What is Hawkmoor?

Hawkmoor is my own home-brewed fantasy roleplaying setting. Hawkmoor started off as a setting for the first edition of the Worlds Most Popular Role Playing Game, but has been attached to many different game systems since those early days. This document is the latest official version of Hawkmoor, presented here as a companion volume for S. John Ross most excellent Risus: The Anything RPG. Herein I have tried to take Hawkmoor back to its roots and preserve that old school feel without abandoning the new school design aesthetic that makes Risus tick. Whether I have accomplished this or not is something that I leave up to you, the reader, to determine. Regardless of whether or not I have achieved this goal, I hope that you enjoy Hawkmoor and find that it provides you with many hours of fantasy adventure. Regards, James D. Hargrove

Some Art by openclipart.org, Kiss Mrton Gyula, and Team Frog Studios ( 2005) used with permission. Some Art by Maciej Zagorski, used with permission of The Forge Studios. Hawkmoor is Copyright 2009-2012 by James D. Hargrove. Risus is Copyright 1993-2012 by S. John Ross.

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For the Players

This section of the Hawkmoor rule book is intended for all players of the game, including the Referee. Herein are laid out new rules pertaining to character creation, conflict, Sorcery, and Divine Gifts.

Character Creation
Creating a player character for use with the Hawkmoor campaign setting is, for the most part, handled exactly as standard character creation per the Risus core rules, using the default 10d6 method. Advanced Options are used (or not) as discussed below.

Hooks and Tales

The Advanced Option for Hooks and Tales is utilized when playing in Hawkmoor.

Pumping Clichs
The Advanced Option for Pumping Clichs is utilized when playing in Hawkmoor.

Double-Pumps
The Advanced Option for Double-Pumps is not utilized when playing in Hawkmoor.

Funky Dice
The Advanced Option for Funky Dice is not utilized when playing in Hawkmoor.

Hawkmoor Clichs
There are two broad types of clich in the Hawkmoor campaign setting: Race Clichs and Occupational Clichs. Any given character may have only one Race Clich, but may choose freely from Occupation Clichs. Note that to be "Human" one does not need a Race Clich, as being human is nothing special in Hawkmoor.

Race Clichs
Ancestral Spirit (being incorporeal, possessing knowledge of ancient times, sensing magical energy)

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 Beastman (having thick body hair, being supernaturally agile, attacking with tooth and nail) Cyclops (having one large eye, wielding spears with skill in combat, being ridiculously strong) Dwarf (being short and stout, appraising precious metals, having an empathic link to living stone) Elf (being fair of hair and skin, speaking to plants, having an empathic link with an animal companion) Wee'uns (being short and jolly, sneaking around unnoticed, telling tall tales with a straight face)

Occupational Clichs
Priest (having prophetic visions, turning away the undead, taking on the wounds of others) Professional (plying Vocation X, being versed in vocation-specific lore, training others in said vocation) Rogue (climbing sheer surfaces, moving in the shadows, picking locks, evading traps) Sorcerer (dressing like a fop, unlocking the many mysteries of X Magick, reading and writing) Warrior (intimidating others, pub brawling, talking trash, wielding weapons in combat) Note the "X" in the description of what a Sorcerer is good at. This X represents a specific school of Hawkmoor Magick, as detailed in the section of these rules entitled Sorcerous Pursuits. If your character has the Sorcerer clich, you must choose one kind of Magick for them to specialize in. The instance of "X" in the description of what a Professional is good at represents a specific non-adventuring professional vocation (e.g., herbalist, navigator, prostitute, smith, etc). If a character has the Professional clich, you need to choose one specific professional vocation for them to specialize in. It is possible for a character to specialize in multiple vocations by taking the Professional clich multiple times (i.e., one time for each new vocation specialized in).
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New Conflict Rules

The following new conflict rules deviate from the standard Risus rules in many notable ways, but do so only in pursuit of fidelity to the Hawkmoor setting.

Dubrow Initiative
Dubrow Initiative is a simple means of determining what characters act when during the course of a conflict. To determine acting order, the Referee rolls one die. If the die result is an even number, the character of the first player to the left of the Referee acts first and action then proceeds around the room or table in a clockwise direction, with the Referee's characters acting last. If the die result is an odd number, the character of the first player to the right of the Referee acts first and action proceeds around the room or table counter-clockwise, with the Referee's characters acting last.

Serious Damage
Serious Damage is presented here as a new Advanced Option for Risus. In the standard Risus rules, all combat is drawn out, being resolved as a series of back and forth blows. Serious Damage introduces the possibility of one hit kills and knockouts into Risus combat. Despite sounding complex, the way in which Serious Damage works is actually quite simple. During a contest, if a player rolls a result that is more than double the result generated by their opponent, said opponent is automatically out of the combat and their clich is reduced to zero dice. Whether a character who is removed from a combat in this manner is struck dead or unconscious is up to the player of the victorious character, per the standard Risus rules.

Regaining Clich Dice

Any clich dice lost in a physical or magical conflict are regained at the rate of one die per hour of non-strenuous activity that passes. Non-strenuous activities include things such as reading, resting, sleeping, and travel by wagon, ship, or other mechanical conveyance. All clich dice lost in a social conflict are completely replenished after one hour of non-strenuous activity passes. Non-strenuous activities, again, include things such as reading, resting, sleeping, and travel by wagon, ship, or other mechanical conveyance.

