100 HYPERBOREA SCROLL USE Decipher and invoke both thaumaturgical and ecclesiastical scroll spells as long they are included in the Illusionist- and Druid Spell Lists (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, Tables 95 and 100). SCROLL WRITING To scribe a known spell onto a scroll, creating a single-use magical device at a cost of 500 gp + 100 gp per spell level. Materials may include the finest vellum, paper, or papyrus; a fresh quill; and sorcerer’s ink, such as sepia. This involved process requires one week per spell level. SORCERY Bards memorize and cast spells by channeling animistic and elemental spirits and by studying arcane tomes. The number and levels of spells cast per day are charted above (see Table 58), though bards of high intelligence and/or wisdom gain bonus spells cast per day (see Chapter 3: Statistics, intelligence and wisdom). For example, a 4th-level bard with 13 intelligence and 10 wisdom can cast two level 1 druid spells, one level 2 druid spell, one level 1 illusionist spell, and one level 2 illusionist spell per day. The bard’s druid spells are developed through the recital of sorcerous songs or kennings, or by the piping of a flute or like instrument. These spells are drawn from the Druid Spell List (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, Table 100). The bard also begins with a spell book. At 2nd level, the bard develops a level 1 spell drawn from the Illusionist Spell List (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, Table 95). Through mystical connexions (druid) and arcane studies (illusionist), the bard develops one or more new spells at each level gain. The schedule is as follows: 1st level: ×1 druid spell 2nd level: ×1 illusionist spell 3rd level: ×1 druid spell 4th level: ×1 illusionist spell 5th level: ×1 druid spell 6th level: ×1 illusionist spell 7th level: ×1 druid spell 8th level: ×1 illusionist spell 9th–12th levels: ×1 druid spell; ×1 illusionist spell These spells are learnt automatically, with no need of qualification rolls, but they must be of castable levels (see Table 58 above). Additional spells may be learnt outside of level training, but the process is more arduous (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, acquiring new spells). ENLIST HENCHMEN At 6th level, a bard may seek or be sought out by one or more henchmen, classed individuals (typically of similar class, race, and/or culture) who become loyal followers. For more information, see Chapter 8: Adventure, hirelings and henchmen. LORDSHIP At 9th level, a bard who builds or assumes control of a college becomes a lord and is eligible to attract a band of bards. More information is presented in Appendix B. PROGRESSIVE THIEF ABILITIES Bards also practice thievish skills. The following abilities improve as the bard advances in levels of experience, comparable to the thief (see Table 16): DECIPHER SCRIPT To translate texts otherwise not understood. Maps can be interpreted, instructions decoded, and so forth. Ancient or alien languages, however, may remain unintelligible, lacking any basis for comparison. DISCERN NOISE To hearken at a door and detect the faintest of noises on the other side, perceive the distant footfalls of a wandering monster, or distinguish a single voice in a crowd. Six rounds (one minute) of concentrated listening are required. HIDE To vanish into shadows, camouflage oneself, or flatten one’s body to a seemingly impossible degree—all whilst remaining still as a statue. Only the slightest movement is permissible (e.g., unsheathing a blade, opening a pouch). Hiding is impossible in direct sunlight, or if the bard is observed. MOVE SILENTLY To move with preternatural quiet, even across squeaky floorboards, dry leaves, loose debris, and the like. This skill is executed at half the bard’s normal movement rate. BARD’S STARTING PACK To expedite the character creation process, your bard may begin with the following gear in lieu of rolling for starting gold and shopping for gear. Regardless, refer to Chapter 6: Equipment for more information on armour, weapons, and gear. Studded armour, short bow, arrows ×12, daggers ×2, footman’s mace, arrow quiver, backpack, bandages, chalk (piece), flute, ink and quill, parchment ×3, soft leather pouch, iron rations (1 week), hemp rope (50-ft.), large sack, tinderbox, torches ×2, wineskin (full), spell book, and 1d4+1 gold pieces.
101 Volume I: Player’s Manual BARD’S INITIAL COMBAT MATRIX This chart shews the modified chance “to hit” for all 1st-level bards. Fighting ability (FA) improves at staggered levels (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th levels), so at 3rd level a bard needs a modified 18 roll to hit AC 0, and so forth. Table 59: Bard’s Initial Combat Matrix (FA 1) Opponent’s Armour Class (AC) d20 Result 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 −1 −2 −3 −4 −5 −6 −7 −8 −9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 4
102 HYPERBOREA LEGERDEMAINIST (Thief Subclass) The legerdemainist is a master of skulduggery, a specialist who practices the skills of a thief and the thaumaturgical sorcery of a magician. A legerdemainist might serve a powerful magician as both apprentice and appropriator of rare artefacts; or perhaps function as the resident sorcerer of a thieves’ guild; or maybe is a thief who secretly doubles as the apt pupil of a notorious hedge wizard. Legerdemainists who practice an illusionist’s sorcery are called mountebanks; those who practice a pyromancer’s sorcery are called fire thieves; and those who practice a cryomancer’s sorcery are called ice thieves. Regardless of their sorcerous education, legerdemainists are notorious for combining thievish and sorcerous skills to rob or swindle the ignorant and foolhardy. There is little doubt that the sorcery, martial skills, and specialist skills of legerdemainists make them amongst the most versatile seekers in all of Hyperborea. Attribute Requirements: Dexterity 12, Intelligence 12 (and wisdom 12 for fire thieves and ice thieves) Prime Attributes: Dexterity, Intelligence (10% XP bonus if both 16+) Hit Die Type: d6 Alignment: CG, N, LE, CE (fire thieves: CG, N, CE) (ice thieves: N, LE) Armour Allowed: Light Shields Allowed: Small Favoured Weapons: Axe (hand), bow (short), club (light), crossbow (light), dagger, dart, falcata, flail (horseman’s), hammer (horseman’s), mace (horseman’s), pick (horseman’s), scimitar (short), sling, sword (short, broad, long), trident (hand) Saving Throw Modifiers: Avoidance +2, Sorcery +2 Starting Money: 3d6×10 gp Legerdemainist (Common)
103 Volume I: Player’s Manual Table 60: Legerdemainist Level Experience Points Hit Dice Saving Throw Fighting Ability Casting AbilitySpells Cast Per Day L1 L2 L3 1 0 1d6 16 1 1 1 — — 2 2,750 2d6 16 1 2 1 — — 3 5,500 3d6 15 2 3 1 1 — 4 11,000 4d6 15 3 4 1 1 — 5 22,000 5d6 14 3 5 1 1 1 6 44,000 6d6 14 4 6 1 1 1 7 88,000 7d6 13 5 7 2 1 1 8 176,000 8d6 13 5 8 2 2 1 9 352,000 9d6 12 6 9 2 2 2 10 528,000 9d6+2 12 7 10 3 2 2 11 704,000 9d6+4 11 7 11 3 3 2 12 880,000+ 9d6+6 11 8 12 3 3 3 CLASS ABILITIES AGILE +1 AC bonus when unarmoured and unencumbered (small shield allowed). BACKSTAB A backstab attempt with a class 1 or 2 melee weapon. The target must be unaware of attack, which may be the result of hiding or moving silently. Also, the target must have vital organs (e.g., skeleton, zombie exempt) and a discernible “back” (e.g., green slime, purple worm exempt). If the requirements are met, the following benefits are derived: The attack roll is made at +4 “to hit.” Additional weapon damage dice are rolled according to the legerderdemainist’s level of experience: 1st to 4th levels = ×2 5th to 8th levels = ×3 9th to 12th levels = ×4 Other damage modifiers (strength, sorcery, etc.) are added afterwards (e.g., a 5th-level legerdemainist with 13 strength and a +1 short sword rolls 3d6+2). DETECT SECRET DOORS Find a secret door on a base 3-in-6 chance. EXTRAORDINARY +8% chance to perform extraordinary feats of dexterity (see Chapter 3: Statistics, dexterity). MAGIC ITEM USE Can utilize magic items normally restricted to magicians. READ MAGIC The ability to decipher unintelligible magical inscriptions or symbols placed on weapons, armour, items, doors, walls, and other media by means of the sorcerer mark spell or other like methods. SCROLL USE To decipher and invoke scroll scrolls with spells that are included in the legerdemainist’s chosen school of sorcery: magician, cryomancer, illusionist, or pyromancer (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, Table 93, 94, 95, or 97), unless the scroll was created by an ecclesiastical sorcerer (one who casts cleric or druid spells). SCROLL WRITING To scribe a known spell onto a scroll, creating a single-use magical device at a cost of 500 gp + 100 gp per spell level. Materials may include the finest vellum, paper, or papyrus; a fresh quill; and sorcerer’s ink, such as sepia. This involved process requires one week per spell level. SORCERY Legerdemainists cast spells that they memorize from arcane tomes. At character creation, the player must select which school of magic his or her legerdemainst practices: that of the magician, cryomancer, illusionist, or pyromancer. This decision is irrevocable. The number and levels of spells cast per day are charted above (see Table 60), though legerdemainists of high intelligence gain bonus spells cast per day (see Chapter 3: Statistics, intelligence). For example, a 4th-level legerdemainist with 13 intelligence can cast two level 1 spells and one level 2 spell per day. A legerdemainist begins with a spell book that contains one level 1 spell selected from the Magician-, Cryomancer-, Illusionist-, or Pyromancer Spell List (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, Table 93, 94, 95, or 97), depending on which school of sorcery was selected at character creation. Through personal research, the legerdemainist develops one new spell at each level gain; each is learnt automatically, with no need of a qualification roll, but it must be of a castable level (see Table 60 above). Initial no. of spells known: ×1 No. of spells gained per level: ×1 Additional spells may be learnt outside of level training, but the process is more arduous (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, acquiring new spells). THIEVES’ CANT The secret language of thieves, a strange pidgin in which some words may be unintelligible to an ignorant listener, whereas others might be common yet of alter4
104 HYPERBOREA native meaning. This covert tongue is used in conjunction with specific body language, hand gestures, and facial expressions. Two major dialects of Thieves’ Cant are used in Hyperborea: one by city thieves, the other by pirates; commonalities exist betwixt the two. NEW WEAPON SKILL At 4th, 8th, and 12th levels, become skilled in a new weapon that is not included in the favoured weapons list (noted above). This new proficiency is dependent upon training and practice (see Chapter 9: Combat, weapon skill). ENLIST HENCHMEN At 6th level, a legerdemainist may seek or be sought out by one or more henchmen, classed individuals (typically of similar class, race, and/or culture) who become loyal followers. For more information, see Chapter 8: Adventure, hirelings and henchmen. LORDSHIP At 9th level, a legerdemainist who builds or assumes control of suitable headquarters becomes a lord and is eligible to attract a band of thieves. More information is presented in Appendix B. PROGRESSIVE THIEF ABILITIES Legerdemainists practice a full range of thievish skills. The following abilities improve as the legerdemainist advances in levels of experience, comparable to the thief (see Table 16): CLIMB To ascend or descend sheer cliffs or walls without need of climbing gear. If vertical, the surface must be rough or cracked. At least one check must be made per 100 feet of climbing. Failure indicates the climber has slipped and fallen at about the midpoint of the check. DECIPHER SCRIPT To translate texts otherwise not understood. Maps can be interpreted, instructions decoded, and so forth. Ancient or alien languages, however, may remain unintelligible, lacking any basis for comparison. DISCERN NOISE To hearken at a door and detect the faintest of noises on the other side, perceive the distant footfalls of a wandering monster, or distinguish a single voice in a crowd. Six rounds (one minute) of concentrated listening are required. HIDE To vanish into shadows, camouflage oneself, or flatten one’s body to a seemingly impossible degree—all whilst remaining still as a statue. Only the slightest movement is permissible (e.g., unsheathing a blade, opening a pouch). Hiding is impossible in direct sunlight, or if the legerdemainist is observed. MANIPULATE TRAPS To find, remove, and reset traps both magical and mundane. Separate checks must be made to accomplish each facet of this skill: find, remove, reset. Failure by more than two, or if a natural 12 is rolled, may cause the trap to detonate on the legerdemainist. Also, a new trap may be built if the mechanism is simple and the parts available; anything more complex requires the assistance of an engineer. Thieves’ tools are required when practicing this ability. MOVE SILENTLY To move with preternatural quiet, even across squeaky floorboards, dry leaves, loose debris, and the like. This skill is executed at half the legerdemainist’s normal movement rate. OPEN LOCKS To pick locks or disable latching mechanisms both magical and mundane. Thieves’ tools are required. Picking or dismantling a lock may be attempted but once; if the attempt fails, the legerdemainist cannot try again until he has gained a level of experience. Most locks require 1d4 minutes to pick; complex locks might necessitate 3d6 minutes. PICK POCKETS To filch items from a pocket, pouch, backpack, or garment using nimble fingers and distraction. Failure by a margin of 3 or greater indicates the attempt has been observed (though not necessarily by the victim). If the roll is successful, the referee must determine what has been procured. If a legerdemainist attempts to pick the pocket of a higher-level legerdemainist, thief, or purloiner, a penalty equal to the difference in levels must be applied to the check. This skill also covers the gamut of sleight-of-hand trickery a thief might employ to deceive onlookers. LEGERDEMAINIST’S STARTING PACK To expedite the character creation process, your legerdemainist may begin with the following gear in lieu of rolling for starting gold and shopping for gear. Regardless, refer to Chapter 6: Equipment for more information on armour, weapons, and gear. Studded armour, small shield, daggers ×2, falcata, sling, bullets ×20, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, ink and quill, parchment, soft leather pouch, iron rations (1 week), hemp rope (50-ft.), small sack, thieves’ tools, tinderbox, torches ×2, wineskin (full), spell book, and 1d4+1 gold pieces.
