Black Sword Hack [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

Credits written and laid out by Kobayashi Cover and interior art by David Guyll Many thanks to David Black for creating and sharing the Black Hack!

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Doomed princes, cunning vagabonds and greedy mercenaries try to survive and prevail in a world torn apart by Law and Chaos. Those who survive the trials of their humble beginnings may soon find themselves at the center of this struggle. Will they usher the dawn of a new age? Give the last push to a world on the brink of oblivion? Or simply make the best of a dying world as long as they can? BLACK SWORD HACK is a dark fantasy roleplaying game; inspired by the works of Michael Moorcock (mainly the Eternal champion series). It is a stand-alone game that uses the Black Hack 2nd edition rules as a foundation..

CONTENT Rules.........................................................................................................3 Combat....................................................................................................7 Character creation...............................................................................11 Equipment............................................................................................17 Experience...........................................................................................22 Dark pacts.............................................................................................25 Spells......................................................................................................31 Twisted science...................................................................................35 Rune weapons.....................................................................................38 Creating.................................................................................................41 Your.........................................................................................................41 World......................................................................................................41 Heimdallir: port of the north..........................................................46 Bestiary.................................................................................................52 Adventure: Scalpel surprise............................................................63 Appendix 1 of ships and the sea.....................................................69 Glossary.................................................................................................72 Character sheet....................................................................................74

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RULES

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TURNS To make sure everyone at the table has a chance to speak, the game uses Turns. At the table, a Turn is the time needed for a character to move and act. In game time, a Turn may represent a few moments (during a combat), a few minutes, a few hours or even a few days. The game is always played in Turns.

ONE TURN, TWO ACTIONS

To make sure no player hogs the spotlight, a character can move and take one action during his turn. The action complexity (and the distance covered with a move action) depends on the length of the Turn as established by the GM (moments, minutes, hours...).

THE ATTRIBUTE TESTS When a character tries to do something that has a chance to fail, the player makes an attribute test by rolling a d20: ■ Rolling below attribute: the character succeeds ■ Rolling on or above the attribute: the character fails or succeeds at a cost.

CRITICAL SUCCESS AND FAILURE No matter what the modifiers are: ■ A roll of 1 is always a critical success ■ A roll of 20 is always a critical failure For an attack roll, a critical success means the character does maximum damage and adds another damage (dmg) die on top of that. Whatever the roll, a critical failure means you suffer a Disadvantage on your next attribute test.

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ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE Having an Advantage or a Disadvantage on a roll means that it should be made twice: ■ Advantage allows the Player to choose which result to use. ■ Disadvantage means the GM chooses the result to use. For the GM: use this rule to reflect bad or good conditions that can influence an attribute test or a roll, this might be a strained relationship or having the right tools for the job. For the player: try to create situations where your character can get an Advantage: find a better position, help another character, offer a bribe, etc. Advantage and Disadvantage can apply to all die rolls: attribute tests, damage rolls and any Usage die. If a roll happens to have both Advantage and Disadvantage, they cancel each other (no matter how many Advantages and Disadvantages you have).

USAGE DIE (UD) Some things in the game are represented by a Usage die (Ud) to model the fact that they are available in limited quantities: ammunition, oxygen supply, fuel, influence... When this resource is used (or once the combat is over for weapons Ud) you roll its Usage die, a result of 1-2 means the Usage die is downgraded to the next smallest die: Ud20>Ud12>Ud10>Ud8>Ud6>Ud4 When you roll a 1 or 2 on a Ud4, this means the resource is depleted. As a rule thumb, the average number of uses for each Ud is as follows: Ud4(2), Ud6(5), Ud8(9), Ud10(14), Ud12(20), Ud20(30).

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DOOM Particularly violent and chaotic actions that bring the world closer to its end trigger the roll of this Ud. Depleting their Doom die means the characters bring doom to themselves. ■ Takes the same action twice during a combat Turn*. ■ Uses a Gift that requires it. The Doom die returns to its maximum after the character has taken a long rest. *If the action already requires a Doom roll, this one is made with a Disadvantage. Players can choose to "burn Doom": roll Doom and subtract the result one of their character's attribute test. The Doom die automatically degrades. Once the Doom die is depleted, the character is considered Doomed. All their attribute tests and damage rolls are made with Disadvantage until the character can take a long rest.

DISTANCES BLACK SWORD HACK uses four ranges: Close, Nearby, Faraway and Distant. Moving one range requires one move action. Depending on the length of a Turn, the actual distance covered by the character will vary, for example in combat: Close ■ 1,50m ■ 1 square Nearby■ 10m ■ 6 squares Faraway ■ 20m ■ 12 squares Distant ■ Beyond 20m

PERCEPTION When characters are actively looking for something, they find it. If time is of the essence, players should make an INT test.

GROUP TEST In a group effort , if half the characters succeed at their attribute test, the whole group does.

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COMBAT

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INITIATIVE At the beginning of a combat, every player makes a WIS test. Those who succeed act before the opposition, starting with the player seated at the left side of the GM. The rest acts after the opposition, once again, in a clockwise fashion.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? During their turn, characters can take two action. Roll Doom if you take the same action twice (move, attack, use something, cast a spell, etc.).

ATTACKING ■ Using a melee weapon: make a STR test ■ Using a ranged weapon: make a DEX test A successful attack deals damage (roll damage die) A critical success deals maximum damage and adds another damage die on top of that.

DEFENDING ■ Parrying: make a STR test ■ Dodging: make a DEX test The character must be holding something to be able to parry. Ranged attacks can only be dodged. A failed defense roll means the character takes damage. A critical failure means the character's armor is ignored.

THREAT LEVEL If an opponent’s level is higher than the character’s level, the player should add the difference between the two values to the d20 when making any attribute tests to attack, defend, influence, or otherwise interfere with their opponent (if the character's level is higher, no modifier is applied).

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ARMOR The armor's protection rating is subtracted from the incoming damage (which can therefore be reduced to zero).

SHIELDS Shields give you Advantage to your defense tests when parrying.

TWO-HANDED WEAPONS These weapons give you Advantage to their damage rolls.

ONGOING DAMAGE Things like acid or fire deal ongoing damage, this means the victim takes Ud4 points of damage each Turn until the dice degrades. Armor is useless against ongoing damage.

HIT POINTS When an NPC's Hit points reach 0, it's dead. At 0 Hit points a character is Helpless. Once the combat is over (or the character is taken to a safe place), the player rolls a d6: HELPLESS (d6) 1.Scratched: the character is good to go except for a new scar. 2.Missed: one (randomly picked) piece of equipment is destroyed 3.Impaired: Disadvantage on DEX tests for the remainder of the session. 4.Injured: Disadvantage on all attribute tests for the remainder of the session. 5.Butchered: loose 1 point of STR or DEX permanently. 6.Killed: create a new character (same level as the dead one) A surviving character (results 1 to 5) immediately gets d4 HP back.

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RECOVERY Characters are a sturdy lot who heal faster than average people. They can get back HP by taking a short rest or a long rest. Short rest: lasts 1 hour, characters recover a number of HP equal to half their CON score (rounded down). A character can take one short rest per day. Long rest:: rest that lasts 6 hours, characters recover all their HP. Many talents and Ud are restored after a long rest. While in the wild, even long rests count as a short rest. Characters must be in a safe, civilized environment to fully recover.

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CHARACTER CREATION

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Creating a character is a three-step process: the player rolls the character's attributes, picks an origin and finally chooses backgrounds.

ATTRIBUTES A character is made of six attributes. Strength (STR) Raw physical power. Use STR for.... Bash skulls, parrying, feats of strength. Dexterity (DEX) Deftness and agility. Use DEX for.... Shoot people in the face, dodging, riding, pick locks... Constitution (CON) The body's capacity to resist physical stress. Use CON when... Resisting fatigue, poison or diseases, Intelligence (INT) The ability to apply your knowledge to the situation at hand. Use INT when... Deciphering a dusty tome, conceive a battle plan, find an exit in a labyrinth... Wisdom (WIS) Steadiness in a stressful situation Use WIS for....Initiative, overcoming fear and resist mental stress. Charisma (CHA) A measure of a character's ability to influence others. Use CHA to.... persuade or intimidate others.

ROLLING ATTRIBUTES Roll 2d6 for each attribute in order and note its score using the table below: 2-3 8

4-5 9

6-7 10

8-9 11

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10-11 12

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Strength is used to bash people skulls and parry incoming attacks. Dexterity is used to shoot at your enemies and dodge incoming attacks. Constitution influence a character's hit points and healing speed. Intelligence measures a character's erudition and wits Wisdom determines your alertness Charisma is used to persuade or intimidate people.

