Maddenhafen!

Renee Knipes

Maddenhafen
(Sanctuary of Madness)
"There are lots of bad things in this world but Krizland is a particular kind of awfulness. Surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Boragmus, its lowlands are given over to brackish fens and clinging mists. As you might expect of those who choose to live here of their own volition, it's inhabitants (they can not rightly be called people) are uniformly hideous. With no real standing army of its own, one is left to wonder if their plan was always to be as unpleasant as possible and hope the rest of the world would just go away. But even vast tracts of impassable land, a perpetual stench strong enough to impugn a warhorse, and strange things skittering in the night are insufcient deterrent for the Great and Glorious Army. With barely a ght we found ourselves on the doorstep of the Krizland capital, the soulshaking mountain-city of Maddenhafen. We had hoped to make this quick, but there was to be no easy defeat. The Kriz, sickly though they seemed, were hardier than imagined; shielded by sheer cliff walls, fearsome magicks, and monstrous alliances, they have consistently rebuked our advances thus far. We have resigned ourselves now to a siege of indeterminate length...an unpleasant prospect that could be avoided if the Rat-King would simply yield to the inevitable." - Waldemar Rupp, Royal Propagandist

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Character Creation
A character is an imaginary person in the game world. There are two types of characters: player characters (characters controlled by the players) and non-player characters (characters controlled by the GM). Each player gets to create and guide one player character; the rules for doing so are presented here. Every player character has one thing in common: They are all recent recruits to the Imperial Army on their rst campaign in the dark and dangerous nation of Krizland. With no training to speak of, theyve been thrown together with other raw recruits and marched to the gates of the Krizland capital, Maddenhafen. There they have met with sterner resistance than expected from the rat-like Kriz, and now they are encamped outside the city, girding for what could be a very, very long siege. A player character is dened (in part) by a collection of attributes and abilities, collectively known as characteristics. There are several kinds of characteristics: A Career is the most basic characteristic; it affects every other characteristic in some way. Players start out belonging to one of the four Basic Careers - Fighter, Scout, Student, or Agent but (if they survive) will quickly learn all they can from that lowly position and move on to a new Career. This progress from Career to Career is the primary way player characters grow and improve in the game. Traits measure innate talent and aptitude. All player characters have the same six Traits: Strength, Agility, Stamina, Savvy, Mien, and Willpower. Traits start with a random value and improve as a reward for successfully accomplishing Missions in the game. Skills are learned abilities. Each Career offers one or more Skills, which a character can choose to learn in the same way they improve Traits. Edges are powerful special abilities, unique to individual Careers. Player characters have access to the Edge pertaining to the Career theyre currently pursuing (Basic Careers dont have Edges). When they move on to a new Career, they can use the new Edge, but leave the old one behind. Illustrious Feats, like Edges, are unique to the Career a character occupies. They describe the kinds of actions a character needs to perform to earn recognition from his or her superiors and, ultimately, promotion to new Careers. Trappings is the nal characteristic. It lists the various gear and paraphernalia associated with a given Career. Players automatically receive these items at the time they enter the Career (and they get to keep them when they move on to the next Career).

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Creating The Character

Step One Roll 1d6 for each of the six Traits, in order. Step Two Everyone had a life before the Army; choose three Skills from the Beginning Skills list, to represent things you learned in your civilian life. A list of some sample civilian Skills is included; you can make up your own, though they should reect some aspect of commoner life in the Empire, and be without magical or combat application. Step Three Choose one of the four Basic Careers as your starting Career: Fighter, Scout, Student, Agent (see pages 29-32). Step Four Write down the Trappings listed with your Career. You start with these. You can also list a few other Trappings...personal belongings from your civilian life. Two or three portable items, without combat or magical signicance.

Beginning Skills Begging Boating Brewing Carpentry Carousing Cooking Dance Dowsing Drive Cart Farming Fishing Folklore Game Hunting Haggle Smithing

Step Five Note the Trait increases and Skills available to your Career; these have no impact on you now, but will soon. Also take note of the Illustrious Feats associated with your Career, as these will guide your progress through it. Step Six Answer this question for your character: How did you come to join the Army? Step Seven Name your character, briey describe him or her, and set their Rank at 0.

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Feats (aka Doing Stuff)

A Feat is a notable action performed by a character. Opportunities to perform Feats occur often; sometimes you will initiate one because you want your character to do something, and at other times the GM will pose a challenge you will need to resolve. Before anything else can happen, you need to know what the Feat is about. What is it that the character needs to accomplish? What happens if theyre successful? What happens if they fail? The answer to the latter two questions should never be nothing; Feats should be meaningful, and both success and failure should have consequences. (Note: consequences dont always have to be readily obvious; a Feat roll that doesnt yield an obvious immediate result can be marked with a token, which can be called in later to reveal what the hidden meaning of the roll was. Example: The GM asks one of the players, whose character is a Scout, to attempt a Savvy Feat, modied by their Spot Hidden Skill; the player fails and the GM marks it with a token...later the GM calls in the token to reveal a Kriz assassin that has been following the party the whole time.) (Note: a consequence of a failed Feat should never be that the game stops. Example: The GM calls for a Strength Feat to see if the characters can break down a door they need to get through; the Feat fails, but rather than leave the players stymied with an unopened door, he describes them breaking down the door and marks the event with a token...later he reveals that the ruckus they created drew the attention of something nasty in the vicinity.) (Note: All tokens related to Feat rolls must be called in by the end of the game session they were generated in.) Once you know what the Feat is about, you have to resolve it. To do so, gure out which Attribute is most relevant to resolving the Feat and roll that many dice. Any result of 6 is considered a success; if you have a Skill that is applies, count 5s as successes as well. (Note: Throughout the text you will see standardized notation such as Savvy (Spot Hidden) or Willpower (Self-Control). This tells you what Attribute to roll for the Feat, and what Skill can modify that particular roll. Sometimes two or more Skills might be listed; having more than one of the listed is redundant; you can not benet from more than on Skill on a given Feat roll). For unopposed Feats - those that dont involve overcoming the resistance of another character you typically only need one success for a Feat to be considered successful. A player can elect to increase the difculty before rolling, if they want (see hereafter). Additionally, if this is a planned encounter, meaning the GM prepped it as part of the mission, he can specify that more than one success is necessary to accomplish the Feat. For opposed Feats - those where another character is actively resisting the player character - both parties must roll Feats, using the most appropriate Trait and applying relevant skills. Each success rolled by the resisting character negates a success by the acting character; if the acting

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character is reduced to zero successes, the Feat fails. Sometimes, like with combat, you will need to keep track of how many successes are left after the opposed roll is counted, which gives you an indication how well you succeeded (although in most cases, just having one success is enough).

Making Life Harder Than It Needs To Be

A player can choose to increase the difculty of a give Feat, if they want more of a challenge, and especially if it will help them accomplish an Illustrious Feat. For unopposed Feats, use this chart to help you determine how difcult your attempt should be:





The Feat is Typical, one success is needed. The Feat is Risky, two successes are needed. The Feat is Daunting, three successes are needed. The Feat is Improbable, four successes are needed. The Feat is Impossible, ve successes are needed.

For opposed Feats, compare the number of dice you and your opponent are rolling:





Your opponent is within one die of you = Well-Matched. Your opponent is two better than you = Challenging. Your opponent is three dice better than you = Imposing. Your opponent is four dice better than you = Fearsome. Your opponent is ve better than you = Overwhelming.

(Note: If you have an applicable Skill for an opposed Feat and your opponent does not, reduce the overall challenge level by one.)

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Combat
When two or more characters want to inict physical harm upon each other, thats combat. Heres how to handle it.

The Combat Round (Initiative)

Every one decides what it is theyre going to do, and rolls the appropriate Feat. Now, Feats begin to resolve in order of the player who rolled the highest single die (in the event of ties, look to the second highest single die, etc.). If a character who hasnt acted yet rolled at least one success on their Feat and is being attacked, they can choose to abort their Feat and instead roll a defensive Feat (Parry, Dodge, Shield Block, etc.). If a character who hasnt acted yet didnt roll at least one success on their Feat, they may not take any defensive actions this round. If a character who has acted is attacked, they may now roll a defensive Feat (Parry, Dodge, Shield Block, etc.). (Note: Some weapons and armor provide modiers to Initiative and Attack. If the modier is positive, roll that many extra dice during this step of combat, but put those dice off to side...they will only be considered for purposes of determining in what order combatants act. If the modier is negative, it means to roll that many fewer dice at this step, but once the order of action is established those two dice should be rolled and added back into the pool for Feat resolution). Characters eligible to do so may roll one defense roll per time they are attacked in the round.

