Part 1: Character Generation

Archetypes, Species, Careers and Roles of Magnamund

PART 1 | ARCHETYPES

Humans

The humans of Magnamund are unique beings. They are not the result of the evolution of natural beings, like the Drodarin, rather they were formed from the union of the gods Kai and Ishir (e.g., the godlike Shianti). But unlike the Shianti who are entities of the Astral World of Daziarn, humans are not immortal. And above all, despite their mortality they do possess complete free will although they can be persuaded or coerced into following Good or Evil. They can choose to become evil, and even redeem themselves, exactly as natural sentient beings. In mockery of Ishir’s and Kai’s children, Naar conceived humanoid creatures, with limited free will, that are innately evil by nature. He sent these humanoids, namely the treacherous Cenerese and, much later, the warlike Drakkarim, to conquer Magnamund. These humanoids mostly differ from humans by their origins for they share very similar morphologies. Interbreeding is possible between both of these entities, even though it is difficult for the Drakkarim. Only rare half-breed Drakkarim are capable of turning to Good.

The first human people recorded on Magnamund are the Bautarians. These shamanic tribesmen came to the attention of the Elder Magi during the dark time of the Age of War (4570 MS – 3572 MS). They were followed by many other humans, all formed by the union of Kai and Ishir, during the Age of the Old Kingdoms. The Vakeros tribesmen emerged in the virginal jungles of Dessi, while the Telcharim appeared on the islands of the Suranic Ocean and settled in territories of Southern Magnamund that later became known as Telchos. The Telchoi, as they were later called, founded the first human empire of Magnamund: a brilliant civilization that dominated the coast of western Magnamund. The primitive Bonemen of Cloeasia, the Ghatanese, Shadakine jungle-dwellers and Ogians all emerged during this period. Many of them suffered, and were even exterminated, during the second part of the Age of the Old Kingdoms due to the Agarashi uprising and the Great Plague which was spread by the evil Cenerese. The Great Plague had devastating effects upon the continental human populations of Magnamund and few were able to progress during the Age of Awakening.

Ishir and Kai then gave birth to other human peoples and introduced them onto the countless islands of the Northern and Southern Void. Their evolution took place in isolation from the dangers of the continents of Northern and Southern Magnamund. However, the creation of the Moonstone by the Shianti triggered the migration of these new humans to the continents of Magnamund, attracted as they were by the godly powers of the Ancients and the protection offered by their legendary artefact. The Mythenish, the Tianese, the Ice Barbarians, the Vassa, the Vaderish, the Aluvians, the Nael, and finally the Ulnarians arrived on the continents of Magnamund and blended into, or replaced (some of them, such as the Nael, were particularly aggressive and expansionist) the existing human populations. In MS 2591, the humanoid Drakkarim appeared for

the first time in the western reaches of Northern Magnamund. The last of the humans that immigrated to Northern Magnamund were the Sommlending in MS 3434. Humans and humanoids of Magnamund have developed myriad skills, abilities and professions, and have given rise to a multitude of nations and cultures.

Commoners

The commener archetype portrays the most customizable example of a person, and represents a typical human adventurer. You should choose this archetype if you prefer to play “generalist” characters, who are never going to be terrible at anything. You should also choose this archetype if you have a very specific type of character in mind, since this archetype has the most customization options of all the choices.

The characteristics all start at 2, meaning your character is going to have a hard time increasing any one characteristic to a 4 or 5, but also that your character isn’t going to have any characteristic they are truly lacking in. Likewise, the strain and wound thresholds start at the average 10.

Your character starts with more ranks in skills than anyone else, again playing to the idea of being a generalist. Your archetype ability is also a generalist ability. Effectively, your group gains a Story Point to spend whenever it needs it. And finally, your character starts with the most experience of any of the archetypes. Just remember, character creation is your only chance to spend XP on characteristics (otherwise, to increase a characteristic you need to purchase the Dedication talent; see page 81). We recommend you spend most of these XP on improving your characteristics, while saving at most 25–35 experience for talents and skills.

Commoner

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 2 2 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	2	2	2	2	2

Starting skills: A commoner starts with one rank in two non-career skills during character creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points, and may not increase either skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Ready for Adventure: Once per session as an out-of-turn incidental, you may move one Story Point from the Game Master’s pool to the players’pool.

PART 1 | ARCHETYPES

Labourers

The laborer archetype represents a character who has a background in some form of manual labor, and who is generally strong and tough. You should choose this archetype if you’re planning on making a character who focuses on fighting, especially fighting in melee combat. You should also choose this archetype if your character has a background of manual labor and hard work.

This archetype starts with the Brawn characteristic at 3 and the Willpower characteristic at 1. You’re starting with a character who has better than average Brawn (which makes it easier to improve Brawn further), with the trade-off that your character has a worse than average Willpower. You’ll have to either spend valuable experience points buying that back to 2, or be satisfied with this drawback. Likewise, your character’s wound threshold is higher than average, but your strain threshold is lower than average.

Finally, this archetype gets a special ability that lets you turn a single Critical Injury result that your character suffers into the mildest Critical possible. Not only does this protect your character from some debilitating Crit results, but since the only way to permanently die in our game is through some Critical effects, this can even save your character from certain death.

Labourer

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

3 2 2 2 1 2

Wound Threshold: 12+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 8+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
3	2	2	2	1	2

Starting skills: A laborer starts with one rank in Athletics during character creation. They obtain this rank before spending experience points, and may not increase Athletics above rank 2 during character creation.

Tough as Nails: Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point as an out-of-turn incidental immediately after suffering a Critical Injury and determining the result. If they do so, they count the result rolled as “01.”

Intellectuals

The intellectual archetype represents a character who has a background grounded in some sort of intellectual pursuit. This pursuit could be science, medicine, teaching, or even magic. You should choose this archetype if you want to make a character who focuses on one of those intellectual pursuits. You should also choose this archetype if your character comes from a highly educated background.

This archetype starts with the Intellect characteristic at 3 and the Agility characteristic at 1. You’re starting a character with a better than average Intellect (which makes this characteristic easy to improve further) and good strain threshold, but on the other hand, your character has a worse than average Agility (and is going to have a problem being effective in ranged combat).

You also have a worse than average wound threshold. This archetype makes up for that, however, with a pretty good ability. Their special ability lets your character count their ranks in a skill as equal to their Intellect, and while it only works once per session, it can mean the difference between success and failure on a critical check.

Intellectual

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 1 3 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 8+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 12+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	1	3	2	2	2

Starting skills: An intellectual starts with one rank in any Knowledge skill during character creation. They may not increase thsi skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Brilliant!: Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point as an incidental. If they do so, during the next check they make during that turn, you count their ranks in the skill being used as equal to their Intellect.

