Breaking Bonds (Cryptomancer RP)

[Simpli]

Breaking Bonds
Cryptomancer Adventure

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Spoiler

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The wagons of your steam train thunder through the Sylvian Forest, guards patrolling on the ceiling over your heads and the tiny armoured windows that allow you to peak out give you a chance to see the sudden change from the tightly grown hostile forest to the fields and hamlets of human civilization: each of them a small bastion with palisades and moats to defend themselves against the wild beasts and roaming orc warbands that threaten their very existence. The days are short this far up in the north, the fields are small, and the sky is filled with the smoke of the city as you come ever closer to it, the smells and wastes of ten thousands filling the air that streams into your compartment. You can see a mass of people passing by as your train moves towards the city, groups of the poor, landless and hopeful, seeking new lives in the city – it would be laughable, knowing their fate: short lives, short pauses and exploitative work, but you can't say your intentions are different from theirs. You are here for a new life – no matter which, after all your old one isn't really there anymore.

Maybe you saw something you shouldn't – the spark of a shard or a moving shadow in the background- or maybe you stumbled into a carefully laid plan your presence disrupted. No matter the reason: you know that someone is after you. First it started rather harmless, just like pranks centred on you: shardnets to which you belonged were closed or forgot you were part of it, something you somehow couldn't rectify. Then everyone in the neighbourhood to whom you had contacted moved or disappeared from one day to another: if this wasn't creepy enough you would notice shadows following, steps resounding in your ears and your stuff disappearing as you clutched what you had ever tighter. Someone was after you and you did the sensible thing: you ran as quickly and far away as possible.

Only on the run, dodging your trackers and loosing contact to everyone you had ever known, it became clear just who…or rather what was following you: Risk Eaters, a shadowy organisation that "balanced" the world and had decided that you were a Risk, someone who would throw down the order of the world as it was. True or not – they were out to kill you and when someone got into contact with you, it was salvation: the noble Lord Tore Melhus had caught your plight and was interested in offering you patronage: safety and anonymity from the Risk Eaters through his efforts – in return for you joining his services. Without anything else to save you from certain death, you followed his invitation and found a compartment in the next steam train running north.

Now you are closing up to the City of Glassvellir, once a martial city filled with sturdy seaman and raiders, it has seemingly mellowed out with the beginning of the new ages: turning its axes away with foreign shores and more towards the country surrounding them. Set at the river mouth of Muspel, the stream parting the city in two, it has become one of the most important harbours of the region, its merchants travelling throughout the Sphere and its aristocracy keeping friendly relations with the dwarven Clans in the Subterranean areas beneath the close by mountains and the flying elven Caravans that bring the much-coveted Soma into the city.

But even as an outsider and without access to the Shardscape, you know not everything is well in the city state: outside of your train you can see mercenary companies moving over the streets towards the imposing walls of the city, the hamlets you pass by gradually get more and more depilated and given up, with the lines of beggars and invalids growing the closer you get to your destination. When you hear the rumours that a waiter in the luxury wagons of the train was nearly beheaded by an annoyed dwarven cloak – after serving the wrong vintage to the dessert- it wasn't all that surprising anymore.

No one would take in a Risk like you without due reason and whatever was happening in Glassvellir: Lord Melhus was presuming that a group of people who might endanger/change the world was going to be useful to have on his side – even with the threat of Risk Eaters looming over them and now also him. Whatever it was – it couldn't be worse than certain death, could it?​

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IC Thread

Player Character Sheet (Download)
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Please Do not post till I say I am finished with posting~ Thank you.
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[Simpli]

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=}Character Creation{=
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Steps:

1. Chose the character's common name, true name, race (e.g. elf, dwarf, or human), sex, and age.
2. Assign appearance and personality qualities, both of which are optional (but fun).
3. Assign core ranks.
4. Assign attribute ranks and calculate HP and MP.
5. Spend 10 Talent Points total, split between talents and spells any way you want.
6. Pick and define a trademark weapon and outfit (any one you want, really!). But nothing "masterwork."
7. Pick a "reasonable" amount of equipment (whatever you want, as much as can reasonably fit on your character's person while they are on the run).

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Appearance and Personality
Examples
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Category	Examples
Hair	Bald, shaved, short, blonde, brunette, black, red, tonsure, spiky, wild, shellacked, straight, enormous mane, wavy, pony tail, braids, dreads, curly, messy, chin-length etc.
Eyes	Determined, brooding, deadpan, weary, bulging, fiery, wild, piercing, hypnotic, blue, brown, green, black, white, sunken, squinty, shifty, bruised, baggy, lazy-eyed, eye-patched, bloodshot, bulging, baggy, cat eyes, wide-eyed, lizard eyes, doe-eyed.
Build	Built, lithe, average, athletic, frail, bloated, gaunt, sinewy, statuesque, petite, scrawny, stocky, barrel-chested, broad-shouldered, buxom, hunchbacked, bullnecked, husky, paunchy, massive, towering, gigantic, short, diminutive, unremarkable.
Skin	Tanned, scarred, hairy, glistening, tattooed, painted, pierced, pale, fair, dark, blue, green, copper, silver, gold, scaly, veiny, weathered, silky, dirty, delicate, freckled, leathery, smooth, dusty, droopy, spotted, sweaty, scabby, shiny, taut.

Personality
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Category	Examples
Desires	Wealth, renown, power, experience, inner peace, forbidden lore, justice, revenge, men, women, an heir, a soul mate, a family, a glorious death, a quiet life, pleasure, competition, order, anarchy, lichdom, godhood, soma, helping the needy, healing the sick, crushing the weak, inflicting pain, spreading the faith, domination
Fears	Dwarves, elves, humans, orcs, gnolls, giant vermin, zombies, cities, forests, caves, magic, the dark, clergy, nobility, peasants, crowds, confinement, torture, fire, ghosts, darkness, dirt, alchemy, addiction, bandits, blood, rivals, water, heights, the afterlife, losing control, revelation
Tends to	Curse, flirt, brood, lie, threaten, steal, lose one's temper, fall in love, forget, hoard, stare, avoid eye contact, drink too much, butcher names, apologize for everything, mutter under breath, mumble, judge, hog glory, talk to animals, dress inappropriately, quote proverbs, resort to violence, be clumsy, wake up screaming, trust everyone.
Used to	Be a cultist/cleric, be a soldier/mercenary, be a spy/scout, be wealthy/dirt poor, be a criminal/constable, be a hero/coward, live in forest/cave, have a partner/rival, have a business/title, be a dealer/addict, serve a different house, be someone/something else.

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Core Ranks
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The Core Ranks represent the general prowess of a character in a certain category, measure of their abilities to resist and to act. Each category can be ranked as Trivial (4), Challenging (6) or Tough (8). The rank of trivial denotes that a character is particularly weak, inexperienced, and vulnerable in this area. The rank of challenging denotes that a character is neither weak nor strong in this area. The rank of tough denotes that a character is particularly strong, experienced, and resilient in this area.

Power: Combing what usually is handled as Strength and Toughness, Power represents strength and endurance.

Speed: Representing your overall agility and dexterity, this makes the difference between you bumbling down a sloped roof or catching yourself with cat-like reflexes.

Wits: Intelligence and cleverness, curiosity and knowledge. You should give it a try at some time.

Resolve: You might give this core your attention, where dwell the brave at heart, their daring and nerve sets them apart from the others.

All players begin with the four quadrants ranked as Challenging (6) – in order to upgrade one core rank, you will have to downgrade another. So if you for example want to raise Wits to Tough (8) you will have to downgrade another quadrant like Power to Trivial (4). At tend end these will be your core ranks.

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Attributes
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Whereas core ranks define a character's ability to resist the world, attributes define a character's ability to influence the world. There are 8 attributes which are derived from a character's core quadrants: Strength and Endurance (derived from Power), Agility and Dexterity (derived from Speed), Presence and Willpower (derived from Resolve), and Knowledge and Cunning (derived from Wits). Attributes define a character's skill, experience, and level of potential in different types of activities. Attributes are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing a weakness or handicap with 5 representing maturity and mastery.

The number of points you can distribute between your skills, is derived from the core rank of the attribute governing it. Someone with a resolve of six, can therefor spend six points in Presence or Willpower (4-2, 3-3, 2- 4 etc.). The graphic on the character sheet makes it even easier to see. The skills are:

Knowledge: The difference between a barbarian and a scholar lies here, while also regulating the skills: Alchemy, Craft, Medicine, and Query.

Cunning: Do you want to wear foxy smiles? Outsmart others and solve problems? Then invest in cunning, the difference between the wry and devious – and the gullible and naïve. Regulating: Deception, Scrounge, Tracking, and Traps.

Presence: Are you the life of the party? Presence represents your force of personality, physical appearance and demeanour – so if you want to be beautiful and well liked, look into this. Presence also regulates the skills: Beast Ken, Charm, Menace, and Performance.

Willpower: Braving odds? Flinging fireballs from your fingertips? Stay here if you want to be something different than utterly mundane and cowardly, as Willpower determines your Mana Points (MP), which in turn measure how many spells you can cast.

Agility: Flexibility, quickness and general athleticism – if you want to run over rooftops you should invest here, it also regulates the following skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Escape Artistry, and Stealth.

Dexterity: You know the test with the ruler falling between your hands? If you want to be better at this, this attribute regulates your hand-eye coordination and reflexes, it also regulates the following skills: Fired Missile, Lock Picking, Precise Melee, and Sleight of Hand.

Strength: Your ability to push, pull, lift and mash things – basically every time you want to be big, green and angry. It regulates the skills: Brute Melee, Feat of Strength, Thrown Missile, and Unarmed Melee.

Endurance: From this we derive the punishment you can withstand, the injuries you can sustain and how much armour you can put on before getting slowed down. It also determines your Health Points (HP).

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Skills
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Skills are knowledge and training that a character has developed during her lifetime. They make a character unique: really good at some things and really bad at other things. A skill check is a dice roll that determines if a character's use of a skill is successful or not, and to what degree.

Skill cheeks are always done with 5 dice – depending on your attributes a certain number of them will be replaced by d10, while the others will be just d6. So, someone trying to pick a lock with a Dexterity of 3 is going to roll 3d10 + 2d6. A success will be counted for every dice that rolls higher than the challenge of the situation, with each 1 being counted as a botch that negates one success – at least on the attribute dice. If you rank less than 5, the remaining d6 are fate dice. Fate dice only count as success when they roll a 6 – while each 1 and 2 is counted as a botch.
Fortune favours the skilled.

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Health and Mana Points​

Your Health Points are equal to your Endurance Rank +5. Wounds reduce your HP and when your HP reach 0 you fall unconscious and begin to loose 1 HP per turn, till death comes to grace you with its presence at -10 HP. If you are using the fillable Character sheet, just put a mark on each Health bubble you aren't using and place another for each wound you get – at least till the damage is healed.

Wounds appear in four different stages, depending on how many successes the attacker rolled:
Flesh Wounds: Wounds that result in 1 HP loss are just that: itching, annoying but quickly healed.

Serious Wounds: Wounds of 2 HP are serious, bleeding or fractured bones: distracting and needing medical attention they might take days to heal out.

Critical Wounds: If the attack hits 3 HP deep, you fill find yourself with life-threatening injuries that cute to the bone or rattled organs. You will loose 1 HP for each turn in which you move and cat, before the wound is stabilized.

Mortal Wounds: 4 HP or more result in mortal wounds – which makes you loose 1 HP each round. Thankfully wound effects do not stack, but 2 critical wounds upgrade into a mortal one.
Your Mana Points are equal to your Willpower + 5 and regenerate at a rate equal to your Willpower rank per session of downtime spend meditating. This makes the time and scarcity of Mana Points quite valuable and the rather expensive mana potions can be circumvented by using Soma…which in turn proves highly addictive.