105 Volume I: Player’s Manual LEGERDEMAINIST’S INITIAL COMBAT MATRIX This chart shews the modified chance “to hit” for all 1st-level legerdemainists. Fighting ability (FA) improves at staggered levels (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th levels), so at 3rd level a legerdemainist needs a modified 18 roll to hit AC 0, and so forth. Table 61: Legerdemainist’s Initial Combat Matrix (FA 1) Opponent’s Armour Class (AC) d20 Result 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 −1 −2 −3 −4 −5 −6 −7 −8 −9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 4
106 HYPERBOREA PURLOINER (Thief Subclass) The purloiner is a hallowed thief dedicated to dæmons, deities, and otherworldly beings associated with greed, larceny, subterfuge, trickery, and wealth. The pur - loiner is a spiritually endowed brigand who masters the myriad skills of a thief whilst forging unspeakable pacts and bargains with deific powers. Whether serving a mystery cult in appro - priating (or misappropriating) funds and rare artefacts, or func - tioning as the spiritual mentor of an underworld thieves’ guild, or working as a rapacious freelance adventurer, the purloiner com - bines the remarkable expertise of a thief with the ecclesiastical powers of a cleric. In Hyper - borea, most such thieving clerics serve Rel, but some will venerate Raven or Xathoqqua in place of or in addition to the infamous “God of Thieves.” Attribute Requirements: Dexterity 12, Wisdom 12 Prime Attributes: Dexterity, Wisdom (10% XP bonus if both 16+) Hit Die Type: d6 Alignment: CG, N, LE, CE Armour Allowed: Light Shields Allowed: Small Favoured Weapons: Axe (hand), bow (short), club (light), crossbow (light), dagger, dart, falcata, flail (horseman’s), hammer (horseman’s), mace (horseman’s), morning star, pick (horseman’s), scimitar (short), sling, sword (short, broad, long), trident (hand) Saving Throw Modifiers: Avoidance +2, Sorcery +2 Starting Money: 3d6×10 gp Purloiner (Atlantean)
107 Volume I: Player’s Manual Table 62: Purloiner Level Experience Points Hit Dice Saving Throw Fighting Ability Turning Ability Casting Ability Spells Cast Per Day L1 L2 L3 1 0 1d6 16 1 — 1 1 — — 2 2,500 2d6 16 1 — 2 1 — — 3 5,000 3d6 15 2 1 3 1 1 — 4 10,000 4d6 15 3 2 4 1 1 — 5 20,000 5d6 14 3 3 5 1 1 1 6 40,000 6d6 14 4 4 6 1 1 1 7 80,000 7d6 13 5 5 7 2 1 1 8 160,000 8d6 13 5 6 8 2 2 1 9 320,000 9d6 12 6 7 9 2 2 2 10 480,000 9d6+2 12 7 8 10 3 2 2 11 640,000 9d6+4 11 7 9 11 3 3 2 12 800,000+ 9d6+6 11 8 10 12 3 3 3 CLASS ABILITIES AGILE +1 AC bonus when unarmoured and unencumbered (small shield allowed). BACKSTAB A backstab attempt with a class 1 or 2 melee weapon. The target must be unaware of attack, which may be the result of hiding or moving silently. Also, the target must have vital organs (e.g., skeleton, zombie exempt) and a discernible “back” (e.g., green slime, purple worm exempt). If the requirements are met, the following benefits are derived: The attack roll is made at +4 “to hit.” Additional weapon damage dice are rolled according to the purloiner’s level of experience: 1st to 4th levels = ×2 5th to 8th levels = ×3 9th to 12th levels = ×4 Other damage modifiers (strength, sorcery, etc.) are added afterwards (e.g., a 5th-level purloiner with 13 strength and a +1 short sword rolls 3d6+2). DETECT SECRET DOORS Find a secret door on a base 3-in-6 chance. EXTRAORDINARY +8% chance to perform extraordinary feats of dexterity (see Chapter 3: Statistics, dexterity). MAGIC ITEM USE Can utilize magic items normally restricted to clerics. SCROLL USE To decipher and invoke scrolls with spells that are included in the Cleric Spell List (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, Table 99), unless the scroll was created by a thaumaturgical sorcerer (one who casts the spells of a magician or magician subclass). SCROLL WRITING To scribe a known spell onto a scroll, creating a single-use magical device at a cost of 500 gp + 100 gp per spell level. Materials vary: Some purloiners engrave thin tablets of stone, whereas others use vellum or parchment, a fine quill, and sorcerer’s ink, such as sepia. This involved process requires one week per spell level and must be completed on consecrated ground, such as a shrine, fane, or temple. SORCERY Purloiners memorize and cast cleric spells, but they do not maintain spell books; rather, they might bear the scriptures of their faiths in prayer books, on sacred scrolls, or on graven tablets. The number and levels of spells cast per day are charted above (see Table 62), though purloiners of high wisdom gain bonus spells cast per day (see Chapter 3: Statistics, wisdom). For example, a 4th-level purloiner with 13 wisdom can cast two level 1 spells and one level 2 spell per day. Purloiners begin with knowledge of two level 1 spells, sacred mysteries revealed through initiation into a sect or cult devoted to an otherworldly power, deific being, or ethos. These spells are drawn from the Cleric Spell List (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, Table 99). Purloiners develop two new spells at each level gain. Typically, they are acquired via spiritual revelation, otherworldly favour, or the piecing together of abstract theologies. Such spells are learnt automatically, with no need of qualification rolls, but they must be of castable levels (see Table 62 above). Initial no. of spells known: ×2 No. of spells gained per level: ×2 Additional spells may be learnt outside of level training, but the process is more arduous (see Chapter 7: Sorcery, acquiring new spells). THIEVES’ CANT The secret language of thieves, a strange pidgin in which some words may be unintelligible to an ignorant listener, whereas others might be common yet of alternative meaning. This covert tongue is used in conjunction with specific body language, hand gestures, and facial expressions. Two major dialects of Thieves’ Cant are used in Hyperborea: one by city thieves, the other by pirates; commonalities exist betwixt the two. 4
108 HYPERBOREA TURN UNDEAD At 3rd level, exert control over the undead, causing them to flee and/or cower. Refer to Table 13 at the cleric class entry. At 3rd level the purloiner has 1st-level turning ability (TA 1); at 4th level, TA 2; and so on. The purloiner must stand before the undead and speak boldly a commandment of faith, displaying a holy symbol whilst so doing. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to the character’s TA; however, the purloiner can make but one attempt per encounter. Evil purloiners may opt to command undead on a successful turn undead check. For more information, refer to evil command of undead in the turn undead cleric class ability. NEW WEAPON SKILL At 4th, 8th, and 12th levels, become skilled in a new weapon that is not included in the favoured weapons list (noted above). This new proficiency is dependent upon training and practice (see Chapter 9: Combat, weapon skill). ENLIST HENCHMEN At 6th level, a purloiner may seek or be sought out by one or more henchmen, classed individuals (typically of similar class, race, and/or culture) who become loyal followers. For more information, see Chapter 8: Adventure, hirelings and henchmen. LORDSHIP At 9th level, a purloiner who builds or assumes control of suitable headquarters becomes a lord and is eligible to attract a band of reverent thieves. More information is presented in Appendix B. PROGRESSIVE THIEF ABILITIES Purloiners practice a full range of thievish skills. The following abilities improve as the purloiner advances in levels of experience, comparable to the thief (see Table 16): CLIMB To ascend or descend sheer cliffs or walls without need of climbing gear. If vertical, the surface must be rough or cracked. At least one check must be made per 100 feet of climbing. Failure indicates the climber has slipped and fallen at about the midpoint of the check. DECIPHER SCRIPT To translate texts otherwise not understood. Maps can be interpreted, instructions decoded, and so forth. Ancient or alien languages, however, may remain unintelligible, lacking any basis for comparison. DISCERN NOISE To hearken at a door and detect the faintest of noises on the other side, perceive the distant footfalls of a wandering monster, or distinguish a single voice in a crowd. Six rounds (one minute) of concentrated listening are required. HIDE To vanish into shadows, camouflage oneself, or flatten one’s body to a seemingly impossible degree—all whilst remaining still as a statue. Only the slightest movement is permissible (e.g., unsheathing a blade, opening a pouch). Hiding is impossible in direct sunlight, or if the purloiner is observed. MANIPULATE TRAPS To find, remove, and reset traps both magical and mundane. Separate checks must be made to accomplish each facet of this skill: find, remove, reset. Failure by more than two, or if a natural 12 is rolled, may cause the trap to detonate on the purloiner. Also, a new trap may be built if the mechanism is simple and the parts available; anything more complex requires the assistance of an engineer. Thieves’ tools are required when practicing this ability. MOVE SILENTLY To move with preternatural quiet, even across squeaky floorboards, dry leaves, loose debris, and the like. This skill is executed at half the purloiner’s normal movement rate. OPEN LOCKS To pick locks or disable latching mechanisms both magical and mundane. Thieves’ tools are required. Picking or dismantling a lock may be attempted but once; if the attempt fails, the purloiner cannot try again until he has gained a level of experience. Most locks require 1d4 minutes to pick; complex locks might necessitate 3d6 minutes. PICK POCKETS To filch items from a pocket, pouch, backpack, or garment using nimble fingers and distraction. Failure by a margin of 3 or greater indicates the attempt has been observed (though not necessarily by the victim). If the roll is successful, the referee must determine what has been procured. If a purloiner attempts to pick the pocket of a higher-level purloiner, thief, or legerdemainist, a penalty equal to the difference in levels must be applied to the check. This skill also covers the gamut of sleight-of-hand trickery a thief might employ to deceive onlookers.
109 Volume I: Player’s Manual PURLOINER’S INITIAL COMBAT MATRIX This chart shews the modified chance “to hit” for all 1st-level purloiners. Fighting ability (FA) improves at staggered levels (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th levels), so at 3rd level a purloiner needs a modified 18 roll to hit AC 0, and so forth. Table 63: Purloiner’s Initial Combat Matrix (FA 1) Opponent’s Armour Class (AC) d20 Result 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 −1 −2 −3 −4 −5 −6 −7 −8 −9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 PURLOINER’S STARTING PACK To expedite the character creation process, your purloiner may begin with the following gear in lieu of rolling for starting gold and shopping for gear. Regardless, refer to Chapter 6: Equipment for more information on armour, weapons, and gear. Leather armour, dagger, morning star, sling, bullets ×20, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, dice, wooden holy symbol, holy water, soft leather pouch, iron rations (1 week), small sack, thieves’ tools, tinderbox, torches ×2, wineskin (full), writing stick. k k 4
110 HYPERBOREA SCOUT (Thief Subclass) The scout is a cunning explorer and reconnoitrer of castles, towers, and subterranean milieux. A scout might be retained by a merchant house or thieves’ guild investigating rare artefacts hidden in ancient ruins or dungeons deep; or may serve as a spy, gathering intelligence and identifying vulnerabilities. Some scouts seek their fortune with freebooters, brigands, or fellow adventurers, using their plethora of skills to sneak, explore, track, and infiltrate enemy defences. But the most celebrated scouts are those who explore and measure the depth and breadth of impossible dungeons. Swift of blade and fleet of foot, daring and guileful to the utmost, the scout can be an invaluable resource for any band of seekers, especially those who delve the awesome black depths and labyrinthine tunnels of Underborea, where gods and dæmons dwell. Attribute Requirements: Dexterity 9, Intelligence 9 Prime Attributes: Dexterity, Intelligence (10% XP bonus if both 16+) Hit Die Type: d6 Alignment: CG, N, LE, CE Armour Allowed: Light Shields Allowed: Small Favoured Weapons: Axe (hand), bow (short), club (light), crossbow (light), dagger, dart, falcata, flail (horseman’s), hammer (horseman’s), lasso, mace (horseman’s), pick (horse - man’s), scimitar (short), sling, sword (short, broad, long), trident (hand) Saving Throw Modifiers: Device +2, Avoidance +2 Starting Money: 3d6×10 gp CLASS ABILITIES AGILE +1 AC bonus when unarmoured and unencumbered (small shield allowed). ALERTNESS Reduces by one (−1) on a d6 roll the party’s chance to be surprized . BACKSTAB A backstab attempt with a class 1 or 2 melee weapon. The target must be unaware of attack, which may be the result of hiding or moving silently. Scout (Oon)
111 Volume I: Player’s Manual Table 64: Scout Level Experience Points Hit Dice Saving Throw Fighting Ability 1 0 1d6 16 1 2 1,750 2d6 16 1 3 3,500 3d6 15 2 4 7,000 4d6 15 3 5 14,000 5d6 14 3 6 28,000 6d6 14 4 7 56,000 7d6 13 5 8 112,000 8d6 13 5 9 224,000 9d6 12 6 10 336,000 9d6+2 12 7 11 448,000 9d6+4 11 7 12 560,000+ 9d6+6 11 8 Also, the target must have vital organs (e.g., skeleton, zombie exempt) and a discernible “back” (e.g., green slime, purple worm exempt). If the requirements are met, the following benefits are derived: The attack roll is made at +4 “to hit.” Additional weapon damage dice are rolled according to the scout’s level of experience: 1st to 4th levels = ×2 5th to 8th levels = ×3 9th to 12th levels = ×4 Other damage modifiers (strength, sorcery, etc.) are added afterwards (e.g., a 5th-level scout with 13 strength and a +1 short sword rolls 3d6+2). DETECT SECRET DOORS Find a secret door on a base 3-in-6 chance. EXTRAORDINARY +8% chance to perform extraordinary feats of dexterity (see Chapter 3: Statistics, dexterity). CONTROLLED FALL To retard descent of precipitous drops. For every level of experience, the scout can fall 10 feet and sustain no damage, so long as a wall or other stable surface is within a five-foot reach throughout the descent. For falls beyond the scout’s limit, normal rules are in force starting at the point at which the controlled fall no longer applies; e.g., a 5th-level scout plummets down a 90-foot pit and thus sustains 4d6 hp damage. DETECT SECRET DOORS Find a secret door on a base 3-in-6 chance. DETERMINE DEPTH AND GRADE To ascertain the extent of a pit, chasm, or shaft by dropping a coin or pebble and listening; to determine the slope of dungeon passages, detecting even the shallowest of slants. The chance of success for determine depth and grade is as follows: 1st to 4th level = 2-in-6 5th to 8th level = 3-in-6 9th to 12th level = 4-in-6 If the roll is off by one or two, the estimate is off by 20%. For example, if a 2nd-level scout rolls a 4 when attempting to determine the depth of a 50-foot pit, he or she will believe the pit to be either 60 feet deep or 40 feet deep, as best decided by the referee. If the roll is off by more than 2, then the result is failure. DISGUISE To fashion a façade that simulates a particular race/ culture/social class, possibly making one appear a few inches taller or shorter and/or several pounds heavier or thinner (cf. the disguise self spell). The scout also can appear as the opposite sex. This ruse may be accomplished through a combination of acting, makeup, apparel, and perhaps even subtle sorcery. The base chance of the disguise being discerned is 2-in-12, adjusted as the referee deems appropriate. If the scout has a 16+ charisma, the base chance for being discerned is reduced to 1-in-12. RUN To move as swiftly as a hare; base 50 MV when lightly armoured or unarmoured. TRACK To stalk prey, tracing physical signs and discerning subtle clues. A scout can track at the below suggested probabilities: Wilderness: A base 7-in-12 chance to find, identify, and follow fresh tracks outdoors or in natural caverns. Non-Wilderness: A base 9-in-12 chance to discern tracks in a dungeon, castle, city street, or like setting. Furthermore, the scout can identify in general terms the species tracked if it is a known animal type (e.g., a large feline, a heavy bovine, a small canine). N.B.: The referee may adjust the chance-in-twelve to track based on prevailing circumstances. NEW WEAPON SKILL At 4th, 8th, and 12th levels, become skilled in a new weapon that is not included in the favoured weapons list (noted above). This new proficiency is dependent upon training and practice (see Chapter 9: Combat, weapon skill). 4
112 HYPERBOREA ENLIST HENCHMEN At 6th level, a scout may seek or be sought out by one or more henchmen, classed individuals (typically of similar class, race, and/or culture) who become loyal followers. For more information, see Chapter 8: Adventure, hirelings and henchmen. LORDSHIP At 9th level, a scout who builds or assumes control of suitable headquarters becomes a lord and is eligible to attract a band of thieves. More information is presented in Appendix B. PROGRESSIVE THIEF ABILITIES Scouts also practice almost all thievish skills. The following abilities improve as the scout advances in levels of experience, comparable to the thief (see Table 16): CLIMB To ascend or descend sheer cliffs or walls without need of climbing gear. If vertical, the surface must be rough or cracked. At least one check must be made per 100 feet of climbing. Failure indicates the climber has slipped and fallen at about the midpoint of the check. DISCERN NOISE To hearken at a door and detect the faintest of noises on the other side, perceive the distant footfalls of a wandering monster, or distinguish a single voice in a crowd. Six rounds (one minute) of concentrated listening are required. HIDE To vanish into shadows, camouflage oneself, or flatten one’s body to a seemingly impossible degree—all whilst remaining still as a statue. Only the slightest movement is permissible (e.g., unsheathing a blade, opening a pouch). Hiding is impossible in direct sunlight, or if the scout is observed. MANIPULATE TRAPS To find, remove, and reset traps both magical and mundane. Separate checks must be made to accomplish each facet of this skill: find, remove, reset. Failure by more than two, or if a natural 12 is rolled, may cause the trap to detonate on the scout. Also, a new trap may be built if the mechanism is simple and the parts available; anything more complex requires the assistance of an engineer. Thieves’ tools are required when practicing this ability. MOVE SILENTLY To move with preternatural quiet, even across squeaky floorboards, dry leaves, loose debris, and the like. This skill is executed at half the scout’s normal movement rate. OPEN LOCKS To pick locks or disable latching mechanisms both magical and mundane. Thieves’ tools are required. Picking or dismantling a lock may be attempted but once; if the attempt fails, the thief cannot try again until he has gained a level of experience. Most locks require 1d4 minutes to pick; complex locks might necessitate 3d6 minutes. SCOUT’S INITIAL COMBAT MATRIX This chart shews the modified chance “to hit” for all 1st-level scouts. Fighting ability (FA) improves at staggered levels (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th levels), so at 3rd level a scout needs a modified 18 roll to hit AC 0, and so forth. Table 65: Scout’s Initial Combat Matrix Opponent’s Armour Class (AC) d20 Result 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 −1 −2 −3 −4 −5 −6 −7 −8 −9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 SCOUT’S STARTING PACK To expedite the character creation process, your scout may begin with the following gear in lieu of rolling for starting gold and shopping for gear. Regardless, refer to Chapter 6: Equipment for more information on armour, weapons, and gear. Padded armour, small shield, hand axes ×2, darts ×4, backpack, bandages, winter blanket, chalk (piece), disguise clothing, grappling hook, grease, marbles ×20, parchment, wooden pole (10-ft.), soft leather pouch, iron rations (1 week), hemp rope (50-ft.), small sack, thieves’ tools, tinderbox, torches ×3, wineskin (full), writing stick, and 1d4+1 gold pieces.
