TEXT: Pelgrane Press
  TM
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  PPPPP
  Fantastic Adventure
  in the Far Future
  Magic, monsters,
  and mystery
  based on the Dying Earth
  books by Grand Master
  Nebula-winning author
  Jack Vance
  Play a rogue or magician
  with sharp wits, cunning,
  and occasionally
  flexible morality
  �
  
  2
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  The Dying Earth is the authorized  Pelgrane
  Press  roleplaying game based on the fantasy
  fiction of writer Jack Vance.
  The simplified Dying Earth rules in this
  booklet introduce the game’s basic concepts.
  These quick-start rules let you create characters
  suitable for introductory adventures. Not
  included in these rules are guidelines for creation
  of magical abilities, enchanted items, or high-
  powered characters; details about the Dying
  Earth setting; or advice on game moderating.
  They all appear in the full Dying Earth rulebook.
  Roleplaying Games
  A roleplaying game, or RPG, is a type of social
  game, a form of interactive storytelling.
  In an RPG, one player takes the role of the
  game moderator. If the game were a television
  series, the game moderator would be the
  producer, the director, the head writer, the guest
  stars, the extras, and all the technical staff.
  One to six other players take the roles of the
  series’ principal characters and, in a sense, of the
  show’s additional writers. Each creates a
  character to play in the series.
  In a prolific career spanning six decades, John Holbrook Vance (born San
  Francisco,1916) has won many awards for his science fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels. Jack
  Vance’s first published book, The Dying Earth (1950), takes place in Earth’s unimaginably far
  future, when science has passed away and magic rules the world. He revisited the setting in The
  Eyes of the Overworld (1966), Cugel’s Saga (1983), and Rhialto the Marvellous (1984).
  These stories portray characters ranging from vat-grown beauties to wandering scoundrels
  to vainglorious magicians, who eat, drink, gamble, and cheat their way through what is widely
  presumed to be the final era of history. Above them, the sun has reddened and grown spotty
  with age; all assume that it will soon extinguish itself.
  The cities of the Dying Earth are places of exotic and decadent beauty. Strange foods and
  bizarre clothing are commonplace. The world is littered with forgotten ruins and patrolled by
  dangerous predators. Only the foolhardy or powerful venture far from home. A few omnipotent
  magicians squabble over arcane secrets of magic—which, though wondrous and impressive,
  are mere shadows of the achievement of previous ages.
  The Pelgrane Press Dying Earth roleplaying game, authorized and approved by Vance,
  lets you create your own magical stories with characters of any power level. The simple rules
  system, by noted designer Robin D. Laws (Feng Shui, Hero Wars), stresses creative roleplaying.
  Twin magic systems by John M. Snead (Nephilim) conjure a Vancian atmosphere for beginning
  magicians and master mages alike. All you need to play are the rulebook, a few six-sided dice,
  and lots of imagination.
  Welcome to the Dying Earth!
  Introduction
  About JACK VANCE and The Dying Earth
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  3
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  The game moderator (GM) creates situations
  for the characters to react to. Each player
  decides how his character will respond. The
  interaction of characters played by the game
  moderator and characters controlled by the
  players determines the course of the story—
  thus, every participant contributes to the
  “writing” of each episode.
  Characters are defined in terms of their
  abilities. A Dying Earth character knows how to
  persuade or deceive others, how to fight, and
  perhaps how to cast magical spells.
  In an RPG, abilities have number values.
  When characters come into conflict with one
  another, those who have the higher numbers in
  the pertinent ability tend to have an advantage.
  But higher numbers don’t guarantee automatic
  success; chance and luck, represented by the
  results of random dice rolls, also play an
  important part.
  Entertainment, Not Combat!
  The Dying Earth differs from typical fantasy
  games in that combat skills and bravery are not
  the most important skills a character can possess.
  It is, in fact, far better for a character to be
  manipulative and entertaining, not to mention
  always willing to put his own desires and needs
  before those of his fellows or the common good.
  In these games, we’re not always rooting
  unreservedly for the characters to succeed. They
  are often selfish, greedy, or overconfident.
  Sometimes they thwart or humiliate supporting
  characters even worse than themselves; more
  often they fail, and must flee town ahead of an
  angry mob. What matters is not victory or defeat,
  but how well the story entertains us.
  Unlike other roleplaying games, we do not
  reward your character for succeeding at his
  chosen goals, which may or may not be
  admirable. Instead, we reward you, the player,
  for making the game entertaining, and for
  periodically reminding everyone of the style of
  dialogue to which they should aspire.
  “What great minds lie in the dust,” said Guyal in a low voice.
  “What gorgeous souls have vanished into the buried ages; what
  marvelous creatures are lost past the remotest memory ...
  Nevermore will there be the like; now, in the last fleeting
  moments, humanity festers rich as rotten fruit.”
  — The Dying Earth
  Die: A traditional six-sided die of the
  sort found in board games everywhere.
  Game Statistics: The words and
  numbers on a character sheet. These
  measure your character’s abilities against
  obstacles encountered in an adventure.
  Game Moderator (GM): The person
  who guides the story, a combination of
  narrator and referee.
  Game Moderator Character (GMC): A
  character played by the game moderator.
  Player Character (PC): The characters
  you and other players pretend to be in the
  story.
  Series: An ongoing, connected set of
  Dying Earth adventures. A game series
  resembles a television series, with each game
  session roughly corresponding to an
  episode.
  Taglines: Lines of dialogue players are
  rewarded for delivering during the story. The
  more appropriate and entertaining the line,
  the greater the reward.
  Familiar Terms
  
  4
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Now it’s time to create your Dying Earth
  character. Following the limpidly clear steps in
  this chapter should be a matter of utter
  simplicity. Proceed quickly, so that you may
  complete your character before the sun dies and
  all goes dark.
  Start With a Character Sheet
  A sample character sheet appears on the last
  page of this booklet. You may photocopy it, use
  the more elaborate sheet from the Dying Earth
  rulebook, or download a sheet from
  www.pelgranepress.com. Use this sheet to begin
  creating your character.
  On the sheet from this booklet are columns
  labelled Pool. Here you track various point scores
  that change frequently during each game. If you
  do not wish to have your sheet marred by eraser
  marks, use scrap paper to track your pool
  expenditures.
  Note How Many Creation Points
  You Can Spend
  There are three types of Dying Earth campaign.
  Each, named for a character from Vance’s Dying
  Earth stories, refers to a different level of personal
  power—Dying Earth characters can range in
  power from skillful and well-spoken adventurers
  (the low end) to beings almost godly in their
  accomplishments (the high end).
  These abbreviated rules describe only one
  type, the Cugel-level character. Characters like
  Cugel the Clever, though quite competent by
  ordinary standards, rely primarily on their wits
  and luck to prevail. Events in the game will
  resemble those in the books Eyes of the
  Overworld and Cugel’s Saga.
  A Cugel-level character is built with 60
  creation points. You spend these points on
  various abilities to design the type of character
  you want to play.
  Abilities, explained later, are skills and other
  traits your character possesses that let him
  accomplish tasks. Abilities are quantified as
  numbers, with higher numbers representing
  greater ability. Cugel-level characters have an
  ability cap of 10; this means ability scores higher
  than 10 are very rare. They cost an excessive
  number of creation points to purchase, as we
  explain  below.
  Rating and Pool
  When you buy an ability, mark its name on your
  character sheet (if it does not already appear
  there). In pencil, write the number of points
  you’ve spent in both the Rating and Pool
  columns. The rating changes only infrequently,
  but the pool value fluctuates throughout the
  game.
  Most abilities cost 1 creation point per
  rating point.
  It is possible to buy abilities with ratings
  higher than the ability cap mentioned earlier, but
  it is very expensive. The chart below shows how
  many creation points it costs Cugel-level
  characters to exceed their ability caps. (The full
  Dying Earth rules give the cost for Turjan-level
  and Rhialto-level characters to exceed their caps.)
  Once you buy an ability up to your ability cap,
  you pay the “Additional Cost” amount for each
  additional rating point (cumulative).
  Character Creation
  Character Creation
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  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  tongue-tied when they should be well-spoken
  and flail about incompetently when put in
  dangerous situations. Such characters are swiftly
  eliminated by circumstance. Authors do not tell
  of their exploits and players scarcely register their
  passing.
  For these reasons, we recommend that you
  buy several of these skills to ratings that suggest
  competence at least. The chart on the next page
  indicates the low point beyond which you
  should not go and a recommended value you
  should consider barely adequate for a personage
  of note.
  Example: Cugel-level characters have an
  ability cap of 10. At a cost of 1 creation point for
  each rating point up to 10, it costs you 10 points
  to buy a Persuasion rating of 10. To raise it to 13
  costs you (2 + 4 + 8 =) 14 additional points, as
  shown in the chart, for a cost of 24 points in all.
  Every Character’s Abilities
  Every character in a Dying Earth game has some
  abilities in common. They are Persuade, Rebuff,
  Attack, Defense, Health, and Weapons.
  It is possible to create characters with very low
  scores in these abilities. Such characters are
  I am a man of resource, but not insensate recklessness.
  —  The Eyes of the Overworld
  It is possible to exceed the number of creation points indicated for your series level.
  You may obtain bonus creation points during character creation. Usually you get
  bonuses for leaving choices in the hand of fate, as represented by a die roll. In short, when
  presented with choices to create a more distinctive character, you can either choose the
  options you prefer or let a random die roll decide for you. In the latter case, the game
  rewards you with extra creation points.
  Every time you elect to make a random choice, you get a number of extra creation points
  equal to your bonus. The size of the bonus depends on the series level. Cugel-level
  characters receive bonuses of 6 points at a time—that is, on each occasion you are told
  to take a bonus, it will be 6 points.
  You normally can spend bonus points on anything, not just the ability on which you
  made the random roll. (There are exceptions to this. We will make exceptions known to you
  at unexpected and inconvenient intervals.)
  Example: You are creating a Cugel-level character. One of the first choices you make
  involves what style of persuasion your character will customarily employ (see Persuade,
  next page). You may choose any one of the six available options (Glib, Eloquent, etc.). But
  you instead decide to let fate make the decision for you, rolling a die to determine which of
  the six your character takes. This entitles you to one bonus. Because the bonus size for a
  Cugel-level character is 6 points, this means that, instead of having 60 points with which to
  create your character, you now have 66.
  Bonus Creation Points
  