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[Simpli]

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Talents​

Talents are natural gifts, techniques, and expertise that make characters exceptional at certain skills, more effective in certain scenarios, and generally more "heroic" than most of the mortals inhabiting the Cryptomancer world. Talents are also the biggest mechanical differentiator of characters. Even two characters with identical core ranks, attribute ranks, and equipment can still have vastly different play-styles and problem-solving approaches based on their talents.

Talents are of variable levels of power, rated on a scale of 1 to 3. Talents with a rating of 1 are minor talents typically only useful in special circumstances. Talents with a rating of 2 are major talents, useful in many situations. Talents with a rating of 3 or more are powerful trademark abilities that a character possessing them might be known for.
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On the Character sheets, the little triangles next to the skills ought to show if they are sometimes or every time impacted by a Talent you own. Sadly the fillable form doesn't come with the option of colouring them half (for talents that sometimes affect skill cheeks) or fully (for talents that always apply). Talents do not stack, so usually only the "best" modifier is taken.

Name	Cost	Description
Adept	1	An actor is able to channel her magical reserves to improve her mundane abilities. May spend 2 MP, before a skill check is made, to convert a single failed die (but not a botch) into a success. May only be used once per skill check and the 2 MP is consumed even if there are no failed die to convert.
Artisan	2	An actor is skilled with the tools required to create objects that are useful, delightful, or both. Ignore 1 botch for all Craft skill checks. Additionally, ignore 1 botch for Performance skill checks involving the creation of physical works of art (e.g. a painting, a piece of jewelry, or a stone bust).
Assassin	1	An actor is versed in the creation of poisons. Ignore 1 botch for Alchemy skill checks involving the creation of weak poison, strong poison, and paralytic poison. Also ingore 1 botch for Sleight of Hand skill checks involving placing poison in food or drink.
Attractive	1	An actor has striking physical features. Ignore 1 botch for Charm skill checks when physical attraction (be it overt or repressed) is a factor in influencing the target's decision-making (determined by the GM).
Battle Bond	2	An actor is a more fearsome and effective combatant when fighting alongside a worthy companion. Any time two actors with the Battle Bond talent are fighting in the same combat, one can forfeit their action (but not entire turn) to the other, allowing the other to take an additional action even if they have already acted.
Bladecatcher	2	An actor has the coordination and conditioning to halt incoming melee attacks while unarmed. Can parry any melee attack as if carrying a shield, without actually carrying a shield. However, this only works for characters with both hands free (or only equipped with an Unarmed weapon).
Bloodletter	2	An actor is particularly skilled at striking vital organs and chinks in armor when equipped with piercing weapons. Ignore 1 botch for all Precise Melee skill checks.
Bonecrusher	2	An actor's strikes with heavy blades, hammers, and mauls are especially powerful, breaking bones and transferring kinetic energy through armor. Ignore 1 botch for all Brute Melee skill checks.
Bottled Magic	3	An actor casts a spell into an alchemical potion at the cost of 1 extra MP. Whoever imbibes this potion is able to cast that spell her next turn, but using the original caster's Willpower rank and without spending MP. Only the following spells can be bottled: Astral Eyes, Astral Trail, Share Sight, Chameleon, Glamour, Mana Mail, Meld, and Siege Shield. The imbiber, not the caster, suffers the consequences of dramatic failures. Note: the potion no longer maintains its original properties (e.g. it no longer cures poison).
Brawler	2	An actor delivers especially powerful punches, elbows, hammer fists, roundhouses, knee strikes, and head butts, upgrading the damage of these attacks by 1 (even if an Unarmed weapon is equipped).
Codebreaker	2	An actor spends much of her spare time scouring books, scrolls, town boards, and registries for keyphrase material. There is a 1% chance that she happens to know the keyphrase for any symmetric encryption she stumbles upon. This percentage is accumulative in the case of multiple actors with this talent focusing on the same encryption.
Courageous	1	An actor is especially courageous in the face of danger. Any time the actor succeeds at a Willpower skill check provoked by fear, the actor gains 1 free success towards her next skill check, as long as that action involves facing danger head on, attacking, or saving others. Not compatible with Cowardly.
Cowardly	1	An actor is especially cowardly in the face of danger. Any time the actor fails at Willpower skill check provoked by fear, the actor gains 1 free success towards her next skill check, as long as that action involves avoiding confrontation, fleeing, or saving oneself at another's peril. Not compatible with Courageous.
Death from Above	2	An actor is particularly skilled at performing melee attacks that involve falling onto her prey from a height. If dropping from at least Short distance, the actor may attempt to break her fall on a target, adding successes rolled on a tough Acrobatics skill check to the damage inflicted on a subsequent melee attack. The actor still suffers from the effects of falling, however, as discussed in the Gravity section of the "Combat" chapter.
Demolitionist	2	An actor can use the Traps skill to rig bombs to explode when triggered purposefully or accidentally. Rigged fire bombs, acid bombs, and sapper satchels are considered medium kill traps, and use the actor's Traps skill check successes to determine damage.
Entertainer	1	An actor is a gifted thespian, orator, poet, and/or performance artist. Ignore 1 botch for all Performance skill checks, so long as the skill check does not involve the creation of a physical artifact (e.g. a painting, a piece of jewelry, or a stone bust).
Grappler	2	An actor is skilled at grappling, controlling, and pummeling adversaries while unarmed. Ignore 1 botch for all Unarmed Melee skill checks.
Gross	1	An actor has an extremely high tolerance for sights, tastes, and smells that would make just about anyone else ill (e.g. raw sewage, rotting meat, etc.). She always succeeds at any Willpower skill checks involving gross-out situations.
Healer	2	An actor is particularly adept at treating wounds. Ignore 1 botch for all Medicine skill checks as well as Alchemy skill checks involving the creation of weak healing potions, strong healing potions, weak antidotes, and strong antidotes.
Heightened Senses	2	An actor has keen senses and is able to hear a pin drop, see a needle in a haystack, and preternaturally detect trouble. Ignore 1 botch for all Scrounge and Stealth skill checks.
Hero	2	An actor's past heroics are so noteworthy (whether the stories are true or not) that her allies takes comfort in just knowing she is on their side. All allies in the hero's presence ignore 1 botch to Willpower skill checks provoked by fear.
Highbred	1	An actor understands the nuances and norms of aristocracy. Any time one of the Highbred's colleagues make some type of social gaffe (i.e. fails a social skill check) during a scene of intrigue with aristocracy, she can come to the rescue, attempting the same skill check her colleague failed at. Upon success, it is as if the gaffe never happened. This talent only works once per scene of intrigue.
Hoarder	2	An actor is very skilled at carrying and securing loads of gear and loot. The GM will mostly "look the other way" when this character starts carrying too much stuff, but sanity still applies (i.e. no carrying around giant boulders).
Holy	2	An actor has an air of sanctity. A mortal or sentient creature wishing to do violence against such a character must succeed at a Willpower skill check of challenging difficulty. Upon failure, the aggressor simply cannot bring themselves to harm the holy one for the duration of a scene. However, that feeling is forfeit if the holy one herself acts aggressively.
Hunter	2	An actor is a natural predator, adept at finding and stalking prey. Ignore 1 botch for all Beast Ken and Tracking skill checks.
Innocent	1	An actor's demeanor exudes innocence and naiveté. Ignore 1 botch for all Deception and Sleight of Hand skill checks, so long as the target does not know the actor's true nature, either through reputation or experience. Not compatible with Intimidating.
Imposing Figure	2	An actor has such a large and imposing physique that her size itself is enough to intimidate others. The actor may use her Strength attribute, instead of her Presence attribute, to make Menace skill checks.
Intimidating	1	An actor's body language, appearance, and reputation exude overwhelming violence and malintent. Ignore 1 botch for all Menace skill checks, as long as the target has not bested the actor in battle or physical contests in the past. Not compatible with Innocent.
Likeable	1	An actor is especially skilled at small talk, being a good listener, and making others around her feel valued. Ignore 1 botch to any skill check made while social networking during downtime.
Learned	2	An actor has received a formal apprenticeship or has spent years poring through books and performing experiments. Ignore 1 botch for skill checks using for all Alchemy and Query skill checks.
Liar	1	An actor is capable of delivering brazen lies with a straight face. Ignore 1 botch for all Deception skill checks.
Loathsome	2	An actor's behavior, appearance, background, medical condition, or reputation is so reviled by judgmental people that it frequently becomes a distraction. Whenever her loathsomeness garners suspicious and contempt, her allies ignore 1 botch to Stealth and Sleight of Hand skill checks.
Lowborn	1	An actor understands the slang and unwritten rules of street elements, including cartels, labor guilds, and vagrants. Any time one of the Lowborn's colleagues make some type of social gaffe (i.e. fails a social skill check) during a scene of intrigue with street elements, she can come to the rescue, attempting the same skill check her colleague failed at. Upon success, it is as if the gaffe never happened. This talent only works once per scene of intrigue.
Magus	3	An actor has pursued magical mastery as a professional, academic, or mystical discipline, and has become an accomplished spell caster. Ignore 1 botch for Willpower skill checks involving the casting of spells.
Martial Artist	2	An actor has mastered an unarmed combat technique that relies on refined movement, technical blocks, and using an aggressor's own momentum against them. The actor may use her Dexterity attribute, instead of her Strength attribute, to make unarmed attacks. Note, the martial artist's unarmed blows still benefit from other talents if she has them.
Merciless	3	An actor has such profound situational awareness that she can use enemy combatants as human shields. An actor may volunteer an enemy within close range to absorb the damage of any attack that would have reduced her to 0 or less HP. This can be done after the damage for the attack is determined, but can only be done once during the enemy's turn. Obviously, a combatant cannot be made a human shield against her own attack.
Mithridatite	1	An actor is resilient against poisons and toxins. Ignore 1 botch for all Endurance skill checks made to resist the effects of poisons and toxins. This includes alcohol consumed during drinking contests, but not soma.
Muse	2	An actor is particularly engaged and inspired by other like-minded people. Any time two actors with the Muse talent are spending downtown together, one can forfeit their session to the other, allowing the other to act as if they had two sessions of downtime instead of one.
Polevaulter	1	An actor can use staffs and spears to leap heights and distances that others could not even attempt. Permits the actor to attempt a jump that is otherwise impossible. Requires a running start, which means the actor must use her movement first.
Powerhause	2	An actor is a natural athlete, whose training has resulted in peak physical prowess. Ignore 1 botch for all Feat of Strength and Athletics skill checks.
Pusher	1	An actor is versed in the creation of mind-altering substances. Ignore 1 botch to Alchemy skill checks involving the creation of soma leaf, soma rock, and truth serum. Also ignore 1 botch to Charm skill checks when interacting with someone under the influence of soma.
Reaper	3	An actor is skilled at leveraging two-handed weapons against groups of adversaries. Can make an attack against multiple combatants in close range instead of just one. Use the opposed skill checks vs. groups mechanic to resolve. Note, this ability can strike a maximum number of targets equal to the number of attribute dice rolled.
Reckoner	3	An actor has acute control over her mana reserves and is able to expend the minimum possible amount needed to cast spells. May spend successes from a spell's Willpower skill check to reduce the MP required to cast a basic or greater spell, one for one, to a minimum of 1 MP (and a minimum of 1 remaining success).
Return Fire	3	An actor has such keen reaction time that she is able to immediately return fire against ranged enemies who miss their mark badly. She may make a free ranged attack against any opponent who rolls a dramatic failure when attacking her from a distance, so long as she has a weapon ready.
Riposte	3	An actor is an accomplished duelist, able to issue a sudden counterattack against enemies that overextend themselves. She may make a free melee attack against any opponent who rolls a dramatic failure when attacking her at close range.
Sanguine Rite	1	An actor can cut herself to harness the power of her own blood for magical inspiration. Can spend an action converting 1 HP of her own into 1 MP.
Silver-tongued	1	An actor knows exactly the words to say and exactly when they should be said when it comes to changing minds and influencing people. Ignore 1 botch for all Charm skill checks where debate, contracts, letters, or shardnet echoes are the actor's communication platforms.
Smuggler	1	An actor is capable of hiding a single very small item (e.g. a key, a lock pick, a small vial, a shard, a shiv, etc.) on her person which cannot be found regardless of the rigor of any search made for it.
Sniper	2	An actor's aim with ranged weapons is especially accurate, making called shots at a target's most vulnerable points. Ignore 1 botch of all Fired Missile and Thrown Missile skill checks.
Spellbreaker	3	An actor leaps into action the second she sees a gesture or hears an uttered word that might manifest in a spell. As soon as a different actor in the vicinity begins to cast a spell, the Spellbreaker gains the initiative. The spell caster can only resume her action after the Spellbreaker has had a chance to act. This talent only works once per scene of battle.
Spider	2	An actor has razor-sharp reflexes and can twitch out of any situation. Ignore 1 botch for all Acrobatics and Escape Artistry skill checks.
Spymaster	3	An actor is especially good at managing covert assets when she can avoid red tape. Any time the spymaster assigns a task to a cell without notifying or consulting the other characters (or players at the table), that cell ignores 1 botch for the purposes of resolving their task. To assign tasks in secret, the spymaster's player can slip the GM a note.
Tinker	2	An actor is particularly skilled at both creating and solving mechanical puzzles. Ignore 1 botch for all Lock Picking and Traps skill checks.
Treacherous	1	An actor would rather use an ally as a shield than suffer a fatal blow. An actor may volunteer an ally within close range to absorb the damage of any attack that would have reduced her to 0 or less HP. This can be done after the damage for the attack is determined. Not compatible with Valorous.
Unflappable	2	An actor has unusually deep reserves of mana to power spells. +1 maximum MP. May be chosen up to 10 times.
Unkillable	2	An actor can take an unusual amount of punishment before becoming incapacitated. +1 maximum HP. May be chosen up to 10 times.
User	1	An actor is able to shrug off the effects of soma addiction. Ignore 1 botch for Willpower skill checks made to resist using soma and/or withdrawal from soma during sessions of downtime. Also ignore 1 botch to Scrounge skill checks for the purposes of finding a soma dealer.
Valorous	1	An actor is willing to hurl herself between an ally and a fatal blow. For all allies in close range, an actor may opt to absorb the damage of any attack that would have reduced an ally to 0 or less HP. This can be done after the damage for the attack is determined. Not compatible with Treacherous.
Veteran	1	An actor took part in a particularly noteworthy battle or campaign, and she has the stories and artifacts (e.g. insignia, trophies) to prove it. Ignore 1 botch to Charm and Menace skill checks made against other actors who also possess the Veteran talent, regardless of what battle or campaign they were a part of.
Wardancer	2	An actor is a particularly mobile and acrobatic combatant. Once per the enemy's turn, the actor can make an additional movement if she attempts to dodge an attack (whether or not she is successful in doing so).
Webspinner	2	An actor is particularly skilled in the placement of traps. When spending a session of downtime setting traps, the actor gains an additional 1 success (for the purposes of "buying" traps) so long as at least 1 success is rolled.
Whisperer	3	An actor is capable of forging bonds with animal familiars. Acquires an animal familiar and may acquire a replacement if that familiar dies. May be chosen a second time to acquire a second familiar.

