Mystwood

Welcome to the Adventure!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Who's Who and What's What in the world of Mystwood. TheHistoryoftheMystwood SocialStructure TheBaronies TravelandtheLargerWorld: LanguagesandWriting: LawsandJustice: TheChurch TheBestiary CHRONICLES ABriefIntroductiontoLiveActionRolePlaying WhatToExpectataMystwoodLARPEvent CHAPTERONE:THEMASICORERULESPage24 Things you will encounter on your adventures. SafetyRules RulesofCourtesy SpecificRolePlayingGuidelines TheCoreEffects HandtoHandCombat SpecialRulesforWeaponsandArmor MiscellaneousRules CHAPTERTWO:CHARACTERCREATIONPage44 Who will you be in Mystwood? CreatingaMystwoodCharacter Gifts AdvantagesandDisadvantages CHAPTERTHREE:THEECONOMY&CHARACTEROCCUPATIONSPage70 How do you make your living? MoneyandItems TheTownEconomy Occupations OccupationalSkills GameItems OtherSkills CHAPTERFOUR:RELIGIONPage108 The gods, and those who follow them. MattersofLife,Death,andFaith. TheThree CHAPTERFIVE:CHARACTERADVANCEMENTPage117 A Hero's Rewards. Moonstones GameBucks HowDoYouGetGameBucks? PostEventLetters FEATSOFLEGEND

TheHistoryoftheMystwood
It is a time when danger lurks in the mists, when things long buried emerge from the depths of the forest, when ordinary folk may win fame and fortune with sword and spell, or perish unremarked. In short, it is as it has always been in the Mystwood. Most inhabitants of Mystwood know that they dwell in the Duchy of Eastmarch, and that Eastmarch is part of a larger Kingdom of Navarre. But Navarre, like most lands in the Known World, is a weak and fragmented land and the Duke of Eastmarch is the greatest power most will ever know. It is the local Barons and Knights who represent the power of Eastmarch that matter. Most folk could not tell you the Kings name, or that Navarre has long been at war with Albion, or the reasons for that war. The enemies of Eastmarch are many and better known - the cruel Norse, the Chaos Marauders of Thule, the Goblins of the Mountains to the south, and above all The Dragon. That the sea lies to the North, settled lands to the south and west, and the unknown forest to the east is the extent of most peoples geography. History is for most is equally vague. Local legend tells that Mystwood was once the edge of the great Empire now embodied in Byzantium, the city of wonders. Brave imperial soldiers drove back the Beastmen and other denizens of the forest and built roads, wall, forts and towns. The greatest of these was the city of Aquila, which long stood as bulwark against monsters and barbarian hordes as the Empire collapsed, besieged from without and gnawed from within by the insidious forces of Chaos. Alas, Aquila fell, so the stories say, when the last Emperor, whom some name Romulous and some call Augustus, fled there with a great horde of treasure. The power of Chaos corrupted him through his greed and fear, and he was transformed into the great dragon that plagues the land to this day. Brave Aquila and her legion perished in flame, and to this day her ruins, fused to blackened glass, still rise among the trees of Mystwood. The learned know Dates and the names of great Monarchs, but little more. They know that the Year is 961 after the Unification of the Church, when the three faiths of Justice, Wylde, and Mercy were brought together in Byzantium, and the Doctrine of the Saints codified. Living memory extends back only fifty years in most cases, for it was then that hordes of Chaos from the East swept through Eastmarch, pillaging and burning. Mystwood was all but deserted, and the border barons with their castles moved further west. As uninhabited land, Mystwood fell under the direct control of the Duke of Eastmarch to do with as he would. The
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Dukes past and present doubtless wished to profit from their new acquisition, but for many years it remained a lawless wilderness. All that changed with the coming of St. Siventus, a questing Knight ten years past. Visions led him to a hidden chamber within the ruins of Aquila, and within he found a treasure greater than gold - tomes from the Library of Alexapolis, a center of learning in distant Aegyptus founded by Alexa the Great, the most powerful conqueror the world had ever known. Among those Tomes was the Book of Life, a blessed volume that would preserve all those who wrote their name within it from violence and misfortune. Alas, its protection was not sufficient to save St. Siventus when he took up arms against the Dragon, and the brave Knight perished and ascended to sainthood. Siventus had wounded the Dragon sorely however, and it has not been seen in the sky for years, though the folk of Mystwood take no chances, keeping their green roofed homes well hidden beneath the trees. With the dragon absent, folk were drawn to the riches of Mystwood, and they cleared land and built homes. Yet now those homes and fields lie vacant, for one year past a deadly plague swept through the Mystwood, laying low nine out of ten inhabitants. Now the Duke offers gold to those brave enough and learned enough write their names in the Book of Life and resettle the Mystwood. Astute readers will notice many similarities between Historical Europe and the Known World of Mystwood, but it would be a mistake to assume too much. Mystwood is a place interwoven with Magic and the threat of Chaos, with its own past, religion and culture. Though we have used the history of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, and elements of its culture (circa 1300) to help build Mystwood and to give players a reference point to help them understand the world they will inhabit, we have not followed it strictly. As the wise say Expect only what occurs.

