shattered playtest

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Advance Playtest

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Introduction

Welcome to the twisted universe of Shattered. Feneryss, as the world is known, is a place pregnant with possibility and rife with murderous espionage, political subterfuge, creatures of nightmarish legend and various misconducts most unbecoming. Feneryss is a foreboding, devastated world in which civilization endeavors to claw its way through a new technological age. Indeed, this dark steampunk-themed roleplaying game will intrigue you in a way no other game has before.

Shattered employs a classless character creation system. This game will, however, provide you the tools needed to create nearly any character imaginable and a richly imagined world for your character to thrive in. The system is built in such a way that there are no restrictions to a players creativity. The content outlined in the following sections are guidelines and while you may use these, we highly recommend that you work with your Game Master to craft your own ideas in order to add your own flavor and get the most out of the game.

We recommend taking the time to read through the rest of this chapter, especially if you are a newcomer to Pen & Paper Roleplaying Games (RPG). We will attempt to give you a good foundation to build upon and hopefully answer your questions.

Throughout the book you may find that certain words are Capitalized and bolded. These words are used frequently in Shattered to describe parts of or entire game play systems.

What is a Pen and Paper Role-playing Game?

In this day and age, most of you have probably heard the acronym, RPG, even if you are not familiar with the genre. RPG stands for Role-playing Game. RPGs have existed for generations and have historically existed in two forms: Pen & Paper and Video Games.

In a Pen and Paper RPG, you and a group of friends create characters and venture into dangerous, exciting, and imaginative worlds to play out epic adventures. It is much like your favorite movie or book, except this time you are your favorite character. Imagine being able to step into those shoes, seeing the world through their eyes, but having the ability to make your own choices which alter the course of the story. With Shattered you have the power. This is your story and you get to live it.

What is needed to play?

First you will need a handful of dice. In the RPG world, dice are referred to by using the letter d (for die) and the number of sides it has. For example a six sided die is called a d6. You will need several dice throughout the course of this game as listed: 1d4, 1d6, 1d8 and 1 to 5d10. If you dont have these dice you may purchase them online or at your local game store, or of course you may use any other alternatives.

So now that you have your dice, you need a writing utensil, your character sheet (which we will get to in the next chapter), some snacks and a few friends. Youre ready to get started!

Shattered at a Glance

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Welcome to Feneryss. On this shattered world, the sun has been blocked out by clouds of ash and sulfuric gasses. Its a dangerous world, where only the strong and the clever survive.

Millennia ago a great cataclysm known as The Reckoning tore the planet apart, leaving the existing civilizations in smoldering ashes. Only a few were left alive to carry on the human race. Molten rock spilled forth from the core, boiling away the oceans, poisoning the atmosphere and unleashing torrents of acid rain upon the remnants of the continents. Yet mankind continued on, living in caves like their ancient ancestors, but surviving. However, as any fall from grace, once youve hit bottom, you can only climb. And that is exactly what these survivors accomplished.

The Multi-Die System

In Shattered, you use a combination of dice to represent your characters actions and to measure successes and failures. This system is called MDS, or Multi-Die System, which uses the sum of the dice rolled to determine an outcome. MDS uses four kinds of dice: Four Sided-Dice (d4), Six Sided-Dice (d6), Eight Sided-Dice (d8) and Ten Sided-Dice (d10). Whenever you are required to roll dice it is called a test or a check and success or failure is determined by the sum total of the dice you rolled plus any other factors, typically called Modifiers. These modifiers are either Bonuses, which add to your roll total, or Penalties, which subtract from your roll total. Additionally, when you roll, in most cases you are rolling against someone or something. This is called an opposed test and success is measured by whoever rolls the highest (modifiers included). A tie always goes to the player. In the case of a tie between two players, results are at the GM's discretion.

The number and type of dice you roll is called your Rating and is determined by your characters Rank in a Skill + their rank in the related Stat. In the examples below, Melee Skill is governed by Strength.

For Example:

Each point in the Skill and its governing stat adds one step to your characters Rating, which determines the Die Code (DC): the number of dice used for a roll. A Rating of 1 grants a character a roll of 1d4 (One four-sided die). The Rating and Die Code increase by one step for each additional point: 1d6 for a Rating of 2, 1d8 for a Rating of 3, etc. However, this pattern changes when you pass a Rating of 4(1d10). A Rating of 5 keeps the first d10 and adds a second die (1d10 + 1d4). This step in the MDS is called a Die Wrap. The new die starts at 1d4 and increases with each additional point in the Rating until the next Die Wrap. Die Wrap occurs at a Rating of 5, 9, 13, and 17 and ending with a maximum Rating of 20, which has a Die Code of 5d10. In the above example, the character has a Melee Rating of 3. This means that you are rolling 1d8 on any tests that have to do with melee combat. Below is an example of the die wrap process followed by the rating table that should assist in learning our system.

For Example:

Melee Skill1 + Strength2 = Melee Rating3

Strength: 4 = 1d10 + Melee: 1 = 1d4 = Rating: 5 = 1d10+1d4

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Rating Dice Rating Dice Rating Dice

1 1d4 8 2d10 15 3d10 + 1d8

2 1d6 9 2d10 + 1d4 16 4d10

3 1d8 10 2d10 + 1d6 17 4d10 + 1d4

4 1d10 11 2d10 + 1d8 18 4d10 + 1d6

5 1d10 + 1d4 12 3d10 19 4d10 + 1d8

6 1d10 + 1d6 13 3d10 + 1d4 20 5d10

7 1d10 + 1d8 14 3d10 + 1d6

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Character Creation

Step One: Concept The first step to building a character in any system is finding your character concept. Who do

you want to play? Who, if you lived in this setting, would you want to be? There are many approaches to finding ones concept, but if you need a little help, then this section is here for you. Coming up with a character concept is an enjoyable process, but it may be a bit daunting for anyone that has no background in role playing games. The biggest problem is generally where to start, so lets start at the beginning.

1. Birth: Under what circumstances was your character born? Is your character a peasant? Is he the son of a famous blacksmith? A persons worldview and personality are shaped from birth, so where they were born and their status in life play an important part in building the concept.

2. Upbringing: How did your character grow up? Was he forced to live on the streets, stealing food just to survive? Has he lived a pampered life with little real world experience? Has he lived his life with his nose stuck in tomes? A characters upbringing will have a large impact on their skills later in life, as well as how he reacts to things like insults and failure.

3. Motivation: Why is your character turning to a life in adventure? Has he gotten tired of his life as a farmer? Is he looking for work as a mercenary? Your characters motivation is the reason that he is in this adventure as well as why he chooses to continue.

4. Passion: What your character loves and hates are very likely related to their skills. His passions also influence how he sees others. Does he have a passion for all things Arkna? Does he think the most interesting thing in the world is the inner workings of a pocket watch? Does he loathe being alone? Does he despise those wicked Vampires? A characters motivation and passions, both positive and negative, will give a character the extra depth needed to keep him interesting and fun to play.

5. Dreams: What is it that your character wants? What is his end game? This can be material like gold or a castle, or abstract like power or love. A characters dreams are pushed forward by their motivation and give a long-term sense of direction. A Vampire seeking Draculesti power, a Wretched struggling tooth and nail for the top spot in his Clan, or a Rekindled seeking their forgotten past are just a few simple examples.

6. Appearance: What does your character look like? Is he ruggedly handsome? Is his appearance one that would frighten children? Does he constantly smell of noxious fumes? Does he have any physical quirks, such as scars, birthmarks, or tattoos? Was he born with genetic anomalies such as heterochromia? A characters appearance determines how others react in their presence, this includes both NPCs and other party members. It is also a way to further expand upon a characters personality.

7. Quirks: Does your character stutter when hes nervous? Is he tongue tied when talking to the opposite sex? Quirks are small imperfections that make a character more realistic, though its completely possible for a character to not have any major quirks worth mentioning.

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Step Two: Race Your characters race is the foundation of who he or she is. Culture, geographical location, and

religion all impact how your character views the world and how they choose to act. Each race has various strengths and weaknesses and can be played in an infinite number of ways.

Additionally, each race possesses particular pros and cons that can impact how the character is played. Some are number based, granting a bonus or penalty to a particular rating, while others are purely RP related and should be played to their fullest extent. Choose wisely. Races are on Page 16.

Step Three: XP As characters progress in the game, they gain points towards expanding their overall power in

the world of Feneryss, which is called XP, or Experience Points. XP can be spent anyway the player sees fit and is only restricted by cost.

The character begins with a total of 110xp at character creation to spend where they see fit among Stats, Combat Skills, Non-Combat Skills, and Talents.

It is recommended to spend at least 55xp on stats, 25xp on combat skills, 10xp on non-combat skills, and the last 20xp on talents. These are the recommended expenditures for a well-rounded character, but as Shattered is an open system, you can spend the XP in any manner you prefer.

Step Four: Stats Now that you know who your character is and what they look like and you have XP to spend,

its time to build your character. First up are Stats. These are the numeric representation of your characters strengths and weaknesses. There are 7 stats, each governing an aspect of your character. A stat at 1 is considered to be undeveloped, 2-3 is average, 4 is above average, and 5 is at the limit of anyone that could be considered normal. 6-9 are varying degrees of exceptional and 10 is nigh perfection and is the standard by which the rest of humanity is judged. These can be found on Page 8.

