T h i r d

E d i t i o n

Gamemasters
Companion

CREDITS

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Line Developer: Carsten Damm
Development Team: Eike-Christian Bertram, Steven J. Black,
Carsten Damm, James D. Flowers, Lars Heitmann,
Jacques Marcotte, Jason U. Wallace, Donovan Winch, Hank Woon

E a rthdaw n

Thir d

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Gamemasters
Companion

Senior Editors: Carsten Damm, James D. Flowers

Associate Editors: Eike-Christian Bertram, Steven J. Black,
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G a m e m a sT e rs Com pa n ion

Contents
When beginning a search, it helps if one knows for
what he is searching.
Merrox, Master of the Hall of records

Introduction.................................................. 5
HowtoUseThisBook...................................................... 5
AstralSpace.....................................................6
UsingAstralSpaceinAdventures&Campaigns...... 6
ExploringAstralSpace...................................................... 6
AstralDenizens...................................................................8
AnAstralSpaceGazetteer................................................9
BloodMagic...................................................13
UsingBloodMagicinAdventures&Campaigns......13
History.................................................................................14
DeathMagic.......................................................................15
CreatingNewBloodCharms........................................16
TheHealingArts......................................... 19
TheImportanceofEarlyTreatment.............................19
NaturalMedicines........................................................... 20
HealingMagicandGarlensBlessing..........................24
Resurrection.......................................................................24
LegendaryTreasures............................... 27
AmuletofAgamon........................................................... 27
BandsofFortune............................................................... 27
Bloodwall.............................................................................28
BracersofFirewind..........................................................28
DennasBrooch..................................................................29
DevastatorSpear...............................................................29
DragonMail...................................................................... 30
FarlissDagger.................................................................... 31
KegelsSword..................................................................... 31
KolldarsGloves.................................................................32
LormsAxe..........................................................................32
MaskofOltion...................................................................32
Mirror...................................................................................33
MonturksCarpet.............................................................33
Neverburn...........................................................................34
Nightscar.............................................................................34
NiokusBow........................................................................35
Pathfinder............................................................................36

Purifier................................................................................. 37
Smoke................................................................................... 37
Soulsafe................................................................................ 37
StaffofVylir.......................................................................38
TheBladeofAlemvor.......................................................38
TheIceBladeofOmifan.................................................39
TheLittleTrollsHelm.....................................................39
TheScarabofIlithor........................................................ 40
TheSockofGranak......................................................... 40
TheSwordofFentheri..................................................... 40
TheTalismansofDianuus.............................................. 41
The Amulet of Dianuus..................................................... 41
TheTwilightStaff..............................................................42
TomeofMemory...............................................................43
Truefang.............................................................................. 44
VennasArmor................................................................... 44
CreatingMagicalTreasures..............46
TypesofThreadedItems.................................................46
DesigningThreadedItems.............................................46
Designing Legendary Treasure..................................... 50
Airships&Riverboats.............................. 57
Airships................................................................................ 57
Riverboats.......................................................................... 60
ShipStatistics.....................................................................62
TravelHazards...................................................................63
ShipCombat......................................................................64
ShipWeapons....................................................................66
CustomizingShips..........................................................68
RepairingDamagedShips..............................................69
ShipMaintenance.............................................................70
Gamemaster Characters........................76
Roles.....................................................................................76
Types.....................................................................................76
CreatingGamemasterCharacters............................... 80
GameBalance.................................................................... 81
AdeptGamemasterCharacters.....................................82
Non-AdeptGamemasterCharacters...........................82

TrollCityWatch................................................................83
HumanHorror-ScarredMadman................................83
HumanFoulFolk..............................................................84
HumanCultMember......................................................84
OrkMercenary..................................................................85
DwarfMerchant................................................................85
ObsidimanMessenger.....................................................86
TskrangRiverPirate.......................................................86
ElfSage................................................................................87
OrkScorcher......................................................................87
DwarfScribe......................................................................88
TheranWindlingSpy.......................................................88
HumanTavernOwner....................................................89
HumanVeteranGuard....................................................89
HumanAirSailor............................................................. 90
WindlingArcher................................................................ 91
ElfBeastmaster..................................................................92
OrkCavalryman...............................................................93
OrkElementalist...............................................................94
WindlingIllusionist..........................................................95
TskrangNethermancer...................................................96
HumanScout.....................................................................97
TrollSkyRaider.................................................................98
DwarfSwordmaster..........................................................99
HumanThief................................................................... 100
ElfTroubadour................................................................ 101
ElfWarrior....................................................................... 102
TrollWeaponsmith.........................................................103
HumanWizard............................................................... 104
CreatingCreatures...............................105
DetermineAttributes.....................................................105
DetermineCharacteristics...........................................105
DetermineCreatureTraits.......................................... 106
DetermineAttackStep..................................................107
DetermineKarma...........................................................107
DeterminePowersandSpells......................................107
DetermineLegendAward............................................107
WriteCommentary........................................................ 109
CustomizingCreatures................................................ 110
CReatures.....................................................112
CreatureDescriptions...................................................112

Great Dragons............................................124
OntheAbilitiesofGreatDragons............................ 124
OntheRoleofGreatDragons................................... 124
TypicalGreatDragon.....................................................125
Aban....................................................................................125
Alamaise............................................................................127
Earthroot.......................................................................... 128
Icewing.............................................................................. 129
Mountainshadow............................................................ 131
Usun.................................................................................. 132
Vasdenjas.......................................................................... 133
Vestrivan............................................................................135
NAMED Horrors.......................................... 137
AazhvatMany-Eyes........................................................137
Artificer............................................................................. 139
BoneCrowntheUsurper.............................................142
Buualgathor..................................................................... 144
ChantrelsHorror.......................................................... 146
DespoileroftheLand................................................... 149
Druistadt.......................................................................... 150
Giftbringer....................................................................... 153
Hate....................................................................................155
Joie.......................................................................................155
Nebis.................................................................................. 158
Nemesis............................................................................. 161
Ristul..................................................................................163
Taint....................................................................................165
TheTempter..................................................................... 166
Ubyr................................................................................... 168
Verjigorm........................................................................... 171
Ysrthgrathe........................................................................173
Creating Disciplines............................... 176
WhyNewDisciplines?...................................................176
DesigningaDiscipline...................................................177
DesigningaSpecialist.................................................... 181
DesigningTalents.......................................................... 182
Index.................................................................184

Chapter One

Introduction
...and each page turned revealed yet another nameless terror from that black
realm, and once his mind touched that grim beyond it could not return, not as
it was. Thus we should all beware before seeking knowledge we have no right
to obtain; we should all think twice before exploring the vast infinity and
unknowable vistas that exist in the cold reaches just outside our understanding...
Ivinius, Grand Scholar of the Night Sages

The age of Earthdawn is an era of magic that existed thousands

of years ago in our worlds dim past. Magic touched every aspect of
the lives of men and women of the Namegiver races: humans, elves,
dwarfs, orks, trolls, windlings, tskrang, and obsidimen. However, as
the levels of magic rose, so did the dangers in the world. The rise of
magic brought the Horrors to Earth, creatures from the depths of
astral space that devoured all life in their path. For four centuries, the
people of Barsaive hid underground as the Horrors devastated their
lands during the dark time that came to be called the Scourge.
Now, the people of Barsaive have emerged from their sealed
kaers and citadels, ready to fight for life and freedom against the
remaining Horrors and the oppressive Theran Empire. From all
across Barsaive, bold heroes step forward to champion their land,
arming themselves for their daunting task with powerful magical
spells and treasures. Through magic, skill, and daring, Barsaives
heroes strive to heal the world of the scars left by the Scourge. By
doing so, they become Barsaives living legends.
The Gamemasters Companion expands the rules in the Gamemasters Guide, providing new game mechanics, extended setting
material, and adding more creatures, dragons, Horrors, spirits,
and unique magical treasures!

HowtoUseThisBook

he first part of this book offers extended information and

additional rules regarding astral space, blood magic and
the art of healing. The Astral Space chapter describes

methods to enter and explore astral space, a general survey of the

inhabitants and locations of astral space and the netherworlds.
The Blood Magic chapter provides deeper background guidelines for different ways gamemasters can use blood magic in their
Earthdawn campaigns, including rules for death magic, and rules
for creating new blood charms.
The second part of the book presents unique magical items known
as Legendary Treasures and introduces rules for Airships & Riverboats. A system for Creating Magical Treasures covering all
kinds of magical items and guidelines allowing you to customize
airships and riverboats are also featured in this section.
The third and largest part of this book offers advice on handling
Gamemaster Characters, including villains and supporters. The
chapter includes guidelines for balancing these for your game.
Ready-to-use game statistics for mundane and adept gamemaster
characters round this chapter off. The system to create new and
customize exiting creatures follows this chapter, as well as game
statistics for Creatures designed for Warden and Master adepts.
The Great Dragons and Named Horrors chapters detail the most
fearsome beings in Barsaive, providing a wealth of material for
use in your campaigns.
The last part of this book contains the Creating Disciplines
chapter, a design system allowing you to create new and unusual
Disciplines for your Earthdawn games. Of course, the system can
also be used to modify existing Disciplines to your liking.
The Gamemasters Companion concludes with an an Index
for easy reference.

C H A P T E R 1 | Introduc tion

Chapter Two

AstralSpace
An interesting question comes to mind.
Is astral space a reflection of our world?
Or is our world merely a reflection of the astral one?
Jandar of Urupa, Human Nethermancer

eyond the physical world lies another world, a realm just

beyond the perceptions of most adepts. A source of endless speculation, conjecture and wonder, the font from
which all magic springs, home to countless spirits and the birthplace of the Horrorsthis is the world of astral space.
This chapter provides information on astral space for the
gamemaster. It describes methods that enable Namegivers to
enter and explore astral space, a general survey of the inhabitants of astral space, and describes a number of different locations
in astral space and the netherworlds. It also provides some general advice for incorporating astral space and astral sensing into
adventures and campaigns.

UsingAstralSpacein
AdventuresandCampaigns

s described in the Players Guide, astral space is intimately connected with the physical world. Because
of this connection, and the abilities of adepts to view
astral space, the gamemaster often needs to provide descriptions
and details for this realm. This section will provide some advice
and suggestions for incorporating astral space and astral sensing into your games.
First of all, like many other aspects of the Earthdawn rules, only
use as much detail as you (and your players) are comfortable with.
If your group doesnt show a lot of interest in the astral counterparts
of the places they visit, dont emphasize it too much. As the players
gain experience with the Earthdawn setting, and gain familiarity
with how the physical and astral worlds are connected, they are
likely to begin exploring it in more depth. You can add more detail
as your game progresses to keep your players interested, as well as
provide clues for their characters to follow up.
At the same time, dont allow astral sensing to give everything
away. Astral sensing is a useful tool, but it cant do everything
there are talents and spells better suited to learning certain types
of information, so dont allow astral sensing to duplicate those
effects (at least without achieving higher result levels). This is
especially true when it come to detecting or analyzing Horror
taint. While the general level of astral corruption can indicate the
presence or influence of a Horror, astral sensing shouldnt reveal a
Horror mark or Horror corruption except in remarkable circumstances. Part of the reason the Horrors are so feared is because
their presence and influence is so hard to detect.
One advantage to the progression of characters through their
Disciplinesfrom Initiate to Masteris that their ability to
view and interact with astral space grows with them. As novices,
the duration and step number of their astral sensing talents are

C H A P T E R 2 | A stral Space

usually low, limiting the amount of information they can learn.

At this level, adepts are usually using astral sensing to get a feel
for the level of astral corruption, sense magic items, or other
broad applications.
As characters make the transition from Novice (Circles 24)
to Journeyman (Circles 58), astral space becomes more significantespecially for Disciplines that deal with the denizens
of astral space (like Elementalists and Nethermancers). Their
astral sensing step numbers get higher, allowing them to see
more detail, and learn more from examination of astral space and
astral patternsthey may start using astral sensing to duplicate
more specialized talents or spells. They may even begin detecting and analyzing permanent threads woven to true patterns (see
the Detecting Threads optional rule, on p.7).
As their power grows into Warden (Circles 912) and Master
(Circles 1315) levels, characters may begin venturing into astral
space, or even the netherworlds in pursuit of various goals. The
Astral Space Gazetteer on p.9 provides examples of places
characters may wish to travel to, but the full range of the astral
realms is beyond the scope of this text. The infinite depths of the
netherworlds are limited only by your imagination.

ExploringAstralSpace

erhaps because it is so mysterious and dangerous, the

vast, uncharted frontier of astral space appeals to countless adepts intent on exploring its reaches. This section
provides rules on entering, acting in, and moving around astral
space; descriptions of beings that astral explorers are likely to
encounter; and descriptions of the potential hazards of astral
exploration.
Once an adept takes on an astral form, he becomes subject to
the laws of all astral beings. This means that, for instance, the
adept may be summoned as if he were a Named spirit, provided
the summoner knows the adept is in astral space and can meet
the requirements of the Summon talent (see the Talents chapter
on p.82 of the Players Guide).

EnteringAstralSpace

Beings may enter astral space using natural abilities, magical

means or astral projection, though traveling between the physical world and astral space is not an easy or safe task. More often
than not, cataclysmic events brought about by Horrors or perverted uses of powerful magic create the rare natural gateways
that connect the two realms. Those gates that the Horrors generate, they often guard, and most gateways lie in the bleakest, most
inhospitable areas of Barsaive.

Certain Horrors and spirits exhibit a natural ability to enter and

leave astral space. Some single-natured Horrors show an aptitude
for entering and exiting astral space, but these entities do not appear
to display any common characteristic that might explain this ability. The capability of certain Horrors to move between the astral
and physical worlds seems to come from their natures, rather than
from magical spells or powers.

Entering via Magical Means

Namegivers may enter astral space using magical means such as

the Spirit Portal spell and the Astral Portal spirit power.
The Spirit Portal spell is probably the safest method of entering
astral space, though what constitutes safety in astral space is open to
much interpretation (see the Spells chapter on p.200 of the Players
Guide). The spell enables a Namegiver to create a portal between
the physical and astral worlds. When a subject passes through the
portal, the gateway alters the subjects form from physical to astral
or vice versa. When an adept uses a portal to pass from the physical to the astral plane, for example, the portal melds the adepts
body with its astral imprint to create an astral form. The effects
of the spell are not permanent, but they do last long enough for a
Namegiver to enter and exit the portal multiple times.
The spirit power called Astral Portal functions in the same
manner as the Spirit Portal spell (see Spirit Powers in the Spirits chapter on p.213 of the Gamemasters Guide). Using this power,
a spirit can create a portal that enables Namegivers to enter and exit
astral space. In fact, many Namegiver magicians summon spirits
for the sole purpose of having the spirit create such portals.

Astral Projection

Astral projection is a limited form of astral travel that enables

a Namegiver to send his spirit into astral space while his body
remains in the physical world. The primary form of astral projection is the Netherwalk talent. This talent provides an adept with
near-perfect control of his astral imprint, though the duration of
the talents effect is limited.
Like other methods of entering astral space, astral projection
entails certain risks, including damage based on the type of astral
region the adept travels through. See the Netherwalk description
in the Talents chapter on p.110 of the Players Companion and
Travel in Astral Space, p.8, for more information about the hazards of astral travel.

NamegiversinAstralSpace

To enter astral space, an adept must transform from a physical being into an astral being. Most often, adepts accomplish this
transformation by using the Spirit Portal spell or Astral Portal spirit
power, but certain legendary artifacts and powers are said to create
similar effects. During the transformation, an adept actually refocuses his pattern, removing his body from the physical world and
converting it to astral energy. Then he joins this astral energy with
his astral imprint to create an astral form for himself.
The adepts life essence provides his astral form with definition, and because the adepts mind and consciousness enter the
astral form during the transformation as well, the adept can control the form as he would control his physical body. Like astral
imprints, an astral form resembles its subjects true nature. Only
the most powerful disguises or illusions can alter the appearance of an adepts true form. Radical alterations to an adepts
pattern will produce a blurred, double-image astral form, but
other characters will be able to discern the two images in the
form (see True to Form in the Workings of Magic chapter on
p.110 of the Players Guide).

Dete cting T h r e a d s
Optional Rule: As adepts gain more proficiency
at astral sensing, one piece of information you may
wish to reveal to them is the presence of permanent
threads attached to patterns. This optional rule provides some guidelines for detecting and analyzing
permanent threads.
An adept may detect a thread if he achieves an
Excellent or better result when examining a subjects pattern. If the thread is active (for example,
an adept is using a magical sword he has woven a
thread to), the magical energy traveling into the pattern from the thread causes the thread to glow more
brightly, lowering the required result to Good or
better. Success on this test only detects the presence of the thread, however; the adept would need
to examine the thread more directly with astral sensing in order to gain more information.
To examine a thread more closely, the adept
makes Astral Sensing Tests against the Spell
Defense of the being (adept, dragon, Horror, and
so on) that wove the thread to the subject. Sometimes these tests require a Good result or higher
to learn any information (some Horrors are very
good at hiding their influence).
What a thread looks like depends on who (or what)
wove it. Most threads resemble small bits of astral
string tied around a portion of the subjects pattern.
The characteristics of the thread, such as color, texture, and shape, vary widely according to the nature
of the thread weaver. For example, threads woven by
a dragon may appear in the shape of a small dragon
holding on to the pattern in some wayt hough
threads rarely identify their weaver so obviously. A
characters ability to gain information from a permanent pattern thread should not be used to identify
other adepts, unless the gamemaster considers such
a development appropriate to the story.
Threads do not establish actual lines between the
weaver and the target. Even if a thread is active, the
connection cannot be followed back to the weaver
like a trail. The weaving being merely attaches a bit
of his astral energy to the target. These bits of energy
tend to share certain characteristics, however, and
may be used by the gamemaster as clues to send the
player characters in a certain direction (whether on
or off the right track). For example, a rough, green,
scaly thread may have been woven by a Beastmaster, a dragon, or even a reptilian Horror. Details
like this can work especially well if they remind the
characters of other unusual details they may have
encountered. The appearance of an unfamiliar or
unusual thread may foreshadow an encounter with
the being that wove it.
The gamemaster determines the specific details a
character learns when examining the thread using
astral sensing based on the result level and the needs
of the story.

C H A P T E R 2 | A stral Space

A stral S pace

Entering via Natural Ability

Note that an adepts astral form is not the same as his True pattern. A True pattern only represents its subject. The astral form is
the subject completely present in astral space. The subject is alive,
solid and can interact with other purely astral forms.
Namegivers may also transport inanimate objects or matter into
astral space. In such cases, the object or matter ceases to exist in
the physical world and takes on an astral form. Any astral being
can pick up the astral form by making a conscious effort and may
then carry the item with no further thought.

Astral Attributes, Abilities and Possessions

The values and functions of an adepts Attributes, talents, and

most other characteristics remain unchanged when the adept
assumes astral form. A characters Physical Defense rating is the
Difficulty Number for resolving physical attacks in astral space, his
Spell Defense rating is used for attacks made with spells and magical
abilities, and so on. Characters suffer damage from attacks in astral
space the same as they do in the physical world, and their Damage
Ratings are used in the same manner. Likewise, characters in astral
form use their standard Movement rates and abilities.
Physical objects worn or carried by an adept when he assumes
astral form are transformed as well. However, non-magical objects
do not take on substance in astral form and remain much like their
astral imprints. Such objects can be carried, dropped, picked up,
and so forth, but they have no true astral substance and therefore
no effect on astral beings. For example, a non-magical sword transported into astral space can be swung and thrust, but it cannot do
damage to an astral being. Magical items, in contrast, take on solid
astral forms and may be used normally. Such items include magical weapons and armor, blood charms, and even potions. Items
dropped in astral space remain there unless the character retrieves
them before returning to the physical world.

Combat in Astral Space

Combat in astral space is resolved in the same manner as combat

in the physical world. Initiative is determined as normal, except
that non-magical armor does not impose Initiative penalties (Initiative penalties from magical armor still apply). Physical attacks
are resolved as normal, using the targets Physical Defense as the
Difficulty Number. Likewise, attacks made with spells or other
magical abilities are made against the targets Spell Defense, and
Social Talent Tests are made against a targets Social Defense.
As described above, attacks made with non-magical weapons in
astral space cannot cause damage to a target. When determining
damage with non-magical weapons, use only the characters Strength
step. Magical weapons possess substance in astral space, so use standard rules when determining damage from magical weapons. Natural
weapons (like an animals claws, or a tskrangs tail) are part of the
individuals solid astral form, and are also used normally.
Armor works the same way as weapons in astral space. Non-magical armor offers no protection against physical attacks in astral
space. Magical armor, such as living crystal and blood pebble armor,
provides its normal protection against physical attacks and imposes
its standard Initiative Penalty. Any armor that provides a Mystic
Armor bonus is considered magical for the purposes of this rule.
Damage in astral combat is resolved as normal and may render
a character unconscious or dead. Characters still suffer Wounds
and combatants must make Knockdown Tests as normal. Damage
is healed as normal (see the Combat chapter on p.220 of the Players Guide).
Like most other activities, spellcasting in astral space follows
standard rules. The risks of casting raw magic are greater for astral
beings, however, so the Warping, Damage, and Horror Mark Tests
made for any character casting with raw magic gain a +3 bonus
(Players Guide, p.136).

C H A P T E R 2 | A stral Space

Blood Magic in Astral Space

Because a character becomes an astral being when in astral space,

his use of blood magic becomes more effective. This benefit applies
in two ways. First, it reduces the Strain damage a character suffers
when using a talent or ability by 1 point, to a minimum of 1 Strain.
For example, the Flame Arrow talent normally causes an adept 2
Strain; in astral space, using the talent causes only 1 Strain.
The second benefit applies when a character uses blood magic to
push his talents or abilities (Players Guide, p.124). In this case,
the character adds an additional +1 bonus to his Action Test. For
example, an Archer may gain a +1 bonus to his Missile Weapons
talent by taking Strain equal to his Toughness step; if he were in
astral space, the Archer would gain a +2 bonus.
The same bonus applies to adepts who push a talent or ability
by physically wounding themselves. For example, an Archer in
astral space could take a Wound and gain a +4 bonus instead of
a +3 bonus.

TravelinAstralSpace

Generally, travel in astral space differs little from travel in the

physical world. Character and creature Movement Rates remain
unchanged in astral space. Few adepts other than Cavalrymen
bring mounts into astral space because the bizarre appearance of
astral space spooks most animals. Because travel on foot is fairly
slow, adepts usually enter astral space as close to their destination
as possibleassuming, of course, that the adepts know the location of their destination.
There are two key differences when traveling in astral space. First
is the ability of astral beings to move through the astral imprints
of non-magical and non-living objects. Theoretically, this ability
enables astral travelers to simply walk through many obstacles, but
doing so significantly disorients most astral travelers.
Second, astral corruption causes damage to those exposed to it.
Each minute that a character is in astral space, he suffers damage
using the step number shown on the Astral Damage Table. Mystic
Armor protects against this damage.
Spirits, Horrors and other native astral denizens are not bound by
the same restraints as Namegivers while in astral space and can fly
about and move through non-magical objects without penalty. They
also do not suffer damage from exposure to corrupted astral energy
though such corruption may have other effects on such beings.

AstralDenizens

arious forms of astral beings reside in astral space, ranging

from spirits to Horrors to other more unusual denizens.
Most reside in the netherworlds of astral space, but many
of them venture into areas of astral space where astral travelers are
likely to encounter these unpredictable entities.

Spirits

Astral space is home to all manner of spirits, including spirits

of the elemental planes, the spirits of deceased Namegivers, and
strange spirits that inhabit the more unusual netherworlds. With
the exception of those who are summoned, elemental spirits are
rarely encountered outside their native planes. On rare occasions,
elemental spirits roam other areas of astral space, most often near
sites that resemble or evoke their native planes. For example, fire
spirits are likely to roam astral space near the Deaths Sea, while
water spirits might be encountered in astral space along the Serpent
River. Wood spirits might be found in one or more of Barsaives
jungles or perhaps even in astral space near the Blood Wood. Elemental spirits usually avoid Namegivers and will flee back to their
home planes upon meeting such an astral presence.

of astral haven. Horrors may create astral lairs by committing their

foul deeds in astral space or in the physical world. These areas of
astral space then become Tainted or Corrupt (see Astral Regions
in the Workings of Magic chapter on p.256 of the Players Guide).
Named Horrors such as Verjigorm and Taint may maintain lairs of
more terrifying intensity, though no Namegiver has ever reported
encountering these astral lairs.
For more information on Horrors, including their powers and
abilities, see the Horrors chapter on p.265 of the Gamemasters
Guide and the Named Horrors chapter on p.137.

A stral S pace

Ally spirits from the netherworlds possess a natural curiosity,

which sometimes inspires them to travel through astral space to
observe the physical world or to seek out Namegivers in astral space.
These spirits exhibit a mischievous streak as well, which can prove
dangerous to astral travelers. In fact, numerous legends tell of ally
spirits that lead adepts into dangerous or precarious predicaments
so that the spirits can observe the adepts attempts to save themselves. Their unpredictable nature can make ally spirits nearly as
dangerous as Horrors.
Namegiver spirits are by far the most easily identifiable spirits
that astral travelers are likely to encounter. Most Namegiver spirits
retain forms that are very similar to the physical forms they possessed in life, but this is not always the case. Because characters
sometimes hide their true natures, a Namegiver spirit might possess a form that is larger, smaller, more grotesque or more beautiful
than its physical body. The spirits of questors commonly show
such radical differences because of the narrow mental and emotional focus they achieve, as do the spirits of adepts who stressed
a single side of their natures to the exclusion of all else. The behavior and attitudes of a Namegiver spirit may also vary greatly from
the behavior and attitudes the Namegiver exhibited in life. Such
changes may result from the traumatic transition from a physical
to an astral existence, or from the spirits interaction with the powerful energies of astral space. Interacting with the purer energies
of the astral realm may foster purity of thought in the spirit, along
with a desire to battle the astral corruption brought forth by the
Horrors. On the other hand, interacting with corrupted energies
may twist a spirit into a monstrous apparition bent on inflicting
as much pain and suffering as the Horrors themselves. Such spirits may attack astral travelers without provocation. Most spirits,
however, fall somewhere between these extremes.
For more information about spirits, including their abilities
and powers, see the Spirits chapter on p.210 of the Gamemasters Guide.

OtherAstralDenizens

In addition to spirits and Horrors, adepts in astral space may

encounter creatures that defy easy classification. Usually, such
creatures frequent the netherworlds, but some have been known
to venture into other areas of astral space as well. These creatures
include highly magical beings restricted to the astral plane, and
a seemingly endless variety of astral forms that appear to reflect
physical creatures belonging to the infinite number of unidentified worlds and realities also connected to astral space.

AnAstralSpaceGazetteer

raveling through astral space offers adepts a chance to visit

dark and dismal locations, places of breathtaking beauty
and dark reaches where only Horrors stalk.
This section describes a number of different astral locations,
including specific sites in Barsaive, as well as some of the mysterious realms of astral space known as the netherworlds.

Horrors

The most sinister and abhorrent creatures known to exist, Horrors prove especially dangerous in astral space, where they
may take on a wide variety of forms. The more powerful
Horrors can alter their astral forms at will, making
it extremely difficult for astral travelers to recognize the true nature of these foul entities, or to
recognize the same Horror twice.
Countless minor Horrors roam astral space
and, in some instances, the netherworlds,
searching for ways to defile the physical
world. Fortunately for astral beings, this
search consumes most Horrors beyond their
ability to pursue any other goal, and so they
devote little time or attention to actively seeking out astral explorers.
Most of the powerful Horrors that remain in or
near Barsaive, especially Named Horrors, appear
to follow private agendas consisting of devious,
corrupt plans (see the Named Horrors chapter
on p.137). These Horrors rarely roam astral space
without purpose, and so the likelihood of astral
travelers encountering such a Horror by chance
remains slim. However, these Horrors frequent
certain places in astral space that eventually
take on their own taint. Nethermancers call
these locations astral lairs.
An astral lair is an area of astral space
that a Horror has corrupted by its own
deeds and presence, creating for itself a sort
C H A P T E R 2 | A stral Space

NamedAstralLocations

Just as sites in the physical world can be Named, sites in astral

space may become Named by a significant event or overwhelming
emotion. Naming imparts True patterns to these places, which
allows magic to interact with them via pattern items and threads.
Just as adepts can travel to Named places in Barsaive, they can
also journey to Named areas in astral space.
The Well of Souls and the Idyllic Gardens represent two of the bestknown Named astral sites corresponding to sites in Barsaive.

Well of Souls

Of all the Corrupt regions of astral space, the site known as the
Well of Souls is probably the darkest. The Well of Souls corresponds
with the physical location of Mesaloc Kaer, in the present-day
Poison Forest.
During the early years of the Scourge, the kaer
was breached by a powerful Horror that fed
off the pain and anguish of the kaers residents, then bound their spirits to the
ruined kaers pattern so that it could
feed on their tortured souls even
after death.
The severe corruption of the
Well of Souls manifests as
swirling patterns of black and
violent reds that cascade in a
turbulent wash of pain and
anguish. This intense flood
of feelings has been known to
strike uncontrollable terror
into the soul of adepts, and
the warped nature of the
landscape threatens the sanity
of any who behold it. Indeed,
only the bravest and most powerful adepts dare penetrate very
far into the Well of Souls, as the
entire surrounding area is a Corrupt region as well.
On rare occasions, magicians successfully summon Namegiver spirits from
the Well. Invariably, such spirits prove eager to
serve their summoners in return for a few hours of freedom from torment. Unfortunately, none of these spirits has ever
been permanently freed. They must always return to their astral
hell, a pattern indicating that the legendary Horror still resides in
its astral lair, hidden deep within the center of the Well of Souls
or perhaps in the ruins of Mesaloc Kaer.

Idyllic Gardens

Memories of the Scourge do not haunt all Named astral locations.

As the power of the Horrors has diminished in recent years, some
magicians have successfully employed protection wards similar to
those used during the Scourge to create sites that remain entirely free
of the taint of these beings. Generally, magicians use these locations
as magical laboratories, where they may study and work free from
the threat of Horrors. Still other magicians, such as the windling
Elementalist Named Llythia Silkenwings, have used protection
wards to create inspiring enclaves that celebrate and encourage the
restoration of life in the Horror-ravaged lands of Barsaive.
It was during her earliest travels across the devastated lands of
Barsaive that Llythia discovered a pristine forest glade along the
northern edge of the Delaris Mountains. Intrigued by the small
patch of land that had escaped the destruction of the surrounding
areas, Llythia examined the glades counterpart in astral space and

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C H A P T E R 2 | A stral Space

discovered a Safe region. Immediately she began work to expand

the Safe region and find ways to protect it. She eventually chose
blood magic as the most efficient and effective method of protection and used her own life force to power a complex set of wards
to safeguard the physical and astral locations of the glade. In later
years, several other windlings joined Llythia and founded a community dedicated to nurturing the land.
Today, the Idyllic Gardens draw pilgrims from all across Barsaive.
A beautiful sight to behold, the refreshing glade is rumored to possess special powers that heal and restore the health of any who
tread its shaded paths.
When entered from astral space, the Gardens offer a wondrous,
truly overwhelming experience of peace and tranquility that many
visitors contemplate for days or even weeks. The questors of several Passions, most notably those of Jaspree and Garlen, routinely
visit the Idyllic Gardens, and many adepts use the Gardens
as an oasis for rest and relaxation. All visitors are welcome, provided they treat the Gardens with the
care and respect they deserve.
According to legend, Llythia still resides in
the gladeshe cannot leave or the wards
will fail. It is said that several Horrors
have discovered her work, but none
have successfully challenged the wards
she constructed to protect the glade.

TheNetherworlds

The netherworlds are alternate

physical realities connected to astral
space in the same way that the world
of Earthdawn is connected to astral
space. They coexist with the physical
world of Earthdawn and serve as the
source of spirits, True elements and
the Horrors. At present, Namegivers
have explored only a handful of these
countless worlds.
Each netherworld is unique, with its
own natural laws. Some netherworlds support complete realities, much like the physical
world known to Barsaivians, while others are little
more than single chains of limited events that continually repeat themselves. Most netherworlds combine these two
models, giving the appearance of complete worlds but existing
only as chains of events and important locations. Scholars do not
know whether these fragmented realities are the natural states of
the netherworlds, the result of Horror intervention, or simply a false
impression created by Namegivers limited astral travel abilities.
The landscape of a netherworld can be chaotic or stable. At least
one netherworld, known as Sylvar, seems completely stable though it
comprises little more than wide expanses of barren, Horror-ravaged
ground. Other charted netherworlds possess geographic features that
rival or exceed the conflagration that is the Deaths Sea, the most tranquil of forests, or landscapes roiling with tainted magical energy.
The age-old quest for knowledge and power draws many
Namegivers to the netherworlds, for a journey to these places
may yield invaluable experience and insight into astral space and
magic. Fortune draws others, who seek more direct access to True
elements or hope to find unusual artifacts. And a few brave souls
roam the netherworlds in search of Horrors to destroy.
The following sections describe gateways to the netherworlds
and four netherworlds known to astral travelers. These netherworld descriptions illustrate only a few of the possible types of
netherworlds characters can explore. Use them as models when
creating your own netherworlds.

Like the physical world of Earthdawn, each of the netherworlds

creates an imprint in astral space. To travel to a netherworld, an
adept must first locate the astral imprint of the netherworld. To
locate a netherworlds astral imprint, an adept must locate the
gateway that connects the netherworlds imprint with that of the
physical world.
Most often, gateways to the netherworlds appear as portals much
like those established by the Spirit Portal spell. Like much of astral
space and its inhabitants, the appearances, locations and workings of these gateways follow no rhyme or reason. One gateway
might appear as a doorway, while another might take the form of
the mouth of a Horror or other hideous creaturein which case
an adept must be swallowed by the Horror or creature to pass
through the gateway.
Most gateways can be opened only with the use of specific types
of spells or with the help of spirits, or under unusual or extreme
conditions. For example, a gateway to the netherworld known as
Cadence (see below) might be accessible only when the moon is full
and after an adept performs a ritual of some sort. The gamemaster
should feel free to invent any type of requirements for accessing
the netherworlds.
As an adept passes through a gateway, he enters the astral imprint
of the netherworld. The adept may then pass from the netherworlds
astral imprint to the netherworld itself using an appropriate ability
or spell, such as a spirits Astral Portal power. The adept may return
to the physical world by simply reversing the process. Because the
first step of that process is to locate the portal back into astral space,
and because astral travelers may forget the location of a netherworld gateway or become lost in the netherworld itself, returning
rarely proves easy. For these reasons, adepts often employ spirits
as guides when journeying to the netherworlds, because a spirit
can always locate a gateway that it has passed through without any
test and without error. (Nethermancers and other astral explorers
rely heavily on this little-known spirit ability.)
In some instances, the locations of netherworld gateways correspond to the astral locations of corrupted sites in the physical
world, such as specific spots in the Badlands, deep within the Blood
Wood, or other areas the Horrors overran. For example, in Haven,
rumors abound of a gateway whose location corresponds to the
exact astral location of the Map Wall. This gateway supposedly
leads to one of the most dangerous and corrupt netherworlds
one that few Namegivers have seen and survived. Adepts seeking
this gate in astral space would see the astral imprint of the Map
Wall and the surrounding area, as well as the gateway directly in
front of the wall.
Some scholars believe that other netherworld gateways exist in
deep or high astral zones that correspond to physical areas beyond
the reach of all but the most intrepid Namegivers. In fact, some
believe the legendary airship Earthdawn, which disappeared just at
the end of the Scourge, passed through such a gateway and became
trapped in one of the netherworlds, where it remains today.

Sylvar

The netherworld known as Sylvar tends to draw only the most

daring of astral explorers. Sylvar might once have been a beautiful place, but the depredations of the Horrors have left it a world of
wind-blasted rock formations, scorched earth and poisoned waters.
Though choked with the scent of ash, Sylvars air remains breathable. The astral space adjacent to Sylvar is a Tainted region, and
most of the gateways to Sylvar also lie in Tainted regions.
Only a few minor Horrors remain in Sylvar, apparently glorying in its devastation or guarding it for reasons unknown. Though
these entities are dangerous, those adepts experienced enough to
travel astrally can defeat them with relative ease.

Numerous deposits of rare minerals lie close to Sylvars razed

surface, a powerful incentive that attracts adepts searching for
precious metals and True elements. Others visit Sylvar in search
of clues to the nature of the Horrors.
During the Scourge, Sylvar suffered from the depredations of
the Horrors in much the same way as Barsaive, which has led many
magicians to speculate that valuable knowledge in the struggle
against the remaining Horrors might be gained by studying that
netherworld. Some adepts also believe that pattern items for one or
more Named Horrors may remain on Sylvaritems that would be
of great value to adventurers battling the Horrors in Barsaive.

A stral S pace

Gateways to the Netherworlds

Cadence

Cadence is perhaps the most chaotic of the netherworlds known

to Barsaivians. This world consists of a string of pocket realities, each
vastly different from the one before. As a result, an astral traveler in
the Cadencian landscape can move from an area resembling the elemental plane of fire to a mountaintop retreat in a single step.
Because the landscape of Cadence offers such a variety of realities, many Nethermancers believe that Cadence may hold the key
to better understanding the secrets of the netherworlds. As a result,
Cadence is a common destination for experienced astral explorers,
especially Nethermancers seeking information on cosmology and
other dimensions (see the Walkers In Shadow chapter on p.50
of the Players Companion). Learning this information, however,
requires significant effort on the part of the adept.
To find a specific piece of information in Cadence, an adept enters
the gateway to the netherworld. He will immediately find himself
in a location that presents one or more challenges he must defeat.
Once he defeats the required challenges, the adept will find himself transported back to the astral gateway to Cadence. Again he
must enter the gateway, but this time he will find himself in another
location with new challenges he must defeat. If he succeeds, he will
again find himself at the netherworlds astral gateway. The adept
must continue to repeat this process until he arrives in the location that contains the information he seeks.
The order in which the adept defeats each locations challenges,
and the manner in which he does so, partially determines the next
location into which he passes. If the adept leaves the netherworld
and travels back to astral space before defeating a locations challenges, he loses all progress toward his final destination and must
begin the process again. As a result of Cadences strange geography,
locating the answer to a quest may take days, even weeks.

Throne

Throne consists of nothing more than a palace and the grounds

on which it sits. From atop the high wall surrounding the grounds,
an adept can view an entire kingdom. However, any adept who
ventures past the walls is simply thrown back into astral space
with a violent shock. The palace and estates are filled with nobles,
common officials, supplicants, assassins, advisors and military
people of all types.
Throne can provide any knowledge an adept might seekproviding the adept is up to the task. Knowledge that cannot be found
elsewhere can always be found in Throne. To pass through the
gateway to Throne, however, an adept must know the nature of
the knowledge he seeksan adept traveling to Throne to learn a
Key Knowledge for an item must know the specific information he
seeks: the items Name, the Name of the person who created the
item, the target of the items Empowering Deed and so on.
Once in Throne, the visitor must accept a role in a game. For
example, an adept might find himself in a grand ballroom at a royal
masquerade ball, in the middle of a series of battles on the palace
grounds, or even thrust into a bizarre game of court intrigue in
which he must use his charisma and leadership skills to win the
C H A P T E R 2 | A stral Space

11

palace throne by popular acclamation. By winning this game, he

receives the knowledge he seeks. As suggested by the examples,
succeeding will be no easy task, and the adept will probably have
to unseat several other astral travelers attempting the same feat to
gain the information they seek.
An adept may visit Throne repeatedly, though the specifics of
the game he must play during each visit will change and always
demand a new solution. As part of this netherworlds challenge,
locating the gateway to Throne becomes more difficult each time
an adept attempts to do so, as does winning the game.

Tekksint

Very few adepts who set out to find Tekksint return, for the high
magic levels make this a veritable Horror haven. In this netherworld,
various types of Horrors exist as the dominant life form and live
according to the laws of survival of the fittest. The strongest mark
large areas as their own; those who fail to submit to their dominance are simply devoured.
The astral space that corresponds to this netherworld is a Corrupt region, and all gateways to Tekksint lie in Corrupt regions.
These conditions make Tekksint one of the most inaccessible of
the charted netherworlds, though particularly skilled adepts travel
here to hone those talents most suited for killing Horrors.

TheElementalPlanes

Each of the elemental planes embodies a single element in its

purest form: fire, water, air, earth and wood. Despite the obvious
hazards of going to a place consisting of nothing but a single element, adepts can and do travel to the elemental planes, usually in
an attempt to harvest True elements or contact elemental spirits.
Though conditions in the elemental planes make it extremely dangerous for adepts to linger there more than a few minutes, attempts
to gather True elements by traveling to the elemental planes generally yield more, and more potent kernels than any other method
of gathering True elements.
Areas of the physical world that possess features similar to
the elemental plane often offer access of a sort to the elemental
planes. Though too small for an astrally traveling adept to pass
through, these fissures between the physical world and the elemental plane allow the most potent kernels of True elements
to escape into the physical world. One such crack connecting
the physical world to the elemental Plane of Fire exists near the
center of the Deaths Sea.
Adepts can reach the elemental planes through astral space.
Unlike the netherworlds, however, the elemental planes have no
astral imprint: an adept who enters a portal in order to reach one of
the elemental planes leaves the physical world, takes on astral form,
and steps directly into the elemental plane. Generally speaking,
the nature of magic should make it possible for adepts to protect
their astral forms in the elemental planes through the use of magical items, spells and talents. Players and gamemasters should work
together to determine how such protection can be fashioned in
their game.
Though the elemental planes show no physical signs of damage
from the Horrors, the fact that some astral gateways to the elemental planes lie in Tainted or Corrupt astral space implies that
those entities affected the elemental planes during the Scourge.
Exactly why this is so remains a mystery to most magicians, but
some Elementalists believe the close link between the physical
world and the elemental planes, and the wide variety of the powers
and natures of the Horrors, may explain how this was possible.

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C H A P T E R 2 | A stral Space

The Plane of Air

The elemental plane of True air is devoid of any trace of other

True elements. The buoyancy of True air supports any traveler to
the Plane of Air. All travelers to this plane may also breathe True
air regardless of their physical nature. Adepts often become giddy
when breathing the pure element, however, and doing so for more
than a few minutes without taking suitable precautions may render
the adepts lungs incapable of breathing normal air again.
The Horrors apparently found little they could corrupt in this
plane; astral gateways to the Plane of Air are usually located within
Safe or Open regions.

The Plane of Earth

Of all the elemental planes, the plane of True earth draws more
adepts than any other. Numerous pockets of True air and True
water exist in this plane, but passing between them is impossible
for any being unable to move through solid earth. Adepts who
make the journey to contact elemental spirits and who survive the
planes harsh conditions will find the spirits that inhabit the Plane
of Earth to be quite cooperative.
Of all the elemental planes, the Plane of Earth suffered the most
during the Scourge, and nearly all its gateways appear in Tainted
or Corrupt regions of astral space.

The Plane of Fire

The Plane of Fire is the most hostile of the elemental planes. Most
everything that enters this planebe it Namegiver, spirit (save
for fire spirits), even a small amount of True wateris immediately consumed by the True fire of the plane. Any character foolish
enough to enter the Plane of Fire would be incinerated almost
instantly, though some powers and spells may grant protection
from the planes dangers for brief periods of time.
The plane is home to several Horrors that apparently relish the
painful burning sensation of its True fire. Other Horrors find pleasure in transporting hapless adepts to the Plane of Fire and feeding
off the brief moment of terrible anguish and pain these Namegivers suffer before dying.
Gateways to the Plane of Fire are generally found in Open regions,
though occasionally they are located in Tainted astral space.

The Plane of Water

As with any underwater travel, moving through the Plane of

Water offers many challenges, not the least of which is breathing.
The Gills spell (see the Spells chapter on p.174 of the Players
Guide) can be used to stay alive in this elemental plane, but only
for short periods of timeTrue water does not offer a great deal
of oxygen to extract. Bubbles of True air large enough to sustain a
single Namegiver, probably created by kernels of True fire colliding
with the True water, occasionally drift through the Plane of Water,
and while adepts fortunate enough to find one of these bubbles may
stay in the elemental plane for several minutes, they often risk the
same dangers as staying too long on the Plane of Air.
The Horrors apparently found no easy way to corrupt the Plane
of Water; gateways to this plane are almost always located in Safe
regions of astral space.

The Plane of Wood

No adept has ever traveled to the Plane of Wood and returned.

Only the existence of True wood and wood and plant spirits supports the theory that this elemental plane exists.

Chapter Three

BloodMagic
Many say that slavery is the worst thing the Therans
brought to Barsaive. I for one, disagree. The worst
they have done still remains among us. It is the use
of our own blood in our magic
Vercian, Wizard of Throal and author of Thoughts Concordia

lood magic is one of several forms of magic used in the

world of Earthdawn. To gain access to the power offered
by the use of blood magic, a character must sacrifice his
own blood. This sacrifice usually requires only a drop or two of
blood, but the fact remains that the character is drawing on his
own life energy to power his magic.
Because blood magic offers a vivid reminder of the torments
people inflicted on themselves in the days before and during
the Scourge, ordinary citizens often feel deeply suspicious of
those who use blood magic. Most Barsaivians work hard at
putting the devastation of the Horrors behind them or out of
their minds completely, and choose to reject everything that
blood magic representseven its potential for helping those
still battling the remnants of the Horrors. As a result, those
who do accept blood magic as a necessary means to achieve the
greater good of destroying the Horrors now refer to this practice as life magic in an attempt to stress the positive aspect of
this magic and cultivate tolerance among the mainstream for
those characters who use it.
This chapter discusses the history, spread and nature of blood
magic throughout the world, and provides guidelines for different ways gamemasters can use blood magic in their Earthdawn
campaigns. It also introduces rules for death magic (an extreme
form of blood magic), and rules for creating new blood charms.

UsingBloodMagicin
AdventuresandCampaigns

arthdawn characters may use blood magic in a variety of

ways. Most commonly, characters may use blood magic
in the form of blood charms, or to power certain talents,
spells, talent knacks, and living armor. Characters may also use
blood magic to enhance their talents or abilities, to swear blood
oaths and perform blood magic rituals. Characters may even use
a special form of blood magic, known as death magic, to perform
heroic feats, curse enemies or places, or create True patterns and
powerful oaths. Every use of blood magic requires a character to
make a sacrifice, which may take the form of Strain, permanent
damage, Wounds, or even his life.
Refer to the Blood Magic chapter on p.123 of the Players
Guide for more information on the common uses of blood
magic, blood oaths, and sacrifice magic. Blood charms are
created by the use of enchanting (refer to the Enchanting
chapter on p.153 of the Players Companion , and the Goods
and Services chapter of the Players Guide for a list of sample
blood charms).

GamemasterConsiderations

As the gamemaster, you determine what part blood magic will

play in your Earthdawn game. Will it be a positive source of
magic or will it be used only by evil beings and people? Will blood
oaths be a way of life or cause for shunning? Are blood charms
available in most cities and towns in Barsaive, or are they only
available on the black market? Perhaps your campaign will not
include blood magic at all. Perhaps in your world of Earthdawn,
all uses of blood magic were forbidden at the end of the Scourge.
If this is the game you choose to play, simply ignore all references
to blood magic in Earthdawn products.
The material published for Earthdawn views blood magic as it
was described in the history section. That is, blood magic exists
in two forms: positive blood magic (life magic), and negative
(evil) blood magic. Life magic is the only type of blood magic
player characters can use. This practice allows the character to
power his magic using his own blood. The sole exception to this
is ritual blood magic, in which a donor voluntarily provides blood
for the magic.
Gamemaster characters corrupted by the Horrors and other
evil gamemaster characters may perform evil blood magic. We
chose this view because we believe this dichotomy will inspire
interesting characters and stories. But again, you must decide
how you will run your Earthdawn game.
We offer the following considerations to help you determine
the role of blood magic in your game.
1. Blood magic is a powerful force and can serve as an important
element in the mood or atmosphere of an adventure. At the
same time, life magic can allow player characters to become
very powerful.
2. If you use blood magic in your campaign, your players
should track any life magic damage their characters take in
the appropriate space on the Character Record Sheet. This
will help them distinguish between temporary damage
received in combat and permanent damage from using
blood magic. The damage caused by using life magic varies
in duration. Most damage from blood magic is permanent,
but some lasts only until the specific use of blood magic
expires. If a magician uses blood magic to increase the
duration of a spell, the damage can usually be healed after
the spell expires. The damage from using blood charms
lasts until the charm is removed.
3. If you decide to use blood magic in your game, make it one
of the more disturbing elements of Earthdawn. Blood magic
should serve as a reminder of the atrocities the people of
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13

selves from the Scourge. Blood magic is one of the scars the
Scourge left on this world, one created not by the Horrors, but
by Namegivers themselves.
Whenever player characters use life magic, they should feel
uneasy about doing so. Even their choice to use life magic and
what that choice requires them to do to themselves should disturb the player characters.
Though the world of Earthdawn is trying to recover from a great
physical disaster, its people are also trying to redeem themselves
for the actions they took to fend off the Scourge and the Horrors. Even in pursuit of this noble goal, the ends may not
justify the means, and the player characters should recognize that possibility.

History

lood magic originated in the magical laboratories and experiment chambers of

those men and women who would one
day found the Theran Empire.
W hen the population of Nehresham (the
center of the mind, which would become the
Eternal Library at Thera) threatened to grow
beyond its leaders control, they chose to impose
rites of initiation upon those who wished to join
the Great Project. One of these rites evolved as
a blood oath sworn between the initiate and the
leaders of Nehresham. With this oath, initiates
dedicated their lives to the Great Project and to the
completion of the Eternal Library.
This oath made with blood quickly became a tradition
among the scholars at Nehresham, and they soon began
to use it to swear oaths for other purposes as well. Former
enemies used blood oaths to swear everlasting peace, and marriages were often sealed with blood oaths. The magical energies
of the world began to pattern themselves after the practices of the
people and eventually imbued blood oaths with magic power.
Where once a man who violated a blood oath was only shunned
by those around him, now the magic inherent in the blood oath
physically marked the violator. Runic scars would appear on the
oath-breakers body where the blood for the oath was drawn. These
scars resisted all healing, including magical healing.

TheDissemination

The leaders of Nehresham sent adventurers out into the world

to collect works for the Eternal Library, and those adventurers
spread the ideas and practices of blood oaths as they traveled.
Adventurers for the Library used blood oaths to seal trade agreements, pledges of loyalty and friendship, and for other important
events and promises.
The use of blood magic spread throughout the known world,
and as the frequency of its use increased, so did the strength of
its bond to the worlds magic. And as the bond of power between
magical energy and blood magic rituals increased, so did the use
of blood magic.

Research

Other uses of blood magic evolved from this prosaic beginning.

Wizards and Nethermancers witnessed the power of blood magic
and sought to better understand it. They reasoned that if blood
magic could so powerfully seal oaths and promises, then it might
have other magical uses. They began to experiment with blood
sacrifices to power magical items. They met with limited success

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C H A P T E R 3 | Blood M ag ic

using blood magic to power existing items, but discovered methods of creating magical items powered solely by blood magic. This
research resulted in what are now known as blood charms and living
armormagical charms and armor that offer their users powerful
benefits or protection when imbued with blood magic.
During the years when research was producing blood charms,
adventurers also found (some say formed) another type of blood
magic. Heroes found that sacrificing their own blood allowed
them to improve their talents and magical abilities beyond their
races physical and mental limits. Magicians used blood magic to
increase the duration of spells, while the followers of other Disciplines used it to enhance the effects of their magical talents. In
a familiar cycle, the widespread use of blood magic strengthened
its power and caused it to manifest in still other forms. Unfortunately, this increased access to blood magic came at a time when
the people of Barsaive were becoming desperate, aware that the
Scourge would soon overtake them.

Protection

Before the Therans refined the Rites of Protection and Passage

and offered them to the people of Barsaive during the days of the
Orichalcum Wars, people sought to create individual methods
of protection against the coming Scourge. Many people experimented with blood magic, but often obtained results that proved
as horrible as or worse than the effects of the Scourge itself. These
experiments continued even as people shut themselves into the
kaers and citadels.

TypesofBloodMagic

The use of blood magic has evolved into two distinct practices.
Most characters practice a type of blood magic whose power comes
from small personal sacrifices of ones own life energy. This type of
blood magic has come to be known as life magic. Though all uses of
blood magic permanently mark the user both physically and mentally, the practice of life magic is considered relatively safe.
The term blood magic now refers almost exclusively to magic that
draws its power not from the self-sacrifice of personal life energy,
but from the sacrifice of unwilling victims. Though it is no longer
practiced in Barsaive, rumors say the Therans still use this type
of blood magic. Indeed, many attribute the Therans ages-long
pre-eminence in the magical arts to their continued practice of
sacrificial blood magic.
One faction of magical scholars believes that blood magic poses
no hazard to its users when employed in its original formfor
oaths, charms and so on. These scholars propose that blood magic
serves simply as an extension of the basic tenets of magic, and
that its use poses no more danger to adepts than the use of patterns and threads.
Other scholars claim that blood magic originated with the Horrors. These scholars insist that any use of blood magic draws the
user closer to the Horrors and that those who practice blood magic
must themselves be corrupted. The scholarly world does not fall
strictly into these two camps, however.
A third faction has seen blood magic used for both good and evil.
Though the Blood Wood offers an ever-present example of blood
magic gone horribly wrong, others have benefited from life magic
and suffered no ill effects. These individuals agree that blood magic
offers great power, but also stress that such power demands great
responsibility of those who would use it.

DeathMagic

ecause of its strong association with the painful, horrifying memories of the Scourge, Throal and nearly every
city in Barsaive forbid the use of death magic and exact
extremely serious penalties for its practice. Death magic often
attracts the attentions of the Horrors, and so most Barsaivian practitioners of death magic take care to conceal their activities from
others. We suggest that only gamemaster characters can use the
form of blood magic known as death magic, since characters who
use death magic draw on the life force of other Namegivers to
power acts of magic.
The magicians of Thera still practice death magic, usually using
slaves as sacrificial victims, and this practice serves as another
reason for Throals opposition to Theran rule of Barsaive. The
Therans continue to use death magic solely to gain the power it provides, but even Theran magicians work very hard to avoid attracting
the attention of Horrors when performing death magic.
Death magic is often used in complicated ritual magic. The durations for the use of death magic presented below represent their
use outside of ritual magic. During a magic ritual, making the tests
required to attune to a victim becomes part of the ritual in such a
manner that it can be made at the appropriate time to enhance the
tests for the ritual itself. For example, attuning a victim for shifting the Blood Magic Damage from boosting a ritualistic, hour-long
Thread Weaving Test to it becomes part of the ritualistic Thread
Weaving procedure, but separate tests are still required.

B lood M agic

Having heard of and seen the Horrors terrible power, Barsaivians

feared that even the Theran methods of protection would fail, and
so they embraced blood magic rituals to provide additional safeguards. The proven powers of blood magic led people to believe that,
if used properly, blood magic would protect them even from those
Horrors strong enough to break through the Therans defenses.
The most horrifying legends describe communities sacrificing
peoples lives to power their blood magic rituals, thereby hoping
to protect their descendants against the centuries-long Scourge.
Some communities even used lotteries to select the victims of the
blood magic. These victims were forced to accept their fate or be
banished to the outside.
These are extreme examples, however. Most Barsaivians refused
to embrace the power of blood magic so profoundly. A majority continued to use the power of blood magic only as it was taught through
the centuriesto swear oaths and promises, and occasionally to
create blood charms and provide magical enhancement.
The end of the Scourge and the opening of the kaers and citadels
marked a decline in the use of blood magic in Barsaive. Though
this decline may be a result of many things, it is most likely a reaction to the effects of blood magic as used by the elves of the Elven
Court at Wyrm Wood. Too proud to accept Theran protection
against the Horrors, the elves turned to blood magic when their
own methods of magical protection failed. The most extreme form
of blood magic lives on in the elves of what is now called Blood
Wood. Barsaivians have seen the effects of blood magic used in
desperation, and they recoil in fear and disgust from those who
accepted these methods.

RawMagicFilter

Theran magicians commonly use death magic to create raw

magic filters. The magician uses a victims living pattern to filter
the astral energies tapped for raw magic in much the same way that
a spell matrix filters polluted astral energies. The energy is purified by passing through the victims pattern and can be used by
the magician without any risk of harm.
To make use of a victim in this way, the magician must first establish and maintain physical contact with the victim. The victim must
not be able to physically resist or struggle against the magician, so
magicians performing death magic usually drug or bind their victims with restraints or spells.
Next, the magician must attune the victims pattern by making
a Thread Weaving Test against the victims Spell Defense. If the
test succeeds, the magician may use the victim as a raw magic filter.
The victims pattern remains attuned for a number of minutes equal
to the magicians Thread Weaving rank, provided the magician
maintains physical contact with the victim.
The magician then casts his raw magic spell as per the standard
rules (see the Spell Magic chapter on p.136 of the Players Guide),
but the results of the Warping Test apply to the victim rather than
the magician. As with all forms of death magic, Horrors find this
technique particularly noticeable, and so using it adds a +3 bonus
to the Horror Mark Test. Use the victims Spell Defense as the Difficulty Number. If the Horror Mark Test is successful, the Horror
marks the victim, and may choose to manipulate its new pawn
against the magician who used the unfortunate Namegivers pattern as a raw magic filter.

KarmaBoost

Gamemaster characters may also use death magic to drain a characters life force and boost their own Karma. This use of death magic
mimics the Horror power of Energy Drain, and many scholars
believe that the first characters to use the technique learned it from
Horrors or developed it in an effort to imitate their abilities.
C H A P T E R 3 | Blood M ag ic

15

Booster Charm Modifiers Table

To use death magic as a way to boost
his own Karma, the character must be
Blood Magic Depatterning Strain Base Enchanting
no farther than an arms length away
Type of Test
Damage Cost
Rating
Cost
Difficulty
from the victim. The character must first
Attribute-only Test
+1
+1
+1
+2
attune the victims pattern by making a
Initiative Test
+3

+5
successful Thread Weaving Test against
Recovery
Test

0
+2
the victims Spell Defense. The victims
Variable Bonus

1/+1
+3
pattern remains attuned for a number of
Choice Between
minutes equal to the magicians Thread

+2
Related Tests
Weaving rank.
One-time Boost

0
+2
Next, the character inflicts damage on
the victim using a weapon or spell, gaining
Bonus Split (Fend)

+2
1 Karma Point for each attack if it inflicts
a Wound. The character may damage the
victim multiple times, until he reaches his Maximum Karma Points.
as the available Karma charms cover pretty much everything that
The character may use this Karma as normal.
can be done with Karma and blood charms. Likewise, there are
some charms that dont fit any category due to their unique nature:
Garlen stones and blood matrices are good examples of these, since
DamageShift
both can only be created by a specific group of people. Improvise
Gamemaster character magicians may use death magic to supply
if a blood charm of your own design cant be created using these
the necessary life force to perform substantial acts of blood magic,
guidelinesuse the following rules as an example and extraposuch as powerful ritual magic. To accomplish damage shift magic,
late where necessary.
the gamemaster magician must first attune the victims pattern
For more information on the game terms used, refer to the Blood
by making a successful Thread Weaving Test against the victims
Charms section in the Goods and Services chapter on p.257 of
Spell Defense.
the Players Guide.
The victims pattern remains attuned for a number of minutes
equal to the magicians Thread Weaving rank. As long as the victims pattern remains attuned, the magician may draw Damage
Alteration
Points from the victim to fulfill any damage requirements (i.e.,
Blood Magic Damage: 1, 2, or 3
Strain or Wounds) of the blood magic rituals or other acts of magic
Strain: 1
that he is performing.
Depatterning Rating: 2
The magician takes no damage himself. If the gamemaster charEnchanting Difficulty: 15+Blood Magic Damage Cost
acter magician is using blood magic to bind an enchantment or
ome blood charms change a users body forever. These charms
magical item to a character, the character receiving the enchantare always susceptible to stress depatterning, but provide
ment or item must take at least 1 Strain in order for the binding
extra abilities in exchange. These charms go beyond what is posto occur.
sible with the other blood charms, but trade greater power for a
higher risk of depatterning. An Alteration charm can provide the
same bonuses as other charms; feel free to alter the base values
given above with any of the modifiers given in the tables for the
other blood charm types. Each bonus provided is increased by one
lood charms are minor magical items that require a small
additional unit, however. If the charm provides an extra ability
amount of the wearers life force in order to bond to the
that the character can use automatically (and doesnt involve any
wearer and to activate the charms magical power. Fretests, such as modified Movement rates), the Blood Magic or Perquently used in the days before the Scourge, blood charms have
manent Damage cost is always 3. Alteration charms are the most
remained popular and enjoy widespread use in Barsaives burgeonlikely group of charms to not be removable and cause Permanent
ing age of exploration, despite the very real cost they exact from
Damage
that can never be healed.
those who wear them.
While player and gamemaster characters can purchase, find, or
even re-create existing blood charms through the use of different
The wings of fire charm grants the ability of flight to a charenchanting techniques, this section is intended to give gamemasters
acter. The gamemaster decides that the Blood Magic Damage
guidelines for the creation of new charms with unique effects.
cost is 3.
Creating a new blood charm follows a series of three steps:

CreatingNewBloodCharms

Determine the Type of Effect

Determine Blood Charm Characteristics
Write Blood Charm Description

DeterminetheTypeofEffect

While blood charms have a wide variety of effects, their uses are
usually simple. The first thing that needs to be determined when
creating a new blood charm is the effect the charm provides its
wearer. Most blood charms fit into one of the categories below, but
note that this list is by no means exhaustivefeel free to add your
own categories. For example, we havent added a Karma category,

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C H A P T E R 3 | Blood M ag ic

Booster

Blood Magic Damage: 1, 2, or 3

Strain: 1
Depatterning Rating: 1
Enchanting Difficulty: 9+Blood Magic Damage Cost
ooster charms are the most common blood charm type, providing a bonus to a single, predetermined Talent, Skill, or
Damage Test. The bonus equals +1 for each point of Blood Magic
Damage the charm causes. The bonus can also be made variable,
allowing the user to choose the height of the bonus by paying an
equal number of Strain points. Some booster charms allow the
user to choose between related Action Tests. For example, an

B lood M agic

Attack Test is always followed by a Damage Testso a charm

might allow the character to choose whether he wants to boost
his Attack Test or his Damage Test. This decision must be made
upon activation. Blood charms of this type can also provide a
one-time boost: this doubles the bonus, and costs no Strain. A
fend provides protection in a special situation or a special type of
magical powers and allows the character to split the total bonus
between specific (but related) abilities or characteristics. However, one-time boosts and fend charms must be recharged after
use; which first requires the character to heal the Blood Magic
Damage caused by using the charm.
These charms can also augment other Action Tests, but these
come at different costs, as outlined on the Booster Charm Modifiers Table below. If the test in question is not a Talent, Skill, or
Damage Test, modify the base values accordingly.

A blood charm augmenting the wearers Willpower by +1

costs 1 point of Blood Magic Damage and 2 points of Strain
to activate. The charm has a Base Enchanting Difficulty of 12
(9+1+2), since it boosts an Attribute-only test. If the charm
would provide a one-time boost, the activation wouldnt cost any
Strain and the bonus would be +2. The charm would become
inert after use, however.

Enhancement

Blood Magic Damage: 1, 2, or 3

Strain: 0
Depatterning Rating: 0
Enchanting Difficulty: 9+Blood Magic Damage Cost
hese charms provide additional senses or an extra pool
of damage points. If the charm provides an extra sense
that the character can use automatically (and doesnt involve
any tests, such as Low Light vision), the Blood Magic Damage
cost is always 2. If the ability involves a test related to the sense,
a blood charm of this kind grants a bonus equal to the Blood
Magic Damage cost at the cost of 1 Strain. Enhancement charms
granting a pool of extra damage points provide 6 points per point
of Blood Magic Damage. For example, an Absorb Blow Charm
provides a pool of 12 additional damage points. After using such a
charm, it is destroyed. The Enhancement Charm Modifiers Table
provides a summary of these modifications.

A darksight eye allows a character to see in the dark as if

he possessed the racial Low Light Vision ability. A character
who already has this ability gains no benefit from wearing a
darksight eye. Since there is no test required to use this ability, the Permanent Damage cost is 2 (Permanent as it destroys
the users eye). However, a modified version of the darksight
eye might provide a +1 bonus to the wearers Perception Tests
when used in the dark at the cost of 1 point of Strain and +2 to
the Enchanting Difficulty.

Enhancement Charm Modifiers Table

Blood Magic
Base
Damage
Strain
Enchanting
Modifier
Cost
Cost
Difficulty
Sense Only
+2

Involves

+1
+2
Action Test

Poison

Blood Magic Damage: 1, 2, or 3

Strain: 0
Depatterning Rating: 2
Enchanting Difficulty: 17+Blood Magic Damage Cost
hese blood charms produce poison or diseases that may harm
others. The character wearing the blood charms is immune
to the effects of the poison or disease, since it is produced from his
body. For more information on poisons and diseases, refer to the
Adventuring chapter, p.106.
If the poison has to be applied manually (for example, requiring
the character to touch or inflict a Wound to the target), the poisons Step Number and Spell Defense are equal to the characters
Toughness step. If the poison or disease affects targets within a
given area, the poisons Step Number is equal to the characters
Toughness step at a radius of 5 yards. No armor protects against
this damage. Increasing that radius by +5 yards decreases the Step
Number by 1.
The blood charms poison or disease can also be made more
potent: for each point of Blood Magic Damage taken, increase

C H A P T E R 3 | Blood M ag ic

17

the Step Number or Spell Defense by +1, or the range of the effect
by an additional +5 yards, as shown on the Poison Charm Modifiers Table.

A spore glands charm inflicts damage on living targets within

a 10 yard radius when activated, which increases the Enchanting Difficulty for this charm from 18 to 19.
Poison Charm Modifiers Table
Blood Magic
Base
Damage
Strain
Enchanting
Modifier
Cost
Cost
Difficulty
Step Number +1
+1
+1
+1
Spell Defense +1
+1
+1
+1
Range +5 yards

+1

DetermineCharmCharacteristics

Calculate the Enchanting Difficulty based on the effect and any

modifications. The result may be further modified by altering the
blood charms Depatterning Rating: each +1 increase lowers the
Enchanting Difficulty by the same amount and vice versa. Also note
down all other characteristics for the finished blood charm.
The Blood Charm Cost Table gives typical price ranges for different types of blood charms. As a rule of thumb, the greater the

18

C H A P T E R 3 | Blood M ag ic

power of a given charm, the higher

its value in silver pieces. The final
market price and availability of
the blood charm is ultimately
determined by the gamemaster,
however, depending on the role
blood magic plays in his game.

Blood Charm
Cost Table
Type
Cost
Alteration
1001,000
Booster
100500
Enhancement 3001,200
Poison
5002,000

Enchanting

If the blood charm was developed by a player character, he must

create the new charm on his own. Since there is no existing recipe
for creating the charm, add +3 to the Enchanting Difficulty to
reflect the inherent difficulty of creating a new charm.
For more details on how player characters create blood
charms, see the Enchanting chapter on p.276 of the Players
Companion.

WriteBloodCharmDescription

Once the blood charms game mechanics have been determined,

write down a description for the charm, along with any references
to related game mechanics and any exceptions to these.
Blood charms are usually made from bones or semi-precious
stones, such as jade, amber, or quartz; some are even made from
gems. Blood charms are usually attached directly to a characters
skin, breaking through it to reach the blood needed to power the
charms magic.

Chapter Four

TheHealingArts
Nearly every adventurer will undoubtedly suffer injuries or illnesses
at some point during his explorations. To lessen the chance that such
occurrences will prove fatal, we have provided the following excerpt from
A Study of the Healing Arts, a work in progress by Loragale of Travar,
a renowned healer, scholar and questor of Garlen. We are honored
that she chose to grace this volume with her work. In her studies, Lady
Loragale has documented the medicinal properties of more than three
hundred different plants and animals in Barsaive, as well as dozens of
different illnesses and treatments for many kinds of injuries. We have
included a sampling of the Ladys fine work on these subjects, but the
constraints of space prevent us from going into exhaustive detail. Those
seeking to learn more should read the Study when it is completed (at
which time it will be made available from the Great Library, of course).
Thom Edrull, Archivist and Scribe of the Hall of Records

ust as life can sustain itself in the face of many disasters,

so the bodies of Namegivers can use their inborn healing
gifts to survive injuries and illness. Those of us privileged
to study the healing arts learn the ways that the body repairs
itself and how to aid that process with our own knowledge and
abilities. With the right combinations of healing magic, practical knowledge of the bodys ways and medicines given to us by
bountiful Nature, Namegivers can heal an amazing number of
wounds and maladies. Ever since the Passions imprisoned Death
in legendary times, the power of life has grown so strong that we
can even snatch some of our patients from Deaths very grasp,
curing injuries and illnesses that would otherwise be fatal.
Despite these advances, healing remains a slow but steady thing.
Rebuilding the body is like rebuilding a cityit must proceed
according to a careful plan, and it takes time to accomplish. Certain techniques and magic can hurry the rebuilding along, but the
healer must take care that his methods are both safe and reliable.
The healing arts will not be hurried; attempting to do so often only
brings more harm to the sufferer. Patience is the most important
quality for a healeror a patient, for that matterto have.
Healing belongs as much to the mind and spirit as to the body.
A patients strength of spirit and will to live must remain strong,
or all the medicinal teas and healing potions in Barsaive will
not save him. Those who fight for their lives and believe in their
recovery will heal more quickly and completely than those who
do not. Patients who abandon all hope often slip away despite
the best treatment. Therefore, one of the healers most important duties is to keep hope alive in the patients heart so that he
may heal himself. As the saying goes, Garlen heals the patient;
the healer merely takes the credit.

The art of alchemy blends the humble skill of herbal medicine

with magical techniques to produce potions, elixirs and
salves from various ingredients and the hidden powers they
contain. Although the practice is well known in Barsaive, it is a
complicated and time-consuming process ill-suited to everyday
needs or emergencies. Furthermore, improper alchemical

treatments often cause more harm than the illnesses and

injuries they seek to remedy. Therefore, we have
omitted Lady Loragales discussion of the alchemical arts.
For similar reasons, we have omitted much of her text on
healing magic. As any adventurer knows (or should know), a
magicians services are expensive, and many in need of healing
cannot afford such remedies (assuming a skilled magician
is near at hand to administer them in the first place). Thus,
healing spells are largely the province of nobles, the wealthy
and those adventurers fortunate enough to include a magicianhealer among their number. We have instead chosen to
concentrate on the simpler herbal remedies that will be of more
use to adventurers in Barsaives wilder lands.
Thom Edrull, Archivist and
Scribe of the Hall of Records

TheImportance
ofEarlyTreatment

ny type of injury or malady must be treated as soon as

possible, if the patient is to have any hope of full recovery. Injuries left untreated for too long or disregarded
can become infected or otherwise worsened. Diseases that begin
as mere discomforts can become fatal if the patient lacks the
proper medicines and plenty of rest.
Immediate attention to injuries promotes rapid healing and
prevents further harm. When treating a wound, the healer must
first examine it thoroughly, clean it well and stop the bleeding. A
broken bone must next be set, and finally, the wound must be properly bound or dressed to prevent infection and further injury. All
these things can be accomplished by using certain herbs or magic.
(With regard to stopping the bleeding, if no other means is available,
a wound may be sealed with fire. However, this method is excruciatingly painful and should be used only as a last resort.)
Likewise, diseases must be treated when the first symptoms
appear. Usually, we can recognize a disease from the signs it
C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

19

leaves on its victim. Sometimes, however, properly identifying a

disease can be difficult. In such cases, certain information about the
patient, such as his recent diet and activities, can often help a healer
identify possible sources of disease. Studying the patients reactions to different treatments can also provide useful information.
Once we know what the patient is suffering from, we can treat
the illness with some herbal remedy or through the power of magic.
A word of caution, however: disease is often more difficult to cure
than a sword wound or a bite because it is elusive. Indeed, one illness sometimes masquerades as another, and sometimes only a
skilled healer can tell which is which. Herbal remedies are not
always effective, and strong healing magic cannot always be had
quickly enough to do any good. Generally, a sick person should
exert himself as little as possibleif he can spend several days in
bed, so much the better.

FirstTreatment

When a character suffers damage, standard rules assume that

he has been cut or bruised and is most likely bleeding. If desired,
gamemasters can use the optional Wounds that Bleed rule in such
instances (Players Guide, p.222). Otherwise, simply assume that
characters dress and clean any open cuts following a battle.
Wounds become infected if they are particularly dirty, or if
the character fails to change his dressings regularly or otherwise
exposes the Wound to especially unsanitary conditions. For example, a character suffers a Wound in combat during which he has been
knocked down repeatedly in a large mud puddle. He is also unable
to treat the Wound, so after one or two days it becomes infected.
Likewise, if the character cleaned and dressed his Wound right away
but the next day joined a battle and got knocked into swamp water,
the Wound would become infected unless he takes care to clean
it again. At the gamemasters discretion, treat infected wounds as
injuries that impose a 1 penalty to all Action Tests based on Dexterity or Strength. Infected Wounds cannot be healed for at least 2
days, and then only if the Wound is treated and cleaned each day
after the infection sets in.
Dressing a Wound is especially important if the gamemaster is
using the optional Wounds that Bleed rule. Bleeding Wounds continue to cause the character damage until they are treated properly.
In most circumstances, simply applying pressure to a Wound will
stop the bleeding. Gamemasters may rule that particularly nasty
Wounds must be cauterized, which is most often done with heated
knife blades or other hot implements that burn the Wound shut.
Cauterization is extremely painful, and a character whose Wound
requires such treatment suffers from an injury (Gamemasters
Guide, p. 121) that imposes an additional 1 penalty to all Action
Tests based on Dexterity or Strength, as appropriate. This type
of injury can be healed after only 1 day. Wounds can also be cauterized by certain magical spells, such as Flame Flash or Ignite.
Unfortunately, using these spells in this way causes the character
to suffer the normal damage inflicted by the spell. However, the
Flame Weapon spell can be used to cauterize Wounds without
causing more than 1 Damage Point.

RestandRecovery

Rest and recovery is the best prescription for healing damage. Characters can recover from damage by using their allotted daily Recovery
Tests. At least one hour must pass between each test, and characters
who have lapseed into unconsciousness must wait at least one minute
before making the first Recovery Test. If a character is injured (takes
any damage that is not Permanent or Blood-Magic), he must make a
Recovery Test after each night of rest. Characters with only 1 Recovery
Test per day use their test each morning and can only recover after a
full nights rest. If a character has more than one Recovery Test per day,
the player may make tests during the day as per the rules for Recovering from Damage in the Players Guide, p. 220.

20

C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

Characters often use healing aids, such as booster and healing potions,
to enhance their Recovery Tests. However, a character must be conscious and able to swallow to use such a potionthese healing aids
cannot be poured down an unconscious characters throat. Doing so
inflicts suffocation/drowning damage on the character.

NaturalMedicines

ature exists in perfect balance. Thus, the very same Nature

that gives rise to many diseases (Gamemasters Guide, p.
126) has also created countless plants and herbs with curative powers. Much knowledge of these marvels was lost to us during
the Scourge, but we are fast relearning what we once knew.
Some scholars believe that there exists a cure in Nature for every
disease that has or ever will existincurable maladies, they say,
remain so simply because we have not discovered their cures. Whatever the truth of this assertion, it is certain that correctly prepared
plants and herbs act as marvelous healing aids. I shall describe
some of the most common and useful medicines known to healers across Barsaive.

AdeptsBlood

Firestone mushrooms grow virtually anywhere with sufficient

moisture to feed fungi. They appear in clumps and are easily recognizable by their reddish-orange tops. Though they are (barely)
edible, their greatest value lies in a certain potion made from them,
known as adepts blood. This red, syrupy liquid is made by boiling
the mushrooms, straining the rendered broth, then boiling it again.
The resulting syrup mixes easily with water or wine.
Healers in some areas of Barsaive use this potion to spark visions
in apprentice adepts as they advance in skillsuch vision-quests
are particularly common among the Dinganni, the crystal raiders
and certain windling tribes. Adepts blood induces a state in which
the adept experiences extraordinarily realistic waking dreams that
guide him to new levels of understanding. In some cases, images
from such visions have been known to foretell the future.
As a side effect, adepts blood greatly lowers the imbibers resistance to illusion magic. Illusionists have occasionally turned this
to their advantage, as have some spirits and even Horrors when
dealing with an adept under the influence of the potion. For this
reason, adepts blood must be used with great care.
Effect: A character who consumes a dose of the adepts blood
elixir experiences vivid hallucinations and waking dreams for the
next 4 to 16 hours. This prevents the character from fully resting
and he suffers a 1 penalty to his Recovery Tests during the next
day. The characters Spell Defense against illusion magic drops to
3 for the duration of the extracts effect.

Aloe

The f leshy, spike-shaped leaves of the aloe plant hold a thick,

sticky sap that makes an excellent poultice for burns. The sap
also soothes such skin irritants as rashes and insect bites. Found
throughout Barsaive, aloe is often cultivated for its healing properties; many Namegivers use it to make salves and creams that
also contain other herbs.
Effect: The soothing properties of aloe halve the recovery time for
burns, including reducing the number of Recovery Tests required
to heal Burn Wounds from 2 to 1.

Bloodwort

Bloodwort grows in small clusters of rough stalks, topped with

leafy tassels and lined with thin, spear-like leaves. The leaves and
tassels are dark green, edged and speckled in dark red (hence the
Name bloodwort). A poultice made from bloodwort leaves or tassels helps blood to clot quickly, prevents wounds from re-opening
and promotes swift healing.

BogMoss

Found in large quantities in marshes along the lakes and tributaries of the Serpent River, bog moss is excellently suited for dressing
wounds. When dried and cleaned, a small amount of bog moss can
absorb a vast amount of liquid. Wounds dressed with bog moss
(and regularly cleaned and changed, of course!) are far less prone
to infection and heal more swiftly and cleanly than wounds not
so treated. The dry moss can be easily stored in loose cloth bags.
Take care to keep it dry, however, as wet bog moss is useless as a
healing aid.
Effect: Bog-moss dressings prevent most infections and help
keep wounds clean if used and changed regularly. They also grant
an additional bonus Recovery Test to the injured character every
second day of treatment. This effect ceases once a character has
healed all of his Wounds and damage which have been treated
with the moss.

Coreliander

Coreliander is a flowering vine that grows throughout the Blood

Wood. It is easy to care for and blooms all year round in a startling
variety of colors. The scent of the blossoms is light and wholesome,
making it a welcome addition to any home or garden. Of special
note are the pure white blossoms, by far the least common color.
Effect: A Namegiver who eats a white blossom within 1 hour of
picking it becomes much more alert and aware, gaining a +2 bonus
to all Perception Tests made for 1 hour after eating the f lower.
Blossoms that are not freshly picked bestow a +1 bonus for 1 hour.
The blossoms lose their alertness-enhancing qualities one month
after being picked.

DragonsTongue

The dragons tongue plant features two or three broad leaves

surrounding a long, thin flower colored a vivid red. The flower
petals remain tightly closed until the plant goes to seed, giving it
the look of a long, serpentine tongue with a slight fork at one end.
When boiled in water or wine, the leaves make a broth that can
fight the effects of many poisons. This bitter-tasting drink can also
keeps groggy patients conscious and alert.
Effect: Dragons tongue is a mild stimulant and grants any character drinking it a +3 bonus on Toughness Tests against ingested
poisons, provided that the character consumes the dragons tongue
before the poisons onset time. If taken after the onset time, the
character gains an additional Toughness Test against the poisons
Spell Defense rating, but without the +3 bonus.

T h e H e a l i n g A r t s

Effect: Dressing a wound with bloodwort staunches bleeding

and grants a +2 bonus to Recovery Tests made to heal cuts and
open wounds.

Eyebright

This small, thorny bush grows amid various species of brambles. Its brilliant violet flowers can be dried and then steeped to
make a tea that improves the imbibers night vision, thus enabling
humans to see at night as well as an elf or an ork. The tea makes
the drinkers eyes unusually wide and sparkling, and its effects
generally last for several hours.
Though the dried flowers retain their potency for months, the
tea loses its effect an hour or two after brewing.
Effect: Fresh eyebright tea gives a human drinker Low-Light
Vision like that of an elf or ork for 2 hours after the tea is taken.
This effect shows itself by a slight shine and sparkle to the drinkers
eyes. Eyebright tea has no effect on other Namegivers.

GarlensHand

This wonderful flower is a true gift from the Healing Passion.

The blossom has five white petals, shot through with veins of red
and pink. The broad leaves are a rich, dark green, and the stem
and root are fleshy and soft. The plant grows in damp lowlands
and moisture-rich places such as the Servos Jungle.
When crushed, the flowers yield a reddish oil that can be mixed
with water to make a poultice or taken in a tea to promote healing and recovery from loss of blood. An infusion made of dried
and crushed flowers produces the same benefits.
The fresh root yields a clear syrup that likewise promotes
healing and helps to close wounds. The root loses its
potency once dried, but the liquid can be extracted from
fresh roots and kept in sealed bottles for later use.
Effect: Treatment with Garlens hand encourages
healing of all kinds. It provides an additional Recovery
Test each day of treatment and helps promote smooth
and rapid healing of most injuries.

Garlic

The pungent bulb of the garlic plant, used to season

food in many regions of Barsaive, can be prepared
and used to keep wounds clean and free of infection.
Fresh juice squeezed from a garlic bulb also soothes
pain and itching from insect bites and rashes and
repels small insects. Garlic grows wild in many areas
of Barsaive and is a commonly available medicine in
almost every Barsaivian village.
Effect: Garlic juice soothes and cleans rashes,
repels small insects and forces larger insects to make
a successful Willpower (7) Test before approaching a
character liberally coated with it. (It wont do much for
the characters social life, either.)
C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

21

HelmetMushrooms

Helmet mushrooms grow wild in dark, moist forests but can be

cultivated in any suitably wet climate. The mushrooms are quite
tasty when fresh, though they have no medicinal effect. However,
a brown powder made from their capsknown as Helm of Braverycan be mixed with hot water to produce a dark, bitter brew
that dispels the imbibers fears and produces a temporary feeling
of courage. Some Dinganni Warriors use helm of bravery before
a battle or hunt to help them resist fear; this artificial fearlessness,
however, often leads the user to foolishly disregard dangers. The
effects of the powder generally lasts a few hours.
Effect: When consumed, Helm of Bravery provides a +3 bonus
to a characters Social Defense rating against fear and intimidation. Unfortunately, the bravado it inspires prohibits the character
from taking a Defensive Stance or Giving Ground while under the
influence of the drug. The character must make a successful Perception (9) Test to recognize and withdraw from certain danger.
The effects of Helm of Bravery last 2 to 4 hours from the time the
mushroom is consumed.

JikarRoot

The jikar plant is mostly long, wide leaves that spring from a
white, fleshy root. Whether cooked or eaten raw, fresh jikar root
serves as a powerful heart tonic, granting the eater great vigor
and energy. The root can be used to counteract the sleep-inducing effects of some poisons and diseases, as well as to maintain
wakefulness for a full day and night without sleep.
When the effects of the root wear off, the patient will feel tired,
listless and irritable. Prolonged use of jikar root can endanger ones
health, causing chronic nervousness and bouts of irrational terror.
Effect: Fresh jikar root gives the character a powerful energy boost
that allows him to immediately recover all damage from Strain and
Fatigue. However, when the root wears off, the character gains all that
damage back again and must recover it normally. This can be dangerous if the character has continued to exert himself since taking the
root; the accumulated damage can render the character unconscious or even kill him if it exceeds his Death Rating.

MahoganyTrinrose

The rust-colored mahogany trinrose is native

to the Mid Reach of the Serpent River, where
its vines climb the steep sides of the regions
many canyons and cliffs. Its strong, unmistakable cinnamon-and-musk scent often
wafts across the whole of the Mid Reach
on warm, breezy days. The petals can
be boiled to make a pleasant-tasting
tea that promotes healing and general
well-being; it is especially tasty taken
with a touch of honey.
Effect: Any character who drinks
tea brewed from mahogany trinrose petals gains a +3 bonus on his
next Recovery Test that day. Trinrose blossoms are also the only
known cure for infestations of the
blood algae that blooms along large
stretches of the Serpent.

MistBlossoms

These ghost-white, trumpet-shaped

flowers grow abundantly in the steamy
heat of the Mist Swamps, where they
were first discovered, and also in other
hot and swampy regions of the Servos

22

C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

Jungle. So strong is the mist blossoms affinity for warmth that it

dies rapidly if moved to cooler climates.
The white flowers and delicate leaves can be crushed and boiled
to form a poultice for treating burns of all kinds. A mist blossom
poultice soothes pain and discomfort, promotes healing, wards off
infection and helps to repair burned skin without scarring.
Effect: A poultice of mist blossoms heals burn damage more
rapidly than normal. Burns will heal like normal Wounds, at the
rate of one burn per Recovery Test used (Gamemasters Guide,
p. 121). Also, mist blossoms grant a +3 bonus to all Recovery Tests
to recover from burn damage.

MynbrujesBalm

This plant, also known as Mynbrujes staff, grows in a straight stalk

some two feet tall. Its leaves are hairy and broad, and small, bluish-purple flowers grow in a dense cluster near the top of the plant. Mynbrujes
balm flowers in high summer and can be found in open fields and forest
clearings. When boiled as a tea or steeped in wine, the leaves create a
brew that reduces pain and discomfort. Mynbrujes balm smells and
tastes much like lavender, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Effect: A tea or infusion of Mynbrujes balm eliminates all penalties from Wounds and the effects of Injuries for up to 4 hours,
allowing the character to act normally during that time. However,
it does not heal damage or protect the character from further injury,
and existing injuries may be aggravated if a character using the
balm strains himself too much while under its pain-killing influence. At the end of 4 hours, the character once again suffers the
full penalties of any current Wounds or Injuries.

Sarfran

Also known as bone stem, the sarfran plant has a thin, brittle,
cream-colored stem and broad, jagged leaves. When broken in
pieces and boiled, the stem and leaves yield a milky broth that pro-

SerpentVine

A flowering creeper, the serpent vine grows wild throughout

many of Barsaives forests, where it climbs the trunks and branches
of large trees. The serpent vine has glossy, arrow-shaped leaves and
a sprinkling of white and yellow flowers that can be dried and then
ground into a fine powder. When mixed with a little water to make
a paste, this powder can draw poison from a wound. It is especially
effective against snake venom of all kinds.
Effect: A poultice of serpent vine paste, applied immediately
to a poisoned Wound, grants the character an additional Toughness Test to purge it from his system. The character gains a +5
bonus to his Toughness Test if the poison originates from a snake
or snake-like creature.

induce a state of single-minded concentration on whatever objective those who consume it have in mind. This stubborn attention
to one single thing tends to make a character who eats surrunic
rude and thoughtless toward others, especially if those others are
attempting to change his mind. According to persistent rumor,
Theran spies use surrunic to resist interrogation.
Effect: Surrunic seeds give a character who chews them or drinks
them in tea a +3 bonus to his Social Defense for all Interaction Tests
made against him. However, surrunic also imposes a 3 penalty
on all of the characters own tests against other characters Social
Defense and makes the character single-minded, brusque and rude.
These effects usually last for a couple of hours.

Thalen

The small, pale-blue flowers of this ground-covering creeper can

be crushed and applied to a wound or brewed as a tea.
Effect: The crushed flowers temporarily prevent blood from clotting, allowing a wound to be cleaned and tended. Once a wound
treated with sindolin has been cleaned and closed, other herbs can
be used to speed the clotting of the blood and seal over the wound.
The tea serves admirably as a blood tonic and also cures certain
diseases of the blood and heart.

Thalen is a low-growing shrub native to the Servos Jungle whose

flat, triangular leaves can absorb amazing amounts of liquid. Thalen
leaves make an admirable dressing for wounds, soaking up blood
and soothing pain at the same time. I have heard tales of thieves
and gamblers placing a thalen leaf under their tongue to allow them
to engage in drinking bouts without becoming drunk. Apparently,
the leaf absorbs most of the wine or ale, so the miscreant stays
sober while his mark becomes sodden. Whether these tales are
true or not, I cannot say.
Effect: If the gamemaster desires, a character may hold a thalen
leaf in his mouth to absorb any liquid that he drinks. In the case of
alcohol, the leaf absorbs enough of the first couple of pints of ale
or glasses of wine for the drinks to have no effect. However, once
the leaf has done so, it reaches its capacity to soak up more fluid,
and has no further effect. Of course, the character now also has a
mouthful of swollen thalen leaf to spit out without being seen.

SkyLotus

Trailfruit

Sindolin

The sky lotus is a rare water-lily species that grows only in the
calm eddies near the banks of the Tylon River north of Kratas. The
sky lotus bears a beautiful blue flower sometime after midsummer.
Soon after the flower opens, the lily begins to float above the surface
of the water, with only a thin, threadlike stem connecting the bloom
to its roots. By late summer, the flower typically hovers 10 yards or
so above the water. This phenomenon is caused by the small pockets
of elemental air that sky lotuses trap within their bulbs. As summer
progresses, the sky lotus bulbs expand, absorbing yet more of the
precious elemental substance and causing the lotuses to float ever
higher. Astellan of Kratas has observed that when fall comes and the
lotuses wither, their bulbs simply drift away on the wind.
Effect: Alchemists and magicians across Barsaive will pay up to
12 silver pieces for a sky lotus bulb. 10 to 12 such bulbs allow the
magician to extract one kernel of True air.

StarRoot

A low-growing forest plant, star root has silvery leaves covered with
delicate hair and bears a small, star-shaped flower. The fruit of the
flower, a dark blue berry, can be crushed and the juice mixed with
wine to make a tincture that helps to counteract the effects of poisons
and cleanse them from the body. However, star root closely resembles
night root, which is a deadly poison if taken internally. Thus, one must
gather star root with great care to avoid making a potentially fatal mistake. The leaves of night root are lighter on the underside than those
of star root, and the berries are somewhat darker in color.
Effect: Consuming the juice of star root berries lets the character make an immediate Toughness Test against the Spell Defense
of any poison in his body.

Surrunic

The surrunic plant has a hard, brown stalk that produces pods
filled with small black seeds. When roasted, these seeds can be
chewed or brewed into a dark tea. In either of these forms, the seeds

T h e H e a l i n g A r t s

motes the mending of broken bones if taken regularly every two

days. The broths chalky flavor can be disguised somewhat with
the addition of sugar or honey.
Effect: A broth of sarfran gives a character an additional Recovery Test per day to recover from damage to his bones, such as that
caused by the Bone Shatter spell and similar effects.

Trailfruit ferns are the result of an early experiment by blood

warders to make survival easier for the blood elves during and
after the Scourge. The ferns grow in tall clumps, with fruit in small
bunches at the base of each plant. The oblong-shaped fruit is brown
and wrinkly, about the size of an elf s clenched fist. The skin is
chewy, but the flesh inside is smooth with no apparent seeds. Trailfruit tastes a bit like spiced figs, with an earthy aftertaste.
Effect: For most Namegivers, two trailfruits are as satisfying and
nourishing as a full meal (though trolls and obsidimen have been
known to require four or five). Unfortunately, trailfruit retains
this magical quality for only a short time. Two days after picking,
it is no more nourishing than ordinary fruit.

Tranceweed

Numerous varieties of tranceweed grow in the Blood Wood, all

recognizable by the small tassels at the top of their stalks. These
tassels contain seeds that scatter in a strong wind.
Effect: Burning the seeds produces a hallucinogenic smoke that
inspires prophetic visions in those who inhale it. (The occurrence
or accuracy of such visions is entirely at the gamemasters discretion.) Chewing a tranceweed stalk produces a light, calming trance
that can be a useful aid to relaxation. A character may voluntarily
break such a trance at any time, but a character who stays in the
trance for a full hour gains a +1 bonus to any Recovery Test made
at the end of that hour.

Vreela

Vreela grows in a thin, woody stalk one to two feet tall, from
which spring thin leaves that are slightly curled along the edges.
Fresh leaves, bruised and then boiled in water, make a poultice
that relieves the pain of many wounds. This poultice will make the
patient slightly drowsy and disoriented, however.
If taken internally, vreela induces convulsions and vomiting,
followed by unconsciousness. If enough is consumed, the victim
C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

23

will die. In certain hinterland villages, small amounts of vreela are

ingested as an emergency measure to purge the system of some
more-lethal substance. However, calculating a safe dosage is so
risky that such use is ill-advised. Care must also be taken when
brewing the leaves, as the steam rising from the infusion sometimes induces hallucinations.
Effect: A vreela poultice relieves any pain from Wounds and
eliminates all penalties for Wounds and injuries. It also makes the
user drowsy, giving the character a 1 penalty to all Action Tests
while the effect lasts. Vreela is toxic if taken internally. It will induce
convulsions and vomiting, then unconsciousness and eventually
death if enough is ingested.

HealingMagicand
GarlensBlessing

ealing magic is swifter than herbal remedies, though not

always as sure. Spells of healing infuse energy into the
patients pattern, thereby repairing damage to the pattern caused by injury or illness. Such spells can restore a patient
to health with wondrous speed but can also be disastrous if used
without sufficient knowledge of the patients condition. For example,
a spell might heal the scars caused by a ravaging disease without
eliminating the imbalance of bodily elements that first brought
on the illness.
Likewise, I have known ill-informed magicians to set broken
bones through magicbut because the magician knew nothing
of setting and splinting the bone before working his spells upon it,
the bone failed to re-knit properly. Some wielders of healing spells
take trouble to learn the non-magical healers art to complement
their talents, and these are healers of surpassing skill. But far too
many so-called healers merely offer a magical shortcut to real healing. Such shortcuts should be used with care.
The greatest healing power known to us belongs to Garlen, Passion of Hearth and Home. Through all who heal, by magic or other
meansbut most especially through her devoted questorsshe
eases the suffering of Namegivers and cures us of our ills. The Passions power enables her questors to restore others to health with
a mere touch, healing a wound or making a broken limb whole
again as if no injury had ever been done to it. According to legend,
some questors of Garlen who show her the greatest devotion are
rewarded with abilities far beyond those that most of us enjoy.
No ailment or injury is beyond their power to cure, and it is said
such questors can wrestle with Death himself to protect a fellow
Namegiver from harm.
Garlen has also chosen certain places as her own, investing them
with her comforting and healing presence. The Passion prefers
sheltered, secluded spots that symbolize the renewal of life and
hopeshe particularly favors small springs, groves of young trees
and grottoes. The waters and the plants that grow at these sites have
greater healing powers than ordinary specimens, and many such
blessed places have become the most sacred sites of various healing
orders and followers of Garlen. Members of these orders minister
to the needs of all who come in search of succor and protect the
sacred sites from any who intend to abuse their power. My own
Order of the Blessed Hearth lives in a small chapter house in the
Grove of Rowandown, four days walk north of Urupa. There, we
offer food and shelter as well as healing to all in need of it. Many
of us also spend much of the year ranging across Barsaive, bringing the healing gifts of our Passion to isolated villages.
Additionally, those injured or dying far from all aid have often
described visions of Garlen, who appears to them and miraculously brings them to safe havens. I have transcribed here one such
account, from my dear friend Jorlan Kelonce a Warrior, who
became a questor of Garlen after this experience.

24

C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

The evil minions of the Hand of Corruption fought fiercely

against us. Though we vanquished them, our victory was a
hollow oneall of my comrades died at the very hands
of those they slew. I alone was left alive, and so
grievously hurt that I knew I could not live much longer.
With the last of my strength, I dragged myself from the field of
battle into the dark woodland. I was too weak to think clearlyI
had some confused notion of finding some shelter to die in, such as
a woodsmans hut or some such, so that at least the vultures could
not pick my poor bones. Arm-length by arm-length I dragged
myself along, feeling my lifeblood ebb from my wounds. Just as
my strength seemed about to fail me, I saw a small cottage in a
clearing. Hope gave me new strength, like the last flare of a candle
flame before the candle diesbut before I reached the cottage
door, darkness and pain overcame me.
I awoke some time later in a warm bed, before a banked hearthfire. My wounds had been carefully cleaned and bandaged.
Warmth and comfort surrounded me like an embrace. Over the
fire hung an iron cauldron, from which arose the savory smell
of bubbling stew. Bunches of dried herbs hung from the rafters,
adding their rich, spicy scents to the air. A woman was sitting near
the fire, mending my torn clothes. Her belly was rounded with
child, and when she saw me gazing at her, she smiled at me. Her
smile was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
She fed and tended me for three days and nights, during which
my wounds healed with impossible speed. I asked her Name, but
she wouldnt tell me. She said she lived alone, and she never spoke
of her childs father. When I had fully recovered, she gave me my
clothes and weaponsall of which had been restored to bright
newnessand sent me on my way. Some months later, I returned
to the site of the cottage but the clearing showed no sign of ever
having been disturbed by a Namegivers hand. When I saw this, I
knew that my savior had been the Passion Garlen, and I swore to
serve her faithfully from that day.
Unknown

Though the power of Garlen allows us to work seeming miracles, it is not without limit. Questors of the healing Passion must
all learn the hard lesson that we cannot cure all the worlds suffering or even all the suffering we see. Few questors can halt the
ravages of disease or poison without the aid of herbal medicines
and other non-magical cures, and even Garlen cannot always hold
back the specter of Death.

Resurrection

ertain Earthdawn talents, spells and items enable characters to cheat death by avoiding it at the moment it comes
knocking or even resurrecting dead characters. Both methods are difficult, but the former is more common than the latter.
Death cheat blood charms, the Life Check talent and last chance
salves all enable a character to escape death at the moment of reckoning by allowing the character to make an immediate Recovery
Test. If the test result heals enough of the characters Total Damage
to prevent it from exceeding his Death Rating, the character lives.
Resurrecting characters who have been dead for some time
from hours to centuriesrequires even more powerful magic.
When using spells such as Journey to Life, the subject can have
been dead only a short time. For characters who have been dead
for a long time, returning them to life is best handled as a special
adventure in which the dead characters companions and friends
travel into the realm of Death and attempt to return their loved
one to the world of the living.

T h e H e a l i n g A r t s

BloodMagicandSpells

Blood magic is intimately connected with the forces of life and

death. Death cheat charms, which are fashioned with blood magic,
enable their bearers to escape death at the very last momentbut
only at some cost to the bearers life force. More powerful forms of
blood magic consume the wielders life but allow him to perform
great feats of magic before he dies.
Certain spells can also bring a Namegiver back from the dead, but
these enchantments are rare and difficult to cast. All of them require
the lost spirit to find its way back to the body in which it lived, a slow
process indeed. The body must be kept whole and free from decay
while the spirit wanders, for no spirit can stay in the world of the
living unless it has a sound body in which to reside. Tales abound
of Nethermancers whose spells permit spirits to possess the bodies
of other living beings, rather than returning to their own, but as far
as I know these tales are no more than frightening stories.

TheKingdomofDeath

In an age long past, the Passions imprisoned Death beneath the

liquid fire of Deaths Sea. They did this out of their love for their
children, the Namegivers, so that we might not die.
But Death is too powerful to be wholly conquered, even by the
Passions. Though his power is weakened, Death still holds sway over
the realm of the living. Because of the Passions bold act, however,
it is possible to cheat Death of his prize. If a Namegiver is brave
or foolhardy enough to dare Deaths kingdom, he may snatch the
life of a loved one from Deaths very hands.
Those few who have traveled to the Kingdom of Death and
returned to speak of it each tell a different tale. Some have described
Deaths domain as a paradise. Others speak of it as a realm of endless torture, while still others tell of an unfathomable place where
certain themes or acts are played out over and over again, apparently for eternity. Many claim that a Namegivers deeds in life
determine his experience in death, but no one can prove this for
certain. Some claim to have met and spoken with the Passions in
Deaths domain; others say that the Twelve are barred from that
realm, save perhaps for the Mad Passions, who seek to end Deaths
imprisonment for some arcane purpose of their own.
Deaths true form is likewise unknown to us. Those Namegivers
who claim to have encountered Death all describe him in different
ways. Sometimes Death appears as a close relative or friend, sometimes as a hated enemy or rival, sometimes as a complete stranger.
Others have described Death taking the form of a Passion or even
a Horror. (This last incarnation may mean that Horrors can travel
to the realm of the dead or simply that Death takes the form of the
things Namegivers most fear. The truth remains unknown.)

Escaping Deaths Domain

Of the form and substance of Deaths realm, we can know nothing for certain. Of traveling to and from it, we know a little. Death
comes to Namegivers when the body can no longer sustain its
True patternwith the pattern broken, the spirit f lees its confines and enters the Kingdom of Death. (Some spirits remain in
the world of the living as creatures of astral space, bound to life
by some vow or strong magic, such as the workings of Horrors
but such things are the province of Nethermancers and beyond
the scope of this work.)
Once the spirit has f led, only powerful magic can bring a
Namegiver back to life. Some charms, magical salves and whatnot
can prevent the spirit from fleeing the dying body, if they are administered in time. I know certain Warrior adepts who use their fierce
magic to come back from the brink of death in battle or bargain
with Death, gaining themselves longer life by promising to surrender to Death when their last battle is over. Other enchantments of
even greater power can allow a spirit to return from Deaths kingdom. However, retrieving a spirit that has fallen under Deaths

4
dominion is a heroic task that only the strongest magic and bravest heart can accomplish.

The Mystery of Deaths Favor

Some dying Namegivers who unaccountably revived have spoken

of appearing before Death, only to be told that their time had not
yet come. Upon regaining consciousness, they claimed that Death
sent them back to our living world. Others who so appeared before
Death speak of having begged for a reprieve, that they might finish
some matter of great importance in life. According to legend, the
Troubadour Elaen of Travar wrote so sad a ballad about his own
demise that Death himself was moved and allowed Elaen to return
to life for hundreds of years before he finally claimed his soul.

Retrieving a Soul from Deaths Kingdom

According to legend and tradition, certain magical rituals allow

living Namegivers to enter the kingdom of Death.
One tradition contends that when Death sleeps, the living can
visit the masque of Deaths dreams through magic and attempt to
retrieve a lost spirit. However, the visitors life is forfeit if he should
choose the wrong soul, and the masked spirits of the dance use flattery and all manner of deception to secure their own chance for
renewed life. Other tales tell of tunnels, caves and passages deep
in the Earth that lead beneath Deaths Sea. These hidden ways
may indeed be real, but no-one that we know of for certain have
returned to speak of such a journey.
The following tale illustrates another magical rite by which a brave
heart may rescue a lost spirit from Deathbut only at a price.