SocialStructure
In Mystwood no particular difference is recognized between men and women in law or custom. All occupations are open to either gender, and no preference is given to males in inheritance or marriage. At the top of the social structure in the lands of Eastmarch in the kingdom of Navarre (where the Mystwood game is set) are the nobility- the Duke, his extended family, and the Barons of the Marches and their families. Their positions are hereditary and derive, in theory, from ancient claims of descent from legendary kings and queens. In their own minds their power is near absolute, in practicality it often extends no further than their reach. All nobility are bound by only one law- that they must keep their oaths. It is common therefore for them to be forced through various political maneuverings to swear to uphold certain laws or practices, thereby effectively granting various rights to the lower ranks of society, but these are generally subject to change. Nobles do not collect taxes as we understand the term in the present day- instead they must earn the money to run their affairs through renting their land (most often in the form of collecting a portion of the harvest), charging of various fees for the use of their roads, forests, mills and so on, and through various monopolies, most notably control of all brewing.
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In certain cases there may be levies- cash payments demanded from every person for wars, weddings, castle building and so on. These are one time occurrences and generally very unpopular, often enforced at the point of a sword. Each Noble holds a castle as their seat of power, and extensive lands, which are often somewhat intermingled with those of other nobles. Nobles theoretically own all land, but parcel most of it out to others in return to for service, much like the Feudal system of historical Europe. No player may be a noble in Mystwood- after all, why would a noble dwell in a timber fort in the midst of a monster-infested forest? The true backbone of the kingdom is not the nobility however, but the Knighthood. Knighthood in Navarre is, by ancient custom NOT hereditary. Instead, anyone can become a Knight through acts of valor and proving their worth. Since only a Knight can inherit stewardship of a Knight's land, this means that land changes hands frequently from generation to generation. The Knighthood of Navarre is the kingdom's elite and has been the bulwark of its defense against enemies within and without. Knighthood is bestowed by the nobility, but it is required that the College of Heralds concur. Abuse of the system, such as Knighthoods being purchased or Knighthood denied in order to break a Knightly family is rare but not unheard of. Truly virtuous and courageous Knights are favored by the Gods themselves, and such is the kingdom's pride in this system that it is rarely corrupted. By law, Knights are given a number of privileges- leadership in time of war, bearing arms in almost any situation, and the right of Trial by Combat. Knights are entitled to the honorific Sir if a man or Dame if a woman before their name. A Knight Errant has nothing but their rank and often struggles to even maintain their armor and keep their belly filled. If they prove themselves, they may be awarded a fortified hall called a manor house, land of their own, and serfs to till it, thereby becoming a Knight of the Realm. The children and spouses of Knights, though not guaranteed a Knighthood themselves, do enjoy many advantages in wealth and education. They form the majority of the clergy, scholarly, and mercantile occupations. They form a somewhat amorphous social classtechnically Free Commoners but actually more privileged than most. No player may begin the game as a Knight- it is an honor earned in time, though they may be the children of Knights. Below the Knights are Free Commoners, who comprise perhaps half the population. They practice trades such as blacksmithing, may hold land directly from a lord themselves, and are generally free to pursue any path they wish. They provide the bulk of the armed forces of the Nobility, and in time of war form Militia warbands to defend their homes. They are generally well armed, but rarely own armor, which is unsurprising given that a suit of armor costs about the same as a car in modern terms. Last are serfs, slaves and thralls. Most were free peasants who were forced, in time of famine, to voluntarily bond themselves to a lord in exchange for food. Others are those who have become debtors in other ways, children of serfs, or (rarely) prisoners captured in war. Their status varies a great deal- in some villages the difference between free folk and serfs is merely a legal point and you can not readily tell who is who. In others, serfs are not
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permitted to bear arms and are ground down into abject poverty by the demands of their lord or lady. Serfdom is hereditary, as debts are inherited by children from their parents along with property. All serfs are not allowed to leave their land without their lord's permission. By a custom as ancient as that of Knighthood, anyone can purchase their freedom for a cost of equivalent to the cost to feed a family for a year, generally equal to what caused their family to become serfs in the first place, or about 200 crowns. A thrifty and fortunate serf can save this amount in a few years, but a poor harvest can easily cast down a free family, forcing them to place themselves in their lord's hands in exchange for grain from the castle stores.

