Carbon Grey (Ks Backer Edition) (2021) [PDF]

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US $39.99

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CREDITS CREATIVE DIRECTOR/LEAD WRITER:

GAME DESIGNER:

GRAPHIC DESIGN: JARED EARLE/NIGHTFALL GAMES ANDREW E.C. GASKA/BLAM! VENTURES

WRITERS: JAY AFRICA KIM PERRONE JAMESON MCDANIELS EMMETT FUREY

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: CHRIS NORTHROP

PUBLISHER: MIKE KENNEDY MAGNETIC PRESS PLAY

CARBON GREY CREATED BY: HOANG NGUYEN PAUL GARDNER KHARI EVANS KINSUN LOH

CARBON GREY MINIATURES SCULPTED BY: DAVID ARBERAS KEIREN RUSSELL STARRY GAMES

SPECIAL THANKS TO: SANDRA WAGNER AUDUN GABRIEL LØVLIE EMMANUEL PAPST ADRIEN

Officially licensed by Magnetic Press, LLC based on the Carbon Grey’ graphic novel series by

BLAM VENT RES , NIGHTFALL GAMES and their associated distinctive designs are trademarks of their respective owners.

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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF CARBON GREY CHAPTER 2: SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION CHAPTER 4: COMBAT AND RECOVERY CHAPTER 5: GEAR AND WEAPONS CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES CHAPTER 7: A WORLD AT WAR CHAPTER 8: RUNNING THE GAME CHAPTER 9: ALLIES, ENEMIES, AND EXTRAS CHAPTER 10: EPISODES CHAPTER 11: ARCHETYPE TEMPLATES CHAPTER 12: CHARACTER REGISTRATION FORM

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"The Western Front - where pawns are given guns and sent to die." - Freelady Frigga of House Leopold

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CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF CARBON GREY

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WHERE LIES YOUR DESTINY?

The Carbon Grey Role-Playing Game is a gateway to a turbulent, dystopian, dieselpunk world at war. Whatever role you assume here is up to you. Become heroes struggling against a seemingly unstoppable empire with world-conquering aspirations. Survive the grimness of trench warfare. Dare to soar the deadly skies. Master the art of espionage to uncover the secrets of your enemies. Navigate the social hierarchy and underhanded dealings of both the nobility and the underworld. Discover and learn to manipulate the strange powers that affect the very reality of the world around you. In a world made for war, battle lines are fluid. Skirmishes are fought not only in the mud, muck, and mire, but also in the ballroom. One needs to be willing to go to any lengths to eke out even a small victory—or die trying. Such is the world of Carbon Grey. In the Carbon Grey Role-Playing Game, furor, dread, and action await your every die roll. You will face the might of a nation, be forced to make grim choices, stand against deadly challenges, and take on missions no one else dare attempt. So steel your nerves, check your ammo, and heed the call of war!

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CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF CARBON GREY

More historical fantasy than historical fiction, the world of Carbon Grey is a dieselpunk setting that evokes a style and period strongly reminiscent of the First World War. The inuniverse inclusion of anachronistic technology (including modern weaponry and aircraft) is not a discrepancy—strange stone shards cause reality shifts when two strong-willed minds confront and clash with each other. The result are Continuity Fluxes and surges which can do as little as alter the appearance of an object to as much as bring items from the future to the present. This entropic energy can randomly alter any given confrontation for the better or the worse. The chaos and pandemonium can be both manipulated and held in check by an order of monkish acolytes—Marshals of Order and their Dharman Adepts—with the ability to shape and influence different strands of time and space. It is a world of escalation. As the Great War consumes one nation after another and more people seek to control the chaos, reality collapses further in upon itself until the entirety of space, time, matter, and energy is at stake.

THE STONE OF GOTTFAUST

In the universe before ours, in the time of giants, a star screamed from the heavens. It burned the skies over Mitteleuropa and streaked to the ground, burrowing into the chest of a peasant shepherd. Rather than kill the boy, the star’s core lodged in his heart in the form of a stone. And that stone called to him, claimed him. It gave him the power of a star… and the nature of a god. As it happened, the first kaiser was hunting Fenris nearby. Distracted by the star-spectacle, he soon found himself at a disadvantage—now the wolf was hunting him. The star-powered shepherd-god leapt to his sovereign’s aid, felling the wolf with a single blow. The kaiser, driven by both gratitude and greed, named

the shepherd boy, now his new champion, Gottfaust. Loyal to the throne, Gottfaust brought about the meteoric rise of the kaiser and his dominion over all of Mitteleuropa. For centuries, the legend of Gottfaust ensured Mitteleuropa’s place as the world’s prepotent superpower. As the world entered the 20th century, however, the power of the Gottfaust myth diminished. Myths and propaganda have started to give way to science and truth, causing doubt and conflict to flourish among Mitteleuropa’s neighbors. And this situation, of course, has bred war.

THE POWERS THAT BE In Carbon Grey, entire nations have taken up arms aginst each other. The countries involved are covered in detail in Chapter 7: The World At War (page 125). Here’s a quick look at the major players.

THE MITTELEUROPEAN EMPIRE Ruled by a kaiser believed to be an everreincarnated god, Mitteleuropa has a strong culture steeped in myth and legend. A lasting vestige of the old world hopelessly clinging to the old ways, the Mitteleuropean Empire was once the single dominating power on the world stage. Over time, the Empire weakened as each of its eight states turned its focus to its own needs. Mitteleuropa was in trouble long before the West grew strong enough to stand against it. The kaiser made his move too late. Consolidating his power base, the kaiser sought to bring all the states’ industrial and military might under one flag—an obvious power grab that had its own consequences. THE AXIS POWERS The Allies took notice. Soon, Mitteleuropa was under siege from without and within. They joined forces with the Turul Empire, Kurjack, and other nations to form the Axis powers— countries united in their quest to dominate the entire globe.

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THE ALLIES Lead by the Kingdom of Lions, the Allies are a gathering of self-assured western nations determined to keep Mitteleuropa and its kaiser in check. Their combined manufactured militaries, abundant economies, and new technologies represent a threat to Mitteleuropean might. When the kaiser asserted his dominance over the disparate states of the Empire, the Allies were not about to let this world-altering coup go unchallenged. They were countered in turn by the Axis Powers. The result is the Great War. As the conflict escalates, whispers of fierce angels raging against Mitteleuropean forces reach the Allies, causing them to wonder if there is more to the Gottfaust myth than the world believes.

THE WESTERN FRONT

NO-MAN’S LAND This series of deep, zig-zagging furrows runs like a hundred-mile scar over the face of the western world, fortifying arbitrary battle lines scrawled across a map. Mitteleuropean and Allied forces alike stand vigilant in these entrenchments, ready to charge across NoMan’s Land and gut their opponents at the first sign of weakness. Life in the trenches is miserable. You’re up against rats, rain, mud, and a sniper round to the head if you stand up too straight. Survive all that, and a tank might just roll over you while a cannon walker crushes your buddy. If those fates weren’t bad enough, these trenches have repercussions beyond the battlefield itself. They’ve devastated the lands around them, polluting fresh water, ruining farmlands, and displacing wildlife. DOGFIGHTS AND AIR RAIDS Open warfare blankets the skies as well as the landscape of the western world. Anachronistic warplanes and bombers weave

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between juggernaut airships and armored hot-air balloons. Biplanes and experimental jet fliers clash over Allied cities besieged by Mitteleuropean airship bombing runs. These frequent attacks have caused most cities to adopt air-raid sirens, warning the people that Death is once again about to rain down on them.

FORCES ON THE FRONT

These are but a smattering of the friends and foes—mostly foes—who await you on the battlefield. WARRIORS DIVINE: THE SISTERS GREY The ruling elite of Mitteleuropa use fierce bodyguards to maintain order. Called the Sisters Grey, these one-woman armies strike with deadly combat precision. There are always three: one embodying wisdom, another strength, and the third grace. These warriors are said to be the descendants of Gottfaust himself, the demi-god champion of Mitteleuropa. May he help anyone who gets in their way. PURGE CORPS: THE KAISER’S FINEST The Kaiser’s most effective and highly feared force after the Sisters Grey, the troopers of the Purge Corps have a reputation for quick, efficient completion of missions, and usually the complete devastation of their targets. The ominous drab uniforms, full-face gas mask and headgear, cutting-edge armor, and high-tech armaments give the Purge Corps an advantage over all but the most seasoned of soldiers. WALKING DOOM: KANONENLÄUFER Designed for psychological warfare as well as superior firepower, the Cannon Walker is designated a tank-killer. These mobile artillery turrets have four sturdy legs on a chassis mounted with heavy machine guns, a grappling spear gun, and even a howitzer.

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CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF CARBON GREY

NATURE’S FURY: THE FENRIS PACKS The sight of stark-white, horse-sized Fenris Wolves in the otherwise drab landscape of war is a recent addition to the battlefields of Mitteleuropa. Humankind has destroyed the habitat of the noble creatures, forcing them into the trenches and ruined villages in search of food and shelter. STONE DEMONS: THE DARKNESS WITHIN Incidents of a carnivorous beast running through Witchill have increasingly made the front page of the Kernow Guardian. What the papers aren’t saying is that there are more than one—a great many more. These monstrous ape-like beings seem to erupt from common townsfolk, transforming human bodies like a disease, metamorphosing flesh and bone into powerful sinew and jagged fangs. Some say they were summoned from the Stone of Gottfaust. Others believe they were inside those people all along, and that the Stone merely brought their inner beasts to the surface. To make matters worse, an army of these demons is being assembled by Queen Vasilyeva for an attack on Ursa.

THEMES

Missions in Mitteleuropa will always involve one or more of these key thematic concepts. Bloodlines. Nations are built on family—the descendants of kings were meant to be kings. But tradition is a stranglehold on society’s growth. Will you further these royal bloodlines or sever them? War is Hell. Nothing can ever prepare you for the brutal savagery of war. Its horrors will haunt you on the land, in the skies, and in the battlefield of your mind.

Imperialism. The superpowers are expanding their territories through whatever means necessary, be it diplomacy or by force, and you are swept up in the repercussions of it. Propaganda vs Truth. Truth is fluid—dam it up and divert the flow where you want it most. At least that’s what the powers that be are pushing. Do you buy into their lies, or expose them? Darkness Within. Something sinister stirs in all of us, and the bends and tears in our reality can bring it to the surface. You can either feed the corruption or bring balance to existence.

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH, THE FOOTSLOGGERS, AND THE LAWBREAKERS Three viewpoints help give some perspective on the world of Carbon Grey.

Aristocracy. Often, these are the bastards at the top who just don’t get it—using people as chess pieces to protect their own self interests. Some nobility actually do care, providing relief efforts to those hurt by the war. Doughboy. The people in the heart of the war—small-town villagers who have seen wanton destruction that has ruined their lives for reasons outside the scope of their day to day lives. They can be a villager who has lost everything, the green soldier in the trench, or even a veteran warrior. Outlaw. Someone looking for an angle—a way to use the war to turn a profit or make themselves a better life. An AWOL soldier wanted for deserting his post is as much of an outlaw as a smuggler, thief, or killer.

Revolution. Might does not make right. The people need to rise up on their own and take back what’s rightfully theirs. Will you join the rebellion, or squash it where it stands?

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WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING GAME? A role-playing game (RPG) is a tabletop game in which you and your friends (the players) assume the roles of fictional player characters (PCs). The decisions and actions of these PCs are directly controlled by you and the other players as you face various challenges and mysteries. A semi-structured narrative is laid out before you by another player called the Game Master, or GM. The GM is your guide through gameplay and controls every other character in the game. These additional characters are called non-player characters (NPCs). Your character’s abilities are represented by statistics marked on a character sheet (In Carbon Grey, this shee it called a Charactrer Registration Form). All charater actions are determined by way of a game-specific rule set utilizing dice rolls, decision-making, and play-acting. NO BOARD—AND NO PATH BUT YOUR OWN While characters’ actions and movements can be plotted on a map using detailed miniatures, there is no board for this game. How to proceed during any given adventure is completely up to you. If the mission seems to be leading your character west, you can turn around and go east. This might be a really bad idea—it may get you killed —or you may find an alternative solution to the problem, but either way, the choice is yours. The free-will aspect of RPGs often means that no two gaming sessions of the same adventure will ever be alike. It is this freedom of choice that makes RPGs all the more fun.

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CHAPTER 1: THE THE W WORLD ORLD O OF F CARBON CARBON GREY GREY

WEST END GAMES’ RETRO RPG ROOTS

The D6 System is a tabletop role-playing game system created by West End Games (WEG). Best known as the basis for movie-based tabletop games such as the original Star Wars and Ghostbusters RPGs, the D6 System has provided the tabletop foundation for many popular role-playing games since. Widely beloved for its ease of play, the D6 System is the perfect ruleset for introducing new players to tabletop gaming. The system is named after the many 6-sided dice rolls used to determine success and failure in the game.

THE MAGNETIC VARIANT— CLASSIC GAME PLAY WITH A HINT OF GREY Over the years, various versions of the D6 System have been developed by West End Games and its affiliates for different types of game play. The Carbon Grey Role-Playing Game uses what we’re calling the “Magnetic Variant” of these classic tabletop role-playing game rules (D6MV). The Magnetic Variant rewinds the D6 system back to its classic roots and streamlines it for a forward-thinking modern audience. Here are some of the rules variations unique to the Magnetic Variant of the system: GENRE DEFINED ATTRIBUTES, STREAMLINED SKILLS The original D6 System utilized six core attributes—Dexterity, Knowledge, Mechanical, Perception, Strength, and Technical. The Magnetic Variant embraces this rule of six but melds the Technical attribute into Knowledge and Mechanical to create room for Willpower. Additionally, skill lists have been reorganized and boiled down to just six signature skills per attribute for ease of play. These Skills and Atrributes are covered in Chapter 2 (page 19).

BEYOND THE GAME

This Role-Playing Game is set in the world of the Carbon Grey graphic novel omnibus, available from Magnetic Press. Carbon Grey follows the story of the Sisters Grey and their struggles to prevent reality from caving in during the Great War.

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COMBAT DEFENSES To keep combat swift and action-oriented, the Magnetic Variant moves away from reaction skill rolls and boils defenses down to an easy SRP—Surprised, Readied, and Psyche (page 61). Vehicles have similar defenses called VSM—Vehicular Static and Mobile (page 98).

The Wild Die adds an element of chaos to the game—a single Wild Die roll can change the entire course of an encounter for better or worse, as explained on page 23.

Psyche. Between bomb blasts, demon hordes, and breaks in reality itself—Mittleeuropa is a terrifying place. Luckily, your character comes fortified. These mental defenses, called Psyche, will help protect you from shell shock, torture, or the supernatural.

Even with the boxed set in hand, you might want to raid the closet for extra six-siders. The more proficient in a skill your character gets, the more dice you get to rattle and roll.

NEW COMBAT OPTIONS AND ATTACKS Combat order can change every round through the application of new initiative rules. Autofire, pulling punches, and armor stacking round out the rules for a grittier combat experience. See Chapter 4: Combat and Recovery (page 55) for details.

If you purchased this corebook on its own, fear not—any old six-sided dice will do—just use a different colored one to represent the Wild Die.

CONTINUITY FLUX AND SURGE The Carbon Grey universe is unraveling, leaving it rife with continuity errors and alternate outcomes. These spacetime effects are covered in Chapter 8: Running the Game (page 149). MANIPULATE, DIVINE, AND TRANSMOGRIFY

SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL

The fluctuating energies of the universe are expressed via classically-inspired powers.

As its name suggests, the D6 system makes use of the same six sided dice you’d find in a typical casino or board game. The Carbon Grey RPG Deluxe Boxed Set comes with two differently colored sets of dice for two gamers. Each set of five dice included in the set includes a special sixth Wild Die.

Manipulate the threads of existence to fine tune your reality. Divine the ebbs and flows of spacetime—discerning the extant from the nonexistent. Transmogrify continuity, bending and breaking it at your whim.

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You can read more about these Continuity Flux skills on page 158.

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CHAPTER C HAPTER 1: THE THE W WORLD ORLD O OF F CARBON CARBON GREY GREY

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY The Carbon Grey RPG Deluxe Boxed Set comes with this book, maps, encounter cards, terrain modifiers, character counters, over twenty miniatures, and custom dice. While it’s pretty epic, you don’t need all that to play. In fact, you’ve already got most of what you need in front of your face. Tabletop. Going old school? You need this book, a tabletop, a pencil, a few printed-out copies of the character registration form on page 224 (this can also be found online), a handful of everyday six-sided dice, and a group of nearby friends to play with. Some snacks for the table wouldn’t hurt, though. Interwebs. Part of the new world order? A PDF of this book, a computer, phone, or tablet with an internet connection, a digital dice randomizer, a voice or video chat app, and friends from around the world will do.

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"Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, we are no more." - Nikilina Elsa

TYPES OF PLAY

Carbon Grey gameplay missions and adventures have a few distinct approaches. SERIAL PLAY Similar to a streaming series, Serial Play follows the same characters through a campaign of many adventures, telling a larger “season-long” story arc through several sessions of play. These episodes eventually lead to a final adventure which brings closure to either the current season or the campaign itself. PREMIERE PLAY Similar to a big-budget motion picture, a Premiere adventure usually tells a bombastic story with massive stakes. Premiere Play is often deadlier than Serial Play, and often uses pre-generated characters for players to pick up if their own should meet an untimely demise. SOLO PLAY Solo Adventures can’t keep you warm at night, but they can keep you occupied under quarantine. With Solo Play, you are the sole player, and your GM is the adventure book—telling you what to roll and what page to turn to based on success or failure. A short Solo Play adventure is included in Chapter 3 (page 47) with others planned for future releases.

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A CHARACTER OF YOUR OWN

Chapter 3 (page 53) walks you through crafting your own character trying to survive in a war-torn, reality-damaged world. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s in store for you. You’ll start with a specific archetype template from Chapter 11 (page 209), and then tailor your character to your preferences and role within your team. You’ll allocate points to your desired skills, and detail your Character Persona (see below). As your character lives through more and more adventures, they gain Merits and Demerits. These are points that can be applied towards increasing skill levels as well as points that can lead your character to darkness.

CHARACTER PERSONA Player characters may be larger than life, but they are still only human. Your character can have personality Quirks that help define them, Obligations that affect the choices they make, and Remarkable Abilities that make them stand out in a crowd. Character Personas are teased here and covered in depth on page 37. QUIRKS Heroes are people too. Carbon Grey characters have serious personality quirks that are balanced with enhanced physical or intellectual abilities, making them ripe for dramatic roleplay. These Quirks have been designed to add flavor to your gaming table, giving inexperienced or timid players a guide for roleplaying. While Quirks are optional, taking one lets you choose a Remarkable Ability, a specific way of bending the rules in your favor.

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CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF CARBON GREY OBLIGATIONS Your character has lived a life before gameplay even begins. Often, you will have to reconcile commitments with your own beliefs and ambitions. There are several worldly Obligations in the Carbon Grey RPG, contracts with yourself or others that you must abide by to survive. Obligations are a pain in the neck, but they enhance your character’s story and offer some benefits as well. Fulfill these commitments and you will be rewarded— shrug them off and there will be blood.

MERITS AND DEMERITS

REMARKABLE ABILITIES Everyone’s got a gift for something—and the most gifted are often the most troubled. Remarkable Abilities are a counter balance to your Quirk, allowing you to bend the rules to your advantage in the right circumstances. Play your character according to the Quirk you’ve picked and you’ll get one of these bonuses to help you succeed in the world. See page 37.

Hero Points. The action in Carbon Grey is intense and over the top. Hero Points help you beat the odds and triumph even in the worst of circumstances. You start each mission with six of these to spend, and can gain more as the gaming session goes on. See page 26 for more.

MEMENTOS Most people own something that means a lot to them, such as a letter from a lover, one of grandma’s knick knacks, or a lucky bullet. Just having that item in hand can make the day seem a little bit easier to get through. These are Mementos— unique pieces of equipment that resonate with your character. Story-wise, a Memento serves to warn or remind you of an important event or even your status in life. Rules-wise, it gives you a minor skill boost or in-game benefit. Each Archetype Template (Chapter 11, page 223) comes with its own Memento.

Nothing stays the same in war—lines on maps shift, the names of states change, and the innocent become battle-hardened. Either you learn from your experiences or they are your last. In Carbon Grey, there are three ways to keep track of your progress: Skill Points, Hero Points, and Corruption Points. Skill Points. These are your reward for a job well done. Skill Points allow you to improve your skills. See page 156 for details.

Corruption Points. The flux and flow of continuity takes a toll on the mind, body, and spirit of living creatures. Too much exposure will scar you forever, corrupting you into a hideous mockery of life, hell-bent on murdering everything around you. Corruption Points are covered on page 159.

MINI YOU While they are not necessary for gameplay, scale gaming miniatures can be used in conjunction with maps and tiles to help players visualize their character in relation to the world around them. Many of the character archetypes on the following pages have a corresponding detailed 32mm-scale miniature, included in the Carbon Grey RPG Deluxe Boxed Set. A range of fantasy and wargaming miniatures from other tabletop gaming lines can be used as well.

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ARCHETYPE TEMPLATES

The world of Carbon Grey is populated with various military, aristocratic, and mystic archetypes. You can assume many different roles, including the commando-like Royal Operative, the roguish Moonlighter, the ace pilot Brash Dogfighter, and the reality-shifting Dharman Adept. You even have the option to take the role of a Fenris Wolf—an intelligent animal whose habitat has been ravaged by war. There are 24 unique character archetypes listed over on the next few pages. They offer a wide range of characteristics that can help make any mission successful, and are covered in depth in Chapter 11 (page 209). ASPIRING OCCULTIST Certain there is more to existence than the mere mortal plane, the Aspiring Occultist seeks to divine and expose the supernatural secrets of the Continuity. BRASH DOGFIGHTER Combining crack military skills with the reflexes and know-how needed to pilot any number of aircraft, the Brash Dogfighter is a deadly ace in the sky. CAVALRY SCOUT The Calvary Scout uses their knowledge of the ravaged wilderness to cut across enemy lines and get the better of their foes. DEVIL DOG The grim-faced Devil Dog’s bravado and determination can turn the tide of any battle. DHARMAN ADEPT An old soul trapped in a child’s body, the Dharman Adept has the ability to divine and manipulate continuity errors in our fragile reality. DISSENTING APOSTATE A failed Dharman Adept who has looked behind the curtain of the Continuity once too often, the Dissenting Apostate has traded faith in the order for belief in their own abilities.

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DRAGOON The elite Dragoon gallops their warmount into the fray to defend their king and country and claim honor and glory for their family name. FAITHFUL SENTINEL The ultimate protector, the Faithful Sentinel steadfastly puts their life on the line to guard their charges. FENRIS WOLF These white wolves are sentient creatures that live in harmony with the environment. Grounded to reality, the Fenris act as anchors against errors in the space-time equation. FEVERENT REVOLUTIONARY An uncommon commoner, the Feverent Revolutionary has put their foot down—its time their king and country stopped taking from them and started doing for them. FREE LADY/LORD An aristocrat with no debt to the government, the Free Lady/Lord swears no allegiance but to their own crest. The ballroom and the dinner table are their battlefields. GREASE MONKEY Small enough to crawl into the gearworks of any major machine, the young Grease Monkey can fix anything that’s broken and break anything that’s not. HAWKEYED SHARPSHOOTER With the right rifle in hand and a good vantage point, the Hawkeyed Sharpshooter can take out an entire platoon before they can even fathom where the bullets are flying from. LEARNED SCHOLAR An expert on any and everything, the Learned Scholar wields their knowledge like a weapon against the uneducated. MASTER SPY The Master Spy is a shadow in the night with the tools and skills to topple nations from within.

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CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF CARBON GREY MOONLIGHTER An undisciplined scoundrel that lives by his luck and wits rather than skills, the Moonlighter walks the line between right and wrong. RELUCTANT MENTOR The Reluctant Mentor is an elder expert of a defeated house. Too useful to be eliminated, they are given the chance to prove their loyalty as advisors to the new regime. ROYAL OPERATIVE Part intelligence officer, part assassin, Royal Operatives are the aristocracy’s warrior-elite. SARDONIC SAPPER Deemed unfit for combat duty, the Sardonic Sapper is nonetheless tapped for frontline duty to both build fortifications and blow them up. SAWBONES A country doctor drafted and thrown in the trenches, the Sawbones can mean the difference between life and death on the Front. SHOCK TROOPER A troubled background and a gift for violence combine to make the Shock Trooper a deadly force on the battlefield. SOVEREIGN An elder statesperson, the Sovereign’s knowledge of the inner workings of Mitteleuropa’s halls of power makes them a formidable asset in the war against oppression. STOIC WARHORSE Having lived a life of constant battle, the tactically-minded Stoic Warhorse has come out of retirement to fight the good fight one last time. TRENCH FIGHTER The backbone of any armed force, the Trench Fighter holds the line against impossible odds to keep people safe from invaders both human and otherwise.

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"They dismiss my keen marksmanship simply because I am a woman, yet His Imperial Majesty's first line of defense is the Sisters Grey!" - Letters From Emmeline

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CHAPTER 2: SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

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ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS, AND DICE

The capabilities of every PC, NPC, and creature in Carbon Grey are represented by their attributes. These statistics represent natural physical and mental ability. Each attribute is further defined by six skills that represent familiarity or training with specific applications of their attribute. All characters have a die code for each attribute, but most won’t have a die code for every skill. The six core attributes and their skills are: Dexterity (DEX). This is a representation of a character’s balance, grace, reflexes, speed, and fine motor skills. A character with high DE is nimble, agile, naturally stealthy, might find riding a horse easier than most, and has good hand-eye coordination. A character with a low DE attribute might be all thumbs, clumsy, or more likely to cut themselves when playing with a knife than anyone else. kills ro ati s, Hand, tealth

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Knowledge (KNO). This is a representation of a character’s intellect, education, recall, and the theory or practical application of what is known. A high KNO means a character is smart, educated (formally or otherwise), and steeped with useful lore and trivia. A character with a low KNO probably doesn’t make learning a high priority in their life, and might find recalling useful information difficult. kills s ionage, edi ine, r i al, e hni al

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Mechanical (MEC). In short, “mechanical aptitude.” A high MEC means a character is a natural with tools and technology. They have a knack for building, repairing, disassembling, operating, or modifying vehicles and other machines. A low MEC is not technically inclined, to say the least, and should not mess around with anything that goes boom. kills emolitions, ri e, ngineer, ilot, e air isa le

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nner,

Perception (PER). This is a representation of a character’s spatial awareness, attention to detail, insight, deductive reasoning, ability to use all five senses to learn about their environment, and effectiveness at ranged combat. A character with high PER doesn’t miss much, either with their senses or when shooting. They would be considered keenly adept with good instincts. A character with a low PER tends to miss clues and has a hard time telling when someone’s lying to them. kills al ate, am ling, nstin t, n estigate, arksmanshi , treet ise Strength (STR). This is a representation of a character’s health, vitality, brawn, and toughness. A character with high STR has no trouble lifting heavy objects, climbing, jumping, swimming, or throwing. They’d also be dangerous in a fistfight. A character with low STR attribute would be considered physically weak and might have issues picking up even lightweight gear, climbing over a low wall, or treading water for more than a few minutes. They’re also more likely to be taken out by one well-placed punch. kills ra l, lim n, ifting, tamina, imming, hro ing Willpower (WIL). This is a representation of a character’s personality, social aptitude, shrewdness, will, and mental fortitude. A character with high WIL is a smooth bargainer, has a strong personality, often gets their way, and deals with stressful situations better than most. A character with low WIL might have a hard time getting someone’s attention, constructing an eloquent sentence, or standing up to intimidation. kills argain, harm, ommand, on, rit, ntimidation In addition to all these are three skills that allow a character to manipulate reality itself: the Continuity Flux skills. Most characters do not have die codes in these skills, and many never will! See page 158 for more details.

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CHAPTER 2 - SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

DIE CODES

DIFFICULTY NUMBERS

When using an attribute, roll a number of dice equal to its die code, then add together the results on all the dice. The total is compared to a target number to determine whether the roll succeeds or fails.

There are two ways the GM can establish the DN for a roll. Most of the time they choose a number corresponding to the difficulty of the task, as shown on the table below

Each attribute has a number listed next to it. This is its die code, and tells you how many D6s (six-sided dice) to roll when a character does something related to that attribute. The higher an attribute’s die code, the more powerful the attribute is.

For example, a character with DE 3D rolls three six-sided dice when using their Dexterity attribute. If they had DE 5D, they’d roll five six-sided dice instead. If you see a +1 and +2 after the die code, like 3D+1 or D+2, that means you add that modifier to your total after rolling the dice pool. For instance, a character with STR 3D+1 rolls three six-sided dice, resulting in 2, 3, and 5, for a total of 10. They then add that +1 modifier for a final result of 11. When using a skill, add its die code to the die code of the associated attribute, and roll that many dice. For example, a character with DE 2D+1 and Acrobatics 1D rolls 3D+1 when using Acrobatics.

The Difficulty Number (DN) of a roll measures how easy or hard it is. The higher the DN, the more difficult the task. After rolling a dice pool, add any modifiers to the result and compare the total to the DN. If the total equals or exceeds the DN, it’s a success. If it doesn’t, it’s a failure.

DN

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

5

Very Easy

10

Easy

15

Average

20

Difficult

25

Very Difficult

30

Extremely Difficult

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Other times, a character’s attribute or skill roll is compared to someone else’s, usually someone who’s actively trying to interfere with or stop them, and whoever rolls higher wins. This is called an opposed roll, and can include things like haggling over the price of a can of fuel, arm wrestling, or convincing a notable NPC that you’re someone you’re not. In the event of a tie, the player always wins.

SUCCESS AND FAILURE There are multiple degrees of success and failure in the ar on rey , ranging from Exceptional Success to Catastrophic Failure. ROLL TOTAL

RESULT

Greater than 2x DN

Exceptional Success

DN+1 to 2 DN

Ordinary Success

DN

Partial Success

DN -1 to -

Ordinary Failure

DN -10 to -1

Exceptional Failure

DN -20 or worse

Catastrophic Failure

If the result of a roll is any sort of success, the character gets what they wanted. On an Exceptional Success, they get a little extra— rebuilding the engine doesn’t take as long as expected, improves the engine rather than just fixing it, or the like. An Exceptional Success in combat will double damage. On a Partial Success, there’s some sort of Setback—the repair takes longer than expected, or will only hold for a couple hours before breaking down. If the result of the roll is a failure of any kind, then the character doesn’t achieve what they set out to do. On an Exceptional Failure, some other bad thing is about to happen—the engine’s about to fall and make the repair more difficult, or maybe two enemies with guns

bust through the door. But on a Catastrophic Failure, the bad thing happens right now— the engine explodes, or those two enemies bust through the door and immediately attack.

THE WILD DIE In every dice pool, there’s one special die that can have a dramatic effect on the situation. This is the Wild Die, and it’s always part of the dice pool when making an attribute or skill roll, even if no other dice are rolled. For example, when making a 3D+1 DE (Acrobatics) roll, one of the three dice is the Wild Die. If the die code for a roll is 1D, then that one die is the Wild Die. To distinguish the Wild Die from the other dice, use a die of a different size or color. This is important, because whether the roll succeeds or fails, the Wild Die’s result could add an advantage or complication. ADVANTAGES A result of 6 on the Wild Die gains you an Advantage regardless of success or failure. Successful Roll. Player chooses one of the following: •

• •

n rdinary ess e omes an x e tional ess, and the layer gains one Hero oint he layer gains Hero oints nother layer or ally in the s ene gains Hero oint

Failed Roll. Player chooses one of the following: •

he ild ie is rolled again, and the res lt is added to the total f this se ond roll of the ild ie res lts in another , kee rolling and adding to the total ntil yo roll something other than a hether the roll s eeds or fails, the layer gains only Hero oint

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•

rn the fail re into a artial the s ers a et a k

•

he roll fails, t the layer grants Hero oint to another layer or an ally in the s ene

ess,

t

COMPLICATIONS Roll a 1 on a Wild Die and things get complicated. A Complication is a penalty or narrative dilemma the GM can use to make the PC’s life more “interesting.” Successful Roll. The GM chooses one of the following: •

ntrod e a et a k—additional time or reso r es are re ired

•

n

•

he roll fails, oints

rdinary ess e omes a artial ess, and the layer gains Hero oint t the layer gains Hero

Failed Roll. The GM chooses one of the following: • •

•

ntrod

e a et a k

rn an rdinary ail re into an x e tional ail re, and the layer gains Hero oint rn an x e tional ail re into a atastro hi ail re, and the layer gains Hero oints

24 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 24

Hero Points are explained later in this chapter.

BONUSES AND PENALTIES Circumstances can conspire to turn an easy task into a difficult one, or vice-versa. To reflect this, a player may have a bonus or penalty to a roll—or both These bonuses and penalties apply to the die code of a roll, such as a +1D bonus or -2D penalty. Deciding what kind of bonus or penalty to apply to a roll is part of the GM’s job, but an easy part. For every favorable circumstance, the roll gets +1D. For every unfavorable circumstance, it gets -1D. •

om ined tions f one hara ter s ends their ro nd to aid another hara ter on a skill roll, a ly a on s

The source of a bonus or penalty depends on the action being taken. Fog would impose a -1D penalty to spot an enemy soldier, but could also provide +1D when trying to sneak past them. Use your best judgment and common sense. When there are bonuses and penalties from multiple sources, subtract the total penalty from the total bonus and apply the result. In the example used above, a PC with +1D and -2D on a roll would have a penalty of -1D. If a penalty reduces a die code to zero or below, you’ll still roll one die—the Wild Die. This gives characters the chance to pull off some truly amazing feats in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds.

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CHAPTER 2 - SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

FOR CLASSIC D6 SYSTEM FANS

If you’re coming to the ar on rey from previous D6 System games like Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, you may notice the attributes are a bit different. We’ve broken up Technical between Knowledge and Mechanical, and introduced Willpower to cover most situations involving social interaction and self-discipline.

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HERO POINTS

Players can acquire Hero Points from Advantages and Complications, as described above, or as a reward from the GM for ingenuity, creativity, or entertaining roleplay. A player can spend a Hero Point to do one of the following: •

• •

o le the die ode of a single ttri te or kill roll after enalties are a lied t efore rolling eroll a failed roll ed e an in ry le el of o nded, n a a itated, or ortally o nded to t nned, t only immediately after it’s re ei ed ny re io s damage is maintained ee amage on age for more on this

WHEN DO YOU ROLL? Anytime you try to do something that affects the story—anything that has an interesting consequence of failure—grab the dice. Walking across the room? nlikely to affect the story, so definitely isn’t interesting if you fail. The same goes for cleaning a weapon, riding a horse at an easy pace, driving a motorcycle down a clear road, or getting into or out of a parked truck. None of that deserves dice.

That all changes if the situation changes. Is the room you’re walking across a Purge Trooper barracks, and are you sneaking through it? That’s cause for a DE (Stealth) roll, without a doubt. Is that weapon you’re cleaning a mudcaked rifle you found on the battlefield, and do you need to clean it before those enemy soldiers figure out which trench you’re in? A MEC (Disable/Repair) roll sounds appropriate. And so on. When the pressure’s on, the dice are rolled. If it’s something anyone could do, and or it doesn’t impact the story if it succeeds or fails, then there is no need for a roll.

26 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 26

WHICH SKILL DO YOU USE?

It’s usually obvious which attribute and skill to use for a roll. Whenever your character tries to do something relevant with a skill, roll that Attribute and Skill. Skills in the ar on rey can have broad applications, but that list doesn’t always cover every situation. If a situation arises where the GM and players can’t decide which skill, if any, should be used for a roll, just make an attribute roll instead. It’s the equivalent of making a roll using a 0D skill. In fact, the skill list doesn’t cover every skill that can exist in the game. If you want to specialize or suggest a new skill, the GM should work with you to make it happen.

KEEPING TIME

he ar on rey tracks time in two different ways. When how long it takes to do something isn’t especially important—like when having a conversation or fixing a tank— time is measured in Scenes. When time is of the essence, such as during combat, time is measured in Rounds. Scenes. Scenes last as long as necessary to resolve the situation. A conversation with Queen Raisa could be a Scene, as could a montage of several conversations at a palace ball. Think of it as a scene in a moving picture. Once the Scene plays its role in the story, the action cuts to something else. Rounds. Rounds are much more concrete. Each Round is about five seconds long. Combat occurs in Rounds, but other things can as well, such as a prisoner picking their cell’s lock before the guard comes back, or a mechanic repairing an airplane’s engine before it crashes into the sea.

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CHAPTER 2 - SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

Most gameplay takes place in Scenes, only switching to rounds when the situation calls for it. One can turn into the other, as well— when a fight breaks out in a Scene, time is measured in rounds, and when that fight ends in the other side’s surrender, interrogating the survivors would be a Scene.

QUICK, BASIC, AND SLOW ACTIONS Your character can accomplish a lot in a single five-second Round. For example, you might shout out a warning to a friend, leap over a fence, and fire your pistol mid-air. But not everything you do takes the same amount of time. Accordingly, every action a character takes is uick, Basic, or Slow. Quick. A uick action happens in a splitsecond. uick actions include remembering a fact, speaking a few words, and dropping a handheld object.

Basic. A Basic action takes one Round, or five seconds, to properly complete. Basic actions include fast-talking an enemy sentry, firing a gun, and throwing a punch. Slow. A Slow action is anything that takes more than one round, from minutes to weeks or longer. Slow actions include dismantling a machine, conducting research, and administering long-time medical care. All characters can take multiple actions in a round, as explained on page 5 .

SKILLS IN BRIEF This overview of skills should give you a good sense of what a given skill can do. Several of them, such as Medical and Disable/Repair, have some very specific rules governing their use; you can find these in Common Tasks (page 31). Each skill has several different applications, each of which may require more or less time to use, as indicated in the skill descriptions that follow.

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DEXTERITY SKILLS ACROBATICS

(QUICK, BASIC, SLOW) Balance, tumbling, and other sprightly movement. MELEE

(BASIC) Hand-to-hand weapon combat. See Combat, page 55 for details. REFLEX

(QUICK, BASIC) Reacting to danger and determining initiative in combat. See Combat on page 55 for details. RIDE

(QUICK, BASIC) Riding horses and other beasts of burden. SLEIGHT OF HAND

(BASIC, SLOW) Lockpicking, palming or concealing tiny objects, and other feats of manual dexterity. STEALTH

(BASIC, SLOW) Camouflaging, concealing, sneaking, and hiding.

SCIENCES

(QUICK, BASIC, SLOW) Basic and applied sciences, including physics, chemistry, biology, geology, engineering, agriculture, and mathematics. SURVIVAL

(QUICK, BASIC, SLOW) Surviving and thriving in the wilderness, including navigation, orienteering, firemaking, tracking, foraging, and the like. TECHNICAL

(QUICK, BASIC, SLOW) Knowledge relating to industrial, electrical, or information technology.

MECHANICAL SKILLS DEMOLITIONS

(BASIC, SLOW) Setting, making, and defusing explosives. DRIVE

(QUICK, BASIC) Operating any vehicle that moves on land or water, including bikes, cars, tanks, trucks, boats, ships, and even wagons and carts. ENGINEER

ESPIONAGE

(BASIC, SLOW) Designing, planning, evaluating, and inventing structures, machines, and devices.

MEDICAL

(BASIC) Ranged combat with vehicle-mounted weapons and artillery. See Combat on page 55.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS (BASIC, SLOW) Codebreaking, forgery, and any other spycraft not covered by other skills.

GUNNER

(BASIC, SLOW) First aid, medical treatments, and surgery. For details on treating injury, see page 63.

PILOT

SCHOLAR

REPAIR/DISABLE

(QUICK, BASIC, SLOW) Fields of knowledge other than applied sciences, such as art, linguistics, history, philosophy, religion, and tactics.

28 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 28

(QUICK, BASIC)

Operating aircraft.

(BASIC, SLOW) Repairing, modifying, and disabling machines. For details, see page .

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PERCEPTION SKILLS EVALUATE

(BASIC, SLOW) Determining the value of an object, course of action, or intention. GAMBLING

(QUICK, SLOW) Playing games of chance and just how lucky you happen to be in general. INSTINCT

(QUICK, BASIC) Sixth sense or gut feeling, and determining initiative in combat. See Combat, page 55 for details. INVESTIGATE

(BASIC, SLOW) Gathering information, doing research and finding, compiling, and analyzing clues, data, and patterns.

MARKSMANSHIP

(BASIC) Ballistic weapon combat, from bows to mounted guns. See Combat, page 55 for details. STREETWISE

(SLOW) Making contact with criminals and locating places to acquire, sell, trade or buy blackmarket or illegal goods and or services.

STRENGTH SKILLS BRAWL

(BASIC) Unarmed combat and grappling. See Combat on page 55 for details. CLIMB/JUMP

(BASIC) Scaling surfaces, leaping, and overcoming other similar physical barriers.

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LIFTING

(BASIC) Picking up, moving, bending, and breaking things. STAMINA

(BASIC, SLOW) Endurance and resistance to disease, pain, poisons, and toxins. See Fatigue on page 6 for details. SWIMMING

(BASIC) Moving through and under water. See Movement on page 58 for details. THROWING

(BASIC) Throwing any sort of object, whether for combat or sport. See Combat on page 55 for details.

WILLPOWER SKILLS BARGAIN

(SLOW) Bartering and haggling for goods or services. Bargain rolls can be made against a flat DN set by the GM, or by the opposing character’s Bargain Roll. CHARM

(BASIC, SLOW) Convincing someone of your viewpoint through diplomacy and demeanor. Charm is sometimes opposed by Evaluate or Grit. COMMAND

(BASIC)

Inspiring and leading others. CON

(BASIC, SLOW) General dishonesty, including lying and disguise. Con can sometimes be opposed by Evaluate when lying, or possibly by Investigate when disguised.

30 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 30

GRIT

(BASIC, SLOW) Shaking off mental and social manipulation, mental anguish, and fear. When suffering psychological hardship, Grit aids in getting you through it. INTIMIDATION

(BASIC) Coercion through body language or threats. Intimidation can be used to make mental attacks. See Defenses on page 61 for details. CONTINUITY FLUX SKILLS As previously mentioned, Continuity Flux Skills aren’t like the others. They aren’t associated with any attributes, and most characters probably won’t have a die code in any of them. Those that do, though, can use them skills to manipulate reality itself to their own ends. The world of Carbon Grey is a pebble lodged in the ebb and flow of time and reality. Sometimes the effects of bending existence itself take root as an advancement of technology far beyond what should be available. At other times technology, people, and even places warp, degrade, advance, evolve, devolve, or even wink out of existence as if they were just a child’s daydream. These temporal fluctuations are handled via the Wild Die’s Advantages and Complications and the Continuity Flux rules found in Continuity Powers (page 158). That section also contains details on the three Continuity Flux Skills—Divine, Manipulate, and Transmogrify. See pages 15 -15 for more on these skills and the powers they access.

USING MULTIPLE SKILLS Sometimes you’ll want your character to do two things at once, like talking an enemy into surrendering while grappling them, repairing an airship’s avionics while avoiding gunfire, or just trying to stab an enemy more than once.

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CHAPTER 2 - SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

That’s great—but trying to do too many things in a Round means that each of them is less likely to succeed. Multiple Basic Actions. Every Basic action in a single Round beyond the first reduces the die code of each roll by 1D, whether using the same skill for each roll or a different one. In other words, taking two Basic actions, like running and shooting, imposes -1D to all rolls. Taking three Basic actions, like running, shooting, and stabbing, means -2D to all rolls, and so on.

SCALE

Lying to an NPC (DN15 Con). •

friend, someone ho tr sts yo

•

fool

•

trained in estigator

•

so ial s

•

islikes or distr sts yo

to

erior to

• Hates yo • •

m la si le lie

to

n elie a le lie

Getting the Word on the Street (DN10 Streetwise). •

se harm instead of treet ise

•

ommon kno ledge

•

e ret kno ledge

•

o look the art

COMMON TASKS

•

o don’t look it

Below are some guidelines for setting and modifying the DN of some common tasks.

•

o ha e a onta t

to

•

o kno the area

to

Persuading an NPC (DN15 Charm).

•

o don’t kno it

Differences in Scale between people, vehicles, and other objects can affect how they interact, especially in combat. See Combat on page 55 for more details.

•

hey’re a friend

•

hey distr st or dislike yo

•

hey hate yo

•

•

he re

est in on enien es them

•

emand ex eeds s

he re est in ol es risk or in estment of money or time to

•

ood re

•

ad re

•

o re

•

to

Acquiring Illicit Goods or Services (DN15 Streetwise or Bargain).

Giving an NPC Orders (DN10 Command).

ly ex eeds demand ly

tation tation

o ’re total strangers

•

a enfor ement in area

•

o ’re in the same organi ation

•

mall to n

•

hey o trank yo

•

ig ity

•

o o trank them

•

o

•

he orders are dangero s

•

he orders enefit them

to

to

to

estions asked or strings atta hed

•

THE CARBON GREY ROLE-PLAYING GAME CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 31

to

tation

•

to

to

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TRUSTING TO LUCK

Sometimes a character is forced to rely on pure luck. They’ve ducked into a barn to hide from a pursuer—is there a pitchfork in there they can use as a makeshift weapon should they be found? That dynamite is sweating nitroglycerin, and artillery fire has panicked the donkey carrying it—will the animal rear up and dump it, or take off at a gallop, possibly right toward the heavy guns the TNT was intended for in the first place? In situations like these, the GM might not want to just make an arbitrary decision. In those cases, they can ask the player to roll the Wild Die either once or a number of times equal to their Gambling die code, whichever is greater. For every 6 rolled, they’re in luck. And the more 6s, the better that luck is. One 6 will do for finding a pitchfork in a barn, but if you expect that donkey to gallop in a panic toward the enemy, you’ll need to roll three of them at the least.

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CHAPTER 2 - SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

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BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE

To make your mark in the Carbon Grey RPG you’re going to need a character to play, and to define your role you’re going to need a template. You can either select one of the templates ready-made for the war-torn world of Carbon Grey, or—if your GM allows—you can craft your own.

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

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SELECTING A TEMPLATE

Chapter 11 (page 20 ) offers a diverse collection of character templates. Each describes a character type who not only fits in, but fills a role in the Carbon Grey universe. The template provides attribute die codes, defenses, starting equipment, and background material to show you how they fit into the world. Look over the templates with the Gamemaster and other players in your group with an eye towards what kind of game theme you are interested in playing. Carbon Grey Themes are listed on page 9.

WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Almost any of the character templates work well within these Themes, but some are particularly catered towards them. Combat hungry? Play a Devil Dog, Trench Fighter, or Fervent Revolutionary under the banners of War is Hell and Revolution. Looking for court intrigue? A Sovereign or Free Lady confronting Imperialism and their own Bloodlines would work. If espionage is your thing, you might consider playing Propaganda vs Truth themed adventures as a Royal Operative or Master Spy. Finally, if the reality-altering chaos of the Continuity Flux appeals to you, the Fenris Wolf and Dharman Adept thrive in a Darkness Within-themed setting.

BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE Ultimately any and all of these themes can be explored during Serial Play (page 1 ), and with the right bit of work, any character archetype can be used within any theme. Remember, the background material is just to help you get rolling. If you want to change something to match your preferences, talk to your GM. You’ll make the character your own even without making changes, through the skills you choose for them.

36 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 36

Each archetype has its own strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes more than one player will want to play the same template. While not the end of the world, it’s good to have a well-rounded group of PCs who are ready for anything. Diversity at the gaming table is the key to success. You can name or determine basic details about your character now if you’d like. Regardless, once you have your template, fill out your character sheet to match.

SKILLS You have your template—now it’s time to buy skills. Look over the Skills and Attributes chapter on page 19 to get an understanding on how skills work. You have D to distribute among your character’s skills, and no skill can have a die code higher than 2D. You’ll be able to improve your skills over the course of your adventures, but for now the limit is 2D. Try to spread your D around so your character has the areas of expertise you want. Keep an eye on the attribute the skill is under, because the higher that is, the better you’ll be with that skill. You can still use skills you don’t have a die code in; you’ll just use the attribute alone instead of adding a skill’s die code to the roll.

STARTING HERO POINTS All PCs start with 6 Hero Points, to encourage heroic, risky actions in the game. At character creation, put a 6 in the Hero Points section of your character sheet. The rules for spending Hero Points are on page 26, and the rules for gaining more as a reward for adventuring are on page 156.

STARTING EQUIPMENT Each template gives a suggestion for starting equipment that fits the background. You are free to customize your starting equipment with your GM’s approval. Equipment lists and prices start on page 3, if you want to go shopping.

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

CHARACTER PERSONA Roleplaying can seem daunting—playing a character that isn’t quite you provides a unique challenge to the uninitiated. The Quirks, Obligations, and Remarkable Abilities of your Character Persona can help guide your role at the game table, allowing you to portray a consistent character living through the hell of war torn Mitteleuropa. Quirks. Double-edged personality traits, Quirks are sometimes handy and sometimes a hindrance. If your PC has a Quirk, you get to choose a Remarkable Ability as well. Obligations. You’ve got people, organizations, or ideals that you answer to. They can provide resources or guidance, but they also influence the choices you make in the game. The more Obligations you have, the more benefits you can gain from them, but faithfully serving all those masters narrows your choices considerably. Remarkable Abilities. Don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise—you really are special. Remarkable Abilities let you bend the rules for your PC in special ways.

QUIRKS uirks are a fun way to both add flavor to your gaming table and shine a spotlight on each PC. For a player who isn’t quite sure how to roleplay their character, a Quirk acts as a guidepost by providing a single, defining character trait to focus on. If a stranger were to spend 10 minutes with your PC, they’d come away from it knowing their Quirk. Taking a Quirk for your PC is optional, but doing so gives them access to a Remarkable Ability (page 0)—a way to bend the rules to their advantage in the right circumstances. When you make your character, choose a Quirk from the table below. Alternately, you can roll 2D of different colors to determine one randomly, treating one die as the 10s place and the other as the 1s place, giving you a result of 11 to 66. For example, a roll of on the 1s die is a 2.

Remember: Choosing a Quirk gives you access to a Remarkable Ability (page 40).

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on the 10s die and a 2

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QUIRKS TABLE D66

QUIRK

DESCRIPTION

11

Impulsive

“Plan” is a four-letter word.

12

Restless

You’re always on the move.

13

Sticky Fingers

Things just seem to end up in your pockets!

1

Egotistical

The world does revolve around you, actually.

15

Cruel

You enjoy seeing the light of life fade from your enemy’s eyes.

16

Wallflower

You’re easily ignored and overlooked.

21

Absent-Minded

...I’m sorry, what were we talking about?

22

Paranoid

They’re out to get you.

23

Gruesome

You like to see what makes people tick—literally.