Hurting Someone
There are lots of things you can do in a combat round, but if your goal is to hurt someone, these are the rules. Melee attacks are Strength Feats modied by Martial Prowess. Missile attacks are Agility Feats modied by Marksmanship. Magical Spell attacks are Savvy Feats modied by Finesse. Clerical Spell attacks are Mien Feats modied by Finesse. If you roll at least one success, your attack hits and will do damage, unless your opponent defends.

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Defending is a Stamina Feat, modied by an appropriate Skill (Dodge, Parry, Shield Block, etc.) Each success on a defense Feat negates one success on the attack Feat. If this reduces the attack to zero successes, that attack was completely defended. If an attack hits and is not completely defended against, the attacking player counts his remaining successes and draws up to that many cards from the Wound deck. They choose one; that is the Wound inicted upon the defending character. That characters player takes the Wound card and keeps it with their character; after the Wound is healed, or if it is upgraded to a more serious Wound for some reason, the card gets shufed back into the deck.

Winning and Losing

If you have done more damage to your opponent than he has done to you, you are said to be winning the battle. Likewise, if your opponent has done more damage to you than you have to him, you are said to be losing the battle. Winning and Losing are recalculated at the end of every combat round.

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Making Things Harder On Yourself

Like with normal Feat resolution, you can choose to make combat harder on yourself, to enjoy more of a challenge and make good on various Illustrious Feats. To determine the relative challenge level of an opponent, add together their attack and defense Traits and compare against the sum of your attack and defense Traits on the following chart:





Within two dice of you = Well-Matched 3-4 dice better than you = Challenging 5-6 dice better than you = Imposing 7-8 dice better than you = Fearsome
9+ dice better than you = Overwhelming

(Note: If you have an applicable combat or defense skill, decrease the opponents rank by one for each. If they have an applicable combat or defense skill, increase the opponents rank by one for each. Do not increase by more than one rank for each.) (Note: If you or an opponent have more than one kind of attack youre likely to use during the encounter - i.e., melee and magic - use the higher of your attack Traits to make this comparison. Same goes for your opponent.) Once you know how powerful an opponent is, you can choose to make them even more powerful if you wish, by narrating circumstances that are to their advantage (or to your disadvantage), and increasing the number of dice the GM gets to roll (or decreasing the number you get to roll) to bring them to the next more dangerous challenge level.

Weapons
The assumption is that characters engaged in combat are using some kind of weapon. The most common weapons are simple one-handed weapons - a sword, an axe, or a mace. These weapons, being the default, require no special rules or adjustments when being used. Other weapons, however, do.

Weapon List


Hand weapon

Dagger


Two-handed sword
Spear


Polearm

2-handed Flail

Longbow
Crossbow
Arquebus
Blunderbus




Init
-
+1
-1
-
-2
-2
-
-2
-3
-4
Atk
-
-1
+2
-
+3
+2
-
+2
+3
+4
Parry
-
-1
-
- 1
-2
-1
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Hands 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2

Some weapons list an Attack Bonus. This is the number of extra dice you get to roll when performing an attack Feat with that weapon (roll these dice after the order of combatants have been established).

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Some weapons have a Parry Bonus. This is the number of extra dice you roll when performing a Parry Feat.

Armor
Armor can protect your character, but it can also make doing athletic things including ghting - more difcult.

Armor





Leather Armor

Chain Armor

Plate Armor

Init/Enc
-1

-2

-3

Prot
+1 +2 +3

Armor comes with a Defense Bonus and an Encumbrance Penalty. When rolling your defense Feat, roll a number of extra dice equal to your Protection Bonus. When attempting to do anything that requires coordination or speed (including melee, ranged attack, or spellcasting. Also, dodge gets this penalty, but other defensive Feats do not), subtract dice equal to the Encumbrance Penalty.

Shield

Buckler
Shield

Tower Shield

Block +1 +2

The Defense Skills

Each of the defense Skills is a little different. Dodge is the best all-around defense skill: It can be used to avoid melee or missile attacks, and does not require anything special to use. Parry requires you to have a weapon equipped. The good news is that some weapons provide a bonus to the Feat roll. You can not parry attacks made by missile weapons. Shield Block requires you to have a shield equipped, the downside of which is you can not use two-handed weapons. Larger shields provide bonuses to the Feat roll. You can use a shield to block attacks made by missile weapons.

Special Attacks
Disarm Disarming is a special attack made on an opponents weapon instead of their body. If they dont successfully defend, their weapon is forced from their grasp; it takes one round to retrieve a lost weapon, during which you can do nothing else (including defend).

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Healing
Wounds come in three types: Light, Serious, and Grievous. Light and Serious Wounds will heal over time. A player with Light Wounds (and only Light Wounds) can roll a Stamina Feat every morning (Quick Healer helps); if you roll at least as many successes as you have Wounds, one randomly determined Light Wound has healed overnight. If you have any Serious Wounds, you can roll a Stamina Feat (Quick Healer helps) once every seven days; if you roll at least as many successes as your total current Wounds, one randomly determined Serious Wound becomes a Light Wound. Grievous Wounds do not heal on their own, and will prevent any of your other Wounds from healing as well. With proper attention, Wounds can sometimes heal faster. Once a day, given proper conditions, you or another person can attempt a Savvy Feat (Tend Light, Serious, or Grievous Wounds helps a lot) on each Wound you possess; each of the different Wounds types has its own difculty (see below), and if you succeed, that Wound is immediately downgraded to the next less serious type (and Light Wounds go away). The downside to attempting these rolls recklessly: If the roll is failed, the Wound gets upgraded to the next most serious type (if this happens with a Grievous Wound, the injured character is dies). Light Wounds = Typical (one success needed) Serious Wounds = Daunting (three successes needed) Grievous Wounds = Impossible (ve successes needed) As noted above, helping an injured person, even if that person is yourself, requires proper conditions and takes time. Light Wounds are fairly easy; all you need are simple materials to bind them, staunch bleeding, or re-set dislocated bones, and most such Wounds can be dealt with as a combat action (1 round). Serious Wounds require a little more time (at least an hour), and the materials are a little harder to come by: sutures, splints for broken bones, etc. Grievous Wounds are the most difcult of all; almost all of these are surgical procedures...they take 2d6 hours and involve knives, swords, bandages, sutures, good lighting, water for cleansing body parts, etc.

Death
Your character will die if he accumulates two Grievous Wounds, or the equivalent. For purposes of this calculation, two Serious Wounds equals one Grievous Wound and two Light Wounds equals one Serious Wound. Also, if the Death card is given to you from the Wound deck, your character dies.

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Magick
When the rst chroniclers wrote the rst history books they were already writing about Magick...it is as old as human existence. But only in the last century, under the willful guidance of the Imperial throne, has its study been formalized and expanded beyond candlelit chambers in tumbledown towers on the fringes of civilization. Modeled after its successful university system, colleges of arcane learning can now be found in all of the greatest cities in the Empire. The wilds of Krizland are quite a different matter. Here, the old ways rule. If you want to learn magick, you have to go nd it...there are no campuses and libraries, only battle-weary wizards, homesick Acolytes, and a demon-haunted kingdom of ruins and ancient secrets. The latter is actually the reason so many wizards joined on for this campaign; Krizland is older than any other kingdom in the Free World and its current residents - apart from being incredibly magical in their own right - were not the rst or most powerful creatures to inhabit it.

