File - Watchers Of Easthaven

Transcription

Rulebook
(v1.1.0)
©2013 Watchers of Easthaven LARP (this edition 2015)
Developed and written by Joe Mills, Tiffany Crown, Gavan Keamy, Andrew Kyllo, Lisa Kyllo,
Rhianna Kyllo, Phillip Leeder, Hannah Stanley
Additional photography thanks to Michael Waghorn and Louise Koslevcar
Rulebook v1.1.0
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Contents
Skillset62
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What is this game?
4
Safety13
Game Calls
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The Glossary
21
Combat + Conflict
25
Magic28
Creating A Watcher
30
Creed33
Instinct34
Race35
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Dwarf, the Ironborn
Elf, the Woodborn
Human, the Dirtborn
Lizardfolk,
the Waterborn
• Orc, the Stoneborn
• Wight, the Deathborn
• Shifter, the Totemborn
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Twist80
Skill Descriptions
84
Advancement88
The Economy of Easthaven
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Culture42
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Arcane Cultures
Commercial Cultures
Feudal Cultures
Religious Cultures
Survivalist Cultures
Warrior Cultures
Fighting Style
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Air Mage
62
Alchemist64
Bard66
Earth Mage
67
Enchanter 68
Fire Mage
70
Ice Mage
71
Labourer72
Nature Mage
73
Necromancer74
Priest75
Ranger76
Rogue77
Sage77
Seer 78
Soldier79
Thug79
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Archery54
Combat Mage
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Heavy Armour
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Skirmisher57
Streetfighter58
Support Mage
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Swashbuckler60
Unarmoured61
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What is this game?
Remember when you had a real imagination? When you could play a game
with your friends, and strangers, and pretend you were cops, or explorers, or
animals, or monsters, or knights, or wizards? That was fun. And I had a really
great time doing that. Let’s have another go.
This club is about putting on a costume and pretending to be something more
fun, more epic, more heroic. This game is about a chance to save the world
from elemental evils, vicious thugs, and monstrous, slimy things that want to
eat you. This game is about being a hero.
This, my friend, is a Live Action Role Playing game.
The Fundamental Principles
LARP or Live Action Role Playing is a form of improvisational theatre. Similar
to acting, the goal is to take on a character, though instead of following a script
you act and react as your character would if she found herself in the situation before you. It’s very much like the make believe games that children play,
though somewhat more involved.
There are hundreds of different kinds of LARPs, but from here on we will only
be describing LARP as it applies to Watchers of Easthaven.
In Watchers of Easthaven, you are an actor playing a character, and your
character is your role. You are always on screen. This means that you should
talk as your character would talk and do as your character would do. You also
get to play scriptwriter, creating your own background story, motivations, dark
secrets and heroic dreams – plus, you get to be the costumier, bringing your
character to life with detailed costumes and props.
A Note on Gender
Watchers of Easthaven is a gender-blind setting – that is, anyone is capable
of being a hero, and there are no differences in the way genders are treated.
We’ve randomly picked gendered pronouns wherever one is necessary for
decent prose. No slight is intended to anyone.
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The World of Mercator
The events in Watchers of Easthaven take place in the World of Mercator. Your character will also be
part of the world, embedded in its history and geography.
In ancient times, the peoples of northern Mercator were discordant, forming small villages that fought against each other, until one particular village
learned the power of structure and discipline. The discipline and training paid
off, and with it came military victories and conquest. Defeated villages were offered the chance to join the growing nation as citizens, or abandon their lands.
The growing force sweeping the land was known by many names in those early
days, but eventually it became known as the Empire of Highguard.
As the largest single force on the continent, the Highguard Empire wielded
strong political and military influence over other nations. When Drakk’nor grew
in power, drawing the forces of darkness to his side, his forces swept across the
land from the south. Their corrupted magic caused their enemies to fall in agonized screams and the land was blighted. As the forces of Drakk’nor marched
north, the Imperial forces marched south to meet mid-continent.
The scale of the war was incredible – the grand empire of the north met the
combined, corrupted forces of the south in bloodshed that soaked a third of
the continent. The peasants caught in the middle ran anywhere they could that
would provide even a scrap of safety. The Empire was outmatched, and fought
a fighting retreat all the way back to the gates of Calastiel, the capital city of
Imperial Highguard. With nowhere left to run, the Princess, an archmage in
her own right, gave her life to merge with the city itself. It is said that the walls
themselves attacked the invaders and bridges collapsed on enemies. The remainder of the royal family, leading their army from the front as was mandated
by their honour, also gave their lives in the battle. Drakk’nor and King Baltimus
died in a duel to the death, in mutually assured destruction.
Many thousands of lives were lost, but it was the turning point in the war. The
enemy forces fell back, and were chased down by the victors. In their wake, a
horrid scar across the landscape, known as the Blighted Lands, cut the Empire
of Highguard in half. Old grudges from the empire-building days and before
were resurfacing, and the countries which contained part of the ‘Scar’ started
having their own issues to deal with. The corruption of the scar caused unstable
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reactions with magic and seems to emit some kind of necromancy - troubles
with undead are a persistent issue.
The City of Easthaven
Bowan Silversheath is credited with being the founding father of Easthaven.
Turning his back on his country and the war, Bowan single-handedly escorted
200 unarmed civilians across a war zone, and into the safety of the mountain
ruins. Once there, he organized the refugees; shelters were erected, hunting
and fishing parties were structured, medical care was supported. Travelers that
moved along the coast traded news and goods for shelter and good company.
From there rumours spread; soon far and wide people heard of the safe haven
in the mountains to the east. The refugees kept coming, and Bowan found
somewhere to put them and something for them to do. By the time the war
was over, the settlement had grown into a small, functional city. Much of the
countryside was destroyed and the farmland unusable. Many had nowhere to
go home to, but very few were interested in leaving. Easthaven had become
a bastion for people who were sick and tired of being caught in the middle of
other people’s wars. In Easthaven, every man got what he earned with his own
two hands, and the people there liked it that way. The citizens formed guilds to
defend their interests, and the guilds ran the city.
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The Watchers of Mercator
From Thaddeus Tilade’s A Wanderer’s Guide to Mercator, Chapter IV: Interterritorial Organisations.
Whilst the nations of this great and bounteous
realm we call Mercator wield great power for
the citizens within their borders, there is often a
need for items, people or information to transcend these borders. As such, several groups have
formed over the need to address specific concerns & this chapter is designed to provide some
enlightenment to the prospective traveller as to
the nature of these organisations. Fear not gentle
reader, for I shall endeavour to keep my entries
concise, relevant and intriguing.
To that end, the logical beginning place rests
with The Watchers. Whilst I have no doubts that each of my readers has heard
of The Watchers - they have a presence in and members from every corner of
the known world - there is usually some local variations upon the details of
this expansive and essential organisation. As such I begin my summary from a
blank slate and beg the readers forgiveness if their prior knowledge renders this
portion of text redundant.
The Baltimus Accord
Since the end of The Great War, The Watchers have acted both as a peacekeeping force and a support organization for much of the civilized world. The great
crystalline tower from which they now operate - The Glass Spire - and the
rehabilitated lands of The Scar surrounding it were granted to The Watchers
by the Baltimus Accord. This legendary agreement between The High King and
The Council of the Watchers saw The Watchers join the war against Drakk’nor,
many of their members sacrificing their very lives to buy time for the High King
to marshal his final defense of Calastiel. The tales of their valor would fill many
tomes but alas this is not the place, suffice to say each Watcher made themselves the stuff of legends in that dark time.
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The Baltimus Accord stands to this day; granting The Watchers their base and
volunteers from each nation of the former Highguard Empire in exchange for
their efforts to protect all of Mercator from the shadows that would consume us
all. Though Drakk’nor is long dead there are a great many threats to the stability of the fragile peace bought by the blood of our ancestors, and The Watchers
stand against them all.
The Watchers welcome members from all nations, with any and all skillsets.
Each volunteer serves for a five-year period, no matter their heritage. At the
end of their tenure, each Watcher is offered a choice; take whatever you have
earned in your five-years and return to your home and the life you left behind,
or forsake all of your previous ties and pledge your life to the Watchers. The
choice is offered freely, but only once.
A few final thoughts for my readers to keep in mind; while The Watchers as
a whole act for the good of Mercator they do not impose many behavioral
mandates on their members; it is a sad truth that sometimes dark deeds are
required to combat dark deeds & The Watchers understand this better than
most. Secondly, while The Watchers welcome merchants and farmers as readily
to their ranks as soldiers and mages, each and every member receives combat
training regularly - antagonising even the most harmless appearing Watcher can prove to be a grave mistake. And finally, should you encounter a lone
Watcher, feel free to offer aid. Should you encounter a group, one would be
well advised to keep out of their way; their business is usually as important as
it is dangerous & interfering may be hazardous to your well-being.
The Watchers in Easthaven
The Easthaven Watchers are an exception; to preserve the independence of the
tiny city-state, Bowan Silversheath pledged that the Watchers would protect the
city. Here they serve as city watch, army, and a major branch of government.
The Watchers of Easthaven have a far wider brief than most; while the Watchers of Mercator defend the continent against dark magic and warmongers,
those of Easthaven must also defend against far more mundane threats and
seemingly minor political and criminal issues.
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The Most Important Rules
†† This is a game. It is supposed to be fun.
†† Play fairly and safely. Don’t ruin it for the other participants; we get to have
nice things because we treat them sensibly and with respect.
†† All GM calls are final. The time to play rules lawyer is after the game, when
we’re happy to discuss – disrupting play for a rules discussion is no fun for
anyone, and we will not do it.
The Other Rules
Watchers of Easthaven is a game, and games have rules. The rules are intended
to abstract and represent the way the world works. Characters have their own
personality and abilities, which may not bear much resemblance to the player
controlling them. They have some of these things written on a Character Sheet
to help the player remember what their character can do.
The rules are intended to be specific and clear about what you can and can’t
do, but if you’re in doubt or there’s a conflict, check with a GM. We’re always
happy to explain anything you don’t understand, or discuss your character concept and how to realise it within the game.
Dropping Out Of Character
Players are expected to stay in-character at all times – that means that unless
The Most Important Rules dictate otherwise, you act as your character would
act, and speak as your character would speak. Anyone in a play area is assumed
to be in play.
If you really need to say something out of character, or clarify a rules situation,
you can put your hand on your head (indicating an out-of-character comment)
briefly to ask. Do this sparingly.
A participant with their hand on their head is not present in the game world
and should be ignored by all in-character participants. Abuse of this signal is
extremely annoying and strongly discouraged.
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The Narrative Objective
LARP is also about telling a story. This is a collaborative enterprise. The writers
of Watchers of Easthaven events have created the world in which your character resides, full of plots and stories just begging for your character’s entanglement - but it is up to you to take part and the outcome is determined by the
people who turn up and make a difference.
Watchers of Easthaven is primarily a “linear-style” game. What that usually
means is that the GMs will present you with a choice of quests or plots to get
involved in, and it’s up to you to follow the trail and find out what awaits.
You’ll usually have a GM nearby wherever you are who can help you out, tell
you about the in-game world and referee the rules.
That said, you have significant choice, and your actions will have in-world consequences. It’s not heroism if there is no chance to fail, and it’s not fun if you
don’t have genuine choices.
Indeed, your character’s actions will often have a lasting impact on the game
world. The world changes based on the actions of players.
Of course, this is not only improvisational theatre, it’s also a game – and that
means we need rules, and referees. The rules are needed;
†† to create balance (stopping one character from being able to do everything),
†† to make it possible for you to play a character vastly different from yourself
(by giving you capabilities that you can’t approach in the real world),
†† to make it safer (by ensuring that people are not harassed or bullied),
†† to simplify the world and how it works (because we’re not all wizards with
decades to study),
†† because playing with numbers is fun!
The referees or GMs are there to ensure the rules are being followed, answer
questions about the world and game, to fill in the blanks (when it’s not possible
to re-create something they are there to describe it) – and, of course, to find
out what happens in the story!
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We can’t do everything in life and neither can our characters. What a character
can and cannot do will depend on their talents, tricks and training – or what
we commonly refer to as “stats”. All you need to know about building a character’s stats can be found in the Creating a Character chapter.
Character Skill Vs Player Skill
One of the key elements of roleplaying games is the dynamic between character
skill and player skill. The game is more fun if you as a player get to do stuff just
as your character would do. In many situations it is impractical for you to do
exactly what your character would do (like hit someone with a great big mace)
so improvised tasks are used to simulate the action the character would be
making (like using a foam mace).
Your character will have certain Skillsets, and certain abilities.
Usually, your character can do whatever you the player can do to solve a
problem. However, many tasks in the world will require somebody of a certain
skillset to complete – your character needs the Pick Lock skill to open a locked
door without a key, and tracking people through the forest needs someone with
the Tracking skill. If you want to try and use a skill that your character has to
solve a problem, ask a GM, and they will tell you if it’s appropriate. At times, a
GM may ask you if you have a particular skill, and disallow you from attempting a task if you do not.
