerings of the 
  faithful; hence their 
  name of mendicants. 
  The main denomina-
  tions of friar are The 
  Dominicans 
  (Black 
  Friars), the Francis-
  cans (Grey Friars), the 
  Carmelites (White fri-
  ars) and the Augus-
  Augustinians. 
   
  Clerics as inves-
  tigators 
  Player character cler-
  ics will often have a lot 
  of time on their hands 
  and being learned and 
  educated will be keen 
  to become involved in 
  murder investigations 
  to enliven their other-
  wise dull lives. A cleric 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  15 
  character who is loyal to 
  his Bishop could be 
  chosen 
  as 
  a 
  church 
  agent, to lead an inves-
  tigation into mysterious 
  deaths, disappearances, 
  thefts or cases of possi-
  ble heresy. Other times 
  a cleric could be a use-
  ful assistant to the main 
  investigator, 
  especially 
  with his or her writing 
  skills, access to church 
  records and church gos-
  sip. Often a cleric can 
  gain the confidence of 
  people otherwise reluc-
  tant to talk and gain 
  entry to places that oth-
  er 
  characters 
  cannot 
  enter. 
   
  Skills 
  All clerics can choose 4 
  (+Int mod) skills from 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  as 
  class abilities; Diploma-
  cy, 
  gossip, 
  heal, 
  interrogate, 
  knowledge 
  (choose any from reli-
  gion, local area, law, 
  nature, 
  wounds 
  & 
  corpses), 
  languages 
  (choose any), listen, lit-
  eracy, notice, perform, 
  search, sense motive. 
   
  Abilities 
  Priest only: Ordination 
  (Int): As men of the 
  cloth, priests are uni-
  versally respected (and 
  feared by the truly pi-
  ous) 
  and 
  therefore 
  clergymen gain a +2 bo-
  nus to any diplomacy, 
  interrogate 
  or 
  gossip 
  check. They can also 
  perform the sacraments 
  including 
  Mass, 
  Mar-
  riage and Confession. 
  After performing such 
  sacraments, 
  anyone 
  who was present will 
  receive a +1 morale or 
  luck bonus to any sav-
  ing 
  throw 
  they 
  are 
  required to make during 
  the next 24 hours. 
  Monk 
  or 
  Nun 
  only: 
  Scribing 
  (Int): 
  Monks 
  and Nuns can copy text 
  exactly. This means that 
  they can gain a bonus of 
  +4 on any forgery check, 
  whether to spot a fake 
  or to make one. 
  Friar only: Worldly: Fri-
  ars 
  mix 
  with 
  more 
  colourful 
  characters 
  than other clerics and 
  due to the way they live 
  and the people they as-
  sociate with, they can 
  choose 
  an 
  additional 
  skill of either stealth, 
  pick lock or pick pocket 
  as a class ability.   
  Sanctuary (Cha): In the 
  middle 
  ages 
  ordinary 
  ‘god-fearing’ people were 
  very wary of harming 
  priests and monks in 
  case it brought down 
  God’s Wrath upon them. 
  Whenever a cleric is 
  about to be attacked, he 
  can use this ability and 
  with a successful at-
  tribute 
  check, 
  the 
  would-be attacker has a 
  change of heart and de-
  cides not to attack the 
  cleric after all, maybe 
  turning away or attack-
  ing somebody else. Of 
  course, this only works 
  if the cleric is not taking 
  any 
  aggressive 
  action 
  himself. 
  Literate (Int): Clerics are 
  educated men and need 
  to be able to read & 
  write. Any character of 
  this class is automati-
  cally considered literate 
  in any language he or 
  she can speak. An at-
  tribute 
  check 
  would 
  normally be required to 
  read works of a very 
  complicated 
  nature, 
  badly written work or 
  old and faded writing. 
  God’s Wrath (Cha): The 
  cleric can rant and rave 
  at his enemies, reading 
  or reciting suitable fire-
  and-brimstone passages 
  from the bible. Any God-
  fearing enemy hearing 
  this will be upset by this 
  tirade and suffer a –4 to 
  all charisma checks. In 
  addition, affected foes 
  must save vs. fear at the 
  –4 penalty or suffer a -1 
  to attack rolls to hit. 
  The ability lasts a num-
  ber of rounds equal to 
  the cleric’s level. The 
  number 
  affected 
  in-
  creases as the cleric 
  gains levels. At 4th level, 
  up to 25 people are af-
  fected. At 8th level, the 
  number increases to 50, 
  and at 12th level it in-
  creases to 100. 
  Faith: The cleric can 
  trust to faith once per 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  16 
  day 
  and 
  re-roll 
  any 
  failed roll, to try to turn 
  a failure into a success. 
  He or she can use this 
  ability twice per day at 
  6th level and above. 
   
  Cleric stats:  
   
  Hit Die: D6 
  Starting money: 20-200 
  pennies 
  Armour: Padded, leather 
  jerkin 
  Weapons: Club, dagger, 
  staff, light crossbow 
  Abilities: 
  Ordination, 
  scribing 
  or 
  worldly, 
  sanctuary, god’s wrath, 
  faith 
   
  Cleric 
  level 
  pro-
  gression table: 
   
  CROWNER 
  The crowner (or more 
  properly 
  coroner) 
  is 
  appointed by the king as 
  his representative in a 
  county to meet several 
  specific purposes. One 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  as 
  an 
  investigator 
  of 
  all 
  unexpected 
  deaths, 
  murders, rapes, cases of 
  arson 
  and 
  finds 
  of 
  treasure trove. His job 
  in these cases is to 
  record them, determine 
  the cause, try to find the 
  guilty party (if there is 
  one) attach any fines or 
  amercements 
  to 
  individuals or villages 
  for not performing their 
  obligations under 
  the 
  laws of the case and so 
  on. The coroners other 
  duties are to keep an 
  eye on the sherrifs, who 
  were 
  notorious 
  for 
  syphoning 
  off 
  monies 
  collected in taxes for the 
  king 
  and 
  other 
  dishonest activities. 
    
  The crowner is selected 
  for his incorruptability 
  and his proven loyalty to 
  the king. The former 
  comes from the fact that 
  crowners were generally 
  only chosen from nobles 
  or respected individuals 
  who 
  had 
  sufficient 
  income as to put them 
  above corruption. The 
  crowner 
  also 
  reports 
  directly to the king and 
  accordingly, 
  crowner 
  characters are respected 
  by many (except the 
  sherrif) 
  and 
  therefore 
  have certain priviledges, 
  autonomy and a great 
  degree of authority in 
  their county. 
   
  Crowners as inves-
  tigators 
  Crowners 
  make 
  excellent 
  primary 
  investigators 
  and, 
  if 
  there is a crowner in the 
  group it would be hard 
  to see the character as 
  anything other than the 
  primary investigator, or 
  at least one of them. 
  They have the abilities 
  and skill selections that 
  make them more than 
  able 
  to 
  look 
  into 
  murders 
  and 
  other 
  mysteries and they are 
  capable fighters and can 
  therefore 
  look 
  after 
  themselves 
  if 
  confrontation 
  arises. 
  However, 
  they 
  often 
  can’t read & write and 
  therefore still need a 
  literate clerk to record 
  things for the justices 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  other 
  areas where they might 
  need 
  companions 
  or 
  associates to help out. 
   
  Skills 
  Crowners can choose 3 
  (+Int mod) skills from 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  as 
  class abilities; Diploma-
  cy, gossip, intimidate, 
  interrogate, 
  knowledge 
  Level HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D6 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D6 
  +1 
  900 
  3 
  D6 
  +1 
  2700 
  4 
  D6 
  +1 
  5400 
  5 
  +1 
  +2 
  9000 
  6 
  +1 
  +2 
  13500 
  7 
  +1 
  +2 
  18900 
  8 
  +1 
  +3 
  25200 
  9 
  +1 
  +3 
  32400 
  10 
  +1 
  +3 
  40500 
  11 
  +1 
  +4 
  49500 
  12 
  +1 
  +4 
  59400 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  17 
  (wounds & corpses, no-
  bility 
  & 
  royalty), 
  languages 
  (any 
  of 
  choice), listen, literacy, 
  notice, 
  search, 
  sense 
  motive. 
   
  Abilities 
  Crowner’s 
  horse: 
  Crowners are automati-
  cally able to ride a horse 
  and will have at least 
  one horse of their own 
  of a suitable type for 
  riding to war. In addi-
  tion to their starting 
  money, crowners begin 
  play with a fully outfit-
  ted riding horse (saddle, 
  blankets, 
  saddlebags, 
  bit & bridle, harness, 
  horseshoes & meal). The 
  mounts are hardier than 
  most, having 2d8+6 hit 
  points. 
  Brow Beat (Cha): With 
  a successful intimidate 
  check, any 0-level NPC 
  will be so cowed by the 
  crowner, that he will 
  take time out to assist 
  the crowner in his im-
  mediate endeavour even 
  if it means dropping 
  what he is currently do-
  ing and at a productive 
  cost to himself, within 
  reason (The GM will de-
  cide what is reasonable). 
  This could be simply 
  something like ‘look af-
  ter my horse, peasant’ 
  or ‘give that to me’ or 
  ‘come with me’ to some-
  thing 
  a 
  bit 
  more 
  involved. At 5th level, 
  the ability can be used 
  on a 1st level NPC and 
  thereafter on NPCs of at 
  least 4 levels below that 
  of the crowner. 
  Find Truth (Wisdom): 
  The 
  crowner 
  is 
  very 
  skilled in distinguishing 
  truth from untruth. This 
  adds +2 to his sense 
  motive, interrogate and 
  gossip skill checks, for 
  the purposes of filtering 
  fact from fiction or to 
  determine 
  whether 
  somebody is lying to 
  him. 
  Read 
  suspect 
  (Wis-
  dom): Using this ability, 
  the crowner is able to 
  find information about a 
  specific person, by de-
  tailed observation, and 
  deductive reasoning. A 
  crowner 
  must 
  spend 
  1d3x10 minutes observ-
  ing his suspect before a 
  check is allowed. A suc-
  cessful check results in 
  knowledge of the ap-
  proximate level of the 
  person, 
  distinguishing 
  habits and mannerisms, 
  approximate 
  wealth, 
  whether he seems nerv-
  ous 
  or 
  is 
  acting 
  suspiciously and other 
  details 
  that 
  the 
  GM 
  might see fit to provide. 
  With a –5 penalty, this 
  ability can also be used, 
  to a more limited de-
  gree, on a dead body. 
  Hue & Cry: A crowner 
  is able to raise the hue 
  & cry. What this means 
  is that the crowner can 
  declare anyone as being 
  a murderer, thief, trai-
  tor or outlaw call upon 
  the local population to 
  form a posse to help to 
  seek the accused and 
  restrain 
  him 
  or 
  her 
  when caught. Once the 
  cry goes out, within an 
  hour, the crowner will 
  have a mob of 3d6 + the 
  crowner’s charisma bo-
  nus 
  (if 
  any) 
  0-level 
  characters, 
  bearing 
  staffs, pitchforks, cudg-
  els 
  and 
  similar 
  ‘weapons’. In each of the 
  next three hours 1d6 
  further 0-level charac-
  ters will join the posse 
  each hour. After 5 hours 
  from the start of the hue 
  & cry, if the accused 
  hasn’t been found, the 
  mob will begin to dissi-
  pate, losing 2d6 of their 
  number per hour until 
  they have all returned to 
  their homes. The Hue & 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  18 
  Cry can only be raised 
  once in a day. 
  Hunch: At 6th level, the 
  crowner is so skilled at 
  his investigations that 
  he gains an almost psy-
  chic insight into what 
  happened. 
  Once 
  per 
  day, the player can ask 
  the GM for a clue or a 
  lead that will aid his 
  investigation in some 
  way, if he is stuck. He 
  can ask two such ques-
  tions at 12th level. 
   
  Crowner stats: 
  Prime Attribute: Wis-
  dom 
  Hit Die: d8 
  Starting 
  money: 60-
  360 pennies 
  Armour: Any 
  Weapons: Any 
  Abilities: 
   
  Crowner’s 
  horse, find truth, read 
  suspect, brow beat, hue 
  & cry, hunch 
   
  Crowner level pro-
  gression table: 
   
  FIGHTER 
  Fighters come from a 
  range 
  of 
  different 
  backgrounds and they 
  may 
  specialize 
  in 
  different 
  styles 
  or 
  aspects of fighting, but 
  they share one thing in 
  common; fighters are 
  men (and a few women) 
  whose primary skills, 
  abilities and training 
  are 
  in 
  warfare 
  and 
  combat. 
  A 
  character 
  who is a fighter may be 
  a poor landless knight, 
  a 
  Welsh 
  archer, 
  a 
  mercenary-for-hire, the 
  constable 
  in 
  the 
  sherrif’s 
  castle, 
  the 
  sergeant-at-arms of the 
  local militia or even a 
  bouncer or bodyguard 
  at the local tavern. If he 
  wields a weapon for his 
  keep and has no other 
  means of support, then 
  he is likely to be a 
  fighter. 
   
  Fighters 
  tend 
  to 
  be 
  strong enough to use a 
  variety of weapons, and  
  trained to move around 
  without 
  difficulty 
  in 
  heavy 
  shields 
  and 
  armour. Many can ride 
  to some degree, even if 
  they don’t necessarily 
  fight from horseback. 
  When 
  faced 
  with 
  a 
  problem, 
  generally 
  speaking the true mark 
  of a fighter is that he 
  will draw his sword as 
  soon as look at any 
  other options. 
   
  Fighters as inves-
  tigators 
  Fighters, by their very 
  nature as men of action 
  are not generally best 
  suited to the role of the 
  primary 
  investigator. 
  They do have their uses 
  as a support to the 
  teams’ 
  primary 
  investigator though - as 
  bodyguards, 
  and 
  backup when going into 
  a hostile situation, to 
  make arrests or even to 
  intimidate 
  witnesses 
  and 
  suspected 
  criminals. 
   
  Level HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D8 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D8 
  +1 
  1100 
  3 
  D8 
  +2 
  3300 
  4 
  D8 
  +2 
  6600 
  5 
  +2 
  +3 
  11000 
  6 
  +2 
  +4 
  16500 
  7 
  +2 
  +4 
  23100 
  8 
  +2 
  +5 
  30800 
  9 
  +2 
  +6 
  39600 
  10 
  +2 
  +6 
  49500 
  11 
  +2 
  +7 
  60500 
  12 
  +2 
  +8 
  72600 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  19 
  Skills 
  Fighters can choose 2 
  (+Int mod) skills from 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  as 
  class 
  abilities; 
  climb, 
  craft (choose any one), 
  gossip, heal, intimidate, 
  jump, language (choose 
  any), notice, ride. 
   
  Abilities 
  Weapon specialisation: 
  At 1st level, a fighter 
  can choose one weapon 
  in which to specialise. 
  Any weapon can be se-
  lected, including ranged 
  weapons. The weapon 
  selected is often endem-
  ic to the fighter’s culture 
  or 
  society, 
  though 
  needn’t be. The GM and 
  player should consult to 
  see which weapons are 
  available for specializa-
  tion, bearing in mind 
  culture, social status, 
  location and availability. 
  Fighters can choose on-
  ly one weapon in which 
  to specialize. Once cho-
  sen, the weapon cannot 
  be changed. For fighters 
  between 1st and 6th 
  level, this gives a +1 bo-
  nus to hit and to the 
  damage caused, when 
  attacking 
  with 
  that 
  weapon. At 7th level and 
  higher, the bonus is +2 
  to hit and to damage. 
  Combat dominance: At 
  4th level, the fighter 
  gains an extra attack 
  with any weapon when 
  fighting 
  opponents 
  of 
  1st level or lower. The 
  fighter must direct all 
  his attacks in a combat 
  round toward opponents 
  that meet these criteria. 
  The fighter can split 
  available attacks among 
  opponents as desired. 
  This ability improves 
  as the fighter gains 
  levels. 
  The 
  fighter 
  gains 
  an 
  additional 
  attack for every four 
  levels gained after 4th 
  level. So an 8th level 
  fighter is allowed a 
  total of three attacks 
  against 
  such 
  oppo-
  nents. In addition the 
  fighter can use com-
  bat dominance against 
  opponents of higher 
  level as he gains levels. 
  At every four levels, the 
  minimum level of oppo-
  nent goes up a level, so 
  at 8th level, he can use 
  multiple attacks on 2nd 
  level opponents and at 
  12th level he can use it 
  against 3rd level oppo-
  nents. 
  This 
  ability 
  cannot be combined 
  with extra attack. 
  Extra Attack: At 10th 
  level, the fighter gains 
  one additional attack 
  each 
  combat 
  round 
  with any weapon.  
   
  Fighter stats:  
  Prime 
  attribute: 
  Strength 
  Hit Die: D10 
  Starting money: 30-
  240 pennies 
  Armour: Any 
  Weapons: Any 
  Abilities: Weapon spe-
  cialization, 
  combat 
  dominance, extra attack 
   
  Fighter level pro-
  gression table: 
   
   
   
   
  Level 
  HD 
  BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D10 
  +1 
  0 
  2 
  D10 
  +2 
  1000 
  3 
  D10 
  +3 
  3000 
  4 
  D10 
  +4 
  6000 
  5 
  +3 
  +5 
  10000 
  6 
  +3 
  +6 
  15000 
  7 
  +3 
  +7 
  21000 
  8 
  +3 
  +8 
  28000 
  9 
  +3 
  +9 
  36000 
  10 
  +3 
  +10 
  45000 
  11 
  +3 
  +11 
  55000 
  12 
  +3 
  +12 
  66000 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  20 
  FORESTER 
  Foresters are those men 
  that make their living 
  out of doors, on the land 
  and in the royal forests. 
  Although 
  the 
  name 
  forester has very specific 
  official conertations in 
  the middle ages, for the 
  purposes 
  of 
  the 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG 
  it 
  encompasses 
  all 
  verderers, 
  foresters, 
  woodwards 
  and 
  even 
  poachers, 
  who 
  are 
  skilled in the ways of 
  woodcraft and outdoor 
  living. 
   
  The forester is an 
  officer, similar to a 
  gamekeeper, 
  di-
  rectly responsible 
  for enforcing the 
  harsh forest laws 
  and taking offend-
  ers to the forest 
  courts. 
  Foresters 
  were nominated by 
  the Forest Warden, 
  but 
  received 
  no 
  salary. Sometimes 
  they even paid for 
  the privilege of the 
  job, because of the 
  possibilities 
  for 
  extortion. The For-
  esters badge was a 
  horn.  
   
  Woodwards, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand 
  were employed by 
  private landowners 
  to protect the vert 
  and venison, but 
  outside the royal 
  forests. 
  Although 
  they were servants of 
  the landowner, they still 
  had to adhere to the 
  same oaths and codes 
  as the foresters. Their 
  badge was a billhook. 
  Verderers had a similar 
  role, but organised the 
  foresters and reported 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  king. 
  Poachers run a severe 
  risk of being caught, as 
  offences 
  against 
  the 
  vert, or the king’s deer 
  and other game (even 
  creatures like squirrels 
  and crows caught in the 
  royal forest) carried se-
  vere penalties. 
   
  Foresters as inves-
  tigators 
  Foresters are not a nat-
  ural choice as a primary 
  investigator, 
  though 
  they are a good choice 
  as an associate, espe-
  cially 
  when 
  investigations take place 
  outside the city. 
   
  Skills 
  Foresters can choose 3 
  (+Int mod) skills from 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  as 
  class 
  abilities; 
  Climb, 
  craft, gossip, handle an-
  imal, heal, intimidate, 
  jump, knowledge (local 
  area, law, nature), lan-
  guages 
  (not 
  Latin), 
  literacy, listen, notice, 
  search, stealth, swim, 
  track. 
   
  Abilities 
  Awareness (Wis): For-
  esters are particularly 
  adept at noticing broken 
  twigs or branches, un-
  natural 
  silence 
  or 
  alternatively unnatural-
  ly noisy creatures and 
  so on. When out of 
  doors and in their own 
  environment, they can 
  add +2 to all notice, 
  search, track and listen 
  checks. 
  Traps: A forester is able 
  to detect and build sim-
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  21 
  ple traps in the wilder-
  ness. 
  When 
  passing 
  within 25’ of a trap, a 
  forester is entitled to a 
  notice check to spot it. 
  When actively searching 
  for traps, he receives a 
  +2 bonus to the check. 
  He can set simple traps 
  in the wilderness, in-
  cluding snares, pits, log-
  falls and similar devices. 
  On a successful attrib-
  ute 
  check, 
  he 
  successfully builds and 
  conceals 
  the 
  trap. 
  Snares can capture and 
  hold creatures up to 
  medium height and pit 
  traps can deliver d4 
  points 
  of 
  damage 
  (halved if the creature 
  makes a successful dex-
  terity 
  saving 
  throw). 
  They can be made to do 
  extra damage if lined 
  with 
  wooden 
  spikes. 
  Foresters can easily dis-
  able traps they find (no 
  check needed). 
  Conceal (Dex): Forest-
  ers are especially good 
  at 
  concealing 
  them-
  selves 
  out of 
  doors, 
  where there is plenty of 
  natural cover. They re-
  ceive a bonus of +2 to 
  stealth checks, when 
  they are hiding in cover 
  and not moving, whilst 
  in the wilderness.  
  Ranged weapon spe-
  cialist: Foresters tend 
  to be decent marksmen. 
  They can add +1 to their 
  attack rolls to hit with 
  any bow or crossbow. 
  They can also fashion a 
  simple short bow and 
  arrows, quarterstaff or 
  cudgel from the natural 
  materials around them.  
   
  Forester stats:  
  Prime Attribute: Con-
  stitution 
  Hit Die: D8 
  Starting 
  money: 
  20-
  120 pennies 
  Armour: Padded, leath-
  er jerkin, leather coat, 
  ring 
  mail, 
  studded 
  leather. 
  Weapons: 
  Club, 
  bow 
  long or short, dagger, 
  broad sword, hand axe, 
  long sword, short sword, 
  falchion, 
  staff, 
  wood 
  axe, spear, light cross-
  bow  
  Abilities: 
  Awareness, 
  traps, conceal, ranged 
  weapon specialist. 
   
  Forester level pro-
  gression table: 
   
   
  MERCHANT 
  Merchants are traders, 
  businessmen, 
  money-
  lenders 
  and 
  possibly 
  even craftsmen. Some 
  will have come to their 
  business ventures from 
  other backgrounds and 
  professions, and others 
  were born into it, per-
  haps inheriting a family 
  business. Some traders 
  sell their own goods 
  from shops in towns 
  and cities; others might 
  travel 
  around 
  buying 
  goods from here and 
  there, selling for a profit 
  in other places. Many of 
  the 
  richer 
  merchants 
  will have contacts in 
  ports, both in England 
  and overseas and some 
  will even own their own 
  ships. 
   
  Merchants are burgess-
  es, meaning they are 
  freemen and some of the 
  wealthier ones will hold 
  positions of importance 
  in the town. Often they 
  hold lands too and can 
  be wealthier than the 
  nobility. For this rea-
  son, merchants tend to 
  be conscious of their 
  status and like to dress 
  as finely as their pock-
  ets and their stations 
  allow. 
   
   
   
  Level HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D8 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D8 
  +1 
  1000 
  3 
  D8 
  +1 
  3000 
  4 
  D8 
  +2 
  6000 
  5 
  +2 
  +3 
  10000 
  6 
  +2 
  +3 
  15000 
  7 
  +2 
  +4 
  21000 
  8 
  +2 
  +5 
  28000 
  9 
  +2 
  +5 
  36000 
  10 
  +2 
  +6 
  45000 
  11 
  +2 
  +7 
  55000 
  12 
  +2 
  +7 
  66000 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  22 
  Merchants as in-
  vestigators 
  Merchants 
  probably 
  make very good primary 
  investigators, but unless 
  money is involved they 
  probably aren’t interest-
  ed. They are probably 
  best as support charac-
  ters - they are often 
  literate 
  and 
  certainly 
  good gossips; especially 
  those that do a lot of 
  traveling. 
  They 
  might 
  even 
  have 
  money 
  of 
  their own that they can 
  throw around to obtain 
  more information and 
  they are useful to identi-
  fy murder weapons and 
  other objects found at 
  crime scenes. 
   
  Skills 
  Merchants can choose 4 
  (+Int mod) skills from 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  as 
  class abilities; Appraise, 
  craft (choose any), di-
  plomacy, gossip, handle 
  animal, knowledge (any 
  from law, local area, no-
  bility & royalty, trade & 
  traders, the world), lan-
  guages 
  (choose 
  any), 
  listen, 
  literacy, 
  notice, ride, sense 
  motive. 
   
  Abilities 
  Bargain 
  (Cha): 
  This is the skill of 
  negotiation for a 
  price – whether 
  that is by barter 
  (exchange 
  of 
  goods) or simply 
  haggling 
  on 
  a 
  price to lower (or 
  increase if selling) 
  it. With a suc-
  cessful diplomacy 
  check, at 1st level 
  they can reduce 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  standard 
  equip-
  ment 
  and 
  weapons from the 
  list by 3/4 of the 
  listed price. At 4th 
  level, 
  they 
  can 
  buy 
  equipment 
  for 2/3 of the 
  listed price and 
  by 8th level they can 
  bargain the costs down 
  to ½ the listed price of 
  goods. Finally at 12th 
  level, merchants can get 
  standard goods for a 
  third of the list price. 
  For other items like rare 
  items and religious arti-
  facts and relics, the GM 
  will have to make his 
  own judgment 
  as 
  to 
  what would seem rea-
  sonable. 
  Money Wise (Wis): You 
  cannot 
  fool 
  a 
  canny 
  merchant. 
  They 
  can 
  spot shaved coins, sepa-
  rate real silver and gold 
  coins from fake metals 
  and can also tell how 
  many coins are in a 
  purse without needing 
  to open it and some-
  times 
  even 
  just 
  by 
  looking at it. A notice 
  check is needed. 
  Contacts (Cha): Mer-
  chants 
  conduct 
  their 
  trade with a large num-
  ber of people and are 
  therefore privy to gossip 
  from very many places. 
  Whenever they fail a 
  gossip check, they can 
  have another check add-
  ing +2 to the roll if they 
  have the opportunity to 
  go off and visit one of 
  their 
  other 
  contacts 
  ‘who might know a bit 
  more’. 
  Identify 
  item 
  (Int): 
  Merchants can choose a 
  specialist 
  trade 
  item, 
  with which they receive 
  a +2 modifier to their 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  23 
  appraise checks. Sug-
  gested choices could be 
  jewellery, 
  gems, 
  gold, 
  silver, 
  tin, 
  bronze, 
  weapons, armour, cloth-
  ing, spices, books, cloth, 
  religious items and so 
  on.  
   
  Merchant stats: 
  Prime Attribute: Cha-
  risma 
  Hit Die: D6 
  Starting 
  money: 
  40-
  240 pennies 
  Armour: Padded, leath-
  er jerkin, leather coat, 
  studded leather.  
  Weapons: Club, dagger, 
  broadsword, 
  short 
  sword, long sword, staff, 
  light crossbow  
  Abilities: Bargain, mon-
  ey 
  wise, 
  contacts, 
  identify item 
   
  Merchant 
  level 
  progression table: 
   
   
  NOBLE 
  Nobles still hold great 
  power by this time and 
  are still pretty much the 
  embodiment of the feu-
  dal system representing 
  a mix of military might, 
  wealth, land ownership 
  and political ambition. 
  Although there is clearly 
  a shift in thinking, the 
  common man generally 
  still knows his place.  
   
  Nobles are skilled in po-
  litical 
  manoeuvrings, 
  plotting and conniving, 
  diplomacy 
  and 
  back-
  stabbing. At this time, 
  the nobility is also still 
  looked upon for military 
  leadership, for the only 
  reason that they have 
  the wealth to raise ar-
  mies and outfit them 
  with armour and weap-
  ons. 
  Lower 
  ranking 
  nobles, those without 
  the wealth to do this, 
  are 
  still often 
  better 
  equipped than the aver-
  age soldier and often 
  serve as officers. 
    
  Nobles as investigators 
  Some nobles are em-
  powered to investigate 
  crimes on their land, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  murders or arson that a 
  crowner is required to 
  investigate. 
  Therefore, 
  whether they are good 
  at it or not, characters 
  who 
  are 
  nobles 
  can 
  make for enjoyable pri-
  mary investigators, even 
  if they might require a 
  few associates and help-
  ers. Other nobles are 
  occasionally asked by 
  the king or the church 
  to 
  investigate 
  certain 
  mysteries or to do a bit 
  of spying work. This 
  would usually be in cas-
  es where the noble in 
  question 
  is 
  deemed 
  competent 
  and 
  loyal 
  enough to carry out 
  such duties. 
   
  Skills 
  Nobles can choose 2 
  (+Int mod) skills from 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  as 
  class abilities; Diploma-
  cy, 
  gossip, 
  heal, 
  intimidate, 
  interrogate, 
  knowledge (choose from 
  religion, law, nobility & 
  royalty, the world), lan-
  guages 
  (choose 
  any), 
  literacy, perform, sense 
  motive. 
   
  Abilities 
  Noble’s horse: Nobles 
  are automatically able to 
  ride a horse and will 
  have at least one horse 
  of their own of a suita-
  ble type for riding to 
  war. In addition to their 
  starting money, nobles 
  begin play with a fully 
  outfitted 
  riding 
  horse 
  (saddle, blankets, sad-
  dlebags, bit & bridle, 
  harness, horseshoes & 
  meal). The mounts are 
  hardier than most, hav-
  ing 2d8+6 hit points. 
  Level HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D6 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D6 
  +1 
  900 
  3 
  D6 
  +1 
  2700 
  4 
  D6 
  +2 
  5400 
  5 
  +1 
  +2 
  9000 
  6 
  +1 
  +3 
  13500 
  7 
  +1 
  +3 
  18900 
  8 
  +1 
  +4 
  25200 
  9 
  +1 
  +4 
  32400 
  10 
  +1 
  +5 
  40500 
  11 
  +1 
  +5 
  49500 
  12 
  +1 
  +6 
  59400 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  24 
  Landowner: The noble 
  character is automati-
  cally assumed to hold 
  his own land. This land 
  will be a small estate 
  (initially) comprising his 
  manor 
  house 
  and 
  a 
  small village, including 
  a mill, fields and a small 
  area of woodland for 
  hunting and so forth. 
  The noble is responsible 
  for the serfs and so on 
  who live in the village 
  and work his fields. He 
  will have a few servants, 
  such as an ostler (for 
  his horse), a cook, a 
  couple of maids and 
  maybe a woodward or 
  two to run his wood-
  land. He is also likely to 
  have at least a handful 
  (roll 2d3) of 0-level men-
  at-arms, under a 1st 
  level 
  sergeant-at-arms. 
  A steward will be re-
  sponsible for the day-to-
  day 
  running 
  of 
  his 
  house. After taxes, pay-
  ing 
  his 
  staff 
  and 
  upkeep, the land will 
  produce a small income 
  of 20-1200 (2d6 x 100) 
  pennies per year.  
  Brow Beat (Cha): With 
  a successful intimidate 
  check, any 0-level NPC 
  will be so cowed by the 
  noble, that he will take 
  time out to assist the 
  noble in his immediate 
  endeavour 
  even 
  if 
  it 
  means dropping what 
  he is currently doing 
  and at a productive cost 
  to himself, within rea-
  son (The GM will decide 
  what 
  is 
  reasonable). 
  This could be simply 
  something like ‘look af-
  ter my horse, peasant’ 
  or ‘give that to me’ or 
  ‘come with me’ to some-
  thing 
  a 
  bit 
  more 
  involved. At 5th level, 
  the ability can be used 
  on a 1st level NPC and 
  thereafter on NPCs of at 
  least 4 levels below that 
  of the noble. 
  Dispense justice:  The 
  noble is considered a 
  legal representative by 
  the 
  medieval 
  system 
  that is only just begin-
  ning to change. At 4th 
  level, the character is 
  authorised to administer 
  justice, 
  arbitrate 
  dis-
  putes and perform legal 
  functions 
  within 
  his 
  own manor. The noble’s 
  decisions 
  are 
  legally 
  binding on all but mem-
  bers of the clergy and 
  upon other nobles. De-
  cisions can however, be 
  overturned by nobles of 
  at least 2 levels higher 
  than the character.  
   
  Noble stats: 
   
  Prime Attribute: Cha-
  risma 
  Hit Die: D8 
  Starting money: 50-
  300 pennies 
  Armour: Any 
  Weapons: Any 
  Abilities: Noble’s 
  horse, landowner, 
  brow beat, dispense 
  justice 
  Noble 
  level 
  pro-
  gression table: 
   
  Level HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D8 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D8 
  +1 
  1100 
  3 
  D8 
  +1 
  3300 
  4 
  D8 
  +2 
  6600 
  5 
  +2 
  +3 
  11000 
  6 
  +2 
  +3 
  16500 
  7 
  +2 
  +4 
  23100 
  8 
  +2 
  +5 
  30800 
  9 
  +2 
  +5 
  39600 
  10 
  +2 
  +6 
  49500 
  11 
  +2 
  +7 
  60500 
  12 
  +2 
  +7 
  72600 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  25 
  ROGUE 
  In any city or any town 
  there are those types 
  who like to live their 
  lives on the other side of 
  the law. They might find 
  that circumstances lead 
  them to a life of crime or 
  they might choose such 
  a life, but one way or 
  another they end up 
  stealing or conning peo-
  ple out of their money 
  and possessions.  
   
  Some rogues are high-
  waymen; 
  others 
  are 
  thugs. Some prefer pick-
  ing pockets in busy 
  markets and taverns 
  and others break into 
  houses. 
  There 
  are 
  others 
  who 
  travel 
  from village to town 
  peddling shoddy or 
  stolen goods. For the 
  most 
  part 
  though, 
  they are thieves, li-
  ars, 
  cheats 
  and 
  swindlers of one sort 
  or another. Because 
  of their skills, some 
  rogues 
  find 
  them-
  selves sought after as 
  spies, 
  information 
  gatherers and even 
  as assassins. 
   
  Rogues as investiga-
  tors 
  Probably 
  best 
  as 
  supporting 
  charac-
  ters, rogues have a 
  number of extremely 
  useful 
  skills 
  and 
  have access to the 
  parts of the city that 
  most of the other types 
  of character cannot gain 
  access to. Rogues oper-
  ating on the side of the 
  law do have to be care-
  ful though, not to give 
  the game away other-
  wise they could end up 
  with half the under-
  world after them. 
   
  Skills 
  Rogues can choose 5 (+ 
  Int mod) skills from the 
  following list as class 
  abilities; 
  Appraise, 
  climb, disguise, forgery, 
  gossip, intimidate, inter-
  rogate, jump, knowledge 
  (choose from local area, 
  underworld, wounds & 
  corpses), 
  languages 
  (choose any except Latin 
  or Norman French), lis-
  ten, 
  notice, 
  perform, 
  pick lock, pick pocket, 
  search, sense motive, 
  stealth, track. 
    