Learning Spells
Once youve entered the Wizards Apprentice Career, you can learn Magical spells. Unlike in the colleges of the civilized world though, there is no syllabus and no curriculum. Learning a spell is a process of study, observation, hypothesis, practice, and personal creativity. In game mechanic terms: Start by picking a spell your character has perhaps read about or seen in action, and would like to add to their repertoire. Make known that this is the spell you are researching. Look for or make opportunities to roll some Magical Research Feats. Also, Persuading other magic-users and/or magical creatures to talk to you about magick is good. Other kinds of Feats too, if you can rationalize them. Keep track of your successes from each of these rolls; these successes are your Notes...the accumulated knowledge and insight youve gathered. When youve accumulated what you hope are enough Notes, you can attempt to organize them into a coherent whole. Roll a Feat using your current Notes score in place of an Attribute (the Magick Theory Skill can modify the roll); if you score successes equal to the Magic Point cost of the spell, the spell works and is now inscribed in your spellbook. If not , your research is fatally awed and you must start over from scratch. Regardless of the outcome, Notes are reset to zero. Spells learned this way are not the same as those learned in an academic setting; half of the process is creativity and epiphany. Feel free to change the spells cosmetic details, or even alter the way it works mechanically so long as it isnt more or less powerful than the original that inspired it. (Note: Since Magick Theory isnt available until youve reached the Acolyte career, learning spells as an Apprentice can be very difcult. Most Apprentices choose to study only a single, Light spell and devote the rest of their energy nishing their apprenticeship and obtaining that promotion.)

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Casting Spells
Spellcasting typically involves invocations and/or physical gestures to properly focus the magic into its spell form. These things are relatively simple for a spellcaster, but if they are interrupted (say, by being struck in combat), the casting will be broken. Spells descriptions list a Casting Time; this is the number of combat rounds required to properly execute the spell. Any interruption during that time will break the casting, Spellcasting does not normally require a Feat roll. If you know a spell, can pay the Magic Point cost, and can fulll the verbal and physical requirements for the appropriate amount of time, you can produce its effect. What does require a roll is casting a spell on an unwilling target. A spell with a Range of touch requires the caster to make an attack Feat (with his bare hand), if the target is aware of the casters intent and is trying to avoid his touch. Agility is the appropriate Trait, and Athletics can modify this roll. A spells description may call for a Spellcasting Feat. Spellcasting is a Savvy Feat, modied by the Finesse Skill. The target or targets of the spell must be within range, and will typically (but not always) be allowed a Defense or Resistance Feat (modied by Dodge or Magic Resistance).

Regaining Magic Points

Magic Points are regained at a rate of one per hour (of time in the game world), or three per hour if the character is doing nothing but resting.

Spells
Arcane Armor Magic Points: 5 Range: Personal Duration: One battle Area of Effect: Yourself Casting Time: One round Arcane armor bestows upon you one point of armor for the duration of one combat.

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Choking Mist Magic Points: 12 Range: Vision Duration: 1d6 rounds Area of Effect: 2d6 yards Casting Time: 3 rounds Choking Mist causes a viscous green fog to emerge from the ground. Its point of origin can be any place the caster can see, and within moments it will choke an area 2d6 yards in diameter. Each round, anyone caught within it needs to make a make a Daunting Stamina Feat or suffer a Wound. Armor does not offer any protection. The Mist lasts for 1d6 rounds. Lightning Strike Magic Points: 5 Range: Vision Duration: Instant Area of Effect: One Target Casting Time: One Round Calls down a bolt of lightning from the sky. This requires a Savvy (Finesse) Feat that can be dodged. It does damage equal to Successes+2 that armor does not protect against. Hex Magic Points: 8 Range: Touch Duration: One day Area of Effect: One target character Casting Time: One round Hexes one target character, causing them to roll one less die on all physical Feats for one day, or until revoked by the caster (or removed by a Remove Curse spell). The spell cant be resisted, but because it requires the caster to touch the subject to cast it, it can be dodged. Open Says Me Magic Points: 1 Range: Touch Duration: Instant Area of Effect: One sealed portal Casting Time: One round Opens any portal - gate, door, chest, etc - that isnt magically sealed.

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Religion
Religion is extremely important to the embattled men and women of the Empire. Far from home, in a scary and unwelcoming place, they rely upon their faith to comfort them. Many of these people will not be coming home, and its the Churchs responsibility to ensure their souls are prepared for the nal journey home, and not tempted or corrupted by the rampant paganism of Krizland. Finally, the Church sees this as an opportunity to destroy one of the oldest and most powerful stronghold of the Great Enemy...to a great extent, the siege of Maddenhafen is as much a crusade as it is a political action. So, as you can see, the religious sects of the Empire have a vital role to play in all that happens in Krizland.

The Clergy
The backbone of the Churchs presence in Krizland is its Clergy. There are four Careers in the Clergy, each of increasing rank and power within the Church hierarchy: Candidate, Novitiate, Brother, and Chaplain. Together they minister to the soldiers, maintain the doctrine of the Church, and make war with the enemies of the Benefactor.

Favor and Favors

The Clergy are divinely connected, and as such can beseech the Benefactor directly for Favors. On the surface, Favors look a lot like magick; they produce distinct otherworldly effects, but clerics gain their power differently, and the game mechanics are different. Clergy have something called Favor; its a score like Magic Points, but without a maximum limit. It can be increased by doing things the Benefactor nds favorable, and can then be spent to purchase specic Favors. The Favors available to the Cleric depend upon their current Career.

Invoking A Favor
Favors do not require an Invocation roll to take effect. Like Magick, if their target is unwilling to receive the Favor, targeting and resistance rolls may be necessary.

How Is Favor Different Than Magick?

There is no upper limit to the Favor a Cleric can amass. Favor does not heal back naturally; it must be earned. Spellcasters have to research spells and inscribe them in a spellbook, but arent limited by their Career as to the type of spells they can learn.

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Clerics dont study or inscribe spells. They have access to all the Favors available to their Career, and can call upon them at any time, so long as they have the Favor to pay for them. Clerics dont cast their Favors. They are not required to perform arcane gestures or speak any kind of verbal invocation. Asking for a Favor is an act of will...they merely need to be conscious to be able to do so. Favors have no Casting Time...they always take one round to invoke.

Morning prayer: 1d6 Take a confession: 1d6 Abstain from sin: 1d6 Fast for one day: 1d6 Convert a pagan: 2d6 Despoil a pagan site: 2d6 Slay a pagan leader: 2d6 Convert a pagan leader: 3d6

Gaining Favor
These are some of the things you can do to earn Favor. Other will certainly occur to you during play and should be allowed; the GM has nal say on how much Favor a given task or activity can provide.

Favors
Bless Favor Cost: 8 Range: Touch Duration: One day Area of Effect: One target character Required Career: Bless Blesses one character (who can not be the caster), allowing them to roll one extra die on all physical Feats for one day, or until revoked by the caster. Remove Curse and Dispel Magic have no effect on this, but casting a Curse on the target will effectively negate it. Festering Wound Favor Cost: 7 Range: Touch Duration: Permanent Area of Effect: One wound Required Career: Initiate This Favor causes one existing Wound to erupt with infection; it is immediately upgraded to the next most serious kind of Wound (and Grievous Wounds result in death). The cleric gets to decide which Wound they are targeting, though it must be a Wound they can see and touch. This effect can not be resisted by the target, but because it is a Touch Favor, it can be dodged.

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Gangrenous Eruption Favor Cost: 15 Range: Touch Duration: Permanent Area of Effect: 1 Wound Required Career: Brother This is a more deadly version of the Festering Wound Favor. Like that Favor, the targeted Wound immediately begins to necrotize; it becomes the next more serious type of Wound. If not treated, within 24 hours it will become the next worse again. If the victim is still alive, after one more 24 hour period, they will succumb to the infection and die. This effect can not be resisted but because it has a range of Touch, it can be dodged. Minor Healing Favor Cost: 5 Range: Touch Duration: Permanently removes one Wound Area of Effect: One living target Required Career: Candidate This Favor permanently removes one random Wound from a target person or animal. Resurrection Favor Cost: 100 Range: Touch Duration: Permanent Area of Effect: One person Required Career: Chaplain This Favor restores life to one character who has been deceased no longer than twenty-four hours.

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Game Mastering
Herein is contained all the information you need to run a game of Maddenhofen, including Kriz culture, sample enemies, adventure seeds, and the super-secret game-changing device The Eight Paces of Sepius Grag.