Aristocrats

The aristocrat archetype represents any character who has the gift of a silver tongue. This could be a noble of some sort, a politician, a bard, or even a spy or merchant. You should use this archetype if you want to build a character who fits one of these molds. You should also choose this archetype if your character is good at communicating.

This archetype starts with the Presence characteristic at 3 and the Brawn characteristic at 1. Unsurprisingly, this means you’re starting with a character who already has a good Presence, and whose Presence can be improved easily. However, the low Brawn (and thus low wound threshold and soak) means your character won’t be much of a combatant without a major investment in experience points. You also have an average starting wound and strain threshold.

Your character’s starting ability is good on its own, but it can be paired with a number of talents or social encounter actions for some really powerful effects. Coupled with the archetype’s starting characteristics, this archetype is perfect for characters who want to dominate social situations (even if they’re not very good at fighting)!

PART 1 | ARCHETYPES

Aristocrat

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

1 2 2 2 2 3

Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	2	2	2	2	3

Starting skills: An aristocrat starts with one rank in Cool during character creation. They obtain this rank before spending experience points, and may not increase Cool above rank 2 during character creation.

Forceful Personality: Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point as an incidental. If they do so, during the next skill check they make during that turn, your character doubles the strain they inflict or the strain they heal (you choose before making the check).

Nomads

A nomad is a human with no settled home, who moves from place to place as a way of obtaining food, finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making their living. Most nomadic groups follow a fixed annual or seasonal pattern of movements and settlements. Nomadic peoples traditionally travel by animal or canoe or on foot. Nomads keep on the move for various reasons. Nomadic foragers move in search of game, edible plants, and water. Pastoral nomads make their living raising livestock, such as cattle, goats, horses, or sheep. These nomads travel to find more goats and sheep. Some nomadic peoples, especially herders, may also move to raid settled communities or avoid enemies. Nomadic craftworkers and merchants travel to find and serve customers. Most nomads travel in groups of families called bands or tribes. These groups are based on kinship and marriage ties or on formal agreements of cooperation. A council of adult males makes most of the decisions, though some tribes have chieftains.

Nomadic hunting and gathering, following seasonally available wild plants and game, is by far the oldest human subsistence method but the humans of the two main continents of Magnamund have mostly given up this way of life. In MS 5000, only the Ice Barbarians of Kalte adhere to this tradition. Nomads are usually attired in simple fur and leather clothing, except the desert nomads of the Dry Main who traditionally wear mhaktis: flowing grey and white robes.

When they arrived on the continents of Magnamund during the Golden Age of the Shianti, several human peoples adopted a nomadic way of life. Many Aluvians became horse breeders and Fanji hunters on the great plains of Lunarlia and Slovia before most of them settled. In MS 5000, tribes of nomadic horsemen still remain on the Great Lunarlian Plain. They come to barter and trade their wares at the famous tented market of Jaroc. Some of the Vassa who migrated to Vassagonia chose to become nomads instead of settling in the cities of the Majhan, and some of their tribes later remained on the plains of Dry Main as it transformed into a great sandy desert. The Vassa Nomads of the Dry Main raise herds of Douggas and trade with the people of the great cities of Vassagonia. They usually bivouac in the oases of the Dry Main and have pledged allegiance to the Zakhan, reinforcing his army in times of war. In MS 5000, the Bhanarian Plain and the Great Lissan Plain of Southern Magnamund accommodate Mythenish nomadic tribal herders which include the Masbaté.

Nomads are seasoned, proud and enduring warriors, hardened by their wandering life and sometimes by the harsh environment in which they strive to survive. Most of them are exceptionally good riders and light cavalrymen. They are also very stealthy when fighting in their own plain or desert environment.

The nomads of a given area should not be denigrated by a party of Players: if insulted they may prove to be lethal ambushers. They know the great wastes that their ancestors have inhabited for millennia and make excellent guides when exploring these regions. Nomads have traditional customs which should be respected; they enjoy trading with travelers who show them respect and they can be very hospitable hosts.

Nomad

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 3 2 2 2 1

Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	3	2	2	2	1

Starting skills: A nomad starts with one rank in Survival during character creation. They obtain this rank before spending experience points, and may not increase Survival above rank 2 during character creation.

On the Move: Once per round, for 1 point of Strain, your character may perform one additional maneauver which must be used for moving.

PART 1 | ARCHETYPES

Tribesmen

In MS 5000, there are many primitive human tribes which still exist on Magnamund. These huntergatherers inhabit rudimentary huts, wear leather clothing and use bone or wooden weapons. They bear portraits, tattoos, charms and amulets, and worship many and varied deities, from Goddess Ishir to the Greater Demons of the Plane of Darkness (such as Tamotu). Some tribes are peaceful and trade with civilized countries; others are xenophobic cannibals. The lives of all tribesmen are governed by traditional rituals and customs.

Tribesmen can still be found in the Kayunis (the tens of thousands of uncharted islands located in the Northern Void and the Southern Void), but most are to be found in Northern and Southern Magnamund. These include the dwellers of the jungles of Shadaki, the Bonemen of Cloeasia, the aggressive Wildmen of the Dahir Mountains in Vassagonia, the Swamp-dwellers of the Boari Jungle in Valerion and the ferocious Kazan Islanders in the Sea of Dreams. The Vakeros of Dessi were once tribesmen who welcomed the remnants of the Elder Magi into their domain during the Age of the Old Kingdoms. Since the Age of the Old Kingdoms, the jungles of Shadaki have been inhabited by primitive human tribesmen who preserved their shamanic way of life despite the successive waves of migrants who arrived in their lands, including the god-like Shianti and the human Vassa. After the Exodus of the Shianti, the Vassa people established good trade relationships with the Shadakine tribesmen. This led to the rise of the tribal city of Kitaesi in Taetok Bay which has since become a thriving port selling rare exotic produce harvested from the jungle.

Tribesmen are invariably seasoned fighters who are used to surviving in challenging environments. However, they are also highly superstitious and can easily be intimidated by magic, even though some of them are able to perform sorcerous shamanic rituals.

Others should pay close attention to the customs and the sometimes strange behaviour of tribesmen inhabiting remote areas they choose to explore. If they do not, they are likely to inadvertently insult and upset them. Sometime this can have fatal consequences, especially with the cannibal worshipers of Tamotu in the Kayunis. In MS 5000, in Cloeasia, peace with the Bonemen tribes is in a parlous state. The precarious balance could tip at any time which may result in an unfortunate incident that precipitates a political crisis.

Career Restrictions: Tribesman characters may be Explorers, Druids, Healers, Leaders, Priests or Wanderers.

Tribesman

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 2 2 3 1 2

Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	2	2	3	1	2

Starting skills: A tribesman starts with one rank in Survival during character creation. They obtain this rank before spending experience points, and may not increase Survival above rank 2 during character creation.