At character creation, all Stats start at 2. You may not increase any one Stat beyond 4 at character creation. However, at GM discretion, you may reduce any of your Stats to 1 and retrieve the 3XP in exchange. This can increase your XP pool by a maximum of 21XP.

Step Five: Skills Your character very likely wasnt born at the beginning of your campaign. While he might not

have much experience, he has lived for a number of years before he began his life of adventure. Skills are what your character has learned during this time and are divided into two different categories, Combat and Non-Combat.

1. Combat Skills: Combat Skills are those that are directly related to combat. This can range from offensive skills like Melee, Arkna, etc. to defensive skills such as Dodge and Block.

2. Non-Combat Skills: Non-Combat Skills are those that cover everything else outside of combat. This includes Athletics, Survival, Lores, and Social Skills.

All skills, whether combat or non-combat, are governed by a primary stat which is listed in parentheses next to the skill name. Skills and their costs are listed on Page 9.

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Step Six: Talents Talents are the core of Shattered. They take the rough information provided

by the skills and stats and turn them into a character. A character with a high intelligence and ranks in the Arkna skill is probably

looking to be a practitioner of magic, but what kind of magic? With talents you can turn that generic spell slinger into a highly trained necromancer or master of the elements.

It all depends on what talents you choose for your character. Each talent carries an experience requirement and some also have prerequisites that need to be fulfilled before you can purchase them.

Step Seven: Health & Other Numbers Now that you have your stats, skills, and talents out of the way, there are a few more numbers

that you need to know in order to complete your character. First and foremost is your Characters Health. You will start with a health value equal to 20 + (2* Toughness) + 2d10. Note that as your toughness increases, so does your health.

Next is your Physical Resolve, which is the measure of your overall physical and mental stamina. For a standard player, their characters Physical Resolve is equal to Resolve + Toughness. A character gains Fatigue through extensive physical or mental exertion. Fatigue points are given out by the GM when appropriate or as an effect of fear, poison, etc. When a character gains Fatigue, they take a -1 penalty to all checks for every 2 points of Fatigue that they have gained. When their Fatigue exceeds their Physical Resolve they pass out due to exhaustion and become Helpless. Characters that are practitioners of the Psionic Arts have a slightly different formula for their Fatigue and that is explained in the Psy section on Page 48.

Your Characters Mental Resolve is next. When the party encounters terrifying, otherworldly beings, or find themselves up against insurmountable odds, they can be forced to take a fear test. A characters Mental Resolve is calculated by Resolve + Will Power. Further details of the Fear system can be found in the Fear section on Page 77.

Next is your Carry & Drag Ability. This is 50*Strength in pounds (lbs.). This will determine how much you can carry or haul before you become Overburdened, which can be found in further detail in the Condition section on Page 76.

Step Eight: Equipment Now that your characters concept is completed. We advance now to the final step in creation:

clothing, gear and weapons. Each player starts with 500 Banknotes (Nts) to outfit his or her character. Weapons, armor, consumables and other items can be found in the Equipment section on Page 57.

Now youre ready to learn the basics of combat, skill tests, and interaction in Combat (Page 70) and put all those fancy skills and talents to use!

NOTE Talents start on

Page 25 and are organized alphabetically

in their respective categories.

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Character Stats

A Players Stats are the cornerstone of any and all situations that they may encounter in the world of Feneryss. They are Strength, Toughness, Agility, Intelligence, Willpower, Perception, and Charisma. All players start with Rank 2 in each Stat. To advance a Stat to the next rank, you must pay the experience cost of that Rank.

Strength: This represents your characters physique and overall muscle mass. Its associated Skills are:

Melee, Athletics, and Intimidate. It is also used for a variety of Combat Actions, such as grappling and bull rushing.

Characters can attempt to carry or drag anything they wish providing it is their size or smaller. If characters have a 5 Strength or better, they can carry or drag objects one size category higher and with a 10 Strength they can drag or carry one object two size categories higher. See Overburdened in the condition section on Page 75 for penalties when carrying in excess of your capacity.

Toughness: This is your ability to shrug off injuries and fatigue. This Stat directly influences your Health,

Damage Reduction, and Physical Resolve, and is the governing Stat for Block.

Agility: This is a measurement of your speed and reflexes. Its Skills are: Ballistic, Hand to Hand,

Dodge, Acrobatics, Pilot, Security, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.

Intelligence: This is your overall ability to retain and apply information. It is used for Skills: Arkna, Alchemy,

Logic, Medicine, Mechaniks, Navigation, Survival, Vocation, and Lore.

Willpower: Similar to Toughness, this is your ability to withstand mental trauma and fatigue. This is used

by Psychics and is the base Stat for Resolve and Interrogation.

Perception: This is your overall awareness of your environment. Your Perception Rating determines your

Initiative Roll and is used for Awareness, Scrutiny, and Search.

Charisma: This represents your ability to speak and deal with people. This Stat is essential for Marshals

of the Elements and is the basis for Devotion, Charm, Command, Connections, Deceit Diplomacy, Disguise, Inquiry, and Perform.

For example, if you want to increase your Strength from 2 to 4, you must pay 11xp for Rank 3, then 20xp for Rank 4.

Drag/Carry Capacity Characters carry capacity is determined by 50*Strength in pounds (lbs.).

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Rank 1: 3xp Rank 2: 6xp Rank 3: 11xp Rank 4: 20xp Rank 5: 45xp


For example, characters who increase their Toughness from Rank 2 to Rank 4 will spend 32xp (11xp + 20xp).

Combat Skills

Combat Skills Combat Skills are the Skills that determine a player's effectiveness during combat. These Skills include Melee, Ballistic, Hand to Hand, Block, Dodge, Arkna, Devotion, Psy, and Resolve. Skill costs are cumulative, and you cannot skip ranks.

Skill Name Associated Stat

Melee Skill Strength

Ballistic Skill Agility

Hand to Hand Agility

Block Toughness

Dodge Agility

Arkna Intelligence

Devotion Charisma

Psy Willpower

Resolve Willpower



Melee Skill (S) Melee Skill governs ones ability to strike with a melee weapon in combat or use other special

combat maneuvers. The roll to attack with a melee weapon is Strength + Melee. The use of this skill is covered more in the Combat section on Page 70.

For example, if you wished to take Rank 3 in Melee, you would have to pay the costs of Ranks 1, 2, and 3, which is 15xp in total.

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Ballistic Skill (Ag) Ballistic Skill governs ones ability to hit a target with a ranged weapon or use special combat

maneuvers that utilize a ranged weapon. In either instance, the roll is Agility + Ballistic. The use of this skill is covered more in the Combat section on Page 70.

Hand to Hand (Ag) Hand to Hand governs your ability to use unarmed strikes in melee combat, parry unarmed

attacks, and use special combat maneuvers. In all instances, the roll is Agility + Hand to Hand. The use of this skill is covered more in the Combat section on Page 70 and the Martial Arts section on Page 44.

Block (T) This governs your ability to block or deflect an attack using a shield or weapon. To Block you

must roll Toughness + Block against the enemy's attack roll. If you have a shield add its soak bonus to your damage reduction. If successful, each point you roll over the attackers roll further increases your damage reduction.

For example, if you roll a successful block and beat your opponent's attack roll by 5, you gain 5 bonus points to your damage reduction in addition to your shield and any other bonuses you may have. Note that blocking has no effect against curses.

Dodge (Ag) Dodge is the representation of a characters agility in combat situations. The Dodge Rating is

equal to your Agility + Dodge. To successfully dodge and negate all damage, the player must roll equal to or greater than the opponents attack roll.

Arkna (Int) This Skill broadly covers anything related to the use of magic from general knowledge to

specific identification. More specifically it is the measure of a characters ability to cast spells from any of the casting schools. The roll for casting magic is Intelligence + Arkna.

Devotion (Cha) Devotion represents a players connection with a specific ideal. This skill greatly influences the

Conviction Talent, which is the Talent for Marshals, as well as the miracles from the Talent. The roll for Devotion is Charisma + Devotion.

Psy (WP) Psy is the players ability to influence the world with their mind. Psy is the primary attack Skill

for Psychics, while Resolve (listed below) is the primary component of the Psy defense. The Psychic is a powerful foe who can manipulate the battlefield and influence the thoughts of others solely through the power of thought. They are especially deadly because, generally speaking, no-one can readily identify a Psychic. Rolling for Psy is Willpower + Psy.

Resolve (WP or T) The Resolve skill represents a characters ability to overcome mental or physical

adversity. The roll to resist some sort of physical ailment, such as poison or a sickness, is Toughness + Resolve and for mental attacks, such as Fear or Curses, the Rating is Will Power +

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Resolve. This cannot be taken in place of Dodge or Block for the purposes of avoiding physical damage inflicted by melee or ranged attacks unless otherwise specified.