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114 HYPERBOREA BACKGROUND Character background comprises race, physique, alignment, languages, religion, and secondary skills. Of course, every player character must have a name, perhaps inspired by historical or fictional examples. Some players may invent names from whole cloth; others might create anagrams of their own names. If you wish to generate an authentic sounding name, refer to Appendix A: Hyperborea Name Generator. Depending on the style and preference of play, further information may be developed, including character history, personality, place of origin, general outlook, and attitude. Place of origin need not be specific; one might simply say “a small farming village” or “a busy port city,” and so forth. RACES Races in Hyperborea are cultural and ethnic groupings with shared physical traits, social characteristics (e.g., language, customs, dress), and common geographic origins—most of which can be traced back to Old Earth. The Hyperborean race is the autochthonous race of Hyperborea; other races crossed the veil at different times, oft contributing to diametrical cultural variance despite the relatively small size of the realm. Twelve primary races with notable to diminishing populations are extant in Hyperborea. Nine are considered “pure” races; two are hybrid races; and one (the largest) is a mélange of indeterminate ancestries and/or racial admixtures. Twelve ancillary races are measured to be either less populous, on the brink of extinction, or not properly surveyed by the sages of Khromarium. Of these, ten are considered “pure” races; one is considered a somewhat recent hybridization; and one is deemed a consequence of otherworldly tampering. In total, 24 races are reckoned to survive in Hyperborea. In sooth, even amongst the most accounted for races, ambiguities are widespread, and census numbers are lacking; i.e., none can say with any certainty how many Kimmerians live in the subterranean city of Krimmea, except for the Kimmerians themselves; likewise for the “Half-Blood” tribes sequestered in the rain forest deeps of the Savage Boreal Coast. In closing, other races unbeknownst to sages may hide in remote corners of the realm, whilst others might unexpectedly arrive in numbers small or large; such being the mystical nature of the boreas. GENERATING A RACIAL DERIVATION For purposes of game play, choosing a specific player character race is not necessary; when in doubt, simply select a “common” man or woman. For the aid of players and referees who might prefer to draw inspiration from the whims of the dice, race may be rolled randomly using a d%, and if the result is 96–00, a d12 roll follows. Table 66: Primary Races d% Result Race 01–20 Common 21–26 Amazon 27–28 Atlantean 29–35 Esquimaux 36–37 Hyperborean 38–43 Ixian 44–53 Kelt 54–60 Kimmerian 61–66 Kimmeri-Kelt 67–75 Pict 76–85 Pict (Half-Blood) 86–95 Viking 96–00 See Table 67 chapter 5
115 Volume I: Player’s Manual Table 67: Ancillary Races d12 Result Race 1 Anglo-Saxon 2 Carolingian Frank 3 Esquimaux-Ixian 4 Greek 5 Lapp 6 Lemurian 7 Moor 8 Mu 9 Oon 10 Roman 11 Tlingit 12 Yakut Simply selecting a specific race in lieu of rolling for one also can be enjoyable. Maybe you would like to play a Kimmerian warlock, a Pict legerdemainist, or a Roman priest. You also might like to create a character whose backgound includes two or three ancestries. For example, the son of an Amazon woman and a Viking man can make for an interesting character. Remember that this is not possible for Atlanteans, Hyperboreans, and Oon. Furthermore, you may wish to determine the homeland of your character. Typical homelands are provided for each race, but choosing a homeland is not required; in fact, some players might prefer to be vague about such details perhaps best revealed through game play. COMMON People of mixed or indeterminate ancestry. Typical ancestries include Kelt, Kimmerian, Pict, and/or Viking blood, though almost any mix is possible, including less common races, such as Anglo-Saxons, Greeks, Lapps, Romans, and/or Yakuts. Note that two races (Atlanteans and Hyperboreans) are sexually incompatible with the rest of humanity, and one race (the Oon) is sterile, so their blood will not be mixed with common-blooded folk. Regardless, common folk are of variable height, build, complexion, hair colour, and eye colour. They can be found throughout Hyperborea. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium: Once known as “the jewel of the Kingdom of Hyperborea,” the City-State of Khromarium is a dismal, seedy place, choked by the smoke of its factories. It is the largest centre of population in Hyperborea, and it boasts the greatest degree of cultural, racial, and religious diversity in the realm. Khromarium’s spiral towers of black gneiss are renowned throughout the realm as constructs of pre-human conception. Gal City: Small city that arose in the aftermath of the Green Death, a great plague that consumed Hyperborea long ago. Gal is largely populated by Kelts, but with a fair number of mixed-ancestry people. Port Zangerios: Oft called the “City of Masks,” this small, overcrowded port is regarded as wild, lawless, and corrupt. It is a haven for cutthroats, gamblers, lotus chewers, prostitutes, slavers, thieves, and traffickers of all ilk. The city’s mask-wearing tradition oft is regarded as eccentric and extravagant. Local customs, however, demand that one must be worn whenever out in public; to do elsewise is deemed obscene. AMAZON A race renowned for its matriarchal caste of warrior-women, tall and robust with light to olive complexion, black to auburn hair, and blue or hazel eyes. Amazon women are taller and more heavily thewed than Amazon men, who tend to gravitate toward sorcery and science. Amazons dwell at the remote corners of the world. The Hellenic roots of the Amazons can be traced to the Black Sea of Old Earth, where their gynarchic society reserved no small amount of contempt for the Scythians; correspondingly, the Amazons of Hyperborea despise the Ixians. Most Amazons adhere to a rigid lifestyle that embraces Law. Typical homelands are as follows:
116 HYPERBOREA City in the Clouds: A metropolis of marble and glass on a mountain in the centre of the Floating Island of Paradoxon, a mystical isle that floats in the Black Gulf and is ruled by an iron-fisted queen. The city overlooks a jungle that teems with wildlife. City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Pandoros: The capital city of New Amazonia, a realm of lush islands at the Rim of the World and home to the gynarchic Amazon nation, where some of the finest ships of the realm are built. The Pandoros nation of Law is ruled by an autocratic queen. ANGLO-SAXON Tall, fair-haired (blond to sandy brown), fair-skinned, Germanic people, with grey, hazel, or blue eyes. Since the Green Death and its subsequent Dark Age, the Anglo-Saxon race has suffered severe decline; in sooth, most have been absorbed into the “common” race. Survivors trace their origins to Old Earth, where their ancestors were soldiers in the service of Hengist and Horsa, legendary brothers who warred with the Picts, working as mercenaries for Britain. Beyond Hadrian’s Wall, a son of Horsa led his charges through an impossible gateway that led to a mysterious realm with a giant red sun and two oddly shaped moons. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Gibbering Fields: Grasslands renowned for their poppy and lotus fields, steam vents, violent geysers, woolly mammoths, hyæna-man tribes, and restless spirits. ATLANTEAN Scattered remnants of a nearly extinct race whose origins trace back to Old Earth’s antediluvian Atlantis. In days of yore, the sorcerer-scientists of Atlantis were coevals of the Hyperboreans, much like the people of Lemuria and Mu. Atlanteans are of medium build, with jaundiced to glaucous complexion, black or blond hair, aquiline features, and pale grey or yellow eyes. Atlanteans are sexually incompatible with the other races, perhaps due to the development of aquatic traits: webbed digits, amphibious respiratory systems (including gill slits on their necks), and oily skin that dries painfully if not immersed in salt water periodically. Typical homelands are as follows: Atlantica: Trio of islands where the last concentration of Atlanteans struggle to endure. The Atlanteans of Atlantica live as humble fisherfolk and whalers. City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Port Zangerios (see “common” race) CAROLINGIAN FRANK A race of medium to large people with fair skin, and variable hair and eye colour. In days of yore, Carolingian Franks dwelled in the Cape Calencia region, but they were nearly decimated by the Green Death. Their race is descended from warriors who served Charlemagne of Old Earth. They were at war with the Moors, whom they engaged in the Pyrenees Mountains. When the opposing legions met in a fertile mountain valley farmed by peasants, a strange being known as Tantugou engulfed both armies in a churning mist and whisked them away to far-flung Hyperborea. Most Carolingians have returned to the faith of their pagan roots, replacing Christ with Apollo. Typical homelands are as follows: Cape Calencia: A small, forested horn with massive redwood trees. In small family groups, Carolingians build on the ancient ruins of Hyperborean settlements. City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) ESQUIMAUX Squat, narrow-eyed tribesmen of jaundiced complexion. Most Esquimaux subsist off the sea, hunting seal and whale and fishing from their sealskin kayaks; others roam the tundra herding reindeer, raising sled dogs, and hunting mammoth. Esquimaux are renowned for their mammoth-hide dwellings framed by mammoth tusks. They are oft reputed to have conquered and absorbed the Lapps and Yakuts into their bloodline. Too, for many generations they warred with the Tlingit. Their roots trace to a singular Kthulhu-worshipping cult from Old Earth’s Greenland. The cult was shunned by other indigenous northerners for its blasphemous practices, but in Hyperborea they have prospered. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Esquimaux Bay: Coastal region settled by Esquimaux who subsist on fishing, clamming, whaling, and inland hunting. Plain of Leng: Frigid tundra inhabited by nomadic tribesmen who ice fish and follow the migrations of game on dogsleds. ESQUIMAUX-IXIAN Tall, broad-shouldered, dusky-skinned tribesmen with narrow eyes and square jaws. Esquimaux-Ixians are a hybrid race that is a consequence of serfdom and slavery. Incredibly resilient, these survivors have developed their own pidgin language that can be confounding to native speakers of the languages from which it is derived. Some Esquimaux-Ixians refer to themselves as the Allattaasitoqaq (“lies in half darkness” in the Coastal Esquimaux dialect). They largely identify with
117 Volume I: Player’s Manual their Esquimaux roots, though in places like Xambaala, neither Esquimaux nor Ixian will admit connexion with the tribesmen. Some have escaped their lives of servitude or have earned their freedom from foreign buyers, seeking new beginnings. Others embrace a more eccentric lifestyle—they file their teeth to points and practice cannibalism. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Port Zangerios (see “common” race) Xambaala: Large port town surrounded by desert. Half its population are Esquimaux-Ixian slaves. It is governed as a satrapy that is overseen by the City-State of Yithorium, where the Witch-Queen rules through terror and fear. GREEK Average physique people with dark hair (wavy or curly), dark eyes, fair to olive skin, and the characteristic Grecian nose. Greek populations have eroded away due to relations with the “common” race; as such, only pocket groups are extant, though clannish and seeking an ethnic rebound. Greeks trace their ancestry to Old Earth. Long before the ice sheets claimed Hyperborea, Greek nobles, priests, philosophers, and mathematicians journeyed to the fabled land beyond the North Wind to seek enlightenment from the golden race. Over time, these settlers began to suffer unspeakable maltreatment, so they fled to remote corners of the realm. Others sought the protection of the Amazons and thus were assimilated. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Port Zangerios (see “common” race) HYPERBOREAN Extremely tall, long-lived (200+ years) people of milkwhite skin, golden hair, and violet eyes; rare females shew silky, blue-black hair. Hyperboreans are slow of speech and violent of temperament. For ages they alone inhabited the polar continent Hyperborea of Old Earth. Then came the Ashen Worm and the unrelenting ice age. The Hyperboreans went dormant as the realm was mantled in ice and torn away from Earth. The other races, deemed as “savages,” “apes,” or “submen,” largely arrived during the ensuing millennia. The native Hyperboreans emerged from the deeps and reclaimed the jewel of their erstwhile empire, Khromarium, and for a time they lived in lotus dreams and decadence, but then came the Green Death, and all fell to ruin and decay. Hyperboreans are sexually incompatible with non-Hyperboreans, and most are reputed to be the descendants of renegades, outcasts, and expiators. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Port Zangerios (see “common” race) IXIAN Tall, narrow-shouldered, hook-nosed men of dusky grey skin and beady black eyes; long, lean, raven-haired women with haunting emerald or hazel eyes. Ixians chiefly dwell at the Rim of the World on the sickle-shaped island of Scythium, where their malefic priests and necromancers study abominable sorceries; the most precocious individuals are sent to the fabled Isle of IX. Ixians are known to trade diamonds, spices, lotus leaves, and slaves in exchange for wood and other resources. Ixian roots may be traced to a lost race (or perhaps a select caste) of Egypt, Persia, and Scythia. Amazons and Kimmerians typically despise Ixians. Ixian absconders and outcasts oft go to great pains to hide their pedigree, fearful of persecution and apprehension by those who reserve no love for this oft despised race. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) City-State of Yithorium: Oasis city in the middle of the Zakath Desert. The city is renowned for its tower of alien stone where dwells the immortal Witch-Queen of Yithorium, who rules her domain with an iron fist. Fazzuum: Capital city of Scythium, renowned for its massive ziggurats. Fazzuum is ruled by a caste of priests and necromancers who pay homage to Yig, the snake god. Reputed to be dangerous for non-Ixians who stray from designated sanctuaries. KELT Barrel-chested men and hardy women of red, sandy brown, or auburn hair. They are of fair or rosy and oft-freckled complexion, and their eyes are blue, green, or hazel. The Kelts are of insular Old Earth ancestry, with Irish, Manx, and Scottish roots. They are amongst the most gregarious of races, mingling wherever they are welcome; indeed, nearly all people of common stock have Keltic blood in their veins. Pure Keltic clans dwell in the Gal Hills, farming and herding, whilst others are known to form tightknit communities in cities and towns. Many Kelts are guided by the wisdom of their ancient religious sect, the druids, who traverse the realm to tend their far-flung flock. Kelts are a passionate people, quick of temper and raucously mirthful. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Gal City (see “common” race) Port Zangerios (see “common” race) KIMMERIAN Large-boned men of fair to weather-bronzed skin, black hair, steely grey eyes, and thick, blue-black beards; raven-haired she-devils, fierce, battle-tested, intimidating, and beautiful. Kimmerian roots trace 5