Wild Born: Your character does not suffer the penalties for moving through difficult wilderness terrain (they move through difficult terrain at normal speed without spending additional maneuvers). In addition you may also ignore up to 2 Setback dice penalties for any checks performed while in the wilderness.

PART 1 | SPECIES

Drodarin

The Drodarin are a diverse race that occupied most of Northern and Southern Magnamund during the Age of the Old Kingdoms, when the Elder Magi ruled the land with benevolence and grace. Their common origin is so ancient (probably during the Age of Chaos of before) that various Drodarin sub-races have since evolved quite separately and differently; from the diminutive Kloon of Chaman to the imposing Giants of Starn, from the human-like Patars to the resourceful Dwarves of Boden and Bor. Many Drodarin sub-races are extinct in MS 5000, such as the Moor Dwarves of Sahawat and the Sorarians of Tar Ogashaar.

Most of the Drodarin were decimated during the Great Plague (2514 MS). This terrible pestilence was cultivated by an evil race of druids called the Ceners, and it spread because of the betrayal of one of the Drodarin sub-species, the Patar. Very few Drodarin survived the Great Plague, and their disparate remaining races are no longer the predominant sentient beings inhabiting Magnamund.

Dwarves of Bor

The Drodarin Dwarves of Bor are an industrious race with brave traditions and a natural talent for mining and metalwork. Particularly skilled in armour and weapons crafting, Bor Dwarves have refined their arts to a degree unrivalled in Magnamund by any race save the ancient ones that walked the land when mankind was little more than a few scattered, primitive tribes. Bor steel is considered one of the most valuable trade goods, particularly because it retains its base value no matter where a merchant’s journey takes him.

Bor is perhaps most famous for its boom powder. Developed for the speedy construction of new tunnels, this explosive powder has further been used by the Drodarin to power their primitive firearms. Bor is the only nation on Magnamund that has developed such weapons. Its precise formula is a closely guarded secret; only a few highly trusted nations, most notably Sommerlund and Durenor, are permitted to manufacture boom powder under strict license from Bor.

The Dwarves of Bor are a hardy people with a great deal of stamina and strength that comes from many years spent at the forge and anvil, or mining and exploring the seemingly endless subterranean tunnels which criss-cross the heart of their kingdom.

Career Restrictions: Dwarf characters may be Artisans, Bounty Hunters, Entertainers, Healers, Leaders, Mercenaries, Pirates, Priests, Scholars, Scoundrels, Socialites, Soldiers or Wanderers.

Borian Dwarf

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

3 1 2 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 11+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 90 XP

Starting skills: Dwarves begin with one rank in Resilience. You still cannot train their Resilience above rank 2 during character creation.

Dark Vision: When making skill checks, dwarves remove up to 2 Setback dice imposed due to darkness.

Tough as Nails: Once per session, a dwarf character may spend a Story Point as an out-of-turn incidental immediately after suffering a Critical Injury and determining the result. If they do so, they count the result rolled as “01.”

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
3	1	2	2	2	2

Kloon

The state of Chaman, located alongside the deep waters of the Great Tentarias Strait that divides the two continents of Magnamund, is unique in two important respects. Firstly, it is the repository of the largest and most wide-ranging collection of knowledge in the world, and secondly, it is home to one of the last two great Goodly non-human civilisations, the Kloon.

Closely related to Drodarin Dwarves, yet smaller, greener and – as they would argue themselves – quite a lot brighter, the Kloon are an ancient, wise, considerate and resourceful race, whose lifestyle and culture is built upon the acquisition and appreciation of knowledge and wisdom. They are devoted to the accumulation of knowledge and its practical application. They are sometimes called, “The Librarians of Magnamund”. The Kloon are known for their excavation of valuable minerals, their building of fine houses (as domiciles for themselves and as repositories for their vast collection of ancient scrolls and tomes), their study of nature and science, their memorising of stories and folklore, their philosophical recitals, their arts and crafts, and their astute and trustworthy trading. Their foremost adventurers are erudite savants known as the Kloon Sages of Chaman.

Kloon Sages of Chaman are not members of some heroic order or arcane society; they are instead typical Kloon adventurers. They are learned in thousands of subjects and willing to share their knowledge with anyone they consider to be deserving of it. Kloon Sages do not see themselves as a single, separate profession; they are representative of the entire Kloon race, and they are all, without

PART 1 | SPECIES

exception, well-read and highly intelligent. If you hail from the Free State of Chaman, you are simply a ‘Kloon’; the words ‘Sage’ and ‘of Chaman’ are somewhat redundant but outsiders, ignorant as they are, will not learn.

Kloon Sages are most often found serving as librarians, priests, architects, healers or scientists in their homeland. Theirs is a truly meritocratic society. However, with their profound knowledge has come an aloofness that many non-Kloons mistake for arrogance. It is true to say the Kloons do not suffer fools gladly. Their wisdom has gained them prestige abroad, and many travellers come to Chaman – particularly to its capital city of Gleesh – to request, beg for or hire the counsel of a Kloon Sage with a specific area of expertise. The Kloon are also in great demand as advisors to rulers of other lands, and they can frequently be encountered in sagely roles throughout the Stornlands’ principal cities.

Career Restrictions: Kloon characters may be Adepts, Artisans, Entertainers, Healers, Leaders, Priests, Scholars or Wanderers.

Kloon

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 1 3 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 9+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	1	3	2	2	2

Starting skills: Kloon begin with one rank in Sage. You still cannot train their Sage above rank 2 during character creation.

Pure Thought: When a Kloon character must make a Discipline check in order to resist a psychic ability, such as a mindforce attack or an attempt to control their mind, they may resists the effects of that ability for one round per advantage rolled. When the time is up, the effects (if still present) begin as normal.

Brilliant! : Once per session, your character may spend a Story Point as an incidental. If they do so, during the next check they make during that turn, you count their ranks in the skill being used as equal to their Intellect.

Ogrons

Ogrons are a blue-skinned race of creatures of Drodarin descent. They have purple blood which can be highly oxygenated when they hyperventilate. They do this before combat in order to pump up their strength and stamina. This ability also permits them to stay underwater for anything up to 30minutes at a time. They are taller than humans yet smaller than Giants. A typical mature male stands 9 feet tall.

Ogrons are native of the swamps and plains of Caron, but they can be found throughout the Stornlands. Notoriously

dull-witted, they are suited to hard labour and can be formidable warriors in battle.

They are often recruited as mercenaries by the rulers of the Stornlands and used as shock troops in the van of battlefield attacks and sieges. They have an innate hatred of Cener Druids, born out of centuries of cruel persecution at their hand.

Brutish, powerful, and unquestionably courageous in battle, Ogrons do not tend to run from a fight, even when faced by overwhelming odds. Before combat, they will hyperventilate to saturate their purple blood with oxygen. This raises their blood pressure and their pulse rate, sharpens their senses, and increases their stamina in readiness for the coming fight.