Non-Combat Skills

Skill Name Associated Stat Skill Name Associated Stat

Acrobatics Agility Lore, Common Intelligence

Alchemy Intelligence Lore, Secret Intelligence

Athletics Strength Mechaniks Intelligence

Awareness Perception Medicine Intelligence

Charm Charisma Navigation Intelligence

Command Charisma Pilot Agility

Deceit Charisma Perform Charisma

Diplomacy Charisma Scrutiny Perception

Disguise Charisma Search Perception

Inquiry Charisma Security Agility

Interrogation Willpower Sleight of Hand Agility

Intimidate Strength Stealth Agility

Logic Intelligence Survival Intelligence

Lore, Ancient Intelligence Vocation Intelligence



Acrobatics (Ag) This skill governs balance, tumbling, jumping, flipping, etc. A character can normally jump a

number of yards equal to their agility, but in certain instances their ability might need to be tested. In those cases the GM determines a difficulty rating based on the acrobatic challenge. Failing an acrobatics test usually indicates the character falls down, fails to make the jump or slips. Depending on the circumstance, the character may be left prone or take falling damage should he fail this test. Using an Acrobatics test to jump over or tumble under an NPC in combat will result in them rolling an opposed Acrobatics test, failure means the character has been blocked. The roll for acrobatics is Agility + Acrobatics.

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Alchemy (Int) Alchemy is a process for making potions, poisons, and special substances, many of which can

benefit a character in and out of combat. Potions in Shattered run the gamut, from flash bombs and crippling poisons that turn a characters muscles to jelly, to blissful hallucinogens and health vigors. Alchemy can be used for myriad purposes. The test for concocting any of these substances is Intelligence + Alchemy. To identify an unknown potion, you will make the same roll, but it is opposed by the complexity of the potion. Rolling higher than its complexity reveals to you its nature.

Athletics (Str) Sustained running, swimming, climbing, lifting or other strenuous physical activities that tax the

body. These activities are measured in hours, which determine the difficulty rating of the activity. This test, which is rolled as Strength + Athletic, is continuous and cumulative and must be re-rolled after each hour.

Failure in any of the mentioned tests, results in a level of Fatigue as specified by the GM.

Awareness (Per) Awareness is your attention to details and ability to perceive your environment. It is usually

passive, unless otherwise noted with a roll of Perception + Awareness, and can assist in spotting traps, ambushes, and similar threats to players. Using awareness is usually a free action to spot something out-of-place. Awareness is not completely dependent on sight; all senses come into play when an awareness test is used. Awareness is also used to check for Surprise Attacks, in which case it is an opposed check against the attackers Agility + Stealth.

Charm (Cha) Charm reflects the characters ability to influence someone for their own purposes, providing

that there is no hostility between the two characters. When attempting to use charm, the Rating is the sum of Charisma + Charm and is rolled against the opponents Scrutiny (Perception + Scrutiny). A Charm test can be used to shift an NPCs disposition towards you from neutral to friendly, but attempting a Charm against individuals that have hostile or negative feelings toward you is much less effective.

Command (Cha) Command involves giving orders to non-player characters and boons to your comrades in

combat. It could be ordering someone to move to a set location or to rally troops should their morale break. A Command test is the sum of Charisma + Command and can be used to reduce other players Fear Reactions by one step to a minimum of Gasp! after the player giving the Command is successful with their own Fear Test which will be covered more in the Fear section on Page 77.

Deceit (Cha) Deceit is a skill used to attempt to mislead a person or misrepresent the truth. This is used any

time a character interacts with a person and tries to lie to them. This roll is Charisma + Deceit and is opposed by the targets Scrutiny. Using Deceit on multiple opponents causes each of them to test against the Deceit roll. Having one opponent pass their test and see through your deception does not necessarily mean everyone else is aware of your trickery, though that person may attempt to inform their friends of your deceit.

Diplomacy (Cha)

Example: 1st hour: Difficulty Rating 2; 2nd hour: Difficulty Rating 4; etc.

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There are two ways to use Diplomacy, both of which are determined by Charisma + Diplomacy:

Barter: Bartering with shopkeepers and other merchants can get you items at discounted prices or sell items for more. This is an opposed roll against the traders Barter. The GM determines the discount or markup. Failure means the items price is non-negotiable and this test cannot be retried.

Negotiation: Talking with someone in a peaceful manner can be used to lower the hostility opponents feel toward you and your cadre. It may also be possible to talk your way out of a situation that would otherwise lead to violence. This is opposed by the opponent with a Willpower + Resolve.

Disguise (Cha) This skill encompasses any attempt to mask your appearance. A disguise can be a simple

mask, or more complex outfit. The time it takes to create a disguise is determined by how complex it is and is rolled with Charisma + Disguise. The disguise comes at a cost of 10 times the Disguise roll. When a disguise is used, anyone that has reasonable suspicion, may make a Scrutiny test versus the Disguise roll.

Inquiry (Cha) This represents a characters ability to gather information not publicly known, whether by

eavesdropping, direct questioning or other means. The test, Charisma + Inquiry, is opposed by a Difficulty Rating determined by the GM based on the scarcity of the information. The higher the success, the more useful the information gathered. Failure, naturally, means nothing of worth was acquired. GM may determine whether or not multiple attempts are possible.

Interrogation (WP) This is representative of a characters ability to extract quality information through forceful

means from an unwilling source. These means can be almost anything and may go so far as torture. This test, Willpower + Interrogation, is taken for each question asked, and is opposed by Resolve, either mental or physical depending on the methods used. The higher the success, the more useful information gathered.

Intimidate (S) This skill can be used in and out of combat. The player rolls Strength + Intimidate. The result

of this roll determines the players Fear Rating towards the opponent in the Fear section on Page 77. Out of combat and at the GMs discretion, depending on its use, an Intimidate test can be paired with a different Stat.

Logic (Int) Used to attain tips from the GM as to how to solve puzzles. Any tips from the GM will be

controlled by the roll of Intelligence + Logic depending on the difficulty. The GM may require a certain result to reward a given character insight to the problem at hand.

An additional use of Logic is an opposed Logic test. Success means the Opponent gains the Confused condition for their next action which is explained further in the condition section on Page 76.

Lore, Ancient (Int) This skill encompasses past events. A successful test can reveal intimate details of the past,

which could involve items, artifacts, battles, towns, people, or races among other things. Failure

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means the character simply does not know. This test, which is Intelligence + Lore, Ancient, cannot be reattempted for the same piece of information.

Lore, Common (Int) This skill encompasses common knowledge. A successful test

can reveal general details of the subjects history, location, etc.; which could involve items, artifacts, battles, settlements, people, or races among other things. Failure means the character simply does not know. This test, which is Intelligence + Lore, Common, cannot be reattempted for the same piece of information.

Lore, Secret (Int) This skill encompasses secret, hidden or unspoken events. A

successful test can reveal intimate details of the subject, which could involve religions, cults, secret societies, etc. Failure means the character simply does not know. This test, which is Intelligence + Lore, Secret, cannot be reattempted for the same piece of information.

Mechaniks (Int) Mechaniks encompasses the creation, repair, and sabotage of any non-magical device that

possesses some degree complexity. The Rating is determined by Intelligence + Mechaniks. It also is used in Crafting.

Medicine (Int) The roll for all Medicine checks is Intelligence +

Medicine. You can spend 1 action in combat to attempt to remove the Dying condition from a character. Difficulty is determined by the characters current negative health.

Medicine can also be used to heal people during combat; this requires 2 actions from yourself and 2 actions from the person being healed. They are healed a number of health equal to the Medicine roll. Players can only be healed once this way unless they take additional damage. A player cannot gain more health than their current maximum.

Navigation (Int) Navigation is primarily used with vehicles, such as airships, and it determines the efficiency of

planned routes of travel. This test is calculated as Intelligence + Navigation and the result impacts the time it takes to travel to the intended location at GMs discretion. Other factors can give a bonus like an accurate map, or a penalty like low morale.

Pilot (Ag) Pilot is the characters knowledge and ability to maneuver vehicles such as airships, fighters,

etc. In certain instances, they may be required to make a test of their abilities if the need arises with a roll of Agility + Pilot (i.e. evasive maneuvers).

Perform (Cha)

Example: Artifacts, Heraldry, Legend, World History

Example: Geography, Politics, Towns, War

Example: Arkna, Occult, Psy, Shadow Network

For example, to save a dying ally at -5, you must roll greater than or equal to 5.

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Having Perform as a Skill allows the player to entertain crowds of people through dance, storytelling, or music. This may be used to earn a small income, like a vocation, but the Perform Skill has a second use as a Charm or distraction. The time allowed to use Perform varies based on the action. As this may be reciting a two-line poem, a short story, or a complete opera. The GM determines the length of time for using Perform, but the player may choose what action they are actually taking. Using Perform as a Vocation yields money equal to the players roll of Charisma + Perform per day.

Scrutiny (Per) This Skill is the ability to tell truth from lies. This skill is used to counter Charm, Disguise, and

Deceit. This Skill, which is the sum of Perception + Scrutiny, is also used to detect forged documents made through the Scribe Vocation. Beating an opponent does not mean you completely see through their deception, but you may get a feeling of something being wrong or a hunch that they are lying.

Search (Per) When a character uses Search they roll Perception + Search. This is used in situations when

a character is actively looking for a specific object or person. Opposite to awareness where players casually look around, they know exactly what they seek. The time taken to complete a search is up to the GMs discretion.