TheBaronies
Three Baronies provide the bulk of the settlers of Mystwood and form the bulwark of Eastmarch against external threats.

Fennwyck is northernmost, a land of dreary fens and moors, bordering the sea. Much threatened by raiders, its people are hardy, independent, and superstitious. Its ruler, Baroness Orla, is young, but still feared as potent Knight and a canny politician. She is rarely seen outside the seat of her house, the ancient fortress of Caer Aldwyn, but is said to travel her lands in disguise. Fenwyck's colors are Green and Grey.
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The northernmost outpost of Fenwick is the village of Colwaith. Ships from the north sea call there, and the blood of Skadia runs in the veins of many of the inhabitants there. Scattered along the edges of northern marshes, many of the people of Fenwyck live in the simplest of dwellings of turf or stone, following ways of life unchanged for thousands of years, fishing, tending sheep, and waging war, each in their season. Inland along the shores of Lake Soloy is Dawnwater's Edge, a village built entirely on stilts for protection from the Scadian raiders. Dragonshire is to the west, largest, most powerful of the three. It is a poor land once much devastated by the Dragon, but the hard work of its people has made it prosperous none the less. To take the Dragon as a symbol of one's house is a sign of arrogance in the eyes of many, and Baron Andrac is well suited to it. A minor scion of the family risen to power through merit during the power vacuum following the death of the previous Baron, he is known for unusual ideas on religion. Dragonshire's colors are Black and Yellow. Its castle Dracford is newly built at great cost. Dragonshire is the most powerful of the Baronies, and the most likely to meddle in the affairs of the Mystwood. It is a poor land once much devastated by the Dragon, but the hard work of its people has made it prosperous none the less. To take the Dragon as a symbol of one's house is a sign of arrogance in the eyes of many, and Baron Andrac is well suited to it. A minor scion of the family risen to power through merit during the power vacuum following the death of the previous Baron, he is known for unusual ideas on religion. Dragonshire's colors are Black and Yellow. Its castle Dracford, is newly built at great cost, alongside the river Elwash, boundary of the Mystwood. Much of Dragonshire's land has grown up with forest, and is only recently being cleared. Some of its villages, like Bymaple Pond, are quite idyllic, with prosperous but hard working inhabitants. Other settlements are much smaller and meaner, inhabited by the most wretched of serfs. Although it is not in Dragonshire Proper, the Abby of St. Siventus should also be mentioned. A mighty fortress restored by Baron Adrac, it guards the road south from the Mystwood that links Eastmarch with the city of Venetia and the lands of Carpathia. The armies of Unlife have assailed it many times in recent years, but it has never fallen, defended as it is by stalwart warrior monks of cult of Justice. It is perhaps the only safe place along the south road between the Keep of Mystwood and the Carpathian border town of Caranthium. Pelancia lies to the south of Eastmarch, with a milder climate and rich agricultural land. It borders the mighty river Lucerin, which brings some trade from the larger world. Pelancia is ruled by elderly husband and wife Baroness and Baron Rochvall, both sorcerers of some note. Their colors are Blue and Brown, reflecting the ancient seafaring heritage of their house, though Pelancia does not itself border the sea. The Rochvall seat is Tiras Ethanor, nestled at the foot of the mountains at the edge of the Mystwood. Said to have been built by the Fae, Tiras Ethanor is easily one of the great wonders of Navarre, its towers seeming impossibly tall and graceful to achieve without
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magic. Indeed, Fae blood runs in the veins of many of those in western Pelancia, the architecture of the Barony is much admired. Doubters will say that Tiras Ethanor has never been put to the test by a true siege, or dragon attack. Tiras Ethanor is a great inspiration to Bards and Knights Errant, a center of chivalry and romance in song and story. From Tiras Ethanor, the river Lucerin flows down out of the mountains. At the edge of the forest lies the village of Driftford, whose inhabitants are concerned mostly with the harvest of timber to be floated down river, the herding of sheep and the spinning and dyeing of wool. Beyond Driftfield the river winds through the prosperous agricultural lands of Pelancia, through pastures and vinyards and many small hamlets and freeholdings to reach Summermill. Tiras Ethanor being somewhat remote, the Rochvalls are often to be found hear, and Summermill may soon become a town to rival Tweaksbury. Even further west lies Shandlin's ferry, a