2

Sheltered

You’re all theory and no practice.

25

Claustrophobic

The worst part about trench warfare is the trenches.

26

Forward-Looking

You look to tomorrow at the expense of today.

31

Rigid Thinker

Why think outside the box? It’s nice in here.

32

Firebug

You love to watch things burn… and make them burn.

33

Reckless

You don’t like to be told the odds.

3

Tinkerer

You like to take things apart and “fix” them.

35

Boisterous

You’re louder than a machine gun.

36

Know-It-All

Not everyone is as smart as you are. In fact, nobody is.

38

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CHAPTER C HAPTER 3: CHARACTER CHARACTER REATION

QUIRK

DESCRIPTION

1

Nosy

Everyone’s business is your business.

2

Suspicious

Trust no one.

3

Greedy

Money can buy happiness.

Judgmental

You have criticisms and aren’t shy about sharing them.

5

Hothead

Short-tempered, you blow up at the drop of a hat.

6

Altruistic

In a world at war, your first thought is of others.

51

Aggressive

You won’t back down.

52

Adventurous

The world needs heroes!

53

Competitive

Anything they can do, you can do better.

5

Gullible

Hey, I heard the war’s over

55

Stubborn

Your way or the highway.

56

Distant

You keep everyone at arm’s length.

61

Devout

Even in war, the eyes of God are upon us.

62

Talkative

So you like to talk! All the time! What’s wrong with that?

63

Compulsive Liar

You can’t seem to tell the truth… or can you?

6

Stoic

Death comes for us all. Until then, we must do what we can.

65

Vain

Make sure you get my good side. (It’s either side.)

66

Vindictive

An eye for an eye balances the scales.

D66

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OBLIGATIONS

Everyone in Carbon Grey has Obligations— whether it is to their superiors, their employers, their creditors, or just their conscience. Obligations are a pain in the neck, but they enhance your PC’s story and offer some benefits as well. When you make your PC, choose one or more Obligations. The more you have, the more you can benefit from them, but the more they’ll control your decision-making.

OBLIGATIONS TABLE OBLIGATION

DESCRIPTION

additional Skill Points (see page 156). If not, you won’t get those bonus Skill Points, but you’ll still get whatever other rewards you’ve earned during the session.

SWITCHING SIDES Whichever side of the coin you fall on for your Obligations, there will be repercussions. You can shift your character’s allegiances to their Obligation—but there’s a price. You gain no Skill Points for the game session in which the switch occurs. This represents the PC abandoning their long-held ideals and adjusting to a new guiding principle in their life. At the start of the next session, you are renewed and focused on your fresh outlook, and earn future Skill Points normally.

Family

You support your family or openly defy them.

Military

You follow the chain of command or strangle your superior officer with it.

Regime

You pledge yourself to the monarchy or work towards its downfall.

Debt

You owe money or services to another.

ACQUIRING REMARKABLE ABILITIES

Honor

You live by a code or never keep your word.

Law

You believe in the system or buck it at every chance.

As an optional rule, PCs can acquire Remarkable Abilities during play by spending Skill Points. Purchasing a remarkable ability this way costs a number of Skill Points equal to 10 times the number of Remarkable Abilities the PC already has. No remarkable ability can be acquired more than once.

At the end of a session, if you stayed true to your PC’s Obligations and made choices for them accordingly, you’ll be rewarded with

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REMARKABLE ABILITIES

If your character has a Quirk, you can also choose a Remarkable Ability from the list below. If none of them is what you’re looking for, work with the GM to come up with your own, using these as a guide.

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CHAPTER C HAPTER 3: CHARACTER CHARACTER REATION

2 November 1914 My Dearest Emmeline, I arrived safely yesterday in Vouk at Fort Greifswald and deployed east, riding 45 kilometers to the Front. The weather here is miserable, more so than any briefing could’ve prepared me for. The sleet hasn’t stopped, and the muddy ground makes deployment unpleasant. I’d believe this ill weather was an omen if I believed in such ideas. The climate hasn’t diminished our nerve, of course. We’re confident that our forces will help push the regiment further into Svanland. For the security of our people, Ursa must be forced out of our lands. The Kaiser’s Kanonenläufer are a sight to behold! The machines stand some six meters tall—50 metric tons of iron and steel. It’s a wonder their spindly legs can support them at all. I hear it's hotter than the Devil’s privates in one of those machines. (Forgive my crudeness—foul language flies loosely here.) One of them stepped on a stray mine about 3 kilometers from the trenches, probably left over from the last push eastward. Found out then why they keep these things around. The explosion barely scratched the hulking thing! We would've lost a truckload of soldiers if the road were laid any closer to the blast. The cannon just kept walking. We successfully joined the regiment at the Zwillingskreuze Front, welcomed by the boom of cannon fire and the crackle of rattleguns from kilometers away. Reports say no lives were lost on either side; the exchange, merely a diversion. Regardless, I'll take this moment's peace. I hope that the coming days give me more opportunities to write. Should you see them, please give my mother, father, and little Aries my love. I miss your company already. Yours always, Heinric

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REMARKABLE ABILITIES TABLE ABILITY

DESCRIPTION

Able Engineer

+2D on all rolls using Engineer.

Athletic

+1D on all rolls using Climb/Jump or Swimming.

Lucky

Once per round, when you roll a 1 on the Wild Die, you may reroll it.

Brutal

+1D DMG with all armed melee attacks.

Combat Medic

When making a KNO (Medical) roll, reduce the DN by 5.

Gearhead

+2D on all rolls using Disable/Repair.

Cunning Liar

+2D on all rolls using Con.

Danger Sense

+1D on all rolls using Reflex or Instinct.

Death Stare

+2D on all rolls using Intimidation.

Deft Gunner

+2D on all rolls using Gunner.

Demo Expert

+2D on all rolls using Demolitions.

Bullseye

+1D damage with all ranged attacks.

Educated

+1D on all rolls using KNO.

Eye for Detail

+2D on all rolls using Evaluate and Investigation.

High Roller

+2D on all rolls using Gambling.

Crack Shot

+2D on all rolls using Marksmanship.

Fists of Iron

+1D DMG with all unarmed attacks.

Force of Personality

+1D on all rolls using WIL.

Hardened

Ignore mental attacks and trauma equal to or less than twice your Psyche.

Haggler

+2D on all rolls using Bargain.

Helpful

When you aid another character, they get +2D instead of +1D.

Heroic Destiny

You gain 1D Hero Points at the start of every session.

Heck of an Arm

+2D on all rolls using Throwing.

Thick-Skinned

You ignore penalties from being Stunned or Wounded.

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

ABILITY

DESCRIPTION

Latent Flux Talent

You may purchase die codes in the Continuity Flux skills (Divine, Manipulate, and Transmogrify; see page 158).

Leadfoot

+2D on all rolls using Drive.

Silver Tongue

+2D on all rolls using Charm.

Close-Combat Expert

+2D on all rolls using Melee.

Sterner Stuff

Increase your Psyche by 5.

Natural Leader

+2D on all rolls using Command.

Perfect Balance

+2D on all rolls using Acrobatics.

uick Fix

Once per round, you can make a MEC (Disable/Repair) roll as a

Ready for Action

+2D on all rolls using Reflex.

Rugged

You ignore the Stunned condition.

Saddle Tramp

+2D on all rolls using Ride.

Scientific Mind

+2D on all rolls using Sciences.

Scrounger

+2D on all rolls using Streetwise.

Sky Captain

+2D on all rolls using Pilot.

Sneaky

+2D on all rolls using Stealth.

Secret Agent

+2D on all rolls using Espionage.

Strapping

+1D on all rolls using Lift or Stamina.

Studious

+2D on all rolls using Scholar.

Survivalist

+2D on all rolls using Survival.

Technician

+2D on all rolls using Technical.

The Sweet Science

+2D all rolls using Brawl.

Legerdemain

+2D all rolls using Sleight of Hand.

Tough as Nails

+1D on STR rolls to resist damage.

True Grit

+2D all rolls using Grit.

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DETAILS

Round out your character with some details, if you haven’t already. What’s their name? What drives them? What did they have for dinner last night? Your uirk and Obligation can be a guide here. For example, if your PC is Boisterous, their personality will be quite a bit different than it would if they were a Wallflower. Think about their appearance, too. Characters come in all shapes and sizes. This is another area where your uirk and Obligation can guide you. If your PC’s obligation is Regime, and they’re a loyal subject of Kaiser Hind von Medeim, do they wear a uniform festooned with medals, or one caked with mud from the trenches? Each says something very different about who the character is.

EXAMPLE OF CHARACTER CREATION What say we make a character together using what you just learned? Template. Let’s take the Moonlighter template so we can play a roguish-type. He needs a suitable name, something like… Baldur Horn. We’ll copy his attributes and defenses onto the character sheet. He’ll also start with the standard equipment for the Moonlighter template. Hero Points. Like all brand-new characters, Baldur has 6 Hero Points. Skills. We have D to spend, so let’s spread them around a bit. He needs good Marksmanship and Con, so if he can’t lie his way out, he can shoot his way out, or viceversa. We’ll put 2D in each. This leaves 3D, which we’ll spread evenly between Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Streetwise.

If you’re not sure what your PC looks like, you can start with this chart to give you an idea of their build. D6

BUILD

1

Slight

2

Lean

3-

Average

5

Burly

6

Bulky

Once all that’s done, you’re ready for adventure

Character Persona. Looking over the list of uirks, Sticky Fingers stands out as being suitable for a man of questionable character like Baldur Horn. For an Obligation, Debt seems obvious—he owes someone big. In exchange for that uirk, we’ll give Baldur the Haggler Remarkable Ability (he’s always looking for a good bargain). Details. Let’s figure out the rest of Baldur Horn. Rolling on the Build Table, we get a 2, so he’s Lean. Sounds fitting. Let’s say he’s also around average height, 6 feet tall, lean, and tough, as most scoundrels have to be. Agewise, he’s young enough to be mischievous, but old enough he should know better. Let’s call that 30. We’ll also give him a head of messy, dirty-blonde hair, a perpetual 5 o’clock shadow, cool blue eyes, and a crooked grin that never seems to leave his face. His clothes don’t quite fit him right, almost as if they were made for someone else and he “acquired” them with his Sticky Fingers. Adventure. That’s it! Baldur’s ready for action.

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION CARBON GREY REGISTRATION CARD SERIAL

Baldur Horn

1145

KNO

2D

MEC

3D+1

STR

3D

WIL

Marksmanship 2 Streetwise 1 Surprised 9 9 Psyche 9 SRP DEFENSES

0

3D

Sleight of Hand 1 1 PER

HERO POINTS

If your GM approves, you can make your own archetype template. It’s fun, easy—and you’re going to learn all about it right here.

ATTRIBUTES You have 1 D to distribute among your six attributes. Each attribute must have at least 1D assigned to it, but no more than D.

DICE AND PIPS Instead of assigning dice in increments of 1D, you can divide a die into three +1 “pips.” These pips can be distributed among attributes as you wish. For example, Instead of assigning D to DE , 3D to STR, and 2D to KNO, you could break down a DE die into pips, then assign them to your die codes to give you DE

3D

Con

DESCRIPTION: Dirty blonde hair always messy. You always need a shave. You're wiry and tough, but on the thin side. Cool blue eyes, a crooked grin always on your face. Your clothes are a bit too big, as if they were meant for someone else. QUIRK: Sticky Fingers OBLIGATION: Debt

MAKE YOUR OWN TEMPLATE

Ski ll Po ints:

6

REMARKABLE ABILIITY: Haggler WEAPONS: Reliable Arms Big50 Revolver (DMG 5D, Ammo 6), 12 small arms rounds (6 pre-loaded), trusty switchblade (knife) (DMG STR+1). GEAR: Lockpicks ('On loan' from a recently deceased business partner). ARM: 1D total. 'Borrowed' Allied uniform (+1) and ballistic long coat (+2).

3D+2 and STR 3D+1, DE 3D+1, STR 3D+1, and KNO 2D+1, and so on. Only dice assigned to attributes can be broken up in this manner.

SKILLS This part’s the same as choosing a pre-made template—distribute D among your skills.

QUIRKS, OBLIGATIONS, AND REMARKABLE ABILITIES This part’s the same, too. Choose an Obligation and, if you want, a uirk and a Remarkable Ability.

MEMENTO Work with the GM to come up with an item that is special to your character. For the rules component, use the Mementos on the other character templates as inspiration.

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When crafting your own, remember Mementos are for added flavor and minor benefits—so don’t get too cocky.

EQUIPMENT Instead of starting with a package of equipment, your PC will buy their equipment piece by piece. Your new template has 1000 marks to work with. See Gear and Weapons on page 3 for descriptions of equipment.

THE FINE PRINT Flesh out your template with a background, personality, and a quote. Work with the other players to figure out how your PC connects to theirs.

Skills can only improve one pip at a time, but if you have enough Skill Points you can add a whole die. For example, if at the end an adventure you’re awarded Skill Points and you want to bump up your Marksmanship from 1D to 2D, it’ll cost you 3 points: 1 point to raise 1D to 1D+1, 1 point to raise 1D+1 to 1D+2, and 1 more point to raise 1D+2 to 2D. There’s no limit on how high any skill’s die code can go in the Carbon Grey RPG, though when they get into double digits (a 10D skill is awesome), it takes at least a couple of very successful game sessions or adventures to be able to improve them. A character can also choose not to spend all their Skill Points and just save them up until they have enough to use them as they want. You can spend saved Skill Points at the end of any game session, but not during one.

CHARACTER IMPROVEMENT

IMPROVING ATTRIBUTES

IMPROVING SKILLS

Unlike skills, attributes can only be increased using Hero Points, and only by a limited amount. This limitation is for game balance purposes—it makes improvement difficult but possible, and presents the player with a hard choice between spending Hero Points to succeed during an adventure and saving them to make larger-scale improvements to their character.

At the end of a game session, the GM will award characters Skill Points. You can find guidelines for doing so in Rewards on page 156. Players can spend these points to improve the die codes of their skills. Players can improve attributes using Hero Points, as explained later in this section.

To improve a skill’s die code by one “pip,” the player must spend as many Skill Points as the number of whole dice in the die code. If a die code already has a modifier of +2, improving it another +1 will raise it a full die. For example, adding one pip to Pilot 2D to make it Pilot 2D+1 would cost 2 Skill Points (2D 2 points). Improving it from there to 2D+2 would cost another 2 Skill Points; even though the modifier changed, the number of dice in the skill is still 2. Improving a die code past +2 adds a whole die instead of just adding a pip. For example, spending 2 Skill Points on Pilot 2D+2 would give you Pilot 3D, not Pilot 2D+3.

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To improve an attribute by one pip, spending a number of Hero Points equal to six times the number of whole dice in the attribute. For example, a character with a strength of 3D+1 must spend 1 Hero Points to raise it to 3D+2. They must then spend another 1 Hero Points to raise it to D. To raise it to D+1, they’d have to spend another 2 Hero Points Very costly, but possibly worth it. Limits. All living things are cursed with certain physical limitations—even you. While you can always improve your Skills, an Attribute can only be improved up to its starting die code +1D. For example, a character template with STR 3D+1 can be raised to a maximum of D+1.

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

AN INTRODUCTION TO ROLEPLAYING

Now that you know the basics, it’s time for the fun of roleplaying. Schrödinger’s Treasure is a mini solo play episode that will give you a feel of being a player in the Carbon Grey RPG by taking on the role of Baldur Horn, a roguish Moonlighter that lives by his wits and luck. A full group session of the Carbon Grey RPG usually requires a GM and at least one player, but this Solo Play adventure lets you play through an exciting scenario all by yourself. You’ll need a writing utensil, paper, dice, and Baldur Horn’s character sheet above. If you are an old hand at roleplaying games, you can skip this or just play through the mini solitaire adventure for fun. You may have noticed that we’ve changed the template’s usual starting gear. This Solo Play episode will use that to show you how armor, weapon attacks, and tools work. Schrödinger’s Treasure was written with the Moonlighter in mind, but you can play through it with a character of your own devising if you so chose (see Chapter 3 on page 35).

SCHRÖDINGER’S TREASURE: A SOLO PLAY ADVENTURE

A heavy fog rolls through rubble-strewn streets. The first rays of a rising sun show amongst the broken structures that had previously been the village of Katzenberg. The ravages of war have turned this quant settlement into a desolate graveyard, complete with a murder of crows and roving packs of Purge Troopers. Even now, one of the scavenger birds picks through the ruins, foraging for food a bit too close to your hiding spot. If it gets startled and makes a ruckus, it’s a good bet it’ll draw the attention of the Purge Trooper patrols sweeping the area for enemy survivors.

Under the circumstances, being seen wouldn’t be the best thing for you. You’re wearing a trenchcoat that you took off a dead officer— one from the losing side. Explanations could become complicated. Sure, you could toss it in the rubble somewhere, but it’s a damn nice coat—might even be your favorite. Getting rid of it is not an option. You could also just make a beeline for the charred tree line, putting as much distance between this war zone and your ass as possible. That’s also not going to happen. You only came here because an associate let slip that the Katzenberg Bank hadn’t had time to clear out its resources before the bombs dropped. The bank’s safety deposit boxes should still be loaded with cash, jewels, and bank notes—too good an opportunity to pass up. Nothing’s ever simple with you, of course, so this onion’s got another layer to it. The Purge troopers here has captured your good friend, and confidant, Petra. It’s your fault Petra was picked up in the first place. You set them up as a diversion so you could beat them to the prize. Whatever is in those boxes, the Purge Corps are after it as well. You never intended for Petra to fall into the hands of these bastards. You’re not about to leave your friend behind. No, you’ve only really got one recourse here. You’ve got to figure out the best way to the bank and look for Petra along the way. Whatever treasure’s stashed in that bank, the Purge Troopers thought it was worth blowing up a village to get to. You’ve got no idea what it is, but you know three things: One: If it’s in a lockbox, you should be able to carry it. Two: If the kaiser’s elite Purge Troopers are after it, it isn’t anything petty. Three: The name on the box is Schr dinger.

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You take inventory of the gear stashed in your deep pockets—and give an uneasy shrug at the thought of only a set of lockpicks, a switchblade, a pistol, and a dozen bullets you “acquired” off a nearby corpse. You’ve beat bad odds before; why should this time be any different?

GOING SOLO Schrödinger’s Treasure is divided into several sections. Each of these describes the current situation you find yourself in, similar to how the GM sets up situations and stories for your PC to play through. At the end of each section you’re given a choice of actions to take. This often involves a skill roll, but sometimes it’s just a roll to obtain a random result, much like the GM might make during a session. Each choice or outcome tells you which section to turn to and see what happens next. When you are told to make a note of something, it’s because it will be relevant later in the story. Best to jot it down somewhere. The adventure will tell you when you are finished, and whether you succeed or fail in your mission. You can play through a Solo Play adventure multiple times, making different choices or with a different character.

- 1 The crow stops pecking the stone near you and starts tapping your head instead. You shift ever so slightly—and the bird bellows an annoyed croak. Crouching behind the pile of toppled bricks and shattered timbers seemed like a good idea before, at least until this annoying bird decided your luscious locks might be hiding a grub or two . Two more stabbing taps to your skull and you have to stifle a grunt of pain. The crow squawks louder—it buffets its wings in anger. If it keeps this racket up, those Purge Troopers picking through those nearby ruined cottages are sure to notice. It’s decision time: Do you try to sneak away without startling the crow or giving yourself away? Make a DN15 DEX (Stealth) Stealth roll. • On a success, go to 7. • On a failure, go to 16 Do you keep cool, ignore the pain, and hope the ird mo es o on its o n ake a (Grit) roll. • On a success, go to 12. •

n a fail re, or if yo roll a on the Die, go to 3.

ild

Ready? Good. Head on over to Section 1

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

- 2 It takes a few times slamming your shoulder into the heavy door, but luckily it gives before your shoulder does. • •

f yo ha e a note that yo ’ e taken extra time, go to 13. f yo don’t, go to

- 3 The evil bird punctures your scalp, drawing blood. Your reflexive yelp of pain scatters the fluttering crow, cawing as it goes. Your position is blown—you can hear voices and movement all around. In a panic, you break from cover and head for the most open ground to escape.

- 6 Luck is on your side—you’ve found the shattered front window of a bombed-out tailor shop. You leap inside, the angry voices and thundering boots of your pursuers closing in. Rushing through the ruins, you burst out the broken back door and into the rubble-strewn alley beyond. Thinking quickly, you duck into a charred eatery. Your heart in your throat, you dive behind a toppled table and hold your breath. Soon, the sounds of pursuit echo in the distance. After several long moments, you exhale, peeking out from your hiding spot. It looks like they missed you. •

- 7 -

• Go to 20.

- 4 A swing and a miss—your blade only knicks the soldier’s uniform collar. He grabs your knife hand and your throat in one motion. Uh, oh—he’s definitely stronger than he looks Make a DN15 STR roll. • On a success, go to 9. • On a failure, go to 22.

- 5 Your route takes you to a row of gutted, charred, and teetering cottage—all little more than frames and half-remaining walls. Keeping low and weaving through the still-smoking ruins. You feel the creaking floorboards below your boots give as little. With a splintering snap, the boards begin to give way ake a

ake a note that yo took extra time and go to 23.

eflex roll

• On a success, go to 17. • On a failure, go to 25.

You slink from your cover slower than molasses in December. After a pause and a curious head tilt, the crow goes back to picking through the rubble for bugs. The mu ed voices of the troopers fade as you leave the rubble pile behind and head for the closest cover. You edge up to the single remaining cornerstone of what was a grocer’s before the bombs fell. Now, only a brick-littered open stretch of the cobbled street stands between you and your destination. It would take a quick few steps out in the open to cross to a half-collapsed stable and dip safely back into the shadows. If you were to stay on this side of the street and move further away from the bank and Petra, you could stay hidden and take the long way around. Do you make a dash for the cover of the stable across the rubble-littered street? Make a DN5 DEX (Acrobatics) roll to keep your footing. • On a success, go to 11. • On a failure, or if you rolled a 1 on the ild ie, go to •

f yo lay it safe and don’t risk rossing in the open, make a note that you took extra time and go to

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- 8 -

- 10 -

Something slams you in your gut—the officer’s bullet has found its mark!

Picking a lock is old hat for you—you make short work of this one. You pocket your lockpicks, readying your revolver as you step through the rear entrance of the bank. Beyond the door is a small office strewn with files and loose papers. A Purge Officer looms over a hooded figure tied to a chair in the next room. Beyond the two lies a wall of open lockboxes. Your gut tells you the prisoner must be Petra. The officer whispers in Petra’s ear, then raises his pistol and aims it at your friend’s hooded head. Gun in hand, you know what you have to do.

You must resist the bullet’s damage. To do that, you’ll add your STR and ARM die codes together, and roll 4D. The DN is 12. n a s ess, the llet has done s erfi al damage, knocking the wind out of you witha burst of pain. You are Stunned. f yo fail t roll or higher, the llet ent clean through the meat and out the other side. o are o nded f yo fail and roll or less, the llet hit something important. Blood pools in your lap. o are n a a itated As pain shudders through you, the burly shadows of Purge Troopers pour into the room. You are quickly overwhelmed, disarmed, and tied to a chair beside Petra. The officer sneers at you as a trooper hands him a burplap sack. “Herr Horn, we have much to discuss,” he says, and pulls the sack over your head. The world goes black. It seems either your reputation or Petra’s big mouth have preceded you. Your day is about to get a bit worse…. •

for no

- 9 Fear fuels you with a surge of strength. You wrestle the point of your knife away from you and towards your enemy. A vicious smile spreads across the man’s face as he twists the blade back your way. In a last-ditch effort, you knee him in the groin (no one said you don’t play dirty). You’re able to free your knife hand, but the two of you go down in a heap—with his full weight on top of you. • Go to 14.

• Go to 19.

- 11You quickstep down the road and across the broken stones before melting into the shadows of the half-demolished bar. Just as you breathe a sigh of relief, you see movement. An enemy soldier—not a Purge Trooper, but a wet-behind-the-ears regular. The green recruit stretches and gives a tired yawn. If he turns and spots you, you’ll have nowhere to hide. You must decide whether to run for cover or end this soldier quietly with your knife. •

f yo r n, go to

•

f yo

- 12 You bite down as the crow delivers a trio of sharp, scalp-stinging pecks. Finding no tasty morsels, the bird doubles its efforts, redoubling your pain. Then—nothing. After abusing your poor head for so long, the crow belts out a miffed squawk and takes flight. You hold your breath, ready for the bird’s flamboyant exit to drawing attention to your hiding place until you’re sure you’re still hidden. Better yet, you no longer hear voices anywhere near you. You creep off towards the bank. •

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se yo r knife, go to

ake a note that yo took extra time and go to 23.

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

- 13 The door swings open, revealing a small back room with a paper-strewn work desk and a toppled. Directly past the desk, you can see into the rear of the barred-off secure area of the bank. A wall of open lockboxes and an open safe frame a lone hooded figure tied to a chair. It seems you’re too late to find out what Schr dinger’s treasure was. Your greed-fueled bitterness at missing out on what might have been a fortune gives way to an even worse feeling in your gut when you notice how still the figure in the chair is. The fresh bloodstain spreading across the hood tells you the fate of your friend without ever having to look beneath it. Your luck failed you this time, and it ended up costing Petra their life. Now all you can do is make your way out of here and maybe get a little payback for them as you go.

- 14 The blow knocks the wind out of you. Panic fills your mind—until you realize the man atop of you is nothing more than dead weight. One glance at his lifeless eyes confirms your suspicions—your knife is buried to the hilt in the dead man’s heart. You wrestle yourself clear of the corpse. Once agains luck, rather than your skill, that’s seen you through. At first, you think it might be time for a disguise—until you realize the dead soldier is half a foot shorter than you and has tiny ballerina feet. “Nothing is ever easy,” you mumble, wiping your blood-slick knife on the soldier’s uniform. You see the bank building ahead, just past a nearby pair of burnt and toppled edifices. You are close to the treasure now—you can almost count the Marks. After a few moments to confirm the path is clear, you slip out of cover and move deeper into the ruins of the town. ext sto , ayday

Your heart pounds in your chest—there’s no cover here. You run headlong in fear and desperately reach for your gun. • Go to 20.

- 16 You try your best to slip out from under the crow’s beak without disturbing it. nfortunately, your movements shift a stone, which falls and triggers a cascading collapse of small debris. The crow squawks in noisy terror, alerting everyone to your position. • Go to 20.

- 17 -

• THE END

•

- 15 -

Your left boot smashes through the broken floorboards and traps you up to your knee. Luckily, you aren’t hur. After a few worrying heartbeats, it doesn’t seem like the breaking wood drew any attention. It takes you quite a few tries to free your leg without making even more noise. Once you are loose, you carefully pick your way back to solid footing and then push on towards the bank. •

ake a note that yo took extra time and go to 23.

- 18 You sprint from cover, trip on some loose stones, and flop painfully right in the middle of the open roadway. An angry voice shouts “Halt!” Purge Troopers come rushing into the roadway, their guns on you. You scramble to your feet and reach for your pistol. • Go to 20.

o to

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- 19 Your bullet misses Petra’s hooded head by millimeters, instead slamming into the officer’s thick neck. His own shot goes wide and impacts the doorframe beside you. The panicked man drops his pistol and grasps his own throat, desperate to stop the spray of lifeblood from his gurgling voicebox. You raise your smoking weapon to finish the job, but there’s no need. As his wide eyes dim, his legs fail. The officer sprawls to the floor amongst the litter-strewn mess of the room. • Go to 30.

- 20 Even as your hand grips your pistol to make some sort of last stand, black-clad Purge Troopers swarm out from every direction. The chattering staccato of machine gun fire rips through the air. A wall of lead tears into you before you even get a shot off. You lay dying in a crumpled heap, gazing up at the grey sky above. The last thing you hear is the sound of guns being cocked and reloaded—followed by the order to make sure you are dead.

- 21 Years of putting yourself into bad positions have honed your ability to make surprise a thing you use, not succumb to. In one fluid motion, you whip out your pistol and pull the trigger almost instinctively. Make a DN14 PER (Marksmanship) roll. You have -1D on this roll because your target is using your squirming mate Petra for cover. • On a success, go to 19. n a fail re, go to

52 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 52

The small man overpowers you, knocks the knife from your grip, and shoves you out into the open street. “Enemy here! Enemy!” the soldier screams as he turns back for his weapon. • Go to 20.

- 23 Carefully picking your way through toppled and burnt-out structures takes far longer than you would have hoped. You weave around and over low piles of rubble, all while avoiding exposure to the openness of the cobbled street. Finally, a toppled cart and the corpse of a draft horse give you enough cover to cross unseen. A few stealthy dashes and you see the bank. •

ake a note that yo took extra time and go to 27.

- 24 Giving in to your rat-like instincts, you bolt for cover and scurry out of sight. As you rush along the rubble-strewn roadway, the sound of a guard’s shouts has you thinking you might have made the wrong choice. ime to r st to times.

• THE END

•

- 22 -

k

oll the

ild ie three

•

f yo got at least one , go to

•

f yo didn’t, go to

- 25 You leap aside with feline grace and find better footing. Several sections of the blackened floor are clearly too weak to hold your weight. You carefully hop your way around the dangerous section and head towards the bank, the mysterious treasure, and your friend. • Go to 23.

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CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

- 26 The blade of your knife slides easily in behind the soldier’s left ear. Three quick twists of your wrists and the deadman gives a shudder and falls limp in your waiting grasp. You pull the body out of sight before anyone can see. At first, you think it might be time for a disguise until you realize the dead soldier is a good half-foot shorter than you—and has tiny feet like a ballerina. “Nothing is ever easy,” you sigh. You clean your knife on the soldier’s uniform and fold the blade back into the grip. Surveying your surroundings, you see the bank building standing tall behind a nearby pair of burnt and toppled stores. You are so close to the treasure you can almost count the Marks. After a few moments to confirm the path is clear, you glide out of cover and move deeper into the ruins of the town. •

ext sto , ayday

o to

- 27 You squat near a rain barrel beside a broken wall. ust a few steps from you is the heavy rear door of the bank. You look about for any signs of threat and find your surroundings momentarily clear. It looks like only a single door stands between everything you have been heading towards. You creep up and gingerly check the handle. It’s locked. •

f yo for e the door o en, go to

f yo se yo r lo k i ks on the a k door of the bank, make a DN15 DEX (Sleight of Hand) roll. • On a success, go to 10. • On a failure, you’ll have to force it. Go to 2.

- 28 The door swings open, revealing a small back room with a paper-strewn work desk and a toppled. Directly past the desk, you can see into the rear of the barred-off secure area of the bank. A wall of open lockboxes, an unhinged safe door, a hooded figure tied to a chair, and an enemy officer crouched down behind them. Worst, he’s aiming a pistol at you! ake a nstin t roll for initiati e •

f yo roll a

•

f yo don’t, go to

or etter, go to

- 29 Your switchblade is in your hand before you finish the thought. You open the blade silently against your leg with practiced ease. Like a coiled mountain viper, you strike just as the soldier is beginning to turn. Make a DEX (Melee). Add +1D to this roll e a se he isn’t ex e ting it emem er that you can spend a Hero Point to roll double the dice or reroll a failed roll. •

f yo roll

•

f yo don’t, go to

or more, go to

- 30 You step over the dead officer, leaving him lying in a pool of his own blood. It’s time to free Petra. After untying them, you pull the bag off Petra’s head. Bruised and beaten, Petra nonetheless flashes a knowing grin. Petra tells you that a truck took everything that was inside the boxes and the safe not long before you broke the door in. Knowing the gunshots will summon the Purge Troopers, you and Petra decide to get the hell out of here and find that truck. Seems like your days aren’t over yet, but this part of your adventure is…. •

H

for no

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"Here be a quote." "Unlike Gottfaust, you would - Some blue vampire never betray me." - Letters From Emmeline

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CHAPTER 4: COMBAT AND RECOVERY THE COMBAT SEQUENCE

When combat begins, the action unfolds in this order: Set the Scene. The GM describes the situation— backdrop, foes, and other details—to the players and establishes who’s on whose side. Usually, there are only two sides, the PCs and the NPCs. Determine Order. Everyone rolls initiative. Combatants who are expecting a fight roll DE (Reflex). Combatants who aren’t expecting a fight or are otherwise unaware roll PER (Instinct). Whichever side has the highest individual initiative total goes first. In the event of a tie between a PC and an NPC, the PC’s side goes first. Decision Time. The GM decides what the NPCs will do and each player decides what their character will do. Action Time. The side with the highest initiative declares and completes its actions, including movement, attacking, and so on, in any order they wish. Then the side with the next-highest initiative acts. This continues until all sides have declared and taken their actions. End of Round. Resolve any ongoing effects, environmental elements, bookkeeping, and preparing for the next round, if needed. Wash and Repeat. Repeat the process as a new combat round begins. Combat continues until one side runs away, surrenders, or is defeated.

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ROLLING INITIATIVE

Initiative is a key part of the combat sequence. It’s a useful way to keep the chaos of battle organized enough to manage while allowing for the unpredictability that chaos brings. When you roll initiative, you’ll use one of two skills, depending on the circumstances. When your character is ready for trouble, like when they’re in the middle of a fight, you roll Reflex for initiative. When they’re not, such as when a fight hasn’t broken out yet, roll Instinct instead. Because of this, the first initiative roll in a combat almost always uses Instinct, and all subsequent initiative rolls use Reflex. Combatants are typically on one side or another of a fight—for example, the PCs and their allies on one side and their enemies on the other. Only the character with the highest Reflex or Instinct on each side needs to roll for initiative each round, and the side with the highest total acts first. As usual, the players win all ties.

SURPRISE Catching the enemy by surprise comes with a special benefit for the attackers—a Surprise Action. This lets the ambushers take one Basic action, or two Basic actions if one of them is movement, before initiative is even rolled. After that, if the defenders are still standing, combat proceeds as usual.

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WHY ROLL EACH ROUND?

Tension. You never know what’ll happen next. Fairness. If you lost the initiative last round, you might win it this time. Pulp action. Combat has the ebb and flow of a blockbuster movie or comic book.

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DECLARING ACTIONS

After determining the initiative order, everyone on the side with the highest initiative declares what they’ll be doing that round, including what skills they plan to use and what movement they’ll take, if any. Usually it’s simple to decide which skill corresponds to the desired action, but when in doubt, the GM and players can work it out together. Everyone acts in whatever order everyone on that side wishes, whether they’re players or the GM. Once the first side has taken all its actions, the side with the next highest initiative total declares and takes their turns. If there are more than two sides, this continues until every side in the combat has taken its turn.

DISTANCE AND RANGE

When accurate distance matters, such as a weapon’s effective range or the ground a character can cover in a one-round sprint, it’s measured in meters. You won’t be literally measuring the distance between one point and another, but a fair estimation is important for a few reasons. For one, it helps everyone at the table agree on what the physical environment looks like and enables tactical thinking. It’s also useful for

58 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 58

things like weapons and vehicles when figuring out how far away your target is or how much of a lead you have on your pursuers. Moreover, many RPG players like using gaming miniatures and maps to further aid visualization. Without a proper sense of space, that becomes very difficult. If you’re not sure and you’re the GM, your best guess will be fine. If you’re a player, ask the GM!

MOVEMENT IN COMBAT Walking or running typically isn’t cause for rolling dice unless there are other factors at play, like running across a frozen lake or struggling through underbrush. However, walking or running in combat can have an effect on your skill rolls. Quick movement is anything up to 6 meters in a single round, whether walking, tumbling, or using a wheelchair. Quick movement has no effect on die rolls. Basic movement is more than 6 meters, to a maximum of 12 meters, and counts as a Basic action, which means it imposes -1D to all skill rolls that round. STANDING OR PRONE A character is considered to be either standing or prone, and can voluntarily fall prone as part of their movement, or at the end of their turn.

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Prone characters are more accurate when attacking with firearms (+1D) and are harder to hit at range (-1D), but have difficulty with thrown and muscle-powered ranged weapons (-1D) and make for easy targets in melee combat (+1D). A prone character’s movement is limited to crawling, which is considered Basic movement of two meters or less.

D Extremely rugged or slippery footing, waist-deep or even chest-deep water, mud or muck, very dense foliage. This terrain requires a character to expend 3 meters of movement to move 1 meter.

Getting up from prone is a Basic move as well, and prevents any further movement. In other words, you can stand up, but you can’t go anywhere just yet.

RANGE CATEGORIES

DIFFICULT TERRAIN The standard movement guidelines given above assume the character is moving through clear and unobstructed areas. When that isn’t the case, difficult terrain will restrict movement. The different terrain types are as follows:

Impassable. This terrain cannot be passed through, just like it says on the tin.

There are four range categories: Point-Blank, Short, Medium, and Long. Most melee weapons are only effective at Point-Blank range, which is less than 3 meters. For ranged weapons, the range category sets the base DN for the attack, although the distance encompassed by each range category depends on the weapon class. RANGE CATEGORY

DN

Clear. Unobstructed, good footing. No modifiers to movement.

Point-Blank

5

D Rough or slippery footing, including knee-deep water, mud, or muck, foliage, and loose rocks. This terrain requires a character to expend 2 meters of movement to move 1 meter.

Short

10

Medium

15

Long

20

UNUSUAL ATTACKS

There’s a whole lot more a character can do in combat besides poking holes in their enemy. Grappling, disarming, and tricking your foe are time-honored traditions. There are rules here for many situations, but if something isn’t covered, common sense will get you far. Pick the skills and defenses that you feel fit the action, and roll those dice. For example, wrestling an opponent to the ground could involve both combatants making opposed STR (Brawl) rolls at -1D.

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COMBAT MODIFIERS STATUS

MODIFIER

¼ Cover

-1D

½ Cover

-2D

¾ Cover

-3D

High Winds

-1D (ranged)

Impaired Visibility (darkness, fog, rain)

-1D to - D

Aim Weapon

+1D (ranged)

Bracing/Prone

+1D (ranged)

High Ground

+1D (hand-to-hand)

High Vantage Point

+1D (ranged)

Reactive Skill

-1D per additional Basic action this round

Multiple Actions

-1D per additional Basic action this round

Target Is Prone

-1D (ranged) or +1D (hand-to-hand)

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Details on weapon ranges can be found in the Gear and Weapons chapter (page 3).

ATTACKING

There are two main types of attacks: melee and ranged. Melee attacks require the attacker to be within reach of their target (less than 3 meters) and attack with bare hands using STR (Brawl) or a melee weapon using DE (Melee). The DN equals the target’s relevant defense, as explained later in this chapter. Ranged attacks use Marksmanship for ranged weapons, Throwing for thrown weapons, and Gunnery for artillery, vehicle-mounted weapons, and the like. The DN is set by the range (from Point-Blank to Long) plus the target’s relevant defense. The further away the attacker is, and the better the target is able to evade the attack, the more difficult it is to score a hit. Aiming gives you a bonus to hit, but takes one round (see Combat Modifers).

SRP DEFENSES

Every character has three defenses: a Surprised defense, a Ready defense, and a Psyche defense. The first two are for avoiding physical attacks, such as in combat; the third is for resisting intimidation, fear, or more esoteric mental attacks. The relevant defense is DN for the attack roll. Surprised (S). A Surprised defense applies when you don’t see an attack coming. Whether you’re being ambushed or simply stabbed in the back by a “friend,” this is your attacker’s target number. Ready (R). Ready defense comes into play when you do see an attack coming. Whether you started it or the other guy did, the higher this defense, the harder you are to hit. Psyche (P). Psyche defense are used whenever someone tries to bully or scare you. It can also come into play when you’re confronted with

the terrifying or supernatural, such as suffering shell-shock on the battlefield or facing a horde of stone demons. • Surprised = PER x 3 • Ready = DEX x 3 • Psyche = WIL x 3 When calculating these defenses, drop any modifiers to the attribute. For example, the defenses of a character with DE 3D+2, PER 2D+1, and WIL 3D are Surprised 6. Ready , and Psyche .

FULL DEFENSE When a character’s prime concern in a combat round is not getting hurt, they can go Full Defense as a Basic action on their turn. This lets them add their Reflex or Instinct die code to any STR roll they make to resist physical damage, or add their Grit die code to any WIL roll they make to resist mental trauma. For example, if a character with STR 3D and Reflex 2D goes Full Defense against an attack, they’d roll 5D to resist its damage. In practice, Full Defense is rolling with a hit to avoid the worst of the damage, or gritting your teeth and enduring the pain. Full Defense has no effect on a character’s Surprised, Ready, or Psyche defenses. If the character takes another Basic action in the round, they lose the benefits of Full Defense.

DAMAGE

The amount of damage a weapon can inflict is dictated by its Damage (DMG) die code, as shown on the Weapons Table. For musclepowered weapons like swords and clubs, DMG is the attacker’s STR plus modifiers from the weapon, while the DMG of firearms is independent from the attacker’s attributes. However, hitting doesn’t automatically mean wounding—the defender has a chance to resist some of that damage.

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Roll DMG opposed by the defender’s STR. This is a Quick action for the target, so there’s no combined action penalty for this roll.

See Recovering from Damage, Disease, and Trauma on page 63 for information on recovering from damage.

Armor can mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield. When making a STR roll to resist damage, also roll your Armor’s die code (ARM) and add it to your STR total. This is the only benefit of armor—it doesn’t add to any other uses of STR or STR skills.

INJURY LEVELS

Compare the DMG and STR totals, then consult the table below to determine the degree of injury, if any. DMG TOTAL

INJURY LEVEL

Less than STR total

Stunned

Between STR total and STR total x 2

Wounded

Between STR total x 2 and STR total x 3

Incapacitated

STR total x 3 or more

Mortally Wounded

For example, a soldier with STR 3D and ARM +2 rolls 3D+2 to resist the DMG of an attack and gets a 15. They are Stunned if the DMG is 1 or less, Wounded if DMG is 15 to 2 , Incapacitated if DMG is 30 to , and Mortally Wounded if DMG is 5 or more.

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Each injury level carries its own effects on the target, as described below. STUNNED The defender can’t take any Basic actions for the rest of the combat round. WOUNDED The defender must succeed on a DN 15 STR (Stamina) roll or fall prone. Even if that roll succeeds, they can’t take Basic actions for the rest of the combat round, and have -1D to all rolls until they are no longer Wounded. A Wounded character who is Wounded again becomes Incapacitated. INCAPACITATED The defender falls prone and unconscious, and can’t take any actions until no longer Incapacitated. An Incapacitated character who is Wounded or Incapacitated again becomes Mortally Wounded. MORTALLY WOUNDED As Incapacitated, but until they are no longer Mortally Wounded, they must roll 2D at the end of every round until treated.

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If the result of this roll is less than the number of rounds that have passed since they became Mortally Wounded, the character dies. If they’re Wounded, Incapacitated, or Mortally Wounded again, they are instantly killed.

MENTAL TRAUMA Because attacks against a character’s Psyche are of a less tangible nature and more variable nature, they’re handled a little differently. If the defender is an average NPC and the attack succeeds, it’s usually enough to say that they are appropriately affected by whatever form the “attack” took. They back down when threatened or collapse in the face of horror. If the defender is a PC or an NPC that’s more important to the story, then things get a little more interesting. The severity of the penalty depends on the attack’s margin of success. In addition to the effects shown below, the source of the trauma may impose a secondary effect, such as panic, delusions, irrational behavior, or worse.

RECOVERING FROM DAMAGE, DISEASE, AND TRAUMA

The Medical skill is used to provide both immediate and long-term medical care. The severity of the patient’s condition determines both how difficult they are to treat and what kind of action is required to treat them (but it’s almost always Slow). INJURY/ CONDITION

DN

ACTION (TIME REQUIRED)

Stunned (full recovery)

5

Basic

Minor toxin or disease symptoms

5

Basic

Wounded (full recovery)

10

Slow (2D minutes)

ATTACK TOTAL

TRAUMA LEVEL

Mild toxin or mild disease symptoms

10

Slow (2D minutes)

Between Psyche and Psyche x 2

Stunned

Incapacitated (one level)

15

Slow (1D hours)

Between Psyche x 2 and Psyche x 3

Shaken

Moderate toxin or disease symptoms

15

Slow (1D hours)

Between Psyche x 3 and Psyche x

Traumatized

Mortally Wounded (one level)

20

Slow (1D days)

Psyche x or more

Severely Traumatized

Serious toxin or disease symptoms

20

Slow (1D days)

Deadly toxin or disease symptoms

30

Slow (2D days)

Stunned Trauma. No Basic actions can be taken for the rest of the combat round. Shaken. -1D to all rolls for 2D minutes. Traumatized. -1D to all rolls for 1D hours. Severely Traumatized. Character is catatonic. Treat as Incapacitated for 1D days.

Reduce injury level by one degree Reduce severity of a toxin or disease’s effects by one degree

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MENTAL RECOVERY

FATIGUE

A character suffering from mental trauma can receive treatment from another character using a skill appropriate to the nature of the trauma, such as Medical or even Charm. A character can also “heal” themselves using WIL (Grit). (The penalty imposed by the trauma doesn’t apply to these rolls.) The DN of the roll depends on the severity of the penalty, as shown below.

Extended strenuous physical activity can take a toll on a character, as can a variety of other activities that can have detrimental effects on a character’s constitution. In these circumstances, the GM may call for a STR (Stamina) roll, using the following guidelines.

CONDITION

Stunned

RECOVERY DN

ACTION (TIME REQUIRED)

—

None (automatically recover at end of round)

Shaken

10

Slow (2D minutes)

Traumatized

15

Slow (1D hours)

Severely Traumatized

20

Slow (1D days)

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ACTIVITY

DN

Running 1 km

5

Running 10 km, engaging in a day’s hard labor, eating rotten food

10

Enduring a harsh environment for an hour

15

Enduring a harsh environment for several hours

20

Treading icy water for an hour

25

A failed STR (Stamina) roll in these circumstances results in Fatigue. Each time a character becomes Fatigued, they suffer a cumulative -1D to all attribute and skill rolls until the fatiguing circumstance ends and

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they’re able to recover. If the penalty from Fatigue equals or exceeds their STR die code, they are Mortally Wounded and in danger of dying.

NATURAL HEALING Once per day a character can attempt a STR (Stamina) roll vs. their current injury condition DN to reduce their injury level by one degree. This roll costs no action.

SCALE In the Carbon Grey RPG, there will be times when characters engage in combat with vehicles or when vehicle weapons target characters. When such situations occur the damage is scaled. There are three basic scales—Character, Vehicle and Grand. Character Scale. This scale covers anything the size of an adult human down a mouse. Vehicle Scale. This scale covers most vehicles, from motorcycles and cars to tanks and planes. Grand Scale. This scale is reserved for battleships or massive airships. While not likely to be encountered in every adventure, this scale is relevant to the world at war. DAMAGE BETWEEN SCALES • Character Scale trying to Damage Vehicle Scale = Vehicle Frame is x2 to resist damage. • Character Scale trying to Damage Grand Scale = Grand Scale Frame is x4 to resist damage. • Vehicle Scale trying to Damage Character Scale = Vehicle Weapon Damage Code x2 • Vehicle Scale trying to Damage Grand Scale = Grand Scale Frame is x2 • Grand Scale trying to Damage Vehicle Scale = Grand Scale Weapon Damage Code x2 • Grand Scale trying to Damage Character Scale = Grand Scale Weapon Damage Code x4

NOTE: Not all weapons mounted on a vehicle are Vehicle scale and not weapons carried by character are considered Character scale. Any occurrence of such weapons that can affect different scales will be noted in the description of the vehicle or weapon.

OTHER ACTIONS IN COMBAT

When you’re in a fight, there’s more you can do than just shooting or stabbing the other guy. This section contains a variety of situations that occasionally come up in combat.

GRAPPLING When one combatant wants to grapple another, each of them makes a STR (Brawl) roll. The winner of this roll is the attacker, and the loser is the defender. Repeat this roll at the start of each round. This may result in the attacker and defender swapping roles. Each round after making this opposed roll, the attacker can choose one of these options until the grapple is broken. Grappling is a Basic action. Knock prone. The defender is knocked prone. Drop prone. Both attacker and defender drop prone. Shove. Forcefully move the defender up to five meters. If the attacker doesn’t move with them, the grapple is broken. Throw. If the attacker’s STR is higher than the defender’s, the attacker throws the defender. The attacker makes a STR (Lift) roll with a DN equal to three times the defender’s STR die code. On an Ordinary Success, the defender is thrown a number of meters equal to the attacker’s STR die code. On an Exceptional success, double that distance. Either way, the grapple is broken. Squeeze. The attacker rolls their STR and deals that much damage to the defender. Break. The attacker breaks the grapple.

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Pin. The defender is held in place and can’t take any actions until the next opposed STR (Brawl) roll. The GM is encouraged to allow other options, depending upon the situation of a grapple or should the story merit it.

DISARM Rather than dealing damage, a combatant may wish to cause their foe to drop whatever they’re holding, whether a weapon or otherwise. Disarming is a Basic action that affects a subsequent STR (Brawl) or DE (Melee) roll against the same target that round. Because both the attack and the disarm are Basic actions, if the disarm succeeds, the attack deals no damage, and the defender must make a DE (Reflex) or STR (Stamina) roll with a DN equal to the total of the attack roll. If the defender’s roll succeeds, they don’t drop what they’re holding. If it fails, they do, and the attacker can choose where it lands within 5 meters. If the disarming attack was made using Brawl, the attacker can choose to grab the object instead. At the GM’s discretion, an attempt to disarm may be made with a ranged weapon

PULLING PUNCHES When a combatant wants to deal non-lethal damage with an attack using Brawl or Melee, they can choose to “pull their punch” before rolling dice. If the attack hits, the defender resists the DMG as normal, but with milder consequences if they fail. STANDARD INJURY LEVEL

PULLED PUNCH RESULTS

Stunned

Stunned

Wounded

Stunned for 2 rounds.

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STANDARD INJURY LEVEL

PULLED PUNCH RESULTS

Incapacitated

Stunned for 1 minute.

Mortally Wounded

Unconscious for 1D+1 minutes.

Killed

Unconscious for 1 hour.

A character Stunned in this way can be roused with a DN10 KNO (Medical) roll.

FALLING AND COLLISIONS

Though usually the result of different circumstances, both falling a great distance and being in a vehicular collision involve the same basic thing: high-speed travel and a sudden stop.

FALLING Falling more than 3 meters carries a chance of injury, and the further the fall, the worse the injury. Damage from a fall is resisted like any other damage. FALL DISTANCE (M)

DMG

3-6

3D

-12

D

13-1

5D

1 -30

6D

31-50

D

51+

10D

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COLLISIONS Collision damage depends on the speed and scale of the characters, vehicles, and/or objects involved. It also depends on the colliding objects’ relative velocity. RELATIVE VELOCITY (KM/H)

DMG

5-10

3D

11-20

D

21-50

5D

51-100

6D

101-200

D

201+

EXPLOSIVES

Explosives and other area-effect weapons pose some special challenges for those caught in the blast. The most common of these is the humble grenade.