Ogrons can play the role of gentle brutes to perfection. They are powerful but not very smart. Given a choice, they nearly always side with the Forces of Good rather than the Forces of Evil, but sometimes the Agents of Darkness use spells to charm them into fighting for their cause.

Ogrons are especially susceptible to the effects of alcohol, quite unlike their distant relatives - the Dwarves. Even half a cup of weak ale is enough to send them off into a deep sleep, to awaken several hours later with a colossal hangover.

minutes at a time. They are taller than humans yet smaller than Giants. A typical mature male stands 9 feet (3 m) tall.

Career Restrictions: Ogron characters may be Artisans, Bounty Hunters, Druids, Explorers, Gladiators, Healers, Leaders, Mercenaries or Wanderers.

Ogron

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

4 1 1 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 14+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 70 XP

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
4	1	1	2	2	2

Starting skills: Ogrons begin with one rank in Coercion. You still cannot train their Coercion above rank 2 during character creation.

Alcoholic Intolerance: Ogrons upgrade the difficulty of all Resilience checks by 2 when resisting the effects of alchohol.

Hyperventilate: Once per encounter, an Ogron character may spend a maneuver to add 1 success to all initiative, Resilience and Melee checks until they are incapacitated, or the encounter ends. Alternatively, once per encounter an Ogron may spend a maneauver to allow them to breathe underwater for up to half an hour, or until they are incapacitated. After using this talent, the character suffers 6 strain from exhaustion.

Extended Reach: Ogrons have long powerful arms that allow them to attack any foe with Brawl or Melee checks who is within short range.

PART 1 | SPECIES

Szalls

These creatures are similar in size to Swamp Giaks to whom they are related. They are physically weaker and thinner, and often have deformed limbs and fragile skulls. However, they are more intelligent than Mountain Giaks and they have evolved to the point where they are now capable of natural reproduction.They are often clad in scraps of cloth that they have scavenged from human settlements in the Wildlands, most notably Ragadorn. Their small, watery yellow eyes and melancholic faces belie their nasty and vindictive nature.

Szalls were the result of intermediary experiments carried out by Darklord Vashna and his Nadziranim to produce an improved version of Swamp Giak. In many respects, the experiments were a failure, but they did provide essential knowledge that was later used to perfect the creation of Mountain Giaks. Szall experiments were subsequently abandoned and the thousands that existed were consigned to become food for the Kraan and Zlanbeast. However, Szalls possessed an animal cunning and a strong sense of selfpreservation. Upon realising that their future in the Darklands was over, thousands fled from Helgedad and made a desperate exodus towards the Southern Durncrag Mountains. Most were picked off along the way by Ashradon, Kraan, and Zlanbeast, but a few hundred managed to escape. The survivors finally settled in the Wildlands located between Sommerlund and Durenor, where they have existed in small and disparate tribal communities ever since. They have thrived in the Rat Swamp where they have established villages, and in the ruins of the ancient Cloeasian city of H’Naar. Their presence in these locations poses a constant threat and nuisance to the western border of Durenor.

A few Szalls have proved themselves intelligent, amiable and law abiding enough to have been permitted to settle in human villages, such as Gorn Cove and Mudmoor. They have developed their own language, a derivative of the Giak language spoken in the Darklands. Recently, these sentient Szalls have come to the attention of the Darklands and raids have been launched to kidnap and bring them back. Subsequently, they have been used by high ranking officers in the Darklands’ armies as personal servants and spies, proving themselves to be markedly more intelligent, adaptable and (above all) discrete than their brutish cousins.

Szalls are not brave fighters but they are very cunning. In their Wildlands environment, they will often mount raids on the campsites of humans in order to steal their food and horses. If combat becomes unavoidable during one of these nocturnal raids, then they will fight using a bladed weapon, such as a dagger or a short sword.

Szalls are scared of the humans, yet they covet their possessions. The bandit humans are much too tough and wary for them to dare raid their campsites at night, when they can’t see so well. But those foolish travellers who pass through the Wildlands, they make for easy pickings.

Career Restrictions: Szall characters may be Entertainers, Explorers, Healers, Scoundrels or Wanderers.

Szall

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

1 3 2 3 1 1

Wound Threshold: 8+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110 XP

Starting skills: Szalls begin with one rank in Survival. You still cannot train their Survival above rank 2 during character creation

Dark Vision: When making skill checks, szalls remove up to 2 Setback dice imposed due to darkness.

Immunity to Disease: Szalls never need to make Resilience checks when resisting diseases. They are completely invulnerable to such effects.

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	3	2	3	1	1

PART 1 | CAREERS

Adept

Adepts have the skill to wield magic and the innate gift to do so effectively. Large groups, like the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, take in many skilled wizards when they are very young, educating them properly and saving them from the oft-dangerous world of attempting to learn magic on their own or with less scrupulous organizations.

Not every Adept is a self-taught mage. There are gatherings and circles in almost every nation in Magnamund, North and South, who follow their own traditions and train spellcasters according to their own ideals of magical perfection. Some are benevolent and open with their skills, like the Magicians of Delden, while others demand unwavering loyalty and obedience, like the Jadin Circle in Chai. Adepts usually owe a debt to their teachers, although this obligation does not always prevent them from having a rich and fulfilling life of their own beyond their oaths.

The Adept counts the following skills as career skills: Arcana, Alchemy, Coercion, Discipline, Forbidden, Occult, Sage and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, an Adept may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Artisan

An artisan can be anyone who has skills in a job that requires special training and some manual labor, whether a burky blacksmith, a skilled engineer or a cunning gemcutter. They could also be a no-nonsense worker who has no time for anything but the job at hand, or a creative craftsperson who delights in building something innovative. The Artisan counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Crafting, Discipline, Mechanics, Negotiation, Perception, Resilience, and Streetwise. Before spending experience during character creation, an Artisan may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Bounty Hunter

Bounty Hunters are a morally diverse group of professional man hunters, pursuing fugitives from justice for a reward or bounty, particularly popular in the Stornlands. Some will only undertake a fugitive hunt after receiving an official warrant to do so. Others will start a man hunt by their own volition in order to capture and then deliver their prey to whoever has placed a bounty upon them, regardless of the severity or validity of their alleged crimes. In these instances, a Bounty Hunter may be acting as an agent of revenge for less-than-scrupulous entities. And there are those who will hunt down and kill their prey for the reward, whether or not they are guilty of any crime. This latter breed are more accurately known as Bounty Killers.

The Bounty Hunter counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Coercion, Melee (Light), Ranged, Stealth, Streetwise, Survival, and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, a Bounty Hunter may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Druid

Druids have a special connection with the primal powers of the natural world. They may be individuals who live in the wilderness, or regular people who have a particular affinity for life and nature. Druids can tap into the primal power of life to summon magic and perform fantastical feats.