Security (Ag) Security is used to disable or work around non-magical traps, locks, doors, and other similar

contraptions. Actions may can include lock picking, hot wiring, etc. Many inhabitants of Feneryss find skills such as these invaluable, whether they are a small time thief or private investigator. A security test is taken against the devices security rating. Security Rating is Agility + Security and must meet or exceed the Difficulty Rating of the device or trap in question, which is determined by the GM. Failure depends upon the device. Certain locks may be retried, while others may only have one chance. Failing to disable a trap means it was not disarmed and could even be triggered.

Sleight of Hand (Ag) This skill represents a characters manual dexterity and is most commonly associated with the

ability to steal while remaining unnoticed. However, there are many other uses for Sleight of Hand in and out of combat, from gambling to concealing contraband. This test, Agility + Sleight of Hand, is rolled against an opponents Awareness, which may be rolled by anyone within sight of the Sleight of Hand. If their Awareness roll is superior, the opponent notices the player's attempt at subterfuge.

Stealth (Ag) Stealth represents a characters ability to avoid being seen. Stealth tests can be made in

combat, within reason, providing that the character can evade the sight of their opponents and pass the roll of Agility + Stealth vs. the opponents Awareness.

Survival (Int) Should you find yourself lost in the wilderness or out of supplies, using Survival is key. You can

make a Survival check versus a difficulty rating set by the GM to attempt to find food, water, shelter, or track animals-- anything that means keeping you and your allies alive. Your Survival Rating is Intelligence + Survival, and it takes a variable amount of time based on the results of the roll and the difficulty of the test. When tracking someone, it is an opposed Survival test. Failure means the player

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was not able to accomplish their goals and may find themselves in danger of starvation, dehydration, exposure to the elements, or losing their way.

Vocation (Int) Players do not always start as adventurers. Often, their previous jobs often led them to their

current line of work. Some may still use their skills from time to time to supplement their income with a roll of Intelligence + Vocation.

Cartographer: A career in map-making is highly valued in the new world since most maps outside cities are useless due to seismic activity and a lack of explorers. Although it is dangerous work, cartographers can be well compensated for their risk if their maps are accurate. Accurate maps can reduce the travel time for airships and ground movement by 1 hour per 2 successes. An accurate map may also give a bonus to Survival checks at the GMs discretion. A cartographers pay is equal to 6 x Vocation Roll per map.

Embalmer: Morticians are in high demand, and a good embalmer is key for major cities. A properly embalmed corpse can add a bonus to a necromancers ability to reduce the complexity to make a stitch by 1 per every 3 successes. An embalmers pay is equal to 4 x Vocation Roll per corpse.

Farmer: Farming is a fairly well paid profession. Most farmers work together under one large farm to maximize production, although a few small farms still exist. Because of the difficulty to grow crops, the farms are well compensated even for their relatively low risk job. 10 x Vocation Roll per day.

Scribe: A scribe is a low paying job after mass print became more prevalent. Many documents still require a talented scribe to replicate. This can also be used to forge documents that grants a +1 bonus to Deceit and Disguise per 3 successes. A scribes pay is equal to 2 x Vocation Roll per day.

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Races

Part of the lure of the world of Shattered is the many races and their history in Feneryss. Here we will explore and describe the different races you can chose to embody, or those you may encounter in the vast and terrifying world.

Humans Humans are as they always have been: creative, diverse and determined. Being that many of

the known races are descendants of old humanity, Humans in the current age generally see themselves as masters of the world and superior to the other races.

Their culture is extremely malleable, often changing with each generation as new ideas and perspectives take root. Most of humanity stays isolated unto itself, only interacting with the Lesser Ones when absolutely necessary. That said, inter-racial relationships and marriages are becoming more common, but as can be expected, prejudices exist and lead to confrontations rife with superstition and distrust.

Human Language: The common tongue of humanity has taken hold as the dominant language in the world. Despite this, the language is as varied as the people who speak it with different accents and slang terms that change with the region. The language also has a very flexible vocabulary that is constantly expanding. This language is very difficult to learn if it is not your first language.

Given Names: There is no recorded pattern for given surnames or monikers for the species.

Aging: Human childhood can vary by region, but it is generally believed to end at age 16. Depending on the region, some cultures have a stage in between childhood and adulthood, but typically a human is considered an adult at the age of 17. The expected lifespan of a human is usually 80-85 years.

Average Height: 55 +/- 3 Average Weight: 180lbs +/- 45 lbs.

Racial Traits Bigotry: Humans distrust all other races and gain +1 to scrutiny against deceit and charm rolls from other races. In return they gain -1 to social interaction with all other races and a +1 to social interaction with humans.

Determination: Humans are nothing if not determined to succeed, regardless of the odds. Because of this, humans may gain a +1 to any applicable racial talents once per session. This may be any test the character may normally make so long as they initiated the test. A human may not gain the bonus to any test they did not initiate such as one that they were not aware of having taken (rolled in secret by the GM) or a test they did not choose to take (one called for by the GM). You must declare you are using this ability before taking the test.

Fated: Once per session, a human can choose to take one die at its maximum value. All other dice are rolled as normal.

Example: 1d10 + 1d4 then becomes 10 + 1d4

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Human Ingenuity: Humans have a natural ability to solve serious problems. Once per session a human may re-roll one Non-Combat test.

Skilled: Choose one Non-Combat Skill. This skill now starts at Rank 1. Once selected, this choice may not be changed.

Stubborn: Humans can attempt to reroll a failed stabilize check one additional time to avoid the dying condition once per session.

Alypse Forever haunted by their role in the Reckoning and their nations ritual suicide, the Alypse now

maintain a shadow of their former power and status. Because of this they were forced into a world of illusion and false personas to hide from the other races, else suffer their persecution.

Had their ritual succeeded, an extra-dimensional being of unimaginable power and destruction called Ragnarok would have torn through the fabric of reality and lead a conquest over all existence. Instead it killed untold billions in the process. The fortunate died, while those that remained fell to a chronic and far-reaching curse of insanity.

This insanity did not end with the Reckoning, however, but instead was passed on to the children of the survivors, whose devolution into the twisted labyrinth of insanity might be slower now than it once was, but is ever present in their genetic makeup. Physically, they are serpentine in appearance, with a sleek body and skin that produces a scaly shimmer. Despite their hereditary disadvantages (some might call them cursed) this race is a master of deception. As a result, many find their way into any aspect of life on Feneryss, but with an innate ability at subterfuge they often reign supreme at law or politics.

Alypse Language: Synthri is a very mesmerizing tongue, using many soft, sibilant sounds and inflections, combined with steady exhalations. This makes entire statements sound like a single sinuous word. This language is extremely difficult to learn and next to impossible to master for a non-Alypse.

Given Names: Alypse names typically hold the recurring theme of the double R, a rolling sound lending to the hypnotizing sound and flow of the Alypse sound of their language. For example: Carrath, Thorrsious, Garrbon, Hharrco, Rrecrin, Athorrow, Westorren, Janorrius, Kathorr

Aging: 100 years Average Height: 54 +/- 3 Average Weight: 180lbs +/- 45 lbs.

Racial Traits Cloak of Deceit: Since the breaking of the world the Alypse have had to hide themselves from the other races. They can at any time cloak their body and form an illusion to look like a normal human. If discovered they take a -2 social penalty from all other races except humans.

Prejudiced: If the character fails a Charisma based check, they take a -1 to the next Charisma based check they take. This does not stack.

Heritage: The ancestors pass down the knowledge of the apocalypse giving 1 rank to Secret Lore: Apocalypse

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Pariah: Gain plus 1 to intimidate actions against non Alypse when not cloaked and their psychic mask has been removed.

Tireless Retribution: The heritage and experiences of the Alypse have forged them into a tireless people, but this has driven many of them to the brink of madness. Alypse ignore the effects of fatigue. They instead gain 1 point of insanity for every 2 points of fatigue.

Unhinging Jaw: have the ability to unhinge their jaw causing a bite attack that deals 1d6+Strength damage. This is a standard attack action (costs 2 AP).

Zealotry: Alypse gain 1 to Conviction points for every racial talent taken, max of 6.

Drones Slaves of mechanical Giants of old, the Drones, as they are called, are a mechanical race that

was once a workforce but have now forged a city of their own far to the east. They now wander the known world, quietly observing mankinds usage of their mechanical brethren and exploring the new world left by the Reckoning. They are curious and analytical and often use logic over force whenever possible. Drones range in appearance greatly, but often appear to have utilitarian purposes as their original role in life was maintenance of their Giant.

Drone Language: Drones can adjust their harmonizers to speak any language required, however these tones are synthetic and always sound very odd to any listener. When they are communicating among themselves they prefer the use of binary code when writing and analog tones when speaking.

Given Names: Drones carry a binary number as their true identification, however many choose a standard designation for the flesh covered ones, usually a name that can be translated into a prime number. Hypoc (67), B (pronounced Bee) (2), Iibc (23), C (pronounced Cie) (3), Mortob (83), Grunyac (89), Zap (43), Lightab (59), Maleke (47)

Aging: No known maximum age Average Height: No known average size Average Weight: No known average weight

Racial Traits Drone Dialect: Can communicate intrinsically with machines. Gain +1 to checks in dealing with any type of computer system.