The Tale of Josara, the Thief Who Stole from Death

Long ago, before the Scourge, the Thief adept Josara lived in the
human kingdom of Landis. Josara had performed many a daring
deed and was far advanced in the ways of her Discipline. So skilled
a Thief was she that she could steal the sun and the moon from the
sky if she chose to.
Of all the treasures Josara ever stole, the one she loved most was
the heart of her husband, the Air Sailor Orlan Windrunner. Now
C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

25

Orlan was himself an adventurer of great renown and had always

sworn that nothing but the spirit of adventure itself should ever
claim his love. So when Josara stole his heart away, it was a
feat truly worthy of a master Thief. These two heroes loved
each other deeply and spent many a year traveling Barsaive
together and performing daring deeds.
During one such expedition, a shadow spider
attacked the pair. Although Orlan and Josara
escaped from the terrible creatures lair, the spider
managed to bite Orlan, who died from its deadly
poison not long after. Grief-stricken, Josara spent
most of the treasure the two of them had gained
to buy her dead beloved a tomb that floated high
above the mountains. This wondrous monument
could be reached only by airship or through the
aid of a bound air spirit that protected the tomb
from looters.
But as rich and beautiful as the tomb was, it
could not soothe Josaras wounded heart. And
so she gathered her few remaining possessions
and set off across Barsaive, seeking sages and
scholars and magicians who knew the way to
the realm of Death. Josara even spoke to the
Keys of Death, those madmen who claim to
be Deaths questors, that she might learn their
secrets. All this she did with one end in mindto
travel to Deaths realm and steal her beloved from
Deaths cold grasp.
In time, Josara learned that Death hoards lives
as a miser hoards gold, and a master Thief like Josara
knew nothing so well as how to relieve a miser of his
treasures. So she gathered a vast store of knowledge
about Death and his kingdom and made her way to the
shores of Deaths Sea. There, she wove the many secrets
she had learned into a powerful magical ritual. For nine
days and nights she worked in the rocky badlands along the
shores of the fiery sea, until all was in readiness.
In the darkness of the new moon, Josara drank a vial of poison
she had made of white remis berries, ground pearls from Aras
oysters and venom from the shadow spider that had killed Orlan.
Then she lay upon a blanket embroidered with magical runes and
symbols. She felt a terrible cold overtake her limbs, dispelling the
fierce heat of Deaths Sea. Lethargy crept over her, but she fought
to keep her wits about her. She knew she would need them if she
hoped to succeed.
Josara passed into the realm of Death, far below the liquid fire
into an endless maze of underground passages, tunnels and caves.
All were lit by the flickering flames of the burning sea above, and
all were stuffed with treasures. Gems and fine weapons, gold and
silver and pretty trinkets, even orichalcum coins enough to ransom
a kingdom lay scattered about as far as Josara could see. Josaras
Thief heart leapt at the sight of such wealth; she could feel the warm
fingers of the Passion Chorrolis brush across her soul, urging her
to take just one pretty bauble.
But Josara had not come into the realm of Death to seek such
treasures as might be found in the world of the living. She wanted
only the life of her beloved Orlan. So she turned her eyes away
from the glittering heaps and moved through the dim tunnels like
a shadow, looking for her love. For hours and hours she walked,
but saw no one. In all those tunnels there was no living thing
neither Namegiver nor mouse nor even the smallest insect. Josara
began to despair of ever finding Orlaninstead, she would be
trapped forever in these forlorn tunnels, with untold wealth as
her only companion.

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C H A P T E R 4 | T he Healing A r t s

Passions! she cried in anguish, I would give all this wealth

all the wealth in the worldto be with my Orlan once more!
Just then, a man appeared before her. He was human, broad and
fat, dressed like a wealthy merchant. He wore all manner of costly
jewels, and the purse at his belt bulged with coins. Everything about
him cried out to Josara to give him the gift of theft.
Would you indeed, Josara? he asked as he reached into the folds
of his velvet cloak. He withdrew a ruby the size of a childs fist and
the color of blood. It gleamed seductively in the tunnels dim light.
Josaras Thief heart skipped, for she had never seen so fine a gem.
The merchant held the ruby out to her. Would you truly surrender such treasures as this? Visions danced in Josaras head. She
knew she could take everything this merchant had, and much of
the treasure that lay all around her. She could be the richest Thief
in the world, living in luxury for the rest of her life. But her love for
her husband was greater than the call of her Discipline.
I want no treasure but the life of my true love, she replied.
The merchant smiled and tucked the ruby away. In an instant,
Josara found herself lying on the shore of Deaths Sea with Orlan
asleep in her arms.
Some say the mysterious merchant was Death himself, who
traded Josaras Thief magic for Orlans life. Others say it was the
Passion Chorrolis who made the bargain. But all anyone knows
for certain is that Josara lived quietly and happily with her beloved
for many more years.

Chapter Five

LegendaryTreasures
Keep that gleam in your eye, boy. Treasure such as I
have seen gleams even more. See what I have seen and
you too will risk death to hold it, to call it yours.
Garlthik One-Eye, Ork Thief

his chapter describes Legendary Treasures, magical

items that are unique in the world of Earthdawn. Unlike
with Thread Items or General Treasure, only one of each
item exists. Weaving threads to these items follows the same rules,
though, see the Thread Magic chapter of the Players Guide and
the Magical Treasures chapter of the Gamemasters Guide. The
following chapter gives further insight into designing your own
Legendary Treasures and how these items come to be.

AmuletofAgamon

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 24
Legend Point Cost: Master
This amulet consists of a ruby gem fastened into a gold setting
fashioned in the shape of a scarab. The amulets red cord boasts a
number of smaller gems, all in settings similar to that framing the
large gem. The amulets settings are made of a gold/orichalcum
alloy that gives the jewelry an unusual luster and means that the
metal never needs polishing and cannot be scratched.
This rare treasure is one of relatively few magical items created
since the Scourge. The magician Agamon hailed from a citadel
nestled in the Thunder Mountains. He led a party of heroes out
into Barsaive shortly after the end of the Scourge. He created this
amulet during his travels as a means of storing additional spell
matrices, but the amulet gained additional defensive power as
his journeys continued.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the amulets Name.

Effect: The wearer adds +1 to his Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wearer adds +2 to his Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Three

Effect: The wearer adds +2 to his Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer adds +3 to his Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the place
where Agamon created the amulet.
Effect: The amulet now holds a spell matrix of a rank equal to
the thread rank. This is treated as if the amulet was also a Spell
Matrix Object (Players Guide, p.280).

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The wearer adds a +2 rank bonus to his Steel Thought

talent.

BandsofFortune

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Bands of Fortune are a mismatched set of bandsa silver
circlet, an iron ring, a gold ring, a leather headband, and a bronze
forearm bracefirst wielded by an adventuring group called Fortunes Favorites. The group met its end at the hands of a Horror
that, ironically, defeated them primarily through its Cursed
Luck power. The bands are thought to have been scattered across
Barsaive since the demise of their original owners.
The bands were the adventurers group pattern items but have
since taken on additional properties. Each of the bands has
become a magical treasure in its own right, and can be used independently of the others. However, the bands can be used only by
characters who have woven threads to a group pattern.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that his band is one
of the Bands of Fortune and must learn that specific bands
Name.
Deed: The wearer must have woven a thread to a Group True
Pattern item.
Effect: The wearer may store a number of Karma Points up to
the woven Thread Rank to the band; he decides whether Karma
is stored in the band or his normal Karma Pool when performing
his Karma Ritual. The wearer can transfer Karma Points between
his normal Karma Pool and the band as a Standard Action by
taking 1 Strain per Karma Point transferred.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wearer may spend 1 additional Karma Point on any

Action Test for which he can normally use Karma. This Karma
Point must come from those stored in the band.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name, Discipline, and race of the member of Fortunes Favorites who wore
this particular band.
Effect: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to the Karma Step of any
Karma Points spent from the band.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to the Karma Step of any

Karma Points spent from the band.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the

Horror who slew the original owner of the band.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

27

Effect: For 3 Strain, the wearer spends all Karma Points stored in
the band on a single Action Test for which he can normally spend
Karma. Also, as a Standard Action, the wearer may transfer Karma
Points to another of the Bands of Fortune if its wearer has woven a
thread to the same Group True Pattern and is within line of sight,
taking 1 Strain per Karma Point transferred.

Bloodwall

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
Bloodwall is a large oval shield made from translucent red crystal, with an inlay of beaten copper and gold around its rim. The
shields frame supports the crystal, enabling the wielder to see
through the shield as through red glass.
Bloodwall was made by the troll Weaponsmith Nemar Firewalker
in the years before the Scourge. Following an inspiration from his
Passion, Upandal, Nemar traveled on foot across the Twilight Peaks
to Deaths Sea. Filled with the Passions power, he walked across
the seas burning surface to a small fools island, where he discovered a sheet of living crystal as red as blood. He took the crystal
and returned safely to the shore, with an image of the crystals true
form burning in his mind.
Gripped by the fever of creation, Nemar set up his tools along
the shore of Deaths Sea. He worked tirelessly for days in the burning heat, carving and shaping the crystal and forging the frame to
hold it. When his work was finished, he returned to his trollmoot
bearing the finest shield that their Sky Raiders and Warriors had
ever seen. Nemar Named the shield Bloodwall and presented it to
Odan Astaru, the chief of his clan, as a gift. The chieftain was greatly
honored, and the story of Nemar Firewalker was told throughout
the trollmoots of the Twilight Peaks.
Bloodwall was lost when Firewalkers trollmoot was decimated
shortly before the Scourge. Though the tale of the Weaponsmith
and his magical creation have survived, no one has yet discovered
the fate of Bloodwall.
With no threads attached, the shield is treated as a standard
crystal raider shield.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the shields Name
is Bloodwall.
Effect: The shield is now Physical Armor 5 and Mystic Armor 5.

Deed: The wielder must seek out a trollmoot in the Twilight

Peaks and use Bloodwall to aid the moot in some wayassisting
the moot in a raid, protecting them from danger, or inspiring them
to some feat of glory.
Effect: The shield now has no Initiative Penalty. It also adds
an additional +10 to Physical and Mystic Armor against heat and
fire attacks.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The shield is now Physical Armor 7, Mystic Armor 7, and

has a Deflection Bonus of +5/+5.

Thread Rank Seven

Deed: The wielder must travel to Deaths Sea and call upon the
Passion Upandal to witness the glory of Nemar Firewalkers creation. Then the wielder must step into the sea, trusting in the power
of Bloodwall and Upandal to protect him. The wielder makes a
Willpower (12) Test. If the test succeeds, he can walk across the
surface of the Deaths Sea and back without harm. If the test fails,
the wielder suffers Step 30 damage from the molten stone and
cannot attempt the Deed again for a year and a day.
Effect: The wielder gains the power Bloodwall Vision. While
looking through the crystal of the shield, the wielder gains a +3
rank bonus to his Astral Sight talent, but he can only see astral
space in the field of vision covered by the shield. Any Astral Sight
Tests made automatically counts as Sensing Tests for illusions in
the field of astral vision.

BracersofFirewind

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
These two golden arm bracers were wielded by the legendary
Elementalist Aras Firewind, renowned before the Scourge for
her prowess with spells of fire and air. The details of her demise,
rumored to have occurred during the final days before the Scourge,
remain a mystery. Ornate engraving and gems decorate both bracers. The ruby-studded Fire bracer features images of flames. The
sapphire-studded Wind bracer features images of clouds and
storms.

Thread Rank One

Effect: The shield adds an additional +5 to Physical and Mystic

Armor against heat and fire attacks.

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the bracers are
Named the Bracers of Firewind.
Effect: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to his Spellcasting and
Thread Weaving (Elementalism) Tests.

Thread Rank Three

Thread Rank Two

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the story of Nemar Firewalker and how he created Bloodwall by the shores of Deaths Sea.
Effect: Bloodwall helps the wielder defend against attacks that
rely on eye contact (such as the Frighten or Steely Stare talents).
If the wielder views his opponent through the translucent crystal
of the shield, he may avoid any attack directed against his eyes or
relying on eye contact. The wielder may make an Avoid Blow or
Parry Test against his opponents Attack Test result to avoid being
affected, even if the attack targets his Spell or Social Defense. The
shield is now Initiative Penalty 1.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The shield is now Physical Armor 6, Mystic Armor 6, and

has a Deflection Bonus of +4/+4.

28

Thread Rank Five

C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

Effect: For 1 Strain, the wearer can throw a bolt of fire or air at
a target up to 50 yards away. The wearer makes a Spellcasting Test
against the targets Spell Defense. The wielder may use his Perception step to make the Spellcasting Test if he does not know the
Spellcasting talent. If the test succeeds, the target is struck; the type
of bolt determines the effect. With a fire bolt, the wearer makes a
Willpower+2 Test to determine how much damage is inflicted on
the target. Physical Armor protects against this damage. With an air
bolt, the wearer makes a Willpower Test, the result of which is the
Difficulty Number for a Knockdown Test the target has to immediately make, though the target takes no damage from the bolt.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn where the bracers were
created.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

Effect: The wearer adds +1 to his Physical Defense. The wearer

now makes a Willpower+4 Test for the fire bolt, and a Willpower+2
Test for the air bolt.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer adds +1 to his Spell Defense. The wearer now
makes a Willpower+6 Test for the fire bolt, and a Willpower+4
Test for the air bolt.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wearer must locate the original elemental spirits

that Aras Firewind summoned when she created her bracers. The
wearer must then convince the spirits to give their blessing to the
continued use of the bracers.
Effect: The fire and air bolts range increases to 100 yards. The
wearer also gains the fire shield and wind shield powers. Either
power may be used against one attack per round for 1 Strain per
power, though both may be used against the same attack. The fire
shield works in a similar manner to the Lightning Shield spell (Players Guide, p.182), but with an Effect Step equal to the wearers
Willpower. Use of fire shield has to be announced before the attack
is made. The wind shield deflects incoming attacks with a concentrated gale of air. To use this power, the wearer makes a Willpower
Test against the Attack Test result. If the test succeeds, the wind
shield deflects the attack.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The fire and air bolts range increases to 150 yards. The
wearer gains a +2 bonus to his Spellcasting and Thread Weaving
(Elementalism) Tests.

Thread Rank Seven

Deed: The wearer must find out what became of Aras Firewind
and pay tribute to her memory at the site of her demise.
Effect: The wearer adds +2 to his Physical and Spell Defense.
The wearer now makes a Willpower+2 Test for the fire shield and
wind shield powers.

DennasBrooch

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 15
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
Denna was an elven Elementalist who lived in Wyrm Wood before
the Scourge. Though she left the Wyrm Wood to find more reliable
protection against the Horrors, she remained loyal in mind and heart
to the Elven Court, hoping it would survive the coming devastation.
Determined to help if she could, Denna studied elemental wood
and its magics. Before she left Wyrm Wood, Dennas father, one of
Queen Alachias advisors, gave her this brooch to remind her of her
home. After leaving Wyrm Wood, Denna became a known scholar
of the history of the elven nations, recording a history of the Elven
court from the time of the Schism to the (then) present.
Dennas Brooch is made of silver edged with fine gold. The shape
of the brooch is an inverted triangle, two inches to each side. In the
center of the triangle is a starburst fashioned from red jewels.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the brooch is Dennas Brooch.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Spellcasting Tests when
casting Elementalism spells.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Thread Weaving (Elementalism) Tests.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of Dennas

father.
Effect: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to any Research or Knowledge Tests he makes while researching any aspect of the history
of Barsaive.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer gains a +3 bonus to his Thread Weaving

(Elementalism) Tests and to Spellcasting Tests when casting
Elementalism spells.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wearer must travel to the site of Dennas home within
Wyrm Wood, now Blood Wood, and remain there for five days and
nights. During this time, the wearer can take no action against any
living denizen of the Blood Wood.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to any Research or Knowledge Tests he makes while researching any aspect of the history
of Barsaive.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The wearer gains a +3 bonus to any Research or Knowledge Tests he makes while researching any aspect of the history
of the Elven Court or its legends.

Thread Rank Seven

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn where Denna traveled

after leaving Wyrm Wood.
Effect: When within the confines of Blood Wood or when casting an Elementalism spell involving wood or plant life, the bonus
to the wearers Thread Weaving (Elementalism) and Spellcasting
Tests is +5.

DevastatorSpear

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
Frightening in appearance, this spear is an eight-foot length of
dark brown wood lined with runes that depict its origins. Rumor
claims that the spear was constructed using the blood of a Horror
as the source of its enchantment. The tip of the spear is made of
chiseled obsidian, polished to a blinding sheen. The magic of the
spear maintains the shine of its tip, which never dulls.
Despite its appearance and size, with no threads woven to it,
the spear has the same characteristics as a normal spear, including thrown Range.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of this
spear is the Devastator Spear.
Effect: The spear is now Damage Step 7.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

29

designed to enable the wearer to resist the magic of other great

dragons. The original wearer unfortunately came to believe that
the armor had made him immune to dragon attacks and so became
arrogant in his power. He was killed for insubordination by the
dragon that made the armor.
Without a thread woven to it, the armor has the same characteristics as a normal suit of chain mail. The armor cannot be damaged
or destroyed by the Dragon Breath power.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
armor is Trakir Elthro (the draconic words for dragon-proof ).
Effect: The armor is now Physical Armor 11.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: When thrown, the spear splits into a number of spears

equal to its thread rank; the wielder may choose to throw fewer
than the maximum number of spears. These spears may be targeted
against one character or against different characters. The wielder
makes a Throwing Weapons Test against the highest Physical
Defense among the target group. The result of this test applies to
all the image-spearsall the spears either hit or miss. After the
attack, all the image-spears disappear, and the Devastator returns
to the wielders hand. Using the Devastator Spear in this manner
causes the wielder 1 Strain for each spear thrown.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the first
victim slain by the spear.
Effect: The spear is now Damage Step 8.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wielder gains a +2 bonus to Throwing Weapons Tests

when throwing the spear.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wielder must defeat a creature in single combat. The

wielder may throw the Devastator Spear only once, and that attack
must either kill the creature or knock it unconscious.
Effect: The spear is now Damage Step 9.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The spear increases the wielders nimbleness when avoiding attacks. The wielder adds +2 to his Physical Defense while
wielding the spear.

Thread Rank Seven

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the Horror
whose blood was used in the construction of the spear.
Effect: The spear is now Damage Step 10. The wielder gains a +4
bonus to Throwing Weapons Tests when throwing the spear.

DragonMail

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 21
Legend Point Cost: Master
The Dragon Mail is a suit of 6 to 8 layers of chain mail woven
from an extremely fine wire and forged of a black metal unlike any
commonly worked metal in Barsaive. The suit is tailored for an ork
or perhaps a human, though an elf could also wear it comfortably.
Astral examination of the armor or a successful Item History Test
against the armors Spell Defense reveals that it is saturated with
dragon or dragon-like magic.
This unique chain mail suit was created by a great dragon for
one of his servants to wear while in human-like form. The suit was

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C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The armor is now Initiative Penalty 2. The wearer adds

+4 to his Mystic Armor against magical attacks made by dragons
and drakes.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the first
person to own the armor.
Effect: powers. The result level required to inflict an ArmorDefeating Hit against the wearer is now one higher (usually from
Excellent to Extraordinary instead of Excellent), and attacks made
by dragons cannot inflict Armor-Defeating Hits against the wearer.
The wearer is also immune to the Venom dragon power.

Thread Rank Four

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the dragon
that created the armor.
Effect: The armor is now Initiative Penalty 1. The wearer adds
+6 to his Mystic Armor against magical attacks made by dragons
and drakes.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the person for
whom the armor was created was killed by a dragon.
Effect: The armor is now Physical Armor 12 and Mystic Armor 2.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The armor does not have an Initiative Penalty. The wearer
adds +8 to his Mystic Armor against magical attacks made by dragons and drakes.

Thread Rank Seven

Deed: The wearer must swear a blood oath to serve a great

dragon.
Effect: The wearer may store up to 10 Karma Points in the armor.
The wearer may spend these Karma Points as normal. To store
Karma Points in the armor, the wearer makes a Karma Ritual as
normal, but adds the Karma Points bought to the pool of the suit
rather than his normal Karma Pool. The wearer adds +2 to his
Physical, Spell, and Social Defense against attacks by dragons
and drakes.

Thread Rank Eight

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn why the dragon created the armor.
Effect: The dragon to whom the wearer swore the blood oath
may give some of its own Karma Points to the wearer. These points
are stored in the armor, and the wearer can spend them as normal.
When the wearer spends these Karma Points, he uses the dragons
Karma Step instead of his own. If the armor stores a mix of the
dragons and the characters Karma Points, these are kept track of
separately, but both are added to count against the limit of 10.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

Thread Rank Nine

Effect: The armor is now Mystic Armor 4. The wearer adds +3

to his Physical, Spell, and Social Defense against attacks by dragons and drakes.

FarlissDagger

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
Farliss the Great once wielded this dagger. A Troubadour in the
time before the Scourge, Farliss told stories describing the legends
of the Martyr Scholar and of Jaron the Everliving, and he personally battled the Horrors throughout Barsaive.
Farliss Dagger has an ebony handle distinguished by a deep
blue gem set in its pommel. The blade is made of shining steel, with
blackened runes etched on either side. Without any threads woven
to it, it has the same characteristics as a normal dagger.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of this
weapon is Farliss Dagger.
Effect: The dagger is now Damage Step 3.

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: In the early days of the Scourge, Farliss traveled all across the province battling Horrors. At the end, when
he was forced to retreat into a kaer, he chose to join the village
of Tardim. The wielder must learn where Farliss lived during the
Scourge, and how he died.
Effect: The dagger is now Damage Step 5.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: Farliss fought a series of confrontations with a

Horror Named RIshann. Though he was constantly searching for
a way to finally defeat the Horror, Farliss only obtained the dagger,
which he learned was destined to destroy Horrors, between their
final two battles. Farliss managed to Wound the Horror with the
dagger. The wielder must learn the Name of the Horror from whom
Farliss drew blood while using the dagger.
Effect: Even 1 Damage Point inflicted by the dagger will cause
a Wound on a Horror or Horror construct.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The dagger is now Damage Step 6.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wielder must locate and visit Farliss tomb. There he
must pledge to spread the legend of Farliss across Barsaive.
Effect: The dagger can now detect the presence of Horrors and
Horror constructs. For 1 Strain, the wielder makes a Perception Test
against the Spell Defense of the closest Horror or Horror construct
within 500 yards. If the test succeeds, the gem in the pommel of the
dagger glows a faint blue for 10 combat rounds. This ability does not

provide direction or exact distance to the Horror or its construct, but

simply indicates that it is nearby. While the gem glows, the dagger is
Damage Step 12 against Horrors and Horror Constructs.

KegelsSword

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 17
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The dwarf Warrior Kegel used this sword for nearly 20 years. It
was buried with him when he died, but stolen by tomb robbers.
Rumors of its subsequent appearances and disappearances still
make the rounds of tavern gossip.
Kegels Sword is a broadsword of shorter-than-average length.
The swords hilt contains a small ruby that glows when the swords
magic is activated. The blade is a dull steel-gray, with fine runes
carved along it. These runes describe some of Kegels adventures.
The tip of this sword is blackened, as if by long exposure to soot
and ash. With no thread woven it, the sword has the same characteristics as a normal broadsword.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of this
sword is Kegels Sword. He must also learn the Name of Kegels
beloved, to whom he pledged the sword.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 8.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9. For 1 Strain, the wielder
may make the tip of the sword blaze into flame, acting as if it were
a torch. Each use of this effect lasts for one hour, or until the flame
is extinguished.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the swords
creator.
Effect: The wielder adds +1 to his Physical Defense. For 1 Strain,
the wielder can attach himself firmly to the earth. The wielder gains
a +6 bonus to his next Knockdown Test. The effect lasts for one
hour, or until used, whichever comes first.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wielder adds +2 to his Physical Defense. For 1 Strain,

the wielder may take on a more fluid form. Though retaining his
basic shape, he can flow around an attackers blow. The wielder
chooses when to do this; the flowing effect adds +6 to the wielders Physical Armor against the next attack. The effect lasts for one
hour, or until used, whichever comes first.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: Kegel undertook a quest for a fire elemental,

an earth elemental, a water elemental, and an air elemental. The
wielder must learn the Name of the four elementals with whom
Kegel bargained to empower his sword.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

31

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 10. For 1 Strain, the
wielder can call on the power of the winds to chill the blade edge
to bone-freezing cold. When used against a target affected by cold,
the wielder gains a +6 bonus to his next Damage Test. The chilled
edge lasts for one hour, or until used, whichever comes first.

Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to his Detect Trap

talent.

Thread Rank Seven

Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to his Disarm Trap

talent.

LormsAxe

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 7
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
Lorms Axe is a large battle-axe and belonged to Lorm, a fledgling
troll hero who died in Kaer Jalendale. The handle is made of lightcolored oak. The blade has large black stains along both edges.
With no threads woven to it, the axe has the same characteristics as
a normal battle-axe, but is extremely heavy, weighing 15 pounds.

Thread Rank One

KolldarsGloves

Maximum Threads: 3
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
These gloves belonged to Kolldar the Thief, an ork who lived in
the ancient ork kingdom of Cara Fahd. The gloves once belonged to
a wealthy merchant who flaunted the gloves in public. Kolldar saw
the merchants attitude as a challenge, and stole the gloves to use in
his training as a Thief adept. The gloves are made of fine, light brown
leather, stitched with an intricate pattern in bright blue thread. Though
sized for an ork, the gloves magically adjust to fit any size hand.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
gloves are Kolldars Gloves.
Effect: The wearer gains a +1 rank bonus to his Lock Picking
talent.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to his Lock Picking

talent.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the person
from whom Kolldar stole the gloves.
Effect: The wearer gains a +1 rank bonus to his Picking Pockets talent.

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
axe is Lorms Axe.
Effect: The axe is now Damage Step 12.

Thread Rank Two

Deed: Lorms Axe is destined to blood Horrors and their constructs. The wielder must inscribe his own Name on the haft of the
axe. The wielder then hunts down a Horror or a Horror construct,
invokes Lorms name, and strikes his opponent in close combat.
Effect: The axe is now Damage Step 13.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the axes
creator.
Effect: The wielder adds +1 to his Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The axe is now Damage Step 14. The wielder adds +1 to
his Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the trollmoot to which Lorm belonged.
Effect: The wielder adds +2 to his Spell and Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to his Picking Pockets talent.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: Kolldar became a legendary figure before the Scourge, and

many tales tell of his wondrous abilities, each tale more glorious
than the last. The wielder must learn the tale of one of Kolldars legendary feats and tell the story to a group of no less than 100, among
which 10 percent must be thieves, mundane or adept.
Effect: The gloves can help the wearer talk his way out of troublesome situations. The wearer gains a +1 bonus to any Charisma-based
Tests he uses to get (or stay) out of trouble.

Thread Rank Six

Key Knowledge: Kolldar was also known for his talent for dealing
with traps, both magical and mundane. His prowess in this area is generally attributed to his gloves, which the ork considered a lucky charm.
The wearer must learn the nickname Kolldar gave his gloves.

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C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

MaskofOltion

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 16
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
Oltion was a Wizard known for his intricate devices and peculiar
sense of humor. He created dozens of items, most of them utilitarian, most not meant for use in combat. The Mask of Oltion is a
fine silken mask with eye and mouth slits. When affixed properly,
it covers a persons entire face. The mask is a deep royal blue, and
the eye and mouth slits are embroidered in pale blue.

Mirror

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 15
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
The ironwood buckler known as Mirror sports a dull iron plate
in its center, a reinforcing rim of bronze, and espagra-leather hand
straps. The Weaponsmith who forged this buckler created it as
a companion piece to the broadsword Named Smoke (p.203).
Without a thread attached to it, Mirror has the same characteristics as a normal buckler.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

of all those fighter-types asking, When are you going to build

something useful?)

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
shield is Mirror.
Effect: The wielder adds +1 to his Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The shield is now Physical Armor 3 and Mystic Armor 1.

Thread Rank Three

The wearer must always think of the mask as the Mask of Oltion,
but never refer to it as the Mask of Oltion. At the table, the player
must always use the exact phrase when telling the gamemaster that
his character is using the Mask of Oltion. If he fails to say Mask of
Oltion, the item will not work. On the other hand, if the players
character ever refers to the mask during in-game conversation or
explanation as the Mask of Oltion, the mask freezes its magic
for a period of 24 hours.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
mask is the Mask of Oltion.
Effect: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to his Recovery Tests.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The mask will mimic the face of any character the wearer
can remember. The wearer gains a +2 bonus to any Charisma-based
Tests he makes when attempting to deceive others into believing
he is the person whose face he wears.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn Oltions race.

Effect: The wearer gains a +3 rank bonus to the Astral Sight
Talent while wearing the mask.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer adds +1 to his Spell and Social Defense.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the adventuring group to which Oltion belonged.
Effect: For 5 Strain, the wearer can create a giant column of
flame that erupts on top of a target up to 60 yards away. The wearer
makes a Spellcasting Test against the targets Spell Defense. The
wielder may use his Perception step to make the Spellcasting Test
if he does not know the Spellcasting talent. If the test succeeds, a
pillar of fire erupts from where the target is standing. The wearer
makes a Willpower+30 Test to determine how much damage is
inflicted. Physical Armor protects against this damage. (Oltion
built this last effect into the mask primarily because no one else
had figured out how to build such a big effect into a device with
so many other innocuous effects. He also apparently grew weary

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
shields creator is Vsthrix, a tskrang Weaponsmith.
Effect: The shield is now Physical Armor 4 and Mystic Armor
2. The wielder adds +2 to his Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Four

Deed: The wielder must locate the sword Smoke and attach a
thread to it.
Effect: The shield gains the Blinding Reflection ability. For
1 Strain, the iron plate brightens. Any opponent who can see the
shield is distracted by light gleaming off the metal. The wielders
opponent must make a Perception (7) Test. If the test fails, the
wielder gains a +3 bonus to his next Attack Test against that opponent. If the sword Smoke is ever lost, the wielder cannot use the
blinding reflection ability until the sword is recovered.

MonturksCarpet

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 19
Legend Point Cost: Warden
Monturk was a Theran Wizard, a dwarf killed for throwing his lot
in with the wrong Theran faction. Though he failed in his attempt
to create a permanent flying carpet, he ended up creating a far more
unusual object than just a flying rug.
Monturks Carpet is a small 6 foot by 4 foot carpet, its edges
fringed in fine golden silk. The multi-colored designs and patterns
on the carpet are of Theran origin, set against a striped background
of blue, red, and yellow. Woven into these stripes are threads of
gold and luminescent elemental air.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The owner must learn that the Name of the
carpet is Monturks Carpet.
Effect: The carpet is alive, but remains dormant until a thread
is attached to it. The mystical energy from the thread revives the
carpet. Monturks Carpet can fly, but is not strong enough to carry
much weight. In addition, its temperament is ill-suited for flying
carpet-hoodeven if able to do so, the carpet generally refuses
to carry other living beings, although it is sometimes willing to
carry letters or small packages weighing no more than five pounds.
Monturks Carpet will serve its master in other ways. It can scout
ahead, fight alongside its master, and use other abilities as the
thread rank increases.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

33

Monturks Carpet

DEX: 5
STR: 2
PER: 5
WIL: 4
Initiative: 8
Actions: 1
Attack (1): 6
Damage:
Unarmed (2): 4
Death: 63
Unconsciousness: NA
Wound Threshold: 18
Legend Award: NA
Powers: Spellcasting (2): 7

TOU: 13
CHA: 4
Physical Defense: 7
Spell Defense: 9
Social Defense: NA
Physical Armor: 4
Mystic Armor: 3
Recovery Tests: 6
Knockdown: NA
Movement: 6*

This value is the carpets flying Movement Rate

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The carpet gains the ability to make tones and whistles.
It cannot speak words, but will try to communicate simple ideas
through sounds that the owner will learn to understand in due
time. The carpet gains a +2 bonus to its Initiative, Attack, and
Damage Tests.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The owner must learn how and in what year
Monturk was killed.
Effect: The carpet may transfer Recovery Tests to its owner.
The carpet makes a Spellcasting Test against the owners Spell
Defense. If the test succeeds, one of the carpets Recovery Tests
is transferred to the character. The owner makes that Recovery
Test using the carpets Toughness step rather than the characters
Toughness step, but cannot use any other means to increase the
step. The carpet may transfer a number of Recovery Tests per day
up to the Thread Rank woven to the carpet.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The carpet gains a +4 bonus to its Initiative, Attack,

and Damage Tests and adds a +1 bonus to its Physical and Spell
Defense.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The carpet was worked with threads of gold and elemental air, worth 2,500 silver pieces (500 for the gold, 2,000 for the
elemental air). Neglect and a harrowing escape from Monturks
enemies have damaged these threads. Having the rug rewoven
strengthens the magic in the carpet.
Effect: The carpet forms a telepathic link with its owner through
which both can transmit speech-like thoughts. The link has a range

of 250 yards, and is a Free Action to use. The carpet adds a +2 bonus
to its Physical and Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The carpet gains an ability similar to the Levitate spell

(Players Guide, p.181) covering a 3 yard by 6 yard area behind the
carpet. The levitation ability lifts up to 2,000 pounds, but can only
lift objects up to a height of 10 yards above the ground. Unlike the
Levitate spell, the levitation area moves along with the carpet, permitting characters to levitate behind the carpet as it flies.

Neverburn

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Novice
The magical torch called Neverburn was created as a dying legacy
by Gathrad, a troll Illusionist who was seriously wounded by ghouls
and succumbed to the ghoul poison in his system. Without a thread
woven to it, Neverburn looks like a normal torch.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
torch is Neverburn.
Effect: As soon as a thread is woven to the torch, it glows in a
manner similar to the Light spell (Players Guide, p.181). The light
cannot be doused except by concealing the torch.

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
torchs creator was Gathrad.
Effect: The wielder may turn the torch on or off by speaking
its Name and giving the appropriate command: Neverburn off
turns off the torch; Neverburn on turns it on.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that Gathrad was a

troll Illusionist.
Effect: The wielder gains the troll Heat Sight racial ability.

Thread Rank Four

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that Gathrad was killed
by ghoul poison.
Effect: The wielder gains a +3 bonus to tests made to resist ghoul
poison.

Thread Rank Five

Effect: The wielder gains a +3 bonus to tests made to resist any

type of poison, and a +5 bonus when resisting ghoul poison.

Nightscar

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 23
Legend Point Cost: Master
A Nethermancer named Noir Darkwind created Nightscar
during the Scourge as a weapon against Horrors. Darkwind imprisoned an ally spirit Named Gloom within the blade to give the
wielder additional powers to call upon and to give the sword its
own intelligence and experience. Gloom can telepathically communicate with anyone who has woven a Rank 2 or higher thread
to the sword, but the spirit has come to resent its imprisonment
after a few hundred years and wants only to be free from Nightscar.
Unfortunately, Glooms freedom would mean the destruction of
the sword, and so far no wielder has been willing to destroy Nightscar to release an ally spirit that might very well be insane after
centuries of imprisonment.

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C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name

of the sword is Nightscar.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 8.

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the

Name of the spirit trapped in the sword is Gloom.
Deed: The wielder must win a Contest of Wills
(Players Guide, p.212) against the spirit to establish
dominance.
Effect: The wielder can communicate with Gloom
telepathically while touching the sword. Additionally,
the wielder can call on the spirits various powers as
described for Spirit Binding (see the Enchanting chapter on p.158 of the Players Companion). Gloom is a
Strength Rating 4 ally spirit with the following
powers: Aid Summoner, Astral Sight, Empathic
Sense, Lifesight, Confuse, Detect Trap, and
Detect Weapon. Any time the wielder uses
one of Glooms powers, the wielder must pay
the standard Strain cost for the power. Any
time the wielder tries to call on Glooms abilities, the spirit initiates a Contest of Wills. Only
if the wielder succeeds in winning the contest, can
he can use the power.

Thread Rank Three

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9.

Thread Rank Four

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the history

of Nightscar and the Name of the Nethermancer who
created it.
Effect: The sword holds a spell matrix, allowing the
wielder to cast the Ethereal Darkness spell. The wielder may
use his Perception step to make the Spellcasting Test if he does not
know the Spellcasting talent. The wielder need not weave any spell
threads; he takes 2 Strain instead. The wielder is considered to be a
Nethermancer for purposes of using this ability, and is unaffected
by Ethereal Darkness spells cast by himself or others.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wielder of Nightscar must Wound a Horror in

combat.
Effect: For 3 Strain, the wielder can call on the swords Chillblade power. This power makes the sword freezing cold and inflicts
that same numbing cold on anyone struck by it. After his next successful Attack Test, the wielder makes a Spellcasting Test against
the targets Spell Defense. The wielder may use his Perception step
to make the Spellcasting Test if he does not know the Spellcasting
talent. If the test succeeds, the target is frozen in place, and cannot
take any actions for a number of rounds equal to the wielders Willpower step. Each round, the target may make a Willpower (12) Test
to break free of the chill. If the test succeeds, the cold ends and the
target is free to act again.

NiokusBow

Maximum Threads: 2 Spell Defense: 24

Legend Point Cost: Master
Nioku was a troll Archer, a female hero of an earlier time.
She is one of the very few heroes who could truthfully claim
to have killed a dragon in one-on-one combat.
Niokus Bow is a longer-than-average longbow, made of
dark oak with small grooves along its sides lined with fine
red crystal. The bowstring is made of catgut lined with elemental air. With no threads attached, Niokus Bow has the
same characteristics as a normal longbow.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

Nightscar is a magical sword with a blade carved from

black crystal, set in a silver hilt and pommel. The hilt and
pommel are blackened with age. The flat sides of the blade
are etched with magical runes, which are also filled with
silver, and a rounded black crystal of the same material as the blade is set in the pommel. With no threads
attached, Nightscar has the same characteristics as a normal
broadsword.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name

of the bow is Niokus Bow.
Effect: The bow is now Damage Step 9.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The bows Ranges increase to Short: 250

(125); Long: 51100 (2650). The wielder gains a
+1 bonus to Attack Tests made for the bow.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: Nioku made arrowheads from the

bones of slain enemies. The wielder must learn
the Name of one of Niokus enemies.
Deed: The wielder must carve twelve arrowheads from the bones of one of his enemies.
Effect: The bow is now Damage Step 10.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The bow is now Damage Step 11. The

wielder adds +1 to his Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of

the first person killed by the bow.
Effect: The bows Ranges increase to Short: 260
(130); Long: 61120 (3160). The wielder adds +1 to
his Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The bow is now Damage Step 12.

Thread Rank Seven

Key Knowledge: Legends tell of a long-running competition

between Nioku and an elven Archer named Talondel. Talondel
had been corrupted by a Horror, though he did not fall under its
control. He and Nioku crossed paths and competed in feats of
Archery, which always ended in a tie, for more than seven years.
Nioku finally defeated Talondel, who was shortly thereafter captured and held in rune chains in a dwarf prison. Several months
after she defeated Talondel, Nioku uncovered the lair of a Horror
that had been terrorizing Sky Raiders, including members of her
trollmoot. Nioku could not defeat the Horrors magic because the
creature knew too much about her. Soon after her failed attack, the
Horror ravaged another Sky Raider camp, killing Niokus uncle
and younger brother.
Nioku traveled to the dwarf prison where Talondel lay chained
and asked the elf to slay the Horror that was killing her kinsmen.
In exchange, she would convince the dwarfs to pardon the elf. Talondel laughed at her proposal, asking how he could kill a Horror
that Nioku and her mighty bow had not been able to touch. Nioku
swore a blood oath and offered Talondel her bow to use against the
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

35

Horror, and to keep if he killed it. Impressed by her willing sacrifice, Talondel accepted the offer. The power of the oath somehow
allowed Talondel to use the bow while it still drew power from
Niokus thread.
Talondel slew the Horror, then disappeared. Nearly fourteen
months later he returned and gave the bow back to Nioku, saying
that from this day forward he must use his own magic. As Nioku
touched her bow, it began to glow, then became translucent with
a silvery sheen. The bow had taken its most powerful form. The
wielder must learn the legend, and the Name of Niokus elven
Archer competitor.
Deed: The wielder must give the bow to a previously defeated
enemy. The enemy will perform a Deed with the bow, and is then
entitled to keep the bow. Whether or not the enemy character ever
returns the bow is up to him. The wielder may not accompany the
other character, nor send anyone else along with him, either to help
or keep an eye on the enemy; the former enemy is on his own. The
bow continues to draw power from the wielders thread.
Effect: The wielder adds +2 to his Physical and Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Eight

Effect: The bow is now Damage Step 13.

Thread Rank Nine

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the Horror
that Talondel killed using Niokus Bow.
Effect: The bow is now Damage Step 14. The wielder gains a +2
bonus to his Willpower Tests when resisting the effects of spells
or other magical effects.

Thread Rank Ten

Effect: The bow becomes translucent and silvery like a silverspeckled moonbeam. The bow is now Damage Step 15. The wielder
gains a +3 bonus to Attack Tests made for the bow.

Pathfinder

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
Pathfinder was made by the dwarf Scout Flannon Farseer, who
wandered the wilds of Barsaive not long after the Kingdom of
Throal opened its gates to the outside world. Farseer explored and
re-discovered much of northern Barsaive and recorded his journeys by carving them on his trusty walking stick.
Over time, the staff he Named Pathfinder became an important
part of Flannon Farseers legend and gained some aspects of the
Scouts magic and knowledge. An aging Farseer eventually returned
to Throal to spend his final few years at home-but without his magical staff. When asked what had become of it, he claimed that he

36

C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

had given it to a young Scout on the road because Pathfinder still

had many trails to blaze.
Ever since that time, Pathfinder has ended up in the hands of different travelers and adventurers in Barsaive. Sometimes the staff is
passed on willingly; other times, it simply seems to turn up wherever the greatest opportunity to travel far and wide exists. Many
Barsaivians have speculated that a kind of intelligence guides the
staff and that it has powers far beyond those known to its wielders.
So far, any such powers remain just another aspect of the legend,
however.
Pathfinder is a walking staff made of dark wood, with an elaborate map of northern Barsaive delicately carved in a spiral around
it. Thin strands of orichalcum wire are wrapped around the staff,
serving as the maps winding roads and paths. Pathfinder is about
five feet long, which makes it a bit short for most obsidimen or
trolls but well-suited for an elf, human, ork, tskrang or dwarf. With
no threads attached, Pathfinder has the same characteristics as a
normal quarterstaff.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the staffs Name
is Pathfinder.
Effect: The staff is now Damage Step 9.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wielder gains a +2 rank bonus to the Tracking talent

and a +2 bonus to Perception Tests.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn about Flannon Farseer, the first bearer of Pathfinder, and all of his journeys across
Barsaive.
Effect: The wielder gains a +2 rank bonus to the Astral Sight
talent.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The staff is now Damage Step 10. The wielder adds +1 to
his Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wielder must travel the path followed by Flannon

Farseer on his first exploration of Barsaive after the Scourge. This
journey takes about two months on foot and takes the character through the northern reaches of Barsaive, including the Scol
Mountains, Lake Vors, the Scytha Mountains, Blood Wood and
the Caucavic Mountains.
Effect: The wielder gains a +2 rank bonus to the Safe Path
talent.

Thread Rank Six

Deed: The wielder must bring Pathfinder to a place where it has

never been before and carve a sign into the staff to symbolize the
journey. This Deed is more difficult than it may soundPathfinder
has traveled throughout most of Barsaive, so there are not many
new places left for it. The gamemaster should feel free to drop hints
about appropriate places to which the character might travel.
Effect: By taking 3 Strain, and rolling Pathfinder over dirt, sand
or soft clay, the wielder can create a map of Barsaive that shows his
current location. This map, drawn on the dirt or sand over which
Pathfinder is rolled, can then be copied or used for navigation. Pathfinder cannot provide information on any place to which it has not
been, so certain areas of the map (at the gamemasters discretion)
may still be blank or sketchy. Also, the map is not highly detailed;
the gamemaster determines exactly how much detail Pathfinder
can impress in the dirt or sand.

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the Wizard
who cast the illusion on the sword.
Effect: The wielder gains a +9 bonus to his Damage Tests against
Horrors and Horror constructs. For 4 Permanent damage that can
never be healed, the wielder can use blood magic to use Purifier
to deal a devastating strike to a Horror. When the wielder invokes
this power, the blade becomes searing hot; the wielder gains a +28
bonus to his Damage Tests against the target Horror or Horror
construct (instead of the +9 bonus), and even 1 Damage Point
from a successful attack against the Horror automatically inflicts
a minimum of 10 Wounds.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

Thread Rank Six

Smoke
Purifier

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Master
Purifier was created at the direction of King Varulus I of Throal
when the Horrors first began to enter the world, and was used by
many of the heroes of pre-Scourge Barsaive. According to legend,
a powerful Wizard cast a spell on the sword to make it look old
and rusted.
Purifier appears as a worn, rusty broadsword, damaged from several years use by many different heroes. Carved along the blades
flat side are runes bearing the symbols of the Kingdom of Throal
and of King Varulus I. With no thread woven to it, Purifier has the
same characteristics as a normal broadsword, but is only Damage
Step 2 (from the rust).
Before a character can weave any threads to Purifier, he must first
remove the spell that changes its appearance. The spell resists any
attempts to dispel it as if it were an Eleventh Circle spell. . Once the
spell is removed, the character can weave threads to the sword.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the swords Name
is Purifier.
Effect: The sword can be wielded by anyone, regardless of size
or strength. The sword is now Damage Step 8.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: When used against Horrors, the blade glows red hot. The
wielder gains a +3 bonus to his Damage Tests against Horrors and
Horror constructs.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Names of the

Weaponsmiths who created the sword.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wielder gains a +6 bonus to his Damage Tests against

Horrors and Horror constructs.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the first
owner of the sword.
Effect: The sword can detect those who have been corrupted by
a Horror. The wielder makes a Spellcasting Test against the Horrors Spell Defense. The wielder may use his Perception step to
make the Spellcasting Test if he does not know the Spellcasting
talent. If the test succeeds, the wielder is alerted to the Horrors
corruption.

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 15
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
The broadsword called Smoke features a hilt wrapped in espagra
leather and a smoky-gray steel blade with a ruby-studded fuller. The
Weaponsmith who made this sword created it as a companion piece
to a buckler Named Mirror (p.199). Without a thread woven to it,
Smoke has the same characteristics as a normal broadsword.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
sword is Smoke.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 8.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9. The wielder gains a +1

bonus to Attack Tests for attacks with the sword.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
swords creator is Vsthrix, a tskrang Weaponsmith.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 10. The wielder gains a
+2 bonus to Attack Tests for attacks with the sword.

Thread Rank Four

Deed: The wielder must locate Mirror and attach a thread to it.
Effect: The sword gains the Mystic Strike ability. For 2 Strain,
the sword blade becomes insubstantial for the next Attack Test. If
the attack succeeds, the wielder makes a Damage Test as normal.
Physical Armor provides no protection against this attack. If the
buckler Mirror is ever lost the sword loses the Mystic Strike ability until the shield is recovered.

Soulsafe

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 16
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
The origins of the windling-sized medallion known as Soulsafe
are unknown, though the protection it gives its wearer against
spells is well documented. The earliest mention of Soulsafe appears
in legends from the troll kingdom of Ustrect, where Gresham
Thunderstrike, a minor ruler, claimed it as a prize from a band of
windlings. After having the medallion redesigned to fit his huge
frame and emboldened by the windlings claims that it would make
him immune to magic, he was promptly fried to a crisp by the next
magician he met. The medallion is now part of a troll-sized pendant;
the fine chain that once graced it has long since disappeared.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
medallion is Soulsafe.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

37

Deed: The wielder must return the medallion to its original

state by removing it from the troll-sized backing plate and stringing it on a chain crafted by windlings (though the chain need not
be sized for a windling).
Effect: The wearer adds +1 to his Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wearer adds +1 to his Social Defense.

Thread Rank Three

Effect: The wearer adds +2 to his Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Four

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the

windling who crafted the medallion.
Effect: For 4 Strain, the wearer adds +4 to his Spell Defense for
4 rounds. During this time, any attack made against the wearer
by a Horror or Horror construct, or any Horror power or spell
that mimics a Horror power, requires 1 Result Level higher than
normal to affect the wearer (usually, a Good Result instead of an
Average Result).

StaffofVylir

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Staff of Vylir is actually a nondescript brown leather glove
fashioned by the legendary tskrang Elementalist Vylir of House
Vstrimon. Concerned that others might try to steal her fabulously
bejeweled staff, Vylir transferred the staffs enchantment into the
glove that she wore on the hand she used to hold the staff.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
glove is the Staff of Vylir.
Effect: The wearer gains a +1 rank bonus to the Spellcasting
Talent. Once per day, for 1 Strain, the wearer may form a 6 foot long,
gilded, jewel-encrusted staff from any piece of wood at least 1 inch
thick and 8 inches long. In addition to the jewels, which cannot
be removed, the staff has several small indentations in its surface.
The staff reverts to its previous form if it remains out of contact
with the glove for a number of hours higher than the Thread Rank
woven. The staff is used like a normal quarterstaff.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: For 1 Strain, the gloves wearer may throw the jeweled
staff as a spear. The staff acts like the Spear spirit power (Gamemasters Guide, p.216). The wearer makes a Spellcasting Test against the
targets Spell Defense. If the test succeeds, he makes a Willpower+2
Test to determine how much damage is inf licted on the target.
Physical Armor protects against this damage.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: Vylir had a famous academic rivalry with a

fellow member of the College of the Vine. The bearer must learn
the Name of this rival.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to the Spellcasting
Talent.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer may use the Detect True Element spirit power
(Gamemasters Guide, p.213). Using this power requires the wearer
to place one kernel of the True element to be detected into one of
the indentations on the staffs surface. Each kernel so placed enables
the wearer to use the Detect True Element power for one day. The

38

C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

kernels are consumed at the end of the powers duration. The powers range is a number of miles equal to the Thread Rank woven.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: A message is hidden in the pattern of the gems

covering the staff. The wearer must decipher this message.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to the Willforce
Talent.

Thread Rank Six

Deed: The Shivalahala Vstrimon helped Vylir create her staff.

The wearer must persuade the current shivalahala to re-consecrate
the treasure.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus on any Action Test made to
summon or control elemental spirits. This includes any Contest
of Wills the wearer makes.

TheBladeofAlemvor

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Blade of Alemvor is an ancient broadsword of ork design,
with numerous small runes and symbols carved into its doubleedged blade and chain-wrapped cross-hilt. The pommel is carved
in the shape of a claw; it holds a blood-red stone the size and shape
of a robins egg. The blade looks battered and used but retains a
sharp edge.
The blade was wielded by the ork Warrior and Wizard Alemvor
in the years just before the Scourge. Alemvor lived in the ancient
kingdom of Cara Fahd in Barsaives southern reaches and was
renowned for his keen mind as well as his skill at swordplay. Alemvor spent much of his career as an adventurer fighting the Horrors
that were appearing in increasing numbers in the years before the
sealing of the kaers. He researched many spells and gathered arcane
knowledge to preserve it during the dark years, and he studied the
Horrors he fought to learn more about them.
Alemvors fate is unknown. None of the kaers in the region of
Cara Fahd claim to have housed him during the Scourge; most
Barsaivians therefore assume that the great hero failed to seek the
safety of underground shelter and perished. Alemvors sword was
discovered a few years ago by a band of adepts known as the Talons,
in the lair of the Horror Shastuk-Lor. The slain Horror was in no
position to reveal how it had come by the blade, but scholars at the
Great Library of Throal were able to accurately identify the sword
as Alemvors based on descriptions of the weapon in ork legend
and from the ork script along the flat of the blade.
A human Named Karim, a Swordmaster of the Talons, wielded
the Blade of Alemvor for several years before it was stolen from him
by thieves in the employ of an ork Wizard. This Wizard, Grole the
Gray, desired the sword for its magical lore. As the most common
story goes, Grole traded the blade to a Horror as part of a poorly
arranged deal that ended with the Wizards death at the hands of
the vengeful Talons. The Horror is said to have vanished with the
sword; no one knows the blades current whereabouts.
The Blade of Alemvor is a powerful magical item as well as a
repository of much of Alemvors accumulated magical knowledge.
The runes and symbols etched into the blade are the formulae
for various spells that the ork Wizard wished to preserve: Astral
Sense, Iron Hand, Combat Fury, Mage Armor, Delay Blow, or
any other spells the gamemaster wishes the blade to contain.
A Wizard who makes a successful Read and Write Magic Test
can learn these spells by studying the runes. With no threads
attached, the Blade of Alemvor has the same characteristics as
a normal broadsword.

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
sword is the Blade of Alemvor.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 8.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: At the wielders command, the sword sheds a silvery-blue

radiance that illuminates the surrounding area in a 5 yard radius,
like a dim torch. The sword allows the wielder to cast the Divine
Aura spell (Players Guide, p.164). The wielder may use his Perception step to make the Spellcasting Test if he does not know the
Spellcasting talent. The wielder need not weave any spell threads;
he takes 2 Strain instead.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn Alemvors history up

until the time of the Scourge.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9. The sword now holds
a spell matrix of a rank equal to the Thread Rank woven. A magician may place a spell in the sword and the wielder may cast that
spell as if casting from a spell matrix, the sword is treated as a
Spell Matrix Object for this purpose (Players Guide, p.280). The
wielder may use his Perception step to make the Spellcasting Test
if he does not know the Spellcasting talent.

Thread Rank Four

Deed: The wielder must have a new spell engraved on the blade of
the sword, either of his own creation or one freely given by another
magician.
Effect: The wielder gains a +1 rank bonus to his Spellcasting and
Thread Weaving (Wizardry) talents.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wielder must discover Alemvors fate.

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 10. For 2 Strain, the
wielder gains a +3 rank bonus to the Ethereal Weapon talent for
5 rounds.

TheIceBladeofOmifan

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Ice Blade of Omifan is a windling sword. The sword is
enchanted by an air elemental imprisoned within the small diamond embedded in its hilt. Once a thread is woven to the sword,
flashes and sparkles appear within the diamond. Without a thread
attached, the Ice Blade has the same characteristics as a windling
sword.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
sword is the Ice Blade of Omifan.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 4. Its tip develops a
cold blue sheen and gives the wielder a power similar to the
Flameweapon spell, but inflicts cold damage instead. For 1 Strain
the wielder rolls a separate D6 Frost Die with the weapons next
Damage Test. Unlike the Flameweapon spell, the Frost die result
never does harm to the wielder.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The sword now contains a spell matrix of a rank equal to

the Thread Rank Woven. A magician may place a spell in the sword
and the wielder may cast that spell as if casting from a spell matrix ,
the sword is treated as a Spell Matrix Object for this purpose (Play-

ers Guide, p.280). The wielder may use his Perception step to make
the Spellcasting Test if he does not know the Spellcasting talent.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the spirit in the
blade is an air elemental.
Effect: The Frost Die is now a D8.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 5.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
elemental spirit trapped in the blade is Dokelnacht.
Effect: The Frost Die is now a D10.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

Thread Rank One

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 6.

Thread Rank Seven

Deed: The air elemental must be rebound to the blade.

Effect: The Frost Die is now a D12. The wielder adds +3 Physical and Mystic Armor against cold-based attacks.

TheLittleTrollsHelm

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 19
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Little Trolls Helm, originally worn by an ork, is made of
iron plates sewn to a leather skullcap. The leather can be re-sized
to fit just about any character except for a troll. Two of the plates
have large iron troll horns on them, and the helm also sports a
chin guard that has two large tusks. This helm was originally worn
by an ork (the little troll) who joined a trollmoot and became
renowned among trolls for his ferocity.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
helm is the Little Trolls Helm.
Effect: When using the Aggressive Attack combat option, the
wearer gains a +4 bonus to his close combat Attack and Damage
Tests, and suffers a 2 penalty to his Physical and Spell Defense.
The Strain cost remains unchanged.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: When using the Aggressive Attack combat option, the

wearer incurs no penalty to his Physical and Spell Defense. The
Strain cost remains unchanged.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the ork
who first wore this helm.
Effect: The wearer gains a +3 rank bonus to the Battle Shout
talent.

Thread Rank Four

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the trollmoot to which the ork belonged.
Effect: The wearer gains a +3 rank bonus to the Great Leap talent.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the story of the battle
in which the ork was asked to join the trollmoot.
Effect: The wearer gains a +3 rank bonus to the Battle Bellow
talent.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

39

Thread Rank Six

Deed: The wearer must become a member of a trollmoot.

Effect: The wearer gains a +3 rank bonus to the Crushing Blow
talent.

TheScarabofIlithor

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 16
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Scarab of Ilithor is a beetle-shaped brooch made of tigers
eye in a gold setting. It was created by a group of four magicians
to help a Thief steal things for them. The Thief was given the item
in payment for his services.
The various Thread Ranks grant the wearer of the brooch access
to different spells. The wearer makes a Spellcasting Test as given
in the spells description, using his Perception step if he does not
know the Spellcasting talent. Abilities do not require
any spell threads to be woven; instead, the wearer
takes Strain damage, as noted below. The scarabs abilities can only be used by the wearer;
they do not affect others.

TheSockofGranak

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Sock of Granak is a thick woolen stocking dyed deep green.
Legend states that the sock was worn by the great troll Sky Raider
Granak, who managed to defeat a Horror in single combat, despite
being caught in the middle of the night with no armor or weapon.
The Sock was stained green by the ichors that oozed from the
Horror Granak fought.
When a thread is attached, the stocking automatically resizes
itself to fit the wearer.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
stocking is the Sock of Granak.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to the
Unarmed Combat Talent.

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn

the Name of the Horror Granak defeated.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank
bonus to the Swift Kick talent as long
as he fights with no other covering
on the limb he is attacking with
other than the sock.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must

learn that the Name of the scarab is
the Scarab of Ilithor.
Effect: For 2 Strain, the wearer
gains access to the Crunch Climb
spell.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must

learn the exact oath that Granak bellowed when engaging in battle.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank
bonus to the Battle Shout talent.

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wearer must

learn the Name of the Elementalist who
helped create the scarab.
Effect: For 4 Strain, the wearer gains access
to the Gills spell.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn

the Name of the Nethermancer who helped
create the scarab.
Effect: For 2 Strain, the wearer gains access to
the Ethereal Darkness spell. The wearer is considered to
be a Nethermancer for purposes of using this ability, and is unaffected by Ethereal Darkness spells cast by himself or others.

Key Knowledge: Granak always planned to

spend his adventuring spoils by commissioning
an airship. The character must learn the intended Name
of the never-completed vessel.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to the Air Sailing and
Great Leap talents.

Thread Rank Four

Thread Rank Six

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the Wizard
who helped create the scarab.
Effect: For 1 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Leaps and
Bounds spell.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the Name of the Illusionist who helped create the scarab.
Effect: For 2 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Nobody Here
spell.

Thread Rank Six

Deed: The wearer must steal an item, using each of the scarabs
abilities for the task.
Effect: For 8 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Inventory
spell.

40

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The rank bonuses to the Unarmed

Combat and Swift Kick Talents are now +3.

C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The character must defeat a powerful opponent in combat

without using weapons or armor.
Effect: The wearer gains a +3 rank bonus to the Crushing Blow
talent.

TheSwordofFentheri

Maximum Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 23
Legend Point Cost: Master
Fentheri Sulphin was captain of the Eltanin, one of the elf sailing
ships that plied the Aras Sea before the destruction of the fleet at
Queen Alachias decree. One day the Passion Floranuus appeared
to Fentheri in the form of an elf maiden clad in flames, dancing on
a raft of flowers that was drawn through the water on oars of silk.
Fentheri followed this raft to the site of a battle between an
aquatic Horror and another elf ship, the Cirena. Fentheri joined
the battle and helped defeat the Horror, though both ships lost
many crewmen. The captain of the Cirena perished in the battle,

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
sword is the Sword of Fentheri.
Effect: The wielder gains a +2 bonus to Recovery and Toughnessonly Tests. If the sword is stolen while a thread is attached to it, the
lobsters claws pinch the hands of the culprit. The claws hang on to
the culprit until the sword is returned or the thread is unraveled. Each
round, the claws inflict damage to the thief with a Damage Step equal to
the Thread Rank woven. No armor protects against this damage, unless
the target is wearing metal gauntlets. Removing the claws requires a a
Strength (12) Test. If the sword is simply lost, and subsequently picked
up by someone, nothing happens to the character who finds it.

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the word for geyser
in Sperethiel.
Effect: The word acts as a command word for the sword. The
wielder speaks the word aloud and takes 2 Strain, whereupon the kernels of elemental water embedded in the swords hilt project a 4 foot
blade of solid water. The sword acts as a broadsword and is Damage
Step 8. Each use of this effect lasts for 1 hour or until the command
word is spoken again, which causes the blade to disappear.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must discover the identity of

Fentheri.
Effect: The wielder adds +2 to his Physical Defense. The wielder
gains a +2 rank bonus to the Sprint talent.

Thread Rank Four

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that Fentheri referred

to the Passion Floranuus as the Maiden of the Lilies.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9. The wielder adds +2 to
his Mystic Armor and gains a +2 bonus to Willpower Tests against
the effects of spells and Horror abilities.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that Fentheri followed

the Warrior and Troubadour Disciplines.
Effect: For 2 Strain, the wielder requires one Result Level less to inflict
an Armor-Defeating Hit on an opponent on his next Attack Test.

Thread Rank Six

Deed: The wielder must pledge service to Floranuus and perform a

Zealous Act of Devotion (Players Companion, p.173) to the passion.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 10. The wielder gains the
Speed Ship questor power (Players Companion, p.181), which he
uses as if he were a Rank 6 questor of Floranuus.

TheTalismansofDianuus

The Talismans of Dianuus are three magical items that belonged

to the legendary elf Elementalist Dianuus. Dianuus and his talismans helped a kaer survive the ravages of the Scourge, and the
three magical items became part of that kaers legacy. All three
thread itemsan amulet, an orichalcum-laced dagger, and Dianuuss robecontain powerful elemental magic.

A Warder of Wyrm Wood, Dianuus was one of the many elves

who publicly (though reluctantly) disagreed with the Elf Queen
Alachias dangerous strategy for surviving the Scourge. Dianuus
was sent into exile for disobedience to his Queen, never to see his
woodland home again. On his travels away from Wyrm Wood,
Dianuus came across Daralon, a small settlement in the Caucavic
Mountains, and chose to stay there. In the dark years before the
Scourge struck, Dianuus used his Elementalist magic to aid the
people of Daralon in building the kaer that would shelter them
through the long night. He built a tower overlooking the settlement, and there he worked until the threat of the Horrors became
too great; then Dianuus retreated with his adopted people into the
kaer and sealed it behind them.
About a century and a half before the Scourge ended, an outbreak
of plague in the kaer nearly doomed all of its inhabitants. Dianuus,
still alive but stricken with the disease, magically caused a rock
slide that buried the access tunnel to the most plague-ridden portion of the kaer. This extreme measureDianuuss final sacrifice
for the people he had come to lovehalted spread of the plague
and saved the rest of the kaer, though it cost Daralons survivors
the accumulated wisdom of Dianuus and several other adepts who
were lost in the tragedy.
After the kaer was re-opened, explorers dug through the collapsed
sections to find the legendary Elementalist and his lost treasures.
The explorers found the items, only to lose them to a Blood Warder
who had likewise been researching the legend of Dianuus. The items
were in turn taken from the Blood Warder by an unknown third
party who left the blood elf dead on the streets of Haven.
Dianuuss talismans remain missing, but most people believe
they will someday resurface.

TheAmuletofDianuus

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
Dianuuss amulet is made of gold, copper and orichalcum, set
with a piece of green jade carved in a finely detailed leaf shape.
The amulet is about the size of a humans palm and hangs from a
flat chain of orichalcum and gold links.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

and the crew sank the ship as a memorial and tomb for him. The
crew then joined Fentheris ship, who re-Named it Maiden of the
Lilies in gratitude for the Passions aid against the Horror.
The sword is disguised as a work of artit is made of a single
piece of lapis, cunningly wrought into the shape of a stylized lobster. The lobsters body forms the hilt, while the crosspiece consists
of its outstretched claws. A faint bluish shimmer emanates from
the end of the crosspiece, at the lobsters head.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
amulet is the Amulet of Dianuus.
Effect: The wearer adds +1 to his Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wearer adds +2 to his Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn the history of Dianuus

the Master-Builder and the Name of the kaer he aided.
Effect: The amulet holds a spell matrix of a rank equal to the
Thread Rank woven. A magician may place a spell in the amulet and
the wearer may cast that spell as if casting from a spell matrix.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wearer adds +2 to his Spell Defense and +4 to his

Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn how Dianuus created

the amulet with the aid of various elemental spirits and must learn
the Names of those spirits.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 rank bonus to the Elemental
Tongues talent.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

41

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The wearer adds +6 to his Mystic Armor and gains a +3

rank bonus to the Elemental Tongues talent.

Thread Rank Seven

Deed: The wearer must forge a pact, sealed with a blood oath,
with one spirit of each of the five elements, to carry out a task
given by the spirit.
Effect: Once per year, the wearer can summon a Strength Rating
3 elemental spirit from each of the five elements to perform a single
service. This summoning does not require a Summoning Test or a
Contest of Wills. The elemental spirit will appear the round after
it is summoned and carry out the wearers request to the best of
its ability. If the elemental is destroyed in the performance of the
service, the wearer permanently loses the ability to call upon that
type of elemental spirit using the amulet.

The Dagger of Dianuus

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 16
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
The Dagger of Dianuus is a double-edged blade made with an
orichalcum alloy that gives it a lustrous golden tint. Both sides of
the blade are engraved with the Sperethiel words, In Wisdom,
Strength. The dark wooden handle is inlaid with gold filigree and
worked to a fine polish. Without a thread attached, the dagger has
the same characteristics as a normal dagger.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
weapon is the Dagger of Dianuus.
Effect: The dagger is now Damage Step 3.

Thread Rank Two

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 19
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The Robe of Dianuus is just the right size for a human or an elf and
is made of a dark green silken fabric decorated with embroidered
leaves, vines and flowers so lifelike that they seem to have grown
across the surface of the garment. Close inspection reveals that the
small stitches of the leaves and vines form tiny blocks of graceful,
poetic Sperethiel. The fabric is resistant to tears and appears to
shed dirt in a manner similar to an everclean cloak.
The Elementalist spells woven on the surface of the robe are:
Earth Blend, Plant Talk, Path Home, Plant Feast, Repair, Lighten
Load, Uneven Ground, Earth Staff and Ease Passage. A successful
Read and Write Magic Test enables an Elementalist to learn these
spells by studying the embroidered patterns.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
robe is the Robe of Dianuus.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to his Spellcasting Tests.
The robe acts as a Spell Matrix Object (Players Guide, p.280) in
addition to the other powers it bestows.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The wearer adds +3 to his Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wearer must have learned at least one of

the spells embroidered on the robe. He must also have learned
of Dianuuss history and how he came to Kaer Daralon from the
Elven Court.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to his Thread Weaving
(Elementalism) Tests.

Effect: The wielder gains a +3 bonus to his Damage Tests against

physically manifested spirits of all kinds, including astral Horrors
in physical form.

Thread Rank Four

Thread Rank Three

Deed: The wearer must create a new Elementalism spell that

somehow affects or uses the elements of earth or wood and must
embroider it on the robe.
Effect: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to his Summon Tests for
summoning elemental spirits.

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the tale of how Dianuus averted the plague by using his dagger as part of a spell to seal
off a portion of Kaer Daralon.
Effect: The wielder gains a +3 rank bonus to the Matrix Strike
talent.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The wielder gains a +5 bonus to his Damage Tests against

physically manifest spirits of all kinds, including astral Horrors
in physical form.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wielder must overcome a spirit in single combat, using

only the dagger and his own abilities. Any use of another weapon,
spell or outside help invalidates the contest.
Effect: The wielder gains a +3 rank bonus to the Spirit Strike
talent. The wielder can attack spirits in astral space that he can see
using Astral Sight. When used in this manner, the wielder receives
the same +5 bonus to his Damage Test as he does against physically manifest spirits.

42

The Robe of Dianuus

C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

Effect: The wearer adds +3 to his Physical Armor.

Thread Rank Five

TheTwilightStaff

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
The staff was created centuries ago by a group of Nethermancers
known as the Order of the Silver Twilight. The Order was devoted
to exploring the netherworlds and astral space, and their leader
wielded the Twilight Staff. In the early days of the Scourge, the
Order was decimated by a Horror named Thessail. The Orders last
grand master, Eolim Belial, used powerful magic to trap his own
spirit between life and death so that he could protect the secrets
of the Orders hidden sanctum as well as its treasures.
The Twilight Staff was taken from the sanctum by a f leeing
Nethermancer and has passed through the hands of many magicians over the years. None, however, have discovered the location
of the Orders sanctum or sought out the spirit of Eolim Belial. Legends and rumors connect possession of the Twilight Staff with the
fate of the spirits of the slain Nethermancers, and some fear that it
may attract the attention of the Horror Thessail as well.
The Twilight Staff is 6 foot long, carved from an unknown type
of wood and worn silvery-gray with age and use. Smooth and fea-

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
staff is the Twilight Staff.
Effect: The staff is now Damage Step 9. At the wielders command,
it sheds a silvery light equal to bright moonlight. Though bright
enough to see by, the light cannot be used as an offensive weapon.

the light of the full moon, the wielder must carve his own sigil
into the staff.
Effect: For 2 Strain, the wielder can make the astral aura of a
target within line of sight visible to others. The wielder makes a
Spellcasting Test against the targets Spell Defense. The wielder
may use his Perception step to make the Spellcasting Test if he does
not know the Spellcasting talent. If the test succeeds, the targets
aura becomes visible to normal sight for 10 minutes.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The staff is now Damage Step 10. The wielder gains a +1
bonus to his Damage Tests against Horrors, Horror constructs,
and undead.

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the fate of Eolim

Belial.
Effect: The staff allows the wielder to cast the Blessed Light spell.
The wielder may use his Perception step to make the Spellcasting
Test if he does not know the Spellcasting talent. The wielder need
not weave any spell threads; he takes 2 Strain instead.

Thread Rank Three

Thread Rank Five

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Names of all of the
magicians who have owned the staff and whose sigils are engraved
upon it.
Deed: The wielder must travel to the Poison Forest, where the
piece of wood for the staff was cut before the Scourge. There, by

L ege n dar y T reas u res

tureless, the staff is bound and shod in dark iron bands with magical
symbols inlaid in silver. When bathed in moonlight, the staff gives
off a faint silver glow. With no threads attached, the Twilight Staff
has the same characteristics as a normal quarterstaff.

Deed: The bearer must seek out Eolim Belials ghost and obtain
his blessing on the staff; this will permit the bearer to perform the
ritual of passing the staff on to a worthy successor.
Effect: The staffs magic can temporarily block a Horrors access
to astral space. The wielder takes 4 Strain and makes a Spellcasting
Test against the Horrors Spell Defense. The wielder may use his
Perception step to make the Spellcasting Test if he does not know
the Spellcasting talent. If the test succeeds, the Horror cannot move
into astral space for 10 rounds. The wielder gains a +3 bonus to his
Damage Tests against Horrors, Horror constructs, and undead.

TomeofMemory

Maximum Threads: 3
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
The Tome of Memory was created by the Theran Nethermancer
Ulan Ya before the Scourge. Unsure of what to expect from the
Scourge and afraid of losing or forgetting his skills, he created this
tome to help him maintain the facilities to manipulate the facets
of magic. The Tome of Memory is a small book, only four inches
by six inches by two inches thick. The covers of the book are a flat
black, and the edges of the pages are blood red. The tome looks
very old and worn, as if it would fall apart if not handled properly.
Each page of the Tome of Memory contains a pictograph, drawing, maze, or other visual puzzle. In order to read this tome and
decipher the puzzles, the owner makes a Read/Write Magic Test
against the tomes Spell Defense, this counts as his allotted attempt
to learn a spell for the day. An Average result means the character
understands 25 percent of the puzzles; for each additional Result
Level, the character understands another 25 percent of the puzzles.
The owner can repeatedly attempt to understand the puzzles until
he solves all of them, but is required to sacrifice Recovery Tests if
using the Read/Write Magic Talent more than once per day.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The owner must learn that the Name of the
book is the Tome of Memory.
Effect: The owner of the tome gains a +1 rank bonus to his Read/
Write Magic and Read/Write Language talent when using the tome
to research lost knowledge or legends.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The owner of the tome gains a +1 rank bonus for every
25 percent of the tomes puzzles understood to his Read/Write
Magic or Read/Write Language talents. This bonus lasts for a
number of days equal to the thread rank, after which the puzzles
must be studied again.
C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

43

style of many elf and tskrang swords. The hilt itself is wrapped in
strips of soft dark leather, topped with a gold pommel in the shape
of a dragons head. An arrow pointing toward the blades tip is
engraved in the blade near the hand guard. The arrow is bisected
by a triangle and a circle, the mark of the blades maker. With no
threads attached, Truefang has the same characteristics as a normal
broadsword.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that the Name of the
sword is Truefang.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 8.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 9.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The owner must learn how it was that the Tome
of Memory left Thera and ended up in Barsaive.
Effect: The owner adds +2 to his Spell Defense against
Nethermancy spells.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The owner adds +4 to his Spell Defense against

Nethermancy spells.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The owner must create a puzzle and draw it on a blank

page in the tome. In order for the puzzle to remain in the book,
the character requires an Extraordinary result on a Spellcasting
Test made against the tomes Spell Defense. Inscribing the puzzle
into the book requires a blood magic ritual which inflicts a Blood
Wound and 1 Permanent damage.
Effect: The new puzzle created in the tome now holds a rank
5 spell matrix, the book is treated as a Spell Matrix Object with
a Rank Five thread woven to it. A magician may place a spell in
the tome and the owner may cast that spell as if casting from a
spell matrix. The wielder may use his Perception step to make the
Spellcasting Test if he does not know the Spellcasting talent.

Truefang

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 23
Legend Point Cost: Master
Truefang was forged by the elven Weaponsmith Lyranden of
Landis for the ork Swordmaster Morag Tarn after Morag saved Lyrandens life. The Weaponsmith had the bad fortune to insult Agimore,
known as the Mad Magician, and was suffering from the effects of a
powerful curse that Agimore had laid upon him. Morag Tarn sought
out Agimores hidden tower in the Lost Woods of Landis, where he
fought and overcame the Wizard and ended the curse. In gratitude,
Lyranden created for Morag the finest blade of his career.
Morag wielded Truefang for the rest of his life. He eventually
passed the blade on to his son, Kilas, who spent most of his days
working to keep his Discipline alive down in the darkness of the
kaer in which he lived. Kilas established a school of swordsmanship
in the kaer, and for the next four centuries Truefang was passed
from generation to generation of the Tarn family.
About fifty years ago, Grella Tarn, the most recent inheritor of
the blade, led a party of explorers out from her kaer to see if the
Scourge had truly ended. They never returned, and the kaer stayed
sealed for another ten years before finally opening its gates. The
fate of Grella Tarns expedition and the magical blade Truefang
remains unknown.
Truefang is a fine sword with a single edge and a chisel point.
Around the hilt is an elaborate basket-guard of gold, similar to the

44

C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Names of the creator and first owner of the sword.
Effect: The wielder gains a +2 bonus to his Initiative Tests.

Thread Rank Four

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the swords
last owner.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 10. The wielder adds +1
to his Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wielder must perform a quest to lift a curse from

someone and swear a blood oath to do so.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 11. The wielder adds +4
to his Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Six

Deed: The wielder must seek out the current living heir of the
Tarn family and offer to return Truefang to that person. If the heir
accepts, the sword continues to bestow its benefits upon the character, even though that character is no longer wielding the blade, as
long as his thread remains. If the heir finds the wielder sufficiently
worthy to return the blade to him or her, the wielder can continue
to weave his thread.
Effect: The sword is now Damage Step 12. The wielder may take
1 Strain, then makes his melee Attack Test with the sword. If the
attack causes a Wound, his opponent takes an additional 2 Damage
Points each round until he dies or makes a Recovery Test.

VennasArmor

Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
Vennas Armor is a set of finely wrought plate mail armor with
runes etched on its surfaces. The armor was worn by a female hero
named Venna nearly two millennia ago. Lost records leave it uncertain whether she was human or elven. The construction of this
armor is somewhat different than the plate mail found in Barsaive.
Though the armor looks old, it does not appear worn or damaged.
With no threads attached, Vennas Armor has the same characteristics as normal plate mail.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn that the Name of the
armor is Vennas Armor.
Effect: The armor is now Physical Armor 14.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The armor is now Initiative Penalty 2.

Key Knowledge: The character must learn the Name of the

Horror who slew Venna.
Effect: The armor is now Mystic Armor 3.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The armor is now Mystic Armor 5. The wearer may

increase the quality of the armors protection by binding it to
himself in a blood magic ritual that causes 2 Permanent damage.
If the ritual is performed, the Result Level required to inf lict
an Armor-Defeating Hit on the wearer is increased by one level
(from Excellent to Extraordinary, for example) while wearing
the armor.

Thread Rank Five

Deed: The wearer must learn

the fate, or the location, of the
Horror who killed Venna.
Effect: The wearer may
store Karma Points within
the armor after performing a
blood magic ritual that causes
2 Permanent damage. If the
ritual is performed, the wearer
may store a number of Karma
Points equal to the Thread Rank
woven in the armor. The wearer
may spend these Karma Points
as those from his normal Karma
Pool. The wearer stores Karma
Points in the armor by performing his Karma Ritual, however
these points do not count toward
his Maximum Karma Points.

Thread Rank Six

Key Knowledge: The wearer must find out

whether Venna was a human or an elf.
Effect: The armor is now Physical Armor 15 and Mystic Armor 6.

Thread Rank Seven

Effect: The armor has no Initiative Penalty.

Thread Rank Eight

Key Knowledge: Before her defeat, Venna won many battles.

The wearer must learn the legend of her greatest battle.
Deed: The wearer must travel to the spot of Vennas greatest
victory and build a memorial to her. The character must personally help build the memorial. The memorial need not be flashy or
large, but it must be durable. The character must write an inscription declaring the memorials purpose.
Effect: The wearer may spend 1 Karma Point
from the armor in addition to any Karma
Points he is entitled to spend on an
Action Test. He cannot spend
this Karma Point if he cannot
spend Karma otherwise.

L ege n dar y T reas u res

Thread Rank Three

Thread Rank Nine

Effect: The armor is

now Physical Armor 16
and Mystic Armor 8. The
wearer adds +1 to his Physical and Spell Defense.

Thread Rank Ten

Key Knowledge: The

wea rer must lea r n t he
Name of the armors previous owner.
Effect: The wearer may
unleash all the Karma stored
in the armor to perform a single
action. Each Karma Point used
causes him 1 Strain. A character may
fall unconscious or even die from using so
much Karma, however the wearer may complete
the action before the effects of Strain take their toll.

C H A P T E R 5 | L egendar y Trea sure s

45

Chapter Six

CreatingMagicalTreasures
The most precious masterpiece is not one any of us can craft.
Old Enchanters Proverb

hreaded magic items are an integral part of the world

of Earthdawn and many of the theories of its magical
world cover threaded items as well as they cover people
or spells. They have a Name, a True Pattern, Key Knowledges, and
Pattern Knowledges. They are magically alive and by that differ
from mundane objects. In addition, many are as much a focus of
legends and tales as daring heroes and horrific villains.
The rules to use Threaded Items are explained in more detail in
the Thread Magic chapter of the Players Guide. Thread Items
can sometimes be purchased by player characters, and characters of a sufficiently high Circle with additional abilities can even
enchant Thread Items of their own design, see the Enchanting
chapter of the Players Companion.
The guidelines presented in this chapter enable players and
gamemasters to more easily design threaded magic items for
use in their game. While it is possible to create a thread item by
simply assigning it some Key Knowledges and Effects, players and
gamemasters may benefit from a general guideline when player
characters craft threaded items of their own, and gamemasters
may benefit from having insight into how typical, official threaded
items are designed to maintain a balance between magic items
used in their game.
The first part of this chapter is focused on simpler items with
magic of a more restricted nature, but also greater availability to
player characters. Later on, guidelines and ideas for designing
legendary and unique items follow.

TypesofThreadedItems

hile all threaded items have some general characteristics in common and are all powered by Thread
Magic, individual threaded items vary greatly in
power, accessibility, and availability. Five types of threaded magical items exist in the world of Earthdawn:
Typical Thread Items: These items are the most common
threaded items available, and the least powerful. They have a
low number of Thread Ranks, but are easy to weave threads to.
Typical items are available in Barsaives larger cities, but can
be commissioned for custom enchantment in most large cities,
provided a suitable enchanter is found. Thread Items are usually sold with the Key Knowledge necessary to weave threads
to them. Typical Thread Items can be created using these rules,
or by applying the templates found in the Goods and Services
chapter of the Players Guide.
Rare Thread Items: Some items of this type are available readyfor-purchase in metropolises such as Throal or Vivane, but can be
commissioned in any larger city if a suitable enchanter is found.
While they have similar characteristics to General Treasure (see

46

C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

below), they do not have a legend of their own, and are hard to
find information about if found as loot.
Typical General Treasure: General Treasure is beyond any
item produced by normal enchanters. Very experienced enchanters sometimes make breakthroughs in studying magic items and
produce an item that becomes to be known as General Treasureit, or rather the group of items, develops a legend of its
own. General Treasure usually cannot be commissioned, supplies are limited to what the enchanter made during his active
period, which may be anything from half a dozen to three dozen
items. There are no custom recipes to re-create them either.
Unlike Typical or Rare Threaded Items, a character has a good
chance to find information on General Treasure to learn its
Key Knowledges. As General Treasure is usually found as loot
or treasure and not bought, example items are presented in the
Gamemasters Guide, p.132.
Rare General Treasure: These items are more powerful
General Treasure, not only breakthrough discoveries, but also
requiring expert enchantersa mix of skill, inspiration, and very
rare materials are necessary to develop them. The quantity in
which a Rare General Treasure exists is usually lower than that for
Typical General Treasure, usually below a dozen worldwide.
Legendary treasure: Legendary items are not created by
people, but by eventsthey spontaneously develop properties
and powers by taking part in famous exploits of heroic characters. They are not bound by the rules presented under Designing
Threaded Items directly below when designed, cannot normally
be bought anywhere, and are unique: no two of them exist. Legendary Items are the absolute domain of the gamemaster, and
example items are found in the Legendary Treasures chapter,
p.27. The gamemaster can, when designing a Legendary Item
of his own, fall back to the rules presented below to determine
the minimum of an items properties, but is encouraged to venture beyond them. Many Legendary Items started out as simple
Thread Items, though, developing additional abilities beyond
their limited nature.

DesigningThreadedItems

o design a threaded item for use in the game (as opposed

to creating, crafting, or enchanting an item as a player
character as part of the game), the player or gamemaster
determines what type of threaded item is created (see above).
When a character purchases or commissions an item, this will usually mean designing one of the two Thread Item types, a Typical
or Rare Thread Item. The gamemaster will often use this guide to
create items found as treasure, either General Treasure or Legendary Treasure. It is not recommended that players use these rules

Thread Item Characteristics Table

Rank Limit
Spell Defense
Legend Point Cost
4
1014
Initiate/Novice
6
1216
Journeyman
6
1418
Journeyman
8
1620
Warden
15
1424
any

to create General Treasure, as General Treasure is rare and can

be commissioned only under the most unusual circumstances. If
they have enchanting abilities, they can work with the gamemaster
to have their characters develop a General Treasure, which often
involves going on adventures to find rare ingredients. Skilled player
character enchanters can refer to the Enchanting chapter in the
Players Companion to determine how far their enchanting abilities go. The design process follows four simple steps:
Determine Characteristics
Determine Thread Rank Properties
(including Key Knowledges)
Check for stacking Effects
Write the item description
These four steps are explained in detail in separate sections
below. Note that even though they use tables and lists to help design
threaded items, these tables and lists are not absolute, but rather
guidelines or representations of what is typical for the world of
Earthdawn. Every step and decision in the design process is at the
gamemasters discretionthe gamemaster decides how available
an item is in his game world, and what types of effects can be found
on them, even if a player character enchants the item himself.

Availability
Rare
Very Rare
Very Rare
Very Rare
NA

Cost
3,000+
5,000+
10,000+
20,000+
NA

Note that Spell Matrix Objects (Players Guide, p.280) are an

exception to the rules presented here. Legendary Treasure is supposed to be more powerful than the types of threaded items this
section of the rules is intended for, refer to Designing Legendary Treasure, p.50.

C reati n g M agical T reas u res

Item
Typical Thread Item
Rare Thread Item
Typical General Treasure
Rare General Treasure
Legendary Treasure

DetermineCharacteristics

To determine an items characteristics, refer to the Threaded

Item Characteristics Table. An items characteristics, as opposed
to its Key Knowledges and Effects, are raw numbers that are easily
assigned, and most of them remain constant once the item is used
in the game. They do not change after the item is created.
The Rank Limit an item has determines its overall power, as each
rank holds special effectsthe more ranks, the more effects an item
can have. It determines the maximum number of Thread Ranks for
the different types of threaded items. An item can have fewer ranks,
but only rarely should it have more, especially in the case of the less
powerful Thread Items. Note that while Legendary Treasure can
have up to 15 ranks, most of them have less than 10 ranks.
The items Spell Defense signifies the raw magical power an item
has. A high Spell Defense makes it harder to use some abilities a
character might have to improve or learn about the item, but also

C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

47

makes it harder for a wielders opponents to use some magic abilities against the item, for example to magically wry an item from the
wielders grasp. The ranges shown for the different types of items
are typical ranges, they can be exceeded when great amounts of
magical material were used, and lower values can be chosen if the
item is atypically weak.
The items Legend Point Cost characteristic shows how costly
it is to weave threads to the item. For example, a Rare Thread Item
requires Legend Points to be spent when weaving ranks as if it
were a Journeyman talent to be increasedweaving the
Rank One thread costs 200 Legend Points, weaving
the Rank Two thread costs 300 Legend Points, and
so on. The cost shown should be seen as a very hard
guideline. Legendary items can have any of the
cost progressions, including Master, with
the cost determined by comparing the items
overall power to the power of the other item
types and by taking the items history into
account. For example, if a Legendary
Treasure started out as a simple Thread
Item, it might retain its low Legend
Point Cost progression (and even the
Effects at lower Thread Ranks), but if it
came into existence as part of a major
deed and instantaneously developed
a powerful effect, it might have a high
Legend Point Cost (and Effects at lower
Thread Ranks far exceeding what is supposed to be assigned to Thread Items or
General Treasure).
The items Availability determines how
hard it is to find a specific item or find
someone to commission it to. Note that
most threaded items have the maximum
Availability of Very Rare, but are still more
uncommon than any non-threaded item
with such an Availability Rating.
The items Cost shows a t y pical
entry-level price for the respective item
typesif the gamemaster decides an item
can be bought at all. The Cost for General
Treasure even assumes the adept does not
buy any Key Knowledges allowing them to
weave threads to the itemthe item is sold
as a mystery object. Note that the Cost shown
is the price of the enchantment alone. A character buying an enchantment has to supply the
item with all of its physical prerequisites (for
example, in the case of magical weapons, a weapon
treated with the Forge Weapon talent). Assume the
cost of enchantment to be half of what is shown if the
character enchants the item himself (he provides the
work, but still has to buy enchanting ingredients).
Additionally, every threaded item has a number of
Maximum Threads, the number of characters that can

Item
Typical Thread Item
Rare Thread Item
Typical General Treasure
Rare General Treasure
Legendary Treasure

48

weave a thread to the item without having to dislodge any existing threads. This number is not influenced by item type, but by its
function. It is typically 2, but if an item is supposed to be used by a
group of characters, increase it; if the item is supposed to be used
by only one character, decrease it to 1.
Note that the Maximum Threads, Spell Defense, and Legend
Point Cost characteristics can easily be adjusted or determined
after the other steps have been completed. The number of ranks
can be modified during design. The Cost and Availability usually
need not be determined if the item is not made for purchase by a
player character.

DetermineThreadRankProperties

Now that the number of Thread Ranks has been determined,

Effects and Key Knowledges have to be assigned to them.
Usually, bought or commissioned items have very few Key
Knowledges. A Typical Thread Item only has a single Key
Knowledge, found at Rank One. Rare Thread Items and
General Treasure require their creator to put more effort
into them, and so share a history with him. A Rare Thread
Item often has an additional Key Knowledge at Rank
Five, while General Treasure may have a Key Knowledge at every uneven rank. Refer to the Key Knowledge
Table for example Key Knowledges. The Rank One Key
Knowledge is always the items Name. Instead of a Key
Knowledge, an item can also feature a Deed at higher
Thread Ranks, although Deeds are more commonly found
on Legendary Items. A Deed on a non-legendary Threaded
Item usually requires the items user to repeat a step in the
production process such as adding more material or ornamentation to the item to fuel its magic or bind it to himself.
The ranks at which Key Knowledges are inserted can be
modified if it suits the item, and there can always be more
Key Knowledges, although this might slow other aspects of
the game down, as characters have to research a lot of Key
Knowledgesremember that while threaded items are an
important part of an Earthdawn game, they are not all that
the game is about. For General and Legendary Treasure, it
is often appropriate to introduce a Key Knowledge at the
same rank the item grants a new powerful ability.
Examples for the Effects available when a thread is woven
to a specific Rank are found in the lists below, one Effect is
assigned to every Rank the item has. Note that special rules
apply to determine the Effect for Rank One for threaded weapons and armor or shields: Their Damage Step or Armor Rating
may be increased to the Step or Rating it would have if the Forge
Weapon or Forge Armor talent, respectively, were used to their
full extenta threaded weapon or armor can be made at least as
good as the most enhanced mundane version, although it requires
the thread to be woven to access the bonuses. This Effect can only
be bought at Rank One and only if the item has actually been
treated with the talent (it is a requirement to enchant this Effect),
the talents effect that normally lasts a year is made permanent as
the Effect. This effect does not have to be assigned to a weapon,
armor, or shield, but it can only be assigned at Rank One.

Key Knowledge Table

Key Knowledge Ranks
Example Key Knowledges
1
Items Name
1, 5
Items creator, special material used
1, 3, 5
Source of material used, place, or circumstances of items development
1, 3, 5, 7
Additional information about creator or circumstances of development
1, any
Knowledge pertaining to event(s) creating the legend

C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

Effects Available at Thread Rank One:

Weapon: Increase the Damage Step to the Step the weapon

would have if Forge Weapon was used to its full extent.
Armor/Shield: Increase Armor Ratings to the Ratings the item
would have if Forge Armor was used to its full extent.

Effects Available from Rank Five Upwards:

Shield/Helmet: Increase Deflection Bonus by +2.

Any item: A special ability similar to a spell of up to Fourth
Circle that costs 2 Strain to use and can be used once per day.
Any item: Add +1 Recovery Test per day.
Any Item: Add +2 to an Attribute Rating.
Any item: Add a +3 bonus to a test type (e.g. unarmed damage,
ranged attacks, Charisma Tests, Climbing Tests, Initiative Tests)
related to the item for 1 Strain per use.
Any item: Add a +2 bonus to a characteristic (Defense, Wound
Threshold) related to the item for several rounds for 1 Strain
per use.
Any item: Add a +2 bonus to a test type against a very specific
type of target or for a very specific type of action.

Effects Available from Rank Seven Upwards:

Misc.: Two effects available at all ranks, or one effect available

at all ranks with double the bonus.
Any item: A special ability similar to a spell of up to Sixth Circle
that costs 3 Strain to use up to three times per day or no Strain
to use once per day.
Any item: Add a +2 bonus to one test type for one round (if a
typical combat test) or 10 minutes (if typically a non-combat
test) for 2 Strain.

Effects Available for all Thread Ranks:

Weapon: Add +1 to the weapons Damage step.

Armor/Shield/Clothing: Add +1 to Physical or Mystic Armor
Rating.
Armor/Shield: Reduce Initiative Penalty by 1.
Any item: Add +1 to Physical, Social, or Spell Defense.
Any item: Add a +1 bonus to a test type (e.g. unarmed damage,
ranged attacks, Charisma Tests, Climbing Tests, Initiative Tests)
related to the item.
Any item: Add a +1 rank bonus to a talent.
Any item: A special effect affecting the items usability, visual
appearance, or other properties not directly related to another
effect option (e.g. a magically collapsible quarterstaff, an anvil
weighing only 3 pounds, a piece of clothing perfectly fitting
any wearer).
Ranged Weapons : Increase the Ranges by 25% of base
Ranges.

CheckforStacking

Magic items should be diverse, not only enhancing a single type

of test. While weapons, armor, or shields are fine when only fulfilling their respective purposes of causing damage or protecting
from it, some other Effects may be too severe if stacked. For example, an item assigned Rank Effects from the provided lists might
theoretically provide a +1 bonus to initiative Tests on the first four
Thread Ranks, and then a +3 bonus to Initiative Tests for Strain
at Thread Ranks Five and Six, for an overall +10 bonus to Initiative Tests for 2 Strain. While some gamemasters may be fine with
that, others may not. It is suggested that an item provide a bonus
to a certain type of test only twice without causing Strain, and

only once when causing Strain. Also, it is suggested that special

abilities are only assigned once in Ranks Five and Six, and once
in Ranks Seven and Eight.
These are only suggestions, not hard rules. The gamemaster has
the final say when it comes to an items Effects, and if an item is
suitable to the campaign or its abilities fit into it very well, there
is no reason why Effects should not stack. For example, an item
that provides a +1 rank bonus to the Silent Walk talent at every
Thread Rank might fit well into a group of characters that do not
have access to the talent, especially when the gamemaster feels his
stories are limited by the lack of stealthy abilities in the group.

WriteItemDescription

C reati n g M agical T reas u res

Not all Effects can be assigned to every Thread Rank. While most
Effects can be assigned to any Rank, the more powerful Effects can
only be assigned to higher Thread Ranks, which means they are
not available on all types of items.

Once the items characteristics, Effects, and Key Knowledges are

determined, and game balance issues for the ongoing campaign
are resolved, the items description can be finalized by writing the
items properties down on paper in the same fashion as for the items
found in the Gamemasters Guide. Some example items and templates for typical item types, such as typical Effect progressions for

R an k E f f e ct
S u btleti e s
While the list for different possible Effects that can
be assigned to a Thread Rank presents the alternatives as fairly equal, they are not. Rather, it depends
on the exact characteristic that is increased by an
Effect if one possible Effect is more beneficial than
another. For example, both a +1 bonus to a type of test
and a +1 rank bonus are presented as equal choices,
but are much different. The +1 bonus to tests covers
all Avoid Blow Tests made, with talent, skill, or by
default skill use rules. The +1 rank bonus directly
increases the rank of the Avoid Blow talent (or even
grants use of that talent in the first place to a character who does not know it without the item), which
means it does not enhance skill or default skill use,
but due to increasing the rank allows the adept to use
it one additional time per round. Other rank bonuses
may increase the range, duration, and similar effects
of talents. Similarly, increasing a weapons Damage
Step by 1 and enchanting an item to grant a +1 bonus
to Damage Tests seems equal on first glance, but the
bonus to the weapons Damage Step is only really
used when that weapon is swung, while an item that
increases Damage Tests would increase damage done
wielding any weapon.
When deciding what type of Effect is most fitting
for an item, it is suggested the Effect best suited and
most related to the nature of the physical item be
chosen. Also, items that are directly worn should
receive Effects considered more powerful than items
that are merely used; while items held or used can
be more easily taken away from a character, they
also do not occupy space on a characters body.
For example, a weapon should use increases to its
Damage Step and not to Damage Tests in general,
while a ring increasing Damage would increase all
Damage Tests in melee combat. A pair of magical
gloves might confer a Climbing Rank bonus, while
a rope that is a threaded item should only grant a
Climbing Test bonus.

C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

49

threaded weapons and armor, are provided in the Players

Guide to allow an even faster item design. These templates
also represent the items most readily available for purchase in the world of Earthdawn.
Note that a threaded item retains many of the properties of its un-enchanted counterpart. An items Size
or Weight does not change if enchanted to become
a threaded item, unless the Effect of a Thread Rank
modifies it. As this Effect is only available after a
thread is woven, an items properties might differ
for two characters if one has woven a thread to it
and the other has not. For example, if a weapon
of Size 3 has an Effect at Thread Rank Five that
allows anyone to wield it one-handed, a windling
could not wield it one-handed before weaving a
Rank Five thread to the weapon. Unless otherwise
stated, a threaded item presented in an Earthdawn
book uses the same properties as its mundane counterpart when no thread is woven to it, and weaving
a thread to it does not circumvent restrictions to use
it, unless as part of a Thread Rank Effect or the items
description.

Designing
LegendaryTreasure

esigning unique Legendary Treasures

similar to those found in the Legendary
Treasures chapter, p.27, follows the steps
to determine the items Effects and other properties
as explained for other threaded items above. However, while Legendary Treasure is less restricted to
match a certain number of Thread Ranks, have a
certain Spell Defense, and so on, it is supposed
to have a different place in the game world than
Thread Items or General Treasure do. Thread
Items and General Treasure are willfully created by
enchanters to serve a specific purpose known to that
enchanter; they are made to achieve something. Legendary Treasure, on the other hand, springs into existence
through interaction of magical forces in processes normally
beyond the control of adepts; it is born out of achievements. This
process cannot be explained in as orderly a fashion as the design
of Thread Items (above) or the Enchanting process (Players Companion, p.153), as everything that factors into the genesis and
development of a Legendary Item takes has an inf luence on it.
Below, certain aspects that figure into the design of Legendary
Treasure are explained. Combined, these form a set of guidelines
for gamemasters when designing legendary items to be found as
treasure and when allowing items in the characters possession to
develop legends of their own.

LegendaryItemGenesis

At the beginning of a Legendary Treasure lies an event which

transforms a mundane or minor magical item into one with a legendary True Pattern. This is usually an event of legendary import
(a feat worthy of being told in news and song), accomplished by
someone or something that has a True Pattern of its own (most
often a Namegiver, but also by an animal, Spirit, Horror, or even
by events that shape a place that has a True Pattern), resulting in
a noteworthy change to the world (interacting with and affecting
the world rather than just taking place in it). By interacting with
the world, the acting True Pattern allows the item to become something of importance in the world that is from then on tied to the

50

C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

worlds magic and legends. The interaction allows the item

to develop a True Pattern of its own. The next best comparison for our modern world is to equate legendary
events with history: historic items used by noteworthy historic figures are the most famous inventory
of museums around the globe and of higher importance to us than equivalent contemporary items
or items that are simply old.
The event that creates a Legendary Item
make it into a threaded item or transform an
threaded item into a more powerful, legendary
one. The latter case is more likely to spontaneously happen, as Thread Items and General
Treasure already have a great magical potential and just need a little nudge to cross the
threshold to become legendary. Crossing this
threshold usually expands on the items power,
adding additional Thread Ranks, rather than
resetting the item and changing its existing
Thread Ranks. However, it could be enough of
a change to the items True Pattern to change
its Characteristics, such as Legend Point Cost
and Spell Defense. This change also automatically adds a Key Knowledge or Deed at the new
Thread Rank, as the items Pattern Knowledge
has changed. For more information on how to
implement the addition of Thread Ranks, see
Legendary Item Development below. The
transformation of the item may also change its
Name. While it is generally true that re-Naming something or someone resets its magic,
for Legendary Treasure this can mean that the
reset simply re-creates the existing magic of
the item and incorporates it into its True Patternthe items legend and magic before being
re-Named is part of its history still, after all.

Niokus Bow (p.35) is an unusually powerful

Legendary Treasure with a high number of Thread
Ranks and a high Spell Defense. However, the first
few Thread Ranks are fairly generic, not much different
from those a simple Thread Item would have. Only later
on the Effects and Key Knowledges become more exotic and
detailed. It is safe to assume Niokus Bow was a Thread Item
used by the famous troll Archer, only becoming a Legendary
Treasure after the encounters with the Archer Talondel.
Events that cause an item to become a threaded item in the first
place, rather than transforming a Thread Item or General Treasure,
usually need to be of a greater magnitude, and they usually involve
the item being Named by the Namegiver initiating or a Namegiver
witnessing the event. If the chance to Name the item is missed, the
item often does not become legendary, though events that affect
the world for a long time afterwards may extend the timeframe
in which an item can be Named. Legendary Treasure created in
this way may start out with only a couple of Thread Ranks or as a
full-fledged threaded item with four or more Thread Ranks. The
more Thread Ranks an item gains at creation, the more focused
the Rank Effects are towards the event that created it (see Events
and Ranks, below). The most controllable way for a Legendary
Item to be created is also a very costly one, Sacrifice Magic (Players Guide, p.126), but even then there is no guarantee for the
Namegiver performing the sacrifice as to what powers the item
will develop. The circumstances of the event govern the powers
to be developed, not a persons will or intent.

LegendaryItemDevelopment

After its genesis, Legendary Treasure still has the potential to be expanded upon: it has the potential for its Pattern
Knowledge and magical power to grow. It can gain additional
Thread Ranks and associated Key Knowledges and
even change its characteristics like the Spell
Defense, Legend Point Cost, and others due
to its True Pattern being transformed by
further interaction with magic.
Additional Thread Ranks are added to
Legendary Treasure under circumstances
similar to those that allow an item to
become legendary in the first place, by
the item taking part in legendary events,
usually by someone who has a thread
woven to the item performing noteworthy deeds with it. As with Thread Items
and General Treasure being more likely
to become legendary, Legendary Treasure is more receptive to having its power
expanded through additional deeds performed with it, so events leading to the
development of additional Thread Ranks
need not necessarily be as great in magnitude as the one that created the legendary
item in the first place, especially if they
are similar in direction to the deed creating the item. Legendary Treasure is prone
to create its own destiny, and often shows
similarly aligned powers throughout all
of its Thread Ranks rather than very different ones.

The three Legendary Treasures collectively

known as the Talismans of Dianuus (p.41)
all have multiple Thread Rank Effects associated with Dianuus elemental magic. While this is
initially a result of Dianuus being an Elementalist,
the continued use of elemental magic aided by the Talismans has led to the Talismans developing their legend and
powers into an elemental direction. The ability to perform
additional powerful deeds aided by thread magic acts as a
self-fulfilling prophecy, as the power gained from threaded
items allows their wielders to perform new deeds that are
similar. An item boosting the ability to wield an Elementalists magic helps its wielder to perform legendary feats of
Elementalism, thereby increasing the chance that new Thread
Rank Effects are connected to elemental magic.
Once an event noteworthy enough occurs, the item develops at
least one additional Thread Rank. This Rank has a Key Knowledge
or Deed pertaining to the event, and the Effect of the new Rank is
often connected to the event as well (see Events and Ranks below).