The Druid counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Brawl, Coordination, Melee (Heavy), Primal, Resilience, Survival, and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, a Druid may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Entertainer

For the Entertainer, the whole world really is a stage. Whatever their chosen medium, these artists, troubadours, actors, and musicians make their living brightening the days of others. However, there can be a lot more to these individuals than meets the eye, as some Entertainers use their acting skills to cover more serious agendas.

The Entertainer counts the following skills as career skills: Charm, Coordination, Deception, Discipline, Leadership, Melee, Skulduggery, and Stealth. Before spending experience during character creation, an Entertainer may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Explorer

The Explorer is at home in the wild, able to handle anything the wilderness throws at them. Explorers tend to excel at surviving in the wilderness, and they often are pretty good with ranged weapons. Explorers may be military scouts, gruff and unsociable hunters, or people who just prefer living in the wild.

The Explorer counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Brawl, Coordination, Perception, Ranged, Stealth, Survival and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, an Explorer may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Healer

Healers exist throughout Magnamund, often going by different names. They are also known as apothecaries, alchemists, physicians, herbalists and chemists. They are skilled with tinctures, extracts and medicines of all kinds, though most specialise in a few specific forms of their craft. What unites them is their devotion to alchemy, regardless of the form it takes for them.

While their skills can easily mimic magic in some respects, Healers do not often have to suffer the same prejudice and distrust as Adepts and other spellcasters. Their gifts are generally thought of as being helpful and beneficial, a reputation mostly due to the healing properties of Laumspur. Laumspur, one of Magnamund’s most prolific and widely-known herbal palliatives, has saved many lives over the centuries. Usually it is found in leaf form, potions and tinctures prepared by Alchemists who specialise in selling

PART 1 | CAREERS

such draughts.

The Healer counts the following skills as career skills: Alchemy, Cool, Discipline, Medicine, Resilience, Sage, Survival, and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, a Healer may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Knight

The Knight is a warrior of the nobility. A Knight’s title comes with privilege, lands, and wealth, but also a responsibility to defend their liege lord and the common people who rely on the Knight for protection. Knights often train for war from childhood, and they equip themselves with the best arms and armor available. The Knight counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Discipline, Leadership, Melee (Heavy), Melee (Light), Resilience, Riding, and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, a Knight may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Leader

The Leader focuses on leading and directing their fellows, as well as interacting with others. Leaders have a knack forv taking charge and overseeing a situation, but their methods of leadership can vary wildly. A Leader can be a kind and caring boss a soft-spoken politician, or a military commander

who believes in absolute discipline.

The Leader counts the following skills as career skills: Charm, Coercion, Cool, Discipline, Leadership, Melee (Light), Negotiation, and Perception. Before spending experience during character creation, a Leader may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Mercenary

Mercenaries are professional soldiers for hire to the highest bidder. Sommerlund and Durenor have regular standing armies and do not normally hire mercenaries to fight for them. The opposite is true in the Stornlands where mercenaries are the preferred troops of choice of the kings and princes of that war-torn region. Mercenaries can be human or humanoid in origin. Most are human, but some of the best mercenaries in the Stornlands are Drodarin Dwarves and Ogrons. They are invariably skilled professional fighters and veterans of several campaigns. So long as they have been paid and are allowed to loot an enemy settlement that they have fought for and secured for their paymasters, they can be relied upon to stand firm under fire and fight to the best of their ability. Many specialise in a particular type of weapon with which they exhibit a high degree of expertise, but all, with few exceptions, will also have an above-average proficiency in swordsmanship.

The Mercenary counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Brawl, Coercion, Melee (Light), Perception , Skulduggery, Survival, and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, a Mercenary may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Pirate

A Pirates life is all about adventure. From their first days as a young sea dog, or a foundling kidnapped during a port or sea raid, to their years spent as a member of a cut- throat crew, to their later glories as captain of their own ship, a pirate celebrates each day as if it were their last. Living on the High Seas under the constant shadow of the cutlass, a Pirate captain soon gets accustomed to living life to the full. Yet, this persistent shadow is not a burden to a true sailor, for it is the vulnerability of their existence that defines and accentuates their universe.

The Pirate counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Brawl, Coordination, Coercion, Deception, Gunnery, Melee (Light), and Sailing. Before spending experience during character creation, a Pirate may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Priest

Whether a soft-spoken cleric of Ishir who channels divine energy to heal the wounded, a shaman commmuning with spirits of their ancestors, or a raging battle-priest of Salor who smites enemies with a mace as often as with holy wrath, a Priest is a devout believer in something greater than themself.

The Priest counts the following skills as career skills: Charm, Coercion, Cool, Discipline, Divine, Medicine, Melee (Light), and Negotiation. Before spending experience during character creation, a Priest may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Scoundrel

The Scoundrel’s business is crime in all forms. Whether swindling, burgling, or running a complicated con, the Scoundrel has the skills needed to separate marks from their money and valuables. A Scoundrel could be a cat burglar, con artist, or quick-draw specialist, or just a smooth-talking person who cheats at cards.

The Scoundrel counts the following skills as career skills: Charm, Cool, Coordination, Deception, Melee (Light), Skulduggery, Stealth, and Streetwise. Before spending experience during character creation, a Scoundrel may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Scholar

Not every hero wields a sword, casts a spell or prays to the Gods for the power to defeat evil. Some fight using their wits and their wisdom. If knowledge is truly power then Scholars are some of the most powerful champions on Magnamund. They have varying fields of expertise, but all scholars are masters at what they do and flexible enough to learn very quickly when the need arises. Scholars are librarians, sages, investigators, administrators and scribes. Some are good with people, while others are most effective when left alone in the splendid isolation of their dusty libraries.

PART 1 | CAREERS

Scholars may not be physically gifted, but one should never think of them as being weak or helpless. Most can defend themselves well enough from common threats, employing reason and clever tactics to thwart their adversaries. Yet they often perform to their best alongside stalwart allies, especially when their adventures take them out of their safe environs and thrust them into the wider, wilder world of Magnamund.

The Scholar counts the following skills as career skills: Alchemy, Discipline, Leadership, Mechanics Medicine, Occult,Perception and Sage. Before spending experience during character creation, a Scoundrel may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Socialite

Socialites are the consummate social butterflies, at ease in any interactions involving talking to someone else. Whether a rich debutante in the highest circles of society or a good-natured bartender who knows everyone’s name, a Socialite can get along with anyone and everyone. More importantly, they always know how to get the best out of any social interaction.