  Abilities 
  Back attack: A rogue 
  can use stealth to sneak 
  up on someone 
  and 
  catch him or her una-
  ware. If a rogue is able 
  to attack an unaware 
  opponent from the rear, 
  he gains a bonus to 
  hit and damage with 
  small melee weapons, 
  such as knives, clubs 
  and saps. He must 
  make 
  a 
  successful 
  move silently check 
  to sneak up, or oth-
  erwise 
  be 
  successfully 
  con-
  cealed behind his foe. 
  He then gets a +4 
  bonus to hit. A suc-
  cessful hit means he 
  causes double dam-
  age. 
  At 
  5th 
  level 
  damage 
  is 
  trebled 
  from a back attack 
  and at 9th level the 
  damage is quadru-
  pled. 
  Traps (Int): A rogue 
  may use this ability 
  to find, disable or set 
  traps. Each use re-
  quires 
  a 
  separate 
  check 
  and 
  each 
  check may be made 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  26 
  only once in a given cir-
  cumstance. To find a 
  trap, the rogue must 
  spend time searching an 
  area to deduce possible 
  trap locations. It takes a 
  round to find a trap in a 
  specific area, such as on 
  a lock or door handle. 
  To disable a trap, the 
  rogue must first have 
  found the trap. A suc-
  cessful 
  check 
  means 
  that he has disabled it. 
  Failure means that he 
  set it off and could suf-
  fer the effects. To set a 
  trap he or she needs to 
  make 
  a 
  successful 
  check. If the check fails, 
  the trap will not trigger 
  at the intended moment. 
  Resetting a previously 
  disabled trap gives the 
  rogue a +5 to his or her 
  check. 
  Sneak attack: At 4th 
  level, 
  a 
  rogue 
  has 
  learned to adapt back 
  attack skills to more 
  general 
  situations. 
  When an opponent or 
  victim is aware of the 
  rogue, but unsuspect-
  ing of attack, a rogue 
  can use the sneak at-
  tack 
  ability. 
  For 
  example a rogue could 
  be having a conversa-
  tion with a victim while 
  hiding a dagger up his 
  sleeve, 
  intending 
  to 
  knife 
  him 
  at 
  some 
  point. Or he could be 
  waiting in a tree with a 
  loaded crossbow, wait-
  ing 
  for 
  the 
  perfect 
  opportunity to fire. A 
  rogue making a sneak 
  attack gains a +2 bonus 
  to hit and a +4 bonus to 
  damage. Ranged weap-
  ons can be used as long 
  as the target is within 
  30’. 
  A 
  rogue 
  cannot 
  shoot with deadly accu-
  racy beyond that range. 
   
  Rogue stats:  
   
  Prime Attribute: Dex-
  terity 
  Hit Die: D6 
  Starting 
  money: 
  30-
  120 pennies 
  Armour: Padded, leath-
  er jerkin, leather coat, 
  studded leather.  
  Weapons: Dagger, club, 
  short sword, hand  
  axe, broad sword, staff, 
  sling, short bow, light 
  crossbow 
  Abilities: Back attack, 
  traps, sneak attack 
   
  Rogue 
  level 
  pro-
  gression table: 
   
   
  SCHOLAR 
  Scholars are skilled and 
  knowledgeable 
  scribes, 
  clerks, 
  archivists 
  or 
  teachers. They study the 
  nature of the world, the 
  mysteries 
  of 
  theology 
  and the nuances of the 
  law. They are most at 
  home among books, or 
  disputing with one an-
  other 
  over 
  obscure 
  points of philosophical 
  interpretation, but their 
  knowledge 
  sometimes 
  has a wider application, 
  and they can find them-
  selves involved in one 
  side or another of a po-
  litical debate or testing 
  the finer points of law in 
  an 
  awkward 
  criminal 
  case.  
   
  While 
  all 
  characters 
  can, in theory, study, 
  none match the scholar 
  for depth and breadth of 
  knowledge. The scholar 
  is always learning, and 
  forgets little of what he 
  knows. Most scholars 
  obtained their educa-
  tion 
  in 
  the 
  church 
  which, in the middle 
  ages was virtually the 
  only place where there 
  are any books to learn 
  from. 
  Therefore 
  they 
  still often have some 
  ties to the church, even 
  if they parted ways on 
  differences of opinion 
  on theological or eco-
  nomic matters.  
   
  Level 
  HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D6 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D6 
  +1 
  900 
  3 
  D6 
  +1 
  2700 
  4 
  D6 
  +2 
  5400 
  5 
  +1 
  +2 
  9000 
  6 
  +1 
  +3 
  13500 
  7 
  +1 
  +3 
  18900 
  8 
  +1 
  +4 
  25200 
  9 
  +1 
  +4 
  32400 
  10 
  +1 
  +5 
  40500 
  11 
  +1 
  +5 
  49500 
  12 
  +1 
  +6 
  59400 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  27 
  Scholars as investiga-
  tors 
  Scholars can be skilled 
  primary 
  investigators, 
  with 
  their 
  range 
  of 
  knowledge and ability to 
  read and write. They are 
  also very useful second-
  ary 
  investigators 
  who 
  can ably support a less 
  studious investigator, as 
  a crowner’s clerk, for 
  example. Some scholars 
  are selected as agents of 
  the church or the crown 
  in their own right, pro-
  vided they are loyal. 
   
  Skills 
  Scholars can choose 6 
  (+Int mod) skills from 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  as 
  class abilities, of which 
  at 
  least 
  3 
  must 
  be 
  knowledges and/or lan-
  guages; 
  Appraise, 
  diplomacy, forgery, gos-
  sip, 
  heal, 
  interrogate, 
  knowledge (choose any), 
  languages (choose any), 
  listen, notice, perform, 
  search.   
   
  Abilities 
  Literate (Int): Scholars 
  are educated men and 
  need to be able to read 
  & write. Any character 
  of this class is automat-
  ically considered literate 
  in any language he or 
  she can speak. An at-
  tribute 
  check 
  would 
  normally be required to 
  read works of a very 
  complicated 
  nature, 
  badly written work or 
  old and faded writing. 
  Research (Int): Even if 
  a scholar knows noth-
  ing about a subject, as 
  long as he has access to 
  a library and 1d4 hours 
  to study, he can dredge 
  up some useful infor-
  mation and receives a 
  check. Where he does 
  have the knowledge al-
  ready (but failed his 
  initial check), he only 
  needs half an hour to 
  research the topic, after 
  which time he can re-
  ceive between +2 and +6 
  to his check, depending 
  on the size and quality 
  of the library, and gets 
  to roll again, for specific 
  information 
  that 
  he 
  missed originally. 
  Scribing 
  (Int): 
  Like 
  monks and nuns, schol-
  ars 
  can 
  copy 
  text 
  exactly. This means that 
  they can gain a bonus of 
  +4 on any forgery check, 
  whether to spot a fake 
  or to make one. 
  Trained memory (Int): 
  If a scholar takes the 
  time to memorize some-
  thing, he or she can 
  recite it perfectly at any 
  later date with a suc-
  cessful check. The time 
  taken depends on the 
  thing to be memorized, 
  but as a rule of thumb it 
  takes three times as 
  long to memorize a piece 
  of text as it takes to 
  simply look over it. 
  Clear 
  Explanation 
  (Int): From 4th level a 
  scholar 
  can 
  explain 
  what he knows with 
  such clarity and enthu-
  siasm 
  that even 
  the 
  ignorant can follow it 
  and make use of the 
  ability. In game terms, 
  the scholar may explain 
  any of his skills (not just 
  his Knowledge skills) to 
  someone with whom he 
  shares a language, and 
  that person may use the 
  skill as if he had it at 
  half the level as the 
  scholar. He may use the 
  skill at any point up to 
  one round per level of 
  the scholar, plus his 
  own Int modifier after 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  28 
  the scholar has finished 
  explaining how to use 
  the skill. For example if 
  the scholar is 4th level 
  and the character has 
  an Int bonus of +1, he 
  can use the skill any 
  time up to 5 rounds af-
  ter 
  he 
  received 
  instruction and does so 
  as if he were 2nd level. 
  Unless he later trains in 
  the skill, he soon forgets 
  how to use it. 
   
  Scholar stats:  
   
  Prime Attribute: Intel-
  ligence 
  Hit Die: D6 
  Starting 
  money: 
  30-
  120 pennies 
  Armour: Padded, leath-
  er jerkin. 
  Weapons: Club, dagger, 
  staff, light crossbow 
  Abilities: Literate, re-
  search, scribing, trained 
  memory, clear explana-
  tion 
   
  Scholar level pro-
  gression table: 
  Multi-classing 
  Overview 
  Sometimes a player has 
  an idea for a character 
  for which two classes 
  seem more appropriate 
  than just the one. A no-
  ble who joins the clergy 
  or a fighting man who 
  falls on hard times and 
  becomes a rogue are 
  just a couple of the pos-
  sibilities. 
  In 
  this 
  instance, the option is 
  for a GM to allow his 
  player to have a multi-
  class character 
   
  Multi-class 
  A multi-class character 
  is one that starts off at 
  1st level with two clas-
  ses. When a player 
  wishes to have a true 
  multi-class character, 
  the following rules ap-
  ply 
   
  • 
  No 
  more 
  than 
  two classes may 
  be taken. 
  • 
  To advance a lev-
  el the character 
  must earn enough 
  experience points 
  to advance in both 
  classes 
  at 
  the 
  same time. For ex-
  ample, a 1st level 
  cleric/noble would 
  require 2000 expe-
  rience 
  points 
  to 
  advance to a 2nd 
  level cleric/noble. 
  • 
  The 
  character 
  must 
  take 
  the 
  prime from both of 
  his 
  classes. 
  For 
  example 
  a 
  cler-
  ic/noble 
  must 
  have both wisdom 
  and charisma as 
  prime 
  attributes. 
  Characters 
  may 
  still choose their 
  secondary 
  attrib-
  utes as they wish. 
  • 
  The 
  character 
  uses the best bo-
  nus to hit and 
  bonus to defence 
  charts available to 
  him. A 1st level 
  cleric/noble would 
  use 
  the 
  noble’s 
  bonus to hit (there 
  is no difference at 
  earlier levels, but 
  the noble’s BtH is 
  better 
  at 
  higher 
  levels). 
  • 
  The character av-
  erages 
  his 
  hit 
  points by rolling 
  for both classes, 
  adding the results 
  together and divid-
  ing the total by 
  two 
  (rounding 
  fractions up). Any 
  constitution modi-
  Level 
  HD BtH 
  EPP 
  1 
  D6 
  +0 
  0 
  2 
  D6 
  +1 
  900 
  3 
  D6 
  +1 
  2700 
  4 
  D6 
  +1 
  5400 
  5 
  +1 
  +2 
  9000 
  6 
  +1 
  +2 
  13500 
  7 
  +1 
  +2 
  18900 
  8 
  +1 
  +2 
  25200 
  9 
  +1 
  +3 
  32400 
  10 
  +1 
  +3 
  40500 
  11 
  +1 
  +3 
  49500 
  12 
  +1 
  +4 
  59400 
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  29 
  fier the character 
  may have is ap-
  plied to the final 
  total, with a min-
  imum of 1. For 
  example 
  a 
  cler-
  ic/noble rolls 1d6 
  and gets a result 
  of 4 for his cleric 
  class. The player 
  also rolls 1d8 for 
  his 
  noble 
  class 
  and gets a 5. The 
  total is 9. Divide 
  this by 2 (rounded 
  up) to get 5. If the 
  character 
  has 
  a 
  constitution of 12 
  (+1 modifier) the 
  final total would 
  become 
  6 
  addi-
  tional hit points. 
  At first level, the 
  split class charac-
  ter 
  automatically 
  gets maximum hit 
  points, so he gets 
  (6+8)/2 
  =7 
  hit 
  points (plus any 
  con modifier) as a 
  1st 
  level 
  cler-
  ic/noble. 
  • 
  �he character may 
  use any weapons 
  available to both 
  of his classes. 
  • 
  The character gets 
  a number of skills 
  to choose as class 
  abilities equal to 
  the lower number 
  of the two classes. 
  However, 
  he 
  or 
  she 
  can 
  choose 
  skills available to 
  either class. 
  • 
  The 
  character 
  gains 
  all 
  other 
  benefits and pen-
  alties 
  of 
  both 
  classes such as a 
  cleric’s ordination 
  and the noble’s 
  horse and land. 
   
  Dual-class 
  A dual-class character 
  is one that starts off life 
  in one character class 
  and then, later on 
  switches his class to 
  another one. 
   
  • 
  No more than two 
  classes 
  may 
  be 
  taken. 
  • 
  The 
  character 
  must advance to 
  at least 2nd level 
  in his first class 
  before switching to 
  his second class. 
  • 
  The 
  character’s 
  second class must 
  be one for which 
  he already has a 
  prime attribute. 
  • 
  If all of the above 
  criteria 
  are 
  met 
  then the character 
  may abandon his 
  first 
  class 
  and 
  begin to gain expe-
  rience 
  points 
  in 
  his second class. 
  He may not, how-
  ever, return to his 
  original class at a 
  later 
  date 
  since 
  such class chang-
  es usually stem 
  from life altering 
  events. 
  • 
  The character us-
  es the best bonus 
  to hit chart avail-
  able to him. A 2nd 
  level fighter who 
  begins to advance 
  as a apothecary 
  would continue to 
  use the fighter’s 
  +2 bonus to hit 
  until he became a 
  8th level apothe-
  cary, 
  at 
  which 
  point 
  he 
  would 
  begin to use the 
  apothecary’s 
  +3 
  bonus to hit. 
  • 
  The character may 
  use any weapons 
  available to both 
  of his classes. 
  • 
  The character re-
  tains 
  all 
  the 
  benefits 
  of 
  his 
  original class that 
  he 
  had 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  he 
  switched 
  classes. 
  So 
  a 
  2nd level 
  fighter 
  who 
  switched to being 
  an 
  apothecary 
  would 
  retain 
  weapon specializa-
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  30 
  tion but would not 
  gain combat dom-
  inance or extra at-
  attack. From then 
  on he gains apoth-
  ecary abilities as 
  he rises in level as 
  an 
  apothecary. 
  The 
  character 
  adds his hit dice 
  from both classes 
  together but may 
  still 
  never 
  have 
  more than four to-
  tal hit dice. A 2nd 
  level 
  fighter/2nd 
  level 
  apothecary, 
  for example, would 
  have 2d10 hit dice 
  from 
  his 
  fighter 
  class as well as 
  the 2d6 from his 
  apothecary class. 
  Once the charac-
  ter reaches a total 
  of five levels (2nd 
  level 
  fighter/3rd 
  level 
  apothecary) 
  he would begin to 
  gain hit points ac-
  cording 
  to 
  his 
  current class upon 
  attaining the next 
  level of experience 
  i.e. +1 hit point 
  per level. 
   
  Completing 
  your 
  character 
  Persona 
  The 
  appearance 
  and 
  demeanour 
  of 
  your 
  character is entirely up 
  to you and how you pic-
  ture 
  him 
  or 
  her. 
  Describing your charac-
  ter as simply a forester, 
  doesn’t really paint a 
  picture of him. Saying 
  that he is a stocky, 
  longhaired 
  woodsman 
  with several days’ stub-
  ble 
  on 
  his 
  weather-
  beaten face gives a bet-
  ter picture. Adding to 
  this 
  description 
  his 
  usual style of clothing 
  embellishes the picture 
  further. “He wears a 
  battered 
  hat, 
  pulled 
  down over his eyes and 
  a 
  threadbare 
  tunic 
  that’s seen better days, 
  though that it partly 
  hidden by a patched 
  and torn cloak billowing 
  slightly in the breeze”. 
  Now you can almost see 
  him walking into town 
  after a few days out on 
  the trail.  
   
  The look of the charac-
  ter creates the initial 
  impression. 
  However, 
  that isn’t all there is to 
  completing the picture. 
  You need to think about 
  what he is actually like 
  – is he as mean and 
  tough as he looks? Does 
  he have any strange 
  habits or foibles? Does 
  he like to drink, or is he 
  a devout churchgoer? Is 
  he interested in money, 
  fame or something else 
  entirely? Once you start 
  to add a few of these 
  details, then you begin 
  to get a feel for whom he 
  and what he is about. 
  Don’t bust a gut over it 
  though. You don’t need 
  pages 
  and 
  pages 
  of 
  background details, just 
  one or two things that 
  help to give the GM and 
  other players an idea of 
  what your character is 
  like. Once 
  you start 
  playing, you can add 
  further details actually 
  in character and during 
  the game itself. 
   
  Often it is worth devel-
  oping one thing that 
  your character wants to 
  do, especially if you talk 
  this through with the 
  other players (or the 
  GM, if it is supposed to 
  be a secret). This could 
  be something as simple 
  as a character wants to 
  get even with someone 
  who has wronged him in 
  the past, or it could be 
  that someone for some 
  reason 
  is 
  hunting 
  him? It might be that 
  the character is aim-
  ing to carve out a 
  reputation for himself, 
  seeking 
  wealth 
  or 
  power by lawful or un-
  lawful means or any 
  one of a number of 
  other goals. These  
  
  CHARACTER CLASSES 
   
   
   
  31 
   
  aims will give your 
  GM some ideas for 
  scenarios and ad-
  ventures in which 
  you have a vested 
  interest and will 
  therefore make the 
  game even more 
  exciting. 
   
  Name 
  A 
  character’s 
  name is a highly 
  evocative way to 
  help conjure up 
  the right image of 
  your 
  character. 
  Obviously, 
  you 
  need to choose a 
  name that suits 
  the historical time 
  frame and that is 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  style of game that 
  you are playing. If 
  you are playing a 
  light-hearted 
  game, or playing 
  in 
  a 
  ‘Hollywood’ 
  not-quite historical 
  style, then you can 
  probably get away 
  with taking a few 
  more liberties. If in 
  doubt, 
  ask 
  the 
  other players or 
  the GM. There is a 
  list 
  of 
  example 
  character 
  names 
  later on in this 
  publication. 
   
  Equipping 
  your character 
  Once you have fin-
  ished all of the 
  details of your charac-
  ter, it is time to equip 
  him or her. Some choic-
  es of weapon are largely 
  dictated by the charac-
  ter class that you have 
  chosen. However, your 
  choices need to reflect 
  the 
  character. 
  You 
  might think that a spe-
  cific weapon does more 
  damage than another 
  one, therefore it is better 
  and therefore you want 
  it. However, sometimes 
  just deciding that, for 
  whatever reason, your 
  character 
  prefers 
  one 
  type over another adds 
  to the character and is a 
  character-driven 
  deci-
  sion, rather than one 
  dictated by what is best 
  in the rules. He might, 
  perhaps be biased to-
  wards 
  one 
  type 
  of 
  sword, because that is 
  the one he was given by 
  his father before he died 
  or he might prefer it just 
  because he read some-
  where that it is the 
  fanciest or best made or 
  for some other reason. 
  Think about some of the 
  reasons that you buy 
  one make of car over 
  another, even if one 
  costs more or is faster 
  or has better mileage 
  and so on. These are all 
  decisions 
  that 
  your 
  character would make 
  when buying his own 
  gear. 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  32 
   
  SKILLS 
   
  very character class 
  gets 
  an 
  initial 
  choice of between 2 
  and 6 skills from a class 
  list, at 1st level. The 
  skills selected are then 
  considered class abili-
  ties and when used, the 
  character’s level is add-
  ed to the d20 roll to 
  determine 
  success. 
  Each 
  character 
  also 
  gains an additional skill 
  at levels 3, 6, 9 and 12. 
  These can come from 
  their class skills or, if 
  they are receiving train-
  ing or tuition, can be 
  from the main skill list. 
  The 
  player 
  needs 
  to 
  state that he is receiving 
  training in the new skill 
  when he reaches the 
  level prior to the level 
  that he can receive the 
  extra skill. So, upon at-
  taining 
  2nd 
  level, 
  a 
  fighter character might 
  want to take training in 
  literacy. He is assumed 
  to be practising and 
  learning (from an NPC 
  scholar or cleric or other 
  character) for the whole 
  of the time it takes to 
  get the 3rd level. 
  When your character 
  uses a skill, you make 
  an attribute check to 
  see how well he or she 
  does. The higher the 
  result of the attribute 
  check, 
  the 
  better. 
  Based on the circum-
  stances, 
  your 
  result 
  must match or beat a 
  particular number (a 
  challenge rating or the 
  result of an opposed 
  attribute check) for the 
  check to be successful. 
  The harder the task, 
  the higher the number 
  you need to roll. 
   
  Circumstances can af-
  fect 
  your 
  check; 
  a 
  character that is free to 
  work without distrac-
  tions 
  can 
  make 
  a 
  careful 
  attempt 
  and 
  avoid simple mistakes. 
  A character who has 
  lots of time can try over 
  and over again, thereby 
  assuring the best out-
  come. If others help, 
  the character may suc-
  E 
  Skill list 
  Appraise (Int) 
  Climb (Str or Dex) 
  Craft (Int) 
  (Ar-
  mourer, blacksmith, 
  bowyer, carpenter, 
  goldsmith, leather-
  worker, potter, tailor) 
  Diplomacy (Cha) 
  Disguise (Cha) 
  Forgery (Int) 
  Gossip (Cha) 
  Handle Animal (Cha) 
  Heal (Wis) 
  Intimidate 
  (Cha 
  or 
  Str) 
  Interrogate (Cha) 
  Jump (Str or Dex) 
  Knowledge (Int) (Reli-
  gion, local area, law, 
  nature, 
  nobility 
  & 
  royalty, trade & trad-
  ers, the underworld, 
  wounds & corpses) 
  Languages (Int) (Cor-
  nish, German, Irish, 
  Latin, Middle Eng-
  lish, Norman French, 
  Welsh)  
  Listen (Wis) 
  Literacy (Int) 
  Notice (Wis) 
  Perform (Cha) 
  Pick Lock (Dex) 
  Pick Pocket (Dex) 
  Ride (Dex) 
  Search (Wis) 
  Sense Motive (Wis) 
  Stealth (Dex) 
  Swim (Str) 
  Track (Wis) 
  
  CHAPTER FOUR TITLE 
   
   
   
  33 
  ceed where otherwise he 
  or she would fail.  
   
  A skill check takes into 
  account a character’s 
  training (level), natural 
  talent (ability modifier), 
  and luck (the die roll). It 
  may also take into ac-
  count what armor he or 
  she is wearing and any 
  encumbrance. 
  The 
  chapter headed ‘Game 
  rules’ 
  explains 
  how 
  skills are used in greater 
  detail. 
   
  Skill descriptions 
  Appraise (Int) 
  This is the skill of 
  determining 
  the 
  value and crafts-
  manship 
  of 
  common or 
  well-
  known objects. Ap-
  praising a rare or 
  exotic item requires 
  a successful check 
  with at least a -5 
  modifier. 
  If 
  the 
  check is successful, 
  you estimate 
  the 
  value correctly. You can 
  even 
  determine 
  the 
  maker, if local or well 
  known, with a -10 pen-
  alty. You might also 
  want to ascertain other 
  details about an item, 
  such as its age, materi-
  als used to make it and 
  so on. All of these may 
  involve a higher chal-
  lenge rating at the GM’s 
  discretion. If you have a 
  craft that is relevant to 
  the item being assessed, 
  you can add +2 to his 
  attribute check. It nor-
  mally takes at least a 
  minute to appraise the 
  approximate worth of an 
  item and rather longer 
  for other details. 
   
  Climb (Dex or Str) 
  Climbing requires either 
  dexterity 
  or 
  strength 
  (character’s choice). It is 
  the skill of getting up a 
  wall, 
  tree 
  or 
  steep 
  slope/cliff face without 
  falling. You can climb 
  10’ per round with a 
  successful 
  check. 
  A 
  failed check means you 
  slipped and fell at some 
  point, possibly suffering 
  some damage.  
   
  Craft (Int) 
  Craft is actually a num-
  ber of separate skills. 
  You could have several 
  crafts each purchased 
  as a separate skill. A 
  craft skill is specifically 
  focused 
  on 
  creating, 
  making 
  or 
  repairing 
  something. 
  Having 
  a 
  craft 
  usually 
  denotes 
  that the character is or 
  has been a craftsman at 
  some point in his or her 
  life. You can practice 
  your trade and make a 
  decent living, earning 
  about 4-40 (4d10) silver 
  pennies per week of 
  dedicated 
  work, 
  plus 1 penny per 
  level attained. You 
  know how to use 
  the tools of your 
  trade, how to per-
  form 
  the 
  craft’s 
  daily tasks, how to 
  supervise 
  un-
  trained 
  helpers, 
  and how to handle 
  common problems. 
  (Untrained laborers 
  and assistants earn 
  about two pennies 
  per day). The basic 
  function 
  of 
  the 
  Craft skill, howev-
  er, is to allow you to 
  make an item of the ap-
  propriate type. The CR 
  depends on the com-
  plexity of the item to be 
  created.  
   
  Diplomacy (Cha) 
  This skill covers the art 
  of talking, persuasion, 
  mediation, 
  listening, 
  reasoning, debate and 
  even general etiquette. 
  Make a check whenever 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  34 
  you want to talk some-
  body out of or into an 
  alternate course of ac-
  tion from one already 
  proposed, 
  persuade 
  somebody to do (or not 
  to do) something or to 
  get across a point in a 
  debate. It can be used to 
  make 
  an 
  appeal 
  in 
  court, to swing the case 
  in a different way. If 
  backed up with a bit of 
  hard cash, diplomacy 
  can also be used to 
  bribe someone, if they 
  are of the type that 
  would succumb to such 
  tactics.   
   
  Disguise (Cha) 
   
  You are an expert at 
  impersonating other in-
  dividuals 
  or 
  characteristics of gen-
  eral types of people. 
  This effort usually re-
  quires a few props, a 
  little 
  make-up 
  and 
  1d3x10 
  minutes 
  of 
  preparation for a gen-
  eral 
  impersonation, if 
  the character is to pass 
  inspection from reason-
  ably 
  close. 
  From 
  a 
  distance, 
  a 
  character 
  can simply alter his or 
  her gait, general stance 
  and pull up a hood to 
  appear 
  pretty 
  much 
  someone else, to all in-
  tents 
  and 
  purposes. 
  Where specific individu-
  als 
  are 
  being 
  impersonated, at least 1 
  month’s 
  preparation 
  time 
  must 
  occur 
  to 
  avoid being detected. A 
  disguise can include an 
  apparent 
  change 
  of 
  height and weight of no 
  more than one-tenth of 
  the original build and 
  size of the character. 
  The following penalties 
  are applied to a disguise 
  check, where appropri-
  ate: sex difference –2, 
  age difference (per ten 
  years) 
  –2. 
  The 
  GM 
  makes the check secret-
  ly, so the character is 
  uncertain of his or her 
  success. 
   
  Forgery (Int) 
  This is the skill of the 
  character to write (or 
  copy) 
  documents 
  and 
  manuscripts with the 
  intention 
  of 
  passing 
  them off as the real 
  thing. 
  The 
  character 
  may need to get hold of 
  some old parchment to 
  duplicate 
  something 
  that is old, or use meth-
  ods of staining and so 
  on, to ’age’ the forgery. 
  He may also need to get 
  hold of coloured inks, 
  for example, to duplicate 
  illustrated manuscripts 
  of the type that monks 
  write. The skill also en-
  compasses the ability to 
  spot a forgery (using the 
  notice skill, with a bo-
  nus of +2).   
   
  Gossip (Cha) 
  Just 
  about 
  everyone 
  likes to gossip in the 
  middle ages; it is one of 
  the main ways of pass-
  ing on and receiving 
  news and forms a major 
  part of the evening’s en-
  tertainment 
  for 
  most 
  people. Gossip happens 
  everywhere, in the tav-
  ern over a pint of ale, at 
  the marketplace, at the 
  banquet 
  in 
  a 
  lord’s 
  manor, out in the fields 
  and in the cloisters of 
  the abbey. Sometimes 
  the information turns 
  out to be true and other 
  times it is idle tittle-
  tattle. But gossip makes 
  for a useful source of 
  information about every-
  thing and everybody. 
   
  You can make a gossip 
  check when you want to 
  know something about a 
  person, place or thing 
  that is of the type that 
  would be passed around 
  in idle chatter. This rep-
  resents information you 
  just happen to ‘know’. If 
  you fail the check or the 
  GM deems that your 
  character wouldn’t al-
  ready 
  know 
  the 
  information, you can go 
  to a tavern or wherever 
  the information might 
  be found and see if you 
  can find out, by gossip-
  ing. 
  Sometimes 
  this 
  might require the ex-
  penditure of a quarter or 
  half penny on ale in the 
  alehouse, to loosen a 
  few tongues. 
   
  
  CHAPTER FOUR TITLE 
   
   
   
  35 
  A character can add a 
  further +2 to the gossip 
  check if the information 
  is about something that 
  might specifically per-
  tain to his or her class. 
  So, if the gossip were 
  about a clergyman, then 
  a cleric character would 
  get a +2 bonus. If it 
  were about something 
  that occurred in the 
  ‘seedy’ area of town, 
  then a rogue would gain 
  a +2 to his check.  
   
  Handle Animal 
  (Cha) 
  A character with this 
  skill has an affinity for 
  dealing with animals. 
  He knows animals pret-
  ty well and can calm 
  them if they are afraid 
  or angry, he can train 
  certain animals to do a 
  few simple things, and 
  he knows how to look 
  after them, feed them 
  and give them the best 
  care. If he also has the 
  Heal skill, he also has a 
  few 
  veterinary 
  skills. 
  The 
  character 
  might 
  simply be a farmer with 
  skills of animal hus-
  bandry, or could have a 
  job as an ostler, falcon-
  er, master of the hounds 
  and so on.  
   
  A character may choose 
  a type of animal in 
  which 
  to 
  specialize 
  (dogs, 
  birds of 
  prey, 
  horses, cattle) and re-
  ceives a bonus of +2 
  whenever dealing with 
  that type of animal. An-
  imal handling also al-
  allows the character to 
  spot the good from the 
  bad (receiving a +2 on 
  notice 
  checks 
  when 
  buying them). Charac-
  ters with the handle 
  animal skill can also 
  gain +2 to their ride 
  checks, 
  which 
  would 
  make +4 if they also 
  specialize with horses. 
       
  Heal (Wis) 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  skill 
  of 
  providing 
  immediate 
  first aid to an injured 
  person. By cleaning and 
  bandaging 
  a 
  wound, 
  with a successful check, 
  an injured character will 
  recover 1 hit point, will 
  stabilize if below 0 hit 
  points and the wound 
  will not become infected, 
  as long as the cleaning 
  and dressing was ap-
  plied within an hour of 
  the character becoming 
  injured. 
  A 
  character 
  with the heal skill can 
  add 
  +2 
  to 
  any 
  knowledge (wounds & 
  corpses) checks made to 
  assess the injuries on a 
  dead body. 
   
  Intimidate (Str or 
  Cha) 
  By strength of person-
  ality 
  or 
  by 
  sheer 
  impressive 
  size 
  and 
  physique (the player’s 
  choice which), a charac-
  ter with this skill can 
  intimidate 
  another. 
  There are several uses of 
  this skill. One might 
  simply be to make an-
  other 
  character 
  back 
  down, if for example he 
  is 
  getting 
  aggressive. 
  Another use might be to 
  scare someone into giv-
  ing 
  information 
  that 
  other, more diplomatic 
  methods have failed to 
  acquire. Another might 
  be to force somebody to 
  do something that he or 
  she wasn’t intending to 
  do. Depending on the 
  circumstances, 
  this 
  ability could be used 
  against more than one 
  opponent, 
  especially 
  those 
  of 
  significantly 
  lower level or 0-level 
  folk. 
   
  Interrogate (Cha) 
  This is a way of ques-
  tioning 
  people 
  for 
  specific pieces of infor-
  mation. It differs from 
  gossip, because gossip 
  tends to be stuff that is 
  quite well known and 
  has 
  been 
  ‘doing 
  the 
  rounds’. 
  Interrogation 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  36 
  tends to be a way of get-
  ting 
  secrets 
  from 
  individuals who’d rather 
  not share those secrets. 
  Sometimes interrogation 
  is subtle and the victim 
  isn’t aware that he is 
  giving away the infor-
  mation and other times 
  it is clear what is hap-
  pening, but the victim is 
  unable to stop himself. 
   
  Jump (Str or Dex) 
  A character with this 
  skill 
  is 
  particularly 
  adept at leaping over 
  and across obstacles. 
  The player can choose 
  whether to use strength 
  or dexterity as the base 
  attribute for his or her 
  jump checks. 
   
  Knowledge (Int) 
  Each time you choose a 
  knowledge, 
  you 
  can 
  choose another subject 
  which you have studied, 
  learned or just picked 
  up and which you know 
  quite a lot about. This is 
  more in depth than the 
  sort of stuff you might 
  pick up when gossiping 
  in the taverns. 
  Languages (Int) 
  Slightly different from 
  the other skills in that 
  you can choose it mul-
  tiple times and each 
  time adds another lan-
  guage 
  to 
  your 
  repertoire. The com-
  mon 
  language 
  in 
  England in the time 
  was Middle English. If 
  they are of Norman her-
  itage, 
  they 
  speak 
  Norman French. 
   
  Listen (Wis) 
  The character has an 
  acute sense of hearing 
  and 
  may 
  have 
  even 
  trained him or herself to 
  specifically take notice 
  of certain sounds and 
  noises. For example, a 
  musician can tell differ-
  ent notes and pitches. 
  Its main use though is 
  in detecting sounds like 
  the footfall of an intrud-
  er about to commit foul 
  murder, or listening at a 
  door to conversation be-
  tween two suspects.  
   
  Literacy (Int) 
  In the middle ages, gen-
  erally only the clergy 
  could read and write 
  and not all of those 
  could do. For game pur-
  poses 
  all 
  apothecary, 
  cleric and scholar char-
  acters have the literacy 
  skill for free at the start. 
  Anyone who is literate is 
  assumed to be able to 
  read and write all the 
  languages 
  that 
  he 
  knows. 
   
  Notice (Wis) 
  This is a general aware-
  ness 
  of 
  one’s 
  surroundings, 
  things 
  that appear odd or out 
  of place and so on. It is 
  a skill that you don’t 
  ‘use’ as such; it is con-
  stantly ‘on’. Whenever 
  there is a chance that 
  you might have noticed 
  something unusual, you 
  can make a check to see 
  whether you notice it or 
  not. If specifically look-
  ing for something, you 
  would use search in-
  stead. 
   