BIRTH Your character was born (d20) 1....in a jeweled tower of a corrupt empire 2....in the shadows of a Theocracy 3....in a brothel of the City of thieves 4....in the bustling Merchant league 5. ...in the harsh lands of a Desert tribe 6. ...in a secret society hideout in the Far East 7. ...in a palace of the Caliphate 8. ...among your Pict brothers and sisters after a raid 9. ...aboard a longship of the northern Raiders 10. ...in the last city of a dying species 11. ... while the rest of the Iron Horde was attacking a caravan 12. ... in an isolated farm on the frontier 13. ...in a fortress burned by your family enemies 14. ...in the ruins of a crystal palace 15. ...in the middle of a mercenary camp 16. ...on a tropical island just before it sank 17. ...in an asylum deep within the Forbidden City 18. ...inside a wicker man about to be burned 19. ...at the top of a black pyramid 20. ...in a hurricane summoned by your mother

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ORIGIN Pick one of the following: Barbarian, Civilized or Decadent

BACKGROUNDS Each origin allows you to pick three backgrounds: two tied to your origin and another one from any list. You cannot take two backgrounds with the "unique" tag.

BARBARIAN Berserker (unique): when you go berserk, add a d6 to the damage you deal. Damage you receive is divided by 2. Your rage stops when you roll a 1 on the d6. You need a long rest to be able to go berserk again. +1 STR. Herbalist: you can create d6 doses of healing balms (restores d6 HP +Level each) hallucinogenic drugs or poison (d6 damage per dose). You need a long rest in a natural environment to replenish it. +1 INT Hunter: in combat your first arrow always hits, add your level to the damage. +1 DEX Shaman: you have made a pact with two spirits (see p.29). +1 WIS Storyteller: you always know d4 interesting things about objects, places or people (one roll per session). While you tell a story, your audience doesn't notice what happens Nearby. +1 CHA. Wildling: you can take a long rest anywhere. +1 CON.

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CIVILIZED Bookworm: you can substitute any attribute test with an INT test (explain how and why your knowledge helps you). Replenishes after a long rest. +1 INT Inventor (unique): you know how to build two scientific marvels (see p.35). +1 INT. Legionnaire: you are used to fight in groups. Three times per session, a Nearby ally can re-roll a failed dodge, parry or attack roll. +1 STR Sophist: you can make someone believe a blatant lie if you succeed at a CHA test. The "effect" lasts one hour. +1 CHA Street urchin: get Advantage on actions involving stealth, pick-pocketing, eavesdropping and streetwise. +1 DEX. Surgeon: make an INT test when taking care of someone who has fallen to 0 HP. They roll a d4 on the Helpless table instead of a d6 if you succeed. +1 INT Swordmaster: you can use DEX instead of STR when making a melee attack with one-handed bladed weapons.+1 DEX

DECADENT Assassin (unique): your first attack against an unaware target is an automatic hit that deals 2d6 + Character's level points of damage. +1 DEX Forbidden knowledge: you start the game with 4 randomly selected spells (see p.31).. +1 INT Pit-fighter: your unarmed damage is equal to your armed damage. +1 STR Snake blood: you're immune to poisons and venom. +1 CON Vicious: your damage die is now d8 (d6 unarmed). +1 STR Warlock: you have a pact with two demons (see p.25). +1 CHA

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HIT POINTS Your total Hit Points (HP) is equal to your CON score.

DOOM All characters start with a d6 Ud

WEAPON AND UNARMED DAMAGE By default characters start with d6 armed damage and d4 unarmed damage.

STARTING EQUIPMENT Characters usually begin their adventures with a set of clothes, a few coins depending on their origin and two weapons. ■ Barbarian origin: 25 coins ■ Civilized origin: 50 coins ■ Decadent: 100 coins For your two weapons roll two d10 on p.20 tables. One roll on the table tied to your origin, another one on the table of your choice. A result of "0" means no weapon with that roll.

LANGUAGES All characters probably speak Thyrenian and another language tied to their origin. Urgic....Northern raiders Chalidim....the Desert tribes Duhuang....the Forbidden City Duhuang.... the Eastern principalities Amaric....the Caliphate Alashan....a corrupt empire Pictish....Picts Jurka....the Iron Horde Thyrenian....the Merchant league Naruan....the Golden Archipelago Askavian.... a crumbling empire

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EQUIPMENT

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COST OF LIVING At the beginning of each adventure, characters loose a number of coins equal to their CON. This represents their daily expanses between two adventures. If, for some reason, a character cannot pay, they accepted a random job or took a loan. They also can choose to go hungry and dirty and get Disadvantage on all rolls this session.

PRICE LIST D6 COINS A night at the tavern Backpack Clothes (peasant) Grappling hook Mirror Oil flask Parchment, ink and quill Rations (per day) Rope Scrolls Waterskin Whistle Wooden stakes

D6X10 COINS Boots Caltrops Clothes (fancy) Crowbar Drugs and poisons Holy water Lantern Musical instrument Saddle bags Shovel, pick, etc. Simple weapons Spyglass Tent Waterproof case

D6X100 COINS Cart or wagon Gem Horse Metal weapons (sword, battle axe...)

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POISONS & DRUGS For simplicity's sake, we divided poisons, herbs and drugs according to their effects:. Their listed below with their associated rules and two examples to use in your own setting. ■ Anesthetics (Succeed at a CON test or fall asleep), Witchdrop, Snowseed ■ Death (Succeed at a CON test or die) Blackseal, Nooseberries ■ Hallucinations (Succeed at a CON test or enjoy Prophet's thistle, Dragonweed ■ Healing (heals d6 HP) King's laurel, Angel tail ■ Pain (Succeed at a CON test or suffer Disadvantage on all tests and rolls) Trollbark, Blood ash ■ Stimulant (get same result as a short rest) Hawkleaf, Steel seeds ■ Weakness (Disadvantage on all rolls) Spider cress, Plague root At the GM discretion, high or low quality drugs can affect the CON test (Disadvantage for high quality drugs, Advantage for cheap ones). Low quality costs d6 coins, high quality costs d6x100 coins.

TREASURES What you find when you... ...loot a corpse: see p.54. ...steal a rich merchant's purse: d6x10 coins. ...open a treasure chest: d6x100 coins Gems usually have a d6x100 value, same goes for most valuables (from silverware to a good painting).

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WEAPONS Barbarian Weapons 1. Bone bow* 2. Chakram 3. Claymore* 4. Hunting knife 5. Iwisa 6. Lance* 7. Nomad scimitar 8. Raider's great axe* 9. Warhammer Civilized Weapons 1. Cestus 2. Dagger 3. Engraved longbow* 4. Executioner cleaver* 5. Flail 6. Katana 7. Legion gladius 8. Rapier 9. Pilgrilm's staff* Decadent weapons 1. Blood metal sickle 2. Crossbow* 3. Inquisitor long sword* 4. Maul 5. Razor whip 6. Rusted harpoon 7. Scythe* 8. Shiv 9. Serrated sword *Two-handed weapons give you Advantage on your damage rolls.

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WEAPON EFFECT

ARMORS AND SHIELDS

If you want to add an effect to your attack, say so before you make your attribute test and then make a Doom roll. NPCs don't have access to weapon effects.

Armors come with a protection rating: this is subtracted from damage the character receives in combat. Light: protection 1 Hide, leather, gambeson... This kind of protection can be found everywhere for cheap.

Break: you break your opponent's weapon (or a piece of equipment) as you throw them to the ground.

Medium: protection 2 Breastplate, lorica, studded leather, ring armor, brigandine, chain mail... These armors are usually issued to soldiers and warriors, you won't find them for sale on a market. You're free to take them from dead enemies though.

Brutal: add the Doom die result to the damage you inflict. Disarm: you do no damage but your target is disarmed. Entangle: you do no damage, all attacks against the target during this Turn are done with Advantage.

Heavy: protection 3 Full plate armor Usually tailored to a specific individual It is very unlikely the characters will ever acquire this type of armor unless they find themselves on a battlefield.

Pin down: inflict regular damage and your target cannot move this Turn. Sacrifice: inflict double damage (triple if your attack is critical hit) but the weapon breaks. Sweeping: hurt everyone Close to you (friend and foe).

Shields: you get Advantage when rolling to Parry. On a critical failure your shield is broken.

Swift: inflict regular damage and immediately get an additional attack Vicious: inflict regular ongoing damage

and

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EXPERIENCE

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Each time a character survives an adventure, he gains a story: just note the name of the adventure on your character sheet (or make one up). Characters gain a level once they have a number of stories equal to their current level. Maximum level for a character is 10. Level & associated benefits 2. +1 to one attribute (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 3. Gain one gift, +1 HP 4. +1 to two attributes (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 5. Gain one gift, +1 HP 6. +1 to one attribute (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 7. Gain one gift, +1 HP 8. +1 to two attributes (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 9. Gain one gift, +1 HP 10. Doom die is now a d8

GIFTS Each Gift can only be taken once. Gifts can come from the powers of Balance, Chaos or Law. A time may come when these choices may affect your character... The GM will find more information about this in the ENDGAME section (p.45).