The Socialite counts the following skills as career skills: Charm, Cool, Deception, Negotiation, Perception, Sage, Streetwise, and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, a Socialite may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Soldier

Martial history and tradition is well established on Magnamund, and armed forces of varying sizes and effectiveness can be found in most nations. Some of these armies, such as the Army of Sommerlund, have been forged in the fires of war over many centuries. In the Lastlands of the North, conflict with the Darklands has given rise to proud and powerful companies, such as the Sommlending Knights and Ladies of the Realm, the Durenese Knights of the White Mountain, the War-thanes of Bor, and the Kai Lords who are, at their core, an elite martial order.

In Southern Magnamund, ancient battles fought against the forces of Agarash the Damned, and present day struggles against that foul creature’s evil descendants, the Agarashi, have given rise to Human and Drodarin armies capable of holding the line against the encroachments of Evil, such as the Sword Knights of Ilion, the Imperial Guardsmen of Chai and the Paladin Knights of Siyen. Whilst most of these armies are aligned to their parent nations, others patrol far and wide, preserving a fragile peace through discipline and force of arms.

The Soldier counts the following skills as career skills: Athletics, Brawl, Melee (Light), Melee (Heavy), Perception, Ranged, Survival, and Vigilance. Before spending experience during character creation, a Soldier may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

Wanderer

There are some Heroes that defy classification. They may be mysterious travellers who have a knack for arriving where they are needed most, and yet they rarely know why. They may be enigmatic warriors or wizards with an impressive list of skills, and no memory at all of who they are or how they acquired and perfected their abilities. They might also be outlaws on the run for a crime they have no recollection of, anxious to find some respite from the pressures of the chase before they are thrust once more into the arms of their misadventure.

Regardless of who they really are and what they know about themselves, Wanderers are each a unique and enigmatic Hero. They do not fit conveniently into any given category and thus they are a type of Hero that stands apart from all the rest. While their undefined nature can be a benefit, it can also be a curse. Few people trust them and even fewer understandtheir true nature and purpose.

Each Wanderer is unique. Choose any 8 skills, counting them as career skills. You may only choose one magical skill and no more than 3 Combat skills, however. Before spending experience during character creation, a Wanderer may choose four of their career skills and gain one rank in each of them.

PART 1 | Roles

Border Ranger of the North

Northern Magnamund is a vast continent riven by turmoil and conflict. The close proximity of the Darklords of Helgedad has every northern nation on alert, expecting war, even after centuries of calm. Yet without that most undeniable of menaces, the corruption and ambition of men still remains, turning the peace among kingdoms into an uneasy and fragile truce. With the notable exceptions of Sommerlund and Durenor or Palmyrion and Talestria there is no real trust between the northern peoples. Small-scale battles and conflicts, as well as petty crime and internal struggles, are all-too frequent occurrences in these disparate lands.

There are large expanses of untamed territory within the northern lands that shelter a seemingly endless stream of wild creatures, bandits, renegades and other perils, which are a perennial plague upon the travellers and border settlers of the northern kingdoms. In such circumstances, it is no surprise that there is a ready need for brave and trustworthy Border Rangers who are willing and able to keep the peace.

Border Rangers are valiant soldiers originally from the kingdom of Sommerlund, where they formed a cassel of the King’s Armies that police the forests and borders of the realm. They are specially trained for the protection of their people against encroachments by the denizens of less-civilised lands. They are both disciplined combatants and skilled woodsmen, accustomed to spending long months surviving alone in wilderness outposts far from the shelter of the lands they are sworn to protect. It is through their steadfastness, skill and efficiency that Border Rangers have a special place in any northern Freeland’s militia, and in the hearts of borderland residents who owe their lives and safety to the valiant efforts of these brave men and women.

In MS 5000, almost all of the civilised kingdoms of Magnamund employ Border Rangers as a special frontier guard force. They are usually courageous peasants and farmers who have enlisted to serve their country. They are organised mostly into small troops, not well suited for large-scale battles but instead dispatched on missions requiring stealth, reconnaissance and vigilance. It is common for a border outpost to be manned by no more than a single experienced Border Ranger, whose courage and skill are more than a match for most raiders.

Border Ranger of the North

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 3 2 2 2 1

Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Career skills: Melee (Light), Perception, Resilience, Ranged, Riding, Stealth, Survival and Vigilance.

Starting skills: A Border Ranger starts with one rank in Survival and one rank in four of their career skills during character creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points, and they may not increase any skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Warden's Wisdom: Once per session as an out-of-turn incidental, you may spend a Story Point to add a Triumph result when making a skill check involving Riding, Survival or Stealth, or when using a Border Ranger Talent.

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	3	2	2	2	1

PART 1 | Roles

Brother of the Crystal Star

The Magician’s Guild in Toran is the most prominent place where the arcane science of Left-handed magic is studied in its codified form. These spells and ancient formulae are humanity’s attempt to impose order on the chaos of true magic; the primal energy that creates and sustains all of reality. While this is at times a losing battle and can result in eruptions of cataclysmic power, the magicians of the various guilds have discovered a number of special power-words that capture reproducible magical effects. These are called spells and they form the basis of their power.

Because. that transcends fealty to city, nation, kingdom and liege. A leading light in this fraternity of magicians is the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, named after its twin beliefs that spells are a form a crystallised magic and that all true power comes from planes of existence beyond the world of Magnamund, i.e. from the stars. Since its creation, all Brothers wear Crystal

Star Pendants that are fashioned in the shape of a star with many points. The Brotherhood of the Crystal Star is open to all Sommlending who possess the ability and desire to master the art of Left-handed magic and use it to goodly purpose.

Most members of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star are erudite scholars who come from noble families. This gives the Magician’s Guild of Toran a great deal of temporal power to complement their mystical strengths.

Most other kingdoms appoint senior members of their magician’s guilds to positions in their high courts, most typically as advisors or viziers. This works well enough to diffuse the undeniable tension that exists between powerful practitioners of magic and the ruling classes, but some prophets and diviners foresee a dark and terrible day when spellcasters and kings will clash for control of all Magnamund.mpt to impose ordeer on the chaos of true magic; the primal energy that creates and sustains all of reality. While this is at times a losing battle and can result in eruptions of cataclysmic power, the magicians of the various guilds have discovered a number of special power-words that capture reproducible magical effects. These are called spells and they form the basis of their power.

Because all of the guilds stem from the same set of core beliefs, they form a union of like-minded scholars that transcends fealty to city, nation, kingdom and liege. A leading light in this fraternity of magicians is the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, named after its twin beliefs that spells are a form a crystallised magic and that all true power comes from planes of existence beyond the world of Magnamund, i.e. from the stars. Since its creation, all Brothers wear Crystal

Brother of the Crystal Star

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 1 3 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 8+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 12+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Career skills: Alchemy, Arcana, Discipline, Negotiation, Occult, Perception, Sage and Vigilance

Starting skills: A Brother of the Crystal Star starts with one rank in Arcana and one rank in four of their career skills during character creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points, and they may not increase any skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Force of Will: Once per session as an out-of-turn incidental, you may spend a Story Point to make a Hard (3 Challenge dice) Discipline check. If you succeed, you regain 1 point of Strain for each success.