gateway to Burgondy and Ionia, Shandlin's Ferry is noted for a grand fair held there yearly - and for war, plague, and misfortune that comes on the heels of the merchants, pilgrims, and armies that pass through it. North of Driftfield is Monteval Abby, arguably the greatest church house in Eastmarch. Monteval is devoted primarily to the Lord of Justice, and holds vast lands and wealth in the surrounding area. It is here that many will come to learn the ways of faith. Far to the west are lands held directly by the Duke, Guilford II. He is much concerned with the affairs of the larger kingdom, leaving much of the running of Eastmarch to his middle aged step daughter Geneveve. Some taken to calling her the Duchess in Waiting, though she is not the heir. The only true cities of Eastmarch, Trieste, the capital, (pronounced Tree-Est) and Tweaksbury (boasting several paved streets) are found in the duke's lands. The Duke's colors are Black and White. In Trieste is to be found the great Cathedral of St. Amelia, recently finished and considered a great wonder. Another cathedral is half finished in Tweaksbury, but has lacked the funds for completion for decades. Though the heartlands of Eastmarch are shielded from the perils of the Mystwood and the forces of Chaos beyond it, they have recently been ravaged by the forces of Albion. Albion's Queen Elspeth claims lordship over all Navarre, and many of the lords along the coast have sworn allegiance to her. The current Duke was able to avoid war for many years through skillful diplomacy, but now each summer brings skirmishes along the coast as bands of Albionese soldiers raid inland, sometimes reaching as far inland as Tweaksbury. Four years past, the Ducal seat at Treiste was besieged. Rich farm lands surround the two main cities, with populations much great than that of the baronies, and a number of lesser villages. Tweaksbury has grown a great deal in recent years, and is now rather too large for its walls. The Ducal lands are the center of Guild activity, both legitimate and otherwise. In theory, the inhabitants of Mystwood are subjects of the Duke, though they would most likely have been born in the lands of one of the three Baronies.
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War and Rebellion War ebbs and flows across the Known World. The Queen of Albion presses her dynastic claim to much of the coastal land of Navarre, but this rarely troubles Eastmarch. Armies march and great battles are fought. These battles are decided most often by the charge of armored Knights. The Mystwood is, in some ways, more tranquil. Great armies cannot easily traverse the forest with its unreliable paths and many hostile denizens. Even when they can, they are loath to do so, for the Dragon is drawn to such hosts, as invasions of its domain, or because of its love of horseflesh. Indeed, few horses will willingly enter the Mystwood, and battles are fought on foot. None the less, the Mystwood sees a near perpetual state of conflict between small bands of warriors (less than thirty in most cases). Most of these battles are between the inhabitants and patrols and various raiders and chaos spawn, but five years ago the inhabitants, angered by a levy for the building of ships they would never see, rose in rebellion, slaying the duke's sheriff. Though there were punitive expeditions by Dragonshire that resulted in several small battles (the sheriff having been related to Baron Andrac), the Duchess in Waiting simply ordered all contact cut off with the colony. In time, deprived of all commerce and finding the fruits of their occupations much diminished, the rebels sued for peace. Part of the settlement included the creation of the Town Guard, Mystwood's only professional fighting force, charged with keeping brigandage, sedition, poaching and the like within reasonable limits as well as serving as Navarre's first line of defense. Out of Game Note: Though the government of Navarre is enlightened by the standards of the Known World, there is still plenty of injustice to combat for those with a bent towards such things, though it is generally best to do so with subtlety. It is possible that some combination of events could lead to the player characters rising in rebellion. Open conflict
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with the lords of the kingdom causes the economy of the Mystwood to collapse and all occupations will lose some of their abilities. This may be a price worth paying, but it should be understood in advance.

TravelandtheLargerWorld:
All starting characters must be from Eastmarch, however, if your first character dies you may create a new one from anywhere in the world. The world beyond Eastmarch plays little role in the Mystwood game. Indeed, most chronicles are concerned only with the doings of the forest of Mystwood itself, with the kingdom of Navarre forming no more than backdrop and context for the player's adventures.