GIFTS OF BALANCE Fortress of the mind: get Advantage on your attribute tests when resisting your enemies'' spells. Meditation: your Doom Ud replenishes after a short rest. Second wind: regain your Level in HP once per day, even in combat. Spirit alliance: get Advantage when summoning a specific spirit. Survivor's luck: once per game session ignore all damage done by an attack but lose a weapon in the process.

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GIFTS OF CHAOS Armor of scars: you reduce the damage you receive by one when you don't wear armor. Bloodlust: upgrade your damage dice one size. Dark revelation: make your Torn Veil rolls with Advantage. Dubious friendships: make your Demon's revenge rolls with Advantage. Paranoid: you get Advantage on your initiative tests.

GIFTS OF LAW Battle hardened: in combat, you get a critical success on a roll of 1-3. Resourceful: replenish a Ud once per game session without needing a rest (except Doom). Riddle of steel: one of your weapons now inflicts d12 dmg but if you get a 1 on your damage roll, it breaks. Tough as nails: If you survived after rolling on the Helpless table, add your level to the HP you get back. Will to live: you get Advantage when you roll on the Helpless table.

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DARK PACTS

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DEMONIC PACTS Characters who have the Warlock background has two demons at its service.

INVOKING A DEMON POWER Roll Doom, with Disadvantage for each demon you summon after the first (this resets after a long rest). If the Doom Ud is depleted while invoking a demon, roll on the Demon's revenge table. Demon's revenge (d6) 1. You cannot invoke this demon until next sunrise. 2 The demon steals one of your possessions. 3. The demon destroys one of your allies weapon. 4. The demon pays itself in blood: lose d6 HP 5. The pact is broken: you cannot invoke this particular demon anymore. 6. The demon appears and inflicts 3d6 dmg to the Warlock. The pact is broken.

DEMON MANIFESTATION By default, demons are never seen, they influence the target without showing themselves. Demon magic is insidious, getting its strength from the weaknesses of its victims. The name of the summoned demon must be clearly spoken by the Warlock that invokes it.

CREATING A NEW PACT It is always possible for a character to form a pact with a demon during play. It always should be arduous and the result of a dangerous adventure or quest.

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DEMONS Abyss The target becomes monstrous, misshapen or disfigured and becomes an object of fear and disgust, last d6 hours. On a roll of 1 the effect is permanent. Envy The target tries to take a specific object of your choosing that is in its sight, by force if necessary. On a roll of 1, the object is a piece of your equipment. Fear You learn your target's deepest fear. On a roll of 1, the target learns your deepest fear as well. Greed Creates 4d6 fake coins that will revert to their natural state within one hour. On a roll of 1, the demon steals 4d6 coins from the Warlock (or its allies) as well. Hate Your target verbally abuse someone of your choosing for d6 minutes. On a roll of 1, you throw insults at your target as well. Isolation No one seems to care about the target: it can't be heard or seen for d6 hours. On a roll of 1 the Warlock cannot see it as well. Gluttony Your target attacks (randomly selected) people and try to eat them. It will stop once it has eaten 2d6 HP. On a roll of 1, the target wants to eat the Warlock. Nightmare The target looses a night of sleep: all attribute tests made against it are made with Advantage on the following day. On a roll of 1, anger takes over and tests against the target are made with Disadvantage.

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Oblivion The target's disappears from everyone's memory, the effect last d6 hours. On a roll of 1, the demon steals a Background from you as well. You remember it after a long rest. Ruin Breaks a piece of equipment. Size can range from a dagger to a cart. On a roll of 1, a piece of your own gear breaks as well. Sloth The target falls asleep. On a roll of 1, it never wakes up. Suspicion You design someone in sight as the object of your target's suspicions. On a roll of 1 the Warlock becomes the center of the target's attention. Wrath Targets becomes berserk and attack everyone in sight. On a roll of 1 the Warlock is affected as well.

FREE-FORM DEMONISM GMs should be open to players using demon invocation in a more open-ended way, using the above effects as mere guidelines. Just keep the following principles in mind: demons reinforce or exacerbate the worst traits of its target. The tricky part is coming with a backlash when you get a 1 on the Doom roll. As a baseline, the effects of the demon influence become permanent (especially for innocuous powers) or they affect the Warlock as well (well suited for offensive powers).

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SPIRIT ALLIANCE Characters who have the Shaman background has two spirits at their service.

CALLING A SPIRIT Roll Doom, with Disadvantage for each spirit you summon after the first (this resets after a long rest). Spirit use is much more open-ended than any other type of powers, each spirit comes with guidelines aiming to help payers make good use of their powers without going overboard. Ancestor spirit The wise counsel of an ancestor gives you an Advantage to one attribute test. You must possess an object that belonged to the ancestor to be able to summon it. On a roll of 1 the Ancestor disapproves your action and gives you Disadvantage instead. Animal lord spirit Animals come to your help (but do not risk their lives doing so) or stop attacking you. On a roll of 1 the animals flee (or attack you if they're predators). Disease spirit The target is inflicted with a non-lethal but impairing disease, forcing it to be bedridden. On a roll of 1 the disease is contagious. Fire spirit An existing fire can be manipulated: doubled in size, given any shape or form, moved around, etc. It can inflict d6 dmg (and then d6 ongoing damage). A roll of 20 means you're burned as well. A roll of 1 makes the fire disappear. Forest spirit This spirit can help you find your way, food, water or shelter when you're in a forest. It can also summon plants that will hinder your enemies (Advantage on attribute tests against them for one turn). A roll of 1 means the spirit makes sure

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you have a miserable time: no short or long rest for the next two days. Hunger spirit Target will immediately search for food and water and will not stop until it has eaten a full meal. A roll of 1 means the shaman is afflicted as well. Pain spirit Causing Pain that prevents the target from acting for one Turn is a common use of this spirit. A roll of 1 means the shaman is afflicted as well. River spirit Water must be present and as with the fire spirit, it can be manipulated in many ways: doubled in size, given any shape or form, moved around, etc. A roll of 1 makes the water disappear. Wind spirit This spirit can be invoked to extinguish flames, dissipate toxic fumes or even cause humanoids to fall to the ground. A result of 1 has the opposite effect: flames are fanned, toxic fumes move towards the shaman, etc.

SACRIFICING A SPIRIT ALLIANCE A Shaman can choose to sacrifice its relation with a spirit to obtain a huge effect: create a fire tempest, invoke a hurricane or a beast lord. A Shaman will not be able to make an alliance with that kind of spirit ever again.

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SPELLS

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CASTING A SPELL Make an INT test. If the spell was already cast on the same day, roll with Disadvantage. A failure means the spell cannot be cast before the character has taken a long rest. A critical failure means the player has to roll on the Torn Veil table: Torn Veil (d6) 1. You cannot cast any spell until next sunrise. 2. The spell's energy ravages your body: loose d6 HP. 3. You provoke an explosion of arcane energy, causing d6 dmg to anyone Nearby. 4. Your body pays the price of your hubris: permanently loose 1 HP. 5. Your mind is shattered by the magical energies: permanently loose 1 point of INT. 6. A tentacled monstrosity appears and takes you to another plane.

SPELL RANGE Unless otherwise stated in a spell's description, caster must be able to see its target.

the spell-

SPELL LIST Acid blood: you can turn 3 HP worth of your blood into acid. Does d6 dmg or can dissolve something not bigger than a small book. Animate mirror: you can animate your own reflection in a mirror. It will attack anyone that passes near it (d6 dmg). Lasts until dispelled or mirror is destroyed. Blood mark: the caster can mark one of his possession with his blood (permanently loosing 1 HP). He always knows where the object is. If the object is destroyed or the mark is erased the caster gets his HP back.

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Call the Id: you invoke an invisible creature made of anger. Can remove a physical obstacle or inflict 2d6 dmg before disappearing.. Curse of the mute: the target cannot speak. On a spellcasting roll of 1, the affliction is permanent. Darkness: d6 target(s) are blinded for d6 minutes. Deafening scream: a horrendous scream paralyzes everyone able to hear it for a few seconds. Children and animals are killed by this spell. Dream message: send a message to someone you know through a dream. The target has to be asleep. No line of sight is required to use that spell. Fading memories: the target forgets all interactions with you in the last d6 hour(s). (d6 years on a roll of 1). Feeding the fire: make an existing flame burst by feeding it with your anger. Inflicts d6 dmg to all targets Nearby. Ghost pains: the victim feels like she has lost something very important and believes the caster can give it back. Lasts one day. Greedy hand: one object the targets holds in its hand flies to yours. On a casting roll of 1, the object is destroyed. Guiding rat: when underground, this spell summons a rat that guides you to the nearest exit. It must be fed d4 HP of blood to do so. Hellhound: turns a regular dog into a raging killing machine (Attack 11, Dodge 11, d6 dmg, 10 HP). If it hasn’t been killed, it will die once the combat ends anyway. Inquisition: the target must be tied up. It is submitted to intense pain. It will answer d4 questions. The GM rolls the dice. If the caster asks more questions than the number rolled, the victim dies. Iron ghost: makes a weapon no larger than a sword invisible. The spell is canceled once the weapon is used.