While one new Thread Rank is the minimum, it is recommended

that two Thread Ranks be added. The first new Thread Rank should
hold a Key Knowledge and a powerful Effect, the second new Rank
does not require a Key Knowledge and need only feature a minor
effect or one with a supportive role. This second new rank is supposed to represent the general effect the items growing legend has
on its magical power, unrelated to the event that spawned the Rank,
but related to the item. Legendary items from official Earthdawn
publications will, as a rule of thumb, have powerful Effects and Key
Knowledges at uneven-numbered Ranks, and have supplemental
Effects and no Key Knowledges at even-numbered ranks. The
use of paired ranks also paces the research and other aspects
of weaving threads to the item so it does not become too
long-winded a part of the game, and the same principles
should apply to Legendary Treasure being developed as a
part of the game.

All of the Talismans of Dianuus have

even-numbered Thread Ranks without
Key Knowledges imparting similar
Effects in a repetitive, cumulative
manner: the Amulet enhances the
wearers defensive capabilities by
enhancing Mystic Armor, the Dagger
grants increasing damage bonuses
against spirits, and the Robe provides armor bonuses. Note that
these bonuses provided by the three
items are somewhat aligned with
the function of the physical item: a
dagger would damage an opponent,
a robe protect from outside influence,
and an Amulet be a typical item to
protect from magic. In contrast, the
uneven-numbered Thread Ranks of
these items have Effects more closely
related to Dianuus and his elemental magic, more closely related to the
legend inspiring the items with Key
Knowledges to match.

C reati n g M agical T reas u res

Lorms Axe (p.32) developed its magic after the troll hero
Lorm wounded a Horror with it, helped by Blood Magic
(see Inheritance on p.5 of the Players Guide). The axe
is not said to be a threaded weapon in the story from Kaer
Jalendale, but its early Thread Ranks require Deeds and
show Effects pertaining to Lorms exploits during the battle
with the wormskull. It is safe to assume Lorms Axe was a
mundane weapon transformed to a Legendary Treasure as
a result of the events taking place at Kaer Jalendale.

The process of adding new Thread Ranks

is also used in many instances of transforming a Thread Item or General Treasure into
a Legendary Treasure (see Legendary Item
Genesis above). In these cases, one or more Thread
Ranks are simply added on top of the items existing Ranks, which remain unchanged (although
other Characteristics such as Spell Defense may
well change). This transformation does not cause a
character to lose any threads woven to the item, as the items
True Pattern expands. It does not automatically increase the
rank of the thread woven either, the expansion of the True Pattern needs to be studied and Legend Points need to be spent in
the usual way.

EventsandRanks

At this point it has become obvious that eventsmost often legendary deedsare the mechanism inside the games world around
which Legendary Treasures evolve. The event or deed is what brings
a legendary item into existence and what allows it to develop its
powers. When designing a Legendary Treasure or using one of the
pre-generated Treasures found in official Earthdawn products, the
gamemaster needs to pay close attention to the connection of the
C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

51

event, the Key Knowledges or Deeds required to weave a thread,

and the Effects granted by the Thread Rank. Drawing a plausible
connection between these makes for a more f lavorful item, no
matter if a character explores and researches a legendary item he has
found or if one of his own items develops a legend. A Key Knowledge required for a Thread Rank is usually connected to the event
that spawned that rank, and the Effect granted at the rank is also
usually connected to that event: a legendary event shapes an item
by expanding its True Pattern (and thereby its Pattern Knowledge,
of which the corresponding Key Knowledge now is a part) and its
place in and interaction with the world (which results in the item
granting benefits when interacting with the world in the future).
If the legendary event that spawned a new Thread Rank was the
slaying of a Horror, this event would be reflected in the items Pattern Knowledge by that Ranks Key Knowledge being connected
to the slaying of the Horror, for example the Horrors Name, and
the Ranks Effect would likewise be a reflection of the event, for
example by granting a damage bonus against Horrors. This connection may be very straightforward or rather subtle.

Niokus Bow became legendary and developed new Thread

Ranks when Nioku gave the bow to Talondel to slay a Horror
with it, only to receive it back from the Archer. A character
trying to weave a thread to its higher Ranks is required to
repeat part of this process by learning of the exchange, repeating it as a Deed, and later learn more about the Horror slain.
However, the bow does not impart special powers pertaining
to the slaying of the Horror: the legendary deed was not the
slaying of the Horror, but giving the bow to a rival because
he was better situated to kill the Horrorgiving something
valuable away to achieve a higher goal.
What exactly constitutes an event worthy of developing one or
more Thread Ranks may also differ from case to case. This starts
with the timeframe of the event. In one case, it may be a single swing
of a sword. In the next one, it may be the completion of a twentyyear journey around the world. Many of the Legendary Treasures
presented in this book are examples of where the lifes work of an
adept allowed an item to become legendary by being connected
to the legend of that adept alone, a series of magical achievements
creating an item or building it up rank-by-rank rather than spawning a multi-ranked item by the accomplishment of a single feat
alone. A more central factor in most games is the magnitude of
the event, however. The requirement to be stressed here is that the
event be legendary, not that it affects the world immediately and
directly. An item may develop a legend and great magical powers
in a single day by being used in saving a nation through slaying
a Named Horror. But an item may grow just as legendary by just
being used to win a Swordmaster tournament if the items story is
told for centuries and if the telling inspires enough Namegivers
to become Swordmasters or compete in tournaments. Items presented in Earthdawn products are usually kept vague enough in
this regards for gamemasters to weave their own stories into Key
Knowledges when the characters research them, but are sometimes
laid out in detail where they inspire very specific adventures for
finding the necessary Key Knowledges, especially where it comes
to telling the story of a legendary Namegiver.

Lorms Axe might have been fully formed with all of its
Ranks by just the act of wounding the wormskull of Jalendale,
or its legend might have been expanded on by the dwarf Ragnar
telling the tale over and over, stressing the axes creation, being
a heirloom, and having a destinyonly the first couple of
Ranks would have been a result of the feats performed at

52

C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

Jalendale, the latter Thread Ranks would have resulted from

the tale being told. Items like the Talismans of Dianuus, however, are connected to the legend of the whole of an adepts
life and a number of his deeds as well as frequent activities.
Some events influencing these items can be identified at various Thread Ranks, but the items genesis and larger legend
cannot be connected to a single, short-term event.
It is important to keep in mind that most legendary items are
the result of a number of legendary deeds done over time, and that
these deeds need not be closely connected or even be done by only
one person, not even if an item bears that persons Name. Another
Namegiver may have contributed to the items legend with additional deeds or may have just made it more legendary by using it.
In this case, that other persons Name is often a Key Knowledge
for the item. It is theoretically possible that every single rank of an
item with 15 Thread Ranks was the result of a different Namegiver
performing some deed with the item, and that this item may have
developed over centuries. As a result, there is no item thats story
has been told to its end, and player characters may have the chance
to make the legend of a Legendary Treasure they found grow again
by performing deeds with it.

DesigningLoot

Most often, Legendary Treasure is designed in one piece by the

gamemaster for the characters to be found while adventuringthe
gamemaster creates an item similar to those found in the Legendary
Treasures chapter, p.27. This requires the gamemaster to spin a tale
around the items origins and align its Key Knowledges and Rank
Effects with it. These items tell a story inside the story: the characters
discover the legend of the item as part of their own ongoing adventures. The fact that the Key Knowledges and Effects of Thread Ranks
go along with the legend discovered while researching the item gives
the characters an insight into the worlds magic, allows them to get
a grasp of clues as to where and how to research the item, and gives
the players an impression of a coherent game world.
When designing a Legendary Treasure in this manner, the
gamemaster can fall back to the design principles for threaded
items presented above, but should not feel bound by them. Legendary Treasure is supposed to be more powerful and more exotic
than Thread Items and General Treasure. It is also supposed to be
more difficult to use, by having a higher Legend Point Cost and by
requiring more Key Knowledges or even Deeds to be performed.
Key Knowledges and Deeds introduced with the item require special attention by the gamemaster, as they are usually the incentive
for the characters adventures in the ongoing campaign. For this
reason alone, some gamemasters may prefer to come up with their
own Legendary Treasure rather than use some of the pre-generated
ones, as this allows full control over what the characters have to
do in order to use the item, rather than having to follow the suggestions the pre-generated items present.
To speed up the design process and not overburden the characters with too many Key Knowledges, it is often prudent to start
the design of a Legendary Treasure by modifying a Thread Item
this also represents how Thread Items are more likely to become
Legendary Treasure, see Legendary Item Genesis above. From
there, the gamemaster can come up with an event that spawned
the items legendary nature and introduce additional Thread Ranks,
after that continuing to introduce additional events and Ranks,
until the desired number of Ranks is reached.
Whether to start by making up the items legend and then developing thread Ranks, or to start with the Thread Rank Effects and
develop a legend along the way is a matter of preference. In some
cases, the desired Rank Effects are known beforehand, for example by the gamemaster intending to give a character an item that

Jim intends to design a legendary windling threaded

bow for the windling Archer in his group to find and
use. To make its design easier, he starts the item as a
Thread Item that will later become a Legendary Treasure through the deeds of a historic windling Archer
who lived and used the bow before the Scourge, Jaarth.
He applies the Ranged Weapon Template (p.276 of
the Players Guide) to a normal windling bow. This
results in a Thread Item with four Thread Ranks, a Spell
Defense of 11, a Legend Point Cost of Novice, and 2
Maximum Threads. With the template applied, the item
has Rank Effects that increase the weapons Damage
Step and Ranges and a single Key Knowledge at Rank
One. Next, Jim transforms the bow into a legendary
item by coming up with an event worthy of legend that
transformed the Thread Item into a Legendary Treasure. The windling bows small arrows bring up images
of needles or thorns for him, so he decides to work that
image into the items legend: when the bows ancient
wielder ran out of arrows, he once used large thorns as
ammunition to defend his village against Theran slavers.
Jim introduces this tale as the Rank Five Key Knowledge
and designs a special ability mimicking this event at that
Thread Rank. Because using only thorns as ammunition
seems too limited, he allows any similar plant object to
be used, and also further increases the bows Damage
Step. Jim decides that the bow has a Name pertaining
to this legendary event, and writes it down as Thornsling. He uses the minor detail of the thorns being used
as ammunition against Therans for Thread Rank Six,
thereby connecting Rank Six to the event as well. Jim
wants the bow to have at least eight Thread Ranks, so
he thinks about another deed that might have contributed to the weapons legend. He decides to further play
on the thorn-theme by designing another ability that
uses thorns: when the wielder shoots, the arrow may be
transformed into a barbed thorn that cannot be easily
removed, but damages the target through poison. As
the corresponding event and Key Knowledge, he writes
down that Jaarth was also adept at alchemy and using
windling poison. This makes for a good additional ability for Rank Eight also, with the wielder receives a bonus
to his own alchemical abilities. As Jim wants to tie the
bow more heavily into his adventures, he also adds a
Deed to Rank Eight, something that will be a bit of a
challenge for the windling Archer. Finally, Jim needs to
adjust the items characteristics, as it is now a Legendary Treasure with more raw magic power than a Thread
Item, and write the items description and additional
information that the windling Archer in his group can
learn while researching the bow. He increases the bows
Spell Defense and Legend Point Cost and writes a short
description of the item containing information about
Jaarth, the player of the windling character can learn
this information while researching the bow and use it
to find out more about Jaarth.

T h orn sli ng
Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden
Thornsling is a windling bow made from yew, the famous weapon
of the pre-Scourge windling Archer Jaarth. It is in good condition
and preserved by its magic, but shows signs of several years of use.
It is said that Jaarth used this bow many times while defending
his clan based in the Thronspike Jungle against Theran slavers
from Parlainth as well as to hunt to provide for his family. Jaarths
clan became a nuisance to the therans in Parlainth when it openly
rebelled and attacked slaver caravans the Therans led through its
land, but the clan survived the Scourge without Theran help when
a nearby elven settlement took it in for the Scourge. Thornsling
was used by other adepts from Jaarths clan after the Scourge and
was lost in Parlainth when one of the clan set out to explore the
Lost City, but perished in the attempt.

C reati n g M agical T reas u res

grants abilities against Horrors in a game centered on fighting Horrors. In other scenarios, a gamemaster may take a
piece of fiction as an inspiration to create an item, for example an event in the worlds history such as the Battle of Sky
Point (see p.15 of How it Came to Pass in the Gamemasters
Guide), and from there develop Key Knowledges and Rank
Effects pertaining to the trolls battle and sacrifices.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must know the weapons Name.

Effect: The weapons Damage Step is now 5.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: The weapons Ranges are now Short: 230 (115),

Long: 3160 (1630).

Thread Rank Three

Effect: The weapons Damage Step is now 6.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The weapons Ranges are now Short: 236 (118),

Long: 3772 (1936).

Thread Rank Five

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that when Jaarth ran
out of ammunition while defending his clan against Theran slavers,
he used large thorns found on a local shrub as ammunition.
Effect: The wielder may use any solid, elongated part of a plant,
such as a thorn, branch, or stick as an arrow for the weapon without any penalty. The weapons Damage Step is now 7.

Thread Rank Six

Effect: The wielder receives a +2 bonus to Attack Tests made

when attacking with the weapon against Therans or slavers.

Thread Rank Seven

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn that Jaarth was an

alchemist of some renown and famous for brewing strong poisons
that could take down the largest troll warrior.
Effect: After having hit a target, the wielder may take 1 Strain
to transform the arrow into a wicked, barbed thorn that remains
within the targets flesh, causing 2 Damage points from poison at
the end of every round. The target may take a Standard Action to
remove up to 3 thorns, but removing a thorn causes 3 Damage
Points from the barbs. This ability requires the physical arrow to be
present, so it cannot be combined with the Flame Arrow talent.

Thread Rank Eight

Deed: The wielder must learn the Alchemy skill and use it to
brew a poison that helps him defend a windling clan or be victorious over a band of Therans slavers. The poison must be crucial
to this endeavor.
Effect: The wielder gains a +4 bonus to Alchemy Tests made
to produce or analyze poisons or collect the ingredients for a
poison.

C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

53

CharacterLegends

Some gamemasters may want to let items used by the player characters become Legendary Treasure. Many of the prerequisites for
this to happen have been discussed above, but not all scenarios
apply to this happening in the game. For example, it is often beyond
the scope of the game that such an item develops over a long period
of time or as a representation of a lifes work of an adept, as most
campaigns do not span the entire life of a player character. And
even if one did, what use would the item be to a character whose
lifes work had been done? Also, the gamemaster often cannot plan
ahead to decide what events will shape an item, he has to react to
a characters deeds and design the Legendary Treasure accordingly along the way, making it more difficult to develop a coherent
item. While coherency is not as necessary for an item developing
as part of a characters adventures as it is for items solely generated by the gamemaster ahead of time, as the character was part
of the items genesis and development and all the connections are
there for him, it is more difficult to judge what events and deeds
are worthy of developing a legendary item, as the group of characters may accomplish many legendary feats in their time, and
claim many of them to be worth of creating or expanding on a
legendary item. In other words, allowing one characters item to
become legendary after a specific event but not allowing the same
to happen to another characters item after a similar deed can lead
to jealousy, or the legitimate concern that the gamemaster does
not handle all deeds and events equally. To avoid this, especially
when first trying out this process, the gamemaster can introduce
mundane items that are said to have a destiny, justifying that for
the time being, only this one item will develop into a legendary
item, and also giving some sort of direction into which the item
will develop its legendary powers. Once the process is understood
sufficiently and a good measure of balance has been found, or if
players without their own legendary item are satisfied by receiving pre-designed legendary items, the gamemaster can create or
develop legendary items more freely.
Events that trigger an item in a characters hands to become legendary or develop legendary power are usually deeds performed by
that character that net an above-average amount of Legend Points
to be awarded (even if not awarded to that character individually)
or cause powerful opposition or obstacles to be overcome. In some
cases, a long-lasting habit may spawn a legend if it results in many
minor interesting events. Once an item develops legendary powers,
the character usually discovers that the item has developed magical properties instinctively after handling the item for some time.
He needs to confirm his suspicion by having the item examined,
for example by using the Astral Sight talent, and needs to learn the
Test Knowledge for the items Thread Ranks per standard rules. As
the item has developed in his own hands, he does not need to learn
any Research Knowledge; his own legend is interwoven with the
items Pattern Knowledge and he has witnessed any noteworthy
event. The character can weave a thread to the item by learning the
Test Knowledge for its Thread Ranks and spending Legend Points.
If the gamemaster decides a Deed has to be performed for the item,
it is up to the gamemaster if the event that created the item already
fulfills the requirements of the Deed. These liberties only apply to
the adept who performed the feats that made the item legendary. If
another player character wants to weave a thread to the item, the
gamemaster can require him to learn the Research Knowledge
and perform any Deeds necessary to weave a thread, although he
may decide that this other character already fulfilled the requirements by having adventured with the adept who made the item
legendary, depending on the special circumstances.
The creation of a magic item in this fashion is similar to the design
of any other legendary item, but stretches out over the course of a

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C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

campaign, the item is not necessarily designed to completion. All

Legendary Treasure that spawned and developed by an adepts
deeds was originally created in this manner, but only when a player
character is involved does the process stretch out over and happen
during the game. All Legendary Treasure referring to the life of a
famous adept can be interpreted as a series of events in the adventuring career of a character, so letting a player characters item
develop legendary powers can be seen as the ultimate simulation
of legendary item design.

Geonel, an elven Swordmaster in the group Jim gamemasters

for, has carefully made sure that before setting out for an
adventure, his flask is always filled with fine elven brandy.
He has done so for seven Circles, and it has become a
running gag for the group that Jim sometimes makes it difficult for the elf to acquire brandy. Still, Geonel enjoys a
sip from the flask every evening at the campfire.
Jim decides to reward the players persistence by making the flask
a legendary item, just waiting for the right moment to transform
the flask into a threaded item. When Geonel sacrifices all of
the brandy in his flask to come to good terms with some ork
scorchers while negotiating passage through scorcher territory,
Jim realizes the right moment has come. A few days later, Geonel
discovers that the flask has developed magical properties, and
Jim designs the first two Thread Ranks, deciding that the event
was not sufficient enough to create an item with more Ranks, but
that he does not want to progress the item one Rank at a time
because this would take too long and too many events.
Jim decides that for Rank One, the flask develops the power to
refill. For Rank Two, it grants a bonus when negotiating. Jim
also assigns Characteristics to the flask, choosing a relatively
low Spell Defense of 14 and Legend Point Cost of Journeyman
as the flask is not that powerful an item at this time.
After a number of adventures, another interesting event happens. Geonel is fighting against a troll Warrior, and has been
disarmed. Trying to defend against a blow using his Parry
talent, Geonel needs a piece of equipment for Parry to work
properly. All he has at hand is the flask, and Jim allows Geonel
to use it to parry the blow. Geonel succeeds parrying a very high
attack roll, and Jim decides to use this to further develop the
flasks magical power. He determines that the flask now grants a
bonus to Parry Tests when held in hand at Rank Three.
Considering that the flask does not allow for a weapon or shield
to be held in that hand when using it to parry, Jim sets the bonus
to Parry Tests rather high, in excess of that of a typical shield.
For Rank Four, he decides to allow the flask to be refilled an
additional time per day and increases the bonus to negotiations.
Jim decides to leave the flasks Characteristics as they are, as the
item is not yet as powerful as other Legendary Treasures.
Now that Geonel is likely to use it in every combat, though, it
is likely to take part in more heroic deeds and develop more
and more powerful abilities. If this happens, the Characteristics might still change.

Masterpieces

While the creation and development of Legendary Treasure

cannot normally be influenced or controlled directly by the character wielding it, players and gamemasters may want to allow an
exception when it comes to characters who know how to enchant

G e on el s F l a s k
Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Journeyman
This silver flask has long been in the possession of the
elven Swordmaster Geonel. It does not have any carvings or similar decorations on it, but has a dent where
it was once hit by the blow of a sword.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The owner must know the items

Name.
Effect: Once per day, the owner may take 1 Strain to
have the flask fill itself with elven brandy.

Thread Rank Two

Effect: When sharing brandy from the f lask with

another character, the owner gains a +2 bonus to Interaction Tests made against that character.

Thread Rank Three

Key Knowledge: The owner must learn that this flask

was first used by the elven Swordmaster Geonel, who
drank from it for many years during his adventures.
Effect: W hen wielding the f lask in hand during
combat to use with the Parry talent or skill, the wielder
receives a +5 bonus to Parry Tests from using equipment. The flask proves resistant to damage when used
in this fashion.

Thread Rank Four

Effect: The flask may now be refilled twice per day by

taking 1 Strain, and the owner now gains a +3 bonus to
Interaction Tests when sharing from the flask.

C reati n g M agical T reas u res

items as part of their Disciplines magic. Enchanter characters

can be allowed to gradually complete the enchantment of an item
over the course of their career rather than designing a masterpiece for a long time and then finally creating it (which would
result in General Treasure), using knowledge or material gained
while performing noteworthy deeds in the enchantment of the
item. While such an item need not necessarily be considered legendary by other characters inside the games world, it would be
considered legendary after the enchanters death, the item would
be his legendary legacy. Some pre-generated items can be considered such masterpieces. Such masterpiece items are suggested to
be designed more with the power level of Legendary Treasure in
mind because the player does not have complete control over the
item (as he has with thread Items), does not get a full-fledged item
with four or six Thread Ranks at once, and has to wait for legendary
events to occur in-between creating Thread Ranks. They develop
more like items presented under Character Legends above than
Thread Items.
Masterpieces are best left to enchanting Disciplines employing
a wide array of enchanting techniques, such as the Elementalist
(who can work with spirits, True Elements, and spells as well).
More prominently featured is the Weaponsmith, however, who
is gradually improving himself and his items by learning more
and more abilities to use on them. At the gamemasters discretion,
the Heartblade (Players Companion, p.92) can be considered
one such item. The process of creating a masterpiece is similar to
the process of developing a legendary item during the characters
adventures, adding one or two ranks at a time, but rather than the
gamemaster deciding what events are sufficient to spawn Thread
Ranks, the gamemaster weaves hints, background knowledge,
or rare materials into his campaign for the character to pick up
and use in the enchanting process. The decision on the Effects of
Thread Ranks can remain with the gamemaster (in this case, the
characters decision as to what knowledge or material to use represents his influence on the item), can be made in cooperatively,
or can be made by the player (in which case the gamemaster tells
the player what type of knowledge or material the character has
to seek outthe character is essentially performing Deed-like
actions and doing research as for Research Knowledge before the
Thread Rank even exists). Masterpiece items can enrich a game
and the play of an enchanting Discipline by representing a very
personal quest for the character.

A third player in Jims group plays a troll Weaponsmith who,

like the other characters in the game, is supposed to come into
possession of a legendary item. Considering the characters
Discipline, Jim suggests to the player that they work together
in letting the Weaponsmith forge a masterpiece legendary item.
The player decides on the characters trusted weapon, a battle-axe. The Weaponsmith has already used Forge Weapon
on the item, so Jim agrees to use it as the Effect for Thread
Rank One for simplicity. The Weaponsmith Names the item
after himself, Naargs Axe. Because both gamemaster and
player want the item to be very special, they decide to go one
Thread Rank at a time, with every Rank being created after
an event in which important knowledge was gained or valuable material was acquired. This means that every Rank
will boast a Key Knowledge or Deed, which normally is not
a problem as Naarg took part in the event, he needs only to
weave the threads. Gaining the knowledge or material is the
interesting part in this process. Because the adaptable nature
of the item is rather powerful in the hands of the character,
Jim rules it will use the highest Legend Point Cost, and start
C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

55

with a Spell Defense of 12, which will increase by +2 for every

Thread Rank added. The description of the axe is provided by
the player. During one of the next adventures, Naarg takes
a valuable gem infused with True fire from a slain Theran
Elementalist. During the battle, the Elementalist had used it
to fulfill the component requirements of the Fireball spell, so
it seems to provide a source for fire, despite being cool to the
touch. Player and gamemaster decide that when used in the
ongoing enchantment of the axe, the gem allows for a special
ability pertaining to evoking fire. In another adventure, the
group comes across an ancient library. Spending hours perusing the tomes, Naarg discovers an ancient Theran text about
enchanting weapons so they are more harmful to dragons, and
decides to use this knowledge to expand on his axe.

Tr an s f or m ing
Pattern Ite m s
In many instances where a characters item
has a chance to become legendary during that
characters adventures, the transformed item has
a good chance of also being a Pattern Item. Any
item can be a Pattern Item for only one True Pattern, though, and both the Legendary Treasure
and the character wielding it have True Patterns. If a Pattern Item becomes a Legendary
Treasure (or any kind of threaded item for that
matter), it becomes its own Pattern Item, and
stops being a Pattern Item for whatever or whomever it was before. Less powerful Pattern Items
(Minor ones rather than Major or Core Pattern
Items) are more likely to become threaded, however, despite being less magically powerful. This
is because powerful Pattern Items are already
tied to legendsthe legend of the character they
are Pattern Items toand are so connected to
a legend more powerful than one they could
develop from scratch.
The gamemaster should limit the genesis of
legendary items from Pattern Items, especially if
threads are woven to them, without the character
actively seeking the genesis of a threaded item.
In any case of a Pattern Item being transformed,
however, all threads woven to it are lost.

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C H A P T E R 6 | Creating M ag ical Trea sure s

N aa rg s A x e
Maximum Threads: 2
Spell Defense: 16
Legend Point Cost: Master
This heavy troll battle-axe is carefully adorned
with trollish runes and appears to be tended to regularly. It bears the Name of its creator, Naarg, in the
center of the blade and has a ruby glowing with the
force of True fire set into the haft.

Thread Rank One

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the

Name of the weapon.
Effect: The weapons Damage Step is now 14.

Thread Rank Two

Key Knowledge: The wielder must learn the

origin of the ruby set into the haft.
Effect: For 1 Strain, the wielder may cause the
blade to burst into flames until the end of the round.
The flames cause an additional, separate D6 Damage
Die on a successful attack.

Thread Rank Three

Deed: The wielder must locate a lost text about

the nature or weaknesses of dragons and study it.
Effect: The wielder requires a Result Level one
lower than normal to achieve an Armor-Defeating
Hit against dragons (usually an Excellent Result).

Chapter Seven

Airships&Riverboats
Welcome aboard, honored guests! Please allow me
to show you to your quarters, then Master Jikhavas
will explain how to use the oars while you listen to
the delightful tunes of his drum
Captain Trenjor, Captain of the vedette Intimidator

his chapter describes the various types of airships and

riverboats characters are likely to encounter in their
adventures. The following material includes explanations of ship statistics, rules for ship travel including speed and
navigational hazards, an overview of ship combat and rules for
constructing, repairing and maintaining ships.
This section also includes descriptions of several different types
of ships: crystal raider drakkars, the wooden airships of Throal,
the paddle-wheeled riverboats of the tskrang, the waterborne
galleys of the merchant cities, and the powerful stone airships
of the Theran Empire.

Airships

irships are made of either stone or wood. Within these

two broad categories are several different ship types.
General descriptions of the different ships are provided
below; in practice, airships can take on any configuration.
The Therans, rich in magic and ever willing to flaunt their wealth,
build stone airships almost without exception. The crystal raiders and shipwrights in Barsaivian cities build wooden airships.
Within these two classifications are a number of variations, from
warships to trading ships to the swift raiding vessels of the highland trollmoots.

TheLawofSimilarity

One of the laws governing the use of the magic flowing through
the fabric of our universe is the Law of Similarity. This law states
that those things that look alike are alike; things that behave the
same way are the same. This law allows airships to float on air
using magic, for they look and act like ships that float on water.
Though the magical elements and orichalcum forged from all five
of them can be used to implement the Law of Similarity, it often
takes years to find the proper proportions of elemental magic
needed to achieve various effects. Many people have, for example,
tried to create ships able to sail through land as boats sail through
water and air, but no one has yet succeeded. The combination of
elemental earth and other magics needed to accomplish such a
feat have yet to be discovered.
In accordance with the Law of Similarity, a wooden airship
floats in the air as other ships float in water. Just as a waterborne
ship will sink if its hull is breached, so an airship will sink if its
hull takes too much damage. Whether damaged by fire cannons,

magical spells, or a f lock of giant eagles, a breached ship will

sink slowly toward the earth. If the damage has been extreme, it
will quickly plummet to the ground below. Theran ships make
no use of this law, relying on other, crueler magics to keep their
vessels afloat.

The Law of Similarity is often used as the sole

explanation of how airship travel is possible by Air
Sailors simplifying the matter (and over-stating their
own part in the process), but it is more than similar
shape that lets an airship float. After all, if this were
all, air streaming into the ship from its top, filling the
hull, would sink an airship just as water would
sink a riverboat. The True air woven into an airship
is of much greater impact for its ability to fly than
the shape of its hull. Just another show of the
Barsaivians lack of respect for their magicians.

Grask of Zanjan, Captain of the Highest Duty

AirshipConstruction

Constructing an airship is a complex, time-consuming and

expensive undertaking that requires the expertise of many highly
skilled artisans. Indeed, even the great airship yards of Barsaive
only turn out a few new airships each year.
Under the direction of a shipwright, carpenters and other
craftsmen construct the keel and hull of the ship. Sailmakers,
woodcarvers, metalsmiths and the like outfit the ship, and then
one or more Elementalists and their assistants weave countless
kernels of True air into the wood or stone to make the ship fly.
The whole process takes many months; in a single year a shipyard might turn out three or four drakkars, or perhaps one or
two galleys.
The crystal raiders are the best shipbuilders in the province. Several Barsaivian cities also build wooden airships, notably Urupa,
Travar, Jerris, and Iopos. The art of shipbuilding has returned
slowly to Barsaive since the Theran War, as the people struggle
to recover from the Scourge and the Theran invasion. The shipbuilders might hope for greater profit if one or more shipyards
pooled their resources, but, unfortunately, no two shipyards have
been able to agree to work together.
C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

57

WoodenAirships

In sharp contrast to stone airships, wooden airships are easier

to build, easier to fly, and less expensive in terms of both elemental magic and money. Wooden airshipsespecially Barsaivian
onesseldom use slaves for propulsion.
The galleon, the galley, the drakkar, and the airboat represent
the four basic classes of wooden airships.

Galleons

Galleons are the largest wooden airships, virtually unseen in

Barsaive since the Scourge. These ships reach lengths of up to 150
feet and may be as wide as 35 feet or more, with multiple decks,
masts and sails. Galleons are rarely powered by oars, but they
require many Air Sailors to rig and control the sails. They usually
have several decks and can carry up to five hundred passengers
or troops.
Galleons can also carry considerable firepower, but they lumber
by comparison to the more maneuverable drakkars and galleys and
even the smaller stone airships of the Theran Empire.

Galleys

Galleys are mid-sized wooden airships most commonly used by

the cities and nations of Barsaive. A typical galley is 100 feet long
and more than 20 feet wide, powered by both oar and sail. Crewed
by a hundred, galleys have more cargo capacity than drakkars,
which they can use to carry extra troops or passengers.
Most galleys are merchant vessels, carrying goods quickly across
Barsaive. Other galleys are military ships. Usually, galleys have
two upper decksfore and aftand two lower decks. A galley
can carry weapons like fire cannons (often mounted on the fore
or aft castles), and even a merchant ship often has some weapons
to defend itself against attacks by pirates and raiders.

Drakkars

The crystal raiders use a class of ship known as the drakkar. Airfaring trollmoots have built such ships for untold centuries, and
their skill continues to grow. Drakkars average 60 feet in length
and sometimes support a single mast. Some drakkars have masts
that can be taken down or raised as the situation demands. This sail
supplements the ships power, most of which comes from rowing
crews of approximately thirty trolls. The ships can carry cargo, but
usually use that space to transport additional crystal raiders.
Swiftness and maneuverability are the drakkars greatest advantages, but its light weight means the ship can flip over easily in a
high wind. It is a tribute to the skill of the crews that these ships
so rarely plunge to the ground and shatter. In contrast to the large
galleys, which feel much more substantial, little seems to hold the
vessel up; it rushes through the air at dizzying speed, and the cold,
sharp wind strikes your face like a surging wave.
Drakkars cannot carry fire cannons, but the crystal raiders have
no great love of such weapons. When raiding, they prefer to rush
slower vessels, evading the fireballs shot at them in defense. As
soon as they are close enough, the raiders throw grappling hooks
toward the other ship and use them to pull their own ship closer.
Rather than waiting for the ships to touch, some raiders throw
themselves across the space between the vesselsan extraordinary feat of courage when one considers that they are leaping over
a sickening drop of many hundreds of feet. At this point, the true
crystal raider battle begins, for the raiders excel at hand-to-hand
combat. Once boarded, few ships can defend against the crystal
raiders fierce, joyous attacks.
Many shipyards throughout Barsaive have begun to copy the
design of the drakkar since the end of the Scourge, as resources
were sparse in the first decades of rebuilding cities, nations, and
trade empires. Drakkars not built by troll clans usually feature a
below-decks area that acts as a cargo hold, while raider drakkars

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C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

are open constructions that seat the rowsmen deep, protected by

the ships walls. The drakkar is the most common airship used in
Barsaive today, even when the raiders vessels are not counted in.

Airboats

Airboats are the smallest airships available, resembling small

rowboats carrying only a handful of Namegivers and a small amount
of cargo. Propelled by a single rower or a pair of rowers, airboats
are most commonly used as lifeboats and launches for larger airships such as galleys and galleons. Drakkar-sized or smaller ships
rarely carry airboats on board.

StoneAirships

Unlike wooden airships, stone ships have not the look of waterborne vessels. At best, they resemble flat-bottomed barges. Most
lack sails, and few have the rudders or keels common to wooden
ships. Many stone airships are powered by the physical strength
and life force of oarsmen, usually slaves. Rather than relying on
physical methods of navigation and steering, the Therans chart
and stay their course through magic.
Most stone ships are built like fortressesthick-walled, heavy,
and nearly impossible to keep aloft. The magical resources required
to construct such a ship and keep it airborne speaks well of Theran
wealth and ill of their wasteful habits.

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

Three types of stone airships cruise the skies above the Theran
Empire: behemoths, kilas, and vedettes. Though all stone airships
are classed as one of these three, the classes themselves are determined by size. Thus, the vedette, the smallest class of stone airship,
includes small warships as well as stone mining ships.

Behemoths

Behemoths are the largest and most awe-inspiring airships. A

behemoth is a small floating city, often measuring over 250 yards
to a side, surrounded by high stone walls and surmounted by many
towers and structures. The bottom of the ship is a hollow foundation, usually circular or square. In this sunless area, the ships slaves
live out their miserable existences. The foundation supports two
dozen or more buildings housing Theran officials, soldiers, libraries,
and the ships crew, making the behemoth a portable community of conquest. In these vessels, the Therans travel throughout
the Theran Empire, carrying enough officials, soldiers, magicians,
adepts, and questors to invade and occupy any place they wish to
lay hands on.

According to the Therans with whom I have spoken,

behemoths carry more than two hundred slaves. A great
many die during long journeys, and so the ship must
land often to replenish its slave population.
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records

A behemoth is a weapon of war second to none; its thick stone

walls enable it to resist attacks from smaller ships while numerous fire cannons and other weapons mounted on those same walls
rain destruction down on targets. A single behemoth defeated the
gathered crystal raider moots at the Battle of Sky Point, and the
behemoth Triumph has become a stronghold of Theran might in
the heartland of Barsaive.

Kilas

With kilas, the resemblance between wooden and stone airships

ends. Kilas are floating fortressessmall, fortified castles torn
from their foundations and set in the sky by the power of Theran
magicians. Instead of the dozens of buildings found on a behemoth,
a kila supports only one building with several towers and one wall.
Kilas are most often square-shaped, measuring up to 80 yards on
a side, with towers reaching four or five stories tall. The walls and
towers of a kila can mount many fire cannons and other weapons,
but the weapons cannot turn, and so can only be brought to bear on
targets on the side on which they are mounted. Smaller and more
maneuverable ships often take advantage of this limitation.
The kila serves as a movable fortress for the Theran military;
they can land this airship on any patch of ground and immediately establish a fortress. These huge ships are much larger than
wooden galleons, and the greatest of them can eclipse the sun by
floating past it. Like the behemoth, the kila has a flat foundation
where the ships slaves are housed.

Vedettes

Vedettes are the smallest stone airships, used by the Theran

Empire as mining barges, attack ships, cargo carriers, troop transports and fighter escorts for larger airships. They are similar in size
to drakkars, up to 60 feet long and 10 to 15 feet wide, though they
usually feature lower and upper decks. Though highly maneuverable, vedettes cannot mount as much firepower as larger ships.
Their stone hulls make vedettes as tough as or tougher than wooden
ships more than twice their size and protect them from many hazards that affect wooden airships. The Therans often use vedettes
against the crystal raiders and other native airships that prey on

Theran vessels. Vedettes also swiftly move strike forces where they
are needed and work as escorts for mining ships and behemoths.
Vedettes also make useful barges for gathering magical elements.
The sturdy stone hulls protect slaves and crews mining the Deaths
Sea for elemental fire, and the ships can rise high enough into the
sky to gather elemental air. Wooden variants of the vedette exist,
but resemble the stone construction more than they resemble
drakkars.

GhostShips

Legends and rumors tell of airships that fly without crews. Called
ghost ships, most such vessels ply the skies only briefly. Without
life force from a crew or regular replacement of the ships elemental air, a ghost ship will eventually crash to the ground like any
other airship. Travelers who have seen one tell that ghost ships are
created when a Horror invades an airship and kills the crew. The
Horror then abandons the ship for greener pastures or else waits
for salvagers to board the vessel and serve as its next victims. On
rare occasions, crystal raiders attack a ship, kill its crew, take its
riches, and leave the ship floating dead in the sky.
On occasion, more extraordinary events produce ghost ships
that roam the skies for many years. These ships stay afloat as long
as the spirits of the dead crew haunt the vessel. The Golden Cloud,
a Theran mining ship, is one famous long-lived ghost ship. Once
part of a fleet that used elemental fire charges to rip into the plane
of elemental air and gather the shards of that magical element, the
Golden Cloud fell victim to its success. The continuous mining ravaged a portion of the elemental plane beyond repair; angered by
the destruction, elemental air spirits manifested and slaughtered
the airships crew. They invested the ship with enough elemental air magic to keep the airship high in the sky over Barsaive. To
this day, so stories tell, the ship cuts a wide swath through the sky,
reminding those who live below that air miners harm the elemental planes at their own risk. Several heroes and Theran salvagers
have attempted to board the ship and capture its cargo, but none
have ever returned.
C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

59

Perhaps the most famous of all ghost ships is the Earthdawn,

the ship flown by Vaare Longfang on her exploration of Barsaive
in the days immediately following the Scourge. The Earthdawn
returned once, and then set out again. It never returned from its
second journey. Many legends tell of the Earthdawn appearing in
the sky, and then vanishing in an eyeblink.

From the decks of our drakkar, we watched the derelict

Theran barge loom closer. In the prow of our ship, several of the
Stoneclaws best warriors pulled on the grappling ropes that
made a slender bridge between our ship of wood and the stone
barge. Though most Theran craftsmanship shows grace and
beauty, the ugly lines and angles of the mining barge reflected
the Therans callous indifference to their workers. Ash from the
magma bursts used for mining caked and dirtied the vessel.
As the barge approached, everyone fell silent. On the deck of the
barge lay the remains of the slaves, their bodies torn apart, their
blood seeping into the deck. Across a rowers bench lay the corpse
of an elf, his long, lean body sliced open with delicate precision.
Though the barge moved, nothing on it lived. We knew then it was
the Horrors that had done this
From the journal of Vorg of the Stoneclaws

AirshipNames

Because all airships are Named and have True patterns, they
can be affected by magic like other Named people, places and
objects. Though strictly speaking airships are closest to magical
items, in game terms they function more like Named places, with
their own pattern items.
Most Named airships have at least one pattern item, particularly if the airship is old or has been involved with many legendary
deeds on the part of its crew. These pattern items can be used to
study the True pattern of the airship and to weave threads to it. It
is common for the captain of an airship to hold one or more of its
pattern items and to have one or more threads woven to the ships
True pattern. These threads may be used to increase the weavers
abilities aboard ship, or the thread rank may be used to increase
one of the ships Attribute steps.
Crystal raider captains naturally guard the pattern items of their
ships very carefully to avoid having them fall into the hands of their
enemies. Since many of the crystal raider drakkars are connected
to and crewed by a particular clan, the ships themselves effectively
become pattern items for their clans.

HowAirSailingWorks

The most important talent for the operation of an airship is Air Sailing. The Air Sailing talent includes the practical knowledge of serving
on board an airship: how to row, trim sails, steer and perform all of
the functions necessary to keep an airship running. Air Sailor and Sky
Raider adepts are the primary characters who practice this talent, but
the talent can be learned as a skill by non-adepts and airship crewmen
of other Disciplines. Human adepts who serve on board airships often
learn Air Sailing through the use of their Versatility talent.
Air Sailing also provides much of the magic that allows an airship
to soar through the sky as easily as an ordinary ship sails across water.
A normal wooden oar rowed against nothing but air will do little to
move a massive ship, even a free-floating airship. But the symbolic
act of rowing combined with the power of the rowers will has magical effects. Rowing is a symbol of the rowers desire to move the ship.
Air Sailing takes this desire and magically translates it into motive
power that drives the airship. This is one of the reasons rowing is

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commonly used to propel airships: the force of Air Sailing magic usually allows rowed ships to travel more quickly than airships under
sail. Air Sailing magic also comes into play in steering and the use of
sails, but airships under sail receive more of their impetus to move
from the winds than the efforts of the crew.
Even non-adepts trained in the Air Sailing skill can make use of
this magical aspect of the talent. Because the will of the rowers represents the most important factor in ship propulsion, using barely
trained rowers requires a much larger number of people; skilled
Air Sailors, of course, can move an airship with a fairly small crew.
The larger Theran stone ships, kilas and behemoths use large crews
of slave rowers as an additional means of propulsion along with
sails and life-draining magiccountless numbers of slaves have
lost their lives to propel Theran ships.

Riverboats

hough their underwater villages provide them shelter from

all sorts of attacks, including Horror assaults during the
Scourge, most tskrang feel trapped if they stay too long
inside the stone domes of their river villages. Creatures of sweeping motion and intense passion, the tskrang long for the chance to
serve as crew members on the villages riverboat and travel the wide
expanse of the Serpent. Larger villages support several riverboats,
allowing even more of the villages citizens to travel the rivers.
Tskrang villages and communities exist to sail the Serpent; the
crew covenant reflects the importance of the riverboat in their lives.
To have a ship and sail upon it is all a tskrang truly desires from life.
Even the tskrang cannot explain this overwhelming desire, but if
one considers their love of motion, their amphibian nature, and
the complete safety offered by their underwater villages, it seems
clear that the riverboat has given them a way to balance their desires
against the need to raise children in safety.
Though the foundation is matriarchal, crewing assignments for
a ship are shared equally among the entire crew covenant. The
actual assignments vary, depending on the size of the village and
how many ships are available. The captain is chosen by the entire
crew covenant, based on ability, experience, and more than a little
politicking. The vote is seldom unanimous, but if two-thirds of a
crew covenant agrees on a candidate, the choice is made. Chosen
for a single season, the best captains often serve in that capacity
for life. Incompetent captains lose their position at the end of a
season, or may be voted out mid-season.

TheOccurrenceofMutiny

The captain of a ship provides stability among the crew covenants,

but can also become the target of jealousy among those rejected for
the position. Though most crew covenants are too tightly knit for
such feelings to surface, occasionally an overly ambitious tskrang
leads a mutiny against a captain, usually taking the position of captain himself. Particularly calculating tskrang sometimes prop up a
crew member they can influence as the captain so that if the mutiny
goes badly, the true mutineer will suffer less heavy a punishment
than his dupe. Usurpation of a captains authority is punishable
by death, and co-conspirators often die as well.
If their mutiny succeeds, the crew can either sail back to their village and attempt to force their will on the rest of the crew covenant,
or find another village willing to accept the ship in its fleet. Though
many villages might welcome another ship, most tskrang consider it
risky to invite mutinous sailors into the crew covenant. If a crew has
mutinied once, it may well do so again. In most cases, a village that
accepts a mutinous crew most likely struck a prior bargain with that
crew. In such cases, the village interested in acquiring the ship may
aid the mutineers by attacking the ship when the mutiny begins.

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

The large, cylinder-shaped paddlewheel sits above the water on

an axle, the large slats of wood fastened to the edge of the cylinder
and angled as if radiating from the center of the cylinder resting
in the water.
The arms protruding from the fire engine are attached to either
end of the cylinder shape. As the wheels of the fire engine turn, they
pull and push on these arms, and the arms pull and push on the paddlewheel. This motion spins the paddlewheel around its axle. As the
wheel turns, the planks consecutively sink into the water and push
against it. This pushing forces the riverboat forward or backward,
depending on the direction in which the wheel is turning.
Different traditions describe the origins of the tskrang knowledge
of fire engines. Theran scholars suggest that the original fire engine
was an ancient artifact from a time before our recorded history. They
claim the tskrang imitated the combination of engineering and
magic by accident, and contend that the tskrang have never applied
the knowledge to anything else because they do not understand it.

OntheConstructionofRiverboats

A typical tskrang riverboat has five decks; one lower deck, three
upper decks, and an aft castle from which the captain commands
the ship.
The lower deck fills the flat, wide bottom of the riverboat; on it
are stored the ships supplies. The three upper decks, covering half
the riverboats length, hold the crew quarters, the ships cargo, and
the fire cannons. The cargo holds have large doors cut into the side
of the riverboat, from which wide gangplanks are lowered during
loading and unloading. Because the plank lies at a steeper angle
against the uppermost deck, the crew stores lighter cargo items on
the highest deck and the heaviest items on the lower deck.
The mid-decks are terraced in such a way that the exterior walls
are set back a few yards from the ships edge. The entire surface of
the ship bristles with sturdy poles attached to hinged braces; from
each pole hangs a length of rope. To move around the ship, tskrang
sailors grab the end of a rope and swing out over the water, then
arc back toward the ship. If this swing leaves the sailor short of his
destination, he grabs another rope and swings further. Though the
interior of the ship provides corridors and stairs leading to every
part of the vessel, the tskrang prefer to swing around the ship
even if the trip takes longer.
Fire cannons stand along the decks and on the roof of the topside. First used hundreds of years ago when the first Theran Empire
dominated Barsaive, the fire cannons roaring explosions captured
the imaginations of the excitable, spectacle-loving tskrang. The
cannons are fixed in position, forcing the crew to turn the entire
ship in order to aim them. As one might expect, tskrang crews
quickly become expert at maneuvering in a fight.
The aft castle is a large room elevated on stilts a few yards above
the top deck. Windows line the bridge and provide a clear view of
the river in all directions. The controls for the elemental fire engine
and the ships rudders are in the bridge, allowing the captain to
determine where the ship goes and how fast it travels.

MethodsofPropulsion

Unlike any other vessel in Barsaive, tskrang riverboats do not

use sails or oars to move through the river. Not even the Therans
possess anything as extraordinary as the tskrang fire engines and
giant paddlewheels.
The fire engine is generally housed in a large room at the stern
of the lower deck, and consists of a large metal chamber with one
wheel on either side. A large wooden arm attaches to each wheel
and extends past the rear of the ship.

The Therans always dismiss the achievements of native

Barsaivians. They desire to make us all seem utterly insignificant.
Velluniium, Captain of the Breeton II

The tskrang themselves disagree about the source of their fire

engines. Some believe that a questor of Upandal created the device
centuries ago. According to the story, the power of the Passion
Upandal so filled the questors being that he was touched by madness. It is said that no Namegiver can begin to comprehend the
complex and wonderful ideas that Upandal possesses. Driven by
his madness, the questor constructed the fire engine, a device that
combined mechanical ingenuity and a great deal of magic. This first
engine powered the first riverboat and set the tskrang on the path
to become Barsaives most skilled sailors and traders.
Other tskrang believe that several tskrang villages together
created the device, working under the guidance of Upandal. The
Passion was pleased by their ingenuity and willingness to cooperate in this creative process and ensured that this engine would
succeed. When the marvelous device was completed, Upandal
showed them how to attach it to their riverboats, and they grew
rich from the trade the miraculous engine brought them.
With their newfound speed and mobility, the tskrang prospered.
Their battles also grew more destructive, for they could maneuver
more quickly. According to a popular tskrang tale, some of the Passions became jealous of the devotion to Upandal inspired by the fire
engines and told Upandal that he must destroy his work. Upandal
refused, and Chorrolis, Passion of trade, sided with him. This tale
provides the only hint that the Passions could fight among themselves before madness took three of them during the Scourge.
The jealous Passions swore to destroy the tskrang if Upandal did
not destroy the fire engines. Now Upandal loved both the engines
and the tskrang who had worked so hard to build them, for it is
Upandals nature to love the objects made as much as those who
fashion them. He agreed that the fire engines could be dangerous
and proposed a compromise. The tskrang would live and keep
the engines attached to their riverboats, but no one would ever be
able to build another engine of that kind for any other use. As a
reward for their faith in him, Upandal made the tskrang the only
Namegivers capable of building the engines, but only for use on
their ships. This compromise placated the jealous Passions and
restored harmony among them.
This last tale in some ways seems the least likely, for there are
no known other records of conflict between the Passions before
the Scourge. On the other hand, Upandal has never again helped
C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

61

anyone who tried to duplicate the tskrang fire engines. Though

many have tried to build them, including the Therans, none have
succeeded. Upandal himself never speaks of the matter, nor do
any of the other Passions.

Historians reading this must realize that the tskrang

created the fire engine and paddlewheel long before
the city of Thera was founded, and many centuries
before our province was Named Barsaive.
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records

ShipStatistics

ll ships have six Attributes: Speed, Maneuverability, Firepower, Hull, Damage and Crew.
Most of these Attributes are given as step numbers, and
are used in the same way as a characters Attribute steps are. Some
ship Attributes, however, represent other characteristics of the ship,
such as the amount of damage the ship can sustain before becoming derelict, or the strength of the ships armor. Each of these six
Attributes is described more fully below. The Ship Combat section,
p.64, includes specifics for how many of these Attributes are used
in the game, and the Using Talents in Ship Combat section, p.67,
details ways some of these Attributes can be increased for short
periods through use of talents. Always use the current Attribute
step (modified by Critical Hits, Air Sailing Tests and so on) when
making tests or using the Attribute as a Difficulty Number.
Unless stated otherwise, airships have a Spell Defense of 16 and
riverboats have a Spell Defense of 12. Ships are considered Locations for the purpose of developing Pattern Items.

Speed

Each ship has a Speed step that determines the speed at which
it can travel. This is the ships cruising speed under normal conditions. Speed steps may vary among different types of vessels,
and also depend on the environment. To reflect this in the game,
lower the Speed of ships traveling against the wind (or against
the river current) by 1. If a ship is traveling with the current (or
with the wind), add a +1 bonus to its Speed. A ships Speed step
is used when making certain tests for the ship while it is traveling or in combat.
The Ship Speed Table shows a ships actual speed (in both miles
per hour and yards per combat round) based on its Speed step,
as well as how far a ship can travel (in miles) during an eight- or
sixteen-hour period. Most ships travel for sixteen hours per day
under normal conditions.

Sailing Ships

The keeled sailing ships of the Aras Sea depend on the wind
to push them along the water. A sailing ships Speed step varies,
depending on the strength of the prevailing wind and whether the
ship is running with the wind or tacking against it. Appropriate
Speed steps are listed in the Sailing Speed Table. A sailing ships
Maneuverability step is usually the same as its Speed step.

Maneuverability

A ships Maneuverability ref lects how quickly it can change

course, f lank opponents and break off from an attack. A ships
Maneuverability step is used when making tests for various maneuvers, and is also the Difficulty Number for certain tests made against
the ship.

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C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

Speed
Step
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

Ship Speed Table

Yards per
Miles
Distance in Miles
Round
per Hour
(in 8/16 hours)
5
1
8/16
10
2
16/32
16
3.3
26/52
22
4.5
36/72
28
5.7
46/92
34
7
56/112
40
8.2
66/132
49
10
80/160
58
11.9
95/190
67
13.7
110/120
78
16
128/256
90
18.4
147/294
102
20.9
167/334
115
23.5
188/376
130
26.6
213/426
145
29.7
238/476

Sailing Speed Table

Speed Step
Wind Speed
Same Direction Tacking Against
Less than 5 mph
3
1
510 mph
5
3
1120 mph
8
6
2130 mph
11
9
More than 30 mph
13
11

Firepower

A ships Firepower represents how effective the ships weapons

are in combat. This Attribute takes into account the number of
weapons, their placement and their range. The number to the right
of the slash represents the Attack step; the number to the left represents the Effect (usually Damage) step.
When the ship attacks with its weapons, the captain can split the
Attack steps into any number of attacks that add up to the ships
total Firepower. See the Fire maneuver, on p.149, for more information about how a ships Firepower Attribute works in combat.
For most ships, the Firepower step represents the power of weapons mounted on the ship.

Hull

A ships Hull Attribute represents the vessels durability. This

Attribute includes the actual thickness of the ships walls, how cleverly the ships design protects vital areas and so on. A ships Hull
covers three factors: Armor, Ramming and Cargo.
The Armor rating reduces the damage of all attacks made against
that ship. The Ramming rating represents the Damage step of the
ships ramming attack against an opposing ship.
The ships Cargo rating represents the amount of freight the
ship can carry and still go at full speed. This rating is measured in
duari, a barrel that is the standard unit of measurement used by
every Trade Covenant on the Serpent River, as well as every trading company in Barsaive. A standard duari is a cask four feet tall
and three feet in diameter, capable of holding 300 pounds of rice.

Damage

A ship has three Health Ratings, just like a player character. A

ships Destroyed and Derelict ratings are the ship equivalents of
a characters Death and Unconsciousness Ratings, while a ships
Critical Threshold is equivalent to a characters Wound Threshold.
Specifically, a ships Critical Threshold is the amount of damage
the ship can take from a single attack, after applying armor, before
it suffers a Critical Hit.
Each Critical Hit reduces the ships Speed, Firepower, Hull and Crew
Attributes by 1 step each. When a ship accumulates damage equal to
its Derelict Rating, it may no longer move or fire. When it accumulates
damage equal to its Destroyed Rating, it sinks or crashes.

Crew

Each ship has a Crew Attribute that represents the overall abilities of its captain and crew. A ships Crew Attribute includes four
factors: its Captain rating, Crew Size, Crew Rating and Morale.
A ships Captain rating represents the minimum talent or skill
rank a captain must possess to operate that type of ship. The
gamemaster can use this number as the captains rank in relevant
abilities to make tests for a ship when he has not fully fleshed out
the captains abilities and statistics.
The Crew Size represents a typical crew complement assuming
every member has an Air Sailing, Pilot Boat, or Sailing Rank of 1. It
does not have to be the actual number of crew members, but rather
serves as a base to determine the number of successful talent or skill
tests required to propel the ship (see the descriptions of the aforementioned talents or skills in the Players Guide). Because many sailors
have a higher rank, actual crew sizes are often smaller than the Crew
Size Rating. Ships using slaves for propulsion still need a regular crew
(that uses appropriate talents and skills) to perform maneuvers.
A ships Crew Rating is an abstract rating used in boarding maneuvers in much the same way Firepower is used in
ranged combat.
Lastly, a crews Morale is the amount of damage the ship and the
crew can sustain before the crew will consider surrendering. Any
damage done to the ships hull, or any damage done to the crew in
a boarding action are applied toward the Morale rating to determine if a crew will surrender. Consider hull and crew damage as
separate, not combined, for the purpose of this comparison. Of
course, player characters may always choose to keep fighting or
surrender. The Morale rating applies only to crewmen who are
gamemaster characters. Ships can take on additional crewmembers to fight boarding battles or just happen to be a troop transport
(this reduces available Cargo space, see above). For every 10 additional crewmembers, increase Morale by +1 for the purpose of
boarding battles (p.65) only.

TravelHazards

irships often travel vast distances at high speeds, whether

on raids, military missions or carrying trade goods to
their destinations. Riverboats usually carry trade goods
and passengers to destinations along Barsaives rivers, but may also
be involved in military missions and pirate attacks.
The following rules describe game mechanics for the hazards
of ship travel.

AirshipHazards

The skies of Barsaive require great skill and experience to navigate. The most common problems are storms or turbulence, and
airship crews constantly check the wind and weather to prevent
mishaps from occurring. Other hazards, like flying creatures, are
also a factor.
The various Hazard Levels of Barsaives major air routes are
shown on the Airship Hazard Table. The Hazard Level for most
of Barsaive is 7. Controlled territory is any region controlled by
the airships owners, such as a Stoneclaws airship flying over that
moots territory in the eastern Twilight Peaks or a Theran airship
over Vivane or Sky Point. Certain areas of Barsaive have higher
Hazard Levels, particularly regions of the Twilight Peaks and other
mountain ranges, the Mist Swamps, the Servos Jungle, the Liaj
Jungle and other regions where large numbers of aerial creatures
live, including Deaths Sea and the Scarlet Sea.

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

Every passenger or additional crew member aboard reduces the

available space by 2 duari, which is important to know for military vessels. Every 20 duari a ship carries above its Cargo Rating
reduces the ships Speed by 1. If the Speed of the ship is reduced
to zero through a combination of weight and combat Critical Hits,
the ship is treated as if derelict.

RiverboatHazards

The Serpent and its tributaries contain numerous hazards that

a captain must safely navigate. Hidden sand bars, submerged logs
and harsh weather conditions can all damage or sink a ship if its
captain is not careful.
The various Hazard Levels of the Serpent River system are shown
on the Hazard Table. The Hazard Level for most of the river and its
major tributaries is 7. However, several sections of the river present
increased navigational hazards. These sections include the upper
reaches of the Serpent in the Scol Mountains; the section of river
that passes through the fenlands of the Servos Jungle west of Lake
Pyros; the stretch of the river near the Mist Swamps; and the upper
reaches of the Servos, Galanga and Coil rivers.

Sailing Ship Hazards

Any time a sailing ship is sailing in a wind that exceeds 30 miles

per hour, the gamemaster makes a Hazard Test for the ship against
a Difficulty Number equal to the ships Speed step. Use step number
4 for the test, and repeat the test every 8 hours if the ship remains
in such conditions.
Airship Hazard Table
Area
Controlled Territory

Hazard
Level
5

Open Plains of Barsaive

Mountains (Twilight, Delaris, Scol, etc.)

Servos Jungle

Badlands (Mist Swamp, Liaj Jungle, etc.)

Scarlet Sea

10

Deaths Sea

12
Riverboat Hazard Table

River Section
Serpent Lakes
South and Mid Reaches, Coil River, Aras Sea and
tributaries
North Reach and tributaries
Servos Jungle, west of Lake Pyros
Mist Swamps and nearby river

Hazard
Level
5
7
8
8
9

C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

63

HazardTests

To reflect the challenge of safely navigating such hazards, a ships

captain must make a Hazard Test at the start of every 8-hour period
in which his ship is moving. A Hazard Test is made using the Navigation skill for airships and the Read River skill for riverboats.
The Difficulty Number for the test is the Hazard Level of the
area or section of river the vessel is on. If the ship will be traveling
through areas with two different Hazard Levels during the 8-hour
period, the captain must make the Hazard Test against the higher
Hazard Level. Traveling in darkness or hazardous weather conditions also increases the Hazard Level by the amounts shown
on the Hazard Modifiers Table. Rival territory is controlled by
an unfriendly power, such as a Theran ship flying over the Twilight Peaks.
If the Hazard Test yields an Average result, the ship safely navigates all hazards and runs at its normal speed. Unless the Hazard
Test achieves a Good result or better, the captain cannot increase
the ships speed (see Speed, p.145).
If the test fails, the gamemaster makes another Hazard Test using
a step number equal to the Hazard Level of the area against a Difficulty Number equal to the ships Maneuverability step. On an
Average result, the ships Speed incurs a penalty of 1. On a Good
result, the penalty is 2. On an Excellent result or better, the ship
is damaged and receives a Critical Hit.
Hazard Modifiers Table
Situation
Rival Territory
Darkness
Rain
Storm
Major Storm
Severe Storm
Severe Storm on the Aras Sea
Gale on the Aras Sea

Hazard
Modifier
+1
+1
+1
+2
+3
+4
+3
+4

ShipCombat

ike travel and trade, ship combat is a fact of life in the

skies and rivers of Barsaive. Airships must be prepared to
do battle with raiders, pirates, Theran slavers and similar
menaces. Riverboats must be prepared to do battle with independent pirates, and even rival vessels from within their own aropagoi
on rare occasions.
Any time two or more ships meet, they may engage in battle.
All types of ship combat can be conducted according to a standard, three-step procedure: Declaration, Initiative and Resolve
Actions. Various maneuvers that can be used during the combat
sequence appear below.
Delaration: he captain of each ship declares which specific
maneuver his ship will follow.
Initiative: The captain of each ship makes an Initiative Test
using the ships Maneuverability step.
Resolve Actions: In descending order of Initiative, each captain resolves the maneuver chosen in the Declaration Phase.
As soon as a ship succeeds at its declared maneuver, no other
ship may complete a maneuver against it that turn.
In keeping with this abstract combat style, time is made abstract
as well. Instead of combat rounds, captains maneuver their ships in
turns of unspecified length. If a gamemaster finds it necessary to
put a time limit on ship maneuvers, we recommend that a turn be

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C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

equal to one minute, or ten combat rounds. Remember, once the

action moves back to the scale of the characters, time again divides
into combat rounds. Unless otherwise decided by the gamemaster,
ships engaging each other in combat are considered to be at a distance of 500 yards or less. This is the maximum possible range for
ship combat using these rules.

Pursuit

When two or more ships meet, one or more may try to engage
another in battle. If one of the ships wishes to avoid combat while
another wishes to engage in combat, the ships desiring combat must
begin pursuit. Please note that the rules below only apply to ships
of the same type. Airships have a definitive advantage over riverboats because they can flyhence they can almost always escape
a riverboat attack without using the rules below. Riverboats usually cant escape an airship attack for the same reason.
Pursuit consists of a series of Speed Tests made by each side in
the combat. Every turn, each ship that is either pursuing or being
pursued makes a Speed Test, rolling its Speed step against a Difficulty Number equal to the opponents Speed step. If there is more
than one ship on each side, the Difficulty Number for the pursuer
is the lowest Speed step among the ships he is pursuing, while the
Difficulty Number for the fleeing side is the highest Speed step
among the pursuing vessels.
The first side to make three successful Speed Tests wins the pursuit; the victorious pursuing ship initiates combat or the fleeing
ship evades combat. If the two sides achieve three successes in the
same turn, the first ship to score one more success than its opponent
wins the pursuit. When there is more than one ship on each side,
the gamemaster may apply the results of the pursuit to all ships.
Once an airship successfully engages another, it is considered to
be roughly 500 yards away from its opponentthe maximum distance at which airships can engage in combat.
If the fleeing ships evade their opponent, the pursuer can make
another Speed Test after an hour has passed. If this test succeeds,
the pursuer may begin pursuit once again using the rules above.
If the test fails, the quarry has escaped.

CombatManeuvers

Airships and riverboats can use six different maneuvers in combat,

each described below. Each maneuver has a Failure Modifier, which
is a modifier that all opposing ships receive on their tests against
a ship that failed its declared maneuver.

Alter Distance

Failure Modifier: +2
he Alter Distance maneuver allows the ship to close or extend
the distance between it and an opposing ship. The captain
makes a Speed Test for the ship against the Speed step of the opposing ship. Each result level allows the captain to alter the vertical
or horizontal distance between the two ships by 50 yards. This
distance can be split in increments of 50 yards between the vertical and the horizontal as desired. This maneuver is only available
against opposing ships of the same type (airships vs. airships and
riverboats vs. riverboats). Closing range with stationary targets
does not require an Alter Distance maneuver.

Board

Failure Modifier: +4
successful Boarding maneuver brings a ship up alongside
another, so the crews of the ships may battle directly. In order
to board and storm an opposing ship, the attacker makes a Maneu-

Boarding battles are an abstract representation of largescale combat. The crews morale and confidence plays a larger
role in it than the number of the crew or their fighting capability. The crews ability is expressed in their Crew Rating
(which is used for tests in boarding battles), while the confidence gained by being the crew of a mighty ship is expressed
by some ship Ratings being used to resist attacks (the more
powerful the ship, the more confident its crew). The Morale
Rating is a combination of both as well as an independent
measure of typical crew representatives will to fight (a troll
raider crew fighting to capture food for their families has more
will to fight than a merchantmans crew that is not usually
willing to risk their life for the employers cargo), and can be
influenced by actions of player characters.
In a boarding battle, both sides use their Crew Rating for
Initiative, Attack, and Damage Tests. They use their ships
Armor Ratings to reduce Damage, Armor-Defeating Hits
are possible. They use their ships Critical Thresholds and
Morale Ratings in a similar manner that characters use the
Wound Threshold and Unconsciousness Rating: if a Damage
Test is equal to or higher than the Critical Threshold, the crew
suffers a Critical Hit, 5% of the crew are now deadly injured
and require medical assistance to survive, the Crew Rating
is reduced by 1 (it is reduced directly, it does not receive an
Action Test penalty!); if the total Damage a crew has received
reaches its Morale Rating, it surrenders to the enemy. If a
crew takes no damage (after reduction by armor) for three
consecutive turns, it fully recovers, the current Damage Total
is reduced to 0. Previously suffered Critical Hits remain, however, until the crew has fully healed or replacement crew
members are found.
If player characters participate in boarding battles, the
gamemaster should allow them to influence the outcome,
which is determined through standard combat. A ship combat
turn covers ten standard combat rounds. The players should
fight for 9 normal combat rounds, and the tests for the boarding battle should be made in the tenth. For every enemy
crewman a player character eliminates, reduce the opposing
crews Morale by 1 (or alternatively, increase the own crews
morale by +1). The gamemaster can vary this procedure to
quicken to boarding battle by reducing the standard combat
rounds, or increase the characters influence by either modifying both Morale Ratings or using a higher modifier.

Two crystal raider drakkars from the rivaling Bloodlore

and Stoneclaws moots, meet in boarding battle. Both sides
roll their Crew Rating for Initiative, the Stoneclaws score
higher. The Stoneclaws again roll their Crew Rating of 15,
this time as an Attack Test against the Bloodlore Crew
Rating, which is also 15. They are successful with a Test
Result of 17, and now again roll their Crew Rating, this
time for damage. The result is 14, which the Bloodlores
reduce by their Armor of 12, the Bloodlores now have a
Damage Total of 2. The Bloodlores attack in turn, scoring an Excellent Result on their Crew Rating Testthe
Stoneclaws Armor Rating wont help them much. The
Damage Test result is 21, a Critical Hit! The Stoneclaws
now have a Damage Total of 21one third of their
Morale of 60and their Crew Rating is reduced by 1,
to 14. In the following turn, they have a harder time scoring a hit, while it becomes only easier for the Bloodlores.
If the Bloodlores can repeat this twice again, they will
already have defeated their enemies.

verability Test against the defenders Maneuverability

step. If successful, this maneuver allows the attacking
crew to engage the enemy crew in hand-to-hand combat
in the next turn. This maneuver can only be attempted
against ships within 100 yards and riverboats cannot
board airships.
Boarding actions can be accomplished in two ways, the
ship initiating the action decides which way is used. In the
first, the boarding crew grapples their ship to the one they
are boarding. Because they are grappled together, both
ships suffer a 4 penalty to each of their Maneuverability
and Speed steps. The second method of boarding involves
sending a wave of attackers over, using Great Leap and
similar talents in conjunction with the initial boarding
maneuver. Both ships remain free to maneuver without the
grappling penalty while their crews slug it out. However, in
order for the attacking ship to get its boarding parties back
onboard, it must at some point make another boarding
maneuver, at which point its crew returns to their ship.

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

Boa r ding Battle s

Break Off

Failure Modifier: +2
ship that wishes to Break Off from combat must
make a Speed Test against the highest Maneuverability step among the ships in the opposing fleet. The
fleeing ship must succeed at this test in three consecutive
turns before it may break off the combat and run. Because
a ship cannot act against another ship that has successfully performed its announced maneuver, any successful
Maneuver against the ship trying to break off resets the
countbreaking off is hard once engaged in combat.
In order to break off from an enemy that has successfully
boarded and grappled, a ship must achieve an Excellent
or better result on the first Speed Test for the Break Off
maneuver. (Remember that both ships will suffer a 4 penalty to their Speed and Maneuverability steps because they
are grappled.) If this happens, the enemy crew is assumed
to have returned to its own ship. A grapple broken once
is considered to be broken for following turns, except if
enacted again by an opponent.
Riverboats cant use this maneuver against an airship.
Airships using this maneuver against riverboats must succeed at a single Speed Test instead of three.

Fire

Failure Modifier: None if attacking a single ship/+1 for

each additional ship attacked
he Fire maneuver is used when a ship attacks an
enemy ship with its weapons. The captain of the
attacking ship can split the Firepower among his weapons to attack any number of opponents, provided that
the sum of Firepower for all his attacks adds up to no
more than his ships Firepower step. Each attack requires
a separate Attack Test using the designated Firepower
step against each separate targets Maneuverability step.
The captain may only make one Attack Test against each
target. On an Excellent Success, the attack results in an
Armor-Defeating Hit.
If a ship attacks a single target, the Failure Modifier does
not apply. However, if attacking multiple ships, the ship
suffers a +1 Failure Modifier for each attack that fails to
hit each additional target after the first. The effect of the
weapon attack (usually damage) is equal to the ships full
Firepower Effect step, 2 for each target.

C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

65

Captain Grotan has Firepower 18/18 on his ship. He could

choose to split his Firepower into three attacks of Step 6 each.
Each attack that hit would do Step 12 damage (183 2
= 12).
Called Shots may be made against a specific ship Attribute
targeting the mast to reduce a ships Speed, for example. Such an
attack is made at a 3 penalty, and damage is applied normally.
However, if any damage gets past the ships Armor, the specified
Attribute suffers a Critical Hit (which does not affect any other
Attributes). If the damage suffered actually causes a Critical Hit
from reaching or exceeding the Critical Threshold, the targeted
Attribute suffers Is reduced by 2.

Ground Assault

Failure Modifier: +2
n a Ground Assault, the captain attempts to bring his airships
weapons to bear on a target on the ground. The idea is to swoop
in for a swift pass over the target, then veer off sharply to prevent
retribution. A riverboat using this maneuver swoops in toward
shore, fires at targets on the shore as it passes, then sharply veers
away from shore to avoid return fire. (If tests for firing are required,
the rules for the Fire maneuver are used.)
To use this maneuver, the captain makes a Maneuverability (5)
Test. If the test succeeds, the ship may fire its weapons as described
for the Fire maneuver, but at ground targets. If the test fails, the
ship is unable to achieve the correct angle for an attack and cannot
fire effectively. This maneuver can only be attempted against targets within 200 yards. Airships can use this maneuver against
riverboats only if the riverboat is stationary.

66

C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

Ram

Failure Modifier: +6
ship that wishes to Ram its opponent makes a Speed Test
against the target ships Maneuverability step. If the test
succeeds, the attacker has struck the enemy ship, and makes a
Damage Test using its Ramming step. This damage is reduced by
the targets Armor as normal, but the Speed Test can result in an
Armor-Defeating Hit.
The Ram maneuver can only be attempted against targets within
100 yards This maneuver is only available against opposing ships of
the same type (airships vs. airships and riverboats vs. riverboats).

ShipWeapons

ships weapons use the ships Firepower to hit and the

Firepower Effect step to determine their effect (usually
damage). Airships and riverboats can mix different types
of ship-board weapons, but must split the Firepower step among
them. For example, a drakkar with a Firepower of 10/13 can carry
both spear throwers and net throwers, but must split the Firepower
Ratings between them (this only applies if only one type of weapon
is used in a volley).
Ship weapons can fire once per ship combat turn (once every
ten combat rounds). Thunderbolt throwers can only be fired once
before they must be recharged. Ship weapons have Ranges of Short:
20200 and Long: 201500 if not otherwise noted.
Ballista: A ballista works like an oversized crossbow and fires
long spears at its target. Apart from standard spears, special spears
tipped with living crystal, True earth or such can also be used as
ammunition.
Catapult: Catapults most often fling stones, but may also hurl
more exotic ammunition, including small casks of oil, alcohol or
other flammable materials that can be ignited by fire weapons.
Typically, a burning oil cask does only little (negligible) damage
upon impact, but the fire does Step 8 damage to a wooden ship
each turn until extinguished.
Fire Cannon: A fire cannon shoots a ball of flame at the target
vessel, which explodes on impact. Each fire cannon can hold five
kernels of elemental fire and five kernels of elemental air. The
cannon works by mixing one kernel of each elemental substance,
creating a fireball. A single volley of a ships fire cannons uses one
elemental kernel of each type for each point of Firepower up to
12. Above 12, a single volley uses one of each type of kernel per
extra point of Firepower. For example, a warship with Firepower
17/17 would use 5 kernels of fire and 5 kernels of air (1712=5)
each turn it fires its cannons.
Dragons Breath: Dragons Breath weapons create an intense,
streaming flame comparable to that produced by a real dragon.
During each subsequent ship combat turn, the fire does Step 8
damage to a wooden ship each turn until extinguished. Dragons
Breath requires a kernel of elemental fire for each shot fired. A single
volley of the weapon uses one additional elemental kernel for each
point of Firepower above 12. For example, a Dragons Breath attack
at Step 14 would require 3 kernels of True fire.
Spear Thrower: Spear throwers fire long spears at a target, but use
elemental magic to do so. Special spears can be used as ammunition
(see Ballista, above). Spear throwers require a kernel of elemental air.
A single volley of the weapon uses one additional elemental kernel
for each point of Firepower above 12. For example, a Spear Thrower
attack at Step 13 would require 2 kernels of True air.
Thunderbolt Thrower: Thunderbolt throwers gain a +6 bonus to
the ships Firepower Effect step for their Damage Test, but may only
be used once before recharging. The strike of a thunderbolt thrower
creates a deafening boom of thunder as well, imposing a 2 modifier

50
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500

100
100
150
200
200
250
300
350
400
450
500

150
150
200
200
250
300
350
400
450
450
500

Airship Range Table

Vertical Distance
200
250
300
200
250
300
200
250
300
250
300
350
300
300
350
300
350
400
350
400
400
400
450
450
450
450
500
500
500
na
na
na
na

to the targeted ships Maneuverability for the next ship combat turn.
Thunderbolt throwers can only be recharged by an Elementalist or
Weaponsmith while the airship flies through a storm.
Fire Sheath: A fire sheath surrounds a ship with an elemental
shield that protects against fire cannons and flame weapons such as
Dragons Breath. It must be activated by a word of command, usually known only to the ships captain and mate. For each kernel of
elemental air and fire used, the sheath adds +1 to the ships Maneuverability and Armor against such attacks for three ship combat
turns, after which time the sheath burns out and must be refueled.
Fire sheaths can be recharged by an Elementalist or Weaponsmith
within an hour, but doing so requires True elements be at hand.

DamageinShipCombat

A ship takes damage in much the same way as a player character.

The damage done to the ship by each attack is reduced by the ships
Armor rating. When a ship accumulates damage equal to its Derelict Rating (or has its Speed or Maneuverability reduced to zero),
it becomes incapacitated and can no longer perform any combat
maneuvers. When the damage exceeds the Destroyed Rating (or
the ships Armor rating is reduced to zero), the ship crashes to the
ground, and any crew trapped on board are considered dead. On an
airship, most adept crew members know the Wind Catcher talent
and will try to leap to safety before the ship crashes.
If a single attack penetrates the ships armor and does damage
that equals or exceeds the ships Critical Threshold, the ship takes
a Critical Hit, which reduces all of its Attributes by 1. A Critical
Hit to the ship also reduces the Crew Rating, and indicates that up
to five percent of the crew has received deadly injuries. A Critical
Hit to the Crew step received in boarding combat, however, does
not count as a Critical Hit to the ship. If a ships Crew Attribute
is reduced to zero by accumulated Critical Hits, it no longer has a
crew and is pretty much useless.
When making Attack Tests in ship-to-ship combat, keep in mind
that Armor-Defeating hits are possible, particularly when attacking with ship weapons like fire cannons and thunderbolt throwers.
In addition, the ratings of a ship may be reduced by the effects of
hazards encountered while traveling.
Vessels and crews engaged in contests usually Attack to Stun
(Players Guide, p.222). Such damage cannot destroy a vessel, but
it can inflict Critical Hits and cause it to become derelict. When
a ship takes a Critical Hit in such a contest, only 1 crew member
dies, rather than 5 percent of the total crew.

UsingTalentsinShipCombat

A ships crew can often affect the outcome of a battle by using their
talents and skills. There are two ways to use talents to influence
ship combat. First, a character can use a talent to increase the ships
characteristic. Second, characters can target a ship directly.

350
350
350
400
400
450
450
500
na
na
na

400
400
400
450
450
450
500
na
na
na
na

450
450
450
450
500
500
na
na
na
na
na

500
500
500
500
na
na
na
na
na
na
na

The key talents or skills used in ship combat to increase a ships

statistics are Air Sailing and Pilot Boat, respectively. One member
each of the crew, usually from the command staff or an individual
being assigned a specialty position, can enhance the ships Speed,
Maneuverability, or Firepower Step by making a Test for an appropriate talent against the Attributes current step, adding a +1 bonus
to that Attribute per Result Level achieved, starting with an Average Result, for the next ship combat turn. The effort also takes the
entire ship combat turn, no matter if a talent has another Action
requirement, it becomes a Sustained Action. One character can
only enhance a single Attribute each turn, and an Attribute can
only be enhanced by one character. Air Sailing and Pilot Boat are
typically used to enhance Speed and Maneuverability, while fire
engine powered ships might allow a Questor Test. Enhancing Firepower requires efforts by a seasoned gunner, who may use talents
or skills such as Missile Weapons or Arrow Weaving to direct fire;
either the Attack or Effect step is enhanced, but two gunners can
enhance both. Some characters may enhance any Attribute if they
can inspire the crew tasked with appropriate duties, such as a Troubadour encouraging rowers or even cannon crews with his Inspire
Other talent, or even a Charisma-only Test. Slavemasters on Theran
ships can make tests to drive the slaves to row harder.
The gamemaster can allow any ability to be used to enhance any
characteristics in this manner if he feels it is appropriate, depending
on how much he wants characters to be able to influence a ships
characteristics. He can also allow enhancements to last longer
under non-combat conditions, most likely the Speed Step, if he
feels it enhances the game.
When engaging an enemy in ship combat, characters may want to
use magic and missile weapons to target enemy personnel, for example to prevent them from enhancing their ship as described above. All
such attacks should be considered Called Shots, except if the ships
are extremely close, and are made using range modifiers based on
the range between the airship and the characters target. Most such
attacks take place at a range between 50 and 300 yards. Some other
abilities target ships directly, or even have a beneficial effect on ships,
examples being the Waterspout and Repair spells.

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

Horizontal
Distance
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500

UsingShipWeaponsinRegularCombat

The question of firing ship weapons at a character (or more likely,

a creature or Horror) is bound to arise. The following rules apply
to those occasions. Characters can use the Missile Weapons talent
or skill when firing a ship weapon in regular combat. Remember
that it takes considerable time and effort to line up a shot, and
unless the target is as big as a ship, the attempt will require a Called
Shot (Players Guide, p.222) and may be a Sustained Action at the
gamemasters discretion, taking more than one combat round to
aim and fire. Additionally, the complete cycle of shooting and
loading takes one ship combat turn, so regardless of how many
C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

67

combat rounds it takes to fire a ship weapon, a character cannot

fire a ship weapon individually more than once per ten standard
combat rounds. Ship weapons fired at individual characters inflict
Armor-Defeating Hits on a Good result. For simplicity, ship weapons fired at characters have a Damage Step equal to the Effect Step
of the ships Firepower Rating (while that Rating includes several
weapons, ship weapons are individualized weapons, and larger
ships with a higher Rating are assumed to carry larger weapons).
Armor doesnt protect against this damage.

CustomizingShips

he following guidelines allow gamemasters to customize some of the ships found later in this chapter to better
fit the needs of their game. Please note that the following rules are only applicable to wooden airships and riverboats,
stone airships are built only by the Therans, who never sell them.
The cost of such ships can only be guessed at, but even a single
stone ship is undoubtedly worth several wooden airships. You
can modify them using these rules, but player characters normally
cannot buy them.
Customizing an airship consists of three simple steps:
Determine Ship Type
Equip and Modify Ship
Determine Price

DetermineShipType

While a group of player characters is unlikely to have the skills

needed to build an airship or riverboat on its own, a group can
commission or purchase one from a shipyard.
The Airship and Riverboat Descriptions list the different basic
ship types available in Barsaive, along with each ships basic statistics.
Use one of these as the basis during the customization process.

EquipandModifyShip

Each ship is unique, and the basic construction plans always

include modifications on the customers demand. Extra benches
and oars for additional rowers will give the ship some extra speed;
a stronger hull, weapons, and a trained military crew will make it
combat-ready. Apart from weapon fittings, which are costed by
Firepower, each modification costs 10 percent of the ships base
price and will affect a number of the ships game statistics. The
Ship Modification Table lists all possible modifications as well as
the changes to the ships base statistics. No modification may be
applied more than twice, except where otherwise noted.
The modifications can also be used to worsen a ships characteristics to lower the price, but only when commissioning ships. Each
modification can be applied with reversed effects twice, reducing
the ships base price by 5 percent.
Modifying the ships Hull to increase the Armor via the stronger
hull option affects its Damage Ratings. The ships Armor Rating is
used to find its new Damage Ratings. To determine a ships modified Damage Ratings, consult the extended Characteristics Table
in the Appendices, p.506. Find the ships Armor Rating in the Step
Number column and use the second entry for the Step Number to
determine the Destroyed Rating from the Death Rating column, the
Derelict Rating from the Unconsciousness Rating column, and the
Critical Threshold from the Wound Threshold column. For example,
a ship with an Armor Rating of 12 has a Destroyed Rating of 60, a
Derelict Rating of 53, and a Critical Rating of 17.

DeterminePrice

After applying all modifications, determine the final price of

the ship. Ships are sold for whatever cost the market will bear and

68

C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

varies depending on demand, so the gamemaster can modify the

price according to the guidelines in the Goods and Services chapter of the Players Guide. Demand for airships is high, however,
so characters may not find one right away, and probably not even
without paying more than the base price. Additionally, the purchase
of an airship by a group of adventurers is unusual enough to draw
attention. Please note that riverboats equipped with fire engines
are only sold among tskrang and, as previously noted, stone airships are never sold outside of the Theran Empire.

James wants to construct a new airshipa war galley. War

galleys exist in the fleets of Throal, Travar, Iopos, Jerris and
other great powers of Barsaive. He takes the basic game statistics listed for a galley and adds +8 to the ships Firepower
Attribute, increasing the ships Attack and Damage steps by
+4 each. He also adds a Ram to the ships prow and increases
the ships Armor Rating. Since a war galley is a military ship,
James adjusts the Crew characteristics accordingly. The modified galley now looks like this:
Speed: 10
Maneuverability: 9
Hull:
Armor: 18
Cargo: 300
Damage:
Derelict: 77
Destroyed: 84
Crew:
Captain: 6
Morale: 70

Final Cost: 203,000

Firepower: 20/20
Ramming: 30
Critical: 23
Crew Size: 150
Crew Rating: 18

Ship Modification Table

Type
Modifications
Extra Oars/Sails +1 Speed, 10% Cargo
Extra Rudders

+1 Maneuverability, 10% Cargo

Weapon*

1,000 sp per +1/+1 of Firepower,

10 Cargo per +1/+1
+5 Ramming
+3 Armor**

Ram
Stronger Hull

Military Vessel*** +2 Captain, +3 Crew Rating, +15 Morale

*
**
***

Firepower can be increased to a maximum of 150% of the base firepower

Also increases the Damage Ratings, see text.
Can only be applied once. Some Theran ships found later in this chapter already are
military vessels

wo types of repairs can be made to damaged ships: crew

repairs and shipyard repairs. Repairing airships requires
the skills of a shipwright and an Elementalist to handle
damage to the ships physical structure and enchantments. Most
minor repairs can be made solely by craftsmen without magical
aid, but Elementalists can accomplish many difficult repairs more
easily, using magic to knit the airship back together.

CrewRepairs

Sometimes a crew needs to get underway more quickly than

usual repair methods will allow. Under extreme circumstances,
a crew can even try to make minor repairs while the ship is still
moving on the fly, so to speak.
Repair Tests are made with the ships Crew Rating Step and
require the ship to stop. Repair Tests are made against a Difficulty
Number equal to 8, further modified by the time allowed for the
Repair Test and the number of Critical hits the ship has taken. If
a ship is repaired on the fly it does not need to stop, but cannot
have its Speed increased by other means. If only one Attribute is
repaired, the Difficulty Number is decreased. Modifiers are cumulative. Success on the Repair Test means that one Critical Hit per
Result Level achieved, starting with an Average Result, is repaired,
and the ships Damage Points are reduced by half its original Critical Threshold value (rounded up). Failure on a Repair Test means
no further Crew Repairs can be made, a Pathetic Result means the
ship also takes another Critical Hit. If a ship does not have Critical Hits (either because all have been repaired or because it did
not receive any), the crew can make one Repair Test to reduce the
its current Damage. Additional repairs to reduce Damage Points
require a shipyard (see below).
The Elementalist Repair spell offers another method of effecting
quick repairs. When using this spell, the Effect Test replaces the
standard Crew Repair Test, but adds total of +6 to the tests Difficulty Number (the Difficulty is not modified for time or being
on the fly, but can be reduced for repairing only one Attribute; the
Test is made at a 6 penalty when only recovering Damage points).
The Repair spell can only be used once, but can be used in addition
to all possible Crew Repair Tests, and does not cause additional
Damage if it fails. As the Repair spell has a limited Duration, repairs
made with it require additional attention at a later point.

During a battle with a Henghyoke marauder in Lake Pyros,

the Vstrimon river warship Allegro takes 3 Critical Hits and
52 Damage Points before it breaks off from its opponent. The
Allegros captain knows that his ship will not escape pursuit unless
he can get more speed within the hour, so he orders his crew to
repair the boats Speed step on the fly. The base Difficulty Number
for the Crew Repair Test is 11 (8+3). The test receives a Difficulty
Modifier of 2 (+2 for an On-the-Fly repair, +3 for performing the
repair in 1 hour, and 3 for repairing just the Speed Attribute).
That produces a final Difficulty Number of 9.
The Crew Repair Test yields a 15, a Good result! This means
that the ship recovers 2 Critical Hits, which pushes the ships
Speed step from 4 up to 6. With the boost in speed, the patrol
boat is able to evade the marauder during the subsequent pursuit.
Repairing the two Critical Hits also means the current Damage
Points are reduced by half the original Critical Threshold value.
Half the ships original Critical Threshold value is 11, which is
subtracted from the ships current Damage Points two times.
This leaves the Allegro with 30 Damage Points.

Crew Repair Table

Repair Condition
Difficulty Number
Critical Hits taken
+1 per Critical Hit
One day
+0
6 hours
+2
1 hour
+4
10 minutes
+8
Repair on the fly
+2
Repair one Attribute only
3

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

RepairingDamagedShips

Shipyard Repair Table

Attribute
Cost
Repair Time
Speed
200 sp per step 1 week per step
Maneuverability
300 sp per step 1 week per step
Firepower
300 sp per step 1 day per step
Hull:
<25% of Destroyed
200 sp per step 2 weeks per step
Rating
2575% of
800 sp per step 4 weeks per step
Destroyed Rating
>75% of Destroyed
original cost
6 months
Rating

ShipyardRepairs

All crystal raider moot-homes have a shipyard where they stock

the equipment necessary to make full repairs to the airships they
use, but not larger vessels. Major cities like Jerris, Travar, Urupa,
Iopos, and the Kingdom of Throal also have shipyards that can
serve any wooden airship. Most tskrang river villages and the city
of Urupa maintain shipyards stocked with all the equipment necessary to fully repair riverboats and other types of waterborne vessels.
Non-tskrang towns and cities on the rivers and lakes also maintain
shipyards, but these facilities are usually far inferior to tskrang
yards and often can only repair smaller ships. Ship repairs in a foreign port can be long, involved and frustrating for the crew.
Shipyard repairs do not entail any tests. Instead, the ships crew
pays a repair fee, and the shipyard makes the repair in a set number
of weeks. When a ship enters a yard for repairs, it must undergo
repairs to each of its Attributes in need of them, except for its Crew
Attribute (see Recovering Crews, p.154). This means the ship must
pay for and await separate repairs on its Speed, Maneuverability,
Firepower and Hull Attributes. Fees are based on the number of
steps the ships crew wants restored in each Attribute.
Because elemental fire engine technology is a unique, jealously
guarded tskrang secret, only tskrang shipyards can repair the
Speed and Maneuverability Attributes of ships powered by fire
engines. The Shipyard Repair Table shows the standard costs and
time required for shipyard repairs. Likewise, trollmoots do not
charge members of their own moot for repairs, and a rival crystal raider moot will almost never repair a ship from another moot.
Few places in Barsaive will offer to repair a crystal raider drakkar,
though on rare occasions Throal has been known to repair ships
belonging to the Stoneclaws or Swiftwind moots.
The Shipyard Repair Table shows the costs and time required
for each type of repairs to any wooden airship or riverboat. Most
shipyards will give an estimate on the time and cost for repairs to
a ship, and request a twenty percent cash deposit before initiating
the process. Haggling is expected.
C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

69

The minimum cost to repair a damaged ship is 200 silver pieces,

whether it took Critical Hits or not. Such repairs recover all
Damage Points. Repairing the hull of a stone airship costs ten
times the amount listed on the Shipyard Repair Table and requires
facilities only available at Theran ports such as Sky Point.
Superior airship shipyards exist in Jerris and Travar, where all
repair times are halved without an increase in cost. The same is
true at Sky Point, but only Theran military ships may put in for
repairs there. Several towns and cities along the river have superior riverboat shipyards, where ships can be repaired more quickly.
The shipyards at Denlikiyan, for example, repair ships in half the
standard time at no extra cost. The yards at House Ktenshins
headquarters can make repairs in half the time, but these yards
service only Ktenshin vessels. Reportedly, House Ishkarat maintains a remarkably advanced shipyard near Iopos, but the facility
only services Ishkaratan boats.

The Allegro limps into a dwarf town on the eastern shore

of Lake Pyros. The shipyard owner there tells the captain that
the yard can refit the damaged fire cannons and fill in the holes
in the hull (Firepower and Hull Attributes), but repairing
the damage to the fire engine and paddle wheel (Speed and
Maneuverability Attributes) are beyond his engineers abilities.
The captain asks for an estimate on the work, and the dwarf tells
him that repairing the fire cannons, which still have 3 Critical
Hits, will cost 900 silver pieces and take 3 days to complete.
The hull damage is down to 30 points, more than 25 percent
of the ships Destroyed Rating but less than 75 percent. Three
Critical Hits remain, so repairing the hull will cost 2,400 silver
pieces and take 12 weeks.
The captain and the shipyard owner sit down to haggle over
the 3,300 silver piece price tag. Of course, the captain still needs
to find some good sailors to replace his casualties (Crew Attribute), and dwarfs are not exactly what he had in mind!

RecoveringCrews

A ship can recover Crew Attribute steps only by recruiting new

members. Most airships have a difficult time finding skilled Air
Sailors anywhere other than in major cities where a decent airship yard exists. Only if absolutely necessary will an airship take
on unskilled crew, usually starting them out as deck hands so they
can learn the ropes. The need for new crewmembers can lead to an
interesting problem for both crystal raiders and riverboat crews,
however.
Most crystal raider airships are crewed by members of a given
clan and are part of the moot that owns them. New crew members
from outside the trollmoot are almost never recruited. A troll drakkar in need of additional crew members often seeks out adepts and
other travelers willing to exchange work on board the airship for
passage, particularly if the drakkar is returning home. At home, few
drakkars have a problem to find crew members, as the clanmates
consider it an honor to serve on one and opportunities are rare.
Likewise, most riverboats are run as family enterprises. New
crew members from outside the covenant are seldom trusted and
difficult to recompense. If the crew gives the recruit the same share
in the profits as the original sailor, part of the profits end up leaving the covenant entirely. Furthermore, tskrang crews typically
view freelance sailors with suspicion. Ironically, inter-tskrang
rivalries often lead tskrang crews to recruit replacements from
other Namegiver races, particularly humans, orks and even the
occasional elf.

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Typically, tskrang covenants recruit young folk in small river villages with enticing stories of the adventurous life that awaits them
on the river. Then they pay these khamorro, or deck scrubbers, a
few coppers a day. In large ports, crews in need of recruits often
hold open houses on board their ships and use generous amounts
of food and drink to entice prospective crew members.
A seasoned sailor, however, will always hold out for a crew share
in the ships profitsand a wise one will demand to see the captains books before he accepts a job on a riverboat.

ShipMaintenance

ll ships require regular maintenance in order to remain

in perfect working order. The rudder must be balanced
and checked; decks must be cleaned and maintained;
the hull and sails must be kept patched and any weather damage
must be repaired. Fire engines must be tuned and stocked with
kernels of elemental fire; paddlewheels must be balanced on their
crankshafts; hulls must be scraped clean of barnacles; and a large
number of appurtenances, from rope to oars to doorknobs, must
be refurbished or replaced.
A ships captain or engineer must make a Maintenance Test each
month, using his Air Sailing or Pilot Boat talent or skill, against a
Difficulty Number equal to the number of months that have passed
since the ships last overhaul. If the test fails, the ship takes a Critical Hit that can only be repaired with an overhaul.
A full overhaul is best performed in a shipyard, where the crew
must spend a week and 10 silver pieces for each point of the ships
Destroyed Rating in order to return the ship to proper working
order.
Tskrang shipyards are the only places where fire engine-powered vessels can receive complete overhauls.

FireEngines

Riverboat crews need to keep their ships fire engines supplied with ample amounts of elemental fire. Tskrang fire engines
consume a kernel of elemental fire every two hundred hours of
operation (about one thousand miles of travel under normal speeds).
Each time a captain or ships engineer increases a ships Speed step
beyond its regular rating, whether in combat or in the course of
travel, the kernel loses ten hours of life (fifty miles of travel). True
elements require special storage in an orichalcum container (Players guide, p. 264), and prices for True fire vary from place to place
(see Purchasing True Elements, Players Companion, p.161). Note
many that ship weapons also require True elements to work, see
the individual weapon descriptions, p.66.

he following profiles provide descriptions and game statistics for the most common types of airships that travel
the skies of Barsaive and the Theran Empire. These ships
only represent the baseline, or what is typical, for their type. Use
the options found under Customizing Ships, p.68, to alter the
statistics of these ships to more closely fit their role in your game.
Some ships are not normally engaged in combat and have an abbreviated set of game statistics. If these vessels are engaged in combat
with a vessel with full statistics, assume they lose without being
able to put up much of a fight.

Airboat

This is the smallest type of airship, capable of carrying up to five

human-sized Namegivers or three trolls without undue strain.
Airboats are propelled by a single rower or a pair of rowers sitting
side by side. Airboats are most commonly used as lifeboats and
launches for larger airships such as galleys and galleons. Drakkarsized or smaller ships rarely carry airboats on board.
Speed: 4
Base Price: 16,500
Maneuverability: 5
Cargo: 3
Captain: 0
Crew Size: 1

Drakkar

Drakkars are used by the crystal raiders, by freelance pirates,

particularly along the shores of the Scarlet Sea, and by the majority
of the smaller merchant companies than can afford airships. Some
city militias use them for patrol duties. A typical drakkar measures
up to twenty yards long and at least five yards wide, with banks of
oars and sometimes a single mast for a sail. These drakkars may
carry any of the ship weapons described in Ship Weapons, p.150,
except for fire cannons, but they most often use spear throwers
and catapults.
Speed: 10
Base Price: 50,000
Maneuverability: 10
Firepower: 10/13
Hull:
Armor: 12
Ramming: 23
Cargo: 120
Damage:
Derelict: 53
Critical: 17
Destroyed: 60
Crew:
Captain: 5
Crew Size: 30
Morale: 50
Crew Rating: 15

SmallDrakkar

This type of drakkar is one of the smallest used by the crystal

raiders and other Namegivers of Barsaive as a small, fast scout and
patrol ship. These vessels have limited firepower and hull protection, relying instead on speed and maneuverability to avoid combat
and escape so that they can warn their home bases of intrusion or
impending attack. Small drakkars often act as decoys, luring larger
ships into an ambus that has several crystal raider drakkars lie in
wait for a rich target, like a Theran mining vedette. Such small
drakkars are also used as messenger ships to carry urgent information quickly across great distances.
Speed: 12
Base Price: 35,000
Maneuverability: 10
Firepower: 8/12 (spear thrower)
Hull:
Armor: 10
Ramming: 18
Cargo: 30
Damage:
Derelict: 44
Critical: 15
Destroyed: 52
Crew:
Captain: 4
Crew Size: 15
Morale: 45
Crew Rating: 10

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

Airship Descriptions

Galley

A galley is about thirty yards long and six yards wide, and typically appears in the fleets maintained by cities across Barsaive
for shipping goods. Most galleys have sails as well as oars, giving
them decent speed and maneuverability, and most mount fire cannons for defense against pirates and raiders. Galleys have enough
cargo space for up to 150 passengers or troops or large amounts
of cargo.
Generally, a galley will try to outrun or evade attackers. Combat
risks the loss of the ship and its cargo, and so most merchant captains will fight only if forced to do so.
Speed: 10
Base Price: 150,000
Maneuverability: 9
Firepower: 16/16
Hull:
Armor: 15
Ramming: 25
Cargo: 300
Damage:
Derelict: 65
Critical: 21
Destroyed: 72
Crew:
Captain: 4
Crew Size: 100
Morale: 55
Crew Rating: 15

Crystal Raider Drakkar

Crystal raider crews are fierce combatants who fight savagely and
almost never surrender. To reflect this, crystal raider drakkars automatically add the Military Vessel modification (see Customizing
Ships, p.68) when crewed by troll raiders, but additional troops
taken on to achieve this modification lower the Cargo Capacity to
80. Additionally, almost all crystal raider drakkars have a crystal
figurehead on their prows whose enchantments add +1 step to a
ship Attribute of the gamemasters choice. Crystal Raider drakkars
come as different as crystal raider clans do. Some trollmoots, like
the famed Swiftwinds, are superior shipwrights. Others care less
about the construction of their ship and more about the raiders
they can put onto it. Use the rules for Customizing Ships, p.68,
to increase any characteristic of the basic drakkar, or lower it for
moots out of their luck. Most crystal raider drakkars have one or
two modifications, but only very rarely modify Firepower.
C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

71

Galleon

A galleon is the largest of wooden airships, 50 yards long and

more than 10 yards wide, triple-masted with multiple decks and
two levels of oars and capable of mounting many fire cannons. The
Throalic navy currently has three galleons, two recovered from
Throals pre-Scourge fleet, and a third recently completed by Silver
Clouds Shipwrights of Jerris; the latter is Throals flagship.
An air galleon can carry up to 230 troops and is a formidable airship in time of war, though it remains to be seen if such ships can
equal the power of Theran kilas.
Speed: 11
Base Price: 200,000
Maneuverability: 8
Firepower: 25/25
Hull:
Armor: 23
Ramming: 30
Cargo: 450
Damage:
Derelict: 98
Critical: 27
Destroyed: 104
Crew:
Captain: 8
Crew Size: 200
Morale: 65
Crew Rating: 20

MilitaryVedette

A military vedette is rowed by slaves, equipped with a full crew

of Air Sailors and soldiers and can carry an additional 100 troops
as needed. Military vedettes mount fire cannons and commonly
use ramming maneuvers against wooden airships, breaking or
crushing their lighter hulls. This ship has the Military Vessel modification (p.68) already applied.
Speed: 9
Base Price: NA
Maneuverability: 10
Firepower: 16/16
Hull:
Armor: 20
Ramming: 25
Cargo: 80
Damage:
Derelict: 88
Critical: 25
Destroyed: 94
Crew:
Captain: 5
Crew Size: 40
Morale: 65
Crew Rating: 15

TransportVedette

The following statistics represent a typical transport vedette

used by the Theran Empire for a variety of purposes, usually as
a passenger or cargo transport, sometimes as a swift messenger
ship. Transport vedettes are made from wood, and are only used
by the Theran navy for special purposes, such as for messenger services in safe airspace. They are often used by Theran businesses, or
even as yachts for the rich to undertake pleasure trips. Transport
vedettes are lightly armed at best, for armed ships, use the Firepower rating shown.
Speed: 11
Base Price: NA
Maneuverability: 10
Firepower: 8/10 (armed)
Hull:
Armor: 10
Ramming: 20
Cargo: 80
Damage:
Derelict: 47
Critical: 15
Destroyed: 54
Crew:
Captain: 4
Crew Size: 30
Morale: 50
Crew Rating: 12

MiningVedette

This workhorse Theran stone ship is used for elemental mining

throughout the Empire. It is crewed primarily by slaves, overseen
by a few Theran soldiers and a slavemaster along with the ships
captain and a small complement of sailors. Mining vedettes rarely
carry weapons, but sometimes mount fire cannons for defense. For
armed mining vedettes, use the Firepower shown.
Speed: 9
Base Price: NA
Maneuverability: 10
Firepower: 8/10 (armed)
Hull:
Armor: 20
Ramming: 25
Cargo: 150
Damage:
Derelict: 88
Critical: 25
Destroyed: 94
Crew:
Captain: 3
Crew Size: 20
Morale: 55
Crew Rating: 12

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C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

Kila

A massive floating fortress, averaging seventy to eighty yards on

a side, a Theran kila is more like a flying castle than a traditional
airship. Though a kila mounts many fire cannons along its battlements and towers, the shape of the fortress allows only one sides
weapons to be brought to bear on a target at a time; the Firepower
values below reflect this limitation. A kila can, however, attack
targets on all sides simultaneously with no loss in Firepower for
multiple targets. Only multiple targets on the same side of the
ship reduce the Firepower of the vessel as described under the
Fire maneuver. What a kila might lack in concentrated firepower,
it more than makes up for in ramming ability; smaller airships frequently smash to pieces against a kilas stone sides.
A kila has a crew of 170 and can carry up to a full Theran cohort
(480 soldiers). Kilas commonly have various adepts among the
crew, including an Elementalist of at least Sixth Circle and many
Archers. This ship has the Military Vessel modification (p.68)
already applied.
Speed: 10
Base Price: NA
Maneuverability: 9
Firepower: 25/25
Hull:
Armor: 25
Ramming: 35
Cargo: 1,000
Damage:
Derelict: 108
Critical: 29
Destroyed: 114
Crew:
Captain: 6
Crew Size: 170
Morale: 82
Crew Rating: 18

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

Behemoth

The largest airship ever seen in Barsaive is the Theran behemoth.