Travelers tales of distant lands are always popular, and though most folk's understanding of geography is hazy at best, here are some things commonly known. Most who have travelled beyond the Kingdom have taken the little used East Road to the League, a group of towns within vast forests. Rothenburg is the first of these along the road. The East road is so dangerous only well-armed caravans travel it, mostly bearing treasures from distant Thule, particularly certain magical components very rare elsewhere in exchange for Gold, weapons, and armor needed to defend the League cities from the hordes of Chaos-following barbarians who dwell in Thule. The people of the League are much the same as those of Navarre, though hardened by their struggle with Chaos and little given to mercy.

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The caravans must dare the dangerous road through the Mystwood because the sea is closed to them, for the hostile lands of Skadia bar the way. Though the Skadians are not wholly given over to Chaos, they none the less are easily seduced by it, lacking a proper church. The many Jarls of that land take ships to raid Fennwyck when they are not fighting each other, and will not let any merchant pass through their seas without heavy payment. Skadians do not speak the common tongue, making them strange and foreign to the people of Navarre. To the south of Navarre are three Kingdoms- Burgundy, a land much like Navarre, though wealthier and warmer; the city states of Iona, heirs to the glory of the Empire; and Illyria, also called Carpathia, a mountainous land of small villages much troubled by the Undead. Even Further south lies Hellas, said to be the birthplace of civilization; and Anatolia, the remnant of the Empire with its capital at Byzantium, seat of the Church. To the distant west Aaragon is said to be land of great chivalry with peerless knights. Across the Latin Sea, lies Khenti, land of great serpents and cyclops, and Araby, of which many wonderful tales are told.

LanguagesandWriting:
The people of Navarre speak a common tongue derived from Latin and a mix of local languages. Latin is be used for all writing, though for simplicity things are written in English and it is assumed characters translate. Spoken Latin is a dead language, though still used in ceremonies, mottos, and incantations.

LawsandJustice:
The right of administering justice in the Mystwood descends from the Duke,and is primarily administered by appointed magistrates, though in certain circumstances Barons and members of the Clergy are entitled to do so as well. A few key points all should know: The kingdom of Navarre has many laws, some fair and enlightened, some not so much. The vast majority of these constitute The Code Civitas, and rarely play a role in the game. There is a penalty for failing to keep your livestock out of your neighbor's field, but its not likely to be an issue for your character. Nor are you likely to be punished for mixing sand in your baked goods, failing to keep up the sections of road near your house, or failing to maintain your weapons for time of need. Indeed, few of the tenants of the Code Civitas are enforced in Mystwood. Several notable exceptions include: Brandishing - Weapons should not be carried in hand and ready for use when within town walls. They must be sheathed, or in the case of two handed weapons, set aside until needed. This is punishable with a warning or a one Crown fine. It is often used by the town guard to keep armed strangers from staging surprise attacks. The guard may also require peace bonding of weapons at their discretion. Bows, staves, tools and the like are exempt from this requirement.
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Public Nuisance - Acting inappropriately within the town or failing to show respect to those with higher social status. This is punishable with a warning or a one Crown fine, placement in the stocks or a crow cage. Due Payment it is illegal to take from a non serf the fruits of their occupation without payment. Although intended to prevent enslavement, this law is also used to discourage vagrancy, and enforce a guild's fees. *Punishable by fine of twice the value due, with half of the fine going to the victim. -One who is cured of an affliction must pay the healer as agreed, pay 4 crowns, or offer one hour's service. -Those who are depicted favorably in song, story, text, or illustration shall offer a crown to the scribe, a minor service, or payment as agreed. -Those who receive food and drink shall offer coin in payment, or if they have none, they shall perform a service such as the washing of dishes. Blasphemy, Gibbering and Ranting - This is the polite way of saying Talking out of game in game areas. NPCs and other players will react to such talk as foul profanity, and a fine of 5 crowns or time in the stocks or crow cage if the fine cannot be paid. There are areas that are fine for talking out of game - but the main areas of the game such as the tavern and town square are not. Think of it like a movie set - you wouldnt want to have the hobbits talking about monster truck racing in the background of the Lord of the Rings would you? Brewing the creation of strong spirits is illegal without Baronial Writ. This is punishable by chastisement (see below), as is tampering with a lawful tavern, with death possible in future events. The Code Civitas is enforceable by the town guard without trial. The Justinian Code deals with grave crimes, and is far more likely to come into play during a Mystwood event. All Justinian Code crimes require an accuser to be prosecuted. Without someone willing to swear that the accused is guilty, no prosecution is possible. However, the accused has no particular right to face their accuser, and it is perfectly acceptable to make an anonymous accusation before a magistrate. False accusation is a crime, and thus only the brave or certain will do so, and any accusation that does not result in a conviction is deemed false. T he accused may either submit to the judgement of the magistrate or demand a trial. If the trial is chosen the punishment is heavier. Normally the accused may choose the type of trial, however the magistrate does have the right to overrule the accused in special circumstances.