Always attempt to roleplay the task as best you can; if you are healing a
wound, you must pretend you’re really bandaging them up and looking after
them; don’t just crouch next to them for thirty seconds and tie a cloth around
their arm.
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Conflict and Consequences
Combat in Watchers of Easthaven primarily takes the form of simulated fights
using LARP weapons. All props must be approved by an organiser before being
used in Watchers of Easthaven events. You can read more in the How To Play
and Combat and Conflict chapters, but there are a few things to note, particularly if you are familiar with battlegame LARPs.
Watchers of Easthaven is primarily a PvE (Player vs Environment) game. If
you’re after a game that focuses on inter-player conflict, then we have some
excellent other games for you to go to.
Watchers of Easthaven aims to have a low character fatality rate. The system is
designed around the idea that heroes die rarely and only for dramatic reasons.
When they do die, though, death is permanent. There is no way to resurrect
or otherwise revive a character that has died. The GMs will not rewind time to
alter the situation under any circumstance.
Costume
Players must wear genre-appropriate costume. The bare minimum is a simple
tabard clinched with a belt, a pair of logo-free baggy tracksuit pants, and genre-appropriate footwear.
Players are also expected to come with whatever props they need to approximate the equipment of their character.
NPC characters will have some costumes and most props provided for them.
Please speak to an organiser about what can and cannot be provided.
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Safety
Players will occasionally engage in simulated combat using weapon props to
represent either melee weapons (such as swords or clubs) or ranged weapons
(such as bows). Several measures must always be taken to ensure that such
combat remains safe for all players involved.
All players will be required to pass a short weapons training test, which will
cover melee combat, ranged combat and spells, before being allowed to participate in combat at Watchers of Easthaven.
All weapons will be represented by props in game. All props must be checked
by the organisers before being used in game play. Props that are not approved
will be removed from the game play area.
Players using non-approved weapon props, or using melee weapons without
having passed the weapons training test, will be subject to harsh penalties.
In combat, participants must:
†† Call Code Red if anyone is injured. (see Game Calls, in The Glossary)
†† Maintain self-control and behave in a safe fashion. Unsafe participants
should be reported to a GM, who may remove the participant from combat.
Repeat offenders may be banned from combat at WOE events.
†† Be aware of your surroundings and take steps to avoid unsafe areas. If combat becomes unsafe, call Time Out (see Game Calls, in The Glossary)
†† Count your own hits and take appropriate damage. Act as if you have suffered the blow.
†† Use only approved weapon props.
†† Pull your blows at all times. A hit should never leave a bruise.
†† Never aim to hit the head, throat or hands. If you hit those areas, that hit
will not count, and you must stop and make sure your victim is okay.
†† Never crouch or duck in melee, and do not fight from the ground if you fall
or slip; this makes your head vulnerable.
†† Never strike outside your field of vision.
†† Unarmed combat of all kinds is prohibited. Do not touch another player in
combat. If you wish to engage in a brawl as a roleplaying experience, you
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††
††
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must gain the permission of the other player first. The two players must decide in advance which will win, based on character abilities.
Never grab an opponent’s weapon.
Never use a shield to attack or push an opponent.
Never use a ranged weapon for melee combat (or vice versa!) without explicit clearance from the Orgs.
All bows have a minimum safe range of five metres. If your target is within
five metres of your weapon, you must use a half-draw or lighter. Players
who are consistently unsafe with a bow will be warned, then banned from
archery at WOE events.
Do not attempt to block arrows with your weapon. If an arrow hits your
weapon, it hits your character. You may use a shield to block arrows.
If your character is incapacitated in combat, you must pretend to be incapacitated – but ensure that you’re safe. This may mean moving out of the field
of combat and then lying down again.
Weapon props
Melee weapon props must be latex or rubber foam LARP-safe weapons in good
condition as determined by the organisers. Claws have a maximum total length
of 85cm, including any part that covers the hands or forearms. Attacks that hit
any part of claws are considered parried. Short one-handed melee weapons
have a maximum total length of 85cm. Long one-handed melee weapons
have a maximum total length of 115cm. Two-handed weapons have a maximum length of 155cm. Polearms have a maximum length of 210cm.
Throwing weapons must be specifically approved for throwing.
Spell packets must be specifically approved for throwing and easily distinguishable as magic projectiles.
Bows must be a 28lb draw or less, and appropriate arrows, such as IDV, must
be used.
Bandguns and crossbows are not allowed at Watchers of Easthaven.
Whips, flails, morning stars and similar flexible melee weapons are not allowed for safety reasons.
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Shields must be made of plywood, plastic or metal with latex or rubber foam
covering the edges. See Shield Break Points, under Combat, for more.
Armour must not damage weapons used against it.
When kitting out your character, be aware that the Watchers are often sent
on missions in confined spaces such as tight city alleys, dungeon corridors and
sewer tunnels.
Protection
Players may wish to wear armour, a protective groin cup or in-genre protective
headwear. This or other protective gear is purely optional and the responsibility
of individual players.
Age Restrictions
This game involves physically hitting other people with prop weapons, and
there are certain limitations imposed by that. Players under 16 cannot be involved in combat, except in scenarios designed for children’s involvement.
Players under the age of 18 will require prior and informed consent of a parent
or guardian, and children under the age of 16 will need to be supervised by a
responsible adult.
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Feeling Comfortable
In-character situations may arise that make a player feel uncomfortable or distressed. In such situations, players should know that they are able to call Time
Out (see Game Calls, below) to sort things out with the people around them.
Any form of harassment will be treated extremely seriously.
Participants should be aware that other participants may be distressed by certain topics for personal reasons, have issues with touching or personal space, or
have illnesses or conditions which mean that certain behaviours or activities are
off-limits. All participants must respect such boundaries; Watchers of Easthaven
will not hesitate to ban players for infringing.
Participants who have allergies, medical conditions or other special requirements should make them known to the organisers before play commences,
preferably well before an event. The organisers will do their best to accommodate the needs of all participants where possible.
Players who have an out-of-character problem or grievance with another participant should feel welcome to express their concerns to an organiser. We will
listen, and we will do our best to help.
Alcohol
Participants under the effects of alcohol are not permitted to engage in combat
activities. A rough limit of .05 blood alcohol content should be used to determine if a Participant is “under the effects of alcohol”. If we think you’re fighting
drunk, we’ll ask you to leave the combat, or possibly the game.
If you’re drunk, and your character has no way out of the game situation that
doesn’t conflict with their personality, then your character must instead take
advantage of the Passed Out Drunk rule; your character has passed out drunk
and is considered out of the scene. Put your hand on your head and remove
yourself from the play area. Your character will not be affected by anything that
happens in play after that.
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Harassment Policy
We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free gaming experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation,
disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or experience of LARP.
We do not tolerate harassment of players in any form. Players violating these
rules may be sanctioned, expelled from the game [without a refund], placed on
probation, or banned at the discretion of the organisers.
If you are being harassed or have concerns please talk to any of the organisers
or email us at [email protected]
Please note:
Certain characters will be prejudiced in one way or another, and the playing of
that experience is an integral part of roleplay. A number of cultures or organisations are prejudiced against Wight characters, for example. This play must be
kept in-character, and not allowed to negatively affect a player’s experience.
Watchers of Easthaven is a gender-blind setting; that means that no character
will be sexist or homophobic. These comments will always be out of character,
and should be referred to organisers as a breach of this policy.
Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to:
†† Gender
†† Gender identity and expression
†† Sexual orientation
†† Disability
†† Physical appearance
†† Body size
†† Race
†† Religion
†† Experience or lack of experience LARPing
†† Sexual images in public spaces
†† Deliberate intimidation
†† Stalking
†† Harassing photography or recording
†† Inappropriate physical contact
†† Unwelcome sexual attention.
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Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour must comply immediately.
If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, the conference organizers may
take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the game, event or venue [with no refund].
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have
any other concerns, please contact an Organiser immediately.
Organisers will help participants contact local law enforcement or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of any Watchers
of Easthaven Event. We value your attendance.
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Game Calls
Game calls are keywords that change the world somehow. Out of Game Calls
affect participants, and In Game Calls affect characters. Game calls must always
be announced clearly.
Out of Game Calls
Code Red The most important game call. This call can be made by anyone. Code
Red indicates that an injury has taken place or there is a medical or other emergency. Anyone who hears Code Red called should immediately stop whatever
they are doing, repeat the call loudly and kneel down – that lets our first aid
people see where the problem is. Code Red stops game play and play will not
recommence until a GM calls Time In.
Time Out This game call can be made by anyone. Time Out stops game play. Use
this call to clarify a situation or when an unsafe situation has arisen in order to
make the situation safe for gameplay. Play recommences when a GM (or, if appropriate, the player who called Time Out) calls Time In.
Time Freeze This call can only be made by a GM. Time Freeze pauses gameplay.
Players who hear Time Freeze should stand perfectly still, close their eyes and
sing to themselves. GMs usually use this to set up an instantaneous in-game
effect that takes characters by surprise, like teleporting monsters, or explosions.
Play recommences when a GM calls Time In.
In Game Calls
Certain effects in game will affect your character. A call takes effect when:
†† a spell packet with that call hits you, your shield or your weapon
†† an arrow with that call hits you or your weapon
†† a melee or throwing weapon with that call hits you
Number Take that many HP in damage.
Blast Immediately move two metres directly away from the source of the call.
Blind Close your eyes tightly for two seconds. Do not make attacks while blind.
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Disarm Drop any weapons you are holding in either hand. Disarm has no effect
on shields or natural weapons (claws, etc).
Dispel All upkeep spells affecting you expire. Any spell you are currently casting
expires and does not take effect, though the MP is still spent.
Disrupt This call only affects undead under the control of a necromancer. The
control link between the undead and the necromancer is broken. The undead
acts according to its own instincts.
Dodge Ignore all effects and damage from one arrow, throwing weapon, spell
packet or melee attack that you can see coming.
Drag Immediately move two metres directly toward the source of the call.
Drain For each time you are affected by Drain, deal one less rank of damage
with melee or ranged weapons for the remainder of the scene. Drain cannot
reduce damage below 1.
Grip Ground You may not move your feet for five seconds.
Howl of Fury If an ally calls Howl of Fury, your next melee attack deals an
additional rank of damage.
Immune Ignore all damage and effects.
Mass Taunt If an enemy calls Mass Taunt, attack that enemy wherever possible
for the next thirty seconds. You will attack that enemy unless directly threatened by another enemy, or unless the character who called Taunt is Silenced.
Poison This is bad. See a GM after the fight.
Silence You may not speak or make any vocal noise for ten seconds.
Slow For the remainder of the scene, you may not call damage more than once
per two seconds per weapon, rather than once per second.
Stun You may not move at all for two seconds.
Sunder If a Sunder attack hits a shield, that shield is sundered as if it had taken
an attack equal to its Sunder Point. Sunder has no effect except against shields.
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Thorns, Two Certain characters will call Thorns if they are hit in melee. If you
hit a character who calls Thorns, take two points of damage. If you call Thorns,
you still take the damage from the attack.
Turn Immediately turn 180 degrees. Wait one second before you turn back.
The Glossary
Here are some terms we use a lot throughout this book.
The People Involved
†† Participants: anyone that comes to an Watchers of Easthaven event including players and crew.
†† Characters: the imaginary people who inhabit the game world. This includes
NPCs and PCs.
†† Player Characters (PCs): Characters that are usually written by a player for
themselves to play. They are self-governed.
†† Non-Player Characters (NPCs): Characters written by the Orgs and played
by volunteers. Many of these characters will be directed by GMs in order to
facilitate the story.
†† Game Masters (GMs) are responsible for the running of the event once it
has begun. They also act as referees.
†† Organisers (Orgs) are the people that organise the events. They’re who you
call when you want to speak to the manager.
Acronyms
LRP: Live Role Playing. Functionally identical to LARP.
LARP: Live Action Role Playing.
WOE: Watchers of Easthaven.
HP: Health Points, equal to double a character’s Resolve.
MP: Mana Points, equal to double a character’s Essence.
AP: Armour Points, accessible while armoured and defined by a character’s
Fighting Style.
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Timing
Scene: The space between one significant event and the next. Think in terms
of movies or theatre, if the action distinctly shifts (not necessarily the location)
then it is a new scene. Generally, players will define where the scene shifts
for themselves; when required for the story, GMs will define the scenes for all
characters.
Scenes should generally last no less than fifteen minutes.
Example 1: An adventuring party leaves town to try their luck in a dungeon. On
the way they are attacked by monsters. This consists of four scenes - being in
town, being on the road, the combat and aftermath & arriving at the dungeon.
Example 2: Two heroes sit in a tavern enjoying their evening meals. One finishes early and after eating & swapping tales with their comrades, they move
away to concoct some alchemical potions. Suddenly the door bursts in and a
shadowy figure enters with dire tidings. For the first hero this consists of three
scenes - the meal, concocting potions and the proclamations of the figure. For
the other it is only two - the meal & the proclamation.
