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Character Burner Development
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Luke Crane, Pete Tierney, Badck
Burning Wheel Gold Development
Drozdalski, Thor Olavsrud, Chris “Master Burner“ Allingliam, Aaron Brown, Rich Soto, Danaller Dempsey, George Thompson
Luke Crane, Thor Olavsrud, Baclek
and Mike Vanl-lelcler
Drozdalski, Anthony Hersey, Jake Norwood,
“limit, Skill and Spell Help
Prescott, Keith Senkowski, Carly Bogen,
Pete Tierney, Thor Olavsrud, Baclek
Jared Sorensen, Willlelm Fitzpatrick
Topi Makkonen, Bicli Soto, hlichael
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Grandsire of the Elves
Additional Advice a11d Development
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Bob Doherty
Burning Internets
Don Corcoran, Jaso11 Roberts, H011 Edwartl ,
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Louis Nava and the lnost sagacious and ,1
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Charts and Sheets Ben Morgan
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Cover Illustrations
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Burning Wheel Spot Illustrations and Thumbnails Rebekah “Spyder” Bennington, Kev Sather, Dan Schenstrom and Dan Licht; Pentagram Wizard by Michael Sorensen. Wheel Shooting
Karlnlan, for coming up with so many damn cool ideas. Rich Soto, Chris Allinghani, Andy Markhain, Danaher Dempsey and Dan Abram for putting up with me and s ll having a good time.
Flames Graphic and Mounted Knight by Thanks to Mark Smylie for kindly donating
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Colin Theriot.
Section Page Illustrations
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lo ok even better. Thank you to everyone who has read,
Kev Sather
talked about, debated, defended, explained,
Character Burner Illustrations
demoed, purchased, played and run the
Fire Folios: Kurt Komoda
game since ZUUZI You’re the best fans ever.
Cliaracter Burner Front Page: Mark Smylie (\vww.artesiaon]ine. com)
Extra Thank You On Top
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To Ken Hite, who, l believe, l1as impeccable
Iconic Characters: Jordan Worley
taste. If you like t_l1is ganle, and you see Ken
Elves: Kui'tKon1oda
at a con, say a polite, “Thank you.”
Dwarves: Chris Moreno
Gold Thank Yous
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Carly Bogen, Anthony Hersey, Topi
Men: Jordan Wbrley
Makkonen, Jake Norwood, Patrick Itiegert, Orcs: Peter Bergting
Michael Prescott, Brodie Bensend, Devin
Jon Babcock and Brian Dunderdale; you know who you are. l-lart Crane, my amazing brother. Pete Tierney, without whom this game would simply not have been completed. Brennan Taylor, for his laugh. Aaron Brown, for being cool and sane
and Wilhelm Fitzpatrick who has a very
keen mind for details (that I think are in the Silmarillion——Way back in 1991 .
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And let us not forget Danny and Mike at the Compleat Strategist. They’li never let me
Radek, it°s just no fun Without you (\n1/
Gold Dedication
Michael S. Miller, D. Vincent Baker, Jared
This book is dedicated to a lost, confused
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Sorensen, Jake Norwood and Ron Edwards
19-year old boy. Follow your dreams,
for continuing to take me to schooi. Jason
dumb-ass, but be careful what you wish for.
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You might get it—aud then what the hell will
design sessions. Ralph Mazza, for the down
you do?
to earth support and insight. Kaare Berg, for
A Special Nod
amazing actual play posts. Oscar Rodriguez,
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rules, hut are not). And Abby Bell, for the
forget it if I don’t thank them.
feeding 1ne and keeping me healthy with his
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Kyle Davis, John E Bogart, Megan McFer1'en
during my bouts of overwrought drama.
Roberts, for those intense and fm1 game f |
McCoy, Mel Camp, Andy Action, Jon Slack,
Thor Olavsrud who appeared on the scene in the nick of time—to save n1e from myself.
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Revised Thank Yous. .. Bob Doherty, Jason Costa, Jesse MacDonald,
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Ursula K. Le Cnin for continuing to inspire me.
Phil Wedei, Neil Coorh'ieh, and Keith
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tra(lcn1n1"ks (m) of Luke Crane. The five-spokcd Wheel logo is a registered trademark (®) of Luke Crane.
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ISBN: 978-O—9836'i58—()~'1
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Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
the Hub of the Wheel It Revolves on This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Elements of Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
the Spokes Testing Your Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Advancing Abilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Beliefs, Instincts and Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 The Artha Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Spokes in Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
the Character Burner Fire in the Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Character Burning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Dwarven Lifepaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 The Halls of the Dwarves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Elven Lifepaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 The Ages of Elves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 I
Lifepaths of Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
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The Kingdoms of Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
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Orc Lifepaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 I
The Hate of Ores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
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the Rim
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Fight ............................................ . . 424
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Weapons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
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Armor and Shields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
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Anatomy of Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484 Sorcery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499 Emotional Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
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Natural Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
Distance and Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530 Riding and Mounted Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
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Appendices
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Weapons Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554 The Die of Fate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559 Burning Rogues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
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At their core, the Burning Wheel books are instruction manuals on hoxv to play. Luke and comp any have never Wasted much ink on why to play their game. Perhaps because when one sees how to play the gaine, the iv/iy becomes clear. So how do you play Burning Wheel? Fight for what you believe. Or, since it’s a roleplaying game: Fight for what yom' character believes. Everything else i11 the rules tells either how to craft that characte1'°s beliefs or how to fight for them. Bmning Wheel"s character creation chips with character history. History breeds conflict. Conflict means taking a stand. WI1at will your character stand for? Burning Wheel°s core mechanics, advancement a11d Artha rules demand more—than-usual attention fro111 the player. Skill or stat advancement isn°t an afterthought, but rather a crucial part of the game. The decision to solve a problem with cold steel or silken Words isn"t just one of better numerical values—it"s a question of who you, the player, want your character to become. Every actio11—pass or fail—is growth. Every decision affects how your character matures, shifts, changes. Even little decisions impact the character in permanent, subtle Ways. The Wheel"s Ri111, those “crunchy bits” that players like 111e thrive on, builds tension when the heat is on by putting 111ore control i11to the player°s hands. Burning WI1eel is a game, and like all good games, it requires skill to play. To really enjoy Burning Wheel requires some investment in Burning \Vheel. You, the player, have to care. You have to believe. I believe in Burning Wheel. Like a Burning Wheel character, Pm a11 amalgam of my experiences: military brat, missionary in a foreign la11d, veteran of the Iraq War, husband and father, and historical European martial artist. For each of these things, the sully is built into the how. I love each of these parts of my life because of how I lived them. If life is a game, then I love my experiences because of horvI played them.
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The Burning Wheel is a roleplaying game. Its mood and feel are reminiscent of tl1e lands created by Ursula K. Le-Cuin, Stephen B.
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The in-ga111e consequences of the players’ decisions are described in this rulebook. The moral ramifications are left to you.
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Using This Book This book, B1u'ning Wheel Cold, is the updated, revised and combined edition of Burning \Vheel Revised. It contains both the Burning Wheel Fantasy Roleplaying System and the Character Burner. These books are identified with wood and flaine borders respectively. The basic rules for play are presented first. We recommend starting by reading the first 75 pages of the Burning Wheel. After digesting the basics, make—or “burn,” in our parlance—a character. Then get some friends together and play the game! After you°ve played, explore the rules further to see what you"d like to add to your game.
Voices in
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As you read through the rules, you will encounter three little imps. These imps represent the author"s voice in certain p arts of the text. Basic rules text is not preceded by any of the imps. This “rules voice” is used to convey most of the information in the game. The imps offer commentary 011 the rules. This character indicates that I am asking the reader to take note. "= The text. following him is written i11 my voice, rather than the rules voice. I call this guy the Lustructor. You can call him “Luke” if you want to. For example: “Tlianlcs Luke, that was very helpful! ” -1.
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with a grain of salt. For example, “I wish Lulce would slmt up I "° The Weeper is a strange one, prone to outbursts of tears at the I ‘J oddest times; sometinies tears of sadness, sometimes fear a11d sometimes tears of joy. He frequently squirts when death or something else very scary is 11ear. “\Vhat"s he carrying on about now?”
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T} This is the Banter. He rears his ugly head whenever I ani yelling WT about something. This usually comes in the form of harsh advice or warnings regarding the limits of Burning Wheel. Take what he says
Burning Wheel is best played sitting around a table with your friends— face to face. It is inherently a social gaine. The players interact with one another to con1e to decisions and have the characters undertake actions. One of you takes 011 the role of the game master. The GM is responsible for challenging the players. He also plays the roles of all of those __
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characters not taken 011 by other players, he guides the pacing of the events of the story; a11d he arbitrates rules calls and interpretations so that play progresses smoothly. 1--l
Everyone else plays a protagonist in the story. Even if the players decide to take on the roles of destitute wastrels, no matter how unsavory their exploits, they are the focus of the story. The GM_presents the players
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with problems based 011 the players’ priorities. The players use their characters’ abilities to overcome these obstacles. To do this, dice are rolled a11d the results are interpreted using the rules presented i11 this book.
Sheets 0f Paper Eacl1 player is required to keep a written record of his ' “
character. Character sheets are provided on our website at
www.burningwheel.org for just this purpose. Characters i11 Burning \Vheel evolve and grow as play progresses, so I recommend using a pencil to mark the sheet. There are a few other sheets used i11 play to keep track of moment to moment stuff, but tl1ey°ll be discussed later down the line. The GM has the responsibility to keep notes on the characters a11d monsters that he uses. These donlt need to be fully fleshed out—a few numbers usually suffice. But there are certain characters that will need to be described fully in order to give them their due in play.
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Burning Wheel uses common six~sided dice for all rolls. From here on out, these dice are referred to as D6 (which is gamer—tallc for “six-sides”). Groups of them are referred to as 3D6, 4D6, 5D6, or 3D, ‘ID, 5D for
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Difficulty Number Dice i11 Btuning Wheel are rolled i11 handfuls (or pools) of usually three
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a “no"" result is a traitor to your cause and doesn’t count toward success. The number needed for the die to achieve the “yes” result is called the c1{'f)li'ct¢Zit_')/' nmnber. For the purposes of explaining the rules, a “yes” result is a '1, 5 or 6 011 a die. A “no” result is a 1, 2 or 3. (Traitors!) There are
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only two instances where this changes, and they will be discussed later.
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Successes When a die rolls a “yes” result, we call it a success. After the dice are rolled, cotmt up all your successes.
R0/tiny a /zana/)4»:/of/ire nice, m)/6/tlima//u6»f’y1'i/6.5 merz Z 2, 2, 4, Srcsn/z‘. Two oft/16 é/ice came up 4 or /zijlzcr. Thou; I ra//ed two successes. \Vhen a player rolls dice, he needs enough successes that his character p asses the tests set before him in the game.
Ability Ratings Exponent l The number next to yom' characteris stats, attributes and skills 1&6 indicates how many dice to roll when that ability is called up 011. ‘We here at Burning Wheel HQ call that number the exponent of the ability because it is the representative of the character°s actual ability in
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Exper selu xponent Below is a list of exponents (exp) in Burning Wheel and what they imply
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Exp 2 is untrained, raw, weak or unpracticed Exp 3 is nominally trained a11d practiced Exp 4 is competent, everyday stuff doesn°t pose a challenge Exp 5 is expert Exp 6 is near mastery Exp 7 is excellence
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Every ability numb er in Burning \Vheelis accompaniedby a letter. This letter indicates the “level of potential,” or shade, of that ability. The letters, in turn, correspond to both a
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color and a number. B is black shade and means
the player rolling for that ability needs ‘is or better for successes. G is gray shade and needs 3s or better for successes. Cray shades indicate heroic potential. W is white shade a11d needs 2s or better. White shade is for supernatural potential. Having a G or \V shade ability is the only time the difficulty " élllllllbtil‘ for a roll varies from 4 (or B shade). Changing an ability’s shade is discussed i11 the Character Burner and Artha sections of this book.
When to R011 Burning Wheel is very much a game. While players undertake the roles of their characters and embellish their actions with performance a11d description, rolling the dice determines success or failure a11d, hence, where the story goes.
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Tests You make tests during dramatic moments, when the outcome is uncertain.
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Tests are the teeth of the gears of this game. Without tests, nothing catches and moves forward. ln fact, i11 a situation involving conflict, a test is required. A player cannot affect another character without testing an ability to back it up. , Testing abilities is a good thing! Not only do tests chive the story ' " by providing tangible results for our actions, they allow the character a chance to improve his abilities and attain greater heights.
Obstacles to Overcome , So now we know how to test an ability—roll the nmnber of dice 13$) indicated. 4s or better count as successes, the more successes the better. Players need to generate successes i11 order to pass more difficult tests—tests that require multiple successes to overcome. The number of successes needed to pass a test is called the obstacle (Ob). It is the CM°s role to assign appropriate obstacles based 011 the inherent complexity of the task at hand.
The GM refers tc the Carycenter ehIIIaneIa/etermines that reza rczhy a eIccr is a reatine tach. There rre, itfs an Oh 2 test. I neeef to reII two .sacce.s.-see on the three eh'ce cfmy characterfs Carpentry .shz'II The higher the obstacle, the more difficult the test, and the more skilled
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who is competent in an area l1as four dice to roll for that ability. Four dice requiring 4s or better means that he can routinely pass tests of obstacle 1 or 2. He ca11 pass obstacle 3 and 4 tests with some difficulty. Anything higher than obstacle 4 is too difficult. Since he can only roll fotu' successes 011 fotu' dice, Ob 5 or higher is out of his range. A character with a11 ability at exponent 5—a11 expert according to our list-—ca11 routinely hit obstacles 1 through 3, but will find obstacles 4 a11d 5 a
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It is the philosophy of the system that some tasks are either too lg”. complex to accomplish without help or simply too difficult to accomplish at all. Sometimes, high obstacles will force players to be creative a11d think of another way around.
Absolute Difficulty The difficulty of a test does not vary according to the skill of its user.
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Increasing Difficulty Obstacles can be increased by problems like carrying a baby in a papoose 011 your back i11 a sword fight. Thatzs +1 Ob to running around and
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Open-Ended Rolls Certain rolls in Burning \Vheel are described as “open—ended.” This means that any 6s rolled allow the player to pick up another die. If you hit yotu' difficulty munber or higher, it°s a success. If you don°t meet your difficulty mmiber, the die is a traitor. If you roll a 6, it counts as a success and you get to roll another die! Tests for Steel, Faith a11d any ability considered “magical” (Dwarven Arts, Elven Skill Songs or Sorcery, for example) are all open—e11ded rolls. Anything ca11 happen.
Basic Dice in Brief ° \Ve roll dice when a conflict arises. ° The number of dice rolled is deterinined by the character°s relevant ability that applies to the conflict. You don’t use Cooking to win a brawl. Know what I mean? ° The number of dice rolled is equal to the number next to the ability. This is called the exp o11e11t. ° For the majority of tests, 4s and better are successes. 3s a11d lower are traitors. This difficulty number is determined by the ability’s shade. ._
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° The obstacle is the inherent difficulty of the task being attempted. You need successes equal to the obstacle to pass the test. ° Ope11—ended rolls— 6s on Faith, Steel and magic—type tests—allow you to pick up another die and roll it again, hopefully adding more SUCCBSSBS.
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Ph-.i~¥!":5f Burning Wheel is a gritty game. It is designed so the characters appear a11d feel like human beings (or a similar analog). They
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Characters are the most important part of Btuning \Vheel. They are the players’ incarnations in the game, and nothing happens in the
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game world that doesn"t involve a player character. Let°s take a look at what comprises a character in this system: He has stats, attributes and skills; Beliefs, Instincts a11d traits; Besotuces, relationships, reputations, affiliations and Circles; a11d of cotu"se, he"s got his gear and stuff that he totes around with him. All of these elements affect how the character is played, and thus l1ow the game is shaped by the character"s actions. To help you get a feel for the system, these aspects are described in general terms in the following section. Individual uses of these abilities are detailed in later sections.
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Stats "D,
There are six stats that describe a character°s basic mental and physical composition in Btuning D/heel: \Vill, Perception, Agility, Speed, Power and Forte.
Will \Vill is the social stat——it represents the character"s strength of mind, empathy a11d social intelligence. It is the basis of a number of skills and attributes.
Perception Perception is the awareness and mental acuity stat. It°'s 1'olled all the tiine in game. Players always have their characters searching for
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coordination of the character. It is
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It°s rolled in game when the character has to push something over or
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Power represents physical strength.
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Stealthy and Climbing skills.
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grapple with someone. It is also the basis for daniage in melee attacks.
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itfn Forte Forte (pronounced “FORT”) represents the characterls physical mettle——l1ow tough and durable he is. Forte is rarely rolled in game, but it is a p art of two crucial attributes: Health and Mortal TVou11d. 1*‘
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Attributes
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Attributes are derived from stats a11d are used for more subtle tests than the raw instances described above. They ca11 also be avenues to
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The Health attribute is derived from Will and Forte. It is used in game to recover fro111 injtn'y and resist the effects of pain and fatigue.
Re exes The Reflexes attribute is calculated from Perception, Agility and Speed.
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Steel is a complex attribute that combines elements f1'o111 different stats a11d the character°s background to determine how steady a character°s nerves are. Steel has its own section a11d is discussed in detail there.
Emotional Attributes Some characters possess an additional ability tied into their emotional makeup: Faith, Grief, Greed and Hatred are a few examples. These attributes are factored by answering questions about the character, a11d are tested by special circtunstances in game. Emotional Attributes have their own chapter a11d are further detailed in the individual lifepath
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Mortal Wound Mortal \Vound combines Power a11d Forte to set the point at which the character dies in the injury mechanics. Mortal \Vound is never tested; it is just a marker.
Shade It is possible to gain abilities beyond the mundane. Your character can have a heroic Power stat or a supernatural Dance skill. These special abilities are denoted by a different shade—gray or white.
Skills I11 Burning \Vheel, a skill is a specialized field of knowledge or particular
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teclniique known by the character. A skill allows a character to achieve his goals more easily than by using stats. Examples of skills include: Animal Husbandry, Mending, Sorcery, Sword a11d Ugly Truth. Cl1a1'acte1's te11d to have many skills—-from four to twelve is I . - - normal. Twenty 1s 11ot unheard of.
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A player must determine the three top priorities for his character. These are fundamental ideas important to the character. They are a combination of the outlook of the character and the S oals of the 1Jla IYer.
I mastprere my worth to m/v cemycamkms, so IwiII§m'eIe them thrcajh these caverns. Beliefs are discussed i11 their own chapter in this book. Creating them is
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Instincts Instincts are siinilar to Beliefs—tl1ey are player- determined priorities and reactions for the cliaracter. They are based on the chai'acter°s experiences and have a tangible function. An Instinct is essentially an “if/then” or “always/neyer°’ statenient foi' the character’s behavior. “If surprised, I draw iny sWo1'd."" The player is allowed to prograni these actions and reactions into his character. Therefore, he can be a.ssured that his character will react within certain paranieters whetlier the player explicitly states it or not at that inoinent iii play. Think of theni as hardwired reactions froni training and experience (and a little insurance the player takes out against the GM). Instincts have their own section in this book. Creating theni is discussed in the Character Burner.
Traits Traits are quirks and odd abilities that the character acquires through the course of his life. A player starts by purchasing traits in character burning, but they will also be earned in play.
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Resources and Circles Resources Whether wealthy or destitute, every character is assigned a Resources ability. Its stai'ting exponent is determined by how the player spent his chai'actei'°s resource points in character creation. Thereafter, it is used like a skill in gaine. Its function is to deterniiiie how econoniically and financially solvent a character is: Can he afford to buy property? Can he keep his equipiiient in repair? Is he forced to beg for food and lodging? The Resotuces ability allows all of this to be deterniined by a roll of the dice.
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Gear is initially acquired in character burning. ln play, gear is ptu'chased via a Besotn'ces test or even just granted by the CM dining appropriate scenes: a knight is granted a new sword and suit of arinor by his liege, or a niagic helinet is found in the burial ]_l10lll1(l of a loiig-dead god, for exaniple. Mostly though, gear is window dressing that adds detail to your world.
The last eleinent of the game that needs to be inentioned is inagic. In Burning Wheel, it coines in inany fornis. Ma B ic inakes lJossible what could not iiorinall 3 I be done b 3I hunian l)I1 3esical nieans or in B eiiuit3I. Not siin P ly. buildin 5 the lJ 3?’1'El111lClS or preserving bodies for thousands of years, but sealing tonibs with unbreakable spells and cursing those who desecrate thern to die inexplicable deaths. It is the tuiexplainable and the potent-—rnystical power over the eleinents. In gaine, this process is represented by Einotional Attributes——Faith, Grief, Hatred and Creed—and various niagical skills like Suniinoning, Enchanting and Sorcery.
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results of con icts and help drive the story. Tests involve the character’s abilities. Whether it°s a Health test to recover 'o1n an injury, a Sorcery test to lear11 a new spell or a Perception test to spot a pursuer, these are the very fabric of the ganie. Characters + Situation + Tests = Gaine. In the systein, there are a few ways to roll dice to overconie
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obstacles. How the successes are counted depends on the desired outcome and the type of conflict. The following section discusses the basic test mechanics, plus the other ways we manipulate dice pools and obstacles. Letls start with the core of the Burning Wlieel system. ‘We call it “Intent and Task. ”'
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Intent \Vhat do you want do and why do you want yo1n' character to do it?
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“I want to kill him! ” , Great. “I kill hiin“ is a11 intent. When declaring an action 1 for a character, you say what you wa11t and how you do it. That"s the intent and the task.
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When a player states “I kill hinil ” we know his intent. By describing how his character will undertake this intent, he de nes the task. Clearly stating a11d linking the task and intent allows player and GM to determine what ability needs to be tested. The result, whether or 11ot the target actually dies, is determined by the results of a dice roll. Roll well and the character colnes closer to accomplishing the stated intent. Descriptions of the task are vital. Through tl1e1n we know which inechanics to apply; acknowledging the intent allows us to properly interpret the results of the test.
24
The Spokes
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Task A task is a measurable, finite and quantifiable act performed by a character: attacking so1neo11e witl1 a sword, studying a scroll or resting in a11 abbey. A task describes how you accomplish yo1u' intent. ‘What does yotu' character do? A task should be easily linked to an ability: the Sword skill, the Research skill or the Health attribute. Inappropriate tasks are: “I kill him! ” or “I convince him.” Those are
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intents. After such pronouncements, the first question any Burning Wheel player asks should be: How? By what means? The answer, “I stab him with my knife,“ is a11 appropriate task description for a nun'derous character. “I persuade him to take 1ny side by explaining his wlfe°s affair with the cardinal.“ is appropriate in the second case.
What Ability D0 I Roll? Once the description of the intent a11d task has been stated at the table, the ability needed to complete that action is usually pretty obvious. Stabbing someone is going to require a Brawling or Knife test. Convincing another character requires a Persuasion or Falsehood test. ‘When adjudicating a test, start with the descriptions in the Elements of Character. If you need more detail, refer to the Character Burner a11d the skill list. If it is ever imclear what ability to roll, the GM should question I -'
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the player. Get him to describe his action in detail, until what
needs to happen is clear to both parties. Once the ability to be tested is established, then the dice are rolled.
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I11 a standard test, the GM sets the obstacle based 011 the skill listing, the conflict interaction or his own judgement. A player rolls his characte1'°s
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ability and needs to co1ne up with a number of successes equal to or greater than the obstacle. Doing so passes the test.
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They/<9/er wants hale eharaeter to/ezkh a /oeh. The GM eenea/ts the .shz'/// st to ndthe ahetae/e. He sets the ehetae/e at 3 hasea/on the §/pe of/och. 7ha.s, the /0/en/er neea/5 to r0// three or more eaaeeeeee from his character? .shz'// in era/er to eaeeeee/‘ii/h/{etch the /och.
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Versus Tests When two characters come into opposition, a versus test is made—one ability against the other. The character with 1nore successes wins the contest.
Mcatac/a is haaj/in_a with a shijcwrijht. /test his 65 Ha_ajh'n_a against the shwwrwhtfs B5 / re// ner successes on my a/ice. Yhe QM re//s three snccesses far the shijcwriaht. My character Mcatac/a, wins the test. If one character is an aggressor by intent a11d one is a defender, ties go to the defender. If both characters are aggressors, a tie means that neither side has gained a11 edge a11d they are deadlocked. Either the tie must he accepted as the result, a trait 111ust he called on to break it or the contest 111ust be continued i11 another arena. Do 11ot reroll the test. If an assassin is sneahinj into a 60144/U n j he tests his Stea/thy shi/i A
nijht watchman tests his Ohservaticn shiit to s/set him. ifa tie resn/ts, the watchman wins the test—he is the “c/e ena/znj"characten //f an the other hanaf a hara/aris canjht in a raic/at his /in/crite /cca/han the I“/a/er tests his /nccns/’icnens rersas the watchfs Ohservaticn. / a tie resn/ts, the hnrj/ar is the c/efenciinj character ancihe wins the test. ~\
Graduated Tests
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Occasionally, a test has no fixed obstacle. It is simply a matter of testing an ability a11d noting how many successes are generated. This is often the case for research, searcl1i11g an area or other knowledge-based skills.
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The amotmt of information distributed by the CM is directly dependent on the number of successes generated.
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Yhor ashs the QM what his character can rememher ahcnt the /in/cat cfhis home vi//age. Can he nci the a/cctcrls residence in the a/arh? He tests his characters Vi//aje—wise shi//anahccmes a/c with twc snccesses. This is/sretw routine hncw/ea/ac; so the QM nca/s the a/jfrmative ancic/escrihes the resic/ence. The information available in graduated tests is rated and judged along
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the standard obstacle difficulty paradigm. One success is obvious stuff, five successes is expert knowledge, and ten successes is a miraculous understanding. Gl\’Is can call for graduated tests if they wa11t to use a skill to measure how well the character performs a p articular action.
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Once in a while, the player characters will find themselves in a long—term or co111plex operation that requires many skills or abilities to ove1'co111e.
Sneahina oat ofa harhor anti saihna throaah /2irate—inftstec/ waters to a remote is/anaf for exam/1/e.
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Linked tests can be performed by a single character with many skills, but
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more often they are undertaken by multiple characters complementing each other. . Note that in linked tests, the task happens across ti1ne—eacl1 F ‘ii test of skill comes at a certain jl111Ci11l‘6 a11d leads to the next. It doesn°t all happen at once.
Failure Behind, Success Ahead When rolling for a linked test, if the character who tested before your character merely met his obstacle, you gain no benefit. If he exceeded his obstacle, your character gains a +1D advantage for his portion of the test. If the character who tested before you failed his test, then the obstacle for your portion is increased by one. /n the exam/2/e ahove, the GM oietermines that this intent is_aoin_a to reanire
three tests: Yhe Orc/oirate mast/oass a Pi/otin_a test the Priest Na:/mator mast thenjoass a Navigation testancithe Temp/e Qaarc/ian wi//test his Ohservation as he watches rr/oirates. /n this case the 0rc—,o/a)/er harsh meets his ohstac/e. This c/oesn't a/feet the Na I/igtllt ij who /‘ai/s an)/wa)/. Lachizn. the ajeah Temyo/e Gaarchian passes his test. o/esyoite the increaseciohstac/e.
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Time and Linked Tests As you can see, linked tests are also a device that allows players to use the task resolution system to accomplish goals of a broader scope. Rather than just maneuvering a ship, a linked test ca11 be used for a whole journey———which can be resolved within just a few minutes play.
Advantage and
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The conditions surrounding a test can modify the base obstacle. Trying to shove someone off a roof is a versus Power test. If the roof is slippery, this is an advantage to the p usher. Such advantages give a bonus to the
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Conversely, it°s pretty easy to spot someone sitting quietly in the coiner of a room. But if the room is dark, and there is a howling wind blowing through the windows, these conditions make it harder to spot that person. hi Burning \Vheel terms, the darkness and wind are disadvantages for the spotting character. —--*1_-. 2-s
Advantage
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Whenever a player can claim his character has a clear advantage
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over his ta1'get—definitively favorable conditions like higher ground, J- _ _ pushing yotu' opponent onto an ice patch or a weight advantage in . _|x I“-PITT?-J w1'estling—he gains +1D to the ability being tested. 3|
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in one clear se11tence—no situation lawyering.
A /9/$9/BF wants his character to throw a roch ana/hita nearly so/aien The character has an Ayi/iw of B4. Theyo/cyer o/ec/ares: "71/enot a_aooo/an/rantaje stano/inf on this cart. /t’s mach easier to hit him. ” The 6}/V! aarees to this +7D ac/rantaje. Thns theyo/a)/er ro/is SD (40 + ID) rs Oh 2 The neea/s two successes to hit the so/o/ier).
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The GM l1as final say over what is and isn°t an advantage. If s. he thinks the target of such a leveraged attack has equally beneficial advantages, then no bonus need be granted. The GM can also
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Disadvantage Any time the GM feels that conditions put a character at a disadvantage,
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myriad sotu'ces—t.he character is moving quickly, the light is dim, the air
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well or he°s dressed inappropriately. All disadvantages are ctunulative— each one increases the obstacle by one.
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there is smohe/‘Pom cnera in/res/oartia/ivohscnrinj the characteris vision (+7 Oh). This o/isao/vantauae hnmps his ohstac/e nyo to 3'.
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Mixing Advantage and Disadvantage As you may have noticed i11 the example above, advantages and T I disadvantages can be mixed. In fact, they should be. For each test, let players state their case for advantages. At the sanie time, the GM should lay out all the disadvantages present.
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Also, advantages do not cancel disadvantage. They are both added into the test before the dice are cast. Obstacles go up to make tests harder; dice are added to make it easier.
Double Obstacle Penalty Some rolls are penalized with a double obstacle penalty. This means you double the obstacle or the amotmt of successes yom' opponent rolls and then add modifiers. That°s your final obstacle. Don°t double the modifiers!
Carefully, Patiently, Quickly: Allocating Successes There are fom' methods a player may use when testing abilities: A test may be made care z y, paticr2.tly or quickly‘, or by default, a test may be taken normally. Testing normally uses the standard rules described above. The other tln'ee methods each have a different effect 011 the roll
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Carefully \Vorking carefully increases the time for a test by half, but it grants a +lD advantage. If a player wishes his character to work carefully, he
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1m1st state this before the dice are rolled. ,If the player fails a test i11 which he is working carefully, the result indicates he has rim out of ti1ne—the bomb goes off, the guards burst in, the old man dies, etc. By working carefully, the player is
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Patiently \Vorking patiently allows a player to allocate extra successes to the quality of the finished product. Extra successes can be used to embellish
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a description or add a flourish. They are largely a narrative device. However, many skills have their ow11 rules for allocating extra successes and their effects. These are described in their individual sections. Extra successes may be allocated to working patiently after the dice are rolled.
Quickly \Vorking quickly allows a character to complete a task in a sl1orte1' amotmt of time. Successes over the obstacle allocated to working quickly reduce the overall time by 10% eacl1——three successes over the obstacle reduces time by 30%. Successes may be allocated to working quickly after the dice are rolled. Time for tests is discussed a little further 011 in this chapter.
Mixing Methods Players may have their characters work carefully, patiently and quickly all at once. To do so, they must describe their actions and inform the OM l1ow they°re allocating extra successes. If a player desires his character to work carefully, this must be stated before the dice are rolled. Each extra success can be applied to working either patiently or quickly.
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Success Now we have a grasp on a variety of ways to manipulate the dice pools for a test, but what happens after the dice have come to rest and the successes are counted? If the successes equal or exceed the obstacle, the character l1as succeeded in his goal—-he achieved his intent and completed the task.
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/This is important enough to say again: Characters who are "'5?-ii successful complete actions in the ma1111er described by the player. A successful roll is sac1'osanct in Burning Wheel and neither CM nor other players can change the fact that the act was successful. The CM may only embellish or reinforce a successful ability test.
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“I hiII him I “ Rich shouts. The OM res,oonoIs, “Test your Sworoi shiIi Thatis what youire using, right? “ Rich ro/Is his B5 $worcI shiII anaI /orooiuces an amazing /‘ire successes. The OM consuIt.s the Weayoons chapter anoi Anatomy o/[In/Iury chapters. “Ye/2, that c/oes it. Hefs a _aoner: Descrihe it /‘hr us, ,oIeaseI “ Rich /umyos /‘irom his chain “I a/eca/oitate him Iihe so ancI then stanct riaioi whiIe mahznj Bruce tee noises. “ Or.- Pete announces, “I want toyooison the wizaroi “ The O/V! arches his eyehrowg. “How so .7 “Peteisjot ajoIan.- “I'II.sneah into the hitchen c/is uiseoias a Hounci
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Sergeant. then I '/Ilntimioiate one ofhis siares to take him poisoneoitea in the guise ofherhai meoticine.” The OM consioIers vr a moment, “Thatis pretty gooci }’ou’II neeoI to make a Iinheoi test with: Disguise, Inconspicuous ana’ /ntimiotation, pIus I-/oune/~wise, I thinh. " Pete nooIs andgets reach! to hurn some artha. Ifhis roIis are success ci the wizarciwiIIhepoisonea’even though he cIioIn't oIrop thepoison oh'rect§/ in his mouth. Why? Because Pete statea’his intentciescrihecihis task anu’ the aiice came up in his zz/or
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. The most important criteria for passing a test is that play moves " s... in the dj1'ection of the success, even if only 1no1ne11tar.ily.
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"I want to humiIiate him. They can't ignore me! ” shouts Ancjg, enrageoi "I—/ow? “inguires the QM.
'7 raise my voice anoi insuit him in front of the entire parh/. I use my Conspicuous shiIi “ ”RoIi Your ohstacie is 3 togain the attention ofthe crown’ancIhe hearai Extra successes wiII_go towara/incensing them with the spectacie. ” “Tour successes. “ “Your insuhfs are hearu/ ung across the room. Some 6)/ehrows are raiseal I-Ie
stops wa/hing awe!)/fkom)/ou ana’ turns, reoIin the face. It seemsyou have a moment in whichyou are the center ofattention. ” 1 _, I11 this example, the player states his intent and task straight RS1 away: humiliate his opponent using shouts a11d insults while testing his Conspicuous skill. The CM embellishes o11 the result with the successful test. The target is hmniliated and the GM tells the player l1ow.
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When the dice are rolled and don°t produce enough successes to meet the obstacle, the character fails. \Vhat does this mean? It means the stated intent does not come to pass.
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“Ipich the /och guichiv, he/hrs the guarcis come! ” This is an easy intent to /uage a faiiure r: The character oioesn"tget the Ioch open. 5impIe, right? But what ifthatls changeda hit. FaiIure a/oesn"thave to mean the Ioch oIoesn"t open. Look at the intent.- “he/‘bre theguarots come. “What zfthe character opens the Ioch/ust as theguarois arrive?’ Suohtenhg. you have trouh/e——a/rama anoi
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Two Directions When a player sets out a task for his character a11d states his intent, it is the CM°s job to inform hiin of the consequences of failm'e before the dice are rolled. “If you fail this. . .“' should often be heard at the table. Let the players know the consequences of their actions. Faihue is not the end of the line, but it is complication that pushes the story in another (ii1'er_'.t_inn. Once that is said, everyone knows what°s at stake and play can continue smoothly no matter what the result of the roll is.
Failure Complicates the Matter When a test is failed, the OM introduces a complication. “You can by topick the /och, hutyou u/onlt have much time. It is highh Iikeiv
that theguam/s wiIIreturn he/fire)/ou nish. ” Try 11ot to present flat negative 1'esults——“You don°t pick the lock. T’ Strive to introduce complications through failure as 11mcl1 as possible. Death should only be the result of failure in the rarest, most dire situations. The OM must present the players with varied, twisted, occult and bizarre ramifications of their decisions. Death is only the last resort. And more often than 11ot, a player will let everyone know when he is prepared to risk his character°s life for success. Lastly, the rules for specific subsystems, like fighting, injury and sorcery, will guide you i11 adjudicating the severity of a failure result.
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Let It Ride
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One of the 111ost important aspects of ability tests in game play in
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Bm'ning \Vheel is the Let It Ride 1'ule: A player shall test once against a11 obstacle and shall 11ot roll again rmtil conditions legitimately a11d drastically change. Neither GM nor player ca11 call for a retest unless those conditions change. Successes from the initial roll count for all applicable situations in play.
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A CM cannot call for multiple rolls of the same ability to accomplish a player°s stated intent. Nor can a player retest a failed roll siinply because he failed. Tests must be distilled down to as few rolls as possible. The
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If a player failed a test or generated no successes, the result stands. If he was hot and got seven successes, those stand for the duration.
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Length of Time
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Tests in Bmning Wheel often mimic real world cotmterparts. The game is
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meant to evoke a living, breathing world, so there are ho1u's, days, nights, seasons a11d years to account for as the characters’ lives are played out. Using real world analogies for tests is a good place to start. Listed below are some guidelines for judging time. Length of Stat Tests Most stat tests are instantaneous affairs: catching a ball, leaping a ditch or
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noticing a shadow. So111e stat tests are longer affairs: climbing a cliff face, escaping from bindings, moving a boulder. Generally, the latter type takes minutes to ho1u's to accomplish. The exact interval of tiine is up to the GM.
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Academic Time for Academic skill tests falls into two categories—either instantaneous recall of a subject based on a successful skill test representing character knowledge, or time sp e11t on research. Research requires days at minimum, but more often spans months and years. Artist
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Time for tests of skills like Blacksmithing, Weaver a11d Carpenter are measured in days a11d weeks. It takes a day to make a batch of horseshoes; it takes a few weeks to make a mail shirt.
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Forester skill tests—Stealtl1y, Tracking, Hunting, Orienteering, etc.——
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ll/Iartial Martial tests are nearly all sudden actions.
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llfedicinol Medicinal skill tests-—Surgery, Field Dressing, Herbalism, Bloodletting, etc.-—-are measured in mi11utes and horns. These times are described in detail in the Anatomy of Injtuy section. MilifaI:y' Military skills—Strategy, Tactics, Logistics, Skirmish Training and Formation Fighting Training—generally follow the same guidelines as the academic and physical tests to which they are cousins.
Musical Musical composition takes weeks a11d months to perfect. Musical performance takes as long as it takes.
Peasant Peasant skills are varied and co1nplex—fro1n Animal Husbandry to Farming. One thing they all hold in common is that they take a while. Farming is a seasonal affair. Animal Husbandry tests span a few horns to a few years. However, in play, peasant skills can be used in the short term-—to deterniine why a crop died or to cahn a frightened animal. These tests usually take just a few minutes.
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Schools of Thought Doctrine and Philosophy tests obey the same rules as academic skills.
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Seafaring skills—Rigging, Knots, l\lavigation—obey the same rules as
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peasant skills. Some tests take days or weeks, others only a few moments. Social In Burning Wheel, a social skill test is made for a single interaction.
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This is heavily dependent on roleplayiug, but these tests can require a few moments of banter or a hours of negotiations.
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Sorcerous Times for sorcerous skill tests are discussed in the Sorcery section.
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For skills that fall in the SpeciallMiscellaneous category, use the closest analog from the list above.
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Breaking up a Test lf the GM feels a test is going to take an inordinate 8.l11OUl1l.' of tinie, but that bits and pieces ca11 he accomplished separately, l1e can break up the results of the test. Only one roll is made, but the GM then parcels out the results across the allotted time. The character may leave and return to the test as appropriate, each time gaining the next set of results.
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Time and Failure A character must spend the same time failing a test as succeeding. Even when the character fails, he doesn°t always know. If he missed by a lot—completely messed it up—then he can give up right away and not lose too 1nucl1 time.
Time a11d Play: Meanwhile .lf a player undertakes a test that"s going to occupy his character a ' I . . . ' Q3, couple of hom's, other players have a few hours to lull with their characters. The GM turns to the next player and says, “Meanwhile, what are you going to do? 5’ Keep going around die table like this. Allow players to fill up the gaps of “clowritimew with stuff like research, exploration, scouting, practice, etc. They can undertake activities that can be resolved with a roll or two and
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Help
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Players may have their characters help one ano ier in the game. When
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Conditions of Help
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lll order to help, three social conditions must be met at the table. First, the acting player must willingly accept the help from his compatriots. l-lelp cannot he forced or surreptitious, it must be open and agreed upon. The acting player is tree to turn it down. Second, any player who is helping must then physically give the acting player one of his dice to roll. This is so we know if you’re helpful or not! =-—~
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Lastly, the helping player n1ust participate in the scene: He describes how his character is helping the other.
How Can l Help? Once help has been accepted, you have to deternline if and how other characters can help. First Rule of Help: Skills may help skills and stats. Stats may help stats. Stats may 11ot help skills. Circles may help Circles (if appropriate). Resources may help Resom'ces. Second Rule of Help: The helping ability must be related in son1e way— similar skills are the best candidates for help. Often this is situational, but the help must make sense to the players. The FoRK listing for skills is a good guide, but not the definitive som'ce. The CM is the final arbiter of who can and can°t help. See the next page for more 011 FoRKs.
Helping Dice lf the exponent of die helping ability is 4 or lower, one die is given to the acting player as help. lf the exponent of the ability is 5 or higher, two dice are granted.
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If your stat, skill or attribute is currently exponent O you may not test this ability. You may not receive help. FoRK into it or spend artha on it. lt is unavailable until you advance it, replenish it or recover.
Llnskilled Tests Beginner’s Luck lf a character does not have an appropriate skill for a test, he may test using a stat instead. Every skill has a stat on which it is based. \Ve call this its root. However, when rolling a root stat in place of a skill, double the base obstacle of the test. Ob 1 tests become Ob 2. Ob 4 tests become Ob 8. Easy stuff won°t be too much of a problem, but more complex tasks will be all but impossible. When testing for Beginner"s Luck, double the base obstacle and then add disadvantages to that. Don°t double the disadvantages. llrm I
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Some skills are listed with a requireinent for tools. Tests made without the necessary tools suffer a double obstacle penalty. This can be combined with die Beginner°s Luck penalty!
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When using expendable tools, roll a Die of Fate each time they are used after the first. A result of l indicates the tools have been used up and 111ust be reple11ished by the appropriate means.
Replenishing Tools The Resources chapter lists obstacles for purchasing certain tool kits. The Scavenging skill can also be used to replenish tools, if appropriate. The Blacksmith and Black Metal Artifice skills can both be used to make various types of tools.
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Written lnstructions Occasionally, a cl1aracter will stumble across a set of instructions in game——ar1 item or some information that ca11 aid him. All instructions must be given a complexity obstacle by the CM: Simple and clear stuff that can easily be transmitted tln'ough text and illustrations is Ob 1 or 2. More complex instructions, like those that teach a martial art or how to build a trebuchet, a1'e Ob 5-5. Really arcane stuff only goes up from there. The cl1aracter reading the instructions 1nust pass a Reading or Research test against the obstacle. If successful, the instructions grant a helping die to an applicable skill test (+lD). lf tmsuccessful, the instructions are confusing and give a +1 Ob disadvantage to the skill test they refer to.
The Written Word as Practice Alternately, written instructions can be used as practice. Passing the Reading test and lets the player cotmt the time spent reading as practice f01' the skill.
Testing Abilities in Brief ° lntent—-—Annom|ce die goal of the action.
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° Task——lndicate how you wa11t your character to carry out an action. lncorp orate a skill or stat into your description. ° Standard test—An ability rolled against an obstacle set by the GM. Meet the obstacle and pass the test.
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° Graduated test—-A test with no fixed obstacle, more successes means 1nore infor1nation/res ults . ° Linked test—A series of tests where, if the character before you exceeded the obstacle, you get +1D. If he failed, you get +1 Ob. ° Advantage—A favorable condition present in the game that benefits a character. +1D to the test. ° Disadvantage—An 111] favorable condition that raises the obstacle of a test. ° Oarefully—+lD advantage, +50% to time; introduces complication. ° Patie11tly—Extra successes go into quality. ° Quickly—Extra successes reduce time by -10% each.
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° Let It Ride—One test per ability stands for the situation. ° Help—-——Expone11t 4 or lower gives +1D. Exponent 5 or higher gives +2D. ° FoRKs-—+’lD for related, applicable skills. Exponent 7 or higher gives +2D. ° Beginner’s Luck-—Use root stat in place of skill; double obstacle penalty. ° lnstructions—Test Reading or Research against Instruction obstacle. Success grants +1D to appropriate test. Failure gives a +1 Ob disadvantage.
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Advancement Is Lifelolood Advancement is the lifeblood of Burning \Vl1eel. The advancement system gives the feeling of a living, sweating, breathing, bleeding being in the game. It allows players to shape their characters i11 a variety of ways. It is vital that characters in Burning \Vheel grow and change as they are played.
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In order for the game to rim, the GM 111ust provide the players with obstacles. Obstacles demand tests. Tests earn advancements as well as help fulfill Beliefs. As the characters are tested, players mark the ability°s experience log. Mark enough tests of varying difficulty, and the ability advances.
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“Wait a minute,” you’re saying, “I can°t roll five successes on four dice! My cl1aracter is automatically going to fail that test. '1?
To this l say: '“You°re correct, but read on, read on. The Artha chapter will show you some tricks. T’
Number of Tests Required for Advancement To advance a11 ability exponent one rank, a player must accumulate a certain number of routine, difficult and challenging tests.
Advancing Skills Ertponent I-4 Advancing an exponent 1-4 skill requires a number of routine tests equal to the exponent. Also, for exponent 1-4, a character needs difficult tests equal to l1alf the exponent, or challenging tests equal to his exponent divided by three (rotmded up).
E:tponent 5+ For skill exponents 5 and higher, a cl1aracter needs difficult tests equal to half of the skill exponent and challenging tests equal to one third of the exponent rounded up. Routine tests are 11ot used to advance a skill exponent of 5 or higher.
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Advancing Stats Routine tests don ’t cotmt for the advancement of stats. Players n1ust get high obstacle tests in order to advance them. Difficult and challenging
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Advancing Circles and Resources Circles advances like a skill. When advancing your base Circles ability, he stn'e to tally all the affiliation and reputation dice rolled to determine the actual level of the test. Resources advances like a skill as well, but only successful tests cotmt.
Experience Log Listed with each ability on the cl1aracter sheet is an experience log. Use this to note the tests earned for advancement for individual abilities. S
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Handing Out Tests Botl1 the CM and players are responsible for remembering tests. However, sometiines things get hectic duri11g the game. lt’s often best to take five minutes to review the session after it°s over a11d make sm'e that players noted their tests. .
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Soliciting Tests (Test Mongering) Tests are very important to the game, but badgering the CM for '
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the appropriate time or have him stay his hand entirely. Test mongering also involves pestering the CM for a particular test. “I need a routine. Can I make a routine test? ” “Dude, it°s a (irag'0n.. I donlt think there are going to be any routine tests.” The CM°s job here is to sayflat out: “No.” Let the difficulty of the tests arise organically, not at the player°s request so his character can advance. It makes for a 1nuch more interesting game.
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A player ge11erally takes the highest obstacle test from
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where a11 ability is tested multiple times to determine the outcome, only one test is earned toward advancement. Do
the encounter. However, if the character is i11 need of a particular test to advance the ability, a test for
adva11ce1ne11t should be noted as soon as the appropriate obstacle co111es up. This is o11ly do11e for series tests diu'ing which the cl1aracter would advance (i.e., one test away fron1 going up).
l lust Learned Something! ‘,\Vl1en the requirement is met, the exponent im111ediately 1 advances. It doesn°t matter if it°s in the middle of a sword fight or wl1ile researching a 11ew spell. Once the test is earned, the ability increases one rank. There°s nothing more pleasing to n1y ears than a player crowing, “l just learned something! if
Wipe the Slate Clean After the ability l1as advanced, all extra tests are discarded. You start
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Converting or Substituting Tests § \Vhat if n1y cl1aracter is one routine test from advancing his skill, but l1as to11s of difficult tests? l ca11 just convert a test, right? N0. Hard and fast rule: Players cannot convert or substitute tests, ever.
Advancement for Graduated Tests Wl1en logging graduated tests for advancement, the obstacle is always 1. These tests always COU_111I as routine.
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Advancement for Versus Tests For versus tests, use the nun1ber of successes your opponent generated plus any obstacle penalties as the obstacle for the test when consulting the Dice vs Obstacle table at the beginning of this chapter.
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Helping and Advancement Helping dice add to the dice total for the acting character, making it harder to earn difficult or challenging tests for advancement.
For exam/e/e, my e/zaraeterfsjet te patch :4/0 the /2e/e in t/re eastern be/fare a// t/re water etrazlns oat. T/re GM sets t/re oéstae/e at 2. / want te et the a/one as aaakk as /eessiti/e arm/ensure saeeess, so /ask one aft/re at/ier/0/ayers, “(Jan yea /zeta .7 ”Hr.Is e/zaraeter /zas En_qz'neer:'n_a B2. T/re GM agrees that the is an a/e/e/{cab/e ski/t T/ze/0/:9/eryeasses me a etie andI aetetit to m/v sh’/t Wat/zeattlzls /reta t/re test waa/e//rare eeantea’as a ai tea/t zr at/vaneement—3D vs 05 2. I/I/it/z he /zeta, t/re test eeants as a routine-—-42) vs Ola 2.
Helpers Learn Though he doesn°t roll any dice, a cl1aracte1' who helps earns a test for advancement—for stats, skills or attributes. The level of the test is the same as if he had tested against the obstacle with his own ability.
/f)/ear st’!//is B2 arm//vea /zeta wit/1 an 05 5 test.)/ea earn a e/la//enjirj test r an/raneement reaare//ess of/raw man)1 a/fee t/re/e/egver/aniee /retail/if re//s. lf helping with a stat on a11 tmskilled test, the player does not earn a test toward his aptitude for learning the skill. Since he is helping with his stat, he earns a test for advancing his stat if the obstacle is appropriate. \"-.
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FoRKs and Advancement Like helping dice, FORKS can reduce the difficulty of a test for purposes of advancement. FoRKs count toward total dice when consulting the
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character growth. And the abilities that are FoRKed into another do not earn tests toward advancement. Only the primary ability earns the test.
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Social Skills and Advancement Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our performances we neglect the dice. Well, this heading is here to remind you to roll the dice. After an impassioned speech, set an obstacle and test a skill. Then note the test for advancement! Roleplaying performance is p art of this game but not independent of the die mechanics.
Practice ln Burning Wheel, characters ca11 undertake a practice regimen to polish their skills. This aids characters in advancing their skills. Practice helps fill in the gaps i11 a characterts active experience. The drawback to practice is that it requires substantial in—game time investment. Pf
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hours par da_y' to earn a test...
Skill Category
Cycle
Routine
Dif cult
7 Challenging
Academic
6 months
2 hours
4 hours
8 hours
A rt isa n
1 year
4 hours
8 horn s
'12 ho1u's
Artist
6 months
3 hours,
6 hours
'l2 hours
Craftsman
l year
3 hours
8 hours
'1 2 hours
Forester
6 months
3 Liours
6 hours
12 hours
Martial
1 month
2 hours
'-i Th ou1's
8 hours
Medicinal
l year
‘I hours
8 hours
12 hours
Military
6 months
2 hours
4 hours
8 hours
Musical
1 month
2 hours
4 hours
8 hours
Peasant
3 months
'1 hour
4 hours
'12 hours
Physical
1 montli
2 ltoius
4: hours
3 hours
School ol'TlloI.lgl1t
6 months
3 hours
6 hours
'12 hours
Scafaring
3 inonths
2 hours
4 hours
3 hours
Social
l month
2 hours
4 l1o1n's
8 hours
Sorcerous.
'1 year
5 .1ours
10 hours
15 hours
Sp ecial! Misc.
3 months
3 l1o1n's
6 hours
'12 hours
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Cycle: .
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1 year
4 hours
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6 months
3 hours
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3 months
2 hours
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Speed
Perception
1 6. hours 12 hours 8 hours
3 months
3 hours
_1o1u's
9 hours
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'l month
2 hours
ours
8 horns
Forte
2 months
4 ho1n's
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16 hours
1 year
5 hours
1 Cl hours
20 hours
2 months
1 hour
3 hours
9 hours
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If a cl1aracter maintains the daily tiine requirement for one practice cycle, he earns the listed test for that skill for the purposes of advancement. You cannot practice the same skill more than once per cycle.
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For examlo/e, zfm/v character/oraetiees his Canoentry (a Craftsman shi//)/by 3 honrs er/my o/a)/ r agyea/5 he earns a roatzine testforao//aneement at the ena’ ofa)/ear: Being a craftsman is hare/." Raish has his hntaht character worh ent ereiy morning anotoraetioe o/o¢'n_a hand o/rt//s to test his Ajihh/. He’//neeo/four honrs a o/ea/for three months o/[ ame time in ore/er to earn a e/t fsn/t test r ao/vaneement.
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itto three times (3x) his Will exponent per day. The most a cl1aracter ca11 practice in a day, no matter the \Vill exponent, is 20 horns in a day. But sleep deprivation is an excellent source for Forte tests to resist fatigue a11d stress.
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Using Practice in the Game Sometimes a player will indicate that his cl1aracter is undertaking son1e long task like wandering the countryside, working on the farm or meditating in the hills. These periods coimt as practice for applicable skills and abilities.
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Any time a player indicates some action for his cl1aracter that is cool but otherwise has no direct effect 011 driving the game forward, the in- game time should be logged toward practice for the applicable abilities.
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Practice can also help bridge time for a character when a player has been absent from the table and wishes to reintroduce his character. “Okay, youive been gone for about a year of game time. Why don°t you spread a year°s practice among your skills? Nothing can advance more than one.” Alternately, a cl1aracter 1nigl1t only get a week or two to practice—not enough time to earn a test. Log the segments of time practiced. Once they equal a full cycle, take a test toward advancement. -
Learning New Skills Root Stats Every skill has a stat or combination of stats on which it is based. This is called its root. Skills are listed with their roots in the
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Beginner’s Luck As mentioned in the Testing Your Abilities section, when a cl1aracter doesn°t have an appropriate skill, he may test against his Beginner°s Luck
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at a double obstacle penalty. Beginner°s Luck dice are equal to the root stat of the skill (not half the stat, the full dice). For skills with two roots, choose which stat to take the test on. Take note that the first test toward learning a skill listed as sorcerous type must come from lnstrucn'on rather than practice or beginner’s luck. Once youlve earned that test you can use beginner"s luck and practice.
Aptitude Aptitude in Burning \Vheel indicates the nuniber of tests a cl1aracter needs in order to gain a new skill. Aptitude is equal to 1 O minus the root stat. If the root is a combination of two or more stats, the aptitude is 10 1ni11ns the average of the root stats roimded down.
A character with a B4 A95/i'§1 has a 6 r lyotitnote r /earning the Sworotshitt (70 minus his exponent 4
Begirmcris Luck for Learm'ng When using Begiimeifs Luck, it is possible to lear11 new skills. However, the obstacles for advancement are factored slightly differently. When
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testing the root stat, note the obstacle before doubling. If the obstacle would coimt as routine (and thus not actually coimt) for advancing the stat, you note a test for learning the skill. lf the Beginner°s Luck test, before doubling, would cotmt as difficult or challenging for the stat, note a test for advancing the root stat. If there are disadvantages to be applied to the test, add them to the base obstacle for determining the test for advancement, but don’t double them. Add them to the final obstacle after doubling, when making the test. /hare a B4 Aji/in/. /am shooting nnshi//eatat an Orc with a hunting how. /tts
an Oh 2 test otoiihtect to 4 a/iie the Beginners Lach ra/es. An Oh 2 test coiints as a routine test toii/ara'A§i'/ihg. so the test is /oaject towarct/earning the Boio shi/t Ifthe testhan’heen Oh 3, that?/he a ni fcn/t test/firA_ai/ié/. /’c/tahe that towaro/an/rancinsa the stat. /fthe Orc was cariyinj a shie/at that won/c/aotet +7 Oh to my test. So the ohstac/e for an/rancement won/n/he 5'——eh t'cn/t-——hnt the ohstac/e to hit him won/a/he 5 (2 o/onh/ed + 7).
Opening the Skill Once you meet the Aptitude requirement, yoin' character opens the skill. \Vrite it in the skills section of yotn' cl1aracter sheet. The starting exponent for all skills is half of the root, or the average of two roots, roimded dow11.
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With a B4 Ajihtiq. / open a Sioora/shi'//aftersir Beainnerts Lach tests. Yhe shi// opens at hahfofthe root stat. Thats a B2 Sn/ora/ air my character Once the skill opens, it advances normally like any other skill.
Shade and New Skills ,1
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A new skill opens with the same shade as its root stat. lf the root l1as
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two shades, the skill opens at the darker shade, but you add two to the total before factoring the root. The Monster Binner chapter, Gray and
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White Math (pages 367-368), is the definitive source for all things shaded. See also the Heroic and Supernatural chapter in this book.
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Learning from Another Characters may learn from each other in game. To teach, the character must have the skill to be taught. The exponent of the skill must be equal to or higher than the studentis.
Instruction Obstacles To begin the process, the instructor 111ust pass an Instruction skill test. The obstacle for the Instruction test depends on the level of the test
yr‘? the Instructor wishes to give to the student: 1 for a routine test, 2 for a iii’;-l ~.'
difficult test and 3 for a challenging test. Add a penalty for the type of "*2 . ga-
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If tl1e test is failed, then time spe11t with the instructor nierely co1n1ts as practice. F111'tl1e1'111o1'e, either the student is at +1 Ob to his next test i11
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that area or the Instructor suffers a +1 Ob penalty to .further instruct this student. GM"s call.
Test Me Instructors can give their students tests for advancement or tests for learning a new skill. The obstacle of the test to be give11 to the student can"t be higher than the Instructor°s skill i11 the area.
/fl)/on have Sword B4,)/on can an§/ teas/I up to Ob 4 tests. Wat means that)/on can't§¢'ve e/la//en_q:.'n§ tests to as»)/one with a ski” exponent of4 or /n_'q/Jeri Nor ten)/ou ive :1/z ileu/t tests to e a/zamater wit/r e ski//0/‘*6 or /ztq/zen Students don°t roll in this process. They accept instruction and either note the test for advanceinent or note the practice tiine.
Instruction Time The ti111e for each Instruction test is days equal to 10 niinus the inst1‘ucto1*°s ‘Will, plus ll) minus the studentis ‘Will, plus the obstacle of the test on offer. The instructor can offer his student obstacles for a test equal to or less than his skill level.
An instmator wit/1 .4 I/I/1'//85 (5 e/<9/s) am»: teas/1 a stat/ent wit/1 e M4//0/‘B4 (6 I/tn/s) one test in If den/s/1/as 1;/tn/s eqmz/ to t/re oéstac/e oft/re test. /f/re was st/100/My he stem/entfs B4 Sworn/sh//andwan ten’tajive /rim .4 a/Wtcu/t test
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Learning Training Skills A character 111ay learn Training skills. such as Arnior Training or Forniation Fighting, in the course of his life. Aptitude requirenients are
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or instruction. You can°t use Beginner°s Luck to learn a training skill.
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Advancement in Brief ° The number of dice rolled compared to the obstacle of the test determines the difficulty of the test for advancement. Consult the table for details. ° Exponent 1-Li skills 111ust be advanced by filling up the routine test requirement. Then, meeting either the difficult or challenging test requirement will push the skill to the next exp o11ent level. ° Exponent 5+ skills only adva11ce via difficult and challenging tests. Routine tests no longer count for advancement. ° Stats only advance via difficult and challenging tests, regardless of their exp o11e11t. ° Attributes— Steel and Health advance as skills. ° Experience Log— Note the level of the test on your experience log. ° A series of rolls in a single scene or conflict equals one test for advancement. ° Graduated tests—— A test with no fixed obstacle counts as a routine test. ° Versus tests use your opponent’s number of successes as the obstacle. ° Help and Advancement— Helping dice count toward the total nmnber of dice rolled for a test, thereby making the test easier to pass, and less significant for advancement. --
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° Folilis and Advancement— Fofilis count toward the total dice rolled.
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They make the test easier and usually lower the difficulty. ° Advantage a11d Advance1nent— Advantages count toward the total dice rolled a11d potentially reduce the difficulty of the test.
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° Social Skills and Advancement— Be sure to set obstacles a11d roll dice after a good performance.
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° Practice— Daily time devoted to a skill nets a test after a number of months or a year. Any cl1aracter actions that don°t count as a test count as practice. ° Learning new skills—— To lear11 a new skill, a player must make a number of tests equal to his aptitude for the skill. Aptitudes are 10
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minus the root stat of the skill. Once the required tests are earned, the new skill is opened at half the root stat (rounded down).
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l,:?,!§__ I11 the introduction to the game, I mentioned that each player is obliged to set out a series of priorities for his character: priorities that describe the player’s goals for his character and how he means to achieve them.
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There are three sets of player-chosen priorities: Beliefs, Instincts and traits. Each has a different effect 011 how you play yotu' character a11d how you°re 1'ewarded.
Beliefs \Vhen a player brings to life a new cl1aracter in Burning lvheel, he furnishes that character with tln'ee Beliefs. I11 essence, these are the top three priorities for the character in play. These are 11ot general beliefs, like “God” or “Country.” They are explicitly stated drives that tie directly into the world a11d setting. Examples of Beliefs are “I must; serve the Etharch so that I might
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be redeemed for my crime,” or “I will protect my friendis sister at any cost.”
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\Vhen sculpting your character°s Beliefs, think: \Vhat do I wa11t out of this character a11d this situation? How can my character°s Beliefs reflect that? Then shape your characteris Beliefs to reflect those priorities . Creating Beliefs for your character is discussed i11 detail i11 the
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Character Burner.
Anchored Beliefs Beliefs are not arbitrarily chosen. You relate each one to what is going 011 in the game. They bind yom' character i11to the world. As they are challenged, they give you the chance to express what your
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53
Beliefs in Play By openly and honestly setting down yotn' priorities, you help the GM and the other players get the most out of the game. Now that they all know what you°re after, they can help you get it. Stating a Belief for a peasant, “Pm the true king of this land,” does 11ot make it factual in game. But by getting that out in the open, you are letting other players know you want situations revolving around that tl1en1e—a mad peasant rebel rising to challenge the established order. Other players are in on both the irony a11d drama, a11d they can help you get the most of them. You might not succeed, but playing out that struggle is what the game is all about. Of course, this doesnlt mean the characters are aware of each other°s Beliefs. ll’/e°re talking about a strict separation of player and character here. @ _.Beliefs are meant to be challenged, betrayed and broken. Such emotional drama makes for a good game. If your character has a Belief, “I guard the princels life with my own,” and the prince is slain before your eyes in the climax of the scenario, that°s your chance to play out a tortured a11d dramatic scene and really go ballistic.
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6onversehg. ifthelorinee is hi//edriaht oat oft/:e_aate; the oharaoter is drained ofpnryaose. Note that theyo/a)/er statedhe wantedto defendtheyorinse in yo/a/v. not aven_ae him. Ki//in_a the/orinee in the rst session snehs the h oat oft/re character He rea/h has no reason to/zartieioate an/V /onyer Bat iftheprinee dies in thegrand o/ima)g eiest /a vie. The yoroteotor mast then ro// with the /oanohes andreact to this new change. Even hetten the/orinee dies dne to the aetions or/ai/ares of/zis own_anardian—-now thatliyoodstn f
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Changing Beliefs A player may change his characterls Beliefs as he sees fit. Characters are meant to grow a11d change through play. Changing Beliefs is a vital part
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of that growth. However, the CM l1as final say over when a Belief may be changed. If he feels the player is changing a Belief to wriggle out of a difficult situation and 11ot as part of character growth, then he may delay the change until a time that he sees as appropriate.
Dann/vi; Strider has the Be/ie/fl "One man can mahe a di ference. "At the end ofthe adventure, Dunn/y reahizes his character s/oent a// ofhis time heioing his/‘i/iends andho/afng thegrouyo together He announces that his characteris out/ooh has changed and so has his Behef He changes it to, ”0nh/ together sha// we he victorious over our enemies. ” /lnother exam/2/e: Petefs andChrisfs characters have an argumentin thegame. Peteis sm ugg/er character is ensorce//edhy an enchantedhe/t He ashs Chrisfs wizard to destregl the device. Chris re ises, intimating that the heii cou/d he use/‘id in the future /hr contro//ing the smugg/era’ Peteis character has the Be/ie/f “The sorcerers who ruinedmy h ’ must{om/———with their /ives./ ” He is so hividafter this argument, he turns to the QM: “I lm changing my Behie / im exyoanding it. I4//sorcerers are evit fouicreatures. They must heyourjgedfrom the earth. ”' That inc/udes Chrisfs wizard Sweet!
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Instincts Instincts are also player priorities fo1' a character, but they have a different mechanical application than Beliefs. Bather thm reflect who or what the character is, histincts help define how the character acts. ll/hat°s been chilled into the characterls l1ead? lvhat life lessons has he been forced to learn? What has he taught himself in order to survive? These are Instincts in Burning Wheel. Players choose three for their characters.
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Always, Never, When or If/Then The best Instincts are defined as clear statements——either “Always do X,” or “Never do Y, “ or as “If this condition arises, then take this action. “ \Vhat an Instinct does is set a condition and a reaction to that condition for the cl1aracter. And this reaction/behavior of the character is sacrosanct: So long as the conditions are met, the action is done. The player doesn°t even have to annotmce it. It either happens behind the scenes or instantly, without hesitation.
A common /nstinct is something /ihe “When on putrid a/wig/s have my how readv and an arrow noched “ Even ifthe yo/a)/er never states this, so /ong as
as main Or! the i/nniiia.-i/nee ea iii. Instincts allow players to set conditions for their characters that niight otherwise break the rules. Do you have a “draw sword” Instinct? \Vell then, your character°s sword is drawn at the start of comb at without having to spend actions. Instincts cannot allow you to bypass a test, but they can ensure you made the test at some time before trouble started.
Insurance Instincts can also be described as player cl1aracter instn'ance vs Oll/I onslaught. They are a mechanical way to ensure that your cl1aracter behaves in a certain maimer which canit be contravened by the GM. But instincts don°t need to be adversarial. In fact, they work better when the
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player a11d GM cooperate, using the hlstincts to drive the cl1aracter in play. Like Beliefs, histincts can be used to earn artha. See the next chapter, The Artha \Vheel, for more on that.
Changing Instincts A player may change his characterls Instincts as he sees fit——as the character°s experience in play changes him.
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Rich Ts insurrectionist watchedhisfriendis mind et waigoedandtwistedin/a fhuiwizardunti/he was nothing more than a dire/ing thra/t As soon as the scene ended Rich turned to the GM: “/in changing one ofm/v /nstincts. / in /osing A/wcg/s scrounge rr weapons after a hatt/e, 'andchanging it to '/f/ am ensorce//ed h/v a wizard /yo/unge m/v sword in to m/v throat andhi// m)/se/f‘W Quite a hrutai Instinct. hut it was something he fe/t veiyyoassionatehx ahout. However, the CM has final sa II over when an Instinct maII be chan B ed. If he feels the P la Y er is chan Bin B a11 histinct to be a munchkin and IJOWBI‘ gamer and 11ot as part of character growth, then he may delay the change until a time that he sees as appropriate.
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prioiities for characters. Traits are also a kind of priority. By choosing traits, a player is stating to the world, “This is what°s most important to me about my character; these are his most prominent aspects.“
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There are three kinds of traits, character (including cosmetic traits), call-on and die traits.
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Character Traits A cl1aracter trait illustrates a prominent aspect of a
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something that affects how the character will be roleplayed at the table, something that says, “You°re 11ot just someone, you’re it.“ Anyone can say his cl1aracter is hairy, but tmless he pays the trait poi11t,
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it°s hairy with a lower-case “h.” Pay the point, and he °s the hairiest guy arotmd. These a1'e guide posts that help the player navigate play with the
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character. By choosing these traits, the player is stating that he is going to do one of two things: Either he°s going to play those traits to the
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hilt——he"s going to exemplify tl1em—or he"s saying that his cl1aracter is starting with these traits, but heis about to change. I11 the second case, cl1aracter traits are used as the crux for creating all sorts of problems for his character in game. He°s going to use his traits to get his cl1aracte1' into situations where he l1as to make hard decisions. Do I go with my
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nattn'e, or do I fight against it? This is fuel for some very fine play, and the system supports this behavior.
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Character traits also serve another important role: They add necessary color to the game. They help capttue our imaginations and iimnerse us in the story. Cosmetic ‘Il its Cosmetic traits are cl1aracter traits that describe how a cl1aracter looks. Not every character needs to have cosmetic traits to describe his appearance. \Vithout them, we assume the cl1aracter is normal-looking within typical variations. A cosmetic trait is used to describe something on the cl1aracter that really stands out.
Call-On Traits This type of trait is powerful and subtle. When its conditions are met, traditional game mechanics are set aside either to break a tie (i11 the call-on-trait—having character°s favor) or to allow the player to reroll failed dice o11 one test.
Revered is a ca//—on for Oratoiy. When deiivering syoeeches to the faith/id or _gu//ih/e, the,0/61)/6)’ migi ca// on this trait to rero//fai'/edulice onceyoer session. Players decide when a11d l1ow they°ll “call on” this type of trait (hence the name). Call—ons may only be invoked once per session. They are a powerful aid, representing an tmpredictable edge the cl1aracter possesses.
Die Traits I)ie traits modify an ability in the same way every time they are used. -1.
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Changing Traits and Earning New Ones
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Trait Vote The way the character is played changes him. This can be a deliberate effort 011 the part of the pIayer——to change his character via his rolepIaying—-—or an unintended side effect. At the end of a camp aign or extended adventure, the CM a11d the players nominate characters to receive new traits. Going around the table, players discuss each character who participated in the adventure. Possible traits are suggested for all the characters. After all characters have been discussed, the players vote 011 the traits suggested for each character. The owning player doesn"t vote for his own traits. A tmanimous decision
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grants the trait. Character, caIl—on and die traits can be awarded. For short adventtnes a11d scenarios, I reconnnend that characters be allowed only one new trait from the vote. For longer, epic stoiies, two or tln'ee traits is a fair limit. Characters can be awarded traits that change their bodies——scars, a limp or even missing digits—to reflect their in-game experiences. They can (and should) be awarded cl1aracter traits according to I1ow the other players perceive their personalities i11 the cotu'se of play. This shouIdn°t be a pu11isI1me11t, but a11 honest outward reflection of what°s been happening at the table. You can invest in earnin B certain traits by. s IJendin B artha to accomI)IISI1 your Beliefs and Instincts. Artha is discussed in the next chapter, The Artha Wheel. -'_';"'-—- ‘J-' “'-
Voted Off the Island I11 addition to voting for new traits for a cl1aracter, the CM or owning player may propose that a character lose a trait. If the CM proposes the loss of a trait, a unanimous result is required for the trait to be voted off. If the owning player suggested it, a simple majority will do.
Evolving Beliefs a11d Instincts Beliefs and Instincts are meant to evolve into traits throughout the course of play. Spending artI1a—whicI1 is discussed in the next cI1apter—on a Belief or Instinct is a good be11cln11ark for the type or power level of a
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trait. The more artha spent, the more potent the trait. _
Bate of Change The group ca11 change the rate of development for their characters by
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Beliefs, Instincts and Traits in Brief ° Belief— A short statement of ethical or moral priority the player assigns to the character. 0 h1stinct— An if/then, ciizoays, never or when statement that the player assigns to his character to dictate a reaction or com'se of action. ° Character trait— A guidepost for roleplaying that annotmces to the group, “This is what is important to 111e about my character.” ° Call-on trait—-— Breaks ties or allows for a reroll 011 a failed test once per session. ¢ Die trait— Adds dice, adds/reduces penalties or allows access to additional abilities the character would not otherwise I1ave. ¢ Trait Vote— At the end of an adventure, players vote on the other characters traits based on l1ow they were played.
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You°ve heard so much about it, and here it is: arth.a. If the mechanics a1'e the fuel, then players a1'e the fire, and artha is the spin on the
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Spiritual Rewards in a World on Fire
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Burning \Vheel uses a point-based reward system. Most often, the points are awarded for creating interesting situations by playing out, on and off a character°s Beliefs and histincts.
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Artha The points awarded are called artha. It°s a Sanskrit word that means something equivalent to a person°s power and success in his comniimity or immediate surroundings. It is the middle ground between obsession with self, enlightenment and transcendence. hi the gaine, it helps the character overcome obstacles and eventually hone abilities to mythical levels of excellence. There are three types of artlia—fate, persona and deeds—eacl1 with their own effect on the gaine.
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Interface While it°s cool to be rewarded for doing something neat, there is another, 11io1'e important aspect to the process. The flow of artha creates a comiection between player, character and CM based 011 themes and issues important to their game. Beliefs, Instincts and traits (BITs) are the primary conduit between the player, his character and the artha system. Setting out BITs for his character, a player states to the CM and the group what his goals in play are for this character. He lets everyone know how and when he wants to be rewarded for playing his character.
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GM’s Role
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Fate, Persona and Deeds As mentioned above, there are three types of artha: fate, persona a11d deeds. Fate is earned simply by walking the characterls destined path. It can be spent. on minor boosts and aids. Persona is earned by idiomatic roleplaying, breaking out of the mold of the orementioned destiny and
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Lastly, deeds artha marks a character°s acco111plisl11nents beyond his
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innnediate and personal goals—going beyond what is desired to what is needed. Deeds points are the hardest to earn and can he spent to heavily modify die rolls.
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( r)As the player spends artha to improve his character°s chance of survival, -[:|"\'\ '_f|-'-I'll . 1‘ /‘ he moves toward an epiphany. Every time a player tests one of his
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characterls skills or stats a11d spends a1'tl1a 011 the test, that ability gets one step closer to the next shade. \ll7l1en the requisite nulnher of a1'tl1a—
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shade-shifts one step lighter. See the Epiphany section toward the end
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Artha is awarded at the end-of the session by consensus according to the criteria described in this section.
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Players may nominate one another for artha awards——specifically fate and persona points, 11ot deeds. Also, players may nominate the GM°s NPCs for artha awards as they see fit. The GM is obligated to accept. Fate artha is rather common——a few lJoints are ear11ed every. session. Persona P oints are 5 ained as I)B1‘SOI1B.l 5 oals are accomPlished, so their frequency of award is entirely up to the game play—but usually only one per session. Deeds are awarded at the end of a long series of personal goals that result in the character accomplishing “the really big thing.”
Fate Beliefs Fate points are earned for manifesting the character°s Beliefs in a convincing and entertaining manner. Entertaining doesn°t only mean funny-—-—we all enjoy a good dramatic performance now a11d again. This award is given when playing a Belief serves a purpose and drives the game forward. It is a very open condition, so there’s a lot of room to get a character°s Beliefs involved.
Anth/is erirne /oral 0rnz'-/Vern; has the Bette/f ”/t :19 a/wen/e hetter to smooth wrinh/es than raffle feathere.”At the tah/e, Pete and /an are having a raw hetween then’ eharaetere. Ane inter/ease.s his character anaf rnahinj eenezhategjeetares to hath partake, eh faees the sitnatton. /-lneh wt//earn a /Qzte/eozlnt rr that Behefat the endofthe eeeeien.
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Instincts Fate points are earned for playing Instincts when such play gets the character in 11'oulJle or creates a difficult or awkward situation.
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at eenrt/1/eaehny his ease. Saahtenhg. in wa/he his nemesis! Theye/a)/er eteeen t have to etraw his en/oral He can resist the /netinet heeanee :'tfs_aezIn_a to eanee treah/e. Bat zfhep/a)/e it ant, hejets a ztepetnt. if the GM a11d other players feel a player is being disruptive with his Instincts, then artha does 11ot have to be awarded. However, if you°re playing yom' game for humor, by all means grant the reward.
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/fayc/averfs characterhas the C/amy traitancthe e/at.-3 te/innh/e the Macda/fin at the ahcc/atetv "14/rcn_a"time, thate worth a /‘ate/mint Humor A fate point is earned if a player ca11 stop the table dead with humor while in character. Dramatic play gets even greater rewards. See Embodiment a11d Moldbreaker below.
Right Skill, Right Time Lastly, if a character has the right skill (when no one else does) to keep the story moving, he should be rewarded with a fate p oint. Consider it a reward for clever cl1aracter burning. Keep this award rare.
Persona Embodiment When a player captures the mood of the table perfectly and further drives the story onward, one persona point is awarded. Moments like great speeches, desperate decisions or gruesome revenge fall into this category. This is a tough award to get, as a player really must go above -.
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award. A majority vote at the table awards the point. To earn the reward, the player must really push his cl1aracter. Personal Goals Cl1aracte1'S who accomplish personal goals—revenge, promotion, seduction, victory, etc——earn a persona point. These goals should either
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clearly described i11 a characteris Beliefs, or should be an explicitly tbestated goal for the group. This is the award for accomplishing all the various parts of an adve11ture——the assassinations, the betrayals, the kidnappings, recovery of lost artifacts, learning of ancient secrets, etc.
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I’bting for I%rlch0rse and ll/IVP These awards are generally given at the end of a scenario, adventtne or campaign, a11d they are not granted by the GM. Once a scenario is concluded, all participating players vote for whom the \Vorkhorse of the scenario was and whom the MVP was. The CM gets one vote like all the other players. "Q-‘=7 _!
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the setting——but doesn°t directly benefit you or your frie11ds——is worth a deeds point. Also, helping another cl1aracter accomplish goals that are anathema to your goals, Instincts and Beliefs can earn a deeds point.
M)1,0/avers atthactyoerconat reasons to in/ittrate a ,oartica/ar cihg. rment a rehe//ion anct overthrow the_aovernn4ent. Accomyo/ishznj that tach, however ranaf is worth a persona point. Bat in the enaf they not onhr overthrew the c/a ver—§/ran tc rah'n_a the ciég. hat thy hanctect controt hach to the riahtfat government when thy con/at have tahen /oower then/ice/vec. Thatfs worth a a/eea’ ' t.
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, When spent at appropriate junctures in game, l'Cl1El modifies the outcome of dice rolls, and thereby allows characters to perform
heroic acts they would otherwise not be able to perform. Artha must always be spent on a roll. It cannot just be dtunped into a skill or stat. Something dramatic has to be happening. The dice have to roll, then the artha can flow. , Warning: Some of the a1'tl1a exp e11ditures explained below if ’§i contain mechanics yet to be discussed. Skim them for now and come back to them later after youive read through the Biin of the \Vheel section.
Fate Luck— A player may spend a fate point to make the dice of a single roll ope11—e11ded (65 rerolled as new dice for additional successes). If the roll is already open~ended——Pe1'ception, Steel, Faith, Sorcery— then the player may reroll a single traitor (which is not open—ended). Luck is piuchased after the dice have been rolled. Shrug it 0ff— Faced with the pain and discomfort of cuts and scrapes, a player may choose to have his character Shrug Off +1 Ob of wound penalties. Basically, this temporarily mitigates the effects of a single "-
superficial wotmd. This is exactly the same as the Slnng it Off rules in f
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the h1j1u'y, Treatinent and Becovery section, except that no Health test is necessary, and the time required is reduced to one action.
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B0011— A player may choose to spend up to tln'ee persona points on a skill or stat test. Each point spent grants a bonus die (+1D) to roll on
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the test. A Boon must be armounced before the dice are cast.
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Grit Your Teetl1— For a persona point, ~1D of wound penalty ca11 be temporarily shrugged off. This is exactly the same as the Grit Your
Teeth mechanics in the hijury, Treatment and Becoveiy section, except
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that no Health test is required, a11d the time is reduced. Even spending
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a persona p oint, Gritting Your Teeth during a Fight costs two actions,
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and one action dining Range and Cover.
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F0cllS— A player may spend a persona point if he fails his test when using the working carefully rules. This doesn°t pass the test, but it does counteract the effect of a time complication.
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The Spokes Will to Live—-— Players whose characters have been struck down with a mortal wound 1nust spend a persona point in order to earn the Will to Live. The player decides whether or 11ot he wants to continue 011 with his character. If the player does 11ot spend a persona poi11t, then no art nor magic can save the character from the mortal wound: He has exhausted his life. If the persona point is spent, then the character is allowed to attempt a Becovery test against the mortal wotmd after being tended to. See the Anatomy of Injury.
Deeds Divine lnspil'ation— One point of deeds artha may be spent to double the exponent of a single stat, skill or attribute test. Reflexes and equipment dice may 11ot be doubled in this manner. When spending a deeds point on a test that gains additional dice from FoBKs, helping, stances or other means, only double the base slcilllstat a11d then add in the l, _h
extra dice. Divine Inspiration 111ust be Ell111011l1C6Cl before the dice are cast.
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Saving Gl‘ace—A deeds poi11t may be spent to reroll all dice that failed to co111e up successes 011 any given test.
This may be used for equipment dice like armor, shields a11d guns. Obviously, Saving Grace is annotmced after the dice have been rolled.
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Spending Limits Players may only spend '1 fate, 1 -3 persona points and 1-2 deeds poi11ts p er roll. (2 deeds would come from doubling your dice and then rerolling traitors
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Optional Rule: Persona Point Complications
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If a character has just failed a test and gotten himself into deep troublc— killed, capttued or something similarly horrible—the player can spend a
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persona point to redirect the narrative from “certain deatl1 "" into further complications. As a rule, the player may choose his new fate. It"s got to be bad or costly, though. Otherwise, the CM can simply declare that the i.nitial failed test result stands.
A ranger cneakc into a hanciit camp to in vectipate. Hie p/a)/er /fai/s the ro// rniserahh/ ana/thnc his character wi//caretv he canaht. 721 mitigate his/fai/are, the/o/aver 5/oencts a /oerconapoint on a comp/ication. Ac the hanciite come oat to in veetijate, thgv nota how ana’aaiver han_gin_a carionch on a thin hranch!
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Con vinceot that thgv are heinp cpiect on, they search the area aronnot camp, /‘hrcinp the ranper to take re/‘iape in the ceccpit in orcter to avoic/o/etection. Complications 111ust l1ave a tangible cost. For martial or physical tests, that cost should be material, as in the 1'ange1'°s bow in the above example. Or, for example, a player can spend a persona poi11t on a failed Block test to ward off a Superb blow. The blow is deflected, but his sword s11aps.
0r it can he even more comp/icateah- A phi)/eris hniaht is ahont to he cracheot anaher the weight ofa tro/ifs hammer Hefs ftzi/ea’his Avoictmiserahh/. "Can / cpena’apersonapoint to cinch the h/on; hat to have ctamh/ea/hack ana/nearh fa//en /iom the /eahe .7 My character won/oihave otroppeahhic cworct anothe'-at he hanging on rr his hf? ac the tro//acivances. Howis that? ” The GM raises his e)/ehrow. “Scare! ” For social or academic tests, the relationship to the subject 111ust change—it 111ust get complicated. Remember, the test is still a faihue, the player do es 11ot get what he °s after, but he mitigates dis aster by spending a persona point. He may then narrate the complication. The purpose of this mechanic is to give the player a little more control over his miserable fate. There can only be one complication per session per player.
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Aristeia An Aris teia is slightly different a11d much more significant than the other
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artha feats. I11 order to enter Aristeia, a cl1aracter must spend 5 fate points, 3 persona points and 1 deeds point. Once the artl1a is spent, choose the form of the Aristeia from the choices below:
ll. ll‘ all MinorEpipl1any—-A player may choose to shade—shift one of his stats or nth it |
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skills one shade ligl1ter for the duration of an entire scene—a fight, a goal, a gauntlet, an argument, etc.
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Divine Aura (A1'iSteia)—— By calling o11 this divine favor, a character
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the court to my side” are all fine and appropriate goals. Goals like . “To kill my enemy” last only so lo11g as the opponents are locked in
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Epiphany By embodying his persona, truly fulfilling his destiny a11d moving beyond his bou11ds, a cl1aracter may undergo a11 Epiphany—a permanent shade—shift of one of the character"s stats or skills. I11 order to earn this fantastic boon, a player 111ust push a11d test one of his character"'s abilities past
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in question be used at critical uncturesin the story, but the player must spend artha 011 those tests. To shift to the next lighter shade, a player must spend a total of 3 deeds
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this much artha on one of his character°s abilities, then the ability immediately and permanently takes 011 its new shade.
Other Artha Expenditures Artha spent for a11 A1'isteia counts for a11 epiphany. Spending artha on armor does 11ot help with an epiphany. Spending fate a11d persona to shrug or grit a superficial or ligl1t wound counts toward a Health
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Artha and Game Play As I mentioned at the beginning of this section, artha is the game play
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which actions a1'e important enough to be rewarded. Not o11ly does it mediate the relationship betwee11 player and GM, but it also l1elps set the tone for the game as a whole.
How Much? At the end of a session, eacl1 player should earn at least a fate point and a persona point: one fate from playing a Belief, instinct or trait and a persona from accomplishing a goal or earning one of the session awards. A player who is really on his game can earn fate froin each Belief and Instinct, and maybe a few froin traits and Bight Skill Bight Time. That could be eight fate in one session! Or a player could accomplish three goals and earn three persona points, plus artha from l11sti11cts and session awards. It no artha is earned in a sessio11, something is wrong. Players a11d GM are not engaging with the system and everyone is missing out on a lot of good stuff. Next session, examine your Beliefs and try to align them better witl1 the story so your character is driving the action.
Starting Artha l recommend each character start with one fate and one persona point. If you°d like a bigger cushion for a starting game, try starting characters with three fate a11d two persona. ..,
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NPC Artha Named villains and allies should start with one fate a11d one persona
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poi11t each. Tliereatter, they can earn artha if the CM writes and plays beliefs for them. Archnemesis characters should be give11 at least tln'ee fate and three
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l advise against giving villains deeds poi11ts. Burning \Vl1eel is meant to be a player driven game, and deeds points are rewards for actual game play. No matter wl1at weld like to thi11k, those villains havenlt played the game. Therels little n1o1'e denloralizing to the players than hearing the
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p e11alty Allows player to test Health so their character may recover from a mortal wound 1 Deeds Divine Inspiration 1 Deeds Saving Grace 5E3R1D Aristeia Optional: Complieationi Persona
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Earning Artha ame Belief Instinct
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Playing a11 Instinct that makes the
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Humor Right Skill, Bight Time Embodiment Moldbreaker Workhorse MVP Personal Goals Greater Goals Beyond the Call
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For an in—character game-stopper For having a skill to make the story go
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For really good or distinctive roleplaying
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For goingbeyond the botmds ofcl1aracter
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For doing all the work fo1' the scenario
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For being the crucial ele1ne11t of success
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Revenge, triumph, seduction, victory
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In his game, Dogs in. the I/i:r.eyar'(Z, Vincent Baker articulates a
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convention of Burning Wheel so well that I’d rather use his words than my own. I-Ie says:
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Every moment of/zv/c)/, ro//a/ice or say ?es. ” /fnothina is atstahe, say 3/e.s”[to the,o/averfs request], whatever the)/re doing. /nstjo a/one with them. hfthey ash r in/irrmatzon, jive it to them. /fthey ha we their characters yo somewhere, the)/‘re there. hfthey wantit its theirs.
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Sooner or /ater—soonen hecaase 6/oaryamesjyoreanant with crisis— they’//have their characters do something that someone etse won't /she. BanalSomethzinyfs at stahe. Start the conftict anctro//the alice. Ro//dice, or soy Li/es.” Vineentis advice is perfect for Burning Wheel. Unless there is something at stake in the story you have created, don"t bother with the dice. Keep moving, keep describing, keep roleplaying. But as soon as a character wants something that he doesn°t have, needs to know something he doesn°t know, covets something that someone else has, 1'oll the dice.
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dice. There is no social agreement for the resolution of conflict in this game. Boll the dice and let the obstacle system guide the outcome. Success or failure doesn’t really matter. So lo11g as the intent of the task is clearly stated, the story is going somewhere.
Setting Obstacles It is the GM’s role to set obstacles. By presenting obstacles where he sees fit-—by calling for tests—l1e builds the mood of the game. For exainple, making even the simple things difficult can give the game an air of oppression a11d weight. This isn°t a bad thing, and sometjines that°s the mood necessary for conveying the situation. Setting obstacles low, or only asking for tests at moments of high drama, gives the game a heroic and grandiose feel.
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Whenever there is a contest between two characters, make a versus test. This is the method of solving disputes in Biuning Wheel: We roll for it. Two players want their characters to grab something? We roll to see who gets it. One player wants his character to hm't another? Ive make a versus test-—attack vs defense. Attacker gets more successes, he injm'es his target. Defender gets more successes, and he protects himself. Now what°s he going to do? Want to remain hidden in a crowd? Roll. Pm going to 1'oll to spot you. Want to Win an argument? II/e roll after we°ve each stated om" case.
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By using versus tests to resolve conflicts, we keep the game fair, the action moving, and allow the players a chance to legitimately influence events. Players can spend artha on rolls: They can call for help, use traits, use FoBKs and just plain do the unexpected. All of this is necessary for an evolving, engaging game. The players are botl1 the actors and the audience, so they need to be involved i11, and enjoying, the events as they transpire. Versus tests go a long way toward creating an engaging experience . \Vl1y roll at all? Why not just agree on what’s happening? We’re all fai1'—minded adults, right? Well, social agreement is a fantastic ideal, but it is subject to bullying, blustering, intimidation,
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manipulation, cajoling, persuasion and lying: all things that are separate from the characte1's—part of a social dynainic that is apart fron1 the game. By relying on the dice, everyone is on a level playing field. Burning \Vheel is a game, not acting class. The versus tests get everyone playing the game. Besides, your characters only advance if you roll the dicel
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Boll, and you’ll find that dice in Burning Wheel actually support and bolster the players’ actions--even if they fail! Dice help you get what you want, not frustrate your goals. There°s a process to it, sure, but I"m confident that the mechanics of this game drive dramatic, intense play. Boll the dice. Yoifll see.
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Characters are the foundation of Burning Wheel. Nothing matters so n1ucl1 as the cl1aracter, a11d nothing l1appe11s without a cl1aracter b ei11g involve d—-eitl1er directly or indirectly. The Character Bmner contains the instructions for building these essential components i11 Burning Wheel. ItI’s a detailed process a11d practically a game in and of itself. Players are presented with myriad options that they knit together i11to a shape a11d form that is manifested at the table and i11 the game.
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Making a cl1aracter in Burning \Vheel is 11ot a free-forn1 “this is what I wa11t a11d this is what I getI’I’ process. Players must make decisions about what is important to them, and these choices have consequences. Opting for certain paths excludes others, more
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importantly, so1ne choices scar or change the cl1aracter. DonI’t like the ramifications of your decisions? Make different ones. ThereIs no set way to build any one cl1aracter in Burning \Vheel, but there are consequences down each path.
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This system is designed to make characters complex a11d give
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them the weight of experience and personality. Personally, I wa11t my characters to feel like theyI’ve lived a little—full of bruises, prejudices, invisible scars a11d little victories. ItI’s all fuel for the fire—to drive them 011 to greater heights. One benefit of this depth is that the characterIs backstory is built as you design him. By the time you hit the table with all your skills, traits, Beliefs and I11sti11cts i11 place, you have before you a product of an imagined past—a glimpse i11to another time a11d another place—ready to spring to life a11d grab fate by the tln'oat. Ready,
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in fact, to join forces with your imagination to power intense and enjoyable game play. Good luck, and enjoy.
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A cl1aracter is built step-by—step, from birth through the tmnult of life, up to the day he starts his new calling-—thc adventure, whatever it may be. In Burning Wheel, the basic currency of character creation, or “character burningI’I’ as we like to call it, is the lifepath.
Lifepaths A lifepath (LP) is a short slice of life, usually just a handful of years. It teaches skills, bestows traits, toughens a character a11d can make him richer or poorer. Ultimately, the character is the sum of his lifepaths. The total of this experience can be prosperous and fruitful, miserable and painful or a combination of the two. It is up to the player to determine the exact paths walked.
Setting Lifepaths are grouped together in loose categories called settings. A setting is a segment of the character°s culture that contains many related lifepaths. The relationship between lifepaths is often indirect. The bounds of a setting are usually geographical. For example, the City Dweller Setting has paths reaching into all levels of society, from wealthy
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ministers to sturdy sailors to lowly beggars, whereas the Noble Com't
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Subsetting encompasses all those you might meet at the palaces and
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castles of the nobility——from angry governesses and quiet gardeners to haughty courtiers and mysterious sorcerers.
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A character may only choose lifepaths f1‘o1n the setting he was bo1'11 int:o—-unless, of cou1'se, life leads him in another direction.
Character Stock The Character Burner provides players with four fantasy cl1aracter stocks to choose from: Dwarves, Elves, Men and Ores. Each character stock has a imique culture, with a variety of settings and dozens of lifepaths. A player may never choose lifepaths outside of his chosen character stock. The various character stocks also grant access to particular traits, certain
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skills and cultural artifacts. Each stock has its own list of material possessions and spells, but all characters use the core rules for Resources, Circles, relationships, affiliations and reputations.
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The Elements of a Lifepath
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Each lifepath ages tl1e cl1aracter and grants him tiine, traits, trait points, resource points, stat points, leads, skills and skill points. These are tl1e building blocks of every character.
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Time The Time column indicates how long in years it takes to walk this particular patl1. After all lifepaths are cl1ose11, years are totalled to deter1ni11e tl1e age of tl1e character.
Resources (Res) Players use 1'eso1n"ce points (rps) to ptu'chase rnaterial possessions, land and spells, a11d to build relationships a11d acquire affiliations.
Statistics (Stat) Stat points a1'e garnered from vo sources: lifepaths and age. Once all of a cl1aracter’s lifepaths have been cl1ose11, his age is determined a11d used to find his Staiting Stat Pool. Also, many lifepaths give the character a
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Leads Opportunity is strange and unpredictable. Often a person cannot H. --rt" :1‘ ¢1_-,.../" =_-1'
directly decide the paths he must walk-—he must follow life"s leads.
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Social mobility i11 the Middle Ages was 11ot the same as it is 110w. It was very difficult to break out of one's station. Most people were born into their lot and had no chance of doing better (or worse). To help represent
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this i11 a fantastic Middle Ages world, each lead costs one year added to
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the character°s age.
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in cl1aracter burning, a lead is a possibility, an opportunity to change. It . . . can be a chance at something good, or a chance of calannty. Either way, tl1e leads allow characters to move on to other settings and lifepaths. In fact, the only way to get from one setting to a11otl1er is to take a lead.
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decides he likes the life and becomes a Foot Soldier in the Professional Soldier Setting. But he is caught in a great defeat and taken as a Captive of \Var in the Servitude Setting. The leads from Peasant to Villager, from Villager to Soldier and from Soldier to Servitude add three years onto the characteris starting age.
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Each lifepath presents a set of skills that may be learned. The player will mostly choose skills from the lifep aths his character has walked. If a player wants different skills for his character, he has to choose ljfep aths that offer those skills.
Trait Traits are details that differentiate cl1aracters—-—quirks, affectations and odd abilities. Burning Vi/heel is designed so that players can take on heroic personae-—traits help to give them depth and life. Traits will affect game play. Some will do so often and drastically; these cost the most points. Others will affect garne play infrequently or in subtle ways; these are less expensive. Dwarves, Elves and Orcs have certain traits that all members of their race have. They are free and mandatory.
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The steps to creating a character in B1n'ning \Vheel can be broken into three categories: developing a concept, choosing lifepaths and spending the points earned on those lifepaths. Each step is crucial as we try to meld our ideas with the hard reality of the ntunbers on paper and produce a satisfying result. There are twelve steps to this process. This chapter walks you through them. Itis really just one big example.
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Once you run through the process a few times, youill be an expert and be able to whip up characters in 15 minutes. For players new to the game, the process usually takes about 45 minutes to an horn‘.
1. Character Concept \Vhen designing a character for a Burning Wheel game, it is best to start with an overall, rough idea: a wily former slave hawker, a young headstrong wizard, a brutal knight, a cunning Orc chieftain, a joke-cracking adventuring Dwarf or a sorcerer—hunting Elf. Players have many detailed options in the character creation process, so it°s best not to start with too rigid a concept. Ideas that can twist and bend a little bit tend to be the ones that work best.
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Concepts should abide by two guidelines: They should be feasible for the genre/style of your group, and they should be tied into the situation at hand.
Situation The situation is the conflict in progress. Your group should have
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an idea for the type of game theyid like to play—and what is going
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to happen in that game. Tie your character concept into that idea.
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If a player chooses a concept that has nothing to do with the game at hand, then he has already set himself up with a great hurdle. A wizard-killing Elf isnit the best choice if the party consists solely of sorcerers; a young headstrong wizard is problematic for ganies without magic; and a Dwarven adventurer might not fit in too well with an Orc clan.
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Situation in Reverse As you read the above, you might be saying to yotuself, “I can think of a dozen ways to tie those threads together! ii And you°re right. That°s a little secret to developing a cl1aracter concept—Lhe type of cl1aracter you choose affects the situation. So choose a character concept with an eye toward owning a part of the situation. .H the OM proposes a game without magic, tl1ere°s always that "‘ £3 one player whois got to play the last mage. And you know what? Thatis good. Before the galne has even started, we have a spark of conflict—we have the player getting involved in shaping the situation. Discuss the situation as you present yotu' character concept. Tie them botl1 together—a dying world without magic, the last mage, the quest to restore the land. In one volley of discussion you°ve got an epic in the making. Start mixing in the other cl1aracter conccpts~—they should all be tied to the background-—and you have the makings of a Burning Wheel galne:
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2. Choose Lifepaths A character°s numbers are generated by choosing a series of lifepaths. These are short segments of the characteris life—-—usually centered around an occupation, a diversion or a class role. Each lifepath gives the player
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Once the rough concept is in place, the GM will set a lifep ath limit. The
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characters are a good place to begin. Their choices are fairly narrow, but they do get some options to play with. Four~lifepath characters also make very good starting characters-—they tend to be competent and well-rounded without being expert in any one field. Five—lifepath characters are veterans. Theyill have a couple of expert-level skills and a host of choices to really maximize their starting positions. S:ix— to eightlifepath characters are often potent a11d experienced. They have plenty of points to play with and many options. The hitch is that the more
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lifep aths you choose for your character, the slower advancement will be
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Choose Character Stock Decide if you wa11t your character to be a Dwarf, Elf, Orc or Man. You may only choose lifepaths, skills, spells a11d resources from your own cl1aracter stock.
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Pick ‘Em Once the GM and the players have agreed on a limit, players choose
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Skills and Traits: Make a List As you decide on the various paths, make a list of the points provided in the Time, Resources, Stat, Skill and Trait categories. The first skill and trait of each path is required. The others are optional.
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Skills: 6 pts: Song of Paths and \Vays§, Air of Catesi, Foraging, plus any Wise Traits: 1 pt: —— § This is an Elven skill song. It costs 2 pts to open and always counts as open-ended. Descriptions can be found i11 the skill list.
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After youire finished choosing your characteris lifepaths, total up the Time category. Add one year fo1' each lead taken. This is the characteris starting age.
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Mental and Physical Pools Look up your character’s starting age 011 the table and note his mental and physical pools. Add in any bonus stat points earned on the lifep aths: +M goes in the mental pool, +P goes in the physical. If you took a lifep ath that had a +M/P, that means you ca11 put one p oi11t i11 either mental or physical. If you took a path that had a + M, P, that means you can put one point in both the mental and physical pools.
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Divide Mental poi11ts may be spent on Perception and \Vill. Points raise the exponent o11 a o11e-for-one basis. If you put five poi11ts into \Vill, the
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Shade Black is the default starting shade for stats. If a player wishes to have a gray shade stat [or his character, it costs ve points from the appropriate pooh I11 addition, all gray—shade stats must he cleared by the CM and the group. Without their approval, the player may only choose black shade abilities. For more ah out shades, check out the Heroic and Supernatural chapter. My e/1araeL‘er /1a.s a//5/aek .5/ma/e state. / ea:/L‘ a/§‘oro|/ L‘/ze l/eyoozlatpremiam.
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Skill Points Total up the skill points earned [r0111 all of the character"s lifepaths
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Slcill Descriptions Skills that are unique to the cl1aracter stock are described i11 the individual lifepath chapters. All other skills can be found in the
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Ge11eral Skill List. Each cl1aracter stock has access to a mixture of their own unique skills and the general skills as their starting base. In fact, 111ost of the skills come from the General List. \Vises are generally not described. They all fall under the rules governing \Vises described in the Wise entry in the General Skill List.
Opening Skills: Roots It costs one poi11t to open a standard skill. New skill exponents start at half the root stat rounded down. lf a skill has two roots, half the average of the root stats rounded down. Root stats are listed with each skill.
EI:/en Smpt ale rooteotat /raIfmy Perception roann/ea/a/ooon-—B2. T/rat eoets one point. IoIeeioIe to any Bow, Traekz'n_9; 5teaItIy Otnservation, and a Wise 5/tilt Upenlrj ve more otilk eoets me/i're morepozlnt.s. T/ze root.s 1raIIoft/rem are B2——I¢a§fofar9/ ofmy stats ronnotea/oIown to 2.
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Special skills like songs or arts cost two points to open. These are noted in the lifepaths.
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Opening Skills at Gr'a;y' Shade It costs five skill points to open a skill at its root with a gray shade.
Advancing a Skill lt costs one point to advance a skill exponent in character burning (one point adds one die).
Ihare /‘irepoints Ieft anoia hunch ofB2 shiIIs—which is rely Iow. I neeoi to yain some competency. I oiecieie to aoIrance SteaItIy4, 6aII ofthe I/I/iIo{ Sony of Paths anoi VI/.49/.5, Trachiny and Lost PIaces-wise. They each aoirance /4/om B2 to B3.
Spending General Skill Points General skill points represent natural talent or additional exp eiience not detailed in the lifep aths. % . Skill points from lifepaths ca11 only be used to open a11d advance skills gained from your lifepaths. General skill points can open or advance any skill not subject to restrictions. Skills opened with general points may not be advanced using regular skill points.
Iha re reyeneraIpoints. I thinh I inyoiny to neeei them to aoIrance a few of my hfepath shiIts. But I aIso want to spreaoi out my experience. I a(ecicIe that my time hiriny amony men has rreeoi me to he a hit ofa sociaI creature. I open up the Persuasion shiII usiny ayeneraIshiIIpoint. Eren thouyh its not on my Izfepath Iist, Iean open it with a yeneraIpoint. Rooteoi/i’om my I/I/iII it opens at B2. 7aIhiny to the otherphy/ers in theyroup, Ieii-scorer that theyire a hit short on meai:'cinaIshiIIs. So I hiy the Sony ofSoothiny——an exseIIent EI:/en meoh'cinaI shiII—to heho out. It costs me twopoints since its a mayioaIEIren shiIIsony. Ia/ecieie I'II use my Iast twoyeneraIpoints to aoIrance Sony ofSoothiny anei Persuasion. I eouioi huy other shiits hhe Sworn’ or Chmhiny, hut I 'oI rather Iearn them z]npIay ana’earn some/uig stat aoirancement tests aIony the my/.