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Trials take three forms: Trial by Juror - The magistrate will appoint three jurors, who will be given a short time, usually a day, to investigate the case. Upon their return they will render their verdict. Many jurors are semi-professional, and it is common to allow both accused and accuser to choose one juror. They are thus a cross between lawyers and detectives. Trial by Ordeal - The accused undertakes some kind of test, usually dangerous, painful, or both. Survival or success is taken as sign of innocence. This is most often used in cases where there is little chance of establishing the facts of the case but strong circumstantial evidence exists. Trial by Combat - This is a right of all Knights, and may be requested by the accuser when they wish to carry out justice themselves, or by the defendant when they allege the accuser has harmed them in turn. It is permissible to have someone fight for you in most cases. Crimes: Murder and Attempted Murder Punishable by Death or a fine 100 crowns for a serf, 300 for a commoner, 500 for a knight. The Justinian code makes no distinction between the two crimes. In Mystwood, sending someone to the book of life is Attempted Murder. High Treason Punishable by Death in all cases. Theft and Vandalism Punishable by fine of twice the value of the stolen or destroyed goods, or by Chastisement. Half the fine goes to the victim, half to the Duke. A second offense is punishable by Branding. Third offense by death. Fraud is treated as theft. Poaching is theft from the Duke, see above. Assault Punishable by a fine agreed to by the assaulted person and the magistrate, or Chastisement. Note that there is a wide range of assault, sometimes assault is punishable by a small fine, other times it may be immense. Consorting with Undead or Chaos with intent to Gain that does not result in harm to others Punishable by a fine of 50 crowns or Chastisement. Second offense punishable by branding, third by Death. If harm results, punishable as if the Consorter had committed that harm themselves. See Murder, assault, theft above. Trafficking in Death or Chaos components is also considered Consorting. Dark Magic defined as use of the Chaos or Death components in magic without a permit, casting of any spell with chaos in the name. Other, more amorphous magical acts deemed to be dangerous to the public good also fall into this category. Punishable by a fine of 25 crowns or Chastisement, unless it results in harm to innocent individuals, in which case the sorcerer is punished as above in addition to the 25 crown fine. Third offense punishable by branding.
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Corruption defined as any action that raises Undead, summons Daemons, willingly accepting a mark of Chaos, or willful action that leads to another receiving a Mark of Chaos or becoming undead. Action that results in significant harm through traffic with chaos is also corruption, (such as releasing a plague) as is actual worship of a chaos being or accepting Unlife. Punishable by Death. False Accusation If the accused individual is not found guilty the accuser will face the punishment the accused would have received, for instance the false accusation of MURDER could result in the punishment of Death for the Accuser. Punishments: Branding - Branding is an affliction, which results in a permanent mark which must be worn. Branded criminals are obviously not usually welcome in polite society, but in some places it is a mark of honor. Death - Death is carried out by an executioner in a manner determined by a magistrate. Due to the book of life, many in Mystwood will survive their own executions. If they repented before their deaths this is considered sufficient punishment for their crime, but if they do not, they are usually banished from the Keep for several hours. Special note: Death by execution always consumes the Gift of Justice first, rather than the Gift of Mercy, and the Gift of the Wild if the Gift of Justice has been used. The Gift of Mercy is used last in this case. See Death and Dying. Chastisement Chastisement takes many forms at the discretion of the magistrate. In the keep of Mystwood it normally consists of half an hour in a Crow Cage, the maiming of limbs, or being made to wear a sign describing one's misdeeds. While these are mild by the standards of Navarre, the strong following of Mercy in the area prohibits the more brutal punishments seen elsewhere. In addition to the in game portion of the chastisement, it comes with a penalty of hard labor (assumed to take place between events), the result of which is to reduce your Hit Points by 1 (to a minimum of 1) during the next event.

