0e Referee's Companion

8/17/2019 0e Referee's Companion

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Treasure

Hunters

Adventure Rules for Fantastic Heroes Monsters

O.E. Compatible Prolix Edition

Referee’s ompanion


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Chapter One: ON CHARACTER CLASSES & RACES

On Ability Scores

The very first thing a player shall see upon

opening his Player’s Guide is a litany of

the physical & mental abilities which in

part define his prospective player-

character, & a discussion of the concept of

Prime Requisite. Following this, a

description of the several common races

and a more in-depth

treatment of the class

system of the game.

You shall note well

that the ability score

generation process is

brutal, and

generally

producescharacters which

are very average

in their ability

scores.

In order to illustrate how little ability

scores determine the fate of the several

playing pieces in your world, examine the

following, Table 1.1:

Table 1.1: Ability Modifiers

Ability Score Modifier

3-8 -19-12 0

13-18 +1

That’s it: Minus One to Plus One.

While this is an intentional choice made

because ability scores are not, and should

not, be the focus of the character, you may

wish to present an alternate generation

system to players which produces

“modeled” characters rather than

organics.

Table 1.2: Exceptional Abilities

2 dice Result

2-9 One Exceptional Ability

10-12 Two Exceptional Abilities

The player may assign these exceptions to

any abilities he shall wish, but in the case

of two exceptional abilities, he must assign

them to two different abilities (no

“stacking.”)

If you and the player should wish it, he

may voluntarily choose to take one

Inferior Ability in order to gain an

additional Exceptional Ability in some

other stat.

Whilst each kind of hero has a Prime

Requisite ability, even those with Inferior

scores in that ability shall qualify for the

class in question. A weakling may be a

Fighter or a dolt may be a Wizard, and so

forth; they only suffer by virtue of

foregoing the added XP that the

Exceptional score provides.

Again, they are not limited by their throwsexcept to some degree by race. There are

no minimum requirements to meet in

order to train in any of the several

professions presented at the start.

Ability Scores by Age Category

Youth & Experience are not the same

thing, and this is reflected by how ability

scores change as the characters age in the

game world. In the case of the usual

method of ability score generation

presented in the Player’s Guide, consider

offering the players a chance to start their

heroes off at an age most appropriate to

their class & conception of the character.

Ageing effects on ability scores are shown

on Table 1.3.

By this table, it appears advantageous for

Fighters to start out as Youths, whilst

Wizards and to a lesser extent Clerics

shall enjoy the fruits of Experience. And,

everyone has the chance to get better a

spotting & listening as they age.

Table 1.3: Ability Scores By Age

Age Modifier Youth -1 WIS +1 CON +1 STR

Adult No Adjustments

Mature-1 STR -1 CON +1 INT +1

WIS

Old-2 STR -2 DEX -1 CON

+1 INT +1 WIS +1 CHA

This should result in rather elder Wizards

and rather virile Fighters, which nicely fits

literature of sympathetic genre.

Optional Backgrounds

Backgrounds are an optional part ocharacter generation. Each one describe

a kind of job or training that a particular

Player-character had before he took up

the torch and shield.

Should you decide to use backgrounds

Table 1.4 below should replace Table 1.7

in the Player’s Guide during character

generation.

These backgrounds are suited best for

Men, but Demi-men may use these

backgrounds as well.

These backgrounds are not the only ones

possible; particularly in the case of players

of Demi-men; it is advised that the player

and Referee should collaborate to devise a

background more to their liking. But a

this is a Realm of Men, only those

backgrounds for which Men are suited are

given on the table.

Additionally, if a player wishes, he may

skip throwing against the table and pick

the background he likes best.

In any case, if one player-character has theadvantage of a background, then all the

rest ought to as well, even if these are

“retro-fitted” on to the characters

afterward, but do not award the associated

kit or gold.


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Table 1.4: Character Backgrounds

6x6 1 2 3 4 5 6

1-2 Alchemist Archer Berserker FlyerNomad or

DervishSage

3-4 Amazon Bandit or BrigandBuccaneer, Pirate

or SailorGem-cutter Orcish

Smith or

Armourer

5-6 Animal Trainer Barkeep Engineer Man-at-Arms Pilgrim Spy

BACKGROUNDS for HUMAN

CHARACTERS and OTHERS

Each background additionally gets a +2

Reaction throw with others of the same

background.

Alchemist

Ability: Beginner's Alchemy (make a

Healing Potion in 1 week for 50s.)

Equipment: 1 Healing Potion, Mortar &

Pestle

Starting Money: 2 Dice x 10s.

Amazon

Ability: Invoke Goddess (re-throw one die

throw per day, but only if wearing bronze)

Equipment: Bronze Maille & Shield, Bronze

Sword (Arming or Backsword), Long Bow,

2 Flasks Military Oil

Starting Money: 1-6 x 10s.

Animal Trainer

Abilities: Animal Handling (+4 Reaction

throw for normal animals)Equipment: Mule, Guard Dog (1+1 HD,

AC 9, 1-6 bite)

Starting Money: 2 Dice x 10s.

Archer

Abilities: Rapid Fire (Fire arrows twice per

round if not moving or in melee)

Equipment: Long Bow, Quiver, 15 arrows, 5

silver arrows

Starting Money : 2 Dice x 10s.

Bandit (or Brigand, if Chaotic)

Abilities: Evasion (Flee skirmish without

being hit, but only if wearing Jack Armour)

Equipment: Cloak, Jack Armour, Shield,

Short Bow, Quiver, 20 arrows, Treasure

Map (ruin)


Barkeep

Abilities: Ear for Listening (Knows 2-12

local rumours)

Equipment: Fine Spirits (50s. value, +2

Reaction throw if a shot is offered, 10 shots

total)


Berserker

Abilities: Rage (+2 to attack & AC 7 if no

Armour, will not flee/surrender), +1 hp at

1st level)

Equipment: Bearskin Cloak, Tooth-bitten

Shield

Starting Money: 1d6 x 10s.

Buccaneer (or Pirate if Chaotic, or

Sailor)

Abilities: Swimming (Only drown on 1-in-6

per Turn in rough seas), Ship-craft, Rope

Use

Equipment: Cutlass (Arming sword),

Spyglass, Treasure Map (island), Pet

Monkey (1 hp), 50’ Rope with Grappling

Hook


Engineer

Abilities: Eye for Construction (detect

dungeon traps as a Dwarf & secret doors as

an elf) Equipment: Lantern, Steel Mirror,

Chalk Stick, Level, Measuring Stick (6’,

ruled)

Starting Money : 3 Dice x 10s

Flying Animal Pilot

Abilities: Aerial skirmish Training,

Tumbling (-1 point per die falling damage)

Equipment: Potion of Flying, Jack Armour,

5 JavelinsStarting Money : 2 Dice x 10s.

Gem-Cutter

Abilities: Appraise (gems & jewelry), Cut

Gems (Increase value of a gem 10%, 4 in

6)

Equipment: Magnifying Lens, Diamond

Dust (50s. value, use 10s. worth to cut agem)

Starting Money : 2 dice x 10s.

Man-At-Arms

Abilities: Years of Guard Duty (surprised

only on 1 in 6; sleep standing up)

Equipment: Maille, Shield, Arming Sword

Dagger, Crossbow, 30 Quarrels in

Case


Nomad (or Dervish)

Abilities: Surprise Outdoors (1-4 in 6, i

wearing only Jack), Archery whils

RidingEquipment: Light Horse, Lance, Horse

Bow, Leather Armour

Starting Money : 1 Die x 10s.

Orcish

Abilities: Brawling (+1 on attack throws i

not in full daylight, 1-6 damage withou

weapon)

Equipment: Leather Armour, Shield, Hand

Axe

Starting Money: 1 Die x 10s.

Pilgrim

Abilities: Traveling (Add 1 hex to daily

movement)

Equipment: Sturdy Staff, Holy Relic

Starting Money : 1 Die x 10s.

Sage

Abilities: Identify Magic Item (Takes 1 week

and uses 100s. of materia

components) Equipment: Reference

Books, Blank Vellum Book, and Ink &

Quill


Smith (or Armourer)


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Abilities: Fire-tough (-1 point per dice fire

damage), Forging (Weapons/Armour at 1/2

cost, full time)

Equipment: Maille shirt, Shield, Hammer,

Tongs, 12 Iron Spikes, Crowbar


Spy

Abilities: Double Talk (+1 on all reaction

throws), Disguise, Languages (Doublenormal number)

Equipment: 2 Daggers (1 hidden in boot)


On Thieves

What if a non-Thief attempts a thief skill?

Hide: Anybody can hide. Hiding is an all-

or-nothing thing. Either you're hidden or

you're in view. Thieves, however, have a

chance to hide in shadows. A thief

generally prefers to hide rather than to

hide in shadows. It's nice to have a chanceto hide in shadows when you need it,

though.

A normal Hide chance, useable by

anyone, is thrown on a 2-in-6, the same as

Surprise, and modified by Metal Armour

(-1) and Dexterity, minimum 1-in-6.