Setting
The Empire Formally known as the Holy Empire of Gustav Hess III, the Empire is the greatest nation in the world. It stretches north to south and is a mishmash of people assimilated over the past hundred years. Its a rich country, full of natural resources, bountiful trade routes, and essential sea ports. Untroubled by internal strife for decades, art, culture, and education have exploded. Universities have formed in most of the largest cities, and education is more readily available to common folk than ever before. Even magick has been formalized into a college system (partially to give it a sense of legitimacy and elevate it beyond the reach of the Churchs witch-hunters). Still, the easiest way to improve ones lot in life is to enlist in the Imperial Army. The Empire has many enemies on its borders - some are jealous of their wealth and power while others are simply afraid of what they stand for or harbor bitter grudges from the distant past - and there is always a need for new recruits. For those who survive, life after the military is one of promise and prospects. Krizland Krizland sits to the northeast of the Empire. It is one of the oldest nations of the Free World, though in the past its geography and inhabitants were very different. It has never before been the target of invasion. Truth is, very few people have ever even seen the inside of its borders. The reasons for this are many. The corner of the Empire it touches is sparsely inhabited, mostly given over to wilderness. Then there are the ancient Boragmus Mountains, whose sheer walls make egress extremely difficult. Mostly, though, its because those who have trespassed there and returned to tell the tale swear it is like walking into Hell itself...inhospitable and terrifying beyond comprehension. There is some truth to this. The nation itself is a bowl-shaped depression inside the Boragmus basin. There is as much swamp as solid ground, and on most days a thick fog hangs about the surface to a height well over a mans head. There are strange things in that fog, things that were driven to extinction elsewhere in the world long before Mans ascendency. For those unaccustomed to its strangeness, it is indeed terrifying.

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Dotting the landscape are scores of ruins, such that if the fog were to clear, you wouldnt be able to look left or right without seeing at least one crumbling tower or partially submerged mansion in the distance...a legacy of a bygone age and people. Some say Krizland was the birthplace of magick; those same people often say it was that selfsame magick which reduced it to its current state. The Kriz themselves are believed by many to be a magically created race. Whatever the truth, there is no doubt it was once a powerful kingdom, and that some of that power still resides here, shrouded in mist and mystery. Its a shame most of the Free World will never lay eyes on a Kriz city, because they are truly a marvel of engineering and architecture. Whatever else they are, the Kriz are resourceful and clever, and their craftsmanship is unequaled in the Free World. Their cities line the interior walls of the Boragmus Mountains; huge sprawling edifices built on and out of sheer rock, rising chaotically skyward, with far flung towers and other structures connected to the whole via flying walkways, impossibly steep stairwells, and vertigo-inducing stone suspension bridges. But thats just the surface, because the cities extend deep into the mountains...huge chambers and tunnels dug out of sheer stone in warren-like mazes that only the native Kriz could ever hope to navigate. The greatest of the Kriz cities is Maddenhafen (roughly translated, Sanctuary of Madness). Of course, this is the name given to it by the invading Imperial Army, and its not hard to see why...its strange geometry and impossible dimensions hint at darker truths than men prefer to contemplate, and just gazing upon it sends weak-willed recruits into paroxysms of babbling terror. And then there are the noises; a hideous cacophony of whispers, shrieks, and tittering that grow louder and more perverse as the night grows long. Until this time, no man had ever been to this place, and if ever there was doubt about the rightness of this war, its mere existence is proof of the Krizs profanity. The Kriz The first thing you notice about the Kriz is that theyre not human. In fact, theyre man-sized bipedal rats. The Church has long held that the Kriz werent divinely created beings, but rather the product of magical experimentation. As such, they are thought to be soulless abominations - vulgar effigies of life that insult the sanctity of Creation just by existing - that need to be destroyed. The truth is that the Kriz might be a magically created people, but whether that is true or not, they certainly arent soulless. To generalize about the Kriz is dangerous because, like humans, its impossible to pigeon-hole them as one thing or another. They are called savage, and they certainly can be, but they can also be gentle and tender...just like other people. They have a reputation for cleverness, but perhaps

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are not given enough credit for their intellect. They are thought to be uncivilized but the truth is theyre very civilized...its just their civilization is not our civilization. They are an old people - older than humans, perhaps - and intensely magical, though most Kriz never have contact with any magick at all in their lifetimes. Theyre a hardy race...they need to be to live in such a harsh environment. Even so, infant mortality is high among them. To offset this, their females are highly fertile, the average pregnancy lasts only six months, and they give birth to litters of 6-12 pups. If one or two live out the first week, they are doing well. Most litters dont have a single pup survive the first few years, though if they do, their life expectancy increases dramatically. Kriz who make it to adulthood can expect to live upwards of a hundred years or more, as by that time their bodies have become strong and resistant to illness, and they have learned how to survive in this world. One of their more repellant traditions, at least from a non-Kriz perspective, is the practice of cannibalism...including the cannibalism of their many dead children. There are practical reasons for this: In Krizland, if there is a dead body to be found, something will find it and eat it; food is sometimes a precious commodity and there is no sense feeding the bog creatures when you yourself might be hungry. This lends itself to Kriz spirituality as well; by consuming the body of a dead Kriz, you allow their soul to inhabit your body until such time as you can make a pilgrimage to The City and deliver it to the Kriz prophet-god Gutterblax. Finally, theres a superstitious reason for all of this: If you eat the dead body, it cant come back as the undead and eat you (why the Kriz are so afraid of this happening is unknown...surely its just a story to scare children.) Given that their lives are perpetually tinged with death, you would think the Kriz to be callous and hard...perhaps even monstrous. Certainly that is the view the Empire has of the Kriz, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Kriz make deep connections among themselves, and most especially among their families (which are often quite extended). Most of their young live very short lives, but rather than fear the inevitable, they cherish every moment as though it were a gift. And each death is a personal tragedy for the survivors...one they mourn quickly, but intensely. The Kriz possess no cultural shame about sex. The Kriz enjoy sex and engage in it often. Also, almost all Kriz are innately bisexual and polyamorous (as you might expect, this leads to some extremely complicated family trees). All of this serves as more ammunition for the Church, whch cites it as proof that the Kriz are incapable of making true and lasting bonds of love. Kriz also dont recognize gender roles or gendered behavior outside of the obvious these ones bear the children and these ones dont. Although their society is caste-based, no one is prevented from doing anything because of gender...quite the opposite, if you are born with a black pelt, you are expected to be a warrior regardless of whether you are a man or woman.

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The Kriz caste system deserves some mention. Brown Kriz are the rank and file; they work and farm and hunt and build, and basically do labor. Black Kriz are warriors; all Kriz are dangerous in combat, just by virtue of living their whole lives in such an extreme environment, but the warriors are a class apart...strong, fast, skilled, and often possessed of terrifying old world armaments, any one is more than a match for half a dozen skilled Imperial fighters. Red Kris are the nobility; typically, a cabal of red Kriz will lord over a few hundred others, and it is their responsibility to make decisions for the group, and to protect them. Grey Kriz are the religious leaders; they will often advise the reds on matters of spiritual importance, and when necessary, will make the pilgrimage to The City to commune with the prophet-god Gutterblax. Finally, the rare white Kriz are the sorcerers; they devote their lives to crafting new magicks and discovering old world secrets, waiting for the day when they will be called upon to unleash their power. As you can see, the Kriz are not quite as mysterious as their homeland is. This is because, although they have always been regarded with fear and suspicion, they still had things to offer, and therefore werent a completely impossible sight (until recently), especially in the border towns of the east. Wizards especially were known to deal with the Kriz, who would sometimes be willing to trade old world relics and knowledge for prizes from the west. In retrospect, their reputation as purveyors of the occult probably wasnt helped by these dealings. Current Events In 1408 CR (Church Reckoning), Gustav Hess III ascended to the throne and became the fortythird Imperator of the Holy Empire. The day after his coronation he made it a crime to consort with or harbor Kriz. Kriz caught within Empire borders were to be held as political prisoners. Shortly after the issuing of his edict, Imperator Hess assembled his best spies and wardens and deployed them to Krizland. Months later a few returned, bearing tales of baby-eating monsters, immense magical power for the taking, and a city so terrifying they named it Maddenhafen. It took most of a year to mobilize the Imperial Army, and in the spring of 1410, Imperator Hess declared war on Krizland. By early summer, the Army had made the difficult trek over the Boragmus and reached Krizland; by autumn they were on the doorstep of Maddenhafen, having (mostly) survived the treacherous crossing of its swampy, mist-shrouded interior. Up until this point, they had met with very little resistance...but that was about to change. And thats where the game starts.

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Prepping And Playing

Maddenhafen is both like and unlike other fantasy rolelaying games you may have played. One one hand, it has all the tropes of the genre: character classes, combat, magick, monsters, treasure, etc. On the other, it takes these tropes - particularly the monsters - and asks you to look at them in a different way. None of this is hard, but it something you should prepare for before sitting down to run a game for other players.