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[Simpli]

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Magic
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Spells are magical incantations that convert life force into otherworldly expressions of power. The ability to cast spells is inherent in all sentient species capable of language, though fewer than 1 in 50 people possess any magical acumen whatsoever. Mortals who cast spells don't have any special title or status, except by vocation. Words like mage, cleric, seer, witch, enchanter, and so forth, have more to do with one's function in society (or outside of society), and are not necessarily tied with any particular type of spellcraft. While all spells manifest in different ways, most spells involve a spell caster speaking in a forgotten tongue, gesturing symbols into the air, and emanating magical light from their eyes and hands. Generally speaking, the act of casting a spell is loud, bright, and eminently noticeable, and also requires the ability to both speak and gesture. Spell casters who are gagged, have their hands bound, or are in a grapple typically cannot cast spells.

There are two ways to learn spells: self-study and tutelage. Self-study is done by reading a spell book that guides its reader through the gestures, evocations, and principles of a spell. Tutelage requires another caster who knows a spell to teach her pupil how to use it. Both methods require one session of downtime and still require a player to spend Talent Points to acquire any spells being learned.

The cost of learning and casting a spell are reliant on them belonging to one of three categories: cantrips, basic spells and greater spells with a respective cost of 1, 2 or 3 Talent Points to learn and equally rising costs of 1, 3 or 5 MP.
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Spell	MP	Skill Check	Resolution	Duration
Astral Eyes	1	Challenging	Allows caster to see hard-tospot physical evidence and traces of magic.	1 scene
Astral Trail	3	Opposed	Intuit target caster's location. Learn one fact per success rolled: cardinal direction, distance, or realm. Add successes to next Tracking skill check.	Instant
Babel	1	Opposed	Encrypts a target's voice with a keyphrase, a soul key, or someone else's true name.	Forever, sort of.
Bloom Blessing	1	Challenging	Beneficial area of effect emanating from the caster (up to medium range). Calms, creates debris, or smother fires.	1 scene
Bloom Bomb	3	Opposed	Harmful area of effect emanating from a target (up to close range). Fire, entangling vines, or poison.	Instant
Chameleon	3	Challenging	Become invisible for 2 turns per success rolled, when staying still. Can add successes to a sneak attack while hidden.	Varies
Dead Host	5	Though	Inhabit the dead. Varies with successes: 1 = cannot speak, cast spells, or use shards. 2 = cannot speak or cast spells. 3+ = no restrictions.	1 scene
Denier	1	Determined by Shardnet size. Trivial: <6 Tough: >20	Prevents the creation of new echoes for 1 turn on the shardnet being targeted.	Instant
Dissemble	1	Opposed	Encrypts a target's body with a keyphrase, a soul key, or someone else's true name.	Forever, sort of.
Glamour	3	Challenging	Transform into someone else, plus change a number of physical characteristics equal to the successes rolled.	1 scene
Healing Hands	3	Challenging	Varies with successes: 1 = weak healing potion. 2 = strong healing potion. 3+ = strong healing potion, plus same effect on 1 other actor in close range.	Instant
Kill Ball	5	Opposed	Short range area of effect emanating from a target. Inflicts 2 HP damage per success rolled, ignoring armor.	Instant
Kill Bolt	3	Opposed	Inflicts 2 HP damage per success rolled, ignoring armor.	Instant
Mana Mail	3	Challenging	Varies with successes: 1 = light deflection. 2 = heavy deflection. 3+ = heavy deflection and damage reduction. Can spend successes to reduce the damage of one offensive spell.	1 scene
Maze	3	Varies	Encrypts a portal with a keyphrase, a soul key, or someone else's true name.	Forever, sort of.
Meld	3	Varies	Move through walls. Varies with successes: 1 = pass barrier in 3 turns, take 3 HP damage. 2 = pass barrier in 3 turns. 3 = pass barrier instantly.
Messenger	1	Challenging	Critter delivers a small thing to a recipient (whose true name is known).	Varies
Mind Read	3	Opposed	Read a target's memories. Varies with successes: 1 = last hour. 2 = last day. 3+ = last week.	Instant
Mind Write	5	Opposed	Erase or rewrite memories. Varies with successes: 1 = weak detail/emotion. 2 = strong detail/emotion. 3 = profound detail/emotion.	Instant
Name Wraith	5	Opposed	Summon ghost to torment a target. Varies with successes: 1 = victim uses keys known by caster. 2 = victim goes to a place determined by caster. 3+ = victim does malice towards an actor chosen by caster.	Varies
Psychometry	3	Varies	Read an object's memories. Varies with successes: 1 = last time touched. 2 = important events. 3 = entire life story.	Instant
Resurrection	5	Though	Raise the dead. Varies with successes: 1 = 4 downtime sessions to recover MP again. 2 = 2 downtime sessions to recover MP again. 3 = no recovery period.	Instant
Scout Sprite	1	Trivial	Magic wisp flies around at 1 move per turn, sharing vision with caster.	1 scene
Shadow Cashe	3	Trivial	Store things in a shadow, retrieve them from another shadow. Varies with successes: 1 = recover in 1 scene. 2 = recover in 3 turns. 3 = recover instantly.	Varies
Shard Scry	3	Determined by Shardnet size. Trivial: <6 Tough: >20	Varies with successes: 1 = scry from origin of any clear-text or decrypted echoes. 2 = scry from any echo. 3 = scry from any shard.	1 scene
Shard Spike	3	Challenging	Varies with successes: 1 success = notification. 2 successes = geolocation. 3 successes = geolocation plus 4 HP damage, ignoring armor.	Varies
Shard Warp	5	Determined by Shardnet size. Trivial: <6 Tough: >20	Varies with successes: 1 = 3 HP damage. 2 = arrives gently. 3 = arrives in advantageous position, gains Stealth successes.	Instant
Share Sight	1	Opposed	Sends a snapshot of one's vision to someone else.	1 scene
Siege Shield	3	Challenging	Beneficial area of effect emanating from the caster (up to close range), reducing incoming/outgoing ranged and magic damage by 1 HP per success rolled..	1 scene
Stasis	1	Challenging	Halts the effects of poisons and toxins.	1 scene
Swarm Song	1	Challenging	Beneficial area of effect emanating from the caster (up to medium range). Create light or noise, or detect magic.	1 scene
Swarm Strike	3	Opposed	Harmful area of effect emanating from a target (up to close range). Burn metal, push back, or horrify.	Instant
Terraform	3	Varies	Varies with successes: 1 = transforms in 1 scene. 2 = transforms in 3 turns. 3 = transforms instantly.	Varies
Tracer	1	Determined by shardnet size: Trivial: < 6 Tough: >20	Divines the physical location of every shard in a shardnet at a moment in time.	Instant
Transmute	1	Challenging	Transforms a concoction into a different one of lesser value.	Instant
Warning Glyphe	1	Opposed	Warns the caster of trespassers if it works.	Forever, sort of
Wild Recon	5	Varies	Each success yields 1 category of intelligence: approximate troop strength, strategic bent, detailed geography and architecture, persons of interest, and objects of interest.	Instant

​

=}+{=​

 

[Simpli]

=}+{=

Stuff​

The first two things you have to choose are your trademark weapon and trademark clothing. A character of the fantasy genre more often than not possesses a thing, things, or stuff nearly as iconic as that character's race, personality, or abilities. Take this simple example: it's not just a sword, it was your father's sword. Even without more context, this sword suddenly symbolizes all kinds of responsibility and/or baggage its owner likely doesn't want to have to deal with. It's no longer just an implement of death, but also an exciting and personal narrative hook.
​

Trademark Weapon
Rules	XY
Qualities	XY

​

Trademark Outfit
Rules	XY
Qualities	XY

​

=}Weapons{=​

Weapons are composed of rules, which represent their advantages and disadvantages – requirements and limitations. For example:

A dagger has the following rules: Balanced, Concealable, Dirty, Damage 0, Light, Melee, Precise Melee, Short, Thrown Missile. What does all that mean?