Hobbits have a similar ability, having a 2-

in-6 chance of hiding in shadows. They

also have a 5-in-6 chance of hiding in

woods or underbrush.

Stealth: Anybody can move quietly.

Thieves, however, have a chance to

move silently . If successful, there is

no chance for the thief to be heard. If the

thief fails to move silently, they should still

be considered to be moving quietly.

N.B.: The surprise mechanic can also be

used to cover the stealth tactic. Thieves

are simply expert at it.

Find & Remove Traps: Anybody can

search for traps. Dwarfs have a 2 in 6

chance for the mechanical sort. Everyone

else has a 1 in 6 chance. Finding traps ismodified by Wisdom, minimum 1-in-6.

Eaves-Dropping: Anybody can hear

noise. Thieves are expert eaves-droppers.

Listening is modified by Wisdom. Demi-

Men Listen on a 2-in-6. Men Listen on a

1-in-6.

Climb sheer surfaces: Anybody can climb.

Generally, the Referee can simply declare

something climbable or unclimbable. In

stressful or unusual situations, the Referee

may call for an appropriate ability check.

Thieves, however, have a chance to

climb sheer surfaces.

Pick A Lock & Prestidigitation: These are

Thief-only skills as the book is written.

However: a non-Thief might be able to

learn these abilities by spending

appropriate Time, Money and XP for

instance. The skill would not be tied tothe character's level, but would require

additional training to be improved.

Playing without the Thief

It might be an anathema to players

weaned on more modern kinds of games

to consider playing without the Thief

class. However: the Thief is not a

necessity for even the most trap-leaden

dungeon!

Anyone can push a ten-foot pole ahead ofhimself to check for low-lying traps.

Anyone can open a mundane lock of the

Medieval kind with the proper equipment

& time. & barring that, a doughty Fighter

can bash it to bits. Characters with proper

mountaineering equipment can scale walls

& tall peaks.

Certainly, any Adventurous Sort can and

should do "Thiefly" things. The nature of

the dungeon itself insists upon it!

The Thief, however, is expert at

dungeons. More-so than the others, the

Thief is a product of the "meta-game"

rather than a fantasy-Medieval archetype.

And being the dungeoneering expert, he

instead of the others is expected to face

certain dungeon challenges. This leaves

many characters (& their players) out of

the action at critical moments.

One solution to this problem is to limit

the Thief's core abilities; in exchange,

make him a true expert at that which he

knows. This is the Thief as presented

Treasure Hunters. Another solution is to eliminate the Thief

& to bolt some subset of Thief abilities

onto the "chassis" of one or more of the

other classes: perhaps Fighters can learn

to read scrolls, or a Wizard can learn to

pick a lock & so forth.

Should you decide to use this method,

each Thief ability learnt shall cost 1500

XP, 100s., and 1-6 weeks training, just as

when an actual Thief reaches Level 2.

Another possible solution is to eject the

Thief from the game entirely.

It is perfectly OK for the Referee to say

"Thieving is a way of life, not a character

class," and have it be done with.

For a short time at the dawn of the

Famous Game, there was no Thief class

only Fighting Men, Wizards, and Clerics

And that worked well. It should work a

well today for you at your table, should you wish it.

Should one wish to keep a remnant of the

Thief, one could re-write the class. Below

is presented a very simple variant focused

on exploration rather than larceny

Treasure Hunter

Treasure Hunters are the Extraordinary

Individuals who leave hearth-and-home

with nary more than their cunning and wi

(and perhaps a sword and lantern) to learnof the Greater World and claim it’s

Treasure as his own.

Arms & Armour Proficiency: Treasure

Hunters may use any weapon. They wea

only Jack Armour. They may carry

Shields, but must drop them before

attacking and before using many of their

class skills.


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Only Men are Treasure Hunters. The

other races may use their Natural Abilities

to fill the same role.

Prime Requisite: Treasure Hunters with

Exceptional Intelligence gain a +10%

bonus to Experience earned.

The following are the special abilities of

the Treasure Hunter.

Uncanny Dungeoneering: TreasureHunters are good at feeling their way

around in the dark. Whilst not technically

Darkvisioned, they shall be able to

manoeuvre in the dark without penalty

whilst moving carefully, and are not

penalized for being blinded.

In a very dark or completely dark

environment, they will not be able to

report visual clues, but they will be able to

report with great accuracy what their other

senses tell them.

Treasure Hunters can instinctively spot

slanting passages, stonework & mechanical

traps, or unusual and new underground

construction on a throw of 5-6 on one die.

They can find a secret or concealed door

on a throw of 5-6 on one die (rather than

the normal 1-in-6) even when not actively

searching.

Treasure Hunters hide in shadows

indoors 2-in-6 times and hide anywhere

out-of-doors 5-in-6 times.

Finally, they may Listen for sounds on a

throw of 4-6 on one die rather than the

normal 6 on one die chance.

Polyglot: Learning new languages is fun &

easy for the Treasure Hunter. He shall

start the game knowing two languages

(plus one for Exceptional Intelligence,

should he have it), and learn a new one at

levels 2, 5 and 8.

At Level 4, they read any language on a 5-

in-6 throw.

At Level 8, Treasure Hunters may

attempt to cast magic spells from scrolls

with a 5-in-6 chance.

Lucky: Treasure Hunters have the most-

favourable Saving Throw of all characters.

Should you decide to dispense with the

Thief class, inform your players ahead-of-

time. In the case of the Halfling, you may

wish to extend his ability to progress as a

Fighter in exchange, but that is up to you.

Table 1.5: The Treasure Hunter

Level Progression

XP Level BAB HD Save

0 1 0 1 8

1,250 2 0 2 8

2,000 3 0 2+1 7

5,000 4 +1 3 7

10,000 5 +1 4 6

20,000 6 +1 4+1 6

40,000 7 +2 5 5

80,000 8 +2 6 5

160,000 9 +2 6+1 4

320,000 10 +3 7* 4

480,000 11 +3 7+2 3

640,000 12 +3 7+4 3

780,000 13 +4 7+6 2

900,000 14 +4 7+8 2*Hit point modifiers from Constitution no

longer accrue.

On the Cleric

Let’s push open the temple doors for a

moment. The Cleric as written is a kind

of pseudo-Christian figure on the model

of the Teutonic Knights, Hospitalars,

Turcopoles, & &c. They progress through

ordeals of blood & faith to a rank of High

Priest (Level 9), where they may establish

their own diocese and attract somenumber of fanatics to their fortified

Abbey.

Therefore we are not talking about the

common village priest, but rather a far-

flung militant religious order with a few

key characteristics:

The study of their sacred texts allows

them to elicit miraculous power from

their god which is inaccessible to the

vulgar masses.

Any Cleric who rises to sufficient

power within his hierarchy (just priorto Level 7) must choose between Law

and Chaos. Particularly powerful and

pious warriors are the sweetest souls

for plunder.

His holy order puts additional

restrictions upon him. Specifically

noted in the Player’s Rules book is a

prohibition on edged weapons in

skirmish & volley. Other

prohibitions may be placed on the

Cleric as the Referee decides.

The original Cleric was another "meta

game" answer to a particularly nefarious

vampire that confounded the severa

players of the Famous Game. Conceived

of was a monster hunter with knowledge

of the unearthly, which he put to good use

against the servants of Cain. Almos

immediately afterwards, the trappings othe Church were retro-fitted on to the

character, bearing forth a semblance o

the Cleric as we know him today.

But there is no reason, per se , for God to

ordain certain fellows with greater divine

power than others. Without restorative

magic and the turning of the undead, the

dungeon would be a more deadly

proposition; but again, the Cleric class is

not necessary for the game. In Medieva

lore, priests who performed miracle

largely did not also don Plate Armour andsmite enemies directly- these were usually

two different kinds of Men. The latte

kind is represented in the game as a

Fighter or Paladin, but the former is

missing (probably because a true pries

type would not be as fun to play in the

dungeon!)

Removing the Cleric from the game would

leave a gap in the PC's direct access to

healing & restorative magic. It would

make the silent, perfectly fearless undead

even more fearsome. But there are hint

as to how to go about this even going back

to the equipment lists in Chapter One.

Bandages are useful. Not in skirmish, bu

afterwards. Holy Relics can be used to

turn the undead away in the hands of any

believer. Garlic can ward off a vampire

Elfs are naturally immune to ghou

paralysis.

There is room for a "village priest" or

"hedge wizard" who is clever in the ways of

potions and herbalism to provide a source

for the abilities that the Cleric shouldnormally bring forth. Certainly, some o

the higher-order restorative magic could

be performed by traditional clergy under

the right circumstance (and for the proper

tithe). Would this new kind of character

call him an Alchemist or Hedge Wizard

or Village Priest, be a fun character to

adventure with? That depends upon the

player. He might even have some of the

skills we associate with a Thief: reading

languages and casting from scrolls.


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Below is presented a very simple

replacement for the traditional Cleric for a

kind of game where God watches and

waits.

Hedge Wizard

Hedge Wizards are the clever men and

wise women who live in cities, towns & villages. They know a little magic and

create potions & charms. They are

helpful against the un-dead and Lycans,

and other unusual beasts which threaten

common folk from time to time.