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Sorcerous Pursuits
Herein are put forth the rules for Sorcery and Magick in the world of Hawkmoor.

The Schools of Sorcery

Color and the art of Sorcery are inextricably linked in Hawkmoor. There are currently six recognized schools of Hawkmoor Sorcery as listed below: Black Magick Blue Magick Green Magick Grey Magick Red Magick White Magick

Black Magick allows one to cast spells related to vermin, smoke, or disease; Blue Magick allows one to cast spells of sea creatures, salt water, or sorrow; Green Magick allows one to cast spells of serpents, emeralds, or perception; Grey Magick allows one to cast spells related to wolves, iron, or Winter; Red Magick allows one to cast spells concerning demons, blood, or hunger; and White Magick allows one to cast spells that deal with birds of prey, wind, or travel. There may well be other types of Sorcery whose ways have been lost to time. The above list should not be considered all encompassing and you, as the Referee, are encouraged to expand upon it.

Casting Sorcerous Spells

Casting a spell outside of combat is resolved like any other non-combat action in Risus and casting a spell in combat is resolved like any other conflict. To cast a spell, one only need describe what their intent is and then roll to make it happen. The Referee may, of course, adjust Target Numbers for non-combat spells as he sees fit.

Items Imbued With Magick

Two words can sum up the nature of items imbued with Magick as they exist in Hawkmoor: They're rare. Items infused with Magick are things of legend in the world of Hawkmoor as it is very difficult to infuse inanimate objects with such power.
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When an attempt to imbue an item with Magick power is made, a player announces what kind of effect they want to imbue an item with, explains how that effect is related to the school of Sorcery that their character specializes in, and then rolls some dice. The standard Target Number for imbuing an item with Magick is 15, though dyeing, forging, painting or otherwise infusing the item to be enchanted with a color that corresponds to the school of Sorcery being used will reduce this Target Number to 10. Finally, if an item is successfully imbued with Magick, the Sorcerer doing the imbuing must permanently surrender a die in his Sorcerer cliche, representing the personal power investment that enchantment requires.

Gifts of Divinity
The High Gods of Hawkmoor have blessed their priests with three divine gifts that they may use in service to the faithful. These gifts are detailed below.

The Gift of Restoration

With a successful roll against a Target Number of 7, a priest of the High Gods can lay his hands upon another individual and transfer any number of his own cliche dice to that individual, immediately restoring unto them any cliche dice that they have lost as the result of conflict, plague, or other averse conditions. An individual who is treated in such a manner may not have any of their depleted cliches raised above their initial rating due to the transfer of dice. Finally, a priest who transfers his cliche dice to another individual in this manner regains those dice as if he had lost them in a conflict. See the section of these rules entitled New Conflict Rules for more information.

The Gift of Prophecy

The High Gods have granted their messengers the ability to see possible futures by performing sacred rites and meditating upon holy words. Praying for a vision in this manner is resolved by rolling against a Target Number of 7, with the Referee narrating a vision based upon the dice roll results. The accuracy of a vision will depend upon the degree of success or failure that an attempt to experience such a vision meets with. For this reason, the Referee may want to roll the dice for such an attempt in secret (i.e., he may roll the dice rather than the player of the priest). He may opt to do so at his discretion.

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The Gift of Turning

The most potent gift that the priests of the High Gods have been given is the ability to repel creatures of unlife (e.g. zombies, vampires, etc) within a ten foot radius of their current position. An attempt to repel creatures of unlife is resolved by rolling against a base Target Number of 7, though the specific type of creature that the priest is attempting to repel will raise or lower the Target Number. As a rule of thumb, unintelligent creatures of unlife (e.g. zombies) are typically much easier to repel than sentient creatures of unlife (e.g. vampires). Employing holy symbols, special incantations or, in a pinch, even tracing holy names in the air with one's finger can aid the outcome of an attempt to repel creatures of unlife. Exactly how much such things aid an attempt to repel creatures of unlife is up to the Referee, though a good rule of thumb is that the more such methods employed, the better.

The Setting
This section of the Hawkmoor rules is intended for both players and the Referee alike. Herein you will find an overview of religion in Hawkmoor and a brief gazetteer that details the lay of the land, as well as important secular organizations in the kingdom.

Gods of Hawkmoor
There are two primary pantheons of deities worshiped in the realm of Hawkmoor today: The High Gods and the Low Gods. There were once many gods in each of these pantheons, though many long ago fell out of favor with the common man and were forgotten as time marched on without them. There once also existed the Old Gods, primal beings who created the cosmos and everything in it, including the heavens and the world itself, but who disappeared untold aeons before the High Gods and Low Gods claimed the world as their own.