Set-Up
Before you can play, youll need a few things. Paper, pens or pencils, and a hand full of six-sided dice. One set of the twenty Wound cards (provided at the end of this PDF for each player in the game, including yourself. A print out of the Eight Paces of Sepius Grag game board (also provided at the end of this PDF). Copies of the character sheet. A few tokens, and some kind of a figuring or other marker to indicate the different characters on the Eight Paces board.

Mission-Based
Lots of game masters struggle with the idea of getting the characters together. That problem has been dispensed with in Maddenhafen. The characters are all conscripts in the Imperial Army, camped outside the terrifying city-stronghold of Maddenhafen. They take orders from their superiors and as such, have a built-in excuse for adventuring together...they do it because they are told to. So as GM, you dont have to worry about how all the characters got there and why theyd be working together...thats already been done for you. You just have to come up with an adventure, which in Maddenhafen is referred to as a mission.

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Missions can be about almost anything. Yes, the game is about the siege of Maddenhafen, but sieges are often boring affairs, and while they characters are waiting for the for the people of Kriz to starve, theyre not just sitting around twiddling their thumbs. They are constantly being sent to do stuff: Explore nearby ruins, investigate strange sightings, investigate farflung parts of Krizland, secure roads for caravans carrying supplies, rescue Imperial hostages, root out traitors from the ranks, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Warbands Characters who work well together can come to be seen as an unofficial unit, sometimes referred to as a warband. Very successful warbands develop reputations and are often given nicknames.

So all you need to do to start prepping for a session is to sit down and come up with an idea for a Mission. Having done that, you can flesh it out with details like maps and encounters and such but before you do, there is one significant game mechanic you should know about...

The Eight Paces of Sepius Grag

He followed his enemy for three days and three nights, and with each new hour - nay, each new moment - Sepius Grags spite festered. He did not see the grotto floor beneath his feet, nor did he hear the shrill howl of the wind through the hollows. He could see only the torn bodies of his family, and hear only their screams. Soon it would be over, though...his foe was near now. When Sepius finally laid eyes upon him, he was eight paces away. The distance would be easily closed. The first two steps came quickly and now he could see his enemy more clearly: a human warrior, his armor thick with gore. No weapon to be seen, instead his hands were extended pleadingly, as he begged for his worthless life. With his next two steps, Sepius felt twin pangs of pity; this would be too easy...for the first time he considered a swift, merciful death for this human. He readied his blade on the fifth and sixth steps, but even as he did so, Sepius pace slowed...his pity had become something else, and that something was like a thousand stones weighing him down. On the seventh step, Sepius stopped in his tracks. The man was not pleading for mercy, he was holding something...an infant Kriz...Sepius son, not dead as believed but here, asleep in this mans arms. Then, for the first time, he looked about him. The mans sword lay on the ground nearby, and all around were the corpses of other men...the men he slew to protect the Kriz child. Sepius looked upon the man and the man looked upon him, and although they spoke different languages, they understood one another. On the eighth step, Sepius laid down his weapon and took his son into his own arms. - The Eight Paces of Sepius Grag, Kriz Fable

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The thing about the Kriz is that yes, by human standards theyre ugly, their homeland is gloomy and harsh, and their customs are sometimes vile and repugnant. But theyre not evil. They love, they laugh, they dream, they hurt, and they cry. And right now, as the armies of the Imperial Army swarm outside Maddenhafen, they are afraid. Of course, the characters wont realize any of this at the start of the game. They will see the Kriz exactly as the Empires history books have always portrayed them...as subhuman monsters, given over to cruelty and selfishness. The Game Master should, initially, support this vision of the Kriz; enforce the stereotypes and play into the cliches. However, at the first opportunity, the GM should introduce the story of The Eight Paces of Sepius Grag to the characters. This wont necessarily be easy; Kriz and Imperial citizens speak different languages, and anyway, the two groups dont often sit down around the campfire together and tell stories. And it must come from a Kriz; almost no one in the Empire knows of the parable, and those who do dont share it. So it might be quite some time before they finally hear this story, and thats okay. As soon as their character does hear the story - and it could happen in such a way that not all characters hear it at the same time - a player must take a representative figure or pawn of some sort and place it on the first step space of the Eight Paces board. From that point on the game changes. The Eight Paces board is an abstract representation of the characters journey from hatred to respect for the Kriz. The players decide if their characters make that journey, and how fast; after any encounter with a Kriz character, a player can choose to advance their character one step forward on the board. Once theyve made that move, though, they can never go back; you can never unsee the things youve seen. These are what the Steps mean: Steps 1-2: With New Eyes The Kriz are no longer seen as merely one-dimensional villains. Instead of portraying them as ravening monsters, the GM should start layering in humanizing qualities. Steps 3-4: Pity Is For the Living The characters feel sorry for the Kriz. This doesnt necessarily mean theyre compelled to help them; they likely still see the Kriz as inferior, and can rationalize their own inaction to themselves. Steps 5-6: Weight Of The World At this point, guilt is starting to weigh on the characters. They definitely feel compelled to make amends for wrongs theyve personally committed, and possibly for those of their countrymen.

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Steps 7: Lines Are Blurred By now, the characters see the Kriz as equals, and while they may with some effort be able to maintain a pretense to the contrary when around their Imperial peers, it will be very difficult for them to stand idly by should they witness acts of cruelty perpetrated against the Kriz. This is where the game gets really good, as there is no good or easy resolution for the predicament the player characters find themselves in. Step 8: Laying Down Arms At this stage, the characters can no longer stand to be a part of the Imperial army, even if they are able to do some good from behind the lines. They can desert and make their way home, although eventually - perhaps years down the road - the Inquisitors will catch up with and execute them. They would be welcome in Maddenhafen, though such a life would be unpleasant in the extreme for a human and if the Empire ever gets their hands on them again, they will be put to death for treason. Either way, this retires the characters; make their last mission a good one because this is where it all ends. Characters will not always be in lockstep as they make their way through the Eight Paces; some will be far ahead, while others lag behind. This is okay; the board is personal, not a group device, and it can be instructive and even inspirational for providing dynamic inter-party storylines. When you, as GM, have to make a decision about how to present something, always aim for the character in the lead and trust the other players to filter the information as needed for their own experience.

Using The Eight Paces To Prep

As has already been described, Maddenhafen is a mission-based game. The characters are conscripts in the Imperial Army camped outside the city of Maddenhafen, and each adventure is a mission they are assigned to. But, how they proceed with those missions will vary greatly depending upon where they are on their journey through the Eight Paces, and a lot of that will depend how they want to proceed. As the characters progress through the Eight Paces they are asked to consider whats asked of them in a different light, and expected to approach things differently; they may choose to act in dramatic and unpredictable ways and your preparation needs to accommodate that. Below are some examples of how the same mission might go differently for characters at different stages of that journey. The Mission A witch-hunter named Felix walks into camp one day, the head of a Kriz impaled on the end of his spear. His demeanor is foreboding and he draws a lot of attention to himself...clearly something is going on. Some time later Felix approaches the characters; he has requested the

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service of a warband to help him track down a nest of Kriz in the swamps outside the camp and the Master Captain has recommended them. Havent Started The Eight Paces Yet The characters go with Felix, who leads them to a small ruined temple north of their encampment. The journey there is fraught with peril...something seems to be watching their every move, but it doesnt reveal itself. After exploring the temple, the characters find the nest of Kriz...several browns lead by one black. They fight savagely, with the black focusing on Felix right from the start. With luck, the characters defeat the Kriz and return home heroes (hopefully with enough Illustrious Feats to earn a commendation). Steps 1 & 2: With New Eyes Pretty much as described above except upon encountering the Kriz, the PCs realize the Kriz are more scared than ferocious...except for the black Kriz. She isnt afraid, shes angry, and that anger is focused entirely upon Felix. With a little cleverness, they may realize that the head on the spear belonged to her spouse, and that she is acting out of despair for the loss of her loved one. Steps 3 & 4: Pity Is For The Living Because the PCs are more experienced by this stage, Felix trusts them to take care of the nest on their own. Its not hard to find, although the trip is still plagued with the feeling they are being watched. The Kriz will fight viciously when encountered, but the PCs are not really the focus of their anger...the black Kriz wants to know where to find Felix and the players will have to decide what to do...complete the mission, or betray Felix? Steps 5 & 6: Weight Of The World The PCs immediately realize that Felix has perpetrated a grievous wrong against the Kriz. Its possible they realize that for a Kriz soul to move on, the flesh needs to be devoured and then a pilgrimage to Maddehafen made. They need to get the head and return it to the family of the deceased, so it can be consumed. Alternatively, they could consume it themselves...sometime later they would have to try to gain entrance to Maddenhafen (perhaps with the help of a Kriz who knows them to be soul-bearers now) and gain audience with the prophet-god Gutterblax, who will take the burden of the soul from them. And regardless of what they do, theyll have to do it without drawing the attention of Felix or any other soldiers. Step 7: Lines Are Blurred As Felix walks into town, the player characters recognize the decapitated head...it belongs to a Kriz warrior they know and had come to like. Felix enlists the aid of some other warband to go

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and deal with the Kriz nest north of camp. The PCs will have to decide what to do about that, as well as making sure the soul of their Kriz friend gets delivered to the otherworld safely.