Day: From sunrise to sunrise. Yes, this technically means that you can use a
once-per-day ability at 5am then again at 6am.
Week: Once per week means that you can only use it once during any Watchers of Easthaven event. A full week of out-of-game time must pass before you
can use that ability again.
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Character Stats
Your character’s Stats tell us about her raw talents and basic abilities. Stats all
start at 1, but various choices throughout the character creation process can
increase them. No Stat may ever increase higher than 4 for any reason. Effects
that would increase a Stat to higher than 4 have no effect.
Brawn
How mighty and strong your character is. The higher her Brawn stat, the
stronger she is. Brawn determines damage output with melee weapons.
Finesse
How quick and agile your character is. The higher her Finesse, the more graceful she will be. Finesse determines damage output with ranged and throwing
weapons.
Resolve
How strong-willed and determined your character is. The higher her Resolve,
the greater her ability to stay the course. Resolve determines your HP.
Wits
How intelligent and perceptive your character is. The higher her Wits, the less
chance she will be outsmarted or tricked. Wits determines perceptiveness.
Essence
How connected to the magic of the world your character is. The higher her
Essence, the greater her knowledge and mastery of magic, divine, elemental or
otherwise. Essence determines MP.
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Character Standing
Your character’s Standing tells us about where he stands in the world, how connected, wealthy or well-known he is.
Resources
A measure of the wealth of your character. All Watchers receive 1 florin at
the beginning of an event. Resources adds an additional 2 florins per rank of
Resources. After all modifiers, if the event is a day game, the total is halved. A
character’s Resource stat begins at 0; your Hero has spent their last coin, and
is living paycheck to paycheck. Any coins a character has not spent at the end
of an event are saved for that character to have in addition to their gains at the
next event. For more details, see The Economy of Easthaven.
Circles
A measure of how well-connected your character is. For each point of Circles,
your character gains one Contact per event. A character’s Circles starts at 0.
Your character can spend a Contact to ask a GM if she knows anyone who can
help. The GM may direct the character to a person they know, or provide an
entirely new NPC contact, or point the character somewhere useful, or refuse. If
the GM refuses, the Contact is not spent.
Reputation
A measure of how well-known your character is, and what for. Reputations are
individual descriptors that summarise popular opinion about the character.
By default, a character starts with no Reputation. She is unknown. If she has a
Reputation, then your character is known in the world.
If a Reputation descriptor is negative, then this is a hindrance to her; a limitation, or a danger. Perhaps she is a wanted criminal, or perhaps there is a popular song that points out an incidence of her stupidity or cowardice.
If a Reputation descriptor is positive, then this is an advantage for her; an assistance or help in times of trouble. Perhaps she saved lives, or led an important
defense, or defeated a mighty monster.
A character may have multiple Reputation descriptors of different types.
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Combat + Conflict
Health
Characters have a number of Hit Points (HP) equal to double their Resolve Stat
(so a character with 1 Resolve has 2HP, and a character with 2 Resolve has
4HP). If a player character reaches 0 HP, they are Incapacitated, near-death,
and incapable of action. It is impossible for a character to be reduced to less
than 0 HP.
Characters who are Incapacitated cannot speak, move, or act in any way (although the player may move to a safe location if they are in danger of being
trampled or the like).
If your character is Incapacitated, you must act like it. Nothing ruins the game
more than a player walking around because their character is bleeding out.
If an Incapacitated character is healed for any number of HP, they are no
longer Incapacitated.
If a non-player character is Incapacitated, they may die if PCs do not intervene.
Armour
Armour grants the wearer Armour Points (AP), which function identically to
HP, except that they cannot be healed, and must instead be repaired. AP must
be lost before the wearer begins to lose HP.
If a character is wearing armour, they gain their Fighting Style’s armour bonus
in AP. If they gain additional armour bonuses from advancement, magic, or
another special ability, these stack. In addition, characters who wear a helmet
gain +1 AP.
The WOE system is designed to encourage heroic costume; that is, that armour
should be appropriate for a character’s Fighting Style, and the armour bonus
for each Style is based on how much armour we expect those characters to
wear. Armour should appear genuinely protective and appropriate for a character’s Culture and Fighting Style. If you are in any doubt over whether your
planned costume will be considered to be armour, check with an Organiser.
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Damage
In melee, characters deal damage ranks equal to their Brawn.
With bows or throwing weapons, characters deal damage ranks equal to their
Finesse.
A player must call the amount of damage they deal whenever they think they
have hit their opponent e.g. “Two!”
A player may not strike their opponent more than once per second per weapon.
When hit by a weapon, a player should act as if they have been hit. Dramatic
combat rules are in effect; that is, it should look like you are fighting properly.
If you are genuinely hurt, or need a break, call Code Red or Time Out respectively; otherwise it will be assumed you are just an excellent roleplayer.
Targeting-safety limitations apply to all weapons: no deliberate shots should be
made against the groin, head or hands. If you accidentally hit someone in the
head or hands, that hit does no in-game damage, and you must immediately
call Time Out and ensure your victim is uninjured.
Shield Sunder Points
If a shield takes a hit that calls damage equal to or greater than its Sunder Point
in a single attack, it is rendered useless and must be discarded. If the design
of the shield makes it impossible or unsafe to discard, then further hits to the
shield in that encounter are considered to have hit the character. The shield
may be repaired by a character with the Craft skill. Repairing a sundered shield
takes thirty seconds of roleplayed repair.
A shield’s Sunder Point depends on its size, measured from the longest line
across its surface, as per the following table.
Shield
Size
Sunder Point
Buckler
<40cm
7
Small shield
<70cm
6
Medium shield
<90cm
5
Large shield
<110cm
4
Huge shield
>110cm
3
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Healing
Characters recover 1 Hit Point at the beginning of each Scene in addition to any
healing from other abilities. Rules for other types of healing are listed in their
ability or skill descriptions.
Death
Death is always permanent and irreversible. Certain evil magics may reanimate
the body after death, but the character is gone forever.
A player character dies if they are Incapacitated, and then an opponent declares
a killing blow and strikes them before they are healed. Other than extreme
environmental hazards, this is the only way in which a character may be killed.
Remember The Most Important Rules.
A non-player character dies if they are Incapacitated by a lethal weapon, except
where it is interesting for the story that they do not, or where a player character quickly does something exceptional to save them from death.
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Magic
Characters become Spellcasters by choosing certain Fighting Styles or Skillsets,
which will also define their spell lists. Characters who are not spellcasters may
have certain skills or abilities that allow them to cast spells.
All characters have Mana Points equal to double their Essence. MP are represented by tokens. The number of MP it takes to cast a spell is called its Cost.
It takes 5 seconds to cast a spell, unless otherwise noted. Upkeep spells take 30
seconds to cast, unless otherwise noted. This time must be spent roleplaying
casting the spell, with a loud and appropriate incantation. The Cost of the spell
in MP is considered spent at the beginning of this time.
Spent MP are set aside. Regain spent MP at the beginning of each Scene.
Some spells use “spell packets”. These are LARP-safe props that represent
magical projectiles. They have no effect until empowered by a spell. After being
empowered, a spell packet must be used in the same scene, or the spell has no
effect. The caster must hit her target with a spell packet to affect them. A caster
may throw a maximum of one spell packet per second. You may only empower
spell packets from one spell at any time.
Spells may not be blocked by shields or weapons. A spell that hits a shield or
weapon is considered to have hit its wielder.
Spells with ongoing effects are noted as Upkeep Spells. The MP spent on
Upkeeps should be given to the person who is affected by the spell. When the
caster wishes to end the spell, they can take the tokens back from that person
and they are considered Spent. The spell’s effect ceases at that point. A target
may only be affected by one instance of each upkeep spell at a time -e.g. you
could have Enhance Weapon and Ward on the same target, but not two instances of Enhance Weapon. Upkeep spells also cease if the target moves more
than a hundred metres away from the caster, if the caster dies, or if the target
is hit by a Dispel.
Some powerful spells also have physical ingredients. These ingredients are
consumed by the magic when the spell is cast, and should be discarded or given
to a GM as appropriate.
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Summon The Spirits
In addition to the spells they know from their lists, a spellcaster may also
Summon the Spirits. To do so requires a ritual of at least ten minutes, in the
presence of a GM. These summonings are done for specific purpose appropriate
to the caster’s skillset, and require the expenditure of significant numbers of MP
and physical ingredients; often they will require multiple spellcasters.
For example: Air Mages often use Summon the Spirits to keep ships safe during
a storm. This will usually require the Air Mage to continue their ritual throughout the storm, and a sacrifice of value from the captain of the vessel; or for
extreme weather, from everyone on board the ship.
Summon the Spirits is extremely versatile and powerful, but the GMs will enact
a cost equivalent to the power you wield, and some of the cost may be hidden.
Be wary.
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Creating A Watcher
Before you attend a Watchers of Easthaven event as a player, you’ll need to
write your role – which we refer to as your character. You can use the blank
character sheet at the end of this book to help you, or ask an organiser.
Character Concept
The first step is to come up with a good idea. It can be pretty vague at this
point. We call it your Concept. All player characters are Watchers in the city of
Easthaven. That means you’re a hero, and an adventurer, and a crimefighter.
Think of who your character is: What makes them a hero? What is special
about them? What do you want them to be able to do? Most important, what
do you want to do in the game? Make sure you’re happy filling the role of your
character over a number of events. Make them interesting. “Fighter in plate
with a longsword” is not interesting. “A grizzled ex-soldier who solves all problems with a bottle or a blade” is a much better start – it has BAM!
Note that all races in the world live similar lifespans to humans, with the sole
exception of Wights, who do not age. Characters in the Watchers of Easthaven
game may not be older than 60, for plot reasons.
Before you go further; this is a cooperative game about heroes. It’s about you and
the other players – and if your character is not going to be fun for other players
to interact with, or if your character is not going to fit in the Watchers, now’s the
time to come up with a new concept.
Character Abilities
Next, you will need to decide on your character’s abilities - the rules side of
character creation. To create a character in Watchers of Easthaven, choose:
†† a Race
†† a Culture
†† a Fighting Style
†† a Skillset
†† a Twist
These options will fill in the rest of the numbers for you. You’re ready to play!
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Words on your Character Sheet
Creed
A Creed is an ethical or moral statement that encompasses how the character
views their world.
Instinct
An Instinct is a habit or thoughtless reaction.
Race
The character’s genetic stock. Races come with Perks, Abilities and/or Physreps.
Culture
Where they grew up, the place they call home. Maybe the character’s family
was not originally from that place, but this is the society that character really
comes from.
Fighting Style
This is how the character approaches fights, and the means they use in combat.
Skillset
This is what the character does when they’re not fighting; the skills that make
them a useful member of society.
Twist
This is something that makes your character special and different. Some Twists
have Physreps attached, but have no mechanical effect on your character’s stats
or abilities.
Stats
The character’s basic talents. Stats start at 1.
Standing
The character’s place in society, measured by their number of useful contacts,
wealth and reputation. These start at 0.
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Perks
Perks are special things about your character. They are always in effect.
Different Perks stack together - i.e. a Tough Lizardfolk with Amphibious would
gain +2HP from Tough and +1HP from Amphibious for a total of +3HP. The
exception is that additional sources of Resistance are useless - i.e. a Waylin
Lizardfolk with the Natural Magic Resistance racial Perk would be ill-served by
taking the Natural Magic Resistance Perk for that culture.
Ablities
Abilities are cool things your character can do. They usually have limits about
how often they can be used, but you can choose when they trigger, like the
elven Supple as Yew, which can be used once per Scene.
If a character gains an ability from two different sources, then the character
gains additional uses of that ability rather than a more powerful version (i.e.
an Orc from a warrior culture might have two Mighty Blow abilities - that
character would be able to use Mighty Blow twice per scene, but could not use
both on one strike for +4 damage. Alternatively, she might have both Furious
Vengeance and Glory in Death; if she became incapacitated, she would remain
active for two strikes or six seconds, and deal one additional rank of damage
for those strikes.)
Physrep
What props, makeup or cosmetics you have to use to play a character of a particular Race or with a particular Twist.
Gear
The stuff your character is allowed to have with them. Things like weapons,
shields, potions, ingredients, magic items and valuables are limited by your
character sheet; other props you bring along are considered entirely cosmetic.
All characters may begin with:
†† One non-magical melee weapon of their choice
†† Clothes and armour
†† The Gear listed in their Fighting Style
†† The basic tools of their Skillset.
Want more? Buy it in game.
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Creed
A Creed is an ethical or moral statement that encompasses how the character
views her world. Creeds should speak to some higher purpose. They shouldn’t
be goals you can accomplish; they are ideals you live up to.
One character’s Creed might be: “It matters not what you fight, but what you
fight for.” This statement informs all of his decisions. He is fighting for a higher
purpose—not glory or personal success—but for honour and for the safety of
innocents.
Another might be: “A true hero acts with a mind unclouded by emotion.” Her
decisions will be coldly logical and evaluated. She believes firmly in the greater
good, the needs of the many.