Sometimes, Hedge Wizards are priests;

sometimes, they are simply quite clever.

Arms & Armour Proficiency: Hedge

Wizards are not skirmishers. Their magic

is rarely offensive in nature. Therefore,

they do not train in Armour or Shields.

Each one may use the dagger and oneother weapon they choose.

Prime Requisite: Hedge Wizards with

Exceptional Intelligence gain a +10%

bonus to Experience earned.

The following are the special abilities of

the Hedge Wizard.

Dowsing: By making a WIS Save, a

Hedge Wizard can locate an object,

person, or something else by using two

crossed sticks or a crystal on the end of a

piece of string. On a successful Save, the

tool will indicate the direction to the thing

being sought, allowing the Hedge Wizard

to track it down.

At each even gained and at level one, the

player may choose a type of thing to be

able to track from the following list:

Specific Person, Specific Animal, Water,

Mineral, Disease, Magic, Traps,

Habitation, Evil.

Water, Disease, Traps, Habitation andEvil are all general, and will direct toward

the nearest source of the thing. Mineral

will detect a specific mineral named at the

time of Dowsing. Detect Person, Item or

Animal all detect the specific thing named

at the time of Dowsing.

Apothecary: By collecting plants and

Essential Oils (which requires access to

suitable wilderness or spending money in

the appropriate shop), spending one hour

to prepare them each day, the Hedge

Wizard may make poultices, bandages &

other preparations to create a variety of

effects.

At each odd level gained including level

one, the player chooses one new type of

effect to be able to create from the

following list:

Antidote, Cure a Disease, Cure

Lycanthropy, Salve, & Purify Food and

Drink.

Antidote will create an antidote to a

poison. A specific kind must be used, and

can be created to nullify the effects of any

poison over the same time period over

which the poison has acted. Cost to

prepare: 25s. Time Needed: 1 Day

Cure Disease will allow the Hedge Wizard

to cure most diseases, includingsupernatural diseases; for the rarer kinds,

special and expensive ingredients may be

required. Cost to prepare: 25s-100s. Time

Needed: 1 Day

Cure Lycanthropy will allow the Hedge

Wizard to cure Lycanthropy. This cure

takes four strong men to stand guard, a

silver chalice, ample Belladonna, and

fresh Holy Water each day for 28 days.

Cost to Prepare: 700s. Time Needed: 28

Days

Salve will create a soothing balm which

can be applied to wounds, or an

invigorating tonic. In either form, it cures

1d6+1 Hits of damage and can be used by

any being once per day. Cost to prepare:

25s. Time Needed: 2 Days

Purify Food and Drink will make spoilt or

rotten food and drink edible again, though

not if it is thoroughly rotten or desiccated.

Alternatively, it can be used to preserve

food and drink for a long ocean voyage &

&c. Cost to prepare: 10s. Time Needed:

1 Day

Talismans of Crystal-Power and Pure-

Metal: The Hedge Wizard can craft

Talismans of Great Power from pure

materials from the Earth and Sea, and his

own vast knowledge of natural philosophy.

For the cost of 500s. per “plus,” he can

craft simple pieces of Jewelry, Belts, & &c.

which grant a bonus to Saving Throws.

These Talismans must always touch the

skin of the wearer, and take up item slots

just as “magic” items would.

Alternatively, a Talisman may contain any

one Level 1 Spell from the Cleric, Druid

or Wizard lists. Such a spell may be

“cast” out of the charm 1 -6 times before

the Talisman crumbles to dust. More

common Talismans are those which Cure

Light Wounds and Turn the UndeadThese Talismans cost 750s. to make.

Both kinds require one week to

manufacture.

True Wizard Magic: Hedge Wizards may

perform any Wizard Cantrip from

memory, once per ten-minute Turn. To

common folk, this is what constitutes

“magic.”

Table 1.6: The Hedge Wizard

Level Progression


0 1 0 1 9

1,500 2 0 1+1 9

3,000 3 0 2 8

6,000 4 +1 2+1 8

12,000 5 +1 3 7

25,000 6 +1 3+1 7

50,000 7 +2 4 6

100,000 8 +2 4+1 6

200,000 9 +2 5 5

320,000 10 +3 5+1* 5440,000 11 +3 5+2 4

*Hit point adjustments from Exceptiona

Constitution no longer accrue.

HOWEVER, unlike the Thief, there is an

historical antecedent for a holy warrior

archetype. Think very carefully before

pulling the Cleric from the game. The

very obvious knock-on effects are those

affecting classes based off the Cleric

Paladin, Druid, and Ranger

Furthermore, the implied setting o

Treasure Hunters relies upon the

ecclesiastical hierarchy buttressing the

temporal powers of the Realm. Replacing

every Evil High Priest with an Evil High

Bureaucrat would likely make the game

less fun, especially as characters approach

Level 9 and beyond.

& On the Anti-Cleric

The treatment of the “Anti-Cleric” in the

Player’s Rules book is simplistic, allowing


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for quick choice at character generation.

But there is a lot of territory to explore

with a simple reversal in outlook. Here

we will explore some of the ways the

Referee can adjust the Anti-Cleric to open

up new options for the forces of Chaos

(and possibly the canny player.)

Imagine telling your player, "Sure you can

play a Cleric, but he can't heal and he can't

turn undead." Surely the response wouldbe, "What kind of Cleric is that supposed

to be? That's not a Cleric!" And your

player would be correct.

The Anti-Cleric is a different class

altogether.

Anti-Cleric

The Anti-Cleric is a priest of the regular

variety when it comes to temporal and

ecclesiastical politics. However, he is a

Heresiarch - one who is opposed to theLaw of the World and opposed to the

Order or Men and Civilisation as it stands-

in his black heart. The Anti-Cleric as Evil

High Priest is the ultimate foil to those

Adventurous Men who seek to broaden

the reach of the Realms of Men.

Clerics worship God, while Anti-Clerics

worship the Devil, or what-ever

cosmogony you should decide upon for

your game world.

Arms & Armour Proficiency: As the

tongue and sword of Cain in the Mortal

World, the Anti-Cleric shan’t use any

volley weapon. Up-close blood-letting is

his mandate. He favours barbed swords

and daggers. He is able to wear any

Armour and use any Shield.

Prime Requisite: Anti-Clerics with

Exceptional Charisma gain a +10% bonus

to Experience earned.

Clerics always Turn Undead and cast all

reversible petitions in the normal way;

Anti-Clerics Beckon Undead , and cast allreversible petitions in the reversed

manner, which we shall call antispells .

Anti-Clerics fight and Save as Clerics.

They share Hit Dice and an experience

progression table. Their spells come from

the Cleric spell list with some exceptions.

Magic Item Use and Creation: Anti-

Clerics may use any kind of Holy Relic,

including potions, scrolls, rings, other

jewelry, Armour, arms & vestments,

amongst other things. They are barred

from using magic swords and items which

cannot be used by beings of Chaotic

alignment.

Anti-Clerics may manufacture potions and

scrolls starting at Level 5 and other kinds

of magic items starting at Level 9.

Weird Lore: Upon the discovery of the

ancient, forbidden or weird, the Anti-

Cleric shall be able to identify something

useful about it from his profane studies on

a 4-in-6 throw.

The Petitioning of Divine Power

Anti-Clerics, through their devout

servitude of one or more demons, petition

for personal power. Should the Anti-

Cleric be in good stead with his chosen

liege, he shall be able to wield thesepowers for gain. The Anti-Cleric’s

petitions fall into four categories & each

requires different preparations and

prayers.

Aura: Auras are long-acting petitions

which protect one being (either the

Anti-Cleric or another) or ward a

small area from some effect. The

Anti-Cleric may have one in effect at

any time and may maintain the Aura

indefinitely. Example: Protection

from Good.

Command: Commands are petitions

useable at short notice, even whilst

seducing a woman of virtue.

Example: Beckon the Undead.

Ritual: Rituals are petitions of some

not-insignificant power which require

ten minutes to call. Example: Cause

Light Wounds.

Prayer: Prayers are petitions for

miraculous events beyond the power

of Man. They take a day to call

upon. Example: Flesh to Stone.

Demon Summoning: Anti-Clerics canconjure and/or control a demon whose

true name they discover in their treatises

of demonology. To do so, Anti-

Clerics throw a standard Petition Check

modified by his own level as normal & by

the Hit Dice of the summoned demon. A

7 or more succeeds and a 6 or less fails.

This is a Prayer-length action, lasting at

least one night.

If successful, throw for the demon on the

Monster Reaction Table, modified by the

caster’s Charisma.

Demons love gold and magic; offerings

shall make the demon more amenable to

the Anti-Cleric. 10 gold marks per Hi

Die shall grant a +1 to the Anti-Cleric’

initial throw. A permanent magic item the

Demon fancies (Ref eree’s option) shal

also grant a +1.

If the throw is unsuccessful, the demon is

free to do what it wants (like

disemboweling the Anti-Cleric) for a

number of rounds equal to its Hit Dice

Thence, it departs back to its realm.

Should the demon be seduced by the

Anti-Cleric, he shall serve for 2-12 x

caster’s level in days (the Referee shall

hold the result of this throw in secret.)