It means a dagger is an easily concealed melee weapon that can be used to stab folks using the Precise Melee skill, or chucked at folks within medium range using the Thrown Missile skill. It does a number of HP damage equal to however many successes are rolled during either of those aforementioned skill checks. It's small enough where it can be used lethally in a grapple, but also too small to parry larger weapons or slash someone riding by on horseback.
​

Weapon Rule	Description
Balanced	Can be thrown at a target up to medium range.
Brute Melee	Attacks can be made using the Brute Melee skill.
Concealable	Small enough to be easily concealed on one's person.
Cumbersome	Any attack made in confined spaces (e.g. low-clearance tunnels, cramped hallways, etc.) is considered a tough task.
Dirty	May be used during a grapple.
Damage + X	The weapon does a number of HP damage equal to the successes of a skill check, plus or minus a value (e.g. 1).
Fired Missile	Attacks can be made using the Fired Missile skill.
Light	May only parry other Light weapons, nothing larger.
Melee	May only strike a target at close range.
Overwhelming	The weapon can only be parried by a target using a shield or another Overwhelming weapon.
Precise Melee	Attacks can be made using the Precise Melee skill.
Ranged	May strike a target at any range, but any attack against a target at close range is considered a tough task.
Short	Any attack against a mounted combatant is considered a tough task, unless the wielder of this weapon is also mounted.
Slow Reload	An action must be spent reloading this weapon before it can be used again.
Strength Requirement X	Requires X or more Strength (e.g. 3) to wield, otherwise the wielder suffers from an additional 1 botch every time she uses the weapon.
Thrown Missile	Attacks can be made using the Thrown Missile skill.
Two-Handed	Must be gripped by both hands when used to attack targets or parry incoming blows.
Unarmed Melee	Attacks can be made using the Unarmed Melee skill.

​

Weapon	Rules	Description	Coin
Axe	Balanced, Brute Melee, Damage +1, Melee, Short, Thrown Missile	A heavy chopping tool designed to shatter shields and hook combatants to throw them off balance.	100
Bow	Damage 0, Fired Missile, Ranged, Two-handed	A wooden bow, carved from a single piece of wood, with a leather grip. Can fire an arrow pulled from a quiver in one fluid motion.	50
Claymore	Brute Melee, Cumbersome, Damage +2, Melee, Overwhelming, Strength Requirement 3, Two-handed	A heavy two-handed sword, ideal for keeping crowds at bay and breaking pole arms like twigs.	300
Club	Balanced, Brute Melee, Concealable, Dirty, Damage 0, Light, Melee, Short, Thrown Missile	A short, solid club with a weight affixed to the end, designed for bludgeoning a target into submission.	10
Crossbow	Damage +2, Fired Missile, Ranged, Slow Reload, Two-handed	A mechanical version of a bow where a bolt is primed to fire the moment its handler pulls a trigger.	300
Dagger	Balanced, Concealable, Dirty, Damage 0, Light, Melee, Precise Melee, Short, Thrown Missile	An elongated knife designed specifically for combat and assassination.	10
Halberd	Brute Melee, Cumbersome, Damage +2, Melee, Overwhelming, Strength Requirement 3, Two-handed	A sturdy two-handed pole arm with an axe blade just underneath its spear point, designed to cleave through enemies and pull mounted warriors to the ground.	300
Javelin	Balanced, Damage +1, Melee, Precise Melee, Short, Thrown Missile	A thrusting spear short enough to be held in one hand in tandem with a shield.	50
Mace	Brute Melee, Damage +1, Melee, Short	A heavy metal club, hefty enough to crush bones and cave in helmets.	100
Maul	Brute Melee, Cumbersome, Damage +2, Melee, Overwhelming, Strength Requirement 3, Two-handed	A heavy two-handed mace that transfers one's entire body weight and force into a single crushing hammer head.	300
Punching Dagger	Concealable, Dirty, Damage 0, Light, Melee, Short, Unarmed Melee	A wide-bladed or multi-bladed variant of the dagger, designed to strike targets with a punching motion.	10
Quarter Staff	Cumbersome, Damage 0, Melee, Precise Melee, Two-handed	A thin shaft of hardwood, longer than its wielder is tall, that is less deadly than other two-handed weapons but considerably easier to wield.	10
Sling	Damage -1, Fired Missile, Ranged	A simple strand of leather with a pocket to stow a stone, which can be spun with a single hand to gain power before being released.	10
Spear	Balanced, Cumbersome, Damage +1, Melee, Precise Melee, Thrown Missile, Two-handed	A long two-handed spear tipped with a hardened blade that can be used for either slashing or piercing.	50
Sword	Brute Melee, Damage +1, Melee, Short	A large one handed blade, hefty enough to sever limbs and cut through armor.	100
Unarmed Attack	Dirty, Damage -1, Light, Melee, Short, Unarmed Melee	Unarmed strikes, including but not limited to, punches, kicks, knee strikes, elbow strikes, and head butts.	N/A
Whip	Concealable, Cumbersome, Damage -1, Light, Melee, Precise Melee, Unarmed Melee	A long strand of braided leather tipped with razor- sharp barbs.	50

​

Weapon Quality	Description
Distracting Feature	The weapon has a very distinct and very unnecessary feature, such as a garish counterbalance, a chain connecting it to a scabbard, massive blood grooves, or a feathered pommel.
Dwarven Make	The weapon's materials and construction indicate it is of dwarven make: heavy, geometric in shape, and cold looking, with metal components made of mythril.
Elven Make	The weapon's materials and construction indicate it is of elven make: lightweight, organic in shape, and masterfully adorned, with metal components made of carapace.
Human Make	The weapon's materials and construction indicate it is of human make: simple, balanced, and bearing the crafter's signature in style, with metal components made of steel.
Macabre	The weapon has construction or features that are somewhat disturbing, such as a skull for a hilt, meat chunks caught in its serrated teeth, or some kind of dark occult design.
Magical Effect	The weapon possesses a cosmetic magical quality, such as a flaming blade, a blinking eye carved into the hilt, or tracing light in the air for seconds after it is swung.
Message	The weapon is embroidered/etched with an encrypted message, which the owner may or may not be able to decrypt.
Mundane	The weapon is remarkably unremarkable. It couldn't be picked out of a line up. It is so mundane, in fact, it might be distracting or even tacky depending on who is wielding it.
Named	The weapon has a name. It might be named after someone or something of significance, or have a silly name, or a cool name.
Noisy	The weapon's construction, materials, and accessories make it particularly noticeable: the weapon bounces in its scabbard, slaps against armor, or drags on the ground.
Oversized	The weapon is absurdly oversized, as if designed for a creature much bigger than its wielder, and likely makes for some interesting and awkward handling techniques.
Personality	The weapon has a tendency of acting on its own: popping out of its scabbard, releasing bolts prematurely, or seeming to lean toward actors its wielder hates.
Precious	The weapon is constructed of precious materials and/or adorned with jewels, making it a public badge of affluence and likely coveted by the greedy.
Previous Owner	The weapon once belonged to someone else of significance or maybe had many owners over time, changing hands on purpose or by accident. They might even want it back.
Reflective	The weapon's construction, materials, and polish make it particularly good at reflecting light, be it sunlight, torchlight, or magical light, unless it is sheathed in a scabbard.
Shoddy	The weapon appears to be worn down, rusted, chipped, and dull-looking, either the result of extensive use, poor maintenance, or purposeful display of humility.
Storied	The weapon has a unique back-story. It might be known only to its owner or a select group who know the story, or might be known by many people.
Striking Storage	The weapon's scabbard, sheathe, sling, or quiver is as interesting and/or useful as the weapon it holds. It might be hidden, or in an unusual spot, or used in an offhand.

​

=}Outfit{=​

The approach to outfits, is exactly the same as to weapons – you can cobble together what you want, as long as it makes some kind of sense:
​

Outfit Rules	Description
Endurance Requirement X	Requires X or more Endurance to wear (e.g. 4), otherwise the wearer suffers from an additional 1 botch to every physical skill check (those skill checks using the Agility, Dexterity, Endurance, or Strength attributes).
Damage Reduction	Reduces the damage of any attack by 1 HP, after Light Deflection or Heavy Deflection are taken into consideration.
Heavy Deflection	Ignores all flesh wounds and serious wounds.
Innocuous	The outfit will not draw the attention of security personnel… at least, from a security risk perspective.
Light Deflection	Ignores all flesh wounds.
Max Agility X	Skill checks using the Agility attribute can throw no more than X attribute dice per skill check, even if the character's Agility rank is higher.

​

Outfit Examples	Rules	Description	Cost
Brigandine	Light Deflection	A heavy leather cuirass or corset with metal plates sewn inside the leather, with metal studs dotting the outside of the leather in a protective and decorative layout.	200
Doublet	Innocuous	A shorter but more flamboyant variant of the tunic, made of high quality fabric woven in a checkerboard, striped, or argyle pattern, with buttons down the center. Typically accompanied by tights or puffy breeches, and ruffled collar.	25
Dress	Innocuous	A bodice and accompanying skirt of varying length, worn over a gown made of soft fabric. Typically accompanied by wide sleeves, loose belts, and sandals or knee-high leather boots.	10
Great Coat	Innocuous	A heavy double-breasted coat that hangs below the knees, accented by an enormous lapel. Typically accompanied by a sash and/or tassels hanging from at least one shoulder.	25
Leather Armour	Light Deflection	A soft leather cuirass or corset with layered bolts of tough, boiled leather protecting the shins, forearms, and shoulders.	100
Mail Armour	Endurance Requirement 3, Heavy Deflection, Max Agility 3	A hauberk and coif composed of small interlocking metal rings, with heavy leather bracers, greaves, and boots protecting the limbs. A decorative surcoat hangs over the torso.	400
Plate Armour	Damage Reduction, Endurance Requirement 4, Heavy Deflection, Max Agility 2	A custom suit of metal, composed of overlapping plates, flexible joint structures, and massive shoulder pads and tassets, all molded to both fit and exaggerate the wearer's physical features. Topped with a frog helm or a gorget rising up to the eyes.	1000
Scale Armour	Endurance Requirement 3, Heavy Deflection, Max Agility 3	A padded leather suit covered entirely with overlapping rows of metal scales, granting the wearer a lizard-like appearance. Plate metal kneepads and elbow guards protect the joints.	600
Sylvan Garb	Innocuous	The suggestion of clothing: a half-naked body accented by sporadic leather bindings, bulky necklaces and bracelets, and loincloth, and little else.	10
Tunic	Innocuous	A long garment made of heavy fabric that starts at the shoulders and hangs down to mid-thigh. Typically accompanied by belts, chest belts, breeches of a similar fabric, and knee-high leather boots.	10
Vestments	Innocuous	A loose fitting, flowing robe with wide, hanging sleeves and oversized hood hanging down the back. Typically accompanied by a mitre, vest, and a sash around the waist.	25