  6
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Persuade
  The most important ability in a Dying Earth
  series is not the ability to run your foe through
  with a rapier, or dodge his most fearsome
  attacks—though both talents are assuredly
  efficacious in certain unfortunate circumstances.
   Your most important ability allows you to
  hoodwink, inveigle, actuate, cajole, argue, and
  otherwise persuade your interlocutors to do
  what you want. Thus you can convince them that
  you meant no harm breaking into their
  mansions, that you are inexperienced in the
  cardsharp’s art, or that any deflowering of the
  ritual virgins was perfectly understandable, given
  the circumstances.
  When buying your character’s Persuade
  rating, you also determine which style of
  persuasion best suits your character. Read the
  following descriptions. If one style
  piques your interest, choose it and
  mark it in the Style column beside
  Persuade on the character sheet. But if
  you have no preference among them,
  you may roll a die and let it determine
  your choice. If you do this, you receive
  a bonus of 6 creation points.
  1. Glib—You speak so quickly and
  easily that listeners find it hard to penetrate your
  insincerity and deceptiveness.
  2. Eloquent—With high-flown word and lofty
  sentiment, you espouse your views in a manner
  so poetical that listeners cannot help but be
  moved by your entreaties.
  3. Obfuscatory—The style of your speech is
  so opaque, the twists and turns of your
  syntactical structure so labyrinthine, that your
  interlocutors can neither grasp what you are
  saying, nor admit their bafflement, and therefore
  agree thoroughly with whatever it is you just said.
  4. Forthright—You cut to the heart of the
  matter with unwavering directness.
  5. Charming—You evince such blazing
  personal charisma that people can’t help liking
  you, and wishing to please you.
  6. Intimidating—You project an aura of
  menace, either subtle or blatant, that induces
  others to obey your edicts in the hopes of
  evading your surely violent wrath.
  After determining your style, allot
  points to Persuasion.
  Character Creation
  Persuasion, Glib style:“It is
  transparently clear to the most witless
  observer that you are an individual of
  uncommon perspicacity. Hence, to point
  out this seemingly innocuous fishnet’s
  intricate artisanship, its glittering
  filigrees, and its surpassingly fine weave,
  characteristic of powerful enchantment,
  is doubtless supererogatory.”
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  7
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Rebuff
  What persuades the goose may also sway the
  gander. In a Dying Earth game, you, the player,
  may often look on in dismay as you see your
  character talked into something you know will
  lead to dire ruin. His sole defense against the
  enticements, seductions, and swindles of others
  is his ability to rebuff unwanted persuasion
  attempts.
  As before, you may select a style from the list
  below, or gain a 6-point bonus by letting a die do
  it for you.
  1. Obtuse—You don’t always understand
  what others are saying to you. You’ve learned
  that this is not the impediment it might at first
  seem. The people who get hoodwinked are
  always the schemers who let others play on their
  greed. If you don’t understand the complexities
  of a scheme, you can scarcely be swindled by it,
  can you?
  2. Wary—You distrust even your own
  grandmother. And a good thing, too, because she
  was ready to sell you to a pack of erbs in
  exchange for a treasure map.
  3. Penetrating—An innate sense for the
  motivations of others has always protected you
  from those who pretend to argue for your
  interests, but in fact advance merely their own.
  4. Lawyerly—You use your unerring nose for
  mile-wide loopholes to spot the flaws in others’
  proposals.
  5. Contrary—You just don’t like following
  the advice of others. If someone tells you to look
  up, you look down. If everyone else wants to go
  right, you want to go left.
  6. Pure-Hearted—You are so utterly guileless
  that, without even trying to do so, you expose
  the black-hearted villainy of those who hope to
  fool you.
  Attack
  Experienced adventurers of the Dying Earth
  know that violence can lead to a quick and
  painful demise. Weaker opponents may die with
  satisfying alacrity, but one’s assumptions as to
  who is weak and who is strong may not bear out
  in practice. Still, there are times when the only
  solution at hand is a swift sword, and no
  character will want to enter a life of danger
  wholly unschooled in the life-taking arts.
  Every fighter knows a reasonable range of
  techniques, but is distinguished by one particular
  aptitude. You may choose your style of attack, or
  gain a bonus by leaving it up to a die roll.
  1. Strength—Being big and extravagantly
  muscled has never been a drawback when it
  comes to the application of force.
  2. Speed—Attackers who rely on speed hit
  faster than their opponents can react.
  3. Finesse—Training in the most effective
  combat moves makes an attacker not only
  graceful while spilling blood, but allows him to
  anticipate and counter the likely maneuvers of
  his opponent.
  4. Cunning—Knowing that every combat
  situation is unique, a cunning fighter adapts to
  the contingencies of the moment. He may throw
  sand in his foe’s face, jump up on a table to
  secure a height advantage, or seize an object to
  use as an unexpected weapon.
  5. Ferocity—Your heedless energy and
  snarling rage forces even the bravest opponent to
  fight on your terms.
  6. Caution—You hang back, rarely exposing
  yourself to danger, while waiting for your
  opponent to exhaust himself. He then makes a
  fatal mistake, which you, with the speed of a
  striking snake, turn to ruthless advantage.
  “I respond to three questions,” stated the augur. “For twenty terces
  I phrase the answer in clear and actionable language; for ten I use
  the language of cant, which occasionally admits of ambiguity; for
  five, I speak a parable which you must interpret as you will; and
  for one terce, I babble in an unknown tongue.”
  — The Dying Earth
  
  8
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Each attack style automatically makes you
  familiar with two weapons—one melee
  (close combat) weapon and one missile
  (ranged) weapon. You do not have to pay
  points to use these weapons proficiently. When
  you have chosen your attack style, mark the
  weapons related to it on your character sheet on
  the Weapons lines.
  You may choose to be proficient with
  additional armaments, as described below
  under Weapons.
  Defense
  The avoidance of death remains any self-
  respecting combatant’s prime consideration.
  Despite their general versatility, most fighters
  learn to rely on a particular style of defense in
  which they excel. As usual, you can pick your
  style, or get a bonus by rolling randomly.
  1. Dodge—You’re good at ducking blows.
  2. Parry—You deflect incoming blows with
  your weapon, or other available objects.
  3. Sure-Footedness—Swift movement and a
  well-honed sense of balance allows you to take
  blows in a way that diminishes their force.
  4. Intuition—By watching his style and
  following his eyes, you can guess your foe’s next
  move, and avoid it.
  5. Misdirection—You move so much that
  your opponent strikes at you but hits your
  swirling cloak or flapping hat-feather.
  6. Vexation—Your tongue is sharper than
  your enemy’s rapier. With taunts and patter, you
  alternately enrage and demoralize him,
  provoking him so that he makes mistakes.
  Health
  This ability determines the extent of your injuries
  when you do get hit. Health has an ability cap of
  10, like other abilities. You may buy a Health
  rating above 10 by paying additional creation
  points for each rating point, as with other
  abilities.
  Weapons
  Given that the use of force cannot always be
  avoided, a well-chosen weapon in some
  situations becomes your best ally.
  When you determined your character’s attack
  style above, the character automatically gained
  skill with two weapon types. If you want your
  character to be skilled with additional weapons,
  each additional weapon skill costs 2 creation
  points.
  You can use weapons you’re not familiar with,
  but face a disadvantage when fighting an
  opponent familiar with his own weapon.
  Magic
  Magic is one of the most difficult and demanding
  skills known. Consequently, its rules differ from
  those governing mundane activities.
  Magic costs twice as much as any other
  skill, 2 creation points per rating point.
  Buying a magic rating of 7 would cost 14
  creation points.
  A character’s rating in Magic helps determine
  how other magicians look upon him. There are
  three ranks of magician: Dabbler, Magician, and
  Arch-Magician. In the full Dying Earth rules, the
  level of the campaign (Cugel, Turjan, or Rhialto)
  dictates the maximum proficiency a magician
  may attain before the campaign begins. These
  abbreviated rules deal only with Cugel-level
  characters, who may only attain Dabbler rank.
  Dabbler characters may buy a rating from 1 to 7
  in their Magic ability. Note that a Dying Earth
  character is not required to know magic, though
  he will certainly find it useful.
  Character Creation
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  9
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  “What have we here? A person suffering affliction?”
  “Yes; Cugel has committed a series of abominable crimes, of
  which he wishes to purge himself.”
  “A total mis-statement!” cried Cugel. “No proof has been
  adduced, and in any event I was inveigled against my better
  judgment.”
  — Cugel’s Saga
  You may allocate any number of points to any of the abilities listed here. Each has an
  ability cap of 10.
  Appraisal—judging the value of goods
  Athletics—performing physical feats like running, swimming, and climbing
  Concealment—finding ideal hiding places for things small (coins) or large (yourself)
  Craftsmanship—making and repairing useful objects
  Driving—operating vehicles like carts or flying boats
  Engineering—designing large structures and devices
  Etiquette—mastery of social conventions that make others accept you as one of their own
  Gambling—winning at games of chance
  Imposture—posing as someone else
  Living Rough—surviving in the wilderness
  Pedantry—knowing academic facts
  Perception—noticing subtle details
  Physician—patching the sick or injured
  Quick Fingers—picking pockets, palming objects, opening locked doors
  Riding—make a riding beast follow your commands
  Scuttlebutt—an acquaintance with the business of local personages
  Seamanship—working aboard ship
  Seduction—winning the sexual favors of desirable individuals
  Stealth—moving without being noticed
  Stewardship—managing business enterprises and/or households
  Tracking—following a trail left by man or beast
  Wherewithal—maintaining determination in the face of pain or supernatural terror
  You may choose to acquire none of these abilities, but a character with a broad range of
  these skills is useful—or at least has the means to convince others that he is useful—in more
  various circumstances.
  Choose abilities you feel best fit your conception of your character, spend creation points
  for appropriate ratings, and write abilities and ratings in the blanks on your character sheet.
  Individual Abilities
  