  Perform (Cha) 
  This is the skill you 
  need 
  to 
  entertain, 
  whether that is by play-
  ing 
  an 
  instrument, 
  singing, reciting poetry 
  or even dancing. You 
  choose what your style 
  of performance is. Using 
  the perform skill suc-
  cessfully might earn you 
  food and lodging for a 
  night, might earn a few 
  pennies in the market-
  place or might even hold 
  a crowd’s attention as a 
  distraction, if needed for 
  some reason. 
   
  Pick Lock (Dex) 
  You can use this skill to 
  open any sort of me-
  chanical lock that would 
  normally require a key 
  
  CHAPTER FOUR TITLE 
   
   
   
  37 
  to open. This ability 
  usually requires a pin or 
  some other narrow tool. 
  Only one attempt is al-
  lowed – if the check 
  fails, the lock has de-
  feated the character. 
   
  Pick Pocket (Dex) 
  This is the skill needed 
  to remove the contents 
  of a pocket or a pouch 
  (or the whole pouch, or 
  take something from a 
  person, 
  like 
  a 
  ring) 
  without being noticed. 
  The level of the targeted 
  victim affects the chance 
  of success. The skill also 
  allows you to perform 
  deft ‘sleight of hand’ 
  tricks, 
  like 
  hiding 
  a 
  coin, performing the pea 
  under the beaker trick 
  and so on. 
   
  Ride (Dex) 
  Just about anyone can 
  stay on a horse, if it is 
  just trotting along. How-
  ever, this is the skill to 
  ride a horse properly. It 
  enables you to perform 
  jumps, 
  break-neck 
  chases and other skills 
  on horseback. This skill 
  is needed to be able to 
  fight from horseback. 
   
  Search (Wis) 
  You can examine a spe-
  cific 
  area 
  for 
  clues, 
  evidence or other things 
  like catches on a hidden 
  door or secret compart-
  ments in chests and 
  drawers. It is particular-
  ly 
  useful 
  for 
  investigators 
  when 
  searching for clues at a 
  crime scene or on a 
  dead body. This skill 
  does not generally ena-
  ble you to find complex 
  traps unless you are a 
  rogue. 
   
  Sense Motive (Wis) 
  You can use this skill to 
  tell when someone has 
  an agenda they are hid-
  ing from you. It is a 
  combination 
  of 
  their 
  body language, manner-
  isms 
  and 
  speech 
  patterns 
  that 
  provide 
  tell-tale clues. 
   
  Stealth (Dex) 
  You use this skill to be 
  quiet 
  and 
  unnoticed 
  when you don’t want to 
  be seen or heard. It is 
  the art of sneaking up 
  on someone, of hiding in 
  the shadows and of us-
  ing available cover to go 
  unseen. 
  You 
  receive 
  positive modifiers in the 
  darkness or when there 
  are things to use as cov-
  er, but it is almost 
  impossible on a clear 
  day, in the open. 
   
  Swim (Str) 
  Using this skill, you are 
  able to cross rivers, re-
  main above water or 
  swim around under wa-
  ter as needed. In a 
  strong 
  current, 
  there 
  might be higher penal-
  ties, as there would be if 
  you are carrying some-
  one or something heavy. 
   
  Track (Wis) 
  You can follow the trails 
  and tracks of people and 
  animals across all sorts 
  of terrain following the 
  signs of their passage 
  (not simply boot marks, 
  but broken twigs, hairs 
  caught on brambles and 
  so on).  
   
  Languages and lit-
  eracy 
  All characters are pre-
  sumed to speak Middle 
  English 
  or 
  Norman 
  French, depending on 
  whether 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  Norman or Saxon stock 
  (players choice, nobles 
  will be Norman). A char-
  acter 
  with 
  an 
  intelligence bonus can 
  also speak another lan-
  guage for every point of 
  bonus, so with a +3 in-
  telligence 
  modifier 
  he 
  can speak an additional 
  three languages. Others 
  must 
  be 
  chosen 
  as 
  skills. 
   
  Clergymen, 
  scholars 
  and physicians can au-
  tomatically 
  read 
  and 
  write and are therefore 
  literate. Other charac-
  ters are literate only if 
  they choose the Literacy 
  skill as a class ability.  
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  38 
   
  EQUIPMENT 
   
  irst of all, you need 
  to 
  determine 
  how 
  much 
  money 
  the 
  characters start with. In 
  the early part of the 
  period covered by The 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG, 
  there were only silver 
  pennies 
  used 
  as 
  coinage. 
  The 
  shilling, 
  mark and pound were 
  used only as accounting 
  measures. 
  Later 
  on 
  pounds 
  and 
  shillings 
  were used as actual 
  currency, as were half 
  pennies and farthings . 
  However, 
  for 
  game 
  purposes, we will stick 
  with 
  pennies. 
  These 
  were often split into two 
  or 
  four 
  for 
  small 
  transactions. Sometimes 
  they were also shaved or 
  ‘clipped’ 
  by 
  unscrupulous rogues. 
   
  An 
  average 
  labourer 
  could expect to receive 2 
  pennies a day for his 
  hard work. Therefore, 
  every character begins 
  the game with a few 
  pennies with which to 
  buy 
  some 
  stuff 
  that 
  their character has at 
  the start of the game. It 
  is assumed that they 
  begin with a set of 
  clothing appropriate to 
  their class. 
   
  Class starting 
  money table 
   
  Class 
  Pennies 
  Apothecary 4d6x10  
  Cleric 
  2d10x10 
  Crowner 
  6d6x10 
  Fighter 
  3d8x10 
  Forester 
  2d6x10 
  Merchant 
  4d6x10 
  Noble 
  5d6x10 
  Rogue 
  3d4x10 
  Scholar 
  3d4x10 
   
   
   
  The equipment ta-
  bles 
  It’s not possible to list 
  everything 
  you 
  could 
  need in a game, so the 
  price lists are simply to 
  give some examples, so 
  that you can work out 
  prices yourself of other 
  items and services you 
  might want to include in 
  your 
  games 
  of 
  the 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG. 
  All prices mentioned are 
  very 
  approximate 
  as 
  they changed much over 
  the period, as did the 
  forms of money used. It 
  is important to note that 
  many people still relied 
  on barter. 
    
  Fancier versions of the 
  same items will cost a 
  lot 
  more. 
  Of 
  the 
  weapons, 
  swords 
  in 
  particular can be a lot 
  more expensive in much 
  better quality versions - 
  up to five times the 
  price. Clothing can be 
  up to three or four times 
  as much as is listed too, 
  for 
  higher 
  quality 
  garments. 
  Hence 
  the 
  reason most peasants 
  had only one set of 
  clothing, 
  which 
  they 
  patched, 
  darned 
  repaired 
  and 
  even 
  handed down to make 
  them last longer. Where 
  there is no weight for an 
  item, it simply means 
  the weight is negligible. 
   
  Part plate & full plate is 
  available only later in 
  the period covered by 
  the Medieval Mysteries 
  RPG. Characters would 
  not wear heavy armour 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  anyway. 
   
   
   
  F 
  
  EQUIPMENT 
   
   
   
  39 
   
   
  Weapons; Melee 
   
   
  Weapon 
  Cost  
  (pennies) 
   
  Damage 
   
  Range* 
  Weight  
  (lbs) 
   
  Enc 
  Axe, woodsman’s 
  12 
  1d8 
  - 
  7 
  3 
  Axe, hand 
  8 
  1d6 
  10’ 
  4 
  2 
  Axe, Two-handed 
  20 
  1d12 
  - 
  16 
  3 
  Club 
  1/2 
  1d6 
  10’ 
  3 
  2 
  Dagger 
  4 
  1d4 
  10’ 
  1 
  1 
  Fist 
  - 
  1d2 
  - 
  - 
  - 
  Flail, Light 
  12 
  1d8 
  - 
  5 
  3 
  Flail, Heavy 
  18 
  1d10 
  - 
  16 
  4 
  Halberd 
  20 
  1d10 
  - 
  15 
  5 
  Hammer, Light 
  4 
  1d4 
  20’ 
  2 
  2 
  Hammer, War 
  12 
  1d8 
   
  8 
  4 
  Mace, Light 
  10 
  1d6 
  - 
  6 
  3 
  Mace, Heavy 
  24 
  1d8 
  - 
  10 
  4 
  Morningstar 
  16 
  2d4 
  - 
  8 
  3 
  Sap 
  1 
  1d3 
  - 
  1 
  1 
  Spear 
  6 
  1d6 
  20’ 
  4 
  2 
  Spear, long 
  10 
  1d8 
  - 
  9 
  4 
  Staff 
  1 
  1d6 
  - 
  4 
  4 
  Sword, bastard 
  50 
  1d10 
  - 
  10 
  4 
  Sword, broad 
  24 
  2d4 
  - 
  6 
  3 
  Sword, falchion 
  40 
  2d4 
  - 
  7 
  3 
  Sword, scimitar 
  30 
  1d8 
  - 
  4 
  3 
  Sword, short 
  20 
  1d6 
  - 
  3 
  3 
  Sword, long 
  30 
  1d8 
  - 
  4 
  3 
  Sword, Two handed 
  65 
  2d6 
  - 
  15 
  5 
   
   
  Weapons; Ranged 
   
  Weapon 
  Cost 
  Damage 
  Range* 
  Weight (lbs) Shots Enc 
  Arbalest 
  100 
  4d4 
  150’ 
  12 
  1/3 
  5 
  Arrows (20) 
  4 
  as bow 
  as bow 
  3 
  - 
  4 
  Arrows (12) 
  3 
  as bow 
  as bow 
  2 
  - 
  3 
  Bolts (12) 
  2 
  as x-bow as x-bow 
  1 
  - 
  2 
  Bow, Long 
  150 
  1d12 
  100’ 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  Bow, Short 
  60 
  1d8 
  60’ 
  2 
  1 
  3 
  Crossbow, Light 
  50 
  1d10 
  80’ 
  6 
  1/2 
  3 
  Crossbow, Heavy 
  75 
  2d6 
  120’ 
  9 
  1/3 
  4 
  Sling 
  1/2 
  1d6 
  50’ 
  - 
  1 
  1 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  40 
   
   
   
  Armour 
   
   
  Armour type 
  Cost  
  (pennies) 
   
  Armour Class 
  Weight  
  (lbs.) 
   
  Enc 
  Padded gambeson 
  20 
  +1 
  10 
  2 
  Leather jerkin 
  28 
  +1 
  8 
  1 
  Leather coat 
  35 
  +2 
  12 
  2 
  Leather armour 
  40 
  +3 
  15 
  2 
  Studded leather  
  100 
  +3 
  20 
  2 
  Scale mail 
  300 
  +4 
  35 
  4 
  Mail byrnie (shirt) 
  600 
  +4 
  25 
  3 
  Mail hauberk (coat) 
  1000 
  +5 
  40 
  4 
  Splint mail 
  800 
  +6 
  45 
  4 
  Part plate* 
  2400 
  +7 
  50 
  4 
  Full  plate* 
  4000 
  +8 
  60 
  4 
   
  Clothes & accessories 
   
   
  Item 
  Cost   
  (pennies) 
  Weight  
  (lbs) 
   
  Enc 
  Belt 
  1 
  1/2 
  - 
  Blanket, heavy 
  1 
  3 
  2 
  Boots 
  4 
  4 
  - 
  Cap 
  1/2 
  - 
  - 
  Cassock 
  4 
  2 
  1 
  Chemise, linen 
  1 
  1 
  - 
  Cloak 
  1 
  3 
  - 
  Dress 
  5 
  3 
  - 
  Gloves 
  8 
  - 
  - 
  Habit 
  2 
  3 
  1 
  Hat 
  1 
  - 
  - 
  Hose 
  1 
  1 
  - 
  Leggings 
  2 
  2 
  - 
  Mantle 
  5 
  4 
  1 
  Robe 
  3 
  4 
  2 
  Sack 
  1/2 
  1 
  - 
  Satchel, leather (for books) 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  Shirt 
  1 
  1 
  - 
  Shoes 
  3 
  1 
  - 
  Surcoat, knights 
  10 
  2 
  - 
  Skirt 
  2 
  2 
  - 
  Tunic 
  2 
  2 
  - 
  Vestments, clerical 
  10 
  8 
  3 
  
  EQUIPMENT 
   
   
   
  41 
   
   
   
  Horses, tack & livestock 
   
   
  Item 
  Cost  
  (pennies) 
   
  Item 
  Cost  
  (pennies) 
  Bit/bridle 
  2 
  Mule 
  50 
  Cow 
  35 
  Ox 
  35 
  Cart, farmers 
  30 
  Pig 
  25 
  Donkey 
  16 
  Pony 
  60 
  Feed/day 
  1/4 
  Saddle 
  40 
  Harness 
  3 
  Saddle blanket 
  1 
  Horse, Destrier 
  800 
  Saddle bags  
  8 
  Horse, Nag 
  60 
  Sled 
  40 
  Horse, Riding 
  300 
  Wagon 
  70 
  Horse, Palfrey 
  150 
   
   
   
  Goods & services 
   
   
  Item 
  Cost   
  (pennies) 
  Weight  
   (lbs) 
   
  Enc 
  Candles (8) 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  Chair 
  1 
  12 
  3 
  Chest, with lock 
  10 
  25 
  4 
  Farmer’s price, bushel of 
  wheat 
  3 
  3 
  2 
  Farmer’s price, pound of wool 
  4 
  1 
  2 
  Ink, 1 vial 
  16 
  - 
  - 
  Loaf of bread 
  1/4 
  2 
  1 
  Mortar & pestle 
  1 
  2 
  1 
  Pot, clay 
  1/2 
  2 
  1 
  Pot, iron for cooking 
  2 
  4 
  2 
  Parchment, per sheet 
  1 
  - 
  - 
  Rent, field per acre 
  1/month 
  - 
  - 
  Rent, two story shop in the 
  city 
  50/month 
  - 
  - 
  Spinning wheel 
  35 
  35 
  8 
  Tavern, tankard of ale 
  1/4 
  1 
  1 
  Tavern, food & somewhere to 
  sleep 
  1 
  - 
  - 
  Tavern, good food & good room 
  4 
  - 
  - 
   
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  42 
  Encumbrance 
  There are several ways 
  to deal with what a 
  character 
  can 
  carry 
  before he or she is 
  weighed down with too 
  much stuff. One is to 
  ignore 
  set 
  rules 
  altogether and just leave 
  the 
  players 
  and GM 
  between them to use 
  judgement and common 
  sense 
  to 
  determine 
  when 
  a 
  character 
  is 
  getting 
  ridiculously 
  overloaded.  
   
  Most players are rea-
  sonable 
  and 
  if 
  their 
  character has a sword, 
  bow, dagger, mail hau-
  berk and clothing, then 
  they are quite happy. 
  Anything else they can 
  put in their horse’s sad-
  dlebags. Other players 
  may need the GM to in-
  tervene from time to 
  time, if using this ap-
  proach. 
   
  The other method is to 
  use the weights and en-
  cumbrance values in the 
  equipment listings. This 
  is how you do it. 
   
  Determining 
  En-
  cumbrance 
  Each character has an 
  encumbrance 
  rating 
  (ER) of 10 + the charac-
  ter’s strength modifier, if 
  any. 
  All 
  items 
  and 
  equipment have an en-
  cumbrance rating (Enc). 
  For many items, this 
  rating is in the equip-
  ment lists. Simply add 
  up the enc. value of all 
  items carried by the 
  character. This is the 
  character’s 
  encum-
  brance 
  rating. 
  Don’t 
  count clothes (hat, shirt, 
  boots 
  etc.) 
  that 
  the 
  character 
  is 
  wearing, 
  but if he is ‘wearing’ a 
  sword, that is counted. 
   
  There are five categories 
  of encumbrance; none, 
  light, moderate, heavy 
  and overburdened. The 
  following table indicates 
  the amount that can be 
  carried and in which 
  category that level of 
  encumbrance falls. 
   
  Encumbrance 
  category 
   
   
  Enc 
  None 
   
  0 
  to 
  1xER 
  Light 
   
  1xER 
  to 
  2xER 
  Moderate 
   
  2xER 
  to 
  3xER 
  Heavy 
   
  3xER 
  to 
  4xER 
  Overburdened 
   
  4xER 
  to 
  5xER 
  Maximum 
   
  5xER 
   
  The Enc value of items 
  is a rough measure of 
  the size, weight and how 
  cumbersome the object 
  is. If you need to deter-
  mine the rough enc of 
  other items, you can 
  simply 
  look 
  at 
  the 
  equipment lists for a 
  similar object and work 
  it out from there. The 
  GM, as always, has the 
  final word.   
    
  Effects of Encum-
  brance 
  There are penalties to 
  lugging too much stuff 
  around and this comes 
  in the form of slower 
  movement rates and a 
  reduced armour class. 
  The penalties are set out 
  below 
   
  Encumbrance 
  category 
   
  Penalties 
  None 
  No effect 
  Light 
  Reduce 
  move 
  by 
  1/4 and -
  1 to ar-
  mour 
  class 
  Moderate 
  Reduce 
  move 
  by 
  1/2 and –
  2 to ar-
  mour 
  class 
  Heavy 
  Reduce 
  move 
  by 
  3/4 and –
  4 to ar-
  mour 
  class 
  Overburdened 
  Move re-
  duced to 
  1 foot and 
  –8 to ar-
  mour 
  class 
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  43 
   
  THE GAME 
  MASTER 
   
  he GM has a bit of a 
  job on his hands. 
  He must prepare the 
  game session so that the 
  characters have plenty 
  to do. He might decide 
  to start with a simple 
  murder mystery in a 
  small town or village. 
  This could be a way of 
  bringing the characters 
  together 
  and 
  giving 
  them a common goal. 
  The murdered person 
  could even be a friend, 
  colleague 
  or 
  family 
  member of one or more 
  of the characters.  
   
  Characters 
  should 
  work together 
  This is a great way to 
  get 
  the 
  characters 
  working 
  together. 
  You could decide that 
  some or all of the 
  characters 
  are 
  al-
  ready a team, having 
  been 
  employed 
  to 
  perform specific du-
  ties. If one character 
  is a noble, the others 
  could be his stew-
  ards, servants, consta-
  bles and so on. The 
  initial set up is quite 
  crucial in The Medieval 
  Mysteries RPG, far more 
  so in many other role-
  playing games, where 
  the 
  player 
  characters 
  are simply generic ‘ad-
  venturers’. 
   
  Characters need a 
  vocation or job 
  This leads into another 
  point. 
  The 
  characters 
  also need to have some 
  sort of job, or vocation. 
  This is where the GM 
  and 
  players 
  need 
  to 
  work together to come 
  up with suitable careers 
  or backgrounds. If you 
  all get talking the ideas 
  start to flow and you 
  can get involved in the 
  whole group’s charac-
  ters. This helps give the 
  feeling that you already 
  know each other, rather 
  than just being a dis-
  parate bunch of people 
  thrown together for the 
  purposes of the game.  
   
  Clerics 
  are 
  quite 
  straightforward 
  - 
  you 
  simply need to choose a 
  local monastery, abbey, 
  friary, the cathedral or a 
  village church, depend-
  ing on the type of cleric. 
  This doesn’t mean that 
  they cannot have inter-
  esting past lives though, 
  that might come back to 
  haunt them.  
  For an apothecary or 
  merchant, you need to 
  set them in a town or 
  city with their own shop 
  and so on. A noble 
  needs his own lands - 
  you need to determine 
  where these lands are 
  and some basic details 
  about them.  
   
  A fighter could be in the 
  employ 
  of 
  another 
  character as a ser-
  geant-at-arms, 
  a 
  merchant’s 
  body-
  guard, simply a mer-
  mercenary 
  looking 
  for employment or a 
  veteran who has now 
  settled down with a 
  wife 
  and 
  children, 
  but does the odd bit 
  of strong-arm work 
  here and there. 
  T
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  44 
  Investigations & 
  campaigns 
  Once 
  you 
  have 
  dis-
  cussed, 
  as 
  a 
  group, 
  everyone’s 
  characters, 
  their backgrounds and 
  so on it does make sce-
  nario design far easier. 
  You 
  know 
  what 
  the 
  players want from the 
  game from what they 
  have written on their 
  character 
  sheets 
  and 
  from what they have 
  talked 
  about. 
  You can make 
  plots and mys-
  teries 
  that 
  engage 
  them 
  and that involve 
  them. 
  Some-
  times you can 
  use their back-
  grounds to make 
  far more inter-
  esting scenarios 
  than you could 
  without 
  such 
  character histo-
  ries. 
   
  Start small 
  Once you start the first 
  scenario, you can begin 
  to get the players en-
  gaged in your version of 
  medieval England. You 
  probably want to start 
  small, in fact this is rec-
  ommended. Most of the 
  literature on which this 
  game is based is set 
  mainly in just one coun-
  ty or even just in and 
  around one main city 
  and this would seem the 
  best thing to do with 
  your own games. You 
  could include one or two 
  jaunts to far off places 
  once in a while later on, 
  as the characters be-
  come more familiar with 
  the game, just to spice it 
  up a bit, but don’t over-
  do this. Ordinary people 
  didn’t tend to travel too 
  far in the middle-ages. 
  The good thing about 
  role-playing in the me-
  dieval period is that 
  there are plenty of his-
  torical sources to fall 
  back on to give ideas for 
  adventures. 
   
  Planning mysteries 
  Some GM’s like to wing 
  their adventures com-
  pletely and others like to 
  have everything planned 
  out in the finest detail. 
  In The Medieval Myster-
  ies RPG, it is probably 
  best to do some pre-
  planning but to leave 
  yourself some room for 
  manoeuvre, 
  because 
  inevitably 
  the 
  players 
  will follow a different 
  course of investigation 
  than the one you write 
  down. They may even 
  jump to some conclu-
  sions that you hadn’t 
  thought about, but that 
  you prefer to the one 
  you have written. The 
  difficulty is always how 
  much 
  to 
  pre-prepare 
  and how much to fill in 
  the gaps as you 
  go. This partly 
  depends on how 
  comfortable 
  or 
  experienced you 
  are as a GM, 
  how 
  well 
  you 
  know your play-
  ers 
  and 
  what 
  you would ex-
  pect them to do 
  in a situation, 
  and how famil-
  iar you are with 
  the genre and 
  medieval history 
  generally. It may 
  take a few gaming ses-
  sions before you find 
  your own level. 
   
  What is the mys-
  tery?  
  One of the first steps is 
  to decide what the mys-
  tery is. Most will be 
  murders of some sort or 
  another, but you could 
  vary the game with a 
  few robberies or a case 
  of arson or even a case 
  of rape. Some mysteries 
  
  THE GAME MASTER 
   
   
   
  45 
  will use several of these 
  elements. 
  You 
  don’t 
  even need to rely on 
  medieval historical fic-
  tion for your scenarios. 
  There are other sources 
  you could plunder for 
  good ideas. Some other 
  historical detective fic-
  tion, 
  like 
  Sherlock 
  Holmes, Campion and 
  Poirot can be tailored to 
  suit. 
  Modern 
  mystery 
  fiction is also a good 
  source 
  of 
  material. 
  There are plenty of mov-
  ies and television series 
  that are perfect for ad-
  aptation to your gaming 
  needs. 
   
  Who did it and why 
  did it happen? 
  Once you have deter-
  mined what it is that the 
  characters will be inves-
  tigating you need to 
  begin to sketch out a 
  few ideas for who com-
  mitted the crime and 
  why they did it. Some-
  times the ‘who’ comes 
  before the ‘why’ and 
  sometimes it is the other 
  way around. You proba-
  bly need to ask yourself 
  a few questions like:  
  � Was it a single indi-
  vidual, or was more 
  than one person in-
  volved? 
  � Why did they do it - 
  what was the mo-
  tive?  
  � How did they do it - 
  what was the weap-
  on used, if it was a 
  murder, for exam-
  ple? 
  � What did they do 
  immediately 
  after 
  they committed the 
  crime - for example, 
  did they try to cover 
  it up or make it look 
  like 
  someone 
  else 
  did it, or did they 
  just run away? 
  � Did anyone else wit-
  ness the crime? Are 
  the witnesses relia-
  ble? 
  � What is the felon 
  doing now? 
   
  Some of these questions 
  will come easily and 
  others less so, but you 
  probably need to jot 
  down a few notes as you 
  go. Try to keep it simple 
  too, especially in your 
  first few games. The 
  players will undoubtedly 
  complicate 
  things 
  enough as soon as they 
  get going. 
   
  How is the crime 
  discovered? 
  A key element is to de-
  termine how the body is 
  found, the robbery spot-
  ted or the rape reported. 
  It is worth giving serious 
  consideration to this as 
  you don’t want all of 
  your scenarios to begin 
  in exactly the same way. 
  You want to mix things 
  up a bit, by having dif-
  ferent approaches to the 
  discovery of the crime. A 
  few possibilities are: 
  � The crime is discov-
  ered after the event 
  by one of the char-
  acters 
  � The crime is discov-
  ered by one of the 
  characters as it is 
  being committed  
  � The crime is discov-
  ered 
  by 
  another 
  individual, who re-
  ports 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  characters 
  � The lord, patron or 
  superior to the pri-
  mary 
  investigator 
  requests 
  that 
  the 
  characters 
  investi-
  gate the mystery on 
  his or her behalf 
  � The crime is discov-
  ered as a result of 
  an investigation into 
  another (lesser) mys-
  tery 
  � The 
  perpetrator 
  himself reports the 
  crime, but accuses 
  someone else 
   
  Looking for clues 
  Once the crime is out in 
  the open, the characters 
  will have to start digging 
  around to find some 
  clues. This is a vitally 
  important stage in The 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG, 
  and 
  really 
  what 
  the 
  game is all about. Char-
  acters want to get to use 
  their abilities, so you 
  need to let them. They 
  want to feel they are get-
  ting somewhere, so you 
  need to let them. If they 
  fail a roll, don’t neces-
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  46 
  sarily just tell them they 
  have drawn a blank, but 
  don’t give them all the 
  details that they would 
  have got if their check 
  was a success. 
   
  You need to develop 
  some interesting NPCs 
  for the characters to 
  question, 
  interrogate, 
  threaten, cajole or per-
  suade. These NPCs can 
  be friends, family mem-
  bers, lovers, enemies or 
  acquaintances. 
  You 
  need to know what clues 
  are 
  available 
  at 
  the 
  crime scene, at other 
  associated crime scenes, 
  with the witnesses and 
  with the perpetrator. 
   
  So, if it was 
  a 
  murder 
  and 
  you 
  have decided 
  the 
  murder 
  weapon 
  (a 
  knife) is still 
  in the body, 
  you need to 
  know 
  who 
  the knife be-
  longs 
  to. 
  Then 
  the 
  investigators 
  have a lead 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  follow. 
  Did the knife 
  belong to the 
  victim? 
  Did 
  it belong to 
  the murder-
  er, or did he 
  just steal it from the 
  original owner? How will 
  the original owner react 
  when 
  the 
  characters 
  start to question him? 
  Was the knife stuck in 
  the guy to throw the in-
  vestigators off the scent, 
  when in reality the vic-
  tim was poisoned or 
  strangled? 
   
  As you can see, this is 
  just a fairly simple idea, 
  which can go off in all 
  sorts of interesting di-
  rections. If you have 
  thought this stuff out 
  beforehand, it can make 
  running the whole thing 
  a lot easier when the 
  characters start sleuth-
  ing. 
   
  Non-player  
  characters 
  Non-player 
  characters 
  (NPCs) are a highly im-
  portant feature of The 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG. 
  These are the characters 
  that the players can in-
  teract with during the 
  course of their adven-
  tures. Some will go on to 
  become firm friends and 
  may even occasionally 
  help the characters out 
  in some tricky situa-
  tions. Others will drift in 
  and out of game ses-
  sions and some may 
  appear only once, per-
  haps because something 
  bad happens, like they 
  get killed. 
   
  Most 
  often 
  though, 
  NPCs are the character’s 
  enemies. They are dan-
  gerous and often of a 
  higher level than the 
  player 
  characters. 
  Sometimes 
  they 
  will 
  have followers of their 
  own (generated as folk). 
  A nobleman or fighter 
  could be a mercenary 
  officer with a sergeant 
  and a few spearmen and 
  archers, 
  an 
  outlaw 
  could be a forester with 
  a gang of thugs, a mer-
  chant 
  could 
  be 
  a 
  weapons trader with a 
  couple of ‘heavies’ or 
  swordsmen for protec-
  tion. 
    
  
  THE GAME MASTER 
   
   
   
  47 
  The GM should try to 
  give his NPCs as much 
  attention as the players 
  give to their own charac-
  ters. NPCs shouldn’t be 
  pushovers 
  either. 
  If 
  you’ve gone to the trou-
  ble of creating them, 
  you don’t want them 
  killed the minute they 
  meet the player charac-
  ters! Much better for 
  them to get away and 
  become a thorn in the 
  side of the characters – 
  someone who the char-
  acters can begin to hate 
  or at least respect.  
   
  These NPCs can also go 
  up in level too. If one 
  has been around as long 
  as the characters and 
  they have gone up lev-
  els, it is likely that their 
  enemies will have had 
  adventures of their own 
  in the meantime. The 
  characters could even 
  hear about the NPCs 
  exploits during their ad-
  ventures, even if they 
  don’t meet up in that 
  particular session. It all 
  helps to create a believ-
  able and evolving, rather 
  than static environment 
  and gives the illusion 
  that the world exists 
  beyond the character’s 
  escapades. 
  There 
  are 
  some sample NPCs that 
  the GM can use directly 
  or as inspiration for 
  ones of his or her own 
  creation in the ‘Animals, 
  folk & NPCs section. 
  Rewards 
  As characters complete 
  their investigations, win 
  their battles, bring crim-
  inals to justice, outwit 
  their opponents, bring 
  their 
  information 
  to 
  their patrons, survive 
  their adventures, defeat 
  their enemies and gar-
  ner the spoils of war, 
  they 
  gain 
  experience. 
  They end the adventures 
  stronger, 
  wiser 
  and 
  more capable. To reflect 
  this, the GM awards ex-
  perience points to the 
  players on an individual 
  basis or as a group. 
    
  Experience points 
  After characters defeat 
  the bad (or good) guys, 
  collect gold and do other 
  adventurous things they 
  earn experience points 
  (XP). The GM can award 
  these points as he sees 
  fit, but the following 
  suggestions are recom-
  mended 
   
  Foes 
  The GM adds the value 
  of all foes overcome dur-
  ing the adventure. The 
  points for animals, folk 
  and NPCs are set out in 
  the appropriate descrip-
  tion later in these rules. 
   
  Money 
  Although not all GMs 
  will award experience 
  for making money some 
  will. This is especially 
  important to characters 
  for whom making money 
  is particularly important 
  – merchants could get 
  experience 
  whenever 
  they sell goods for a 
  healthy profit, rogues 
  get experience for loot 
  made 
  from 
  robberies 
  and mercenaries from 
  looting and so on. The 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  48 
  amount of the award is 
  up to the GM and will 
  depend on how much 
  money he has available 
  to his characters, but it 
  should 
  be 
  something 
  like an experience point 
  per shilling. 
    
  Story 
  The GM should assign 
  an experience point val-
  ue to each adventure 
  and award that total to 
  each 
  character 
  who 
  completed the adven-
  ture. 
      
  Role-playing 
  The GM can also award 
  specific experience point 
  bonuses to characters 
  for good role-playing, in 
  a specific situation or 
  over the course of the 
  adventure. 50 to 500 
  points is a good base, 
  depending on the char-
  acter’s current level. 
    
  Gaining levels 
  Characters can gain a 
  level if they earn enough 
  experience points. This 
  equates 
  to 
  becoming 
  better and more experi-
  enced at the character’s 
  career. With new levels, 
  the 
  character 
  gains 
  more abilities and a 
  greater chance of suc-
  cess at those he already 
  has. Hit points increase 
  as does bonus to hit and 
  bonus to armour class. 
  To gain a level, the 
  character must accu-
  mulate 
  enough 
  experience 
  points 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  number of 
  points required for the 
  next level. The experi-
  ence table used is set 
  out in the character 
  class 
  descriptions. 
  A 
  character starts off at 
  1st level with 0 experi-
  ence points. To reach 
  second level he needs to 
  amass 900, 1000 or 
  1100 experience points. 
  This may take one ad-
  venture or may take 
  several, depending on 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  adventure, the overall 
  goals and how well the 
  characters do. The GM 
  should 
  ensure 
  that 
  enough 
  experience 
  is 
  available for characters 
  to advance in levels after 
  one to three adventures, 
  certainly at lower levels, 
  just to give the players a 
  feeling that their char-
  acters 
  are 
  advancing 
  and becoming a little 
  more reputable. 
   
  Once a character has 
  the required number of 
  experience 
  points, 
  he 
  immediately gains his 
  new level and with it 
  increased hit points (by 
  rolling the appropriate 
  die 
  and 
  adding 
  constitution modifiers), 
  and 
  any 
  increase 
  to 
  BtH. He also gains any 
  new abilities or skills. At 
  every four levels, he can 
  also choose an attribute 
  to increase by one point. 
   
  Alternative system 
  As usual The Medieval 
  Mysteries RPG is a game 
  about choices and what 
  works for the players. 
  Some 
  players 
  can’t 
  stand keeping track of 
  their experience points 
  and find it a chore that 
  detracts 
  from 
  their 
  enjoyment of the game. 
  If this is the case, or 
  simply if the GM prefers 
  to do things this way, 
  the 
  GM 
  can 
  simply 
  award a new level gain 
  whenever 
  he 
  feels 
  it 
  would be appropriate for 
  the 
  characters 
  to 
  advance. This can be 
  based on a set number 
  of adventures, say after 
  every three completed 
  adventures or, it can be 
  based on something less 
  defined. The GM might 
  want to throw some 
  higher-level 
  opponents 
  at 
  the 
  characters or 
  might have a storyline 
  that 
  needs 
  the 
  characters to advance at 
  a certain rate so that 
  they can continue to be 
  effective. This is a much 
  more 
  story-based 
  system 
  than 
  the 
  mechanical 
  system 
  presented above and will 
  suit some groups more 
  than it suits others.   
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  49 
   
  THE GAME 
  RULES 
   
  here are many situ-
  ations 
  during 
  the 
  course of a game of 
  The Medieval Mysteries 
  RPG where the charac-
  ters will want to do 
  things and there is a 
  chance that they will 
  fail. The type of thing 
  that 
  we 
  are 
  talking 
  about here are things 
  like leafing through a 
  set of old parchments to 
  find some inconsisten-
  cies in the writing, a 
  break-neck horse-chase 
  down a country lane, 
  listening in on a conver-
  sation on the other side 
  of a closed door, leaping 
  across a wide chasm, 
  sneaking up behind an 
  enemy to clobber him on 
  the back of his head, 
  trying extract some in-
  formation 
  from 
  a 
  taciturn mercenary and 
  so on.  
   