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Murmurs: the target hears strange voices whispering in its hears, revealing its darkest secrets. Never-ending music: the target hears a repetitive music in its head. All rolls against her are made with Advantage. Poisonous projectile: you make one projectile poisonous. The victim dies in d6 minute(s). Portal: you create a portal to a place you already know. You end up totally naked on the other side. Other people must roll a d6 if they follow you. On a 6 they disappear… Red trap: the casters make a small pool with his own blood (loosing 2 HP until the spell is canceled). Anyone stepping in the pool cannot move farther. Rotten fumes: get Advantage on all tests made against those near the target (human or object). The target is unaffected. Lasts d6 minutes. Serpent bones: the target’s body seems to be boneless, allowing it to escape any bonds or to squeeze into tight passages. Lasts d6 minutes. Soundkiller: all sounds in a zone up to 10m in diameter around the caster are muffled. Lasts 2d6 minutes. Soul-eater: you literally chomp on your target’s soul. It drops unconscious but if you get a 1 on your casting roll it dies. Steal life: you steal d6 HP from a target you touch. Your own HP cannot go beyond their maximum. Tongue thief: you can speak through the mouth of your target. You’re limited to six words. Unnatural speed: the target can move to a Far distance on its Turn. On result of 1 a randomly selected piece of the target's equipment is destroyed. War drums: the target is experiencing all the horror of war. Roll a d6: on 1-4 the target panics, on a 5-6 it goes berserk. Withering: your target has the strength and vitality of a 90 years old for the next d6 hours.

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TWISTED SCIENCE

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Human ingenuity can produce wonderful gadgets and terrifying weapons. A character with the inventor background can make the world a better place or burn it to the ground.

BUILDING A GADGET Each week you get a number of invention points equal to your INT score. Use these points to create gadgets. You must have access to a well-equipped workshop to build them and your invention points total resets at the beginning of each week.

MAINTENANCE Subtract half the cost of your gadgets that are still active from the invention points you get each week.

TWISTED SCIENCE MARVELS Apart from single use objects, your creations come with a Ud6.that you roll after each use (or after a combat for weapons). Blood-tinted spyglass [4]: allows the user to see any living being (with blood in their veins), even those hiding behind cover or in darkness. Bomb [4] [Single-use]: d8 dmg to anyone nearby. A critical failure means the bomb explode near you. Firelance [6]: adds d4 ongoing damage to a successful attack. Freezing warhammer [6]: freezes any non-living matter it hits. Frozen objects are easy to shatter. A roll of 20 when using the warhammer means the wielder suffers d6 frost damage and the hammer is destroyed. Gas mask [2] : you'll excuse us if we don't follow the traditions of rpg writing and don't feel the need to always state the obvious: you know what a gas mask does. Acid spray: enemy weapon damage automatically degrade one step.

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Hallucinogenic gas [4] [Single-use]: indoors only. Roll a d6 for every person in the room, 1-2: relaxed state making the target easy to influence, 3-5: vivid dreams, making users oblivious to anything happening around them 6: nightmarish visions, lots of panicking and screaming. Image crystal [4]: a small crystal that projects a human-sized (or smaller) image of your choosing that must be defined when you build the crystal. Metal Owl [4]: you create an owl automaton that can follow simple orders (no more than six words). It has 4 HP, can distract a foe but cannot attack. Prosthetic limb [10]: no Ud needed. Works as the original. Can be sacrificed to negate damage from an attack. Resurrection shot [4] [Single-use]: the targets doesn't have to roll on the Death table but needs to roll a d20. On a result of 20, it dies (probably in a gruesome way). Sleep box [4]: a music box that plunges everyone living creature hearing it into a trance. The Ud roll tells you how long the effect lasts (in minutes). Targeting monocle [4]: allows you to ignore any penalties on your ranged attack rolls (including those related to your target's level). Terror gas grenade [2] [Single-use]: roll a d6 for NPCs. 1-4: they flee in terror, 5-6: they go berserk and add a d4 to their damage. Truth serum [4] [Single-use]: once injected with the serum, NPCs tell everything they know. Roll a d20. On a result of 1520, the NPC dies before it can speak.

CREATING NEW OBJECTS Steampunk novels, movies and animes are a great source of twisted science gadgets. Take 19th century/early 20th century items then add a dash of madness: x-ray googles, two-way radios communicating with the dead, trench lightning gun, flashbang marbles, etc.

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RUNE WEAPONS

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Rune weapons are very powerful and dangerous. They should be extremely rare, two per campaign being a good ratio. These weapons relish the pain they inflict to others but appreciate the suffering of their wielder even more. A rune weapon comes with an INT score (determined the same way you do for characters, p.12). The GM makes an INT test for the weapon at the beginning of each session. If successful, the weapon will kill the character if they ever become helpless.during that session or an NPC (GM's discretion). The...

of... (roll on each column)

1. Warhammer

1. Eternal

1. Soul

2. Rapier

2. Devouring

2. Oblivion

3. Bastard sword

3. Bringer

3. Skull

4. Cleaver

4. Decaying

4. Winter

5. Lance

5. Silent

5. Crow

6. Scimitar

6. Flaying

6. Shadow

7. Dagger

7. Hunter

7. Death

8. Long sword

8. Withering

8. Storm

9. Axe

9. Past

9. Horde

10.Naginata

10. Splitting

10. Light

11. Flail

11. Everlasting

11. Dust

12 Scythe.

12. Last

12. Curse

Example: I roll 3, 8 and 10, behold the Bastard Sword of Withering Light! A rune weapon can talk to its wielder through telepathy. The GM can do that but if players agree, one of them can play the role of another player's rune weapon. Players cannot "act" with the weapon in any way but they can speak to the wielder now and then. The goal is to make sure the weapon has a personality that contributes to the story, not to make another player's life miserable.

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RUNE WEAPONS PROPERTIES The weapon inflicts damage equal to one of the wielder's attribute, which in turn gives a hint at the weapon's personality. (d6) 1. STR (brutal, always calling for action) 2 DEX.(vicious, often mocking the wielder) 3. CON (patient, treating the wielder as a child)) 4. INT (cunning and distrustful, encouraging suspicion) 5. WIS (mostly silent, has no concern for its wielders) 6. CHA (prideful, pushing the wielder to be more ambitious) The weapon seems to be made of.... (d12) 1. Bone 7. Glass 2. Obsidian 8.Organic matter 3. Quicksilver 9. Bronze 4. Rusted metal 10. Stone 5. Engraved steel 11. Corals 6. Cold iron 12. A mix of two When an enemy is killed (roll or pick according to the weapon's name), the weapon...(d6) 1. Devours its soul 2. Absorb its memories 3. Grants d6 HP back to the wielder 4. Turns its body to ashes 5. The victim's face appears as a tattoo on the wielder's body 6. Makes the enemy's body explode in a really messy way The weapon can be found... (d20) 1. in the hand of a dead king 11. in a monster's belly 2 in the ashes of a funeral pyre 12. on the moon 3.hidden in a monastery 13. inside a maelstrom 4. in the hand of a young thief 14. in a necropolis 5. inside a shipwreck 15. in a secret library 6. in the dreams of a poet 16.in one's own nighmares 7. in the tomb of a priest 17. at the emperor's side 8. on a plague ship 18. on a haunted battlefield 9. in a forgotten asylum 19. in the forge of dead gods 10. on a floating island 20..in a forbidden museum

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CREATING YOUR WORLD

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Each group playing the BLACK SWORD HACK will create its own setting, this chapter will give them the tools to build it. At the center of it is the struggle between the forces of Law and Chaos. Thanks to years of arguments over the nature and relevance of alignment in fantasy games, or simply the reading of Poul Anderson and Michael Moorcok's books, every roleplayer now knows that these two don't stand for good and evil. A society dominated by Order could be characterized as stable and well-organized but the same qualities can make it repressive, stagnant and rigid. A society dominated by Chaos can be seen as dynamic, diverse and thriving but also be subject to vast inequalities, internal strife and an unhealthy appetite for conquests. As a GM, a good way to start is to define the main antagonist of the setting. Is the main antagonist tied to the forces of Order? (d6) 1. A dying Empress floating in a vat of regenerative fluids 2. A network of brains enclosed in engraved bronze casings 3. The Silent Council, made of linked psychics 4. A long-awaited messiah 5. The spirit of an ancient king, changing bodies every century 6. An artificial lifefom, devoid of human feelings Or is the villain serving Chaos? (d6) 1. A desiccated warlock sustained by dark energies 2. A nature spirit eager to end the spread of civilization 3. An ancient king/queen brought back from the dead 4. A pool of intelligent protoplasm created by a forbidden experiment 5. The leader of rag-tag army known as the Hunger Horde 6. A former Champion of Order Now it's time to describe each leader's troops: there's no need for subtlety. They 'll probably be the characters main enemies or at least a looming threat: patrolling city streets, hunting down dissidents and the subject of many children"s scary bedtime stories.