  10
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  When creating a magic-wielding character,
  you also choose the character’s magical style. As
  always, you can pick your style, or get a 6-point
  bonus by rolling randomly.
  1. Studious—You see magic as a vast
  academic project. You study ancient tomes,
  grimoires, and biographies of long-dead
  magicians to learn all about the magical arts
  2. Insightful—The world is so much more
  than non-magicians will ever know. There are
  numerous demonic dimensions, a multitude of
  subtle magical planes, and a vast array of worlds
  and strange creatures. Amid this splendor, you
  seek order, reason, and pattern. Not content with
  dusty tomes, you use magic to uncover the true
  nature of reality and to make new contributions
  to magic. In these late and decadent days there
  are very few others like you.
  3. Forceful—Magic is the art of bending the
  world to your will. You dominate various magical
  entities with your spells.
  4. Daring—Magic should be flashy and
  impressive, as should you. To you, magic is a
  great game. Through its study you can do
  anything and break all the normal rules. Above
  all, magic is fun.
  5. Devious—Magic lets you hoodwink reality.
  You can fool people, beasts, and even gravity. You
  might use magic to help with mundane thefts,
  con-jobs, and similar escapades.
  6. Curious—The world is a vast lock and
  magic is the key. You are always looking to cast
  an untried spell, test a newly enchanted item, or
  visit some new dimension. You can’t resist a
  secret, and magic holds the greatest secrets of all.
  In addition to spending creation points on
  magic ability, a Dabbler who wishes to know
  spells when play begins must pay creation points
  for them. It costs 2 creation points for each
  spell known when your character enters
  play, and you may buy a number of spells no
  greater than the character’s Magic rating. With a
  Magic rating of 5, for instance, you could buy as
  few as zero spells or as many as five. See Magic,
  page 22.
  Character Creation
  Far outside Azenomei,
  Arbenahim the Thoughtful
  approaches an abandoned manse
  reputed to hold a copy of the
  Spell of Forlorn Encystment.
  Certain portents have convinced
  Arbenahim that the manse now
  harbors an infestation of lesser
  dementals from the demon-world
  La-Er—minor madlings listed as
  122-16 Red in Thrump’s
  Almanac. Such footling obstacles
  cannot stop an earnest student!
  
  11
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Possessions
  Where wealth is concerned, Cugel-level
  characters are buffeted on the winds of
  indifferent fate. They often stumble across caches
  of great wealth, but invariably find that the
  treasure slips through their fingers even more
  easily than it was acquired. Being captured and
  stripped of all fripperies and valuables is a matter
  of sad routine for them.
  To counter this general trend, their players
  may choose particular possessions in which to
  invest points. If put in a situation where they’re
  likely to lose their chosen possessions, they may
  roll dice to hold onto them. Although they may
  be briefly separated from these possessions,
  they’ll get a reasonable chance to recover them
  after overcoming their enemies of the moment.
  You begin the game with as many possessions
  as you spend points on, and no more. Each
  possession costs 1 point, unless the GM
  decrees otherwise. We generously assign you
  two free creation points that you may spend
  on items of clothing, as involuntary serial nudity
  can become frustrating.
  You do not begin the game with any cash
  worth speaking of. In fact, all Cugel-level
  characters begin their first adventure soon after
  having been robbed by bandits or otherwise
  separated from any possessions they didn’t pay
  points for. No matter what their previous
  accomplishments, they are now vagabonds who
  will need to scrounge for their next meals,
  perhaps by seeking gainful employment. Your
  GM may call upon you to explain how you
  managed to keep the possessions listed on your
  character sheet from the attentions of your
  robbers. (He helps with the explanation if you
  have trouble; this is not an excuse to take them
  away from you, too.)
  Here are some possessions worth investing
  in; it is typically unnecessary to invest points in
  all of them.
  · A weapon, such as a rapier, axe, dagger, or
  club.
  · Good boots
  · Warm cloak
  · A fashionable hat
  · Clothing indicating a person of station
  · A length of rope
  · A sack in which to carry other possessions
  · A bedroll
  · A tent
  · A reference text, such as a treatise on edible
  plants of the wilderness, or a field guide to
  wild creatures
  Cugel-level characters may not begin the game
  with the following:
  · pack beasts or riding animals
  · a cart, boat, or other conveyance
  · any items, such as jewels or antiquities, which
  might easily be sold for significant amounts
  of money
  · any enchanted items, except those permitted
  by the GM
  You can’t guarantee yourself a supply of food
  or drink by paying creation points. Drinks, meals,
  and accommodations must be paid for as you
  go, which will require money. Hence the above
  reference to gainful employment.
  Can You Resist Temptation?
  The typical inhabitant of the Dying Earth speaks
  and behaves differently from characters from
  other fantasy series or the people you know in
  real life. He is arrogant, greedy, indolent, and
  rakish. He loves fine food to excess and can’t
  resist the urge to correct others on fine points of
  obscure fact. Your character differs from the
  A big-bellied old man with gray wattles sidled a few steps forward. He
  spoke in a wheedling nasal voice: “Must your disgust be so blatant?
  True: we are anthropophages. True: we put strangers to succulent use. Is
  this truly good cause for hostility? The world is as it is, and each of us
  must hope in some fashion to be of service to his fellows, even if only
  in the form of a soup.”
  — Rhialto the Marvellous
  
  12
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  norm only if you spend creation points on
  Resistance ratings allowing him to disregard
  these universal temptations. Each of the six
  major temptations requires its own rating.
  The descriptions below tell you what you are
  like if you do not have a Resistance rating. The
  greater your rating, the less you resemble the
  description.
  1. Resist Arrogance—When you fail to
  resist arrogance, you hanker after perquisites
  and privileges. If installed in a position of
  authority, you immediately seek to abuse it. If
  given a low station, you complain and cavil until
  you gain promotion. You may take foolish risks
  to prove your worth to others, or because you
  over-esteem your own abilities. Affronts to your
  dignity arouse vindictive instincts which may
  cause you to seek immoderate vengeance against
  their authors.
  2. Resist Avarice—When you fail to resist,
  you covet wealth and the social status that goes
  with it. Gems, gold, fine fabrics, rare spices,
  exquisite furniture, awe-inspiring antiquities—
  you love them all with equal fervor.
  3. Resist Indolence—Once firmly ensconced
  on your posterior you must resist Indolence, or
  find it difficult to dislodge yourself. Hard work is
  anathema to you, and no amount of ingenuity is
  wasted if it saves you from the indignity of labor.
  4. Resist Gourmandism—When you fail to
  resist this temptation, fine food and intoxicating
  beverages subject you to a siren’s call. If you find
  an amphora of moldering liquor in a ancient
  ruin, you will do your best to immediately drain
  it. Drunkenness does not inspire you to curtail
  your consumption, but to accelerate it. When
  presented with delightful viands, you change
  your priorities so as to allow you to devour as
  much as your gullet will accommodate. When
  presented with inadequate drink or ill-tasting
  food, you can’t resist the urge to proclaim its
  inferiority to servers and cooks, no matter how
  tightly they may clench their meat cleavers.
  Neither can you resist opportunities to expound
  on your connoisseurship whenever the subject
  arises in conversation.
  5. Resist Pettifoggery—When resistance
  fails, there is no quibble so small as to not be
  worth uttering. If educated, you are an
  incorrigible pedant. If rustic, you are a nitpicker
  nonpareil. Nothing pleases you more than to
  prove your mastery of an obscure fact, or to
  skewer an interlocutor by pointing out some
  meaningless flaw in his statement. When framing
  agreements, you do so in a lawyerly manner,
  adding as much gratuitous complexity as you can
  muster.
  6. Resist Rakishness—When you fail to
  withstand rakishness, you can no more resist an
  alluring member of the desired sex than you can
  suspend your breathing. The slightest possibility
  of a romantic conquest inspires you to alter
  whatever other plans might have preceded it.
  You must devote points to each separate
  temptation in order to resist its lure when it
  rears its head in the course of an adventure. You
  may allocate any number of points to any
  number of temptations.
  You may randomly roll a single
  temptation to which you are completely
  immune. You need never roll to resist it. This
  costs you nothing. (Mark this on your character
  sheet by placing an omega symbol after the name
  of the resistance, like so: Resist Pettifoggery  Ω.)
  Or you may spend half a bonus to gain this total
  immunity to a Resistance of your choice. You are
  not obligated to do either of these things.
  If you choose not to invest in any Resistances
  whatsoever, you gain a bonus to spend on any
  other step.
  Characters with ratings of more than 15 in any
  ability always have a Resist Arrogance rating of 0.
  If you randomly roll Resist Arrogance as your
  resistance, ignore the result and reroll until you
  get something else instead.
  Name, Personality, and
  Appearance
  The choices you’ve made so far add up to create
  a quick portrait of your character, which you’ll
  develop during play. In particular, the various
  styles of you’ve chosen or rolled for Persuade,
  Character Creation
  