Once this time has elapsed, the demon isfree to do what it wants (like

disemboweling the Anti-Cleric) for a

number of Rounds equal to its Hit Dice

Artifacts may allow the summoning

of demon princes.

The Anti-Cleric may banish the Demon

back to its infernal realm with but a word

at any time prior to losing its servitude

Should he do so, he will confound the

Demon and earn its eternal enmity.

Table 1.7: The Anti-Cleric

Anti-Cleric Level Progression


0 1 +0 1 9

1,500 2 +0 2 9

3,000 3 +0 2+1 8

6,000 4 +1 3 8

12,000 5 +1 4 7

25,000 6 +1 4+1 7

50,000 7 +2 5 6

100,000 8 +2 6 6

200,000 9 +2 6+1 5

320,000 10 +3 7* 5

440,000 11 +3 7+2 4560,000 12 +3 7+4 4

680,000 13 +4 7+6 3

800,000 14 +4 7+8 3*Hit point adjustments from Constitution no

longer accrue.

Limitation: The Anti-Cleric is a servant o

a Great and Terrible Power. He mus

always act in accordance with that power

to the best of his ability. To do otherwise

will cause him to lose the ability to petition


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and use unholy relics. The Anti-Cleric

must be wily as well, for he must appear to

act as his Church requires whilst pursuing

his own deviant ends.

Some specific uses of Reversed Spells

Anti-Clerics possess the ability to

Beckon the Restless Dead , calling the

newly slain upon the battlefield as

servitors, for a time. These servitors are

of equal in Hit Dice to half the Anti-Cleric’s level, in numbers equal to the

Cleric’s Turn Undead spell. These

Beckoned Dead shall last Ten Rounds,

and then crumble into dust or otherwise

depart the Mortal realm.

His Cause Light Wounds antispell

needs neither touch nor a To-Hit

throw- it applies automatically. The

wound of 2-7 Hits (or more for higher

versions) manifests at the end of the ten-

minute Turn, but the pain shall grip its

target immediately, causing some degreeof horror.

Granting Darkvision: The Light spell

will blind a creature if cast upon a

creature's eyes. This property of this

spell is inverted by the Anti-Cleric to

good effect. The Darkness antispell

spell grants a creature Darkvision of 60’

when cast upon that creature's eyes.

However, Continual Darkness only

allows the same effect, rather than

providing eternal Darkvision.

Other wrinkles may come up by theReferee’s and player’s imagination take

hold.

On the Seduction of the Cleric

With this revised Anti-Cleric class,

reversed Cleric petitions are not normally

available to anyone before Level 7. All

kinds of Clerics cast the regular sort of

magic. Clerics may attempt reversed

spells with some risk to their souls.

When first he attempts an antispell, the

Cleric may not even know he calls upon adark god, rather than this own (Referee’s

option).

When he does so, he immediately loses

the ability to Turn the restless dead, but

retains his healing powers.

A Lawful or Neutral Cleric so choosing

must make a CHA Save or immediately

see his Cosmic Alignment move one step

closer to Chaos. Make this Throw in

secret. Each time a reversed spell is

attempted, make the same Save.

That Cleric who finds himself on the side

of Chaos upon otherwise meeting the

requirements for the seventh experience

level undergoes a further ordeal &

prospect of apotheosis- a seduction by

dark forces who promise to provide to

him personal power of a different sort.

Specifically: A demon prince appears

before the Cleric and bargains with him

for his immortal Soul. The precise nature

of this visitation and subsequent contest

may vary considerably, but should always

put the Cleric at some disadvantage.

The Cleric may use Parley, trickery, spells

of the regular kind, and force of arms-

anything he has at his disposal- to turn

away the demon in personal and exclusive

combat. If he does, his Alignment

becomes Neutral, and he may begin to walk the path back toward the side of Law.

Or, he may decide to succumb to the

demon’s seduction and be granted the

powers of a darker sort.

At this point, the Cleric becomes an Anti-

Cleric, An Heresiarch . He may only use

reversed forms of those spells which have

such forms: their antispells, & otherwise

follows the rules of the Anti-Cleric class.

On Clerics Achieving a New Experience

Level

The “training” template by which normal

player-characters achieve their new

Experience Level shall work well for the

Cleric as well. However, those looking for

some greater verisimilitude shall wish to

examine this alternate system, which shall

apply to Clerics at the Referee’s option.

On Religious Conversion

Instead of paying for normal training costs

in money & time, the Cleric must win

converts to his religion and tithe before hemay attain the next experience level. He

must convert one new person for each

experience level he now has each time he

shall be otherwise eligible to gain a level

(eg four people for a 4th-level cleric to

attain level 5, and then another 5 for level

6.)

Missionary Conversion

Obviously this must occur in a populated

area. No cleric will win converts working

alone in the wilderlands! For each game

day the cleric spends prostheletising, he

has the chance to win 1-3 converts. For

each potential convert, throw against the

reaction table, with normal modifiers for

Charisma and a special +1 for any helpful

and well-known act the Cleric may have

done for the people of the location wherehe is preaching. A result of 9 or more for

any one of these attempts results in one

convert. A result of 12 or more results in a

potential new cleric or paladin, depending

upon the race, cosmic alignment, and

ability scores of the converted. A new

convert will follow the cleric for one

adventure if he is no higher than half the

cleric's level or a Normal Man for no pay

but the cleric must supply appropriate

adventuring gear and ensure his relative

safety. This is a special Retainer which

does not count against the cleric's normalimit, does not earn XP, and does not take

a share of treasure.

Individual Conversion

Sometimes in the course of play, the

Cleric character may wish to attempt to

convert a specific other character. In this

case; throw two dice: this is the number o

hours of one on one time the cleric must

spend in order to attempt conversion

This time does not need to be continual

At the end of this variable period, the

Referee shall throw reaction for the NPC

An adjusted throw of 2 or less results in

enmity; an adjusted throw of 3-5 results in

a failed conversion. An adjusted throw of

9-11 results in conversion. An adjusted

throw of 12 or more results in the NPC

becoming a follower per the conditions o

the general case. An adjusted throw of 6-8

results in uncertainty; more time is

needed. Throw two more dice to

determine how many more hours of one

on one time are necessary before another

reaction throw may be made.

Modifiers:

Different race: -2

Different alignment: -2

Cleric has performed miracles in the

presence of the character: +1

Cleric has saved the life of the

character: +2

Cleric has performed miracles of Leve

5 or 6: additional +1


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The Cleric's Charisma modifier also

applies.

In either case, each man so converted

shall supply a testimonial of his

conversion, either oral or written, and the

cleric shall tithe 10% of his wealth to his

Church rather than paying for his level in

time and money.

Optional Classes

The four races and four classes presented

at the start of the Player’s Rules book are

meant to cover most of the pseudo-

European mediaeval fantasy role-playing

archetypes which the new player may wish

to try out. Not all of them, by any means,

but a wide enough range that each player

may have a character of a kind he wishes

to play when he first sits down at the table

to try his luck and courage against the

fantastic and weird unknown.

Quickly, however, you shall come upon

people (and perhaps you are one yourself)

who wish to stretch the boundaries and try

things that are slightly different.

This is encouraged. It is good to try new

things in games.

In order to establish some of the

metaphysical truths of the world the

characters inhabit, the choices for race

and class are limited intentionally.

Presenting a limited milieu gives structure

and enables players to grasp the basics of

the world around them.

Therefore, it is suggested that no player be

allowed to play a kind of race which has

not appeared yet in the story. His or her

first PC ought to be one of the traditional

kinds. This allows the Referee to have a

good grasp upon what a particular kind of

new race or profession ought to be able to

do before allowing one into his world, in

the hands of a clever player. The same

goes for classes: It is suggested that there

are just four kinds for the first go.

For subsequent PCs, you should work

with your players to come up with a

character race or class which is fairly well

balanced though advantages and

restrictions compared to those other

characters played.

In the following pages, classes of a

moderately advanced nature are

presented. THESE ARE PURELY

OPTIONAL. It is up to the Referee to

decide which are appropriate for his

campaign world and which are not.

On the New Classes

Paladin: Only Men may be Paladins.

Monk: Anyone may be a Monk. Demi-

Men may only rise to the rank of Grand

Master and never higher.

Assassin: Any race may become an

Assassin. Men may rise to any level.

Demi-Men may only attain level 8.

Druid: Men and Elves may be Druids, but

Elves may only rise to Level 8.

Ranger: Hobbits and Men may become

Rangers. Hobbits are limited to level 6 in

the class.

Paladin

Paladins are a kind of Lawful Fighter

ordained by God to take the field of battle

like the Fighter; to bring the Holy Word

like the Cleric; & additionally to serve as

an example of how to live a Godly life.

His is a narrow path to tread, and falling

off this path means losing his exceptional

power, perhaps forever.

Requirements: A Paladin must have

Exceptional Charisma, and may not have

Inferior Strength or Wisdom. He must

be of Lawful cosmic alignment, and always

remain so.

Prime Requisite: Paladins with

Exceptional STR gain +10% to XP

earned.