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	1	3	2	2	2

PART 1 | Roles

Dwarven Gunner of Bor

The most common Dwarves of Bor encountered beyond the borders of their home nation are Gunners. These sturdy soldiers have a long tradition of mercenary work and often they venture far from their homeland, for decades at a time, to sharpen their skills and develop contacts in the outside world. This habit is invaluable for both Gunner and nation, since any knowledge or contact that is acquired becomes an asset to Bor when they return to serve a term in their homeland’s standing military. The skills of a Dwarven Gunner of Bor, with all the firepower they bring with them, certainly makes them an attractive prospect for recruitment into any battle unit or adventuring party.

Since interacting with these hardy and stubborn folk, other armies across Magnamund have begun to adopt the fearsome boompowder weaponry developed by the ingenious Borian Dwarves, the infamous Bor Muskets and Bor Pistols.

Because years of mercenary work and travelling are a tradition for the Drodarin, Dwarven Gunners of Bor are always willing to go on adventures. These diverse journeys give them a chance to practice their shooting skills and improve their abilities in many different ways, making them a learning experience worth as much, if not more, than the loot such escapades typically yield. Since Dwarven Gunners of Bor share their people’s somewhat notorious vice of avarice, adventuring is a doubly attractive way to spend their time.

Dwarven Gunner of Bor

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

3 1 2 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 11+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 90 XP

Career skills: Alchemy, Athletics, Discipline, Gunnery, Mechanics, Melee (Light), Resilience, and Vigilance

Starting skills: A Dwarven Gunner of Bor starts with one rank in Resilience and one rank in four of their career skills during character creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points, and they may not increase any skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Dark Vision: When making skill checks, dwarves remove up to 2 Setback dice imposed due to darkness.

Tough as Nails: Once per session, a dwarf character may spend a Story Point as an out-of-turn incidental immediately after suffering a Critical Injury and determining the result. If they do so, they count the result rolled as “01.”

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
3	1	2	2	2	2

PART 1 | Roles

Herbwarden of Bautar

The Herbwardens of Bautar – or the Herbalish Druids, as they are also known – were once a tribe of holistic warriors and shamans, whose nature-wise ways attracted the attention of the Elder Magi during the Age of War. Bautarian sages were therefore the first humans to harness Magnamund’s primal magic. During the Age of Awakening, when mortals learned how to wield magical energies with no help from the Gods, they were in turn greatly assisted in their development by the Bautarian Herbwardens.

Fully conscious and worthy of their duty as guardians of nature and magic, Bautarians founded the Herbalish order to nurture and care for the land. They left an indelible mark upon history when they saved Magnamund from devastation at the hands of the Cener Druids and their Great Plague. To this day, Herbwardens remain the oldest and wisest order of human spellcasters, even though their magic differs greatly to that wielded by Brotherhood of the Crystal Star or the Magicians of Dessi.

In MS 5000, Herbwardens are the descendants of the ancient order of Bautarian sages. They are druids, or nature priests, whose abilities and secret knowledge have helped to transform their land into a lush and natural paradise. Although the Herbwardens’ speciality is healing magic, nature’s primal power is vast and manifests in many other ways. Besides the healing arts, the first Herbwardens had some training in combat, which they used during their ‘Green Purge’ against the vile corruption of the Cener Druids. Present-day Herbalish have inherited some of these limited martial skills, although rarely do they have the need to use them in the present age.

As a complement to their druidic activities, Herbwardens often explore lush Bautar to gain a higher awareness of its infinite variety, while patrolling and protecting it alongside their brethren and compatriots, the Bautarian Border Rangers. All of Bautar’s great gardens and natural sanctuaries fall under Herbwarden supervision, thus the Herbalish become guardians of their land in every aspect, making them the most respected and admired individuals among their fortunate people.

High-level Herbwardens often function as advisors to Bautarian nobles and leaders, for they are the stewards of their realm’s moral compass as well as the engines of its soul.

Herbwarden of Bautar

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

1 2 3 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 8+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 12+Willpower

Starting Experience: 100 XP

Career skills: Discipline, Medicine, Perception, Occult, Primal, Sage, Survival and Vigilance.

Starting skills: A Herbwarden of Bautar starts with one rank in Survival during character creationone rank in four of their career skills during character creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points, and they may not increase any skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Verdant Soul: Once per session, your character may spend a Story Points and make a Simple Discipline check. Every enemy within Long range suffers Wounds equal to the number of successes generated. Every ally within close range of you removes the same amount of Strain.

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	2	3	2	2	2

PART 1 | Roles

Kai Lord

Kai Lords are brave and exceptional warriors engaged in a monastic tradition that has long been established in Sommerlund. Although the majority of Kai Lords are recruited from noble Sommlending families, there are some who originate from other places in the free lands of the north. And a few dozen of the specially gifted children who join the Monastery each year hail from ordinary or ‘commoner families’. Lone Wolf himself is destined to come to the Monastery from a commoner family; there is no shame attached to this whatsoever. With the passing of centuries the God Kai’s special gifts, which were originally bestowed upon one-in-ten of the 5000 original Sommer Islanders who founded Sommerlund, including the royal lineage and the most illustrious warrior families, have manifested themselves in children who are no longer of direct noble Sommlending descent.

All of the noble families of Sommerlund sponsor their offspring every year to secure them entry to the Monastery of the Kai. It is a great honour to be accepted and trained by the Kai Masters. Though the training and meditations are long and hard, when a Kai Lord has completed them and is ready to leave the Monastery, they will be willing and able to confront and confound Sommerlund’s enemies by his force of arms and through the use of his Kai disciplines. Kai Lords are trained to master the innate powers that lie dormant within them. Not every Sommlending or other humans in the world of Magnamund has the potential to become a Kai Lord.

Only during the course of their arduous training at the Monastery is the full potential of their innate powers unlocked and brought to fruition. Kai Lords who have trained hard and released their potential can often perform exceptional feats of body and mind. They are equally at home in the cities of Magnamund as they are in its untamed regions, exposed to the elements and surrounded by wild and hostile creatures. A Kai Lord can survive in many places where lesser mortals would surely perish.

Kai Lord

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

2 2 2 2 2 2

Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 110 XP

Career skills: Discipline, Medicine, Melee (Light), Occult, Sage, Stealth, Survival and Vigilance

Starting skills: Kai Lords begin with one rank in Discipline and one rank in four of their career skills during character creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points, and they may not increase any skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Kai's Favour: Once per session as an out-of-turn incidental, you may spend one Story Point to re-roll a skill check.