  13
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Rebuff, Attack, Defense, and Rebuff tell you about
  your character’s personality. Don’t worry about
  developing a long, complicated past history for
  him or her. It’s good to start simply, especially on
  the Dying Earth, where most characters share
  very similar speech patterns and motivations.
  If you haven’t already done so, create a
  suitably exotic-sounding, perhaps subtly
  humorous, name for your character. Sample
  names of characters from the books include:
  Khandive, Turjan, Iucounu, Mazirian, Mune,
  Etarr, T’Sais, Elai, Soldinck, Lankwiler, Ildefonse,
  and Rogol Domendonfors. If you give your
  character a mundane or anachronistic name, like
  Nigel or Sue, your GM should allow you to
  proceed through the entire creation process,
  only to have your character horribly slain in the
  opening scene of the first adventure. Do not say
  we failed to warn you.
  We recommend, but do not insist, that you
  describe your character’s physical appearance in
  a few sentences. Indicate prominent facial
  features, color and cut of hair, and build.
  Describe details of his costume: fabric, cut, and
  accessories. Hats are always important.
  Now, Demonstrate Personal
  Industry or Sloth!
  Having created your character, you may either
  give in to your own indolence or continue
  reading this booklet until you have a more
  complete grasp of the Dying Earth rules. If you
  do the latter, you will have some advantages over
  your colleagues who do not; when faced with
  situations requiring that someone have a
  knowledge of the workings of the rules, they will
  be forced to rely upon the goodwill and honesty
  of the game moderator, and you will not.
  We are a highly civilized people, with customs
  bequeathed to us by the past. Since the past was more
  glorious than the present, what presumption we would
  show by questioning these laws!
  — The Dying Earth
  Ratings vs. Pool
  You recall that you assigned a number to each of
  your abilities. That number is called the ability
  rating. It is more or less permanent. (Chapter 8
  of the Dying Earth rulebook tells how to increase
  ability ratings. See page 31 for a short version.)
  The same number also constitutes the ability
  pool your character has available. An ability pool
  is different from creation points. You can spend
  points from your ability pool to accomplish
  things and, after a while, they come back.
  Creation points don’t.
  Thus, if you originally put 8 creation points
  into your character’s Persuade ability, he has a
  Persuade ability rating of 8 and also has a
  Persuade ability pool of 8. (Note the separate
  columns for Rating and Pool on your character
  sheet.)
  Ability pools work like a currency you can
  spend. When you have points in your pool, you
  can reroll dice results you don’t like, or
  automatically defeat vastly inferior opponents.
  However, when you empty a pool for one of
  your abilities, your chances of success decline
  sharply.
  You won’t use the term “ability pool” often;
  instead, you refer to them by specific type: “Attack
  pool,” “Persuasion pool,” and so on.
  How to Play
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  14
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Boons and Levies
  Sometimes you increase an ability pool in the
  course of play. To do this is to get a boon.
  Sometimes your pool decreases during play.
  To suffer this is to incur a levy. Levies are usually
  applied when you spend from a pool to reroll a
  die, as explained below.
  Pools don’t go negative; they can only be
  reduced to zero.
  Unfortunately, you don’t get to choose when
  you receive a boon. The game moderator will let
  you know whenever you receive a boon or are
  afflicted with a levy.
  Refreshing
  When your pools have dwindled through
  expenditure or levies, you can gradually regain
  them. For our purposes, all abilities that involve
  knowledge or learning refresh after two hours of
  rest; those involving social interaction or the
  casting of cantraps, after four; and those
  involving strenuous physical exertion or
  spellcasting, after eight. Abilities refresh
  simultaneously; after two hours’ rest, for
  instance, all of a character’s knowledge-type
  abilities refresh. If a character has earned a boon
  and his current pool exceeds his ability rating, his
  boon will be lost after the ability refreshes.
  How to Play
  The overarching rule of efficacious blandishment is the most
  important rule in the game.
  It states that if you wish your character to do something that is not within the
  letter of the game’s other rules, you may do so, provided you can convince the
  GM that your desired course of action falls within the spirit of the story. Thus
  the only true circumscriptions on your actions are your persuasiveness and
  your GM’s gullibility.
  For example, your character, Sajonar the Sonorous, has discovered (to his horror) that he
  has been maneuvered into a high-stakes card game. The small fortune in his belt pouch
  actually belongs to another—an archmagician who is sure to be infuriated by its absence. And,
  worst of all, Sajonar does not possess the Gambling ability, though all other players at the table
  before him surely do. What will you do?
  Scanning Sajonar’s character sheet, you are reminded that he possesses the Pedantry ability.
  You tell the GM, “I wish to use Pedantry rather than Gambling in this instance.”
  “I must surely disallow this,” the GM says. “Pedantry is no substitute for knowledge of the
  rules, the ability to discern when another is bluffing, mental retention of the cards that have
  been played so far in the current game, calculation of mathematical odds, knowledge of which
  establishments offer free drinks to the gamblers...”
  “Of course,” you say. “But those skills pertain to winning games of chance and skill. My aim
  is not to win. My aim is to provide excruciating commentary on the events at hand, leeching
  from every man and woman present any enjoyment of the competition or one another’s
  company, until they feel compelled to expel me from the game.”
  “Ah,” the GM says. “Very well, then. Proceed with your pedantry. But you do realize that you
  will lose each hand until you manage to persuade them to eject you.”
  Important: The overarching rule of efficacious blandishment does not invite you to argue
  about every non-advantageous situation presented by the GM. If your argument does not
  entertain the GM and all others gathered, the GM may cut it short and return to the action.
  The Overarching Rule of Efficacious Blandishment
  
  15
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Chapter 4 of the Dying Earth rulebook
  contains more elaborate and interesting
  guidelines for refreshing each individual skill; a
  GM with those rules may wish to use them
  instead, and will inform you of the actions your
  character needs to undertake to refresh his skill.
  Resolving Actions
  When you want your character to do
  something, tell your GM which ability you
  intend to use. Then, when invited by the GM
  to do so, roll a die.
  If you roll 4 or more, the character
  succeeds. If not, he fails.
  Sometimes, the degree to which the character
  succeeds or fails makes a difference.
  Die Results
  The six possible results are as follows:
  Dismal Failure means you not only failed,
  but bumbled horribly. You got the worst possible
  result and may suffer especially unpleasant
  consequences for failing. You suffer an automatic
  levy of 2 against the ability you were using.
  Further, it costs 3 from your pool to reroll a
  Dismal Failure, not 1. (If you face further levies
  on each roll, you must pay those, too.)
  By electing not to nullify your own Dismal
  Failure during a contest, you are withdrawing
  from it, allowing your opponent to win.
  Quotidian Failure yields no unexpected
  results. You suffer no special embarrassment.
  The consequences of failure are neither
  increased nor decreased.
  Exasperating Failure means that you almost
  succeeded, falling just short of your prize. You
  may find the consequences of your failure are
  somewhat less onerous than you’d otherwise
  expect.
  Hair’s-Breadth Success means that you won
  out by the skin of your teeth. You narrowly
  averted disaster, but may suffer some minor
  annoyance to mar your sense of victory. Still, a
  narrow win is a win nonetheless.
  Prosaic Success means that you got what
  you wanted, no more and no less.
  Illustrious Success is as good as it gets. You
  not only succeed, but do so in a devastatingly
  impressive manner. You may gain even more
  from your attempt than you’d hoped. Apply a
  boon of 2 to the ability pool you used.
  If you are in a contest (explained below), your
  opponent may pay 3 from his pool to nullify
  your Illustrious Success, forcing you to roll again.
  You do not pay for a reroll forced on you in this
  — The Eyes of the Overworld
  I will gladly perform a more comprehensive divination [...] First you are
  swathed head to foot in the intestines of fresh-killed owls, then immersed
  in a warm bath containing a number of secret organic substances. I must,
  of course, char the small toe of your left foot, and dilate your nose
  sufficiently to admit an explorer beetle, that he may study the conduits
  leading to and from your sensorium.
  If you don’t like your die result, you can
  reroll—but it costs you. In fact, it costs you 1
  from your pool in the pertinent ability. If the
  ability’s pool is empty, you cannot reroll.
  You can keep spending points and rerolling
  until….
  · You get the result you want
  · You give up
  · Your pool is empty
  Your first roll is usually free, allowing you to
  try almost anything once, even if you’ve run out
  of points—but see Penalties below.
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  16
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  manner. However, if your Illustrious Success is
  nullified, you don’t get the boon of 2.
  By choosing not to nullify your Illustrious
  Success, your opponent in a contest is
  withdrawing, ceding victory to you.
  Ensuring Skills Are Appropriate
  When you try to do something, you must use an
  ability appropriate to the task. In many cases,
  your actions will perfectly fit the definitions of an
  ability. Sometimes, though, you’ll want to do
  something without a clear governing ability. You
  must convince the GM that one of your abilities
  should allow you to at least make the attempt. If
  convinced, she’ll allow you to proceed. If not,
  you have no chance of success. However, if she
  decides that the ability you propose is only
  partially relevant to the task, she’ll allow the
  attempt, but with a levy reflecting the degree of
  variance between the ability’s definition and the
  action to which you’re trying to apply it.
  This levy, which is 1 in most circumstances, 2
  or more when the ability truly has only a remote
  connection to the task at hand, is applied
  whenever the character tries to roll his ability—
  on his initial attempt and on all reroll attempts.
  Penalties
  A penalty is a subtraction you make to the result
  of a die roll. For instance, if you have a penalty of
  1 and you roll a 4 on the die, the penalty changes
  the 4 to a 3—changing Hair’s-Breadth Success to
  Exasperating Failure.
  Penalties apply when:
  · You have an empty ability pool and attempt a
  new task with that ability
  · You have no ability relevant to the task at
  hand, yet you nonetheless still attempt it
  Under most circumstances, the GM will apply
  a penalty of 1. If the GM deems the required
  ability to be esoteric or utterly beyond your
  experience, the penalty might be as high as 2.
  Note that a penalty of 2 makes success
  improbable—it leaves the character with a 1 in 6
  chance of only Hair’s-Breadth success.
  If you can convince the GM that one of your
  abilities is at least tangentially related to the task
  and she finds merit in what you say, she might
  allow you to use that ability with a levy of 1 or 2
  rather than a penalty.
  Contests
  Many times your character’s actions will be
  countered by those of another. Just as often,
  you’ll try to counter the efforts of other
  characters to accomplish things you’d sooner see
  left undone. Each of these situations is a contest.
  Contests pit the abilities to be used in opposition
  to one another.
  The countering character waits until the acting
  character succeeds at the task. Then he rolls,
  using an ability appropriate to the task of
  thwarting that action.
  If he succeeds, the acting character fails.
  But it’s not as simple as that, because the
  acting character may choose to spend from his
  pool to reroll. If he scores another success, the
  countering character may then spend from his
  own pool to reroll his countering ability.
  This continues until:
  · One character scores an Illustrious Success,
  and his opponent can’t or won’t pay the
  special levy of 3 to force a reroll.
  · One contestant suffers a Dismal Failure and
  can’t or won’t pay the special levy of 3 to
  allow himself a reroll. (He must pay his usual
  levy of 2 for having suffered the Dismal
  Failure before the reroll levy.)
  · One of the characters’ pools is emptied, in
  which case the other wins.
  · One of the characters withdraws, ceding
  victory to the other.
  Naturally, your character can also act to
  counter another’s actions.
  How to Play
  