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6. Traits There are two types of traits available for purchase in character burning: lifepath traits and special traits. Lifepath traits are listed in
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lifepath traits. They are selected from the character stock special trait
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Trait Point Pool Total up the trait points earned from the character°s lifepaths. This is the trait point pool.
/lssoroiiny to my hfepaths, Iyet three traitpoints—onefrom each ofmypaths.
Required Lifepath Trait
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Like skills, the first lifepath trait on each path is required. The player must purchase this trait. It costs one point. If the character aheady has this trait from a previous path, the next trait listed must be purchased (and so on). If a player already has all of the traits listed, the points on the path are free of requirements. If a lifepath is listed with no points or requirements, no trait points are gained 011 that path. If a lifepath is listed with a “1 pt:-—” notation, that indicates there is no requirement for this p atl1: One point is granted to be spent at the player°s discretion.
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Common Traits in Character Burning
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The Eh/en Common Traits arefree, hut the Watch/icI trait costs ipoint.
Lifepath Traits Lifepath traits cost one trait point to purchase—no matter what their cost would be in the general or special list.
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7. Attributes Attributes are derived from the stats and, in the case of Health and Steel, from answering a few questions.
Mortal Wound A character°s mortal wotmd tolerance is the average of his Power and Forte, rounded down l)lL1S 6. If Power and Forte are black shade -> mortal
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A character°s Reflexes exponent is the average of Perception, Agility and Speed, rounded down.
Ah hah. Here my choices heyin topc9/ of}? My Perception, AyiIity anoISpeeoiare aII B5 Thus my Reflexes is B5. Thatsyoooi Hope d x it"IIyire me an ea_/ye to compensate /hr the reIatire inexperience Ianciporerhi) ofmy character Re exes Shade
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Starting Health is the average of Will and Forte. Round down. Health may be modified by the player"s answers to the following questions:
Health Questions -—Does the character live in squalor a11d filth? Subtract 1 die from the starting Health. -—ls the character frail or sickly? Subtract 1. -—Was the character severely wounded in the past? Subtract 1. —Has the character been tortured and enslaved? Subtract 1. -—Are you a Dwarf, Eli or Orc? lf so, add 1 to the cl1aracter°s starting
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health due to their 1nysticalIimmortal nattu'e. —ls the character athletic and active? Add 1.
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-—Does the character live in a really clean and happy place, like the hills in The Sound ofiliusic? Add 1.
My answers to the I-IeaIth yuestions: Thouyh Iin a wana/ere»; /oIon"t hire in syuaIor anal/iIth. I am not/i’aiIor sichh/. I haven't heen wounoieoior tortureoi
unIess)’ou counthein3 orceoito Iire amonS men . I am an EI. Sweet. AthIetic , ana/active? Iyuess Iam. Im a hunter hy traiie. But I certainhr cIon't Iire in paraotisc; so I oion ityet that Iast hump. Thatis +2 to my startiny I—IeaIth. Health Slzarle Health is black shade unless both Will and Forte are gray (in which
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Steel Base starting Steel is B3. Players should answer the following questions regarding their character"s history. Each answer can raise or lower Steel. Also, five ""yes"" answers ca11be used to buy a gray shade.
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——l-las the character taken a conscript, soldier, bandit, squire or knight type lifepath? Add one to Steel.
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My answers: Iin not a soIaiier As IanswereoI/for the HeaIth yuestion, Iha re not heen wounoIeci /-Im. Ihare murciereaf hence my exiIe, hut onhl once so no hoost there. As I saioi with the HeaIth yuestions, Iha ren’t heen tortureah I certainh ha re not Ieaoia sheIterea( hfir. The competitive cuIture yuestion is touyh—I oIon't thinh Ihare heen raise-it in such an enrironment,- I in not Qifteaf or Faithfui My Perception is BS; my V1/iII is B5 so thatyires me a
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Hesitation Your characterls hesitation is 10 minus his Will exponent. There is no shade for hesitation. My Ehfis hesitation is S (I0 minus my M/iIIexponent o/[S
Emotional Attributes Certain characters may have access to an emotional attribute like Faith, Grief, Greed or Hatred. The rules for starting sco1'es for those attributes are described in each applicable cl1aracter stock chapter.
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As an Eh,’ Ihare the £}riefemoti1naI attrihute. 6onsuItiny the E/ren Qrief section, Ianswer the yaestions there. Brie y, IcIon’t hnow any Iamentation sonys Ithere are none on mypaths), my history oIe 'niteh/ incIucIes trayeoh anoI I 're Iirea( amony non—EI/en peopIe. That mahes my Grie/‘B3—one exponent point r each of those answers. However IaIso hare the ExiIe trait. That
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Stride Snide indicates l1ow fast you move. lt isn"t rolled or tested. The munb er is compared to that of other characters to see who gets relative advantage. Stride for Dwarves is 6, Men and Orcs is 7, Elves is
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8. Spending Resource Points Total your character°s resource points (rps) from the Res colunm of
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Gear A character°s possessions are purchased with resom'ce points. Each character stock chapter has a list of available purchases. Ptu'chases are described generally but include any extras or accoutrements the cl1aracter might need: arrows, extra knives, saddles, etc.
6onsuItmy the Eh/en resources Iist. Ihuy the hasics.- a run ofthe miII how, cIothes, shoes ana/tra reIinyyear Thats 70points so /‘ar—'77 toyo.
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But EIres aIso hare sweet Eh/en mayic items they can start with. Screw tools,I (II/instthem on the roaai Ioiecioie to how Eh/en Mirrorwine I6’ nos I'IInerer
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° A relationship with a character who is considered powerful and who plays a large role in the ganie setting costs 15 rps. ° A relationship with a character who is considered significant or important to the game setting is 10 rps. ° A relationship with a cl1aracter who plays a minor role in the setting or situation costs 5 rps. There are no insignificant relationshipsl Every one of them is important. However, you can reduce the cost by introducing interesting complications to the natm'e of the relationships. Relationships have a minimmn cost of 1 rp. ° Immediate family relationships are -2 rps. ° Other family relationships (cousins, atmts, etc.) are -1 rps. ° Relationships involving bonds of romantic love are -2 rps. ° Forbidden relationships are -1 rps (the bishop who pals around with the bandit king, for example). ° Relationships that are hateful, are rivals or are extremely unfriendly to the character are -2 rps. (Enemy of the king? 13 rps.) Any non-player characters not bought as relationships—-—secondary background cl1aracters—fall i11to the sphere of the character°s Circles (described o11 in Step 9). l11 fact, it is the intention of these rules that each
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I create my cousin, Durion, who was compiicit in my crime hut receireoi a Iiyhter sentence. Hes a minor/fyure——costiny Srps hase. Hes fizmihl (-7 rp) and I fhppiny hate him I-2 rps)I Why din’ Iyet exiIeoI when he ch'cIn’t.7 He costs 2 ips. That Ieares me with one no Ieft. I couIoItahe a cIosefamzZu /irrhicicien or hate/i»iI rehztionship, hut I n/ecia/e ayainst it. What wiIII cIo with this iastpoin t?
Affiliations Each lifepath grants the cl1aracter a loose membership to a particular group. However, the character has little or no power in these venues. if he wants power, a player may buy his cl1aracter an affiliation with an organization in his Circles. See Step 9. The amount of points he spends and the dice granted indicate how powerful the organization is a11d where he stands within it. Lastly, affiliations must be accompanied by a one sentence description from the player. No, "°1D army"" affiliations. Be specific and detailed.
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, Keep affiliation dice separate from your Circles rating; a - J cl1aracter may have multiple affiliations, a11d Circles advances independently of affiliations. Finding your Circles exponent is described in Step 9.
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The characteris reputation refers to his renown and influence. Reputations are governed by their scope. This indicates l1ow broadly you can apply the reputation. A local reputation ca11 only be applied While in the character°s l1o111e city, neighborhood, village, demesne or a siinilar setting appropriate to your game. Regional reputations spread the character’s fame across the countryside, the suburbs, the province, the duchy, etc. Outside that area, his name ain°t worth mud. National reputations indicate the cl1aracter is known throughout his l10l116l811Cl, and even those wl1o have merely heard about his kingdom niight know his fame. 1' 1|), 7 rps. Local or minor 1'eputation—— the fastest kid 011 the street, the drunk, the neighborhood thug, the knowledgeable guide ' 2|), 25 rps. Regional or notable reputation—-—an old war hero, a religious figurehead, a well—known Elven \Va11cle1'er, a famous army captain, a lord, a notorious bandit, a fanious entertainer Q 3D, 45 rps. National or major reputation—a mimificent baro11 or duke,
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Gangs and Crews If your cl1aracter concept requires a group of supporting characters, like the staff of a restaurant, crew of a ship 01' members of your bandit brotherhood, do tl1e following: P1u'chase a relationship with the senior member of the group (if that°s you, choose a second-in-connnand), then buy an affiliation to the group and a reputation within that affiliation.
Bodyguards, Squires and Apprentices Some cl1aracter concepts require a bodyguard, squire or assistant to accompany the PC at all times. Such characters must be bought via the relationships rules. They cost 10 rps. Period. These characters must be burned up as full player characters with the following limits: They must take two fewer lifepaths than the limit imposed on the PC and they 1nust use a lower starting exponent cap. lf the PC started capped at 6s, bodyguards are capped at 5s. These relationship-cha1'acters must pay for a 10 rp relationship with the PC as well, and pay for all their own gear. The bm'den for creating and managing such characters is on the player
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Spells Using resource points, Ores and Men can purchase spells for their sorcerer—type characters. The actual cost is listed with each spell.
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9. Resources and Circles Abilities A cl1aracter l1as two additional attributes called Resources and Circles. All characters start with these abilities. These abilities each have their own chapters in the Rim of the Burning Wheel section.
Starting Resources Exponent
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The Resources attribute represents wealth, favors and assets. Total the resource points the player spent on his character°s property, reputations a11d affiliations—not relationships, spells or gear. Divide by 15. Round down. This is the cha1'acter°s starting Resources ability exponent. A gray
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Starting Circles Exponent Circles represents the character"s sphere of influence in his community— through his profession, class a11d family. All characters have it, and it is
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1 O. Physical Tolerances Physical Tolerances are used to determine l1ow badly injm'ed a character is when he°s struck with a weapon or spell. The mechanics for weapons and injmy are discussed i11 the Bmning Wheel. There are six tolerances: superficial, light, lnidi, severe, traumatic and mortal.
Mortal \Ve°ve already determined yom' cha1'acter°s mortal wound in step 7. That attribute is a coordinate on the physical tolerances grayscale (PTCS) located on your cl1aracte1' sheet. Place the mortal wotmd tolerance on yo1u' character’s PTCS now.
Superficial The superficial wotmd tolerance is equal to half Forte rounded down plus 1. Yeah, I know it°s funky, but it°s necessary.
Light, Midi, Severe and Traumatic Place the other Wound tolerances in order left to right between superficial and mortal. They may be set apart by up to half the Forte exponent (rotmded up). Typically, the only gaps are between superficial a11d light, and ligl1t and 11llCl_l. Severe, traumatic and mortal all tend to fall together.
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1 1. Beliefs and Instincts Beliefs and Instincts are the most important part of yom' cl1aracter, because they are the method by which we breathe life into all those 11U_I11l)61‘S and lists.
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A player must design Beliefs for his cl1aracter. He may take up to tln'ee, but no less than one.
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A Belief is three things: it is characterization, a goal a11d an indication of how you want to be rewarded for playing yom' character.
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The Garden is Burning ""‘i"' I wi// to/up/e my brat/ier if/1e a/are no matter the east. Note the action: topple. And the condition: no matter the cost. This Belief could l1ave been written as “I don’t like my brother, the duke,” but that's a terrible Belief. Great, you don"t like him. ls that going to make
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T_-lypes of Starting‘ Beliefs ° If you have a secret about your character, make a Belief about it. It seems counter-intuitive, but in order to make a secret work in this game, you have to tell everyone about it! ° If you have an object or artifact that is very important to your
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character5' write a Belief about it. ° If there is a11 NPC who is important to you, write a Belief about him or her. ° If you are interested in or care about another player character, write a Belief about him or her. @ lf there is son1ethi11g your character wants to learn or gain, write a Belief about it. ° ff you have a philosophy for your character, write a Belief about it. Beliefs and the Setting and Sifrmtion At the beginning of the cl1aracter burning process, you and the CM discussed the set ng of the game and the situation—the problem or action——that is starting off your campaign. Use this in your Beliefs! l11corporate what you care about, you hate or what you want to change into your Beliefs.
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Little Goals \Vhe1'1 writing goals, try not to make them too big. Try to create goals for yomself that you can at least try to accomplish this session. Don"t write goals for things you"ll get to i11 the future. If you l1ave a big goal, break it dow11 into steps a11d write a Belief about the step you ca11 take a shot at right now.
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Broad Sfafernerifs Are Bad Broad, vague statements make bad Beliefs. “This world is doomed” is a crap Belief. ltis a broad statement, and it docsn"t involve the character in the action. A simple change, “This world is doomed if l __;_e,'-, l1’.n_,._'iF‘
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Wink Together During a session, not all players are going to get all of their Beliefs into play at the S81116 time. Thatis okay. Tie in one or two Beliefs at a time——from different characters——and use the other Beliefs as hooks for additional sessions. Beyond that 1 not all of the l3layers° . . lJriorities are B oin g to be appropriate to one garne. That"s cool, too. Negotiate with the GM and the other players about what is important and relevant to the story/ game/situation at hand. lncorporate Beliefs based on those criteria Save the rest for another character in another game.
IconsaIt wit/z Ant/iony. tbe QM, anal’ asb bim about tbe on_aoin_ajame. How n/iI/ I come in .7 He teIts me t/lat t/ze_aroa,o is about to raia’ t/1e secret bar ofa wizara’ nemesis. Tbeylre searc/zina for ctnes to some mystery t/lg /za re been in I/estiyatirly.
Ibnow tbat I in _aoin_g to /rave to bonat witb tbs_aroa/1 anicbb/. My cbaracter neea/s a ymryoose—-—a reason to sticb wit/1 tbem. Icome n/o wit/1 an ia/ea anal’ as/Q. “Can my exiie be cine to tbe maro/er ofRic/1 is cbaracteris famij/.7 "Ric/1 is ,aIi9/ing a Dwarven axe bearer Iast of/us c/an. Anthony tbinbs its agreat ia/ea. I c/zecb wit/I Ric/r ana/asb if/1es_aoooI wit/1 t/rat, too. Hes aI//or it. ‘~1-
I expIain t/rat mypast wiIIbe a secret, bat Iin /iere to rea"eem mysebf Ybis bit ofbistoiy mabes my rst Beb'efob|/ions, '7 wiI/ injratiate myseb’ to Di/aIin (Ricbis Dwarf), andmabe myseIfnse/44/ to bim at airy cost. ” L /5111
My secono/Bebefis about tbe situation: "I wiIIaicItbese aciventarers ancimabe sbort n/orb oft/nls n/iaarc/ana/bis bana/it minions. ” Iin ata Ioss/‘ivr my tbimIBeb'e/,f bntrlnt/zany steps in ana/betas me oat. He teIts me t/1attbey're /oobinjfa» a /ost majica/cin/. Can we tie my /nstoiy into tbat?
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Instincts A player may choose one to three Instincts for his cl1aracter. Ahnost the opposite of Beliefs, Instincts are ga1ne—mechanical priorities that a player describes for his character. When a player sets an.Instinct, heis telling the CM, the players and even the system, “This is how I wa11t my guy to
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A11 Instinct should be a declaration of action, ideally an if/then statement. Describe exactly what the cl1aracter is doing and when: “IfI
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Instincts Break Rules Before We Roll, Not After I11stincts allow players to set conditions for their characters that otherwise bend the rules. Do you have a “draw sword” Instinct? Well then, your character°s sword is draw11 at the start of combat without having to spend actions. Instincts cannot allow you to bypass a test,
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but they ca11 assume you made the test some time before trouble started. Any time you can slip in a “my guy would have already done that ” based on a written Instinct, you"re on the light track. Once you are in the middle of trouble——once events are being narrated moment to moment—-it°s too late for most histincts to have an effect.
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“So Instincts are Action-Orientezl illncros?” Absolutely, thatis one way of looking at it; think of it as the mechanical level. At this level, my Instincts tell the group that “my guy“ functions i11 a slightly diffc1'ent 1na11ne1' than the bascli11e rules. For example, heis so aggressive that he actually starts combat in Aggressive Stance, even though other characters have to take a11 action to do that. Or he is so cautious in the deep tunnels that he Assesses at every junction, even ifl don’t actually state that when it comes up. I11 fact, thatis so important to my cl1aracter that if the players all forget and suddenly turn a corne1' and run into something dangerous, we°ll back up a step so I ca11 roll my Perception to see whether I became aware of it or 11ot. Then thereis what Iill call the character level. This works on the principle that actions speak louder than words. I11sti11cts are the 111ost primal, compact way of telling everybody at the table what your cl1aracter is about. Sure, my cl1aracter has a few Beliefs that do that too, but those are more of a big picture thing. If my Dwarf has the Instinct, “If there"s a cave—in, I push the youngest to safety,“ that tells the e11tire group a lot about who my character is and what he values. First, he’s careful a11d aware of the dangers that come with being underground. Second, his first thought is to protect someone else, not himself. And third, that someone else is the “youngest”-—meaning that he puts some sort of value on youth. A11d the group 1nigl1t rightly
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Setting Your Game’s Starting Power Level Choosing how inany lifepaths each character may take is one step in limiting tl1e power level of your game. However, the exponent cap is a more potent tool. The default setting for the game is: No character may start with a skill or stat exponent higher than 6. Period. Unless the group decides to change
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Ertporzerzt 7 and 8 Raising the starting cap to exponent 7 or 8 allows players to create very powerful cl1aracters—they can focus on being the best at something right o11t of the starting gate. This cap is preferred when jumping i11to the middle of a epic level campaign. Characters will be potent, but they won°t change as dramatically as characters with lower exponents. Five or more lifepaths per cl1aracter are recommended for this cap.
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Ertponent 5 Capping starting exponents at 5 creates a grittier, “more human” gaine. Characters can be experts, but none of them l1as truly mastered anything. It provides a lot of room for growth and development. This is my personal favorite starting power level. Dwarves and Elves may have trouble keeping their stats at 5 or lower—they might have extra stat poi11ts left over! If this is the case, have the Dwarves and Elves start with fewer lifepaths than other characters, or allow them to start with exponent 6 stats, but not skills or attributes. Six or fewer lifep atl1s are recommended for this cap.
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Min Max The Binning Wheel character binning system is basically an intricate point—buy character creation system. It seems that the instinct among players of roleplaying games is to min-max i11 point-buy games. Focus and gain 1naxin1u111 benefit for your character, right? Not so 111uch i11 Burning \Vheel. Min-Maxing produces so111e odd results in the system. Such characters are often very unsatisfying to play. Taking a 3 i11 one
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stat to get a 5 or 6 in another is cool. Setting ls a11d 2s against 7s a11d 8s is 11ot cool. Such creatures are 111o1'e like Frankensteinian monsters than playable characters. A well-rounded character will generate the n1ost satisfying results in play. $9 The GM may veto a character that he feels l1as been min—maxed. K
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with the game or the other characters.“ The vetoed cl1aracter 111ust have his points redistributed i11 a way suitable to both the CM and the group. If the group feels that, heaven forfend, the CM has been remiss i11 his veto duties, iey may heckle the offender: “Dude, what is this
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Missing Paths Obviously, in trying to detail every avenue of life, the system has missed a few streets. If you find something missing, please feel free to draw
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S/tilts: 3 pts: General
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20 yrs
7
+1 P
Guilder‘, Host
Slci s: 5 pts: Farlning-, Crop-wise, Hills-wise
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15 yrs
9
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35 yrs
l5
+1 M
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Skills: 4 pts: Stuff—wise, Mending, Scavonging
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Traits.- 2 pts: Curious, Tinkerer
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20 yrs
10
+'l P
Host, Guilder
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S/riH.s: 4 lits: Tunnel—wise, Gas Pocket-wise, Excavation§
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3U yrs
30
+1 M
Guilder‘. Host
Skills: 6 pts: Crain Appraisal, Miller, Mending, Brewer, Crai11—wise I
Trr-'its'I 1 pt I — Brewer
-<10 yrs
40
+1 P
(}'uiider, Host, Outcast
Slcills: 5 pts: Beer Appraisal, Nogge1'§, Miller, Beer—wise Q,
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Requires: Miller, Longbeard, Seneschal, Captain 01' Dru11k
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35 yrs
25
+1 P
Guilder, Host, /lrtzf'icer
Skills: 5 pts: O1'e-wise, Vein-wise, Engineer
Trwifs: 1 pt: _
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Requires: Delver, Artificer’s Ardent or Engineer -Husband/Wife
TU yrs
18
+l M
G'm'lrler‘, Host, Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Cla11-wise, Fa1nily—wise, Haggling, Soothing Platirudes Traits: 2 pts: Dispute—Settler, Pragmatic Outlook He.s'tricfion: H11sba11cl/Wife cannot be the cl1aracte1'°s second lifepath.
§ This is a special, magical Dwarven skill. It costs 2 pts to open and is always open—e11ded.
110
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Longbeard
,
77 yrs
50
+'l M
Host, Uatcozst
Skills: 6 pts: Coarse Persuasion§, Ugly Truth, Cuilder—wise, Host—wise Traits: 2 pts: Folksy Wisdom, Oath—Swearer
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Requires: Foreman, Craybeard, Artificer, Trader, Seneschal, Adventure1' or Husband/Wlife
Guilder Setting-
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lies sat _ Leads-
21 yrs
5
—
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Clansman.
Skills: 4 pts: General Traits: Dwarven Common Traits plus 1 pt: —
Wordliearer
15 yrs
IO
+1 P
Clansman, Host
Skills: 5 pts: Hold—wise, Rumo1'—wise, Oratory, Clan History Traits: 1 pt: Quirky, Iron Memory, Quick—Step Halller
10 yrs
T
+1 P
Clansrrlan, Host
Skills: 5 pts: Hauler, \Vagon-wise, Cargo—wise, Road—wise Traits: 2 pts: Lifting Heavy Things : Carter
20 yrs
10
+l P
Claasman, Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Animal Husbandry, Driving, Mending, Mule—wise Trails: 1 pt: Patient, lro11 Nose Hawker
l5 yrs
"I5
+l M
Clansman, Outcast, Host
Skills: 6 pts: lnconspicuous, Conspicuous, Streetwise, Haggling, Spiel—wise
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15 yrs
._ M
20
+1 P
Clansman, A:'tzf!'cer'
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25 yrs
25
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Skills: 7 pts: Haggling, Reputation-wise, Cartwriglit, Mending, Black-
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45 yrs
45
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Clansrnon, Arti cer
Skills: 4 pts: Appraisal, Sl1ipwrigl1t, Artificer—wise; 1 pt General
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45 yrs
70
+l M
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Clonsrnari, Outcast
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Skills: 7 pts: Stentorious Debate§, Shrewd Appraisal§, Haggling, Persuasion T;-ails: l pt: —~
Requires: Hawker, .lour11eyn1an, Adventurer or Husband/\Vife.
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2'0 yrs
15
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Claasman
Skills: 3 pts: General; Z pts: Dwarven Rune Script Trails: Dwarven Common traits plus 1 pt: —
iiir eill
2.1 yrs
15
+1 P
Clansmcm, Noble, Host, G'i:ilder
Skills: 1-1 pts: Firebuilding, Soothing Platitudes, Soot-wise Traits: 2 pts: Humility, Hard Work
2 ‘ljfro Ariifieer
21 yrs
20
+1 P
Guilder, Host, Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Black—Metal Artifice§, Mending, Dwarven Art—wise Traits: 1 pt: Determined Requires: Artificer’s Ardent or Journeyman I
riitieer
30 yrs
35
+1 P
Outcast. Host
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55 yrs
50
+1 M/P
Outcast, Host, Noble
Skills: 6 pts: Jargon, Fire and Steel~wise, War Art§ Traits: 1 pt: —
Requires: Artificer Master 0i':\-relies 75 Yrs
Y5
+1 M
Outcast. Host
Skills: 8 pts: Litllograplly, Sculpture, Hallmaster§, Symbology, Etiquette Traits: 2 pts: Confident, Patient Requires: Artificer
Master 0'l'~Forges '?5 yrs
75
+1 M
Outcast, Host
Skills: 6 pts: Forge Artifice§, Appraisal, Engineer, Command, Maker°s ‘I1.
Marlc—Wise Trails: 1 pt: Meticulous, Estimation
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Requires: Mask Bearer Master Engraver I00 yrs
60
+1 M
Outcast, Host
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21 yes
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G’uilder, Artificer
Skills: 4 pts: General; 2 pts: Dwarven Rune Script Traits: Dwarven Common Traits plus 2 pts: Dvergar Khecetlart
2D. yrs
10
' +1 M
Guilcler, Artijicer, Outcast
Skills: 4 pts: Chronology of Kings, Etiquette, Obscure Text—Wise
Traits: 1 pt: Know It All _ Ardent
25 yrs
15
+1 P
Guilder, Artificer, Outcast
Skills: 4 pts: Sing, Soothing Platitudes, Accounting, \i/hispered Secrets-wise Traits: 2 pts: Humility in the Face of Your Betters
Axe Bearer
20 yrs
25
+1 P
Host, Outcast
Skills: 8 pts: Axe, Armor Trainingi, Shieldi, Formation Figlitingi, Throwing Traits: 1 pt: Proud Requires: Noble Ardent or Banner Bearer f Giironicler
50 yrs
20
+1 M
Guilder; Artificer, Host
Skills: 9 pts: Illuminations, Ancient History, Clan—Wise, DWarf—wise, Poetry, Cartograpliy, Etiquette, Symbology, Oatl1—Wise Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Abecedart, Kliirurgeon or Graybeard ' Seneschal
55 yrs
50
+1 M
Ouilcler. Host d l '-nail’
Skills: 5 pts: Etiquette, Command, Estate Management, Hold-wise
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Traits: 1 pt: Practical Requires: Trader, Longbeard, Quartermaster, Clironicler, Kliirurgeon 01' Graybeard Treasurer
Hli‘,r
75 yrs
‘I00
+1 M
Outcast, Host
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Skills: 6 pts: Accounting, Etiquette, Treasure—Wise, Administration Traits: 2 pts: Dangerous Obsession, Rain Man Requires: Senesclial, Artificer or Warden
l_l,i..;, 2_ High Captain
75 yrs
75
+1 P
Host, Outcast
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Skills: 5 pts: Command, Strategy, Conspicuous; 2 pts: General
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Traits: 2 pts: Muttering, Stentorious Voice Requires: Noble Axe Bearer and either Captain or \Varde11 Prince
IOU yrs
2UO
+1 M
§‘§%i*:l5]1
Host. Outcast
Skills: 8 pts: Conspicuous, Etiquette, Intimidation, Oratory, Command, Burden of the C1'own—Wise Traits: 2 pts: Grumbling, Galvanizing Presence, Baleful Sta1'e
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Requires: Born Noble and Noble Axe Bearer __|'ii:'-‘T
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10 yrs
6'
+1 P
Glausmau, Outcast. Guilder
Skills: 6 pts: Foraging, Brawling, Hammer, Armorl, Shieldi, Cadence—Wise Traits: 1 pt: Salt of the Earth
: Arbalesler
12 yrs
I2
+1 Ml P
Clan.s:uar:,- Outcast, Guilder
Skills: 5 pts: Crossbow, Mending, Fletcher, Artillery I-land, \Vi11dage—Wise Traits: '1 pt: Squinty Banner Bearer
7 yrs
10
+1 P
Clansmau, Outcast. Guilcler
Skills: 4 pts: Conspicuous, Banner—wiso, lntimidation Trails: 2 pts: Resigned to Death, Obsessive 'i
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7 yrs
9
+l P-
Clausmau, Outcast, Guilder
Skills: 5 pts: Links, Conspicuous, Cadence-wise, Suicidal Bravery-Wise Traits: 1 pt: — Axe Bearer
15 yrs
15
+1 P
Guilder, Outcast. Noble
Skills: 9 pts: Foraging, Axe, Conspicuous, Intimidation, Armori, Shieldi,
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Requires' Noble Ardent, Graybeard or Banner Bearei
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20 yrs
20
+1 M/P
Guilder, Outcast, Noble
Skills: 5 pts: Intimidation, Field Dressing, Command, Campaign—\vise Traits: 2 pts: Chuiling, Oddly Likeable
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Requires: Axe Bearer, Longheard or three Host lifepaths E Kllirurgeoll
25 yrs
25
+1 M
Gtlll[l€I', Outcast, Noble
Skills: 6 pts: Khirurgy, Soothing Platitudes, Cooking, ln[cction—\vise Trails: 1 pt: — Requires: Abecedart, Seneschal or Graybeard = Quartermaster
50 yrs
35
+1 M
Guilder, Outcast, Noble
Skills: 7 pts: Logistics, Accounting, Strategy, Supply—wise, Host—wise Traits: 1 pt: No Nonsense Requires: Seneschal, T1'easurcr, Trader or Graybeard Captain
55 yrs
'10
+1 M
Guilder, Outcast, Noble
Skills: 7 pts: Command, Conspicuous, Formation Fightingi, Strategy, Cartography, Graybeard—wise Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Prince or Graybeard :\rlillcrist
55 yrs
‘15
+1 MlP
A:'ti/i'ce:; Outcast", Noble
Skills: 5 pts: Artillerist, Mending, Carpentry, Structural \Veakness—\vise Traits: 1 pt: Complaining
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Requires: Mask Beare1', Craitsinan, Foreman or three Arbalester lifepaths - Engineer
60 yrs
50
+1 M/P
/l:'ti/'icer, Noble
Skills: 6 pts: largon, War Engineeri, Scavenging, Leyerage—\vise
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Trails: 2 pts: Estimation Requires: Artillerist or Mask Bearer 2 Warden
75 yrs
65
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+1 M/P
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Outcast, Noble
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Skills: 7 pts: Conspicuous, Oratory, Observation, Strategy, Etiquei tc, Cha1npion—wise
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Traits: 1 pt: Chuntering, Hard as Nails
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Sl ills 12 pts Sui vival Climbing, Knots, Heibalism Haggling, F11 ebuildiiig, Bi awling, Knives, Swoid Ciossbovv, Lock Pick, Appi aisal Obscuie Histoi y, Symbology, Lost Tieasuies—wise
Tiaits 2 pts Adventuiei, Boastei 1 Gamble!‘
us
I5
+1 M
Glausruau
Sl ills 5 pts Games of Chance, Ohsei vatioii, Sleight of Hand, Cheat-ivise T! ails 2 pts Stone—Faced 0
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Sl ills 4 pts Ugly Ti uth Falsehood, Oath—\v1se Ti aits 2 pts Oatlibi eakei, Bitter
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Sl ills 5 pts Stentoiious Singing§ Di unking§ Tavein Tales-wise T! ails 2 pts Diunk, Despondent
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+1 MlP
Sl ills 5 pts liicoiispicuous, Ugh, Tiiith, Oiatoi y, Hypociitical Bastai ds-wise Traits 3 pts Bi aiided a Cowaid
Rune Caster
20 yis
6
+1 M P
Any":-.nceptHost
Sl ills 5 pts Rune CEiSt111g§ Foi aging, Scavenging, Bad End—Wise Ti aits 2 pts Slave to Fate Tlns is a special, magical [)\v'iiu=-n skill lt costs 2 pts to open and is alvi ays open ended
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13 pts
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7 pts
14 pts
51-76 years
8 pts
15 pts
77-1 11 years
8 pts
16 pts
9 pts 9 pts 1'0 pts
16 pts
11 pts
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warvenComon Traits All Dwarf characters begin the ga111e with the following C0l]l1l1011
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sunlight, Dwarves do not suffer a11y penalty for twilight, starlight, candlelight, lanrplight or torchlight. They do suffer from co111plete darkness as Men a11d Elves do. Restrictions: Dwa1've11 con1n1o11 trait
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Greed
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Deep i11 the heart of every Dwarf lies a terrible seed, a lust for wealth
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a11d beauty. Some Dwarves 111aste1' it; others succurnb. It is a powerful ‘.1?’
ernotion that drives 111a11y a Dwarf from his colnfortable life and coinpels l1i1n to zealously create works of inestiinable craft or perform terrible acts. See the Dwarven Creed section in this chapter for 1no1'e on this enrotional attribute.
-Restrictions: Dwarven connnon trait
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All Dwarves have stern values l1ammered i11to their skulls fro111 a very early age. In fact, Dwarven society is a complex a11d i11te1'locki11g network of promises a11d traditions. Tl1e most prime among tl1e1n is: “Honor the oath.“
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To break an oath is to break tradition that has seen Dwarves through many dark ages. It is a terrible crime and one 11ot easily forgiven or forgotten. Dwarf characters start the game with a11 additional (fourth) Belief. This Belief must come in the form of a11 oath and represents a pre—game bond between the Dwarf a11d one of his relationships. Oaths that pertain to the
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Acceptable oaths are: “I owe Burri a debt of honor,“ “I swore to recover the crown for my brotl1e1‘;" “t\'ly fatheris last words were to rule wisely; this I swore;"° "'1 vow never to go near the beer again.” Yes, the requirements of a11 oath 111ea11 a Dwarf character must start with a relationship which must be bought with resource poi11ts. Restrictions: Dwarven common trait
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I11 the first age, when the earth was barren, Dwarves were created by the One W7l1o Most Dearly Loves to Shape with His Hands. Dwarves were bor11 beneath the earth and it was lo11g before they came forth into the light of the sun. I11 those dark ages, they grew familiar with the ores, veins, rocks and sediments that were their sky, ocean a11d earth. Attendant with their appreciation of raw 1nate1'ials is a love of building and shaping. Above all else it is craftsmanship a11d the beauty of that which is wrought by skill that Dwarves prize most. And since they were Born Under
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leather. This trait also gives the Dwarves access to natural magic abilities—
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Earth, 111etals, stones a11d gems are their first love—far beyond cloth, wood or
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Dwarves are smaller than Men i11 stature, but they tend to be a bit thicker
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around the middle, with broader hands, feet a11d arms. Though tough and doughty, Dwarves’ stout frames also hinder them slightly. Speed must always be lower than their Power or Forte (whichever is higher), even if this limits
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maximum of 6 rather than 8. All other caps a1'e 8. Restrictions: Dwarven common trait
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A player may choose to make his Dwarven cl1aracter especially Greedy. lvith this trait, he can raise his characteris starting Creed to whatever exponent he
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Whether true or not, this character has been branded a coward. In Dwarven society, this stain comes 11ot from breaking an oath, but from refusing to swear the oath in the first place. Branded a Coward grants the character a 1D infamous reputation witl1 either Dwarven Nobles, Olansmen, Guilders, Artificers or the Host. Player°s choice. Also, and more important, this Dwarf may not swear an Oath until he has redeemed himself in the eyes of his Longbeard. Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
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This character contains within him the capacity to maintain terrible
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enmity for perceived slights. He swears grudges like others swear oaths. The Grndgekeeper trait allows the player to replace his OEttl1Sw01'n Belief with a Grudge. Rather than a promise or an oath, he swears revenge. Grudges follow the same mechanic as oaths. If the character has the Oathswearer trait, it combines with Grudgekeeper. He may only pronounce grudges—-rather than oaths-—-between two characters. They I11ust write them into their Beliefs as if they were oaths. Restrictions: Dwarves only, special trait
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This Dwarf is virtuous, honorable and restrained. He may add +2D to his Steel when making tests against Creed. He also may reduce his starting Creed by -1D.
Restrictions: Dwarves only, special trait
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l Dwarven Greed Lying in the heart of every Dwarf is a terrible seed—one of avarice, lust and greed. It is a strange facet of their nature. Some
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Dwarves manage hold it in check, others give in to it——acquiring all they desire in a bloody swath of war, murder a11d betrayal. Greed is a11 emotional attribute like Faith, Grief and Hatred. It is not di1'ect.ly tested like lfaitlt, theuglr. Instead it is a factor in many rolls
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Starting Greed Total the answers to the questions below. This is the cl1aracter°s starting exponent. Alternately, the player may spend five of those points to shade shift his Greed to gray. The remainder equals the current exponent. — +1 Greed if \Vill exponent is 4 or lower. — +1 Greed for every 60 resource points. -— +1 Greed for each of the following lifepaths: Trader, Mask-Bearer,
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Master of Arches, Master of Forges, Master Engraver, Treasurer, Quartermaster, Seneschal or Prince. —— +1 Greed if the Dwarf l1as coveted something owned by another.
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-— Has the Dwarf ever stolen something he coveted? If so, +1 Greed. — Has the Dwarf ever had his prized treasure stolen from him? +1 Greed.
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— Has the character ever been i11 the presence of the master craftsmanship of the Dwarven Fathers? If so, +1 Greed.
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— Has the character witnessed an outsider (Elf, Man, Orc, Roden, etc.) in possession of a work of Dwarven Art? If so, +1 Greed. — Is the Dwarf over 200 years old? If so, +1 Greed.
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— ls the Dwarf over 400 years old? If so, +2 Greed. — Relationships: Each romantic relationship is -1 Greed. Each hateful relationship is +1 Greed. A hateful innnediate family meniber is
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Greed in Play In play, the Greed emotional attribute is used by the player to acquire, create or retain wealth, power or beauty. \Vhen it is invoked, that which it was used in favor of caimot be willingly relinquished.
What’s Your Pleasure? Once the starting exponent for Greed l1as been established, the Dwarf player must choose what his character_ lusts after.
Greed Idiom Choose three of the four categories: riches (gems, gold, etc.), physical beauty, craftsmanship, power.
She’s Magni cent... Greed makes Dwarves vulnerable to a form of wonderment. Whenever they see something awe inspiring—an ancient artifact, a hoard of gold, a beautifully crafted hall-—t1he GM (or player himself) can call for a Steal test. if the Greed exponent is higher than the character°s hesitation, use that as the obstacle for the Steel test instead of the characte1"’s hesitation. If the test is passed, there is no adverse reaction. The character maintains his composure and restrains his will. If the Sheis Magnificent test is failed, the player chooses one of two reactions: Either Stand and Drool or invoke the [Marat Have It rule.
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This new reaction allows the character go for it: He must attempt to
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Greed and Resources Greed can both help and hinder Resources. If Greed is lower than Resources, the player may FoRK his Greed i11to Resources tests. The burning desire gives him the edge and m'ge to acquire more.
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Fuel the Fires: Greed and Artha A single persona point can be, spent to tap the burn_ing fires of Greed. lt ca11 be spent on any test: where the character is creating, acquiring or attempting to retain a thing of beauty/wealth/power/craftsmanship. Doing so allows the player to add any amount" of dice from his Greed
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exponent to an ability test. For purposes of advancement for the augmented ability, the dice act like a persona point; spent on a test.
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Greed a11d Advancement Tests for advancement of Greed are earned when the player spends a persona point to Fuel the Fires, when a Steel test is made for the She ‘s Magnificent rule, when I Must I-Iave Itl is chosen as a Steel result, when Greed is FoRKed into Resom'ces and when the situational conditions in the list below are met. Note that a failed Steel test in which the player chooses I Must Have It! counts as two routine tests for advancement.
Greed am'1R0utiue Tests
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Any . time dice are added from Greed to another ability, . it counts as a test for Greed. Comp are the dice added to your current Greed exponent. The dice used count as the obstacle of the Greed test for advancement.
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The Lr'm!'1‘s of Greed Once Greed reaches exponent 10, the Dwarf goes mad with his covetous desires and shuts himself in his halls forever.
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Obstacle 1-— Ta k i n g or demanding the biggest portion. Obstacle 2— Exaggerating a11 itemis quality, whether buying, selling or trading. Coveting another"s wealth. Obstacle 3—— Straight out lying about an itemis quality, whether buying, selling or trading. Failing to take a risk because you fear the cost. Betraying an histinct for Greed. Pronou ncing a Grudge stemming from Greed. 0l)stacle 4— Stealing what you covet. Buying the very best no matter if it might ruin you. Using a11 opporttmity to advance yom' political aims at the expense of a friend. Bet rayi ng a Belief for Greed. Claiming someone else°s work or idea as yo1u' own. Obstacle 5—— Manipulating the downfall of a rival in order to take his possessions or power. Failing to take a moderate risk in order to increase wealth. Swearing an Oath driven by Greed. Obstacle 6— Beholding a beauty in nattn'e a Dwarf can never attain: a perfect sunset, a perfect spark of a forge, a glitter 011 water, an Elf maiden°s sweet voice. Breaking an Oath for Greed. 0l)st.acle 7—— Robbing another of his livelihood for your gain. Killing another cl1aracter to keep oneis ow11 wealth. Failing to take a small risk because it might cost more than it gains. Obstacle 8—— Killing someone to gain what they possess and you desire.
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Dwarven Arbalest— The arbalest is a special Dwarven make of the traditional crossbow. It can fire rocks or bolts. It cotmts as a crossbow but only requires 10 actions to load when firing bolts, or 6 actions when firing rocks. These devices are so well—1nade they add a +1D balance die to the wielderis skill. Rocks IMS: I B3, M B6, S B9 VA —. When firing rocks, the arbalest counts as an arquebus for Range and Cover a11d DoF rules. It can fire bolts using the range and damage of a crossbow. Dwarven-made Armor-— This is J"I£R ofthe mill armor made by Dwarves. It obeys the standard rules for armor, except that the first “'1” rolled on an armor test per piece may be ignored. After that, it obeys the normal rules for armor failure. Once the 1 is gone, the special ability is gone. Lastly, Dwarven—made armor does not cause a Clmnsy Weight Speed penalty (no obstacle penalty or —1D).
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o11ly a +1 Ob clunisy Weight penalty). Tl1e inask is l1ighly resistant to l1eat and flalne. It allows an tumor test against flames directed at die l1ead. Also, tl1e inaslc can cause an opponent to make a Steel test at
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target, costs one action to activate and can only be used 011 a target face to face with tl1e Mask Bearer. Dwarvell Shield-— This magnificent device counts as a 3D gray shade superior quality shield. Against heat and flame. the shield counts as magical armor. The bearer of a DW'£I1'V6l1 shield may make an arnior test (ZED) against any incoining flame attacks. Black shade fire l1as no VA, gray shade is VA 1, and white shade is VA 2. Use these VAs
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instead of any spell VA. If the shield bearer is Wearing a Forge Mask. he may add +21) to this armor test. \Vhen used as a weapon, the shield"s
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Resources. *Only Dwarves of the listed rank or higher may take this kind of property. Dwarven W01'ksl10pS— Workshops are necessary to completely utilize Dwarven Artificer and Dwarven craftsman skills—without one, the Dwarf may only undertake smaller projects (Ob 3 tests or" lower). Also, Dwarven Workshops are required if the character will be building special Dwarven items like masks, shields, arms or mail. Dwarven Workshops include (portable) skill tool kits as part of their cost. \Vorkshops count as property when factoring Resources. Dwarven T00ls—— Every Master Artificer builds and maintains his own tools. lt is an ancient and proud art passed down from master to student: a vital tradition, for the tools are the Artifice1'°s fingers and hands in the forge. Dwarven Tools (of any type) provide the user with +1D of equipment dice when used with the appropriate skill. Carts and Baggage-—— Guilders bring their wares down from the holds in great lumbering carts. Carts and Baggage represents trade and salable goods for Guilder Dwarves. They count as property when factoring resources and may be purchased multiple times for multiple bonuses.
Dwarves in Play Dwarves in Burning Wheel are potent a11d emotional characters. They
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have good stats, good skill poi11t distributions and a host of useful openended skills. And, of course, their gear choices are unparalleled. \Vhat°s more, every Dwarven character is directly tied to the plot by default. How so? Oaths and Greed, my friend. Using these two elements, it is practically impossible to keep them from being intricately involved in the story at hand.
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if i Rachma/is a wt/ct heac/stronp /ancer She tahespric/e in her shi//s, hat rarehpractices as her ta/ent; come to her natnra///. She has an easy rapport with horses, /ores the swzft anc/c/arz'n_a chases hat trnfil her heart is sto/en h)/ hatt/e. Yhonph she a /oathe to ac/mit it, the thr:'// andchaos ofcomhai (, ‘iv {J ‘mahe her heart sz'n_a. Bat if)/on ashect hen she’c/ te// that her heart he/onps to another-—Drnath, 5;‘ herparamoar r mary ayes has t//en to o/arhness, and Rachmaf secret? snspects that not i Yet even her sonjs can save him.
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/fbraath cannothe saveaf / wt//enc/him m)/sch? I wt//nnahertahe this aaestfor /ove anc/a’nr.j/. There is no traer measure ofa soa/ than the e/c/ofhatt/e.
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/fmy horse as I/ir§{. groom hen A/wen/s vo/nnteerfora aht. A/wa/vs /ooh for shortcuts. L/FEPA THS: Born 144'/o/er Ehfl Ric/en 0atrzc/er andLancer
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5721rs ml!
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Perception
B4
Ajzhél
B4
Speed
B4
Power
B5
Forte
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14777?/Bf/75 f£i3=*H?-1|I-—.n_—,|-u
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Hea/th
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Re exes
B4
Grief
BS
Hesitation
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B7
Circ/es
B2
Resources B0
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Sing B2, E/r/en Scrzpt B2, Rck rnp B45 Bow B3. Spear B31, Ohserl/atrion B2, Trat/s-wzlse B2, Animal Hashanehy B3, Stea/t/y B2, Sonp ofBarm'nj Br:'phtB3, The daft ofSpeea'B3, by ofthe Horse B3, Lance B3, Monnteo/Comhat: Bowman 7ra:'m'n§, Monntec/Comhat Yicaziaxnj. Shae/rt Yramzna Armor Training
ELI/EN COMMON 77?/4/7'5 Born Una/er the Si’/verStars; Essence ofthe Earth, Fairano/Statue-sane, rst Born, ent-/5 Keen Sight 77314/TS Oziho/i4_r;7:'cj, Daring, Hea/th)/
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ilderlands Setting LifepathBorn Wilder Elf
Ti1ue_ B.es__Stal _Leatls ~ 20 yrs
5
—
_
_
Citadel
Skills: 4 pts General, 2 pts: Sing, Elven Script
*""'=tr' eye
Traits: Elven Connnon traits plus 1 pt: — s Ridcl‘
20 yrs
8
+1 P
Citadel, Protector
Skills: 6 pts: Riding, The Gift of Speedi, Lay of the Horsei Traits: 1 pt: Oikofugic Harvester
50 yrs
5
+1 P
Protector
Skills: 5 pts: Round of Ha1'vest§, Farming, Firebuilding, Husbandry, Mending -I
Traits: 1 pt: Seasoned Batlmrclf
4:0 yrs
_-"\I-
3
—
—
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Skills: 5 pts: Rhyme of the Catherer§, Hcrb—wise, Orienteering Traits: 1 pt: Rough Hands
Fisherman
50 yrs
8
—-
Citadel
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Skills: 9 pts: Hymn of Scales and Finsi, Pilot, Boatwright, Knots, Mending, Cooking, Seamanship, Rigging Traits: 1 pt: Wary Sllellllcrtl
45 yrs
6
—
Citadel
Skills: '1 pts: Song of the Flocks and Herds§, Climbing, \Volf—wise
13.5. .
9,,
liars
Traits: 1 pt: Never Cry Wolf 2 Wanderer
75 yrs
5
+1 P
Citadel
Skills: 6 pts: Song of Paths a11d\Vays§,Ai1' of Gatesi, Foragi11g,plus anywisc Traits: 1 pt: —
Huntsman
45 yrs
9
+1 P
Citadel, Protector
Skills: 7 pts: Call of the \Vild§, lavelin, Bow, Tracking, Stealthy, Observation
‘*5-
Traits: 1 pt: Watchful Chandler
50 yrs
: "‘.T\
I5
+1 M
Citadel, Protector
Skills: 5 pts: Chant of Offeringi, Haggling, Conspicuous, Appraisal
Traits: 1 pt: Weaver
50 yrs
IO
+1 M
Citadel
Skills: 5 pts: Weaving Way§, Threading Chant-5, t\iending Traits: 1 pt: Fateful I|ITl1is is an Elven spell song. It costs 2 pts to open and has special rules described in this chapter. § This is an Elven skill song. It costs 2 pts to open a11d always counts as open-ended. Descriptions can he found in the skill list.
1
furesler
yrs
5
+
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Cttariel, Protertrrr
Skills 6 pts Song ofA1bo1s* Fo1est—w1se, T1ee—w1se, Song of the Eldai Tr alts 2 pts Stein
Vlntuer
6
rrs
20
+
Cl!-(If el
Skills 7 pts Puiple Song“ V1ne—w1se, Cooper, V1ntage—w1se, Te11o11-wise Trails 1pt Raiifled
Miller
rs
8
+ M
Crtarlel
Skills 6 pts G1 a111 Songi Mending, Cal penti y, Mill-wise, CIHIH-W186 Traits 1 pt Ea1tl1en
ong Singer
45 vrs
10
+
Citadel, Pr otector
SkIll8 6 pts Song of Songs‘? Song of Soothing‘? Lament of the Westei 1ng Suni, O1 El1I01 y Traits 1 pt Vocal
Spouse
75 IS
O
+ t
Crtadel, Protector
Skills 5 pts Song of Sooth1ng§ Rhyme of Rulesi Song of Feastingi F alty—w1se
Tr arts 1 pt — Palrlarcllllllatlirlrcll IUD yrs
15
+1 M
Citadel
Skills 6 pts Homesongi Ly1 1c of Heahngi Dignity of the \V1l(l81lE1l1ClS§ Tr arts 1 pt Pati 1a1chal/Mat11a1 cl1al Reqrrrr es Spouse Elder
l5 VLS
30
+1 t\‘I
Citadel Etharch
Skrlls 5 pts Verse ofDec1s1oni Counc1l—Calle1i
t
Tr arts 2 pts Wise Apl1o11sms
Rcqurr es The character must be 750 yeais old aftel taking tl11s path o1 the oldest cl1a1acte1 111 the g1 oup by 100 years
II‘
Citadel Setting
Citadel Born
ii
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Slat
20 yrs
-—
Leads
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Skills 5 pts Cenei al, 2 pts Elven SC11Pt., Sing Traits Elven common traits plus 1 pt --
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——
Wrlclerlarrds, Protector
Skills 5 pts Hauling, Ol)S61VElT1011., Citadel-wise, Altlnng-wise Tr arts 2 pts Hu1n1l1ty, L1ft111g Heavy Tl1111gs Wanderer
vis
+1 P
Wrlderlcrrztls
Sl{Ill8 6 pts Song of Paths and \Vays§ An of Catesi, Scavengmg, Str eetwise Tr alts 1 pt Loncso111e
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Song-Singer -
25_ yrs
10
+1 M
Wilderlands, Protector
Skills: 5 pts: Sing, Song of Songsi, Song of S0othing§, Lament of Starsi
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Traits: 1 pt: Voice in the Crowd = Sludenl
20 vrs
IO
+1 M
Wilderlancls, Protector-
Skills: 6 pts: Lyric of Law§, Ballad of History§, Elven Script, Etiquette, Oratory
Traits: 1 pt: Educated ' Clothier
75 yrs
20
—
Wilclerlands, Protector
Skill: 7 pts: Threading Ghant§, Embroidery, Leathercraft§, Weaving Wav§
Traits: 1 pt: Well Dressed g Soldier-Protentur 5 yrs
10'
+1 P
Wilrlerlonrls, Protector, Etharch
Skills: 8 pts: Alarnii, A1‘I1101'l, Shieldi, Sword, Bow, Knives, Fletcher, Mend Traits: 1 pt: Dutiful
Requires: Wanderer, Seafarer, Spouse, Rider, Huntsman, any Etharch or Protector lifepath
Seafarer
50 yrs
5
+1 P
Wilrlerloncls, Protector
Skills: 9 pts: lsveathersongi, Rope Chantii, Rhyme of the Mariner§, Seamanship, Pilot, Spear Traits: 1 pt: Call of the Sea, Bower Sea Caplaili
100 yrs
15.
+1 M
Wilder'lon(ls, Protector, Etllarcli
Skills: 8 pts: Slip of Currents§, Supplication to the \Vind*, Command, Oratory, Sword
Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Seafarer, Adjutant, Lieutenant or Sword Singer ' Novice
'10 yrs
10
+1 P
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Wilclerlontls
Skills: 4 pts: Mending, C1'aft—Wise, Elven Artifact-wise
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Trails: 2 pts: Loval r Shape!‘
35 yrs
, . _ H" I5-7--53’
15
+1 P
Wilrlerlancls, Protector
Skills: 6 pts: W0odcraft§, Stonecralt§, Smithcraft§ Traits: 1 pt: Long Fingered Requires: Novice .l6W6l6l'
75- vrs
20
—
Wilcierlonrls, Protector
Skills: 5 pts: .lewelcraft§, G6H1C1‘Elff§, Appraisal Traits: 2 pts: Patient, Nimble Reqmres: Sl1£1I)61' 1]: This is an Elven Spell Song. It costs 2 pts to open and has special rules described in this chapter.
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150 yrs
4'0
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+' " - " T ll"1'ln'erlonrls, Protector; Erlromlr
Skills: 6 pts: A1'chcraft§, Starcrafti, Canticle of Yearsi, Antiphon Unioni
Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Shap er ; Keel Master
‘IOU yrs
25
+1 M/P
Wilrlerlomls, Protector
Skills: 6 pts: Shipwright, Ship —wise, Carving
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Tra:'ts: 2 pts: Periectionist Reqa'ire.s'.- Shaper
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6Oy1;s
12
+1 M
Wilderlc‘m(ls
Skills: 5 pts: Song ofFo1'1n§, Painting Trails: 2 pts-. Appreciation for Beauty Bard
65 yrs
20
+1 MlP
Wilclerkmcls, Protector
Skills: 11 pts: Song of Merrinienti, Lament of Mourningt, Verse of Frieildshipi, Tract of E111nity*, Oratory, Conspicuous, Lyre, Flute
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Traits: 1 pt: —-
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Requires: Song Singer ‘Adjutant
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75 yrs
20
+1 M
ll’ilcler‘l(z::(l.s*, Proleclor
Skills: 7 pts: Code of Citadels-5, Etiquette, Adininistration, Etharch~wise, Citadel—wise, Pr0tcctor—wise Trails: 2 pts: Organized, Patient é 4;. H111J? l --".I_ ,__!' ‘
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L0reTnasler .
200 yrs
25
+1 M
Wilclerlancls. Etharch
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Skills: 10 pts: Ancient and Obscure History, Research, Ballad of History§, Lyric of Law§, Canticle of Yearsi, Rhyme of Tonguesi Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Bard, Adjutant, Steward or Patriarch/Matriarcli . Alllli-llg
250 yrs
100
+1 M, P
Wilclerlaads, Protector; ElllQI'ClZ
Skills: 10 pts: Council—Caller*, Song of Silencel‘, Persuasion, Soothing
Platitudes, Ugly Truth, Administration Traits: 2 pts: Servant of the Citadel Requires: Patriarch/Matriarch, Loremaster, Steward, Bard, Artisan, Sea Captain or Captain
Etharch Setting i B_o_rnEil1arel'l
25 yrs
IU
-—
Wilclerlanrls. Citadel
Skills: 5 pts General; 2 pts: Elven Script, Etiquette, Sing Traits: Elven common traits plus 2 pts: Etharchal, Fea, Aman §-Sllltll ll
125 yrs
IO
+1 M
Wilclerlaacls, Citadel
Skills: 9 pts: Ages of the Etha1'ch§, Lyric of La\v§, Ballad of Hist0ry§, Oratory, Calligraphy, Song of the Eldar§ Traits: 1 pt: Learned
I Attendant
25 yrs
15
+1 P
Wililerlauds. Citadel, Protector
Skills: ‘1 pts: Etiquette, Ride, Brawl, Sword Traits: 2 pts: Calm Demeanor
. Second
35 vrs
E
1
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Skills: 8 pts: Song of Bondingi, Sword, Knives, Bow, Mending, Riding,
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Traits: 2 pts: Lesson of One, Patient Requires: Attendant, Bowyer, Spearbearer, Seafarer or Soldier—Protector
. Sword Singer '
40 yrs
10
+1 P
Any
Skills: 10 pts: Song of the Swordi, Sword, Armorl, Shieldi, Knives, Brawling
Traits: 1 pt: Fealty to the Fee, Cool Headed
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Requires: Second, Lancer or Lieutenant
Steward
1 10 yrs
20
+1 M
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Citadel, Protector
Skills: 8 pts: Estate Management, Accounting, Etiquette, Estate—wise, lntrigue—wise
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Requires: Lieutenant, Artisan, Bard, Loremaster, Adjutant, Sea Captain or Matriarchl Patriarch
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Pri_|_ieelPrincess 150 yrs 100 +1 M/P
Citadel, Protector
Skills: 6 pts: Song of Lordshipi, Voice of Agest, 4 pts: General Traits: 1 pt: Princel Princess of the Blood
Requires: Fea trait and Sword Singer |E1_1ta__l=_r,_1|
_
-250 yrs
200
+1 M, P
Citadel, Protector
Skills: 8 pts: Council-Callert, Voice of Thunderi, Doom Sayeri, Discerneri; '1 pts: General
Traits: 2 pts: Lord of Ages Requires: Aman trait and either Loremaster or Prince
Protector Subsetting Rider
1_5 yrs
8
+1 P
Wil(lerlaad.s', Citadel
Skills: 6 pts: Riding, Animal Husbandry, The Gift of Speedi‘, Lay of the Horsei Traits: 1 pt: Smells like a Horse
T Herald
35 yrs
10
+1 Ml P
Wiltle:'lauds, Citadel
Skills: 8 pts: Paean of Deeds§, Mornsongi, Evensongi, Recitation of Agesi, Silver Trumpet Traits: 2 pts: Stoic
' Soother
30 yrs
10
+1 M
lVilrle:'luucls, Citadel
Skills: 6 pts: Lyric of Healingi, Song of Soothing§, Doom oiStrengtl1*, Foraging
1' .
Traits: 1 pt: — ' Hanger
45 yrs
10
-+1 M/P
Wilclerltmcls
Skills: 10 pts: Observation, Stealthy, Bow, Foraging, Rhyme of the Pathfinder§, Song of Soothing§, Threne of the Chameleoni, Lyric of Healingi Traits: 1 pt: Cray Mantle, Sprinter Requires: Forester, Wanderer, Bowyer or Second ‘H
lloiryer
20 yrs
8
+1 P
Wilderlaucls, Citadel
Skills: 5 pts: Bowcraft§, Mending, Bow, Bow—wise Traits: 1 pt: Circunispect ' SpeaI'h_eal'er
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20 yrs
8
+1 P
Wilclerlauci.s', Citadel
Skill: 8 pts: Spearcraft§, Spear, Armor Trainingi, Formation Fighting Training? Traits: 1 pt: ——
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Traits: 1 pt: Sword of the White Towers
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Skills: 1O pts: Sword, Armori, Shieldi, Knives, Brawling, Song of the Swordi
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50 yrs
12
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Skills: 10 pts: Song of Burning Brighti, Lament for the Falleni, Lance, Mounted Combat Trainingi, Shield Trainingi, Armor Training? Traits: 1 pt: —Requires: Outrider or Second
Lieutenant
()5 yrs
10
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Any
Skills: 7 pts: Paean ofD_eeds§, Command, Sword, Shieldi, Formation Fightingi Traits: 1 pt: Ear to the Ground Requires: Sword Singer, Lancer, Sea Captain or two Bowye1'/Spearbearer lifepaths
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85 yrs
15
+1 M, P
Arty
Skills: 9 pts: Oratory, Sword, Command, Tactics, Formation Fightingi, Monody of the Marchi, Silent Fury§, The Hymn of Victoryi Traits: 2 pts: Sworn to the Lord Protector (or Etharch or Althing) Requires: Lieutenant, Prince, Sea Captain, Steward or two Sword Singer lifepaths Armorer
90 yrs
15
+1 P
Wilrlerlanrls, Citadel
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80 yrs
15
+1 P
Wilclerlancls, Citadel
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Skills: 5 pts: Riddle of Steel§, Etching, Elven Blade—wise Traits: 1 pt: Acute
Requires: Armorer, Shaper, Bowyer or Spearbearer
-Lord Protector 125 yrs .
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:1: This is an Elven Spell Song. lt costs 2 pts to open and has special rules described in this
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§ This is an Elven sl-till song. lt costs 2 pts to open and always counts as open-ended. Descriptions can be found in tlle skill list. '1‘ This is a special training skill. lt costs 2 pts to open and may not be advanced.
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8 pts
13 pts
61-100 years
9 pts
14 pts
9 pts 10 pts
16 pts
101-125 years 126-160 years
10 pls ll pts
17 pts 17 pts
12 pts
17 pts
426-525 years
13 pts
18 pts
526-625 years
13 pts
19 pts
626-725 years
14 pts
19 pts
1726-825 years
14: pls
20 pts
826-925 years
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20 pts
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21 pts
1026-1125 years
15 pts
22 pts
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'15 pts
23 pts
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15 pts
24 pts
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24 pts
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Elves are often perceived as either aloof and cold or out of touch a11d bizarre. Neither perception is true. Elves are a passionate people, keenly involved in the affairs of the world. However, their lo11g view of matters gives them a unique perspective. W I tat might seem urgent to sl1ort—lived Men and Dwarves is a matter that can be co11sidered at le11gtl1 for the Elves. But once their interest is piqued or ire aroused, Elves engage intensely.
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Nor are Elves above the connnon struggle. They are as complex and internecine as any other people. l11 fact, it is the mix of their need to
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that gives rise to their Grief. Often their aged wisdom allows them to predict that their affairs will come to a tragic end, but their ery nature grants tl1e1n little latitude to stop the calalnity. \Vatching a11d living this endless cycle of strife nu1'tu1'es within tl1en1 a great
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anguish, ever growing across their endless lives.
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Elven Common Traits
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All Elven characters start with the following traits:
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To those who look upon the Elves with clear eyes, there shimniers an unmistakable halo, like white light through a gossamer veil, like stars shining at night.
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Elves do not feel the effects of earthly cold and heat as do Men; they do not fall ill; they are ageless and will only pass on when the Earth ends. Elves do not have to take Health tests for illness, and they gain +1D to Health and Forte tests for resisting fatigue a11d poison. Yet, they are not deathless: Elves may be killed by violence or may waste away due to Grief.
Eainandjtatnesqne
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Elves are fair and beautiful to all who look upon them. The Elven form inclines toward tall and slender, rounded by graceful curves.
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Elves are made fron1 the very fabric of 11atu1'e—wind, air, wood a11d water. Thus, they know its secrets very well: They know how to preserve much of
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Grief tug at their hearts. See the Elven Grief section for the rules of this trait.
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Like _ ea S les, Elves ca11 see 5 reat distances with P erfect clarit Y. Add +1D to all Perception- a11d Observation-based field maneuvers for Range a11d Cover
;____
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. '_, 1}'-1.'-"=“'CE.‘ 2'-F Smoke and haze still bar their vision-—norn1al penalties apply. In complete T" -
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c Special Elven Traits Elven special traits may only be taken for Elven characters in cl1aracter burning. They may only be earned by Elven characters in play via trait vote.
Exile_
Dr _2ap15._.._
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This Elf l1as committed some crime that l1as nearly earned him the title of enemy among his people. Rather than dishonor him with such a stigma, his
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people instead se11t l1in1i11to exile. Ultimately, though, it is a death sentence. The Exile cannot journey West. Should his Grief overtake him, he’ll have no succor a11d will simply waste away. This trait adds +1D to starting Grief and a 1D infamous reputation among all Elves.
Mourner
Dt
lpts
1 1
The Mourner is obsessed with his Grief. He is morose. The player may add any amount to his starting Grief that he sees fit, up to a maximum of exponent 9. ln addition, all Lan1e11ts are made at +2 Ob, a11d any time the characte1'°s Grief is one test from advancing, the next test-—regardless of its diffic11lty—advances him. Grief clings to this cha1'acter°s spirit and cannot be shaken.
Slayer
Dr _4._p15
_. .
1 1
This Elf has been marked as a slayer of his ki11. In his past, his rage overcame his Grief a11d compassion, and he slew one of his ow11. Now he is marked as enemy and hunted by his ow11 people. +1D to starting Grief, a 2D infamous reputation (all Elven people) as a Slayer, a11d +1D to lntimidate/Silent Fury any Elf.
Unbreakable
Dr ,1 sprs .
This Elf is possessed of an unbreakable spirit. Grief seems to have no effect
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on him. Subtract -2D from starting Grief. I11 addition, all Grief tests are taken at -1 Ob.
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Certain Elves feel a weariness creep into their bones. The constant trial and tribulation that marks the passing of years begins to drag them down. Reduce hesitation by one, but increase Grief by one.
Care of the Eternal
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Elves have time a11d patience to work 111ore carefully than any other people. Therefore, Elven characters may use the war‘/orig‘ care zlly bonus twice-——+2D to a test at the cost of doubling the time spent. Conversely, Elves may never work quickly. This applies to skills, skill songs a11d spell songs.
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Elven Skill Songs Elven skills listed with a § in tl1e skill list are considered Elven. skill songs. They are called “skill songs” because tl1e instructions, rules a11d strictures for these skills are passed from Elf to Elfin long and Winding songs. These verses are sung as tl1e ElfP61'fO1‘111Sl1lS tasks. Skill songs are rooted in natural inagic. Tl1e majority have no additional or special effect aside from the fact that all rolls made using tl1e111 are
ope11—ended. Any additional]special effects are listed in the description. Many Elven skill songs are variations of similar skills listed in the in J General Skill List. In order to save s lJace and not re lJeat n1Y self, the skill descriptio11 indicates the skill they 111l11]lC. If more information is needed like sainl)l6 obstacles lJlease refer to the Dgeneral list. I a P olo 81'ze for the extra page flippage.
Elven Spell Songs Men possess Sorcery, Orcs have their Rituals of Night and Blood, but botl1 pale in comparison to the beauty and subtle might of die Elven Songs. Their position as the First Born grants Elves a11 intuitive understanding of the earth and its Ways. Tl1ey gather this knowledge into powerful songs.
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These abilities a1'e less skills and 1no1'e like individual spells. To create the spell—like effect, the Elf player needs to test his appropriate spell so11g skill. There°s no Tax or spell failure like Sorcery. See the individual spell song descriptions for their effects. Also, all Elven spell songs cotnlt as sorcerous skills for l;l16 purposes of practice and learni11g. None of thein require tools, a11d no FoRKs are possible. Helping dice may only coine fro111 another Elf with the saine song or the Song of Songs.
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All spell songs l1ave their own shade and exponent. They are advanced like skills. Spell songs are considered natural magic; tests are therefore always op e11-ended.
Special Spell Song Rules: Womlerment All spell songs, regardless of priinary effect, cause wondermemf. This enchantrnent affects all non-Elves i11 the Presence of the singer, forcing thein to inake a Steel test. Wondeiqnent takes effect in a nuinber of exchanges equal to the target character°s Will. I
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For oxnmyo/o, T/zo Recitation off/zo Ayes /mo no nan/or 5/oo//o/‘foot iéo 7'/irons of z‘/re 6/rams/eon, bnt, £f5MH n'nri'n_g if/reforms, if nu‘//oanso wono/ormonf to off n//ro /zoor if/ro stories oft/zo o:jo.s—c:/on zfinry n/o not nnn/orsfnnn/o worn/ofiz‘. \Vhen the Elf has sung for a number of exchanges equal to his victim°s Will, the player should test his song ability. If it is su11g successfully, all those susceptible within his Presence should make a Steel test with hesitation modified by the margin of success. Add +1 Ob hesitation for each success over the song obstacle.
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Casting Spell Songs Songs are listed with an action cost for casting them using the Duel of Wits, Range and Cover and Fight systems. However, song singing always coimts as a tandem action—-song singing is essentially speech. No actual actions are devoted to it. Actions are listed merely for timing purposes. Like sorcerous spells, 20 actions of spell songs can be performed in a Duel of Wits or Range a11d Cover volley.
Sustaining Spell Songs Elves may only sing one song at a tilne. They may sing a song continuously (sustain it) for a nuinber of hours equal to their Will exponent. If the song is not complete or the Elf wishes the song to continue, he may pass the tune off to another Elf who knows the song. The new singer need only make a successful song test to pick up where the first Elf left off.
Hearing Songs An Elven song starts from the singer and emanates outward. ln general, any character who is close enough to comprehend the Elf°s normal speaking voice is considered eligible to be affected by the song. The individual descriptions detail any exceptions to this rule.
Elven Spell Songs List
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This is a special song an Elf can sing to a door or gate. The singer may ask one gate i11 his presence, “\Vhat lies beyond? ” and be answered. ObStacle: Fence gates, Ob l. Cabin doors, Ob 2. House doors, Ob 3. Doors of
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Actions: 25 x the obstacle
Alarm is sung when on watch deep i11 the night. \Vhile singing this tune quietly to himself, the cl1aracter will always shout an alarm if surprised or
attacked. The cry rings out. Allies are immediately awakened from sleep
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with the cry in their ears. Obstacles: Alerting your companions, Ob l. Alerting the camp, Ob 2. Alerting the battalion or village, Ob 3. Alerting the town, Oh 4. Alerting the army or city, Ob 5.
Actions: 75
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The Anthem of Courage is a fierce song of hope that holds Elves steadfast against abominable foes. \Vhen properly sung, no Elf in the host will leave his station so long as the lord lives. Extra successes f1'om the song are added as dice to Steel.
Obstacles: Companions, Ob 1. Squad, Ob 2. Company, Ob 3. Battalion, Ob 4. Army, Ob 5.
Actions: 20
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The Lord Protector can summon forth his 1'aw Grief and hone it i11to a fine rage. \Vhile he sings of his wrathful sorrow and coming vengeance, Grief dice are added to the Lord Protector"s weapon skills. Obstacle: Grief FoRKs to weapon skill, Ob l. Grief helps weapon skill, Ob 2. Half of Grief added to weapon skill, Ob 3. All of Grief added, Ob 5.
Actions: ‘ix obstacle S01‘lg R00t: Grief
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The Canticle of Years is typically sung in the baritone and bass range. It is a long and winding song that tells the story of time itself. Its primary effect is wonderment. Actions: 600 per year
This devilish song draws the eyes of customers to the wares of the Elven merchants. lf successful, add +lD to Conspicuous to attract attention for commercial or spectacular endeavors. Extra successes add +1D each. This
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Using this powerful song, the Elven lord sends forth a call to his brotl1e1's and
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Actions: 160
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This spell song allows the prince to see what lurks in the hearts of Men, Dwarves
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In the throes of battle every soul is needed to assure victory over the enemy. During these desperate times, the Soother will sing the Doom of Strength to revitalize the wounded a11d send them back into the fray. If successful, the song temporarily reduces the ta1'get victinfs wounded dice by the margin of success. The effect lasts for minutes equal to Health of the recipient, after which the penalty immediately returns.
Actions: 45
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Doom Sayer bestows the arrogant power to judge the fate of another. It isnlt quite a song; his a powerful pro11ou11cen1ent, spoken in meter a11d rhyme, that evokes a forceful and binding magic. If a doom is successfully uttered, the Etl1arcl1 may change one of the target character’s Beliefs so that it reflects the destiny. However, the Etharch 1m1st also change one of his Beliefs to that very same doom. Playing the Belief ear11s artha as per normal. Dooms involve exile, pu11isl1111ent, a vow of vengeance, a11 oath of enmity, etc. Fulfilling the doom earns a deeds point for
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A festival song sung to greet the Moon 011 the evening of her first rising of each month. The primary effect of this song is wonderment.
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A song sung of all the victories of the Elves—~—this one included. The Hymn forces the enemy to choose Stand and Drool as a l1esitatio11 option from a failed Steel test while this song is being sung. The Hymn of Victory is a fi11e
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Actions: 60
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Homesong helps keeps the hearth safe. When sung over a l1eartl1, the master of the house knows everyone who enters (or tries to enter) his dwelling. Homesong is typically sung to greet guests returning l1on1e after a lo11g j ourney. Obstacles: Cottage, Ob 1. Small house, Ob 2. Large house, Ob 3. Manor, Ob 4. Castle, Ob 5. Palace, Ob 6. Citadel, Ob 7.
Actions: 60 l|l"1l'l_
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Elves nmst lament their falle11, otherwise Grief will overwhelm them. This lament is sung to alleviate the pai11 of seeing comrades fall i11 battle. It obeys the standard rules fo1' lan1e11ts as described i11 the Grief section of this
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Through this lay, an Elf may communicate with his horse and may call to it over great distances. Distance for calling is 100 paces plus 100 paces per extra success.
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The Litany is the endless list of duties of the Steward of a11 Elven house. The primary effect of this song is wonderment.
Actions: This song never ends. Lyric of Healing
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This beautiful and strong song seeps i11to the blood of the wounded and weary, strengthening body and mind. When sung over an injured cl1aracter, successes over the obstacle add dice to Health tests for the purposes of recovery.
Actions: 125
This helpful tu11e keeps the mind occupied while the soldier is marching. It is so effective that if the cadence is successfully achieved, the soldier gains +1D to any Health tests for that day.
Actions: 180
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Actions: 306,050 nf_Ages
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This spell song is both a history lesson and a wondrous show of lights and images. As the ages are recited, the Elf intermingles phrases of memory and u
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Actions: Obstacle x 100.
_ Qttji . _ The Rhyme of Rules is an ever-growing song comprised of all the adages,
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used as a FORK (not a helping die, though). The FORK die can be invoked for any skill so11g test (not spell song) for which the player can recite a clever bit of folklore obliquely pertinent to the situation. Actions: 3-10, depending 011 the le11gtl1 of the player°s verse
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Elven Loremasters s lJend many . 3Years stud 3tin S the la11 5 ua S es of all thin S s. This simple Rhyme helps them remember what they have learned a11d allows them to communicate with nearl3I an 3Y creature. Once the rl1 3tme is successfully su11g, the spell lasts for hours equal to the Elf"s Will. Obstacles: Dialects of na'tive/k11ow11 languages, Ob 1. Foreign language, Ob 2. Foreign language dialect, Ob 3. Vile Language, Ob 4. Low Speech: Dogs, wolves, pigs and dolphins, Ob 5. Horse and other ungulates, Ob 6. Birds, Ob 7. Fish, Ob 8. Insects, Ob 9.
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The So11g of Arbors allows the Elves to communicate i11 the tongue of the leafed o11es a11d learn what news they can from the cryptic mind of the wood. A11 Elf may sing to any tree in his Presence. If successful, he may communicate with the t1'ee about its well—being a11d any recent notable events. Obstacle: Ancient trees, Ob 1. Elder t1'ees, Ob 2. Full-grown trees, Ob 3. Young trees, Ob 4. Saplings, Ob 5. Vines and hangers, Ob 6.
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The Song of Bonding is usually only sung once in each Elf “s life—to bi11d himself i11to the 1I1aster—student relationship with his sword-father. Once successfully su11g, the Bo11ded Second now gains a new trait: Bonded. This cou11ts as a call—o11 for Steel when his master is i11 danger. If a player is starting a Second i11 a game with his Sword Singer, sing this so11g before the game starts. If the song fails, or the Second°s Sword Singer is 11ot part of the game, then the player may choose to bond himself to another master as the game progresses.
Actions: 555 —\_
The Song of Burning Bright evokes the true fire within the Elven heart. Once summoned, it drives the Elf into a blinding fury that strikes terror i11 the hearts of his enemies. All who look upon him must make a Steel Test. Hesitation is increased by the Elf ’s successes ove1' the song obstacle. The
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of the Steel test. The victims must make a Steel test—no matter wl1at—-at 10 minus Will plus extra song successes. The effect of this song supersedes wonderment: Do not test for wonderment. Actions: Obstacle x 2
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The Song of Merrinlent brings joy to all who hear it. Sadness is washed away and fatigue forgotten. Obstacles: \Vo11dern1ent, Ob 1. Negate +1 Ob penalty, Ob 2. Alleviate —1D penalty for one scene, Ob 3. Cancel all ongoing hesitation, Ob 4.
Actions: 120 Song_of_Silence
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To voice his displeasure, an Elven Lord will utter the brief syllables of the Song of Silence a11d then fall i11to a11 impenetrable a phony, thinking deeply on all matters at hand. No social skills or “n1i11d affecting“ spells will have any effect on the Lo1'd while he is under the So11g of Silence. If sung as an action during a Duel of Wits, the Elf ca11 end the duel. No winner is declared, and no compromise can be made.
Song Root: Grief Actions: 2
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This beautiful harmony can be su11g i11 accompaniment to any other spellsong. The So11g of Songs may help a Elvc11 spell song as if it were a related skill. Song of Songs may 11ot help skill~songs.
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The So11g of the Sword infuses the blade with a dread and vengeful power. The Sword Singer may only sing one blessing at a ijme, but he may bless any sword in his presence. Obstacle: The singer chooses the blade blessing to be sung before rolli11g: Morn
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Blade, (+1 weapon speed), Ob 1. Singing Blade (open-e11ded sword dice), Ob 2; Preternatural Balance (+1D), Ob 3; Crushing Edge (+1 VA), Ob 4; Sword of Might (+1 Power), Ob 5; Blinding Blade (+3 weapon speed), Ob 6; Blood Drinker (reduce Add by 1), Ob 7; Sun Blade (increase weapon le11gtl1 to “loi1gest“), Ob 8. All blessings also make the weapon a “spirit blade“ which
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Actions: Obstacle x 1
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This ancient and powerful song amplifies the Lord Protector°s vision. Once sung, the effects last for the duration of the scene or conflict. Obstacle: Seeing impossibly long distances, Ob 1. +1D to field maneuvers, Ob 2. +1D to Bow skill, Ob 3. +1D to Perception, Ob 4. +2D to Perception, Ob 5. Free forfeit in the script for Fight, Ob 6. Free forfeit in the Duel of Wits, Ob 7. Free forfeit for Range and Cover, Ob 8. Seeing into the past, Ob 9. Seeing into the future, Ob 10.
Actions: 1 x obstacle
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Elven Seafarers are friends to the wind, a11d i11 times of need, they may ask her to treat them kindly. Obstacle: Gauge the le11gtl1 of a storm (or other weatl1e1'), Ob 1. Bring winds to doldrums, Ob 2. Negotiate currents and shoals (+1D Pilot), Ob 3. Speed a long journey (+1D Navigate), Ob 4. Bring a gale dow11 to strong winds, Ob 5.
Actions: 60
This quiet song escapes the lips as barely a whisper. ‘While it is sung, the Ranger is cloaked in shadow a11d sl1ifti11g light, invisible to the eyes of his foes. Threne of the Chameleon adds advantage dice to the Stealthy skill. In addition, so long as the player gets one success, his character cannot be seen unless the opposing characters explicitly look for him—either via an applicable Instinct or a trait or by simply stating, “I look around.“ If sung successfully, the character counts as having one additional level of cover in Range a11d Cover. I11 Fight, other characters suffer a +1 Ob disadvantage to
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Obstacles: The player can set the obstacle for the Threne of Chameleon song. If su11g successfully, the obstacle indicates the number of advantage dice granted to the Stealthy. Thus an Ob 1 Threne adds +1D to Stealthy.
Actions: 8
Iract of Enmity
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Such enemies arouse the passion of Elves: They are relentlessly sought and
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remorselessly destroyed. Obstacles: 1D infamous reputation, Ob 1. 2D infamous reputation, Ob 2. 3D infamous reputation, Ob 3.
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This potent spell is used when an Elven Elder sets his mind to a task. He can bind himself and another character into a decision that carries the same weight as a Duel of Wits result. Both pa1'ties must nominally agree to the terms. The song is sung and the result is binding as if the two had come to the decision via a Duel of \Vits. No other test is necessary but the Verse of Decision. Actions: 555
__
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The Verse of Friendship is a formidable spell. Once it is sung over a character, henceforth he is known by all Elves as friend. The character gains a 1D reputation when dealing with Elves. Obstacle: Will, Greed, Faith, Spite or Hatred of the target, whichever is higher. Actions: 500
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Announcing his age and wisdom, the Elven lord lends weight and authority to his opinion, such that none can deny him. This effect lasts through the duration of one Duel of Wits. Obstacle: +1D to Oratory or Persuasion, Ob 2. +1D Will (applied to Body of Argument or as an obstacle vs social skills), Ob 3. +3D to Oratory or Persuasion, Ob 4. Open-ended social skill dice, Ob 5. +5D to Oratory, Ob 6.
Actions: 4 x obstacle of the spell
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The Seafarers sing to the sky and listen to her reply to learn the coming weather. This spell acts as a linked test with Orienteering, Navigation or
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Elven Grief
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Grief is an emotional attribute born from the toll of living an ageless life .._-'
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while watching endless tragedy unfold. Elves are plagued with Grief——it is the only force that can kill them, apart from violence. Nearly all Elves have some stain of it on them, but very few show it, and even fewer let it oveiwhehn them. Grief manifests in many ways: in sadness, in bitterness, in anger, in silence and in isolation. When an Elf"s Grief reaches exponent 10, he can no longer tolerate this world and its tribulations. Either he must pass on into the \Vest or his heart breaks and he wastes away due to Grief.
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The El l' player may spend a deeds point to tap his cl1aracter’s Grief while performing a spell or skill so11g. Instead of doubling dice like a standard
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deeds point, this adds the Grief attribtlte dice to the song exponent for the test. These dice are open-e11ded. Adding a Grief deeds like this always counts as a difficult test for advancing Grief. This cannot be mitigated by a lalnent.
Starting Grief ,1 recommend that Grief follow the salne guidelines as stats and rug? skills regarding starting exponents. If yon°re ljniitilig characters
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to exponent 6 skills, then Grief shouldn°t start above 6 either. This should be discussed with the Elf players beforehand. Note that Grief may never, ever start higher than exponent 9. All Elves start with a11 exponent 0 Grief. Consult the following list of conditions to deterinine the actual starting exponent: —Add one if the character has taken any Protector lifepath —h1 addition, add one if the cl1aracter l1as been a Lancer, Lieutenant
or Captain; a11d add another one if the character l1as bee11 a Lord Protector or Soother —Add one if the character was Born Etharch —Add one if the cl1aracter l1as been a Loremaster, Adjutant or Althing —Add one if the character has taken the Elder lifep ath —Add one if the character does not know any Lamentations —Add one if the character’s history includes tragedy —A dd one if the character has lived among non—Elven people —Add one for every point of the character°s Steel over 5 —A.dd one if the character°s Perception exponent is greater than 5 —Add one if the cl1aracter is starting 500 years old; add two if the character is starting 750 years old; add three if the character is starting older than 1,000 years
Gray Grief
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If it is appropriate to the genie, and the GM and other players approve, the Elven player may spend five of his starting Grief exponent points to shade shift to gray.
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Tragedy: Advancing Grief Grief is an attribute like any otl1er, and it advances like Steel or Health. However, it is tested a little differently from other abilities. The in-game
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Obstacle I Grief Being lied to. Going against an instinct. Obstacle 2 Grief Being robbed. Lying. Obstacle 3 Grief Being accused of a crime you did not commit. Being maliciously attacked or wounded. \Vitnessing a drought or famine. Seeing a person killed. Betraying a belief once.
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Obstacle 4 -Grief Killing. Having yo1u' home brunt to the ground. Losing a friend due to separation 01' in1p1'isonme11t. Stealing and causing others harm tln‘ough that act. Obstacle 5 Grief Fighting i11 a bloody battle. Having your homeland/ city/village betrayed by a friend. Being captured by the enemy. Betraying a belief a seco11d time.
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Obstacle 6' Grief Being imprisoned for a crime you did not connnit. Losing a massive a11d bloody battle. Being personally betrayed by a friend. Being mortally wounded. The death of a friend or loved one. Obstacle 7 Grief Forced to flee your homeland by scourging tides of darkness. Having to kill your friend whose mind has been twisted to the side of darkness. Betraying a belief a third time.
Obstacle 8 Grief Being tortured. Witnessing your friend, the most powerful wizard around and the sole hope of all that is good, pulled down by a demon. Having to kill innocents i11 order to accomplish what is “riglit.” Betraying family and friend.
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Obstacle 9 Grief
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Obstacle IO Grief To watch the light of die world doused and to witness the cold tide of
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Note appropriate Grief tests 011 your character sheet. The obstacle is used only to determine the level of the test for the purposes of advancement.
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The Limit of Grief An Elf whose Grief has reached exponent 10 can no longer tolerate the
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Laments: Mitigating Grief Elves are well aware of the toll of living an ageless life. They know that unless they are careful, the strain of Grief will overtake them. They will either collapse under its weight or fly into a burning, all-consuming
rage which will inevitably result in their death. Knowing this, Elves are mindful to vent their S8.Cl1'l6SS and lament tragedy in their lives. These songs help mitigate the bite of Grief. lllhen a Grief test needs to be taken, an Elf may sing a Lament to counteract its effects. Any of the lame11ts can be used; the various descriptions are provided for color. The lament need not be sung immediately. So long as it is sung at a reasonable and appropriate juncttne afterwards——at a ftmeral, for example-—it will have its intended effect. \Vhile Elves often lament their sorrows in great processions 01' mass chants, Grief is a private thing. Each Elf must lament and grieve personally. The obstacle for all Laments is the same obstacle as the Grief test. The effects of the Lament are a bit different from normal spells or songs. They lower the “level” of the Grief test the character would have taken by one step. If the character takes a challenging Grief test, a properly sung Lament will lower that to a difficult test. Laments do 11ot make Grief go away, but they do help the Elf cope with its effects.
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Elven Resources
ilnigllil Mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Elven Smithy ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 50 l A1'tisan°s Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 F
Elven Clothes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
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Elven Ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 F
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Notes on Elven Possessions Bun of the Mill Weapons and Ar1n0r—Use the stats for the equipment listed in the Lifepaths of Man and 1'un of the mill lists for this gear.
Elven Arm0r~—Elven Armor is superior quality armor. Also, there are no Clmnsy Weight penalties for the following: Elven gambeson for 9 rps, Elven reinforced leather for 20 rps, Elven light mail for 30 rps and Elven heavy mail for 40 rps.
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Elven plated mail can be bought for 75 rps. lt"s superior quality, but it retains all Chmisy \Veight penalties. Elves may buy armor piecemeal as described in the Mannish Resources section. Elvell Arms-—Elven Arms are considered superior quality weapons. Players may ptn'chase beaks, spikes and weights for their characters“ weap 011s at +3 rps per modification, p er weapon. Elven starting cli.aracters who have four or fewer lifepaths and whose last lifepath is Sworcl Singer or Spearbearer nzay take the appropriate Elven Arms for 5 rps. Elven Cloak-—Elven Cloaks are also known as Gray Mantles. They are imbued with the Tln'ene of the Chameleon a11d conceal Elven rangers who guard the fences of the hidden kingdoms of the Elves. Gray Mantles count as a 4D Threne of the Chameleon. lf the character is
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warm in winter, cool in summer, covering in rain a11d quick to dry.
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Elven B0w—These are the weapons made using the Elven Bowcraft skill. Elven Bows are bigger than hunting bows, but not as big as the great
-
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bows of men. They provide 3D of range dice at extreme, a11d SD at
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\Vhen purchasing an Elven Bow, Elves may choose from these arrows: Hunting Head:
I: B4, M: B8, S: B11
VA 2
Free
Leaf ead:
l: B5, M: B9, S: B12
VA 1
+1 rp
Bodkin:
l: B4, M: B7, S: B10
VA 3
+2 rps
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Elven Slee(l—Elven Steeds are swift in travel a11d steadfast in war. Pe: B3(4), Wi: B2, Ag: B3, Sp: B8, Po: B5, Fo; B6. Hea: B5, Ste: B5, Ref: B3, M\V: B12 (Tough). Hesitation: 7 (Determined), Stride: 13. Skills: Moiuited Coinbat Training, Rider Training, lntiinidation B3, Foraging B4. Trails: Good Bone, Fleet of Hoof, Obedient, Loyal, Tough and Determined, plus Long—Lin1bed, Keen Hearing, Hooved, Ungulate. Elven B1'ea(l—This rare and cherished bread is nourishing and restorative. After it is eaten, it grants +3D to all Health tests taken for the day after it is eaten. One portion of Elven Bread will suffice as a ineal for a day. 10 rps buys six portions. Elven R0pe—Elven Rope is ligl1t and strong. lt weighs half as much as its norinal counterpart and holds twice as n1ucl1 for its thickness. Clinibing, Knots and Rigging tests taken using Elven Rope may add +1D. It couI1ts as tools for Knots and Climbing. Any Elf or Elf—frie11d lnay cue his rope to unknot and iuitie itself with a tug, 11od or gesture. Elven lllil'l'01'willc— Mitro1'wine refreshes a11d restores those who taste it. Add two open—e11ded dice to the next Health test taken. 8 rps buys foiu' draughts. Siar]ight—A bottle of starlight to illuminate the darkest times with the silver halo of the favored star. The Starlight is as bright as Mags Light
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with fo1u' successes over the obstacle. Counts as sunlight for creatures with Cold Black Blood or Enemy of the Sun traits.
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Elven ll1stl'umeI1l— Elves are renowned for their inusic, both in song and instrunient. Elven instru1nents—~—flutes, trumpets, lyres, etc.—grant +1D to the bearer°s musical instrunient skill.
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Personal Effccts— A player may purchase for his cl1aracter personal effects of sentimental value: a lock of hair, a inirror, a book, a ring, a cane, a locket or any other similar itein. Elven Worksllops—\Vorkshops are necessary to completely utilize Stonecraft, Sinithcraft, Starcraft and Ceincraft skills-—wi1hout one, the Elf may only undertake snialler projects (Ob 3 or lower). Also, Elven \Vorkshops are required if the character will be building special “Elven
1.
works. ” \Vorksl1ops count as property when factoring Besources. ——-
Elven Sl1ip— This is a beautiful, sleek and sturdy sea—going vessel. She has two niasts and can acconnnodate a crew of about twenty. The crew is included so long as the player purchases a relationship with an
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Elf who acts as his pilot, navigator or first mate. Their exact abilities are determined via the I Need a Gang or Crew rules. A ship counts as property when factoring Resources. Elven Lantl——Elves, though not as particular or land-hungry as Men and Dwarves, do lay some claims of ownership to certain tracts. Pastoral lands are 20 rps. This cost includes a single important terrain feature like a lake, a length of river, a hill or prairie and a modest but comfortable dwelling for the Elf°s falnily. 50 rps for a large country
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manor and land, 100 rps for a palace. 150 rps allows the Elf and his family to occupy a major terrain feature like a forest, bay or mountain. Alternately, 25 rps gets a sumptuous apartment in the Citadel. Elven Land counts as property when factoring Resources. Tolne of L01'e—~The tome of lore contains knowledge both prosaic and rare. It grants +1D to all Elven academic skills, skill songs and appropriate Wises.
Elves in Play It bears noting that these rules will create some very powerful Elven cliaracters. No attempt has been made to balance with Men or Orcs. Instead, we decided to represent Elves as they were in literature: potent, immortal and passionate. So i11 these rules, a 5 LP Elf is going to have a11 edge over other 5 LP characters. He gets more stat points a11d access to a host of powerful spells. 'n_r’_"" Speaking of spells, it is the intention of these rules that Elves 11ot cast Sorcery spells. Elves cannot take the Gifted trait, nor can they be Faithful. They have their own magic, rooted in their Essence of the Earth trait, in the form of songs. \Vhile songs don°t have the high—powered kick
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that Sorcery and Faith do, I think you"ll find that the benefits they do
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provide augment the Elves’ powers nicely. The Elven gear is also a rare and precious resource. If players are
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ignoring Rope, Bread and Starlight in favor of a Cloak, Arms and Armor, bat them upside the head. Encourage them to choose diverse items from the list. Also, I entreat all of you to use the Antiphon Union skill training rules and create your own cool Elven stuff! lt°s acceptable to build that
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stuff pre~gan1e and allow players to buy it and incorporate it into their characters. Price them at about 10—15 rps per +1D of song ability a11d you should be okay.
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‘ When bringing Elves into play, make sure to play off of the Grief 5%’ ‘ii attribute. That ability is a measure of how much a11 individual
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.rv4€r’s§ir€f§:rt; .a_.§§§;§§'§§ii’" Elf can take before he loses it. Push Elves to the edge. Drive that Grief up. Simply by focusing on the scenes and situations suggested in the Tragedy: Advancing Grief section you have ideas for dozens of different scenarios. Murder, betrayal, tragedy—-an Elven character must react to them. His Grief compels him. Use this. The attribute lends itself to some very powerful story/game ideas: Ruined homelands, eternal war, murder of immortal brethren and the inevitable short-sighted suicide of the younger races. The sadness is an after-effect——of the rage; the fleeting love; the decaying, corroding material world. In the moment, there is only seething, powerful emotion to contend with. Go with it! \Vhateve1' you do, don°t let a player join your game as “die remote and aloof Elven Ranger, l’m quiet and l shoot things.” Boring! Turn it up a notch. Give him a personality: Make him a bastard who can’t keep his 1noutl1 shut. The internal conflict in that character creates a wealth of game play possibilities. Pm sure you’ll find similar inner struggles to drive characters in your games. Lastly, players like to play “half elves.” \Vhen a player wishes such a character, he must choose whether his character l1as embraced his Elven or human nature. If he chooses Elven, the cl1aracter is for all intents and purposes a11 Elf. You ca11 take the character trait, Half Elf, to represent your ancestry if you°d really like to. Lifep aths, skills and traits are chosen
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The Ambitious Noblewoman 6Iare ran HI»!/£9/ ’0i4d herfizmihl ssh’)/ears ajro. She hatedher hushand She hatedthe stifiliiia eourth rituaIs andtheyootite ties eve);/one toId So she raised a nyer to her hushandandher/‘ami paeheda trunhfuttofueeessities and set o f rr the cié/. Ihere she made a new hfe reaaiha fortunes, settinglootious and ii/:ai'u_a Ietters 'om her hushand to the Ioeat merehants. But she has muehyreaterptans in store, oh)/es... BELIEFS
Myformer hushandis a use/id/irot I must not orertax him Iest I Iose aeeess to his treasury. Ihe scum ofthis oiq are disoraauizedrahhIe, I u/i'II/hrae them into a suitahte /1c7¢¢.56/10/61//%I" err)/sehf Ihe nohihihz are aIIha/rs andeharhztaus. INSTINCTS
Neverpass up an o,o,oortuni§' to humitiate a nohIem.-an. A/W69/5 hee/o a hni : eoueeaIe-dahout me. Never/oass up the o,o,oortuui§/ to mahe mom?/. I./FEPA THS: Born Nohte, Page, Your/ta Lad» Criminat 3'12?/y'earl: otid
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Peree/2tion Power
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Mortat Wound I-Iesitation Resources
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Re exes Stride
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SKILLS Ineonspibuous B5, Streetwise B3, In timidation B3, Km‘:/es B3, Ch'mhin_a B2, Write B2, Read B2, Etiquette B2, Astrotoay B2, MusieaI Instrument (DuIeimer) B3, Com/oositiou B2, FieIdDressiu_a B3, Apothecary B3, Doctrine B2, Rtldriaj B2, Bra:/oiihy B2, Sword B3, Persuasion B3, Foraeiy B3 IRAITS
Marh ofPri|/iIe_ae, 0)/nieat Tenacious 554/? Writma 7TooIs, FieId Dressiua Toots, /lpotheeary 7ooIs, Run ofthe MiIIArms (sword hni ej, Rem zreed heather hreastjotate and sIee:/es, 6'Iothe.5 Shoes, I-'ine1Q4 House in the sin!
AFFILIATION.- 10 Noeity REP!/7:54 T/OIV: ID as an amhitious orimiiaat REL,4TIONSI-IIP: Hushand Lord Theurdorieus (Hate zt Immediate Famih/I
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8 yrs
3
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+1 P
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Sara, Soldier, Sea, Religions
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Skills: 3 pts: General Traits: 2 pts: — Farmer
8 yrs
Villager; Soldier, Sew.
Skills: 8 pts: Farming, Mending, Animal Husbandry, lveaving, Cooking, Sewing, Firebuilding, Sing
as:
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Traits: l pt: Hoarding
: Head of Household '15 yrs
20
+l M
Villager; Solclier
Skills: 8 pts: Carpentry, Hunting, Haggling, Almanac Traits: 2 pts: —
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Restrictions: may not be the cha1'acter°s second lifepath . llilitlivife
IO yrs
I5
+l M
Villager, Outcast
Skills: 7 pts: Animal Husbandry, Herbalism, Midwifery, Omen—wise Traits: 2 pts: Bedside Manner
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Requires: any female gender-specific lifepath (Lady, for example),
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Farmer or ltinerant Priest i Lazy Stayabout
7 yrs
3
—
Outcast, Servitucle, Solclier
Skills.- 3 pts: Lazy—wise, Peasant-wise, Wife-wise, Work-wise Traits: 1 pt: A Little Fat (i0I1Sel'ipt
l yr
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Seruilacle, Soldier‘, Outcast
Skills: 2 pts: Foraging, Battle—wise, Rumor—wise Traits: 1 pt: Flee from Battle
Peasant Pilgrinl 3 yrs
-=1
—
Outcast, Seroitacle, Villager
Skills: 3 pts: Doctrine, Pilgrimage-wise, Saint-wise, l pt: General Traits: 2 pts: Road Weary, Alms-Taker
Miller
7 yrs
15
—
Villager
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Skills: 5 pts: Mille1', Brewer, Mending, Carpentry Traits: 1 pt: Lord°s Favorite - Fisherlnan
6- yrs
5
+l P
Villager; Outcast, Seafaring
Skills: 6 pts: Fishing, Rigging, Knots, Mending, Cooking, Boatwright Traits: 2 pts: Superstitions Sllepllertl
4 yrs
4
+'l P
Villager: Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Animal Husbandry, Sing, Climbing, Flute Traits: l pt: Cry llfolf
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5 yrs
5
+1 P
Villager; Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Firebuilding, Mending, Foraging, Orienteering, Tree—wise, Tree Cutting
Traits: 1 pt: — ' Hunter
5 yrs
6
+1 M, P
Villager, Outcast, Soldier
Skills: 7 pts: Hunting, Tracking, Stealthy, Cooking, Orienteering; Iaveli11 or Bow Traits: 1 pt: — Trapper
5 yrs
8
+'l M, P
Villager. Outcast, Solclier
Skills: 6 pts: Trapper, Stealthy, Tracking, Cooking, Haggling, Taxidermy Traits: 1 pt: Foul Smelling
- Peddler
5 yrs
10
+1 M
Villager, Sero., City; Outcast
Skills: 7 pts: Mending, Sing, Haggling, Cl1a11dler, Persuasion, lnconspicuous, Falsehood Traits: 2 pts: Blank Stare, Glib, Eidetic Memory
Eigler
'15 yrs
5
+1 M
Villager, Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Observation, Persuasion, Ugly Truth, Peasant-wise, Local History Traits: 1 pt: Crotchety Requires: The cl1aracter must have at least four LPs and start the game over 50 years old. Inlgur
5 yrs
10
+1 M
Seroiturle, Outcast
Skills: ’-l pts: Astrology, Sorcery, Falsehood, Ugly Truth, Omen—wise
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Traits: 2 pts: Disturbed, Dreamer, Cassandra, Touch of Ages Requires: Midwife, Country “life or must be female a11d character has no n1o1'e than three lifepaths total.
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llinerant Priest
6 yrs
8
+1 M
Villager; Outcast, City, Religious
Skills: 7 pts: Oratory, Suasion, Chandler, Riding, Write, Read, Doctrine
.-_ M
Traits: 2 pts: Dusty, Faithful Requires: any Acolyte LP from any setting Recluse Wizard
I5 yrs
28
+1 M
Outcast, Villager; City, Court
Skills: 7 pts: Astrology, Alchemy, Enchanting, Illuminations, Ancient History, Obscure History
Traits: 2 pts: Batshit, Gifted - 1;-'.;=
Requires: a previous lifepath that contains the Sorcery skill
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Religious
_Skills: 2 pts: Child—Rearing, Cooking; also, see note below Trails: 1 pt: — Note: A player who takes the Country \Vife lifepath may also choose her
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husband°s lifepath from the Peasant setting a11d may choose from his skills: She gets l1alf of his skill points, rounded dow11. She also receives
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3
+1 P
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Tr arts 1 pt Bad Egg, Good f01 Notlnng, Fleet of Foot
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Slulls 4 pts Inconsplcuous, Consplcuous, Ugly T1 nth, V111:-Age Secl ets w1se
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2 yrs
ii
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Religious. Servitacle, City
Skills: 5 pts: Religions Bnrnor—wise, Boa£l—Wise, Shrine-wise, Al1ns—Wise, Relic-Wise, Doctrine Traits: 2 pts: Collector Uorlseripl
I yr
5
—
Semitiirle, Soltlier, Outcast
Slcills: 2 pts: Foraging, Baggage Train-wise Traits: 1 pt: Hide before Battle
Groom
4 yrs
7
——-
Peasant, Cit-y Dweller, Soldier
Slrills: ‘i pts: Animal Husbandry, Riding, Mending, Horse—wise, Boad—wise Traits: 1 pt: ———' ii'lIllIl€l’
4 yrs
6
+1 P
City Dzaeller, Peasant, Soldier
Skills: 3 pts: Streetwise, lnconspicuous, Shortcut-wise Trails: 1 pt: Skinny, Fleet of Foot
Villaige Peddler
5 yrs
10
+1 M
Peasant, Sern, CityDweller, Outcast
Sltills: 7 pts: Mending, Sing, Haggling, Chandler, Persuasion, lnconspicuous, Falsehood Traits: 2 pts: Odd
Sli0_pl£ee[!er
0 yrs
15
—-
City Dweller, Peasant
Skills: 5 pts: Haggling, Accounting, OlJservati0n, Me1'cl1ant—wise Traits: 1 pt: ——-
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Glerk
4 yrs
9
-—
Cit-y Dweller, Outcast, Soldier
Skills: 4 pts: Bureaucracy, Write, Read, Gontraet—wise Traits: 1 pt: Cramped Hands, Mind for Small Details Sailor
5 yrs
5
+1 P
Soldiei; City, Peasant, Se-rv., Sea.
