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1.0 Introduction Welcome, friends! You hold in your hands the keys to the kingdom of Seloria, a land of high fantasy: tough choices, noble deeds, and blood-drenched conflicts. Here you will meet Sorcerers who cast spells by the strength of mind alone and Quicksilver wizards who shape the Living Metal with their wills. Pit your wits and weapons against raging bull Jegaddas with their foul breath, red-rimmed eyes, and vicious horns. Or perhaps you will be party guests of the Duke of Amphion, standing by his side to foil Lady Magravina’s assassination attempts. Seloria awaits you. So let us begin! It is time for you to make this world your own...

1.1 What is a Role-Playing Game? In a role-playing game (RPG), the players take on the roles of specific well-defined characters (player-characters or PCs ) and guide them through a continuing series of adventures. Over time, the player characters climb to higher and higher levels of physical, political, social, or intellectual power. A separate non-playing judge or Gamemaster (abbreviated GM) sets up the adventures that the characters experience. The GM plays the roles of all the characters and creatures that the PCs encounter in their travels (these are called non-player characters or NPCs). The GM is also the impartial ultimate judge in rules disputes and so forth. The goal is to cooperatively create an exciting and coherent story. It is the GM’s job to keep the story running smoothly, the rules working fairly, and the players entertained — for everyone’s mutual enjoyment. Each player should have a pencil, eraser, and scrap paper. The GM will find it useful to keep a notebook, preferably a ring binder with pockets inside the cover, for storing information that must be kept secret from the players. The only components needed for play that are not available at a typical office supply outlet are the

polyhedral dice used in this and other role-playing games. Quicksilver requires only 10-sided dice, ideally two for each player. When rolling a 10-sided die in Quicksilver you should always interpret it as a roll from 1–10, not 0–9. The rules also call for rolls of 2d10. On a 2d10 roll, roll two 10-sided dice and add the results together for a total of 2 to 20.

1.2 Online Resources Quicksilver resources can be found on the web at:

http://www.io.com/unigames/qsilver/quicksilver.html Email rules questions to unigames@io.com.

2.0 Character Generation The character generation process consists of the following steps: 1. Decide which Race to play. Consult Section 2.1 for information on the various Nonhuman Races. Nonhuman characters have Attribute modifiers and other unique abilities and weaknesses; human characters do not. 2. Spend construction points to customize your character’s Attributes (Section 2.2). 3. Liven things up by taking up to 5 points of Personal Traits (Section 2.3); you must take as many points in Disadvantages as you do in Advantages. Some Personal Traits can affect your Attributes. 4. Fill in your character’s Hit Points, Unarmed Melee Damage, Initiative, Movement Rate, and Psychic Energy, using numbers calculated from Race modifiers, Attributes, Advantages, and Disadvantages (Section 2.4). 5. Choose the character’s skills. The number of points you will be allowed to spend on your initial skills depends on your character’s Intellect (INTL). The skill list is given in Section 2.5.

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6. Fill in your character’s Defense Values using numbers calculated from your scores in the appropriate skills. See Section 2.6, Defense Values. 7. If the game is to be an ongoing series of interconnected episodes (a ‘campaign’), then the GM and players will need to discuss their Contacts (see Section 2.7). The number of points you may spend on Contacts depends on your character’s Willpower (WILL). 8. Choose your character’s gender (Section 2.8). 9. Name your character (also Section 2.8). 10. The gamemaster has the option to assign you a last name, to make your character related to the other player characters or NPCs. 11. Describe your character. You may wish to draw a sketch of your character in the space provided on the character sheet. Extreme physical attractiveness and repulsiveness are Advantages and Disadvantages that you choose under Personal Traits (Section 2.3). 12. Spend your character’s money to equip them; copy any associated statistics for armor and weapons to your character sheet (see Section 3.0, Equipment).

2.1 Nonhuman Races Nonhuman races have special abilities, as well as modifiers to their Attributes. The 5 Attributes are listed and explained in Section 2.2. The following sections describe a variety of alternative player races.

2.1.1 Goblins, Lesser Also known as Gremlins, these beings average less than 1 meter in height. Because of their small size, the GM should apply a +1 modifier whenever they attempt an action where their size is an advantage (for example, Gremlins get +1 Melee & Missile Defense). They are naturally nimble, and get a +1 bonus in DEFT. On the down side, they suffer a -1 PHYS penalty due to their small size. Gremlins also tend to be quarrelsome and impulsive. Their WILL Attribute suffers a -1 modifier. Gremlins do not fit in easily into human societies, and are primarily found in Goblin territory where they eke out an existence as servants to more powerful Goblins and Hobgoblins. Some human wizards find them useful as servants, and a few Gremlins manage to make a living in that fashion. Still others go it alone, and subsist by robbing homes or travelers’ encampments. They make quite good thieves due to their small size. They certainly have the proper disposition for it! 2.1.2 Goblins, Typical A typical Goblin is nearly man-s i zed, s tanding roughly 1.5 meters tall. Goblins are physically very durable, and have 1 point of natural armor protection against both physical and energy attacks. Natural armor is cumulative with any armor worn. They are fanged and clawed as well, inflicting Unarmed Melee Damage as if their PHYS was 1 point higher. Yet in spite of their ferocious appearance, Goblins tend to be craven and cowardly. Their WILL Attribute suffers a -1 modifier. Goblins are occasionally found alongside humans in peasant villages, but do not fit well into the higher social strata of human society. In cities they are generally found in the slums if at all. Goblins make good soldiers, and troops of them (mercenaries, for the most part) can be found encamped near strategic locations during wartime. Largely, however, Goblins are found

Nonhuman Race Summary of Racial Statistics

Gremlin -1 PHYS, -1 WILL, +1 DEFT, +1 bonus for size

Goblin -1 WILL, +1 unarmed melee damage level, 1 point of natural armor

Hobgoblin +2 PHYS, -1 INTL, 1 point of natural armor, -1 penalty for size, -1 initiative