118 HYPERBOREA to a foggy vale within the Caucasus Mountains of Old Earth, where the Ixians and Scythians drove them to no Earthly return. As such, most Kimmerians consider the Ixians their racial enemies. The Kimmerians are not an overly religious people, but they sometimes acknowledge Krimmr; his name oftest used as an expletive. Chiefly the Kimmerians are horsemen, drivers, and herders. Their cataphracts are feared and renowned, their artisans craft elaborate saddles, and their gold-chased plate armour is unmatched. One large faction of Kimmerians are catacomb dwellers, surviving in the stone-carven dungeon halls. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Kimmerian Steppe: Cold, grassy steppe region roamed by large herds of mammals, including some megafauna. Krimmea: Vast, underground city of Kimmerians where outsiders (even steppe Kimmerians) are not admitted. Absconders rarely are allowed re-admittance. KIMMERI-KELT Large-boned people, with variable skin tone, hair colour, and eye colour. Typically, the Kimmerian dark hair is a dominant trait; likewise the Keltic freckled complexion. Kimmeri-Kelts are the by-blows of Kimmerian and Keltic mergers during the Dark Age that followed the Green Death. When mankind was on the brink of extinction, displaced survivors of Kimmerian and Keltic pedigree formed their own tribes. Kimmeri-Kelts are fiercely independent nomads who resent the denigrations that their parent races oft reserve for them. As the tribes swell, they pose a greater threat to cities, for these barbarians reserve no small enmity for civilization; notwithstanding, this does not stop some from drifting into a city and never leaving. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Fields of Vol: Grassy plains that teem with wildlife. Nomadic tribes of Kimmeri-Kelts roam these grasslands chasing game, though the tribes are oft at war with one another over generations-old blood feuds. Gal City (see “common” race) LAPP Petite to medium-build people with fair to weathered complexions, light to dark hair, variable eye colour, and high-cheekbones. Lapps are renowned for their brilliantly dyed woolen clothes, hats, and scarves; many styles of which are considered exclusive, heritable traditions dating back to Old Earth. Surviving Lapps thrive in the most inhospitable environments, herding reindeer and hunting big game, but for generations they warred with Yakuts and Esquimaux, the latter of whom nearly eradicated both opposing ethnicities. Nomadic survivors travel by dog sled and reindeer sled. They are at peace with the Yakuts, but they reserve no love for the Esquimaux. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Plain of Leng: Frigid tundra where musk ox, reindeer, woolly mammoths, and woolly rhinoceros roam. LEMURIAN Small people, averaging just over five feet in height, with lean bodies and long arms. Lemurian skin ranges from jaundiced to tan complexion, and their hair is straight and dark. The eyes of Lemurians are slanted and likewise dark. Men oft wear long moustaches, goatees or beards. Both sexes wear long, buttoned robes or jackets, oft over loose-fitting trousers. On Old Earth, Lemurians achieved unimagined scientific and sorcerous advancement. Their progress was second only to the Hyperboreans, to whom the Lemurians sent extravagant tributes. Like Atlantis and Mu, Lemuria sank beneath the waves, but some survived when part of their region, called the Lemurian Remnant, was swallowed by a mystical vortex and deposited through time and space into remote Hyperborea. The Green Death devastated the Lemurians, but they have recovered and now send expeditions all about Hyperborea. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Lemurian Remnant: Large island surrounded by a number of smaller keys which sit at the very edge of the world, cradled within a spatial anomaly: The Remnant seems to encompass an area no more than 24 miles across. However, to enter Lemurian waters, explorers find themselves in a tropical island region 180 miles across. Port Zangerios (see “common” race) MOOR Brown-skinned people of variable body types, variable eye colour (blue, brown, green, or hazel), and dark, wavy to curly hair. The men grow thick black beards that they oil, and the women are known to shade their eyes with brilliant ochres and woads. Moors trace their ancestry to a large Berber tribe of Old Earth. They were at war with the Carolingian Franks, whom they engaged in the Pyrenees Mountains of Old Earth. When the opposing legions met in a fertile valley farmed by peasants, a strange being known as Tantugou engulfed both armies in a churning mist and whisked them away to far-flung Hyperborea. Now, the scant Moors who have survived the Green Death typically inhabit arid environments. Once renowned for their architectural artistry, the Moors of Hyperborea today are largely nomadic. Typical homelands are as follows:
119 Volume I: Player’s Manual City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) City-State of Yithorium (see Ixian race) Zakath Desert: Windswept waste, dry and cracked, dotted with patches of scrub. Within scattered, spring-fed oases grow the finest pomegranates in the realm. MU Diminutive, ebony-skinned people with broad noses, slanting eyes, and straight black hair. A race in severe decline, the Mu typically garb themselves in long, dun-coloured smocks, and both sexes crop their hair identically. They are a reclusive people who speak a secret tongue (Muat, a language of 814 words) and are said to abide strange customs. The Mu originate from a lost continent of Old Earth that, like Atlantis and Lemuria, was swallowed by the waves. Prior to this, they had excelled in math, science, and sorcery, and thus impressed the Hyperboreans, who invited them to inhabit a group of islands in the Hyperborean Sea. That island was destroyed by a volcano, and later its remains were mantled in ice spawned by the Ashen Worm. Once a curious and outgoing people, the Mu now value privacy. This does not stop the occasional defector (usually an adolescent) from seeking a life beyond their tiny island. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Mu Minor: Tiny island located deep in the ocean, nestled in the centre of tempest belts known as the River Okeanos. Mu Minor is difficult to locate, and its people do not wish to be found. OON (Ghost-Man) A subterranean race enthralled by the otherworldly mi-go. Sometimes referred to as “ghost-men,” Oon are extremely pale of skin—to the point of transparency—with grey, sunken eyes and straight, black tresses. Discerning the differences betwixt two Oon is difficult—even males and females uncannily resemble one another. Through an alien form of synthetic fertilization, Oon are reproduced in laboratories and raised outside the womb with no maternal connexion. Throughout their lives they are fed an addictive concoction that suppresses sexuality, hormonal development, ambition, and individuality. If denied this elixir for more than two weeks, they initially go mad, but at length begin to develop hormonally: females swell of hip and breast; males grow facial hair, and their voices deepen. However, all remain sterile. In rare cases, when Oon escape, they become a blank canvas open to new vistas. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Trogos: Forest cut by deep slot canyons where streams and waterfalls flow. Ferns and stunted evergreens line the moist walls of these impossible gorges, whence rise rolling mists. PICT Compact people with long torsos and short legs. Males are broad-shouldered, ruddily complexioned, and typically have green eyes and dense, wavy, orange-red hair. Females are usually petite, typically no taller than five feet, and fair skinned. Both sexes are heavily freckled and sunburn easily. It is rare but not unusual for a Pict to be born with black hair. Picts are known to paint and tattoo their skin, and their shamans lace their long, twisted hair with feathers. Pictish origins trace back to a sinister cult of Caledonia, which was bidden by its withered, white-bearded shaman (reputed still to endure) to commit unspeakable rites. Picts consider Romans to be their racial enemies. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Fidib: Capital city of New Pictland, a prominent island group across from the Savage Boreal Coast of mainland Hyperborea. The city is hostile to foreigners and is overlooked by a massive citadel of timber and stone where dwells the high king of the Pictish nation. Port Zangerios (see “common” race) PICT (Half-Blood) Light brown to swarthily complexioned people with straight or wavy black hair, brown or hazel eyes, and dark freckles. Rare examples shew orange-red hair. They are regarded as “Half-Bloods” because their paternal ancestors (Picts) conquered the kingdoms of their maternal ancestors (Tlingit) and then claimed Tlingit females as their wives after putting Tlingit males to the sword. This interbreeding gave rise to a new race of bloodthirsty savages who proved impossible for the Picts to control. Most Half-Bloods identify with their Tlingit ancestry, though Pictish language and many traditions are ingrained. Half-Blood mothers almost always bear twins; this fecundity has contributed to rapid population growth, mostly kept in check by tribal warfare. Regardless, this has led to a post-Green Death recovery unmatched by any other race. Some say Half-Blood Picts are destined to be the most populous race in all of Hyperborea. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Port Zangerios (see “common” race) Savage Boreal Coast: Temperate coastal region rich of firs, hemlocks, pines, and ancient redwoods. This perpetually foggy region experiences the greatest amount of precipitation in mainland Hyperborea. Warring tribes dwell in high-walled villages that shield them from both enemy tribes and carnivorous beasts. 5
120 HYPERBOREA ROMAN A fair- to olive-complexioned people of variable height. Most have thick, dark hair, but eye colour is variable: blue, brown, hazel, and grey. Most Romans are leanbuilt, though some are thick-boned. Although thinly populated, Romans are associated with an ongoing phenomenon—they are still materializing randomly throughout Hyperborea. Concerned about the preservation of their race, they oft seek one another, attempting to build strong family units with hopes of establishing their own autonomous kingdom. Roman origins trace back to Rome’s lost legion of Old Earth, Legio IX Hispana, a legion of the Imperial Roman Army tasked with infiltrating the Pictish nation north of Hadrian’s Wall, where rivers of supernatural conveyance energies were manipulated by Pictish sorcerers. Many had originated from Hispana (the Iberian Peninsula), though some centurions were directly from Rome. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Port Zangerios (see “common” race) TLINGIT Average to slightly less than average height people with light brown skin tone, some shewing warm red undertones. Tlingit have thick, straight, dark hair and variable eye colour. A race oft said to be extinct, supposedly eradicated by the Picts, some Tlingit family groups survive in the depths of the Barrier Mountains, hidden in cave lairs supported by totem pole columns. They live a strict, private life, hidden from the HalfBlood Picts of the Savage Boreal Coast below them, as well as their enemies of old, the Esquimaux and the Picts. The Tlingit reject all foreign visitations, including from Half-Bloods, and they live a rigid lifestyle that their elders believe preserves the purity of their moiety culture. However, is not unusual for an angst-consumed youth or star-crossed lovers to run away and explore life beyond the rigidity of the culture their elders enforce. Typical homelands are as follows: Barrier Mountains: Glaciated arm of the Spiral Mountain Array that rises sharply; peaks of 18–20,000 feet that separate the cold and dry Black Waste from the moist and teeming Savage Boreal Coast. City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) VIKING A fair-skinned race of blond- or red-haired people with blue to hazel eyes. Viking males typically are tall, broad-shouldered men who strike imposing figures. Viking females are likewise impressive—tall, lean, and strong-boned, many as physically gifted as the strongest Amazon women. Vikings build their longhouses about the mountainous coastal regions and glacially carved bays of Vikland and New Vinland. Outside of their homelands, they tend to be sociable, so Viking blood is part of many “common” strains. Viking origins trace back to Iceland of Old Earth (specifically, the lost ships of Erik the Red’s fleet en route to the Eastern Settlement of Greenland). Their shipbuilding techniques are amongst the finest in all of Hyperborea; with their drekar (longships), they exact brutal raids all about Hyperborea, leaving a wake of pillage, destruction, and bastard sons. Vikings have many jarls (chieftains), all of whom accept tribute from family leaders; in turn, the jarls pay tribute to the Viking king in Erikssgard. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Erikssgard: Capital city of Vikland, where the Viking king rules from his mighty fortress of timber and stone. The city is 95% Viking stock and boasts the foremost shipbuilding facilities in Hyperborea. New Vinland: Cape and islands of rolling hills rich with wheat, elderberries, and blackberries. Each village in this Viking colony is its own petty kingdom owing fealty to the king in Erikssgard. Port Zangerios (see “common” race) YAKUT Tall people with fair to tan complexions, dark, slanted eyes, and straight hair ranging from sandy brown to black. Yakuts oft are reputed to be extinct. Ages ago, they waged war with Lapps and Tundra Esquimaux, but ultimately the Esquimaux were victorious. Then came the Green Death, and the Yakuts were all but gone. In the Plain of Leng, however, the remnants of several tribes united to form a single group. Yakut origins trace back to Siberia, where a cult of KhalkXu (Kraken) worshippers engaged in ritual sacrifices made to their extra-dimensional patron. Several hundred members of the cult were taken on a vision-quest by their witch-queen, and through a churning mirage they were swept away to far-flung Hyperborea. Nomadic, the surviving Yakuts travel by dog sled and reindeer sled. They are at peace with the Lapps but consider the Esquimaux a constant enemy. Typical homelands are as follows: City-State of Khromarium (see “common” race) Plain of Leng: Frigid tundra where musk ox, reindeer, woolly mammoths, and woolly rhinoceros roam. Other Races: With referee approval, other racial strains might exist in small numbers, arriving through the boreas from Earth’s past or future, or perhaps from other worlds. Likewise, it is not impossible for yet another large population race to cross the boreas and establish itself somewhere in the hoary reaches of Hyperborea.