GRENADES Attacks with grenades use STR (Throwing) against a DN equal to the range to the target. On a success, it lands there. On a failure, it scatters from its intended target area. Roll on the chart below to see where it goes.

10D

DETERMINING RELATIVE VELOCITY Use the table below to determine the objects’ relative velocity. COLLISION TYPE

RELATIVE VELOCITY

Head-On

The sum of the objects’ speeds

T-Bone

The speed of the fastest object

Sideswipe

The average of the objects’ speeds

Rear-End

Subtract the slower speed from the faster speed

If the objects are of different scales, apply the scaling damage rules (page 65), as normal.

Roll 1D at short range, 2D at medium range and 3D at long range to determine distance scattered (in meters). When a grenade explodes, unless otherwise noted it affects everything within 10 m. If you’re caught in this blast radius, you may take one of the following reactions: Hit the deck (Quick). Drop prone and gain +1D on your STR roll to resist the damage. Dive away (Basic). This reaction can only be taken if you haven’t moved this round or have already declared Full Defense. Add your Reflex die code to your STR roll to resist the damage. Afterward, you’re prone. S P If you haven’t moved this round, you may throw yourself on top of the grenade. If it explodes, double its DMG against you. All other targets in the blast radius are unaffected.

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EXPLOSIVE OPTIONS

Throwback (Basic). Spend a Hero Point and make a DE (Reflex) roll against a DN equal to the total of the attacker’s STR (Throwing) roll. On a success, you kick or throw it away, moving the target area of the grenade to a point within 1D+10 m.

Enclosed areas. If an area includes walls that are no more than 10 m apart and a ceiling that’s no more than 10 m high, it’s considered to be enclosed. Explosives get +1 DMG in enclosed areas.

There are several different types of grenades with different effects, as described in Gear and Weapons (page 3).

If you want more bang for your buck from grenades and other explosives, consider using these optional rules.

Barriers. Walls and other barriers that fully cover a target block the blast radius of grenades and detonations, as long as the D R of the barrier is more than half the explosive’s DMG die code. Otherwise, it only reduces the DMG roll by an amount equal to its D R die code. If the barrier includes a door, windows, or other openings, it only imposes -1D DMG.

OTHER AREAEFFECT ATTACKS Apart from grenades, set explosives, mines, mortars, artillery strikes, and aerial bombardment are just a few examples of areaeffect weapons at work. These aren’t usually directed at any one character in particular, but if you’re not paying attention it’s easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. These weapons work much like grenades, but with fewer options. A character in the area of effect may take one of the following reactions: Hit the deck (Quick). Drop prone and gain +1D on your STR or other attribute roll to resist the weapon’s DMG or effects. Dive away (Basic). This reaction can only be taken if you haven’t moved this round or have already declared Full Defense. Add your Reflex die code to your STR roll to resist the damage. Afterward, you’re prone. See Gear and Weapons (page 3)for more information on explosives.

ENVIRONMENTS

No Man’s Land, defensive perimeters, and even the skies above have their own challenges for PCs to overcome, whether they’re the targets of those challenges or not. To help stimulate a massive battle or wartime engagements without having to grind through a lot of rules, try using a few of the following guidelines.

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ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT Artillery strikes aren’t usually aimed at a single target or one of the PCs, but rather at a general area to inflict mass casualties or soften an enemy force before attacking them. If a bombardment targets an area, any character or vehicle in that area must succeed on a DE (Reflex) roll if on foot or a MEC (Drive) roll to avoid being caught in the blast. The DN depends on the density of the bombardment, which can be chosen by the GM or rolled for randomly on the table below. Characters that dive for cover gain a bonus on their DE (Reflex) roll of between +1D and +3D, depending on how much protection the cover provides.

ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT TABLE D6

BOMBARDMENT DENSITY

DN

1

Extreme

30

2

Heavy

20

3-

Moderate

15

5

Light

10

6

Sporadic

5

MAPS AND MINIATURES Maps can be a boon to any game, allowing everyone to see where characters, foes, and objectives are without the GM having to describe everything in detail. They’re great for avoiding some classic confusing tabletop RPG moments, like “My character wasn’t over there when the grenade went off ” or “How far away is the bad guy again?” Also, maps allow for tactical planning in a more tangible way than theatre of the mind-style play. They’re also tactile props that can help the players really feel the situation. Many premade game maps use square or hex grids. These maps pair well with scale miniatures and give everyone a visually engaging way to interact with the map itself. More traditional maps that depict a locale, a continent, or the entire world will use different scales, as indicated on the map itself. On a standard battle map of 1” squares or hexes, one square or hex equals 2m in the Carbon Grey RPG. This holds true regardless

of the direction of travel. Combined with scale miniatures, it’s an easy way to track how far a character can move and measure distances between characters, objects, and areas. This same sort of accuracy can be achieved with a ruler or tape measure, as well, at the same scale of 2 m/inch. FACING The direction a character is facing at any given moment isn’t something we usually keep track of in the Carbon Grey RPG. It’s assumed that everyone is facing whatever direction they need to at any given moment. Turning a miniature to face the general direction the character’s assumed to be facing looks good, but isn’t necessary. Combat is a swirling tide of movement and action, and anyone who wants to stay alive has their head on swivel. Likewise, it’s assumed that turning to face another direction is just part of a character’s movement.

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A character that fails this roll takes 10D DMG if on foot. If in a vehicle, the vehicle takes 10D DMG and the character takes 5D DMG.

D6

HAIL DENSITY

DN

DMG

1

Heavy

20

6D

FLAK-RIDDEN SKIES

2-

Moderate

15

5D

5

Light

10

D

6

Sporadic

5

The skies are filled with flak from anti-aircraft emplacements doing their best to keep any and all planes from attacking. While a plane is moving through the area, at the start of each round the pilot must make a MEC (Pilot) roll to avoid the incoming fire. The DN depends on how heavy the anti-aircraft fire is at the moment. This can be determined randomly on the table below, or chosen by the GM. D6

FLAK DENSITY

PILOT DN

DMG

1

Extreme

30

6D

2

Heavy

20

5D

3-

Moderate

15

D

5

Light

10

3D

6

None

-

-

If the MEC (Pilot) roll is a catastrophic failure, double the DMG die codes above.

HAIL OF BULLETS Charging across No Man’s Land through a hail of machine-gun fire is the bravest or most foolhardy thing a soldier on the front can do. And yet, it must be done. What doesn’t need to be done is rolling all those attacks. Instead, during a round that the character starts in or moves through an area designated to contain a Hail of Bullets, they must make a DE (Reflex) roll. The DN for this roll is determined by the density of enemy fire. If the foll fails, the character must face the corresponding DMG.

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3D

Apply the standard rules for cover, crawling, and obscured visibility as detailed on page 5 . If the character is able to benefit from any of these, rather than running through a hellishly open killing field, apply the bonuses to their DE (Reflex) roll.

MINEFIELDS When moving through an area littered with landmines, knowingly or otherwise, there’s the ever-present danger of stepping on one. A character trying to detect mines in a minefield must succeed on a DN20 PER (Investigate) roll if only making uick moves, or a DN15 PER (Investigate) roll if crawling. sing a stick or knife to aid in the detection grants +1D to the roll. Mines can’t be detected if the character is making Basic moves. If the roll succeeds, the character finds any mines in the area, if there are any. Once detected, a land mine can be accessed and disarmed with a DN 10 MEC (Demolition) roll. If the roll to detect mines fails, and there are mines in the area the character is moving through, or if the character isn’t looking for mines to begin with, roll on the table below once per round to see if the character or their vehicle triggers a mine as they move through the area. If the PER (Investigate) roll to detect mines is an Extraordinary Failure or worse, the character finds the mine—by stepping on it. The mine won’t explode until the character takes their weight off of it. Disarming a

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land mine that’s bearing someone or something’s weight doubles the DN to disarm it (from DN10 to DN20). Each round until it’s disabled, the creature standing on the mine must succeed on a DN10 DE (Acrobatics) roll or accidentally set off the landmine. On a Catastrophic Failure, the character triggers a mine instead of detecting it. When a landmine explodes, it damages everything within 10 m. It deals D DMG to a creature or object directly on top of it. They’re also thrown in a random direction and knocked prone. Any other creatures or objects in the area of effect not directly on top of the mine must make a DN15 DE (Reflex) roll. On a failed roll, the mine deals D DMG to them. On a successful roll, it only deals 2D DMG.

MINEFIELD TABLE MINEFIELD DENSITY

CHARACTER TRIGGERS ON A...

VEHICLE TRIGGERS ON A...

Light

1-3

1-5

Heavy

1-

1-6

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"When someone's shooting at you on the battlefield, the best thing to have is cover. The second-best thing is armor." - Mentor Goëthe

ARSENAL OF SURVIVAL

Weapons and gear are not just an option in a world at war, they are survival necessities. Whether you are issued your equipment by your superiors, buying it on the blackmarket, or simply prying out of the cold dead hands of your enemy, you ll find its description, cost, and other statistics in this chapter.

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AVAILABILITY OF GOODS

Most PCs start off with some kind of money (see page 131 for information on currency). Even with cash in hand, not everything is available everywhere. The Great War has meant supply shortages that drive people to the black market, especially if they’re seeking products of questionable legalities. Sometimes when a PC is in search of an item, they’ll have to make a Bargain or Streetwise roll against its availability DN to find it. When supply far exceeds demand, it may be possible to acquire an item for a fraction of its usual price. When demand is greater than supply, you can expect to pay through the nose. AVAILABILITY

DN

PRICE MULTIPLIER

Overabundant

5

x .5

Abundant

10

x1

Obtainable

15

x2

Scarce

20

x3

Rare

25

x4

Extremely Rare

30

x5

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WEAPONS

Just like in the real world, the variety of weapons in the world of Carbon Grey is beyond counting. This section includes many, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. You’re encouraged to make up your own, using those presented here as a guide.

WEAPON PROPERTIES Many weapons have one or more properties that affect their use, as shown on the following tables. Ammo X. If you’re using Quartermaster Ammo, the weapon can fire rounds before needing to be reloaded. There may be a word following the that indicates what form its ammo takes: belt (ammunition belt), drum (drum magazine), or mag (box magazine). If not, its ammo is loaded one round at a time. Anti-Vehicle. Treat the weapon as Vehicle scale when attacking targets of Vehicle or Grand scale. Bipod. If not braced with a bipod or mounted on a vehicle, attacks with the weapon have -1D on the roll. If not braced on anything, attacks have -2D instead. Bypass ARM. The target doesn’t add their ARM to their STR roll to resist this weapon’s DMG. Continuous XD. The weapon continues to deal damage to the target even after the round ends, usually with fire or caustic chemicals. At the start of each round, the target takes D DMG at the start of each round for 1D rounds. The target can use a Basic action to reduce this Continuous damage by 2D. If they do, they can’t take any other actions during the round. Explosive. Hit or miss, apply the weapon’s DMG to everything within a number of meters equal to its DMG die code. Full Auto. The weapon is fully automatic. The wielder can spend 10 Ammo to use the Mow Down, Focus Fire, and Spray & Pray attack options.

• Mow Down. Make a single DE (Marksmanship) roll against as many as six targets within a few meters of each other and apply it against each of their Surprised or Readied defenses. Roll DMG once and apply it to each target individually. • Focus Fire. Attack one target within range and gain +1D to the attack roll. On a hit, the attack gets +1D DMG. • Spray & Pray. Choose a 10 m x 10 m area within Short range of the weapon and roll DMG. If the Wild Die comes up a 1, no one in the chosen area is hit. Otherwise, each creature in the chosen area must make a DN15 DE (Reflex) roll if they’re aware of the attacker, or a DN15 PER (Instinct) roll if they’re not. Those that fail take the weapon’s DMG. Obscuring. This weapon creates an obscuring cloud of smoke upon striking its target. Attacks into, through, or out of the affected area have -3D. Reduce this penalty by 1D each round, or by 2D if it’s windy. Reload X. The weapon requires Basic actions to reload and prepare to fire, ideally taken by characters (loaders) other than the vehicle’s operator S O A shotgun with this property has ranges of 3-4 / 5-8 / 9-12, gets +2D DMG against targets at Short range, and grants +1D to all attempts to conceal it. Scatter. Attack rolls with this weapon target a point on the ground instead of a creature. If the attack roll fails, roll on the Scatter Chart to see where it ends up. Tripod. The weapon can’t be fired unless mounted on a tripod, structure, or vehicle. Two-Handed. The weapon requires two hands to use effectively. Volatile. If the attack roll using the weapon is a Catastrophic Failure or the weapon suffers any damage, it explodes—dealing its DMG to everything within a number of meters equal to its DMG die code.

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WEAPON CLASSES AND RANGES Every firearm has a firearm class—hold-out, pistol, submachine gun (SMG), rifle, sniper rifle, shotgun, light machine gun, medium machine gun, and heavy machine gun—and every firearm of a given class has the same Short, Medium, and Long ranges.

FIREARM RANGES BY CLASS All ranges presented in meters. WEAPON CLASS

SHORT

MEDIUM

LONG

HoldOut

3-4m

5-8m

9-12m

Pistol

3-10m

11-30m

31-120m

Submachine Guns

3-25m

26-60m

61-250m

Rifle

3-30m

31-100m

101-300m

Sniper Rifle

3-100m

101-300m

301-900m

Shotgun

3-6m

7-14m

15-30m

Sawed-off Shotgun

3-4m

5-8m

9-12m

Light Machine Gun

3-50m

51-120m

121-300m

Medium Machine Gun

3-60m

61-150m

151-400m

Heavy Machine Gun

3-75m

76-200m

201-500m

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CHAPTER C HAPTER 5: GEAR GEAR AND AND WEAPONS WEAPONS

AMMUNITION Ammunition comes in all shapes and sizes in the real world, too many for us to deal with in a game. Instead, all weapons of a given class use the same type of ammunition, as shown below.

AMMUNITION CATEGORIES AMMUNITION

WEAPON CLASSES

AVAILABILITY

PRICE

Small Arms

Hold-outs, pistols, submachine guns

DN5

50P/10 rounds

Rifle

Sporting rifles, military rifles, assault rifles

DN5

1M/10 rounds

Machine Gun

Light, medium, and heavy machine guns

DN10

5M/50 rounds

Sniper

Sniper rifles

DN15

1M/5 rounds

Shot*

Shotguns

DN5

1M/10 rounds

Slug**

Shotguns

DN10

1M/10 rounds

Black Powder

Archaic firearms

DN5

5P/round

Arrow

Bows, crossbows

DN5

1M/20 rounds

Rocket

Bazooka

DN10

5M/round

* +1D to DEX (Marksmanship) rolls ** Increase each range increment of the weapon by 10 meters.

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SPECIALTY AMMO Carbon Grey has some fantastical variations on the standard ammunition. ELDRITCH SILVER ROUNDS This ammunition is specially designed to deal with the supernatural and is available for all ammunition categories except machine gun. • +1 DMG against supernatural or continuity-mutated targets. Availability: +10 to DN. For example, eldritch silver small arms rounds have an availability DN15 instead of 5. Price: Standard price x20 HELLFIRE ROUNDS These devastating incendiary shotgun rounds consist primarily of magnesium pellets. When the round is fired, it’s accompanied by sparks and bright flames. • +2D DMG, adds the Continuous and Volatile properties (page 75). Availability: DN20 Price: Standard price x5 TANK PUNCHER ROUNDS As the name implies, this ammo is designed to be used against large, armored targets, and is available in small arms, rifle, machine gun, and sniper varieties. Treat the weapon as Vehicle scale when used against Vehicle or Grand scale targets. Availability: +10 to DN Price: Standard x2 FERRYMAN ROUNDS This perfectly balanced sniper ammunition packs a punch and shreds armor.

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• +1D DMG, adds the Bypass ARM property, and increases each range increment by 30 meters. (page 75). Availability: DN30 Price: Standard x 10

AMMO STYLES There are two ways to handle ammunition and reloading in your games: Unlimited Ammo or Quartermaster Ammo. It’s up to your play group to pick the one that works for you. UNLIMITED AMMO Lead sprays freely, revolvers rarely seem to run low on bullets, and only when it is pivotal to the story does a hero need to reload. With Unlimited Ammo, ammo is a state of mind. A PC’s gun only runs out of bullets when the player rolls a 1 on their Wild Die, or when the GM gives them a Hero Point in exchange. QUARTERMASTER AMMO They put ammo capacities into the game for a reason, you know. With Quartermaster Ammo, every player tracks their ammunition expenditures, and when they’re out, they’re out. This means a bit more bookkeeping, but not a lot. Every firefight feels even deadlier when you know there are only so many times you can pull that trigger.

RELOADING Ammo comes in many different forms, from arrows and loose bullets to spring-loaded magazines and drums. Some weapons on the Firearms and Grenades tables (page 80) are listed as using box magazines that store rounds and feed them into the gun’s chamber for rapid firing. The rest have to be loaded a round at a time, or, in the case of a revolver, using a speedloader that quickly loads six rounds at once.

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For simplicity’s sake, the guidelines for reloading are broken down into general types and their corresponding actions, as shown below. These rules add flavor at the expense of complexity and additional time at the game table. Some players like to carefully plan or play the game more tactically, rather than fast, furious, high-action play. The following rules may be helpful for such players to get more enjoyment out of a session of the Carbon Grey RPG. As always, use the rules you like that make your game more the way you want to play and forget the rest.

RELOAD TYPE

ACTION(S) REQUIRED

Nocking an arrow or readying a sling

Quick

Loading a single bullet, shell, or crossbow bolt

Basic

Changing out a magazine or drum, or using a speedloader

Basic

Changing an ammo belt or loading a blackpowder weapon

2 Basic

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WEAPON STATISTICS

The tables on the next few pages separate weapons into five basic categories: firearms, archaic ranged weapons, melee weapons, grenades, and high-tech and heavy weapons. Availability DNs and prices (in Marks) are given in each weapon’s description.

FIREARMS FIREARMS

DMG

RANGES (S / M / L)

NOTES

Highborn Defender .25

3D+2

3-4 / 5-8 / 9-12

Ammo 2, hold out

Kreuzotter Highwayman’s Special Revolver

4D

3-10 / 11-30/ 31-120

Ammo 6, pistol

Kreuzotter Emissary’s Sidearm

4D

3-10 / 11-30/ 31-120

Ammo 10 (mag), pistol

Reliable Arms Big50 Revolver

5D

3-10 / 11-30 / 31-120

Ammo 6, pistol

Kruezotter Officer’s Choice Sidearm

5D

3-10 / 11-30 / 31-120

Ammo 8 (mag), pistol

Kreuzotter Dragoon Revolver

6D

3-10 / 11-30 / 31-120

Ammo 6, pistol

Schattenkorps Whisper Fire Machine Pistol

4D

3-10 / 11-30 / 31-120

Ammo 20 (mag), Full Auto, built-in sound suppressor

Eagleton M30 “Grease Gun” SMG

5D

3-25 / 26-60 / 61-250

Ammo 30 (mag), Full Auto

Bronson & Bean Brigadier “Tommy Gun” SMG

6D

3-25 / 26-60 / 61-250

Ammo 20 (mag) or Ammo 50 (drum) or Ammo 100 (drum), Full Auto

Huntsman Right-Fire Rifle

4D+2

3-30 / 31-100 / 101-300

Ammo 5 (ma

5D

3-30 / 31-100 / 101-300

Ammo 6 (mag)

Eagleton E1 Carbine Rifle

5D+2

3-30 / 31-100 / 101-300

Ammo 15 (mag)

Kreuzotter Reiniger R44 Assault Rifle

6D

3-30 / 31-100 / 101-300

Ammo 30 (mag), Full Auto

Kruezotter Witwenmacher Long Rifle

9D

3-100 / 101-300 / 301-900

Ammo 5 (mag), sniper rifle

Botella Elite Coachman’s Gun

8D*

3-6 / 7-14 / 15-30

Ammo 2, shotgun

uverl ssig

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FIREARMS

DMG

RANGES (S / M / L)

NOTES

Botella Cinco Pump-Action Shotgun

8D

3-6 / 7-14 / 15-30

Ammo 5

Botella Escoba Trench Sweeper Shotgun

8D

3-6 / 7-14 / 15-30

Ammo 12 (drum)

Botella Demonio DoubleBarreled Shotgun

10D

3-4 / 5-8 / 9-12

Ammo 2, Sawed-Off

Eagleton Englmacher E303 Light Machine Gun

7D

3-50 / 51-120 / 121-300

Ammo 40 (mag), Bipod, Full Auto, light machine gun

Kreuzrotter Albrecht A08 Medium Machine Gun

8D

3-60 / 61-150 / 151-400

Ammo 50 (mag) or 250 (belt), Full Auto, Tripod

Kreuzotter Teufelsatem DB-83 Heavy Machine Gun

9D

3-75 / 76-200 / 201-500

Ammo 50 (mag) or 250 (belt), Full Auto, Tripod

Highborn Defender. These pocket pistols are favored by courtly gentlefolk and commoners alike. The former keep them on their persons as “polite protection;” the latter, as back-up weapons and dispute-settlers. The over-under double-barreled design provides a serviceable form of protection, and if any ne’er-do-well is not deterred by the first shot, there’s a convenient second to drive the point home. Availability DN10, price 4M. Kreuzotter Highwayman’s Special Revolver. These wheel guns are favored by criminals for their cheap price, decent stopping power, and snub-nosed construction. They’re concealable and function as an excellent back-up weapon when needed. Availability DN5, price 2M. Kreuzotter Emissary’s Sidearm. This sleek pistol’s lightweight construction, short recoil, high ammo capacity, semi-automatic action, and V-notch rear tangent sight make it the first choice of bodyguards, couriers, and purveyors of spycraft. Availability DN10, price 15M.

Reliable Arms Big50 Revolver. This heavyframed, sturdy wheel gun is nicknamed “skullbuster” by its many users for its effectiveness as an improvised melee weapon. A favorite of lawmen, strongarm robbers, and trench veterans alike. Availability DN 10, price 12M. O S This hand-crafted, toggle-locked, recoiloperated semi-automatic sidearm is the official sidearm of the Mitteleuropa military. The ammo capacity, stopping power, and iron sights make it a battlefield prize and have cost many wounded officers their lives at the hands of corpse-robbers and trophy-hunters. Availability DN15, price 30M. Kreuzotter Dragoon Revolver. The favorite of cavalry soldiers everywhere, the heavy construction of this wheel gun makes it lilsuited for quick drawing, but the stopping power it delivers makes up for any difficulties in bringing it on target. Availability DN15, price 30M.

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Schatten-korps Whisper Fire Machine Pistol. This machine pistol is the first of its kind, combining the devastating ability of fully automatic fire to an easily concealed pistol. Add to this the built-in sound suppression system and good ammo capacity, and this weapon has fast become the choice of covert missions everywhere. Availability DN20, price 40M.

Eagleton E1 Carbine. The allied issued military rifle is the answer to the cheaper ZUVERLÄSSIG Z93. The E1-Carbine has better-stopping power, higher ammo capacity and is made of a sturdier constitution than the Mitteleuropa counterpart. The E1 comes standard with a sling and a buttstock compartment holds its cleaning kit. Availability DN10, price 28M.

Bronson & Bean Brigadier “Tommy Gun” Submachine Gun. The first and still most reliable of its kind, the Brigadier SMG is the equalizer for Allied troops. Blowbackoperated, air-cooled, and magazine-fed, this selective-fire submachine gun gained the nickname “Tommy Gun” after its illustrious inventor, a retired general who saw a need for more firepower in a compact weapon. Availability DN15, price 60M.

R R A R This devastating weapon is a new addition to the armory of the Mitteleuropa military. Its range, ammo capacity, and stopping power are a cut above typical infantry armaments. This weapon bridges the gap between rifle and light machine gun in an easier-to-use package than a tripod or bulky support weapon. Availability DN25, price 40M.

Eagleton M30 “Grease Gun” Submachine Gun. Though its accuracy and reliability leave something to be desired, this mass-produced firearm was hailed as a modern marvel of ballistic engineering upon its introduction. The most common model bears a strong resemblance to a common mechanic’s tool and is widely known as a “grease gun.” Availability DN5, price 15M. H R R The preferred weapon of game hunters, scouts, shepherds, and civilian militia, Huntsman’s bestselling model sports a solid wooden stock, reinforced barrels, and smooth bolt action. A sturdy longarm good for any environment. Availability DN5, price 10M. 3I R Zuverlässig Fabrikant’s flagship military rifle has taken Mitteleuropa by storm. This well-made, boltaction soldier’s weapon is easy to clean, easy to load, and easy to shoot. It also functions well as an improvised melee weapon, with or without a bayonet. Availability DN 5, price 18M.

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W L R Made for attacks at extremely long ranges, the Wirwenmacher, or “Widowmaker,” has earned its name. Individually handcrafted and unrivaled in range, this sniper rifle has the stopping power to make every shot count. Availability DN30, price 250M. Botella Elite Coachman’s Gun. This doublebarrel shotgun, like all weapons from Botella, is of exquisite craftsmanship. The sturdy break-action allows the barrels to be hinged down at the rear to expose the breech for easy unloading and reloading. Ideal for hunting, self-defense or sport shooting. Availability DN5, price 10M. Botella Cinco Pump-action Shotgun. A devastating weapon at close range in almost any hands, the shotgun is favored by trench fighters for its reliability and trench clearing ”slamfire” technique, which entails holding down the trigger and quickly cycling round after round. Availability DN10, price 12M. Botella Escoba Treach Sweeper Shotgun. This semi-automatic shotgun was designed with structure, sturdiness, and stopping power in mind. The short, heavy barrel, reinforced stock, easy trigger, and 12-round drum

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CHAPTER 5: GEAR AND WEAPONS

magazine make the Trench Raider’s Broom a devastating weapon to be on the business end of. Availability DN15, price 30M. D S D Shotgun. This is the esteemed shotgun manufacturer’s answer to the crude sawedoff, uplifting it to the reliable standards and accuracy Botella is known for. The Demonico is little more than a cut-down version of a Coachman’s Double Barrel, but the barrels of Demonico end at the stock and come in at just under 45 centimeters. The weapon loses range but is devastating in close-quarter combat and trench fighting. Availability DN10, price 10M.

"The spread of war may be likened to a fire; first, a feeble spark, next a flickering flame, then a mighty blaze, ever increasing in speed and power." - Nikilina Elsa

Eagleton Engelmacher E303 Light Machine Gun. This one-man, fully automatic support weapon can be fired while standing or by bracing it with the detachable bipod. Unlike other support weapons, this machine gun uses magazines and is not set up with a belt feed system. The top-loading and sizable magazine makes this a good support weapon for most mobile fighting units. Availability DN15, price 50M. Kreuzotter Albrecht A08 Medium Machine Gun. The versatile if ungainly fully automatic support weapon uses a sizable box magazine to hold a single ammo belt, or larger-capacity ammo belts can be fed straight into it, though this method usually requires a dedicated loader. Availability DN 15, price 100M. Kreuzotter Teufelsatem Db-83 Heavy Machine Gun. This devastating automatic support weapon requires a tripod or a structure or vehicle to be mounted on to operate. Nearly as versatile as its lighter cousins in its ammo options, the DB-83 delivers enough firepower to stop even armored vehicles lighter than tanks with just standard ammunition. Availability DN 20, price 150M.

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ARCHAIC RANGED WEAPONS ARCHAIC RANGED WEAPONS

DMG

RANGES (S / M / L)

NOTES

Blackpowder Pistol

2D+2

3-6 / 7-11 / 12-16

Ammo 1

Blackpowder Revolver

2D+2

3-6 / 7-11 / 12-16

Ammo 6

Musket

3D

3-10 / 11-30 / 31-100

Ammo 1

Crossbow

3D

3-10 / 11-30 / 31-50

Ammo 1

Bow

STR+2

3-10 / 11-30 / 31-100

Sling

STR

3-4 / 5-6 / 7-8

Javelin

STR

3-5 / 6-7 / 8-10

Throwing Knife

STR+1

2 / 3-4 / 5-6

Improvised Thrown Weapon

STR*

2 / 3-4 / 5-6

* Larger objects may increase DMG, at the GM’s discretion. Blackpowder Firearms. These out-of-date but functional-in-a-pinch firearms take longer to load, are less accurate, and have less stopping power than modern weapons of the era. Commonly found gathering dust in hunting lodges, locked away in cedar chests, and above mantels. These weapons are loaded with powder and shot ammunition. Availability DN10, price 1M (pistol) or 3M (revolver or musket). Crossbow. A weapon more suited to medieval warfare, is a bow fixed across wooden support that has a groove for the bolt and a mechanism for drawing and releasing the string. Not practical, but quiet and effective in the right hands Availability DN20, price 15M. Bow. A curved piece of wood whose ends are joined by a taut string. Comes in recurve and longbow varieties. Good for hunting once mastered. Availability DN15, price 10M. Sling. This simple ranged weapon can easily be fashioned with a scrap of cloth and two pieces of thin line or leather thongs. While it takes

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a bit of practice, in the right hands it’s very effective for hunting small game or planting a stone between an opponent’s eyes. Ammo can use shot, rocks, or any similar heavy object. Availability DN5, price 5P. Javelin. A weapon such as this has seen its use in hunting and warfare for ages, simple., effective, if not a bit impractical when facing down a modern soldier, it will still get the job done once mastered. Availability DN5, price 25P. Throwing Knife. Similar to any general knife, a throwing knife has been balanced for range use and usually is lighter and smaller than the melee version of these blades. Availability DN5, price 1M. Improvised Thrown Weapon. If it’s there, you can throw it. Usually, the damage rating will equal your strenght alone—but if the object is oversized or particularly nasty, the GM might consider indreasing the damage level.

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MELEE WEAPONS MELEE WEAPONS

DMG

NOTES

Unarmed Attack

STR

Brass Knuckles

STR+2

Club/Trench Mace

STR+1D

Hatchet

STR+1D

Sword

STR+1D+2

Saber

STR+1D+1

Bayonet

STR+1D

Knife

STR+1D

Trench Knife

STR+1D+1

AKA the Bowie knife.

Spear

STR+1D+1

Can attack targets up to 5 meters away

Great Axe/Sword

STR+2D

Two-handed

Can be thrown as an improvised weapon at base damage

Can attack targets 5 meters away if mounted

Brass Knuckles. It doesn’t get more upclose-and-personal than a knuckle duster. From crude versions cast from melted bullets to finely polished brass used by upper-crust bodyguards, brass knuckles have one job— amplifying the force of a blow while sparing the fist that delivers it. Availability DN5, price 1M Club/Trench Mace. This includes heavy tree branches, lead pipe, cricket bats, rifle-butts, billy clubs, and the like. These weapons are meant to snap bones and crush skulls, even in untrained hands. Availability DN 5, price 1-5M. depending on craftsmanship. Hatchet. Tool turned killing implement, the sharp wedge blade and hammerhead mounted on a stout handle make the hatchet valuable on any wilderness trek or field deployment.

Whether cutting, chopping, or killing, in melee or thrown, makes this a weapon worth having. Availability DN5, price 2M. Sword. Swords come in a wide array of designs, from ornate, masterfully crafted dueling sabers and well-concealed sword canes to crude but effective blades from another age. Some are designed for piercing, others for slashing, and some for hacking off limbs. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Availability DN15, price 25M. Saber. The melee weapon of cavalry soldiers and officers, and worn by ceremonial guards. A saber is a lightly curved blade and is specifically designed for one-handed wielding while on foot or mounted with equal ease. Availability DN10, price 15M.

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Bayonet. Typically affixed to a rifle, the bayonet is the knife’s big brother. When not used with a rifle or other similar implement, treat it as a knife. Availability DN5, price 2M.

knuckles built in, this weapon answers the question “What’s better than a knife?” with “A bigger knife!” Availability DN10, price 5M. Lance/Spear. Little more than a sturdy pole with hardened steel head, this weapon gives the foot soldier extended reach whether fighting from the second rank or from the back of a charging mount. Availability DN5, price 2M.

Knife. Whether folding knives, lock-blades, switchblades, daggers, or dirks, knives are as varied as their owners. The one thing they all have in common is the pointy end goes in your enemy. Availability DN5, price 1M

Great Axe or Greatsword. These mighty two-handed melee weapons are more at home on a medieval battlefield than on the Western Front. What they lack in subtlety they more than makes up for in bone-shattering, limbsevering blows. Availability DN20, price 30M.

Trench Knife (Bowie Knife). These broad, heavy-bladed knives are nearly the 1915 equivalent of the Roman gladius. Usually made with a stout handle, some even with brass

GRENADES AND EXPLOSIVES GRENADES AND EXPLOSIVES

DMG

RANGES (S / M / L)

NOTES

Concussion, Hand

5D

3-7 / 8-20 / 21-40

Bypass ARM

Concussion, Rifle

5D

3-14 / 15-40 / 41-80

Bypass ARM

Fragmentation, Hand

5D

3-7 / 8-20 / 21-40

Fragmentation, Rifle

5D

3-14 / 15-40 / 41-80

Gas, Hand

8D

3-7 / 8-20 / 21-40

Bypass ARM, Continuous 4D

Gas, Rifle

8D

3-14 / 15-40 / 41-80

Bypass ARM, Continuous 4D

Incendiary, Hand

10D

3-7 / 8-20 / 21-40

Continuous 5D

Incendiary, Rifle

10D

3-14 / 15-40 / 41-80

Continuous 5D

Nitroglycerin

6D

—

Explosive

Dynamite

6D

3-7 / 8-20 / 21-40

Anti-Vehicle

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CHAPTER 5: GEAR AND WEAPONS GRENADES No matter their payload, grenades can be used in two basic varieties: hand grenades and rifle grenades. Hand grenades at thrown using STR (Throwing), while rifle grenades are attached to a rod, loaded into the barrel of a rifle, and fired as a makeshift mortar. The main difference between them is the effective range. Concussion. A time-fused thrown/rifle propelled anti-personnel ordnance that used a concussive explosion to disorient and eliminate enemy personnel. Availability DN 10, price 4M. Fragmentation. A time-fused thrown/rifle propelled anti-personnel ordnance that has 32 serrations in it. Availability DN 10, price 4M. Gas. A time-fused anti-personnel ordnance that uses a chemical irritant or toxin to disorient and eliminate enemy personnel. A gas grenade contains enough heavy gas to cover a 10 meter x 10 meter area, released at a speed of 2 meters in every direction each round. Once fully released, the cloud remains for 2D x 10 minutes, 2D minutes in a light breeze, or 1D minutes in a strong breeze. In wind stronger than that, the gas disperses harmlessly. • Tear Gas. Tear gas is a toxic inhalant and irritant. A creature caught in a tear gas cloud must succeed on a DN20 STR (Stamina) or WIL (Grit) roll each round or become Stunned for 1D rounds. Wearing a gas mask confers immunity to tear gas, although the cloud itself still obscures vision. Availability DN5, price 3M. • Mustard Gas. Exposure to this toxic gas requires a DN30 STR (Stamina) or WIL (Grit) roll each round of exposure. A creature that fails this roll becomes Mortally Wounded and cannot recover while still exposed. Gas masks are ineffective against this insidious chemical; even if not inhaled, it causes skin blisters, illness, and potentially death. Availability DN25, price 10M.

Smoke. This time-fused grenade releases harmless smoke in double the area and at twice the speed of other gas grenades (10 m x 10 m area, 4 m per round). However, the smoke disperses at the same rate as tear gas or mustard gas. Availability DN 5, price 2M. Incendiary. This time-fused, anti-personnel/ anti-vehicle ordnance uses white phosphorous to create intense heat, damaging anything that can burn or melt in its blast area. A vehicle with the Explosive Envelope property or a weapon with the Volatile property caught in the blast area of an incendiary grenade explodes if anyone Wild Die results in a 1 during the round or any subsequent round it’s exposed. Availability DN 15, price 8M. NITROGLYCERIN This chemical concoction, called “nitro” by everyone but scientists, is extremely volatile and is used extensively in the war as a high explosive. It is a colorless, oily, and unstable liquid that decomposes with explosive violence when heated or jarred. This makes nitroglycerin highly dangerous to transport or even use. In its undiluted form, it is one of the world’s most powerful explosives. Any skill roll related to its use or handling that results in an exceptional or catastrophic failure causes it to explode. Additionally, if it’s stored, transported, or handled with anything less than the utmost care—a DN15 MEC (Demolitions) roll. Roll the Wild Die each round. On a 1, the nitro explodes. Each 225ml glass bottles contains 10 uses. Each use is equivalent to one stick of dynamite. Availability DN20, price 10M. DYNAMITE This is nothing more than nitroglycerine made safe by absorbing it onto diatomaceous sand, known as kieselguhr, to produce a pliable dough-like material which is then formed into sticks. They can be detonated using a fuse or with a blasting cap wired to a detonator or timer. Using more than one stick at a time adds +1D DMG and expands the blast radius by 1 meter. For example, detonating three sticks at once would mean 8D DMG and a blast radius of 8 meters. Availability DN15, price 1M/stick.

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HIGH-TECH AND HEAVY WEAPONS HIGH-TECH ARMS

DMG

RANGES (S / M / L)

NOTES

Lightning Gun

7D

3-30 / 31-100 / 101-300

Ammo 50 (backpack battery), Bypass ARM

Arc Rifle

7D

3-30 / 31-100 / 101-300

Ammo 30 (battery), Bypass ARM

Bazooka

8D

10-30* / 31-60 / 61-110

Ammo 1, Anti-Vehicle, Explosive, Scatter

Flamethrower*

10D

5-10* / 11-15 / 16-20

Ammo 10 (backpack tank), Bypass ARM, Continuous 5D, Volatile

* If used against a target closer than Short range, the attacker takes half the weapon’s DMG. Lightning Gun (Blitzkanone). Developed by the Ilvesian scientist Nikolina Elsa, the lighting gun is an electrostatic weapon that fires an electrical current focused as a coherent strike of energy powerful enough to stun crowds, shatter concrete, and magnetize metal. The weapon requires a heavy generator pack and is often worn by Purge Troopers in the field. Larger versions of the weapon exist and can sometimes be seen mounted on tanks or cannon walkers. Availability DN25, price 1,000M. A R Still in the prototype phase, the arc rifle is the next generation of the lightning gun, this version eliminates the need for the heavy pack and makes the weapon compact enough to be carried by infantry. A favorite of the Purge Corps, this magnificent marvel of

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warfare will be mass-produced once the power reserve issue is rectified. Availability DN30, price 10,000M. Bazooka. A continuity error near the beginning of the war allowed the discovery of the man-portable recoilless anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, colloquially known as the bazooka or “Stovepipe.” The bazooka fires a solid-propellant rocket and is designed for use against armored vehicles, machine gun nests, and fortified bunkers at range. Availability DN 20, price 100M. Flamethrower. This devastating weapon is dreaded by its victims and wielders alike. Devastating at close quarters, flamethrowers are equally vulnerable to attack and malfunction. If the pair of heavy-pressurized tanks full of accelerant suffer damage (D R 3D), run. Availability DN 15, price 50M.

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ARMOR

The protections listed below run the gamut from heavy clothing to powered armor. Multiple pieces of armor combine, adding their ARM ratings together. Don’t forget that in MVD6, 1 + 2 = 1D, not 3. For example, wearing a helmet (ARM +1) and a combat harness (ARM +2) gives you 1D ARM.

PERSONAL ARMOR ARMOR TYPE

ARM

Basic Uniform/Heavy Clothing

+1

Helmet

+1

Combat Harness

+2

Ballistic Long Coat

+2

Battle Vest/Jacket

+1D

Trench Armor

+2D

Purge Trooper Armor

+2D

Juggernaut Armor

+3D

Basic Uniform/Heavy Clothing. Any sturdy clothing meant for rugged use. Usually made of thick, layered materials including wool, canvas, and leather. Includes a shirt, jacket, trousers, headwear, boots, or thick-soled shoes. Uniform: Availability DN10, price 10M; heavy clothing: availability DN5, price 5M

Ballistic Long Coat. Layered canvas or wool and leather full-length coat, typical worn by officers and operatives. Also preferred for those wishing to conceal a readied firearm. Availability DN10, price 10M. Battle Vest/Jacket. This garment of heavy canvas layered over ballistic plates is often worn by noncombatants visiting the front, or for special operations units in the thick of the fray. Easy to don or doff, with plenty of pockets for ammo. Availability DN 10, price 30M. Trench Armor. This rugged armor is favored by trench raiders and machine gunners. Its overlapping heavy ballistic plated armor provides good protection for the torso on a stiff harness, leaving the arms and legs free and unencumbered. Availability DN 15, price 50M. Purge Trooper Armor. The high-tech, cuttingedge hardened ballistic plated-bodysuit of the Purge Corps comes complete with a helmet, built-in gas mask, and low-light goggles. The armor uses an advanced joint articulation that assists the wearer with movement that would normally be restricted by its own weight No armor penalty. Does not stack with other armor. Availability DN 25, price 200M. Juggernaut Armor. This extremely cumbersome full-plated bodysuit is the Allies’ answer to Purge Trooper armor. Like its progenitor, it has a full-faced helmet and gas mask, and while it’s much less effective, it’s cheaper to manufacture. Availability DN 20, price 100M.

ARMOR LIMITS AND STACKING

Helmet. Protective headgear that comes in a wide variety of styles and designs. Availability DN5, price 5M.

Multiple armor pieces can be, and frequently are, worn together. When “stacking” armor like this, add their ARM die codes together.

Combat Harness. Heavy canvas battle harness with plated chest, belly, and back protection issued to well-supplied frontline members of most militaries. Availability DN15, price 20M.

For example, wearing a ballistic long coat (ARM +2) and a helmet (ARM +1) results in a total ARM of 1D, while wearing a basic uniform (ARM +1) and trench armor (ARM 2D) together would give you ARM 2D+1.

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However, there are limits. A character’s ARM can’t exceed their STR. Anything greater than that is just too heavy for them to handle. Even if their STR is sufficient for their armor, it can still interfere with their movement and skills. TOTAL ARM

EFFECTS

1D or less

None

1D+1 to 2D

-1D

2D+1 to 3D

-2D

3D+1 or more

-3D

ARTILLERY

All ranges are in meters. Artillery is not effective against targets closer than Short. SHORT

Weapons and armor make up only a fraction of what a character might carry on their person. Plenty of other gear is needed to survive the Great War. Anaphylactic Gel. This gel is useful for transforming one’s appearance by causing the flesh to swell, sometimes grotesquely. It can also cause a panic when applied to an unsuspecting recipient. Makes a superb gag gift when not being used for undercover missions. Mostly harmless, the effects wear off 96% of the time. Availability DN15, price 10M.

The armor penalties above apply to all DE attribute and skill rolls, as well as to Brawl, Climb/Jump, Drive, Gunnery, Marksmanship, Pilot, Repair/Disable, Swimming, and Throwing. Of course, there may be some form of high-tech armor out there that mitigates these penalties, but for the standard armor a character is likely to encounter, these penalties apply.

ARTILLERY

OTHER GEAR

MEDIUM

LONG

Light

10-500

501-2000

200110000

Medium

20-600

601-3000

300116000›

Heavy

50-600

601-5000

500125000

Backpack. Heavy waxed canvas or oiled leather construction, water-resistant, multiple pockets with buckle straps, numerous attachment rings for securing tools and sundries to the outside. Hold 25 kg. Availability DN5, price 5M. Basic Rations (One Day, Fresh). Bread, cheese, with fruit or meat on rare occasions. An envelope of strong tea leaves, and two turnips or potatoes. Availability DN10, price 1M. Basic Rations (One Day Dry). A hardtack biscuit made with rough flour and lard, an envelope of tea, and a packet of dried beans or a small piece of rough jerky. Availability DN5, price 5P. Basic Rations (One Day Tin). Usually a small tin of salted beef, sliced vegetables in a thin gravy or beans and bacon, an envelope of tea leaves, and three hard tea biscuits. Availability DN5, price 25P. Basic Tool Kit. A rudimentary assortment of hand tools that aid in household repairs and basic mechanical or technical uses, carried in a wooden box or canvas toolbag. Allows MEC (Repair/Disable) rolls to be made without penalty. Availability DN5, price 10M. Bed Roll. Three wool blankets and a canvas groundsheet to roll it up in, with two buckled straps to keep it tight. Availability DN5, price 5M.

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Binoculars. Grants +1D on PER rolls to see at a distance. Comes with a protective case and carry strap: Availability DN20, price 20M. Blanket. Heavy wool, usually dyed in greens and earth tones. Availability DN5, price 1M. Books. The written word is a powerful thing. Be it a dogeared pocket novel, dry historical text, sappy poetry, or theological doctrine, a book can teach, influence, and entertain the minds of those that consume it. • Pulps/pocket novels. Availability DN5, price 10P to 1/2M • Literature. Availability DN5, price 1-5M • Academic. Availability DN 10, price 2-10M • Occult/illicit. Availability DN20-30, price 100M and up. Canteen. Canvas-covered, sheeted tin or steel water vessel with a secure lid. Comes with belt attachment or canvas sling. Holds minimum water for an adult for one day. Availability DN5, price 1M. Crowbar. Grants +1D on STR rolls to pry or break things open with force. Can double as a club in a pinch. Availability DN5, price 2M. Demolitions Tool Kit. Includes tools required to construct or defuse an explosive device, short of the explosives themselves. Comes in a sturdy canvas bag and includes timers and detonator and cannon fuses. Grants +1D on MEC (Demolitions) rolls. Each time it’s used to make an explosive device, roll 1D. On a result of 3 or less, you’re out of timers, detronators, or fuses. • Tool kit. Availability DN10, price 30M; • Timers/detonators/fuses. Availability DN10, price 10M. Extra Magazine (Empty). Ammo box magazines come in multiple sizes for all varieties of firearms. Ammunition sold separately.

• Box. Availability DN5, price 1M; • Drum. Availability DN10, price 3M. Field Bandage. Grants +2 on any KNO (Medicine) roll to treat an injury. Each field bandage is a one-time use item, and can be used as a Basic action. Availability DN5, price 25P. Field Radio. A heavy backpack unit with a crank power source. Allows radio communication up to 30 km away. Availability DN25, price 50M. First-aid Kits. Grants +1D on any KNO (Medicine) roll to treat injury that requires a Slow action. The kit can be used six times before needing to be resupplied. Availability DN 5, price 6M. Flare Gun. Designed to be used for signaling rather than as a ranged weapon, it’ll do in a pinch. The flare gun uses pistol ranges, deals 4D DMG, and has the Continuous 4D property. In their intended use, a signal flare can illuminate a 60-meter radius area for 2d6 rounds. Availability DN5, price 1M flare gun) or 50P (6 signal flares). Gas Mask. Consists of a sturdy full-face hood, adjustable head straps, a pair of triple-thick lens goggles, and a filter unit, either a “coffee can” a hose and hip filter. Wearing a gas mask grants +2D on rolls to resist any toxic air, gas, or fumes. A gas mask is only good for three uses before it must be replaced. Availability DN10, price 5M. Lock-Picking Tools. Assorted wires and fine tools in a roll-up leather case. Allows DE (Sleight of Hand) or MEC (Disable/Repair) rolls to pick locks at no penalty. Availity DN10, price 5M. Manacles. These heavy iron restraints require a DN20 STR (Lift) or DE (Sleight of Hand) roll to escape. Sometimes used on both wrists and ankles, with stout chains connecting between. Sold with two copies of the key. Availability DN5, price 1M.

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Mechanical/Technical Tool Kit. Varied collection of expert and basic tools in an organized leather tool bag. Contains all the tools in a basic tool kit, along with a collection of specialized tools that grant +1D MEC (Repair/ Disable) rolls. Availability DN10, price 20M.

Standard Infantryman’s Kit. Backpack, blanket, shelter half, belt with four ammo pockets, first-aid kit, canteen, personal hygiene kit, with a bayonet, shovel, and mess kit attached to the outside. Availability DN10, price 12M.

Medical Kit. Far superior than the standard first aid kit. Grants +2D on any KNO (Medicine) roll to treat injury that requires a Slow action, including surgery, if need be. The kit can be used 12 times before needing to be resupplied. Availability DN 10, price 20M.

Tent, Shelter Half (Pup Tent). The fundamental unit of shelter in the field is the two-man pup tent. Each pup tent is made up of two shelter half-pieces that fasten together with a row of buttons along the ridgeline and secured with poles, ropes and stakes. Any pair of shelter half-pieces can be fastened together with a watertight closure along the top line. The shelter half is approximately 2 meters long by 1.5 meters wide. A single half can be used as a makeshift shelter for one person. Availability DN5, price 2M (shelter half) or 4M (full pup tent).

Mess Kit. A metal, two-piece, kidney-shaped mess tin complete with lid, a low-profile tin cup, tin opener, and a fork and spoon both with holes in their handles for securing to a backpack or belt. Availability DN5, price 1M. Parachute. Sturdy harness and pack holding a folded silk chute that allows the weather to safely evacuate or deploy from an airborne vehicle. Most versions come with a backup chute in case the first one malfunctions. Most versions. Availability DN10, price 10M. Personal Hygiene Kit. Small tin box stuffed with a towel, comb, soap, shaving kit, handkerchief, foot powder, and extra socks. Helps keep you lice and trench-foot free! Availability DN5, price 2M. Satchel. Heavy canvas or leather bag with shoulder strap secured with buckles. Can hold 5 kg. Availability: DN5, price 1M. Shovel. Folding, short-handled entrenching tool of the variety usually issued to troops. Used for trenches, foxholes, and graves, or as a handy club when needed. Availability DN5, price 1M. Sniper’s Scope. When used in conjunction with Aiming, treat all ranges as Point-blank, even when making attacks at the weapon’s maximum range. Attaches to any rifle. Availability DN10, price 20M.

Thaumatrope. Created and used by Dharman Adept Acolytes, this “Magic Eye” disc on strings spins to create a moment of saccadic uncertainty as it spins. The images it creates show the bearer what is and what might have been. Thaumatropes can’t be purchased on the open market. Availability DN30, priceless. A Thaumatrope only works in the hands of user with a DIV die code of 1D or more. The disc reduces the DN of any DIV power by -5. Watch (Pocket). A timepiece of gentlefolk, most pocket watches are ornate and made with silver and artistry. Availability DN10, price 5M. Watch (Wrist). A more convenient and practical way to check the time than a pocket watch. Complete with leather wristlets for ease of access while your hands are full. An essential part of an officer’s kit. Availability DN10, price 2M.

Speed Loader (Empty). Reloads six-shot revolvers in a single Basic action. Ammunition sold separately. Availability DN5, price 2M.