​

Outfit Quality	Description
Awkward Fit	The outfit was clearly designed for someone of a different body type, resulting in the character seemingly drowning in this outfit, or uncomfortably bulging out of it.
Distracting Feature	The outfit has a very distinct and very unnecessary feature, such as a long dress tail, a large standard rising from the wearer's back, coils of light chain, or a heavy cape.
Dwarven Make	The outfit's materials and construction indicate it is of dwarven make: smart angles, dark colors, flamboyant accents, and metal components made of mythril.
Elven Make	The outfit's materials and construction indicate it is of elven make: loose fit, bright colors, asymmetric design, and metal components made of carapace.
Head Gear	The outfit is complete with some type of distinct headgear: a winged helm, a garish mask, a jewel-encrusted tiara, a bucket- sized skullcap, massive earrings, a spooky hood, etc.
Human Make	The outfit's materials and construction indicate it is of human make: modest, functional design, multiple layers, and metal components made of steel.
Macabre	The outfit has construction or accessories that are somewhat disturbing, such as skulls, finger bones, necklaces of ears, or disturbing occult imagery.
Magical Effect	The outfit possesses a cosmetic magical quality, such as being freezing to the touch, armor scales that bristle upon contact, or floating bracelets that never touch the skin.
Message	The outfit is embroidered/etched with an encrypted message, which the owner may or may not be able to decrypt.
Mundane	The outfit is remarkably unremarkable. It couldn't be picked out of a line up. It is so mundane, in fact, it might be distracting or even tacky depending on who is wearing it
Named	The outfit has a name. It might be named after someone or something of significance, or have a silly name, or a cool name.
Noisy	The outfit's construction, materials, and accessories make it particularly noticeable: metal plates clank, chain jingles, fabric flutters, and tassels drag against the floor.
Precious	The outfit is constructed of precious materials and/or adorned with jewelry, making it a public badge of affluence and likely coveted by the greedy.
Previous Owner	The outfit once belonged to someone else of significance or maybe had many owners over time, changing hands on purpose or by accident. They might even want it back.
Reflective	The outfit's construction, materials, and polish make it particularly good at reflecting light, be it sunlight, torchlight, or magical light, unless it is covered with a cloak.
Risqué	The outfit exposes an unusual amount of flesh, intended to draw attention to tattoos, piercings, battle/ritual scars, or simply the wearer's physique.
Shoddy	The outfit appears to be worn down, rusted, dirty, and in tatters, either the result of extensive use, poor maintenance, or purposeful display of humility.
Storied	The outfit has a unique back-story. It can be known to only the wearer, or a select group who know the story, or anyone who looks at it.

​

=}Equipment and Consumables{=
​

By design, it will be assumed that all players have the satchels, hip bags, utility belts and backpacks needed to carry their belongings around – as long as a player can explain just where their character puts something we will be fine. Only if someone overdoes it, they might get hit with the same encumbrance rules that impact outfits.

Items are generally grouped in kits and serve to represent and facilitate a characters capabilities and skills – even so you are encouraged to be creative and emphasize single items from those kits:
​

Equipment	Description	Coin
Buckler	A very small round shield, not much larger than a person's hand, made of metal. Allows an actor to parry any type of melee attack, but does not allow parrying against missile attacks.	25
Camping Gear	Enough bug nets, stakes, and tarps for the whole party to weather the elements and rest comfortably in nearly any environment. Required if the party wishes to take downtime away from civilization. Large enough where it can only be contained in a backpack.	100
Climbing Gear	Pitons, pulleys, climbing claws, grappling hooks, and enough rope to not only scale or rappel down virtually any surface, but also set up the rigging to make it possible for less athletic persons to follow. Large enough where it can only be contained in a backpack.	200
Cloak	A hooded, flowing garment meant to wear over one's outfit. A cloak protects one from the environment, helps to conceal one's identity, and looks cool.	25
Cryptomancer's Kit	All the parchment, chalk, coal, codebooks, and etching acid a cryptomancer needs to leave encrypted messages on virtually any surface or draft forged documents, all contained in a small leather pouch that can be rolled up tightly, worn across the waist, or wrapped around a thigh.	100
Infiltration Tools	A comprehensive set of lock picks and specialized mallets and tongs, designed to defeat any type of lock, all contained in a small leather pouch that can be rolled up tightly, worn across the waist, or wrapped around a thigh.	200
Kite Shield	A large kite-shaped metal shield. The shield's face is smooth and bares a crest, with a metal shield boss at the center. Equipped with a leather guige so the shield can be slung over one's back. Allows an actor to parry both melee and missile attacks. Also allows actor to parry missile attacks against allies that are in close range and behind the wielder, if this defense is better than the alternative.	200
Medicine Bag	A collection of surgical tools (e.g. scalpels, tweezers, needle and thread) and a nearly endless supply of bandages, healing salves, coagulants, and herbal remedies, contained within a backpack, shoulder- strapped bag, or multi-pocketed long coat or cloak.	200
Miscellaneous	There are plenty of things a character might possess and carry on her person that have no real gameplay effect, but might be useful or have some type of narrative purpose. This includes things like journals, changes of clothes, water skins, mead horns, knickknacks, jewelry, small idols, candles, steal and flint, etc.	Varies
Round Shield	A medium-sized round shield made of wood, reinforced with a metal ring. The shield's face is covered with rivets, with a shield boss at the center. Equipped with a leather guige so the shield can be slung over one's back. Allows an actor to parry both melee and missile attacks.	50
Spell Book	A dusty tome full of arcane sketches and esoteric passages, teaching its reader the gestures and evocations required to cast a specific spell. Cost varies depending on if it teaches a cantrip (200), basic spell (1000), or greater spell (5000).	Varies
Torch	A piece of wood with one end covered in an oilsoaked wrapping meant to be set on fire. As long as one character in the party is carrying a lit torch, the entire party can see fine in darkness.	5
Walking Lab	A rugged, portable lab containing a crucible, alembic, retort, fire-starting materials, specimen jars, and a nearly endless supply of trivial chemical reagents, all contained within a backpack, shoulder- strapped bag, or multi-pocketed long coat or cloak.	200
Walking Workshop	A set of all-purpose tools enabling a crafter to cut, carve, mold, modify, repair, or dismantle just about anything, big or small, crude or complex, all contained within a backpack, shoulder-strapped bag, or multi-pocketed long coat or cloak.	200

​

Consumables	Description	Coin
Acid Bomb	A bomb that erupts in a cloud of acid when thrown at a target. Does HP damage equal to Thrown Missile successes and also impacts targets within close range of original target. Use skill checks vs. groups mechanics to resolve. Refer to the "Combat" chapter for the effects of acid.	150
Elixir	A powerful potion rumored to be capable of small miracles such as resurrecting the newly dead, fighting off zombification, curing soma addiction, or beautifying the imbiber by reversing the aging process. The mechanical effects of an elixir are purposely absent: it is intended as a story device and a miracle cure.	300
Fire Bomb	A bomb that erupts in a fiery explosion when thrown at a target. Does HP damage equal to Thrown Missile successes and also impacts targets within close range of original target. Use skill checks vs. groups mechanics to resolve. Refer to the "Combat" chapter for the effects of fire.	150
Paralytic Poison	A poison that paralyzes when consumed (e.g. food or drink) or introduced into the blood stream via a poisoned weapon. When exposed, a target must succeed at a tough Endurance skill check to not become paralyzed for a scene. The effects of this lasts until cured with an antidote or spell, or when the scene ends. A poisoned weapon or quiver remains poisoned for a scene.	300
Possum Potion	A potion that slows down the imbiber's heart rate, breathing, and metabolism so severely, she appears to be dead, complete with cold, pale skin and rigor mortis rigidity. This potion also stops all blood loss for its duration. Lasts for 24 hours.	150
Pure Soma	A small vial of vicious pure soma injected directly into the blood stream with a hollowed-out quill. Each use fully restores a character's MP and creates a sense of euphoria and ecstasy. When exposed, a user must succeed at a tough Endurance skill check to not become addicted. An addict must succeed at a tough Willpower skill check at the beginning of each session of downtime: failure results in spending the entire time using soma or suffering (unproductive) pangs of withdrawal.	25
Sapper Satchel	A powerful bomb designed to blast tunnels and topple structures. Too awkward and heavy to be thrown. Must be attached to a structure or carried by a target and ignited with a fuse. Inflicts 3 HP damage per success rolled on an Alchemy skill check to a single structure or actor.	300
Sleep Rag	A rag soaked in a powerfully soporific chemical that sends mortals into deep sleep when inhaled. When exposed (typically when one's face is smothered by it via a successful Unarmed skill check), a target must succeed at a tough Endurance skill check to not fall unconscious for the duration of a scene. Victim can be startled awake by loud noises or sudden pain.	150
Smoke Bomb	A bomb that erupts in a cloud of sight-obscuring smoke. Creates artificial cover and confusion in areas where there normally might not be any (e.g. inside a human castle). Permits actors in the smoke cloud to make Stealth skill checks in plain sight.	50
Soma Leaf (5 x Doses)	Tobacco leaves soaked in soma, dried, stuffed into a pipe, and smoked. Each use creates a momentary sense of euphoria and instantly restores 2 MP. May only be used during downtime. When exposed, a user must succeed at a trivial Endurance skill check to not become addicted. An addict must succeed at a trivial Willpower skill check at the beginning of each session of downtime: failure results in spending the entire time using soma or suffering (unproductive) pangs of withdrawal.	50
Soma Rock (5 x Doses)	Soma and other chemicals baked into a crystalline form, then crushed into a powder that is snorted. Each use creates a momentary sense of euphoria and instantly restores 2 MP. When exposed, a user must succeed at a challenging Endurance skill check to not become addicted. An addict must succeed at a challenging Willpower skill check at the beginning of each session of downtime: failure results in spending the entire time using soma or suffering (unproductive) pangs of withdrawal.	150
Strong Antidote	A potion that instantly cures weak poisons, strong poisons, and paralytic poisons when imbibed.	150
Strong Healing Potion	A potion that instantly stabilizes a critical or mortal wound when imbibed. If the imbiber is not wounded, then 4 HP are recovered instead.	150
Strong Mana Potion	A potion that instantly restores 4 MP when imbibed.	300
Strong Poison	A poison that causes organ failure when consumed (e.g. food or drink) or introduced into the blood stream via a poisoned weapon. When exposed, a target must succeed at a challenging Endurance skill check to not be affected by this poison. Does no HP damage initially, but does inflict a mortal wound on a target failing this skill check. The effects of this lasts until cured with an antidote or spell. A poisoned weapon or quiver remains poisoned for a scene.	150
Truth Serum	A poison that makes one delirious and highly impressionable when imbibed (e.g. food or drink). When exposed, a target must succeed at a challenging Endurance skill check to not be affected. Downgrades the target's Wits and Resolve ranks to 4 for the duration of a scene.	50
Weak Antidote	A potion that instantly cures weak poisons and halts the symptoms of strong poisons for 1 scene when imbibed.	50
Weak Healing Potion	A potion that instantly stabilizes a critical wound when imbibed. If the imbiber is not wounded, then 2 HP are recovered instead.	50
Weak Mana Potion	A potion that instantly restores 2 MP when imbibed.	150
Weak Poison	A poison that causes organ failure when consumed (e.g. food or drink) or introduced into the blood stream via a poisoned weapon. When exposed, a target must succeed at a trivial Endurance skill check to not be affected by this poison. Does no HP damage initially, but does inflict a critical wound on a target failing this skill check. The effects of this lasts until cured with an antidote or a purge spell. A poisoned weapon or quiver remains poisoned for a scene.	50

​

=}+{=​

​

 

[Simpli]

=}+{=
Cryptography 101​

Shardscape:

Shards are magical Subterran crystals that allow mortals to project their thoughts over long distances to others who possess shards cut from the same crystal. It has done for the fantasy world of Cryptomancer what the telephone and Internet have done for the real world: connect disparate parties over long distances and revolutionize how things like business, relationships, identity, affiliations, politics, and warfare work. Despite its pseudo-medieval technology and trappings, the world of Cryptomancer is connected. Mortals communicate over vast distances and conspire in secret. Business deals are struck and alliances are forged by persons who have never met face to face. The movement of product and the movement of troops are choreographed by shardcasters sometimes thousands of miles away from the market or the battlefront.
Like today's Internet, the Shardscape faces a number of challenges, primarily security and privacy. Communicating secret battle plans, planning coups, and outflanking business rivals via shard is all well and good until an adversary intercepts the message. This problem set led to the advent of cryptomancy: the magical application of cryptographic concepts to protect communications transmitted over potentially hostile networks. By using "keyphrases" that transmute messages into incomprehensible babble, actors could be assured that only the intended recipient who knows the keyphrase could view the message. The secure management of keyphrases and the selection of strong, unguessable keyphrases is a problem set still being figured out by cryptomancers across the world, but this discipline has generally secured communication against all but the most dedicated adversaries.
​

Shardscape – Security:

Clear-Text: If two actors are using shards belonging to the same network, they can send each other messages without cypher: clear text. It's the easiest way of conveying messages, needing only connected shards and a physical touch by hand to the shard – the downside being that any physical entry into the network (by stealing a shard belonging to it), will lead to someone being able to read all messages.

