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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)
Starting Money : 2 Dice x 10s.
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)
Starting Money : 2 Dice x 10s.
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
Starting Money : 3 Dice x 10s.
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
Starting Money : 2 Dice x 10s.
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
Starting Money : 3 Dice x 10s.
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
Starting Money : 2 Dice x 10s.
Spy
Abilities: Double Talk (+1 on all reaction
throws), Disguise, Languages (Doublenormal number)
Equipment: 2 Daggers (1 hidden in boot)
Starting Money : 4 Dice x 10s.
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
XP Level BAB HD Save
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
XP Level BAB HD Save
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
XP Level BAB HD Save
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
XP Level BAB HD Save
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
XP Level BAB HD Save
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
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