Sprite -4 PHYS, PSYC begins at 8, +2 skill bonus for size, flight

Elf -1 PHYS, +1 DEFT, PSYC begins at 8, frail

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2.2 Attributes There are 5 Attributes. These define a character’s basic abilities, and are used to determine skill points, hit points, unarmed melee damage, movement rate, and damage. Characters are built by assigning construction points to these Attributes. The 5 Attributes are: Physique (PHYS): Represents physical strength, fitness and health. Deftness (DEFT): A rating of manual dexterity, speed, and agility. Intellect (INTL): This attribute measures a character’s intelligence, intuition, and education. Willpower (WILL): Stands for internal and superficial personality traits, as well as fortitude, empathy, and resistance to sorcery. Psychic Ability (PSYC): Represents personal psychic power, and the ability to cast magic or wield Quicksilver. Human attributes start at 8 except for PSYC, which starts at 2. Players receive 10 construction points to add to these starting scores. 1 point raises PSYC to 8, but all other construction points add 1 to the Attribute on which they’re spent. No Attribute may have more than 4 points allocated to it, not including the point spent on PSYC to raise it to 8. 10 is considered an average attribute score for humans. When an Attribute modifier is listed for nonhumans, apply it to that Attribute’s starting value and to its initial maximum during character generation. For example, Goblins have a -1 modifier to their WILL. This means that a Goblin’s WILL starts at 7, and can only be increased to a maximum of 11 during character generation.

The following table shows the minimum and maximum Attribute scores for each race. Personal Traits may further modify these ranges (Section 2.3):

Racial Attribute Minimum/Maximum Table

Ten construction points are suitable for constructing characters that are clearly above average in ability. A GM who wishes his players to start with more powerful characters may give them 11 or even 12 construction points to spend during character generation. If players are given 12 construction points, raise the limit on the number of points that may be assigned to each attribute to 5. If the GM wants to start his players with relatively average characters, he may give them only 9 construction points.

2.3 Personal Traits Personal Traits provide each character with unique strengths and weaknesses. Each Personal Trait has a point value. A character may take up to 5 points worth of Advantages, but they must take an equal number of points worth of Disadvantages. Some Advantages and Disadvantages may be taken more than once, either in different forms or for a cumulative effect. Simply count the point value once for each time the trait is taken. No more than 4 points may be taken per instance of any individual Advantage or Disadvantage. During play, characters may gain or lose Advantages or Disadvantages due to game events. These gains and losses do not have to be balanced with an equal gain or loss of the opposite kind of personal Trait unless specified.

Race PHYS DEFT INTL WILL PSYC

Human 8/12 8/12 8/12 8/12 2/12

Gremlin 7/11 9/13 8/12 7/11 2/12

Goblin 8/12 8/12 8/12 7/11 2/12

Hobgoblin 10/14 8/12 7/11 8/12 2/12

Sprite 4/8 8/12 8/12 8/12 8/12

Elf 7/11 9/13 8/12 8/12 8/12

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2.3.1 Disadvantages Addiction (2): The character has a physical or psychological addiction. They must have regular access to the object of their addiction (alcohol, a drug, Quicksilver, a love interest, etc.) or else they become useless, suffering a penalty of -2 on ALL of their rolls until they recover. The character can ‘sober up’ or ‘go on the wagon’ by spending at least a week in abstinence (which may include fasting, physical exercise, meditation, etc.) but will relapse if they ever encounter the object of their addiction and fail a WILL check. Addiction may be taken any number of times (specifying a different addiction each time). Age (1): The character is either very old (60+ years old) or very young (under 16). Pick one. Because of their age, the character is taken less seriously, excluded from important decisions, left out of dangerous situations, and so on. Age may only be taken once. Attribute -1 (2): The character loses one point from any one Attribute. This Disadvantage may only be taken once per Attribute. PSYC may not be reduced. Color Blind (1): The character cannot perceive colors normally. Choose two colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple); the character cannot distinguish between them. Color Blindness may only be taken once. Deaf (2): The character cannot hear. This is a particularly difficult Disadvantage to play; if a character takes it, the GM should make sure that they’re able to communicate another way with at least one other player-character (via sign language, for example). Deafness may only be taken once. Debt (1): The character must make regular monthly payments, because of past debts. For 1 point, the character pays 50sp per month. For 2 points, the character pays 200sp per month. For 3 points, the character pays 450sp per month. For 4 points, the character pays 800sp per month. The character must make their first payment 1 game month after the game begins. Failure to make payments may result in punishments ranging from having a burly ‘collection agent’ arrive to ‘persuade’ you, to becoming Wanted (depending on how much is

owed, and how late the payments are). A single payment equal to 20 times the monthly rate will cancel the debt permanently. Dependent (1): The character has a child or invalid dependent (a kid brother, elderly aunt, etc.). The character’s player controls the Dependent. The GM constructs dependents, they don’t earn experience, and they cannot have any useful combat abilities. If the dependent dies or is permanently lost, the character must replace this disadvantage with 2 points of some other disadvantage to represent the impact of their loss. Distinctive (1): The character is tattooed, scarred, famous, etc. and is unable to easily pass anonymously without either a successful Disguise skill roll, or a hood and cloak (which is somewhat distinctive in its own right). Enemy (1): A personal enemy hounds the character and wishes them ill. For 1 point, the enemy is either a) no more powerful than the character, but very mobile and liable to turn up anywhere, or b) much more powerful than the character (either personally or politically) and limited to a particular region of the country. For 2 points, the enemy is both mobile and more powerful than the character. Killing an enemy tends to either generate a new enemy (angered by the slaying of the first), or lead to other Disadvantages such as Outcast or Wanted. Far-Sighted (2): The character has very poor short-range-perception. The character suffers a skill check penalty of -1 on all actions NOT performed at range. This Disadvantage may only be taken once. Gigantism (2): The character is 50% taller than the normal height for their race, has difficulty negotiating small spaces, and gets a -1 penalty on any skill checks where great size is a drawback (including Defense). Gigantism may only be taken once. Mute (1): The character cannot speak. This is nearly as hard to play as Deafness (see above); the same precautions are suggested. Mute may only be taken once.