The High Gods

The High Gods of Hawkmoor are those valiant deities who embody the forces of good in the world, fighting a never-ending war against the Low Gods and doing their best to push back against the Nothingness. Arthos: Arthos is the god of the hunt, depicted as a bearded wild man with ebony skin who roams the untamed regions of the world, stalking the twisted creatures that the Low Gods have released into the wilderness. Arthos is primarily worshiped by hunters, but also by villages who depend upon the bounty of the hunt to survive.
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Mam: Mam is the Mother Goddess, holding sway over health and fertility, both of the fields and of the womb. Mam is worshiped by most everybody in Hawkmoor, but farmers and women who are with child pay her special attention. Mam is commonly depicted as a pregnant woman with hair like golden corn silk and skin like ivory. Solon: Depicted as an elderly man with long white hair and a flowing beard, Solon is the 'king' of the High Gods, ruler of the celestial heavens and embodiment of justice in the world. Like Mam, he is worshiped by most everybody in Hawkmoor, though the ruling class calls upon him the most, so that their own governing policies may be guided by his hand. Talas: The wisest of the High Gods, Talas is the keeper of secrets and protector of knowledge. Depicted as having the head and body of a lion with the wings of a condor, Talas is the only one of the High Gods whose physical form is distinctly non-human. Talas is worshiped by all seekers of heavenly knowledge, though both priests and sorcerers are especially wont to seek him out. Thena: Depicted as a beautiful maiden with flowing golden hair, wearing shiny plated armor, Thena is the goddess of both love and war in Hawkmoor. Worshiped by all manner of soldiers and fighting men, from royal knights to lawless mercenaries, Thena is also prayed to by lovers seeking to keep romance in their lives.

The Low Gods

The Low Gods of Hawkmoor tend to be either deliberately vile or simply uncaring deities who embody forces such as evil, chaos, and entropy in the world. Borza: The god of storms, Borza is a temperamental god who can visit either nourishing, gentle, rains or mass destruction upon Hawkmoor as it suits him. Commonly depicted as a lithe young man with a shock of white hair, Borza is worshiped primarily by farmers, though when he visits blizzards, tornadoes, or other destructive storms upon the land, many people beg for his favor. Furas: Furas, most often depicted as a muscular young man with bright red hair, is the wild and unpredictable god of forge and fire, worshiped by craftsmen and prayed to by all when his flames come licking at their door. Furas is characterized as being a powerful creative force, but also as being temperamental and cruel. Gwyar: Commonly referred to as "Taker" for fear that invoking his true name will summon him forth, Gwyar is the god of death in Hawkmoor, often depicted as a pale, sickly, man. Uncaring and
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remorseless, Gwyar collects the souls of the deceased, whisking them off to the realm of the dead. He is worshiped by noone, save for those who hope to elude his icy grasp by striking a bargain with him. Krall: Krall is the god of famine and plague in Hawkmoor, commonly depicted as an elderly man arrayed in torn rags. Like his brother Gwyar, Krall is worshiped by few, as he has little to offer the common man of Hawkmoor, save for deliverance from his ravages when it suits him to do so. He is most commonly associated with the plague that bears his name. Rhuma: If Talas is the keeper of heavenly knowledge, Rhuma is the protector of hellish secrets and dark, forbidden, lore. Depicted as a beautiful ebony skinned woman with long, white, tresses, Rhuma is worshiped almost exclusively by evil sorcerers who seek to enrich themselves by way of exploiting her teachings.

The Old Gods

Little is known about the Old Gods except that they created the whole of the cosmos untold aeons ago. Some ancient ruins in Hawkmoor are attributed to the Old Gods in hearth tales, though this connection has not been proven. Who exactly the Old Gods were, why they disappeared, and where they went are all mysteries that have been pondered by scholars of Hawkmoor for many centuries.

Secular Organizations
Cataloged here are the most prominent examples of Hawkmoor's many secular organizations the merchant houses and trade guilds.

Merchant Houses
Commodities trade in Hawkmoor is controlled almost entirely by merchant houses, powerful noble families who have carved out their own trade empires within the borders of the kingdom. The following three merchant houses are widely recognized as the most powerful in Hawkmoor. House de Souza: A notoriously corrupt merchant house, House de Souza is known to have close ties to the Thieves' Guild of Hawkmoor and is rumored to employ ritual sacrifice and Red Magick to fill their coffers. House Donogol: The most influential merchant house in Izer, House Donogol works with the Antiquarians Guild to recover ancient technology from the Grey Marches and resell it on the open market, enriching the entire kingdom.
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House Fiore: The nobles of House Fiore have a reputation for honest dealings and are widely respected throughout Hawkmoor and the surrounding kingdoms, many of whom they have established formal trade agreements with.

Trade Guilds
Trade guilds fill an important role in the economy of Hawkmoor, working to procure steady employment for dues paying members in exchange for a percentage of their earnings. The following trade guilds are among the most prominent in the kingdom. Antiquarians' Guild: The Antiquarians' Guild of Hawkmoor specializes in the reclaiming, study, and subsequent sale of ancient technology. The Antiquarians' Guild is responsible for funding several large expeditions into Hawkmoor's many ancient ruins each year, working closely with other trade guilds to procure the various personnel necessary for such undertakings. Navigators' Guild: As an organization, the Navigators' Guild of Hawkmoor is composed of professional cartographers, navigators, and skilled overland guides. The guild both procures employment for such individuals and offers their services to others for a modest fee. The Navigators' Guild works closely with the Antiquarians' Guild and with the various merchant houses of Hawkmoor. Thieves' Guild: The Thieves' Guild of Hawkmoor exists primarily to arrange meetings between thieves and their prospective clients, as well as fencing illegal goods on the kingdom's black market. That having been said, the guild also provides a number of services permissible by Hawkmoor law, including the burglar proofing of properties, staffing personal security details, and intelligence gathering. Torchbearers' Guild: When people need porters, torchbearers, or any other unskilled laborers in the kingdom of Hawkmoor, this is the trade guild that they turn to. One of the oldest trade guilds in Hawkmoor, the Torbchbearers' Guild has representatives everywhere and is well respected, both due to the treatment that it affords its members and the quality of service that it provides.