121 Volume I: Player’s Manual PHYSIQUE Physique encompasses your character’s gender, age, height, weight, eye colour, hair colour, and complexion—all of which can be randomly rolled for or simply selected; however, should a player select or dice for a specific race, physical traits should roughly correspond with heredity, but exceptions are not impossible. GENDER Players may choose or randomly determine character gender. AGE Most player characters begin play as young adults or adults. To randomly determine age, simply roll a d6 in which a result of 1–3 = young adult, and a result of 4–6 = adult. The player may select the precise age from the range indicated on the table below. Table 68: Age Groupings Age Grouping Race Hyperborean All Others Young Adult 14–20 14–20 Adult 21–100 21–44 Middle-aged 101–125 45–60 Old 126–150 61–85 Ancient 151–250 86–120 As the character transitions to middle-aged and beyond, the referee is at liberty to impose a reduction to the attributes of strength, dexterity and/or constitution, whilst allowing for an increase to intelligence and/or wisdom. HEIGHT AND WEIGHT Height and weight may be selected or randomly rolled. You may have an exact idea about your character’s build, or you might enjoy the challenge of working with whatever fate the dice have in store for you. First, determine character height by rolling 3d6 on the table below. Height establishes average weight, which might be adjusted by a subsequent d10 roll (see below). Note that Table 69 assumes a character of “common” or mixed racial heritage; height and weight of specific races may vary (see below). Table 69: Height and Weight 3d6 Result Man Woman Height Average Weight Height Average Weight 3 4′11″+1d3″ 120 lbs. 4′7″+1d3″ 85 lbs. 4 5′1″+1d3″ 130 lbs. 4′9″+1d3″ 95 lbs. 5 5′3″+1d3″ 140 lbs. 4′11″+1d3″ 105 lbs. 6 5′5″+1d3″ 150 lbs. 5′1″+1d3″ 115 lbs. 7–8 5′7″+1d3″ 160 lbs. 5′3″+1d3″ 125 lbs. 9–12 5′9″+1d3″ 170 lbs. 5′5″+1d3″ 135 lbs. 13–14 5′11″+1d3″ 180 lbs. 5′7″+1d3″ 145 lbs. 15 6′1″+1d3″ 195 lbs. 5′9″+1d3″ 155 lbs. 16 6′3″+1d3″ 210 lbs. 5′11″+1d3″ 165 lbs. 17 6′5″+1d4″ 230 lbs. 6′1″+1d3″ 180 lbs. 18 6′8″+1d4″ 250 lbs. 6′3″+1d3″ 195 lbs. Height Adjustments by Race: Amazon men: Use standard procedure. Amazon women: Reroll any 1s on the 3d6 height roll. Anglo-Saxons: Roll 4d6 for height and drop lowest die result. Atlanteans: Use standard procedure. Carolingian Franks: Use standard procedure. Esquimaux: Roll 4d6 for height and drop highest die result. Esquimaux-Ixians: Roll 4d6 for height and drop lowest die result. Greeks: Use the standard procedure. Hyperboreans: Use height results of 17 or 18 (roll 1d6: 1–2 = 17; 3–6 = 18). Weight is always less than average. Ixians: Roll 4d6 for height and drop lowest die result. Kelts: Use standard procedure. Kimmerians: Roll 4d6 for height and drop lowest die result. Kimmeri-Kelts: Use standard procedure. Lapps: Reroll any 6s on 3d6 height roll. Lemurians: Roll 4d6 for height and drop highest die result. Moors: Use standard procedure. Mu: Reroll any 6s on 3d6 height roll. Oon: Use average height (9–12 result) and average weight. Picts: Reroll any 6s on 3d6 height roll. Pict (Half-Blood): Reroll any 6s on 3d6 height roll. Romans: Use standard procedure. Tlingits: Roll 4d6 for height and drop highest die result. Vikings: Roll 4d6 for height and drop lowest die result. Yakuts: Roll 4d6 for height and drop lowest die result. For Weight Variability, roll a d10: 1–3: Less than average weight (−5% to −20%; roll 1d4×5) 4–7: Average weight 8–10: Above average weight (+10% to +40%; roll 1d4×10) 5
122 HYPERBOREA EYE COLOUR, HAIR COLOUR, AND COMPLEXION Physical traits such as eye colour, hair colour, and complexion can be selected or rolled for using the following table group. Specific dice mechanics apply to each race, as listed following this table grouping. Table 70-A: Eye Colour Result Eye Colour 01–02 Green, Emerald 03 Hazel, Dark 04 Hazel, Light 05 Yellow, Dark 06 Yellow, Light 07–10 Grey, Light 11 Amber, Dark 12 Amber, Light 13–35 Brown, Dark 36–58 Brown, Light 59–63 Hazel, Dark 64–68 Hazel, Light 69–74 Blue, Dark 75–80 Blue, Light 81–82 Green, Dark 83–84 Green, Light 85–91 Blue, Dark 92–98 Blue, Light 99–104 Grey, Dark 105–110 Grey, Light 111–112 Violet, Dark 113–114 Violet, Light Result Hair Colour 01 Auburn, Medium 02 Auburn, Light 03–08 Red-Orange, Light 09–14 Red-Orange, Medium 15–19 Red-Orange, Dark 20–30 Black 31–35 Blond, Medium 36–40 Blond, Light 41–50 Black 51–60 Brown, Dark 61–70 Brown, Medium 71–80 Brown, Light 81–83 Auburn, Dark 84–86 Auburn, Medium 87–90 Auburn, Light 91–92 Red, Dark 93–94 Red, Medium 95–96 Red, Light 97–100 Blond, Dark 101–110 Blond, Medium 111–115 Blond, Light 116–120 White 121 Blue-Black 122–126 Golden, Pale 127–131 Golden, Rich 132 Silvery-White Result Complexion 01–05 Glaucous 06–10 Jaundiced 11–20 Dark brown 21–30 Medium brown 31–35 Coppery 36–40 Light brown 41–45 Jaundiced 46–50 Light brown 51–55 Dusky 56–65 Tan 66–70 Bronzed 71–80 Olive 81–90 Ruddy 91–100 Fair Table 70-B: Hair Colour Table 70-C: Complexion
123 Volume I: Player’s Manual Eye Colour, Hair Colour, and Complexion by Race: Common: d100+10 eye colour, d100+20 hair colour, d30+70 complexion Amazon: d20+58 eye colour, d50+40 hair colour, d30+70 complexion Anglo-Saxon: d50+58 eye colour, d50+50 hair colour, d20+80 complexion Atlantean: d6+4 eye colour, d20+20 hair colour, d10 complexion Carolingian Frank: d50+58 eye colour, d50+50 hair colour, d20+80 complexion Esquimaux: d50+10 eye colour, d30+40 hair colour, jaundiced complexion Esquimaux-Ixian: d50+10 eye colour, black hair, dusky complexion Greek: d50+12 eye colour, d20+40 hair colour, d30+70 complexion Hyperborean: d4+110 eye colour (F/M), d12+120 hair colour (F), d10+122 hair colour (M), milky-white complexion (F/M) Ixian: d4 eye colour (F), black eyes (M), black hair (F/M), dusky complexion (F/M) Kelt: d30+58 eye colour, d30+66 hair colour, d20+80 complexion Kimmerian: dark grey eyes, black hair, d30+65 complexion Kimmeri-Kelt: d50+58 eye colour, d50+40 hair colour, d30+70 complexion Lapp: d50+58 eye colour, d50+65 hair colour, d30+65 complexion Lemurian: d50+10 eye colour, d20+40 hair colour, d20+40 complexion Moor: d50+34 eye colour, black hair, d20+10 complexion Mu: d30+12 eye colour, black hair, ebony complexion Oon: dark grey eyes, black hair, albino complexion Pict: d6+79 eye colour, d20 hair colour, d12+88 complexion (F), d12+80 complexion (M) Pict (Half-Blood): d50+10 eye colour, d10+18 hair colour, d10+45 complexion Roman: d50+58 eye colour, d20+40 hair colour, d30+70 complexion Tlingit: d50+10 eye colour, black hair, d10+30 complexion Viking: d20+58 eye colour, d30+90 hair colour, d20+80 complexion Yakut: d30+12 eye colour, d30+40 hair colour, d50+50 complexion –To generate a d50 result, simply roll a d%, divide by two, and round up any fractions. –To generate a d30 result (assuming a d30 is not available), roll a d10 and a d6 together: if d6 result is 1–2, add 0 to d10 roll; if d6 result is 3–4, add 10 to d10 roll; if d6 result is 5–6, add 20 to d10 roll. OTHER PHYSICAL TRAITS Players may decide hair length, notable scars, birthmarks, and other characteristics and traits for their PCs. k k 5
124 HYPERBOREA ALIGNMENT Alignment is governed by the opposing forces of Law (civilization) and Chaos (barbarism). Law and Chaos are subdivided by the ethe of Good and Evil. The alignments Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Good, and Chaotic Evil define the world view of most intelligent beings, and Neutrality forms a nexus of behavioural indifference. Creatures of like alignment are typically acceptable to one another. Alignment informs player character behaviour, ethics, principles, and viewpoint. A character class may have specific alignment restrictions, and violation of the alignment’s precepts can trigger severe consequences. The referee might impose an experience point penalty, and a repeat offender could lose a level of experience and/or be divested of character class; e.g., a paladin could become a fighter, though the special abilities unique to fighters may not be developed until after a year of training, if at all. LAWFUL GOOD LAWFUL EVIL CHAOTIC GOOD CHAOTIC EVIL NEUTRAL GOOD EVIL L A W C H A O S Civilization Barbarism
125 Volume I: Player’s Manual LAWFUL GOOD (LG) To be just, honest, law-abiding, loyal, and trustworthy. Lawful Good creatures prefer to work with or for a group, order, or organization. They usually are responsive and obedient to a higher authority, help those in need, and refuse to perpetrate illegal activities in a just society. LAWFUL EVIL (LE) To believe the strong must ruthlessly dominate and control the weak. Lawful Evil creatures are usually true to their word, albeit to unjust or diabolical effect. They obey a higher authority (oft a dictator) and might serve as instruments of tyranny and oppression. Without mercy they smite the helpless, including unarmed foes. CHAOTIC GOOD (CG) To value freedom and unrestraint, so long as such pursuits do not inhibit the lives of other goodly folk. Independence and self-reliance are of the highest value. Chaotic Good creatures are honest with those whom they deem deserving (i.e., other Good creatures), but they are not necessarily law-abiding if laws prohibit them from effecting what they believe to be right. CHAOTIC EVIL (CE) To be dishonest, traitorous, and unscrupulous, even with others of like alignment, unless some advantage is to be gained by behaving otherwise. Chaotic Evil creatures abide no laws and fail to recognize authority save that which is brutally enforced. They lie, cheat, and steal freely. They place little value on life, including their own, and their pleasures are oft abominable. NEUTRAL (N) To be indifferent to Law, Chaos, Good, and Evil. Neutral creatures typically focus on survival; hence, this alignment is oft associated with the animal kingdom. Intelligent creatures of this alignment are honest and trustworthy when it benefits them (or their cause), and generally they obey laws when it is to their advantage (or that of their cause); conversely, they embrace independence or even foment rebellion when it behoves them. Some adherents of so-called “True” Neutrality believe that a balance betwixt Law and Chaos, Good and Evil must be militantly preserved. Others may be Neutral yet exhibit the tendencies of another ethos (Law, Chaos, Good, or Evil); such a character’s alignment may be listed as Neutral (Good), Neutral (Evil), Neutral (Lawful), or Neutral (Chaotic). 5
126 HYPERBOREA LANGUAGE Despite its relatively diminutive size, Hyperborea boasts an unusual variety of languages that in and of themselves contain a surprising degree of dialects. This is owed to the fact that Hyperborea is peopled largely by races and ethnicities that crossed the veil known as the boreas, or North Wind, at different times of different eras. As such, language variations are notable. Every character begins play with knowledge of the Common tongue and possibly a native language if they are of a specific racial derivation. Almost every language includes a dialect. The dialects of a language group will have many commonalities and are generally intelligible to one another, but the written forms may exhibit significant differences. High intelligence grants the character bonus languages (see Chapter 4: Statistics, intelligence). If your character has one or more bonus languages, you may roll a d% on the table below to determine them (re-rolling repeats, if necessary). Or, with referee permission, you may simply select from the list. COMMON Common tongue spoken in nearly all corners of the realm. Structurally, this language most resembles a proto-Helenic subsumed with Esquimaux, Keltic, Latin, and Old Norse elements. Written form utilizes the Old Greek alphabet of the Hellenic language. BERBER Rare language spoken by the Moors of the Zakath Desert and Yithorium. Written form is comprised of 13 consonants in the form of glyphs; the reader must infer the vowel sounds based on context. ESQUIMAUX (Coastal dialect) Esquimaux dialect spoken by the Esquimaux of the Esquimaux Bay region. Written form of Esquimaux (both dialects) is comprised of a runic alphabet. ESQUIMAUX (Tundra dialect) Esquimaux dialect spoken by the Esquimaux of the Plain of Leng. Written form of Esquimaux (both dialects) is comprised of a runic alphabet. ESQUIMAUX-IXIAN (pidgin) Esquimaux pidgin that contains some Thracian (Ixian dialect) and Common terms. No written form. Table 71: Languages d% Result Language (Dialect) Typical Speakers N/A Common Any 01 Berber Moors 02–09 Esquimaux (Coastal dialect) Esquimaux (coastal) 10–17 Esquimaux (Tundra dialect) Esquimaux (inland) 18 Esquimaux-Ixian (pidgin) Esquimaux-Ixians 19–26 Hellenic (Amazon dialect) Amazons 27–31 Hellenic (Atlantean dialect) Atlanteans 32–33 Hellenic (Greek dialect) Greeks 34–38 Hellenic (Hyperborean dialect) Hyperboreans 39–46 Hellenic (Kimmerian dialect) Kimmerians (plainsmen), Kimmeri-Kelts* 47–54 Keltic (Goidelic dialect) Kelts, Kimmeri-Kelts* 55–62 Keltic (Pictish dialect) Picts, most Half-Blood Picts 63–66 Latin Romans, Carolingian Franks 67–68 Lemurian Lemurians 69 Muat Mu 70–72 Old Norse (Anglo-Saxon dialect) Anglo-Saxons 73–80 Old Norse (Viking dialect) Vikings 81 Oonat Oon 82–89 Thracian (Ixian dialect) Ixians 90–97 Thracian (Kimmerian dialect) Kimmerians (subterranean) 98 Tlingit Tlingit 99 Uralic (Lapp dialect) Lapps 00 Uralic (Yakut dialect) Yakuts * Typical Kimmeri-Kelts speak either the Hellenic (Kimmerian) or Keltic (Goidelic) tongue, depending on tribe location and ancestry.