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GENERAL SUNDRIES & BRIC-A-BRAC

SUNDRIES

AVAILABILITY DN

PRICE

Saddle Bags

5

1M

Sewing Kit

5

5P

Cosmetics/ Perfume

5-15

25P to 5M

Wine (Cheap)

5

2M

Wine (Good)

15-30

10-60M

SUNDRIES

AVAILABILITY DN

PRICE

Ammo Bandolier

5

1M

Beer (Bottle)

5

5P

Bread (Loaf)

5

5P

Candle

5

1P

Camera

15

3M

Wind-Up Alarm Clock

5

2M

Flashlight

5

1M

Wire Cutters

5

1M

Hard Candy

5

1P

Hard Liquor (Good, Pint)

5

5M

Hard Liquor (Average, Pint)

5

1M

Rotgut (Pint)

5

50P

Hemp Rope (16m)

5

1M

Holster

5

1M

Kerosene/ Lamp Oil (1L)

5

50P

Lantern

5

1M

Ferrocerium Lighter

5

1M

Matches (20)

5

5P

Saddle and Tack or Pack Harness

5

5M

BASIC CLOTHING CLOTHING

AVAILABILITY DN

PRICE

Poor

5

1M

Common

5

3M

Noble

10

10M

Formal (Common)

10

12M

Formal (Noble)

20

40M

MOUNTS & PACK ANIMALS MOUNTS

AVAILABILITY DN

PRICE

Mule

5

10M

Horse

10

30M

Horse (War Mount)

15

50M

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"Yeah, she runs like a dream. Don't worry about the bullet holes; that just lets all the smoke out." - Captain Duke Yorkson, of The Lucky Lulu

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VEHICLE SPECS

Vehicular Static and Mobile Defenses (VSM): Size, Frame, and Maneuverability help determine just how hard (or easy) it is to hit a vehicle. These defenses are broken down into two types: Static and Mobile.

Name: The vehicle’s make and model.

Static Defense: A vehicle’s Static defense affects how easy it is to hit when not moving. Bigger vehicles make bigger targets.

Like characters, vehicles have in-game statistics that define their capabilities. These vehicle specs are:

Type: A vehicle can be an aircraft, a ground craft, or a watercraft. Some specialized vehicles may have two types. Scale: This is the scale (page 65) of the vehicle—Character (C), Vehicle (V), or Grand (G).

Mobile Defense: A vehicle’s Mobile defense affects how easy it is to hit when moving. Both FRM and MVR help determine a vehicle’s Mobile defense.

Crew: The number of crew members needed to operate the vehicle safely.

Weapons (WPN): The armaments the vehicle is equipped with. All weapons are mounted on the vehicle unless otherwise noted.

Passengers (PASS): The number of passengers other than crew the vehicle can carry

Notes: Any other brief info needed relevant to the vehicle.

Cargo: The weight capacity of the vehicle in kilograms.

VEHICLE MOVEMENT

Supply: The vehicle’s fuel capacity (measured in how far it can travel on a full tank) and its standard complement of ammunition. Speed (SPD): An abstract measure of the vehicle’s speed. A vehicle’s SPD governs how much distance it covers with a uick, Basic, or Slow move. Maneuverability (MVR): The vehicle’s handling and agility. The MVR die code is added to Drive and Pilot rolls. Frame (FRM): The vehicle’s sturdiness and ability to withstand damage. Vehicles use FRM to resist DMG the same way characters use STR when resisting damage. It also plays a role in determining a vehicle’s defense. Armor (ARM): Armor works with vehicles the same way it does with characters. Combine the vehicle’s ARM and FRM die codes when resisting damage.

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Like characters, vehicles can make uick, Basic, and Slow moves. uick and Basic moves are measured in meters per round, while Slow moves are measured in kilometers per hour. Quick. When a vehicle moves at its typical safe speed in a round, it’s making a uick move. A vehicle can make one uick move each round without penalty. Basic. When a vehicle moves faster in a round than is strictly safe, it’s making a Basic move. As with characters, a Basic move counts as a Basic action. Slow. When a vehicle travels long distances, it uses its Slow move. Slow moves are measured in kilometers per hour. The distance a vehicle can cover with any of these moves is determined by its SPD.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

VEHICLE SPD TABLE QUICK (M/ ROUND)

BASIC (M/ ROUND)

SLOW (KM/ HOUR)

1D

20

40

30

2D

40

80

60

3D

60

120

90

D

80

160

120

5D

100

200

150

6D

120

240

180

D

140

280

210

D

160

320

240

D

180

360

270

10D

200

400

300

11D

220

440

330

12D

240

480

370

SPD

OPERATORS, CREW, AND PASSENGERS Only the operator of a vehicle can control it, but that doesn’t mean other crew and passengers can’t be part of the action—firing mounted weapons, making repairs, reloading for the gunner to keep guns blazing, or even getting involved hanging out a window or taking aim at the enemy through a firing port. Not all vehicles have a formal “crew,” but everyone aboard a vehicle can do something useful. Every time initiative is rolled, each player can choose one of these crew positions for their character. These choices are limited by the crew potions listed on the vehicle.

Commander. The Commander can shout out orders or helpful suggestions to help out the rest of the crew. As a Basic action each round, the Commander can add their Command die code as a bonus to one roll made by another character aboard the vehicle. Only one Commander position can grant a bonus each initiative. Copilot. The Copilot can aid in the vehicle’s operation, if it makes sense with the vehicle’s design. For example, most airplanes are designed to include a Copilot, while most automobiles aren’t. As a Basic action each round, the Copilot can grant +1D to one MEC (Drive or Pilot) roll made by the Operator. Engineer. The Engineer can improve the vehicle performance, as long as they have access to its systems. As a Basic action each round, the Engineer can grant +1D to the vehicle’s MVR or SPD, reload a vehiclemounted weapon, or make a MEC (Repair/ Disable) roll to repair or unjam a vehiclemounted weapon. • GM Note: Use common sense to determine if the a e ted ehi le om onent an e re aired hile the ehi le is in motion f someone ants to re air a ro eller hile the lane is in flight, they est ha e the determined n m er of Hero oints to attem t it Gunner. The Gunner operates a vehiclemounted weapon, using MEC (Gunner). Attacking with one of these weapons is a Basic Action, as usual. The Gunner can also reload a vehicle-mounted weapon or make a MEC (Repair/Disable) roll to repair or unjam a vehicle-mounted weapon. Mechanic. The Mechanic makes repairs to the vehicle and keeps it in one piece. As a Basic action each round, the Mechanic can make a MEC (Disable/Repair) roll to repair damage to the vehicle (see Vehicle Damage, below).

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Operator. The vehicle statistics later in this chapter always refer to the Operator by the name most appropriate to the vehicle, such as Driver or Pilot. The Operator has an obvious job—operating the vehicle—but it’s worth including here to be complete. When a Crew listing for a vehicle includes more than one Operator, they can choose each round which of them is the Operator and which of them are Copilots. VEHICLES WITH NO OPERATOR Some vehicles have no operator at all. They’re usually used to deliver an explosive device (which could be the vehicle itself), which would pose a serious risk to an on-board operator. Any time a MEC (Drive or Pilot) roll would be called for, use the vehicle’s MVR instead.

VEHICLES AND COMBAT

Vehicle combat is just like personal combat, with a few minor adjustments.

VSM VEHICULAR STATIC AND MOBILE DEFENSES Every vehicle has two defenses: a Static defense and a Mobile defense. Both are determined by a combination of its attributes and its scale. STATIC DEFENSE The vehicle’s Static defense affects the DN to hit it with an attack while it’s stationary. This can be a positive or negative number. A negative Static defense means the vehicle is easier to hit than other, smaller objects at the same range. The scale and FRM both contribute to this defense. Vehicle Scale: Static defense Grand scale: Static defense

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3 - FRM 0 - FRM

For example, a motorcycle (Vehicle scale) with FRM 2D has a Static Defense of 1 (3-2). Add 1 to the DN of any attack roll to hit it. An airship (Grand scale) with FRM (6D) has a Static defense of -6 (0-6). Subtract 6 from the DN of any attack roll to hit it. MOBILE DEFENSE The vehicle’s Mobile defense takes its bulk into account, but also its agility. For all vehicles, Mobile defense is a combination of its Static defense and its MVR die code. Mobile defense

Static Defense + MVR

For example, if the motorcycle above has MVR 5D, its Mobile defense is 6 (5+1). Add 6 to the DN of any attack roll to hit it. If the airship has MVR 1D, its Mobile defense is -5 (1-6)— not much of an improvement over its Static defense EVASIVE MANEUVERS When operating a vehicle, going Full Defense is called Evasive Maneuvers. Add the operator’s MEC (Drive or Pilot) die code to its FRM roll to resist damage. If the operator takes any other Basic actions during the round, they lose the benefit of Evasive Maneuvers.

VEHICLE DAMAGE When a vehicle is hit by an attack, it resists the DMG using FRM. If the vehicle has armor, add its ARM die code to its FRM die code when making this roll. Consult the table on the next page to determine the severity of the damage. If the DMG rolled is an exact multipler of the FRM total (x1, x2, x3, or x ), the vehicle suffers the lesser Damage Level. For example, the motorcycle above has a FRM of 2d, rolling a . If the opposing damage number rolled is 21—exactly x3 the vehicle’s Frame—the motorcycle is Heavily Damaged, not Severely Damaged. If the damage number is 22, the motorcycle is Severely Damaged.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

DAMAGE LEVEL TABLE PENALTY

REPAIR DN (ACTION REQUIRED)

DMG TOTAL

DAMAGE LEVEL

Less than FRM total

No effect

Between FRM total and FRM total x 2

Lightly Damaged

-1D

10 (Basic)

Between FRM total x 2 and FRM total x 3

Heavily Damaged

-2D

20 (Slow)

Between FRM total x 3 and FRM total x

Severely Damaged

-3D

30 (Slow)

More than FRM total x

Destroyed

—

Beyond Repair

—

NOTE: If the DMG rolled is exactly x1, x2, x3, or x the FRM total, use the lesser listed Damage Level. Now that you know how bad the hit is, determine what part of the vehicle has been hit by rolling 1D on the Vehicle Damage Table. If a result says to reduce an attribute, such as “Reduce SPD,” apply the penalty corresponding with the damage level on the Damage Level Table. This reduction lasts until repaired. If MVR or SPD is reduced to 0 or takes at least -3D in penalties from damage levels, the system associated with it (controls for MVR, engine/drive system for SPD) is destroyed. At MVR 0, the vehicle continues along its current path until it stops or collides with something. At SPD 0, the vehicle can’t accelerate and stops moving, whether by rolling gently to a stop or crashing into something (such as the ground). If the result on the Vehicle Damage Table is for a system that’s already been destroyed, treat the roll as a 5 (Frame) instead. If FRM is reduced to 0, the vehicle is destroyed.

VEHICLE DAMAGE TABLE Damage results are cumulative until repaired. D6

VEHICLE DAMAGE

1

Engine/Drive System. Reduce SPD.

2

Compartment Breach. If vehicle does not fully resist damage, all occupants/objects in area take half the damage dealt to the vehicle.

3

Controls. Reduce MVR.

4

Weapon System. One weapon (attacker’s choice) is damaged and inoperable until repaired.

5

Frame. Structural damage. Reduce ARM. At ARM 0D, reduce FRM.

6

Catastrophic Effect. Roll on the Catastrophic Effects Subtable instead.

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CATASTROPHIC EFFECTS SUBTABLE If a component is destroyed, damage goes to Frame (FRM). Each entry includes the DN to repair the damage with MEC (Disable/Repair). All repairs for Catastrophic Effects are Slow actions. D6

CATASTROPHIC EFFECT

1

Blasted Cab/Canopy. All occupants of this location have -1D on all skill rolls If rolled again, occupants and objects take half the DMG of the attack. (Repair DN20)

2

Obscured View. The DN of rolls to operate/attack with the vehicle are increased by 10, to a max of DN30. (Repair DN10)

3

Interior Fire. Occupants take 20 DMG each round. (Repair DN10)

4

Frozen Controls/Dead Stick. Reduce MVR. No Evasive Maneuvers until repaired. (Repair DN15)

5

Fuel Rupture. Vehicle will cease to operate in 1D6+1 rounds. (Repair DN 25)

6

Cascading Damage. Roll two results on the Vehicle Damage Table. Time for a new ride.

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RAMMING AND COLLISIONS There comes a time in every game involving vehicles when one of them runs into something, either by accident or on purpose. If it’s an accident, that’s a collision—see Combat and Recovery for details (page 55). When it’s on purpose, and the vehicle is used as a weapon, that’s ramming. This is handled just like any other attack roll, but using MEC (Drive or Pilot) + MVR. The DN is the target’s defense, whether the target is a creature, a vehicle, or a structure. Treat it as a collision when determining damage.

PURSUIT Where there are vehicles, there are vehicle chases. To simplify matters, we’ll call the one doing the pursuing the pursuer, and the object of their pursuit the quarry. To start a pursuit, the two vehicles must be no further apart than three times the pursuer’s Basic move. If this is the case, the operator of each vehicle involved makes a MEC (Drive ot Pilot) roll as a Basic action. The operator with the highest of these rolls decides if they want to increase or decrease the distance between the pursued vehicle and its pursuer by an amount equal to their vehicle’s Basic move. ( sually, the pursuer will want to close the distance, while the quarry will want to open it.) This continues until the pursuer has caught up with their quarry, or the quarry has gotten too far away for a pursuit, as above. Of course, instead of attempting to flee, the quarry can choose to do nothing and let the pursuer catch up. If this is the case, don’t make skill rolls. The distance is closed automatically, one Basic move at a time.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

23 November 1914

Dearest Heinrich,

My heart soared upon hearing from you. The intensity of my tears and harsh words upon your departure can only be attributed to what you have always

meant to me. I cannot remember a time when we were not present for each other

despite hiding our affections. So forgive me my tantrum. You know I despise being prissy!

Not once have you wavered in committing to Mitteleuropa’s glory despite a

reluctance to enlist. You should know that for this and a lifetime of reasons, you, Heinrich, are my champion as much as Gottfaust was to the Kaiser. Although, unlike Gottfaust, you would never betray me.

Had my parents not found our childhood war games unseemly for the daughter of Baron Oliver Richter, perhaps we would have left for Vouk together. They

dismiss my keen marksmanship simply because I am a woman, yet His Imperial Majesty’s first line of defense is the Sisters Grey! So in solidarity with you, I

reject the blind eye to warfare my family’s position affords me and instead serve as your internal spy, sending intelligence from afar. I shall carry myself with Lady Eva’s wisdom, Lady Anna’s strength, and all the grace and more of the

Ladies’ Giselle and Mathilde. Yes, Heinrich, laugh at my idealism, as you always have! But I swear, by the time you return to me, you will take pride in my accomplishments.

My report, Valiant Soldier: His Majesty hopes his conquest of Svanland to keep Ursa out of our lands will both discourage Nabe from joining the New Alliance

and show Caul the Empire has reclaimed its height of power. Vouk as well; should they leave the Empire, their ingenuity would threaten Mitteleuropa, especially

the marvelous Gepanzerteriesen you speak of. Hence, the Kaiser seeks to bring the

power of each state under one flag now more than ever. So, my heart, be aware of

treasonist talk amongst your comrades. Not all of Mitterleuropa’s troops hold the Empire in as high regard as we in Aigeland do.

Be safe, be strong. Come home to me in victory. Yours in heart and service, Emmeline

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VEHICLE WEAPONS TABLE CATEGORY

SCALE

RANGE (S / M / L)*

DMG

Light

Character

3-500 / 501- 00 / 01-1000

6D- D

Medium

Vehicle

3-600 / 601-1000 / 1001-2000

D-10D

Heavy

Grand

3- 00 / 01-2000 / 2001-3000

D-12D

Flamethrowers are ineffective beyond Short range. All ranges are in meters.

VEHICLE WEAPONS Vehicle weapons can be Character, Vehicle, or Grand scale, whether they’re machine guns, cannons, rocket launchers, or bombs. The scale of a weapon doesn’t have to match the scale of the vehicle it’s on. In fact, a single vehicle could have weapons of all three scales, such as a Vehicle-scale tank with a Character-scale light machine gun (Character scale) mounted on the hatch, a Vehicle-scale medium machine gun on each side, and a main cannon (Grand scale) for artillery strikes. The range of possible DMG die codes for a weapon is also limited by its scale. You can find more information about scales on page 65.

VEHICLE WEAPON QUALITIES All vehicle weapons are differentiated by a combination of the following qualities. Area (AREA). The weapon deals damage to everything within a certain radius of where it strikes or detonates, depending on its category: m for light weapons, 6 m for medium weapons, and m for heavy weapons. In addition, any grenade effect can be added to a weapon with this property. For example, a light area weapon could have the effects of a gas grenade (page ), and the gas would spread to fill an area m across.

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Bypass ARM (BA). The target cannot add its ARM die code to its FRM roll to resist this weapon’s damage. Continuous Damage (CDM). See Combat on page 5 for an explanation of Continuous Damage. Fire Arc (ARC). The direction a weapon can effectively fire. The four fire arcs are forward (FFA), rear/aft (AFA), port (PFA, the vehicle’s left side), or starboard (SFA, the vehicle’s right side). If a weapon is listed as having more than one fire arc, or a fire arc of 360, it’s mounted on a turret. In that case, the fire arc codes will be proceeded by the designation ARC. Full-Auto (FA). See page 5 in Combat for details on this property. If a Full Auto effect calls for a DE (Reflex) or PER (Instinct) roll, use the operator’s MEC (Drive or Pilot) instead. Indirect Fire (IF). The weapon uses the Scatter Chart on miss, but scatters further depending on its scale. Multiply the result by 10 for Character scale weapons, by 20 for Vehicle scale weapons, or by 30 for Grand scale weapons. Weapons with Indirect Fire also have a minimum effective range determined by their scale, and can’t be brought to bear on targets closer than that distance. These minimum ranges are 25 m for Character scale IF weapons, 50 m for Vehicle scale, and 100 m for Grand scale. Linked (LINK). When two or more weapons are Linked, they can all be fired as a single Basic action without a multiple action penalty, but must all have the same target.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES VEHICLE WEAPON AMMUNITION For convenience, vehicle weapon ammunition is divided into five categories.

VEHICLE WEAPON AMMUNITION TABLE AMMO

WEAPON

AVAILABILITY

PRICE

Belt

Full-Auto weapons

DN5

25M/250 rounds

Shells

Cannons, mortars

DN10

0M/shell

Fuel Charge

Flamethrower

DN10

20M/shot

Gas Charge

Chemical weapons

DN10

20M/shot

Energy Charge

Lightning cannon

DN10

20M/shot

Bomb, Rocket, or Torpedo

—

DN15

100M/each

Torpedoes use the Pursuit rules. A torpedo has SPD 5D and MVR 3D, and uses MVR in place of MEC (Drive or Pilot). For the first four rounds of the pursuit, roll the torpedo’s MVR

twice each round and take the better of the two results. After four rounds, if the torpedo hasn’t hit its target (or something else) and detonates on impact, it runs out of fuel.

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AIRCRAFT

WULF-VOKKER DR910 WARPLANE Heralded as an aircraft generations ahead of all rivals, this single engine, twin-crewed fighter was designed at the Deutsche Industries subsidiary company Vokker Aircraft by none other than Rhinehart Wulf himself. With a pedigree like that, it’s no wonder the DR 10 is the backbone of the kaiser’s Royal Air Corps.

WULF-VOKKER DR910

WARPLANE SCALE: V

SPD: 6D

CREW: 2 ilot and 1 Gunner

MVR: 6D

PASS: 0 CARGO: kg SUPPLY: , km, , medi m ro nds, , light ro nds, energy harges

FRM: 4D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: -1 o ile

WEAPONS: light lightning annons , , , medi m annons , , medi m ma hine g n t rret , , om ay

A truly stunning feature of the DR 10 is the twin WMB 11 jet-propulsion reaction modules mounted to both wings, giving the sturdy, snub-nosed fighter unparalleled speed and maneuverability. nlike other craft of its kind, the DR 10 is easily retooled to serve as a fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft, or, to a lesser degree, a night-fighter. Its armaments include a 30 mm Mouser MG152/22 cannon in each wing and two nosemounted light lightning cannons. The Model A adds a rear-facing turret-mounted machine gun. With almost three times the munitions of any other fighter craft, the DR 10 is still a threat in any dogfight long after the guns of the enemy have run dry. The latest in precision sensor technology gives the DR 10 the advantage over other craft that still rely on standard compasses, altimeters, and engine-gauge packages. All these advantages come at a high cost, however. The DR 10 lacks armor of any kind to protect the pilot, gunner, and vital internal components, relying instead on its speed and maneuverability to carry it through engagements.

NOTES: hile the is in flight, its lightning annons an’t re harge

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES MOHS-DOROW

LB-7 AIRSHIP MOHS-DOROW LB-7 AIRSHIP The pride of the kaiser’s fleet, the MohsDorow LB- Airship is utilized for both reconnaissance missions and bombing runs. Featuring a lightweight frame of duralumin girders and steel wires, the airship is held aloft by the two million cubic feet of hydrogen in its 1 gas-bags. At nearly 200 m long and 22 m across, the LB- dwarfs most battleships. The LB- ’s six engines power as many propellers, all housed in three engine gondolas slung beneath the airship’s keel. About half of the LB- ’s 20-crew complement are mechanics who tend to the maintenance and in-flight repairs of the airship’s engines. Medium machine guns mounted on each of the engine gondolas help fend off enemy aircraft. The rest of the crew consists of a commander, O, navigator, and a handful of petty officers stationed in the forward control gondola. Suspended beneath the forward gondola are four parasite fighters, which can be air launched to mount a defense against enemy patrols. A complement of pilots stands ready to scramble these fighters at a moment’s notice. Of course, being a literal giant bag of flammable gas makes the LB- not exactly the safest way to travel. Standard ammo and shrapnel isn’t likely to ignite the ship’s hydrogen, but all that gas does make it dangerously vulnerable to incendiary ammunition. For that reason, the LB- is typically deployed at high altitudes, outside the range of ground fire. A modified version of this model, the LB- A, serves as the kaiser’s personal flagship. Called The ndying, this airship is nearly twice as large, with double the defensive fighter complement.

SCALE: G

SPD: 2D+2

CREW: 60

MVR: 2D

ommander, ilots, o ilots, nners, ngineers, 20 Mechanics

PASS: 44

FRM: 10D ARM: 4D VSM DEFENSES Static: -10 o ile

CARGO: , kg

SUPPLY:

, km, , med ro nds elts , med om s

WEAPONS:

medi m ma hine g ns , , medi m om s ,

,

,

NOTES:

arries either fo r arasite or fo r indekker i lanes on its elly o le the die ode of any fire ased atta k against the airshi

PARASITE RECONNAISSANCE

FIGHTER BIPLANE SCALE: V

SPD: 5D

CREW: 1 ilot

MVR: 5D

PASS:—

FRM: 4D

CARGO: kg or , see otes

see Notes

kg

SUPPLY: km, light ro nds elts

ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: -1 o ile

WEAPONS: light ma hine g n NOTES:

an e rigged to arry a , t doing so lo ers its

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,

, kg dro tank, die ode to

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AIRCRAFT LICHT-BESEMER XB-04

FLOATING FORTRESS SCALE: V

SPD: 3D

CREW: 20 ilot, o ilot, nners, ngineers, e hani s

MVR: 4D

PASS: 12 CARGO: , kg

FRM: 8D ARM: 4D VSM DEFENSES tati o ile

SUPPLY:

, km, , med ro nds elts , med shells, hea y om s

WEAPONS: medi m ma hine g ns , , , , , medi m annons , , , , , hea y om s , , NOTES: he loating ortress an only land on and take o from the ater

106 CGRPG Core Rulebook Final01.indb 106

LICHT-BESEMER XB-04 FLOATING FORTRESS Widely considered one of the most difficult aircraft to take down, the Floating Fortress is a terror in the skies and seas alike. With a 3 meter wingspan, this six-engine behemoth can reach top speeds in excess of 110 kph. The Axis routinely uses heavily armored Floating Fortresses for maritime patrols, and is also the preferred transport of the Wolf General. The vessel supports two 00 kg torpedoes or two 1000 kg bombs or depth charges in addition to five medium machine guns in fuselage hatches and five medium cannons in the nose, dorsal, tail, and waist positions. With a maximum range of nearly 6 00 km, the Floating Fortress has empowered the Empire to link distant land holdings and extend their defensive perimeter far out to sea. It can remain aloft for over 12 hours, setting the standard for long range patrols, and has also proven effective in anti-submarine operations. While most Flying Fortresses are currently deployed as part of the war effort, on occasion they can be seen dropping water on raging forest fires. Considering the substantial investment they represent, they may just retain some peacetime utility if and when the Great War comes to an end.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

DAS BOMBENFLUGZEUG The Bombenflugzeug has the longest range of any bomber developed to date. With its sturdy single-engine design and a full tank of fuel, it can fly to a target 1,000 km away, deploy its payload, and return without stopping—all with only a single pilot aboard. The new tech whisper-quiet engine both makes it nearly undetectable and enables it to take off without a runway. The Bombenflugzeug’s bubble cockpit of reinforced glass affords its crew a 360-degree visibility above and below, greatly improving bombing accuracy. The barn-door hatch in its belly can drop payloads in excess of 00 kg, operated from either the cockpit or the bomb bay. The bay also includes four recessed compartments for cargo, personnel, or additional munitions. The bomber doesn’t only drop bombs—its often used to airdrop special operatives into the field.

DAS BOMBENFLUGZEUG

WAR BOMBER SCALE: V

SPD: 3D

CREW: 3 ilot, o ilot, ngineer

MVR: 2D

PASS: 10 in argo area CARGO: kg

FRM: 6D ARM: 3D VSM DEFENSES Static: -3 o ile

SUPPLY: , km, , med ro nds elts , med om s WEAPONS:

medi m ma hine g n medi m om s

NOTES: he om enfl g e g’s re ire a s essf l from the gro nd

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,

, ,

,

iet engines roll to hear

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AIRCRAFT

VOKKER EINDECKER III SCALE: V

SPD: 5D

CREW: 1 ilot

MVR: 6D

PASS: — CARGO: kg SUPPLY: km, medium rounds elts

VOKKER EINDECKER III The latest fighter from the reliable Vokker Eindecker line, the Vokker E.III has been redesigned for greater maneuverability.

FRM: 4D ARM: 2D VSM DEFENSES Static: -1 o ile

WEAPONS: o medi m ma hine g ns ,

,

NOTES: he inde ker an e rigged to arry a , kg dro tank, t doing so lo ers its die ode to

Its twin medium machine guns are synchronized with its rotors, thus preventing the pilot from blowing their own propellers off. Its expanded flight range—nearly two and a half hours on a single tank of fuel—the Vokker E.III makes a solid reconnaissance plane. A skilled pilot can cut the engines and use the draft to carry them well into enemy territory to take a closer look at battle formations of the enemies, then start up the engine and get out of there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

FLIEGE AERIAL TORPEDO SCALE: V REW: —

SPD: 6D MVR: 4D

PASS: —

FRM: 4D

CARGO: kg in ex losi es or other argo

ARM: —

SUPPLY: 100 km WEAPONS: Hea y om

VSM DEFENSES Static: -1 o ile

,

NOTES: o o erator n e la n hed, the liege tra els in one dire tion and detonates on im a t, hether on its target or on hate er gets in the ay n oard instr ments and a gyro om ass an orre t o rse, t not a oid atta ks or ollisions

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FLIEGE AERIAL TORPEDO The Fliege is the first pilotless gyroscope driven drone, a winged 3-meter-long tube of explosives requiring no in-flight guidance. Rotating the propeller sets the Fliege’s flight distance, and a gyroscope keeps on its preset course, regulated by a barometer set at a desired altitude. The Fliege is launched from a rail system set up at forward observation posts and command centers. Its body can safely house 60 kg of explosives or other cargo. In rare cases, the Fliege can ferry messages out of a warzone—a risky move for desperate times, as there’s no guarantee that whoever finds the downed drone is an ally. Damage to the Flieg’s fragile wings can easily cause it to veer off course, an especially dangerous occurrence when it happens to be carrying enough explosives to obliterate a small church.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

HEIMDALLR ZP-3 DART TAILSITTER Fast, deadly, and nimble, Heimdallr’s diminutive Dart Tailsitter is a cockpit strapped to an engine with too many wings. The lightly armed fighter sports linked twin-barrel machine guns. Small enough to be stored anywhere and possessed of incredible speed, the Dart Tailsitter is ideal for defending both cities and stations along the Front. With four wings and an maneuvering fin on its belly, the Dart Tailsitter can pull tight turns around the typical fighter. Too tight, for some, as weaker pilots tend to pass out at the stick (if a Complication occurs while using Evasive Maneuvers, the pilot must make a DN15 Stamina roll). The innovative Dart Tailsitter uses both a nose propeller and rear-facing jet engine. The propeller provides the vertical lift the tail sitter required to get it in the air. Once airborne, the experimental jet engine is engaged to provide thrust. This prop-and-jet combo grants the Dart Tailsitter many advantages other aircraft can’t match, including being able to land and take off from nearly anywhere and the capacity to hover.

HEIMDALLR ZP-3

DART TAILSITTER SCALE: V

SPD: 10D

CREW: 1 ilot

MVR: 6D

PASS: 1 CARGO: kg SUPPLY: , km, , medium rounds elts

FRM: 3D ARM: 2D VSM DEFENSES Static: 0 o ile

WEAPONS: medi m ma hine g ns

,

,

NOTES: erti al take o and landing air raft a a le of ho ering in la e hen the ild ie res lts in a om li ation hile taking asi e ane ers, the ilot m st s eed on a tamina roll to remain ons io s

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AIRCRAFT & TANKS GENERIC AIRCRAFT

AIRSHIP SCALE: G

SPD: 2D

CREW: 40 ommander, ilots, o ilots, nners, ngineers, 10 Mechanics

MVR: 2D

PASS: 24

FRM: 6D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES . Static: -6 o ile

CARGO: , kg SUPPLY: , km, , med ro nds elts , med om s

NOTES:

SPD: 4D

CREW: 2 ilot, o ilot

MVR: 1D

CARGO: , kg ,

,

,

,

SUPPLY: , km

FRM: 5D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static -2 o ile

WEAPONS: —

an arry to fo r arasite i lanes on its elly o le the die ode of any fire ased atta k against the airshi

110

SCALE: V

PASS: 2

WEAPONS:

medi m ma hine g ns medi m om s

CARGO PLANE

NOTES:

ometimes sed to ferry ehi les or troo s to the estern ront or e a ate ref gees

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

KRIEGSRAD W3MK5 WHEELED WAR WAGON The Wheeled War Wagon was the Axis powers’ panicked reaction to rumors of a new weapon to be deployed by the Allies: the tank. The War Wagon seems like a sound design—its large-diameter wheels offer decreased ground pressure and a low center of gravity, making it an effective all-terrain vehicle able to traverse most low barriers and enemy trenches. Two much-smaller runner wheels at the rear of the vehicle are used for steering, and the engine has enough power to propel the massive vehicle to rival the speed of lesser tanks. nfortunately, the War Wagon is plagued with design errors, and each successive generation of the wagon has struggled to counter the flaws inherent in its predecessors. While the wagon’s center of gravity is low, it is also too far forward, making it prone to flipping over when traversing rocky terrain. The Mk 5 takes this into account, adding a set of dorsal mounted wheels in addition to the ventral ones. These extra wheels afford the wagon the ability to keep moving when inverted—and the cabin’s gyroscopic stabilizers allow the crew of four to stay level regardless of what orientation the Wagon may find itself. The largest of the wagon models developed, the Mark 5’s front wheels are each just shy of meters in diameter. The wagon weighs in excess of 50 tons.

KRIEGSRAD W3MK5

WHEELED WAR WAGON SCALE: V

SPD: 1D+2

CREW: 5 ri er, nners, and 2 Mechanics

MVR: 2D

PASS: — CARGO: Ammo and ersonal gear only

FRM: 9D ARM: 6D VSM DEFENSES Static: -6 o ile

SUPPLY: km, hea y shells WEAPONS: hea y annons

,

,

NOTES: he k ’s annon is dri er fired t re ires g nners to load f a nner roll ith the annon is an ex e tional or atastro hi fail re, the shell ex lodes inside the ehi le, y assing dealing its to all o ants and the ehi le itself MISFIRE: he heeled ar agon’s annons are rone to rst arrel misfires f the dri er rolls a , the shell ex lodes inside the ehi le, again y assing and dealing its to all o ants and the ehi le itself

The tight-quarters crew cabin is sandwiched between the vehicle’s massive front wheels, sitting right on top of the dual internal heavy cannon barrels. Incapable of independent targeting, these fixed weapons run the length of the tank’s interior and can only be aimed by the driver. While they output shells at an impressive rate of fire, the heavy cannons can also quickly overheat, making conditions within the vehicle uncomfortable for its operators.

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TANKS KAISERPANZER

KING’S BATTLE TANK SCALE: G

SPD: 1D+1

CREW: 28 ri ers, ommander, signaller ngineer , nners, 2 Mechanics

MVR: 2D FRM: 6D ARM: 8D VSM DEFENSES Static: -6 o ile

PASS: — CARGO: Ammo and ersonal gear only

That crew consists of no fewer than 2 soldiers, consisting of a commander, two drivers, a signaller, 12 artillery officers, 10 machine gunners, and two mechanics. sing a setup comparable to the fire-control systems on sea-going destroyers, the tank’s commander can issue orders to its crew via electric lights.

SUPPLY: km, , light ro nds elts , hea y shells , , hea y f el harges WEAPONS: light ma hine g ns , , , , , hea y annon , or , , , hea y flamethro ers , , , NOTES: —

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KAISERPANZER “KING’S BATTLE TANK” A recent addition to the Western Front, the 15 meter long Hessen-Veit superheavy Kaiserpanzer is a veritable landship. Enemy trenches and other obstacles that would stop smaller tanks in their tracks present little to no resistance. The tank can be disassembled into six modules for easy transport—an engine room, control room, fighting room, transmission room, and two sponson projections—and rapidly deployed by rail with considerable effort.

The Kaiserpanzer is armed with four heavy cannons, nine light machine guns, and two heavy flamethrowers. As if the size of the thing weren’t imposing enough, the flamethrowers provide added shock and awe; the tank can carry considerably more fuel than man-portable flamethrowers, making them capable of extended-range, sustained fire. The extreme weight of the Kaiserpanzer, and the fact that it has to be disassembled, transported, then reassembled to get it from one engagement to another, are definitely marks against the design. That said, when troops see this beast lumbering toward their front lines in the heat of battle, the drop in their morale is palpable.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES LIONS LONG BARREL

UNICORN TANK LIONS LONG BARREL TANK “UNICORN TANK” This nimble giant can change the dynamic of the battlefield in an instant. Nicknamed for the lightning cannon mounted atop the top of the tank, the rhombus shaped nicorn glides over trenches, clearing the way for troops to flank and break up the enemy’s ranks. With a top speed that outpaces most any tank on the battlefield, the 25-tonne nicorn is half the size of the Gottsland Spiked Tank, but still far heavier than an armored car. It can’t charge its lightning cannon while moving, but two light machine guns on either side efficiently deal with any infantry that haven’t already fled upon seeing the bright glow of their imminent doom.

SCALE: V

SPD: 2D

CREW: 8 a ommander, ri er, nners, and e hani s

MVR: 4D

PASS: —

VSM DEFENSES Static: -3 o ile

CARGO: Ammo and ersonal gear only

FRM: 6D ARM: 4D

SUPPLY: km, , light ro nds elts , energy harges WEAPONS: light ma hine g ns , , hea y lightning annon ,

,

,

NOTES: he lightning annon an’t re harge hile the ni orn is mo ing a h ro nd it doesn’t mo e, the annon regains harge

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TANKS & CRUISERS GOTTSLAND

SPIKED TANK SCALE: G

SPD: 1D

CREW: 5 ri er, ommander, 3 Gunners

MVR: 1D

PASS: —

VSM DEFENSES Static: -8 o ile

CARGO: Ammo and ersonal gear only

FRM: 8D ARM: 8D

SUPPLY: km, , light ro nds elts , hea y shells WEAPONS: light ma hine g ns , annon ,

or

, , hea y ,

GOTTSLAND SPIKED TANK Weighing in at more than 5 tonnes, the Gottsland Spiked Tank resembles a tracked turret fortification. There is no functional need for the GST to be so large, other than as a testament to the Kaiser’s decadence and the Axis powers’ dedication to striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. The GST is operated by a crew of five—a commander, a driver, a loader, and two gunners. Its primary armament is a repurposed heavy cannon fortress gun, capable of penetrating the frontal armor of most Allied tanks. Light machine guns mounted on the sides of the cabin can clear out enemy trenches as the armored vehicle rolls over them. The GST’s size, weight, and front-reinforced chassis make it a feared ramming vehicle, able to plow through and crush structures and other vehicles alike.

NOTES: n a ollision, in l ding hen ramming, do le the iked ank’s die ode and hal e the dealt to it

114

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES GÜRTELTIER

AUTOMATIC LAND CRUISER GÜRTELTIER AUTOMATIC LAND CRUISER Western Motor Plow’s G rteltier land cruiser is effectively a mobile battle bunker. An infantry man’s nightmare, the G rteltier’s heavy firepower and impenetrable armored hide allow the Gottsland to advance it’s forces across the No-man’s Land one trench at a time. The G rteltier requires a crew of , including a driver, an engineer, and a full five gunners. Three rifle-barreled light machine guns provide a firing arc across the front of the G rteltier. Two medium auto-cannons on sponsons bristle from the land cruiser’s sides. These five onboard guns make it a force to be reckoned with, but the vehicle’s glaring blind spots makes it vulnerable to being swarmed by enemy infantry. The vehicle’s armor is both its blessing and curse. The armored plates can shrug off 6 mm gunfire and deflect small arms fire—but the small viewports hinder the driver and impose a -2D to DRIVE and PER based skill rolls. If someone was feeling lucky, they might try to sneak up on a parked G rteltier. A well-placed muzzle to the viewport can fill the armored cab with lead. ust be sure to kill the driver first, lest you want your ass run over. Aware of this disastrous flaw, G rteltier crews try to keep their vehicle moving as much as possible until new battle lines are established—so as to never present a stationary target. GÜRTELTIER AUTOMATIC CARGO HAULER An armored truck variant of the G rteltier is used to deploy special equipment to the Front. While it doesn’t have the sponsons the Land Cruiser does, it can carry a fair amount of cargo in armored container crates.

SCALE: V

SPD: 4D

CREW: 7 ri er, ngineer, nners

MVR: 1D

PASS: — CARGO: kg SUPPLY: km, , light ro nds elts , , medium rounds elts

ARM: 5D VSM DEFENSES Static: -4 o ile

WEAPONS: light ma hine g ns , , medi m annons ,

,

,

NOTES: Hindered ie ort enali es o ants to ri e and ased skill rolls

CARGO HAULER VARIANT SCALE: V

SPD: 4D

CREW: 5 ri er, ngineer, 3 Gunners

MVR: 1D

PASS: —

SUPPLY: km, , light ro nds

FRM: 7D ARM: 5D VSM DEFENSES Static: -4 o ile

CARGO: , kg

elts

WEAPONS: light ma hine g ns ,

,

,

NOTES: Hindered ie ort, its o ants ha e to ri e and ased skill rolls

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MOBILE ARTILLERY

KANONENLÄUFER SCALE: V CREW: 3 ri er,

SPD: 3D ngineers

PASS: — CARGO: Ammo and ersonal gear only SUPPLY: km, , hea y ro nds elts , hea y shells ,

MVR: 4D FRM: 7D ARM: 7D VSM DEFENSES Static: -4 o ile

WEAPONS: hea y ma hine g ns , , hea y annon , or , , hea y gra le annon , see otes

,

NOTES: ll ea ons are dri er fired ra le annon is only e e ti e ithin hort range n a s essf l atta k against a ehi le or other mo ile o e t, the me h’s in h an attem t to reel it in ake a roll o osed y the target’s f the anoenl fer ins this roll, it reels the target in m hara ter s ale or m ehi le s ale target n s se ent ro nds, it an se a i k or asi a tion to ll the target the same distan e emo ing the gra le from the o e t re ires a s essf l isa le e air roll

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KANONENLÄUFER “WANDELNDER UNTERGANG” The so-called “Walking Doom” of the dreaded Kanonenl ufer Korps, the quadrupedal Cannon Walker towers like a solitary soldier over the battlefield. Early prototypes left the pilot’s head and upper torso exposed through the cockpit, providing them with only threequarters cover. While arguably a design flaw, the psychological impact of seeing 6-meter-tall Axis soldiers stomping across the landscape drove the Allies before them in fear. Resent models have introduced a metal plate welded over the cockpit to protect the pilot, trading visibility for protection. The Cannon Walker’s four legs provide better traction than tracked or wheeled vehicles. It’s also able to withstand greater recoil forces than its wheeled counterparts. Its high-caliber onboard weaponry include a heavy cannon on one arm plus two heavy machine guns and a heavy grappling hook/winch combo on the other. The latter can be fired as a weapon to immobilize or reel in enemy ground vehicles. The walker spins its 360-degree swivel waist to gain momentum, finally flinging the skewered vehicle back at its town troops. In addition to the pilot, two engineers man the walker to load ammunition and keep the feeds clean.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

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COMMON VEHICLES

TRANSPORT TRUCK (MILITARY)

MOBILE X-RAY TRUCK

SCALE: V

SPD: 4D

SCALE: V

SPD: 4D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 1D

CREW: 2 ri er,

MVR: 2D

PASS: 13 in a , omforta ly in argo area CARGO: , kg SUPPLY: 360 km WEAPONS: — NOTES: —

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FRM: 8D ARM: 2D VSM DEFENSES tati o ile

ngineer

PASS: 4 CARGO: , kg SUPPLY: 220 km

FRM: 5D ARM: 5D VSM DEFENSES Static: -2 o ile

WEAPONS: — NOTES: he ehi le’s on oard ray a in and fa ilities grant on all edi ine rolls that se them

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE R RULES ULES

MOBILE X-RAY TRUCK Early in the war, many soldiers died of preventable and easily treatable wounds, wounds they would have survived had they been treated at a hospital with a working -ray room. With the Great War raging across the world, such hospitals are few and far between. Famed inventor Leah saw the issue facing the soldiers and got to work, repurposing outdated Grey BAK trucks to create the Mobile -ray. The vehicle includes a darkroom, an -ray machine, and a generator with enough power to take 12 images before needing to be recharged by driving around for one hour. Leah Grey trained over 100 medical technicians to use the mobile -ray in the course of her lifetime. With a skilled workforce to operate them, the vehicles were deployed wherever needed. Not content to sit on the sidelines, Leah Grey would often go on missions herself. After learning of the dangers of overexposure, some enterprising generals thought to use the Mobile -ray as a weapon before Leah set them straight.

TRI MARK VERTEX MOTORCAR The elegant Tri Mark Vertex combines the grace of a motorcycle with the sturdiness of a roadster to create the most sophisticated motorcar of our time. Tri Mark’s signature three-wheel design and heavy-duty suspension provide enhanced maneuverability and a smooth ride. A 21.5 liter, four cylinder engine allows the motorcar to reach top speeds in excess of 220kph. nfortunately, this luxury roadster is more of a status symbol than a practical vehicle. The motorcar’s narrow wheels are no match for mud and rough terrain, making it a less-than-ideal vehicle for anything but a night on the town.

LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE SCALE: V

SPD: 4D

CREW: 3 ri er, ngineer, 1 Mechanic

M R: —

PASS: — CARGO: , kg SUPPLY: , km

ARM: — VSM DEFENSES tati o ile

WEAPONS: — NOTES: st se tra k he train’s aggage ars, dining ars, o ser ation ars, assenger ars, lo nge ars, and slee er ars ha e ox ars, enter eams, o ered ho ers, flat ars, gondolas, o en to ho ers, and tankers ha e

TRI MARK VERTEX

MOTOR CAR SCALE: V

SPD: 8D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 4D

PASS: 2 CARGO: kg SUPPLY: 380 km

FRM: 3D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: 0 o ile

WEAPONS: — NOTES: —

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COMMON VEHICLES

CARRIAGE SCALE: V

SPD: 2D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 1D

PASS: 6 n omforta ly CARGO: kg S PPL : —

FRM: 6D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: -3 o ile

WEAPONS: — f the arriage is lled y fe er than fo r horses or draft animals, its die ode is

CAR (SEDAN) SCALE: V

SPD: 5D+2

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 3D

CARGO: kg SUPPLY: 220 km WEAPONS: — NOTES: —

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SCALE: V

SPD: 4D

CREW: ri er

MVR: 2D

PASS: 3 n omforta ly CARGO: kg SUPPLY: km

FRM: 5D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: -2 o ile

WEAPONS: —

NOTES:

PASS: 3 n omforta ly

CAR (COMMON)

FRM: 4D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: -1 o ile

NOTES: —

TRANSPORT TRUCK (COMMON) SCALE: V

SPD: 4D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 1D

PASS: 1 in a CARGO: , kg SUPPLY:

FRM: 8D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES tati o ile

WEAPONS: — NOTES: —

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE RULES

MOTORCYCLE (MILITARY) SCALE: V

SPD: 6D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 5D

PASS: 1 CARGO: kg SUPPLY: 400 km

FRM: 2D ARM: 2D VSM DEFENSES Static: 1 o ile

WEAPONS: —

MOTORCYCLE

WITH SIDECAR SCALE: V CREW: 2 ri er,

SPD: 6D

nner

PASS: 1 CARGO: kg SUPPLY: 400 km

MVR: 5D FRM: 3D ARM: 3D VSM DEFENSES Static: 0 o ile

WEAPONS: light ma hine g n

NOTES: —

,

NOTES:

a hine g n an only e sed y side ar re assenger

PICKUP TRUCK (COMMON)

MOTORCYCLE (COMMON)

SCALE: V

SPD: 5D

SCALE: V

SPD: 6D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 2D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR: 5D

PASS: 2 n omforta ly CARGO: , kg SUPPLY: 220 km WEAPONS: —

FRM: 5D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: -2 o ile

PASS: 1 CARGO: kg SUPPLY: 440 km

FRM: 2D ARM: — VSM DEFENSES Static: 1 o ile

WEAPONS: — NOTES: —

NOTES: —

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OTHER VEHICLES SHUFFLER M.II

MARCHING BOX SCALE: V

SPD: 1D

CREW: 1 ri er

MVR:1D

PASS: 15 CARGO: Ammo and ersonal gear only SUPPLY: km see otes

FRM: 4D ARM: 1D see Notes VSM DEFENSES Static: -1 o ile

WEAPONS: — see otes NOTES:

he h er an only make i k mo es ariant model ith hinged armored lates has and light ma hine g ns , , , and arries , light ro nds elts

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SHUFFLER M.II “MARCHING BOX” Slow and steady may sometimes win the race, but not the war. Designed in Heilig, this vehicle travels via a series of foot-like sleds. The process is mechanically complex, but straightforward in concept: One set of sleds lifts off the ground and moves forward, while a second set supports its weight. Once the first set of sleds touch down, the two sets switch roles, and repeat the tedious process. A standard Shu er can hold no more than 15 soldiers at a time and is 3 meters tall, while the largest, the “Kaiser’s Eye,” is three stories tall and capable of housing 0 soldiers at once. The ponderous Shu er is often used to transport and protect dignitaries visiting the Front. These variants are both armed and armored, sporting a total of eight light machine gun compartments. Hinged metal plate gun ports can be installed over the otherwise wideopen gondola ports for better protection. The Shu er is often mocked on the battlefield for its plodding, ponderous approach—but troops stop laughing when those machine guns come out.

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CHAPTER 6: VEHICLE R RULES ULES

LICHTER LANDING CRAFT SCALE: V

SPD: 1D

CREW: 4 ri er and ngineers

MVR: 1D FRM: 10D ARM: 4D

PASS: 300

VSM DEFENSES tati o ile

CARGO: , kg SUPPLY: 400 km LICHTER LANDING CRAFT (LLC) Conceived by a coffin maker in rsa who was tired of boxing dead soldiers from his village, the Lichter Landing Craft is a seagoing box designed to deliver living troops safely to shore. Reinforced steel protects the amphibious LLC’s payload of troops and cargo, and it can maintain a speed of knots as it transitions from water to land. At 1 meters long by 2 meters wide and with a carrying capacity of 2.5 tonnes, the Lichter can transport as many as 300 combat-ready troops and deploy them in moments through the bow cargo door.

WEAPONS: — NOTES: — lat ottomed oat an enter shallo s to dis harge troo s an arry troo s, tanks, annon alkers, other eh iles, or argo

COASTAL MOTOR BOAT SCALE: V CREW: 3 ri er, ngineer

SPD: 5D nner,

PASS: 300 CARGO: , kg SUPPLY: km, , ro nds elts , tor edoes

MVR: 3D FRM: 4D ARM: 2D VSM DEFENSES Static: -1 o ile

WEAPONS: light ma hine g n medi m tor edo t e , ater only

THE CARBON GREY ROLE-PLAYING GAME

,

,

,

,

,

123

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THE GREAT WAR

The Great War is the inevitable outcome of the Western World—the product of long lived nations that have flourished and fallen, nations that have both conquered and surrendered, and nations whose time of reckoning have at last come. The road to the Great War was travelled for centuries. Each nation’s story holds clues for understanding the driving forces behind decisions made by its leadership—choices that both created allies and adversaries and broken entire populations. The royals of each state either vie for superiority or merely seek to survive the carnage with their titles intact. Most important is an examination of the effect the war has had on a nation’s people. Each corner of the Western World has its own sites of interest and moments of historical significance. Adding these disparate factors together can form a more complete picture of what it truly means to live in a world at war.

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CHAPTER 7: A WORLD AT WAR

CHAPTER 7: A WORLD AT WAR

"May Gottfaust's might lead us to victory!" - Captain Karl Heinzhoff, Purge Corps.

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THE WESTERN FRONT Notated on the map by + marks, the winding trenches of the Western Front snake their way across the continent, cutting through country, city, farm, and woodland alike. This no-man’s land is a place of death. The Mittleuropean Empire is responsible for the war that ravages the Western World. While there are additional Axis Powers like Ilvesia involved in the conflict, this book focuses on the Allies, the neutral countries ravaged by war, and the eight nation states that make up the kaiser’s empire.