The Lay of the Land

The next section of this rule book concerns itself specifically with the many geographic locations of Hawkmoor, from the walled cities and villages to the natural features of the landscape.
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Natural Features
The following natural features make up the landscape of Hawkmoor. Grey Marches, The: The Grey Marches are a network of perpetually fog shrouded bogs that form Hawkmoor's southern border. The region is particularly inhospitable, not least in part because of the soft ground, high water, and plague carrying rats that infest it. That said, hearth tales of sunken cities and lost treasures draw many adventurers to the region every year. Mount Perilous: The highest peak in the Snowy Mountains, Mount Perilous is so named for the number of lives that it claims every year. The altitude, year round bad weather, and hostile fauna all make the mountain a dangerous place to tread. Despite this, a religious order rumored to watch over the fabled Book of Days has established a monastery near the top of the peak. Northern Expanse: The Northern Expanse is a desolate region between the Windswept Plains and the foot of the Snowy Mountains. Once thought to be rich in precious minerals, wars were waged over control of the territory prior to Hawkmoors unification as one kingdom under the rule of wise King Desperaux I during the Age of Heroes. Snake River: The winding Snake River descends from the Snowy Mountains in the north, runs across the Windswept Plains, and continues southeast through the Spookwood, exiting the kingdom of Hawkmoor. Most of Hawkmoor's major cities are situated along the Snake River, as are its most important farming communities. Snowy Mountains: The imposing Snowy Mountains form the northernmost border of Hawkmoor, towering over the Northern Expanse to the south. The mountains continue to be a draw for adventurers, as it is rumored that the long lost dwarven kingdom of ancient Angernoth and its many fabled treasure stores are hidden somewhere amongst the snow capped peaks.

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Spookwood: The site of a great battle during the Age of Magic, Spookwood is just what it sounds like a haunted forest. Tainted by foul magics and the blood of fallen gods, Spookwood is haunted by the souls of those who died there. Here, the Nothingness is known to be at work and creatures of unlife are commonly encountered. Wise adventurers avoid Spookwood at all costs. Tanglewood: Tanglewood is a dark, twisted, forest that runs the length of Hawkmoor's western border. A former holding of the fae prior to the Exodus, Tanglewood has grown unkempt in their absence. Today, Tanglewood is an overgrown, inhospitable, place littered with the crumbling ruins of former elven outposts. Windswept Plains: The Windswept Plains account for most of Hawkmoor's geographic footprint, spanning the area from the southern edge of the Northern Expanse to the Grey Marches in the South, and from the Tanglewood in the West to the Wall of Perdain in the east. The Windswept Plains enjoy a temperate climate year round.

Cities, Towns, and Villages

The following cities, towns, and villages play major roles in the kingdom of Hawkmoor. Dearborne: A small farming and trade community in Southeastern Hawkmoor on the Snake River, near Spookwood, Dearborne serves as the gateway to the east. Dearborne is the first true city that greets merchants who enter Hawkmoor from the neighboring Empire of Kurdan. Dunraven: Dunraven is a small village located on the edge of the Grey Marches, serving as a way station for adventurers in the region. Despite its inhospitable location, the residents of Dunraven live well due to the number of adventurers who choose to launch their exploratory expeditions from the village. Falcon: From the city of Falcon, located in the very heart of Hawkmoor on the Snake River, King Desperaux VII rules the land. In addition to serving as the center of government in Hawkmoor, Falcon is also the kingdom's central trade city. Here, in the winding corridors of the bustling merchant quarter, an adventurer can find anything that their heart desires for a price. Fort Allen: Fort Allen is located at the foot of the Snowy Mountains in far northeastern Hawkmoor. An isolated wilderness outpost, Fort Allen serves as a jumping off point for exploratory expeditions into the nearby mountains and as the first line of defense should the kingdom of Guldor to the north try to invade. Izer: A small walled city located in southwestern Hawkmoor where Tanglewood meets the Grey Marches, Izer is home to King Desperaux's opulent winter palace. Several adventurers launch expeditions into the Grey Marches from Izer, although the heightened security during the Winter months due to the King's presence poses an issue for less than scrupulous operators.
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Kingstown: Kingstown is a very important farming community, producing more than 30% of Hawkmoor's annual grain harvest. The town is so named for King Harmast who ruled the region during the Age of Magic. Kingstown is situated at the southern edge of the Northern Expanse on the Snake River. The warrior priest Daegmar and her legendary magical armor, Magebane, are rumored to be buried in a hidden tomb somewhere near the town. Midian: Situated to the south and west of Falcon, Midian is yet another important farming community in Hawkmoor, serving as the chief producer of feed grain for livestock in the kingdom. Wester: Located on the eastern edge of Tanglewood and built atop the ruins of an ancient elven outpost, the city of Wester is home to the College Arcane and the Council of High Sorcery. Practitioners of sorcery, young and old, seek out Wester to hone their arts and study under the undisputed masters of the Council. It is rumored that one volume of the legendary Library of Secrets is kept here, under the watchful eye of the Council.