Symmetric Encryption: Imagine two actors in a shard net trying to hide messages from a third person (be they in it already or not): Cryptomancy allows to encrypt a message through the use of a key (-phrase). This transforms the cleartext into a jumble of senseless words, which can only be understood by those people who know the key for the message. The encryption and decryption of the message use the same single keyphrase in this instance.
A keyphrase is typically a random string of words from the human, elven, or dwarven languages. Any actor who has heard, read, or uttered a keyphrase instantly decrypts any message that was encrypted with the keyphrase. Strong keyphrases are necessarily random nonsense: phrases that no one would ever use in a normal conversation. Using a keyphrase that is a common phrase allows anyone who has heard the phrase to decrypt the message. For example, "don't look a gift-horse in the mouth" would be a weak keyphrase, because most adults have heard this phrase before. Using a keyphrase from a book allows anyone who has read that book to decrypt the message.
The greatest vulnerability of a keyphrase lies not in its complexity, but rather how it is handled. Keyphrases must be shared between parties, meaning that they must be short and simple in order to be manageable. Keyphrases are also uttered aloud when used to encrypt a physical message either written on parchment or carved into rock or tree. Anyone within earshot of this event can hear the keyphrase and be able to decrypt the message. Further, anyone can be compelled to give up a keyphrase against their will, either through torture, threat, or having their minds read by an agent adept in interrogation spells.

Asymmetric Encryption: In the world of Cryptomancer each person has a true name and a Soul Key. A message encrypted with a true name can only be decrypted by the soul key associated with that true name. A message encrypted with a soul key can only by decrypted by the true name associated with that soul key.
All mortals have a common name which they share freely. In addition to this, they have true names: names they only share with their closest friends, family, and allies. They also have a soul key, a word so complex and powerful that it literally stops time when it is thought of or uttered.

A true name is a perfectly unique name given to all sentient beings at birth. By forces that are beyond mortal comprehension, parents are simply incapable of giving their child a true name that has already been used. Once the true name is decided on, the child develops a corresponding soul key: a mysterious word that only that child knows. True names are typically only shared with children when they have reached a level of maturity to understand the power and responsibility that comes with a true name, but they always possess that soul key. From a cryptomantic perspective, true names are powerful keyphrases that enable perfect confidentiality: when a message is encrypted with an actor's true name, only that actor can decrypt the message with her soul key.
​

Examples:
Clear-Text: Everyone in the Shardnet just exchanges messages in their language without encryption.

Keyphrase: Actor A takes her shard and injects the Keyphrase "Alliterating Anti-Villain Appears" before thinking "Hello Jane". Actor B who knows the keyphrase sees the message "Hello Jane". Actor C who doesn't know the keyphrase only sees jumbled cipher text.

True Name: Actor A holds her shards and injects Actor B's true name: "Robert" into it, before sending her message: "Let's use the Keyphrase: Gallows Goblets Gold.". Actor B is able to decrypt the message with this soul key and will use Gallows Goblet Gold to reply. Actor C can't decrypt the message even if he knows Actor B's True Name.

Soul Key: Actor A has doubts about the messages she received being send by Actor B and asks him for prove. Actor B sends a message encrypted by his soul key, a word not even he knows truly. Actor A will be able to decrypt the message with his true name and can now be certain that Actor A was the sender.

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A taste of everything else​

Courier and Town boards:

In ages past the strongest protection a message send from one place to another by rider or similar had, was a wax seal. With the advent of cryptomancy it became possible to encrypt even such messages through the use of keyphrases. But as couriers still needed to know who the sender and receiver of their message were, this could be solved by putting messages up to the public but at the same time anonym Town Board. People can gather around them and keep an eye out for scrolls which are encrypted by their True Name or other Keyphrases they know.

Cryptosignatures:
Cryptosignatures are used to validate that a message actually came from the person who supposedly sent it. The most common way to achieve this is signing a document with one's true name and then encrypting that signature with one's soul key. This way, if the recipient knows the sender's true name, she can now be certain that the signature came from (or was at least encrypted by) the actual sender, and not someone pretending to be her.​

Shardnets:
As Shads can be part of a greater network ( up to dozens of them) for example in a guild, noble house etc. its necessary to secure them in one way or another: only the most insecure networks use clear text between users, as the physical access to a shard that is part of it can lead to leaks.

Somewhat secure Shardnets employ a single shared keyphrase – while a secure shardnet uses different keyphrases for sub forums, as well as true name cryptomancy to distribute new key phrases and validate users.

Bridged Shardnet
Holding two shards of different networks (in each hand), allows for a user to bridge them. Such a user can listen in, but not send anything. Echoes (new messages) created during a bridge traverse both shardnets and historical echoes (before the shardnet was created) do not. Echoes last a number of hours equal to the number of shards in a shardnet. Echoes over a bridge last a number of hours equal to the sum of each shardnet's shards.

The Shardscape
Created from a giant Shard the fell from the sky, the Shardcape is the Cryptomancers Internet, consisting out of thousands of Shards so big they can barely be carried and spread all across the world. It's so noisy and disorientating, that the only way to find something is to look for a specific topic, name or keyphrase. Shard-based spells do not work on the Shardscape thanks to its sheer size.

The Shardscape can be bridged with a private shardnet and all new echoes on the private shardnet are dumped into the shardscape, but all echoes flooding into the private shardnet from the Shardscape vanish when the bridge is torn down.

=}+{=

Risk
​

Risk represents just how much of a threat the party has become to the Risk Eaters. It is a meta-mechanic not tied to any specific actor, but instead applied to the game campaign and tracked by the GM and documented on the party sheet. Risk accumulates when player characters practice poor operational security or defy fate. The more risk that is generated, the more watchful the Risk Eaters are to the players' actions and the more threatened they feel about these actions. And when the Risk Eaters feel threatened, they lash out with ferocious violence when the party least expects it.​

=}+{=

Strategic Assets
​

Every time a strategic asset is acquired, it represents an increase in the party's capabilities and scope. The acquisition of strategic assets, and their intelligent use, is how a ragtag group of dungeon-crawlers transforms into a major political operator and existential threat to the Risk Eaters.

Strategic assets are earned when the party successfully completes missions assigned to them by their patron. Strategic assets manifest in three distinct ways: as improvements to the party's safe house, as cells of agents recruited to serve the party, and as mounts. The important thing to consider with strategic assets is that they belong to the party, not any individual player. Their use should be dictated by consensus or majority vote.

The party can save strategic assets for a rainy day, but can never have more than 5 unspent strategic resources lying around. Use 'em or lose 'em.
​

=}+{=​

 

[Simpli]

(Ah, if we're not supposed to post yet, I can delete this)

Click to shrink...

Please Do not post till I say I am finished with posting~ Thank you.

Click to shrink...

Now Finished with posting - will make the tables when I am back again from Dinner. And read before posting...

 

[RedV]

Okay, I am not familiar with the setting except for what I've been reading here and Google search. @Simpli , if you think this is okay to participate in the RP I will submit a build.

Also (if I can submit a sheet) , I'd like to use a rapier as my signature weapon. Can I make it using something like

Light, Concealable, Melee, Precise Melee, Damage +1, Short

This rule combination, or should I just use a sword with Precise Melee instead of Brute Melee?

 

[Cyanios]

I trusted you @Simpli You promised to poke me when this went up~

 

[Sablonus]

Now Finished with posting - will make the tables when I am back again from Dinner. And read before posting...

Click to shrink...

Woops ;-;

That's what I get for skimming a thread on mobile before Exams..

 

[Glint]

For attributes, it's fine to do 5-1 correct?

We dont have to buy spells right? We can just go all Talent?

We can get both Highbred and Lowborn as talents or are they contradictory?

 

[Cyanios]

Name: Volanius Neris. Goes by the moniker of Ember.
Appearance:

• Hair: short black hair.
• Eyes: silvery grey, one is milky white and blind after a blade ensured it's disablement.
• Build: Lithe.
• Skin: pale

Spoiler

Personality qualities:

• Desires to crush the weak, inflict the pain that is needed to ensure their rightful place dominated beneath him.
• Fears losing control, old rivals finding him again and everything he have done to be undone.
• Hide his face, mutter under his breath and wake up screaming.
• Used to be a hero turned cultist, now trying to be something and someone else.

Core:

• Power 4.
• Speed 6.
• Wits 8.
• Resolve 6.

Attributes:

• Knowledge: 3
• Cunning: 5
• Presence: 3
• Willpower: 3
• Agility: 3
• Dexterity: 3
• Strength: 2
• Endurance: 2

Talents:

• Mithridatite, 1.
• Merciless, 3.
• Liar, 1.
• Treacherous, 1.
• Healer, 2.
• Entertainer, 1.
• Assassin, 1.

Trademark weapon: Dagger. Balanced, Concealable, Dirty, Damage 0, Light, Melee, Precise Melee, Short, Thrown Missile.

• Macabre: she whispers, things that might be true, horrible things that avails for the ones you just saved, how it all leads to the end of all things, and most importantly how proud she is about you helping it come to fruition.
• Named: Cyrlet allowed you to take her, to flee.
• Previous Owner: the leader of the cult passed violently, but they are not on to the theft. Yet.
• Storied: it has been a relic of the god the cult worships from eons past into the age of myth. The old owner knew, now it's your turn to see too much.
• Personality: has a will of it's own, working towards a dark plan. It finds your acts beneficial, as long as you do not stray.

Trademark Outfit. Armored Vestment w/hood, Light Deflective.

• Head Gear: masked hood.
• Distracting Feature: the runes in the face mask and chest armor piece glows like an fire gone to embers in the dark and low light unless covered or not worn in the case of the mask.
• Named: Robe of Embers.

Equipment:

• Medicine Bag. Contained in a bag slung over the shoulder.
• Cloak. Gray and tied with a silver clasp.

Consumables:

• Strong Antidote.
• 2x Weak Antidote.
• Strong Healing Potion.
• 2x Weak Healing Potion.

 

[Estro]

I'm here! Gonna be making my queer af elf cryptoterrorist.

 

[Simpli]

if you think this is okay to participate in the RP I will submit a build.

Click to shrink...

Of course it is - the setting is a jumped up generic fantasy world and gets described as such. I can give a primer on general tendencies of humans, elves and dwarves (tomorrow morning after some sleep) and otherwise you are completely new in the Northern Region and city, so your questions can be your characters questions. No worry - there's no elaborate setting you need to know completely~

Can I make it using something like

Click to shrink...

You can - even thought I do not think Rapiers tend to be Short or Concealable - sounds more like a long dagger what you are describing or a thin short sword~

You promised to poke me when this went up~

Click to shrink...

When it was up - not when I was still desperately trying to copy or paraphrase everything someone without core book needs to know~

For attributes, it's fine to do 5-1 correct?

Click to shrink...