  The system 
  In these situations, an 
  attribute check is used 
  to see whether the ac-
  tion succeeds or fails. 
  The attribute check is 
  made by the player roll-
  ing a d20 and adding 
  the attribute modifier of 
  one of the character’s 
  six attributes. The at-
  tribute used is the one 
  most appropriate to the 
  action that is being at-
  tempted. Sometimes the 
  character’s level is add-
  ed to the die roll too. If 
  the total score exceeds 
  the target number, the 
  character succeeds.  
   
  Only those actions that 
  have 
  a 
  significant 
  chance of failure need to 
  be resolved in this way. 
  There 
  are 
  plenty 
  of 
  things that characters 
  should do automatical-
  ly, without needing to 
  resort to an attribute 
  check. Stopping to look 
  up a rule or modifier 
  and rolling dice can dis-
  rupt the narrative flow 
  of the game and is really 
  to be avoided wherever 
  practical 
  or 
  possible. 
  But 
  sometimes, 
  the 
  dramatic tension can be 
  heightened by judicious 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  attribute 
  check and a dice roll is 
  ideal in these situations. 
   
  The 
  base 
  target 
  number 
  When it is clear that an 
  attribute check is need-
  ed, the GM must identi-
  fy the attribute to be 
  checked. Sometimes the 
  player might disagree 
  and, if they can put a 
  reasonable argument for 
  why a different attribute 
  should be checked, this 
  is perfectly acceptable. 
  In the case of class 
  abilities and skills, the 
  attribute is listed in the 
  class description or in 
  the skill list. In the case 
  of saving throws, these 
  are usually self-evident 
  and are set out in more 
  detail later. 
   
  The target number is 
  determined first of all by 
  finding the base num-
  ber. The base is always 
  one of 12, 15 or 18. The 
  actual number depends 
  on whether the attribute 
  being checked is the 
  character’s 
  primary, 
  secondary 
  or 
  tertiary 
  attribute. 
   
  T
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  50 
  The challenge level 
  The next step is to de-
  termine the challenge 
  level. If the action is be-
  ing taken against an 
  opponent, then the chal-
  lenge level is simply the 
  level of the opponent. So 
  if a character is sneak-
  ing up on somebody, the 
  challenge level would be 
  the level of the person 
  being snuck up on. In 
  other situations where 
  there is no opponent, 
  the GM has to use a bit 
  of judgment as to the 
  relative difficulty of the 
  task and apply his own 
  challenge level. As a rule 
  of thumb, challenge lev-
  els of 0 to 5 is suitable 
  for easy tasks, 6 to 10 
  for moderate tasks, and 
  very difficult tasks are 
  rated 11 to 15. Truly 
  awesome 
  tasks 
  bring 
  about a challenge rating 
  of over 15 but this 
  should 
  really 
  be 
  re-
  served 
  for 
  only 
  very 
  spectacular efforts. If in 
  doubt, it is better to set 
  the challenge level lower 
  rather than higher as it 
  is better for the game to 
  have player characters 
  succeed rather than fail. 
   
  Saving throws 
  Saving throws are simi-
  lar to attribute checks, 
  only they occur as a re-
  sult not of actions taken 
  by the character but as 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  actions 
  against the character or 
  something 
  acting 
  against the character, 
  often passively. So a 
  saving throw is an at-
  tribute check for the 
  character to avoid dam-
  age 
  or 
  some 
  other 
  harmful effect, caused 
  by specific situations or 
  effects. 
   
  A player making a sav-
  ing 
  throw 
  for 
  his 
  character rolls a d20 
  and adds the appropri-
  ate attribute modifier, in 
  the usual way. The GM 
  selects the appropriate 
  attribute using common 
  sense. For example, to 
  avoid a rock-fall, you 
  need to have sharp re-
  flexes and so dexterity 
  would be used. To resist 
  the worst effects of al-
  cohol 
  or 
  poison, 
  constitution should be 
  checked. If the attribute 
  being checked is a pri-
  mary 
  attribute 
  the 
  challenge base is 12. It 
  is 15 and 18 for second-
  ary 
  and 
  tertiary 
  attributes 
  respectively. 
  To this challenge base 
  the GM adds modifiers 
  based on the situation, 
  the level of the NPC 
  causing 
  the 
  saving 
  throw, the level of the 
  trap or the strength lev-
  el of the poison. 
    
  When a saving throw is 
  failed, the character suf-
  fers some or all of the 
  effects. Some effects are 
  described in these rules, 
  for 
  example 
  damage 
  taken from a fire is 
  halved when the saving 
  throw succeeds. The GM 
  could 
  say 
  the 
  same 
  thing with a rock-fall, 
  after first determining 
  the level of the rock-fall 
  in numbers of d6 or 
  d10, for example.  
   
  Combat overview 
  Much of the excitement 
  in playing The Medieval 
  Mysteries RPG occurs 
  when 
  some 
  form 
  of 
  combat 
  takes 
  place. 
  Whether this is a tavern 
  brawl amongst a bunch 
  of 
  mercenaries 
  just 
  come into the town, a 
  jousting 
  tournament 
  between the local lord 
  and a foreign knight or 
  a wagon train of ped-
  dlers 
  and 
  merchants 
  protecting 
  themselves 
  against a violent gang of 
  robbers and cutthroats, 
  combat is often the cli-
  max of very many role-
  playing sessions. Man-
  aging combat is often a 
  challenging affair as the 
  GM must not only know 
  the rules but must also 
  know how to apply the 
  rules fluidly to maintain 
  a sense of excitement 
  through description and 
  action. 
   
  The combat rules in The 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG 
  have been kept deliber-
  
  THE GAME RULES 
   
   
   
  51 
  ately simple. Much room 
  for 
  interpretation 
  has 
  been left to the GM, as 
  there cannot be rules for 
  absolutely 
  everything 
  that might happen in a 
  fight. The rules have 
  been designed to organ-
  ize the action of the 
  combat to a certain de-
  gree but to allow the 
  narrative flow of the 
  combat from both play-
  ers and GM to have an 
  important role. 
   
  Basic 
  outline 
  of 
  combat rounds 
  Combat is broken down 
  into 
  segments 
  called 
  combat rounds. Each 
  combatant 
  normally 
  gets to act once per 
  round. Each partic-
  ipant acts during a 
  round in order es-
  tablished by the roll 
  of a d20 (plus or 
  minus 
  modifiers). 
  This is called initia-
  tive. The character 
  with the highest ini-
  tiative 
  acts 
  first, 
  and 
  then 
  each 
  character in turn 
  performs an action 
  until the last char-
  acter 
  has 
  acted. 
  Once 
  all 
  partici-
  pants have acted, 
  the round is over 
  and a new round 
  begins, 
  with 
  the 
  character that had 
  the highest initiative 
  from the last round. 
   
  Combat round 
  One combat round is 10 
  seconds 
  long. 
  During 
  this round, all the char-
  acters and non-player 
  characters should get a 
  chance to do something. 
  Generally only one ac-
  tion is allowed, such as 
  firing a bow, punching 
  someone or mounting a 
  horse. The types of ac-
  tions 
  are 
  discussed 
  ahead. 
   
  It is important to re-
  member 
  that 
  each 
  round is an abstract 
  measurement. The ac-
  tions and activities that 
  occur in a round are not 
  meant to take place dur-
  ing specific segments of 
  time, with the rest of 
  that time the character 
  doing nothing at all. The 
  action is all happening 
  together, with charac-
  ters 
  moving, 
  talking, 
  yelling, 
  reaching 
  for 
  their weapons, jumping, 
  cursing, dodging, stum-
  bling, getting distracted, 
  looking out for friends, 
  listening, and so on. All 
  this 
  happens 
  in 
  a 
  round, in a fluid burst 
  of activity and should be 
  narrated as such. 
   
  Surprise 
  Before combat begins, 
  the GM determines if 
  one or the other party is 
  surprised. Surprise is a 
  situation in which the 
  characters happen upon 
  their enemies and 
  neither is aware or 
  expects the other. 
  Surprise may also 
  occur 
  where 
  one 
  party is deliberately 
  trying to surprise 
  the others – like in 
  an ambush, for ex-
  ample. Before any 
  surprise 
  roll 
  is 
  made, The GM de-
  termines if surprise 
  is possible. A group 
  that is aware of an-
  other’s 
  presence 
  cannot 
  be 
  sur-
  prised. If a party 
  can be surprised, a 
  wisdom 
  attribute 
  check is made by 
  the individual in the 
  group with the best 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  52 
  chance of succeeding at 
  it, or by each member of 
  the group individually. If 
  the check is successful, 
  that party or individual 
  is not surprised. Failure 
  indicates surprise. 
   
  When a party or indi-
  vidual is surprised, their 
  opponents automatically 
  gain the initiative for the 
  first round of combat. 
  Once every member of 
  the party that gains the 
  surprise 
  has 
  had 
  a 
  chance to act, initiative 
  is determined for the 
  second and subsequent 
  rounds. 
   
  Initiative 
  An initiative roll deter-
  mines 
  the 
  order 
  of 
  action 
  in 
  a 
  combat 
  round. Every combatant 
  participating in the fight 
  rolls a d20 to determine 
  their initiative at the 
  start 
  of 
  the 
  combat. 
  Once this is determined, 
  the order stays that way 
  throughout 
  the 
  fight. 
  Those with the highest 
  initiative get to do what 
  they want to do first and 
  then the next highest 
  and so on. To the d20 
  roll, 
  characters 
  add 
  their dexterity modifier 
  and their level. This is 
  because faster charac-
  ters act more speedily 
  and more experienced 
  characters are able to 
  weigh up a situation 
  quicker and act more 
  decisively. 
  Sometimes 
  the GM may want to 
  make a group initiative 
  roll for non-player char-
  acters, especially where 
  there are a lot of them, 
  maybe only making a 
  separate one for the 
  leader or an important 
  NPC. 
   
  Combat actions 
  In 
  a 
  combat 
  round, 
  characters could carry 
  out a wide variety of ac-
  tions. 
  Every 
  possible 
  thing they could do can 
  be categorized in one of 
  six types of action that 
  may be performed in 
  combat 
  that 
  have 
  a 
  chance of failure. The 
  six possible actions are 
  attack, opportunity at-
  tack, 
  move, 
  use 
  an 
  ability, re-focus or a 
  non-combat action. 
   
  Attack 
  A character is allowed 
  one attack each round 
  unless they possess a 
  special ability allowing 
  them to exceed the limi-
  tation, such as the extra 
  attack 
  of 
  the 
  fighter 
  character 
  class 
  when 
  they reach 10th level. 
  Attacks include melee 
  attacks; either armed or 
  unarmed 
  and 
  ranged 
  attacks with throwing 
  weapons 
  or 
  already 
  loaded crossbows. 
   
  Opportunity action 
  A character with a high 
  initiative can withhold 
  his action to see what 
  happens 
  around 
  him 
  before taking his action 
  at a later point in the 
  combat round. On his 
  initiative, 
  he 
  simply 
  states that he is await-
  ing his opportunity and 
  does nothing else. At 
  any point from then un-
  til the end of the round 
  he can take his action 
  whenever he likes or 
  whenever an opportuni-
  ty presents itself. He 
  cannot alter this at the 
  end of the round to re-
  focus instead. Once he 
  has 
  declared 
  he 
  is 
  awaiting an opportunity, 
  he is preparing himself 
  to react and if an oppor-
  tunity doesn’t arise to 
  do anything, then he 
  loses his action for that 
  round.  
    
  Move 
  If no other action is 
  taken, a character can 
  move a distance equal to 
  their 
  full 
  movement 
  rate. Full movement al-
  so 
  includes 
  jogging 
  (twice normal move rate) 
  and running (quadruple 
  normal move rate). 
   
  
  THE GAME RULES 
   
   
   
  53 
  Use an ability or 
  skill 
  A character may per-
  form a class ability each 
  round. 
  Some 
  abilities 
  take more than a round 
  to complete. An ability 
  may involve movement 
  but 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  movement will not ex-
  ceed the normal rate. 
  Abilities are described 
  more fully in the charac-
  ter class section. 
   
  Re-focus 
  As long as the character 
  does nothing at all dur-
  ing the round, he may 
  re-roll his initiative at 
  the beginning of the 
  next round and act ac-
  cording 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  initiative roll if it is 
  higher than the original, 
  otherwise reverting to 
  the original. 
   
  Non-combat action 
  These are things that a 
  character might do that 
  could have a bearing on 
  the combat but are oth-
  erwise not really combat 
  orientated nor do they 
  involve the use of an 
  ability. The action could 
  be as simple as re-
  loading 
  a 
  crossbow, 
  standing still, talking, 
  picking something up, 
  watching and waiting or 
  opening a door. Such 
  actions typically have no 
  chance of failure, but 
  they do take time. No 
  matter the type of action 
  attempted, it is up to 
  the GM to decide how 
  long any action takes 
  and whether it can be 
  completed in a single 
  round. 
   
  Movement in the 
  combat round 
  Once initiative or sur-
  prise 
  is 
  determined, 
  each combatant is al-
  lowed an action. One of 
  the allowed actions is 
  movement. Most charac-
  ters and other people 
  have a standard move 
  rate of 30 feet. Some 
  classes can move fur-
  ther than this at higher 
  levels with their class 
  abilities. Movement, like 
  the combat round is an 
  abstraction. It is a mat-
  ter of establishing the 
  distance that can be 
  moved in a given period 
  of time. Movement can 
  be in a straight line, a 
  curve, around a corner 
  or twists and turns. 
  Movement can be in-
  creased 
  by 
  dashing 
  (double the movement 
  rate), or running (quad-
  ruple 
  the 
  movement 
  rate).  
   
  An attacker can move 
  up to half their move-
  ment rate and attack. 
  No attack is allowed if a 
  character exceeds half 
  his or her movement 
  rate. The exception is 
  when a charge is at-
  tempted. Charging al-
  lows for an attack at the 
  end of the full move, but 
  there are special rules 
  for charging too. The 
  GM can decide to reduce 
  movement rates due to 
  terrain, obstacles, inju-
  ries 
  or 
  other 
  circumstances. General-
  ly, 
  movement 
  rates 
  should not be reduced 
  by 
  more 
  than 
  three 
  quarters. 
  The 
  GM 
  should always allow at 
  least a 5-foot movement 
  in a combat round, un-
  less the character is 
  restrained or otherwise 
  unable to move. 
   
  Charging 
  Charging is a way of try-
  ing to improve the effect 
  of any melee or un-
  armed attack on the 
  target. 
  A 
  successful 
  charge attack inflicts a 
  +2 bonus to the damage 
  inflicted on a successful 
  attack. 
  However, 
  it 
  opens the character up 
  to being hit easier and 
  therefore it also causes 
  a –2 penalty on his de-
  fence 
  bonus 
  for 
  all 
  attacks in the round. 
  The charge must be an-
  nounced prior to the 
  character moving. 
   
  When 
  charging, 
  the 
  character is considered 
  to be dashing or run-
  ning. 
  The 
  character 
  must minimally move 
  the full distance of their 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  54 
  movement rate (normal-
  ly 30 
  feet) 
  and the 
  charge must be in a 
  straight line to the tar-
  get. 
   
  Melee combat 
  Melee occurs when two 
  or more people engage 
  in hand-to-hand combat 
  and are wielding weap-
  ons of some kind. The 
  attacker rolls a d20 and 
  adds his basic to hit bo-
  nus (from his class and 
  level) plus any strength 
  modifier. If the total is 
  greater than or equal to 
  the defender’s armour 
  class, the attacker has 
  hit the defender and in-
  flicts 
  damage 
  as 
  determined by the type 
  of weapon being used. 
  Unarmed 
  combat 
  is 
  considered melee com-
  bat too, but is detailed 
  below. 
   
  A melee attack, just like 
  all movement and other 
  stuff that goes on in a 
  combat round is an ab-
  straction. Though the 
  character usually only 
  makes one melee attack 
  in 
  a 
  round, 
  it 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  considered 
  only 
  one swing or stab 
  of his weapon. A 
  melee attack con-
  sists of a series of 
  thrusts, 
  parries, 
  attempted 
  at-
  tacks, 
  feints, 
  backing off, ad-
  vances and so on, that 
  sometimes 
  results 
  in 
  damage to the defender. 
  The damage from the 
  blow could actually be 
  seen as a series of nicks 
  and cuts, bruising or 
  even fatigue. 
   
  Ranged combat 
  When 
  your 
  character 
  fires a bow, sling or 
  crossbow (or throws an 
  axe or some other weap-
  on) 
  at 
  another, 
  the 
  ranged 
  combat 
  rules 
  apply. Dexterity is the 
  attribute that modifies a 
  ranged attack to hit roll. 
  If the total of the d20 
  roll plus the character’s 
  basic to hit bonus and 
  dexterity 
  modifier 
  is 
  greater than or equal to 
  the defender’s armour 
  class, the attacker has 
  successfully hit the de-
  fender 
  and 
  inflicts 
  damage as determined 
  by the bow or other 
  weapon used. 
   
  Thrown weapons 
  Thrown 
  weapons 
  in-
  clude knives, hand axes, 
  light 
  hammers 
  and 
  spears. 
  The 
  strength 
  bonus to damage is in-
  cluded on all successful 
  hits with thrown weap-
  ons, 
  but 
  not 
  with 
  firearms. 
   
  Range increments 
  Ranged weapons have 
  range increments and 
  they have a maximum 
  effective distance equal 
  to three times the listed 
  range increment, as set 
  out in the equipment 
  (weapons) 
  table. 
  The 
  listed range increment is 
  considered to be close 
  range. Weapons fired or 
  thrown at up to this 
  range are used without 
  a range penalty to the 
  “to hit” attack roll. At 
  beyond close range and 
  up to twice that range, 
  is considered medium 
  range and beyond that 
  and up to three times 
  the 
  close 
  range 
  is 
  counted as long range. 
  Medium range attracts a 
  -2 penalty on to hit at-
  tack 
  rolls 
  and 
  long 
  range attracts a -6 pen-
  alty. 
   
  Unarmed 
  combat 
  Brawling is melee 
  combat where no 
  weapons are be-
  ing used, i.e. un-
  unarmed combat. 
  In most cases, the 
  success of these 
  attacks is deter-
  mined as normal 
  
  THE GAME RULES 
   
   
   
  55 
  with a d20 roll and by 
  adding the characters to 
  hit bonus and strength 
  modifiers. If the total is 
  equal to or higher than 
  the defender’s armour 
  class, the attacker has 
  successfully hit the de-
  fender 
  and 
  inflicts 
  damage as determined 
  by the class ability. 
   
  There are also special 
  unarmed attacks of an 
  entirely different nature 
  and 
  effect, 
  such 
  as 
  grappling, pummelling, 
  and overbearing. Each 
  type follows the same 
  basic principle but with 
  different 
  modifications 
  to the “to hit” roll and to 
  the 
  damage 
  inflicted. 
  For example, characters 
  that wish to punch or 
  kick and are not trained 
  are in effect attempting 
  a pummelling attack. 
   
  Grappling 
  This type of attack in-
  volves 
  grabbing 
  and 
  holding a defender, like 
  wrestling or in a ‘bear-
  hug’. Grappling is di-
  rected at holding an 
  opponent and subduing 
  them. The attacker rolls 
  a d20 as normal, and 
  adds strength and basic 
  to hit bonus modifiers. 
  The opponent’s armour 
  class is increased (or 
  reduced) for grappling 
  attacks by his strength 
  modifier (if he has one). 
  If the resulting armour 
  class of the opponent 
  is equalled or beaten 
  by the total roll plus 
  modifiers of the at-
  tacker, then he has 
  successfully grappled 
  his opponent. The de-
  fender is held and 
  cannot act except to 
  attempt to break free. 
  The 
  defender 
  can 
  break free by making 
  his own grappling at-
  tack. 
   
  Pummelling 
  This involves the use of 
  fists, feet, knees and 
  elbows to inflict damage 
  on an opponent, with 
  the intention of knock-
  ing 
  them 
  out 
  or 
  otherwise incapacitating 
  them. As usual the at-
  tacker rolls d20 to hit 
  adding 
  strength 
  and 
  basic to hit modifiers. If 
  the total exceeds the 
  defender’s armour class, 
  the pummelling inflicts 
  d2 hit points of subdual 
  damage. 
  Damage 
  is 
  modified by strength. 
   
  Overbearing 
  This type of attack is 
  used to knock an oppo-
  nent down. This tactic is 
  used in wrestling and 
  other types of hand-to-
  hand combat as well as 
  when an animal charges 
  into somebody. As usu-
  al, the attacker rolls d20 
  and adds appropriate 
  modifiers. If a hit is suc-
  cessful, 
  the 
  defender 
  gets to make a strength 
  saving throw to remain 
  on his feet. If not suc-
  cessful, he is knocked 
  prone for the remainder 
  of the round. In addi-
  tion, the defender takes 
  d2 points of subdual 
  damage. 
  An 
  attacker 
  making an overbearing 
  attack is at –2 to his 
  armour class for the 
  combat round as he is 
  more exposed than usu-
  al. 
   
  Situational modifiers 
  Situational modifiers are 
  nebulous and, for the 
  most part, those that 
  the GM deems appro-
  priate. There are often 
  situations that crop up 
  where it is impossible to 
  set a rule or the rules 
  would be unwieldy. In 
  these 
  circumstances, 
  the GM must use rea-
  son, common sense or 
  narrative 
  development 
  to determine what modi-
  fier should be applied 
  the “to hit” roll. It is 
  even possible to ask the 
  players what modifier  
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  56 
   
  they think might be ap-
  propriate 
  in 
  the 
  circumstances and to 
  explain their reasoning 
  for it. It depends on 
  your group though, how 
  often you use this ap-
  proach.  
   
  In general, combat to hit 
  modifiers can be broken 
  down into three catego-
  ries: easy, difficult and 
  heroic. For tasks that 
  are easy, up to a +/-5 
  modifier could be ap-
  plied. 
  Difficult 
  tasks 
  would range from +/-6 
  to 10 and heroic would 
  range from +/- 11 and 
  higher. 
   
  Some situational modi-
  fiers can be applied with 
  regularity as they can 
  occur quite frequently. 
  These are listed below 
  and can be used as a 
  guide to help in making 
  decisions about other 
  unusual 
  situations. 
  Concealment 
  includes 
  those 
  circumstances 
  where nothing physical-
  ly blocks the attack but 
  there is something that 
  interferes with the at-
  tacker’s 
  view 
  and/or 
  accuracy. The modifiers 
  are cumulative. In all 
  instances, the attacker 
  must know of the de-
  fender’s presence, even 
  if the exact location is 
  not known. The GM 
  should add to the list as 
  new 
  situations 
  crop 
  up, 
  to 
  maintain 
  con-
  sistency in the 
  game. 
   
   
  Situational 
  modifier table 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Situation 
  Modifier 
  Defender prone or blind 
  +5 
  Defender prone & defenceless 
  +10 
  Defender at lower elevation 
  +1 
  Defender stunned or cowering 
  +2 
  Defender invisible/attacker blind 
  -10 
  Melee attack from mount or unstable 
  platform 
  -2 
  Ranged attack from mount or unstable 
  platform 
  -4 
  Defender 1/4 concealed* (light fog or 
  smoke) 
  -2 
  Defender 1/2 concealed* (dense fog or 
  smoke) 
  -4 
  Defender 3/4 concealed* (near darkness) 
  -6 
  Defender completely concealed (total 
  darkness) 
  -10 
   
  
  THE GAME RULES 
   
   
   
  57 
  Armour class 
  Armour class is repre-
  sentative of the type of 
  armour the defender is 
  wearing as well as his 
  ability to avoid being hit 
  in combat. It results 
  from a combination of 
  agile avoidance of in-
  coming attacks or even 
  an ability to absorb the 
  shock of a damaging 
  blow, or to ‘roll with it’. 
  Armour class begins at 
  10 for all characters. A 
  person with an average 
  dexterity and wearing 
  no armour is automati-
  cally armour class 10. 
  Armour class can in-
  crease through a high 
  dexterity and through 
  buying better armour. 
  Armour class modifiers 
  are detailed below. 
   
  Shields 
  Each type of shield adds 
  +1 
  to 
  armour 
  class 
  whilst being used. The 
  shield size determines 
  how 
  many opponents 
  the +1 modifier applies 
  against. Small shields 
  are useful only against 
  one opponent. Medium 
  shields against two and 
  large shields are useful 
  against up to three op-
  ponents. Shields are no 
  use against attacks from 
  behind. 
   
  Dexterity 
  Dexterity 
  modifies 
  a 
  character’s armour class 
  if that character can 
  physically react to the 
  attack. Characters lose 
  their dexterity modifier 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  sur-
  prised, unaware of an 
  attacker or when they 
  are restrained or other-
  wise rendered immobile. 
  Dexterity does not apply 
  when attacked from the 
  rear, unless the charac-
  ter knows the attacker 
  is there and about to 
  attack him. 
   
  Armour 
  Metal armour provides 
  better protection than 
  lighter armour, such as 
  leather or padded cloth. 
  The better the armour 
  protection, the higher 
  the armour class modi-
  fier. 
  Plate 
  armour 
  provides the best protec-
  tion, 
  but 
  this 
  isn’t 
  available until later in 
  the period and is only 
  likely, even then, to be 
  worn in battle or at 
  tournaments.   
   
  Cover 
  Cover confers an ar-
  mour class bonus as 
  follows: 
   
   
  Type of 
  cover 
  Armour 
  class  
  bonus 
  1/4 cover 
  +2 
  1/2 cover 
  +4 
  3/4 cover 
  +6 
  full cover 
  +10 
  Although cover is used 
  primarily against ranged 
  weapons and firearms, 
  it can occasionally be 
  used in melee combat. 
  In some cases, the GM 
  may rule that the char-
  acter seeking cover may 
  not attack. 
   
  Situation and circum-
  stance: There may be 
  occasions when the GM 
  feels that an armour 
  class adjustment is ap-
  propriate. 
  When 
  applying 
  additional 
  modifiers, 
  common 
  sense and fairness must 
  be exercised. If in doubt, 
  err in favour of the play-
  er characters. 
   
  Combat manoeuvres 
  Characters can attempt 
  all sorts of additional 
  actions in combat other 
  than just shooting their 
  missile weapons or at-
  tacking 
  and 
  so 
  on. 
  There cannot be rules 
  for everything that a 
  character will do, but a 
  GM can make judge-
  ments based on some of 
  the manoeuvres set out 
  below and what seems 
  reasonable in the cir-
  cumstances. 
   
  Dodge 
  The character sacrifices 
  his normal action to use 
  his best means to dodge 
  up to three attacks in 
  that combat round. It 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  58 
  can be used against on-
  ly those attackers that 
  the character is facing 
  and aware of. The char-
  acter gains +2 to his 
  armour 
  class 
  while 
  dodging. A dodge can be 
  declared at any time in 
  the combat round as 
  long as the character 
  hasn’t taken any other 
  action.  
   
  Disengage 
  Disengaging is an 
  attempt to get out 
  of a hand-to-hand 
  combat 
  situation. 
  This is dangerous 
  as it exposes the 
  character 
  to 
  at-
  tacks. 
  If 
  disengaging a char-
  acter can take no 
  other 
  action. 
  He 
  may move as far as 
  possible away from 
  his enemy, but suf-
  fers a –2 to his 
  armour class and 
  the opponent gets a 
  free attack as the 
  character tries to 
  get away. The ar-
  mour 
  class 
  adjustment applies to 
  all attempts against the 
  character in the round, 
  ranged or melee. 
   
  Disarm 
  A fighter, crowner, no-
  ble, forester or rogue 
  can attempt to disarm 
  an opponent in melee 
  combat. 
  The 
  attacker 
  must successfully hit an 
  armour class of 18 plus 
  the level of the defender 
  to successfully disarm 
  them. For example, a 
  fighter would need to hit 
  an armour class equiva-
  lent of 23 to disarm a 
  5th level character. The 
  defender can add his 
  dexterity bonus (if any) 
  to his effective armour 
  class. 
   
  Evade 
  This is a desperate at-
  tempt to get out of the 
  way of an attack. This 
  allows a one-off defence 
  bonus against one op-
  ponent of +4. 
   
  Flank attack 
  This is a side attack 
  that is not directly be-
  hind the defender. This 
  confers a bonus of +1 to 
  hit, as it is harder to 
  defend against. 
   
  Rear attack 
  Attacks 
  from 
  behind 
  gives the attacker a +2 
  bonus to hit, either with 
  melee weapons or bows. 
   
  Two-Weapon 
  fighting 
  Characters can at-
  tempt to fight with 
  two weapons, such 
  as a sword in one 
  hand and a dagger 
  in another. This is 
  not 
  a 
  common 
  fighting style at this 
  time, but it is an 
  option. This is very 
  difficult. When us-
  ing two weapons, 
  the character must 
  state which is his 
  primary 
  hand, 
  meaning that the 
  other is referred to 
  as 
  his 
  ‘off-hand’. 
  The 
  character 
  is 
  able to use or fire 
  both weapons in a 
  round, but the at-
  tack with the primary 
  hand is at -3 to hit and 
  the attack with the off-
  hand is at -6 to hit. The 
  character’s 
  dexterity 
  modifier 
  affects 
  these 
  attacks, 
  but 
  strength 
  will only be used to de-
  termine 
  damage 
  (for 
  melee attacks). This can 
  be used with the fight-
  
  THE GAME RULES 
   
   
   
  59 
  er’s combat dominance 
  and extra attacks. 
   
  Hit points 
  Hit points represent the 
  amount 
  of 
  damage, 
  physical 
  and 
  mental, 
  that a character or non-
  player 
  character 
  can 
  take before passing out 
  or dying. A character’s 
  hit points are a mere 
  abstraction. It is gener-
  ally a representation of 
  the overall health of the 
  individual. The higher 
  the 
  hit 
  points, 
  the 
  healthier the character 
  is. 
   
  Hit points are deter-
  mined by the character’s 
  hit die and level. The 
  character class tells you 
  the type of die to use to 
  determine how many hit 
  points a character has. 
  At each level, the hit die 
  type is rolled and added 
  to the previous total. 
  The constitution modifi-
  er 
  is 
  added 
  to 
  or 
  subtracted from the die 
  roll. At 1st level, charac-
  ters automatically begin 
  with the maximum hit 
  points for their class. At 
  5th 
  level, 
  all 
  classes 
  simply 
  acquire 
  hit 
  points at a specified rate 
  without a die roll. Con-
  stitution modifiers are 
  applied to this. In all 
  cases, characters gain 
  at least 1 hit point at 
  each level. 
  Hit points can be re-
  duced 
  by 
  weapons, 
  exhaustion, poisons, fire 
  and other things. These 
  are covered in greater 
  detail in the following 
  section. Once damage 
  has been taken, healing 
  is needed for hit points 
  to 
  be 
  restored. 
  Hit 
  points can never exceed 
  the level they were at 
  before taking the dam-
  age. 
   
  Healing 
  In general, hit points 
  heal at a rate of one 
  point per day as long as 
  the character is resting, 
  well fed, kept warm and 
  comfortable 
  and 
  the 
  wounds 
  have 
  been 
  cleaned and tended to. 
  After seven days, the 
  rate of healing speeds 
  up to include the char-
  acter’s 
  constitution 
  bonus, if any (but not 
  penalty). After 14 days 
  the rate of healing dou-
  bles and after thirty 
  days, it triples. Rates of 
  healing can be improved 
  by medicines, diet, and 
  level of care or other fac-
  tors that the GM deems 
  applicable. 
   
  Falling to 0 hit 
  points 
  In general, when 0 hit 
  points is reached, the 
  character passes out. 
  The character is not 
  dead, but incapable of 
  acting due to blood loss 
  and damage. The char-
  acter 
  will 
  recover 
  consciousness after d6 
  hours after which, they 
  can move at half their 
  normal move rate but 
  cannot 
  participate 
  in 
  combat or take any oth-
  er strenuous action. 
   
  Falling below 0 hit 
  points 
  When a character falls 
  below 0 hit points, the 
  character 
  is 
  severely 
  wounded and loses 1 hit 
  point per combat round 
  from blood loss after the 
  round in which he or 
  she was damaged. The 
  character requires im-
  mediate 
  medical 
  attention and provided 
  aid is administered be-
  fore the damage reaches 
  –10, the character is 
  stabilized. Once stabi-
  lized, 
  the 
  character 
  stops losing hit points 
  but then requires 24 
  hours of bed rest and 
  the attention of a doctor 
  before the actual healing 
  process can begin. With 
  appropriate 
  rest 
  and 
  medical attention, the 
  character will recover 
  back to 0 hit points af-
  ter 24 hours. Then he 
  begins to recover in ac-
  cordance with the rules 
  for 
  falling 
  to 
  0 
  hit 
  points, above. 
  Dying 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  60 
  A character that reaches 
  -10 hit points is dead 
  through 
  trauma 
  and 
  blood loss. The charac-
  ter is then buried at the 
  local graveyard, at his 
  family crypt or in a bur-
  ial pit. It is then time for 
  the player to create an-
  other 
  character. 
  Hopefully 
  this 
  won’t 
  happen too often. 
   
  Damage 
  When characters suc-
  cessfully 
  hit 
  their 
  opponents they cause 
  them 
  damage, 
  which 
  comes directly from the 
  foes hit points. When 
  characters 
  are 
  them-
  selves struck in combat, 
  the damage caused to 
  them comes of their own 
  hit points. The damage 
  caused depends upon 
  the type of weapon used 
  and this is detailed in 
  the equipment section of 
  these rules. The damage 
  is applied immediately. 
  For 
  some 
  characters, 
  the 
  damage 
  from 
  a 
  weapon will be enough 
  to kill straight away but 
  for 
  others 
  the 
  same 
  amount 
  of 
  damage 
  might leave them with 
  plenty of hit points re-
  maining, 
  especially 
  where one character is 
  of a higher level than 
  another. 
   
   
  Weapon damage 
  The amount of damage 
  inflicted is determined 
  by the weapon being 
  used and can be seen of 
  the equipment (weap-
  ons) table. Damage from 
  melee weapons is ad-
  justed by the strength 
  modifier of the character 
  using the weapon. Some 
  animals use their claws, 
  hooves 
  and 
  teeth 
  to 
  cause 
  damage. 
  The 
  amount of damage is 
  listed in the Animals, 
  folks & NPCs section. 
   
  Subdual damage 
  Subdual damage is not 
  usually fatal. It repre-
  sents the bludgeoning 
  damage that a person 
  might 
  receive 
  when 
  struck in a fistfight or a 
  brawl, rather than the 
  type of damage knives, 
  swords 
  and 
  arrows 
  might cause. It probably 
  hurts and may knock a 
  person out 
  but only 
  sometimes draws blood 
  and usually heals quite 
  quickly. 
   
  Fists, feet and some of 
  the improvised weapons 
  cause subdual damage. 
   