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Appendix I: Careers
Every character has a Career within the Imperial Army. A persons Career denes their role, their abilities, and their responsibilities. Everyone starts out in one of the four Basic Careers: Agent, Fighter, Scholar, or Scout. If you do well and complete the training opportunities within that Career, you will be given your choice of Promotions to a new Career. Each Career listing has a set of Trait increases and available Skills. You do not get these automatically; they must be earned through training and service. After each mission, your performance will be reviewed; if you performed at least two Illustrious Feats, you will awarded the necessary training to take one of the Trait increases (each +1 is considered a separate increase) or to learn a new Skill (you can only ever learn a Skill once). The kinds of Illustrious Feats that will earn you notice differ with each Career, and are listed in the Career description. Additionally, any act of great heroism or bravado can be considered an Illustrious Feat. These are really just guidelines; the GM is expected to exercise some discretion, and the players always have the power to elevate a situation to Illustrious Feat status by pushing the difculty higher. However, the one thing that must remain true is this: Illustrious Feats must serve the Empire in some way, or at least be able to be spun as such...you are not going to be Promoted for doing things that are self-serving or somehow help the enemy (in fact, the latter will get you court-martialed and executed for treason). To be eligible for Promotion you must complete all the available Trait increases. You do not have to learn all the available Skills. You should then select your next Career. You can choose from any listed Career whose prerequisites you can satisfy. You can also choose to go through your current Career again, or enter into any of the Basic Careers (which have no pre-requisite requirements). Upon moving into a new Career, you automatically receive the listed Trappings (unless you already have that Trapping, in which case you dont get a duplicate item).

Edges
Most Careers have an Edge listed with them. An Edge is a special ability that only members of that Career can use. As soon as you enter a Career, its Edge becomes available to you. If you have completed all aspects of training within that Career - meaning all possible Trait improvements and Skills - the Edge becomes a permanent ability of your character. Otherwise, you lose access to it as soon as you begin training for a new Career.

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Rank
A characters Rank starts at 0. Each time they complete a Career, their Rank increases by one. Rank has its benets within the Army. Characters of lesser Rank are expected to show those of higher Rank proper respect (the Imperial Salute is a typical acknowledgement). You can order characters of lower Rank to do pretty much anything and so long as it doesnt conict with an Order giving to them by a higher Ranking ofcial, they will do it. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Rank and Title Conscript Private Sergeant Lieutenant Captain Master Captain Colonel General

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Agent
No prerequisites The Agents job is to communicate ofcial information between encampments...they are, essentially, mailmen (and women). Illustrious Feats Getting information where it needs to go, despite extreme hardship and obstacles. Attributes
Mien


Willpower
+1 +1

Skills
Public Speaking Edge
None Trappings
Dagger
Clothes, including pants, tunic, and hat

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Fighter
No prerequisites The Fighter is the bread and butter of the Imperial Army, responsible for all basic combat operations, and providing a meat shield for the more powerful troops during any large-scale assault. They comprise over half of the armys ranks all on their own and are largely viewed as expendable. Illustrious Feats Surviving more than one battle. Defeating a more powerful foe. Attributes
Strength

Stamina
+1 +1

Skills
Martial Prowess Edge
None Trappings
Chainmail armor
One-handed weapon
Dagger
Clothes, including canvas pants, tunic, and light cloak

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Scout
No prerequisites Scouts serve as point men (and women) for warbands going into hostile territory, or when new territory needs to be surveyed for enemy presence. Illustrious Feats Uncover an enemy nest. Prevent an ambush, or otherwise do something that saves one or more lives. Attributes
Agility


Stamina
Skills
Spot Hidden Edge
None Trappings
Leather armor
Leather helmet
Hand axe or sword
Dagger

Clothes, including canvas pants, tunic, and light cloak +1 +1

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Student
No prerequisites Strange as it may seem, academics have a vital role in the Empires war effort. The knowledge they bring with them, as well as their keen intellects, are invaluable as counsel. However, the need to gather lore about the enemy means they often have to put themselves in dangers way...something they are not well-suited to. Illustrious Feats Discover something new about the enemy. Provide insight or advice into a situation that proves particularly useful to its outcome. Attributes
Savvy


Willpower
+1 +1

Skills
Read and Write Edge
None Trappings
Dagger
Clothes, including pants, tunic, and hat
1d6 books on various subjects
Ink, quill, and parchment

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Archer
Strength 4, Agility 5 Illustrious Feats Any Feat of incredible combat marksmanship. Traits
Agility +2
Strength +1 Skills
Marksmanship Edge Crack Shot You dont have to roll for Feats of non-combat marksmanship...hitting a perfect bullseye, severing drawbridge ropes, and other trick shots are automatic successes.
Trappings
Longbow
Arrows

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Assassin
Agility 8, Savvy 6, Mien 6, Willpower 7, Martial Prowess Illustrious Feats Kill a politically signicant target. Kill anyone in a single blow. Traits



Agility +3 Savvy +1 Mien +1 Willpower +2

Skills
Detect Danger, Spot Hidden, Stealth, Hide, Self-Control Edge Strike Grievous Blow Instead of inicting Wounds in the normal way, you may instead ip over cards from the top of the Wound deck until you come to a Grievous Wound or Death card. That is the Wound inicted upon your opponent. Trappings
Clothes, as needed for the job
Dagger
Crossbow
Sword
Vials of various poisons

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Cavalry
Strength 5, Stamina 5, Martial Prowess Illustrious Feats Amazing Feats of horsemanship, particularly in combat. Traits
Strength +2
Stamina +2 Skills
Ride, Animal Handling Edge Horsemanship While ghting from horseback, 4s count as successes. Trappings
Riding horse
Spear
Iron Helm

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Crossbowman
Agility 7 Illustrious Feats Any Feat of incredible marksmanship. Trait
Agility +2 Skills
Marksmanship Edge Armor Piercing Defenders do not get the benet of their armor when defending against your crossbow attacks. Trappings
Crossbow
Quarrels

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Diplomat
Savvy 6, Mien 6, Public Speaking Illustrious Feats Achieve a political compromise that is particularly benecial to the Empires war effort. Traits
Savvy +2
Mien +2
Skills
Read and Write, Persuade, Lie, Self-Control, Etiquette Edge Filibuster You are a master of stalling others with just your own tireless tongue. When you are talking to someone, they cant break off conversation to do something else without making a Willpower Feat (you can oppose them with a Mien Feat), unless you allow them to. Trappings
Nice clothes
Ink, quill, and parchment

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Eagle Rider
Strength 6, Agility 6, Ride Illustrious Feats Any amazing Feat of aerial derring-do, particularly in combat. Traits
Strength +2
Agility +2
Stamina +1 Skills
Martial Prowess, Aerial Maneuver, Self-Control, Animal Handling Edge Swooping Attack With a successful Improbable aerial maneuver Feat, you can direct your eagle to swoop down upon a target, snatch a man-sized or smaller target (target can not be wearing plate armor) from the ground, and y into the air with them. The eagle can carry the target to any nearby location, or drop it from a great height, automatically inicting a Grievous Wound upon it (draw Wound cards until you come to the rst Grievous Wound). Trappings
Giant eagle steed
Leather Armor
Iron Helm

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Executioner
Strength 8, Mien 7, Stamina 6, Willpower 8, Martial Prowess Illustrious Feats Put to death a known enemy of the Empire. Traits