Yes~

We dont have to buy spells right? We can just go all Talent?

Click to shrink...

Yes~

We can get both Highbred and Lowborn as talents or are they contradictory?

Click to shrink...

Yes you can get them both and you could make a little twist into your backstory with that if you want to, from rich to rags or the other way around~

I'm here!

Click to shrink...

Yeah~ My pre-idea test subject is here~

 

[Kensai]

This looks cool. I'm about to hit the sack but I'll try to put in an app tomorrow. Probably either an wuxia style swashbuckler or an enchantress.

 

[Simpli]

Because someone asked for it: Here's a link to my discord channel- just enter the General Chat under Broken Bonds for questions, chatting, Character creation tips etc.

 

[samdamandias]

Name: Egis Ravurr
Appearance: Spiky red hair, brown eyes, sinewy and unremarkable build, weathered skin
Personality: Desires wealth, fears ghosts, tends to mutter and steal, used to be a spy

Core: Power 4, Speed 6, Wits 8, Resolve 6
Attributes: Strength 2 Endurance 2 Agility 2 Dexterity 4 Knowledge 3 Cunning 5 Presence 3 Willpower 3

Talents and Spells:
Codebreaker Talent 2
Demoltionist Talent 2
Hoarder Talent 2
Smuggler Talent 1
Tinker Talent 2
Scout Sprite 1

Weapon: A dwarven dagger, heavy, angular, and mirror-bright

Outfit: A mundane-looking tunic of human make, with tassels at the wrists.

Gear:
Climbing Gear
Cryptomancer's Kit
Infiltration Tools
Walking Workshop
Flint and steel

Consumables:
Slow matches
Flash poweder
1x Fire Bomb

So, I got most of this done before @Estro linked me the blurb on Discord. This is apparently not "Fantasy Shadowrun but with better hacking" as I was initially sold on it. I felt it would be a waste not to post the sheet though.

 

[RedV]

Nathaniel Vilmyar
True Name: Máldir

Elf
Appearance: Pale skinned, high nose, long face, tall and lean, black hair, grey eyes.

Personality: Overly dramatic jackass. Has learned to control this to be a more effective team mate, but it still shows with non-teammates. Brash and somewhat socially maladjusted. Energetic and focused on goals. Trustworthy for everybody he considers a friend, with a surprisingly earthy sense of humour when he shows it.

Ambition: Ascend into immortal unlife as a proper lich

Core: Power 4, Speed 8, Wits 6, Resolve 6

Attributes: Strength 1, Endurance 3, Agility 3, Dexterity 5, Knowledge 4, Cunning 2, Presence 1, Resolve 5

Talents and Spells:
Talents:
Adept
Attractive
Liar

Spells:
Psychometry
Ressurrection
Scout Sprite
Astral Eye

Weapon: A dwarven rapier, sharp and heavy and angular. Mithril-forged. Handle wrapped in a dark leather, which on further examination looks eerily like human skin. Stole it from his stepfather's collection when leaving home, doesn't know what exactly it is.

Qualities: Macabre, Storied, Message, Previous Users

(Rules: Precise Melee, Damage +1, Light, Melee)

Outfit: Great Coat made by himself. Dark brown bull leather, with a distracting red sash around the waist. Under it he wears a basic tunic of human make.

Items:
tbd

I have a backstory in mind, I'll post it as soon as I can get a minute or two

 

[Conundrum]

Name: Maria Braunton
True name: Daphanase

Sex: Female
Age: 33
Race: Human

Build: Unremarkable, Small
Eyes: Weary, Blue
Hair: Short, Black, Wavy
Skin: Fair, Delicate, Soft

Desires: A quiet life, Order
Fears: Losing control
Tends to: Apologize for everything
Used to: Serve a different house

Wits: 8
- Knowledge: 3
- Cunning: 5
Resolve: 4
- Presence: 1
- Willpower: 3
Speed: 8
- Agility: 4
- Dexterity: 4
Power: 4
- Strength: 2
- Endurance: 2

Talents:
- Bloodletter 2: Ignore 1 Precise Melee botch
- Heightened Senses 2: Ignore 1 Scrounge/Stealth botch
- Innocent 1: Ignore 1 Deception/Sleight of Hand botch
- Spider 2: Ignore 1 Acrobatics/Escape Artistry botch
- Spymaster 3: ignore 1 botch when ordering a cell without informing other players

Trademark Weapon:
- Dagger:
- - Rules:
Balanced,
Concealable,
Dirty,
Damage 0,
Light,
Melee,
Precise Melee,
Short,
Thrown Missile

- - Qualities:
Distracting feature, Human make, Precious

Trademark Outfit:
- Dress
- - Rules:
Innoculous

- - Qualities:
Human Make, Mundane

Equipment:
Cloak
Cryptomancer's Kit,
Infiltration Tools,
Paralytic Poison x2
Strong Antidote x4
Strong Poison x 2
Truth Serum x3

Backstory: Maria was formerly the head servant of the Dartois household in the human city-state of Alencoun. There she performed all duties required of her for the Dartois family as her forebears had before her. She had grown up on tales of how her lineage and proudly served their masters for years untold, all the way back to the Age of Myth. No task was to be beyond her, no difficulty, no amount of time and effort, no morality, no standards, no scruples, whatever was required she would perform the tasks for her master. As the eldest child of her own family she naturally came to serve the household to which her loyalty was bound.

Despite the peculiarity of her master she served with absolute loyalty in all things, keeping his secrets, tracking his messages, and paying no heed to the oddity of some of his hobbies. What her master was up to she could never discern and had no interest in finding out, her task was to make his plans possible, not to learn what they were. To this end she did what needed to be done.

For the years she served her master Maria was quite content, the house she had kept in order, the books were always balanced, the messages were always moved along swiftly and without concern, and the other servants were dutiful. This world was shattered when her mastered was killed however. Late in the night while checking the house well after the sun had gone down she heard strange noise from her master's quarters. Quietly hurrying inside she all but screamed it horror at what she saw, the very shadows seemed to have fallen upon her master stabbing him in his sleep. Rushing to local constabulary they strangely waylayed her for the night and did not get back to the manor until morning. In a day the household she had sworn to serve was all but wiped out, the nobility were gone, the manor was sold, the estate renamed, and all the servants save for herself were in new employ.

It was as though her late master and his family had never existed and now the local constabulary were asking for her as well. Not normally one taken to fearing the local authorities the strangeness shook her into fleeing. Once she began and learned that there was now an active hunt on for her she knew there was far more afoot than she was used to or could possibly deal with. Heading far from home she did what work she could to stay alive hoping to find new work and either put what happened to her master behind her or seek out what had caused her life to fly apart.

Learning of a chance at new employ in a proper manor at Glassvellir for proper nobility she was quite ecstatic to return to a life she new and could enjoy. It was possible that under her new master's patronage she could forget what had happened to her and put such grandiose secrets out of her life while focusing on proper tasks for someone of her position.

 

[Estro]

Name: Ylyn Kasjyre

Spoiler: Appearance

True Name: Rossamund
Sex: Female
Age: 32
Race: Elf

WITS	6
--Knowledge	3
--Cunning	3
RESOLVE	8
--Presence	3
--Willpower	5
SPEED	4
--Agility	2
--Dexterity	2
POWER	6
--Strength	3
--Endurance	3

Trademark Weapon

Weapon	Crossbow
Rules	Damage +2, Fired Missile, Ranged, Slow Reload, Two-handed
Qualites	Elven Make, Message

Trademark Dress

Outfit	Sylvan Gard
Rules	Innocuous
Qualities	Elven Make, Magical effect (Tattoos and embroidery glow softly), Revealing

Appearance Qualites

Build	Lithe
Eyes	Manic, Blue
Hair	Long, Silvery
Skin	Silky, Tattooed

Personality Qualities:

Desires	Soma, Women
Fears	Ghosts, Obsurity
Tends to	Flirt, Dress Inappropriately
Used to	Be rich

Talents:
User

Spells:
Babel
Dissembler
Killbolt
Maze
Shadow Cache
Denier

Equipment:
Pure Soma x5
Cryptomancer's Kit
Spellbook (Meld)

 

[Hybrid]

Common Name:Wick
True Name: Rákarn
Sex: Male
Age: 25
Race: Elf

Build: Sinewy
Eyes: Hypnotic, Green
Hair: Short, Blonde
Skin: Pale, Glistening

Desires: Domination, To inflict Pain
Fears: The clergy and losing control.
Tends to: Lie
Used to: Be wealthy

Talents:
Liar 1
Merciless 3
Treachorous 1
Gross 1
Highbred 1
BloodLetter 2
Intimidating 1

Wits 8
Cunning 4
Knowledge 4

Resolve 6
Presence 3
Willpower 3

Speed 4
Dexterity 3
Agility 1

Power 6
Endurance 3
Strength 3

Trademark Weapon:
Whip:
Rules: Concealable, Cumbersome,
Damage -1, Light,
Melee, Precise Melee, Unarmed
Melee
Qualities: Elven Make, Named, Magical Effect

Trademark Outfit:
Brigandine
Rules: Light Deflection
Qualities: Elven Make, Mundane, Reflective

Equipment:
Cloak
Torch

Consumables
Weak Healing Potion
Weak Poison
Weak Antidote

Backstory: Wick's parents were the talk of the town as news came out that the couple that had started so many businesses in town were going to have a child. They hoped the child would be as kind and good mannered as his parents but it was not to be. When Wick started to grow up, he learned so much about himself. He learned that he liked it when he hit the other kids but he also learned that wouldn't be tolerated.

He learned quickly, turning his efforts off the children and on to animals in the forest taking sick pleasure in what he did to them. Wick grew up arrogant and cruel, lieing to get his way and when that failed he would use intimidation. He's parents made their biggest mistake when they allowed him to pick his weapon. He picked a whip that was called Bramble which had hooked barbs coming out of it along with leaving a white afterimage when swung. Wick spent most of his time training with his whip after that imagining what he could do with it when it was mastered.

Unfortunately it seemed problems were starting with his family. It started with the people working at their businesses quitting and the places robbed soon afterwards but started to escalate with shadows seen under doors and through windows at night and the sound of boots going around the house. Wick realised what was happening and decided that he wasn't going to die to the Risk Eaters.

Wick packed up some minor potions, his family had along with a travelling cloak before leaving his childhood house at the age of 20 ad getting as far away as possible. He heard later that his family had been slaughtered in their rooms by unknown attackers. Wick survived the next five years as a enforcer for gangs, never sticking around for to long until he heard of a lord looking to hire Risks. Seeing his chance, he procured transport and headed to the kingdom

 

[HadesHerald]

Common Name: Alpin McGreggor
True Name: Radharc
Sex | Age | Race: Male| 28 | Human

Wits:	8
Knowledge: 5	Cunning: 3
Resolve:	4
Presence: 2	Willpower: 2
Speed:	8
Agility: 3	Dexterity: 5
Power:	4
Strength: 1	Endurance: 3

MP: 7 | HP: 8

Talents:
Return Fire (3)
Sniper (2)
Spider (2)
Artisan (2)
Pusher (1)

Spells:
F No!

Trademark Weapon:
Diago (Diakyu Yumi)
Rules: Damage +1, Fired Missile, Ranged, Two-Handed
Qualities: Named, Striking Storage [Magical Effect, Dwarvish Make]

Diago is a bow of Alpin's own design. Asymmetrical curves put Alpin's hands away from vibration points, giving him more accuracy over a longer distance. Standing at just over a meter (4.25 Feet) it is the best of both portability and power. Even stranger than the design of the bow is the case. A hardwood box inlaid with mother-of-pearl carries the bow and floats gently behind Alpin.