A behemoth is hundreds of yards long on a side, a literal floating city
supported by Theran magic. The fortress mounts many fire cannons
on each side; though it suffers from the same targeting limitation
as kilas, it can bring truly massive firepower to bear. A behemoth
can carry two full cohorts of troops, nearly a thousand soldiers,
and has a crew of hundredsamong them the slaves who power
the vessel under the guidance of a slavemaster and his underlings.
The only behemoth in Barsaive is the Triumph, now permanently
grounded on the hill of Ayodhya near Lake Ban. This ship has the
Military Vessel modification (p.68) already applied.
Speed: 12
Base Price: NA
Maneuverability: 7
Firepower: 25/30
Hull:
Armor: 35
Ramming: 35
Cargo: 2,000
Damage:
Derelict: 145
Critical: 35
Destroyed: 151
Crew:
Captain: 8
Crew Size: 250
Morale: 94
Crew Rating: 22

GhostShip

These phantom airships fly through the skies over Barsaive, looking for living foes to kill and add to their crews of undead spirits.
Many ghost ships were created by Horrors; others were created by
blood magic or oaths of vengeance sworn by crystal raiders who
perished during the Orichalcum Wars or the Battle of Sky Point.
Crystal raiders consider seeing a ghost ship a bad omen; no raider
wants to meet one. A ghost ship normally sails through astral space,
but can materialize in the physical world to attack. The ghosts of
crystal raiders or Air Sailors that make up the ships crew can attack
like any living crew, but are more resistant to normal weapons and
possess a Chilling Touch power identical to that of a demiwraith.
Individual crew members of a ghost ship have the same statistics
as demiwraiths.
Ghost ships often carry cannons that fire blasts of pure darkness; these do damage to target airships and crews using the ghost
ships Firepower. Ghost ships can become immaterial while fighting, making them invulnerable to most reprisals from other vessels.
The only means of defeating a ghost ship is to board it in combat.
If the ghost ship is rendered derelict, it vanishes back into astral
space. If it is destroyed, it vanishes forever. Any character still on
board the ship has Step 9 rounds (not turns) to escape before the
ghost ship disappears into the netherworlds, taking the unlucky
character with it.
Characters trapped on board a ghost ship when it vanishes may
end up in the realm of Death or some other strange netherworld
at the gamemasters discretion.
Speed: 12
Base Price: NA
Maneuverability: 11
Firepower: 16/16
Hull:
Armor: 15
Ramming: 25
Cargo: NA
Damage:
Derelict: 65
Critical: 21
Destroyed: 72
Crew:
Captain: NA
Crew Size: 30
Morale: 62
Crew Rating: 20

Riverboat Descriptions

he following profiles provide descriptions and game statistics for the most common types of vessels that travel
the Serpent River system and the Aras Sea. All prices are
given in silver pieces.

Canoe

Canoes are the preferred mode of transportation in the Servos

Jungle. They come in a variety of sizes. The largest can accommodate up to eight human-sized passengers.
Speed: 3
Base Price: 20
Maneuverability: 4
Cargo: 5
Captain: 0
Crew Size: 3

Rowboat

Rowboats can carry up to five human-sized Namegivers without

undue strain. The Speed step of a rowboat is equal to the Strength
step of its rower, divided by 3 and rounded down (to a minimum of
Step 1). Most Namegiver rowers can generate a Speed step between
1 and 2 (23 mph). Stronger characters, such as trolls or obsidimen,
might be able to generate a Speed step of 3provided they can get
inside the rowboat without sinking it in the first place!
Speed: Rowers Strength step/3
Base Price: 50
Maneuverability: 5
Cargo: 4
Captain: 0
Crew Size: 1

Sailboat

Sailboats are most often used on the open sea and the Serpent
Lakes. These craft range from three to fifteen yards in length. The
smallest sailboats carry only two human-sized passengers, while
the largest carry up to five crew, plus passengers. Refer to the Sailing Speed Table, p.145, when determining the Speed step and
Maneuverability Attribute of a particular sailboat.

Sailboat (Long)
Speed: Special
Maneuverability: Special
Captain: 1

Base Price: 80
Cargo: 10
Crew Size: 5

Sailboat (Small)
Speed: Special
Maneuverability: Special
Captain: 0

Base Price: 60
Cargo: 4
Crew Size: 2

C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

73

Dreveki

Examples of the dreveki, the small, sail-driven tskrang fishing

boat, can be seen along nearly all the waterways of Barsaive. Refer
to the Sailing Speed Table, p.145, when determining the Speed
step and Maneuverability Attribute of a particular dreveki. One
can often guess the relative prosperity of a drevekis owner from
his vessels appearance.
Speed: Special
Base Price: 150
Maneuverability: Special
Cargo: 10
Captain: 1
Crew Size: 7

DwarfBarge

Dwarfs do not take easily to water, but in Barsaive a river is always

the fastest route to market. Thus trade makes sailors of us all, as
the old dwarf adage says. As with so many other things, dwarf ship
design exhibits a plodding utilitarian aesthetic, which makes all
dwarf barges appear nearly identical.
Typically, these flat-bottomed boats run close to the rivers banks.
When traveling downstream, a dwarf barge is propelled by the
rivers current, and its crew uses poles to steer it. When a dwarf
barge travels upstream, it is pulled by a team of pack animals that
trudges along one of the ubiquitous tow paths that line the banks
of the Serpent and its tributaries. Alternatively, a barge traveling upstream can usually purchase towing services from passing
tskrang ships. The usual fee for a riverboat tow is 30 silver pieces
per day. In the area around Throal, riverboats towing one or two
barges are a common sight. Towing a barge reduces the riverboats
Speed step by 1 per vessel towed and eliminates the need for the
crews tests to propel the ship.
Dwarf barges are used on the underground rivers of Throal to
transport ore. These barges are nearly always accompanied by their
own teams of pack animals to ensure that they do not become
stranded without an effective means of locomotion. Most dwarf
barges contain very few dwarf crew members, because the owners
can hire human or tskrang sailors for a fraction of the price needed
to persuade the typical dwarf to venture onto the water.
Speed: 3
Base Price: 1,000
Maneuverability: 3
Cargo: 30
Captain: 0
Crew Size: 10

CanalBoat

The square-shaped, f lat-decked canal boats of the Lake Ban

region are usually ten to fifteen yards long and six to ten yards
wide. The crews of these boats use long poles to propel and steer
them, so they seldom venture far from shore when traveling on
the lake. Traditionally, the crews of these vessels paint their boats
in garish colors.
Speed: 4
Base Price: 1,000
Maneuverability: 4
Cargo: 30
Captain: 3
Crew Size: 7

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C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

ScavianBarge

Scavian barges range from thirty to seventy yards in length and

twenty to forty-five yards in width. The decks of these barges typically ride close to the surface of the water and are covered with
patchworks of lean-tos and shacks. Although Scavian barges may
appear flimsy and haphazardly constructed, they contain numerous
advanced features that illustrate the Scavians ship-building expertise. The Scavians construct the bases of their barges with stone,
rather than wood, and so Scavian barges are much more durable
than they appear. The vessels are powered by a mysterious means
that makes no use of oars or fire engines and enables the barge to
travel at a steady speed, regardless of the rivers current. Finally,
the Scavians long tradition of elemental fire work is reflected in
the impressive power of their barges fire cannons.
The Crew Size reflects the crew size of the largest known Scavian
barges. The actual population of a barge is usually twice its crew
size, because Scavian women are forbidden to perform crew duties
or make war. Smaller barges are typically populated by up to thirty
residents and have correspondingly lower Crew Sizes.
Speed: 5
Base Price: 2,000
Maneuverability: 6
Firepower: 18/23
Hull:
Armor: 20
Ramming: 20
Cargo: 30
Damage:
Derelict: 88
Critical: 25
Destroyed: 94
Crew:
Captain: 5
Crew Size: 50
Morale: 56
Crew Rating: 16

RiverFerry

Most of the Serpent Rivers ferry boats are small, older riverboats
no longer reliable enough to make journeys of any considerable
distance. These vessels have fire engines, but are usually stripped
of their fire cannons before entering ferry service. Most often these
ships ferry passengers across the river or to nearby towns and villages. On occasion, however, river ferries are used to transport
trade goods short distances.
Speed: 5
Base Price: 20,000
Maneuverability: 5
Firepower: None
Hull:
Armor: 10
Ramming: 12
Cargo: 200
Damage:
Derelict: 45
Critical: 15
Destroyed: 52
Crew:
Captain: 2
Crew Size: 7
Morale: 30
Crew Rating: 10

A i r s h i p s & R i v e r b o a t s

MerchantRiverboat

The riverboats of the Serpent River are used almost exclusively

by tskrang traders. The average merchant vessel is fifty to seventy
yards long and thirty to forty yards wide, and carries goods, equipment, and passengers. Tskrang riverboats are nearly always armed
with fire cannons for defensive purposes, although the cannons
may not always be in the best condition. Typically, riverboats are
built with flat bottoms so that they can more easily navigate sand
bars and other submerged hazards. In the past, strict regulations
ensured that riverboat captains possessed considerable experience,
but these standards have eroded in recent years.
Speed: 7
Base Price: 40,000
Maneuverability: 7
Firepower: 13/13
Hull:
Armor: 15
Ramming: 25
Cargo: 300
Damage:
Derelict: 67
Critical: 21
Destroyed: 74
Crew:
Captain: 4
Crew Size: 40
Morale: 45
Crew Rating: 14

RiverWarship

The warships of the aropagoi are the undisputed masters of Barsaives waterways. The basic design of a warship differs little from
a merchant riverboat, but warships tend to be considerably larger
than merchant vesselssome, in fact, are up to one hundred yards
in length. Warships also carry more fire cannons, armor and crew
members than merchant vessels, which leaves them with less cargo
space than trading boats. Captains of aropagoi warships are among
the craftiest fighters and tacticians anywhere on the river, and their
crews are seasoned and fierce. This ship has the Military Vessel
modification (p.68) already applied.
Speed: 7
Base Price: 50,000
Maneuverability: 7
Firepower: 17/17
Hull:
Armor: 16
Ramming: 25
Cargo: 100
Damage:
Derelict: 69
Critical: 22
Destroyed: 76
Crew:
Captain: 7
Crew Size: 150
Morale: 70
Crew Rating: 18

RiverGalley

Most merchants from the trading cities of Urupa, Travar, Iopos,

and other non-tskrang towns, rely on oar-driven galleys to transport their wares. These ships are powered by up to one hundred
oarsmen, arranged in two staggered levels that enable each rower
to pull a single oar. The galleys speed is controlled by a drummer, who sets the rowers pace by beating on a drum set between
the rows of oarsmen. Most modern galleys feature top decks that
shield their rowers, fire cannons mounted along their gunwales,
and small masts and sails. Galleys can only use their sails when
traveling with tail winds, because they have no keels to help them
tack against the wind.

Free galleys, which use free men as oarsmen, are the norm
throughout Throal-dominated Barsaive. Slave galleys use slaves
as rowers and must employ small contingents of armed guards to
keep their oarsmen under control.
Speed: 5
Base Price: 100,000
Maneuverability: 5
Firepower: 12/15
Hull:
Armor: 14
Ramming: 16
Cargo: 200
Damage:
Derelict: 61
Critical: 20
Destroyed: 69
Crew:
Captain: 3
Crew Size: 100
Morale: 51
Crew Rating: 15

SailingShip

The keeled sailing ships of the Aras Sea depend on the wind
to push them along the water. Reportedly, some of these vessels
mount fire cannons, but few such ships have ever been seen in Barsaives Aras ports. The statistics represent a ship 24-yards long and
12-yards wide, with a 5-yard draft. A sailing ships Speed step varies,
depending on the strength of the prevailing wind and whether
the ship is running with the wind or tacking against it (see Speed,
p.145).
Speed: Special
Base Price: 30,000
Maneuverability: Special
Firepower: 12/12
Hull:
Armor: 12
Ramming: 16
Cargo: 50
Damage:
Derelict: 53
Critical: 17
Destroyed: 60
Crew:
Captain: 3
Crew Size: 30
Morale: 46
Crew Rating: 13

C H A P T E R 7 | A irships and R ive rboat s

75

Chapter Eight

Gamemaster Characters
Follow me, my friends. I know this taverns owner, and
he always keeps a cask of a special brew behind the bar
for me Myrthion, my good man, five mugs of the good
stuff please. Zounds! Youre not Myrthion!
Swordmaster Luthan discovers
that change is inevitable

his chapter offers guidelines for making gamemaster

characters an active and ongoing part of adventures
and campaigns. This section also provides several
gamemaster character profiles representing a variety of ordinary Barsaivian citizens that adventurers may encounter on a
regular basis. You can drop these fully developed characters into
your campaigns with very little work.
Because the player characters may also meet extraordinary
gamemaster characters who are adepts like themselves, this chapter provides rules for creating such characters, who are usually
equal or superior to the characters controlled by the players.
Adept gamemaster characters usually appear as opponents rather
than townsfolk.

Roles

amemaster characters may fill several roles in an

Earthdawn game. Player characters may count some
gamemaster characters as friends and supporters; some
gamemaster characters act as opponents; others function simply as
merchants and other neutral characters. All types of gamemaster
characters hold various degrees of importance. Many gamemaster
characters play small, unimportant roles in an adventure, serving mostly as arrow fodder, for example, the henchmen of the evil
Wizard or random ork scorchers that roam the countryside.
Once they appear, these characters rarely survive to reappear in
your campaign. Once revealed, theyre dead or gone. Only those
with an extraordinary gift for self-preservation make it past the
first encounter; the gamemaster may also make an effort to save
and reintroduce those with an unusual (and fun) character.
Some gamemaster characters will play a more important role
in your campaigns. For example, the characters may come to
depend on the merchant from whom they buy their adventuring equipment, the tavern owner who always knows the latest

76

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

rumors and gossip, and the blacksmith who understands horses

better than anyone else. These characters are likely to become
permanent fixtures in your campaign, and may become a part
of the characters lives.
The gamemaster characters who play the most significant roles
in adventures or campaigns are those who will help unfold the
story of Earthdawn, legendary characters such as King Neden
(the son of the late King Varulus III), Queen Alachia, and Mountainshadow the dragon. These characters can become allies,
employers, and opponents. Because we understand how useful
this type of gamemaster character can be in a campaign or other
long-term setting, certain characters may reappear from time to
time in our published products. Their stories will provide examples of how to use similar characters of your own creation. For
example, Garlthik One-Eye, ruler of Kratas, may be the mastermind behind the scheme of an adventure or may marshal his
forces to oppose the mastermind who hired the player characters. The plainly dressed storyteller in the local tavern may turn
out to be the famed elven Troubadour Millat.
Of course, we fully expect that you will decide to incorporate
some of these same people into your campaigns as gamemaster
characters. If the stories we create around these characters do not
match the stories you tell about them, just remember that these
are legends of Earthdawn; they live richly varied lives, and not
everything said about them is true.

Types

hough many different types of gamemaster characters

appear in Earthdawn adventures and campaigns, the
three types who have the most impact on the player
characters are patrons, opponents, and supporters. Each type
of gamemaster character can serve one specific or several different purposes in an adventure or campaign.

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

find a magical treasure while fulfilling a mission for their patron,

then decide to continue to adventure as a group in order to learn
the history of the item and unlock its magical abilities.
The patrons mission can also serve as a device to get the characters to the real adventure. For example, the patron may ask the
characters to carry an item or scroll from Throal to the Dragon
Mountains. On the way there, or en route to their next destination, the characters discover a deserted kaer. This is the heart of
the adventure; the journey served to get the characters to that location so that they could uncover the lair of the Horror that has been
feeding on the nearby locals since the end of the Scourge.
Patrons come from all walks of life. Some are sages, others are
questors of the Passions, still others hold posts in town or city government. The patrons in your game can be any of these types or
any other person you may imagine.

Opponents

Patrons

Patrons are essentially gamemaster characters who help the players characters on an ongoing basis. Though similar to supporters
(see below), patrons perform a slightly different function: while supporters only help characters, patrons may also hire the characters
to perform missions or to undertake quests or journeys. For example, characters could enjoy the patronage of an important person
such as the head librarian of the Library of Throal. In exchange for
providing them assistance whenever the characters are in Throal,
the librarian might trade favors (see the Gamemastering chapter,
p.94) by asking the characters to journey to the rumored location
of a forgotten kaer to search for historically important records. The
librarian might also take advantage of the groups experience and
status and ask them to transport important documents from Throal
to Jerris, or Travar, or some other important city in Barsaive.
The gamemaster can use patrons as a springboard for adventures,
a technique especially useful for those times when you have to
nudge your players a bit to get them into an adventure. By establishing a patron, you essentially keep the characters on retainer;
they are available to be hired on short notice because they feel a
loyalty to and may owe their patron.
A word of warning, however; avoid using the patron to draw
the characters into the adventure too often. The characters may
begin to act as if every adventure must be predetermined, and the
players may feel that they have no control over which adventures
their characters participate in. This will take the fun out of the
game for everyone.
Patrons also provide a logical and convenient way to begin
an Earthdawn game by giving individual characters a common
purpose and goal. By the time theyve journeyed together on an
adventure or two, the characters may decide to stay together for
reasons unrelated to their patron. For example, the characters may

Gamemaster character opponents are, simply put, the bad guys

in an Earthdawn adventure. They are the evil Nethermancer who
uses the population of a town for his experiments with the denizens
of the netherworlds; Theran slavers, constantly on the lookout for
towns and villages to raid for ever more slaves; the questors of the
Mad Passions, those who work to destroy the power of the other
Passions and increase the power of their own.
Opponents represent the most common type of gamemaster characters you will use in your adventures. Good stories usually center
around strong characters; the best stories have good opponents, fully
realized characters with complex personalities, a variety of quirks,
and everything else that makes up a real person. Make the opponents
of your adventures as real as possible by giving them unique characteristics and goals. Give their actions a reasondont create an evil
Wizard who acts that way just because hes evil. Try to figure out
his motivation. Maybe he is evil because his desire to attain power
overwhelms all else? Reaching his goal justifies the consequences
of his actions, and he lets no one stand in his way.
One way to create well-rounded opponents for your adventures
is to use the character creation system provided in the Earthdawn
rulebook. Put as much thought into your opponent character as the
players give to their characters; after all, gamemaster characters
are your vehicle for creative expression in the game. Answer the
questions in the Flesh Out Your Character section in the Creating Characters chapter on p.31 of the Players Guide for each
opponent you create. This will help prevent your opponents from
becoming dime-a-dozen throw-away bad guys. You can also tailor
one of the archetypes from the Players Guide to meet your needs.
Another option is to create gamemaster character adepts using the
rules given below. These rules allow you to create a high-Circle
adept opponent in a relatively short time and provide powerful
opposition for your characters.
Most importantly, good opponents should live through more
than one adventure. Make every effort to keep good opponents
alive to plague the characters over and over again. If the characters
face the same opponent several times, they are likely to feel more
heroic when they finally defeat him for good than if they just beat
the most recent in a long line of one-time opponents.

Supporters

Supporters are gamemaster characters who ally themselves with a

player character. In order to be a supporter, a gamemaster character
must hold a Neutral or better attitude toward the player character.
Supporters serve many functions. They can act as additional eyes
and ears for a character, keeping tabs on events when the character
needs to be somewhere else. They can lend aid to characters, and
some supporters may even travel with the character they support
C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

77

from time to time. Supporters may be considered minor characters

in a heros life, the ordinary foil to their extraordinary exploits. They
often provide vital clues or aid to help a hero accomplish the task at
hand, but the character must perform the legendary deeds.
Legends often say that heroes and their supporters are fated to
meet. Other stories describe the bond between supporter and hero
as a form of blood magic. These accounts apparently hold some
truth, because heroes do gain supporters through effort, destiny,
and blood magic.

Gaining Supporters

A player character can try to enlist a gamemaster character as

a supporter as long as the gamemaster character holds a Neutral
attitude or better toward the player character. Trying to make a
supporter out of an Unfriendly character will always fail.
To gain a supporter, begin by roleplaying the characters interaction with the gamemaster character. The player character cannot
use his Charisma, talents, or any spells to convince the gamemaster
character to be his supporter.
Though legends describe numerous ceremonies that heroes and
their supporters have used to seal their bonds, these rules do not
require a formal ritualistic exchange when a gamemaster character
agrees to be a supporter. All heroes and their supporters, however,
must swear a blood peace oath. All gamemaster characters who
agree to support a player character must immediately take the
oath. Each year, near the anniversary of the first oath, the character must renew the blood peace oath with any characters he wishes
to keep as supporters.

The taciturn dwarf hero Ulka spent six hours watching the
human Weaponsmith Thrit at work. Ulka sat silently, moving
only when he could no longer see Thrit work from where he
sat. Thrit worked as if the dwarf were not there. In the late
afternoon, Ulka cleared his throat. Thrit immediately stopped
hammering.
Figure I have a spell of fighting coming up, Ulka said.
Ive heard tell, Thrit replied. His hammer remained poised
as the Weaponsmith waited for Ulka to continue. The dwarf
said nothing. Thrit hammered for another hour.
As the sun set, Thrit polished his days work. Ulka stood.
Thrit glanced at him, his face impassive. Dying embers crackled in the stillness of the evening.
Figure I need some good weapons for the fightand a
Weaponsmith I can rely on, Ulka said. Thrit cracked a halfsmile that was all but invisible in the fading light.
You got one, he said.

Step
Number
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

78

Attribute
Value
13
46
79
1012
1315
1618
1921
2224
2527
2830
3133

The two men swore an oath of blood peace, sealing a relationship that they would forge into friendship.
Storytellers still recount the feasts and entertainments held
when Queen Alachia of the elves became a supporter of the
Elementalist Kirgravane. For six days the Elementalist strove
to prove himself worthy of the queens support by participating
in a series of games and dances chosen by Alachia.
On the first day, the queen commanded Kirgravane to join the
wrestling competition between the thorn men. The Elementalist
quickly discovered that much of his magic did not affect his
adversaries. Queen Alachia delighted in his immediate dismay,
but lowered the barrier she had raised against magic when one
of the thorn men grabbed Kirgravane by the throat. Though Kirgravane sensed his spells would now work, he was determined
to impress the queen, and so refused to help himself by casting
his spells. Instead, he gripped the hand crushing his throat and
rolled backward, using the thorn mans extended arm as a lever.
The thorn man, bracing himself to ward off a spell from the
Elementalist, was caught off guard and thrown to the ground.
Kirgravane quickly pinned his opponent to win the match and
stood, his throat bleeding, to bow low to the queen.
For five more days and five more nights Kirgravane did as the
queen commanded. Using skill or wit, the Elementalist won each
test Alachia devised. And with every trap he avoided, every challenge he overcame, the queens respect for Kirgravane grew.
On the final night, the queen commanded Kirgravane to join
in the Moons Flight, a dance performed by hundreds of winged
fairies who spun and flitted, weaving magic patterns in the air.
The patterns bent the moonlight into arcs of cascading sparkles
that lifted the dancers from the forest floor. Kirgravane first
danced with the ladies of the court. The steps were difficult, and
Kirgravane concentrated, lest he lose the rhythm and miss an
arc and step unsupported into the cold night air. Soon the arcs
spiraled upward, making a misstep that initially would have
been a mere embarrassment potentially injurious. As the dancers soared higher, any step he missed would become fatal.
When the moving figures cleared the tops of the trees of Wyrm
Wood, the ladies left Kirgravane. The queen commanded him to
dance with her, and the elven queen and the Elementalist drifted
higher into the darkness. What they spoke of no-one admits to
knowing. What was promised, and by whom, has not been told.
But when the pair descended, Queen Alachia announced her
undying support for the hero Kirgravane. The two swore an oath
of blood peace before the assembled ladies and lords.

Step Number Conversion Table

Defense
Mystic
Death
Rating
Armor
Rating
23
0
1922
4
0
2326
56
0
2730
67
01
3134
78
12
3538
910
23
3942
1011
34
4346
1112
45
4750
13
56
5154
1415
67
5558
1516
78
5962

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Unconsciousness
Rating
1013
1417
1821
2226
2730
3134
3539
4043
4447
4851
5255

Wound
Threshold
34
56
67
89
910
1112
1213
1314
15
1617
1718

Not all gamemaster characters are created equal, and so the support they can provide may vary greatly. A kindly itinerant peddler,
for example, could not hope to equal the support of Queen Alachia.
The support of a Weaponsmith adept is probably worth more than
the peddlers, but less than the queens.
The blood magic of the blood peace oath is social magic. Because
player characters must perform certain actions to maintain supporters loyalty, the social differences between the characters swearing
the oath affects the cost to maintain these supporters.
Supporters are divided into three types, according to their stations in life and abilities. Peddlers, merchants, and others of a
similar social stratum are Type 1 supporters. Adepts and persons
employed within the lower levels of government are Type 2 supporters. Key members of governments, like Queen Alachia and
King Neden, are Type 3 supporters. Maintaining the support of
each type requires different actions.

Maintaining Supporters

Supporters may aid characters in many ways, and will continue

to help their heros cause in his absence. However, a hero cannot
endlessly draw support from a character without returning a measure of the respect, trust, and support given him. During a full year
of game time, a character must demonstrate his desire to retain his
supporters by performing certain actions determined by the type
of the supporter. If a character fails to perform these actions, he
will probably lose that supporter. The actions needed to maintain
a supporter each year fall into four basic categories.
Swearing an oath of blood peace and renewing it once per year
is sufficient to maintain a minor, Type 1 supporter.
Characters may also maintain supporters by performing small
favors for them. Three small favors are adequate to maintain the
loyalty of any Type 1 supporter, as long as the supporter wants
the favors.
A players character can maintain a Type 2 supporter by performing one large favor for that supporter each year. Again, the
supporter must want the favor.
Performing one dangerous, heroic action per year, such as a
blood promise deed, will maintain a Type 3 supporter. The supporter must need or have requested the deed, however.
The gamemaster decides exactly what type of action is required
to maintain each type of supporter.

Losing Supporters

A character can lose a supporter by failing to maintain the supporter, through the death of the supporter, or through the betrayal
of a traitorous supporter.
If a character fails to maintain a supporter, when the blood peace
oath ends after a year and a day, the character may then heal the 2
Permanent Blood Magic damage taken during the oath ceremony.
Most supporters resent being dumped by heroes, and may renounce
the blood peace oath before a year and a day has passed.
When a supporter dies, he automatically releases the player character from the oath of blood peace. The damage caused by the oath
is healed, and the character loses the advantage of the extra point
to his Death Rating.
A supporter who turns traitor and betrays the character has
broken the blood peace oath and suffers the magical Wound. The
2 Permanent Blood Magic damage the character suffered by taking
the blood peace oath are healed, but the character also loses the
advantage of the extra point to his Death Rating.

What Supporters Will Do

Over time, supporters willingly perform a large number of small

favors for .the characters they support, for example, keeping their
ears open for interesting rumors. Supporters may also exchange

large favors with a character. These large favors exchanged, however, do not include those used to maintain the supporter.

Kirgravane performs two large favors every year for Queen

Alachia as part of the cost to maintain her support. The queen
sees these as her due and will not perform favors in return.
However, Alachia will return the third large favor Kirgravane
performs in a given year, and all large favors after that.
A supporter whose attitude is Loyal or Awestruck toward a character may perform a large favor for him or her as a gift each year.
All supporters will take risks for a player character. Those whose
attitudes are Neutral will take substantial risks only when they
know that failing to do so would allow the character to die.
Friendly supporters will take risks whenever their actions can
prevent a character from suffering significant harm, including
Wounds or death, imprisonment, and capture. Friendly supporters
will take these actions on their own initiative and will also watch
for other, minor threats to the character they support.
Loyal or Awestruck supporters always take whatever risks are
necessary to help a character, and remain ever vigilant to protect
the characters best interests.

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

Types of Supporters

What Supporters Wont Do

The gamemaster decides the exact actions that a supporter will perform, but he should recognize that supporters will not throw their
lives away for a character. This does not mean a supporter will not sacrifice his life if that is the only way to save the hero. At the same time,
a supporter will not automatically open suspicious-looking chests
just because the character does not want to take the risk himself.
Though supporters are gamemaster characters, they, too, have individual lives in the world of Earthdawn. Supporters may not be able to
drop whatever they are doing to help a character every time she calls.
Friendly supporters accept some demands with grace, and Loyal supporters respond to their heros request every time, but even the most
loyal supporter has his limits. A character who willfully and carelessly
exceeds those limits may find his supporters much less helpful.

Supporters and Legend Points

Though supporters never become the focus of legends, they play

vital roles in many adventures recorded in the annals of Barsaive, in
their own way becoming as important to that history as the heroes
they support. In fact, scholars have long noted that the strong blood
magic that ties together a hero and his supporters strengthens both
characters, helping to fuel their legendary deeds.
Each time a character renews an oath of blood peace with a supporter, she gains a number of Legend Points, determined by the
type of the supporter and the number of times the character has
renewed the blood peace oath.
To determine the number of Legend Points the character gains,
consult the Talent Rank Cost Table in the Building Your Legend
chapter on p.239 of the Players Guide. Use the Circle 14 column to
calculate Legend Points for Type 1 supporters, the Circle 58 column
to calculate the points received for Type 2 supporters, and the Circle
912 column for Type 3 supporters. Find the number of times the
blood peace oath has been renewed in the talent rank column. The
result of cross-referencing the appropriate Circle and Rank columns
is the number of Legend Points the player character earns.

Ulka renews his oath of blood peace with Thrit for the first
time, equivalent to Rank 1 on the Talent Rank Cost Table.
Thrit is a Type 2 supporter, placing him in the Circle 58
column of the table. Thus, Ulka earns 200 Legend Points for
renewing the vow. If Ulka renews it next year, he will gain
300 Legend Points.
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79

Kirgravane renews his oath of blood peace with Queen Alachia for the eighth time. Queen Alachia is a Type 3 supporter,
and so Kirgravane earns 8,900 Legend Points. The fifteenth
time he renews the oath of blood peace with the elven queen
he will earn 258,400 Legend Points!
Each renewal beyond the fifteenth earns the same number of
Legend Points as if it was the fifteenth renewal. If a supporter is an
adept, renewing an oath of blood peace earns the supporter half
as many Legend Points as the character.
Only heroes who spend most of their time performing legendary
deeds can gain Legend Points from their supporters. Heroes who
retire to rule a land, found an academy, advise the King of Throal,
or simply settle down, do not earn Legend Points from their supporters. However, many retired heroes renew their oaths of blood
peace yearly for friendship or loyaltys sake. Many also continue
to maintain their supporters just in case their retirement proves
to be temporary.

Traitors

If a character attempts to gain the support of a gamemaster character whose attitude is Unfriendly or worse, the attempt will fail.
However, the gamemaster may lead the player character to believe
he has gained a supporter, when he has in fact decided to trust a
traitor. The gamemaster can lend credence to this deception by
presenting the supporter as a specific type and fleshing out the
supporters role completely. Then, naturally at an inopportune
time, the traitor betrays the character.
If a player character feels any doubt about the sincerity of the
attitude of a gamemaster character, he should not make that character a supporter.
Supporters who betray their hero must break their blood peace
oath by doing so and will suffer the consequences as a result.

Creating
GamemasterCharacters

ecause we designed Earthdawn as a gamemaster-driven

game, our products often provide only an abbreviated
version of the game statistics for minor gamemaster characters. This format allows gamemasters to use a minimal approach
to these minor characters when appropriate, but also provides
enough information for gamemasters to round out the character
more fully. We provide major gamemaster characters with all necessary stats, spells, and equipment. The abbreviated format includes
the following information:
Name: This is the name of the character.
Rank and Discipline (if an adept): This provides the Discipline
and appropriate rank of adept characters.
Occupation (if not an adept): Every character who is not an adept
must have an occupation.
Attributes: These entries provide the characters Attribute steps,
with an Attribute value shown in parentheses () as follows:
DEX (#): #
STR (#): #
TOU (#): #

PER (#): #
WIL (#): #
CHA (#): #

This information serves as the basis for fleshing out the character as the gamemaster sees fit; for example, making the character
more or less powerful, depending on the situation. The abbreviated stats give you the basic character information, but the rest
is up to you.

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C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

FleshingOutStatistics

We suggest two ways to flesh out these abbreviated stats. The first
is to consult the Step/Action Dice Table on p.14 of the Players
Guide to find the Attribute values associated with each given step
number. Using the Attribute values, find the appropriate characteristics in the Characteristics Table, also in the Players Guide,
on p.28. This method serves as a shortcut through the character
creation process.
One alternative, an even more quick-and-dirty way to generate the
values needed to play a character, uses the Step Number Conversion
Table below, which summarizes the Characteristics Table based on
step numbers rather than Attribute values. A gamemaster in need of
a specific number to resolve a situation involving his character simply
checks the step numbers provided and consults the Step Number
Conversion Table to find a range of appropriate values.
The Step Number Conversion Table on p. 78 provides values for
the most commonly used game statistics:
Attribute Value: This represents a range of Attribute values for
the given step number. Attributes represent a characters natural abilities.
Defense Ratings: This column represents a range of values for
Physical, Spell, and Social Defenses. Defense ratings determine
how well characters avoid certain types of attacks.
Mystic Armor: This provides a range of Mystic Armor ratings.
Mystic Armor helps protect the character from magical attacks.
Death Rating: This column provides an appropriate range of Death
Ratings. The Death Rating represents how much damage a character can take before dying.
Wound Threshold: This represents an appropriate range of
Wound Threshold values. Any single attack that inflicts a number
of Damage Points equal to or exceeding the Wound Threshold
causes a Wound.
Unconscious. Rating: This column provides a range of Unconsciousness Ratings. This number represents the amount of
cumulative damage it takes to knock a character unconscious.

Using the Step Number Conversion Table

The Step Number Conversion Table allows the gamemaster to

derive values for the most commonly used characteristics directly
from the step numbers given in the statistics for gamemaster characters. To use the table, find the step number in the left-hand column,
then read across that line to find the required characteristic values.
The table lists a range of values for each of the characteristics. The
range provided allows you to make your gamemaster characters
less or more powerful than average by choosing a number from
the lower or upper end of the range. Choosing from a range also
allows you to create gamemaster characters that better resemble player characters (with a more varied scope of characteristic
values) by choosing high numbers for some characteristics and
low numbers for others.
By cross-referencing the Step Number Conversion Table to
the Step/Action Dice Table and the Characteristics Table in the
Players Guide, gamemasters can convert the step numbers for
gamemaster characters into accurate Attribute values and so determine the exact value of all of the characters characteristics.

CalculatingLegendPoints
forGamemasterCharacters

For non-adept gamemaster characters follow the exact same

guidelines for determining creature Legend Awards (see the Creating Creatures chapter, p.105).

The Legend Award for Adepts is equal to their Circle. An adept is

a 1 per 2 PC opponent if they possess the Double Charge, Second
Attack, Second Shot, or Second Weapon abilities. An adept is a
Group opponent if they possess the Frenzy, Multi-Charge, MultiShot, or Multi-Strike abilities.

A First Circle Warrior is worth a First Circle Legend

Award. An Eighth Circle Warrior who possesses the Second
Attack talent is worth an Eighth Circle Legend Award for
2 or 3 player characters. A Fourteenth Circle Warrior who
possesses the Multi-Strike talent is worth a Fifteenth Circle
Legend Award for the entire group of characters.

Damage Potential

To determine each sides damage potential, compare the average Damage step of each side to the average Toughness step of the
opposition. This comparison will show if one side has an advantage over the other.
To use an alternative method for judging damage potential, take
the average Damage step of the opponents and subtract the average
Physical Armor rating of the player characters, then divide the result
into the average Unconsciousness and Death Ratings of the player
characters. The final numbers provide an average of how many successful attacks are needed to render one of the player characters
unconscious or dead (respectively). Apply this same formula to the
player characters to determine how many successful attacks they
need to make to render an opponent unconscious or dead.

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

Calculating Legend Points for Adepts

DeterminetheAdvantage

GameBalance

ne of the hardest tasks a gamemaster faces in nearly all

roleplaying games is creating a fair but challenging match
between opponents and the player characters. This holds
true for Earthdawn. It is impossible to create a hard-and-fast rule
for judging levels of opposition; every group of characters is different from every other, and opposition that proves too powerful for
one group might be a pushover for another. With that in mind, we
offer the following suggestions to help you balance combat situations. (Of course, we dont believe that every fight should be fair.
Sometimes the players draw an easy target; sometimes the odds
of survival are overwhelmingly against them.)
These suggestions provide a system for determining approximate
numbers to create game balance. This system can help you create a
fair match, but requires a certain amount of work. You may decide
to use this method or create one of your own.

DetermineOpposingForces

To determine what forces each side brings to a battle, compare

the abilities of the players characters to the abilities of the opposing gamemaster characters. The two parameters used to compare
abilities are the capability to attack successfully and the damage
potential of a successful attack.

Attack Potential

To judge each sides ability to successfully attack, first determine

the average Defense Ratings of the players characters by separately
adding up the ratings for each type of Defense (Physical, Spell, and
Social) and dividing each total by the number of player characters,
rounding fractions up.
Compare the result to the oppositions attack step number. The
attack step number could be an Attack or Spellcasting step for creatures or a Talent step for gamemaster character adepts. If the step
number is equal to the appropriate average Defense Rating (Physical, Spell, or Social), then the opponent holds an even chance of
attacking the characters successfully. If the step number is lower
or higher than the average Defense Rating, the opponent has a less
than or greater than even chance of attacking successfully.
To determine the player characters potential for making a successful attack, compare the player characters attack step numbers
to the average Defense Ratings of the opposition (as above). After
you determine the chances of a successful attack for both sides, compare the information for a rough idea of how often the characters
and their opponents could successfully attack each other. By next
determining and comparing the damage potential of each side, you
will see how well- or ill-matched the opponents are.

By knowing how the player characters strengths and potential

damage compares to that of your gamemaster characters, you can
create more balanced fights for your adventures and campaigns.
Gamemasters can compare characters and opponents to
determine which side holds an advantage using the following
parameters:
Characters Attack vs. Opponents Defense
Opponents Attack vs. Characters Defense
Characters Damage Potential vs. Opponents Damage
Resistance
Opponents Damage Potential vs. Characters Damage
Resistance
To use these comparisons to balance an encounter, first determine which side has the advantage in each comparison, if one
exists. For example, if the player characters have higher attack
step numbers than their opponents Defense ratings, the characters have the advantage.
To determine which side has the overall advantage, simply add
up the number of parameters that give each an advantage and
compare the totals. The side with more advantages has the overall
advantage in that encounter.

EventheOdds

To balance fights between unevenly matched groups of characters and opponents, simply adjust the number of opponents to
more closely match the number of characters. For example, a group
of Third Circle adepts would have to fight more than double their
number in skeletons in order for the fight to be fair.
If the difference in power, abilities, and numbers between the
characters and opponents is relatively minor; increase or decrease
(as appropriate) the number of opponents by a smaller margin.

AdeptGamemaster
Characters

amemasters who want to create more powerful and complex

gamemaster characters can create adepts. Adept gamemaster
characters can be supporters, opponents, or patrons. For
example, the player characters might find a unique tavern-keeper and
retired adventurer to act as their patron; a casual acquaintance often
met in the same weapon shop could become a supporter.
To create an adept gamemaster character, start by generating a
character according to the rules for Creating Characters in the
Players Guide, or choose one of the Discipline archetypes from
the same rulebook.
C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

81

If the adept gamemaster character will be First Circle, the archetypes can be used as is. If you want to play a higher-Circle adept,
choose the characters Circle and then find the minimum number
of talents and their minimum ranks for adepts of that Circle on the
Circle Advancement Table in the Building Your Legend chapter
on p.424 of the Players Guide. Select a number of additional talents from the appropriate Disciplines chapter in the same rulebook
to bring the characters total talents to the minimum for adepts of
the desired Circle. Assign each of the talents the minimum rank
for adepts of that Circle, then adjust the characters characteristics
according to his Circle and note any special abilities.
This system produces adept gamemaster characters that meet the
minimum requirements of the chosen Circle. If you want to give
your character more than the minimum statistics, simply choose
an additional 24 talents and assign each a Rank of 2 or 3. Feel
free to further tailor the archetype by increasing the ranks of the

characters other talents as well. You can further round out the
character by adding several talent knacks to provide specializations where you feel they are required.
As you create your gamemaster characters, particularly those
who will likely last longer than a single encounter or adventure,
fill out a Character Record Sheet. Note that all of the gamemaster
characters are able to read and write (Dwarf/Throalic) as well
as Speak (Dwarf/Throalic) and their racial language as General
skills, if these skills are not listed.
For adept gamemaster characters, Discipline talents are
listed with a superscript D and talents that require Karma are
italicized.

Non-AdeptGamemaster
Characters

he following profiles describe typical gamemaster characters for use as supporters, guards, opponents, and so
on. Feel free to alter these profiles to suit your game.
Gamemasters may like to modify these characters for
different Namegiver races. This is usually just a case
of adjusting the characters Attribute and associated Skill steps. Some Death Ratings take into
account permanent damage caused by using
blood magic (usually blood charms). These
are noted in the characters statistics. See the
descriptions of blood charms in the Goods
and Services chapter on p.257 of the Players Guide.

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G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

TrollCityWatch
The people pay me to keep their town secure, and roving bands of so-called heroes like you
make my life difficult. And when my life gets difficult, I get mad, and when I get mad, I like to
take it out on roving bands of heroes. So I only have one ruledont make my life difficult!

Attributes:

DEX: (10): 5

PER: (9): 4

Characteristics:

Initiative: 2
Physical Armor: 8
Mystic Armor: 0
Death: 37 *
Unconsciousness: 29 *
Wound Threshold: 11

STR: (18): 7

WIL: (9): 4

TOU: (16): 7

CHA: (8): 4

Physical Defense: 6
Spell Defense: 6
Social Defense: 5
Recovery Tests: 3
Knockdown: 7
Movement: 7

* These values have been adjusted for blood magic.

Skills:

Detect Weapon (2): 6, Disarm (2): 7, Local LoreK (3): 7, Local PoliticsK (3): 7,
Melee Weapons (3): 8, Parry (3): 8, Read/Write Language (1): 5(Dwarf/Throalic),
Riposte (3): 8, Search (3): 7, Speak Language (2): 6(Dwarf /Throalic, Troll),
Tactics (3): 7, Unarmed Combat (1): 6, Weapon Rune CarvingA (1): 5
A

Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Buckler (Phys 1; Deflect: +1/0; Shatter 17), Chainmail (Phys 7; Init 3)
Weapons: Club (Damage 10), Pole-Axe (Damage 15; Cannot use shield), 2 Spears
(Damage 11; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes)
Equipment: Absorb Blow Charm (2 Blood Magic Damage), Belt Pouch, Carving Tool,
Travelers Garb
Loot: 15 silver pieces
Legend Award: Second Circle
Notes: As a troll, the non-adept possesses the Heat Sight racial ability.

Commentary:

The troll city watchs job is to keep the peace, and if he has to break a few skulls to do it, so be
it. Hes got a bad attitude, a big weapon, and the law on his side. In short, hes your worst
nightmarea troll with a badge of office.

Quotes:
Meet my good friend Sir Pole-axe.
Youre beginning to make my life difficult, young sir.
Have you ever had a grown troll sit on your chest
until your face turned purple and you begged for
mercy? It can be easily arranged.

HumanHorror-ScarredMadman
The Horror lived in my brain, right here above my eye. Well, actually closer to my ear, but near
the top of my skull. HEY! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT! You know, the Horror looked at
me the same way. Did I tell you he was in my brain?

Attributes:
DEX: (8): 4

PER: (19): 8 STR: (7): 4

Characteristics:

Initiative: 4
Physical Armor: 0
Mystic Armor: 0
Death: 27
Unconsciousness: 18
Wound Threshold: 6

* Magically enhanced value.

WIL: (8): 4

TOU: (7): 4

CHA: (7): 4

Physical Defense: 5
Spell Defense: 10
Social Defense: 15*
Recovery Tests: 1
Knockdown: 4
Movement: 6

Skills:

Arcane Mutterings (2): 6, Body PaintingA (1): 5, Horror LoreK(10): 18,

Read/Write Language (1): 9 (Dwarf /Throalic), Rock HistoryK (4): 12,
Stick HistoryK (4): 12, String HistoryK (4): 12, Scourge HistoryK(2): 10,
Speak Language (2): 10(Dwarf/ Throalic, Human), Wilderness Survival (2): 10
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: None
Weapons: None
Equipment: Ball of String Painting Tools, Peasants Garb, Rock, Stick
Loot: 7 copper pieces
Legend Award: First Circle

Commentary:

Spared by a Horror (and no one knows exactly why), this poor fool was left part idiot and part
genius. If you can listen to his bewildering train of thought for any length of time, you may learn
more factual information about the Horrors than you believed was possible for any one person to
know. Of course, you may also learn the history of his rock, and his string, and his stick.

Quotes:
Dont touch my rock.
The Horror was in my friend Nevilles brain, too.
But that was before he exploded
Yes. I know how I got it out of my head. I used
my string. Want me to show you how?

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

83

HumanFoulFolk
I have no time for you and yours. You think you survived the Scourge, but you have no real idea
of what it actually took from us all.

Attributes:

DEX: (10): 5

PER: (10): 5 STR: (12): 5

Characteristics:

Initiative: 5
Physical Armor: 2
Mystic Armor: 0
Death: 31
Unconsciousness: 22
Wound Threshold: 8

WIL: (10): 5 TOU: (10): 5

CHA: (10): 5

Physical Defense: 6
Spell Defense: 6
Social Defense: 6
Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 5
Movement: 6

Skills:

Battle Shout (1): 6, Horror LoreK(2): 7, Melee Weapons (2): 7, Read/Write Language (1):
6(Dwarf/Throalic), Scourge HistoryK(2): 7, Speak Language (2): 7(Dwarf/Throalic,
Human), Streetwise (2): 7, TattooingA (1): 6, Wilderness Survival (2): 7
A

Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Padded Armor (Phys 2)

Weapons: Dagger (Damage 7; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes), Dwarf Sword (Damage 9)
Equipment: Peasants Garb, Tattooing Tools
Loot: None
Legend Award: First Circle

Commentary:

Foul folk offers a catchall term to describe Namegivers corrupted by the Horrors. Though foul folk may
exist anywhere in Barsaive, many of them are drawn to the ruins of Parlainth. Most foul folk look very much
like normal Namegivers, except for a slightly crazed, somehow evil look in their eyes. Their corruption
robbed them of the last remnant of good, and only those foul folk with extremely high Charisma can
convincingly mimic positive emotions such as love or joy. Foul folk exist among all the Namegiver races,
and their statistics vary according to their race. The statistics given here represent an average human
member of the foul folk. A few of the foul folk are adepts. Use the Discipline archetypes in this chapter.

Quotes:
Yes, yes. I hear you talking but I care
nothing for what you have to say.
Pain? You have no idea what real pain is.
Here, let me show you
Mmmmmrmmmrmm Arrrrggghh!

HumanCultMember
Have you not heard of the Shield of Slangue the Merciless? Its ancient power would dwarf your
wildest imaginings. I will search for the Shield until my bones lie bleaching in the sun. Countless
others would also gladly give their lives to return the Shield to its faithful worshippers.

Attributes:
DEX: (7): 4

PER: (11): 5

Characteristics:

Initiative: 3
Physical Armor: 5
Mystic Armor: 2
Death: 28*
Unconsciousness: 19 *
Wound Threshold: 8

STR: (10): 5

WIL: (14): 6

TOU: (10): 5

CHA: (14): 6

Physical Defense: 5
Spell Defense: 7
Social Defense: 8
Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 5
Movement: 6

* These values have been adjusted for blood magic.

Skills:

Animal Handling (1): 7 ,Arcane Mutterings (1): 7 ,Conversation (3): 9 ,

Cult of SlangueK (1): 6, DancingA (2): 8, Emotion Song (1): 7, First Impression (3): 9, Legends and
HeroesK(2): 7,Melee Weapons (1): 5, Read/Write Language (1): 6(Dwarf/Throalic), Search (1):
6, Shield LoreK(1): 6, Speak Language (2): 7(Dwarf/Throalic, Human)
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Hardened Leather Armor (Phys 5; Init 1)

Weapons: Broadsword (Damage 10), Dagger (Damage 7; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes)
Equipment: Adventurers Kit w/Tent, Ancient Map (to Shield of Slangue), 2 Booster Potions,
Horror Fend Charm (3 Blood Magic Damage), Trail Rations (2 weeks worth), Travelers Garb,
Waterskin, Riding Horse (Bit, Bridle, Harness, Large Saddlebags, Saddle, Stirrups, Blanket)
Loot: 15 silver pieces
Legend Award: First Circle

Commentary:

Hope drives the cult member. Striving against all odds, he searches for one legendary artifact,
though no proof exists to show that it is real. He believes the artifact holds the power to right the
evils the Horrors wrought, and he will spend his entire life on his sacred quest. Some people
question his sanity, others join him on his crusade, but none question his dedication.

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C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Quotes:
What do you mean my map is wrong? Wheres
the town that should be here?
The Shield is holy, that is all an infidel like you
need know.
Only the holy Shield can remove the evil stain
the Horrors left on the world and make our
dwelling place pure again.

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

OrkMercenary
I fight for a living. Its never a pretty job and you only get paid if you survive, but I do it because
Im good at it. If you need an experienced fighter, Im your man. I dont do work that requires me
to think much, I dont look after mewling babes, and I dont fight for the Therans. Now, show me
your silver and well hammer out the terms.

Attributes:

DEX: (14): 6

PER: (10): 5

STR: (15): 6

Characteristics:

Initiative: 3
Physical Defense: 8
Physical Armor: 7 Spell Defense: 6
Mystic Armor: 4
Social Defense: 4

WIL: (9): 4

TOU: (12): 5

Death: 31*
Unconsciousness: 23*
Wound Threshold: 9

* These values have been adjusted for blood magic.

**
The non-adept knows the Wound Balance skill.

CHA: (6): 3

Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 6**
Movement: 6

Skills:

Ancient WeaponsK (1): 6, Maneuver (2): 8, Melee Weapons (5): 11, Read/Write Language (1): 6
(Dwarf/Throalic), Second Attack (1): 7, Speak Language (2): 7 (Dwarf/Throalic, Orzet), Tactics (1): 6,
Unarmed Combat (2): 8, Weapon Rune CarvingA (1): 4, Weapon LoreK(1): 6, Wound Balance (1): 7
A

Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Crystal Ringlet (Phys 4; Myst 4; Init 2), Footmans Shield (Phys 3; Init 1; Deflect: +2/0; Shatter 19),
Dwarf Winternight Cloak (Phys +2; Myst +2 vs. WaterCold)
Weapons: 2 Daggers (Damage 8; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes), Short Sword (Damage 10),
Spiked Mace (Damage 12; Cannot use shield)
Equipment: Adventurers Kit w/Tent, Carving Tool, Death Cheat Charm (3 Blood Magic Damage),
Rope (15 yards), Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Travelers Garb
Loot: 25 silver pieces
Legend Award: Second Circle (1 per 2 PC)
Notes: As an ork, the non-adept possesses the Gahad and Low-Light Vision racial abilities.

Commentary:

The ork mercenary knows only one thing, but he knows it wellhow to fight. Highly opinionated and
disdainful of anyone he considers incompetent, most employers value his skills enough to overlook his
often abrasive personality. The ork mercenary is no fool, and always demands handsome compensation
for high-risk tasks.

Quotes:
I have scars older than you, lad.
Sharpen your blades, here come the Therans.
Flank, shmankjust hit that fiend swinging
the big axe. Yes, the one in front of you trying to
take off your head.

DwarfMerchant
Welcome, welcome! Please take your time and browse. Youll find everything you want or need.
If its not here, it doesnt exist. You say your friend only speaks troll? Not to worry. I speak all
the languages of the land fluentlyjust another service that I am happy to provide. Oh, you
would like to trade? Please step into my office.

Attributes:

DEX: (10): 5

PER: (12): 5

Characteristics:

Initiative: 5
Physical Armor: 3
Mystic Armor: 0
Death: 35
Unconsciousness: 27
Wound Threshold: 9

STR: (13): 6

WIL: (10): 5 TOU: (13): 6

CHA: (9): 4

Physical Defense: 6
Spell Defense: 7
Social Defense: 6
Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 6
Movement: 5

Skills:

Appraising GemsK (2): 7, CarvingA (1): 5, Conversation (3): 7, Dwarf Trade RoutesK (2): 7,
Haggle (7): 11, Read/Write Language (1): 6(Dwarf/Throalic), Speak Language (8): 13,
(Dwarf/Throalic, Human, Obsidiman, Orzet, Sperethiel, Troll, Tskrang, Windling)
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Leather Armor (Phys 3)

Weapons: Dagger (Damage 8; Range 1020/510 hexes), Dwarf Sword (Damage 10)
Equipment: Belt Pouch, Carving Tools, Wealthy Travelers Garb
Loot: 1 gold piece, 40 silver pieces, 50 copper pieces
Legend Award: First Circle
Notes: As a dwarf, the non-adept possesses the Heat Sight racial ability.

Commentary:

Anything and everything is the dwarf merchants motto. His shop is full to bursting with
supplies from all over Barsaive and select items from Thera. The merchandise ranges from the
mundane to the exotic: elven-made clothes, Theran tomes, tskrang spices, dwarf tools, windling
weapons. The merchant considers no item too bizarre to stock in his emporium, and sees every
person who steps into his shop as a potential sale. On rare occasions, he may offer a guarantee on
his product after the transaction is complete.

Quotes:
It is a well-known fact that the legendary hero Thom
Hammerblade bought 15 yards of rope from this length
right here.
Windling spears, windling spearslet me think.
Ah yes, I stock them near the toothpicks.
Im very sorry, but I do not have the item you seek at the
moment. It seems my supplier angered some river pirates.
We hope to find his body soon.
C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

85

ObsidimanMessenger
Trustworthy, honest, and reliableits not just a motto, its a way of life. Some messages I carry are inane, some are
matters of life and death. I dont care, I get them through all the same. Dont try and stop me. I can fight if need be.

Attributes:
DEX: (8): 4

PER: (8): 4

STR: (21): 8

Characteristics:

Initiative: 2
Physical Defense: 5
Physical Armor: 7 Spell Defense: 5
Mystic Armor: 4
Social Defense: 6
* These values have been adjusted for blood magic.

WIL: (10): 5 TOU: (20): 8

Death: 41*
Unconsciousness: 33*
Wound Threshold: 16

CHA: (10): 5

Recovery Tests: 4
Knockdown: 8
Movement: 5

Skills:

Avoid Blow (1): 5, Barsaive PoliticsK (3): 7, Climbing (1): 5, Conversation (3): 8, Crystal CarvingA (2): 7,
Detect Trap (1): 5, Detect Weapon (2): 6, Etiquette (3): 8, First Impression (2): 7, Graceful Exit (2): 7, Melee
Weapons (1): 5, Missile Weapons (1): 5, Read/Write Language (1): 5(Dwarf/Throalic), Speak Language (2):
6(Dwarf/Throalic, Obsidiman), Throal PoliticsK (2): 6, Throwing Weapons (1): 5, Trap Initiative (1): 5,
Unarmed Combat (1): 5
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Crystal Ringlet (Phys 4; Myst 4; Init 2)

Weapons: 2 Spears (Damage 12; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes); Warhammer (Damage 15), Troll Sling
(Damage 12; Range 3060 yards/1530 hexes), Belt Pouch (with 15 sling stones)
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Carving Tools, Climbing Kit, Death Cheat Charm (3 Blood Magic Damage),
Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Travelers Garb, Walking Stick
Loot: 15 silver pieces
Legend Award: First Circle
Notes: As an obsidiman, the non-adept possesses the Increased Wound Threshold and Natural Armor racial abilities.

Quotes:
I regret the damage to the guards, but I carry
a message addressed to you personally.
I am merely the messenger.
Greetings. I carry a message from the city of
Iopos. The missive is from Lady Nessel to one
Sir Flower-Of-My-Heart.

Commentary:

A strange single-mindedness seems to possess the obsidiman messenger when he carries a missive. These individuals consider their
tasks a sacred duty and perform them with unflagging dedication, regardless of the messages content. As a result of their impeccable
reputation and personal integrity, people throughout Barsaive accord them great respect and so keep their services in great demand.
Many obsidiman messengers have reached legendary status by overcoming tremendous obstacles to deliver messages.

TskrangRiverPirate
Greetings and salutations, friends. Do not let my appearance deceive you. The stories you have heard about
the tskrang are most untrue. The dwarfs started those vicious lies because they envy our ability to sail the
river. They accuse us of stealing because they envy our, ah, resourcefulness. Take these elegant elven cloaks,
for instance. I found them aboard an abandoned ship. Its not my fault the elves are so irresponsible as to
allow an unmanned ship to float down the Serpent River.

Attributes:

DEX: (19): 8

PER: (10): 5 STR: (13): 6

WIL: (10): 5 TOU: (12): 5

Characteristics:

Initiative: 8
Physical Defense: 10 Death: 34
Physical Armor: 4 Spell Defense: 6
Unconsciousness: 26
Mystic Armor: 1
Social Defense: 7
Wound Threshold: 9

CHA: (11): 5

Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 6
Movement: 6

Skills:

Acrobatic Strike (2): 10, Bribery (2): 7, Engaging Banter (2): 7, Fishing (1): 6 , Entertainer (Singing)A(2): 7,
Haggle (4): 9, Melee Weapons (3): 11, Navigation (1): 6, Parry (3): 11, Pilot Boat (4): 9, Read River (4): 9,
Read/Write Language (1): 6(Dwarf/Throalic), Riposte (3): 11, Serpent River LoreK (3): 8,
Speak Language (2): 7(Dwarf/Throalic, Tskrang), Swimming (2): 8, Throwing Weapons (3): 11,
Unarmed Combat (3): 11
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Buckler (Phys 1; Deflect +1/0; Shatter 17), Espagra-Scale Cloak (Phys 3; Myst 1; Init 0/1; w/
Cloaksense Brooch)
Weapons: Broadsword (Damage 10), 2 Daggers (Damage 8; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes), 2 Spears
(Damage 10; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes)
Equipment: Belt Pouch, Climbing Kit, Fishing Kit, Navigation Charts in Map/Scroll Case, Travelers Garb
Loot: 10 silver pieces
Legend Award: First Circle
Notes: As a tskrang, the non-adept possesses the Tail Combat racial ability.

Commentary:

Quotes:

We will board your ship, take all of your goods,

and if you cooperate, we wont turn the
Serpent River red with your blood.
Stealing is such a strong word. I prefer to
think of your contribution as a toll for using
our section of the river.
I threaten you not. Only question, good sir.
Can you swim to shore from here?

The tskrang river pirates charismatic and flamboyant personality disguises his formidable fighting prowess. He operates under his own code of
ethics, and no ship is safe from this scoundrel. On the whole an unpredictable lot, many pirate tales circulate through the land from the elven court to
Throal and Thera. Some stories recount tales of vile torture and ruthless cruelty, while others describe practical jokes perpetrated on unwary travelers
sailing the Serpent River. Though generalizing about such individualists is dangerous, most pirates harbor a strong sense of loyalty and will befriend
for life someone who does them right. On the other hand, they show double-crossers no mercy.

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G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

ElfSage
So you need to know if that old sword you acquired is the Great Blade of Sanquadra or just a
lump of forged metal? You have come to the right place, friend. All heroes need magic, and I
can tell you if you are holding it in your hands.

Attributes:
DEX: (11): 5

PER: (13): 6 STR: (9): 4

Characteristics:

Initiative: 5
Physical Armor: 0
Mystic Armor: 1
Death: 27
Unconsciousness: 18
Wound Threshold: 6

WIL: (12): 5 TOU: (7): 4

CHA: (10): 5

Physical Defense: 7
Spell Defense: 7
Social Defense: 6
Recovery Tests: 1
Knockdown: 4
Movement: 7

Skills:

Ancient WeaponsK(2): 8, EmbroideryA (2): 7, Legends and HeroesK(1): 7,

Magical LoreK(1): 7 , Read/Write Language (5): 11(Dwarf/Throalic, Human, Orzet,
Sperethiel, Troll), Read/Write Magic (2): 8, Research (2): 8, Speak Language (4): 10(Dwarf/
Throalic, Human, Orzet, Sperethiel)
A

Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: None
Weapons: Dagger (Damage 6; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes)
Equipment: Arcane Tomes, Belt Pouch, Embroidery Tools, Scrolls in Map/Scroll Case,
Wealthy Travelers Garb, Writing Kit
Loot: 25 silver pieces
Legend Award: First Circle
Notes: As an elf, the non-adept possesses the Low-Light Vision racial ability.

Commentary:

Both a historian and a source of magical information, the elf sage links the arcane past with
the magical present. Magic and knowledge represent power throughout the land, and the elf
sage can provide access to both.

Quotes:
Remove this junk from my sight.
Runic carvings? Hmmm, very interesting. Hand me that book.
Power? You dont know the meaning of power until youve held
in your hands the Ruby Scimitar of Daeth!

OrkScorcher
Welcome to my territory. The upcoming terrain is filled with potential danger. I suspect youll need to hire
some bodyguards. We just happen to be available. Lets make camp here and negotiate our protection fees.

Attributes:

DEX: (13): 6

PER: (10): 5 STR: (15): 6

Characteristics:

Initiative: 2
Physical Armor: 10
Mystic Armor: 1
Death: 32
Unconsciousness: 24
Wound Threshold: 8

WIL: (13): 6 TOU: (11): 5

CHA: (9): 4

Physical Defense: 7
Spell Defense: 6
Social Defense: 6
Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 6*
Movement: 6

* The non-adept knows the Wound Balance skill.

Skills:

Animal Bond (2): 6, Animal Handling (1): 6, Caravan Trade RoutesK (3): 8, Charge (1): 7,
Haggle (2): 6, Melee Weapons (1): 7, Read/Write Language (1): 6(Dwarf/Throalic),
Speak Language (2): 7(Dwarf/Throalic, Orzet), Tactics (1): 6, TattooingA (1): 5,
Throwing Weapons (1): 7, Trick Riding (1): 7, Unarmed Combat (1): 7, Wound Balance (1): 7
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Chainmail (Phys 7; Init 3), Riders Shield (Phys 3; Init 1; Deflect +2/0; Shatter 19)
Weapons: Broadsword (Damage 11), Dagger (Damage 8; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes),
Long-Spear (Damage 11), Spear (Damage 10; Range 1020 yards/510 hexes)
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Tattooing Tools, Trail Rations (2 weeks worth), Travelers Garb, Waterskin,
Riding HorseCombat Trained (Bit, Bridle, Harness, Large Saddlebags, Saddle, Stirrups, Blanket)
Loot: 5 silver pieces
Legend Award: First Circle
Notes: As an ork, the non-adept possesses the Gahad and Low-Light Vision racial abilities.

Commentary:

The ork described in this entry is the standard ork scorcher, standing approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall and
weighing 225 pounds. Sometimes mercenaries, often bandits, orks always negotiate if they sense potential
profit. If an ork thinks he can get a better deal by working with a party rather than jumping it, he will. Orks
roam all the lands of Barsaive in mercenary bands. These ork scorcher bands travel the countryside, seeking
employment. Some bands are cavalrymen, mounted on riding horses and occasionally on war horses or
massive thundra beasts. Ork cavalrymen often use lances and spears to charge their opponents.

Quotes:
I warned you of potential danger. Now hand
over your silvers or prepare to die, trespassers!
Treachery? I prefer to call it a switching of
business partners for profit.

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

87

DwarfScribe
Please speak slowly and clearly. Remember, this will be stored in the Great Library of Throal. Your stories
will be repeated throughout the land, and young and old alike will revere you for your deeds for
generations to come.

Attributes:
DEX: (8): 4

PER: (16): 7 STR: (10): 5

Characteristics:

Initiative: 4
Physical Armor: 10
Mystic Armor: 1
Death: 31
Unconsciousness: 22
Wound Threshold: 8

WIL: (12): 5 TOU: (10): 5

CHA: (10): 5

Physical Defense: 5
Spell Defense: 9
Social Defense: 6
Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 5
Movement: 5

Skills:

Dwarf HistoryK (3): 10, Kaer LoreK (3): 10, Legends and HeroesK (4): 11, PoetryA(3): 8,
Read/Write Language (8): 15(Dwarf/Throalic, Sperethiel, Human, Obsidiman, Orzet, Troll, Tskrang,
Windling), Research (1): 8, Speak Language (4): 11(Dwarf/Throalic, Human, Troll, Tskrang)
A

Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: None
Weapons: Knife (Damage 6; Range 816 yards/48 hexes)
Equipment: Arcane Tomes, Belt Pouch, Scrolls in Map/Scroll Case, Wealthy Travelers Garb, Writing Kit
Loot: 35 silver pieces
Legend Award: First Circle
Notes: As a dwarf, the non-adept possesses the Heat Sight racial ability.

Commentary:

The dwarf scribe is your ticket to immortality. He can transform a humiliating drubbing at the hands of a
group of gargoyles into an epic battle between good and evil. He rarely involves himself personally in
adventures, preferring to live vicariously through his employers adventures. If a story is boring, he can
make it interesting. And if a tale is interesting, he can make it legendary.

Quotes:
Of course my name goes at the top of the page.
Im doing all the writing, am I not?
If you kill a dragon in the deepest woods but
no one was there to write down the event, did
it really happen?
I would prefer you pay me in advance, good sir,
before you fight the Horror.

TheranWindlingSpy
Information can make you rich. Any information, no matter how trivial it might seem, is worth something to someone. Now,
the Therans reward loyalty very handsomely, so when you hear something, tell only me. I would truly grieve if compelled to
visit you in the dark of night. Hearing of a hero who dies in his sleep always saddens my heartsuch a waste of potential.

Attributes:

DEX: (15): 6

PER: (16): 7 STR: (4): 3

WIL: (11): 5 TOU: (7): 4

Characteristics:

Initiative: 6
Physical Defense: 10 Death: 26*
Physical Armor: 3 Spell Defense: 9
Unconsciousness: 17*
Mystic Armor: 1
Social Defense: 9
Wound Threshold: 6
* These values have been adjusted for blood magic.
** Flying Movement Rate

CHA: (17): 7

Recovery Tests: 1
Knockdown: 3
Movement: 3/8**

Talents:

Astral Sight (1): 8

Skills:

ActingA(2): 9, Bribery (2): 9, Conceal Object (2): 8, Detect Trap (2): 9, Disarm Trap (2): 8, Disguise (1): 8,
Fast Hand (1): 7, Forgery (1): 7, Lip Reading (2): 9, Lock Picking (2): 8, Melee Weapons (2): 8, Local LoreK (3): 10,
Picking Pockets (3): 9, Read/Write Language (2): 9(Dwarf/Throalic, Theran), Speak Language (3): 10 (Dwarf/
Throalic, Theran, Windling), Streetwise (3): 10, Surprise Strike (2): 5, Theran PoliticsK (2): 9, Throwing Weapons (2): 8
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Leather Armor (Phys 3)

Weapons: Knife (Damage 4; Range 816 yards/48 hexes), Windling Spear (Damage 5; Range 816 yards/48
hexes)
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Cloaksense Brooch, Disguise Kit, 2 Kelias Antidote: Keesra Poison, 2 Vials of
Keesra Poison (Sleep; SD 7 Step Number 10), Windling Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Targeting Eye (2 Permanent
Damage), Thieves Picks and Tools, Travelers Garb, Writing Kit
Loot: 3 gold pieces
Legend Award: First Circle
Notes: As a windling, the non-adept possesses the Astral Sight, Flight, and Increased Physical Defense racial
abilities.

Commentary:

The Theran windling spy is a master of stealth and cunning. Privy to some of the most closely guarded secrets in
Barsaive, he plays an essential part in the political ambitions of many Therans. A ruthless and deadly character, many
look at his unimposing appearance and judge him insignificant and harmless. Do not make this misjudgment. Many
heroes have paid for it with their lives.

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C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Quotes:
If they catch us, rememberyou dont
know me and I dont know you.
We are only criminals if our side loses.
You must be mistaking me for another
windling. We all look very similar, you
know.

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

HumanTavernOwner
Sit down and have an ale. The meat is roasting and should be ready in a moment. Youre new to
this area, arent you? Looking to forge a legend of your own, I wager. Well, rumor has it

Attributes:

DEX: (9): 4
PER: (12): 5
Characteristics:
Initiative: 4
Physical Armor: 0
Mystic Armor: 0
Death: 31
Unconsciousness: 22
Wound Threshold: 8

STR: (9): 4

WIL: (9): 4

TOU: (10): 5

CHA: (10): 5

Physical Defense: 6
Spell Defense: 7
Social Defense: 6
Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 4
Movement: 6

Skills:

Animal Handling (1): 5, Conversation (4): 9, Entertainer (Musician; Flute)A (1): 6, Entertainer
(Storytelling)A (1): 6, Legends and HeroesK(2): 7, Local LoreK (3): 8, Read/Write Language (1):
6(Dwarf/Throalic), Speak Language (7): 12(Dwarf/Throalic, Obsidiman, Orzet, Sperethiel,
Troll, Tskrang, Windling), Unarmed Combat (2): 6
A

Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: None
Weapons: Club (Damage 7), Knife (Damage 5; Range 816 (48 hexes)), Sap (Damage 5)
Equipment: Belt Pouch, Flute, Travelers Garb, Guard Dog
Loot: 20 silver pieces
Legend Award: First Circle

Commentary:

Quotes:
Rumors are free. Facts, now thats another matter.
Bitter?! That ale has aged for well over three days, Sir
Connoisseur!
Hey! Keep your dirty hands off the servers!

People come to the tavern to eat, drink, be entertained, and to meet other people. The tavern owner
wears many hatsbartender, entertainer, rumormonger. He watches and remembers the comings
and goings of all characters who pass through his humble establishment and, with the help of some
silver pieces, may be persuaded to share this information.

HumanVeteranGuard
So you wish to see my master? Tell me the truth of why you want to visit him and I might allow it. Lie to me, and
Ill make sure you never pass this checkpoint.

Attributes:

DEX: (16): 7 PER: (13): 6 STR: (13): 6 WIL: (14): 6 TOU: (14): 6 CHA: (16): 7
Characteristics:
Initiative: 5
Physical Defense: 9 Death: 36
Recovery Tests: 3
Physical Armor: 7 Spell Defense: 7
Unconsciousness: 28 Knockdown: 6*
Mystic Armor: 2
Social Defense: 9
Wound Threshold: 10 Movement: 6

* The non-adept knows the Wound Balance skill.

Skills:

Detect Weapon (2): 8, Disarm (2): 9, Local LoreK (3): 9, Local LoreK (3): 9, Melee Weapons (3): 10, Parry (3): 10,

Read/Write Language (1): 7 (Dwarf/Throalic), Riposte (3): 10, Search (3): 9, Speak Language (2): 8(Dwarf/
Throalic, Human), Tactics (3): 9, Unarmed Combat (1): 8, Weapon Rune CarvingA (1): 8, Wound Balance (1): 7
A Artisan Skill; K Knowledge Skill

Armor: Buckler (Phys 1; Deflect: +1/0; Shatter 17), Ring Mail (Phys 6; Init 2)
Weapons: Battle-Axe (Damage 14; cannot use shield), Club (Damage 9), Sap (Damage 7)
Equipment: Belt Pouch, Carving Tool, Travelers Garb
Loot: 25 silver pieces
Lucky Charm: Lucky charm valued at 2D6 silver pieces if not magical, 2D620 silver pieces if magical.
To determine the magical value of a guard veterans charm, the gamemaster makes a Step 4 Magic (10)
Test. If the test is successful, the charm is magical, and adds +1 to the veterans Physical and Spell Defense.
To activate the charm, the guard takes 1 Strain and makes a Perception (6) Test. If the test succeeds,
the charms protection lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Perception Test result.
Legend Award: First Circle

Commentary:

Quotes:
You speak of trust. The horrors and their pawns
shattered trust long ago. If you want to see my
master, youll prove yourself to be without taint.
If you lay even one finger on my master, Ill make
sure the last thing you see is my axe swinging at
your neck.

A soldier with years of experience, a guard veteran has loyally served his city, house, or master for a lengthy period of time. Most have encountered the Horrors or
their constructs at least once, and none care to repeat the experience. Though steadfast, guard veterans do not give their employers blind loyalty. Most consider
themselves guardians of justice, and if a character can prove that an employer has evil intentions, many guard veterans will cease to defend him. All guard veterans
possess the following ability:
Detect Deceit: Guard veterans have honed an uncanny judge of character into a magical ability. Whenever a character tries to deceive a guard veteran, the guard
makes a Perception Test against the characters Spell Defense. If the test succeeds, the guards suspicions are roused, although he does not determine the characters
true intent. The guard adds +5 to his Social Defense against the character, making him less likely to fall for the characters scam. This bonus lasts for a number of
days equal to the guards Perception Test result.
C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

89

HumanAirSailor
Attributes:

DEX (16): 7
PER (13): 6

STR (13): 6
WIL (12): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

2nd
5
10
7
7
6
1
42
33
10
3
6*
6

TOU (14): 6
CHA (13): 6
3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

10
7
7
8
1
54
43

10
7
7
9
1
66
53

10
7
7
10
2
78
63

11
7
7
11
3
90
73

12
8
8
13
3
102
83

* The adept knows the Wound Balance talent at Seventh Circle

Karma Points:

10/10 15/15 25/25 35/35 45/45 55/55

Talents:
Air SailingD
Avoid BlowD
ClimbingD
Karma RitualD
Melee WeaponsD
Parry
DistractD
Durability [6/5]
Empathic SenseD
Wind Catcher
Thread WeavingD
Heartening Laugh
Swing AttackD
Acrobatic Strike
Wound BalanceD
Air Dance
Resist TauntD
Riposte
LeadershipD
Lion Heart
Thought LinkD
Second Weapon
Shield BeaterD
Cold Purify
RallyD
Down Strike

2nd
3/8
2/9
2/9
2/2
3/10
2/9
2/8
1/1

Skills:
AirshipsK
Barsaive HistoryK
Conversation
First Impression
Flirting
Haggle
Read/Write Language
Sail EmbroideryA
Seduction
Speak Language
Throwing Weapons

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13

11th
8/14
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award :

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th*

11th *

3rd
4/9
3/10
3/10
3/3
4/11
3/10
3/9
3/3
3/9
3/8

5th
6/11
5/12
5/12
5/5
6/13
5/12
5/11
5/5
5/11
5/10
5/11
5/11
5/12
5/12

7th
9th 11th
8/13 10/15 12/17
7/14 9/16 11/18
7/14 9/16 11/18
7/7
9/9 11/11
8/15 10/17 12/19
7/14 9/16 11/18
7/13 9/15 11/17
7/7
9/9 11/11
7/13 9/15 11/17
7/12 9/14 11/16
7/13 9/15 11/17
7/13 9/15 11/17
7/14 9/16 11/18
7/14 9/16 11/18
7/13 9/15 11/17
7/13* 9/15* 11/17*
7/12 9/14 11/16
7/14 9/16 11/18

9/15 11/17

9/14 11/16

9/15 11/17

9/16 11/18

11/11

11/16

11/17

11/17

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)
* Talent modified by 1 Initiative penalty

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

(*one per two PC)

7/13
7/13
7/14

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Buckler/ Thread Buckler
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
1/0
2/0
2/0
2/1
3/1
4/1
Deflect
1/0
Shatter
17
Hardened Leather Armor / Thread Hardened Leather Armor

F1
F2 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
Phys/Myst
5/0
6/0
7/0
8/0
8/1
9/1
Init
1

90

F1, F2: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Weapons:
2nd
Broadsword/Thread Broadsword
Damage
11
Short Sword/Thread Short Sword
Damage
10
2 Daggers
Damage
8

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1
F2 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
12
13
14
15
16
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
11
12
13
14
15
F1
9

F1, F2: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Embroidery Tools, Trail Rations (1 weeks worth),

Travelers Garb
Notes: As a human, the adept possesses the Versatility racial ability.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Collaborate
Sixth Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on Action Tests made on airships
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Ninth Circle: Determined Charge; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests; +1 Physical Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Recovery Test/day; +1 Social and Spell Defense

Attributes:

DEX (18): 7
PER (15): 6

STR (7): 4
WIL (12): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

* Flying Movement Rate

2nd
7
13
8
7
3
1
37
27
8
2
4
3/8*

TOU (10): 5
CHA (13): 6
3rd
7
13
8
7
4
1
49
37

5th
7
13
8
7
5
1
61
47

7th
7
13
8
7
5
2
73
57

9th
7
14
8
8
6
2
85
67

11th
8
15
10
9
6
3
97
77

Talents:
Karma RitualD
Missile WeaponsD
Mystic AimD
Throwing WeaponsD
True ShotD
Astral Sight
Avoid Blow
Direction ArrowD
Durability [6/5]
Anticipate BlowD
Long Shot
Thread WeavingD
Flame Arrow
Stopping AimD
Melee Weapons
Bank ShotD
Detect Weapon
Impressive ShotD
Call Missile
Second ShotD
Sprint
Eagle EyeD
Quick Shot
Warning ShotD
Critical Hit
Dominate ArrowD
Trace Missile

2nd
2/2
3/10
2/8
2/9
2/9
2/8
2/9
2/8
1/1

9th
9/9
10/17
9/15
9/16
9/16
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/9
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/14
9/15
9/16
9/16
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/16
9/9
9/15
9/16

11th
11/11
12/19
11/17
11/18
11/18
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/16
11/17
11/18
11/18
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/18
11/11
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/11
11/16
11/17

Skills:
Barsaive HistoryK
Creature Analysis
Creature LoreK
Hunting
Read/Write Language
Silent Walk
Speak Language
Tracking
Wilderness Survival
Windling LoreK
Wood CarvingA

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Windling)
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Windling)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12

11th
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/14

Loot:
Gold pieces

2nd
3

3rd
4

5th
9

7th
23

9th
57

11th
146

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th*

11th*

2nd

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2

3rd
3/3
4/11
3/9
3/10
3/10
3/9
3/10
3/9
3/3
3/9
3/9

5th
5/5
6/13
5/11
5/12
5/12
5/11
5/12
5/11
5/5
5/11
5/11
5/11
5/10
5/11
5/12

7th
7/7
8/15
7/13
7/14
7/14
7/13
7/14
7/13
7/7
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/12
7/13
7/14
7/14
7/13
7/14
7/13

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

*Group

Armor:

Leather Armor / Thread Leather Armor

Phys/Myst

3/0

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
Thread Boots
Social Defense/Spell Defense

9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2
1/0
1/1

12/12 18/18 30/30 42/42 54/54 66/66

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

F1: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Windling Spear 816 yards/48 hexes; Windling Bow 1224 yards/612 hexes,
Rank 2 1530 yards/715 hexes, Rank 4 1836 yards/918 hexes

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Carving Tools, Windling Trail Rations (1 weeks worth),
Travelers Garb

Karma Points:

Weapons:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
2 Windling Spears
F1
Damage
6
7
Windling Bow/Thread Windling Bow
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Damage
7
8
9
9
10
10
Quiver/Thread Quiver
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Missiles Weight
75%
50%
25% 10%
(w/ 40 windling bow arrows)

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

WindlingArcher

Notes: As a windling, the adept possesses the Astral Sight, Flight, and Increased
Physical Defense racial abilities.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Arrows Eye View
Sixth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on ranged combat Damage Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Ninth Circle: Create Arrow; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: +1 Initiative step; +1 Physical Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Recovery Test/day; +1 Social and Spell Defense

7/14
7/13
8/14
7/13
7/13

F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

91

ElfBeastmaster
Attributes:

DEX (14): 6
PER (12): 5

STR (13): 6
WIL (14): 6

TOU (13): 6
CHA (17): 7

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:
Karma Points:

2nd
5
9
7
9
6
2
42
33
9
2
6
7
8/8

12/12 20/20 28/28 36/36 44/44

Talents:
Animal BondD
Claw ShapeD
Creature AnalysisD
Karma RitualD
Unarmed CombatD
Sense Danger
Dominate BeastD
Durability [7/6]
Animal TrainingD
Borrow Sense
Thread WeavingD
Sprint
Heal Animal CompanionD
Animal Companion Durability [6/5]
Animal TalkD
Poison Resistance
Animal PossessionD
Tiger Spring
FrenzyD
Lion Heart
ChameleonD
Bestial Toughness
Animal LeadershipD
Incite Stampede
Develop Animal SenseD
Howl

2nd
2/9
2/8
3/8
2/2
3/9
2/7
2/8
1/1

3rd
3/10
3/9
4/9
3/3
4/10
3/8
3/9
3/3
3/10
3/9

9th
9/16
9/15
10/15
9/9
10/16
9/14
9/15
9/9
9/16
9/15
9/14
9/9
9/15
8/8
9/14
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/15

11th
11/18
11/17
12/17
11/11
12/18
11/16
11/17
11/11
11/18
11/17
11/16
11/11
11/17
10/10
11/16
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/16
11/18

Skills:
Creature LoreK
Fishing
Melee Weapons
Read/Write Language
Speak Language
Swimming
Throwing Weapons
Wild AnimalsK
Wood CarvingA

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
3/8
4/9 5/10 6/11 7/12
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13
2/7(Dwarf /Throalic, Elf/Sperethiel)
2/7(Dwarf /Throalic, Elf/Sperethiel)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
3/8
4/9 5/10 6/11 7/12
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13

11th
8/13
7/12
8/14

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th*

11th*

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

9
7
9
8
2
56
45

9
7
9
9
2
70
57

9
7
9
10
3
84
69

10
8
9
14
4
98
81

12
9
10
16
4
112
93

5th
5/12
5/11
6/11
5/5
6/12
5/10
5/11
5/5
5/12
5/11
5/10
5/5
5/11
4/4

7th
7/14
7/13
8/13
7/7
8/14
7/12
7/13
7/7
7/14
7/13
7/12
7/7
7/13
6/6
7/12
7/13
7/13
7/7

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

*Group

7/13
7/13
8/13
7/14

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Buckler/ Thread Buckler
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
1/0
2/0
2/0
2/1
3/1
4/1
Deflect
1/0
Shatter
17
Hardened Leather Armor / Thread Hardened Leather Armor

F1
F2 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
Phys/Myst
5/0
6/0
7/0
8/0
8/1
9/1
Init
1
F1, F2: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

92

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Weapons:
2nd
Hand-Axe
Damage
10
Whip
Damage
9
Entangle
9
2 Daggers
Damage
8

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
11
12
13
14
15
F1
F2
F3
10
11
12
F1
9

F1: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
Thread Bracers
Spell Defense/Physical Defense

9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2
1/0
1/1

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Carving Tools, Fishing Kit, Trail Rations

(3 weeks worth), Travelers Garb, 2 Waterskins
Animal Companions:
Eagle/Monkey
Death:
Unconscious:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

30
21

30
21

42
31

48
36

54
41

60
46

Notes: As an elf, the adept possesses the Low-Light Vision racial ability.
The eagle and monkey evenly split the Animal Companion Durability ranks.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Primal Urges
Sixth Circle: Karma on Willpower-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on animal companion Action Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Ninth Circle: Karma on Recovery Tests; Tough Hide (Physical Armor +3)
Tenth Circle: +1 Physical Defense; +1 Recovery Test/day
Eleventh Circle: Karma on Toughness-only Tests; +1 Social and Spell Defense

Attributes:

DEX (13): 6
PER (11): 5

STR (16): 7
WIL (11): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

2nd
5
8
7
7
7
1
49
40
12
3
7*
6

TOU (18): 7
CHA (12): 5
3rd
5
8
7
7
9
1
63
52

5th
5
8
7
7
11
1
77
64

7th
5
8
7
7
11
3
91
76

9th
5
9
7
8
13
3
105
88

11th
6
10
9
9
13
5
119
100

10/10 15/15 25/25 35/35 45/45 55/55

Talents:
Animal BondD
ChargeD
Karma RitualD
Melee WeaponsD
Trick RidingD
Animal Training
Empathic CommandD
Durability [7/6]
Sure MountD
Blood Share
Thread WeavingD
First Impression
Wheeling AttackD
Mount Durability [6/5]
Armor MountD
Spirit Mount
Wheeling DefenseD
Heal Animal Companion
Double-ChargeD
Fearsome Charge
Critical HitD
Down Strike
UnmountD
Call Mount
Tame MountD
Lion Heart

2nd
3/8
2/9
2/2
2/8
3/9
2/7
2/7
1/1

9th
10/15
9/16
9/9
9/15
10/16
9/14
9/14
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/14
9/14
9/15
8/8
9/14
9/14
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/14
9/9
9/16

11th
12/17
11/18
11/11
11/17
12/18
11/16
11/16
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/16
11/17
10/10
11/16
11/16
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/16
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/16
11/16

Skills:
Ancient WeaponsK
Body PaintingA
Craftsman (Leatherworking) A
Read/Write Language
Speak Language
Tactics
Throwing Weapons
Tracking
Unarmed Combat
Weapon LoreK

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/7(Dwarf /Throalic, Ork/Orzet)
2/7(Dwarf /Throalic, Ork/Orzet)
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11

11th
7/12
7/12
7/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th*

11th*

3rd
4/9
3/10
3/3
3/9
4/10
3/8
3/8
3/3
3/10
3/10

5th
6/11
5/12
5/5
5/11
6/12
5/10
5/10
5/5
5/12
5/12
5/10
5/10
5/11
4/4

7th
8/13
7/14
7/7
7/13
8/14
7/12
7/12
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/12
7/12
7/13
6/6
7/12
7/12
7/13
7/14

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

*(1 per 2 PC)

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
12
13
14
15
16
F1
10
F1
F2
F3
12
13
14

F1F3: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger/Spear 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
Thread Cloak
Social Defense/Spell Defense

9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2
1/0
1/1

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Craftsman Tools, Painting Tools, Trail Rations (2 weeks
worth), Travelers Garb, Waterskin, Riding Horse (Combat Trained w/Bit, Bridle, and
Harness, Large Saddlebag, Saddle, Stirrups, and Blanket)

* The adept knows the Sure Mount talent at Third Circle

Karma Points:

Weapons:
2nd
Mace
Damage
11
2 Daggers
Damage
9
2 Spears
Damage
11

Mount:
Riding Horse
Death:
Unconscious:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

44
36

44
36

44
36

78
56

90
66

102
76

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

OrkCavalryman

Notes: As an ork, the adept possesses the Gahad and Low-Light Vision racial abilities.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Masterful Horseman
Sixth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on mount Attack and Damage Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Ninth Circle: Gain Mastery; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: +1 Initiative step; +1 Physical Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Social and Spell Defense

7/12
8/14
7/12
8/14
7/12

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Padded Leather Armor/ Thread Padded Leather Armor

F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
4/0
5/0
6/0
6/1
7/1
7/2
Riders Shield / Thread Riders Shield
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
3/0
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2
Init
1
Deflect
2/0
Shatter
19
F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

93

OrkElementalist
Attributes:

DEX (13): 6
PER (16): 7

STR (13): 6
WIL (14): 6

TOU (13): 6
CHA (11): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:
Karma Points:

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
6
7
7
7
7
8
9
10
10
10
10
11
12
7
7
7
7
7
9
3
4
5
5
6
6
2
2
2
3
3
4
39
47
55
63
71
79
30
36
42
48
54
60
9
2
6
6
10/10 15/15 25/25 35/35 45/45 55/55

Talents:
Air SpeakingD
Karma RitualD
Read/Write MagicD
SpellcastingD
Spell MatrixD
Thread WeavingD
Spell Matrix
Fire HealD
Durability [4/3]
Elemental TonguesD
Spell Matrix
Elemental HoldD
Astral Sight
SummonD
Enhanced Matrix
Cold PurifyD
Willforce
Earth SkinD
Enhanced Matrix
TemperatureD
Steel Thought
Metal WardD
Armored Matrix
Endure ColdD
Plant Shelter
Reshape ObjectD
Armored Matrix

2nd
2/9
2/2
2/9
3/10
2/2
2/9
2/2
2/8
1/1

9th
9/16
9/9
9/16
10/17
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/15
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/9
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/15
9/15
9/16
9/9

11th
11/18
11/11
11/18
12/19
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/17
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/17
11/18
11/11
11/17
11/16
11/17
11/11

Skills:
Alchemy
Alchemy and PotionsK
Magical LoreK
Melee Weapons
Read/Write Language
Robe EmbroideryA
Speak Language
The HorrorsK
Throwing Weapons
Wilderness Survival

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Ork/Orzet)
3/8
4/9 5/10 6/11 7/12
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Ork/Orzet)
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13

11th
7/14
7/14
7/14
8/14

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd
3/10
3/3
3/10
4/11
3/3
3/10
3/3
3/9
3/3
3/10
3/3

5th
5/12
5/5
5/12
6/13
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/11
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/11
5/12
5/11
5/5

7th
7/14
7/7
7/14
8/15
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/13
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/13
7/14
7/13
7/7
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/7

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

Armor:

2nd
Leather Armor / Thread Leather Armor
Phys/Myst
3/0

7/14
7/13
7/14

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2

F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

94

8/13

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Weapons:
2nd
Broadsword/Thread Broadsword
Damage
11
Quarterstaff
Damage
10
2 Daggers
Damage
8

3rd
F1
12
F1
11
F1
9

5th
F2
13
F2
12

7th
9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
13
14
15
F3
F4
F5
13
14
15

F1F5: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Thread Wand
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Spellcasting Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
+2
Effect Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
Thread Cloak
Rank 1 Rank 2
Physical Defense/Social Defense
1/0
1/1
Elementalism Spells: Earthblend, Earth Darts, Flameweapon, Plant Talk, Purify
Water, Resist Cold, Resist Fire + spells of the gamemasters choice.
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Alchemy Kit, Booster Potion, Embroidered Robe,
Embroidery Tools, Grimoire, Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Travelers Garb
Notes: As an ork, the adept possesses the Gahad and Low-Light Vision racial abilities.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Fire and Ice
Sixth Circle: Karma on Willpower-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on spell Effect Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Ninth Circle: Earth and Wind; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: Karma on controlled creature or spirit Action Tests; +1 Spell Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Physical and Social Defense

Attributes:

DEX (11): 5
PER (16): 7

STR (5): 3
WIL (16): 7

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

* Flying Movement Rate

Karma Points:

2nd
5
9
10
9
3
2
36
27
8
2
3
3/8*

TOU (11): 5
CHA (16): 7
3rd
5
9
10
9
4
2
44
33

5th
5
9
10
9
5
2
52
39

7th
5
9
10
9
5
3
60
45

9th
5
10
11
9
6
3
68
51

11th
6
11
12
11
6
4
76
57

12/12 18/18 30/30 42/42 54/54 66/66

Talents:
Karma RitualD
Read/Write MagicD
Speak LanguageD
SpellcastingD
Spell MatrixD
Thread WeavingD
Astral Sight
Spell Matrix
Disguise SelfD
Durability [4/3]
Dead FallD
Spell Matrix
False SightD
Mimic Voice
True SightD
Enhanced Matrix
Engaging BanterD
Willforce
Fast HandD
Enhanced Matrix
Power MaskD
Slough Blame
Detect FalsehoodD
Armored Matrix
Mind WaveD
Memorize Image
Multi-TongueD
Armored Matrix

2nd
2/2
2/9
2/9
2/9
2/2
2/9
2/9
2/2
2/9
1/1

9th
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/14
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/9

11th
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11

Skills:
Alchemy
Alchemy and PotionsK
Magical LoreK
Magical TheoryK
Melee Weapons
Missile Weapons
Read/Write Language
Robe EmbroideryA
Speak Language
Streetwise
Throwing Weapons
Unarmed Combat

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Windling)
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Windling)
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11

11th
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/12
7/12

Loot:
Gold pieces

2nd
3

3rd
4

5th
9

7th
23

9th
57

11th
146

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

2nd

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2

3rd
3/3
3/10
3/10
3/10
3/3
3/10
3/10
3/3
3/10
3/3
3/10
3/3

5th
5/5
5/12
5/12
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/5

7th
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/12
7/7

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

Armor:

Leather Armor / Thread Leather Armor

Phys/Myst

3/0

Weapons:
2nd
2 Windling Spears
Damage
5
Windling Bow/Thread Windling Bow
Damage
6
Quiver (w/ 20 windling bow arrows)

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1
6
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
7
8
8
9
9

F1: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Windling Spear 816 yards/48 hexes; Windling Bow 1224 yards/612 hexes,
Rank 2 1530 yards/715 hexes, Rank 4 1836 yards/918 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Thread Wand
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Spellcasting Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
+2
Effect Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
Thread Cloak
Rank 1 Rank 2
Physical Defense/Social Defense
1/0
1/1

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

WindlingIllusionist

Illusionism Spells: Assuring Touch, Best Face, Disguise Metal, Displace Image, Light,
Rope Guide, Unseen Voices + spells of the gamemasters choice.
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Alchemy Kit, Booster Potion, Embroidered Robe,
Embroidery Tools, Grimoire, Rope (6 yards), Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Travelers Garb
Notes: As a windling, the adept possesses the Astral Sight, Flight, and Increased
Physical Defense racial abilities.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Glamour
Sixth Circle: Karma on Willpower-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on spell Effect Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Ninth Circle: Hide Matrix; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests; +1 Spell Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Initiative step; +1 Physical and Social Defense

7/14
7/14
7/12
7/12

F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

95

TskrangNethermancer
Attributes:

DEX (14): 6
PER (16): 7

STR (10): 5
WIL (14): 6

TOU (14): 6
CHA (14): 6

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

2nd
6
8
10
8
3
2
40
31
10
3
5*
6

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

8
10
8
4
2
48
37

8
10
8
5
2
56
43

8
10
8
5
3
64
49

9
11
8
6
3
72
55

10
12
10
6
4
80
61

Karma Points:

8/8

12/12 20/20 28/28 36/36 44/44

Talents:
Astral SightD
Karma RitualD
Read/Write MagicD
SpellcastingD
Spell MatrixD
Thread WeavingD
Spell Matrix
FrightenD
Durability [4/3]
Spirit TalkD
Spell Matrix
Spirit HoldD
Frighten Animals
SummonD
Enhanced Matrix
LifesightD
Willforce
Spirit DodgeD
Enhanced Matrix
Orbiting SpyD
Steel Thought
Bargain with Summoned CreatureD
Armored Matrix
Summoning CircleD
Astral Pocket
NetherwalkD
Armored Matrix

2nd
2/9
2/2
2/9
3/10
2/2
2/9
2/2
2/8
1/1

3rd
3/10
3/3
3/10
4/11
3/3
3/10
3/3
3/9
3/3
3/10
3/3

9th
9/16
9/9
9/16
10/17
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/15
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/16
9/15
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/15
9/15
9/9

11th
11/18
11/11
11/18
12/19
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/17
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/18
11/17
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/11

Skills:
Alchemy and PotionsK
Magical LoreK
Magical TheoryK
Melee Weapons
Missile Weapons
Read/Write Language
Robe EmbroideryA
Scourge HistoryK
Speak Language
Throwing Weapons
Unarmed Combat
Wound Balance

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Tskrang)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Tskrang)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/7
3/8 4/10 5/11 6/12

11th
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/13
7/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

2nd

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2

* The adept knows the Wound Balance skill.

5th
5/12
5/5
5/12
6/13
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/11
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/11
5/11
5/11
5/5

7th
7/14
7/7
7/14
8/15
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/13
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/7
7/14
7/13
7/14
7/7

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

Armor:

Leather Armor / Thread Leather Armor

Phys/Myst

3/0

7/13
7/14
7/13
7/13
7/13

F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

Weapons:
2nd
Quarterstaff
Damage
9

96

3rd
F1
10

5th
F2
11

7th
F3
12

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

9th
F4
13

11th
F5
14

Weapons:
2nd
Short Sword/Thread Short Sword
Damage
9
2 Daggers
Damage
7
Knife
Damage
6
Sling
Damage
7

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
10
11
12
13
14
F1
8
F1
7
F1
F2
8
9

F1F5: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes; Knife 816 yards/48 hexes; Sling 2040
yards/1020 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Thread Wand
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Spellcasting Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
+2
Effect Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
Thread Cloak
Rank 1 Rank 2
Physical Defense/Social Defense
1/0
1/1
Nethermancy Spells: Bone Dance, Chilling Circle, Command Nightflyer, Detect
Undead, Experience Death, Spirit Grip, Undead Struggle + spells of the gamemasters
choice.
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Alchemy Kit, Booster Potion, Embroidered Robe,
Embroidery Tools, Grimoire, Hooded Lantern, 2 Oil Flasks, Trail Rations (1 weeks
worth), Travelers Garb
Notes: As a tskrang, the adept possesses the Tail Combat racial ability.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Decay and Renewal
Sixth Circle: Karma on Willpower-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on spell Effect Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Ninth Circle: Karma on Recovery Tests; Otherworldly Control
Tenth Circle: Karma on controlled creature or spirit Action Tests; +1 Spell Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Initiative step; +1 Physical and Social Defense

Attributes:

DEX (16): 7
PER (14): 6

STR (13): 6
WIL (12): 5

TOU (13): 6
CHA (11): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:
Karma Points:

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
6
10
10
10
10
11
12
8
8
8
8
8
9
7
7
7
7
7
8
5
6
7
8
8
9
1
1
1
1
2
2
41
53
65
77
89
101
32
42
52
62
72
82
9
2
2
2
2
2
3
6
6
10/10 15/15 25/25 35/35 45/45 55/55

Talents:
Climbing D
Karma RitualD
SearchD
TrackingD
Wilderness SurvivalD
Missile Weapons
Speak LanguageD
Durability [6/5]
NavigationD
Anticipate Blow
Thread WeavingD
Sprint
Evidence AnalysisD
Melee Weapons
Astral SightD
Sense Danger
Empathic SenseD
Direction Arrow
Safe PathD
Maneuver
Endure ColdD
Eagle Eye
True SightD
Tiger Spring
DefenseD
Sense Poison

2nd
3/10
2/2
2/8
3/9
2/8
2/9
2/8
1/1

9th
10/17
9/9
9/15
10/16
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/9
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/15
9/14
9/15
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/16

11th
12/19
11/11
11/17
12/18
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/17
11/16
11/17
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/18
11/11
11/11
11/18
11/17

Skills:
Avoid Blow
Barsaive HistoryK
Creature LoreK
Read/Write Language
Resist Taunt
Silent Walk
Speak Language
Streetwise
Swimming
Throwing Weapons
Unarmed Combat
Wood CarvingA

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11

11th
7/14
7/13
7/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

3rd
4/11
3/3
3/9
4/10
3/9
3/10
3/9
3/3
3/9
3/9

5th
6/13
5/5
5/11
6/12
5/11
5/12
5/11
5/5
5/11
5/11
5/11
5/5
5/11
5/12

7th
8/15
7/7
7/13
8/14
7/13
7/14
7/13
7/7
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/7
7/13
7/14
7/13
7/13
7/12
7/13

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

Weapons:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Medium Crossbow/Thread Medium Crossbow

F1
F2
F3 Rank 1 Rank 2
Damage
10
11
12
13
14
14
Quiver/Thread Quiver
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Arrow Capacity
125% 150% 175% 200%
Number of bolts
15
30
37
45
52
60
F1F3: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes; Medium Crossbow 4080 yards/2040 hexes,
Rank 2 50100 yards/2550 hexes

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Carving Tools, Climbing Kit, Hooded Lantern,

Navigation Charts in Map/Scroll Case, 2 Oil Flasks, Trail Rations (1 weeks worth),
Travelers Garb
Notes: As a human, the adept possesses the Versatility racial ability.