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Wanted (1): The character is wanted in connection with a crime committed somewhere in or very near Seloria. Choose a town or city where the character is wanted. The crime must be severe enough to make the character a target of posses and bounty hunters; there is a reward out for them, and word of the crime gets around. As the character nears the scene of their crime, their risk of being identified and caught increases. Whether the character is guilty or not is irrelevant. This disadvantage may be taken more than once, but the character must be wanted in a different place for each separate crime.

2.3.2 Advantages Acute Reflexes (1): The character is naturally quick, and receives a +1 level modifier on their Initiative rolls. For example, a 2/3/4 initiative would be increased to 2/4/6. Acute Reflexes may be taken any number of times. Acute Sense (1): One of the character’s senses is unusually acute, resulting in a +1 bonus to all perception rolls using that sense. Specify Hearing, Smell, Touch, Taste, Danger, etc. Vision is not covered by this Advantage. Acute Sense can be taken any number of times, either on the same or different senses. Acute Vision (1): The character can ignore 1 point of range difficulty. Acute Vision may be taken any number of times. Ambidextrous (1): A character with this Advantage can use either hand equally well, without any penalty for off-handed Actions. Artifact (1): The character possesses an enchanted Quicksilver artifact, often a family heirloom. Each point is worth 1 point of Enhancement (see Section 7.34). The normal physical characteristics of the item (for example, weapon statistics if it’s a sword) are free, but the artifact gets a bonus of +1 Enhancement point if it doesn’t have any inherent combat function (for example, a ring or amulet). The character has a strong personal attachment to this artifact, and will not willingly part with it.

Attractive (1): The character receives a +1 bonus on any rolls where personal appearance is a factor. Attractive may be taken any number of times. Attribute +1 (2): The character may add +1 to any one Attribute, even if this exceeds the normal maximum. This Advantage may only be taken once per Attribute. If applied to a PSYC of 2, it raises PSYC to 8. Connected (1): Each time this Advantage is taken, the character receives 3 additional points with which to purchase Contacts. Contacts are explained in Section 2.7. Danger Sense (1): This is a new sense, based on INTL, with a -1 penalty for unskilled use. It may be used in place of any other skill check to alert the character to imminent danger; the character has ‘a bad feeling’. A character with Danger Sense may spend experience to develop it as a skill. Estate (1): The character has extensive non-liquid assets. For 1 point, the character has relatively unimpressive assets, such as a house or small shop. For 2 points the character has more impressive assets, such as a mansion, small tower, or a tract of land with a cottage. Lackey (2): The character has a subservient companion (henchman, squire, slave, kid brother, etc.). The character’s player controls the Lackey. Lackeys are constructed like any other character, but get only 8 points to add to Attributes. They may only take up to 3 points of Advantages and Disadvantages, and they may not take a Lackey as an Advantage nor be wealthier than the main character. Lackeys do not get Contacts, and earn only 1 EP per game session. Latent Psychic (1): This raises a PSYC score of 2 to 5, allowing the character to ‘dabble’ in sorcery and quicksilver manipulation.

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per month. For 4 points, the character receives 800sp per month. The character receives their first payment 1 game month after the game begins. Talent (1): The character is naturally talented at the specified skill (excluding perception skills, which are covered under Acute Senses), gaining a +1 bonus whenever that skill is used. Examples: animal affinity (animal handling talent), green thumb (farming profession talent), lucky (gambling talent), etc. If the character does not learn the skill in question, unskilled penalties still apply. Talent can be taken any number of times on different skills, but may only be taken once on each skill. Toughness (1): This gives the character the equivalent of +1/+1 natural armor, which is cumulative with natural armor and any other armor worn. Toughness may only be taken once. Trained / Educated (1): The character has undergone extensive training. Each time this Advantage is taken, the character gets 3 extra Experience Points. This Advantage may be taken any number of times, but a character who takes this Advantage more than once may not take the Disadvantage of Age: Young. Wealth (1): The character’s starting cash is increased, depending on how many points are taken: 1 point = 200sp, 2 points = 600sp, 3 points = 2400sp, 4 points = 12000sp.

2.4 Other Characteristics Characters’ other statistics are determined from the scores in their Attributes, using the table below. Each character has a number of hit points equal to the number in the Value column for their PHYS Attribute. For example, a character with a 9 PHYS has 8 hit points. Hit points are used to keep track of the extent of the character’s physical injuries. To determine a character’s unarmed melee damage range, use the number in the Roll column for their PHYS score. For example, a character with a 12 PHYS does 2/4/6 damage with their bare hands. A character’s initiative range is found by consulting the Roll column for the character’s DEFT score. For example, a character with an 11 DEFT has a 2/3/4

initiative roll. Initiative regulates the order in which characters can act each turn. A character’s movement rate equals 6 plus the number listed in the Modifier column for their DEFT Attribute. For example, a character with an 8 DEFT has a movement rate of only 4. A character’s NRG (short for Energy, or psychic energy points) equal the number listed in the Value column for the character’s PSYC Attribute. For example, a character with a 12 PSYC has 17 NRG points. NRG points are used to power sorcerous abilities. 2.4.1 Attribute Table