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CHAPTER 7: A WORLD AT WAR

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AXIS MITTELEUROPEAN EMPIRE AXIS POWER Head of Government: Kaiser Hind von Medeim Population: 52 million

For centuries, eight states have comprised the Empire of Mitteleuropa: Belvaire and Vouk to the north; Roche Nabe to the west; the twin states of Sivukia and Weiss Iponia to the east; and Cossau to the south, on the shores of the Tyrhain. In the middle of all of them is Aigleand, the Kaiser’s seat of power. In the time of Gottfaust, they were an unbreakable unit, as was the empire itself. However, when he passed from the world, the Empire gradually weakened, each state turning its focus inward. Before long, the west strengthened and Caul, Këndes, and Hain Baze had formed a New Alliance. Even Nabe sought stronger ties with the Allies, cause of great concern for the Kaiser von Medeim, his Cabal, and, seemingly, his queen. In 1912, three years before the Great War erupted, His Majesty refused to watch the New Alliance become stronger than his Axis states. He decided the military and industrial strength of all Mitteleuropean states should come under one flag. The idea was not welcomed by all, made clear by a bombing at the Axis summit in Nabe. Six of eight state leaders perished, and Nabe’s own government

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The Mitteleuropean Empire encompises the nation states of Aigleand, Belvaire, Cossau, Roche, Sivukia and Weiss Iponia, and Vouk.

AIGLEAND AXIS NATION Head of Government: Kaiser Hind von Medeim

Capital: Waldstatten

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faced accusations. The disaster led to His Majesty’s emergency leadership for all states. How convenient.

Population: 5.4 million Capital: Waldstatten Over 00 years ago, the first kaiser went hunting in the forest-blanketed Kalkapan Mountains, where his life was saved by a young shepherd. Those mountains were in what would become Aigleand’s northwest region, and the young shepherd, of course, would become Gottfaust. Aigleand is awash in scenic vistas befitting the reincarnated god Kaiser von Medeim believe him to be. The stone walls of the medieval fortress in Waldstatten cascade from a peaked summit as numerous turrets stretch into the sky. It’s easy to see how the Aigelanders could believe in their kaiser’s divinity when his home looks like something out of legend. Aigleand’s people have always set the tone for the rest of the Empire even as the relationship with their kaiser wa ed throughout history. While Mitteleuropa’s favored class attends gatherings throughout the empire, Aigleand often plays host to the most elite of these. Many of von Medeim’s advisors reside within 10 kilometers of Waldstatten, ensuring that the people—their sort of people—maintain a certain lifestyle.

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THE KAISER’S PALACE The abilities of Gottfaust’s female descendents may be divine, but without the training they receive here, in the palace’s East Wing, their gifts remain raw. As each Daughter of Gottfaust faces mortality, she trains a replacement, keeping her every move under observation through security cameras in the palace’s east wing. Mentors care for the new sister while she learns to serve the kaiser and his Cabal. MEDEIM WALD Named in honor of the Kaiser’s family line, this immense forest covering 152,000 hectares begins 10 km east of Waldstatten. One region is a bright, whimsical place, while the rest looms dark and foreboding. Still, few feared it until talk of militia encampments circulated. HINTERGROTTO HÖHLE Hidden beneath an 11-hectare forest just south of the border with Belvaire is an underground lake within and between abandoned saltmine caverns. Nobody outside the Order of Gottfaust knows of the existence of this place or the many similar locations that dot the landscape. Most in the Order blend into the outside world. Not so the Sisters of Gottfaust, who remain here in squalid conditions maintaining their rites and sacraments in anticipation of Gottfaust’s return.

BELVAIRE AXIS NATION Head of Government: Provisional Prime Minister Marius Nitzsch Population: 9.6 million Capital: Heilig

Belvaire leads its brethren in the production of Mitteleuropa’s formidable bombers, fighters, and spotter planes. The mythology of Gottfaust and the Stone of Power is exceedingly devout here, as is the number of followers in the Order of Gottfaust. The result is an unfailingly loyal state that never questions the will of the kaiser or the Cabal. Despite panoramic views of the Northern Sea and its lush forests, when most people hear talk of Belvaire’s awe-inspiring scenery they think of the Holy City, Heilig. Feats of Gothic architecture stretching for miles have inspired awe, grace, and reverence for generations. Church spires poking the clouds, unparalleled stained-glass artistry, and streets overflowing with art, hard work, and the spirit of a proud people make Heilig one of Mitteleuropa’s grandest gems—and one of its most attractive targets for Allied forces. If the religious fervor of Belvaire’s military isn’t ample cause for their enemies to tremble in their boots, surely their merciless methods are. Following a doctrine of Total War, they routinely leave thousands of massacred civilians and burned and pillaged towns in their wake. On the cusp of the Great War, the message was clear: “We have unlimited passage through Leon.” Of all the devastation inflicted upon Mitteleuropa as war rages on, the fire-bombing of the Holy City is the most cataclysmic. No longer will people gather in its architectural marvels to sing hymns; their voices have been carried to God in ashes.

POINTS OF INTEREST

LÜPERTZ ASYLUM Four-hundred and sixty km due east of Heilig, a four-hundred-year-old asylum takes in those ill-suited to society. Some say it’s a fate worse than death. Some say the staff is less sane than the residents. Others profess it’s the most advanced institution of its kind. Perhaps a more accurate testimonial comes from its most

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famous resident, former Commander Helmuth Karl, who insists the caliber of the doctors is simply delicious. HEILIGENSCHEIN SEE (HALO LAKE) ust south of where Belvaire dips into Aigleand, the majestic Bavaire Mountains cradle a lake that reflects their dolomite magnificence like a mirror. naffected by the world, hermits Gretel and Christian Bahlow used to step outside their ramshackle cabin each morning and thank their deity for the breathtaking views. Now, patchy images of another place fall across reflections of paradise. The couple sees flame, destruction, limbs pinching off bodies as tanks roll across fields of dead. They see Hell. MARKET AT HEILIG Belvaire still runs a half-hectare produce and livestock market daily just outside the holy city. Colorful tarps, folk music, and animated farmers eager to make a Mark would create a lively enough environment as it is, but it’s also become a place people flock to as an escape from news of the war. Rumors have always circulated about underground opportunities amid the crowds. If asked, the town’s B rgermeister dismisses the claims and offers the inquirer a basket of apples.

COSSAU AXIS NATION Ruler: Provisional Prime Minister Maja Kos (missing) Population: 2.6 million Capital: Carni Diversity is a way of life in Cossau. People here claim ancestry from not only Mitteleuropean states, but Mohn, Ilvesia, Turul, Morah, Ursa, and more. Genealogical traits, culinary tastes, and linguistic peculiarities give Cossau

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a subtly different feel from the rest of the empire. That’s not to say the people here are any less loyal—or are they? Many accounts of mysterious militias who seek a more democratic rule originate in Cossau. The country’s topography is a microcosm of Mitteleuropa at large. The southeast lands are flat, while the rest of the region lies on elevated plateaus with valleys, basins, and waterfalls running between. The Kamanack Mountains line the North, following the border around to Freundland. The Industrial Age and adventure of electricity has wrought widespread change in Cossau. Electrical products are the primary export here, and the state has an ongoing supply agreement with Vouk. Wood and metal furniture are the second most common trade. In addition, a burgeoning academic sector has led to a publishing industry with growing influence. When Cossaun Prime Minister Vid Troja perished at the Axis summit, Deputy Prime Minister Maja Kos petitioned Ambassador Vasilyeva at Waldstatten for exemption from emergency rule. She reasoned that because she was voted into office separately and had worked with the late Troja so closely, she was more than capable of bringing her state through war. Each request was met with silence until her Cabal representative received a strong rebuke from the kaiser and the Cabal at large for plaguing an empire on the verge of war with disloyal requests. After the death of the Kaiser, Kos lost all ability to keep Cossau secure. The state’s military was no longer its own. Furiously, Kos watched key personnel perish while shovels tore miles of trenches into western Cossau. Shortly after the massacre at Linth, the mass casualties consumed her so that she donned a helmet and joined her people on the Western Front to see if she could make sense of it all. She was last seen calling, “May Gottfaust’s might lead us to victory!”

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DRUGI SVET CAVERNS At over 3 meters long and 200 meters deep, this karst cavern south of Carni dripped into existence over the course of millennia. Sheets of liquid minerals have created smooth, calcified surfaces, some that glow white. Exploration of the phenomenon’s natural winding tunnels and vast caves led to a stair and lighting system, as well as a fleet of 25 small wooden boats, all in preparation for tourism postponed due to war. CAMP KAISERLICH WESTEN Ten miles from the Front, outside a town mostly abandoned for war, this military camp has become a haven for less than honorable activities. After the massacre at Linth, the situation has grown worse. Soldiers from all over the empire gather in off-duty drunken stupors, dread consuming them despite undying speeches of loyalty to Her Majesty Vasilyeva, God, and country, in that order. TAGESLIGHT SEA (DAYLIGHT SEA) Sivukia has shared military surveillance duties with Freundland for decades beside these waters that pool from the Dark Sea. Lately, an odd phenomenon has been observed—three sea stacks dripping seaweed hovering over the water at random by Sivukia’s shoreline. Local scientists have attempted to explain the phenomenon, but the Queen has insisted the public be told they are a natural aberration of Earth’s magnetism.

CURRENCY

The Goldmark is the gold standardbased currency of the Mitteleuropean Empire. Coinage and paper increments breakdown as follows: PFENNIG (COPPER COINS) = 1/100 MARK Comes in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50 Pfenning denominations THE MITTELEUROPA GOLD MARK (COINS) Come in: ½, 1, 5, and 20 Mark denominations BANKNOTE MARKS (PAPER NOTES) Comes in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 1000 Mark denominations

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ROCHE AXIS NATION Head of Government: Provisional Prime Minister Adam Ehn Population: 3.1 million Capital: Hafen Situated next to Këndes, Roche has borne a hefty section of the Great War’s Western Front, but its role as a foyer to Leon has asked much of it throughout history. Along with forces from Belvaire, the state is expected to “encourage” cooperation from Leon whenever it is necessary to pass through to Western Alliance lands. The city Linth is the leader in Mitteleuropa for steel manufacturing. Perhaps that is why when war breaks out, Allies on the Western Front targeted it first. And as the land becomes riddled with trenches, the blood of Allied and Axis soldiers, and mass destruction in general, Linth symbolizes the dour face of the war for those fighting on the ground. The Sperre Mountains nearly get lost behind hectares of factories, mills, worked-over scrap fields, and the clouds of pollution it all spews. But what this state lacks in charm, it makes up for in industry and practicality.

POINTS OF INTEREST

TUNNEL ZAUBERSPRUCH Once considered a legendary tale of rambunctious youth coupled with absurd accusations from Këndes, this tunnel

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originating in Roche, 4 km from the Këndes border, has become a strategic reality. The entrance, found inside an abandoned farm shed, offers one less tunnel to dig beneath the Western Front. Special forces slip through it into K ndes to sometimes find themselves greater or fewer in number, wearing darker uniforms, and wielding peculiar weapons. SPERRE MOUNTAINS Apart from taking over a vast area of central Roche, this range offers much to the industrial cities that surround it. Dolomite, limestone, copper, and the iron-ore power of goethite fulfill industrial goals that earn the favor of Waldstatten. Mitteleuropa’s railroad runs through and around the range, providing support to the mining industry. MULHAUM This working class suburb seems given to anachronistic events involving the airfield beside its border. Young Kenneth Marshall, a particularly affected and gifted Dharman Adept, discovers planes in flux and people who were never born. Marshall is but one Adept who can correct time continuity, but with errors increasing in frequency and peculiarity, are the glitches destined to have the upper hand? HAFEN UNDERWORLD Need fake credentials? A Whisper Fire? Want to make an offer no decent moonlighter could refuse? Entry to Hafen’s seedy underbelly of the unprincipled and desperate can be had at Wolgang Munich’s Ale House. Ask for a shot glass of whiskey half-full at the bar and someone will escort you to the back.

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SIVUKIA & WEISS IPONIA AXIS NATIONS Head of Government (Sivukia): Provisional Prime Minister Pauline Riedel Population (Sivukia): 2.3 million Capital City (Sivukia): Salisburg Head of Government (Weiss Iponia): Provisional Prime Minister Lennart Pfennig Population (Weiss Iponia): 2.1 million Capital City (Weiss Iponia): Eissen These states, warmer and less mountainous than the rest of Mitteleuropa, are agricultural powerhouses with ever-increasing outputs. Sivukia’s southern provinces specialize in fishing, while those in the north cultivate the finest wine up from a wide variety of grapes. Weiss Iponia’s thriving corn, wheat, and spice fields are unparalleled in the east. Cooperative since early ancestors traded over their common border, Sivukia and Weiss Ipona are practically their own collective. They’ve only grown closer over the centuries in policy, intent, and even sport. Sivukia’s glass, rubber, and asphalt industries support and benefit from Weiss Iponia’s excellence in automotive design. Sixty-five years ago, the prime minister of Weiss Iponia wed the niece of Sivukia’s Ministry of Finance in a match that mimics so many other cross-border marriages among their people. A decade ago, rumblings of the countries’ mutual desire to split from Mitteleuropa and become one larger nation had made their way around the empire. If true, it is likely Freundland and Sivukia’s powerful bond added to the kaiser’s desire to pull the military and industrial might of all the states under one flag. After 1 12’s bombing at Nabe’s Axis Summit, Weiss Iponia and Sivukia lost more than their sovereign leadership.

Disappointed by Waldstatten’s war-time grab for emergency control, the countries attempted to rely on their late prime ministers’ cabinets for guidance on matters of state. Months later, their representatives in His Majesty’s Cabal announced overhauls in Weiss Iponia’s entire parliamentary government. No such arrangement occurred in Sivukia.

POINTS OF INTEREST

ERIAN STRAIT A 22 km stretch of seaside runs along the southern edge of Weiss Iponia and Sivukia, cooling off beachgoers with waters from the Dark Sea to wash away the heat of summer. Sivukia’s crescent outcropping of 160-meter cliffs overlooks a pristine beach. Weiss Iponia hosts what was once a carefree inlet running into a lazy river reaching inland for miles. Now, Mitteleuropean naval ships lay in wait there, concealed by the inlet should Ursa attack from the East. WURZHEIMER VINEYARD For centuries, Sivukia’s Wurzheimer family has run its 1,600 hectare vineyard of blissful Sanglogrigio and Red Caberlot, staple wines at Waldstatten tables. When asked the secret for perfecting grapes, the Wurzheimers never tell. They also rarely leave their sprawling mansion. Former employees have little to say about the family upon penalty of… well, something uncomfortable—except that they are the most mysterious lot in all of Mitteleuropa. SALISBURG This ancestral home of the von Salis family becomes a wonderland in winter. A modest castle belonging to Rainer von Salis, a hero of the Lusan Uprising, stands out in the wealthy suburb. Had this advisor to His Majesty not taken in a refugee child of revolution, whom he thought was his niece and the legitimate princess of Ursa, the world’s current situation would be far different.

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VOUK

took in Ambassador Vasilyeva as a child on the run from Ursa’s revolution, she imagined it would be easier to curry favor.

AXIS NATION Head of Government: Provisional Prime Minister Kasia Zmijewski Population: 24 million Capital: Raion If a country could be reduced to a personality, Vouk would be the schoolyard bully who talks a good game, pushes people around, and lives to prove its worth to someone bigger. Despite its austere temperament and mostly flat terrain, Vouk is not without beauty. Floral fields, miles of rippling grain, and small forests cover the land. Thanks to a history of nosing around for potential land grabs, the people of Vouk have been exposed to more worldly information than the average Mitteleuropean. This influx of diverse knowledge kicked off development of the largest group of mechanical engineers and scientists in the Empire. Today’s superior Mitteleuropean land vehicles, lichters, rifles, and, its most ominous creation, the Gepanzerteriesen, giant mechanical walking cannons that strike fear in the hearts of all who see them. For over six hundred years, until 1882, half of Vouk’s army were armor-clad knights in honor of Gottfaust’s strength.These days, a small regiment of older soldiers, the Knights of Grey, continue the tradition. Ever watchful of its proximity to Ursa and Svanland, the state regularly flaunts its might at the borders with drills and war games. At the Nabe Summit in 1 12, then-head of state Josef Sobsjak perished in the bombing that gave the Kaiser emergency control of every state in the Empire. Ever since, interim leader, Kasia Zmijewski, seeks to prove Vouk is more than willing to hold its own. As the state that

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POINTS OF INTEREST

GEPANZERTERIESEN FABRIK The largest factory in Vouk builds cannonwalkers just outside Raion in suitably astounding facilities. An eerie, continuous buzz signals assembly lines in motion on vast manufacturing floors that lie below the design team’s offices and living quarters. A separate wing houses training for the sort of soldiers who live for the kill. BRSEGI ZIELENI (SHORES OF GREENERY) This stretch of shoreline along the sapphire Tenmoy Bay is lush with rare flowers, making it the perfect backdrop for matters of state. Unfortunately, the breathtaking views also put the locale in harm’s way. Aggression could blow in by sea or through the bottom of Svanland at any time, destroying the area with rsa’s unmatched firepower. HELESAAR Nestled between Belvaire and Vouk, the sun favors an island the countries split 75/25. Until 1906, tourism grew steadily in the south while Vouk mined the north for coal and gems. Something sinister is taking place now, though. The island’s sand grows black in graduated tones from the shorelines inward. Nobody knows why. But the news isn’t all bad: those brave souls still mining amber report unexpected surges of strength. STRAIT OF PUREVA Separating Vouk and Kon, this strait’s treacherous winds make it a natural deterrent to would-be invaders. Waves batter and flood both shores before settling into the far-gentler Paljan Fjords. Both nations have initiated battle protocols on numerous occasions over a huge schooner or two barreling down the strait—until they disappear into mist.

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ALLIES CAUL, THE KINGDOM OF LIONS ALLIED POWER Head of Government: Prime Minister Louis Fermoy Population: 88 million Capital: Kernow Before war broke out, this collection of countries reigned over advancements in technology, manufacturing, and media. From moor-riddled countryside to stately cities, the landscape features simpler, symmetrical architecture with interiors dripping in ornate moldings and bold colors. The ambiance mirrors the kingdom’s population: unconventional people hiding behind dignified facades. Ever-vigilant in their watch on Mitteleuropa’s kaiser and his allies in the East, the Kingdom of Lions has spent years manufacturing military might, building a formidable fleet of warships as well as planes. Caul has fought internal strife since invading the kingdoms of Chough, Lowe, and Sarkay, centuries ago. Shortly before the war, Sarkay sought a clean departure. However, once Mitteleuropa’s thirst for power grew, each kingdom put aside its differences to focus on weakening and repelling the Axis for the sake of sovereignty. nity flourished amongst the people as all classes suffered war-time woes together, such as food shortages.

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=War has changed Caul on nearly every conceivable level. Everyday civilian life in the midst of war is fraught with surprise airship attacks and rationing, and volunteering to support the troops is de rigeur. Its media outlets have experienced enormous growth during the war, with newspapers informing or misinforming the public according to the whims of their owners. Cartoons, posters, film, and literature also fed the propaganda machine. The Kingdom’s military excels by air, thanks to its legendary pilots, but it was also the first army to utilize camouflage. Its khaki-attired soldiers have become adept at springing ambushes in many environments. However, word of weapons-wielding angels on the Western Front has Kernow’s prime minister considering whether Mitteleuropa’s mythical Daughters of Gottfaust could become the Allies’ saviors.

POINTS OF INTEREST

CENTRAL KERNOW PRISON The caliber of prisoners at this institution is evident with one look at the guards, who wear iron-barred boxes over their heads. Here, relentless interrogators batter their way through the criminal mind. Cold and stark, the accommodations above ground are quite preferable to the questionable cells—and interrogation methods—below. The complex doubles as an armory, fully stocked. DR. ALISTAIR FRASER’S COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS The renowned and rather eccentric historian Dr. Alistair Fraser opens select displays of his vast collection of old world relics in Kernow

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to the public on Mondays and Thursdays from noon to half-past four. The collection includes curiosities from the Kingdom of Lions itself to as far east as Kerec. Unfortunately, the doctor seems to have gone on holiday, but it is hoped he will return. FILBY HILL AIRFIELD Bomber and fighter pilots assigned here are specially trained to handle His Majesty’s airships and heavy bombers. Just 27 km from the heart of Kernow, high command believes these modern-day knights can make or break the war. SARKAY’S RUINS The ancient ruins on this island kingdom have been a tourist destination for Caul’s upper class for close to a century. From revelry on the cruise across the channel to tours of mysterious obelisks, hieroglyphics, cemeteries, and statues, the destination is part luxury, part adventure. Curiously, strange events have occurred as of late, and locals report that the relics are not always in the same place they were the day before. THE SUNDERLIT ISLES Children’s fables speak of a giant who sat on an island sucking down netfuls of fish and tossing their bones back into the sea until the island shattered beneath his weight. For centuries, these tiny islands were home to Caul’s leper colony. They found a new purpose as a spot for the Kingdom’s fishermen to meet with their counterparts from Alces, trading hearty lobsters for fish from colder waters. WITCHILL This Kernow city makes the news with greater frequency thanks to murders committed by a muscular beast with raw features, glowing eyes, and flesh tearing fangs. Authorities fear there is more than one Witchill beast. Could they be multiplying?

HAIN-BAZE COLLECTIVE ALLIED POWER Head of Government (Hain): Prime Minister Zeta Revello Population (Hain): 16.4 million Capital City (Hain): Tyr Head of Government (Baze): Prime Minister Amadeo Ricci Population (Baze): 15.6 million Capital City (Baze): Valk In days of old, the people of the Hain Republic found common ground in fending off waves of invading barbarians for the sake of the peninsula’s independence and fertile lands. But when it came to the larger islands scattered beside the gap between them, the two member countries, Hain and Baze, came to blows over ownership. The fighting predominantly took place on the water but at times erupted onto the respective countries’ shores. This resulted in Baze breaking away from the Republic before agreeing to function independently as part of a collective. Over the last century, both nations in the collective have industrialized perhaps too quickly, eschewing effective planning and failing to prepare adequate resources. Despite aligning itself with the Allied powers, the Hain-Baze Collective entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil. This being the case, their war-time contributions impress nobody. There is, however, one reason for the Axis to fear this collective: the five ominous warships it’s built. Each is capable of scattering Mitteleuropean troops into the seas upon confrontation with Lichters and any other floating weaponry the empire casts into the water.

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PREPONTE MOUNTA The Prepontes play host to superstition and form a natural border with Këndes. Frequent tales of lost hunting parties and of travelers through the pass being stricken with all manner of illness has earned an area of the range the reputation of being haunted. As a result, no permanent settlements inhabit this range, but sometimes trade requires traversing its lowest summits with shipments that would take too long by sea. THE COLLECTIVE WARSHIPS Built over the last 20 years, these five warships protect the collective and stand ready to intercept ships in the Azure Gulf. Hain commands the Valore and the Grassetto along its Eastern shores while Baze’s warships, the Protettrice and the L’ondata guard the lower region. The countries co-captain the Audace on the lower west coast. The ships boast quick, high-angle artillery, but their aged hulls and engines make them inferior to Caul’s technological marvels. BORDO DI ATRIARC This city on the Baze peninsula disregards the world at large. Its inhabitants, consumed by simple, leisure lifestyles, live in colorful villas cluttered upon tiers of rocky cliffs. While it seems the Axis would need little from this place, giant sea-washed caverns run beneath its shore platforms, offering the opportunity to build an inconspicuous troop presence. Modern-day pirates frequent these caverns as well, convinced they hold treasure stashed by predecessors.

KËNDES ALLIED POWER Head of Government: Prime Minister Claire D’aureville Population: 36 million Capital: Baal A century before the Great War, K ndes abolished its last crippling monarchy after an embarrassing defeat in a war with Vouk. Ruled once more by a parliamentary government, the country followed in the footsteps of Caul with a rapid escalation of industrialization. Amid lawmaking with the people in mind, the peasant population of Këndes shrank considerably. Këndes’ advancing society enjoyed the benefits of a more modern, abundant economy. From new technology such as automobiles to cheaper resources and ample availability of consumer goods, Këndes, like many other Western countries, grew in power and confidence. One could say Këndes’ new progressive mindset was unmatched in the West. Consequently, its government preferred the company of nations that traded and negotiated via cooperation and consensus. Wary of one day winding up under the autocratic Mitteleuropean Empire’s thumb and its bullying tactics, the country joined a New Alliance of governments with similar mindsets. When the kaiser made the move to bring all Mitteleuropean states under one flag, K ndes was not about to let a world-altering power grab go unchallenged. However, perpetual freedom can come at a cost. Këndes has paid more than their fair share as war brought the Western Front upon its allied neighbor Mohn and Leon before breaching Këndes’ borders. Over one million Këndese troops have perished east and west of Mitteleuropa’s border, and bombing runs

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beyond the trenches have destroyed miles of distinguished architecture. Once-quaint abbeys no longer impart reverence, and pulverized sculptures of the divine are ground into the dirt beneath boots. The scenes are a constant reminder that war is Hell, if not worse,

POINTS OF INTEREST

CHATEAU TURSAILLE This grand colonnaded “cottage” on the grounds of the Palace of Tursaille has seen the grandest agreements and the most decadent of private parties. Not only has it famously hosted the Baal Peace Summit, less upfront meetings by candlelight have spawned shadowed negotiations on the fringes of Kandes’ political theater. TUNNEL L’HIVER The rumor surrounding this tunnel, presumed somewhere near where Këndes, Mohn, Leon, and Roche converge, has plagued the Këndes government and military for years. Prior to tensions between Allied and Axis nations, patrolling police sometimes found drunken Mitteleuropean youth up to mischief with no recollection of where the cool tunnel they happened upon spat them out. Now, sudden influxes of Axis troops have the military hunting for this weak point. VOLS DE VICTOIRE AIRFIELD Despite being fairly new to flight, by 1 10, K ndes had designed bombers, fighters, and spotters second only to Mitteleuropa’s fleet. As tensions build, high command anticipates sending pilots stationed here over Mohn airspace to bomb Axis lichter boats as they attempt to deploy troops. Only 10 km from the Mohn border, this airfield is at risk of being absorbed by the Western Front.

FORÊT DE VIELLE LUNE Sprawling 5,300 hectares, the largest forest in Këndes sits 400 km Northwest of Leon’s border. From oaks, pines, and sequoias pushing 2,000 years old to ponds, lakes, wetlands, and more flora and fauna diversity than throughout all of Këndes, one could survive here for years if prepared. Part idyllic fairy tale, part ominous and far too silent, adventurous visitors never know what to expect. ARME VIVANTE LABORATOIRE This secret lab operates beneath the ruins of a stone keep in Hahn, and plays host to some less-than-humane experiments conducted by a specialized branch of the Këndes military. Everyone knows about the Sisters Grey and their divine lineage, but the military scientists who run this facility seek to replicate their abilities, not merely admire them. Allies like Caul may not believe the myths, but if the ability to turn mere men and women into super soldiers was out there, this lab was ready to use experimental drugs and medical marvels to secure them for Këndes.

MOHN ALLIED POWER Head of State: King Umberto Romero Head of Government: Prime Minister Danielo Castillo Population: 18.6 million Capital: Bougaine This region’s earliest beginnings involved kingdoms forming and falling, blending, and tearing apart. In the early 1500s, it finally became a solitary nation only to battle itself through two civil wars complete with overturned monarchies. Three centuries later, the nation established a parliamentary monarchy. The combination of law-making by

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a more democratic process with the Romero line acting as Head of State brought the people of Mohn together as nothing else had. This nation attempted neutrality amid every blast of international conflict. When tensions between the New Alliance and the Axis grew, the pressure was on to pick a side. Mohn refused, causing both sides to make threats thinly veiled as offers. Mitteleuropa claimed it would up its imports of tungsten and uranium or take its business elsewhere. Këndes offered Cossau as a post-war acquisition or no responsibility for the land devastation heading its way via the Western Front. In the end, Mitteleuropa would find its tungsten elsewhere. Morale waned after the Massacre at Linth as soldiers stationed further south heard the tale of a vengeful angel indiscriminately turning flesh to pulp. nsettling rumors of unnatural creatures seen in Caul and in the east added to what would have been laughable stories coming from less viable sources. Wondering what they got their country into, the Prime Minister and King Romero requested special operation military and spy patrols be sent into Mitteleuropa to investigate.

POINTS OF INTEREST

CATHEDRAL DE FAMILIA ANTONI Begun in 1862, this unique blend of Modernisme and gothic architecture is a work in progress that won’t be complete until the twenty-first century—if it stands that long. As the Western Front encroaches a mere 5 km away, artistic treasures from the active chapels are locked away in catacombs beneath the foundation for whatever protection the winding rooms and tunnels can provide. EL HOSPITAL AT GAZANIA The Western Front sends Mohn’s lesser injuries 10 km away to a smaller hospital in the little town of Gazania. But there is more to this hospital. A second subterranean level,

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beneath the morgue and maintenance levels, has hosted Mohn’s spy headquarters for decades. Recently, offices that investigate the supernatural have moved in. CANNONS AT BOUGAINE Set 250 meters over the city Bougaine on a cluster of hills, a series of bunkers supports four cannons with a range of ,000 to 13,000 meters. Panoramic views of the entirety of central Mohn falls beneath this hastily built anti-aircraft eyesore. Some more adventurous citizens have already attempted to get a good view of the Western Front from atop the hills.

URSA INDEPENDENT Head of Government: Chairman of the Republic Kazimir Tatlin Population: 120 million Capital: Meska For centuries, all much of the world knew about Ursa was that it was damn big and resource-rich. Other than that, it was an enigma. The reality inside this intimidating behemoth was akin to a sow adorned in priceless pearls. Despite its natural resources, four-fifths of its 120 million citizens lived in poverty at the mercy of their archaic, iron-fisted czar. Those people were perhaps the country’s greatest resource, but to the czar, they were a bottomless well of military might. After seven weeks of unrelenting snow storms hit Meska in 1888, the starvation, deaths of children, and separation of military families assured public unrest would never end. Five years later, the people stormed the castle. The despotic czar found himself with unexpectedly few loyal subjects.

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CHAPTER 7: A WORLD AT WAR TRENCH TRAUMA While trenches wreaked havoc on land all across the Western Front, the rapid digging ordered by Ursa’s forces throughout the southern half of Svanland devastated the nation’s land, pristine water, and wildlife. Having just begun using hydropower around select mills and rivers, Svanland’s engineers took great care in minimizing pollutants. Ursa commandeered the plants and took no such care. In private, King Mäkinen has sworn revenge.

Much of the rest of this story has been told elsewhere—the princess Alena, the illegitimate Raisa, and the sequence of events that led to the latter’s transformation into Queen Vasilyeva. None could have foreseen how these developments would one day contribute to the Great War as we know it.

POINTS OF INTEREST

ROYAL CASTLE AT MESKA Meska’s royal castle, originally home to the Zakaharin line of czars, is a collection of opulent onion domes, gothic spires, and enough rooms to get lost for days. Ursa’s modern government operates here now. The hundreds of rooms have been turned into busy offices intent on building a country that adores its people but answers to nobody outside of it. CITY SEWERS Many have decried Ursa’s infrastructure even as its parliament seeks to correct an authoritarian past. Despite their predilection for letting peasants rot, Ursa’s czars built extensive sewage systems in the cities of Meska, Zsaru, and Bolsa. Miles of underground watery mazes, some wide and deep enough for boats, lay beneath the streets.

They offer an unpleasant escape for desperate criminals—and an invisible entrance for anyone looking to get in. TERMINATION TROOPS Ursa’s military training, like its infrastructure, is a work in progress. Flaunting aggression to make up for lack of skill, Ursa’s Termination Troops are composed solely of women Hell-bent on besting their male battalion counterparts. Kareva Karensky, who formed the most notorious battalion, tired of watching the equal treatment female soldiers enjoyed in other nations. Rumor has it she enjoys war far more than your average trooper, as her bangles strung from enemy teeth attest. VALKLAND TERRITORY (SNEG KURGAN LAB) This island in the Northern Sea has belonged to Ursa for as long as anyone can remember. Its bitter-cold, remote location makes it undesirable to Caul, but one nation’s trash is another’s treasure. Sneg Kurgan began with three hundred ill-prepared souls entrusted to ensure a future where rsa rules all. A secret Ursan lab now lies beneath a giant, snowcovered cornice, its work only beginning. The yearly supply list is… curious.

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NEUTRAL STATES ALCES NEUTRAL STATE Head of Government: Prime Minister Olave Dahl

POINTS OF INTEREST

Population: 8 million Capital: Alg This northern fishing haven shed its reputation for brash, merciless pirating centuries ago. Ever since, it has fought to secure its identity, ripping its borders from first Vouk’s grasp and then Kon’s. From tundra to forest to rugged shoreline, Alces is resourcerich in alloys, petroleum, and what it reels in from its vast shoreline of colder waters. In other words, the nation is a prime target for pushy trade agreements from Mitteleuropa’s kaiser. Keen on keeping its newfound independence, Alces strives for a neutral front as the threat of war between East and West grows. But it’s not that simple. Thanks to its thriving fishing industry, the temptation to expand trade with an eager Caul is far too great. Unfortunately, Mitteleuropa questions rumors of fishing trawlers sailing from Alces’ northern coast southwestward and to waters surrounding the Sunderlit Isles. The Empire has all but accused meetings with New Alliance vessels on the Northern Sea. Perhaps Alces’ mistake was thinking the islands were off Mitteleuropa’s radar. Not so. Legend has it Gottfaust, after building a countryside keep in the North of Aigleand for the first kaiser, swam to a far off island to feast on a tonne of fish and kick back with several bottles of rum. In a drunken stupor, he tripped, sundering the island to pieces.

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The unofficial trade agreement with Caul also risks aggravating Alces’ small but fierce neighbor, Kon, loosely considered neutral. Alces’ prime minister Olav Dahl knows Kon’s concern and pledge of protection to Alces is self-serving. Should Alces make life in Kon challenging by joining the Allies, Kon’s allegiance would end faster than one could call “Fresh halibut!”

THE FORMUEFJORDS, “FJORDS OF FORTUNE” Half of Alces’ southeast coastline is lined with magnificent Fjords that draw the sea inland— some for miles—along an ancient glacier track. Long ago, the ords spat barbarian longships out the bottom of Alces to pillage unsuspecting boats. Modern naval warfare has lessened this advantage, but the inland paths would make an easy target for the Axis nations. SKJØNN None of Alces’ seaside villages is as steeped in mythology as Skj nn. Perched upon the nation’s southwest corner, the fishing hub has attracted merchants and seafaring explorers for centuries. The stories they shared have been passed down as poems and ballads and still fire imaginations to this day. Artifacts crowd the town’s museum. Stay where Mitteleuropa’s Gottfaust slept after swimming five laps around the Northern Sea—if you believe in that sort of thing. SONNENFJORD Most of Alces’ ords contain coral beds, but none can match Sonnen ord’s red and pink variety. Sitting 440 meters deep, this cold-water reef is a hotbed for harvesting invertebrates for jewelry and medicinal purposes. Some believe the red coral works with the energy of Mars to ensure the bearer’s victory over enemies.

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KON NEUTRAL STATE Head of Government: Prime Minister Anders Hacon Population: 6.4 million Capital: Stojan Small but mighty, Kon is home to a hardworking, life-affirming people. They live amongst the stunning mountains, rivers, and gently rolling plains of northern Europa. An abundance of trade-worthy silver, iron, steel, gems, and lumber secures their economy. Centuries ago, Kon’s complex, wooden war weaponry was at the ready for securing their sovereignty. Now relegated to museums, the contraptions are considered one of the historic marvels of Northern Europa. Kon’s arsenal morphed into steel near the end of the Middle Ages, and now, more powerful than ever, is flaunted as a deterrent for staying out of external political drama. Kon has a centuries-long reputation as a selfabsorbed threat, although its internal motives have always focused on sustaining their way of life rather than executing imperialistic land grabs. Should Vouk stir trouble, Kon stands a decent chance of keeping the larger nation’s fiercest weaponry at bay. Kon still resents its failure to fully absorb Alces in 1 2, finally losing its grip on influencing the best fishing industry in Europa thanks to infighting within its own parliamentary government. Infamous Konish pride had half the ministry disgusted by the idea that Kon should need anything from another nation. But the Konish love of seafood from the Northern Seas’s colder waters finally forced a compromise, and the nation developed a sympatico and protective relationship with Alces rather than conquering it.

These days, Kon casts a fierce eye East where Ursa has secured ‘permission’ from historically weak neighbor Svanland to cross its lands for skirmishes at the border of Mitteleuropa. As long as Ursa focuses on the Kaiser’s lands, Kon will remain neutral but ready to protect itself.

POINTS OF INTEREST

STOJAN SØLV MIN Outside Kon’s capital, miles of underground caverns were mined for silver over the course of three hundred years. Still a functioning mine, the abandoned sections invite shady business dealings, naive explorers, and ghost stories. Some think citizens wishing to return to monarch rule live there slowly gathering weaponry to overthrow parliament. AIRBASE AT VÅLDSAMÖ Directly off the coast of Kon, the island V ldsam , meaning Fierce Island, is off limits to all but Kon’s government. Originally claimed by a settlement of barbaric pirates, this small plateau surrounded by low hills has become a secret airfield. In addition to older planes on the mainland, a fleet of sleek bombers has been manufactured over the last ten years in preparation to defend Kon against the world’s empires, which only grow stronger. LACKHOLM PALACE Featuring a bold, baroque style, this 600-room grand palace once belonged to Kon’s royal family. After the new government took over, the royals yielded the structure to parliament in favor of residing at a series of quainter castles in the south. Palatial pride amongst Kon’s people spurs outlandish rumors claiming everything from inventing new technology to the imprisonment of unnatural creatures goes on in its dungeons. RIDNING NORRUT MOUNTAINS To the north, this wickedly treacherous mountain chain peaks at 2,095 meters and dips into Alces for 5 km. The adventurous use it

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as their playground, while the indigenous Söm raise livestock such as goats and reindeer at its foothills. In the past, these mountains were seen an inconspicuous pathway for conquering Alces, but when a 1 51 attempt failed due to the loss of half of Kon’s battalion in the harsh climate and terrain, Kon’s military leaders have come to see it as a wall rather than a door. THE SÖM These quiet, gentle people are found in the north of Alces and Svanland, but a larger population lives off the Ridning Norrut foothills in Kon. Desiring a simple life, these people are nevertheless oppressed by their governments. Settlements must move frequently thanks to Kon’s mining and agriculture. Söm anger rarely shows, but resentment has grown over generations.

MORAH NEUTRAL STATE Head of State: Prime Minister Pyrros Nomikos Population: 3.5 million Capital: Delph Morah’s position at the crossroads of three major continents make its 3.5 million citizens a diverse cross-section of cultures, beliefs, and knowledge. Framing its mostly mountainous terrain, the country sports a vast coastline. Its fishing industry excels in feeding its people and securing the economy. It was also once the gateway to the Turul Empire, but is best remembered as the setting of one of Mitteleuropa’s most popular children’s fables. Sent by the kaiser of the time to conquer the Southern Lands, Gottfaust battled a fierce storm through the causeway from Mitteleuropa into this land ruled by giants. He soon found himself trapped in a cage of whale pones, a prisoner of the cyclops

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Tyrhain, King of the Giants. Gottfaust relied on his wits rather than his considerable strength to escape, and tricked the giant into freeing him. The moral of the story? Words can overcome the strongest of foes. Morah’s people can be fickle, especially at its major port. It is said that in Port Morah, “Allegiances change with the trade winds.” In a fitting parallel, the country’s worst dilemma is keeping its neutrality despite pockets of citizens who have not lost the inclination to favor the Axis as their Kurjak ancestors did.

POINTS OF INTEREST

PORT MORAH Although Morah’s population boasts an above-average degree of morality, much goes unchecked at its port. It’s easy to find a rogue operative there willing to con, assassinate, or spy. Scrappy stowaways can always hop a boat. There are three things you don’t do: Con the port master, Natasha Baros; bring a Dharman Adept to town—they’re creepy; or skip out on a tab. DELPH UNIVERSITY Morah’s capital hosts one of the finest centers of higher learning in the East. Meandering through neoclassical buildings and prestigious promenades, scholars analyze issues pitting the East against the West. Dharman Adepts meander libraries. Their presence is hardwon since they must be smuggled through Port Morah for fear of being assaulted by the less enlightened. CAPE KÝKLOPAS These cliffs looming over the Sea of Carida are said to be where Tyrhain leaped to his death in pursuit of his own eyeball, courtesy of Gottfaust. A favorite theme among artists, Gottfaust is often painted standing atop them at sunrise, hands on hips, a pillared temple to Morah’s own gods behind him. The finest rendition, by Argus Mikos, sits in Delph niversity’s museum and is rumored to

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contain dust from the Star Stone in its paint. But what country doesn’t spin rumors of that relic’s remnants hiding within its borders? ARAIÓS PRISON COLONY Civilized societies cast out those who break laws and lack the finesse to skirt them— according to Morah’s government. Seventy percent of prisoners here hail from Port Morah. Whether citizens or unruly travelers, most won’t return home. A few leave for good behavior after a year. Meager rations and spare shelter are meant to weaken the prisoners. Some become survivalists—and they have tired of hanging around.

NABE NEUTRAL STATE Head of Government: Prime Minister Johanna Stalder Population: 3.2 million Capital: Nabesburg Nabe sits at the center of Mitteleuropa, both geographically and politically, thanks to its tenuous neutrality. For two centuries, the world saw Nabe as a beacon of enlightenment and stability. Many consider it the birthplace of modern democracy and its people the “Guardians of Civilization’s Flame.” Nabe’s enlightenment does not stem from extensive education alone. The country maintains a covert web of spies in far greater numbers than have been revealed to the Kaiser. Nabe Castle, first in beauty and second in size only to the Mediem palace in Aigleand, has hosted the most significant summits and speeches in Mitteleuropa, cunningly positioning the country in the minds of most Mitteleuropeans as a center of diplomacy and civility.

Public discourse throughout the empire appears divided as to whether Nabe’s waning policy on neutrality began long before the 1 12 bombing at the Axis summit or soon after. Digging deeper into the issue’s roots, it could be said that Nabe’s populace was too well-read and worldly to miss the first signs of a siphoning of power. Perhaps the Kaiser’s more frequent calls for unity and a melding of minds and resources under one flag struck a nerve, sparking an assassination attempt. Or perhaps those desires were mere echoes of conversations with his Ambassador and wife, Lady Vasilyeva. Regardless, Nabe’s ancestors had been lured into the empire with promises of individual strength coming together to live within a secure region. If that ship was sailing, Nabe was poised to disembark. Apart from the kaiser, Prime Minister ohanna Stalder was the only head of state to survive the 1 12 bombing. Although Ambassador Vasilyeva accused Stalder of orchestrating the incident, some say the beloved leader was framed.

POINTS OF INTEREST

THE TAVERN TRAIL It would never do for Nabe’s spy population to run within the same circles for fear of blowing their cover. Instead, a complex system of empty tavern tables, covert bartenders, and junior spies acting as messengers keeps this underground world moving. Spy intelligence is the reason Nabe managed neutrality for so long. URITS STATION Rail service cuts through the heart of Nabe. The state regularly loads precision equipment exports at Urits station, immediately west of Nabesburg, for delivery throughout Mitteleuropa and beyond. To Nabe’s disgust, Waldstatten military personnel began turning up to question containers and destinations. After Caul’s full-blown offensive upon the tiny state, Nabe no longer trades with the West.

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WELTBALLSAAL (WORLD BALLROOM) International dignitaries have danced, feasted, and puffed their feathers amid this ballroom’s gleaming chandeliers and walls of Palladinwindows. The dance floor is forever awash with flirtatious bribery, covert negotiations, and seductive requests for scandalous rendezvous whispered breathlessly into the ears of the rich and powerful.

SVANLAND NEUTRAL STATE Head of State: King Kalevi Mäkinen Population: 3. million Capital: Luik In the time of merciless barbarian piracy, most of which originated in Alces even before the time of Gottfaust, Svanland fared well. When enemy ships attacked its coastline, the pirates found they couldn’t get far inland thanks to narrow waterways and flourishing forests, not to mention the archers hiding within them. It was the last time Svanland had actually been

to war. No wonder then that most of Europa sees Svanland as a nation “drowning in its own beauty.” In a country of over 60,000 pristine lakes, rivers, and forests for miles, its people tend to take life a bit more easily than most. But it should be noted that most of Svanland’s people enjoy an abundant life free of unmet needs. Their idyllic existence, from the common folk up to its gentle monarch, King Kalevi Mäkinen, has made its military soft despite the nation’s bottom half lying precariously between Vouk and Ursa. Five years ago, Ursa’s government demanded passage through Svanland to test the power of Mitteleuropa’s hub of military might: Vouk. While Ursa placated the king with talk of paying top dollar for lumber in exchange for passage, the king found himself at a loss and his advisors useless. For decades, Svanland thought of itself as too insignificant to capture the attention of other nations. nfit to protect itself, Svanland relented, agreeing to passage and hoping for the best. King Mäkinen trusts that his nation’s economic alliance with Caul will translate into a military one, should push come to shove. This is not a baseless hope; a strong lumber trade with Caul began long ago and spawned

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an economy that thrives unlike anywhere else to this day. And the threat posed by rsa is a very real one. On the cusp of the Great War, Ursa mangled the land along Svanland’s border with Vouk. Death, fire, and destruction had come to its door.

POINTS OF INTEREST

THE KEMI RIVER Of all the lakes in Svanland, the Kemi is largest. Dividing the northern portion of the nation by 600 meters, it runs straight from rsa’s border, 550 km to the Gulf of Paljon. Colder months offer ice fishing, winter sport, and campfire viewing of colorful swatches of light crossing the stars: the Bands of Keiju—fairies popular in Svandland’s folklore. Svanland’s wooden boats, from the tiniest rowboat to vast longboats, are built by the hundreds with pride. TENMOY BAY This triangle of water above the Dark Sea was a conflict waiting to happen. Since rsa and Vouk enjoyed a larger shoreline along the Dark Sea, Svanland sent fishing boats out its giant ord, Syv , into the E xinian with little competition. But on the cusp of the

Great War, Ursa and Vouk began war games, ultimately staining this sea red. It is said the kaiser’s queen, Alana Vasilyeva, escaped rsa’s revolution by crossing E xinian’s lowest point into Mitteleuropa. LUIK REGIMENT After receiving passage through Svanland, rsa pulled 800 of Svanland’s citizens from their capital. The new regiment was forced to guard the Gulf of Paljon as a first line of defense should Kon attempt to interfere with Ursa’s operations. This unfortunate position froze the lumber and steam train trade agreement between Alces and Kon. RAUHOITTA MONASTERY In the north, a gothic monastery beside a picturesque lake has housed older Dharman Adepts for over a century. These former acolytes, lucky to have survived until adulthood, are viewed as strange but harmless. Four years before Ursa came calling, they approached King Mäkinen to warn against getting involved with the vast nation. Ignored, the entire community disappeared shortly before Ursa crossed into Svanland.

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"Respect earns respect. Violence is paid back tenfold. The choice is up to you." - Kaiser Hind von Medeim

SIX USEFUL GM TIPS 1. You can’t learn everything at once. 2. Have a basic understanding of the rules before you play. 3. No set of rules covers everything. Be ready to expand and improvise. A good ruling now is better than a perfect one in 15 minutes. 4.

x e t to get st rong f yo make a mistake, admit it and mo e on

5. Always be fair. 6.

f yo ’re asked to des ri e something, do it t doesn’t matter if it is im ortant to the story f a layer is asking for it, it’s important to them.

For more GM advice, check out Chapter 10: Episodes (page 191).

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In the Carbon Grey RPG, players take on the roles of heroes surviving, thriving, and furthering the causes they fight for in a world at war. As a GM, you provide adventure scenarios or episodes for your players to enjoy and their player characters to be the heroes in. The PCs get to win the day, rescue those in need, and pull off crazy plans and action. In short, the players get to be the big heroes and you get to handle everything else. And by everything else, we do mean everything This includes: •

ro iding goals, o sta les, interesting en o nters to fill the s’ li es ith drama and excitement.

• Guiding how the PCs experience the orld and making s re ea h of them gets chances to shine. •

aking and laying the ad g ys, allies, and everyone else the PCs interact with every game session.

• Fairly adjudicating the rules of the game and helping the players learn them. •

ee ing the a tion and story flo ing and building to an exciting climax.

•

Providing balance at the game table to ensure everyone is having fun.

In short, as GM you’ll be wearing a lot of hats. Being the GM carries some added responsibilities when compared to being a player in an RPG, but it’s just as fun and rewarding, possibly even more so. While a player plays only one role, you get to play an entire cast of characters. While a player reacts to the people and events they encounter in the game world, you get to create and interpret and present that world with your players, and together you’ll create something unique and tell amazing stories together. This may sound like a whole lot, but it can be broken down into three basic parts: Refereeing, Roleplaying, and Sustaining Suspension of Disbelief.

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REFEREEING The GM may play the antagonists in the story, but that doesn’t mean you’re the enemy of the players. When it comes to the rules of the game, you are an impartial judge. You’ll interpret and implement the rules, and resolve disputes in a reasonable manner. When the rules don’t cover a situation, you’ll make rulings that are fair and consistent. But what is a “fair ruling”? se the rules as guideposts, and then just trust your best judgment. The best ruling is one that resolves a matter swiftly and positions the PCs as competent protagonists. And don’t forget that you’re here to play a game. A good ruling now is better than a perfect one in 15 minutes. As for consistency, well, nobody’s perfect. Sometimes you’ll come up with a ruling that seems great at the time, but later on it presents a problem in the game, or you start picking it apart and wish you’d done something different. That’s normal. Next time, do it differently. If your players have trouble reconciling your change of heart with the story so far, work with them to get past it and back to telling your story together. Also, this is Carbon Grey— sudden, inexplicable changes to reality are par for the course

ROLEPLAYING As stated earlier, the players roleplay the PCs. They’re the heroes of every game you play and every story you tell. They need allies, enemies, and a supporting cast to interact with— sidekicks, patrons, mentors, and more. All of those NPCs are you. You take on those varied roles each and every time you sit down to play. You don’t need to be an actor, but it’s good to try to make every NPC as distinctive as they need to be to fulfill their role in the story. Things like quirks, accents, beliefs, and mannerisms can help the players (and you) keep track of who’s who.