Sk:'lls: 6 pts: Rigging, Knots, Brawling, Mending, Sing, Fishing .-. A__
Trails: 1 pt: Superstitions, Sea Legs
.1
Laborer
‘-1 yrs
‘-1
+1 P
Soldier, Outcast, Seru., Peasant
Skills: 2 pts: Ditch Digging, Latrine-wise Traits: 2 pts: Callonsed, Starved, Broken, Hardened, Numb
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Miner
3 yrs
7
+1 P
Soldier; Outcast, Sam, Peasant
Sltills: 2 pts: Mining, Cave-In-Wise Traits: 3 pts: Black Lung, Drunk, Superstitions Requires: Laborer, Conscript, Farmer or Foot Soldier
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Taskniaster
6 yrs
15
—-
City Dweller, Outcast, Soldier
Sltills: 5 pts: lntirnidation, Brawling, Sing, Conspicuous, Lazy Bastard—wise Traits: 1 pt: Hard Hearted, Mean, Barker, Booming Voice
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3 yrs
5
+1 M
Any emeepi. Noble
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Slrills: 4 pts: Soothing Platitudes, Ugly T1'11tl1, Cnstomerewise, Sleight of Hand
as]/y
Traits: 2 pts: Choose 1stt1‘ait: ExtremelyBitter, Ugly, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Buxom I Hosicller
0 yrs
15
-4
City; Peasant
Slfills: 5 pts: Cooking, Mending, Accounting, Soothing Platitudes, Guest—wise Trails: 1 pt: Fixed Smile, Gossip
Restrictions: may 11ot be the eharacter’s second lifepath Yillage Guard
3 yrs
7
+1 P
Soldier, City; Peasant, Se:-::£tu.rle
Skills: 4 pts: Appropriate Weapons, Intimidation, Brawling, Graft—wise, Village-wise, Guard-wise Traits: 1 pt:Tl1ng
Village Sergeant 5 yrs
9
+1 MlP
Soldier, Servitucle, Noble Court
Slcills: 6 pts: Command, Intimidation, Field Dressing, Appropriate \Veapons, Shield Trainingl, Armor T1‘aini11g"‘, Brihe—wise, Wlealthy-wise Traits: 1 pt: Cverworked, Underpaid Requires: Village Guard, Squire, Freehooter, Sergeant—at—Arms or Man-
at-Arms U01‘-rllpt Sergeallt Syrs
12
+1 Ml P
Soldier, Servitacle, Noble Court
Skills: 6 pts: Intimidation, Appropriate Weapons, Shield Trainingi, Armor Trainingi, Bril)e—wise, \Vealthy~wise, Criminal—wise Traits: 1 pt: Predatory Requires: Village Guard, Squire, Freehooter, Sergeant—at-Arms or Manat—Arn1s
dig
f Tailor
5 yrs
12
——-~
,-ails,
Cit_y'Da:elle:; Peasant
1
Skills: 5 pts: Sewing, Embroidery, Clothing—Wise Traits: 1 pt:F1'ippery
Tax G-olleetor
5 yrs
15
+1 M
City Duieller, Peasant, Outcast
lttri
Skills: 4 pts: Intimidation, Accounting, Haggling, Persuasion Traits: 1 pt: Hard Hearted, Manhnnter
"Te ll? ii
Requires: may not he the characterls second lifepath
iliolililer
B yrs
2'0
—
City Dweller; Peasant, Soldier
1",-.-J:-t mi, f,_ .
Sltills: 4 pts: Cobbler, Shoe-Wise, Feet-wise, Leather-Wise, Nail-wise Traits: 1 pt: Comfortable Shoes
.
*’+‘ts’i+ tan’:
Requires: Apprentice ’ Farrier
_
5 yrs
12
~—
is
Peasant, Soldier, CityDweller
l E.
Sltills: 4 pts: Blacksmith, Animal Husbandry, Horse~wise, Haggling
I
Traits: 1 pt: A Bit Deaf
'
.
ti “ I. |,;-
Requires: Apprentice
,»: 1
sits» ., ,
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its/it,,_ n
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:A £17
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-re
“eve
¢%
“Wm Pmiw‘SA. ‘W2’ "mu “K. M ¢¥<’-
mas,“
as lira are
' Blliellel‘
yrs
-—
City Peasant, Outcast
Skills 4 pts Bntcl1e1 y, Cooking, Guts-wise, Anatomy Traits 2 pts P1 omment Seal, Tl11ck Skin, Stinky, Mutterlng
llnrller
-——
City; Peasant, Outcast
Skills 5 pts Bloodlettmg, Anatomy Apothecal y, V1llage—w1se, Gossip-wise Traits 1 pt Agieeable, Seemingly Concei 11ed Brewer
8
s
5
-——
Calf}, Peasant, Noble Court
Skills 4 pts B1ewe1, M1lle1, G1a1n wise, B1 ew—w1se T: alts 1 pt Becks of Alcohol Ruddy Complexion
A901;-is
1 1 s
10
+1 M
Peasant, Sermtude, Cu‘), R6ltgt0Ll8
Skills 6 pts Docti 111e, B111 eauc1 acy, W1 1te, Bead, Ritual Religions H1sto1 y, Temple-wise Traits 2pts Tonsuied E311) Bisel Bioken Pe1fectP1tch lihllejl lcoly-lc
(1 yrs
-——
Outcast, S0ltlIBI, Peasant
Skills 4 pts Te1nple—w1se, D11 ty Seci ets-wise, Doctime, Religious H1sto1y
T: arts 2 pts B1tte1 Village Priest
8 yrs
15
+1 M
Anyezcepz‘ Noble anclN0ble Cour t
Skills 5 pts O1 atoi y, Snas1o11, Symhology Traits 2 pts Vested Devout, Faithful Requu es Acolyte
llenal l'ries1
tit;
ages
20
+1 M
Any except Noble and Noble Court
T: arts 2 pts Venal Vested
_t€;;f'2'l
'~.;§,§'-.-l‘ '
‘I w 1:1
Skills 6 pts P61SL1ElS10I1, Soothing Platitudes, Falsehood Requu es Acolyte, Cleik, Student o1 any Religious setting lifepath Apprenllee
Q
7 yis
+ P
Cit}, Peasant, Soldier, Sea at mg
Skills 6 pts Me11d111g, Blacksmith Caipenti y, Tannei, Pottei, Coopei
t”
T: ails 2 pts B1 oken In Back—B1eak1ng Lal)o1
Jonmeyman
6 yrs
15
+1 M/P
Ctl), Peasant, S0lCltBI, Sea armg
Skills 5 pts Haggling, Appraisal \V11te, Bead T: ails 1 pt Made Man, Geometiic
re “
Requu es App1ent1ce Tlnlh lhel
Pt'e§%ase-as$*, are 1'- ‘."-t-a*s i§ 455e, '-‘E.-' -. I11
V15
20
+1 M
Fabi 1c—W1se, M1ne1al—W1se T: ails 1 pt Man) -Coloi ed Hands
Requn es Appi e11t1ce
g re "I
108i,
Clli) Dweller Peasant
Skills 6 pts Cloth Dye111g, Dye Maiiufactuie Accounting, Haggling,
\
E
ii’ts ~:e
ii 1?“ll
-,_1;, 1 til,
iii
Lrfépaths llowycr
-
6 yrs
15
-——
,.
Soldier, Outcast, Peasant
Skills: 4 pts: Bowyer, Fletcher, Mending, Bow, BoW—Wise
H111/"Q
Traits: 1 pt: -—— Hequires: Apprentice, Huntsman,'Fo1'ester or Archer iM_:.-aster Graflsman 1.0 yrs
30
+1 M, P
City Dweller, Soldier
Skills: 6 pts: Craftsman-wise, Artisan-wise, Materials—wise, Tools-wise; 3 pts: General Traits: 1 pt: Perfectionist, Early Riser, Stubborn, Healthy Requires: ]ou rney ma n
I ¥i'nl_1_1en
10 yrs
40
+1 M
Noble Court, Peasant, Fillager
Slcills: 4 pts: Vintner, Wine Tasting, Estate Management, G1'ape—wise Traits: 1 pt: Patient, Lugubrious Restrictions: n1ay not be the cha1'acter°s second lifepath _i iipiarisi
8 yrs
20
+1 M
Cit)/Dweller. Peasant-. Noble Court
Skills: ‘i pts: Insect Husbandry, Carpentry, Firebuilding, Honey~Wise Traits: 2 pts: Stung Once (Once), Beespeaker _ Mining Engineer 8 yrs
15
+1 M
City Dweller, Noble Court, Soldier
Skills: 5 pts: Prospecting, Engineer, Ore-Wise, Rock-Wise, Command
Traits: 1 pt: Grim, Agoraphobic, Deep Sense Requires: Apprentice, Miner, Student or Journeyman 5 Town Official
5 yrs
25
+1 M
City Dweller, Outcast, Soldier
Skills: 8 pts: Rule of Law, Persuasion, Etiquette, Interrogation, Falsehood,
|;%_,%’ 1 ._,|§ ,_|:,,.
Town-wise
,|
T,--ails: 1 pt: Pragmatic Requires: Clerk, Priest or Student Q l1'_1_eI'e|l3lli
T yrs
30
§
. { g
+1 M
City Dweller; Outcast, Seafaring
(Pg |"jF
1"” F’-I-'-:3’
Skills: 6 pts: Accounting, Persuasion, Falsehood, Haggling, Wholesale-wise, Lancllord—wise
.1“
Traits: 1 pt: Distracted Requires: Accountant, Sea Captain, Shopkeeper, Smuggler, Fence, Vintner . or Chamberlain
‘ Yillagewife
8 yrs
5
+1 M, P
Religious, City Dweller, Se-rvitude
M “.-' * igh "T
__:§;-n!§;,§-
Slrills: 2 pts: Child—Rea1‘ing, Cooking; also, see note below
all J
Traits: 1 pt: — lVofe: Players who take the Village “life lifepath may also choose their husbanc1’s lifepath from the Villager setting. The Village \Vife may choose
- '1'
from her hushand’s sl(ills—she gets half of his skill points, rounded
‘ ag
c1oWn—and she gets half of her husband’s Resources. 1‘ This is a training skill. It costs 2 pts to open and may not be aclvallcecl.
1-:
.
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City Dweller Setting Li[epathrM___'l‘ime__11es_Stat_[Leads City Born
12 yrs
10
-—
7
+1 P
_
Servitude, Court, Noble, Outcast
Skills: 4 pts: General Traits: 1 pt: — ._ |ll1n||e1'
'3 yrs
Villager, Soldier
Skills: 3 pts: Streetwise, lnconspicuous
Traits: '1 pl: — ; Urchin
2-yrs
4
—
Outcast, Servitude, Village
Skills: 5 pts: lnconspicuous, Falsehood, Streetwise, Stealthy Traits: 1 pt: Siclrly, Fleet of Foot, Unheeded
Requirements: if taken, must be second or third lifepath - Beggar!
5 -yrs
4
~—
Outcast, Servitude, Village
Skills: 6 pts: City—wise, City Gua1'd—wise, Wealth-wise, lnconspicuous, Persuasion, Falsehood Traits: 1 pt: Lame, Downtrodden, Hurt, Broken
Eourier
4 yrs
8
+1 M
Villager, Soldier
Skills: ‘i pts: Riding, Streetwise, Countryside—wise Traits: 1 pt: —
l.-al|_oret=
sf
=1 yrs
rt
+1 P
Soldier, Outcast, Sera, Peasant
Skills: 2 pts: Ditch Digging, Hauling Trails: 2 pts: Drunk, Mind-Nnmbing \Vork
F’ _. . 1"‘i;'1,_ -
Pilgrim
2 yrs
3
+1 M
Religious, Seruitude, Villager
Skills: 4 pts: Religious Diatribe, City-wise, Shrine—Wise, Doctrine
' ‘T3F*'-‘"3
Traits: 2 pts: Tall Tale Teller, Stinky
Groom
11 yrs
5
+1 P
Peasant, Villager, Soldier
Skills: 6 pts: Road-wise, Driving, Riding, Animal Husbandry, Mending,
_
:’
ass
City—Wise, Traveler-Wise Trails: 1 pt: Peripatetic lljllelist
4 yrs
8
+1 P
Soldier, Outcast, Servitucle
Skills: 7 pts: Sword, Brawling, Two-Fisted Fighting Trainingi, Streetwise, Haggling, Conspicuous, Trial by Combat—Wise Traits: 1 pt: Mercenary, Cold—Blooded, Fearless
_. n
Requires: Squire 01' any Outcast or Soldier lifepath, 01' any guard lifepath Coin Clipper
6 yrs
1.5
+1 M
Outcast, Noble Court
Skills: 5 pts: Streetwise, Forgery, Falsehood, lntimidation, Counterfeiting Coin—Wise Traits: 1 pt: Light Sleeper
l"1e’t,»,-,-9 . ,1 as 110
P t»
.-.=-iH-"':..
_
_-. H‘4
I
1"
ts
Lifépatlzs
.g_., 1,‘1%
Pickpocket
.
4 yrs
8
+1 1’
Outcast, Villager, Seruitude
5
Skills: 5 pts: lnconspicuous, Streetwise, Sleight of Hand, Crowd—wise Traits: 1 pt: Plain Face ; Street Thug
3 yrs
l 5
+1 I.’
Outcast, Servitude, Soldier
Skills: 5 pts: Brawling, Intimidation, Streetwise, Darkened Streets-Wise Traits: 1 pt: Cruel, Street Smart Criminal
5 yrs
10
+1 Ml P
Outcast, Villager, Soldier
Skills: 6 pts: lnconspicuous, Streetwise, Intimidation, Knives, Climbing Traits: 2 pts: Cynical, Poker Face, Rainman, Alert Confidence ltlall
4 yrs
12
-—
Outcast, Soldier; Villager
Skills: 5 pts: Falsehood, lnconspicuous, Disguise, Persuasion, Grift—wise Traits: 1 pt: — lg City Petldler
5 yrs
10
—
Villagen Seru, Peasant, Outcast
Skills: 7 pts: Mending, Sing, Haggling, Chandler, Persuasion, lnconspicuous, Falsehood Traits: 1 pt: The Story 2 Sailor
5 yrs
5
+1 P
Soldier, Sea:/aring, Peasant, Seru.
Skills: 5 pts: Rigging, Knots, Brawling, Mending, Sing, Gambling Traits: 1 pt: Superstitions, Sea Legs
Student
4 yrs
5
+1 M
Anyearcept Noble
Skills: 11 pts: \1l1'ite, Read, Philosophy, Rule of Law, History, Symbology, Anatomy, Astrology, l11conspicuous, Streetwise, City—Wise Traits: 3 pts: Rabble Rouser, Drunk, Geometric
iialiylnede
5 yrs
15
—
Outcast, Servitude, Court
Skills: 5 pts: Fashion-wise, lnconspicuous, Conspicuous, Soothing Platitudes Traits: 2 pts: Catamite, Flamboyant, Comely, Sharp Dresser Dilcttante
3 yrs
8
+1 M
.~''-~=-1' -==a_: =~..§*.__,i,l-»*1
Villager, Court, Outcast
Skills: Ll pts: S0rcery—Wise, Obscure History, Falsehood Traits: l pt: Superstitions, Entropic, Cipher ',).,,:,_.-,%,_l$§
Neophyte Sorcerer" 6 yrs
12
+1 M
Villager; Peasant, Outcast, Sew.
Skills: 6 pts: Write, Read, Research, Symbology, Great Masters-Wise
§‘ssl§1}ii -4
Traits: 1 pt: Extremely Respectful of One°s Betters, Bitter, Gifted
Temple Acolyte
5 yrs
'10
+1 M
Peasant, Outcast, Sera, Religious
‘5l‘¢% it
it t
Skills: 5 pts: Doctrine, Bureaucracy, llllrite, Read, Ten1ple—Wise Traits: 1 pt: Believer, Tonsured, Faithful
Sculptor
5 yrs
8
+1 M/P
Outcast, Peasant, Noble Court
Skills: 6 pts: Sculpture, Mason, BlElCl(SI1111l1, Carpe11t1'y, Stone-wise Traits: 2 pts: Passionate -—" _" _-.
at
l-VT .-;-:37:
H
s=_ _ _
1-.-
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as
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1'
1‘l-1,_.*;,g
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. ---
§ Painter
5 yrs
5
+1 MlP
Outcast, Peasant, Noble Court
Skills: 5 pts: Painting, Illuminations, Anatomy, Paint-wise Traits: 2 pts: Odd, Perspective, Greater Muse I Gonlposer
4 yrs
5
+1 M
Outcast, Peasant, Noble Court
Skills: 5 pts: Music Composition, Poetry, Sing, Musical Instrument Traits: 2 pts: Esoteric, Remote llramaturge
4 yrs
5
+1 M
‘Outcast, Peasant, Noble Court
Skills: 5 pts: Playwright, Composition, Write, Drama-wise Traits: 1 pt: Other Life
Performer
3 yrs
5
+1 M
Village!-', Outcast, Soldier
Skills: 6 pts: Acting, Persuasion, Sing, Falsehood, Conspicuous, Sleight of Hand, Musical Instrument
Traits: 2 pts: Colorful 1 Tinlierer
T yrs
8
+1. M
Villager; Peasant, Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Mending, Scavenging, .Iunk—wise Traits: 2 pts: — _Goa_l Man
‘:1 yrs
5
—
Sero., Peasant, Outcast, Soldier
Skills: ‘1 pts: Firebuilding, Streetwise, Charcoal—wise, Haggling Traits: 2 pts: Hacking Cough I Seamstress
Q, iii
5 yrs
1'0
—
Villager, Peasant
Skills: 4 pts: Sewing, Embroidery, Clothing-wise, Fashion—wise Traits: 1 pt: Fretful, Sharp Dresser
2 B_arkec_p
5 yrs
'15
—-
Villager, Peasant
Skills: '1 pts: Drink-wise, Drunk-wise, Persuasion Traits: 1 pt: Good Listener
no _ 1.1-
,1”?
Shopkeepcr
6 yrs
16
+1 M
Villager, Peasant
Skills: *1 pts: Merchant—wise, Haggling, Accounting, Observation
Traits: —
‘\-
i Baker
6 yrs
1,0
—
Villager, Peasant
Skills: 5 pts: Baking, Cooking, Daily Bread-wise, Sweet Tooth-wise Traits: 1 pt: Flou1'y
2 Alewife -rl
6 yrs
12
+1 P
Skills: 5 pts: Brewer, Mending, Drinking, Administration, _ Drunk Husband~wise
-u
Traits: 1 pt: Domineering Presence Restrictions: Character must be female. -n.
§ia. élgip L;4$I__||-;_ ‘I_,_i_.-1-II L ‘IL }
112
Noble Court, Peasant, Villager
5 .-ss,a,s=.@;,~ ‘=31.' _ ~...."--" £3--.-at-e:,is)3-r"-r-=-,,;.tu e "--- 1"‘
-—.~-,-. ._,
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Lifepaths
'rriV
q.m\-"'I-'-._L__-"_. -"
Conner
.
6 yrs
12
—
Noble Court, Peasant, Villager
K $21
Skills: 5 pts: Brewer, Mending, Drinking, Cooper, Beer-wise
I3
Traits: 1 pt: Red Cheeks, Drunk =. Clerk
4 yrs
9
+1 M
Villager, Outcast, Soldier
Skills: *1 pts: Bureaucracy, \lV1'ite, Bead, Accounting, Bribe—wise, Pap erwork—Wise
Traits: 1 pt: — Scribe
_ 7 yrs
1O
+1 M
Villager, Peasant
Skills: 5 pts: Write, Illuminations, Read, Handwriting-Wise
Traits.- 1 pt: Near-Sighted, Cramped Hands Requirc.s': Student, Acolyte 01' Clerk 1 Account-ant
10 yrs
15
+1 M
Villager, Peasant
Slcills: 4 pts: Accounting, Bureauc1'acy, Write, Read, Lcdger—wise Traits: 1 pt: Bored Requires: Clerk, Young Lady or Student
_ Scholar
IO yrs
I5
+1 M
Villager, Outcast, Noble Court
Sl\'illS.' 11 pts: Read, Research, History, Philosophy, Symbology, Instruction, Ill111111I1El1I10l1S., Foreign Languages, Ancient Languages
Traits: 1 pt: Know It All, Bookworm Requires: Scribe, Tl1inke1', Archivist, Interpreter, Custodian, Bishop or any so1'cerous lifepath ilioncyleuiier
8 yrs
20
——
in
Villager; Peasant, Outcast
Skills: *1 pts: Currency—Wise, Haggling, Accounting
‘L
Traits: I pt: Pcnny—wise
3 Tax Collector
5 yrs
18
+1 M
Villager, Peasant, Outcast
Skills: 4 pts: Intimidation, Accounting, Haggling, Interrogation
|.
.
fii‘*E' ‘- l ,1;-_
T!'(Hl.S': 1 pt: Hard Hearted
1" V“ r‘.-_;_/
Re ricfions: may 11ot be the character°s second lifepath
5 Taskmaster
6 yrs
15
+1 MlP
W3
Villager, Outcast, Soldier
H i-,|,:I,,,,
" Slcills: 5 pts: Intinlidation, Brawling, Sing, Conspicuous, Laborer—wise
vs
--.-hr
|_
i
Traits: 1 pt: Intimidating, Dreadful
Resfricti0ns-_ may 11ot be the cl1a1'acter s second lifepath i Mercenary Captain 5 yrs
15
+1 Ml P
'_
J.
I’
Solclier, Seafaring, Outcclrt
'
Slcills: 6 pts: Pilot, Fat Merchant-wise, Sword, Clinlhing, Intimidation
Traits: 2 pts: Predatory
5‘-$35 .i '=’?“_‘l*'=’~ ‘E: Ft I ____?'-
Requires: Sailor, Pirate or Knight : City Guard
5 yrs
9
+1 P
Soldier, Outcast
Fpi
Slcills: 5 pts: Brawling, Intimidation, Drinking, Appropriate llleapons, Armori Traits: 1 pt: Dru11k
1
i=
__
4 ‘ii gs wt’
'
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-|._,_-
if.‘
_._1|-;_
‘
§='i3*s
.1’ - . 4
g; H“, *-, "
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12¢“
_
Sergeant-at Arms (1 yrs
+
Soldier; Outcast
Srl ills 6 pts Intiinrdatioii Appi opiiate Weapons, A1I1101l, Field Di essing Ti arts 1 pt Over worked Requii es any guard lifepath, Marine, F11 st Mate, Foot Soldier F1 eebootei, Squire, Man-at—A1 ms oi Cavali yman Guard Captain
6 yrs
15
+ M
Soldier, Oiitcast, Noble Coiirt
Slcills 6 pts Etiquette, Ridi1ig,Intin1idat1oi1, Command, Appi opiiate Weapons Traits 1 pt Exaspeiated Reqiiir es Knight Captain oi any sergeant ilpprcnllcc
'7 yrs
+
Villager, Peasant, Soldier, Sea
Sliills 6 pts Mending, Write, Read Hauling Di iving Ditch Digging Traits 2 pts Broken In, Back—Bieak1ng Lahoi
ppreiitiee Artisan S vis
+
Villager, SOlClI6I
Sliills Bpts Artisan-wise, Mason, any smith skill Caipenti§ Write, Read,la1gon
Traits 1 pt — Journeyman
6 vis
15
+1 MIP
Villager; Peasant, SOlCl(6I, Sea
SAIHS 7 pts Haggling, Appi aisal, Blacksniith, Caipentr}, Tanner, Potter Traits 1 pt Made Man, Geometric Requires Apprentice
* graver
rrs
+
Soldier, Noble Court
Sliills 4 pts Engi aving, Etching, laigon
Ti ails 1 pt Gentle but F11 in Heqmr es louineyinan Saddler
8 yrs
25
+1 Ml P
Villager Soldier, Coiirt
SIKIIIS 6 pts Saddler y, Tanner Sewing, Einliroidei y Mending, Mount—wise
Tr arts 1 pt -— Heqirir es loui neyinan riimorcr ‘H.
10 yrs
5
--—
Soldier, Court, Outcast
Sl ills 7 pts Swoi dsnian Wise, Blacksmith, Taiiriei, Armor er, Weaponsmitli Tr ails 1 pt Diligent Reqirir es loin neyinan Plumber
ris
2
+ LI
"‘r" m
i arts 1 pt A Touch of Madness Heqriii es Joni neynian
*.4_
i.
r;*l'ii%, _..
"Dr?
re
Noble Court Outcast
Sliills 5 pts Plumbing Engineer, Coppeismith, \VaterWo1lcs
in
__
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ii
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'i,di‘F -1.
Locksmith
8 yrs
13
+‘1 M
Peasant, Villager
Skills: 4 pts: Locksmith, Haggling, Lock—Wise
WW 175 ‘=1:-'
Tr'aiz‘.5': 1 pt: Steady Hands Heqm'r'es: Journeyman Jeweler
9 yrs
20
—
Villager, Peasant
Skills: 5 pts: Jeweler, Lapidary, Appraisal, Haggling, Falsehood Traits: 1 pt: Guarded Reqiiires: Journeyman
Gaol “{Hl‘(lell
4 yrs
15
—
Outcast, Court, Soldier, Villager
Skills: 4 pts: Administr'ation, Etiquette, GaoI—Wise, Everybody°s Innocent-Wise
Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Born Noble, Merchant, Sergeant, Man—at-Arms or Judge lldvoiiate
6 yrs
25
+1 M
Outcast, Noble Court, Villager
Skills: 6 pts: Rule of Law, Bureaucracy, Persuasion, History, Rhetoric Tr'aits.' 1 pt: Shrewd Heqiii'i'es: Student or Young Lady
l)o'c1oi'
7 yrs
Z]
+1 M
Outcast, Noble Court, Villager
Skills: 6 pts: Anatomy, Apothecary, Bloodletting, Surgery, Soothing Platitudes
Trar'ts.- 2 pts: Frustrated Bequi'r'es: Student or Young Lady Physician
5 yi's_
15
+1 M
Noble Court, Solclier
Skills: 6 pts: Herbalism, Apothecary, Anatomy a Research 9 Hei'balist~wise
_ (ff;I
$-
T;-ails: 1 pt: —
ReqltlI'BS.' Midwife, Young Lad)’ or Student HOS[l1lal Warden 4 yrs
15
—
Outcast, SBi"I)lltiCl€, lleligious 11"‘:
Skills: 5 pts: Administration, Beggar—wise, Vagrant—Wise, Leper—Wise
V41?}
Trails: 2 pts: Cyerworked, Generous, Venal, Hypochondriac
"lay; I .
Reqiiires: Any Noble, Noble Court or Religious lifepath
Banker
10 yrs
60
—
l
p__;_jJ
IH
Iii}?
Noble Court, Noble
Skills: 4 pts: Accounting, Administration, Currency-wise; 2 pts: General
{i*""J-'%$’
Traits: 1 pt: Intense
, .1 . f . 1.1
.
ids
H€qIti'i'es: Merchant, Monc rlender, Steward, Accountant or Chamberlain ilhltcllanl
6 y. rs
30
+1 M
Villager‘, Peasant, Noble Court
QywF‘;
Skills: 6 pts: Accounting, Haggling, Supplier-wise, Lord—wisc, Peasant—wise
‘rt_ -n
0 i aits: —
T s
hr?
Requires: Master Craftsman, 1\'Iaster of Horses, Master of Hounds, Moneylender, Steward, Jeweler, Saddler, Arniorer, Cobbler, Courtier or Chamberlain
-
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1 fiririisirr 5/iririrr Sorcerer
fr 1 r-
32
+1 M P
Villager, Outcast Noble Court
Skills 6 pts Sorcery Enchanting Calligraphy
Traits 1 pt —— Requires Neophyte S01 cei ei A1 cane Devotee O1 Weather Witch
Ill :11 |'rii it
5 s is
-——
Aiiyercept Noble
Skills 8 pts Church Pohtics—wise, Doctrine, Oi atoiy, Suasion, Symbology Traits 2 pts Vested, Aloof, Impei rous, Strong—\1l1lled Requii es Religious Acolyte, Temple Acolyte, oi Military Order
lll e
r-1
U
+
I
Court, Villager
Skills 5 pts Rule of Law, Amer cement, C1 iminal-wise, Interrogation Traits 2 pts Crne1y,Quick—\Vitted Reqiiir es Town Official, Tax Collector Bailiff or Justiciar
Municipal Minrrler ‘i vrs
d.
+ M
Villager, Noble Court, Outcast
Skills 6 pts Pei suasion, Rule of Law, Administration, O1 atory, Law wise, Minister-wise
Traits -— Reqiiii es Town Official, Scholar, P1 rest, Bishop Captain Sea Captain A1 tisan, Master Craftsman Knight, Courtier oi Master of Horses
Artisan
IO yrs
45
+1 M
Soldier Noble Court
Skills Q pts 1a1 gon, Mason, Engineer, A1 cliitect Traits 1 pt Self Confident
Requires Apprentice Artisan, Engineer or Master Craftsman Masler raltsman 11} yrs
45
+1 M P
Villager, Court Soldier
Skills 6 pts C1aftsman—w1se, Artisan-wise, Mate11als—w1se, Tools—w1se,
3 pts General
‘ii ~ "in- qt
Traits 2 pts Ambitious, Charismatic Requires Jour neyman and one of the following Locksmith, Plumb ei , Engi aver, Saddler Blacksmitli, A1 moier, Atilliator, Cobbler Bowyei or Taskmaster
ii
llisliop
12 '15
60
+ M
Court, Religious
Skills 5 pts Etiquette, Buieauci acy Ritual, Chu1ch—wise, C1ty—w1se
Traits 1 pt Holiei Requires Archpiiest, Canon, Steward Chamberlain oi the Your G1 ace ti art
Magnale
I
.~+rir-‘i i
yrs
75
+11
ray
Skills 6 pts Adminrsti ation, Merchant-wise, Cou1t—w1sc, Co1nmod1t1es—wise, P11 ates wise, Bandit-wise, 1 pt Genei al Traits 2 pts Self-Satisfied Greedy Affinity for Business Requires Merchant or Master of Horses
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Lfepaths
1
GiIy_Wil'e
_
6 yrs
5
+1 M
Religious
'
ew
Skills: 2 pts: Child-Rearing, Hushand—wise, also, see note below
Traits: 1 pt: —
'
Note: A player who takes the City Wife lifepath may also choose l1er hushan(l’s lifepath from the City Dweller setting. The City “life may choose from her hushand°s skills—she gets half of his skill points, 1'0unded down—and she gets One quarter of her hushandls Resources. -1' This is a training skill. It costs 2 pts to open and may 11ot be advanced.
Noble Setting LiIepat]1?'l‘ime _lies_Siat
Leads
I Born Noble
/lny
3 yrs
15
——
_
Skills: 5 pts: General
Traits: 1 pt: Mark of Privilege, Your Lordship, Your Eminence, Your Grace liaslalzifl
6 yrs
15
+1 MlP
Outcast, Soldier, City, Religious
Skills: 4 pts: Family Secret—wise, Etiquette, Extortion Traits: 2 pts: Bastard, Bitter, Cynical, Happy-Go-Lucky Res ricfions: If chosen, this path must he the character’s second lifepath and may only be taken once.
Page
6 yrs
15
+'l P
Soldier, City; Servitude
Skills: 7 pts: Riding, Brawling, ‘Write, Bead, Sword, Etiquette
Traits: 1 pt; — Restrictions: If chosen, this path must he the character°s second lifepath
(ii, ~15;
and may o11ly he taken once.
Slude l
4 yrs
"IO
+'l M
"5. l“
City Dweller, Noble Court
»':_’.|-~=';ju
-5'ltills.- 8 pts: \Vrite, Bead, Rule of Law, Oratory, Doctrine, Etiquette Traits: 1pt: — é-Sqllir .
6 yrs
'15
+1 M, P
Soldier, Cit); Serv., Outcast
Skills: 9 pts: Sword, Mounted Combat Trainingi, Shield Trainingi, Armor
§,,_’n_p;;,¢a
Trainingi, Lance, Knives, Crossbow
Traits: 1 pt; —
, '|., .|.=,.,'i"t,=Q5=,f1'
Reqmres: Page or any Professional Soldier lifepath lircane Devotee
6 yrs
10
+'I M
City Dweller. Corzrt, Outcast
‘
"l
lI_1_.;_:r'
‘-I
Skills: 6 pts: Calligrapliy, Write, Read, Research, Symhology Trails: 2 pts: Base Humility, Gifted
. ll llgll-l.llS licnlile _5 FITS
10
+1 M
1"@1151
L
Cit?’ Dweller, Religious, Court
_4_
.
Skills: 6 pts: Doctrine, Bureaucracy, Write, Read, Etiquette
' I Ml ll ;,i*.iQi§
Trails: 2 pts: Tonsured, Faithful
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Mir l.»iies:u:.::¢:: ::i§i?.:: um: §¥faang_ljatly
19 yrs
20
+1 M
City Dweller; Court, Religious
Skills: 11 pts: \Vrite, Read, Etiquette, Astrology, Musical Instrument, Composition, Field Dressing, Apothecary, Doctrine
Traits: 2 pts: ——Rcstrictions: Young Lady may only be taken as the second or third LP for the character and it may only be taken once. linigllt
'_5 yrs
20
+1 P
Soldier, City", Outcast, Religious
Skills: 10 pts: Mounted Combat Trainingi, Shield Trainingi, Armor Trainingi, Appropriate Weapons, Intimidation, Hunting, Conspicuous Traits: 2 pts: Sworn Homage Requires: Squire or Cavalryman 1 litltly
5 yrs
25
+1 M
City. Outcast, Religious, Court
Skills: 11 pts: Etiquette, Estate Management, Persuasion, Seduction, lnconspicuous, Doctrine, Husband—wise, Estate—wise, Staff—wise, Court—wise
Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Young Lady, Courtier, Knight or City Wife with Magnate or Bishop chosen as the husband°s lifep atl1
’ l.nr1l
7 yrs
50
+'l M
Soldier, Noble Court, City
Skills: 6 pts: Hunting, Dance, Sing, Falconry, Estate Management, 1 pt: General
Traits: 1 pt: —-
ttitl .
llrqtrirrs: Kuiglat or the Your Lor-ziship trait Dtllll
T yrs
'-11}
+1 M
City, Court, Outcast, Religious
Sliills: 3 pts: Estate Managc teut, Noble—wise; 2 pts: General Traits: 1 pt: — -..
I ‘}-,3
' A t.
Baron
B yrs
BU
+1 1"-HF
Court, Soldier
Si-cills: 1 pr: C-ante-t'al
.-Q.
T:~u:'fs: '1 pt: Noblcsse tlllulige, I-legal E:-ra ring, Pompous, Sharp Dresser, Callous
it
,_.:"r>
,
Haq:::':'s=-s: Baron requires Knight and the Your Lordship trait; or Magnate, ."rlastr~.r of l~l:1|'ses, St:~..w:1rd, l - rtl, Constable 01'.l1l5tiC1€l1‘.
' Viscount
65
+1 it-III‘
Court,- Soldier
Trait::: l pt: Noblessa Oblige, Regal Bea ring, Pompous, Sharp Dresser, Callous . Hcqtt'it‘t's: Knight and the Yotti" Eluitlence trait; or Magnate, Baro11,
3?: t. "r 1:;A
1rs
'3 yrs
Skllll t 1‘. pts: ’Ce1leraI
*t.‘-is-:,,,
,:l%:t""T-,
-
llcqtrires: Lady, City Wife with Magttate or Bishop as the l1usband’s LP or the Your Lordship trait
Curlatatblc or Justic:i:||'
cf—.z-3 s -'—‘
-
jig
‘
=-f"‘HE:
isiiti -
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Lzfepatlzs Count
_
10 yrs
TU
+'l M-/P
K $2:
Court, Soldier
Skills: 3 pts: General
:2
Traits: 1 pt: Noblesse Oblige, Regal Bearing, Pompous, Sharp Dresser, Callous Requires: Knight and the Your Eminence trait, or Magnate, Constable or lusticiar Duke
ll) yrs
Q0
+1 M/P
Court, Soldier
Skills: 3 pts: General
I
Traits: 1 pt: Noblesse Oblige, Regal Bearing, Pompous, Sharp Dresser, Callous
Requires: Dulce or Knight a11d the Your Grace trait Noble Prinee
10 yrs
100
+1 M/P
Court, Soldier
Skills: 4 pts: General Traits: 1 pt: Noblesse Oblige, Regal Bearing, Pompous, Sharp Dresser, Callous Requires: Duke or Knight and the Your Grace trait 'ritleetJl'll1e Blood *
60
—-~
Court, Soldier, Religious
Skills: 2 pts: General Traits: 2 pts: Born to be King, Noblesse Cblige, Regal Bearing, Pompous, Sharp Dresser, Callous Requires: the Your Grace trait and express permission from the GM a11d all players in the current game lVofes: Players may take the Prince of the Blood lifepath for any appropriate length of time, from 2 years to 20. Subject to GM approval, as above.
Noble Court Subsetting L1[epatl1m_' n1e. Bes__Stat a Minstrel
4 yrs
ll]
+1 M
__Leads
T
Ct'tyDtueller, Outcast, Villager
Skills: 5 pts: Poetry, Sing, Musical Instrument Traits: 1 pt: Recondite
Court Jester
5 yrs
10
—
Outcast, Seroitutle
Skills: 7 pts: Sing, Sleight of Hand, Climbing, Conspicuous, Throwing,
1!:
it
Ugly Truth Traits: 3 pts: Scapegoat, Aura of Innocence C0t'It‘l':lrliSl
6 yrs
15
—
Cit]-*'Dtuelle:; Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Sculpture, Painting, Engraving, Seduction, Genius-wise Traits: 1 pt: Romantic Requires: Court Jester, Painter, Thinker, Scholar or Sculptor
Servant
6 yrs
7
—-
Outcast, Seruitude
I‘
Skills: 4 pts: lnconspicuous, Etiquette, Court Gossip—wise Traits: 2 pts: Veneer of Obedience, Lifting Heavy Things, Bored
I
5
E3-
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35>‘
m
Nurse
6 yrs
—-
Outcast, Ser rrrtude, Villager
Skills 5 pts Cl1rld—Rear mg, Etiquette, Court Gossip-wise, Field Dressing, Ch1ld—w1se
Tr arts 2 pts Maternal Groom
4 rrs
+
Ctl]/' Dweller, Villager, Solclrer
Skills 5 pts Animal Husbandry, Riding, Mending, Border-wise, Road-wrse Tr arts 1 pt —
Gardener
s
+
’
Ctlj Dweller Serrrrtucle
SkIllS 7 pts Plant wise, Flower -wise, Tree-wise, Pest wise, Herbalism Far mrng, Almanac Tr arts 2 pts Ear thy Snrell, Salt of the Earth, Down to Earth Affinity for Plants
orllrrcr
5 yrs
10
+1 M
Outcast, Serurtrrcle, Soldier
Sl lllS 5 pts Interrogation Torture, Anatomy Torture Devices-wise Tr arts 1 pt Unsavor y Madman Forester
"l yrs
9
+1 MlP
Peasant, SOlCltGI, Villager, Outcast
Sktlls 8 pts Obser vatron, O1 renteerrng, For aging, S111 vrval, T1 ackrng, Trapper, Cudgel Staff Bow Poache1—wrse, Pa1k—w1se
Trarts 1 pt —Slntlent
rs
O
+ M
Crt3,NolJle Relrgrous
Skills 9 pts \Y1 rte, Read, Rule of Law, Oratory, Doctr me, Etiquette Tr arts 1 pt Dangerous, Geornetrrc Pa e
s
15
+
Soldier, Cu‘), Ser urtude, Noble
Skrlls 6 pts Rrdrng, B1 awhng, \V11te, Read, Sword
Tr arts 1 pt — Restr rctrous If chosen, tl11s path r11ust be the char acter°s second hfepath and may only be taken once r
an-at-Arms
yrs
+
Soldier, CtE_]'DlUBll€I, Outcast
Skills 8 pts Mounted Combat T1 arnrngl Shield Tr arnlngi Armor Trarnrngl, B1 awhng, Intrmrdatron, Etrquette, Appr oprrate Weapons
Tr arts 1 pt — Requrres Page, Squire or any P1 ofessronal Soldier lifepath t Falconer
5 yrs
10
+1 M/P
Peasant S lfltt-3!, Cit) Dweller
Skrlls 4 pts Falconry, Animal Husbandry, Huntlng
'srs’rs?‘-at.-~»=‘-.?t»a‘s"-t
T1‘? "P-'" 'l-‘Jr II. '*'----..‘ "-‘'5:--1'"-f1." '
Tr arts 2 pts Boastei, Weird Birdie Talk llnntsman
5 yrs
12
+1 M/1’
Peasant, Soldier
SklllS 8 pts Hunting, Animal Husbandry, For est—w1se, Stealthy Cooking, T1 ackrng, Orienteering, C1 ossbow
TJ(tllS 1 pt —
at.. - 1M E “ti :-‘iiiti its
6'
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T-K
:*
tFar it ri es
ti
iii
Llfepatlzs F Herald
-
4 yrs
1O
—
_ I-¢ 5|? . _- -41; .~
Soldz'er',Servi!1zde, Cz'£yDweller
Z E
Skills: -’:1 pts: Heraldry, Noble—wise Traits: 1 pt: Formalist, Rainman, Eidetic Memory Court Chef
5 yrs
14
+1 M
Outcast, City Dweller
Skills; 5 pts: Cooking, Sing, Herbalism, Falsehood
Trails: I pl: —— % Squire
5 yrs
14
+1 M, P
Soldier, City; Sena, Outcast, Noble
Skills: 9 pts: Sword, Armor Trainingi, Shield Trainingi, Lance, Brawling, Mounted Combati. Etiquette T:'ait.s'.- 1 pt: Pragmatic, Tough, Determined Requires: Corrupt Sergeant, Village Sergeant, Sergeant, Veteran, Page or Man-at-Arms 2 Young hady
9 yrs
25
+1 M
City Dweller; Noble, Religious
Skills: 10 pts: \Vrite, Read, Etiquette, Poetry, Astrology, Musical Instrument, Composition, Field Dressing, Apothecary, Court Gossip—Wise Traits: 1 pt: —Resh'icfi0ns.- Young Lady 111ay only be taken as the second or third lifep ath, a11d it may only be taken once. , Klliglll
6 yrs
20
+1 P
Solclier, Noble, Outcast
Skills: 11 pts: Conspicuous, Intimidation, Falconry, Mounted Combat Trainingi, Shield Trainingi, Armor Trainingi, Appropriate Weapons Traits: 1 pt: Sworn Homage, Sense of Entitlement (“I
Requires: Squire or Cavahymau § Courtier
5 yrs
15
+1 M
City Dwellc-3:; Outcast, Noble
Sliills: 8 pts: Etiquette, Observation, Persuasion, Seduction, lnconspicuous, Court Gossip—wise, Noble-Wise Traifs.- 2 pts: Rapier Wit
a~ Gorerness
3 yrs
12
rt‘ 1%;
—
Outcast, Servitude, Villager
1””-is9
Skills: 7 pts: Family—Wise, Administration, Intimidation, Etiquette, Persuasion, Ugly Truth Trails: 1 pt: Dismissive, You Should Know Better than That! , Bitter
,_1,.+_.,.
Requir'es.- Nurse, Midwife, Lady or any Wile lifepath :_ fihaplain
5 yrs
18
+1 Ml P
Soldier, City, Religious, Servitude
Skills: 8 pts: Oratory, Doctrine, Riding, A1'mor Trainingi, Mounted Co111b at Trainingi, Shield Training", Appropriate weap 011s Traits: 1 pt: ——
ii?
Reqm'rcs.- Military Order or any priest lifepath
es» |\-.'l'
._ I.‘
1, , __?}-\,;r;r_~$~
_.
,
'1:
' - _,.":"=:;-i r“"' -1GU
2 Col1rlSol'-eerer
8 yrs
32
+1 M
Outcast, City Dweller
Skills: 7 pts: Etiquette, Falsehood, Astrology, Alchemy, Sorcery Traits: 1 pt: Inscrutable, Gifted, Second Sight Requires: Arcane Devotee, Rogue Wizard or Sorcerer
I ourl Lawyer
8 yrs
25
+1 M
City Dweller, Outcast, Religious
Skills: 6 pts: Etiquette, Oratory, Persuasion, Rule of Law, History Traits: 1 pt: Rhetorical, Evasive
Requires: Student or Advocate s Gollrf Doctor
3 yrs
20
+1 M
City Dweller, Outcast
Skills: 7 pts: Etiquette, Apothecary, Bloodletting, Surgery, Anatomy, Astrology, Falsehood Traits: 1 pt: Incomprehensible Diagnosis Requires: Student, Itinerant Monk, Cloistered Nun or Priest
%=Ch1'onicler
10 yrs
15
+1 M
City Dweller, Outcast, Villager
Skills: 6 pts: Composition, History, Etiquette, Illuminations, Obscure History Trails: 2 pts: Prone to Exaggeration, Flatterer, Denouncer, Cynical, Righteous Requires: Student, Custodian, Interpreter, Archivist or Young Lady Arm rer
7 yrs
25
+1 P
City Dweller, Solclier
Skills: 9 pts: Etching, Armo1'er, Blacksmith, Tanner, Sewing, Weaponsniitli
Traits: 1 pt: Proud Requires: Io urneyman
5"
J‘, " I es
I Milliaiol‘
IO yrs
30
+1 P
Soldier, CityDweller
Skills: 6 pts: Atilliato1', Carpentry, Carving Trai1‘s:1 pt: Professionally Diligent
1-i
Requires: Journeyman : Court Priest
6 yrs
20
+1 M
Outcast, City Dweller, Religious
Skills: 5 pts: Etiquette, History, Symbology, Doctrine, Persuasion
I’
Traits: 2 pts: Royal Favorite, Faithful Requires: Chaplain, Priest or Religious Acolyte Steward
7 yrs
15
+1 M
City; Noble, Outcast, Religious
Skills: 6 pts: Estate Management, Accounting, Observation, Manor-wise Traits: 1 pt: -— Requires: Town Official, Municipal Minister, Iudge, Court Lawyer, Court
-1.
Doctor, Governess, Young Lady, Magnate 01' Lord -.-
Masiemfllnrses 8 yrs
40
-—
City Dweller, Soldier
Skills: 4 pts: Horse Husbandry, Appraisal, Horse-wise Traits: 1 pt: Love of the Horse, Low Speech, Affinity for Horses Requires: Captain, Baron, Saddler, Merchant or Magnate '-I
T‘ -FT‘ 7'1'-"L1-; ""Iu-"'\‘-I_-" _ 1
182
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Ljfepatbs Master oilloumls ‘i yrs
20
—-
Cit_-y" Dweller, Soldier
Z s
Skills: 7 pts: Dog Husbandry, Dog—wise, Hunting, Instruction, Mimicry Traits: I pt: Dog Lover, Pigpen, Emotional, I1'on Stomach Requires: Captain, Baron, Saddler, Merchant or Magnate Hostage
6 yrs
*
——-
City, Noble. Soldier, Religious
Skills: 4 pts: Etiquette, Court-wise, Foreign Languages, Foreign History Traits: 1 pt: Homesick, Bored, Darling of the Court Requires: any lifepath from the Noble setting
Note: *Hostage gives resource points equal to half of the character°s previous lifepath. Ba-11111‘
‘1 yrs
'15
+1 Ml P
City Dweller, Soldier; Outcast
Skills: 7 pts: Intimidation, Interrogation, Rule of Law, Outlaw-wise,
Village—wise, City~wise, Tax—wise Traits: 1 pt: Nose for Trouble
Requires: Knight or the Your Lordship trait .1lIstisi l'
5 yrs
15
+1 M-lP
City, Soldier‘, Religious, Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Rule of Law, Amercement, Interrogation, Crin1inal—\vise, Circuit-wise Trails: 1 pt: Stern Demeanor, Amenable to Other Options Requires: Judge, Captain, Bailiff or Lord
Coroner
6 yrs
15
—-
City Dweller, Solclier
Skills: 5 pts: Rule of Law, Anatomy, \I/rit—wise, Observation Trails: 1 pt: Hard Hearted, Seen It All
rt
'1
Requires: Steward, Town Official, Municipal Minister, Judge, Court
Lawyer, Court Doctor, Magnate or Lord Constable
6 yrs
50
+'1 M
,' ‘i City Dweller; Soltlier. Outcast
1 ‘1
171$‘~=='isJ
Skills: 5 pts: Command, Heraldry, Logistics, Kingdom-wise, Obligation—wise, Soldier-wise, Cavalry~wise Traits: 1 pt: \Veight of the \Vorl(l
'~>- “’.~ ,-**
Requires: Captain, Baron, Viscount, Count, Duke or Prince
Treasurer
7 yrs
4:5
~—
J14-*’r%I"' I I57;-in
CityDweller, Soldier, Religious
:3?. .§svi~\vi
Skills: 5 pts: Accounting, Estate Management, Tax-wise, Debt-wise
gs L
Traits: 1 pt: Pecunious, Lavish Taste
Requires: Steward, Town Official, Municipal Minister, Iudge, Court Lawyer, Court Doctor, Magnate, Baron, Bishop, Viscount, Count or Duke '
r
--F; -2
.
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S94:
‘Rm
es,
hr
“K2
7 yrs
30
+1 M
City Dweller, Soldier, Religious
Skills: 5 pts: Soothing Platitudes, Persuasion, Ugly Truth; 1 pt: General
Traits: 1 pt: -Requires: Scholar, Steward, Town Official, Municipal Minister, Judge, Court Lawyer, Court Doctor, Magnate, Baron, Bishop, Viscount, Count or Duke
Ai;1vis0rt'0llie_C0url §
1_Olyr +1 M/P
Any
Skills: 1 pt: General per year of tenure Traits: 1 pt: -—-
Requires: Thinker, Captain, Sea Captain, Magnate, Master Craftsman, Artisan, Bishop, Rogue 11/izard, Mad Summoner, Heretic Priest, Dame, Baron, Viscount, Count, Duke or Prince § This lifepath can be one to three years long, player chooses tenure. Character earns 1 general skill point and 10 resource points per year. The stat and trait points are earned once. 1‘ This is a training skill. lt costs 2 pts to open and may not be advanced.
Religious Subsetting Ll'1£ipa[ll'
|lllIIr":
Res
Still
Leads -
I Castrati
7 y-rs
15
+1 M
Outcast, Noble Cou-rt
Skills: 7 pts: Sing, Persuasion, Falsehood, Etiquette, Administration, Rule of Law Traits: 3 pts: Eunuch, Scheming Hill
I Earitoner
5 yrs
12
——
Peasant, City; Villager; Outcast
r" F1, 9,4"! Q,
. _ . . . . . Skills: 5 pts: Pei suasion, Falsehood, Intimidation, Doctrine
_ If If1-‘II lg) ll
Traits: 1 pt: Pardoner, Corrupt
Z Zealous Convert
4 yrs
10
——
Outcast, Peasant, Servitude, Court
1
Skills: ‘1 pts: Religious Diatribe, Doctrine, Rhetoric I '
1-'l
.1 6%,
-,,., Fr,-,. : fr’?
Traits: 3 pts: Infallible Religious Logic, Righteous, Firm, Demagogue
Military Order
3 yrs
7
+1 M, P
Anyetrcept Peasant
‘ ' Skills: 5 pts: Doctrine, Riding, Armor Training1, Appropriate V1/eapons Traits: 2 pts: Disciplined, Fanatical Devotion, Sworn to the Order
1* —Iti’ ;_.,_
-
Requires: Knight of a Holy Military Order requires Squire, Knight or any I
lifepath from the Professional Soldier setting
Grave Digger
sir. - »r
5:"1}-§J‘ ".T-e»1‘: ' "
'\\.';-"BE-E‘
1
G .-_»
i\j_."'i-\ 1,:
"1_yl‘S
6
-—
Outcast, Sercitude, Cit-y‘, Villager
Skills: 41 pts: Digging, Grave-wise, Cenietery-wise ' Traits: 2 pt: Superstitions, Burial Rites
Porter
3 yrs
5
——
Outcast, Villager, Peasant
Skills: 4 pts: Temple -wise, Priest-wise, \Vo1'sl1ipper*wise, Chur eh Treasure-wise Trails: 1 pt: Keys to the Church, Familiar Face
,i1>'l§';f”¢
are
1 84 -E|$'1'5"'~'5""‘lI.'s.r1-"‘= . i'ir1\F:""iL?_-_-_.-
-1.»-
-
ex I
R
Lzfepatlls _- Nmany
_
‘E yrs
'15
--——
City Dweller, Outcast, Court
%,";;,'|~ll
5
Skills: ‘I pts: Rule of Law, Bureaucracy, Church Law, Bribe-wise Traits: 1 pI.: —Reqaires: Clerk, Young Lady or Student : Gusioilian
5 yrs
10
+1 M
CityDw_eller. Qatcast
Skills: 7 pts: Relic—wise, Observation, Obscure History, Religious I listory, Folklore, Saint—Wise
i
Traits: 2 pts: Strange, Erudite, Obsessed, Arcane Requires: Student, Young Lady, Cloistered Monk/Nun, Temple Acolyte, Inquisitor, Exorcist or Theologian ' lnlcrpreier
5 yrs
'10
—-
C'it_}~*Dweller, Court, Villager
Skills: 7 pts: Read, Ancient Languages, Instruction, Write, Doctrine, Foreign Languages Traits: 2 pts: Ink—Stained Hands, Condescending Requires: Student, Young Lady, Temple Acolyte, Exorcist or Theologian "Archivist
7 yrs
3
+1 M
City Dweller, Villager, Court
Skills: 5 pts: Research, Library-wise, Ancient History, Symbology Traits: 1 pt: Myopic, Affinity for Books and Scrolls Requires: Student, Cloistered NunlMonk, Exorcist or Theologian £ llineranl Monk
6 yrs
6
—-
Peasant, Villager‘, Outcast
Skills: 7 pts: Doctrine, Suasion, Meditation, Begging, Ahns-Wise,
Streetwise, Road—wise
dig: ‘Flt,
Traits: 2 pts: Tonsured { Gloislereii un
10 yrs
12
—
Peasant, Outcast, Noble Court
Skills: 6 pts: Research, History, Meditation, Monastic Ritual, Vintner, Symbology Traits: 1 pt: Tonsured, Restless, Bored
Temple Acolyle
6 yrs
5
+1 M
City Dweller; Outcast, Soldier
Skills: '1 pts: Write, Read, Doctrine, Temple-Wise Traits: 1 pt: Tonsured, Ohedient, Faithful lfriest
5 yrs
18
+"1 M
Villager; Uatcast, Soldier, Court
Skills: 7 pts: Oratory, Suasion, Write, Read, Doctrine, Ritual, Symbology, Religious History Traits: 2 pts: Vested
:s-i%i:s,:2/¢~:= -#:=-&~~s~..*._
Requires: Temple Acolyte or Religious Acolyte
A‘
4-
_..
-:..,_
s,-4?qr ' 1--fl
$1 1- A
>*'§>
3 Exorcist
6 yrs
ID
+ 1 M
Outcast, City, Court
Skills: 9 pts: Doctrine, Obscure History, Observation, Cl1urcl1 Law, Symbology, Demonology, Ancient Languages, Exorcist Rituall Traits: 2 pts: Skeptical, Haunted, Possessed, Lost Faith, Faithful Requires: Temple Priest, Itinerant Priest, Priest, Court Priest or Archivist
lm|||isiinr.
1} yr!
15
+1 M/P
Outcast, Soldier. City; Court
Skills: 6 pts: Doctrine, Interrogation, Torture, Heresy—Wise Traits: 2 pts: Suspicious, Merciless, Cold-Blooded, Righteous Requires: Temple Priest, Itinerant Priest, Priest, Court Priest, Judge or
lusticiar I Theologian"
‘IO yrs
9
+1 M
City Dweller, Villager, Court
Skills: 10 pts: Doctrine, Rhetoric, Philosophy, History, Religious History, Church Law, Obscure History, Read, Wlrite Traits: 2 pts: Learned, Insightful, Bookworm, Academic Requires: Scribe, Archivist, Court Lawyer, Advocate, Custodian, Interpreter, Priest 01' Bishop
Archpriest
5 yrs
25
+1 M/P
Cit_-y'Dwelle:; Outcast, Court
Skills: 10. pts: Oratory, Suasion, \Vrite, Read, Doctrine, History, Religious History, Ritual, Cl1urcl1—Wise, Parish-Wise, Tithe-Wise Traits: 2 pts: Imperious Demeanor Requires: Temple Priest, Itinerant Priest, Priest, Court Priest or Chaplain H?‘ .
I Eannn
'lU yrs
‘IE5
+1 MIP
City Dweller, Outcast, Court
Skills: 6 pts: Rule of Law, Clillrch Law, Administration, Doctrine, Chu1'cl1-wise
, |:l
Tmits: 1 pt: Aullu::ritalivc
I
1": ti: I 1j,,1~)r
ltrqrrirrs: Archpriest, The=n|ogia1'| or Abbot
ihbliuihthhess
J"-- --T‘...
li-‘:§-1\l\|
"
—
,_
-
-10 yrs
I
+5
+1 M
..
CityDu:e_ller, Outcast, Court Q
n
|
n
-Skills: tr pts; Adniinistraticii, Aecountlng, Vintner, Wine Tasting, Royal Scc|'et-wise, Abliey-wise; 2 pts: General Tru:'!.~:.- 1 pt: — Requires: ltiucmtit Muillt, Cluistercrl Nun, Theologian or Vintner
. lllshap
3 yrs
45
-—
City; Outcast, Noble Court
.'§'kr'lls: '2' pts: lleligimls History, Intimidation, Ritual, Symbology, History,
._-.
[]l.\sr;1||'u I listury Traits: Q pts: D|::n1inee1'it1g Presence
Reqrrirn.-:: A1'r.l1|]riest, Baron, Viscount, Count, Duke or Prince and the -
‘:'n||r {1r:|r.e lrait ‘[' This is a training skill. It costs 2 pts to rr|1r.n u.| Ld may not be advanced.
H.
J":
1"".-
sA <=
T
-I -I
'rI|I-
1-T-
ill ‘$3
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I.l'~."-'-F,,'_;l- Bi -- .;_
-2* "'-
as
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Lfepaths 1"
til‘
rofessionalSoldier Subsetting Li£epall1_ __ Time .Bes___Sta1 _ Leads: llunner
3 yrs
5
+1 P
:_
_
UH]/‘Q’
Villager, Peasant, Sem, Outcast
Skills: '1 pts: lnconspicuous, Stealthy, Sing Traits: 2 pts: Skinny, Fleet of Foot, Sprinter
llpprenticc
4 yrs
6
' +1 P
City Dweller, Peasant. Villager
Skills: 6 pts: Mending, Write, Read, Hauling, Driving, Ditch Digging Traits: 2 pts: Exhausted, Back-Breaking Labor Musician
3 yrs
5
+1 M
Villager, Peasant, Servitucle
Skills: 4 pts: Musical Instrument, Conspicuous, Riding Traits: 1 pt: ——-
Foet-Soltlier
3 yrs
6
+1 P
Outcast, Villager, Semitucle
Skills: 6 pts: Soldiering, Appropriate ‘Weapons, Shield Trainingi, Brawling, Foraging, Firebuilding Traits: 1 pt: —
:\rc11‘er
3 yrs
5
+1 1’
Outcast, lkillager, Servitucle
Skills: 5 pts: Bow, Fletcher, Brawling, Foraging, Firebuilding Traits: '1 pt: —
Crossbairmali
3 yrs
7
+1 P
Outcast, Villager, Sercitude
Skills: 5 pts: Crossbow, Fletcher, Brawling, Foraging, Firebuilding
Traits: 1 pt: -Sailor
5 yrs
5
+1 P
Sea, Outcast, Villager; Servitucle
Skills: 6 pts: Sea1na11ship, Rigging, Knots, Mending, Navigation, Knives, Sword Traits: 1 pt: lron Stomach, Sea Legs, Affinity for Rope Herald
3 yrs
7
+1 M
Villager, Servitucle, Noble Court
as
Skills: 4 pts: Oratory, Conspicuous, Riding, Heraldry, Bannerman—wise
Traits: 1 p1:—
"T MP: "1
Banucrmall
3 yrs
7
+1 P
Villager, Serviturle, Noble Court
Skills: 5 pts: Conspicuous, Riding, Appropriate Weapons, Armor Trainingi
gs-sir-Ԥ"'
Traits: 2 pts: Honored, Brutal, Aggressive Scout.
3 yrs
4
+1 P
.,E111+,‘\,l -L1,
Peasant, Servitucle, Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Stealthy, Foraging, Orienteering, Appropriate lllleapons, Observation Traits: 1 pt: —
#’"l‘?%*l /-r'--"?*‘it- F’ r ts}? W-
'
as. =.;yF"’ El§‘=§f'ir.: -.,-1-
--1
i
|l
T
. Ser-g nl
5 yrs
8
+1 M/P
Villager, Sercitude, Noble Court
Skills: 6 pts: Intimidation, Command, Field Dressing, Appropriate \Veapons Traits: 1 pt: —— Requires: Squire, Village Guard, City Guard or Foot Soldier § Veteran
8 yrs
20
-—
Outcast, Court
Skills: 5 pts: S_oldier—wise, Soldiering, Campaign History, Tactics Traits: 2 pts: Stubborn, Maimed Requires: Sergeant, Sergeant—at-Arms, Knight, Military Order 01' Freebooter
"- Cavalryman
4 yrs
9
+1 P
Villager; Servitucle, Noble. Court
Skills: 10 pts: Riding, Mounted Combat Training", Armor Training", Shield Trainingi, App1'opriate Weapons, Horse—wise, Haggling Traits: 1 pt: -— Requires: a prior lifepath having to do with ho1'ses—Knight, Squire, Groom, Master of Horses, etc. Jollrncyman
5 yrs
15
+1 M/P
Villager, Peasant, Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: Blacksmith, Appraisal, Haggling, Ridiculous Request—Wise
Traits: 1 pt: —Reqaires: Apprentice * Armerer.
3 yrs
20
+1 M
City Dweller, Villager, Outcast
Skills: 9 pts: Mending, Blacksmith, Armorer, \Veap onsmith, Etching, Tanner
Traits: 1 pt: —— Requires: Journeyman Atillialor
10 yrs
22
+1 P
Court, City Dweller. Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Atilliator, Carpentry, Carving, Blacksmith, Tanner Traits: 1 pt: —~ Requires: Journeyman
Cliaplain
5 yrs
15
+1 Ml P
Outcast, City; Sea, Court, Religious
Skills: 6 pts: Oratory, Riding, Armor Training", Mounted Combat Trainingl, Appropriate \Veapons
Traits: 1 pt: Icleologue, Psychotic .
‘ .-.G_""'r __tEII I_._*_jr -.
Requires: any priest lifepath or Military Order 5_1ll1gi1leer
(f _
5 yrs
18
+'1 M
Cit_-yDwelle:; Court, Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Artillerist, Engineer, Fortifications Traits: 1 pt: Smart, Sense of Distance Requires: Student, Engineer, Mining Engineer or Artillerist’s Hand
—-1'?:r$
1ss
.s .
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Lgfepaths ‘ti2/Ii‘ "TE ~.~.‘ __,,_
' Wizard ofwar .
4 yrs
20
+1 M
Citg/Dzveller: Court, Outcast
Z 5'2:
Skills: 7 pts: Sorcery, Strategy Games, Soldier—Wise, Wa1'—Wise, Haggling 1 Cartography
rs
"
Traits: l pt: Arrogant Requires: Neophyte Sorcerer, Arcane Devotee, \l-Veather \\'/itch, Rogue Wizard or Mad S11I11I11OI161' Quartermaster
5 yrs
1'?
'+1 M
Villager. Cit,)='DwelleI‘, Court
Slri'lls.- 6 pts: Administration, Accounting, Haggling, Logistics Traits: 1 pt: Light Sleeper Reqm'res: Sergeant, Veteran, Steward, Sl1ip°s Captain, Captain of the Guard, Merchant, Man-at—A1'n1s, Snnlggler, Constable or Lord Caplain
6 yrs
35
+1 M, P
Any except Noble
Slcills: 9 pts: Co111n1a11d, Contract-Wise, Haggling, Oratory, Appropriate Weapons, Field Dressing, Hiding, Strategy Traits: 2 pts: Savvy Reqm'res.- Captain of the Guard, Knight, Lord, Constable or two Freebooter lifepaths '1' This is a training skill. It costs 2 pts to open and may not be advanced.
Seafaring Setting Son of a Gun
H yrs
3
—
i1,,,
Servitude, Soldier, Outcast
Skills: 3 pts: General (yes, this is a Born lifepath) Traits: 2 pts: Sea Legs
Boy
4 yrs
8
-—
Cit)»; Servitucle, Soldier, Outcast
Slcills.- 4 pts: Sailor—wise, Sl1ip—\vise, Captain—\vise
ifsitlstl ' -- l"
Trwits: 1 pt: Veneer of Obedience, Curses like a Sailor, Sprinter Requires: If Boy is chosen, it must he the seco11d lifepath taken and may
6 yrs
F” 12?;
Y si ‘M
‘Y’
.-
Mi, x th.. “-1 I‘?
o11ly l)e taken once. Galley S-lave
ties,*7-
3
—
Servitucle, Soldiey, Outcast 1
Skills: 3 pts: Slave Declewise, Taslcnlaster-wise, Sing, Seanianship, Knots
,,'i,.'.1..»
Ti'ai'fs.- 3 pts: Tasting the Lash, Eating Maggots, Following the Beat, Iron
iéllli
Ston1acl1, Bottomless Stomach, Gnawing Hunger Ratcatclier
6 yrs
4
—
-1
§ 2, l
Outcast, S'erui'tude, City Dweller
I l _;
is
5% '| ‘i g i
Skills: 5 pts: Trapper, Poisons, Ratiqnette Traits: 3 pts: Bilge—Drinker, Rat-Speak, Feral Landsnlan
4 yrs
5
—
Seruitucle, Soldier, Outcast
Sliills: 3 pts: Seamanship, Knots, Brawling, Rope—wise
I ' ‘T
Traits: 1 pt: Cursing, Aches and Pains
éigsl
llI
I _l
‘1-
|.,".
_
*
I
"~.,';'tf'* - ,_- lshiligkg I
,
I1: --
.-_
3 '-‘J
_
Drummer
1 yes
-——
S0l(lt(-3!, Ctty, Vzllager Outcast
Skills 3 pts D1 um, Sing, D1 uni Makei TtHll8 2 pts Incessant Tapping Sailoi‘
5 yis
+1
Seruztucle SOl(lt€l, Cll}, Outcast
Skills 6 pts Seamanship, Bigging, Knots, Bi awling, Sing, Sea—wise, Cainbling Traits 2 pts Diunk
Crazy Old Sll l‘ 1U yis
8
+1 M
Se: viturle, Outcast
SkIllS 3 pts Ugly Tiiitli, Intimidation, Omen—wise Ti arts 3 pts Siipei stitious, Metal Plate in the Skull
He s a Jonah, that one
Requu es Sailoi, Pii ate oi Mei cenaiy Captain and that the chai actei take this path some time in his 1-10s
Purser
4 yrs
——
SBH)IlllCl€, S0l(lt6’l
Slalls 4 pts Accounting C1eW—wise, Supply-Wise, Ship-Wise Traits 2 pts Gnavving Hungei, Bittei
Requu es Cleik, Student O1 Sailoi Sigllal iali
5vrs
3
+l M
Semztucle Soldier
Skills 5pts Signaling Observation, Ciyptogiaphy TH1IlS lpt Ciyptic Pl 0
4 yrs
——~
Solclzer, Czty, Villager, Outcast
Skzlls 5 pts Pilot, Ship—wise, Ohseivation, Shoal-wise T: ails 2 pts Blisters, Light Sleepei, B01 ed, Pai anoid about the Ship Requu es Sailoi P11 ate oi Mei cenai y Captain
Marine
-*1 yrs
+
Solrlzer City, Villagei, Outcast
Skills 4 pts Appi opiiate Weapons, Knots, Intimidation
Tiazts 1 pt Bi uisei, Sea Legs Requu es Sailoi, P11 ate oi Mei cenaiy Captain Bostln
5
s
.3
-—
S0l(lt8!, City; Villager, Outcast
Skills 3 pts Intimidation, Bi awling, Sailo1~wise
Traits 1 pt Mean, Ohedient Requires Sailoi, P11 ate oi Mei cenaiy Captain
"1.
Sailinaker
-|_§'
5
s
+1 P
Solclzei, Cit), Village: Outcast
Skills 5 pts Sewing “leaving, Mending, Sail—Wise ,- '-H.
Traits 1 pt Hequues Sailoi, Pn ate, Seamstiess, Sewing
‘*it
Q49),II‘-.-*
. L 3'-as
2 i? “il s?ssas:
itEn ill.
Fl
190 5?%Q’ 1
I"
_
i
» ir
Lie atlzs fp I Sli'i[l’S lloeior _
6 yrs
15
+1 M
1" ..
Soldier, City, Villager, Ou.tca'sl
Skills: 3 pts: Apothecary, Bloodletting, Sui'gery, Anatomy, Astrology,
saw
Falsehood, Tai'—wise, Scurvy—wise Traits: 3 pts: II1COI11Pl?Bl1BI1S1lJlB Diagnosis, Ugly Reputation Requires: Doctor, Court Doctor, Physician, Barber or Student
' Sliipfs Cook
5 yrs
10
+1 M
Solclier, Cit)»; Villager, Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Cooking, Firebuilding, Sing, Falsehood, Mystery Meat—wise Traits: 3 pts: Crippled, Cookie, Maggot Connoisseui
li’equi'res: Sailor or Pirate
Sliigfs .G"liapl'aiii _ 5 yrs
1.5
—
Villager; City, Religious, Soldier
Skills: 4 pts: Oratory, Doctrine, Ship-wise Traits: 2 pts: World lveary, Bu1'ial at Sea, Secretly \Vorships the Black Sea God Requires: Chaplain, Military Order, Temple Acolyte or Religious Acolyte
!WeaiherWitc'li
5 yrs
20
+1 MIP
Seruituole, City, Villager; Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Sea-wise, Summoning, Spirit Binding, Superstition-wise, Navigation, Astrology Traits: 2 pts: “leather Sense Requires: Augur, Neophyte Sorcerer, Arcane Devotee or Rogue “lizard Navigator
.6 yrs
15
+1 M
Soldier, City, Seruitucle, Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Navigation, Sea—wise, Cartography, Astrology, Cui'rent—wise
Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Pilot, Mercenary Captain, Sailor or Student
J #5, ' ll ' r
Ganpenier’s Male 6 yrs
8
+1 P
Solclie:;Serm'turle, Pillagei; Outcast
l
Skills: 3 pts: Mending, Gambling, Wood-wise
'11‘-. 5?‘,
Traits: 1 pt: Cursing, Bull°s-eye Spitter
Slii[lS.GI:l'F[!'ellier ‘iyrs
16
+1 P
Soldie:-, City,Se:'uitucle, Outcast
. -151 l.
9 Pi,
F“ ttjgjjl
Skills: 5 pts: Carpentry, Shipwright, Boatwright, Ship—wise
li, It
Traits: 1 pt: I Know This Ship Like My Own Hands
1
Requires: Apprentice or Carpenter's Mate
Iliriillerisfs Mate 4 yrs
8
+1 M
-' I -.
Soldier, City, Seruitude, Outcast
Skills: 4 pts: Mending, Carpentry, Artillerist
_i,.i, _,.*’-_;~;','~:,‘~|'
as - l
liihi
Traits: 1 pt: Disturbingly Confident
Hiigiiimir
4 yrs
25
+1 M
U
Soldier, City, Servitude, Outcast
Skills: 6 pts: Engineer, Munitions, Artillerist, Carpentry, Mending Traits: 1 pt: It Just Might Work] Requires: Artillerist°s Mate, Student, Ship’s Carpenter, Engineer or Journeyman
,?r:~fs",s
1-:'
Q
- Jr
‘is,ia‘Bit Ef*-Em .1;-iv
1’
~, eases 3 '
,_tits .
1.
%J,b' $*
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191
_
lélaF1’?ii immw la’; 51311 §§>:’*a Officer s_Ma1e
‘I jars
1-U
+1 M/P
Servuiude Outcast SOlCllBI, Czty
Skills 4 pts Etlquette, Capta1n—w1se, Sea111ansh1p
T: arts 3 pts Pegboy Requues B0111 Noble, Page 01 Son of a C1111 Rest: zctlons If chosen, tl11s llfepath must be the cha1acte1°s second
1 Steward
6 v.15
20
+1 M
Solclzer, Cat), Ser vatude, Outcast
Slalls 5 pts Accounnng, Slup Management, Hagg1111g, Me1cl1a11t—w1se, App1 a1sal T1 arts 1 pt —Reqmr es P111 se1, Me1 chant, Stewa1d o1 Accountant Elrsl Male
(1 vrs
18
+1 M
Soldzer, Czt), Sewztude, Outcast
Slcllls 6 pts l11t11111dat1o11, Command Co11sp1cuous, Seaman-Wlse, Swo1d
T1 alts 1 pt —Requu es Knlght o1 any two sa1lo1/sea1a1111g hfepaths Ship s Captain
7 1s
30
+1 M
Arryercept Noble
Slczlls 6 pts Command O1at01y, Sl11p—w1se, Sea—w1se, 2 pts Ge11e1al Trazts 2 pts Ste1n De111ea11o1 Requu es F11 st Mate, Knlght, Krught of a Holy M1l1ta1y O1de1 01 two Me1 cena1y Captaln llfepatlls 1- T1115 15 a trammg sk l It costs 2 pts to open and may not be advanced
1
Serwtude and Caphve Settmg L1fepath__ Tune -lies_ Siai Born Slave
12 y1s
5
—1M/P
Leads
__
_
S0l(lzer,Oul‘cast
Slczlls 2 pts Genel al 1 pt Slave1y—w1se
Trazts 3 pts B1oke11, Sca1red Manned, Lame ' Dlleh Digger
*1 yrs
—
Soldzer, Outcast
SklllS 3 pts Dltcll Dlggmg, Slug, Boss—w1se T: alts 2 pts Bl1ste1s, Back—B1eal<:1ng Lab01
Senaut
1 v|-=1
——
Outcast, Soldzer, Cat}, Court
Slulls 2 pts Sootlung P1at1tudes, Cosslp-wlse Tlazfs 2 pts Mlnd-Numblng Wo1k, Obsequlous 1 F16 (1 Laborer
6 yls
—
Outcast, Soldzer
S11 Ills 7 pts Fa1 1n111g, Mendmg, Smg, Hauhng, D11v1ng, Fall G1ass-wlse
L. ll-
Trazfs 3 pts Hope Capllve 01' War
‘:1 v1s
—
Outcast, Soldzer, Qt) Dweller
Sl Ills 2 pts Gell—w1se, Cl1a111-w1se
‘:
.
T: alts 2 pts Cla11st1ophob1c, Res1gned to Fate
11112;? J
I.
192
"*3 1:1
1:111
¥.'é_.;a ‘"11;-. §31=~"‘ar~*.-1'-"I‘
J
lifepaths ban
yls
-——
Outcast, Soldier, City Dweller
Skills 3 pts Gaol-wise Batiquette
IIHW
Traits 2 pts lnVolu11ta1 y Sl111dde1s
Harem Slave
rs
—-
Outcast
Skills 3 pts Falsehood, Seductlon Traits 2 pts Numb, Wolldly
1 Bondsman
v1s
—
Peasant Soldier, Outcast
Skills The playe1 may choose 111s Bondsman s 0wne1 s l1fepatl1f1o111 the Noble Clty Dwellel, S0ld1e1 01 V1llage1 settlng Tl1e Bondsman may pu1cl1ase F1 om ownei s skrlls w1tl1 one q11a1 te1 of that path s skill polnts m1n11num of 1 Traits 2 pts Lucky
Outcast Subsettmg a Ulelnn
1s
——
Peasant, Soldier, Ser vitiide
Skills 4 pts lnconsplcuous, St1eetW1se Slelgllt of Hand
Traits 2 pts Add1cted The Sto1y Restriction must he the second llfepath chosen and may only be taken once
Aposlaie
y1s
—
City Dweller Soldier Religious
Skills 4 pts Doct1111e, He1et1cal D0ct11ne Folelgn D0ct11ne
Tr aits 1 pt Apostate Blackinaller
yrs
10
+ M
Cit)/‘DtU6ll€I,S0ldl€I, Village, Sea
Skills 4 pts EXto1t10n, F01ge1y Ugly T1utl1, Falsehood B11be—w1se
Traits 2 pts Cold Hea1ted Kldnapper
1 is
10
+1 M
Cit) Dweller, Soldier, Village
ea
Skills 5 pts lnteuogatlon, T01 t111e, lnt1n11dat1on, Bansom~W1se Tiaits 2 pts Hald Heaned
Pillager
_
1s
—
Soldier, City; Ser vitiicle, Sea
Skills 4 pts Scavenglng Folaglng Almy-wise, Battle—w1se Haggllng
Traits 1pt —l
frailt
_
Tl‘:
-—
JF-
Cit)/Dweller Soldier, Seroitiide
L-
1‘.
Skills 4pts Road-w1se Hostel-w1se,Hosp1tal-w1se, l11consp1c11o11s Traits 2pts -— (rip e
h an
—
Serviiude, Cit) Dweller I, i
Skills 6 pts Begg1ng,Inconsp1cuo11s, Consp1cuous
1--1;,.____| _' 5'5,i.;,-___:
Ml? ll
Ti aits 2 pts Lame or M1ss1ng Llml)
l.|, : 5
-II
(1 151'
11.3%
1E lie.
_i_
1'
‘|-.-I|
1
l'iiai.:lle_r
5 yrs
5
+1 Ml]?
Ser'rritu.de, Soldier; Villager‘
Skills: 6 pts: Royal Parks—wise, Hunting, Stealthy, Tracking, Orienteering Traits: 1 pt: —
llrulngeil
ti yrs
3
—~
Sf-3I‘Ullll{l8
Skills: 3 pts: lnconspicuous, Quaclowise Traits: 2 pts: Sick, Phobia, Lunatic, Linguist, Possessed Qullaw
4 y rs
5
+1 Ml P
Solclier; City, Village, Peasant, Sea-
Skills: 5 pts: Autllority-wise, lnconspicuous, Conspicuous Traits: 1 pt: Outlaw
Failure
{'1 yrs
‘I5
+1 M/‘P
St-3!'Ulltt(l8, Cit_yDweller', Soldier‘
Skills: 6 pts: Appraisal, Haggling, lnconspicuous, Streetwise, Guard-wise Traits: 2 pts: Shrewd Beqiiires: Shoplceeper, Barlceep, Moneylender or an additional prior Outcast lifepath or c1'i1ninal~type lifepath from City Dweller
Grairedigger
5 yrs
4
-—
Soldier, Serviiiicle
Skills: 6 pts: Ditch Digging, Philosophy, Grave-wise, Cemetery-wise, Bone—wise Traits: 3 pts: Bitter
Ralcalclier
5 y1's
'4
—-—
Rats
Skills: 4 pts: Trapper, Poisons, Batiquette Traits: 2 pts: Diseased, Bat—Speak Beggar
3 yrs
5
~—
Peasant, Soldier‘, Village
Skills: 5 pts: lnconspicuous, Conspicuous, Streetwise, Falsehood Traits: 2 pts: The Story
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Leper
cl‘-‘E1:":-
4 yrs
3
-1 P
Serwilricle, Peiisarrt
Skills: 5 pts: lnconspicuous, Hospital-wise, Priest-wise, Pilgrim—wise
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Traits: 3 pts: Leprosy, Unbeliever, Wl1ite—Cold \Vielder
Pl‘0S111lI113.
5 yrs
6
-—
Peasant, Villager, City, S8I‘UllltCl€
Skills: 3 pts: Conspicuous, lnconspicuous, Persuasion, Falsehood, Haggling, Soothing Platitudes "0.
Traits: 2 pts: Tolerant -.
Wlioliemongen
1-
6 yrs
12
—
Villager, Cit_-y'Dweller, Soldier‘
Skills: 5 pts: Intimidation, Haggling, Prostitute—wise, City—wise, Guard—wise -1
Triiits: 1 pt: — -
Reqriirres: Corrupt Sergeant, Venal Priest, Shopkeeper, Barkeep, Moneylender or an additional prior Outcast lifepath or criminal-type lifepath from City Dweller
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5
——
Peasarrt, Villager, City, Soldier-
Skills: S pts: Cooking, Sewing, Acting, Sleight of Hand, Haggling, Mending, Disguise
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Traits: 2 pts: Odd lnsurreelionist
3 yrs
5
——-
City Dweller, Soldier‘
Skills: 4 pts: Philosophy, Rule of Law, Doctrine, Oratory, Arson Tr'iii'ts: 2 pts: Zealot
Cultist
4 yrs
8
—
_Peasarit, SBi'Ulltl(l8, Soldier
Skills: 5 pts: Cult Doctrine, lnconspicuous, Conspicuous, Falsehood, Persuasion Traits: 2 pts: Zealot, Babble Bouser, Speaker of the Secret Language iPoisoner
5. yrs
8
+1 M
C'i't,'yDioeller; Villager‘, Coiirl
Skills: 5 pts: Poisons, Cooking, lnconspicuous, Disguise
Traits: 2 pts: Oil’-Killer e Thug
4 yrs
7
-—
Solrlier, CityDrireller'
Skills: 4 pts: Streetwise, Murde1'—wise, Cua1'd~wise, Brawling Traits: 2 pts: Cold—Blooded, ,1aded
Desperate Killer 3 yrs
5
-—
Soldier; Ci'tj}"Dirreller; Senritriile
Skills: 5 pts: Appropriate \V(3aPOI1, lnconspicuous, Assassinationrwise
Traits: 2 pts: Desperate, l\'111rderous, Cold Hearted, Hard Hearted i Bandit
3 yrs
7
+1 P
Soldier‘, Peasant
Skills: 4 pts: Appropriate Weapons, lntiniidation, Stealthy, Ca1'avan—wise Ti'ait's: '1 pt: ~—
5 Pirate
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4 yrs
5
-—
Seafaririg, City; Villager
Skills: 6 pts: Pirate Cove—wise, Rigging, Knots, Knives, Sea~wise, Map—wise
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Tmits: 2 pts: Problem with Authority, Scurvy, Mainied, Crippled, Lame Smuggler
4 yrs
15
+1 M
Soldier‘, C'i:'t_*y' Dweller, Villager‘
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Skills: 6 pts: Persuasion, Falsehood, Appraisal, Law—wise, Forgery,
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Traits: 2 pts; Paranoid Freebooter
4 yrs
10
+1 P
Solclier, Peasant, Ser-vit:rr.cle
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Skills: 8 pts: I11tin1idation, Appropriate Weapon, Countryside-wise, Fortress-wise, Mercenary Company-wise, Foreign Languages, \Var—wise,
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Loot—wisc, Extortion—wise Traits: 2 pts: Cold Blooded, Merciless
Reqiiir-es: Bandit, Smuggler, Squire, Knight, City Guard, Village Guard, Marine Sailor or any Professional Soldier lifepath
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5 yrs
6
+1 P
Soldier, Peasant, Servitiicle
Skills: 9 pts: Forest—wise, Orienteei 1ng F01 aging, T1 acking, F11ebn1ld1n Biding, Stealthy, Appropriate \Veapons Traits: 2 pts: Loner Reqiiires: Born Noble, Hunter, T1'appe1 Huntsman o1 Scout Mail Summoner
8-yrs
2U
+1 Ml]?
Peasant, City Dweller, Sea aririg
Skill: 6 pts: Sun1111oning, Enchanting Demonology Empyieaha
Traits: 2 pts: Mad, Fear of Cheese, Fear of Wet Noises, Alainnng Heqiiires: Cultist, Augur, Neophyte S01 ce1 e1 o1 Aicane Devotee
rllogue Wizard
6yrs
24
+1 M P
Seriritiicle, Sea arer, Religious
Skills: 8 pts: Sorcery, lnconspicuous, G1 aveyai d-Wise, Asti olog) Bloodletting, Ugly Truth, Apocalypse—w1se, Enchanting, Alchemy Trails: 3 pts: Spooky, Aura of Feai, Obscuie Aura Reqiiires: Cultist, Augur, Neophyte S01 ce1 e1 o1 A1 cane Devotee 1 llrazywlieh
6 yrs
6
+1. M/P
Peasant, Serviliicle Village
Skills: 5 pts: Folklore, Herbalism Poisons, S11m111o111ng Piofanity-wise Traits: 2 pts: A Little Crazy, Gifted, Mailc of the Beast
Reqiiires: Weather Witch, Young Lady Augui o1 Midwife i llere1iePl'ies1
7 yrs
6
-—
Peasant, Ser Utlttflt?
Skills: 7 pts: Heretical Doctrine, O1 atoi y, Apostate wise Demonology Sun1moner—wise, Cultist-wise
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Traits: 2 pts: Lunatic, Overbearing Loony Faith 1I1 Dead Gods Requires: Acolyte, Cultist, Apostate, Theologian, Venal P1 iest lnte1p1ete1 or Archivist
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15 yrs
5
+1 M
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Skills: 6 pts: Philosophy, Strategy, St1 ategy Games, Call1g1apl1y Histoi y, Painting; 1 pt: General Traits: 2 pts: — Rcstrictioris: Thinker can only be taken if the character s sta1t111g age
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6 pts
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6 pts
16 pts
7 pts
16 pts 15 pts ‘I4 pts
7 pls 7 pts 7 p|.s
11 pts
7 pts
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80-100
6 pts
9 pts
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Mannish Common Traits All 111a1111isl1 stats are capped at 8. Their stride is 7.
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Men have no c0n11non traits i11 the View of these rules. \Vhy? Because the ability, bodily shape and psychological inakeup of l1u1na11s is the
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benchinark for normalcy in the Burning Wheel. Traits are used to describe how characters differ fro111 that 11or1n. However, players are offered a Wide range of variation and options usi11g Lifepath and Special traits. Also, cultural traits provide a Way to further identify and 111alce unique Various cultures and races of111e11.
Cultural Traits Cultural traits are a subset of con'11non traits. They are used to describe bits of culture or racial physiology that cl1aracters carry
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with 1;l1en1—-an acce11t, a p articular attitude or perhaps the color of their skin it°s different from their neighbors). If building a game with multiple Mannish cultures, the GM, in concert with the players, can assign each culture a set of three traits. The traits should he minor, but telling.
One an/tum in my tam/vatgn war/»=/:15 5:4/ver.st:'t¢bus, /ndustrioms and Stu/alvorn. fl f/167'fro:/1,12 is 721/t Lit/re and Dcf.7srent:'a/ to Women. Any ,0/Z9/er w/:0 wants /its 0/mmater to 56 an»: cit/ier oft/zese an/tures starts wet/1 t/was c/mratter trtzits /%r/i/ac. Small details like these really help to bring even more life to characters built with the Lifep aths of Man.
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Mannish Lifepath Traits Lifepath (LP) traits rep1'ese11t the imavoidable effects of the choices 111ade in life. Men have to11s of lifepath traits, so there °s a lot to choose fro111. Reinelnb er, the first LP trait on each path is required a11d costs one point. The others are optional and can be p1.n'chased for one poi11t each.
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Lifepath Character Traits Tl1e most important function of cl1aracter traits is to add colorful details to the game. They are meant to help you embellish yo1n' roleplay. These traits are fairly self—eXplanatory——their name generally says it all, so there°s no need to describe them i11 detail. Players are free to interpret and sculpt them in order to better incorporate them into their characters. It°s even possible (and quite fun) to play against your own character traits——they ca11 be aspects of the character°s personality that even
he doesn’t like! A list is provided below so players ca11 determine if a
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lifep atl1 trait is a character trait, call—on or die trait.
Special Mannish Traits Special traits are purchased with trait poi11ts left over after buying required lifepath traits. Apostate
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3 pts
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The Apostate has forsaken one religion for another. Anyone can be a11 apostate—~many Christians captured by the Muslims duri11g the Crusades resorted to apostasy in order to save their lives. The Apostate cl1a1'acter must have at least one religiously focused Belief. He also gains a 1D infamous reputation among his former co—religionists. Restrictions: Men only, special trait
Bastard
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This cl1aracter is the illegitimate son of a noble of rank. He will only be heir to the lands a11d income if all the other heirs die or join the clergy Bastards are not looked upon kindly, as they dilute claims to birtliright and threaten
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the system of rightful inheritance. Bastards have a 1D infamous reputation among the nobility.
Restrictions: Men only, special trait
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This character is a son in the royal line. If he is the eldest, he is the direct heir to the throne. If he is a younger son, he bears no immediate obligation and is free to pursue his own aims. However, the cl1aracter is a Prince and the obligations of said rank should play heavily on his life. He may, at some point, be called upon to take the thronei Restrictions: Men only, special trait
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Catamite has been chosen as the trait name to represent openly l10111056XtlEll characters i11 the Burning W heel. Honestly, it was a pejorative medieval term—~a slur. It is how society would refer to them, 11ot necessarily how they refer to themselves.
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Any character may be homosexual according to the player°s choice, but by taking the Catamite trait, the player is acknowledging that his cl1aracter is open about his orientation. The ramifications of such a decision in a conservative medieval society are grist for great game situations.
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If a player°s character possesses the Faithful trait, he may purchase this trait to make the Faith shade gray. Restrictions: Men only, special trait
Eaithiul
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This trait is required in order to open the Faith attribute. With Faith, the character is able to perform miracles. The Faith section of this chapter describes l1ow to start the attribute. The Emotional Magic section of the Burning Wheel describes its mechanics. Restrictions: Men only, special trait
This trait is required for the character to be able to cast spells, enchant artifacts, speak witl1 the dead 01' summon spirits. \Vithout it, Sorcery, Summoning and Enchanting are merely academic pursuits. With the Gifted trait, the character can manipulate magic. See the Sorcery section in the Burning Wlieel for more. Restrictions: Men only, special trait
Qutlaw
1
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The Outlaw is a very particular person in medieval society. A player who
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chooses the Outlaw trait for his character n1ust consent to a few conditions: First, his character has either committed a grievous crime or is perceived as an enemy of the established order. Second, no law applies to this cha1‘acter— he l1as no rights whatsoever. He cannot appeal to the courts or the mercy of a judge. Any man or beast may kill the outlaw and suffer no legal penalty for it \Vhen the Outlaw trait is taken, the player must divide his resource points into two pools. Any resource points from City, Noble or Religious lifep aths go into one pool: The player may spend them as per the normal rules. However, he does not get access to these City/Noble/Religious resources until the Outlaw trait is voted off. The character°s remaining resource points may be spent as normal on gear, affiliations, relationships, etc. Outlaws gain a 1]) infamous reputation amongst town and city folk and the nobility.
Restrictions: Men only, special trait
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Though old, tl11s cl1aracter possesses the strength and vitality of his youth. If _
starting the game older than 40 years, a cl1aracter with this trait uses these stat pools: '7 mental and 14 physical. Restrictions: Men only, special trait
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Mannish Resources Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Description Finery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 j , Missiles . . . . . . . . . . . See Description Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1 rps Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . See Description Skill Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Riding Motmt or Pack Animal. . . . .5 lvorkshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 rps '.\Va1'l1o1'se (Courser) . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Companion Animal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ‘ Clothes . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Herd of Aninials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Z0 Tinvclirig Ccnr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Rent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 rps ' Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Property . . . . . . . . . . See Description PersonalEffects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Sorcerous Spells . . . . See Description
Ar111s— 1h'ms covers the necessary hand weaponry to suit a characteris idiom. Arms for a knight would consist of a sword, lance and dirk. For a foot soldier, perhaps an are and dagger. Whatever it is, just take what you need. Players may purchase beaks, spikes a11d weights for their characters’ weapons at +1 rp per modification per weapon, +4 rps per modification per weapon of superior quality. P001'Q1IalityA1'n1s—— 3 rps. These are base Ob 2 to use and use the poor quality weapon stats. Run of the Mill Qualityril'n1s— 5 rps. Base Ob 1 to use and have the run of the mill stats fo1' weapons. Superior Quality Al‘lI1S—-— Z0 rps. Base Ob 1 to wield. Use the superior
quality weapon stats. Missiles—-— Throwing weapons like knives or javelins, 3 rps. Hunting bow, 5 rps. Great bow, 10 rps. Crossbow, 7 rps. Heavy crossbow, 12 rps. Pistol, 15 rps. Arquebus, 20 rps. Included in the costs of these
15 ’:‘‘NJ
weapons are enough missiles to adequately outfit the character. Special
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arrowheads are not included a11d cost extra resource poi11ts. They cost 1 rp per special head type———take as many of each head as you like. Rules for special arrowheads are given i11 the \Veapon Appendix of the Burning Wheel. Poor Quality Missilcs—- Half resource points cost rounded up. Poor
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quality missiles are +1 Ob to hit.
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grant the cl1a1'acter a +1D bonus balance die. This is added to his skill every time he takes a shot. A1'mol‘— Run of the mill armor: gambeson, 3 rps; reinforced leather, 6 rps; light mail, 10 rps.; heavy mail, 15 rps, plated mail, 20 rps; full plated mail, 50 rps.
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When you buy armor, you buy the whole suit-——helmet, arms, chest and legs. The player may choose individual pieces if he likes. A hehnet or breastplate costs half the full suit. Creaves or leggings cost a third of the full price. Botuid up any fractional costs. Shields may be included in an armor kit at no extra cost.
A /‘i¢//,a1i.ztc»a%s/n4:t——/ritezz .s.a//et——arsts Z9505. A /armyma:'/treastaértecosts 6’ 17:25. L1’;/rtmai//eyjziajsane/yreavas ao.st41;v.§ cat/1. Sanka lt£Z't»-t/0l4d$i/z:o.st47170.5 total Poor QualityA1'm01'— Half of the run of the mill cost rounded up. This
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Superior Quality Arn10r-- ‘ix cost of a full suit. Only the first 1 counts, which is rerolled; if that die comes 11p a 1 again, a11 armor die is lost.
Riding M0u11i— A horse, pony, camel and so forth can be bought with this choice. Basic riding horse stats follow: Stats: Pe: B3(-‘1), W1: B2, Ag: B2, Sp: B6, P0: B6, F0: B6. Attributes: He: B4, St: B3, Be: B4, ll/[W7
B12. Hesitation: 8. Skills: Rider Training, Foraging B2. Traits: C-elded, Docile, Obedient, Proud, plus Long-Limbed, Keen Hearing, Hooved, Ungulate. Stride: 12. warhorse-— A warhorse is trained to carry its master into battle. Basic warhorse stats: Pe: B3(‘i), \Vi: B2, Ag: B/-1, Sp: B6, Po: B7, Fo: B7. Attributes: He: B5, St: B7, Re: B4, MW: B13. Hesitation: 5 (Fearless a11d Determined). Skills: Rider Trai11i11g, Mounted Conlb at Training, Armor Training, Formation Fighting Training, l11ti1nidatio11 B2, Brawling B3, Foraging B2. Traits: Level—Headed, Loyal, Determined, Fearless, Aggressive plus Long-Limbed, Keen Hearing, Hooved, U11gulate.
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Stride: 12. Cl0ihcs— This resource purchase includes all of the clothing a cl1aracter would need for everyday life in his station. It is 11ot just one outfit. Like the Arms ptu'chase, Clothing allows the player to take what he needs to trick out his character (short of Finery).
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'll‘aveli11g Gca1'—- This is all the necessary bits, odds and ends and what11ots that are needed for survival 011 the 1'oad——candles, matches, flint and steel, a pocket knife, a rai11 cloak, a rai11 hat, a good sturdy
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rucksack, a thick leather belt, a money purse or wallet, a warm coat, etc. The exact choices are up to the player, but the CM has some say-— no flamethrowers or Elven cloaks in traveling gear. Oh, yes, I almost forgot. . .don’t forget to bring a good le11gth of rope; you’ll wa11t one if you don°t. Shocs— Shoes.
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Personal Effecls~— A player may purchase for his character personal effects of sentimental value: a religious trinket, a mirror, a book, a ring, a cane, a locket or a11y other similar item. Fillery-—— Finery covers specialty clothing a11d expensive items that one would wear either 011 s P ecial occasions or when tr Yin 5 to make a P oint: courtl Y re 5alia for nobles, vesnnents for Priests 1 shinin 5 robes for 111a 5 es v etc. Like clothin 51 this P tu'chase includes a whole wardrobe v 11ot just a single outfit. Take as much or as little as you like. h11proper dress imposes obstacle penalties to lnconspicuous and Etiquette tests. Cash—-—A player may start with a pocketful of cash. This grants 1D of cash that can be used as per the Resources rules. Once used, the cash is expended. Skill T00lkii.s— Many skills require tools. This resource can represent anything from medicine to books. If a skill is listed with “Tools: Yes,” then a cl1aracter must spend resource points on a toolkit in order to be able to adequately perform skill tests. Tests without tools (for skills that require them) a1'e at a double obstacle penalty. A toolkit that l1as finite supplies——like medicine for Herb alism——ca11 rim dry. Each use after the first, roll the DoF. If a 1 comes up, the kit is empty. The character must make an Ob 2-5 Resources test to replenish it. The GM may set the obstacle depending on how rare the contents
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of the kit are. Ob Z for carpenter's tools, Ob ‘ii for surgeon°s tools, Ob 5 for sorcerous tools. Only one character can help you When you°re using a toolkit.
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W0rksl1op—- A Workshop is just a big toolkit. It is used for artisan a11d craftsman skill tests that require more than just simple tools. Purchasing this gives the character an appropriate r001n/building/
.
tower to house the workshop. \Vorkshops allow for n1ore than one character to help 011 a skill test. This counts as property when factoring resources. Conlpallion Al1i1nal— Some players may wish to take a dog, cat or falcon as a11 accoutrement to their character. Stats are provided for these beasties in the Monster Burner, but they a1'e really there n1ore for show than for stealing the spotlight in an adventure.
Herd 0fAnin1a1s— Characters with the Animal Husbandry skill, or
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L fepaths Rc11l—Oharacters who cannot afford to own property live on leased land or rented l1ouses/aparnnents. lt°s a common condition of the age. This purchase gives the character a place to live a11d counts as a11 Ob 2 Resoiuces maintenance test. Paying rent counts as property when factoring Resoiuces. Pr0pe1'ty—— A leaky shack, 1 rp; a small cottage, 3 rps; a house or “cottage industry” like a weaver, 10 rps; a villa or a far111 or a knightls fee, 15 rps; a small business, 20 rps; moderate-sized business, 30 rps; manor
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or estate, an urban hotel, *4O rps; well-paid position (like mayor), *-‘l5 rps; successful small business, a large business, a keep, “"60 rps; a fortress or moderate—sized estate, *75 rps; a castle with attendant tow11, a large estate, *9O rps; a palace or government position in a prosperous town, *105 rps. Rowboat or skiff, 5 rps; longboat, 10 rps; junk, 15 rps; felucca, 30 rps; carrack, 60 rps; caravel, 75 rps; treasure ship, 105 rps. Property obviously coimts as property wl1en factoring Resom'ces. -\.'- '-\.
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other free purchases from the Resoin'ces list.
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Purchasing Spells with Resources Starting sorcerer characters purchase their spells with resource poi11ts. Resource poi11t costs are provided with each spell. But i11 case you need to price your own spells, the costs are as follows: The reso1u'ce poi11t cost for each spell is 2 rps for every point of obstacle. lf the spell is listed with a “A”, the cost is 4 rps per obstacle point. If the obstacle is listed as a “range,” price the spell using the obstacle in the middle of the variable range. For example, if a spell obstacle is 1-10, price the spell as a11 Ob 5 spell. If the spell Obstacle is based 011 a stat, price the spell based on a
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Faith
Faith is the ability to work miracles. It is 11ot merely belief but a connection to the divine that grants great power. Faith l1as a shade a11d exponent like any other ability——the mechanics and rules for testing it are covered in the Emotional Attributes section of the Btn'ning \Vheel.
Starting Faith \Vhen a player ptuchases the Faithful -trait for his cl1aracter, he may op en a B3 Faith attribute. By answering the following questions, he may raise his starting attribute. Once i11 play, advancement is governed by the standard mechanics. However, the player must incorporate his Faith into one of his Beliefs. See Emotional Magic in the Btuning Wheel. The GM should ask the player the following questions. The answers should be based on the character°s Beliefs and the situation at hand: ° \Vhom do you trust most? ° \Vhen in danger, wl1o111 do you consult for aid? ° Ultimately, l1ow can you best serve your allies?
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There is only one correct answer to these questions: Cod. Each correct answer grants +1 to starting Faith. _ Beware of Faith n1unchkins who do 11ot consider these questions "'
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answers to the Faith questions. lf they don"t coincide, be sure to reflect the cha1'acter°s actual behavior in a trait vote, perhaps with Lost Faith!
Advancing Faith Faith can only advance via successful tests a11d practice (in the form of many hours at prayer). Faith uses the sorcerous skill type for practice.
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Sorcery Spells
The following spells are available for purchase by characters with the Sorcery skill. As described in the Sorcery chapter of the Burning ivheel, each spell is listed with its obstacle, effect, facets, resource poi11t cost and actions required for casting.