Score Modifier Value Roll

2 -8 1 0/0/0

3 -7 1 0/0/0

4 -6 2 0/0/0

5 -5 3 0/0/0

6 -4 4 0/0/1

7 -3 5 0/1/1

8 -2 6 1/1/1

9 -1 8 1/1/2

10 - 10 1/2/3

11 +1 13 2/3/4

12 +2 17 2/4/6

13 +3 22 3/5/7

14 +4 29 4/6/8

15 +5 37 5/7/9

16 +6 48 6/8/10

17 +7 63 6/9/12

18 +8 81 7/10/13

19 +9 105 8/11/14

20 +10 137 9/12/15

21 +11 177 10/13/16

22 +12 229 11/14/17

23 +13 297 12/15/18

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2.5.2 Skill List All of the skills are listed here alphabetically, along with the Attribute they are based on and the penalty for unskilled attempts. Skill: Attribute: Penalty: Acrobatics DEFT -4 Acting WILL -4 Animal Handling WILL -4 Appraise Value INTL -1 Art* WILL -4 Charm WILL -1 Climbing DEFT -1 Convince WILL -1 Cook* INTL -1 Craft* DEFT -4 Disguise INTL -4 Dodge DEFT -1 Drive Cart DEFT -4 Escape Artist DEFT -4 Etiquette INTL -4 Forgery DEFT -1 Gambling INTL -1 Grapple DEFT -1 Insight WILL -1 Intimidation WILL -1 Kick DEFT -1 Leadership WILL -1 Listen INTL -1 Lock Picking DEFT -4 Martial Arts* NA NA Mechanic INTL -4 Medicine INTL -4 Melee* DEFT -1 Mimic Voice WILL -4 Missile* DEFT -1 Navigation INTL -4 Negotiate INTL -1 Performer* DEFT -4 Pickpocket DEFT -4 Play Instrument* DEFT -4 Profession* INTL -1/-4 Punch DEFT -1 Quicksilver* INTL -1/-4 Resist Sorcery WILL -1 Ride* DEFT -1 Sailing DEFT -4 Scholar* INTL -4 Search INTL -1 Seduce WILL -1 Set/Disarm Trap DEFT -4

Skill: Attribute: Penalty: Shield DEFT -1 Singing WILL -1 Sleight of Hand DEFT -4 Sorcery* INTL NA Stealth DEFT -1 Survival* INTL -1 Swim DEFT -1 Tactics INTL -1/-4 Throw Weapon* DEFT -4 Tie Knots DEFT -1 Tracking INTL -4 Ventriloquism WILL -4 Write Music INTL -4 * Choose a specialization. Characters can have multiple specializations by taking the skill multiple times. Refer to the skill descriptions below for available specializations. 2.5.3 Skill Descriptions Acrobatics (DEFT/-4): You may perform flips, cartwheels, tightrope walks, and so on. Roll with a difficulty modifier set by the GM. Acrobatic maneuvers take at least 1 game inch of movement to perform. If you spend an action doing acrobatic flips, you may use this skill in place of Dodge for an entire combat round. Acting (WILL/-4): You can change speech patterns and mannerisms to act like someone else. This doesn’t include ability to mimic specific voices. Roll against the audience’s Insight skill to see if they find the act believable. Acting has no minimum time requirement. Animal Handling (WILL/-4): You can herd, diagnose, care for, and train animals. Specify the type of animal you are skilled at handling: dogs, horses, hawks, cattle, exotic birds, etc. Herding and maintenance attempts take a variable amount of time. Diagnosing a sick or injured animal takes at least one turn. To teach an animal a new trick, roll against the animal’s WILL minus its PERC modifier (see Section 8.0). The GM can add additional modifiers depending on the trick’s complexity. Each attempt takes at least one full day.

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3.0 Equipment

3.1 The Monetary System Characters begin with 100 silver pieces (sp) and a full suit of plain clothing. Personal Traits may modify a character’s starting cash. A silver piece is worth roughly $5. A copper piece (cp) is worth about $1. A gold piece (gp) is worth approximately $50.

3.1.1 Bargaining This section of the rules lists the average purchase prices for common equipment. ‘Used’ or sub-standard gear sells for about half of the listed price. Prices are negotiable. Negotiation skill can be used to haggle over prices.

3.2 Melee Weapons Melee weapons enhance characters’ fighting abilities. Weapons are grouped according to their melee skill specialization. The tables below list each weapon’s cost, its bonus to the character’s roll to hit, its damage roll, and the minimum PHYS required to wield it in one hand. If a melee weapon is wielded 2-handed, reduce its PHYS requirement by 2. If the character’s PHYS is insufficient, subtract one point from their effective weapon skill per point by which they fall short.

2.8 Personal Information Choose the character’s name and gender. There are no statistical differences between male and female characters in this game. Selorian human names are reminiscent of medieval European names, but with a twist: Desdon, Erlik, Sully, Dravot, Morla, Tallyrot, Salia, Padrik, Gladia, Saril, Riselle, etc. Names of Jinzurian ancestry can be rather more exotic. Goblin names tend to be short and sharp, and often guttural (especially for the larger Hobgoblins): Kersh, Klart, Kelsh, Kitarra, Grint, Nugg, Borrick, etc. Elf names are lyrical and archaic: Feldain, Shaine, Symbron, Amberill, Thoranian, etc. Sprites often take their names from nature (Flutterleaf, Honeydew, Sunbeam, Thistledown, etc.), but because of their fascination with humans they sometimes adopt simple mundane Selorian peasant names (Jak, Bonni, Myrta, Randel, etc.) Other personal details (like appearance, social background, special talents, and physical limitations) were covered in Section 2.3.

2.9 Character Advancement At the end of each game session, the GM awards the participating PCs with experience points (EPs). EP awards can range from 1 to 3 EPs per session, depending on how well the players role-played and how heroic their characters were. Whether or not they ‘won’ the session is not really an issue, as far as EP awards are concerned. EPs are spent to purchase or improve skills as outlined in the Section 2.5. Attributes may also be improved. It costs a number of EPs equal to your current score in an Attribute to increase that Attribute by 1 point. When an Attribute increases, any skills derived from it increase automatically.

Axes Cost Hit Dmg PHYS

Hatchet 7sp +1 2/4/6 8

Light Axe 14sp +1 3/5/7 9

Wood Axe 19sp 0 4/6/8 10

Battleaxe 32sp 0 5/7/9 11

War Axe 43sp -1 6/8/10 12

Great Axe 66sp -1 6/9/12 13

Poleax 86sp -2 7/10/13 14

Giant Axe 121sp -2 8/11/14 15

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4.1.3 Equipment In combat, use the modifier given for the weapon being used. In other cases the GM may apply a modifier of -4 to +4 depending on the quality of the equipment used and whether the character has enough of the right kinds of gear.