Arms & Armour Proficiency: Paladins

may use any Armour and Shield and may

wield any Weapon, just as the Fighter.

Class Abilities of the Paladin:

Aura of Purity: At all times, the Paladin

radiates an aura of Law and goodness

such that Chaotic or evil beings are loathe

to touch his person, & he gains a +2AC

versus attacks by same. Additionally,

Paladins are immune to any magical fear

effects or conditions based thereupon

including the Ghoul’s touch.

State of Grace: The Paladin applies his

Charisma modifier to his Saves.

A Paladin may Detect Evil at-will, like the

Wizard and Cleric Spell of the same

name. He does not have to Petition for it.

Holy Smite: The Paladin may smite hi

enemies once per day. He gains a +3 To

Hit and a +3 to damage on one skirmish

attack, declared as usual during theDeclare Actions step in combat. At Leve

3, he may smite twice per day; at Level 6

and 9, he gains one additional use of this

ability per diem.

Laying On Hands: A Paladin may cure 1

3 hits damage per experience level of any

creature who has been wounded. Thi

healing may be spread amongst any

number of uses. The number of dice

used per application must be chosen

before hands are laid.

Cleave: At Level Two, as the Fighter.

Sense Invisible: At Level Four, as the

Fighter.

At Level Eight, a Paladin may Dispel Evi

as a standard action at will. Merely by

pointing at an evil being or object, he may

will it banished. Against devils and

demons, this banishment sends them back

to their home plane rather than destroying

them. For free-willed undead and living

creatures, they receive a Save to resist this

banishment.


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Table 1.8: The Paladin

Paladin Level Progression


0 1 +1 1+1 10

2,250 2 +1 2+1 10

4,500 3 +2 3+1 9

9,000 4 +2 4+1 9

18,000 5 +3 5+1 8

36,000 6 +3 6+1 8

78,000 7 +4 7+1 7

150,000 8 +4 8+1 7

300,000 9 +5 9+1 6

450,000 10 +5 10+1* 6

600,000 11 +6 10+4 5

800,000 12 +6 10+7 5

1,00,000 13 +7 10+10 4

1,200,000 14 +7 10+13 4*Hit Point Modifiers from Constitution no

longer accrue.

Class Limitations of the Paladin:

Alignment: For all these granted powers,

the Paladin must be careful never to allow

himself to be corrupted, nor to slip into an

alignment other than Lawful. Should the

Paladin ever change alignment or act in a

significantly non-Lawful manner (by the

Referee’s judgment), he shall be reduced

to a Fighter forevermore and abide by the

benefits and restrictions of that class going

forward.

Wealth: A Paladin may not retain wealth

in amounts greater than that which is

needed to maintain his arms & Armour,

his Retainers and Henchmen, and a frugal

manner of living; In any event, 50% of all

treasure won must be given to the Church.

This only counts against money, gems and

jewels; other winnings are not so tithed.

Upon reaching Level 9, the Church will

pay 50% of the cost of construction of his

stronghold.

Magic: A Paladin may only own ten magic

items at a time, including his Armour and weapons.

Associations: Paladins may only hire

Lawful henchmen and will seek out

Lawful NPCs to associate with in every

possible case.

On Paladins and Fighters: Men who

begin as Fighters may actually become

Paladins, for Paladins are a kind of

Fighter. Fighters who have always been

Lawful may ascend to Paladinhood. To

do so, they must be Ordained in a special

ceremony conducted by Lawful Clerics,

other Paladins, or a mix of these two.

Such a ceremony takes one day. Upon

completion of this ceremony, the Fighter

“cashes in” his Experience Points &Levels earned as a Fighter, and becomes a

Paladin possessing the same number of

Experience Points. Note that in some

cases, this shall mean he is of a lower

experience level than he was before.

Paladins who Fall from Grace as judged

by the Referee are instantly and forever-

more Fighters of the same level ; it may be

necessary for the player-character to shed

some of his XP in order to qualify to be a

Fighter of the same Level as he was a

Paladin.

Those Paladins who have Fallen may

never regain Paladin status, except in cases

decided so by the Referee. Exceptional

character actions and heroic atonement

shall be necessary in such a case.

Monk

A Monk is a Far-Eastern-style priest who

trains his Body & Mind in order to elevate

his Spirit. In some ways, he is the

opposite number to the Assassin.

Arms & Armour Proficiency: Monks may

use simple weapons such as the Club,

Dagger, Quarterstaff, and Horseman’s

Flails made primarily of wood. They may

use Long Bows (Yumi) of simple

construction. They never wear Armour

or use other weapons.

Prime Requisite: Monks have no Prime

Requisite and never earn an experience

bonus from one.

Requirement: All Monks begin the gameas Lawfuls. They may become Neutrals,

but if they become Chaotic, they may

never again advance in the Monk class or

any other . They must have Exceptional

Wisdom at the time they begin their

careers. Monks may not dual-class or

multi-class as other characters can.

A Monk does not advance by level a

other classes do, but rather accepts new

titles as he progresses in his studies. He

never pays for training as other classes do

upon attaining a new level.

The following are class abilities of the

Monk.

Favourable Hit-Dice: A Monk begins play

with an extra 1-6 Hit Points from an extra

Hit Die. He also continues to gain Hi

Dice throughout his long path toEnlightenment. Unarmed Attacks: A

Monk may use his body as a weapon

much as a Fighter might use a sword

Striking this way deals 1-6 Hits and i

augmented by Exceptional Strength. As a

Monk progresses, he may attack more

often than other classes based upon his

swiftness-of-body. Immaculates gain two

such attacks per Round; Grand Masters of

the West Wind gain three, and so forth.

Thief Abilities: A Monk gains a limited

repertoire of Thief Abilities as heprogresses, as indicated on the Table.

Holds Breath: An Initiate has mastered

his breathing such that he may hold his

breath twice as long as normal.

Stands from Prone: The Monk needs no

time to stand from prone and suffers none

of the usual disadvantages whilst doing so.

Spell Immunities: The Grand Master i

immune to certain spells altering his body

and mind.

Leaping: The Grand Master of the South

Wind may leap 4-14 feet horizontally and

2-7 feet vertically, modified by

Exceptional Strength, double the norma

leap.


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Table 1.9: The Monk

Title XP BAB HD SV Attacks AC MV Special

Novice 0 +0 2 10 1 8 Unarmed Attacks; Climb as Thief.

Initiate 3,000 +0 3 10 1 8 130' Holds breath twice normal.

Disciple 6,000 +0 3+1 9 1 8 Stealth as Thief.

Immaculate 12,000 +1 4 9 2 10 Stands from prone immediately.

Master 25,000 +1 5 8 2 10 140' Body strikes as magical weapon.

Grand Master 50,000 +1 5+1 8 2 10 Immune to Haste, Slow, ESP and Geas.

GM of the West Wind 100,000 +2 6 7 3 12 Hide as Thief.

GM of the South Wind 200,000 +2 7 7 3 12 150' Leap twice normal distance/height.

GM of the East Wind 350,000 +2 7+1 6 3 14 Throws Saves twice; takes better.

GM of the North Wind 550,000 +3 8 6 4 14 Unearthly Balance.

GM of Winter 700,000 +3 9 5 4 16 160' All DEX checks at +1

GM of Autumn 850,000 +3 9+1 5 4 16 Stops Ageing; Immune to age effects.

GM of Summer 1,000,000 +4 10 4 5 18 Speaks with Animals.

GM of Spring 1,150,000 +4 11 4 5 18 170' Speaks with Plants.

GM of Dragons 1,300,000 +4 11+1 3 5 20 True Seeing , always on.

GM of Flowers 1,450,000 +5 12 3 6 20 180' Immune to all Magic.

Unearthly Balance: whilst running at full

speed and unencumbered, a Grand Master

of the North Wind may run on any solid

or semi-solid surface for a distance of 150’or less. This includes walls, water and

other surfaces. The Grand Master of the

North Wind may attempt to run up a

waterfall or down a sheer cliff face, for

instance, on a 5-in-6.

Ageless: The Grand Master of Autumn

never feels the bite of winter. He stops

ageing and is immune to any ageing effect.

Total Magic Immunity: The Grand Master

of Flowers is immune to all magical effects,

whether infernal or benign.

Teaching: As a Grand Master of the

several Winds, a Monk shall attract 4-24

Lawful followers, of which 1-6 shall be

Novices, and the balance of which shall be

Normal Men. Which ones are which shall

remain a mystery to be resolved through

role-play should the Monk wish it.

Limitations: The following are limitations

of the Monk.

Poverty: All Monks have taken a Vow of

Poverty. He may not own land and heonly gains XP from treasure as it is

Squandered, not as it is collected.

He may only own four magic items, none

of which may be a Weapon, Armour or

Shield. He may use Cleric scrolls at the

start of his career, but he must always cast

them in the normal way, never in reverse.

Class Restrictions: A Monk may never

take levels in any other class. Should the

Monk ever become Chaotic, he can never

attain the next title in his progression. Hemay continue to adventure and gain XP,

but he will never earn another title – nor

can he attain a level in any other class.