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Soot/ring 1'/iyt/tins emanatefrom the sorcerer and make agreeable his desires. This incantation grants bonus dice to Seduction, Haggling, Oratory, Persuasion and Circles tests. Meeting the obstacle adds +1D to the listed abilities. Up to two more successes can be spent to add two more dice to a maximum bonus of +3D. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 16
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Inky, snip/mrous vapor pours forth from the wizar'd’s black mouth. The smoke obscures vision for those trapped i11 it and looking through it (+5 Ob Perception to tests, +3 Ob to Observation). In addition, those within the cloud a1'e stung and smothered. Every exchange spent in the cloud requires an Ob 3 Forte test. Margin of failure is temporarily subtracted from the victim°s Health. If Health reaches zero, the victim falls unconscious. Health is recovered at one die per exchange. Weapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Thrown. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: 10s of Paces
Element: Fire/Air Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Create/Tax Resource Points: 24
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Li/ie so many stat/is ofgrain, he sweeps aside the glitteririg spears ofhis foes. This useful incantation allows the wizard to sorcerously bond two or more similar items together, so that they lock together like pieces of a puzzle. A sorcerer may choose a number of items of earth, stone, wood or metal equal _-.
to his Will exponent within the area of effect. These items are held together
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with a Power equal to his \Vill exponent. \Veapon Length: as Sword, Range:
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Area of Effect: Half Presence
Element: Earth Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Control Resource Points: 4
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Fire is the breath of hfe. The sorcerer lays hands upon a wounded target. Meeting the obstacle grants +1D to Health. Each success over the obstacle adds another +1D to his recovery roll. This spell does not count as treatment. An herbalist or surgeon must attend to the wound first. This spell is then cast to speed recovery. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 20
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Cold holds no pairrfor one who knows the secret ofthe Blue-Blooded Heart. This incantation protects the recipient from the drain of cold. No Health or Forte tests need to be made due to cold, and no injury is sustained from cold air, water or frost damage. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target or Caster
Element: Anima Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Control Resource Points: 8
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Roaring winds howl rom the throat of the sorcerer. Natural effects of the winds: Success: Kicks up dust; 1 over: A nice breeze, papers flutter, candles doused; 2 over: Branches blown down from trees, shutters broken; 3 over: Larger branches blown f1'om trees, 4 over: \Vooden buildings damaged, people picked up and tossed down; 5 over: Trees blown down, 12~foot swells; 6 over: Doors ripped from hinges, 15-foot swells; 7 over: Sturdy roofs
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damaged; 18-foot swells; 8 over: Wooden buildings collapse; 9 over: Most structures destroyed. \Veapon Length: as Missile, Range: as Great Bow. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Natural Effect
Element: Air
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 16
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With afhch of the wr'zard’s wrist, the /tn is wrenchedfrom the assassin ’s hand. Using Call of Iron, a wizard can grab objects made of n1etal—a sword, for example-—with his mystical might and call them to him. Pulling something is a Power test, where Power = Will. For example, wresting a metal weapon from a11 enemy°s hand would be a versus test: your Will versus the enemy’s Power. Weapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Thrown.
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Origin: Double P|'::senee
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: iilart ii Duration: lnstaiuaneous
Impetus: Control Resource Points: 6
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Tiuihg/it becomes bright and what lies in the shadows is revealed. This incantation reduces obstacle penalties for dimness, haziness and darkness
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Area of Effect: Single Target or Caster
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 6
Chameleon
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S/an and clothing swirl andfade as the sorcerer blends seazzilessty into his
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smroundings. Meeting the obstacle grants +1D to the Stealthy skill. Each success over the obstacle adds another +1D to the Stealthy skill. In addition, so lo11g as one success over the obstacle is generated, the chameleoned character cannot be casually spotted. Another character must explicitly state that he is looking about (either via expressed action or by an Instinct or trait). Only then can his PerceptionfObservation be tested to spot the one so concealed. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target or Caster
Element: Heaven Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Control Resource Points: 16
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A cacophony oflfghts and sounds swirls round, obscuring the very earth from thyfeet and the sun from thy brow. This incantation causes confusion to all who fall under it. Meeting the obstacle imposes a +1 Ob penalty to all actions in the area of effect. Additional successes increase the penalty. Weapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Heavy Crossbow +1D.
Origin: Sight Element: Heaven
Impetus: Influencef Tax
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 20
Chokinglzland
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His mahgnant willforms an 1'rwr'si'ble appendage eager to do his terrible
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manages to incapacitate its victim, then it may continue to choke him to death as per the Damaging Lock rules. (Damaging lock rules are found in the Adventure Burner. If you don°t have the Adventure Burner, the victim is simply incapacitated.) If the victim breaks the hold of the Choking Hand, then the spell is broken and ends. Wleapon Length: as Polearm; Range: as Pistol. Origin: Presence
Area Of Effect: Single Target
Element: Anima Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Tax Resource Points: 12
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The word isjire in thy veins. This simple incantation negates your allies’ current hesitation. Meeting the obstacle reduces hesitation by one. Successes over the obstacle reduce any hesitation by one action per success. If hesitation is reduced to zero, the character can act immediately. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Presence
Element: Anima
Impetus: Influence
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 16
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A dirnpall suffocates the hall as the wizard enters, shadows lengthen and deepen, lamps shine but give no light. This spell creates darkness and smothers light. Thus a candle can be seen as a point of light, but it illuminates nothing. Successful casting creates the dim light condition (+1 Ob to any action requiring light). Extra successes ca11 be spent to increase the level of darkness up to a maximum of +4 Ob. Extra successes ca11 also increase the area of effect.
Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: 10s of paces
Element: Heaven
Impetus: Tax
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 12
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The touch of the wizard sends all thy‘ senses reeling. This spell increases
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Weapon Length: as Hands; Range: as Melee.
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Anima Duration: Instantaneous
Impetus: Tax Resource Points: 10
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Purring in can ta tions imbue the reczjpient with the infallible balance of the cat. +2D are added to the character s Speed for purposes of climbing, leaping, dodging and other cat-like actions (including fighting, but not sprinting or long distance running).
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target or Caster
Element: Anima Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Enhance Resource Points: 12
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Stzdderzly the world is o storm craslring 0!/zroug/I an ocean ofsormc1——a man’s breath like o gust ofwind, a baby’s cry like the howl ofa gale,footji1Us litre lig/wring striltes. Increases Perception by +1D overall, and by +2D for strictly auditory—based Perception tests. Anima Enhancers like this spell ca11 be used to affect positioning and maneuvers. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Si11gle Target or Caster
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 12
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I coil upon 1?/lee, Powers Arcane. Protect this humble supplicantfrorn the depredo tions ofeuil! The Eldritch Sl1ield protects tl1e caster from the Destroy and Tax impetus spells—Fire Breath, Rain of Fire, \Vhite Fire, Fire Fan, E1nperor°s Hand, Havoc’s Hand, Choking Hand, etc. It will 11ot protect against a spell like The Fear or Persuasion. Meeting the obstacle creates a 1D shield. Successes over the obstacle increase the shield by one per success. This is the strength of the shield. W hen a spell effect hits the shield, subtract the shieldls strengtll from the dice used to cast the spell. If the shield reduces the i11comi11g spellls dice below the obstacle needed to cast it, then the spell is completely absorbed. If the spell is not completely reduced, subtract the shield dice from the spell cast a11d use this number as the new PoWe1'/effect for the spell.
For exam/1/e, 1'/cu sorcerer Ls sustaining u 70-11/ie E/c/rite/1 5/iie/d and u witch z‘/rrcws u re Fun (05 3) cu‘ /rim wit‘/I so! exfru successes, i/re s/u'e/c/absorbs z‘/re s,ee/4 /us is reduced to 1‘/zree n/ice. /f1.‘/re s/ue/c/ 1.‘/zen uescres u W/rite Fire be/z‘ at seven successes, i/iree eff/rem are 6/cc/zed év 1.‘/1e s/u'e/c/und 1.‘/re of/rer zurjei L‘/zrcuj/1./use encuj/1 to meet i/re s,ee//cbsiuc/e. Demuye r 1‘/ze s,ee// as fucicreu’ using t‘/re remuzlwzu successes. If all of the shield dice a1'e knocked down, the caster must make a11 Ob 2 tax test. Also shield failure counts as a “may not“ for Sustained spells. A sorcerer may er-tte11d his shield to his friends. Additional successes may be spent to cover additional characters. Those characters gain the full benefits
of the remaining dice of the shield.
/fszk successes ere re//euf if/re muje mcpl zfcuc/1 /us eisue/euu/lrriuj /rim us» 1.‘/re shale/at /is an 06 3 s/2e/6 one ueM¢'iz'cnu/success is spent, um:/new e twous s/zze/c/protects z‘/rem bu/1. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster a11d Single Targets
Element: Arcana
Impetus: Control
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 12
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Cold bluefire arcsfrom the wizard’s hand into the verysoizlof/z1'spr'e_-y; draining his strength. Meeting the obstacle tempora1'ily drains 1D of Forte from the victim. Each success over the obstacle drains an additional poi11t of Forte. Reducing Forte to zero incapacitates the victim. Forte recovers at 1D per exchange. Weapon Length: as Polearm; Range: as Pistol. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: White Duration: Instantaneous
Impetus: Tax Resource Points: 12
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Invoking the names andpowers ofthe shaper, the sorceress and the trickster, the wizard transmutes his form into that of a sieeh falcon. \Vhile sustaining Falcon Skin, the caster takes on the stats of the Bird of Prey listed i11 the Creature Codex i11 the Monster Burner (also available as a free PDF download on www.burningwl1eel.org). He may fly as the bird does, but since he cannot speak or gesticulate, he may 11ot cast spells. For the purposes of The Power Still Flows Through Him rules, use the wizardls own Forte.
Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster
Element: Anima
Impetus: Transmute
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 8
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Origin: Personal
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Fear rarhotes from him like chillfrom a winter night. This charm causes
Area of Effect: Presence
Element: Anima
Impetus: Influence
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 6
A tongue of re lashes omf rom the caster’s gaping maw and bathcs his enemies in ames. Damaging effect spell: Power = Will +3, VA: 2. Die of Fate to determine IMS. Weapon Length: as Sword; Range: as Pistol.
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Origin: Personal Element: Fire
Area of Effect: Paces Impetus: Destroy
Duration: I11sta11ta11eous
Resource Points: 12
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Fh.'c/rerin gflames are outfrom the caster’sfingertips and scorch his enemies. Damaging effect: Power = ‘/2 Will +3, VA Z. Die of Fate to determine IMS. W’eapo11 Length: as Spear; Range: as Pistol.
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Area of Effect: Presence
Element: Fire
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 12
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Fire cannot burn one who /mows this secret. This incantation will protect the caste1' and his belongings'fro1n tl1e ravages of fire. This does not protect against fire created Viathe Destroy facet. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster or Single Target
Element: Aniina
Impetus: Co11t1'ol
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 10
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Br'z'n._y' water becomes Ii/re oirfor the lungs. Fish Lung allows the recipient to
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breathe underwater. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Caster or Single Target
Element: \‘i"ater/Ani111a
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 10
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A small, brightftame leaps into being in thepolm oft/Le sorcerer. This flaine can be used to ignite fires (like a brand would) or shed a little candlelight. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Fire Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Create Resource Points: 6
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The mostfoul sorcerous power is that of twisting man’s tvill. This spell allows the niage to i111plant forceful coinniands into the victinfs inind. The words of the 111age beco111e tl1ougl1ts—as if the Victim had forniulated theni himself. This is a very powerful spell. The wo1'ds of the sorcerer are p ern1a11ently ‘Iii’
embedded into the inind of the yictini. They resonate against the character°s personality for the rest of his days. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Anima
Impetus: Control
Duration: Pern1a11ent
Resource Points: 22
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: 10s of Paces
Element: Water/Air
Impetus: Control
Duration: Minutes
Resource Points: 8
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The sorcerer's hand becomes a venomous blade. The merest touch wreaks havoc upon his victim. The soroerer°s hand becomes a weapon. I-Ie n1ust simply touch his opponent to deliver his retribution. The damage done is according to the spell; not the successes of the hit. The touch has a damaging effect Power = Will +4. VA 1. Die of Fate to determine IMS. \Veapon Length: as Hands; Range: as Melee. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Anima
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 12
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Terrible emonations offear and loothingpourforthfrom the wizard. This spell causes all in the mage°s presence who can see him to make a Steel test at their base Hesitation; +1 Ob for each success over the spell obstacle. \Veapon Length: as Polearm; Range: as Pistol. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Presence
Element: Anima
Impetus: Influence
Duration: Instanta11eous
Resource Points: 16
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The swiftness of the running more courses through the sorcerer’s shanks. This spell increases the 1'ecipient°s stride to that of a horse (12). Origin: Personal
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Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 6
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A rushing blast ofcolor and lightflies from the outstretchecl hanrls of the caster and stuns all in its path. This spell causes the victim to make a Forte
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test. Meeting the spell obstacle is triggers an Ob 1 Forte test. Extra successes from the spell increase the yietinfs obstacle. Margin of failure for the Forte test becomes an obstacle penalty for all of the Victim°s actions. The penalty drops by one each volley after the first. Weapon Length: as Sword; Range: as Pistol.
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Paces
Element: Heaven
Impetus: Tax
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 12 _
Ql)_S_ee Description.
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This spell allows you to speak with animals: apes and simians; Ob 1; dogs,
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pigs and dolphins, Ob 2; horses; oxen, Ob 3; wild beasts, Ob ‘I; birds; Ob 5; reptiles; Ob 6; fish; Ob 7; insects, Ob 8. Decide which type before casting.
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Presence
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 8
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He rapped his staffupon theflagstones and gentle ilhuninationflowed forth. Mags Light is a subtle and powerful spell that dispels darkness. It can be used to call upon the simple light of a candle or the awesome light of day. Before casting; the sorcerer must indicate what kind of light he is conjuring and where the light is set to emanate from: his brow; his staff; a ring on his finger; etc. There are four types of darkness: din1 light; lantern;
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torch; twilight (+1 Ob); candlelight; moonlight (+2 Ob); gloom or near dark; starlight (+3 Ob); and complete darkness or darkness indoors or underground (+4 Ob). Successfully casting the spell negates the penalty for dim light and reduces all other darkness penalties by one. Extra successes may be spent to reduce the stiffer penalties of the deeper darknesses.
Origin: Personal Element: Heaven Duration: Sustained
Magesense
Area of Effect: Presence Impetus: Create Resource Points: 16
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Magesense is a powerful spell that extends the sorcerer°s senses from the realm of the mundane into that of the arcane. \Vhen this spell is erected; the mage sees; hears and smells magic. When a spell is cast within or an active spell enters his Magesense area of effect; the mage may make a Perception test using the following obstacles: high powered magic (major miracles; Mjolnir; the Burning Wheel; Ob 10 spells; Strength 10 spirits etc.); Ob 1;
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moderately powered magic (minor miracles; Ob 5 spells; a risen corpse; the Belt of Flying; Dragon Slaying Sword; Spirit Weapons; Strength 5 spirits]; Ob 5; low powered magic (Bed Spectacles; Blessl Curse; Ob 2 spells; Strength 2 spirits); Ob 8. If successful; he can pinpoint the location of the magical effect—l1e does not instantly know the nature of the magic. Extra successes of the spell n1ust be divided between the area of effect and if
the sensitivity. Area of effect expands the range; but sensitivity adds +lD per
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success to Perception for the purpose of detecting magic. Magesense is one of the abilities that allows a sorcerer to use Aura Beading. Therefore; once magic is detected; Aura Reading may be used to determine the exact nature of the ability. Lastly; while the Magesense is being sustained; the sorcerer’s Perception counts as Observation for detecting Stealthy a11d Inconspicuous characters; and the sorcerer suffers a +1 Ob penalty to all physical activities like fighting; running and jumping. Origin: Personal
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Area of Effect: 10s of Paces
Element: Anima/Arcana
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 16
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A miniature firework launches from the magician’s outstretched nger and corlrscrews cr‘azr'ly off in to the air. Its journey ends with a magical whistle. Multicolor sparks drift to the ground. Weapon Length: as Sword; Range: as Pistol.
Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Paces
Element: Arnesonl Cygax
Impetus: Evocation
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 2
Mask
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A wizard can walk in the guise ofany man. A mage may alter the appearance of his face with this simple illusion. The spell forces others to make an Observation test to recognize the mage. The obstacle is 1 plus the margin of success.
Origin: Personal Element: Control Duration: Sustained
Area of Effect: Caster Impetus: Heaven Resource Points: 12
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Under the witch ’s careful tending; the wear and tear of (tail;-y life disappears from cloth ; woocl and even metal. Meeting the obstacle repairs clothing and shoes; 1 success over mends tools; weapons or 1D of shield damage; 2 over mends 1D of armor; 3 over repairs stuff like gears or 2D of armor; 4 over repairs machines; like a mill; or large tools like a plowshare. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Heaven Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Control Resource Points: 16
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Know this simple spell anclyou’ll never be without that which you need.
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Starting with a scrap; piece or fragment; the wizard can recreate and multiply wood; rope; cloth or paper. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target; Paces
Element: Earth
Impetus: Create
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 12
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Sorcery renders supple the words and tongue ofa magician. Using Persuasion; a sorcerer may offer a suggestion to his target. It must be a minor request or suggestion and seemingly normal or mundane; the sorcerer may not command his target to do anything. If the spell is successfully cast; then the victim must do as the sorcerer suggests. I-Ie must attempt to complete the request in the time allotted by the duration. After that time; the suggestion
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will lose importance; and the victim will move on. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Anima
Impetus: Influence
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 10
Ehantasnlagoria
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Shadows, dreams anclphantasms come at the witch ’s beck and call. Using Phantasmagoria; a witch may conjure images and illusions. The size; scope; depth; texture a11d detail of the vision depend on the success of the spell. Meeting the obstacle allows her to change the shape of one small; paIm—sized object—but to all who view it; it seems real enough. Exceeding the obstacle allows her to increase the size and breadth of that illusion: 1 success over for a11 object or animal the size of a hat; 2 over for a dog or chair; 3 over creates a person; a wall 01' a bed; 4 ove1' for a horse or cart or a complex image like a painting or tapestry; 5 over to create a small house or a crowd of people; 6 over to create a house; a court or a monstrous creature like a Ciant or Ancient Seneschal. To penetrate an illusion; a cl1a1'acter must pass an Ob 3 Perception test or a11 Ob 2 Observation test. To make the illusions harder to penetrate; the witch
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may add her extra successes into complexity instead of scope. Successes allocated to the complexity of the illusion are added to the Perceptionl
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Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Natural Effect
Element: Heaven/Anima Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Control Resource Points: 12
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1-Iispure thoughts render him weightless; hefloats in air akin to afeather.
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This incantation allows the wizard to rise straight up into the air. He may rise a number of paces equal to his Will; and may only rise straight up. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Caster or Single Target
Element: Air Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Cont1'ol Resource Points: 6
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The sorcerer commands the life offire. He may cause it to burn high a11d b1'ight or cause it to be low and smoking. This spell affects bonfi1'e—sized fires and smaller. The mage may increase or reduce a fire’s strength by two steps on the 11atural magic scale. Fires reduced to zero are doused.
Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single TargetfNat. Effect
Element: Fire
Impetus: Control
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 6
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The sky turns a srrzolry red and streams offire erupt on the wind, annihilating the wizar'ci’s enemies. Damaging effect spell: Power = Will +2, VA 5. Die of Fate to determine IMS. Weapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Heavy Crossbow +1D. Origin: Sight
Area of Effect: 10s of Paces
Element: Fire/Air
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 20
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Leader: clouds rush to the s0rcerer’s call; thick, stinging rain sweeps the fields, causing his enemies to despair. This incantation causes a torrential downpour that turns the earth to soupy mud, drowns out the cries of men and Washes out bridges and homes. 1 over: light rain; 2 over: rain; 3 over: heavy rain; '1 over: downpour with accompanying, minor flash floods; 5
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+2D. Origin: Sight
Area of Effect: 100s of Paces
Element: ‘Water/Ail‘
Impetus: Control
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 16
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Arcane powerfiaresfrom the brow of-the sorcerer, and his eyes become scintillating stars ofjear: Those who look into his eyes freeze; their limbs go dead, paralyzed. The sorcerer may nominate one character to be the recipient of his gaze and attempt to paralyze him. Obstacle is the target°s Will 01' Forte, whichever is lower. if/eapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Pistol. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target
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Element: Anima
Impetus: Tax
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 12
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With a gesture, the sorcerergonges massive sph'nters_from nearby wood and stone anclflings them with great velocity into the unwary The spell leaves deep grooves i11 the material used as its source. Damaging effect spell: Power = 1/2 Will +2, VA 3. Die of Fate to determine IMS. \Veapon Length: as Polearm; Range: as Pistol. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Paces
Element: Earth
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 8
Light sharpens, and that which is distant becomes clear. The recipient gains +2D to Perception tests. Anima Enhancers like this spell can be used to affect positioning and maneuvers.
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster or Single Target
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 10
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Fire leaps and spits spar/is at the sorcerer’s call. Anyone sitting around the
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cast, but will not unduly affect campfires or larger blazes. Damaging effect spell: Base Power = 1/2 \I/ill +3, VA 2. Die of Fate to determine IMS. Weapon
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Length: as Polearm; Range: as Pistol. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target
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Element: Fire
Impetus: Destroy
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Duration: Insta11taneous
Resource Points: 8
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A ghostly'presenceforms and shadows the sorcerer, serving his need and whim. The servant may perform simple functions for the caster: carry, serve, open, etc. The serva11t°s Speed and Power are equal to the caster°s Will. The Servant may 11ot leave the sorcerer°s sight. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Arcana/Earth Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Control Resource Points: 6
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The shy chokes into apurple rage and voices its displeasure with searing thunderbolts. Damaging effect spell: Power = Will +5, VA 6. Die of Fate to determine IMS. Weapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Heavy Crossbow +1D.
Origin: Sight
Area of Effect: 10s of Paces
Element: \Vl1ite/Air
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 24
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Callingforth thepower ofancient spirits, the sorcerer summons the limitless strength of the oa: into his veins. The recipient gains +2D to Power. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect: Caster 01' Single Target
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 10
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Speaking this primal incantation and bringing his hands together, the wizard causes a small thunderclap to erupt and deafen his enemies. Thunderclap deafens all those around the caster for one hour and causes +1 Ob to all actions for one exchange. Victims may make a Forte test to
i
reduce time of deafness: 10 minutes per success. Multiple thunderclaps have
no cumulative effect (What? I can ’t hear you). Weapon Length: as Polearm;
Range: as Pistol.
Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Presence
Element: Air
Impetus: Tax
Duration: Instantaneous/Hours
Resource Points: 6
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A true sorcerer is untouchable b_-):'swords, arrows, spears andfists. Turn In
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Aside the Blade increases the obstacle to strike or shoot the caster. The obstacle penalty is 1 plus the margin of success of the spell. Thus, if a
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sorcerer casts the spell with five successes; all incoming attacks are at +2 Ob. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster
Element: Animal Earth
Impetus: Control
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 16
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lftwes o com age and zealpoin steadily oi th iom the wizard This spell adds +lD to Steel plus +1D pei niaigin of success to all allies in his piesence Origin Peisonal
Area of Effect Piesence
Element Anima
Impetus Enhance
Duration Sustained
Resource Points 16
Lloiciaster
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The voice o the soi cei er has no source He may piodiice sound wheiesoevei he desiies in his piesence This spell takes the sound fi om the soi cei ei s tlii oat and pi o]ects it elsewlieie The soi cei ei 1S silent his voice is lieaid fi om a diffei ent point Origin Pi esence
Area of Effect Natuial Effect
Element Anima/Aii
Impetus Conti ol
Duration Sustained
Resource Points 8
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Lilre a hunting spider, the witch clings to walls and clambeis about This spell allows the witch to walk upon walls as if they weie lioiizontal surfaces Count Speed as Climbing skill Add +lD to Speed when able to utilize walls and ceilings foi advantage
Origin Peisonal
Area of Effect Castei
Element Anima
Impetus Conti ol/Enhance
Duration Sustained
Resource Points 10
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Water becomes hlie ice to the ensoicelled eet ofthe witch The iecipient of this spell may ti ead upon watei as if it weie solid gi oiind White/iough watei
all
counts as unstable gi ound—at least +1 Ob to all actions The chai actei can climb iapids with Speed aiid/oi Climbing tests
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Area of Effect Castei oi Single Tai get
Element Anima Duration Sustained
Impetus Control Resource Points 10
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Smashing his hand against the glass) sui ace ofthe watei, the incantei sends a power iil wave rippling aci oss the sin ace Natui al effects of waves
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Success iipples l ovei, dont iock the boat baby 2 ovei small ci aft sway
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dangei ously people have difficulty standing 3 ovei, people knocked down 4 ovei small boats capsized, people flattened 5 ovei, n1id—sized ci aft
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swamped small boats sliattei ed 6 ovei, inid-sized boats capsized 7 ovei laige vessels swamped, 1111(l-SI?6(l vessels shatteied 8 ovei, lai ge vessels capsized 9 ovei, laige seagoing vessels sliatteied
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\Vave must be cast in a suitably sized body of water. Deep pools of water (like a big fountain in a city) can only produce up to “ti over” effects. Ponds and streams can only produce up to “5 over” effects. Weapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Crossbow. Origin: Pei'so11al
Area of Effect: 100s of Paces
Element: Water
Impetus: Controll Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 16
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With a word, aplea and apinch oflucli, the weather witch aslrs the clouds, wind and rain to move along, remain a little longer or even calm down a bit. The caster may influence clouds, rain, and storms. He may not influence sun or light independent of moving clouds about. When successfully cast, the spell reduces any nasty weather to something merely bothersome, and can magnify botliersome weather to something nasty. W'eatlierworkei' can reduce or increase the intensity of weather by up to three steps on the Natural Effect scale. Reducing the effect to zero moves the phenomenon completely out of the caster"s vicinity. \Veather may only be increased up to the “9-over” effects—an act tantamount to suicide.
Origin: Sight Element: Air/Water
Area of Effect: Natural Effect Impetus: Influence
Duration: Elapsed Time: Hours
Resource Points: 10
Power arcane sends words winging like divine messengers across the gulfof distance into the ear of the named receiver. The caster can deliver a short (syllables = 21' Caster°s \Vill) message to a named and known recipient. Spell travels I mile (l500p). This distance may be increased by upping the obstacle for area of effect.
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Targetl Miles
Element: Air
Impetus: Control
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: I2
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A crashing bolt oflightning arcsfrom the caster’s brow, obliterating his enemies. After striking its intended target and resolving the effect (the most likely result being a pair of smoking boots where once stood your foe), roll the Die of Fate. On a 2-6, the spell dissipates. On a 1, the bolt jumps to another target~—fi'iend, foe or self. Roll randomly to determine the new target
‘I1“:
giving equal weight to all possibilities. After resolving this impact, roll the Die of Fate and go through the process again. Damaging effect spell: Power = Will +5, VA 4. Die of Fate to determine IMS. VI/eapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Great Bow.
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Natural Effect
Element: \Vhite
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 16
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Rain and wind grow hostile and lash out at the enemies ofthe witch. Vllindlasli increases obstacle penalties for those out in the weather: +2 Ob for light rain; heavy rain is +3 Oh; storms are +6 Ob. If a test is, for some
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reason, not normally penalized by being performed in the rain, Windlasli adds a +2 Ob modifier. \Veapon Length: as Missile; Range: as Heavy Crossbow +lD.
-
_
Origin: Sight
Area of Effect: 10s of Paces
Element: Air
Impetus: Control/Tax
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 8
uiiwfosin
Voices whisper answers and questions across the indigo gulf of time. This spell grants the wizard +2D \Ilill. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster
Element: Anima Duration: Sustained
Impetus: Enhance Resource Points: 10
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This spell launches the witch in a long leap and allows her to come safely to earth. Increase stride by four for your next positioning test. Leap 10 paces per success.
Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: CasterlSingle T. /10s of p.
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 6
/I sorcerer’s merest whim is the hey to any loclc. Witch Key opens any mundane lock for the caster. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target
Element: Earth
Impetus: Control
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 12
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To the witch, a man ’s scent becomes as distinct as his voice, fear becomes a taste on the tongue. This incantation increases Perception by +1D overall,
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by +2D for strictly olfactory/taste—based tests. Also, Perception counts as Observation for detecting Stealthy characters. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Single Target or Caster
Element: Anima
Impetus: Enhance
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: I2
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Globes of swirling light orbit the caster and move with a Speed equal to the caster°s \Vill. The lights hover and float at the caster°s command, illuminate as if
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they were torches, and may not move beyond the limits of the caster s presence. Origin: Presence
Area of Effect-. Natural Effect
Element: Heaven
Impetus: Control
Duration: Sustained
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Men and Women in Play Of the four character stocks presented in Burning Wheel, Men are the least fantastic. They are designed to closely emulate the facets of medieval life: All walks of life are represented, and nearly any combination of fate and fortime is possible. There are multitudinous options in their lifep aths, moi'e than any othei' stock, in fact. Despite being the least fantastic, the Lifepaths of Man are where it°s at for traditional fantasy mystic archetypes———soi'cerers and priests. Only -'-1_‘-_-» syn-,1i~r.-.=,i'~.-=si:~":=,'1:"; -.."’,=12-a,.-5-75_3}aI_,"
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men and women can tap the power of sorcerous magic or divine miracle. These are potent abilities. I recommend that either only one player take
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magical and mundane characters is challenging to rim. Such a grouping
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on the role of the above, or all players play one. Having a mixed group of creates a pretty big rift in the standard adventuring party—styIe play group.
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Ltfepaz‘/vs Qw y at Lifepaths of Man also set the benchmark for all other characters. The four-lifepath man or woman is the archetypal starting character in Burning Wheel. Such characters are competent, but not powerful. Three lifep athers are rank beginners; five lifep athers are experienced veterans. Most characters built with these lifepaths a1'e going to come into the game with relatively vanilla numbers: stats and skills of 3-5. But they are by far the most quirky. Men and women get more trait points on average than Dwarves, Elves or Ores of the same number of lifep aths. This allows
swupgugf uawfug aid
players to juice those vanilla stats a.nd skills with lots of really cool traits. If you find yourself struggling with a character concept, try different paths or a different order so that different leads open up. Keep your eye on your end goal/concept, but let the ourneythere develop as you choose lifepaths. Also, don°t be afraid to close down or open up options in lifepaths or leads in order to emulate other cultures, either historical or imaginative. For example, Bishops nright not work well in an East Asian style game, and might be better replaced with a mandarin or geomancer lifepath of your own design. If you’re really interested in creating your own lifep aths, you can find the guidelines in the Monster Burner. Finally, the role of gender in these lifepaths deserves mention: The vast majority of the lifepaths are gender neutral. Even though medieval Europe was male-dominated, there are enough examples of female participation in all facets of society to make restricting women to “traditional” roles counter to the ethos of these rules. lvomen fought in wars, started rebellions, ruled kingdoms, ran businesses, worked the fields and dug the ditches. They were disenfranchised, though. The customs and laws of the age denied them inheritance rights and limited
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10 yrs
5
+1 P
Black Legion, Servant
Skills: 2 pts: General Traits Ole Common traits plus 1 pt: —
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3
+1 P
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3 yrs
6
+1 I’
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Skills: 3 pts: Foraging, Inconspicuous Traits: 2 pts: Tasting the Lash, Running (Away), Hiding, Stealing, '
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5 yrs
3
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5. yrs
3
+1 P
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5 yrs
3
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4 yrs
3
+1 P
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3 yrs
'3
+'l P
Black Legion
Skills: 4 pts: Brawling, Cudgel, Intimidation Traits: 2 pts: Pack Hunter
Woodeu er
7 yrs,
9
+1 M
—
Skills: 4 pts: Bude Carpentry, Mending, Intimidation Traits: 1 pt: —Reqaires: Cutter Slave
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7 vrs
9
+1 M
——
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Traits: 1 pt: — Requires: Cattle Slave
Farger
7 yrs
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9
+1 M
—
Skills: 5 pts: Blacksmith, Intimidation
Traits: 2 pts: Singed Requires: Forge Slave l'i£wright
3 yrs
'10
+'1 M
—
Skills: ‘I pts: Mining, Intimidation Traits: 1 pt: Deep Sense Requires: Tunneler
Edge Grinder
10 yrs
15
+1 MlP
Black Legion
Skills: 6 pts: Mending, WBH1)0DSmlIl1, Armorer, Tanner Traits: 2 pts: Suspicious Requires: He \Vho Grinds the Edges of Our Axes to Clinting Sharpness requires Forger Wllipm sier
9 yrs
15
+1 M
Black Legion.
Skills: 4 pts; Inter1'ogation, Intimidation, B1'awli11g, Torture§ Traits: 1 pt: \Ill1e1'e Tl1ere°s a \Vhip, The1'e°s a Way Requires: Pitwright, Forger, four slave lifepaths or any Great and Black o1' Legion lifepath
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10 yrs
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3 yrs
3
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Legion, Servant ofthe Dark
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7
+1 P
Legion, Cliattel
Skills: 2 pts: Soothing Platitudes, Ditch Digging Traits: 1 pt: I-Iumble Before My Master, Hauling, Back—Breaking Labor 9 pecial Orcish skill rooted in Hatred. It costs 1 pt to open, but it always counts as open-ended. Descriptions can he found in the skill list.
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Skills: 3 pts: Armor Trainingl, Axe, Bow, Knives, Mace, Riding, Shield Trainingl, Clan—wise Traits: 1 pt: Silent Hatred Requires: He Who Walks in the Named°s Shadow requires The Rites or Astride the Beast.
Black Destroyer
oyrs
12
+lM,P
Chanel
Skills: 7 pts: Mounted Combat Trainingl, Great Wolf Husbandry, Riding,
Axe, Spear Traits: 2 pts: Intense Hatred, Low Cunning Requires: He \Vhose Skin Is like Winter Night, \Vhose Mere Presence Causes Those Beneath Him to Shiver in Terro1' and Cower Beneath His Wicked Blade requires Follower, Astride the Beast or Head Taker. Named
3 yrs
25
+l M, P
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Skills: 5 pts: Command, Brutal Intimidation§, Tort11re§ Traits: 2 pts: Savage Consequences
Requires: He Who is Mighty and Earned the Ancient Right to Be Named requires Black Destroyer, Troll Lord or Head Taker.
Siege Master
10 yrs
30
+1 M
Chattel
Skills: 5 pts: Siege Engineer, Artille1'ist, Mending Traits: 1 pt: The Bigger They Come, Brutish Efficiency
Requires: Servant of the Gate
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lO_ yrs
30
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Cltattel
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9 yrs
40
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Servant oftire Dark
Skills: 5 pts: Poisonous Platitndesi‘, Falsehood, Pe1'sna sion, Clan-wise, 1-
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20 yrs
60
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Traits: 2 pts: Brooding, Flights of Murderous Fancy, Unrelenting Hatred
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Tr arts 2 pts Tasting the Lash, E-‘\tl1Ei11SlC1U11, Running Away
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Skills 3 pts Conspicuous, Black Legion-wise
Tr arts 1 pt Psychotic, Paranoid Booming Voice Reqrrrr es The Rites, Legionei or Wlnpmastei Despair Shouter 3 vis
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6
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Skills: 9 pts: Mounted Combat Training’F__ Hiding, Great \Vo1f Husbandry, Intimidation, Spear, Armor Trainingi Traits: 1 pt: Brash, Cry of Doom Requires: He \\/ho Sits Astride the Howling Black Beast requires Black Hunter or Follower. I Beams the Lash
6' yrs
9
+1 M
Chattel, Great and Black
Skills: 6 pts: \Vhip-wise, Intimidation, Torture§, Command, Sword, Brawling Traits: 1 pt: Where There"s a Whip, Tl1ere°s a \Vay Requires: He Who Bea1's the Lash and Drives Us Ever On requires \Vhipmaster, Black Hunter, Astride the Beast or The Rites
Baelimaster
Tyns
10 +1 M/P
Chanel, Great curd Black
Skills: 5 pts: Great Wolf Husbandry, Great Wolf-wise, Pack-wise, Mending Traits: 1 pt: Flea-Bitten; Where There's a Whip, There's a “lay; Show No Fear Requires: He \Vho Rules the Black \Volf Pack requires Bears the Lash, Follower, Whipmaster, Master of Eight or Knower of Secrets.
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6 yrs
15
+1 M, P
Chattel, Great and Black
Skills: 5 pts: Command, Brutal II1tiII1idE1tiOI1§, Axe, Brawling Traits: Z pts: Unrelenting Savagery, Fondness for Elven Blood, Taste for
Man—Flesh Requires: He Who Cleaves the Heads of His Enemies From Their Shoulders and Sets Them Upon Stakes for All to See requires Bea1's the Lash, Black Destroyer or Named.
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2,0 +1 M.,P
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6 pts: Troll-wise, Troll Etiquette, Hammer, Shield Trainingi
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Descriptions can be found in the skill list. 1' This is a training skill. It costs 2 pts to open and may not be advanced.
Servant of the Dark Blood Subsetting ,-In
.§l_ave._l_qthe Dark 6 yrs
3
——
Chatftel
Skill: 2 pts: Servant—wise Traits: 2 pts: Fearful Respect of the Servants, Naked Hatred
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6
+1 M, P
Chanel
Skill: 3 pts: Doctrine of Night°s Blood .- _.;£_ _,._,(,l.: _._;|.___;»_l_ ,_H-._,“_.:-_Ls=I___ 1.!
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7
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Sltill 4 pts Rituals of Nighti Vile Poisonei§, For aging lraits 1 pt — Requires Diinkei of the Dark Maslerof ight
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Chattel Legion
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7 yrs
8
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—
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I2
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Twisted, toi'tr1i'ed'ai1d fulgent with hate, these cousins of the Elves exist in a culture that is a cruel mockery of civilization—one of fear and brutality, a society of the whip.
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They know their plight. They mass in the caves and shadows, gathering strength, beating their war drums, summoning their fury in preparation for sweeping and sudden war-—a slaughter in which they will lake revenge up 011 those who dared taunt them with what they do not and will never have.
Brutal Lite Like their Elven kin, Orcs are irnmoi'tal—-they are tied to die fate of the earth and will only die when it dies. They can be preinat urely killed by violence or be driven over the brink of madness by their
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powerful, latent emotions. Unlike their cousins, Orcs live under terrifying and brutal
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coi1ditions—an Orc is far more likely to be killed by his kin than he
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is to die in battle against his t1'ue enemies. To represent this difficulty of living a peaceful and fruitful existence, Ores have a special rule when taking lifepaths. An Orc may take up to four lifepaths at no penalty. After the fom'th lifep ath, the player must roll the Die of Fate for each additional lifepath he wishes
1
to take. lf the Die of Fate comes up a 1, it indicates that the Orc would have died 011 this lifepath—he would have been savaged, slaughtered and eaten by his allies and companions. This doesnit quite mesh with a character creation system based 011 freedom of choice, does it? Rather than cruinpling up the character and starting over, the Orc is given a crippling trait to represent the chai'acter’s narrow escape from death. The player may continue to take lifep aths until he is satisfied or his Orc is a complete cripple.
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Rolling the Die of Fate is no joke. Before you decide to take another path, ask yourself this question: Can I live without this lifepath? Can my character live without this limb?
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Missing Limb trait (see page 282)
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Missing Limb trait
Um, I really ivish. I liadn’t lost both iny legs... Sometimes a player pushes it too far and ruins a good character that he has been working on. If a player gets a bad roll on the DoF and loses something he didn°t want to lose, he can take back the roll. However, he does not get to travel the lifep ath he was rolling for and may i1ot take any other lifepaths. The Ore was confronted by his betters and he chose to bow and prostrate himself rather than stand against them and fight.
Orc Common Traits All Orc characters start the gaine with the following traits:
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So vile are they, Ores will i1ot hesitate to slay and eat their companions.
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The cold sub stance of night runs through their veins, rendering these tormented souls imrnortal. But it also makes them susceptible to the sun°s burning rays. Ores suffer +2 Ob to all tests while abroad in the sunlight. lf it is cloudy, dawn or twilight, the penalty is only +1 Ob. But the night deadens their nerves as well: Cold Black Blood reduces hesitation obstacles by two for pain, but not fear or wonderment.
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Though they loathe life and yearn for death, Ores are compelled by their aceursed nature to proereate often and quickly.
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The mouth of an Oi'c is a violent organ, well suited to tearing flesh and
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length weapon. Claws like steel shards protrude from their gnarled fingers. They may be
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used as weapons: Power 1, WS X, VA —-, Add 2, shortest length. They act like knives for purposes of engaging and positioning distance.
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Ores are repellent, even to their own kind, and especially to Elves, Men and Dwarves. Their bodies are bent and squat with ugly, long arms and sickening charred flesh: Orc stat maxiinurns are straight 8s. Their stride is 7. This trait
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also grants the Hatred emotional attribute to Ores. Restrictions: Orc common trait
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An Orc°s eyes glow red with the inner fire of despite aird hatred. Oi'cs can see cleai'ly in darkness and shadows. They never suffer a penalty for such conditions. Restrictions: Ore common trait
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Ores speak a special language of shadow, chill and blight. They share this tongue with corrupt vermin, shades, Great \Volves, Trolls and certain Great Spiders. Restrictions: Ore common trait
Orc Special Traits These traits are only available to Ores.
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Drinkers of the Dark are immersed in shivering pools of arcane energies. They are taught to imbibe, inhale and exhale the Dark Blood and survive. This trait transforms the Oi'c°s Hatred into a vehicle for enormous power.
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However, Ores are unable to tap their innate power without Rituals. Void Embrace is an emotional attribute with its own shade and exponent. It is used to resist tax, sustain spells (rather than \Vill), and is used to maintain a spell after a distraction. Any Orc may be taught the Rituals, but
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without Void Embrace, he cannot resist the tax and thus will be pernianently
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crippled or worse. Void Embrace can also be used to enhance certain rolls by spending a persona point to tap the Void. See the Void Embrace section
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of this chapter for more details. lf Void Embrace is advanced to exponent 10, the Orc goes mad or commits suicide. Either way, he°s removed from play.
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Orcs have a handful of skills listed with Hatred as tl1e root. These are available to Orcs only. Calculate the root as nornlal, using tl1e Hatred attrih ute .
Hatred-Based Skills Tl1e following skills use Hatred as their root: Bastions of Hatred, Brazen
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Orc Hatred Elves may grieve for the dead a11d gone as they Watch eternity slide into ruin hefore thern, but their Orc cousins feel differently. Tortured and maligned thev lear11 to hate hate the World, hate their eneinies, hate -.-
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themselves. A boiling, singing emotion dwells within them—-—it governs their lives, their society and tl1eir fate. This hate knows no reservation. It is heaped on enemy and kin alike.
Hatred Emotional Attribute Hatred is an attribute like Faith or Grief. lt can he used by Orc characters to focus the bloody anger of their l1orrid lives into their skills
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and abilities. Head Takers focus their hatred i11to Brutal Intimidation, \Vhisperers° hatred drips from their tongues like poison and Servants of the Dark Blood transforn1 their hatred into something destructive and altogether more po\verful——-sorcery incarnadine and black. And Orcs can manifest their Hatred as described in the Summoning Fury rules.
Starting Character Hatred Hatred starts at BO. You answer questions about your cl1aracter to deterinine the starting exponent. You ca11 spend five points of Hatred exponent to start with a gray shade (or 10 points for a White). This, of co1n'se, re quires GM approval. Starting Itlatred Questions.——Add one if the character has ever been l1orrihly Wounded. -—Add one for each 1 rolled on the Brutal Life table. ——Acld one if the cl1aracter has ever been tortured. -—Add one if the cl1aracter l1as ever been a slave to another. ——Arlcl one if the character l1as ever killed his superior or parents. -—Ac:d one if the cl1aracter has ever attempted to command a tmit of
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——Acld one if the character°s Will exponent is 2 or lower.
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Hatred Traits In addition to the above questions, certain traits inspire Hatred. Each
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of the following adds one to the character°s starting exponent: Kicking the Beast, Yowling, Where There°s a \Vl1ip. .., Charging Bljndly, Cry of Doom, Unrelenting Savagery, Humiliation, Life Is Death, Pain Life, Intense Hatred, Silent Hatred, Savage Consequences, U11rele11ting Hatred and (of course) Naked Hatred.
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list. Like Creed, routine tests always count for advancement. lvhen logging tests for advancement, Hatred behaves like an exponent 4 or lower skill
all the way up to exponent 10——fill any two difficulty categories and the attribute advances.
Hatred Conditions Obstacle I Hatred Witnessing murder. Eating the dead. Traveling through the woods. Lying. Cheating. Stealing. Obstacle 2 Hatred Being whipped. Having your possessions stolen. Being convinced to do something you don°t want to do. Falling ill. Witnessing genuine laughter or personal beauty. Obstacle 3 Hatred Killing in battle. Suffering a midi wound. Seeing your “friend” killed. Brief exposure to sunlight. Discovering you°ve been lied to. Succmnbing to the Black-Blooded Rage. ldyllic villages. Obstacle 4 Hatred l\/Iurder. Suffering a severe wound. Being tortured. Starvation. Long exposure to stmlight. Cleanliness and order. Being poisoned. Tasting Elven lnirrorvville, eating Elven bread, drinking Dwarven Nog. |-.
Obstacle 5 Hatred Killing your “friend” because you fotmd out he stole your nice sword (or axe or dolly). Betrayal. Mtudering your superior. \l-l/atching your bad—ass demon commander dragged into the pit by some treasonous, tricksy wizard. Losing an important fight. Nearly dying of thirst. Confronting something ageless, timeless, deathless or ineffable and being tmable to enslave it or destroy it.
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Obstacle 6 Hatred . l\/lurdering your mother/father/brother because l1e/she stands in the way of your advancement in the ranks. Suffering a traumatic wound. Losing a battle.
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Obstacle 7Hatr'ed Having yotu unit slaughtered in battle. Losing a precious heirloom.
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Obstacle 8 Hatred Suffering a mortal wound and surviving. Being dominated by a sorcerer (and knowing it).
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Obstacle 9 Hat:'ed
Being the architect of a great plan (like a11 invasion) and watching it dismantled by your enemies——no matter what you do. Being excluded from salvation. Attempting to overcome Hatred and failing.
Obstacle 10 Hatred Giving in to Hatred and letting it consume you, body a11d soul. Realizing that there is no hope for you, and in fact, there never was.
Succumbing to Hatred If an Oro°s Hatred should ever reach exponent 10, he snaps. He either commits suicide (in an orgy of bloodletting) or retreats into catatonia. Everyone l1as their limits—-an Orc with an exponent 10 Hatred is no longer playable as a character.
Summoning Fury Hatred is a powerful emotion. Once per session, an Orc player may test his Hatred in place of any stat or skill so long as the intent of the test involves destruction, corruption or cowardice. Hatred is open—ended.
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This test cotmts toward Hatred for advancement.
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Deeds of Hate Orcs may tap their inner fury and call forth seething rage. Wl1e11 spending a deeds artha point to double dice, a11 Orc player may add his Hatred exponent onto the roll instead. The greater the Hatred, the greater the fury. Hatred dice are open—ended.
A B/aob Deotro)/er witb a B5 Hatred is about to be ridden down by an E//en Oatriderz Snob bami/iationi’ Rat/zer t/ran be oatmaneavered by bis opponent tbe p/a)/er decides to spend a deeds point and addbis ve Hatred dike to /1:15 B4 Rzldziaa obi/l He’// ro// nine dive; u/e ofw/zio/I are open—ended
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For the purposes of advancement, this feat always counts as a difficult Hatred test. For the purposes of artha, the player can choose whether he wants to assign the deeds point to Hatred or the other ability.
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Spoils of ‘War . . . . . . See Description ~
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Clans and Warbands. . See Description‘
E010 Missiles . . . . . . .See Description
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Orc Arn1s-—- You may purchase run of the mill or poor quality weapons for your character: Poor quality arms cost 3 rps. Run of the mill arms cost 5 rps. You may purchase beaks, spikes and weights for yotu cl1aracter°s weapons at +1 rp per modification, per weapon. Orc Armor-— Orc players may purchase the following types of armor for their characters: poor quality hides (gambeson equivalent), 1 rp; poor quality reinforced hides (reinforced leather equivalent), 5 rps; poor quality light mail, 5 rps; poor quality heavy mail, 3 rps. Run of the mill reinforced leather, 8 rps, rim of the mill light mail 12 rps; run of the mill heavy mail, 20 rps. Superior quality reinforced leather for 25 rps. They may purchase armor piecemeal as described i11 the Mannish Besotuces section. See the Spoils of ‘War for more options. Orc Missiles-—— Poor quality bow (+1 Ob to hit), 3 rps; poor quality crossbow (+1 Ob to hit), 4 rps; run of the mill bow, 5 rps, run of the mill crossbow, 6 rps. lron~cased bombs, 1O rps. Included in the costs of these weapons are enough missiles to adequately outfit the character. Special heads for arrows and bolts can be purchased for 1 rp apiece. Take as many of each head as you like. Bules for special arrowheads
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are given in the Weapon Appendix of the Burning Wheel. Black lron Helmct—— A hehnet complete with spikes, horsehair tassels and a prison— gate mask. 5D, +2 Ob to Perception tests.
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Black Iron Sl1ield— A large, iron, circular shield, stained coal black. The outer edge is sharpened to add a little surprise for those who want to get close. 3D shield. Power 2, Add 2, VA 1, Slow, short weapon.
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Great Wolf lllollllt-—— The Great H/olf is the preferred mount of the Orcish cavalry. Though not as swift as horses, they make up for their loss
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Lifepatbs Burning Wheel for the Black Destroyer a11d Astride the Beast wolves (they’re too long to list here) or burn up the wolf using the Monster Burner. Burned wolves l1ave one less lifepath than their master a11d obey the other rules for relationships. Lastly, the wolf can be burned up as a cl1aracter by another player. This creates a powerful partnership, rather than a master/slave, ride1'/mount relationship. When using a player character wolf, lifepath limits are the same as for any otl1er
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character. Wllip—— The lash is required fo1' making use of the Where T/zereis a l-IWZIP, There ’s a Way trait. The whip is not a weapon of any consequence. This may only be purchased by characters with the Where T/z.ere’s a W/tip, Tl2ere’s a. Way‘ trait. P0ison—— Tluee doses of one of the types of poison listed under Vile Poisoner. Brazen Ho1'n or Clan BaIlllel'-— The Brazen Horn adds +1D to the Brazen Hor11 of Despair skill a11d allows Despair Sl1outers to help a Named with Command or Brutal Intimidation. The banner reduces hesitation by one for all in the clan who can see it. HitlingHa1'ness-— The saddle, bit a11d bridle, stirrups a11d reins add +lD to Riding tests for wolves. This canlt be used with spiders. Spoils of War-—— Named, Great Ones, \Vhisperers, Head Takers, Srunmoners and Masters may purchase one item from any cl1aracter stock resotu'ces/gear list they wish. Troll Lords may purchase gear from the Troll resources list i11 the Monster Burner. Any Orc character who has “failed” a Brutal Life test may also purchase Spoils of War from other cl1aracter stocks, but the cost of the itcm/property may 11ot exceed half the Orcls total resource points. Named, Great Ones, etc. may take a second item, but to do so counts as failing a Brutal Life roll at his current lifepath level. If an Orc player takes property as part of their Spoils of War, be sure to include its cost when calculating his Resources. Clans and Wt11‘l)tlll(lS—- Orcs frequently gather together in groups, warbands, clans and hordes. A typical/minor cla11 falls i11to the 1D affiliation category. An important or powerful clan or horde is a 2D
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affiliation. Relationships in the group/cla11 are purchased as normal. Additional characters a11d functionaries ca11 be generated using the Circles 1'ules i11 play. Orc commanders are often unaware of who precisely is working u11der them. It"s usually a nest of rabble, a few
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bitter enemies and one or two diehard heavies. The exact nature of who°s who is up to the Circles tests. The characteris own position in the warband/horde is dependent on his reputation. Use the standard
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Servant Resources Servants may ptuchase their resources from the Orc Resotuces list and from this list. You must pay for Rituals of Night spells with resom'ce points. Tools ofthe 'li'alle——- These a1'e a collection of knives, blades, pins, clamps and other strange devices. Tools of the Trade add +1D to the Torttue skill. Ce1'elnonialWeap0l1s— These ornate and hallowed weapons are vital to the Servant for performing his dark rituals. At the GM°s discretion, these weapons may count as superior quality specimens. Otherwise they a1'e simply ornate ru11 of the mill weapons. P0iSone1"s Kit—- This kit allows the Knower of Secrets to mix poisons. All of the ingredients necessary for concocting the poisons listed tmder the Vile Poisoner skill are present i11 this foul smelling pouch. After using this kit, roll the Die of Fate. O11 a 1, the supplies have ru11 out and the cl1aracter must refill the kit via a Resotuces, Foraging or Scavenging test (or another means sanctioned by the GM).
Void Embrace \Vhen he is taught the Void Embrace, a Servant destroys his sense of self—his Hatred—and opens himself up to the dark powers.
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When the Void Embrace trait is acquired, Hatred is transformed into a new power. The character may no lo11ger perform any of the feats
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Void Embrace is rolled to resist tax from Rituals of Blood and Night. It is also used to sustain spells from Rituals of Night (rather than Will), and is F
used to maintain a spell after a distraction. Tax canit be resisted without it! Choose one of the following voids that you embrace: Darkness (magic, obscurity), Destruction (death, decay) or Madness (trickery, insanity). For one persona poi11t, the Orc player may add any amount of dice from his Void Embrace to a skill or stat test involving that which he embraces—or a11 act of self- destruction.
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test, log an advancement for Void Embrace with the obstacle equal to the number of dice added to the other ability. Add 1D, log an Ob 1 test for Void Embrace. Dice added to a stat or skill count as persona dice.
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Starting Void Embrace The Void Embrace emotional attribute starts at exponent B3. The GM asks the Servantis player the following questions. Each “correct"° answer adds +1 to starting Void Embrace.
Question: Who is thy Master?
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Answer: The God of Darkness a11d Blood. Question: Who controls thy fate? Answer: The Darkness a11d the Blood.
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Question: What is the wellspring of thy power?
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Answer: Darkness and Blood.
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Yes, all the answers are the same. The idea is that the Orc l1as been trained to be the servant of a force 111ucl1 greater than himself. I11 order to tap into this fully, he 111ust submit utterly to it. All sense of self must be effaced: To serve is all. Relying 011 himself or another Orc only lll1]ilIS his access to the Void Embrace. The Servant of the Dark is alone in this world—no allies, no companions, no friends-—all are just tools in his grand design. _ -
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Rituals of Blood and Night Orc magic is divided into two sorcerous skills: Rituals of Blood and Night.
Rituals of Blood The Rituals of Blood are a potent series of closely interlinked spells and rituals. They focus on influencing the blood of the ta1'get: calling him, twisting his mind or even transforming the body.
Test the skill against the obstacles listed below. Test Void Embrace for tax at the same obstacle after using a Ritual of Blood. If a Rituals of Blood summoning test is failed, any summoned creattues are hostile or an unexpected entity responds—a monster, a powerful Elf, an enemy warlord, etc. if Wormtongue or Whispers i11 the Dark are failed, the caster suffers the effects of the spell rather than the target. If Walk i11 Shadow or Lord of Werewolves is failed, the caster takes an injury equal to the obstacle of the spell plus one per margin of faihue. Thus, if you fail \Valk in Shadow (Ob 3) by one, you suffer a B/-l wound. You can reverse a transformation at will in a few moments. Rituals of Blood_
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I11 imitation of his Master, the Servant casts Rituals of Blood to gather allies, twist minds and transform himself. Each obstacle requires a blood sacrifice of a particular sort. To answer a call requires time, usually a few hours. Callings stretch a few miles in all directions from the caster. Results can vary according to the situation or the setting—~tl1e GM makes the final call. Lastly, it only requires a few minutes to effect a transformation. Obstacles: Wormtongue, Ob 1: Implant a seed of doubt i11 your victim°s mind. Requires a small blood sacrifice. Cry ofthe Black Wolf, Ob 2: Call a single wolf (regular, not great) to the summoner’s side. The wolf will perform one task or serve as long as it is fed. Requires an animal sacrifice. Wall‘ in Shadow, Ob 3: The Servant transforms l1i111self into a black wolf (regular, not great). Requires a blood sacrifice from the summoner. Black Wings, Oh ‘l: Su111mo11 bats to harry your enemies, giving them +2 Ob until bats are dispersed. Requires sacrifice of an animal. Galltering ofStones, Ob 5: Call nearby trolls to the summoner. Trolls must be negotiated with for service. Requires the sacrifice of a child or lamb. Pack Lord, Ob 5: Call forth Orcs-— friend and enemy. Orcs nmst be cowed into service. Requires sacrifice of an intelligent being. Darla‘. Friend, Ob 6: Summon a great wolf to the summo11er’s side. The wolf must be bargained with for service. Requires a large animal
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sacrifice. Lord of Werewolves, Ob 7: This spell transfo1'n1s the summoner
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‘@ bargained with for service. Requires l1un1a11 sacrifice. lVhisper.s' in the Dar/1‘-, Ob 9: Drive your victim mad. Impose a trait representing insanity—jealousy, greed, pride, grief, \vrath——~on victim. Requires human sacrifice. FORKS: Doctrine of Night°s Blood. Torture Skill Type: Sorcerous
Tools: Yes, ritual knives.
Restrictions: Ores only
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Rituals of Night The Rituals of Night are quite different from the Rituals of Blood. This skill taps the Dark ness—tl1e Void—to bring magic, death and destruction into the world. lt acts like Sorcery for purposes of sp ellcasting——carefully, patiently and hastily. These spells do not require sacrifice. Void Embrace is used to resist tax, and to sustain spells. Ritu
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The ancient Rituals of Night grant the Knower of Secrets power beyond the ken of his brethren. Obstacles: See the Rituals of Night spell list. Spells must be purchased or learned sepa1'ately. FORKS: None Skill Type: Sorcerous
Tools: No.
Restrictions: O1‘cs only
Like Sorcery, spells must be pm'chased or learned for Rituals of Night. Since their magic is crude, Servants have very few spells available to tl1e1n: Dark of Night, Black Rust, Death"s Howl, His Creeping Hand,
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Black Cloak, Enemy of the Sun, Black-Blooded Rage and Call of the Pit. However, Orcs ca11 make use of Abstractions as described in the Magic Burner. The Rituals of Night skill starts with Personal Origin, lnstantaneous Duration and Caster Area of Effect facets for free.
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During character binning, Servants with Rituals of Night may purchase Anima, Earth and Heaven elements, all Impetus except Create and Transmute, all Origins, Sustained and Instantaneous Duration and all Area of Effects. Other facets and spells may be learned dining play
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Caliing upon memories oftorture in the pits, goading them with visions of hated enernies, the Blac/1'-Blooded Rage sends Ores into a h0wh'ng_ z.Qy'. Wl1ile under this spell, Ores add +2D to Steel a11d half hesitation (round
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Double presence
Element: A11i1na
Impetus: Influence
Duration: Minutes
Resource Points: 12
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The Servant covers himselfin a hummingfield ofebon eldritch power. This spell combines the effects of Eldritch Shield and Ttern Aside the Blade. Divide successes between physical and spell protection. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster
Element: Arcana, Earth
Impetus: Tax, Control
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 16
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At the touch ofthe Servant’s black hand, the Black Rust turnsflesh into a charred, twisted rain. The Black Rust ruptures skin and bone. Damaging Effect: Power exponent of caster plus 1 per extra success; straight damage, no DoF or IMS. Caster need only touch his victim (Ob 1 Agility test or Strike). Armor does not Work against this spell. The caster may poison his hand as he would a blade and use the touch of the Black Rust to deliver the venom. Weapon length: as Knife. Range dice: as Melee.
Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster or Single Target
Element: Anima
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 8
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Violent, black words tear a rift in the shin ofthe earth, spewingfire and vapors: tremors shiver the ground into shards like a hammer shatters a mirror. This spell counts as five successes of Siege Engineer against materials. Extra successes allocated to effect (rather than area) increase the Siege Engineer successes by one per success. All characters caught in the area of effect must make a Speed test with an obstacle equal to all effect successes.
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Failure indicates they have fallen into the pit and must climb out or be rescued. Weapon length: as Missile. Range dice: as Heavy Crossbow +2D.
i Origin: Sight
Area of Effect: 100s of paces
Element: Earth
Impetus: Destroy
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 20
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A dim pall suffocates the hall as the Servant enters; shadows lengthen and deepen; lamps shine but give n.o light. This spell creates darkness
and smothers light. Thus a candle can be seen as a poi11t of light, but it illuminates nothing. Successful casting creates the dim light condition (+1 Ob to any action requiring light). Extra successes can be spent to
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Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: 10s of paces
Element: Heaven
Impetus: Tax
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 12
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A igid wind erupts howlingfrom the mouth of the Servant ofNight. The
cold is so terrible itfreezesflesh on the bone, the wind so powerful it topples trees. Damaging effect: Base Power equals easterls Will. Roll DoF for IMS. VA 8. Weapon length: as Missile. Ranged dice: as Great Bow. The caster may also allocate successes to knock down targets. Successes so allocated count as the obstacle for a Forte test. Failure indicates the cl1aracter is knocked supine. These successes count on the Natural Effect list, too.
Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Natural Effect
Element: Air
Impetus: Destroy, Control
Duration: Instantaneous
Resource Points: 12
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A grey haze falls across the sky, shielding the Ores from the sun ’s ra_;r"s. This spell turns the light in the sky to a din1 twilight—-ideal conditions fo1' Ores going to war. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Miles
Element: Heaven
Impetus: Influence
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 10
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His Creeping Handflings forth a crawling black vapor: The vapor is noxious to breathe and obscures light. However, once released, His Creeping Hand has a will of its own and is not under the control of the caster—it goes Where it Wants, moving with a Speed equal to the caster"s Will and a Stride of 8. Successes over the spell obstacle increase obstacles for all in the cloud due to the darkness and noxious vapors (+1 Ob per success). Anyone touched by His Creeping Hand must make a Steel test. Extra successes may also be spent to increase the duration (one exchange per extra success). Origin: Personal
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Element: Air, Heaven
ImpetuS: Tax
Duration: Exchanges
Resource Points: 16
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The Servant summons gloom to conceal his den from the prying eyes ofElves and Men. Impenetrable Gloom conceals eaves and warrens from normal
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sight. Spotting them requires an Ob 5 Observation test. Any attempts to
track the Ores to their den suffer an +5 Ob penalty. Impenetrable Gloom also conceals the Ores from magical detection; even the spell itself is difficult to detect. Increase Magesense or Second Sight obstacles by +2 Ob. Air of Gates requires an Ob 5 test in order to detect Impenetrable Gloom and those it protects. Origin: Personal
Area of Effect: Natural Effect (the caves)
Element: Arcana, Heaven
Impetus: Control
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 20
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Area of Effect: Miles
Element: Earth
Impetus: Influence
Duration: Sustained
Resource Points: 8
Orcs in Play These Ores are not mindless, savage brutes hell-bent 011 flexing their muscles while screaming gibberish. Btnning Wheel Ores are a little more complex. First, they a.re cowards. Ninety percent of the Ores created in these lifepaths are going to have an incredibly high hesitation, which means they fli11el1 from pai11 and run from danger. They may strike quickly, but they flee even more swiftly. Only the top tier have the \Vill and Steel combination to overcome their inclination to cowardice. Second, these Ores have a culttn'e firmly embedded in their lifepaths. Every time you make an Ore, you a1'e birthing the product of a brutal, callous society, beholden to hatred and focused on tmreasoning revenge. It°s important for a11 Ore player to be aware of this (primarily when dealing with other Ores) because when that whip cracks, he may find himself brought to heel and in a whole lot of trouble. When creating Ores, I tu'ge you to give them an extra lifepath to flesh them out. Young and inexp erieneed Ores are, for the most part, fodder. The clan doesn’t nurttu'e its young; it weeds out the weak through a
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violent and endless sorting. Three and four lifepath characters won°t quite l1ave their feet under them. Five and six lifepath characters will often be better able to meet the demands that adventure (and GMs) will put up on them. They are quite different fro1n humans, where four lifepatl1s is close to an optinium for a starting cl1aracter. It’s a rather
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long plateau, but once Ores survive past five lifepatl1s a11d/or a few adventures, they te11d to be incredibly potent—lots of physical points a11d a good l1ost of nasty skills to play with. ‘\-
It is difficult to incorporate Ores into a mixed party of Elves, Dwarves and Men. These Ores have a bad attitude and don°t get along well with others. However, it ea11 be done. I"ve seen some inspiring examples where
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Ores are part of a tapestry of civilized cultures in a game world, no better I"
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or worse off than any of their brethren. If that’s yotu' desire, simply shake the Tolkien out of yotu' head and think, “wiry, smart, tough bastards,” and you should be fine. Keep the Hatred, though. It°s just too fu11 not to play witli it.
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Welcome to the General Skill List. The descriptions of the majority of the skills from the lifepaths are found here. All character types may pick from this list when sp ending general skill points.
§ Skills 1 F
These skills are magical in nature. All tests made with these skills are open-ended—-—6s explode. They also have special rules and
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restrictions. Cheek them first before opening the skill. L
Restrictions Many skills have restrictions as to when they can be learned. Some skills are restricted to a certain stock in character binning. A skill restricted to a certain stock can only be learned or opened by characters of that stock or with the appropriate Fey Blood trait. -1.
Characters of another stock may not make Beginner°s Luck tests for the skill and may not open or advance this skill in character burning or in play.
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Fey Blood Traits Characters who have the Fey Blood trait may take traits that allow them to choose skills from other stocks. Sh.aped_ 'om Earth
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and Stone allows the player to choose Dwarf Only skills. First Born. allows the player to choose Elf Only skills. Loathsome and Tlvisted allows the player to choose Orc Only skills that are not rooted in Hatred. A character must l1ave Hatred to choose Hatred rooted skills. If a player uses Fey Blood to change his stock, he may not choose
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skills restricted to his original stock. He may only choose in the new stock. For example, if a Man takes Fey Blood: First Born, he may not take Mannish-o11ly skills.
Restricted in Character Burning Some skills are restricted in character burning. They may not be purchased or opened in cl1aracter burning. They may be learned it1 play. I reconnnend that instruction from a member of the native stock be required to learn these skills.
252
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The Lists
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Sorcerous -Skills be taught. It cannot be gained through Beginner°s Luck.
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The first test toward learning a Soreerous~type skill must
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Accountants keep track of expenses, ineo111e, stocks and taxes. This skill
Wises
is primarily used to recover taxed
There are so many different
Resources.
Wises, I did 11ot even attempt to describe them all. A general entry for them can be found in W, but
Obstacles: Calculating taxes for
by and large, the specifies are left
simple personal finances, Ob Z.
up to your imagination. All Wises
1\'Iaintaining a family°s income,
are rooted in Perception. When testing for a wise, if there is no risk of an interesting, compelling or i111portant failure, the GM should Say Yes to the request.
History
a single income, single residence individual, Ob 1. Maintaining
Ob 3. A small business’ books, Ob 4. An estate°s books, Ob 5. A large business‘ books, Ob 6. A townls books, Ob 7. A eity°s books, Ob 8. A provinee°s books, Ob 9. A nation’s books, Ob 10. FoRKs: Research, Reading, Administration, Estate Management
The history skills—tl1ougl1 they
Skill Type: Academic
are each a separate skill——are all
Tools: Yes.
lumped together rmder the History heading. This was done in an effort to save space and sanity.
Tools Tools are described as either Yes,
Acting
_
Eerception
The skill of imitation and recitation used to affect a performance. Obstacles: Mun1n1e1'y, Ob 1. Morality, Ob 2. Religious miracle, Ob 3. Religious mystery, Ob 4. Classics,
No, Traveling Gear or \Vorkshop. They may be additionally
FoRKs: Conspicuous, Falsehood
described as expendable. Skills
Skill Type: Special
require the appropriate item purchased with rps or Resources
Tools: No.
lest the character suffer a double obstacle penalty for all tests. \Vl1en using expendable tools, roll a Die of Fate each time they are used after the first. A result of 1
ilfftill an r r=-f=-3-. ‘-r
Ob 5.
Administration is the skill of running
a business or organization. This skill is primarily used to recover taxed
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Resources.
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Obstacles: lust you, Ob 1. A shop, Ob 2. Confraternity, Ob 3. Small
indicates the tools l1ave been used
commune, Ob 4. Small guild, Ob 5.
up and must be replenislled by the
Small secret society, Ob 6. Large
appropriate means: Resources, _t'_-__=-'
Scavenging, Foraging, etc.
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secret society, Ob 7. Small trading
nearly to the day. In addition, he ca11
concern, Ob 8. Large guild, Ob 9.
make accurate predictions about this season°s weather.
Giant trading concern, Ob 10. Skill Type: Special
Obstacles: General seasonal weather,
Tools: No.
Ob 1. Planting a11d harvest times, Ob 2. Reasonably accurate weather
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prediction, Ob 3. Festivals a11d
This is a specialized History skill
holidays, Ob Ll.
relating to the ages of the Etharchs.
Skill Type: Peasant
Obstacles: Etharchs of the current
Tools: No.
age, Ob 1. Etharchs of the Third Age, Ob 2; of the Second Age, Ob 3:,
Althing-wise
of the First Age, Ob 4; of the Years
Ambition-wise
of the Sun, Ob 5. Before the first
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Etharchs, Ob 6.
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Amercement is the knowledge of fees
Skill Type: Academic
Tools: No.
a11d criminal lines given as judicial
Restrictions: Elves only
punishment. Such amercements are almost always offered in place of
Alchemy
Retcepliotl
corporal pu11isl11nent, e.g. “Ye may
Alchemy is the distillation of
take 30 days i11 the stocks or ye may
materials in order to divine their
pay the court a fee.“ Using this skill
essence. Also, alchemists can create
the cl1aracter may set the Resources
mixtures of arcane substances to
obstacle for a line. The skill test
generate a specific effect.
obstacles indicate how accurate a11d
Obstacles: Distilling the essential
just the amount is according to the
compo11e11ts of earth, Ob 1; of water
law.
or liquid, Ob 2; of metal, Ob 3, of
Obstacles: Low justice (where
blood, Ob 4.
the punishment is only a fine),
FORKS: Enchanting, Herbalism,
Ob 2. Middle justice (where the
Apothecary, Munitions, Poisons
punishn1e11t would be amputation or
Skill Type: Sorcerous
branding or the amercement), Ob 3.
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Tools: Yes. Expendable.
High justice (crimes punishable by
Restrictions: Men only
death——like murder, adultery or
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grand larceny), Ob 5.
Eemeption
Skill Type: School of Thought
This particular a11d peculiar skill
Tools: No.
comprises a deep traditional and J‘"'- 4";ds_',._,I,__;_, ,_.=-_~-_~:_ '2,-._,. r~ -..}: ""|'l.l ‘FIT.
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historical knowledge of the seasons,
Ancient Languages
tides, weather, lunar phases and
Through this skill, the cl1aracter
other climatic phenomena. A
knows defunct languages
character with the Almanac skill
appropriate to the game setting.
ca11 always tell the time of year,
Use the mechanics for Foreign Languages. Skill Type: Academic T00lS: No.
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No enchantment will hold unless the
Anatomy is the study of the human
structure is of highest quality. Any
body°s internal functions a11d -
item created by any skill song can be
structure.
used. However, whether it°s a shoe or
Obstacles: Dog anatomy, Ob l.
a crown, the base obstacle to create
Superficial human anatomy,
the item is 5. If the obstacle would
Ob 2. Major human organs, Ob 3.
naturally be higher, use that instead.
Circulatory system, Ob '1. Proper
If the item is cheap or shoddy, it
human dissection, Ob 5.
simply will not hold the spell.
Skill Type: Academic
Tools: No, but see skill song.
Tools: No.
Restrictions: Elves only *Training Root is for Aptitude only.
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Animal Husbandry involves the raising, ca1'e and breeding of
Apothecaries use herbs, roots,
animals.
minerals and animalia to cure
Obstacles: Chickens, Ob 1. Pigs and
and prevent common and chronic
goats, Ob 2. Cows and horses, Ob 3.
ailments. Apothecaries may mitigate
Exotic animals, Ob '1. Tending
the symptoms of infection and
to wounds a11d illness, use the
illness, they may also alleviate
Field Dressing or Apothecary skill
wound die penalties.
obstacles.
Obstacles: Stop itching, Ob 2. Cure
Skill Type: Peasant
warts, Ob 3. Medicine to alleviate
Tools: Yes.
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Skill Type: Artisan
FORKS: Surgery, Field Dressing
Animal Hun sbanclry
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+1 Ob of pain, Ob 3. Medicine to
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numb an area, Ob 4: This reduces increases all obstacles by one a11d
Elven artisan to blend his crafts
lasts four hours.
or arts with spell songs. Any of the items or materials he creates via a skill so11g ca11 be imbued with the
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This specialized training allows the
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FORKS: Herbalism Skill Type: Medicinal Tools: Yes. Expendable.
power of a spell song.
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An artisan who wishes to enchant an item, must first create it with a
This skill is used to judge the value
skill so11g like Jewelcraft, Riddle of
or worth of certain items such
Steel or \Veaving Way. Once the item
as ewelry,gems, artwork and
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is created, the spell song must be
antiquities. The Appraisal skill can
sung. The singer has one chance to
be used by a player before testing his
transfer his power. The song is su11g
Resources to ensure that he is getting
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generated is imbued into the item,
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Obstacles: Coin and precious metals,
and active whenever the item is used.
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according to its rules, but the effect
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Ob l. Gems, Ob 2. Tapestries, Ob 3. Armaments, Ob 3. Antiquities,
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a proposed structure, attempt to
drugs, candles, Ob 6. If something is magical, add +1 Ob penalty to
draw structural plans for an extant
appraisal.
building or use existing plans and designs to navigate buildings and
FORKS: Appropriate wises, academic,
structures.
artisan or craftsman skills Skill Type: Special
Obstacles: Simple plans like a
Tools: No.
cottage, Ob 1. A longhouse, Ob 2. Two story structure, Ob 4. Tower,
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Ob 5. Complex or weird designs
This blanket entry is provided so the
like temples, Ob 6. Non-Euclidean
player may choose any and all of the
Geometric Designs of the Outer
weapons appropriate to his lifepaths,
Gods, Ob 10.
cl1aracter concept and game setting.
FoRKs: Engineer, Mason, Carpenter
See the listing for the individual weapons obstacles and roots.
Skill Type: Academic Tools: W/orkshop.
AtcM A1'cl1c1'aft is a comprehensive
To the unaccustomed, armor is
discipline teaching the principles of
heavy, hot and uncomfortable.
botl1 architecture and engineering.
Characters without Armor Training
Using this broad skill, Elven artisans
who wear light mail suffer +1 Ob
create halls of sweeping beauty and
penalty to all tests. \Yearing heavy
depth. Combined with Antiphon
mail or heavier without Armor
Union and various spell songs, this
Training incurs a +2 Ob penalty.
skill can be used to create enchanted
Armor Training mitigates these
dwellings for the Elves. The following are but a few examples:
penalties completely. Clumsy Weiglit penalties still apply.
Using Song of Arbors, buildings can
Skill Type: Martial Training
be constructed to weave in and out
T00lS: No.
of ancient trees; with Alarm, certain
‘Training Root is for Aptitude only.
gates will warn of intruders; with Weatl1e1'song, an atrium can be built
Armorer
so it predicts the coming weather.
This specialized and dedicated craft is used to manufacture personal
Obstacles: Simple arch, Ob 1. Small
protection worn by soldiers in battle. The skill’s knowledge base is diverse, encompassing aspects of a
gate, Ob 2. Large gate, Ob 3. Chamber, Ob ‘-1. Domed hall, Ob 5.
FoRKs: Woodcraft, Stonecraft -r-
Skill Type: Artisan
blacksmith, a tailor and a tanner.
Tools: Work shop.
Obstacles: Gambeson, skull cap
Restrictions: Elves only 9
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or leather hood: Ob 1. Reinforced E
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leather armor, light helmet, pot helm: Ob 2. Light mail,
Architects possess knowledge of the
spangenhelm: Ob 3. Heavy mail,
design and construction of complex
open-faced bascinet, barbute: Ob 4.
structures, such as buildings, arches
Plated mail, sallet, closed bascinet:
and bridges. This skill can be used in game to draw accurate plans of
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The La: Ob 5. Full plate, great helm: Ob 6.
catapult or traction trebuchet, Ob 3.
Target, Ob 1. Buckle1', Ob 2. Great
Counterweight t1'ebucl1et, Ob 3.
Shield, Ob 3. Kite, Ob 4.
Catapult, Ob ‘I.
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FORKS: Blacksmith, Sewing, Tanner
Skill Type: Craftsman
use black powder weapons, the Artillerist skill can be used to cover
Tools: Workshop.
the manufacture and operation of
Army-wise
Arson
Alternate Rule: In campaigns that
cannons, bombards and shot. lf
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This skill allows the cl1aracter to use common household items to quickly set a building on fire.
this is the case for your game, use
Munitions to manufacture bombs and powder. FORKS: Engineer, Architect
Obstacles: Thatched cottage, Ob 1.
Skill Type: Military
Munitions dump or powder 1'oom,
Tools: Workshop.
Ob 2. House, Ob 3. Manor, Ob ‘-1.
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Fortress, Ob 5. Prison, Ob 6.
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Dwarven artillerists and engineers
Catacombs, Ob 7. Castle, Ob 8.
are always in short supply.
Skill Type: Special Tools: Yes. Expendable.
Therefore, when the Host is on the march, Arbalesters are assigned
Restrictions: Men and Roden only in character burning
to crew the army°s war engines. This skill allows the character to
Artificer—wise
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assemble and dismantle artillery
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Artillerists use basic physics and mathematics topped with some healthy guesswork to lob indirectfire projectiles from war machines. They also know the designs for constructing various war engines. Actual construction requires teams of laborers and at least one carpenter.
pieces, as well as fire direct—fire type mechanisms like siege crossbows or ballistae. Effectively operating indirect—fire artillery requires the Artillerist skill. FORKS: Artille1'ist
Skill Type: Special Tools: Yes. Restrictions: Dwarves only in -I-.
cl1aracter burning
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Obstacles: Carving shot from stone, Ob 1. Scavenging suitable shot,
The study of the stars, the planets
Ob 2. Building a small traction
and the zodiac—astrology is a deep
trebuchet, Ob 2. Building a large traction trebuchet, Ob 3. Building
and ancient science that describes
a small catapult, Ob ‘I. Building a
the relations of the celestial sphere to the terrestrial. H‘-3'; ""'"-a --L
counterweight trebuchet or siege
Astrology may be FoRKed with
crossbow, Ob 5. Building a large catapult, Ob 6. Ranging shots
or physical type. However, the
(aka hitting the broadside of a
Astrology FORK die is different from
barn): Siege crossbow, Ob Z. Small
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other FORKS: The die is open-ended.
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But unlike standard open—ended dice, it open-ends botl1 ways. 6s are
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rerolled as per the normal open—end rules, but 1s are open-ended as
Ob 3. Seeing a die or call-on trait,
well. If a 1 is rolled, reroll the die.
Ob 4. Sensing a person’s intent (to
If the second roll is a failure, then a
deceive, for example), Ob 4. Seeing
success is subtracted from the result.
a11 Instinct, Ob 6. Seeing a Belief,
For a less risky roll, use this skill as
Ob 7. Seeing a character’s past,
a linked test toward any endeavor or
Ob 8. Seeing a character°s future,
gambit. In this case do 11ot use the
Ob 9. Reading an object to see if it is
open-ended die.
magical or mundane, Ob 1. Reading
FORKS: Doctrine, Symbology.
a school of magic, Ob 2. Deciphering
Obstacles: Naming the stars and
a facet of a spell or enchantment
constellations, Ob 1. Constructing
(impetus, trigger, effect, breadth,
a person°s horoscope, Ob 2.
duration etc.), Ob 3. Naming a spell
Determining the auspices of
as it is being cast, Ob 6. Detecting
beginning an enterprise, Ob 3.
the presence and nature of a spirit, Ob is 10 minus spirit°s Strength.
Calling upon the stars to answer a
Skill Type: Sorcerous
question, Ob 4. Interpreting celestial
Tools: No.
phenomena or omens, Ob 5. Skill Type: Academic
Tools: Yes.
This skill teaches the character how
Restrictions: Men only
r
to use one— and two—handed axes
_
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to chop Off arms, legs and heads in battle. The Axe skill can be used to
The manufacture and maintenance
make blade strikes with the weapon,
of crossbows.
Obstacles: Crossbow, Ob 2. Heavy
as well as strikes with the haft.
crossbow, Ob 3. Hand crossbow,
FORKS: Brawling, Martial Arts or appropriate melee weapon skills
Ob 4. Siege crossbow, Ob 5.
Skill Type: Martial
FORKS: Bowyer, Blacksmith, Carpenter
Tools: An axe.
Skill Type: Craftsman
Tools: Workshop.
B This is the talent to read an aura
Back Alley-wise
and see within it the present, future
Bad End-wise
and past. Au1'a readers can decipher gossamer veils of emotion, deception,
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clarity and purpose. This skill does
His bread, flatcakes and pastries
not grant the character the ability
make the baker an important fixture
to sec auras. That ability must be
is
in any civilized town.
acquired through a trait, prayer or
Obstacles: Peasant bread, Ob 1.
spell.
Flatcakes, Ob 2. Nice bread, Ob 2.
Obstacles: Detecting if the subject
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253
Pastry Mechanics, Ob 4.
another, Ob 1. Reading an aura
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Cream-filled buns, Ob 3. Advanced
is alive, dead, from this plane or
FORKS: Cooking
trait (like Aura of Fear), Ob 1.
Skill Type: Peasant
Reading mood (angry, calm, etc.),
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Elves learn their history and that of
WIS’
Years of traiiiiiig are required to
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many others in mnemonic songs.
fine-tune the sensitive taste of a
Obstacles: Events of the current age, ()b 1; ef the T1111-(1 Age, Ob 2; of the
di5C@1'11i11g DW31'f- But 01166 lloned? said taste can determine the type of
Second Age, Ob 3; First Age, Ob 4;
grain used, the type and length of
of the Years of the Sun, Ob 5; of the (jreatiaa and befel-e time, Ob 6_
the b1'6Wi11g@ 110W 10115 it 1185 b13611 ill the cask and even the wood of the
FORKS: Any appropriate history or
barrel.
Wise skill or song
Obstacles: Dwarven brews, Ob 1.
Skill Type: Academic
Mannish swill, Ob 2. Rat wine, Ob 3.
Tools: No.
Elven crap, Ob 4. Orcish puke, Ob 5.
Restrictions: Elves only
FoRKs: Grain Appraisal, Nogger Skill Type: Craftsman
Banner-wise
Tools: No.
Bannerinan—wise
Restrictions: Dwarves only in
Baawise
character burning.
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Beer-wise
Channeling his mind-nunibiiig rage, the Gate Forger is able to
,_
will
Begging can elicit a few coins from
create terrifying edifices. This skill
the victim (lD of cash). It may also
blends Architect and Engineer for
be used to replenish taxed Resources
the purpose of creating the looming
Obstacles, Typically: Obstacles are
tower fortresses in which the Orcs
aqua] to the Viatinfa \Vi]1_ Awal-(1
dwell. Also, using this skill, O1-cs
advantage diaa ta a aaaviaaina
((1?
may corrupt or adopt caves or
baggan
tgjipafihia
pi'e—existing towers and turn them into something more suitable to the
FORKS, persuasion? Falsehood,
jag?
Soothing pjatitudaa E
hoi'de’s taste. All tests are open—
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Obstacles: Trench, Ob 1. Battlefield
Skill Type: Social
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Tools: NO.
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Bird Husbandry is the art of raising
, . Mannish structures to something more Olvhkej Ob 1. Convert
Obstacles: Chickens, Ob 1. Pigeons,
FORKS: Siege Engineer Skill Type: Artisan Tools: Work shop.
and caring for our avian friends.
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Restrictions: Ores only
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fortifications, Ob 2. Palisade wall, Ob 3- Small {Owen Ob 4. Convert
Dwarven structiires, Ob 2. Defile Elven St1_uCtm_es1 Ob 3.
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A blacksmith forges iron and steel
Orcs with this skill know the power structure and inner workings of
tools, implements and weapons.
their clanis legion and other legions
This is an arduous and time-
in the region.
consuming task, i'equiriIig tools and
FORKS: Oi'c—wise
a workshop. Blacksmith can also be
Skill Type: \Vise
used to replenish taxed Resources if the cliai'acter can find a suitable
Tools: Yes.
Black Metal Artifice§ \X/ill./Agility This is the skill with which Dwai'ves
place to ply his trade. Obstacles: Nails, Ob 1. I-Iorseslioes, knives, stiri'ups, arrowheads: Ob 2.
create all their mundane and
Spear tips, plow: Ob 3. Simple
household metals. However, the
tools (Cooking, Blacksmith), Ob 3.
Artificers know a secret or two and
Swords, Ob 4. Complex tools
may imbue even their pots and
(Surgery, Astrology), Ob 5.
horseslioes with intense quality.
FORKS: Arniorer, lveaponsmitli
Using the obstacles listed below, a
Skill Type: Craftsman
Dwarf can create various tool kits.
Tools: Workshop.
if he so desires, he may increase his obstacles by +2 Ob and grant the
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final product a special +1D bonus to
Bloodletters believe that when
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all skill tests in which the tools are
a person is ill, his blood is
used.
contaminated with disease and ;imp11rit;ies. By draining blood from
Obstacles: Horseshoes, Ob 1. Mason,
the system, the bloodletter seeks to
Stone Ai't, Cooking, Blacksmith, Black Metal Art tools: Ob 2.
purify him.
Armorer, \Veaponsmith, \Yar Art
Obstacles: See the Anatomy of Injury chapter.
tools, Ob 3. Khirurgeon’s tools, Ob 4. FORKS: \Vhite Metal Artifice, \Vai' Art
FORKS: Apotliecai' y, Surgery
Skill Type: Craftsman
Skill Type: Medicinal Tools: Yes.
Tools: Workshop. Restrictions: Dwarves only
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This skill allows the character to construct small watercraft, including canoes, dugouts, barges and planked and tarred longboats. Obstacles: Repair or retarring, Ob 1. Dugout, skiff or raft, Ob 2. Rowboat
.
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all attack, defense, basic and special actions. Use the skill in place of
The bow is a simple, effective, tension—drawn we apon that launches thin shafts at high velocity. This skill allows characters to use said device
are described in the Fight and
as a weapon in battle.
Weapons chapters.
Obstacles: Rules for hitting targets with bows are detailed in the Range
and Cover and Fight chapters. Skill Type: Martial Tools: A bow.
B
El,
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FORKS: Brawling or an appropriate melee weapon skill Skill Type: Martial
Tools: No.
Brawling
_
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Bow.-.1;
Brawling is the “undisciplined” side
An Elven bowman learns more than
of ba1'e-fisted combat. Brawling
just how to fell an opponent with a
grants access to attack, defense
shaft. For years he trains to discover
and basic actions, but not special
the very heart and soul of the bow.
actions. Using the Brawling skill
When he joins the ranks of his fellow
in place of Power for the Lock and
protectors, the Bowyer comes forth
Push actions. Brawlers may also use
with his own personally crafted
“found weapons.” Found weapons
weapon—a product of a decade of
include: clubs, brooms, lamps,
leai'niiig and labor. This skill counts
rocks, sharp pieces of glass, towels and pencils. These count as melee
as Bowyer and Fletcher. Obstacles: Hunting bow, Ob 2. Great bow, Ob 3. Horse bow, Ob 4. Elven Bow, Ob 6. Arrows and flights, Oh 2.
weapons but rely on the Brawling skill rather than a weapons skill. Obstacles: The obstacles for Brawling
FORKS: \Voodci'aft
ai'e described in the Figlit and
Skill Type: Craftsman
Weapons chapters.
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
FORKS: Boxing, or melee weapon skill
Restrictions: Elves only
Bowyer
.
Bursa
from suitable wood. He also knows
Cavernous horns are sounded before
how to make bowstrings from gut.
the Oi'cs join battle. The horns strike
Obstacles: Making arrows, Ob 1.
one note: Despair. If the Despair
Making a hunting bow, Ob 2.
Shouters exceed the mean Will of
Making longbow or great bow, Ob 3.
their opponents, their margin of
FORKS: Carpeiiter, Carving
success is added to their opponents’
Skill Type: Craftsman
hesitation for the duration of the
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Tools: Yes. Expendable. E,
ended. Skill Type: Musical
This is the blanket term used to describe all ti‘ained, unarmed
i§?‘*i‘:.
Tools: Yes, the brazen hornl Restrictions: Orcs only
“martial arts.“ Boxing and Martial
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Arts skills allow a character to use
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Skill Type: Martial Tools: No.
A Bowyer creates bows and arrows
B.u1|.]a|]
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grinds grain to ferment into alcohol.
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Obviously, this practice requires a
Obstacles: Locating a bureau or
mill (or at least some ground grain)
office, Ob 1. Filing forms, Ob 3.
and a vat, if not an actual brewery.
Foi'ming a committee, Ob 4. Finding
Obstacles: Peasant brew, Ob 1.
a coherent policy, Ob 5. Locating
Priestis brew, Ob 2. Mei'chant’s brew,
a mid-level bureauci'at, Ob 6.
Ob 3. Nobles’ brew, Ob 4. Amount:
Obtaining useful information in a
for home, no penalty; for a small
timely manner, Ob 7. Finding Lord
hostel, +1 Ob; for a tavern or pub,
Julius, Ob 8.
+2 Ob; for a brewery, +3 Ob.
FORKS: Research, Etiquette, Soothing
FORKS: Miller
Platitudes, Falsehood
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: Workshop
Skill Type: Special Tools: No.
Butchery
Bribe-wise |B[1;1;al |1] 1]]1'd3f1'Q1]§
I-I:-itred
The most cunning and brutal of Orcs learn how to channel their own inner fires to cow their brethren.
Hatred. All tests ai'e open—ended. FORKS: Torture (when applicable), Interrogation
edible oi'tions. P Obstacles: Fowl, small game: Ob 1.
Monster, Ob 5. Human, Ob 6. Skill Type: Peasant Tools: Yes.
Tools: No.
_
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Restrictions: Oi'cs only
Cadence~wise
Burden of the Crown-wise
is
Bureaucracy c
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Wilt
Bureaucracy is the knowledge of
P
the hierarchies within a codified
as the Hunting skill. FORKS: Song of Paths and lvays, Rhyme of Rules
impel the bureaucracy to move in a certain direction. Often it involves filling out lots of forms, researching
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Skill Type: Peasant
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This skill allows characters to to accomplish certain tasks or
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202
carve an animal or carcass into
Skill Type: Social
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horse, Ob 3. Exotic animal, Ob 4.
Intimidation skill, rooted from
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Bntchei's know how to kill, cut and
Pig, lamb, goat, Ob 2. Cow, deer,
Brutal Intimidation is a special
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Tools: Yes. Restrictions: Elves only
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Simple sea charts, Ob 5. Detailed sea Calligraphy is a formal, stylized
charts, Ob 6. Topographical maps,
handwriting that is required for
Ob 7.
communicating with religious, royal
FORKS: Calligraphy, Illumination
or governmental bodies. Obstacles: Signature or identifying
Skill Type: Academic Tools: Yes. Expendable.
mark, Ob 1. Formal letter, Ob 2.
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Sacred texts, Ob 3. Imitating writing
Cartwriglits build wheeled
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style, Ob 4. Imitating sacred style,
conveyances to be hauled by
Ob 5.
animals.
FORKS: Write
Cargo-wise
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Obstacles: \Vheelbarrow or puslicart,
Skill Type: Academic Tools: Yes.
Campaign-Wise
,,
.
Ob 1. Rickshaw or two—wheeled cart, Ob 2. Four-wheeled wagon, Ob 3. litney, Ob 4. Carriage, Ob 5. FORKS: Carpentry
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: \ll/orkshop
A carpenter can select suitable trees, cut the lumber and use it to
Carving is the careful shaping and
build structures, implements and
engraving of wood.
furniture. Carpentry is a great way
Obstacles: Simple carving or shape,
to replenish taxed Resources.
Ob 1. Wood blocks with pictograms,
Obstacles: Simple box or shelf, Ob 1.
Ob 2. Complex carving or shape, Ob 3.
Cup, bowl, stool, ladder: Ob 2. \Yall,
FORKS: Carpentry, Etching,
table, chair, cabinets: Ob 3. A slatted
Engraving
floor, Ob 4. A wooden staircase, Ob 5.
I,
Skill Type: Craftsman
FORKS: Engineer, Carving
Tools: Traveling Gear
Skill Type: Craftsman
Cave-In~wise
Tools: \Yorkshop
n Cave-wise Cartography is the school of map-
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making. This skill imparts a hand
it
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for illustration and an eye for detail.
Chandler
And since Cartography is somewhat
The Chandler skill allows characters
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a language of its own, this skill also
to make candles from wax and tallow.
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allows the interpretation of other
Obstacles: Single use candle from
maps.
fat, Ob 1. Single use candle f1'0I11
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Obstacles: Simple local, rural area
wax, Ob 2. Multi—use candle, Ob 3.
T-ggiw -
maps, Ob 1. Detailed rural area
Candle of hours, Ob 4. Pope candles,
Ob 5. Skill Type: Craftsman
maps, Ob 2. Simple urban maps, Ob 3. Detailed urban maps, Ob 4.
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
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Cheating-Wise This Dwarf knows the long and
sordid past of the various clans——
Child-Rearing is used to raise
their oaths, grudges, great works
children with the proper values and
of art and the probable size of their
manners. The skill can also be used
hoards and halls.
as Instruction, Cooking and Field Dressing, but only for the benefit of
Obstacles: General history and well-known names, Ob 1. Grudges,
children.
Ob 2. Oaths, Ob 3. Obscure deeds or
Obstacle: Will of the child or as
names, Ob 4.
appropriate skill.
Skill Type: Academic
Skill Type: Social
Tools: No.
Tools: No.
Restrictions: Dwarves only in
Chronology_nI_Kings_Reic.epii:i1i
character burning
A ballad of history, telling the story
Clan-wise
of all the great Dwarven kings, their
Climbing
deeds and their riches.
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navigate sheer surfaces using rope,
Ob 2. Princes and kings of old, Ob 3.
harnesses and really strong finger
Original kings, Ob 4. Oatlibreaking
muscles. In addition, rougher
kings and princes, Ob 5. Cowardly
surfaces can be scaled with bare
princes and kings, Ob 6. Adventurer
hands.
princes and kings, Ob 7.
Obstacles: Easy climb (a rocky hill,
FORKS: Ancient and Obscure History
a tree or a fence), Ob 1. Moderate
Skill Type: Academic
climb (inclined rock wall, a treacherous tree), Ob 2. Difficult
Ch ,_.__1_!!'(_‘.l'1 Law
U
Perception
This is a specialized legal skill
climbing), Ob 5. Suicidal climb (bad
law. Church Law is quite different
conditions, overhangs, ice), Ob 7.
than civil or courtly law. The punishments for crimes are religious in nature, not monetary or corporal.
is . (fa) .,,,
climb (straight rock wall), Ob 3.
Dangerous climb (sheer rock wall), Ob 4. Impossible climb (ice
dealing only with ecclesiastical
'
FORKS: Knots, Rigging Skill Type: Physical Tools: Yes. Expendable.
Obstacles: Iurisdiction, Ob 1. Sentencing, Ob 2. Calling a council or issuing edict or bull, Ob 3. System
The fine art of dyeing cloth and
of tithe, Ob 4. Interpreting scripture, Ob 5.
Obstacles: Red, orange, yellow, green,
making the color keep. brown, gray, Ob 1. Blue and purple,
Skill Type: School of Thought
Ob 2. Crimson and scarlet, Ob 3.
Tools: No.
Black, Ob 4. Royal purple, Ob 5.
Citadel-wise
FORKS: Herbalism, Vintner
City-wise
Skill Type: Craftsman
Tools: Yes. ""—I.
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Ob 1. Your current king or prince,
Tools: No.
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This skill allows the character to
Obstacles: Your clan°s noble lineage,
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Will.
This bizarre social art is apparently a method of coercion and persuasion
Cnmmand e
I Will
Command is the ability to deliver curt and effective orders on the field
among Dwarvenkind and consists
of battle. A character’s “command
of a lot of backslapping, grinning
radius” only stretches as far as the
and reassurances: “Come on! You°ll
sound of his voice—a fairly short
love it.” That otl1er folk often find
distance on thebattlefield. But to
it charming and endearing is one of
those around them, a commander
Obstacles: Command can be used
victim°s Will. Obstacle increases
to negate hesitation of characters
for 1'eally outlandish requests and
in battle. The obstacle is the
proposals.
amount of hesitation. Margin of
FORKS: Intimidation, Interrogation,
success is subtracted from all
Ugly Truth Skill Type: Social Tools: No. Restrictions: Dwarves only
hesitation Within the Commanding
s
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can be a great boon.
the wonders of the WOI'l(l.
Obstacles: Obstacle is equal to the
Cobbler
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character°s presence. Obviously, the Commanding character can°t be hesitating during this. In the Range
Perldgi
Shoes, glorious shoes. The Cobbler makes all types of foot coverings, from the utilitarian to the
and Cover mechanics, a Command
test vs the highest Will on your team may count as a linked test for the team members’ field maneuvers. FoRKs: Oratory, Conspicuous
fashionable. Obstacles: Sandals or sabots, Ob 1. Shoes, Ob 2. Boots or fashionable shoes, Ob 3. Extravagant courtly fashion, Ob 4.
Skill Type: Social
Tools: No. C‘3111P‘35itl“n Twill/P3! Composition is the discipline of L
formally arranging one’s ideas in
Skill Type: Craftsman
Written form. Using this skill, a
Tools: Yes. Expendable. C
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This is a specialized natural magic skill that is similar to Etiquette. The Elves’ long years allow them to delve deep into the culture of a place and people. Wlien dealing With any Citadel-born Elf, Code of
the Citadels may be used in place of
cl1aracter may compose lengthy
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books or pen erudite letters.
list
Obstacles: Letter, Ob 1. Essay, Ob 2. Editorial, Ob 3. Book, Ob 4.
l‘T‘~ lll rui
FoRKs: Write, Research and skills
applicable to the content
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Skill Type: Academic
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Tools: Yes. Expendable.
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Per,/A gi Similar to a Blacksmith or Wliite-
skill can make themselves noticed above all in a crowd or scene.
smith, a Coppersmith specializes in the use of copper.
Obstacles: Attracting attention to
Obstacles: Roof tiles, Ob l. Bowls and cups, Ob 2. Coins, Ob 3. Cooking
oneself in a crowded room, Ob l. In a busy shop, Ob 2. On a busy
tools, Ob 3.
street, Ob 3. In a massive, gathered
FoRKs: Blacksmith, Whitesmith
crowd, Ob 4. In a pitched battle,
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: Workshop.
Ob 5. FORKS: Command, Oratory
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Skill Type: Social T 1 N
Counterfeiting is the tinie—honored
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either clipping coins or cutting dies
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impoi'tant, Ob 5.
to replicate printed material.
Obstacles: Coin clipping, Ob l. Die stamps, Ob 3. Coins, Ob 4. Printed material, Ob 5—lO depending on 1 _ comp exity. FORKS: Forgery, \Vhitesmith, Al 1 E 1 _ ciemy, tc iing Ski“ Type: Craftsman T
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PETERS: Herbalism, Apothecary,
Cr0p_wise
acing Skill Type: Peasant
Crossbow
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The crossbow is a mechanical, tension-drawn missile weapon. The
Tools: Traveling Gear
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A Cooper uses iron, wood and wax to make barrels to store wine, grain and other sundries necessary for the survival of the village.
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Obstacles: Barrel staves, Ob l. Barrel
are very powerful weap ons, however,
hoops, Ob 2. Barrel lids, Ob 3.
they are slow to load and difficult
Watertight barrels, Ob 4.
to manufacture. The Crossbow skill
FoRKs: Carpenter
allows the character to this weapon
Skill Type: Peasant
in battle situations. Consult the
Tools: Workshop.
Range and Cover and Fight chapters. Skill Type: Martial Tools: Yes, a crossbow.
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Demoriology
,
Perception
devils. This is an academic skill that
set the obstacle to decipher with
does not necessarily involve the act
Research or Ci'yptograpliy.
of summoning. Obstacles: Identifying spirit activity as opposed to magic or a prank,
Obscure History
Skill Type: Academic Tools: No.
Ob 1. Identifying type of spirit (named, unnamed, lessei', greater, dead, deity, etc.): Ob 2. Identifying
_
type of summoning (circle, blood
This skill allows the character to
calling, binding, unwanted, etc.):
use short, single—l1anded and long,
Ob 3. Identifying a spirit°s price,
double-lianded blunt implements
Ob 4. Identifying a spirit°s powers oi
(aka clubs and staffs) as weapons. Obstacles: See the Fight chapter.
abilities, Ob 5. FORKS: Ancient and Obscure History,
FORKS: Brawling, Martial Arts, Boxing, or any melee weapon skill
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Obstacle: Cryptog1'apl1y successes
Cudgel
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Summoning, Doctrine Skill Type: Academic
Skill Type: Martial
TOOIS: NO.
Tools: Yes, a big stick.
DignityI of the 1 §
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Dignity of the Wilderlands is an
Daily Bread-wise
exploration of the culture and ritual
The art of moving the body in time
Etiquette when dealing with Wilder-
of the Elves of the Wilderlands. This skill song may be used in place of
with rhythm in an expressive n1aiinei'.
born Elves.
Obstacles: Simple folk dance, Ob l.
Skill Type: Social
Proper, polite dance, Ob 2. Formal or seductive dance, Ob 3. Complex
FORKS: Acting, Seduction
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Restrictions: Elves only
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or ritualistic dance, Ob 4. Arcane or cabalistic dance, Ob 5.
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Skill Type: Physical
another person or ethnicity.
Tools: No.
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Obstacle: Dz'sg'm'se gentler, Ob 1.
Darkened Streets-wise
Dfsgm'se social class: City dweller,
Darkness—wise
Ob 1; Merchant or priest, Ob 2.
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Peasant, Ob 3. Noble or wizard, Ob 4. Disguise stock: Man/Orc,
Ob 2; Dwarf/Man, Ol‘C/T1‘Oll, 0111/ Roden, Ob 3; Roden/Man, Elf/
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FORKS: Symbology, Astrology, ,
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Skill Type: Special
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holes in the ground.
Obstacles: Grave, Ob 1. Latrine,
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Ob 2. Trench, Ob 3. Mass grave or
contains the terrible laws of the
pit, Ob 4. Moat, Ob 5.
Servantls Cult—whoni they serve
Skill Type: Peasant
and why.
Tools: Yes.
Obstacles: Destruction, Ob 1.
llO_cJ1ine
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Madness, Ob 2. The Powers of the
Doctrine describes the tenets and
Master, Ob 3. The Void, Ob 4. Self-
beliefs of a particular i'eligious faith.
Abnegation, Ob 5.
A character may only take the
FORKS: Sei'vant—wise
following variations if they were
Skill Type: School of Thought
available on his lifepaths or through
Tools: No.
geiiei'al skill points:
Restrictions: Orcs only in character
Cult Doctrine is the application of
burning
a belief system to a 11oi1—standai'd,
Drama~wise
unapproved or independent school of thought. Foreign Doctrine is the knowledge or study of an accepted popular religion
versus test between drinkers.