Strength +1 Mien +2 Stamina +1 Willpower +2

Skills
Self-Control, Intimidate Edge Bully As long as you are Winning the ght, 4s count as successes for you on combat Feats. Trappings
Two-handed weapon
Leather Apron

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Gunner
Agility 7 Illustrious Feats Any act of incredible marksmanship. Traits
Agility +2 Skills
Marksmanship Edge Scattershot When attacking with a rearm, you can target more than one opponent, so long as they are all within a few feet of each other. You roll your attack as normal; they defend as a group and their cumulative successes reduce your success pool on a one-for-one basis. If you have successes left over, draw that many Wound cards and assign to your opponents until you run out of Wounds to assign, or until each opponent has one. Trappings
Arquebus
Load and powder

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Inquisitor
Savvy 5, Mien 6, Willpower 5 Illustrious Feats Uncover a heretic within the Army ranks. Reveal a heretical plot. Discover a nest of paganism. Traits
Savvy +2
Mien +2
Willpower +1 Skills
Interrogate, Detect Lie, Spot Hidden Edge No Stone Unturned If theres something to be found, you will nd it; 4s count as successes on all investigative Feat rolls. Trappings
Inquisitors Robes

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Knight
Strength 7, Stamina 7, Mien 5, Willpower 5, Ride, Martial Prowess Illustrious Feats Demonstrate incredible combat prowess. Perform an act of incredible bravado or loyalty. Traits



Strength +2 Stamina +2 Mien +1 Willpower +1

Skills
Self-Control, Parry, Disarm, Shield Block, Etiquette Edge Charge While mounted, and so long as you have at least ten yards between you and an opponent, you may perform a Charge attack on that opponent. Charge attacks can not be defended against, unless your opponent has Dodge, in which case he can attempt a defense but only sixes count as successes (i.e., he does get the benet of his Dodge skill). Trappings
Warhorse
Plate Armor
One-handed weapon
Lance
Shield

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Knight Dragon
Strength 10, Mien 8, Stamina 10, Martial Prowess Illustrious Feats Demonstrate incredible combat prowess. Perform an act of incredible bravado or loyalty. Traits
Strength +3
Mien +2
Stamina +3 Skills Parry, Dodge, Disarm, Shield Block, Intimidate Edge Battle Hardened 4s count as successes for your attack Feats (but not defense Feats). Trappings
Plate armor
Shield
One-handed weapon
Any other weapon

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Knight Hospitaller
Strength 9, Mien 8, Savvy 7, Stamina 8, Martial Prowess Illustrious Feats Demonstrate incredible combat prowess. Perform an act of incredible bravado or loyalty. Save a life or perform an act of pure selessness. Traits



Strength +2 Mien +1 Savvy +2 Stamina +1

Skills
Self-Control, Parry, Disarm, Shield Block, Tend Light Wounds Edge Charitable Whenever performing a Feat that helps someone less able or less fortunate than yourself, 4s count as successes. Trappings
One-handed weapon
Plate armor
Shield

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Knight Templar
Strength 9, Mien 8, Stamina 8, Willpower 7, Ride, Martial Prowess, Piety Illustrious Feats Slay an enemy of the Church. Demonstrate incredible combat prowess. Despoil a site of pagan signicance. Perform an act of true piety. Traits



Strength +2 Mien +2 Stamina +2 Willpower +1

Skills
Ride, Intimidate, Disarm, Parry, Self-Control Edge Overzealous When engaging enemies of the Church in combat, 4s count as successes. Trappings
One-handed weapon
Plate armor
Shield
Tome of Glory

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Physicians Assistant
Savvy 5, Agility 4, Read and Write Illustrious Feats Nurse an injured person back to health. Save a life. Traits
Savvy +2
Agility +1
Willpower +1 Skills
Diagnose, Self-Control, Tend Light Wounds Edge Second Opinion Once per session, you may render a second opinion, causing a just-inicted Wound to be discarded and re-drawn by the opposing player. Trappings
Rags for binding wounds
Medicine
Sutures and needle

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Physician
Savvy 7, Agility 6, Willpower 5, Tend Light Wounds Illustrious Feats Nurse an injured person back to health. Save a life. Traits
Savvy +2
Agility +1
Willpower +1 Skills
Diagnose, Self-Control, Tend Serious Wounds Edge Third Opinion You can use your Second Opinion Edge one additional time per game session. Trappings
Rags for binding wounds
Medicine
Physicians instruments, including sutures, scalpel, etc.
Medical textbooks

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Propagandist
Mien 7, Savvy 6, Willpower 6, Read and Write, Public Speaking Illustrious Feats Rally demoralized troops to the Empires cause. Break the morale of enemy troops. Traits
Mien +2
Savvy +2
Willpower +1 Skills
Lie, Persuade, Read and Write (other language) Edge Court of Public Opinion As a Propagandist, youre the master of getting people to think what you want them to think. 4s count as successes on all Social Feats intended to sway a persons opinion. Trappings
Leaets, pamphlets, and yers

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Rabble Rouser
Mien 5, Savvy 4, Willpower 4, Public Speaking Illustrious Feats Motivate a group of people into action for a cause that benets the Empire. Traits
Mien +2
Savvy +1
Willpower +1 Skills Persuade Edge Riot! You can incite a riot among a large group of people. Doing so requires a Mien Feat (Public Speaking) of Daunting difculty; success causes everyone within earshot to riot. The main advantage of doing so is that anyone caught within the teeming mass is unable to benet from most of their Skills (the GM will have to exercise some discretion here, but combat Skills and social Skills are denitely out...its difcult to swing a sword well, or dodge a blow, or talk sense into someone, when a hundred people shoulder-to-shoulder are trying to kill each other). Trappings
None

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Scholar
Savvy 6, Read and Write Illustrious Feats Discover a piece of information that benets the Empires wartime effort. Traits
Savvy +2
Willpower +1 Skills
Read and Write (Other Language), Research, Knowledge (specify) Edge Quick Study Once per session, you can learn a Skill possessed by any other character you encounter. That character must be okay with you observing and asking questions of them, it takes a couple of hours to absorb, and the benet of the Skill only lasts for this game session. Trappings
2d6 tomes on various subjects

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Spearman
Strength 5, Stamina 4, Martial Prowess Illustrious Feats Demonstrate incredible combat prowess. Traits
Strength +1
Stamina +1 Skills
Self-Control Edge Reach The great thing about a spear is that if you use it right, its hard for your enemy to get close to you. If you are wielding a spear and winning the ght, you will act before your opponent in the next round regardless of initiative order. Trappings
Spear

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Spy
Agility 7, Savvy 5, Mien 5, Willpower 6 Illustrious Feats Steal or acquire a piece of information that benets the Empires wartime effort. Traits



Agility +2 Savvy +2 Mien +1 Willpower +2

Skills
Lie, Act, Stealth, Hide, Spot Hidden, Detect Danger, Pick Locks Edge Master of Disguise Each game session, you can choose one non-combat you do not already possess and use it as though you do. This only lasts for the duration of the game session. Trappings
Clothes, as needed to blend in with others
Lockpick set
Dagger

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Squire
Strength 5, Stamina 5, Willpower 3 Illustrious Feats Demonstrate incredible combat prowess. Survive against overwhelming odds. Perform an act of extreme loyalty. Traits



Strength +2 Stamina +2 Mien +1 Willpower +1

Skills
Martial Prowess, Animal Handling, Ride Edge Scrounge Squires are among the most put-upon members of the Army; their knightly lieges expect a lot from them, and dont suffer disappointment well. As such, Squires learn to be resourceful early on; if they nd themselves in need of a particular item or piece of gear, they merely need to roll a successful Savvy Feat to nd something serviceable nearby. Trappings
Sword
Riding horse
Chainmail armor
Buckler

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Surgeon
Savvy 9, Agility 8, Willpower 7, Tend Serious Wounds Illustrious Feats Nurse an injured person back to health. Save a life. Traits
Savvy +2
Agility +2
Willpower +2 Skills
Anatomy, Self-Control, Tend Grievous Wounds Edge Fourth Opinion You can use your Second Opinion Edge one additional time per game session. Trappings
Surgeons tools
Leather apron
Human anatomy text

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Torturer
Strength 6, Mien 7, Willpower 9 Illustrious Feats Invent a new method of torture and test it out. Extract useful information from an enemy of the Empire. Traits
Strength +1
Mien +2
Willpower +3 Skills
Anatomy, Martial Prowess, Self-Control, Intimidate Edge Elicit Confession On a successful Mien Feat (Intimidate, defended against by the targets Willpower), you can make anyone confess to anything...regardless of how implausible or impossible their involvement. Trappings
One-handed weapon
Torturers Instruments
Leather apron