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

HumanScout

Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Enhanced Senses
Sixth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on companions environment interactive Action Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Ninth Circle: Blend; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: +1 Physical Defense; +1 Recovery Test/day
Eleventh Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests; +1 Social and Spell Defense

7/12
7/14
7/13
7/13
7/14
7/14
7/12

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Hardened Leather Armor / Thread Hardened Leather Armor

F1
F2 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
Phys/Myst
5/0
6/0
7/0
8/0
8/1
9/1
Init
1
F1, F2: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

Weapons:
2nd
Broadsword/Thread Broadsword
Damage
11
2 Daggers
Damage
8

3rd
F1
12
F1
9

5th
F2
13

7th
9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
14
15
16

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

97

TrollSkyRaider
Attributes:

DEX (13): 6
PER (11): 5

STR (19): 8 [(22): 9]* TOU (18): 7

WIL (12): 5
CHA (13): 6

* The number in brackets is the adepts Strength (value): step at Ninth Circle

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

2nd
3
8
7
7
8
4
50
40
12
3
8
7

3rd
3
8
7
7
10
4
66
52

5th
3
8
7
7
11
5
82
64

7th
3
8
7
7
13
5
98
76

9th
3
9
7
8
13
7
114
88

11th
4
10
9
9
14
7
130
100

8*

8*

9*

Karma Points:

6/6

9/9

15/15 21/21 27/27 33/33

Talents:
Air SailingD
Battle ShoutD
FirebloodD
Karma RitualD
Melee WeaponsD
Parry
Great LeapD
Durability [8/6]
Shield ChargeD
Wind Catcher
Thread WeavingD
Unarmed Combat
Battle BellowD
Wound Balance
Steely StareD
Swift Kick
Momentum AttackD
Lion Heart
Down StrikeD
Leadership
Thunder AxeD
Frenzy
Storm ShieldD
Air Dance
VitalityD
Endure Cold

2nd
3/8
2/8
2/9
2/2
3/9
2/8
2/8
1/1

3rd
4/9
3/9
3/10
3/3
4/10
3/9
3/9
3/3
3/11
3/8

5th
6/11
5/11
5/12
5/5
6/12
5/11
5/11
5/5
5/13
5/10
5/10
5/11
5/11
5/13

7th
8/13
7/13
7/14
7/7
8/14
7/13
7/13
7/7
7/15
7/12
7/12
7/13
7/13
7/15
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/12

9th
10/15
9/15
9/16
9/9
10/16
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/18
9/14
9/14
9/15
9/15
9/18
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/14
9/18
9/15
9/18
9/15

11th
12/17
11/17
11/18
11/11
12/18
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/20
11/16
11/16
11/17
11/17
11/20
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/16
11/20
11/17
11/20
11/17
11/16
11/15*
11/18
11/18

Skills:
Avoid Blow
Craft ArmorA
Hunting
Military History (Trollmoots)K
Missile Weapons
Read/Write Language
Speak Language
Throwing Weapons
Tactics
Troll LoreK
Wilderness Survival
Wood CarvingA

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Troll)
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Troll)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11

9th
6/12
6/12
6/12
6/11
6/12

11th
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/12
7/13

6/12
6/11
6/11
6/11
6/12

7/13
7/12
7/12
7/12
7/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th*

11th*

* The adept knows the Wound Balance talent at Fifth Circle

D
Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)
Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)
* Talent modified by 2 Initiative penalty

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

*Group

98

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Crystal Raider Shield/ Thread Crystal Raider Shield

F1
F2
F3 Rank 1 Rank 2
Phys/Myst
3/3
4/3
4/4
5/4
5/5
5/5
Init
2
2
2
2
2
1
Deflect
3/3
Shatter
18
Hardened Leather Armor / Thread Hardened Leather Armor

F1
F2 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
Phys/Myst
5/0
6/0
7/0
8/0
8/1
9/1
Init
1
F1F3: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

Weapons:
2nd
Troll Sword/Thread Troll Sword
Damage
14
Club
Damage
11
Dwarf Sword
Damage
12
2 Spears
Damage
12
Troll Sling
Damage
12
Belt Pouch (w/15 sling stones)

3rd
F1
15
F1
12
F1
13
F1
13
F1
13

5th
F2
16
F2
13
F2
14
F2
14
F2
14

7th
F3
17
F3
14
14
F3
15
F3
15

9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2
19
20
15
15
16
F4
17

F1F4: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger/Spear 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
Thread Boots
Social Defense/Spell Defense

9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2
1/0
1/1

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Carving Tools, Craftsman Tools, Trail Rations (1 weeks
worth), Travelers Garb
Notes: As a troll, the adept possesses the Heat Sight racial ability.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Toughness-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Strike Without Warning
Sixth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on melee
weapons Damage Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical
Defense
Ninth Circle: Strength of
the Sky; Karma on
Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: Karma on
Strength-only Tests; +1
Physical Defense
Eleventh Circle:
+1 Social and Spell
Defense

Attributes:

DEX (16): 7
PER (13): 6

STR (14): 6
WIL (11): 5

TOU (16): 7
CHA (13): 6

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

2nd
5
9
7
8
8
1
46
37
11
3
6**
5

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

9
7
8
10
1
60
49

9
7
8
12
1
74
61

9
7
8
13
2
88
73

9
7
9
14
3
98*
81*

10
8
10
15
4
112*
93*

Karma Points:

8/8

12/12 20/20 28/28 36/36 44/44

Talents:
Karma RitualD
ManeuverD
Melee WeaponsD
ParryD
TauntD
First Impression
Heartening LaughD
Durability [7/6]
RiposteD
Wound Balance
Thread WeavingD
Anticipate Blow
Second WeaponD
Tiger Spring
DisarmD
Graceful Exit
Resist TauntD
Lasting Impression
Second AttackD
Lion Heart
Impressive StrikeD
Pin
Champion ChallengeD
Critical Hit
Spot Armor FlawD
Whirlwind

2nd
2/2
2/9
3/10
3/10
2/8
2/8
2/8
1/1

3rd
3/3
3/10
4/11
4/11
3/9
3/9
3/9
3/3
3/10
3/9

9th
9/9
9/16
10/17
10/17
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/16
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/15
9/14
9/15
9/16
9/14
9/16
9/16

11th
11/11
11/18
12/19
12/19
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/18
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/17
11/16
11/17
11/18
11/16
11/18
11/18
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/18

Skills:
Avoid Blow
Barsaivian LegendsK
Conceal Object
DancingA
Dwarf LoreK
Etiquette
Read/Write Language
Speak Language
Streetwise
Throwing Weapons
Unarmed Combat

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13 7/14
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Tskrang)
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Tskrang)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13

11th
8/15
7/13
7/14
7/13
7/13
7/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th*

7th*

9th* 11th**

5th
5/5
5/12
6/13
6/13
5/11
5/11
5/11
5/5
5/12
5/11
5/11
5/11
5/12
5/5

7th
7/7
7/14
8/15
8/15
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/7
7/14
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/13
7/12
7/13

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

*(1 per 2 PC) , **(Group)

F1, F2: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

Init
Weapons:
2nd
Broadsword/Thread Broadsword
Damage
11
Weapon Bond (2 Blood Magic Damage)
Dwarf Sword/Thread Dwarf Sword
Damage
10
Weapon Bond (2 Blood Magic Damage)
2 Daggers
Damage
8

1
3rd
F1
12
F1
11

5th
F2
13

7th
9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
14
15
16

Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4

12
13
14
15

F1
9

F1, F2: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes

* These ratings have been modified by Blood Magic

** The adept knows the Wound Balance talent at Third Circle

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Hardened Leather Armor / Thread Hardened Leather Armor

F1
F2 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
Phys/Myst
5/0
6/0
7/0
8/0
8/1
9/1
Init
1

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

DwarfSwordmaster

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Wealthy Travelers Garb
Notes: As a dwarf, the adept possesses the Heat Sight racial ability.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Social Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Flourish
Sixth Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on melee weapon Damage Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Social Defense
Ninth Circle: Karma on Recovery Tests; Weapon Bond
Tenth Circle: +1 Recovery Test/day; +1 Social Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Physical and Spell Defense

7/13
7/14
7/14

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Footmans Shield / Thread Footmans Shield

F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
3/0
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2
Init
1
Deflect
2/0
Shatter
19

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

99

HumanThief
Attributes:

DEX (16): 7
PER (16): 7

STR (10): 5
WIL (11): 5

TOU (14): 6
CHA (11): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:
Karma Points:

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
7
10
10
10
10
11
12
8
8
8
8
8
10
7
7
7
7
8
9
3
4
5
5
6
6
1
1
1
2
2
3
42
54
66
78
90
102
33
43
53
63
73
83
10
3
5
6
10/10 15/15 25/25 35/35 45/45 55/55

Talents:
Karma RitualD
Lock PickingD
Picking PocketsD
Silent WalkD
Trap InitiativeD
Throwing Weapons
Detect TrapD
Durability [6/5]
Disarm TrapD
Avoid Blow
Thread WeavingD
Surprise Strike
Sense PoisonD
Melee Weapons
Slough BlameD
Evaluate
Fast HandD
Conceal Object
True SightD
Call Missile
Gold SenseD
Quick Shot
Lip ReadingD
Shackle Shrug
Astral PocketD
Poison Resistance

2nd
2/2
3/10
2/9
3/10
2/9
2/9
2/9
1/1

9th
9/9
10/17
9/16
10/17
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/14
9/16
9/16
9/14
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16

11th
11/11
12/19
11/18
12/19
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/18
11/18
11/17

Skills:
Alchemy
Alchemy and PotionsK
Forgery
Dwarf/Throalic LawK
Gem LoreK
Human LoreK
PoetryA
Read/Write Language
Speak Language
Streetwise

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13 7/14
3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13 7/14
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13

11th
8/15
8/15
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/12

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th*

11th*

2nd

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2

3rd
3/3
4/11
3/10
4/11
3/10
3/10
3/10
3/3
3/10
3/10

5th
5/5
6/13
5/12
6/13
5/12
5/12
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/12
5/12
5/10
5/12
5/12

7th
7/7
8/15
7/14
8/15
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/12
7/14
7/14
7/12
7/14
7/14
7/14

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

*Group

Armor:

Leather Armor / Thread Leather Armor

Phys/Myst

3/0

F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

100

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

7/14

Weapons:
2nd
Broadsword/Thread Broadsword
Damage
10
Dagger
Damage
7
Number of Daggers
2

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1
F2 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
11
12
13
14
15
F1
8
3
5
7
9
11

F1, F2: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Thread Belt Pouch
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Weight of items in pouch
75%
50%
25% 10%
Thread Cloak
Rank 1 Rank 2
Social Defense/Spell Defense
1/0
1/1
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Alchemy Kit, Booster Potion, Climbing Kit,
Hooded Lantern, 2 Oil Flasks, Quiet-Fingers Gloves, Trail Rations (1 weeks worth),
Travelers Garb, Writing Kit
Notes: As a human, the adept possesses the Versatility racial ability.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Thieves Tongue
Sixth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on companions stealth Action Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Ninth Circle: Karma on Recovery Tests; Shadowcloak
Tenth Circle: +1 Initiative step; +1 Physical Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Social and Spell Defense

Attributes:

DEX (13): 6
PER (16): 7

STR (11): 5
WIL (11): 5

TOU (11): 5
CHA (18): 7

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:
Karma Points:

2nd
5
7
9
11
4
3
38
29
8
2
5
7
8/8

12/12 20/20 28/28 36/36 44/44

Talents:
First ImpressionD
ImpressD
Item History D
Karma RitualD
Mimic VoiceD
Melee Weapons
Disguise SelfD
Durability [6/5]
Empathic SenseD
Heartening Laugh
Thread WeavingD
Avoid Blow
Inspire OthersD
Diplomacy
Resist TauntD
Blade Juggle
LeadershipD
Engaging Banter
Lion HeartD
Graceful Exit
Bardic VoiceD
Rally
Song of DeflectionD
Detect Falsehood
Mind WaveD
Lion Spirit

2nd
2/9
3/10
3/10
2/2
2/9
2/8
2/9
1/1

3rd
3/10
4/11
4/11
3/3
3/10
3/9
3/10
3/3
3/10
3/10

9th
9/16
10/17
10/17
9/9
9/16
9/15
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/14
9/16
9/16
9/14
9/15
9/16
9/16
9/14
9/16
9/16
9/16

11th
11/18
12/19
12/19
11/11
11/18
11/17
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/17
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/16
11/18
11/16
11/11

Skills:
Elven LoreK
Emotion Song
Etiquette
Entertainer (Music: Lute)A
Legends and HeroesK
Read/Write Language
Speak Language
Streetwise
Throwing Weapons

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13 7/14
3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13 7/14
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13 7/14
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Elf/Sperethiel)
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Elf/Sperethiel)
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12

11th
8/15
8/15
7/14
7/14
8/15

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

3rd
5
7
9
11
5
3
50
39

5th
5
7
9
11
6
3
62
49

5th
5/12
6/13
6/13
5/5
5/12
5/11
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/12
5/12
5/10
5/12
5/12

7th
5
7
9
11
6
4
74
59

7th
7/14
8/15
8/15
7/7
7/14
7/13
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/12
7/14
7/14
7/12
7/13
7/14
7/14

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

9th
5
8
9
12
7
4
86
69

11th
6
9
11
13
7
5
98
79

Weapons:
2nd
2 Bolas
Damage
8
Entangle
9
Dagger
Damage
7
Number of Daggers
2

3rd
F1
9

5th
F2
10

7th

9th

11th

F1
8
3

11

F1F3: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Bola/Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Lute/Thread Lute
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Emotion Song Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
+2
Impress Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
Thread Bracers
Rank 1 Rank 2
Spell Defense/Physical Defense
1/0
1/1

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

ElfTroubadour

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Wealthy Travelers Garb,
Writing Kit
Notes: As an elf, the adept possesses the Low-Light Vision racial ability.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Social Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests
Fifth Circle: One Last Word
Sixth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on companions social Action Test
Eighth Circle: +1 Social Defense
Ninth Circle: Encore; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests; +1 Social Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Initiative step; +1 Physical and Spell Defense

7/14
7/13

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Ferndask (Phys 1; Myst 2; Init 1; Deflect 1/2; Shatter 16)
Leather Armor / Thread Leather Armor
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
3/0
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2
F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

Weapons:
2nd
Broadsword
Damage
10
Whip
Damage
8
Entangle
9

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
11
12
13
14
15
F1
F2
F3
9
10
11

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

101

ElfWarrior
Attributes:

DEX (14): 6
PER (13): 6

STR (16): 7
WIL (13): 6

TOU (14): 6
CHA (12): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

2nd
6
9
7
7
5
1
45
35
10
3
7*
7

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

9
7
7
7
1
61
49

9
7
7
8
1
77
63

9
7
7
8
3
93
77

10
7
8
10
3
109
91

11
9
9
11
4
125
105

Karma Points:

8/8

12/12 20/20 28/28 36/36 44/44

Talents:
Avoid BlowD
Karma RitualD
Melee WeaponsD
Unarmed CombatD
Wood SkinD
Air Dance
Anticipate BlowD
Durability [9/7]
Wound BalanceD
Acrobatic Strike
Thread WeavingD
Swift Kick
Temper SelfD
Tiger Spring
Life CheckD
Tactics
Crushing BlowD
Lion Heart
Second AttackD
Cobra Strike
Earth SkinD
Spirit Strike
Resist PainD
Shield Beater
VitalityD
Body Blade

2nd
2/8
2/2
3/9
3/9
3/9
2/8
2/8
1/1

3rd
3/9
3/3
4/10
4/10
4/10
3/9
3/9
3/3
3/10
3/9

9th
9/15
9/9
10/16
10/16
10/16
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/16
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/9
9/15
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/15

11th
11/17
11/11
12/18
12/18
12/18
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/18
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/17
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/11
11/11
11/17
11/18

Skills:
Ancient WeaponsK
Disarm
Military History [Thera]K
Read/Write Language
Riposte
Speak Language
Throwing Weapons
Wilderness Survival
Wood CarvingA

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Elf/Sperethiel)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Elf/Sperethiel)
4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13 8/14
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12 7/13
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11

11th
7/13
7/13
7/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award :

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th*

11th*

(*one per two PC)

5th
5/11
5/5
6/12
6/12
6/12
5/11
5/11
5/5
5/12
5/11
5/11
5/11
5/11
5/5

7th
7/13
7/7
8/14
8/14
8/14
7/13
7/13
7/7
7/14
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/13
7/7
7/13
7/13
7/14
7/13

7/13
9/15
8/14
7/12

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Buckler/ Thread Buckler
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
1/0
2/0
2/0
2/1
3/1
4/1
Deflect
1/0
Shatter
17
Padded Leather Armor/ Thread Padded Leather Armor

F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
4/0
5/0
6/0
6/1
7/1
7/2
F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

102

F1F3: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger/Spear 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
Thread Amulet
Social Defense/Spell Defense

Notes: As an elf, the adept possesses the Low-Light Vision racial ability.

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
13
14
15
16
17
F1
10
F1
F2
F3
12
13
14

9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2
1/0
1/1

Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Carving Tools, Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Travelers
Garb

* The adept knows the Wound Balance talent at Third Circle

Weapons:
2nd
Broadsword/Thread Broadsword
Damage
12
2 Daggers
Damage
9
2 Spears
Damage
11

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Strength-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Battle Rites
Sixth Circle: Karma on Dexterity-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on close combat Damage Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Physical Defense
Ninth Circle: Battlefield Awareness; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: Karma on Willpower-only Tests; +1 Physical Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Social and Spell Defense

Attributes:

DEX (11): 5
PER (15): 6

STR (16): 7
WIL (16): 7

TOU (16): 7
CHA (11): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:

2nd
5
7
9
7
5
2
45
37
11
3
7*
7

3rd
5
7
9
7
7
2
57
47

5th
5
7
9
7
8
2
69
57

7th
5
7
9
7
8
4
81
67

9th
5
7
10
8
10
4
93
77

11th
6
9
11
9
11
5
105
87

Karma Points:

6/6

9/9

15/15 21/21 27/27 33/33

Talents:
EvaluateD
Forge WeaponD
HaggleD
Karma RitualD
Steel ThoughtD
Melee Weapons
Item HistoryD
Durability [6/5]
Abate CurseD
Parry
Thread WeavingD
Wound Balance
Temper SelfD
Resist Taunt
Lion HeartD
Temper Other
Spot Armor FlawD
Fire Heal
Forge ArmorD
Read/Write Magic
Infuse WeaponD
Spellcasting
Weapon WardD
Spell Matrix
Infuse ArmorD
Show Armor Flaw

2nd
2/8
3/9
3/8
2/2
2/9
2/7
2/8
1/1

3rd
3/9
4/10
4/9
3/3
3/10
3/8
3/9
3/3
3/10
3/8

5th
5/11
6/12
6/11
5/5
5/12
5/10
5/11
5/5
5/12
5/10
5/11
5/12
5/12
5/12

7th
7/13
8/14
8/13
7/7
7/14
7/12
7/13
7/7
7/14
7/12
7/13
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/13
7/14

9th
9/15
10/16
10/15
9/9
9/16
9/14
9/15
9/9
9/16
9/14
9/15
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/15
9/16
9/15
9/15
9/15
9/15

11th
11/17
12/18
12/17
11/11
11/18
11/16
11/17
11/11
11/18
11/16
11/17
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/17
11/18
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/17
11/18
11/11
11/17
11/17

Skills:
Ancient WeaponsK
Avoid Blow
Bribery
Read/Write Language
Research
Speak Language
Streetwise
Throal HistoryK
Throwing Weapons
Weapon Rune CarvingA

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
3/9 4/10 5/11 6/12
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10
1/7(Dwarf /Throalic)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
2/8(Dwarf /Throalic, Troll)
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
2/8
3/9 4/10 5/11
3/8
4/9 5/10 6/11
3/8
4/9 5/10 6/11

9th
7/13
6/11
6/11

11th
8/14
7/12
7/12

6/12

7/13

6/12
6/12
7/12
7/12

7/13
7/13
8/13
8/13

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F4 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
17
17
18
19
20

F3, F4: The Forge Weapon talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Spear 1020 yards/510 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
Thread Amulet
Social Defense/Physical Defense

9th 11th
Rank 1 Rank 2
1/0
1/1

Elementalism Spells: Elementalism spells of gamemasters choice at Eleventh Circle

Notes: As a troll, the adept possesses the Heat Sight racial ability.

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

2nd
F3
16
F3
14

Equipment: Adventurers Kit w/Tent, Carving Tools, Forge Tools, Grimoire

(Eleventh Circle), Trail Rations (1 weeks worth), Travelers Garb

* The adept knows the Wound Balance talent at Fifth Circle

Weapons:
Troll Sword
Damage
2 Spears
Damage

G a m e m e a s t e r C h a r a ct e r s

TrollWeaponsmith

Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Willpower-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Traveling Smithy
Sixth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on weapon Damage Tests made by the adept
Eighth Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Ninth Circle: Elementalism; Karma on Recovery Tests
Tenth Circle: Karma on Strength-only Tests; +1 Spell Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Initiative step; +1 Physical and Social Defense

Armor:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Buckler/ Thread Buckler
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
1/0
2/0
2/0
2/1
3/1
4/1
Deflect
1/0
Shatter
17
Padded Leather Armor/ Thread Padded Leather Armor

F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Phys/Myst
4/0
5/0
6/0
6/1
7/1
7/2
F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

C H A P T E R 8 | Gamema ste r C harac te rs

103

HumanWizard
Attributes:

DEX (11): 5
PER (16): 7

STR (10): 5
WIL (16): 7

TOU (14): 6
CHA (11): 5

Characteristics:
Initiative:
Physical Defense:
Spell Defense:
Social Defense:
Physical Armor:
Mystic Armor:
Death:
Unconsciousness:
Wound Threshold:
Recovery Tests:
Knockdown:
Movement:
Karma Points:

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
5
7
7
7
7
8
9
10
10
10
10
11
12
7
7
7
7
7
9
3
4
5
5
6
6
2
2
2
3
3
4
40
48
56
64
72
80
31
37
43
49
55
61
10
3
5
6
10/10 15/15 25/25 35/35 45/45 55/55

Talents:
Astral SightD
Karma RitualD
Read/Write MagicD
SpellcastingD
Spell MatrixD
Thread WeavingD
Spell Matrix
Read/Write LanguageD
Durability [4/3]
Book MemoryD
Spell Matrix
ResearchD
Evidence Analysis
Steel ThoughtD
Enhanced Matrix
Book RecallD
Willforce
Resist TauntD
Enhanced Matrix
Hold ThreadD
Orbiting Spy
Range PatternD
Armored Matrix
True SightD
Matrix Strike
Casting PatternD
Armored Matrix

2nd
2/9
2/2
2/9
3/10
2/2
2/9
2/2
2/9
1/1

9th
9/16
9/9
9/16
10/17
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/9
9/16
9/16
9/16
9/9

11th
11/18
11/11
11/18
12/19
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/18
11/11
11/11
11/18
11/18
11/11

Skills:
Creature Analysis
Creature LoreK
Magical LoreK
Magical TheoryK
Melee Weapons
Missile Weapons
Physician
Read/Write Language
Robe EmbroideryA
Speak Language
Throwing Weapons

2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
3/8
4/9 5/10 6/11 7/12
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/9 3/10 4/11 5/12 6/13
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11
2/9(Dwarf /Throalic, Human)
2/7
3/8
4/9
5/10 6/11

11th
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/14
8/13
7/12
7/14

Loot:
Silver pieces

2nd
30

3rd
40

5th
90

7th
230

9th
570

11th
1460

Legend Award:

2nd

3rd

5th

7th

9th

11th

2nd

3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
F1 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
4/0
5/0
5/1
6/1
6/2

3rd
3/10
3/3
3/10
4/11
3/3
3/10
3/3
3/10
3/3
3/10
3/3

5th
5/12
5/5
5/12
6/13
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/5
5/12
5/12
5/12
5/5

7th
7/14
7/7
7/14
8/15
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/7
7/14
7/14
7/14
7/7

Discipline talent (the adept may spend karma on this talent)

Italicized talents require Karma (Except when also a Discipline talent)

A Artisan skill; KKnowledge skill

Armor:

Leather Armor / Thread Leather Armor

Phys/Myst

3/0

7/12
7/12

F1: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given

Weapons:
2nd
Quarterstaff
Damage
9
2 Daggers
Damage
7

104

3rd
F1
10
F1
8

5th
F2
11

7th
F3
12

C H A P T E R 8 | Game ma ste r C harac te rs

9th
F4
13

11th
F5
14

Weapons:
2nd
Sling
Damage
7
Belt Pouch (w/ 15 sling stones)

3rd
F1
8

5th
F2
9

7th

9th

11th

F1F5: The Forge Armor talent has been used on this item to provide the bonus given
Weapon Ranges: Dagger 1020 yards/510 hexes ; Sling 2040 yards/1020 hexes

Thread Items:
2nd
3rd
5th
7th
9th 11th
Thread Wand
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Spellcasting Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
+2
Effect Test bonus
+1
+1
+2
Thread Cloak
Rank 1 Rank 2
Physical Defense/Social Defense
1/0
1/1
Thread Healing Vial
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4
Recovery Test bonus
+4
+8
+10 +10
Heal Wounds
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Number of uses/day
1
1
1
2
Wizardry Spells: Astral Sense, Crushing Will, Dispel Magic, Divine Aura, Ignite, Iron
Hand, Mind Dagger + spells of the gamemasters choice.
Equipment: Adventurers Kit, Booster Potion, Embroidered Robe, Embroidery Tools,
Grimoire, Healing Kit (3 uses), Physician Kit (3 uses), Trail Rations (1 weeks worth),
Wealthy Travelers Garb, Writing Kit
Notes: As a human, the adept possesses the Versatility racial ability.
Discipline Abilities:
Second Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Fourth Circle: Karma on Perception-only Tests
Fifth Circle: Book Mage
Sixth Circle: Karma on Willpower-only Tests
Seventh Circle: Karma on spell Effect Tests
Eighth Circle: +1 Spell Defense
Ninth Circle: Karma on Recovery Tests; Matrix Split
Tenth Circle: Karma on Charisma-only Tests; +1 Spell Defense
Eleventh Circle: +1 Physical and Social Defense

Chapter Nine

CreatingCreatures
The Scourge created far too many new
variations of creatures for my tastes. It seems
like a new one is discovered every week.
Vasdenjas

he Creatures chapter of the Gamemasters Guide provides many creatures that may appear in any Earthdawn
campaign or adventure. Eventually, however, player
characters may become familiar with these creatures powers and
abilities, and will no longer be surprised by their sudden appearances or overwhelmed by their attacks. This section provides
guidelines to help gamemasters create their own creatures.
Designing a new creature follows a series of eight steps:
Determine Attributes
Determine Characteristics
Determine Creature Traits
Determine Attack Step
Determine Karma
Determine Powers and Spells
Determine Legend Award
Write Commentary

DetermineAttributes

ttributes are generally measured in steps rather than

values, although Attribute values can be used to finetune a creatures characteristics (see below). There is
no hard and fast way to determine the average Attribute steps for
a new creaturealmost any combination is possible.
The following text serves as a guideline; use the existing creatures as examples.
Dexterity: The smaller the creature, the more nimble it is (a mouse
can react much more quickly than an elephant). Dexterity also influences the base step number for a creatures physical attacks.
Strength: Strength influences the base step number for the physical damage a creature inflicts. The larger the creature, the stronger it
will usually be. Because Strength determines how much a creature
can lift and carry, this becomes a particularly important Attribute
for animals that could be used as pack animals.
Toughness: Toughness determines how much damage a creature can take before it falls unconscious or dies. This step number
also determines how fast a creature heals.
Perception: Perception relates to a creatures innate intelligence. This value does not reflect its sentience or lack thereof,
but simply means that it is well-adapted and highly effective at
identifying food or enemies. A creature with high Perception
also uses any innate magical abilities effectively.
Willpower: Do not confuse Willpower with Toughness. A
very tough creature with a low Willpower step may wilt at the
first sign of danger, but take a very long time to die (whimpering
and crying all the while). A creature with high Willpower appears
fearless and is less likely to believe illusions.

Charisma: This Attribute determines how much of an impression the creature makes on others and how resistant it is against
taming and/or domination attempts.

Carsten prepares for his next session of Earthdawn and

wants to send his players into the depths of the Glenwood
Deep forests. Glenwood Deep is home to many windling clans,
but there are certain areas of the wood the windlings avoid.
One of the reasons for this, Carsten decides, is the presence
of a predator specialized to hunt windlings.
The creature Carsten has in mind is akin to the chameleon.
He imagines that the fly-catching ability of these animals
would also work for windlingsso all he needs is a very large
version of a chameleon; human-sized will probably do. He
intends to use such a creature to challenge the windling player
character in his group, who is currently at Second Circle.
With that in mind, the first step in creature design requires
Carsten to assign Attribute steps. The creature needs to be fast
and strong enough to catch a windling, so he assigns both Dexterity and Strength a step of 8. Perception is also important,
since windlings tend to be difficult to detect, so he assigns this
Attribute a step of 7. Toughness, Willpower, and Charisma are
less important, so he assigns each of them a step of 4.

DetermineCharacteristics

reature characteristics function exactly like player character characteristics, except where noted otherwise.
Use the Characteristics Table (Players Guide, p.28)
to determine the exact characteristics of a creature. The exact
Attribute values are determined by the gamemaster and can be
used to fine-tune the relevant characteristics.

Starting with Dexterity, Carsten looks up the average Attribute values on the Characteristics table. Step 8 has a value
range of 1921, so he decides to use the average value of 20.
The creatures Physical Defense will be 10. Since the animal
is not a beast of burden, Carsten ignores the Encumbrance
entries. With a Perception step of 7, the creatures Spell Defense
will be 9 or 10, depending on the value Carsten chooses. He
decides to stay with the average, so the creatures Spell Defense
will be 9. He looks up the creatures Social Defense, which will
C H A P T E R 9 | Creating Creature s

105

be 5 (for a Charisma attribute of 7) and also its Mystic Armor

(which is 0 for a Willpower step of 4). Finally, Carsten looks up
the creatures Health Ratings for a Toughness value of 9: Death
Rating 30, Wound Threshold 7, and an Unconsciousness Rating
of 21. The chameleon will have 2 Recovery Tests per day.

MovementRate

A creatures Movement Rate is based on its physical makeup. Use

the Namegiver Races as a guideline and for comparison for bipedal
creatures. For example, a humanoid creature will have a Movement
rate of 6, and a windling-sized creature a Movement Rate of 3. Use
these as a base and adjust them by +/1 if necessary. The Movement
rate is further modified by some of the Creature Traits below.

Carstens chameleon has a base Movement Rate of 8 for a

quadruped. Carsten decides to subtract 4 from the Movement
Rate since his chameleon is a small animal that hunts Windlings
for a Movement Rate of 4, much closer to a Windlings ground
Movement Rate of 3.

DetermineCreatureTraits

creatures Characteristics do not solely depend on its

Attributes, but also its physical make-up. The Characteristics Table applies to creatures that have humanoid
bodies. If the creature differs from that, apply one or more of the
Traits listed below. There is no need to list these Traits with the
creatures game statistics; they just serve to help when creating one.
However, any assigned Traits might well influence the creatures
description (see Write Commentary, p.109).

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C H A P T E R 9 | Creating Creature s

Additional Arms: Increase the Number of Standard Actions the

creature can carry out each round by +1 per additional pair of arms.
Additional Legs: Increase the creatures Knockdown step by at
least +1 step per additional pair of legs. Use a base Movement Rate
of 8 for quadrupeds, and 9 for creatures with six or more legs.
Additional Sense: The creature has additional senses, such as
Low-Light Vision, Heat Sight, enhanced hearing, or Astral Sight.
There are no bonuses involved, but it is assumed that this sense is
reflected by the creatures Perception step.
Ethereal: The creature has an incorporeal form, much like that of
a spirit. Increase the creatures Physical Defense by +5 or more.
Fast: The creature can move faster than usual. Add +1 to its
Movement Rate (or even more).
Flight: The creature is able to fly or glide through the air. Add
+2 to its Movement Rate (or even more) as a separate Flying Movement characteristic.
Gaseous: The creature has a gaseous form, and appears as a
cloud of mist or smoke. Increase the creatures Physical Defense
by +3 or more.
Immunity: The creature is immune to a certain form of attack,
such as non-magical melee weapons or fire damage. This immunity needs to be listed in the rules section following the creatures
commentary.
Increased Karma Pool: The creature has more Karma Points
than usual (see Determine Karma, p.415). Increase the creatures
Karma Points in multiples of +5, to a maximum of two times the
original value.
Increased Knockdown Step: The creature has a higher Knockdown step than normal, because its heavier than usual for creatures
of its size or because of its physical make-up. Add +1 step or more
to the creatures Knockdown step.
Karma: The creature is able to use Karma and has a Karma step (see
Determine Karma, below) and a number of Karma Points available to
it. Unless the description states otherwise, creatures regenerate used
Karma Points at the rate of Karma Step points per day.
Large: Any creature larger than 13 feet tall or wide, or weighing 1,000 pounds or greater, subtracts 2 or more from its Physical
Defense.
Magical Immunity: The creature has a strong magical defense. Add
+1 or more to the creatures Spell Defense and Mystic Armor.
Multiple Actions: Most creatures can perform just one
Standard Action per round (EPC, p.415). Creatures with
this trait are able to make more Standard Actions during a
combat round (in addition to Additional Arms, above).
As a general guideline, use the following formula: divide
the creatures Dexterity step by 5 and use the result as
the number of Standard Actions (round fractions to
the nearest value, with a minimum of 1 action). If the
creature has powers, use the higher of its Dexterity
or Perception steps.
Natural Weapon: A creatures natural weapons
increase the physical damage it can inflict on its victims. Natural weapons can be claws, sharp teeth,
beaks, horns, antlers, or stingers. The Damage step
of the weapon is based on its Size. Use the Melee
Weapons table in Players Guide, p.251, as a guide.
Natural Armor: A creatures natural armor determines its Physical Armor. Use the Armor Table in
the Players Guide, p.256, as a guide. Initiative step
penalties may be applied as appropriate.
Quick: The creature is unnaturally fast in combat.
Add +1 step or more to the creatures Initiative step.
Reduced Karma Pool: If the creature has Karma, it
possesses fewer Karma Points than normal (see Determine Karma, below). Reduce its Karma Points in
multiples of five, to a minimum of 5 points.

The chameleons Carsten remembers move slowly and appear

to be lazyuntil they strike at their airborne targets with a
sudden move. He applies the Slow Trait to his creature, which
suffers a 1 step penalty to Initiative, and decides to reduce
its Movement Rate by 2, which would give the chameleon a
Movement Rate of 2. Additionally, Carsten decides that his
creatures only natural weapon will be its bite, which it needs
to chew on windlings. He imagines that the damage caused by
these jaws would be equivalent to that inflicted by a short sword,
so he opts for a Damage step of 4 (plus its Strength step).

DetermineAttackStep

creatures Attack step is measured in ranks, which are

added to the creatures Dexterity step. If the creature
has more than one attack form, it may develop different ranks for each. As a rule of thumb, most creatures have 1 to 3
ranks in this ability.

The chameleon will use two attack forms, but both will be
handled with the same step number. The chameleons primary
weapon is its mouth, consisting of a sticky tongue (for grappling
a target) and a nasty bite. Carsten figures that the creature will
do fine with an Attack step of 10, which also seems to be a good
challenge for the windling player in his group. Thus, he assigns
+2 extra ranks to the creatures basic Attack step of 8.

DetermineKarma

s opposed to mundane creatures, magical creatures can

have Karma. Spirits, dragons, and Horrors are always
magical creatures. As with Namegivers, a small number
of mundane creatures are also able to develop magical powers and
the ability to use Karma. The higher the Karma step, the more powerful the creature is. Creatures usually recover a number of Karma
points per day equal to their Karma step.

The creature Carsten has in mind wont have a Karma

stepin fact, he is not sure if the chameleon will be a magical creature at all.

DeterminePowersandSpells

s seen in the preceding chapters, each creature can be

assigned to one of four categories: creatures, spirits,
dragons, or Horrors. Each of these creature types has
its unique list of powers, which appear in the relevant chapters.
Use common sense when assigning new powers to a creature. For
example, horses certainly dont know how to handle melee weapons, but ogres might learn.
The step number of any power is usually determined by adding
the rank to the corresponding Attribute step. The maximum rank
a creature can have in any power or ability is Rank 10 for mundane
and Rank 15 for magical creatures.

C reati n g C reat u res

Reduced Knockdown Step: The creature has a lower Knockdown step than normal because it is lighter than usual for its size
or because of its physical make-up. Subtract 1 step or more from
the creatures Knockdown step.
Slow: The creature moves slower than usual. Subtract 1 step
or more from its Initiative step. Subtract 2 from its Movement
Rate (or even more). If the creature is unable to move (a plant, for
example) it has no Movement Rate, and is generally easier to attack
(3 or more to the creatures Physical Defense).
Small: Any creature smaller than two feet tall or wide, or weighing
twenty pounds or less, adds +2 or more to its Physical Defense.
Social Immunity: The creature is resistant to social attacks.
Add +1 or more to the creatures Social Defense.
Undead: The creature is undead and cannot be rendered unconscious. It therefore has no Unconsciousness Rating. Abilities that
cause Strain damage still do so. This damage can end up killing
the creature as it has no buffer to fall unconscious before it dies
(or rather dies again).
Vulnerability: The creature is susceptible to a certain substance
or a special form of attack, such as salt or fire-based damage. This
vulnerability needs to be listed in the rules section following the
creatures commentary, including any special rules that apply if
the creature is confronted with it.

Browsing through the Creature Powers section, Carsten

finds two powers that would fit the description of his creature: Surprise Attack and Camouflage. This combination
will allow the creature to hide in the deep forests and strike
suddenly at its victims. With that in mind, he decides that
nothing else is neededso there is no need to select and assign
spells. The only spell Carsten imagines would help is Earth
Blend, but that ability is already covered by the Camouflage
power. Carsten assigns +4 ranks each to the Surprise Attack
and Camouflage powers.

DetermineLegendAward

he final step in creating a new creature is to assign it a

Legend Award. To do this, use the Creature Scaling
Table. Use the highest Attribute step, Attack or Power
rank, Damage rank, and Defense or Armor value for each category.
It is okay for one category to be a little high if another is low. In
general, this is best applied to the creatures Attack and Damage.
For example, most First Circle creatures should have at maximum
an overall Attack step of 11 (Dexterity step 8 + 3 Attack ranks)
and a maximum overall Damage step of 13 (Strength step 8 + 5
Damage ranks). It is okay to have a creature with 4 Attack ranks
and a Dexterity step of 7 for a First Circle creature, provided that
the other categories match for a First Circle opponent. In general,
the Damage step should be lower to compensate.
The table provides for a large variation, but your average First Circle
creature would have Step 5 in most Attributes, an Attack rank of 2, a
Damage rank of 3, an Armor of 5, and a Death Rating of 32.

Carstens chameleons highest Attribute step is 8. It has

two powers with a Rank of 4. It has a Damage rank of 4.
It has a Physical Defense of 10. It has a Death rating of 30.
Carsten can reduce its power Ranks to 3 to make it a First
Circle creature, or increase its Death Rating by adding a
Rank of Durability giving it a 36 Death Rating to make
it a Second Circle creature. Carsten decides that it is okay
for it to have a low Death Rating since its main prey is
Windlings who also have low Toughness and decides it is
worth a Second Circle Legend Award.

C H A P T E R 9 | Creating Creature s

107

Creature ScalingTable
Circle

Attribute Step

Attack/Power Rank

Damage Rank

Defenses/Armor Rating

Death Rating

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th

28
310
411
512
614
715
816
917
1019
1120
1221
1322
1424
1525
16+

13
24
35
46
57
68
79
810
911
1012
1113
1214
1315
1416
15 +

15
26
37
48
59
610
711
812
913
1014
1115
1216
1317
1418
15 +

010
213
314
415
518
619
720
821
924
1025
1127
1228
1331
1432
15+

1946
3566
4574
5586
65105
75116
85127
95138
105157
115174
125186
135198
145227
155240
165+

Spells

If the creature has spells, compare them to the attack and power
ranks. If the highest Circle spell the creature can cast is higher than
the creatures best attack and power ranks, use it for the Attack/
Power Rank line instead.

Karma

If the creature has a Karma step higher than 4, the Legend Award
is increased by +1 Circle or decrease the number of creatures to
1 per 2 PC.

Carstens chameleon does not have Karma.

NumberofStandardActions

The creatures Number of Standard Actions is used to determine

how many characters are needed to defeat the monster. A creature
with one Standard Action will usually be a match for one character.
A creature with two Standard Actions is usually a match for two or
three characters designated as 1 per 2 PC. A creature with three
or more Standard Actions will usually require the entire group to
defeat it designated as Group.

Carsten decides that since his chameleon is lazy it only has one
standard action. It is a match for one Windling opponent.
In addition, certain powers allow for additional sources of damage
without a creature spending a Standard Action. Examples include
Aura powers such as Burning Aura and Freezing Aura that cause
damage to anyone near the creature, the Fire Trail power which
causes damage as part of the creatures movement, additional attack
causing powers such as Second Attack, or a Multiple attack power
such as Multi-Strike. This does not include conditional attacks
such as Air Dance, Swift Kick, or Momentum Attack, which may
or may not reliably work in any given combat round. The first step
is to decrease the number of creatures to 1 per 2 PC or Group. If the
creature further needs adjusting add +1 or +2 Circle to the Legend
Award. If the creature is at Fifteenth Circle (Group), increase the
Legend Award to Fifteenth Circle x2 (Group) instead of +1 Circle,
or Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group) instead of +2 Circle.

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C H A P T E R 9 | Creating Creature s

The blood monkey has three Standard Actions, and the

Reinforcement power. It has First-Second Circle statistics, a
maximum Dexterity step of 8, an Attack rank of 3, a Damage
rank of 5, a maximum Defense of 10, and a 42 Death Rating.
All of them are high for First Circle and on a creature with three
Standard Actions, so the gamemaster elects to use Second Circle
as the base. It is a Group opponent for having three Standard
Actions. It gains a +1 Circle to the Legend Award as an adjustment for the Reinforcements power. So it should be a Third
Circle (Group) encounter.

Adjusting Legend Award and Number of

Creatures

By adjusting the Legend Award down and decreasing the number

of creatures, a gamemaster can use a creature from a higher Circle.
For every -1 Circle, decrease the number of creatures from 1 per
character to 1 per 2 PC or 1 per 2 PC to Group.

Carstens group is Second Circle. However, if his group were

First Circle, Carsten could still use his chameleon by adjusting
the number of creatures to 1 per 2 characters and making the
Legend Award First Circle.
By adjusting the Legend Award up and increasing the number
of creatures, a gamemaster can use a creature from a lower Circle.
For every +1 Circle, increase the number of creatures from Group
to 1 per 2 PCs or from 1 per 2 PCs to 1 per character.
LegendAwardAdjustingPowers
+1 Circle or decrease number
of creatures to 1 per 2 PC
Burning Aura, Damage Shift,
Freezing Aura, Fire Trail,
Reinforcement,
Second Attack, Second Charge,
Second Shot, Second Weapon

+2 Circle or decrease
number of creatures to
Group
Frenzy, Lightning
Throw, Multi-Charge,
Multi-Shot, Multi-Strike,
Quickshot

C reati n g C reat u res

A behemoth is a Sixth Circle encounter at one per 2 characters.

By increasing the number of behemoths to one per character, the
gamemaster can make it a Seventh Circle encounter.
The blood monkey (see above) is a Third Circle (Group)
encounter so far. This makes little sense for a swarm enemy, so
the gamemaster adjusts the number of creatures to one per one
character by increasing the Legend Award by +2 to Fifth Circle.
Looking at the Death Rating it seems low for the Circle, however,
with Reinforcements, there will be two Blood Monkeys per character with an overall Death Rating of 42 x 2 = 84, average for
Fifth Circle. A tough Fourth Circle group could probably also
defeat them one to one, but it seems to be a good encounter for
an average Fifth Circle group at one to one. The gamemaster
thinks that keeping track of 10 creatures may be a bit too much
though and decides to make a swarm version. This way at most
he is keeping track of two swarms with a total of 6 attacks rather
than 10 creatures and 30 attacks.

Blood Monkey Swarm

A swarm of blood monkeys (Gamemasters Guide, p.157) for

an easier encounter to keep track of.
DEX: 8
STR: 5
TOU: 7
PER: 5
WIL: 4
CHA: 4
Initiative: 8 (11; Surprise Attack) Physical Defense: 10
Actions: 3
Spell Defense: 9
Attack (3): 11
Social Defense: 7
Damage:
Physical Armor: 0
One Target (9): 14; Two Targets Mystic Armor: 3
(6): 11; Three Targets (3): 8
Unconscious: 84
Recovery Tests: 3
Wound Threshold: Immune
Knockdown: Immune
Movement Rate: 6/7
Legend Award: Fifth Circle

The second value is the creatures climbing Movement rate

Powers: ClimbingS (3): 11, Enhanced Senses [Smell] (2): 7, Great

LeapS (3): 11, Surprise Attack (3)
Loot: Pelt worth 100 silver pieces each (worth Legend Points). May
find bits of treasure, items, weapons, and armor from the last
unfortunate adventurers who passed this way.

Rules

Extremely territorial, blood monkey swarms will attack everything from individuals to whole trade caravans. Typically, a swarm
of the strongest males in a blood monkey band will initiate an attack
by dropping from the treetops onto their targets, usually by surprise.
Blood monkey swarms can attack up to three times in a combat
round, clawing and biting.
Reinforcements: If the blood monkey swarms initial attack causes
damage to a victim, the monkeys give a screech that summons an
additional blood monkey swarm. These reinforcements arrive
within minutes. If the targets defend themselves successfully against
the initial attack, and actually manage to counterattack, the blood
monkey swarm will try to escape.
Swarm Attack: The blood monkey swarm takes up a hex 1 radius,
with a center origin hex and all surrounding hexes (for a total of
7 hexes covered). A blood monkey swarm can use one Standard
Action to make an attack. The attack is made against up to three
targets in the swarms area. The attack result is compared to all
targets. The damage step used is based on the number of targets
in the swarm area.

Unconsciousness: A blood monkey swarm reduced to its Unconsciousness Rating disperses.

Vulnerability: Blood monkey swarms take double damage after
subtracting armor from area of effect attacks that cover their entire
area. Unfortunately, they also usually affect any victims in the
swarm as well.

WriteCommentary

nce the gamemaster has determined the creatures game

statistics, he must write a commentary. The commentary should include the creatures physical description,
its common habitat and other, similar characteristics. The decisions made about the creatures Attributes and Traits should give
the gamemaster a fairly clear idea of what the creature looks like
and eats, where it hunts and lives, and so on. The gamemaster
should answer the following questions in order to help flesh out
the creature.
What does the creature look like? How does it mate? Is it a pack
animal? What does it eat? How well does it get along with other
creatures? What does it fear? When does it hunt and when does it
sleep? Can it be trained? Where can it normally be found? How
does it relate to the other creatures in its ecosystem?
This step also requires the gamemaster to decide what, if any,
equipment the creature may use. Most animals and non-sentient
creatures do not use equipment, but a race of subterranean creatures might use stone spears and knives.
Finally, decide if the creature collects loot. If the creature is sentient, it may be guarding a cache of money and weapons of previous
victims. If the creature is a popular target of adventuring groups,
its loot may consist of the belongings of many previous challengers. Many creatures with magical abilities hoard magical treasure
or have magical body parts, including horns, feathers, teeth, or
blood. Decide what type of treasure a creature possesses, and its
worth in silver pieces and Legend Points.

Rules

If applicable, add a rules section below the commentary. This section should describe how the creature behaves in combat and any
rules unique to the creature. Some creature powers need unique
treatment, mostly with regard to characteristics such as range
C H A P T E R 9 | Creating Creature s

109

(Breath Weapons) and effect (Poisons). Some creature traits also

need to be addressed in this section, for example, Immunity
and Vulnerability.

AdventureHook

To give gamemasters useful ideas on how to use the

creature in their campaigns, add an Adventure Hook
suggesting how to use the creature as a starting point
for an adventure.

SampleCreature

Here is the final version of the creature Carsten

came up with, along with rules and an adventure
hook:

Trap Lizard

The trap lizard is a creature native to the deep forests

of Glenwood Deep. Its slender, green body is almost as
heavy as that of a human, and it measures about twenty
feet from nose to tail. Trap lizards live in the high treetops of the forest, and tend to be well hidden from sight. The
windlings native to Glenwood Deep call the creature a trap
lizard, as it proves a real hazard to themwindlings are perfect
prey for these creatures; and there is more than a bit of truth to the
stories windlings tell their children at night. There are whole areas of
the forest regarded as off-limits by the windling tribes.

DEX: 8
STR: 8
TOU: 4
PER: 7
WIL: 4
CHA: 4
Initiative: 7 (11)
Physical Defense: 10
Actions: 1
Spell Defense: 9
Attack (2): 10
Social Defense: 5
Damage:
Physical Armor: 0
Bite (4): 12
Mystic Armor: 0
Death: 30
Recovery Tests: 2
Unconsciousness: 21
Knockdown: 9
Wound Threshold: 7
Movement: 2
Legend Award: Second Circle
Powers: Camouflage (4): 8, Surprise Attack (4)

Rules

The trap lizard uses its Camouflage power to stay hidden from
sight, waiting for prey. When a suitable victim comes within range,
the trap lizard uses its long, sticky tongue to grapple it (Players Guide,
p.230). The lizards tongue is as fast as lightning and builds up enough
momentum to pull a windling-sized victim towards its mouth in the
same action as it attacks. The trap lizards tongue has a range of 6
yards Fortunately, the lizard has no armor of any kindits primary
weakness.

Adventure Hook

In the month after the annual celebration days, the towns windlings
begin to disappear one after another. The town council hires the heroes
to find out whats going on.

110

C H A P T E R 9 | Creating Creature s

CustomizingCreatures

his section holds guidelines on how to adjust a creatures

game statistics to the needs of a gamemasters individual campaign. Adapting a creature follows a series of
four steps:
Modify Attributes
Determine Characteristics
Change Powers and Spells
Adjust Legend Award

ModifyAttributes

Attributes are measured in step numbers rather than values. When

modifying an existing creatures Attributes, increase or decrease
them by up to 2 steps (characteristics can be fine-tuned by adjusting the exact Attribute values).

Carsten is about to run another Earthdawn session, where

he plans pitting his player characters against King Nedens
personal guard. He imagines that the kings men ride catlike huttawasthe favored mounts for dwarf cavalrymen.
However, since they form an elite corps, the huttawas ridden
should be stronger than average, especially bred for this military unit. Looking over the creatures attributes, Carsten
decides to keep everything as is, except for Dexterity and
Strength. He raises the creatures Dexterity step from 5 to 7
and Strength step from 8 to 9 to reflect the advanced training these beasts have in combat.

If a creatures Attribute steps have been altered, the corresponding characteristics also need to be adjusted.

The change of Dexterity is the only one that needs to be taken

care of for Carstens elite huttawa. Assuming that the creatures Attribute values are set at the upper end, the huttawas
new Physical Defense is 10. The creatures Initiative step also
increases by +2. Carsten decides to add the Fast Trait, increasing its Movement Rate by +1 to 9. All other characteristics
remain the same.

ChangePowersandSpells

By increasing or decreasing the assigned rank of a power, the

gamemaster is able to scale the creature to his needs. This includes
the creatures Attack step(s). At the gamemasters discretion, new
powers may be assigned or existing powers removed. However,
there should be a good reason why a creature develops a new power
or learns ranks in a new ability. This is usually achieved by training
or the unusual requirements of a creatures habitat.

Since Carsten is dealing with elite huttawas trained for

combat, he raises the creatures attack rank from 2 to 5, for
a final Attack step of 12. The remaining powers also receive
additional ranks; Carsten increases all of them from Rank 1
to Rank 3, and adds the Durability power at Rank 3.

Spells

Generally speaking, the spells known to a creature are all it can

ever learn. Only more intelligent entities (such as Horrors, Spirits,
and Dragons) can learn new spells and make use of more refined
forms of spell magic (matrix casting, for example) in addition to
their natural abilities.

Creatures and Legend Award

Creatures can also earn Legend Points, although there is usually no requirement to keep track of them. Creatures can spend
Legend Points to increase ranks in their abilities as normal (Players Guide p.236). Magical abilities cost the same as Fifth Circle
talents; mundane abilities (including Attack and Spellcasting steps)
cost the same as skills. While the Legend Points cost appears to
be identical, note that the maximum rank a creature can have
in any power or ability is Rank 10 for mundane and Rank 15 for
magical creatures.

C reati n g C reat u res

DetermineCharacteristics

AdjustLegendAward

The last step of customization involves adjusting the Legend Award.

Use the creatures base Legend Award as the starting point. Look
at the areas that have been improved to determine if the Legend
Award needs to be adjusted.

Carsten has improved the huttawas Dexterity step to 7, its

Strength step to 9, its Attack Rank to 5, its Power Ranks to 3,
its Physical Defense to 10, and added Durability at Rank 3,
improving its Death Rating to 61. It has an Attribute step at
Second Circle, an Attack Rank at Third Circle (But the total
Attack step of 12 is about Second Circle), and a Death Rating
at the high end of Second Circle. Since four categories have
improved, Carsten decides it is at least a Second Circle creature now. Since his group is Second Circle, he decides Second
Circle Cavalrymen will ride the elite huttawas for a Second
Circle encounter. If his group was Third Circle, Carsten could
use the elite huttawas and Third Circle Cavalrymen for a Third
Circle encounter, as the elite huttawas are close to a Third Circle
creature with their high Attack rank and Death Rating.

Elite Huttawa

These huttawas are trained for combat and used only by the personal
guard of King Neden of Throal.
DEX: 7
STR: 9
TOU: 8
PER: 5
WIL: 4
CHA: 5
Initiative: 8
Physical Defense: 10
Actions: 1
Spell Defense: 6
Attack (5): 12
Social Defense: 7
Damage:
Physical Armor: 2
Beak(4): 13
Mystic Armor: 0
Death: 61
Recovery Tests: 3
Unconsciousness: 50
Knockdown: 10
Wound Threshold: 12
Movement: 9
Legend Award: Second Circle
Powers: ClimbingS (3): 9, Durability (3), Enhanced
Senses [Sight] (2): 7, Great LeapS (3): 9, Sprint (3)

Rules

Though not overly bright, huttawa are easy to train. To

account for this, any characters using their talents and abilities to
tame or command a huttawa must achieve a result one level lower
than normal to be successful. For example, the Animal Training
talent normally requires an Average result to work against a target
creature. Using Animal Training against a huttawa, however, only
requires a Poor result.

C H A P T E R 9 | Creating Creature s

111

Chapter Ten

Creatures
The jungle crawled with horrific creatures, both of
this world and others
Ardiss Foarr, Wizard, to a gathering
of the village of Tardim

The Earthdawn world is home to a wide variety of unique

plant and animal species. This section describes the more dangerous creatures encountered in the wilderness of Barsaive, and
includes game statistics and other information for these different species.

Creature Descriptions
For explanations of the statistics used in this chapter, see p.145
of the Gamemasters Guide.

CaveCrab

The cave crab lives in the Delaris Mountains, which ring the
southern region of the terrible and corrupted Wastes. Unlike its
ocean-born brethren, the cave crab possesses four legs and two
pincers instead of six legs and pincers. A thick armored shell
encases its entire boneless body, including its unnaturally slim
legs. The shell is as strong as iron and as light as woodalmost
impossible to pierce.
The crabs horrible pincers, each more than 4 feet long, are
strong and sharp enough to slice a thick tree trunk or any nearby
obsidiman neatly in half. The underside of each claw is sharp also,
enabling the crab to slash at its opponent or close its great pincers
on a convenient limb. The crab lives in the many caves throughout the Delaris peaks, where it can hide in the cool shade during
the day. It leaves the cave at night to huntthese creatures eat
everything from tree branches to horses to people.
Dragons find the cave crab absolutely delicious. Any dragon
who has tasted the flesh of a cave crab at least once will usually
risk anything to eat any other cave crab it encounters.
DEX: 10
STR: 16
TOU: 12
PER: 4
WIL: 6
CHA: 5
Initiative: 9
Physical Defense: 13
Actions: 2
Spell Defense: 6
Attack (2): 12
Social Defense: 7
Damage:
Physical Armor: 10
Bite (1): 17; Claws (6): 22 (see text)
Mystic Armor: 2
Death: 101
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 87
Knockdown: 17
Wound Threshold: 17
Movement: 7
Legend Award: Sixth Circle (1 per 2 PC)
Powers: Durability (7)
Loot: Intact shell, for which armorers will pay up to 300 silver
pieces (worth Legend Points). Large pieces of shell may fetch lower
prices, at the gamemasters discretion.

112

C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

Rules

The cave crab is a killing machine. In close combat, it can slash

at an opponent with the sharp bottom half of its huge pincers;
alternatively, it can close its pincers and sever limbs (Gamemasters Guide, p.148). The cave crab also possesses huge jaws, which
it uses to bite its opponent if its pincer attack fails.
Hardened Armor: The shell of a cave crab is extremely tough.
Armor-Defeating Hits require one result level greater than normal
(usually an Extraordinary result) to penetrate the crabs shell.

Chimera

Chimeras are very unintelligent creatures, which is fortunate, because otherwise they could probably lay waste to most
of Barsaive unopposed. Chimeras are powerful enough to pose
some slight danger to dragons, but are far more threatening to
the Namegiver races.
Many different kinds of chimeras exist, though all share certain
similar features. They are large creatures, often standing taller
than eight feet at the shoulder. They all possess a lions body and
head, and two extra heads that sprout from the base of the neck.
Finally, every chimera has leathery, bat-like wings that enable
them to fly. Where chimeras differ is in the two extra heads. The
most common chimera has a serpent and a goat head to either
side of its lion head, but there are far stranger assortments: a
lion, a frog, and a goat; a lion, a rat, and a hound; and so on. The
chimeras extra heads determine its powers, though not every
chimera with the same three heads has exactly the same abilities.
Chimeras are known to breathe fire, sense astral creatures, and

DEX: 10
STR: 12
PER: 4
WIL: 9
Initiative: 10
Actions: 2
Attack (2): 12
Damage:
2Claws (3): 15; Lion Bite (5): 17
Death: 100
Unconsciousness: 86
Wound Threshold: 17
*

TOU: 11
CHA: 7
Physical Defense: 13
Spell Defense: 10
Social Defense: 11
Physical Armor: 6
Mystic Armor: 8
Recovery Tests: 5
Knockdown: 13
Movement: 9*

This value is also the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Fourth Circle (1 per 2 PC)

Powers: Battle ShoutS [Roar] (3): 10, Durability (7), Head-specific
Powers (see Chimera Head Table), Low-Light Vision,
Spellcasting (5): 9

Rules

In combat, the chimera attempts to bite its opponent and/or slash at

him with its claws. Against foes smaller than itself, the chimera bites
its victim firmly in the throat and then shakes it back and forth, hoping
to break its neck with a Bite and Shake attack (Gamemasters Guide,
p.147). With the exceptions of dwarfs and windlings, chimeras seldom
use this type of attack on Namegivers because the other races are too
tall for chimeras to reach their necks easily.
When the gamemaster creates a chimera, he must decide what
other heads to give it. Depending on how strong the gamemaster
wants to make the creature, he can give it almost any type of head.
The Chimera Head Table lists common chimera heads, along with
the abilities they confer on the chimera.
In addition to the basic game statistic above, a number of sample
chimeras are presented as follows.

Classic Chimera

A classic chimera features a goat and snake/serpent head in addition to the lions body.
DEX: 10
STR: 12
TOU: 11
PER: 4
WIL: 9
CHA: 7
Initiative: 10
Physical Defense: 13
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 10
Attack (4): 14
Social Defense: 11
Damage:
Physical Armor: 9
2Claws (3): 15; Goat Horns (2): 14; Mystic Armor: 8
Lion Bite (5): 17; Serpent Bite (1): 13

Death: 100
Unconsciousness: 86
Wound Threshold: 17
*

Recovery Tests: 5
Knockdown: 13
Movement: 9*

This value is also the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Fifth Circle (Group)

Powers: Battle ShoutS [Roar] (4): 11, Durability (7), Low-Light
Vision, Poison [SD 9; Damage 9], Spellcasting (5): 9

C reat u res

inspire mortal terror in those who see them, to name just a few of
this creatures powers.
Chimeras mate every three years. The male chimeras hunt various animals, attempting to find and slay the most powerful foes in
hopes of impressing the females. After each male has caught two
such creatures, he presents the carcasses to a female as a gift. She
examines them and chooses her mate based on who has brought her
the strongest beasts. The female and her chosen male each eat one
of the gifts as a precursor to mating. The litter of three to five infant
chimeras, born a year later, all have the middle lion head flanked by
the heads of the two creatures eaten by the parent chimeras.
Fortunately for those who must fight them, chimeras can be fooled
with simple tricks. They make particularly easy targets for Wizards,
who can control their tiny minds with little effort. Before the Scourge,
attempts were made to use chimeras to guard kaers. The creatures
didnt follow orders terribly well and proved almost impossible to
train. Despite this overwhelming disadvantage, many Wizards will
still pay amazingly high prices for newborn chimera cubs.
The following game statistics serve as a template for these creatures;
see below for examples of how to flesh out different chimeras.

Fire Chimera

A flame chimera featuring a hell hound and a fire-spewing dragon

head in addition to the lions body.

DEX: 10
STR: 12
TOU: 11
PER: 4
WIL: 9
CHA: 7
Initiative: 10
Physical Defense: 13
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 10
Attack (5): 15
Social Defense: 11
Damage:
Physical Armor: 21
2Claws (3): 15; Dragon Bite (6): 18; Mystic Armor: 8
Hell Hound Bite (5): 17; Lion Bite (5): 17
Death: 100
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 86
Knockdown: 13
Wound Threshold: 17
Movement: 9*
*

This value is also the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Seventh Circle (Group)

Powers: Astral SightT (7): 12, Battle ShoutS [Roar] (5): 12, Breath
Weapon [Fire] (3): 12, Durability (7), Fear (5): 12, Low-Light Vision,
Spellcasting (5): 9

Ice Chimera

An ice chimera featuring an ice flyer and a frost-breathing dragon

head in addition to the lions body.

DEX: 10
STR: 12
PER: 4
WIL: 9
Initiative: 10
Actions: 5
Attack (5): 15
Damage:
2Claws (3): 15; Dragon Bite (6): 18;
Ice Flyer Bite (5): 17; Lion Bite (5): 17
Death: 100
Unconsciousness: 86
Wound Threshold: 17

TOU: 11
CHA: 7
Physical Defense: 13
Spell Defense: 10
Social Defense: 11
Physical Armor: 21
Mystic Armor: 8
Recovery Tests: 5
Knockdown: 13
Movement: 9*

* This value is also the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Seventh Circle (Group)

Powers: Astral SightT (7): 12, Battle ShoutS [Roar] (5): 12, Breath
Weapon [Cold] (3): 12, Durability (7), Fear (5): 12, Ice Flyer
Shackles (4): 13, Low-Light Vision, Spellcasting (5): 9

10

Thunder Chimera

A thunder chimera features a lightning lizard and a lightninghurling dragon head in addition to the lions body.

DEX: 10
STR: 12
TOU: 11
PER: 4
WIL: 9
CHA: 7
Initiative: 10
Physical Defense: 13
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 10
Attack (5): 15
Social Defense: 11
Damage:
Physical Armor: 21
2Claws (3): 15; Dragon Bite (6): 18; Mystic Armor: 8
Lightning Lizard Bite (4): 16; Lion Bite (5): 17
C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

113

Death: 100
Unconsciousness: 86
Wound Threshold: 17
*

Recovery Tests: 5
Knockdown: 13
Movement: 9*

This value is also the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Seventh Circle (Group)

Powers: Astral SightT (7): 12, Battle ShoutS [Roar] (5): 12, Breath
Weapon [Thunder] (3): 12, Durability (7), Fear (5): 12, Lightning
[Twinbolts] (2): 11, Low-Light Vision, Spellcasting (5): 9

Adventure Hook

Five or more years ago, a famous band of adventurers discovered

a kaer thought to be destroyed during the Scourge. By magical
means, they informed King Varulus III of Throal of their discovery,
but they disappeared shortly afterward. Following up on matters
left unresolved since the death of his father, King Neden hires the
characters to discover the fate of the vanished adventurers and,
if possible, to rediscover and explore the kaer. Unknown to the
characters, the adventurers died fighting a chimera, who brought
them to a female as mating gifts. The resulting litter of five all have

two human heads and an assortment of powers appropriate to the

devoured adventurers. All five still live near the kaer, and one has
its nest inside the kaers entrance.

Humanoid Chimera

A chimera with two human heads from a human adept Elementalist

and Sky Raider. The human Elementalist head has frazzled,
unkempt, short hair and a sparse beard. The human Sky Raider
head has wild, long hair and a grizzly, full beard.
DEX: 10
STR: 12
PER: 7
WIL: 9
Initiative: 10
Actions: 4
Attack (5): 15
Damage:
2Claws (3): 15; Lion Bite (5): 17
Death: 100
Unconsciousness: 86
Wound Threshold: 17
*

TOU: 11
CHA: 7
Physical Defense: 13
Spell Defense: 13
Social Defense: 11
Physical Armor: 6
Mystic Armor: 8
Recovery Tests: 5
Knockdown: 13
Movement: 9*

This value is also the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Sixth Circle (Group)

Powers: Battle ShoutT (5): 12, Durability (7), FirebloodT (5): 16,
Fire HealT (5): 14, Low-Light Vision, Spellcasting (5): 12, Spell
Matrix (5), Thread Weaving (Elementalism)T (5): 12
Spells: Fireball (The Elementalist human head opens its mouth
agape and spits it out at the group)

CloudBird

Cloud birds were so named because their immense size allows

them to block the sun like a passing cloud. They are gray with white
underbellies, with a wingspan ranging from fifty to one hundred
feet. They nest in high mountain peaks all over Barsaive, so their
feathers are soft and fluffy, like a snowy owl. They feed primarily on
mountain sheep and goats, but can easily carry away a full grown
horse or baby thundra beast. Namegivers who do not bathe on a
regular basis are distasteful to the cloud bird and are taken only
when food is scarce, or when they have young who need small prey
brought to the nest to practice hunting. At such times, the parent
birds carefully keep Namegiver-sized prey alive, carrying them
gently in their great talons and depositing them in nests the size
of a small house that contain one to three baby birds.
The following game statistics represent both an adult and a baby
cloud bird.

Adult Cloud Bird

DEX: 10
PER: 10

Head
Crojen

114

Number
of Actions
+1

Dragon
Goat
Hell Hound
Ice Flyer

+2
+1
+1
+1

Lightning Lizard

+1

Serpent

+1

TOU: 20
CHA: 3

Chimera Head Table

Physical
Armor
Powers
0
Blood Frenzy (see Crojen, p.292). This adds +1 additional
Bite attack if it is triggered.
Bite: 18
+12
Astral Sight (7): 12, Breath Weapon (3): 12, Fear (5): 12
Horns: 14
+3
None
Bite: 17
+3
Fire Breath (1): 10
Bite: 17
+3
Ice Shackles (4): 13
Lightning (2): 11 (Twinbolts; see Lightning Lizard,
Bite: 16
+3
p.320)
Bite: 13
0
Poison (SD 9; Damage 9)

Attack Type
and Damage
Bite: 17

C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

STR: 20
WIL: 3

Physical Defense: 11
Spell Defense: 14
Social Defense: 9
Physical Armor: 5
Mystic Armor: 1
Recovery Tests: 9
Knockdown: 20
Movement: 4/10*

The second value is the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Fifth Circle (1 per 2 PC)

Powers: Durability (6), Enhanced Senses [Sight] (2): 12
Loot: Cloud bird pelts are valued in many cities and can be sold for
500 silver pieces (worth Legend Points)

Baby Cloud Bird

DEX: 5
STR: 10
TOU: 10
PER: 5
WIL: 2
CHA: 2
Initiative: 4
Physical Defense: 7
Actions: 1
Spell Defense: 8
Attack (3): 8
Social Defense: 8
Damage:
Physical Armor: 2
Bite (2): 12
Mystic Armor: 1
Death: 54
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 47
Knockdown: 10
Wound Threshold: 15
Movement: 3
Legend Award: Second Circle
Powers: Enhanced Senses [Sight] (2): 7
Loot: Baby cloud bird pelts are valued in many cities and can be sold
for 200 silver pieces (worth Legend Points)

can be managed only if caught as kittens and trained from their

earliest weeks. Catching a kitten is nearly impossible, unless the
guarding mother has been killed. There are rumors of mercenaries
who use trained feluxes for night work and ambushes. Once their
targets enter a certain area, they command the feluxes to use their
flickering eyelight. Anything within the light falls to the ground
in an uncontrollable fit.
The guards of Stoneforge Keep use feluxes as guard animals and
walk around the walls of the castle with them. On command, each
felux gazes out across the surrounding lands. Anything anywhere
near the Keep might as well try to hide in broad daylight; the felux
will certainly see it and flash its eyelight to incapacitate would-be
intruders. For an unknown reason, the feluxs eyelight terrifies the
Horrors, and some accounts tell of a few adventuring bands which
have used these creatures to explore forgotten kaers.

C reat u res

Initiative: 10
Actions: 2
Attack (4): 14
Damage:
Bite (5): 25; Claws (2): 22
Death: 127
Unconsciousness: 115
Wound Threshold: 25

DEX: 10
STR: 8
TOU: 9
PER: 6
WIL: 8
CHA: 5
Initiative: 10
Physical Defense: 13
Actions: 2
Spell Defense: 10
Attack (2): 12
Social Defense: 8
Damage:
Physical Armor: 4
Bite (10): 18; 2Claws (4): 12
Mystic Armor: 5
Death: 60
Recovery Tests: 4
Unconsciousness: 51
Knockdown: 9
Wound Threshold: 14
Movement: 8
Legend Award: Fourth Circle (1 per 2 PC)
Powers: Battle ShoutS [Roar] (2): 7, Blinding Glare (4): 10,
ClimbingS (3): 13, Durability (2), Flashing Glare (4): 10, Great
LeapS (3): 13, Low-Light Vision, Silent WalkS (2): 12
Loot: Two extremely delicate eyes, worth 300 silver pieces each
(worth Legend Points)

Rules

A felux typically attacks its victim with its Blinding Glare and
Flashing Glare powers before leaping on the targets back and
biting through his neck or laying open the targets back with its
wicked back claws.

Adventure Hook

Felux

The felux looks like a lion, but with eyes almost the size of a
humans hand. A night hunter, the felux uses its eyes to catch its
prey. The felux is one of the few cases in which a change induced by
magic helped a creature to survive instead of destroying it.
The felux stalks its prey in deadly silence, then throws a beam
of light brighter than a thousand moons from its eyes. The glare
blinds the unfortunate victim; the felux gives a quick flick of its
sharp claws and its erstwhile quarry becomes a tasty dinner. If necessary, the felux can also attack by causing its eyelight to flicker at
an amazing speed. Those who gaze at the flashing light fall to the
ground, racked with spasms, which do not cease until the eyelight
stops flickering. More than a few people find this method of crippling an enemy extremely useful, and several magicians have been
known to develop spells that duplicate this effect.
A felux can also be trained, though they do not feel the same loyalty or warmth toward their masters as a dog or a house cat. They

The characters are hired to guard a caravan en route from Bartertown to Haven, which lies within the ruins of Parlainth. The
caravaneers, fearful of meeting Horrors along the way, have
acquired a felux to serve as a guard animal in the hope that the
creatures eyelight will protect them. Not many days from Parlainth,
a Horror-marked questor of Jaspree halts the caravan and demands
that the caravaneers release the felux into the wild. The characters
attempt to drive off the questor, but he or she takes command of
the felux and orders it to attack.

10

FireWraith

Fire wraiths figure in most legends about Deaths Sea, where

they are said to lie in wait for over-confident adventurers. Similar in shape and size to demiwraiths, fire wraiths are composed
entirely of living flame and are found only near Deaths Sea. Their
ghostly movement and appearance create a haunting experience
for those confronted by fire wraiths. The most-repeated legend
says that these creatures represent the souls of the first to die when
Death was imprisoned.
DEX: 8
PER: 6

STR: 6
WIL: 9

TOU: 7
CHA: 5

C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

115

Initiative: 8
Actions: 2
Attack (2): 10
Damage:
Touch (3): 9
Death: 48
Unconsciousness: 39
Wound Threshold: 12
*

Physical Defense: 10
Spell Defense: 9 (see text)
Social Defense: 12
Physical Armor: 5
Mystic Armor: 5 (see text)
Recovery Tests: 3
Knockdown: 6
Movement: 8*

This value is the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Third Circle (1 per 2 PC)

Powers: Durability (1), Fire Touch (3): 12, Spellcasting (2): 8,
Thread Weaving [Elementalism]T (2): 8, WillforceT (3): 12
Spells: Boil Water, Drastic Temperature 12, Fireball 17, Flame
Flash 13, Ignite 4
Aside from casting spells, fire wraiths
attack with their flame-covered limbs,
using their Fire Touch power. Many
of the general characteristics of
the fire wraith are the same
as those of the demiwraith.
Because fire wraiths are not
true undead, increase their
Spell Defense and Mystic
Armor by +5 against spells
specif ically designed to
target undead beings.
Immunity to Fire: Fire
wraiths are immune to all
fire-based attacks, both magic
and mundane.
Vulnerability to Water:
Decrease the fire wraiths Spell
Defense and Mystic Armor by
+5 against water-based spells.

Gargoyle

Like obsidimen, gargoyles are creatures of elemental earth

and stone. However, these creatures are the results of a
magical experiment gone wrong long before the Scourge.
Their exact origins have been forgotten, but gargoyles
are found in many parts of Barsaive. Gargoyles stand
about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh an impressive 900
pounds. Their heads are elongated and distorted. Their
hands end in long claws that they use to rake opponents, often in fly-by attacks.
Though they gather in groups of six to ten gargoyles,
similar to lion prides, gargoyles are not social creatures. Individual gargoyles sometimes leave the
pride for months, wandering the skies alone or in
pairs. Because many of these wandering gargoyles are
staking a claim to new territory, they act more aggressively than full prides. Occasionally an entire pride of
gargoyles migrates, for unknown reasons.

116

STR: 18
WIL: 5

TOU: 12
CHA: 4
Physical Defense: 10
Spell Defense: 10
Social Defense: 11
Physical Armor: 15
Mystic Armor: 6

C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

Recovery Tests: 5
Knockdown: 18
Movement: 5/8*

The second value is the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Fifth Circle (1 per 2 PC)

Powers: Durability (1)
Loot: Horns worth 5D610 silver pieces (worth Legend Points)

Rules

Despite their nasty dispositions, gargoyles usually attack only

to defend their territory or to protect other elemental earth. Note
that magical talents and spells that affect entities work against
gargoyles.

Harbinger

Rules

DEX: 8
PER: 4
Initiative: 6
Actions: 2
Attack (3): 11
Damage:
2Claws (4): 22

Death: 65
Unconsciousness: 57
Wound Threshold: 20

A harbinger usually appears as a giant, ethereal, armored knight,

standing more than 10 feet tall and wielding a huge, two-handed
sword with deadly accuracy. Most who know of them believe that
the harbingers valiantly upheld a certain Passions beliefs in life
and have been rewarded after death with a chance to destroy their
beloved Passions enemies. Only those strong enough to defeat
a harbingerfew souls, indeeddare risk angering a Passion.
Because the Passions manifest their harbingers, each of these beings
possesses several magical powers that aid them in hunting down
evildoers. Each harbinger appears in the place where the atrocity
that roused the Passions anger occurred, so that local folk will see
that the Passion intends to avenge the evil. The harbinger tracks
the evildoer tirelessly, stopping only when it completes its task or
is destroyed (a highly unlikely occurrence). Upon discovering its
quarry, the harbinger announces itself and challenges the criminal to single combat with its magical sword.
Harbingers were far less of a peril before the Scourge, because
the Passions only used them to punish the most grievous crimes.

DEX: 15
STR: 20
TOU: 22
PER: 12
WIL: 15
CHA: 12
Initiative: 15
Physical Defense: 19
Actions: 3
Spell Defense: 15
Attack (3): 18
Social Defense: 15
Damage:
Physical Armor: 12*
Sword (8): 28
Mystic Armor: 10 (18)*
Death: 106
Recovery Tests: 11
Unconsciousness: 99
Knockdown: 20
Wound Threshold: 27
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Ninth Circle (Group)
Powers: Durability (1), Locate Target (6): 28**
Equipment: Plate Armor, Two-Handed Sword (magical; see text)
*
**

a pincer with which the hulker can grasp its meal. Though hulkers
will eat anything they can catch, they display a particular fondness
for Namegiver flesh. Hulkers will not attack Namegiver settlements,
however, unless driven to desperation by extreme hunger.
DEX: 8
STR: 15
TOU: 12
PER: 5
WIL: 5
CHA: 5
Initiative: 7
Physical Defense: 10
Actions: 2
Spell Defense: 9
Attack (4): 12
Social Defense: 11
Damage:
Physical Armor: 12
Claws (5): 20
Mystic Armor: 3
Death: 80
Recovery Tests: 6
Unconsciousness: 70
Knockdown: 15
Wound Threshold: 18
Movement: 5
Legend Award: Fifth Circle (1 per 2 PC)
Powers: Camouflage (5): 10, Durability (3), Regeneration (3): 15

C reat u res

When the Scourge drove three of the Passions mad, those Passions began to call down harbingers at will. It may be that their
madness makes them see almost any action that does not glorify
them as a grievous crime, and that belief is all they need. Of course,
begging for forgiveness and promising to atone for the mistake
might enable a harbingers target to survive. If this is done swiftly
and convincingly enough when the harbinger appears, it and its
creator may have mercy on the criminal. Harbingers can smell
lies. Unless the victim tells the truth, he will be killed. Also, if the
victim fails to atone for his wrongs, the Passions vengeance will
be swift and brutal indeed.

Immune to Armor-Defeating Hits (see text)

Includes the Passion-granted bonus for this power (see text)

Rules

Harbingers appear as members of every Namegiver race, depending on whom the given harbinger was in life.
Locate Target: Harbingers receive a Passion-granted +10 step
bonus to their Locate Target power to track those who have transgressed against their patron Passion. The range for using this power
is unlimited.
Magical Armor: A harbingers magical armor provides him with
excellent physical and magical protection. This armor cannot be
by passed with Armor-Defeating Hits. No living Namegiver may
use a harbingers magical armor.
Magical Sword: A harbingers mighty sword is also magical, and
as a Damage step 8 weapon, inflicts STR+8 damage against any foe.
No living Namegiver may use a harbingers magical sword.

Adventure Hook

As the characters are traveling through a city, an obviously terrified local asks for their protectionagainst what, he refuses to
say. Claiming to be rich, he offers to pay them handsomely for
their efforts, but tells them very little about himself. The characters
soon discover that their new employer is a questor of the Passion
Mynbruje who has angered her by calling upon her to punish his
enemies one too many times. The questor fears, with reason, that
Mynbruje will send one of her terrible harbingers against him.

10

Hulker

Hulkers are large, solitary predators that move slowly through the
darkest parts of the Blood Wood. Hulkers stalk the area surrounding the central areas of the forest, as well as parts of the Western
Border and Northern Reaches closest to the center of the forest.
Standing somewhat taller than a troll, they have thick, gnarled skin
that resembles tree bark. Their thick, powerful legs end in flat feet
that resemble roots. A hulkers head seems to be one with its torso,
and it attacks with two immensely strong arms that each end in a
single massive horned talon. When it must lift fallen prey, a second,
smaller talon springs out from the base of the larger one, forming
C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

117

Rules

What the hulker lacks in speed it often makes up for in guile,

using its magical ability to camouflage itself among the trees. Hulkers prefer to attack from camouflage because most prey can easily
outrun them. Additionally, the hulker can use its regenerative
powers to heal itself during combat. During each combat round,
a hulker may make a single Recovery Test, in place of one of its
attacks. A hulker may repeat this process every round until it has
no Recovery Tests remaining for the day.
Hardened Armor: The hulkers bark-like skin is so thick that
only an Extraordinary result on an Attack Test can pierce it.

Inshalata

The inshalata is a species of giant praying mantis, about seven

feet tall from tail to head, that hunts the Servos Jungle. The creature is an exceptionally gifted hunter and nearly always gets the
drop on its prey.
DEX: 9
STR: 9
TOU: 9
PER: 8
WIL: 4
CHA: 4
Initiative: 9 (13; Surprise Attack) Physical Defense: 11
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 11
Attack (4): 13
Social Defense: 5
Damage:
Physical Armor: 8
4Claws (4): 13
Mystic Armor: 1
Death: 47
Recovery Tests: 4
Unconsciousness: 40
Knockdown: 10
Wound Threshold: 13
Movement: 9*
*

This value is also the creatures climbing Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Third Circle (Group)

Powers: ClimbingS (4): 13, Enhanced Senses [Sight] (2): 10, Silent
WalkS (4): 13, Surprise Attack (4)
Loot: Claws and mandibles worth D610 silver pieces (worth
Legend Points)

Rules

When attacking a group of creatures, an inshalata directs its

attacks against a single victim. If it can defeat this target, it picks
up the body and attempts to carry it away to its lair, where it
consumes the meal at its leisure. Servos tribesmen make
weapons from the claws and mandibles of inshalata.

Kraken

This creature, described

(with intense hysteria) in
a few legends and histories,
is a myth. Many Namegivers have been deluded into
believing that kraken exist.
Astonishingly enough, the
legends that describe this
mythical beast are very detailed.
Some kraken legends spring from
an obvious sourcepeople have
seen large squid, a few of which
can grow to lengths of thirty feet
or more, and simply exaggerated
their size.
Twenty years or so ago, the captain and crew of the Denmana
sea-going galleyclaimed to have
seen a kraken rolling in the water not

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C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

very far away from them. They said it swam toward them and
tried to grab the ship with its ten long, ropy limbs, and only the
captains skilled piloting enabled them to escape being devoured
by the terrible creature. This story neglects to mention, however,
that the Denman was trying to plunder a Theran cargo ship carrying a powerful magician, which might have created the illusion
of a kraken to scare off the pirate vessel.
An account from the coastal town of Myrapor, dated some eight
centuries ago, speaks of a terrible battle between two kraken not far
from Myrapors harbor. Those who witnessed the battle through a
spyglass saw two huge, snakelike creatures writhing in the water,
wrapping their great tentacles around each other and inflicting
terrible wounds.
DEX: 14
STR: 20
PER: 7
WIL: 8
Initiative: 16
Actions: 5
Attack (6): 20
Damage:
Bite (10): 30; Tentacles (1): 21
Death: 222
Unconsciousness: 201
Wound Threshold: 32
*

TOU: 30
CHA: 8
Physical Defense: 16
Spell Defense: 16
Social Defense: 15
Physical Armor: 15
Mystic Armor: 10
Recovery Tests: 15
Knockdown: Immune
Movement: 9*

This value is the creatures swimming Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Thirteenth Circle (Group)

Powers: Durability (15), Poison [SD15; Death], SwimmingS(8): 28

Rules

Despite the lack of clear evidence, kraken do exist. These rare, colossal squid lurk at the bottom of the ocean waiting to prey on ships and
large sea creatures. When attacking its prey, a kraken grasps it and
holds tight with its huge, sucker-lined tentacles. In each combat round,
a kraken can attack with up to five of its tentacles. To grab a creature,
the kraken must make a successful Attack Test against the targets
Physical Defense; to grab a ship, the kraken must make a successful
Attack Test against the ships Maneuverability Rating (see the Airships and Riverboats chapter, p.146). Each grasping tentacle does
massive damage to the target, enough to completely destroy even the
strongest ship if the kraken successfully grabs with the maximum
five tentacles. Once the kraken grabs its victim, it can attack
with its massive beak. The beak is made of a strong,
bonelike substance and is the only hard
part of the entire creature.
Poison Cloud: The kraken
exudes a potent black venom,
which it uses as both a defense and
an attack. Any creatures or characters that inhale or are touched
by the cloud may be affected by
the poison. To squirt its venom, the
kraken must make a Strength Test.
The result determines the number of
yards affected by the poison, radiating
out from the creature.
Aquatic: Kraken require one result
level lower than normal when making
Swimming Tests (usually only needing
a Poor result).

Adventure Hook

A mercantile trading company that

recently lost three ships hires the characters to defend the merchant vessels
against the pirates they believe are

C reat u res

responsible. Unfortunately, the ships were destroyed and the

crew eaten by a kraken and the same fate awaits the fourth
ship unless the characters and crew together can defeat the terrible sea monster.

Krillra

The female krilworm, or krillra, shares certain features with the

male (see Krilworm, p.318), but in many ways looks quite different. The krilworm, at its largest, measures no longer than a
humans hand and foot placed end to end. The krillra, however,
often stretches fifteen or more feet. The krillra also has a single,
triple-faceted eye. The females mouth is proportionately smaller
than the krilworms, but on a fifteen-foot-long insect, even a small
mouth is large enough to tear off a human-or dwarf-sized limb in
one bite. Both the krillra and krilworm have black, bat-like wings,
though the krillras span twenty-five feet or better. Like the krilworms, the krillras tail is tipped with four squiggling tentacles.
The krillra also shares the krilworms preference for underground
holes and swampy ground.
Krillra spend their lives flying over land, rarely touching the
ground. They eat birds and other flying things, including an occasional airship crew. In complete and deadly silence, the krillra
approaches its prey from the direction of the sun so that its quarry
cannot see it until it is too late. Once in striking range, the krillra
snaps its tail forward and grabs its victim in its loathsome tentacles. Only the largest and strongest creatures can avoid being
crushed into a bloody pulp in the krillras cruel gripand if it
cannot kill by crushing, the krillra simply bites its victims head
in two. Having killed its meal, the krillra holds the corpse in one
or two tentacles and uses the remaining ones to tear off succulent
bits of mashed, dripping flesh.
To see krillras and krilworms mate is to witness a scene of
violence rarely seen in other of Natures creatures. Once a year,
krilworms gather together in enormous swarms and take flight
across the countryside, devouring anything that gets in their way.
They feed on as many creatures as possible in order to strengthen
themselves for their ordeal; the mating ritual will kill the swarms
weakest members. When a single female krillra drops down from
the sky, the krilworms swarm over her in a violent rush to impregnate her. Not only do the krilworms often kill each other in this
frenzy, but the krillra herself kills any krilworm she can reach
with her mouth and tentacles. Only the strongest and luckiest
krilworms will manage to climb past the krillras thrashing tail
and leave their seed within her.
Once all the krilworms have either mated or died, the krillra flies
to the nearest body of water and skims across its surface, depositing her eggs by the thousands. Three months later, the infant
krilworms hatch and immediately fly away in a frantic search for
food. Both the males and females of this species have a strange
affinity for Nethermancers.
DEX: 11
STR: 14
PER: 8
WIL: 8
Initiative: 12
Actions: 4
Attack (4): 15
Damage:
Bite: (3): 17; Tentacles (1): 15
Death: 71
Unconsciousness: 62
Wound Threshold: 17
*

TOU: 12
CHA: 7
Physical Defense: 12
Spell Defense: 10
Social Defense: 10
Physical Armor: 8; Tentacles: 6
Mystic Armor: 3
Recovery Tests: 5
Knockdown: Immune
Movement: 9*

This value is the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Fourth Circle (Group)

Powers: Durability (2), Low-Light Vision

Rules

Though krillra have plenty of sharp teeth, they never bite a target
until they first have it firmly grasped in their tentacles.
Affinity for Nethermancers: Krillra have a peculiar affinity for
Nethermancers, and Nethermancers in turn often harbor a soft
spot for these loathsome creatures. This unusual affinity allows
Nethermancers to add a +2 bonus to any Interaction Tests they
make against a krillras Social Defense.
Tentacles: When attacking a target, a krillra makes an Attack
Test for each of its four tentacles. If two or more of these tests are
successful, the krillra has a firm hold on its victim. During each subsequent combat round, the krillras grip does damage to the victim
automatically until he or she stops struggling. To break the grip of
a krillra, the hapless victim must make a successful Strength Test
against the creatures Strength step. (Prudent victims will consider
their altitude and come up with a method of slowing their descent
before trying to escape the krillras grasp.) Trapped characters may
also escape the grip of the krillra by hacking through its tentacles.
Each tentacle can take 17 points of damage and should be treated
as having Physical Armor of 6.

Adventure Hook

A scholar who believes that krillras are intelligent hires the characters to fly an airship into known krillra feeding grounds and
attempt to talk to the creatures. Unfortunately for the characters,
the scholar is wrong. The krillra are not intelligentsimply dangerous and very, very hungry.

10

MagmaBeast

Among the many hazards that face those who mine elemental fire
from the Deaths Sea is the magma beast, a truly fearsome predator that many folk believe is a Horror. Almost twice as tall as an
obsidiman, the magma beast is a dreadful combination of human
and reptile. Red-brown scales cover its body, and its toes and fingers end in wicked claws. Its head is covered in tentacles that writhe
and hiss like fiery, venomous snakes.
The magma beast lives in the runnels throughout the flowing lava
of the Deaths Sea, leaving the lava only to hunt. Their red color
makes magma beasts almost impossible to distinguish from the
C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

119

molten ocean, a camouflage that allows them to easily stalk their

favorite mealelemental fire miners. Once a magma beast spots
an airship heading toward a floating island, it summons several of
its fellows to gather around the island with only their heads showing above the surface. Then the whole pack of them waits, hidden
by the lava flow, until the miners shipmates lower them toward
the glowing surface on ropes specially made to be impervious to
fire. As soon as the miners have dropped low enough to gather the
fire, the magma beasts spring onto the island (to gain sure footing
for attack) and slay the luckless victims. Inevitably, some of the
crewmen lose their footing and plunge toward the island below,
where the waiting magma beasts gobble them up. This method of
hunting proves that magma beasts have an uncanny intelligence.
Most creatures would simply eat the prey already on the ground,
rather than employing any stratagem to get more.
There is a tale of a mining crew that managed to trick magma
beasts. Instead of lowering miners on fireproof ropes, they lowered
cloth dummies on ropes made of ordinary flax. When the magma
beasts tried to grab the ropes, they burned right through them and
the ship lifted off safely. In addition to fire miners, magma beasts
also eat salamanders, firebirds, lava fish, and other creatures who
live in or near the Deaths Sea. They enjoy company and often travel
in large groups. The magma beast possesses the curious ability to
make a volcano erupt at will.
DEX: 8
STR: 18
TOU: 11
PER: 5
WIL: 8
CHA: 4
Initiative: 7
Physical Defense: 9
Actions: 2
Spell Defense: 10
Attack (5): 13
Social Defense: 9
Damage:
Physical Armor: 6
Bite (2): 20; 2Claws (1): 19
Mystic Armor: 6
Death: 118
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 101
Knockdown: 18
Wound Threshold: 17
Movement: 5
Legend Award: Tenth Circle (Group)
Powers: Burning Aura (20): 20, Durability (10), Magma Spurt (2): 10
Loot: Elemental fire hoard worth 3,000 silver pieces, hidden in lava
tubes where magma beasts live (worth Legend Points); blood worth
a price of the gamemasters choice, highly prized by magicians for
creating fire-based magical items and spells (also worth Legend
Points).

Rules

One of the most terrifying opponents the characters can run

into in the Deaths Sea, magma beasts give off tremendous heat
with their Burning Aura power. In close combat, the magma beast
strikes at its opponent with its powerful claws, and can also deliver
a devastating bite.
Burning Aura: Unless somehow fireproofed, non-magical metal
and wooden weapons are useless against a magma beast; any blow
a character lands against the creature automatically destroys the
weapon. Metal swords and daggers simply melt, and wooden shafts
burst into flame.
Magma Spurt: Though magma beasts cannot actually cause
volcanoes to erupt, they can cause molten lava to spurt once per
day. To use this ability, the magma beast makes a Magma Spurt
Test against the targets Spell Defense, or against the vessels
Maneuverability Rating if used against a ship. If this test succeeds, the lava spurt hits the target, inflicting Step 50 damage
for 5 consecutive rounds. Physical Armor protects against this
damage. Any character or creature unlucky enough to survive
such a lava barrage will be hideously disfigured and most likely
lose a limb or two.

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C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

Adventure Hook

A scholar who believes that magma beasts are intelligent creatures decides to gather definitive information on magma-beast
society. She charters passage aboard a fire-mining airship and hires
the characters to protect her from the dangerous creatures of the
Deaths Sea (and from her rough-and-tumble crewmates).

Manticore

Long ago, before the Scourge, these terrible creatures were truly
noble beings, intelligent and honorable, able to discuss Art and
Nature and other such subjects with ease. As with so many living
things in Barsaive, however, the noble manticores were corrupted
by the Horrors almost beyond recognition. Those Horrors killed
most of the manticores, allowing only those driven mad by their
attacks to live. These poor, mad manticores bred and carried on
the species throughout the Scourge, passing on their madness to
their offspring. Why the Horrors devastated the manticores with
such particular ferocity is unknown.
The manticores of this time look the same as their ancestors did
they resemble huge lions with bat-like wings and humanlike faces.
Their tails end in spiked balls, which they use to dreadful effect in
combat. Most manticores nowadays are dull yellow in color; few
of the black, brown, and white manticores remain.
Before the Scourge, manticores only hunted to eat. Those who
live in Barsaive these days, however, attack at random. They fly
back and forth around their enemy, raking him with their long
claws and striking hard with their spiked tails until blood seems
to rain down on them. When fighting at close quarters or on the
ground, they use their claws to disembowel their foe; if that tactic
fails, they knock the enemy to the ground with their spiked tails.
If a manticore swings its entire body from side to side, it can hit
an opponent standing directly in front of it with its lethal tail. It
can even knock over its enemy with its great wings, either by strik-

Knockout: Any character struck by a manticores spiked tail ball

must make a successful Toughness Test against the tails Damage
Test result. If the test fails, the blow knocks the affected character
unconscious for 4 rounds. The manticore then attempts to kill its
unconscious foe with repeated blows from its tail.

DEX: 9
STR: 13
TOU: 10
PER: 11
WIL: 9
CHA: 7
Initiative: 9
Physical Defense: 11
Actions: 2
Spell Defense: 14
Attack (3): 12
Social Defense: 9
Damage:
Physical Armor: 8
Claws (3): 16; Tail (7): 20; Wings (2): 15Mystic Armor: 5
Death: 64
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 55
Knockdown: 14
Wound Threshold: 15
Movement: 8*

Adventure Hook

This value is also the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Fourth Circle (1 per 2 PC) (If the creature

possesses spells above Fourth Circle, use the highest Circle spell the
creature possesses for its Legend Award instead)
Powers: Durability (2), Spellcasting (2): 13
Spells: Choose up to 4 spells requiring no threads from any type of
magic (Elementalism, Illusionism, Nethermancy, or Wizardry)
Loot: Spiked tail worth 5D610 silver pieces (worth Legend Points)

Rules

The manticore usually attacks with its claws, its tail and with its
wings. All manticores can cast spells from any of the four spellcasting
Disciplines. The exact spells are up to the gamemaster, with the following limitationsmost manticores can only cast three or four
spells, and they cannot cast any spells that require threads.

C reat u res

ing with the wings themselves or by creating huge gusts of air that
send the foe sprawling backward.
Manticores also cast spells, using their human-like mouths to
speak the necessary words as easily as any Namegiver. Some folk
find this spellcasting ability terrifying, for good reason.

A town where the characters are staying suffers several magical attacks by a large lion-like creature. A local magician suspects
a manticore is behind the attacks and convinces the town to hire
the characters to find the mysterious beast. The magician asks the
characters not to kill the creature because he hopes to discover the
secrets of the manticores spellcasting ability.

RootWalker

The six root walkers that roam the Blood Wood were created by
Blood Warders as one line of defense specifically intended to kill
intruders into the Wood. These warders sought to combine the
ethandrilles ability to sense intruders with the primitive self-awareness of plant spirits.
By magically fusing the patterns of several ethandrilles with
those of several blood-oak saplings, the blood warders created
a frightening animal/plant hybrid that lives among the roots of
blood oaks and ferociously hunts down trespassers. Fortunately
for their intended victims, these creatures move slowly, tunneling
through the soil a few feet below the surface.
DEX: 9
STR: 10
PER: 6
WIL: 6
Initiative: 8
Actions: 2
Attack (2): 11
Damage:
Root Whip (3): 13
Death: 75
Unconsciousness: 64
Wound Threshold: 15

TOU: 10
CHA: 5
Physical Defense: 12
Spell Defense: 12
Social Defense: 12
Physical Armor: 8
Mystic Armor: 5
Recovery Tests: 4
Knockdown: NA
Movement: 5/3*

The second value is the creatures burrowing Movement Rate.

Legend Award: Fourth Circle (1 per 2 PC)

Powers: Durability (4), Engulf (5): 15, Spellcasting (6): 12,
Locate Target (3): 9

Rules

A root walker that encounters an intruder attacks suddenly and

viciously, sending root-like tentacles shooting up through the earth
to grapple the target. If the attack succeeds, the roots cause damage
every combat round until the character is dead or freed from the
roots. The character may escape by the normal means used to
escape a grapple or by cutting the roots. A second character can
attempt to free the victim by attacking the root walkers exposed
roots. If such an attack fails to hit the root walker, then the second
character has struck the victim. If a root walker successfully grapples a character, it will attempt to use its Engulf power during the
following combat round.
Generally, the root walkers body remains two to three feet
beneath the earths surface while it is fighting, and so its roots are
the only target for attack. Each root has the Defense and Armor
ratings listed in the statistics above. Inflicting 40 points of damage
on a root will force the root walker to retreat to heal itself. Additional damage to the roots is useless; the creature can be harmed
further only by damage done directly to its body.
To attack the body, characters must force a root walker to the
surface or use long weapons that can strike through the ground.
These types of attacks suffer a 3 penalty to Attack and Damage
C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

10

121

Tests. The root walkers roots and Engulf power alone make it a
formidable opponent, but the creatures most fearsome power is
its ability to awaken blood oaks.
Engulf: Any character successfully attacked with the Engulf
power is drawn into the earth, where he suffers from suffocation
damage in addition to the constriction damage caused by the roots.
A victim may make a Strength Test against the result of the root
walkers Attack Test to resist being pulled into the earth. Up to
two characters may add their Strength steps to that of the grappled character for this test. Engulf is a spirit power (see the Spirits
chapter, p.365, for details).
Locate Target: Root walkers can sense intruders within 10 miles.
Respect for Elves: A root walker will always attack elves last
when it encounters a group of intruders belonging to various
Namegiver races. If the root walker senses any blood elves on the
ground within 20 yards of an intruder, it will not attack. Magical
wards put in place by the blood warders keep the root walkers at
least a thousand yards away from the queens palace at all times, and
so all Namegivers in that area are safe from root walker attack.
Wake Blood Oak: If a root walker attacks a character within 30
yards of a blood oak, the oak will direct its roots (p.282) to attack
other intruders in the area. If the root walker is attacking a single
intruder, however, the blood oak cannot assist.

SentinelHawk

Sentinel hawks are magical, intelligent raptors that live high in the
mountains of Barsaive. They look like larger versions of ordinary
hawks with white, gray or black feathers or some combination of
the three. They can understand Namegiver speech, but cannot
themselves speak without the aid of magic. Sentinel hawks were
unknown before the Scourge, and their origin since remains a
mystery. Some scholars speculate that a magician created them
just before or during the Scourge to act as sentries and guardians
against Horrors, and that the hawks eventually escaped and bred
in the wild. The sentinel hawks refuse to discuss the subject.
Sentinel hawks are guardians of life and fierce enemies of corruption. They attack Horrors and Horror constructs, and aid
Namegivers in need of help so long as the Namegiver has committed no offense against the hawk or the natural world. Some
sentinel hawks even enlist the aid of Namegivers in their fight
against corruption, guiding adventurers to the lairs of Horrors
(some say, guiding them to their doom).

DEX: 11
STR: 5
PER: 10
WIL: 8
Initiative: 11
Actions: 2
Attack (2): 13
Damage:
Beak (2): 7; 2Claws (1): 6
Death: 60
Unconsciousness: 46
Wound Threshold: 7
*

TOU: 4
CHA: 7
Physical Defense: 15
Spell Defense: 14
Social Defense: 13
Physical Armor: 0
Mystic Armor: 5
Recovery Tests: 2
Knockdown: 5
Movement: 2/9*

The second value is the creatures flying Movement Rate.

Karma Points: 10
Karma Step: 6
Legend Award: Fourth Circle (Group)
Powers: Astral SightT(4): 14, Durability (5), Enhanced Senses
[Sight] (2): 12, SpellcastingT (2): 12, Thread Weaving
[Elementalism]T (2): 12, WillforceT (2)
Spells: Air Armor, Air Blast 17, Air Spear 15, Astral Sense
Elementalism 14, Behind Eye, Blizzard Sphere 16, Detect Elementalism Magic 14, Dispel Elementalism Magic 8, Ease Passage 18,
Fingers of Wind 8, Moonglow, Path Home, Winds of Deflection 15

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C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

Rules

A sentinel hawk attacks with its sharp talons and beak, using
swooping attacks. It can also cast several Elementalism spells, using
the standard spellcasting rules except that the sentinel hawk does
not require spell matrices.
Immunity to Warping Damage: Sentinel hawks are immune to
warping damage from casting raw magic (Players Guide, p.136).
Resistant to Horrors: Sentinel hawks are especially resistant
to Horror powers and abilities. Any Horror or Horror construct
employing a Horror power directly or indirectly against a sentinel
hawk requires one result level greater than normal to be successful.
This includes spells cast by the Horror against the hawk and those
magician spells noted as being based on a Horror power.

Skeorx

The skeorx is one of the most brutal and dangerous beasts in

Barsaive. A skeorx is a four-legged creature with a tiger-like head,
commonly eight feet long from snout to tail, but some grow as
long as fifteen feet. Their bodies are covered with short fur of a
drab, brownish-green shade that blends well with the dark jungle
undergrowth.
On each of the skeorxs feet are huge claws, with which it can
rip through even dragon hide. Finally, it has a snakelike tail from
which row upon row of razor-sharp bones extend. When fighting
smaller creatures, the skeorx rarely brings its tail into play; however, when attacking creatures larger than itself, it attempts to wrap
the tail around its opponents neck. Such a grip gives the skeorx
a stable position from which to rake its claws across its enemys
fleshand if the victim attempts to shake the skeorx free, it will
cut its own throat. The skeorx is always ravenous, almost always
feeding. If it is not hunched over a fresh kill, gorging noisily, it is
hunting for something else to kill.
No one should ever go near a mother skeorx and her young. A
mother skeorx will so eagerly charge forward to destroy any threat
to her babes that she often tramples the infants themselves without
noticing. The young have developed an interesting habit to ensure
their survivalif they spy a creature which the mother might see
as a threat to them, they dash away in a direction perpendicular
to the creature in question. If they cannot dodge their mothers

DEX: 13
STR: 18
TOU: 10
PER: 7
WIL: 8
CHA: 5
Initiative: 17
Physical Defense: 14
Actions: 3
Spell Defense: 10
Attack (3): 16
Social Defense: 12
Damage:
Physical Armor: 10
Bite (7): 25; Claws (2): 20; Tail (3): 21 Mystic Armor: 4
Death: 90
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 77
Knockdown: 19
Wound Threshold: 15
Movement: 9
Legend Award: Fifth Circle (Group)
Powers: Battle Shout (Roar) (3): 8, ClimbingS (3): 16,
Durability(6), Great LeapS (3): 16, Low-Light Vision,
Silent WalkS (3): 16

Rules

When attacking an opponent its own size or smaller, the skeorx

uses its claws, teeth and tail. A skeorxs powerful legs allow it to leap
great distances. Against an opponent larger than itself, the skeorx

leaps onto the victim and wraps its jagged-edged tail around the
victims neck as a Grappling attack (Players Guide, p.230). Any
attempts by the victim to break free cause Step 10 damage. Physical Armor protects against this damage, as normal.
Hard to Dominate: To reflect this creatures innate resistance
to training, any characters using their talents and abilities to tame
or command a skeorx must achieve a result two levels higher than
normal to be successful. For example, the Dominate Beast talent
normally requires an Average result to work against a target creature. Using Dominate Beast against a skeorx, however, requires
an Excellent result.

C reat u res

charge, the young skeorxes flatten themselves to the ground in the

hope that their mother will miss them.
There are rumors that skeorxes can even resist the magical abilities of Beastmasters. Explorers with such abilities should therefore
be warytheir talents will probably not save them from this ravening beast.

Adventure Hook

As the characters are walking through a forest, they come across

a half-grown skeorx. They do not know that the creature is practicing its hunting skills while its mother watches from the shadows.
The young skeorx attacks the characters, and the mother initially
holds back to see how well her offspring fights against such weak
opponents. The minute the tide of battle turns in the characters
favor, the mother skeorx leaps into the fray. If the characters kill
the youngling, they find themselves in real trouble.