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What do the Order troops look like? (d6) 1. Golden legions named after the emperor's children 2. The Order of Truth, their armors adorned with sacred writings 3. The Martyrs, knights mutilated to look like their namesakes 4. The Sun Hussars and their firelances 5. An army of automatons made in the image of angels 6. The tattooed Janissaries, bearing on their skin the names of those they killed Behold the mighty Chaos troops! (d6) 1. The Flailed infantry and their transparent skin 2. The Arachnid Legion and their scorpion or spider-like armors 3. The Howling phalanxes and their armor made of screaming human faces 4. A host of bio-engineered monsters 5. Death battalions, made-up of convicts 6. Skeletons, because who doesn't like skeletons?

THE STRUGGLE Now it's time to define who is resisting, who is collaborating and who has the luxury to do neither. The character creation chapter hints at a few political entities: Use them to loosely define your setting and add (or make-up) your own. Some of your players could also come with interesting ideas for their character's origin. Take one of the blank maps and note the name of each place as you see fit. Forbidden City Amber enclave Northern Raiders Flotsam kingdom Pict territories Land of the Black Pyramids Last city of a dying species Theocracy

Mercenary bands Golden Archipelago Merchant league Eastern principalities Iron Horde Grey spires dominion City of thieves Dust Empire

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Afterwards, you can determine the political situation of some of them (five to six seems to do the trick) and their attitude towards Law and Chaos by rolling a d6 on the following tables: Political situation (d6) 1. Lost or forgotten 2. Declining 3. Divided 4. Corrupt 5. Thriving 6. Warmongering

Attitude (d6) 1. Allies of Order 2. Favorable to Order 3. Favors diplomatic solutions 4. Favors violent solutions 5. Favorable to Chaos 6. Allies of Chaos

THE END IS NIGH On top of the struggle between Law and Chaos, the world may suffer from one of the following calamities. What kind of political unbalance they will provoke? Using them solely to ram up the body count and offer a few cheap thrills might prove to be a waste. Pick your poison. Natural disaster (d8) d10 Plague (d10) 1. Hurricanes and storms 1. Kills most of the livestock 2. Earthquakes and tsunamis 2. Kills mostly children 3. Ice age 3. Kills mostly elders 4. Drought 4. Causes horrible mutations 5. Unending rain and floods 5. Kills mostly men 6. Asteroid(s) impact 6. Kills mostly women 7. Volcanic eruptions 7. Turns people into murderers 8. Blight(s) 8. Turns animals into monsters 9. Reality crumbles 9. Causes blindness 10. Sea level rises 10. Kills indiscriminately Political event (d12) 1. Civil war 2. Slave uprising 3. Piracy and raids 4. Succession war 5. Religious crusade 6. Conquest

7. Religious war 8. Conquered country rebellion 9. Regime change 10.Counterfeit money 11. Invasion 12. Isolation

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WHAT ABOUT BALANCE? True Balance only exists in a secluded place, far from the struggle, obviously refusing to take part in it. Its role is merely to offer a temporary refuge for the characters. It should almost always look ancient and/or decaying, reflecting the state of the world and the end of Balance. Balance stronghold (d6) 1. A hidden monastery 2. A city floating in the air 3. A decaying city that can only be reached in a dream-state 4. A refuge built underground by an advanced civilization 5. A caravan, endlessly traveling the world 6. A simple looking tavern with doors connecting to all parts of the world

THE ENDGAME Your campaign may end up with the characters having to side with Law or Chaos. If that's the case, characters loose all talents associated with the power they choose to fight. If some characters take different sides, let them duke it out with each other. Even if players choose to let kings, queens and emperors decide the fate of the world, they will still have to deal with the consequences. Many fantasy worlds are stick in a kind of status quo: nothing really changes. Kings can be killed but a new ones take their place. The world is there to be saved or at least preserved. This shouldn't be the case in a BLACK SWORD HACK campaign: kingdoms and empires disappear and the world itself isn't safe. The world at the beginning and at the end of a campaign shouldn't be the same. Whether the characters are agents of that change is for players to decide, but the world will change.

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HEIMDALLIRPORT OF THE NORTH

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The northernmost port of the land, Heimdallir is subject to cold winds, hot tempers, short days and long winters. This is not a bustling frontier town or a vast port of commerce. This is the end of the line, the place you go to when you have to hide from your enemies, your family or the gods. The harsh climate of the North guided the city's design; most of it was built underground by a now extinct civilization. The whole city is lit by fungi and luminescent plants floating in glass containers filled with water that follow a day/night cycle. The port is underground as well, it's entrance carved in the cliffs in the shape of a big maw.

THE WRITING ON THE WALL Every inch of the city is covered in an ancient writing that no one has been able to decipher so far. Looking at them for two long triggers an INT test, failure means the character pukes, a success means he has a vision of a white, gaunt, bird-like figure that tries to pick the character's eyes (ending the vision). Nobody wants to talk about this, especially with newcomers.

LAW AND ORDER IN HEIMDALLIR There's no city guard or watch in Heimdallir, you're supposed to take care of yourself and your kin. It works pretty well as the city's population is a tight-knit community, brought together by work, family ties and alcohol. Fights erupt from time to time but are interrupted as soon as weapons come out. If caught, you're expect to pay for things (or people) you break or steal. If your crime is considered serious enough, you're left on your own on the tundra with a coat and a knife.

THE THULE PEOPLE Outside Heimdallir, the tundra is inhabited by tribes calling themselves the Thule people. They sometimes come to trade furs and meat at Heimdallir. They're mostly ignored by the city inhabitants who consider them as savages.

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CITY QUARTERS THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE The whales are brought here and cut apart, every last piece of them used in one way or another: oil, meat, even alcohol. It's a good place to hide if you can bear the stench. This place (and the whalers) employs most of Heimdallir's population. People asking questions are not welcomed here and will soon have their first taste of northern hospitality. Places: the House of blood (butcher's guild), the Oil Lamp (tavern).

THE FORGE Heindallir's weapon makers are well known throughout the realms: most pirates, plunderers and mercenaries are equipped with the city's emblematic battle axes. Sturdy, reliable and plentiful. After the whale industry, the Forge is the second employer in Heimdallir. Places: the Seven Fires (forge workers' favorite tavern), the Blade Chamber (for bulk sales),

THE PILLARS The city's council and richest members are concentrated in this area. It's a large cave (several hundred meters in every direction) with three pillars in the middle of it. This is where the wealthy live, each pillar go up to the surface. Hired muscles provides some protection and the city's inhabitants are more valued than outsiders whose loyalty is always in question. Finding work here usually means taking care of something considered too dirty, sacred or dangerous by the locals Places: the Needle (city council), the Whale pillar, the Steel pillar

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THE HEART This the city's main marketplace. Oddly quiet during the winter but full of activity while the port is still open. Most taverns are found here as well as the bulk of the city's inhabitants. The Heart is one vast cavern with houses built on the walls as well. This is probably the most welcoming place for new arrivals. People here are used to foreigners asking for work, directions or the whereabouts of "that distant relative". Of course, answers are sold, not given and a bad attitude will soon be known throughout the city. Taverns: the Salty grave, the Whale's lament, the Bloody Deck...

THE PIT Mercenaries, pit fighters, fugitives and other unsavory types make their home in the Pit. The rest of Heimdallir's population comes for the fights in the quarter's multiple arenas, be it in the ruins of an ancient temple or the backroom of a musty tavern. This is the oldest part of the town. Some places are said to be haunted and it is said that dead gods still linger here and their thirst for blood attracts the violent and the demented. The passages are small and most buildings are located at different heights, stairs cross each other in every direction. Places: the Mush (Heimdallir"s most violent arena), the Red Stag (tavern).

THE JAW The city's port is closed three months a year by ice. Exports are mainly spirits, whale meat and oil as well as the Forge's battle axes. Imports are mostly food, luxuries and desperate individuals. Places: warehouses made of whale bones, old ship used as the harbor master's office, the Oblivion temple (where the dead are thrown into the sea).