Gear head: As a basis for survival, all Drones are natural Mechaniks. They begin with Mechanik skill level 1.

Immunities: Immune to the following: Poison, Drowning, Disease, and Sleep Effects

Metalman: Due to the fact a Drone is not made of flesh, divine and medicine healing does not affect them at all. They must instead be repaired by using the Mechaniks Skill.

Metal Gears: Drones are naturally armored and therefore begin with armor value of 2. Drones may wear cloth and leather armors but gain no armor from wearing them. They instead must upgrade their natural armor.

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Modular: All armor locations can be upgraded as if they were prosthetics, but do not follow the rules of prosthetic thresholds. Additionally, Drones may graft any assemblies to their bodies in order to improve functionality. Their base complexity for any modifications is equal to their rank in mechanics.

No Rest for the Wicked: As a result of their having no need for sleep, they have more time to spend in upgrading themselves or watching over the party when the fleshlings sleep, +1 resolve skill. A Drone may still remove all its fatigue if it spends 8 uninterrupted hours of maintenance on itself.

Wretched The Wretched, in the current age, have managed to make use of many of the mutations that

crippled their ancestors. Bastions of brutal, physical force, they no longer call the place of the ancient fires home, but instead wander the deserts filled with sand and the ash of the dead, searching for technology that was lost to the past in hopes of selling it for profit. They are either members of a Clan, status within which is determined solely by strength, or lone wanderers striving to carve their own path in the wastes. Their fixation on strength and aptitude makes them very ruthless and at times, cruel. It also gives them a pathos of superiority when comparing themselves to other races-- and they absolutely disdain the Vampires for their bloodborne disability.

Wretched Language: Gnarltongue is the name given to the language of the Wretched. It is very guttural and is often described as angry due to its heavy use of hard inflections. The language is not too difficult to learn, but the vocal sounds are atypical for and take much practice to properly inflect.

Given Names: Due to the common prolific mutation among most wretched, most names carry a harsh, guttural sound. Example: Grunyak, Harthur, Kargrundt, Haytundt, Yanthong, Alcangrathundt

Aging: Wretched are considered adults after the age of 14 and of marriageable age at 16. Life spans can vary greatly among the Wretched, depending on their mutations, but the average is 60 and anything beyond that is considered a gift of the universe.

Average Height: 66 +/- 3 Average Weight: 220lb +/- 45lb

Racial Traits Adapted: Environmental hazards such as acid rain, extreme temperature, ultraviolet light, and toxic air have no effect on one of the Wretched.

Immunity: Wretched are immune to the cancerous tumor mutation. They may still gain that mutation and the tumor but ignore its penalties.

Low Light Sensitivity: Wretched gain Low Light Vision, but because they are used to the ashen wastelands, take a -1 penalty to any visual based checks in bright light.

Mutant: Wretched take a -3 penalty to any test to interact socially with anyone that does not possess at least one mutation or is also a Wretched.

Mutation: From birth the character has had deformations that set them apart from the rest of humanity. Roll twice on the Power Level 1 mutations to determine which two mutations the player has. In addition, purchasing chosen mutations costs the Wretched a fraction of the experience cost. Mutations can be found in greater detail on Page 51.

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Nomads: Wretched start with one rank in Common Lore: Geography due to their nomadic nature.

Tremorsense: A Wretched is able to sense an oncoming earthquake before it actually manifests. This has proven especially useful for them as they tend to live in the wastelands where seismic activity is frequent.

The Rekindled The Rekindled are not so much a race as they are a different state of existence. When an

individual dies, if they had something in life that they couldnt let go of, that pure will can at times, force a new physical form into existence, constructed from segments of their old body and held together by that same power of will. Needless to say, their new appearance can be quite unsettling to some. Their rebirth tends to leave the Rekindled physically weak, and they make up for this through willpower and mental fortitude.

Rekindled Language: The Rekindled have no unique language. In fact, when they speak, its in all languages at once.

Given Names: All Rekindled know the name and race of their former selves. Many choose to take their previous name, holding onto the only remaining piece of their old life. Others still, take a new name, choosing to move on and press forward, having been given a second chance at life. As a race there is no recorded set or pattern of names or dialects for the Rekindled.

Aging: 150 +/- 50 years Average Height: Based on original race (pre-death) Average Weight: Based on original race (pre-death)

Racial Traits Atrophy: You are not accustomed to your new body. Furthermore, your new body is weak and frail from the rebirth. You lose 1 square of movement during move actions.

Been there, done that: Your will to live was so strong that it conjured a body out of thin air. Thanks to that iron will you are able to persevere through the toughest and most frightening of situations. Gain +1 to your Mental Resolve.

Broken Memories: While you do not remember your past, it occasionally revisits you. You have 2 points of persistent insanity.

Deathbound: Even though you have escaped the jaws of death, you are still very closely tied to it. A Shade NocShala knows exactly what you are, and like the unique Shade, you can see and interact with the spirits of the dead.

Low Light Vision: Reduce penalties to checks due to low light by 1.

Malleable Mind: You start with one rank of either the Arkna or Psy talents.

Shell of its Former Self: Because their bodies are so fragmented, it is considerably more difficult for enemies to inflict damage to crucial areas. For example, a bullet may completely miss, flying harmlessly through their billowy coverings. Because of this, all Rekindled gain a +1 Bonus to Dodge.

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Shade The Shade, as they have come to be called, were discovered shortly after the creation of the

Arkanik Drive. They were found in the Glass Forest, an area where bizarre towers, shards and spikes of naturally formed volcanic glass stretched into the sky. Born with charcoal black skin with piercing green eyes, they seem to blur with the shadows when they move. In encounters with Shades, their presence alone can be quite unsettling as they are incapable of speech. They make up for this with latent telepathic abilities, which allow them to communicate with anyone in close proximity as a whole or individually. They are naturally curious to a fault and are extremely detail oriented. These abilities lend themselves well to the shadow arts, however these tendencies can prove useful in any profession.

Shade Language: Since the Shade speak telepathically, they are able to communicate to all races as pure thought, lacking any kind of language. Typically these messages come in the form of images, emotions, and basic impulses that can be universally understood.

Given Names: The Shade name their children based off of their personality, but because they speak in pure thought, this doesnt manifest as any sort of language. At adulthood many Shade choose to take up monikers of one form or another as their names in the common world. Dagger, Lance, Steel, and Fire are all possible names for a Shade.

Aging: 60-65 years. Shade become fully mature at 10 years of age. Average Height: 55 +/- 3 Average Weight: 130 lbs +/- 20 lbs

Racial Traits Curiosity: Because of their curious nature, they gain a +1 to scrutiny tests at the risk of a -1 penalty if it is used in a social situation. (At GMs discretion)

Free Runners: The Shade have adapted to their environment of razor sharp igneous rocks that could maim or kill with one single misstep. They gain +1 to their movement (1 square, hex or about 3 feet per movement action).

Its all in the Details: +1 to sight-based Perception tests.

Low Light Vision: Reduce penalties to checks due to low light by 1.

Dragonsbane: Due to their heritage as capable dragon hunters, players who choose this race start with one rank in Secret Lore: Dragons.

Speechless: The Shade are speechless, and because of this many people find them to be unsettling in social situations. All Shade possess a passive Fear Rating of 3. When using Intimidate this becomes a +1 bonus to the test.

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Telepath: The Shade do not speak but have a latent ability to communicate telepathically. They may speak to as many individuals as they wish within 10 yards. The range may be increased with Psy talents.

Optional Racial Traits Shadow Sight: Players may take this racial talent during character generation. If taken they must sacrifice telepathy, however their character is now a NocShala, and gains the Shadow Sight ability, which allows them to convene with and, if necessary, fight off the spirits of the dead. NocShala may learn telepathy as a Psy user, which can be found in the Psy section on Page 48.

Vampires As the world was torn asunder, some humans escaped into cave systems deep underground.

Toxic gases from the surface as well as fissures in the rocks from inside the planet permeated the caves and poisoned the refugees. Those which survived were mutated, changed into the sub-race now known as Vampires. Living in the darkness for generations forced the Vampires to adapt to survive, and they quickly grew to have exceptional night vision. The gases had unique effects upon the physical appearance of these fledgling people. These changes included superficial modifications such as pale white skin; red, orange or yellow eyes; elongated canines; and a sinister but seductive look. The noxious fumes also weakened the Vampires to the effects of ultraviolet rays. Attempts to return to the surface, despite the nearly complete block of solar radiation, would leave the explorers writhing in pain for a few moments until unconsciousness took them. The unfortunate souls who could not be pulled back inside the darkness never woke from their slumber and died or were, seemingly, permanently weakened and useless. Eventually, the Vampires discovered wearing heavy clothing covering their entire body or feeding on the blood of other races negated all effects of their sickness for a time. The blood even gave some temporary benefits. However, the majority preferred to stay inside the cave systems, never again seeing the light of day. The feeding of blood encouraged Vampire Hunts, which were only curbed when the majority of the Vampire Covens outlawed Cannibalism.