  An attacker can use 
  weapons 
  (apart 
  from 
  bows and crossbows) to 
  deliver subdual damage 
  rather 
  than 
  regular 
  damage. This would be 
  where the blunt end of 
  the spear, a club or a 
  quarterstaff 
  is 
  being 
  used. In this case, the 
  damage 
  is 
  rolled 
  for 
  normally but applied as 
  subdual damage rather 
  than normal damage. 
  For every 5 points of 
  subdual damage caused 
  though, 1 point is al-
  ways regular damage. 
       
  Subdual damage heals 
  faster 
  than 
  normal 
  damage, as it is not 
  normally fatal. It heals 
  at a rate of 1 hit point 
  per 10 minutes. At a 
  GM’s discretion, a char-
  acter who takes enough 
  subdual 
  damage 
  to 
  reach –10 hit points has 
  taken so much punish-
  ment to cause damage 
  to their internal organs, 
  resulting in death. If 
  not, they still require 24 
  hours of bed rest and do 
  not begin healing until 
  they regain conscious-
  ness. 
   
  Falling damage 
  When a character falls 
  from a height of 5 feet or 
  more, he suffers falling 
  damage (or more specif-
  ically hitting the ground 
  hard damage). Falling 
  from heights can be par-
  ticularly deadly. 
   
  If a character falls from 
  a height of 6 to 10 feet, 
  he needs to make a dex-
  terity check. If the check 
  is successful, the char-
  acter lands safely. If the 
  check fails, the charac-
  
  THE GAME RULES 
   
   
   
  61 
  ter suffers 1d6 points of 
  damage. From heights of 
  greater than 10 feet, 
  damage is 1d6 extra per 
  10 feet fallen. The dam-
  age for each 10 feet 
  fallen is cumulative. For 
  example, if a character 
  falls 18 feet, he takes 
  1d6 for the first 10 feet 
  and 2d6 for the second 
  10 feet, for a total dam-
  age 
  of 
  3d6. 
  If 
  a 
  character falls from a 
  height of 45 feet, he 
  takes 1d6 for the first 
  10 feet, 2d6 for the next, 
  3d6 for the next and 
  4d6 for the last 10 feet, 
  for a total damage of 
  10d6. 
   
  Drowning damage 
  When a character is in 
  water and fails a swim 
  check, he can hold his 
  breath for a number of 
  rounds equal to his con-
  stitution. 
  After 
  that 
  time, if he fails another 
  swim check to get his 
  head above water, he 
  starts to drown. Damage 
  is d6 hit points per 
  round under the water 
  and is considered sub-
  dual 
  damage. 
  If 
  the 
  character reaches -10 
  then he has drowned. 
   
  Infection 
  Every wound a charac-
  ter receives that is the 
  maximum for that type 
  of weapon, (e.g. a natu-
  ral 4 received from a 
  dagger) has a chance of 
  infection. Make a consti-
  tution saving roll, with a 
  challenge rating based 
  on the amount of dam-
  age received less 6. So, 
  with the dagger, the 
  modifier will be -4 (as-
  suming 
  no 
  damage 
  bonus 
  from 
  a 
  high 
  strength) +6, = +2. 
   
  If infection sets in, the 
  day following receiving 
  the wound, the charac-
  ter immediately gets a 
  fever and loses 3 from 
  all attributes. He needs 
  warmth, bed rest, plenty 
  of liquids, clean band-
  ages 
  and 
  constant 
  attention. Without these 
  things he or she is likely 
  to die. At the end of 
  each day, make a fur-
  ther constitution saving 
  throw (based on the re-
  duced score). For each 
  one of the above re-
  quirements he or she is 
  receiving, he gets a posi-
  tive 
  modifier 
  to 
  the 
  check. So, for example if 
  he is being well cared 
  for with every possible 
  convenience, he gets +5 
  to his roll. The presence 
  of an apothecary, espe-
  cially one of high level, 
  will add to his or her 
  chances of surviving the 
  infection. 
   
  For a success, he has 
  thrown off the fever. Im-
  prove all attributes by 1. 
  Thereafter, his attrib-
  utes will increase by 1 
  each day until the fever 
  is gone. Then the wound 
  will begin to heal, in ac-
  cordance 
  with 
  the 
  healing rules. 
   
  For a failure, attributes 
  fall by 1 and the fever is 
  worsening. 
  The 
  next 
  day, he can get another 
  attribute check and so 
  on. If a physical attrib-
  ute 
  (strength, 
  constitution, 
  dexterity) 
  falls to 0, the character 
  will die. If a mental at-
  tribute 
  falls 
  to 
  0, 
  (Intelligence, Wisdom or 
  Charisma) the character 
  will go mad. 
   
  Stunning 
  A character will suffer a 
  potential stun if a hit 
  exceeds his constitution 
  attribute. First of all, 
  make 
  a 
  constitution 
  saving throw (add level) 
  to avoid being stunned. 
  Failure means the char-
  acter is knocked over 
  and 
  stunned 
  for 
  d6 
  rounds. 
   
  Fumbles 
  These occur in combat 
  when a natural 1 is 
  rolled on the d20. If this 
  happens, you automati-
  cally miss the target and 
  need to roll the dice 
  again. To avoid a mis-
  hap, you need to roll an 
  8 or higher. Add your 
  dexterity modifier and 
  level to the roll. Another 
  1 is always a fumble. If 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  62 
  the result is a fumble, 
  consult the table below: 
  Critical hits 
  A critical hit is a hit 
  that strikes a vital area 
  of the target’s body. 
  This results in addi-
  tional 
  damage 
  over 
  and above that of the 
  normal dice roll made 
  for 
  damage. 
  Critical 
  hits potentially occur 
  on a natural roll of 20. 
  That is to say, when 
  rolling to hit, the dice 
  itself comes up with a 
  20 on its face. If this 
  happens 
  the 
  player 
  rolls the dice again. If 
  the result of the se-
  cond roll is a hit, then 
  a critical hit results. If 
  the second die roll re-
  sults in a miss, then 
  damage is simply the 
  maximum for the weap-
  on.  
   
  Critical hits result in the 
  damage caused being 
  the maximum for the 
  weapon and the critical 
  hit will also cause an 
  extra effect, which is 
  determined from a fur-
  ther d20 roll on the 
  Critical Hit table, below. 
  Note that because dam-
  age from critical hits is 
  automatically the max-
  imum for the weapon, 
  the wound is also poten-
  tially infected too. 
  D20 
  Roll 
  Effect of fum-
  ble  
  1-4 
  You drop your 
  weapon. 
  It 
  is 
  near enough to 
  retrieve.  
  5-7 
  Your 
  weapon 
  breaks. It is no 
  longer useable. 
  8-12 
  You 
  stumble 
  and are at -1 to 
  your 
  armour 
  class until your 
  next 
  initiative 
  round. 
  13-14 
  You slide and 
  are at –2 to 
  your 
  armour 
  class until your 
  next 
  initiative 
  round. 
  15-16 
  You slip and fall 
  over.   
  17-18 
  Your 
  weapon 
  flies out of your 
  hand, 
  landing 
  20’ away.  
  19 
  If you are with-
  in 
  5’ 
  of 
  a 
  colleague, 
  you 
  knock into him 
  or her, putting 
  them off their 
  next attack. If 
  not, you stum-
  ble. Refer to the 
  result for 8-12 
  above. 
  20 
  If you are with-
  in 
  5’ 
  of 
  a 
  colleague, 
  you 
  could 
  actually 
  hit him or her. 
  Roll to hit and 
  damage 
  as 
  normal. Other-
  wise 
  drop 
  weapon as in 1-
  4 above. 
  
  THE GAME RULES 
   
   
   
  63 
  Critical hit table 
   
   
   
  D20 
  Roll 
   
  Effect of critical hit  
  1 
  Hand hit, finger broken. Drop anything in hand. Cannot use for 2 weeks. 
  2 
  Hand hit. D4 fingers sliced off. Dexterity  reduced by 1 per finger lost. 
  3 
  Arm hit, and broken. Drop anything in that hand. Cannot use for 4 weeks. 
  4 
  Arm hit, artery severed. Drop anything in that hand. Lose 1 hit point per 
  round until staunched, with a heal check. 
  5 
  Leg hit and broken. Drop to the ground and can’t for 4 weeks. Reduce 
  move rate by 5’ permanently.  
  6 
  Leg hit and artery severed. Drop to floor and unable to move until 
  staunched with a heal check. 
  7 
  Body hit, ribs broken and knocked out. - 4 attack penalty, reducing to -3 
  the next week and so on until recovered. Any armour worn is damaged 
  and needs repairing at 25%  of the full cost of the armour. 
  8 
  Body hit, bleeding internally, -1 hit point per round until tended to, with a 
  heal check. Any armour is damaged  and will cost 25% of the full cost of 
  the armour to repair. 
  9 
  Body hit, serious internal injuries. -2 hit points per round until staunched 
  with a heal check at -2. Constitution reduced by 1 permanently. Any ar-
  mour worn is destroyed. 
  10 
  Spine damaged, knocked to the ground. Cannot walk until healed (4 
  weeks). - 1 strength, permanently. Armour is damaged costing 25% of full 
  cost to repair. 
  11 
  Groin hit. The pain is such that you can do nothing for an hour. You won’t 
  be having (more) children. 
  12 
  Internal organs ruptured and blood pouring out of stomach wound. 
  Knocked to ground and cannot do anything. Suffer 3 points of damage per 
  round until attended to. Armour suffers severe damage and is beyond re-
  pair. 
  13 
  Head hit. Will result in a nasty scar. -1 charisma, permanently. 
  14 
  Head hit. Addled your brain a bit. -1 intelligence, permanently. 
  15 
  Head hit. Lose sight in one eye. -2 on any future notice or search checks.  
  16 
  Head hit. Lose hearing in one ear. -2 on any future listen checks. 
  17 
  Head hit. Knocked completely senseless. It will take a full day to come 
  around. -1 intelligence permanently and suffer forgetfulness. -1 wisdom, 
  permanently.  
  18 
  Head hit. Skull cracked and knocked to the ground. Bleeding badly. Lose 
  1 hit point per round until attended to. 
  19 
  Head hit. Loosens quite a few teeth. -1 to any persuasion related checks, 
  permanently. 
  20 
  Killed outright in a completely nasty way -heart pierced, neck severed, 
  guts sliced open, brain bashed in, etc. 
   
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  64 
  Narrative of combat 
  It helps greatly if all of 
  the players know how 
  combat works, but it is 
  not strictly necessary for 
  them to. The GM does 
  need to have a clear un-
  derstanding of the rules 
  though 
  and 
  a 
  good 
  judgement for those oc-
  casions (and there will 
  be lots of them) where 
  the rules don’t cover a 
  specific point. 
   
  Combat is something 
  that occurs in the 
  Medieval 
  Mysteries 
  RPG, 
  although 
  it 
  isn’t as frequent as it 
  might be in most 
  other 
  role 
  playing 
  games. You would 
  feel short-changed if 
  you watched a west-
  ern movie and there 
  wasn’t a single gun-
  fight or saloon brawl 
  in it, or a space 
  opera movie without 
  a spaceship battle. 
  You might have sev-
  eral game sessions 
  where combat doesn’t 
  occur and that can be 
  fun, 
  but 
  occasionally 
  you want to have dan-
  gerous 
  confrontations 
  that might result in in-
  jury or even death. 
   
  Whilst it is incumbent 
  upon the GM to set 
  things up so that the 
  players can have fun, 
  the players themselves 
  should also share in 
  this responsibility. The 
  rules are not there to get 
  in the way of a good sto-
  ry and so the GM must 
  engage the players and 
  the 
  players 
  (through 
  their characters) should 
  likewise 
  maintain 
  a 
  sense of drama and try 
  not to get too bogged 
  down in the nitty-gritty. 
   
  There are several ways 
  to engage the players 
  and keep up the sense 
  of drama and excite-
  ment. Vivid descriptions 
  can capture a group of 
  even the most lacklustre 
  of players. You can use 
  ideas gleaned from mov-
  ies, fiction and even 
  historical records to give 
  the combat a sense of 
  danger and action. You 
  can allow the players to 
  take over some of the 
  description 
  of 
  what 
  happens, if this doesn’t 
  overstep the success or 
  otherwise of their die 
  rolls, especially if you 
  know one of the players 
  is very good at describ-
  ing this sort of action. If 
  the players start de-
  scribing things, then it 
  means they are involved 
  in what is going on. If 
  the players are describ-
  ing parts of the action 
  that relate to their 
  own characters, that 
  means less work for 
  the GM and more 
  time 
  to 
  consider 
  what happens next 
  as a result. If a play-
  er 
  describes 
  his 
  intended action with 
  a 
  sense 
  of 
  style, 
  drama and within 
  the tone of the game 
  you are playing, the 
  GM could even con-
  sider giving a bonus 
  to the dice roll for 
  whatever action the 
  character is attempt-
  ing. 
    
  Running a combat in a 
  narrative fashion can be 
  tricky at times but it is 
  fun. Engaging the play-
  ers and keeping their 
  attention is one of the 
  most rewarding experi-
  ences a GM can have. 
  But to be able to do so, 
  the GM does need un-
  derstand the rules and 
  when to bend them. 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  65 
   
  LIFE IN 
  MEDIEVAL 
  TIMES 
   
  he Medieval Myster-
  ies RPG is first and 
  foremost 
  a 
  game, 
  not a history lesson. It 
  is not completely histor-
  ically accurate, it is not 
  intended to be and, it 
  would be impossible to 
  make it so. The fiction 
  that inspired this game 
  is accurate only to a 
  point - that point is 
  where, for the sake of 
  the story; the historical-
  ly accurate has to fall by 
  the wayside.  
   
  As a GM or a player, you 
  have to enjoy the game 
  you are playing. If histo-
  ry takes away from this 
  and becomes a chore, 
  then you are welcome to 
  drop the history in fa-
  vour of your story. A 
  case in point is the role 
  of women in history. 
  Generally 
  speaking, 
  women 
  were 
  second-
  class citizens and were 
  unable to aspire to the 
  heights that men were 
  able to attain. There 
  were some, of course 
  but not many. For the 
  purposes of this game, 
  female characters have 
  the same options and 
  chances as the male 
  characters. They may 
  not always get the same 
  reactions from some of 
  the NPCs though and 
  society in general re-
  mains male dominated. 
    
  The Three Orders of 
  Society 
  “…some 
  pray, 
  others 
  fight, still others work” 
   
  “...from the beginning, 
  mankind has been di-
  vided into three parts, 
  among men of prayer, 
  farmers, and men of 
  war...” 
   
  These are two passages 
  that were written at the 
  beginning of the 11th 
  century, the first was by 
  Bishop Adalbero of Laon 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  by 
  Gerard of Cambrai. The 
  image of a tripartite so-
  ciety divided by function 
  has become a hallmark 
  of medieval English (and 
  European) history.  
   
  Those who work 
   In the early part of the 
  period that this game 
  covers, the vast majority 
  of 
  English 
  men 
  and 
  women were peasants 
  who were the property of 
  their 
  lords. 
  There 
  is 
  comparatively little rec-
  orded 
  about 
  these 
  people, simply because 
  the clergy and nobility 
  had little to say about 
  them and they were the 
  ones who kept written 
  records. When the peas-
  antry was mentioned, it 
  was usually in relation 
  to the obligations they 
  owed their superiors.  
   
  Throughout 
  the 
  long 
  history of medieval serf-
  dom, 
  the 
  serf 
  was 
  required to perform la-
  bour services for his 
  lord. This was generally 
  in the form of farming 
  the lord’s 
  fields 
  and 
  looking after his live-
  stock 
  amongst 
  other 
  duties. 
  Although 
  the 
  number of days devoted 
  to working the lord’s 
  land varied from place 
  to place, it was usually 
  three days a week. At 
  harvest time, the lord 
  would 
  demand 
  even 
  more of his serfs’ time. 
  Furthermore, the serf 
  was tied to the land. In 
  other words the serfs 
  were unable to leave. 
   
  T
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  66 
  With the rise of towns, 
  the increased productiv-
  ity of the land, long-
  distance trade and the 
  development of a money 
  economy, 
  more 
  and 
  more serfs managed to 
  break free of this virtual 
  slavery. What this really 
  meant 
  was 
  that 
  the 
  peasants could now rent 
  his land from the lord 
  for a certain period of 
  time. Equally important-
  ly, with the passage of 
  time 
  many 
  serfs 
  no 
  longer owed their lords a 
  labour 
  obligation. 
  In-
  stead they were taxed 
  direct and indirectly on 
  almost every task on the 
  medieval manor. 
   
  The 
  medieval 
  manor 
  varied greatly in size 
  and could include one 
  village, a few villages, or 
  none at all. The land of 
  the manor was divided 
  into 
  two 
  parts: 
  the 
  demesne was 
  the 
  lord’s 
  land worked 
  by the peas-
  ants. 
  The 
  other 
  part 
  was held by 
  the 
  peas-
  ants. 
  Their 
  plot 
  was 
  usually 
  much larger 
  based on the 
  condition 
  that 
  they 
  cultivate the 
  lord’s demesne before 
  their own. The land it-
  self was divided into 
  long strips and it was 
  entirely 
  possible 
  that 
  one serf would have to 
  work a number of differ-
  ent strips spread out 
  across the manor.  
  The medieval estate re-
  quired 
  cooperation 
  among all serfs since 
  there 
  were 
  very 
  few 
  horses 
  and 
  ploughs. 
  Medieval manors also 
  had tracts of forest as 
  well as open meadow for 
  the grazing of cattle and 
  sheep. Serfs and villeins 
  could 
  subsidize 
  their 
  meagre diet, which con-
  sisted largely of barley 
  (made into either bread, 
  porridge or soup - sup-
  plemented 
  by 
  a 
  few 
  onions, carrots or cab-
  bages) 
  by 
  gathering 
  firewood or thatch and 
  go fishing and hunting 
  in the forest and mead-
  ow. In England, they 
  had to take extra care 
  not to take or damage 
  anything in the Royal 
  Forest. 
    
  Life on the medieval 
  manor was quite simple 
  and uncomplicated. But 
  by the same token it 
  was probably also dull 
  and uninspiring. Most 
  serfs were unable to 
  travel outside of their 
  home manor, without 
  their lords’ permission. 
  Not that many would 
  have a reason to do so 
  as their family would all 
  live in close proximity, 
  since the children were 
  expected to work for 
  their lord from the age 
  of 12. Nearly every day 
  of the medieval peas-
  ant’s 
  existence 
  was 
  dedicated 
  to 
  farming 
  arable land and so there 
  was little time left over 
  for things of an intellec-
  tual or cultural nature. 
   
  Of all the characteristics 
  of medieval peasant so-
  ciety, none was perhaps 
  more 
  important 
  than 
  the Christian religion as 
  practiced 
  by ordinary 
  men and women. Chris-
  tianity was a matrix of 
  ideas and modes of be-
  haviour that was the 
  medieval 
  community. 
  Nearly all of the im-
  portant events in the 
  short life of medieval 
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  67 
  men and women took 
  place within the con-
  fines of the church or 
  churchyard. A person 
  was 
  usually 
  baptized 
  within hours of birth. 
  Men and women con-
  fessed their sins to the 
  priest and received the 
  sacraments of Eucharist 
  on Holy Days. There 
  were also feasts that 
  accompanied 
  baptisms 
  and weddings that were 
  held in the churchyard. 
  The village priest also 
  read 
  messages 
  from 
  secular and church au-
  thorities. 
  Popular 
  medieval 
  religion 
  was 
  shot through with ritu-
  als and symbolism. For 
  instance, before slicing 
  bread a woman would 
  tap the sign of the cross 
  on it with her knife. The 
  entire calendar was cre-
  ated with reference to 
  many Holy Days. Every-
  one 
  participated 
  in 
  village processions and 
  religious days. 
   
  For the most part the 
  peasants accepted what 
  their 
  family, 
  custom, 
  and the village priest 
  had told them. Although 
  the mass was in Latin, 
  the priest delivered ser-
  mons, usually on the 
  Gospel, in the vernacu-
  lar. 
  Peasants 
  had 
  a 
  strong sense of the ex-
  istence of God, believing 
  that God was directly 
  involved in human af-
  fairs and could reward 
  the virtuous. Of course, 
  they believed that God 
  punished 
  men 
  and 
  women for their sins 
  with 
  disease, 
  plague, 
  poor harvest, and war. 
  But life in the village 
  community 
  did entail 
  cooperation 
  and 
  the 
  values of a simple life. 
   
  Those who fight 
  The nobility influenced 
  all aspects of medieval 
  politics, economics, reli-
  gion, and culture. As 
  the second Estate, the 
  medieval nobility 
  had 
  special legal status. A 
  man who was a member 
  of the nobility was free 
  in his person and in his 
  possessions. The only 
  limitation of the nobility 
  concerned their military 
  obligation to their own 
  lord. As members of the 
  nobility, they had cer-
  tain 
  rights 
  and 
  responsibilities: 
  they 
  could raise troops and 
  command them in the 
  field, they held their 
  own courts of justice 
  and they could even 
  coin their own money. 
  The nobleman was the 
  lord of all those people 
  who settled on his land. 
  The 
  medieval 
  nobility 
  was, of course, was an 
  Estate of warriors, - 
  those who fight. 
    
  The nobility had a social 
  function to protect the 
  weak and the poor. They 
  accomplished this with 
  a horse and a sword, 
  the two visible signs of 
  their 
  standing. 
  They 
  were also encouraged to 
  display the virtues of 
  chivalry; a code of con-
  duct 
  created 
  by 
  the 
  clergy to curb the bru-
  tality of this order of 
  knights. 
   
  When a young member 
  of the nobility finally 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  68 
  came into possession of 
  his 
  property, 
  he 
  ac-
  quired 
  authority 
  over 
  land and people. The 
  nobility rarely lived up 
  to 
  the 
  standard 
  re-
  quired. The reasons for 
  this may be that the no-
  bility wanted immediate 
  gratification. The prob-
  lem 
  was 
  there 
  were 
  many times when the 
  nobility were not in-
  volved in warfare either 
  with foreign enemies or 
  rival 
  lords. 
  In 
  other 
  words, in times of peace 
  the nobility needed an 
  outlet for their warlike 
  aggression. This came 
  with their participation 
  in the medieval tourna-
  ment. 
   
  The 
  medieval 
  nobility 
  lived without working. 
  They also ate far better 
  than the people under 
  them. Their bread was 
  made of wheat, rather 
  than barley. They ate far 
  more meat than the 
  serfs as they could hunt 
  boar and deer on their 
  own lands. They import-
  ed spices from exotic 
  places to flavour their 
  food. Even salt was an 
  expensive 
  commodity 
  that only the rich could 
  afford. Wine was a far 
  more 
  common 
  drink 
  amongst 
  the 
  nobility 
  than the ale that the 
  poorer folk had to drink. 
   
  Those who pray 
  At the top of medieval 
  society was the first Es-
  tate, the clergy, those 
  who pray. It was the vil-
  lage priest who was to 
  oversee the spiritual life 
  of his flock on the medi-
  eval manor. His duties 
  were to administer the 
  necessary 
  sacraments 
  with regularity and con-
  sistency. He was also 
  important 
  to 
  absolve 
  men and women of their 
  sins for the act of con-
  fession. His role, then, 
  in the medieval village 
  was extraordinary. Of 
  course, not all village 
  priests were as dedicat-
  ed to the holiness of 
  their 
  flock 
  as 
  they 
  should have been. How-
  ever, it was the village 
  priest with whom medi-
  eval men and women 
  identified the Church, 
  its teachings, and au-
  thority. 
   
  Apart from the manor, 
  the 
  church 
  was 
  the 
  main focus of communi-
  ty life. Church parishes 
  were usually the manor 
  villages. 
  The 
  parish 
  priest was appointed by 
  the lord of the manor 
  and was given a house. 
  He was obliged to carry 
  money for alms with 
  him, 
  keep 
  up 
  the 
  church, 
  and 
  provide 
  hospitality to travellers. 
  The priest was usually a 
  commoner 
  by 
  birth, 
  though serfs were tied to 
  the land and were not 
  allowed 
  to 
  become 
  priests. The priest offici-
  ated at his living from 
  the income for parish 
  lands, fees for services, 
  and tithe money.  
   
  Tithing was a system 
  whereby 
  each 
  person 
  was expected to give 
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  69 
  1/10 of their earnings to 
  support the church. The 
  tithe income was divided 
  up evenly between the 
  parish 
  priest, 
  the 
  church 
  maintenance 
  fund, the poor, and the 
  bishop. 
   
  The chancel (where the 
  altar is) belonged to the 
  lord. The nave and the 
  tower belonged to the 
  people of the parish. 
  Manor courts were often 
  held in the nave, and 
  tenants came there to 
  pay their rent. A free 
  meal was given to those 
  who paid their rent. The 
  church tower occasion-
  ally served double duty 
  as the priest’s residence 
  and often was built to 
  be defended in times of 
  trouble. School was held 
  in the church porch or 
  in a room over it. The 
  church’s role went far 
  beyond religion; it was 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  village 
  community life. 
   
  Originally, people stood 
  in the nave to hear the 
  church 
  service. 
  Pews 
  were not introduced un-
  til the 15th century. 
  Because few could read, 
  Biblical stories were of-
  ten acted out for the 
  congregation in the form 
  of miracle plays. The 
  plays were performed in 
  the 
  churchyard 
  or 
  porch. In the 12th and 
  13th centuries markets 
  were often held in the 
  churchyard, though this 
  practice was 
  officially 
  banned in 1285. A spe-
  cial hut, or tollbooth, 
  housed a court that 
  regulated the affairs of 
  the market. In time the 
  tollbooth became a per-
  manent fixture of the 
  Town Hall. 
   
  Monasteries 
  were 
  the 
  other 
  main 
  form 
  of 
  church presence. They 
  were self-contained en-
  claves where monks or 
  nuns chose to live a 
  simple life of prayer and 
  work. At least that was 
  the theory. In practice 
  monks at least were of-
  ten criticized for their 
  laxity and concern with 
  worldly matters. 
   
  Although the details of 
  daily life differed from 
  one order to the next, 
  monastic life was gener-
  ally one of hard physical 
  work, scholarship and 
  prayer. Some orders en-
  couraged the presence 
  of ‘lay brothers’, monks 
  who did most of the 
  physical labour in the 
  fields and workshops of 
  the monastery so that 
  the full-fledged monks 
  could 
  concentrate 
  on 
  prayer and learning. 
   
  The day of a monk or 
  nun, in theory at least, 
  was regulated by regular 
  prayer services in the 
  abbey 
  church. 
  These 
  services took place every 
  three hours, day and 
  night. When the services 
  were over, monks would 
  be occupied with all the 
  tasks associated with 
  maintaining 
  a 
  self-
  sustaining community. 
  Abbeys grew their own 
  food, did all their own 
  building, and in some 
  cases, grew quite pros-
  perous 
  doing 
  so. 
  Fountains Abbey 
  and 
  Rievaulx, both in York-
  shire, 
  grew 
  to 
  be 
  enormously 
  wealthy, 
  largely 
  from 
  raising 
  sheep and selling the 
  wool. 
   
  Throughout the medie-
  val 
  period 
  the 
  monasteries were prac-
  tically 
  the 
  only 
  repository of scholarship 
  and 
  learning. 
  The 
  monks were by far the 
  best educated members 
  of society - often they 
  were the only educated 
  members 
  of 
  society. 
  Monasteries 
  acted 
  as 
  libraries 
  for 
  ancient 
  manuscripts, and many 
  monks were occupied 
  with laboriously copying 
  sacred texts (generally 
  in a room called the 
  scriptorium). In the are-
  as 
  where 
  Celtic 
  influence was strongest, 
  for example in North-
  umbria, 
  the 
  monks 
  created 
  "illuminated" 
  manuscripts; beautifully 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  70 
  illustrated Bibles and 
  prayer 
  books 
  with 
  painstakingly 
  created 
  images on most pages. 
   
  The abbey was under 
  the authority of an ab-
  bot or abbess. The abbot 
  could be a landless no-
  ble, 
  who 
  used 
  the 
  church as a means of 
  social 
  advancement. 
  Under the abbot was the 
  prior/prioress, who ran 
  the monastery in the 
  absence of the abbot, 
  who might have to travel 
  on 
  church 
  business. 
  There could also be a 
  sub-prior. Other officers 
  included the cellarer (in 
  charge of food storage 
  and preparation), and 
  specialists in the care of 
  the sick, building, farm-
  ing, 
  masonry, 
  and 
  education. 
   
  One of the main sources 
  of revenue for monaster-
  ies 
  throughout 
  the 
  medieval period was pil-
  grims. 
  Pilgrims 
  could be induced 
  to come to a mo-
  nastic house by 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  means, the most 
  common being a 
  religious 
  relic 
  owned 
  by 
  the 
  abbey. 
  Such 
  a 
  relic might be a 
  saint’s bone, the 
  blood of Christ, a 
  fragment of the 
  cross, or other 
  similar religious arte-
  fact. The tomb of a 
  particularly saintly per-
  son could also become a 
  target for pilgrimages. 
  Pilgrims could generally 
  be induced to buy an 
  insignia to prove they 
  had visited a particular 
  shrine. Some popular 
  pilgrimage centres built 
  hotels to lodge pilgrims. 
  The George Inn in Glas-
  tonbury is one such 
  hotel, built to take the 
  large number of pilgrims 
  flocking to Glastonbury 
  Abbey. 
   
  Monasteries were most 
  numerous 
  in 
  Britain 
  during the early 14th 
  century, 
  when 
  there 
  were as many as 500 
  different 
  houses. 
  The 
  Black Death of 1348 
  dealt the monasteries a 
  major blow, decimating 
  the number of monks 
  and 
  nuns 
  and 
  most 
  never fully recovered. 
   
  Medieval medicine   
  Western medicine ad-
  vanced 
  very 
  little 
  in 
  Europe during the Mid-
  dle Ages. Scholarship 
  fell into the religious 
  sphere, and clerics were 
  more interested in cur-
  ing the soul than the 
  body. Many theologians 
  considered disease and 
  injury to be the result of 
  supernatural 
  interven-
  tion and insisted that 
  cures were only possible 
  through prayer. No new 
  medical research was 
  conducted, and no new 
  practices were created. 
  Physicians simply per-
  petuated 
  the 
  church-
  approved classical tech-
  niques 
  that 
  were 
  preserved 
  in 
  ornately 
  decorated, hand-copied 
  texts 
  produced 
  by 
  monks. Christian con-
  cern for the ill and 
  injured, as well as con-
  tact with the Arab world 
  during 
  the 
  crusades, 
  did, 
  however, 
  lead to the crea-
  tion 
  of 
  many 
  large 
  hospitals 
  built and run by 
  monastic orders. 
  Although 
  little 
  was done to cure 
  the patients, they 
  were usually well 
  fed and comfort-
  ed by a religious 
  nursing staff. 
     
  Although 
  medi-
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  71 
  cine and surgery were 
  related, medieval practi-
  tioners drew a distinct 
  line between them. Gen-
  erally, 
  physicians 
  treated problems inside 
  the body, and surgeons 
  dealt with wounds, frac-
  tures, 
  dislocations, 
  urinary problems, am-
  putations, 
  skin 
  diseases, and syphilis. 
  They also bled patients 
  when directed by physi-
  cians. Many of today’s 
  surgeons can trace the 
  origins of their special-
  ties to the teeth-pullers, 
  bone-setters, 
  oculists, 
  and midwives of the 
  middle ages. 
   
  During this period, med-
  icine 
  began 
  to 
  be 
  recognized as a profes-
  sion based upon formal 
  education, standardized 
  curriculum, and legal 
  regulation. In some re-
  gions, physicians were 
  required to pass exami-
  nations before beginning 
  practice. 
  Untrained 
  physicians were subject 
  to 
  prosecution 
  and 
  fines, and state licens-
  ing 
  became 
  common. 
  Still, 
  not 
  all 
  healers 
  were priests or scholars. 
  Women 
  practitioners 
  commonly 
  treated 
  fe-
  male 
  patients, 
  and 
  although scorned by the 
  educated 
  physicians, 
  uneducated 
  surgeons 
  and self-taught lay doc-
  tors, or ‘leeches’, were 
  permitted to work on 
  both men and livestock. 
   
  Crime & punishment 
  Poisoning 
  A remarkable amount 
  was known about the 
  effects, uses and treat-
  ments 
  of 
  poisoning, 
  even in the relatively 
  unscientific 
  world 
  of 
  medieval Europe. The 
  purveyors of medieval 
  potions 
  and 
  poisons 
  were apothecaries. They 
  produced 
  and 
  sold 
  preparations for a multi-
  tude of uses, and it was 
  well known that many of 
  these could be put to 
  less beneficial purposes 
  than those for which 
  they were intended. 
   
  Poisoning was a popular 
  subject of fiction, but 
  there were also academ-
  ic texts published on the 
  subject. These were of-
  ten written by monks. 
  Many types of poison 
  were described in these 
  treatises, 
  which 
  were 
  often a reasonably com-
  prehensive account of 
  the poisons known at 
  the time, their effects 
  and the best ways that 
  they could be treated.  
  They were often referred 
  to by several different 
  names, or as the plant 
  from which they have 
  more recently been puri-
  fied, but were usually 
  described with great ac-
  curacy. The majority of 
  these 
  treatises 
  were 
  based on writings from 
  the ancient world, as 
  was a great deal of me-
  dieval 
  medicine 
  and 
  scholarship in general. 
  It is unlikely that these 
  academic 
  documents 
  would have been availa-
  ble, 
  or 
  even 
  comprehensible to the 
  public. 
    
  However, there was also 
  a great deal of lay poi-
  son-lore. 
  The 
  high 
  profile of poisons and 
  poisoners, the fact that 
  they worked unseen and 
  their association with 
  witchcraft resulted in a 
  level 
  of 
  paranoia 
  in 
  some sections of the 
  population. This may in 
  fact have been justified, 
  as, with poisons readily 
  available and no science 
  of forensics or toxicology 
  to 
  provide 
  convicting 
  evidence, 
  poisoning 
  seems to have been rela-
  tively 
  widespread. 
  Methods 
  of 
  defence 
  against poisons became 
  very popular, and while 
  some writings on anti-
  dotes, treatments and 
  methods 
  of 
  avoiding 
  poisons were quite reli-
  able, there were also a 
  great many creative, and 
  entirely inaccurate, sug-
  gestions. 
   
  Drinking vessels made 
  from "unicorn’s horn", 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  72 
  rhino horn, or various 
  gemstones were alleged 
  to neutralise any poison 
  contained in them. The-
  se 
  materials, 
  already 
  valuable, became even 
  more sought after, and 
  could raise a huge price. 
  No doubt many charla-
  tans would have taken 
  advantage of this, and 
  helped their cause by 
  persuading wealthy cus-
  tomers that poisoners 
  were everywhere, and 
  that the only way they 
  could save themselves 
  was to buy the gem-
  stone, 
  potion 
  or 
  whatever other charm 
  the salesman was offer-
  ing. 
  Some 
  religious 
  artefacts, such as amu-
  lets and talismans, were 
  also thought to be pro-
  tective 
  against 
  poisoning. These were 
  largely 
  introduced 
  by 
  Jews, a race with a 
  mixed reputation with 
  respect 
  to 
  poisoning. 
  Despite their association 
  with protective charms, 
  the 
  scheming 
  Jewish 
  poisoner was a popular 
  figure of fear and hate 
  in 
  the 
  xenophobic 
  Christian populations 
  of medieval Europe. 
   