127 Volume I: Player’s Manual HELLENIC (Amazon dialect) Hellenic dialect spoken by the Amazons of New Amazonia and the Floating Island of Paradoxon. Written form of Hellenic (all dialects) utilizes the Old Greek alphabet of the Hellenic language. HELLENIC (Atlantean dialect) Dying Hellenic dialect spoken by the Atlanteans of Atlantica and other scattered Atlanteans. Written form of Hellenic (all dialects) utilizes the Old Greek alphabet of the Hellenic language. HELLENIC (Greek dialect) Nearly extinct form of Hellenic spoken by surviving Greeks; much of this language is now part of the common tongue. Written form of Hellenic (all dialects) utilizes the Old Greek alphabet of the Hellenic language. HELLENIC (Hyperborean dialect) Dying Hellenic dialect spoken by the scattered remnants of the Hyperborean race. Written form of Hellenic (all dialects) utilizes the Old Greek alphabet of the Hellenic language. HELLENIC (Kimmerian dialect) Hellenic dialect spoken by the Kimmerians of the Kimmerian Steppes and some Kimmeri-Kelts of the Fields of Vol. Written form of Hellenic (all dialects) utilizes the Old Greek alphabet of the Hellenic language. KELTIC (Goidelic dialect) Keltic dialect spoken by the Kelts of the Gal Hills and some Kimmeri-Kelts of the Fields of Vol. Written form of Keltic (both dialects) is comprised of a runic alphabet. KELTIC (Pictish dialect) Keltic dialect spoken by the Picts of New Pictland and the Half-Blood Picts of the Savage Boreal Coast; the latter containing several Tlingit terms. Written form of Keltic (both dialects) is comprised of a runic alphabet. LATIN Nearly extinct language spoken by Carolingian Franks, Romans, and select sages in Khromarium and elsewhere. Latin has its own unique alphabet that shares some features with the Hellenic alphabet. LEMURIAN Language spoken by the Lemurians of the Lemurian Remnant. Written form comprised of graceful characters and pictograms. MUAT 814-word language exclusively spoken by the people of Mu. Written form is comprised of strangely arranged lines and dots. OLD NORSE (Anglo-Saxon dialect) Germanic dialect spoken by the nearly extinct Anglo-Saxons roaming the Gibbering Fields and Khromarium. Written form of Old Norse (both dialects) is comprised of a runic alphabet. OLD NORSE (Viking dialect) Germanic dialect spoken by the Vikings of Vikland and New Vinland. Written form of Old Norse (both dialects) is comprised of a runic alphabet. OONAT Unique, limited language that has no marking of the interrogative status (of yes/no questions, etc.) by question particle, intonation, tone, or other method. Written form is comprised of a complex series of wedge-shaped characters and uncanny geometric shapes. THRACIAN (Ixian dialect) Thracian dialect spoken by the Ixians of Scythium. Written form of Thracian employs a pictographic (hieroglyphic) writing system, though several glyphs are unique to the Ixian dialect. THRACIAN (Kimmerian dialect) Thracian dialect spoken by the Kimmerians of the underground city of Krimmea. Written form of Thracian employs a pictographic (hieroglyphic) writing system, though several glyphs are unique to the the subterranean Kimmerians of Krimmea. TLINGIT Rare language spoken by the Tlingit of the Barrier Mountains. No written form. URALIC (Lapp dialect) Uralic dialect spoken by the Lapps of the Plain of Leng; nearly extinct. No written form. URALIC (Yakut dialet) Uralic dialect spoken by the Yakuts of the Plain of Leng; nearly extinct. No written form. RARE AND SECRET LANGUAGES Rare and secret languages are spoken and/or written in various corners of the realm. Amongst these are the secret tongue of druids, the secret cant of thieves, and the thaumaturgical scrivenery of magicians and several subclasses. Each of these is discussed in their respective class entries. One notable exception is Hyperborean Esoteric, the clandestine language of Hyperborean sages and sorcerers, who refuse to teach it to other people. It shares commonalities with no other language and may contain certain vocalizations that non-Hyperboreans are unable to duplicate. The written form of Hyperborean Esoteric is said to employ pictographs. With referee approval, a Hyperborean sorcerer may take Hyperborean Esoteric as a bonus language (if their intelligence is high enough). 5
128 HYPERBOREA RELIGION The people of Hyperborea are wont to glorify otherworldly beings, alien entities, animistic and ancestral spirits, and other mysterious forces of deific power. The Xathoqquan orthodoxy, originally introduced by the indigenous Hyperboreans, is doubtless the most prevalent faith, its practice transcending boundaries of species and race. Regardless, mankind typically serves powers that accord with the ethos of Law, Chaos, or Neutrality, oft beseeching or praying to deities that, in their perception, share their personal philosophy. However, many worship out of racial/cultural obligation or to appease that which they fear, so the alignment of the follower may not match the reckoned alignment of the deity. Many people supplicate one principal being of worship. Some venerate deity pairings, such as Apollo and Artemis, Xathoqqua and Kthulhu, or Ymir and Ullr. Others cry out to whatever powers they think will benefit them; others still have no tongue for any of it. Such is religion in Hyperborea. Selecting one or more of the 24 deities presented below is not required during character creation—even for clerics (and related subclasses). A character might develop a religious connexion through gameplay, or perhaps never. Except for the Oon, each race is noted as the “typical followers” of at least one deity, but a player character need not be typical. The Oon have no conception of the gods until they escape their alien masters. APOLLO Deity of Law associated with light, the sun, healing, archery, swordsmanship, music, and poetry. He is the twin brother of Artemis and oft manifests as a golden-haired young warrior. Typical Clergy: Clerics, paladins, priests Typical Followers: Any (esp. Carolingian Franks) ARTEMIS Deity of Law associated with hunting, forests, hills, chastity, fertility, and independence. The twin sister of Apollo, she is said to manifest as a regal warrior-woman. Typical Clergy: Clerics, paladins, priests Typical Followers: Any (esp. Amazons) AURORUS, “The Shining One” Deity of Chaos associated with auroræ, stars, meteor showers, comets, sorcery, and witchcræft. Aurorus is reputed to be a formless goddess who manifests as a swirling, sparkling mist. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Hyperboreans) AZATHOTH Deity of Chaos associated with confusion, entropy, infinity, insatiable hunger, madness, vibrations, ceaselessly beating drums, and haunting flutes. It is reputed to manifest as a blasphemous, amorphous blight of bubbling Chaos. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. bards)
129 Volume I: Player’s Manual BOETZU, “The Celestial Serpent” Deity of Law associated with the sun, light, law, agricul - ture, society, protection, duty, enlightenment, and the circle of life. Boetzu is said to manifest in the guise of a gargantuan, serpentine dragon, or as a grizzled old sage. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, paladins, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Lemurians) BOREAS, “The North Wind” Deity of Chaos associated with arctic blasts, the North Wind, blizzards, and captivity. He manifests as a bearded, massively built warrior swathed in swirling winds and wielding a spear. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Greeks) HELIOS, “The Sun” Deity of Neutrality who is quite literally the dying sun. Helios is associated with light, warmth, fire, rebirth, blood, and power. He oft is depicted as a scarlet-skinned giant with a beard of fire. Typical Clergy: Clerics, druids, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Greeks) KRAKEN (KHALK-XU), “The Dimensional Dweller” Deity of Chaos associated with extra-planar travel, outré dimensions, cosmic hunger, energy absorption, human sacrifice, time travel, illusion, duality, and rein - carnation. He is said to manifest as a colossal octopus. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Esquimaux, Vikings, Yakuts) KRIMMR Deity of Chaos associated with horses, volcanoes, smoke, ash, courage, bloodlust, iron, and steel. Krimmr is said to be a gigantic, bearded warrior with massive thews of stone and eyes that bleed lava. Kimmerians oft use his name as an expletive. Typical Clergy: Clerics, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Kimmerians, Kimmeri-Kelts, cataphracts) KTHULHU Deity of Chaos associated with sorcery, necromancy, deviltry, witchcræft, nightmares, madness, exhilara - tion, destruction, and havoc. He presents as a winged octopodous being, immense in size. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Esquimaux, Esquimaux-Ixians) 5
130 HYPERBOREA LUNAQQUA Deity of Neutrality associated with moons, moths, cycles, time, tides, seafaring, lunacy, lycanthropy, and sorcery. Lunaqqua is said to manifest as a naked, voluptuous woman with glowing blue skin, yellow hair, and lambent white eyes; or, if enraged, as a colossal moth of frightening visage. Typical Clergy: Clerics, druids, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any MORDEZZAN Deity of Neutrality associated with death, graves, charnel houses, dogs, ghouls, hyænas, jackals, and carrion. He presents as a giant, emaciated, ghoul-like being with obsidian-coloured skin, eyes like burning coals, and elongated arms with skeletal talons. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Ixians, Moors, death soldiers, necromancers) RAVEN Deity of Neutrality associated with trickery, creation, gluttony, healing, hunger, licentiousness, light, selfishness, sorcery, and transformation. He transforms frequently, but usually manifests as a giant raven. N.B.: Mu refer to Raven as Anansi. Typical Clergy: Clerics, priests, purloiners, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Lemurians, Mu, Picts [Half-Bloods], Tlingit) REL, “God of Thieves” Demigod of Neutrality associated with thievery, banditry, swindling, gambling, deception, backstabbing, ale, beer, luck, and gems and gold gained by means stealthy and nefarious. Rel is said to assume many faces, but usually presents as a swarthy, handsome man who wears a broad-brimmed hat and winged sandals. Hellenic folk aver Rel to be Hermes, whilst some Kelts claim he is Teutates. Typical Clergy: Clerics, priests, purloiners, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. thieves) THAUMAGORGA Deity of Evil associated with Hades, dæmonism, torture, slavery, violence, war, bellicosity, and bloodletting. He manifests as a massive, heavily armoured dæmon-warrior who wears a great horned helm and wields a flaming two-handed scimitar. Folk of Hellenic descent believe Thaumagorga is in fact Ares, the “God of War,” whilst some Keltic folk (especially druids) believe him to be Cernunnos, the “Horned One.” Typical Clergy: Clerics, druids, fell paladins, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Romans, death soldiers)
131 Volume I: Player’s Manual TLAKK-NAKKA Deity of Neutrality associated with spiders, death, poi - son, predation, murder, witchcræft, dreams, and fate. She is said to manifest as an enormous spider with the head of a crowned, raven-haired woman shewing jew - el-black eyes. Typical Clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical Followers: Any (esp. Ixians, Picts) ULLR Deity of Chaos associated with Viking longships, skis, shields, swordsmanship, bows of yew, rune sor - cery, wolves, bears, sabre-tooths, piracy, and raiding. He usually presents as a Viking berserker. Typical clergy: Clerics, runegravers, shamans Typical followers: Any (esp. Anglo-Saxons, Vikings) XATHOQQUA Deity of Chaos associated with life, death, rein - carnation, pestilence, disease, luck, misfortune, cruelty, savagery, mischievousness, and sardoni - cism. He is portrayed as a colossal, sloth-bodied toad covered in brown-black fur, with massive, membranous wings. Xathoqqua is the most widely worshipped deity of Hyperborea. Typical clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, purloiners, shamans Typical followers: Any (esp. common humans, Hyperboreans) YIG (APEP), “The Great Serpent” Deity of Law associated with snakes, reptiles, sor - cery, necromancy, resurrection, and reincarnation. He is said to manifest as an enormous python. Typical clergy: Clerics, monks, priests Typical followers: Any (esp. Ixians, Lemurians, Moors, Mu) YIKKORTH “The Ashen Worm” Deity of Neutrality associated with glaciers, ice - bergs, and cataclysms. It is said to present as a gigantic, pale white worm. Typical clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical followers: Any (esp. cryomancers) YMIR Deity of Chaos associated with mountains, snow, ice, mists, blizzards, and unbridled rage. He is said to manifest as a blue-bearded frost giant with a tremendous axe of ice-blue steel. Typical clergy: Clerics, runegravers, shamans Typical followers: Any (esp. Ango-Saxons, Vikings) 5
132 HYPERBOREA YOON’DEH Deity of Neutrality associated with aurochs, elk, mammoths, migration, nature, wine, wild passion, and sacrifice (animal and human). She is said to manifest as an elk, a mammoth, or an antlered nymph. Some sages identify Yoon’Deh with Cybele, the ancient Phrygian mother goddess, or sometimes Demeter, the Greek goddess of grains. Typical clergy: Clerics, druids, monks, priests, shamans Typical followers: Any (esp. Kelts, Kimmeri-Kelts, Picts) YTHAQQA “The Wendigo” Deity of Neutrality associated with arctic winds, tundra, doom, ill fate, hopelessness, lost travellers, and misbegotten fools. It manifests as a gigantic, hairy, vaguely humanoid creature with glowing red eyes. Typical clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical followers: Any (esp. Esquimaux, Lapps, Tlingit, Yakuts) YUG (YOG) Deity of Chaos associated with darkness, void, cannibalism, shapeless spawn (oozes, slimes, jellies), and like mutable forms (moulds, spores, and other fungi). He manifests as a black, protean mass, a nebulous cloud of yellow-brown spores that can swallow worlds. Typical clergy: Clerics, monks, priests, shamans Typical followers: any (esp. Esquimaux-Ixians, Mu) SECONDARY SKILLS Professional or trade skills typically are developed from childhood to adolescence. They may have little overlap with the character’s class, oft attributed to environment, upbringing, socio-economic 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 ales, 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. On the table below roll a d6 (for the column), followed by a d20 (for the row), to determine a secondary skill randomly; or, with referee approval, simply select one. With referee approval, some characters may have a background in two secondary skills. This list hardly is representative of all professions possible, but it 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 in all three art forms.
133 Volume I: Player’s Manual Table 72: Secondary Skills d20 Result d6 Roll = 1–2 d6 Roll = 3–4 d6 Roll = 5–6 1 animal trainer farmer miller 2 armourer fisherman/whaler miner 3 atilliator fuller minstrel/musician 4 baker/cook furrier/skinner mortician 5 barber/dentist gaffer/glazier navigator 6 bar-/innkeeper gaoler/turnkey potter 7 black-/metalsmith gardener riverman/waterman 8 boat-/shipwright gem cutter/jeweller roofer/thatcher 9 bookbinder grocer roper 10 bowyer/fletcher guard/watchman sailor/seaman 11 brewer/vintner herdsman/pack handler scribe/scrivener 12 butcher/salter hunter/trapper soldier/mercenary 13 carpenter labourer/yardman stabler 14 cart-/wainwright leatherworker/saddler/tanner stevedore 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 mason/slater wheelwright 20 engineer merchant/monger wire drawer 5
134 HYPERBOREA EQUIPMENT This chapter describes money and lists armour, weapons, and gear available for purchase. Note that some classes have specific armours and shields allowed, and/or a favoured weapons list. Using your character’s initial 30–180 gold pieces (3d6×10), you may equip your character, or you may opt to use the starting pack included with each character class. It generally is assumed that every character owns normal clothing, normal and/or winter boots or shoes, belt, and cloth (wool) cloak or heavy cloth (wool) coat. MONEY Five major coin types are minted in Hyperborea: platinum piece (pp) gold piece (gp) electrum piece (ep) silver piece (sp) copper piece (cp) Minted coins typically are cast with the image of a deity, sovereign, or legendary figure; others might be stamped with a crest, rune, or other symbol. In the City-State of Khromarium, for example, the image of the toad god Xathoqqua graces many a gold coin. Other coins might be found throughout the realm, including bronze pieces (bp), which are equal in value to copper pieces COIN WEIGHT Most minted coins are between two- and threepennyweight size, so a single coin weighs about 1/100th of a pound. When considering coin stowage, 100 coins equal about one pound of weight. Note that heavy coins may have multiplied values. For example, a treble-weight gold piece would have a 3-gp value, and so on. Ingots, bars, or “bricks” also may be used, which might have a value of 100 or more coins. Ingots are oblong in shape and usually worth their weight in coins; e.g., a three-pound silver ingot is worth 300 sp. STANDARD EXCHANGE RATE A suggested monetary exchange rate is supplied on the table below. Table 73: Monetary Exchange Exchange pp gp ep sp cp pp 1:1 1:5 1:10 1:50 1:250 gp 5:1 1:1 1:2 1:10 1:50 ep 10:1 2:1 1:1 1:5 1:25 sp 50:1 10:1 5:1 1:1 1:5 cp 250:1 50:1 25:1 5:1 1:1 Monetary Exchange Rates Explained: Using a gold piece (gp) as the standard for measuring the exchange rate, 50 copper pieces equal 1 gold piece, 10 silver pieces equal 1 gold piece, 2 electrum pieces equal 1 gold piece, and 5 gold pieces equal 1 platinum piece. ARMOUR AND SHIELDS Armour is the defensive covering worn in battle by warriors. It is made from a variety of materials, including cloth, fur, leather, mail, and metal plates. A shield is a piece of armour that is used to deflect or intercept attacks ARMOUR Armour provides the base armour class of the character, which can be adjusted further by dexterity, shield, sorcery, and other modifiers. Armour also informs character movement rate. The armour types on Table 74 are presumed to include suitable limb protection and headgear (e.g., leather armour includes a reinforced leather cap; chain mail, a coif; plate mail a sallet; field or full plate, a great helm). Heavy armours include a gauntlet or demi-gauntlet of like material. Donning armour takes time: Light armour: 1–3 minutes (6–18 rounds) Medium armour: 1–6 minutes (6–36 rounds) Heavy armour: 10 minutes (1 turn) The above rates may be halved with assistance. chapter 6
135 Volume I: Player’s Manual Table 74: Armour AC Armour Type Cost DR Weight Weight Class MV 9 None — 0 — — 40 8 Padded 10 gp 0 10 Light 40 7 Leather 15 gp 0 15 Light 40 6 Studded 25 gp 0 20 Light 40 6 Scale Mail 50 gp 1 25 Medium 30 5 Chain Mail 75 gp 1 30 Medium 30 5 Laminated 75 gp 1 30 Medium 30 4 Banded Mail 150 gp 1 35 Medium 30 4 Splint Mail 150 gp 1 35 Medium 30 3 Plate Mail 350 gp 2 40 Heavy 20 2 Field Plate 1,000 gp 2 50 Heavy 20 1 Full Plate 2,000 gp 2 60 Heavy 20 Armour Table Defined: AC: The base armour class imparted by the armour type. Armour condition can modify its class; for instance, partially corroded chain mail might be treated as AC 6. Type: The basic armour name, described hereafter. Cost: The usual cost in gold pieces. DR: Damage reduction.The number subtracted from damage rolls. This adjustment may reduce sustained damage to 0. Damage reduction applies to melee and missile attacks, but not traps, falling damage, poison, flaming oil, or most spells. Weight: The armour’s typical weight in pounds. Weight Class: The armour’s mass and bulkiness. MV: Movement. The number of feet per round (10 seconds) a character can move when wearing the respective armour type. This rate is doubled when running. Armour Descriptions: (AC 8) Padded (Quilted) Armour: Layers of cloth sewn together, with cotton or wool sandwiched between. Also known as a gambeson. (AC 7) Leather Armour: Leather boiled in oil or water, shaped, and moulded; alternatively, leather scales sewn onto a cloth or soft leather backing. Outland tribes (barbarians) might fashion similar armour from the hides and furs of wild and exotic beasts. (AC 6) Studded Armour: Leather or heavy cloth armour studded with small metal plates. This construction is called ring mail when metal rings are sewn onto such a backing, or brigandine when scales are riveted betwixt two layers of soft leather, the rivets protruding from the exterior. Barbaric cultures might stud leather or hide armour with bone or horn. (AC 6) Scale Mail: Suit of small, overlapping metal scales (like those of a fish) sewn or riveted onto a padded or soft leather backing. Outland tribes might use mammoth hide or horn to derive similar armour. (AC 5) Chain Mail: Mesh suit or knee-length coat of small, interlocking metal rings. A layer of fabric or soft leather is worn underneath. (AC 5) Laminated Armour: Cuirass of segmented and hinged strips of steel riveted onto leather straps, laced together, and worn over a cloth undercoat. Leg protection may include a leather skirt studded with small metal plates, or mail of similar design. (AC 4) Banded Mail: Articulated metal bands worn over or laced through a suit of light chain mail. Felt or soft leather padding is worn underneath. (AC 4) Splint (Lamellar) Mail: Articulated metal splints of variable size laced together and worn over a soft leather or felt undercoat. (AC 3) Plate Mail: Chain mail reinforced with large metal plates that protect the trunk, arms, and legs. (AC 2) Field Plate: A knight’s harness; a suit of interlocking, laminated plates worn over a gambeson. Includes a great helm. (Limited availability.) (AC 1) Full Plate: A knight’s “full harness”; interlocking, articulated, riveted plate armour, sometimes ribbed to deflect blows. It includes a minimum of mail used to protect exposed areas (armpits, crooks of elbows and knees, groin) and is worn over a gambeson. Includes a great helm. (Limited availability.)