  17
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Trumping
  Sometimes your ability will trump
  another. Each style of the persuasion
  ability, for example, trumps one of the
  rebuff styles, but is itself trumped by
  another type of rebuff. The same holds
  for the styles of attack and defense.
  A character trying to use an ability
  against its trump suffers a levy of 1.
  The magician Nahourezzin
  (right), travelling the
  chronoplex to Old Romarth
  of the 19th Aeon on a
  research sojourn, has taken
  the guise of a Transpontine
  Redoubtable. Here he
  debates with his unruly
  sandestin Ourchas over
  excessively legalistic
  interpretations of his orders.
  Ourchas, on a whim,
  appears as a high-status
  Kalsh ambassador from the
  distant world Kaleshe.
  Persuade & Rebuff Styles
  Combat Styles
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  18
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Wallops
  Sometimes you may contest against a character
  whose relevant ability rating is much worse than
  your own. If your rating (not current ability
  pool!) exceeds his by 5 or more, you may spend
  5 from your pool to immediately and
  devastatingly achieve whatever result you desire.
  This is called a Wallop. You needn’t roll.
  Your opponent can prevent the Wallop only
  with an Illustrious Success on his first roll to
  counter you—other results do nothing and the
  roll can never be rerolled or nullified.
  You pay the cost from your pool even if he
  does get that Illustrious Success.
  If you can observe your target for a few
  minutes as he uses the ability you wish to
  counter, a successful roll of your Perception
  ability tells you whether he’s sufficiently
  impuissant to suffer a Wallop.
  Emptying a Pool
  When your pool becomes empty in any given
  ability, you can no longer call for rerolls. Worse,
  you suffer a penalty of 1 on any attempts to use
  it. If you are trying to use it in a situation that
  would normally require a levy, the penalty is 2.
  This leaves you very little chance to succeed.
  Initiative
  Sometimes a number of characters all want to
  act at once, seizing the initiative. Characters act
  in the order of their point totals in the abilities
  they intend to use, from highest to lowest. When
  competing characters have equivalent point
  totals, they roll dice. The best success wins; reroll
  ties. A player may pay points in the ability he
  plans to use in exchange for a reroll of this tie-
  breaker die.
  Holding Off
  When it is your turn to act you may choose to
  hold off. Instead of acting, you wait. When any
  other character is set to act, you may interrupt
  him and act first. If you wait until everyone else
  has acted, you may then act, or pass on the
  opportunity to act altogether.
  Rounds
  The period of time it takes for all characters
  who wish to act to do so is called a round. A
  round is a rules abstraction which does not
  correspond to any fixed duration. A round of
  combat may take a few seconds. A round of
  negotiation could take several minutes. If it
  matters, your GM decides how long it takes to
  resolve the contest at hand, using common
  sense.
  Moves
  Each time your character tries to do
  something in the course of a round, he is said to
  be making a move. An active move is one in
  which you are trying to do something. The two
  most common active moves are persuasion and
  attack. When your initiative comes up, you may
  make one active move. You are never obligated
  to actively move. If you have no plan to take an
  active move during a round, you don’t bother
  rolling for initiative.
  You may at any time be called upon to defend
  yourself from someone else’s active move. When
  you do so, you’re making a reactive move. You
  may undertake any number of reactive moves in
  a round, without paying a levy or facing a
  penalty. You are never obligated to react, but may
  face unpleasant consequences if you don’t.
  Exchanges
  Together, an active move (including all of its
  rerolls) and a reactive move (including all of its
  rerolls) is referred to as an exchange.
  How to Play
  
  19
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Sajonar the Sonorous and his rival, Elditheldel, Majordomo of Goolagath the Ritually
  Unclean, find themselves at the same ball, both maneuvering to fall under the eye of their
  host, who is known for granting lavish gifts upon those who please him. Lacking most abilities
  that are known to create delight in their host, Sajonar decides to rely upon his Etiquette ability;
  his hope is to behave in such a well-bred and proper manner that he will set the mark for all of
  his host’s parties yet to come. He has an Etiquette rating and current pool of 10.
  “In clear view of our host, but taking no apparent notice of him,” Sajonar’s player informs
  the GM, “I will withdraw my kerchief and flutter it, saying, in the Language of Kerchief
  Manipulation, ‘What fine fate has brought about this event, so perfect in every measurable
  way?’” He rolls his die and comes up with a 5, a Prosaic Success, and he beams in the self-
  satisfied way for which he is known.
  But Elditheldel’s player chooses to counter his action with his own Etiquette, which,
  Elditheldel being somewhat more experienced, has a rating of 11; he, too, has a full pool of 11..
  He says, “I will draw out and open my lesser fan and twirl it with my customary aplomb in the
  pattern that states, ‘How sad that barbarians have invaded and failed to discern that kerchiefs
  are out of fashion.’” He, too, rolls his die. He gets a 4, a Hair’s-Breadth Success, which barely
  convinces the onlooking host that, indeed, kerchiefs are out of style.
  Sajonar feels the early chill of panic grip him, but chooses not to yield the field. He crosses to
  stand before Elditheldel and performs his most graceful bow, then announces for all to hear,
  “How delightful to see you again, and may I present you with this frippery, which escaped your
  sleeve as you flirted before the lady of the house.” He spends a point to permit him the reroll,
  reducing his Etiquette pool to 9, and rolls his die. To his great glee, he rolls a 6, an Illustrious
  Success. This gives him a boon of 2 points, increasing his Etiquette pool to 11, and convinces
  everyone within sight that Elditheldel has, in fact, brought a kerchief when they were out of
  fashion, flirted with the host’s wife, and clumsily dropped his kerchief on this most elegant of
  nights.
  Elditheldel gulps and stands his ground. “I fear you confuse my actions with those of some
  baboon you have witnessed in a mirror,” he says. Instead of rerolling, his tactic is to nullify the
  Illustrious Success by spending 3 from his pool. He does. Sajonar loses that 2-point boon he
  received and must reroll. He does so, but achieves a 4, Hair’s-Breadth Success. This is less
  than his success of a moment before, but the onlookers still see him in a position superior to
  Elditheldel’s.
  Elditheldel’s pool is down to 8, and success is still with Sajonar. But Sajonar rolled last, so
  Elditheldel will spend another 1, reducing his pool to 7, and roll again on the strength of his
  last statement. He rolls... and comes up with a 1. Dismal Failure.
  He can reroll again, but because this was a Dismal Failure, he would spend 3 to do so (1 for
  the reroll, plus 2 as the special levy for rerolling a Dismal Failure). This would leave him with
  just 4, and he has other things he must accomplish tonight with his Etiquette ability.
  So he chooses not to reroll, and yields the field. Elditheldel turns the color of failure as the
  audience bursts into laughter around him, and his host resolves to investigate the matter of
  Elditheldel flirting with his lady.
  A Sample Contest
  
  20
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Fighting
  Combat—any attempt by one character to
  physically harm another—is a contest like any
  other. Characters act in the order of their
  initiative. Attack is an active move; defense is
  reactive.
  Attacks
  When you win an Attack exchange, you have
  scored a hit. You needn’t worry about calculating
  damage or assessing the effects of your blow; you
  can sit back, smiling and nodding, as your victim
  does all the calculation.
  This means, of course, that if you are hit, you
  have to figure out what happened to you.
  When you are hit in combat, your GM will ask
  you to make a Health roll. Health represents your
  ability to resist physical harm. Health rolls can’t
  be countered. If you dislike the result of a Health
  roll, you can reroll as usual, so long as your
  Health pool is not empty.
  Each time you fail a Health roll, you suffer an
  injury.
  A single injury means that you are hurt. You
  can act normally, but suffer a levy of 2 when
  attempting any action.
  If you suffer from two injuries, you are down.
  All you can do is lie prone, or perhaps writhe in
  pain. If you have no one else to defend you, you
  are at your enemy’s mercy. It is a trivial matter for
  him to dispatch you. In rules terms, he gets an
  automatic success on his Attack.
  If you suffer from three injuries, you are either
  dead (if you have no Health pool left) or dying.
  If you’re dying, you have 15 minutes to live per
  remaining Health in your pool.
  Though the subject of what happens when
  you’re dying may be of vital interest to you, we
  will not return to it for a short time. If this matter
  has you on the edge of your seat, skip down to
  “Recovery and Refreshing.”
  Unconsciousness
  In some circumstances, the worst consequence
  you risk from a failed Health roll is
  unconsciousness. For example, in combat, an
  attacker can always opt to knock the victim out
  rather than risk dealing permanent harm.
  In such situations, one injury has the effect
  described above, while two injuries mean that
  you’re knocked out, not down.
  Every half hour of game time, you may make a
  Health roll to see if your character wakes up.
  After half an hour, others may wake the character
  by shaking him, dousing him with cold water, or
  otherwise jolting him.
  Missile Combat
  Any character with the Attack skill can fire
  missiles at a target. If the target has a defense
  ability, he may use it to counter the missile attack
  in the usual fashion.
  If the attacker is firing at an object the size of a
  breadbox or smaller (the GM decides the target’s
  volume relative to that of a breadbox), the
  attacker suffers a penalty of 1 to the die roll. If a
  target is behind cover to the extent that the
  portions of his body an attacker can see are of
  breadbox proportions or smaller, the attacker
  suffers the same penalty of 1.
  The full Dying Earth rules offer more
  elaborate guidelines for missile combat. Still, in
  those rules and in these, note that missile combat
  is undramatic. Sensible GMs arrange adventures
  so as to avoid missile combat whenever possible.
  Missile weapon ranges are as follows:
  How to Play
  Special Rules
  Unarmed combat: An armed character gets a
  boon of 2 per exchange when attacking or
  defending against an unarmed opponent. If both
  combatants are unarmed, no boons or levies
  apply. This boon does not apply to missile attacks
  against an unarmed target.
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  21
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Weapons: You gain a boon of 1 if you are
  familiar with the weapon you wield, and your
  opponent is not. This applies only to melee
  weapons, not to missile weapons.
  Wallops (Attack abilities): If you successfully
  wallop an opponent with your attack ability, you
  may choose the condition he ends up in: hurt,
  downed, unconscious, or dead. By spending an
  additional 3 from your pool, you can kill him in
  spectacularly visceral fashion. You can wait to see
  if he managed to avoid your wallop before
  spending the extra 3.
  Wallops (Defense abilities): If you wallop an
  opponent with your defense ability, he
  immediately disengages from the fight, certain
  that his attack is doomed to fail. A GM character
  won’t return to fight again unless subjected to
  powerful exhortation of some kind. If the
  character does rally and attack again, he suffers a
  levy of 2 on all attack attempts against you.
  Recovery and Refreshing
  If dying, you can improve your condition to
  Down by getting a Health boon of 1 or more—
  usually through the ministrations of a character
  with Physician skill.
  If down, you can improve your condition to
  Hurt by refreshing your Health pool, or gaining a
  Health boon of 6 or more. A downed character
  refreshes after a number of weeks of bed rest
  equal to the difference between his Health pool
  and Health rating.
  If hurt, you can fully recover by refreshing
  your Health pool, or gaining a Health boon of 3
  or more. A Hurt character refreshes after a
  number of days of peaceful inactivity equal to the
  difference between his Health pool and Health
  rating.
  Uninjured characters refresh their Health
  pools by getting a good night’s rest, spending a
  relaxing day of physical inactivity, and eating well.
  Running Away
  To run away from a fight in which you are
  currently participating, you must first break away
  from the battle. You do this in lieu of an attack.
  Instead, you roll your Defense, which your
  opponent may counter with his Attack. (For a
  round in which you intend to break away, your
  initiative is determined using your Defense
  instead of your attack.) If you win the exchange,
  you’ve shoved him out of the way, ducked past
  him, or otherwise gotten out of his clutches. If
  you fail, he hits you as you break away. If you
  Dismally Fail, he hits you, and you are still locked
  in combat.
  Once you’ve broken away from him, you can
  run away. If he chases you, a new contest, pitting
  your Athletics against his, begins. If you win, you
  manage to elude him. If he wins, he catches up
  to you and the fight continues. Ignore normal
  initiative rolls for a chase; the pursued character
  goes first in each exchange. Additional actions
  are not possible during a chase.
  Chases need not follow an attempt to break
  away from combat. They might precede a
  combat, or not relate to a fight at all.
  