Triplicant

Solitary creatures, triplicants stand about five feet tall and have
bluish-white skin and purple eyes. Their hands look huge in proportion to their slender bodies. Triplicants wander the land, eking
out a living through hunting and theft. Though of subhuman intelligence, they display great cunning, ambushing unwary travelers
in search of ordinary items that they consider treasure. According
to rumor, triplicants sometimes manage to collect items of real
value along with the everyday odds and ends they hoard.
DEX: 8
STR: 6
TOU: 11
PER: 3
WIL: 7
CHA: 5
Initiative: 9
Physical Defense: 11
Actions: 1
Spell Defense: 7
Attack (4): 12
Social Defense: 10
Damage:
Physical Armor: 3
Fist (10): 16
Mystic Armor: 5
Death: 55
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 48
Knockdown: 6
Wound Threshold: 16 Movement: 7
Legend Award: Fourth Circle (Group) (One
triplicant will make enough copies to have a
numerical advantage against the characters,
this leads to one triplicant copy per PC + the
core who may engage in combat or lie in
wait to see how its copies perform).
Powers: Triplicate (10)
Loot: Odds and ends worth D810 silver
pieces

10

Rules

Triplicants can conjure copies of themselves to engage in combat, using their

Triplicate power.

C H A P T E R 1 0 | Creature s

123

Chapter Eleven

Great Dragons
Given the role that dragons have in the affairs of Throal
and Thera, it is refreshing to read a candid treatise on the
motivations and machinations of the great dragons of
Barsaive. Vasdenjas has much of importance to say, but
the reader is encouraged to form his own opinion on any
truths that may appear in this text. The truth spoken by
a dragon is usually what the dragon wants us to hear.
Tiabdjin the Knower, Scribe of the Great Library of Throal

e great dragons are not a race as the other types of

dragons are. All types of dragons have great dragons
among them. Any dragon who lives long enough and
gains the wisdom and experience that comes with great age can
join the ranks of the great dragons. Still, there are things about
great dragons that make us unique and worthy of consideration
as a separate type of dragon. The most important differences
between great dragons and younger dragons are our physical and
magical abilities and our important role in draconian society.

OntheAbilitiesof
GreatDragons

ragons continue growing throughout life, so great dragons, as the oldest of our kind, are also the largest. Some
of us are easily twice the size of an adult dragon, with a
corresponding increase in physical prowess. Our teeth and talons
are longer, sharper and harder than those of a younger dragon
as well. Unlike you Young Races, our teeth and bones do not
become weaker as we age, they become stronger. Likewise our
scales become toughened by the rigors of life. The armor of a great
dragon is strong enough to resist almost any attack.
As our physical abilities increase, so do our mental and magical powers. Our long lives give us a great deal of time to hone our
abilities. Great dragons are adept at the manipulation of magic to
levels far beyond any other Namegivers. We all know many spells,
often from many different magical disciplines, including spells no
Young Race magician has imagined. Beyond these, we also create
new spells to serve our needs, though most of these spells are of
a type not suitable for use by Namegiver magicians.
The magical powers of a great dragon include improving our
inborn gifts as well. My breath can flame targets with much greater
power and range than in the years of my youth, and I have learned
to use it in ways no young dragon could match. For example, the
hides on which you sit I cured with puffs of flame, where a youngling would have incinerated them. We also use Dragonspeech and
Dragonsight to our greatest advantage, to understand the nature
and patterns of both Namegivers and of the world, for it is in our
nature to seek understanding of the universe around us.
Perhaps the greatest abilities of a great dragon are the knowledge and experiences that come from living a long life. I have
seen nations of Namegivers rise and fall. I have witnessed the
performances of great artists, both of my kind and others, heard
more tales than are recorded in your Great Library, and hunted

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every manner of beast in this land. I have battled Namegivers,

spoken with them, even dwelled, worked and played with them
over the years. I have seen eggs hatch, and hatchlings grow and
change and become adults to take their place among our kind.
All of this and so much more have I witnessed. It is those experiences that make me great and give me the responsibility to use
my knowledge for the good of dragon-kind.

OntheRoleof
GreatDragons

reat dragons are the rulers of dragon-kind. We do not

rule like your kings or first governors; we do not share
your idea of government. Each adult dragon governs
himself or herself for the most part, in accordance with our customs and traditions. This is why our youngsters are so deeply
steeped in our customs, so that they may know correct behavior.
Great dragons might be thought of as the overseers of dragon-kind.
We lead by example and teaching, and when we must intervene,
it is the great dragons who decide what is best for our kind.
The first duty of a great dragon is to look to the future. We care
for the eggs and the young who hatch from them. The future of
all dragon-kind is placed in our care. Young are quite rare among
dragons. We mate only once in one of your lifetimes, and the
hatching of an egg requires another dwarf lifetime or the passing of perhaps five or more generations of orks. While you Young
Races breed rapidly (so rapidly that its a wonder there is room
enough for all of you), we dragons do not. Every new life is precious to us, which is why only the most experienced and learned
among us are entrusted to guard and raise the young.
I have seen how you Young Races deal with your children.
Anyone is permitted to be a parent simply because they feel the
need to mate. Some parents are loving and raise their children
well, but many are foolish or uncaring or simply unprepared for
the responsibility. In fact, many care nothing for their offspring,
casting them aside, while others treat children as no better than
pets or possessions. Your vast numbers seem to make you value
a single life far less. Why be concerned, when there will always
be more children, more Namegivers? I suspect it is the cause of
much of the social unrest among your kind.
We use our wisdom to decide the best path for our kind, and
endeavor to learn from errors we have made so as not to repeat
them. Yes, we make mistakesI believe that is part of being
alivebut we remember the lessons from each and every one,

TypicalGreatDragon

reat dragons are not really a unique type of dragon.

Rather they are the oldest and most powerful specimens
of the other types of dragons. There are great western
(common) dragons, great Cathayan dragons, great feathered dragons, and great leviathans. These shrewd, highly intelligent creatures
spend their long lives hatching and nurturing their plans for the
world. Great dragons often interact with the world around them,
but usually work through a web of contacts and agents rather than
acting directly. Believing that the world holds powerful enemies,
these great creatures apparently prefer to use discretion in their
dealings.
DEX: 20
STR: 33
TOU: 28
PER: 26
WIL: 26
CHA: 23
Initiative: 25
Physical Defense: 24
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 33
Attack (8): 28
Social Defense: 29
Damage:
Physical Armor: 36
Bite (7): 40; 4Claws (5): 38 Mystic Armor: 30
Death: 261
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 240
Knockdown: 34
Wound Threshold: 31
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 2 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18
* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Powers:
Armored MatrixT (13)
Dispel Magic (5): 31
Dragon Breath (5): 31
Dragonspeech (5): 31

Armored Scales (8)

Disrupt Fate (5): 31
Dragonsight (5): 31
Durability (15)

Enhanced MatrixT (13)

Enhanced MatrixT (13)
Enhanced MatrixT (13)
Fear (7): 30
Karma Cancel (5): 31
Lair Sense (5): 31
Regeneration (5): 33
Spellcasting (11): 37
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
T
Spell Matrix (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Summoning (11): 37
Suppress Magic (5): 31
Thread Weaving [Discipline; see text] (11): 37
Venom (5): 31
Wingbeat (5): 25
Spells: By Discipline (up to Thirteenth Circle; see text)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure worth
Legend Points)

Rules

All great dragons can cast spells of at least one of the magician
Disciplines. Most great dragons can cast spells of two Disciplines,
and some can cast spells of three, or even all, of the magician Disciplines. Great dragons who know spells of only one Discipline know
spells up to and including Thirteenth Circle, those who cast spells
of two Disciplines know spells up to and including Tenth Circle,
and those who know spells of three Disciplines know spells up to
and including Ninth Circle. Keep in mind that these statements
describe the average abilities of great dragons. Individual great
dragons abilities vary to a degree, some greatly, some very little.
See Customizing Dragons (Gamemasters Guide, p.256) for more
information about adjusting great dragon abilities.

G reat D rago n s

and our triumphs as well. Thus we are prepared for those rare times
when we great dragons must decide the future of dragon-kind, for
what actions we take will set the course of events for some years to
come. The need for such decisions is rare, but they have become
more frequent in recent years. It is at these times that we convene
the Great Dragon Councils I spoke of earlier.
The second duty of a great dragon is to protect and recall the past.
One reason great dragons are best suited for raising the young is
because we have so much to teach them. Only those as experienced
as we are can pass on a true understanding of the history and lore
of our kind. As each generation of dragons learns from the great
dragons before them, the wisdom and experience of our race grows
with the passing of the millennia. I know lore that stretches back
to the time of Dayheart the First Dragon, those who follow me will
know all that and more.
We are the guardians and upholders of our culture and traditions. Younger dragons seek us out to hear our wisdom regarding
their conflicts over tradition, and our decisions shape the future of
our culture. We are the lawmakers and judges of our race. Without
law and tradition, dragons would have no means to live together
in harmony. Our culture allows us to control our predator nature
and exist as civilized creatures. It is up to great dragons to protect
and sustain such precious knowledge.
There are those of us, myself included, who believe we also have
an obligation of sorts to you Young Races. Dragons are the oldest
of all Namegivers, and great dragons are the oldest of all dragons, making us the most ancient and the wisest creatures in this
world. As such, we have a duty to try to enlighten and educate the
Young Races when possible. Such is the reason for this work that I
offer to the Great Library, a collection of knowledge that may help
some of your people to understand us and to pass that knowledge
on to others.

11

Aban

f the great dragons of Barsaive, Aban is the only one not

born during the Age of Dragons. Aban was among the
very first dragons hatched under the care of the mighty
Cloudtamer during the first century of this magically-endowed age.
Cloudtamer was a warrior among dragons, the fiercest of the fierce.
Though his magical skills were not insignificant, he greatly enjoyed
physical conflict and developed magic that augmented those capabilities above any other. As impatient as a great dragon may be said to be,
he typically sought direct and violent solutions to his problems.
Cloudtamer was a harsh sire, even by the standards of a race
that deliberately culls the weak from its numbers. He deliberately
exposed his brood to danger, and pitted his hatchlings against each
other in physical contests. The slightest weakness earned reproof,
and consistent failure meant exile to the wilderness or death at his
talons. Abans gender earned her no lenience, for female dragons
must, if anything, be stronger than males, the better to protect
themselves when they carry eggs. Little wonder, then, that Aban
is so hard and fierce.
Cloudtamer met his end shortly before the beginning of the
Scourge, at the hands of the Theran Empire. A proud symbol of
the strength of dragonkind, he was identified as the first target
of the Theran behemoths when the Empire sought to discourage
the great dragons from revealing magic that would protect people
from the Scourge. Legendary though his strength was, his direct
method of solving problems was not sufficient to the task, and he
was destroyed. While few dragons retain lasting emotional attachments to the great dragons who raise them, Aban deeply respected
her sire for his lessons and the strength they engendered. When
the Therans killed Cloudtamer, they made of Aban an eternal and
implacable enemy, a fact that the commanders and crews of airships in the region above and around the Mist Swamps have begun
to learn personally.
C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

125

Aban was taught to thrive in a world that slayed nearly all of

those born with her, and her strength and aggression led her into
adulthood earlier than is common. She is the only great dragon
among all those born in this age. Her relative youth works against
her in many ways. First, only newly admitted to the society of
the great dragons, her voice is accorded little inf luence among
the older dragons at Councils, who consider themselves far wiser
than she (though to ignore her reveals the lie behind that opinion).
She fanatically adheres to custom and ritual, especially the Rite
of the Fifteen Venerations, as a way of assuring that she is given
the respect that is her due. Second, she has not the same depth of
experience as the other great dragons, a fact that sometimes leads
her into what passes for impetuosity among her kind. She has not
the same control over herself that most other great dragons have,
and her rage sometimes gets the better of her. Third, she has not
the degree of mastery over her powers that great dragons of the
likes of Mountainshadow and Icewing have.
Physically, Aban is larger than most other dragons of her age;
perhaps only Mountainshadow is larger. Despite this, she has no difficulty moving about the Mist Swamps completely unseen; she can
appear from the gloom of the swamps suddenly and without warning, a fact well-described in journals left at Throals Great Library
by those who have survived encounters with her. The same tales
that agree so completely on this account differ greatly on another,
howeverthat of Abans coloration. In one book she is described

as having scales the deep red of old blood and eyes as black as
the midnight sky, while another tome paints a picture of her with
greenish-black scales and unsettling yellow eyes. Whatever the
reason for it, be it the effects of living in the Mist Swamps or some
deliberate magical change, Abans coloration can vary.
DEX: 21
STR: 34
TOU: 29
PER: 25
WIL: 25
CHA: 22
Initiative: 26
Physical Defense: 26
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 32
Attack (8): 29
Social Defense: 28
Damage:
Physical Armor: 38
Bite (7): 41; 4Claws (5): 39
Mystic Armor: 29
Death: 265
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 244
Knockdown: 35
Wound Threshold: 32
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18
* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Powers (Knacks):
Armored MatrixT (15)
Armored Scales (9)
Chameleon T (5): 26
Dispel Magic (5): 30
Disrupt Fate (5): 30
Dominate Beast (5): 30 (Beast Eyes)
Dragon Breath (6): 31 (Smoke Cloud)
Dragonsight (5): 30
Dragonspeech (7): 32 (Animal Talk, Second Sight)
Durability (15)
Enhanced MatrixT (15)
T
Enhanced Matrix (15)
Enhanced MatrixT (15)
Fear (7): 29
Karma Cancel (5): 30
Lair Sense (5): 30
Regeneration (6): 35 (Regrowth)
Spellcasting (12): 37 (Anchored Spell)
Spell MatrixT (15)
Spell MatrixT (15)
Spell MatrixT (15)
Spell MatrixT (15)
T
Spell Matrix (15)
Spell MatrixT (15)
Summoning (11): 36
Suppress Magic (5): 30
Thread Weaving [Elementalism] (12): 37
Venom (5): 30
Wingbeat (5): 26
Spells: Elementalism (Fifteenth Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure worth
Legend Points)

Rules

Aban, the enigmatic mistress of the Mist Swamps, allows no one

to reach the heart of her domain. Her vigil over the ancient, elusive ruins of Yrns Morgath, the city long lost in the depths of the
swamp, is eternal and unceasing. Only other dragons may approach
that ancient place without raising her ire, and she takes a dim view
of those who prevail upon her too often or who do not show the
proper deference when seeking audience.
By virtue of her youth, Aban has not yet developed her powers to
the same extent as other great dragons, and she may be considered
one of the magically weaker of her kind. Her magical might is less
than that of her brethren because they have had many millennia
to perfect and develop their powers, while she has had only just
over two thousand years. Aban has a great affinity for the magic
of the elements, which may explain why she chooses to live in a
place where all of the elements come together. She knows every
Elementalism spell known in existence.
In addition to spell magic, Aban exercises her mastery of the
elements in many ways, including the summoning and control

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Alamaise

lamaise is an old dragon, one of the oldest great dragons

of Barsaive. His scales are golden and red, the colors of
a fiery sunset, and his tail is tipped with sharp spines.
His bright yellow eyes burn like pits of fire, and his voice is deep
and commanding. Alamaise carries himself with great pride and
arrogance, even for a great dragon. He considers all others beneath
him and barely worthy of his notice, including other dragons. Such

pride has earned him few allies among the dragons of Barsaive,
but Alamaise has earned their respect with his focused power
and keen mind.
All dragons possess and wield great force, but Alamaise is one
of the few to admit to seeking power. He has always wished to
increase his own strength and to extend his rule over the land and
the Young Races who inhabit it. To Alamaise, this is his right. The
most powerful beings should rule and the less powerful should
serve.
His arrogance is the key to understanding Alamaises nature. He
is assured of his superiority and righteousness. No matter what
mistakes he might make, Alamaise will never admit to them
but he will learn from them. Nothing scratches under his scales
worse than his own flaws, and he roots out any such imperfections as quickly and ruthlessly as he would dispatch an impetuous
Namegiver.
Alamaise is a dragon obsessed with a single goal, that of regaining control of Wyrm Wood and the elves who inhabit it. This goal
drives Alamaise to the exclusion of all else. Since the death of
Queen Dallia of the Elven Court, Alamaise has not been seen
anywhere in Barsaive, even by his fellow dragons. Instead, he
has existed in isolation, pursuing his goal. As no kingdom or city
in Barsaive concerns Alamaise, apart from the Elven Court, he is
not involved in the politics of nations like Throal or the Theran
Empire.
The greatest power Alamaise possessed was taken from him
by Queen Alachia and the magicians of the Elven Court. As the
Namer and maker of Wyrm Wood, Alamaise had many threads
woven to the Woods True Pattern. Within the bounds of Wyrm
Wood, Alamaise was supremely powerful and no dragon would
even think of challenging him on his home ground. His threads
also strengthened the pattern and defenses of the Wood,
giving it a special magic and sustaining it, even after the
rebellion forced him to abandon it.
Perhaps the Elven Queen Alachia believed the
magic and the ancient protections woven by Alamaise would preserve Wyrm Wood against the
Scourge. Perhaps she is merely touched with
the same arrogance as Alamaise, unable to
admit error on her part. For whatever
reason, the Elven Court refused the protection of Theran magic and decided to
turn the living trees of Wyrm Wood
into a barrier against the Horrors.
During the Scourge, the Elven
Courts wooden kaer failed. In a desperate attempt to save themselves, the
elves used powerful magic to alter the
True Pattern of Wyrm Wood itself.
The Ritual of the Thorns transformed
the elves living in the wood into blood
elves, their skin pierced with thorns
dripping blood. More importantly,
the Ritual transformed Wyrm Wood
into the Blood Wood. With its True
Pattern reshaped, the threads woven
to the wood by Alamaise were cut and
the great dragons last connection to
his former domain was severed.

C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

G reat D rago n s

of elemental spirits. She often leaves elementals to guard her lair

when she must be away from it for an extended time. Through
the assistance of these elementals, Aban has attuned herself to
the Mist Swamps and every living creature within them, extending her ability to sense her lair to include the entirety of the area.
Everything the creatures of the swamps see and hear is known to
her; they serve as her eyes and ears. These senses are usually distracted, as though she were listening to a crowd assembled outside
a window. Whenever she chooses, however, she may concentrate
upon a specific area and borrow the senses of the beasts therein,
so as to see everything that occurs.
Manipulate Element: Abans Manipulate Element power
(p.366) gives her near-total control over the very terrain of the
Mist Swamps. She can quickly change water from boiling to cool
and back again. Solid earth becomes thin mud at her whim, and
the gnarled and twisted trees of the swamp rea rrange themselves
as she wills. She can thicken and thin the billowing mists with a
thought, no doubt the explanation for why such a huge creature
as Aban can suddenly appear without warning before the most
observant and perceptive of explorers.

11

127

DEX: 20
PER: 27

STR: 34
WIL: 27

TOU: 27
CHA: 22

Initiative: 25
Physical Defense: 24
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 34
Attack (8): 28
Social Defense: 28
Damage:
Physical Armor: 36
Bite (7): 41; 4Claws (5): 39
Mystic Armor: 31
Death: 257
Recovery Tests: 13
Unconsciousness: 236
Knockdown: 35
Wound Threshold: 30
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18
* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Powers (Knacks):
Armored MatrixT (13)
Armored Scales (9)
Dispel Magic (5): 32
Disrupt Fate (5): 32
Dominate Beast (5): 32 (Beast Eyes)
Dragon Breath (6): 33 (Flame Ball)
Dragonsight (7): 34 (Item History, Matrix Strike)
Dragonspeech (6): 33 (Second Sight)
Durability (15)
Enhanced MatrixT (13)
T
Enhanced Matrix (13)
Enhanced MatrixT (13)
Fear (7): 29
Karma Cancel (6): 33 (Lend Karma)
Lair Sense (7): 34 (Absent Lair Sense, Lair Vision)
Regeneration (3): 30
Spellcasting (11): 38 (Anchored Spell)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Summoning (10): 38
Suppress Magic (5): 32
Thread Weaving [Elementalism] (11): 38
Venom (5): 32
Wingbeat (5): 25
Spells: Elementalism (Thirteenth Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure worth
Legend Points)

Rules

Alamaise is a foreign dragon, but he has lived in the northern

reaches of Barsaive for millennia. He originally hails from a distant
land to the north and west of Barsaive, near the outskirts of Vasgothia, where his brother lives still. A conflict between Alamaise
and his brother long ago drove Alamaise away from his original
home, into the lands that became Barsaive. Alamaise and his
brother hate each other and disagree on nearly every matter of
consequence. Alamaise is old and strong, with mighty claws and
teeth. His scales in particular are quite strong, able to ward off any
weapon with ease and nigh-i mpossible to penetrate, even for the
talons or flames of another dragon.
Alamaise knows a great deal of magic, particularly Elementalism.
He was a master of the element of wood, and is quite adept at encouraging growth and molding greenery to suit his needs. The fantastic
palaces and wooden structures of the Elven Court began as seeds in
the mind of Alamaise, who taught the elves the arts of wood-shaping
and elemental magic. His skill with the other elements is nearly as
great: in his day, Alamaise diverted rivers, carved mountains and
commanded rain and lightning. All of the beasts of Wyrm Wood
were his to command as well. He occasionally took on different
forms, including various Name--givers and forest beasts.

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Earthroot

hough a generation younger than Mountainshadow and

Icewing, Earthroot has lived long enough to gain considerable wisdommuch of it from faroff Cathay, his native
land. He came to Barsaive three hundred years after the death of
All-Wings, possibly in search of territory. Rumor has it that Earthroot lost a battle with an ancient Cathayan dragon Named White
Lotus before he disappeared from Cathay.
Earthroot favors the dark and secret places of the earth because
they reflect his essential self. This love of darkness, of being hidden,
lends some credence to the conflict with White Lotus; that titanic
battle is said to have taken place above a high peak Named Spirit
Mountain, whose snowy slopes were well known to Earthroot and
upon whose summit he hoped to lair. The bitterness of his defeat
may show in his self-chosen exile so far from Cathay, and in his
choice to live almost exclusively underground. Since his arrival in
Barsaive, he has shown himself in the open air a mere three times,
if the legends are to be believed.
Earthroot is exceptionally large, and his scales appear to glisten whether wet or dry. They shimmer in all the colors of mother
ofpearl, from silver to pale green to the rose of the dawn sky. The
scales on his underbelly are the deep green of seaweed, and his
luminous large eyes are as black as the underground night. Many
who have seen him and lived to tell of it are dazzled by his beauty
and mesmerized by his gaze; often described as like falling into
a depthless, dark pool.
Though he prefers to spend most of his time submerged in underground lakes, Earthroot is as much at home out of the water as in
it. Living under the earth, at depths where almost no Namegiver
cares to go since the end of the Scourge, gives Earthroot the freedom to act far removed from prying eyes. He speaks in riddles
and acts in shadow.
Earthroot is not a constant meddler, like Mountainshadow; but
when he does take action, it is like a stone tossed into a pool. Consequences flow from it like ripples across the waterand for every
ripple visible, there is at least one deep current hidden beneath the
surface. Highly intelligent, Earthroot can see far into the future,
and routinely lays plans that will not bear fruit for centuries. For
example, his seemingly impulsive act in saving a small band of
tskrang from the ravages of the Scourge has given him an entire
society of devoted worshippers and lackeys to call upon. The Pale
Onesprimitive tskrang who live out their brief lives beneath the
Throal Mountains, in Earthroots domainbelong to him, as he
intended from the very first word he ever spoke to their ancestors.
Through one simple action, he gained a population of servants that
many other dragons envy: willing, grateful and endlessly renewable
through means more natural and far simpler than the rites used to
create drakes. Even Mountainshadow must have been impressed
by this stroke of quiet genius.
DEX: 18
STR: 35
TOU: 30
PER: 25
WIL: 28
CHA: 22
Initiative: 20
Physical Defense: 21
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 32
Attack (10): 28
Social Defense: 28
Damage:
Physical Armor: 39
Bite (7): 42; 4Claws (5): 40 Mystic Armor: 32
Death: 269
Recovery Tests: 15
Unconsciousness: 248
Knockdown: 36
Wound Threshold: 32
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18
* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Rules

Earthroots magical ability matches his intelligence, and may in

fact exceed it. Elementalism magic of all kinds is his especial inter-

estbut do not conclude from this that he has seriously neglected

the study of Illusionism, Wizardry, or any other field of arcane
knowledge.
Apart from the Pale Ones and the dwarfs of Throal, Earthroot
appears little interested in the affairs of the Young Races. Unlike
Mountainshadow, he does not find them objects worthy of constant
study or devotion. Only those Namegivers who dwell in or near his
domain truly matter to him. He considers them under his protection, and will fight for them with every means at his disposal.
Earth Merge: Among the most unique of Earthroots powers
is the ability to move through the earth itself, merging with earth
and rock and traveling through it as easily as one might walk across
the land. The only other beings known to possess this ability are
spirits, and obsidimen who are able to merge with their Liferock.
Given his strong affinity for the elemental magic of the earth, it
stands to reason that Earthroot would seek out such knowledge,
and it is possible that Earthroot sought out obsidimen from whom
he might learn and expand this ability.

Icewing

G reat D rago n s

Powers (Knacks):
Armored MatrixT (10)
Armored Scales (9)
Dispel Magic (5): 33
Disrupt Fate (5): 33
Dragon Breath (6): 34 (Friendly Fire)
Dragonsight (6): 31 (Item History)
Dragonspeech (6): 31 (Suggestion)
Durability (15)
Earth Merge (see text)
Enhanced MatrixT (10)
Enhanced MatrixT (10)
Enhanced MatrixT (10)
Fear (9): 31 (Awe, Paralyzing Gaze)
Karma Cancel (6): 34 (Lend Karma)
Lair Sense (5): 30
Regeneration (6): 34
Spellcasting (12): 37 (Anchored Spell, Maintain Spell Threads)
Spell MatrixT (10)
Spell MatrixT (10)
Spell MatrixT (10)
Spell MatrixT (10)
Spell MatrixT (10)
Spell MatrixT (10)
Summoning (11): 39
Suppress Magic (5): 33
Thread Weaving [Elementalism, Illusionism, Wizardry] (12): 37
Venom (5): 33
Wingbeat (5): 23
Spells: Elementalism (Tenth Circle), Illusionism (Ninth Circle),
Wizardry (Ninth Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure worth
Legend Points)

11

s one of the most public and visible of dragonkind, Icewing has learned well how to deal with scrutiny. Many
of his plots are buried deeply, under layers and layers of
lies and misinformation, spread through various agents and dupes.
Dealing with Icewing often means penetrating illusion and deception to even get a hint of the truth. However, he is more impulsive
and impatient then his brethren, and frequently intervenes with
an overconfidence that reveals an astonishing disregard for protocol and the wishes of his fellow great dragons (that he has faced

C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

129

little reprimand for). This is especially true when his pawns or he

himself are directly challenged, in which case he acts aggressively
and prematurely against his rivals.
Icewings views towards the Young Races once contained elements of fondness and nurturing to rival Mountainshadows, but
now are of a more protective nature, as Icewing sees his responsibility to guard them from threats generated by the dragons
actions in the past and guide them onto a path more inl ine with
his visions. He makes extensive use of Namegiver servants, and his
own private network complements Mountainshadows as the backbone of the dragons spy network. His primary focus is the Theran
Empire, but his agents are spread throughout the world, and he is
not afraid to use them, nor as slow to react as the others.
Icewing has an open-door policy toward Namegivers, allowing
them to approach his lair on Mount Vapor on the condition that
they bring a suitable gift. In his self-appointed role as liaison and
advocate, he maintains this policy as a sort of responsibility he
feels towards the Young Races. The demand of gifts is a testimony
to his belief in dragon superiority, a throwback to the past that he
maintains as a lesson. His open-door policy has proven beneficial
in many ways, as many adventurers and adepts bring him news or
items or questions that reveal much about various events in the
world. It also allows the dwarfs of Throal and the agents of other
dragons to access him if they have need of his assistance.
Icewing has become deeply invested in the dwarfs of Throal, and
has done much more than they know on their behalf, including
manipulating economic factors and rooting out Theran infiltrators.
Icewing and Earthroot together work towards developing Throal
as a viable alternative to Theran authorityone that is thoroughly
under their claws. As Earthroot works below, using his abilities to
strengthen Throals physical defenses, Icewing is carefully molding
Throal into a major political force. He has offered up his counsel
to Throalic leaders in person on several occasions, and they have
gratefully accepted it, unaware of how he uses them. Many highranking officials and dwarfs of influence within Throal are quietly
sponsored by Icewing, and subtly induced to further his goals by
various means. Through careful channels he has been strengthening their relationships with Cara Fahd, the tskrang aropagoi, and
other major political entitiesdestroying more than one competitive influence in the process. His agents abroad work feverishly
to dredge up support for his pets in the form of trade compacts,
exchanges of lore, and aid against the Therans. While supportive of
the dwarfs, he views them foremost as tools, and so takes care not
to allow suspicion or resentment of Mountainshadow and Earthroots influence among them to interfere with his plans.
The downfall of Thera is one of Icewings primary motivations
perhaps symbolic to him in terms of rectifying past mistakes. The
very existence of this empire is a thorn under his scales. Since Theras
inception, Icewing has hindered the Empire from both within and
without by any means at his disposal. His intelligence regarding their
activities is excellent, indicating that he has some very high-placed
spies, perhaps even a member among the Heavenherds. He takes
this struggle personally, as he illustrated after the Therans abortive attempt on his life, when a short time later he was so bold as to
appear on top of the Sphinx on the Isle of Thera itself, his presence
a warning that preceded a series of calculated strikes that forced the
Therans to withdraw from conflict with the dragons.
The most dangerous of Icewings powers is the unique one which
gives him his Name. While all dragons can use the mighty force of
their wings to fling opponents aside, stunning them and leaving
them open for the kill, Icewing can manipulate the elements themselves with his wingbeats. He was once seen as he dueled with an
adult dragon, who was so foolish as to challenge Icewings claim to
anothers hoard. Icewing descended upon his opponent, his wings
beating so furiously that they were but a flashing and blinding blur.

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A whirlwind of ice and snow churned forward, enveloping his foe

and encasing him in an icy prison. The dragon immediately began
to burn and tear himself free, but not before Icewing was upon him,
ripping him open and slashing him apart. By the time the dragon
had freed himself, Icewing had grievously injured him, and dispatched him shortly afterwards.
DEX: 22
STR: 34
TOU: 28
PER: 26
WIL: 27
CHA: 23
Initiative: 27
Physical Defense: 25
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 33
Attack (8): 30
Social Defense: 29
Damage:
Physical Armor: 36
Bite (7): 41; 4Claws (5): 39
Mystic Armor: 31
Death: 261
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 240
Knockdown: 35
Wound Threshold: 31
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18
* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Powers (Knacks):
Armored MatrixT (9)
Armored Scales (8)
Dispel Magic (5): 32
Disrupt Fate (5): 32
Dragon Breath (Ice) (5): 32
Dragonsight (8): 34 (Item History, Spirit Strike, True Sight)
Dragonspeech (7): 33 (Read Thoughts, Thought Probe)
Durability (15)
Enhanced MatrixT (13)
Enhanced MatrixT (9)
Enhanced MatrixT (13)
Fear (9): 32 (Awe, Paralyzing Gaze)
Karma Cancel (6): 33 (Lend Karma)
Lair Sense (5): 31
Regeneration (5): 33
Spellcasting (12): 38
(Anchored Spell, Maintain Spell Threads, Spell Stacking)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (9)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (9)
T
Spell Matrix (13)
Spell MatrixT (9)
Summoning (11): 38
Suppress Magic (5): 32
Thread Weaving [Illusionism, Nethermancy, Wizardry] (12): 38
Venom (5): 32
Wingbeat (7): 29 (Freezing Gale)
Spells: Illusionism, Nethermancy, Wizardry (all at Ninth Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 1,000,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure
worth Legend Points)

Rules

Almost as large as his brother Mountainshadow, Icewing is more

physically aggressive, and could easily rend an obsidiman in two
with a swipe of his tail or claws. His demeanor is hard, callous and
fearsome, and his frosty gaze can cause the hardiest warriors to
flee him in abject terror. The Therans lost a behemoth when they
attacked his mate Yuichotol, and if Icewing had stayed to fight
them openly they would likely have lost two more, so terrifying
is Icewing with speed and fire and sorcery.
Freezing Gale: The great dragon Icewing has a unique knack
based on his Wingbeat power. To use this knack, Icewing makes
a Spellcasting Test against the highest Spell Defense among the
target group, +1 for each additional target above the first. All of the
intended targets must be within an area no larger than 20 yards in
diameter. Each use of this power causes Icewing 5 Strain, +1 Strain
for each additional target beyond. If the test succeeds, the victim is
encased in ice, and Icewing makes a Wingbeat Test. The result of

G reat D rago n s

this test is the Difficulty Number for any Strength Tests made to
break free of the ice from the inside. The ice can be attacked from
the outside, and is treated like a barrier with a Physical Armor
rating of 10, and a Damage Rating equal to the Wingbeat Test result.
Characters encased in ice are in danger of suffocation.

Mountainshadow

ountainshadow was hatched long before the founding

of any kingdom in Barsaive, from an egg clutch protected by the mighty All-Wings, greatest of the great
dragons. To be of the clutch of All-Wings is to be a prince among
dragons, with a proud and noble heritage, and a heavy burden of
responsibility. All-Wings taught her hatchlings the traditions and
history of dragon-kind and raised them to become wise and fierce
beyond all other dragons. And so they were, and so they remain to
this day. Unfortunately, the surviving descendants of All-Wings
are not worthy of their illustrious foremother. They may have her
power, but cannot claim her wisdom or clarity of vision.
Many of her clutch did not survive their first centuries of life;
competition between them was fierce and often lethal. As the last
clutch of All-Wings passed through their wild years into adulthood, the greatest of dragons was struck down by the treachery
of Namegivers and her own arrogance. Mountainshadow and his
clutch-mates are therefore the last dragons hatched and raised by
All-Wings, and Mountainshadow and his brother Icewing are the
two who have survived and prospered through all the centuries
since. Through overwhelming strength and all the guile at his command, Mountainshadow remains first among his kind.
Mountainshadows size is as immense as his age. His vast body
is longer than an air galley, his jaws capable of crushing a troll in a
single bite. His silvery-blue scales shimmer in the light like polished
armor. Many have seen him soaring high above his domain in the
Dragon Mountains or, more rarely, flying out over the Badlands
or the nearby Servos Jungle. Mountainshadow has a lair hidden
in the depths of the Badlands, a place so blighted by the Scourge
that even many dragons shun it. That he dwells there is testament
to his fearlessness; the most dangerous denizens of the Badlands
pose no threat to him.
Mountainshadow is one of the few dragons who pursue knowledge above all for its own sakeindeed, he is obsessed with
collecting every scrap of lore he can lay talons on. (To act on his
knowledge is another thing entirely; like most of Barsaives dragons, he prefers talking to doing. Only those who threaten to cross
him feel his swift wrath.) Lost magic, ancient legends, scraps of
history concerning every Namegiver race in addition to his own
all these and more, Mountainshadow prizes as another might prize
a rare and precious pearl or a fine living-crystal sword. He also
eagerly consumes the latest news and gossip from the far corners
of the world. His many servants are his eyes and ears throughout Barsaive and beyond, bringing him the knowledge he craves.
Dragonspeech enables Mountainshadow to perceive the experiences of his servants directly from their memories, and he often
relives their experiences in this manner. He knows a great deal
and can discover even more. Given enough time, no secret is safe
from himeven if it is ringed with a thousand allegedly unbreakable enchantments.
Mountainshadows genuine interest in the Young Races makes
him unusual among his kind. Most dragons regard other Namegivers as lesser creatures valuable only as servants or as a source of
food or sport. Mountainshadow dimly understands these truths,
though he still regards the Young Races as lesser beings. His interest in the Young Races has led him to involve himself in the affairs
of Namegivers in the past; during the Scourge, he sheltered many
in the Dragon Mountains against the Horrors onslaught. No one

11

has fathomed his reasons for doing so, as he is otherwise opposed

to mingling with the Young Races. He prefers to watch over
them from afar, seeing to their welfare (as he defines it) through
intermediaries.
Curiosity drives Mountainshadow more than any other motive,
to the point where it might be considered one of his few weaknesses.
His thirst for knowledge apparently cannot ever be fully quenched.
His desire to know everything outweighs all other desires and considerations. Mountainshadow has spared the lives of Namegivers
who offended him merely to hear their life stories and understand
the reasons for their actions. Often this indulgence buys the offenders only enough time to tell their tales before Mountainshadow
devours them. Others, lucky enough to amuse their captor sufficiently, are allowed to live. How Mountainshadow judges who
shall live and who shall die is unknown.
DEX: 20
STR: 34
TOU: 29
PER: 28
WIL: 26
CHA: 23
Initiative: 25
Physical Defense: 24
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 36
Attack (8): 28
Social Defense: 29
Damage:
Physical Armor: 38
Bite (7): 41; 4Claws (5): 38
Mystic Armor: 31
Death: 265
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 244
Knockdown: 35
Wound Threshold: 32
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18
* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Powers (Knacks):
Armored MatrixT (7)
Armored Scales (9)
Dispel Magic (5): 31
Disrupt Fate (5): 31
Dragon Breath (6): 32 (Friendly Fire)
Dragonsight (7): 35 (Item History, True Sight)
Dragonspeech (11): 39 (Learn Language, Read Thoughts, Reweave
Mind, Second Sight, Suggestion, Thought Probe)
Durability (15)
Enhanced MatrixT (7)
Enhanced MatrixT (7)
Enhanced MatrixT (7)
Fear (7): 31 (Paralyzing Gaze; see text)
C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

131

Karma Cancel (6): 32 (Lend Karma)

Lair Sense (9): 37 (Absent Lair Sense, Identify Intruder, Lair Vision,
Lair Mark)
Regeneration (5): 34
Spellcasting (12): 40 (Anchored Spell, Maintain Spell Threads)
Spell MatrixT (7)
Spell MatrixT (7)
T
Spell Matrix (7)
Spell MatrixT (7)
Spell MatrixT (7)
Spell MatrixT (7)
Summoning (11): 37
Suppress Magic (5): 31
Thread Weaving [All magician Disciplines] (12): 40
Venom (5): 31
Wingbeat (5): 25
Spells: All magician Disciplines (Seventh Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure worth
Legend Points)

Rules

Like any dragon of his venerable age, Mountainshadow is powerful of tooth and claw, but the true source of his strength is his
vast store of arcane knowledge. Mountainshadow knows more
mystic secrets than anyone else in Barsaive, perhaps more than
anyone in this part of the world. His command of the arcane arts
allows him to ward his lair and create magical traps and servants
whenever he requires them. His extensive library contains magical lore unknown to other Namegivers, powerful enough to shake
mountains or reduce cities to smoking ruins.
Along with his mastery of the mystic arts, Mountainshadow is
especially skilled in the use of Dragonspeech and Dragonsight.
Mountainshadows Dragonsight is as sharp as his talons. He
understands patterns and the delicate threads that make them,
especially the power of patterns to create and destroy. With
Dragonspeech, he has refined the ancient arts of touching
the minds of others and sifting through their memories like
a heap of gleaming gems to find exactly the one he seeks. He
once spoke of experiencing life from the view of the Young
Races, and how vastly different the world looked through
their eyes. With Dragonspeech, Mountainshadow can pluck
the very thoughts from inside any Namegivers head.
Mountainshadow shows great interest in the Young Races and
has countless Namegiver servants in places where no one would
expect to find them. The recent incursion of the Theran Empire into
Barsaive has roused him from his endless studies and experiments,
and moved him to take action with the formation of what the Therans
refer to as the Dragons Network. His Namegiver servants make up
a significant part of this vast net of spies and lackeys, enhancing his
influence even more among the dragons of Barsaive.
Paralyzing Gaze: Mountainshadows gaze is like a vipers, paralyzing in its intensity. (For details on how this power works, see
Paralyzation, p.276.) Once his victims are rendered helpless,
Mountainshadow slithers through their minds and takes whatever he desires, using his Dragonspeech power. With it, he can also
bend a mind to his will, planting ideas, feelings and even memories.
The crafting of such thoughts, which subtly tug at the threads of a
Namegivers pattern until they change it, requires time and concentration, but can be a more powerful weapon than flame or claw.

Usun

sun is a legend among the Namegivers of Barsaive, particularly those who live close to his home in the Liaj
Jungle. He is fairly young by great dragon standards;
although still older than any nation known. His great body is
sleek and powerfully muscled, covered with overlapping scales

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of burnished green, like aged copper. His wings and underbelly

are a paler green, allowing him to almost disappear into the jungle
foliage. Usuns broad head is topped with a pair of horns twisted
like those of a ram, and equipped with a set of powerful jaws with
teeth honed by hunting and fighting.
Usun is a warrior and a hunter, known as Vast Green to other
great dragons. He harkens back to the predator heritage of his kind,
savage and cunning. Where Mountainshadow or Vasdenjas might
use honeyed words or subterfuge, Usun strikes with flame and claw
and knows no mercy. The master of the Liaj Jungle has no use for
words or diplomacy. He is a fighter who lives for the glory of battle,
pitting his strength against the strength of the enemy. Since he
has no enemies to fight, and cannot go to war against the Young
Races as he might wish, Usun dwells in the Liaj Jungle, home to
some of the most savage creatures in Barsaive. There he pits his
strength and cunning against them in a daily struggle for life. No
doubt Usun finds most of the creatures of the jungle a poor challenge for his abilities.
Unlike other great dragons, Usun has no interest in the Young
Races as anything other than prey. He looks on all of the Young
Races as they look upon the animals they slaughter for food, or
perhaps more like the vermin they exterminate from their homes.
Were it in his power, Usun would likely scour Barsaive with flame

DEX: 21
STR: 35
TOU: 29
PER: 26
WIL: 25
CHA: 22
Initiative: 26
Physical Defense: 26
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 33
Attack (8): 29
Social Defense: 28
Damage:
Physical Armor: 38
Bite (7): 42; 4Claws (5): 40 Mystic Armor: 30
Death: 265
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 244
Knockdown: 36
Wound Threshold: 32
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18

* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Powers:
Armored MatrixT (13)
Armored Scales (9)
ChameleonT (5): 26
Dispel Magic (5): 30
Disrupt Fate (5): 30
Dominate Beast (5): 30 (Beast Eyes)
Dragon Breath (8): 33 (Flame Spout, Friendly Fire, Smoke Cloud)
Dragonsight (5): 31
Dragonspeech (7): 33 (Animal Talk, Second Sight)
Durability (15)
Enhanced MatrixT (13)
T
Enhanced Matrix (13)
Enhanced MatrixT (13)
Fear (8): 30 (Terror)
Karma Cancel (6): 31 (Lend Karma)
Lair Sense (6): 32 (Absent Lair Sense)
Regeneration (6): 35 (Regrowth)
Spellcasting (11): 37
Spell MatrixT (13)
T
Spell Matrix (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
T
Spell Matrix (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Spell MatrixT (13)
Summoning (11): 36
Suppress Magic (5): 30

Thread Weaving [Elementalism] (11): 37

Venom (8): 33 (Pain Venom, Sleep Venom, Spit Venom)
Wingbeat (5): 26
Spells: Elementalism (Thirteenth Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure worth
Legend Points)

G reat D rago n s

and reduce all of its cities to ash and rubble. His savage warrior ature may cause his enemies to underestimate Usuns cleverness.
n
Although Usun does not follow the intellectual pursuits of other
great dragons, he is no less intelligent because of it. Usun knows
much lore, and he collects information on the natural world, giving
him a great understanding of the flora and fauna of Barsaive.
Usun is one of the most isolationist of all of the great dragons of
Barsaive. He claims the Liaj Jungle as his, and woe betide any other
Namegiver he catches there. This does not stop some Namegivers
(like the legendary Tamers) from living in the jungle, but it certainly
makes Usun and his motives mysterious to the outside world.
Usun firmly believes dragons should rightfully rule the world
and while many fellow great dragons agree with this, Usun has been
staunchly opposed in his desire to war against all other Namegivers and subjugate them, as it was in the Age of Dragons. Failing
that, he would see the Young Races wiped out, removed from the
world so it can be shaped by dragon strength and magic. The other
great dragons consider Usuns plans both impractical and unacceptable. The Therans and other Namegivers have developed too much,
and are too powerful to oppose in open warfare. Great dragons
such as Icewing and Mountainshadow prefer to work behind the
scenes, manipulating events to further their plans. Such machinations frustrate Usun, who has thus far agreed to abide by the will
of the others and limits himself to the Liaj, where he takes out his
frustrations on any Namegiver foolish enough to defy his ban on
their entering the jungle.
There are certain similarities between Usun and Aban, the great
dragon of the Mist Swamps. It is certainly true that the two do
in fact share a number of traits, such as a preference for physical
combat, use of spirits and creatures as their eyes and ears within
their domains, and jealous guarding of their territories. Given
these similarities, it is easy to think these dragons are two of a
kind, but they are not.

Rules

Usun is a mighty opponent in battle. His scales are more resilient than any armor made by the Young Races and his teeth and
talons are sharper than thrice-forged swords, able to rend other
creatures apart with ease and tipped with potent venom. For the
most part, Usun is able to rely solely on his physical prowess to
bring down even the most dangerous prey. His constant hunting has honed his fighting skills, marking him as one of the most
formidable fighters among dragon-kind. Few other great dragons
could even aspire to best him.
It is true that the master of the Liaj Jungle rarely makes use of
his fiery breath, since the flames can destroy large areas of jungle
growth with a single blast. Yet Usun has refined his breath to spew
forth clouds of choking smoke that render the jungle as dark as
night, or even to breathe flames that burn only what he wishes to
burn. A blast of Usuns fire can burn an intruder to ash while leaving the surrounding jungle untouched. Despite this, Usun prefers
to face opponents with fang and claw.
Disdainful of Namegivers, Usun rarely speaks in any Namegiver
tongue, as languages of lesser races are beneath his stature. He prefers the use of Dragonspeech, which has led many Namegivers to
believe that Usun does not speak at all. Some Namegivers (mostly
windlings) living near the jungle refer to Usun as the Silent One.
Despite this reputation, Usun is more than capable of speakingin
a number of different languageswhenever he chooses, he simply
prefers not to resort to such crude means.
As part of his development of Dragonspeech, Usun has learned
to use it to sense the emotions of other creatures near himespecially those he hunts. Usun certainly possesses the power of all
great dragons to inspire fear and unreasoning terror in the hearts
of all creatures that see him; the passage of Usuns shadow is said
to paralyze other creatures with fear, pinning them to the spot
like the passage of a hawks shadow over a field mouse. In addition to his empathic abilities, Usun has developed a great rapport
with the creatures of the Liaj Jungle. He uses Dragonspeech to
command the creatures of the jungle and employ them as spies,
servants and soldiers.
Usun does not possess the breadth of magical knowledge exhibited by great dragons such as Mountainshadow or Vasdenjas, but
he does have considerable mastery of the arts of Elementalism.
Elemental magic allows Usun to control nearly every aspect of the
Liaj Jungle to suit him. He can animate the trees and jungle vines
to attack intruders, create rain and fog to shroud the jungle, and
wield the powers of fire, ice, and earth as weapons. There is a great
deal of elemental lore to be learned from Usuns magic, although
wresting such secrets from him may be an impossible task.

11

Vasdenjas

asdenjas, the Master of Secrets, the Terrible, the Eater of

Cities, called Talespeaker by dragonkind, is a meddlesome gossip and storyteller, something akin to a dragon
troubadour. Vasdenjas is one of the most learned and scholarly of
the great dragons of Barsaive. He is the Loremaster of Barsaives
dragons, a very important role among dragons. Loremasters are
C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

133

to be above the dragons ancient struggles and physical conflicts,

much as one might expect from a scholar or wordsmith from one
of the Young Races.
Still, Vasdenjas is a great dragon, with all that entails. He is larger
than any newly Named dragon, as large as a small air galleon. His
scales are a dun color, fading to yellow on his wings and almost
eggshell color on his belly. They match the colors of the stone where
Vasdenjas prefers to rest. His horns are fairly straight, curving
slightly back from his head along his neck. Vasdenjas has sharp
talons and teeth, although he uses them only to hunt, rarely slaying any intruders in his lair.
DEX: 20
STR: 32
TOU: 28
PER: 27
WIL: 27
CHA: 25
Initiative: 25
Physical Defense: 24
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 34
Attack (8): 28
Social Defense: 32
Damage:
Physical Armor: 36
Bite (7): 39; 4Claws (5): 37
Mystic Armor: 31
Death: 261
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 240
Knockdown: 33
Wound Threshold: 31
Movement: 7/14 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18
* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

those who keep records of the history and stories of our dragonkind, passed on from the time of Nightslayer and Dayheart, the
First Dragons. Loremasters learn, maintain and pass on knowledge from one generation of dragons to the next. They also serve
as Keepers of the Rites, ensuring that the etiquette and traditions
the great dragons have developed are adhered to. Since the death
of Barsaives last Loremaster, Thermail, Vasdenjas has performed
admirably in this position, and has even taken his role a step furthera step not all of his fellow dragons agree with.
Like Mountainshadow and Icewing, Vasdenjas believes we
dragons have something of a responsibility to the Young Races.
Unlike Mountainshadow, Vasdenjas has very little curiosity
about Namegivershe knows all that he needs or cares to know
about them. Unlike Icewing, he has little patience for meddling in
Namegiver affairs. Instead, Vasdenjas believes in passing on knowledge and lore to the Young Races to help guide and educate them
in the wonders of the world. He truly loves to pontificate and to
hear the sound of his own voice, going on endlessly about nearly
any topic. Vasdenjas considers himself an expert on nearly everything, someone who can offer guidance to the foolish and limited
Namegivers of Barsaive. He has no interest in learning from them
in return, as Mountainshadow claims to do.
Despite his desire to share information with the young races, Vasdenjas is still a traditionalist. He believes other Namegivers should
be subservient to dragons and that they should be educated, guided,
and controlled like children. At the same time, Vasdenjas is also
a hypocrite. He argues and pontificates against the experiments
conducted by the Young Races to produce creatures such as hell
hounds or nagas and rails against the magician who created the
hydra, yet Vasdenjas is one of the most skilled in tampering with
life of any of the great dragons. He is a master of creating drakes.
Vasdenjas greatest assets are clearly his mind and his clever
tongue, which he uses to worm his way into the attention of
Namegivers. In body he is not the most powerful of great dragons, and prefers to avoid physical conflict when necessary. He talks
his way from fights when he can, and is thought by some dragons
to be almost afraid of battle, if such a thing could be said to be
true of a great dragon. Though he hunts well enough, he claims

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C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

Powers (Knacks):
Armored MatrixT (9)
Armored Scales (8)
Creature LoreS (10): 37
Dispel Magic (5): 32
Disrupt Fate (5): 32
Dragon Breath (5): 32
Dragon LoreS (10): 37
Dragonsight (9): 36 (Item History, Matrix Strike, Spirit Strike, True
Sight)
Dragonspeech (6): 33 (Learn Language)
Durability (15)
Enhanced MatrixT (9)
Enhanced MatrixT (9)
Enhanced MatrixT (9)
Fear (7): 32
Horror LoreS (5): 32
Karma Cancel (6): 33 (Lend Karma)
Lair Sense (5): 32
Regeneration (5): 33
Spellcasting (12): 39 (Anchored Spellcasting, Maintain Spell
Threads)
Spell MatrixT (9)
Spell MatrixT (9)
Spell MatrixT (9)
Spell MatrixT (9)
T
Spell Matrix (9)
Spell MatrixT (9)
Summoning (11): 38
Suppress Magic (5): 32
Thread Weaving [Illusionism, Nethermancy, Wizardry] (12): 39
Venom (5): 32
Wingbeat (5): 25
Spells: Illusionism, Nethermancy, Wizardry (each at Ninth Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (counts as treasure worth
Legend Points)

Rules

Vasdenjas is the only great dragon to share any substantial portion of his knowledge with other Namegivers. Apart from Icewing,
Vasdenjas is the only great dragon the dwarf kingdom of Throal has
had any significant open contact with, and the so-called Master
of Secrets is a good deal more forthcoming than Icewing, for reasons of his own.
The Master of Secrets is, as his title implies, a scholar and keeper
of lore. Though not quite as learned as his elder, Mountainshadow,
Vasdenjas is a vast storehouse of knowledge from throughout the
centuries, stretching back across the Ages. His store of wisdom is

Vestrivan

estrivan and Vasdenjas were born in a twin-shelled egg,

two apparently normal eggs joined end to end. Such
proximity allowed the two to share the same intimate
telepathy that a sire shares with his brood. Such intimacy is what
made the two brothers so close, and so identical in mind and spirit.
The pair together grew to become two of the greatest scholars of
all dragonkind.
It is interesting to note, however, that the brothers approached
their shared destiny in very different ways. Vasdenjas was anxious to

travel the world and learn from experience, while Vestrivan wanted
to delve through the accumulated knowledge of all Namegivers,
dragons included, and benefit from the experience of others. This
is where the brothers were destined to forever veer from each others lives.
In their youth, the pair could not be parted from each other. They
made their sire, Yuichotol, proud as they quickly
picked up the traditions and rituals of dragonkind. The first divisions became apparent
during this time, as Vasdenjas sought always
to journey as far out from the lair as they
were allowed in order to see the world and
converse with others, while Vestrivan
sought only to dig slowly through the
memory crystals Yuichotol had provided for study.
Later in their lives, as Named
adults, they stayed close but
grew even further apart. While
Vasdenjas traversed the lands,
conversing and learning of
creatures and Namegivers
and legends, Vestrivan again
kept mostly to Barsaive
and the lands near their
lair, devoting his mind
to learning and studying
even more about magic.
As they became great
dragons, Vasdenjas settled down considerably,
but still stayed as active and
outgoing as other great
dragons. The brothers grew close to
Thermail, Loremaster of the time,
becoming ardent
st udents, t horoughly exploring
her vast store of
knowledge. At this
time, a competition
developed bet ween
the two for Thermails
favor, and their relationship
became strained and soured. When
Thermail chose Vasdenjas for companionship,
Vestrivan cloistered himself away, and shunned most
contact with other dragons. Instead, he threw himself thoroughly
into his passion and lust for knowledge, eagerly devouring any scrap
and tidbit of magical lore in particular. Over his years of self-isolation, Vestrivan came to be an unprecedented wielder of magical
powervery few arcane secrets escaped him.
As the Scourge approached, the brothers turned their attention
to the study of Horrors and their effects. As always, Vasdenjas
scoured the land, seeking tales and information and direct experience. Vestrivan also learned of the Horrors, but from memory
crystals and old and musty tomes. Witnessing what he had, Vasdenjas realized the raw, destructive and evil power of the Horrors.
Conversely, his brother came to view them as potential sources of
magical knowledge. Both were correct.
When Vestrivan had read every magical tome known to the
Namegivers, and some unknown and since lost forever, he came to
the realization that only one realm of magical learning remained.
C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

G reat D rago n s

the dragons greatest power and, perhaps, his greatest weakness.

His physical prowess is considerable, but unremarkable for a great
dragon. Vasdenjas can destroy a city if he chooses, but physical
conflict is not normally his way, preferring to avoid it whenever possible. The Master of Secrets excels instead in activities connected
to his pursuit and love of knowledge: magic and an understanding of Patterns.
Vasdenjas has great magical skills, some of the
best among the great dragons of Barsaive.
His knowledge is not as great as that of
Mountainshadow, but it is far greater
than any magician of the Young Races.
Vasdenjas knows spells of wizardry,
nethermancy and illusion, and
perhaps some of elementalism as
well. Like all dragons, Vasdenjas certainly knows spells and
enchantments he keeps to himself, although he may share
them with his small brood
of younger dragons. Great
magical lore, preserved on
memory crystals, may be
hidden among the jewels
and gems of the dragons
treasure hoard, more valuable than any gemstone or
coin could ever be.
As skilled as Vasdenjas is
in magic, he is even more
skilled in the use of Dragonsight. He earned the Name
Master of Secrets from his ability to see what others would keep
hidden, to use Dragonsight to
penetrate into the deepest
and most complex of Patterns
and understand them. It is his
understanding of Patterns that
causes Vasdenjas to be so interested in knowledge. Knowledge
is power, and to know something
is to begin to understand its Pattern, its true self. Knowledge is the key
to
unlocking the secrets of a pattern, and Vasdenjas has over the
centuries become a master locksmith.
As one might expect, Vasdenjas is quite skilled in working
thread magic of all kinds. He is also skilled in more powerful
pattern magic. He has become adept at the creation of life, forming new patterns out of the formless energy of astral space. He has
spent many years working with Icewing, and has become an expert
in the Dance of Blue Spirits. In recent years he has experimented
on this drake-creating ritual and refined it significantly.

11

135

To fully understand every nuance of patterns, names, threads and

blood magic, Vestrivan would have to learn from the Horrors.
Vestrivan learned of the Horrors from scholarly works penned
by races and peoples that have vanished since the Age of Dragons.
Those tomes, certainly as old as or older than the Therans Books
of Harrow, are supposedly long gone, physically devoured by Vestrivan after reading them and realizing their content.
Like his brother, Vestrivan proved to be defiantly curious. Anxious
to learn the unlearnable Horror magic, Vestrivan used the knowledge
within those devoured tomes and made contact with the Horrors.
And the Horrors responded with the greed and hunger for which they
are so well known. Vestrivan was no fool, however, and had prepared
himself thoroughly. He was not easily defeated. Vestrivan struggled
with a formless spirit for at least forty years. At first, Vasdenjas sought
to aid his brother, but Vestrivan spurned him, and invoked the Rite
of Inviolate Self-Direction. Vasdenjas had no choice but to watch
his brother struggle from afar, and slowly succumb.
Eventually Vestrivan capitulated to the Horror, as nearly everyone and everything eventually does to an entity as powerful as it
was. But the defeat was not complete. The Horror was either unwilling or unable to completely devour Vestrivans mind, and in fact
was lured and trapped inside Vestrivans body itselfwhich they
both now share. This was exactly what Vestrivan wantedhe was
able to continue studying the Horrors and their magic, while the
Horror gained a form in which to walk through our world.
There are several disturbing facets of this malign relationship,
the most surprising of which is the discovery of Vestrivans dual
personalities. He seems to share his body with the Horror, but the
two are never both present at the same time. Sometimes the Horrors personality is at the forefront, and sometimes Vestrivans old
persona comes through. Sadly, as time progresses, the old Vestrivan
is seen less and the Horror is seen more. One intriguingthough
remotepossibility, is that the two might eventually merge into
a single being, combining the wisdom and intellect of the dragon
Vestrivan with the destructive hunger of the Horror.
DEX: 18
STR: 33
PER: 28
WIL: 28
Initiative: 20
Actions: 5
Attack (8): 26
Damage: Bite (7): 40
4Claws (5): 38
Death: 261
Unconsciousness: 240
Wound Threshold: 31

136

TOU: 28
CHA: 24
Physical Defense: 22
Spell Defense: 36
Social Defense: 31
Physical Armor: 36
Mystic Armor: 32
Recovery Tests: 14
Knockdown: 34
Movement: 7/14 *

C H A P T E R 1 1 | G reat D ragon s

Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle x 3 (Group)

Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 18

* The second value is the dragons flying Movement Rate.

Powers (Knacks):
Armored MatrixT (13): 13
Armored Scales (8): 8
Dragonsight (5): 33
Dragonspeech (5): 33
Durability (15): 15
Enhanced MatrixT (13): 13
Enhanced MatrixT (13): 13
Enhanced MatrixT (13): 13
Horror LoreS (8): 36
Spellcasting (11): 39
Spell MatrixT (13): 13
Spell MatrixT (13): 13
Spell MatrixT (13): 13
Spell MatrixT (13): 13
Spell MatrixT (13): 13
Spell MatrixT (13): 13
Thread Weaving [Nethermancy] (11): 39
And add three or more of the following dragon powers (knacks):
Dispel Magic (5): 33
Disrupt Fate (5): 33
Dragon Breath (5): 33
Fear (6): 30 (Terror)
Karma Cancel (6): 34 (Lend Karma)
Lair Sense (5): 33
Regeneration (5): 33
Summoning (10): 38
Suppress Magic (5): 33
Venom (5): 33
Wingbeat (5): 23
Horror Powers: See Despoiler of the Land, p.479, for his powers
when the Despoiler is in control of Vestrivan
Spells: Nethermancy (Thirteenth Circle)
Loot: Magical items (some quite ancient) and a hoard of coins and
gems worth around 500,000 silver pieces (worth Legend Points)

Rules

Few dragons strike such unreasoning fear into the hearts of

Namegivers as does the Horror-marked Vestrivan. Despite the
failure of other great dragons to recognize Vestrivan as a great
dragon, he is doubtless as powerfulconsidering the gifts from
his patronas most other great dragons in Barsaive. For more
information on Vestrivans other personality, see Despoiler of
the Land, p.149.
Vestrivans story is not merely about his villainy. Indeed, there is
a more tragic story in Vestrivans past, of hubris and power and lost
brotherhood with his fellow dragons. For within Vestrivan there
are two minds, two distinct beings: The old Vestrivan, broodmate
of Vasdenjas and magical scholar, and the Horror that accepted
Vestrivans ill-considered invitation to reside alongside the soul
of the scholar. In short, there is more to Vestrivans story than
anyone has suspected.
Vestrivan is intended to be an enigma, andas a Horror-corrupted dragonis likely to be the most powerful opponent the
characters will ever meet. Gamemasters should be careful when
introducing him into their campaigns.

named Horrors

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Ch a p t er T w elv e

Foolish Namegivers! Knowledge is a powerful tool in

this age of magic. Knowledge of the Horrors, however,
invites their touch upon your mind and heart. The wise
Namegiver will remember this and be wary.
Xuatocl

The distinction between Named Horrors and those without

Names is a critical one, and not simply because the Named
Horrors are unique (though the world should surely be
thankful that there exists only one Hunter of Great Dragons;
were there more than one, we would surely not have survived
the Scourge). Any Horror that has a Name also has a True
pattern, and is therefore subject to the same laws of magic that
we Namegivers know. Of course, using thread magic against
these Horrors, while certainly possible, is extremely difficult, not
least because the hero who would boldly attack one must first
learn his enemys True Name. As the reader of this tome will
discover, many of the Names by which we call these Horrors are
labels, rather than the True Names of these beings. And as every
Barsaivian knows, to learn the True Name of a Horror is often
as dangerous as directly confronting onefor it may be that
only through thread magic will we have any chance of driving
the Horrors from our world. The following descriptions include
information our librarians have collected about these powerful
and dangerous beings.
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records

The following text is an edited version of the notorious Eurydon

Document. The document, purchased by the traveled scholar
Falamica from an itinerant peddler in 1502TH, has since
become the center of much controversy here at the Hall of
Records. Purportedly, the document is the human merchant
Eurydons account of his experiences under the Horror mark
of a being known as Aazhvat Many-Eyeshence its inclusion
in this compendium. The document also holds great interest for
linguistic scholars of Throal, for it veers seemingly at random
between three languages: human, Throalic, and a tongue as yet
unidentified. The noted language historian Verrif Kanos and
his apprentices studied the document intensively between 1503
and 1504 in an attempt to identify this unknown script. Though
the group made little progress in decoding these passages,
Verrif Kanos concluded that the weird letters represented the
languageor one languageof the Horrors themselves. When
several of Verrif s apprentices were implicated in the so-called
Copper Dagger Murders of 1504, King Varulus, in his wisdom,
elected to suppress the Eurydon Document, identifying it as
the cause of their madness. And so it is only with the special
dispensation of the kingand under the provision that
the passages in the unknown language be stricken from the

documentthat we present it here, in this most secret and

restricted of Great Library compilations. We hope that what
remains of the document can shed light on the nature of the
Horrors, with minimal risk to the sanity of the reader.
Ardiv Fasha, Apprentice
Archivist, Great Library of Throal, 1507TH

12

AazhvatMany-Eyes

had not seen nor spoken to my brother Uraxes for more

than three years. Though no quarrel divided us, our paths
through life had become separate. Uraxes had chosen the
way of the adventurer, seeking to build a great legend. I had
chosen the way of the merchant, seeking only to build a respectable business.
I learned of Uraxess death when a messenger delivered
his worldly goods to me, per the note found on his body. The
authorities had dutifully delivered my brothers effectsminus the death tax, of coursebut the accompanying document
describing the circumstances of Uraxess demise was hardly illuminating. That missive said merely that my brother had been
slain in an inn, the Briar Lizard, in the city of Iopos. The notes
lack of detail preyed on my mind, and, after a period of contemplation, I arranged my affairs and set off for Iopos.
The proprietor of the Briar Lizard was obviously not pleased to
see me and was close-mouthed about my brothers fate. However,
the purchase of several rounds of hurlg bought me considerable
information from the ork patrons of the inns tavern. They said
Uraxes had frequented the tavern shortly before he died, trying
to recruit adventurers to help him salvage goods from an abandoned kaer he had found. Unfortunately he had little success,
for it was widely known that his previous companions had been
slain in the kaer and he had little money to attract recruits. The
orks said that Uraxess behavior became more and more erratic
over several weeks, until one night he smashed the taverns large
mirror and launched himself at the patrons, swinging his axe and
screaming in rage. Uraxes slew many of the unfortunate souls, as
well as the soldiers sent to subdue him. The mirror, its hundred
pieces hastily affixed in its frame, hung above the bar in silent
testimony to the havoc he had wrought that dark night.
After a while, I left the inn and sought out the officer in charge
of public order for the district. He hinted that, for a fee, he might
release into my care an item that had been withheld as evidence.
I paid the troll the silver pieces he wanted and he provided me
with a map to a kaer that had been drawn with Uraxess characC H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

137

teristic precision. I decided to use the resources

at my disposal to hire a crew of adventurers to investigate the kaer, in the hope its
contents might shed some light on my
brothers demise. In a short time I had
assembled a group of Namegivers
experienced in such matters, and
we set out.
I had never taken part in the
exploration of a kaer before, but
by the time we reached the site
the mystery of my brothers
fate filled me with a consuming curiosity. Undoubtedly
this curiosity suppressed my
usual caution as I plunged into
the kaer alongside my hired
companions, never suspecting
the danger awaiting us.
A s we entered t he fou l
place, I gasped and clutched
at my throat. As my eyes grew
accustomed to the darkness,
I discovered the source of the
rancid vapors that filled the dark
air. Strewn about the dirt floor were
the bodies of the kaers inhabitants,
seemingly mummified by some unknown
process. The uniform expression of terror
on their pitiful faces remains fresh in my mind,
as if burned into my memory. At the time I felt much
dismayed by the casual, almost joking manner the others displayed at our gruesome discovery. Though I now understand it
as a hardened, necessary reaction of those all too accustomed
to such shocking sights, it angered me then. I recklessly hurried
ahead, stumbling into an anteroom where I beheld IT.
At first, it seemed nothing more than a forgotten old shield hanging on the wall, dusty and corroded. But then the lid appeared,
sweeping open languidly to reveal the eyethat horrible, round,
liquid EYE! I staggered back, shaken, and when I looked again I
could see no trace of the cursed orb. I said nothing to my companions. Instinctively, I knew I had found the clue I had soughtand
in so doing I had committed the worst error of my life.
That night, I went back to the Briar Lizard. Though I could well
afford superior accommodations, I found myself driven by an inexplicable, irresistible urge to retrace the footsteps of my departed
brother, to understand what had gone on in his mind. Already I had
grown certain that he had seen IT as well, and like me he had been
unable to purge the terrible image from his mind.
And so I sat in the tavern, this time seeking no companionship. I
overindulged in the nectar of the vine and I thought of my brother,
and of his strange demise, and the terrible thing in the kaer.
I next remember reeling into my room, hot wax from the candle
dripping onto my hand. I set the candle down onto the chest of
drawers and emptied my pockets, spilling out my coins next to the
taper. Suddenly, eleven liquid eyes blinked open from the silver
pieces and stared at me, boring into me and penetrating my soul.
I screamed and fell backwards, and then all went dark.
I awoke with sunlight upon my face. I shook my throbbing
head and thought of the eyes in the coinsa dream, a wine-fueled hallucination, I admonished myself. I staggered to my feet
and walked over to the chest of drawers.
The coins were still looking at mefor an instant at least. Then
they blinked shut. I grabbed them and held them tight. They

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C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

were metallic, solidcommon coins.

I clattered them together, threw
them against the wallcommon
coins in every respect. I threw
myself down upon the crude
and musty bed and wept, for
what had happened seemed
obvious. I had been marked
by a Horror in the kaer
the same Horror that had
marked Uraxes. It had
driven him mad, and
now it would do the
same to me.
For several days this
went on. Coins, buttons, saucers, the wine
in my gobleteach of
these things opened
their eyes to me; their
staring, malign, relentless eyes. It happened in
my room. It happened in
the tavern. I tried my best
to conceal my growing agitation, but soon I began to
tremble uncontrollably. Sleep
became impossible, for whenever I drifted off I began to dream
of those eyes, that Eye, everywhere,
boring through me, paralyzing me. Nowhere
could I escape its unceasing gaze!
Somehow I located an expert on the Horrors and their magics,
a Nethermancer who had recently retired from the Denairastass
service. I spoke to her of my recent experiences and told her of my
brothers demise. She listened attentively to my desperate outpouring
of words with an expression of deep sympathy. When I had finished,
I pleaded desperately for a solution to my dilemma.
You have been marked by Aazhvat, also known as Aazhvat
Many-Eyes, she said. Legends speak of several ways of breaking the mark of Aazhvat. Self-blinding is said to be one, but some
tales claim this method is ineffective. Seeking the mark of a more
powerful Horror is another way, but that is clearly undesirable.
But there is a third way, she said as she slid a dagger across the
table to me. Fixing me with a brief, piercing gaze, she walked
from the room.
Her meaning was clear; suicide was the only surcease. But I
could not bring myself to surrender.
As I walked back to the tavern, all those I passed on the streets
seemed to stare at me with the awful eyes of Aazhvat. As I
returned to the tavern, I saw workmen installing a new mirror.
Before it was securely in its frame, it had already become an Eye
of Aazhvatlooking at me, taunting me. Suddenly I found an
empty bottle in my hand and I was smashing at it, again and again
and again and again, until the shards were shards of shards of
shards. The proprietor advanced on me, fury in his eyes. I knew
what I must do, and I seized one of the shards, plunging it into
my left eye. I plunged it again and again, and into my right eye
as well. The pain, the pain was indescribable. The proprietor had
stopped, shocked by this display of self-mutilation.
His anger melted, and his knees buckled beneath him. He
lurched for a table. A feeling of terror then began to grow in
my stomach, for I realized I had not escaped. For though I had
destroyed both my eyes, I could still see!

Aazhvat Many-Eyes exists solely on the astral plane but maintains

a close connection to the physical plane, where it finds its victims.
No description of it exists, except that the Horror can manifest a
large eye to peek into the physical realm.
DEX: 7
STR: 7
TOU: 18
PER: 23
WIL: 20
CHA: 18
Initiative: 7
Physical Defense: 9
Actions: 5
Social Defense: 29
Attack: NA
Spell Defense: 23
Damage: NA
Physical Armor: 10

Mystic Armor: 15
Death: 183
Recovery Tests: 9
Unconsciousness: Immune Knockdown: Immune
Wound Threshold: 23
Movement: 4
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 040 (see text) K arma Step: 15
Powers: Corrupt Reality (15), Create Shadow (6), Durability (11),
Horror Mark (5): 28 (special; see text), Karma Drain (5): 25,
Spellcasting (7): 30, Thread Weaving [Nethermancy] (7): 30
Spells: Nethermancy (Ninth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Like many Horrors, Aazhvat Many-Eyes feeds by inducing terror,

dread, and despair in its victims. But Aazhvat does so in a very
particular manner.
Corrupted Objects: Throughout Barsaive, Aazhvat maintains
psychic manifestations of itself, which it overlays onto mundane
objects in the material world. These objects are always large, round
items such as shields, plaques, broken pot bottoms, circular box
lids, and so forth. Additionally, these objects must be located in
areas of the physical world adjacent to highly polluted portions
of astral space, such as Tainted or Corrupt regions (EPC, p.289).
These areas often retain a heavy Horror taint; examples include
the Badlands, the ruins of Parlainth, or any kaer ravaged by Horrors during the Scourge.
Aazhvat maintains a maximum of thirteen of these charged
objects throughout Barsaive. When one is discovered or destroyed,
the Horror searches the physical plane for another likely spot and
object to imprint with its essence. The act of imprinting an object
requires no tests, but it costs Aazhvat 12 Karma Points. Once an
object has been so imprinted, that object is considered Horrormarked by Aazhvat. Aazhvat senses whenever a suitable being
ventures across one of these charged objects. When a victim
beholds the object, Aazhvat employs its Corrupt Reality power
to temporarily transform the object into a socket for one of its
own eyes (understandably, most Namegivers find this a deeply
disturbing sight). Aazhvat then uses this conduit to the physical
plane to attempt to Horror-mark the victim. If the character does
not immediately avert his gaze from the eye of Aazhvat, the Horror
gains a +3 bonus to its Horror Mark Test.
Gaze of Corruption: Aazhvat usually induces insanity in its
victims by using the Corrupt Reality power, which enables it to
distort the very fabric of reality. It uses this power to make every
vaguely round object appear to the victim as a manifestation of
one of the Horrors gruesome eyes. It can even transform other
Namegivers so that their eyes momentarily look like its eyes. Aazhvat never communicates directly with its victims, because it savors
their terrified confusion.

Horror Mark: Aazhvats unique Horror Mark ability is much

more powerful than that of other Horrors. Aazhvat may mark victims who merely gaze at objects charged with its essence, rather than
only victims it can see. As long as the original charged object exists
intact, Aazhvat may always use any of its other powers on the victim,
regardless of the distance between them. Aazhvat may only renew its
Horror mark when it expires by spending 13 Karma Points.
Aazhvats Horror mark is exceedingly difficult to break because
the Horror can renew the mark without regard to distance. Destroying the original object containing Aazhvats imprint changes
Aazhvats Horror mark to a standard one, which forces Aazhvat
to occupy a point in astral space no more than ten miles from the
Horror-marked character to manifest its powers. However, the only
guaranteed way to completely erase Aazhvats mark is to destroy
Aazhvat. Because this Horror dwells exclusively in astral space,
characters must fight Aazhvat in astral space to harm it. In astral
space, Aazhvat appears as an enormous blob of wet, blinking eyes,
roiling and bubbling in a chaotic mass. It has no appendages and
fights solely by casting spells. Aazhvat is somewhat vulnerable to
physical attacks, assuming that the characters can get to astral
space and are carrying weapons that will manifest there as well.
(Assume that only magical weapons with threads attached to them
can do damage to the Horror on the astral plane.)
Karma: Aazhvat does not regain Karma naturally; it must leech
karma from victims it has marked by using its Karma Drain power. To
ensure itself a supply of Karma, Aazhvat typically maintains a dozen
or so marked victims of various races at any given time. Because
Aazhvat experiences intense pleasure when its victims go mad and
destroy themselves, Aazhvat must constantly balance its hunger with
its need for fresh victims to sustain its Karma supply.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

gameInformation

12

Adventure Hook

Characters can become involved with Aazhvat Many-Eyes

through exposure to Aazhvats Horror-marked items or through
contact with one of Aazhvats victims. Once a victim is marked, the
Horror stalks the victim, using its powers to torment him.
One possible adventure involving Aazhvat involves a number of
travelers in a rural area. Aazhvat marks the individuals, leading to
a number of recent deaths. In response to the slayings, local village
leaders have pooled their resources and hired the player characters to find and destroy the object that Aazhvat has imprinted with
its essence. In this case, the object is a rounded knot of a tree in a
patch of jungle that was corrupted during the Scourge and is currently inhabited by bizarre plant creatures.

Artificer

Shortly after I began to research the Horror known as Artificer,

I discovered that no solid documentary evidence of it existed.
The literature contains many fragmentary, offhand references
to it, but no coherent legends describe it directly. Therefore, I
elicited the aid of a number of adventurers who have experienced
personally the handiwork of this most curious Horror. What
follows is a transcript of a discussion, which I moderated. The
participants are Ajmar the Admirable, Court Wizard to the
King of Throal; Kreena Tshimon, accomplished thief and leader
emeritus of His Majestys Exploratory Force; and Thridula,
freelance scout.
Vomonica Cerrov, Apprentice
Archivist, Library of Throal

C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

139

omonica: T he topic of discussion today is the

Horror known as Artificer. Thridula, you seem
discomfited.
Thridula: You may be willing to speak the Name, but I am not.
Vomonica: How are we to discuss the entity if we do not speak
its
Thridula: I consider it unwise to speak the Name of any major
Horror at any time.
Ajmar: Superstition, mere superstition! It is well known that
Artificer resides on the astral plane exclusively, and that it
can harm us only through its traps. As I see no traps in this
comfortable reading room, I believe we can be confident that
we are beyond its reach.
Thridula: Still, one can never be too
Vomonica: Ajmar, this is the nub of the matter I wish to explore
today. You say that such and so is well known about Artificer,
but I found almost no references to the Horror in the existing
literature.
Kreena: You must have experience in the field to understand
this, boy. The Name of Artificer echoes in the mind of any
seasoned explorer.
Vomonica: But the many adventurers journals here at the library
mention this Horror only sparingly.
Thridula: One does not tempt Fate by referring idly to a Horror
such as this one.
Vomonica: Well, perhaps each of you could briefly describe
Artificer, from what you know of him.
Thridula: It.
Vomonica: Very well, it. Kreena?
Kreena: Artificer is the nightmare of every explorer who
ventures underground. W henever you creep through a
passageway, open a door or drop through a hole, a part of you
fears that one of Artificers cruel surprises is waiting for you,
hungry to rend your flesh and taste your blood.
Thridula: Thankfully, the foul creature of which we speak leaves
ample evidence of its work. It leaves all that it touchesbe it earth,
stone, whatever materiala smooth, gleaming, unearthly metal.
Ajmar: Strictly speaking, little about the metal itself is unearthly.
I have extensively tested the material in my laboratory, as has an
Elementalist colleague, and I have found that the metal created
by Artificer has no innately magical characteristics. However,
the material cannot be duplicated by any known means. The
greatest metalworkers of Throal have gazed at it in wonder,
admiring its absolute smoothness and seamlessness.
Vomonica: So Artificer is a Horror that changes underground
complexes, covering them in this unusual metal and larding
them with vicious traps. To what end?
Thridula: It wishes to feed on our pain.
Vomonica: And how do you know this?
Thridula: I have scars. The first two joints on my index finger I
lost in a trap in the ruins of Landis. This leg was crippled by a
crushing mechanism in an alcove in an abandoned kaer to the
west of Blood Wood.
Ajmar: Curious, Thridula. I have never noticed you limping.
Thridula: A questor of Garlen healed it for me. Good as new
on the outside. But on the inside, it still feels crippled. Ive been
wounded many a time in my day. Were I to recount all of my
wounds, we would be here for hours
Ajmar: No doubt.
Thridula: but of all these, it is the Wound I suffered from that
things trap that still haunts me.
Vomonica: But how do you know that Artificer fed on the pain
you suffered?
Thridula: I could feel the vile thing. For the briefest moment,
when my head was swimming with agony, I could feel its

140

C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

presence. Far away, yet close as well. It was terrifying and might
have driven me mad had it lasted longer than a moment.
Kreena: I felt the same thing when I was hit with the scythe
blade of a trap in a kaer outside Urupa. The Horror did not speak
directly to me or communicate any specific thoughts, but I knew
it was there nonetheless.
Ajmar: I must say that I have not been as unlucky as my
colleagues. Though I have been in a kaer altered by Artificer
the one catalogued as K626 in Jabrus Atlas of Excavated KaersI
have never been personally injured by one of its traps. Not
that I havent had several close calls, I hasten to add! However,
several of my companions on that desperate day were harmed
by the traps and reported sensing a vast, impossibly strange
consciousness touching theirs.
Vomonica: So no one knows what Artificer looks like? They
just know its presence in their minds.
Thridula: I know what it looks like. The Horror of which we
speak is half a league long, made of metal and covered with
curious mechanisms and devices: wheels, pulleys, dials, rivets,
seams. Its orifices excrete hot steam, dark and foul liquids, and
throat-tightening gases.
Kreena: The only thing like it is the engine of one of my peoples
riverboats. Yes, it is a gigantic, distorted boat engine turned
inside out. Its image is madness.
Vomonica: And how do you know this?
Kreena: I simply know it.
Vomonica: Have you always known this?
Kreena: No, I suppose not. Tales of this thing were never told
in our compact.
Ajmar: I believe that Thridula and Kreenas visions of Artificer
came to them when they were harmed by its traps. I have spoken
to many adventurers about Artificer since our own encounter
with its awful works. Those who have been in its traps describe
it as our friends have done just now. Those who have not profess
ignorance of the Horrors nature and appearance.
Vomonica: You also said it is well-known that the thing exists
only on the astral plane. How is this well-known?
Ajmar: Perhaps it is not. I thought it was well-known. Curiously,
I have always believed it to be common knowledge, yet I rarely

GameInformation

During a previous Scourge, a group of dragons summoned a powerful elemental to the physical world to use in their fight against the
Horrors. This elemental was summoned from the Realm of Metal,
an unearthly plane accessible via the larger Plane of Earth. Unfortunately for the dragonsand countless Namegivers thereafterthe

Horrors corrupted the elemental, turning it into a strange hybrid

of Horror and elemental that contains certain traits of both.
Artificer feeds in an unusual manner. Whenever the magic level
in the world is high enough to permit its entry, it burrows through
the earth in search of underground caverns and tunnels. It then
uses the Forge Trap power to transform these places into gleaming,
metallic mazes strewn with fiendish mechanical traps. When the
mystic energies abate and the world becomes hostile to its presence, Artificer retreats to the astral plane and waits. The deformed
patterns of its trap mazes are connected to its own pattern, and
so whenever a living being falls into one of its traps, Artificer can
feed on the victims pain.
During the most recent Scourge, Artificer found breached
kaers ideal environments to transform into trap complexes. It also
searched for gold, gems, magical treasures and other items valued
by Namegivers and placed these inside these complexes as bait.
Physically, Artificer appears as an enormous entity with a vaguely
quadruped body shape. Gleaming silver, gold, and bronze comprise
its body, and a chaotic mix of rivets, gears, pulleys, levers, and other
mechanical devices cover it, An array of wheels along its underside
enables the Horror to propel itself along the ground when necessary, and it can burrow through earth as a whale swims through
water. The Horror may attack by shooting forth up to four gigantic,
spring-loaded spikes from its body per combat round.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

speak without being completely assured of the veracity of my

statements.
Thridula: Indeed.
Vomonica: Have there been any reports of the Horror
manifesting on the physical plane?
Ajmar: I am aware of none.
Vomonica: Is there anything else anyone cares to add about
their experiences with Artificer?
Thridula: I could describe its traps more fully, but as to the
thing itself, I have nothing more than those odd impressions.
It is something I shall never forget.
Ajmar: I will speculate on its origins, if you will permit me.
Having consulted an Elementalist colleague when studying the
metal mentioned earlier, I came to the conclusion that the Horror
might be related somehow to the elemental spirits.
Kreena: An elemental spirit and a Horror both? How can that be?
Thridula: Never trust an elemental spirit, thats all Ill say.
Ajmar: Needless to say, our theory is tentative. But my
experiences in K626 seems to suggest such a connection. Our
warrior had a magical lance bequeathed to him by an earth spirit
in exchange for services rendered. The lance, which the warrior
knew to be useless against other earth elementals, simply went
dead within the confines of the complex. The threads he wove
to it vanished as if dispelled, but sprang back into being as soon
as we escaped from the kaer. From this, I conclude that Artificer
is in part either an earth elemental or a related entity.
Kreena: The concept of elemental spirits being corrupted in this
manner is most disturbing. Thank Mynbruje that no corrupted
water elementals exist.
Ajmar: Do not be so sure, my tskrang friend. What we know
about the Horrors can fit in a thimble, tossed on a vast ocean
of ignorance.
Vomonica: In conclusion, then, is there any advice you would
like to present to readers of this tome who may find themselves
in one of Artificers mazes?
Thridula: If you find yourself in an area of worked and gleaming
metal, the like of which you have never seen before, turn back
immediately.
Kreena: The maze always contains a point that blocks ones
exit. Map very carefully, for you will likely have to search for
another way out.
Ajmar: Most of Artificers mazes contain another route as well
one engineered to take you through the worst of the traps.
Thridula: Forget about any treasures you see. The Horror of
which we speak packs its mazes with fabulous jewels and magical
objects, enough to whet the greed of any dwarf. Remember, these
items are placed there as bait.
Kreena: Two of my finest comrades were slain attempting to remove
gems from a statue found in one of Artificers kaers. Emeralds the
size of your head, worth enough to retire on forever.
Thridula: I was with them. They retired, all right, but not in
the manner they had intended. Another thingbeware of
traps within traps. I found several traps that were triggered by
actions necessary to disarm yet other traps. The Horror designs
its devices to cripple the thieves and scouts, so as to prevent them
from disarming the more diabolical traps ahead.
Kreena: I shudder at these memories. We have said enough
today. Let us retire to the tavern and speak of better things.

12

DEX: 10
STR: 20
TOU: 28
PER: 20
WIL: 19
CHA: 10
Initiative: 7
Physical Defense: 11
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 25
Attack (6): 16
Social Defense: 13
Damage:
Physical Armor: 33
Spikes (5): 25
Mystic Armor: 20
Death: 261
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 240
Knockdown: 23
Wound Threshold: 34
Movement: 5
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 30
Karma Step: 15
Powers: Durability (15), Forge Trap (15): 35
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Though terrifying in combat, Artificer has no great interest in

fighting. Instead, the Horror prefers to feed on those caught in its
traps. Current magic levels prevent Artificer from returning to
the material world, though some dread rituals may be powerful
enough to summon it back temporarily. The Horror now resides
solely on the astral plane, usually in the astral space surrounding
one of its trap complexes.
Immunity to Earth: Artificers elemental nature renders it
immune to attacks by earth elementals and their kin and from
the effects of earth-related Elementalism spells such as Earth Darts,
Earth Staff, Metal Scream, Stone Cage, Tossing Earth.

Adventure Hook

Artificer provides a rationale for the underground complex full

of traps and treasure, a staple plot element of fantasy roleplaying.
Gamemasters can use the classic go in and get the loot structure
or vary the formula by having the characters form a rescue party
to find and save someone who has disappeared into one of Artificers complexes. Alternatively, the characters may attempt to enter
astral space in search of Artificer, in the hope they might destroy
it. In this case, locating the Horror becomes the first step in a particularly dangerous, exciting adventure.
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

141

BoneCrowntheUsurper

The following text was drawn from the Journal of Mustan,

which was recovered from the ruins of Parlainth in 1502TH
by His Majestys Exploratory Force. The journal appears
to be an account of life in Parlainth at the time of the citys
disappearance from our reality in 1044. The journals author,
Mustan Mustanicus, was the head of a Theran trading house.
Unfortunately, the little of the journal that has not been rendered
illegible by the ravages of time consists largely of curt notations
of business dealings: it is not the key to the secrets of Parlainths
mysterious history that my superiors had initially hoped it would
be. However, its disturbing last pages contain vital clues to the
ongoing enigma of Parlainths fate. As they also concern the
baleful entity known as Bone Crown the Usurper, we chose to
include them in this volume. In translating this journal excerpt
from the Theran, I have retained the original Theran dating.
Zamirica One-Knee, Apprentice
Archivist, Great Library of Throal

ixtieth Week/Third Day, 607

Meeting with Emila Fist-Heart, a supporter of Headbreaker. Fist-Heart requests support of my trading house
and vassals in upcoming skirmish with Vastbellys forces. FistHearts loyalty to Headbreaker is strong but without apparent
motive. I do not understand Headbreakers success in rallying so
many to her cause. I impress upon Fist-Heart the need for peace
and the futility of shedding Namegiver blood.
Sixtieth Week/Fourth Day, 607
Meeting with Herek Quantz, chancellor to the Lord Mayor.
Quantz also requests the support of my house and vassals. I repeat
assertions given to Fist-Heart: need for reconciliation, mediation,
solutionnot fighting.
Sixtieth Week/Fifth Day, 607
Fighting breaks out in the merchants quarter. A troop of Headbreakers fighters ambushes Vastbellys tax patrol. Six are slain,
fourteen seriously injured. This is madness.

Sixty-First Week/Second Day, 607

Dinner with Phabre turns peculiar. Phabre is now a fierce partisan of Headbreaker. I detect a gleam in Phabres eyes that seems,
well, eerie. Last week he was fulminating against Headbreaker,
crying traitor and shame! Now he claims Headbreaker is Parlainths only hope. Spittle flies from his lips as he swears death to
Vastbelly. I upbraid him and he storms out.
Sixty-First Week/Third Day, 607
Still disquieted by dinner with Phabre. I begin inquiries,
searching for a magical explanation for bizarre
(text obscured by water damage)
Sixty-Seventh Week/Fourth Day, 607
No further outbreaks of violence. Mediation efforts seem to
have borne fruitfor now. My suspicions of Headbreakers supporters have grown stronger for their fervency seems unnatural.
I feel I am getting closer to an explanation, however.
Sixty-Ninth Week/Fifth Day, 607
I swallow my pride and visit Jadrian. Past differences forgotten. Jadrian is concerned new outbreaks are imminent. Like me,
he worries that desire for peace is shallow on both sides. I ask
Jadrian about a possible Horror connection to the cruel and stupid

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C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

behavior of Headbreakers rebels. Jadrian replies, Do not impute

to the influence of Horrors what can be explained by the eternal
folly of Namegivers.
Seventieth Week/Third Day, 607
Success! I have found an actual witness to the events leading up to
the Kathaz massacre. The witness is an ork serving woman, Name
of Lalak. She says the town prepared for the Scourge with a cooperative effort to build a kaer. Then a series of mysterious slayings
occurred. Community leaders were killed in their beds or simply
disappeared. Then a man Named Zornos, a long-lost brother of one
of the slain, appeared in town. Zornos found blood-magic fetishes
buried inside the kaers foundations. He blamed the current councilors, and fighting broke out between those who followed Zornos
and the city guards. Blood flowed, and all the councilors were slain
or fled. Zornos was acclaimed the new headman.
Over the next few months, Zornos convinced the townspeople
that neighboring villagers had plotted with the councilors to plant
the fetishes. He told them their neighbors had planned to take over
their farms when the Scourge ended. Lalak says the eyes of the Katkaz
townsfolk had the same kind of look I detected in Phabres!
Zornos began training the townsfolk for war. Soon, kaer-building stopped and raids on other villages began. Zornos then told
the townspeople their kaer had been permanently fouled and
said they must kill other villagers and take over their kaers to
survive. A series of raids followed over the next few months, in
which dozens, perhaps hundreds, were killed. Lalak and others
spoke out against Zornos, but they were arrested and tortured.
Lalak escaped and was picked up by a Theran infantry patrol
marching toward Kathaz.
Soon afterward, a Theran infantry unit attacked Kathaz. The
townsfolk fought to the death, and every last man, woman, and
child was slain. Zornoss body was never found.
I wondered if Zornos and Headbreaker are the same person,
but it seems too simple. Also, Headbreaker is a troll and Zornos
was an ork. Still, I feel Lalaks tale has some important connection to the present crisis.
Seventieth Week/Fourth Day, 607
I visit Jadrian and recount Lalaks tale for him. Jadrian agrees
that the Kathaz massacre sounds Horror-tainted but he remains
unconvinced that it is related to Parlainths current troubles. He
promises to consult his library for similar accounts.
Seventieth Week/Fifth Day, 607
The agreement between Vastbelly and Headbreaker has been
violated. A fight broke out between partisans of both sides near
the fountain. Unclear which side started it, and whether either
was authorized to fight. Riots spread throughout the administrative quarter. Several elderly, peaceful Vastbelly supporters
were doused with oil and set afire. Tensions are high throughout the city. I was summoned to mediate once more. Vastbelly
is alternately cooperative and bombastic. Headbreaker sends an
emissaryEmila Fist-Heart, who seems even more fervent than
before. Something is missing behind her eyes. I propose a direct
meeting between Vastbelly and Headbreaker, but Fist-Heart
refuses. Vastbelly is offended. I ask for an audience with Headbreaker; Im told not yet. Very peculiar. More meetings are
scheduled for tomorrow.
Seventy-Second Week/First Day, 607
Peace again, for now. Firstweek festivities will be tense but not
marked by bloodshedI hope. I am exhausted, but the conflict
seems papered over.
Seventy-Second Week/Third Day, 607
Summoned by messenger to meet Jadrian. His excitement is
obvious in his demeanor. In various texts, Jadrian has found leg-

Seventy-Second Week/Fourth Day, 607

I have been thinking much. If Headbreaker is Zornos, is Allar,
is Bone Crown the Usurper, my previous neutrality must be
abandoned. But my role as honest broker is precisely what has
prevented great carnage. Do I remain a mediator, or do I throw
my lot in with Vastbelly? Vastbellys faults are as enormous as
his girth, and his sorcerer backers are mad and menacing in their
own way, but at least they are not Horrors. And do I have any
real evidence to present to Vastbelly, to the people of Parlainth,
to anyone? Can I better strike at Headbreaker by acting alone?
More pondering in days ahead, no doubt.
On my way to consult again with Jadrian, I am accosted on
the street by Phabre, who tells me that Headbreaker wishes to
meet with me. Alone, I shudder. But perhaps this is an opportunity. I send a messenger with my regrets to Jadrian and spend the
evening in the tavern, drawing what I can from Phabre. I soon
become all the more convinced that something is wrong with him.
Although he is inches from my face, he sounds like he is speaking
to me from miles away.
Seventy-Second Week/Fifth Day, 607
First-week celebrations are only days away, but they will hold no
joy for me. I went to Jadrians home, but he was not there. Instead,
I found blood on the floor of his study. His wife and children are
also missing. Near frantic, I tracked down his friends, but none
knew his whereabouts. I had sensed something strange in the
maids manner and went back to question her further, but she
had disappeared.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

endary references to a possible culprit: Bone Crown the Usurper.

An entity by this Name was active during the Invae Burnings in
southern Barsaive, before the founding of Thera. The Invae were
insect-like creatures that infested the ancient kingdom of Landis,
assumed the forms of Namegivers, infiltrated the cult of Chorrolis
and began turning others into insect beings. In the ensuing confusion and hysteria, many innocents died.
Much of the innocent blood was spilled by an officer of the army
of Landis, a human named Husan Allar. Allar became known as
the Questor Killer and the Passion Slayer. He began to recruit
followers of his own, outside the authority of the king of Landis.
Eventually the king sent loyalist troops to bring Allar to heel.
Several minor battles ensued, and many of the so-called loyalists
defected to Allar. Allars army continued to grow even after the
threat of the Invae had ended. Soon Allars army had captured a
small province, of which Allar declared himself king.
The king of Landis then sent two questors to Allar: one of the
Trickster Vestrial, and one of Erendis, Passion of Order. Erendiss
follower failed in his attempt to uncover Allars true nature and was
put to death. But the woman who followed Vestrial tricked Allar
into believing she had converted to his cause. Then she exposed him
to a mirror (why she thought to do so is unclear from the legend),
and he was revealed as a monstrous thing, a creature of a thousand eyes, most hideous; of a thousand tongues, all gibbering; of
a thousand teeth; all gnashing. The thing (we know now it was a
Horror) revealed itself as Bone Crown the Usurper. It proclaimed
itself the herald of a host of abominations and screeched that it
would one day rule all of Barsaive. Then it fled. Allar was never seen
again, and his forces soon dispersed. The many deserters from the
armies of Landis were granted amnesty by the king, on the grounds
that they had been bewitched.
Jadrian and I sit for many minutes in silence after reading this.
Suddenly I wish not to believe my suspicions. For if they are true,
Horrors have entered Parlainth despite all we have done to protect it. Jadrian says he has found other possible accounts of Bone
Crowns activities since then, and he will continue to research.
Will meet again on the morrow.

12
Second Week/First Day, 608
After penning these words, I leave for my appointed meeting
with Headbreaker. My hands are trembling. I have never been
a warrior, never claimed to be a hero. I am a man of peace, of
accommodation, of negotiation. But now I venture into the bosom
of absolute malignityif, that is, my guesses are right and not
just the fevered imaginings of an old dodderer who has seen too
much killing and mayhem. There is a mirror in the left pocket of
my robe, another in the right pocket, and a third sewn into the
lining of my cape. May the Passions help me.
Second Week/Second Day, 608
Headbreaker is a great leader of Namegivers, but her chain
of command leaves much to be desired. As Headbreakers
First Adviser, my top priority is to untangle the web of connections between her followers and mold this chance collusion of
merchants, tradesmen and ruffians into a political entity that successfully can take power from Vastbelly when we finally tumble
that incompetent from his feathered roost. I know my skills will
allow us to make a smooth transition to rule with a minimum of
slaughter and am confident that, under my tutelage, Headbreakers rule of Parlainth will be glorious.

GameInformation

Bone Crown the Usurper cloaks its identity in deceit, passing

among Namegivers as one of their own. The more Namegivers who
follow its commands, the more mystical power it gains, whether the
Namegivers in question obey it wittingly or unwittingly, directly or
indirectly. If it wins the fealty of a scorcher chieftain, for example,
it gains a magical benefit not only from ruling that chieftain, but
from ruling all those loyal to him as well.
Bone Crown usually finds a community of Namegivers in grave
trouble for one reason or another. It presents itself to them as a heroic
adventurer and surreptitiously uses its powers to end the crisis of the
momentwhich it may well have caused. Bone Crown then uses
its Aura of Awe power to convince the community to appoint it as
their leader. Once it has a grip on the reins of authority, Bone Crown
begins to twist people, demanding that they violate their own princiC H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

143

ples in the name of authority and community stability. Alternatively,

Bone Crown selects one of the strongest-willed, noblest members of
a community and methodically corrupts him. The Horrors powers
of persuasion are so powerful that many of its followers continue to
fight for it even after it is exposed as a Horror.
Sly and articulate, Bone Crown speaks in soft, soothing tones
and moves slowly and gracefully. Bone Crown enjoys the pleasures
that Barsaive has to offer, having developed a taste for fine food
and drink and luxurious surroundings. It loves to be flattered, even
though it is seldom fooled by the honeyed words of others.
DEX: 18
STR: 20
TOU: 20
PER: 18
WIL: 20
CHA: 22
Initiative: 15
Physical Defense: 23
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 23
Attack (4): 22
Social Defense: 28
Damage:
Physical Armor: 7
Dagger (23): 43
Mystic Armor: 15
Death: 211
Recovery Tests: 10
Unconsciousness: 184
Knockdown: 20
Wound Threshold: 25
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Fourteenth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 20
Karma Step: See text
Powers: Aura of Awe (4): 26, Corrupt Karma (4): 24,
Create Shadow (5), Cursed Luck (4): 24, Durability (12),
Spellcasting (7): 25, Thread Weaving [Illusionism] (7): 25
Spells: Illusionism (Seventh Circle)
Equipment: Enchanted dagger (Forged +1; see text), Chain mail
Loot: None

Rules

Though Bone Crown is formidable in combat, it prefers to fight

through its followers. Bone Crown prefers to wear chain mail armor.
Enchanted Dagger: Bone Crown usually carries a dagger that
has been specially enchanted. When wielded by Bone Crown, this
daggers Damage step increases by +20.
Karma: The Horrors Karma step is based on the number of followers it has under its sway. The Horror has a base Karma step of 4,
3, +1 for every five followers, to a maximum Karma step of 20. For
example, if Bone Crown has an army of fifty followers, its Karma
step rises to Step 13 (50/5=10+3=13).
Shapeshifting: Bone Crown can adopt the form of any
Namegiver, with the exception of dragons. The Horror must spend
10 Karma Points to transform itself in this manner. For this reason,
Bone Crown transforms only when necessary. The Horror zealously
guards its true identity, revealing it only when presented with no
other choice. Bone Crown loathes mirrors, as they reveal its true
nature; in their reflection, it appears as a misshapen humanoid
figure covered with hundreds of miniature faces.

Adventure Hook

Generally, player characters will encounter Bone Crown the

Usurper by coming into contact with a community or group under
the Horrors inf luence. One possible adventure involves Bone
Crown assembling a power base in an area of interest to the adventurers. Perhaps it has taken over a scorcher band that controls a
crucial trade route or is building a coalition of river pirates. Maybe
it has gained authority over a confederation of settlements agitating against the adventurers political allies, such as the Kingdom
of Throal. The player characters can struggle with Bone Crowns
minions over a series of adventures and then infiltrate the Horrors
inner circle in an attempt to learn more of the mysterious leader
who has been causing so much trouble in the region.