Heretical Doctrine is the
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fi'on1 another land or culture.
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Drinking is skill of getting drunk
Skill Type: Special
understanding and knowledge of a
Tools: NO.
set of beliefs and tenets that ai'e an offshoot of the popular religion but
nanng
are not commonly accepted by the
Motivating a team of oxen or horses
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religious power structure.
is an arduous task that requires skill
Obstacles: Common, popular beliefs,
and a certain delicacy. The Driving
Ob 1. Citing relevant passages
skill is used for inaneuvei'iiig carts
fi'on1 common i'eligious texts, Ob 2.
and carriages over roads.
Naming an obscure saint, Ob 3.
Obstacles: Use this skill in place of
FORKS: Philosophy
Riding when deterniining pursuit
Skill Type: School of Thought
or the celei'ity of travel. It would
Tools: No.
also be used in the i'ai'e case of field maneuvers involving carts and
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the curing of skins, carving of
Dwai'ven children are taught to
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decipher and inscribe i'uiies from a
the n1anufactiii'e of percussion
very young age. This skill counts as
instruments.
both Read and \Vrite for Dwarves.
Obstacle: Small hand drum, Ob 1.
Obstacle: As for Read and W'i'ite.
Bhadran or tabor, Ob 2. Timbrel
FORKS: History skills, Chronology of Kings
Ob 4.
Skill Type: Academic
FORKS: Carpentry
Tools: Yes, writing only. Expendable.
Skill Type: Craftsman
Restrictions: Dwarves only in
Tools: No.
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The Di'um Maker skill involves
or tambourine, Ob 3. Kettle di'um,
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Dwarves can really put it away. They doift try to hide their inebriation, either. They drink to get i'oai'iiig drunk. And they let everyone know
it. Use this skill when a Dwarf needs to get drunk and loud quickly. The
Dye Manufacture teaches where to find materials and how to convert natural substances into dyes. Obstacle: Common colors, Ob 1. Exotic colors, Ob 2. Royal colors, Ob 3. Skill Type: Ci'aftsinai1 Tools: Yes. Expendable.
moi'e successes, the fastei' he gets
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drunk. This is not meant to imply that he needs less alcohol than another, less skilled drinker. On the contrary, he needs more, in bigger cups, faster! Obstacles: Make a versus test between
A Dwarf with this skill can tell the from and generally how old it is.
you and your friends for getting
Skill Type: Wise
di'ui1k the fastest. And Di'uiiking vs
Tools: No.
Perception for app earing sober to your wife, superior or the guards.
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FORKS: Beer—wise
Elven Artifact-wise
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Skill Type: Special
Elven Art-wise
teas kg;-1: ii,
Tools: No. (Unless you count beer.) Restrictions: Dwarves only
Elven Blade-wise
Dwarf-wise
Elven Citadel-wise
Dwarven Art-wise
Elven Ranger-wise
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Enchanting is a school of magic that
of reading and writing into one
instructs the sorcerer on techniques
literacy skill. Elven culture is more
for inibuiiig seemingly mundane
disciplined in educating its youth
objects with wondrous and magical
than nearly any other.
properties.
Obstacle: As for Read and Ylirite.
Obstacle: See the Enchanting chapter
Skill Type: Academic
in Magic Burner.
Tools: Yes, writing only. Expendable. Restrictions: Elves only in character
Skill Type: Sorcerous
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
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Engineers ai'e leai'ned men. They An einbroiderer stitches designs into cloth.
possess the knowledge of the myriad factors used in designing and
Obstacles: Simple embellishment,
constructing complex structui'es.
Ob 1; Fancy dress, Ob 3; Complex
Usually engineers direct a team of
patterns, Ob 4; Ornate Finei'y, Ob 5.
masons, carpenters, blacksniitlis
FORKS: Sewing, \Yeaver
and laborers in the construction of a
Skill Type: Craftsman
building or bridge.
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
Obstacles: Determining load on structui'al wall of simple building, Ob 1. \Yall, obelisk or column, Ob 2.
Empyrealia is the study of the hierarchies, courts, and denizens of the celestial halls of light.
FORKS: Architect, Mason, Carpenter
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Demonology.
Tools: Yes.
Obstacles: Identifying spirit activity as opposed to magic or a prank,
Ensmlins
Ob 1. Identifying type of spirit
Engraving is the careful art of
(named, unnamed, lesse1', greater, dead, deity, ctc.): Ob 2. Identifying type of summoning (circle, blood
stone. Obstacles: Simple low reliefs, Ob 1. Complex low reliefs, Ob 2. Simple high reliefs, Ob 3. Mezzo-relievo,
Skill Type: Academic Tools: N0
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any ritual type skill
270 ska’
Ob 4. Complex high reliefs, Ob 5. FORKS: Etching, Mason
FORKS: Doctrine, Summoning and
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carving symbols into unyielding
Ob 3. Identifying a spirit’s price, Ob 4. Identifying a spirit°s powers or
it
2 is s __Aa'1iI:-r
calling, binding, unwanted, etc.):
abilities, Ob 5.
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Stone arch, Ob 3. Stone bridge, Ob 4. Dome, Ob 5. Fortress gate, Ob 6.
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Ensuring that an estate—its workers, animals, rolling stock and crops— are all well managed and tended to is a demanding and tedious task.
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stone is a special art. Obstacles: Trench or pit, Ob 1. Small foundation, ()1; 2_ Shallow mine shaft or hurried tunnel, Ob 3.
Obstacles: Managing a household,
Moderate foundation, Ob 4. Mine
Ob 1; Manor, Ob 2. Fortress, Ob 3.
shaft, Ob 5. Canal or moat, Ob 6.
Castle, Ob 4.
Large foundation or tunnel, Ob 7.
Skill Type: Special
Deep mine shaft, Ob 8. Massive
Tools: Nothing but an estate.
foundation or tunnel, Ob B. Clearing a rockfall or cave-in, Ob 4. Clearing
Estate-wise
a bad collapse, Ob 7.
_
FORKS: Mining, Prospecting,
Etching is the delicate skill of scratching indelible symbols into
Engineering
metal.
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: Yes.
Obstacles: Burnisliing, Ob 1.
Restrictions: Dwarves only
Embossing simple pattern, Ob 2.
Extortion
Inlaying a simple pattern, Ob 3. Embossing 3 Clgl pgex pattern’ Ob 4' amascemng, . FORKS: Etching, Whitesmith
_
will
Extortion is a popular skill at parties! Using it you can threaten friends and enemies alike so they pay you to remain safe and healthy.
Skill Type: Craftsman
Makes a great way to recover taxed
Tools: \Yorkshop.
Resources.
Etharch—Wise Eliqlleill
an-_._
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and quickly removing rock, dirt and
recover taxed Resources.
.
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For Dwarves, delving into the earth
The primary use of this skill is to
Etching
-
Obstacles: Extortion can be used in _
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Etiquette is proper courtly behavior. one Cannot make mquests of the Court Without knowing the appropriate social rituals. Obstacles: Propei‘ etiquette for a minor lord, Ob 1. Proper etiquette for a baronial lord, Ob 2. For a ducal
the Duel of Wits. Outside of those i'ules the obstacle for an Extortion
.
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test is the Will exponen of the victim plus any situational disadvantages. FORKS: Intimidation, Interrogation,
otltitii rs. j t.‘-Mi;
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Tools: No. isitm
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lord, Ob 3. For the king, Ob 4. For the queen, Ob 5. For the queen-
fr.
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n1otlie1', Ob 6. FORKS: Soothing Platitudes, Falsehood Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
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Faith-wise
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A falconer t1'ains hunting hawks.
the art of constructing sturdy fences and walls, and the etiquette of deciding where they should lie.
Falconry is a ve1'y popular and
Obstacles: Dividing fa1'm fields, Ob 1.
expensive sport among nobility of all stripes.
Dividing pasturage, Ob 2. Dividing
mines and veins, Ob 3. Dividing tax
Obstacles: Falconry contests can be resolved with a versus test between
districts, Ob '-I. FoRKs: Chronology of Kings, Mason
two falconers. Otherwise use the
Accounting, Carpenter
following: Capturing small game,
Skill Type: Special
Ob 1. Spotting or signaling, Ob 2. Dispatching a message, Ob 3.
Tools: Yes. Expendable. Restrictions: Dwarves only in
Skill Type: Forester
character bu1'ning
Tools: Yes and a falcon. Field Ilrgssing
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Falsehood is bare-faced lying.
by soldiers in the field who a1'e
Obstacles: Base obstacle for Falsehood
forced to tend to their own wounded.
is always the Will of the cl1aracter
It imputes a bare knowledge of
you are deceiving. Add an advantage
anatomy and assumes a splash of
die if the lie is believable, damn good or has some kernel of known truth to
iféifg 5)‘ - "i TIT?!
chapter in the Burning \Vheel for
or just a bad lie: “That wasn’t me,
Field Dressing treatment obstacles.
that was my twin brother! ” +2 Ob. ..
FoRKs: Herbalism, Surgery Skill Type: Medicinal
Skill Type: Social ’
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common sense. Obstacles: See the Anatomy of Injury
it. lncrease obstacle if it is a whopper
FORKS: Persuasion
I.
Eergeptign
Field Dressing is the skill acquired
Tools: Traveling Gear. Expendable.
T0018: No.
Fire and Steel-wise
.
Family-wise Family Secret-wise Farming
Pistols, arquebuses and even muskets
,
Eenception
Farming is the prodigious knowledge
of seeding, planting and harvesting.
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Obstacles: Barley and millet, Ob 1. Wheat and oats, Ob 2. Flax and hemp, Ob 3. Hiring samurai to protect crops from bandits, Ob 7. Skill Type: Peasant
may be safely and accurately discharged using this skill. This skill may be taken unde1' the Appropriate Weapons heading if it is indeed germane to your game. Use Munitions fo1' building and creating ammunition for said weapons. Obstacle: See Range and Cover and
Fight chapters.
Tools: Yes.
FoRKs: Crossbow
Fealty-wise
Skill Type: Martial Tools: Just a gun.
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gather enough i'oots, fruit and greens
to their needs under any conditions.
from the land to feed himself in
Characters without Fii'ebuilding who
times of austerity. Usually Foraging is a day long endeavor.
light fires in the forest are liable to get
into trouble.
Obstacles: Starvation rations, Ob 1.
Obstacles: Campfire, Ob 1. Bonfire,
Feeding yourself in the wild, Ob 2.
Ob 2. Smokeless fire, Ob 3.
Feeding yourself near civilization,
Concealed fire, Ob 4. Increase
population or an army, Ob 3.
obstacles by +1 for poor quality
Feeding yourself in wasteland, Ob 4.
wood and wet weather.
Feeding yourself in winter, Ob 5.
Skill Type: Forester
FORKS: Hunting, Herbalism
Tools: Traveling Gear. Expendable.
Fishing .
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Tools: No.
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The basic skill teaches characters the nature of fish, where they live and
A character with this skill has
what they like to eat. Hopefully, this
learned foreign languages over the
knowledge should help catch some.
cou1'se of his life. Test this skill when
Obstacles: Feed yourself, Ob 1. Feed a Small group, ()1) 2_ Feed tlle 1101156,
3ttemPtinS to Communicate with another character in a language that
Ob 3. Feed the village, Ob 4. Feed
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tlie congregation, Ob 5.
There are constraints based on which
Skill Type: Peasant
level of speech you aim for. You can
Tools: Yes. E
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conversational language, but there
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A fletclier creates suitable arrows and
can’t express ideas in metaphor or
S ac es: ummg OW’ ' Crossbow or great bow, Ob 2.
other abstract concepts. Good luck expressing the meaning behind your . actions.
Heavy crossbow, Ob 3. Hand crossbow, Ob 4. Artillery, Ob 5.
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Here are some suggested failure
FORKS: Ca ‘Vin Ta 'n 1 gi Hm g Skill Type: Craftsman
results: The character is able to communicate, but screws up
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
the words for numbers, ordinal directions, etc. Or the character can
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Folklore encompasses the folk
. . beliefs 1n a culture—a catalog of
make l11S speech understood. Or
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gestures to get across your meaning.
superstitions, tall tales and legends. Obstacles: Folklore Obstacles are
Obstacles: Close dialect to your native
described in the Magic Burner.
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tongue, Ob 1. Obscure or thick
FORKS: Symbology, Ancient and
dialect of your native tongue, Ob 2.
Obscure History
Simple or related language, Ob 2.
Skill Type: Special
Tools: No.
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bolts for bows and crossbows. Ob t 1 H _ b Ob 1
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language, Ob 4. Mystical/esoteric
Forgery is the ability to copy
language, Ob 5.
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documents, signatures and seals
Conditional modifiers: Using gestures,
flawlessly.
pointing, visual references, +1D.
Obstacles: Mimic document style,
Survival language/conversational
Ob 1. Mimic handwriting, Ob 2.
language, No penalty. Pl1ilosopliical/
Forge signature, Ob 3. Forge stamp/
abstract concepts, +2 Ob. Formal/
seal, Ob 4. Perfectly duplicate a
ritualistic concepts: +1 Ob. Dead
document, Ob 5. Perfectly duplicate
language: +1 Ob.
a signature, Ob 6. Perfectly
Skill Type: Social
duplicate handwriting, Ob 7.
TOOIS: No.
Perfectly duplicate stamp/seal, Ob 8. FORKS: Calligraphy, Scribe,
Forest-wise E
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Illuminations
EH," ,E
Skill Type: Special This special skill teaches the secrets
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
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of building the sacred fires of
E.
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Dwai'ven forges, which burn hotter
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Characters with Formation Fighting
Elves and Ores. Such heat allows
training have been taught how
the Artificers to further refine
to fight sl1oulde1'—to—sliouldei' in a
their incredible metalworks. When
regiment. Characters in formation
building a forge, an Artificer may
may help each other with Steel—based
imbue it with i'unes of everlasting
nianeuvers in Range and Cover. In
heat and unwavering temperature,
Fight, if fighting shoulder to shoulder
which grant advantage dice to the
with an ally (or allies), reduce the Outnumb cred penalty by one.
user. To do so, the Artificer must
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increase his own obstacle by +2 Ob.
Skill Type: Military Training
Each +2 Ob builds +1D into the forge, so long as the final obstacle is
Tools: No. ”‘Training Root is for Aptitude only.
met, of eoui'se.
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Obstacles: Forge Bellows and pumps,
Fortifications is a specialized
Ob 1. Small Kiln, Ob 2. Large Kiln,
,.
military skill centering on the
Ob 3. Small forge (one smith), Ob 4.
construction of defensible positions.
Mid-sized forge (two smiths), Ob 5.
This skill works well with the Range
Large forge (five smiths), Ob 6.
Er
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and Cover rules.
Skill Type: Artisan
Obstacle: Fences, barricades (increase
Tools: Workshop.
level of cover by one), Ob 1. Walls
Restrictions: Dwarves only
(+1D position), Ob 2. Palisades (+1D position and increase cover), Ob 3. Dugouts and trenches (+2D position and increase cover by one), Ob 4.
ii
FORKS: Engineer, Mason, Architect
tr .
Skill Type: Military Tools: Yes.
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Gem Artifice teaches the secrets
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of cutting precious stones so they This skill represents the cliai'acter°s . skill, knowledge and luck with
shine like stars in candlelight and shimmer like eldritcli fire in the
gambling. To use this skill, first
sun. Any gem cut using this skill
make a wager or set a prize: an item,
may be used as a matrix by an
animal, piece of property or cash
enchaiitei' to create an item of power.
generated f1'om a Resources test.
Secondly, the Resources obstacle
Then make a versus test against
of any gem or stone manufactured
another gambler. The winner walks
using Gem Artifice is increased by
away with the prize. FORKS: Strategy Games Skill Type: Special Tools: Traveling Gear.
Qa There is a certain cult among the Dwarves fascinated by, and very knowledgeable about, games of chance. The games include dice, cards, and keg and mug spinning. To use this skill, first set a Resources obstacle for the prize. Then make a versus test against the other gambler. The winner of the test walks away with the prize. The loser must make a Resources test equal to the prize obstacle. If the loser
one automatically. The value may be further increased by one by adding +2 Ob to the test before the dice are 1'olled. Obstacles: Polishing Gems, Ob 1. Shaping Opals, Ob 2. lvorking jade, Ob 3. Cutting and faceting sapplii1'e, Ob 4. Cutting and faceting rubies and emeralds, Ob 5. Cutting and faceting diamond, Ob 6. Arkenstoiie, Ob 10. FORKS: \Vhite Metal Artifice Skill Type: Artisan Tools: W'orkshop.
Restrictions: Dwarves only
G
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Many Elves delight in the simple and
passes his Resources test, the winner
sti'aiglit—forwai'd art of cutting and
notes the same obstacle test toward
polishing gems. Their experience,
advancing his own Resoii1'ces. If the
dedication and patience in the art
loser is taxed, those dice are granted
shows in the quality of their work.
to the winner as cash.
Any gem stone cut by an Elf adds
This skill does not cover games of skill such as pins or darts. FORKS: Gambling Skill Type: Special Tools: Traveling Gear. Restrictions: Dwai'ves only in character burning
gr;-5, it
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+1D of Resources value compared to what it would normally be. In
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addition, this skill shares the same
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flexibility with Antiphon Union as
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Obstacles: Jade, Ob 1. Emerald, Ob 2.
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Ruby and sapphire, Ob 3. Opal and pearls, Ob 4. Diamond, Ob 5.
Gas Pocket-wise
FORKS: lewelcraft, Siiiitlicraft Skill Type: Ci'aftsinan Tools: )-Yorksliop.
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Restrictions: Elves only
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Grift-wise
Gossip-wise
Gui1der—wise
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Dwarves are very proud of their ability to discern the fine g1'ain from the chaff; only the finest grains are selected for famous Dwai'ven iiogs. Obstacles: Sorting the wheat fi'om
the chaff, Ob 1. Finding l\log-worthy g1'aiii, Ob 2.
negotiate prices, terms of purchase
and contracts. Obstacles: Make a versus test between lower the obstacle by one.
Skill Type: C1'aftsn1an
FORKS: Persuasion, Soothing
Tools: No.
Platitudes
Restrictions: Dwarves only in
Skill Type: Social
character burning
Tools: No.
GrainrSong§
r, Perception
Elven Millers grind the finest grain in any land. This skill is similar to the Miller skill. Obstacles: Barley and millet, Ob 1.
Wheat and oats, Ob 2. FORKS: Round of Harvest, Rhyme of
i Rules
Skill Type: Peasant
Tools: Workshop (a mill).
Restrictions: Elves only
iii
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the buyer and seller. The buyer can
FORKS: Nogger
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Hesslins ~
Haggling is the skill required to
Grain-Wise
Graybeard-wise
Hallmasteri _
_ l illll-Ker
This is the skill that built the sweeping halls of the great delviiigs. Using this skill, a Dwai'ven Artificer may reinforce his hall°s structure. By adding +2 Ob to his test when building a structure, he may add +1 Ob to any test to alter or destroy the structure. Obstacle: Simple wall, Ob 1. Column or door, Ob 2. Arch or gate, Ob 3. Chamber, Ob 4. Hall, Ob 5. Small hold, Ob 6. Modest hall, Ob 7. Large hall, Ob 3. Great hall, Ob 9.
Great and Black-wise
FORKS: War Engineer, Stone Artifice
Great Masters-wise
Skill Type: Artisan Tools: Workshop.
Restrictions: Dwarves only
The particularly dangerous art of raising and tending to Great Wolves.
-|_
Obstacles: Most Husbandry obstacles
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are based on the Will of the animal. q_l|
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It counts as Field Dressing for tending the animal°s wounds. FORKS: Animal Husbandry, Skill Type: Peasant
whlhfg
Ilf #9
reversed beaks or spikes. FORKS: Mace, Cudgel, Axe
Handwriting-wise
Tools: Yes.
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on the use of heavy, blunt, crushing weapons typically mounted with
Skill Type: Martial Tools: A hammer.
\Volf-wise
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Hills-wise
Use this skill in place of Power when
History is the knowledge of the
-II
Sj,1_IHS‘ hauling improbable loads on your
records of past events pertaining to
back.
one culture or society. The character
Obstacles: 40 lb. pack, Ob 1. 80 lb.
is assumed to have studied the
pack, Ob 2. Bowl O11 head, Oh 3.“
popular history of his culture/people
Ridiculously heavy container, Ob 4.
unless the player or lifepath decides
Skill Type: Peasant Tools: No.
otherwise. Specific histories are
Heraldry ,
often listed in the lifepaths. They
Berceplimi
Heraldry is the skill of recognizing and deciphering heraldic coats of arms. Medieval family crests exist in a bewildering array of iterations
and combinations, and the herald’s knowledge of them is encyclopedic. Obstacles: Coinnion/pi'oniinent family, Ob 1. Second tier families, Ob 2. Lesser known cousins, Ob 3. Dead lines or remote branches, Ob 4. Obscure houses, Ob 5.
of these is a separate skill that must be purchased and opened. Obstacles: Coninion historical fact, Oh 1. Classical history, Ob 2. Recent history, Ob 3. Obscure figure in history, Ob 4. History of counter cultural movements, Ob 5. History
Doctrine, other history skills
Tools: No. I.
Histoxiy, L0eaZHistor')3 Obscure History and Religions History. Each
FORKS: Research, Philosophy,
Skill Type: Special 1
History, Foreign History, Religious
of the ones who lost the war, Oh 6.
FORKS: Etiquette
H
are fairly self-explanatory: Ancient Hr'st0:j*, (Military) Campaign
B
l.
Herbalism uses herbs and roots to cure and prevent common and
Skill Type: Academic Tools: No.
Hold-wise
chronic ailments. Herbalism can be
Hoof-wise
used as a medical skill for treating
Host-wise
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wounds and stopping bleeding.
r:~.-"*Pfr*
Obstacles: See the Anatomy of Injury section in the Burning VFheel to treat wounds. Identifying common herbs,
Ob 1. Diagnosing common ailments, Ob 2. Identifying uncommon
Hunting is used to capture or kill prey animals in the wild so that they
might be consumed as food. Obstacles: Hunting domestic animals,
herbs, Ob 3. Sleeping potion, Ob 4.
Ob 1. Hunting feral animals, Ob 2.
Mixing a poison, Ob 5. Deterniining
Hunting wild animals or goblins,
proper dosage of a poison, Ob 6.
Ob 3. Hunting Trolls, Ob 4. Hunting
FoRKs: Apothecary or Alchemy for creating potions, Surgery or Field
ers-—i=-it’
Great Spiders, Ob 5. Hunting Great
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Wolves, Ob 6. Hunting monsters, Ob 7.
Dressing for tending wounds.
FORKS: Tracking, Trapper
Skill Type: Medicinal
Skill Type: Forester
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
Tools: Yes: bow or avelin.
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Insect Husbandry is the art of raising
_
and caring for our six-legged friends.
and the fish seem to leap into their nets. Functions like the Fishing skill.
Obstacles: Ants, Ob 1. Bees, Ob 2. Silkworms, Ob 3. Exotic bugs, Ob 4.
FORKS: Slip of Currents, Rhyme of
Tending to wounds and illness, use
Rules
the Apothecary skill obstacles.
Skill Type: Peasant
Tools: Yes.
Skill Type: Forester
Restrictions: Elves only
Tools: Yes.
Hypocritical Bastards-wise
lnstniction
_
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Using the Instruction skill, a character may teach another character.
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Obstacles: See Learning from Another in the Burning Wheel.
Illumination is the patient art of enibellisliiiig manuscripts with
FORKS: Command, Persuasion
illustrations.
Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
Obstacles: Doodles, Ob 1. Flourishes, Ob 2. Illustrations, Ob 3. Color
Interrogation _.
illustrations, Ob 4. Gold foil, Ob 5.
Using a peculiar logic, interrogators
_
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FORKS: Painting, Calligraphy
gain information from unwilling
Skill Type: Artist
subjects. A successful interrogation
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
means the victim character has
Imperfections-wise
given up the information the players are looking for.
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Quite simply, Inconspicuous is the
it P’-"'
Obstacles: Inconspicuous is tested in
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Obstacles: Obstacle for Interrogation
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ability to go unnoticed in a crowd.
is the (current) \Vill exponent of the person being interrogated plus any traits plus situational
versus tests against Observation.
disadvantages»-—like if the victim
Inconspicuous tests are penalized
has Beliefs that prevent him from
under the following conditions:
revealing what is being sought.
Garisli or inappropriate dress, +1
FORKS: Intimidation, Torture, Ugly
Ob. Character is abovef below his
Truth or Soothing Platitudes
station, +1 Ob. Character is not from
Skill Type: Social
the region, +1 Ob. Character is of a
Tools: No.
different race than those he is ti'ying
to blend in with, +2 Ob.
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liitimidatioii is the communication
FORKS: Acting
of threat.
Skill Type: Social
Obstacles: Intimidation can be used
Tools: No.
in the Duel of Wits. Outside of the
Infection-wise
Duel of Wits the skill can be used to force a character to hesitate. Obstacle is equal to the \Vill of the
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victim. If successful, make a Steel
_l_ew_eler
test. Add extra successes to the
This skill provides the character with
I
.
hesitation obstacle.
a knowledge of metals and precious
FORKS; Ugly Truth
gems used to create jewelry. With the
Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
proper tools, characters can build
i i i s’
necklaces, form bracelets and create brooches.
Intrigue-wise
.
Obstacles: Polishing and cleaning
metal, Ob 1. Weighing and
J-l< largojr
i
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counting elements, Ob 1. Gewgaws Perception
Jargon is the specialized speech used by masons, architects and engineers. Obstacles: ldeiitifying yourself or another as a speaker of the secret language, Ob 1. Otherwise, use the skill versus the skill of anyone trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. Skill Type: Social
and baubles, Ob 2. Chain, Ob 3. Ring, Ob 3. Necklace, Ob 3. Bracelet, Ob 3. Locket, Ob 4. Carcanet, Ob 5. Coronet, Ob 6. Diadem, Ob 6. Crown, Ob 7. FORKS: Etching, \Vhitesmith, Lapidai'y
Skill Type: Ci'aftsman Tools: Workshop.
Tools: No. Ianelin
L.
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.
lavelins are short throwing spears. Obstacles: Use the thrown weapon rules in Range and Covei' and Fight. FORKS: Throwing
people in all their crafts, including
their medicinal traditions. Obstacles: Use the rules found in the Anatomy of Injury chapter in the Burning ‘Wtheel.
Skill Type: Martial
in
FORKS: Herbalism, Field Dressing,
Tools: No.
Jewelcraftt _
Dwarves are a clean and thorough
Bloodletting, Apothecary
_
Willingilily
Iewelerafters manufacture delicate brooches, subtle rings, fine tiaras and magnificent crowns. Using Antiphon Union, many of these objects can be enchanted: a crown
Skill Type: Medicinal Tools: Yes. i IE3’?
Restrictions: Dwarves only in
5.’
character burning
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Kingdom—wise
we-* ta?-it
with the Paeaii of Deeds, a mask with the Ballad of Rage or a tiara
The Knives skill teaches liand-to-
imbued with the Strain of Far Sight.
hand knife fighting techniques.
Obstacles: Brooch, Ob 1. Ring, Ob 2.
This is not a throwing skill.
Necklace, Ob 3. Tiara, Ob 4. Crown,
Obstacles: Use the obstacles in Range
Ob 5. FORKS: Sinitlicraft, Gemcraft Skill Type: Craftsman
‘II
‘V’.
and Cover and Fight. FORKS: Bi'awling, Boxing or an appropriate weapon skill.
Tools: Workshop.
Skill Type: Martial
Restrictions: Elves only
Tools: Something knife~like.
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Ob 4. Cutting and faceting rubies
Knots is tl1e knowledge of many rope
and emeralds, Ob 5. Cutting and
ties vital to sailors to keep a ship
faceting diamonds, Ob 6.
running.
FoRKs: Jeweler
Obstacles: Securing cargo, Ob 1. Setting up a sailboat, Ob 2. Setting
Skill Type: Craftsman
up a small ship, Ob 3. Setting up a
Latrine-wise
sl1ip, Ob 4. Securing a person: Knots vs Escape Artist or Power at double
Tools: Workshop.
Lazy Bastard-wise
obstacle penalty. Making a carrying
Leath Prnja ft§ r _.__-__»_ arms.
harness, Ob 1. Making a net, Ob 2.
This skill teaches Elven clothiers
Wil l/A gilityr
FoRKs: Rigging
how to work leather into supple
Skill Type: Seafaring
boots, soft gloves and sturdy belts.
Tools: Traveling Gear. Expendable.
Combining this skill with Antiphon Union and the Song of Silence can produce fabled Elven boots (+1D to Stealthy), or with the Doom of
Lance
Agi]it;cLEo11eL
This skill traiI1s the fighter to use a
-ft“. E .-I‘ 1
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couched lance from horseback
_?
Obstacles: See the Fight and Riding
I‘-E|']-it
and Mounted Combat chapters in
-r
the Burning Wheel.
i
Strength, can create a belt of terrible fortitude. Obstacles: Belt, Ob 1. Leather cloak or boots, Ob 2. Satchel or gloves, Ob 3. Cambeson, Ob 4. Boiled (reinforced) leather armor, Ob 5.
Skill Type: Martial
FORKS: Weaving Way
Tools: A really big, pointy stick.
Skill Type: Craftsman
7
_
Berception
Lapidary is tl1e careful art of refining gems to be sold on the market or
Tools: Workshop. Restrictions= Elves only
Ledger-wise
placed into jewelry.
Obstacles: Polishing gems, Ob 1.
Leverage-Wise
Cutting and faceting zircon, Ob 2. Shaping opals, Ob 3. Working jade, Ob 3. Cutting a11d faceting sapphire,
When on the march, Dwarven armies use a complex system of horn signals to transmit information between camps. The system is called “links” because it connects the Dwarven
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regiments like links of sausage. The Links skill gives the character the
the pins, slides, levers a11d keys that
signals.
comprise locks. A locksmith can
Obstacles: Start and stop signals,
he happens upon in his travels. This
Marching orders, Ob 3. Battle
skill includes the_ knowledge and
FORKS: Stentorious Singing
Cutting keys, Ob 2. Building a
Skill Type: Academic
simple lock, Ob 3. Building a decent
Tools: Yes, a big brass horn.’
lock, Ob 4. Building a complex lock,
Restrictions: Dwarves only in
Ob 5.
character burning
1,
ability of Lock Pick, as Well.
Obstacles: Cleaning a lock, Ob 1.
communications, Ob 5.
I.“
T
build locks as well as disarm those
Ob 1. Danger signals, Ob 2.
commands, Ob 4. Other complex
I-“IS
Locksmithing is the knowledge of
ability to perform and decode" the
FORKS: Lock Pick
E ._
Dwarven Artificers learn a special
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: Workshop.
art of inscribing runes into stone. These runes can be carved into walls for decorative or instructional
Logistics is a rare skill. It is the knowledge of supply lines, resources,
purposes or placed onto blocks,
consumption rates and rates of
dipped in ink and pressed on paper.
travel of armies. The skill is used by
Obstacles: Simple characters, Ob 1.
particularly thoughtful commanders
\Vords, Oh 2. Simple image or moon
to keep their troops in supply while
runes, Ob 3. Complex image, Ob 4. Lifelike image, Ob 5.
on campaign.
Obstacles: Supplying a dozen
FoRKs: Dwa1'ven Rune Script,
dismounted thugs to waylay
Symbology
peasants on the King“s highway
Skill Type: Artisan
in rich, idyllic farmland for one
Tools: Worksliop.
week, Ob 1. Supplying a small
Restrictions: Dwarves only
homogeneous free company of
_._
Ber1Agi_
The skill of disabling and disarming mechanical locks.
Obstacles: Simple lock, Ob 1. Decent lock, Ob 2. Busted simple lock, Ob 3 Rusted decent lock, Ob 3. Complex lock, Ob 4. Rusted complex lock, Ob 5. FORKS: Locksmith, Sleight of Hand
Skill Type: Special Tools: Yes.
two dozen similarly armed and dismounted routiers, brigands, a1'cl1e1's, or crossbowmen for one week, Ob 2. Supplying a mounted lance (a knight or mounted man— at-arms, a squire or sword bearer, a
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page, two archers 01' crossbowmen, a lightly armed servant or varlet, and all mounts and pack animals) for one week, Ob 3. Supplying several
we W +.';_\§4,
large homogenous companies of 500 to 600 similarly armed, dismounted
‘El?
men for one week, Ob 4. Supplying several large heterogeneous companies of 500 to 600 dismounted
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men (i.e. a large mixed force of foot and archers) for one week, Ob 5. Supplying 100 lances for one week, Ob 6. Supplying a battalion of two to
A mace is a short-hafted, metal-
three hundred lances a11d supporting
flanged club. Its main purpose in
large free company for 1 week, Ob 8.
battle is to crush through heavy
Supplying a host (three battalions)
metal armor.
for one week, Ob 10.
Obstacles: Use the 1'ules for Fight in
+1D for testing Logistics with a force where the majority of troops have
Skill Type: Martial
the Hatred attribute. +1 Ob for any
Tools: Mace.
Burning Wheel.
non—Dwarven fo1'ce testing Logistics in the mountains or underground.
Maker’s Mark—wise
+1 Ob in heavily wooded countryside
Man-wise
with a force containing war mounts,
M This is a catch-all skill for any
i.e. destriers or coursers. +1 Ob with a force that includes anyone
specialist hand-to -hand fighting
with the Prince of the Blood, Aman,
techniques. We prefer the term
Fea, or Dvergar trait, princes
Boxing, and you can see a slightly
and their hangers—on have large
more detailed entry under that
appetites, even on campaign. +2
heading.
Ob in countryside the enemy has
at * it 1:. yga
devastated with a scorched earth
Mason
policy. +2 Ob in countryside you
A mason knows l1ow to choose
.‘i.=fi'
suitable stone, carve it a11d use it to
the last Resources maintenance cycle
build structures. Also, masons are
+2 Ob for testing Logistics in the
skilled in mixing mortar and setting
winter with a force containing war
foundations.
mounts, 1'iding mounts, or pack
Obstacles: Cutting blocks of soft stone
animals. Skill Type: Military
or making bricks, Ob 1. Cutting
Tools: Supplies for an army.
gravestones or making mortar,
Lost Treasureswise
Ob 2. Cutting marble, granite or
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basalt, Ob 3. Making a slate floor,
_
a simple wall or an obelisk, Ob 2. Arch or reinforced wall, Ob 3. Small
back to the dawn of time. This skill
stone house or bridge, Ob 4. Large,
song concerns itself with the nature
reinforced wall, Ob 5. Tower, Ob 6.
and application of Elven law.
Donjon, Ob 7.
Obstacles: Citadel law, Ob 1.
FoRKs: Engineer, Architect
Protector°s law, Ob 2. Etharchal law,
Skill Type: Artisan
Ob 3. Wilder law, Ob 4.
Tools: \Vorkshop.
FoRKs: Any appropriate history or Wise skill or song Skill Type: Academic
Tools: No. Restrictions: Elves only
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Elven law is a tradition stretching
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First and foremost, Meditation is
Mendmg '
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Mending is a useful skill. It
a way for a character to calm and
encompasses the knowledge of the
center himself. 1t is both rest and
form and function of everything
a method for divining solutions to
on the farm. This skill allows
problems via deep thought.
characters to fix, repair 01' darn just
While meditating, a character
about anything.
is vaguely aware of his
Obstacles: Mending fences or socks,
surroundings—~cognizant of changes
Ob 1. Making household repairs,
in the environment like noise or the
Ob 2. Mending stuff broken on the
presence of someone near l1im. He
road or at work, Ob 3. Mending
may make Perception/ Observation
something badly broken, Ob 4.
tests to detect Stealthy characters.
Mending Armor: Lightly damaged (11)), Ob 1. Moderately damaged
A Sorcerer can maintain any spells he is currently sustaining while
(21)), Ob 2. Badly damaged
meditating. He must retest Tax as
(3D), Ob 4. Shredded (4D), Ob 6.
per The Power Still Flows Through
Ruined (5D), Ob 8.
Him rules in the Burning ‘Yheel.
FoRKs: Any appropriate craftsman
Obstacles: Meditation can be used
skill could suffice.
in place of sleep for rest. Each hour
Skill Type: Peasant
of meditation counts as a11 hour of
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
rest for the purposes of recovering fron1 wounds and tax. This is an
it. cl ,.+@- iii
Mercenary Company-wise
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Ob 1 test plus 1 per additional hour
Metal-wise
meditated. For example, meditating
Midwifery
for 4 hours is an Ob 4 test. Failing
Midwives are an important fixture in
the test indicates that the character
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any village. They help women give
falls asleep at some point. Using Meditation, a cl1aracter may
-
birth to children and survive. Obstacles: Keeping the mother and
“center” before taking a test for
child healthy, Ob 2. Uncomplicated
another skill. This is a linked skill
birth, Ob 3. Caesarean, Ob 4. Breach
test. When centering for a versus test
birth, Ob 5. Determining the child ’s
or detailed conflict, make a versus
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sex before birth, Ob 6.
test between the Meditation skill and
FORKS: Herbalism
the opponent°s skill. If Meditation
Skill Type: Medicinal
wins, the cl1a1'acte1' earns a +1D
Tools: No.
advantage. Skill Type: School of Thought
Mill-wise
Tools: No. 4.
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Milling is the knowledge of building, maintaining and operating the
Mounted Combat Training gives
machinery used to grind grain for
the character the ability to fight
consumption.
effectively from horseback. If
Obstacles: Windmilling, Ob 1. Water milling, Ob 2. Manual milling, Ob 3. Building a manual mill with the llelp of your carpenter friends, Ob 4. A water mill, Ob 5. A windmill, Ob 6.
Mounted Combat: Bowman instead of the traditional lance1' archetype. See the Riding and Mounted Combat chapter.
FORKS: Brewer
Skill Type: Martial Training Tools: No.
Skill Type: Peasant Tools: Workshop (a mill).
Mimicry
appropriate to the character and the game setting, players may choose
C
Bercepticm
Using this skill, a character may imitate animal sounds and voices. Obstacles: Squirrels, Ob 1. Bird calls, Ob 2. Cats, dogs, monkeys, Ob 3. Human voices, Ob 4.
‘Training Root is for Aptitude only.
Mouth of Hell-wise Mule-wise Munitions
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This skill allows a character to manufacture firearms, powder,
Skill Type: Forester
shot and bombs. Absolute failure
Tools: No.
(no successes) while manufacturing powder or explosives indicates a Mining is the technique of excavating earth in order to remove valuable
.,_
o1'e or minerals like salt. Mining
he was building.
includes prospecting ore, sinking
Obstacles: Cleaning, loading or
the shafts and setting up a system to
repairing a firearm, Ob 1. Making
remove the ore.
a small bomb (B4 Mark), Ob 2.
Obstacles: Clay pit, Ob 1. Open pit
Making an arquebus, making shot
mine (iron, salt), Ob 2. Shallow
or making a medium-sized bomb
mine shaft (salt, lead, copper,
(B6 Mark), Ob 3. Making a pistol or
quartz), Ob 3. Mi11e shaft (silver,
powder, Ob 4. Making a large bomb,
iron), Ob 5. Clearing a rockfall
(B8 Mark), Ob 5. Making a very
or cave-in, Ob 5. Deep mine shaft
large bomb (B12 Mark), Ob 7.
(gold, gemstones), Ob 9. FoRKs: Engineer, Architect
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: Yes.
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cook—off or misfire. The character takes the Mark result for the device
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Skill Type: Artisan Tools: Workshop. Restrictions: Men only
Monk-wise
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A character with this skill can write musical notation and compose various types of songs, both for voice
cl1aracter cannot be 11an1ed and
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Obstacles: Simple, single instrument,
badly l1u1't.
Ob 1. Simple choral arrangement,
FORKS: Orc—wise
Ob 2. Ensemble piece, Ob 3.
Skill Type: Special
Complex ensemble piece, Ob 5.
Tools: No. Restrictions: Orcs only in character bu1'ni11g
Skill Type: Musical Tools: Yes. Expendable.
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Musical performance is a powerful
Navigation
_
_
Using charts of the stars, winds and currents, a navigator safely guides
tool. lt can impress a11 emotion upo11
his ship from port to port. True
the listener——seducing, enraging,
navigation allows ships to journey
pleasing, etc. Choose a11 instrument:
away from the coastline into the open
Drum, Flute a11d Lyre are but a few
sea without becoming hopelessly lost.
of the many options.
Obstacles: Navigating i11 clear
Obstacles: Will of the listener. If the
weather through well— charted
music is suitable to the mood, add
coastal or river, Ob 1. A short
advantage. The obstacle can be used
coastal or river journey, Ob 2. A
for li11ked tests or to convey an idea.
moderate coastal or river journey,
FORKS: Sing, Composition, and additional instruments
or a short seagoing journey (like crossing the Channel), Ob 3. A long
Skill Type: Musical
coastal journey or a moderate sea
Tools: Yes, an instrument.
journey, Ob 4. A dangerous coastal journey or a long sea journey, Ob 5.
Mystery Meat-wise
A dangerous sea journey, Ob 6. An
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oceanic crossing, Ob 10.
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and a name. Failure indicates the
and instrument.
Complex single instrument, Ob 4.
'4'.
FORKS: Astrology, Orienteering, Pilot EU." ,E
The vast majority of Orcs bear no
Skill Type: Seafaring Tools: Yes.
name-—they a1'e too insignificant
Llogge
i11 their miserable lives to warrant
Dwarven brew is renowned
anything mo1'e than a grunt or at
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throughout the known la11ds. Some
most an epithet commensurate with
say a single mouthful of the finest
their role i11 the clan. The granting
Dwarven nog is worth the price
of proper names is an ancient rite
of the greatest kingdom of Men.
and ritual. Name Ritual teaches
For Dwarves, nog has a restorative
the requirements a11d strictures
effect. Downing a full cool draught
governing the bestowal of such
of the stout brew grants +1D to
names. A successful Name Ritual
the next Health test. lt also adds
test bestows a +1D reputation
+1 Ob to all social skill tests for
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Oratory is the ability to rouse the
downs a number of steins equal to or
masses with a stirring speech. lt
greater than his Forte exponent, he
teaches how to project the voice and
becomes drunk—+1 Ob to all tests
speaking techniques used to get a
for hours equal to 10 minus Health.
point across.
If any other creature so much as sips
Obstacles: The obstacle of Oratory is
a mouthful of the powerful beverage,
the most common Will exponent in
it becomes drunk (+1 Ob to all tests)
the crowd. This skill is also used in
and receives no benefit.
Duel of Wits. FORKS: Command, Persuasion,
Obstacle: Revered, sacred and most secret ritual of preparing the g1'ain,
Rhetoric
Ob 2. Sanctifying the vats in
Skill Type: Social
preparation for the most holy, Ob 3.
Tools: No.
Brewing the nectar of the gods,
Orc-wise
Ob 5. FORKS: Grain Appraisal
Ore—wise
Skill Type: Craftsman
Orienteering ._
Tools: \Vorkshop.
Retception
Orienteering is the ability to navigate
Restrictions: Dwa1'ves only
across land botl1 with and without maps. Maps do, however, provide an
O
advantage die to Orienteering tests. A successful Orienteering test
Oath-wise
indicates the cl1aracter l1as found
Obligation-wise
his way without delay. A failed test indicates the character a11d his
Obscure Text-wise
companions have gotten lost. This result either causes the characters to miss any appointments they were
Observation is the skill used to spot the hidden—cl1aracters,
trying to keep (but still arrive at
traps, ghosts, etc. Test this skill in
their destination) or causes them to arrive i11 an unintended location.
versus tests against lnconspicuous, Stealthy, Sleight of Hand or Trapper.
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Note: Do not use Observation for
directions during the day i11 familiar
standard Perception tests—to spot a
land, Ob 1. At night in familiar land,
weakness in armor, to notice details
Ob 2. ln unfamiliar land, Ob 3. ln
of a flag or to look for an escape
unfamiliar land at night, Ob 4. In
tunnel. Some spells and traits allow
familiar land during a storm, Ob 5.
Perception to act as Observation.
During a storm at night, Ob 6.
Obstacles: Observation is almost
FORK5; Navigation
always a versus test.
Skill Type: Forester
Skill Type: Forester
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Tools: No.
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suggestion for the victim to agree with. \Vith luck, he’ll think it was
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Striding forth, full of confidence, the
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his idea in the first place. Obstacles: Will exponent of the
Elven Lieutenant announces himself
intended victim.
in rhythm, setting the tenor to which
FORKS: Falsehood, Haggling,
he shall best his foel This skill song
Soothing Platitudes, Ugly Truth
acts like Conspicuous.
Skill Type: Social
Tools: No.
FORKS: Silent Fury
Skill Type: Social
Ehilosophy
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Philosophy is the pursuit and
Restrictions: Elves only
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discussion of wisdom, discussing the nature of truth, logic, reason, good, evil and the divine. Often it is at
Painters use dyes, pigments and brushes to craft images on a variety
odds with Law and Doctrine. Obstacles: Asce1'tai11ing the
of surfaces.
metaphysical substance of the object
Obstacles: Simple monochromes, Ob 1. Caricatures, Ob 2. Complex
to be venerated du1'ing a religious
monochrome, simple polychrome,
ritual, Ob 2. Divining the original
Ob 3. Likenesses, Ob 4. Complex
meaning of symbols originating from a particular school of thought,
polychromes, Ob 5. +1 Ob for painting O11 wet plaster.
Ob 3. Brooding over the futility of
FORKS: 1l111I1l‘lI1&lllOI1S
material gain in a truly just society,
Skill Type: Artist
Ob 4. Recalling the allegorical and
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
instructive purpose of the demon or angel you are about to summon,
Pattern-wise
Ob 5. Estimating the mystery that
Personal Effects-wise
is the divine, Ob 6. Figuring out the
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number of angels that fit on the head
Persnasion
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Persuasion is the art of convincing someone to act on your behalf because it is in his best interest. This skill often involves an exchange of agreements—sometl1ing very different from Falsehood or Oratory.
of a pin m a manner that 15 easily
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explained to a child, i.e. a rustic
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cleric without letters, Ob 10. FORKS: Doctrine, Rule of Law,
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Skill Type: School of Thought
Tools: No.
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Those two skills tell someone what to do or believe, whereas using
Pilgrimage-wise
Persuasion, one carefully crafts a
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Biioimmreicspiionrronet Poet1'y allows the expression of ideas
The pilot is the all-imp ortant
crewman who guides the ship
and emotions through metered verse.
through storm and calm. A good
Obstacles: Doggerel or crass verse,
pilot can stay the course through the
Ob 1. Atmospheric verse, Ob 2.
most terrible gale.
Expressing sadness or tragedy, Ob
Obstacles: Piloting i11to a large port,
3. Expressing love, Ob 4. Expressing
Ob 1. Piloting “into a busy port,
a truth or mystery about life, Ob 5.
Ob 2. Piloting into a small, busy
Mimicking another’s style, +1 Ob.
FORKS: Sing Skill Type: Musical Tools: No.
port, Ob 3. Piloting through narrow or shallow channels, Ob 4. Piloting through rough or dangerous waters, Ob 5.
Poison-wise
FORKS: Navigation
EB
Skill Type: Seafaring Tools: No.
M
Flattery is a rare gift among the
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A playwright composes dramatic
uses knives and poisoned barbs.
dialogue into scripts to be read and
This skill combines Persuasion and
performed by actors on stage. This skill allows a cl1aracter to convey
Soothing Platitudes into one unholy mess. Like all Hatred—based skills,
his own ideas into a written form so
Poisonous Platitude tests are openended.
that others may transmit them via performance. W1'iting is required in
Obstacles: Will of the victim.
order for this skill to be taken.
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Poisonous Platitudes is also used in
Obstacles: Religious or farce, Ob 1.
es _..g.- . ?l:jf.1-‘hi
the Duel of Wits.
Historical or dramatic, Ob 2.
FORKS: Falsehood, Persuasion Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
Tragedy, Ob 3. Comedy, Ob 4. FORKS: Composition Skill Type: Academic
Restrictions: Ores only
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
Boisonsn
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The fine art of plumbing. Using this skill a character may design systems to convey water from one location P5.:-I -£5 - ""1 1I'_
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Ob 2. Debilitating poison (+2 Ob),
and stone.
Ob 3. Deadly poison (B10 wound),
Obstacle: A well, Ob 1. Troughs or ducts, Ob 2. A pump, Ob 3. Plumbing, Ob 4. Hot and cold
Ob 4. These poisons must be imbibed or ingested. For a blade
Skill Type: Artisan Tools: Yes.
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skill that allows the character to
concoct harmful substances f1'om Obstacles: Sickening poison (+1 Ob),
middle ages was made of lead, wood
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Eerception
Poisons is a specialized apothecary
herbs, minerals and animalia.
to another. Typical plumbing in the
1'unning water, Ob 5. '1.
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Orcs. Whisperers use compliments and ingratiation like an assassin
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poison, add +1 Ob. For an inhaled
Purjne Son_g§
vapor, add +2 Ob. For a contact
Elven vintners are possessed with a
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unique perspective——they are able
FORKS: Herbalism, Apothecary,
to literally watch their wines age. A
Alchemical
hund1'ed-year vintage is a matter of
Skill Type: Special
course for them. This skill is similar
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
E1
to the Vintner skill except that wine
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A polearm is a versatile weapon. When using this weapon in combat, the player must decide whether his
character is using the blade to cut, or the beak (or blade tip) to thrust. Cutting and thrusting l1ave different
damages and weapon lengths. Sl('ll T
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made using the Purple Song may
be treated with the Antiphon Union and imbued with either the Lyric of Healing or the Doom of Strength. It is by this method that Elven Mirrorwine is created. Obstacles: Cheap Wing’ Ob 1' Passable wine, Ob 2. Good wine, Ob 3. Excellent wine, Ob 4 Special
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1 ype al a Tools: A 11albe1'd, a glaive or a voulge.
E9-lief :~ “Tis a most ancient and honorable craft. A cl1aracter with the Potter
wine, Ob 5. Legendary wine, Ob 6. FORKS: Grain Song, Rhyme of Rules Skill Type: Peasant Tools: \Yorkshop.
Restrictions: Elves only
skill knows how to make vessels of fired clay.
R
Obstacles: Simple bowls and cups, Ob 1. Amphorae or small statuettes,
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Ob 2. Tea service or lamp, Ob 3.
Rats have a particular etiquette they
Cookware or tiling, Ob 4. Large
prefer in all their dealings. If one is
g1‘ain jars, Ob 5.
willing and nimble, this social art
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: Yes. Expendable.
Prospecting
Jierception
The Prospecting skill allows the
can be learned and even mastered. Use this skill in place of Etiquette whenever dealing with rats or their
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cousins. Roden consider Ratiquette a
character to locate seams and veins
mortal insult.
of minerals and metals so that they
Obstacles: Proper etiquette for a
may be mined.
house rat, Ob 1, for a ship rat, Ob 2.
Obstacles: Salt, Ob 1. Copper and
For a granary rat, Ob 3. For the rat
lead, Ob 2. I1'on, Ob 3. Silver, Ob 4.
king, Ob 4. For the rat queen, Ob 5.
Cold, Ob 5. Gemstones, Ob 6.
For the 1'at queen mother, Ob 6.
FORKS: Appropriate wises, Mining,
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FORKS: Etiquette
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Skill Type: Social
Skill Type: Artisan
Tools: No.
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This is a specialized form of Oratory
I11 the middle ages, reading and writing were two separate and
for angry religious types.
distinct skills. It’s difficult for the
Obstacles: \Vill of interlocutor. This
modern mind to comprehend this,
skill is also used in the Duel of Wits.
but it is a fact. Therefore, a cl1aracter
Skill Type: Social
may be able to read but not know
Tools: No.
how to transcribe his thoughts onto
Reputation-wise
paper. Obstacles: A note or sign Ob 1. Letter,
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Ob 2. Essay or article, Ob 3. Book,
Research is the art of navigating
Ob 4. Contract, Ob 5. Reading
lib1'aries, gathering data and
silently, +1 Ob.
collating coherent reports.
FORKS: Research
Obstacles: Common knowledge, Ob 1.
Skill Type: Academic
Interesting facts, Ob 2. Collating relevant information from a native
Tools: No.
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language text, Ob 3. Deciphering a handwritten monograph in your
This curious skill allows the Master
own language, Ob 4. Deciphering
Engraver to extract knowledge from
handwritten monograph about a11
a stone. Merely by seeing, touching,
obscu1'e subject, Ob 5. Deciphering
tasting and smelling the stone—~and
a monograph about heretofore
considering it for a long wl1ile—tl1e
unknown subject, Ob 6.
Dwarf can discern a number of
FORKS: History, Ancient and Obscure
facts: How old it is, how long it l1as
History
been in this place and what events
Skill Type: Academic
have transpired around it.
Tools: No.
Obstacles: Type/name of stone, Ob 1. Age of stone, Ob 2. Length
Rhetoric is a form of discourse
of time the stone l1as been in its
vi-
current location, Ob 3. Recent
centered on the conveyance of
events surrounding the stone that
thoughts, ideas and concepts in the
left physical evidence, Ob 4. Recent
interest of winning an argument.
events that left no physical mark,
Obstacles: Perception of the victim.
Ob 5. Past events that left their mark
This skill is used in the Duel of Wits.
on the stone, Ob 6. Past events that
FORKS: Oratory, Soothing Platitudes, Ugly Truth
left no mark, Ob 7. Skill Type: Sorcerous Tools: No.
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Restrictions: Dwarves only -I
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Spearheads are left to the ancient Elven foragers are wise and k11ow
rites of the Spearbearers. Combining
WIS 5' P-__|,
the name and shape of many plants,
the Riddle of Steel with Antiphon
flowers, herbs and roots. This skill
Union and various songs can create some very interesting results.
song acts as Foraging. FORKS: Rou11d of Harvest, Rhyme of
Obstacles: Run of the mill knives or
Rules
bodkin arrow, _Ob 1. Run of the mill
Skill Type: Peasant Tools: No.
Elven knife or leaf head arrow, Ob 3.
Restrictions: Elves o11ly
Elven (superior quality) sword or
sword or axe or hunting arrow, Ob 2.
axe, Ob 4. Elven polearm, Ob 5.
Rhyme of the .Ma:i,ne:§
,_ Agility/Speed
WThen away aloft, the Seafarers sing playful songs to the wind and cloth. These chanting tunes are n1eant to
FoRKs: Smithcraft Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: Workshop. Restrictions: Elves only
please the wind and soothe the rope
Ridiculous Request-wise
as the sailors harness their powers to
Riding
drive their vessel. This skill acts like
Rigging.
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This skill teaches the cl1aracter to effectively maneuver a mount.
FORKS: Rope Chant
Obstacles: See the Riding and
Skill Type: Seafarer
Mounted Combat chapter for
Tools: No.
obstacles.
Restrictions: Elves only
Rhyme
<:nmmm The Rl1yn1e of the Pathfinder is the skill song that mimics Tracking. FORKS: Song of Paths and Ways, Rhyme of Rules
Skill Type: Physical Tools: A horse or so111e such thing.
Rigging _. __
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Rigging is the knowledge of setting
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the sails of seagoing vessels. This includes how they work, and the ability to climb the rigging like a
Skill Type: Forester
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monkey climbs a tree.
Tools: No.
Obstacle: A sailboat or longboat,
Restrictions: Elves only
Ob l. Single mast (sampan, cog,
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Rhythm of the City-Wise
halinger, longship), Ob 2. ]unk,
Riddle Qf steels
Ob 3. Felucca, Oh 4. , Carrack, Ob 5.
‘Will/Agility
The fi1'st Elven Bladesmiths lea1'ned the Riddle of Steel ages ago from their Dwarven allies. The Riddle teaches Elves how to shape metal so it will quickly and efficiently
Caravel, Ob 6. A la1'ge seagoing vessel with many masts, Ob 10. FORKS: Knots SkillType: Seafaring
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Tools: No.
kill a foe. With this skill song, the Bladesmith n1ay create swords a11d knives of all types, axes if he wishes and arrowheads for the Bowye1's.
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Rituals-wise Road-wise This curious song teaches the art of weaving ropes and tying knots. It also grants the Elf a chance at unravelling any knot or tangle, no matter how complex. The skill acts
Ritual
.
1
S!ZillLEeL
Priests and monks perform religious Obstacle: Baptism, Oh 1. Coming of age, Ob 2. \Vedding, Ob 3. Funerary rites, Ob 4. Consecrating ground,
combining this song with Antiphon Union, Rhyme of Rules and the Song of Merriment. Obstacles: Repairing 1'ope, Ob l.
Ob 5.
Weaving regular oi’ rope, Ob 2.
Skill Type: Academic
Weaving Elven rope, Ob 5.
T0015: No.
§
,__
Will
The Rituals of Blood imitate the Lord of Darkness and Blood°s abilities to gather allies, twist minds and transform himself. Using the obstacles described in the Orc chapter, the Servant can cast a variety of spells with this skill. Obstacles: See the Rituals of Night and Blood section of the Orc chapter.
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described by the obstacles below. Fabled Elven rope may be created by
rituals for the community
r
as Knots, with additional abilities as
Untangling a twist, Ob l. Undoing a snarl, Ob 2. Unbinding a deliberate and forceful knot, Ob 3. Deciphering a mind-bending tangle, Ob 4. Gordian Knot, Ob 5. FORKS: Threading Chant, Rhyme of Rules, Rhyme of the Mariner Skill Type: Seafarer Tools: Traveling Gear or Elven Rope.
Restrictions: Elves only
FORKS: Doctrine of Night°s Blood
RQu
Skill Type: Sorcerous
Elves are attuned to the earth
Tools: Yes, ritual knives. Restrictions: Ores only
and the seasons in ways that Men and Dwarves are not. This so11g describes their methods of planting
The ancient Rituals of Night grant the Knower of Secrets power beyond the ken of his brethren. Through this
,2..,_ ,.M_-_;,_. ,_,
skill, the Ore may cast spells listed under Rituals of Night.
*‘"“
Obstacles: See the Rituals of Night . spell list. Spells must be purchased or lea1'ned separately.
FoRKs: None Skill Type: Sorcerous Tools: No. H Restrictions:
292
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and harvesting. Round of Harvest obeys the same rules as Farming. FORKS: Grain Song, Weathersong, Rhyme of Rules
Skill Type: Peasant Tools: Yes. Restrictions: Elves only
Royal Secret-wise
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A successful test of this natural magic skill allows the Rune Caster
This skill is similar to carpentry, except that Orcs never bother to
player to pronounce the target
finish, smooth, polish or plane their
character's fate. The Rune Caster
5Ii?i'S’
work. Their products are always
player may look at the target°s
rough, warped and quickly done.
Beliefs. The fate that he pronounces
Obstacles: WOOd6l1 spikes, Ob l.
must tie in to one of the Beliefs——and
Frame pack for goblin, Ob 2.
it must be suitably dire: a rise to
Ba1'ricades or cart, Ob 3. Mining
power, a tragic death or a pyrrhic
supports, Ob 4. Shelter, Ob 5.
victory, for example. In order for the pronouncement
FORKS: Mending
to even l1ave a chance of coming
Skill Type: Craftsman
true, the Rune Caster player must
T0015: Yes.
change one of his character°s Beliefs
Restrictions: Orcs only in cl1aracter
to match the fate. (Playing on or
burning
against that Belief ear11s artha as per
m
the standard rules.) If he does not or
The Rule of Law is the body of rules
if the Belief changes, then the fate is
and guides set up to maintain Order within the state. Characters familiar with law may act as advocates, lawyers
rendered invalid. It is ultimately up to the ta1'get whether or not he will embrace
and magistrates within the system.
his fate or veer from it. if a scene
Obstacles: Jurisdiction (king, duke,
is played out in which the fate is
cl1urcl1, ete.), Ob l. Common law,
fulfilled, that player earns a deeds
Ob 2. Royal law, Ob 3. Commercial
poi11t. If the fated character is killed
law, Ob 4. Technicality, Ob 5.
in fulfillment of his pronounced fate,
FORKS: For researching a case: Doctrine, Philosophy, History, Research. For presenting a case: Oratory, Rhetoric and Ugly Truth. Only an idiot——or a very powerful man—intimidates or commands a
1 .1}:
the player"s next character in this campaign starts with a deeds point. FORKS: Rune Casting can also be used as a FORK just like Astrology. Ob l. Carving the runes onto the
ii’?
small stones necessary to Rune
Skill Type: School of Thought
Casting is Ob 2. The obstacle
Tools: No.
for pronouncing a fate is equal
Rumor-wise R
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I.
as
to 10 minus the target"s highest §
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Circles+reputation+ affiliation dice of the character°s most expensive
consider Rune Casting an innocent
non—comn1on trait. Use whichever
use of the arcane forces at play in the
obstacle is lowe1'.
world, but most Dwarves consider
Skill Type: Sorcerous Tools: Yes, rune stones.
see, the Rune Caster uses a set of specially designed runes to discern
'5
total or 10 minus the point value
Learned Elves, Ores and Men would
its use a mad and profane act. You
its i y}";.>e.v
Obstacle: \Vriting moon runes,
court
i
Restrictions: Dwarves only
the future. When cast to the ground, their pattern and order reveal to him another°s fate.
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Sculptors carve forms and images
.l:leI[Agi_
from obdurate stone. Obstacles: Simple forms in clay,
Saddlery is the fine art of creating horse furniture from suitable hides.
Ob 1. Simple forms in soft stone,
Saddlers work closely with local
Ob 2. Simple forms i11 hard stone,
tanners to c1'eate saddles, bits,
Ob 3. Complex forms in clay, Ob 4.
hridles and stirrups.
Complex forms in soft stone, Ob 5. Complex fo1'ms i11 hard stone, Ob 6.
Obstacles: Saddle repairs, Ob 1. Riding saddle, Ob 2. War saddle,
FORKS: Mason, Engraving
Ob 3. Ornate saddle, Ob 4. Royal
Skill Type: Artist
saddle, Ob 5. Howdah, Ob 7.
Tools: Yes.
FORKS: Tanner
Scutwork-wise
Skill Type: Craftsman
S
Tools: \Vorkshop.
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Seamanship covers all of the basic
Saint-wise
knowledge and skills, short of actual sailing, necessary to survive on board a boat or ship: stowing,
A player using his character°s Scavenger skill may state what he
cleaning, mending shipboard
is looking for—it can be any type of
paraphernalia and water discipline.
item, but it cannot be a specific or
Obstacles: Rowboat or skiff, Ob 1.
unique thing.
Longboat, Ob 2. Junk, Ob 3. Caravel, Ob 4. Carrack, Ob 5.
Obstacles: Detritus or junk (rags,
riff . __
as as r
scraps), Ob 1. Common household
Felucca, Ob 6. Treasure ship, Ob 7.
goods (clothing, food, cookware),
Skill Type: Seafaring Tools: NO.
Ob 2. Hard to find items (medicine 1r weapons, tools), Ob 3. Valuable
Seduction
items (money, antiques), Ob 4. Rare objects (documents, books,
manipulation of sexual desire and intention. This does 11ot necessarily
FORKS: Foraging and appropriate
entail sexual intercourse.
wises
Obstacles: Basic obstacle is always
Skill Type: Peasant
vietim°s Will. This skill ca11 also be
Tools: No.
used for actions in the Duel of Wits. FORKS: Persuasion, Soothing Platitudes, Poetry
Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
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action from a subject through the
out of place items (oddities, head in
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specialized tools), Ob 5. Obscure or a jar, a crown), Oh 7.
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The prime mystery of the Servants is the nature of their ow11 cult. They
and cargo for sea voyages. Success
are pa1't of an internecine hierarchy
indicates there°s no problem. A
governed by laws and customs apart
failed test and the ship runs short of supplies—food, water, medicine,
from the clan. FORKS: Great and Black-wise
lumber, ammunition, etc——-and
Skill Type: Wise
serious complications arise. Sailors
Tools: NO.
start dying from one thing or another, because whatever°s missing
Restrictions: Ores only in cl1aracter
is what is sorely needed, of course!
bu1'ning
A bad steward is bad for morale.
Obstacles: Rowboat or skiff, Ob 1.
Sewing is used to make garments,
Longboat, Ob 2. Junk, Ob 3.
blankets and pillows from swatches
Caravel, Ob 4. Ca1'rack, Ob 5.
of cloth.
Felucca, Ob 6. Treasure ship, Ob 7.
Obstacles: Linens, sashes, scarves,
Moderate journey, +1 Ob. Long
Ob l. Mending clothing, Ob 2.
journey, +2 Ob. Ocean crossing,
Fashioning clothing, Ob 3. Fancy
+3 Ob.
clothing, Ob 4.
Skill Type: Seafaring
FORKS: Weaver, Embroidery
Tools: No.
Skill Type: Peasant
Ship-wise
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
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Shield Training allows a cl1a1'acter to
ShiPb11ildi11g 15 the 5-11't Of designing
incorporate a shield into his defense.
nd Constructing seagoing vessels. A master shipwright usually directs a
Characters without Shield Training must actively block with 3 Shield
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team of carpenters, blaeksmiths and laborers in the construction process.
in orde1' to gain its benefits. See Armor and Shields in the Burning
Obstacles: Rowboat or skiff, Ob 1.
Wheel for 1'ules. When performing a
Barge, Ob 2. Longboat, Ob 3. A cog
Strike with a shield use Brawling, an
or junk, Ob 4. A felucca, longship or
appropriate Boxing skill or Agility.
galley, Ob 5. Carrack, Ob 6. Caravel,
Obstacles: See Armor and Shields.
Ob 3. Treasure ship, Ob 9. Barque,
Skill Type: Martial Training
Ob 10.
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eéuiiih
FORKS: Engineer, Carpenter,
Tools: No.
Boatwright
‘Training Root is for Aptitude only.
Skill Type: Craftsman
l ' 4 r-.
Tools: \‘l/orkshop. .-_ _-|'
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Using this skill and a specially designed lante1'n or set of flags, a
The Dwarven eye for detail,
sailor can relay predetermined codes
especially in regard to
or signals over great distances.
craftsmanship, jewel work or
Obstacles: Simple commands, Ob 1.
gemcraft, is legendary. Shrewd
Questions, Ob 2. Complicated
Appraisal is the art of noting every
o1'ders, Ob 3.
single flaw in an item——-tl1e1'eby
FORKS: Cryptography
reducing its price.
Skill Type: Seafaring
Obstacle: Common goods, Ob 2. Expensive goods, Ob 3. Rare goods,
Tools: Yes.
§ H
Ob 4. Unique goods, Ob 5. FORKS: Appropriate wises, Haggling
.
Will
\li/ith but a glare, the Captain can
Skill Type: Social
send shivers down the spine of those
Tools: No.
who cross him. This skill follows the same rules as Intimidation.
Restrictions: Dwarves only
Siege Engineer
Eergeptign
Obstacle: Victim°s Will. FORKS: Paean of Deeds
Ores love to construct massive and
Skill Type: Social
roaring engines of war that spit
Tools: NO.
fire and shatter stone. Use the skill to build war machines; the war
Restrictions: Elves only
machines then count as tools for destroying structures.
Elven silver trumpets are renowned
Silver Trumpet
Obstacles (building): Simple 1'an1 or
Will
and fabled throughout the known
scaling ladder, Ob 1. Metal capped
world. Heralds are taught how to
‘twp
1'am, Ob 2. Covered ram or siege
produce wondrous and clear strains
.r;§'.;,; §,'i,_,.
tower, Ob 3. Massive t1'action
f1'om the instrument so that the
t1'ebuchet, Ob 4. Massive metal-
arrival of the Loremasters, Althings
.- \:
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sir at :4
¢i*é’i.:
capped covered ram, Ob 5.
and Etha1'chs may be properly
FORKS: Blacksmith, Munitions, Rude
heralded.
Carpentry
Obstacles: Morning calls, Ob 1.
Skill Type: Artisan Tools: Yes.
Danger 01' warnings, Ob 2. Funerary
Restrictions: Ores only in cl1aracter
Song of the Aman, Ob 5.
calls, Ob 3. Arrival of Fe , Ob 4.
burning
Skill Type: Musical Tools: Yes, an Elven silver trumpet. Restrictions: Elves only in character
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will
communicating through voice, ve1'se
Parlor tricks, Ob 2. To pick a
1-“IS
pocket or perform a similar trick
i-P‘:
and tune. Singing can be used to
of legerdemain on a victim, make
soothe, invigorate and inform.
a versus test: Sleight of Hand vs Observation.
Obstacles: Will of the listener. If the
Skill Type: Special
song is suitable to the mood, add advantage. The test can be used for
T0015‘ N0-
linked tests or to convey an idea.
Sh-p of Cnrrentss
FORKS: Poetry Skill Type: Musical
With the Slip of Currents on his
Bartel“-ID‘,
tongue, it is very rare an Elf is
Tools: No.
lost at sea. This skill acts like the
Skirmish Tactics
W1']](Be[*
Navigation skill. FORKS: Rhyme of Rules, Rhyme of
Soldiers trained in skirmish tactics know how to act as a unit when
the Ma1'iner
fighting in dispersed formations.
Skill Type: Seafarer
Skirmish Tactics allow a fighter
Tools: NO.
with the training to help another
Restrictions: Elves only
fighter with the t1'aining on his
S
team. You can help with maneuver
many types of metals. This skill
Tools: No. ‘Training Root is for Aptitude Only.
counts as Blacksmith, \Vhitesmith or Copp ersmith. With Smitl1c1'aft,
Slave Deck-wise
metal 1tem—pots, pins, cl1a1ns, tools,
Sleight of Hand allows the character
cups and l1o1'sesl1oes. Combined . . . . with Anti hon UHIOH Smithcraft ,P 1 becomes immeasurably potent. Add
to pei-f01111 m1no1 '--‘k t11c s w itl1 small objects in the hands. The skill also allows the character to remove objects from another person.
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surreptitiously place objects on and
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a forge and the proper tools, the Elf may fabricate nearly any type ‘of
_ _
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lea1'ns the techniques for working
Skill Type: Military Training
i
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centuries that an Elven smith
skirmishers may help one another.
EH
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Such is the experience of a life of
rolls in Range and Cover. Up to five
‘P?
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Obstacles: Simple card tricks, Ob 1.
Singing is the art of celebrating and
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add the Air of Gates to a headband
Union and the Lyric of Healing 01'
or the Voice of Ages toa clasp. The
the Doom of Strength allows the Elf to create Elven Bread.
list goes on and O11.
FORKS: Rhyme of Rules
Obstacles: Use Blacksmith, Coppersmith and \Vhitesmitli. FORKS: Gemcraft, lewelcraft, Riddle of Steel
Tools: Yes. Expendable. Restrictions: Elves only
Skill Type: Craftsman
Song of
Tools: Workshop. Restrictions: Elves only rr .
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This skill follows the same rules as
S
\X[illLRel‘_
This skill covers all the incredibly boring minutiae of being a soldier— ma1'ching, digging lat1'ines, setting up tents, army procedures and dealing with the payn1aste1's. Obstacles: Ma1'cl1i11g, Ob 1. Latrines and foxholes, Ob 2. Forage and shelter, Ob 3. Procedure, Ob 4. Payment, Ob 5.
Animal Husbandry. FORKS: Rhyme of Rules Skill Type: Peasant
Tools: No. Restrictions: Elves only
§
.
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Using the Song of Form, the Elf may sculpt stone i11to shapes and curves pleasing to the eye. Combining the Song of Form with Antiphon Union
Skill Type: Military
and Alarm will create a warding
Tools: Yes.
statue. Combining it with Antiphon
Song of the Eldar
it yi
Skill Type: Peasant
Ee[eeptiQ1]
Union, Disce1'ner a11d Voice of Ages
The cycles of the of sta1's are of great
creates a statue that will speak of
interest to the wise Elves. This skill
the lies and deceit before it. Combine the Song of Form, Antiphon Union,
acts like Astrology. FORKS: Rhyme of Rules, Slip of
Voice of Ages and the Strain of Farsight and a statue is created that
Currents Skill Type: Academic
can see far off lands and speak of
Tools: No.
them. Obstacles: A simple shape,
Restrictions: Elves only
Ob 1. Crude mimicry, Ob 2. Anatomical approximation, Ob 3. Elves are tremendous cooks and enjoy presenting bounteous feasts to their guests and relatives. This song mimics the arts of Cooking. Using
-.-.-____,‘;-,.p.-fl
this skill song along with Antiphon
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Expressionistic depiction, Ob 5. FORKS: Stonec1'aft, Gen1c1'aft Skill Type: Artist
Tools: Yes. Restrictions: Elves only
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The rights of rulership of the lord.
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Soothing Platitudes is a skill for
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This is a specialized Etiquette skill
placating angered or irksome fellows
for use among characters with the
with words that say nothing but
Etharchal, FEa and Aman traits.
compliment everything.
Skill Type: Social
Obstacles: Basie obstacle for Soothing
Tools: No.
Platitudes is the vietim’s Will. “Looking good today, sire.“ “Good
Restrictions: Elves only
Song of P 9-
show, sir! ” “A masterpiece of
!’_erceplion
This skill so11g is the Elven version of Orienteering. FORKS: \Veathersong, Rhyme of Rules Skill Type: Forester
ingenuity, lord.“ “The pope isn’t so benevolent as you, sire.” “Looking fit and fine today, sir.” “God°s own judgment would falter where yours st ands true, lord.” “Your ingenious calculations are beyond con1pa1'e,
Tools: No.
Prime Minister.“
Restrictions: Elves only
l
i-'1
FORKS: Persuasion, Falsehood
u
Using this special song, the Elf
Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
can attempt to soothe the pain
Sorceryi
of another injured cl1aracter. For
Sorcery is the skill that allows the
__
Perception
treating injuries, this skill acts like
character to understand written or
Herbalism. The Song of Soothing
spoken magical formulae. Should
ca11 also cure the effects of poison.
the cl1aracter have the Gifted trait,
See the obstacles below.
he can then translate those formulae
Obstacles: if the poison causes injury
into spells and thereby cast magic.
(like Deadly Venom), the obstacle is
He may also use this skill to create
the same as for Herbalism treating
new spells. The mechanics of ‘Sorcery
that wound. If successful, the effects
are described in detail in the Sorcery
of the poison (the die penalties)
section of the Burning lvheel.
are reduced by half, rounded up.
Obstacles: See the Sorcery chapter i11
lf the poison causes an obstacle
the Burning \Yheel.
penalty, the obstacle to cure is equal to the penalty. Successes over the obstacle reduce the penalty. For poison that subtracts dice directly,
it-’:'.iE‘.i»=i‘
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Skill Type: Sorcerous
Tools: No.
as
Restrictions: Men or Roden only in
iQ5}?-ml.‘
cl1aracte1' bur11i11g
the obstacle is equal to double the dice subtracted. Successes over the
i " " "1
Sorcery-wise
obstacle restore o11e die each. Skill Type: Medicinal Tools: Yes.
ts}?
Restrictions: Elves only
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Spear
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Aglity
regular spiders, Ob l. Training a Great Orb Weaver, Ob 2. Training
Spears, la11ces 01' pikes are versatile and intuitive weapons. They can be
a Great Master of the Hunt, Ob 3.
used as a quick slashing weapon,
Training a Sea Lord, Ob 4. Training
as a thrusting or even a smashing
a Great Undernest spider, Ob 5. For
weapon. This is not a throwing skill.
Field Dressing obstacles, see the Anatomy of Injury chapter.
Obstacles: See the Fight chapter of
FoRKs: Animal Husbandry
the Burning Wheel.
Skill Type: Peasant
FORKS: Martial A1'ts, Boxing or any
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
appropriate melee weapon skill.
Restrictions: Orcs only i11 character
Skill Type: Martial
bnrlling
Tools: No.
\X/ill./Agility Spiel-wise
*
Spearbearers, like Bowyers,
Staff_
learn more than just the art of
A staff is a thin pole, usually shod
killing. They lear11 to cherish a11d
with iron at the ends, useful for
understand their weapon——they
leaning on when Walking and as a
know it from its birth to the first
Weapon.
time it sheds blood. For many, their
FORKS: Brawling, Boxing or any
spear is the last piece of this world
melee weapon skill
they hold i11 their hands before their
Skill Type: Martial
own life is cut short. Use Spearcraft
T0015: A staff.
With Antiphon Union to create magic
SI
spears.
mill spear, Ob 2. Making javelins
of crystalline orbs. About the size
or reshafting a11 Elven spear, Ob 3.
of a fist, these “stars” are typically
Making superior quality javelins,
designed to be vessels for various
Ob 1-1. Making a11 Elven spear, Ob 5.
e11cl1antn1e11ts. O11e of the most famous, a11d perhaps the first, Was
FORKS: Riddle of Steel, Smithcraft,
a sta1' that had Mornsong sung over
Woodcraft
it. To the amazement of its creator,
Skill Type: Craftsman
the vessel then took on the light of
Tools: Yes.
the sun——eternally projecting those
Restrictions: Elves o11ly
.-
very first rays which warmed the
Spider Husbandr
earth. All crystals produced with
The Master of Eight lear11s how to
Starcraft make suitable vessels for
raise a11d t1'ain Great Spiders. This
the Enchanting skill.
rare skill is reserved for the n1ost
Obstacles: Marble, Ob 1. Prism, Ob 2.
calmly insane among the Servants.
Ball, Ob 3. Lens, Ob 1-l. Silmaril, Ob 5.
It acts as Instruction and Field
FoRKs: Gemcraft, Jewelcraft
Dressing for Spiders
Skill Type: Artisan
Obstacles: Use these as your base
Tools: Workshop.
obstacles for Instruction: Raising
qp— -__
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,g,{.]],, .,.,
fascination with the manufacture
spear, Ob l. Making a 1'n11 of the
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Certain Elves have a particular
Obstacle: Reshafting a 1'u11 of the mill
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Restrictions: Elves only
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The Lists Stealthy
,-
Speed Stone Artifice teaches the proud craft
Stealthy is the ability to use camouflage, natural surroundings,
of shaping stone into sturdy material
shadow, light a11d a quiet step to
suitable for building. Dwarves are
move undetected.
so skilled at cutting a11d dressing
Obstacles: Stealthy vs Observation.
511515
stone that the material becomes
Give advantage to Stealthy for light,
1no1'e durable and harder to destroy.
Weather and ground conditions.
The artificer may add +2 Ob to any
Skill Type: Forester
test to build a structure. This adds a
Tools: No.
+1 Ob penalty to any test to alter or destroy this structure.
ebate§
Eiill
This skill is a combination of Haggling, Oratory and Persuasion. It is loud, boisterous and heated. may also be used in the Duel of \Vits. FoRKs: Oratory
.
.
§
gravestones or making mortar, basalt, Ob 3. Making a slate floor, a simple wall or an obelisk, Ob 2. Arch or reinforced Wall, Ob 3. Small
Skill Type: Social Tools: A big Dwarvy mouth. Restrictions: Dwarves only ,
or making bricks, Ob 1. Cutting Ob 2. Cutting marble, granite or
Obstacle: W'ill of the victim. This skill
S,
Obstacles: Cutting blocks of soft stone
stone house or bridge, Ob 4. Large, reinforced wall, Ob 5. Tower, Ob 6. Donjon, Ob 7. HE,“
This skill is simply loud, boisterous a11d loud. Dwarves love to sing, much to the chagrin of their guests a11d neighbors. Obstacles: \Vill of the listener. If the
FoRKs: Hallmaster, Earth—Wise
Skill Type: Artisan Tools: Workshop. Restrictions: Dwarves only
S,
H,
,,,,.,,,, .,.,
an age ago from the first Dwarves
advantage. The obstacle ca11 be used
to emerge f1'om their subter1'anea11
for linked tests or to convey a11 idea.
holds. Over the centuries, Elves
Add +1 Ob disadvantage for singing
have developed their own styles a11d
to Men and Roden, +2 Ob for Ores
methods. This skill is similar to the
and Trolls, and +3 Ob to Elves a11d
Mason skill—it is used to quarry,
\Volves. Spiders donit care about
cut, move and place stone.
your crappy singing. They just Want to eat you. Dragons, too. FoRKs: Stentorious Debate, Chronology of Kings, Dru11ki11g
Skill Type: Musical Tools: No. Restrictions: Dwarves only
‘is
Elven Shap ers learned their trade
song is suitable to the mood, add
it -I
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Obstacles: Cutting blocks of soft stone
Casi i »,
or making bricks, Ob 1. Cutting gravestones or making mortar, Ob 2. Cutting marble, granite 01' basalt, Ob 3. Making a slate floor, a simple Wall or a11 obelisk, Ob 2. Arch or reinforced wall, Ob 3. Small
iv
I,
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_
_
iii
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stone house or bridge, Ob 4. Large,
,
-
Donjon, Ob 7. Citadel, Ob 10.
streets. This skill helps characters navigate urban centers safely, allowing them to find places only a native would know.
Tools: Wrorkshop.
Obstacles: Finding a well-known
Restrictions: Elves only
Strategy
_
_ .
\iiii1lLRer_
Strategy is used to guide armies
establishment in a city you have never been to, Ob 1. Finding an outof-the-way place i11 a familiar city,
through war. You can use the
Ob 2. Staying out of neighborhoods
Strategy skill to choose the field
where you don’t belong, Ob 3. Acting
of battle, move your army unseen through an area, find your enemy°s supply, choose the proper troops for a task, etc. This is a rare and highly specialized skill reserved for only the
like you belong there, Ob 4. FoRKs: lnconspicuous, Orienteering Skill Type: Special Tools: No.
Structural Weakness-wise
greatest of generals. Obstacles: Use Strategy in versus tests between commanders or use the
__
Bet
knows all about it. Where it’s from,
ally or opponent, Ob 1. Creating
who made it, what it's made out of.
a credible threat of force, Ob 2.
Everything except what it actually
Assessing a salient point, Ob 3. Plan of attack (order of battle), Ob 4.
does. Obstacles: Your stuff, Ob 1. Your
Plan of campaign, Ob 5. Proper
friendis stuff, Ob 2. Stuff about
provenance for your forces, Ob 6.
stuff, Ob 3. Shit versus stuff, Ob 4.
FoRKs: Logistics, Strategy Games,
What stuff to pack, Ob 5.
Tactics
FORKS: Dwarf—wise, Scavenging
Skill Type: Military
Skill Type: \Vise
Tools: No. Strategy
L
This Dwarf knows his stuffi He
following: Recognizing a strategic
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FORKS: Archcraft Skill Type: Craftsman
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Streetwise is the etiquette of the city
reinforced wall, Ob 5. Tower, Ob 6.
Tools: No. ames
§\liZ'|l|[Ee1
A cl1aracter witl1 this skill is well
Restrictions: Dwarves only in cl1aracter burning
versed in games of strategy popular
was
to his region. Game play was rather common in the middle ages, but this
.9‘Q-1.,‘ 3;.
character has developed a particular knack a11d skill for it.
at _
skill of opponent. Tools: Yes, a game.
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It is used to enlighten the benighted. This skill allows a Priest to convince others to act on his behalf (because
Obstacles: Versus Strategy Games Skill Type: Special
kn 1
Suasion is the verbal art of the priest.
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it is in the best interest of their
S_l.l1‘ll3L6.l
immortal souls). It is a Persuasion
Survival teaches a character how to
_
__
tantra
skill for the clergy.
build shelters, find water and stay
?1§',S’
5:1 I
Obstacles: Obstacle: Will of the
warm/cool in adverse conditions.
victim. This skill may also be used
Obstacles: Basic shelter, Ob 1.
in the Duel of \Vits.
Basic water, Ob 2. Survival food,
FoRKs: Soothing Platitudes,
Ob 3. \Vater or shelter in extreme
Falsehood
conditions, Ob 4. Shrug off +1 Ob
Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
penalty, Ob 5. FoRKs: Foraging, Hunting Skill Type: Forester
Suicidal Bravery-wise
Tools: Traveling Gear.
Stimmoning
_ _
I
The Summoning skill teaches the Gifted one how to call forth, bind
L
This skill covers the use of any long-bladed, one- or two-handed
and command spirits.
weapons. Bastard swords, broad
Obstacles: See the Summoning
swords, short swords, katana,
chapter of the Magic Burner.
falchions, machetes, rapiers, gladii
Skill Type: Sorcerous
or yataghans.
Tools: No.
Obstacles: Sec tl1e Fight chapter in
Restrictions: Men only in character
the Burning Wheel.
burning
FoRKs: Boxing, Brawling or any
Supplier-wise
appropriate melee weapon skill Skill Type: Martial
Supply-wise Surgery
Tools: A sword.
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Surgery is a highly specialized art
Symbology is the study of ancient 8:
that involves cutting and sewing
L1
obscure symbols. A symbologist can
damaged body parts back into
it
recognize/interpret these marks +
a position where they ca11 heal
ll‘
.
*-_
signs.
properly. Surgery can be used to
,_.1 ,,
we’
Obstacles: Common symbols, Ob 1.
repair broken limbs, stop bleeding and remove bodily aberrations.
Common religious symbols, Ob 2.
Failed Surgery tests increase the
Common arcane symbols, Ob 3.
'
-
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blood clock for the wound by one
Obscure religious symbols, Ob 4.
stage. Can be used to treat wounds
F o1 . eign pictograms, Ob 5. Obscure
'1-"-ii-‘:7 *TH*1;-_,,,g
arcane symbols, Ob 6. Unknown
‘big; H
of all types.
religious symbols, Ob '7. Unknown
Obstacles: See Anatomy of Injury for
_ ,1. P
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symbology, Ob 9.
FORKS: Anatomy, Field Dressing,
FORKS: Ancient a11d Obscure History, Doctrine, Sorcery
Skill Type: Medicinal
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
'
arcane symbols, Ob 8. Truly alien
obstacles and mechanics. Apothecary
115,.-3
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Skill Type: Academic
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Tools: No.
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arv" Theatrics
T,U. Iaciics
.
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Will/Per_
Theatrics is the familiarity with the
L
mechanics of stage performance.
Will ieig
This skill encompasses sets, make-
Tactics is knowledge of how to use small groups of soldiers to maximum
up and costumes.
effect on the battlefield.
Obstacles: Stage makeup, Ob 1.
Obstacles: This skill can be used
Making simple masks, Ob 2.
to set an ambush: test Tactics vs
Disguising an androgynous woman
Observation. It can also be used for field maneuvers in Range and Cover.
FoRKs: Acting, Disguise
as a man, Ob 3.
FoRKs: Strategy
Skill Type: Special
Skill Type: Military Tools: No.
I]
Tall Grass-wise
This skill acts like the Sewing skill.
Tanner
Tools: Yes.
.
1.
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FoRKs: Weaving \Vay
AgiLEoJ'_
Skill Type: Craftsman
A tanner treats and cures hides so
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
that they can be used as enduring
Restrictions: Elves only
clothing, furniture and coverings. Obstacles: Belt, Ob 1. Leather cloak or boots, Ob 2. Satchel or gloves,
Throwing allows characters to
Ob 3. Gambeson, Ob 4. Boiled
accurately throw knives, pins, rocks
(reinforced) leatl1e1' armor, Ob 5.
and balls at targets.
Skill Type: Craftsman
Obstacles: See the Fight and Range
Tools: \Vorkshop (a tannery).
and Cover chapters in the Burning Wrheel.
Taskmaster-wise
FoRKs: Javelin
Tavern Tales—wise
'1' tr
‘IF
Skill Type: Martial
Taxidermy
Tools: Something to throw.
Perception
Taxidermy is the process of
Iortnren
preparing and preserving the dead
This is the unsavory skill of inducing
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Will/Par
for exhibition in a lifelike state.
pain in a victim in order to have
Obstacles: Rabbits and small
the victim acquiesce to demands or
game, Ob 1. Insects and fish, Ob
reveal information. To use the skill,
2. Fowl and large game, Ob 3.
the torturer must state-—exactly—
Your aunt, Ob 4. Exotic creatures,
what he wishes the victim to submit
Ob 4. Monsters, Ob 5. Mythical or
to or reveal. I-Ie does not ask a
heroic beasts, Ob 6. Supernatural pg -»-:-Ilgai --.$,5-, fI.’,.";,'§1T1.-{~_::*
.
question of his victim.
creatures, Ob 7.
Obstacles: Obstacle is equal to the
Skill Type: Medicinal
victim°s Will or Forte, whichever
Tools: Yes.
is higher. lf successful, the victim submits or reveals exactly what the
Terroir-wise
torturer stated in his intent. The victim also acquires a debilitating trait equal in value to the obstacle of
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304
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The Lists
_ .-___
the Torture test—Maimed, Missing Eye, etc. Yes, the more willful you are, the Worse the trait. If the test is
Tree Cutting Percepti Tree Cutting is the technique of be used as lumber and firewood.
injury or death, or grant him a
Obstacles: Deadwood, Ob 1. Small
beneficial trait to resist privation,
tree, Ob 2. Medium—sized tree, Ob 3.
torture or interrogation.
Large tree, Ob 4. Stand of trees,
FORKS: Anatomy, Surgery,
Ob 5. Copse, Ob 6. Forest, Ob 10.
Interrogation Skill Type: Special Tools: Yes.
Skill Type: Peasant
Tracking Trackin 5 is the abilit Y to follow
Orcs don°t merely cut trees down, they uproot them entirely. Using
Tools: Yes.
g§
_
_Ha|;red
prints, impressions and traces
labor and ropes, O1'c Woodcutte1's
through W de1'ne55- T1'aCke1'S refer to their art as “following sign.”
clear the forests until only tortured
Obstacles: Fresh tracks on soft earth,
‘I I-‘>15’
rapidly and safely felling live trees to
failed, the GM can cause the victim
'E1.i-iii _ L ,5
ground remains——all the wood is taken to the furnace.
Ob 1. Identifying common animals
Obstacles: Bush, Ob 1. Sapling, Ob 2.
by tracks, Ob 2. Determining
Young t1'ee, Ob 3. Mature tree, Ob 5.
number of creatures from t1'acks
Ripe old redwood, Ob 8. Ancient
on soft earth, Ob 2. Following
magic tree, Ob 10.
fresh tracks on hard earth, Ob 3. Determining weight of creature,
Skill Type: Peasant Tools: Yes, exp end able rope and goblins.
Ob 4. Following t1'acks on soft earth
Restrictions: O1'cs only
after rain, Ob 5. Identifying a man
I ,1 EI.
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by his shoes, Ob 6. Following tracks on hard earth after rain, Ob 7. FoRKs: Hunting Skill Type: Forester T0015, N0_
Tragic End-wise Trails-wise
Troll Lords lea1'n the axe-blade etiquette for dealing with Troll Bellowers and Warlo1'ds. Obstacles: Making the warlord angry, Ob 1. Determining dining order, FoRKs: Troll—wise, Intimidation
Te-Pile A we Tools:No. Trapping is the art of setting traps Obstacles: Rabbits, Ob 1. Dogs and cats, Ob 2. Foxes and raccoons, Ob 3. Pit traps, Ob 3. Man snares, Ob 4. Skill Type: Forester Tools: Yes. Expendable.
Treasure-wise
_ L"
r.-.. +. .1
Skill Type: Social
and snares to catch small game.
it‘
Ob 2. Complimenting trophies, Ob 3
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Troll Lords live among the clan’s Trolls. They learn their ways and habits.
=*,.=§.r~i .
FoRKs: Troll Etiquette
Skill Type: Wise Tools: No.
iii
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Tunnel-ease
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Ob 4. Ugly truth about a nuanced or delicate situation, Ob 5. Ugly Truth
Life underground gives Dwarves
can also be used in the Duel of Wits.
a good sense of tunnels. Is it safe? How old is it? Who built it? All of
FoRKs: Falsehood, Intimidation
these questions can be answered by
Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
Tunnel-wise. FoRKs: Excavation, Mining Skill Type: Special Tools: No.
Vein-wise
Two-Fisted E.,,. I..
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v.1
This martial training skill allows a
Secrets how to extract and preserve
secondary the weapon must be
creatures. Using his knowledge, he
smaller or of equal weight to his
can create:
other weapon. Both weapons must
° A stinging and nettling contact poison, Ob 2. A dose on the skin causes the victim to break out i11 boils. +2 Ob to all physical, martial
there is no penalty for striking with
and social tests for one scene.
a weapon in the off hand. If a player
° A debilitating ingested poison,
wants to Strike with both weapons
Ob 4. Victim n1ust test Forte
simultaneously, divide his dice
vs Ob 4. Margin of failure is
between his two weapons. They must
permanently subtracted f1'om
be of equal length to perform this.
Health (and Health maximum).
The character may perform Block
° A deadly poison, Ob 5. The poison must be slathered on a blade or
Training. Skill dice are divided
arrowhead and injected into the
between attack and defense as the
victim with a Mark result hit. If
combatant sees fit.
so injected, the poison delivers one
Skill Type: Martial Training Tools: No.
i
additional B9 wound in a number of exchanges equal to six plus the
‘Training Root is for Aptitude only.
victimis Forte.
Perception
FoRKs: Herbalism Skill Type: Medicinal
Ugly Truth is the singular ability to strip a situation or argument to its
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
bare, naked core.
Restrictions: Ores only
Obstacles: Stating the obvious worst
Village Secret-wise
possible outcome, Ob 1. Ugly truth
Vine-wise
about family, Ob 2. Ugly truth about your friends, Ob 3. Ugly truth about a complex political situation,
* t.‘-xi‘-‘
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_
poisons from venomous and stinging
& Strike actions as if he had Shield
1: _ r-=3,-._=\
,,
a weapon in his off hand. This
When fighting with two weapons,
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This skill teaches the Knower of
weapon length.
1,;
§
character to fight effectively with
be one-handed and be at most long
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Vintage-wise
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Mask Bearers spend much time in the
A Vintner is an artist who grows grapes, 1nasl1es them a11d ferments
terrible heat of the forges beating out
tl1en1 into wine.
wicked blades a11d unyielding armor.
Obstacles: Swill, Ob 1. Drinkable,
Using this skill, the Artificer may
| |
1
il -“l.S'
create weapons or armor.
Ob 2. Good wine, Ob 3. Excellent
Obstacles: Knives, Oh 1. Hammer,
wine, Ob 4. Legendary wine, Ob 5. FoRKs: Farming, Brewer
axe a11d sword, Ob 2. Spear and
Skill Type: Peasant
polearm, Ob 3. A1'balest, Ob 4. Bolts
Tools: Workshop.
fo1' crosshows and arbalests are Ob 2. You may do the following once
Visage-wise
per weapon: +1 VA—Ob=current
lloice of Th1..1nder§
. rtillrrnne
VA plus 1. Add balance die, +2 Ob.
The Etha1'ch°s voice booms across the
+1 power—Ob=current weapon pow.
battlefield as he issues commands to
Pot helmet, Ob 1. Light mail armor,
his Sword Singers and vassals. This
Ob 2. Heavy mail armor, Ob 3.
skill acts like Command. Also, all
Plated mail, Ob 4. To make armor or
soldiers who have a trait, Instinct
shields “Dwarven—made” (reroll one
or Belief about the commander
1 once), add +1 Ob. To make armor
ca11 hear his voice when he issues
superior quality (reroll all ls all the
con1n1a11ds—no matter how far away
time), add +3 Ob.
they are 011 the battlefield.
To create gray shade devices, the
Skill Type: Social
Artificer must have a gray skill-—
Tools: No.
eitl1e1' via a temporary Epiphany or due to his actual shade.
Restrictions: Elves only
FoRKs: Black—Metal Artifice
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Tools: Workshop.
Wagon-wise ixtaiting Iables
1-r
Skill Type: Craftsman Restrictions: Dwarves only ,
gm
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.
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This master art contains many
Despite what they may say, it takes skill, patience a11d cunning to
secrets of the Dwa1'ven Hosts:
serve customers. A great skill for
l1ow to construct and field terrible
replenishing taxed Resources.
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Obstacles: Battering ram, Ob 1.
the wall ba1', Ob 2. Busy restaurant, Ob 3. King°s table, Ob 4. Queenis
Building a small war tower, Ob 2.
table, Ob 5.
Covered ram, Ob 3. Small stone
Skill Type: Special
thrower, Ob 4. Siege arbalest, Ob 5.
Tools: No.
Large trebuchet, Ob 6. See the
_,‘_:.:~i
in _ .3»: ii
destroy buildings.
:.i?’(i'i;¢‘
Skill Type: Artisan Tools: Workshop. Restrictions: Dwa1'ves only I.
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Materials chapter for obstacles to
.
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fortifications from below.
Obstacles: Sleepy cafe, Ob 1. Hole in
|
gs; tsifsee.gyese-sari .-ts
war engines, a11d how to destroy
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k_ Re-.r£Agi 3X£hiteMsta1Arti£ie@.§._ wail./Ag; Dwarves truly love working with
Weaponsniith is the specialized craft
gold, silver, platinum and true silver,
of manufacturing weapons of war.
all of which they refer to as “white
Obstacles: Knife, Ob 1. Spear, short sword, mace or ligl1t axe,
metal.” This adoration, augmented
Ob 2. Arming or lo11g sword, Ob 3.
by their superior skills, allows them
Polearm, Ob 4. To manufacture
to create works of intricate detail
superior quality weapons, add +2
and wondrous beauty. Any ite111
Ob. To make poor quality weapons,
made using this skill may be used as a vessel by an enchanter. Second,
fail tl1e test!
the Resources obstacle of any item
FORKS: Blacksmith Skill Type: Craftsman
manufactured using White-Metal
Tools: Workshop.
Artifice is increased by one. You may
Elemdng
further increase the value: +2 Ob
J2e.t[Agi
increases the Resources obstacle by
Weaving is tl1e skill used for taking
one.
raw fibe1' like flax, cotton, wool or
Obstacles: Hairpins, Ob l. Spoons
silk a11d turning it into usable cloth.
a11d cups, Ob 2. Jewelry, Ob 3.
Obstacles: Linen from flax, Ob 1.
Emb ellishing arn1or or a weap on,
Cloth from wool, Ob 2. Cloth from
Ob 3. Tea service, Ob /-1. Scepters
cotton, Ob 3. Cloth from silk, Ob ‘L
and rods, Ob 5. Crowns, Ob 6. If
FoRKs: Sewing
working with mithril, add +1 Ob to
Skill Type: Peasant Tools: Yes. Expendable. my
.
mg
§
all tests and increase the Resources value by two. IR." ,,
,|,[
FORKS: Gem Artifice Skill Type: Craftsman
Elves know a trick or two 011 the
Tools: \Vo1'ksl1op .
loom. Long have they been playing at Fate°s game with their threads and
Restrictions: Dwarves only
weaves, and their many years se1've
W],
tl1e111 well. Combine Weaving Why,
blacksmith, a whitesmith forges
of the Chameleon to create Elven
wares from the softer metals: silver
Cloaks.
and gold.
FORKS: Threading Chant
Obstacles: Hairpins, Ob 1. Spoons and
Skill Type: Peasant
cups, Ob 2. Silver bullets, Ob 3. Tea
Tools: Yes. Expendable. -.
service, Ob 4. Silver swords, Ob 4.
Restrictions: Elves only
FORKS: Blacksmith, Jeweler, Etching
Web-wise
Skill Type: Craftsman
Tools: Workshop.
L. Al.
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Whip-Wise Whispered Secrets-wise
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Using similar techniques as the
Antiphon Union and the Threne
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Tasting wine and discerning its flavors a11d properties is a highly refined skill. Use the skill to determine the origins of the wine. Obstacles: Grape, Ob 1. Terroir, Ob 2. Vintage, Ob 3. Estate, Ob 4. These obstacles are modified by the quality
and age of the wine: Drinkable, +1 Ob. Swill, +2 Ob. Old, +1 Ob. Ancient, +2 Ob.
Wood-wise
§_
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Elven carpentry is a marvel to behold. The Shapers use no saw, nails or glue. Simply by warping, bending, shaping and sculpting living wood they are able to produce stunning forms and functional designs. Obstacles: Simple box or shelf, Ob 1. Cup, bowl, stool, ladder: Ob 2. \Vall,
Skill Type: Special
table, chair, cabinets: Ob 3. A level
Tools: No.
floor, Ob 4. A staircase, Ob 5.
Skill Type: Craftsman Tools: N0. Restrictions: Elves only
§J ‘I-.
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Write is the companion skill to Read. As I mentioned in the Read listing, it is possible to have this as a separate skill. Without the
A wise is a skill through which a character can call upon the knowledge of various details of the game world——knowledge of “who°s who” or “what°s what” for the areas encompassed by his wises. For the most part, wises are fairly self- explanatory——their name says it all. Some of the more bizarre examples have detailed descriptions i11 the individual lifepath sections. The following are the general skill obstacles applicable to all wises. Obstacles: Common knowledge of the
benefit of the ability to read, Vi/rite is a copyist°s skill. The cl1aracter knows the shapes of letters and how
(i:,w4.
to reproduce them, but he does 11ot know what they mean. A cl1aracte1' with \Vrite may transcribe his
the ?as
thoughts onto paper in reasonably coherent chunks. Obstacle: Your name, Ob 1. Copying
Fl rt:-*1’! .p¥f 5?
letters, Ob 2. Composing a letter,
Ob 3.
"=:~ as-=,
ii:
FoRKs: Composition, Calligraphy Skill Type: Academic
Tools: Yes. Expendable.
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subject, Ob 1. An interesting fact, Ob 2. Details, Ob 3. Uncommon
1
knowledge, Ob 4. Rare goods, Ob 5. Bizarre 01' obscure, Ob 7. Freaky details or specifics, Ob 8. Skill Type: Special
. ‘T’,-'
Tools: No.
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The following section contains lists and descriptions of traits.
iii
T '!I.
Create Your Own
‘<2
If you find yourself dissatisfied with the options presented in this list, you are welcome to create your own individual traits for your
nt
character. The rules for n'ait binning can be fotmd in the Monster Rtnner.
l,,§.h
Trait Types and Restrictions So111e of the traits that appear in the lifepaths may also appear in this list. When a character has walked a lifepath, the player may
stew: i
l3Ul'Cl1E1S6 its traits at one point apiece. Buying the trait from this list, a player must pay the listed cost. The rules for using traits ca11 be fotmd in the Rtnning Wheel.
Char:-Cllaraeter Trait
it I5
This is a quirk or appearance-based trait. There are no die mechanics associated with these traits. Character traits are fairly
a gas
self- explanatory-—the name usually says it all. Therefore, cl1aracter trait descriptions are not included. Players may purchase cl1aracter 11'aits with the trait points earned from the lifep aths.
C-0=Call-011 The C-O abbreviation is short for “call-011.” Call—ons allow for re—rolls or break ties.