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CHAPTER 8: RUNNING THE GAME UPPING YOUR GAME Every GM can use a little help to enhance their game. Here’s a few useful tips: 1. Find your own voice. Every GM has their own style that works for them. The more you lean into your style, the more real the world will become for the players. 2. Improvise. When the players throw you for a loop—and they will—improv is the way forward. You thought they were going to go east, but they went north instead— take them north and throw danger in their way 3. Work in all five senses. You are the characters’ senses; the players only know what you tell them about the environment their PCs are in. Giving attention to all of the senses—vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch—can help fully immerse players in the game. Be aware of what senses characters might not possess as well, and don’t feel like you have to include every sense every time. Varying the terms of your descriptions can make them more powerful. 4. Work with the players. When the players ask questions, answer them as best you can. When you can’t right away, it’s okay to say, “Give me a few minutes to think about that.” If they need more

information to make a decision, give them more, if it’s reasonable for them to know, or give them a way to find out. If you’re not sure what they need, ask. None of this should violate their suspension of disbelief, however. If they’re looking to find a contact and don’t know how, the solution is not to have a carrier pigeon alight on a PC’s shoulder. Every fork in the road holds the potential for more adventure in their lives. 5. You are not the star. As the GM, remember that the PCs are the main attraction. However cool your adventure, NPCs, and descriptions are, they’re all in service of making the PCs feel cooler. Be mindful of your player’s attention and interests. Keep them engaged and present challenges, encounters, and adventures that your players want to play. If you have a table full of combat monsters, having them solve a mystery or a bunch of puzzles that don’t aren’t action-oriented is going to be an issue. 6. Cater to the group’s wants and needs: Learn how each player likes to be challenged, then present them with encounters and adventures that provide those challenges. If your players want court intrigue, don’t settle them with trench warfare every episode.

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SUSTAINING SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF The Carbon Grey universe is a fantastical place of raging war, but in many ways is still like our own. Playing in this world requires the players and GM to suspend disbelief and treat it as if it were a real place where the PCs actually exist. The more weight everyone can give the world in their imaginations, the more immersive and satisfying the roleplay experience can be. The lion’s share of accomplishing this falls to you, the GM. You describe what their players see, hear, and otherwise sense. You set the tone of the adventures their beloved PCs play through. Published adventures such as Badge of Blood or like the ones provided in this very book (see page 1 1) provide examples of how to describe encounters, but you must breathe life into your games and make them your own.

SETTING THE TONE The world of Carbon Grey is a gritty, wartorn, action-packed thrill ride peppered with humor. The heroes in that world are larger than life, ready for danger, in a world readymade for adventure. A few things you can do to get your games to “feel” Carbon Grey: Banter and one-liners. Encourage and even reward players with a Hero Point for a funny quip, a good motion picture one-liner, or just sounding heroic. Lore. Whenever you can, use some world lore, history, or something distinctive from the graphic novel to remind everyone they are playing in the Carbon Grey universe. When in doubt, action! Maintain a fast and furious pace. If things start to lull, a quick spray of bullets always livens things up. Danger to life and limb tends to get everyone on their toes and their attention back on the game.

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Think cinematically. If traveling from Point A to Point B isn’t pivotal to the story, gloss over it with a montage and cut to the PCs’s arrival at their destination. If you want to start things off with a bang, open the story in the middle of an encounter already in full motion. End on a cliffhanger or with the bad guys escaping to face the PCs another day. Pace your story like your favorite action movie or streaming series. Be entertaining. Roleplay your NPCs. Stretch your performing muscles. Don’t be shy about being over the top. Encourage Immersion. Remember that talk about using the characters senses to tell a story? se the players’ as well. se mood lighting and sound effects at the game table. Create custom props such as handwritten notes. Reward players who show up to a game in costume. All these things make the game world feel that much more real.

RELAX! Being a gamemaster may sound like a lot of work, but it’s easier than it sounds. It’s also an ever-evolving thing. You’ll never stop learning, so don’t think you have to know everything right off the bat. Don’t dwell on your mistakes or judge yourself too harshly. The purpose of the game is to have fun. Your players are more than likely just happy someone is running a game for them. So just do your best and use whatever of our suggestions you like, and forget the rest. Never be afraid to just grab some friends, a handful of dice, and wing it

DIFFICULTY NUMBERS: SECRET OR PUBLIC? Should the GM tell the players what the DN of a roll is? The answer to that is really a choice of style for the GM. There are also pluses and minuses either way.

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TELL THEM The players always know the DN before they roll. Pace. When the players spend less time second-guessing themselves, things move faster. Risk management. Knowing the DN discourages them from doing something foolhardy that would lead to an untimely, unheroic demise, PC interaction. If the players are already aware of a high DN, they’re more likely to assist each other.

DON’T TELL THEM The players have to discover DNs through trial and error. Mystery. Keeping players guessing heightens the peril. GM’s convenience. It’s easier for the GM to adjust DNs on the fly to give the PCs a win when they need one and throw them a harder challenge when things are going too well. Verisimilitude. Being told the DN in advance can emphasize the game over the story. WHY NOT BOTH? Fortunately, there is a middle path. When a roll involves the PC’s area of expertise, telling them the DN makes them feel like their character knows something the others don’t. se your best judgment as to what a character would reasonably know, but don’t be too stingy, either. Alternatively, you could have the player make a skill roll to determine whether their PC knows what they’re up against. Here’s an example of how this might go. Pat (GM): Baldur Horn, as you’re going about your business, a dirty-faced street urchin runs up to you and presses a note into your hand. It’s from Morice, your informant. It seems he

has the info you need. He insists on meeting at the Lucky Hare Alehouse, where more than a few of the regulars have been swindled by you in the past. Chris (Baldur’s player): I’m not really one for facing my problems head-on. I bet I could sneak in through the back door. Is there a back door? GM: Sure, makes sense. But it seems to be locked. Chris : This can’t be the first time I’ve pulled something like this. I probably know how hard this lock should be to pick, right? GM: Yeah, Baldur’s an old hand at opening this door. That’s probably why there’s a shiny new lock. Chris: Ah. Well, it was only a matter of time, I guess. How hard do I think this new lock is going to be? GM: Hmm. I’m not sure if you’d know that. How about you make an Engineer or maybe Investigate roll? Pick whichever one’s better for you.

STRUCTURES, OBJECTS, AND DURABILITY Structures and other immobile objects have one primary attribute: Durability. Durability (DUR). This is a representation of how much punishment the object or structure can take. The higher the D R, the tougher it is. When an object or structure takes damage, it uses its D R to resist it the same way a character uses STR. An object or structure’s D R can easily be determined by following these simple steps, all of which are detailed below. Materials. What’s it made of? Object or Structure. Which is it? Scale. How big is it? Reinforcement. What kind of reinforcement does it have?

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MATERIALS Determine an object or structure’s base D R die code by using the table below. BASE DURABILITY BY MATERIAL

armor plating on a bunker, or anything else that would reasonably make an object or structure harder to damage. REINFORCEMENT TABLE

MATERIAL

BASE D UR

EXAMPLES

REINFORCEMENT

BONUS

EXAMPLE

Fragile

1D

Glass, ceramics

Light

+1D

Flimsy

2D

Rubber, plastics, leather

Iron bands securing a chest

Sound

3D

Timber

Medium

+2D

Sturdy

4D

Brick

A wall reinforced with internal rebar

Solid

5D

Concrete, stone Heavy

+3D

A bunker’s armor plating

Fortified

6D

Steel

OBJECT OR STRUCTURE In game terms, an object is anything that can be carried or moved, such as household furnishings and chests. A structure is anything built to stay in one place, such as a wall, cabin, or bunker. Objects have no modification to their base D R. Structures, however, get +2D D R before any other modifications are applied. SCALE The D R of an object or structure of Character scale receives no modifiers from its scale. If it’s Vehicle scale, double its D R die code. If it’s Grand scale, triple it. REINFORCEMENT This is the inanimate version of armor, and adds to an object or structure’s D R die code. Reinforcement can take the form of steel bars in walls, iron bands securing a chest, literal

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EXAMPLES Here are a couple examples you can use as guidance for when you need to know how tough an object or structure is. IRONBOUND WOODEN CHEST: DUR 4D Base DUR: 3D (timber) Object or Structure: Object (no modifier) Scale: Character (no modifier) Reinforcement: Light (+1D) SIMPLE LOG CABIN: DUR 10D Base DUR: 3D (timber) Object or Structure: Structure (+2D) Scale: Vehicle (x2 D R) Reinforcement: None (+0)

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8 January 1915

Sweet Emmeline,

Oh, my joy upon receiving your letter! We hid our affections at home, but I find few reasons to do so now. These past weeks have been disappointing. I’ve gone on patrols out in the Deadlands, scouring the battleground for mines until the Allied forces notice our presence. We make it just a bit further each time, though most of our incursions yield nothing. There have been no attempts to push eastward, otherwise. Perhaps our military presence, itself, is the show of force about which you wrote. If our Kaiser wants a real show of force, though, we are capable of it! You spoke true of Vouk’s industrial prowess. Our walker-cannons easily outclass any of the Allies’ own. Also, I have heard the Königliche Himmelskraft in the distance. The presence of our sky-fighters must mean a coming offensive. But I’ve heard that my battalion is to break from the regiment to march south to Tenmoy Bay. I don’t see the point of such a move, but if the Kaiser wills, so be it. Sadly, some here question the Kaiser’s plans. Some fellows and I have gotten into heated arguments over the subject, sometimes even coming close to blows. Amusingly enough, the encounters reminded me of our own arguments back home, in our youth. I tease you for your idealism but, in truth, your fire is admirable. Surely it shall light a bright path to your ends. For now, I can only imagine what machinations you are brewing. When all of this fighting is done, perhaps I too shall have earned your family’s respect and our own dreams of family may yet come true. Until then, I shall continue to write when I can, my Cunning Spy. Yours always, Heinrich

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MERITS AND DEMERITS

During the course of a gaming session, a PC will accumulate Skill Points, Hero Points, and/or Corruption Points for their actions. Hero and Corruption Points are covered on pages 26 and 159 respectively. Skill Points are covered here.

AWARDING SKILL POINTS Characters earn Skill Points through their adventures that are spent on improving their Attributes and Skills. At the end of an adventure or play session, the GM distributes a number of Skill Points to each character. A good guide for how many Skill Points a GM should award is between 3 and 10 Skill Points per character. A good guide for awarding Skill Points is as follows: Overall performance. How well did the group do overall? Did they find clues, overcome obstacles, and progress toward their goals? If so, give each of them 1-5 Skill Points. The tougher the adventure, the more they should get. Roleplaying. How well did each player play their character? This isn’t just acting or funny voices—it’s also about whether they made decisions with the character’s personality in mind. This is an individual reward. Ask yourself these three questions, and for each one you can answer with a “Yes,” give that player 1 Skill Point. • Did the player try? • Did the player stay in character? • Was the character heroic?

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Teamwork. How well did the group work together? Give every player 1 Skill Point if they supported each other, used skills wisely, and worked as a team. Quirks and Obligations. Did the player take their quirk and obligation(s) into account when making decisions for their character? If so, give them 1 Skill Point for each. Fun! Don’t underestimate the value of just having a good time. Give them 1 Skill Point each if they did.

OTHER REWARDS Besides Skill Points, there are other rewards a GM can award their players with: Money. Everyone likes money—that’s why they call it money Work monetary rewards into the adventure somehow, whether they find them or just get paid. Don’t just shower them with bank notes. Upgraded gear. New equipment, especially equipment they couldn’t access before, can change the character and capabilities of the group. Favors and powerful allies. Carbon Grey is a world of intrigue and political maneuvering. If the PCs are good at what they do, someone in the upper echelons is bound to notice. Clues, tidbits, or hooks for further adventures. Plant the seeds for the next story before this one wraps up and the players will be eager to move on to something new. Hero Points. Always appreciated. Honors and Distinctions. Heroic action deserves a medal Make a big deal of it. Consider making an actual medal for the player. (If you’re not a metalworker, we suppose making it out of cardboard is acceptable.) Make a little write-up of the medal and have a little throne-room ceremony They’ll love it.

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CONTINUITY FLUX POWERS

In the world of Carbon Grey, reality and time do not behave as they do in our world. The ebb and flow of temporal reality can be stunted, accelerated, or warped and twisted beyond comprehension. People in this world may encounter tiny pockets of this strange continuity, or they may face world-changing surges of the Continuity Flux.

CONTINUITY EFFECTS IN GAME Every PC in the Carbon Grey RPG risks encountering a Continuity Flux on occasion. These encounters are divided into two categories, Continuity Flux Effects and Continuity Surges. E These are the continuity occurrences generated by Wild Die advantages and complications. The GM decides if these options are available when an advantage or complication is called for. They’re an option to bring the ever-shifting reality of the Carbon Grey world into your gameplay. See page 23 for details on the Wild Die. Continuity Surges. nlike Continuity Flux effects, surges are not an optional rule. While Continuity Flux complications do play a role in the occurrence of a surge, the true culprit is the use of Continuity Flux powers. To put it simply, when you fiddle with natural reality, weird things happen. The level of weirdness in a given area is tracked by the Surge Count. If the Surge Count in an area reaches or exceeds a total of 6, a random continuity surge occurs (see page 165). Characters without access to Continuity Flux skills have the option of spending Hero Points to reduce the Surge Count. A single Hero Point reduces the Surge Count by 1, but never below 1. Closing a rift or shutting down a surge requires power or, rarely, the passing of time— measured in years.

THE SHARDS OF THE GOTTFAUST STONE Even tiny specks of the legendary Star Stone offer power to any living creature that possesses them. Many a life has been lost, ruined, or changed by the mere existence of these realitywarping artifacts. Treasure hunters, mad scientists, and even nations seek out rumors of them, no matter how farfetched they may be, for a chance to bend reality to their will. SHARD SIZE

DIE CODE

A Grain of Sand

+1D

Pea

+2D

1 Pfennig Coin

+3D

1 Mark Coin

+ D

Fist

+5D

Head

+6D

The larger a Star Stone shard is, the more power it contains. A character in contact with a shard temporarily has a die code in one or more of the three Continuity Flux skills of Manipulate (MAN), Divine (DIV), and Transmogrify (TRA). The die code depends on the size of the shard, as indicated on the table. This lasts only as long as the character is touching the shard. If the character already has a die code in one or more of these skills, increase their existing die code by the number corresponding with the size of the shard.

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CONTINUITY FLUX SKILLS It is believed that the skills to interact with and change the very continuity of the universe may be honed, but cannot be learned. One must be born with the skill or gain it through exposure to an event or area of altered reality. There are three Continuity Flux skills: Manipulate, Divine, and Transmogrify. nlike all other skills, these are not governed by any attribute. They are, however improved like any other skill (see Improving Skills page 46). MANIPULATE (MAN). This skill is used to interact with continuity, possibility, connection. Think of it as tuning reality, but not changing it outright. Most times it affects the user and their personal interaction with continuity. DIVINE (DIV). This skill is used to locate and feel the ebbs and flows of reality. While not as invasive as the other skills can be on the world, time, and reality, it can be predictive or enlightening, and prevent one from stumbling into the dangers of a surge or a flux. Without the ability to Divine, one is blind to continuity. TRANSMOGRIFY (TRA). This skill bends and even breaks the bounds of the continuity of time and reality. While it can be used to

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protect and mend, its ability to change the flow of time and the very fabric of reality makes it extremely dangerous.

USING THE THREE SKILLS Each of the three Continuity Flux skills can be used in different ways, including combining them for even greater effects. Each of these methods is described as a power. A character with at least 1D in a Continuity Flux skill can attempt to use any power associated with that skill. Additionally, they can attempt to use any combination power, as long as they have at least 1D in each of the skills it requires. The big difference between the three Continuity Flux skills and other skills is that using them affects the Surge Count, either increasing or decreasing it. A high Surge Count causes dangerous continuity surges, and needs to be constantly monitored and reduced to avoid catastrophe. These powers are not like a “spell” in a fantasy universe. Rather, they are ways of using your mind to manipulate reality through your connection to it. At the GM’s discretion, any of the three Continuity Flux skills can be

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used in ways other than those listed, as long as they are consistent with the skill’s general description. CORRUPTION POINTS Exposure to and manipulation of the flux and flow of continuity can take a toll on the mind, body, and spirit. This toll is represented by Corruption Points. If a living creature gains too many, they are forever changed. This may involve physical alterations, scarring, the loss of some or all of their mental faculties, and worse. There are three ways to gain a Corruption Point:

D6

CORRUPTION TOLL

1

If the creature is human, they are permanently transformed into a stone demon under the GM’s control and seek to slay any nonstone demon they can see until they are destroyed. If the creature isn’t human, they’re destroyed.

2-3

One random attribute is reduced by 1D permanently. If this reduction reduces the attribute to under 1D, the character fades from existence. If the character survives the reduction they are visibly marked, marred, or scarred.

4

The creature takes damage equal to their current Corruption Point total times 10. For example, if their total is 4 Corruption Points, they have to deal with 0 damage If they survive, they suffer mental trauma. Treat this as a mental attack with an attack total of 20.

5

The creature takes damage equal to their current Corruption Point total times 5. If they survive, they suffer mental trauma. Treat this as a mental attack with an attack total of 15.

6

The creature takes damage equal to their current Corruption Point total times 5.

• Rolling an exceptional or catastrophic failure while exposed to a surge. • Using a Continuity Flux power that requires gaining a Corruption Point to activate or maintain. •

ering mental tra ma from a orr supernatural ability.

ted

At the end of the game session, any living creature that’s gained Corruption Points that have not been removed must roll 1D. If the result is lower than their current Corruption Points total, they suffer a corruption toll. For example, a character with 2 Corruption Points must roll a 1 to suffer a corruption toll. At the end of the next session, they have Corruption Points. Now they’ll have to deal with a corruption toll on a 3 or less CORRUPTION TOLL These are adverse and most times permanent changes to a character wrought by the continuity corruption they’ve been exposed to. When a character suffers a Corruption Toll, roll 1D on the table on the right. If they survive the toll, they lose all of their Corruption Points, but the toll remains.

RESISTING CONTINUITY FLUX POWERS When a power directly targets another creature against its will, the target may resist it. The details of this are indicated in each power’s description. The resistance roll may involve a normal skill or a Continuity Flux skill. If a character has both skills, add their die codes together when resisting the power.

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CONTINUITY FLUX POWERS

The details of each power are laid out as follows:

POWER NAME POWER NAME Description: Description: Action: Action: DN: DN: Maintain: Maintain: Surge Count: Surge Count: Corruption: Corruption:

SURGE COUNT This field indicates whether the power increases or decreases the Surge Count. Most powers that reduce the Surge Count do nothing else—reducing it is their primary purpose. Those that add to the Surge Count do so as a side effect of the power’s true purpose, save for a few instances. Even if a power’s skill roll fails, it still adds to the Surge Count. Some even add more on a failure. CORRUPTION If a power requires the user to gain a Corruption Point to activate or main, it’s listed in this field. See Corruption Points earlier in this section for details on what that means.

ACTION This is the type of action required to use the power, whether uick, Basic, or Slow. DN This is the DN to successfully use the power. If there are multiple levels of a power, it will have a DN for each. Powers that require more than one skill are not affected by the multiple skills rule; the action required to use the power includes rolling any and all skills required. If even one of a power’s skill rolls fails, the power as well. MAINTAIN If a power can be maintained after a successful skill roll, it is indicated in this field.

DIVINE POWERS

DEFENSIVE PRECOGNITION Description: You can see an attack or danger an eyeblink before it happens, granting you +5 to your defense against it. You may use this power on more than one defense at a time, each counting as a different “target” and each requiring a separate skill roll. You may use this as a reaction to bolster your defense even after the attack has been rolled. Action:

uick

D

: DN10

Maintain: Y Surge Count: +2 Corruption: +0

To maintain such a power, the player must declare they’re doing so after succeeding on the skill roll. The power’s effects persist until one of the following happens:

DETECT LIFE Description: You can sense the presence, current wound condition, species, and identity of a living creature nearby. If you maintain the power, you can use it to track the creature.

• The character voluntarily ends it. • The character gains an injury level. • The character uses the same power on another target.

If the creature has a die code in MAN, it can hide from this power by rolling MAN and adding it and its Psyche to DN of the Detect Life DIV roll. sing MAN in this way does not use an action.

Maintaining a power is a Basic action.

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Action: Basic

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D : DN5 within 100 meters, DN10 within 1 kilometer, DN15 within 5 kilometers, DN20 within 10 kilometers, DN30 within 20 kilometers Maintain: Y Surge Count: +2 Corruption: +0 MIND’S EYE Description: You open your senses to see through the shifting of time and reality, enhancing how you perceive the universe. While maintaining this power, add your DIV die code to all PER attribute and skill rolls. Action: Basic

INSIGHT FROM ONE’S FORMER/ FUTURE SELF Description: You spiritually reach out to a future or former version of yourself in a different continuity to gain insight and lore. ntil you cease to maintain this power, add your MAN die code to all KNO attribute and skill rolls. Action: Basic D

: DN10

Maintain: Y Surge Count: +2 Corruption: +0

Surge Count: +2

STEP BEYOND Description: You step beyond the bounds of reality and instantly appear in a location you can see within 30 m. The location cannot be occupied by any other living creature.

Corruption: +0

Action: Basic

MANIPULATION POWERS

D

D

: DN10

Maintain: Y

ACCELERATE HEALING Description: You reach into the flow of reality and bend a sliver of it, allowing you or another living creature an immediate natural healing roll (see Healing and Recovery, page 63). Normally, a character can make only one natural healing roll per day; the healing granted by this power does not count as that roll.

: DN10

Maintain: N Surge Count: +2 Corruption: +0

TRANSMOGRIFY POWERS

D : DN5 (self) or DN10 (one creature you can see within 10 m)

EMBRACE THE FLUX Description: By giving yourself to the unpredictability of flowing realities, you gain power—unpredictable power. While this power is maintained, anytime you roll 2D or more for an attribute or skill roll, roll two Wild Dice instead of one taking the better result.

Maintain: N

Action: Basic

Surge Count: +1

D

Corruption: +0

Maintain: Y

Action: Basic

: DN5

Surge Count: +1 Corruption: +0

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FEED THE FLUX Description: You pour yourself into the fluctuating continuity to hasten a breach. If the use of this power triggers a surge, roll twice on the Continuity Surge Table and take the result you prefer. Optionally, you may choose to gain 2 Corruption Points to automatically activate this power. If you do so, no TRA roll is required. Action: Basic D

: DN5

Maintain: N

SURGE BLEED Description: You pull energy from a building continuity surge within 30 m in an effort to reduce its power and or delay its eruption. When you activate this power, you may gain 1 Corruption Point. If you do, no TRA roll is required. Action: Basic : DN10

Maintain: N Surge Count: -1 on successful activation/+1 on a failed activation Corruption: +0 or +1

DIVINE + MANIPULATION POWERS

HEAL MIND Description: You bring the continuity flow around you and wash it through the mind of one living creature you are touching. This instantly removes all trauma levels the creature has. If you roll a catastrophic failure when activating this power, you gain their trauma level instead. Action: Basic : DIV DN15 + MAN DN15

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Corruption: +0 MIND FORTRESS Description: You steel your mind or the mind of a creature you are touching behind a protective mental barrier. While maintaining this power, the affected creature is immune to mental attacks of 30 or less and gains a bonus to their Psyche equal to their WIL or STR die code (player’s choice). D : DIV DN 10 + MAN DN10 (self) or DIV DN15 + MAN DN15 (another creature)

Corruption: +0 or +2

D

Surge Count: +3

Action: Basic

Surge Count: +3

D

Maintain: Y

Maintain: Y Surge Count: +2 Corruption: +0 TELEPATHY Description: You let the flow of continuity carry your thoughts into the mind of one living creature. If the creature is unwilling, you must succeed on a WIL roll against the creature’s Psyche. Once the connection is established, it can be maintained without their approval. While this power is maintained, you may talk to the target as if you were in the same room. The DN for each skill to activate this power is determined by your familiarity with and distance from the target. DN

DIV

MAN

5

Within view

Related by blood

10

Within 1 km

Well-known

15

Within 10 km

Acquainted with

20

Within 100 km

Know of

30

Within 1,000 km

Heard of

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Action: Basic D

maintaining this power and have not used it in any other ay on the target, in rease the DN to 20.

: DIV + MAN (see above)

Maintain: Y

• You can extract information from the target’s mind oll and learn that many pieces of information. The information is limited to sim le names, n m ers, short hrases, or images a h ro nd yo maintain this o er, yo an re eat the roll as a asi a tion f yo do, yo m st s eed on another o osed roll against the target

Surge Count: +1 Corruption: +0

DIVINE + TRANSMOGRIFY POWERS

FALSE REALITY Description: You alter the very fabric of reality to conceal a 20 m x 20 m area with an illusion that appears, smells, and sounds like whatever you choose. The area is static and cannot be moved, but may be maintained as long you remain in it. Any creature, object, vehicle, or structure in the area cannot be seen unless those looking succeed on a DN20 PER (Investigate) roll. You may choose to gain 1 Corruption Point to activate this power as a uick action without a skill roll.

Action: Basic D

: DIV DN5 + TRA vs. target’s Psyche

Maintain: Y Surge Count: +2 Corruption: -

Surge Count: +2

DISTRACTING THOUGHT Description: You muddle the mind of a single living target you can see within 60 m. The target has a negative modifier equal to your DIV die code on all rolls other than those to resist damage. You may choose to gain 1 Corruption Point to activate this power without a skill roll.

Corruption: +0 or +1

Action:

uick

MIND DUEL Description: You send a sliver of your psyche into the mind of another living creature within 100 m that you can see. You and your target make opposed WIL rolls. If the target wins, you are forced out of their mind. If you win, you may choose one of the following options:

D DN5

: DIV DN vs target’s Psyche + TRA

Action: Basic or D

uick

: DIV DN10 + TRA DN10

Maintain: Y

•

nfli t a tra ma le el ith an atta k total equal TRA die code +5.

•

t the target into a oma like slee for a number of rounds equal to your TRA die ode a h ro nd, the n ons io s target may make a roll n a s ess, they a aken immediately f yo are

Maintain: N Surge Count: +1 Corruption: +0 or +1

DIVINE + MANIPULATION+ TRANSMOGRIFY POWERS

REALITY ZONE Description: You create a zone centered on you that extends 10 m in every direction. Creatures and objects outside the zone can’t target or damage you or anyone inside the zone, and vice-versa.

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Creatures can freely move into and out of your zone, and it moves with you if you maintain it. Action: Basic D : DIV DN5 + MAN DN10 + TRA DN10 Maintain: Y Surge Count: +3 Corruption: +0 REROUTING THE FLOW OF TIME Description: You and all allies within 30 m take a second round of actions. Actions taken previously don’t count as multiple actions, including the use of this power. You may choose to gain 6 Corruption Points instead of 3 to activate this power without a skill roll. If this power triggers a surge, that surge happens before the power takes effect. Action: uick D : DIV DN15 + MAN DN 15+ TRA DN15 Maintain: N Surge Count: +3 Corruption: +3 RIGHTING THE UNIVERSE Description: You willfully reknit reality and instantly reduce the Surge Count of an area you can see within 1 km to 0. You may choose to gain a number of Corruption Points equal to the current Surge Count to activate this power without a skill roll. Action: Basic D : DIV DN20 + MAN DN20 + TRA DN20 Maintain: N Surge Count: +0 or +3 on a failure Corruption: +0 or Points to Surge Count +1

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MANIPULATION + TRANSMOGRIFY POWERS

BODY OF STONE Description: You use the flow of the surrounding energy to transform yourself into a living effigy of the Gottfaust Stone, hardening your physical form with mystical living armor. While maintaining this power, you gain +3D ARM. This armor protects against all physical attacks, even against weapons with the Bypass ARM property. Action: Basic D : MAN DN15 + TRA DN15 Maintain: Y Surge Count: +3 Corruption: +1 MIND BULLET Description: You send a razored thought at a living target you can see within 100 m. If the power is successfully activated, you inflict a trauma level on the target with an attack total equal to your TRA die code +10. If the target has some sort of mental ARM, it has no effect against this power. You gain Corruption Points even if you fail to activate this power. Action: Basic D : MAN DN 5 + TRA vs target’s Psyche Maintain: Y Surge Count: +3 Corruption: +1 REALITY STITCH Description: When successfully activated, this power enables you to repair, partially or in full, a building continuity surge within 30 m. Action: Basic D : MAN DN10 + TRA DN10 Maintain: N Surge Count: -1D on a success, +1D on a failure Corruption: +0

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Roll 1D and add the result to the area’s Surge Count. Consult the chart below to determine the strength and duration of any resulting Continuty Flux Advantage or Complication effects. RESULT

STRENGTH

DURATION

1-3

Minor Flux

End of triggering character’s turn

4

Lesser Flux

ntil initiative is rolled again

5

Greater Flux

3D Rounds

6

Major Flux

6D Rounds

Cluster Flux

ntil end of gaming episode

+

CONTINUITY FLUX ADVANTAGES

nless otherwise stated, effects are for the duration of the flux only. Evolve/Upgrade. The triggering vehicle/object evolves into a better version, gaining +1D DMG, FRM, SPD, or D R, extended range, or similar effect. At the GM’s discretion, the player can spend a Hero Point to make the upgrade permanent. Time Slows for Focus. The character gains +1D to all rolls. Time Is On Your Side. Any injury or damage dealt to that character/vehicle/object is reduced by one step.

Beyond The Flow of Time. The character/vehicle can make a Basic move without penalty each round. Between A Bend In Reality. Character/vehicle/ object’s defenses increased by +6. A Reality of Your Own. Choose one: Add 1D to the die code of the triggering attribute or skill, or decrease the Surge Count by 1.

CONTINUITY FLUX COMPLICATIONS Each Continuity Flux Complication increases the Surge Count by 1. nless otherwise stated, effects are for the duration of the flux only.

Devolve/Degrade. The triggering vehicle/object devolves or weakens, suffering -1D DMG, FRM, SPD, or D R, decreased range, or similar effect. At the GM’s discretion, the effect is permanent unless the player spends a Hero Point. Time Steals Focus. The characters has -1D on all rolls. Time Takes Its Toll. Character must immediately succeed on a DN15 STR (Stamina) or WIL (Grit) roll. Fail means they are Fatigued as they age a number of years equal to the margin of failure. A Hero Point negates the Fatigue, but not the aging. Time’s Plaything. Character or their vehicle is subject to the flux. Characters have -1D on all DE rolls. Vehicles reduce SPD die code by 1. A Cursed Reality. All attacks against the character/ vehicle/object gain a +6 modifier. A Reality Not Your Own. Reduce the die code of the triggering attribute or skill by 1.

CONTINUITY SURGE TABLE

If the Surge Count reaches or exceeds 6, roll 1D to determine the outcome. D6

OUTCOME

1

To The Point. Everything within a 1 km radius is pulled into the surge point. Characters must succeed on a DN 20 STR-based skill roll or vehicle control roll each round or be consumed. Surge Count remains at 6 for duration. Singularity collapses in 1D rounds. Fate of those consumed is GM’s discretion. Reset Surge Count to 0.

2

The Wraith Swarm. Time-space fissure spews a swarm of 2D Dragon Wraiths. Additional 2D Wraiths emerge at the end of each round while surge is in effect. Wraiths attack any living creature within 1 km of the surge. Reducing the surge count to 0 closes it. Reset Surge Count to 2.

3

Release the Inner Beast. Everyone within 1 km makes a DN 20 WIL (Grit) roll. Failure means the character is transformed in a Stone Demon and attacks anyone unaffected. Effects last until Surge Count is reduced to 0 or character is Mortally Wounded. Character then reverts to self and is Incapacitated. Reset Surge Count to 3.

4

Rival’s Return. A tear in space-time appears before whomever or whatever triggered the surge. A character’s dead rival emerges and attacks, alive from a time before they died. Reset Surge Count to 4.

5

The End Is Nigh. A 30-meter spherical storm erupts around whomever or whatever triggered the surge. Storm lasts 1D rounds and deals 3D damage per round to everyone and everything in area for the duration. Reset the Surge Count to 5.

6

The Wrath Of Gottfaust. Searing light erupts from whomever or whatever triggers the surge, dealing 5D damage (once) to all enemies within 300 meters. All others in range must succeed a DN 10 PER (Instinct) roll to avert their eyes. Those who fail take 5D damage as well. Reset Surge Count to 0.

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"Every life is one trigger squeeze away from an untimely ending." - Lilliana Pavachenko, Ursan Sniper

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CHAPTER 9: ALLIES, ENEMIES, AND EXTRAS

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The statistics presented here are intended to fuel a GM’s imagination and aid in gameplay. This is in no way an exhaustive list of all the enemies, allies, and extras that can be encountered in the exciting world of Carbon Grey. It’s just a jumping-off point for you to create and customize your own NPCs that fit the style of adventures and play your group enjoys.

THE ROLE OF NPCS

In the Carbon Grey RPG, NPCs are played by the GM. If the PCs are the stars of the show, the NPCs are the antagonists, allies, and extras that populate the world and make it a dramatic, dynamic, and dangerous place. In other words, however cool an NPC may be, they shouldn’t overshadow the PCs. Part of the GM’s job is making the PCs look good, and part of that is not having an NPC upstage them at every turn. Above all, the GM should play the NPCs more or less as real people, making decisions based on their interests and perspectives. Every NPC falls into one of three categories: ENEMIES Any NPC that wants to see the PCs fail or die should be considered an enemy. They can be even more varied than allies; whether a footsoldier or a mastermind, an enemy doesn’t need to know the PCs personally to seek their downfall. Enemies are broken down into three types of their own: Rivals, Foes, and Cannon Fodder. Keep reading for more on what those mean. ALLIES As you might expect, allies are NPCs who are on good terms with the PCs. They can be anything from a friendly bartender to a nobleman in distress to a ride-or-die mercenary who’d put their life on the line for the PCs. Allies tend to be weaker than the PCs, to keep the spotlight on the stars.

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CHAPTER C HAPTER 9: ALLIES ALLIES, A LLIES ENEMIES, AND EXTRAS

EXTRAS This category is for everyone else—the minor NPCs the PCs interact with once or twice and never see again. Extras can easily be promoted to either ally or enemy, depending on the circumstances.

DEFINING ABILITIES Nearly every NPC has a Defining Ability. Similar to a PC’s Remarkable Abilities, these enhancements help set an NPC apart from the crowd. Depending on the importance of the NPC, this ability could be quite broad and powerful, or it could be minor and highly situational. Some very powerful NPCs, especially those with a supernatural bent, have multiple Defining Abilities. The NPC statistics later in this section provide many examples of Defining Abilities. You’re encouraged to make your own, to put a personal stamp on your NPCs. If that’s something you’re interested in, use those here as a guide.

ENEMIES Every enemy the PCs encounter is a Rival, Foe, or Cannon Fodder. Rivals. These are the main antagonists in a Carbon Grey RPG story. They’re the leaders, bosses, and string-pulling villains. Solo Rivals present a serious challenge for the PCs all on their own, while the primary strength of a Leader Rival is the other NPCs they command. Not every Solo Rival has to be encountered “solo,” but every Leader Rival should control several Foes and Cannon Fodder. All Rivals have 18D in attributes, but Solo Rivals have 18D in skills while Leader Rivals only have 12D in skills. Foes. These are the basic enemies of the Carbon Grey RPG. Individually, they’re a little less powerful than a PC, but two or three of them together should be a challenge. Foes have 12D in attributes and 6D to 12D in skills.

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Cannon Fodder. These are the enemies the PCs wade through to get to the villain in charge. They’re the nameless, interchangeable minions employed by more-important antagonists to slow the PCs down. Not every Cannon Fodder NPC is like every other Cannon Fodder NPC, but every group of them, such as a group of soldiers under the command of a superior, should more or less use the same statistics. When a Cannon Fodder NPC is hit by an attack, it goes down immediately, no STR roll required. Cannon fodder are built on 12D in attributes and 4D to 6D in skills.

ALLIES & EXTRAS Fortunately for the PCs in your game, not every NPC they meet on their adventures is out to kill them. Lots of NPCs, if not most, are just normal people trying to get through the war in one piece. Others will share the PCs’ goals and want to help them achieve them, possibly for a reasonable fee. Whether the NPC is a loyal companion, an in-the-know bartender, a scared urchin, or a cagey black marketeer, if they aren’t enemies then they are always classified as allies or extras. Allies. Allies are NPCs that are willing to take some risks and get involved. They might be a Free Lady’s bodyguard, a Dogfighter’s trusted mechanic, or a guide that can lead you safely through the mountains. They’re the NPCs that will go along with the PCs on their adventures or give needed aid, expertise, information, or

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supplies, but not outshine them. The PCs are still the stars of the show. Allies have 16D in attributes and 6D to 12D in skills. Extras. These NPCs fill in an adventure. In a movie that boasts a “cast of thousands,” they’re the thousands. They’re the farmers displaced from their homes by war, bar patrons drinking their sorrows away, street urchins looking out for an unattended pocket, soldiers at the Front steeling themselves to go over the top, the comely actor that catches a PC’s eye, and so on. Like allies, extras might provide a service or aid the PCs need, but generally speaking aren’t eager to get involved. If the PCs manage to convince an extra otherwise, consider promoting them to ally and fleshing them out a bit. Extras have 12D in attributes and 4D to 6D in skills,

PREGEN NPC STATISTICS Included here is a wide range of NPCs and their statistics. Of course, an NPC is more than just numbers; when you use one of these NPCs, consider who they might be and how you might portray them. Extras and Cannon Fodder aren’t likely to warrant that much thought, but if you have ideas, go for it! It’s also worth noting that while many of these NPCs are divided into allies and enemies, there’s nothing stopping you from using an ally as an enemy, or vice-versa. The Ace Pilot could be a PC’s trusted wingman, or they could be Baron von Richtofen, Scourge of the Skies.

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GREEN RECRUIT DEX 2D+2

PER 2D+1

KNO 2D+2

STR 3D+2

Melee 1D

Medical 1D

MEC 2D+1

Demolitions 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 6

Marksmanship 1D

ALLIES

Allies have your back in battle. If you want to keep them at your side, make sure you have their backs as well.

Stamina 1D Throwing 1D

WIL 2D+1 Grit 1D

ARM: +2

helmet +1, uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Eagleton E1 Carbine (DMG 5D+2, Ammo 15), bayonet (DMG STR+1D)

OTHER GEAR:

Rifle ammo (4 mags of 15 rounds each), lucky pfennig

NEW GUY LUCK

The Green Recruit can reroll 1D of any attribute or skill roll they make, once per combat round.

GUNNER DEX 2D

KNO 2D+2 MEC 3D

Gunner 5D Pilot 3D Repair/Disable 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 9

ACE PILOT PER 3D+1

DEX 3D

PER 3D

STR 2D

KNO 2D

STR 2D

WIL 3D

MEC 3D

WIL 3D

Marksmanship 2D

Grit 2D

Reflex 1D

Gunner 3D PIlot 4D

SRP DEFENSES ARM: +2

helmet +1, uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Reliable revolver (DMG 5D, Ammo 6)

OTHER GEAR:

Revolver ammo (12 rounds in ammo pouch)

PRACTICED GUNNER

The Gunner gains +1D on all Gunner rolls. In addition, they may reroll a 1 on the Wild Die on any Gunner rolls, but must take the second result.

Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 9

Command 1D Grit 2D

ARM: +1

uniform

WEAPONS:

Officer’s pistol (DMG 5D, Ammo 8)

OTHER GEAR:

Pistol ammo (2 magazines of 8 rounds each), 1D service medals

SKYBORN

The Ace Pilot gains +1D on all Pilot skill rolls and on all initiative rolls when operating a flying vehicle.

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Instinct 1D

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INFANTRY OFFICER DEX 2D+2 Melee 2D

KNO 3D+2

Scholar 1D

MEC 1D+1 SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 9

PER 2D+1

Marksmanship 2D Evaluate 1D

STR 2D+2 WIL 3D+1

Comand 3D Grit 3D

ARM: +2

helmet +1, uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Choose one from officer’s pistol (DMG 5D, Ammo 8 (mag)) and grease gun (DMG 5D, Ammo 30 ((mag))); saber (DMG STR+1D+1)

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (either 4 mags of 8 small arms rounds for the pistol or 4 mags of 30 small arms rounds for the grease gun), signal whistle

CONFIDENT LEADER

Once per round, as a Quick action, grant +1D to all Grit, Gunner, Marksmanship, Melee, and Stamina skill rolls made by any allies within 20 meters who can see or hear them.

MECHANIC DEX 2D

KNO 3D

Technical 2D Scholar 1D

MEC 3D

Repair/Disable 4D Engineer 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 6

PER 3D

Investigate 2D

STR 3D WIL 2D Grit 1D

ARM: +2

helmet +1, uniform +1

INFANTRY SOLDIER DEX 2D+2

PER 2D+1

KNO 2D+2

STR 3D+2

Melee 2D

Medical 1D

MEC 2D+1

Demolitions 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 6

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ARM: 1D+1

combat harness +2, helmet +1, uniform +1

Ammo (either 4 mags of 12 rifle rounds for the E1 or 4 mags of 30 small arms rounds in 4 mags for the grease gun), letter from home

SALTIER THAN CANNED BEEF

The Infantry Soldier gains +1D on all Grit rolls, and doubles their Psyche when defending against mental trauma.

RESISTANCE SPY DEX 3D

Stealth 1D

KNO 3D

Espionage 1D

MEC 2D

PER 3D

Investigate 1D Marksmanship 1D

STR 2D WIL 3D

Charm 1D Con 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 9

OTHER GEAR:

Once per game session, choose to turn a failed Repair/Disable roll into a Partial Success, but the target of the roll will stop functioning after 1D hours or the end of the scene, whichever comes first.

Grit 3D

OTHER GEAR:

OTHER GEAR:

PRAYERS, SPIT, AND CHEWING GUM

WIL 2D+1

Choose one from E1 Carbine (DMG 5D+2, Ammo 15 (mag)) or grease gun (DMG 5D, Ammo 30 (mag)); Reliable revolver (DMG 5D, Ammo 6), bayonet (DMG STR+1D), 2 fragmentation hand grenades (DMG 5D, Scatter)

WEAPONS:

Pistol ammo (12 small arms rounds in ammo pouch), flashlight or lantern, basic tool kit

Stamina 1D Throwing 1D

WEAPONS:

WEAPONS:

Reliable Revolver (DMG 5D, Ammo 6), massive wrench or pry bar (DMG STR+1D)

Marksmanship 3D

ARM: —

Emissary’s Sidearm (DMG 4D, Ammo 10 (mag)), folding knife (STR+1 DMG) Pencil, scrap paper, wire cutters, common clothing, extra pistol ammo (1 mag 10 rounds).

DECEPTIVE

Resistance Spy gains +1D bonus to all charm and con skill rolls.

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COMMONER DEX 2D +1

PER 2D +2

KNO 1D +1

STR 2D +2

Reflex 1D

MEC 1D +1

Instinct 1D Stamina 1D

WIL 1D +2

EXTRAS

What gear an extra has usually doesn’t have much of an impact on the story. Give each of them whatever it’d be logical for them to have. For that personal touch, you can customize each of these extras with another 2D in skills.

Grit 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 3

HELPFUL

Commoner adds an additional +2 to the normal +1D when being a Support Character as part of a Combined Action.

ARISTOCRAT DEX 2D

Ride 1D

KNO 2D +1 Scholar 1D

MEC 1D

PER 2D STR 2D WIL 3D

Command 1D Charm 1D

STREET KID/ WAR ORPHAN DEX 3D +1

PER 2D +2

KNO 1D

STR 1D+1

MEC 1D

WIL 2D+2

Sleight of Hand 1D Stealth 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 9

SOCIAL GRACES

The Highborn/Aristocrat gets +1D on Bargain, Command, and Charm rolls.

Con 1D Grit 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 9 Psyche 6

RESOURCEFUL

The Street Kid/War Orphan gains +1D on all rolls to find food, clothing, shelter, or supplies.

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HIGHBORN NOBILITY Society’s elite have their own pecking order.

CANNON FODDER

SPOILED WELLBORN DEX 2D

PER 2D

KNO 2D

STR 2D

Melee 1D Scholar 1D

MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 9

Marksmanship 1D

WIL 3D

Charm 1D Command 1D Con 1D

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

Highborn Defender (DMG 3D+2/ Ammo 2); choose either saber (DMG STR1D+1) or knife (DMG STR+1)

OTHER GEAR: Formal attire

SOCIALITE

Spoiled Wellborn gains +1D on any skill roll used in social interaction.

FOE

ENTITLED BLUEBLOOD

PER 2D

DEX 2D

Melee 2D

Marksmanship 2D

KNO 2D

STR 2D

Scholar 1D

WIL 3D

MEC 1D

Charm 2D Command 2D Con 2D Intimidate 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 9

ARM: —

Highborn Defender (DMG 3D+2, Ammo 2) or Emissary’s Sidearm (DMG 4D, Ammo 10 (mag)); choose either saber (DMG STR1D+1) or knife (DMG STR+1)

OTHER GEAR: Formal attire

COURTLY CUNNING

Once per round, the Entitled Blueblood may gain +1D on any roll that uses PER or WIL.

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SPITEFUL ELITE DEX 3D

PER 3D

KNO 3D

STR 3D

MEC 1D

WIL 5D

Melee 1D Scholar 2D

SRP DEFENSES Suprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 15

Marksmanship 1D

Charm 2D Command 3D Grit 1D Intimidate 2D

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

WEAPONS:

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RIVAL LEADER

Highborn Defender (DMG 3D+2/ Ammo 2) or Emissary’s Sidearm (DMG 4D, Ammo 10 (mag)); choose saber (DMG STR1D+1) or knife (DMG STR+1)

OTHER GEAR:

Pistol ammo (4 rounds in a breast pocket or handbag), formal wear

HEED MY WORDS

Once per round, when a creature that can see or hear the Spiteful Elite makes a roll, the Spiteful Elite may grant a bonus to their die code equal to the Spiteful Elite’s Command die code.

SIMPERING SYCOPHANTS

Always appears with 1D Spoiled Wellborns.

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IN THE SKY

The skies of the Great War are sometimes more dangerous than the battlefields. Those brave pilots who dare to soar among the clouds and wage war in deadly flying machines do so for many reasons—out of duty, for honor and glory, or even to become the most feared ace in the sky.

CANNON FODDER

FLYBOY

LEADER RIVAL

SQUADRON LEADER DEX 3D

PER 3D

KNO 2D

STR 2D

MEC 4D

WIL 4D

Reflex 1D

Gunner 3D Pilot 3D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 12

Instinct 1D

Command 2D Grit 2D

ARM: +1

uniform +1

DEX 2D+1

PER 2D+1

KNO 1D+1

STR 2D

MEC 3D

WIL 2D

Gunner 2D Pilot 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 6

ARM: +1

uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Officer’s pistol (DMG 5D, Ammo 8 (mag))

OTHER GEAR:

Pistol ammo (2 mags of 8 small arms rounds)

READY FOR ACTION

The Flyboy gains +1D on initiative rolls when operating a flying vehicle.

WEAPONS:

Officer’s pistol (DMG 5D, Ammo 8 (mag))

OTHER GEAR:

Pistol ammo (2 8-round mags)

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Members of the Leader’s squadron that can see or hear their commander gain +1D on any Gunner and Pilot rolls. This ability can’t be used if the Squad Leader has an injury level of Wounded or worse, or their plane/vehicle has sustained damage.

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ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Whether on the front or deep in enemy territory, there’s no end to the variety of enemies one can face in combat. In a world at war, battlefields are everywhere, as are those who must fight on them.

CANNON FODDER

FRESH RECRUIT DEX 2D

PER 2D+1

KNO 1D

STR 3D+1

MEC 1D+1 SRP DEFENSES

WIL 2D

Melee 2D

Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 6

Marksmanship 2D

ARM: +2

helmet +1 uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Zuverlässig Z93 Infantry Rifle (DMG 5D, Ammo 6 (mag)), bayonet (DMG STR+1D)

ZEAL OF THE INDOCTRINATED

The first time the Fresh Recruit would be Stunned in a combat, they ignore it instead.

SOLO RIVAL

ASSASSIN DEX 3D+1

Melee 3D Stealth 2D

PER 4D

Marksmanship 5D Streetwise 1D

KNO 2D

STR 3D+2

MEC 2D

WIL 3D

Espionage 1D Drive 1D Demolitions 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 12 Readied 9 Psyche 9

Brawl 2D Grit 2D

ARM: 1D

ballistic long coat +2 heavy clothing +1

WEAPONS:

Choose either 2 Schattenkorps Whisper Fires (DMG 4D, Ammo 20 (mag)), 1 Witwenmacher Long Rifle (DMG 9D, Ammo 5 (mag)), or 1 or Reiniger R44 Assault Rifle (DMG 6D, Ammo 30 (mag)); Reliable revolver (DMG 5D, Ammo 6), 4 knives (DMG STR+1)

OTHER GEAR:

The Assassin adds +1D to the DMG of any weapon they use.

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MAD SCIENTIST DEX 2D

KNO 4D

Technical 3D Medical 3D Scholar 3D

MEC 4D

Repair/Disable 2D Demolitions 2D Engineer 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 12

PER 3D

Evaluate 1D Instinct 1D Investigate 1D Marksmanship 1D

STR 1D WIL 4D

ARM: +2

ballistic long coat +2

WEAPONS:

Officer’s pistol (DMG 5D, Ammo 8 (mag))

Ammo (4 20-round mags for the Schattenkorps Whisper Fires, 5 20-round mags for the Witwenmacher, or 4 30-round mags for the Reiniger), pistol ammo (5 6-round speedloaders)

EXPERT KILLER

SOLO RIVAL

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (2 8-round pistol mags), medical kit or other tool kit, strange inventions or collection of chemicals or creepy accoutrements (body parts mummified or in jars, freshly vivisected animals, etc.)

GIFT OF MADNESS

Once per round, the Mad Scientist gains +1D on one attribute or skill roll.

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BLOODTHIRSTY SHARPSHOOTER DEX 3D+1

PER 4D+2

KNO 2D+1

STR 3D+2

MEC 1D

WIL 3D

Melee 2D Reflex 1D Stealth 4D Survival 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 12 Readied 9 Psyche 9

Instinct 1D Investigate 1D Marksmanship 5D Climb/Jump 1D Grit 1D

ARM: +2

helmet +1, uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Witwenmacher Long Rifle (DMG 9D, Ammo 5 (mag)), knife (DMG STR+1), Sniper rifle ammo (12 5-round mags), sniper’s scope

SOLO RIVAL

SHOOT TO WOUND

SPY

DEX 3D

Sleight of Hand 1D Stealth 2D

KNO 3D

Espionage 3D

MEC 3D

Drive 1D Repair/Disable 1D Demolitions 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 9

The Bloodthirsty Sharpshooter adds +1D to the DMG of any firearm they use.

PER 3D

Instinct 1D Investigate 1D Marksmanship 2D Streetwise 1D

STR 3D WIL 3D

Charm 2D Con 2D Grit 1D

ARM: 1D

ballistic long coat +2 uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Emissary’s Sidearm (DMG 4D, Ammo 10 (mag))

OTHER GEAR:

Pistol ammo (2 10-round mags), lock picks, 1D fake IDs or travel documents, appropriate disguise, 200 Marks

GIFT FOR MANIPULATION

Once per round, the Spy gains +1D on one roll using WIL.