Assassin

Hashashin , or Assassins, are Near-East-

inspired holy warriors. Rather than

petitioning God for spells as the Western-

style Cleric will do, the Assassin uses

powers of stealth and fear to destroy the

enemies of their faith, making the world

safer for those who believe as they do.

Despite their superficial resemblance to

Thieves, they are priests of a kind more

akin to the Monk, and each countsmembers of the other class as natural

enemies.

Arms & Armour Proficiency: An Assassin

may wear Jack Armour but may never use

a Shield. He may use any weapon.

Prime Requisite: Assassins have no Prime

Requisite and never earn an experience

bonus from one.

Requirement: All Assassins begin the game

as Chaotics. They may become Neutrals

but if they become Lawful, they may never

again advance in the Assassin class.

The following are the special abilities o

the Assassin.

At Level One, the Assassin gains three

abilities.

Assassinate: Whenever a defender i

unaware of the Assassin or is unable to

actively defend itself (bound or surprised)

the Assassin may make one specia

skirmish attack. This special attack gains a

+2 to-hit. If successful, the target musSave or die. If the target makes his save

nothing further happens.

This is not a magical power, and is no

subject to magic resistance. It is not a hi

point attack, and therefore having a lot of

Hit Points does not help. However, it is an

attack based upon precise knowledge o

physiology. Therefore, it is useless agains

incorporeal, undead, or very alien

creatures that the Assassin has no

encountered and studied before.

At Level One, the Assassin may use thiability once per day. At Level Five and a

each subsequent level divisible by five, he

gains another use of this ability per day.

Poison Use: By collecting plants (which

requires access to suitable wilderness or

spending money in the appropriate shop)

spending one hour to prepare them each

day, the Assassin may manufacture

poisons.


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Poison Use will create any type the

Assassin desires, per the Poison chart.

Disguise. Whenever the Assassin has time

to prepare (at least three Turns), he may

make a disguise that will fool others into

thinking he is someone other than himself.

The base chance is 5-in-6 modified by

Charisma, but the Assassin only has to

throw a check to pass close inspection.

This throw suffers a -1 penalty forimpersonating the opposite sex, another

race, or when the person inspecting is very

familiar with the actual person

impersonated.

At odd levels Five through Nine, the

Assassin may learn any ability available to

the Thief.

Table 1.10: The Assassin

Assassin Level Progression


0 1 +0 1 9

1,500 2 +0 2 9

3,000 3 +0 2+1 8

6,000 4 +1 3 8

12,000 5 +1 4 7

25,000 6 +1 4+1 7

50,000 7 +2 5 6

100,000 8 +2 6 6

200,000 9 +2 6+1 5

320,000 10 +3 7* 5

440,000 11 +3 7+2 4

560,000 12 +3 7+4 4680,000 13 +4 7+6 3

800,000 14 +4 7+8 3

*Hit Point Modifiers from Constitution no

longer accrue.

Assassins who cast spells from scrolls shall

cast the reversed version of spells in every

case where the spell has a reversed version.

At Level 10, the Assassin shall acquire 4-24

followers, 1-6 of which will be Level One

Assassins, and the balance of which will be

Normal Men. All shall be Chaotics andmany will be evil in nature.

Druid

A Druid is a Nature priest of the Old

Religion, based loosely upon pre-Christian

Germanic paganism. Their voice is the

wind; their faithful, the trees. Their

cathedrals are the very forests themselves.

Prime Requisite: Druids with Exceptional

WIS gain +10% to XP earned.

Arms & Armour Proficiency: A Druid

generally shuns large quantities of worked

metal. His weapon choices include the

sickle (A crescent-shaped dagger unsuitable

for throwing), the spear, club, quarterstaff,

a Horseman’s flail primarily made of

wood, like those used to thresh crops, and

the sling. For Armour, the Druid usesonly Jack Armour fashioned from animal

and plant stuffs. A Druid will never use a

gun.

Requirement: whilst the Cleric and other

holy men are consumed by the struggle

between Law and Chaos or good and evil,

the Druid is always Neutral, for Nature

herself is so. A Druid who otherwise

would qualify to attain his next experience

level may not do so whilst the Referee

should judge his cosmic alignment to be

other than Neutral; this can be remedied

through role-play.

All of the following are the special abilities

of the Druid.

Nature Lore: The Druid is able to name &

identify natural plants, plant creatures and

fungi. He is able to name & identify any

natural animal of the normal or monstrous

kind. He can identify all minerals. He can

determine whether food and water are

fresh or spoilt.

Animal Empathy: The Druid may makeParley with any natural animal, just as Men

and others may Parley with monsters or

one another. This does not involve

language, per se , but body language &c.,

and does not convey complex ideas.

Tracking: A Druid tracks on a 5-in-6 in

forested areas or other wild place similar to

his home. Wisdom modifier applies,

however the chance may never exceed 5-

in-6.

Pass Without Trace: Upon reaching Leve

Three, the Druid may not be tracked in his

home territory except by another Druid o

higher level.

Languages: All Druids speak the Old

Language which is known by Men as

Druidic. It is known only by Druids and

never taught to outsiders. It is sometime

written, but its alphabet does not resembleany common alphabet in use today.

At levels Four through Nine inclusive, the

Druid may learn one language of a kind o

forest creature. His choices include Pixie

Dryad, Elven, Treefolk, Giant, the tongue

of the Manticore, or Draconic.

Spell-Craft: Like the Cleric, the Druid may

petition for powerful spells; but instead of

petitioning Gods, he petitions Nature itself

His spell list is different than other spell

casters, and is appended below.

Table 1.11: The Druid

Druid Level Progression


0 1 +0 1 9

2,500 2 +0 2 9

5,000 3 +0 2+1 8

10,000 4 +1 3 8

20,000 5 +1 4 7

40,000 6 +1 4+1 7

80,000 7 +2 5 6

160,000 8 +2 6 6

320,000 9 +2 6+1 5500,000 10 +3 7* 5

700,000 11 +3 8 4

900,000 12 +3 8+1 4

1,100,00

013 +4 9 3

*Hit Point Modifiers from Constitution no

longer accrue.

Shape Change: The greatest power of the

Druid is that of Shape Change. At Leve

One, a Druid may assume the form of one

natural animal of Hobbit- to Man-size

which has no more Hit Dice than theDruid, one time each day for an indefinite

period of time. Upon changing forms, the

Druid heals 1-6 Hit Points damage, should

he have taken any.

All of the Druid’s kit is magically merged

into the animal form. He may not cas

spells nor speak (unless his assumed form

is a talking animal such as a parrot.) He

gains all the natural attacks and defences o

the animal kind he has chosen.


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At Level Four, a Druid may Shape Change

to an animal and back twice per day. At

Level Seven, thrice; At Level Ten, Four

times; and at Level 13, Five times daily.

Further, at Level Five the Druid may

assume a giant animal form; at Level Ten,

the form of an animal as small as an insect

or as large as an elephant; at Level 13, the

form of any natural animal. Each

transformation To-and-Fro heals 1-6 Hits.

Table 1.12: Druid Spells

Type Level Name Type Level Name Type Level Name

R 1 Cure Light Wounds* R 2 Control Temperature A 3 Anti-Plant Shell

R 1 Detect Magic R 2 Create Water C 3 Call Lightning

R 1 Detect Snares & Pits C 2 Heat Metal R 3 Cure Disease*

C 1 Faerie Fire C 2 Hold Animal R 3 Neutralise Poison*

R 1 Locate Animals R 2 Locate Plants A 3 Protection from Fire

R 1 Predict Weather R 2 Obscurement A 3 Protection from Lightning

C 1 Purify Food & Drink* C 2 Produce Flame C 3 Pyrotechnics

C 1 Speak With Animals C 2 Warp Wood A 3 Water Breathing

Type Level Name Type Level Name Type Level Name

C 4 Animal Growth A 5 Anti-Animal Shell R 6 Animate Rock*

R 4 Cure Serious Wounds* P 5 Commune with Nature R 6 Conjure Elemental*

C 4 Dispel Magic R 5 Gaea's Blessing R 6 Control Weather

R 4 Hallucinatory Forest* C 5 Sticks to Snakes* C 6 Creeping Doom

C 4 Insect Plague C 5 Summon Animal II* P 6 Feeblemind

C 4 Passplant P 5 Rock to Mud* C 6 Finger of Death*

C 4 Produce Fire C 5 Transport via Plants C 6 Fire Storm

C 4 Speak With Plants C 5 Turn Wood P 6 Reincarnate

C 4 Summon Animal I* C 5 Wall of Fire R 6 Metal to Wood*

Ranger

The Ranger is a kind of forest warden who

follows the Old Religion as the Druid

does. Most Rangers are wild Hobbits, but

some Men train in their ways as well.

They give up the comfort of civilisation in

order to better protect it from the

dangers of the wild.

Requirements: All Rangers are

Neutral, but they work well with

Lawful Fighters and Paladins.

Should a Ranger become a

Chaotic, he may no longer

advance in this class.

Prime Requisite: Rangers

with Exceptional WIS gain

+10% to XP earned.