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Tracker
Savvy, 5 Agility 6 Illustrious Feats Discover a hidden enemy outpost. Track down an especially difcult quarry. Traits
Savvy +2
Agility +1 Skills
Follow Trail, Spot Hidden, Knowledge (Wilderness) Edge Outdoorsman When in the wilds (not underground, not inside, not in a settlement of any sort), 4s count as successes for you on all non-combat Feats. Trappings
Leather armor
Hand axe

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Witch Hunter
Strength 5, Savvy 6, Mien 8, Stamina 6, Willpower 8, Faith, Martial Prowess, Piety Illustrious Feats Put to death an enemy of the Church. Despoil a pagan site. Uncover heresy within the ranks. Traits




Strength +1 Savvy +1 Mien +2 Stamina +1 Willpower +2

Skills
Detect Lie, Spot Hidden, Interrogate, Intimidate, Self-Control Edge Sense Magic You can detect the presence of magic or magical creatures by rolling a Savvy Feat. Magic is like a bad odor and sometimes what you sense is no longer present in your immediate vicinity, though it will be nearby. Trappings
One-handed weapon
Chainmail armor
Clothes, including pants, tunic, and cloak
Rope

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Candidate
Mien 4, Willpower 4, Read and Write Illustrious Feats Convert an enemy. Despoil a pagan site. Demonstrate an incredible act of piety. Traits
Savvy +1
Mien +1
Willpower +1 Skills
Piety Edge Favored You can accumulate Favor (see the Religion chapter). Trappings
Holy Symbol
Tome of Glory (Holy book)
Candidates robes

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Novitiate
Savvy 4, Mien 5, Willpower 5, Piety Illustrious Feats Convert an enemy. Despoil a pagan site. Demonstrate an incredible act of piety. Traits
Savvy +1
Mien +2
Willpower +2 Skills
Theology Edge Favored You can accumulate Favor (see the Religion chapter). Trappings
Novitiates robes

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Brother
Savvy 5, Mien 7, Willpower 7, Theology Illustrious Feats Convert an enemy. Despoil a pagan site. Demonstrate an incredible act of piety. Traits
Savvy +2
Mien +3
Willpower +3 Skills
Persuade, Public Speaking, Self-Control Edge Favored You can accumulate Favor (see the Religion chapter). Trappings
Brothers robes

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Chaplain
Savvy 7, Mien 11, Willpower 11, Public Speaking Illustrious Feats Convert an enemy. Despoil a pagan site. Demonstrate an incredible act of piety. Traits
Savvy +3
Mien +4
Willpower +4 Skills
Persuade, Self-Control Edge Favored You can accumulate Favor (see the Religion chapter). Trappings
Chaplains robes

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Wizards Apprentice
Savvy 6, Willpower 6, Read and Write Illustrious Feats Traits
Savvy +2
Willpower +2 Skills
Read and Write (other language), Self-Control, Magical Research Edge Magic Points You have 1d6 Magic Points. Your initial roll represents your maximum possible Magic Points; if you expend them on castings, they will return over time, but will not exceed your initial roll. Magic Points are cumulative when you repeat this Career. Trappings
Spellbook

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Acolyte
Savvy 9, Willpower 9, Magical Research, At least one magical spell Illustrious Feats Traits
Savvy +3
Willpower +3 Skills
Magick Theory, Read and Write (other language) Edge Magic Points You gain 2d6 Magic Points. Your initial roll represents your maximum possible Magic Points; if you expend them on castings, they will return over time, but will not exceed your initial roll. Magic Points are cumulative when you repeat this Career. Trappings
Wizards robes

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Wizard
Savvy 13, Willpower 13, Magick Theory Illustrious Feats Traits
Savvy +4
Willpower +4 Skills
Read and Write (Other Language), Finesse Edge Magic Points You gain 3d6 Magic Points. Your initial roll represents your maximum possible Magic Points; if you expend them on castings, they will return over time, but will not exceed your initial roll. Magic Points are cumulative when you repeat this Career. Trappings
Wizards staff

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Appendix II: Denizens Of Krizland

Kriz
No two Kriz are alike but below are the most basic profile for each of the five castes. You can flesh these out by modifying Traits, adding or removing Skills, or even implementing new Edges.

Common Kriz (Brown)

Traits: Str 5, Agi 5, Sta 5, Sav 4, Mien 3, WP 5 Skills: Martial Prowess, Dodge, Labor Skill (Farming, Fishing, Tunneling, etc), Swim, Spot Hidden, Edges: Cornered (when Losing in combat, 4s count as successes) Kriz Names Kriz naming conventions are unpleasant to the human ear. They invariably share aural similarities to words we find uncomfortable: pus, fester, seep, vomit, vermin, slough, skitter, saliva, spittle, feces, gut, etc. Another good thing to use is medical texts; diseases, anatomy, and other such things make for

Warrior Kriz (Black)

Traits: Str 8, Agi 7, Sta 7, Sav 4, Mien 5, WP 6 Skills: Martial Prowess, Dodge, Disarm, Swim, Spot Hidden Edges: Battle Hardened, Cornered, Strike Grievous Blow

Chosen Kriz (Grey)

Traits: Str 4, Agi 5, Sta 5, Sav 7, Mien 6, WP 7 Skills: Martial Prowess, Dodge, Theology (Kriz), Public Speaking, Swim Edges: Favored, Cornered

Royal Kriz (Red)

Traits: Str 6, Agi 6, Sta 6, Sav 6, Mien 9, WP 7 Skills: Martial Prowess, Dodge, Public Speaking, Swim Edges: Cornered

Whisperer Kriz (White)

Traits: Str 4, Agi 5, Sta 5, Sav 10, Mien 6, WP 9 Skills: Martial Prowess, Dodge, Finesse, Self Control, various Knowledges, Swim, Magick Theory Edges: Magic Points (6d6), Sense Magic

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Swamp Dragon
Kriz arent necessarily even the most dangerous residents of Krizland; that honor may belong to the swamp dragons. These creatures resemble crocodiles, but if thats what they are, its a breed vanished from the rest of the world long, long ago. Some Scouts claim to have seen specimens exceeding 50 feet in length; those are, fortunately, fairly rare, but the 30+ foot version described below is scarily common. Traits Str 25 Agi 15 (in water) or 7 (on land) Sta 20 Sav 7 (animal-like intellect, but very perceptive) Mien 10 (not charming in the least, but intimidating as heck) Willpower 3 Skills Martial Prowess, Swim, Spot Hidden Edges Death Roll: If it is Winning for three rounds in a roll, the Wound it inflicts on that third round is Death. At Home In Water: If you dont have the Swim Skill you are at an incredible disadvantage against the swamp dragon...count 4s as successes on its attack Feats when the both of you are in the water. Plated Hide: The swamp dragons hide provides three points of armor.

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With New Eyes Weight Of The World

Pity Is For The Living

Lines Are Blurred

Laying Down Arms

The Eight Paces of Sepius Grag

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WOUND
Light Wound If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one. If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one. If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one. Light Wound Light Wound

WOUND

WOUND

WOUND

WOUND
Light Wound If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one.

Light Wound

If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one.

WOUND
Light Wound If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one.

WOUND

WOUND
Light Wound If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one.

WOUND
Light Wound If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one.

WOUND
Light Wound If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one.

Light Wound

If you have two Light Wounds, increase all difculties by one.

Avery 5371

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WOUND

WOUND

WOUND

WOUND

WOUND

Serious Wound Increase all difculties by one. Increase all difculties by one. Increase all difculties by one.

Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Serious Wound Increase all difculties by one.

Increase all difculties by one.

WOUND

WOUND

WOUND

WOUND

WOUND

Serious Wound Increase all difculties by two.

Grievous Wound

Grievous Wound Increase all difculties by two.

Grievous Wound Increase all difculties by two. Death

Increase all difculties by one.

Avery 5371

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Character:_________________________________
Traits Strength Agility Stamina Savvy Mien Skills Why Did You Join?

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Rank/Title:________________
Careers

Trappings Weapons I A P H

Career Trait Increases

Armor

I/E P

Edges

Shield

Block

Wounds Light Serious Grievous ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !