NOTA:
2. ALCANCE
ARMOUR CLASS (AC): A numeric value representing the capacity to absorb, avoid, divert, and withstand damage. Every armour type has an AC rating; a normal unarmoured man is AC 9. Dexterity, shields, sorcery, and other factors can modify this figure. Bonuses reduce (improve) the AC figure, whilst penalties increase (worsen) it; i.e., a lower AC is more desirable.
Armour class may vary according to circumstances. For example, one may have an AC versus melee attacks, an AC versus missile attacks, an AC when fighting sans shield, and an AC when completely unarmoured. It is incumbent on the player to keep track of his character’s current AC. For instance, if the character sheds his plate mail during a sea expedition, he should adjust his AC accordingly. If he is in the habit of sometimes using his shield and sometimes not (perhaps depending on circumstances), he should be able to provide his current AC to the referee upon request.
FIGHTING ABILITY (FA): A numeric value representing the character’s basic combative skill as compared with the fighter class. For the fighter and its subclasses, FA advances at every level gain; other classes improve at a lesser rate. Each character class has an initial FA of either 0 or 1; this is noted at the respective class entry.
Table I�34�: Initial Combat Matrix
FA Armour Class (AC)
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 −1 −2 −3 −4 −5 −6 −7 −8 −9
0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
1 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 The initial combat matrix charts the modified “to hit” chance for all 1st-level characters. The player should make a d20 attack roll, apply modifiers, and inform the referee of the AC struck. For the complete combat matrix, refer to table III�16�
TURNING ABILITY (TA): A numeric value representing the character’s capacity to turn undead (see VOL� III, COMBAT ACTIONS, turn undead) as compared with the cleric class. Whereas a cleric’s TA is always equal to his level of experience, development of this ability is retarded in certain subclasses.
CASTING ABILITY (CA): A numeric value representing the efficacy of the character’s sorcery. Whereas a magician’s or cleric’s CA is always equal to his level of experience, development of this ability is retarded in certain subclasses.
HIT DICE (HD): A die type (d4, d6, d8, d10, or d12) associated with the character’s class. Hit dice are used to generate hit points at character creation and at each level up to 9th. Some referees may allow for maximum hit points at 1st level (to improve survivability); others still might allow for rerolls on results of 1 for non-fighters and on results of 1 or 2 for fighter-types. Always consult your referee when in doubt. Constitution can impact hit point gains for each hit die rolled (see ATTRIBUTES, constitution). N.B.: Hit die type also affects the healing of wounds (see VOL� III, DAMAGE, healing).
Hit Points (hp): An evaluation of the ability to withstand and minimize physical damage through a combination of experience, fitness, physicality, skill, and no small amount of luck. To simply associate hit points with “health”
is a misconception. Hit points are rolled at character creation and at each level gain up to the 9th level. At 10th level and beyond, a static hit point figure is added to the character’s total, this amount indicated at each class entry; e.g., fighters gain 3 hp per level, magicians gain 1 hp. It is incumbent on the player to keep careful track of his character’s hit points. Using a pencil, he should jot down a temporary or “current” hit point total that reflects any loss or gain.
MOVEMENT (MV): The number of feet per round (10 seconds) a character can move. If running or charging, twice this distance is covered (see VOL� III, COMBAT ACTIONS, movement). Movement in a dungeon or in the wilderness is measured by the turn (10 minutes) and follows a different schedule (see VOL� III, MOVEMENT).
SAVING THROW (SV): The chance to avoid, resist, or reduce harmful effects, both magical and mundane.
Ability, divine favour, experience, fate, luck, and sorcery can all factor in the saving throw attempt. Each character class has SV modifiers; these are noted at the respective class entries. Also, dexterity, constitution, and wisdom scores can impact saving throws (see ATTRIBUTES, dexterity, constitution, and wisdom). For more information on the function and use of the saving throw, refer to VOL� III, SAVING THROW.
Table I�35�: Saving Throw
Character Level 1–2 3–4 5–6 7–8 9–10 11–12
Saving Throw (SV) 16 15 14 13 12 11
BACKGROUND
Of course, every player character must have a name, perhaps inspired by historical or fictional resources.
Some players may invent names from whole cloth, whilst others might create anagrams of their own names.
Depending on the style and preference of play, further information may be developed, including character background and personality. Such might entail the character’s place of origin, general outlook, and behaviour.
Place of origin need not be specific; one might simply say “a small farming village”, or “a busy port city”, and so on. Ideally, your character’s personality is governed by his charisma score, character class, alignment, background, and secondary skills (q.v.).
SECONDARY SKILLS: Professional or trade skills typically developed from childhood to adolescence. They may have little overlap with the character’s class, oft attributed to environment, upbringing, socio-œconomic status, and culture; e.g., the son of a potter likely is learned in the same craft, unless his father sent him to apprentice with his uncle, the saddler. So, a cleric may once have been a brewer of fine spirits, a thief may have been a baker, a fighter may have served as a butcher’s apprentice, and a magician may have experience as a cobbler.
Roll a d6 (for the column), followed by a d20 (for the row), to randomly determine a secondary skill—or, with referee approval, simply select one. This list is hardly representative of all professions possible, but is suitable for game purposes. Specifics regarding a trade or profession may be developed: A miner might be a coal miner, copper miner, lead miner, or salt miner; an animal trainer might be a dog trainer, horse trainer, or mammoth trainer. Furthermore, if a result such as “limner / painter / sculptor” is generated, one might simply opt to have some background in sculpting, not necessarily all three art forms.
Table I�36�: Secondary Skills
Roll d6 Roll = 1–2d20 d6 Roll = 3–4 d6 Roll = 5–6
1 animal trainer farmer merchant / monger
2 armourer fisherman / whaler miller
3 atilliator fuller miner
4 baker / cook furrier / skinner minstrel / musician
5 barber / dentist gardener mortician
6 bar- / innkeeper gemcutter / jeweller navigator
7 black- / metalsmith grocer potter
8 boat- / shipwright gaffer / glassblower / glazier riverman / waterman
9 bookbinder guard / watchman roofer / thatcher
10 bowyer / fletcher jailer / turnkey roper
11 brewer / vintner herdsman / pack handler sailor / seaman 12 butcher / salter hunter / trapper scribe / scrivener
13 carpenter labourer / yardman soldier / mercenary
14 cart- / wainwright leatherworker / saddler / tanner stabler
15 chandler limner / painter / sculptor sword- / weaponsmith 16 charcoaler / peatman linkboy / messenger tailor / weaver
17 clothier / dyer locksmith teamster
18 cobbler / shoemaker logger / woodcutter tinker
19 cooper longshoreman / stevedore wheelwright
20 engineer mason / slater wire drawer
LANGUAGE: Every character begins play with knowledge of the “Common” tongue and possibly a native language if of a specific racial derivation. Bonus languages due to high intelligence (see ATTRIBUTES, intelligence) are possible, and additional languages may be learnt through campaign play; e.g., a Kimmerian who spends three years in an Ixian prison is likely to pick up the Thracian (Ixian) tongue.
When selecting a language, a specific dialect must be chosen. One cannot simply select Hellenic; one must specify a Hellenic dialect, such as Hellenic (Amazon). Of course, all the dialects of a language group will have commonalities, but the written forms may exhibit significant differences. Note that Old Norse is an exception, as it has but a single form.
Table I�37�: Language
Language (Dialect) Typical Speakers
Common Any
Esquimaux (Coastal dialect) Esquimaux (Coastal) Esquimaux (Tundra dialect) Esquimaux (Tundra) Hellenic (Amazon dialect) Amazons
Hellenic (Atlantean dialect) Atlanteans Hellenic (Hyperborean dialect) Hyperboreans
Hellenic (Kimmerian dialect) Kimmerians (Plainsmen), Kimmeri-Kelts*
Keltic (Goidelic dialect) Kelts, Kimmeri-Kelts*
Keltic (Pictish dialect) Picts
Old Norse Vikings
Thracian (Ixian dialect) Ixians
Thracian (Kimmerian dialect) Kimmerians (Subterranean)
* Typical Kimmeri-Kelts will speak either the Hellenic (Kimmerian) or Keltic (Goidelic) tongue, depending on tribe and ancestry. Some may speak both tongues, effectively knowing three languages (including Common) at the start of play.
Language Descriptions:
Common: The common tongue of men spoken in nearly all corners of the realm.
Esquimaux (Coastal dialect): The Esquimaux dialect spoken by the Esquimaux of the Esquimaux Bay region.
Esquimaux (Tundra dialect): The Esquimaux dialect spoken by the Esquimaux of the Plain of Leng.
Hellenic (Amazon dialect): A Hellenic dialect spoken by the Amazons of New Amazonia and the Floating Island of Paradoxia.
Hellenic (Atlantean dialect): A dying Hellenic dialect spoken by the Atlanteans of Atlantica and other scattered Atlanteans.
Hellenic (Hyperborean dialect): A dying Hellenic dialect spoken by the scattered remnants of the Hyperborean race.
Hellenic (Kimmerian dialect): The Hellenic dialect spoken by the Kimmerians of the Kimmerian Steppes and also the Kimmeri-Kelts of the Fields of Vol.
Keltic (Goidelic dialect): The Keltic dialect spoken by the Kelts of the Gal Hills and the Kimmeri-Kelts of the Fields of Vol.
Keltic (Pictish dialect): Keltic dialect spoken by the Picts of New Pictland and the half-blood Picts of the Savage Boreal Coast.
Old Norse: The language spoken by the Vikings of Vikland and New Vinland.
Thracian (Ixian dialect): Thracian dialect spoken by the Ixians of Scythium.
Thracian (Kimmerian dialect): Thracian dialect spoken by the Kimmerians of the underground city of Krimmea.