Other Sites of Import

The following sites of interest fall into neither of the previous two categories, yet are worth mentioning as they play an important role in the world of Hawkmoor. Caer Corone: The winter palace of King Desperaux VII, Caer Corone stands in the center of Izer, overlooking the entire city. Built atop the ruins of a former elven citadel, Caer Corone still radiates magic, causing some sorcerers to speculate that a powerful artifact rests within its walls. Caer Desperaux: The summer palace of King Desperaux VII, Caer Desperaux stands on the northern edge of Falcon, overlooking the city. It is rumored that an extensive network of catacombs stretches from beneath the castle into and under the nearby hillside. College Arcane: A massive tower of quartz constructed at the end of the Age of Magic, the College Arcane is recognized as one of the world's foremost learning institutions and serves as home to the Council of High Sorcery. Wall of Perdain: Running almost the entire length of Hawkmoor's eastern border is the Wall of Perdain, a massive man-made limestone wall constructed during the Age of Heroes by Perdain, a storied hero of the era. Today the entire wall has fallen into disrepair, though some of the remaining towers along its length have been repurposed to serve as temporary shelters for travelers.
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For the Referee

This section of the Hawkmoor rules is intended for the Referees eyes only. If youre a player, reading this section of the rules will only serve to ruin your enjoyment of Hawkmoor. STOP READING NOW IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFEREE! Herein, you will find information on creating Referee characters, Non-Player Clichs, the Hawkmoor Bestiary, a look at famous (and infamous) treasures of Hawkmoor, rules for the Plague of Krall, information about the dreaded Nothingness, some advice on portraying gods and demi-humans in actual play, a brief overview of antagonist organizations, and guidelines for converting from other rule sets.

Referee Character Creation

Creating non-monstrous Referee characters follows the same process as creating characters for other players, as outlined in the Risus rules and the pages of this document dedicated to player information, with one exception that one exception concerns the number of dice that Referee characters are initially built on, as outlined below. Incidental Characters are built on 2d6. Supporting Characters are built on 5d6. Antagonist Characters are built on 10d6. Incidental Characters are those Referee characters that exist primarily to help define the setting. They exist mostly as window dressing in a given game. Examples of Incidental Characters include the unnamed peasants that populate the kingdom, anonymous minions of major villains, and so on. Supporting Characters exist primarily to define either Antagonist Characters controlled by the Referee or protagonist characters controlled by other players. Unlike Incidental Characters, Supporting Characters do have names, as well as some kind of formal relationship with other named characters. Some examples of Supporting Characters include named contacts or family members of protagonists, major minions of Antagonists, and so on. Antagonist Characters are the primary opposition for protagonist characters controlled by other players they are the major villains of Hawkmoor, real movers and shakers. Antagonist Characters have names and share the spotlight with protagonist characters controlled by other players. As such, Antagonist Characters are initially built on the same number of dice as protagonist characters controlled by other players are.

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Non-Player Clichs
Non-Player Clichs are Occupation Clichs reserved specifically for non-adventuring characters in the world of Hawkmoor, although the Referee may allow a player characters to use these clichs at his discretion.

Non-Player Clichs
Bureaucrat (being wealthy, delivering a rousing oratory, engaging in political machinations) Peasant (caring for animals, performing unskilled labor, working the land) Scholar (being versed in mundane lore, being fluent in multiple languages, library research)

The Hawkmoor Bestiary

Hawkmoor is a wild and magical realm and, as such, is filled with wild and magical creatures. What follows is a sampling of those creatures, ready for you to draw upon for your own Hawkmoor campaigns.

Mundane Creatures
Bat Description: Bats are small, winged, nocturnal mammals that are often described as "flying mice". Bats rarely pose any kind of a threat to larger creatures, though being caught in a bat swarm can be disorienting. Locations: Bats nest in the dark recesses of caves and caverns by day, emerging after sundown to hunt insects. Clichs: Bat (1)
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Gelatinous Bear Description: The gelatinous bear is an odd creature with jelly-like translucent skin that somewhat resembles a bear in both size and shape. Unlike a normal bear, the gelatinous bear attacks by trying to grasp prey and then envelop it within its central body mass, where a highly concentrated acid dissolves it. Locations: The dreaded gelatinous bear is commonly found in the forests and mountainous regions of Hawkmoor. They have been known to lair in caverns and old ruins. Clichs: Gelatinous Bear (5) Grak Dog Description: Grak dogs are large, canine-like creatures with thick, studded, hides and bone spikes that protrude along the lengths of their spines. Locations: Grak dogs roam the grasslands and open plains of Hawkmoor, traveling in packs, hunting by the light of the three moons. Clichs: Grak Dog (2) Moonbat Description: Moonbats are large, winged, nocturnal mammals with a single large eye, not unlike that of a cyclops. Moonbats can carry off a full grown man and have been known to do so on more than one occasion. Locations: Moonbats nest in the dark recesses of caves and caverns by day, emerging after sundown to hunt in the mountain forests of Hawkmoor. Clichs: Moonbat (3) Rat Description: Rats are medium-sized, furry, rodents that tend to be nocturnal and wallow in the waste of mankind. There is some speculation that they are tied to the spread of plague in Hawkmoor. Rats are mostly harmless when encountered in small numbers, but can pose a threat when attacking in swarms. Locations: Rats are commonly found in dark, damp, environments such as sewers and swamps. Clichs: Rat (1)
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Mythical Creatures
Dragon Description: Dragons are huge, lizard-like, creatures that are not unlike forces of nature. Legend says that they have defeated armies and terrorized entire kingdoms. Hearth tales vary when it comes to specific details about these mythic beasts, but it is considered common knowledge that dragons can breathe fire and fly. Locations: Today, dragons have all but disappeared from the world of Hawkmoor, though they live on in hearth tales. If any do actually remain in the world, they are well hidden. Clichs: Dragon (10) or more Optional Clich: Sorcerer (3) and pick a School of Sorcery Troll Description: Trolls, it is said, were the first sentient inhabitants of Hawkmoor, long before the other races were created. Trolls, legend holds, stand almost 12 feet tall and have dark grey, mottled, skin that looks like granite. Locations: Today, like dragons, trolls exist mainly in tales of times past, though it is rumored that they sometimes lurk in remote mountain passes. Clichs: Troll (6) Wolfwere Description: A wolfwere was once a man or a woman whose soul was ensnared in a bottle of ink by an evil Sorcerer. The Sorcerer then penned a scroll with that ink and worked his magic upon it, causing the poor victim of his cruelty to transform into a savage wolf-like beast under his control. If the cursed scroll that holds a wolfweres soul is burned or otherwise utterly destroyed, it will break the spell. If the Sorcerer is vanquished but the scroll remains intact, the wolfwere gains free will.