While characters should generally act according to their Creed, characters are
people, and their personalities should grow and develop. If a character chooses
to act against their Creed, this should be a moment of deep personal conflict,
and they should consider changing their Creed. You may change your Creed
after or between WOE events, but not during an event.
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Instinct
An Instinct is a habit or thoughtless reaction. It’s something your character always does, an obvious and regular pattern of behaviour. Your Instinct helps you
develop your character’s personality; it’s a trigger to keep you thinking in-world
and behaving in-character.
One character’s Instinct might be: “Never delay when on a mission.” This Instinct
is good because it has a clear triggering condition and it encourages a certain
mode of thought in-game. This character will be pushing for haste!
Another character might have the Instinct “If there’s work to be done, always
offer help.” Again, there is a clear triggering condition, and a mode of thought
unique to the character. It will also provide interesting inter-party discussions!
Good characters grow and change during play. You may find that your character’s Instinct doesn’t work for them any more. A character who had the Instinct
“Always use magic to solve any problem” might have found too many problems
magic didn’t solve, and uses a more varied approach now. That character is going to need a new Instinct. Discuss it with a GM during debrief.
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Race
The species of the character says a lot about them
in Watchers of Easthaven, but it is not everything.
All cultures are mixed-race cultures in the world of
Mercator, and characters with conflicting traits are
often interesting.
Dwarf, the Ironborn
A raw hunk of iron is dull and unglamorous, but when it has been
worked and molded it becomes a tool that is unparalleled in its
task. The iron-born are sturdy with an incredible ability to excel in
a particular skill over years of training, though they can be predictable or excessively pragmatic. The inhabitants of Mercator named these creatures ‘Dwarves’.
Physrep: Dwarves of any gender have long braids hanging down the sides of
their face - males often braid these into their beards.
Dwarven Craftmanship (Perk): Choose one skill from your skillset. Increase
your level in that skill by one rank.
Tier 1 Advancements:
†† Tough (Perk): +2 HP.
†† Crafters Without Equal (Perk): Add one rank to any of the following skills Appraise, Disarm/Set Traps, Pick Lock, Craft.
†† Natural Magic Resistance (Ability): Once per scene, call Immune when hit by
a spell packet.
†† Bang It Into Shape (Ability): Once per day, spend five seconds hammering on a suit of armour to restore all lost AP. The wearer does not need to
remove the armour.
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Elf, the Woodborn
A tree trunk stands tall and unyielding, while a bough may bend with
the winds without breaking. The wood-born are flexible in both mind
and body and carry the wisdom of the ages, but are also known for being
stubborn and unyielding at the most inappropriate of times. The inhabitants of Mercator named these creatures ‘Elves’.
Physrep: Elves have pointy ears.
Supple as Yew (Ability): Once per scene, call Dodge.
†† Traceless Path (Perk): +1 Sneak.
†† Ageless Beauty (Ability): Once per scene, empower a
spell packet that calls Stun.
†† High Elf (Perk): +2 MP.
†† Like a Leaf on the Wind (Ability): Once per week, perform a five second
ritual. Add one to your Finesse for the remainder of the scene. This is an
exception to the rule that no stat may exceed 4.
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Human, the Dirtborn
The other gods laughed when the goddess of fertility created
creatures from simple soil. But the creatures of the dirt grew to
be the most numerous in all the lands, and the most prosperous.
Dirt is everywhere, and it interacts with everything. Dirt is the glue
that binds the world together. And dirt is what will be left when
everything else has been and gone. The inhabitants of Mercator
named these creatures ‘Humans’.
Physrep: Must appear human.
Family Heritage (Perk): Gain one rank in any one
of the following skills - Arcane Lore, Culture Lore,
Historical Lore, Nature Lore, Navigation, Religion
Lore, Craft, Streetwise and explain why your family
taught you this.
†† Tenacious (Ability): Once per day, heal yourself for 1 hit point. You may do
this while Incapacitated.
†† Dominant Species (Perk): +1 Circles.
†† Adaptable (Ability): When you take this ability, choose a Tier 2 Advancement from your Culture, Skillset or Fighting Style. This counts as a racial
advancement rather than an advancement of that type, but you may not take
the same advancement twice.
†† Heroes In Unexpected Places (Ability): Once per week, call My Time To
Shine; add +2 to any stat for the remainder of the scene. This may not take
a stat to above 4.
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Lizardfolk,
the Waterborn
A single drop of water is insignificant, but put enough together and you
have a flood. The water-born do not believe in strict rules as their lives
change with the ebb and flow of the water around them. However, they
do have a penchant to take whatever option is the easiest - the path of
least resistance so to speak. The inhabitants of Mercator named these
reptilian creatures ‘Lizardfolk’.
Physrep: Scaly skin and lizard-like tails.
Amphibian (Perk): Move in water as easily as on land.
Scaly skin grants +1 HP.
†† Natural Poison Resistance (Ability): Once per scene, call Immune to Poison.
†† Oldblood (Perk): Your scaly skin grants an additional +2 HP.
†† Natural Magic Resistance (Ability): Once per scene, call Immune when hit
by a spell packet.
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Orc, the Stoneborn
Crafted from the rocks of the high mountains, the stone-born are
strong, cold and unforgiving. They have a natural resilience and
amazing brute strength, but have been accused of having rocks for
brains. The inhabitants of Mercator named these creatures ‘Orcs’.
Physrep: Orcs have green skin, though the shade
varies, tusks and pointy ears.
Furious Vengeance (Ability): If Incapacitated while
in melee, stay active for long enough to strike back
once (or three seconds, whichever is shorter), dealing an additional rank of damage if you hit.
†† Mighty Blow (Ability): Once per scene, call Mighty Blow. Deal two additional damage ranks the next time you call damage in melee.
†† Scars Are Honour (Ability): Once per day, when you take 3 or more damage from a single attack, you may immediately heal yourself 4 HP. You
should add suitable modification to your costume or physreps.
†† Bloody Rage (Ability): Once per week, perform a five second ritual. Add one
to your Brawn for the remainder of the scene. This is an exception to the rule
that no stat may exceed 4.
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Wight, the Deathborn
There is another kind of creature of note in Mercator, that the gods did
not create, that were brought into being by the Blight.
Those who have been pulled back from the arms of the gods, to serve
again in the mortal realms. They have seen the other realm, and the
gods want their souls returned to them. Some may wish for immortality,
while others wish for the peace of the final rest. The death-born carry
both a blessing and a curse. The inhabitants of Mercator named these
creatures ‘Wights’.
Physrep: Use makeup and prosthetics to look dead. Also
use the appropriate physrep for whichever race you
were when alive.
Living Dead (Perk): Do not need to breathe. Immune
to effects targeting living beings. Also, The Power of the Blight (Ability): Once
per scene, heal yourself a number of HP equal to your Essence.
†† Dead *Race*: Choose one of the Tier 1 racial advancements that your character could have chosen when alive - e.g. a Dead Lizardfolk could take Tough
or Natural Poison Resistance.
†† I’m Already Dead (Ability): Once per scene, when struck by a melee attack,
arrow or throwing weapon, call Immune.
†† Living Dead *Race*: Choose one of the Tier 2 racial advancements that your
character could have chosen when alive - e.g. a Living Dead Lizardfolk could
take Natural Magic Resistance or Oldblood.
†† Undying (Ability): Once per day, when Incapacitated, you may fully heal
yourself and regain all unspent mana. This process takes five seconds, during
which time you may do nothing else.
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Shifter, the Totemborn
Into each generation there are those born with the Mark of the
Beast. To these totem-born, the gods have granted a strong connection with one of the many beasts of Mercator. They can shift
form between their birth race and the shape of their beast at will,
exchanging hands for claws and clothes for bestial hide. Though
all totem-born retain their mind while shifting, some struggle
against the nature of the beast within them, while others embrace it
attuning themselves to the wildness in their hearts. To the people of
Mercator they are known as Shifters.
Physrep: While unshifted, your character must
have some visible aspect of their totem; ie yellow
eyes, elongated canines, clawed fingernails etc.
When assuming the aspect of your Totem, you gain
its natural weapons, which are considered Claws and must be represented by
LARP-safe props wielded in the hands. In addition, use the appropriate physrep
for your base race.
Aspect of the Beast (Perk): At will, assume the aspect of your Totem, changing parts of their body to match. This grants +1 Brawn and +2 HP until you
choose to remove the aspect. While assuming the aspect of their Totem, the
character may not speak or cast spells. In addition, your stats may exceed 4
while you assume your Aspect. When the aspect is removed, if the character
has taken damage, that damage is applied to their current HP.
†† Embody the Beast (Perk): Choose a stat that represents your Totem. While
assuming your Aspect, +1 to that Stat.
†† *Race* Inside: Choose one of the Tier 1 racial advancements that your character could have chosen if not Totemborn - e.g. a Lizardfolk Inside could take
Tough or Natural Poison Resistance.
†† Leader of the Pack (Ability): Once per week, call Howl Of Fury.
†† Back To Your Roots: Choose one of the tier 2 racial advancements that your
character could have chosen if not Totemborn.
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Culture
Where they grew up, the place they call home. Maybe their family was not originally from that place, but this is where the character really comes from.
Arcane Cultures
Arcane Culture (Perk): +2 MP. +1 Arcane Lore.
†† Immersed in the Arcane (Ability): When you concentrate, you can sense the
presence and general direction of active magic within 100m of you.
†† Natural Magic Resistance (Ability): Once per scene, call Immune when hit by
a spell packet.
†† Gathering Power (Ability): Once per day, when casting a spell, you may
double the mana cost of that spell to empower twice as many spell packets.
†† Elemental Savant (Perk): Choose Feather Fall (Air Magic), Mending (Earth
Magic), Flare (Fire Magic) or Freezing Grip (Ice Magic). You can cast that
spell as if you were a spellcaster.
Marshlight
Perk: Gain the Latent Magical Effects specialisation in
Arcane Lore.
Travelers forced to cross the Blasted Plains are guided by the beacon at
Marshlight; a swamp city surrounded by the arcane. A series of purifiers
filter most of the taint from the water coming from the Plains, but eventually most Marshlighters start to show symptoms of The Dirge, as such
much of the population is transitory.
Marshlight is also run by the Watchers. They have plenty of respect for
the guys who keep the fresh water coming and save them from the nasties that crawl out of the Blasted Plains. While some residents resent the
Watchers for attracting the bad stuff that happens around Marshlight,
most are thankful for their protection. Characters from Marshlight who
join the Watchers are often doing so to repay this debt, though some
join because it is their only way to leave the swamp.
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Skollgart
Perk: Gain the Magical Items specialisation in Arcane Lore.
In their towers in the frozen north the mages of Skollgart hone their
arcane mastery. The various colleges compete for power and prestige
(and students!). They are the foremost authority on magic in Mercator, and are bound by ancient oaths to serve.
Skollgart considers itself to be of similar old Highguard origins to
the Watchers, and therefore worthy of camaraderie and respect.
Skollgart cares more about tradition and rules than the Watchers
do, but both get on well and help each other. In Skollgart, Watchers
are treated with proper respect and their rules are to be respected.
People from Skollgart are most likely to join the Watchers out of
a sense of duty, or to improve their chances of rising through the
mage ranks via experience and prestige.
Confederate of Waylin
Perk: Gain the Arcane Rituals specialisation in Arcane Lore.
The people of Waylin were settlers from Highguard back many hundreds of years ago, but have since
merged cultures a little with the jungle peoples of the Ak’ka-Tin’ga. The result is spicy cajun cooking
and some very superstitious folks. But beware all ye travellers to the Waylin bayou - don’t mess with
voodoo...
Waylin gets along with the Watchers as well as they do with anyone else. Marshlight is technically in
Waylin according to the old maps, and ostensibly the people of Waylin are glad that the Watchers are keeping back the bad guys, but
honestly, they’re a pretty suspicious bunch of anyone who lives more
than 5 minutes away to begin with. Waylin work with the Watchers
but don’t trust them, and will ignore their authority if they feel
it worthwhile. Characters from Waylin are most likely to join the
Watchers out of devotion to a greater cause, or from frustration at
the closed-mindedness of those in power in Waylin.
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Commercial Cultures
Commercial Culture (Perk): +1 Resources.
+1 Navigation.
†† It’s Not What You Know (Perk): +1 Streetwise or
Appraise.
†† It’s Who You Know (Perk): +1 Circles.
†† Who Does He Think He Is? (Ability): Once per
scene, ask a GM about a character by name for a general description of their history and reputation.
†† Sea Legs (Perk): Ignore the Blast call.
Bel Voyage
Ability: Once per event, use a Contact to call on a merchant without drawing
on your Circles.
An independent city-state on the coast of Lliira, Bel Voyage has been built by the All Merchants Alliance
into the largest trading port in all of Mercator. No matter the good or service if there is coin to be
made off it, you’ll find it in Bel Voyage. Beneath the shiny veneer of commerce lies a cut-throat world
where there is only one real rule; profit.Bel Voyage is all glorious affectations when they describe the
valorous Watchers who defend them from the perils of the Blasted Plains. Behind closed doors, the
merchant princes use the Watchers to their own ends without a second’s
hesitation. People from Bel Voyage generally join the Watchers because
they are trying to prove their worth as a merchant under the toughest
conditions for political gain back home, though others join to escape debt
or bankruptcy.