4.2 Opposed Rolls If a skill or Attribute check is being opposed by another character, apply a Difficulty modifier based on the Attribute or skill that the opponent is using to resist. Subtract 10 from the opponent’s skill or Attribute score to find the difficulty modifier. Apply the skill’s unskilled penalty if the opponent is resisting with a skill they haven’t learned. Any skill roll being actively opposed by another character is always at least ‘Under Duress’.

4.3 Critical Rolls When doubles are rolled on a skill or Attribute check, a critical result occurs. If the roll was a success, doubles indicate a Critical Success. If the roll was a failure, doubles indicate a Critical Failure or 'Fumble’. The GM should award characters who roll Critical Successes with extra good results, and penalize characters who roll Critical Failures with extra poor results.

4.4 Multiple Actions Characters may attempt to perform multiple actions simultaneously. Each of the simultaneous actions suffers a penalty of -2 for each extra action. For example, a character firing 3 shots simultaneously makes each of the 3 skill rolls at a penalty of -4. If an action that doesn’t normally require a roll is part of a multiple action, give that action a base roll of 15- modified by the multiple action penalty.

4.0 Ability Checks To successfully use an Attribute or Skill, a character must roll equal to or less than his Score on 2d10. This target number may be modified to reflect the situation at hand. Modifiers are applied for task difficulty, circumstances, and equipment. Any roll of 20 always fails regardless of the final adjusted target number.

4.1 Die Roll Modifiers 4.1.1 Task Difficulty Table:

4.1.2 Circumstances Table:

Difficulty Modifier

Near Impossible -4

Formidable -3

Challenging -2

Difficult -1

Routine -

Easy +1

Very Easy +2

Simple +3

Very Simple +4

Difficulty Modifier

Desperate -4

Very Rushed -3

Rushed, Distracted -2

Hurried -1

Under Duress -

Liesurely +1

Favorable +2

Very Favorable +3

Optimal +4

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Flare (+1): You can strike a target with a searing flash of heat. Takes an Action, and requires a skill roll to hit vs. Missile Defense. Inflicts Energy damage according to the following table:

Armor worn by the target provides protection. You may spend extra NRG before rolling to hit to increase the damage roll by one level per NRG point spent. You can also ignite flammable objects (crates, dead bushes, etc.) on any hit. Maximum range = line of sight. Immolate (+2): You can heat a target from within. Takes an Action and requires a skill roll to hit vs. Mental Defense. Inflicts damage according to the following table:

6.0 Sorcery Magic in Quicksilver is psychic in nature. Each sorcerous discipline is treated as a separate skill. Each skill level adds another more powerful and more costly spell. Thus, a sorcerer who learns the Sleep discipline to +1 can use both the Dream Sending (+0) and Fatigue (+1) spells. Most sorcery does not require NRG. On any spell that requires a skill roll the caster has the option to spend NRG for a +1 skill bonus per NRG point spent. This NRG must be spent before the roll is made. Many spells also allow NRG to be spent to increase the spell effects in other ways. The maximum NRG that may be spent on each spell equals the caster’s PSYC - 7 (minimum 0). All spell skill rolls are subject to a difficulty penalty equal to the spell’s level. Thus, a spell that becomes available at a skill level of +2 suffers a penalty of -2 when attempted. Learning new Sorcerous Disciplines, or enhancing current ones, takes time and training. Play this out as part of the story. Solitary study takes 14 days per EP spent, and 5sp per EP for materials and research. Study at an academy of sorcery requires 10 days per EP, and 1sp per day for tuition. Academies will not just take any stranger off the street; most require references, and have their own class schedules by which their students must abide. Personal instruction by a private tutor requires only 7 days per EP. Personal tutors charge 2sp per day, and are rare but offer more flexible scheduling if you can find them. Personal tutors also usually require references of some kind. If a character has a sorcerer as a Contact, that sorcerer can provide all needed references. If a character has a sorcerer as a Friend, that sorcerer will provide sorcerous instruction privately at no cost. The three Quicksilver Disciplines (Animate, Sense, and Enhance) are covered in the next chapter.

6.1 Conflagration This discipline is concerned with the art of pyrokinetics. Spark (+0): You can light small flammable objects (match, fuse) or warm small nonflammable objects (cup of tea) or ignite highly flammable substances (oil, tinder) or deliver a harmless sting of pain. Takes an Action and a roll to hit vs. Missile defense. Maximum range = line of sight.

PSYC Score Flare Energy Damage

5 0/0/1

6 0/1/1

7 1/1/1

8 1/1/2

9 1/2/3

10 2/3/4

11 2/4/6

12 3/5/7

13 4/6/8

14 5/7/9

PSYC Score Immolation Energy Damage

5 0/0/1

6 0/1/1

7 1/1/1

8 1/1/2

9 1/2/3

10 2/3/4

11 2/4/6

12 3/5/7

13 4/6/8

14 5/7/9

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7.0 Quicksilver Quicksilver is a magical metal that responds to psychic commands. Those who have learned the talent can shape it at will into tools, armor of fantastic design (calling on the metal for strength and speed as well as for protection against harm) and weapons of incredible destructive power. It is as hard and as tensile as steel when it is not being molded. In its solid state it can be shattered into fragments, which lose their magical properties and become simple cold iron. Quicksilver can also lose its magic if forcibly taken from someone on whom it has ‘imprinted’; the connection between an individual and the Quicksilver they wield is an intimate and often binding one. The special sorcerous disciplines used to deal with Quicksilver are discussed in this chapter. Quicksilver is dangerous to work with. Wise sorcerers will surround themselves with armed bodyguards when attempting any major project. Quicksilver is rare and valuable. Only the most powerful and wealthy individuals can afford more than a small amount of it. Furthermore, in large quantities it tends to take on an evil life of its own, and may even take control of whoever is wielding it. There are stories of unfortunate power-mad sorcerers who became composite creatures of flesh and chrome, and even legends of terrible monsters of solid Quicksilver! For game purposes, Quicksilver is handled in 1 kilogram units. Any amount smaller than this cannot be Animated or Enhanced.

Armor worn by the target provides protection. You may spend extra NRG before rolling to hit to increase the damage roll by one level per NRG point spent. You can also use Force to push or knock over larger objects, as if you had a PHYS equal to your PSYC -2. Telekinesis (+2): You can grab and move objects at a distance. TK attacks against the target’s Missile Defense, but shield bonuses do not apply. Roll to grapple the target (using the procedure described under the Grapple skill), with an effective PHYS equal to your PSYC score. Takes an Action to grab. It takes 1 game inch of movement to move the grabbed object; you can move a target 3 game inches plus 1 game inch for every 20 kg. of telekinetic carrying capacity you have in excess of the target’s mass. You may hold a target telekinetically for as long as you remain conscious. If you lift multiple objects, your available carrying capacity from Telekinetic PHYS must be divided among them all. You may use this ability to lift yourself as well. Maximum range = line of sight. Force Wall (+3): You can generate a barrier of force, equal to Armor with a protection of your PSYC - 5 vs. Physical attacks (minimum 1). It only takes movement to create a force wall. It may be placed anywhere within your line of sight, and cannot be moved (treat any trick shots as Area Effect attacks, requiring 1 Action). There is an NRG cost of 1 per turn to maintain a force wall. Normally the barrier covers a 1 game inch diameter area. The area may be doubled for each extra point of NRG you spend when the barrier is created. The Armor value of the barrier may also be enhanced at a cost of 1 NRG per +1 Armor; this extra NRG is only paid once, when the barrier is first activated. Moving through the barrier requires a PHYS Roll vs. the wall’s Armor; if the roll is grater than the Armor, the character may pass through. Add the wall’s Armor to the total Armor protection vs. Physical of any character who’s attacked through it. Maximum range = line of sight.

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Each enhancement may be applied multiple times; both their effects and their costs are then cumulative: Alternate Form (1): The quicksilver item can ‘morph’ between two different visual appearances on mental command. This occurs on the wielder’s Movement phase. For example, a spear might be given the ability to disguise itself as a simple walking stick. The size and weight of the item is not affected. Some of the item’s enhancements may not apply in all forms. Additional forms may be added by paying this enhancement cost multiple times. Armor (1): This gives the item a +1/+1 protection bonus, cumulative with any other armor worn. Alternatively, the bonus could be +2/+0 or +0/+2. Armor Piercing (1): This may only be applied to items that have or bestow an attack ability. When the item hits, the target’s armor protection is treated as if it were two points lower per point of this enhancement. Attributes (2): Adds +1 to an Attribute. It costs a total of 5 to add +2 to an Attribute, a total of 9 to add +3 to an Attribute, etc. The Attribute must be specified when this enhancement is created. Items may NOT add to their user’s PSYC Attribute. Damage (1): Adds 1 level to the damage inflicted by the item. Damage levels are listed in the Roll column of the Attribute table. For x2 cost, the item can be a talisman that adds to the damage level of ANY attack. With GM permission, the damage bonus may be doubled if it only applies against a limited range of enemies (i.e. Goblin races, insectoids, etc.). If the affected enemies are very rare (e.g., only Dragons), the damage bonus may be tripled. Energize (1): This Enhancement causes a weapon to inflict Energy damage instead of Physical damage. For example, you could make an electrified sword or a flaming axe.

7.2.3 Sense (INTL/-4) This discipline allows a sorcerer to ‘feel’ the presence of Quicksilver. The Quicksilver’s mass modifier is ADDED to the sorcerer’s chances of success in this case, making larger masses of Quicksilver easier to detect. Range penalties (as in combat) are also applied. There is no Energy cost required, though the sorcerer may spend up to (PSYC - 7, minimum 0) NRG in order to increase their chances (+1 per point of NRG spent). Sensing Quicksilver takes an Action. Sensing does not establish an Imprint, or affect the sensed Quicksilver in any way. 7.2.4 Enhance (INTL/-4) This discipline allows a sorcerer to ‘enchant’ Quicksilver items, making them more effective. It only takes the ‘Shape’ skill to make a sword - Enhance is needed to make it a MAGIC sword. Enhancing takes an Action. The sorcerer must make an Enhance skill check with a difficulty modifier of -2. There is a further penalty of -1 per point of enhancement being attempted (see below), and -1 per point of enhancement the item already possesses. The mass of the item being enhanced does not matter. If a Critical Failure is rolled, the metal turns rogue. See Section 7.3. If a Critical Success is rolled, the sorcerer receives 1 free point worth of Enhancement at no NRG cost. The GM may require a further skill check with whatever skill is deemed appropriate if the sorcerer attempts a very tricky or complicated enhancement. Enhancing has no range; the sorcerer must physically touch the Quicksilver item being enhanced. Enhancing also has both permanent and temporary NRG costs. For each point of enhancement being attempted, and the sorcerer must spend 1 NRG point permanently (those points only come back if the enhancement is broken). The additional (but temporary) NRG cost = 1 per point of another’s Imprint, plus 1 per point of mass modifier (see the Quicksilver Mass Table). If the sorcerer’s remaining NRG is insufficient, the attempt is aborted. If the attempt fails, the energy is still spent, but all the NRG costs are only temporary. Enhancements are rated in points. The following list describes a number of common enhancements, along with their point costs. Each Enhancement must be defined as aiding either the item itself OR the user of the item. The GM may allow characters to invent new types of enhancements if desired.