FOE

VETERAN TROOPER DEX 2D

PER 2D+1

KNO 1D

STR 3D+1

Melee 3D

MEC 1D

Marksmanship 3D Brawl 2D Throwing 1D

WIL 2D+1 SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 6

Grit 3D

ARM: +2

helmet +1, uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Choose either Zuverlässig Z93 Infantry Rifle (DMG 5D, Ammo 6 (mag)) or or Grease Gun (DMG 5D, Ammo 30 (mag)); bayonet (DMG STR+1D); 2 fragmentation hand grenades (DMG 5D, Scatter)

OTHER GEAR:

Extra ammo (30 rifle rounds in 5 mags), 1D medals of service

ENDURING FORTITUDE

The Veteran Trooper has +2 on all rolls to resist physical damage.

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GUARDS & SENTRIES

They also serve who only stand and guard. This collection of security personnel can serve a variety of roles in your games.

FOE

ELITE GUARD DEX 2D

Melee 2D Reflex 1D

KNO 1D MEC 1D

PER 3D

Investigate 2D Marksmanship 3D Instinct 1D Evaluate 1D

STR 3D

Brawl 2D

WIL 2D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 6

ARM: +2

Helmet +1 Uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Zuverlässig Z93 Infantry Rifle (DMG 5D, Ammo 6 (mag))

OTHER GEAR:

LEADER RIVAL

GUARD OFFICER DEX 2D+1 Melee 2D

KNO 3D

Scholar 1D

MEC 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 12

PER 3D

Rifle ammo (8 6-round mags), flashlight

WATCHFUL

The Elite Guard gain +1D on all initiative rolls.

Investigate 2D Marksmanship 3D

STR 3D+1 Brawl 1D

WIL 4D+1

Command 4D Grit 2D Intimidate 3D

ARM: 1D

ballistic long coat +2 uniform +1

CANNON FODDER

GUARD DEX 2D

Melee 1D

KNO 1D MEC 1D

WEAPONS:

Officer’s pistol (DMG 5D, Ammo 8 (mag)), baton (DMG STR+1D)

OTHER GEAR:

Rifle ammo (8 6-round mags), flashlight

COMMAND MOVEMENT

Once per round, as a Quick action, the Guard Officer may choose a number of Guards or Elite Guards that can hear or see them equal to their Command die code (4). The chosen NPCs immediately make a Basic move without a multiple action penalty.

TROOP LEADER

PER 3D

Investigate 2D Marksmanship 2D

STR 3D

Brawl 1D

WIL 2D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 6

ARM: +2

Helmet +1 Uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Zuverlässig Z93 Infantry Rifle (DMG 5D, Ammo 6 (mag))

OTHER GEAR:

Rifle ammo (8 6-round mags), flashlight

WATCHFUL

The Guard gain +1D on all initiative rolls.

The Guard Officer always appears with 1D Guards.

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PURGE TROOPERS

Heavily armored and equipped with a variety of weapons meant to deal order to crowds as swiftly and mercilessly as possible, the Purge Troopers are deployed equally on the battlefront and in urban centers. The favored weapon of the Purge trooper is the Lighting Gun. Their breathing gear and sealed leather suits protect them from biological and chemical attacks, giving them a distinct battlefield advantage.

FOE

PURGE TROOPER DEX 2D

PER 2D

KNO 1D

STR 3D

MEC 2D

WIL 2D

Melee 2D

Demolitions 1D Gunner 2D

FOE

DOG HANDLER DEX 2D

PER 2D

KNO 2D

STR 2D+2

Melee 1D Survival 1D

MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 6

Marksmanship 1D

WIL 2D+1

Command 2D Intimidate 1D

ARM: +2

helmet +1 uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Reliable revolver (DMG 5D, Ammo 6), baton (DMG STR+1D)

OTHER GEAR:

Pistol ammo (36 rounds loose in ammo pouch), signal whistle

BEAST MASTERY

As an Action, the Dog Handler may grant +1D to any roll made by a War Dog that can see or hear them.

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 6

Grit 3D

ARM: 2D

Purge Trooper armor, +2D

WEAPONS:

Choose one from lightning gun (DMG 7D, Ammo 50 (backpack charger), Bypass ARM), Reiniger R44 Assault Rifle (DMG 6D, Ammo 30 (mag)), or Trench Sweeper (DMG 10D, Ammo 12 (drum)); Schattenkorps Whisper Fire (Machine Pistol) (DMG 4D, Ammo 20 (mag)); knife (DMG STR+1); 2 concussion hand grenades; 2 fragmentation hand grenades (DMG 5D, Scatter); 2 smoke hand grenades

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (4 30-round mags for the Reiniger R44 or 4 12-shell drums for the Trench Sweeper), pistol ammo (4 20-round mags)

PURGE CORPS CONDITIONING

The Purge Trooper ignores the Stunned condition and is immune to any Intimidation or mental attack that totals 25 or less.

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Marksmanship 4D

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THE UNDERWORLD

Even in war, there are those whose primary concern is making a profit anywhere. Wherever the reach of the law ends in Mitteleuropa, you’ll find a vast collection of criminals.

CANNON FODDER

BANDIT DEX 3D

Melee 1D Stealth 1D

KNO 1D

Survival 1D

MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 3

PER 3D

Marksmanship 2D

STR 3D WIL 1D

ARM: +1

heavy clothing +1

WEAPONS:

Choose either Highwayman’s Special Revolver (DMG 4D, Ammo 6) or Huntsman Bolt-Action Rifle (DMG 4D+2); choose either knife (DMG STR+1) or club (DMG STR+1D)

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (12 rounds for the revolver or 10 rounds for the rifle)

AMBUSH

The Bandit gains +1D DMG on any successful attack against surprised targets.

LEADER RIVAL

BANDIT CHIEF DEX 3D+1

Melee 2D Stealth 3D

KNO 2D+1

Survival 1D

MEC 1D+2 SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 9

PER 3D+1

Marksmanship 3D

STR 3D+2 WIL 3D+2

Command 1D Intimidate 2D

ARM: +1

Heavy clothing +1

WEAPONS:

Grease gun (DMG 5D, Ammo 30 (mag)) or Reliable revolver (DMG 5D, Ammo 6); choose either knife (DMG STR+1) or sword (DMG STR+1D+2)

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (2 30-round mags for the grease gun or 10 6-round speedloaders for the revolver), 1D x 50 Marks’ worth of gaudy jewelry

CHIEF’S CONFIDENCE

As long as the Bandit Chief isn’t injured beyond Stunned, any Bandit or Highwayman that can see or hear them gains +1D on all attack and Grit rolls.

LOYAL LACKEYS

Bandit Chief always appears with 1D Bandits.

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FOE

HIGHWAYMAN DEX 3D

Melee 2D Stealth 3D

KNO 1D

Survival 1D

MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 3

PER 3D

Marksmanship 3D

STR 3D WIL 1D

Intimidate 1D

ARM: +1

heavy clothing +1

WEAPONS:

Choose either Highwayman’s Special revolver (DMG 4D, Ammo 6) or Huntsman Bolt-Action Rifle (DMG 4D+2); choose knife (DMG STR+1) or club (DMG STR+1D)

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (12 revolver rounds or 10 rifle rounds)

PRACTICED AMBUSHER

The Highwayman gains +1D on attack and damage rolls against surprised targets.

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GUNSEL

CANNON FODDER

TOUGH

DEX 2D

PER 4D

KNO 1D

STR 2D

KNO 1D

MEC 1D

WIL 2D

MEC 1D

Reflex 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 12 Readied 6 Psyche 6

Marksmanship 3D

Grit 1D Intimidate 1D

ARM: +2

ballistic long coat +2

WEAPONS:

Choose either 1 grease gun (DMG 5D, Ammo 30 (mag)) or 2 Reliable Revolvers (DMG 5D, Ammo 6)

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (either 2 30-round mags or 10 6-round speedloaders)

GUN HAND

The Gunsel gains +1 on all Marksmanship rolls with firearms.

DEX 2D

Melee 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 3 Readied 6 Psyche 9

STR 4D

Brawl 2D

WIL 3D

Grit 1D Intimidate 1D

ARM: +1

Heavy Clothing +1

WEAPONS:

Highwayman’s Special revolver (DMG 4D, Ammo 6); choose brass knuckles (DMG STR+2), 1 knife (DMG STR+1), or 1 club (DMG STR+1D)

OTHER GEAR:

Revolver ammo (6 rounds in a pocket)

DAT DIN’T HURT

Once per round, if the Tough is Stunned or Wounded, they can roll 1D. On a 4 or better, they ignore the penalties from the injury level.

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PER 1D

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BEASTS

Wild animals, beasts of burden, and even supernatural creatures can be allies, enemies, and extras. An animal’s movement rate depends on how it moves, as shown below. BEAST TYPE

BASIC MOVE

Quadruped (bear, dog mule, wolf)

16 meters

Fast Quadruped (horse, war mount)

20 meters 12 meters

Flying (bird of prey)

24 meters (in flight)

BIRD OF PREY Reflex 1D Stealth 2D

KNO 1D MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 3

DEX 2D

PER 2D+1

KNO 1D

STR 6D+2

Survival 1D

MEC 1D

Brawl 4D Stamina 2D

WIL 3D

Grit 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 9

ARM: +1D

natural armor +1D

WEAPONS:

Claw (DMG STR+1D+2), Bite (DMG STR+2D)

FERAL RAGE

Slithering/Burrowing (pit viper, trench rat)

DEX 3D

BEAR

PER 3D

Instinct 1D Investigate 5D

STR 1D

The Bear ignores penalties from the Wounded condition. Once Wounded, it will fight to the death. The Bear’s attacks gain +1D DMG (already figured in).

QUADRUPED

The Bear’s Basic move is 16 meters.

DOG

DEX 2D KNO 1D MEC 1D

Brawl 2D

WEAPONS:

Claw/Beak (DMG STR+2)

SWIFT RAPTOR

When flying, if the Bird of Prey makes a Basic move, it can make a Brawl roll without a multiple action penalty. The Bird can choose to either deal +1D DMG with its attack, or snatch a small target such as a snake, mouse, or rabbit.

Instinct 1D Investigate 1D

STR 2D+2 Brawl 2D

WIL 1D ARM: —

PER 3D+1

WIL 2D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 6

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

Bite (DMG STR+1D)

SENSITIVE SNOUT

The Wolf gets +2 on all scent-based PER rolls.

QUADRUPED

The Dog’s Basic move is 16 meters.

FLYING

The Bird of Prey’s Basic move is 24 meters when in flight.

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PIT VIPER DEX 3D

Reflex 4D Stealth 4D

KNO 1D MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 3 Readied 9 Psyche 3

PER 1D+1

Instinct 1D

STR 1D+2

Brawl 2D Climb/Jump 1D

WIL 1D ARM: —

When the Pit Viper hits a living target with a Brawl attack, the target must succeed on a DN15 STR (Stamina) roll or immediately become Mortally Wounded until the poison is neutralized.

SLITHERING

The Pit Viper’s Basic move is 12 meters.

DEX 2D+2

PER 3D

KNO 1D

STR 3D+1

MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 6

KNO 1D

Survival 1D

MEC 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 9 Psyche 3

PER 2D STR 2D+2

Brawl 2D Climb/Jump 1D Stamina 1D

WIL 1D ARM: —

RAT SWARM.

VENOMOUS VIPER

Survival 1D

Stealth 3D

Bite (DMG STR+1D)

Bite (see below)

Stealth 1D

DEX 3D+2

WEAPONS:

WEAPONS:

WOLF

TRENCH RAT

Instinct 1D Brawl 2D

WIL 2D Grit 1D

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

Bite (DMG STR+1D)

PACK HUNTER

The Wolf gets +2 on attack rolls for each ally in Point-blank range of its target.

The Trench Rat gains a cumulative +1 to DMG for every other Trench Rat engaged with the same target.

SENSITIVE SENSES

+2 on all scent-based and hearing-based PER rolls.

BURROWER

Basic move when burrowing is 4 meters.

WOLF PACK LEADER DEX 3D+2

PER 3D

KNO 1D

STR 4D+1

MEC 1D

WIL 3D

Stealth 2D Survival 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 9

Instinct 2D Brawl 4D

Grit 4D Intimidate 4D

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

Bite (DMG STR+1D)

INSPIRE VICIOUS BRAVERY

Any Wolf ally within 30 meters gains +1D on all Grit and Damage rolls. Wolf Pack Leader gains a cumulative +2 Bonus to Attack rolls for every ally also in hand-to-hand range with the target.

SENSITIVE SNOUT

SENSITIVE SNOUT

QUADRUPED

LEADER OF THE PACK

The Wolf gets +2 on all scent-based PER rolls. The Wolf’s Basic move is 16 meters.

Wolf Pack Leader gets +2 on all scent-based PER rolls. Wolf Pack Leader always appears with 1D Wolves.

QUADRUPED

The Wolf Pack Leader’s Basic move is 16 meters.

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HORSE DEX 3D+1

PER 2D

KNO 1D

STR 4D+2

Reflex 1D

MEC 1D

Instinct 1D Climb/Jump 1D Stamina 1D

MULE DEX 2D

Acrobatics 1D

KNO 1D MEC 1D

WIL 2D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 9 Psyche 6

SRP DEFENSES ARM: —

Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 9

WEAPONS:

WEAPONS:

Hooves (DMG STR+1)

Hooves (DMG STR+1)

TRAINED ANIMAL

TRAINED ANIMAL

FAST QUADRUPED

BEAST OF BURDEN

The Horse’s movement is not reduced while ridden or loaded. The Horse’s Basic move is 20 meters.

PER 2D STR 4D+2

Stamina 3D

WIL 3D+1 Grit 2D

ARM: —

The Mule’s movement is not reduced while ridden or loaded. The Mule gains +1D on Stamina and Lifting rolls.

SLOW QUADRUPED

The Mule’s Basic move is 12 meters.

WAR MOUNT DEX 3D

PER 3D

KNO 1D

STR 5D

Reflex 1D

MEC 1D

Instinct 1D Brawl 2D Climb/Jump 1D Stamina 1D

WAR DOG DEX 2D

Reflex 1D

KNO 1D MEC 1D

WIL 3D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 9

WEAPONS:

Brawl 3D Stamina 1D Grit 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 6 Psyche 6

ARM: +1

war harness +1

Bite (DMG STR+1D)

TRAINED ANIMAL

The War Mount’s movement is not reduced while ridden or loaded.

OTHER GEAR: K-9 gas mask

TRUSTY STEED

SENSITIVE SNOUT

FAST QUADRUPED

QUADRUPED

The War Mount grants its rider +2 to Ride rolls. The War Mount’s Basic move is 20 meters.

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STR 3D

WEAPONS:

Hooves (DMG STR+1)

184

Instinct 1D Investigate 1D

WIL 2D

Grit 2D

ARM: —

PER 3D

The War Dog gets +2 on scent-based PER rolls. The War Dog’s Basic move is 16 meters.

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SUPERNATURAL

The combination of a warping temporal continuity and the omnipresent violence of a world at war has resulted in the appearance of creatures both mystical and horrific. Truly, these beings can be called monsters. All have ties to the flux; some, like the Fenris wolves, keep continuity from erupting into deadly surges, while dragon wraiths and others exist to rupture it.

STONE DEMON DEX 2D

PER 1D

KNO 1D

STR 7D

Melee 5D

MEC 1D

Instinct 2D Brawl 5D Stamina 3D

WIL 4D

Grit 5D Intimidate 5D

CONTINUITY FLUX MAN 1D DIV 1D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 3 ARM: — Readied 6 Psyche 12

WEAPONS:

Claw (DMG STR+2), Bite (DMG STR+1D), Great Axe/Sword (optional; DMG STR+2D)

STONE DEMON These monstrous ape-like beings seem to erupt from people, transforming human bodies like some kind of disease— metamorphosing flesh and bone into powerful sinew and jagged fangs. Some say they were summoned from beyond when the Stone of Gotfaust was shattered. Others believe they were inside of humanity all along, and that the Stone merely brought these beasts to the surface.

UNBRIDLED RAGE

Stone Demons ignore penalties from being Stunned or Wounded. When Incapacitated, the stone demon has -1D to all rolls using KNO or MEC.

SLAUGHTER ALL

Stone demons attack any non-stone demon in sight and will fight until one or the other of them is destroyed.

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FENRIS WOLF With powerful jaws and intense hunting skills, the sight of a stark white horse-sized Fenris Wolf in the drab war-torn landscape is a recent addition to the battlefields of Mitteleuropa. Humankind has destroyed the habitat of the noble creatures, forcing them into the ruined villages in search of food and shelter. Unless provoked, Fenris packs will do nothing more than stare people down before carrying on about their business. Unknown to most, the Fenris are sentient creatures that live in harmony with the environment. Grounded to reality, these wolves act as anchors against continuity errors in the space time equation.

FENRIS WOLF DEX 3D

PER 3D

KNO 2D

STR 4D

MEC 1D

WIL 3D

Stealth 3D Survival 1D

Instinct 3D Brawl 5D

The Fenris have pledged to put a stop to the bloodshed and find a new home. Those found in the company of humans have adapted them as their new pack. The Fenris are large and powerful enough to be used as mounts—if they choose to allow it, of course.

Grit 5D Intimidate 5D

CONTINUITY FLUX DIV 2D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 9

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

Bite (DMG STR+1D)

TEMPORAL AWARENESS

The Fenris Wolf adds its Divine die code to all initiative rolls.

TELEPATH

The Fenris Wolf can telepathically communicate in simple phrases in the minds of any willing, living creature within 30 meters. If the creature resists, Fenris Wolf can force its way through with a Divine roll against the target’s Psyche defense.

CONTINUITY ANCHOR

For each Fenris within 30 meters of a surge point or rend, reduce the Surge Count by -1.

QUADRUPED

The Fenris Wolf ’s Basic move is 16 meters.

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DRAGON WRAITH Conjured from within the shards of the Gottfaust Stone itself, these eel-like shadow forms swarm around Continuity Flux points, melding with one and other and becoming more powerful and deadly. The semi-corporeal dragon wraiths can pass through living matter, causing a catatonic effect as the victims feel the heat leached from their bodies. The Wraith’s teeth-filled maws are solid enough, however. Though they can cause serious damage, they are also weak spots that can be attacked with physical weapons. The wraiths’ ultimate weakness is their burning orange-red eyes that glow like embers. Go for those and you just might drive the things off.

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DRAGON WRAITH DEX 5D

PER 3D

KNO 1D

STR 4D

Stealth 2D

MEC 1D

Instinct 5D Brawl 5D

WIL 5D

DRAGON WRAITH HYDRA DEX 1D

PER 5D

KNO 1D

STR 10D

Stealth 2D

MEC 1D

Grit 5D

Instinct 10D Brawl 10D

WIL 8D

Grit 10D

CONTINUITY FLUX DIV 1D TRA 2D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 ARM: —

CONTINUITY FLUX DIV 3D TRA 5D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 15 ARM: —

WEAPONS:

WEAPONS:

Readied 15 Psyche 15

Bite (DMG STR+1D, Bypass ARM)

SEMI

ORPOREAL

The Dragon Wraith isn’t fully corporeal. Double its STR when resisting damage from earthly sources not made of silver. As a Quick action, the Dragon Wraith may also move through solid objects and creatures at half its normal movement.

HEAT LEECH

When the Dragon Wraith moves through a living creature, the creature must succeed on a DN20 WIL (Grit) roll or become Stunned until the end of the Dragon Wraith’s next turn unless it succeeds on a DN20 WIL(Grit) roll. The Dragon Wraith’s bite gets +1D DMG against a creature that’s been Stunned by this ability.

SURGE COUNT

Enhanced. Dragon Wraith gains +1D on all rolls for every point of the current Surge Count.

FLYING

The Dragon Wraith’s Basic move is 24 meters when in flight.

Readied 3 Psyche 24

SEMI

ORPOREAL

The Dragon Wraith Hydra isn’t fully corporeal. Double its STR when resisting damage from earthly sources not made of silver. As a Quick action, the Dragon Wraith Hydra may also move through solid objects and creatures at half its normal movement.

HEAT LEECH

When the Dragon Wraith Hydra moves through a living creature, the creature must succeed on a DN20 WIL (Grit) roll or become Stunned until the end of the Dragon Wraith Hydra’s next turn unless it succeeds on a DN20 WIL(Grit) roll. The Dragon Wraith Hydra’s bite gets +1D DMG against a creature that’s been Stunned by this ability.

SURGE COUNT ENHANCED

Dragon Wraith Hydra gains +1D on all rolls for every point of the current Surge Count.

FUSILLADE OF BITES

Once per round, as a Basic action, the Dragon Wraith Hydra can make a single Bite attack and apply it against creatures of its choice within 10 meters. Compare each target’s defense separately against the Dragon Wraith’s STR (Brawl) roll to determine success of failure. After using this ability, the Dragon Wraith Hydra can’t make any other attacks for the rest of the round.

FLYING

The Dragon Wraith’s Basic move is 24 meters when in flight.

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RESTLESS DEAD Haunts and specters are the result of the world moving between timelines and realities and picking up shadowy echoes of possibility along the way. Most of these ghostly figures are harmless—merely a haze from another reality, or the fading imagination of a being out of step with the flux. But there are also those supernatural beings whose spirits can no longer find or inhabit their bodies. These ghostly beings come in two general types:

SPECTER DEX 3D

PER 3D

KNO 3D

STR 4D+1

MEC 3D

Brawl 2D

WIL 6D+2

Grit 3D Intimidate 3D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 9 Readied 9 Psyche 18

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

Unarmed (see below)

SEMI

ORPOREAL

If incoporeal, the Specter doubles its STR when resisting damage from earthly sources not made of silver. As a Quick action, the Specter may also move through solid objects and creatures at half its normal movement.

ALREADY DEAD

The Specter ignores any injury less than Mortally Wounded. If Mortally Wounded, the Specter disappears in an ectoplasmic explosion. Treat this as a DMG 3D attack that bypasses ARM. When this occurs, increase the Surge Count by 1D.

SPECTER’S TOUCH

The Specter can make a hand-to-hand attack using STR (Brawl), but as a mental attack against the target’s Psyche.

Haunts. Most haunts are lost souls with undelivered messages, uncompleted duties, or unfulfilled promises that keep their spirit restless and trapped in the current reality. Only when they see their task through can they move on. Haunts are usually defined by a single strong emotion, such as happiness, anger, compassion, depression, or fear, tied to their unfinished business. Haunts can be helpful, harmful, confused, or indifferent in the pursuit of what they need. If a haunt achieves the task aim keeping it in this reality, it fades from existence. However, if a haunt is “destroyed” (Mortally Wounded), it will reappear 1D hours later and continue pursuing its goal. Specters. More powerful than haunts, specters exist only to hate and slay the living, driven by jealousy, blind rage, or some unrequited injustice dealt to them in their former life. Specters can think, act, plan, and communicate as well as they did when they were alive, but, unlike haunts, they are always the enemy of the living. If Mortally Wounded, they disappear, as haunts do, but in an ectoplasmic explosion that increases the Surge Count by 1D. Both haunts and specters must manifest to a semi-corporeal state to interact with corporeal creatures and objects. Otherwise, they’re invisible to the naked eye, but can be detected on the infrared spectrum and heard through radio waves.

FLYING

The Specter can fly 24 meters as a Basic move.

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HAUNT DEX 2D

PER 2D

KNO 2D

STR 3D+2

MEC 2D SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 6 Psyche 15

Brawl 2D

WIL 5D+1

Grit 3D Intimidate 3D

ARM: —

WEAPONS:

Crushing Emotion (see below), Unarmed (STR, Bypass ARM)

SEMI

ORPOREAL

When incorporal, the Haunt doubles its STR if resisting damage from earthly sources not made of silver. As a Quick action, the Haunt may also move through solid objects and creatures at half its normal movement.

ALREADY DEAD

The Haunt ignores any injury less than Mortally Wounded. If Mortally Wounded, it disappears but reappears in 1D hours.

CRUSHING EMOTION

Once per round, as a Basic action, the Haunt can unleash a torrent of emotion on a living creature within 10 meters. The Haunt attacks with its WIL against the target’s Psyche. On a success, the Haunt can choose to forgo dealing mental damage and instead render the target Stunned and overcome by the emotion. The target remains Stunned until they can succeed at a DN 15 WIL (Grit) roll as a Quick action on their round. On a success, the target is no longer Stunned.

MARCHING DEAD DEX 1D

PER 2D

KNO 1D

STR 4D

Melee 3D

MEC 1D

Marksmanship 3D Brawl 2D

WIL 3D

Grit 3D

SRP DEFENSES MARCHING DEAD

Marching dead, also known as Grabgeborene, are fallen soldiers stuck between life and true death. Some blame the proximity to continuity fluctuations at the time of a soul’s demise, while others posit that the remains are possessed by fleeting consciousness from other timelines and reanimated as shadows of their former selves. The Marching Dead rely on instinct and learned behaviors to continue doing what they did in life, leaving them to fight an eternal war where the living are now their enemies.

Surprised 6 Readied 3 Psyche 9

helmet +1 uniform +1

WEAPONS:

Choose either Zuverlässig Z93 Infantry Rifle (DMG 5D, Ammo 6 (mag)) or grease gun (DMG 5D, Ammo 30 (mag)), Claw (DMG STR+2), Bite (DMG STR+1D)

OTHER GEAR:

Ammo (1 6-round mag for the Zuverlässig Z93 or 1 30-round mag for the grease gun)

BEYOND THE CARES OF THE WORLD

The Lesser Marching Dead doesn’t breathe and is immune to toxins, diseases, mental trauma, and fear-based attacks and effects.

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ARM: +2

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THE PLAY’S THE THING

Here are some episodes of action and despair for your PCs to embark upon. There are three short missions in this chapter, Operation Nursemaid, Ashes to Ashes, and To Do More Harm. Those are followed up by six episode plots for you to flesh out, Playthings of Fate, Last Waltz at Nachtwaldstein Keep, the Imke Triangle, Goodnight to Faciltiy X, Operation Express Mickey, and A Surefotted Solution. Finally, the chapter is rounded out with two Random Episode Hook charts for Rescue/Recovery and Warzone episodes. These charts will help you create many new missions for your PCs.

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CHAPTER 10: EPISODES

CHAPTER 10: EPISO EPIS ODES

"Welcome to the frontline of the fight. Hope you packed a lunch and extra ammo because it's going to be a long day." --Sergent Lefore, Këndes Army

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O PERA TION NU RSEMAID

THEME: REVOLUTION

The PCs are sent to retrieve information from a covert contact and wind up leading a brigade of captive children to freedom.

ensure the conscripted workers’ cooperation, the misguided nobleman held their children hostage at a nearby location.

The events of this adventure episode are divided into a few sections, with random encounters to fill in the gaps.

When the local arm of resistance fighters got wind of the remote facility and began to investigate, the conscripted workers had already suffered through months of hard labor and separation from their children. By the time Greta, a resistance operative posing as a cook, managed to get herself onto the workcamp kitchen staff, the prototype plane was due to be completed in only a few weeks.

Setup. Here you present the players with the immediate backstory, give everyone a chance to introduce their PC, and sort out each PC’s motivations for being here in the first place. The PCs find their contact more dead than alive in a pine forest, leaving them with a dozen scared children to look after and several guards to deal with. Will the PCs make a mad dash to the getaway truck with a gaggle of kids in tow, or turn and fight… with a gaggle of kids in tow? Shooting Gallery. The PCs traverse dangerous territory while being hunted by a merciless sniper.

Greta recently discovered the captive children and how Herr Hahanentritt’s been using them to keep the workers compliant. The children’s unhealthy condition, and the fact that without them work on the warplane might slow or halt, has expedited the need to get the children out and provide proof of the evils of the work camp to the resistance.

SETUP

Unfortunately, Greta was discovered while helping the children through a gap in the fence, and only managed to escape with a dozen of the forty-odd children. As she herded the twelve children deeper into the woods, she was shot by a guard. The children left behind were rounded up and recaptured.

BACKGROUND

Wounded and unable to stop the bleeding, Greta managed to guide the rescued children to the rendezvous site and scrawl a rudimentary message to pass on to the resistance before losing consciousness mere moments before the appointed meeting time.

Almost Home. The PCs reach their truck and face one final obstacle to getting their charges to safety.

The PCs are sent on a supposedly easy courier mission that turns into a running rescue-andescort mission real quick when they find a bunch of crying kids and a wounded contact.

Horst Hahanentritt, a lesser lord seeking higher standing with the Kaiser, offered his glorious leader the promise of a state-of-theart warplane—a promise beyond what his wealth and landholdings could truly provide. In an effort to fulfill his obligation, Herr Hananentritt conscripted the folk of several remote villages to construct and staff a hastily erected factory facility and work camp. To

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THE PLAYER CHARACTERS

Give each player a chance to introduce their PC to the group. Ask each of them a few questions to help everyone get a sense of what kind of person they are. These could be anything from

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“What was your childhood like?” to “What was the last meal you ate, and where did you eat it?” They probably haven’t thought about these facets of their characters yet, but their answers will make the PCs feel more like real people.

CHARACTER MOTIVATION There are any number of reasons a PC could get involved in this adventure, including: • Someone they care about is tied up in all of this and they need to find o t here they are. They could be a relative, a lover, a close friend, a mentor, or whomever you and the player decide. • They’ve been sent by a superior to make contact with the local resistance—to spy on them, or to gain them as allies, or get close enough to disrupt their operations. • Their business is killing anyone loyal to the Kaiser—and business is good! • They owe a debt to Dachs, the leader of the local resistance—she did them a big favor, they cheated her on a deal or failed to deliver on a previous promise, or whatever you and the player work out. Whatever the case, doing this mission will even the score. • They volunteered for this—to prove yourself a worthy asset to the resistance, or because they have a vendetta against the despised Herr Hahanentritt. • They’ve heard that people are missing— and they feel it’s yo r d ty to find them, possibly on someone else’s behalf. Of course, you can always make up your own, using the examples above as a guide.

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS At several points during this adventure, you’ll be asked to roll on the Random Foe Encounter Table below to determine what opposition the PCs will face. You’ll only roll 1D, but you may apply modifiers to the roll as explained after the table.

RANDOM FOE ENCOUNTER TABLE D6

RESULT

Less than 1

1 Guard

1-2

2 Guards

3-

3 Guards

5-6

1D Guards

-

1 Dog Handler, 1-3 War Dogs

-10

1-3 Elite Guards

11-12

1D Elite Guards

13+

Main Guard Force

The Main Guard Force consists of 1 Guard Officer, 12 Guards, 3 Elite Guards, 1 Dog Handler, and 3 War Dogs (see Chapter page 16 ). The PCs will only face this main guard force once; every subsequent time you roll this result, substitute 1D Elite Guards.

TABLE MODIFIERS When rolling on the Random Foe Encounter Table, apply a +1 modifier for each of these conditions that applies. • Each previous encounter the PCs have had (cumulative). • One or more of the PCs or their allies fails a DEX (Stealth) roll. • The PCs or their allies made loud noises in the re io s ro nd, i e g nfire or sho ting

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AREAS ON THE MAP Each area on the map comes with its own features that may affect dice rolls. 1. CLEARING This area is open, as most clearings are. 2. CREEK Swift-flowing water and man-high mud banks make for good cover and concealment. In this area, the PCs get +2D to all Stealth rolls and a -3 on every roll of the encounter chart while in the creek. The PCs’ pursuers must succeed on a DN 25 PER (Investigate) roll to track them. However, anyone walking in the frigid water must make a DN 15 STR (Stamina) or WIL

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(Grit) roll every 6 rounds (30 seconds). On a failed roll, they must either leave the area or become Fatigued. 3. ROLLING PINES The tall, widely spaced pines and hilly slopes of this area provide equal parts open terrain and usable cover. The terrain here does not hamper movement, though each pine can provide cover for two adults or four children. Cover is explained in the Combat section of the Quickstart rules. 4. SAPLING SWATH This mostly barren lowland shows signs of a recent fire. Pine saplings and patches low scrub dot the scorched landscape here and

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there. The saplings provide cover and the scrub provides ½ cover, but only for prone or crawling characters. Sound carries well here; any loud noise (gunshots, grenades, shouting, and the like) adds +3 to rolls on the Random Foe Encounter Table. 5. THICK PINES The pines grow thick and close here, slowing movement but offering many hiding places. In this area, a Basic move is only meters, and the maximum range for ranged weapons is Short. The trees here can provide ¾ cover to even standing characters. This area imposes a - to rolls on the Random Foe Encounter Table. It’s also the location of the truck, marked on the map with an X. 6. ROAD The gravel road that runs through the forested area from the nearby village to the work camp is well-maintained and wide enough for two trucks to pass each other. Movement along the good footing of the road lets even the children run and increase a character’s Basic movement to meters while on the road reach round. However, traveling on the road leaves one totally exposed—add + to the encounter chart each round anyone in the PCs’ group is on it. 7. THE GUARD POST One Guard Officer and six Guards are stationed at this small roadway guard post building. They will not leave their post, and will do everything they can to hold it.

KEEPING IT FUN Don’t measure every meter of the 2 kilometers the characters travel from clearing to truck. It will be very boring, and that’s not what we’re here for. Instead, treat it as a montage in a movie, zooming in on the parts of the journey that are exciting or dangerous, and glossing

over the rest. If the players make good Stealth rolls or come up with some cool plans, let them get some distance out of it. To this end, use the scale on the map for when to make rolls—it’s roughly 16 rolls if the PCs move straight from the clearing to the truck. This will make for a faster-paced game, keep the tension high, and give you an action-movie feel.

RENDEZVOUS

Read or paraphrase the following: You were sent on what was supposed to be a routine courier mission—over the river and through the woods near an enemy checkpoint we go. You have instructions to rendezvous with your contact in a secluded grove, and all you have to do is bring back whatever valuable intel she has to The Schwein in Decke—an alehouse that serves as a front for the local arm of the resistan e fighters and their leader Dachs. It all seemed sweet as grandma’s strudel… until the other shoe dropped. You stashed your getaway truck safely in the oods right o the main road ay, and hiked two clicks east. The pristine spruce forest and crisp autumn morning almost let you forget the war and enjoy the scenery. You arrived at the rendezvous clearing without incident, only to be greeted by a gaggle of weeping eyes and runny noses, all looking at you for food, help, or hugs. It turns out the valuable intel your contact Greta churned up is a dozen scared kids—who, according to a note pinned to one’s jacket, recently escaped from a work camp that happens to be building a new fighter lane that’s set to hange the ar reta herself is badly wounded and barely conscious, and the bad guys that shot her can be heard pushing their way toward your position. el ome to the frontline of the fight Ho e yo packed a lunch and extra ammo because it’s going to be a long day.

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ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN The twelve kids are split evenly between boys and girls, and all between five and eight years old. They’re also all malnourished, sick, and as scared as you’d expect them to be.

HOSTAGE

Girls: Anna, Emma, Mia, Lea, Lena, and ulia Boys: Gunter, Hans, urgen, Karl, Stefan, and Klaus

ROLEPLAYING THE CHILDREN Here are a few important points to keep in mind when it comes to the kids. The kids have been threatened daily and are kind of numb to it. As a consequence, any attempt to intimidate them will be difficult (see their stat block and Defining Abilities for details). The kids are in poor health. Because of their condition, they can’t move more than 6 meters in a combat round until they’ve had a good meal and at least hours’ sleep. If the players don’t think of it themselves, you may want to remind them that carrying the kids is always an option! For the most part, the children act as one, following each other’s leads. For convenience, you can make one roll for all the children in the scene rather than making individual rolls, unless you really want to.

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EXTRAS

THE HOSTAGE CHILDREN DEX 3D +1 (2D+1)*

PER 2D +2

KNO 1D

STR 1D+1 (+1)*

MEC 1D

WIL 2D+2

Stealth 1D

SRP DEFENSES Surprised 6 Readied 9 Psyche 6

Instinct 1D

Grit 1D

ARM: —

WEAPONS: — FORTIFIED

Any attempt to intimiate the Hostage Children requires a DN 20 skill roll, while gentle, kind persuasion is a DN 10 skill roll.

*POOR HEALTH

The Children have -1Dto all Dex and STR rolls save for STR rolls to resist damage.

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In addition, communicate the following information to the players, either by discovery through roleplaying or just telling them outright to get things started. The PCs have limited supplies—just what gear their character templates have listed. This was supposed to be no big deal, and they’re not prepared for anything else. The kids trust Greta and won’t willingly leave her behind. If the PCs agree to help Greta, the children will cooperate, within reason. Otherwise, they’ll make all kinds of trouble. The PCs may find it difficult to sneaking through the woods with a dozen wailing children. When the PCs arrive, Greta is Mortally Wounded (For Greta,use the Resistance Spy stats on page 1 2). Explain to the players what that means, then roll 2d6 to show them you mean business. If doesn’t receive treatment, she will die. Overwhelming forces—camp guards, war dogs, and a very vicious officer and his loyal sharpshooter—are currently closing in on three sides, so the clock is ticking. Tension is the name of the game here. Danger is closing in and there’s little time to think. Play up the sounds of mu ed speech and cracking twigs as the searching guards and dogs begin closing in on three sides of the clearing. Roll 1D3+1 to determine how many rounds the PCs have before the first enemies reach the clearing. And don’t forget to roll for Greta’s Mortally Wounded condition each round if she hasn’t been treated. What happens next depends on what the PCs do. The sections that follow account for the most likely situations, but players will often throw you for a loop. If they come up with an idea we didn’t cover, good se what we’ve provided here to help you sort it out. • If the PCs are still at the clearing when the guards arrive, go to Make A Stand.

•

f some of the s go o t to hold o the guards to give everyone else a chance to get a ay, go to ’ll Hold ‘ m

• If they try to just distract them instead, go to Dangerous Distraction. • If all the PCs, kids, and Greta have already left the clearing when the guards arrive, go to We Move Like Ghosts. During this section, the PCs may try to pass through The Creek (Area 2) and or may just risk The Rolling Pines (Area 3), as shown on the map. Whether they use the cover of the creek as far as they are able, risk the road, or just cut thrrough the rolling pines, eventually they will get to Sapling Swath (Area ). Move to the next section, Shooting Gallery.

MAKE A STAND This plan is straightforward, but extremely risky. The PCs will have to weather wave after wave of guard and dogs and are likely to be overwhelmed. Make three rolls on the Random Foe Encounter Table and arrange the results around the clearing in three cardinal directions. Roll once on the table at the start of each subsequent round until the PCs run or are defeated. If the PCs flee, their foes will follow. Continue to roll for a random foe at the start of each round. Should the PCs change their tactics, go to the relevant section (I’ll Hold Em Off, Dangerous Distraction, or We Move Like Ghosts) and proceed from there.

I’LL HOLD ‘EM OFF This strategy is actually one of a few related plans. The players may split the party, using some PCs to hold off the incoming foes others escort Greta and the kids to the truck. This will entail both fight and flight, and may end with

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the guards and dogs pushing past those PCs attempting to hold the line and chasing the others as they race to their getaway.

SHOOTING GALLERY

Alternately, that forward force of PCs might go hunting, pulling the pursuing guards and dogs in opposite directions and allowing the other PCs to get their charges back to the truck with minimal risk and fewer foes to encounter.

The taller pines give way to a wide strip of o enness a sed y a fairly re ent fire he swath of open ground is broken up only by a few sprouting pine saplings and tangles of low scrub. You can see the wall of pines that marks the eastern forest. Not far beyond it lays the dense thicket where you left the truck concealed from the roadway. Just a bit more and the mission is almost over.

Finally, the players might think to use some or all of the PCs as a roving perimeter around the kids and Greta to protect them on all sides as they move. If the PCs deal with threats they encounter quietly, the group could make it back to the truck without too much trouble. Obviously, it shouldn’t be easy for them to do this, especially with barking dogs and signal whistles in the mix, but as the GM it’s good practice to reward clever thinking with a fighting chance.

DANGEROUS DISTRACTION Instead of fighting, in this plan a detachment of PCs splits off from the kids to make noise and draw the guards in the wrong direction. While brave, it buys time but doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. Unless the PCs go on the offensive at some point, it’s only a matter of time before the guards get wise. The dogs, too, are especially difficult to fool with this tactic once they have the scent. The guards’ target is the kids, and they’ll deal with anyone who stands in the way of recovering them—namely, Greta and the PCs—as quickly as possible.

WE MOVE LIKE GHOSTS The wisest course of action for the PCs is probably to get Greta and the kids moving as quickly and stealthily as possible. They’re unlikely to engage the enemy unless found, and try to do so as discreetly as possible so as not to give away their location. Odds are this is their best bet.

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Read or paraphrase the following:

SNIPE HUNT The Bloodthirsty Sniper has taken up a position at either the northern edge or southern edge of Sapling Swath (Area ) in an attempt to try and cut off the children’s escape. He’ll use his Shoot to Wound ability to down Greta or any PC he sees in an attempt to make the crossing the open area too dangerous for the children and, hopefully, delaying them long enough for other forces to arrive. If he’s discovered or has no shot, he will stealthily move until he is hidden again at a better position. The sniper is a nasty piece of work, using the wounded as bait, shooting downed targets, and generally being villainous. If cornered or found the sniper will fight to the death and try to take as many PCs with him as he can.

ALMOST HOME

When the PCs reach Thick Pines (Area 5), read or paraphrase the following: It wasn’t hard to lose your pursuers in the thick pines where you stashed the truck. You can still hear the shouts and whistles of the guards mingled with the growling yelps of their vicious canine counterparts. After pushing branch after branch of the close-set pines, there it is—the truck! The vehicle looks just as you left it earlier today. It’s time to load up as quickly as possible

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before you are discovered… and hope the road back isn’t as full of enemies as the woods you’re leaving behind. At this point, the scenario is over (see Earned Rewards), but you are free to expand it. To that end here are a few ideas. • The PCs have to shoot their way through guards along the road without the truck being blown up in the process. • Upon arriving at the village to deliver the kids to safety, the s find it o ied y a large force of soldiers. They have to sneak the kids in without exposing the alehouse as a resistance base. •

he resistan e fighters ha e een dis o ered and are fighting for their li es in the village against overwhelming forces from the work camp. The PCs need to either hel or make a r n for it and fig re out what to do with the kids.

• Greta isn’t Greta, but a Kaiser loyalist or double-agent using the PCs to uncover the resistance base. • The PCs discover that the resistance sold them out! Now they have kids to protect hile trying to fight their ay lear of an am sh from t rn oat resistan e fighters and concealed soldiers. • The PCs get the kids back safely, but are asked by the resistance to help free the other children from the work camp in a daring moonlight raid while the resistance fighters om the man fa t ring fa ility

Did the PCs accomplish their goals? (1-5 Skill Points) For each question below you can answer with a “Yes,” give each player 1 Skill Point. • Did all the kids get to the truck safely? • Did Greta get to the truck safely? • Did all the PCs get to the truck safely? • Did the PCs take advantage of the terrain and use sound tactics? • Did the PCs defeat or kill the Bloodthirsty Sniper? • Did the players portray their characters well? (1-3 Skill Points each) Evaluate each player separately and award them Skill Points accordingly. For each of these questions you can answer with a “Yes,” award one Skill Points. •

id the layer make an e ort to role lay

• Did the player stay in character? • Did the player make heroic choices for their character? BONUS POINTS! Give everyone a bonus Skill Point each if: • The group worked well together. • Everyone had a good time. HERO POINTS If all the kids made it to the, award 6 Hero Points to each PC.

EARNED REWARDS At the end of a Carbon Grey RPG session, the PCs earn Skill Points to advance their characters. A good guide for awarding skill points is as follows:

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AS HES TO AS HE S The troops at a strategic site have gone quiet, and the PCs are sent to investigate. They soon find that iet doesn’t al ays mean dead, and that dead doesn’t always mean gone. PLOT: According to your superiors, Poenari Castle is a strategically valuable location, but why exactly is unclear. No natural resources are nearby, or anything else that can help the war effort. Regardless, a platoon of soldiers secured the castle three months ago. Three days ago, they stopped responding to any communications. Your squad is on R&R not far from Poenari Castle, so they’ve cut your leave short to investigate. SUGGESTED SETTING: Any large castle or manor at the top of a mountain, isolated from all other signs of life. GM’s TAKE: Recently, a stable continuity rift has been discovered in the cellars of Poenari Castle. For months now, a Dharman Adept by the name of Cay Faruq has been studying the rift with the military’s support. All had gone well, and the stable rift provided Faruq with fascinating glimpses into other realities, but nothing more. Still, the military is holding out hope it will yield something more. Sixty soldiers had been stationed at the castle to protect Faruq while he conducted his experiments, until something crossed over and attacked them—a specter Faruq fled along with a Green Recruit named Xander Baptiste to hide in the pantry. Since then, three more specters have crossed over. Faruq refuses to come out until the apparitions are dealt with. If dragged out by force, he is a jittery mess and will immediately flee the scene in search of another hiding place. ander is glad to see the players but is also insistent that the rift needs to be closed.

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THEME: DARKNESS WITHIN sage of any flux powers is easier, reducing all -5DN to activate a power, but adds +1 corruption point when they use this bonus. Close the rift. While the players are under no order to do so, they should understand that the rift is an open door into a reality that, apparently, is full of specters (and who knows what else) that seem eager to cross over. If no one among the PCs has access to Continuity Flux powers, a controlled blast will also close the rift. A successful DN10 MEC (Demolition) roll will reveal that there is enough raw material on the dead troops to bring down the castle. Once that’s been established, a successful DN15 MEC (Demolitions) roll is required to the charges are set correctly to bring down the castle, while a failed check means the rift will stay open—buried in rubble, yes, but open.

HOOKS/OBLIGATIONS GENERAL HOOK: Sasha Baptiste, Xander’s sister, has hired you to retrieve her brother from Poenari Castle. She is a close friend of one or more of the PCs and has the ear of key generals. She will owe the party a favor for taking this mission. FAMILY: Cay Faruq is a childhood friend. You two used to keep in contact frequently, but now his letters have stopped. In his last letter, he said he was heading to Castle Poenari, and seemed excited at the prospect. MILITARY: Get to marching REGIME: There are secrets the military isn’t telling you. If you can find what they are hiding, you’ll have what you need to topple this regime. DEBT: Long ago you did a job, and instead of handing the loot over to your employer, you double-crossed them and stashed it under

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the floorboards of the master bedroom of an abandoned castle... Castle Poenari. Now they want their money, and if you don’t cough it up you’ll be taking a dirt nap.

SUGGESTED FOES AND NPCS

HONOR: There is a chance there are soldiers in need at the castle. You can’t rest until you know for sure.

• Private Xander Baptiste (Green Recruit)

LAW: Cay Faruq killed a man six months ago, and has since eluded authorities. This is your chance to apprehend him and bring him in to stand trial.

OBJECTIVES: • Locate and capture Cay Faruq, or eliminate him if necessary. • Gather the documentation in the northmost bedpost in the master bedroom. • Optional: Close the rift.

TURN/ISSUES Tingling feeling on your neck: The specters’ behavior escalates as the PCs spend time in the castle. When they first enter the castle, the specters are content to observe them. However, once they start searching the place, the specters try to separate and isolate the PCs, drawing them apart with deceptive sounds and half-glimpsed shadows moving in hallways. Should the PCs attempt to leave the castle or close the portal, they finally attack with the intent to kill.

• Cay Faruq (Dharman Adept) • 4 Specters

SOMETHING NEW/UNIQUE:

ECTOPLASM This clear, viscous chemical can be found on any walls the specters have passed through in the castle, or on any creatures they’ve come into contact with. If even a drop of ectoplasm comes into contact with a living creature’s skin, treat it as the specter Spectral Touch attack. If proper precautions are taken, ectoplasm can be safely recovered from the castle, but cannot be reproduced in a lab. While exposed to the elements. The ectoplasm lasts for 1 hour at night but 30 seconds if exposed to direct sunlight. When stored in a container properly shielded from daylight and oxygen, such as a glass jar with a painted exterior, the ectoplasm will remain stable indefinitely.

REWARDS

• A favor from Sasha Baptiste. •

,

sat hel filled ith e elry orth d x arks tashed in master edroom

HERO POINTS AND SKILL POINTS: • (1) Hero Point for all specters defeated.

Witching hour: Another specter escapes from the rift every three hours.

• (1) Hero Point for rescuing Xander Baptiste alive.

Dedicated to the cause: While Faruq is terrified of the specters, he will not willingly let harm come to the rift—it is simply too valuable to his research.

• (3) Hero Points if the portal was destroyed.

A Ghost of a Chance: The longer the rift is open, the more specters cross over. It’s only a matter of time before they venture outside the castle walls and look elsewhere for prey.

• (2) Hero Points Each if Cay Faruq was rescued and not killed. •

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FURTHER ADVENTURES: A map can be found in the documents in the cellar that marks other potential “rift points”. An especially powerful Specter has escaped and is haunting the party.

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T O D O M ORE HAR M While on a mission to capture a mad scientist, the s find themsel es tra ed in an experiment with deadly consequences. PLOT: The kaiser’s forces have been using a new gas weapon to devastating effect. Created by Dr. Karl Baumann, the Gr n- 6 is a highly potent mustard gas derivative that also eats through cloth and plastics, rendering gas masks and other protection ineffective. The tell-tale eerie green glowing mists that hug the earth when the gas is deployed have earned it the nickname the “Green Reaper.” Spies have discovered that Dr. Karl Baumann is in the field testing a recent batch of the vile stuff. The closest units were sent to stop the test and have not been heard from for over 12 hours. The PCs are sent to capture (or kill) the not-so-good doctor—and get a biological sample of any poor soul affected by the gas. The PCs are to rescue any missing soldier that has survived the attack, but not at the cost of the mission. SUGGESTED SETTING: Any rural farmstead or site of mass casualties that has a farmhouse, barn, or building nearby. GM’s TAKE: a platoon of Green Recruits were detached to capture Dr. Baumann before he could test the new gas on a dozen captured commoners. In the course of the combat against the twenty-man force protecting him, Baumann’s experiment was interrupted. A contingent of the commoners broke free, and some of the gas canisters were punctured. ndeterred, the deranged doctor decided to test the gas on everyone present. The scientist had no way of knowing about the imminent continuity surge in the area, let alone how it would interact with his test subjects. As expected, the men died, but then rose to their feet again as the Marching Dead

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THEME: WAR IS HELL Now surrounded by zombies, Baumann has locked himself in the barn. His failing gas mask and unhinged paranoia leaking gas canisters stacked his only defenses. Somehow, four Green Recruits also managed to survive. Each is pinned down separately from the others, out of ammo, and in need of saving.

HOOKS/ OBLIGATIONS GENERAL HOOK: Major Arthur Goody of the Secret Service Branch has enlisted the PCs’ aid by using the promise of money or leverage to get them to undertake this mission. Major Goody isn’t fair or nice, but he isn’t a pushover, either. He’ll use any means to have the mission completed. FAMILY: One of the Green Recruits or test subjects is your cousin. MILITARY: You got orders… and orders get followed. REGIME: The kaiser and you are a lot alike— both of you will kill anyone you need to get the outcome you want. DEBT: The formula for a newly developed chemical weapon would probably command a high price on the black market, maybe even enough to pay off what you owe. HONOR: Gas is the most horrific and honorless way to die there is. Its use needs to be stopped, and you’re the one to do just that. LAW: Doctor Baumann is notorious for torturing prisoners in the name of “science.” He will face justice in the courts or, if it comes to it, by your hand.