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Locations: Wolfweres can be found in any place that evil Sorcerers lurk, from remote strongholds to large cities. Clichs: Wolfwere (4)

Creatures of Nothingness
Ghoul Description: The ghouls of Hawkmoor are pale humanoids with black orbs for eyes, claw-like fingers, fangs, and legs that end in hooves not unlike those of a deer. They feed upon the flesh of the dead. Locations: Given their preferred diet, ghouls make their homes in crypts, catacombs, and cemeteries. Clichs: Ghoul (2) Lich Description: The lich is the most powerful minion of unlife known in the world of Hawkmoor. A lich is what remains of a powerful Sorcerer who makes a pact with the Nothingness to cheat death. When death would normally claim such a Sorcerer, their body lives on in unlife as a lich. A lich retains their sorcerous abilities in death and, additionally, can only be harmed by weapons that have been imbued with arcane energy attuned to the Magick that the lich wields. Locations: A lich can be found almost anywhere in the world of Hawkmoor, though they prefer to operate in isolated locales such as remote villages or even ancient ruins. Clichs: Lich (4) Sorcerer (6) - Pick a School of Sorcery Skeleton Description: Skeletons are among the most common minions of unlife present in the lands of Hawkmoor. They are little more than old bones held together with dark, tenebrous, strands of Nothingness, the force that fuels all unlife. Skeletons are sentient and, despite what many folk believe, can wield weapons with considerable skill. Locations: Skeletons can be found anywhere that the dead are buried, from ancient battlefields to city graveyards, as well as in service to greater creatures of unlife (such as a lich or vampire).

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Clichs: Skeleton (3) Vampire Description: Vampires are very powerful foes and servants of the Nothingness. Like liches, vampires were once living men or women who made a pact with the Nothingness to achieve immortality through unlife. These loathsome beasts now feed on the misery of others, literally draining such negative energy from the living. It is rumored that they can take the form of animals such as bats or rats to spy on others. Locations: Vampires are typically found in well-populated areas, given their peculiar appetite. A village or city quarter under a pall of gloom is likely a sign that vampires lurk nearby. Clichs: Vampire (4) Optional Clichs: Pick up to four dice of Occupation Clichs to represent life experience. Zombie Description: Zombies are by far the most common minions of unlife in the world of Hawkmoor. Slow moving animated corpses that hunger for living flesh, zombies are not sentient and individual zombies rarely pose a serious danger, though they can be extremely dangerous if they are encountered in large groups. Locations: Like skeletons, zombies can be found anywhere that the bodies of the dead are buried, from ancient battlefields to city graveyards, as well as in service to greater creatures of unlife (such as a lich or vampire). Clichs: Zombie (1)

Concerning the Nothingness

Herein is discussed at length that foul and mysterious animating force of unlife known as the Nothingness. Learn how to implement it in your Hawkmoor campaign!

The Nature of the Nothingness

The Nothingness is a purple-tinged, tenebrous, fog that flows forth from beneath the world's crust in those places that have been tainted by death, evil, or madness (e.g., sites of large battles, catacomb complexes, etc).
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The Nothingness appears to possess a malign sentience, fueling the creatures of unlife for an as yet unknown purpose and granting misguided mortals immortality by way of undeath. In truth, the Nothingness is the purest essence of the banished Old God, Othros the Evil, seeping back into the world of Hawkmoor through the cracks that time has opened in the walls of his extra-dimensional prison. Othros is the last surviving Old God, his prison becoming his salvation while the rest of his race destroyed each other in a war that raged across the cosmos, he remained protected, sealed away from the rest of creation. Now, after untold aeons in isolation, his once inescapable prison has finally begun to crumble, allowing him to reach out across the void. The exact nature of Othros' crimes as well as the specific nature of his current intentions are left up to the Referee, allowing them to custom tailor this otherworldly threat to their own Hawkmoor campaign.