  22
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  The Dabbler
  As mentioned earlier, characters in Cugel-level
  campaigns, if they choose to learn magic, may
  start only at the level of Dabbler. Dabblers have
  learned only the bare rudiments of magic and are
  occasionally foolish enough to attempt a difficult
  spell.
  A Dabbler can do the following things:
  · Read the languages of the most common
  magical texts
  · Know the name and approximate capabilities
  of every common Straightforward spell (the
  difference between Straightforward and
  Complex spells is explained later) and all
  relatively common enchanted items
  · Memorize spells to be cast later
  · Cast cantraps (minor, versatile magical
  effects)
  · Cast spells from a grimoire or memorized
  spells with a reasonable chance of success
  · Know the names of the most famous
  magicians
  It is assumed that a Dabbler has had initial
  training in magic from another Dabbler or
  magician who owed him a favor or through the
  acquisition of—and subsequent survival of
  untrained experimentation with—one or more
  elementary grimoires.
  Types of Magic
  Almost all magic consists of manipulation and
  control of a magical entity. Such entities range in
  power from minor elementals barely able to
  ignite a candle, to lesser semi-sapient beings such
  as madlings, to the sapient, powerful, and
  generally querulous creatures called sandestins.
  When the magic is performed correctly, the
  magician commands the entity to perform some
  action, and the entity does so to the best of its
  ability. Almost every magical action is
  accomplished by these unseen entities. On
  occasion, entity-like abilities are instead bound
  into a physical object.
  Magic uses one of four methods:
  · Cantraps
  · Spellcasting
  · Enchanted items
  · Sandestins
  These quick-start rules cover only cantraps
  and the simpler spells. For rules about complex
  spells, enchanted items, and sandestins, consult
  the full Dying Earth rules.
  Cantraps
  Cantraps are the least effective but by far the
  most widespread magic. Cantraps are
  emotionally charged blessings or curses backed
  by a few mystic gestures or short phrases. If an
  entity answers the call, the target incurs some
  minor, specific blessing or curse. Deceptions are
  revealed more readily or work more effectively;
  gambling winnings or losses are somewhat more
  extensive; journeys may be more or less fraught
  with danger.
  A successful curse inflicts a levy of 1 on any
  rolls within the scope of the curse. Similarly, a
  successful blessing grants a boon of 2 to the first
  activity directly within the blessing’s scope.
  The good or ill luck normally lasts one hour.
  When the caster scores an Illustrious Success, the
  effects may last up to a full day.
  A cantrap cannot affect events that have
  already occurred. One cannot, for instance, cast a
  cantrap to nullify all the cantraps a rival has cast
  in the last hour.
  Magic
  Magic
  �
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  23
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Rules For Cantraps
  Anyone can cast cantraps: A character need
  not have the Magic ability to cast a cantrap. A
  caster without Magic spends nothing. Only one
  roll is allowed. An Illustrious success means that
  the cantrap succeeds. A Dismal Failure generally
  means that a curse affects the caster instead, and
  that a blessing is reversed in intent, becoming a
  curse. On any other result, nothing happens.
  A Dabbler who performs a cantrap spends 1
  from his Magic pool. If he does not like the
  result, he can spend another 1 to reroll. The only
  limit on the number of rerolls is the size of the
  Dabbler’s magic pool.
  Cantraps never affect their caster:
  Successful blessings or curses produced using
  cantraps can never affect the caster. All blessings
  and curses must be cast on someone else.
  The target must be visible: Blessings and
  curses may only be cast on a single target whom
  the caster can clearly see and hear.
  Minor physical cantraps: Anyone with
  Magic ability can use cantraps to create minor
  physical effects. These effects never last more
  than a minute. They all must take place within a
  foot or two of the magician, and are at most
  capable of producing sufficient force to swat a fly
  or light a single candle.
  Cantraps require obvious speech and
  gestures: Blessings or curses must be initiated
  by a lengthy and emotionally charged verbal
  statement regarding the caster’s wishes for the
  target. If the caster is distracted, silenced, or slain
  before the statement is complete, the cantrap
  fails. Somewhat easier, physical cantraps only
  require a single flashy gesture and a word or two.
  Cantraps must be specific: Curses and
  blessings must specify what their luck will
  involve. For example, the caster could curse a
  target to fail to gain their heart’s desire, or lose
  money in gambling, but not simply suffer general
  misfortune.
  No multiple blessings: No one can be
  simultaneously subject to multiple blessings. Any
  blessings after the first cast on a target
  automatically fail. Unfortunately, multiple
  simultaneous curses are entirely possible.
  Death curses: Death curses and blessings are
  the most potent cantraps. A dying caster may use
  either his Magic or Persuade pool to obtain
  additional successes. This is the only situation
  where a non-Magic poolcan increase the chance
  of performing a cantrap. In addition, bonuses or
  penalties from death blessings or curses are
  tripled. If the caster returns to life, the cantrap
  instantly ends.
  Spells
  A spell is a precisely defined set of instructions to
  a specific magical being, exhorting it to perform a
  single defined feat. A spell can do anything from
  lighting a candle to transporting the caster to a
  distant Aeon.
  Magic is a practical science, or, more properly, a craft, since
  emphasis is placed primarily upon utility, rather than basic
  understanding. [...] A spell in essence correponds to a code,
  or set of instructions, inserted into the sensorium of an entity
  which is able and not unwilling to alter the environment in
  accordance with the message conveyed by the spell. These
  entities are not necessarily “intelligent,” nor even “sentient,”
  and their conduct, from the tyro’s point of view, is
  unpredictable, capricious, and dangerous.
  — Rhialto the Marvellous
  
  24
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Spells are written in books or recorded in
  other highly detailed fashion. A written spell
  embodies instructions on how to successfully
  command the entity, combined with mental
  exercises designed to precisely focus the caster’s
  mind. This last aspect is vital, for commanding a
  magical entity requires strong will.
  Spells are cast in two ways. The caster can
  read the spell from the grimoire (spell book),
  taking special care to perform necessary
  gesticulations and pronounce every syllable
  correctly. If all goes well, the magical entity does
  the caster’s bidding. Casting a spell this way
  typically requires 20 minutes (Straightforward
  spells) to an hour (Complex spells), during
  which time the caster cannot be disturbed
  without dire consequences.
  Adventurous magicians, who rarely have time
  to open a book and chant carefully when facing
  hurricanes or deodands, instead perform all
  necessary chants, gestures, and other physical
  components well in advance of need. Then the
  caster engages in an act of will, which
  temporarily imprints the proper mental focus for
  the spell—a process called memorization.
  At any point after memorization, the caster
  can summon up this mental state and cast the
  spell. However, once the caster has cast a
  memorized spell, it vanishes. The spell cannot be
  cast again until the proper words and gestures
  are again performed and all instructions are
  again memorized. Magicians cannot memorize
  more than one version or copy of a spell at once.
  Also, spellcasting is not without risk. Careless
  or inexperienced magicians can suffer drastically
  unexpected results if they mispronounce even a
  single syllable. A miscast spell may affect
  unintended targets, or have a greatly reduced,
  greatly increased, or even completely reversed
  effect.
  How It Works In the Game
  Casting from a grimoire: For 20 minutes (for a
  Straightforward spell), the spellcaster reads aloud
  from the book, makes appropriate gestures, etc.
  This elaborate process is abbreviated in play: You
  say, “I want to cast this spell,” and the GM replies,
  “Make your roll.” Roll one die and spend a magic
  point. A result of 1-3 means you fail to cast the
  spell. (Note below the effects of a Dismal failure!)
  A result of 4-6 means you succeed. Illustrious
  Successes have no unusual effect.
  Memorization: This works much like casting
  from a grimoire, except that at the end of 20
  minutes, the caster has memorized rather than
  cast the spell. You do not roll dice nor spend
  points during memorization, but only when your
  character actually casts the spell during play. Note
  that each spell must be memorized individually,
  and each takes 20 minutes to memorize.
  As with abilities, you may spend magic points
  to reroll undesirable die results. Dabblers may
  not, however, reroll Dismal Failures.
  More Rules For Spells
  All spells have limited durations: Most spells
  last from a few hours to a day, though their
  physical effects (healing a wound, blasting a rock
  into pebbles) can be permanent. Phantasmal or
  unnatural effects like illusions, spheres of magical
  force, and transformations (such as allowing the
  caster to breathe water) have limited duration.
  Spells are limited in extent: Spells can only
  affect targets visible or directly perceptible to the
  caster. Moreover, a spell can only affect a single
  location. Spells can target a single individual, a
  moderate-sized group of targets who are all near
  each other, or a single location no more than an
  acre or two in extent. So, though a spell could
  turn a large cavern inside out, it could not
  destroy an entire mountain, or affect randomly
  scattered members of a crowd while leaving
  others in the crowd untouched.
  Straightforward and Complex spells:
  Spells are Complex or Straightforward,
  depending on their difficulty to learn and cast.
  This set of rules deals only with Straightforward
  spells, so you need not toss and turn, unable to
  sleep from worry about the dangers inherent in
  Complex spells.
  Memorizing spells: Characters with the
  Magic ability can memorize a number of spells
  determined by their Magic rating. A character
  must have 2 rating points in Magic for every
  Magic
  