--
Dt=Die Trait Dt is short for die trait. Die traits modify stats, skills, attributes, limitations, restrictions and even other traits. They ca11 also grant special abilities.
Common Traits Dwarves, Elves and Orcs all come with a suite of connnon traits. These traits are free and obligatory for characters of the respective stock. Conm1o11 traits may 11ot be purchased. They may be voted off in play.
310
P
Iketee
the -:-
Resuic ons
Aches and Pains
Buying Lifepath Tlwzits _ Unpriced lifepath traits may only be taken if the player has
Acute
Char
.
1 pt
nnnl
D:
Elven Bladesmiths tend to be very sharp——their attention to detail
chosen the lifepath-that contains
and ability to reason is renowned
this trait. These traits cost 1 pt in character burning. These
even among the Elves. It is said that this ability to see a matter to
traits may be voted onto the
its conclusion comes from centuries
of staring at the tip of the blade.
character in play.
Rladesmiths may round 11p when
If a trait from a ljfepadi is priced in this list, then it costs 1 pt if the character has the required lifepath. Otherwise, it may be
factoring the roots for any skill that includes Perception in its root stat Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
Addicted
Char
1 pt
Adorable
Char
1 pt
purchased for its listed price.
Buyirzg Special Traits Special traits may only be purchased according to their
Adl
t f
.
E
DL
.
Dwarven society is very structured
restrictions. These traits may be
and rigid. Those that break its
earned by their respective stocks in play. They may not be earned
conventions are forever branded as outsiders—even if they’re later let back into the fold. Characters who
by other stocks.
were once Adventurers bear the stain of their deeds for the rest of their
A Abashed
lives. No matter how hard they try to hide it, other Dwa1'ves can just smell
Char
1 pt
it on them. Adventurers gain +1 Ob to all Circles tests when dealing with
Abnormally Long Tongue
it ~51
_ 1;: '5.
sets
I 1.}
Artificers or Noble Born Dwarves.
Char
1 pt
F :7-1-,=_-__’-F"
However, Adventurers may choose
Abused
Char
1 pt
Acm Contrary to popular belief, Dwarves
s 1|
a minor affiliation ( 1D) outside the Dwarf hold for free.
Pg.
as r
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Aftinitgtiorn.
_
Dt
4_pJ;s_
cannot see i11 darkness. However,
An Affinity trait represents
because they have lived many ages
something that the character loves
i11 halls lit by firelight and reflected
so n111cl1, he excels at it. Players
sunlight, Dwarves do not suffer
may choose one skill for which their
any penalty for twilight, starlight,
cl1aracter l1as an Affinity. The trait
candlelight, lan1pligl1t or torchlight.
gives the character +1D to the skill.
t-I
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They do suffer from complete darkness as Men and Elves do. Restrictions: Dwarven common trait
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Range and Cover, Alert grants 1D
1
This character has a hard nose for
to the next shot after the character
the cutthroat world of business.
finishes hesitating.
Affinity for Business gives +1D to any Resources test.
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
mmmd
Alms~Taker
Char
1 pt
Aloof
Char
1 pt
Aman
Affinity for Horses, like all
Affinities, gives +1D when dealing with the subject of the trait. In this case, Animal Husbandry and Riding
_
Char
This trait indicates the Elf is of a ra1'e lineage—those first to walk
even among the First Born. Down through the ages, the Aman have
tests are +1D.
most often tread the path of the
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Etharch—-—they are the lords and
A
mn
kings of all Elves. This character
This trait adds +1D to any skill or
need not be an Etharch himself,
stat when dealing with sheep or
but he is eligible for that rank.
goats.
In addition, the Elf-folk of the Wilderlands and Citadel treat him
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Affinity for Spiders
121
with a mixture of fear and adoration
The Master of Eight develops a
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
special kinship with his spider
Ambidextrous
Char
1 pt
Ambitious
Char
1 pt
Amenable
Char
1 pt
Amenable to Other Options
Char
1 pt
Anemic
Char
1 pt
Atlosts-is
n: rps.
slaves. He learns their ways and habits. This trait adds +1D to any spider—related stat or skill tests. Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
as -ea‘-"~l_ . ._
_
Aggressive
Char
1 pt
Agoraphobic
Char
1 pt
Agreeable
Char
1 pt
Alarming
Char
1 pt
Alcoholic
Char
1 pt
D1‘
Lpts_
Alert ._
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1-
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_
1-1
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the Crusades resorted to apostasy in order to save their lives. The
may Clance Assess and Aim (+lD)
Apostate character must have at least
when Stand and Drool hesitating.
one religiously focused Belief. He
Therefore, if your character hesitates
also gains a 1D infamous reputation
for two actions i11 Fight, he may shit
among his former co-religionists.
himself and get two aiming dice. ln
Restrictions i Men onl$1I s P ecial trait
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captured by the Muslims during
the character°s skull. Character
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religion for another. Anyone can be an apostate~—-many Christians
Little, electric voices echo round
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Appreciation for Beauty
Char
1 pt
Apprehensive
Char
lpt
J);
Lg:
5 pts
This character emanates fear. When
s,t_zr:'.:_[
entering his presence, all must pass a Steel test. Once the Steel test is made, the victim character does not
Arcane
Char
lpt
Arrogant
Char
1 pt
have to test again until the next time he encounters this fearful creature.
AurmLHo -
m
This character is bathed in a
This trait allows the character to
divine light. Any character with
see it coming—he knows Destiny
the Lawbreaker, Dreaded, Spirit
has it in for him and knows what
Nature or Aura of Malevolence trait
she looks like. In the Fight 1'ules, he
must immediately take a Steel test
may forfeit one action for free per
when entering the holy characteris
exchange: He does not have to lose
presence. Add the holy characterls
one when he changes one. All the
\Vill exponent to the hesitation
other normal rules and conditions
obstacle. In addition, the holy man°s
for Forfeiting apply.
Suasion dice are always considered
Atravieso_
Dr
1_pL
open—ended.
-
Someone who is Atravieso is always getting his hands into everything,
This character is evil, and everyone
fiddling with every little thing he
knows it. Little children run away
can. When in any new place, or a
crying, dogs bark maniacally. This
stressful situation, the cl1aracter
character, and all of his cohorts
must pass an Ob 3 Will test to resist
within his Presence gain +2D to
touching and fiddling. If he fails the
Intimidate or Interrogate. If the
test, the character goes for the most
malevolent character has otl1er
fragile/breakablefdangerous objects
characters helping him Intimidate, each character grants an additional helping die over what they would
around—-beakers in the laboratory, eggs in the hen house, detonators in the bomb shop, the queen°s dress at
normally give. Only one effect may
court, etc.—-—and, well, fiddles with
be used at a time.
them.
He will die for our sins. We all
know it. We all want it (not that we would do anything to speed the
free of taint and guilt in any crime.
process along. .
No one would ever suspect him.
be redeemed. The player whose
1'
character possesses this trait earns
Inconspicuous when dodging guilt.
persona artha for personal goals
ff
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1-.-:q§\fF I-J my j FF 4-: -
In him we shall
This is a call-on for Falsehood or
s pts
it
DI_ 3_,|1ts_
This character projects the appearance of being completely
Atrraiof Determination C-0
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Aura e lnnocence _C=f.1__ Zpts.
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when taking steps in the game to
This trait allows the character a11d
martyr his character. The character
everyone within his presence to
111ust die for a lost cause——-prefe1'ably
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reroll one test in a great effort.
1'eligious. Should this glorious death
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transpire, the character’s remains instantly become holy relics. The
Back-Breaking Labnr_C;lIl .
first person to gather up those remains is granted all of the martyr’s
performing hard labor.
remaining artha. If he had no artha left at the time of his death, the
Restrictions: O1'cisl1 and Mannish
relic grants a deeds point to its new
lifepath trait
owner. Lastly, after the artha/deeds
Bad Egg
point is spent from the remains, they become a suitable matrix for
R
Enchanting. See the Enchanting
Char ____ ___
1 pt
1 C-O
A call-on for Intimidation or
rules in the Magic Burner.
Authoritative
__
Call—on for Power or Forte when
Interrogation when attempting to
inject gravity into a situation or to
Char
1 pt
Dt
lets
cow a subject: “He just gives you that
Airarice
__
1
A player may choose to make his
look.” Restrictions: Dwa1'ven lifepath trait
Dwarven character especially Greedy. With this trait, he can raise his cl1aracter”s starting Creed to whatever exponent he desires (so
Barker
Char
1 pt
Base Humility
Char
1 pt
Bastard
lo11g as it is higher than what it would start at). The downside of this
_-
is that Creed tests always count as
of a noble of rank. He will only be
the type of test the cl1aracter needs
heir to the lands and income if all
to advance, no matter the obstacle.
the othe1' heirs die or join the clergy.
If he needs a routine, the next test
Basta1'ds a1'e not looked up on kindly,
counts as routine. See the Creed
as they dilute claims to birthright
mechanics for the ramifications of
and threaten the system of rightful
this.
inheritance. Bastards l1ave a 1D
Restrictions: Dwarves only, special
infamous reputation among the
trait
nobility. Restrictions: Men only, special trait
‘Fl-
Batshit J:/-_€_'-;'__"“.
C/war
1 pt
__.___.-:-—f
A Dwarf’s beard is a sign of rank
///' at
// es‘ Q..'{-._ ,i!: '"5,' it-1:
D: 4_pi;s_
This character is the illegitimate son
and maturity. No male Dwarf would
/'if%/"
dare go about with a bald face.
Restrictions: Dwarven common trait
I‘
Bedside Manner
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1 pt
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Ha$Bi
This cl1aracter understands
Black Hunters know a little-known
the secret lives of bees. He can
secret about Orc bile. lt°s toxic to
understand their signs and buzzing,
other creatures. A Hunter with this
but he can°t really talk back to them.
training may simply vomit on his
His Perception acts as Aura Reading
arrows or knives to poison them
on bees.
before a fight. The vomit stays fresh
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
for about a half hour before it loses
llelieker.
its potency. No roll is required. Any
_
.
Dt
Believers fervently accept the truth of miracles and the power of Faith.
creature who takes a Mark result hit from such a coated barb must of failure is added to all Health and
Believers are made at -1 Ob.
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Char
s,:_:n.:_[
pass an Ob 4 Health test. Margin
All Faith obstacles used against
Bellicose
in-1~—_.
1p
Steel test obstacles taken for the rest of the day. This poison does not affect Orcs. Restrictions: Orcs only
Big Boned
Char
1p
Blai:leLi.mg
D:
This Orc is beset with a wretched The Siege Master cannot resist big
hacking cough. This wheezing gives
targets. Massive, sturdy donjons are
him +1 Ob to all Health, Stealthy
an affront to his sensibilities. The Siege Master will always target the
a11d Inconspicuous tests. Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
biggest hu11k of bricks (or prettiest
.
Dtipii
war machines) first and pound them
No matter the emotion, the characte 1.
into dust and ruin.
never shows any sign of “getting it.”
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
Bilge—Drinker
Char
The little light bulb never seems to
1 pt
.1 :, =.=.~.-. 3§_ .
come on. +1 Ob to all Persuasion and Soothing Platitudes tests made
Birdie Talk
_
Dr
against this character.
This cl1aracter is just weird. He tweets and chirps at birds a11d they respond in kind——landing on his
Blasphemer
Blind
shoulders and twittering away. This
__
_.
Char
1 pt
11¢
LpL
This character cannot see clearly.
character is considered to have Low
He cannot make purely visual—based
Speech for birds only.
Perception tests, and he is at +2 Ob
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
to all sight-based Speed a11d Agility
ABitDeaL
tests.
Di_
The incessant clanging and banging l1as made this character a bit deaf. +1 Ob to all auditory—based
F=*:s-‘_ _.§-if *f"\-fl‘-it I“
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Blisters
Char
1 pt
Bloviatic
Char
1 pt
Boaster
C/war
1 pt
Perception tests.
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait Bitter
Char
iat,1’ 4
tr-‘ijj .52.
1 pt
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star a
ii‘. ‘P r,’.
,_,,ft .‘fa?-'
. Dt -2_pis Born_LI11der the 5_i11e1;S1a1;s_Cb L
Bookworm
“You°ve got to leave this lib1'ary and
To those who look upon the Elves
go out and experience the world!
with clear eyes, there shimmers an
Stop hiding in your books and live l ll
unmistakable halo, like white light
warned the old instructor.
through a gossamer veil, like stars
“Yeah, right,“ thought the student.
shining at night.
“All the knowledge Pll ever need is
Restrictions: Elven common trait
here. . .in these books I ”
|BQ1;|;Qm|g55 Stgmagh
Characters with this trait reduce
Di
9 pts.
Eat and eat and eat. °‘Natu1'e°s
their aptitude for lea1'ning Academic skills by one.
Cruel Joke.” Characters with the Bottomless Stomach trait are
at +1 Ob to all Resources tests This character’s voice cuts through walls and overpowers otl1er speakers. This is a call-on for Conspicuous,
Oratory or Command. Bored
involving food, drink and meals.
M Whether true or not, this character has been branded a coward. In
Char
1 pt
Dwarven society, this stain comes not from breaking an oath, but f1'om
Mm1 This cl1aracter is a son in the royal
eff5y -1- k "I; ‘W ‘_.-:
refusing to swear the oath in the first place. Branded a Coward grants the
line. lf he is the eldest, he is the
cl1aracter a 1D infamous reputation
direct heir to the throne. If he is a
with either Dwarven Nobles,
younger son, he bears no immediate
Clansmen, Guilders, Artificers or
obligation and is free to pursue his
the Host. Player°s choice. And more
own aims. However, the character is
important, this Dwarf may not
a Prince and the obligations of said
swea1' an Oath until he has redeemed
rank should play heavily on his life. He may, at some point, be called upon to take the thronel
Restrictions: Men only, special trait
himself in the eyes of his longbeard.
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Brash
Char
1 pt
Brave
Char
1 pt
Char
.
Those Born Great and Black are marked by distinctive features——tall
r‘ _
stature, b1'oad shoulders and deep-
for death, O1'cs a1'e compelled by
hereditary leadership among the
their accu1'sed nature to procreate
Jae“ ~=*
Restrictions: Orc common trait
Them All. This trait grants a 1D
Broken
-1 Ob to all Intimidation, Inter-
Orcs and a 1D infamous reputation
rogation, Command and Seduction
among the chattel and the legion.
tests used against this cl1aracter. His
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
it
3
Dt
affiliation among Great and Black
Will has been broken. Restrictions: Mannish lifep ath trait
Th. T"“~. "$_''l!‘(-Qfhi‘ ' =I;.£:T
it
often and quickly.
a Servant, one must be Born to Rule
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Though they loathe life and yearn
hued skin. This is the mantle of Orcs. In order to be a Great One or -u
Breeder
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._
___
lheLcn Blakenln
1.
DI T
_ Bi.Lil':.=.;eyc_§ipitter
ll?!
The Apprentice is stripped of his
“l spit i11 yer eye I "° ln calm weather
pride and ego. The player must
and good light, this character
remove any lifepath traits related to
simply does not miss his target.
pride or status——Noblesse Oblige, for
When spitting in the Fight rules,
exa mple .
it°s a “longer” weapon, it costs one
Restrictions: Mannish lifep ath trait
Broken Man
Brooding
Char
.
.
1;»: rgrrrtl
action to use, and it gives your opponent +1 Ob to his next test. Use
1 pt
this in Duel of Wits and give your opponent +1D to his next actio11. Use
Qt,
The Great One is prone to profound
this against a sorcerer to distract
mood swings. If ever beaten in
him—counts as a ma_-)1" not. Use this
a Duel of \Vits or surpassed in a
in Range and Cover and count your
social skill test, the Great One
days numbered. This trait may only
must succumb to this trait. He
be used once per opponent—ever.
must hesitate for his full hesitation
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
(minimum of two actions). While
Bnrialliites
__
J31
Brooding, the player may invoke his
+1D to Consccration and
Flights of Murderous Fancy trait.
Purification Faith tests for
(Note that i11 order to access that
performing burial rites. Player also
trait, the Great One must l1ave this
earns a P ersona P oint for each P la lYer cl1aracter he buries.
trait.) If the Great One does not have the Flights of Murderous Fancy t1'ait, he simply fumes for a few moments as he broods a11d then returns to his
Restrictions: Ma11nisl1 lifepath trait
Burial at Sea
Di
_
regular state of mind. Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
Purification Faith tests for
Bruiser;
also earns a persona poi11t for each
-
1
+1D to Consccration and performing burial rites at sea. Player
(10
The Marine has spent his days at sea a—bettin° and a—brawlin°. Take your bets, gents! This trait is a call-on for B1'awli11g.
player character he buries at sea. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Buxom
Cliar
Char
Brutal
Char
Brutish Efficiency
f.'-(J
-r»-:1» 11"‘ ti";-35' _, I #:~.-l'**§ _
C
1 pt 1 pt
1-
1 pt
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Brusque
(K it
.a£i
JH-'::';€t»q
Cadaverous
Char
Calm_Demca1n::r
(LO _,
1 pt
c. ,_
The Elven Attendant learns that
This trait acts a call-on for Siege
an implacable visage is crucial to
Engineer.
winning favor a11d advancement in
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
iiiiiin
the Elven court. To portray fear and
Bulbous Nose
Char
1 pt
agitation is to betray oneself. Call—on for Steel in the Duel of \l-ifits. Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
.1.
i "‘
si.*.
“T ' ‘F -. _,-IL
-
1-..
5.
.
L
'-
Call of the Sea
Char
1 pt
Charming
_.
_._. L‘-O
243$
Suave a11d likable, this character
Callous
Char
1 pt
Calloused
Char
1 pt
Callow
Char
lpt
possesses a certainje ne sais quoi that makes him affable (despite his
Cannibal
cowardly, n111rderous personality). Call-on for Soothing Platitudes or Seduction. Pick one.
_,___ , _D_:‘ IL{}I5_
. Ciiar
So vile a:re they, Ores will 11ot hesitate
This trait is only available to one or
to slay and eat their companions.
two lifepath chara ct ers. The player
Restrictions: Orc common trait C
may add +3D to the Perception or
Filo!"
LPL
\Vill exponent of the character, or may shade shift one skill. Abuse this
Cataniite has been el1osen as tl1e
at your peril.
trait name to represent ope11ly
Qhose.nQne__r .
homosexual characters i11 tl1e
Dr
apii
Burning Wheel. Honestly, it was a
If a player°s cha1'acter possesses the
pejorative medieval tern1——a slur. lt
Faithful trait, he may purchase this
is how society would refer to tl1em,
trait to make the Faith shade gray.
Restrictions: Men only, special trait
not necessarily l1ow they refer to themselves.
_ ._
Any character may be homosexual via the player°s choice, but by taking the Catamite trait, the player is
Chm‘
1_pL
An innate sense of time plagues this character. He always knows what time it is.
acknowledging that his character is open about his orientation. The
Chuffing
C/mr
1 pt
Chuntering
Char
1 pt
ramifications of such a decision in a conservative medieval society are grist for great game situations.
6 M5 .,f,',*,,l5h1
Cipher.
Restrictions: Men only, special trait
.._
DL
54:11
It is 11ot that the character is completely nondescript, but there
Add +1D to Steel tests when at the
is something about him that makes
van of an attack and charging across
people not notice l1in1. This trait
the field of battle. .
_.
1. I ‘-., --1
-
1- i
shade shifts lnconspicuous to gray,
Restrictions: Ore lifepath trait Cl1&1‘.l5111&lZJ'£
C—,Q.
but adds +1 Ob to all Circles tests. 2_plS_
Circumspect
Char
1 pt
Claustmphobic
. Ila. c LpL
There is something magnetic and enigmatic about this cl1a1'aeter 5"‘-;=
*$1'|;ff;*’,,
#1».-" ji-.1
.5
that draws people to l1im. People
Claustrophobia is a specific phobia
generally enjoy his comp any. This is
applying to enclosed spaces. A
a call-on for Persuasion or Oratory.
character afflicted with this trait
Pick one.
will not willingly enter small spaces like prison cells, closets, t11nnels, tru11ks or even cramped rooms. If he should find himself i11 a11 enclosed
at _ -n_"'
|_ "1-I
,,.., . 1-
313 --
-I-I
%.'-'|, -
J =-'~‘-.~
F.
_..
lhelhn
_,;| '
"1
.I
4'IJ' -1.
space for along period of time (more
Colorful
Char
1 pt
Comely
Char
1 pt
Comfortable Shoes
Char
1 pt
than a 111in11te or two), he becomes
agitated and eventually l1ysterical——
s;;st,[
the character 1n11st pass a Steel test. If failed, he n111st either Swoon or Run and Scream.
m
ilhinnsy;
1
111
tint
This character possesses an
This character tends to trip or drop
imperious and imposing demeanor.
things at the wrong moment. Use
His me1'est wo1‘ds seem like fiat a11d
this trait to further color failed tests
his statements like edicts. His lesse1's
involving holding p1'ecio11s or fragile
feel compelled to obey. Add +lD
things. A Clumsy cl1aracter will
to the character’s Command skill.
always drop what he is holding in a
He may also help all those in his
rather spectacular manner if he fails
presence with any Steel tests they are
a test.
compelled to make.
Cold Black Blood
_Dt
T
Complaining
Char
1 pt
The cold substance of night 1'uns through their veins, rendering these
Compulsive Lia r
torn1ented souls immortal. But it
The cl1aracter cannot help himself;
also makes them susceptible to
the lies come unhidden and never
the su11’s b11r11ing rays. Ores suffer
ending. Note that this trait does not
+2 Ob to all tests while abroad in
necessarily make the character a
the sunlight. If it is cloudy, dawn or
good liar.
twilight, the penalty is only +1 Ob. But the night deadens their nerves as well: CoZdBlac/c Blood reduces
Condescending Connected
_,
Char
1 pt
Dt
4_ptS_
hesitation obstacles by two for pain,
This cl1aracter l1as connections
but not fear or wonderment.
that belie his station. You may add
Restrictions: Orc common trait
one of the following new settings to
(lahilshioihad
your Circles: City dweller, Villager,
_
lat zapat
Professional Soldier or Outcast
hellyful of killing and he won°t
(or equivalent from non—Ma11nish
hesitate to do more. Reduce
settings). Confident
Char
.‘i zai§’~ .f>‘i-ti ei-
ta ’"*" l”~.+»"'=’-T. Fl
This murderous soul l1as had a
hesitation for deatl1, violence and
~t~1Jr w Tit
1'
- iii-r
1 pt
pssqgsi
pain by one. Do not reduce hesitation for surprise or wonderment.
Cold_Hea1;ted
_
DL
. _
Reduce hesitation for surprise and fear (including Intimidation) by one.
A Contortionist can bend a11d twist the body into odd positions. Callon for Speed and Agility in tigl1t situations.
Pa in hesitation is not reduced. Restrictions: l\’la11nisl1lifepath trait
Collector
Char
1 pt
Color Blind
Char
1 pt
Cookie
Char
1 H,
*'
1.
as.-.. 1. $11.:
1 pt
--iiiil
*
_ T-1
E
i-
if iii‘ is t. 7§§.t'§ r at ti‘?
’5‘~=s<;-, ._
saw rrrrwrr
5“1;': ’»==-Q,->
l-\".zQ_,, _
Coollieaded
_
or
2.-_pts-
Cryptic
Char
1 pt
Curious
Char
1 pt
Curses like a Sailor
Char
1 pt
Cursing
Char
1 pt
Cynical
Char
1 pt
Dangerous
Char
1 pt
Cool heads keep calm in crazy situations. Reduce hesitation f1'om surprise and fear (not pain) by one.
Corrupt Coniardlyr
_
._.
Char
1 pt
, DJ‘
Lpt
This is not the most flattering
trait. Cowardly characters will not willingly put themselves at bodily risk and tend to run from danger— or at least be conveniently absent: +1 hesitation.
Cramped Hands
Dangemu
Char
1 pt
.. f
_
Treasurers spend too n1ucl1 time with
Crippled
H
.
the Princels hoard. They eat, sleep
This cl1aracter is missing a limb
and drink coins and riches. They
or is horribly disfigured. Choose
dream about-—cannot stop thinking
one stat. It cannot start higher
about—fantastic wealth. This trait
than exponent 3 and it is capped at
adds +1D to starting Greed.
exponent 4. If this restriction creates
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
an excess of stat points during
Daring
cl1aracter burning, the extra points
Char
1 pt
are discarded. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Crotchety
This character is beloved at court. Increase any reputation by +1D.
1 pt
D
15 rs‘ 4,"
"
Char
Cruel
:1»'-1f1- __,_,_
CryoLDoom _. ._
1-..-;=- -
Char
1pt
DJ
_
He W ho Sits Astride the Howling
Deadly Precision allows the character to choose one weapon skill that he favors. Use his skill exponent
this skill.
and terrifying war cry f1'om the back of his charging mount. The
A character wit‘/I a B4 Power and
Cry adds +2D to Intimidation when
a B6 7'/Ira:-r/1319' .shi// a/aas alamaya wit‘/r f/rrawziqa anti/c.s asz'n_q t‘/re 6 of /1:3 Tizrawinj 51t'z'// raf/rcr i/ran /uis 4 Power: In L‘/16 standard ra/as
mounted and bearing down on your prey. Intimidation requires two actions. Also using the Cry, the O1'c
he da».-:.- /B1 M B5] 5 B7 wit/1 a
may call his wolf to him over great distances—co1nn1unicati11g with
i/trawziia itnz . 0:406 iraincaf in /Iii
him as if he himself were a wolf.
Cry Wolf
Char
i
15"
lb U
.
-.
___ 4-
J
'I
_
BZ 5 Bro. Mac/z !a=#cr./ 1 pt
_ __:
.~ia
1.. ‘,j' 520 --+a-5-?~-i ijl‘-.2,agr-sis: _
wit‘/1 Prealszbn, /re woa afo: /B45 M
Restrictions: Ore lifepath trait
“‘“'.'t,lll1\Qr.;£,_ rat./i
E
factoring his IMS for weapons under
Great Wolf. He may deliver a potent
sat
. .
in place of his Power stat when
Black Beast learns to howl like a '.-‘*5
1, B
-Ii
‘:5.-I
.1.
"' '
a
? .
lheLBn _.
Diminutive Hands
Char
lpt
This cl1aracte1' cannot make auditory-based Perception tests, and
. .~»1':.
nun;
Dimir1utiveSi;at1.1re_ Cl1ar_ _LpL Characters of Diminutive Stature
is +2 Ob to all Perception tests in
are no taller than five feet (1.6
general.
paces). This is the stature of
Debauched
Char
Deep Sense
Der.
1 pt
Dwarves and Roden.
Diseased
1 I
Dt 1
This cl1aracter possesses an honestto-god communicable disease. He
This trait turns the character"s Perception into an Orienteeringlike skill when underground. He
is covered with scabs and sores,
can discern direction, depth and
he stinks like a corpse and he can't
inclination like surface dwellers can
sleep due to the itching. Should he
see the lay of the land, time of day
ever fail a Health test for recovery from an injury, he loses 1D from his
and the weathe1'. Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
DeegLSleeper
_
Dt
j_pl;i
Deep Sleepers are very difficult
names wonlt do it. To wake from sleep before the appointed time, this character must pass an Ob 5 \Vill test.
Demagogue
Char
1 pt lpt
Denouncer
Char
1 pt
Desperate
Char
lpt
Despondent Determined
Char Char
necessitates a Health test. Obstacle Health. Failure means the cl1aracter
shouts, even calling their own
Char
Any physical contact with him
is equal to 10 minus the Diseased°s
to rouse from sleep. Loud noises,
Deferential
Health as his illness overcomes him.
1 pt 1 pt
I-!~e.2Ll;eL'i1,y..|.1f_l.l1i:._C-;-11.__C'1[Li"-I. pl.s_ This trait can be called on when the character is trying to navigate
who came into contact with him is now Diseased as well. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Disciplined
Char
1 pt
Dismissive
Char
1 pt
DispnLeaSettler
_C;0
._
This skill acts as a call-on for Persuasion, Coarse Persuasion or
Rt} ‘tit.
RP $ it,’ ~,:__
_
Oratory when trying to settle a
LT‘;
flirt>517};
.1"-4'" ‘"'~
dispute between two characters. Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
I.“-I-..
Distracted
Char
Disturbed
Char
1 pt 1 pt
Devout
Char
1 pt
Diligent
Char
1 pt
is
,.ts--zajifpi i'1=.11i~“~\jawsliifs
Disturbingly
‘H
Confident
Char
1 pt
Large Mouth
Char
1 pt
Dog Lover
Char
1 pt
Dog-Faced Boy
Car I1
1 pt
-».;..
narrow ledges, branches, rope or
walkways. Call—on for Climbing or related Speed tests.
F:
Disturbingly
*1
_
.13 T
1ma . , . *t.: F"Q
'
1,; yr’ f
."~.
_;_
Wt‘
'i.it;»
snd1#~e»3h§Ea§§d§l%§§gT -w'B*..?§fl'
§ ‘gs
|'
1
1-.
1
rr Til
Domineering
Char
1 pt
visions in his dreams. These visions are always relevant to the game at
llomineering Eresence D:
1
hand. The player then becomes the
Characters with Domineering
intermediary for this information
Presence may, once per scene, make
between the CM and the rest of the
their verbal n1aneuve1' first in a Duel
g1'O1ll].
of Wits. In the case of a Rebuttal versus Point (or something similar),
There is a distant goal which drives
this trait doesn’t have any effect. But
this cl1a1'acter on. Something burns
if a Bishop is attempting to Dismiss
in his mind that will make all this
while his opponent is making a
suffering, hardship and pai11 worth
Point, then the Bishop player makes
it in the end. This trait is a call-on
his point and rolls his dice first. If he
for one skill that is related to one of
fails to win the Duel, then the other
the goals listed in the character’s
player may respond.
Beliefs. Choose the skill before play
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Dour
Char
starts.
1 pt
This cl1a1'acter is very grounded. He understands the natural order a11d lives by it. Use this skill as a call—on for Farming, Plant-wise or any otl1e1'
Drop-Dead Gorgeous Char
1 pt
Drunk
Char
1 pt
Dusty
Char
1 pt
Dutiful
Char
1 pt
earthy skill the GM approves. Pick
Ibrergar .
one.
ii .
t -ti’:--.
Dvergar a1'e original, mythical
Downtrodden
Dwa rves. Dwarven nobility all lay
Char
Dramatic_ " ,,1|
.
Q
'5' - 'T
K2 $5..
D1_
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
1 pt
claim of blood ties to these ancient
_c0 2.pts_
forebears. This trait grants a 1D
Whatever l1app ens to the cl1aracter,
affiliation with othe1' Dwarve11
it is very entertaining and over-
nobility and a 1D reputation among
wrought when he tells you about it
all Dwarves as a noble. Characters
later. This trait can be called on for
with this trait suffer a +1 Ob to all
5
Inconspicuous tests among Dwarves.
Acting and Theatrics.
_
.1
. C;O .2_pl;s_
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
This cl1a1'acter is so horrible to look
._ ‘ .
upon, dread fills the hearts of his
enemies and friends. The cl1aracter
.-
i
19'- -‘,?,§::;=a-\r’*-_. \-
-
'
i'
.
1
De‘
Ii“:-"1
"-T‘-'
j'|-'_
i:
lid r".-*"‘,'..
3_pts_
-.-_...‘!*%:f§yy' -? ._,|,. ,;__?;:i;:~f,
,
This character’s dreams have a
.-‘I, I _=,?..l-.-Qt:-":'_.i,i,'§I
The prime function of this trait
A''~; *Ei1. -_'= '?.t,ga-' r:'-:-1‘
is to allow the cl1aracter to l1ave
~= ii-:_aaia..Y;
np,
-
322
-..
Intimidation and Interrogation.
4.
-;~.f*-"#3._". ’" -*!’-’
‘I
I
lifelike and portentous quality.
-\_
.'"-‘fl 1
I
.. .---_
can use this trait as a call-on for
-'_f
-_,'.-.
--—
J-'..‘-T“
:_|I-_':-‘
d rj
“" -:11] k’
1 _p-
}l ._
-—~
(“ii
_ ,_
|-I.
an
"—---" :-_._
_-"'
The Lists .[,_~_,.,;
E .
the cha1'acter remembe1's something, it is assumed that he does. The
Dr 4_pts_
signal
CM can provide the necessary information to the player.
Eagle Eye allows the cl1aracter to sec great distances clearly. For the
Eld tghsmk
Dig
8_p1s'
purposes of shooting skill tests,
Magic does not a11d cannot directly
characters with Eagle Eye count
affect this cl1aracter. This includes
extreme range as optimal in the
both beneficial and detrimental
Range and Cover rules.
Ear for \{o_ices
effects. This isn’t the best trait for
QL
3_p15_
sorce1'ers, as it would negate the Gifted trait.
The cl1aracter always remembers a voice and is able to pick o11t
Emotional
conversations over distance and noise. An Ob 3 Perception test allows
};f|1E_m},_u[j_he ,k",m1_
the cl1aracte1' to hear perfectly that
_ BL
1 pt 3_Pt5
The greatest, most fearsome of Ores
conversation across the busy bar.
E
Char
have been bred to resist the pu1'e
Dr
rays of the sun. They may travel by
_
day and suffer no obstacle penalties
The harried Lieutenant serves his Captain as best he can. lf the player
as under the Cold Black Blood Orc
purchases a relationship with an
common trait. Restrictions: Orc characters only,
important 01' powerful captain,
special trait
increase his base Circles by one. Restrictions: Elven lifep ath trait
Enimpic
_
__
Dtipta
Things fall apart around the
Early Riser
Char
1 pt
Earthen
Char
1 pt
involves something breaking—
Earthy Smell
Char
1 pt
counts double in its effect. One
Eating Maggots
Char
1 pt
Ebullient
Char
1 pt
it
cl1aracter. Any mechanic that armor or materials, for exan1ple-
,_:;}
I? ‘Rm i
breach counts as two, one lost armor die counts as two. Any DoF mechanic for catastrophic failure
Educated
Char
1 pt
Effete
Char‘
1 pt
is weighted by +1 toward the worst
"51- $5,.
result. And any roll that results in complete failure indicates that something broke. Oops. This trait affects everyone a11d everything i11
iii "
the characte1"s presence, including
Eidetic l‘V1r:I11ury_ _-_L2L_ _4_p1s_ The character l1as the ability to
himself.
remember 11ca1'ly anything that
Erudite
Chm,
1 pt
Esoteric
Cjmr
1 pt
he l1as read or seen. The player is allowed to consult the CM on occasion about certain important cl1aracter niemories. \Vheneve1‘ there is a question about whether or not
1.1;;-;\.»:r a-;>_ .., -if
_.
_
H
"*s=~s=-*.'¢t.-
t?‘ as
:~.-
a.--aA.» _.- aer.-
1
i-
_.._
_
earthly cold and heat as do Men;
one too many times, this character
they do not fall ill; they are ageless
is simply exhausted. +1 Ob to all Health tests.
and will only pass on when the. Earth ends. Elves do not have to take Health tests for illness, and they gain +1D to Health and Forte tests for resisting fatigue and poison. Yet,
they are not deathless: Elves may be killed by violence or may waste away due to Grief.
Restrictions: Orcish and Mannish lifepath trait
Exile.
Dt241ts_
This Elf has committed some crime that has nearly earned him the title of enemy among his people. Rather than dishonor him with such a
Restrictions: Elven common trait
Estimation
DJ
stigma, his people instead sent him
LpLs_
into exile. Ultimately, though, it is
Dwarven Engineers often share with
a death sentence. The Exile cannot
each other their vast knowledge.
journey West. Should his Grief
“How far do y’ think that is?”
overtake l1im, he°ll have no succor
“Hunnert paces?” “Nah, hunnert
and will simply waste away. This
seven and an eighth, easy.” Using
trait adds +1D to starting Grief, and
this training skill, a Dwarf may
a 1D infamous reputation among all
add a +1D any skill that requires
Elves.
an estimation of distance, depth or height: building a bridge, carving o11t a hall or even leaping a chasm. Be warned though, estimating
Restrictions: Elves only, special trait
-Dt The exorcism ritualist knows l1ow to drive demons from the possessed.
incorrectly can be calamitous. If
He gains a +1D advantage to Faith
the test is failed, the results are
when using the Purification miracle
i
catastrophic.
to exorcise demons.
Restrictions: Dwarves only.
Restrictions: Mannisl1 lifepath trait
This cl1aracter is of Elven noble stock. His facial features, bearing,
‘Fl.
J)t
Pushed to the brink of his endurance
Elves do not feel the effects of
accent and manners are distinct from those born in the wilds or the citadel. His heritage is
Extra Digit
Char
1 pt
Extremely Bitter
Char
1 pt
Extremely Respectful of One’s Betters Char
1 pt
recognizable at a glance. Grants a 1D affiliation with Elven Etharchs. This compounds with all other appropriate affiliations.
34
ti
P“
Eunuch
Char
1 pt
Evasive
Char
1 pt
Exasperated
C11 at
1 pt
=1»-1:
D1
1 3_pj;5_
aptitude for learning social skills by one.
":'3-2'*-~-.3).. -.3.5." -,;, ._,_., . -.
lil
1
The cl1aracter may reduce his
Restrictions: Elven lifep atl1 trait
.l
Extrglert
' Cl-_I:’__. F |lt| ‘E
,
. . - H1
_
mi
The Lists Bmb
ta
I-§'angeda11d_Clan#_crl_l1t. m _
Characters with the Eye of the
The mouth of an Orc is a violent
Hunter count their Perception
organ, well suited to tearing flesh
exponent as Observation for
and shouting blasphemies. Ores may
detecting Stealthy, Camouflage or
use their Fanged Maw as a weapon:
similarly concealed cl1a1'acte1's.
signal
The bite is a Power 1, WS 1, VA 1, Add 2, shortest length weapon. Claws like steel shards protrude from their gnarled fingers. They
Faded
Char
1 pt
may be used as weapons: Power 1, \VS X, VA —-, Add 2, shortest length. They act like knives fo1' purposes of
Elves are fair and beautiful to all
positioning and fighting distance.
who look upon them. The Elven form
Restrictions: O1'c common trait
inclines toward tall and slender, rounded by graceful curves. Restrictions: Elven common trait
Eaithful
_ _
Di
Fastidious
Char
1 pt
Fateful
Char
1 pt
5 pJ;s_ Péa
This trait is required in order to
1
Char
op en the Faith attribute. With Faith,
The Fea trait denotes that this Elf
the cl1a1'acte1' is able to perform
l1as been born into a family whose
miracles. The Faith section of this
lineage typically holds the rank
chapter describes l1ow to start the
of prince. This cl1aracte1' need not
attribute. The Emotional Magic
hold the rank of prince himself, but
section of the Burning Wheel
possessing this trait indicates that he is eligible for the ra11k. This trait is
describes its mechanics.
required if the player wishes to take
Restrictions: Men only, special trait
Eamiliar Eace
. Dr
2_p1a
Of course he°s my friend. l°ve seen
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
Fealty to the Pea1
him around l1ere dozens of times! Familiar Face is a call-on for Circles tests. E .1
the Prince lifep atl1 for his character.
1
Ch,/11'
1% ,4‘
trait
_
Sword Singers t1'ained in the palace of the Etl1arcl1 are traditionally
H . I
D
,
considered the Prince°s own bodyguard. They report directly to
A Family Heirloom is a11 item of great value or power that symbolizes the (once great) might of the family. A cl1aracter may only take this trait
him in times of peace a11d war.
\"'lf-Pi»
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
Fear of Cheese
Char
1 pt *
if he starts with Z0 or fewer resource poi11ts. The trait allows the player to take one item from any list that costs 50 rps 01' less.
Fanatical Devotion
Char
-
Fear of Wet Noises
Char
1 pr
Fearful Respect of the Servants
Char
1 pt
1 pt
.
I 1
II‘
F.-*1‘
xiii? ‘T ti ~i‘efH;,V‘i‘%_I‘.‘%‘kt‘ §"'I|!"" H'_\'A"
1'1 T
~1=.-5:: _
_,.
1
itlgi -
1:»)-1-a=?~’ ha
.
III"-
.|1
'1
Fearless
1
Dt
lpts
_ 1
This cl1aracter is practically immune
_
(lO1-2_pisc
Fleet of Foot is a call-on for Speed
to fear. Reduce hesitation for pain,
when racing or positioning.
fear and the shock of gore or death
Er 1 I
by three. Hesitation for wonderment
EP 1
1
Eqnc
D,
\Vhile under the effects of the
or surprise is not reduced.
Brooding trait, the Great One is
Feral
Char
1 pt
Fervent Believer
Char
1 pt
Di
4'_llLg__
beset by the winged visions of his horrid and vile fantasies. These
Eey lond
__
tempting little morsels dance in his mind’s eye: Tearing the Elven captain lin1b from limb, turning
The blood of the elder folk runs
pesky knights into dinnerware or
through l1in1. This character may
slaughtering his entire clan in order
choose one trait from the Elf,
get them to shut up, for example.
Dwarf or Orc traits list. Lifepath
After being humiliated in a social
a11d Common Racial traits are free,
skill test or Duel of \Vits, such visions
normal costs apply to Special Traits.
become irresistible. \Vhile Brooding,
Firm
Char
EirstJ3nrn
._l)L _
the Orc player may design a Flight
1 pt
of Murderous Fancy to focus on.
@219’
He n1ust name a task and the vivid
Elves a1'e made f1'on1 the very
details of how he’ll accomplish said
fabric of nature—wind, air, wood
task. He may then FoRK his Hatred
and water. Thus, they know its
into any and all tests—stat, skill,
secrets very well: They know l1ow to
Steel, Health or whatever-—while
preserve much of its power—even
on the job. \Vhen he sates his fancy
when it is taken and shaped i11to
(and accomplishes the goal), the
something new. It is this intimate
player immediately ea1'ns a persona
knowledge that allows the Elves to
point, Tapping into the Flights of
weave their songs.
Murderous Fancy trait counts as a routine test for Hatred.
Their unadulterated essence grants
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
them insight into their world unmatched by the races of Men, Dwarves or Ores. Due to this, Elves’ Perception maximum is 9 rather
Flip
Char
1 pt
Floury
Char
1 pt
Folksy Wisdom
Char
1 pt
Following the Beat
Char
1 pt
Fondness for Elven Blood
Char
lpt
than 8. Restrictions: Elven common trait
I-u
Fixed Smile
Char
1 pt
Flamboyant
Char
1 pt
Flatterer
Char
1 pt
Flea~Bitten
Char
1 pt
326
Ff-U
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
eer,sf it.»at-.,_ .-:*l'r.~-i=~§'-,+\. . . ;j|‘I'-"-3"
e __
This trait is a call-on for Falsehood.
f?=.'.i'si"K.
“'5; :‘ J- -as-i’vti1:="'”*‘lilfii
i "6*s-" e‘* at-=1
fl '
'5 _
__
Iik,
-r-I--n
.4.
F1-1.
1
"ER-R
1%eLsa Formalist
Char
| .l'
_
it
is-3-‘
1 pt
iiirtrl
Eort1tude.__(gO2_;1t.
--"
exhaustion, this cl1aracter will heave 1r
to and give it one more try. Call-on for Forte.
Foul Smelling
Erail
Char
_
-
1 pt
11: jk{R _
Weakness saps vitality. This
ll!
541ts_
This trait is required for the cl1aracter to be able to cast spells,
cl1aracter is less vigorous than his companions. Perhaps due to a11
overactive life of the mind? Subtract one f1'om Power or Forte. Also,
enchant artifacts, speak with the dead or summon spirits. \Vithout it, Sorcery, Summoning and Enchanting are merely academic
the maximum for the Frail stat is
reduced to exponent 5. Frippery
Giftedi
pursuits. \Vith the Gifted trait, the cl1aracter can manipulate magic.
Char
1 pt
See Sorcery in the Burning ‘Wheel for more.
Frustrated
Char
1 pt
Restrictions: Men only, special trait
Qil o
G
_
11243
2Lpts_
This character is a believable storyteller. His manner and expressions
Galvanizing Presence-
._ _
are earnest and appropriate. This
Galvanizing Presence is a call-on for
trait is a call-on for Soothing
Command or Conspicuous.
Platitudes, Falsehood and Seduction.
Restrictions: Dwa1'ven lifepath trait
Garrulous
Char
1 pt
can
Char
1 pt
Generous
Char
1 pt
Genial
Char
1 pt
Gentle but Firm
Ch ar
1 pt
11¢
.14lEL
Gloryhound
Di
lpia
A Gloryhound cannot restrain himself when he sees a chance for “glory.” He charges into the f1'ayl1eedless of safety, tactics or
Kieometric __
Geometry is the mother of invention.
plans. Glory includes: maidens
"-1-
fair, enemy so1'cerers commanding undead hordes, la1'ge monsters,
":‘*;~'" ‘
it
enemy knights, and enemy kings. Gloryhounds may add an additional
i‘1'~r
Steel reaction: For Glory! While hesitating from a failed Steel test
Forget what that other guy says.
(and choosing this reaction) the
‘F 7'.1, '1
This trait gives +1D to any skill
Gloryhound must Close. In Range
that utilizes matl1e111atics or
and Cover he must use Steel. In
is.+'.-ta-.¢%~@:T~-’t-,-_=’i:"'—‘-’. _.e.-
measurements.
Fight he must Close and attempt to
.i;ti2*~
Charge. He may 11ot do anything
Gerbil Brain
Char
1 pt
1" "
else.
isifffis 1,,
1? lat ¢Fi-.: .s§i5‘
“ _
Rim
'1"‘-..1.r=
ii.ii*i'
sis,
fl-
-‘.'‘P3
-. 'I'r-I
“-.-.
'|.-|._
I1.
“-
_..-.
Ia.-._,.u ""\-|. .q,.___ -Ina. in-
.._: -|.-_
-.'1'.-
-\-_
4|.‘
-In
---.
.1____‘_ '2-,.
'\-u
..,.‘ lm
-.'lI' +1.-__, -\,_
Gluttonous
‘In
Char
1 pt
Grief”
_
.
12:.
Years of emotion and strife take
Gnawing Hunger
Char
1 pt
Good for Nothing
Char
1 pt
Gossip
Char
1 pt
Qtu ful
£10
4-9-|?5—
their toll, and eventually all Elves begin to feel Grief tug at their hearts See the Elven Grief section for the mechanics of this trait. Restrictions: Elven common trait
Grim
Char
1 pt
This cha racter is fluid and flowing in motion. This trait may be called-
Dt-Lpr
This character contains within him
skills requiring grace or presence.
the capacity to maintain terrible
This is a special, double effect call-
enmity for perceived slights. He
on. The pricing is correct.
swears grudges like others swea1'
Grand
Char
1 pt
Greasy
Char
1 pt
oaths. The Grudgekeeper trait allows the player to replace his Oathsworn Belief with a Grudge. Rather than a promise or an oath,
a
he swears revenge. Grudges follow
Under the influence of his muse, this
the same mechanic as oaths. If the
character is a virtuoso. The player
cl1aracter has the Oathswearer t1'ait,
must choose an art form and one of
it combines with Grudgekeepe1'.
his character°s skills that it inspires.
He may only pronounce grudges-—
When the art is being performed or
rather than oatl1s—between two
witnessed, the dependent skill shade
characters. They must write them
shifts one step lighter. A character
into their Beliefs as if they were
E
oaths.
cannot be his own muse.
I
Qlmdgekeeper
on for Speed tests a11d for social
Restrictions: Dwarves only, special trait
Deep in the heart of every Dwarf
Grumbling
Char
1 pt
Guarded
Char
1pt
Hacking Cough
Char
1 pt
Hairy
Char
1 pt
Half~Elf
Char
lpt
Char
1 pt
lies a terrible seed, a lust for wealth
and beauty. Some Dwarves master it; others succumb. It is a powerful
1-I
emotion that drives many a Dwarf from his comfortable life and
compels him to perform terrible acts or zealously create works of inestimable craft. See the Dwarven
-_-_-
Greed sectio11 in this chapter for r~
more on this emotional attribute.
'1
.|',-_rI,|.l||I 1| ;|',|J,
is
ath .
-*
are
Restrictions: Dwa1'ven common trait
Restrictions: Elves only
Greedy
Char
1 pt
Halitosis
Grey Mantle
Char
1 pt
'""'~'§-i-.
-
'\-i wag-" :-
iii
ii, 1‘ it
R:
P
TheLnB Healthy __
1
s
C-O_ Zpts
The character may round up when
No matter what the cha1'acter does
factoring roots for skills with the
or how he lives his life, he still
1
[I
II
maintains the glow of fitness. Call-
Perception/Agility root. II
sizzrri
D,
I
I
on for Health tests.
The characterls fists (and feet) have
Hide Befgjfe Battlg
been so toughened that his hands
Chm»
1 pt
'
Hiding
count as a Power 1 weapon (like a
_
Di
Goblins learn very quickly that it’s
stone, knife or dagger).
better to hide from their masters Handsome
Char
1 pt
Happy-Go-Lucky
Char
1 pt
Hard_as_Hails
,_12t
than be caught or volunteer. Add +lD to Stealthy. Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
_ Hoarding
Char
1 pt
Holier
Char
1 pt
H0ll0W BOI1eS
Char
lpt
Homesick
Char
1 pt
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Honored
Char
lpt
Ha
Hope
Char
1 pt
Horsefriend
C/war
1 pt
Humble Before My Master
Char
1 Pt
Humility
Char
1 pt
The Warden may choose to ignore one wound onceper conflict. He may do as long as the wounded dice penalty is not greater than his current Will. So if he°s only got 1D of \Vill left, he can’t ignore a traumatic wound, but he can ignore a light.
Dr
They always have excuses, and this cl1aracter has heard them all. He may add four successes to any body of argument in a Duel of Vi/its where his opponent is trying to weasel out of an obligation. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Hard Work Hardened
Char
1 pt
Dr
Hard labor has tu1'ned this
Char
1 pt
Hungry
Char
1 pt
Hurt
Char
1 pt
Hypochondriac
Chm‘
1 pt
factoring Health. Restrictions: Mannish lifep ath trait
Hatred of Forests
Char
1 pt
Haunted
Char
1 pt
He’s a Jonah, That One. Char
1 pt
as Iii
as
V‘ r~,¢_-;g;r Humility in the Face of Your Betters
characte1'°s back to stone and his muscles to iron. Round up when
((f.*&l'»l:l,. ' ii“
I tr, i
(f iii?5 . :»-1 iii #1;
e, *
sari
it-.' . .. We‘-" T
I- ‘F.
. "‘ ‘
‘
%Ti;5Y'~"i
__ "
'2 i§*
Jl\i':l»lli'
52“wk*4:
‘I
1
L
I,
ll
Infallible Religious Logic
Char
1 pt
Ink-Stained Hands
Char
1 pt
Inscrutable
Char'
1 pt
Insightful
Char
1 pt
Insomniac
Char
1 pt
I Know This Shi
na§ c-0 1
The carpenter is a strange bloke, but he definitely knows the ship. This trait acts as a call-on for any ability used in trying to figure out something about the sailor°s ship-~ be it the location of something lost or the knowledge to repair terrible
damage.
This character inne1'vates and
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
motivates other people by his me1'e
Idealistic
Char
1 pt
presence. Can be used as a call-on
Ideologue
Char
1 pt
Impecunious
Char
1 pt
Imperious
Char
1 pt
for Oratory and Command.
enE%ano,r C-_0
__
Use this trait as a call-on for Circles when dealing with anyone of lower 1'ank or station.
riff \;
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
rr¢"’5éi'3 -,.
‘-5._ .
I‘
Impulsive
Char
1 pt
Incessant Tapping
Char
1 pt
I
1
.11 D.
. 2:
_.
|,
‘ditty
Call— on for Falsehood when trying to hide the true facts of a medical diagnosis.
Char
1 pt
Intractable
Char
1 pt
Inured
C/1ar'
1 pt
Invisible Friend
Char
1 pt
Involuntary Shudders Char
1 pt
l
1
Dr
T
Wordbearers are taught tricks of the memory so that they never forget the missives they are commissioned to recite. Players whose characters have this trait, who have forgotten a vital game—in1portant detail, may make an Ob 3 Perception test to recall it. Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Inconsiderate
Char
1 pt
Indecisive
Char
1 pt
Iron Nails
Char
1 pt
Inonhiose
Dr
_
This character has smelled the worst of it. He never l1as to take a
‘F-1-.
*4?-,=-a.~
Steel, Health or Forte test due to An lneffable Feature is a facial o1' bodily feature that cannot he altered or destroyed. Or if it is somehow destroyed 01' removed, it grows back the same as it was before.
R5-:i """' _.,.j,+l: __,i._“J
Intense Hatred
st
530 '
—-_
_-
-.:_,
-
__ H.
_It
=31 _.-
.:-_
4.
nauseating smells. Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
_n.|.-
E__
The Lists
.H_ ‘1.
1"
-cl‘-'5"
ch
C-O 1 Z_p.LL
in starlight as if it were day. They
This cl1aracter can eat nearly
suffer no obstacle penalties for di111
anything and not get sick, even while
light. Smoke and haze still bar their
enduring ston1aeh—churning gross-
vision—normal penalties apply.
out jokes. Call-on for Forte tests
I11 complete darkness Elves suffer
against illness or poison.
Iron \?Zill 1
1
+4 Ob like Men or Dwarves.
DJ
3_pJ;a
Restrictions: Elven common trait
Characters with Iron Will are
Egan Iagtg
resistant to Interrogation and
This trait can be used to determine
l1[[(~f()
5 pts
Seduction. Any attempts at bending
the ingredients of a substance
them are made at a double obstacle
sampled by taste. The player can
penalty. In a Duel of Wits in which
combine this trait with any one
the opposing skill is Interrogation or
of his applicable skills. Using his
Seduction, the player may double his
knowledge a11d this inborn talent,
body of argument.
he can decipher the ingredients or
It Just Might Wo1'kl
Char
1 pt
J ladei
signal
DJ
A-_pia
So many years and so much
components of a material, substance or compound.
/fa c/rarccatcr /uzc/ Procpcc rzj and Keen Yizcic, /zc caa/dfacfc can‘/1 and alcfcrminc w/mat compcncn zfc are canzfczixcccilL‘/rcrcrln.
humanity has this character seen,
Such an act requires a successful
life seems to be an endless repetition
Perception test at an obstacle equal
of petty struggles. “I ti1'e of this
to what it would normally take to
game. . ..” Reduce hesitation for
create or spot this substance. This test is open-ended.
surprise or shock by three.
Keen Taste ca11 also be used as a
Jaunty
Char
1 pt
Jealous
Char
1 pt
Joan of Arc
Char
1 pt
1'-{R
I
call-on for Alchemy, Apothecary, Herbalism, Wine Tasting, Cooking
Ekg
yl‘ l 1 5':
and Baking.
{FM qr)’
i‘Lc}:a.to..the Church
J31 _
1
At one point, some church official thought it was a good idea to appoint
' .lil15iii is}
*4;
"".‘- ll'l?f_,"'lf
this cl1aracter a Doorkeeper and
Keen Sense of Humor Char
K& LSlgbi
1
1 pt
Dr
grant him keys to the church. It was
--—"
C ‘EQTHQ
he who lo cked the doors and guarded
cg; I;
the reliquaries. This grants him
Like a11 eagle, Elves may see a
a 1D affiliation with the church.
great distance with perfect clarity.
If he acquitted his duties well, he
ll‘
Add +1D to all Perception—based
gains a 1D reputation (local, no
if
(or Observation—based) field
power) within the Church. If he took
maneuvers for Range and Cover or
liberties with his duties, he gains a
any Perception test involving seeing
1D infamous reputation (and +1 Ob
lo11g distances. Elves also may see
to all Circles tests dealing with tl1e
I
-1.
‘ '"
r}
"
-.=-1?-§f)‘*' ~I:’ ) - ' “-_s..'_-. ."-5' digs: )3, gfHi_i'~_ .
.5 c
"
i‘|_fifiii 11" 1 I
-| -
.-.|
§.“¢lic°‘B I 11" 331
-—
I
1
I
"
1
Church). This compounds with otl1e1'
Lan
reputations a11d affiliations in the
1
1
_ Dt
LPL
“I think Pm gonna throw up.” “I
church.
can°t swim! ” Look at the landlubber,
Restrictions: Man11isl1 lifepath trait
Kickingthe_BeasI: 11 Dt
seasick and staggering around the deck. This character is +1 Ob to all
1;
Health tests a11d attempts at good
It is the Cattle Slaves’ responsibility
judgement while at sea.
to move any herd animals owned
Lavish Taste
Char
1 pt
Lazy
Char
1 pt
Learned
Char
1 pt
Husbandry, Riding or Driving). The
Leprosy
Char
1 pt
animals do suffer wounds fron1 any
Le55_eLhZIl.1&e _
by the cla11. Should any animals
go missing, the Goblins become the herd. Characters with this trait may use their Power or Agility, or a weapon skill, to motivate any herd animal (in lieu of Animal
extreme behavior. Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
Ihe iller
=i‘a.:,§:y v'i;lfii.\j;'i"'-I
rain
D:
?~F-1: §:\~t:.~.1$(
.~£‘
character to wild heights. The player
5 pin
must choose an art form and a skill
This cl1a1'acte1' is always aware of
it inspires. \I/hen u11der the influence
what is going o11 around l1in1—
of his Muse, the character gains +2
always looking one way while acting
ope11-e11ded dice to all “inspired”
on something else. I11 Fight, The
skill tests.
Killer trait reduces all shooting a11d
A character cannot be his ow11 Muse.
throwing actions by one action. In
He cannot recite poetry to himself
Range a11d Cover, The Killer grants
while he is madly hacking away at
a +1D advantage to maneuver tests.
his enemies.
Know It All
Char
Lesson_of Qne
1 pt
DL1
A Second is a Sword Singer in
1..
in-
.. ~(.
Dr 15_pL‘L
The beauty of art inspires this
training. One of the rituals of this rigorous regimen is to dissolve the
Laconic lame
Char
1 pt
D:
Lpt
1
ego entirely. The Second lear11s to think, act and be his n1aster—l1is ow11 psyche is stripped bare. This
O11e of the characteris legs is
forms a11 intense bond between the
deformed or permanently injured,
two Elves, one that typically lasts
causing the character to walk with
beyond the Seeond°s elevation to
a pronounced limp. Reduce the
Sword Singer himself. If the player
character’s stride by one. In addition,
purchases an important relationship
the character may 11ot benefit from
with his mentor he gains a 1D
any skill or trait that increases the
reputation as his strident; if he
stride (like Sprinter).
purchases a powerful relationship, he gains a 2D reputation. Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
- .|—|_
11'?‘ 332
"4;-I--
Ir
_-.
‘.—-
:--1
.|
K7 _.-. T".\"“
_
-1 .._
.7q‘€§. §'(Q; v§.§s _
1-
5
The Lists Lifelslleath-1[1L1
Leaihsomeand T"|'i[iE|l.E[l_D_im
_
Reduce hesitation obstacles due to
Ores are repellent, even to their own
injury and pain by two.
kind, and especially to Elves, Men
m
Call-on for Power when lifting
and squat, with ugly, long arms and sickening charred flesh: Orc stat maximums a1'e straight 8s. This trait
something that is obviously too heavy, bulky or cumbersome for the cha1'acte1'.
also unlocks the Hatred emotional attribute for O1'cs. Restrictions: O1'c common trait
Restrictions: Mannish or Dwarven lifepath trait
Lisht leecer
maps
Light Sleepers a1'e easily roused from slumber. They are always allowed the benefit of a Perception
Loner
Char
1 pt
Lonesome
Char
1 pt
Long Fingered
Char
1 pt
D1:
4_pis
Long_of_Limb
test to wake up when a noise is heard or someone is creeping about
1
Ab11o1'mally long arms or legs. Lo11g
their room. Make the test as if they
of Limb increases the character’s
were awake. If the character has
bare—fisted reach in positioning
Observation, that ca11 be used i11
tests to long. If used with a weapo11,
place of Perception. If the test is
increase the weapon le11gtl1 by one
passed, tl1e cl1aracter is instantly
step.
awake and ready to go. Also, Light Sleeper adds +1 Ob to all Health
Lord_of_Ages 11
1
Dt
1
This cl1aracter is the lord and master
tests for recovering Tax.
Linguist
S}._1 . I_[
a11d Dwarves. Their bodies are bent
Restrictions: O1'c lifepath trait
Liithlglicavylhmgs 1101
.|_,
DtLC;O1LpJ;s_
of an Elven dominion. He governs the Althings, Princes, Captains a11d
This character is passionate about
Lords. He is ancient a11d powerful~—
languages. They are a puzzle to
his life spans the ages. The Lo1'd
solve, a mystery to unravel, a game
of Ages trait grants +1D to one
he enjoys and is naturally good at.
reputation or affiliation the player
Reduce aptitude for learning the as a call-on for Foreign Languages
skill.
11
1
i
i_
chooses for this character.
Foreign Languages skill by 1. Acts
Lithe
R
:- -‘~
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
Lord’s Favorite
c-10 2_pts_ Lost
11
"iii
'81- 1: -1
C/mr
1 pt
1.0:
LpL
This character has fluid grace
This cl1a1'acter never knows where
inherent to his movements. Lithe
he IS o1 1n what d11ect1on he is going.
characters tend to be thin and
Explicit directions a1'e required
.
_.
. _
.
.
.
muscular. Call-011 for Dance or any
to get him anywhere, and even
other athletic-type skill. Choose one
that rarely works. Double obstacle
before starting the game.
penalties to all Orienteering or
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Char
1 pt
A Little Fat
Char
1pt
Navigation tests and any Perception
.
test used to f111d the right direction.
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standpoint of “before” the character
lighter than a feather, but duty is
gained this trait, then circle it and
heavier than a mountain.” This
write “LOST” next to it. The player
character lives by these words. The
has no access to the character’s
player may add an additional Belief
Faith attribute. Then write into the
centered around his Loyalty to
character°s Beliefs the reasons why
another cl1aracter. Should this trait
he no longer believes. Should that Belief (or Beliefs) change into one of
ever be voted off, the character loses
the Belief as well; should the Belief
renewed faith (via an appropriate
be changed, the trait is lost.
spent a deeds point during tl1e
Lucky
conflict, he may reopen his attribute.
through life. This trait can be used in a number of ways. First, it can be
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
.Il;3[1h1
-._
.
1
used as a call-on for any ability. This
D11 2,_piL
can only be used once per adventure.
\Vhen surprised or shocked by a
Second, it can be used to buy off one
revelation (especially when called
failed roll to save the character“s life
on to make a Steel test for such
once—a failed armor test, a flubbed
instances), this character is prone
Speed test, etc. The test is passed
to fits of laughter. He may replace
and the trait is lost. Lastly, if the
“Stand and Drool“ with “Belly
player makes a random in—game
Laugh“ in his hesitation options.
guess (via roleplay) , the guess is
If this doesn°t infnriate friends and
always right—so long as tl1e player
foes alike, something is wrong in the
isn’t aware the guess is right. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
world.
Love of the Horse
Char
1 pt
Lunatic
ii.
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LonLC1.1nning
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This is a call-011 for any skill used in
betraying a superior.
Restrictions: O1'cs only
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Lpi
phase of the moon.
Lustrous Lynx-Eyed, I .1 B .
Char C
1
1 pt
E
The knowledge of the language of
An Orc’s eyes glow red with the inner
animals and beasts is known to you.
fire of despite and hatred. O1'cs can
Choose one type of animalia: birds,
see clearly in darkness and shadows.
horses and beasts of burden, beasts
They never suffer a penalty for such conditions.
of tl1.~_=-, wild, reptiles and scaly beasts,
Restrictions: Orc common trait
fish or insects. This trait may be take11 multiple times. Additional Low Speech categories cost +1 trait poi11t.
if iirIiilb ‘Lit? -.-1'? h'ia‘id'.i‘“:i*i."s*r‘F:.
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This character always knows the
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look like shlubs while they skate
miracles as per the standard rules.
1 1
Dt 1
Always. They make the rest of us
resto1'ed, the player may perform
Lonis1\7 1
11
There°s always the lucky ones.
Erase the circle and “LOST.” Once
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There is an old saying: “Death is
in—game situation) and the player
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Answer the Faith questions from the
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Those born into nobility bear certain Mad
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features-——telltale signs of their lineage. Their nose, their bearing,
Mad? N131‘ — A good ci aftsman 1S always in
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their skin or even their speech mark them as one of the privileged.
d mallds and 500d 01 ftsmell always look out foi one anothei 1D
nobility but also adds +1 Ob to all
affiliation foi being a joui neyman
Inconspicuous or Falsehood tests
ci aftsman
when masquerading as someone
Restrictions Mannish lifepath ti ait
Maggot Connoisseur Char
This confers a 1D affiliation with
lower than your station.
p
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Mark of the Beast
Maimed
Char
1 pt
This chai actei has been l1o1 iibly maimed during his cai eei Choose
This character is the size of a
the natuie of the disfigurement and
Troll. Due to his imposing bulk,
associate it with one physical stat all
his weapon length categories a1'e
tests against that stat aie +2 Ob If
increased by one step. If wielding a
For te is chosen, the penalty ti ansfeis
“longest” weapon, he may count his
ovei to Health, oi the moi tal wound
weapon longer than longestl
1S ieduced by one Restrictions Mannish lifepath ti ait
Man of Few Words Man hunter
Char 1
llt
p 3_PlS_
Maternal
Char
Matriarchal
Char
Maudlin
Char
Mean
Char
ii..l t»1c<~ Ii
Tlns ti alt giants the ability to detect sti ong emotion in otheis namely feai nei ves, elation and ai oiisal The
Melodramatic Family Char
chai actei s Pei ception acts as the Ania Reading skill but only foi the non-spell detection uses
Manly Ma I'Cl'l111_g
C at
1
_
Mercenary
Char
Merciful
Char
Merciless
Char
s»is ta?’ " r '”'iti an i
Oics with this ti ait actually know how to mai ch in step Add +1D to
Metal Plate
Speed foi any mai ching oi ti avel
in the Skull
Char
Meiiciiloiis
E1 U
tests and +1D to Health tests foi fatigue, when niaicliing in foimation “Eda th lash Restrictions Oic lifepath ti alt
The Meticulous character is neat and organized to the point of obsessiveness. All non-physical/ martial arts skill tests take the maximum time required. The
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it liisi’§i°‘€§if?§i-1’§“ iéisiiwar trait may be used as a call-on for
from performing any action with
one academic, craftsman," artisan
two hands. A missing leg sets the
or military skill of the player's
Speed cap at 4 and reduces the stride
choosing. For Dwarven characters,
by two.
the skill must relate to the
Monastic
character°s Greed idiom.
1 DL11
The diligent daily rituals of monastic life ai'e detailed and difficult.
Mind for Small Details
Char
This trait grants +lD to Faith
1 pt
for Consccration, Guidance or M]1'nd_N"n]b1'ng
C1!)
Revelation miracles while praying in
Call—on for Will when performing
a monastery.
mind-mimbing, repetitive work. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
1
mi
11
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The Mourner is obsessed with his
lvith this trait, a player may add one
Grief. He is morose. The player may
point from his physical pool to his
add any amount to his starting Grief
mental pool. This trait has no effect
that he sees fit, up to a maximum of
after character burning.
exponent 9. In addition, all Laments
Misanthropic
Char
are made at +2 Ob, and any time
1 pt
the character°s Grief is one test f1'om
Misplaced Aiira
advancing, the next test—1'ega1'dless
D111 3 pJ;s_
of its difficulty—advances him.
Character has the aura of another
type of person or creature. The
Grief clings to this character°s spirit
player and the GM must design this
and cannot be shaken. Restrictions: Elves only, special trait
aui'a—complete with character stock, Beliefs, Instincts and traits —before play begins. Any Aura Reading tests made against this
Murderous
Char
1 pt
Mute
Char
1 pt
Muttering
Char
1 pt
character see the Misplaced Aura instead of the real one. However, the Aura Reader can see the Misplaced
M¥°i1i°
Aura trait if he gets at least four
i
Missing Digit
'"e-1‘1a..-3#-1 .
Char
if;
his face. +2 Ob to all visual-based
i
Perception tests. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Perception obstacles by +1 to +2 Ob
N
depending on the situation. 1
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Missing limbs have a serious effect
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on how the character is played. A
missing arm sets the Agility cap at 5, and obviously prevents the character
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1 pt
Missin ff 11 l1t3_pJ:s1 This trait increases most siglit-based
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This character has terrible vision.
successes on his test.
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Naked Hatred
Char
1 pt
Narcoleptic
Char
1 pt
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is impossible; wealth, birth and intellect mark an individual to
Too much time spent reading character's vision. +1 Ob to all
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tests requiring long— distance
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Nose for Trouble
vision including: Bow, Crossbow, Throwing, and Range and Cover
Char
1 pt
Nom
Field Maneuvers.
A character with the Nose of the
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Never Cry Wolf
signal
undertake governance.*
in candlelight has strained this
Char
Bloodhound trait can tell a person’s or animal’s identity via scent and
1 pt
an Ob 1 Perception test. Nose of the
Nihilistic
Char
Bloodhound also counts as a call-on
I pt
for Tracking.
Night Owl Nimble 1
Char
1 pt
C-10
2._pta
Niimb
1
Dt
This character has lived life under the whip. The Numb trait gives the
Nimble characters are capable of
character pronounced scars along
great acts of dexterity with their
his back, shoulders and legs. Also,
hands. Nimble may be called-on for
the cl1aracte1' does not feel the +1 Ob
Agility tests or one skill with Agility
effects of superficial wounds. Three
in its root. Choose the skill during
superficials still equal —1D.
character burning.
Restrictions: Orcish and Mannish
No Nonsense
Noblesse_Qblige 1
Char
1 pt
111:
11
lifepath trait
This character was born into nobility. He has been raised with the
Q I] 1
idea that not only is he privileged,
"if /1''
while under oath or fails to fulfill
duty to society. The player may
1»-,. _ir1a=1=". -.1.->5,,1
an oath is forever marked as an
add a fourth Belief to his character.
Oathbreaker. ll/liile Oathbreakei's
It must be one of the following: It
ii,A51’;vii.ji
are tolerated in Dwai‘ven society,
is my duty to guard society and
they are also mistrusted. No oaths
uphold its interests; I govern from
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may be swo1'n with an Oathbreaker
duty, heritage and right; rulership
until he has somehow resolved his
is my natural and ordained task, the opinions of commoners are uneducated, therefore worthless; l am responsible for the people;
initial betrayal. Also, the player must
,1,.+_1.»,. gs;-:h'q
choose a relationship at the start of
_‘a1i.ljfi ;._1_
play that encompasses his broken
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oath. Lastly, Oathbreaker grants a
my reverence is to the crown;
1D infamous reputation among the
rule of the many strips society
Nobles, Host, Artificers, Guilders or
of its strength and divides it into minds unaccustomed to privilege
sat. is
DL
A character who breaks an oath, lies
but he is obligated to perform his
unfriendly fragments; rulership by
1
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Clans. Playei'°s choice Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
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Due to this trait, all Dwarf
Long l1as it been the tradition of
characters start the game with an
the great Dwarven Princes to go
additional (fourth) Belief. This Belief
before the Longbeards of tl1e clans to
must con1e in the form of an oath,
receive their blessing and swear an
and represents a pre—gan1e bond
oatl1 to protect them and uphold the
between the Dwarf and one of his
traditions of their forefathers.
relationships. Oaths that pertain to
Oathswearer is perhaps the most
the situation in play fill one of the
vital trait in Dwarven culture.
standard three Belief slots.
Though all Dwarves are Oathsworn,
Acceptable oaths are: the soldier°s
only those with the Oathswearer
oath: “I owe Burri a debt of honor,”
trait may pronounce a binding pact.
the uncle°s: “I swore to recover the
Any oath taken while not under
crown for my brother,” the prince°s
the guidance of an Oatliswearer is
vow: “My father°s last words were
not binding. Any oath pronounced
to rule wisely; this I swore,” and
befo1'e an Oathswearer must he
the drunk promises his wife: “I vow
written into the character°s Beliefs.
never to go near the beer again.”
It usually replaces one of the
Yes, the requirements of an oath
character°s existing three Beliefs. It
mean a Dwarf character must start
can be used to replace the fourth,
with a relationship. Restrictions: Dwarven common trait
Oathsworn trait belief only if that oath l1as been satisfied.
a
If an Oathswearer demands a characteris word, and the character refuses, the Oathswearer can, at his discretion, brand him a coward. It is a stain that all Dwarves recognize,
Dt
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Tests to read this cha1'acter°s Aura are made at a double obstacle penalty. This penalty does not apply to detecting spells cast by or on the character.
and no oaths or agreements are made with cowards. The character
i
is given the Branded a Coward trait.
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Obedient
Char
1 pt
Obliging
Char
1 pt
Obsessed
Char
1 pt
Obsessive
lit
All Dwarves have stern values hammered into their skulls from
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a very early age. In fact, Dwarven
This Dwarf spends a little too
society is a complex and interlocking
much time talking about certain
networlc of promises and traditions.
things. Obsessive n1ust relate to the
Tl1e most prime among them is:
character’s Greed idiom and adds
“Honor the oath.“ To break an oath Dwarves through many clarlc ages. It is a terrible crime and one not easily forgiven or forgotten.
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is to break tradition that has seen
-
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Obstinate
Char
1 pt
Odd
Char
1 pt
The Lists
Qddlyiikeable
Char
__
remaining resource points may be
No matter how outrageous his deeds
spent as normal on gear, affiliations,
or words, there°s just something
relationships, etc.
about this Dwarf that°s charming
Outlaws gain a 1D infamous
and likeable.
reputation among tow11 a11d city folk
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Odieus
Char
1 pt
Off-Kilter
Char
1 pt
Oikofugic
Char
1 pt
Qraanized ‘ill’
Management or Accounting.
5,1};-.'?.£l
and the nobility. Restrictions: Men only, special trait
Overbite
Char
1 pt
Overworked
Char
1 pt
P
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Oall—on for Administration, Estate
ff“ . ‘-1 -5"
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Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
an instinctual fashion. This trait
Ornery
Char
1 pt
adds +lD to all Steel tests so long
Other Life
Char
1 pt
numbers. It also adds +lD to all
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The Outlaw is a very particular person i11 medieval society. A player who chooses the Outlaw trait for his cl1aracte1' must consent to a few conditions: First, his character has either committed a grievous crime or is perceived as a11 enemy of the
as the Orcs equal their enemyis engagement and positioning tests (in Fight), a11d field maneuvers (in Range and Cover) when attacking in a group (as small as two Orcs). Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
Rainlife
.
pain by one.
established order. Second, no law
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
applies to this cl1a1'acter—l1e has no
Balls
rights whatsoever. He cannot appeal to the courts or the mercy of a judge for anything. A11y man or beast may kill the outlaw and suffer no legal penalty for it. W hen the Outlaw trait is taken, the player must divide his resource points into two pools. Any resource points from City, Noble or Religious lifepaths go into one pool: The
it.
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The shakes. Manifestations of this
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can be minor or only arise under certain conditions. But whenever it
if~
does arise, the cl1aracter has serious difficulty performing delicate
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work with the hands. +1 Ob to
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any delicate work o11 Agility- or Perception/Agility-rooted skills.
Paranoid
R i
Char
1 pt
Char
1 pt
player may spend them as per the normal rules. However, he does
Paranoid
not get access to the City/Noblc/
About the Ship
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Religious resources until the Outlaw trait is voted off. The character’s
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A cl1aracter with Paranoid Ear
Call—on for Resources. This
uses his Perception exponent as
character keeps track of all his
_
Observation for detecting Stealthy
expenses, all the way down to the
(or Chameleoned) cl1a1'acters.
penny! Restrictions: Ma11nisl1 lifepath trait
Berfectliitch
A pardoner has an interesting
cc-so 1,011
reputation in society—l1e is publicly
Perfect Pitch bestows the heavenly
reviled and secretly loved. A
ability to ide11tify or to reproduce
character with this trait has been
any pitch heard. Obviously this can
given a special dispensation f1'on1
be greatly useful in music. Call—on
the church to pardon the sins of
for singing and musical instrument
the faithful and devout. \Vith the
skills.
Pa1'doner trait, a player can provide the opportunity for any cl1aracter with the Gullihle, Sup erstitious or
Perfectionist
Char
1 pt
Peripatetic
Char
1 pt
Perspective
QQ
s
Believer traits to change one of their Beliefs. The change can happen any time, so long as the Pa1'doner has a say in it and the new Belief relates
ability to represent three—
to the church, god, absolution or
dimensional objects and depth
sin. In addition, this trait gives a
relationships on a two—dimensional
1D reputation among the lay folk;
surface. This trait acts as a call-on
which also counts as an infamous
for any situation in which such an
reputation in the church (+1 Ob
ability would prove useful.
to Circles tests in ecclesiastical or church settings). This compounds with otl1e1' reputations and Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
J-
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Dtlpti
Choose any one of the numerous world. If faced with the object of his phobia, a cl1aracte1' nmst make a
Pariah
Char
1 pt
Passionate
Char
1 pt
Patient
Char
1 pt
starting Health penalties for having The cl1aracter must pursue the
i
Steel Test at +2 Ob hesitation.
Rtckleif
Dtlpli
This character may ignore all a11 unhealthy lifestyle and whatnot.
Patriarchal
Char
1 pt
Pegboy
Char
1 pt
unhealthy lifestyle in game.
Pigpen
marine Elainlaced Penetrating Gaze reduces obstacle
penalties for visibility a11d darkness
-\-
Phobia
phobias floating around out in the
affiliations i11 the church.
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This artist possesses the incredible
by two.
,_
Char
1pt
C-o
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The cl1aracter just looks like anyone
else (of his race and class] and is quite difficult to identify in a crowd. Call—on for Inconspicuous.
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A Possessed person can be exorcised
Despite being caught in extremely
as per the Faith mechanics in
compromising circumstances, this
the Burning Wheel. \Vhether or
cl1aracte1' remains unflustered.
not he wants to be exorcised is
snarl
Poised counts as a call-on for
another matter. Also, the Possessed
resisting the effects of Obfuscate
character°s aura (for Aura Reading)
and Incite actions. It also counts as a
will show the additional trait a11d
cal1»on for Etiquette.
Pointed Ears
the additional set of Beliefs and
Char
1 pt
Poisonous Ambition Char
1 pt
Instincts.
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Power Behind the Throne D15 pts A cl1aracter with this trait l1as
Poker Face.
_ C4)
2,pie
More than just an inscrutable stone
extended his tendrils of power from his traditional Circles into a new
face, Poker Face is all about giving
setting. You may add one of the
the face you need to mislead your
following settings to your Circles——
opponent. This trait can be used as a
Religious, Noble Court or Noble (or
call-on for Falsehood and Cambling/
equivalent) .
Games of Chance.
Practical
Pompous
Char
1 pt
Bossessed
s hr
_
C/var
1 pt
Practicedire-';1sion_ .-_ tr-1_:.:. pts. The match appeared in his hand,
This special trait may only be
and in a tiny blur of motion, his
chosen after consultation with the
pipe was lit. This cl1aracte1' has a
CM and/or other players. If it is
trademark act that he l1as repeated
take11, the character is possessed by
so frequently that it l1as become a
a daemon, spirit or seraph. Choose
single action—like lighting a pipe
one appropriate trait to be made
with a match. Normally this would
manifest through the human vessel
cost at least three “actions” in
from the daemon/seraph list in the
game, but the Practiced Precision
Monster Burner. I recommend that
trait reduces that cost to one
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Lawbreaker con1e along with any
action. Players must decide what
and all choices, but it°s not required.
“trademark act“ their character will
Once the nature of the possession
practice before the character enters
is determined, the player and the of Beliefs and Instincts for the
i11to the game. Combat-related actions may be Practiced Precision trademarks.
possessing spirit. When these come
They a1'e only reduced by one action,
i11to conflict with the character°s
rather than reduced to one actio11.
GM need to devise a separate set
rst
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Pragmatic Outlook
Char
1 pt
Predatory
Char
1 pt
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*-=*:~s.s:.: ;<. . i.—. . /’ Q. ‘I 1
tea
__‘\If-'_.
' -
-
Ii: 1-4
'i-i-1
LZ_ Among the Pea, this Elf is a ruling prince and destined to one day
Querulous
Chm"
1 pt
be Etharch. By taking the Prince
_ C-0
lifepath, the player is creating a character who is directly related
lvordbearers must hustle fron1
to either the ruling Etl1a1'cl1 or his
the Miller to the Brewer, from the
forebears. A Prince of the Blood,
Quartermaster to the Khirurgeon,
though 11ot an Etha1'ch himself, is in
a11d from the Trader to the
line for the Elven crown. This trait
Longbeard. This trait acts as a
adds +lD to the Elf°s starting base
call-on for any Speed test where
Circles 1‘ating. Prince of the Blood
the Dwarf is hurrying or hustling (including running to escape or
requires the Pea trait as well.
maneuvering for a positioning test).
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
Problems
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
_D1
If anyone l1as problems, it°s the village idiot. This trait can manifest
A cl1aracte1' with this trait reduces
in two ways. The cl1aracter can
his Perception aptitude by one.
either be maladjusted and unable to perform socially, or he ca11 be
Dr A-_pis Quick—Witted reduces hesitation by
mentally handicapped in some
one action and grants the cl1aracter
way. If social problems are chosen,
+lD to any Rebuttal action in the
the cl1aracte1' has double aptitude
Duel of Wits.
requirements for social skills a11d
Qrriclcened Pulse s _
+2 Ob to all Will and social skill ‘H-r
D1.
3pte_
tests. If mental problems are chosen,
There was a moment of electric
the character has double aptitude
hesitation between them, their eyes
requirements for all Pe1'ception—
flashed a11d fenced. But when the
rooted skills and +2 Ob for all
assassin l1u1ged it was too late. The
academic, craftsman a11d artisan
thin man was already at his throat.
skills.
This trait allows the cl1aracter to
Restrictions: Ma11nisl1 lifeoath trait
Profuse Sweat
Char
1 pt
Prominent Scar
Char
1 pt
round up when factoring Reflexes.
Quiescent
_
Dt2._pis
Buying this trait allows the player to neutralize and remove one required lifepath trait.
Prone to Exaggeration Char
1 pt
Proud
Char
1 pt
Psychotic
Char
1 pt
Quiet ,_
34
Qpts
talk quietly, eat quietly and often startle their friends with unheralded appearances. This trait ca11 be used
Quirky
#6”: 1.1’-i""s*?-@‘1i‘t3 .
co
as a call-on for Stealthy.
nei“ 411
at
s
Quiet characters walk quietly,
1‘. JP?’
"
-
itsis?
* --
_-|.|-
Char
1 pt
_-
_. . -——‘
The Lists
__ ii,/"‘ L
-1.
Rats peakr
s-
1
Dr
-
Squeak. Squeak, I say! This
Rabble—Rouser
Char
1 pt
s,1_iru_[
character has Low Speech for rats and vermin.
: g — ~Di i-Elli If the cl1aracter can see it, he can count it. The tallying happens instantaneously and is utterly involuntary. This inevitably leads to the character constantly muttering
Restrictions:Mannish lifepath trait
Reckless
Char
1 pt
Recondite
Char
1 pt
Red Cheeks
Char
1 pt
Red-Blooded
Char
1 pt
Reeks of Alcohol
Char
1 pt
Regal Bearing
Char
1 pt
Reincarnated
Char
1 pt
numbers and figures and driving his companions crazy.
Rapie siit 7
Dr
__
This character has a lightning-quick mind and a sharp tongue; he never hesitates to offer a cutting remark. In a Duel of “tits, if the player can interject a searing bon mot while his opponent is speaking, he gains
Remarkable F1atulenceChar
1 pt
Remote
1 pt
+2D to his next verbal action. If the action is a versus test——Rebuttal,
Obfuscate, or Incite-—and the
Char
Resigned lt0.Deathi=QO_2 pts
cl1aracter with the Rapier Wit does
This character realizes that he is
not win the test, or if the action is a failed Dismiss, Rapier Wit may not
going to die and l1as accepted that
be used again in the duel.
fact. This trait acts as a call-on for Steel tests in which the character
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Rarelalent
_
CLO
_
Amazingly, and against all
rightly assumes he is going to die—when the cause is hopeless, he’s badly wounded, everyone else is
expectations, this Orc is actually
ct. .44 i
dead, etc.
talented with his hands and mind. The player may choose one
Resigned to Fate
Char
1 pt
Mt?’
Resolute
Char
1 pt
‘it itifi
Restless
Char
1 pt
Reviled
Char
1 pt
. FF,
Rhetorical
Char
1 pt
(t’(';t»;.'”
Righteous
Char
1 pt
Road Weary
Char
1 pt
craftsman or artisan—type skill for which this trait acts as a call-on.
No wonder he was promoted to Gate Fo1'ger. Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
Rarified
Char
1 pt
Rash
Char
1 pt
.
as-».. ._
‘_ .1‘ "I'i"'i‘
i ???»
“-E"
""'or -"-‘i%<=,¢-
n
F
-
_.-.
..
1.
i-1:’
'1
1'
:-.1’:
t
1,11 M’:
{us
.1,‘
Robust
D1
lpts
Scapegoat
Char
1 pt
Scarred
Char
1 pt
Scaven 3er-
J1’-1)
2-91-EL
The player may add one point from his mental pool to his physical pool in character bu1'ning. Thereafter Robust acts as a character trait.
This is a call-on for the Scavenging
Romantic
Char
1 pt
Rough Hands
Char
1 pt
_Dt
Lpts
Roster.
_
skill.
Scheming __ llt 2_p|s Scheming characters are always plotting and planning. It doesnit even have to be for their benefit
+1D to Power to motivate an oar-
or gain-—sometin1es they just plot
driven seagoing vessel.
and plan to see their cleverness at
Royal Favorite
Char
1 pt
work. Combined with Murderous
Ruddy Complexion
Char
1 pt
problematic t1'ait. Scheming also
Running lsawsyl '
Di
or Ambitious, this can be a very allows the player to add +lD to his body of argument in a Duel of \Vits.
Increase the character’s stride by one when he’s running in fear, surprise
Screaming
Char
1 pt
SeaLegs _
C-O
_ pts
or terror———-and not necessarily just from a failed Steel test.
Call- on for Speed when aboard a
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
ship. Also, this character doesn"t get seasick.
S
it
ti
Sadistic
Char
1 pt
Sai1or’s Oath
Char
1 pt
salt of the Earth
Char
1 pt
Sane
Seasoned
Dt spa can peer vaguely into the shifting shadows of the spirit world. It is a powerful, multifaceted ability. Through an act of concentration, he can push through the veil of
S
-E,‘ ll
reality to see the otl1er side. This
The Named pays back any slight or injury two-fold. You wound l1im, he
costs one action in Fight but
cripples you. You best half his clan,
otherwise can be done at will. The Second Sight grants the ability to
he slaugl1te1's two of your cities.
discern if something is magical or
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
“éitiis. "its! -t
sis,,
Sayyy
_
not. Test Perception: high power
.C-O
magic (major miracles, Mjiilnir,
Captains are self-reliant and clever
the Burning \Vheel, Ob 10 spells,
men-—when they wa11t something,
Strength 10 spirits, etc.), Ob 1;
they know l1ow to ask so people
moderately-powered magic (minor
listen. This is a call-on for Circles. :-:~E“"'
miracles, Ob 5 spells, a risen corpse,
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait -1.! 1:"
-II
1-
is
the Belt of Flying, Dragon Slaying
;—_
,1 -.-.--1-
._-
544
1 pt
With Second Sight, the cl1aracter
1pt
Char
Char
its"
E
P*;ai
-
_._
'
\-
F-'2
F-_
|
The Lists Sword, Spirit Weep ons, Strength
ranger has no Sense of Direction
5 spirits), Ob 5; low power magic
underground; a sailor doesn’t do so
(Red Spectacles, Bless/Curse, Ob
well in the mountains.
2 spells, Strength 2 spirits etc.), Ob 8. If successful, the character knows the item, person or effect is
magical. He doesn’t know exactly what the magic does. Second Sight is one of the abilities that allows a character to use the Aura Reading
sigasl
Sense of Distance Qt With an Ob 2 Perception test (plus disadvantages fo1' weather and light), this character can correctly guess any distance. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Sense of Entitlement Char
skill. See the Aura Reading skill
.»1 1
>5-"=»
1 pt
in this book for obstacles. Second
Sight allows the mags to FoRK Aura Reading into Sorcery or Summoning
The Althing is the most powerful
(so long as he is using his sight).
Elven citizen barring the Lord
Second Sight turns Perception into
Protector. He is the ruler of a vast
Observation for detecting Stealthy
and ancient Citadel—heir to a
or Inconspicuous characters. Any
tradition stretching back nearly
physical actions taken (running,
to the dawn of time. Such as it is,
jumping, fighting, etc.) while using
the Althing tends to take his job
Second Sight suffe1' a +1 Ob penalty.
pretty seriously. If the player takes it seriously and adds both a Belief
Secretive
Char
1 pt
Secretly Worships the Black Sea God
and an Instinct relating to the welfare of his city——and these a1'e relevant to the game at hand-—tl1e
Char
1 pt
Seemingly Concerned Char
1 pt
character gets a 2D reputation and 2D major affiliation in and around the citadel. These may be improved
Seen It All
Char
1 pt
with additional resource point
Seen Not Heard
Char
1 pt
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
Self-Confident
Char
1 pt
Self-Satisfied
Char
1 pt
CO
2 pts
,-re ct,-on
_((,
allocations.
Shapcrifrcinjiarth and S_tcne_ LIL In the first age, when the earth was barren, Dwa1'ves were created by
3:‘ ,-is-.1
as
it“"’ Iii‘ ‘
1' “S
the One \Vho Most Dearly Loves to
Shape with His Hands. Dwarves were born beneath the earth and it
Characters with this trait have a harder time getting lost because they always have a general idea
the light of the sun. In these dark
which direction they came from.
ages, they grew familiar with the
Sense of Direction can be called on
ores, veins, rocks and sediments that
was long before they came forth into
to aid Orienteering and Navigation.
were their sky, ocean and earth.
This trait is not universal: a farmer
Attendant with their appreciation of
I1as no Sense of Direction at sea; a
1'aw materials is a love of building and shaping. Due to their heritage, above all else it is craftsmanship and
- . -"'"
t,_.-==T
“J,.q .=‘if .-1»-.1
gs ?ti'5i i 1
as
IHT. i;
itiiti tit‘ ll- I
.
eiwtiry
—
___‘
r ||'-'=|
|=
1
the beauty of that which is wrought
At any point where the player is
by skill that Dwarves love most. And
about to send his cl1aracter into a
since they were Born Under Earth,
life—threatening situation, the GM
metals, stones and gems are their
is obligated to warn him, “Youlve
first love—far beyond cloth, wood
got a bad feeling about this.” The
or leathe1'. This trait also gives the
precise nature of the danger is not
Dwarves access to natural magic
revealed. Also, it is the playeris
abilities—open~ended/special skills
responsibility to remind the GM that
for most of their crafts and arts.
he l1as Sixth Sense. If ever there is a dispute surrounding its use, apply
Restrictions: Dwarven common trait
the guidelines for using Instincts to
Sharp Dresser
Char
1 pt
Shouting
Char
lpt Skeptical
:
C10
4—i1i""'
the trait.
Char
1 pt
Skin of an Apple
Char
1 pt
Skinny
|C/my
1 pt
This is a call—on for Steel when confronted or against impossible odds
Shrewd
Char
1 pt
Sick
Char
1 pt
J3:
2_p.ts_
Sickly.
iii _€FJLr_/I
s
fleeting visions of what could be and what might have been. He sees his own fate intertwined with all the other doomed strands; there is
Permanently subtract —lD of Health.
no other path to walk but the one he
is on.
Sight_Qf_the as
- _Dt (Lats
This is a scary supernatural trait. It
it s
Ch at
This character is prone to illness. Cap Health at B5.
,;,j-g ,.
-
The Rune Caster is plagued with
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait Sla¥eI t
c
DP
‘L915-
11egates all penalties for darkness or
This Elf has been marked as a
dim light.
slayer of his kin. In his past, his rage ove1'came his Grief and compassion,
Silent Hatred
Char
Singed
l
‘$.4-
Char
1 pt
_Dt
lplis.
Sixth_Sense s
'E1\'i-1.".-._="5"?:_-\,_.:l|_-...
1 pt
This cl1aracter gets a twinge in his
by his own people. +lD to starting Grief, a 2D infamous reputation (all
Elven people) as a Slayer, and +lD to Intimidate/ Silent Fury any Elf.
brain (or eye, or heart, or stomach)
Restrictions Elves only special trait ' ’ Sleek (jfmy 1 pt
when a life-threatening event or phenomenon is near. This trait
.-1,7: -
and he slew one of his own. Now he is marked as enemy and hunted
counts as a very special Instinct:
Always get a twinge in the head
((-5 '
Sleep-Talker
om impending danger. Itis b1'oad and breaks all the rules for Instincts,
but that’s why it°s a trait.
tilt
"Ԥ~
L
46
II.
1,
.-
_
1.-1-'-ir -.0T
.,.—-‘L
-_ _._ _
it
.-I
Char
1 pt
,1
1:513
The Lists
his -|
-1.
Slippery _ s -
D:
3_pJ;s_ Stalker
Char
1 pt
This cl1aracter is hard to get a hold Starkliiladness
of—-l1e wriggles and squirms his
5,1;1:-1.:l
Cturri
way out of nearly any grip. This Chamctel. may use his Speed 0,.
Drinkers of the Dark are driven
Agility 1.at1,e1.than power to escape
shoved over the edge. Embracing the
to the brink of madness and then
from and avoid L0ckS_
SIDJAL
.
absence of reason and the totality of fear is essential to mastering Hatred
Di s LpJ;s_
and becoming a true Servant.
Slow to react and slow on the uptake,
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. +1 Oh to all Perception tests
Starved
and increase base hesitation by one.
_
Stealingn.
cha"
1 Pt
cc Olilt
7
Smells Like a Horse Char
1 pt
Should a player whose character
Solipsistic
Chm‘
1 Pt
Instinct, he may use Stealing as a
Somnambuhst
Chm
1 pt
such Instinct is taken this character
Snnorons Moire
_C;O
Lpls
l1as this trait take a kleptomaniacal _
call~on for Sleight of Hand. If no is the first one accused when anything is stolen in the clan. _ _ _ _
This characteris voice sounds sweet and melodious to the ear. So
Restrictions: O1.“ hf“p“th Ira“
delightful is the sound that it can be used as a call-on for Seduction,
Call—on for Conspicuous, Stentorious
Persuasion and Suasion tests.
Debate and Oratory. Characters
S pa__
aclls
_g
H5 I11 s it ._
who have this trait are at a double
slaves, outcasts and soldiery. You may add one of the following settings
tests‘ Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
to your Circles: Servitude, Outcast or
Stern Demeanor
Char
1 pt
Stinky
Char
1 pt
.
This cha1_aCteI_ is a hem among the
obstacle penalty for all S111g111g skill
an
r._ “Er _ ..
Professional Soldier.
Spectacular
Char
1 pt
_ _
Stoic
Spitting Sp m r
Chm“ i
Q,
.
'
Ilt lpl;s_
1 pt
The Stoic character simply does not
I i
flinch in the face of danger. Reduce
,
This trait increases the stride of the
Overall hesitation by One‘
cl1aracte1' by one. For O1'cs and 1\'Ien,
Stoljd
Qt’: '1“
it 1% ‘ii
Cf,”
1 pt
Dr
__
.3" i-=15)
1’'*-- it-'2 ti sea"-=:-t-'
that°d be from 7 to 8. This can grant a substantial bonus to positioning tgstsa as the cha1'3_ctg1'
Stone-Faced
Vgfy jjkgjyr
__
TIIIS t1'i:llI CHIICGIS IIIB BTTBCIS Of tllfi
have the highest Stride and gain a
Discerner song a11d any other trait
bonus die for it,
or special ability that allows the character to be “read.” However, it
Sqmnty
Chm"
1 Pt
doesn°t count against Aura Reading
.- 9 stir it’ ‘
‘F”'~*;%:
1I‘
-
1 ' .-
E ' aw
ti‘
"'+k_-1"~c. -1'3"
. _,_?
with tl1e Magesense or Second Sight. It also adds +2D to Falsehood and Gambling.
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
Strong-Willed
4ii‘-.?'.%
Char
1 pt
C-O
._ _ __
‘--
Ihejiory
_
,__JL
mg:/F
This character is adept at playing
to his audience—he°s always got the right story on hand to impress tl1e111
Sttibhorn
nr
j_p15_
This trait adds +2D to the
and win them to his side. Call- on for
character°s body of argument i11 a
Falsehood.
Duel of \Vits that contravenes one of
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath t1'ait
Stout
_-
.
his Beliefs.
11¢-..
_
Stung Once (Once)
Dwarves are smaller than Men in
Stupid
stature, but they tend to be a bit
_
Char
1 pt
Dllplli
thicker around the middle, with
+1 Ob to all social skills and spells
attendant broader hands, feet and
affecting and used by this character.
arms. Though tough and doughty, Dwarves’ stout frame also hinders them slightly. Speed nmst always be lower than tl1ei1' Power or Forte (whichever is higher), even if this limits advancement. Their stride
stutter
Char
1 pt
superstitious
Char
1 pt
Suspicious
Char
1 pt
Swaggering
Char
1 pt
is 6. Dwarven nature allows for a Forte
_DL
maximum of 9 rather than 8 and a
Sword Singers are 1'eve1'ed among the Elven hosts. Take a 1D affiliation
Speed maximum of 6 rather than 8.
with the Swords of the White
Restrictions: Dwarven common trait
E fl
Strange
Char
1 pt
Strapping
Char
1 pt
C-O
4_piS_
Towers—Elven sword singers who have sworn to protect their lands and citadels. Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
ge
Dr ._ ._
This character understands the
The knight must swear homage
dangers and customs of city living.
to his lord, the king. He promises
This trait may be used as a call-on
fealty to his lord; to guard his land
for Streetwise, City-wise and Circles
and fight in wars with armor, horse
in the City Dweller Setting. (The
and sword; to manage his land in
prici11g is correct for this trait.)
good stead, to collect and pay taxes; and generally to obey the law and uphold the peace. The player doesn’t
‘3%,. ~1""».~..s-‘ :-'-’" ' i fal’
have to write in a Belief for this,
'—4"sagf: -=~,_ _,_-§_
though it is encouraged. The Sworn
tilt?,.
.-is .
348 ‘
._
.i-3
-1.: ,_ ‘H —-___-u:r
J
H
-..-1:
1'-
sff‘ -II
—
|'
1-1"‘
sf"-5' Pia " Pgj 1%»
The Lists
. <1.‘-
.|£J|' -:_
Homage trait indicates the belief is
T
internalized. This trait grants a 1D affiliation in the nobility. Should the
Taciturn
Char
5.1; ail
1 pt
character fail to perform his duties,_
Tainted Lug.-1cy_.
then he may be stripped of rank.
_ JJI_'i_pts
This compounds with other noble
This characterls ancestors have
affiliations like Mark of Privilege.
mated with something unholy
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
SnLorn_t(LB|1oie;t
_r L1:
and have tainted the bloodline
forever: a curse that will never be
__
lifted, a twisted yoke to bear. the
If the Lord Protector°s player uses
player may choose one trait f1'on1
one of his Beliefs to describe his vow
a daemon, vampyr, satyr, red cap,
to defend the citadel/wilderlands/
royalty, and such a vow is relevant to the current game, the Lord Protector
giant or dragon (which are found in the Monster Burner). Tainted
receives a 2D reputation (he°s the
Legacy also incurs an Inconspicuous
boss) and a 2D major affiliation
penalty. The character always
within the Protectors. These may be fu1'tl1er improved upon with resource
counts as having the “different race” penalty (+2 Ob)—-his taint has
poi11ts.
certain odd outward signs.
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
Sworn to e
raksha, ophidia, koscista-noga,
Ta]ITale Teller
m
DJ
.
, T
This character has seen it all. At
Dr
least he says he has. His yarn is
The Captain has swor11 a vow to loyally serve his lord. This trait
always wilder, la1'ger and more
grants a free relationship with the
incredible than his companions’
Lord Protector provided the player
stories. The player may add +1D to
writes a Belief about him. If the
Persuasion, Seduction, interrogation
i
player decides not to write a Belief 01'
or Falsehood tests so long as he can
the Belief changes, the trait becomes
come up with an appropriate tall Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
~_
trait is reactivated.
Taste for Man-Flesh Char
1 pt
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
,
A knight of a holy military order
may add an additional (fourth) Belief dictated by his particular Order (poverty, chastity, protection of pilgrims, etc.). Sworn to the Order replaces the Noblesse Oblige trait and Belief. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
*':~¢‘a_2~,§;
tale.
a character trait. If he later writes a Belief about the Lo1'd Protector, the
Swo 1'11 ,_ to th.. P O _rden ,_ DL
(Kr tir
Iastingihelasll
Dr
_
4'_:-_. .’ "“?;__n;\ "|,‘-fi,
\Vhen another cl1a1'acter cracks a whip across his back and gives J'_$1h'.'|‘l',H 2..
an order, the player must obey the orders (so long as the orders arenit to “stick that knife i11 your throat”
. ;'-
01' something similar). He can be
.
in
driven to attack, to flee, to drop his weapon, fall to his knees 01' just plain row the boat.
._ ‘I ' If f"‘\\:~gL '=“
-1" r it~(=$LL_ i, ‘Sr .,r-‘IE
_. T -
tltilii
. =- ""
__ 51" J1:-
"1 “*’t"Zir=~ ipyyfi
~::
ii
This trait does 11ot allow a reroll, it
Thunderous Snoring Char
1 pt
Tidy Aspect.
1 pt
merely forces an action. Thus it can be used to cow opponents or send
l
,
Char
your reluctant underli ngs into the
Even u11de1' the most adverse
fray.
conditions, the character°s clothes and appearance are neat a11d clean.
Restrictions: Orcish and Mannish
lifepath trait
Timid
Temperamental
Char
Ienacinus
_
1 pt
D:
Iinkerer
Char
lpt
, C-0 __
This trait acts as a call-on for
4_pis
A Tenacious character has a
Mending or Black-Metal Artifice
one-track mind. Once he is fixed
when trying to cobble together something new or weird.
on something he keeps after it. If a Tenacious eharaeter°s body
Restrictions: Dwarven lifepath trait
of argument in a Duel of \Vits is
Tolerant
Char
1 pt
reduced to zero or below, this trait
Iongueless _
puts it back up to one die. This allows the character to play out the 11ext volley (or mo1'e if the die isnit
cut out, either as an act of criminal
lost). Once that one die is reduced,
malice, as cruel punishment or as
however, the argument is over.
religious service. The cl1aracter may
Tenuous
Char
.
not properly speak. This is a pretty
1 pt
or
big handicap in a game where all
Lpr
communication is done via speech.