Easthaven
Ability: Once per event, while in the city of Easthaven,
use a Contact without drawing on your Circles.
In the two centuries after The Great War, Easthaven has grown from a
refugee camp in the ancient ruins to a city at the centre of most of Mercators “safe” trade routes. In recent times the Watchers have stepped in
to offer relief to the city beset as it is by a great variety of issues. People
from Easthaven are likely to join the Watchers out of a sense of civic
duty.
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The Halls of the Mountain Kings
Ability: Once per event, use a Contact to call on a
crafter without drawing on your Circles.
The denizens of the mountain are fond of well-defined structure, in
terms of standards of work, expected duties and social hierarchy..
This most likely stems from many years of experience with poor
practices leading to cave-ins or worse deep underground. It also
means that when someone is introduced to you as a master weaponsmith, that means something very specific and worthy of respect.
Most of the people living in the Great Halls are miners or crafters of
some fashion or other, all seeking perfection in their own art.
The Watchers and the citizens of the Great Halls don’t have alot to
do with each other, but get on very well when they do meet. There
is a clearly defined charter between the two entities declaring the
scope of responsibilities of each and their required commitments on
any foreseeable matters regarding both parties. Both groups treat the other with honesty and respect. A
Great Halls character is most likely to join the Watchers to gain honour and experience top-side.
The Spice Islands
Ability: Once per event, use a Contact to call on a criminal without drawing on
your Circles.
Across the Blackwater Seas lie the Spice Islands, a volcanic island chain famed for its unique fruits
and spices. These items make life good for the natives, business profitable for the traders and targets
plentiful for the pirates. Riches to make a king weep are scattered throughout these islands, if one has
enough of a taste of adventure to seek them.
While there is no real central governing body the people of the Spice
Islands fall into one of two main categories; Pirates & merchants.
The merchants are usually on good terms with the Watchers, and
will respect their laws in order to foster trade. The pirates? Not so
much.
Adventure, profit or trade networking benefits are the main reasons
that Spice Islanders join the Watchers.
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Feudal Cultures
Feudal Culture (Perk): You begin with a positive Reputation descriptor.
Choose why. This descriptor can never be changed or removed.
†† Defender of the Weak (Ability): Once per scene, instantly heal another character for two hit points by touching their shoulder and blessing them. This
ability may not target Wights.
†† Scholars Without Peer (Perk): Choose a Lore skill. Gain a rank in that skill.
†† Shield of the Paladins (Ability): Once per scene, when struck by a spell
packet, call Immune.
†† Political Animal (Ability): Once per event, change an existing Reputation
descriptor from positive to negative, or vice versa. You may not change the
wording of the descriptor, only how it is seen.
The Kingdom of Highguard
Perk: When defending a helpless person, gain +2AP.
Consisting of the old imperial capital Calastiel & the surrounding lands Modern Highguard retains the
values of their ancestors; honour, chivalry & integrity. With their order of paladins, Modern Highguard
is a shining beacon of light for all of Mercator.
Highguard treats the Watchers as the equivalent of another noble
nation. They both respect each other’s laws completely, and are bound
by them. Anyone in Highguard may volunteer to join the Watchers, and
this is considered an honourable choice. Any criminal punishment (except treason) may instead be deferred if the accused volunteers to join
the Watchers. If their deeds during their 5 year service suitably exonerate the penalties of the crimes they have committed, they may return to
Highguard a free man. If it does not however, they will be arrested upon
re-entry to the country.The main reason that people from Highguard
join the Watchers is for honour - to bring honour to their family or to
remove a blight on their own personal honour.
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The Duchy of Mynaren
Ability: Once per event, give a Reputation descriptor
as per the Make Reputations skill. You may only use
this to give negative descriptors, and only against
someone who has offended you personally.
The blood of Imperial nobility runs strong in Mynaren, particularly
because without it you aren’t a person, therefore laws & courtesy
don’t apply. With social status and personal power being the bread
& butter of Mynaren life, blackmail, backstabbing and manipulation
have become almost an art form. In Mynaren the most dangerous
animals are the political ones.
On paper, Mynaren is highly cooperative with the Watchers and
espouses many grand affectations upon the organisation and the
magnanimous work it does. Behind closed doors, Mynaren uses and
abuses the Watchers and is more than happy to lie to, cheat or murder anyone in the organisation if it
helped their cause. Characters from Mynaren often join the Watchers as part of a political maneuver,
or because they were sentenced to do so by some noble or another.
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Religious Cultures
Religious Culture (Perk): +1 Religion Lore and Medicine.
†† Scholar (Perk): +1 to any Lore skill.
†† Indomitable Soul (Perk): Ignore the effects of the Drain call.
†† Divine Guidance (Perk): Choose Dispel (Combat Mage List), Heal (Support
Magic List) or Premonition of Danger (Divination List). You can cast that
spell as if you were a spellcaster.
†† Hands of a Healer (Perk): Whenever you use a skill, ability or spell that
allows you to heal another character, add 2 to the HP healed.
Alantis
Perk: Choose a god. Gain the Religion Lore specialisation for that god.
The mountains of Alantis have been touched by the gods & its citizens are highly devout. Great temples
and monasteries house the Alanteans as they train in the ways of the god whose star sign they were
born under. For the Alanteans the gods are very real and very present & life proceeds according to very literal - divine will.
The people of Alantis do not have a lot to do with anybody, even the Watchers. When dealing with
the Watchers they are respectful, however in their opinion if a god has decreed something then that
something takes precedence over the Watchers. Characters from Alantis often join the Watchers because
a god has told them to, as part of a pilgrimage, or because they are
seeking divine favour through service.
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Lliira
Perk: +1 Historical Lore.
Faced with regular raids from the Frozen Isles & no longer receiving
help from the Imperials the former fishing peoples turned to knowledge for salvation and dedicated their nation to Eutima. Lliira possesses the greatest educational system in the known world, attracting
academics and bards from every nation to study and teach.
Lliirans aren’t terribly fond of strict regulations steeped in antiquity,
though they respect the Watchers’ mission. The two see each other as
neutral parties and work together towards agreed goals.
The most common motivation for a Lliiran to join the Watchers is
for the experience - to see the world, learn new things, and expand
one’s mind to a new world of possibilities.
Norna
Ability: Once per day, you may cast Premonition of Danger (Seer) one time
without costing MP. It expires at the end of the scene.
Ruled for centuries by the High Priest’s family the Nornese people have been subjected to ever increasing
levels of paranoia and fanaticism, brutally enforced by the Temple Guard. The only place safe from
their rule is the army, in which every citizen serves three years. Thanks to the current High Priest, the
capital (and only) city Norvale & all roads leading to it are illuminated at all times - the light of the
gods must reach all.
Norna has never made any pretences to having any kind of alliance or agreement with the Watchers.
The Watchers prefer not to aggravate Norna, but the government of Norna doesn’t recognise the Watchers in any formal capacity and indeed, considers them an enemy. Characters from Norna usually join
the Watchers to seek refuge from or vengeance upon the Powers-that-be in Norna.
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Survivalist Cultures
Survivalist Culture (Perk): +1 Navigation and Nature Lore.
†† Hunt or Be Hunted (Perk): +1 Tracking.
†† Welcome To The Jungle (Perk): +1 Disarm/Set Traps.
†† Don’t Let It Know You’re There (Perk): +1 Sneak.
†† We Have That At Home (Perk): You can make Poison as if you had the
Make Potions skill. In addition, you can diagnose and cure poisons as if you
had the Medicine skill at Rank 2.
Ak’ka-Tin’ga Jungle
Perk: Gain the Dangerous Plants specialisation in Nature Lore.
In the depths of the Western Marshes lies the Ak’ka-Tin’ga Jungle. Filled with deadly wildlife and sunken treasure this untamed region is a prime choice for those seeking adventure or fortune. The people of
the jungle are a resilient and exotic lot, capable of dealing with everything their homeland throws at
them.
The jungle dwellers don’t have much knowledge of the Watchers. Both consider the other to be an exotic
curiosity. The limited dealings between the two cultures have gone down well, provided both sides treat
each other with respect. Most characters from Ak’ka-Tin’ga join the Watchers out of curiosity and the
desire for travel, though some join to test themselves against dangers unlike those of the jungle.
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Ferrnight Forest
Perk: Gain the Predatory Animals specialisation in
Nature Lore.
Huddled together against the gloom cast by the ancient branches,
the villagers of Ferrnight Forest are beset on all sides by monsters.
Gruff and self sufficient, the people of Ferrnight have learnt to fend
for themselves, hunting the predators that stalk beneath the shadowy boughs - both natural and not.
The communities of Ferrnight are often of two minds about the
Watchers. The Watchers are their strongest allies against the darkness encroaching on their settlements even if they aren’t available
as often as the villagers need. Ferrnight citizens join the Watchers
to prove themselves, or to gain allies and resources for when they
return home.
Penrith
Perk: For the purposes of manual labour, your Brawn stat is considered one
rank higher. This is an exception to the rule that no stat may go above 4.
With the largest expanses of fertile farmland in all of Mercator, Penrith supplies food to anyone and
everyone in the known world. In general a laid back & gregarious people they tend to defer to their
protective neighbour Dalamar on most matters, content to tend their fields for the most part.
Penrith likes the Watchers, but then again they like pretty much everybody. They certainly wouldn’t deliberately deceive the Watchers or do anything untowards - that is, unless Dalamar made them. People
from Penrith are most likely to join the Watchers because they are
looking for adventure!
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Warrior Cultures
Warrior Culture (Perk): +2 HP.
†† A Single Perfect Strike (Ability): Once per scene, call Mighty Blow. Deal
two additional damage ranks the next time you call damage in melee.
†† Glory in Death (Ability): If Incapacitated while in melee, stay active for long
enough to make one melee attack (or three seconds, whichever is shorter),
dealing an additional two damage ranks.
†† Warrior Spirit (Ability): Once per week, call Howl Of Fury.
†† Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken (Ability): Once per scene, instantly heal yourself for 2 HP. You may do this while Incapacitated.
Dalamar
Perk: When healed, heal an additional HP.
Where Penrith is relaxed, Dalamar is tightly wound and structured. As essentially a nation of warriors
they possess the single most well trained fighting force in the world, often hiring out regiments of their
army as mercenaries. Trained for combat from birth Dalamarans consider themselves the toughest
people in the whole of Mercator & with good reason.
Dalamar pays lip service to the Watchers as required, but only sends troops when it is convenient. Dalamar treats the Watchers as a rival army - sometimes their ally, sometimes not. They have no qualms
with playing games with their opponents and like to see what they can
get away with regarding the Watchers.
People from Dalamar are most likely to join the Watchers for the varied
combat experience, or the personal recognition.
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The Frozen Isles
Ability: Once per scene, when you have at least
2HP, lose 2HP. Deal three additional damage ranks
the next time you call damage in melee. You may
not heal by any means for the remainder of the
Scene.
For centuries the Vykiins (roughly translated it means sea travellers)
struggled against the elements on their rocky islands, stockpiling
their harvest during the green summers to weather the brutal winter
storms. As the clans on each island grew, their ability to produce
food dwindled, until in desperation one island converted their fishing boats into transports and took their neighbours’ stores by force.
So began both a tradition of raids back and forth and the Vykiin
warrior culture. With no real central governing body, the people of
the Frozen Isles view the rest of the world in terms of who would
give them the best fight. To that end the Watchers rank highly on that list, and are therefore generally
worthy of respect. The Frozen Islanders will in general show respect to the decisions of the Watchers,
provided it is convenient for them.
People from the Frozen Isles would join the Watchers to seek adventure, to prove themselves to their
hold or gain experience in battle.
Southlands
Ability: Once per day, you may cast Ward (Support Magic) one time without
costing MP. It expires at the end of the scene.
The nomadic tribes of the Southlands have a rather chequered history; many of their people joined Drakk’nor at the start of the Great
War; and even 200 years later some tribes have not fully recovered.
A proud people, the Southlanders generally have little contact with
the outside world; their tribes are self-sufficient and each embodies a
totemic animal of one of the gods - a concept foreign to many in the
rest of Mercator.
The Southlands have a sort of hand-shake agreement with the
Watchers. They are on good terms for now, but everyone remembers
they were on different sides during the Great War. The Southlands
tribes fear the power of the Watchers, so mostly they comply with
requests.
People from the Southlands are most likely to join the Watchers to
atone for the transgretions of their ancestors or to prove themselves
capable members of their tribes.
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Fighting Style
This is how the character approaches fights, and the
means they use in combat.
Archery
Stats: +1 Finesse
Weapons: Bow, 1-handed melee weapon.
Armour Bonus: 2
Gear: Bow, arrows and a quiver.