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HEIMDALLIR NPCS Jabulani, Docker Jabulani is a beast of burden but a bit on the "slow" side when it comes to more intellectual pursuits. Jabulani sees who and what comes out of the ships that enter Heimdallir. He has a photographic memory and draws everything that picks his interest. That's a lot of drawings he's most happy to share with people who don't treat him like an idiot.

Anton, Drug dealer Lack of light, decent food and cultural stimulation makes Heimdallir a rather gloomy place, which is good for Anton's business. He's the guy with a finger in every pie and friends in every places. He always has some odd work for strangers who are in need of information.

Ilsa, Pit-fighter Ilsa could have had a brilliant career down south as a gladiator. But she's too violent, too mad and too stubborn to fit in a civilized arena. As she never looses, money gained from bets is slowly dwindling.

Guilem, Whalers' guild representative Don't talk about Law, Chaos, right or wrong. Gold makes the world go round. Guilem makes sure the coins keep flowing. If you're good for business you're his friend. Otherwise you're a nuisance. Guilem spent 20 years on a whaler so don't expect a pencil pusher.

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Giorgi, Mercenary This mountain of a man doesn't talk very much but pay him the right amount (we're talking d6x100 coins) and he will tear your enemies apart. He knows a good deal about other mercenaries as well.

Cybil, Sailor Working mainly on whalers, Cybil has seen her share of polar lights and blood. She basically knows every captain and sailor that call Heimdallir their home. Alcohol and drugs will make her talk. Until she remembers what she saw on the night she decided to never set foot on a whaler again.

Magda, Surgeon Magda was a surgeon for the richest families of the Merchant league until she made one little mistake. She's expensive, very discreet and will probably hate you and treat you like garbage like she does with everyone else.

Heraklia, Tavern owner Rumors insist that Heraklia was once a queen, on a remote southern island. She may not have the looks but she definitely have the authority and the hired muscle to run her tavern like a small kingdom. Don't ask about the khopesh hanging on the wall.

Kaisa, a beast lord In her true form, Kaisa is giant polar bear. She came to Heimdallir to study humanity in the shape of a Thule woman. Depending on her findings she might call her brethren and tear the place and its people apart or go further south to learn a little more (if she finds the right companions).

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BESTIARY

52

All antagonists are presented as follows: their name and level, a short description and three type of actions they can take on their Turn. If an enemy action can be avoided or stopped with an attribute test, the attribute is written in parenthesis next to the action's name.

NPC STATS ON THE FLY The following table tells the GM how much damage an NPC of a specific level can take (HP column) and dish out (damage column). Level

HP

Damage

1

5

4

2

10

5

3

15

6

4

20

7

5

25

8

6

30

9

7

35

10

8

40

11

9

45

12

10

50

13

ARMORED OPPONENTS To avoid unnecessary complications, simply add a few HP: 2 (light armor), 3 (medium armor) or 4 (Full plate or equivalent).

VULNERABILITY & RESISTANCE A vulnerability means attackers get Advantage on their damage roll while resistance means they get Disadvantage on that roll. Popular choices include fire, frost, lightning, etc.

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ENEMY MORALE Aside from the most die-hard fanatic, mots human antagonists will surrender or flee if they have less than 3 HP left or if they lose half of their forces. Same goes if the character use rune weapons, magic, demons or spirits against unsuspecting foes (and this may affect the characters' reputation as well).

WHAT DO YOU FIND ON THE CORPSE? On most humanoid characters you can find: ■ Weapons ■ Armor is usually ruined during combat. If it's still intact, the player and the GM both roll a d6, if they get the same number the armor suits the character. ■ If it makes sense, the character can find d6 coins per HD On other creatures; characters ready to get dirty can find: ■ d6 body parts worth d6X10 coins each (LVL 5 creatures or lower) or d6x100 coins (LVL 6 creatures or higher). Body parts (d6) 1. Teeth 2. Eye 3. Liver 4. Glands (venom, sweat...) 5. Horn 6. Strange gem or object that shouldn't be here

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ABERRATION [LVL 8] These creatures were born in the laboratories of ancient civilizations. Designed for a war that has long been lost they still roam the world in search of prey or maybe is it peace? ■ Terrifying characters that see the aberration for the first time must roll Doom.■ Acid spit (DEX) destroys a point of armor or inflict 10 dmg to unarmored opponent. ■ Grab and squeeze (DEX) suffer ongoing damage until DEX test is successful.

ANGRY PEASANT [LVL1] You don't know when you're going to end up at the wrong end of a fork held by an angry (or fearful) . Once at 0 HP consider that the mob flees. ■ Fork (DEX or STR) 3 dmg ■ Torch (DEX) ongoing damage

BLIND HUNTERS Poor kids are taken (or bought) by a vicious cult that remove their eyes and pump them full of drugs for years, training them to become the ultimate hunters. Blind hunters will always find you. Vulnerability: sound-based attacks Sniffer [LVL 3] The sniffer role si to distract you while the killer does the dirty work. ■ Distract (WIS) target suffers Disadvantage during its next Turn ■ Two short-swords (DEX or STR) 6 dmg ■ Flee two move action this Turn. Killer [LVL 4] As the name implies, this individual has one very specific goal in mind that doesn't leave much space for negotiations. ■ True arrow (DEX) 8 dmg, ignores armor. ■ Poisoned blades (DEX or STR) 6 dmg + ongoing damage ■ Flee two move action this Turn.

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EATERS OF THE DEAD Some remote tribes think they gain power by eating the flesh of humans. Their shamans tend to prove this true which is a bit disturbing. Vulture [LVL 2] For this warrior you're not a person, you're a meal. ■ Crude weapons (DEX or STR) 6 dmg ■ Just a scratch once per combat the Vulture divides damage it received by 2 (round down) Shaman [LVL 4] The spiritual leader of the tribe but not always the more intelligent one. Shamans are fanatics. ■ Evil eye target suffers Disadvantage during its next Turn ■ Pitiful knife attack (DEX or STR) 3 dmg ■ Insect swarm (WIS) ongoing damage Chief [LVL 4] For the tribe's leader, survival of the community takes precedence over everything else, including the shaman's authority. ■ Crush (DEX or STR) 7 dmg ■ Blade fodder summons d4 tribesmen that appear in d4 Turns ■ Fury (DEX or STR) attack every close enemies. Once per combat.

FIRST BORN At the time humans crawled out of their caves, the first born (as they call themselves) were ruling most of the world. Most of their technology is based on the use and control of insects. First born soldier[LVL 3 ] Disciplined and well trained, most first born soldiers wait for the day they will conquer the world again. ■ Electric lance (DEX or STR) ranged, 7 dmg ■ Katana (DEX or STR) 7 dmg

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First born insect master [LVL 2] The insect masters take care of everything in the last cities of the First born, from medical treatment to waste management, using a wide variety of insects. ■ Healing swarm (DEX) restores d6 HP to Nearby First borns ■ Giant wasp (DEX) 5 dmg ■ Tracker bug (WIS) a tiny bug allows the insect master to find you up to 10 kilometers away. First born lord [LVL 5] The lords are a divided lot. Three factions are actually at odds: those who wish remain hidden, those who want to contact the outside world and finally those who would like to rule the world again. ■ Katana Death dance (DEX or STR) 8 dmg, attacks all Nearby characters ■ Insect juice the lord recovers d6 HP, once per combat ■ Web bomb (DEX) target is stuck until it succeeds at a STR test

DESICCATED DRAGON [LVL 10] Scholars say that Dragons are a thing of the past, but incredibly old ones can still be found. They do not care for riches, honor or flattery. Surviving dragons now only relish in complex mind games, quickly turning dimwits and bores to ashes. ■ Gas (DEX) 14 dmg + ongoing damage ■ Flap of wings (DEX) fall on your ass, no move next turn ■ Suggestion (WIS) attack Close ally. Resistance: normal weapons

GIANT SERPENT [LVL 4] Great sovereigns once used these foul creatures as pets, feeding them with those who dared to oppose their authority. Giant serpents have lost most of their masters but not their appetite. ■ Hypnotize (WIS) you cannot directly attack the serpent ■ Grab (DEX) end up in the snake's mouth ■ Swallow (STR) 6 dmg each Turn. Grab must have been performed first.