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Buualgathor

The following text is from the Journal of Zeier, which was

recovered from the ruins of Parlainth in 1505TH by an
expedition of the Haven Grim Legionnaires led by Hotbolt.
Zeier was a simple Theran soldier, trying to keep his family
alive as the city descended into darkness. His tale is tragic,
but sheds some light on the Horror known as Buualgathor,
the Horror Hunter. In translating this journal excerpt from
the Theran, I have retained the original Theran dating.
Zamirica One-Knee, Apprentice
Archivist, Great Library of Throal

ighth Week/Third Day, 608 TE

The city continues to slide into civil war. The battle lines
are drawn between the merchant Headbreaker and the
magicians and Vastbelly. As a Theran soldier, it is my duty to protect the magicians and Vastbelly, the Lord Mayor of Parlainth. My
fiance, Roselle and I, are getting married tomorrow. My friends
among the soldiers decided to have a party tonight at the local
tavern to commemorate my last day as a free man, with ale and
wenches. But, I am worried about my beloved Roselle and my city
which continues to crumble to pointless battle. I must keep on fighting to earn my pay, or else I will have no way to take care of my wife
and child-to-be. I am caught up in this civil war with no say about
how it is fought or why. My thoughts keep returning to these problems and I am ill at ease at a party held in my honor.
Eighth Week/Fourth Day, 608 TE
I was married to my wife, Roselle in a subdued ceremony during
a time of war. I have been given a week or two off to spend time
with my wife. Our child will be born late this year, possibly in
the sixty-first week, or so says the midwife.
Tenth Week/Fifth Day, 608 TE
My wife told me she was worried for my safety at work. She
gave me a back massage and told me she had learned of a magical tattoo that could protect me, but only if it was drawn by her.
To ease her fears, I allowed her to begin work on the tattoo later
that night though I doubted it could help protect me.
Eleventh Week/Fourth Day, 608 TE
My back continues to itch from the tattooing. I have seen it
through our mirror; it is a rose, symbolizing our love, surrounded
by a wall of thorns and vines, symbolizing protection. Roselle
always did love the flower she is named after.
Twentieth Week/ First Day, 608 TE
I was transferred from Vastbellys guards to the magicians fortress
in the Western Quarter. I am unhappy about this assignment, as I
believe the magicians are as responsible for the war as Headbreaker.
However, their war magics are one of the keys to our continued survival, so it is an important task. I often freeze up in combat now, I
cant understand or explain it. I am a veteran Theran soldier, this
shouldnt be happening to me! Ive been demoted and am getting
paid less now as a result. How am I going to take care of my family
if I continue to fail at my job like this?
Thirty-Fifth Week/ Third Day, 608 TE
I had a terrible nightmare. My wife was in the middle of childbirth, and unable to push any longer both her and my child were
lost to me. I then saw a plain, pale-faced, fat man. He was laughing
at me, a horrible grating sound. It must be a sign. I must quit my
job under Vastbelly, or this will be the result. I can work as a crafts-

Fifty-Fifth Week/First Day, 608TE

I was on the roof of a building when it
happened. I called out to my fellow worker
to bring a ladder, when my voice just
changed from normal to a grating sound,
just like the one in my dream. The sound
made me drop prone, and I rolled off the roof
and was knocked unconscious when I fell off
the roof to the ground below. My co-worker
had died from his fall through the hole in the
roof we were fixing. When I tried to speak to my
wife after I had awoke, the terrible sound returned,
and I watched my wife fall to the ground, writhing
in agony. I cant even talk to my own wife without
causing her pain and sorrow. And what of my baby
to be? The child could have been injured by the fall
as well. I had been marked by a Horror, probably as
a result of the magicians experiments.
Fifty-Sixth Week/First Day, 608 TE
I would have vengeance. I have leaked written information to the Headbreaker side about the weaknesses of
the Western Quarter magician lab. I would have gone there
myself if I could be free of my own painful wailing, if I could
do more than merely stay in this bed. They did this to me; they
deserve to die.
Sixtieth Week/ Fifth Day 609 TE
The baby was born two weeks premature. To my horror, my
nightmare has become reality. My wife pushed with all the
strength she had left, but it was not enough to push the child
into the light. Roselle, and my child, were gone in an instant. Both
dead in labor; I truly have nothing left to live for in this cruel alternate realm. I grabbed a cutting knife in the kitchen and gutted the
old midwife like a fish for her failure to save my wife and child.
Everything that I had cared about, I had betrayed. There was only
one thing left to do, end it all. I climbed up the roof of my house
on a ladder. I prepared to jump off and kill myself.
It was there that I saw It on the roof. It was a creature dressed in
a black, swirling cloak, with withered old hands, and cold, empty
eyes. I felt a wave of dread and started back down the ladder, running away from the creature. It agilely jumped off the roof, its
black cloak flying backwards, revealing seven more arms with
blades at the tips instead of hands. I ran back inside my house,
and shut the door behind me. But It just jumped into the house
through a closed window with the glass shattering, shards flying
everywhere. I was trapped in the house with It. It was on me in
an instant, and It touched its old withered hands to my forehead,
and I screamed like never before or since.
All the painful memories of the past year hit me all at once
and my body burned with searing agony. I thought I would
die from the wracking pain. My eyes saw an impossibly bright
flash of golden light and I fell unconscious with my last vision
of a giant white larva in a ruined building and the sounds of
wretched, familiar laughter stopping and abruptly turning into
fearful wails, as the thing that had touched me came from the
shadows, pushed back his cloak, revealed his seven blade arms,
and charged at the Horror.

Sixty-Second Week/
Fifth Day 609 TE
I had searched for nearly
two weeks until I finally
found the place I sought in
the Eastern Quarter. There
was a white worms carcass
there, cut apart, and split into
eight separate pieces. I cast my
eyes about the room, looking for
the Horror who had touched me,
but the Horror had already left to
find new prey. I could feel the lingering dread of the white larva that
had tormented me throughout the
ruined building. This was a Horror that
hunted other Horrors and fed on their
terror. The memories of fear in this place
seemed to scream the Name of the Horror to
me; Buualgathor, the Horror Hunter. It used tortured souls like
me as bait. It had let my whole family die, let me betray everyone
I had once cared about, almost let me commit suicide, all to draw
out another Horror to slay. The Horror Hunters touch itself had
nearly destroyed me. The Horror could have prevented so much
suffering, if it had used its power on me as soon as I was marked.
My family and countless others would still be alive. It is just as
responsible for what I have become as the other Horror. I will
hunt Buualgathor down for what it has done to me.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Sixty-First Week/
First Day 609 TE
I felt that the place I
had seen in my dream
was real and was in
Parlainth. I started my
search for the ruined
building. I had to know
what had happened.

man, since the demand for

construction work has gone
up as the city continues to be
destroyed by war. My freezing up in
combat should not affect my work there,
and the pay cant possibly be much less
than the private rank I effectively hold.

12

gameInformation

Buualgathor, also called the Horror Hunter, considers Namegivers to be very unsatisfying prey. It finds greater satisfaction in
feeding on the terror and pain of other Horrors, and so was the
bane of other Horrors in Parlainth for all the centuries in which
the city remained outside the material realm. Buualgathor finds
bloatforms and despairthoughts particularly tasty, both of which
are very common in Parlainth.
The dread that Buualgathor inspired in other Horrors permeates Parlainths very stones, and those who spend time in the ruins
often sense Buualgathors presence, though they cannot identify
it as such. Usually, this sensitivity manifests as a series of dreams
or a strong tendency to believe without question rumors or legends of the Horror Hunter. Many long-time residents of Haven,
for example, insist that their parents or grandparents told them
tales of Buualgathor as children, though in truth their knowledge
of the Horror Hunter comes from the memories of the Horrors
living in the ruins of Parlainth. Other Horror Hunters may exist,
but Buualgathor is the only one known to exist in Barsaive.
Buualgathor appears as a humanoid figure, usually of the same
race as the person seeing it, wearing a dark cloak that seems to
move with an eerie life of its own. On closer inspection, those who
behold this Horror can see that the cloak is an appendage made
of the same ropy tissue that makes up the rest of the Horror Hunters body. When Buualgathor engages in physical combat, it throws

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back the cloak to reveal seven blade-like arms. Buualgathor also

has two stunted, weak arms with normal hands.
DEX: 16
STR: 16
TOU: 20
PER: 16
WIL: 15
CHA: 16
Initiative: 13
Physical Defense: 20
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 21
Attack (6): 22
Social Defense: 21
Damage:
Physical Armor: 25
4Blades (12): 28; Claws (1): 17
Mystic Armor: 16
Death: 229
Recovery Tests: 10
Wound Threshold: 25
Knockdown: 16
Unconsciousness: 208
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 35
Karma Step: 18
Powers: Astral Sight (5): 21, Damage Shift (5): 20,
Detect Horror (5): 21, Displace (5): 21, Durability (15),
Mark Trace (5): 21, Silent WalkT (5): 21, Spellcasting (7): 23,
Terror (5): 21, Thread Weaving (Nethermancy) (7): 23
Spells: Nethermancy (Eighth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Buualgathor finds most of its prey by following the link between

a Horror-marked Namegiver and his or her tormentor to the Horrors lair. Buualgathor tries to catch Horrors in the act of tormenting
their victims, because the change from tormentor to victim makes
the Horrors terror more acute. To hunt in this manner, Buualgathor uses the special Horror powers of Detect Horror and Mark
Trace.
Detect Horror: The Detect Horror ability allows the Horror
Hunter to notice the presence of Horrors, Horror-marked characters, and Horror-cursed items within 100 yards. To use this power,
Buualgathor makes a Detect Horror Test versus the Spell Defense
of the Horror it wishes to hunt (which must be physically present, or
be responsible for the mark or curse present). On an Average result,
the Horror Hunter knows the location of the Horror, the marked
victim, or cursed item, and knows what type of Horror it is hunting.
If more than one Horror, marked victim, or cursed item lies within
the Horror Hunters Detect Horror power range, compare the Detect
Horror Test versus the Spell Defense of each Horror, marked victim,
or cursed item. Buualgathor detects those whose Spell Defense is
less than or equal to the Detect Horror Test result.
Mark Trace: In order to trace a Horror through its Horrormarked victim, Buulgathor must touch the victims forehead.
Though Buualgathor prefers to use its withered hands to make
this link, its blade appendages work just as well. The Horror Hunter
then makes a Mark Trace Test versus the victims Spell Defense.
On an Average result, the thread of magical energy between the
marked victim and the Horror briefly becomes visible. The Horror
Hunter rides this thread to the Horrors physical location; to outside
observers, it appears as though the Horror Hunter turns to visible
energy and shoots along this glowing thread. Though allowing
Buualgathor to destroy the Horror tormenting them may appeal to
Horror-marked characters, only the suicidal hope for Buualgathor
to use its Mark Trace power on them, because the Horror-marked
individual suffers damage equal to the result of the Horror Hunters
Mark Trace Test. Mystic Armor protects against this damage.

Adventure Hook

When one of the members of the adventuring group is marked by

a Horror in Parlainth, the mark is sensed by Buualgathor. That night,
the adventurers are beset by nightmares of a mysterious cloaked

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warrior. The party must rush to defeat the Horror that has marked
their comrade, or else Buualgathor will use his terrible Mark Trace
on the Horror-marked adventurer and possibly destroy him to get
at the Horror he has sensed. The adventurers must chase the Horror
to save their companion, as Buulgathor chases them.

ChantrelsHorror

The following account is transcribed from the words of

Chantrel the Troubadour, a young human whose fame as
a bard is marred only by the eternal curse she bears. Though
this Horror is commonly named for its connection to
Chantrel, it may in fact have an entirely different Name
of its own. I had no desire to explore this possibility, as
the less knowledge I take away from this book, the safer I feel.
Lardo Muanto, Apprentice Scholar,
Great Library of Throal

reams drove me from my kaer, dreams that sparked fear

in my kindred and sheared the bonds of blood, family,
and home. Each night, my sleeping eye watched horrified, transfixed by the gore on the smooth metal frame. Silent,
whirring blades sculpted the Horrors features, and it spit bloody
froth as it sought to speak to me. Its eyes always sought mine; but
I turned away, all flailing torso and twisting neck, my body a whip
cracked by terror. Often its gaze scraped at my mind, but it never
found my eyes before I awoke. Then one night I awoke with the
sheets bunched between my crooked, cramped fingers and my
chest aching from exertion, and I saw my brother Aleacs face. The
lamplight reflected off his tears and gleamed along his upraised
knife. Aleac looked at my mother for permission. I looked at her
for mercy. Her chiseled features revealed neither.
The elders shall decide her fate, she said, in a voice heavier
than the thick marble walls of the temple. But knocks of mailed
fists upon our door announced their answer before a word was
spoken. Guards in chain armor, lacquered with the gleaming
silver sigils of Thystonius and streaked with the bright blue and
yellow war paints of an elders blessing, carried me to the gates
of the kaer. The clap of the closing gate echoed down the valley.
As my ears rang with the sound, the mages chanted, forbidding
my return to the only home I had ever known.
I cursed the guards, the elders, the mages, and eventually I
cursed my familymy mother last. Their callousness might have
held their only hope for survival, but I could not forgive them.
Drawing on the myriad tales I had heard as a child, I conjured fates
for them. I imagined questing for the enchantment that would
defeat the Horror and then returning to the grateful cheers of my
people. Sometimes I was gracious in my fantasies, but other times
I spurned those who turned me out. These fantasies sustained me,
growing more and more vivid until my daily existence seemed a
faint memory. I now believe that the Horror fed these daydreams
to distract me from the bleakness of living.
I wandered Barsaive, saw the ravaged land marred like a plaguepocked face. Few devourers still scoured the lands. Other things
had taken their place, things that left me alone. For I had been
marked by another, and that mark warned the more mindless
Horrors away. I slept very little for I could hear my tormentor as
I tossed restlessly, its whirring knives changing speed and pitch
in grating imitation of speech. It promised to sustain me, to protect me, to never let me be alone again. It said it would not be a
false friend, but a true friendan eternal friend.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

I led an impossible existence, scrounging what I could from the

broken land during the years of the Scourge. I expected to die. I
wanted to die. I am not sure how many years passed, but I know
that somehow my tormentor kept me physically fresh, young.
The nightmares faded after months or years, I am not sure which.
And as Barsaive began to heal, so did my spirit recover from the
scars inflicted by the Horror. I did not hear from it for months,
and then years. When the kaers began to open, I watched and
trembled from the fear and hope in my heart.
I settled in the village of Kolomay, which lay a few days northeast of the city of Travar in the foothills of the Thunder Mountains.
The villagers were cautious of all strangers, but my throat no longer
cracked from the strain of carrying the Horror. They accepted me. I
proved my usefulness during the hard days and increased my popularity by spinning tales under the soft glow of the evening fires.
I began to teach the young boy Calvis my trade, for the flow of
magic within him bent easily to a story. He argued with me over
most every point, as boys are wont to do, but he listened well. And
while the village women sought to soothe me when crows-feet
first crinkled my eyes, Calvis sensed that my tears were a release
of past sorrow, not a weeping for what was to come.
As Travar grew again, so did the flow of silver and travelers tales
through Kolomay. The tales stirred the restlessness within Calviss young heart. He wanted me to travel the lands with him, but
for me wandering Barsaive was as pleasant a prospect as trudging
through a trackless desert without even the mirage of joy. Kolomay had become my home.
During the month of Charassa, all youths who wanted to leave the
village had to declare their intent. Calvis spoke first, and the village
council agreed that his path led away from Kolomay. On the final
night of Charassa, the entire village celebrated the Night of New
Journeys. Boisterous singing filled the night air, notes rising along
with the sparks of the brilliant blue bonfires of enchanted wood.
The night was filled with bold promises, the jangly excitement of
those about to leave, the smell of roasted meat, the furtive touch of
lovers not yet declared, the quiet pride of parents, the envy of siblings and those who had grown stagnant. I shall always remember
Calvis that night. He stood straight and tall, outlined by the blue
fire behind him, and led the village in All Journeys End.
Later, I found I could not sleep, and so I worked on my gift for
Calvisa locket engraved with the opening lines of the first three
epic poems I had taught him. I meant it to remind him of what he
had accomplished, to remind him that what once had seemed nearly
impossible was now childs play. I knew he would scoff at a locket.
But I also knew he would keep itand one day appreciate it.
As the sun rose on the Day of Leave-Taking, I took the locket to
his house. I noticed the sick, wet smell as I knocked on the door,
which swung open too easily. For a moment I stared incomprehensibly at the drying pile of flesh that lay on the inside steps. Then I
recognized Calviss mothers wedding ring on the half-hand lying
at the base of the steps and I screamed, again and again.
As tears filled my eyes, I breathed through my sleeve and entered
the house. I had to find Calvis. My legs trembled as I passed the
raw heaps that had once been his younger brother and sister. I
mounted the steps to the second floor, following the buzz of flies
already feasting, and a whine escaped my throat as I slipped on
the excretion on the landing. I nearly bit my lip through when I
saw Calviss father, his skin peeled away from his body as if he
were a ripe fruit.
I stepped over the corpse, keeping my balance by sliding my
hand along the blood-spattered walls leading to Calviss bedroom.
Panting wildly despite the smell, I gripped the door frame of the
room with an outstretched hand, willing my arm to pull me to
the doorway. I pulled and stepped, but closed my eyes as I did
so. I stood weeping in the doorway for several moments, unable
to open my eyes. Then I looked.

12
The thing had dissected Calvis with impossible precision, leaving most of his skin intact. The boys organs were sliced thinly and
fanned out on the floor on the left of the bed, the bones separated
and piled neatly on the right. I remember wondering where all
Calviss blood had gone and sobbing because it had left his face
intact, lying still handsome amid the carnage.
Then suddenly Calviss eyes fluttered open, looked over at his
bones, then found me. I tried to scream but my throat could
manage only a wet rattle. The face smiled, and in a voice of whirring blades and metal-scraping-metal it said, I missed you.
The villagers said I sobbed for hours after they pulled me from
the house. I left the village as soon as I had the strength, but it
was too late. My friendship with Calvis had given the Horror a
gateway to others in the village and to their kin in other towns.
Sometimes it killed one man, other times it slaughtered entire
encampments. Even today many call that region of the Thunder
Mountains the Butcher Hills.
The Horror again talks to me at night. My hair has lost its gray,
and my face is as smooth as if I had never lived those years at all.
I imagine I shall live as long as it wants me to. I have even thrown
myself into Deaths Sea, but to no avail. It can repair me, recreate
a whole new me with its despicable magic.
Should you see me on the road, a slight woman with lips a little
too crooked and a nose a little too small, eyes bright when telling a story, please be courteous. I promise to share nothing more
than your fire and a story or two. You and your companions can
then travel on your way. I shall take my own path, the one I share
with my friendmy eternal friend.

GameInformation

Chantrels Horror has never been observed in the physical world.

It has only been observed in the astral form of a bloody, demonic
humanoid suspended in a metal frame. The edges of the frame
comprise hundreds of small whirring blades forged of many metals,
including the magical metal orichalcum. If the Horror is killed in its
astral form, the frame can be taken from astral space. While many
Horrors use their powers directly against their victims, Chantrels
Horror prefers to terrorize its victims by attacking their family,
friends and loved ones. The True Name of Chantrels Horror is
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unknown, even to its victims. It is called Chantrels Horror because

of its relationship to the troubadour Chantrel. As a result, any
magic that relies on the power of Names and Naming is useless
against this Horror.
DEX: 18
STR: 22
TOU: 20
PER: 18
WIL: 21
CHA: 19
Initiative: 14
Physical Defense: 23
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 24
Attack (5): 23
Social Defense: 24
Damage:
Physical Armor: 29
Blades (8): 30
Mystic Armor: 26
Death: 220
Recovery Tests: 10
Unconsciousness: 200
Knockdown: NA
Wound Threshold: 25
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Fourteenth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 40
Karma Step: 15
Powers: Astral Slice (8): 30, Blood Memory (4): 25,
Cursed Luck (4): 25, Durability (14), Horror Mark (4): 22,
Karma Tap (4): 22, Suppress Horror Mark (4): 22, Spellcasting
(5): 23, Thread Weaving [Elementalism] (5): 23, Terror (4): 23
Spells: Elementalism (Eighth Circle)
Equipment: None
Loot: Frame contains retrievable fragments of orichalcum,
worth 40,000+(D10+D6)1,000 silver pieces (counts as
treasure worth Legend Points)

Rules

Chantrels Horror draws sustenance from the pain of separation and loneliness that its marked victims suffer. According to
dragon lore, the Horror revels in a twisted empathy with the victim.
The Horror often lies dormant for years, allowing its marked victims to establish new relationships. Dragon lore suggests that
the number of the Horrors marked victims cannot exceed the
number of full moons during a year, but even the dragons do not
know why this is so.
Chantrels Horror possesses many special powers. Some are
possessed by other Horrors as well, while others are unique to
Chantrels Horror. All these special powers are described below.
Astral Slice: To use its unique astral slice attack, Chantrels
Horror makes a Spellcasting Test against a victims Spell Defense.
If it achieves an Armor-Defeating Hit, it can make an astral slice. In
the following combat round, the victim takes physical damage from
the astral slice. This attack originates in astral space, bypassing any
physical protection or armor the target may have. The Horror rarely
uses astral slice in combat. Instead, it most often uses this power to
achieve ghoulish dissection effects, cutting and removing the bones
and muscle from its victims while leaving their skin intact.
Blood Memory: The Blood Memory power enables a Horror
to keep the essence of the slain character alive in the characters
blood. In turn, the Horror keeps the blood in its own whirling,
bloody mess of a body. To use this power, the Horror makes a Blood
Memory Test against the Social Defense of the victim. A successful result absorbs the blood shed by the victim from attacks made
by the Horror. If the target dies during the round in which Blood
Memory is used, Chantrels Horror absorbs a number of blood
memory points equal to the victims Death Rating. The Horror
may use these points to extend the grief and pain of any victim it
has marked through the slain character. Once the marked victim
has recovered, the Horror expends 1 point of the absorbed blood,
starting the pain afresh as if it had just happened. The renewed pain

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lasts for at least a year and a day each time it is renewed. Chantrels
Horror may also use blood memory points to create a new body for
a victim whose previous body has been destroyed.
Eternal Youth: Chantrels Horror can keep a marked victim
young by making Recovery Tests for the healthy victim. The Horror
makes a number of Recovery Tests and the gamemaster records the
results, keeping a total. Once the total equals the victims Death
Rating, the victim loses a year from his physical age. In this way,
the Horror substitutes its own immortal essence for that of the
marked character, undoing the work of time.
Healing: Chantrels Horror can heal or regenerate a marked
victim by substituting its own Recovery Tests for those of the victim.
If the body of a marked victim has been completely destroyed or is
otherwise inaccessible, the Horror must have at least one point of
blood memory (see Blood Memory, above) from someone connected to the victim. The Horror can use the power of the blood
memory to sculpt a new body for the marked victim from scratch.
This new body is identical to the victims old one.
Horror Mark: Many of Chantrels Horrors powers can be used
only against victims the Horror has previously marked. Generally, the Horror only appears in the dreams of its victims, through
which it marks them. Chantrels Horror first seeks a victim whose
dreams are vivid enough to be sensed from astral space. To do
this, the Horror makes a Spellcasting Test against the dreaming
characters Spell Defense. The Horror must achieve an Extraordinary result to sense the victim. The Horror may attempt this
test only once per month against any given character. Once the
Horror has found its target, it Horror-marks that unfortunate
character as per the standard rules. Chantrels Horror can use
the Suppress Horror Mark power to bury its mark deep within
the pattern of a character.
Instant Travel: Once the Horror has marked a victim, it can
travel the thread that binds the bones to attack or mark any other
character related to the marked character by blood or friendship.
To do this, the Horror makes a Spellcasting Test against the Social
Defense of the targeted character. The required result level appears
in the Relationship Table of the Suppress Horror Mark power (see
Horror Powers, p.446). The physical distance between the marked
character and the target character is irrelevantthe Horror can
travel from a mother on the Aras Sea to her son in Bartertown by
achieving a Poor result. Once the Horror has jumped to a new
victim, it may mark or kill him. Generally, the Horror does not kill
victims it marks. Also, the Horror cannot reach casual acquaintances of a marked victim.

Adventure Hook

Chantrels Horror spreads terror and corruption through its

marked victims, who travel Barsaive, carrying death and despair
with them. The Horror may use its powers to keep these victims
alive for many, many years. Additionally, it uses its Suppress Horror
Mark power to keep many of them ignorant of the mark they carry
and the danger they present to others.
The characters may fall under the sway of Chantrels Horror
if one of their relatives or friends is marked by the Horror or by
meeting one of its victims, such as the Troubadour Chantrel herself. Alternatively, the player characters may be approached by a
victim who realizes he has been marked and is aware of the danger
he presents. The victim requests that the characters seek out and
destroy any and all records of his existence, in essence making the
victim disappear from the minds of all of Barsaive. This could lead
the characters to seek out the victims pattern items and attempt to
destroy them. Such action might also draw the attention of Chantrels Horror away from the victim and to the player characters
themselves.


The following account is transcribed from the words
of Vestrivan himself, who gave me this account in one of
his rare moments of control of his own body. He sought
me out, knowing of my work with his brother Vasdenjas
on the Creatures of Barsaive and the dragons portion
of Denizens of Earthdawn. This information about
the Horror entwined within Vestrivan may be invaluable
in stopping that Horror and possibly saving Vestrivan
himself. I have passed this information to Vasdenjas.
After hearing his version of his brothers transformation,
he may be overjoyed in learning that his brother is
alive even in part and may yet be saved.
By the Hand of Tiabdjin the Knower, Scribe of the
Great Library of Throal and First Scholar of the khavroam

was returning to Throal from the Scythan Mountains, when a

dragon roared above my caravan. Most of the caravan dashed for
Throal, my so called bodyguards abandoning me in their terror. I
ducked behind an outcropping of rocks. The dragon dished out a storm
of flame and smoke, charring and smothering Namegiver and mount
alike. When the smoke finally cleared, I realized I was the only survivor.
I then noticed the dragon writhing in pain on the ground, though none
had landed a single blow this day. And then all of sudden the dragon
got up and screamed out, Tiabdjin, be alive! The dragon gave the
area a quick look and easily found my location with his Dragonsight.
He picked me up from my hiding spot with his claws. I stared into the
dragons mouth, an open, toothy abyss in front of me. I thought for sure
that was the last image Id ever see. I was shocked when the dragon put
me down. Tiabdjin I presume? Write down my words without delay
or face my wrath. I did as I was told.
My name is Vestrivan, brother of Vadenjas, a great dragon
marked by a Horror. Despoiler of the Land found a thought in
my subconscious involving you, and a desire to tell you my story.
We are two entities that share the same body and fight for our
share of consciousness. So he came here to destroy your caravan,
and kill you to feed on my torment, my guilt at having caused
your deaths. You are lucky I was able to overcome him when I did.
He had already astrally-sensed you and was preparing a particularly gruesome Nethermancer spell for you, hoping to prolong
your agony.
You know of my transformation, and how I came to be joined
with the Horror. I shall not waste precious time reiterating that
part of the tale. When the Despoiler of the Land had finally
defeated my will and wards after forty years to become the dominant persona; he ravaged Namegiver communities just before
the Scourge, destroying crops and erasing memories. The people
called me Despoiler of the Land for these acts. This is what I call
the Horror, but it is not its true name. I still search for that name,
it may be my only hope. How did the Despoiler do these acts? He
possesses the ability to disrupt magic itself. One of the reasons
I have weakened into such a submissive persona over the years
is his disruption of most of my pattern. Fortunately, he cannot
disrupt my entire pattern, as this would also destroy him as his
pattern is entwined with mine.
What is the aim of his disruption of patterns? He has the ability to unweave most of a pattern, and then use horror magic to
change and alter the pattern. Using this and his prolific abilities to forge constructs, he wishes to create a new race of hybrid
Namegivers and Horrors. The frightening possibility of Horror
constructs with adept powers seems to be his goal.

He has created an army of loyal hybrids using a secret adept

school where he corrupts them. They go throughout the land, disrupting patterns and kidnapping children at their masters bidding.
All of this is to further the goal of the Despoiler to create a new
hybrid race of Horrors and Namegivers. Where is the school? Its
somewhere in run Tiabdjin run!
With that Vestrivan fell to the ground in convulsions, battling for
control of his body with the Despoiler of the Land. I ran and never
looked back, and somehow made it back to Throal alive.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

DespoileroftheLand

GameInformation

The Despoiler of the Land is the name given to Vestrivan by the

people of the lowland Twilight Peaks whose crops were blighted
and memories stolen by the Horrors disrupt magic ability. The
name has come to represent the Horror itself, but it is not its true
Name. The goal of Despoiler of the Land seems to be to cause harm
by disrupting the patterns of objects, places, and Namegivers. After
the passing of the Scourge, it grew in sophistication, learning how
to use Horror threads to alter and corrupt a pattern after disrupting
it. It combined this knowledge with its own ability to forge Horror
constructs to create adept/Horror hybrids.
After some early experimentation, the Horror decided to create
a school for adepts in the Twilight Peaks using the name of Vestrivan the Sage. The school draws power hungry and curious adepts
from throughout Barsaive and beyond. Because the Despoiler of
the Land must feed on negative emotions such as fear and anger,
these adepts are thrown into a living nightmare where no-win situations and the competitive learning environment cause the death
of at least one of the participants in the class. Their dreams are
haunted by promises of power mixed with visions of the Despoilers
origin, on a twisted world located somewhere in the netherworlds.
These students patterns are also slowly disrupted by the Despoiler,
their essential magical fabric unwoven and remade by the Horrors
own threads. By the end of their graduation and indoctrination,
the surviving students are completely remade in the Despoilers
own image.
The Despoilers students are valuable servants indeed, for they
spread the Horrors bizarre disrupt magic efforts farther and wider
than the dragon could himself. Students travel in groups of three
to eight, usually a single Wizard or Nethermancer accompanied
by a handful of Warriors. Single exceptional students also travel
around Barsaive spreading the word of the Despoilers elite college. They are unparalleled in their ability to seek out and whet the
appetite of power-hungry and greedy adepts.
One of the recruiters of particular interest is an obsidiman
Wizard by the Name of Urgulan. The obsidiman is apparently
responsible for most of the thefts of orphans. Urgulan offers to purchase infants born to extremely poor parents, or those left on the
doorsteps of houses and fortresses by anonymous parents. Street
urchins are naturally attracted to him as well, and often follow him
of their own accord when he leaves town. All children he gathers
follow him back to the Despoilers lair, even when the trip takes
weeks. Some students have even been traveling Barsaive attempting to establish additional schools on behalf of their mentor.
DEX: 18
STR: 23
PER: 21
WIL: 22
Initiative: 20
Actions: 4
Attack (4): 22
Damage:
Unarmed (7): 30
Death: 241
Unconsciousness: 221
Wound Threshold: 29

12

TOU: 26
CHA: 16
Physical Defense: 24
Spell Defense: 27
Social Defense: 20
Physical Armor: 26
Mystic Armor: 17
Recovery Tests: 12
Knockdown: 24
Movement: 7

C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

149

Legend Award: Fourteenth Circle (Group)

Karma Points: 20
Karma Step: 10
Powers: Astral Sight (12): 33, Disrupt Magic (11): 33,
Durability (14), Energy Drain (4): 25, Forge Horror Construct
(4): 25, Horror Mark (9): 30, Horror Thread (9): 30, Karma Tap
(4): 25, Spellcasting (5): 26, Thread Weaving: [Nethermancy,
Wizardry] (5): 26
Dragon Powers: See Vestrivan, p.432, for his powers when the
Despoiler of the Land is in control.
Spells: Nethermancy and Wizardry (both Eighth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Adepts corrupted by the Despoiler of the Land lose the ability

to weave threads between themselves and other patterns, including magical treasure and other thread items. Their ability to use
talents and weave spell threads is unaffected.

Adventure Hook

The Battle of Prajjors Field caused the death of many Throalic

soldiers. An adept called Urgulan has come to Throal to collect
the plentiful orphans and street urchins, as well as convince magicians to attend a magician school he is establishing in the Scythan
mountains. Urgulan approaches the party magicians to attempt
to convince them to go. When the rest of the party awakens the
next day, they find the party magicians gone. The rest of the party
must pursue Urgulan, who has kidnapped the magicians, as well as
a many Throalic children. Urgulan sends a Despoiler adept group
of a Nethermancer, Wizard, and Warriors for the remaining players
to stop the group from following any further. If the party succeeds
in defeating them, they must chase Urgulan to save the magicians
and the orphans. Urgulan heads for Darranis where he is going to
get a boat to take him to House Syrtis where he can travel by land
to Scytha. Make sure Urgulan gets away on the boat. A sequel to
this adventure is the party heading for the Scythan Mountains to
destroy the school and get revenge on Urgulan.

Druistadt

The following text comes from the work of Reodlan Trilclaw, a

noted tskrang sage and magician. The passage provides much
invaluable insight into its topic, but readers will note that it
does not provide the Name of the Horror, like several other
entries in this tome. Instead, a word from the tskrang tongue
druistadtis used to denote the entity. Reodlan included the
following definition of the term:
druistadt: (droo-i-staat). 1. mysterious name. Often applied
to a particularly taboo subject as an alternative to verbalizing
the forbidden phrase. 2. (prop. n.) The common name given to a
particular Horror said to inhabit the region of Barsaive near the
Serpent River and southeast of the dwarf kingdom of Throal.
Ardonn Fil, Apprentice Scholar, 1507TH

, Reodlan Trilclaw, take up feather and ink to write these

words with some trepidation, for there exist mysteries into
which no onenot even a sage and scholar such as Ishould
inquire too closely. The Horror of which I write is one such mystery.
Nevertheless, the importance of my taskspreading my knowledge of this abomination throughout Barsaive so that all may guard

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against itoutweighs the dangers it presents. Ignorance can only

serve the foul needs of this entity, which roams our waterways and
preys on unsuspecting travelers in a fair but false guise.
For those of you who are not familiar with my work (you really
should read more), I am a spellweaver, a sage, and a reluctant
student of Horror lore. During the past few years I have devoted
particular attention to the Horror that we tskrang call Druistadt.
The monsters True Name is unknown except to its victims and
should never be spoken or recorded, for repetition of its True
Name gives Druistadt power over Namegivers (but more of that
later). My knowledge of this thing stems from a close friends
encounter with itwhich he, the only survivor, related to me
with tears and moans that would have melted a stone heart
and my subsequent prolonged study of ancient tales concerning
various river monsters. I offer this treatise in hopes it might spare
others the harm done to my friend and in memory of my dear
sister Achatuss, who succumbed to this fiendish thing.
Here follow the words of my poor friend Khazios, once the
proud bosun of the Tarrywell.
Wed just put in at port in the town of Callomere, a few hours
travel from Throal, where the river takes a sharp bend between the
foothills of the Throal Mountains and Lake Ban. A squall had come
up suddenly the day before, causing an anchor line to slip its knot and
drag one of our crewmen overboard. Well, we needed a replacement,
didnt we? I suppose we could have done poor Sadjis work ourselves
well enough, but none of us cared to tire ourselves out so when there
was no need. And there was no need because the perfect replacement
turned up not an hour after we dropped anchor. Lysteruss, she said her
name wasa tskrang so beautiful that half the sailors were calling
down love-verses to her from the rigging before shed been aboard ten
minutes. Noble limbs, pleasing curves in all the right places, a head
crest that sported all the colors of the rainbow as well as some hues
that Nature cant imagine. Yes, she was a rare beauty. How were we
to know, I ask you? How were we to know?!
Well, we spent the rest of the morning patching up the storm damage,
and Lysteruss proved her worth. She went right to work with a will, not
shirking from any of the hard tasks, just as if shed been born among

seems to focus exclusively on a single group of victims until it

has slain all its members. The most powerful magics may prevent
Druistadt from physically reaching its victims, but nothing can
break the Horrors link to its victims patterns and minds. Some
scholars believe that Druistadt is so dogged in its pursuit because
it must destroy all the members of a linked group before it can link
itself to another group; chance comments made by the Horror
itself at various times tend to support this notion.
Druistadts astral aspect resembles its physical form, but its
beak is even longer, as are its fingers and claws. Its gentle curves
and pleasing lines disappear almost entirely. The colors of its head
crest shimmer and undulate, making one dizzy to look upon it,
and its eyes glow redder than the heart of a fire engine.
The most intriguing tale of Druistadt concerns the Horrors
origin. According to the story, when the Horrors first came to
Barsaive long ago Druistadt corrupted a tskrang riverboat captain Named Szdanzo Relazar. In return for promises of power,
Relazar used foul magics to help the Horror return to the surface of our world. Druistadt used its abilities to read Relazars
thoughts and responded by assuming the form of a voluptuous
tskrang to stalk all of its subsequent victims.
This story may also explain why Druistadt prefers to hunt near
the Serpent River and prefers as its prey our sailing ships. It is
quite possible that the monster lairs near, within, or underneath
the Serpent. Some tales, however, speak of Druistadt tracking
its prey thousands of miles overland. From what I have read of
this Horror, I would not be too quick to dismiss those tales. He
who underestimates such beings as Druistadt courts a dreadful
and untimely death.

C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

N a m e d H o r r o r s

the Tarrywells crew and loved the ship as we did. She joked and bantered with us, and when it came time to break for our noon meal we
were all ready to swear undying love for our new crewman.
So we ate and drank, and Lysteruss sang us a rousing drinking
song with some nonsensical words as the chorus. (I know now that
one of those words was Druistadts True Name, and I wont repeat
it.) Well, we liked the song so much we insisted that she sing it again.
She said she would, but only if someone joined her. Then she asked
who had the sweetest voice in the crew, and Lajlion the stoker spoke
up. So Lajlion and Lysteruss struck up the song, and Lajlion sang that
unmentionable Name three times during the first chorus. About then,
we all started to feel strangely tired, and Lajlion trailed off without
finishing. We had to force ourselves to get up and cast off from Callomeres docks, because the captain was set on sailing a bit farther
before nightfall. We didnt think anything of our fatigue at the time;
but we should have known it was the first sign that the thing wed
taken into our midst had begun to feed off our spirits.
We all had terrible nightmares that night. I dreamed of my own
deathslow suffocation while trapped in the cargo hold of our burning ship. I woke with my throat raw from my own screams. All around
me I heard the agonized cries of others as they died equally horrible
dream-deaths. The next night it was the same, and the night after
that. Lajlion threw himself overboard at dawn, driven half-mad by
the nightmares. We dragged for him, but found no trace of his body
even though wed all marked well where he went down. And all the
while, we grew increasingly weak and listlessmore even than our
disturbed slumbers could account for.
We turned away from the rail, numb with grief for Lajlion, and
started back toward our posts. Suddenly, before my eyes, two sailors
clutched at their chests and fell dead on the deck. Heart seizures, it
looked like. We all turned and looked at Lysteruss then, as if a compass needle had drawn our eyes. She smiled, and the air around her
seemed to shimmer for a moment. Then it cleared, and we saw that
her beak had grown two feet long. Poison dripped from its knifelike
edge, burning the deck where it touched. Such terror gripped us that
we couldnt move. The thing wed called Lysteruss walked right up
to Achatuss, our bosun, stabbed its beak into her chest, ripped out
her heart and swallowed it in a single gulp. Then the monster began
to do the same to every crewman in turn. Not one could run, or fight,
or even hardly breathe for pure, heart-freezing fear. Finally, some
vestige of jikharra broke my paralysis, and I leaped overboard and
swam away from the doomed Tarrywell as fast as I could. I didnt
dare look back.
I thought I had escaped. But then one night as I lay asleep, the
infernal thing came to me in a dream and told me it could hear my
heartbeat. It said the sound of my own blood pumping through my
veins will always tell it where to find me, no matter how far I flee. I
know the fiend spoke the truth; Ive felt it lurking near me, waiting
until it drains the last drop of fear from my heart before it kills me. I
can never escape it. Never.
What little I can add to this account comes from considerable
research into ancient tales, and I am as confident of its truth as
anyone can be of legends concerning a Horror.
Druistadt appears to prefer groups of victims to individuals
and always eats the heart of every Namegiver it slays. The Horror
possesses great cunning as well and excels at turning members of
a riverboat crew or adventuring band violently against one other
before it finally destroys them.
Druistadt has the power to link its own pattern with those of
its victims. This enables it to track all the victims it marks. Some
claim this link is a Horror mark, while others insist it is an arcane
ability unique to Druistadt. Whatever the true nature of this
power, survivors of groups attacked by Druistadt invariably discover that fleeing only delays their eventual deaths. Druistadt
relentlessly hunts down any Namegiver to whom it is linked and

12

151

GameInformation

Druistadt prefers to operate through stealth, isolating its victims

and attacking them after gaining their trust. The Horror usually
presents itself to a group as a fellow traveler, assuming the guise
of a female tskrang. However, its spell abilities enable it to
assume almost any form circumstances might require. After
meeting its victims, the Horror manipulates one of them
into repeating its True Name three times. That done, Druistadt may use its Horror Mark power. Druistadt can track
victims it has marked by the sound of their heartbeats.
DEX: 19
STR: 19
TOU: 21
PER: 18
WIL: 24
CHA: 20
Initiative: 16
Physical Defense: 24
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 23
Attack (7): 26
Social Defense: 25
Damage:
Physical Armor: 21
Claws (9): 28
Mystic Armor: 20
Death: 150
Recovery Tests: 10
Unconsciousness: 138
Knockdown: 19
Wound Threshold: 26
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Thirteenth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 35
Karma Step: 14
Powers: Damage Shift (4): 28, Durability (6),
Dream Shape (6): 30, Horror Mark (7): 25,
Karma Tap (10): 28, Spellcasting (4): 22,
Thread Weaving [Illusionism] (4): 22, Terror (4): 24
Spells: Illusionism (Eighth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Druistadts formidable spells and physical gifts are enough to

overwhelm most adversaries, but it can be defeated with a tremendous concentration of power. However, Druistadt is above all a
survivor, and can blend in well with its surroundings. It knows
when to retreat to fight another day.
Dream Shape: Druistadt can use the Dream Shape power to
enter the dreams of any victims it has previously marked. The
Horror uses this power to torment victims by causing them to
dream of themselves dying, for example, impaled on the burning
bill of a ferocious bird with glowing red eyes.
Horror Mark: Druistadts Horror Mark power works slightly
differently than previously described. Once Druistadt has manipulated a member of a target group to speak its True Name three
times, the Horror can use this power to mark all the members of
the group. (For purposes of Druistadts powers, a group is any
collection of Namegivers who are together in some fashion: the
passengers and crew of a riverboat, all the customers in a given
tavern, and the like.)
Karma Tap: Druistadt uses its Karma Tap ability to wreak havoc
on its victims from a distance. It may use this ability to inf luence the actions of fleeing victims who are aware of its existence
or compel marked victims to commit unspeakable acts against
their companions.
Terror: Druistadt attempts to use its Terror power at the beginning of every combat, immediately after it manifests in its true
form. During combat the Horror uses Damage Shift as well, causing its enemies blows to harm others.

Adventure Hook

Player characters most likely encounter Druistadt while traveling on or near the Serpent River. In one intriguing option, the

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characters begin hearing of a number of victimsall found with

their hearts ripped out of their bodies. Eventually the characters
may realize the victims were all members of some group targeted
by Druistadt. The victims may have all traveled or crewed on
a particular riverboat trip or may frequent a particular tavern.
The player characters may even realize that they are members of
the targeted group as well. Soon, the characters begin to have
nightmarish dreams, and eventually Druistadt tracks the characters down.
In another possible adventure, the characters hear rumors that
the ghost of Szdanzo Relazar still haunts Barsaive, doomed to walk
the decks of his ship forever unless he can somehow reverse the
terrible evil he committed four centuries ago. This rumor is true.
The ghost of the tskrang captain still haunts the wrecked hulk of
his riverboat, the Scaled Lady, which lies at the bottom of the Serpent River. (The characters may learn of Relazars story, his deal
with Druistadt, and the approximate location of his riverboat from
a variety of scholarly or popular works.) Relazars ghost cannot
leave the wreck of the Scaled Lady, but he remembers the ritual
he used to bring Druistadt across the void. The ghost gladly communicates this information to the characters if they promise to
defeat Druistadt. Reversing the ritual might enable the characters
to drive the Horror out of Barsaive permanently. Unfortunately,
the ritual can only be performed in the Horrors presence.
Alternatively, the characters may be hired to recover the cargo
of a riverboat attacked by Druistadt. The characters do not know
who attacked the vessel, and so they get a big surprise when they
learn the true nature of their opponent. The quest to track down
and defeat this powerful adversary could be a defining epic for the
career of any hero!


The following account was provided by a victim of
the Horror known as the Giftbringer. Unfortunately,
the author of the tale did not identify himself or his
town. Though bothersome, these omissions do not
seriously reduce the value of this text, as it is unlikely that
this Horror would limit itself to a particular area of Barsaive.
Marrlo Tendril, Apprentice Archivist, 1507 TH

ll never forget the day the man came to town. All bright eyes
and riding atop a pulsing wagon filled with boxes. Thats
right, the wagon pulsed. Youd look at it and itd be one size,
then you could look away and a breath later itd be a little bigger
or smaller. Strange, but then wed seen some Illusionists come
through not so long ago, and we figured this fellow might be one
of the adepts we hear of from time to time. Truth be told, most of
us just wanted to have this man around. Something about him just
felt right, and he had all those boxesall sizes and shapes, wrapped
up in shiny ribbons and cloth all the colors of the rainbow. Never
seen anything like it. Hope never to again.
The man looked a bit odd, but nothing too out of the ordinary.
He was tall, with great arms and legs and a body that didnt seem
quite big or strong enough to warrant those limbs. And he was
skinny. Not starving skinny, just sort of lanky and long. His face
I guess some would call handsome, and he had a thick beard that
he kept trimmed. His nose was fine and straight, perched over
a mouth that seemed to stretch from ear to ear when he smiled.
His eyes were like green fire, emeralds set into his skull to shine
the light of his thoughts through.
Everyone was curious as soon as they saw him. He didnt say
a word at first. But you could sense he had a sort of power you
couldnt deny. It was like he knew everything about you. He
would smile at you, all shining teeth and rosy lips, and you got
the impression he was better than everyone else. You didnt get
the feeling he was going to hurt you, though. Not until later.
He set up shop near the center of town. Bought out Gerry, the
carpenter whod called the place home for more than twenty
years. The man just pulled right up, brought out one of his boxes
and handed it right over. Old Gerry cleared right out after that,
packed up his wife and kids and just took off. Never saw him
again. Lucky bastard.
Not long after, the man opened his doors and people started to
go in. Just one or two at first. It seemed like the sort of dark and
quiet place you didnt want to go rushing into, so people kind of
crept in, almost like they were sneakinglike they knew what
they were going to find in there. Im ashamed to admit I was one of
the first to go in. I can see by your face that you think youd never
have done it. But you dont know how it was. The place pulled at
you, nagged at your mind, called to you in your sleep. You had to
go there, you just had to.
That store had everything, and all of it was on display, sitting on
glass stands and cluttering up the shelves. Toys, silverware, jewelry,
swords, tools, bookseverything. And when you came through
the door, the man was waiting behind his counter like hed been
expecting you. Hed sit there sort of hunched over, perched on
his stool like some damned vulture. And hed smile, all teeth and
shiny lips, and hold out his hand, pointing. And right behind you,
youd find just what youd always wanted.
But once youd left the dark little store, youd start thinking and
wondering. Maybe this wasnt quite what youd thought you were
going to get. And hadnt the man said something about someone

else getting just the thing you were looking for? And surely they
couldnt appreciate it as much as you would, and maybe theyd
bring it back. And youd go back, once or twice a week at first
and then every day, looking to see if theyd brought it back. And
every time hed say the same thing: No, they didnt bring it back.
I cant believe how cruel they are, keeping something they dont
want, just knowing how much youd like to have it.
Anyway, things started to get bad soon after that. I can remember people starting to fight over little things. A mother would
strike one of her babies for crying, a father would beat his son
for having a shirt lace untied. Friends turned on each other like
snakes crammed into a small hole, biting and tearing with words
and blows. Id never seen anything like it.
Then one night it all came loose. The man hadnt opened his
store that day, and you could see people were getting mad. Some
hadnt been into the place yet, and they were anxious that the store
wouldnt open again, that they wouldnt get what they had coming.
They were wrong. Everybody got what they had coming.
It was awful once it began. Seemed to start with Jerrik, the
stout dwarf barkeep. He smashed his cousins brains with a mug,
then drank out of it with brains still dropping off the bottom and
his kins blood splashed up the sides. Sydn went next. The little
seamstress drove her scissors into her aunts throat, cut out the
poor womans voicebox. Hell came to town after that.
Everywhere I looked, people were at each other screaming
about thieves and getting what they deserved. Blood and brains
and guts and bones filled the streets. Me, all I could think about
was that snuffbox Id seen old man Farlus tinkering with the day
before. See, when I went to the store, I got this nice old pipe made
out of some sort of bone (even though I dont smoke). All gold
inlays and silver curlicues around. Quin the bellows-mender had
tried to kill me for that pipe, so I smashed him with a hammer.
Cracked him right between the eyes as hard as I could. I knew
he was trying to trick me out of old man Farluss snuffbox, too. I
wanted that box, and Id be damned if I wasnt going to get it.
And I did get that box, by the way. I remember Farlus was running from me, and I just kept getting madder and madder. That
box was really mine, after all, and Farlus knew it. I caught the thief
in the alley out behind the mans store. Grabbed him by the beard
and started bouncing his head off the rough stone wall. When he
didnt die fast enough, I put his skull to the pavement and kept
pounding. I still remember that. Something snapped and popped
and his face just sort of caved in. But I had that box, ripped it out
of his pocket with my hand still slippery with his blood.
Right then a caravan pulled into town. The ashen-faced guards
sitting on the caravan wagons immediately started felling people
with crossbow bolts. Id be dead myself if it werent for the man
leaving. Came busting out of the roof of the store, timbers flying
like busted splinters. I remember it too well, that shiny slick skin
stretched out on the ends of arms turned to wings, big enough to
blot out the moon as he flew over. I could see all his bones jutting
up against his skin just as sharp as knives under parchment. His
head had gotten all long and skinny too, and his nose and mouth
had turned into a shiny black beak. His green eyes were huge, as
big as my head, and they seemed about to burst out of their sockets. Those legs of his had been long before, but now they were thin
and tapered almost half again as long, ending in clicking claws
that could snap around a mans neck without even closing all the
way. The guards sent flight after flight of bolts at the thing, but it
just kept on flying, just kept going.
After that, I felt awful down. The snuffbox looked like nothing
more than an old, worthless trinket. I started crying, tears mixing
with the blood and running down into my mouth. Thats what
saved me from the guards and their damn bows, I think. I was
crying, and they could see it wasnt my fault. They realized then
what I know nowa Horror had been among us.
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Giftbringer

12

153

GameInformation

The Giftbringer is a dangerous Horror that feeds off aggression

and violence, especially violence between two people who know
and care for each other. It uses gifts to drive people at each other,
to kindle their own latent jealousies into hatred, rage, and violence
on which it can feast. The Giftbringer favors small, out-of-the-way
towns because their residents offer the least resistance to its machinations. Larger towns contain more individuals for the Horror
to deal with, which increases the chances that its true nature will
be discovered.
In its physical manifestation, the Horror appears as the creature
described at the end of the preceding tale. When disguised, it often
appears as a human male (though it can appear as males of other
races as well). In Namegiver form, the Horror has a charismatic
presence that it uses to entice victims into its shop. The Giftbringers astral forms differ, however. When physically disguised as a
Namegiver, its astral form looks perfectly normal, masked to perfection. If the Horror is not physically disguised, its astral form
becomes a mass of seething knots of energy, all screaming out at
once. These knots are the life energy taken from those the Giftbringer causes to die. The Giftbringer cannot change form, but
uses illusions to mask its true appearance. Perceptive adepts may
be able to see through these illusions and bring the Horrors dreadful ruse to an end, and so the Giftbringer does its best to avoid
such individuals.
The Horror is fearsome when fighting and relishes physical
combat almost as much as feeding on the pain and misery it causes.
If pushed into a fight, the Giftbringer drops its illusory guise and
uses Illusionism spells to confuse and terrorize its opponents. If
the Giftbringer believes it is losing a battle, it may use those same
spells to cover its escape as it flies off to the next town to start all
over again.
DEX: 18
STR: 20
TOU: 24
PER: 18
WIL: 21
CHA: 19
Initiative: 23
Physical Defense: 23
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 23
Attack (6): 24
Social Defense: 24
Damage:
Physical Armor: 28
Claws (5): 25
Mystic Armor: 21
Death: 171
Recovery Tests: 12
Unconsciousness: Immune Knockdown: 20
Wound Threshold: 28
Movement: 6/8 *
Legend Award: Twelfth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 40
Karma Step: 14
*

The second number represents the Horrors flying Movement Rate.

Powers: Damage Shift (4): 25, Durability (7), Gifts (4): 25,
Horror Mark (4): 24, Karma Tap (4): 24, Spellcasting (4): 22,
Thread Weaving [Illusionism] (4): 22, Terror (4): 23
Spells: Illusionism (Seventh Circle)
Equipment: 2 horses, a wagon, numerous empty boxes
Loot: None

Rules

The Giftbringer usually rolls into town, using Illusionism spells

to make its wagon intriguing to the villagers, and sets up shop. Then
the Horror uses Illusionism spells such as Clarion Call to entice
customers into his store. The first few customers are offered nothing, but the Giftbringer uses its Gifts power (see below) to create
items they desire. The Horror gives these items to the next customers and uses its Gifts power on these individuals as well. Eventually,
everyone in the town receives something that someone else wants.
At this point, Giftbringer uses its Horror Mark power on individu-

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C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

als and its Karma Tap power to convince them that they have the
right to take what they believe is rightfully theirs. Very quickly,
the town devolves into a madhouse as neighbor attacks neighbor
and husband turns on wife. Once the town has destroyed itself,
the Giftbringer moves on to the next town.
Gifts: This power allows the Giftbringer to create an exact duplicate of whatever his target desires by performing a successful Gifts
Test against the Spell Defense of the target character. Items created
with the Gifts power are real in every way. Such items are always
small (less than one cubic yard), and light (less than 50 pounds).
Items created by this power do not disappear unless specifically
destroyed, even if the Giftbringer is killed.
Shapeshifting: Giftbringer may adopt the form of any Namegiver,
with the exception of dragons. The Horror must spend 10 Karma
Points to transform itself in this manner. For this reason, Giftbringer tries to transform only when necessary.

Adventure Hook

The Giftbringer always uses the same method of operation, which

provides many opportunities for characters to become involved
with the Horror. Most simply, the Giftbringer may set up shop in
the town that the player characters call home. In this case, the
characters may become embroiled in the Horrors violent mind
games, causing them to do terrible harm to themselves and those
they love.
In another possible adventure, the characters are contacted by
someone they know in a distant town, who tells them of strange
events taking place there. When the characters arrive, they may
find any variety of conditions in the town, from growing tension
to murderous mayhemall sparked by the Giftbringer. If the
Giftbringer escapes, the characters may pursue it, if only to ensure
that the madness spreads no further. This provides the characters yet another chance to become embroiled in the intrigues of
the Giftbringer.
In yet another adventure, the characters find themselves passing
through a village as it explodes in a fit of jealous violence brought on
by the Giftbringer. In this case, they may well become the objects
of hatred by people they dont even know, and will have to choose
between defending themselves and slaughtering innocents. This
scenario may also lead the characters to pursue the Horror in an
attempt to stop its destruction of another town.

His major goals include propagating as many jehuthras as possible

as well as causing hatred and strife in groups of adventurersand
perhaps even nations, if he can create the jehuthra army he wants.

Sadly, Renwil Fasthand, the scribe who researched the incidents

described below, never returned. Lochost preserve his memory.
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records

ate destroyed at least two kaers during the Scourge. He

also penetrated two others, Coppertail and Menkin
Town, but left those intact. To this day, most Barsaive
citizens harbor deep suspicions of residents from Coppertail
and Menkin Town, assuming that the Horror left the kaers alone
because the residents promised him something better. No one can
guess what they might have promised, and few care to try.

GameInformation

Hate entered Kaer Coppertail and Menkin Town, as well as two

other kaers during the Scourge, offering each a terrible choice: to
bring him the magicians of the Kaer or be killed to the last man,
woman, and child. The first two kaers fought to the bitter end and
refused to be corrupted by the Horror, but they were ultimately overwhelmed by his strength. The residents of Coppertail and Menkin
Town, however, turned on their town magicians in a cowardly act,
offering them up as sacrifices to Hate to survive. Hate used these
enslaved magicians to create the Flydrop Coat (see Gamemasters
Guide, p.268), which he promptly used on the magicians themselves
as an initial experiment, before releasing them back into the kaers,
feeding on the agony of the fight that followed.
Hate appears as a glowing, well-proportioned male human. From
the top of his back sprout twelve multi-jointed limbs. As Hate
speaks the limbs move, each limb producing grating speech in
a different tone. The limbs can extend in front of Hate, and the
Horror uses them to strike opponents.
DEX: 19
STR: 19
TOU: 20
PER: 19
WIL: 22
CHA: 16
Initiative: 22
Physical Defense: 24
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 24
Attack (4): 23
Social Defense: 20
Damage:
Physical Armor: 20
Unarmed (7): 26
Mystic Armor: 18
Death: 139
Recovery Tests: 10
Unconsciousness: Immune Knockdown: 19
Wound Threshold: 25
Movement: 5
Legend Award: Twelfth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 40
Karma Step: 15
Powers: Animate Dead (4): 26, Cursed Luck (4): 26, Damage
Shift (4): 26, Durability (5), Forge Horror Construct (5): 24,
Horror Mark (4): 23, Skin Shift (8): 30, Spellcasting (4): 23,
Thread Weaving [Illusionism] (4): 23, Terror (4): 20
Spells: Illusionism (Eighth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

When Hate attacks traveling parties, he horribly mutilates some

members of the party and leaves others virtually unscathed. Most
residents of Barsaive treat survivors of such attacks with even more
suspicion than people from Coppertail or Menkin Town. Hate
feeds by corrupting Namegivers and pitting them against that
which they once held dear. Hate has also been feeding off the suspicion of other Namegivers of the surviving residents of Coppertail
and Menkin Town.

Adventure Hook

Jehuthras are becoming a major threat near the Servos Jungle.

The adventurers are hired by Eldemar Von, leader of a town close
to the Servos Jungle, to destroy a jehuthras lair. Arriving at the lair,
they find an entire group of jehuthra surrounding a cocoon of some
sort. While the adventurers fight them, another jehuthra bursts out
of the cocoon, carrying a gray fur cloak. Using its powers to delay
the adventurers, it runs fast for the town that hired them.
The adventurers return to the village, they find Eldemar Von
himself wearing the gray coat. The town leader refuses to pay the
adventurers and even provokes them by telling them to get out
of his town. Later, the characters hear rumors about how Vons
behavior changed in the past days. When the adventurers investigate, they find out that Von is suffering the slow transformation
induced by the coat.
The adventurers must somehow convince the town leader to
remove the cloakto save him and to get their payment. If they succeed, the hidden jehuthra attacks the heroes at the first opportunity
in an attempt to steal the cloak back. If the party succeeds in destroying the cloak, Hate will be forced to recreate the cloakand his plans
to do so might involve the player characters themselves

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Hate

12

Joie

This disturbing account comes to us from Mystal Gentlehands,

a humble bonesetter from the village of Circle Round in the
hinterlands near Lake Ban. I have placed the date of its writing
in 1489TH, and so the actual incidents related herein likely
occurred in 1479TH or thereabouts. Some maps drawn before
that date identify three villages within half a day of the forests
edge; maps of the region drawn after 1483TH show no villages
at all. The available records on the being known as Joie have
provoked some debate as to whether the creature is a Horror
or something else. Most people unlucky enough to encounter
Joie insist that she is a Horror; some scholars, however, have
put forward the interesting theory that this being is actually a
Horror-corrupted servant of the mad Passion Vestrial. Joies
apparent ability to shift between Namegiver and monstrous
forms would seem to paint her as a Horror, however, the paucity
of records that describe Joies astral aspect might support the
Vestrial theory.
Kerrith Golden-Tongue, Assistant
Scribe of the Great Library of Throal

e knew enough to be wary of strangers. The wandering minstrel, the tinsmith or peddler seeking a days
profit or a nights shelterthese we would have suspected and tested, to be sure they were what they appeared to be.
Or like as not, wed have driven them away. No sense taking risks
in times like these, after all. But who can refuse an abandoned
child? And she was such a pretty little thing
Couldnt have been more than six summers old, I thought when
I first laid eyes on her. Lilla, she said her Name wasthats the
elven word for gold, the color of the pretty curls that tumbled
down her back. Her eyes were as blue as the heart of a summer
sky. Ive seen blue eyes before, but never quite that shade.
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

155

A delicate little elf-maid, she was, though I daresay shed have

made herself any race needful to touch our hearts. I took her
in, as I shared my house only with my apprentice, Cevas. Poor
Cevas was a bit simple, and hed sometimes get frustrated when
he couldnt learn a skillbut once Lilla came, he was happy all
the time. Her very presence seemed to calm him.
At first folk said she brought us good fortune, and it was true
from the first day we took Lilla in, the weather was a blessing to
us farmers. The sun shone when the land needed plowing and
sowing, and gentle rains fell just often enough when the seed was
in the ground. We were all so happy at the thought of the bumper
crop we were finally going to get, after years of harvesting mostly
stones and barren stalks fit only for feeding to mules.
Everything seemed to go right for everyoneno one came
down sick, everyones grackle hens laid large and beautiful eggs,
vegetable gardens flourished, harnesses never needed mending.
All manner of small annoyances vanished from our lives, and we
felt truly blessed.
Things first went wrong on the midsummer night that Anasters barn burned to
the ground. Everyone said at the time
how lucky Anaster was, himself includedone of his sons or someone had
left the barn door unlatched, and all
the stock had bolted when they first
smelled smoke. So all hed lost was
a buildingand though it was a
shame it happened, Anaster was
glad it had been no worse. Indeed,
he was positively gleeful about the
prospect of a barn-raising. Wed
not had a proper festival in Circle
Round for years, because the hard
grind of every day wore us out
too much. But a barn-raisings a
joyful thingthe work goes easy
when all pull together, and afterward the whole village gathers
for a feast and a night of song and
dancing (for them young enough
to have strength left). So Anaster
just looked at the charred stubs
of his barn and smiled, like the
loss of it was a birthday present
hed always wanted.
At the barn-raising, Tarris the
carpenter slipped off the roof-frame
and fell, breaking her leg in three
places. I set the bones, and from the
way theyd splintered in one spot I knew
Tarris would never walk quite straight
again. When I told her this, she smiled and said, Could
have been worse. I could have broken something to cost me the
use of my hands. And I found myself nodding my head, grinning
like a fool with relief that she was taking it so well.
A few weeks later, when I stopped to see how Tarris was doing,
I found her hobbling around on a makeshift crutch. Now only
two weeks had passed, mind, and I knew the bones hadnt knit
yet. To walk on them must have felt like stepping on knife-blades.
Tarris should have been screaming in agony. But she wasnt. She
was bathed in sweat and her eyes were glazed, so I knew she was
feeling somethingbut when she saw me, she smiled and told
me to watch. And I did.
Tarris should have been flat abedI should have snatched her
off that leg and laid her down quicker than I could say my own
Name. But I stood still and watched my patient grinding the

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C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

broken ends of her own bones together in a fair bid to cripple herself, and all I could think was how wonderfully brave she was.
Finally she couldnt walk any more, and she collapsed against
the side of her pallet with a shriek. The sound brought me to my
senses, and I rushed over and got her onto the pallet as gently
as I could. Every movement made her cry out, but she seemed
almost to be enjoying it. When I asked what had possessed her
to try walking so soon, she grinned at me and said, Because the
pain makes me feel alive. Its wonderful.
I went home, much disturbed in mind. But worse was to come.
Cevas was sitting at the table in the warm kitchen, working over
something. When I moved closer, I saw that he was sawing away
at his own arms with a fine-edged dagger Id given him as a festival-day gift. Hed drawn waves and curlicues into his skin; blood
welled up in the cuts like crimson lace. He saw me staring at him
in shock, held out one mutilated arm toward me and said, Pretty,
isnt it, Myskal? Pretty pattern?
Before I could take a step toward him, he
turned back to his grim work with a delighted
smile and slashed the daggers edge across
his wrist. A deep cut, this one, much
deeper than any of the others looked.
His hearts blood came spurting out,
and he watched in wonder even as
the lifelight dimmed in his eves.
See the pattern! he cried
out to me, like a child might
share the wonder of its first
pony ride. See the pretty
rubies falling through the
air!
A s Cevass cor pse collapsed over the table, I felt
eyes on me. I turned, slowly,
and saw Lilla standing in
the doorway. She looked at
Cevas, then at me, and her
blue eyes glowed with joy.
She smiled and then began
to laugh. Ive never before nor
since heard a sound so beautifulor so horrible. Silvery
and sweet, like little bells, but
with the howl of a storm wind
underneathand as I listened, the wind howled louder
and louder until I could see
and hear nothing else. Just for a
moment, like a shadow across my
mind, I saw a monster with huge
claws and a wide mouth stretched in
an evil smile. I could smell the stench of
its rotting teeth. Then it vanished.
Some while laterIm not sure how longthe wind went away.
I came to myself, sitting on the kitchen floor and staring at Cevass
body. My lantern had fallen over and shattered, and flames were
licking up one wall and toward me across the floor-boards. I sat
and watched the fire spread, enchanted by the dance of the redgold flames with their blue heartsas blue as Lillas eyes. Only
when the fire touched my sleeve did I move. I still dont know what
happened. I only remember feeling as if I had awakened from a
sleep and suddenly I felt afraid. I ran as if the mad Passion Raggok
himself pursued me, past a circle of neighbors who were dancing
and singing as they watched my house burn.
Its been ten years now, and Ive heard nothing of anyone from
Circle Round. Nothing of Lilla, either. I still dont know what she

N a m e d H o r r o r s

was, though I can guess. She was no elf-child, thats certain. She
was nothing of this world.

GameInformation

Joie can alter its physical appearance and frequently manifests as a

wandering minstrel, a village idiot, or a child with blond hair and
blue eyes. The Horror appears in these forms to the isolated villages that are its preferred prey, seeking aid, shelter, or any other
plausible need suited to the form it has taken. Though it prefers to
remain disguised whenever possible, Joies true shape is that of a
lithe, man-sized beast of terrible strength, with a thick hide and
wicked claws. The beast has a particularly evil smile; its mouth
appears wider than physically possible, and is filled with rows of
cracked, yellow teeth. Its tongue, the size and texture of the liver
of a small animal, plays constantly across these teeth.
Over a number of days, Joie makes itself wholly welcome in its
target community, all the while observing the citizens for weaknesses upon which to prey. After a short time, Joie begins to pervert
the emotions of the local folk, usually starting with one or two
minor incidents. The Horror gradually spreads its influence until
most of the community is firmly under its control and begins drawing nourishment from the warped psyches of its victims. The Horror
stays in a given village or town until its dreadful doings are discovered. Once unmasked, Joie departs in search of new victims. Often,
though not always, Joie slays the villagers before leaving.
DEX: 16
STR: 10
TOU: 17
PER: 18
WIL: 18
CHA: 19
Initiative: 15
Physical Defense: 20
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 23
Attack (4): 20
Social Defense: 25
Damage:
Physical Armor: 16
Bite (6): 16; Claws (2): 12
Mystic Armor: 14
Death: 106
Recovery Tests: 8
Unconsciousness: Immune Knockdown: 10
Wound Threshold: 22
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Ninth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 20
Karma Step: 10
Powers: Corrupt Karma (4): 22, Disguise SelfT (4): 22,
Durability (3), Horror Mark (4): 22, Karma Tap (4): 22,
Pervert Emotion (4): 23, Terror (4): 23
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Joie rarely engages in combat, preferring to manipulate its victims from the shadows. However, Joie can be formidable in battle.
The Horror can use its huge, toothy jaws to bite an opponent or rake
enemies with its powerful claws. In Namegiver guise, Joie can use
its Corrupt Karma, Horror Mark, and Karma Tap powers, as well
as its unique Pervert Emotion power (see below). In its monstrous
true form, Joie adds the Terror power to its arsenal.
Pervert Emotion: Many powerful Horrors feed on negative emotions such as hatred, anger, fear, and jealousy. Once people realize
that these emotions are controlling their actions, they will resist
these feelings, thereby starving the Horror. The Pervert Emotion
power, unique to Joie, allows the Horror to subvert such resistance by warping its victims minds so that painful and evil things
become a source of happiness to them.
Pervert Emotion allows Joie to change a victims interpretation
of emotions, causing him to act in ways that he normally would
not because he no longer sees his actions as wrong or inappropriate. For example, a character who feels joy rather than disgust at
physical violence may express his affection for his neighbor by
nailing the individuals cap to his head. While under the inf lu-

12

ence of this horrible power, people can commit truly terrifying

acts without realizing it.
To use this power, Joie makes a Pervert Emotion Test against the
targets Spell Defense. If the test succeeds, Joie perverts the targets emotions in a way that the victim finds pleasing, and that is
also appetizing to the Horror. The result level achieved determines
the ease with which Joie can pervert the victims feelings. Altering
strong anger into simple affection requires an Average result; turning bitter jealousy into euphoria requires an Extraordinary result.
The gamemaster determines the powers effectiveness, based on
the circumstances of the given situation.
A victim under the influence of this power may realize that his
emotions are being manipulated if he makes a successful Perception
Test against the result of the Pervert Emotion Test. The gamemaster
should make this test for the character. If the test succeeds, the
character realizes that his emotions are somehow inappropriate,
though he cannot control them. To break free of the Pervert Emotion power, the character must make a successful Willpower Test
against the result of the Pervert Emotion Test.

Adventure Hook

Typically, player characters encounter Joie by coming into contact with the population of a small town or village that has come
under the influence of the Horrors Pervert Emotion power. Alternatively, Joie may simply try to use its powers directly against the
characters or even attack them outright. In one possible adventure, player characters on a long journey stop at a village for the
night. Soon after their arrival, they notice that the local people are
behaving strangelylaughing uproariously when they or others
hurt themselves, acting joyful at things that ought to make them
angry or sad, and so on. Once the characters realize that a Horror
might be causing these bizarre emotional shifts, they may attempt
to find and destroy Joie. However, the citizens of the town are less
than willing to give up their new-found, constant pleasure; and
Joie is unwilling to leave her latest meal unfinished.
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

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Nebis

Enwid Deltern, Third Assistant Librarian of the Hall of

Records, diligently compiled and humbly submitted this report,
with the stated hope that its scrupulous attention to accuracy,
thoroughness, and vivid detail would aid in the battle against
Horrors everywhere. We print this final work by assistant Deltern
unaltered, as a testimonial to his long, though sadly heretofore
undistinguished, career at the library.
Ardiv Fasha, Apprentice Archivist, 1507TH

eports of the entity called Nebis have surfaced only since

the end of the Scourge. Many adepts have encountered
the Horror, and happily, almost all the stronger adventuring parties have come away with survivors.
One adept who has tangled with NebisManterlinck the
Enchanter, chronicler of the Seven Learned Fellowsspeculates
that Nebis could not compete with the more powerful Horrors
in Barsaive during the Scourge. This theory might account for
Nebiss relatively recent appearance.
The high level of magic may have distressed it, or the entity
may have feared rival Horrors, writes Manterlinck, one of three
surviving Fellows. Now that the magic has declined somewhat,
Nebis finds our milieu better suited to his lesser strength.
Here follows a comprehensive list of Nebiss known manifestations, compiled through strenuous effort by your humble scribe,
Destruction of Kaer Mornwood (1423TH, first documented
appearance of N.) and Kaer Lanhord Deere (1445TH, both
located in the Tylon Mountains. Some folklore implicates N. in
the loss of Kaer Dunholden (1456TH) in the Caucavics, but
N.s involvement seems doubtful, as N. has not been observed
so far northeast.
Destruction of Merchad, village south of Kratas (1438TH,
by provoking residents to murder one another. Destruction
of central Barsaivian villages Cab0 (1466TH), Dairen
(1478TH), Numaovasi (1488TH), and Nea Manolas
(1492TH), means unknown. Maddened survivors in some
cases.
Failed destruction attempts: Samatirula, southwest of Kratas
(1450TH), stopped by Seven Learned Fellows. Village of
Cut Off (1463TH), foiled by Order of Danbury. Repeated
attempts to enter Bartertown (1496, 1501, 1503, 1504TH),
foiled at great cost by various bands of adepts.
Implicated in assassination of Olan Urzicenyi, mayor of
Bartertown (149596TH). Implicated in deaths of 26
Bartertown children (1501TH). Implicated in the deaths of
Logen Olaria, leader of Bartertowns primary Garlen shrine
(1503TH), and of numerous officials, questors, and caregivers
in many small villages. N. also linked to hundreds of cases of
incurable insanity.
Widespread agreement among writers that N. aids various
Living Legend cults, Hand of Corruption, questors of Vestrial,
and other agents of chaos. No concrete evidence to support
these speculations, however.
Many readers may wonder why Nebis has been grouped with
the Named Horrors, considering its relatively minor record of
devastation. True, Nebis poses little physical threat. The Horror
is fat, slow, and lazy of manner, and even inexperienced adepts
have defeated him in physical combat. But the principal differences between common Horrors and Named Horrors are the
methods and ambitions of these vile entities, and Nebis appears

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much more intelligent and crafty than most un-Named Horrors.

It possesses a shiftier disposition and employs more devious tactics than common Horrors, and Nebiss opponents report that
the entity possesses many insidious abilities often attributed to
Named Horrors. Nebis also entertains the ambitions of a Named
Horror. In notes left in the ruins of Merchad village, apparently
dictated by Nebis, the entity vows to bring madness on every
Namegiver in Barsaive.
Many survivors of battles with Nebis describe its revolting
appearance in detail. According to these accounts, Nebis possesses a body shaped like a tun cask of wine, covered with short
tawny or white fur. Normally, the entity walks on all four of its
limbs, but has been observed standing upright. Nebiss arms
resemble those of the gorillas of the Liaj jungle. The Horror possesses two short, hind limbs like those of a lion, and four-digit
clawed hands and feet.
Bone spikes cover Nebiss long reptilian tail, but the Horrors most
terrible feature is its face. An elongated triangular visage of trollish
aspect, Nebiss face lacks a forehead, contains a single central nostril, and sports overgrown tusks set in a protuberant jaw.
The only astral description of Nebis comes from Lannonder the
Gray Wizard. Lannonder describes the form as a slowly roiling
concatenation of what seemed a dozen patterns, much larger than
the physical body and jarring and ugly in their clashes.
According to all accounts, Nebis persistently manipulates a
victims sense of reality using dreams, Namegivers under its control, and telepathic suggestion. He slowly subverts the tormented
victims every belief, then the victims perception of his surroundings, and finally the individuals sense of self. The unfortunate
lunatic becomes one more pawn Nebis can use in its insidious
plots against Barsaive. More than one adept group has run afoul
of these plots and has taken steps to foil them. Imagine their
astonishment and alarm when they discover that Nebis has merely
assimilated them into its plans!

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Extracts from an account by Dandeer of Lowfen, human

weaponsmith of the Bright Spear Fellowship, offer a telling example of Nebiss machinations.
We first met it in a nameless village three days walk southwest
of Kratas. Everyone there had died or gone mad. We tracked it to
the village headmans home, where it had set the last two living
peoplea mother and childupon each other, so that it might
feed on their pain.
We fought it well and bravely, though it crushed Theonas skull
and ripped off Caedmons leg. I gave the killing stroke myself. We
chopped up its body and burned the pieces. Not until months
later did we notice disturbing signs.
Two nights after that first battle, each of us received a dream that
we took to be from the Passion Thystonius. Words cannot convey
the marvelous, solemn authority in those visions. The Passion told
us of grave danger in a nearby village. When we arrived at the place,
we found a demented troll slaughtering villagers at random. We
killed him and gained the surviving villagers acclaim. Thereafter,
Thystonius directed us to several other dangers, and we acquitted
ourselves with honor. So we grew to trust the dreams implicitly.
One night Thystonius told us that a Horror had possessed the
mayor of the nearby village of Solile. The Passion instructed us to
kill the mayor for the good of the village. The next morning some
of us voiced suspicions of this dreams message, but on the way to
Solile we met a villager who confirmed the Passions claim with
vivid accounts of the possessed mayors awful deeds.
Convinced by this, we entered Solile by stealth. Nothing appeared wrong, but mindful of Thystonius warning we
ambushed the mayor in her bed and slew her, then fled. In our
dreams that night Thystonius promised to reward us. When we
awoke, each of us bore a golden tattoo. Mine was on my right leg,
and thereafter I found I could run faster and leap higher. Landy
Born, our warrior, had one on his sword arm, which had become
stronger. We later found that Candias chest tattoo made her
more resistant to injury, and Adjunius had a forehead tattoo that
improved his vision. Poor Adjunius! He was my dearest friend.
Soon thereafter, we met a traveling questor of Thystoniusor
so he seemedwho identified the marks as blessings of the Passion. Now you belong to the Brothers of Thystonius, he said, as
he showed us his own tattoo.
So encouraged, we pursued our travels. Then one night, we
received a dream message of quite another kind than we had grown
accustomed to. The Horror, its own repulsive person undisguised,
manifested in a terrifying nightmare that we all shared. I have a body
again, it said, sniggering and drooling horribly. I can come to you
now. Prepare for your imminent doom! It seems obvious now that
this Horror-sent dream should have inspired us to reexamine the
dreams from Thystonius, but the thought did not cross our minds.
These nightmares continued for several nights. In desperation
we began investigating ways to destroy the Horror. In Kratas,
apparently by accident, we met a fellow Brother of Thystonius,
a Nethermancer who told us of a blood ritual that she insisted
would drive the Horror out of this realm for a year and a day. We
had no better choice, and so we resolved to try it.
After much labor we assembled the required orichalcum and
other elements. In so doing we met other Brothers of Thystonius
embarked on the same mission, and they joined us. At midnight,
with all of us present, Adjunius cast the spell.
Here the narrative grows less coherent. We lost poor Adjunius right away, his head separated and changed. Landys arm
grew like a gorillas, then suddenly ripped from his torso and flew
across the circle, trailing blood everywhere. A stranger there lost
his arm too, or maybe he lost the legI dont remember, for just
then my own leg tore loose. All the bloody parts flew together
overhead, melded together, and suddenly the Horror stood before
us. It could do anything it wanted to us, but it let us live. I dont

know why except Im always afraid, I dont even want to write his
Name because hell find me again
Dandeers account ends here. Her attendants at a local shrine to
Garlen add a note that Dandeer can now walk well on her wooden
leg. Dandeer and other writers accept implicitly that Nebis can
notice and manipulate unwary Namegivers who invoke its Name
too often. Your humble scribe finds this unlikely, for Nebis Nebis
has not demonstrated clairvoyant powers of this Nebis description, certainly not on those Nebis whom Nebis has not Nebis
already marked. Assuming such Nebis were true, the effects of
Nebiss Nebiss NEBISS manipulation would become evident
to an NEBIS observer. NEBIS To date no such NEBIS has surfaced, despite the NEBIS diligent inquiry of one NEBIS who only
desires to NEBIS the NEBIS of the NEBIS Library of NEBIS,
and hopes that NEBIS superiors will NEBIS him with NEBIS
and NEBIS NEBIS NEBIS.
Enwid Deltern, 14451507TH. Lochost preserve his memory.
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records

12

GameInformation

Nebis exists solely on the astral plane but maintains a close connection to the physical plane, where it finds its victims. No description
of Nebis exists, since the Horror manifests a new physical body by
stealing body parts from its victims.

DEX: 7
STR: 10
TOU: 18
PER: 9
WIL: 20
CHA: 20
Initiative: 8
Physical Defense: 9
Actions: 2
Spell Defense: 12
Attack (3): 10
Social Defense: 25
Damage:
Physical Armor: 8
Claws (3): 13
Mystic Armor: 16
Death: 111 (see text)
Recovery Tests: 9
Unconsciousness: Immune Knockdown: 10
Wound Threshold: 28
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Astral: Ninth Circle (Group); Physical: Eighth
Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 30
Karma Step: 12
Powers: Cursed Luck (2): 22, Durability (3), Horror Mark (9):
18, Karma Tap (5): 14, Spellcasting (13): 22, Tattoo Claim (2):
22 (see text), Thread Weaving [Illusionism] (13): 22, Thought
Worm (5): 14
Spells: Illusionism (Third Circle), Tattoo Ritual
Equipment, Loot: None
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

159

Rules

Nebis presents a slight threat in combat compared to other

Named Horrors. The Horror defends its lair primarily with prepared defenses such as the Illusionist spells Alarm, Impossible
Lock, and Nobody Here. Though Nebis is physically weak, the
destruction of the Horrors physical body does not kill it. Instead,
physical destruction of the Horror forces Nebis to retreat to astral
space for a year and a day or until it can manifest a new body using
its unique Tattoo Claim power (see below).
To kill Nebis, characters must destroy both its physical and astral
forms. Each form has a separate Death Rating of 111. Physical
damage is subtracted from the Horrors physical Death Rating.
Damage that is reduced by Mystic Armor is subtracted equally
from both ratings. While on the astral plane, Nebis can use powers
that cause Strain or require the Horror to take blood magic or permanent damage. When Nebis acquires a new body, this Strain and
damage are transferred to its new physical form.
Though slow to react to new information, Nebis is profoundly intelligent and deeply vindictive. The Horror develops personal grudges
against adepts who slay its physical body or interfere with its plans.
Nebis uses its actions in combat to Horror-mark its opponents, then
plants Thought Worms and Karma Taps. Once it marks all opponents,
Nebis makes physical attacks against them until its body dies.
Nebis is the subject of more than one of the so-called Horror
cults, and the Horror often uses the members of these cults as
pawns in its plans.
The fictional entry on Nebis mentions its ability to sense the
mention or thought of its Name. The gamemaster should decide
whether this is true according to the needs of his adventure.
Clairvoyancy: By spending 1 point of Strain per round, Nebis
can clairvoyantly sense anything of which a previously marked
character is aware. The marked character does not sense Nebiss
eavesdropping.
Tattoo Claim: The Tattoo Claim power enables Nebis to place
special tattoos on characters it has previously marked and later
retrieve the tattooed body parts for its own use. To use the power,
Nebis makes a Tattoo Claim Test against the Spell Defense of any
sleeping targeted character. If the test succeeds, the target character receives a tattoo on one body part chosen by the gamemaster:
arm, leg, chest, head, and so on. The tattoo is recognizably magical and especially visible on the astral plane. A character cannot
receive more than one Tattoo Claim, and Nebis must take 1 point
of Permanent damage for each Tattoo Claim Test it makes.
The tattooed character gains a +2 bonus to one ability or set of
abilities, depending on the tattooed body part. A tattooed arm adds
+2 steps to Strength; a tattooed leg, +2 steps to Dexterity; chest,
+2 to the characters Physical Armor; a tattooed head, +2 steps to
Perception. The tattoo and the bonus last for a year and a day, or
until Nebiss Horror mark lapses. Nebis can renew the tattoo by
making another Tattoo Claim Test whenever the target character
is within 100 miles of the Horror. Dispel Magic and similar effects
may remove a characters tattoo by overcoming the Horrors Spell
Defense of 12. The tattoo does not confer this Spell Defense to
the character. If six or more characters bear Nebiss Tattoo Claim,
Nebis can manifest a new physical body by persuading its victims
to perform a Tattoo Ritual (see below).
Thought Worm: Nebiss Thought Worm power enables the
Horror to manipulate the dreams of any sleeping character it
has previously marked. By making a successful Spellcasting Test
against the dreaming targets Spell Defense, Nebis can convincingly impersonate a benevolent Passion, ghost, fictitious spirit, and
so on. (These beings need not really exist in Barsaive, as long as
Nebis persuades his victim that they do.) The target may experience deep emotions during the dream and always remembers it on
waking. After one successful test, Nebis can impersonate the same

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figure in the characters later dreams without making another test.

This use of the Thought Worm power causes the victim no pain or
damage. Nebis must spend 1 point of Strain per round to send a
dream message. The Horror can send the same dream to a group
of marked characters simultaneously, as long as all the targeted
characters are sleeping.
Tattoo Ritual: Nebis teaches this ritual to its agents and/or victims,
usually under the false pretext that the ritual accomplishes something else, such as driving the Horror from the world or destroying
Nebis forever. Members of Horror cults devoted to Nebis and others
among Nebiss corrupt servitors often teach the ritual as well. The
Tattoo Ritual requires at least six characters with Tattoo Claims,
one for each body part (head, chest, left and right arms, left and right
legs). The ritual requires no particular location, materials, or preparation, though Nebis often invents these to lull characters suspicions.
Performing the ritual takes ten minutes, allowing Nebis to make a
single Tattoo Ritual Test against a Difficulty Number equal to the
highest Spell Defense of any tattooed character present, +1 for each
additional character. If the test succeeds, all of the characters tattooed by Nebis are affected by the ritual.
Characters with a head or chest tattoo die immediately. Those
with limb tattoos take 1 Wound and Step 16 damage, as the tattooed
limb tears away. No armor protects against this damage. They suffer
extreme pain, with effects similar to the Pain spell, though these
characters incur no further damage. The character also loses the
step bonus granted by the Tattoo Claim. If Nebis receives more
body parts than it needs (an extra arm or head, for instance), the
parts are incorporated into its new body. Add +10 to Nebiss Death
Rating for each extra body part beyond six. Nebis also gains a +4
bonus to all Action Tests it makes against any character who has
lost a body part to the Horror. If Nebiss Tattoo Ritual Test fails,
the ritual has no effect. Nebis takes 10 Strain and cannot make
another Tattoo Ritual Test for 24 hours. Nebis cannot use any of
these powers on characters it has not personally marked, nor can
Nebis sense or use other Horrors marks.

Adventure Hook

Nebis seeks out adepts to battle, for it cares little if its physical form
is destroyed. If player characters kill its body, the Horror stalks the
characters in astral space. Nebis uses its powers to mark its victims
and eventually tricks them into performing its Tattoo Ritual.


The information we have regarding the Horror Nemesis comes to
us from one Veran Tuul, a scholar from the area near Urupa. As
Tuuls account attests, Nemesis has involved itself in slave trade
and other acts usually the sole domain of Namegivers. Nemesis is
a particularly dangerous entity, as it has been known to deceive
even the most clear-headed and virtuous heroes.
Voiha Mystral, Apprentice Archivist,
Great Library of Throal, 1507TH

can offer no better example of the insidious danger the Horror

called Nemesis poses than the following letter. I took this missive from the hand of a dead comrade, who had succumbed
to Nemesiss wiles. Until the last day of his life, he maintained that
the Horror had sent it to him.
Enlightened Being,
I have watched your peoples for many decades now, counting
the years as you do days. I have witnessed your vain attempts to
hide from those beings that you call Horrors and have watched
with great interest the power that you and others like you have
learned to wield.
Nevertheless, you are nothing compared to those you fight.
Hiding in the earth did not save you, for they were patient and
merely awaited your return. And now they crouch all around you,
hiding in shadows and riding beneath the very skins of those you
may call friends. You know I speak the truth, for you have learned
to sense them, to see the way they warp astral space and rip at the
very fabric of the magic you hold so dear. But still you are powerless to destroy them.
It does not have to be so, however. I have knowledge that you
might use to your advantage, powerful insights into the ways of
the Horrors you seek to destroy. You know of Patterns and Pattern
Items, and you know the power of Knowledge. I can give you these
and much, much more. You have but to place around your neck the
amulet you will find in this package, and it will guide you to me.
Your destiny awaits, for surely you will be known as the greatest
of the Horror hunters.
The Knowing One

The Horrors astral appearance, however, is quite striking. It

remains human-looking, but glowing lines of force emanate from
its body. The lines pulse between black and purple and seem to
extend outward forever. I have come to believe that these lines
are Nemesiss magical connections to adepts across Barsaive, and
I shudder for us all if I am correct. Hundreds, if not thousands, of
these glowing lines shoot from Nemesiss body, and if each of these
represents a corrupted adept, then surely we are all doomed.
The Horror we call Nemesis is old, though not as old as many
others. I have traced hundreds of reports of the being, including
many letters written shortly after the end of the Scourge, and I
believe that this dread entity arrived in our world not long after
the opening of the first kaers. Whether or not it was present before
that time is uncertain, but it seems to have made no contact with
Namegivers until the kaers opened.
Since the end of the Scourge, Nemesis has contacted many,
many adepts. In each case, Nemesis has offered them the knowledge or weapons, or both, necessary to destroy other Horrors. In
every case I know of, Nemesis has destroyed these adepts in mind,
spirit, and body, consuming every tortured emotion from their
dying husks. I believe that Nemesis originally took control of its
victims to reduce its own competition. By providing adepts with
the means to destroy other Horrors, Nemesis ensured that fewer
Horrors could contend with it for the emotional energy it needs
to maintain its physical form.
The letters and accounts tell us that Nemesis did not bestow its
knowledge and weapons freely. It tainted each gift with its terrible
essence, and through these it manipulated the adepts it had chosen.
Nemesis allowed these adepts to destroy a Horror and then turned
them against one another at the height of their celebrations. Journal entries tell of petty arguments that exploded into fights with
drawn weapons, disagreements that became bitter feuds. Nemesis
became quite skilled at wringing terrible emotions from his pawns,
exhausting them of all their strength before forcing them to kill
themselves. The Horror would then give its tainted gifts to new
victims, beginning its terrible game all over again.
Nemesiss voracious appetite continued to grow, however, and
soon the Horror realized that it needed a more constant supply of
nourishment. And so Nemesis began to sell its knowledge. The
Horror traveled to various towns and cities, offering knowledge

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Nemesis

12

None should be misled by the frail appearance of many of Nemesiss physical forms. This entitys truly powerful weapons are
its mastery of metamorphoses and deception. It is impossible
to say for certain how Nemesis will appear at any given time,
though the Horrors physical aspects contain certain distinguishing features.
First, Nemesis always takes the form of a male or female human,
never of one of the other Namegiver races. Second, it almost
always has blue-white eyes that shine with the brilliance of lightning. Often Nemesis explains this strange gleam as the mark of
a Wizard, and the Horror has the abilities needed to convince
others that it is indeed competent in the magical arts. Third, the
Horror dresses in light clothing, eschewing armor in favor of
f lowing silks and brightly colored sashes. It delights in drawing attention to itself and is often quite attractive. I doubt that
Nemesis has what could be called a True Form. I know of two
individuals who have seen Nemesis near to death; both said the
Horrors form began to shift from one human guise to the next,
but never to anything inhuman.
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

161

of other Horrors in exchange for large sums of silver. With the

Scourge and years of hiding still fresh in their minds, nearly all
the Namegivers it approached agreed to its bargain. Nemesis took
its profits and traveled south, entering the shattered remnants of
the Theran Empire where the foul practice of slavery still exists.
Nemesis offered premium prices for slaves, often paying in information as well as silver.
Soon, Nemesis established itself as a slaver. The money it gained
from selling information about Horrors allowed Nemesis to build
numerous strongholds near Iopos and Jerris, one in the depths of
the Liaj Jungle, another beneath the Twilight Peaks, two secreted
in the depths of the Servos Jungle, one near Urupa, and a final
one hidden in the Caucavic Mountains near Parlainth. More may
exist, but these are reportedly the largest. Slaves pour into these
strongholds regularly, supplied by the Therans and the many individuals Nemesis has corrupted throughout Barsaive. Nemesiss
caravan travels by night to collect the poor souls and transport
them to the nearest of the strongholds. It is said that great numbers of cadaver men guard these caravans, that Wizards guide
them, and that to look upon them is death.
Many accounts say that at the new moon, these accursed strongholds become arenas for gladiatorial matches. Slaves are armed
with savage weapons and thrown into pits to fight one another.
Often wild beasts join the battles, driven mad by the power of
Nemesis. Certain wealthy Barsaivians have been seen traveling
to these events, and I can only assume that Nemesis is corrupting them for its nefarious schemes. I suspect Nemesis feeds off
the suffering of those in the pits and also from the roiling emotions of the spectators.
As far as I can tell, the Horror still seeks adepts. Its pawns
seem to lurk everywhere, looking for those with hot blood and
little sense, those who can be easily corrupted. On behalf of their
Horror master, Nemesiss minions offer those unfortunate individuals information about Horrors and speak of the glory to be
won by destroying these terrifying creatures. Of course, those
who accept information and assistance from these minions or their
awful patron are damned from that moment on. As time passes
they become more and more hostile, urged on by the power of
Nemesis, until eventually they destroy themselves and everything
they love. Throughout, Nemesis swallows every tasty morsel of
Namegiver pain and rage.
I regret to say I have no idea how Nemesis travels. Whether
it can move through astral space or uses some form of magic to
transport itself, I do not know. I have heard reports of the entity
appearing at opposite ends of Barsaive within days; if these reports
are true, I can only surmise that the Horror can move itself almost
instantaneously if the need arises.

GameInformation

Nemesis exists solely on the astral plane but maintains a close connection to the physical plane, where it finds its victims. Various
descriptions of Nemesis exist, since the Horror manifests in many
disguises. However, all of its disguises are human with lightning
blue-white eyes.
DEX: 5
STR: 5
TOU 19
PER: 23
WIL: 25
CHA 16
Initiative: 10
Physical Defense: 7
Actions: 5
Spell Defense: 29
Attack (5): 10
Social Defense: 20
Damage:
Physical Armor: 19
Unarmed (1): 6
Mystic Armor: 21
Death: 171
Recovery Tests: 9
Unconsciousness: 156
Knockdown: 5
Wound Threshold: 25
Movement: 6

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Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle 2 (Group)

Karma Points: 60
Karma Step: 20
Powers: Animate Dead (5): 30, Create Shadow (7), Damage
Shift (5): 30, Durability (9), Knowledge: Horror LoreS (7): 30,
Horror Mark (5): 28, Spellcasting (5): 28, Thread Weaving
[Wizardry] (5): 28, Thought Worm (5): 28, Transport (5): 28
Spells: Wizardry (Ninth Circle)
Equipment: Loose robes, personal items befitting a noble
Loot: Usually none, though several thousand silver pieces can
be found at each of Nemesiss strongholds.

Rules

Nemesis hates standup fights and uses its spells to kill as many
attackers as quickly as it can if things become violent. If it appears that
the Horror cannot win, Nemesis uses its Transport power to flee the
scene, vowing to return and slay the player characters another day.
Horror Lore: Nemesiss unique Horror Lore power is the source
of the entitys knowledge concerning Horrors. To use this power,
Nemesis makes a Horror Lore Test against the Spell Defense of
the Horror in question. If the test succeeds, Nemesis may spend
1 Karma Point to discover the weaknesses (if any) of a particular Horror. A successful test also enables Nemesis to empower
a weapon so that it causes extra damage to the targeted Horror.
Nemesis may spend up to 5 Karma Points to do this. Each Karma
Point increases the Damage step of the weapon by +2 steps when
used against the targeted Horror. When used against any other
target, the weapon functions normally.
Horror Mark: Nemesiss Horror Mark power only works against
player characters who have accepted gifts from the Horror. If a
character accepts such a gift, Nemesis may then attempt to mark
the character at any time, as long as the character keeps the gift.
These gifts are usually the weapons Nemesis gives player characters to destroy other Horrors, but any other item will work as well.
Nemesis usually uses human agents to contact player characters it
wishes to mark. These agents offer the characters the knowledge
and weapons they need to destroy a nearby Horror. Nemesis then
uses its Horror Lore power (see Horror Lore, above) to provide
these weapons. Nemesis also tells the characters the Horrors Name
and other information about its weaknesses.

Adventure Hook

Nemesis is an intelligent, cultivated Horror that moves among

circles most Horrors do not. Rather than a grotesque monstrosity
to be feared on sight, Nemesis is a beautiful, cunning entity that
prefers to manipulate its foes and victims into destroying themselves rather than lay hands on them itself.
In one possible adventure, the characters arrive in a small town
to find that the streets are nearly deserted and that the remaining
townspeople are half-mad with fear. It seems a wormskull Horror
has taken up residence nearby and is systematically destroying the
town. The survivors tell the characters that they have heard of a
Wizard not far from the town who might know how to destroy the
Horror, but none of them are strong or brave enough to make the
trip. The Wizard, of course, is really Nemesis, who is more than
happy to provide the characters with the information and weapons they need to destroy the wormskull.
Alternatively, the characters may be hired by a city official to
find out what is happening in the city government. Many officials
have begun taking extended vacations and returning with some
interesting new thoughts. As a result the city is becoming a crueler
place, with heavier taxes and harsher penalties for crimes.
The player characters must involve themselves in the politics of
the city to discover that during these extended vacations, city officials have been attending gladiatorial games hosted by someone they
refuse to identify. If the characters can wangle themselves an invitation to one of these events or convince someone of import that the
characters should serve as guards, they witness a scene of senseless
cruelty and barbarism. Provide subtle clues that the host of the event
is a Horror. If the characters try to attack Nemesis, the Horror does
its best to calm them and offers information about other Horrors,
trying to persuade them to enter its service. Depending on how the
characters handle the situation, it ends in a bloody fight or becomes
the beginning of a sinister and uneasy alliance.

Ristul
This text is the work of one Cymric the Wizard. Though Cymric
is not well known in Throal, the endorsement he has received
from Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records, provides more than
adequate reason to include his dissertation in this tome. Merroxs
endorsement, along with the fact that Cymric confronted the
Horror he describes and yet was not corrupted, lends credence to
Cymrics authority and suggests the inestimable value his work
holds for those who would study the ways of the Horrors.
Reelo Pasha, Apprentice
Scribe, Great Library of Throal, 1507TH

wish to thank Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records, for

the opportunity to add my meager tidbit to the great storehouse of knowledge that is the Library of Throal. I hear the
librarians so fear this book that they have ordered scribes to simply
ensure that the pages of each section are in order and to read no
more than the first sentence of each entry. Now, I would be less than
the Wizard I am if I passed by this chance to pull the nose hairs
of so prestigious a dwarf as Master Merrox. But we must keep up
appearances, so if you could just blanch as if reading the most terrible thing, mutter direly under your breath and then look wildly
about the room, that should clear away any nosy bystanders. My
thanks in absentia.
Now, imagine that we sit in a tavern specializing in rude help,
stale breads and watery ales. You try to ply me with enough drink
to loosen my tongue about Ristul, I try not to lose my tongue to
drink. My gestures grow grander with each swallow. I flop forward, elbow catching the edge of the table as I try to settle myself.
You hunch forward to hear what I am saying. Through a lopsided
smile I ask, Why are you in such a hurry to die?
If you cannot answer that question to your satisfaction, close
this book now. Good, you are still reading; I hate going on an
imaginary drinking spree alone. So order me another ale and I
will tell you what I know of Ristul.
Let me start by saying that Ristul is not what most people think
of as a Horror. This entity is not an individual being with a body,
a mind, a distinct identity. Think of it this way. You are a person,
as am I, as is the bartender who keeps watering this swill. We
are three distinct entities. But consider water. A fountain holds
water, as does a lake. But we do not look at a fountain and say, oh
look, a water or at a lake and say, Gads, there go seven waters.
Certainly we measure water, a cup here, a barrel there, but those
measures are arbitrary standards we place on water.
In this way Ristul is like water. In fact, the Horrors Name is a
bastardized contraction of the phrase, riyah istu leev aertin which
loosely translates to action eternally corrupting. So Ristul is
far more frightening than water; for we can see water in a glass,
in a lake, burbling over rocks during a mountain thaw. But how
can we see action eternally corrupting? We cannot, save for the
results of this corruption in our world. And so the Abyss of Aras
Nehem is Ristul, as are nightwists and the Ristular. And so, if
certain legends hold truth, are the Mad Passions.
Ristul corrupts all, and is all that Ristul corrupts. What Ristul
corrupts, Ristul absorbs. To be corrupted by Ristul is to become
part of Ristul, as though by drinking a glass of water you became
water and were poured into the barrel with all the rest. Once corrupted, a victim loses his individual identity, just as every cup of
water from a barrel is much like every other. He does not, however, lose awareness (as had originally been thought).
At one time, a Nethermancer named Maeumis (whose work
I have read) performed extensive research on Ristul and concluded that individuals might be extracted from the Horror.
Maeumis believed that all sentience is not lost in Ristul, and
that a Namegiver might be reconstructed by gathering all of his
scattered soul back together. Maeumiss magical theories seem
sound, but I reckon the chances of gathering a scattered soul are
no better than tossing a barrel in a stormy sea in hopes of retrieving a flagon of water emptied into the surf months before. Magical
practice lags far behind theory in this area.
Ristul is Hell. This statement was scrawled again and again
in large, loose letters across hundreds of pages in Maeumiss
grimoire. At first I assumed the notes were a product of his madness. Maeumis was a Nethermancer, after all, and you know how
they get. But as I continued my research, I came to understand
what that ugly little dwarf meant. Ristul is action eternally corrupting, and sentience is not lost upon absorption by Ristul. The
Horrors victims remain aware of the atomizing of their souls,
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Nemesis also tries to mark at least one of the player characters,

more if the adventuring group appears particularly weak or overconfident. Once a player character is Horror-marked, Nemesis tries
to implant a Thought Worm in the individual, slowly turning the
character against friends and family and finally forcing the individual to destroy all he holds dear.
Transport: Nemesiss Transport power enables the Horror to
move from one of its strongholds to the next through astral space.
To use this power, Nemesis makes a Transport Test against its own
Spell Defense. If the test succeeds the Horror shifts into astral space
and transports to a new location. However, each time the Horror uses
this power, it takes Step 10 damage (reduced by 1 step for each result
level achieved on the Transport Test). No armor protects against
this damage. Though it is unlikely to happen, Nemesis can die from
overusing this power. When using its Transport power, Nemesis may
travel from stronghold to stronghold in one combat round.

12

163

the bending of their thoughts, the perversion of their memories,

the destruction of their selves. And as a victim blends and mixes
with other souls trapped in Ristul, he shares their pain and loss.
And so the victim of Ristul continually experiences terror and
pain as his soul is fragmented, recombined, and fragmented over
and over again. I am certain our universe holds many Hells, but
undoubtedly Ristul is one of them.
As I said before, Ristul is not an individual being. The Horror
can take many forms in our world, all of which are corruptand
all of which may threaten the soul of a Namegiver. Ristul most
often assumes the form of nightwists. These things are literally
the stuff of nightmares. Ristul shapes these constructs from itself,
forging them from the dark shapes that haunt our dreams. These
twisted bits of darkness travel the world, seeking the owners of the
dreams that spawned them. Of course, most often the dreamers
are long dead, leaving the nightwists to prey on the living.
Ristul also manifests itself in the Ristular, those who embrace
the corruption that is Ristul. Ristular are Namegivers, corrupt
to the last, who offer themselves to serve Ristul and in turn are
served by Ristul. The Ristular can be found in virtually any area
of Barsaive, working to further the corruption that is Ristul.
But perhaps I can best impress on you the power of Ristul by
recounting the tale of Aras Nehem.

TheAbyssofArasNehem

Ten or twelve days walking along the jagged coastline southwest

of Urupa will bring you to the caverns of Aras Nehem. The caverns are now known as the prime source of those disgusting flying
worms some magicians favor as companions. But around Urupa
the caverns are still known for the richness of the enchanted and
elemental life that exists within them. Scholars, gossips, and storytellers also know the site as the home of Kaer Otosk, once the
largest troll haven in southern Barsaive.
Kaer Otosk was a rambling, disjointed cavern city in comparison
to dwarf or Theran kaers. For protection, Kaer Otosk depended
on enchantments provided by three significant sites arranged in a
perfect triangle, which in turn formed a pyramid-shaped safe area
above the Nehem Liferock located several hundred feet below the
surface. On each site a temple had been built years before the kaer
was started. The temples were devoted to Dis, Raggok and Vestrial.
Local legends recall the fall of Kaer Otosk as the Betrayal, when
the Passions went mad and directed their followers to abandon
the protections. This allowed an abyss to open near the Liferock,
through which Horrors poured to swarm through Otosk unimpeded. They razed the city, desecrated the temples, and befouled
and consumed Kaer Otosks doomed inhabitants. Some claim
the Liferock still remains, covered by clinging obsidimen locked
in the Dreaming by the swirling spiritual putrescence that spills
from the abyss.
I have pieced together a different version of the fall of Kaer
Otosk. I believe the fall was not a betrayal, but a sacrificea grand
sacrifice. True, the abyss is a breach into astral space through
which Ristul could pass. And given enough time, Ristul could
have consumed all of Barsaive and beyond, for Ristul is insatiable. I believe the Passions and their questors sensed the abyss and
Ristuls approach. And I believe the questors and their Passions
chose to sacrifice themselves, to be corrupted and absorbed by
Ristul. The three Passions went mad because they surrendered
themselves to Ristul. But even action eternally corrupting cannot
consume three Passionsnot all of them, not all at once. The
Mad Passions, therefore, prevented Ristul from consuming the
world in its vile corruption at least, thus far. The Mad Passions
remain, twisted and shrunken versions of themselves. If Ristul is
Hell, it is no wonder the three Passions went mad.