Vampire Language: Vampires speak in a variety of dead languages, some because they see a sort of romance to it, and for others, because they value the privacy, and others still because its the traditional dialect of their coven. To others, the collection of these tongues is called Valdim and can be learned to a degree, though its impossible to know how many languages actually are in use.

Given Names: Within the hierarchy of each esteemed coven lies a system of naming that is held in high esteem. With each new accomplishment a member is bestowed a brand new name, given in honor and prestige belonging to each covens whims. While being in a Coven is not required to gain a title, Vampires who are in the same Coven are more likely to give away a title to someone in their Coven than a non-Coven Vampire.

Vampire Outcasts: usually given a derogatory human name Vampire Soldier: (Male) Garthon, Harku, Jarnis; (Female) Islud, Kristo, Jusilun Vampire Subtitle: many Vampires have -Vir for male, or -Vur for Female Post fixed to their given name to denote them as someone of moderate rank higher than a soldier: (Male) Garthon-Vir, (Female) Islud-Vur Vampire Lord: the last, or family, name is changed to Portent Draculesti Ascendant: Harbinger is prefixed to name: (Male) Harbinger Garthon-Vir Portent; (Female) Harbinger Islud-Vur Portent

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Aging: 90-100 years (Vampire Lord: 115-125, Draculesti Ascendant: 150+; that is assuming Vampire Lords and Draculesti Ascendants arent murdered). Vampires become fully mature at 20 years of age. Average Height: 57 +/- 3 Average Weight: average of 160lb +/- 45lb

Racial Traits Bloodlust: As enemies fall around them in combat, the Vampire gains in strength. During combat the vampire gains +1 to their damage for each enemy killed, be it by their hands or by the hands of their allies, until the end of combat.

Dark Sight: Vampires are used to living in dark underground areas. As such, they take no penalties in pure darkness, but see only in black and white. Vampires also gain a +2 bonus in Low-light environments; however, Vampires take a -1 penalty to any visual based checks in anything above a Low-light environment.

Feared: Vampire take a -4 penalty to any test to interact socially (Except intimidate which imbues a +1 bonus) with anyone that is not a Vampire. The trait only comes into effect if the other being(s) know the player is a Vampire.

Feed: While Vampires in Shattered will not die due to a lack of feeding, they will become weaker (see Poisoned Blood Racial Trait). In order to counter this, they may feed on a non-Vampire humanoid (live or freshly killed) and gain immunity to the effects of UV Radiation (negates UV Sensitive Trait) as well as a bonus to certain skills for the next hour. Feeding negates all penalties incurred by Poisoned Blood up to that point. The victim of the Vampire gains 1 fatigue point and +1 to Acrobatics, Athletics, and Survival per mouthful of blood drunk by the Vampire for 1 hour. In order to feed upon an unwilling victim, Vampires must successfully grapple them. Feeding is included in a successful grapple action, if the player wishes to do so. The Vampire also gains a 1 hour buff per mouthful depending on the race fed upon:

o Human: +1 to Survival, Logic, and Tactics o Wretched: +1 to Low Light Vision, Athletics, and Acrobatics o Alypse: +1 to Disguise, Deceit, and Charm o Rekindled: + 1 to Any (1) Knowledge, Scrutiny, and Search o Shade: +1 to Stealth, Security, and Sleight of Hand

The bonuses do not stack. Feeding on a new creature overrides the previous bonus.

Poisoned Blood: The volatility of the Vampire's blood requires them to feed on a non-Vampire humanoid being or suffer a penalty of -1 per week on every roll up to -4. This penalty comes into effect when in areas that possess low level UV Radiation or higher regardless of clothing. Areas that are either complete darkness or indoor areas that possess negligible levels of UV radiation do not invoke the penalty. Due to this mutation, Vampires are also immune to any and all poisons and diseases, but they are still susceptible to the effects of mutations.

UV Sensitive: Exposure to UV Radiation, even that of the surface blocked by ash, will weaken all of the race's rolls by -1. Also, every round that their skin is exposed to UV Radiation they will reduce their maximum health by 10%, rounded down, to a minimum 0 health which bypasses armor and toughness. This penalty can be negated by heavy clothing that covers the entire body.

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General Combat Talents

Ambidexterity: Through rigorous life training your character has adapted to using multiple weapons simultaneously. Because of this, you reduce penalties for secondary attacks by 2. Requirements: Agility 3 Cost: 11xp

Blitzkrieg: During your first round in combat you and any allies within 3 yards of you gain two times your stride for each move action taken. Requirement: Command 3 Cost: 6xp

Can I have that: Instead of forcibly removing an enemys weapon, you can ask for it. When you declare that you are going to disarm in this way you can roll a diplomacy check instead of the standard disarm roll. The opponent gets a bonus to this test equal to their Will Power but if you are successful, they hand over their weapon. This still requires 2 actions and does not eliminate hostility. Requirements: Diplomacy 3, Willpower 5 Cost: 51xp

Fancy Footwork: If your opponent fails to trip you, they are instead tripped. Requirements: Agility 4 Cost: 20xp

Gladiator: When fighting an opponent either one on one or while you are Surrounded, you add half of your Charisma as a bonus to your attack roll. Requirements: Strength 3, Charisma 2 Cost: 17xp

Human Shield: If you are attacked by a third party while engaged in a Grapple, you may roll the grappled foe over to absorb the incoming attack. This is a Grapple check opposed by your potential human shield. If successful, the grappled foe is rolled over and takes the damage from the attack. Requirements: Hand to Hand 5, Agility 4 Cost: 65xp

Ill Take That: While disarming an opponent, if successful, you can opt to take their weapon from them. This requires no additional actions, but you must have a free hand and you must declare this before attempting to disarm. Requirements: Hand to Hand 3, Agility 2 Cost: 14xp

Keep Away: If you successfully disarm an opponent, you can immediately take 1 action and throw their weapon at another enemy. The target cannot be the previous wielder of the weapon.

o Requirements: Ill Take That o Cost: 28xp

Immovable: Anytime you are bull rushed, or otherwise forced out of your square, you can reroll the test. This reroll only applies to movement, any damage or other effects still apply. Requirements: Strength 4, Willpower 3 Cost: 31xp

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Insane Combatant: As your insanity increases, you gain bonuses to various combat traits. Higher Ranks stack with previous ranks.

Rank 1 Bonus: For every 5 points of insanity, you gain a +1 to movement o Requirements: Insanity 5, Willpower 3 o Cost: 11xp

Rank 2 Bonus: For every 10 points of insanity, you gain a +2 to Attack o Requirements: Rank 1, Willpower 4 o Cost: 20xp

Rank 3 Bonus: For every 15 points of insanity, you gain a +3 to damage o Requirements: Rank 2, Willpower 5 o Cost: 45xp

Lick the Blade: Spend a number of actions to increase your chance to hit with melee attacks. Rank 1: Max of +3, reset on first hit.

o Requirements: Melee 3, Agility 2 o Cost: 14xp

Rank 2: Max of +4, reset on first hit. o Requirements: Melee 5, Agility 4 o Cost: 65xp

Mental Static: The character, who must not be a Psychic, has gained the ability to increase the difficulty of attempts of any Psychic within the area. Any Psychic targeting the player increases their Strain by 2. Requirements: 4 Willpower, Resolve 5, Must not be a Psychic Cost: 65xp

Mess with the Bull: If you succeed while bull rushing an opponent, you cause damage equal to 1d6 + Strength. Requirements: Strength 3 Cost: 11xp

Muscle: You now add your Strength bonus instead of Agility to disarm when using a melee weapon. Requirements: Strength 3, Melee 3 or Hand to Hand 3 Cost: 19xp

No Leg to Stand On: When you trip an opponent, you break their leg. This causes the opponent to move at half of their stride, rounded down, until a Medicine check has been passed to heal the injury. Requirements: Melee or Hand to Hand 4 Cost: 20xp

Not This Time: If your opponent fails to disarm you by 5 or more points, they are instead disarmed. Requirements: Agility 4 Cost: 20xp

Quick Draw: As a free action you may draw a single weapon per round. Note that Heavy weapons and Mounted weapons that have a setup time are not affected by this ability. Requirements: Agility 3 Cost: 11xp

Improved Quick Draw: As a free action you may draw two one-handed weapons per round.