  Fines 
  If 
  peasants 
  already 
  had it tough being 
  taxed 
  for 
  virtually 
  everything 
  in 
  their 
  day-to-day lives, fines 
  or ‘amercements’ im-
  posed as a result of 
  crime could be devastat-
  ing. There was a rigid 
  procedure enforced at 
  every unexpected death, 
  any deviation from the 
  rules 
  being 
  heavily 
  fined. The rules were so 
  complex that probably 
  most 
  cases 
  showed 
  some slip-up, with con-
  sequent 
  financial 
  penalty to someone. 
   
  First finder 
  The 
  first 
  finder 
  was 
  supposedly the first per-
  son to come across the 
  dead body. In practise 
  he was probably actual-
  ly the unfortunate who 
  actually reported it. He 
  was supposed to raise a 
  search for the murderer 
  by 
  knocking 
  on 
  the 
  doors of the four nearest 
  households. There were 
  fines for not doing this. 
   
  Hue & Cry 
  The first finder raised 
  the hue & cry by knock-
  ing on the doors of the 
  nearest 
  four 
  house-
  holds. Those household-
  ers 
  in 
  turn 
  were 
  supposed to go out in 
  search of the murderer - 
  whether there was an 
  actual killer or not, or 
  no matter how long the 
  body had lain where it 
  was found. Next, the 
  Bailiff of the Hundred 
  had to be notified and 
  he, 
  in 
  turn 
  was 
  to 
  summon the coroner. 
  The locals were respon-
  sible for guarding the 
  body and not moving it 
  until the coroner ar-
  rived, which could be 
  several days later. There 
  were fines for not follow-
  ing these laws or indeed 
  for not following them 
  properly. Sometimes a 
  village would bury the 
  body before the coroner 
  arrived. This was the 
  cause 
  of 
  some 
  very 
  heavy 
  fines 
  for 
  the 
  whole village. 
   
  Inquest 
  The coroner normally 
  held the inquest imme-
  diately after viewing the 
  body. Originally the in-
  quest was a massive 
  affair, as the jury had to 
  consist of all the males 
  over twelve years from 
  the four nearest villages. 
  It is doubtful whether 
  this was always followed 
  to the letter and by 
  1259 it had changed, so 
  that 
  only 
  ‘sufficient’ 
  people need be present.  
   
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  73 
  Murdrum fine 
  The murdrum fine was 
  imposed on the whole 
  village, where a sus-
  pected 
  murder 
  had 
  taken place and the vil-
  lagers couldn’t confirm 
  to the coroner’s satisfac-
  tion 
  that 
  the 
  dead 
  person was of English 
  origin (called the ’Pre-
  sentment of Englishry’). 
  In other words, it was 
  assumed he was a Nor-
  man, 
  unless 
  proven 
  otherwise. 
  The 
  mur-
  drum fine dated back to 
  the period just after the 
  Norman 
  Conquest, 
  when a large number of 
  the Norman conquerors 
  were murdered up and 
  down the country by 
  aggrieved 
  Englishmen. 
  Although the imposition 
  of 
  this 
  fine 
  became 
  harder and harder to 
  justify, it remained in 
  law until 1340, because 
  it proved such a good 
  means of income for the 
  Crown. 
   
  The Deodand 
  This was the object that 
  was the cause of the 
  sudden death, whether 
  it was a murder or an 
  accident. The Coroner’s 
  jury had to make a val-
  uation of the deodand 
  and the Coroner would 
  then commit it to the 
  care of the Constable 
  until the Eyre, when the 
  Judges would decide if it 
  was forfeit to the Crown. 
  However, 
  sometimes 
  it was granted to the 
  family of the victim, 
  as compensation for 
  their loss. All sorts of 
  things could be de-
  clared deodand, such 
  as dogs, horses, trees 
  and so on. If a horse 
  and cart ran over a 
  man, the whole lot 
  could be confiscated. 
   
  Capital offence 
  A capital offence includ-
  ed any homicide or the 
  theft of an article worth 
  at least twelve pence. 
  The 
  perpetrator 
  was 
  called a felon and the 
  coroner had complete 
  jurisdiction over all fel-
  ons. 
   
  Sanctuary 
  If a criminal, fugitive or 
  outlaw could reach a 
  church or even just the 
  church 
  grounds, 
  he 
  could claim sanctuary. 
  He had to come un-
  armed and must have 
  committed no sacrilege. 
  He then had 40 days 
  breathing 
  space 
  from 
  the law and he had to 
  be fed and guarded by 
  the locals. At the end of 
  that time (or earlier) he 
  had to confess his sins 
  to the coroner and then 
  the coroner had to ar-
  range for his ‘abjuration’ 
  from the realm. That is 
  he had to give up all his 
  possessions and go, on 
  foot, to the nearest port 
  and leave the country 
  never to return. Many 
  simply went to Wales or 
  Scotland, and even re-
  turned a few weeks or 
  months later to go on 
  living somewhere else in 
  the country. 
   
  The General Eyre 
  The Royal Courts of 
  Law, called the General 
  Eyre, was a system of 
  justice that circulated 
  slowly around the king-
  dom hearing cases that 
  fell within the county 
  coroner’s (crowner) ju-
  risdiction. 
  This 
  body 
  took so long to return to 
  each county that, unless 
  careful 
  records 
  were 
  kept, many cases never 
  came to trial and much 
  potential revenue was 
  lost to the Crown. The 
  Eyre took an average of 
  seven years - and often 
  far longer - to complete 
  a 
  circuit. 
  Its 
  arrival 
  within a community was 
  one of the greatest af-
  fairs 
  in 
  medieval 
  England, as the Eyre 
  examined every detail of 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  74 
  life since its last visit, as 
  well as actual crimes. 
  Unless 
  good 
  records 
  were kept and some 
  means found to enforce 
  the appearance of wit-
  nesses and parties at 
  trial, the King would 
  lose much potential rev-
  enue. 
  The 
  grossly 
  extortionate system of 
  amercements could not 
  be employed to the best 
  advantage if old cases 
  had been forgotten. At 
  the 
  London 
  Eyre 
  of 
  1321, for instance, a 
  ward jury was expected 
  to recall all the crimes 
  that had been commit-
  ted during the past 44 
  years since the court 
  had last visited!  
   
  Forest Law 
  A forest is an area of 
  unenclosed countryside, 
  consisting of a highly 
  variable 
  mixture 
  of 
  woodland, heath land, 
  scrub, and agricultural 
  land. Its purpose is to 
  raise deer, which need a 
  variety 
  of 
  land, 
  i.e. 
  woodland to rest and 
  hide in during the day, 
  and more open land in 
  which to feed at night. It 
  does not necessarily de-
  note a wooded area, as 
  such. Just as there were 
  many laws surrounding 
  deaths, murders and so 
  on, there were many 
  laws surrounding the 
  Royal Forest and these 
  were another source of 
  great revenue for the 
  Crown. 
   
  Legalities 
  In common with other 
  large areas within the 
  country, Forest Law im-
  poses a kingdom within 
  a kingdom, where the 
  inhabitants are subject-
  ed to draconian laws to 
  preserve, increase and 
  protect game of all spe-
  cies and in this context 
  a Forest, is land subject 
  to special laws designed 
  to protect deer and oth-
  er animals of the hunt 
  which the king reserves 
  for his own right to hunt 
  for himself and those he 
  authorised.  
   
  Within afforested areas, 
  Forest Law is applied in 
  addition 
  to 
  Common 
  Law. Forest Law was a 
  distinct 
  legal 
  system 
  with its own courts and 
  officers. The sole aim of 
  forest law was to pre-
  serve the venison and 
  vert (green undergrowth 
  for feeding the venison) 
  for the King’s pleasure. 
  The Royal edicts were 
  administered by Crown 
  officials, with no appeal 
  or redress. 
    
  Effect on the people 
  The restrictions of For-
  est 
  Law 
  were 
  very 
  harsh. The residents of 
  the forest were unable 
  to cultivate the forest-
  land, not 
  allowed 
  to 
  hunt the large game 
  and, very often weren’t 
  allowed 
  to 
  hunt 
  the 
  small game, such as 
  hares. 
  The 
  felling of 
  timber was prohibited 
  and it could even be 
  forbidden 
  to 
  gather 
  acorns in some parts. 
    
  Foresters 
  Policing of the forests 
  demanded 
  a 
  large 
  network 
  of 
  forest 
  officials 
  who 
  formed 
  what was virtually a 
  private army of the king. 
  These 
  were 
  the 
  foresters. A Forester is 
  an officer of a forest who 
  works 
  for 
  the 
  King 
  through the Bailiff and 
  Sheriff. He is sworn to 
  preserve the vert and 
  venison of the forest. 
  His 
  job 
  entailed 
  attending upon the wild 
  beasts 
  within 
  his 
  Bailiwick 
  and 
  to 
  attacking any offenders 
  and poachers, to bring 
  them to the justice of 
  the forest courts.  
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  75 
  Glossary of medieval 
  terms 
   
  Abjurer: A criminal who 
  sought sanctuary in a 
  church and elected to 
  ‘abjure’ by confessing 
  his sins to a coroner 
  and then leave England 
  forever, to avoid being 
  hanged. 
  Ale: A brewed alcoholic 
  beverage, before the ad-
  vent 
  of 
  hops 
  for 
  preserving. 
  Alehouse: Most families 
  brewed their own ale in 
  the middle ages as water 
  was not always clean 
  enough to drink. Occa-
  sionally, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  families who brewed the 
  best ale in the village 
  would start to sell their 
  ale to their neighbours, 
  who would stop by to 
  gossip. This would inevi-
  tably become the village 
  alehouse - not quite a 
  tavern. 
  Amerce: To impose a 
  fine on a person or vil-
  lage. The coroner would 
  not collect it himself, 
  but his clerk would rec-
  ord the amercement in 
  his rolls to present to 
  the King’s justices when 
  they visited; they would 
  either cancel or claim 
  the money. 
  Apothecary: 
  A 
  dis-
  penser 
  of 
  medicines, 
  who was often also a 
  physician. 
  Assart: A piece of land 
  cleared 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  bushes, and fitted for 
  cultivation to increase 
  the holdings of a village. 
  Approver: An accused 
  person who attempted 
  to obtain mercy by im-
  plicating 
  his 
  accomplices. He had to 
  confess to the coroner, 
  and then challenge his 
  accomplice to trial by 
  battle. If he won, he was 
  freed. 
  Attachment: An order 
  made by a law officer, 
  including a coroner, to 
  ensure that a person 
  appeared 
  at 
  a 
  court 
  hearing. If he failed to 
  appear he forfeit goods 
  or money. 
  Bailey: The outer enclo-
  sure of an early Norman 
  castle. Here would be 
  the huts for living quar-
  ters, the kitchens and 
  so on. 
  Bailiff: Overseer of a 
  manor or estate who 
  directs the farming or 
  other outdoor labour. 
  Also an official who as-
  sists a sheriff and who 
  has the power to exe-
  cute writs, processes, 
  and arrests. 
  Bailiwick: A bailiwick is 
  the area of jurisdiction 
  of a bailiff. The term was 
  also applied to a territo-
  ry in which the sheriff's 
  functions were exercised 
  by a privately appointed 
  bailiff under a Crown 
  grant. 
  Baldric: 
  A 
  diagonal 
  strap 
  over 
  the 
  right 
  shoulder of a Norman 
  warrior to suspend a 
  sword scabbard on the 
  left hip. 
  Baron: Any major land-
  owner, especially those 
  powerful enough to have 
  political influence. Often 
  at loggerheads with the 
  king, many barons, es-
  pecially those along the 
  Welsh border, ran al-
  most 
  independent 
  kingdoms. 
  Barton: A faming set-
  tlement. 
  Bowyer: 
  A 
  craftsman 
  who made bows. 
  Burgage: A tenure a 
  town, 
  under 
  which 
  property of the king or a 
  lord in a town was held 
  in return for a yearly 
  rent or the rendering of 
  a service. Occupied by a 
  burgess. 
  Burgess: A freeman or 
  citizen of an English 
  borough. Usually a per-
  son of substance, like a 
  merchant or craftsman. 
  A group of burgesses 
  ran the town admin-
  istration and elected the 
  portreeves 
  (later 
  the 
  mayor). 
  Byrnie: A Saxon word 
  for a hauberk or mail 
  shirt. 
  Capucin: 
  Medieval 
  headgear, consisting of 
  a long length of cloth 
  wound around the head 
  rather like a turban, the 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  76 
  free end dangling over 
  one shoulder. 
  Chapman: A peddler, 
  who carried his wares 
  on his back. 
  Cog: A small merchant 
  ship with one mast and 
  a sail. 
  Constable: Has several 
  uses, including; A peace 
  officer with less authori-
  ty 
  and 
  smaller 
  jurisdiction than a sher-
  iff, empowered to serve 
  writs and warrants and 
  make arrests, an officer 
  of high rank, usually 
  serving 
  as 
  military 
  commander in the ab-
  sence of a monarch or 
  the governor of a royal 
  castle. 
  Coroner: Coroner comes 
  from 
  Anglo-Norman 
  corouner, a word derived 
  from coroune, ‘crown’. 
  Corouner was the term 
  used for the royal judi-
  cial 
  officer 
  who 
  was 
  called in Latin custos 
  placitorum coronae, or 
  ‘guardian of the crown’s 
  pleas’. The person hold-
  ing the office of coroner, 
  a position dating from 
  the 12th century, was 
  charged 
  with 
  keeping 
  local records of legal 
  proceedings 
  in 
  which 
  the crown had jurisdic-
  tion. He helped raise 
  money for the crown by 
  funnelling the property 
  of 
  executed 
  criminals 
  into the king’s treasury. 
  The coroner also inves-
  tigated any suspicious 
  deaths 
  (particularly 
  among 
  the 
  Normans, 
  who as the ruling class 
  wanted to be sure that 
  their deaths were not 
  taken lightly). At one 
  time 
  in 
  England 
  all 
  criminal 
  proceedings 
  were included in the 
  coroner's 
  responsibili-
  ties. 
  Cottar: A low-grade vil-
  lein 
  in 
  the 
  feudal 
  system.  
  Croft: A small area of 
  land around a village 
  house, for growing vege-
  tables or rearing a few 
  animals. The occupier 
  was either a bondsman 
  (a villein or a serf). 
  Curfew: The prohibition 
  of open fires in town af-
  ter dark. During the 
  curfew, the city gates 
  were closed, from dusk 
  till dawn. It could be a 
  hanging offence for a 
  gate-keeper to open the 
  gates to anybody out-
  side of these times. 
  Destrier: A knight’s war 
  horse. 
  Deodand: 
  A 
  personal 
  chattel 
  which 
  had 
  caused the death of a 
  person and for that rea-
  son was given to God, 
  that is, forfeited to the 
  crown, to be applied to 
  pious uses, and distrib-
  uted in alms by the high 
  almoner. Thus, if a cart 
  ran over a man and 
  killed him, it was forfeit-
  ed as a deodand. It was 
  the coroner’s job to de-
  termine what was deo-
  dand and what was not. 
  Donjon: The central for-
  tified tower in an early 
  Norman 
  castle; 
  later 
  called the Keep. Early 
  ones would have been 
  constructed of wood. 
  Eyre: A circuit court 
  held by itinerant royal 
  justices 
  in 
  medieval 
  England. They moved 
  from county to county 
  on a circuit that could 
  take up to seven years 
  to complete. 
  Farm: In the medieval 
  sense, the total tax re-
  quired by the King for 
  the county. The ‘farm’ 
  was collected by the 
  sheriff and delivered to 
  Winchester or London 
  twice a year. It was a 
  fixed sum per county 
  and if the sheriff could 
  collect more he could 
  pocket the difference. 
  First Finder: The first 
  person to discover a 
  corpse 
  or 
  witness 
  a 
  crime. He or she was 
  supposed to rouse the 
  four nearest households 
  and give chase. Failure 
  to do so would result in 
  a fine. 
  Fletcher: A maker of 
  arrows. 
  Forest: Strictly, a wild 
  area with or without 
  trees. The Royal Forests 
  were areas sequestered 
  by the king, whether he 
  owned the actual land 
  or not, where only he 
  could hunt and take the 
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  77 
  profit from various ac-
  tivities, 
  such 
  as 
  wood=felling, 
  forges, 
  brewing and so on.  
  Forester: 
  An 
  officer, 
  similar to a gamekeeper, 
  directly responsible for 
  enforcing the harsh for-
  est laws and taking of-
  offenders to the forest 
  courts. Foresters were 
  nominated by the Forest 
  Warden, but received no 
  salary. Sometimes they 
  even paid for the privi-
  lege of the job, because 
  of the possibilities for 
  extortion. The Foresters 
  badge was a horn. 
  Gambeson: A padded, 
  quilted coat worn under 
  mail to diffuse the force 
  of blows. Some poorer 
  soldiers might wear one 
  as their main armour.  
  Gleeman: A medieval 
  itinerant singer; a min-
  strel 
  Hauberk: Also called a 
  byrnie, this was a long-
  sleeved mail coat. 
  Hide: An old English 
  measure of land, usual-
  ly 
  the 
  amount 
  held 
  adequate for one free 
  family and its depend-
  ents. 
  Hue & Cry: The term 
  used 
  when 
  the 
  first 
  finder raised the nearest 
  households 
  to 
  give 
  chase when a crime had 
  been committed.  
  Honour: A holding of 
  land 
  from 
  the 
  King, 
  Baron or Church. It 
  could be a large manor 
  or a single estate. 
  Hundred: 
  A 
  sub-
  division of a county for 
  administrative 
  purpos-
  es. 
  Jongleur: Itinerant en-
  tertainers like minstrels 
  who sing, dance and 
  juggle.   
  Jury: The medieval jury 
  were 
  witnesses, 
  local 
  people who were obliged 
  to gather and tell what 
  they knew of a crime or 
  a dispute. The coroner’s 
  jury were supposed to 
  be 
  men 
  over 
  twelve 
  years of age from the 
  four 
  nearest 
  villages, 
  though this was often a 
  practical impossibility. 
  Justiciar: 
  The 
  chief 
  minister - a high rank-
  ing noble or churchman 
  appointed by the king. 
  In the reign of Richard I, 
  there were several justi-
  ciars, the most effective 
  being Hubert Walter. He 
  was Chief Justiciar and 
  also the Archbishop of 
  Canterbury. 
  Kirtle: A woman’s dress 
  or skirt, which reached 
  to the ankles. 
  Knarr: Early merchant 
  ship, like a Viking long-
  ship but broader in the 
  beam. 
  It 
  was 
  partly 
  decked and had a single 
  hold, mast and sail. 
  Mantle: A loose sleeve-
  less 
  coat 
  worn 
  over 
  outer garments; a cloak. 
  It would sometimes have 
  a hood for travelling. 
  Mark: A sum of money, 
  though not an actual 
  coin. Early in the Middle 
  Ages 
  only 
  the 
  silver 
  penny existed, but later 
  on other denominations 
  came out. 
  Manor 
  Reeve: 
  The 
  foreman appointed in 
  each village by the lord 
  of a manor to oversee 
  daily routine. 
  Midden: A dunghill or 
  refuse heap. 
  Motte: The mound on 
  which he donjon was 
  built in a Norman cas-
  tle. 
  Murdrum fine: A fine or 
  amercement levied on a 
  village by the coroner 
  when a person is found 
  slain 
  and 
  the 
  locals 
  cannot confirm that he 
  is of English stock (in 
  other words he is as-
  sumed to be a Norman). 
  Ordeal: method of trial 
  in which the accused 
  was subjected to physi-
  cally 
  painful 
  or 
  dangerous tests, the re-
  sult being regarded as a 
  divine judgment of guilt 
  or innocence. It was 
  abolished by the Vatican 
  in 1215. 
  Ostler: A servant in a 
  stable or inn who took 
  charge of the horses. 
  Outlaw: Literally, any-
  one outside of the law, 
  usually 
  an 
  escaped 
  criminal or a fugitive. 
  They often lurked in for-
  ests and any person was 
  entitled to kill them on 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  78 
  sight to collect a bounty, 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  ‘wolfs 
  heads’. 
  Outremer: 
  The 
  four 
  Christian kingdoms in 
  the Levant at the time of 
  the crusades, including 
  the Kingdom of Jerusa-
  lem. 
  Palfrey: A small, docile 
  horse suitable for use by 
  a woman. 
  Portreeve: One of the 
  major officials in a town, 
  of 
  which 
  there 
  were 
  normally two. Later the-
  se 
  posts 
  were 
  superseded by a mayor. 
  Posse: A group of armed 
  men, called out by the 
  sheriff or a coroner in 
  order to hunt outlaws or 
  defend the realm.  
  Presentment of Eng-
  lishry: 
  Following 
  the 
  Norman 
  Conquest 
  of 
  1066, there were many 
  Normans killed by ag-
  grieved locals, so the 
  law decreed that anyone 
  found 
  murdered 
  was 
  Norman, 
  unless 
  they 
  could prove otherwise. 
  This involved a fine on 
  the nearest village if the 
  deceased 
  was 
  deter-
  mined to be Norman or 
  even if it was unknown. 
  This 
  presentment 
  of 
  Englishry 
  became 
  a 
  good source of income 
  for the king and it con-
  tinued for hundreds of 
  years, despite becoming 
  largely meaningless. 
  Reeve: 
  See 
  Manor 
  Reeve. 
  Sackbut: A musical in-
  strument similar to a 
  trombone. 
  Sanctuary: An ancient 
  and religious offer of 
  mercy. 
  A 
  fugitive 
  or 
  gaol-breaker could claim 
  forty 
  days 
  immunity 
  from 
  the 
  law 
  if 
  he 
  reached a church. 
  Seneschal: An official in 
  a noble household in 
  charge of domestic ar-
  rangements 
  and 
  the 
  administration of serv-
  ants; 
  a 
  steward 
  or 
  major-domo. 
  Sergeant (also spelt ser-
  jeant): It had several 
  meanings. A sergeant 
  was a senior man-at-
  arms or a law officer, 
  below a town bailiff. It 
  was also the term for a 
  squire 
  of 
  a 
  Templar 
  Knight. 
  Shalmes: 
  A 
  stringed 
  instrument. 
  Sheriff: The king’s of-
  ficer of a county or an 
  administrative 
  region 
  who was charged mainly 
  with judicial duties and 
  tax 
  collection. 
  Often 
  quite corrupt, hence the 
  later 
  appointment 
  of 
  coroners to fulfil some of 
  their duties. The word is 
  derived 
  from 
  ‘shire-
  reeve’. 
  Squire: The servant of a 
  knight, often aspiring to 
  knighthood himself. 
  Sumpter: A pack horse 
  or mule. 
  Surcoat: A loose outer 
  coat or gown, often worn 
  by a knight over his ar-
  mour. 
  Tabard: A short, heavy 
  cape of coarse cloth 
  formerly worn outdoors. 
  Or a tunic or cape like 
  garment worn by a 
  knight over his armour 
  and emblazoned with 
  his coat of arms. A simi-
  lar garment worn by a 
  herald and bearing his 
  lord’s coat of arms. 
  Trial-by-battle: An an-
  cient right to settle a 
  dispute by fighting to 
  the death. Women and 
  unfit persons could em-
  ploy a champion to fight 
  for them. 
  Tunic: The main men’s 
  garment of the middle 
  ages. 
  A 
  linen 
  shirt 
  would 
  sometimes 
  be 
  worn underneath. 
  Undercroft: The ground 
  floor of a fortified build-
  ing or a church. 
  Verderer: A man serv-
  ing as an official in 
  charge of the royal for-
  ests. He was responsible 
  to the sovereign, not the 
  Warden. 
  There 
  were 
  usually four in each 
  royal forest. The verder-
  er’s badge was an axe. 
  Vert: The vegetation of 
  the forest - trees, bush-
  es and pasture, the use 
  of which was subject to 
  forest law. 
  Villein: A villein is, in 
  the feudal system, a 
  member of the class of 
  serfs tied to the land, 
  distinguished 
  from 
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  79 
  those in actual slavery, 
  but restricted by law 
  from 
  exercising 
  the 
  rights of a free man. 
  Warden of the Forest: 
  The senior forest ad-
  ministrator, appointed 
  by the king, who was 
  responsible for organis-
  ing the Forest Eyre. 
  The Warden had to 
  nominate the foresters, 
  but not the verderers, 
  who were individually 
  responsible to the king. 
  Wattle 
  & 
  Daub: 
  A 
  common building tech-
  nique in the Middle 
  Ages. Clay or plaster is 
  applied aver a woven 
  framework 
  of 
  hazel 
  withies (branches). 
  Wimple: A headdress 
  of linen or silk; worn by 
  women over the head 
  and around the neck 
  and ears. 
  Woodmote: An alterna-
  tive name for the lowest 
  level of forest courts. 
  Only offences against 
  the vert, amounting to 
  less than four pence 
  Woodwards: Employed 
  by private landowners to 
  protect the vert and ven-
  ison, but outside the 
  royal forests. Although 
  they were servants of 
  the landowner, they still 
  had to adhere to the 
  same oaths and codes 
  as the foresters. Their 
  badge was a billhook. 
   
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  80 
  Glossary of the  
  medieval church 
   