The Plague of Krall

The Plague of Krall, so named for the treacherous Low God who visited it upon the world, has swept through the cities and villages of Hawkmoor like a wildfire sweeps across grassy plains. The rules below allow you to make use of the Plague in your own Hawkmoor campaign.

Contracting the Plague

Whenever characters first enter any area (e.g., city, village, etc) that has fallen prey to the Plague of Krall, their players must make a roll against a Target Number of 10 using their Race Clich or, if their characters are human, an Inappropriate Clich. Failure to successfully make this roll means that they have been tainted by the Plague of Krall.

Effects of the Plague

During the first 24 hour period following a character's exposure to the Plague, they suffer no mechanical deficiencies, only dramatic ones as the Referee, you should tell the player that their character feels more encumbered than usual and is coming down with a headache. During the second 24 hour period following a character's exposure to the Plague, all of their clichs are reduced by one die and, as the Referee, you should tell the player that their character's headache has worsened and that their throat and tongue feel as though they are swelling. During the third 24 hour period following a character's exposure to the Plague, all of their clichs are reduced by an additional one die and, as the Referee, you should tell the player that their character's lymph nodes have started to swell. During the fourth 24 hour period following a character's exposure to the Plague, all of their clichs are again reduced by one die and, as the Referee, you should tell the player that painful buboes have started to appear under their arms and in their groin.
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During the fifth 24 hour period following a character's exposure to the Plague, they no longer lose any clich dice, although they have now become infectious and anybody within spitting distance of them will have to make a roll as though they have just entered an area that had fallen prey to the Plague. Note that any dice lost to the Plague are gone until a character is cured of the disease (as discussed below) and that, if all of their clichs are reduced to zero due to Plague, they are shuffled off the mortal coil.

Curing the Plague

A successful application of Black Magick or Red Magick can cure the Plague of Krall by purifying the suffering character's bloodstream. The base Target Number for such an attempt is 10, though for each 24 hour period that has passed since the victim was exposed to the Plague, this Target Number increases by 3.

Antagonist Organizations
The following organizations exist in Hawkmoor to serve as adversaries for player characters, although it is also possible for player characters to join their ranks, should the Referee choose to allow it. Brotherhood, The: The Brotherhood is a secretive political cult composed of battle hardened soldiers who serve as assassins, spies, personal guards, and military advisers for some of the kingdoms most powerful leaders. In this capacity, The Brotherhood has offered their martial expertise for several centuries, using their positions of influence to mold the political landscape of Hawkmoor. Crimson League, The: A shadowy organization whose membership is composed of bonafide villains and those who aspire to such status, the Crimson League works to further grand villainous schemes. As an organization, they are behind the corruption of the Torchbearers' Guild, as well as countless assassinations, military coups, and wars around the world. The League is extremely dangerous, having infiltrated numerous organizations in Hawkmoor, as well as other kingdoms. Order of Ashes, The: Based in the city of Izer, the members of this secretive cult hold the act of ritual murder sacred. It is worth noting that the Brotherhood is not an assassins guild despite some of its members occasionally murdering for hire but, rather, an organization of truly sick and disturbed individuals who view murder as an art form and kill others because they enjoy it. Torchbearers' Guild: To the unaware citizen of Hawkmoor, the Torchbearers' Guild functions as detailed earlier in this document. Indeed, the organization's roots were in the provision of services detailed there many years past, however, the organization was corrupted by the
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Crimson League. Now the organization exists primarily to observe the various adventuring parties, exploratory expeditions, and mercenary companies to which they provide their services, reporting their findings back to the League.

Treasures of Hawkmoor
Hawkmoor, being a world of adventure, is rife with treasures for the taking. Herein are presented some of the worlds legendary treasures as they are spoken of in hearth lore and folk tales. Do note that these are wondrous treasures, not mere coffers of coinage that can be burgled from the wagon of a common moneylender.

The Book of Days

A divine tome delivered unto the prophet Theomer by the High Gods of Hawkmoor in the First Age, the Book of Days is a record of all things that ever have transpired or will transpire in the world. Theomer was told never to use the information in the Book for personal gain, but the temptation to do so proved too much. Legend has it that the prophet used the Book to divine knowledge of Sorcery from Hawkmoors future for his own ends and, in his haste, failed to realize the possible repercussions of his actions. Theomers greed spawned a paradox, causing the Book to rewrite itself and alter creation. In some versions of the tale, Theomers folly is responsible for the creation of the Nothingness, while in others, the prophet gave rise to the great Magi and the art of Sorcery. All of the legends do agree on one point, however the prophet was erased from the world for his trouble and the Book disappeared with him. The Book of Days is best used as a plot device within the Hawkmoor campaign, given the ability of a reader to rewrite creation by reading into the future and using that knowledge in the present, thereby altering the time line. In any event, the Book is the single most powerful Sorcerous artifact of Hawkmoor. If youre ever looking for a good way to recreate the world of Hawkmoor and need an in-game justification for doing so. . . here it is. Handle with care, gentle reader!