OBJECTIVES: • Locate and capture Dr. Karl Baumann, or eliminate him if necessary.

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• With or without the doctor, get a biological sample from one of the men a e ted y the ne gas a ial of lood or a severed head will do. • Rescue any surviving troops.

TURN/ISSUES Hanging Cloud of Poison Gas: A dozen leaking gas canisters are stacked near the barn entrance where Doctor Bauman is. Mental Break: Dr. Baumann will attack anyone or anything that approaches his hiding place. Continuity Surge Count: A visible, pulsating crack in reality hangs ominously above the area, leaking violet light over the farmhouse or barn. The Surge Count for this scenario begins at 5.

SUGGESTED FOES AND NPCS •

ar hing ead

or so of them

• Mad Scientist • Green Recruits

SOMETHING NEW/UNIQUE: GRÜN-464 “GREEN REAPER’’ This insidious gas affects its targets through both inhalation and skin contact. The true danger of this weapon is its ability to degrade gas masks. For each gas mask exposed to the Green Reaper, roll 1D at the start of every round. On a 1-2, the mask is destroyed. Living creatures exposed to the gas must succeed on a DN15 STR (Stamina) roll at the start of every round or immediately become Mortally

Wounded. Any creature affected this way by the Green Reaper cannot be treated or otherwise recover while still exposed to it. Each canister weighs 1 kg. See Grenades (page ) for details on how the gas is released, spreads, and persists. Availability DN30, price unknown (could be priceless).

REWARDS • A handwritten, partially burned scrap of a er ith the first art of the form la for r n on it •

ar et ag st

ed ith

HERO POINTS AND SKILL POINTS: • For each Green Recruit rescued, award each PC 1 Hero Point. • If Dr. Baumann was taken alive, award each PC 3 Hero Points. •

tandard kill oint re ards

age

FURTHER ADVENTURES: A badly damaged messenger bag is found, and inside are partial files related to something called “Project: GRAVEDIGGER,” which appears to be about making the dead return to action. The tear in reality opens and needs to be closed before it expands even more trouble. Not all the Marching Dead remained in the area. Because of the unpredictability of the gas and the continuity surge, their bites spread their “condition” to their victims. Any they kill will rise as Marching Dead themselves. They might have killed a whole village already.

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EPISODE PLOTS

In need of a direction for your next game table episode? Look no further, here are six plots to get you started.

PLAYTHINGS OF FATE THEME: DARKNESS WITHIN A large contingent of cultists from the Order of Gottfaust are hunting a Dissenting Apostate who has left the Order. This brother stole from the order—taking a young would-be Dharman Adept and a sword talisman called the Gottsblade. This sacred sword has a pea-sized shard of the Gottfaust S hold off the cultist and set the Adept to run tone in its pummel, granting it Continuity Flux powers. Wherever the PCs are, they may become aware of robed individuals sulking in the shadows, obviously looking for someone. When the cultists find their prey, the Apostate will hold them off while the Adept runs off with the Gottsblade. The PCs may even run right into the boy here. Regardless, the sword will use the boy’s fear to awaken his latent powers and cause a rip in continuity. A surge will rip through many of the cultists, injure the old Apostate, and leave the sword and screaming boy suspended in midair over the tear in spacetime. Dangerous energy boils out of the rip, sending licks of crackling lightning in random directions. Fed by the disturbance, the surge count will continuously build and erupt in rapid succession. In the wrong place at the wrong time, the PCs are caught up in the continuity disturbance. All reality will be in peril unless the Gottsblade and Dharman Adept can be dislodged and the rip closed. The cultists want the boy and sword, and stop at nothing to obtain them. The wounded Apostate will give his life to save the Adept and stop the cultist from getting the Gottsblade. The boy’s connection to the blade is both fueling the surge and trapping him in it. Will removing him stop the surge or must

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he and the blade both be destroyed? How will the PCs intervene and what will they do if they get the sword and its shard of the Gottfaust Stone?

LAST WALTZ AT NACHTWALDSTEIN KEEP THEME: IMPERIALISM A lavish ball is being held at Nachtwaldstein Keep, a castle high in the mountains of Bevaire and headquarters of the K nigliche Himmelskraft’s most renowned squadron. The guest list is a who’s who of Mitteleuropa’s elite, including royalty and high-ranking government and military officials. One of those attending is planning to defect and claims to have critical intelligence. Only two people know the defector’s identity, a wellplaced allied spy and the defector themselves. The spy’s handler was killed in a plane crash, and he took the secret of the spy’s and defector’s identities with him. All that is known is that the defection is supposed to happen after the final dance of the ball. The PCs are sent in under fake identities to infiltrate the party, locate the spy and the defector, and complete the extraction. They’re to get the defector out without blowing the spy’s cover. Can the PCs find the spy and the defector, and do it all in time enough to arrange a plan for the exit before the last dance? Can they manage it without jeopardizing the lives of all involved? Can they keep cool heads and stay on a mission when so many targets of opportunity are in one room? Can they play their parts in high society? Can they pull it all off while in dressed formal attire and without much in the way of weapons?

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CHAPTER 10: EPISODES

THE IMKE TRIANGLE THEME: PROPAGANDA VS TRUTH ust north of Leon, situated roughly between the Smattwred Isles, asna Wyspa, and the Imke Islands, is a mysterious stretch of ocean known as the Imke Triangle. Imke is rife with all manner of far fetched sailor’s tales of strange storms, choking fogs, sea-witch curses, brine-born madness, and even entire fleets of sailing vessels heading into those waters on a clear day, never to be seen again. Such tales held no sway with modern sea travel, Galatia until recently. In the past three months, countless Allied sea and air vessels have gone missing in the triangle. The most recent loss was an Allied merchant vessel, the Galatia, which had been carrying munitions and other supplies vital to the war effort. In response to the disappearance of the Galatia, Allied command has authorized an operation to investigate the Imke Triangle, and if possible to salvage any usable cargo that has been lost. The triangle is not far from the coasts of several Mitteleuropean nations loyal to the Axis, so the PCs must be on the lookout for enemy forces. The PCs are to set off from the eastern shores of Kernow, aboard the KLS Albion, under Captain Percy Abbott, an expert on the area. Is there some truth behind the old stories? Does the triangle have some strange powers on the vessels or their crews that pass through it? Are the disappearances tied to the continuity in some way? Could it be a more mundane reason, like pirates or the rumors that Mitteleuorpa has a functioning, longrange, and nearly undetectable -boat?

GOODNIGHT TO FACILITY X THEME: WAR IS HELL Allied Spies through a series of informants and first-hand observation have uncovered the presence of a secret research facility deep in the Eisenholz Forest. An entire company of troops guard and patrol the area about the

entrance. The best way to enter undetected is through the exhaust vents 1 km southsouthwest of the entrance. Intel has confirmed is that ten of the top Mitteleuropean scientists in the field of neuroscience have been assigned to the site, and some are rumored to be working on ways to reprogram the human brain. More troubling is the fact that over one hundred prisoners of war have been moved to the site in the last two days to be test subjects in something called Project Gute Nacht. The PCs’ mission is to parachute in by the cover of darkness, traverse the forest, avoid detection, and infiltrate the facility. Once inside, they are to split into two groups: one to free prisoners, and the other to obtain intel and/or capture scientists. Then they’re to regroup, plant explosive charges to destroy the facility. The PCs will be provided with explosive charges but have no real idea of what they are walking into. Will the PCs arrive in time to save the prisoners? Will the prisoner still have their own thoughts and minds? Will the PCs have to fight their own allies? Is Project Gute Nacht even more sinister than suspected?

OPERATION: EXPRESS MICKEY THEME: WAR IS HELL Mitteleuropa has been using trains to transport troops and supplies while shutting down roads using their superior armored divisions and heavy air coverage. This has allowed them to overwhelm Allied positions in recent weeks. To put things on a more even footing the trains have become Allied targets. After the Allies blew up and dismantled several key bridges and track lines, one general has taken action. Not to be thwarted by the Mitteleuropean command, General Heintz M ller has been using passenger trains as a conveyance for the supplies. Now, he has focused all defenses to guard one particular stretch of track. The reasons were twofold: One, M ller knows the Allies won’t attack a

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passenger train if it means risking massive innocent casualties, and two, only having one line to guard has allowed his troops to stop all attempts to sabotage the tracks and bridges. So the Allies have chosen a new tactic: Why stop the supply trains when you can use them to hurt the enemy? The PCs are tasked with getting aboard the Adler Express, a train loaded with food supplies meant to feed the eastern armored and support divisions. Once aboard they are to locate the officers’ rations and spike them with rat poison—particularly the brandy known to be a favorite of General M ller’s, who’s in command of the division—then get off the train without being detected. How to get on a train that only makes a few stops, all of which are heavily guarded? How to get into the guarded freight cars without detection, and get off again after dosing the rations?

A SUREFOOTED SOLUTION THEME: IMPERIALISM Word has come to the Allies that a noted Mitteleuropean scientist wishes to defect. Spies have confirmed that she will not defect

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unless her family is safely out of the country first. As arrangements were being made to evacuate them to safety, the Axis powers caught wind of the situation. Swiftly, the scientist was put under guard at the research facility where she’d been placed. The roads in and out of the nearby mountain village are now well-patrolled and guarded. The rest of her family is sequestered in the village. If there’s any chance of getting them out, the time is now. To get in and out without being noticed will require using the old mountain trails. They’re too rough for motorized vehicles, but no problem for a surefooted mule. Like it or not, that’s the only way the PCs can get in and out undetected, if luck and the weather hold. The PCs have to face icy mountain trails and an impending snowstorm while sneaking into and out of a well-guarded town with a scared family in tow. Worse, their best transport is a handful of stubborn mules. Can the PCs beat the incoming snowstorm? Do the PCs have what it takes to navigate the treacherous trails? Can they manage to get in and out without directions? Will the family be willing to go if the scientist can’t be freed?

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CHAPTER 10: EPISODES

RANDOM EPISODE HOOKS

In need of inspiration or an idea for your next game session? The following charts will get you started with only a few dice rolls. RESCUE/RECOVERY D6

HOOK

1

Black Harpy Down: A secret cargo plane has crashed behind enemy lines. Its cargo must be recovered before the enemy finds it. Roll 1D to determine contents: 1 valuable prisoners, 2 a spy with intel, 3 badly needed/rare supplies, experimental weapons, 5 gold, 6 high ranking officer or aristocrat.

2

Bring ’Em Back Alive: Exfiltrate someone important from a well-guarded location. Roll 1D to determine the target: 1 spy, 2 valuable contact, 3 officer, pilot, 5 scientist, 6 aristocrat. Roll 1D to determine the location: 1 chateau, 2 prison camp, 3 armed caravan, isolated farmstead, 5 underground base, 6 seagoing ship.

3

Stealing From Thieves: Recover something valuable from a bandit gang. Roll 1D to determine the package: 1-2 medical supplies, 3- weapons, 5 horses, 6 the vehicle of a high-ranking official.

WARZONE D6

1

Lucky Ambush: The PCs happen upon an attractive enemy target. Roll 1D to determine their quarry: 1 enemy supply caravan, 2 large group of enemy infantry, 3 small enemy encampment, enemy general and escorts, 5 soldiers guarding a group of prisoners, 6 small armored scout unit.

2

Bombing Run: Crew a bomber and/ or serve as fighter escorts on a bombing mission. Roll 1D to determine the target: 1 airfield, 2 factory, 3 bridge, research facility, 5 fuel depot, 6 field command post.

3

Blow The Bunker: Lead a small team to penetrate a heavily armed enemy installation to destroy something important. Roll 1D to determine the target: 1 communication center, 2 munitions store, 3 secret weapon, protected hangar, 5 field command center, 6 research facility. Tankers For A Day: Crew a tank. Roll 1D to determine the objective: 1-2 steal an experimental enemy tank, 3- hold off a massive force of infantry until reinforcements can arrive, 5-6 take out three enemy tanks before they roll through and attack an unguarded area.

Gone Missing: Gather clues and evidence to ascertain who stole something valuable to the war effort. Track them down to recover it. Roll 1D to determine the package: 1-2 vital supplies, 3weapons shipment, 5-6 1D vehicles.

5

Deal With The Devil: Do a favor for a notorious underworld figure in exchange for something important. Roll 1D to determine what it is: 1-2 medical supplies, 3- weapons/ammo, 5-6 intel.

6

Death At The Top Of The World: Race to an ancient monastery to recover something important before the competition does. Roll 1D to determine the package: 1-2 sacred tome, 3artifact, 5-6 sequestered expert. Roll 1D to determine the opposition: 1-2 stone demons, 3- cultists, 5-6 enemy legion.

HOOK

5

Guard Dog Duty: Safeguard an important person or location that ends up being attacked by an overwhelming force. Roll 1D to determine who/what needs guarding: 1 diplomat, 2 resistance leader, 3 turncoat officer, village, 5 small airfield, 6 not-so-safe house.

6

Sniper Hunt: Hunt down a deadly sniper hidden somewhere nearby to clear the way for troop movement through the area. Roll 1D to determine the sniper’s hidden roost: 1 ruined factory, 2-3 abandoned town, mountain foothills, 5-6 forest.

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"Come on, you crybabies! It's just a machine gun nest! You wanna live forever?" - Sgt. Dan "Devil Dog" Daly

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CHAPTER 11: ARCHETYPE TEMPLATES

USING THE ARCHETYPE TEMPLATES Character creation is covered in detail in Chapter 3 (page 35). Here's a quick reference for using the 24 templates here to do it live. 1. Read through the character archetype templates on the following pages. Select one that suits your fancy. 2. Determine your character's name, personality, and appearance. 3. Pick a Quirk, Remarkable Ability, and Obligation (page 37). 4. Customize your template—allocate 7D to your skills (max 2D to a single skill). Skills are listed on page 28. 5. Calculate your SRP defenses (page 61) and spend any starting money your template comes with (page 209). 6. With your GM, determine your character's connection to the other PCs. You're ready to play!

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ASPIRING OCCULTIST

BRASH DOGFIGHTER

Background: You claim to have tapped into the power of continuity itself and bent it to your own will. Only a kernel of truth lies beneath that heap of bluster. You have indeed learned to feel and interact with the power of the flux, but only at a beginner’s level. Now that you’ve had a taste of true power, you yearn for more. No price is too high, no risk too great to uncover the secrets of continuity.

Background: You have always yearned for the freedom of flight. As a child, you’d jump off your dresser and crash-land on your bed, saving that airborne moment in between. When you flew solo for the first time, behind the stick and facing death while soaring through the clouds, you never looked back. Every mission is a way to prove you are the best, every risk taken, a way to challenge yourself and feel alive.

Everyone thinks you are obsessed, delusional, or both. Let the unbelievers think as they will; you know what you have felt and done. With enough effort and sacrifice, you can not only unfold the secrets of the universe, but master them. Personality: Eccentric and goal-driven, to the point of being dangerous… and a little creepy. A Quote: “Power is a privilege given to those willing to do anything to obtain it, and I am indeed willing.” Memento: A battered and dog-eared tome, handwritten by you—a record of tidbits, facts, and rumors you’ve collected about fluctuations of continuity. You get +2 on any Scholar roll relating to the flux. Equipment: 6 black candles, box of 20 matches, crooked dagger (knife), Highborn Defender .25, 10 small arms rounds, heavy clothing, 1,000M. Connection to Other Characters: You might get along with the Dharman Adept to gain knowledge from them, but those of the fighting persuasion are just tools to be used. You are very likely at odds with the Learned Scholar. ASPIRING OCCULTIST DEX 2D+1 PER 3D KNO 3D+2 STR 1D+2 MECH 1D+1 WIL 4D DIV 1D

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For some the war is Hell. For you, it’s a chance to be in the skies where you belong. When grounded you seek thrills, whether a fast car, a dare, or a bet to fill the time between soaring with the eagles. Personality: Arrogant, braggadocious, but with the skills to back it up. You prefer reactive decision-making over planning. A Quote: “Sometimes I even impress myself.” Memento: Lucky scarf. You get +2 on all Pilot rolls. Equipment: flight goggles, fur-trimmed leather gloves, Kruezotter Officer’s Choice Sidearm, 3 magazines with 8 small arms rounds each, fleece-lined leather flight jacket (battle vest), 1,000M. Connection to Other Characters: You have learned that attachments only lead to pain, but you’ll gladly take adoration while you can get it. You get along well with Free Ladies/Lords and have a kinship with Grease Monkeys, but you butt heads with ground-pounders like the Devil Dog and Trench Fighter. BRASH DOGFIGHTER DEX 3D PER 3D KNO 2D STR 2D+1 MECH 4D WIL 3D+2

TRA 1D

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CHAPTER 11: ARCHETYPE TEMPLATES

CAVALRY SCOUT

DEVIL DOG

Background: You like horses better than people. Horses don’t brag or lie, and if you treat them nice they’re nice back. Needless to say, the life of a scout perfectly suits you. Most missions up to now have been you out on your own, in the wilds with your horse your only companion. If there wasn’t a war going on, life in the saddle would be close to paradise for you.

Background: You grew up tough and made some bad choices in your youth. When the judge said it was service or prison for you, you finally made the right call. The Corps transformed you from a hard-nosed, know-itall punk into a grim-faced fighting machine with a can-do attitude.

Sleeping out under the stars and living off what nature can provide is second-nature to you. Being the eyes and ears for the troops or companions along with you is a responsibility you take pride in. Someone has to be the first one in to see what is to be seen, and it might as well be you.

The Corps straightened you up and taught you some respect, but also taught you to get it done no matter the odds. You don’t quit, you die. You fight hard, play hard, and live hard. Battles are made to be fought and wars are made to be won. Your life has seen a lot of mud, blood, and battle, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Personality: You are a person of few words— you don’t waste them and you don’t bandy them about. If it needs doing, you do it and don’t talk about it.

Personality: You eat shrapnel and pass mustard gas. You are bold, loud, and brash. You follow orders but have no issues stating your mind. You like your friends like your booze: strong, plentiful, and not too fancy.

A Quote: “The only dumb animals I know of walk around on two legs.”

A Quote: “Come on, you crybabies! It’s just a machine gun nest! You wanna live forever?”

Memento: An aged, worn compass. You get +2 on Survival rolls.

Memento: Portrait locket given to you by a loved one back home. You have +2 on rolls to resist Fatigue or Mental Trauma.

Equipment: Horse (war mount), saddle, saddlebags, canteen, saber, Huntsman RightFire Rifle, 6 magazines with 5 rifle rounds each, uniform, 250M, and an apple (for the horse). Connection to Other Characters: You are most comfortable around fellow soldiers like the Dragoon and Trench Fighter, and respect the Stoic Warhorse. The cultured ways of the Free Lady/Lord and Sovereign make them tough to be around. CAVALRY SCOUT DEX 3D KNO 3D MECH 3D

PER 3D STR 3D

WIL 3D

Equipment: Eagleton E1 Carbine, 7 magazines with 15 rifle rounds each, bayonet, 4 fragmentation grenades, helmet, basic uniform, and 250M. Connection to Other Characters: You’d share a foxhole with a Trench Fighter or Shock Trooper. The Grease Monkey keeps the gears working and the Warhorse has earned your respect. You like the thought of a massive Fenris Wolf fighting at your side, but the highand-mighty attitude of the Free Lady/Lord, Sovereign, and Dogfighter turns your stomach. DEVIL DOG DEX 3D+1 KNO 2D MECH 2D

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PER 4D

STR 3D+2 WIL 3D

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DRAGOON Background: “This family has always served with distinction.” Your father’s words ring in your ears to this day. War is a glorious opportunity to prove one’s worth. Your highborn privilege has seen you to the ranks of the elite cavalry. Each and every engagement presents a chance to win accolades and add to your family’s saga of service. This latest chapter is yours to tell, and by God you will do it in heroic fashion or die trying. Not living up to your father’s expectations and your family’s reputation in service are your greatest fears, but you hide them behind your bluster and confident smile. Personality: You are brimming with bravado, and see yourself as the hero while the others are mere minor players in your story. You enjoy speaking of yourself and your deeds to any who will listen. Some say this makes you self-absorbed, but what’s the alternative— talking about someone else? A Quote: “Have I ever told you about the time that I single-handedly....” Memento: Horseman’s spurs. You get +2 on all Ride rolls. Equipment: Eagleton E1 Carbine, 3 magazines with 15 rifle rounds each, Kreuzotter Dragoon Revolver, 3 speed loaders with 6 small arms rounds each, saber, warmount, saddle, saddlebags, helmet, basic uniform, 500M. Connection to Other Characters: You the Stoic Warhorse as a father figure, and the Cavalry Scout and Trench Fighter as underlings. You are envious of the Dogfighter. You are out to impress the FreeLady/Lord and the Sovereign. All others are fans of yours in the making. DRAGOON DEX 3D+1 PER 3D KNO 3D STR 3D+1 MECH 2D WIL 3D+1

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CHAPTER 11: ARCHETYPE TEMPLATES

DHARMAN ADEPT

DISSENTING APOSTATE

Background: From the time you were an infant, all you have known is the Order. You were led to believe your gifts were shaped and honed to prepare you for great deeds. Each tear in the great continuity was the responsibility of the Order to repair. The more your power grew, the more you discovered that the Order has become a tool of powerful bureaucrats. Changes need to be made for the Order to return to its former glory, but that is not for you to say or do. The great continuity must be maintained and that is where your responsibilities lie.

Background: You have watched far too long as the will of unenlightened rulers, waning traditions, and sickening bureaucracy have not only muddled but weakened what should have been the purest connection to the power of continuity possible. You tried to effect change from within the ranks of the crumbling institution, but were thwarted by stern traditionalists loyal to a fading regime. You lost your faith in the order and the establishment. But you found faith in yourself, so you left and took your well-earned and knowledge with you.

You will keep the world safe, one rift in reality at a time. The Order will sort itself out as it always has. The mysteries of all that is, all that was, and all that will ever be await you to discover them. Personality: You have a youthful curiosity, tempered with a wisdom beyond one of your young years. You carry yourself with courtesy and humility. A Quote: “Will alone is enough to change the course of the world—oh, look at that sparkling light! That needs to be examined.” Memento: Tech-spec night-vision goggles. You get +1 on all PER (Evaluate and Investigate) rolls, and +1 on all DIV rolls. Equipment: Adept robes (heavy clothing), 50M. Connection to Other Characters: All people are part of the collected realities, for good or ill. You try to lead the Dissenting Apostate back to the Order. You find yourself envious of the Grease Monkey for having a childhood. You are respectful to all but the Aspiring Occultist, whom you find somewhat... misguided. DHARMAN ADEPT DEX 2D+1 PER 3D KNO 3D STR 1D+2 MECH 2D WIL 3D MAN 1D DIV 1D

TRA 1D

You have decided to use what you know as you deem fit, and to share it with those you find worthy. You will answer to the hypocrisy of others no longer. This war is tearing the very fabric of the world asunder and you will see it ended, one way or another. Personality: Opinionated, spiteful, and distrustful of authority. You still respect the natural order of things and would see peace restored or the entire world ended. A Quote: “The powers of continuity are not to be yoked to the will of lesser beings, but to be unleashed and allowed to unfold as they will.” Memento: Thaumatrope (page 92). Reduces the DN of any DIV power by -5. Equipment: Kruezotter Officer’s Choice Sidearm, 2 magazines with 8 small arms rounds, robes (heavy clothing), 500M Connection to Other Characters: You are in awe of the Feneris Wolf. You wish to turn the Dharman Adept to your cause. The Aspiring Occultist could be of use as a tool. The influence of a Free Lady/Lord or a Sovereign would aid you greatly. DISSENTING APOSTATE DEX 3D PER 4D KNO 2D+1 STR 2D MECH 1D+1 WIL 3D+1 MAN 1D

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DIV 1D

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FAITHFUL SENTINEL

FENRIS WOLF

Background: Protecting the rich and powerful is your business. Your life for theirs, and you hold that duty sacred. You don’t judge them; you just guard them. It doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad, as long as they’re your charge. You serve at their whim, but not at the expense of their safety. Whether it’s your nature or your training, you can’t allow harm to come to someone under your watch. When trouble arises, you try to deescalate the situation through words, but turn to quick and unyielding action if necessary.

Background: You are one with the world, connected to its great flow by an inner power, but the noisy, turbulent world of the man-creatures has spilled into your hunting grounds. They pollute the air, the water, and the flow. Your once-strong pack has been broken and scattered to the winds by their fire and death-machines. The way of Fenris is to adapt with the flow, and if the flow has brought you to the world of the man-creatures, you will find your new pack among them, and together you will right the world.

Caution and vigilance are tools of your trade. It makes you a poor social companion, but a proficient protector.

You must choose your pack wisely, whether it’s made up of two-legs or more of your kind. Once chosen, they are all Fenris to the end.

Personality: You come off a bit stiff most of the time. You show the world a hard exterior, but genuinely care for those under your watchful eye. You are happy to stand in the shadow of greatness and be of service rather than seek your own glory.

Personality: You are proud, fierce and loyal. You feel your way through things and trust your senses more than the words of mancreatures. You are slow to trust others, but once you do you will defend them with your life.

A Quote: “Respect earns respect. Violence is paid back tenfold. The choice is up to you.”

A Quote: “The pack is life and life is the pack.”

Memento: Box of Red Ready Snuff. Taking a dose is a Quick action, and grants +2 on initiative rolls for 5 rounds. Equipment: Kreuzotter Emissary’s Sidearm, 5 magazines with 10 small arms rounds each, brass knuckles, ballistic long coat, heavy clothing, 500M. Connection to Other Characters: The Sovereign, the Free Lordy/Lord, the Learned Scholar, or even the Dharman Adept could be under your protection. You respect the Stoic Warhorse. You find some common ground with any military types, but your differing views on the proper use of violence mean you never fully see eye-to-eye with them. FAITHFUL SENTINEL DEX 3D+2 PER 3D KNO 2D STR 4D MECH 2D WIL 3D+1

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Memento: You don’t need some human totem to remind you why you’re out here. Instead, you start every game session with +1 Hero Point. Equipment: Your sharp eyes and teeth (BITE STR +1D) Connection to Other Characters: The Grease Monkey would make a good surrogate pup for you, but the age of an old wolf shows in the Stoic Warhorse. Many others would make good pack fighters, but you feel a connection to the Dharamn Adept. The smell of the Aspiring Occultist is troubling and the Dissenting Apostate has the feel of a thing lost and seeking connection. FENRIS WOLF DEX 3D PER 3D KNO 2D STR 4D MECH 1D WIL 4D DIV 1

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CHAPTER 11: ARCHETYPE TEMPLATES

Fenris Natural Abilities: Your connection to the Continuity provides you with an extra edge over the man-creatures. • Temporal Awareness. You can add your Divine die code to all initiative rolls. • Telepath. You can telepathically communicate in simple phrases in the minds of any willing, living creature within 30 meters. If the creature resists, you can force its way through with a Divine roll against the target’s Psyche defense. • Continuity Anchor. For each Fenris Wolf within 30 meters of a surge point or rend, reduce the Surge Count by -1.

FERVENT REVOLUTIONARY Background: All around you, people suffer and toil while those in power grow fat off their labors. Now the war effort has taken what little you and your compatriots have managed to eke out of the turmoil. It’s not right, and you are far from the only one who thinks so. You want to take up arms and make a difference, be the voice for the oppressed, but joining an army does nothing but propagate the current regime. What the people need is a revolution. Once you found your voice, you found your backbone. You will no longer be a sheep to be shorn for the aristocracy, but a hungry wolf gnawing at the very heart of an empire. No mission is too dangerous and no price, even your own life, is too high to pay if it means seeing the regime fall and the people rise. Personality: Fiery, passionate, and opinionated. You wear your heart on your sleeve and wave your flag proudly even when it’s dangerous to do so. A Quote: “Down with the oppressors! Raise high the flag of the free!” Memento: A faded photograph of a lost loved one to remind you of your cause. You get +2 on all Grit rolls.

Equipment: Huntsman Right-Fire Rifle, 5 magazines with 5 rifle rounds each, Kreuzotter Highwayman’s Special Revolver, 30 loose small arms rounds in a pocket, satchel, heavy clothing, 250M. Connection to Other Characters: The privilege of the Free Lady/Lord infuriates you, and the Royal Operative is just a tool they use to oppress the people. You find common ground with the Learned Scholars, and appreciate the Moonlighter’s access to the blackmarket and much-needed supplies for the cause. FERVENT REVOLUTIONARY DEX 3D+1 PER 3D+1 KNO 3D STR 3D MECH 2D WIL 3D+1

FREE LADY/LORD Background: There are many ways to fight a war. Your battlefields are fancy galas, costume balls, dinner engagements. Supply chains are arranged after appetizers, border disputes settled after a soup course, and trade secrets revealed offhandedly over parlor games. Which general frequents which estates can be found by browning through a guestbook or two, and uncovering where someone’s true loyalties lie can be as simple as bribing a servant. Battles can be won and lost without a shot being fired, just as reputations can be ruined with gossip and empires can be toppled from within. Backroom dealings and negotiations made over a bridge game are tools of your particular trade. Sowing discord, manipulating relationships, and outright buying favors are a way of life. If it comes to it, you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, or at least the hands of a trusted servant or a hireling. Personality: Your speech is practiced, wellmannered, and measured. You do not let anyone see behind the mask you present to the public. You are cautious and conniving when need be, which is often.

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A Quote: “We all must do our part; my part just happened to come with a dessert course and a cocktail.”

A Quote: “Betcha a nice piece of rock candy I kin fix dat engine in less time den it takes ‘ya tah make a cuppa tea!”

Memento: A signet ring that proves your status. You get +2 on Bargain, Charm, and Command rolls when your high social standing would be beneficial.

Memento: A way-too-big lucky cap. As long as you have your trusty hat, you can reroll a failed roll once per round.

Equipment: Highborn Defender .25, 6 loose small arms rounds, several changes of noble and formal clothing, 2,000M. Connection to Other Characters: The Sovereign, the Royal Operative, and Master Spy make excellent contacts. You detest the boorishness of the Devil Dog and Shock Trooper, and are constantly at odds with the Fervent Revolutionary and Learned Scholar. FREE LADY/LORD DEX 3D PER 3D+1 KNO 3D+1 STR 2D+1 MECH 2D+1 WIL 3D+2

Equipment: Crowbar (club), mechanical/ technical tool kit, satchel, heavy clothing, 2D pieces of hard candy, 25M. Connection to Other Characters: You like talking to the Learned Scholar, and the Sardonic Sapper always makes you laugh. The Reluctant Mentor lets you tinker with their device. You avoid the Free Lady/Lord like the plague, because they always want you to take a bath!

GREASE MONKEY Background: You had to grow up fast and earn your keep from an early age. When it comes to machinery and confined spaces inside an engine or crawl space, being small and wiry has its advantages. You don’t worry about getting your hands dirty, because they’re neer clean. There’s no machine you aren’t willing to crawl inside, sometimes while it’s still running. You have a knack with tools and a natural intuitive ability when it comes to the inner-workings of a combustion engine. If it’s broken you can fix it, at least temporarily. Sometimes it’s easy for others to forget you are just a kid. On occasion you get distracted by pulling pranks, daydreaming, salivating over a piece of hard candy, or just petting a puppy or a kitten. Everyone needs to remember that while you may be a crackerjack mechanic, you’re still in short pants. Personality: You are what they call “highstrung.” You are overly curious and eager to help, but tend to get lost in your work.

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GREASE MONKEY DEX 3D

PER 3D

MECH 3D+2

WIL 3D

KNO 3D+1

STR 2D

HAWK-EYED SHARPSHOOTER Background: You learned to shoot from the time you were big enough to hold a rifle. That skill has served you well putting food on your mother’s table. You never thought that you were anything special when it came to shooting, until you joined the war effort. You out-shot everyone in training and everyone in the company, and your superiors took notice. You were among the first to be retained as a sniper, and you proved superior to all the others, even without a scope. The dead-eyed talents that once put food on the table are now putting enemies in graves. Every face, friend or foe, starts looking the same to you. One day the war will end, and you can go back to hunting game. Personality: Reserved, quiet and haunted. You talk softly and never raise your voice, but your tone carries grim danger more telling than a rifle report. A Quote: “Every life is one trigger squeeze away from an untimely ending.” Memento: Custom-crafted sound suppressor. When using it, add 10 to the DN of any rolls made to locate your position via the sound of your shot. Equipment: Kruezotter Witwenmacher Long Rifle, 5 magazines with 5 sniper rounds each, Kruezotter Officer’s Choice Sidearm, 5 magazines with 8 small arms rounds each, sniper’s scope, knife, ammo bandolier, binoculars, helmet, basic uniform, 500M. Connection to Other Characters: You get along well with the Cavalry Scout and the Fenris Wolf, as none of you like to talk too

much. You respect the Stoic Warhorse and understand the Shock Trooper. The rest all kind of look the same to you. HAWK-EYED SHARPSHOOTER DEX 3D+1 PER 4D KNO 2D STR 3D+1 MECH 2D+1 WIL 3D

LEARNED SCHOLAR Background: Knowledge is power, or that’s what you have told yourself when thwarted by those more powerful than you. You’re always one of the most intelligent and well-educated people in any room, though that has garnered you little in life besides misfortune. Your pursuit of knowledge leads you to question too much. When those questions reflected badly upon the country’s leadership, you were made a pariah. You lost everything and nearly ended up in prison. You fled to offer your intellect and knowledge to the other side, who welcomed a distinguished scholar like yourself with open arms. Perhaps knowledge truly is power after all—and yours might topple an empire. Personality: You like to talk, and are given to nervously filling any silence with a string of facts. You also have a hard time not making a comment if you know something is wrong, no matter if doing so will make the situation worse. A Quote: “Interesting fact about the Mitteleuropean nightingale...” Memento: A well curated-traveling library. You get +2 on all KNO rolls. When taking part in a KNO-related Combined Action, you grant +2D to the PC rolling rather than the usual +1D. Equipment: Satchel, pocket watch, sword cane (sword), heavy clothing, 200M. Connection to Other Characters: You enjoy conversion with the Sawbones and the chance to expand the Grease Monkey’s education.

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You avoid royalty of any kind if you can, and steer clear of the Shock Trooper or Devil Dog; violence is the first resort of the ignorant. LEARNED SCHOLAR DEX 2D+1 PER 3D+1 KNO 4D STR 1D+2 MECH 3D WIL 3D+2

MASTER SPY Background: This conflict has cost you friends, family, and the life you knew. When you were first drawn into a fight between countries, you were mistaken for a covert contact. Before you knew it, you were caught up in the secret wars that happen behind the battlelines. You were thrown into the deep end and had to learn spycraft as you went just to survive. But it turned out you had a knack for espionage, and soon became one of many faceless agents masterfully gleaning secrets and planting lies for your country. Soon your missions involved taking lives, toppling giants, and leaving more than a few dead innocents in your wake. Those victims are what drove you from the shadows and into the light—mostly. Now you make your own missions, and collateral damage is not an option. Personality: You have learned to play any part that is required to complete your mission or protect your cover. Making a mistake could cost your life. A Quote: “I can be anyone you’d like me to be.” Memento: Cunningly made ballistic long coat. Your coat gives you +1 ARM and can expertly hide up to six items the size of a hold-out pistol or smaller in hidden pockets. Detecting these pockets requires a successful DN25 PER (Investigate) roll. Equipment: Kreuzotter Emissary’s Sidearm, 5 magazines of 10 small arms rounds each, knife, lockpicks, flashlight, ferrocerium lighter, heavy clothing, 300M.

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Connection to Other Characters: You find the Moonlighter to be a useful contact and ready-made patsy. The Free Lady/Lord is a good way into society balls and spheres of influence. The military-types make good escorts into or out of hostile territory, or, when necessary, convenient distractions. MASTER SPY DEX 3D PER 3D+2 KNO 3D STR 2D+1 MECH 3D WIL 3D

MOONLIGHTER Background: You find nothing wrong with wanting more, and the easier you come by it, the better you like it. You’re far from lazy, but circumventing rules, laws, and good taste in the name of profit is kind of your bread and butter. Lying, cheating, stealing, or charming your way into a good situation or out of a bad one is just how things are done from where you come from. If you have to kill, you will, but you try to avoid it—dead victims can only be taken once. While many hate the war, you have found it profitable, and would hate to see it end. Otherwise, someone might find out all the illicit things you’ve done to get by. Living by luck has served you well enough, and you see no need for complicated planning. Personality: You have rough charm and seemingly carefree attitude, but if you, your freedom, or your profits are threatened, you can turn downright mercenary and murderous. A Quote: “Of course you can trust me. Does this look like the face of a liar?” Memento: A pair of highly polished ivory dice (provides +1D bonus to gambling when rolled by you only). Equipment: Reliable Arms Big50 Revolver, 4 speed loaders with 6 small arms rounds each, knife, lockpicks, wrist watch, 1D fake IDs, ballistic long coat, heavy clothing, 250M.

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Connection to Other Characters: Most relationships to you are transactional. You like being around the money and finery of the Free Lord/Lady. Soldiers are always good for quick money with a game of dice. You try to stay clear of the Master Spy, Learned Scholar, and Reluctant Mentor, as they usually see through your usual tricks. MOONLIGHTER DEX 3D PER 3D+1 KNO 2D STR 3D MECH 3D WIL 3D+2

RELUCTANT MENTOR Background: You were loyal to a fallen regime, but because of your expertise the conquerors kept you as both a resource and lesson to any that opposed them. They tortured, mutilated, and conditioned you to the point where your body was broken and your will squashed. Now you are unable to live without the use of a life-support apparatus. For years you played the part of a loyal advisor and tutor, and when their trust in you was unwavering, you made your escape. Hunted by your former captors, you have allied yourself with your conqueror’s enemies. Your new allies have asked you to teach them what you know and, reluctantly, you have agreed. It seems you are destined to be a mentor no matter your own desires. Personality: Standoffish and mean to most. You don’t want to teach anyone, though you can’t stand to see something done incorrectly. You are calculating, patient, and stubborn. A Quote: “Teach you? I’m not sure I even like you.” Memento: Life-support apparatus. While wearing it, you get +1D on all STR rolls. If it’s lost or destroyed, you must immediately succeed on a DN20 STR roll or become Mortally Wounded until you don it again, you receive medical treatment, or it’s repaired or replaced.

Equipment: Kruezotter Officer’s Choice Sidearm, 4 magazines with 8 small arms rounds each, great sword, ballistic long coat, heavy clothing, 200M. Connection to Other Characters: You keep the Grease Monkey close to maintain the machinery that keeps you alive. You distrust any royalty. You find yourself grudgingly agreeing with the Fervent Revolutionary at times, and feel a kinship with the Storic Warhorse and the Sawbones. RELUCTANT MENTOR DEX 3D+1 PER 3D KNO 3D STR 4D+1 MECH 2D WIL 2D+1

ROYAL OPERATIVE Background: You were chosen as a child because you come from a long line of loyal warriors. Like them, you were trained to become an elite operator. Most did not survive this rigorous cycle of mental and physical training. Eventually, there was only you and one other. You two trained, ate, and lived together for three years, forming a bond closer than siblings. You were each other’s only comfort. When the day finally came to send you to your respective mentors to complete the final stage of your training, only one mentor came to claim you both. It seemed the final test was to eliminate the weaker of the two of you. The masked mentor threw down a knife, and left the room. In the times of quiet between missions you sometimes think of how warm your only friend’s blood felt on your hands and the surprised look of betrayal on their face as you watched them die. Your mentor’s words are as loud in your ears today as they were when you first heard them: “There is only one that is best, and that is you.” Personality: You are ruthlessly missionoriented, and will stop at nothing to complete any task given to you. You have learned to compartmentalize; emotions don’t figure into it.

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All you allow yourself to feel is satisfaction when a mission ends, though in truth it feels like it never does. A Quote: “I don’t want to know your name, just what you claim to be good at.” Memento: Keen-bladed honor sword awarded for duty above and beyond your edict. This weapon has the standard statistics of a sword (page 85) and has the Bypass ARM property against Character-scale targets. Equipment: 2 Schattenkorps Whisper Fire Machine Pistols, 7 magazines with 20 small arms rounds each, 4 throwing knives, knife, satchel, ballistic long coat, heavy clothing, 200M. Connection to Other Characters: You see most other characters as tools in your tool box: Each has their uses, but none are indispensable. You don’t get close; close is a weakness, You don’t have friends, for their sake as much as yours. You never know who you may need to kill if the mission calls for it. ROYAL OPERATIVE DEX 3D+1 PER 4D KNO 2D STR 3D+1 MECH 2D+1 WIL 3D

SARDONIC SAPPER Background: You tried to do your duty and sign up for the army, but they said you weren’t in good enough shape to don the uniform and die. It seems that all those years in the mine took their toll on your lungs and body. You thought you might have to miss out on the action. Then trench warfare became the way of things, and the need for those with your particular skillset arose. Anyone can dig a tunnel, trench, or fortification, but they needed people like you who knew how to work with explosives and weren’t afraid of the risks of doing so in the middle of a battlefield.

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So you got your uniform and you get to blow things up. Who says dreams don’t come true? Personality: Always ready with some gallows humor or a biting quip. You don’t really fear much because you could be blown sky-high at any moment. A Quote: (lights a cigar with the burning fuse of a stick of dynamite) “Sure it’s safe to smoke—ya just gotta run a little faster is all.” Memento: Lucky rabbit’s foot. With it in hand, once per game session you can turn a Catastrophic Failure into a Partial Success. Equipment: Reliable Arms Big50 Revolver, 3 speed loaders with 6 small arms rounds each, knife, 4 concussion grenades, 4 fragmentation grenades, 10 sticks of dynamite, demolitions tool kit, shovel, flashlight, satchel, 2D cheap cigars, helmet, basic uniform, 100M. Connection to Other Characters: There is a kinship with the Grease Monkey, and the Sawbones’ bitterness goes well with your brand of humor. The Stoic Warhorse is too uptight for you, but other soldier-types respect your grit and skills. Others find you crass and offputting. SARDONIC SAPPER DEX 3D PER 3D KNO 2D STR 3D MECH 3D+2 WIL 3D+1

SAWBONES Background: You were a simple country doctor, from a small village. The war was a thing that happened far away and something to talk about over Sunday dinners. Then your village was deemed a “strategic advantage point.” The generals on the other side must have thought the same, because war was now at your front door. Buildings were burned and bullet-ridden as both sides vied for occupation. One by one your friends and neighbors left or were killed. Soon enough you were “drafted” for your medical skills. Doctors, unlike the wounded, are in short supply.

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Before the war it was birthing babies, setting broken bones, and treating the occasional livestock ailment. Now sawing off limbs, being bathed in blood, and staring into a hundred dead eyes a day has become your routine. Drink helps, but only to steady your hands. Nothing erases the army of dead faces that look back at you when you close your eyes. Personality: Surly, embittered, and constantly worn to the edge of exhaustion. Your bedside manner may be lacking, but you will do your job no matter the cost. A Quote: “I’m a doctor, not a magician! Now hand me that saw.” (Proceeds to cut patient in half). Memento: Anatomy textbook signed by a mentor. Adds +1D to all Medical rolls. Equipment: Highborn Defender .25, 6 loose small arms rounds (wrapped in handkerchief), bottle of hard liquor (as antiseptic and to keep your hands from shaking), hatchet (you lost your bone saw), medical kit, 6 field bandages, heavy clothing, 250M. Connection to Other Characters: The Sardonic Sapper is a boon companion. You find the Learned Scholar intellectually stimulating, but anyone in a uniform as just a future customer. SAWBONES DEX 3D PER 3D KNO 3D+2 STR 3D MECH 2D+1 WIL 3D

SHOCK TROOPER Memento: Favorite pig-sticker, its worn handle replete with the notches of the lives it’s ended in your hands. When you wield this trench knife, its DMG is STR+2D. Equipment: Botella Cinco Pump-Action Shotgun, 25 shotgun shells (shot), Reliable Arms Big50 Revolver, 2 speed loaders with 6 small arms rounds each, 4 fragmentation

grenades, trench mace, knife, another knife, gas mask, ammo bandolier, satchel, helmet, basic uniform, 100M. Background: You’ve always had a knack for hurting people. In your neighborhood, it was hit or get hit—right and wrong never entered into it. When you needed to make a living, the army was an easy way to do it. It wasn’t long before things escalated, and you found yourself just trying to survive in the trenches. After one particularly brutal trench raid, your superiors recognized what can only be called your “gift” for violence. With a gun, knife, club, or fist, you excel at dispatching the enemy. You’ve ended the lives of countless people, many with your bare hands… and you’re beginning to enjoy it. Personality: Hurting people doesn’t phase you. You are calm, to the point of being cold. People’s feelings aren’t a concern to you, since you don’t really know what feelings are. A Quote: “Hit ’em hard, hit ‘em fast and hit ’em so they don’t get up again. It’s pretty simple.” Connection to Other Characters: The Trench Fighter respects you, the Hawkeyed Sharpshooter understands you, and the Devil Dog enjoys your company. The Stoic Warhorse appreciates your efficiency, but everyone else is either uneasy around you or outright loathes you. SHOCK TROOPER DEX 3D

PER 3D

KNO 2D

STR 4D

MECH 3D

WIL 3D

SOVEREIGN Background: Those royal blood are held to a higher standard than those of lesser breeding. Nobility is not inherited, but truly measured by how one rises to the challenge of leadership, duty and honor. Any fool can fire a weapon and traipse across a battlefield, but it takes real mettle to navigate the mazes of courtly intrigue.

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One must treat the common folk as well as they deserve and make the decisions for them that they are ill-suited or ill-equipped to do for themselves. Luckily for all concerned, you have decided to lend your aid to finding a way to bring this raging conflict to an end. With your leadership, connections, and keen sense of righteousness, it should be a small matter to bring a swift and decisive conclusion to all this dirty war business. There is no problem that can’t be solved with some combination of social rank and money. Personality: Confident and commanding with a hint of self importance. You can be charming when needed to get your way. A Quote: “Worry not, I’ll handle this. You there—do you know to whom you speak?” Memento: An ornate silver medallion marking your royal station and emblazoned with your family seal. You get +1D to Command rolls when your station would be beneficial. Once per game session, you can spend 1 Hero Point and show your seal to allied NPCs to request (or demand) 1D x 500M worth of goods, services, or cash. Equipment: Kruezotter Officer’s Choice Sidearm, 3 magazines with 8 small arms rounds each, sword, ballistic long coat (tailored as a great cloak), noble clothing, 2000M. Connection to Other Characters: The Royal Operative and Free Lord/Lady are good breeding. You find the Learned Scholar and Sawbones... tolerable. The Aspiring Occultist is a curiosity, and the Moonlighter is amusing. Soldiers are a bore, save the Dragoon. SOVEREIGN DEX 2D+1 PER 3D+2 KNO 3D+2 STR 2D+1 MECH 2D WIL 4D

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STOIC WARHORSE Background: You have seen a life of service and given your heart, soul, and literally parts of yourself in the name of duty. Your age and the collection of shrapnel in your carcass may slow you down physically, but your mind is sharp as ever. Retirement was an option, but it didn’t suit you. A warrior needs a war, and you went and found one. Despite having only one eye, you still can shoot straight and see the truth that this latest conflict needs your experience to see it done. While the powers that be try to nudge you towards an advisory position, you still have a scrap or two left in you before they plant you in the ground. You are glad to lend your knowledge, skill, and experience to any that are wise enough to take you seriously. Old lions are still lions, after all. Personality: Dutiful, brave, curmudgeonly. Your words are measured, curt, and mostly saved for commands and communicating relevant information. A Quote: “I was winning battles long before you were a glint in your mother’s eye!” Memento: Pocket flask full of the good stuff, dented where a bullet hit it. While the flask is on your person, it gives you +2 ARM. This ARM doesn’t count when figuring penalties from wearing armor. Equipment: Reliable Arms Big50 Revolver, 4 speed loaders with 6 small arms rounds each, saber, knife, pocket watch, basic uniform (slightly out of date), 500M. Connection to Other Characters: You are comfortable with Trench Fighters and other soldiers. The Learned Scholar is useful for an advisor or dinner companion, but you distrust the Mater Spy and have no use for the undisciplined likes of the Moonlighter. STOIC WARHORSE DEX 3D PER 3D KNO 3D STR 3D MECH 2D+1 WIL 3D+2

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TRENCH FIGHTER Background: You felt a need to serve your country and prove your worth to not only your father but also the love of your life. At first, you were wide-eyed and in awe of the uniform, the concept of belonging to a brotherhood, and the glorious battles you imagined awaited you. That ended real quick. Your youthful foolishness and romantic notions of war washed away with your first charge. The uniform doesn’t look as sharp when the soldier wearing it is a crumpled mass of bones and blood. Notions of brotherhood disappear when there is only so much room in a foxhole to avoid mortar shells. The glory fades when you’re face-to-face with a man stealing his last breath around the rusty bayonet you’ve driven through his chest. Personality: You are hard, distant, and purposeful. You try not to get too close with anyone, before you have to bury another friend.

A Quote: “War is Hell. You have to be devil enough to survive it.” Memento: A photo of a sweetheart in the frame made of a hardtack ration biscuit. You get +2 on all rolls to resist Fatigue or Mental Trauma. In a pinch you can eat the frame (a day’s ration). Equipment: Eagleton E1 Carbine, 6 magazines with 15 rifle rounds each, trench knife, canteen, shovel, ammo bandolier, helmet, basic uniform, 100M. Connection to Other Characters: You might have a contemptuous relationship with the Sovereign because of the class divide, but trust the Royal Operative to get you through combat alive. You surely have a friendly rivalry with the Dogfighter over who’s got it harder. TRENCH FIGHTER DEX 3D+1 PER 3D+1 KNO 1D STR 3D+2 MECH 3D WIL 3D+2

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CARBON GREY CHARACTER REGISTRATION FORM SERIAL NUMBER

1123

ARM NAME

ARCHETYPE

AGE

HEIGHT

BUILD

Q u o te:

P er s o n a l i ty :

Re f: f-3 156

DEX Acrobatics Melee Reflex

PERSONA Evaluate

Sleight of Hand Quirks

KNO Espionage Medical Scholar Sciences Survival Technical

Brawl Climb/Jump Remarkable Abilities

MEC Demolitions

SRP

Intimidation

CONTINUITY FLUX SKILLS DIVINE

TRANSMOGRIFY

MERITS/DEMERITS HERO POINTS

CORRUPTION POINTS

SKILL POINTS

W ea p o n s , Ar m o r & Gea r

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