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Beetle, Titan (20.3)

These giant, lumbering hulks are rare outside the jungles of Tibo-Tibo, but occasionally one will stray north across the Valsig Sea and wind up in the forests of southwestern Seloria. They are highly aggressive and territorial, but will usually ignore lone man-sized intruders, reacting only to groups. Titan Beetles burrow out shallow nest-caves where they lay their eggs and sit out the cooler part of the year. PHYS: 17 DEFT: 11 PERC: 9 WILL: 12 PSYC: 2 SIZE: -3 Initiative: 2/3/4 Movement: 9 ground Mandible: 14-, 8/11/14 Melee Def: 1 Missile Def: -1 Mental Def: 1 Armor: 11/5 Hits: 63 Energy: 1 Boar, Wild (3)

A belligerent wild pig with large tusks, often hunted as game. PHYS: 11 DEFT: 12 PERC: 11 WILL: 11 PSYC: 2 SIZE: +1 Initiative: 2/4/6 Movement: 12 ground Gore: 14-, 5/7/9 Melee Def: 3 Missile Def: 3 Mental Def: 0 Armor: 5/3 Hits: 13 Energy: 1 Skills: Scent 13

8.0 Creatures This section details a selection of creatures common to the land of Seloria. The number in ( ) after each creature’s name indicates the number of beginning player characters it would take to match one of those creatures in a fight. Non-sentient creatures and animals have a Perception (PERC) attribute instead of INTL. PERC is a limited version of INTL that is primarily used for sense perception. PERC can be used for reasoning as well, but suffers a -4 penalty. Size modifier is already figured into the creature’s skills and Defense scores, but is also listed separately for convenience. Bear (2.9) Bears are solitary and inquisitive but not dangerous unless startled or provoked. They can be found in any of Seloria’s forests — particularly the cold northern Forest of Kleg, where they hibernate through the winter. PHYS: 12 DEFT: 11 PERC: 11 WILL: 11 PSYC: 2 SIZE: - Initiative: 2/3/4 Movement: 8 ground Claw: 14-, 4/6/8 Grapple: 13-, 2/4/6 Melee Def: 3 Missile Def: 2 Mental Def: 0 Armor: 4/2 Hits: 17 Energy: 1 Beetle, Giant (4.6)

These lumbering brutes range from 1 to 3 meters in length, and weigh over 200 kilograms. They are usually passive unless provoked, but can be aggressive during the mating season. PHYS: 14 DEFT: 9 PERC: 9 WILL: 11 PSYC: 2 SIZE: - Initiative: 1/1/2 Movement: 9 ground Mandible: 12-, 6/8/10 Melee Def: 2 Missile Def: 0 Mental Def: 0 Armor: 4/3 Hits: 29 Energy: 1

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Rogue Monster (45.7)

This is a very large rogue, weighing about 360 kilograms. Rogue Monsters are most often caused by random contact between chunks of Quicksilver in the wild; for example, a landslide may dump several Quicksilver nuggets together, which combine and go rogue. Rogue Monsters can assume a bewildering variety of shapes, generally on a spiky crustacean sort of theme. The 17 points of Enhancements the Rogue Monster might give itself are not specified. PHYS: 18 DEFT: 12 INTL: 12 WILL: 11 PSYC: 12 SIZE: -2 Initiative: 2/4/6 Movement: 12 ground Unarmed Melee: 17-, /12/ Melee Def: 4 Missile Def: 4 Mental Def: 0 Armor: 6/6 Hits: 81 Energy: 17 Skills: Enhance 13

Quicksilver Creatures Rogueworm (2.7)

‘Rogueworm’ is a generic term for any of a variety of small rogue Quicksilver creatures. They are called ‘worms’ because rogues of this size (roughly 48 kg.) usually take the form of a slug-like blob. The statistics given here do not include the 8 Energy points worth of Enhancements the rogueworm would give itself; the specific Enhancements vary greatly from worm to worm. PHYS: 10 DEFT: 12 INTL: 9 WILL: 11 PSYC: 9 SIZE: +1 Initiative: 2/4/6 Movement: 6 ground Unarmed Melee: 14-, 2/3/4 Melee Def: 4 Missile Def: 4 Mental Def: 0 Armor: 6/6 Hits: 10 Energy: 8 Skills: Enhance 10 Greater Rogueworm (30.3)

These statistics apply to larger, man-sized rogueworms of about 104 kilograms. Again, any of the 10 points of Enhancements the Greater Rogueworm might give itself are not specified. PHYS: 17 DEFT: 12 INTL: 11 WILL: 12 PSYC: 10 SIZE: 0 Initiative: 2/4/6 Movement: 8 ground Unarmed Melee: 16-, /10/ Melee Def: 5 Missile Def: 5 Mental Def: 1 Armor: 6/6 Hits: 63 Energy: 10 Skills: Enhance 12

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9.1.3 Seloria Quicksilver focuses on the land of Seloria. The current ruler is the well-loved King Malcon, whose capital is situated at the westernmost end of the nation. The king rules over the Duchies, which in turn, control the Counties. In the relatively uncharted regions between the roads, there are sometimes ruins: relics of the fallen Jinzurian Empire. The sexes are equal. There is little respect for education as an institution: children tend to grow up to do what their parents did, and the vast majority are illiterate. Horses are common enough that most people know how to ride. In Selorian towns and cities, people are not permitted to wear weapons unless they are nobles or members of registered mercenary/adventure guilds. Daggers may be worn by anybody, provided that they are peace-tied when in the streets or other public places. Bows and crossbows are considered so dangerous that they are banned from the streets. For this reason, they are carried in peace-tied cases. Mysterious cloaked strangers may find themselves descended upon by the city guard and beaten, before being strip-searched. On the frontiers, however, life is much more harsh; even children are given long daggers, swords, and bows. Pieces of leather armor are worn by nearly everyone, in the hopes of staving off attack by hungry wild creatures. This spiked leather armor has a bit of a social stigma; it is associated with farming and poverty. The well to do wear elaborate filigreed armor. Technically slavery is still practiced in Seloria, but it's becoming a bit of an oddity only practiced by the very rich, ancient noble families. Persons born into slavery are treated as hereditary servitors, and rarely traded or mistreated, other than not having any personal freedom. No NEW slaves are made in Seloria, or brought from other nations, at all. 9.1.3.1 Selorian Religion Modern Seloria has, for the most part, abandoned the failed religions of ancient Jinzuria in favor of a more philosophical approach, though remnants of Junzurian and Dark Age architecture featuring ‘gargoyles’ and lingering echoes of the ‘old ways’ in rural areas still attest to the superstitions of the past.. The official religion of Seloria, decreed by King Arnault (the grandson of Queen Shadyula, founder of Seloria) is the worship of the ‘Light Ones’.