  Abbess: female head of 
  a nunnery of the Bene-
  dictine or related orders 
  Abbey: large religious 
  house belonging either 
  to one of the orders of 
  the Benedictine family 
  or to certain orders of 
  the 
  Canons 
  Regular 
  (Augustinian Canons)  
  Abbot: the head of a 
  monastic house of the 
  Benedictine or related 
  orders, and of certain 
  orders of Augustinian 
  canons 
  Absolution: the formal 
  act of a priest or bishop 
  pronouncing 
  the 
  for-
  giveness 
  of 
  sins 
  by 
  Christ to those who are 
  qualified by penitence to 
  receive it 
  Acolyte: the highest of 
  the minor orders of the 
  ministry; they had par-
  ticular responsibility for 
  candles and assisted in 
  preparations for mass 
  Aisle: part of a church, 
  parallel to and divided 
  by piers or columns 
  from the nave, choir or 
  transept 
  Albigensian: a heretical 
  movement 
  found 
  in 
  Germany, 
  Italy 
  and 
  France in the 11th to 
  13th 
  centuries; 
  also 
  known as Cathars 
  Alms: money collected 
  for the relief of the poor  
  Altar: a table or slab 
  consecrated for celebra-
  tion for celebration of 
  the sacrament of the 
  Eucharist, 
  or 
  Holy 
  Communion; in a medi-
  eval church, in addition 
  to the high altar or prin-
  cipal altar, other altars 
  dedicated to particular 
  saints were located in 
  chapels 
  around 
  the 
  church  
  Archbishop: a bishop 
  with authority over a 
  group 
  of 
  territorially 
  contiguous dioceses and 
  their 
  bishops; 
  also 
  known as a metropoli-
  tan  
  Archdeacon: 
  a 
  cleric 
  having a defined admin-
  istrative 
  authority 
  delegated to him by the 
  bishop in the whole or 
  part of the diocese 
  Archdeaconry: a sub-
  division of a diocese 
  administered 
  by 
  an 
  archdeacon, whose au-
  thority was delegated to 
  him by the bishop  
  Archpriest: a minister 
  assisting a bishop in the 
  administration of a rural 
  deanery, or subdivision 
  of an archdeaconry; also 
  known as a rural dean  
  Augustinian: 1) order of 
  regular canons following 
  the Rule of St Augus-
  tine; established from 
  pre-existing orders in 
  Italy and France in the 
  12th century: 2) order of 
  mendicant friars found-
  ed in Italy in the 13th 
  century; also known in 
  England as the Austin 
  Friars  
  Aumbry: a stone cup-
  board usually set in the 
  north wall of the chan-
  cel, for mass vessels, 
  books and other sacred 
  objects  
  Austin: term used in 
  England for the Augus-
  tinian friars 
  Baptism: the rite admit-
  ting an individual to the 
  Christian church 
  Baptistery: a separate 
  building or separate ar-
  ea in a church which 
  contains the font and 
  where the rite of bap-
  tism is carried out  
  Belfry: the upper storey 
  of a tower where bells 
  are hung, or a special 
  purpose building for the 
  hanging of bells  
  Benedictine: order of 
  monks or nuns  
  Benefice: the means of 
  generating an income to 
  support a priest  
  Bishop: the highest or-
  der of minister in the 
  church, with the power 
  to confer particular dio-
  cese  
  Book of Hours: a book 
  for the laity containing 
  Psalms and prayers to 
  be read at the times of 
  the daily office  
  Caldarium: in a monas-
  tery, 
  a 
  small 
  room 
  containing a fire where 
  inmates can go in to 
  warm themselves  
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  81 
  Canon: 1) member of 
  the secular clergy be-
  longing to a cathedral or 
  collegiate church; 2) a 
  member of the Augus-
  tinian or regular canons 
  who lived under semi-
  monastic rule; the term 
  ‘secular canon’ distin-
  guishes the former  
  Canoness: nun belong-
  ing to an Augustinian or 
  related order  
  Canon law: the law of 
  the church, imposed by 
  authority in matters of 
  faith, morals and disci-
  pline  
  Cardinal: the clergy of 
  Rome who became the 
  immediate advisors of 
  the pope  
  Carmelite: 
  order 
  of 
  mendicant friars origi-
  nally 
  founded 
  in 
  Palestine in the 12th 
  century, then reformed 
  in Europe in the 13th 
  century after the failure 
  of the Crusades; also 
  known as the White Fri-
  ars  
  Cassock: the ordinary 
  garment of a priest; a 
  simple close fitting tunic 
  with sleeves 
  Cathedra: the throne of 
  a bishop  
  Cathedral: the church 
  which 
  contains 
  the 
  throne, or official seat, 
  of the bishop of the dio-
  cese and therefore the 
  "mother church" of the 
  diocese  
  Cell: an individual room 
  in a monastic estab-
  lishment where one per-
  son lived in seclusion 
  Cellarium: 
  the 
  store-
  house for provisions  
  Chalice: the cup for 
  holding the wine at the 
  ritual of the Eucharist  
  Chancel: 
  the 
  eastern 
  end of the church con-
  taining the high altar, 
  where the mass is cele-
  brated, reserved for the 
  priest, other clergy and 
  choir: may also include 
  an extension of the nave 
  east of the crossing  
  Chantry priest: a priest 
  whose function is to say 
  or sing masses for the 
  soul of a dead person in 
  a chantry chapel  
  Chapel: 1) a part of a 
  church with a separate 
  altar, which may be 
  dedicated differently to 
  the church as a whole; 
  2) 
  a 
  self-contained 
  building 
  dedicated 
  to 
  worship, the saying of 
  prayers or the celebra-
  tion of masses for the 
  dead, but which does 
  not serve the functions 
  of a parish church; 3) a 
  church 
  which 
  serves 
  parochial 
  needs, 
  but 
  which is dependent up-
  on 
  another 
  church 
  within the parish, some-
  times called a chapel of 
  ease  
  Chaplain: a priest who 
  was paid an annual 
  wage to serve in a par-
  ish church or dependent 
  chapel  
  Chapter: 1) the mem-
  bers of a religious house 
  in their corporate capac-
  ity; 2) the members of 
  any corporate body re-
  sponsible 
  for 
  an 
  ecclesiastical 
  institu-
  tion; 3) a meeting of the 
  members of a religious 
  institution  
  Chapter house: a place 
  of 
  assembly 
  for 
  the 
  members of a monas-
  tery, 
  cathedral 
  or 
  collegiate 
  church, 
  for 
  the discussion of busi-
  ness  
  Chasuble: item of mass 
  vestments; simple loose 
  sleeveless garment with 
  an opening for the head  
  Choir: the part of the 
  church containing the 
  seats 
  for 
  the 
  clergy; 
  usually in the western 
  part of the chancel, but 
  occasionally in the east-
  ern part of the nave  
  Choir stalls: the seating 
  for the clergy in the 
  choir of a church  
  Cistercian: 
  monastic 
  order derived from the 
  Benedictine founded in 
  the 12th century  
  Clergy: any member of 
  Holy Orders, or of a mo-
  nastic order  
  Cloister: a quadrangle 
  surrounded by roofed or 
  vaulted passages con-
  necting a major church 
  to domestic or ancillary 
  buildings  
  Close: the enclosed pre-
  cinct of a cathedral or 
  collegiate church  
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  82 
  Cluniac: reformed Ben-
  edictine order, founded 
  in the 10th century in 
  France  
  Collegiate 
  church: 
  a 
  church served by a body 
  of canons or prebendar-
  ies; not housing the 
  throne of a bishop and 
  therefore not a cathe-
  dral; served by secular 
  canons 
  rather 
  than 
  monks  
  Commandery: monastic 
  house of the military 
  order of Hospitallers  
  Compline: the last of 
  the day services of di-
  vine office, recited before 
  retiring  
  Confession: the rite of 
  confession of sins to a 
  priest in order to obtain 
  absolution; 
  obtaining 
  absolution through con-
  fession 
  and 
  penance 
  was considered a sac-
  rament  
  Confirmation: the sac-
  rament 
  which 
  follows 
  baptism in the Christian 
  life cycle, requiring the 
  recipient to affirm their 
  faith in the presence of 
  a bishop  
  Consecration: to make 
  sacred, the separation of 
  a thing or person for 
  divine service; 1) of the 
  Eucharist, 
  the 
  act 
  whereby the bread and 
  wine become the body 
  and blood of Christ; 2) 
  of bishops, the confer-
  ring of the character of 
  the office by bishops to 
  another; 3) of altars and 
  churches 
  and 
  sacred 
  vessels, 
  the 
  setting 
  apart of these things 
  exclusively for the ser-
  vice of God. 
  Consistory courts: The 
  ecclesiastical 
  courts, 
  which had the right to 
  try clerics, rather than 
  the secular courts. Any-
  one who could read and 
  write could claim to be 
  tried by this court, as 
  literacy 
  was 
  virtually 
  confined to the clergy. 
  Convent: an enclosed 
  and regulated monastic 
  institution  
  Cope: item of proces-
  sional vestments; semi-
  circular outer cloak  
  Corporal Acts of Mer-
  cy: a series of charitable 
  acts which aided the 
  giver to salvation; feed-
  ing 
  the 
  hungry, 
  providing drink for the 
  thirsty, clothing the na-
  ked, visiting the sick, 
  visiting prisoners, tak-
  ing in the traveller and 
  burying the dead  
  Council: a formal meet-
  ing 
  of 
  bishops 
  and 
  representatives 
  of 
  churches convened for 
  the purpose of regulat-
  ing 
  doctrine 
  or 
  discipline  
  Cowl: a loose gown with 
  hanging sleeves and a 
  hood, worn by Benedic-
  tine and other monks  
  Crozier: pastoral staff; a 
  processional staff with 
  the head in the form of a 
  shepherd's crook  
  Crusade: series of mili-
  tary campaigns waged 
  by Christian countries 
  in the Holy Land from 
  the 11th to the 13th 
  century to recover the 
  area from Islam; used 
  more generally for any 
  military campaign on 
  behalf of the church  
  Crutched Friars: also 
  known as the Brethren 
  of the Holy Cross; not 
  actually considered to 
  be a mendicant group 
  and were much involved 
  with running hospitals  
  Crypt: a chamber or 
  vault beneath the main 
  floor of the church  
  Deacon: the rank in the 
  ministry 
  below 
  the 
  priest, with a major role 
  in the collection and 
  distribution of alms  
  Dean: the dean of a ca-
  thedral 
  controlled 
  its 
  services and with the 
  chapter, supervised its 
  fabric and property; a 
  rural dean assisted the 
  bishop in administering 
  a sub-division of an 
  archdeaconry 
  Deanery: a group of 
  parishes forming a sub-
  division 
  of 
  an 
  archdeaconry; also re-
  ferred to as a rural 
  deanery  
  Diocese: the territorial 
  unit of administration in 
  the church, governed by 
  a bishop; also known as 
  a see 
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  83 
  Divine office: the daily 
  cycle of choir services 
  performed by clergy  
  Dominican: 
  order 
  of 
  mendicant friars found-
  ed in the early 13th 
  century  
  Doorkeeper: the fourth 
  rank of minor orders of 
  the ministry; their func-
  tions were similar to 
  those of a modern ver-
  ger, heading processions 
  and undertaking general 
  care of the church fabric  
  Dormitory: 
  the 
  com-
  munal sleeping area of a 
  monastery; also known 
  as the dorter  
  Ecclesiastical: pertain-
  ing to the church  
  Episcopal: in relation to 
  the authority of a bishop  
  Eremetical: relating to 
  the life of a hermit  
  Eucharist: one of the 
  seven sacraments and 
  the principal ritual of 
  the church, in which 
  bread 
  and 
  wine 
  are 
  transformed 
  into 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  blood 
  of 
  Christ; the ritual must 
  be administered by a 
  priest  
  Excommunication: 
  a 
  censure 
  imposed 
  by 
  church authority which 
  excludes those subject-
  ed 
  to 
  it 
  from 
  Holy 
  Communion and impos-
  es 
  on 
  them 
  other 
  deprivations and disa-
  bilities; in the heavier 
  form of this censure, the 
  transgressor 
  was 
  for-
  bidden any intercourse 
  with fellow Christians 
  and 
  deprived 
  of 
  all 
  rights and privileges in 
  the church  
  Exorcist: the second of 
  the minor orders of the 
  ministry; the power of 
  exorcising 
  evil 
  spirits 
  was never confined to 
  this order although they 
  assisted in this process, 
  as well as with the pour-
  ing out of water at the 
  mass a crucifix with fo-
  liate or floral ornament  
  Font: 
  receptacle 
  for 
  baptismal water, usually 
  made of stone but some-
  times of metal  
  Franciscan: 
  order 
  of 
  friars founded by St 
  Francis of Assisi in the 
  early 13th century in 
  Italy; also known as the 
  Friars Minor or the Grey 
  Friars  
  Frater: the communal 
  refectory of a monastic 
  establishment  
  Friars: members of one 
  of the mendicant orders, 
  the four main orders 
  being the Franciscans, 
  Dominicans, Carmelites 
  and Austin friars; they 
  lived in regular fashion 
  but were extensively in-
  volved with the outside 
  community; 
  the 
  term 
  literally means "brother"  
  Friars of the Sack: also 
  called the Friars of the 
  Penance 
  of 
  Jesus 
  Christ; the largest of the 
  lesser groups of friars in 
  England, all of their 
  houses were abandoned 
  by 1314 and the mem-
  bers obliged to join one 
  of the major mendicant 
  orders  
  Friary: a community of 
  friars  
  Gargoyle: a water spout 
  carved in the form of a 
  grotesque human or an-
  imal  
  Gilbertine: a monastic 
  order founded in Eng-
  land 
  in 
  the 
  12th 
  century; a double order 
  comprising 
  male 
  and 
  female members under 
  the spiritual guidance of 
  the Augustinian canons 
  Grand Master: title of 
  the heads of the military 
  orders of Templars and 
  Hospitallers 
  Guardian: term for the 
  head of a Franciscan 
  friary 
  Habit: 
  the 
  distinctive 
  clothing worn by mem-
  bers of monastic orders 
  Heresy: the formal de-
  nial or doubt of any 
  defined doctrine of the 
  church  
  Heretic: 
  person 
  who 
  has 
  expressed 
  formal 
  denial or doubt of any 
  defined doctrine of the 
  church  
  Holy Communion: the 
  sacrament of the Eu-
  charist 
  Holy Orders: the higher 
  grades of the Christian 
  ministry; those of bish-
  op, priest and deacon  
  Holy water stoup: a 
  small stone basin con-
  taining holy water  
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  84 
  Hospitallers: 
  military 
  order first recognised in 
  1113, founded to assist 
  in the Crusades; their 
  full name was Knights 
  of the Order of the Hos-
  pital 
  of 
  St 
  John 
  of 
  Jerusalem  
  Hospitium: a monastic 
  guesthouse 
  Hours: the times speci-
  fied for the recitation of 
  divine 
  office; 
  Matins, 
  Lauds, 
  Prime, 
  Terce, 
  Sext, 
  Nones, 
  Vespers 
  and Compline  
  Inquisition: the official 
  persecution of heresy by 
  special 
  ecclesiastical 
  courts; formally consti-
  tuted by the papacy in 
  the 13th century 
  Interdict: an ecclesias-
  tical 
  punishment 
  excluding 
  the 
  faithful 
  from 
  participation 
  in 
  spiritual things; it could 
  be applied to individu-
  als, to local areas such 
  as parishes, or to whole 
  populations 
  Lady Chapel: a chapel 
  dedicated to the Virgin 
  Mary  
  Laity: persons who are 
  not 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  clergy  
  Lauds: the early morn-
  ing 
  service of 
  divine 
  office  
  Lavatorium: a series of 
  basins outside a monas-
  tic 
  refectory 
  for 
  the 
  washing of hands  
  Lay: with reference to 
  the laity, or persons who 
  are not members of the 
  clergy  
  Lay brother: member of 
  a religious order who is 
  not bound to the recita-
  tion of the divine office 
  and 
  is 
  occupied 
  in 
  manual work, generally 
  adult converts  
  Lay 
  sister: 
  female 
  member of a religious 
  order who is not bound 
  to the recitation of the 
  divine office and is oc-
  cupied in manual work, 
  generally adult converts 
  Lectionary: a book con-
  taining 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  biblical extracts to be 
  read at the mass  
  Lector: the third rank of 
  minor orders of the min-
  istry; also known as 
  reader  
  Litany: a form of prayer 
  consisting of a series of 
  petitions sung by a dea-
  con, a priest or cantors, 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  people 
  made fixed responses  
  Little 
  Hours: 
  Prime, 
  Terce, Sext and None; 
  the less elaborate of the 
  services of divine office  
  Liturgy: all the pre-
  scribed rituals of the 
  church, including the 
  mass and divine office  
  Maison 
  dieu: 
  alms-
  house, or residence for 
  the poor 
  Major orders: the high-
  er ranks of the Christian 
  ministry, comprising the 
  orders of bishop, priest, 
  deacon and sub-deacon 
  Manual: a book contain-
  ing special services for 
  occasional use, such as 
  baptisms, 
  marriages 
  and visiting the sick  
  Manuscript: a written 
  work 
  transcribed 
  by 
  hand 
  Marriage: the ceremony 
  of union of man and 
  wife was a sacrament of 
  the church  
  Mass: the principal rit-
  ual of the church, the 
  service at which the 
  sacrament of the Eu-
  charist, 
  or 
  Holy 
  Communion, 
  is 
  per-
  formed  
  Mass vestments: cere-
  monial clothing worn by 
  a priest for the celebra-
  tion of the mass  
  Master-general: 
  the 
  head of the Dominican 
  order 
  Matins: the night office; 
  the service recited at 2 
  am in the divine office  
  Mendicant orders: term 
  for the friars; the term 
  refers to begging be-
  cause 
  of 
  their 
  dependence on alms for 
  their support  
  Metropolitan: a bishop 
  with authority over a 
  group 
  of 
  territorially 
  contiguous dioceses and 
  their 
  bishops; 
  also 
  known as an archbishop  
  Minister General: term 
  for the head of the 
  Franciscan order  
  Ministers 
  provincial: 
  term for the heads of 
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  85 
  provinces 
  within 
  the 
  Franciscan order  
  Minor orders: the lower 
  ranks of the Christian 
  ministry, comprising the 
  orders of acolyte, exor-
  cist, 
  reader 
  and 
  doorkeeper  
  Minster: 
  a 
  church 
  served by a body of can-
  ons or prebendaries; the 
  same as a collegiate 
  church; in the north of 
  England the term was 
  also used for a cathedral  
  Missal: book containing 
  the forms of service for 
  the mass  
  Mitre: 
  the 
  pointed 
  headdress 
  worn 
  by 
  archbishops, 
  bishops 
  and some abbots on 
  ceremonial occasions  
  Monastery: a communi-
  ty of monks  
  Monastic: refers to the 
  life or community of 
  monks 
  Monk: a male member 
  of a religious community 
  living under vows of 
  poverty, 
  chastity 
  and 
  obedience; strictly it is 
  confined to members of 
  those bodies which live 
  a communal life  
  Mystery plays: religious 
  drama performed at ma-
  jor festivals, commonly 
  performed out of doors 
  Nave: the western arm 
  of a church, and more 
  specifically the central 
  axial section of 
  that 
  arm, used by the con-
  gregation 
  and 
  for 
  sermons  
  Night 
  office: 
  Matins; 
  the choir service of the 
  daily round of divine 
  office performed during 
  the night  
  None: the fourth of the 
  Little Hours of the di-
  vine office, recited at the 
  ninth hour  
  Nun: a female living in a 
  regular 
  order 
  under 
  vows of poverty, chastity 
  and obedience 
  Nunnery: an establish-
  ment of nuns  
  Orders: a) with respect 
  to the monastic or regu-
  lar 
  life, 
  groups 
  of 
  communities 
  following 
  the same rule or under 
  a common administra-
  tive 
  and 
  spiritual 
  structure b) with respect 
  to the Christian minis-
  try, the various grades 
  consisting of the major 
  orders - bishop, priest, 
  deacon, sub-deacon - 
  and the minor orders - 
  acolyte, exorcist, reader, 
  doorkeeper  
  Orders of clergy: the 
  various grades consist-
  ing of the major orders - 
  bishop, priest, deacon, 
  sub-deacon - and the 
  minor orders - acolyte, 
  exorcist, reader, door-
  keeper  
  Ordinal: book contain-
  ing 
  instructions 
  for 
  conducting 
  the 
  pre-
  scribed rituals of the 
  church  
  Ordination: the rite of 
  admission into the min-
  istry of the church; only 
  admission to the major 
  orders of the ministry 
  was considered to be a 
  sacrament  
  Papal: with reference to 
  the office of the pope  
  Papal bull: legal docu-
  ment issued under the 
  authority of the pope 
  Papal curia: the central 
  government of the West-
  ern church   
  Papal legate: a personal 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  pope who has been en-
  trusted 
  with 
  his 
  authority  
  Parish: an area under 
  the pastoral care of a 
  priest, himself under the 
  jurisdiction of a bishop; 
  the parish church was 
  the centre of worship for 
  the parish  
  Parlour: in a monastery, 
  an area where speaking 
  was allowed for legiti-
  mate purposes  
  Paten: 
  the 
  plate 
  for 
  holding the bread or 
  communion wafers 
  Penance: a form of pun-
  ishment whereby one 
  who has confessed his 
  sins to a priest can ob-
  tain absolution  
  Pilgrimage: a journey to 
  a holy place from mo-
  tives 
  of 
  devotion, 
  to 
  obtain 
  supernatural 
  help, or as a form of 
  penance  
  Piscina: a stone basin 
  with a drain, used for 
  washing the mass ves-
  sels  
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  86 
  Pix: container for the 
  storage of consecrated 
  wafers for the mass 
  Poor Clares: the female 
  branch of the Francis-
  can order, maintaining 
  an enclosed monastic 
  life 
  rather 
  than 
  one 
  equivalent to that of the 
  friars  
  Pope: head and spiritu-
  al leader of the church 
  in Western Europe  
  Prebend: 
  a 
  cathedral 
  benefice; normally con-
  sisting of the revenue 
  from one manor of the 
  cathedral estates which 
  furnished a living for 
  one cathedral canon, or 
  prebendary  
  Prebendary: a cathedral 
  canon supported by a 
  prebend, normally the 
  income from one manor 
  of the cathedral estates  
  Preceptory: 
  monastic 
  house of the order of 
  Templars  
  Premonstratensian: 
  order of canons derived 
  from the Augustinians, 
  founded in 1121  
  Priest: a minister of the 
  church empowered to 
  administer the sacra-
  ments, most particularly 
  that of the Eucharist or 
  Holy 
  Communion, 
  as 
  well as those of confes-
  sion 
  and 
  extreme 
  unction  
  Primate: the chief bish-
  op of a single state or 
  people  
  Prime: the first of the 
  Little Hours of divine 
  office, recited at the first 
  hour   
  Prior: the deputy of an 
  abbot in a major Bene-
  dictine 
  institution; 
  or 
  the head of a lesser 
  Benedictine house; or 
  the head of any house in 
  some orders  
  Prior 
  provincial: 
  the 
  head of a province in the 
  Dominican order  
  Prioress: the head of a 
  nunnery; in some orders 
  of a lesser house de-
  pendent upon an abbey  
  Priory: a monastery; in 
  the Benedictine orders a 
  house dependent upon 
  an abbey; in certain or-
  ders 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  Augustinians 
  or 
  the 
  mendicant orders, any 
  religious house  
  Processional: book con-
  taining prayers, hymns 
  and litany  
  Province: 1) unit of ec-
  clesiastical 
  administration compris-
  ing 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  territorially 
  contiguous 
  dioceses: 2) in relation 
  to later developments of 
  monastic orders, geo-
  graphic 
  units 
  of 
  administration 
  within 
  the order 
  Pulpit: a stone or wood-
  en stand from which 
  sermons 
  or 
  readings 
  were given  
  Reader: the third rank 
  of minor orders of the 
  ministry 
  Rector: a parish priest, 
  or corporate body such 
  as a monastery or ca-
  thedral, 
  that 
  receives 
  the benifice of a parish  
  Relic: the mortal re-
  mains, 
  or 
  any 
  components thereof, of a 
  saint; believed to em-
  body 
  the 
  miraculous 
  powers of the saint  
  Reliquary: a container 
  for the relics of a saint; 
  many were expensively 
  gilded and jewelled  
  Rosary: 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  prayers; to assist the 
  memory, the prayers are 
  counted off on a string 
  of beads  
  Rural dean: a minister 
  assisting a bishop to 
  administer a subdivision 
  of 
  an 
  archdeaconry; 
  known on the Continent 
  as an archpriest  
  Rural deanery: a group 
  of parishes forming a 
  subdivision of an arch-
  deaconry  
  Sacrament: 
  a 
  visible 
  sign of a sacred thing; in 
  the late medieval church 
  there were deemed to be 
  seven sacraments, rep-
  resenting 
  life 
  cycle 
  rituals; baptism, con-
  firmation, 
  Eucharist, 
  ordination, 
  marriage, 
  confession and extreme 
  unction  
  Sacristy: a room for the 
  storage of sacred ves-
  sels, 
  liturgical 
  books 
  and priestly vestments; 
  and where the clergy 
  don 
  their 
  ceremonial 
  attire; also known as a 
  vestry  
  
  LIFE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES 
   
   
   
  87 
  Sanctuary: The part of 
  the church containing 
  the high altar 
  Scriptorium: 
  a 
  room 
  where manuscripts were 
  transcribed  
  Secular: 1) in relation to 
  clergy, priests living in 
  the world, not under a 
  rule, who are bound by 
  no vows and may pos-
  sess property, working 
  under the authority of a 
  bishop: 2) more general-
  ly, refers to people who 
  are not clergy 
  See: properly, the offi-
  cial 'seat' of a bishop. 
  Commonly used for the 
  territorial unit of admin-
  istration in the church, 
  governed by a bishop; 
  also known as a diocese 
  Sext: the third of the 
  Little Hours of divine 
  office, 
  recited 
  at the 
  sixth hour  
  Shrine: a reliquary, a 
  sacred image of special 
  importance or a holy 
  place, 
  especially 
  one 
  connected with pilgrim-
  age  
  Spirituals: members of 
  the 
  Franciscan 
  order 
  devoted to maintaining 
  the ideals of the founder 
  with respect to money 
  and property  
  Sub-deacon: a member 
  of the order of the min-
  istry 
  below 
  that 
  of 
  deacon; considered to be 
  the lowest of the major 
  orders 
  Summoner: An officer 
  who works for the arch-
  deacon to bring sinners 
  to the consistory courts, 
  to try them as a way of 
  levying 
  fines 
  for 
  the 
  church      
  Synod: a formal meeting 
  of representatives of var-
  ious units of the church  
  Templars: order of mili-
  tary monks founded in 
  1119 to assist in the 
  Crusades; also known 
  as the Knights Templar 
  or the Poor Knights of 
  Christ  
  Terce: the second of the 
  Little Hours of divine 
  office, 
  recited 
  at the 
  third hour  
  Teutonic Order: mili-
  tary order founded in 
  the Holy land after the 
  Third Crusade 
  Tithe: the tenth part of 
  produce from the land 
  and of other income, 
  collected to support a 
  parish priest and main-
  tain his services  
  Troper: a book contain-
  ing tropes for the use of 
  the choir at mass or di-
  vine office; after around 
  the 
  12th 
  century, 
  a 
  book 
  containing 
  se-
  quences  
  True Cross: supposedly 
  the 
  actual 
  cross 
  on 
  which Christ was cruci-
  fied; 
  there 
  were 
  fragments 
  of 
  it 
  pre-
  served as relics across 
  Christendom  
  Undercroft: a vaulted 
  room, 
  sometimes 
  un-
  derground, 
  below 
  an 
  upper room  
  Vespers: 
  the 
  evening 
  service of divine office, 
  recited before dark  
  Vestments: 
  the cere-
  monial clothing of the 
  clergy  
  Vestry: a room for the 
  storage of sacred ves-
  sels, 
  liturgical 
  books 
  and priestly vestments; 
  and where the clergy 
  don 
  their 
  ceremonial 
  attire; also known as a 
  sacristy  
  Vicar: a priest employed 
  as a substitute for a 
  parish rector of for a 
  member of a religious 
  house, monastic, cathe-
  dral or collegiate, which 
  had 
  appropriated 
  the 
  revenue for the position  
  Vicarage: the endow-
  ment for a vicar  
  Visitation: the periodic 
  inspection by a bishop 
  of 
  the 
  temporal 
  and 
  spiritual affairs of a dio-
  cese which are under 
  his control, or by an ab-
  bot or monastic official 
  of houses within his ju-
  risdiction  
  Vulgate: the Latin ver-
  sion of the Bible; it 
  became 
  the 
  standard 
  version for the Western 
  Church  
  Warden: head of a cus-
  tody, or subsection of a 
  province, 
  within 
  the 
  Francisan order  
  White canons: the Pre-
  monstratensians, 
  an 
  order derived from the 
  Augustinians 
  and 
  founded in 1121 
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  88 
   
  ANIMALS, 
  FOLK & NPCS 
   
  he following chapter 
  focuses 
  on 
  some 
  stats for riding ani-
  mals, common people 
  and then some non-
  player characters that 
  you can use in your own 
  games.  
   
  Folk are generally the 
  ordinary 
  NPCs 
  that 
  characters might meet 
  along the way. They are 
  not intended to be tough 
  opposition – in a movie 
  they would be the extras 
  that are either on screen 
  only very briefly or are 
  killed early on, before 
  the characters get to the 
  end of their adventure. 
  Folk are classed as 0-
  level. Sometimes, folk 
  take 
  on 
  greater 
  im-
  portance in the game 
  than the GM originally 
  envisaged. In this case, 
  they might be elevated 
  to NPC status.  
   
  NPCs are special GM 
  characters. These char-
  acters must be worked 
  out as if they are player 
  characters. They have a 
  character class and may 
  be of a level that is even 
  higher than that of the 
  player characters. They 
  will probably have some 
  major importance in the 
  game and are likely to 
  re-appear many times 
  throughout a campaign. 
  They should never turn 
  out to be more im-
  portant 
  than 
  the 
  characters in terms of 
  the overall story though 
  – the characters are the 
  focus of the game not 
  the NPCs. 
   
  Experience 
  points 
  for 
  defeating foes 
  The Medieval Mysteries 
  RPG isn’t really about 
  combat and fighting, so 
  there is less opportunity 
  to earn experience from 
  killing things than there 
  is in, say Castles & Cru-
  sades. However, there is 
  experience available for 
  those times when com-
  bat is inevitable. When 
  animals, folk and NPCs 
  are defeated, outwitted 
  or 
  killed, 
  characters 
  gain experience points 
  (XP). The number of 
  points gained depends 
  on how tough the foe is 
  to kill or defeat. For eve-
  ry hit die the foe has, 
  there is 
  a 
  base 
  XP 
  award, set out in the 
  table below. For every 
  hit point the foe has, 
  extra XP are awarded. 
  Work this out by multi-
  plying the hit die of the 
  foe by the number of hit 
  points. So a boar with 
  12 
  hit 
  points 
  would 
  work out as 2 (hit die) x 
  12 = 24 points added to 
  its base of 200. For eve-
  ry special ability the foe 
  has, add the number in 
  the special ability col-
  umn. Special abilities 
  would be any class abili-
  ties of NPCs, or any 
  animal 
  abilities, 
  like 
  having more than one 
  attack in a round. If the 
  GM feels the special 
  ability 
  is 
  particularly 
  dangerous or not at all 
  dangerous 
  or 
  useful, 
  add or subtract another 
  50% for that ability. Or-
  dinary folk count as 
  1HD. Certain creatures 
  really do not provide 
  experience, and so will 
  not have any points 
  listed. 
   
   
  T 
  
  ANIMALS, FOLK & NPCS 
   
   
   
  89 
  XP Table 
   
  HD 
  Base 
  Special 
  1 
  100 
  50 
  2 
  200 
  100 
  3 
  300 
  150 
  4 
  400 
  200 
  5 
  500 
  250 
  6 
  600 
  300 
  7 
  700 
  350 
  8 
  800 
  400 
  9 
  900 
  450 
  10 
  1000 500 
  11 
  1100 550 
  12 
  1200 600 
   
  Animals 
  Boar 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 2d8+3 (12) 
  Move: 40’ 
  AC: 14 
  Attacks: Gore (1d8+3) 
  Special: see text 
  Int: Animal 
  XP: 224 
  Wild boars were hunted 
  a lot in the middle ages. 
  They can be extremely 
  vicious when cornered 
  and it can take a lot to 
  put one down. They 
  continue fighting until 
  they reach –7 hit points. 
   
  Cat 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d4 (2) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 14 
  Attacks: Claw (1) or bite 
  (1) 
  Special: Hide, move si-
  lently 
  Int: Animal 
  XP: - 
  Cats can move silently 
  (+2) and hide (+2) like a 
  rogue. 
   
  Donkey 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 2d8 (9) 
  Move: 40’ 
  AC: 12 
  Attacks: 2 hooves (1d4 
  each) 
  Special:  
  Int: Average 
  XP:  - 
  No 
  self-respecting 
  knight would be seen 
  dead riding one of these. 
  Occasionally used for 
  travel by people who 
  can’t ride, or by women, 
  monks 
  or 
  peasants. 
  Their main use is the 
  transport of small loads 
  of goods or pulling small 
  carts. Donkeys tend to 
  be steady on their feet. 
   
  Horse, Destrier 
  Size: Large 
  HD: 4d10+12 (34) 
  Move: 50’ 
  AC: 14 
  Attacks: 
  2 
  hooves 
  (1d6+3 
  each), 
  bite 
  (1d4+2) 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 536 
  Large, solid horses. This 
  is 
  the 
  archetypical 
  knight’s 
  warhorse. 
  When the knight was no 
  longer king on the bat-
  tlefield, 
  they 
  became 
  plough horses.  
   
   
  Horse, Nag 
  Size: Large 
  HD: 1d8+3 (8) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 11 
  Attacks: none 
  Int: Average 
  XP:  - 
  This is a very poor 
  horse, pressed into ser-
  vice either to pull carts 
  or wagons or perhaps 
  for an extremely poor 
  squire, as a stop-gap 
  until 
  he 
  can 
  afford 
  something better. 
   
  Horse, Riding 
  Size: Large 
  HD: 2d8+4 (13) 
  Move: 60’ 
  AC: 13 
  Attacks: 
  2 
  hooves 
  (1d4+1 each) 
  Int: Average 
  XP:  - 
  This is a good, high 
  spirited 
  riding 
  horse, 
  bred for speed and dis-
  tance. Used for hunting 
  or travel. 
   
  Palfrey 
  Size: Large 
  HD: 2d8+2 (12) 
  Move: 40’ 
  AC: 13 
  Attacks: 2 hooves (1d4 
  each) 
  Int: Average 
  XP: - 
  A good, steady horse, 
  more docile than the 
  riding horse and bred 
  for its steadiness. Used 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  90 
  by ladies, often side-
  saddle.  
   
  Mule 
  Size: Large 
  HD: 3d8+4 (19) 
  Move: 40’ 
  AC: 13 
  Attacks: 
  2 
  hooves 
  (1d4+1 each) 
  Int: Average 
  XP:  - 
  Bred for steadiness and 
  carrying ability. 
   
  Wolf 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 2d8 (9) 
  Move: 50’ 
  AC: 13 
  Attacks: Bite (1d4+1) 
  Special: Track 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 218 
  Wolves still existed in 
  the wild in England in 
  the middle ages. They 
  hunt in packs and have 
  a 
  superior 
  sense 
  of 
  smell, enabling them to 
  track their prey. 
   
  Folk 
  Beggar 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d4 (3) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 10 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: Gossip 
  Prime: None 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 103 
  Every city has its share 
  of these individuals with 
  their begging bowls in 
  front of them. Some are 
  genuine 
  ex-soldiers, 
  with missing limbs and 
  so on and others are 
  rogues and scoundrels. 
  They usually have a bit 
  of gossip to impart, for a 
  coin or two. Normally 
  unarmed 
  and 
  un-
  armoured. 
   
  Burgess 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d4 (3) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 10 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: a trade or craft 
  Prime: None 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 103 
  These 
  are 
  wealthy 
  townsmen, 
  merchants 
  and craftsmen. Always 
  looking 
  for 
  ways 
  to 
  make more money or to 
  better themselves. Usu-
  ally armed only with a 
  dagger. 
   
  Clergyman 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d4 (3) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 10 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: Sanctuary 
  Prime: None 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 103 
  These are clerics, monks 
  and friars. Usually un-
  armed and unarmoured, 
  but some will carry a 
  staff or a dagger. 
   
  Clerk 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d4 (3) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 10 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: Literacy 
  Prime: Intelligence 
  Int: High 
  XP: 103 
  These are scribes, ac-
  countants and lawyers. 
  Rarely combatants and 
  if armed at all, will tend 
  only to have a dagger. 
   
  Cutpurse 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d4 (3) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 11 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: Pick pocket 
  Prime: Dexterity 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 103 
  Unsavoury 
  characters 
  adept at removing your 
  money from you in a 
  crowded marketplace or 
  smoky 
  tavern. 
  Often 
  armed with a club or a 
  dagger. 
   
  Jongleur 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d6 (4) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 11 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special:  Gossip, per-
  form 
  Prime: Charisma 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 104 
  
  ANIMALS, FOLK & NPCS 
   
   
   
  91 
  Wandering entertainers, 
  they always have some 
  news and gossip from 
  the road. Often armed 
  with a staff, club or 
  dagger. 
   
  Man-at-Arms 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d8 (5) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 13 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: None 
  Prime: Strength 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 155 
  A soldier at the local 
  lord’s castle or a gate 
  guard in the city, the 
  man-at-arms 
  is 
  often 
  armoured 
  in 
  studded 
  leather and may have a 
  sword, spear or a hal-
  berd. 
   
  Mercenary 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d8 (5) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 15 
  Attacks: 
  by 
  weapon 
  Special: Weapon 
  specialization (+1 
  to attack & dam-
  age)  
  Prime: Strength 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 155 
  A 
  poor 
  knight 
  back 
  from 
  the 
  crusades return-
  ing to his home 
  town, 
  a 
  Welsh 
  archer or a for-
  eign 
  soldier 
  seeking 
  employment, 
  the mercenary is likely 
  to be well armoured and 
  well-armed 
  with 
  a 
  sword, 
  mace 
  and/or 
  longbow. 
    
  Strumpet 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d4 (3) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 10 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: Gossip 
  Prime: None 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 103 
  Other names would be a 
  woman of easy virtue, a 
  lady of the night, a slat-
  tern, a tavern wench or 
  a common whore. Un-
  likely to be armed or she 
  might have a hidden 
  dagger.  
  Thug 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d6 (4) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 12 
  Attacks: by weapon 
  Special: Intimidate 
  Prime: Strength 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 129 
  Thugs are usually bul-
  lies who go around in 
  pairs at the very least, 
  or more likely in gangs. 
  They are often armed 
  with an assortment of 
  weapons but if pushed 
  will just as likely back 
  down as fight. 
    
  Yeoman 
  Size: Medium 
  HD: 1d6 (4) 
  Move: 30’ 
  AC: 10 
  Attacks: 
  by 
  weapon 
  Special: Gossip, 
  animal handling 
  Prime: Constitu-
  tion 
  Int: Average 
  XP: 104 
  A yeoman is a 
  stout country-
  man or farmer. 
  Unarmoured, 
  but is likely to 
  have a staff, dag-
  ger or a hand 
  axe within easy 
  reach. 
   
   
   
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  92 
  Sample NPCs 
  Non-player 
  characters 
  are the important char-
  acters created by the 
  GM to provide people for 
  the player characters to 
  interact with. As im-
  portant characters, they 
  have attributes and a 
  character class, just like 
  the player characters. 
  Here are a few sample 
  NPCs that you can use 
  in your campaign. 
   
  *************************** 
  Bartholomew 
  Matthews 
  Class: Apothecary 
  Level: 8 
  HP: 28 
  Str: 10 (0 - S) 
  Int: 16 (+3 - P) 
  Wis: 14 (+2 - P) 
  Dex: 9 (-1 - T) 
  Con: 13 (+1 - T) 
  Cha: 12 (+1 - S) 
  AC: 10  
   
  BtH ranged: +2 
  BtH melee: +3 
  Abilities: Literate, gos-
  sip, 
  heal, 
  knowledge 
  (wounds & corps-
  es), 
  knowledge 
  (law), sense mo-
  tive, 
  search, 
  medicines & po-
  tions, 
  care 
  & 
  attention, 
  minor 
  surgery.  
  Languages: 
  Eng-
  lish, Latin, French 
  XP: 1,224 
  Belongings: Good 
  clothing, 
  leather 
  jerkin, medical bag 
  containing several 
  vials of medicines, a 
  small knife, birthing for-
  ceps 
  and 
  bandages), 
  staff (+3 to hit, d6 dam-
  age), dagger (+3 to hit, 
  d4 damage). 
  Background: Bartholo-
  mew has recently moved 
  into a small rented shop 
  in the town. He left his 
  previous establishment 
  in 
  Gloucester 
  amidst 
  rumours that his medi-
  cines had poisoned a 
  few 
  of 
  his 
  patients. 
  Whilst these rumours 
  remained unfounded, it 
  was considered best by 
  the Apothecaries Guild 
  in Gloucester that he 
  move elsewhere as there 
  had already been at-
  tempts on his life as a 
  result. He has recently 
  taken on an apprentice, 
  Arnold Blakey. 
  Secret: Bartholomew is 
  an 
  evil 
  psychopath. 
  Whilst he was living in 
  Gloucester, he became 
  fascinated with poisons 
  and decided to try out 
  some of his concoctions 
  on his customers. He 
  may start again very 
  soon. 
   
  *************************** 
  Gareth Bowman 
  Class: Fighter 
  Level: 4 
  HP: 33 
  Str: 14 (+2 - P) 
  Int: 10 (0 - T) 
  Wis: 13 (+1 - S) 
  Dex: 16 (+3 - P) 
  Con: 12 (+1 - T) 
  Cha: 8 (-1 - S) 
  AC: 16 
  BtH ranged: +7  
  BtH melee: +6 
  Abilities: Climb, gossip, 
  intimidate, 
  notice, 
  weapon 
  specialization 
  (longbow), combat dom-
  inance  
  Languages & literacy: 
  English 
  XP: 732 
  Belongings: 
  Good, 
  though well-worn cloth-
  ing, 
  studded 
  leather, 
  longbow 
  (+8 
  to 
  hit, 
  d12+1 damage) broad-
  sword (+6 to hit, 2d4+2 
  damage), 
  dagger 
  (+6 to hit, d4+2 
  damage). 
  Background: 
  A 
  Welsh archer re-
  cently returned to 
  England 
  after 
  fighting 
  on 
  the 
  continent. 
  He 
  is 
  now 
  kicking 
  around town, look-
  ing 
  for 
  gainful 
  employment, pref-
  erably 
  in 
  his 
  specialist area of 
  
  ANIMALS, FOLK & NPCS 
   
   
   
  93 
  mercenary or fighting 
  man, but otherwise any-
  thing goes, as he is pret-
  pretty low on funds at 
  the moment. 
  Secret: An old merce-
  nary friend of Gareth’s, 
  Sagard D’Arcy stole his 
  hard-earned money and 
  fled back to England. 
  Gareth 
  Bowman 
  has 
  tracked him down and 
  is now planning to kill 
  him, after he has found 
  out what he has done 
  with his money. 
   