Trademark Outfit:
Gambeson Vestments
Rules: Light Deflection, Innocuous
Qualities: Dwarven Make

Equipment, Consumables, and Loot:
Walking Workshop, Pure Soma x2, Truth Serum


Build: Lithe, 5'11"
Eyes: Green and Piercing
Hair: Red and Shaggy between 2 and 4 inches in length. One lock of white hair in the back (The white is Braided and touches the bottom of his shoulder blades)
Skin: Pale, Freckled

Desires: Safety, then Money
Fears: Crowds, Mediocrity
Tends to: Climb, Avoid People, Make Drugs
Used to: Live with Dwarves

Alpin McGreggor was born poor as dirt. His parents were landless vagabonds, roaming from town to town and scamming the residents of their money and blowing every last coin on Soma. They made it less than a month after Alpin was born. Their Soma ran out, and they crashed outside of a rural mining village. Alpin was found within minutes of them expiring by a guardsman from the previous town that had been hunting his parents. Unsure of what to do, the guard took the child into the town Alpin's parents had been fleeing to.
Fast forwards five years and Alpin had grown to an inquisitive young child in the care of the local fletcher, a dwarven couple by the name of the McGreggors. By age ten he was an apprentice in the fletchers' workshop. His propensity to acquire too much knowledge on a topic quickly became the bane of the town. There were very few things he couldn't learn to do, and very few people that could teach him when his work was completed. So he began visiting the local temple. While there, he learned much of alchemy, including the creation, refinement, and cutting of Soma. He also learned of the religion of Stevenus protected of the tradesmen and craftsmen.

 

[Gideon020]

Name: Katarina Erefor
Aliases: The Rebel Queen, The Butcher of Erefor
True Name: Eccelesia
Gender: Female
Age: 31
Race: Human

Appearance:

Spoiler: Portrait

Appearance Qualities:
-Muscular and Scarred build.
-Cold, Grim Blue Eyes.
-A shock of Deep Red Hair.
-Lightly Tanned Skin

Desires: The Fall Of Her Usurper
Fears: Her Children Knowing Of Her Existance
Tends To: Fidget With a String of Beads
Used To Be: A Queen

Talents and Spells
-Bonecrusher
-Courageous
-Imposing Figure
-Intimidating
-Babel
-Tracer
-Denier
-Warning Glyphe

Core And Attributes:
-Wits: 4
--Knowledge: 2
--Cunning: 2

-Resolve: 8
--Presence: 2
--Willpower: 6

-Speed: 4
--Agility: 2
--Dexterity: 2

-Power: 8
--Strength: 4
--Endurance: 4

History Of A Traitor And Rebel:
Katarina Erefor was born 2nd in line to a petty kingdom ruled by the King Josef Erefor IV who in his hidebound tradition saw the coming of the Shardnet as a threat to the stability of his kingdom, resisting to his dying days. When the crown prince went missing, the kingdom was given to Katarina, headstrong and decadent, with a vicious streak that she tempered by regularly training with the palace soldiers with heavy bastard sword and shield, finding an affinity for plate armour and a cruel enjoyment in literally crushing her opposition.

In any other age, the kingdom of Erefor would be whim to a petty tyrant who saw good governance as a means to maintain a decadent and expensive lifestyle, and such is what happened as Katarina introduced the Shardnet and opened the doors to more lucrative trade, taking advantage of the kingdom's strategic location at the heart of a network of valleys, and the money flowed.

But some saw this as the first step to a greater age of gold and wealth that would attract the attention of hordes from the northern-most reaches of the kingdom's valleys, a war that would sweep down and raze the defenseless kingdom as long as Katarina remained Queen, so they moved and struck, removing the queen and placing her younger brother, a noted war-hawk, on the throne instead using the traditions of the kingdom to prevent Katarina taking back her throne.

But then Katarina returned, with an army of rebels and gold-hungry mercenaries, and the brutal war that was predicted swept through the kingdom, attracting the hordes who swept southwards to also join in on the madness. Even so, the kingdom was nearly within the Rebel Queen's grasp until a traitor struck, framing her for an atrocity that turned her movement against her, and so she fled.

It may be that Katarina Erefor still lives, and if she does her hunger for revenge against her Usurper is no longer tempered by restoring her kingdom, but instead ensuring that her family line is erased, even as her own children tirelessly hunt her down.

Signature Weapon:
Traitor's Bastard, Sword Of A Ruined Kingdom
Rules: Brute Melee, Overwhelming, Damage +3, Strength Requirement 4
Qualities:
Oversized, Storied, Previous Owner, Striking Storage, Human Make, Named
This oversized Bastard Sword once belonged to a noble warrior of the Erefor kingdom, before it was stolen from him. It has changed hands with a payment in blood many times until it returned to that noble's hands. And then Katarina Erefor cut those same hands off, taking this distinctly-large sword for her own bloody usage.

Signature Outfit:
Rebel's Bulwark, Stolen Royal Plate
Rules:Damage Reduction, Heavy Deflection, Max Agility 3, Endurance Requirement 4
Qualities:
Headgear, Human Make, Named, Previous Owner, Storied
Once this was the armor of the Erefor Royal Guards, but when the civil war and then the Orcs invaded there were none left to wear this armor. Crisscrossing the world and worn by various warriors, it's previous owner was drugged by Katarina Erefor who recognised the armor and decided to put it to better use than some rich fop.

Gear and Consumables:
Kite Shield
Cloak
Camping Gear
Cryptomancer Kit
Torch
Miscellaneous
Weak Healing Potion
Weak Antidote
Elixir
Strong Mana Potion

 

[WarShipper]

Name: Gully Fernhook
True Name: Quæ Versa Est
Sex/Age/Race: Female/36/Dwarf
-Appearance (Image + Qualities)-

Spoiler

Build: Thin, Short, Weak.
Eyes: Brown.
Hair: Brown, Short, Bound.
Skin: Pale, Heavily Scarred, Reddened.

-Personality-
Quote: "I once held the right to live hostage, stealing time from others so that mine might be more pleasant. There is nothing I can do to give that time back, but I can give others what remains of mine."
Desires: Redemption, To Save Others, To Beat Death.
Fears: Meeting Her Victims, Failing to Save Others,
Tends To: Cough, Breathe with a Rasp, Stare, Grind Teeth, Poke Injuries. Never Attacks Others.
Used To: Be A Bandit.

History: Gully grew up in a rather crowded family, the only pure dwarf child in half a dozen human/dwarf hybrids. Her mothers' infidelity was forgiven, but it still put her at constant odds with her family and the strain was everpresent. Still, they loved all of their children, and her skill with a sword left her a favorite student of her father. She planned on becoming a guard, and was a stern-faced child devoted to her training. But the strain grew and grew, and when her mother was revealed to have a second lover once again, they grew apart. Despite her wishes she went to live with her mother, who, without the support of her husband or her grown children, was forced to move to a dwarvish slum.

In this new home their history as a mixed family kept them at a distance and with few friends; her mothers' growing anger drove what few were left away, and soon, they were victim of gangs and corruption. Gully grew bitter and anger, and joined one of the gangs that attempted to prey on her after beating their young leader senseless. A few years later, she left behind her family to pursue a life as a vagabond, a bandit who threatened travelers for their goods and killed those who refused to pay up. It was brutal, immoral, and left her ever more angry and distrustful of others.

One day, however, her victim got lucky. She had cornered a traveler who claimed he was without coin, and prepared to cut off a finger to ensure that he told the truth. Instead, however, she tripped and fell upon her own blade. It sunk deep within her chest, going straight through her lung, and she bled to unconsciousness, certain that she would die. However, rather than open her eyes in the Afterlife, she found herself inside a small cabin - one that rocked with the motion of a horse, informing her that she laid within a carriage.

Her wounds had been treated by hand, and her breath was short, but she was alive. It took hours for the man she had threatened to haalt the carriage and enter, whereupon he informed her of his efforts and apologized - he had no healing potions or magic, and as the nearest town was a week away, she would likely be permanently weakened, even crippled, by her wounds. She paid it no heed, amazed by his generosity and selflessness. She asked him why he would heal a murderer, and he answered such:

"It is not anybodys' role to decide who lives or dies by pettiness. You are a person, and regardless of what you have done wrong, it is my duty to do right."

It was an epiphany, something that resounded through her mind, body, and soul. As the days passed and she healed better and better, she found her stomach turning at the mere thought of taking up her old sword. So to pass the time that would have once been spent idling or training the blade or in hedonistic selfishness, she pestered her savior with question after question, learning all that she could.

And so hours came to days, and days passed into weeks and months, and he became her surrogate father, her teacher, her mentor. Her breath was eternally short, and she would never move with the same skill or strength as in her prime, but in return she expanded her mind and steadied her fingers. Where her mentors' grasp of magic was feeble hers was strong, and so she came to surpass him. She found peace in her work, and worked in peace.

And though she has left her old life behind, it matters not. She knows that all life is destined to end, but until hers does, she will fight her hardest to preserve every life she can.

-Core Ranks-
Power: 4
--Strength: 2
--Endurance: 2
Speed: 4
--Agility: 1
--Dexterity: 3
Wits: 8
--Knowledge: 5
--Cunning: 3
Resolve: 8
--Presence: 4
--Willpower: 4

-Talents-
Holy (2): Agressors must pass Tough Willpower Check to attack unless actor has done something aggressive.

Gross (1): Auto-pass all Willpower checks involving grossness.

Grappler (2): Ignore 1 botch for
all Unarmed Melee skill checks.

Healer (2): Ignore 1 Botch for all Medicine/Alchemy Skill Checks pertaining to healing.

-Spells-
Healing Hands (3): Challening Test. Effect is equivalent to variable Healing Potion, depending on number of successes (1 = Weak, 2 + Strong, 3+ = Strong plus Heal One Other). Instant Effect.

-Signature Weapon-
Type: A Leather Strap. Usually used to temporarily restrict bloodflow, it's tough and long enough that she often uses it as an impromptu grappling weapon on patients who struggle. Either end can be weighted to assist in gaining reach or making it wrap around something when she doesn't have the time or ability to properly bind it.
Rules: Concealable, Dirty, Damage + 0, Light, Melee, Precise Melee, Short, Unarmed Melee
Qualities: Mundane, Shoddy

-Signature Outfit-
Type: Medical Garb. A form-covering grey-white coat with accents of red, beneath which are more plain shirt and pants with short sleeves and legs, also grey-white. Comes with a facial mask with a very short 'beak,' within which various herbs or potions can be placed. The mask covers lower half of the face and wraps around the head with a small cloth pad over the forehead to absorb sweat, leaving the eyes uncovered.
Rules: Innocuous
Qualities: Head Gear.

-Equipment and Gear-
Medicine Bag
Sewing Kit
Flint + Accessories
Walking Lab

-Consumables-
1 Sleep Rag
1 Strong Healing Potion
3 Weak Antidotes
3 Weak Healing Potions

You know what I've never actually played before, I don't think? A complete pacifist. Somebody who never harms others.

I hope this is an okay character concept, and that I've done everything correctly. The general idea is that she'll help anybody and everybody, even seconds after they tried to end her life. She's sort of decent at grappling because struggling patients can be a pain in the ass and occasionally she needs to use force to get them to let her treat them, so while she'll never fight anybody, she might occasionally hold them down or shove drugs down their throat to keep them from getting hurt.

I tried to be conservative about the amount of potions she had, since I'm not sure how expensive stuff is supposed to be. We've got numbers, but the actual value of those numbers....

 

[Simpli]

I hope this is an okay character concept

Click to shrink...

It's quite lovely - you have been accepted, thrown into the fray and cordially invited to join us on the Discord channel if you want - everyone else is already there~