Arms & ArmourProficiency: Rangers may

wear Jack Armour, carry

a Shield, and use any

weapon.

Class Abilities of the

Ranger:

Expert Skirmisher: The Ranger is a dead

shot with any muscle-powered volley

weapon, gaining a +1 To-Hit. When

fighting with two weapons, he shall throw

to hit twice and take the better, but also

throw to damage twice, and take the better.

Nature Lore: The Ranger is able to name

& identify natural plants, plant creatures &

fungi. He is able to name & identify any

natural animal of the ordinary or

monstrous kind. He can

identify minerals. He candetermine whether food

and water are fresh or

spoilt.

Animal Empathy: The

Ranger may be able to

make Parley with any

natural animal, just as

Men and others make

Parley with one

another. This does

not involve language

per se , but bodylanguage &c., and

does not convey

complex ideas.

Tracking: A

Ranger tracks on a

5-in-6 thrown in

his native biome, such as forest or desert,

and 4-in-6 outside it or underground.

Wisdom modifier applies, but the throw

cannot be better than 5-in-6 at any rate.

Spell-Craft: Rangers cast spells from the

Druid spell list, but are retarded by three

levels in their ability. That is, they are

considered level 1 casters at level 4, level 2

casters at level 5, &c.

Table 1.13: The Ranger

Level XP BAB HD Sa

1 0 +1 2 1

2 2,500 +1 2+1 1

3 5,000 +2 3+1 9

4 10,000 +2 4+1 9

5 20,000 +3 5+1 8

6 40,000 +3 6+1 8

7 80,000 +4 7+1 7

8 160,000 +4 8+1 7

9 320,000 +5 9+1 6

10 500,000 +5 10+1* 6

11 700,000 +6 10+4 512 900,000 +6 10+7 5

13 1,100,000 +7 10+10 4

14 1,300,000 +7 10+13 4

*Hit Point Modifiers from Constitution nolonger accrue.

Magic Item Use: Rangers may use any

magic item, except for those restricted

against his race.


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Associations: Rangers are wary of working

in groups of their kind. No more than two

Rangers shall be found working together at

once.

Responsibilities: Rangers adopt one cause

to fight for, usually the protection of one

remote outpost or village, or one wild area;

but sometimes the destruction of a kind of

monster or evil group. The Player-

Character Ranger must choose such acause before Level 5.

Optional Races

Really, any sort of race is acceptable for a

Player-Character, so long as they are able

physically and mentally cope with the

rigours of such Adventures. Below are

presented three cases for potential Player-

Character races. THESE ARE PURELY

OPTIONAL, & are shown to give you

some sense of how to build your own races

from the Monsters section, literature, or your imagination.

The Gnome

Gnomes are smaller cousins to Dwarfs by

taxonomy, and have some aptitude with

Wizard spells. They are consumed by,

and are serious about, Mirth and

Discovery.

Gnome Special Abilities

Darkvision (seeing in the dark) at a

range of 60 feet.

Gnomes can instinctively spot slanting

passages, stonework traps, stoneworksecret doors, or unusual and new

underground construction on a throw

of 5-6 on one die.

Gnomes gain a +1 to their Save versus

magic.

Dwarfs speak Dwarven, Common,

and the language of small burrowing

mammals.

Gnome Limitations

Gnomes may be Fighters of up to level

6, Thieves up to level 6 or Wizards up

to Level 6 or a combination, total

levels not to exceed 12.

They may not use a Bow, for it is too

unwieldy for them.

Since they are very small, they are

limited to small weapons.

Tree Folk

Treefolk are sapient, animated trees which

roam within the forests. They are

consumed by Philosophy. There are no

female Treefolk, the females having been

lost at some time in the past. (They are

not dead; merely lost.)

Treefolk Special Abilities

Treefolk are Large creatures. As

such, they gain a +1 To-Hit and

damage in skirmish, above and

beyond any exceptional strength.

They use the Ogre line to determine

encumbrance on Table 2.1 in the

Player’s book.

Treefolk may reach out to 10’ distant

with their branches, to grasp or attack.

Treefolk speak Common, Elven, and

Giant. Some speak Druidic, which

they have learnt from Men.

Treefolk Limitations

Treefolk may be Fighters only, of up

to Level 8.

They do not engage in Volley fire

combat, for it is too foreign to them.

Since they are very large, they are

limited in the places they may enter,

and it is hard to find a proper mount

for them.

Treefolk start at Level 1 standing 7

feet tall, and grow one foot taller per

level.

Armour costs four to twenty times a

much.

As Treefolk are a quite deliberative

people, they never win Initiative

Should they fight on a side with being

other than Treefolk, treat them astheir own side which always goes last.

The Skeleton

Occasionally, Lawful Men and Demi-Men

shall find their work on Earth left undone

upon their death. Should their bones be

animated by magic, they shall be in contro

& not bound to their animator. Such

skeletons are consumed by Honour and

are always Lawful.

Skeleton Special Abilities

Skeletons have unnatural armour

They are immune to Piercing attack

and while unarmoured, have an AC o

9.

Skeletons gain a +2 to their Surprise

throws, surprising on a 4-in-6 throw.

Skeletons do not require sustenance, do

not need to breathe, and are immune to

sleep and charm magic. Skeletons are

eternal.

Skeleton Limitations

Skeletons may be Fighters only, of up

to Level 8.

Like all undead, they are Turned by

Clerics as an undead of hit dice equa

to their current level. However, they

gain a Save versus this Turning.

The preternatural creepiness of an

obviously undead creature gives

skeletons a -2 penalty to all Reaction

Throws with the living, but a +2


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Reaction Bonus with the undead or dead.

Chapter Two: THE HIDDEN GAME

NOW that you have a copy of the Player’s

Guide and the Referee’s Companion, it

should come as no surprise to you that

someone is going to have to “run” the

game. That someone is you.

The Great Game is notoriously bad at

explaining how one goes about this. It was

generally assumed you would have met

one of the authors personally, and

perhaps played in their games. From that

you would know what a game was

supposed to be like.

From our advantaged perched here, the

very beginnings of the “Role-Playing

Game” hobby enjoyed by so many, these

embryonic games seem strange. The

advice in the Player’s Guide is all theplayer needs to know how to enjoy the

world you dream up. But in order for you

to know what you need to invent in order

to make your game world go, you shall

need to know what is expected of you.

So. What is Treasure Hunters? We shall

assume you know what a RPG is.

Treasure Hunters is a RPG centred about

the episodic adventures of a group of

heroes in a game-world. The ongoing

sessions of these adventures are

collectively called a campaign.

On the Grand Turn

“Episodic” is of importance here.

Treasure Hunters does not simulate every

day or moment, but rather the “peak

experiences,” if you will. The rest is taken

to happen in the back-ground.

In order to gather up what is, and what is

not critical to play at the table, let us look

at the “grand turn” of a hero’s life.

1. Run through an adventure.

2. Count up XPs and treasure.

3. Bury your dead.

4. Decide what activities, if any, the heroes

will undertake in the mean-time.

Anyone taken to 0 Hits or lower

requires a week’s bed-rest.

Anyone wanting to heal any sort of

Hits damage requires the requisite

time.

Training: If leveling up, the hero

needs to spend time and money to do

so, including locating a suitable

trainer.

Scroll and Spell Book Prep: Wizards

and Clerics write scrolls. This takes 1day per level of the spell so inscribed.

Potion Manufacture: 1-6 days per

potion.

Sage consultation or the hiring of

specialists: Time varies.

Enchant an Item: Up to 30 days.

Constructions of Various Kinds:

Varies.

Henchmen Recruitment: Varies.

Simple shenanigans: Varies.

Recovery from infection or disease: 1-

6 weeks.

Recovery from being Raised: 1 dayper day spent dead.

Recovery from casting Raise Dead: 1

day per level of he who was Raised.

Buy spell components, new gear, &c.:

Varies, but it could take many days

depending upon the rarity of the

item.

5. Move the game calendar forward to the

next time all of the heroes are free & clear

of their duties.

6. If a month has passed, many heroes will

have upkeep costs to pay.

7. Go back to #1.

N.B. how little of that is played during

table time! Much of it is of a mundane

nature & can be presumed with

appropriate book-keeping.

The intent is to simulate sword-and-

sorcery or high fantasy adventure stories,

particularly the “pulp” variety of Howard,

Leiber, & Vance, where the reader joins

the heroes for the interesting bits, enjoys

the tale, and leaves them until their next

outing. We do not, for instance, watchthe great Paladin shopping for cheese or

washing his underwear. Unless those

events lead to something more exciting.

On Resource Management

Many of the mechanics in Treasure

Hunters are those of resource

management e.g. Hits, food, arrows,

money, torches, &c.

But the top-line resource is in-game time

Heroes who manage that the best wil

succeed the easiest and fastest. If a hero

(or his player) ignores henchmen, he wil

have to do everything himself, and be

shabbier for it.

Players with Wizards will eventually wish

to take an apprentice who can oversee his

realm; Fighters will travel with a band o

armed men; Thieves will find their

shenanigans safer and more lucrative with

a merry band of cut-throats to run. Any

Cleric with ambition shall recruit like

minded Men to his cause.