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GOLEMS Created by sorcerers or some communities as guardians. Many ruins are still guarded by these silent warriors. Blade golem [LVL 5] Made from blades found on a battlefield, held together by blood and hate. They do not stop until their enemy is dead. ■ Slice and dice (DEX or STR) 9 dmg ■ Absorb weapon (STR) lose weapon in hand and the golem gets 1 HP back Resistance: normal weapons Flesh golem [LVL 3] A hodgepodge of rotting body parts, the stench of the flesh golem is enough to make a goat puke. ■ Gas (CON): target suffers Disadvantage during its next Turn ■ Bursting ganglion (DEX) end up covered in pus and gore. Roll Doom ■ Punch (DEX or STR) 6 dmg House golem [LVL 7] These golems were made of houses and watchtowers parts. Standing 20 meters tall they leave nothing of trespassers but a greasy mark on their stone hands. ■ Stomp (DEX): 10 dmg ■ Throw debris (DEX) ranged, 8 dmg ■ Regenerate gets d6 HP back using debris around it. Vulnerability: fire

HOLLOW MONKS When pushed too far, mortification of the flesh can destroy the minds of the faithful, leaving them open to things from beyond.... They have organized themselves as a religious order, always seeking for new recruits. Novice [LVL 2] Mostly lower beings used as cannon fodder by their elders. ■ Rusted daggers (DEX or STR) 5 dmg ■ Relentless once at 0 HP, comes back with 1 HP on a roll of 5-6 an a d6 ■ Sacrifice (DEX) the Novice explodes, causing 10 dmg to anyone Close to him.

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Abbot [LVL 4] The Abbot usually rules over a monastery and the most likely to fight the characters. ■ Go there! One monk under the abbot's command can move twice and attack during its turn ■ Mace (DEX or STR) 6 dmg ■ Get up! one monks gets back d6 HP. Archimandrite [LVL 6] This piece of work reigns over multiple monasteries and intends to create even more. ■ Army of flesh any monk close to the Archimandrite falling to 0 HP gets back up with 1 HP if the GM rolls 5 or 6 on a d6 ■ Meat shields damage meant for the Archimandrite hurts another Close monk ■ Chain whip (DEX or STR) 9 dmg

GHOST LEGIONNAIRES Ancient wars have left many souls hungry for revenge or atonement. Whole armies can sometimes be found or summoned. Soldiers who died in an ambush before proving their worth, entire legions obliterated in a pointless battle. Resistance: all Ghost legionnaires are immune to normal weapons and their attacks ignore armor. They can only be harmed when fought under the moonlight. Other possibilities may exist (weapons bathed in blood or tied to spirits of ghost legion victims) at the GM's discretion. Aquilifer [LVL 2] The standard bearer of the legionnaires usually buffs the rest of the troops. The aquilifer is usually heavily protected. ■ Summon ghosts d4 legionnaire appear in d4 Turns ■ Gladius (DEX or STR) 6 dmg ■ Defeaning scream (CON) roll Doom Centurion [LVL 4] Perhaps the angriest of the ghost, having been denied fortune and glory when he was alive. ■ Go there! One legionnaire under the centurion's command can move twice and attack during its turn ■ Battle axe (DEX or STR) 7 dmg ■ Tactician while allies are Nearby, they inflict 1 dmg even if the target parries or dodges successfully

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Legionnaire [LVL 2] The ghostly existence of a legionnaire is sustained by resentment and hate, but if you can offer them glory and a worthy cause at last... ■ Pilum (STR or DEX) 6 dmg ■ Shield push (DEX or STR) fall prone, no move next Turn

MERCENARIES Killing, maiming and looting turned out to be legitimate activities. Archer [LVL 2] As the name implies they'd rather pick you up from a distance. ■ Shoot (DEX) 5 dmg ■ Fleet-footed moves twice this Turn ■ Knife attack (DEX or STR) 3 dmg. Hired blade [LVL 3] Mercenaries won't fight to the death, no matter the pay. ■ Claymore (STR) 6 dmg ■ Warband (DEX or STR) if other mercenaries are present, take ongoing damage Captain [LVL 5] Part soldier, part businessman, the captain si open to negotiations as long as the money flows. ■ Commander take 1 dmg every Turn. ■ Sword blow (DEX or STR) 7 dmg ■ Healing balm the captain gets d6 HP back.

QUEEN OF THE DEAD [LVL 7] A sorceress that made a pact with Death itself. Immortality was just the beginning though. What power will the dead choose to serve: Chaos, Law or Balance? ■ Frightening Presence everyone seeing the queen must roll Doom. Once per combat ■ Gut-wrenching scream (WIS) roll Doom ■ Scythe (DEX or STR) 10 dmg Resistance: Bladed weapons and arrows

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SKELETONS Undead that "survive" long enough loose their flesh, sinews and tendons. All that is left is bone and cunning forged through years of combat. Giant skeletons [LVL 7] The last vestige of an extinct species, giant skeletons stand 3 meters tall, their bones covered in a defunct language. ■ Battleaxe sweep (DEX or STR) 8 dmg to all Nearby enemies ■ Kick (DEX) 6 dmg and fall prone 10 meters away ■ Thrown rock (DEX) 7 dmg Skeleton warrior [LVL 3] These ancient warriors might still recognize a symbol of their former kingdom or tribe, which may stop their attacks. ■ Scimitar (DEX or STR) 6 dmg ■ Bag of bone (STR) your weapon is stuck in the skeleton until you succeed at a STR test ■ Relentless once at 0 HP, comes back with 1 HP on a roll of 5-6 an a d6

SORCERERS The pursuit of forbidden knowledge always comes with a heavy price. Paying that price means you have no qualms about hurting or killing other living being to reach your goals. Necromancer LVL 6 The Master of the dead usually seek to gain enough power to rule over the Queen of the dead. None have succeeded thus far. ■ Skeleton crew invokes d6 skeletons ■ Poisoned blade (DEX or STR) 5 dmg and ongoing damage ■ Teleport if things get too dangerous. the Necromancers teleports up to a Faraway distance. Shadow knight LVL 7 Steel and sorcery make for a very potent foe. Many adventurers won't survive a fight against a shadow knight. ■ Shadow blade (DEX or STR) 10 dmg, ignores armor ■ Shadow tendrils (DEX) disarms a Close attacker ■ Lightning (DEX), ranged, 5 dmg, ignores armor.

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POSSESSED ANIMALS Some animals can sometimes be possessed by angry spirits that grant them enormous power. They may be purposefully created by sorcerers or happen in nature as a reaction to intense pain and fear. Boar [LVL 5] ■ Relentless once at 0 HP, comes back with 1 HP on a roll of 5-6 an a d6 ■ No refuge breaks any door, wall or barricade in d4 Turns ■ Charge (DEX) 8 dmg Crocodile [LVL 5] ■ Lightning fast can move twice and attack ■ Bite (STR or DEX) 8 dmg Shark [LVL 5] ■ Jaws (DEX or STR) 6 dmg. At 0 HP the target is devoured ■ Lightning fast can move twice and attack Wolf [LVL 5] ■ Bite (STR or DEX) 8 dmg ■ Pounce (STR or DEX) fall on your ass, no move next turn ■ Howling (WIS) roll Doom

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ADVENTURE SCALPEL SURPRISE

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This is a pretty straightforward adventure, designed to help you run the game as soon as you've finished reading the rules. It can take place in any port city of your choice, just be aware that there won't be much left of it by the end of the adventure?

THE SET-UP While searching for a new job, the character come across Charles, a former butler who used to work for the Karvill brothers, famous surgeons whose clients include the wealthiest families in town. He now plans to rob this former employers, using a secret entrance located in the city sewers. All he needs to pull that plan off is a small group of determined individuals. The adventure starts as the players are following Charles in the sewers....

THE SEWERS The sewers were built recently, they're quite large. As you might suspect, the stench is almost sickening and without torches or a lantern you'll soon end-up in the dark. ■ If the characters are quite and a t least one of them is paying attention, they'll hear footsteps Nearby. ■ If the characters are noisy and prefer to talk about what may happen instead of paying attention, to their surroundings, they come face to face with another group of thieves, roll initiative! The other group is made of five, shoddy looking thieves. If all the characters fail their initiative test, the leader of the thieves tries to avoid a fight. If the characters decide to talk instead of attacking, they will learn that those thieves are looking for the same thing and are proposing a joint venture. It seems the characters weren't Charles first choice. After a few words have been exchanged, a swarm of rats runs between everyone's legs and doesn't stop (if the characters are fighting, this happens during the second round).. The characters then hear the sound of the oncoming flood before they see it, which leaves them a few seconds to take one action.

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THE FLOOD As the sewers are engulfed in water, characters must make a STR test. Those who managed to attach themselves to a nearby ladder don't have to roll. Those who try at least to hold to each other make the roll with Advantage. Failure means losing d4 HP.

AFTERMATH The water has receded but is now at waist level. The characters first priority will probably be to find some light. While they do, they hear something Once they find a way to make some light (they can find a lantern underwater, use torches if they have some in their backpacks, etc.) they can see the following: ■ a big dead shark is lying in front of them; ■ the corpses of the other crew lie around, some are impaled on broken pipes. ■ Charles has found a lantern and is on top of a broken metal door that has fallen to the ground. As he says "Hey, the entrance is here, it will be easier than we..." a blade coming from underneath the metal door cut his throat. If the characters approach they'll see that something was crushed by the metal door and used its last breath to fulfill its mission and kill any intruder. Close examination will show a human body with mechanical parts grafted on it.