Kinslayer
The dark sword Kinslayer has played a role in countless power coups throughout the centuries since it was forged, toppling many kingdoms, influencing many wars, and changing the unnumbered destinies of the men and women who have wielded it against those of their own blood. The current whereabouts of the legendary sword are not known, though the last recorded use of the blade was at the Battle
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of Karst, during the War of the Northern Expanse in the Age of Kings when Prince Saxon Rook struck down his father. Forged by a forgotten Magi in the Age of Heroes, Kinslayer grants the person who wields it against their own kin tremendous power. When used to strike against a blood relation, the wielder of the sword rolls as though they have double their normal amount of clich dice.

Library of Secrets
As the Age of Heroes drew to a close and the last of the great Magi realized that their time was coming to an end, they gathered up all of their secrets and bound them into twelve tomes of arcane knowledge. When this task was complete, they hid away these books from the world. Mechanically, the Library of Secrets is a chance for the Referee to introduce a wealth of new magic into the Hawkmoor campaign lost spells from the Age of Magic, knowledge of other worlds, and even powerful rituals wielded by the Magi against the gods of Hawkmoor themselves.

Magebane
At the dawn of the Age of Magic, the gods of Hawkmoor found themselves at war with the Magi, who they perceived as a threat to their own dominance. During this war, the gods supplied their mortal worshipers with armor and weapons forged of divine metal to aid them in their fight. The set of armor known as Magebane in the hearth tales of Hawkmoor was one such divine instrument. Legend holds that Magebane consisted of three pieces a helm, a kite shield, and a jeweled breastplate. The helm was said to protect its wearer from magic that effects the mind, the shield is said to reflect magic back at a caster who targets its wielder, and the breastplate is said to protect against spells tied to the four elements. Magebane is famously tied to the heroine Daegmar, a warrior priestess of the High God, Thena and witch hunter in the Mage War. Daegmar was granted the armor by Thena herself according to legend. When Daegmar died in the final battle of the Mage War, it is said that she was buried with her magical armor somewhere near the farming village of Kingstown.

The Mother Lode

Dwarven folklore holds that a single vein of magically enchanted ore flows beneath the surface of the world, with all other veins of ore being mere tributaries extending from this endless river of wealth. Many tales abound about the Mother Lode, from claims that it is the source of a supernatural alloy used by the gods themselves, to stories that it is alive with magical energy a thinking, feeling, being of primal metal a god thing from the Old Times.

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Many have delved in search of the Mother Lode, but none have ever uncovered its location (or, if they have, they arent talking). Legend places it in the heart of the lost dwarven kingdom, Angernoth, or deep within the Valley of the Yellow Mage (itself a place of myth, as yet undiscovered). Should any adventurer be so fortunate as to find the Mother Lode, they would be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams (or beyond anybodys wildest dreams for that matter). The Mother Lode is not merely a treasure of Hawkmoor it is the treasure.

How to Portray Divine Beings

How to portray divine beings is often a question that prospective Referees wrestle with. Should such beings be physical creatures that exist in the world and interact with the player characters? Should they be ethereal entities distanced from and largely unconcerned with the physical realm? Or should they be mere figments of the imagination, invented in centuries gone by to explain natural and, perhaps, supernatural phenomena? Astute readers will notice that the way Hawkmoor is set up, any one of these approaches is equally valid, should the Referee choose to enact it. I personally envision the deities of Hawkmoor as ascended beings who were once mortal, but are now ethereal in nature and as beings who have had certain properties attributed to them by the peoples of Hawkmoor to explain certain natural and supernatural occurrences. There is no "right way" or "wrong way" to portray the gods of Hawkmoor, though one may want to consider the default nature of the Nothingness (as explained above) when deciding how to portray the gods. If you do choose to portray the gods as mere constructs of convenience, it is highly recommended that you treat the Nothingness as a natural phenomena, rather than an Old God returning to the world from which he was exiled aeons earlier.

How to Portray Demi-Humans

Demi-humans (i.e., all player character races other than Human) in Hawkmoor represent a tiny fraction of the world's population. In the distant past, prior to the war between the Gods of Hawkmoor and the ancient Magi during the Age of Magic, beings of magic (e.g., dwarves, elves, etc) sundered the way between their native realm and the material world. The demi-humans that inhabit the material world today are the few remaining descendants of those that chose to remain behind after the Exodus. Gone are the elven kingdoms, gone is the subterranean dwarven empire, gone are the days when wee'uns held court in the woods, and gone are the traveling clans of cyclopes. The demi-humans who remain in Hawkmoor today have long since been assimilated into human society. While xenophobic humans do exist, they are few in number. Likewise, demi-humans, as a general rule, harbor no cultural hatred or resentment toward other demi-human races or humanity.
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Quick and Dirty Conversion

As Hawkmoor originally began life as a setting for the first edition of The World's Most Popular Fantasy RPG, you may find it handy to nick monsters and such from that game. Below is some guidance on how to do that.

Converting Monsters
Locate the monster that you want to convert. Locate their Health Die value. The monster's name becomes their new Risus clich. Their Health Die value becomes their new clich rating. Their description will tell you what this new clich is good for.

Converting Characters
Locate the character that you want to convert. Locate their race and occupations. These become their new Race Clich (if applicable) and Occupation Clichs. To determine how many dice they are built on, locate their Level and add 9 to the result for Antagonist Characters, 4 for Supporting Characters, and 1 for Incidental Characters. After you have determined how many dice the character is built on, allocate these dice amongst their clichs.

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