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o Requirements: Quick Draw, Agility 5 o Cost: 31xp

Snap: You can now use the sunder action on an opponent. Through the use of this ability you can break your opponents arms or legs, giving them a Bone Fracture which can be found in greater detail in the Critical Health section on Page 74.The effects of the Bone Fracture persist until the victim receives medical assistance. Requirements: Melee or Hand to Hand 4 Cost: 20xp

Sticky Situation: If you successfully trip someone, you can stick an alchemical vial on them. The vial shatters when they hit the ground and the victim is subject to its effects. The vial must have the Sticky property. Requirements: Agility 3, Melee or Hand to Hand 4 Cost: 31xp

Sweep: For 3 actions you can attempt to trip all opponents around you instead of just one. You make your roll to trip once and it is applied to all targets. Requirements: Melee or Hand to Hand 3 Cost: 8xp

Swift Foot: Gain +1 to Initiative rolls and 1 additional yard when moving. Requirements: Agility 5 Cost: 45xp

Taunt: Make an opposed Willpower test on an opponent. If you are successful, that opponent stops attacking their current target, and proceeds to attack you. Requirements: Intimidate 2 Cost: 11xp

Combat Troll: Make an opposed Willpower test against up to 3 opponents of your choice. If successful, they stop attacking their current targets and focus on you.

o Requirements: Taunt, Intimidate 3 o Cost: 17xp

Trip Shot: Trip someone and gain a free single shot attack with a firearm on them. Requirements: Melee or Hand to Hand 2, Ballistics 2, Agility 3 Cost: 21xp

Unstoppable: Anytime you bull rush an opponent, or otherwise try to force them out of their square and fail, they are still always moved a minimum of 1 square away. Requirements: Agility 4, Willpower 3 Cost: 31xp

Melee Combat Talents

Armor Breaker: During your first attack against an opponent, you can strike at the weak points in their armor causing their armor value to be reduced by half for 1d4 rounds. Takes 2 actions and causes no damage. This reduction only applies to future attacks from you and no one else. Requirement: Melee skill 3, Perception 3

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Cost: 19xp

Blood Feud: At the beginning of your turn, you may choose to gain your Toughness to damage but you lose your Toughness to damage reduction until your next turn. Requirements: Strength 4, Toughness 3 Cost: 31xp

Bouncing Strike: When engaged with more than one foe, you may attempt to use momentum to strike a second target within range of your melee weapon. The same attack roll is used for each opponent, but damage is rolled separately. This takes 3 actions to perform. If you miss, the attack does not continue to any remaining targets. Requirements: Strength 3, Melee Skill 4 Cost: 60xp

Cut Through: Whenever you deal enough damage to kill an enemy, you may make 1 additional attack on an adjacent foe. Using this talent costs 1 action.

Special: If you also have the Menacing ability, you may opt to make the movement granted by that talent before using the additional attack granted by this talent. Requirements: Strength 5, Melee Skill 4 or Hand to Hand 4 Cost: 65xp

Dual Weapon Adept - Completely remove penalties for dual wielding. For melee weapons only. Requirements: Ambidextrous, Agility 5, Melee skill 5 Cost: 90xp

Defensive Duelist: When armed with your melee weapon of choice, earn a plus +1 bonus to block. Can only earn this bonus from one weapon at a time. May be taken multiple times to apply to different weapons. Requirements: Block 4, Melee Skill 3 Cost: 25xp

Master Defensive Duelist: Bonus from Defensive Duelist is now +2 to block. Can only earn this bonus from one melee weapon at a time. Taking this applies the bonus to one weapon type, and may be taken multiple times to apply to multiple weapons.

o Requirements: Defensive Duelist, Block 5, Melee Skill 4 o Cost: 45xp

Fierce Blow: On your next Melee or Hand to Hand attack roll you may sacrifice a number of points up to your Melee or Hand to Hand rank. For every 1 point subtracted from the attack roll you gain 1 point to the damage, if successful. Requirements: Strength 3, Melee Skill 2 or Hand to Hand 2. Cost: 16xp

Feral Roar: You unleash a wall of wild noises that grant you and all of your allies within 25 yards, a +1 bonus to charge. Requirements: Toughness 2 Cost: 6xp

Fierce Charge: Using the momentum of a charge, the character may inflict additional damage on a Melee or Hand to Hand attack. Dodging or Blocking after making a Fierce Charge takes a penalty to

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Die Rating equal to your rank in Fierce Charge. Cut-Through and Menacing may not be used in conjunction with a Fierce Charge.

Fierce Charge 1: +1d6 melee or hand to hand damage to the first attack after charging. o Requirements: Strength 3, Melee Skill 4 or Hand to Hand 4 o Cost: 33xp

Fierce Charge 2: +2d6 melee or hand to hand damage to the first attack after charging. o Requirements: Strength 5, Melee Skill 5 or Hand to Hand 5 o Cost: 90xp

Foot Stomp: Once, against an opponent, you can roll a melee attack to reduce their movement by half for 2d4 rounds. Takes 2 actions. Requirements: Melee Skill 3, Agility 4 Cost: 28xp

Fueling Rage: For every missed melee attack you gain +1 to your next successful attack up to a max of +5. Once you make a successful attack, your bonus gets reset. Requirements: Strength 3, Melee Skill 3 or Hand to Hand 3 Cost: 19xp

Guardian: For any adjacent ally near the player, you can step in and take any attack using your block skill. The ally must be within one stride. Guardian takes 1 action. Requirements: Use a Shield Cost: 5xp

Heavy Hitter: When using a weapon two-handed, you deal 1.5 times your strength in damage instead. Requirements: Strength 3, Melee Skill 3 Cost: 19xp

Improved Attack: Increase the damage of one type of natural attack, which is specified upon purchase. A pair of fists, horns, a tail, or similar attack gains an additional 1d6 damage. This talent can be taken up to 5 times for each type of natural attack. Each time doubling in cost, for one natural attack, its effects stack or can be applied to a different attack. Note this does not affect manufactured weapons of any kind. Requirements: Hand-to-Hand 3, Strength 3 Cost: 25xp

Menacing: When you deal enough damage to kill an enemy, you may move up to half your Agility bonus, rounded down, as a free action.

Special: This bonus movement can be used in conjunction with Cut Through to move and attack a foe or attack a foe and then move. Requirements: Agility 4, Melee Skill 4 or Hand to Hand 4 Cost: 40xp

Parry: If you successfully block with only a melee weapon (single- or dual-wielding), you may make a counter-attack as a free action. This is a basic attack with one weapon and cannot be combined with Attack talents, such as Unrelenting Attack or Cut-Through. Requirements: Melee Skill 5 Cost: 35xp

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Performing Sweeps: Once per opponent, you can attempt to disarm them. This is your attack roll versus the targets attack roll with the particular weapon. Upon success they are disarmed and Confused for 1d4 rounds. This takes 2 actions. Requirements: Melee Skill 3, Perform 4 Cost: 23xp

Savage Slash: When attacking with bladed weapons, you cause bleed damage for 1d4 rounds any time you successfully deal damage. Requirements: Melee Skill 2 Cost: 5xp

Shield Brothers: Any adjacent ally with a shield can join you to take cover from area of effect and ranged attacks. For 2 actions, this grants both characters a +1 bonus point to their shield value. However, if the both players possess this talent, they instead gain + 2 to their shield value. Requirements: Shield, Block Skill 3 Cost: 8xp

Shield Slammer: Double shield value to damage roll when attacking with a shield. Requirements: Strength 3 Cost: 11xp

Shifting Stance: You can use Agility instead of Strength for Melee Attack rolls OR Strength instead of Agility for Hand to Hand Attack rolls. You may only chose one; however, this talent may be taken twice in order to do both.

Requirements: Agility 3 Cost: 11xp

Swift Charge: Using training in speed and athletics, a character may charge farther than normal. Swift Charge 1: You can move an additional 3 feet while charging.

o Requirements: Agility 3, Athletics 3. o Cost: 17xp

Swift Charge 2: You can move an additional 6 feet while charging. o Requirements: Agility 4, Athletics 3. o Cost: 26xp

Swift Charge 3: You can move an additional 9 feet while charging. o Requirements: Agility 5, Athletics 4. o Cost: 60xp

Unrelenting Attack: For each of your attacks that are blocked by a single opponent, gain +1 to all subsequent attack and damage rolls, up to a maximum of +5. This is reset when you switch targets or make a successful hit. Requirements: Toughness 3, Melee Skill 3 Cost: 19xp

Unstoppable: You continue fighting on even beyond 0 health. You still take critical damage and are required to make stabilization checks as normal but you can still perform all actions normally. You still die when decapitated at -25 health or if you fail 2 consecutive stabilization checks. Requirements: Toughness 4 Cost: 20xp

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Whirling Dervish: For 3 Actions, you make a spinning attack, striking all targets within your melee range as an all-out attack. You receive all bonuses and penalties of an All-Out Attack (See Combat).

Requirements: Agility 4, Melee Skill 4 Cost: 40xp

Wind Scythe: Your incredible melee weapon skills are such that you can project a ranged attack with a melee weapon at full force, slicing your foes with the wind of your strokes. You can make a basic attack at a -4 penalty, but gain a range increment equal to your Strength + Melee Skill. This attack costs 2 actions and may be used more than once per round if the character has enough actions for extra attacks. For each additional rank in Wind Scythe, reduce the penalty on your Attack roll by 1.

Rank Penalty Requirements Cost

1 -4 Strength 3, Melee Skill 3 19xp



Wild Visage: Your appearance strikes fear into the cultured and civilized. You gain a passive fear rating of +2 while out of combat. Requirements: Toughness 4 Cost: 20xp

Ballistic Combat Talents

Blindfire: You can reduce the penalties of firing your gun while blinded. This does not negate any other penalty of being blind.