136 HYPERBOREA SHIELDS Shields improve AC versus blows and missiles. Most shields are of hardwood covered with leather or animal hide, bossed and edged with iron or steel; less commonly, some are crafted entirely of metal. Shields reduce (improve) AC; however, this bonus does not apply to attacks from the rear, per referee discretion. Table 75: Shields Type Cost Weight Defence Modifier Small 5 gp 5 +1 Large 10 gp 10 +2 Shields Table Defined: Type: The basic shield name, described hereafter. Cost: The usual cost in gold pieces. Weight: The shield’s typical weight in pounds. Defence Modifier: Shields provide AC bonuses, reducing (improving) AC. Shield Descriptions: Small Shield: A small kite, oval, rectangular, or round shield typically one to two feet in diameter; includes forearm straps. A small shield may be worn on the forearm whilst the character employs a bow. Large Shield: A large kite, oval, rectangular, or round shield typically two to three feet in diameter; includes a chest strap so that it may be slung over one’s back or shoulders. WEAPONS Hand-to-hand combat is engaged with melee weapons, such as axes, daggers, hammers, maces, and swords. Hurled missile weapons are either melee weapons that are balanced well enough to be hurled, such as hand axes, horseman’s hammers, or short spears; or weapons that are built exclusively for hurling, such as boomerangs, darts, and hooked throwing knives. Missile launching weapons, such as bows, crossbows, and slings, fire projectiles at much greater range than most hurled weapons, but they require the use of ammunition. MELEE WEAPONS Hand-to-hand combat weapons. Those with a listed range value also can be hurled. Note that all melee weapons have a base atack rate of 1/1 (one attack per round). Melee Weapons Table Defined: Type: The basic weapon name, described hereafter. Weapon Class (WC): Accounts for the relative length and function of melee weapons. The largest weapon classes (5 and 6) oft prove unwieldy in tight quarters. Combatants must be within weapon reach to be able to attack: WC 0–3: within 5 feet WC 4–5: within 10 feet WC 6: within 15–20 feet Cost: The usual cost in gold pieces. Weight: The weapon’s typical weight in pounds. Range: Standard ranges for missile weapons (launched and hurled) are short (S), medium (M), and long (L). Each value represents the weapon’s effective range in feet indoors (e.g., dungeon, castle, cave) and yards outdoors (e.g., wilderness, sea). A minimum distance of six feet is required to fire any missile. Short-range shots: no penalties Medium-range shots: −2 “to hit” Long-range shots: −5 “to hit” Hurled Rate of Fire (ROF): Some melee can be effectively hurled. This value represents the ROF for such weapons. Note that weapon mastery (fighters and fighter subclasses only) may improve the ROF for hurled weapons. Damage: The hit points of damage a weapon inflicts. Some weapons have a second damage range noted in parentheses. If such a weapon is used with a shield or an off-hand weapon, the first damage range applies; used by itself (gripped with two hands), the parenthetical range applies. Hurled weapons always utilize the smaller damage range.
137 Volume I: Player’s Manual Table 76: Melee Weapons Type WC Cost Weight Range (S/M/L) Hurled ROF Damage Axe, Hand 1 5 gp 2 15/30/45 1/1 1d6 Axe, Battle 2 10 gp 5 — — 1d8 (1d10) Axe, Great (+ #) 4 20 gp 10 — — 2d6 Cæstuses 0 1 gp 1 — — +1 Chain Whip (↵) 4 10 gp 3 — — 1d6 Club, Light 1 1 gp 2 10/20/30 1/1 1d4 Club, War 2 3 gp 4 — — 1d6 (1d8) Dagger 1 4 gp 1 10/20/30 3/2 1d4 Dagger, Silver 1 25 gp 1 10/20/30 3/2 1d4 Falcata 1 10 gp 3 — — 1d6 Flail, Horseman’s (↵) 1 5 gp 3 — — 1d6 Flail, Footman’s (↵ +) 3 10 gp 10 — — 1d10 Halberd (+ ^ #) 4 15 gp 8 — — 1d10 Hammer, Horseman’s 1 5 gp 3 10/20/30 1/1 1d6 Hammer, War 2 10 gp 5 — — 1d8 (1d10) Hammer, Great (+ #) 4 20 gp 10 — — 2d6 Javelin 2 3 gp 3 20/40/80 1/1 1d4 (1d6) Lance (^ ∇ o) 5 15 gp 8 — — 1d8 Mace, Horseman’s 1 4 gp 3 — — 1d6 Mace, Footman’s 2 10 gp 5 — — 1d8 (1d10) Mace, Great (+ #) 4 20 gp 10 — — 2d6 Morning Star (Ω) 2 15 gp 5 — — 1d8 (1d10) Pick, Horseman’s (Ω) 1 5 gp 3 — — 1d6 Pick, War (Ω) 2 15 gp 5 — — 1d8 (1d10) Pike (+ ^) 6 7 gp 12 — — 1d8 Quarterstaff (↔) 3 5 gp 5 — — 1d6 Scimitar, Short 1 10 gp 3 — — 1d6 Scimitar, Long 2 20 gp 4 — — 1d8 (1d10) Scimitar, Two-handed (+) 4 40 gp 6 — — 3d4 Sickle 1 3 gp 2 — — 1d4 Spear, Short (^) 3 4 gp 5 15/30/45 1/1 1d6 (1d8) Spear, Long (^) 4 5 gp 7 — — 1d6 (1d8) Spear, Great (+ ^ ∇) 5 7 gp 9 — — 1d8 Spiked Staff (+ ^ #) 3 15 gp 7 — — 1d10 Sword, Short 1 10 gp 3 — — 1d6 Sword, Broad 2 20 gp 4 — — 1d8 (1d10) Sword, Long 2 20 gp 4 — — 1d8 (1d10) Sword, Bastard 3 30 gp 5 — — 1d8 (2d6) Sword, Two-handed (+) 4 40 gp 6 — — 3d4 Tonfa (↔) 1 2 gp 1 — — 1d4 Trident, Hand (↔) 1 7 gp 1 — — 1d4 Trident, Long (^) 4 10 gp 6 10/20/30 1/1 1d6 (1d8) Whip 5 1 gp 2 — — 1d2 Melee Weapons Table Annotations: (↵) = Ignores AC bonus provided by opponent’s shield (if any). (Ω) = +1 “to hit” opponents wearing plate mail, field plate, or full plate. (+) = A “true” two-handed melee weapon; must be wielded with two hands. (↔) = +1 AC bonus versus melee attacks; quarterstaff must be wielded with two hands; tonfa and hand trident must be dual wielded (one in each hand). (^) = Double damage dice (apply modifiers after) when set to receive a charge. (#) = Weapon has a 4-in-6 chance to dismount a rider on a natural 19 or 20 attack roll. (∇) = Double damage dice (apply modifiers after) when used from a charging mount. (o) = Base damage improves to 1d10 when mounted on a heavy warhorse. 6
138 HYPERBOREA Melee Weapon Descriptions: Axe: A single-edged chopping blade affixed to a haft of reinforced wood. Axe blades can be double-bitted or have a rear fluke or hammer, and many feature a head and/or butt spike. Hand axe: 1½-foot hafts, feature heavy convex heads with four-inch cutting edges, and are suitable for throwing; the hand axe is a fine horseman’s weapon. Battle axe: Heavier blade and longer haft (from two to three feet in length). Great axe: Haft of three feet or longer; requires two-hands. Cæstuses: Leather thongs wrapped around the hands and weighted with iron or lead plates or spikes. Cæstuses provide an enhancement (+1 damage bonus) to pummelling, a form of unarmed combat, and to a monk’s empty hand attack. Chain Whip: A six- to eight-foot whip made from metal bars linked by short lengths of chain. One end has a handle, and the opposite end has a heavy dart attached. The dart is used to slash or pierce the target. Though this weapon cannot be used to entangle like a normal whip, it bypasses enemy shield bonuses to AC by wrapping around the obstruction. Club: A short, stout length of wood with a blunt head and narrow handle that might be drilled and fitted with a thong of leather. Some clubs are reinforced with strips of metal. Light club: Suitable for hurling and typically has a smooth, rounded head. War club: Heavier club, can be wielded one- or two-handed and may radiate spikes or nails from its wide head.
139 Volume I: Player’s Manual Dagger: A straight or curved blade, single- or double-edged, about one foot in length protruding from a hilt of five to six inches; may also include a guard and pommel. Daggers are used primarily in close-quarter fighting and are suitable for throwing. This weapon class includes all manner of knives (single-edged, no guard). Longer, heavier knives (10- to 15-inch blades) oft are used for hunting or chopping brush; they are unsuitable for throwing. A silver dagger is a dagger of iron or steel impregnated with bands of silver; these can be more delicate than a standard dagger. Falcata: Forwards-curving, single-edged short sword with blade edge on the concave side. The blade protrudes from a hook-shaped hilt of metal or wood. Rare examples are double-edged. Flail: A short rod or mace head linked by a chain or hinge to a shaft. Flails can bypass opponents’ shields, negating AC bonuses derived therefrom. Horseman’s flail: Lighter, more likely to be connected by a chain. Footman’s flail: Heavier, oft features a hinge. Halberd: A two-handed pole-arm with a six- to eightfoot, metal-banded haft, featuring a socketed, heavy axe blade opposed by a pointed fluke or hook, and headed with a spear point or sabre-like blade. For gaming purposes, the halberd as a weapon category subsumes other pole-arms and pole-axes, including bills, fauchards, gisarmes, and glaives. If the campaign calls for an alternative pole-arm, use halberd statistics; however, some pole-arms are more pike- or spear-like, so referee discretion is advised. 6
140 Hammer: An iron or steel head (flat, rounded, or spiked) mounted on a haft that oft is reinforced with metal. Many hammers feature top or butt spikes for thrusting and rear flukes or axe heads. Horseman’s hammer: Short haft (about one foot long) and may be thrown or wielded in melee; it is well suited to mounted combat. War hammer: Longer haft and may be used one- or two-handed. Great hammer: Haft of three to four feet in length and must be wielded with two hands. Javelin: A light spear of four- to six-foot length with a socketed, metal head. This category also includes the pilum, a short spear with a long, socketed, iron head of barbed or pyramidal point. Lance: A specialized form of the spear, frequently 12 feet or longer, weighted to be couched and wielded in one hand from horseback. Afoot it must be wielded in two hands, or else cut down to a manageable length. Mace: A stout haft bound with metal and/or topped with a metal head. The head may be rounded or cylindrical, and smooth, flanged, or spiked (cf. morning star), but its primary purpose is to deliver crushing blows. Horseman’s mace: Lighter head, has a haft about two feet long. Footman’s mace: Heavier head, has a haft about three feet long and can be used one- or two-handed. Great mace: Heavy head, has a haft three to four feet long and must be wielded with two hands. HYPERBOREA
141 Volume I: Player’s Manual Morning Star: A heavy mace with a round or cylindrical metal head, radiating numerous spikes well suited to penetrating plate armour. Morning stars have hafts three feet in length and can be used one- or two-handed. Sometimes referred to as a holy water sprinkler, a morning star may be forged to include a socket within which clerics might insert a phial of holy water. Pick: A curved or straight spike attached to a reinforced haft, designed to penetrate plate armour. Horseman’s pick: Haft of about two feet in length and is well suited to mounted combat. War pick: Haft of about three feet and can be used one- or two-handed. In some instances, the spike is divided into several prongs and may jut out of a hammer head; in other cases, spikes may protrude from the side of the head. Pike: An exceptionally long and heavy spear oft reinforced with metal bands. The short version is 15–18 feet in length, the longer version up to 24 feet; the latter may be termed the great pike. In dense formations pikes present an almost impenetrable forest of deadly spearheads, but in isolation they are of limited use. Quarterstaff: A thick shaft of wood typically five to seven feet in length, usually shod in iron, and possibly spiked at the ends. The quarterstaff is wielded with two hands: one hand gripping near the centre, the other hand at the “quarter” length. It is a superior parrying weapon due to its balance, length, and reinforcement. 6
142 HYPERBOREA Scimitar: Backwards-curving, single-edged long sword with the bladed edge on the convex side. The hilt is also curved. Sometimes referred to as a sabre. Short scimitar: Blade of 18–24 inches and hilt of 5–6 inches. Long Scimitar: Blade of 32–42 inches and a hilt of 5–9 inches. Two-handed scimitar: Four-foot blade, a hilt of 12 inches, and the blade edge on the convex side; sometimes referred to as a great scimitar. Sickle: A curved, semi-circular blade (smooth or serrated) mounted to a short handle of wood. The inside of the blade’s curve is the sharper. Sometimes referred to as a scythe or a reaping hook. Spear: A shaft of wood topped with a blade or spike of variable length and shape, sometimes exhibiting wings and a butt spike. Short spear: 5–7 feet in length; can be wielded in one or two hands, and is effective both as a melee and a missile weapon. Long spear: 7–10 feet in length; can be wielded one- or two-handed but not hurled. Great spear: 10–12 feet in length; must be wielded two-handed, and can prove unwieldy outside of armed formations. Spiked Staff: A combination of heavy war club and spear: a wooden shaft five feet in length, thicker at one end (four-inch diameter) and tapered at the other (twoinch diameter). The thicker end is shod in metal and topped with a heavy metal spike of 6- to 12-inch length. This weapon is well suited to dismounting riders.