†† Ability: Once per scene, empower an arrow as if it was a spell packet that
calls Drain instead of calling damage.
†† Perk: Can dual-wield 1-handed short melee weapons.
†† Ability: Once per scene, hold aim on your target for three seconds. On your
next shot call an additional three ranks of damage.
†† Perk: +1 Brawn.
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Combat Mage
Stats: +1 Essence, +1 Resolve
Weapons: Polearm, 1-handed melee weapon.
Perk: Spellcaster: Combat Magic.
Armour Bonus: 0
†† Perk: When casting Strike, empower a number of
spell packets equal to your Essence +2
†† Perk: Reduce the casting time of Stun to one
second.
†† Ability: Once per day, perform a 5 second ritual to regain all your spent
mana.
†† Ability: Once per week, perform a 5 second ritual; for this Scene, all your
spells that empower spell packets empower twice as many spell packets.
Combat Magic Spell List
Thorns
If damaged in melee combat, call Thorns 2.
Range: Self, Cost: 2, Upkeep: Yes
Strike
Empower a number of spell packets equal to your Essence. Each packet calls damage
equal to your Essence.
Casting Time: 1 Second, Range: Thrown packet, Cost: 2, Upkeep: No
Stun
Empower a spell packet that calls Stun.
Range: Thrown packet, Cost: 1, Upkeep: No
Dispel
Empower a spell packet that calls Dispel.
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Heavy Armour
Stats: +1 Resolve.
Weapons: Any melee weapon, shield.
Perk: While you have any AP remaining, ignore damage
calls of 1.
Armour Bonus: 6
Gear: Shield. One additional melee weapon.
†† Perk: +2 Armour Bonus.
†† Ability: Once per scene, issue a challenge.
Roleplay your challenge, and end it by calling Mass Taunt.
†† Ability: Once per week, pray for protection. Your prayer must be roleplayed
for at least ten seconds and you may do nothing else during this time. After
the prayer is complete, call Immune to all damage for the next 30 seconds.
†† Perk: When you use a shield, its Sunder Point is increased by 2.
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Skirmisher
Stats: +1 Brawn, +1 Wits
Weapons: Any 1-handed melee weapon, bow,
shields.
Armour Bonus: 3
Gear: Any two of: extra melee weapon, shield, or
bow and arrows.
†† Ability: Once per Scene, call Dodge.
†† Perk: +1 Sneak.
†† Ability: Once per day, you may cast Thorns (Combat Magic) one time. It
costs 0 MP to cast. The spell takes effect when your shield is struck, and not
when you are struck. The spell expires at the end of the scene.
†† Perk: +1 Finesse.
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Streetfighter
Stats: +1 Brawn, +1 Wits
Weapons: Dual-wield 1-handed short melee weapons,
throwing weapons.
Ability: Can call Backstab once per scene. A backstab
melee attack that hits an opponent from behind deals
three additional ranks of damage.
Armour Bonus: 1
Gear: May begin play with an extra melee weapon and
up to three throwing weapons.
†† Perk: Can wield 1-handed long melee weapons. May dual-wield one long
and one short melee weapon.
†† Ability: You may use backstab twice per scene.
†† Perk: +1 Finesse.
†† Ability: Once per week, use Flurry of Blades. For the next thirty seconds,
your melee attacks deal an additional three ranks of damage.
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Support Mage
Weapons: Polearm, 1-handed short melee weapon.
Perk: Spellcaster: Support Magic.
Armour Bonus: 0
†† Perk: Armour Bonus +2
†† Ability: Once per scene, cast Heal instantly.
†† Ability: Once per day perform a 5 second ritual to
regain all your spent mana
†† Ability: Once per week cast MASS HEAL: all allies are healed for 3HP
instantly. Mass Heal has Range: Scene, Cost 0, Upkeep No, and takes one
second to cast.
Support Magic Spell List
Sanctuary
The caster must cross their arms in front of their chest and stand without moving their
feet. They must continue their casting chant for the duration of the spell. While the spell
continues, the caster may not do anything except maintain the spell. Call Immune to all
damage and effects (except Dispel) while maintaining Sanctuary.
Range: Self, Cost: 2, Upkeep: No
Ward
Target gains +2 to their Armour Bonus for as long as the spell is upkept. A white ribbon
must be tied to the character. Ward may not be cast on a character wearing Enchanted
Armour.
Casting Time: 5 Seconds, Range: Touch, Cost: 1, Upkeep: Yes
Enhance Weapon
A weapon affected by this spell deals an additional rank of damage per hit. A red ribbon
must be tied to the item. Enhance Weapon may not be cast on an Enchanted Weapon.
Range: Touch, Cost: 1, Upkeep: Yes
Heal
Target regains 2 HP. This spell has no effect on Wights.
Range: Touch, Cost: 1, Upkeep: No
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Swashbuckler
Stats: +1 Circles, +2 Finesse.
Weapons: 1-handed long melee weapon. Shield no
larger than 40cm diameter. 1-handed short melee
weapon in off-hand.
Ability: In any scene, call Dodge a number of times
equal to your Finesse.
Armour Bonus: 0
Gear: May begin play with one additional melee weapon or buckler.
†† Ability: Once per day call Disarm instead of calling damage.
†† Ability: Once per scene call Grip Ground instead of calling damage.
†† Ability: Once per week, use Coup D’ Main. For the next ten seconds, call
Dodge as often you want. These calls are not counted against any other
source of Dodge you have access to.
†† Perk: Add your Finesse to your Hit Point total.
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Unarmoured
Stats: +2 Brawn
Weapons: Can wield any melee weapon.
Armour Bonus: 0
Gear: Two additional melee weapons.
†† Ability: Once per scene, use Mighty Blow. Deal
two additional damage ranks the next time you
call damage in melee.
†† Ability: At any time, call Blast instead of calling
damage.
†† Ability: Once per week, go into a battle trance (or berserk rage). Every time
you incapacitate an opponent in this scene, recover all your hit points.
†† Perk: Can dual-wield 1-handed short melee weapons.
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Skillset
This is what the character does when they’re not fighting; the skills that make
them a useful member of society. Detailed skill descriptions are located after
the Skillset section of this book.
Air Mage
Stats: +1 Essence, +1 Finesse
Abilities: Spellcaster: Air Magic
Skills: Arcane Lore +1, Historical Lore +1, Sneak +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Air Mage skill.
†† Perk: Reduce the cost of Gust of Wind to 1.
†† Perk: +1 Finesse
†† Perk: Add Dispel (from the Combat Magic Spell List) to your spell list.
Air Magic Spell List
Cloudstep
Immediately Sneak for 2 seconds or up to 3 paces, whichever is shorter.
Casting Time: 1 Second, Range: Self, Cost: 1, Upkeep: No
Feather Fall
The caster and nearby allies take no damage from falling.
Casting Time: Instant, Range: 10m, Cost: 1, Upkeep: Yes
Calm the Storm
Empower a spell packet that calls Silence.
Gust of Wind
The caster empowers a number of spell packets equal to her Essence that call Blast.
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Alchemist
Stats: +1 Wits, +1 Essence
Ability: Make Potion Rank 1
Skills: Arcane Lore +1, Nature Lore +1, Appraise +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Alchemist skill.
†† Perk: Increase Make Potion by one rank.
†† Perk: Choose one common Alchemy ingredient. You always have access to
that ingredient.
†† Perk: Gain one rank in Make Potion and Nature Lore.
Make Potion
Alchemical potions are prepared in two parts, which are then mixed carefully just before
use. Mixing a potion must be roleplayed with the appropriate equipment. It takes five
seconds to mix a potion, and it must be used within a minute. An alchemist may make
a number of potion ranks equal to double their Wits each scene (e.g. an alchemist with
Wits 2 could make one rank 2 and two rank 1 potions per scene).
Making less-volatile potions that do not have to be used immediately requires additional
reagents as described in the Alchemical Potions List, and take five minutes per rank to
manufacture.
Some reagents may be substituted for similar substances. Results will vary.
Rank 1: Choose a number of recipes equal to your Wits from the Alchemical Potion list;
your character knows how to make those potions.
Rank 2: Choose additional recipes equal to your Wits.
Rank 3: Reduce the time to create non-volatile potions to two minutes per rank.
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Alchemical Potion List
Poison
Rank 2: Smeared onto an edged weapon or arrow, adds one additional rank of damage
to the next successful hit. Alternatively, can be prepared as an ingestible poison, with
effects ranging from sickness to lingering death; negotiate with a GM.
Reagents: Powdered Belladonna berries, “Red lead”, Cobra venom
Explosive Potion
Rank 1: Empowers a spell packet that calls Blast.
Reagents: Charcoal, Sulphur, Guano
Acid
Rank 2: Empowers a spell packet that calls two damage, or can be used to open level 1
or 2 locks. Acid potions require 5 minutes to open locks.
Reagents: Vitriol, Saltpeter, Refined Alum
Healing Potion
Rank 1: When you drink this potion, heal 3 HP.
Reagents: Brandy, willow bark, sea salt
Gluebomb Potion
Rank 2: Empowers two spell packets that call Grip Ground.
Reagents: Pine Tree sap, Beeswax, egg white
Cloud of Smoke Potion
Rank 1: Cloud of Smoke is activated by hurling the potion to the ground at the user’s
feet. Sneak for 2 seconds or up to 3 paces, whichever is shorter.
Reagents: Raw Sugar, Saltpeter, Soda, Raw Umber powder
Potion of Strength
Rank 3: Drinking this potion will grant +1 to Brawn for one scene. The non-volatile version gives +1 to Brawn for one day. Repeated application of Potions of Brawn grants no
additional benefit and will have negative intoxicating effects.
Reagents: Rum, Bulls Blood, Powdered Bear Claw
Potion of Toughness
Rank 3: Drinking this potion will grant +1 to Resolve for one scene. The non-volatile
version gives +1 to Resolve for one day. Repeated application of Potions of Toughness
grants no additional benefit and will have negative intoxicating effects.
Reagents: Vodka, Mule hair, granite powder
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Bard
Stats: +1 Resources, +2 Circles, +1 Wits.
Ability: Make Reputation
Skills: Appraise +1, Culture Lore +1, Historical Lore +1, Navigation +1
†† Perk: When using Make Reputation, you may choose up to six characters to
receive the Reputation descriptor. If you do this, one of the characters must
be you.
†† Perk: You may use Make Reputation twice per day instead of once.
†† Perk: +1 Circles and Navigation.
†† Perk: +1 Resources and Appraise.
Make Reputation
The capability to alter the reputations written on a character’s sheet. You can make
people famous, or infamous.
Bards will be able to put official stamps on Rumours; GMs will alter the reputations of
characters based on rumours, songs, bragging and stories told of them.
In addition to Rumours, once per day, a PC Bard may give a character a Reputation
descriptor by creating a song, poem or story about that character and telling it to others.
The Make Reputation skill has no ranks and cannot be increased.
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Earth Mage
Abilities: Spellcaster: Earth Magic
Skills: Arcane Lore +1, Historical Lore +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Earth Mage skill.
†† Perk: Might of the Earth is Range: Touch when you cast it.
†† Ability: Once per week perform a 5 second ritual. You may call Immune to
Turn, Blast and Drag for the remainder of the scene.
†† Perk: +3 Armour Bonus.
Earth Magic Spell List
Might of the Earth
The caster gains +1 Brawn and Resolve.
Unstable Ground
Empowers a spell packet that calls Turn.
Stone Shield
A shield reinforced with this spell is immune to Sunder. In addition, increase its Sunder
Point by 1.
Mending
The caster can repair anything made from earth, stone or metal. This spell works at the
same speed as Craft rank 2 and stops working if the caster breaks concentration.
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Enchanter
Stats: +1 Essence
Ability: Enchant Item Rank 1
Skills: Arcane Lore +1, Craft +1, Appraise +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Enchanter skill.
†† Perk: Enchant Item +1.
†† Ability: Once ever, create a permanent enchanted item without the necessary
reagents.
†† Perk: Enchant Item +1, Craft +1
Enchant Item
A temporary enchantment requires a five minute roleplayed ritual in the presence of a
GM. At the point of casting the enchantment, a coloured ribbon or equivalent prop must
be tied to the item in a prominent position so that the enchantment can be clearly seen
by all players/NPCs.
Temporary enchantments expire each sunrise and sunset. Permanently enchanted items
do not count against the enchanter’s temporary enchantment daily allowance and may
not be dispelled.
To enchant a permanent item requires a thirty minute ritual and the use of reagents as
described in the item description; many of these will be expended as part of the ritual.
Casters may remove temporary enchantments from items they have created at will. The
item must be present for the caster to remove the enchantment.
Rank 1: Can maintain a number of temporary enchantments equal to their Essence.
Rank 2: Can maintain a number of temporary enchantments equal to double their
Essence.
Rank 3: When enchanting items, halve the length of time that the ritual takes.
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Enchanted Item List
Enchant Armour
The target of this enchantment gains an additional 2 AP. A
white ribbon must be tied to the armour. This enchantment
cannot be cast on an unarmoured target. Enchanted AP are
repaired in the same way as mundane AP. Characters wearing enchanted armour may not be affected by the Ward spell.