Rank 1: Reduce the penalty of firing ballistic weapons while blinded by 1 o Requirements: Perception 3, Ballistic Skill 3 o Cost: 19xp





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Dual Arrows: You can now fire 2 arrows at once from a two handed ranged weapon, such as a bow or crossbow, causing double damage and not changing the reload time of the weapon. This takes 3 actions. Requirements: Agility 3, Ballistic Skill 4 Cost: 31xp

Eagle Shot: Once against an opponent you can make a Ballistic attack roll to reduce their movement by half for 2d4 rounds. Takes 2 actions. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 3, Perception 4 Cost: 28xp

Hail of Bullets: Once per combat for 3 actions, you can make a Ballistic check against a number of enemies equal to your ballistic skill, in an attempt to reduce their Mental Resolve by 2. If you succeed, the effect lasts for 1d4 rounds. This is opposed by either Block or Dodge. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 4, Perception 5 Cost: 65xp

Huntsman: You call or signal to your allies, targeting a non-humanoid creature that causes greater damage for you and your allies against that creature for 1d4 rounds. Any attacks made against the creature now gain 1d6 damage. Requirements: Command 3, Perception 4 Cost: 26xp

Increased Range: Your ballistic attacks max effective range is now increased by 5 yards. Requirements: Ballistics Skill 2 Cost: 5xp

Loose Cannon: You take great pride in blasting away at your opponents with mounted weapons. You add 2x Ballistic skill to damage when firing mounted weapons with full or semi-auto. Requirements: Ballistic skill 3 Cost: 8xp

Lucky Shot: You may only attack once this turn in order to use this talent. You gain a +4 bonus to hit on this shot and a +1d6 bonus damage. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 3, Agility 4 Cost: 28xp

Missed: If a shot misses an opponent because they successfully dodge, the shot continues on in a straight line and hits another target if one is directly behind the original target. The second target has the opportunity to block or evade the original attack roll. Only affects the primary and secondary targets. Cannot be used in conjunction with Piercing Shot. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 3 Cost: 8xp

No Scope: Whenever you attack a target within your weapons base max range (i.e. its max range without scopes or other aids), you reduce the penalties by one increment. Requirements: Command 3, Charisma 3 Cost: 17xp

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Piercing Shot: Your bullets can pass through an enemy and hit someone directly behind them. This requires the bullet to do damage to the enemy. The second enemy rolls their reaction against the original attack roll. Only affects the primary and secondary target. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 4, Perception 4 Cost: 40xp

Planned Execution: If you take a 5 actions to prepare a shot from further than one range increment, your next attack negates their ability to dodge that attack. Requirements: Perception 3, Ballistic Skill 3 Cost: 19xp

Precise Shot: Reduce the penalty of shooting into melee by 1 per rank. (Cannot be reduced past 0) Precise Shot 1:

o Requirements: Agility 2, Perception 1 o Cost: 9xp

Precise Shot 2: o Requirements: Agility 3, Perception 1 o Cost: 14xp



Rapid Reload: Reduce reload time for all ballistic weapons by one action per rank in this talent. (Cannot be reduced to less than 1 action)

Rapid Reload 1: o Requirements: Agility 3, Ballistic Skill 2 o Cost: 16xp



Ricochet: You can attack an enemy that is out of sight by bouncing a bullet off a surface. While doing this you take a -3 penalty to the attack. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 3, Perception 4 Cost: 28xp

Ricochet Wanted: You can now attack an enemy that is out of sight by bouncing a bullet off up to two surfaces at a -2 penalty per surface.

o Requirements: Ballistic Skill 4, Perception 5, Ricochet o Cost: 65xp

Recoil with It: After firing a non-mounted gun, you can move 1 square in the opposite direction of the shot for a free action. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 3 Cost: 8xp

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Speed Shooter: This preemptive attack allows you to make a single surprise attack with a one-handed ballistic or thrown weapon while in plain sight of an opponent. This action takes place before combat starts, cannot take place once combat has begun and must take place within 5 yards of the target. Requirements: Agility 5 Cost: 45xp

Dead-Eye: Increases the range of Speed Shooter by an additional 5 yards. o Requirements: Speed Shooter, Quick Draw o Cost: 66xp

Superheated Shot: There is far more powder than normal in your next shot which causes the round to ignite, dealing an extra 2d6 damage as fire. This heats up your barrel and causes you to take 1 fatigue point. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 3, Toughness 3 Cost: 19xp

These Are My Guns: At the start of combat, you draw your weapons in a stylized fashion and impose an intimidate check to any opponents within 10 yards. If you so choose, you can use your perform skill in place of intimidate. This action replaces your draw action. Requirements: Perform 3, Ballistic Skill 3 Cost: 14xp

Trip Volley: Your ranged attacks can be used to attempt to trip an opponent. This attack, like other trips, foregoes damage and requires 2 actions. Requirements: Ballistics Skill 3, Perception 2 Cost: 14xp

Warning Shot: For 2 actions, you gain your rank in Ballistic Skill as a bonus to an Intimidate check taken immediately after the shot. Requirements: Ballistic Skill 2, Intimidate 2 Cost: 11xp

STEALTH

In politics, discretion is useful but stealth is everything. The need for knowledge of ones political and even military peers gave birth to what has been called, the Shadow Arts. This of course lasted until the spies, thieves, assassins, and smugglers wielded enough power to cleave themselves from their hosts. These groups went underground, no longer being the shadowy fangs of politicians and others who didn't want to get their hands dirty, they called themselves the Shadow Hearts.

General Stealth Talents Blend: Through common use of the obstacles, crowds buildings etc., to avoid detection, you have developed a knack at disappearing from a group of people. As such, the bonus NPCs get on the detection table is reduced by one step if you can break line of sight with the pursuant for a full round. Requirements: Stealth 3, Charisma 3 Cost: 30xp

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Distortion: Alter how gravity affects your movement. Rank 1: Slow Fall - You fall at half the speed you would normally and can negate fall damage

up to 4 yards. For each additional rank in Distortion you add 1 yard to slow falls damage reduction, for a total of 8 yards.

o Requirement: Stealth 2, Acrobatics 1 o Cost: 4xp

Rank 2: Long Jump - You can increase your jump distance by half for each rank of Distortion taken after rank 2.

o Requirement: Stealth 3, Athletics 1 o Cost: 7xp

Rank 3: Horizontal Wall Run - During a run action, you may use 1 stride to run horizontally across a wall. This increases by 1 stride for each rank of Distortion taken after rank 3.

o Requirement: Stealth 4, Athletics 2, Acrobatics 2 o Cost: 21xp

Rank 4: Vertical Wall Run - During a run action, you may use 1 stride to run straight up a vertical surface. This increases by 1 stride for each rank of Distortion taken after rank 4.

o Requirement: Stealth 5 o Cost: 30xp

Escape Artist: Students of the shadows do get caught on occasion. In these instances, they are very skilled at escaping whatever binds them. Characters get +1 to security checks to escape bindings. If the characters life is directly threatened they receive a +3 total bonus from this talent. Requirement: Security 3 Cost: 6xp

Getaway Artist: When using a withdraw action, the opponent's detection status is set to alerted and you can make a stealth check to go back into hiding. Requirement: Stealth 3, Athletics 4 Cost: 26xp

Patient Watcher: Position is as important as the blade itself. If a player does not take any hostile actions, and moves at least one Stride ending the round in partial cover, they may make a stealth check with no movement or cover penalties. Requirements: Stealth 3 Cost: 6xp

Shadow Dredge: Using Shadow Dredge, a user can bend the boundaries of light and darkness to avoid detection or maneuver around obstacles. For every rank in Conviction taken, the user reduces the bonus granted to their targets awareness bonus by 1 yard past stride while attempting melee surprise attacks. Requirements: Conviction 1 (Any element but light), Stealth 5 Cost: 35xp

Shadow Stride: When using stealth and in combat you can double your first stride on your first action movement when in dim light or lower, as long as you can still see where you are going. Requirement: Agility 3, Stealth 3 Cost: 17xp

Silent Footfall: When falling you take any applicable damage but land clean and quiet, negating the penalty to Stealth.

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Requirements: Stealth 2, Athletics 2 Cost: 6xp

Silent Takedown: During a melee surprise attack, you can choose to render an opponent unconscious rather than dealing damage with a stealth attack. Requirement: Melee Skill 3, Stealth 3 Cost: 8xp

Surprise Damage: You no longer add your Strength for surprise attacks but add your Stealth skill to damage dealt to Melee, Hand to Hand, and Ranged surprise attacks. Requirement: Melee Skill or Ballistic Skill or Hand to Hand 3, Stealth 3 Cost: 14xp

Whispered Aggression: To an unaware opponent within your stride, you whisper dark thoughts into their ears, taking a bonus to damage equal to half their strength but reducing their attack equal to their Strength for 1d4 rounds. 1 action to use. Requirement: Charisma 3 Cost: 11xp

Whispered Doubt: To an unaware opponent within your stride, you whisper doubt into their ears, taking a penalty to Dodge equal to their Agility for the next 1d4 rounds. 1 action to use. Requirement: Charisma 3 Cost: 11xp

Arkna

The things the Master does with ease are difficult for us to even comprehend. What he does in a minute, I hope to accomplish in this lifetime. - Arkna Disciple of Lanis.

The practice of the Arkne arts is an ancient one, shrouded with mystery and riddled with legends. Some believe it to be a deity all its own, but the largest prevailing th

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