In other words, managing time and

multiplying your effort through the work

of others (NPCs) is presumed in the rules As heroes gain power, they must seek ou

subordinates in order to wield that power

most effectively.

None of this is written in stone. But it i

important to understand the assumption i

there in the rules. If you should decide to

change the assumption, there may be

knock-on effects which you are

unprepared to deal with. Forewarned is

forearmed.

On the 2-12 Table

The 2-12 Reaction Table is possibly the

greatest single invention in the history o

the RPG. Scarcely can it be improved

upon.

Reaction Table throws are an exception to

the general rule that all throws ought to

happen out in the open. You must have

the players’ trust, so earn it by being fair

with the dice.

Table 2.1 is thrown against when any

negotiation transpires between a PC andan NPC. As Referee, you are free to use

it to adjudicate negotiations off-stage

between NPCs, but it is suggested to do

this away from the table, before or after

the game proper.

Table 2.1: Standard Reaction Table

2 Dice Result

2 Very Negative / Loyalty -1 &

check

3-5 Negative, Check Loyalty


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6-8 Uncertain, continue Parley

9-11 Positive

12 Very Positive / Loyalty +1

"Uncertain" on this table is the players'

clue to sweeten the pot. And the referee

doesn't have to throw dice again. But if

they do, then "negative" means the offer,

even boosted, is refused; "uncertain" a

second time means "MORE"; and

"positive" means acceptance.

This applies for negotiating with

henchmen to hire, other NPC humanoids,

trying to “sweet -talk ” an ogre into not

eating you because you're so polite, or

frightening off some kobolds who mean

the village no weal. The stakes and raises

don't have to be monetary, though of

course they certainly can be.

It is up to the Referee to apply the

appropriate modifiers. Usually Charisma

should be applied. Relative perceivedpower ought to grant a -1 to +1 to the

players’ side.

Results of “Very Negative” and “Very

Positive” ought to have some knock -on

ramifications: perhaps the players have

offended the Man-at-Arms so badly that

he warns his fellows off of you. Perhaps

you frighten the ogre so well, he decides

to work for you for a time, and clear out

the other monsters in his dungeon.

But why use the table? The answer is

twofold. First, substituting the dice for

your judgment as Referee takes a little bit

of pressure off of you. You don’t have to

keep the personality and motives of every

NPC in your head at all times. It also

ensures results which are fairer than even

an impartial Referee can consciously

choose.

Second, using the table injects a sense of

uncertainty and the spark-of-life that will

confound and delight both the Referee

and the players. You as the Referee are

also a player, and therefore deserve thesame sense of wonder and discovery the

other players shall enjoy.

There is a third reason as well,

philosophical rather than mechanical.

The older game is largely un-

choreographed in the ways modern games

are. The old style games are like an

orrery, wound-up at the start of things by

the Deistic Referee & watched by each of

the several players as the movement

unfolds; they are quite unlike a movie,

book or play, where the actions of each

player are closely directed.

On Morale Throws

Each henchman in the employ of a

Player-Character or other subordinate has

a Morale score which starts between 6 and8 based on the PC’s Charisma.

Whenever a condition arises where a

monster would have to make a Morale

throw, any followers of the PCs and NPC

allies should make a Morale throw on two

dice. A throw equal to or below the

Morale score is a success. Should the

NPC fail this throw, he will turn on the

PCs, depart, or whatever action may seem

appropriate to the Referee.

Morale is a heat of the moment test. It'schecked in specific (stressful)

circumstances such as skirmish in a

similar fashion as a Saving Throw.

On Loyalty Checks

Table 2.2: LoyaltyLoyalty

ScoreMorale Adjustment

2 or less Will desert at first

opportunity

3-4 -2 to Morale

5-6 -1 to Morale

7 No Effect

8-9 +1 to Morale

10-11 +2 to Morale

12+Need never check

Morale

Loyalty checks are similar to, but differen

from Morale throws. Loyalty is much like

another ability score (strength

intelligence, &c.) It is a score generated on

two dice that is more-or-less fixed for the

period of an adventure, unless exceptiona

circumstances dictate that it should be

adjusted. It's up to the player whether he

attempts to cultivate higher Loyalty

amongst his hirelings (or not!) by goodtreatment, increased payment, &c. Thi

number is kept in secret from the players

by the Referee & is thrown on two dice.

It is modified by situational modifiers

presented in Table 2.3 and re-thrown (tha

is, generated anew) at the end of any

adventure.

Loyalty Adjustments

Table 2.3: Loyalty Adjustments

Modifier Loyalty Adjustment

Different alignment

or kind-2 each

Unpopular Lord -1

Popular Lord +1

No festival last season -1

Extra festival last

season+1 per festival

Master switched

religions-2

Charisma Modifier modifier

Years of Service +1 per year

Gave gift -1 to +2

Free Training +1 per Level

Loyalty modifies Morale. A hireling'

Loyalty score can adjust Morale from the

6-8 starting range: if a hireling is very loya

he is less likely to abandon his master

under duress. If he is disloyal, then he is

more likely to abandon his master under

duress. Of course, a Loyalty scores of 2

or less or 12 or more mean that the

hireling or henchman never needs to

check Morale because the result is a fai

accompli ; but this situation still counts as a

time when a Morale check would havebeen made.

There are many situations where the

Loyalty score supersedes the Morale

throw: Are any of your

hirelings/henchmen pocketing extra coin

or shirking their duties? Cook inflating the

price of journey bread, exchequer

skimming from taxes? To answer these

questions, look to the NPC’s Loyalty

score. Issues of service are influenced by


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Loyalty but they have nothing to do with

Morale, since there is no life-or-death or

equally traumatic struggle taking place.

Loyalty is not a quantity to be checked

precisely with a throw-of-the-dice, but

rather used to judge the quality of service

a particular henchman or other

subordinate provides to the PC. It

modifies Morale as on Table 2.2 and is

itself modified by Table 2.3 but is neverthrown against by itself. It represents an

intermediate step between the PC’s raw

Charisma and the actual relationship he

has with each of his several followers.

From this perspective Loyalty and Morale

are quite different. Morale is a test , whilst

Loyalty is a quantity .

Morale and Loyalty are tools which help

the Referee determine the reactions of

individual NPC companions to the Player-

Characters. They inject a degree ofautonomy & breathe life into these

characters separate from the animating

force with which the Referee shall imbue

them.

On Player Agency

Much has been written by the usual

suspects on the philosophical ideal of

player agency. This is the principle that

each choice that the several players make

ought to have a consequence that isdifferent from those consequences that

flow from making a different choice. In

other words, each choice presented ought

to be meaningful.

This is addressed obliquely in the

Foreword of the Play er’s Rules. Players

are entreated to create characters with

their own motivations and then to seek

out Adventure on their own, rather than

act as passive observers or “content

tourists” in adventures directed by the

Referee. In order to encourage players tomake these kinds of characters and play in

this way, it is incumbent upon you as the

Referee to reward players who self-direc

by providing legitimate choices to them.

This can be as simple as ensuring the

dungeon’s rooms connect together in a

non-linear way, or it can be as complex as

generating several possible adventures

populating them across a large fleshed-ou

continent, creating several NPCs each with

his own rumours to give, and telling theplayers to “get after it.”

In the following two chapters, specific

advice is given on how to go abou

constructing a “dungeon” and how to

generate and populate the wilderlands

Bear in mind the concept of player

agency, and you shall find the unfolding o

Adventures to be as rewarding for you a

it is for the rest.


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Chapter Three: ON CREATING A DUNGEON

Before the players can explore the Mythic

Underworld, the Referee must map at

least one such dungeon on a sheet of

graph paper. A dungeon should have

many levels and sub-levels that are

interconnected by stairs, trap doors,

chutes, slanting passages and so on. First,

draw a cross section of the entire structureto best understand the means of egress

between the various levels.

A dungeon need not be mapped

completely – indeed its boundaries may

well be limitless. It should, however,

extend as far as the players are likely to

explore in their initial delve. Therefore,

plan much of the first level and some parts

of the second & third levels. Each square

of a dungeon level plan should represent

10’ in the dungeon. Dungeon maps must

remain unknown to the players.

There ought to be several dungeon

entrances, that there be a number routes

between the various levels, & that richer

areas be harder to find. Deeper dungeon

levels will be more rewarding but also

more dangerous, so players should usually

be allowed to navigate to the desired

dungeon level when such routes are

known. Having drawn a cross-section and

begun mapping of the first few levels, the

Referee shall note at least one entrance to

the dungeon (an entry into the firsdungeon level) on his Wildernes

campaign map and give the dungeon an

evocative name.

A Sample Dungeon Cross-Section:

[DUNGEON CROSS SECTION]

On Populating a Dungeon

With a dungeon level planned, or

substantially so, the Referee must

distribute monsters, traps and treasure

through-out it. The principle treasures

should be placed thoughtfully then

random determination used to fill the

balance of the level (or vice-versa). The

Referee should throw two dice for each

chamber or extensive passage and consult

the following table.

Table 3.1: Random Dungeon Rooms

0e Referee's Companion

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