Reagents for Permanent: Arcanix, Diamond, Minotaur Hide, White Hot
Flame
Enchant Weapon
A weapon affected by this enchantment deals an additional
rank of damage per hit.
A red ribbon must be tied to the weapon. An Enchanted
Weapon may not be affected by the Enhance Weapon spell.
Reagents for Permanent: Arcanix, Pristene Wolf’s Fang, Ettercap Venom, A Body Of Flowing Water.
Two-way Communication Link
A pair of items are enchanted to act as an audio conduit between two places. Both items
must be held in order for sound to travel through. There is no known maximum distance
for this enchantment.
Reagents for Permanent: Arcanix, A Single item split in two, A Ravens Feather, Strong Winds
Cloak of Camouflage
Enchants a cloak. Anyone wearing it gains an additional rank of the Sneak skill.
Reagents for Permanent: Arcanix, Drider Silk, Wax of a Spent Candle, Moonlight
Item of Power
A character holding the item may cast the spell held within it once per scene, using their
own MP as if they were a spellcaster with that spell on their spell list. Creating this item
requires the assistance of a character who can cast the spell to be held within the item.
That character must participate in the entire enchantment ritual. Spells with a range
of SELF or SCENE may not be used in an Item of Power. If the spell is an upkeep spell,
the spell expires immediately if the caster is no longer in possession of the item. A blue
ribbon must be tied to the item.
Reagents for Permanent: Arcanix, A symbolic representation of the spell being cast, Eyes of a Firesnake,
Bare Untilled Soil
Mana Vault
Stores one MP, which may be spent as normal by a character holding the stone. When
spent, the mana vault must be recharged by spending the character’s own mana.
Reagents for Permanent: Arcanix, The Core of an Elemental, A Precious Gemstone, A Rainbow
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Fire Mage
Stats: +1 Essence
Abilities: Spellcaster: Fire Magic
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Fire Mage skill.
†† Perk: Incineration calls 30 damage when you cast it
†† Perk: Whenever you would call damage with a spell packet call one additional damage.
†† Perk: Rune of Fire now creates two damage traps when you cast it.
Fire Magic Spell List
Fire Arrow
Empower a spell packet that calls damage equal to double the caster’s Essence.
Flare
Empower a spell packet that calls Blind. This spell may also be used as a signal.
Incineration
Empower a spell packet that calls 20 damage. The spell packet must be thrown within a
minute of the ritual’s completion.
Casting Time: 1 minute, Range: Thrown packet, Cost: 2, Upkeep: No
Rune of Fire
Create, prime and place one damage trap as per the Set/Disarm Traps skill. You do not
need to pay the materials cost.
Range: Trap, Cost: 2, Upkeep: Yes
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Ice Mage
Stats: +1 Essence
Abilities: Spellcaster: Ice Magic
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Ice Mage skill.
†† Ability: Once per scene, call Immune when hit by a spell packet.
†† Perk: Ice Armour provides 6 Armour Points when you cast it.
†† Perk: Slow and Freezing Grip empower spell packets equal to your essence
when you cast them.
Ice Magic Spell List
Ice Armour
Target gains an Armour Bonus of 4. This replaces the target’s Armour Bonus, if they
have one. Ward and Ice Armour cannot affect the same target.
Rune of Ice
Create, prime and place one Immobilising trap as per the Set/Disarm Traps skill. You do
not need to pay the materials cost.
Range: Trap, Cost: 2, Upkeep: Yes
Winter’s Chill
Empower a spell packet that calls Slow.
Range: Thrown Packet, Cost: 1, Upkeep: No
Freezing Grip
Empowers a spell packet that calls Grip Ground.
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Labourer
Stats: +1 Brawn, +1 Resolve, +1 Circles
Skills: +1 Streetwise, +1 Craft
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Labourer skill.
†† Perk: Gain one rank of Nature Lore or Culture
Lore, depending on your work.
†† Perk: +2 HP and +1 Craft.
†† Perk: +1 Circles and +1 Streetwise.
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Nature Mage
Wights may not take this Skillset.
Abilities: Spellcaster: Nature Magic
Skills: Arcane Lore +1, Nature Lore +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Nature Mage skill.
†† Perk: Your Aspect of the Beast may never be dispelled unless you allow it.
†† Perk: Reduce the cost of Leech Seed to 1.
†† Perk: When you cast Grasping Vines, empower a number of spell packets
equal to your Essence.
Nature Magic Spell List
Aspect of the Beast
When creating a Nature Mage, choose up to your Essence in aspects from the following
list as your Totems. While this spell is upkept, the caster gains the benefit of one of their
Totems.
Owl: +1 Wits / Cat: +1 Finesse / Bear: +1 Brawn / Boar: +1 Resolve /
Tortoise: +3 Armour / Snake: +1 Sneak / Wolf: +2 Tracking
Range: Self, Cost: 2, Upkeep: Yes, Ingredients: Focus Item: A symbol of the totem to be invoked.
Grasping Vines
Empower a spell packet that calls Drag.
Nature’s Protection
While this spell is upkept, one poison or disease currently affecting the target will cease
progress. It will get no worse or better until the spell expires. This spell has no effect on
targets that are not already poisoned or diseased.
Leech Seed
Empower a spell packet that calls 3 damage. If the packet hits a living target, heal yourself 2 hit points.
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Necromancer
Abilities: Spellcaster: Necromancy
Skills: Arcane Lore +1, Historical Lore +1, Medicine +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Necromancer skill.
†† Perk: Heal Undead now heals 4 HP when you cast it.
†† Ability: At will, spend HP as if they were mana points. If you use this power,
you may not heal yourself or be healed for the remainder of the scene.
†† Ability: When you concentrate, you can sense the presence and general
direction of undead creatures within 50m of you.
Necromancy Magic Spell List
Enfeeblement
Empower a spell packet that calls Drain.
Range: Spell Packet, Cost: 1, Upkeep: No
Heal Undead
Target undead creature regains 2 HP.
Cast/Remove Curse
Curse a target or remove a curse cast by another caster. Curses may be role playing
things such as ‘may never lie’ or more combat-oriented such as ‘target is always stunned
for the first 2 seconds of combat’. To cast or remove a curse, speak to a GM.
Range: Special, Cost: Varies, Upkeep: Yes, Ingredients: Varies, but always requires a link to the target
(e.g. lock of hair, blood, object of special significance)
Disrupt Undead
Empower a spell packet. If the packet hits an undead creature, call Disrupt.
Range: Spell Packet, Cost: 2, Upkeep: No
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Raise the Dead *IT IS FORBIDDEN FOR A WATCHER TO CAST THIS SPELL*
This spell animates a corpse, turning it into a zombie subject to the will of the caster. An
equivalent of 1 humanoid worth of flesh may be animated for every 15 minutes spent
using this ritual, to a maximum of one hour. Once animated, the undead take orders
from the lead ritual summoner and will stay animated until destroyed. Large undead
monstrosities may be created by merging the corpses of multiple smaller creatures.
Multiple casters may involve themselves in this ritual; each caster increases the amount
of flesh that can be animated in 15 minutes.
Range: Touch, Cost: 6, Upkeep: No, Ingredients: One corpse per Zombie.
Priest
Perk: Divine Caster. Gain one Religion Lore specialisation.
Skills: Religion Lore +1, Historical Lore +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Priest skill.
†† Perk: Add your number of Religion Lore specialisations to your HP.
†† Perk: +1 to any two Lore skills.
Divine Caster
Each scene, you may perform a number of Rituals equal to your Resolve. Each Ritual
calls on a divine blessing from a god in which you have a Religion Lore specialisation
and for which you are carrying a holy symbol. All participants in the ritual receive the
effects. Each Ritual takes 30 seconds to perform. The priest and any character who
listens to the ritual and accepts the priest’s blessing by touching the holy symbol of the
priest is a participant. A participant may only be affected by one blessing from each
god each scene.
Divine Caster Ritual List
Athanos, God of Light and the Sun
Curses that affect participants are removed.
Savedra, Goddess of Death
Participants may call Immune to the first attack that would Incapacitate them in this
scene. This ritual does not affect Wights.
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T’Lann, Goddess of Fertility
Participants gain +1 HP for this scene.
Tysis, God of Prosperity
Participants gain +1 AP for this scene.
Romain Ironmace, God of War
Participants call an additional rank of damage on their
next attack.
Eutima, Goddess of Knowledge
Participants gain a vision granting a flash of insight into
the past of a person, place or object.
She of Many Names, Trickster and Luck Goddess
Flip a coin. If heads, participants gain an additional Dodge
this scene.
Rosnak, God of Water
Participants may breathe underwater for this scene.
Lenka, God of Storms and Weather
Participants may call Blast instead of calling damage on their next attack.
Amalia, Goddess of Love
Participants heal 4 HP.
Zelaya, Goddess of Darkness and the Moon
Participants gain a rank of Sneak for this scene.
Zagor, God of Nature
Participants gain a rank of Tracking.
Ranger
Stats: +1 Finesse, +2 Wits
Skills: Nature Lore +1, Tracking +1, Sneak +1,
Navigation +1, Disarm/Set Traps +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Ranger skill.
†† Perk: +1 Nature Lore and Tracking.
†† Perk: +1 Sneak and Disarm/Set Traps.
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Rogue
Stats: +2 Wits, +2 Circles.
Skills: Appraise +1, Cultural Lore +1, Sneak +1, Pick Lock +1, Disarm/Set
Traps +1, Streetwise +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Rogue skill.
†† Perk: +1 Streetwise and Sneak.
†† Perk: +1 Pick Locks and Disarm/Set Traps.
Sage
Stats: +1 Resolve, +1 Resources, +1 Circles
Skills: Arcane Lore +1, Cultural Lore +1, Religion Lore +1, Historical Lore
+1, Medicine +1, Nature Lore +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any two Sage skills.
†† Perk: Gain one rank in each Sage skill.
†† Perk: Choose one: Calm the Storm (Air Magic), Dispel (Combat Magic) or
Reverse the Sands of Time (Divination). You may cast that spell as if you
were a spellcaster.
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Seer
Stats: +1 Essence
Abilities: Spellcaster: Divination, Visions (Occasionally, a GM may possibly give
you a cryptic and unreliable hint of the future.)
Skills: Appraise +1, Arcane Lore +1, Historical Lore +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Seer skill.
†† Perk: Premonition of Danger now grants two Dodge calls rather than one.
†† Perk: Footsteps of the Past now adds two ranks to Tracking when you cast it.
†† Perk: Premonition of Danger is Range: Touch when you cast it.
Divination Spell List
Footsteps of the Past
Caster gains +1 Tracking.
Guide my Hand
Ask the gods regarding a choice that must be made. The gods will provide a sign. The
signs are always cryptic. This spell may be cast no more than once per scene.
Premonition of Danger
Call Dodge once, then Premonition of Danger expires.
Casting Time: 5 Seconds, Range: Self, Cost: 1, Upkeep: Yes
Scry
The caster may conduct a ritual to see an object or person at a distance. The vision presented may be murky, or may relate to the metaphorical state of the target rather than
their literal surroundings.
Range: Touch, Cost: 4, Upkeep: Yes, Ingredients: A symbolic link to the target - such as a lock of
the person’s hair, the scabbard that used to house the sword, etc - and a reflective surface such as a
mirror or natural still pool.
Reverse the Sands of Time
Touch a person or object and receives a flash of insight into their past and/or where
they have been. This vision cannot be used to rewind to a specific point in time - it will
give a flash or a glimpse into a key point of time from the target’s perspective.
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Soldier
Stats: +1 Resources, +1 Circles, +1 Resolve
Perk: +2 Armour Bonus.
Skills: Culture Lore +1, Historical Lore +1, Craft +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Soldier skill.
†† Perk: Gain a positive Reputation descriptor. Choose why. This descriptor can
never be changed or removed.
†† Perk: +1 Resources and +1 Armour Bonus.
†† Perk: +1 Circles and +1 Craft.
Thug
Stats: +1 Brawn, +1 Circles, +1 HP
Skills: Streetwise +1, Appraise +1, Sneak +1
†† Perk: Gain one rank in any Thug skill.
†† Perk: +1 HP
†† Perk: +1 Sneak and +1 Streetwise
†† Perk: +1 Resolve
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Twist
What makes you special? What makes your character different from all the other orcish swashbuckler alchemists from the Marshes? Twists are essentially a
way to tell the GMs a bit about the sort of story you want to play through with
your character, and help them to come up with personalised plots and sidequests. They have no rules effect, and are purely for roleplaying, plot and story
purposes. We’ve listed some ideas here. Feel free to pitch your own.
True Nobility
In their homeland, aristocrats are treated as major nobility, and they have
similar advantages in countries that respect such things. You may be a card-carrying member of the Pipe-Smokers Club.