  *************************** 
  Hugo Farrond  
  Class: Forester 
  Level: 2 
  HP: 17 
  Str: 15 (+2 - T) 
  Int: 10 (0 - S) 
  Wis: 12 (+1 - P) 
  Dex: 13 (+1 - S) 
  Con: 14 (+2 - P) 
  Cha: 8 (-1 - T) 
  AC: 14 
  BtH ranged: +2 
  BtH melee: +3 
  Abilities: 
  Knowledge 
  (local 
  area), 
  track, 
  awareness, traps, con-
  ceal, 
  ranged 
  weapon 
  specialist 
  Languages: English, 
  French  
   
  XP: 334 
  Belongings: 
  Average 
  clothing, cloak, studded 
  leather, staff (+3 to hit, 
  d6+1 damage), hand axe 
  (+3 to hit, d6+1 dam-
  age), light crossbow (+3 
  to hit, d10 damage). 
  Background: Hugo is 
  the nephew of the noble, 
  Lord 
  Henry 
  Farrond, 
  who used his position to 
  help the otherwise lazy 
  and useless Hugo a po-
  sition 
  as 
  a 
  forester. 
  Hugo is completely and 
  utterly corrupt and con-
  temptible. 
  There 
  is 
  nothing that he won’t 
  turn a blind eye to, if 
  bribed sufficiently.   
  Secret: Hugo is an evil 
  sex monster. He uses 
  his position to force the 
  local girls to sleep with 
  him. One girl, Helwisa 
  went missing recently 
  from the area and de-
  spite a search, hasn’t 
  been found. That is be-
  cause Hugo raped her 
  when she wouldn’t let 
  him lie with her and 
  then he killed her and 
  hid her body. It remains 
  an unsolved mystery. 
   
  *************************** 
  Sister Agnes  
  Class: Cleric 
  Level: 3 
  HP: 13 
  Str: 8 (-1 - T) 
  Int: 13 (+1 - S) 
  Wis: 15 (+2 - P) 
  Dex: 12 (+1 - S) 
  Con: 10 (0 - T)  
  Cha: 14 (+2 - P) 
  AC: 10 
  BtH ranged: +2 
  BtH melee: 0 
  Abilities: 
  Diplomacy, 
  gossip, knowledge (reli-
  gion), 
  listen, 
  notice, 
  sense motive, literate, 
  scribing, 
  sanctuary, 
  God’s wrath, faith.  
  Languages: 
  English, 
  Latin 
  XP: 414 
  Belongings: Nun’s hab-
  it, 
  satchel 
  with 
  ink, 
  parchment and goose 
  feather quills, staff (+0 
  to hit, d6-1 damage), 
  dagger (+0 to hit, d4-1 
  damage). 
  Background: Sister Ag-
  nes is a sleuthing nun 
  and she has been look-
  ing into the case of the 
  missing girl, Helewisa. 
  She is suspicious of Hu-
  go Farrond, but hasn’t 
  yet got any evidence to 
  support her suspicions. 
  Secret: Sister Agnes is 
  Lord Henry Farrond’s 
  secret lover. She sneaks 
  out of the abbey when-
  ever 
  she 
  has 
  the 
  opportunity and meets 
  him in one of several 
  places that they have 
  arranged over the years 
  for their trysts. Lord 
  Henry’s 
  faithful 
  man 
  servant Ulric is the only 
  other person who knows 
  about this affair alt-
  hough 
  another 
  nun, 
  Sister Angelica suspects 
  something is going on. 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  94 
   
  MYSTERY: A 
  VIAL MURDER 
   
  his scenario is left 
  deliberately open so 
  that you can pretty 
  much use it whatever 
  location or period you 
  decide to set your own 
  Medieval Murder Mys-
  tery RPG campaign in. I 
  would suggest that you 
  read it through to the 
  end (it isn’t that long) 
  and decide which of the 
  endings you prefer. You 
  can then tailor the lines 
  of questioning, the re-
  sponses 
  from 
  the 
  various NPCs and so on 
  to the ending you have 
  selected. 
   
  The alternative is to get 
  the gist of the scenario 
  and 
  not 
  necessarily 
  have the conclusion pre-
  determined, 
  allowing 
  your players to come up 
  with the solution them-
  selves. This may be a bit 
  more 
  difficult 
  though 
  and is recommended for 
  more experienced GM’s. 
     
  What is the mystery? 
  A wealthy local wool 
  merchant, 
  Nicholas 
  Brace, aged about 50 
  falls 
  dead 
  from 
  his 
  horse, whilst talking to 
  a local outside the inn 
  that he had stayed at for 
  the 
  previous 
  night. 
  Brace had been con-
  ducting a little business 
  at the port a day or so 
  ride 
  out 
  of 
  his 
  hometown and was re-
  turning home. He had to 
  stop at the inn as it was 
  getting late and he was 
  fearful of not making it 
  back 
  to 
  town 
  before 
  nightfall. 
   
  The mystery is what 
  killed him. He was talk-
  ing one moment to the 
  local carter Peter and 
  the next moment, ac-
  cording 
  to 
  Peter 
  he 
  stopped talking, “looked 
  like the Devil had pos-
  sessed his soul” and 
  keeled over, falling from 
  his horse “like a sack of 
  cabbages”. 
   
  Involving the 
  characters 
  If the primary investiga-
  tor is a crowner, then he 
  is required to investigate 
  anyway. If one of the 
  characters is a noble, 
  you 
  could 
  have 
  the 
  death 
  occur 
  on 
  his 
  manor and therefore he 
  might feel obliged to in-
  vestigate. A merchant 
  character could be a 
  friend of the family or 
  an 
  apothecary 
  could 
  easily be drafted in to 
  see if he can determine 
  what was in the empty 
  vial.  
   
  If nothing else, you can 
  have character request-
  ed by the sheriff or some 
  other person in authori-
  ty to look into the death 
  ‘because he was a re-
  spected burgess in the 
  town and we must be 
  seen to do the right 
  thing’. The family lawyer 
  could even draft in some 
  investigators, 
  because 
  there is a technicality in 
  the will, that ‘requires 
  that we discover if he 
  was murdered or died of 
  natural cause’ before it 
  can be settled. 
   
  Investigations 
  The clues 
  To all intents and pur-
  poses, it looks like death 
  by natural causes, per-
  haps a heart attack. The 
  only odd thing that a 
  search of the body and 
  his possessions will re-
  veal is an empty potion 
  vial in his belt pouch. 
  Otherwise the body is 
  whole (maybe with a 
  bruise or scrape where 
  he fell from his horse). 
   
  T 
  
  A VIAL MURDER 
   
   
   
  95 
  There is actually a small 
  drop of the potion left in 
  the vial and an apothe-
  cary character (or NPC) 
  could figure out that 
  this is a slow-acting poi-
  son with time, access to 
  his shop and a success-
  ful check. 
   
  Witnesses 
  The only witness to the 
  actual event was Peter 
  who, being a god-fearing 
  soul is apt to let his im-
  agination run away with 
  him. He will be adamant 
  that Nicholas Brace had 
  been possessed by the 
  Devil, if pressed (be-
  sides, it’s more gossip-
  worthy that way and 
  might get him a few 
  rounds in the tavern 
  later). 
   
  None of the other locals 
  know very much about 
  the death. The innkeep-
  er will say that Brace 
  came in late in the af-
  ternoon, ordered a huge 
  meal and plenty of ale a 
  retired early. He seemed 
  fine, if a little ‘red in the 
  face’ 
  and 
  ‘short 
  of 
  breath’. Earlier in the 
  evening, he may have 
  been sat with somebody, 
  who he seemed to know 
  (see other possibilities: A 
  rival merchant). 
   
  Friends & family 
  Brace was a well-known 
  burgess around town. 
  He was married to Hil-
  da, pretty and a lot 
  younger than him. They 
  have no children (a sore 
  point with Hilda). Hilda 
  will explain that Nicho-
  las was in ill-health and 
  had 
  been 
  seeing 
  an 
  apothecary in the town, 
  where he obtained his 
  medicine. She did try to 
  tell her husband not to 
  eat so much rich food or 
  to drink so much, but 
  he wouldn’t listen. One 
  thing 
  the 
  characters 
  might notice is that she 
  doesn’t seem as dis-
  traught as perhaps she 
  might be, in the circum-
  stances. If the vial is 
  produced, 
  Hilda 
  will 
  acknowledge that it was 
  his and she will tell 
  them the name of the 
  apothecary, 
  if 
  asked. 
  The apothecary is Wal-
  ter Stanshill, respected, 
  if a little ancient, but 
  also a family friend. 
   
  Other merchants knew 
  Nicholas well, being a 
  pillar of the community, 
  but have little to add to 
  what Hilda has said. 
  However, one person, 
  Brace’s sister Martha, 
  says that she was al-
  ways 
  suspicious 
  of 
  Hilda, who she says is a 
  money-grabbing strum-
  pet. She says that she 
  told Nicholas that Hilda 
  was always up to no 
  good with one of his ap-
  prentices, Aylwin, but 
  Nicholas wouldn’t have 
  a bad word said against 
  his wife. Secretly, Mar-
  tha says that she thinks 
  that Hilda had been poi-
  soning 
  her 
  husband. 
  She is certain that Hilda 
  had 
  visited 
  another 
  apothecary 
  and 
  ob-
  tained 
  a 
  poison 
  for 
  vermin, which she was 
  exchanging for Nicho-
  las’s 
  medication. 
  But 
  Martha has no proof of 
  this. 
   
  If the characters ap-
  proach Walter Stanshill, 
  they will see that his 
  shop is a little messy 
  and that he does seem a 
  little old to still be dis-
  pensing 
  medicines. 
  However, he was Brace’s 
  friend and there doesn’t 
  seem to be any reason 
  that he should want to 
  see him dead. He too 
  told Nicholas to lay off 
  the spicy food and the 
  wine and to get a bit of 
  air now and again. He 
  had prescribed him a 
  remedy for his pain (if a 
  character is an apothe-
  cary 
  or 
  they 
  seek 
  confirmation, it will be 
  found that what was 
  prescribed was normal 
  for this type of com-
  plaint).  
    
  The gossip 
  Around town the gossip 
  is 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  apothecary in town who 
  is a specialist on poi-
  sons. 
  Other 
  gossip 
  
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
   
   
   
  96 
  suggests that he fled his 
  previous 
  town 
  of 
  Gloucester, because he 
  had been accused of 
  poisoning his custom-
  ers. 
  His 
  name 
  is 
  Bartholomew Matthews 
  (see sample NPCs). 
   
  Other gossip (from at 
  least two fairly reliable 
  sources) though, might 
  help to confirm what 
  Martha says about Hil-
  da, in that she has been 
  seen with Aylwin on 
  more than one occa-
  sion, in a situation that 
  ‘wasn’t appropriate for a 
  married woman’. 
   
  Who did it, how 
  and why? 
  I present a couple of 
  possibilities 
  that 
  you 
  can consider. That way, 
  you can develop the in-
  vestigations in the way 
  you want them to go, or 
  you can feed off your 
  players to give a con-
  clusion that they find 
  satisfactory. You might 
  even surprise them. 
   
  Aylwin did it 
  He 
  loves 
  Hilda 
  and 
  couldn’t wait to marry 
  her (at which point, in-
  cidentally he would also 
  be closer to taking over 
  the family business as 
  Hilda has no interest in 
  running it). He obtained 
  poison from Bartholo-
  mew 
  Matthews 
  and 
  secretly exchanged it for 
  Brace’s medication be-
  fore he left for his port 
  warehouse. He did it for 
  love. 
   
  Hilda did it 
  Hilda didn’t love her 
  husband. He couldn’t 
  give her children and he 
  was old, ugly and fat. 
  She stands to inherit his 
  business, 
  his 
  wealth 
  and clears the way to 
  have children before she 
  is old and grey. She got 
  the poison from Walter 
  Stanshill, on the pretext 
  that the family home 
  had been infested by 
  rats that she was trying 
  to kill with the poison.  
    
  It was an accident 
  Brace’s 
  doddery 
  old 
  friend Walter Stanshill, 
  who should no longer be 
  practising, accidentally 
  mixed up some of the 
  ingredients and ended 
  up putting poison into 
  the vial that was intend-
  ed 
  for 
  his 
  friends 
  medication.  
     
  A rival merchant did it 
  One of Nicholas’s rivals 
  killed him. He did it be-
  cause Nicholas was a 
  hard businessman and 
  had slowly putting him 
  out of business. He ar-
  ranged to meet him in 
  the inn and when rea-
  soning didn’t work, he 
  slipped poison into his 
  wine in desperation. 
   
  Martha did it 
  Martha 
  hated 
  her 
  brother. 
  Many 
  years 
  ago, when she was mar-
  ried, Nicholas drove her 
  husband out of busi-
  ness and drove him to 
  an early grave. She nev-
  er forgave him for this 
  but was hoping to in-
  herit his business when 
  he died, which she fig-
  ured wouldn’t be too 
  long because of his ill-
  health. Then the old fool 
  went 
  and 
  married 
  a 
  young slattern and that 
  has driven Martha to 
  take 
  drastic 
  action, 
  whilst trying to pin the 
  murder on Hilda. 
   
   
  
   
   
  MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES 
  CHARACTER SHEET 
    
  PLAYER NAME________________________________  
   
  CHARACTER NAME____________________________ 
  Class__________________________________________ 
  Level__________________ Gender__________________ 
  Age__________ Height___________Weight___________ 
  Features________________________________________ 
  _______________________________________________ 
  _______________________________________________ 
   
  [ATTRIBUTE CHECK = D20 + ATTRIBUTE MOD + LEVEL] 
  ATTRIBUTES 
                         SAVING THROWS 
   
   
  P/S/T 
   
   
   
   MOD 
    TN 
  [    ] 
  STR 
  ______  
  ____ 
  ____ 
  [    ] 
  INT 
  ______  
  ____ 
  ____ 
  [    ] 
  WIS 
  ______  
  ____ 
  ____ 
  [    ] 
  DEX 
  ______  
  ____ 
  ____ 
  [    ] 
  CON 
  ______  
  ____ 
  ____ 
  [    ] 
  CHA 
  ______  
  ____ 
  ____ 
   
  DEFENCE CLASS  
  HIT POINTS 
  HIT DIE TYPE 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  CLASS ABILITIES & SKILLS  
   
   
   
  EQUIPMENT 
  ____________________________________________________  
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  ____________________________________________________ 
  ____________________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  ENC______PENALTY_____MOVE______ 
   
  WEAPON 
   
  BONUS TO HIT 
  DAMAGE 
  SPECIAL 
  __________________ 
  __________ 
  _________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  __________________ 
  __________ 
  _________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  __________________ 
  __________ 
  _________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  __________________ 
  __________ 
  _________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  __________________ 
  __________ 
  _________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  __________________ 
  __________ 
  _________ 
  ____________________________________ 
  CHARACTER SKETCH/NOTES 
  MONEY  
  EXPERIENCE 
  
   
   
  Inspiration & recommended reading: 
   
  The Medieval Players Manual 
  Author: David Chart 
  Published by: Green Ronin 
  This is an excellent resource for (slightly fantasized) medieval roleplaying. 
   
  The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England 
  Author: Ian Mortimer 
  Not fiction, but written by a novelist, this book is a jaunty journey through the 14th Century, 
  one that wriggles with the stuff of everyday life. This is a great primer for the period. 
   
  The Crowner John Mysteries 
  Author: Bernard Knight 
  Characters: Sir John de Wolfe, Gwyn of Polruan and Thomas De Payne  
  Sir John de Wolfe, sometime companion in arms to Richard I and recently returned from cru-
  sade in 1194, is appointed a coroner in Devon. He is tasked, with his clerk Thomas De Payne 
  (an unfrocked priest) and his retainer Gwyn of Polruan, with the investigation of sudden 
  deaths, murders, arson, rape and finds of treasure trove - largely as a way of raising taxes for 
  the release of the king who has been captured in Austria. In the process he upsets the sheriff, 
  Sir Richard de Revelle, but that is the least of his problems, not least because he soon finds 
  himself the sole coroner in one of the largest counties in England - only one other knight was 
  prepared to accept the office and he has died as the result of a fall from a horse. 
  The series titles:  
  The Sanctuary Seeker 
  The Grim Reaper 
  The Noble Outlaw 
  The Poisoned Chalice 
  Fear in the Forest 
  The Manor of Death 
  Crowners Quest 
  The Witch Hunter 
  Crowner Royal 
  The Awful Secret 
  Figure of Hate 
  A Plague of Heretics 
  The Tinner’s Corpse 
   
   
   
  The Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles 
  Author: Susanna Gregory 
  Characters: Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael 
  The series follows Matthew Bartholomew, a physician in a Cambridge ravaged by plague in the 
  mid 1300’s. Together with his friend and Brother Michael, Proctor of the fledgling university, 
  he investigates murders and other suspicious goings on amongst the scholars, students, 
  monks and friars who seem to have their own agendas.  
  The series titles: 
  A Plague on Both Your Houses 
  An Order for Death 
  The Tarnished Chalice 
  An Unholy Alliance 
  A Summer of Discontent 
  To Kill or Cure 
  A Bone of Contention 
  A Killer in Winter 
  The Devil’s Disciples 
  A Deadly Brew 
  The Hand of Justice 
  A Vein of Deceit 
  A Wicked Deed 
  The Mark of a Murderer 
  The Killer of Pilgrims 
  A Masterly Murder 
   
   
   
  Geoffrey Mappestone Mysteries 
  Author: Simon Beaufort (aka Beau Riffenburgh & Susanna Gregory) 
  Characters: Sir Geoffrey Mappestone, Knight, Great Britain, 1100s 
  The series titles: 
  Murder in the Holy City 
  The Bishop’s Brood 
  The Coiner’s Quarrel 
  A Head for Poisoning 
  The King’s Spies 
   
   
  
   
   
  The Owen Archer Mysteries 
  Author: Candace Robb 
  Character: Owen Archer 
  The Owen Archer mysteries are a chronicle of England in the late 14th century. Owen Archer 
  is a former captain of archers for the Duke of Lancaster and, having been blinded in one eye, 
  is now a spy in the service of John Thoresby, the Archbishop of York. The events he investi-
  gates involve the community or the realm. Owen is frequently reluctant to take up an 
  investigation, as he is happily married and is a man who has begun life again after a career as 
  a soldier. 
  The series titles: 
  The Apothecary Rose 
  The Riddle of St Leonard’s 
  The Cross-Legged Knight 
  The Lady Chapel 
  A Gift of Sanctuary 
  The Guilt of Innocents 
  The Nun’s Tale 
  A Spy for the Redeemer 
  A Vigil of Spies 
  The King’s Bishop 
   
   
   
  The Margaret Kerr Mysteries 
  Author: Candace Robb 
  Character: Dame Margaret Kerr 
  Set in 13th Century Edinburgh 
  The series titles: 
  A Trust Betrayed 
  The Fire in the Flint 
  A Cruel Courtship 
   
  Medieval West Country Mysteries 
  Author: Michael Jecks 
  Characters: Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock 
  Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, investigates murders and other crimes in 
  Devon and the West Country, during the mid-14th-century with his friend, Simon Puttock, 
  Bailiff of Lydford Castle. 
  The series titles: 
  The Last Templar 
   
   
   
  The Tournament of Blood 
  The Merchant’s Partner  
   
  The Sticklepath Strangler 
  A Moorland Hanging 
   
   
   
  The Devil’s Acolyte 
  The Crediton Killings 
   
   
   
  The Traitor of St Giles 
  The Abbot’s Gibbet 
   
   
   
  The Templar’s Penance 
  The Leper’s Return 
   
   
   
  The Outlaws of Ennor 
   
  Squire Throwleigh’s Heir 
   
  The Tolls of Death 
  Belladonna at Belstone  
   
  The Chapel of Bones 
  The Boy-Bishop’s Glovemaker   
  The Prophecy of Death 
  The Death Ship of Dartmouth 
  Dispensation of Death 
  The Malice of Unnatural Death   
  The Butcher of St Peters 
  The Templar, The Queen and Her Lover 
  A Friar’s Bloodfeud 
  The Mad Monk of Gidleigh 
  The King of Thieves 
  No Law in the Land 
  The Bishop Must die 
   
  The Domesday Mysteries 
  Author: Edward Marston 
  Characters: Lord Ralph Delchard & Gervase Bret 
  Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret are commissioners, appointed by William the Conqueror, to 
  look into the serious irregularities that come to light during the compilation of Domesday 
  Book, the great survey of England. Delchard is a Norman soldier who fought at the Battle of 
  Hastings, and who does not suffer fools gladly. Bret, a talented lawyer, comes from mixed 
  Saxon and Breton parentage. They make a highly effective crime-fighting team in a violent and 
  unstable period of history. Each of the books in the series takes them to a different English 
  county. 
  The series titles:  
  
   
   
  The Wolves of Savernake 
   
  The Hawks of Delamere 
  The Ravens of Blackwater 
   
  The Wildcats of Exeter 
  The Dragons of Archenfield 
   
  The Foxes of Warwick 
  The Lions of the North  
  The Owls of Gloucester 
  The Serpents of Harbledown 
   
  The Elephants of Norwich 
  The Stallions of Woodstock 
   
   
  The Falconer Series 
  Author: Ian Morson 
  Character: William Falconer 
   
   
   
   
   
  A series set in 13th-century Oxford. The main character is an Oxford don (teacher) named 
  William Falconer, who solves mysteries by the ‘new’ application of scientific method (like a 
  modern detective, in other words). Famous historical characters include Roger Bacon. 
  The series titles: 
  Falconer and the Great Beast  
   
  Falconer’s Judgement 
  Falconer and the Face of God 
   
   
  Falconer’s Crusade 
  Falconer and the Moving Sands   
  A Psalm for Falconer 
  Falconer and the Ritual of Death 
  Falconer’s Trial 
   
  The Sir Hugh Corbett Mysteries 
   
   
   
  Author: P C Doherty 
  Characters: Sir Hugh Corbett, Ranulf-atte-Newgate and Maltote 
  Hugh Corbett, clerk and later chief clerk and keeper of the Secret Seal in the household of 
  King Edward I, is assigned by Edward to investigate political crimes and to counter the spies 
  of Edward’s rival, Philip of France. In this he is ably assisted by Ranulf-atte-Newgate, a felon 
  whom Hugh redeemed from Newgate Gaol, and the slightly comical Maltote, the clumsiest 
  archer in the English army but a master horseman. The Corbett novels are extremely enjoya-
  ble historical mysteries in the classic mode, with complex and devious plotting, matching 
  Corbett’s razor-like mind against the cunning of French spies and agents or against danger-
  ous murderers. 
  The series titles: 
  Satan in St. Mary’s  
  The Song of A Dark Angel 
  Crown in Darkness  
  Satan’s Fire 
  Spy in the Chancery  
  The Devil’s Hunt 
  The Angel of Death  
  The Demon Archer 
  The Prince of Darkness  
  The Treason of the Ghosts 
  Murder Wears A Cowl  
  The Magician’s Death 
  Corpse Candle 
  Nightshade 
  The Waxman Murders 
  The Mysterium 
  The Assassin In The Greenwood  
   
   
  The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael  
   
   
  Author: Ellis Peters 
  Characters: Brother Cadfael and Hugh Beringar 
  The crime mystery and investigation series featuring the Benedictine monk, Brother Cadfael, 
  and the Shrewsbury Sheriff Hugh Beringar, set in the mid-12th century, during the upheavals 
  of the English civil war between Empress Maud and King Steven. It was also filed by Central 
  Television as a TV Drama series starring Derek Jacobi. 
  The series titles: 
  A Rare Benedictine  
  An Excellent Mystery  
  A Morbid Taste for Bones  
  The Raven in the Foregate  
  One Corpse Too Many  
  The Rose Rent  
  Monk’s Hood  
  The Hermit of Eyton Forest   
  St. Peter’s Fair 
  The Confession of Brother Haluin 
  The Leper of Saint Giles  
  The Heretic’s Apprentice  
  
   
   
  The Virgin in the Ice  
  The Potter’s Field  
  The Sanctuary Sparrow  
  The Summer of the Danes  
  The Devil’s Novice  
  The Holy Thief  
  The Pilgrim of Hate  
  Brother Cadfael’s Penance 
   
  The Dame Frevisse Mysteries 
  Author: Margaret Frazer 
  Character: Sister Frevisse 
  Sister Frevisse is the niece of Geoffrey Chaucer. She resides at the Benedictine nunnery of St. 
  Frideswide’s in Cornwall during the reign of Henry VI, but this does not mean that she is 
  shielded from the troubles and dangers of the outside world. Despite her great devotion to her 
  calling and her lack of contact with the outside world, Sister Frevisse proves herself an astute 
  observer of human behaviour and amateur detective when the need arises.  
  The series titles: 
  The Novice’s Tale 
    The Maiden’s Tale 
  The Hunter’s Tale 
  The Servant’s Tale 
    The Reeve’s Tale 
  The Widow’s Tale 
  The Boy’s Tale  
    The Squire’s Tale 
   
  The Sempster’s Tale 
  The Outlaw’s Tale 
    The Clerk’s Tale  
  The Traitor’s Tale 
  The Murderer’s Tale 
    The Bastard’s Tale 
   
  The Apostate’s Tale 
  The Prioress’s Tale 
   
   
   
   
  The Player Joliffe Mysteries 
  Author: Margaret Frazer 
  Character: Joliffe the Player 
  Frazer's second set of mysteries, also set in 15th-century England, feature "Joliffe the Player." 
  Joliffe is a spin-off character from the Dame Frevisse series. The Joliffe series is set in the 
  mid-1430s. The Joliffe novels present the life of an acting troupe traveling through the English 
  countryside. 
  The series titles: 
  A Play of Isaac 
  A Play of Knaves 
  A Play of Treachery 
  A Play of Dux Moraud 
  A Play of Lords 
   
   
  The Burren Mysteries 
  Author: Cora Harrison 
  Character: Mara the Brehon 
  Set in 16th Century Ireland, with a female detective as the central character. 
  The series titles: 
  My Lady Judge 
  Writ in Stone 
  Eye of the Law 
  Michaelmas Tribute 
  Sting of Justice 
   
   
  The Medieval Murderers 
  Authors: Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Michael Jecks, Karen Maitland, Susanna Gregory, Phil-
  ip Gooden and CJ Sansom 
  Character: A varied cast of the author’s characters 
  These are a series of novels with a central theme that features each of the author’s characters. 
  The series titles: 
  The Tainted Relic  
  House of Shadows  
  King Arthur's Bones 
  Sword of Shame  
  The Lost Prophecies 
   
   
  The Chapman Mysteries 
  Author: Kate Sedley 
  Character: Roger the Chapman 
  Set in the 15th Century; features Roger the Chapman, who has given up a monk's cell for the 
  freedom of peddling his wares on the road. 
  
   
   
  The series tiles: 
  Death and the Chapman 
  The Lammas Feast 
  The Plymouth Cloak 
  Nine Men Dancing 
  The Hanged Man 
  The Midsummer Rose 
  The Holy Innocents 
  The Burgundian's Tale 
  The Eve of Saint Hyacinth 
  The Prodigal Son 
  The Wicked Winter 
  The Three Kings of Cologne 
  The Brothers of Glastonbury 
  The Green Man 
  The Weaver's Inheritance 
  The Dance of Death 
  The Saint John's Fern 
  Wheel of Fate 
  The Goldsmith's Daughter 
   
   
  The Hawkenley Mysteries 
  Author: Alys Clare 
  Character: Helewise & Sir Josse d'Acquin 
  Helewise is the fourth Abbess of the recently-completed Hawkenlye Abbey near Tonbridge in 
  Kent. She had been appointed by Queen Eleanor in 1184 at the age of 32. The stories feature 
  her companion Sir Josse d’Acquin, who carries out much of the legwork for the detective nun. 
  The series titles: 
  Fortune Like the Moon (1999) 
  Whiter Than the Lily (2004) 
  Ashes of the Elements (2000) 
  Girl in a Red Tunic (2005) 
  The Tavern in the Morning (2000) 
  Heart of Ice (2006) 
  The Chatter of the Maidens (2001) 
  The Enchanter's Forest (2007) 
  The Faithful Dead (2002) 
  The Paths of the Air (2008) 
  A Dark Night Hidden (2003) 
  The Joys of My Life (2009) 
   
  The Sister Fidelma Mysteries 
  Author: Peter Tremayne 
  Character: Sister Fidelma 
  The Sister Fidelma mysteries are set mainly in Ireland during the mid-seventh century AD.  
  The Series titles: 
  Absolution By Murder (1994) 
  The Haunted Abbot (2002) 
  Shroud for the Archbishop (1995) 
  Badger's Moon (2003) 
  Suffer Little Children (1995) 
  Whispers of the Dead (short stories) (2004) 
  The Subtle Serpent (1996) 
  The Leper's Bell (2004) 
  The Spider's Web (1997) 
  Master of Souls (2005) 
  Valley of the Shadow (1998) 
  A Prayer for the Damned (2006) 
  The Monk Who Vanished (1999) 
  Dancing with Demons (2007) 
  Act of Mercy (1999) 
  Council of the Cursed (2008) 
  Our Lady of Darkness (2000) 
  The Dove of Death (2009) 
  Hemlock At Vespers (short stories) (2000) 
  The Chalice of Blood (2010) 
  Smoke in the Wind (2001) 
   
   
  The Templar Knight Mysteries 
  Author: Maureen Ash 
  Character: Sir Bascot De Marins 
  An ex-monk, knight, then Templar, he lost his eye whilst in captivity as a Crusader in the Ho-
  ly Land in 1191. On his return home, he finds his family had died during a pestilence. He 
  joins the household of Lady Nicolaa at the royal castle of Lincoln, where his education is put 
  to good use. 
  The series titles: 
  The Alehouse Murders (2007) 
  A Plague of Poison (2009) 
  Shroud of Dishonour (2010) 
  Death of a Squire (2008) 
  Murders for Christ’s Mass 
  (2009) 
   
  
   
   
  Catherine LeVendeur Mysteries 
  Author: Sharan Newman 
  Character: Catherine LeVendeur, 12th Century Novice, France  
  The series titles: 
  Death Comes as Epiphany (1993) 
  Cursed in the Blood (1998) 
  Heresy (2002) 
  The Devil’s Door  (1994) 
  The Difficult Saint (1999) 
  Outcast Dove (2003) 
  The Wandering Arm (1995) 
  To Wear the White Cloak (2000) 
  The Witch in the Well (2004) 
  Strong as Death (1996) 
   
   
   
   
  The Name of the Rose  
   
   
   
  Author: Umberto Eco 
  Characters: William of Baskerville and Adso of Melk 
  It is the year 1327 when William of Baskerville and his young scribe Adso of Melk (who nar-
  rates the story many years later) arrive at the unnamed northern Italian monastery, which 
  contains the greatest library in Christendom. The abbot and his henchmen carefully control 
  access to the collection; only the librarian and his assistant are allowed into the labyrinthine 
  stacks. The ostensible reason is that there are thousands of books by pagan, Jewish, and Ar-
  ab authors, as well as the records of many heresies. While true Christians must understand 
  error in order to combat it, only the strongest and most mature minds should be exposed to it. 
  Naturally the scribes and scholars, who have come from all across Europe to use the library, 
  long to view its hidden treasures. Strange intrigues develop among the monks, and suddenly 
  turn to murder. A gifted young illuminator is killed; the next morning a second monk is found 
  dead, plunged headfirst into a barrel of pigs’ blood. It is William, the Franciscan friar and fol-
  lower of Roger Bacon’s methods, who sets to investigating the murders and web of 
  conspiracies surrounding the monastery. (Also made into a film starring Sean Connery & 
  Christian Slater). 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  THIS LICENSE IS APPROVED FOR GENERAL USE. PERMISSION TO DISTRIBUTE THIS 
  LICENSE IS MADE BY WIZARDS OF THE COAST! 
   
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 
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  tions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 
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  this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distrib-
  ute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 
  10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open 
  Game Content You Distribute. 
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content us-
  ing the name of any Contributor unless you have written permission from the Contributor to 
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  12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this Li-
  cense with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or 
  governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 
  13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if you fail to comply with all terms 
  herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All subli-
  censes shall survive the termination of this License. 
  14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision 
  shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 
  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast Inc; Authors Jonathon 
  Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by Gary E Gygax and Dave 
  Arneson. 
  Legends of Excalibur, Copyright 2003, RPGObjects; Author Charles Rice 
  Medieval Players Manual, Copyright 2004, Green Ronin; Author David Chart 
  Castles & Crusades: Players Handbook, copyright 2004, Troll Lord Games; Authors Davis 
  Chenault & Mac Golden 
  Castles & Crusades: Monster & Treasure free pdf  ‘A guide and rules system for fantasy role 
  playing’ copyright 2004 Troll Lord Games; Authors Christian Harris, Mac Golden, Davis 
  Chenault, Mark Sandy and Todd Gray. 
  Divided by The Sword RPG, Copyright 2005 by Beyond Belief Games; Author Simon Wash-
  bourne 
  Go Fer Yer Gun! RPG, Copyright 2005 by Beyond Belief Games; Author Simon Washbourne 
  The Medieval Mysteries RPG, Copyright 2005 by Beyond Belief Games; Author Simon Wash-
  bourne 
   
  PRODUCT IDENTITY 
  Medieval Mysteries RPG 
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  Look out for these great games from Beyond Belief Games & Cubicle 7: 
   
  WEBSITES 
  CUBICLE 7 ENTERTAINMENT: 
  www.cubicle-7.com/ 
  BEYOND BELIEF GAMES:   
  www.penandpapergames.com/forums/forum.php 
  LORDS OF LEMURIA:  
   
  www.freeyabb.com/d6fantasy/portal.php 
  EVIL DM PRODUCTIONS:  
  http://evildm.blogspot.com/ 
   
   
  BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA (BoL)  
  The sword & sorcery role playing game, with rules that really do reflect 
  the genre. Available in PDF from RPGNow, or in print from it’s publisher 
  Cubicle 7 Entertainment or your local hobby store 
   
   
  SUPERS! COMIC BOOK ROLE PLAYING GAME 
  Fast character generation, simple rules, great fun. This is the heroic su-
  pers game you’ve been waiting for. Available in PDF from RPGNow, or in 
  print from it’s publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment or your local hobby store 
   
  KIDS & CRITTERS OLD SCHOOL RPG TRILOGY 
  Tales from The Wood 
  Lashings of Ginger Beer 
  It’s a Dog’s Life 
   
   
  GO FER YER GUN! 
  Old School role playing in the Wild West 
  From RPGNow in pdf. Or from LULU.COM in print. 
   
   
   
  OTHER BoL PRODUCTS: 
   
  Dogs of W*A*R 
  A real man’s role playing game of modern gung-ho mercenary adventures 
  using the Barbarians of Lemuria rules. Available in PDF from RPGNow or 
  in print from LULU.COM. 
   
  Legends of Steel (BoL Edition) 
  BoL setting book for the world of Erisa, by Evil DM Productions and Be-
  yond Belief Games. Available in print from LULU.COM, in PDF from 
  RPGNow or direct from the Evil DM website. 
   
  Barbarians of The Aftermath 
  BoL setting book for post-apocalyptic role playing, by Jabberwocky Pro-
  ductions. In PDF from RPGNOW or print from Cubicle 7 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Medieval Mysteries (osr)/Medieval Mysteries RPG.pdf