ENTERING THE BASEMENT Behind the broken metal door is a corridor that leads to a hatch. Characters can also see light coming from a large broken pipe near the ceiling and that goes through the wall, probably in the Kavill's brother basement as well. Characters that decide to look for other ways in will find a passage that is underwater and leads to a pool inside the lab. Light filtering through the water is giving the passage away.

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THE KAVILL'S BROTHERS' LAB Think of a 19th century mad scientist lab: books, beakers, funnels, test tubes; rows of random potions, all lying on crumbling shelves. The place smells of alcohol and burned flesh. The ceiling is 10 meters. high. What waits for them depends on how they choose to enter the lab: ■ If the characters enter the lab using the hatch, the brothers will hear them coming, hide away and activate the abomination, the characters roll initiative with Disadvantage. ■ If the characters have used the large pipe, it breaks in the middle of the lab as the character progresses, taking the brothers by surprise The characters have the initiative. ■ If the characters use the underwater passage, they can enter the lab undetected via a small pool. The first thing the characters will see are the Kavill brothers. Both wear leather aprons and are working on a bio-mechanical abomination, looking like the one crushed by the metal door outside. Further examination will reveal two cages. A humanoid form in rags is lying in one of them. This part of the adventure is pretty open-ended so wait for the players to act and let the NPCs reactaccordingly.. The Kavill brothers [LVL 2] Twin brothers who experiment on human beings to fulfill their quest of immortality and their patron's desire to built an a bio-mechanical army who knows no fear. One of the brothers has severe burn scars on one side of his face. ■ Scalpel DEX or STR) 4 dmg ■ Flash potion (WIS) blinded for 1 Turn ■ Flee two move action this Turn. The Abomination LVL 5 This creature is one of the brothers' attempt to create fearless and obedient soldiers. ■ Grafted blade DEX or STR) 8 dmg ■ Regenerate (WIS) the abomination recovers d4 HP Resistance: normal weapons Vulnerability: acid and fire

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KAVILL BROTHERS ACTIONS At first, the brothers will try to fight off with the invaders but as soon as they are wounded or if the abomination is killed, they'll try to make a run for it. If one of the Kavill brothers reaches the ladder at the end of the lab and manages to climb to the exit hatch, he's flushed down the ladder by the water that has accumulated in their house. The fall kills him. If taken prisoner, the brother(s) tell the character they can find a lot of money upstairs (which is a lie, they keep their money at the bank and are just buying time). If a character opens the hatch, the player must make a DEX or STR test to remain on the ladder. A failure means falling down and take d4 dmg.

SEARCHING THE LAB Characters who look for something helpful on the lab shelves can roll on the following table: Grab a potion! (d6) 1. Urine sample (yellow liquid with traces of blood) 2. Flash! Make a WIS test or blinded for 1 Turn. Enemies are automatically blinded.(bright yellow liquid) 3. Acid (mild) does d4 dmg (green and thick liquid) 4. Dragon breath d12 dmg (must be ingested) (orange and glowing liquid) 5. Explosive potion, does d10 dmg (red and bubbly) 6. Acid, does d8 dmg (light green and thick liquid) A more thorough search allows the characters to find the blueprint of twisted science invention. Random blueprint (d4) 1. Bomb 2. Prosthetic limb 3. Gas mask 4.Terror gas grenade.

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THE PRISONER The man inside the cage is a noble opposing the ruling council of the city. Once freed he'll promise huge rewards to the characters. He's not much of a fighter. Once outside he'll ask the characters to escort him to the nearest town so he can warn the authorities of the invasion. It's pretty obvious that he has no means of paying the characters...

THE SURFACE Law's or Chaos' forces (whoever is the bad guy in your campaign) has invaded the city, using a magically summoned flood to wipe-out any resistance. What the character find will depend on how the characters wish to reach the surface: ■ going through the sewers again? They can go towards the port where they'll see the ships of an invading army or go the other way and soon be blocked by debris or multiple caveins, forcing them to exit the sewers inside the city walls. ■ go through the Kavill's mansion? The place is ruined. Outside, the water is at knee level (which makes running. impossible). As soon as the characters hit the streets, they're spotted by a mechanical bird which alerts a Nearby patrol. The characters get 1 Turn to act before the patrol sees them. Invading soldier[LVL2] Five soldiers that will call for help and/or back down if the goings get tough. ■ Lance (DEX or STR) 6 dmg ■ Call for help (DEX or STR) another patrol arrives in 3 Turns.

ESCAPE The best way to escape is to find some means of transportation, stealing one from the invading army could be the best solution (pick one according to your setting: small zeppelin? small boat? Mechanical beasts? Etc.)

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APPENDIX 1 OF SHIPS AND THE SEA

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Regarding these rules, a "ship "can be a skyship, a deep sea leviathan or anything in between. A ship is defined by: ■ the number of masts it has, from one to three. You can replace "masts" with "Blood crystals", "Reactor cores" or whatever name fits your setting. ■ its crew, which as a score equal to 7+d6

TRAVEL The Captain makes an INT test. If the ship has more than one mast the test is made with Advantage. ■ Success means travel time is unchanged ■ A critical success means the travel time is divided by two ■ A failure means the travel time is doubled ■ A critical failure means the ship faces the perils of the sea. Perils of the sea (d6) 1.Storm: Minor damage to the ship that take one day to repair 2.Pirates! One ship with two masts and a small crew (5) 3.Big storm: a part of the crew is lost (-1 to the crew rating) 4.Pirates! One ship with three masts and a big crew (6) 5.Storm: major damage and double the travel time. 6.Storm of the century: the ship sinks, characters awake on an island.

COMBAT One of the players roll a d20 for each mast the ship has. Each roll that is below the Crew's score is a success. Successes can be stacked up and used as follows: ■ you need one success to destroy one enemy mast ■ you need two successes to attempt a boarding action ■ you need three success to distance an enemy ship If the Captain gets no success at all, the players have to choose one of the following consequences: ■ the ship is damaged and loses one mast ■ the crew score loses 1 point ■ the ship is boarded

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BOARDING ACTION You can resolve a boarding action one of two ways: Character centered: each characters takes an action that helps the action. If half the characters succeed, the boarding action is a success. For each character that failed, the crew score loses 1 point. Crew centered: one of the players makes a crew test. ■ a success means the boarding party is successful but it looses a few men (crew score loses 1 point). ■ a critical success means the enemy ship is swiftly captured with no casualties on your side. ■ a failure means the boarding party is repelled (or the ship is taken depending on which side the characters are) the crew loses 1 point. ■ a critical failure means the same as above but lose 2 crew points instead.

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GLOSSARY Advantage: players roll two d20s and choose the result to keep. Attribute test: when a character tries to do something that has a chance to fail, the player makes an attribute test by rolling a d20. Rolling below attribute means the character succeeds Rolling on or above the attribute means the character fails or things escalate. Long rest:: rest that lasts 6 hours, characters recover all their HP. Doom gets back to its maximum. Character: a character controlled by a player. Charisma (CHA): a measure of a character's ability to influence others. Close: usually 1,50m or 1 square. Short rest: lasts 1 hour, characters recover a number of HP equal to half their CON score (rounded down). A character can take one Short rest per day. Constitution (CON): the body's capacity to resist to physical stress. In combat this means the character does maximum damage and add another damage die on top of that. Critical failure: getting a natural 20 on an attribute roll is a critical failure, forcing the player to make an Adrenaline roll. Critical success: getting a natural 1 on an attribute roll is a critical success. Damage die: the amount of damage a character inflicts in combat.

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Dexterity (DEX): a character's deftness and agility. Disadvantage: player rolls 2d20s and keeps the worst result. Distant: beyond 20m, farthest range in the game. Doom: some characters action bring the world closer to it's end, triggering the use of the Doom Ud. Faraway: usually 20m or 12 squares. Helpless: the status of a character that has no HP left, forcing its player to roll on the Helpless table. HP: hit points, a rough measure of the character's health, luck and will to live. Intelligence (INT): a character's ability to apply its knowledge to the situation at hand. Nearby: usually 10m or 6 squares. Morale test: NPCs losing half their allies or their leader must make a Morale test: the GM rolls a d12, if the result is equal or superior to the highest HD level in the NPC group, they run away. NPC: non-player character, usually controlled by the GM. Ongoing damage: the victim takes Ud4 points of damage each Turn until the dice degrades Broken: once its Doom die is depleted, a character suffers Disadvantage on all attribute tests.. Strength (STR): a character's raw physical power. Turn: the time needed for a character to move and act Usage die (Ud): used to represent finite resources. When a resource is used (or once the combat is over for weapons Ud) you roll its Usage die, a result of 1-2 means it is downgraded to the next smallest die:

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Character sheet

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