Secret Nobility
Not all those of noble birth embrace their responsibilities, or even know their
true heritage. Characters with Secret Nobility have either abandoned their life
or never knew it in the first place. If the characters true identity is ever dramatically exposed Secret Nobility changes into True Nobility and their Creed or
Instinct, if linked, should change as well.
Hunted
Wanted criminals, victims of blood oaths and renegades on the run. Hunted
characters are always looking over their shoulder, as they have someone doggedly pursuing them.
Glorious Destiny
Characters with a Glorious Destiny are called by the gods to a greater purpose.
While mortals may not see the full weave of fate, they know that their thread is
an important one.
Wanderer of the Blasted Plains
Prolonged exposure to the environs of the Blasted Plains leaves its mark on any
mortal, this is never healthy. Characters with this twist have spent just a little
too long in the Plains and have contracted The Dirge. There are only two outcomes of this malady if it is allowed to progress; death or becoming a Wight.
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Lost Fortune
Throughout Mercator fortunes are made and lost
every day; buried treasures can be found, trade
deals can go poorly and natural disasters pick no
favourites. Characters with this twist are the unlucky
ones, who have lost their riches through one means
or another.
Blood Oath
You have sworn a mighty oath that drives everything
you do. It may be connected to the Watchers, or not;
but consider the in-game consequences before you
choose your oath. If you ever break this oath, your
character will be known as an oath-breaker and may
be subject to punishment from their people.
Secret Identity
While most people are content to be themselves, there are some who find it
necessary to disguise their identity from the world. Characters with this twist
may don a mask or other disguise to conceal their identity. Reputation descriptors will only be applied to one of your characters identities, unless your secret
identity is dramatically exposed; in which case all modifiers will be transferred
to your true identity.
Hard-Knock Life
Life just keeps knocking you down. You’re at home on streets, amongst the
dregs of society and the lowest of the low.
Lucky
Whether its the result of a blessing, a lucky charm or you were born under the
right star, sometimes things just go right. While it is not consistent enough to
rely on your good fortune will occasionally steer you towards what you need...
or away from trouble.
Mixed Luck
Nine times out of ten, you’ll roll a 20 or a 1. Extreme circumstances just seem
to turn up around you.
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Member of Bluntaxe Search and Rescue
You are a card-carrying Bluntaxeman - a member of the elite Search and Rescue team. You must be from the Great Halls to begin the game with this Twist.
See the setting documents for further details.
You’re The Voice
You are a card-carrying member of The Voice. These bards are known throughout Mercator as a trustworthy source of news and information. Members of
The Voice have some prestige but are sworn to always speak the truth. See the
setting documents for further details.
Travelling Salesman
You are a member of the All Merchants Alliance, the trading families of Bel
Voyage. You are expected to maintain their reputation and appearance, and to
prioritise matters of trade wherever it does not conflict with your tasks.
Famous
Your name is associated with a glorious act of some kind, whether it be something you did yourself or an honoured ancestor.
Infamous
Your name is associated with a terrible act of some kind, whether it be something you did yourself or a reviled ancestor.
Veteran Watcher
If you have played a character through to retirement, you can take the Veteran
Watcher Twist for your next character. This character is not a new recruit to
the Watchers, as other new player characters are.
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Feyblood:
More on Feybloods in The Wanderer’s Guide to Mercator; note that this state carries with it significant social
stigma. Wights may never be Feyblood.
Feyblood (Dryad)
Physep: Dryads have skin like bark.
Feyblood (Nymph)
Physrep: Nymphs have blue skin and gills.
Feyblood (Satyr)
Physrep: Satyrs have prominent horns and furred legs.
Two-Headed Ogre
Physrep: Two-headed Ogres have a second head, which
must be appopriately propped.
You must take the Orc race and the Southlands culture to take this Twist. The
two-headed ogre is a strange mutation of the Southland orcs; each head has its
own personality but shares control of the body.
Other Inspiration For Twists?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Innocent
•
Rose-coloured Glasses
Untrustworthy
•Truthful
Sworn Protector •
Born at Sea
Exceptional Focus
•
Iron Stomach
Easily Distracted
•
Sheltered Upbringing
Paranoid
•Phobia
Oblivious
•
Off With The Fairies
True Faith
•
Family Artifact
Spell-scarred
•Blessed
Cursed
•Well-connected
Charlatan
•
Professional Craftsman
Oathbreaker
•
Military title
Property
•
Unique markings
Never at home anywhere
•
Priestly background (social)
Spoiled Child
•
Itinerant merchant
From a long line •
Raised by wolves/bears/
of (social class)
goats/otters/scorpions
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Skill Descriptions
Appraise
Know the value of gems, jewelry, trade goods and magic items
Rank 1: know the value of common items, gems, jewelry and common magic items
Rank 2: know the value of rare items, gems, jewelry and rare magic items
Rank 3: know the value of unique items, gems, jewelry and unique magic items
Arcane Lore
Knowledge of magic, magical items, magical creatures, magical potions, and the like. At
Rank 1, you have a professional’s knowledge of all things arcane. For each rank beyond
the first, choose a speciality (e.g. elementals, enchanted swords, cursing spells, etc). You
are an expert in that topic.
Craft
Allows a character to fix and improve items.
Rank 1: Can repair basic items and shields, repair armour at 2 AP per minute
Rank 2: Can tune up existing items, repair fine items and repair armour at 3 AP per
minute
Rank 3: Can create items at master quality, repair any item and repair armour at 5 AP
per minute
To tune up an item requires five minutes of roleplayed work with the item. The effect of
tuning up an item lasts until the next sunrise. Items may not have more than one active
tune up. A Master quality item always counts as tuned up, and must be created in downtime between events. Costs listed here are the cost to the craftsman to create the effect
or item, and not the cost a customer would expect to pay.
Craft Effects List:
Item
Effect
Cost to tune up
Cost to create master quality
Weapon
+1 damage
5 pennies
1 crown
Armour
+2 AP
8 pennies
1 crown 3 florins
Shield
+1 Sunder point
1 florin
1 crown 5 florins
Tool
+1 to a skill or other
miscellaneous effect
(consult a GM re
appropriate tools)
(consult a GM)
(consult a GM)
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Cultural Lore
Knowledge of cultural traditions, rank structure, etiquette, law, and the like. At Rank 1,
you have a working knowledge of every culture. For each rank beyond the first, choose a
speciality (e.g. Mynaren, aristocracy, dinner etiquette). You are an expert in that topic.
Disarm/Set Traps
By default, traps require Wits 3 to detect, and require the Disarm/Set Traps ability to
disarm. Traps are represented by a 1-meter long coloured rope with a tag stating the effect of the trap. The trap takes effect when a character enters the space enclosed by the
rope, or if they touch the rope. Note that the representation is a simplification for game
mechanics, and is not intended to accurately show the components of the trap.
Traps must be created in advance and 5 seconds to place and prime. After a trap created
by a player is triggered, it must be discarded. You may recover any of your traps which
have not been triggered by disarming them. You may keep a number of traps equal to
your Wits placed and primed at any one time.
Rank 1: It takes 20 seconds for you to disarm a trap.
Rank 2: It takes 10 seconds for you to disarm a trap. You may place and prime a total
number of traps equal to your Wits +1.
Rank 3: You may recover and reuse your traps.
Traps List:
Trap
Effect
Colour
Cost to create
Damage
Call 5 damage
Red
5 pennies
Immobilising
Call Grip Ground
Blue
2 pennies
Alarm
Sets off an alarm
Yellow
1 penny
Magic
A previously prepared non-upkeep
spell hits the target. A character who
can cast the spell must assist in the
creation or placement of this trap.
Green
1 florin
Other
Consult a GM
White
Consult a GM
Historical Lore
Knowledge of the past, as it has been written down by the winners. At Rank 1, you have
a strong knowledge of historical facts. For each rank beyond the first, choose a speciality (e.g. the Great War, military developments, architecture). You are an expert in that
topic.
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Medicine
This skill requires appropriate props, such as needles, thread, bandages, healing herbs
and poultices, etc. Without a genre-appropriate healing kit, the Medicine skill may not
be used.
Rank 1: When performing medical healing, heal all hit points after 45 seconds of roleplayed medical attention. Diagnose and create remedies for common illnesses, diseases
and poisons.
Rank 2: When performing medical healing, heal all hit points after 30 seconds of roleplayed medical attention. Diagnose and create remedies for rare illnesses, diseases and
poisons.
Rank 3: When performing medical healing, heal all hit points after 15 seconds of roleplayed medical attention. Diagnose and create remedies for nearly any illness, disease
or poison.
Nature Lore
Knowledge of plants, herbs, animals, and the natural world. At Rank 1, you have an
in-depth knowledge of the natural world. For each rank beyond the first, choose a speciality (e.g. healing herbs, fruit trees, herd animals). You are an expert in that topic.
Navigation
Able to use landmarks, the stars, maps, compasses and other navigational tools to determine your direction and location in the wilderness.
Rank 1: You can get your party to their destination. You do not get lost, unless magic
is involved.
Rank 2: You can accurately map anywhere that you have travelled.
Rank 3: You always know which way is north. You do not get lost.
Pick Lock
Allows a character actively role-playing to pick a lock open as listed below
Rank 1: pick simple locks of level 1
Rank 2: pick complex locks of level 2
Rank 3: pick intricate locking mechanisms of level 3
Religion Lore
Knowledge of the gods, theological minutiae, church dogma, and the like. At Rank 1,
you have an in-depth knowledge of all things religious. For each rank beyond the first,
choose one of the Gods as your special area of knowledge. You are an expert in that
deity.
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Streetwise
A character with this skill has knowledge of who to contact and what not to do
Rank 1: Knowledge of how not to make faux pas with the underground
Rank 2: Knowledge of who to go to when you “need something”
Rank 3: Having influence with the powers behind the scenes on the streets, bargaining
will be easier (but not necessarily easy)
Sneak
Allows characters to briefly disappear once per Scene. A character using Sneak places
their hand on their head and is considered invisible. If a character using Sneak makes an
attack, Sneak expires.
Rank 1: Sneak for 2 seconds or up to 3 paces, whichever is shorter.
Tracking
Allows characters to track animals and humanoids.
Rank 1: follow tracks in most outdoor settings.
Rank 2: follow tracks and know approximately how many creatures made the tracks
and how long ago.
Rank 3: follow tracks in difficult terrain and passage through city streets.
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Advancement
At the end of each event, debrief with a GM.
†† If you wish, you may change your Creed and Instinct.
†† Tell the GM a story about a time you acted in accordance with your current
Creed - or a time in which your character had to act against it and the impact
of that decision.
†† Tell the GM a story about a time you acted according to your current
Instinct.
†† Then select an advancement option from your fighting style, your skillset,
your race, or your culture.
If you have a fighting style, skillset, race and culture advancement, at your next
advancement you may add one to any Stat instead. No character may do this
more than once. Keep in mind that no Stat can ever have a value higher than 4.
You may take a maximum of two advancements of any type, and a maximum of
one Stat advancement. You may not take a Tier 2 advancement of a particular
type until you have a Tier 1 advancement of each, and you may not take any
advancement twice.
If you advance after taking two advancements of each type, and a Stat advancement, choose one:
†† nothing happens
†† replace one of your advancements with another you could have taken.
†† replace your Fighting Style with another Fighting Style. Lose all advantages
that require your previous Fighting Style.
†† replace your Skillset with another Skillset. Lose all advantages that require
your previous Skillset.
†† retire your character: the GMs will work with you to create suitable closure
for your character.
†† join an Order that your character has been invited into; this may force your
character to leave the Watchers and retire as a player character.
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The Economy of Easthaven
Like most of Mercator, Easthaven uses the new Bel Voyage currency, consisting
of Crowns, Florins and Pennies. A crown is worth ten florins, and a florin is
worth ten pennies.
A rough guide of expected costs - these do fluctuate based on demand.
A cheap meal; 2 pennies
A good meal; 5 pennies
A glass of beer; 1 penny
A daily enchantment for a weapon; 1 florin
Repairing broken armour; 1 penny per AP
A new throwing dagger; 1 florin 5 pennies
A quality new sword; 5 florin
5 grams of Arcanix: 1 florin
Potion of Healing: 5 pennies
Potion of Brawn: 1 florin
Potion of Toughness: 1 florin
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Watchers of Easthaven Character Sheet
†† Character Name:
†† Concept:
†† Player Name:
†† Creed:
†† Instinct:
†† Race:
†† Culture:
†† Fighting Style:
†† Skillset:
†† Twist:
†† Stats:
• Brawn
• Resolve
†† Traits:
•
• Finesse
•
• Wits
•
• Essence
†† Derived Stats:
• Hit Points
•
•
• Armour Points
†† Skills:
• Mana Points
•
†† Standing:
• Reputation
• Circles
• Resources
•
•
•
•
Watchers of Easthaven Character Sheet
†† Reputation
†† Spells:
†† Gear:
†† Advancements:
†† Mighty Deeds:
Racial
Cultural
Fighting Style
Skillset
Stat
Racial
Cultural
Fighting Style
Skillset

File - Watchers Of Easthaven

Transcription

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