  25
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  Straightforward spell he wishes to memorize. For
  example, a character with a Magic ability rating of
  11 could memorize no more than 5
  Straightforward spells.
  The price of failure: Ordinary failure when
  casting a spell merely means the spell does not
  work. Dismal Failure means a miscast spell.
  Miscast spells are almost always reversed or
  altered in intent. Remember that magic is actually
  performed by entities; such entities often treat
  Dismal Failure as a license to wreak havoc on the
  caster. Though miscast spells are rarely instantly
  fatal, the consequences are annoying,
  embarrassing, or dangerous.
  Voice and gestures: Casting a spell from a
  grimoire requires reading the spell aloud and
  performing complex gestures. If the casting is
  interrupted, a levy of 2 is applied to the roll. If the
  interruption is serious (such as the caster being
  knocked out), the spell cannot be cast.
  A memorized spell can be cast instantly,
  without words or gestures. However, the
  necessary concentration does require a few
  moments. Initiative for casting memorized spells
  is treated normally.
  Starting spells for Dabblers: A Dabbler
  character does not begin play automatically
  knowing spells. To know one or more spells
  when play begins, the Dabbler can spend 2
  creation points per Straightforward spell; he also
  possesses a grimoire in which these spells are
  recorded.
  Finding new spells in play: Characters who
  wish to acquire new spells during play cannot
  merely spend improvement points (explained
  below) and add a new spell to their grimoire.
  Instead, characters must acquire new spells by
  finding or stealing them. No improvement points
  are needed to acquire new spells, but they are
  bestowed according to the game moderator’s
  wishes.
  Magic Resistance and
  Magical Protection
  Creatures that lack the Magic ability cannot resist
  the effects of magic. Spell automatically affect
  such mundane targets.
  Fortunately, the study of magic also includes
  study of resisting its effects. Unless they willingly
  allow it to affect them, those with the Magic
  ability automatically receive one free die roll
  to resist any magical effect. They may spend
  magic points to reroll the resistance die.
  Rolls to resist magic work like any other
  contest. Magicians cannot resist spells they cast
  (including the effects of their own Dismal
  Failures). As with other contests, magicians
  cannot spend points if they are asleep or
  unconscious.
  Diving out of the way: Even memorized
  spells require a few moments to cast. Characters
  with no other means of resisting magic can try to
  get out of the spell’s area of effect by diving
  behind a solid object or removing themselves
  The most pliable and cooperative of these creatures range from
  the lowly and frail elementals, through the sandestins. More
  fractious entities are known by the Temuchin as “daihak,”
  which includes “demons” and “gods.” A magician’s power
  derives from the abilities of the entities he is able to control.
  Every magician of consequence employs one or more
  sandestins. A few arch-magicians of Grand Motholam dared
  to employ the force of the lesser daihaks. To recite or even to
  list the names of these magicians is to evoke wonder and awe.
  — Rhialto the Marvellous
  
  26
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  from the area. Characters must have the
  initiative to attempt a dive out of the way. To
  gain initiative, the diver’s Athletics pool must be
  greater than the caster’s magic pool (in ties, roll
  randomly to see who gains initiative). A diver
  with initiative may reach cover or leap out of
  range with a successful Athletics roll. This
  attempt has a limit of one–that is, only one die
  may be rolled in this attempt; you cannot reroll.
  Here are a few spells from the Dying Earth
  rulebook; the full rules contain many more.
  Spells are described in these terms:
  Range: How far away the target of the spell
  can be from the caster of the spell—Self, meaning
  the spell only affects the person casting it; Touch,
  meaning that it affects someone or something
  the caster is touching; Near, affecting a visible
  target no more than 10 yards away from the
  caster; or Sight, affecting any target the caster can
  clearly see.
  Duration: How long the spell lasts—Instant,
  meaning it lasts only a moment, though its
  effects could be permanent; Concentration,
  meaning that the spell lasts as long and the
  magician concentrates on it and performs no
  other strenuous or demanding actions, with a
  probable duration no longer than 20 minutes;
  Hours, as explained in the description for the
  spell; Feat, meaning that the spell lasts long
  enough for the target of the spell to perform one
  specific feat defined by the spell; or Day, a full
  day.
  Difficulty: An indication of how long it takes
  to cast the spell and whether the caster suffers
  levies when casting it. The two types are
  Straightforward and Complex; only
  Straightforward spells, taking 20 minutes to cast
  and imposing no undue penalties, appear in the
  following list.
  It is not possible to get out of range of Sight-
  range spells, but diving for cover still works. You
  cannot dodge if you use your Magic ability to
  resist magic.
  Then there is always assault. If a target can
  down or kill the magician before the spell is cast,
  they have rendered the magician helpless and the
  spell fails. (However, see “Death curses” above
  under Cantraps.)
  Arnhoult’s Sequestrous Digitalia
  Range: Near
  Duration: Concentration
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  Favored by avaricious magicians everywhere,
  this spell creates a small warp in space through
  which the caster can thrust his or her hand. The
  warp can appear at any location within the spell’s
  range. The caster’s hand appears to vanish from
  the end of his arm and reappear some distance
  away. The ensorcelled hand remains fully
  functional. For the spell’s duration, the caster can
  also move the warp anywhere within range.
  The warp itself is approximately six inches in
  diameter, and the caster can pull anything
  through the warp that can be held in one hand
  and fits through the hole. Because the warp is
  invisible, this spell permits subtle thefts.
  By virtue of the spell’s careful design, if it is
  magically dispelled the warp vanishes and the
  caster’s hand remains unharmed on his wrist.
  The Astonishing Oral Projection
  Range: Sight
  Duration: Concentration or Feat
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  Often learned by Dabblers and apprentice
  magicians, this spell produces a highly realistic
  mouth on any surface. The spell can be cast
  equally easily upon a blank wall or the back of a
  rival’s head. The caster can speak through this
  Sample Spells
  Sample Spells
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  27
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  mouth as if it were his own. This mouth lasts for
  as long as the caster concentrates on using it.
  This spell can be cast so that the mouth
  remains closed and invisible until some specified
  word or phrase is spoken in its presence.
  Thereupon the mouth delivers a prepared
  speech up to 100 words long.
  Behemoth’s Bounty
  Range: Near
  Duration: Instant
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  Beloved by gourmands and travelers, this
  spell creates a feast, complete with giant plates,
  bowls, mugs, and eating utensils, that easily feeds
  more than a dozen hungry people. The food is
  nourishing but not exceptional, usually simple
  fare like sliced roast meat, boiled grain, hearty
  and well-cooked roots or tubers, a prodigious
  quantity of soup, and simple gravy or sauce.
  Beer, cider, fruit juice, or possibly watered wine
  accompanies the feast. When the spell lapses,
  everything vanishes, but hunger has been
  genuinely and lastingly satisfied.
  Brassnose’s Twelvefold Bounty
  Range: Touch
  Duration: Day
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  A favorite with paupers and confidence
  tricksters everywhere, this spell makes eleven
  copies of any item that can be held comfortably
  in one hand. Coins, vials of liquid, small exotic
  pets—the only limitation is that the spell cannot
  duplicate enchantments on items. It can
  duplicate their appearance, but none of the
  created items have magical power.
  For the duration of the magic, the duplicates
  are substantial, solid, and durable. But when the
  spell wears off, all duplicates vanish.
  The Charm of Brachial Fortitude
  Range: Touch
  Duration: Feat
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  The target gains 12 ability points usable in
  Strength-based attacks or feats requiring muscle
  power —for instance, breaking down a door,
  lifting and carrying an object weighing up to one
  ton, pushing a crowd of people aside, climbing a
  sheer cliff, or fighting a battle.
  If the target already has points in Strength-
  based attacks, the points gained from this spell
  add to those points. The points granted cannot
  be refreshed normally, and all unused points
  vanish as soon as the spell ends.
  Enchantment of Another’s Face
  Range: Touch
  Duration: Day
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  With this spell the caster can disguise the
  target as any other person or humanoid creature,
  On reflection, Dantomir
  admitted that his cantrap to
  turn away the wrath of the
  bellicose pelgrane had,
  after all, been efficacious.
  And yet, in all candour....
  