143 Volume I: Player’s Manual Sword: A straight or undulating (flamberge) blade protruding from a hilt of wood or metal. A sword can be single- or double-edged, rounded or pointed; sometimes the blade is grooved to lighten and reinforce it. Hilts are of various sizes and configurations, and they may include pommels, quillons, and hand guards that range from simple to elaborate. Short sword: Double- or single-edged sword with a blade of 18–24 inches and hilt of 5–6 inches. Broad sword: Double-edged sword with blade of 32-42 inches, featuring a wider, heavier blade and a hilt of 5–9 inches. Long sword: Double- or single-edged sword with blade of 32–42 inches and a hilt of 5–9 inches. Bastard sword: The hand-and-a-half sword is like the broad sword, except the hilt is longer (about 12 inches), allowing for superior two-handed use. Two-handed sword: Double-edged blade of four to five feet with a hilt of 12–15 inches; sometimes referred to as a great sword. N.B.: The distinction between a broad sword and a long sword is so trivial that some referees might allow for weapon mastery to encompass both. 6
144 HYPERBOREA Tonfa: This hardwood club features a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down its length and is about 15–20 inches long. Typically wielded in pairs, the tonfa is an effective bludgeoning and parrying weapon. Trident: A three-pronged spearhead. Typically, the central prong is a winged spike, whilst the outer prongs are curved and often barbed for superior bloodletting. Hand trident: Also known as a sai, this threepronged thrusting dagger is typically wielded in pairs. Although not suitable for hurling, it is a superior parrying weapon. Long Trident: Three-pronged spearhead mounted on a reinforced shaft five to six feet in length. It may be wielded in one or two hands and is suitable for hurling. Whip: A 12- to 15-foot braided lash of leather that is thicker at the handle and tapers to a single cord at the end. Whips inflict pain, typically to bare skin, and the report they issue can frighten animals. A whip can be used to enwrap an opponent. A Small or Medium target may be completely enwrapped, whilst a Large target is likely entangled by a leg or two. To entangle, the following steps apply: For Small or Medium targets, exceed required score “to hit” by 3 or more. For Large targets, exceed required score “to hit” by 5. For all targets, a whip master need only hit the target AC to entangle. An entangled foe is prone. The entangled may attempt to loosen the whip with a test of strength or slip free with a test of dexterity (either attempt takes 1d2 rounds to complete); alternatively, a small blade may be used to cut free (takes 1d4 rounds).
145 Volume I: Player’s Manual MISSILE WEAPONS Missile launching weapons and hurled missiles. A minimum distance of five feet is required to fire any missile. Note that unlike melee weapons, missile weapons have variable rates of fire (ROF). ROF improves with weapon mastery (see Chapter 9: Combat, weapon skill). Missile Weapons Table Defined: Type: The basic weapon name, described hereafter. Cost: The usual cost in gold pieces. Weight: The weapon’s typical weight in pounds. ROF: The amount of missiles that can be fired per round. For more information on ROF and the effects of weapon mastery, refer to Chapter 9: Combat, weapon skill. Range: Standard ranges for missile weapons are short (S), medium (M), and long (L). Each value represents the Table 77: Missile Weapons Hurled Missile Type Cost Weight ROF Range (S/M/L) Damage Bola (⤢) 3 gp 2 1/1 15/30/45 1d2 Boomerang (⤢) 1 gp 1 1/1 50/100/150 1d4 Dart (⤢) 1 gp 1 2/1 15/30/45 1d3 Hooked Throwing Knife (↵ ⤢) 20 gp 2 1/1 30/60/90 1d6 Lasso 3 gp 3 1/2 20 feet — Net, Fighting 5 gp 7 1/2 10 feet — Stone (⤢) — 1 2/1 30/60/90 1 Launched Missile Type Cost Weight ROF Range (S/M/L) Damage Blowgun 5 gp 1 1/1 30/60/90 1 Bow, Long- (⤤) 60 gp 3 3/2 70/140/210 1d6 Bow, Long-, Composite (⤤) 100 gp 3 3/2 80/160/240 1d6 Bow, Short 20 gp 2 3/2 50/100/150 1d6 Bow, Short, Composite 50 gp 2 3/2 60/120/180 1d6 Crossbow, Heavy 25 gp 10 1/2 80/160/240 1d6+2 Crossbow, Light 15 gp 5 1/1 60/120/180 1d6+1 Crossbow, Repeating 100 gp 6 3/1 50/100/150 1d6 Sling (⤢) 2 gp 1 1/1 50/100/150 1d4 weapon’s effective range in feet indoors (e.g., dungeon, castle, cave) and yards outdoors (e.g., wilderness, sea). Short-range shots: no penalty Medium-range shots: −2 “to hit” Long-range shots: −5 “to hit” Damage: The hit points of damage a weapon inflicts. Missile Weapons Table Annotations: (↵) = Ignores AC bonus provided by opponent’s shield (if any). (⤢) = Strength damage adjustment applies. (⤤) = Strength damage adjustment applies only if draw weight is adjusted for the archer. Table 78: Ammunition Ammunition Type Cost Weight Arrow, Silver-tipped 10 gp — Arrows (×12) 5 gp 1 Bolt, Heavy or Light, Silver-tipped 10 gp — Bolts, Heavy (×10) 5 gp 2 Bolts, Light (×20) 5 gp 2 Bullet, Sling, Silver 2 gp — Bullets, Sling, Lead (×20) 5 sp 2 Note that arrow quivers and bolt cases must be purchased separately (see Table 79), but a score of bullets includes a small cloth pouch. 6
146 HYPERBOREA Missile Weapon Descriptions: Blowgun: A simple reed or wooden pipe used to propel small darts by blowing forcefully through one end. Blowgun darts do little damage alone and generally are used to deliver poisons from range. Bola: A set of strong cords weighted with spherical or ovoid balls of metal or stone. The cords are gripped together, forming a handle with which the user whirls the weapon above the head and casts it to subdue the target. Typically, this weapon does not damage opponents in heavy armour, but it can still knock them down. If the bola strikes a Small or Medium target, the victim is rendered prone unless an avoidance saving throw is made. If a natural 20 is scored, then no avoidance save is allowed; also, the target’s neck is struck, causing 1d3 hp strangulation damage per round, unless a great helm (included with all plate armours) is worn. A master bola hurler can achieve the same result on a natural 19 or 20. Breaking free of the bola requires 1d2 rounds, if using a test of strength or dexterity; alternatively, a small blade may be used to cut free (takes 1d4 rounds). Boomerang: A curved, flat piece of wood that functions as a light throwing club. If hurled by a skilled user, the boomerang will return to the thrower. Completing the circuit requires lateral movement of one to eight feet for a skilled user, though no lateral movement is required for a boomerang master. Boomerangs cannot be made to return if indoors (e.g., dungeon, castle, cave); some are not designed for return at all. Bow: A curved stave of wood, the ends of which are joined by a taut string. A bow made from a single piece of wood is called a self bow, and a bow composed of more than one material is called a composite bow. An arrow (feathered shaft of wood) is fit to the string by a notch, drawn to greater tension, and launched. Short bows: three- to four-footlong bows. Longbows: four- to five-foot-long bows. Composite bows: recurved bows, with staves of wood, sinew, and horn. The draw weight of longbows and composite longbows can be adjusted to match the strength of the shooter, thus allowing strength damage adjustment to apply. N.B.: One must have 9 strength or greater to pull a longbow (composite or self).
147 Volume I: Player’s Manual Crossbow: A bow of wood or metal mounted crosswise on a stock with trigger. The ends of the bow are fit with a taut string. Bolts (short, heavy arrows, sometimes called quarrels) are loaded by pulling the string back until it locks onto a nut on the stock. Heavy crossbow: Fires heavy bolts, require mechanisms such as windlasses or crannequins (though they might use goat’s foot levers, too). Light crossbow: Fires light bolts, typically loaded with two hands using a claw and belt or a goat’s foot (the latter more popular with horsemen). Repeating crossbow: Specialized form of light crossbow that shoots light bolts thrice per round. This rarely available crossbow is equipped with a magazine that holds 12 missiles. Repeating crossbows are highly unreliable; any attack roll of a natural 1–3 results in the mechanism jamming, requiring 1d3 rounds to repair. If the optional critical miss rules are used, a 1 result becomes a “fumble,” and 2–3 results in a jam. N.B.: A repeating crossbow’s rate of fire cannot be improved by sorcery such as the haste spell. Dart: Small, hand-hurled missile with a barbed metal head and a feathered shaft for stabilization. Hooked Throwing Knife: A three-, four-, or fivepronged, metal hurling weapon, 12–18 inches in diameter. Each prong projects a single-edged, hooked or curved blade of four- to six-inches (though one prong might be bladeless, serving as the weapon’s primary handle). This missile can strike and curl over a defender’s shield, effectively bypassing it. Five-pronged versions (in which each prong supports a curved blade) have distinctive star shapes; some practitioners refer to this type as a glaive (not to be confused with the pole-arm of the same name). Lasso: A looped rope, usually 20–30 feet long, designed to be thrown over a target within 20 feet and tightened when pulled. It is typically used to herd animals or to pull a person off a horse. The lasso is made of stiff or weighted rope so that the noose stays open when cast. The following steps apply: An attack roll must be made. If successful, the target is allowed an avoidance saving throw to escape. If the save fails, Small or Medium sized victims are prone for as long as the lassoer exerts pressure. Large creatures made prone only if the lassoer is on horseback or if some other significant leverage is enjoyed. If a lassoer rolls a natural 20, then no avoidance save is allowed, and the target is strangled for 1d3 damage per round. Great helm wearers (included with all plate armours) and other creatures (skeletons, zombies, automata, etc.) are not subject to strangulation. A master lassoer can achieve the same result on a natural 19 or 20. Breaking free requires 1d2 rounds if using an extraordinary feat of strength or dexterity; alternatively, a small blade may be used to cut free (takes 1d4 rounds). 6
148 HYPERBOREA Net, Fighting: A circular, 10-foot-diameter mesh net weighted at the ends with balls of lead. A drawstring rope loops through the circumference. Often used in conjunction with a trident, the net fighter wraps both ends of the drawstring rope around his or her casting arm, then lashes the net, attempting to enwrap a target within 10 feet, which must be of Small or Medium size. The following steps apply: An attack roll must be made. If successful, the target must roll an avoidance save or become enmeshed and prone. If the net user holds the drawstring taut, breaking free requires 1d2 rounds if using an extraordinary feat of strength or dexterity; alternatively, a small blade may be used to cut free (takes 2d4 rounds). If the drawstring rope is not held taut, intelligent targets can escape in 2d6 rounds, or 1d6 rounds for those of dexterity 13+. Sling: A strap or loop of leather used to hurl stones or bullets (balls of iron, lead, or silver bonded with lead). If improvised stones are collected, missile range might be reduced to 40/80/120. Lastly, in a dungeon, castle, tower, or other indoor setting, shots are limited to short range unless roof height is 20 or more feet. AMMUNITION TRACKING It is incumbent on the player to keep track of ammunition. Referee discretion is advised, but a decent rule of thumb for ammunition recovery is a 3-in-6 chance for all missiles that miss their mark; however, sling bullets shot outdoors are impossible to locate. Too, missiles that strike their mark might be subject to breakage, per referee discretion. GEAR The general equipment, clothing, provisions, and religious objects utilized by adventurers. Most such items are available for purchase in the larger centers of civilization, such as Erikssgard, Fazzuum, Fidb, Gal, Khromarium, Pandoros, Port Zangerios, and Yithorium. EQUIPMENT (General) Standard gear utilized by adventurers of all stripes. Table 79: Equipment (General) Equipment Type Cost Weight Arrow Quiver (leather; dozen capacity) 1 gp 1 Backpack (leather; 50-lb. capacity) 5 gp 2 Bandages, Gauze (10-ft. ball) 1 sp — Belladonna (dried bunch) (1:4 chance cures lycanthropy; 1:10 chance fatal pending death [poison] save) 30 gp — Blanket, Winter 5 sp 3 Block and Tackle 5 gp 5 Bolt Case (leather; score capacity) 1 gp 1 Book, Blank (leather cover, sewn binding, 50 parchment pages) 50 gp 1
149 Volume I: Player’s Manual Equipment Type Cost Weight Bottle (glass or ceramic; 12-oz. capacity) 1 gp — Bow Case (leather; waterproof) 10 gp 1 Candle, Beeswax (8-hour burn time, 5-ft. radius of light) 1 sp — Candle, Tallow (2-hour burn time, 5-ft. radius of light) 1 cp — Case, Map or Scroll (brass) 5 gp — Case, Map or Scroll (leather) 2 gp — Chain, Iron, Heavy (½-inch thick) (gp cost = per ft.) 5 gp 3 Chain, Iron, Light (¼-inch thick) (gp cost = per ft.) 3 gp 1 Chalk (piece) 1 cp — Chisel (metal-, stone-, or wood-cutting) 5 sp 1 Cord, Sinew (100-ft. ball) 2 cp — Crampons (pair) (includes ice axe: WC 1, 1d3 hp damage) 2 gp 1 Dice, Ivory (pair) 2 sp — Fishing Hooks (×12) 5 sp — Fishing Net (10 × 10 ft.) 3 gp 3 Fishing String (100-ft. ball) 1 cp — Glue (1-qt. clay pot) (powdered; must add hot water) 3 cp 2 Grappling Hook (iron) 15 gp 3 Grease (1-qt. clay pot) 2 cp 2 Hammer, Small (iron) (WC 1, 1d2 hp damage) 5 sp 2 Helmet (normally included with armour purchase) 10 gp 2 Horn, Drinking 1 sp 1 Horn, Hunting 2 gp 1 Hourglass (brass) 25 gp 1 Ink and Quill 10 gp — Lantern, Bull’s-Eye (15-ft. radius of light, 60-ft. narrow beam) 10 gp 2 Lantern, Hooded (30-ft. radius of light) 7 gp 2 Marbles (×20) (glass or ceramic; in soft leather pouch) 2 sp — Mirror (polished steel; 3 × 5 inches) 5 gp 1 Mirror (silver; 3 × 5 inches) 20 gp 1 Nails (×20) (iron; 4-inch) 1 sp — Needle, Blowgun 1 sp — Needle, Sewing 1 cp — Oil, Incendiary (8-oz. flask) (Greek fire) 35 gp 1 Oil, Lamp (8-oz. flask) (6-hour burn time) 1 sp 1 Padlock and Key 10 gp 1 Parchment (sheet) 1 gp — Pole (wooden; 10-ft.) 3 sp 5 Pouch (hard leather; holds 6 potions or 3 scrolls; includes belt loops) 5 gp — Pouch (soft leather; holds 6–9 cubic inches of material; includes drawstring) 7 cp — Pry Bar (iron; 16-inch) 1 gp 3 Ring, Signet (pewter) 5 gp — Rope, Hemp (50-ft.) (½-inch) 1 gp 5 Rope, Silk (50-ft.) (¼-inch) 15 gp 2 Rope Ladder, Hemp (50-ft.) (2 parallel hemp ropes connected by short wooden crosspieces) 5 gp 12 Rope Ladder, Silk (50-ft.) (2 parallel silk ropes connected by short wooden crosspieces) 50 gp 6 Sack, Large (cloth or leather; 40-lb. capacity) 3 sp — Sack, Small (cloth or leather; 20-lb. capacity) 1 sp — Scabbard (leather; with baldric; normally included with sword purchase) 5 sp — 6