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GameInformation

Ristul has no single form that can be seen either astrally or physically. It has no shape that can be attacked or destroyed, and so Ristul
will remain until all corruption is driven from Barsaive. Ristul most
often manifests as the black, inky substance that pollutes much of
astral space. As this pollution is more common in certain areas of
Barsaive than in others, so too is Ristul more likely to be an influence in these places. Nightwists and corrupted Namegivers are
additional manifestations of this Horror, as is the Abyss of Aras
Nehem. The Abyss is the only manifestation of Ristul that remains
stationary. Through this gaping hole between the physical and
astral worlds Ristul spills into the realm of Namegivers.
DEX: NA
STR: NA
TOU: NA
PER: 20
WIL: 24
CHA: NA
Initiative: NA
Physical Defense: NA
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 25
Attack: NA
Social Defense: NA
Damage: NA
Physical Armor: NA

Mystic Armor: 20
Death: NA
Recovery Tests: NA
Unconsciousness: NA
Knockdown: NA
Wound Threshold: Immune Movement: NA
Legend Award: NA
Karma Points: 40
Karma Step: 18
Powers: Corrupt Karma (4): 29, Horror Mark (4): 24, Horror
Thread (4): 24 (see text), Karma Tap (4): 24
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Though Ristul has no single form, it possesses powers and abilities that aid it in its endless corruption. However, Ristuls powers
and abilities also suffer from a number of significant restrictions
that limit how and when the Horror may use them. In general,
Ristul can only use its powers in areas where it has manifested
regions classified as either Tainted or Corrupt (EPC, p.289).

Adventure Hook

Nightwist constructs and the Ristular are the most likely ways
player characters will encounter Ristul. A confrontation with either
of these Horror minions will likely result in one or more of the characters being Horror-marked and eventually falling victim to Ristuls
Horror Thread power. The player characters may enter a small town
and discover the bodies of several townspeople who have been ritually slain, the corpses left to serve as a warning to the survivors of
what might happen to them. As the characters investigate the deaths,
they learn that each of the victims had been seen talking with a group
of mysterious men the night before the slayings. As the characters
follow up on these leads, they eventually catch up to the Ristular,
only to come upon them as they are enacting their ritual. Though
the ritual is doomed to failure, it has attracted the attention of Ristul,
which marks the players characters in short order. The characters
must seek a way to rid themselves of the Horrors mark.

Taint

The following text came to the Great Library of Throal as part

of the manuscript for Creatures of Barsaive, a most valuable
tome dictated by the Great Dragon Vasdenjas and scribed by
Tiabdjin the Knower, First Scholar of the Khavroam. After long
consultation with Tiabdjin and subsequent correspondence with
Vasdenjas, I chose to place this text in this tome on the Horrors.
Our thanks go to Vasdenjas for allowing this work to appear here.
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records, 1507TH

hough not a creature in the same sense as the skeorx or

cave crab (as Vasdenjas said this, I heard his stomach
growl), Taint is an entity of which all Barsaive should be
made aware. I have encountered Taint on more than one occasion
much to my misfortuneand only my superior magical ability
protected me from the mark of this Horror. Of course, every Horror
is a fearsome thing to Namegivers, particularly to you small folk.
Taint, however, is a being of particular evil whose attack is most
greatly to be feared. Those of you who have become adepts often
think of yourselves as better able than common folk to challenge
the Horrors, and many a time you are right. But in the case of Taint,
adepts are more at risk than the common Namegiver. Adepts of the
spellcasting Disciplines face the greatest danger of all.
This increased danger results from the nature of this accursed
Horror, for Taint marks its prey by tainting the flow of magic to
an adept. Almost all Horrors possess this ability in one form or
another, but Taint can conceal the use of its dreadful power, even
as it marks its victims. This Horror-marks victims gradually, by
subtly tainting the flow of magic from astral space to the adept
until, over time, this taint grows into a Horror mark.
Unlike most other Horrors, Taint is bound to the astral plane
and cannot take physical form in our world. But Taint has learned
every secret of the powerful realm in which it dwells. Therefore, it
knows exactly how to corrupt the flow of magic so that its tampering
goes entirely unnoticed. Let us say that you are a Wizard, weaving
threads for some magical purpose (I assume all my readers know
that all magic use involves gathering threads of astral energy).

If Taint is lurking in astral space near you when you weave your
thread, it carefully taints the thread, making certain that the amount
of corrupted magic is low enough to avoid detection. Taint continues to do this, lingering near its chosen victim and subtly corrupting
every thread the adept weaves untildays, weeks, or even months
laterthe victim becomes Horror-marked. Once this happens, the
Horror can corrupt any use of magic by the victim. The Horror may
cause the adepts own magic to turn against him or may pervert
the magics intent in some horrible way.
The most famous example of Taints terrible work is the tragic
destruction of Kaer Orinthall. I see by your face that you know the
Name, but I daresay the full story is unknown to you. The denizens of this kaer had created their defenses carefully enough to
have weathered the Scourge well, but they knew nothing of Taint
and could not guard against its subtle guile. All the elaborate
traps, all the stalwart defenders made no difference. Taint placed
itself outside the kaer and slowly, over the course of twenty years,
corrupted its first victim inside the kaer: an adept responsible for
growing the kaers food. Through this first victim, Taint made
every soul in the kaer its unwilling servant. Within fifty years after
this insidious Horror began its terrible work, the entire kaer was
in its grip. It kept the people of Orinthall alive for a timeuntil
it ceased to find their anguish diverting, I doubt not. And then it
turned them against each other in a blood bath of dreadful proportions. No one from doomed Orinthall survived.
Noble Master, how does one defend against such a fiend?
Not easily, friend Tiabdjin, not easily. Taint exists only in the
astral plane, and so no physical act can touch it. The only way to
destroy this horrible entity is to cast powerful magic at it or to
confront it on the astral plane. Both methods force one to combat
the Horror in its natural element, both are extremely dangerous.
In the former case, Taint can turn the spells you cast back against
you. In the latter case, you end up battling Taint on a battleground
it has spent its entire existence learning to understand, and of
which you know almost nothing by comparison.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

However, Ristular in any type of region can act as a conduit for

Ristul to use its powers.
Horror Thread: Ristuls most potent power, Horror Thread,
enables it to spread its corruption among Namegivers. However,
Ristul can only use this power in places where it has manifested.

12

GameInformation

Taint exists solely on the astral plane, where it appears as a huge

bodiless head, floating amid swirls of polluted astral energy. Taints
face (if it can be called that) has four huge dark eyes, a pair on either
side, that stare lifelessly into the depths of astral space. Its mouth
can stretch to impossibly large dimensions, enabling it to swallow
almost any astral prey. A pair of talon-tipped tendrils float at the
top and bottom of Taints body; the Horror uses these tendrils to
draw astral victims into its gaping maw.
Taint roams astral space, searching for potential victims to mark.
Though the Horror can mark adepts of any Discipline, Taint most
often attacks magicians because their use of magic is much more
obvious and easier to corrupt.
DEX: 12
STR: 16
TOU: 13
PER: 18
WIL: 15
CHA: 12
Initiative: 15
Physical Defense: 15
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 23
Attack (4): 16
Social Defense: 15
Damage:
Physical Armor: 10
Unarmed (1): 17
Mystic Armor: 10
Death: 117
Recovery Tests: 6
Unconsciousness: 104
Knockdown: NA
Wound Threshold: 18
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Tenth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 40
Karma Step: 16

C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

165

Powers: Astral Camouflage (5): 20, Corrupt Karma (5): 20,

Corrupt Magic (5): 20, Create Shadow (4), Durability (6),
Horror Mark (4): 22, Karma Tap (4): 22, Spellcasting (4): 22,
Thread Weaving [Wizardry] (4): 22
Spells: Wizard (Tenth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Taint favors areas that suffered worst during the Scourge and
shows up most often in regions designated as Tainted or Corrupt (EPC, p.289). Taint occasionally wanders through Open
regions as well, but enters Safe regions only in rare circumstances,
as these areas expose the Horror to adepts astral sensing abilities.
In addition to a few unique abilities discussed below, Taint possesses several common Horror powers, including Corrupt Karma
and Spellcasting.
Astral Pollution
Astral Camouflage: Taints
Camouflage Table
aff init y for corrupted magical energies makes the Horror
Region
Bonus
comfortable in polluted regions
Safe
+0
of astral space. When in these
Open
+4
areas, Taint is more difficult to
Tainted
+12
detect than normal, as the astral
Corrupt
+20
pollution functions as magical
camouflage. To reflect this, Taint
gains a bonus to its Astral Camouflage Test when it lurks in polluted
areas of astral space, as shown on the Astral Pollution Camouflage Table.
Corrupt Magic: The Corrupt Magic power enables Taint to
corrupt any use of magic by a Horror-marked target, such as casting spells and using talents. This corruption can take many forms,
ranging from damage to the Horror-marked character to a perversion of the magics intent. To use this power, Taint makes a Corrupt
Magic Test against the targets Spell Defense. If this test succeeds,
the Horror can influence the outcome of the targets use of magic.
The gamemaster determines the exact effects of this power. The
following examples illustrate possible effects.
If a tainted spell causes damage to the marked character, the
effect is similar to that of casting raw magic. The target takes
damage based on the result level of Taints Corrupt Magic Test.
An Average result causes damage as if the character had cast raw
magic in a Safe region; a Good result damages the target as if he
had cast magic in an Open region; an Excellent result, as if he had
cast in a Tainted region; an Extraordinary result, as if he had cast
in a Corrupt region. When Taint uses this power to damage a character using a talent, the talent rank substitutes for the spell Circle
when calculating the damage taken by the target.
Taint can also cause the effects of a talent or spell to go wrong.
For example, a spell that heals a target may do harm, or a talent
that improves an object or target character (i.e. Forge Blade) may
damage the object or character. Alternatively, the spell or talent
may affect the wrong target. For example, a Bone Shatter spell
aimed at an enemy may instead strike a companion.
Horror Mark: Taints Horror Mark power works a little differently than the standard version of this power. When Taint chooses
to Horror-mark a victim, the Horror must use its power over and
over again until enough corruption has collected in the adepts
pattern to Horror-mark him or her. Unlike normal versions of this
power, Taint can only make a Horror Mark Test against a target
who is manipulating magical energy in some way: weaving spell
threads, casting a spell, using thread magic, or improving talent
ranks. Magicians are Taints favored targets because the use of
their spellcasting abilities makes them easy prey.
Each time Taint attempts to use its Horror Mark power, it makes
a Horror Mark Test against the targets Spell Defense. If the test

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succeeds, a part of the targets magic has become tainted. As soon

as the number of successful tests is equal to the targets Perception
step, the victim is Horror-marked. For example, if Taint attempts
to pervert the flow of magic to a Wizard with Perception step 7,
the Horror must make seven successful Horror Mark Tests. On
the seventh successful test, the victim is Horror-marked. If a test
fails, however, the target may make a Perception Test against the
result of the failed Horror Mark Test. If the Perception Test succeeds, the character realizes that some outside force has interfered
with his use of magic.
Through its Horror mark, Taint can corrupt a marked victims
use of magic. Victims of Taints Horror mark can also serve as conduits through which the Horror can use its other powers against
targets in the physical world. It can cast its spells at other targets
near the marked victim.
Regenerate: Taint can also draw strength from corrupt astral
energy. This enables the Horror to recover from damage and regenerate spent or lost Karma without making tests. However, Taint
cannot engage in other activities while drawing on corrupt astral
energy for this purpose. In Open regions, each hour that Taint
draws energy gains the Horror 1 additional Recovery Test or 1
point of Karma. In Tainted regions it gains 2 Recovery Tests or 2
points of Karma per hour. In Corrupt regions it gains 3 Recovery
Tests or 3 points of Karma. Note that Taint can accumulate more
than the listed 40 Karma Points in this manner.

Adventure Hook

Taints method of attack makes it a particularly insidious danger.

It prefers to target the most powerful of adepts, as these offer the
greatest opportunities for it to use its corrupting powers. Once
the Horror has marked such a victim, it can use its Corrupt Magic
power to cause the victim to spread pain, fear, and terror throughout Barsaive. And any adept once marked by Taint will never be
able to fully trust his own abilities again.
Taint is a particularly good choice of Horror for a group that
has been adventuring together for quite some time, whose members are beginning to think theyve seen everything Barsaive can
throw at them. During an appropriate adventure, one of the characters (whichever could most do with a little paranoia) begins to
sense something wrong with his magic. Each time this character
uses a talent, he feels a terrible drain on his soul. If the characters
dig around for information, they will most likely determine the
source of the problem. Once they realize that Taint is responsible,
the tainted character has some difficult decisions ahead of him.
Does he stop using his talents altogether? Does he keep using them
until he is under Taints control? Or does he confront the creature
astrally and attempt to destroy it?

TheTempter

Seldom does a librarian bemoan the authenticity of a document

she is researching. But I find myself doing so with this text, an
epistle to the Master of the Hall of Records by the traveled scholar
Elberg the Younger. Elberg served as my master when I was
initiated into the Discipline, and no dwarf could ask for a gentler
and wiser teacher. Though he was in ill health even when I knew
him, his wisdom and generosity shone through like the finest of
light crystals. Upon my return to the library after my latest series
of inquiries in Barsaive, I was asked to study this document and
determine its authenticity. I must sadly attest that the letters
familiar style is indeed Elbergs. As to its veracity, I cannot say for
certain, for the Horrors are not my field of expertise. Instead, I
shall merely state that Elberg, even under the terrible pressures

Carina Featherhood,
Traveled Scholar of Throal, 1505TH

ear Merrox,
Pardon the curtness of this letter, for the sands in my
hourglass are dwindling and I have little time for academic
formalities. I had hoped to bequeath to you an entire volume of careful notes on the phenomena I am about to describe. But last night
I was not myself, and I awoke to see my notes torn to shreds
and strewn about my room. I write to you from Kratas,
from the most disreputable of innsthe only place
that will accept my patronage in my current condition. The notes, the notes were all destroyed,
as the other half of me
But my thoughts run away with me.
Let me begin at the beginning. As you
might have discerned when I last visited the library, disease has been
slowly pressing the life from my
body for nigh on two years now. I
have consulted healer after healer,
from the royal physicians to the
sisters of the elusive Order of
Garlen, and none could offer
me any hope. Nothing can be
done. The healers inform me
that I am dying, Merrox, have
been dying for months, and
the disease I havethe Inner
Wasteswas curable before
the Scourge, but no longer. Not
for me, at least.
I decided to do something
useful with my few remaining
months. Long have we struggled to
understand the ways of the Horrors
and the experience of being marked,
so as to better combat these monsters. We have had many fragments
presented to us, many clues, but never a
comprehensive study. I sought to remedy
this situation with a volume I spent the past
months laboring over. But my final legacy is
now a heap of tattersruined! Ruined!
Yes, Merrox, I did the unthinkable. I sought out
the mark. I sought the mark of a Horror, so that I might
study its effects firsthand, carefully monitor the progress of my
condition and leave behind something that could be used tobut
the time for noble pronouncements is past. I shall tell you what I can
of the Horror called the Tempter.
The Tempter is a tiny thing, scarcely what one would speak of in the
same breath as Verjigorm or Chantrels Horror. But make no mistake, its malignance is vast. I have held the vile thing in my hands.
It has flown from my fingers, flitted about the room, tormented me.
It resembles a seed of the azalvine or hainthorn bushes, a burr with
small hooks it uses to catch onto clothing oryes, Merrox, I know
you think I am mad, but this Horror takes the shape of a simple
seed! Why is it that we believe easily in the Horror with a hundred
tentacles, or the slime-covered mass of flesh that towers above the
landscape, yet we doubt the evil that takes the form of a common,
mundane object? It seems so absurd now, even as I write this, even
with the thing still in my

It whispers to you at night, Merrox, whispers. It speaks softly in the

minds ear. Not at all the terrifying, wretched voice I expected. No, the
Tempter sounded like my mother as she sang me lullabies during my
childhood. It was not dishonest with me. It told me it was a Horror,
that it called itself the Tempter. It assured me it would not do anything
to me that I did not wish for. It assured me that it was patient, that it
could waitthat it would only destroy me if I requested destruction.
It is a seed, indeed, the seed of all the vainglory, self-deception, and
self-destruction a Namegiver hides within his own heart.
Undoubtedly you will ask, Merrox, how I acquired the mark of this
great Horror? In the villages outside Urupa I heard rumors that the
revered purifier Onac had been behaving erratically and
had committed foul and remorseless crimes. Reportedly, he had slaughtered many in a particular
village. I traveled to the cursed hamlet and
heard the tale. I heard how they had
given Onac hospitality. They told
me he had looked changed, more
troll than obsidimanbut something else horrible added to the
mix as well. They told me he
had he cried in his sleep and
screamed the Name of the
Tempter.
I k ne w the Name
from many texts. But
these tomes always
contained vague references, couched in fear
and too unreliable
to be of any use. And
so I followed the trail
of destruction left by
Onac until I found his
corpse. A determined
trio of young adepts
had run him to ground
and, after a great struggle, hastened him to his
grave. His form had been
appallingly corrupted; he
looked more like a gargoyle
than a great obsidiman hero.
I had hoped to question Onac
as to where one might find this
Tempter, and thought my plans at
a dead end. However, the Tempter was
waiting for me in a fold of Onacs cape
Oh, Merrox, the thing wishes to dictate to
you, wishes me to let it write to you directly. It
says it welcomes fools like me, welcomes those who seek
its mark. It usually spends many weeks or months between victims,
looking for those sufficiently heroic to attach itself to, those with goals,
ideals, things that must be done, things for which its help is required. It
says nothing thrills it more than to take a Namegiver with a causea
cause such as mine. I cannot drive it from my mind, Merrox, the temptation is soto feel its power run through your veins. I had thought
myself a calm and rational dwarf, not one given to flights ofin all my
pain, my mental and physical agony, there is still the memory of those
moments when the Tempters essence roared through my veins, and I
had twice the strength of my youth. My mind grew and took in new
vistas of understanding. I became bigger, better! Join it! Seek it out and
join it! I have promised it an empire, an empire of servants, if only it will
spare me its insistent promises, its seductive offers. IF ONLY IT WILL
LEAVE ME ALONE, I WILL GIVE IT OTHERS, COUNTLESS
OTHERS, JUST TO SPARE ME AND ME ALONE
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

N a m e d H o r r o r s

described in the text below, would die before allowing falsehood

to contaminate the body of dwarf knowledge.

12

167

Forgive me, Merrox, I am mad. No, I was mad, engorged with an

old mans pride. To think any good could have come from my plan! I
thought I had the strength to offer myself up as a sacrifice, that my
weakness could become power through a redemptive act ofbut now
I am beyond redemption. I have fallen, I have killed that which a dwarf
was not meant to kill, tasted the meat no Namegiver was meant to taste,
all because I accepted its offer once. Once. I did so even when all my
instincts howled in my being and warned me not to. But the child was
about to be crushed, Merrox, crushed, and it promised me the strength
to hold the wall long enough, just long enough to After the first time,
the second acceptance was easier, and the third easier still.
Whether the Tempter engineered the collapse of the wall or not,
I cannot guess. I have not plumbed the limits of its powers. I have
learned little about it, and it has learned everything about methe
fundamental weakness in my soul, the softness, the pride.
Every time I gave into its offerseach offer sensible, calm, without
coercion; each cause just, worthythe foul entity drew a little more
of my soul into its hooks. Now I am changing, my gross and corrupt
inner self hardening my skin into a chitinous shell and lengthening
my nails into claws. I am no longer a Namegiver, Merrox! My pattern
is warped and twisted, twisted from the inside, with my helpmy
blind, benighted, arrogant help!
My tears stain the page, and my strength fails me. Yes, I have an
offer of help, a boost of potency with which to continue this letter, all
day and all night if need be. But it is an offer I dare not accept. I have
a messenger standing by to forward it to you. With luck I shall be
dead by the time you read it.
Elberg

GameInformation

The Tempter specializes in the corruption of the most righteous of

Barsaivians: it concentrates on questors, Lightbearers, members of
warrior bands, liberators, and others who live according to vows or
strict principles of honor. It derives sustenance from fear, pain, and
doubt as most Horrors do, but it gains extra power from the despair that
results from self-betrayal. It exists to steer unfortunate souls to betray
all they stand for. Once its victims are at their lowest ebb, it enjoys the
additional cruelty of transforming them into Horror constructs.
Physically, the Tempter appears as a burr, a thorny seed case no
more than half an inch in diameter. The Tempter uses its tiny spikes
to latch onto a victims cloak, boots, or leggings. It may also hide in
the hair of a victims mount. What, if anything, is contained inside
the seed case is unknown. It is unlikely that anyone has opened
the case and lived to report on its contents. According to legend,
however, an ork liberator once opened the Tempters case in the
early years after the Scourge. She found inside it an oozing, halfformed, miniature replica of herself.
Despite the Tempters small size, harming the Horror physically is extremely difficult. Though the Tempter cannot harm
opponents in direct physical combat (it is particularly fond of the
Illusory Missiles spell) it typically flees when discovered, for it
derives no mystic energy from slaying victims directly. It has no
means of ground locomotion, but can fly through the air at high
speeds. If it remains interested in a victim from whom it has fled,
the Tempter returns later. It uses its illusion spells cleverly to disguise its presence if need be.
DEX: 20
STR: 4
PER: 23
WIL: 24
Initiative: 20
Actions: 5
Attack: NA
Damage: NA

168

TOU: 10
CHA: 18
Physical Defense: 27
Spell Defense: 29
Social Defense: 23
Physical Armor: 8
Mystic Armor: 20

C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

Death: 171
Recovery Tests: 5
Unconsciousness: 151
Knockdown: 6
Wound Threshold: 15
Movement: 8 *
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle 2 (Group)
*

This value represents the Horrors flying Movement Rate.

Karma Points: 40
Karma Step: 15
Powers: Create Shadow (5), Durability (13), Horror Mark (5):
28, Forge Horror Construct (5): 28, Karma Boost (5): 28,
Spellcasting (7): 30, Thread Weaving [Illusionism] (7): 30
Spells: Illusionism (Sixth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

After the Tempter has latched onto a victim, it immediately uses

its Horror Mark power. Marking its victim allows the Tempter to
form a mental link with the unfortunate individual, through which
it offers assistance in various situations. The Horrors first suggestions do not violate any principles the victim believes in. In fact,
the Tempter offers aid in the form of its Karma Boost power, in
moments when the character truly needs help. It whispers praise
for the victims code of honor and claims to be a benign entity cruelly slandered in legend. If the victim refuses its aid, the Tempter
merely sniffs its regret. It is a patient Horror and will wait for its
victims to betray themselves by asking for that extra surge of Karma
when times get rough. After the victim has accepted its help a few
times, the Tempters whispering becomes more frequent and it
offers Karma Boosts for increasingly trivial matters. It aims to
make the victim completely dependent upon it. Eventually the
victim accepts the Tempters aid one time too many and begins
to turn into a Horror construct.

Adventure Hook

Player characters can encounter the Tempter without meeting

the Horror directly. They may fight the Horror constructs it leaves
in its wake or try to bring one of its victims to a Wizard powerful
enough to dispel the effects of its Karma Boost power.
However, if you want a player character to be marked by a major
Horror, the Tempter makes an interesting choice. Because it provides boosts when the character most wants them, the character
might well be tempted to draw upon those +15 extra steps again
and again, until it is too latewhich leaves the characters doom
or salvation in the players hands.

Ubyr

The following account of Ubyr, Horror of the Serpent River, was

provided by the tskrang weaponsmith Leahr, who recounted
his experience of the Horror to Damorpin the scribe in the year
1075TH. This fascinating document has only recently come to light.
Lasher Smallfast, Apprentice
Scholar, Library of Throal, 1507TH

n the final days before the closing of the kaers, many riverboat crews grew wealthy by braving the ever-growing threat
of the Horrors to bring supplies to those villages and riverside communities whose kaers remained open. So it happened
that I, inspired by a youthful craving for adventure that gnawed
at my belly and an unwillingness to seal myself away prematurely,
signed onto the river galley Aetritris under the command of Captain Ladarrak. My task was to see that the crew was armed with
weapons of sufficient virtue to withstand the assaults of the myriad

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Horrors abroad at that time. And indeed, in several confrontations

with marauding entities of the lesser sort, the valiant tskrang of
the Aetritris proved equal to the task set them.
Ladarraks plan called for the galley to make a single trip from
Kaer Chivitus to Kaer Agalit and back, a voyage of some three
weeks. During the upriver voyage, we planned to purchase surplus items from anyone who might remain in any covenant we
passed by (and to take anything of value found abandoned). On
the downriver voyage we would sell these items to the needy
people of Agalit, Dirirmir, Javukk and Chivitus, the four communities that lay along our route. This single voyage of three
weeks was to bring us as much profit as five good years of regular river trade.
The upriver voyage passed profitably, though not without danger,
and we did good business at Agalit and Dirirmir. In good spirits
we approached Javukk, a mere three days from Chivitus, wealth,
and safety. Javukk was the smallest community along that part
of the Serpent, but many thought its kaer the most secure. Dwarf
engineers and their crews had carved the structure out of a single
gigantic, unbroken protrusion of volcanic rock. Indeed, many
of the wealthiest merchants and nobles in that area of Barsaive
planned to make their homes in the kaer. We had intended to make
our greatest single profit thereby, selling luxury items abandoned
by refugees. When we reached Javukk, we found the place so quiet
that we thought the folk had sealed their kaer early. Upon inspection, however, we found the great granite door pulled tightly shut
but the final seals and bars not yet in place. Intent on making some
profit, the captain determined we should enter.
Now I have walked on battlefields strewn with the fallen and have
swam amid slain covenants where the shredded flesh of Horror victims floated, so corrupt that even the small fishes would not touch
it. I tell you that these sights were nothing compared to the strange
tableau we found within Kaer Javukk. Countless dead people lay
where they had fallen, their bodies unmarked by violence or sign
of illness. Their expressions showed neither fear nor despair, but
only a profound weariness, like the faces of tskrang who, having
labored on the docks for a day and a night and a day, finally fall into
painful slumber. The bodies showed little evidence of swelling or
natural putrefaction, as though the very agents of corruption had
been slain along with the inhabitants of Javukk.
Some of the residents of the kaer seemed to have arisen in the
last minutes of their lives and set forth as though to try to reach
their own homes, or at least the side of a loved one. From the evidence of their movements, we came to believe that the people
of the kaer had known they were doomed, and that their dying
had taken no more than one hourmost certainly an hour of
fear and dread.
When we emerged from that accursed place, we discovered more
evidence illuminating the kaers final fate. The surrounding rocks
showed tracks and impressions unmistakably made by a huge, serpentine body. Judging from the impressions, the beast was as wide
around as a tskrang is tall, and its length was staggeringseveral
hundreds of yards. It seemed to have been long enough, at any rate,
to have stretched itself entirely around the upper portion of Kaer
Javukk. The creature had clearly come up out of the water to wrap
itself around the kaer. And though we found no clear evidence of an
attack, it seemed obvious that the monster had somehow drained
the life from the victims of Javukk.
I do not know what beneficent Passion touched me that day,
but to that Passion I pledge my undying devotion. For when the
captain ordered the crew aboard to resume the voyage to Chivitus, an overwhelming terror possessed me. Though in my mind
I knew that the land was as perilous as the river, no force could
compel my heart to return to the riverboat. Instead, I determined
to strike out alone and return to Chivitus overland. My desertion
enraged the captain, but she could conceive of no threat more ter-

12

rible to me than the prospect of returning to the riverboat. And

so in the end I was left behindto my certain doom, as most of
the crew thought, myself included.
From the dome of rock above the tomb that Javukk had become,
I watched the Aetritris move away. The doomed vessel had barely
moved from shore when disaster struck. The terrible serpent
sprang out of the river like a bow of iron and snatched the bosun
from the deck. Its body was scaled like an eel, but its head was
flat and featureless, merely a tooth-lined circular maw like that
of a leech. It hoisted the bosun high above the deck of the ship
and shook him about for less than a minute before throwing his
bloodless body ashore, a distance of more than 100 feet. In shock,
I realized that I had heard of this monstera fearsome tale told
by a troubadour had spoken of it as the Horror Named Ubyr.
The captain, seeing that flight was futile, ordered the Aetritris
about. She attacked Ubyr with the sword Aetrin, perhaps the
finest blade ever to emerge from my forge. I watched her give
Ubyr three great wounds with the blade, until the water boiled
with the ichor that flowed from the creatures flesh. In the end it
availed her naught, for the monster was not slowed. The valiant
captain suffered the same fate as her helpless bosun, and the noble
blade Aetrin was lost beneath the boiling river.
At the captains death the crew fell into panic, and I watched in
terror as they were slain to the last tskrang. Those who did not
become part of Ubyrs repast were broken by its thrashing coils
or else succumbed to the boiling acid of the creatures blood. As
I watched, Ubyr smashed the Aetritris to splinters. Only after the
terrible thing had devoured the last crew member and reduced
the riverboat to wreckage did I realize how exposed my position
was, and so I hastened inland.
I remember little of the next five days and nights. I know that
I either hid from or fought wild beasts, bandits and lesser Horrors. I arrived at Chivitus in the late morning, and at sunset that
evening the kaer was sealed. So disheveled and incoherent was I
that they almost refused to let me in, fearing I might be Horrortouched. After some days I recovered my senses and my strength,
but it was not until now that I have felt able to speak of the last
voyage of the doomed Aetritris and the Horror called Ubyr.
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169

GameInformation

Ubyr is a unique, gargantuan Horror that haunted the Serpent River

during the Scourge, preying on the crew covenants of the tskrang
and on coastal villages of other races. A leechlike creature of staggering size, it seems to feed both on blood and on the pure vital energy
of its victims. In addition to using its fantastic size and strength to
simply smash a victim or object, Ubyr can also completely drain the
blood of a human-sized victim caught in its jaws within seconds. Ubyr
also has a far stranger and more devastating ability. After encircling
a building or other inhabited enclosure, it can drain the vital energy
from every living creature inside that structure.
Ubyr is usually about 400 yards long, but can stretch its body to
a maximum length of 700 yards. This stretching allows it to encircle a square building as long as 500 feet to a side.
DEX: 21
STR: 30
TOU: 21
PER: 15
WIL: 21
CHA: 15
Initiative: 17
Physical Defense: 25
Actions: 1
Spell Defense: 22
Attack (3): 24
Social Defense: 27
Damage:
Physical Armor: 30
Constrict (1): 31
Mystic Armor: 20
Death: 185
Recovery Tests: 10
Unconsciousness: Immune Knockdown: 32
Wound Threshold: 26
Movement: 5
Legend Award: Twelfth Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 40
Karma Step: 15
Powers: Durability (10), Enhanced Senses [Smell] (10): 25,
Locate Target (10): 25, Horror Mark (1): 16, Siphon Will (1): 22,
Terror (2): 17
Equipment, Loot: None

Rules

Ubyr is blind, but can sense any living being that passes within
30 yards of any part of its body, unless a solid object lies between
the being and the Horror. If Ubyr senses a victim about to escape
its coils, it usually breaks off its Siphon Will attack and simply
crushes or devours the structure and everyone inside. Implacable
in its pursuit of escaped prey, Ubyr can unerringly track a victim
once it has the targets scent. Nonetheless, intended victims may
escape from Ubyrs coils by using underground tunnels, for example, or swimming beyond the Horrors reach.
Corrosive Blood: The ichor that courses through Ubyrs veins
is corrosive. Direct contact with it causes Step 15 damage. When
the ichor comes into contact with water it turns even more acidic,
causing Step 20 damage to any who touch it. Neither clothing
nor armor provide any protection against the damage. If Ubyr is
wounded in the water (it spends almost all of its time in the water,
though it can move just as fast on land) the ichor spreads out from
the wound at a rate of one cubic yard per round, to a maximum
radius equal to the total damage taken by Ubyr (maximum radius
is measured in cubic yards).
Horror Mark: Ubyr can only use its Horror Mark power to track
a victim that has escaped its coils. Whenever a victim manages to
free himself from Ubyr, the Horror makes a Perception Test. If
the result equals or exceeds the targets Spell Defense, Ubyr has
sensed the target and immediately attempts to Horror-mark him
or her. If the Horror Mark Test succeeds, Ubyr can track the target
at a range of up to 100 miles. This tracking is automatic and does

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C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

not require any further tests. Few who confront Ubyr ever survive to tell the tale.
Siphon Will: The Siphon Will power allows Ubyr to drain the
life force from victims trapped within a structure encircled by the
Horror. Once Ubyr has completely encircled the structure, it makes
a Siphon Will Test against the highest Spell Defense among any targets within the structure. If the test succeeds, each individual inside
the encircled building loses 1 point from each Attribute value every
minute, with an appropriate reduction to all step numbers and other
characteristics. This loss cannot be resisted and only stops when
Ubyr uncoils. The loss stops for individual targets who escape the
circle of Ubyrs body as well. Whenever any Attribute value reaches
0, the character is dead. Any character who somehow escapes Ubyr
before losing all his vital energy regains 1 point of each affected
Attribute value with every successful Recovery Test.
Ubyr uses the life energy drained by this power to replenish
its Karma Points, as well as heal damage. For every victim Ubyr
kills with this power, the Horror can regain 1 Karma Point or heal
5 Damage Points it has previously taken. (See the Energy Drain
Horror power on p.172 of the Gamemasters Companion for more
information.) Ubyr can use its Siphon Will power against any
structure with four solid walls and a roof. The gamemaster determines whether walled compounds, tents, and other reasonably solid
enclosures constitute such structures. If Ubyr completely encircles a portion of a much larger structure or complex, its power only
affects those in the encircled area. For example, if Ubyr climbed
up the wall of a fort and draped itself around one of the towers, its
power would affect everyone in the tower, but nobody in the other
parts of the fort.

Adventure Hook

In one possible adventure involving Ubyr, a riverboat is found

adrift on the Serpent River with all of its crew struck dead where
they stood. No marks of violence or sickness appear anywhere on
them, and the ship and its cargo are untouched. At first the authorities assume that the crew fell prey to some new form of magical
attack launched by river pirates or business rivals of the ships
owners. Then an elder tskrang remembers childhood tales he
has heard of Ubyr, the giant river-leech. This tale prompts others
to come forward and tell of a great serpentine body glimpsed
in the river at midnight, or friends of friends mysteriously and
recently lost on parts of the river thought to be safe from monsters
and pirates. The player characters are hired to retrace the drifting ships last voyage and discover its true fate. The gamemaster
determines whether the river killer is some mundane menace or
actually Ubyr, awakened from a long sleep at the bottom of the
Serpent River.
In another possible adventure, the crews of riverboats begin telling strange stories of shadowy figures seen at night on the rocky
dome above the long-abandoned shell of Kaer Javukk, or of mysterious lights flickering in the river below. Some who have passed
near the lost kaer report dreams of silent tskrang coming to them
and demanding some sort of unknown service. Because of these
manifestations, the river communities decide to re-open Javukk
to ensure that the kaers dead still lie undisturbed. The characters
are commissioned to investigate, spending a full night exploring
the rooms of Kaer Javukk. The gamemaster determines whether
the manifestations are really restless spirits, some lingering and
belated manifestation of Ubyr, or some more mundane threat that
has come to lair in the necropolis of Javukk.

N a m e d H o r r o r s

Verjigorm

The following account was graciously provided by the great

dragon Icewing. The Library of Throal, and indeed all the
Namegivers of Barsaive, owe this generous dragon a debt of
undying gratitude for the information he has provided on this
entity. Scholars throughout the land agree that Verjigorm is
the most powerful Horror that has ever existeda terrible,
vile abomination whose strength towers above that of all other
Horrors. May the Passions protect us all against the curse of
the Horror called Verjigorm and its unnatural spawn, for its
unmatched power and malevolent intelligence may yet spell the
end of all that we know.
Laanto Myrn, Apprentice Scholar,
Library of Throal, 1507TH

enerations of Namegivers throughout Barsaive and the

lands beyond have learned to fear the great dragons. Even
your most powerful magicians are but bumbling children
in things magical when compared to us, and your most celebrated
heroes cringe like frightened old women at the thought of facing the
sword-like teeth and scythe-like claws of a dragon in battle. There is
no shame in this fear. Beings of much greater power than you little folk
have learned to fear us, for we great dragons are ancient and powerful
beyond imagining. We walked these lands and rode the wind thousands of years before the first tskrang tasted the waters of the Serpent
or the first windling unfurled its wings in the cool morning air.
But one being exists that even great dragons fear, a being that
existed long before my ancient race appeared in Barsaive. Some
call it the Horror of a Thousand Faces, or the Corruptor. Others
know it as the Horror That Is Worshiped as a Passion, or the Great
Hunter. Even today, dragons speak its cursed Name only in whispers, for it is said to have ears that hear all and eyes that never close.
It is the Horror that always was, the Horror that is, the Horror that
ever shall be. It is Verjigorm.
The words of Namegivers cannot describe this Horrors all-encompassing evil, but I will try to do so in the hope that some day
the monster might be banished forever from our world. Perhaps
the following story, which I heard often as a hatchling, may help
you understand.
Long before the first dragon soared through the sky, the world
was darkness, a never-ending moonless night that even the sun
and stars could not penetrate. Thick, black clouds choked the sky
and spawned cold, biting rains that scoured the barren land like a
plague of hungry locusts. The seas and rivers were foul, bubbling
cesspools teeming with plague and death.
This was the age of the Dark One. One thousand and seven eyes
sprang from its head, so that it might watch forever its cursed kingdom. Its terrible ears never shut, so that it might always hear the
gnashing of teeth and the wailing and moaning of all living things.
From its mouth flowed countless foul poisons into the waters and
the winds. Its decaying f lesh gave birth to countless abominationscreeping, sightless many-legged things that crawled and
slithered across the land; black-winged, cloven-hoofed creatures
that swarmed in the storm-filled skies; powerful, many-toothed
beasts that ruled the dark waters.
As the ages passed the Dark One grew bored with its foul minions, for they were mindless entities. And so it spawned others
in its own image. Soon the children of the Dark One, the horoi,
began to birth their own foul spawn into the world. Each tried to

12

outdo the others by creating the foulest creature to impress the

Dark One, and soon the horoi grew insanely jealous of one another.
Then the Dark Ones children began to attack one other, directing their terrible spawn as a general commands troops against an
enemy. Their vile blood filled the oceans, and their minions fed
on the putrid corpses that littered the land. The Dark One rejoiced
at the carnage and spawned new horoi to replace those devoured
by their brothers.
Some time during the worlds endless night, the Dark One bore
a horoi that was not like the others. At first it seemed little different
from its vile brethren. But as time passed, the horoi slowly changed.
First, it withdrew from the terrible battle that consumed all the
others. It stretched its dark, webbed wings and soared into the
sky. The grotesque minions of its brethren pursued it, clawing at
its skin and pecking at its eyes, but it paid them no heed. It continued to climb higher and higher, until it passed the dark storm
clouds and its tormentors could no longer follow it. It soared on
the winds until it reached the other side of the world, a place the
Dark One had not yet corrupted. Exhausted by its journey, it set
down and fell into a deep, deep sleep.
For ages it slumbered, as the carnage and suffering continued
unabated in the domain of the Dark One. Then one day a break
appeared in the ever-present clouds overhead, letting in a stream of
sunlight that warmed the horoi and wakened it. As it looked about,
it noticed that its slimy, pockmarked, blackened skin had turned
into gleaming white scales. The formless hulk of its body had been
replaced with four strong legs, a slender tail and neck, and a pair
of graceful wings, all connected to a stout and powerful middle.
As the horoi gazed at itself in wonder, it realized that the air was
silentfree of the cries of pain and fear that filled the Dark Ones
domain. As it surveyed its surroundings, the horoi realized that it
was alone. Nothing crawled underfoot or slithered through the seas
or swarmed in the sky. For a moment, the horoi felt a great relief.
Then the horoi closed its great eyes for a moment and felt something
else. For the first time in its life, the horoi knew it was lonely.
As the thought entered its mind, a wonderful thing happened.
Beneath its feet, it felt grass burst through the earth: then bushes
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

171

and trees and entire forests.

Suddenly, the sound of waves
crashing against the shore
reached its ears, and the horoi
knew that an ocean lay over
the horizon. Next came the
sound of running rivers and
waterfalls, then the sounds
of animals in the forests. As
the horoi surveyed what
its loneliness had called
forth, its heart grew full
of something it had never
k now njoy. A t t hat
moment, nine large tears
formed in its eyes and fell
to the ground. At the spot
where the first drop struck,
a handsome winged creature resembling the horoi
appeared. This creature,
it called Dragon. The
second and third drops
yielded creatures the horoi
Named Elf and Human.
The fourth and fifth drops
created Obsidiman and
Tskrang. The sixth and sevent h for med D w a r f a nd
Windling; and the eighth and
ninth, Troll and Ork.
These new creatures traveled
across the new land, swiftly producing others of their kind. Their voices were
like music to the horois ears, and their settlements were like jewels set upon a giant
tapestry. As the days passed the horoi taught
its children all it knew. It taught them how to
harvest food from the forests and rivers, how to
sing and write and paint. And with great sadness,
it taught them how to forge and wield the sword and
shield. The weapons puzzled the horois inquisitive children, for
they knew not war; but the horoi told them that one day a darkness
would descend on them and they must be ready to fight.
Meanwhile, the Dark Ones domain grew until its spawn reached
the edge of the untouched lands. When the foul things saw the wonders that their transformed brother had wrought, they hurried back
to their dark master and told it what they had seen. When the Dark
One heard their news, it vowed to destroy the horoi and its children,
and gathered its minions together into a terrible army.
The Dark Ones army filled the sky like a storm cloud and teemed
across the untouched land like a giant shadow. From all sides the
Dark Ones minions attacked the horoi and its children, spewing
venom and gnashing teeth, cutting and burning and striking and
killing all in their path. For seven days and nights the battle raged,
as the horois children fought with sword and shield against the
overwhelming foe. Finally, only the horoi and its nine firstborn
children remained standing against the Dark One and its legion
of abominations.
At that moment, the horoi reared up on its hind legs, spread its wings
and shouted in a voice that echoed like thunder across the plains. I
am Nightslayer, Mother of Beauty and Father of Good, Protector of
All That Is Light! I command you to leave this place! Be gone!
As the horois children watched, a strange thing happened
the land itself, the waters, and the sky rose up against the Dark
One and its spawn. Terrified before a power greater than their

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own, the wretched creatures fled, flying higher

and higher until they disappeared from view.
The Dark One watched helplessly, shouting at
its minions to remain and fight, but it could
not stop them. Enraged, the Dark One turned
toward the horoi.
Ungrateful horoi, you know not what you
do, the Dark One said. But you will pay
for your insolence. I, Verjigorm, will hunt
your children for the rest of time. I will
slay every last one of them, and my minions will feed on their pain and terror.
But I will not give the mercy of death to
your favoritethe Dragon, the one you
created in your image. The Dragon will
know eternal pain. As you betrayed me,
the children of the Dragons line will
betray you. I will corrupt them, twist
their souls and make them my own.
Then I will return to reign over all the
world.
With that the Dark One f led after its
minions, throwing an enormous ball of
fire at Nightslayer as it did so. As the glowing orb approached, the horoi gathered its
children under its wings. When the ball
struck Nightslayer, it exploded like a
thousand thunderclaps. The earth and
sky rumbled, and a vast cloud filled
the sky. After a time, the great rumbling stopped and the sun shone
once again. Nightslayers children
then gathered near the horois head,
but the great creature had died. They
were left alone to await the return of
the Dark One called Verjigorm.

gameInformation

Verjigorm, the Great Hunter, is perhaps the most powerful

and feared Horror in the universe. Dragons especially fear and
hate Verjigorm because dragons are the Horrors preferred prey.
However, Verjigorms unmatched physical and magical powers,
intelligence, and plans for ruling over the whole world make it a
threat to all Namegivers.
Unlike most Horrors, Verjigorm is driven by more than the need to
feed on pain and despair. Two obsessions motivate this ancient Horroran insatiable hunger for power and a fanatical hatred of dragons.
Verjigorm views dragons as the creator race of Barsaive and believes
they have usurped its rightful place as Barsaives ruler. During a previous Scourge roughly ten thousand years ago, the Horror aimed to
rectify this perceived wrong by hunting down and capturing several
hundred dragons, among them a number of great dragons. It then
placed the astral forms of its victims in astral cocoons. Some of these
cocoons are located near dragon lairs, kaers, or whatever places Verjigorm found convenient. Verjigorm has used its various powers to
corrupt the True patterns of these cocooned victims in various ways
and transform them into powerful, Horror-like creatures.
Ultimately Verjigorm intends to create a new race of powerful
Namegivers that can re-Name, and thus redefine, the world and
its denizens according to Verjigorms tastes. In this new world, all
life forms would become corrupted. Orks would become more
savage, obsidimen violent and impatient, tskrang ill-tempered
and venomous, and so on.
Most of Barsaives Namegivers who are not dragons remain
almost indifferent to tales of Verjigorm because the Horror
remained largely inactive during the most recent Scourge (appar-

N a m e d H o r r o r s

ently to avoid drawing the attention of Barsaives great dragons).

However, the incubation periods for Verjigorms cocooned victims are drawing to a close and many scholars fear these corrupted
Namegivers will soon begin wreaking havoc in Barsaive. Some even
believe that a few leaders of the so-called Cult of the Great Hunter
are corrupted dragons that have emerged from the cocoons. The
greatest fear of Horror scholars, however, is that Verjigorm itself
will soon reappear in this world.
DEX: 26
STR: 33
TOU: 29
PER: 28
WIL: 40
CHA: 23
Initiative: 30
Physical Defense: 32
Actions: 6
Spell Defense: 40
Attack (12): 38
Social Defense: 30
Damage:
Physical Armor: 40
Claws (7): 40
Mystic Armor: 40
Death: 400
Recovery Tests: 14
Unconsciousness: 364
Knockdown: 34
Wound Threshold: 32
Movement: 12
Legend Award: Fifteenth Circle 5 (Group)
Karma Points: 50
Karma Step: 20
Powers: Animate Dead (6): 46, Corrupt Karma (6): 46,
Cursed Luck (6): 46, Damage Shift (6): 46, Displace (6): 34,
Durability (15), Forge Horror Construct (6): 34,
Horror Mark (6): 34, Horror Thread (6): 34,
Spellcasting (12): 40, Thread Weaving [Wizardry] (12): 40,
Thought Worm (6): 46, Unnatural Life (6): 46
Spells: Wizardry (Eighth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

12

Rules

Verjigorm can manifest in many different forms, though it most

often takes on a single physical appearance of horrifying proportions. In its most common manifestation, Verjigorm stands fifteen
feet tall at the shoulder. The face of this hideous creature sports
six eyes, a wide mouth with three-inch fangs, and spiked horns. Its
horrifying head is connected to its torso by a flexible, ten-foot-long
neck. Its skin gleams like metal and razor-sharp spikes protrude
from its body. Each of the creatures four legs ends in three sharp
talons. The Horror can stand on its rear legs to fight; when it does
so, its height rises to a towering forty-five feet. In astral space Verjigorm adopts many different appearances, ranging from an astral
duplicate of its physical form to a huge face, surrounded by spiked
horns and dozens of staring eyes.
The most fearsome of Verjigorms powers is the Horror Thread
power, which links Verjigorm to its captured dragons and enables
the Horror to use its other powers against the dragons while they are
metamorphosing. By combining the effects of its Corrupt Karma,
Horror Mark, Thought Worm and Unnatural Life powers through
its Horror Threads, Verjigorm alters the True patterns of the dragons it has captured to place them completely under its control.
Vitality of the Ages: As one of the most ancient and powerful Horrors, Verjigorm has double the normal Horror Durability
rating (18/16).

Adventure Hook

Verjigorm is perhaps the most powerful of Horrors, and direct

confrontations with the Horror will almost certainly result in the
death of most, if not all, the player characters in a group. However, characters may oppose the Horror indirectly by confronting
members of the Cult of the Great Hunter. By becoming involved
with Verjigorms schemes, player characters have an opportunity
to make some very powerful enemiesthe cultists or even the

Horror itself. On the other hand, opposing Verjigorm may make

the characters some very powerful friends or allies among the
dragons of Barsaive.

Ysrthgrathe

The following account was excerpted from the journal of Noleta of

Iopos. Most scholars believe Noleta was possessed by the Horror
called Ysrthgrathe at the time she wrote these words, and that
they represent the thoughts of the Horror itself. If this is true, then
these passages are a truly invaluable record of the consciousness of
a powerful and deadly Horror. Noleta killed herself shortly after
committing these words to paper.
Elko Mar, Apprentice Scholar,
Library of Throal, 1507TH

had forgotten what the world felt like to a Namegiver form. It

is a pity that this body is all but used up, for I have had such
enjoyment with it. But it has been all too short, far too short.
Yes, in this body I can remember why Namegivers are always in
such a hurry. Their fragile bodies are decaying as they live in them!
Each breath they take leads them closer to the grave. What a constant worry that must be to them.
This one foolishly asked for immortality. I gave it to her, of
course. Dont I always oblige the requests made of me? But she
didnt ask for eternal youth. What an unfortunate oversight.
C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

173

As I write these words using her withered hands, I bask in

the memory of her despair when she realized what she had
done. Such wailing and tearful pleadings. But thats
always the way of it. These Namegivers are so eager
to grasp at what they cannot understand. And then
they despair when they realize how they have
been misled. Ah, but their cries provide such
solace to my soul.
I have known the universe for far longer
than I can recall. My memory spans this
world, and worlds from long times before;
times when we came to the world and
took from it sweet life and caused such
beautiful pain. Like now. True, they
were more prepared for us this time.
But that only made my work all the
more challenging. Their foolish
beliefs in their runes and wards,
their childish illusions of safety
and securityhow delightful it
was to tear their meager protections apart! Not all at once, of
course. Granted, such crudity is
the hallmark of some of my kind,
and in younger times I too took
my pleasure quickly and crudely.
But age has given me an appreciation of subtlety. I no longer rush
to destroy, but rather linger and
take what I will slowly.
My honesty no doubt horrifies
you Namegivers, for you like to
think yourselves better than my
kind. But you do not know how we
are made in your image. The longer
we spend with you, the more like you
we become. For do we not feel pain
when we are cut? Do we not bleed from
our wounds? Do we not take pleasure in
our work? Do we not experience what you
call the finer emotions?
Without us, you Namegivers would be at
each others throats. Even with the Scourge over,
you still battle one another. Over what? Property?
We give you something you can look down upon, a dark
foil to contrast with your imagined superiority. Without
us, you would have to look into your souls and face the ugliness there.
You are greedy and vain, petty and opportunistic. You covet
that which is not yours. And sometimes, when coveting is not
enough, you take without permission. You trample over each
other like elephantsfor emotions, money, land. It doesnt
matter. We are not the evil ones. You are.
But that is neither here nor there.
Personally, I find it most annoying that Namegivers provide
such limited vehicles for my pleasures. Oh, I have certainly found
more than enough willing to dance with me. But few have fulfilled
my deepest needs. True, the occasional human or dwarf has withstood years of torment, but they all die unexpectedly and deprive
me of my amusement. Once I managed to trap an obsidiman, but
even that experience disappointed me in the end.
I have amused myself from time to time with these others,
but for me the fullest satisfaction came from one source. For
years, decades, centuries, I waited for her to come. Our union

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was a banquet of suffering. All the others were but a preparation

for this one, for the wedding of need and longing. I have tried to
find solace with others, but I shall always return to hermy most
constant desire, my faithful victim.
When I rip the love from new prey, does it give me pleasure? A
bit, perhaps, but never nearly as much as I took from her. When I
steal the self-respect from another, does it please me as well? No.
I confess that everything palls before the happiness she gave me.
And I shall punish all of them for it. Punish them for not giving
me enough of what I need, for not being her.

GameInformation

Ysrthgrathe can disguise its appearance masterfully. When Ysrthgrathe first shows itself to one of its victims, the victim often sees
only the Horrors long velvet robes. The hood of its robe constantly
shadows its face, which often leads an anxious victim to conjure up
terrible ideas of what Ysrthgrathe might look like. Other victims

claiming both unfortunate targets. Ysrthgrathe never willingly lets

a victim escape and the Horror adores trickery.
Ysrthgrathe may be encountered in almost any part of Barsaive,
with the notable exception of Blood Wood. Like most Horrors,
Ysrthgrathe finds the Wood distasteful, though it can travel there
under special circumstances. Otherwise, Ysrthgrathe goes wherever it can find potential victims.
DEX: 13
STR: 15
TOU: 13
PER: 20
WIL: 20
CHA: 18
Initiative: 15
Physical Defense: 17
Actions: 4
Spell Defense: 25
Attack (4): 17
Social Defense: 23
Damage:
Physical Armor: 8
Unarmed (3): 18
Mystic Armor: 15
Death: 129
Recovery Tests: 6
Unconsciousness: 112
Knockdown: 15
Wound Threshold: 19
Movement: 6
Legend Award: Eleventh Circle (Group)
Karma Points: 30
Karma Step: 18
Powers: Corrupt Karma (4): 24, Create Shadow (4),
Cursed Luck (4): 24, Displace (4): 24, Disrupt Magic (4): 24,
Durability (7), Horror Mark (4): 24, Karma Tap (4): 24,
Thought Worm (7): 27, Spellcasting (4): 24,
Thread Weaving [All] (4): 24
Spells: All Disciplines (Tenth Circle)
Equipment, Loot: None

N a m e d H o r r o r s

may perceive Ysrthgrathe as beautiful, with a melodic and hypnotic

voice and robes richly embroidered with gold and precious stones.
Everyone who experiences Ysrthgrathe sees the Horror differently.
In general, the physical form the victim perceives depends on whatever nasty trick Ysrthgrathe has in mind, and any desire the Horror
may elicit in the victim. A few characteristics appear in all of Ysrthgrathes manifestations, however. The most prominent recurring
characteristic is the long robe of brown velvet the Horror wears.
Often something appears to be writhing underneath the garment.
The Horrors long, thin, spidery hands and razor-sharp nails also
appear in each manifestation, though Ysrthgrathe usually keeps
them hidden within the folds of its robe.
In its most true physical form, the upper part of the Horrors
body resembles a well-muscled human torso. The lower half of
Ysrthgrathes body is a snakelike tail covered with yellow-green,
iridescent scales. Thick, hard ridges stick out at irregular intervals
along the length of its body. Ysrthgrathes face appears as an elongated skull with black eyes, and long yellow teeth line its mouth.
On the astral planes, the Horror appears as an amorphous black
form. Alternatively, Ysrthgrathe may appear astrally in the shape
of a physical manifestation it has taken in front of a character.
Though many Horrors seek out groups of Namegivers as their
victims, Ysrthgrathe much prefers to target individuals for torment.
Generally, Ysrthgrathe prefers characters who are strong enough
to withstand its form of punishment over a long period of time.
The more powerful a character becomes, the more likely he is to
attract Ysrthgrathes attention. The Horror does not waste its time
with low-Circle characters because they are too easily destroyed.
Give it a seasoned warrior, a high-Circle magician, or a devoted
questor, and the Horror is in its element.
Ysrthgrathe is unimaginably ancient. Long ago the Horror
realized that the relatively short life spans and weakness of most
Namegivers severely limited the pleasure it could extract from
them. Physical pain will drive a human or a dwarf or a tskrang
crazy in a remarkably short amount of time, and many Namegivers
are killed easily. For these reasons, Ysrthgrathe seeks longer living
Namegivers, such as elves and obsidimen. These Namegivers can
provide centuries-long banquets for the Horror.
Many scholars who have studied the Horrors theorize that the
longer the Horrors are exposed to Namegivers, the more like
Namegivers the Horrors become. For example, Horrors begin to
experience more human emotions. Though this theory may not
hold true for all Horrors, it applies to Ysrthgrathe. Like Namegivers, Ysrthgrathe experiences intense fits of jealousy and anger and
can become obsessed with its victims at times. The Horror hates
the idea of anyone else hurting one of its victims and becomes
quite possessive of them. The Horror will even go so far as to protect its Horror-marked victims from any other that tries to harm
them. Ysrthgrathe also prefers victims who have some sort of conscience, because such victims are more likely to feel guilty if the
Horror kills someone else because of them.
This intense, human-like bond that Ysrthgrathe builds between
itself and its victims has led more than one victim to believe the
Horror is actually helpful rather than harmful to their cause. Whenever the Horror senses such beliefs in its victims, it offers its victims
aid of some sort: power, protection, anything to assuage the victims
fears for the moment. This truce of sorts never lasts long, however,
because Ysrthgrathe eventually yearns to rekindle the torment that
only it can deliver. Often, Ysrthgrathes victims try to divert the
Horrors attention from themselves by offering it another victim.
Ysrthgrathe usually allows the victim to believe it might work before

12

Rules

Most of Ysrthgrathes powers function normally. However, Ysrthgrathe always seeks to use them in the most destructive manner
possible. The Horror can cast spells from all of the magician Disciplines practiced in Barsaive, but harbors a particular affinity for
combat spells.
Ysrthgrathe also possesses the Disrupt Magic power. This
power enables the Horror to disrupt any form of magical force
or pattern.

Adventure Hook

Gamemasters can introduce Ysrthgrathe into campaigns by

enticing player characters to accept favors from the Horror. Ysrthgrathe appears quite beneficial, but the Horror always exploits
some psychological tic already present in the targeted character. For example, a character might long to be the most powerful
warrior in Barsaive. Ysrthgrathe might approach such a character
and offer to give him the power to achieve this goal. If the player
accepts the gift, the gamemaster would then increase the characters powers accordingly. However, the warrior character will soon
find himself winning a string of impressivebut emptyvictories.
He may kill a monster only to discover that the person he meant
to rescue is already dead. Nobody doubts his prowess or abilities,
of course; things just never seem to turn out as planned. Naturally,
Ysrthgrathe shows up at appropriate moments to enjoy the characters mounting frustration and eventual despair.
Ysrthgrathe provides an excellent tool for adjusting the balance
of a game, forcing a player to grow in roleplaying, or simply shaking things up when they become too rigid.

C H A P T E R 1 2 | Named Hor rors

175

Chapter Thirteen

Creating Disciplines
Im no raider, sir. I follow the Discipline of the Air
Sailora finer, nobler, and very distant cousin of that
barbaric ideal followed by the trolls of the Twilight Peaks!
Jendar For, Theran Air Sailor

he Disciplines described in the Players Guide and Players Companion are the fifteen most commonly practiced
by the adepts of Barsaive. However, adepts can and
sometimes do follow other Disciplines, and sometimes follow
narrower paths of these Disciplines called Specialists. This chapter provides detailed Discipline design rules, and is intended for
gamemasters and players who wish to introduce new Disciplines
into their Earthdawn campaign.

WhyNewDisciplines?

reating new Disciplines can be a fun and rewarding process

that adds additional complexity and diversity to an existing Earthdawn campaign. It may be that players miss a
certain aspect in the spectrum of abilities and professions typically
available in fantasy roleplaying games, and while this hole may
have been created with intent by Earthdawns creators, the actual
tone of the groups campaign would allow such a Discipline. It may
also be that the gamemaster wants to introduce an adversary with
surprise abilities, an exotic gamemaster character from a faraway
land, or modify his campaign to cover lands outside or Barsaive, or
even outside of the normal Earthdawn setting. However, designing
a new Discipline and playing an adept of that Discipline can pose a
number of challenges. This section outlines a few of them.

GameBalance

The Disciplines in the Players Guide and Players Companion were carefully designed to be balanced with regards to one
another and to be flexible enough that an adept character can use
his Disciplines talents and abilities in a variety of different settings. For this reason, new Disciplines should be added to the game
with caution, and generally only when the existing Disciplines (or
combinations thereof) do not satisfy the players or gamemasters
needs. Because no system for creating any new game element is
perfect, a new Discipline could potentially be powerful enough to
threaten game balance, or come with a focus so narrow that it has
little use in most adventures. When designing a new Discipline, it
is important to select talents and abilities that give the Discipline
a unique focus, while still leaving enough room for player characters to adapt and maintaining game balance.

HistoryandRole

Disciplines dont just spring into existence overnight. All

common Earthdawn Disciplines have been in existence for

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C H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

centuries, if not longer. Only the cumulative effects of generations of adepts following in the footsteps of their predecessors
can establish a Disciplines path, defining the talents and abilities available at each Circle. The time required for this process
alone explains why new Disciplines are so rare in Barsaive. Also
note that most Disciplines represent a primary aspect of the lives
of Namegivers, but not a common profession. The existence of
a Warrior Discipline represents struggle between Namegivers,
but does not represent a fighting profession: Warriors are not
soldiers, they are embodiments of the Namegivers perception
that struggle exists, and is something to prevail in. Likewise, the
Beastmaster represents Namegivers relations with animals in
any role from pets to companions to resources in building civilization, but not a profession to supply animal services or being
an escape for anti-social loners: Beastmasters act along the lines
of animal and Namegiver inhabiting a common world and sharing similar primal urges, they do not treat them as objects or
something arcane.

PublicAcceptance

Bear in mind that the fifteen Disciplines presented in the Players Guide are those best known to the people of Barsaive. Adepts
of these Disciplines are often the subject of local legend, which
frequently describes their strange and wonderful abilities. By
contrast, adepts of new Disciplines use magic in a new and unfamiliar way, combining both known and unknown talents. To
many Barsaivians these often startling new Disciplines may hint
at Horror magic or, more likely, Theran magic. The people of Barsaive generally believe that the Therans are masters of magic, and
assume that their former overlords have many more Disciplines
than those known in Barsaive. Ordinary citizens who encounter an adept that uses magic in an unusual way may reasonably
assume the adept is a Theran spy or slaver.
New Disciplines that are designed as not being common in Barsaive may suffer from misunderstandings, even if it just means
being taken for an adept of another Discipline. Disciplines are
also a representation of the culture they originate from, so if that
culture has values and ideals differing from the one the adept acts
in, complications may arise. One such example is the Sky Raider
Discipline even. Originating in highland troll culture where
taking what you need by force is acceptable, the Sky Raider is
not completely accepted in more civilized areas, although the
long existence of the Discipline has made Barsaivians accustomed to the gentler side of these adepts, and focused their fear
on the actual raider clans.

C reati n g D iscipli n es

DesigningaDiscipline

his section offers in-depth explanations of the steps for

creating a new Discipline from scratch. At each step of
the process, players should work with the gamemaster to
ensure that their new Discipline fits into the gamemasters view
of the Earthdawn world and game. The gamemaster makes the
final decision on whether or not a new Discipline may be added to
his game. The Discipline design system uses a Discipline Design
Sheet (provided as free download on earthdawn.com) allowing
you to make key decisions concerning your Discipline and need
only to fill in the blanks. This serves to make all Disciplines comparable, speeds up the more arduous tasks of the design process,
and allows you to focus your creative effort on what your Discipline is actually about, instead of the particulars of game balance.
All Earthdawn Third Edition Disciplines published by RedBrick
have been designed with this system, so you can take a look at any
of the standard Disciplines for comparisons at any time. Follow the
instructions below, keeping the Discipline Template at hand, and
go back and forth between the steps to fine-tune your Discipline.

Define the Discipline

Select Discipline Talents
Design Discipline Abilities
Determine Attributes, Defenses, and Karma
Spend Build Points
Design Half-magic and Special Rules
Determine Karma Ritual and find Artisan Skills
Write Additional Descriptions

13

DefinetheDiscipline

What is your Discipline about? What role do its followers play in

society (or apart from it), and how do they play it? How do they perceive their surroundings, and how are they perceived? What is the
Disciplines origin, and where do typical followers come from?
Write down a short description answering the above questions,
and/or write down a few statements about your Discipline that
you would use to describe it to other players. These can be made
to help make decisions later in design.

Swordmasters are about mastering a weapon and witty comebacks. They are seen as following a path to mastery, confident in
their abilities, but also as flashy swashbucklers desiring centerstage, and are more duellists than regular fighters. They come
from a long tradition of individuals striving for martial perfection that is an extension of the tendency of Namegivers to excel
at any specific task, and come from any place where a child may
turn out to be a prodigy at swordplay, which means any culture
that has any noteworthy history of using weapons.
Every new Discipline should add a new and unique point of view
to the world of Earthdawn. Look at the existing Disciplines to
confirm if your concept cannot be covered with an alteration to
an existing Discipline. If it can, design a Specialist for that Discipline (see p.181) instead, as this will be much faster.

SelectDisciplineTalents

Discipline Talents represent the primary abilities your Discipline

uses to fulfil its purpose. Look at existing talents and decide which
ones your Discipline needs to do its job. It may be helpful to just
pick out a whole lot of talents that fit the general area of expertise
your Discipline covers without assigning them yet, and eliminate

talents that fit the least, instead of picking the ones that fit the most.
Also, looking at what is available instead of just going for the ideas
you had when envisioning the Discipline can show you interesting
alternatives for talent combinations, and helps making your Discipline more distinctive from the existing ones (talents that are used
the most in existing designs will be very present in your mind, but
it is often the less-used talents that offer interesting choices for new
Disciplines, especially when combined).
Sometimes, the existing talents do not cover what your Discipline
Definition demands, though. In this case, you may want to design a
new talent for your Discipline (see p.182). Often, two or three new
talents really make a Discipline, because your Discipline is supposed
to offer something new to the world of Earthdawn, it regularly needs
new talents. New talents should be Discipline Talents and be more or
less exclusive to your Discipline. Your Discipline should have a few
talents that it shares with only one or two other Disciplines, these
should represent the primary proficiencies the Discipline has.

The Swordmasters Discipline Talents include talents that represent weapon proficiency and especially the mastery of weapons,
rather than fighting in general (Melee Weapons, Parry, Disarm,
Second Weapon) but also talents representing his confidence and
social wit (Taunt, Heartening Laugh, Resist Taunt). Two talents are more unique to the Swordmaster and tie into his duellist
nature as well as mastery of weapons, including the opponents
weapon: Maneuver and Riposte. Maneuver is available to the
Scout and Warrior, but not as a Discipline Talent. Riposte is available to the Air Sailor, but not as a Discipline Talent either. These

C H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

177

Ta lent Ava i l a bi lity

The following lists present the lowest Status Level each talent
is available at.

Initiate/Novice

Abate Curse, Acrobatic Strike, Air Dance, Air Sailing, Air

Speaking, Animal Bond, Animal Possession, Animal Training, Anticipate Blow, Arcane Mutterings, Astral Sight, Avoid
Blow, Battle Shout, Blood Share, Book Memory, Borrow Sense,
Charge, Claw Shape, Climbing, Conversation, Creature Analysis, Dead Fall, Detect Trap, Detect Weapon, Direction Arrow,
Disarm Trap, Disguise Self, Distract, Dominate Beast, Durability, Elemental Hold, Elemental Tongues, Emotion Song,
Empathic Command, Empathic Sense, Etiquette, Evaluate,
Evidence Analysis, False Sight, Fire Heal, Fireblood, First
Impression, Flame Arrow, Forge Weapon, Frighten, Frighten
Animals, Great Leap, Haggle, Heartening Laugh, Impress, Item
History, Karma Ritual, Lasting Impression, Lock Picking, Long
Shot, Maneuver, Melee Weapons, Mimic Voice, Missile Weapons, Mystic Aim, Navigation, Parry, Picking Pockets, Read/
Write Language, Read/Write Magic, Research, Riposte, Search,
Sense Danger, Shield Charge, Silent Walk, Speak Language,
Spell Matrix, Spellcasting, Spirit Hold, Spirit Talk, Sprint,
Steel Thought, Sure Mount, Surprise Strike, Swift Kick, Tactics, Taunt, Thread Weaving, Throwing Weapons, Tiger Spring,
Tracking, Trap Initiative, Trick Riding, True Shot, Unarmed
Combat, Wilderness Survival, Wind Catcher, Winning Smile,
Wood Skin, Wound Balance

Journeyman

Animal Companion Durability (6/5), Animal Talk, Armor

Mount, Bank Shot, Battle Bellow, Blade Juggle, Book Recall,
Call Animal Companion, Call Missile, Cobra Strike, Cold
Purify, Conceal Object, Crushing Blow, Diplomacy, Direction Sense, Disarm, Double-Charge, Down Strike, Earth Skin,
Engaging Banter, Enhanced Matrix, Fast Hand, Fearsome
Charge, Forge Armor, Frenzy, Gliding Stride, Graceful Exit,
Heal Animal Companion, Hold Thread, Hypnotize, Impressive
Shot, Inspire Others, Leadership, Life Check, Lifesight, Lion

talents may also serve a different function in these other Disciplines. Maneuver and Riposte represent a Swordmasters playing
with the opponent, his mastery over the opponents actions in a
fight. For the Scout, for example, Maneuver may be a representation of that Disciplines ability to move unobstructed and tread
lightly while Riposte for the Air Sailor is a representation of that
Disciplines aspect of being defensive.
When selecting talents for the Discipline Talent category, keep in
mind that these talents form the core of a Discipline, and represent
what all members of this Discipline have in common and require to
fill their role. While some talents might be good to have in any case or
seem obvious choices for you if you played the Discipline, consider
what other players might choose. Usually, Discipline Talents are talents that benefit a Discipline no matter how a player focuses it.
Assign the talents you selected as Discipline Talents to your
Discipline, and keep the ones not assigned for later considerations
as Talent Options (p.179). Assigning Discipline Talents follows
these requirements:
Disciplines have 5 Discipline Talents at First Circle, spellcasting
Disciplines have 6, the additional talent is always Spell Matrix.
All Disciplines have Karma Ritual as one of their First Circle
Discipline Talents

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C H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

Heart, Lip Reading, Momentum Attack, Mount Attack, Mount

Durability (6/5), Orbiting Spy, Performance , Poison Resistance,
Power Mask, Resist Taunt, Safe Path, Second Attack, Second
Shot, Second Weapon, Sense Poison, Slough Blame, Spirit
Dodge, Spirit Mount, Spot Armor Flaw, Steely Stare, Stopping
Aim, Summon (Ally Spirits), Summon (Elemental Spirits),
Swing Attack, Temper Other, Temper Self, Temperature, True
Sight, Wheeling Attack, Wheeling Defense, Willforce

Warden

Animal Leadership, Animate Object, Armored Matrix, Astral

Pocket, Bardic Voice, Bargain with Summoned Creature, Bestial Resilience, Bestial Toughness, Blind Fire, Body Blade, Bone
Compass, Call Mount, Casting Pattern, Chameleon, Champion
Challenge, Critical Hit, Defense, Detect Falsehood, Detect
Influence, Develop Animal Sense, Dominate Arrow, Eagle Eye,
Endure Cold, Enduring Art, Escape Divination, Gold Sense,
Howl, Impressive Strike, Incite Mob, Incite Stampede, Infuse
Armor, Infuse Weapon, Lion Spirit, Matrix Strike, Memorize
Image, Metal Ward, Mind Blade, Mind Wave, Multi-Tongue,
Netherwalk, Pin, Plant Shelter, Quick Shot, Rally, Range
Pattern, Reshape Object, Resist Pain, Rushing Attack, Safe
Thought, Sense Magic Item, Shackle Shrug, Shield Beater, Show
Armor Flaw, Song of Deflection, Spirit Strike, Storm Shield,
Summoning Circle, Tame Mount, Thought Link, Thoughtful
Expression, Thunder Axe, Trace Missile, Trample, Unmount,
Vitality, Warning Shot, Warp Missile, Weapon Breaker, Weapon
Ward, Whirlwind, Wound Transfer

Master

Astral Web, Aura Armor, Blood Guilt Weapon, Confront

Horror, Earth Armor, Echo Location, Effect Pattern, Elemental
Walk, Ethereal Weapon, First Ring of Perfection, Gain Surprise,
Impossible Hide, Infuse Blade, Mind Armor, Missile Twister,
Moving Earth, Multi-Charge, Multi-Shot, Multi-Strike, MultiWeaving, Scent Identifier, Screaming Arrow, Second Chance,
Shared Matrix, Soften Blade, Soul Shatter, Spell Crystal Lock,
Stone Skin, Truth Skit, Venom, Vital Strike, Water Dancing,
Wind Bow

Thread Weaving is the Fourth Circle Discipline talent, except for

spellcasting Disciplines (see below); Thread Weaving requires
a unique secondary Name denoted in parentheses.
Spellcasting Disciplines automatically receives the following 5 talents at First Circle: Karma Ritual, Read/Write Magic,
Spellcasting, Spell Matrix, and Thread Weaving. This leaves only
one First Circle Discipline Talent to be determined by you.
Disciplines have 1 Discipline Talent at every Circle after the
First.
Any one talent is not necessarily free to be assigned to any Circle;
more powerful talents are only available at higher Circles. Every
talent falls into one of the four categories of Initiate/Novice, Journeyman, Warden, and Master. The talent may be assigned to a Circle
that falls into the respective Discipline Status Level or higher. For
example, a talent listed under Warden may be assigned to Warden
Circles or higher (Circles 9 through 15), but not to the lower Journeyman, novice, or Initiate levels (Circles 1 through 8).

DesignDisciplineAbilities

The next important set of abilities your Discipline has are three
Discipline Abilities. Discipline Abilities are a more unique expression of your Disciplines purpose and role than even the Discipline
Talents, as no other Discipline is supposed to share them, but are

C reati n g D iscipli n es

and Master Status Levels, important steps in an adepts career.

Journeyman Abilities should provide a small bonus equivalent to
13 Steps or an advantage that lets the adept circumvent the same
range of penalties, should cost 1 or 2 Strain, and should work for
a short time of rounds or minutes. Warden Abilities can provide
a bonus equivalent to 35 Steps for 3 or 4 Strain for longer periods or minutes or hours, or a permanent bonus for Blood Magic
Damage taken. Master abilities are slightly more powerful and
costly than Warden abilities, but either easier to use or granting
more special effects; they often allow more liberate use of Karma
for a specific task. If an ability is designed to require an Action Test,
the test should either be made with an Attribute-only Test or the
Thread Weaving talent of the Discipline (i.e., an Elementalism
Test rather than a generic Thread Weaving Test).

SelectTalentOptions

Talent Options complement Discipline Talents by allowing the

Discipline to choose a narrower path, specialize in certain aspects, or
even diversify its abilities. Talents that did not quite make the list of
Discipline Talents should be the first ones to be considered as Talent
Options. Otherwise, Talent Options can be chosen by looking for
talents that complement a Discipline Talent in achieving its goal in
a certain way, ideally in a way that fits the Disciplines Definition.

The First Impression, Winning Smile, or Etiquette talents

can suit a Swordmaster who stresses his Disciplines abilities
to make an impression or act socially, while a Swordmaster
learning Acrobatic Strike and Tiger Spring can call more attention to spectacular martial techniques by doing so. Talents like
Sprint, Unarmed Combat, or Conceal Object serve to diversify the Discipline, but still serve a function in his fighting role.
The Throwing Weapons talent complements the Swordmasters
melee abilities, as many melee weapons can be thrown, while
Speak Language can help the Swordmaster make himself understood by Namegiversto Taunt them, for example.
fewer in number and less regularly used. Discipline abilities offer
a special bonus, usually paid for by an amount of Strain depending
on when the ability becomes available. Higher-Circled abilities are
more powerful, but the adept takes more Strain when using them.
Discipline abilities should be used to incorporate an ability into
your Discipline that it innately knows and that is a natural extension of its magical abilities, but that cannot be easily represented
by a new talent, does not require Action Tests against opponents
frequently, and does not increase its power with higher ranks as
most talents do. Discipline Abilities should not be basic functions
of your Discipline, but should not be as powerful as Master Talents either.

The Swordmasters Flourish ability represents his ability to

intimidate an unarmed opponentwho would be so foolish
as to face a Swordmaster without a weapon in hand?but
really is a piece of showmanship, as the Swordmaster might
fare better against an armed opponent due to the requirements
of Riposte. The Swordmasters Weapon Bond and Keen Blade
abilities stand for the Disciplines ability to specialize in their
chosen weapon and develop an above-average proficiency with
itthe Swordmasters magic allows them to enhance these
weapons through rituals of binding.
Discipline abilities are assigned to Circles 5, 9, and 13. These
Circles correspond to the first Circle of the Journeyman, Warden,

13

Assign the talents you selected as Talent Options to the Talent

Option pools of the different Status Levels. Assigning Talent
Options follows these requirements:
There are 5 talent in the Initiate Talent Options, 8 talents each
in the Novice, Journeyman, and Warden Talent Option pools,
and 6 talents in the Master Talent Options.
The Durability talent is always assigned to the Novice Talent
Options.
No Talent Option pool should offer more than three matrices
of any type, and no matrix should be made available more than
three times in total.
Talent Options follow the same requirements as Discipline Talents for the earliest Circle they can be assigned to. For example,
a talent listed under Journeyman may be assigned to Journeyman, Warden, or Master Talent Options, but not Novice or
Initiate Talent Options.

Determine Attributes,
Defenses,andKarma

Your Discipline needs two Important Attributes, a priority of

Defenses, and Karma bonuses.
To determine the two Important Attributes, look at the talents available to your Discipline and get an impression of the two
attributes most often use to determine Talent Steps. Discipline Talents should weigh in more heavily. Decide if these two Attributes
also match your Disciplines Definition. If there is a huge discrepC H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

179

ancy, you might even be pr0ompted to alter your talent choices, but
you may just as well take the discrepancy as it is, as some Attributes
may be important without being the base Attribute for a lot of
Talent Steps; for example, Strength may be important for a martial Discipline, even though most talents of that Discipline are
Dexterity-based.

Charisma and Dexterity are the Swordmasters Important

Attributes as most of the Disciplines talents are based on them
(the only Discipline Talents not based on them up until Eight
Circle are Thread Weaving and Resist Taunt). Charisma represents the Swordmasters flashy and expressionistic side, while
Dexterity stands for his nimbleness and the ability to use and
work with tools and objects (weapons).
Determining the priority of the three Defenses (Physical, Social,
and Spell) establishes when a Discipline receives bonuses to the
three Defenses, and how many it gets of each. The primary Defense
starts giving bonuses at Second Circle, while the secondary and
tertiary Defenses only start in Warden Level. The primary Defense
receives a total +5 bonus at Fifteenth Circle, the secondary a total
+3, and the tertiary a total +2. These bonuses are always active and
become a part of the character, as in how his Discipline makes him
less susceptive to certain types of attacks. If you cannot decide, look
at your Important Attributes, and use the Defenses based on these
Attributes as primary and secondary (if possible).

The Swordmasters Defense priority is primary: Social, secondary: Physical, tertiary: Spell. Social and Physical Defense
correspond to the Important Attributes of Charisma and Dexterity. They also represent the Swordmasters two focal points,
fighting and social interaction. Social Defense is the primary
priority because it applies as well in fights as outside of fights
(Physical Defense is seldom targeted in casual conversation,
while Social Defense is targeted during fights by talents such
as Battle Shout or Taunt).
A Discipline receives a minimum of three Karma bonuses. Karma
bonuses allow an adept to spend 1 Karma point on a test. The first
two of these bonuses are for tests with an Attribute only: these are
assigned to Fourth and Sixth Circle, and the Attributes chosen
must be the two Important Attributes from above. The third Karma
bonus is assigned to Seventh Circle and is a bonus to a common
test type that Discipline makes, but that does not allow Karma by
default. This is a certain type of Damage Test for most martial Disciplines, the ability to use Karma on Spell Effect Test for magicians,
and a Karma bonus involving another creature or item for Disciplines that primarily deal with other creatures or items.

Swordmasters receive a Karma bonus allowing them to spend

1 Karma Point on Damage Tests made with melee weapons
because they are a martial Discipline, and their weapon damage
can be magically enhanced even without using any talents, just
by being a Seventh Circle Swordmaster. Other martial Disciplines receive a variant of this bonus. The Warrior is not limited
to melee weapons, but can use Karma on Damage Tests in all
of close combat. The Weaponsmith is limited to using his own
weapons when spending Karma.
Three Karma bonuses are the minimum a Discipline has. More
Karma bonuses may be assigned to Warden and Master Circles.

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C H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

SpendBuildPoints

Every Discipline receives 5 Build Points to fine-tune it, used for

both determining the Disciplines Durability as well as additional
Karma, Initiative, and Recovery Test bonuses.

Durability

The bonuses the Durability

Durability Cost
talent conveys to the Death and
Table
Unconsciousness Rating of a Bonus Build Point Cost
character vary from Discipline
(9/7)
3
to Discipline. Disciplines with a
martial focus often have higher
(8/6)
2
bonuses to compensate for the
(7/6)
1
high amount of Strain they spend
each combat round, while magicians spend less Strain due to having versatile alternatives through
spells. Magicians always have Durability (4/3) and cannot increase
it, while non-magicians start with base Durability (6/5) and can
increase the bonuses up to (9/7) by spending some of the 5 Build
Points every Discipline receives. Look at the Durability Cost Table,
decide on the Bonus of Durability fitting the Discipline, and subtract the Build Point Cost from the Build Points available to you.
Keep in mind that a high Durability should not be assigned just
because you can spend the Build Points, the Durability Bonus
chosen should fit your Disciplines definition and role. Use the
existing Disciplines for good measure, and keep in mind only two
of them get a bonus of more than (7/6) in the first place.

Karma, Initiative, Recovery

You may spend the remaining five Build Points on bonuses to

Karma, Recovery Tests, and/or Initiative. A Karma bonus can be
to an Attribute-only Test or similar to the Karma bonus for Seventh Circle. Recovery Test bonuses add +1 additional Recovery
Test per day. Initiative bonuses add +1 to the Initiative Step. Any
one of these bonuses costs 1 Build Point. For example, if a Durability of (8/6) was chosen, 3 Build Points remain for 3 bonuses to
characteristics to be chosen. Bonuses to Karma, Recovery, and
Initiative can be combined in any way, but can only be assigned
to Circles 10 to 15, and should be evenly distributed between
these Circles.
Note that all Disciplines receive two identical bonuses: The
ability to spend Karma on Recovery Tests at Ninth Circle, and a
bonus to their Karma Step at Thirteenth Circle. These come free

De f in ition: M ag ici an s
Magicians, or spellcasting Disciplines, follow some special rules within this design process. They are more limited
in talent choices, including choice of Durability Bonus.
For the purpose of determining Durability, a magician
is defined as any character who receives all the necessary
abilities to cast spells (Spellcasting, appropriate Thread
Weaving, and Read/Write Magic) within the first eight
Circles of a Discipline, as part of a Discipline. Even if the
necessary talents are Talent Options, the Discipline is
limited to Durability (4/3). Disciplines that receive all
the required talents as Discipline Talents at First Circle,
and First Circle only, receive the additional Spell Matrix
talent. They also receive a Bonus Spell at Circles 2 through
5 (Players Guide, p. 41).
We recommend not using any Disciplines that strays
from the talent progression for spellcasters presented for
the standard magician Disciplines.

C reati n g D iscipli n es

of any Build Point Cost, and have been added to the Discipline
template already.

Design Half-Magic
andSpecialRules

Half-magic abilities for a Discipline follow less conventions

than the other steps in its design, as half-magic is supposed to
serve a fluid function in the game, allowing an adept to make tests
towards achieving any goal his Discipline seems better suited to
achieve than the average person. A short list of Knowledge and
General skills this always covers should be provided. Some Disciplines can use Half-Magic Tests instead of a number of activities
that are covered by General skills, if these skills cover mundane
tasks every member of the Discipline can perform that do not
require them to be talents, such as the Weaponsmiths ability to
produce weapons.
Special Rules should only be introduced if they are a flavourful
addition to a Discipline. They can mean starting the game with
extra equipment, having special opportunities, or even special
restrictions. For example, Cavalrymen start the game with
a mount (what would they do without one?) and can gain
Honor Braids upon losing it.

Design KarmaRitual
andSelect ArtisanSkills

13

The last touch to your Discipline is to determine two

example Artisan skills and define the typical Karma Ritual.
The Artisan skills chosen should be connected to the Discipline by being skills including objects typically used by the
Discipline or being non-magical extensions of the Discipline.

Typical Artisan Skills for the Swordmaster are Acting and

Dancing. When a Swordmaster presents himself and tries to
make his fights look good he puts up an act, while his duels and
treatment of an opponent may well be interpreted as a dance.
The Karma Ritual usually is a display or mental repetition of the
Disciplines role and of the ways used to fulfil this role. It is supposed to be vague enough to be interpreted by different adepts in
different ways. Most Disciplines should be able to perform it alone,
and the Discipline should not require any more objects than the
bare minimum it requires to use its most important abilities.

Write AdditionalDescriptions

Not necessarily required to use a Discipline in your game, but

a part of a proper Discipline write-up, are a short description, a
fictional discussion of the Disciplines path by a follower of that
Discipline, and rules and guidelines for Discipline Violations,
Rituals of Advancement, Roleplaying Hints, and Discipline
Combinations. If you are considering submitting a Discipline to
RedBrick, these are mandatory parts of the Discipline submission
and should be just as thorough as the existing Disciplines.

DesigningaSpecialist

pecialists are variations of a Discipline that narrow its path

a bit more than Talent Option choice does, although rules
for specialist adepts frequently elevate Talent Options to
Discipline Talents, as the former Option is of as much importance
to the Specialist as a Discipline Talent is to a typical representative of a Discipline. To create a Specialist, you need to re-define
the Discipline, and alter its abilities.

Ba l ancing Dur a bi lity

The allocation of Build Points to Durability or characteristic bonuses balances Disciplines in the long run.
While Durability starts being of use in Second Circle,
the total bonus it conveys becomes larger and larger, and
at that time a Discipline with a high Durability receives
fewer additional bonuses: A Novice Warrior with Durability Rank 3 adds +9/+6 more to his Health Ratings that
a Scout with Durability Rank 3 does, but this difference
becomes +36/+24 when they have Ranks of 12, the difference becoming more noteworthy then. At this time, the
Scout receives a number of other bonuses, though: Karma
to Charisma Tests, another Recovery Test, a bonus to the
Karma Step, and Initiative bonuses. These are independent of any Rank increases. Considering a Warrior often
spends more Strain to use abilities than the Scout, so the
Scouts characteristic bonuses are balanced with the now
high difference in Health Ratings.

C H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

181

Re-defineDiscipline

Re-defining a Discipline means looking at the texts provided for it (or written
by you for Disciplines designed by you)
and determine where its most important
aspect (see Define the Discipline, p.177)
might be explained differently or with an
additional sentence, or where a part of
a sentence might be left out. Imagine a
specialist as someone answering one or
two of the defining question differently if
directly asked. Then write a short description of how the Specialists worldview and
philosophy, or interpretation of role, differs from the standard Discipline.

The Bladesman Swordmasters

definition leaves out some of the wit
and flashy swordplay, while the Gallant Swordmasters definition places
an additional focus on impressing
others, especially the romantically
preferred gender.

AlterAbilities

To express the change in magic abilities the Specialists change of worldview

and definition brings with it, usually 2
to 4 alterations are made to the Disciplines abilities. If too many alterations
seem necessary, a new Discipline might
be in order, although more changes are
still appropriate if the Specialists seems
the same thematically. Changes should
be limited to Circles 1 through 6, except
when changing Defenses and Karma
bonuses. Changes to Half-magic or the
Karma Ritual can always be made independently from other changes, and do not
count against the suggested number of
changes. Changes should be considered
in the following order:
Changing Talent Options
Changing Half-magic abilities
Swapping Discipline Talents with
Talent Options
Changing Discipline Talents
Changing Defense Priority
Changing Seventh Circle Karma Bonus
Changing a Discipline Ability
Important Attributes and the associated Karma Bonuses should
not be changed, as they tie into a Disciplines talents. Some exotic
ideas for Specialists might justify changing other aspects of a Discipline than those listed, but caution is advised: some changes may
only seem necessary because a single feature of a Discipline is disliked by the player or gamemaster. It is there for a reason, however.
The usefulness of some abilities, or the reason for why a specific
talent is a Talent Option instead of a Discipline Talent, might open
itself up after repeated reading and comparison with other talents,
and may sometimes be for balancing reasons.

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C H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

DesigningTalents

esigning new talents is probably the most demanding

task from the perspective of efforts made to compare a
design with existing alternatives, even though writing a
whole new Discipline is a considerable creative effort.
Before a new talent can be designed, all other talents need to
be studied, because there might already be a talent out there that
actually serves the same or a very similar purpose, or that could
easily be modified and designated with another Name to fulfil
the need for a talent. For example, a player of previous editions
of Earthdawn intent on designing an Avoid Blow for spells can
find that function served with the changes to the Steel Thought
talent RedBrick made to its Earthdawn lines. Especially some
of the infrequently used talents might offer a solution to the need
for a new talent.

Effect

The talents effect is what the design process is all about. You should
have a pretty good idea about the effect, given that you are designing
a talent for it, but some general advice applies as to its extent.
Talents that are used against characters or for their benefit usually do not have an effect that is measured in any quantity other
than the rank if a bonus or penalty (see Battle Shout), the Result
Level of a Talent Test against a target number, or the Talent Test
itself if an Effect Test such as Damage or when enhancing a trait
other than Defenses or Action Tests (see Wood Skin).
Most of the work done on your talent should be to allow the
effect to be made possible by determining the talents characteristics and putting the effect into context in the talents description,
determining any additional requirements there.

Characteristics

Talent characteristics are the Action requirement, Karma

requirement, Strain, and the Step. Characteristics are usually the
requirements that must be met before using a talent, in addition
to requirements the talents description sets.
Refer to the description of the different Action types in the
Players Guide, p. 58, to determine what type of Action a talent
uses. Non-damaging talents that measure their effects and durations with their rank lean towards requiring a Standard Action
(see Heartening Laugh or Frighten), but can use Simple Actions
if they use the rank to determine only effect or duration and have
an additional limitation (see Taunt). Talents with long-lasting
effects measured in hours or days are often Sustained Action and
have requirements that must be met (see Diplomacy).
The Step requires an Attribute to be determined for tests that
are made for the talent, or the decision that the talents effect only
requires a Rank. If a talent only requires a Rank, it is either constantly active, or can be used without a test if another condition
is met, and then enhances that test or a following test (see Critical Hit). Such talents should be an exception, another method to
assume a talent to be active all the time but require a test is the
Free Action (see Empathic Command). The preferred alternative
is to design a talent thats Step replaces another step (see Crushing
Blow), to prevent too many talents from stacking their effect.
Karma should be required on talents with powerful effects that
require magical instead of just physical effort, while the reverse is
true for Strain. Karma allows effects that cannot be achieved without
the help of magic (see Flame Arrow), Strain is used where a talent is
an enhanced version of something that can be done with mundane
training (see Great Leap). Some basic tasks should not require Strain,
even if they would normally be physically demanding, to reduce

bookkeeping (see Melee Weapons). Deciding if Karma is required

and what amount of Strain is cause depends on the talent description
that more closely details the rules than the characteristics do.

Description

The talent description details aspects surrounding the talents effect. The important parts to be decided upon here are
the target, Difficulty Number, additional requirements, Result
Levels, and duration.
The target of a talent most often determines the Difficulty
Number as well. If the talent is used as an attack or attack-like ability, the Difficulty Number is usually a targets appropriate Defense
Rating. If multiple targets are possible, the highest Defense is used
and +1 added for each additional target (see Howl). If very large
groups are targeted, only the highest Defense among the group
is used without increase, other methods are applied to handle
targeting a group (see Emotion Song). If a talent is used to affect
multiple targets but is not an attack, only the highest Defense is
used (see Acrobatic Strike). The Defense targeted depends on
the type of effect and method of delivery. Most physical combat
maneuvers target the Physical Defense, but some combat talents that cannot be explained by mere physical action target the
Spell Defense, usually if an action that simulates knowledge of
the target is performed (see Anticipate Blow). It is usually easy
to determine if Social Defense should be used as the Difficulty
Number, this is usually the case if interaction is the medium
to deliver the effect (see Inspire Others). In most other cases,
a talent targets the Spell Defense or determines its Difficulty
Number otherwise. A sizeable number of talents do not use Difficulty Numbers, but make their Talent test as an Effect Test. This
includes talents that are used only after another successful test,
for example to determine damage, or if the talents effect only
targets the adept (see Great Leap).
Requirements are a way of either limiting an otherwise powerful talent (see Air Dance) or to specify in what situations a talent
can be used (see First Impression). A special form of requirement,
usually expressed as an event, might explain not when a talent can
be used, but when it ends (see Engaging Banter). Requirements can
be introduced to allow a more powerful effect in a smaller choice
of circumstances. For an example outside of talents, Down Strike
is available as a skill, while Crushing Blow is not, although they are
almost identical. Down Strike has steeper requirements, making
its availability as a skill feasible.
Result Levels can be used to stagger a talents effect if they would
be too powerful if applied on any successful Test (see Battle Bellow),
this is usually a way to make a talent available as a Simple Action or
increase the duration. Result Levels can also be used to reward high
Test Results, especially when using several talents and paying their
Strain and Karma costs to achieve such a high resultthis method is
ubiquitous in Earthdawn and evident in Armor-Defeating Hits, that
are made more likely through use of talents that enhance attacks.
The duration of a talent is usually determined first, as it is a part
of the desired effect, and other measures are taken to guarantee
it, but in some cases altering the duration may be a step towards
avoiding other limitations. Talent durations in Earthdawn are
most often either 1 round, to the end of the following round, or
based on the talents Rank or Test Result.

C H A P T E R 1 3 | Creating Di scipline s

C reati n g D iscipli n es

Even if no talent can be modified or used as a blueprint, knowing

their effects and characteristics gives a good sense of balance for
talents and where the limits for talent magic are, especially where it
comes to the Circle a talent is available at. Similarly to talents, talent
knacks and spells as well as skills that might serve as a blueprint or
alternative source for rules that should be taken into consideration.
Effectively, it is easier to work with a reliable source than come up
with a new one. If there is no comparable material to work with,
use the following guidelines to design a new talent, and also take
them into account when modifying an existing one.

13

183

Index
A

AazhvatMany-Eyes .................................137
Aban ............................................................ 125
Accommodation Table ............................. 47
Action Multiplier Table ............................79
AdeptsBlood ..............................................20
Airboat . ......................................................... 71
Airboats .........................................................58
AirSailor . .....................................................90
AirshipConstruction . .............................. 57
Airship Descriptions ................................. 71
AirshipHazards . ........................................63
Airship Hazard Table ................................63
Airship Range Table ..................................67
Airships ......................................................... 57
Alamaise . ....................................................127
Aloe . ...............................................................20
Alteration . ....................................................16
Alter Distance . ............................................64
AmuletofAgamon . ...................................27
Amulet of Dianuus ..................................... 41
Archer ............................................................ 91
Artificer ...................................................... 139
AstralDenizens ............................................ 6
Astral Projection .......................................... 9

Balancing Durability . .............................181

Ballista . .........................................................66
BandsofFortune .......................................27
Beastmaster .................................................92
Behemoth .....................................................59
Behemoths ...................................................38
BladeofAlemvor . ......................................13
Blood Charm Cost Table .........................20
BloodMagic ................................................28
Blood Monkey Swarm ........................... 109
Bloodwall . .................................................... 21
Bloodwort . ...................................................64
Board . ............................................................65
Boarding Battles .........................................16
BogMoss ......................................................16
BoneCrowntheUsurper ......................142
Booster ..........................................................28
Booster Charm Modifiers Table ............65
Break Off . .................................................. 144

Cadence . ....................................................... 11
CanalBoat . ..................................................74
Canoe . ...........................................................73
Catapult ........................................................66
Cavalryman .................................................93
CaveCrab ...................................................112
ChantrelsHorror ................................... 146
Chimera ......................................................112
Chimera Head Table ...............................114
CloudBird . ................................................114
Coreliander ................................................105
CreatingCreatures ..................................176
Creating Disciplines . ................................63
CreatingMagicalTreasures ...................69
CreatingNewBloodCharms . .............112
CreatureDescriptions ............................112
Creature ScalingTable .......................... 108
Creatures ......................................................69
Crew ............................................................... 71
CrewRepairs ...............................................68
Crew Repair Table .....................................84
Crystal Raider Drakkar ..........................110

Damage .........................................................63
DamageShift . .............................................16
DeathMagic ................................................25
Deaths Domain . ........................................25
Deaths Favor . ............................................... 7
DennasBrooch ..........................................50
DesigningLegendaryTreasure .............46

184

DesigningThreadedItems . ....................14
DespoileroftheLand . .......................... 149
Detecting Threads .....................................29
DevastatorSpear ........................................ 21
Dissemination . ...........................................30
DragonMail ................................................66
Dragons Breath .......................................... 71
DragonsTongue ........................................58
Drakkar .........................................................74
Dreveki . ........................................................74
Druistadt ................................................... 150
Durability Cost Table ............................ 180

EarlyTreatment .........................................19
Earthroot ................................................... 128
Elementalist .................................................94
ElementalPlanes ........................................12
Elite Huttawa . ...........................................111
Enchanting . .................................................18
Enhancement .............................................. 17
Enhancement Charm
Modifiers Table .......................................... 21

FarlissDagger ............................................ 31
Felux . ...........................................................115
Fire . ................................................................65
FireEngines . ...............................................70
Firepower .....................................................62
Fire Sheath ...................................................67
FireWraith . ...............................................115
FirstTreatment . .........................................20

Galleon ..........................................................72
Galleons ........................................................58
Galley . ........................................................... 71
Galleys ...........................................................58
GameBalance ............................................. 81
Gamemaster Characters ..........................76
Gargoyle . ....................................................116
GarlensBlessing ........................................24
GarlensHand ............................................. 21
Garlic ............................................................. 21
Geonels Flask .............................................55
GhostShip . ..................................................73
GhostShips . ................................................59
Giftbringer ................................................ 153

Harbinger ...................................................116
Hate ............................................................. 155
Hazard Modifiers Table ...........................64
HazardTests . ..............................................64
HealingArts ................................................19
HealingMagic ............................................24
HelmetMushrooms ..................................22
Horrors . .......................................................... 9
Horror-ScarredMadman ........................83
Hulker . ........................................................117
Hull . ...............................................................62

IceBladeofOmifan ..................................39
Icewing ....................................................... 129
Idyllic Gardens . ..........................................10
Illusionist . ....................................................95

JikarRoot .....................................................22
Joie ............................................................... 155

KarmaBoost . ..............................................15
KegelsSword .............................................. 31
Key Knowledge Table ..............................48
Kila .................................................................72

Kilas ...............................................................59
KingdomofDeath .....................................25
KolldarsGloves .........................................32
Kraken .........................................................118
Krillra ..........................................................119

LawofSimilarity ....................................... 57
LegendaryTreasures ................................27
LegendAwardAdjustingPowers . ..... 108
LittleTrollsHelm .....................................39
LormsAxe ...................................................32

Magicians .................................................. 180

MagmaBeast .............................................119
MahoganyTrinrose . .................................22
Maneuverability .........................................62
Manticore .................................................. 120
MaskofOltion . ..........................................32
Masterpieces . ..............................................54
Mercenary ....................................................85
Merchant ......................................................85
MerchantRiverboat ..................................75
Messenger . ...................................................86
MilitaryVedette .........................................72
MiningVedette . .........................................72
Mirror ............................................................33
MistBlossoms . ...........................................22
MonturksCarpet ......................................33
Mountainshadow .....................................131
Mutiny ...........................................................60
MynbrujesBalm ........................................22

Naargs Axe . ................................................56

NaturalMedicines . ...................................96
Nebis ........................................................... 158
Nemesis . .....................................................161
Nethermancer .............................................34
Netherworlds ..............................................35

Opponents . ..................................................77

Pathfinder . ...................................................36
Patrons ..........................................................77
Plane of Air . .................................................12
Plane of Earth . ............................................12
Plane of Fire .................................................12
Plane of Water .............................................12
Plane of Wood .............................................12
Poison ............................................................ 17
Poison Charm Modifiers Table ..............18
Purifier ..........................................................64

Ram ................................................................66
RestandRecovery . ...................................24
Ristul .......................................................... 163
Riverboat Construction ........................... 61
Riverboat Descriptions ............................73
RiverboatHazards . ...................................63
Riverboat Hazard Table ...........................63
Riverboats .................................................... 57
RiverFerry ...................................................74
RiverGalley .................................................75
RiverPirate ..................................................86
RiverWarship .............................................75
RootWalker . .............................................121
Rowboat . ......................................................73

Sage ................................................................87
Sailboat .........................................................73
SailingShip . ................................................75
Sailing Ships ................................................62

Sailing Speed Table ...................................62

Sarfran ...........................................................22
ScarabofIlithor ........................................ 40
ScavianBarge ..............................................74
Scorcher ........................................................87
Scout ..............................................................97
Scribe .............................................................88
SentinelHawk . ........................................ 122
SerpentVine . ..............................................23
ShipCombat . ..............................................23
Ship CombatManeuvers .........................64
ShipMaintenance . ....................................64
Ship Modification Table . .........................70
ShipRepairs ................................................68
Ship Speed Table ........................................69
ShipStatistics . ............................................62
ShipWeapons . ............................................62
Shipyard Repair Table ..............................66
Sindolin .........................................................69
Skeorx ......................................................... 122
SkyLotus . ....................................................23
SkyRaider ....................................................98
SmallDrakkar ............................................... 8
Smoke ............................................................ 71
SockofGranak ...........................................37
Soulsafe ........................................................ 40
Spear Thrower .............................................37
Specialists . .................................................181
Speed . ............................................................66
Spirits . ...........................................................23
StoneAirships . ...........................................77

Taint .............................................................165
Talent Availability . ..................................178
Talent Descriptions ...................................73
Talent Design ........................................... 182
TalismansofDianuus ...............................89
TavernOwner .............................................12
Tekksint .................................................... 166
Tempter .........................................................23
Thalen ............................................................88
TheranSpy . ............................................... 100
Thief . ..............................................................53
Thornsling .................................................... 11
Thread Item Characteristics Table .......43
Throne . ..........................................................23
Thunderbolt Thrower ................................23
TomeofMemory .......................................44
Trailfruit .......................................................42
Tranceweed . ................................................72
Transforming Pattern Items . ..................63
TransportVedette ......................................83
Trap Lizard . .............................................. 123
TravelHazards . ........................................101
TrollCityWatch . .................................... 125

Ubyr ............................................................ 168

Usun ............................................................ 132

Vasdenjas ................................................... 133

Vedettes .........................................................59
VennasArmor ............................................44
Verjigorm ....................................................171
Vestrivan .................................................... 135
VeteranGuard . ...........................................89

Warrior ....................................................... 102

Weaponsmith ........................................... 103
Wizard ........................................................ 104

Ysrthgrathe . ...............................................173