  28
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  male or female, fat or thin, young or old. The
  caster can only disguise the target as an
  individual whom the caster has seen clearly.
  The target looks, sounds, smells, and even
  moves exactly like the individual imitated. Voice
  and fingerprints are duplicated exactly. Even
  people, creatures, and entities who know the
  imitated individual quite well can be fooled.
  However, the target gains none of the
  knowledge, language, or abilities of the
  individual imitated.
  Expedient Poultice
  Range: Touch
  Duration: Instant
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  This healing spell is commonly known and
  quite simple. It instantly heals all damage and
  injury caused by wounds, poison, and disease,
  and completely cures all normal diseases. It even
  restores limbs lost to injury. This spell does not
  restore fatigue produced by lack of sleep or
  reverse the effects of aging, but it heals everything
  from a deadly wound to a hangover. This spell
  works only on living targets, and does not refresh
  the patient’s Health pool or other ability pools.
  The Illusion of Vile Arthropods
  Range: Sight
  Duration: Concentration
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  This spell creates a highly realistic illusion of
  up to three nonhuman monsters the size of
  oxen, a large group of creatures no larger than
  small dogs, or a swarm of insects or bird-size
  creatures covering several square yards. The
  caster controls the illusory creatures’ actions.
  This spell cannot create believable humans.
  Monsters created by this spell look, sound,
  and smell just like the real thing. However, the
  illusions have no substance and cannot affect the
  physical world. Attacks pass harmlessly through
  them, betraying their illusory nature.
  This spell is not limited to arthropods. Any
  creature liable to provoke disgust is permitted.
  The question “Why, then, the term ‘arthropods’?”
  is nuncupatory.
  Liberation of Warp
  Range: Near
  Duration: Instant
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  With a sudden and drastic shock to the fabric
  of space, this spell instantly dispels all magic and
  warp within 10 yards of the caster. Permanent
  magical effects are unaffected, but any spell
  currently operating is instantly and permanently
  negated, as is any effect produced by a sandestin
  or enchanted item which uses charges. (The
  Dying Earth rulebook details these effects.)
  Effects produced by a permanent enchanted item
  are negated for one full round.
  The etheric shock of this spell lasts but an
  instant. After the spell has ended, new spells may
  be cast without penalty and the effects of
  permanent magical items return.
  Phandaal’s Mantle of Stealth
  Range: Touch
  Duration: Hours
  Difficulty: Straightforward
  The target and all his possessions become
  invisible. The target is still audible and detectable
  by scent, but casts no shadow and has no
  reflection.
  While invisible, the subject can still see himself
  and may act normally. Combat or shouting may
  give away the subject’s position with fair
  accuracy, but do not dispel the invisibility.
  Anyone fighting an invisible opponent suffers
  a levy of 2 points and a penalty of –1 to all attack
  and defense rolls. A character fighting in smoke,
  fog, mud, or other environment that betrays the
  invisible opponent’s location incurs only the
  2-point levy, not the –1 penalty.
  This spell can also be cast on animals up to
  the size of an elephant and single objects no
  larger than a large wardrobe or a dining table.
  Sample Spells
  
  29
  Q u i c k - S t a r t  R u l e s
  So now, be off! Or I inflict upon you the Spell of the Macroid Toe,
  whereupon the signalized member swells to the proportions of a
  house.
  — The Eyes of the Overworld
  One rule that encourages Dying Earth players to
  maintain a Vancian feel is the tagline.
  At the start of each play session, the GM gives
  each player two taglines. A tagline is a short bit
  of dialogue, often a barb best used against
  another character, especially a game moderator
  character. During the course of the game, stay
  alert for the opportunity, when speaking as your
  character, to use each of these lines of dialogue
  (no more than once).
  Dying Earth characters may be unlettered or
  pedantic, sanctimonious or prudent—but they
  are, one and all, eloquent. Taglines that suit the
  game’s spirit display panache, rhetorical flair,
  and a pleasingly flowery—well, let these
  samples speak for themselves:
  “Come, come, you make a flagrantly
  unreasonable request!”
  “From your behavior I assumed that you
  were not only deaf and dumb, but guilty of
  mental retardation.”
  “I am rationality personified; it is
  unthinking to suggest otherwise!”
  “I have taken counsel with myself and
  believe I can adequately fulfill the
  obligations of the job.”
  “I do not care to listen; obloquy injures my
  self-esteem and I am skeptical of praise.”
  “You speak with neither logic nor
  comprehension! How can you be so
  absolute?”
  The GM may create more or choose from the
  expanded list in the full Dying Earth rules. It’s
  also easy to cull taglines from the works of Vance.
  Choose general dialogue lines that fit a variety of
  situations. Use their characteristic Vancian tenor
  to inspire your own  non-tagline dialogue.
  Why use taglines? In addition to keeping the
  game true to the spirit of Jack Vance’s fiction,
  they amuse the other players and are almost the
  only means available for your characters to
  improve his abilities. See the next section.
  Vancian Language
  The Dying Earth rulebook
  occasionally uses old or obscure
  words to evoke the Dying Earth’s
  convoluted whimsy. The rules text is meant
  to get you thinking in Vancian rhythms, to
  help you improvise suitable dialogue during
  play. You’ll enjoy this game more if you get
  into this spirit.
  If big words put you off, stay calm. When
  you meet one, breathe deeply and check the
  sentence again. The meaning is always
  clear from context. Really. If you’re still
  puzzled, you can always pull down the
  dictionary—or faster yet, check the fine
  online dictionaries on the Internet.  Soon
  even the most bibliophobic players will be
  tossing off six-syllable verbal monstrosities
  with the facility of the most long-winded
  Vancian scholar.
  Taglines
  �
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  30
  T h e  D y i n g  E a r t h
  Improving Abilities
  Consultation and inspiration: Jack Vance
  Rules: Robin D. Laws
  Magic rules: John Snead
  Quick-start rules editing: Aaron Allston
  Layout: Allen Varney
  Illustrations: Hilary Wade, Ralph Horsley
  Cover: Greg Staples
  Producers: Simon Rogers, Sasha Bilton
  PELGRANE PRESS Ltd.
  18-20 Bromell’s Road
  London SW4 0BG
  UNITED KINGDOM
  info@dyingearth.com
  www. pelgrane.com
  Look for the Pelgrane Press Dying Earth
  rulebook at better gaming stores near you, or
  obtain ordering information direct from Pelgrane
  Press at the address below.
  The complete Dying Earth rulebook gives
  you a grand tour of the Dying Earth, offering
  many more spells, magical items, notable
  persons, creatures, and rules for both Turjan-
  level and Rhialto-level magical campaigns.
  Improving Abilities
  You increase your character’s abilities by
  spending improvement points.
  It costs 3 improvement points to
  improve any one ability rating by 1, up to
  its listed ability cap. Beyond that, it gets
  more expensive (see table).
  Obtaining Improvement Points
  The GM gives every player one improvement
  point for playing in a game session. A player who
  participates in four games would thus have four
  improvement points.
  You can also earn improvement points
  through appropriate use of taglines (see
  Taglines, previous page).
  If you say a tagline during the game, but (in
  the GM’s judgment) the line bears no real
  relationship to the action, you get no points.
  If the line applies to the situation, but is no
  more noteworthy or entertaining than the
  spontaneously-created dialogue around it, you
  get 1 point.
  If the line seems especially appropriate, you
  get 2 points.
  If the line arouses emotion among the players
  and GM, you get 3 points. Laughter is the most
  common response, and the easiest to elicit.
  The GM is the final arbiter of the
  appropriateness of tagline use.
  You’ve Just Begun!
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  Copyright ©2000 Pelgrane Press. Based on the Dying Earth book series by Jack Vance. Produced and distributed by agreement with
  Jack Vance c/o Ralph Vicinanza, Ltd. The Dying Eath Roleplaying Game and Dying Earth Quick-Start Rules are trademarks of
  Pelgrane Press. All rights reserved.
  Credits
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  The
  Character Name
  Player
  Series
  Improvement Points
  Copyright © 2000 Pelgrane Press Ltd. Permission to photocopy this sheet for any purpose save personal use would only indulge churlish natures, and is therefore denied!
  General
  Facial Features
  Hair (color, cut)
  Costume
  Pool
  Campaign Level:
  Bonus size:
  Rhialto
  �
  Cugel
  �
  Turjan
  �
  Notable Mannerisms
  Total pts, Possessions
  �
  �
  =
  �
  �
  Total creation points:
  Abilities col 1
  + col 2
  + Magic
  + Resist
  + Possessions
  C h a r a c t e r  S h e e t
  Arrogance
  Avarice
  Indolence
  Gourmandism
  Pettifoggery
  Rakishness
  �
  Rating
  Pool
  Total Resistance pts
  Style
  Rating Pool
  Spell
  Range
  Duration Points
  Total Magic pts
  �
  Persuade
  Rebuff
  Attack
  Defense
  Health
  Weapons
  Style
  Rating Pool
  Melee weapon
  Missile weapon
  Weapon
  Weapon
  Ability
  �
  Weapon
  Total, Abilities col 2
  Dying/Dead
  �
  Down/Unconsc.
  �
  Hurt
  �
  Total pts, Abilities column 1
  Rating Pool
  �
  Rating
  Pool
  ying arth
  D
  E
  Magic
  Resist.
  Abilities
  Appearance
  Portrait
  Possessions
  
  A FUTURE UNIMAGINABLY DISTANT….
  The sun, now in its dotage, is a swollen maroon orb.
  It stutters and blinks. At any moment it may finally go out.
  EARTH, IMMENSELY OLD….
  Dig anywhere and find a buried city or the shore of a vanished
  sea. Deodand-haunted woods stretch from decadent Kaiin to the
  Land of the Falling Wall. Erbs and grue hunt in the wilds. Isolated
  villages embrace surprising customs. Larger towns favor debauchery
  and mincing murder.
  MAGIC, RICH AND COLORFUL….
  Enchantment shapes the world. Any dabbler may know a few simple
  cantraps. Magicians in lavish manses struggle to master Earth’s last great
  spells, while all-powerful cabals intrigue against rivals or plot revenge for
  ancient feuds.
  VISIT THE DYING EARTH!
  Enter this vivid world in the first roleplaying game authorized by
  master fantasist Jack Vance. Here a flashing sword is less important
  than nimble wits, persuasive words, and a fine sense of fashion. Create
  an adventurer for any of three different kinds of stories:
     a typical mortal such as Cugel the Clever, surviving by wits
  and cunning
     an ambitious magician searching for lost lore, like Turjan of
  Miir
     a supreme mage to rank with Rhialto the Marvellous,
  commanding the omnipotent but quarrelsome sandestins
  AVAILABLE AT BETTER HOBBY STORES
  Pelgrane Press Ltd. • info@dyingearth.com • www.pelgrane.com
  Designed by Robin D. Laws (Feng Shui, Hero Wars)
  with magic rules by John Snead (Nephilim),
  The Dying Earth features easy, fast-playing rules that
  encourage creativity and interaction. No knowledge
  of Jack Vance’s work is needed for play, but fans of
  the stories will enjoy the comprehensive summary of
  the world’s places, creatures, and known spells.
  Based on the Dying Earth book series by Jack Vance. Produced and
  distributed by agreement with Jack Vance c/o Ralph Vicinanza, Ltd.
  Authorized
  and approved
  by Dying Earth
  fantasy novelist
  JACK VANCE
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dying Earth/The Dying Earth Quick-Start Rules.pdf