The character is unaffected by
riff \1
1' gill 5 .
1
ff?“
Ionsured
insults, 11ettli11g and nagging. Incite actions in the Duel of \Vits are +2 Ob
shaved his head as part of the
i.¢lf ii 1.
-‘k'._-
ritual of initiation i11to his religious
Thousand;Yard Stare
‘.?~..,i__fB'
\
Di
order. The Tonsured trait grants a
Lpts_
This character has seen so much
1D affiliation with a monastic or
death, shock, inhumanity a11d horror
religious order. Also, the cl1a1'acter
that nothing phases him anymore.
is authorized to officiate the rituals
This trait reduces hesitation by
of his order, whatever the players
three against pain, violence a11d
and GM decide they are. This
intimidation but increases hesitation
compounds with otl1er reputations
by two against surprise and
a11d affiliations i11 the church.
W0nde1.mem_tyPe Spe11[.,ffectS_ This
P‘
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
character may 11ot Run a11d Scream. In
f-4;.
_,:E,—E'
stat E‘-1 G
AgQ5
Characters with this trait tend to be
21'tits » '2'.
Dr __
This cl1a1'acter has symbolically
LI" against this character. ¢ 1,5. .
Di iaptsa
This character°s tongue has been
D;
7 pm
This trait allows the character to
quiet, remote and cold. They also
“read” objects through her touch.
never seem to look into your eyes.
A successful Perception test will
Rather, their gaze is always fixed a
give impressions present in the
thousand yards behind you.
object: strong emotion, arcana and
Thug
Char
even age. Type/11ame of object,
1 pt
Ob l. Age of object, Ob 2. Length 1.
I_-IF
T
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walls '
it 4
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of time the object has been in its current location, Ob 3. Recent
Pain and suffering are a picnic. This
events surrounding the object that
cl1aracter is not required to make
left physical evidence, Ob 4. Recent
Steel tests for pain, exhaustion or
events that left no physical mark,
deprivation. He just clambers to his
Ob 5. Past events that left their
feet and keeps going. If kicked back
mark, Ob 6. Past events that left no
to the ground, he crawls.
mark, Ob 7.
Il‘DlLS_p_Q k -
Iunchnflhc lleril _l1.f1C-D_-I pts.
.
Dr
sigr ry
__
Orc Troll Lords learn to com-
This is an odd but powerful trait.
municate with Trolls, not only in the
With the Touch of the Devil, a
Vile Language, but in the brute’s
character°s hands become sensitive
own language as well. This character
and finely tuned instruments. If,
may understand spoken Trollish and
when making a Perception test,
speak it himself.
the player can describe how his
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
character is using his hands to sense the disturbance/noise, Perception counts as Gray shade. Detecting soft foot steps 011 a stone floor, impressions on a piece of paper,
Trusting
Char
1 pt
Trustworthy
Char
1 pt
Turgid
Char
1 pt
Char
ipt
cracks in a vial or the breeze through a keyhole, for example. If used in a
U
versus test against Stealthy, Touch
of the Devil counts as Observation. Surgery, Pottery, Carpentry, Sewing, Wliitesniitliing, Etching, Engraving, Carving, Lapidary a11d lewelcraft
Ugly
llgly eputatian
infamous reputation among sailors
automatic superficial wound. These
_
‘doctor.”°
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
incapacitation.
Ionsh
F"“ -IF"-:=-7" J
and seafarers. “Oh, you were a
count toward the “three superficial
Char
t
st:v
the sailors. This trait grants a lD
is wounded, he suffers an additional
1pt
11¢. Las-
it ‘Ms. .F'(
of an unpleasant reputation with
\Vhenever a character with this trait
Touch of Madness
D:
The Ship°s Doctor has something
may root from Gray Perception.
wounds” limit and toward
..
Unbeliever
Ft. f‘
Char
1 pt
DJ
'3_p1sc
Unbreakable This Elf is possessed of an
A tough cl1aracter may round
it}. .1:
unbreakable spirit. Grief seems to
up when determining his mortal
have no effect on him whatsoever.
wound.
Subtract -2D from starting Grief. In addition, all Grief tests are taken at -1 Ob. Restrictions: Elves only, special trait
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Ilnctnons
_
12:‘
Lpti
may FoBK his Hatred into any
The personality of this character is
weap on skill or Power test. However,
so caustic that he is distasteful and
the player who controls this
difficult to be around. +2 Ob to the
character must take his actions too
character’s Persuasion, Seduction,
far. V;/hen he uses this trait he must
Haggling and Oratory tests. It
describe an act so horrid a11d vile it
does not affect Command or even
causes the other players to flinch and
Intimidation.
grimace. Failure to evoke the savage
Underbite
Char
1 pt
Underpaid
Char
1 pt
Uneasy
C/tar
ipt
llnheeded
l l . Q0
_
nature of the Head-Taker is cause for loss of the trait in the Trait Vote. Invoking this trait also counts as a routine test for Hatred.
Unsavory Madman
Char
1 pt
urbane
Char
1 pt
Char
1 pt
Veneer of Obedience Char
1 pt
No one notices this character. Callon for Inconspicuous.
\/
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
I.lnlucl
‘ , __
Dr
1_ptS_ Venal
The Unlucky character has a hard
life. \Vhenever the player makes an
arbitrary decision about something in game, it’s always wrong. If, for
tiff-4' ;-.»--‘.1 :
Inf
|_
example, the character comes to a
Priests become vested in their Order.
fork in the road, and the player just
In \Vestern/Christian canon, the
shrugs, “I dunno. I go left.“ Itis the
vestment is called a su1'plice. It is
wrong direction-—doesn°t matter
the choir dress, the vestment for
what the “ truth “ is, that’s his luck.
processions, the official priestly
Unlucky may be bought off in game.
dress of the lower clergy, the
3
If the player utterly succeeds at a test
vestment worn by the priest in
at a crucial mornent—all successes,
administering sacraments and when
is ll"/it
glowing results, victory, etc.—the
giving blessings. The right to wear
--.
.
: _,
I-' ;. 1.1‘-
ll‘ ' -rl_-?;"'
player may opt to turn the success
a surplice shows that the character
into a dismal, catastrophic and
is at the very least a melnber of
hopefully hilarious failure. Doing so
the lower clergy. This trait grants
immediately earns the player a fate
a 1D affiliation with the church
point and persona point. Unlucky
and its faithful parishioners. This compounds with other reputations
is then removed from his trait list.
.-I-‘.1:-.,\w ‘M r'i-I-‘:1 .- li-
_
Unrelenting Hatred Char
1 pt
_Llnre1enting_Savager}nIii-.m Head-Takers earn their position
iv ~
-1;: . W I ,2
through their ability to master their blood lust. \Vhen in battle, or when committing murder, this character
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352
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and affiliations in the church. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
The Lists
Ir ll‘ -c
but without Void Embrace, he Though old, this character possesses
cannot resist the tax and thus will
the strength and vitality of his
be permanently crippled or worse.
youth. If starting the game older
Void Embrace can also he used to
than ‘IO years, a character with this
enhance certain rolls by spending
trait uses these stat pools: 7 mental
a persona point to tap the Void. See
and l'i physical.
the Void Embrace section of the Orc
Restrictions: Wen only, special trait
age
sin:-‘.41
chapter for more details. If Void Embrace is advanced to exponent
_lIl1ar
10, the Orc goes mad or commits
O1'cs speak a special language of shadow, chill and blight. They share this tongue with corrupt vermin, shades, Great \Volves, Trolls, and
suicide. Either way, he°s removed from play.
Restrictions: Orc characters only
certain Great Spiders. Restrictions: Orc common trait
yilmoj-15
F
A
Di
lpfi Wary
Char
1pt
Char
1 pt
This Dwarf is virtuous, honorable and restrained, He may add +2D to
Watchful
his Steel when making tests against Greed. He also may 1'educe his
D5
starting Greed by -1[)_ Restrictions: Dwarves only, special trait
.2-PL‘-L
This character is pliable like tapioca. In a Duel of Wits, this cl1a1'acte1' can only ever use the Not a Big Deal rules for his body of argument.
Vitriolic
Char
1 pt
Vocal
Char
1 pt
“My joints ache; stornfs coming.”
Voice in the Crowd
Char
1 pt
stiffening of the joints, back pain or
_
_ Dr
ipts
' Sense
Di lapti
With a twinge in the knee, a headaches, Weather Sense clues a character into impending weather.
Drinkers of the Dark are immersed
Unless the GM plays with strict
in shivering pools of arcane energies.
house weather 1'ules—I don’t—~the
They are taught to imbibe, inhale
lVeather Sense in essence gives
a11d exhale the Dark Blood a11d
the player the ability to dictate
survive. This trait transforms the
the weather. Why else would a
Orc°s Hatred into a vehicle for
player pick this trait unless he were
enormous power. However, Ores are
concerned about having the right
unable to tap their innate power
weather for something or other?
without Rituals. Void Embrace is
Anyway, I say let him predict it
an emotional attribute with its own
based on the Perception obstacles
shade a11d exponent.
below-—and let his predictions come
It is used to resist tax, sustain spells
true.
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(rather than \Vill), and is used to
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maintain a spell after a distraction. Any Orc maybe taught the Rituals, _
_
his
_.
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Useless vague predictions ( Rain
_Dt
5'pts_
soon“), Ob 1. Accurate weather,
The character°s sense of smell and
Ob 2. Approximate location, Ob 3.
space are so intertwined that he gets
Approximate time, Ob '-i. Accurate
+lD to Perception. The trait also lets
location, Ob ‘-l. Accurate time, Ob 5.
the player use his Perception as an
Each obstacle tier includes all the
Observation skill (without the bonus
otl1er effects under it.
die).
Weight of the World Char
1 pt
Weird
1 pt
Characters with the Wolverine trait
Char‘
recover faster than others from wounds and illness. May be used as a
Well Appointed
Char
1 pt
Well Dressed
1C/mi:
1 pt
call-on for Health for recovery from a wound or illness. \Volverine can also be used to buy off a botched recovery test. If used
Where There’s a Whip, Iherela \K[ay_. DiL(";0
i11 this way, the test is considered
Orcs live by the rule of the lash. With
passed, but the trait is lost in the
a whip in hand and lads to lash, an
bargain.
O1'c taskmaster feels that nothing
'1
gy
aq
I
Dt
LpL
can stop him! An Orc with this trait
Certain Elves feel a weariness creep
and a whip can force anotl1er—any
into their bones. The constant trial
cl1aracter—to reroll a failed test once
a11d tribulation that marks the
per session as if he l1ad a call-on for
passing of years begins to drag them
this particular test. This effect is
down. Reduce hesitation by one but
automatic so long as the player is
increase Grief by one.
bellowing and flailing around like
Restrictions: Elves only, special trait
he l1as a whip in his hand (and his
Worldly
character actually has a whip). This
Char
1 pt
is l1ow Ores make slaves of their
,Y,
captives. A few sessions of accepting 1 ‘I-t
the whip will no doubt ea1'n you the
I
-r ii-ii/it I E‘?
Tasting the lash trait in the vote.
si
Xenophobic
Char
1 pt
You Should Know Better than That!
Char
1 pt
Io1.u;En1inence
Chan
_
Restrictions: Orc lifepath trait
White-Gold Wielder Char .._!’
1 pt
Elves are full of pertinent old
Viscounts and Counts a1'e referred
sayings. Use this a caIl—on for Persuasion, Oratory, Interrogation or -\
iii
I.aas -r“n.a=n:.*~_~._ .-,
Seduction if the player can co111e up
been a count himself, but it is his
right moment.
I
it . ,.Jr;-ir: ‘: ‘ii 5.. att. -.
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it
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3..
354 r. V
birthright to be addressed as one.
Restrictions: Elven lifepath trait
r
..,!-
_
at
indicates that the character was born into this 1'ank. He need not l1ave ever
with some appropriately sagacious dialogue to throw into play at the
. gg.-,_1. , .1,-,
to as “Your Eminence.” This trait
13*‘ "
er, /4“
The Lists
the
A character must have this trait in order to take the Count or Viscount
s;_1r:.:_[
lifepaths. Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Dukes and Bishops bear the appellation of Your Grace. To fail to
refer to them by title is to lose one’s head 01' the sanctity of one°s mortal soul. The character need not have experienced the actual duties of a Duke or Bishop, but the rank is his to flaunt. This trait is required for the Duke or Bishop lifepaths.
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
@@ This trait simply indicates that
the character was born into lower nobility. He need 11ot ever have led the life of a lord. Indeed, to do so would require the Lord lifepath. However, his birthright is that of a lord, and he is accustomed to being addressed as “Your Lordship.”
. ii
Failure to do so is an insult. A character must have the Your Lordship trait in order to take the Lord lifep ath.
asit
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
Yowling Zealot.
Char ,,
1 pt
i i}??? it as-: -
Di
r-._ F
The Zealot is a fervent believer. He I1as taken l1old of a doctrine and made it his own. The Zealot
trait allows the player to add an
\(t§“~i
additional (fourth) Belief to his
issiiig ‘l-1.
cl1aracter. The Belief must relate to the doctrine of his cult or sect.
*4:
Restrictions: Mannish lifepath trait
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xer:/fire he wi//ea/if/rm‘ z‘/ze /zcarts 0/”M¢m .s/10»:/a/seek 5:;/one/the war/at and/lave no rest i%ere£n,- but fire] 5/zon/4have a w'n‘ne fa 5/rape z‘/lair‘ /‘ g, amidz‘/us/aowers am/a/mnaes off/1e war/at. —-IRR Tolkien, The Silrnartllion.
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The preceding two sections of the book outlined the core die rolling mechanics and game playing philosophies. These concepts are necessary to playing Burning Wheel. What follows are a set of tighter, more focused and more detailed systems. These flesh out the broad mechanics described previously—specific systems that demonstrate how to manipulate
ii)
the dice pools to represent a variety of situations that will likely arise in your games. They aren°t 100% necessary to game play, but they will make the experience of playing this genie more rich, fluid and dramatic.
.. 4
The Rim of the Wheel Attached to the hub via the spokes, the rim rotates °round a11d moves the entire apparatus forward:
Steel This section discusses l1ow to use the Steel attribute to simulate fear, surprise and hesitation in a character.
i<~»:'/j%5 1"-, _.-
Resources This is an abstract wealth mechanic for Burning \Vl1eel. This section
icuf i \ J,
details lifestyle, income, purchasing power, depleted finances, monetary rewards, financial boons and haggling.
Relationships and Circles These mechanics describe how to use Relationships, Circles, affiliations and reputations in play. They kick the door wide open for rtuming intense a11d deep social games.
Witt»
ml bL4"\)_..-I
The Duel of Wits The Duel of \Vits mechanic provides players with a structure to build a strategy for arguments and win debates via cleverness, tactics and luck.
357
I
| .|
Range and Cover Using mechanics similar to the Duel of \Vits, Range and Cover describes how to ru11 a conflict between two knife-throwing assassins or a gang of murderous lnmters stalking stragglers of a defeated army.
Fight Expanding on the maneuvers of Range a11d Cover, martial conflict is broken down into a blow—by-blow scene where players must choose the best strategy for their characters. lt°s intense, chaotic and brutal!
Weapons I°ve got the knife in him, now what? This section details how one cl1aracter hits another character and how — -L“--‘--1.
weapons do damage.
"-—
T" ""
Armor and Shields
if-—-—
From leather jerkins and arming
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jacks to full plate mail, this section describes how armor protects
_|t|,-|——‘U__l—;j=r—:1’-"-“§= 1
a character from those horrible weapons described above.
Injury and Recovery I
iii”
Should a character become injtued, this section describes how that injury
*.I¢=ai F :1 ea.-.:\
affects his abilities and how he can recover from it.
Sorcery This section describes the basic die mechanics for the Sorcery skill. These
Yli
are the main spoken and written schools of magic in B1u'ning \Vheel.
*i*il-i -"~ it
Sorcery is discussed as the prime example of spell casting. Sunnnoning
. ;. 1,: __.
and Enchanting are detailed in the Magic Burner.
Natural Magic Dwarves, Elves, Ores a11d a few other character stocks have access to
issiii
a special form of magic known as natural magic. This section briefly discusses the basic mechanics for such magic. Full details on the various natural magics are described i11 the appropriate sections in the Character B1u'ner.
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The Rim ofthe Wheel
er
Emotional Magic Emotional magic grants characters access to great power, but at a price. Men possess the most powerful emotional magic in the form of Faith, but other cultures have their own manifestations: Grief, Greed and Hatred, to name a few.
Movement and Pursuit I$,Z1I3EIPUH ]j'\TjE‘3‘£j/X1
How far do I go when I run and scream? A basic discussion 011 l1ow characters walk, jog and sprint in Burning \Vl1eel—for the detail-monger in all of us.
Riding and Mounted Combat No fantasy medieval roleplaying game would be complete without mechanics for riding horses, mounted combat and pursuing your enemies in breathtaking chases!
Materials Should you ever need to knock down a door or shoot through a wall, the Materials section has what you need.
Heroic and Supernatural The Heroic and Supernatural chapter shows that 11ot only do characters with these shades get lower difficulty numbers, they get a host of other cool perks too.
Pick and Choose
r S“ja-1"“-‘:1-"..-?1. 1-,»;
I strongly recoimnend not reading the next section straight T“ -5.1 through. These sections are 11ot the sa111e kind of insn'uctional texts as the first two sections. In The Rim of the Wheel, I discuss detailed mechanics for resolution of particular situations i11 play.
':.*'i:".€~:~‘*'g1/i
Whatis best, I think, is to start playing the game slowly. Use the basic resolution mechanics discussed previously to get the game going. Then,
|_ ii , ~1
as you approach each session, set up conflicts to introduce one or two of the following mechanics. For example, the first session might involve gathering men and materials using Resources and Circles. The
"-1-;
S
next might involve a confrontation with the corrupt ministers on the marble steps of the courtl1ouse—a Duel of \VitsI The following session
ilrtlslj :1-vi’-1 rt
then blooms into full—blown rioting resolved with the Range and Cover mechanics. The climax is a brawl between the surviving royal guard and the players using Fight.
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Steel is a11 attribute that represents tl1e character°s nerves. It is tested when the character is startled or shocked. The results of the
mt’ .~%,}:,§.i . ii?‘11,.'7‘
test then tell us whether the character fli11ches, or whether l1e steels his nerves and carries on. \Vhen a Steel test is failed, the player loses control of the character momentarily—just as the character loses control of his faculties. The player chooses how the character loses it, but after that the
,. ,-_.-.\ ¢
character is out of action for a few in—game seconds as he freaks out. A GM ca11 call for a Steel test under four conditions: When the
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character is confronted with surprise, fear, pain or wonderment.
\ii.i’i.€7
Surprise, Fear and Pain
* /
Surprise lvhenever a character is surprised or startled——by an ambush,
ail 2../ill“ 1 X \"»*
a11 unexpected loud 11oise, or even a shocking secret laid bare— he must make a Steel test. Surprise Steel tests are used when the situation demands that the character react instantly and Without hesitation. If this isn"t the case, let the players react as tl1ey Will, and don’t Worry about a Steel test until it really counts. Surprise also factors heavily into the Fight rules and is discussed a bit more there.
r r\\ Fear “iii Fear is similar to surprise. Whenever the GM deems the characters
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encounter something terrifying or utterly disconcerting, a Steel test is called for to determine how the character reacts.
Pain When a character is badly injured, he must make a Steel test to see if he flinches from the pain and mon1e11tarily hesitates, or if he just sucks it up and calries 011. \Vhen to talce a Steel test from pain is discussed in the Injury and Recovery section.
Wontlerment \Vhen a character is awed by a magical effect, the GM can call for a Steel test.
II-—
The Rim ofthe Wheel
“sit
___,-
10 Minus Will = Hesitation The base obstacle for a Steel test is 10 minus the character’s Will exponent. This tells _us, roughly, how lo11g this particular character will hesitate when surprised, shocked or in pain. Each poi11t of hesitation is a heartbeat of real time.
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Steel is tested to overcome that hesitation.
Steel Tests GMs call for Steel tests. \Vhen testing Steel, the attribute acts like any other ability in the game. Steel tests are op en— ended. There are no FoRKs for Steel, and very rarely any help.
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Steel Successes Reduce Hesitation Every success generated 011 a Steel test reduces the characteris hesitation by one-—reducing the actual time spent l1esitating. lf the player rolls successes equal to his character°s hesitation, then the character doesnit even blink. He steels his nerves a11d soldiers on.
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Failed Steel Tests \Vhen a player fails to get a number of successes equal to his hesitation, he°s failed the Steel test. When this happens, the character stops what he is doing a11d loses it for a 1nome11t—for as many heartbeats as the margin of failure. During diose achingly long heartbeats he 1nay do one of four things:
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Characters standing and drooling may 11ot defend themselves in any way, nor may they yell or call for help. They are utterly (if momentarily) stunned. Fall Prone and Beg for ll/Ierey A character 1nay immediately drop to the ground and prostrate himself 01' c.m'l into a ball. This reaction is particularly useful when caught unawares by bow shots or explosions-—the character can drop behind cover. if a character falls prone in a fight, it is asstuned that he is begging for mercy from his opponent. He drops his weapon and pleads for his life. Of cotu'se, his opponentis reaction is his own decision. Run Screaming lf you opt to run screaming the cl1aracter 1nust flee at top speed away fro111 the source of terror. If he does so, he 1nust screain. (Whatever his idiom, he must vocalize his dismay.) Run Screaming is not a tactical retreat. The cl1aracter cares about one thing only——getting away as fast as possible. Caution a11d wisdom are left behind. They drop what they°re holding. Putting distance between hiinself and his adversary might just save his life—dignity be damned! Characters who run and scream move directly away from the object of their terror, heedless of pitfalls or obstacles. They are solely focused
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Conditions for Steel Disadvantages Being shot at
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Steel and Advancement Steel functions like a skill for the purposes of advancement.
Situational Conditions for Steel Tests for Advancement Only ln addition to advancement via tests, CMs can award tests for advancement based on conditions that arose in play. Players compare the situational obstacle to their current exponent and record the level of difficulty for purposes of advancement. No rolls are made in this case. If an actual Steel test is made—-dice are rolled, hesitation is overcome—these conditions should not be used. They are only used to represent the overall nerves of a larger situation. Some possible situations and their equivalent obstacles for advancement:
Obstacle I Steel Tests News of a relative dying. \Veird, low—gTade supernatural phenomena. Obstacle 2 Steel Tests \Vitnessing violence (a fight, a beating, a stabbing, a hit and run accident). Being in the presence of a cl1aracter with the Dreaded trait. Heated sports competition. Witnessing childbirl h. Obstacle 3 Steel Tests \Vitnessing real bloodshed and gore (a murder, a bloody accident). Being badly beaten up. Being in a brawl or fist fight or riot. Bearing
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Obstacle 4 Steel Tests Fighting a duel to the deatl1. Participating in a knightly tom"ney. Being stabbed. Shooting another character. Witnessing a friend or relative killed. Surviving a natural disaster. Encountering antl1ropomorphic monsters . Obstacle 5 Steel Tests
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Obstacle 8 Steel Tests Sustained artillery barrages. Encountering the living dead.
Obstacle 9 Steel Tests The presence of demons and angels. Witnessing or suffering under sorcerous, cataclysmic destruction.
Obstacle IO Steel Tests Being in the presence of the divine.
Steel in Brief Q Hesitation is 10 minus \Vill. I Test Steel against hesitation (which is the obstacle of the test) when confronted with surprise, fear or pain. ° Steel test successes are subtracted from hesitation. If hesitation is not reduced to zero, the cl1aracter must choose one reaction: Stand and Drool, Fall Prone and Beg for Mercy, Swoon or Run Screaming. lf hesitation is reduced to zero, the cl1a1'acter does not hesitate and may continue what he was doing.
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Eveiy character possesses a measure of material wealth, influence and status within their society. This l1as nothing to do with
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Counting Pennies This system is not designed to simulate the simple exchange of money for goods. The Resources ability represents the character°s overall material wealth and potential influence, and also his ability to borrow, barter, trade and lend. It is very 111ucl1 an abstraction
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Resources is tested whenever a player wishes to make a purchase or
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Resources Basics acquisition. Such an acquisition can be something to eat, a dueling
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are taken from items i11 the various Resources lists and are not all available for purchase. ltis not a store, it°s reference. Oh 1——- Food for the day. Lodging for the night. Clothing, shoes, and
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Ob 3— Rent for a townhouse or a country villa. Run of the mill arms. Run of the mill bow. A letter of marque. Pay for household staff or a single professional assistant. Popular books. Riding or draft horse. A small cart. Exotic spices. Quilted or leather barding. A knight°s wages. Tools for academic and craftsman skills. Rim of the mill light mail. Sp angenhelm. Poor quality bascinet. Ob 4— Jewelry, exotic fabrics, rare antiques a11d books. A palfrey or rotmcy. Rm1 of the mill heavy mail. Sallet. A run of the mill long or great bow. A crossbow. A large baggage wagon, small barge or stm'dy l8—man longboat. Rare herbs and minerals. A trained falcon. Plated leather or lamellar bardi11g. Pay and support for a bodyguard or trainer. Tools for medicinal a11d artist skills. Ob 5—— Turcoman warhorse. Run of the mill plated mail. Superior quality arms. Elven Tome of Lore. Cl1ai1m1ail barding. A lord°s or captain°s wages. Tools for special skills. Great helm. Ob 6— Destrier. Ru11 of the 11]_lll full plate. Dwarven arms. Elven bow.
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Plated mail barding. A donation to the com't for consideration of baro11ial rank. Tools for sorcerous skills. Ob 7-— Warhorse of renown. Donation to the royal court to be considered for a viscotmtyship. Full plate barding. Dwarven shield. Ob 3— hidustrial equipment: a printing press, a forge, a small cargo ship. Dwarven forge mask.
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Gee, These Resource Obstacles are 1Wiglzty'Higl: § Yes, they are. ln order to make most high end purchases, even ' = 3: the wealthy will need to secure loans or procure gifts fro1n ‘If
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Testing Resources Acquiring material goods, hiring bodyguards, pages, scribes a11d comiers or booki11g passage on a ship or caravan all call for a Resources test.
Resources vs Obstacle Test Resom'ces against the obstacle as if it were any otl1er skill or stat. Helping, artha and advancement rules apply. \Vounds donit reduce Resources dice. If the player meets or exceeds the obstacle, he has acquired what he stated he was after. If he fails the test, his Resom'ces are taxed a11d he either can°t find or canit afford what he was looki11g for.
FoRKs Players may not FoRK their skills into Resom'ces.
Linked Tests and Resources Players may make li11ked tests using appropriate skills like Wises or Accounting in order to get a bonus die to a Resources test. See the Scoring a Deal section of this chapter.
Helping Characters may help one another with Resom'ces. lf the testing player is taxed, then everyone involved 011 the test is taxed. By the way, both characters do not l1ave to be part of the scene when ll-.'-S
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A merchantcon/cl_ai':/e hisfrlencla bank note to aicliin hilsyonrchase ofrare books. The cienol tests his Resources when reacj/, with the aiol ofthe Merchantis heloiny alle. Meanwhile, the merchant hasgone about his bnsiness.
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Being away fron1 the wellspring of a characteris Resources i11curs a +1 Ob disadvantage. Higher obstacles ca11 be applied if yom' cl1aracter is really 011 the other side of the world.
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countryside, while a Count;°s Resources . . hkely extend across many provinces. Still, use common sense. Exponent l and 2 Resom'ces are fairly portable—you carry what you ow11—while Resources tied into a factory or a local temple are not.
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lf characters want to buy in bulk, Tl raise the obstacle by one or two
and multiply the material numb ers by x10 or even xl O0. lt°s a11 abstract system, after all.
Finding the Right People Use Circles to find people to hire. Use Resom'ces to pay them. Circles is described in the next chapter, Relationships, Circles, reputations and affiliations.
Saying Yes to Resources Say Yes to Resom'ces tests if a purchase is clearly within the character°s means a11d there is nothing at stake—failure is a11 annoyance or
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On a routine test, the character loses one die. lf it was a difficult test, he
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The Gift of Kindness On a. failed roll, the CM may choose to grant the player whatever it was he was after 011 his Resources test. lf this option is chosen, the characterls Resotuces is still Taxed, but the player achieves the intent of his roll. The Gift of Kindness may be considered by the CM 011 a case~by-case basis.
Cutting Your Losses If a player fails a Resources test a11d the CM offers him the Gift of Kindness option, the player ca11 decline the offer and opt to cut his
losses. If he does so, he does not find what he was looking for, and his characteris Resources are Taxed by only 1D.
Depleting Resources lf a character"s effective Resomccs ever drop to exponent O due to tax, his Resom'ces exponent is depleted by lD. Unlike regular ta:ee(l dice, depleted Resources may only be recouped through advancement. You cannot get a job to recover depleted Resources. lf your Resom'ces exponent is O you may 11ot test it tmless you use casl1, loa11 or ftmd dice. lf your Resom'ces exp o11e11t is O you may not help. You may give yom' friends cash or funds if you l1ave it already.
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Scoring a Deal A1J l)1'0 lJriate wises ca11 be used to aid Resources i11 the ame. Yllhen a lJla §Yer wishes to track down an item or service not co1n1no11llT available = test an al3l)1‘OlJriate wise to see if the character finds it in a timellT maimer or finds a good deal.
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Set the obstacle for the test: Ob l tests are for commonly known information in the Wise°s area; Ob 3 for uncommon or hard to find details; Ob 5 for something only an insider would know; Ob 6 plus for obscure stuff. This test abides by the standard mechanics for Linked tests: faili11g
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Haggling Haggling is the norm in most medieval cultures. Players are free to haggle over Resources obstacles. To do so, test Haggling vs Haggling. FoRK as appropriate. lf the buyer wins, he may reduce the price of the item in question by one obstacle.
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Haggling as Duel of Wits hi place of the simplified Haggling rules described above, the players ca11 also use the Duel of Wits 111ecl1anics. The statement of purpose sl1ould resolve around the quality of the item or its apparent value. Compromises should involve a haggled price or perhaps extra fees thrown into the bargain. Use the Haggling skill for Point and Rebuttal in this Duel of \Vits. Other actions use the skills listed. See the Duel of lllits chapter for more information.
Bidding Another method of setting a price (or a Resources obstacle) is via an auction or open bidding. l11 this case, interested buyers make offers (in the form of a Resources obstacle) to the seller. No skill test is necessary here, but players should consider carefully. They are setting their own obstacles! Each bid may only raise the price by one obstacle point. Remember, an obstacle point does represent a substantial amount of money a11d influence in this gante.
Lifestyles Resources are about more than just making a single purchase once in a
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The duration of a Resources cycle is determined by the players and CM at the outset of the game. It reflects the interval of time between all your
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mind, and might reflect urban life better. Or you could set the cycle o11 the san1e schedule as the royal tax collectors. If they come once a month,
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twice a year it is. This choice is going to affect the pace and feel of play—the shorter intervals lend a more frenetic and “modern” feel; longer cycles lend the gaine a seasonal, languid and desperate mood.
Lifestyle Maintenance Obstacles Listed below are the obstacles for maintaining various medieval lifestyles———the appropriate living quarters, the clothes, the food, etc. Once every cycle, each player must test his Resources against his lifestyle obstacle. Determine his obstacle based on how he has been living the assets that he maintains. Ob 1—— Peasant day laborer; no home, property or possessions to speak of. Ob 2— Working poor; small family, a rented cottage. Poor knight or adventurer; you and your horse on the road. Ob 3— Maintaining a fanrily in the city. Maintaining a small business; a cobbler°s shop. Maintaining oneself as a knight; l1orse, armor, weapons and one squire or second. Ob 4-— Lord’s manor. Wealthy peasant or modest merchant. Mediumsized business; a small blacksmith. Ob 5— Maintenance of a fortress and surrounds. Wealthy merchant. La1‘ge business: a brewer or talmer. A specialty business like an engraver, gtmsmith or silversmith. A poor comt. Ob 6— Maintenance for a wealthy baronial court. Ob 7-— ViscoLmt°s com't. lndustry like a shipping concern, vineyards or U’
a founthy. Ob 3— Com1t’s comt. A small castle. Big industry like a mining operation. Ob 9-— Ducal cou rt. A large castle, estate or plantation.
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The Rim of the Wheel ii t deals a11d refunding his accounts. Such behavior is typically related to the character°s lifestyle and maintenance obligations, and must be tied into one (or more) of the character°s skills.
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ln oroler to replenish his reserves, apoor knight hasjot to rule circuit with a /few cura vans. Pop/syooaf but the work is borilny.
Get a Job! Establish what jobloccupation the character is tmdertaking. Pick a skill to represent this. Test the skill; appropriate FoRKs are allowed. The obstacle is 1 plus the number of dice lost. Meeting this obstacle recovers ID. Margin of success replenishes an additional die per success. The time for the test is equal to the cmrent Resources cycle (agreed upon i11 the
-
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Lifestyle section). Time for the test can be reduced by lO% per extra success spent on working quickly and not
on reducing tax. This test counts toward the advancement of the job skill. Ourpoor knight coulal test a number ofskills to represent his/ob-—wiIses of the local area lor banohts), Relay fit was a realsleeper) or even Sworcl if it was a hazarolous tour Ifthe character is -ID to Resources, the obstacle of the test is 2. hfthe Resources cycle is one month, the kniyht is bus)//fir ubouta month. Iftheplop/erpasses the test. then the clle is recorereolunolthe Resources are back up to their starting level
Advancing Resources As the cliche goes: You must spend money to make money. Resources advance like a skill—tl1e more you push yourself and test yom' Resotuces,
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the more you stand to gain. However (there’s always a however, isn°t there?), like Perception a11d Faith, only successful Resources tests count toward advancement. Therefore, one successful Resom'ces test will push a character from BO to Bl Resom'ces.
Tax only temporarily reduces the Resources exponent. Make sm'e to note
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the cmrent actual Resources exponent and use that for advancement purposes. lf you°re taxed and you advance, increase your maximum exponent and taxed exponent by one.
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Cash, Goods, Titles and Loans There are four ways to gain advantage dice for your Resom'ces.
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Cash on Hand Cash is the most liquid of Resom'ces, but dries up as quickly as water. If ever a player°s character is given a substantial a111ount of cash———either as a reward or payment——then he gains bonus dice to his Resources. Dice from casl1 on hand 1nay only be used for one test. After the test, the cash is considered spent and the advantage dice are lost. Multi-dice bo11uses may be spe11t, one or two at a time, across multiple rolls.
Generating Cash You can produce cash from your Resources. An Ob 2 test generates 1D of cash, Ob 4 for 2D, Ob 6 for 3D, Ob 8 for 4D and Ob 10 for 5D. You ca11 use the cash for your own tests, you can give it to yom' friends and enemies.
Funds: Property, Accounts, Goods and Caches Occasionally, a character will come i11to a substantial infusion of wealth: a large sum of cash, property, valuable antiques or even bulk quantities of salable goods. These durable boo11s provide a bonus to Resou1‘ces— from one to ten dice. They are not depleted like casl1. Hoxvever, if a character is Taxed due to a failed Resources test, the dice must be removed from the fund first and are lost permanently. They cannot be regained via the Get a Job! process described above.
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Creating Fands
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You can create a fund using your Resources. Describe the form of this durable wealth——incon1e from property, interest on accounts, a d1'agon°s hoard, etc. Test Resom'ces at an obstacle double the amount
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of the fund"s dice plus 1.
Using Funds You may only use one fund per Resources test.
Title Certain conditions that arise in game might benefit a character°s
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Resources: a promotion in rank, popularity or status, for example. An
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improvement in station can increase Resources by 1D. The GM is ihe sole arbiter of this increase and it should be given with tl1e utmost care.
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If a character is already wealthy, the rise i11 station might mean little or nothing at all. But for a character who starts poor, the sanie rise can be quite beneficial. More often than not, a rise in station just means 1nore bills! His lifestyle maintenance obstacle also goes up.
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77r0rmuna/lvagins z‘/ze amc as an an/van faring squire. Due to a pa zku/nr _ /zcraiz: anti /1:115 e/emfen/fa L‘/rarnn af/era’/.s1',§0,0:14_9r,uz1.sz‘ifnfy/1ia/igqcf/1er.Q.
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.|1'I " "I1 The Rim ofthe Wheel I ii The (QM/'nm/9.5 /uls Resources exponent/item B3 to B4. 50 /any as /re retains /1:15 rank. /re keeps L‘/re bonus.
Loans You can give cash and funds to otl1er players or NPOS in the form of
sazunesag
loa11s. The loa11ed dice behave as their so1u'ce would-—-cash or funds.
Debt
'
A loaning player ca11 opt to grant a debt-free loan, or one that must he paid back (With interest). The size of the debt is equal to the obstacle of the l0am'rzg' test. If it must be paid back, raise the obstacle of the indebted character°s next lifestyle test by one. A successful test reduces the debt by one. Test once each cycle until the debt is reduced to zero. If a player should fail a lifestyle Resources test and be taxed, the debt is extended another cycle. lf the lifestyle maintenance test is passed, it counts as a linked test for the loaning‘ o/zaracterk Reso1u'ces—-no bonus if the obstacle is merely met, but add +1D to the next Resources test if the debtor repaid with extra successes.
Currency In order to facilitate immersion into the setting, it is important for the players and GM to develop a11d maintain a monetary language. Haggling for “resource points” is boring and dull. Fighting over talents, sous, funds, florins and pounds is cool! It"s best to set your currencies at the start of the game. Here°s an example
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to help get you started:
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Mule
Oh 2
-1 month
-less than a day
2-6 sous
A‘r1ns
Oh 3
-2 months
-l day
7 sous
Horse
Ob 3
-3 months
-2 days
6-12 sous
Rpiees
Oh 3
-3 montlls
-5 days
20-40 sous
Books
Ob 3
--3 months
~2 days
6-'12 sous
Ob 4
~6 months
-5 days
20-30 sous 5-34 livres
5, Tools
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Oh 4
-7 months
-1-3 months
Plalgrl Mail
20
Oh 5
~20 years
-'1-6 months
'10-60 livres
SQ Arms
20
Oh 5
~20 years
-3-8 months
30-80 livres
20
Oh 6
~22 years
»-3-'10 months
30-100 livres
Powon
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in order to create a scale, l°ve provided the currency from 13-14th century England and France, compiled a11d extrapolated from Fief by Lisa l. Steele published by Cumberland Games and/i Dista12t1Win"0r'lJy
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Barbara Tuchman published by Ballantine Books. Following that are the average wages for various occupations from the period. Monetary imits from 13-1-’-lth centiuy England and France: 1 livre = 20 sous = 240 denier (a denier is a penny). \Vages per month: labo1'er, carter, reaper, groom, guard: 60 denier/ month. Carpenter: 90 denier/month. Shepherd, swineherd: 100 denier/ month. Stonecutter, mason: 615 denier/month or 2 sous per month. Foot soldier: 60 denier/month. Archer: 90 denier/111o11th. Sergeant: 15 sous/ month. Squire: 30 sous/111ontl1. Knight: 210 sous/month. Duke: 360 sous/1nontl1.
Resources in Brief ° You can use \Vises to track down material goods, Circles to track down services. ° The CM sets the plice (Resoiuces obstacle) based 011 the listed exainples. ° if applicable, players may haggle over the price or use a Duel of Wits to set a price. ° Test Resom'ces. No FoRKs, but linked tests and helping dice are okay. ° Success means you got what you were after. Failiue indicates you were “R
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taxed and lose Resoiuces dice. ° If taxed, you 111ust Cet a Iobl to recover Resources. Test skill for agreed upon time—Ob 1 + nmnber of dice lost. Success means one die is recovered, extra successes recover additional dice. Failure
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means the remaining Taxed dice carry over into and through the next maintenance cycle. ° Only successful Resources tests count toward advancement.
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° Loans: Test Resources to give dice to other players. Obstacle is double the number of dice being loaned. Add +1 Ob for each test beyond the first which the dice are viable for. Loaned dice are not helping dice a11d therefore the loaning character is not taxed every time his deadbeat
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friend fails a Resoiuces test.
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° At the end of a Resom'ces cycle, the CM may call upo11 players to test Resources in order to maintain their lifestyles. Obstacles are listed. Remember to add any debt as an obstacle penalty to the lifestyle roll.
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n, ,,yaka gyg,» ,, ;::‘_,_~, -. g-..,,-,4 I itins and eputations ties Relationships if‘ill *\"l ._..i r - _ “‘&~ hf . lll’ iii?) .1 ‘-—l
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When burning a character, a player in Burning Wheel designs relationships for his character that are important to him . . . . . . Relationships exist 111 order to define important personae not
controlled by the players. Traditionally, they’re called l\lPCs by the _
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CM and players. Dining play, they are used by the players and K CM to get into and out of trouble, provide detail and depth to the background, and create con icts.
/fame of)/our re/ettane/ups ts)/our wife :14 t/re rt//eye, t/re (EM ts supposed toluse t/its to ereeteltrozrtv/el:}4'p/e/in /f)/ouire /mntziag a vamp)/1'1 ofconrse its)/our w¢ =' w/10 as /us victim! Sue/e/en g, )/an re swept up H4 a p/at of terror amt/z'ntrr'gne.
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Meeting and consulting with a relationship character doesn°t require
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a test. By spending resoiuces points on establishing relationships with these characters, it is assumed that all the details of contact and cominunication ai'e worked out ahead of time. So long as it
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is reasonably feasible in the game context, a player can have his
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character visit his relationship contacts freely and often.
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Usually, tests are unnecessary with relationships. ‘,3 Information flows between the two characters via roleplay.
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However, social skill tests may be used to extract information from these characters when they have something they are trying to hide or withhold from the player character. /ft/re tree/esman is re/uetant to /lets beeeuee it mtj/ztjet/aim into trout?/e
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wit/1 /1:15 peers, a Persua ian test is in are/er: A Duel of \Vits may be used when player characters find themselves seriously at odds with their contacts.
377
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Player Characters Are Not Relationships Other player characters are never considered relationships. Player characters are assiuned to know and, in some way, be tied to each other at the outset of the game. .,.
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Circles Circles is an abilit lI and mechanic that allows lJla Yers to abstract the process of discovering who their characters know in the game world. The Circles ability is rolled when a player wants his character to find another non-player character from whom he can get information or favors. This character need not exist at all before a player asks for a roll to find him. No endless list of minor NPCs is needed. lust roll the dice to see who you can track down: Reveal spies in your ranks, tap informers, discover traitors in your enemies’ household, uncover officials
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who harbor hidden secrets, find the character who knows what you need to knowl
The information in question still needs to be extracted from these NPCs " via roleplay, social skill tests and possibly even a Duel of ll/its, but the character°s existence and the player°s knowledge of him is determined
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by a Circles test.
Pete: “Wei/ejot tejet in to t/re temp/e some/tow! ” T/tor: "We do? My mot/xerfs sister was an Alatiess. Let me write a /etter:” 6M—Lml'e.- '1?/ie wee? ” T/tar: '7 dunno, tan I re//'m)1 Cara/es? I was Barn N05/e.” GM-Lml'e: '$ere; ea t/eztspretq ot1.smre.... ”
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Circles Exponent
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Each cl1ai'acter has a Circles attribute. It represents their professional, casual, familial and informal spheres of influence. The Circles ability begins the game rooted from Will. Affiliations and reputation add bonus dice. See the Character Burner for more on starting your Circles rating.
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Scope of the Circles
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A characterls lifepaths define the framework of his Circles. Knights
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know other knights and squires. Priests know other clergy. Artisans are fainiliar with other masons and architects. If the player can narrate such a contact into the story of his lifepaths, he can test his Circles ability to see if he can track him down. Even character types indirectly tied to the lifepatl1—perl1aps other lifep aths in the setting-——can be rolled for.
A P easant hunter miSht know a l)6(ldl61‘v and even his 51andfatherv but he can’t and won°t know the king, sea captains or high—ranking religious officials. These characters are beyond the reach of a Circles test for a player whose character has all Peasant Setting lifepaths.
Drols on/tpriest £l5 eyes; to trash down an assassin. He ases he so/an /zfepath to test his Ciro/es: (7 thtnh that ma)/he one ofthese ea/tzlsts mtqht he a potsoner ans/sapph/in‘; the assassin. "Poisoner and Ca/test are two h zpaths in the same settiiojg, Oatoast. A perfect use of zro/es. The player°s narration creates the circumstance for a Circles test. A successful Circles test indicates the character has found someone who fits his description.
Use the Lifepaths and Settings lvhen bringing in l\lPCs, use the lifepaths and settings as a guide. You can bring in someone who shares the same lifepath with you. You can bring in NPCs from your set ng——so long as it makes sense.
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l Don’t Know You If you don°t share a lifepath or a setting with an NPC, then you cannot ‘ill
use Circles to bring him into play.
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Scope of Reputations and Affiliations In order to use a reputation or affiliation in a Circles test, you must have an appropriate circle to start from—-—you must have a lifepath which is related to the NPC you’re looking for. If you don°t, you can°t test or help with yoiu' Circles test.
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Reputation dice can only be used in the realm for which they are defined. A local reputation can°t be used when traveling abroad, or anywhere
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beyond the next town over, for example. Affiliation bonus dice can only be applied within the affiliation or functions directly related to it.
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Circles Obstacles It is an Ob 1 Circles test to find a person involved in a trade or occupation, in his proper place, and of reasonable, appropriate disposition for his location/occupation: a bored shopkeeper in town, a fastidious clerk in the city, or a grim carp enter in the village. The exact parameters of those descriptors must be appropriate to yoiu' own gaine and setting, of course. Expanding or narrowing these definitions modifies the obstacle for the
Circles test. Add the following modifiers where appropriate-—you don°t have to add them all at once—to the base Ob 1:
Occupation Who are you looking for? Name a role like, "' an armorer,” or “a scribe.” Broad occupation/profession, or same lifepath
——-
Uncominon occupation, or within the same setting
+2 Ob
Specific occupation, an occupation rare or imique within yoiu' setting
+3 Ob
For characters with a Gigi Dwe//er or I/i//ager setting hfhpath, any noncriminaf Gigi Dwe//er or l/i//age h path fa//s aniier the hroaoi occupation a/e nition. Criminai e/ements con/oihe consioiereoi nncommon occupations. A master hing/ar won/ithe consiaisrea/a speci c occupation. "t
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Saine station rank or social class ’ . Lower rank, station or class
+1 Ob
—
Higher rank, station or class
+2 Ob
Highest station or rank in the setting
+3 Ob
A sergeant /oohing fiir another sergeant has no ohstac/e pena/he A sergeant /oohing ir a captain has a +2 Oh pena/he That same seigeant /oohing ir someone among the camp fir//owers anc/prostitutes has a +7 Oh pena/Q to
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You can add a qualification to the character you’re looking for: he can be skilled in damascening, the best in town, loyal or have special knowledge.
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Disposition or knowledge common to the circle A specific disposition or detailed/rare knowledge
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Disposition/knowledge different from members of circle +1 -2 Ob +3 Ob
Ifyou'repart ofa ce// ofinsarrectibnists, itfs going to he easy for)/on to /inst 1 . _; . peop/e who want to assassinate the Civii Governor hf)/on re a minister
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The Rim ofthe Wheel charged with-in vestigating rehe/s, )/onii"‘e at a +2 Oh to nd rehe/s withyear Cilrc/es. ioohing /fir rehe/s speci calhi hent on assassination woalolhe +3" Oh.
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Time and Place Sometimes, it°s not entirely believable that a character could call on a contact in a particular situation. For example, sunmioning a doctor in the middle of the night, a clergyman in the red-light district or finding a rescuer in the crowd at your execution. lf that’s the case, use these penalties. Doesn°t Matter
—-
Uniisual for this character
+1-2 Ob
Right here and now in the middle of trouble
+3 Ob
Testing Circles When you're ready to test Circles to locate a prospective contact, you must state your intent and how you°re undertaking the task—your character must write letters, ask aroimd court, buy a roiuid of drinks at the local mere bar, and so on. You must describe who you’re looking for and where. You can also specify loyalty and knowledge for the NPC.
Cireles+Rep+Aff Against Obstacle Crab dice equal to yoiu' Circles. Add advantage dice for one applicable reputation and one appropriate affiliation. Add +1D advantage if you °ve named this NPC from a previous Circles test. ism.»
The base obstacle for a Circles test is 1. Add appropriate modifiers from
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the list above. Not all of the modifiers are applicable all the time; use only the penalties appropriate to the situation.
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The result determines whether or not you°ve found who youlre looking
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for and if that person is disposed toward or against you. The test isn’t to
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see if such a character exists in the world, but to see if you can find him when you need him or if he°s favorable to yoin' cause.
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Are)/onp/op/ing a noh/e loohing to hamp into a high—ranhing nohle an)1 oloitime anal not concernea’ with where? Oh 4 (Base 7p/as +5’ Oh /fir highest ranh). ioohing to trash o/own the o/iihefs hnntsman who hnows something ahont strangegoings on .7 Oh 6. (Oh 7 + p i é occnpation anoioh fi?rentoiispositi'on.)
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Characters who share similar Circles may help one another for Circles
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tests. If you do not have similar Circles, you may not help. You may never
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FORK into Circles. Circles is not a skill. FoRKs are only for skills.
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Wises Appropriate \Vises can be used as linked tests for Circles.
S6 l'Clllllg for a Reputation If a character with a reputation is being sought, the seeker may use the character’s reputation to his own advantage to find friends, associates and acquaintances of the person in question. Add the reputation as advantage to the Circles test. Reputations can make it a lot easier to be foiuid.
Naming the Unknown Once a Circles test is made to find a given character, the player may grant his new contact a legitimate and appropriate name. Doing so gives a +1D advantage to tracking down that contact with Circles in the fut1u'e. The naine must be written down by the player for the bonus to be earned. When tiying to find a contact named in a previous Circles test, the player may search for named contacts without invoking any additional specificity penalties (i.e. it’s the same obstacle as it was the first time). In order to be able to name a contact, a player must either exceed the obstacle of the test, or fail the test outright and have the Enmity Clause invoked. If he merely meets the obstacle, the contact is just one of
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momentary convenience passing back into the shadow of obscurity after the deed is done. lf he exceeds the obstacle, enough of an inipression was made so that names are exchanged and remembered. If a Circles test is failed, and the CM invokes the Enmity Clause, then the contact can be named as a new enemy for the character! The CM must name and keep
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enemies .
Enmity Clause
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When a player searches for a contact via his Circles, but fails the roll,
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the CM has the option to call on the Enmity Clause. Rather than finding
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someone who is favorably disposed to the character, the player finds he has an enemy out there! Someone who feels insulted, mocked, intimidated, cheated or scorned by the character.
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Such characters are obviously unwilling to freely give information and favors to someone they perceive as their enemy! Any standard social skill
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tests used against them are +2 Ob. In a Duel of \Vits, such enemies gain +4D to their body of argiunent roll.
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T/war: (Hrs If/rare my N06/e zmi/i'e.s out of z var in Frlirdcnlmrj .7 ” G/l4—L14,i’6.' “R0//)(0nr N011/e-wise. 2 .sz4cce.s.ses.7 Yea/1, 1‘/re §r'¢/riff. ”
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77mr.- “Y want to fest my 6:]m/s'.s~—/ in born Nab/c—-/payee/wz'i/1 an (in:/55 as bay." / t‘/1:34/4 z‘/ray /rave a vi//a /wra... ” 6M—[email protected] ”01@a)4 i aifs an 05 5 fest. Ya fa!/ea/.7 0/1 /1-sis /lercj. but /re /zap/vans to be /ooh'n_g rr)/on, £00. $BBm.5)'/0:4 wan his /Jame om him in a baa/56;‘. ”
r/W "oh. He/1. /.454 01/Ml/I/Iii/.7.'.'_9:»¢4&1.'.'” Inin'1ical characters do not have to be outright enemies. Neither 1' ~. do they have to be the character the player was seeking. They ca11 pretend to work with the players a11d help them. Of course, tl1e information that they feed can be full of lies and half—truths. They can even attempt extortion and blackinail. That°s l1alf the fu11 of having an enemyl
Enemies to Friends, Friends to Enemies The disposition of a co11tact can change. lf, through play, the players manage to convince their enemies that they are on their side, that°s cool. Thatis what the game is about. Of co1u'se, the opposite is true as well: Friends a11d favorably disposed contacts might tLu'n out to be e11e1nies. That +2 Ob penalty when dealing with yo1u' former friends ca11 be back— breaking!
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Affiliations This section describes the rules for gaining 11ew affiliations, advancing
its
affiliations and losing affiliations.
Buying into New Affiliations Dining the course of die game, a situation may arise where a cl1aracter has the opportunity to affiliate himself with a new organization———a might gather together bands of thugs to do his bidding.
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mercenary might get knighted, a noble might join the clergy, or a sorcerer
invest in this new opportunity in order to gain further dice when using his Circles. Purchasing a 1]) affiliation is an Ob 3 test Resources test, a 21) affiliation is Ob 5, 3]) is Ob 7. If the affiliation is to an organization that demands expensive clothes or fine foods, like low nobility or
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mercantile affiliations, add +1 Ob. lf the affiliation is of high noble or ecclesiastical rank, or excessively wealthy, +2 Ob. If the affiliation is obscure, extremely elite or secretive (like a sorcerer°s cabal), +3 Ob. All affiliations, no matter h0w lowly, require this Resoiuces test in order to be able to write the new dice 011 the character sheet. There are parties to throw, clothes to purchase, bribes to pay, gifts to give, dues to account for and otl1er various a11d smidry expenses; this is all reflected in the initial Resotnces obstacles. It is worth noting that an affiliation cannot be bought like bread. An in—ga1ne situation 111ust arise in which the cl1aracter is invited to join.
Advancing in Rank Advancing an affiliation follows the mechanics for buying into a new affiliation. However, buying up within his own organization grants the character +2D advantage dice to the roll.
Exiled and Stripped of Rank \Vhen involving his affiliations in a Circles test, a character may be exiled or stripped of rank in play and lose some or all of his influence. lf a player uses his Circles plus his affiliation dice to track down a contact and, in the co1u'se of dealing with that contact, fails a crucial social skill test or loses an in1porta11t Duel of Wits, so that he actually causes harm
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or damage to his affiliation, then he loses 1D to his affiliation. This is completely conditional to play and arbitr ated by the GM. A player may opt to cut his ties with an affiliation at any time. The player may reduce the amount of dice as he sees fit to reflect his new status.
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Lost affiliation dice can be regained if the character makes good 011 his failures, or rejoins his former crew. This 111ust be accompanied by a successful Duel of \Vits or successful series of social skill tests.
Reputations This heading contains rules for gai11i11g new reputations, advancing existing reputations, using infamous reputations, reducing reputations and losi11g reputations.
New Reputations At the end of a scenario, players and CM may norninate characters for l'-ltf ‘J
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The breadth of the reputation is dependant on the events that spawned it. A massive battle which saves the crown? 3D. A brilliant day at court? 2D. Settle a dispute between two feuding families? 1D.
Advancing in Reputation I11 addition to earning new reputations, existing ones may be enhanced by a player°s performance in game. At thelend of the campaignf scenario, existing reputations ca11 be nominated for increase. They
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Fallen Stars Reputations may be lost, damaged or changed through play. The conditions are similar to losing an affiliation: lf a player uses his reputation dice in a Circles test that gets him into a very bad situation— loses a Duel of Wits, loses a battle, bankrupts a Resotnces test, etc——he
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Oar Headofthe Heaeehe/athae /eet a Dae/0/ll/l/:'t.s with his ant/e. Hei heen denounced as a eriminat amt h/iyht to the zmitv. 7hep/a)/er /est the Dae/ of Wits, and thus his eharaater re/eatatien is ana/er‘ threat. Rather than /use
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a ate, oar/o/a/ver ases his Otrc/es to /indsome thajs whom he hires to marc/er his omc/e arm/aunt. His former reputation is now reduced by one die, but that die is placed in an appropriate infamous reputation. Every time a player reduces his former reputation and exults in his infamy, he may increase this reputation. The CM may also opt to l1ave relationships and named contacts ttun into enemies.
7he/oh)/er rewrites his /€’e,ontat:'on: From, "'20: Ra/es he hoase with a stern hanct” to "ID /n zmoas: Amhtttoas, co/ct-hearteothi//er: ID: Ra/es his hoase with a stern hanot ”
A Change of Identity A player may also choose to change his identity and leave his reputation behind. All benefits of his former life are lost while under his new guise. Should he take up his old mantle, his former reputation is regained at one less die than its previous exponent.
Building Relationships with Circles . This is an optional rule, but we reconnnend it. Each cl1aracter has - a relationship aptitude equal to 10 minus his Circles exponent. If his reputation. is favorable to the prospective contact, then subtract its dice from the aptitude. If the reputation is distasteful to the prospective ‘wt ~—- ~:_~_l$;‘;_},’ contact, then reputation dice are added to the relationship aptitude. Each time a new contact is tapped and named via a Circles test, the player may attempt to build a relationship with him. If you successfully tap a contact within your Circles a number of times equal to the :1 +1‘
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Circles in Brief ° Relationshil3s a1'e contacts bou 5ht i11 cl1aracter burnin g or earned in P laY to whom the character has reasonabl3I free access and stron5 ties. Players do 11ot need to roll to contact them. ° Circles are peripheral characters, professional acquaintances, social friendships and familial relations, available as contacts. The range of Circles is determined by the lifepaths of the character. ° Test the Circles ability (plus an appropriate affiliation and reputation) to locate a person from whom you want information or services. The more obsctue the contact, or the higher or lower the station of the contact, the higher the obstacle. ° If the player rolls more successes than the obstacle, he may name his contact. Doing so gives him a +lD advantage to his Circles test when trying to locate the contact again. The name must be written down and remembered by the player fo1' the bonus to be earned. ° lf a Circles test is failed, the CM may invoke the Enmity Clause.
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The E/ven do/eyate frowned as the seneschat turned to address hoth /ortnce and court. Neath dressed andsuhth ostentatious, the Dwarf /oud§/ and c/earh stated his case: The c/an had a/wen/s done rmht [ax themse/ves; there was no need to hecome emhrot/ed in the internecine yoo/tttcs ofoutscders. I Stung @/ the vet/ed tnsu/t, the E//en amhassadors nostri/s ared Hts voice swe//ed and carried dearhx over the ha// as he once again made his argument: C/n/ess a//stood together a//' wou/d/ta/t This was not a ,oroh/em r oneprovince or one c/an, hut a// ofthe disparate crowns of the /and /nwardhg, theprance smt/led The wasjot}/if to he ajoodfijhtt \Vits, acumen and elocution are to the world of business, politics a11d religion what swords, fire a11d agility are to the world of war. ln highstakes political negotiations, a character might find himself caught so his only possible escape is to cut his way free with his tongue! The Duel of \Vits is a11 extended conflict mechanic used to resolve debate and argument in le game (and at the table). Characters use verbal attacks and maneuvers to overpower a11d destroy their opponents’ argtnnents and make themselves appear, to all witnesses, correct.
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The ptupose in such a duel is not to reveal the truth, but to put forth your ar8 tnnent in die best li 3ht while dismantlin 8 lYour oPP onent’s . position—and to convince the audience that you have struck 011 the truth while Your oPlJonent is mired in l1alf-formed thou 5l1t and naive delusions.
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performing characters’ opinions l1as been changed by the event, but the audience thinks the clown is the cat°s n1eow——b ecause, for them, his performance was better. Though the Duel of Wits cannot make a character like or believe anything, it can force him to agree to something—-—even if only for the time being.
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/n the previous examp/e, the Dwarven seneschatand the E/ven amhassador are ahout to algae whether or not it cs right toyo to war at this time. Shou/d the Ehfwzln, he wou/dcon vfnce theprince andthe court that now cs the time. The Senescha/ wou/d ohvz'oush/ stz'// ohsajree. However; he wou/d ha ve heen hosted in this verha/sparrzlny match and must /ooh /‘hr another opportunt§/ to state he case. If the character /oses this extended con ict, a// ofthe ru/es rr zi/ure andLet it Ride apph/.
Dueling Skills
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Statement of Purpose To begin a Duel of \Vits, there must be t\vo sides Willing to defe11d their disparate positions. Each side clearly and succinctly states its case. This is called the statement of ptupose. You should arrive at tl1is juncture after roleplaying and getting a feel for the situation. If you don°t know What you want from a Duel of \Vits, don°t start o11e. Keep roleplaying until you want so1nethi11g. Once you do, state your case.
State Your Case Each player briefly describes his point and Why he is right. State your oases in an orderly fashion. Once you’ve stated your case, write it out.
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Agree to the Terms > Both sides must then agree to the terms of this debate before ' " 1'15 continuing. This is essentially a 1netaga111e condition. “lf l win, you’ll do X. if you Win, l°ll do Y.“ Each player states his terms and agrees to abide by them. Keep tl1e demands reasonable and achievable. Break ‘\-
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with a single battle of WO1‘(lS. The point here is to get the argument into J; the mechanics so it ca11 be resolved fairly. There°s nothing worse than ..,l|_, two hours of pointless player vs player argmnent. Bring arguments to the table, set the terms, roll the dice and move on.
If if/re Dwarven sencsa/rd wins, z‘/is 0/an w¢'// stay out ofE/1/an you/¢'L‘i'a.s— 11¢:/nafrzy if/uls wan /ifs a rm‘/zer bmia/statement of/mryoosc; él lfn /ZV. /ft‘/re E/c/an amlrassav/or wins, 1.‘/re Dwarves w¢'//szfarw/wit/2 f/re E/c/as am/f/16 of/zcr 0/owns aym'n.sftlu'.s,vrol1/cm.
Walking Away
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Body of Argument
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the body of argument for this duel. Note this total.
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Body ofArgmnent Skills Only Coarse Persuasion, Interrogation, Oratory, Persuasion, Poisonous Platitudes, Rhetoric or Stentorious Debate may be rolled for the body of argument test.
Unslzilled Body ofArgument If you don°t have one of these skills, test unskilled using Will. Two successes equals one point of body of argument.
W/zen presenfzhy /1:3 argument a a/9'0/omaf wit‘/1 :1 B5 Oraloiy ro/ls if/zrce snazesses an /.¢m/a/5 l/ma‘ to /uls WE//ofB4. His 504/ ofar nmenl is 7 air 1‘/uls duel The purpose of the Duel of Wits is to reduce yotu' oppone11t°s body of argument to zero dice through use of clever strategy and outright attack. Big Deal If the GM judges the debate to be very iinportant and deserving of some lengdly discussion, he may set the bodies of argument higher.
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Not a Big Deal if for some reason hvo 13lEl3Ters are debatin 5 a minor lJoint and desire quick resolution, use only the \Vill exponent as the body of argument.
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Traits There are 111any traits which affect the Duel of Wits. Be stn'e to consult any trait descriptions before the duel begins and add bonuses where and when applicable.
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Verbal Exchange In B1n'ning Wheel, we call our “round” the eascliange. Each player plans three verb al actions for die exchange and writes them down in secret. \Ve call this “scripting.” Each action and the opponent’s opposing reaction is contained in a smaller tinie segment called a volley. Players take one action per volley. Their actions are then played against one another.
I 0/muse t/re fi1//0wz'n_q.- "V0//W 7: Point, V0//ey 2.- Ot csmte, I/0//iy 3: Dzisrnzlss. M/v opponent e/zee.se.s.~ “Va//gv I: Relmttel I/e//Q 2: Paint, I/0//ry 3: Feilnt. "In no/ty Z. we’//ye/eyv m)1 Paintejazlnst/nls Retlnttat /n n:://e)/ 2, / wt//try taproteet m)/eetf nm /is Point wit/1 an Oli weate. In we//av 3:. in/v Dismiss will urns/1 /its Faint.
is-1%‘ Volley to Volley Once the actions for the exchange are scripted, the CM calls for each
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Each action is spoken and resolved before moving on: The actions for then volley 3 is revealed.
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Speaking the Part
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\Vhen playing actions, you must speak your part. Spitting out moves i11 a robotic fashion is not a viable use of these mechanics. The arguments 111ust be made. Of course. no one expects you to be eloquent, so just the main thrust or a simple retort usually suffices (but a little e1nbellisl11nent is nice). g»
Points and Dismisses are spoken before a Rebuttal. Maneuvers like Feint a11d Obfuscate are used to literally i11terrupt the opponent°s flow. If two players are simultaneously throwing Points, Dismissals or
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Elements of Elocution There are seven actions a speaker can use in a Duel of \Vits: Avoid the Topic, Dismiss, Feint, Incite, Obfuscate, Point and Rebuttal.
Interactions Consult the table below for how to resolve the interaction of two Duel of \Vits actions—a standard test, a versus test o1'11o test at all. Each action interacts with the otl1er actions differently. At the most basic level, the interaction determines whether or not you make a standard test, a versus test or no test at all. When checking this table, read left to right. Some of the interactions are asyrnmetric. 77
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opposed action. If Obfuscate or I11cite successes aren"t reduced to zero, then the incoming action wins and takes effect. Avoid never suffers a double obstacle penalty for stat versus skill. It’s special.
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Dismiss Tests: Coarse Persuasion, Command, Intimidation, Oratory, Religious Diatribe, Rhetoric, Stentorious Debate, Ugly Truth Speaking the Part: This maneuver is used for the cataclysmic a11d undeniable conclusion of a11 argument. Loudly declare that your opponent knows nothing about the topic at hand and, furthermore, he°s a fool and a dullard a11d shouldn°t be listened to any further! Special: If a character fails to win the duel via his Dismiss action, he must hesitate for his next volley. Either cross off the next action, or skip the first volley of the coining exchange. Effects: Scripting a Dismiss adds +2D to the character’s skill. I11 a standard test, subtract each success rolled from your opponent°s body
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Feint Tests: Extortion, Falsehood, Interrogation, Persuasion, Poisonous
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Effects: Feint can be used to bypass Rebuttal and to attack Feint, Incite and Obfuscate. In a standard test, each success subtracts from yo1.u* opponent°s body of argument. In a versus test, margin of success is subtracted from yoin' opp onentfs body of argunient.
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Incite Tests: Coarse Persuasion, Command, Extortion, Falsehood, Ilitimidation, Seduction, Ugly Truth Speaking the Parl: \Vith a11 acid tongue and biting Wit, a character may attempt to distract or dismay his opponent. The speaking player must pronounce an outright insult to his opponent. Effects: I11 a standard test, the obstacle is equal to the victin1°s Will exponent. If tl1e Inciting player passes the standard test or wins the versus test, the victim must malce a Steel test. If the victim hesitates, he misses his next action. However, if the hicite fails, the margin of failure is added as advantage dice to the opponent°s next test.
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Obfuscate Tests: Falsehood, Oratory, Poisonous Platitudes, Rhetoric, Religious
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Point Tests: Coarse Persuasion, Inte1'rogation, Oratory, Persuasion, Poisonous Platitudes, Rhetoric, Stentorious Debate
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Speaking the Part: The Point action is the main attack of the verbal duelist. Hammer away using your statement of purpose and related points! Effects: I11 a standard test, subtract your Poi11t successes from your opponent°s body of argument. I11 a versus test, subtract the margin of success from your opp onent°s body of argument. This is the way to win debatesi
jnatat exc/aims, '7 witt not have rn/vpro§er)/ rememher me as a cowarat who /et the E/1/esperform his tahors firr him. / ‘in coming with/yon; ferjtoiy and honor‘! ” 7estzna his Orator}; hejets three snccesses. Yhese are snhtractec/from the Eh/en princes hoajz ofarpament.
Rebuttal Tests: Extortion, Interrogation, Oratory, Persuasion, Poisonous Platitudes, Rhetoric, Stentorious Debate, Suasion Speaking the Pa1't: The player first lets his opponent make his attack. He then refutes the arguments made while making a fresh p oint himself. Special: Iii/hen making a Rebuttal, you must divide your dice between
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Special Interactions in the Duel of Wits If you°re praying, casting a spell, hesitating or doing anything else aside from using a Duel of Wits action in the Duel of Wits, your opponent uses the following interaction obstacles: Avoid, —, Dismiss, Ob 1; Feint, Ob 1; hicite, Ob=Will; Obfuscate, Ob 1; Point, Ob 1:, Rebuttal, Ob -.
Baiting Beliefs _,Playe1's are encouraged to play 011 their opponent°s Beliefs, ' '1'”-/ii! Instincts a11d traits dining the exchange. Using these facets of personality against their opponents, they can lead them on and predict their moves. Simply baiting an opponent to Dismiss prematurely can cause the fatal error one needs to pull off a coup!
Resolving the Argument Winning a Duel of Wits Reducing yoin' opp onent°s argument to zero dice while maintaining dice in yoiu' body of argument indicates yoifve won the Duel of Wits. The terms the wiiming cl1aracter set forth at the outset of the duel must now
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The amhassacior wins his arpament against the seneschai The seneschat is sti//a_§ainst/Inning his a//iance. However; now theprince has heara/hoth siates, he sees merit in the amhassaotorfs p/ans. The prince, as the anoiience, agrees to the winninaproposa/—in pa, he rnnst.
Compromise It is a very rare circumstance in a11 argument when some concessions a1'en"t made by the winning p arty to the loser. Sometimes it is ceding or validating a point, other times it’s agreeing to disagree and still other times an actual compromise is reached.
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When your body of argument is reduced by any amount of dice, coniproinises must be made. Victory is unconditional only if your body of argument is iuitouched.
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interlocutor a minor coniproinise. You must grant him a small concession regarding your goal or agree to a11 additional, 1nino1' condition that he puts forth. Yoapezfiiion 1‘/re Emperor iojrani)/on /zis siscers /zana’in marriage. Yoa win,
so owe /rim a minor compromise. He as/is onj/ 1‘/rat‘)/on remain /:§/a/ to /rim. A sma//if/iin_a for an emperor io ask, no .7 C0mpr0rm'.s'e If your argunient is reduced to half ( or thereabouts), you owe your opponent a solid coinproinise. You inust grant a signi cant concession regarding yoiu' own goal or agree to an additional, related condition.
You ano/your friend are o/eiraifinj L‘/ie owners/up rig/its co a certain fair/ea’ sworal Yon win, out oweyour cienoia compromise. Yon agree co /of /Jim snow if to /iis esiranjcoi//ac/ier oe ore)/on reinrn if co)/oar c/an. l ajor C‘0mp!'0mi.s'c If you lost all but a few of your body of argiunent points, you owe your adversary a niaj or coniproniise. You inust either grant him a inaj or
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You ano/)/oar companions are arguing over if/1e fate ofan evi/sorcerer. S/won/of /re be execaceafors/ion/J/voa/oin /rim .7 Your/fcienals wi1n,)/on’///bin forces wii‘/1 /rim. Bat i/re/v owe)/on a miyor compromise. Yon’// onlv/loin forces wit‘/1 /iim anti//re enois if/us majica/p/ajne. After if/zac )/on wi//bring /rim to 1.‘/1e emperor ano/1‘/1e connci/o/[priests co account/for hepast‘ evi/oi/eeorls.
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A Duel of Wits is over when one p arty"s body of argument is reduced to zero. The loser niust abide by the results of the arguinentz He"s lost and l1e"s agreed to go along with whatever it was his opponent proposed at the outset of the duel—~—fo1' the time being, of course. Remember that these rules don°t dictate reality or true feelings. They only dictate public performance and acknowledgment of the “11'utl1.”
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A ohp/omaf may ha re his proposa/s oienoanceci in /‘Front of the hirij, han‘ he sz‘i// he/ieves in them and meg even present‘ them again at another time. A shopheeper who /osz‘ a ha_aj/in_a a'ae/ wi//se// the item for the /owerprice, hat he’//regret it /aten /n fact, he might harhor aaiie a hiz‘ ofresen imeni iowara’ the si/rer~t‘onjaea’rasca/who her/eri/eo/him. He meg even outright‘ refuse io se// to him in the zinrei If a player is particularly open-minded, he can, of course, have his cl1aracter change his mind when and as he chooses. Being convinced of the merit of an argiunent is an acceptable result of these mechanics, but it is not a hard and fast rule.
Shocking Defeat A character who has lost a Duel of ll/its must malce a Steel test. If his argmnent was reduced below zero, those dice are added to the hesitation obstacle. \Vhile the loser hesitates, the victor is free to gloat, run him through, exit stage left or offe1' a verbal coup de grfice.
Tying
If both arguments are reduced to zero in the same volley, the duel is a tie. Neither party is in a position to leverage a victory. Two options are available: The characters can part ways and agree to take up the argument at another time, or they can agree to a compromise.
Tied Compromise The first rule of a compromise resulting from a tie is neither party can achieve die terms he sought at the outset of the duel. Both parties must
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Honor Besrnirche(l.- I Demand Satisfaction A character who has lost a Duel of \Vits, but believes he has been slighted or defamed, may call upon his honor and demand satisfaction in a duel to the death or for blood. In this case, the winning character is free to choose to accept the duel or not—-or perhaps appoint a champion. If the winner of the Duel of Wits refuses, he loses no standing in the eyes of his peers. He was clearly in the right the entire time and his opponent is behaving in an unseemly manner! If he accepts, perhaps he can put this matter to bed permanently.
Helping in the Duel of Wits For group duels, it°s best to adhere to the helping rules. One character—the speaker——acts at the primary for his side. He scripts the moves helll use. As he goes, his allies make comments on his Points, etc, and throw in helping dice when they raise their voices. Once everyone has made their comments on the particular volley, have the primary roll the dice for his actions. It°s the sanie as a regular Duel of Wits, but with helping dice. _:
ln order to grant helping dice, a player must roleplay his character°s participation. Failiue to speak up or act means those dice may 11ot be used on that particular roll. Also, thereis no rule that says you have to help yotu' own side. Supporting players may have their character help
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Duel of Wits in Brief ' Players (or a player and the GM) come to a significant disagreement in the game. The GM stops play, and asks if the players wish to resolve it with a Duel of Wits. Players can agree to this, walk away fron1 the argument in disgust, or simply draw swords and skip to the Fight section. ¢ Players each state their case: What°s the problem a11d why. Keep it short. \Vrite out your statement of purpose. ° Once the case is stated, roll for the body of argument—test Coarse Persuasion, Interrogation, Oratory, Persuasion, Poisonous Platitudes, Rhetoric, Stentorious Deb ate. Add these successes to the Will exponent. This is how many dice your opponent must k11ock off in order to win the duel. 0 After the body of argument has been established, agree to the terms: Each player states what conditions he wants if he wins, a11d what he°ll ,1?!-..
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But Fm Not a Bowman The term “bownian” is used in the Range and Cover rules simply
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Range, Cover and Position Basics
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Before he can take a shot, a bowman must get into position. These rules determine who gets into position, and thus who gets to take a shot using versus tests between stats, skills and attributes.
The winner of the test has the opportunity to shoot, whereas his target has exposed himself or been outmaneuvered. The winner tests his appropriate weapon skill—-—Bow, Crossbow, Throwing,
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Range and Cover Procedure Determine Battle eld When you start a battle or skirmish using these rules, the CM describes the battlefield——the terrain features, lay of the land, weather, light, etc.
Set Ranges The CM decides the starting ranges for all parties involved: If the combatants are cautiously advancing, start everyone out of range. If the skirmish is taking place in a field, meadow, desert, plain or other op en area, give the advantage to the group with longer-ranged weapons. Put them at extreme range for their weapon and set everyone else accordingly. If the fight is going down in confined conditions like city streets or even indoors, start everyone off at optimal range. If one party is attempting to ambush another or otherwise set up this skirmish, test for Stealthy or Tactics vs Observation. The winner ca11 set his starting range foi‘ his weapon.
Objectives lf there°s a situation—-—defend the king, capture the flag, escape the catacombs——be sure to be explicit about it. Set conditions for achieving the objective. Conditions could be as simple as defeating a group of enemies, withdrawing out of range, closing into fighting distance or as complex as spending actions to accomplish other tasks within the -"‘_,'_T‘.—_=-3
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Battles using Range and Cover often involve many characters. Break down into teams before you start using these rules. Teams can be altered between exchanges provided it makes sense to do so. A team can be as small as one character and as large as ten. In general,
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Adjust Range Change the winning team°s range according to the result of the maneuver. Consult the appropriate weapon table to determine the losing teams range.
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Play Actions The team that won the maneuver test can spend its margin of success to allow tealn members to perform actions. Resolve all of the actions earned in each volley before moving on.
Is It Over Yet? At the end of the third volley, if the opposing team is still standing and at least one team is still in range and your objective is incomplete, privately choose three maneuvers again.
End Battles using Range and Cover end when the other side is dead, ru11 off, both sides have retired out of range, you°ve closed into fighting distance or you°ve completed your objective. Once a11 end condition is met, you can stop with Range and Cover and move 011 to other obstacles.
Range ln a skirmish, the distance between a bowman and his target is a vital detail. lt sets the base obstacle to hit said target. In Burning Vi/heel, we°re not concerned with precise distances. We only need to know broad categories: Either the target is out of range, at extreme range, at optimal range or too close to shoot. Moving from one range to the next is done through maneuvers. Listed below are descriptions of the range categories
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Extreme Range (Ob 3) Each weapon has an exireme range at which missiles start to lose power and thus become inaccurate. Extreme range for a weapon is always ong step closer than being out of range. Shots at extreme range are base Ob 3,
Optimal Range (Ob 2) Without benefit of sighting mechanisms or precision mechanical devices, archers, crossbowmen and fusilliers are forced to rely on their own eyesight, depth perception, good judgment a11d the power of their weapon. Your target is easiest to hit when you’re in optimal range. Shots from optimal range are base obstacle 2.
Too Close to Shoot If you are at optimal range and you close with your opponent, you are too close to shoot—now you°re in a melee. Range and Cover is over. Same goes for your opponent: If he is in optimal range for his weapon a11d he closes i11 with you, hels drawn you into a fight. Once a fight moves into the too close to shoot range, Range and Cover volleys end and players switch to melee using the Fight rules.
Max Range All missile weapons have a maximum range listed in paces to help give players a sense of their effectiveness and to allow CMS to better narrate space a11d distance in the game.
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Maneuver and Action During the battle, the characters are doi11g their level best to outmaneuver their opponents so they can pull off a shot without being shot at themselves. The inte1'action between your 1na11euver and your opponent°s maneuver determines which stat, skill or attribute you test. The weapon you°re using adds dice to your maneuver.“
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The winner of the maneuver can change the distance between himself and his opponent and spend extra successes 011 taking actions during this volley. Your maneuver determines how the distance changes. Actions include shooting, casting a spell, saying a prayer, shrugging off a wotmd, opening a crypt, aiming or taking cover.
Stride Advantage The character witl1 the lo11gest stride gets a11 advantage to maneuver. Dwarves l1ave a stride of 6; Me11, Ores, Trolls a11d Great Spiders have stride 7, Elves and Roden have a stride of 8. Wolves have a snide of 11. Horses have a stride of 13. Traits and spells ca11 modify these numbers. For teams, use the lowest stride rating. Longest stride
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Winning the Maneuver \Vhen a character wins a maneuver test, he either gets in closer, gets farther away or keeps his position. When changing distances, you move one range category of your weapon——fron1 extreme range to optimal,
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Bot/1 sides c/zaase F/ant. Bat/1 sic/es rc///‘bar saccesses. One side was cat sf ranje, t/ze at/rer was at extreme ranje. re oat afranye team mares ta extreme range. Extreme range ma:/es ta ayctimat A//c/zaracters an [rat/1 teams can t/zen .5/mot/cast at t/re current ranges. &
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Taking a Shot
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You can spend one success per member of your team (including yourself) to give that character an opportunity to shoot. Obstacles are listed in the Range and Cover sections of this chapter. You may only shoot once per volley. You always shoot after determining the results of the maneuver, not before. Move then shoot.
lsyoencla success to shoot. At oyotimalranje, m/v ohstacle is 2. Aiming Dice Extra successes may be spent 011 aiming. The number of successes spent equal advantage dice for the skill test to hit the target. A character may accept aiming dice equal to half his Perception exponent rotmded up.
Danwv wins theycositionina test h/v three successes. He syoenols one success to tahe a shot anal uses the two aololitional successes to aim. With his characteris B5 how shill he'll roll seven olice to hit his tarjet on this volle)/. Aiining dice ca11 be used this volley, or they may be carried over to the
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Taking a Position Extra successes in a maneuver test can be used to draw additional advantage from the terrain or fortifications. Up to two successes from a winning test may be allocated to taking or building a better position. Successes spent on taking a position are advantage dice to positioning for the next volley.
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Weapon Range Dice The capabilities of a missile weapon in Burning \Vheel grant advantage dice to the wielder°s maneuver test according to his current range. The more dice, the greater the chance the character°s chance to outmaneuver his opponent a11d pull off a shot before his opponent ca11 return fire, escape or take cover. At extreme range, more range dice are granted, but as the characters close to optimal range, the bonus dice flatten out.
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The interactions for Range and Cover are all versus tests. Check the table above to see which ability to test. Read from yotn' maneuver and ability on the left to yotu' opp onent°s maneuver and any advantage on the right.
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Closing Maneuvers Tl1e1'e are four closing maneuvers: Close, Sneak In, Flank and Charge. These maneuvers each attempt to bring you one range category closer
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to your opp onent—from out of range to extreme range, from extreme to optimal and from optimal to 1:00 close to shoot. Position dice are not carried to tl1e next volley when using Close, Charge, Flank or Sneak In. You abandon your position. You may allocate margin of success to finding a new position in this maneuver if appropriate.
Close Tesl: Close tests Speed plus advantage from weapon range, position and stride. Effect: Using Close, the character attempts to dasl1 i11to position quickly. If successful, the character advances one range category for his weapon.
Flank Test: Flank tests Tactics plus FoRKs, advantage from weapon range, position and stride. Effect: Using your knowledge of battle, you outmaneuver your opponent. lf successful, the character advances one range category. u.
Charge Tesl: Charge tests Steel plus advantage from weapo11 range, position
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Effcel: A player 1nay choose to press on using his characte1"s Steel rather than Speed, Stealth or Tactics. He pricks up his nerve, dashes from cover and _cl1arges screaming at his opponent. This is
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a dtfficult and dangerous maneuver. lf he wins the versus test, then he closes one range.
There is a big “however” for Charge: Yo1u' opponents may always shoot—even if they lose the positioning test. If your Charge is successful, your opponent gets one free shot before you close in. If the Charge is tied, everyone on both teams gets to shoot. Very ugly. If the Charge is failed, your opponent gets two free shots plus
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Sneak In Test: Sneak In tests "Stealthy plus FoRKs, advantage from weapon range, position and stride. Effect: Using camouflage and stealth, you move unseen toward your opponent°s position. If successful, the character advances one range category.
Maintaining Maneuvers There are two maneuvers that allow you to hold your ground against your opponent: Maintain and Hold.
Maintain Test: Maintain tests Speed plus advantage from weapon range, position and stride. Effect: Using his footwork and reflexes, the character attempts to get the better of his opponent. If your opponent moves forward, you move back. If he moves back, you move forward. lf the character is successful, he°s held his opponent at the current range.
Hold Test: Test Perception against Close, Charge, Maintain, Hold, \Vitl1draw and Retreat. Test Observation against Sneak ln, Flank, Sneak Out and Fall Back. Both variants gain advantage from weapon range and position, but 11ot from stride. Effect: When using the Hold action, the team does 11ot move. Feet
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Special Effects: There are three special effects for the Hold action. First, your opponent always moves in with a close—type maneuver
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or away with a withdraw—type. Second, you always shoot, even if you lose the maneuver test. If you win the maneuver test, you get a free shot in addition to your other actions. Finally, advantage dice fro111 a position are carried over from Hold into your next maneuver.
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Withdrawal Maneuvers There are four withdrawal maneuvers: Withdraw, Fall Back, Retreat, and Sneak Out. These maneuvers attempt to increase the distance between you and your opponent by one range category—from extreme range to out of range or from optimal to extreme.
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Position dice are not carried to the next volley when using Withdraw, Fall Back, S11eak Out or Retreat. You abandon your position. You may allocate margin of success to finding a new position in this maneuver if appropriate.
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If you withdra-w while out of range, check yotu' opponent°s current range. If he’s also out of range, then you leave the fight. If he°s not out of range,
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Withdraw Test: Speed +2D plus advantage fro111 weapon range, position and ADJFRI?3L» J3
stride. Rtml Effect: Using Speed to Withdraw you beat a hasty retreat. ff successful, you withdraw one range category. Special Restriction: While this maneuver grants a +2D advantage, any actions taken while using \Vithdraw cost two successes. Taking a shot, shrugging off a wound or bolting a door closed requires that you win by at least two. Special Action: For two successes from a successful \Vitl1draw action, you can remain at your current range but then consult your range chart to find your opponent°s adjusted range. You rerange your weap o11sl
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Fall Back Test: Fall Back tests Tactics plus FoRKs, advantage from range, position and stride. Effect: Using sound tactics, you abandon your position to take up another, better rearward one. If successful, tl1e character withdraws
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Test: S11eak Out tests Stealthy plus FoRKs, advantage from weapon range, position and stride.
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Test: Retreat tests Steel +1D plus advantage from range, position and stride. This test is open-ended.
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Effect: Sometimes you’ve had quite enough. Screw this position, it°s time to beat a retreat. This takes nerves! A player may choose to make tracks using his character°s Steel rather than Speed, Stealth or Tactics. He pricks up his nerve, dashes from cover and makes a hasty advance to the rear. If successful, the character withdraws one range category. There is a big “however” for Retreat: Your opponents may always shoot——-even if they lose the positioning test. If the Retreat is successful, your opponent gets one free shot before you move out. If the Retreat is tied, your opponent gets uwo free shots. If the Retreat is failed, your opponents gets two free shots plus whatever he spends on his margin of success. Lastly, if you fail a Retreat, you hesitate in the next volley.
Free Shots The Hold, Charge and Retreat maneuvers all grant free shots. Free shots never cost a success. You can do them in addition to your other actions. They are considered to be taken after other actions are taken, including aiming. Each player may only take one free shot on top of his other actions, no matter how many he has ear11ed from the maneuver. Free shots may be distributed to teain members as appropriate. You cannot use a free shot to cast a spell.
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Too Close to Shoot If a character closes from optimal range he moves into a range we call “too close to shoot. “ He has positioned himself so close to his enemy that
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Resolve any last ditch arrows and see the next chapter, Fight, for how to resolve the melee.
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into the too close to shoot range, he may fire his one last shot at optimal range. If he stops his opponent there°s no need to go into melee, is there? If you lost the Range and Cover maneuver test that ended in too close to shoot, you do not shoot unless you°re owed free shots. Fire at optimal range. After firing any last ditch arrows, the Fight will begin with an engagement
test as described i_n the next chapter. If you win that test, your weapon ram»-=.» will be loaded and ready to shoot at the start of melee. If you lose that
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The E/ven Ranger has an E/ven hen/. Eaeh siate ye/ans their manea vers. The Ore eheeses te Sneah /n ftoget to the hrietge), Maintain (to heyee/ti»:/h set aye a /eositien) anet then He/et the hriege. 7he E/feheeses to Maintain fheyeing tegain a shet or an aa/vantage), F/anh (ta/sin alewn the Ore) anal 6/ese (ta rash the Ore). /n the rst ve//e)/—5neah /n against Maintain——we test the Oreis Stea/thy against the Ehfls Syeeeat Sinee its a shi//againsta stat the stat sa/ffzrs a a/nah/e ehstae/e/rena/Q/. The Ore re//s Stea/thy B4 + 72) /ieom his hanting how at this range. He re/ts three saeeesses, hat these eeantas siv zr the Ehfheeaase ofthe stat vs shi//yeena/gt The Ehfgets his B6 5/Jeeaf +72) heeaase his stria/e isgreater than the Ores anat +32) /‘ham his how at this range. He re/ts ve saeeesses. Yhe Ore wins andhe moves from eat ofrange to extreme range for his haw.
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t/n rrtunatehg this puts the Eh’at oyotimatrange fir his cheating E/ven how. Rather than shooting, the Orcyo/cg/er chooses to augment his alice hy tahing up
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Fixed Positions and Fortifications If you are hehind prepared defenses—a staked out hill, a ran1part or eve11 a castle \vall—these fortifications grant between 3 and 10 dice for maneuvers (determined by the GM at start or hy using Fortifications or Tactics to set up a position prior to the battle). These dice can be used to supplen1e11t any maneuver, but tl1ey are only recycled into your next maneuver test if you use a Hold. If you use anything but Hold, you abandon your position. Once you abandon yo1u' fo111'fications, you l1ave to Win a n1a11euver test using a11y actio11 other tl1a11 Hold and spend a success per character to get tl1en1 hack i11to the fortifications.
Charging the Hill You can only close into too close to shoot with a fortified opponent if you Win a closing 1na11euver from your optinlal range, spend an action to clinlh or overrun the fortifications (which might require a test!) and have the proper tools for the job (rope, ladde1's, hooks, etc.). In addition, mounted soldie1‘s attempting to overrun a fortified position may not close to Too Close to Shoot unless they dismount. The soldier must take that hill on his own. However, if a fortification can he destroyed or breached, the cavalry ca11 ride right in.
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Run Screaming in Range and Cover If you choose to Run Screaming, while you're hesitating you must test against your opponentls maneuvers using either your Speed or Steel—— yotu' choice. Running Screaming does not grant free shots. You may not use position or weapon range dice. You may use stride. You must scream. You must drop an item from your gear list of the CM°s choice. If you win, you may not aim or shoot, cast spells or act offensively, but you move away one range category. You may also take up a position or otherwise act.
Fall Prone and Reg For Mercy in Range and Cover If you choose to fall prone and beg for mercy, your opponent°s next positioning test is Oh 1. If he is successful, he may spend his margin of success according to the standard rules. \Vhen (or
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Swoon in Range and Cover Lastly, you may choose to Swoon. If you swoon, you may test Stealthy (or Inconspicuous if in a populated area) against your opponentls Observation. Neither side needs to spend a success. The test is automa11'c. If successful, you disappear. You fall down in the reeds, roll tmder a log or collapse tmder a cart. Yotu' opponent canlt find you in the confusion.
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If you were the only one left standing, this ends the Range and Cover. You wake up ho1u"s later, cold, alone and lost.
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Forfeiting Actions in Range and Cover
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Teams in Range and Cover Range a11d Cover can be used as a skirmish battle system for muddy mercenaries and sybaritic sorcerers. At the start of the battle, break down into teams. The teams do 11ot have to be the sanie size-—-you can be oumumbered. For player characters,
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Help the Leader Only one player makes the test for the maneuver. But this player can be helped by one other character. The helper must give help from the ability being tested or an appropriate wise skill. Slcir'rn.is/z Tactics A character with the Skirmish Tactics training skill can always help another cl1aracter who also l1as Skirmish Tactics with a maneuver test.
Team Actions In order to act within a team, you must be assigned an action from the tean1°s margin of success. Once given an action on this volley, make any appropriate or necessary tests—sl1ooting, spell casting or otl1er skill tests.
Team Range If you°re in a tearn using weapons of varying ranges, position from the range of the weapon of the character who is making the maneuver test. Then consult the range tables to find everyone else°s current range. Thus if you are at extreme range for a bow, you°re out of range for a bomb. u-
Team Hits When your team is hit by incoming fire, teain members can volunteer to take the hit. Otherwise, the CM assigns the hits. ln the case of ties,
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Team Hesitation lf a team of player characters is forced to make a Steel test in Range and Cover, they each make the test individually. Hesitating characters camlot act i11 the next volley. If the whole team hesitates, the player who made the maneuver test chooses the hesitation option for the whole team.
Spells in Range and Cover Spells count as weapons for Range and Cover. They°re listed with l1ow many range dice they provide in their spell descriptions. lf a sorcerer i-t '-2:‘T.-er"
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is leading a team, he should position using the combat spell he intends to cast———benefiting from its positioning dice even though he hasn°t technically cast it yet. You can cast up to 20 actions worth of a spell in one volley of Range and Cover. The rest of the specific rules for spells are contained in the Sorcery chapter tmder the Spells as \Yeapons heading.
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Weather Fog or Mist (+2 Ob maneuver; +3 Ob shooting), Light Rain (+1 Ob to closing or withdrawing maneuvers except Sneak), Light Snow (+1 Ob to all maneuvers except Sneak; +1 Ob to shoot), Heavy Rain (+2 Ob closing
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Range and Cover in Brief I GM describes battlefield and sets any objectives. ° CM sets starting ranges tmless Tactics or Stealthy are used to set the field of battle or ambush opp o11e11ts. Q Break characters down into teams. Typically player characters will be on one team a11d NPC opponents will be on the otl1er. I Each teani privately chooses three Range and Cover maneuvers—one in each volley for this exchange.
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The Btnning \Vheel represents a dangerous, confusing world. In this
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Picking Your Battles There are a number of ways to get into a fight. You and your opponent could agree to fight and simply square off: lt’s the
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honorable thing to do. You could throw a drink (or gauntlet or could lead a small band on a raid or into a skirmish. You could be
When squaring off with an opponent for a serious one-on—one fight, ready yotu' character: armor up, unlimber your shield, draw your weapons. Then start the fight-—simple, bloody, or detailed. When you start a brawl, it’s usually best to roleplay in the situation for a bit. \Vhat event precipitates the action? A sucker punch, an
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insult or a dirty trick can be resolved with a versus test———Intimidation or Brawling———before using the full—blow.n fighting rules. Use the results
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Simple Martial Con ict You can resolve a fist fight, a brawl or even a duel with a simple versus test. State your intent—to kill, to injure, to capture, to shove aside, etc. Any goal that can be accomplished by immediate physical action is
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Yotu‘ opponent states an appropriate intent and task of his ow11. Test your appropriate skill or stat with any applicable advantage. The winner earns his intent, the loser does not. In the case of a tie, the defender there is one) wins. If there is no defender, the opp o11e11ts are deadlocked. They must find another way to best each other.
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The GM raises an cg/ehrow: “Re//for it: Power vs Powen” Both yo/cg/ers come nyo with four snccesses. Since Khahial was the aggressor in this situation, the tiegoes to Yhormanct the o/efirnc/en Yhe harh hnightgrahs the Mame/nhe aroancithe shon/c/ers ana/ho/afs him hach. Lnhe continnes to mime strngghingfir the sworaf even te//ing the GM, '7 a/on't stoyoi "hat the Let /t Rio/e ra/es are in e/j‘ect. He /ost that versns test to bro. so
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Bloody Versus Tests Rather than using a straight versus test, you can use this slightly more nuanced rule, the Bloody Versus test. This rule is for quick resolution of a figl1t. In a Bloody Versus, test both players divide their weapon skills (plus FoRKs a11d other advantages) i11to two pools. One for attack, one for defense. Each player then rolls his attack pool and then his defense pool. Successes in the defense pool subtract fron1 the opponentls attack successes. Extra successes in the attack pool do da111age as described i11
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Advantages to Bloody Versus Attack Longer weapon (when appropriate) +1D, shorter weapon (when appropriate) +2D, versus armor (when fighting armored opp one11t) +1D per point of VA.
Advantages to Bloody Versus Defend Shield +1D, gambeson +1D, reinforced leather or light mail +2D, heavy
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Bloody Versus Results There are three possible results for a bloody versus test: one side successfully attacks, botl1 sides successfully attack a11d neither side successfully attacks. One Side Hits In the stru Hgle.. the losin 8 side was wounded. APlJly. wound result as per the Weapon rules. Describe l1ow youlve bested or ru11 off your opponent. This fight is over!
Both Sides Hit A desperate battle leads to botl1 sides wounded. Apply a wound result as per the \Veapon rules. Make Steel tests as appropriate. If one side hesitates, he is out of the figl1t—captured or run off. If botl1 Steel tests are passed, the side with the most attack successes decides what happens next: another round of fighting (preferably with a different skill) , a Forte versus test to outlast your opponent, a Power versus test to subdue your opponent or a Speed versus test to escape. Neither Side Hits This titanic struggle leads to a deadlock. No wounds are suffered.
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\Ve do 11ot play out the exchange in one blast. Like the Duel of \Vits and Range and Cover, Fight exchanges get broken down into manageable cl1u11ks and played out 1non1e11t to moment.
Esvch ange After Exchange If all of the actions for the excl1a11ge l1ave been announced a11d executed, and there is still conflict to resolve, we start another exchange. Vie for position or engage a 11ew opponent then privately choose your actions again. Continue like this until there is either a winner in the fight or there°s no one left standing.
Volley Tl1e clash of steel and deadly inipact of arrows happens i11 the volley. Each exchange is broken down into tln'ee volleys. \Ve play out each volley, one at a time, before moving on to the next. In each volley, a character ca11 perform up to tln'ee actions. Tl1e exact numb er is determined by his Re exes and c1u'rent level of injury.
Actions \Vithin each volley, we break time down into actions. These are the actual moments of play: a strike with your sword, a block with your shield, a trip with yo1u' l1ob11ailed boot. The actions contained in each volley are played out—announced, executed a11d resolved——before moving 011 to the next.
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Positioning Between exchanges i11 a fight, the combatants 1na11euver against each otl1er, trying to get an advantage or neutralize their opponent°s advantage for the next exchange. This is done before choosing actions so you ca11 best plan your cotu'se i11 the coniing exchange.
Starting a Fight To start a fight, you square off with an opponent either by El111lJ1ISl1, stuprise or by engaging him. This section discusses how to square off with or confront an opponent. Ambush and surprise are discussed at the end of the chapter.
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Engage \Vhen you engage your opponent—you try to put yourself at the most advantageous ghting distance for yoinself. Both fighters test Speed plus advantages for longer stride and lo11ger weapon. The winner sets himself at his best striking distance and his opponent at his worst possible
disadvantage for their relative weapon lengths. Same Weapon Length If both fighters have the same weapon length, neither gains advantage or suffers disadvantage. There°s no need to test to engage. The combatants are in striking distance of one another.
Strr'de.- +1D, +2D Longer snide grants +lD. If your stride is greater by *1 or more, you get +2D. Dwarves have a stride of 6, Men, Ores, Trolls and Great Spiders have stride 7, Elves and Roden have a stride of 8. Vilolves have a stride of 11. Horses l1ave a stride of 13. These numbers can be modified by traits a11d spells.
Longest Weapon: +1D, +2D The longest weapon gains the advantage to engage. If your weapon is one length longer than your opp onent°s, you gain a +lD advantage. If your weapon is two or more lengths greater than your opp onentls, you gain +2D to engage. You can never have more that +2D advantage
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11135
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Engaged at Your Advantage (or Disadvantage) lf you win the engagement test, you put your opponent at a disadvantage. Consult the Opponents Disadvantage by Weapon table on the next page for the precise penalty. Find the winner’s weapon on the left and the
loser’s weapon along the top. Each weapon type indicates the obstacle penalty applied to the loser°s attack, basic, special, shooting, social and magic actions so long as you retain the advantage. Defense actions are 11ot penalized. W7he11 you l1ave the advantage and your weapon is lo11ger, you°re holding your opponent at bay. If your weapon is shorter, you re in his 9
face, preventing him from maximizing his advantage. On the left, lo11ger weapons gain advantage over shorter weapons. As the ntunbers move to the ri Sht 1 shorter wea P ons 5 ain advanta S e over lo11 S er ones as the lI move in and restrict the movement of their opponent’s clumsy weapons. '_
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Actions in Volleys In order to control yom" character in a Fight in Btnning \Vheel, you must engage in a few exercises: You must first think as he does. \Vhat would he do? You must then consider your opponent. \Vhat will he do? You n1ust then decide if yotu' action is Valid in the face of your opponent°s anticipated stratagem. Lastly, you then translate what you want your character to do——-your intent—into actions. Any kind of physical or mental task in detailed combat is broken down into an action or a series of multiple actions. Striking someone with a sword is a simple action. Drawing an arrow, nocking it and releasing it into the chest of yo1n' enemy is more complex—it eats up more time and hence more of yotn' character°s actions.
Ric/1 knows /ze wants /its /tnij/rt to o/o t/re fo//owing; W/rack that Orc on t/re /react o/oafae tact past in case), s/to ve t/rat ot/zer one to t/ze_aroana/anc/ t/ten nes/1 /rim wit/1 a t/mast. to o/escrtoe t/its for /its c/zaracter /re notes the l//on/Eng actz'ons.- Straits, ,4:/otct Pas/1 ano/Strike. Pretty szinyo/e.
Re exes The Reflexes attribute determines how many actions a character can perform in the exchange. The exponent is the numb er of actions.
/4 c/zaracter wit/1 a B4 Re exes /zas four actions to,o/an wit/1. N
Divide Actions by 3 Volleys _. _, e.. .,-‘tili5. ;+,-Q-=“§;.
Actions are divided into three volleys as evenly as possible. You can’t double up unless you have one action in each volley. You can"t triple up tmless you l1ave two actions for all three volleys.
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Wtth a B4 Re/texes, Rich 3 hntghthas/fmr‘ actions in the exchange. He can tahe 2 actions in vo//Q Z one in volley 2 analone tn vo//Q 3. Orhe con/c/o/o one action, then two, then one again. 0r one. one analthen two. Whereas a character with a Reflexes ofB6 has two actions in each vo//9/. A character with a B5Re exes has two actions in two ro//e)/s, ana’one in the remaining vo//:9/.
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Changes To Re exes If yo1u' Reflexes change during the exchange due to injury, magic or another effect, apply the change at the start of the next exchange not dining this one.
Fight Scripting At the start of each exchange, after engaging or positioning, each player privately chooses his character°s actions. \Ve call this scripting. Thatis om‘ term for building a plan of action for yotn' character. The plan is not innnutable, but it°s what you are coimnitting to for the moment. Players are rewarded for thinking ahead and penalized for having to rethink their course of action. As a player lists what he wants his character to do, he must note in what order he wants those actions to happen. This is very important for determining which actions play off against each other and which slip
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Sometinies youill make versus tests, sometimes just standard tests.
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Positioning During a Fight Combat is a dynamic affair. Fighters shift their positions, trying to gain advantage over one another. Thus, as actions a1'e played out, each character is assumed to he ducking, dodging and dashing as he is best
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Positioning Procedure At the start of each exchange after the first, privately choose whether you°re going to vie for position (to gain advantage), disengage (to get out of the fight) or let ‘em come (to cede the advantage to your opponent).