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	2	2	2	2	2

PART 1 | Roles

Noodnic Scavenger

Durenor, the land of great forests, great plains and the great mountains of Hammerdal. Where the mighty Suukon once ruled in ages past, ringed by the mountains of the Hammerdal Range, the men of Durenor now live and toil beneath the lofty peaks. These same mountains, where the great tunnels of Tarnalin, Calencut and Weidon excavated through solid rock to connect the capital of Hammerdal with the plains and forests of the south, now boast a constant stream of travellers – soldiers and merchants, caravans and troubadours – that walk through the vast bulk of the mountain to travel to and from the capital, yet they are not the owners of these mountains. In times long past, before the ships of the Ulnarians arrived to fill the void left by the Suukon, another race had claimed the Hammerdal mountains for its own; a mischievous race that would, with time, become known as the Noodnics

The Noodnics have proved themselves to be an exception to the truism that creatures born of the evil of Naar are forever enslaved to evil and can aspire to nothing else. These creatures were first created millennia ago to serve Agarash the Damned. They infested many regions of Magnamund and were aggressive pack hunters. During the Age of Awakening (1600 MS – 0 MS) their numbers greatly reduced and they became isolated in small areas. One of these areas was the eastern Hammerdal Mountains, and it was here that Noodnics evolved from their ancient Agarashi forms into the race they are today.

The reason for their evolution was the presence of the Fount of Ishir close to their burrows in the mountains. This famous pool gives off a very fine mist that permeates mountains and forest for miles around. Although the blessed water of the fount was poison to the Agarashi Noodnics, over many centuries they absorbed fine mist particles through their skin and it slowly transformed them. They changed from being large, voracious murines into smaller, leaner, more intelligent tribal creatures perfectly adapted to living in their tunnel environment. Their lust for blood and chaos was gone. Now, all they lust for are extravagantly loud clothes and a hoard of shiny things.

Noodnics can be found inhabiting a matrix of tunnels and caverns in the Hammerdal Range. These have been excavated, slowly and methodically, for several millennia. From this hidden network, they can access the three large tunnels excavated by the Durenese. Every Noodnic has a deep desire to pilfer and hoard and few of their number can suppress this basic instinct. The traffic passing through these tunnels gives the Noodnics ample opportunity to ‘scavenge’ their cargoes. They are exceptionally agile when stealing from the wagons and few of their victims ever see the creatures at work; the loss often undiscovered until they check their cargo upon arrival at their destination.

Noodnic Scavenger

Brawn Agility Intellect Cunning Willpower Presence

1 3 1 3 2 2

Wound Threshold: 6+Brawn

Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower

Starting Experience: 90 XP

Career skills: Athletics, Coordination, Mechanics, Perception, Skulduggery, Stealth, Survival, and Streetwise

Starting skills: Noodnic Scavenegers begin with one rank in Skulduggery and Stealth and one rank in four of their career skills during character creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points, and they may not increase any skill above rank 2 during character creation.

Nimble: Noodnic Scavengers have a melee and ranged defense of 1.

The First Law: A Noodnic Scavenger character may spend a Story Point as an out-of-turn incidental to immediately ignore 1 Wound for every point of Strain they choose to suffer.

Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
1	3	1	3	2	2

PART 2 | SKILLS

Skills

General Skills

Alchemy (Int)

Athletics (Br)

Cool (Pr)

Coordination (Pr)

Crafting (Int)

Discipline (Will)

Mechanics (Int)

Medicine (Int)

Perception (Cun)

Operating (Int)

Resilience (Br)

Riding (Ag)

Sailing (Int)

Skulduggery (Cun)

Stealth (Ag)

Streetwise (Cun)

Survival (Cun)

Vigilance (Will)

Magic Skills

Arcana (Int)

Divine (Will)

Primal (Cun)

Combat Skills

Brawl (Br)

Gunnery (Ag)

Melee (Heavy) (Br)

Melee (Light) (Br)

Ranged (Ag)

Charm (Pr)

Coercion (Will)

Deception (Cun)

Leadership (Pr)

Negotiation (Pr)

Knowledge Skills

Occult (Int)

Sage (Int)

General Skills

Crafting (Intellect)

Craftsmen are the makers and shapers of the world. Painters and sculptors use the Crafting skill, as do carpenters and blacksmiths. While most craftsmen are focused on one or two fields of creation, others take a general approach and dabble in several fields. Use this skill when you want to construct something of lasting worth and value.

Sailing (Intellect)

Use this skill to crew sailing vessels. The skill includes familiarity with the ship-borne operations, knowledge of different types of sails, procedures for inclement weather, and the like. Sailing under normal conditions does not require a skill check. However, tests may be called for when there is bad weather, dangerous obstacles, or rough waters to contend with.

Knowledge Skills

Occult (Intellect)

Knowledge of the supernatural can be a powerful thing, especially when confronted with that world on a daily basis. Use this skill when you need to identify a monster, determine the intention of a strange chant you hear or divine the functions of a magical device you have just discovered.

Special: The Occult skill does not grant you the ability to wield magic or provide you with any usable spells. It is the mundane knowledge behind the arcane gift, the ‘book learning’ of the magical world.

Sage (Intellect)

Knowledge is power and few wield it more ably than the sages of Magnamund’s great cities. While you may not hold a sage’s rank, you are just as skilled in one or more topics. Use this skill to remember an important fact, research a topic in a library or write a letter in a practiced, scholarly hand.

PART 2 | TALENTS

Talents

Tier 1 Talents

Bought Info, Clever Retort, Desperate Recovery, Duelist, Durable, Forager, Grit, Hamstring Shot, Jump Up, Knack for It, Know Somebody, Let's Ride, One with Nature, Parry, Proper Upbringing, Quick Draw, Quick Strike, Rapid Reaction, Second Wind, Swift, Surgeon, Toughened, Unremarkable

Tier 2 Talents

Beserk, Coordinated Strike, Counteroffer, Defensive Stance, Dual Wielder, Heightened Awareness, Inspiring Rhetoric, Inventor, Lucky Strike, Scathing Tirade, Side Step

Tier 3 Talents

Animal Companion, Dodge, Eagle Eyes, Field Commander, Healing Potion Specialization (Painkiller Specialization), Inspiring Rhetoric (Improved), Scathing Tirade (Improved), Heroic Will, Natural, Rapid Archery, Parry (Improved)

Tier 4 Talents

Can We Talk About This?, Enduring, Deadeye, Defensive, Field Commander (Improved), How Convenient!, Inspired Rhetoric (Supreme), Scathing Tirade (Supreme)

Tier 5 Talents

You must have the Camouflage (Improved) talent in order to take this talent.

You may add 3 Boost dice to all checks when using your Camouflage talent. Normally you cannot make stealth checks whilst being observed. A character with this talent can take 2 points of strain to make a Hard (3) stealth check in order to hide plain sight, even if there is little to no cover available. This ability is part distraction, part physical skill and part psychic invisibility.