9.0 The Known World

9.1 Overview The Known World, named Zinu by the ancient Jinzurians, is essentially medieval, with limited elements of fantasy. Humans coexist alongside with Goblins and Faeries, sometimes in peace, sometimes in bloody conflict. Most of the world is wilderness, with farm homesteads clinging to the roadsides and feudal cities that stake proud claim to the oldest inhabited places. Humanity in the Known World ranges from feudal to barbaric. 9.1.1 Sorcery Sorcerers are rare but everybody knows they exist, and you cannot tell a sorcerer by their appearance. Sorcery is psychic in nature, and is studied by sages and mystics in special institutions devoted to it. Anyone can learn the skills required for sorcery, but not everyone has the psychic potential necessary to actually achieve results. To learn sorcery, a student requires a teacher — either at one of the aforementioned institutions, or a personal tutor. One specialized set of sorcerous disciplines involves the manipulation of a strange metal called Quicksilver. It can be made to flow like water; it can be made to take a specific shape; it can even be used to hold enchantments. Alas, it is a dangerous material: in the hands of an ignorant or weakened mage, it takes on a malevolent life of its own. Quicksilver has a fearful and sinister reputation; monstrosities spawned by mages to fight ancient battles commonly roam the wilds. 9.1.2 Biology There are some familiar terrestrial mammals here (dogs, horses, and so on) but all of Seloria’s avians are snake-tailed, and there are insects ranging from meter-long dragonflies to huge segmented crawling things the size of a bus. Lizard-jawed fish-like ‘serpents’ make deep-sea travel extremely risky. Goblins and Humans both developed naturally; they share a common ancestral species, but cannot interbreed without sorcerous intervention. Faeries come from a different dimension, but are genetically compatible with humans (not goblins) nonetheless.

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A local population of cats is maintained, to control rats. There is an underground sewage system, too. The homeless and poor are drafted into city work crews, and they work alongside prisoners sentenced to public service labor. There is no cleaner city in all Seloria. The diseased and crippled may be turned away at the city gates. So will the destitute, unless they sign a contract to serve on the work crews for a year. Goblins who come here are changed forever. No longer do they decorate their persons with animal parts or live without bathing. Wearing Goblin clothing or speaking the ‘old’ tongue is highly frowned upon. There are several social clubs the well to do tend to join. Members are allowed to bring guests, and the clubs arrange for live entertainment, refreshments, and so forth. The most prestigious of these is the Red Cloak Group, whose members wear short red capelets over their usual garments in the evening. Many heroes of eastern Seloria were Red Cloaks. Skull Rill, a small river that runs north of town, is used for traveling to Suphang. The Skullhounds are a group of upper class youths who race their sailboats up and down the rill. They will challenge any non-merchant sailing vessel to a race, with their craft as the stakes. Despite its facade, Alliston is not a perfect city. Organized crime with connections to Moddizar and Shareen runs underground gambling parlors and moneylenders. In some places, the people pay protection money to mobsters. And the local Temple of Light is said to turn a blind eye to the goings-on in exchange for hefty donations. Amphion (Human Ducal City) The tall towers of Amphion connected by long, arching bridges are one of the wonders of the world. Chivalry is very popular, along with courtly love. The Duke is especially proud of his knights; most are nobles but a few are base-born. They meet each week at his palace, where some of the loveliest Selorian women can be seen. Each third month a tournament is held, and the noblest in the Duchy are invited. Somewhere south of Amphion is the citadel of the Duke’s deadly rival, his sister Magravina. She has

9.4.3 The Ducal Cities These cities, with their older names, are each ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Population is between 20,000 and 30,000. The King’s guard will maintain a presence here alongside the Ducal forces, which are expected to march to war on behalf of the King, if necessary. Every possible profession will be practiced in the city, and there are numerous guilds as well. The surrounding area, made up of cities, county towns, market towns, and farmland, is referred to as a Duchy. 9.4.4 Town & City Listings Each town and city entry lists its name, size (Market, County, or Ducal), and ethnic blend (Human, Goblin, or Mixed). Even most single-race towns and cities have a small minority population of the other races, however. Aitor (Human Ducal City) Krodd and Mollet are under the authority of this Ducal city. There are many temples here; congregations prefer to build shrines and churches for individual Light Ones. There are settlements in the surrounding countryside, called hamlets that are not on any maps. About fifty to seventy people live in a hamlet. Homes are built of sod walls, with straw roofs, and the whole population may decide to move when their houses look shabby. Sod houses are very flammable, so cooking is done some distance from the home, in a fire pit. In the winter, the organic walls decay underneath a blanket of snow, and the houses are warm inside. Sometimes slavers will kidnap children in this Duchy. The unfortunates are sold in Doogar or Glurr to the west. Since the Cliffs of Ryan to the north make docking a ship extremely difficult, slave caravans travel overland through the Forest of Kleg, and then along the coast. Alliston (Mixed County Town) There is a wall and moat around Alliston. Security is higher here than in other towns. Alliston works hard to present an image of lawfulness and travelers are expected to leave their weapons at the door in bars. Taverns are regularly inspected for drink quality and inns are inspected for hygiene. Shopkeepers who cheat their patrons are liable to wind up in the stocks. Gambling is not legal here.

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