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Once everyone has decided, reveal your positioning choice a11d resolve the test. Once the positioning has been resolved, choose your actions and play out the exchange.
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Unengaged During an Ongoing Fight If youire part of a11 ongoing fight a11d you’re u11e11gaged, you ca11 attempt to engage with another combatant at the start of the exchange rather than vying for position or disengaging. ln that case, use the rules for engaging, 11ot vying for position.
Stride in Positioning When positioning, the character with the longest stride has the advantage. He gets a -I-’1D to position against his opponent. If his stride is longer than his opponentis by four or more, he gains +2D to position against him.
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Tied Viefor Posittorzirzg lf you tie when vying for position, the fighting distance and advantage remain rmchanged. If your opponent attempts to Disengage a11d you tie him, he fails. You remain at the same fighting distance, advantage and disadvantage.
Disengage If an opponent proves too 1nucl1 for you, you ca11 use the disengage maneuver to pull back and get some distance. Test Speed with a +lD advantage plus advantages from stride and the Positioning Advantage and Disadvantage table. You 111ust win the test, 11ot tie. lf you°re successful, you retreat out of range of your opp onent°s attacks. He may not act against you, you may 11ot act against him (unless otlierwise noted by special conditions). lf you fail to Disengage, yoru' opponent places you at his best advantage. Consult the Positioning Advantage a11d Disadvantage table. When you disengage, you may 11ot reengage or be reengaged by that opponent for this exchange. lf you disengaged from one opponent, but another opponent attempted to engage you at the same time a11d beat your positioning successes, then you are engaged with that second opponent. Otherwise you are disengaged. If you remain disengaged, you may engage with another opponent or your previous opponent at the start of the next exchange, or you may remain out of the fight. If you wish to remain out of the fight, but an opponent attempts to engage you, you 111ust test to disengage as above.
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During the exchange, If your opponent is dead, incapacitated or hesitating for the whole volley, youcan disengage from the fight at will without need for a test. O1" you ca11l1a11g i11 there a11d engage another
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Hanging Bock lf you want to hang back at the edge of the melee and wait for a11 opportunity—use the disengage maneuver. You°ll keep away from anyone who tries to engage you. This is a good tactic to use while
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you°re preparing a spell, loading a bow or shrugging off a wound. See also the Eye of the Storm heading later i11 this chapter.
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hi order to release a spell or arrow, you must engage with a target (or be engaged by him). Double Discngagc lf you a11d your opponent both disengage at the same tiine, you are both successful. You both pull back out of striking distance. I’m Done lf you°ve disengaged and there°s no new opp o11e11t to engage you, you can declare that your character is out of the fight. If youire the only other combatant, the fight is over. lfyo1r’re one of many, you can head off to other business while your companions duke it out. lf you want to stay in the fight, you must enga.ge a new opponent. ‘Ir
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Let ‘Em Come! If a player so desires, he ca11 have his character stop all this dancing arormd and just plant his feet and stand his ground. ln this case, so long as his opponent rolls one success while vying for position, he gains
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Retaining or Taking the Advantage Once the fight is 011, the fighters continue to battle for dominance. At
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Fighting Skills Unskilled
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Brawling Brawling grants access to attack, defense and basic actions, but 11ot special actions. You may use the Brawling skill in place of Power for the Lock and Push actions at your discretion.
Boxing and Martial Arts Boxing and Martial Arts skills allow a character to use all attack, defense, basic and special actions. You may use the skill in place of Power for Push and Lock at your discretion.
Weapon Skills \Veapon skills grant access to all attack, defense, basic and special actions except Throw Person. Vileapon skill does 11ot replace stat tests for any action. [5, f__
Savage Attack and Other Monstrous Skills
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Savage Attack gives a monster access to attack, defense, basic and special actions. Do not replace any stats with this skill.
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Fight Actions Fights are resolved action by action. Each action interacts with the other actions differently. Sometimes you make a standard test against an obstacle. Other times you make a versus test.
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small table is the simple, condensed version. A full—blown table can be found on the back of the scripting sheet available for download from our website: burningwheelcom The full sheet shows all of the obstacles for all interactions. [Von-Fight)/‘Actions For no11-fighty actions like Assess and Cast Spell, the table lists the obstacles for actions played against you while you°re using that action. The obstacles listed are not for casting spells or assessing the situation. Those actions have their own special obstacles.
Dash Interactions A dash — indicates that you do not test any ability for this action. However, your opponent might test depending on what his action interaction says, so be stu'e to check that.
Standard Test Actions Standard tests are indicated by an obstacle. Do not roll against your opponent. Test the indicated ability against the obstacle in the action description. Meeting the obstacle passes the test (and gets you one level of effect). Apply margin of success for additional effect. Half-S'tat or Skill Obstacles Many of the obstacles for these actions are half of your opp onent°s stat
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A complete obstacle consists of a handful of factors: the obstacle listed
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Vs stands for versus test. Roll the stat or skill listed with the action against the stat or skill listed with yotu' opponent°s actio11. The player
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Slcill vs Skill, Stat vs Stat, Skill vs Stat Versus tests in Fight obey the fundamental skilled/unskilled conventions of the game: In the case of skill vs skill or stat vs stat tests,
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Versus Test plus Obstacle Actions Vs+ is tricky. You make a versus test betnveen your ability and your opponent°s, but your opponent gets to add his skill exponent to his nuinber of successes. So if he has a skill of B4 and rolls one success, he has a total of 5 successes to defend with on this roll.
Against No Action If your Re exes allows you to play a11 action, but your opponent doesn°t have anything scripted because he °s slower than you, consult the following table for yotu" obstacle: _
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Strike Test: Strike tests your weapon, Brawling or Boxing skill.
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Great Strike Test: Great Strike tests yotu' weapon, Brawling or Boxing skill. llestrictions: Great Strike costs twvo actions to perform. On the first action, you take a breath to set up yotu' attack. You are effectively defenseless on this action; you cotmt as Stand and Drool hesitating. Also, while any weapon can perform a Great Strike, you must be able to put two hands on the weapon to do so. A Great Stlike counts as one action against your weapon speed liinitation. Effect: A Great Strike, is a lunging thrust, an overhand strike or a half-sword technique. On the second action, Great Strike acts like a Strike but with tnvo exceptions: It bypasses the Block action and it grants a bonus to damage or armor penetration. Choose before you roll: +1 to yotu' Incidental, Mark and Superb damage results or +1 to your weapon°s versus armor rating. T (Q
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Defense Fighting Actions There are three defensive actions in Fight: Avoid, Block a11d Counterstrike.
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Assess Assessing allows a player to look for specific details—-—easy exits, the sources of that burning smell and unarmored locations 011 his opponent. Test: An assess nets the character a Perception test in search of what he described in his intent and task. Special: An assess takes one action. This is a quick, over the shoulder glance. Additional actions may be spent on an assess in order to gain advantage dice to the Perception test——+ 1D for a second action and +2D for a third. W ,
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Defensive stance: Defensive stance grants +2D to Avoid, Block and Counterstrike. Strike and Great Strike suffer a +2 Ob penalty when performed from defensive stance. The Change Stance: Defensive action cotmts as a Block. Aggressive stance: Aggressive stance grants +2D to Strike and Great Strike. Block and Counterstrike suffer +2 Ob penalty. You may not Avoid. If you accidently script Avoid while in aggressive stance, you hesitate for a11 action. The Change Stance: Aggressive action cotmts as the first action of Intimidate (fotmd in the Social Actions section). If you wish to complete the action, script one more action
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Obviously, this must be declared at the top of the exchange. Stance dice used topositiorz. cannot then. be used as a bonus to actions, but all other action/stancepenalties apply. flestlictiolls: You keep yolu' stance until you change stance, disengage, are incapacitated, hesitate or use the Charge/Tackle action. Any of these conditions automatically drops the character back to neutral stance. You may be Locked (but 11ot incapacitated), 011 top of YOU1‘ opponent, on your back, riding a horse or unskilled and still take a stance.
Charge/Tackle Test: Charge/Tackle tests your Power with a +1D advantage plus stlide advantage. Charge/Tackle must be your first action i11 the volley. Effect: \Vl1en performing this action, choose whether you"re charging your opponent or tackling him. if you charge, you attempt to knock him dow11 but you remain on your feet yoluself. If you tackle, you take your opponent down with you. If you win the versus test by one or meet your obstacle in a standard test, you stagger your opponent. Heis at +1 Ob to his next test, whatever it may be. If you will the versus test by hvo or exceed your obstacle in the standard test, you knock your opponent down. He is off his feet and suffers the appropriate penalties tmtil he rights himself. Charge: If you successfully charge, you also take the advantage for your hands or for whatever weapon you°re holding except spears Ell \'
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Pulled I11: If you manage to grab your opponent with a Lock, you pull him ir1. You have the advantage at the Hands fighting distance. In Your Face: If you successfully Lock your opponent, he may not use the Shooting and Throwing or Magic Actions with one exception: He may shoot if he°s using a pistol. Increase the Pressure: You can script multiple Lock actions and increase the value of your Lock on your opponent. You maintain
your grip so long as your opponent fails to escape, you don’t hesitate or voluntarily let go. Each additional successful Lock test ftuther reduces your opponent°s abilities by yorn' margin of success. Incapacitation: If you reduce your opponent°s Agility, Speed, Power or Forte to zero dice, he is incapacitated. He may not resist or act in any fashion Lmtil you release hirn. Skills cannot be used at all. Escaping Locks: If you°re in a Lock and wish to escape, use the Avoid action but replace Speed with Agility, Power or Forte (your choice). If scripted against a Dash interaction, test Avoid against Ob O, otherwise use the results of the versus test. Margin of success for the action reduces any standing Lock penalty. The dice are regained and may be used on the next action. Special: When you use this action you change weapons to yorn' hands. llestrietion: You must have at least one hand free to perform this action. if you do not, you drop one item that you’re holding as you
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Beat Test: Beat tests your weapon skill. Effect: If you meet the obstacle or win the versus test, you steal the advantage from your opponent. He now suffers the appropriate disadvantage according to your weapons and you gain an advantage to the positioning test at the start of the next exchange (provided you nlaintain advantage). If you already have the advantage, you can give yom' opponent a +1 Ob penalty to his next action or you can take +1D to your next action. You choose. Special: Cain a +1D advantage to the Beat test if you°re using two hands 011 your weapon. You cannot hold anything in your off hand! S
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Throw Person Tests: Boxing skill. Effect: If you win the versus test by one or meet your obstacle in a standard test, you successfully throw your opponent off his feet and he suffers the appropriate penalties until he rights himself. You can choose how to spend additional successes: One additional success can be spent to do a11 Incidental bare—fisted hit or cause a Steel test. Two additional successes can be spent to cause a Mark hit or an Incidental and a Steel test. Four additional successes can be spent to deliver a Superb hit. llestrictiolls: You 111ust have a hand free to perform this action. If you do not, you drop your weapon as you go for the grab. S. "0
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Shooting and Throwing Actions Use the actions in this section to shoot or throw weapons in a Fight. Shooting and throwing weapons do 11ot make use of actions like Strike, Block or Beat. lllteractiolls: Shooting a11d Throwing actions don’t interact with the fighting actions like other fighting actions. T __
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Aim Special: A player may spend actions aiming a loaded and ready weapon—a knife in the ha11d, nocked and draw11 bow, a loaded gun, etc. Each action spent gives a +1D advantage. Characters may aim for as many actions as half their Perception exponent rounded up. When aiming with a crossbow, gun or thrown weapon, script your Aim actions first, then script your Throw or Fire actions. \Vhen aiming a bow, put your Aim actions after your Nook and Draw actions, before you script Belease.
Noclc Arrow and Draw Bow Effect: This extended action readies your bow to shoot. Each type of bow has a different load tiinez Hunting bow, 5 actions; Elven bow, 5 actions; Creat bow, 7 actions. To hit your target, script the Release action after Nook and Draw. Special: You can prep a bow a11d keep it ready by spending three actions to nock the arrow. Then when you wa11t to get down to business, you can pay the remainder of the Nook a11d Draw action ' to finish read 3Yin S it. “Alwa Y s kee l3 an arrow nocked“ is a S ood Instinct.
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Magic Actions Casting spells is described in the Sorcery chapter (and the Magic Burner). Faith, Elven songs and Creat Vi/olf howls do not require actions. They are sung simultaneously with other actions. See the Speech, Song and Prayer heading. Use these obstacles for actions played against Cast Spell, Drop Spell and Command Spirit: l
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Drop Spell Special: If a caster no longer wishes to concentrate on a spell being sustained, it costs one action to drop it.
Command Spirit A summoner may command a spirit using Spirit Binding during a fight. lt only costs one action, but it’s very risky. See the Magic Burner.
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Intimidate Actioll Cost: Using the Intimidation skill on another character in a melee costs two actions. Test: Intiniidation Ob = \Yill. Effect: If successful, target must test Steel. Your target hesitates for one action per point of margin of failtu'e.
Hesitation Actions A character can hesitate due to a failed Steel test, a failed Charge or as the result of a spell or other special effect. When a cl1aracter must hesitate, the player may choose how he hesitates unless the effect is specified. There are four options: Stand and Drool, Fall Prone (and beg for mercy), Bun Screaming and Swoon. You can only choose one option when hesitating.
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If you°re knocked down by your opponent you°re considered to be in a bad way. You suffer a +2 Ob to attack actions a11d +1 Ob to all other actions until you regain your feet. For ptuposes of positioning, if you are knocked down, yotu opponent puts you at his advantage and your disadvantage. You can change this by winning the next positioning test! Crawl away fast!
Getting Up It takes two actions to get back to your feet or right yourself. These actions can be split i11 the script. You can write, for example, Oct Up (1), Avoid i11 one volley, and Oct Up (2) in the next. If you°re halfway up, you’1‘e considered +1 Oh to all actions tmtil you finish getting up. Meanwhile, the CM may assign +1D advantage to standard tests made against you.
Speech, Song and Prayer Characters may speak a few words in each volley they are 11ot hesitating. (Thatls up to 8 syllables, for the pedants.)
Song, Howls and Prayer Elven songs, Great \Volf howls and prayers using Faith do not cost a11 action to perform. They may be performed at the same time as any otl1er action.
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Forest A forest is a perfect example of disadvantageous terrain. Therets room to move, but the trees harnper the use of most weapons. Reduce your advantage for engaging or vying for position by —1D. Reduce disadvantage by -1 Ob for all weapon categories unless the weapon holding the advantage is a knife (shortest) or a mace (short). Use this modifier for any situation in which your use of weapons is marginally restricted: a forest, a statuary, a street, etc.
Thus a spears advantage aver a iaye sea/dhe -HZ)/+3 Oh at best.
Corridors Corridors are restricted terrain. It is challenging to use longer weapons in these conditions. Reduce positioning advantage for long, lo11ger, longest weapons by -1D and the disadvantage they cause by +2 Ob.
T/ms a syeearis advantage ever a itnzfie sea/d he +7D/+2 Oh at‘ hest‘. Se 1‘/re spear can sti//main{ain a so/idadvantaje, har‘r't"s nei as_qreaifas eff/re spear /tadfi eedem efmovement‘. Use this modifier when fighting in restricted conditions: a dungeon corridor, a stair case, in the stacks of an ancient library, etc.
Narrow Con nes Combat in tight locations like tubes, tunnels and cages limits the
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Changing an Action
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cannot change an announced action. That is, as soon as anyone has announced any action, no one can change any of their scripted actions for that volley. Once the CM has called for the volley to be announced, it°s too late. Second rule: To change an action, you must forfeit an action. Actions can be forfeited or changed in any unannounced volley in the exchange. So
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if you have two actions in a volley you may lose one to change the other one. During the forfeited action, you are considered to be doing nothing.
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Any prayer, song or speech associated with the lost actions is lost as well. However, for the action being changed, prayer and speech may be changed as well.
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No Forfeiting or Changing in Volley 1 There °s no forfeiting or changing anything in volley 1. After volley 1 l1as been armounced and played, you may forfeit and change in volley 2 or 3. After volley 2 is played, if you have two actions in volley 3, you may forfeit and change. If volley 1 and 2 l1ave been played, and you only have one action left in volley 3, youlre stuck.
Optional Rule: Forfeiting to Stand and Drool A player may choose to voluntarily hesitate for his action. It does not cost an action to do this, but it must be announced/changed in accordance with the timing rules described above. The character does nothing at all, and all of the strictures for hesitation are in play.
Optional Rule: Oh F&eKI This rule allows players to forfeit an action to freely change their current aimounced action to an Avoid or Block. It°s good to use while players get their feet under them in this system, or if you want yo1u' game to be less gritty and more dramatic. It still costs an action to change an action!
Your opponent annoances Smite andyou /rave a Feini.‘ scripvied )’oa'i"e in troah/e. Using cha ra/e,/voa can /ose an action in a /afer vo//ey to c/range)/oar carreni fdoomeay action to B/och or A void E.
Eye of the Storm
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Dining a melee, it°s possible for you to eliminate your opponent in the middle of the exchange while the rest of the fight swirls around you.
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If you dispatch your opponent a11d you still have actions left in the exchange, you can change them to any other action so long as you do not interfere with another ongoing fight. You do not have to obey the
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standard rules for forfeiting actions. Thus you can shrug off wounds, ready weapons, assess, cast short spells, reload, pray, open doors, grab stuff or other sorts of physical actions.
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The same goes if you manage to disengage in a fight, but plan on reentering the melee. Simply spend a ntmiber of actions equal to your Reflexes to shrug off wotmds, ready weapons, assess, cast short spells, reload, pray, open doors, grab stuff or otl1er sorts of physical actions.
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Switching Weapons During an Exchange Any time you change, switch, drop, choke up on, or otherwise futz with your weapo11, you cede the advantage to your opponent. If you l1ave the advantage with your sword, but you use your hands to pusl1, you cede advantage. Consult the disadvantage chart according to your new weapons to see what you penalty is. If you lau11ch a missile in the fight, you cede the advantage to your opponent in the next volley. If you Push, Charge or throw, you change weapons to your hand and cede advantage. lf you use a weapon to Strike, other than what you positioned with, you change weapons and cede advantage.
Shortening Weapons Pm using a k11ife, you’re using an axe and I have the advantage. That means you suffer a +2 Ob penalty. You want to switch to your hilt as a weapon to reduce your penalty. Just slide up the tahle for your new penalty—fro1n axe (long) to mace (short).
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Yon /za I/6’ a sworciana/s/ale/at //ra re an axe. You c/ecicie to engage me wit/1)/oar s/zie/at rat/zer t/ran/voar sworat You win. M/v axe is now at a c saai/anta_ae w/zi/e)/oaice asina)/oar s/tie/a’ to attack anciafefenaf However i/0)/on use/voar sworal to Strike or Disarm me,)/on ceote t/ze aai/an tape to m/v axe. /n practice, )/oar action pat as bot/1 in striiéina a/istance for t/ze sworafanal t/xe axe (since t/ze)/ice t/re same weapon /enpt/1 Ana’ w/ren)/on a/o t/lat, /voa t/ren p/ace)/oar s/zie/atat a if/£i5£Z /I/HM tape since were now' _a/rtinj farther apart.
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/W)! {,5 If you’re using two actions with different weapon le11gtl1s in the same volley—Push (with your hands) a11d Strike (with your sword), for example—take the appropriate entry from the table for each weapon against the weapon that holds the advantage.
/kave a knife anciyoa kave a sworaf bat / /rave tke aa/I/antaje. Yon script Pas/r anci5tr¢ke. Your Pask ajainst H1)! knife imposes nopena/Q/‘Err eitker of as—/zancis anciknives are tke same /enjt/1. I/I/ken we consa/t t/re tab/e for knife /zavinp ac/vantage over sworaf we see)/oar sworcilitrike sa ers a +2 05 pena/Q. /in in too c/ose on)/on for)/on tofeta c/can attack! T100 —Fisted Fighting Training and Shield Titzining
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There are two special skills that train a character to figl1t with two weapons (yeah, a shield is a weapon). They each grant different benefits. Check tl1e111 out in the skill list.
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_ Trathng Advantage
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Fighting Multiple Opponents
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Hordes of Mocks If you°'re fielding ye olde hordes of 111ooks, make liberal use of the helping rules. Have those three goblins help one another for positioning a11d actions. Even though they are acting as unit, our hero must run off, kill or incapacitate each one of them separately. A 81'oulJ of mooks uses the sanie wea130115 a11d 1Jositioning actions. They. gain advantage and disadvantage together. They ca11 script actions as is appropriate—suffering the applicable advantage and disadvantage.
/n agroup offing for examp/e, two can script Strike analtwo can script Pask. One ofeack pair /zetos t/1eprimaiy. So a pair ofmooks witk a B4 Braw/inf ro//s five o/ice to Strike.
Two on One Rather than using mobs of mooks, you can pit two independent characters against another cl1aracter. In this case, all rules for positioning and actions are the same except that each action must be targeted at a specific opponent. Actions cannot affect multiple opponents. The Avoid action is the exception. Successes from Avoid count against all incoming actions on that action that it is scripted. Once engaged, all fighters may act against one another so lo11g as they use the appropriate disadvantages according to their weapons on the Advantage and Disadvantage table. "r
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Three on One, etc. When three fighters are facing off against one opponent, they gain certain advantages. \Vith three fighters facing off against one, the lone fighter suffers a —1D penalty to advantage fro111 weapon length or from vying for position. Furtlierniore, the third opponent reduces his own
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If you have four 011 one, the fourth fighter negates any weapon length
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or positioning advantage the lone fighter might gain. In addition, his weapon le11gtl1 disadvantage is reduced by two steps. If he would normally suffer a +2 Ob penalty, he suffers none in this case. The other fighters still suffer their disadvantages as appropriate. Once engaged in this fashion, all opponents may act against one another so long as they use the appropriate disadvantages according to their weapons on the Advantage and Disadvantage table.
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If you°1'e running a combat with many fighters, try to pair up the combatants as best you. can. When outnuinbered, use the rules for two on one and three 011 one described above. You must engage with or be engaged by a fighter to act against him.
Targets
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Choose the target for your action when you annotmce it. An outnumbered character should get a little leeway to choose the best target. if he°s Feinting, he should get to smack the guy who ‘s scripted a Counterstrike, and not simply get whaled 011 by the guy with a Strike.
Defense Actions Against Multiple Attacks At Once Block, Counterstrike, Defensive Stance, Block & Strike only protect against one incoming action. lf you are being targeted with multiple inconiing actions, pick the one you will defend against before rolling. The other actions interact with you as if you had No Action scripted. Avoid protects against all incoming actions o11 that particular interva.l. Test Speed o11ce. Successes stand against all actions targeting you at that moment.
Gauging Up During a Fight Dining a fight, it°s possible to gang up 011 one opponent. if you manage to disengage from your opponent, you ca11 engage another character on the field, even if he°s already engaged. Engage is always do11e at the start of an exchange. Use the rules for Two 011 One as applicable. lf you°re coming to the aid of an outnumbered ally, you may engage one of his
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attackers at the start of the exchange. Pick your target, if you win you peel him off and ca11 engage him one 011 one. If you lose, your ta1'get can choose to engage you or pass you off to his partner.
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Disengaging From Your Opponent At the start of the exchange, you may disengage from an opponent. lf
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Surprise and Ambush
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To effect an ambush, set up a situation that uses Stealth or I11co11spicuous vs Observation, or———if you°re in a small g1'oup—uses Tactics vs Tactics or Observation. You can, of course, test using Beginner°s Luck in all of these instances.
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If the ambusher fails to ambush his quarry, the victims of the attack may choose to engage i11 combat as normal or they may avoid the combat altogether—fleeing, sneaking by or whatever’s appropriate. Test as necessary. lf the ambusher wins this test, he counts as having wo11 the engagement at the start of the combat. in addition, the target must pass a Steel test. His hesitation indicates l1ow many actions he loses from the start of this
exchange. It°s quite possible this could result i11 a slaughter. Hesitate own saiprisefor two actions anci)/on /ose/voiirfirst two actions of the exchange. Better Ran 3'
Fight Sequence in Brief ' Determine if you°ll use simple versus tests, bloody versus tests or a full fight. ' For versus tests, gather advantage dice a11d resolve the test. ' For a full fight, compare weapon lengths and test to engage. — \Vim1er of engagement test puts his opponent at a dis advantage. ' Privately choose actions equal to Re exes exponent. ' Declare actions in volley 1. Resolve interactions. Repeat process for
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volleys 2 a11d 3. Note who l1as advantage at the end of each volley. ' Are opponents still standing and willing to continue? lf so, continue. if not, end fight. ° To start next exchange, determine if you will vie for position or disengage from the fight.
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— Use advantage from weapon for bonus dice to position.
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— If successfully disengaged, you are out of reach of opponent.
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— If you successfully vie for position, you put your opponent at a disadvantage.
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roll for melee weapons i11 Burning Wl1eel. Players who meet the
obstacle of a test to hit their opponent with a weapon do damage. The more successes over the obstacle, the more damage done. There°s a method to it a11d a limit, too. Damage is done in three
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stages; successes over the obstacle pushes damage from one stage to the next.
EMS The three stages of damage for a weapon are: Incidental, Mark and Superb hits (IMS). The level of damage do11e is determined
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by successes from the wielder°s skill. The actual amotmt of damage do11e is based on Power. For the purposes of example, let°s look at the most basic weapon:
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Incidental
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An Incidental (l) hit does half of the attacker’s Power rounded up.
/f/oar character is piinchinp someone, anci his Power exponent is 43 his lnciotentai hit resn/t is 2. fHah’ ofhis exponent.) Power S has a 3 /nciahentak An hicidental result is achieved when the player meets his obstacle 1
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Mark A Mark (M) does damage equal to the wielder’s Power.
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Superb A Superb shot does damage equal to 1.5x the attacker°s Power. Always rotmd down any fractions when factoring this one.
A character with a Power exponent of4 has a 6 Siiperh resii/t. (One and a hah’times his Power:) PowerS has a 7Saperh. To achieve a Superb result, players need two or four successes over the
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Shade of IMS The shade of the IMS is equal to the shade of the Power of the weapon. To do gray shade dalnage, you need either gray shade fists or a gray shade weapon. Neither are easy to come by.
Coordinates not Points The shade and exponent for the damage level of a hit are coordinates on a wotmd scale. This scale, and the effect of these hits, is discussed in the Anatomy of lnimy section. For now, let’s just concentrate on hittin
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Missile Weapons Missile weapons l1ave their own fixed Power. They don°t rely on the SI ;/rs.
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wielder’s strength, just his skill. Read on.
Striking Your Opponent \Vhen a player wants his character to take a swing at another character he tests his appropriate weapon, martial arts or Brawling skill. If he doesn’t have an applicable skill, test Agility. The obstacle to hit depends on the action of his opponent, fighting
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Defender Declares his Posture % ,Before the dice are rolled, the defender or target of the blow 3 léi describes how his character is standing and what area of the character is most vulnerable to attack.
Defender Chooses Where He Wants to Get_Hit By declaring his position, and where he is vulnerable, the defender tells
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head, so he°s left his legs open, for example. Choosing from one of the locations described below, he annotmces it to his attacker: “My legs are open.”
Body Targets There are four main target areas: head, torso, arms and legs. Occasionally, it will be important to determine right arm or left arm. If the defender is strongly favoring a side, right and left limbs may be used as additional locations. In this special case it costs one success to go from leg to leg, and two to go from arm to arm. See below for more on this. If the CM determines the favoring to be detrimental to the character, he
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Landing the Blow . Once the defender has declared where he is vulnerable, the attacker" may use his skill to move the location of the blow. He may dedicate his eastm successes from his attack roll to improve his aim
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Defending Against Aimed Shots Blocks, Counterstrikes and Avoids k11ock off the attacker°s extra successes. Thus, they can be used to alter the attacker"s aim. If the blow
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is not entirely dodged or deflected, successes from defensive actions force the aim of the attacker back to the locatio11 the defender offered by knocking off his extra successes.
One character is Striking another who is Blocking. The Strike is Oh Z analtwo siiccesses are ro//ea’ The ahe ena/er alec/ares that his torso is open to attack. The attacker iises his extra siiccess to aim the h/ow at the teas. The ahe znalerpets one success on his Block, eliminating the extra siiccess. He tips the shot hack ap to his heavih/—armorea/hreasip/ate.
Melee Weapons Sample Melee Weapon: Sword 5,00,-(1
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Weapon Power All melee weap o11s are listed with their ow11 Power. This is called Weapon Power, and is added to the character’s own Power before the IMS is factored.
A character with a B4 Power wie/ciinp a Long Sworn’ (+3 Power) a/oes a B4 /ncicientai a B7Mark anala B70 Saperh.
Add A player may spend his extra successes with a melee weapon 011 two -
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A weapon with an Aria’ 2 reaiiires two siiccesses over the ohstac/epet com /ncialentalto Mark andtwo more over that toyet to Siiperh pirar a//tojether).
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Weapon Speed (WS) Weapon Speed dictates how often a particula.r type of weapon may Strike in the exchange. Weapon speed is rated from l to 4 and X.
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Knives K Fists Z. Spear 2, Mace 2, tony Sworol3,. LightAxe 2, Footmanfs Axe 7.
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weapon speed applicable to the moment.
/f)/on have a sworalin one hanctanala knip? in the other)/on can Strike three times consecativeh/. /f)/on have a sworahanah mace anti)/oii Strike two times with the sworaf)/on mast rest 56/(E176)/OM can nse another Strike action—even if)/on want to switch to the mace.
Versus Armor (VA) This attribute describes how well a weapon penetrates armor. This is discussed in the Armor and Shields section. For 11ow, itis enough to know that the higher the VA, the better.
Handedness Weapons require the use of one or two hands. One-handed weapons can be used with shields and off—handed weapons. Two—l1anded weapons ca1n1ot be used in that fashion. One-handed weapons ca11 use the Great Strike actio11, provided the wielder ca11 put both hands on his weapon for this actio11. Thus you canit be using your off-hand for anything or be restrained or whatever in that volley. One-handed weapons can also gain a +1D to the Beat action if you
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Shooting Your Opponent The process for engaging in combat with a bow, crossbow, pistol or tln'owing knife is described in detail i11 the Range and Cover section—the obstacle is based on the current range a11d the an1ou11t of cover.
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Moving the Target Location Shooting players may spend their extra successes to move the location of the hit. It costs one success to hit the arms or legs, and two successes to hit the head.
Missile and Thrown Weapons Missiles are used primarily in Range and Cover, somethnes in Fight and occasionally in other situations.
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A p/in/erfs character has a hnnti'n_a how anot is shooting a target at optimal range (Oh 2 She ro/ls air siiccesses. That is cionhle her ohstac/e. When she ro/is the DoF; she aolals 2 to her resn/t. A/ternatehi oar crack-shot hnnter coii/ota//ocate two ofthose snccesses to hit her target in the heaci Her remaining siiccess won/a//iist meet the ohstac/e, so she won/alwaet a normal DoFro// to aletermine ciamape.
Versus Armor Versus armor describes how well a weapon penetrates armor. The mechanics for this are described in the Armor a11d Shields chapter.
Thrown Weapons Damage Thrown weapons differ slightly from missile weapons. Their Power is dep e11de11t on the wielde1'°s Power. l-ll1ili.~i,i#="" 1?~.-"“ .i5E"l*"~t}
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Complications and Balance If you°re using the persona Complications rule a11d a Weapon with balance dice is involved in the complication, the weapon will always lose its balance dice before being broken co1npletelv—it gets chipped or warped, rather than being snapped outright. Balance dice so lost can
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Explosives Misfire Die When the fuse is lit, roll the DoF. On a 1, the explosive misfires. If it was built on a failed skill test, it detonates immediately. Otherwise roll again, on a 4+, it°s a dud. On a 1-3, it explodes in the next volley.
Bombs in Range and Cover Due to the more abstract nature of Range and Cover, you don°t have to worry about many of the details for bombs. The bomb is assumed to be lit and ready to go. It counts as a 1D range weapon with a 30 pace maximurn range. Throwing it uses the range obstacles from Range and Cover. lt also has tln"ee special properties: If up against another 1D range weapon, bombs get 2D to position; bombs negate one point of the opponent°s position or fortification; if the bomber doesn°t win the positioning test, the bomb explodes in his hand on a DoF 1.
Weapons in Brief Melee Weapons
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Armor protects its wearer from harm. While it doesn°t always work, it often can stave off death so the cl1aracter may live just a moment longer. Shields are the middle ground between armor and a weapon. I11 this system, they are considered a defensive weapo11: They add dice to the character’s Block and Counterstrike maneuvers, cotmt as cover
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Armor Locations I11 Burning Wheel, armor is worn to cover one or more of six locations on the character’s body: Head, face a11d neck (one location); torso, arms and legs. Each location, if covered with armor, receives its own dice to protect it from harm. Thus a character can wear a helmet, to protect his head, a full suit of mail, l1eh11et a11d breastplate, or other combinations.
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Armor Types There are six different types of armor available in Burning Wheel.
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Helmets and Headgear Helmets and headgear are described separately from the main armor types so you can combine different types of armor. i___
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A character wearing a rein rrceal/eather he/met‘ who is ,oanchea(:'n the heaaf woahilro//31) versas Oh 7. 1..
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Weapons Versus Armor
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Great Strikes and VA As discussed in the Melee Maneuvers section, Great Strike actions may be used to either increase the weaponls Power or increase the VA of the
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Armor Quality \Vhenever a die comes up a 1 on an armor test, that particular location is considered damaged or rendered less effective until the armor is repaired. Next time that armor is tested, roll one less die.
Poor Quality Armor All 1s coimt on every roll. This armor literally falls apart under stress.
Bun of the Mill Armor Only one 1 coimts per roll (you can only lose one die at a tiine).
Superior Quality Armor Only one 1 counts per roll, and that 1 may be re-rolled. If the reroll is a 2-6, the armor remains undamaged. If the die comes up a second 1 , the armor on that location is reduced by one die.
Armor Shade and Damage Gray shade armor can°t be damaged by black shade attacks. White
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Repairing Armor Gambesoiis and reinforced leather are repaired with the Armorer, Mending, Sewing or Tamier skills. Light mail, heavy mail, plated mail and full plate may be repaired using the Mending, Blacksmith and Armorer skills. Repairs are made to individual locations. Test against the obstacle according to how badly the armor is dainaged. Meeting the obstacle repairs one die. Margin of success can repair additional dice. Fir
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Sewing, 'lhnIle1': Ganibeson, Ob 1 . Reinforcedleather, Ob 2. Lightmail, Ob 4. lllending: Lightly damaged (1D), Ob 1. Moderately damaged (ZD)
Ob 2. Badly damaged (31)), Ob 4. Shredded (41)), Ob 6. Ruined (so),‘ Ob s. _
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Blackslnith: Light mail or light helmet, Ob 2. Heavy mail or spangenhelm, Ob 3. Plated mail or bascinet, Ob 4. Sallet, Ob 5. Great Helm, Ob 6. Full plate, Ob 7. A1'lnol'cI': Gainbeson, reinforced leather, light mail or light helmet, Ob 1. Heavy mail or spangenhehn, Ob 2. Plated mail or bascinet, Ob 3. Sallet, Ob 1-i. Great Hehn, Ob 5. Full plate, Ob 5.
S Clumsy Weight To the imaccustomed, armor is heavy, hot and imcomfortable. This can cause the untrained certain problems.
Untrained Armor Characters without the Armor Training skill who wear light mail stiffer +1 Ob to Health and Forte tests for fatigue or athletics. Those in heavy mail suffer +1 Ob penalty to all tests. Wearing plated mail or full plate without Armor Training incurs a +2 Ob penalty. The Armor Training skill negates these penalties.
Clumsy Weight Even to the trained, armor is still bulky and cumbersome. Consult die following two tables for your armor and your helmetls clumsy weight penalties. This is in addition to the above penalties.
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Defense with a Shield
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maneuver. in the case of Counterstrike, the shield dice are added to the defensive half of the maneuver. Shields are never used in conjunction with an Avoid. Shields may be Feinted out of position. Shields may Block the Great Strike action (whereas partying blades a11d similar items may not). Block and Strike Fighters with the Shield Training skill can perform a special action i11 the melee called Block and Strike. See the Fight chapter for the rules of using that action in combat.
Push and Charge Heater and great shields may use the Push and Charge actions at the short weapon length, rather than the shortest length for hands and knives.
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Shields and VA A weapon°s Versus Armor rating reduces the numb er of shield dice rolled
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Clumsy Weight for Shields \Vhile useful, shields are heavy, difficult to use and require serious shield-arm strength and stamina. ° Using a shield restricts a character to one-handed weapons. ° In Fight, a shield reduces your opportunity to attack. This is represented by a reduction in advantage dice——from weapon length, stride or advantage—that would normally be added to your engage, withdraw or vie for position tests. Target shields reduce your advantage dice for positioning by 1 to a minimum of 1. Heaters reduce your advantage dice for positioning by 1 with a minimum of O. Great Shields reduce your advantage dice for positioning by 2 with a minimum of O. ° A shield reduces yom' ability to grapple. You must have a free hand to grapple. If your other hand is encumbered by a shield, the 1113J§llI1UJ11 level of Lock you ca11 apply is reduced as follows: buckler max Lock dice = Power exponent; target shield max Lock dice = Pow -1; heater max Lock dice = Pow -2; great shield mar Lock dice = Pow -3. ° If a shield is destroyed while you°re wearing it—-reduced to zero dice—— you suffer a +1 Ob disadvantage to martial actions tmtil you get: rid of it. It°s wrapped around your arm, weighing you down and getting in your way. Shields are heavy, chmisy and often strapped to the fighter°s arm. lt requires one action to drop a buckler, and two actions to get rid '1:
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Shields vs Missile Weapons { Shields may not actively “block” incoming missile weapons. You " T may 11ot roll your characterls skill to reduce your opponent°s
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Shield vs [Missiles in Fight Great shields increase obstacles to be shot by +3 Ob; heaters increase Q,"-§\-'
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Defensive Weapons Unless otherwise noted, bucklers and target shields are Power 1, VA —, \VS 2, shortest weapons when used as a weapon in combat. Heaters and great shields are Power 2, VA —, WS 1, short weapon le11gtl1.
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Armor in Brief ° When hit, test the armor 011 the locatio11 struck. Roll armor dice against Ob 1 plus the VA of the weapon. ° Meeting the obstacle indicates the blow is deflected. If the test is failed, the character is
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° Any 1s on the dice indicate armor damage. One less die is rolled next time. ° Armor is heavy and chmisy and causes obstacle penalties to sneaking, swimming, climbing a11d similar activities (sometimes even Avoiding).
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Tolerances Every cl1aracter has six tolerances, or wound levels, that are spread out along his grayscale: superficial, light, midi, severe, traumatic and mortal. Superficial wounds are deep cuts, hard bumps, bruises and bad scrapes. Light wounds are bad burns, fractures and cracking knocks; broken toes, a broken nose, a missing ear, or even the pain from an extremely hard gut punch. Midi wotmds are broken arms, ribs and legs; yanked muscles, twisted ligaments, missing digits and massive cuts. Severe wotmds are shattered bones, horrible bur11s, torn limbs a11d internal bleeding. Traumatic wounds are ntissing limbs, shattered ribs, third degree burns and disembowelment. Mortal Wounds come in a variety of flavors, from decapitation, to a shot in the heart, to a good knock on the skull.
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Effects of Wounds Superficial Wounds
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Mortal Wounds
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Left of Super cial Wounds that fall to the left of the superficial marker o11 the PTGS are considered bruises, scrapes a11d cuts that do not affect the performance of the cl1aracter. They will heal on their own without any trouble.
Right of Mortal Any damage that registers on or to the right of the characterls mortal wound tolerance is considered a fatal blow. lf a character has a mortal wound tolerance of B10 a11d he takes a Superb hit from a heavy crossbow, a B13, he is killed. In fact, even a Superb hit from a lumting bow—B10—would lay him low. See the sections mortal wounds and Recovery for more 011 surviving this.
The Feel of Physical Tolerances in Burning Wheel The system described above is intended to be painful and ugly. Characters are meant to feel like corporal beings, vulnerable to harm. Most will suffer one good wotmd a11d find themselves unable to continue;
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Wounded Dice Wound penalty dice are subtracted from stats, skills, Re exes and Steel. Health, mortal wound, Circles, Resources and Emotional Attributes like Faith are not affected. Do not refactor attributes or dainage due to wotmded stats. (Note that Reflexes is affected directly.) The penalties from various wounds are CI.LI11UlB.lIlV6I
A character who soaks a,c a /if/It analmialf wcanclhas three c/ice cahtracteal /‘tam a//state anc/chi/ls, ana(5tee/anc/Reflexes.
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Three Super cial Wounds \Vhen a cl1aracter receives his third superficial wound, the +1 Ob penalty is removed and replaced with a -1D penalty. Now those cuts and bruises
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Zero Skills A skill that is reduced to zero dice from wound penalties cannot be used by the player—it can°t be tested, used to help or as a FoRK.
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If it is a physical stat—Power, Forte, Agility or Sp eed—that has fallen to zero, then the character is rolling around drooling, in pain. He may still observe and even think. Maybe he can Watch his enemy put the sword to his throat! If the character is incapacitated by Perception or \Vill being reduced to zero, he is considered unconscious.
Incapacitation. is not Death lncapacitation is not a mortal wound or deatl1. However, severe, traumatic and mortal Wounds bleed, causing further damage through blood loss. A character incapacitated by a severe W01H1(l or worse 1nust be tended to or he Will bleed to death. If an incapacitated character is not in danger of bleeding to death or has been treated for his Wounds, he Will regain consciousness as he recovers from his Wotmds.
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An arrow came /mmmtr e/eae/[V e/own enteft/re .5/Q am/e/rave into t/ze B/act Deetrca/erfs e/1e.st. Fertnnae»;/1%.», /15:14, z't_a/aneee/0/‘fame of/its ribs am/aQ'a’n't penetrate /uls vita/.5. He ette/n't/‘?i'ne/1, but t/1e/rain was eneuj/2 te make /uls 9/es water.
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test. The severity of the WOU11d is subtracted from Steel before the test is 1nade. This includes the third super cial W'0‘L1l1Cl (equalling —1D). "
Hesitation caused from pain takes effect immediately, interrupting anything the character was doing. (The next action and those following are lost if he hesitates.)
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° If a cl1aracter is hit on the arm, is wotmded and fails a Steel test due to that wound, he drops Whatever he was holding. ° lf a character is hit on the leg, is wounded and fails a Steel test due to that wound, he falls to one knee. lf he fails the Steel test by two actions or more, he falls prone. Apply the appropriate penalties. ° If a cl1aracter is hit 011 the head, is woimded and fails a Steel test due to that Wound, he hesitates for an adclitz'0n.at action.
Bleeding If not te11ded quickly, Wounds in Burning \Vheel will bleed out. This can cause further debilitation and penalties, and can also result in the character°s death. Super cial and Ligl1t— These Wotmds do 11ot bleed. Midi——— A midi Wound must be treated before the conclusion of the session or else the wotmd becomes a severe Wotmd. The wound ceases to bleed at severe. Sevel'e— A severe Wotmd must be tended to before the conclusion of the second scene after its issue or else the wotmd progresses to tratmiatic. T1'alln1atic— A tratnnatic Wotmd must be treated before the conclusion of i.
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Mo1'tal——- A mortally wounded cl1aracter must be treated before the conclusion of this scene. lf11'eatn1enthasn°t begtm, the character expires.
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Blood Clock A wotmd begins to bleed as soon as it is received. The clock starts tickin°. . .
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Working Diligently with Medical Skills Extra successes 011 the treatment test count as advantage dice for the injured cha1'acter°s Health test. (This is a special linked test.) Thus, even for superficial and light wounds, it often h ehooves a player to Wait until
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Treatment Time Field Dressing requires 1O minutes per obstacle point to treat a Wound.
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Staunching the Flow A doctor can statmch the flow of blood for one scene. lf treatment doesn°t begin at the end of die next scene, the cl1aracter begins bleeding again. He then bleeds until he dies or is treated.
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recovering from midi through mortal wotmds. To recover, a character must rest—he can travel, study or converse, but not fight or adventure.
Obstacles for Recovering from Wounds Superficial Wounds — Ob I To recover fro1n a superficial wound, a cl1aracter must pass an Ob 1 Health test. If successful, the pain fades immediately. lf failed, it remains throbbing for 1O ininus Forte in hours.
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analogous skill. See below for more 011 tending the wounded. A midi wound takes 2-12 weeks to recover from. The first die is recovered as soon as a successful medical skill test is made. The second die is recovered when the wound closes completely.
Severe W0:mcls—Ob 4 Severe wotmds require a11 Ob 4 Health test in order to recover. This test may 11ot be taken unless the cl1aracter receives treatment from Herbalism, Stugery or a11 analogous skill. A severe ‘wound needs 1-8 months to heal completely. The first die is recovered as soon as a successful medical skill test is made. The second die is recovered at the halfway point in the healing time. The third die is recovered when the wound closes completely.
After heiny stahhea’ haa/liq. m)1 oharaoter is /aial a/2 r a few months. He sa ierea/a serere woana’ The GM save it'lltahe two months to hea/eomyo/etelv. / test m/v Hea/th ano/harelv mahe the Oh 4 test. Two months oh'rio/eoiinto two: I reeover the rst ails as m)1 sharaeter is tena/eah the seeonalaiie comes at the enal ofthe rst month; the thiro/oiie is reeorerea’at the o/ose ofthe144/two months.
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ll'Iortal Wbuud-- Ob 6 Recovering from a mortal wotmd most definitely requires the aid of Herbalism, Surgery or an analogous skill. It is an Ob 6 Health test to recover from a mortal wotmd. A mortal wound heals differently from the otl1er wounds. The character must heal fro1n each type of wound in succession from mortal down to superficial. The necessary he ali11g time is divided i11to six tmequal parts: mortal, tratunatic, severe, midi, light and superficial stages. The mortal stage is the longest. For the duration of this period, the cl1aracter is incapacitated and unconscious. This stage usually lasts 4-24 1nontl1s. Test Health vs Obstacle 6. Subtract 10% of the time for each extra success, if any (90% maximum reduction). After the character l1as passed through the mortal stage, he makes another Health test for the tratmiatic stage and heals following the rules for traumatic wounds. After he l1as recovered from the traumatic wotmd, then roll for recovery of the severe wound. Roll fo1' each wotmd, all the way down to superficial, until the character l1as completely healed a11d recovered all his dice. On average, the entire process takes about 18-20 months. Not bad for a near-death experience! Remember that in order to allow treatment to have an effect and to begin recovery, a player must explicitly state his cl1aracter has the \Vill to Live and pay a persona point of artha.
(/jh. My eharaoter to-oh a B72 to the ehest /om a lonahow. That's a mortal woanal / 've heen /9/£9/1.343 him /‘Err a eon/ole ofyears, anal/ ole/i'niteh/ olon't want him toyo nnoler: /yoay thepersonapoint/hr Will to Live. Thanh elhg. one ofthe other PCs is a snraeon. He/oasses his test to treat me. So, / test my Health olas honns aiioe /‘i/om the treatment roll) vs Oh 6. lpass that lwith tons ofartha). The OM eletermines that this’lltahe ayear to reooverfi/om, minns time r my extra saooesses. Yhen lhave to/oass another Oh SHealth test r the traamatio recovery time, anolsit oat another three months. Then an Oh 4/[hr the severe stays analanother two months taeheol on. Then an Oh 3 r the mini staje anolanother month tasheolon. So mr hi; Health tests/nst tojet me hath to ghting eonolition. Thar taheplase aeross ayear anala hahi
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Failed 'llreatment for Superficial and Light Wounds (WOJHHV sail stuffs its
This isn°t so bad. The cl1aracter rolls his recovely Health test as normal, but does 11ot l1ave access to the bonus dice provided by treannent.
Failed 'llreat1ment for Midi through Traumatic This is really bad. These tests require treannent in order for the recovery process to begin. Essentially, what°s happened is either the doctor l1as thrown up his hands and said, “There°s nothing I can dol °’ or fumbled around and made matters worse. For midi wotmds, one die is permanently subtracted fro1n an appropriate stat, but the cl1aracter ca11 recover the other one. For severe a11d tratnnatic wotmds, the injured character is bleeding to death and better get real help quickly or he°ll die!
Failed Treatment for Mortal Wounds lt°s going to take a heck of a lo11g time to recover. See the Mortal \Vound heading following this section.
Failed Recovery for Superficial and Light Wounds
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We°ll give ‘em one last chance.
Will to Live If a player°s cl1aracter is felled by a mortal wotmd, he l1as the option of declaring that his character cannot be saved—by any means, ever-—and allowing him to pass on. The player simply states, “He doesn°t have the will to live. ” If a player wishes his character to continue on he must state, “He has the will to live” and spend a persona point of artha. If a player doesn°t have a persona point, the character passes on regardless of his Wishes. Cruel fate has taken its toll. If the persona point is spent on the \Vill to Live, then the character may receive treatment and hopefully recover. See the Artha chapter for how to earn persona points, and see below for Recovery and Treatment.
Mortal Wound Recovely If your cl1aracter suffers a mortal wound and you spend a persona point
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shrugging It Off Clearing the Cobwebs: Reducing +1 Oh A character may take a moment to clear the cobwebs from his head and reduce his cturent wound penalties. Reducing the +1 Ob superficial wound penalty is an Ob 2 Health test and requires two actions in the exchange during Fight. This head clearing lasts until the scene is over-——the exact parameters of this are left to the CM’s discretion and the flow of yo1u' individual story. Shrugging off a superficial does not make the woimd go away. lt only temporarily reduces the pain modifier. lf character shrugs off his first superficial, but then takes two more, he still suffers the —1D penalty. Also, once three superficial wounds have been combined to —1D, the character may not use the Clearing the Cobwebs rule. Also, if a character shrugs one superficial and is then hit with another, he°s back to +1 Ob.
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Gritting Your Teeth Through a supreme act of will and endurance, a character may temporarily shrug off —1D of pain modifiers (from any type of wound). Only -ll) may be shrugged off from each wound. Shrugging off this
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Shrugging It Off lsn’t Recovery Shrugging off WO1U1Cl penalties is not the same as recovering and healing from an injury. Wotmd penalties reduced by shrugging them off 1‘ei111‘1’1 in full force as soon as the scene ends. They need to be tended to and a recovery Health test 1nust be made.
Anatomy of Injury in Brief Injury ' A wound from a weapon or spell is a coordinate on the PTGS. The letter tells what shade to place the wound in. The number indicates at which number the wound is placed. A B7 is placed seven steps into the black shade of the PTCS. ° Note the tolerance the wotmd is placed on or the nearest tolerance to the left. Consult the penalty for this WO1111Cl. The character imniediately suffers that penalty. ° Superficial wounds are special: One or two superficial wounds is +1 Ob. Three superficial wounds is -1D. ° Light wound, -1D. Midi, -2D. Severe, -31). Traiunatic, -ell). The penalties of these wounds are cumulative. Thus two light wounds equal -2D.
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There are many types of magic i11 Burning Wheel. The kind that is written in arcane formulae, experimented with, and pronounced as a11 incantation or wrought through bizarre gesture is simply called sorcery. Sorcery is also a skill i11 the game. It describes both the written language of spellcraft a11d the act of casting the spells.
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Sorcery ls a Skill The Sorcery skill is used to cast spells, decipher wizardly texts and develop a11d research new spells. Sorcery is a language, both written and sp oke11. When properly used, it allows the sorcerer control over nearly anything. SQLCery§
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Restrictions: Men only in character burning
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Sorcerers can help one another cast spells using the normal helping rules. However, helpers must test for tax at one less than the casting obstacle.
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Sorcery FoRKs Sorcery can benefit from fields of related knowledge such as Astrology, Arn'a Reading (if using Second Sight or Magesense) and Symbology. The FoRKs must be appropriate to the idiom, the spell and the situation.
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Gifted In order to be able to invoke the power of sorcery—in order to shape a spell—a character must have the Gifted trait or its equivalent. See the Character Burner for the description and cost of the Gifted trait.
Spell Casting and Idiom Define yo1u' sorcerer°s idiom. How does he cast spells? There are two 111ain choices: He may gesture and gesticulate or he may clearly pronounce the incantation. Either way, it°s up to the player, but the method of casting 111ust be chosen before the game begins. Spellcasting is not a subtle or concealed art. If speech is the chosen idiom, then the spell 11u1st he spoken clearly. If gestLn'e is chosen, then the movements must he complex a11d florid.
The Facets of a Spell The eight parts of a spell are obstacle, actions, origin, effect, area of effect, impetus, eleme11t and duration.
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Area of Effect: Caster
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Impetus: Enhance
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Spell Obstacle There are three kinds of spell obstacle: those that are fixed, those that
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determine how powerful the effect is. ln Burning \Vheel slang, the the table.
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Spells without a caret are “flat” spells. Extra successes do not increase the effectiveness of the spell. Once the obstacle l1as been achieved, the spell has been successfully cast. The effect happens and that°s it.
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Actions = Casting Time A spell°s casting time is expressed i11 actions. In Fight, Duel of Wits, and Range a11d Cover, we use actions to measure who gets their spell off first a11d precisely when that is. Outside of that arena, casti11g time is more fluid. Casting time may be modified by l1ow the spell is cast. See Casting Time and Advanced Spell Casting in this chapter for different ways to cast a spell.
Origin Origin indicates where the spell ca11 start-—l1ow far away fro111 the caster the spell can be thrown and still have its intended effect. There are three origins: Personal, Presence and Sight. Personal Origin Spells with Personal Origin can only begin at the caster.
Presence Origin If the caster could speak to the recipient i11 a normal speaking voice a11d be understood (regardless of other ambient noise), then the recipient is in the Presence of the caster. (Thus the caster°s Presence does not go through walls.)
Sight Origin
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Element A spell°s ele1ne11t indicates what sphere of the world it affects: Air is the element of the wind; anima is the ele1ne11t of the bodies a11d minds of
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creatures; arcana is the sphere of arcane power—magic; earth is stone, wood and dirt; fire encompasses the sphere of the tool 111ost useful—heat a11d flame; heaven invokes the sphere of light; water encompasses rivers, seas, ponds and streams; white is the dangerous sphere of heavenly fire, lightning a11d all her sisters.
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A spell°s impetus indicates how it will affect its ele111ent: The control
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unlikely or impossible positions and situations. The create impetus involves fabrication of materials or substance. The destroy impetus is one of the dark arts of sorcery. It combines with an element to destroy others. The enhance impetus grants a boon to its ele1ne11t: It fortifies and strengthens to an otherworldly degree. Think of a magnet against a compass; such is the effect of the influence impetus. The tax impetus is another black art-designed to drain or weaken the strength of its target ele111ent.
Area of Effect (AoE) Some spells affect a single target—either the caster or someone or sometl1i11g designated by the caster—so1ne affect multiple targets or characters designated by the caster. Other spells affect a range, either predetermined or a variable area, such as the caster°s presence. Still other areas of effect are governed by the natural forces unleashed by the caster, called the natural effect. Unless otherwise stated, everything within the area of the spell is affected equally.
Duration There are four durations for spells in Burning ‘Wheel. Spells that have an instantaneous effect; spells that have a continuing effect that rely 011 the caster to sustain them; spells that last for a predetermined time; a11d spells that have a permanent effect, completely separate from the caster. Duration is listed with each spell. See the Duration heading i11
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.-:-F". Effect Effect is a mixture of the impetus, ele1ne11t, the casterls intent a11d the
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of all of the facets of the spell. Effect is described in its ow11 heading in this chapter.
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The Basic Spell Cast To cast a spell, first declare your intent. Then announce what sp ell you‘ ll cast to accomplish this intent. The spell is the task.
Basic Casting Roll the Sorcery skill plus FoRKs a11d helping dice vs the obstacle listed
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Aftel the spell 1s cast go ught to the Tax head1ng If the spell was successfully cast, then go to Effect If 1t Was fa1led check out the Falled Casnng lules
Castmg T1me The cast111g tune fo1 a spell 1s llsted as a nun1be1 of acnons ACl1011S ale used so that spells can be used 111 Flght Duel of Wlts a11d Range a11d Covel, but they can also be used outslde of confhcts
Castmg Tlme 1n Con lets Usn1g the F1gl1t 1ules the acnons of the spell lndlcates numb e1 of act1o11s 1t takes to cast the spell
Hem has Re exes 0 B4, andhe eezezfe er 4—ezet‘zen .spe// Thee e/ee//fahee ham one exchange to east‘ I he efezrtfe on has retaefzen he // meh on has /ezefae en e the exchange 751‘ ezetwn thzm’ ve//ey I he eases ez 5—ezez.‘zen 5/ee/4 he // meh on has ref ezetzen 0 the hem‘ exchange
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fol how 1nucl1 tune 1s lequn ed 1 -2 Actlons These spells a1e as fast as a blow Wlth a swold o1 othe1 liq
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x Actions \Vhen a spell is listed with “X actions,” multiply the actions by the obstacle to get the base casting time.
Tax The caster 1nust resist a tax put upon his body by the power he has invoked. After an incantation is cast, test the caster°'s Forte. I-Iis obstacle is the spell°s obstacle. If he passes the test, he suffers no ill effect. If he fails the tax test. temporarily subtract the margin of failure from his Forte.
Chris has his eharaeten Han, eaet Ma e Lijht at Oh 4. He mast now test his Forte at Oh 4 to resist the Yax ofthe .9/oe/t Hts Forte is B6, andhejets three eaeeea-;ee—one /eee than the ohetae/e ofthe eyoe/t Chris temyoorarizy eahtraets FD /ieom Hanfs Forte; he m'// recover it when he has haata ehanee to rest/‘or a /‘low hoare.
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his body is overloaded with the power of the spell. For each point
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his Forte drops below zero, he takes physical damage equal to the obstacle of the spell in “pips” on the Crayscale. If multiple dice are lost. the pips are cumulative.
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The Sickness Every mage suffers from the sickness at one time or another. It is the
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feeling of frailty that overcomes him after being taxed by spellcasting. Fortunately, this draining weakness is only temporary.
Recovering from the Sickness A wizard with the sickness may test to recover his taxed Forte when he rests. Once the cl1aracter is resting, test Health against a11 obstacle equal to the number of Forte dice lost to determine how long it takes to recover. The full rest time is four hours per lost die. Meeting the obstacle reduces the required resting time to tln'ee hours per die. Exceeding the obstacle by one reduces the resting time to two hours per die. Exceeding the obstacle by two reduces the resting time required to one hour per die. Minimum recovery tinie is one horn" per die of tax. Rest must be completed uninterrupted.
/-/an has heen taxea/iy/‘Ban When he/ina/tvjets rest. he’// neect 76 hoars to recover com,o/etetv. re shorten than time, Chris mnstpass an Oh 4 Hea/th te.st. Ifhe meets his ohstac/e, the time is rectacect to three hears /oer ciie: 72 hoars. /fhe exceects his ohstac/e hv one he neects 8 hears. ifhe exceea/s ty two he only neeots flour hears, the minimnm.
Effect If the spell does not have a A listed next to the obstacle, then the sorcerer need only meet the obstacle to gain the full effect. However, if the spell
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is listed with a A, then the more successes a caster allocates into effect '>
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the more potent the spell.
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Tarn ,4.sic/e the B/acteis e/fleet is to an/atan ohstac/epena/Q to attache ctirecteal ajainst the casten Meeting the ohstac/e creates a + I Oh/oena/Q/. Each saccess over the ohstac/e is an aotchtionat + 7 Oh to a//incominj attachs. Roarsnccesses over means +50/1.
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Effect successes are allocated after the dice are rolled. If a spell has two potential effects, the player may divide his successes between them as he sees fit. A player should note how many successes were put into spell
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effect, area of effect and duration.
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Destroy Impetus Effects and the Die of Eate Spells with the destroy impetus inflict damage like a melee weap o11. The wizardis Will stat is the base Power of the attack. The spell elen1e11t is the weapon. Add spell element’s power to the caster°s Will to find the Marl; result. (The Incidental is half Mark rounded up, Superb is 1.5x Mark rounded down.)
A wizarctwith a B5 Witthas a hase /: B3, M.- B5 anc/5: B7/fir otestrgv sloe/is. Exact destroy effects are described in the individual spell entries in the Character Burner. Some spells modify base Power, subtracting dice or use a fraction of the Power, some spells add to Power. If a spell uses half Will to factor power, then round down.
Han casts Sharcts at the /feet ofa chaminj HoanotAssassin. Sharots is hah’ Wi// +3. Han has a B5 I/Vi/t so ha/froanoteototown is B2. /lototthree/‘bra totat o/‘BS His /nctotenta/otamaje is B3. His Swoerh otamaje is B2 Spell Die ofFate Like bows and crossbows, spells use the Die of Fate to determine IMS. All spells have a DoF of: l: 1-2, M: 3-4, S: 5-6. Up to three extra successes may be spent to add to the Die of Fate.
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Han got two extra successes when he cast the s,oe/i He a//ocates hoth ofthem to the Die ofFate (insteact ofa//ocatiny them to ctaration or area ofe iect). He ro//s the DoFanctaets a 4. This mahes the /fna/resa/ta 6, a 5a,oerh B7 wonnct to the assassin.
Area of Effect Spells can affect a large area or multiple targets. \Vhen casting a spell, .,|-
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meeting the obstacle indicates that the base area is covered.
Yhe Magesense (Oh 4) has an Area of ”70s ofPaces. ” 7his means thatas tony as the s/se// is saccessf»¢@/ cast the sorcerer mgv “sense”/‘hr ahoat 70/oaces aronnothimseh’ Spells with a presence, measured area or natural effect area of effect
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Increasing Area of Effect When casti11g a spell with a measured or variable area of effect, the caster may spend extra successes to increase the area of effect. Spell area
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Be SUI6 to read the Spells as Weapons section for more o11 using area of effect spells in Range and Cover, and Fight. Area of Effect is of prime importance in those rules.
Single Target Area of Effect and Personal Origin Spells with the Single Target area of effect a11d the Personal origin are delivered by the touch of the caster.
Presence Area of Effect Certain spells have an area of effect equal to the presence of the caster. If a measure is needed, presence is equal to the Will of the caster i11 paces. Otherwise, use the Area of Effect in Combat heading in Spells as \Veapons.
Duration Instantaneous Instantaneous duration spells flicker i11to being for but a moment a11d are gone. Any effects they have on the environment remain and fade naturally over time.
Permanent The magic of a permanent effect spell docs not fade. It lasts eternally. The spells may only be stopped through other magical means like Faith, spirits or magic—eating sorcery.
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or “'l1ours."_’ The spell ’s base duration is equal to one increment of that time. So successfully casting a "'1nim1tes"° spell indicates the spell lasts for one minute. This duration may be increased by allocating successes over the obstacle into duration. Each success so allocated increases the ‘f|'>iT ll
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Sustained Spells A sorcerer is rigorously trained in the art of concentration. He is able to slip into trance—like meditation almost instantly, and then, while maintaining the trance, come forward in his mind a11d interact normally with his surroundings. By dividing his concentration into separate compartments, a sorcerer can sustain one or more spells at a time. To sustain a spell once it is cast, the player sets aside one Will die to represent the spell. This die is placed at the top of the cl1aracter sheet. So long as the sorcerer is sustaining that spell, the Will die may not be used for any otl1er \Vill function—body of argtmlent in a Duel of Wits, sustaining spells or making tests. A sorcerer may maintain as many spells as his Will minus one-—he must leave that last die in Will. The spell list i11 the Character Burner indicates whether or not a spell can be sustained. It requires one action in Fight to stop sustaining a spell. It does not cost an action in Range and Cover or Duel of \Vits. fl/bile Snstaimng a Spell, a Sorcerer lllay: Fight, jump, play, talk, argue, read, study, think and cast spells.
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Sustaining Concentration After or May Not
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special Will dice are not in your hand, then one can safely assume they are being used to sustain an important spell and are thus unavailable for other actions.
The Power Still Flows Through Him. While sustaining a spell a sorcerer must retest for tax. The time between tests is equal to his current Forte minus the spell obstacle i11 horns. If this results in zero or a negative number, the spell may not be sustained. The “Power Still Flows “ tax test is at the spell obstacle. This test cotmts as a standard tax test for the “May Nots” of sustaining spells.
IfHan (Forte B6) is sustaining Turn Asiote the B/aote (Oh 4), then he must retest /for 721x every two hours (6-4 =2). The ohstac/e r the test is 4 (the hase s,oe//ohstac/e). /fhefizi/s the test. then c/ice are suhtractect com his Forte /ust as with a normat 721x test, hut he a/oesn't /ose the s,oe// un/ess his Forte otro,os he/ow 4.
Failed Casting A sorcerer who botches a casting (does not meet the obstacle) is subject to three possible outcomes: Harmless dissipation, garbled 11‘3I1S1’I1lSSlOI1 or tmwanted summoning. The casting player should roll the Die of Fate for the failed spell: £-
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Harmless Dissipation Harmless dissipation indicates that the sorcerer has gotten lucky this
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Garbled Ilransmission Carbled Transmission indicates that the spell has misfired and has an unexpected effect. Consult the Wheel of Magic! I11 other words, “Wheel
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Unwanted Summoning This result indicates the sorcerer has tor11 a rift in the fabric of reality with his senseless prattle. Spellcasting is a dangerous gaino, and this is about as bad as it gets.
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Deity
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The CM can decide the exact form of the summoning within the category. It is traditional that the results be bad: if not a creature hell bent on destruction, then an angry avatar to chastise and command the wayward mage. Consult the Smmnoning chapter in the Magic Burner for more insight into the behavior of spirits in Btnning \ll/heel. On the other hand, if the CM had something else plarmed——something waiting in the wings—he can use his discretion rather than random determination.
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Casting Interruptions Include, but Are Not Limited to: A spell is interrupted if the wizard: is hit in the mouth, physically (or magically) restrained, is locked, tackled, injured (with a wotmd penalty), blinded, falls asleep, fails a Steel test or has a sustained Eldritch Shield reduced to zero dice. Should one of these events occur while the spell is being cast, the spell is interrupted.
Advanced Spell Casting A spell can be cast as described under the Basic Casting heading of this chapter, or you can modify the obstacle and actions by casting in three different ways: carefully, patiently and hastily. You can combine these methods as you see fit.
Carefully The sorcerer meticulously speaks the words of the spell, enunciating slowly and deliberately. This grants bonus dice to cast the spell while increasing the time taken. For every +1D, the sorcerer increases the actions in multiples of two. +1D = x2 actions +2D = x4 actions +3D = x6 actions, etc. .. The maximum bonus dice from casting carefully is equal to the spell obstacle or the Sorcery skill exponent, whichever is lower.
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Coup de Mag1e Outslde of Confhct
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Coup de Magic and May Nots If the wizard fails the Will test for Coup de Magie, then the spell is lost but no tax or Failed Casting test is taken. But if he is interrupted as described under Spell Interrupt, he must resist the spell°s full tax.
Spells as Weapons On occasion, you may find your sorcerer engaged in a duel of spells with a11 archrival, assaulting a castle wall or even being stalked by a11 u11rele11ting assassin through the cold woods. In these instances, spells are used to determine positioning in Fight and as the weapon for maneuver advantage i11 Range and Cover.
Casting in Fight I11 melee, spells require a certain number of actions to cast. A spell is discharged on the action it is completed.
Advantage and Disadvantage Certain spells cotmt as weapons for the purposes of positioning. Spells that are weap ons have weapon lengths listed with them in their spell descriptions. Spells can gain advantage and do suffer disadvantage based on their weap 011 length relative to their opponent. Disadvantage increases the casting obstacle. '\
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Spell Cover If casting a spell at a target behind cover, increase the casting obstacle by the value of the cover as described in the Range and Cover chapter.
Non-Weapon Spells Noirweapon spells may be cast during combat using the standard rules for casting, origin and area of effect.
Casting Patiently, Carefully and Hastily in Combat Declare if you’re casting carefully, patiently and hastily before any dice are rolled for maneuvering or casting. Refactor the casting time if casting carefully or hastily.
Area of Effect in Combat Some spells are designed to destroy or harm an area. This heading
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Area ofEffect in Fight Single target: You only hit one character. Paces: You hit one character, but you can hit another character with whom you are engaged each for two additional successes. Presence: You hit all enemy targets with whom you are engaged. 10s of Paces: You bit everyone in the fight
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Sorcery and Duel of Wits You can cast spells as an action i11 the Duel of Wits. Actions used against you while casting use the following obstacles and interactions: Avoid, —; Dismiss, Ob 1; Feint, Ob 1; Incite, Ob=\Vill; Obfuscate, Ob 1.; Point, Oh 1; Rebuttal, Ob —.
Rain of Fire Versus Breath of Wind Master Q1143 comp/eted /als terri/2/e inaantatibn aria’ sammoneal vrt/r an a/Meat//:t:'a Rae}: afFii*e. §arn Han! was reaajv. As /re saw t/reeata/zareas 0/eaats pat/raring over /its companions, /re /zar/ea//art/1 a /row/Eng B:/eat/r ofwinet Like the art of alchemy, Sorcery has catalysts, reagents, sharp acids a11d cold bases—a chemistry of reactants that can be set against one another to rettu'n the SOHIC6 to a neutral state.
Counterspells Certain elements and imp etuses can be cast to cancel or diffuse opposing spells. The contest is much like the martial Strike and Block—the sorcerer with the most successes overcomes the defense. A spellis effect
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Elemental Opposites Fire vs Water, \Yhite vs Earth, ‘Air vs Fire, Heaven vs Heaven, Arcane vs Arcane, and Anima vs Anima: These are just some of the counterspell possibilities. The effects of these combinations are not cut and dried or easily predicted.
Impetus Opposites Destroy vs Create, Enhance vs Taxing, Control vs Influence, Influence vs Influence, and Control vs Control. Many spells cannot be countered directly. They must be attacked obliquely, usually by distracting the wizard as he casts or sustains the spell. Philosopherls Perch, for example, has no counter-spell, but a limiting bow and a st1n"dy arrow make a fine substitute for one!
Timing is triclqy As long as the counter—wizard is casting a viable counte1'—spell, and finishes it i11 the saine volley as the opposing spell, he may attempt to counter. To better time counter-spells, players may attempt to assess their opponents using Second Sight or Magesense, and the Aura Reading skill. See the Aura Reading skill description i11 the Character Burner for obstacles. Spells like Rain of Fire, Breath of Wind and White Fire all have sudden and violent instantaneous effects. It is best to think ahead and
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This spell grants the wizard the power to erect a magical barrier to block incoming Destroy and Tax iinpetuses. The shield deflects spells like White Fire, Breath of Fire, Rain of Fire, Shards, Choking Hand, Lights of Simplex, Emperor°s Hand, Fire Fan and Storm of Lightning. Each die of the shield negates one die from the incoming sp ell “s attack. The shield is reduced by one for each die it deflects.
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Sorcerer Advances Will Itis easy to get Will tests as a wizard. Of course, they usually come at crucial times when failure moans deatli—-but at least youill get a test! Being distracted while sustaining a spell requires a \Yill test in order to maintain concentration. These tests are made at the basic spell obstacle. If a sorcerer with a Will of B5 is sustaining Turn Aside the Blade (Ob ‘1), and fails a tax test from another spell he cast, he must make an Ob 4 Will test to keep Turn Aside going. Pass or fail, that is a difficult test! /Sustaining spells occupies Will dice—for each spell sustained, ' T the sorcerer sets aside one die to represent it. Those dice can’t be used for airy tests while the spell is sustained. This effectively, if temporarily, lowers the sorcerer°s \Vill. Thus, if our sorcerer from the above example (Will B5) is sustaining Turn Aside the Blade, Chaineleon and Magesense, his ciurent \Vill is B2. If he suffers a “May Not” and is forced to test in order to keep Turn Aside up, he rolls two dice against an Obstacle of ‘ll That’s a challenging Will test. Of co1u'se, he is going to fail that test, but at least he’ll benefit from it. As always in instances of multiple tests, only log the most difficult one of the lot. In the example above, our sorcerer is going to make three \Yill tests. hi this case, note only the challenging test. _.F
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Learning a new spell is a long, difficult, dangerous and complicated process. In order to begin, a sorcerer must either have a written copy of the incantation, or be under direct instruction from another sorcerer.
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‘j First Reading Make a Sorcery test vs the spell°s basic obstacle. This is a standard skill test——FoRKs, help and working methods are all viable—-it is not '
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Practicals Here is the dangerous part. The sorcerer°s mastery is far from complete. He only has a basic grasp of the spell——lie must cast it to fully understand it.
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Hanis Perception is B6. Therefore, he Perception aptitno/e is 4. Daring praetioa/s, thefirst time Han easts Breath ofWino(itI's Oh 5 +4 Oh. This is a rely SCH)?/, very a/an eroas spe// ir him to /earn. Next time he casts, itll he Oh 5 +3 Oh.
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Learning Sorcerous Skills To learn Sorcery-—and all other skills of the sorcerous type—a character must be taught. He cannot pick it up on his own. It can be learned through written instructions (designed expressly for that purpose) or taught by another sorcerer. Any character may learn the Sorcery skill, but only those with the Gifted or equivalent trait may cast spells.
Natural Effect Scale The Natiu'al Effect area of effect is an interesting and quirky facet. It is meant to represent the range of possibilities present when inileashing the forces of nature via magic. A bolt of fire is one thing, but unleashing a howling, gale force wind is somewhat more unpredictable. Unless otherwise stated, a spell with the l\latural Effect area of effect abides by the following paraineters when it is cast: SucceSS—cosmetic, minor effects: a wind that kicks up dust, candlelight, a spark, ripples on water. 1 over——small, incidental effects: a breeze that douses a candle, torch light or flame, a wave that rocks die boat. 2 ovcr——minor effects: a wind that breaks small branches from trees, a
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lantern light, a small fire, a wave that pitches small boats dangerously. 3 ovc1'——palpable effects: damage to trees and houses from wind, a campfire, a light bright enough to ilhuninate a room, dangerous and rough stn'f. 4 over——strong effects: a wind strong enough to toss people to the ground
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Natural Effect and Control When used with the control impetus, Natural Effect has a side effect. Depending on the spell concept, successes over the obstacle act as a
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Sorcery in Brief ° To cast a spell: Annoimce intent; declare spell used to accomplish intent. ° Determine how long the spell will take to cast. Spell actions are the same as regular actions in Fight. Count 20 or fewer actions in one volley of Range and Cover or Duel of Wits. ° Test Sorcery skill. The test is open»ended. Obstacle is equal to the spell obstacle plus any area of effect added. ° Meeting the obstacle indicates the spell was successfully cast. Extra successes can often be spent on increasing the effect. See spell descriptions for details. ° If the player doesn°t meet the casting obstacle, the spell is failed. Roll a Die of Fate to see if the spell goes awry: 1 is Unwanted Surmnoning, 2 is Carbled Transmission, and 3-6 is Harmless Dissipation. ° After the spell is cast, immediately roll for tax: Sorcerer°s Forte vs the spell obstacle. This test is not open—ended. Margin of failure is temporarily subtracted from Forte. If Forte reaches zero, the sorcerer passes out. -1.,-_.-@_-~—-»- \.
° Taxed Forte dice (aka the Sickness) are recovered by testing Health.
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Emotional Attributes Burning Wheel recognizes the mystical potential of deep and powerful emotion. Such emotions are given the status of an attribute—they become integral to the character and his development. They can be advanced like othe1' abilities, though they do so under special conditions. Emotional attributes give access to a potent range of abilities, but they come with a price—they can overwhelm the character if the player pushes too far. There are four basic emotional attributes: Faith, Crief, Greed and Hatred. Faith is only available to Man and Roden. Crief is
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Faidi is much more than simple belief. It is a profound relationship with the divine that grants the ability to work miracles. Many cl1a1'actei's will espouse beliefs about their faith, but not every devout character possesses the Faith emotional attribute. Faith tests are, of course, opei1—eiided.
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Spare a Quarter for an Old Altar Boy, Father? Throughout this section, I use the term "'priest"’ to describe those with miraculous ability. This is simply a term of convenience and is not meant to limit the province of faith to only those invested with religious 1'a11k.
Faithful In order to have access to the emotional magic of Faith, the character must possess the Faithful trait. It costs 5 trait points in character binning, unless purchased from a lifepath.
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Belief The player must write at least one of his character’s three Beliefs as a statement of faith. This can be as siinple as, “I serve the Will of God the Father” or as subtle as, “Fire is the breath of life; fire preserves; fire destroys. ll Should the character ever lose or change this Belief away from his faith, his Faithful trait is changed to Lost Faith. You can change the content of
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Pra A Falthful character may pray for divine intervention. The prayer must be announced and spoken. He must chant his sutras or invoke his god in order for the power to be made manifest. The player creates the prayer on the fly and states his desired outcome. Then he tests his Faith. There is no tax and no “prayer faihn'e“ chart. Remember to keep to the basic rules here: State the specific intent of the prayer, then state the task. The intent is the desired outcome, the nature of the prayer is the task. Outlaiidisli intents are a fine cause for massively increased obstacles and a little divine wrath.
Mystery of the Diviiie If the player meets his obstacle (as described in the list below), he gains the favor he asked for. The CM is obligated to add to that result one attendant, mysterious and inexplicable effect—a flash of light, a shooting star, the rivers run red with blood, birds speak in tongues. The breadth of the inexplicable effect should be cominensurate with the effects of
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succeeded. Generally, the end result should be that the pleas of the faithful go iuiheard by the distant gods. However, the CM is welcome to intercede during a failed Faith test. The character has sent forth a powerful call, and perhaps another entity has heard and responded? Perhaps the character has actually angered the deity with his prattle, and the irate god lashes out with a hex or plague? These effects should be used sparingly, but Pm confident when I say that the average CM will
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Divine Inteivention What follows is a reconmiended list of prayer effects and tl1eir obstacles.
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""guidelines before play. B00n—- Ob 2. Tl1e will divine ca11 render the pure of spirit remarkable and pote11t. This prayer makes one ability ope11—ended until a scene
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Blessing-—-— Ob 3. The priest may grant other devotees prowess and
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Hindralicc———-Ob 4-6. (Obstacle varies depending on the number of foes. Ob ‘i for one, Ob 5 for two, Ob 6 three.) When the enemies of the Faith rush forward in great mass to overwhelm the faithful, god may
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well. Minor Miraclc— Ob 5. When it is dark, we pray for light; when soi'cerers chant, we pray their spells be broken; when the blade is snapped, we pray that it be made whole; when blood ebbs from the wound, we pray that it be closed. Purilicaii01l— Ob 5. With the touch of his hand, the priest may drive out rot and lesser evil spirits (Will or Strength of B5 and lower). C0l1sccra 0li— Ob 6. A lengthy prayer can be offered to mark a place as holy and sacrosanct——protected from the ill will of spirits and demons. The consecration will bar spirits and demons whose \Vill is lower than the Faith attribute of the consecrating priest. lnspiraii0ll— Ob 7. A priest may call upon his deity for a revelation or knowledge. This is a dangerous prayer because a divinity knows much and will often reveal that which the priest did not intend to learn. llll6I‘C6SSl0ll—— Ob 8. This mighty miracle brings the hand of god down to
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pluck the devotee from danger (or pluck the danger from the devotee).
A priest is about is /as run e/awn by a ya//spiky zine’;/n‘. T/zere is no /:0/is of cssa)0s——bnt‘ mz'msn/0u.s§/ i"/is i('m'j/n‘ r/Ks /‘Pom /11;: .546]/6|//6 as /re shaiyssf A/fsrnaie q, a priest is alism‘ to be s/rat‘ e/own /y an as.sassz'n—bm.‘ if/re mm/e/srerfs [row strih snaps! Huzza/1./ Miraele—- Ob 10. \Vhen all hope is lost, when the cataclysin has come, we pi ay foi the powei divnie to manifest and save us This is the big one——the column of scoui ging fne, the pairing of the seas, the iagmg stoi in that desti oys the fleet
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Pray and Fight If a prayer is used in melee, it counts as speech and does not cost actions, per se. A short prayer usually takes about two volleys to invoke. Faith is not a weapon and cannot be used to directly gain advantage for positioning in Fight.
Prayer and Range and Cover When using “battle” prayers in the Range and Cover rules, Faith cannot be used as a weapon. In order to say a prayer dining Range and Cover, you must earn an action. If there is ever any question, Faith has the range of a thrown weapon.
Faith and Duel of Wits You may use Prayer as an action in the Duel of Wits. Actions made against you while praying count as follows: Avoid, —; Dismiss, Ob 1; Feint, Ob 1; hicite, Ob=\Vill; Obfuscate, Ob 1; Point, Ob 1; Rebuttal,
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Stigmata As the priest°s Faith advances, he becomes more intertwined with the divine. His Faith begins to have physical manifestations, setting him
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'llranscends, Ascends or Descends When a priestis Faith exponent reaches 10, he"s become too holy and powerful
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1%, Natural magic encompasses subtle eldritcli powers and enchantinents. Characters who possess natural magic are tied to their environment and gain special benefits from these links. Elves, for example, were the first born—shaped from pure earth and starlight. They were taught many secrets by their divine creator and hence possess an inherent understanding and control of their world. Their natural magic manifests in the form of their many Songs.
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earth and its elemental fruits as well as they know themselves. Their Arts are considered a natural magic. Lastly, natural magics can be tied into or rooted in emotional attributes. Ores, for example, gain impetus for their natiu'al magics from their very Hati'ed.
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Natural Magic Rules Natural magic abilities fimction in game exactly like a skill, except that all rolls with these abilities are open—ended. Advancement, artha, helping, FoRKing and injiuy all apply to these abilities as they would to any skill. There is no tax and there is no “spell failure” rule.
Spell-Like Effects Occasionally a nauual magic ability will have an effect that is closer to a spell than that of a mundane skill. In game mechanical terms, these function as low—powered spells. A magical/wondrous effect is narrated as the result, and extra successes from the skill roll are divided between the applicable functions—effect, area, etc. The individual natru'al magic abilities are described in the Character Brunei‘. Dwarves, Elves and Ores each have access to natiu'al magic.
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This is a special song an Elf sings to a door or gate. The singer may ask one gate in his Presence, “What lies beyond? ” And he will be answered. Obstacle: Fence gates, Ob 1. Cabin doors, Ob 2. House doors, Ob 3. Doors of a great hall, Ob ‘ii. Fortress gate, Ob 5. Castle gate, Ob 6. City gates, Ob 7. Gates of the realm, Ob 8. Actions: 25 x the obstacle
Air efdates is very mash /ihe a sorcerous s/ie/t Howe|/er; to in i/she this ma§i]sa/ ahi'h'§4 the Ehfp/i9/er re//s onh the shi// 4/ice r Air yéates. He does not ra/< tax or any hind afsyue//fii'/are. Nate that the shit ahih'1§/ does have a prea/etermiiaealaastiiay time. or another exainple from the Dwarven lifepaths.
This is the skill with which Dwarves create all their mundane and household metals. However, the Artificers know a secret or two and may imbue even their pots and horseshoes with intense quality. Using the obstacles listed below, a Dwarf can create various “tool kits.” lf he so desires, he may
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The pace is the standard measure of distance in Burning Wheel. It represents the distance of one stride, heel to toe, for an average man. For om‘ pmposes, it°s a standard measurement. All paces, whether for Dwarf or Troll, are the same distance.
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Distance Ranges, lengths, depths, distances and rates of movement are measiued in paces.
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Stride Stride is a quality of a cliaracter°s stock and body type. It notes
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Stride and Positioning
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1%, A, As mentioned above, some creatures are simply built to 1‘L11’l faster ' than others. The stride represents this. ln the positioning rules for melee and missile combat, the character with the longer stride gets +1D to his positioning test. It doesn’t matter how far the character could move if we measured it. What matters is that one Cl1H1‘B.CiE',1‘/G1‘BE111l1‘6' is more mobile than the other. lf there are more than two strides in play, the highest should get +2D, the next highest +1D and the lowest gets no bonus. lf one character’s stride exceeds another°s by four or more, the CM may grant him a +2D bonus
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to the positioning tests rather than the +1D bonus.
The Chase is On lf one character is pursuing another, make a versus Speed test. Do not measure Speed rate vs Speed 1'ate. The chase is a single positioning test made to resolve an ‘Tm running away from him” conflict.
Advantages in the Chase Crant +1D for each relevant advantage: Higher Reflexes, longer stride, higher Forte, and a head start. If there"s nowhere to liide-—-like being chased on salt flats——then the pursuer gains +2D. Other advantages are applicable as well—likc being better suited to the terrain—but those are situational and up to the CM.
FoRKs in the Chase Applicable FoRKs like Streetwise, Stealthy, Inconspicuous. Climbing,
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Rigging or other appropriate Wises are perfectly legitimate.
PursuerWii1s the Chase Test This means that your character has caught up to his quarry——at full tilt—and is in position to do one thing/action. Take a shot, dive tackle him, shout a warning, whatever. This must be taken as a separate skill
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or stat test at a +2 Ob disadvantage. Use the appropriate mechanics to
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resolve that action/conflict. lf this fails to stop the quarry, then the chase is on again. Another Speed test is made.
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Pursued Wins the Chase Test If the pursued wins the test, he gets away. Abiding by the Let it Ride rules, there°s no retesting. So after a lengthy chase, the pursued pulls away, diving into a crowd or just ruiming off. You’re going to have to find him another way.
Tied Results _ Unless the tie can be broken by a call—oi1 trait, another length is run and another roll is made.
Linked Tests for Extended Chases If a player wants to imdertake an extended, inulti-part cliase/race, the CM should outline the number of tests required to participate. ‘Vinning a test gains +1D to the next test. In an extended chase, two consecutive wi'i1s puts the pursued out of reach of the chaser.
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Riding to Travel When traveling, test your Riding skill against the obstacles listed below.
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Travel Obstacles Determine your obstacle to reach your destination by combining these factors (the base obstacle is zero):
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Distance Nearby (+1 Ob), a moderate journey (+2 Ob), a long trip
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(+8 Ob), an impossible expedition (+‘1 Ob).
Tei'i'aiii Roads (+1 Ob), fields (+2 Ob), countryside (+3 Ob), hills (+8 Ob), swamp (+3 Ob), desert (+3 Ob), moiuitains (+4 Ob).
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Time We°ll get there when we get there (+0 Ob), as fast as possible (+1 Ob), got to be there yesterday (+2 Ob). Beast Riding horse, +1D; warhorse, +1 Ob; wolf, +2 Ob; spider, +3 Ob.
Riding in Fight To urge your mount into combat, you must p ass a Riding test. The obstacle is: riding horse Ob 5, warhorse Ob 1, wolf Ob 2, spider Ob 3.
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Success indicates that you use your mountis Speed for positioning and Avoids, and its Power for the Charge action. You may use your Riding skill to help your moimt for these tests. Also, use yoiu' mount’s stride in place of your own. If you fail, you must dismount and fight on foot.
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Untrained Mounted Combat (for Fight) If you and you r mount do not have Momited Comb at Training, you both suffer +2 Ob to all actions and positioning in Fight. If you have Momited Combat for bowineii, you’re at +1 Ob to Strike and Great Strike. You may not use a lance.
Avoid Action While Riding A mounted warrior presents a bigger target in Fight. Thus the Avoid action uses your mount’s Speed but suffers a +1 Ob penalty.
Scripting for Mounts If you°re so inclined, you may script for your mount°s actions in combat. Both rider and mount must engage the same target. If the rider and inoiuit are engaged by multiple enemies, they may play their actions against different targets. Horses may not Counterstrike or Throw and are at +2 Ob to Lock. Wolves and spiders suffer no such penalty.
Lances A lance is a specially constructed spear that is held couched under the shoulder and against the torso while charging from horseback. hi order to prop erly use one, the rider must be seated in saddle, liai'iiess and stirrups. ‘\.
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A lance only counts as a lance for the first Block do Strike, Strike or Great
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Strike of an engagement. Thereafter, it counts as a club. If the rider
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When a character is hit by a lance, he imist pass a Power test to stay seated (or oi1 his feet). The obstacle is the margin of success of the lance hit. If the test is passed, the target remains seated in the saddle or on his feet. If the test is failed by one, the character suffers +1 Ob to all tests until he spends an action to right himself. If he fails the test by two or more, he is knocked down and suffers the appropriate penalties. If a character is knocked down while in the saddle, he is
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iuiliorsed and hits the ground. Roll the Die of Fate to see if the rider
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is hurt upon impact: 1-2, he suffers a B3; 3-5, he suffers a B6; 011 a 6
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After testing the Lance skill, pass or fail, roll a die of fate. On 1 yom' lance breaks or you drop it. Wliicliever is more chaniatic.
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The Weight of Savalry Dowi1ward—stroke hacking, slashing and crushing weapons gain a +1D advantage to their weapon skill due to their extra inomentum and follow—through cap ability while mounted.
The Curved Blade Swords built with curving blades maximize the height and full swing advantage granted by being mounted. Characters wielding a saber, scimitar or katana gain a +2D bonus to their weapon skill while mounted.
Spears Spears are held over the shoulder and thrust into the target as the moimt
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passes by at speed. The first Strike or Great Strike of an engagement gains +1D to skill, +1 Power and a +1 VA bonus. However, spears used intliis manner to achieve this bonus are “dropped” after the Strike. They should rightly be lodged in your opponent°s chest as you i'ide past!
It’s Good to Attacks f1'o1n horseback
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Beating the Horse
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A beast and iider count ' as one target for purposes of hit location
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Riding in Range and Cover To control your moimt in ranged combat, you must pass a Riding test. The obstacle is: riding horse Ob 4, warhorse Ob 2, wolf Ob 8, spider Ob 4. Success indicates that you use yoiu' Riding skill for Speed- and Stealthybased maneuvers. When using Riding vs Speed, be sure to impose the skilled vs unskilled double obstacle penalty. Also, use your mountis stride in place of yoin' own. If you fail, you must make any Speed—based tests using your mount’s Speed. You may not use Stealthy— or Steel-based maneuvers with this mount in this combat. Consider your mount°s stride reduced by two for the diu'ation of this combat.
Untrained Mounted Bowman If you and your mount do not have Mounted Combat Training for bowmen, you and your mount suffer +2 Ob to all maneuvers in Range and Cover and shooting actions in Fight.
Actions for Mounts If appropriate, you may assign actions to yom' mount as if he were a member of yoin' team.
\ifI"T‘1 Shooting at the Mount or the Rider
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It is up to the shooter to decide if he is targeting the rider or the mount. The chest/body is the main target for both rider and iiddeii. Moving the location costs one success as per the standard hit location rules.
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Pursuit
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When tailing, chasing or piusuing another ridden beast, make a versus test between the pursuerls and prey°s Riding skills. Modify the skills as listed below:
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Advantages in the Pursuit Test +1D to the animal with the longer stride +1D if the rider has Affinity for Animals or Low Speech
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+1D to the animal with higher Reflexes +1D to the rider with higher Reflexes
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In urbaiz andforested .s'ituatioiis.+1D if the mount has Stealth or hiconspicuous +1D if the rider has the Stealth or Inconspicuous skills +1D for the beastie with smaller body size
In rmnl and Izigliway situations.+1D to the mount with the highest Forte
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Riding Gear Bits, biidles, saddles and stirrups benefit Riding tests. This gear gives the iider an advantage die (+1D) when trying to control his mount. P3] ,Ii‘5'qI-LIOL]
Saddles and Stirrups in Combat If you engage in combat with a mount not bearing a saddle and stirrups, all actions and positioning are made at a +1 Ob penalty.
Riding Failure Complications This section describes two options for failed Riding or mount-based Speed tests: rolling or collision.
Rolling It is an Ob 4 Riding test to stay mounted after a roll. If a horse rolls on soft groimd, the rider is in little danger. To determine if any damage is done to the rider, use the Thrown Against the Wall rules in the Materials
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section. Use the horse°s Power and the ground for the weap on. For these purposes: Soft earth and mud is -8 Power; plush grass is -1 Power; hardpacked dirt roads are Power O, Rocks and pavement are Power 8.
Collision Use the Thrown Against the Wall rules for collisions. The horse°s Speed is the Power of the attack. The material collided with is the weapon. Other horses or animals have a 0 Strength for these purposes. So a collision with another animal essentially counts as a bare—fisted Strike.
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The successes by which the maneuver is failed count as the successes toward the Strike. One or two is Incidental, tln'ee or four is Mark, five or more is Superb.
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Riding and Steel
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successful Riding test at an obstacle equal to the beastls \Vill allows the rider to choose the Steel test result. It takes one action to make this Riding test. Thus, a rider can change a Steel result ah'eady in progress.
Bolting, Shying, Rolling and Rearing Failed Steel tests for moimts are: bolt, shy, rear or roll. Bolting is “run screaming,” shying and rearing are “stand and drool.” Rolling is a “fall prone” action and mounts will often do this if wounded. If a mount rears, the rider must make an Ob 2 Riding test to prevent being thrown.
Tending Your Mount A day of riding is tiiing for your mount. At the end of your journey, yoiu' mount must pass a Forte test equal to the travel obstacle plus the following: +1 Ob for iidiiig gear, +1 Ob for carrying anything more than the rider, +1 Ob for each Figlit, +2 Ob for each Range and Cover skirmish. Success indicates your mount is unfazed by the strenuous activity. FElllU1‘B taxes your mount°s Forte by margin of failure. If taxed to zero, the mount caimot be iidden and it camiot fight. If taxed below zero, your mount dies.
Resting Your Mount
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obstacle. If failed, your mount is ready to ride after days of rest equal to the obstacle. You may make an Ob 2 linked Animal Husbanchy test to aid in your mount°s speedy recovery.
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Horse Skills Mounted Combat Training Horses must be trained to fight. Untrained horses suffer +2 Ob to all positioning, actions and maneuvers except Withdraw and Disengage.
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Horses must be broken before they can be iidden.
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Horse Traits Aggressile
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This horse has been castrated. He is docile and easy to ride. +1D Steel. This horse may not breed.
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Good Bone
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These horses are renowned for their strong bo11es—this quality allows them
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Horses have keen l1eari11g—a trait held over from their days in the wild dodging wolves a11d cats. +1D to all auditory Perception tests (counts toward Reflexes). Also Perception counts as Observation for detecting Stealthy and I11co11spicuous characters.
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Longlimhed
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horse a stride of 12. Restrictions: Horse common trait .Dt
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Beloved is this horse°s master. Choose one master. Add +1D to his master°s Riding skill when riding this l1orse.
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Qbedient
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T ..ȣ.}.,g \Vant to knock down a door? \Vant to smash out a window? Throw your friend through a wall? These rules should help you out.
Knocking Down Doors To bash through a door or to knock down a wall requires a standard
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test against an obstacle determined by the material.
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Test Power against the obstacle of the material strength. Tools cotmt
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as advantage dice towards Power. The higher the obstacle of the test, the more time required. Lower obstacle tests take a few minutes. Midranged tests require a few
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hours. Higher obstacle tests require days, possibly weeks. The crew a11d tools required is represented by the high obstacles that all but require advantage dice to tackle. If a player wishes to do something improbable--like knock dow11 a wall with his bare hands—-—the CM is free to declare the task as inappropriate for the
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intent. The proper task is to get tools and a tea111 and start battering.
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Raw Power Obstacles Against Material Strength: Ob 1~——Rice paper wall, glass window 0]) 2—Thick hedge, fabric wall (tent, covered wagon) Oh 3—Thin wooden plank i11terior wall, flimsy wooden door, straw exterior wall Ob 4-——StLu'dy wooden interior do or, thin plaster interior wall Ob 5—Sturdy wooden exterior door, reinforced wooden i11terior door Ob 6—St1u'dy interior wooden wall, plaster exterior wall 0]) 7—Reinforced wooden exterior do or, brick interior wall Ob 3—-Brick exterior wall Ob 9-—-Iron gate, wooden fortress gate 0]) 10—lron portcullis Ob 11——Reinforced wooden fortress gate Ob 12—Stone wall Ob 15——lron fortress gate 0]) 20—Stone fortress wall Tools for Knocking Down Walls
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inadequate tools or weapons, +1D. Picks and sledges, +2D. Ram, +3D. Awl or metal capped ram, +1-iD. Housed, slu11g, capped ram, +6D.
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" Rams and Helping Rams require a crew of two to 20 men. However, rams allow their crews to help one another knock down doors and walls. For example, a four-man log ran1 allows one person to test against a single door :-\‘,\"".§" ‘T
with tln'ee helpers. If they all have a Power B5, he°d roll 11D against
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Engineering Against Materials Use these obstacles for the Artillerist, Engineer, Siege Engineer and War Engineer.
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Ob 1—Fahric, paper, glass Ob 2—-Hedge, wooden plank interior wall, wooden door
t Ob 3——Stu_rdy interior wooden wall, exterior wall, Sturdy wooden exterior
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do or, reinforced wooden interior door, thatching 0]) 4—Reinforced woode11 exterior door
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Ob 5—Brick wall, wooden gate Ob 6—lron portcullis or gate, wooden bridge Uh 7—Reinforced gate, stone wall
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Engineering Tools and Weapons Siege crossbow, +1D. Catapult, +2D. Traction trebuchet, +3D. Cotmterweight trebuchet, +'iD.
Thrown Against the Wall Using the Throw maneuver, a character can hm'l his opponent to the grotmd and-use the grotmd or wall as a weapon to do damage. If you win the versus test by one or meet your obstacle in standard test, you successfully throw yotu' opponent off his feet a11d suffers the appropriate penalties until he rights himself. You can choose l1ow to spend additional successes: One additional success can be spent to do an Incidental bare—fisted hit or cause a Steel test. Two additional successes can be spent to cause a Mark hit or an Incidental and a Steel test. Four additional successes can be sp e11t to deliver a Superb hit. Damage of a throw usually cotmts as a bare—fisted Strike. If you want to be explicitly cruel, use the following rule: Use the stnface of impact
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As mentioned way back in the begim1ing of the book, in Elements of Character, shade is an indicator of a particular ability°s potential.
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There are three shades, left to right along a gray scale: black or mundane shade, gray or heroic shade and white or super'rmtru'al shade. When a character l1as a ligl1ter shade, it does not mean he is better. Rather it shows he l1as the potential to do better. Stats, attributes, skills and even equipment can be heroic o1 supernatural shade.
Why Black, Gray, White? .1 work in black and white because it is an intuitive scale T H that ahnost everyone can easily grasp. I like to think of it as the shades of a flame or fire. The deeper hued flames are the cooler ones, but the hotter the flame, the clearer its hue.
What do the Shades Mean? ° Cray shade stuff has a difficulty number of 3. ° \Vhite shade stuff has a difficulty numb er of 2. Obstacles for heroic and supernatural are the same as for mundane; the lighter shades just have a better chance of meeting those obstacles.
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Heroic and Supernatural Obstacles
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If a black-shade ability uses the exponent of a gray—shade ability as its obstacle, add a +2 Ob disadvantage. If a black-shade ability uses the exponent of a white—shade ability as an obstacle, add a +3 Ob disadvantage. If a gTay—shade ability uses the exponent of a white-shade ability as an obstacle, add a +2 Ob disadvantage.
Heroic and Supernatural Stats Roots When a stat acts as a root for a skill, the skill ta/tes on the shade of the stat. If the root comes from the combination of two or more stats, the
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shade is the darker of the two. Also, for mismatched shades, add two to the total before dividing.
A character with a GS »4_aih'§/ and a BS Perception opens a Surgery shi/Z Surgery a a Perception/,4jih'§/ root—the root is ha/fofthe areraje ofthose two stats. Norma/ht hahfofthe average ofSis 2.5 This rounds a/own to a root of2. However; with a any stat the math is oh ferent: ,4 i'/ih/ counts as two
greater hecause ofits shaa/e. So the actua/ numhers to averaje are 7ana/S’. Ha/foftheiir average (6) is 3.
Aptitude Cray and white shade stats reduce aptitude—tl1e number of tests needed to learn a skill. Gray shade reduces aptitude for skills rooted from the stat by one. White shade reduces aptitude by two. -n
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Forte and Bleeding Cray shade Forte doubles the bleeding times, white shade triples them.
Power and [MS Cray shade Power adds +2 when determining the IMS for black-shade weaP ons. \Vhite shade adds +3. CraY and white shade Power do not sive
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Heroic Mortal Wound Gray Mortal Wound A character has a gray mortal wound if botl1 his Power and Forte are gray. If one is gray and the other is black, add 2 before averaging. lf the character has a gray mortal wound, the superficial wotmd is placed in the black shade at the full Forte exponent. Add the Forte exponent to that again. That°s the light woimd tolerance. Traumatic goes to the left of mortal, then severe, skip a pip and then place the midi.
Heroic Re exes Gray shade Reflexes is very pote11t in Burning Wheel. To achieve this level, a character 1nust have a gray Perception, Agility a11d Sp eed. ln the exchange, for each action that he would normally get due to his Reflexes, he gets a second that happens at the sanie time.
A Character with a 63 Re exesjets one action per no//ey. Howe:/en he rn'c9/ pei rrm two maneuvers on each ofthose actions. So ifhis opponent Strzhes, thejra)/—/6e/‘iexeoi character may B/och and then Striite he rre his opponent wou/afaet his seconafaction. Very nasty.
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must l1ave the skill shade to back it up. An Aristeia or Minor Epiphany can be used to create this effect.
eroic and Supernatural Gear
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be a spell, a cabinet or a sword. lf a lighter shade is desired, the cl1aracter
Equipment
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Equipment that gives bonus dice, like balance dice, usually has its own shade. lf it"s the same shade as the wielder, it°s no big deal
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Armor All armor described in these books, except for Dwarven PHI?330. ISQPUQS UJHIUHJGHS 13
Mail and Masks, is black shade. Armor rolls its protection dice using its own shade. _ Armor may only test against weapons of the same or darker " B/shade. Standard armor, for example, Won°t protect against gray-shade Weapons. Gray and white shade armor can°t be damaged by darker shaded Weapons. 1s don°t count!
Pushing Pain into the Next Shade As I just mentioned, you need gray shade Weapons to do gray damage, and White to do White. However, it is possible for lesser beings to cross over briefly into the lighter shades. If, for exalnple, a11 IMS fro111 a Troll mattock ends up as B6, B12, B18, roll over any result higher than 16 i11to the 11ext shade. So a B17 is a G1, a B18 is a G2. A G20 is a W4.
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Pushing Past White ‘V16 is the final point 011 the scale. No character or creature can have a mortal Wound higher than a \V16; and \V1 6 is a mortal wound for all.
Helping Dice and FoRKs Unfortunately, once you hand your dice over to someone to
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