TheChurch
Long ago there were many cults and sects devoted to many gods. Though holy men and women sought to lead others towards what was good, differences often led bloodshed between those who should have made common cause against Chaos. Over time wise folk came to understand that there were but three true and holy gods, and those were unified in a single church, though each sect preserves many of its own practices. The followers of Justice build tall churches and uphold what it good and just - honor, law, order, chivalry, marriage, and family. Their rites are solemn and thoughtful. The followers of the Wild hold their ceremonies in field and forest. Their god has dominion over all natural things, and over the bodily needs of the people. There is much mysticism in the cult of the Wild, ancient rites that others look askance at.
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The followers of Mercy believe less in ceremony and more in action, above all striving to live lives worthy of their goddess. They labor on behalf of the less fortunate, collecting alms, and are always ready to spill their blood in battle for a worthy cause or martyrdom for their beliefs. The Church is governed from Byzantium by the Triarch, consisting of: The High Theocrat of Justice The Arch Druid of the Wild The Enlightened of Mercy Below these three individuals, who serve for life, each faith has its own structure, rites, places of worship, and sects. Considerable variation exists in the details of theology and practice from kingdom to kingdom, and even village to village, but all within the church are united in certain core beliefs.

TheBestiary
Humankind, the children of the gods, make up the population of the world of Mystwood. Over time, however Magic has touched the bloodlines of many, and their appearance varies. Some show pointed ears or small horns, others unusual markings on their skin or colors in their hair. These are accepted as long as they are not too extreme. Those who are touched not by magic but by Chaos bear more extreme changes- hands mutated into claws or tentacles, spines, large horns, additional eyes, and the like. These are called Mutants. The Church teaches that they are to be pitied and showed charity and mercy so long as they did nothing to bring on their state. Alas, most mutants are loyal to the forces of chaos, and those who are not bring misfortune, mutation and ill luck with them, and thus they are driven out into the wilderness. Despite the teachings of the Church, many lords order the killing of mutants in their lands out of hand. Most mutants can speak and will at times trade or negotiate with ordinary folk. Mutation is most common at birth, but can occur later in life as well. While common mutants may be pitied, there are greater creatures who must be feared. In powerful, Gifted individuals whose very soul is consumed, chaos may work a greater transformation, one fitting to the vice that lured them into darkness. These Chimera are the monsters of legend, the Medusa spawned by Vanity, the Draconians of Greed, the Gorgons of Rage, plague-bearing Harpies, and many more.

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Mutation can touch animals as well as humans, and it is so that Beastmen are created. Minotaurs are the greatest of their kind, but nearly any animal can be so changed. Beastmen of Mystwood most often have the heads of beasts but the form of men. Beastmen have enough intelligence to make use of weapons and occasional scraps of armor and clothing, but can rarely speak more than a few words of the common tongue.. Universally they are savage servants of Chaos, with a great hatred of humankind. Beastmen are sometimes mistaken for Dire Animals, larger, more humanoid, more aggressive versions of natural creatures. These are understood to be free from the taint of Chaos. Boar, Bear, and Deer are all common dire beasts. Dire Animals are distinct from ordinary creatures in that they are played by NPCs. Unlike beastmen they are edible. They are prized as game, and some are illegal to hunt without the Dukes permission, though it is generally allowed to kill them in self defense. Worse than Beastmen are the Daemons of Chaos. Creatures of pure chaos, they are summoned briefly into the mortal world for purposes of mayhem, after which they disappear once more. They have a thousand forms, from the least warriors to greater Daemons of enormous power and intellect. Often they come in near unending waves from gates, portals, or icons. Thankfully such occasions are rare, unfortunately, they are much more common in the Mystwood than in the world at large. Chaos is not responsible for all that the world holds however. Elementals are the Daemonic counterparts of the other elements besides chaos. They are less common, and less destructive, though it is possible to rouse them to battle, and they often defend locations that are wellsprings of their Element. Less easily categorized are the Fae- Woses, Pucks, Kelpies, Korreds, Sprites, and the like. It may be that they are elementals of some form, or that they are manifestations of the God of the Wild in some way, or something else altogether. Certainly they are mischievous and powerful, talented in the arts of magic, long lived and restive. Also unclear is the nature of Goblins and Trolls. Both green and inimical to humankind, it is unclear if they are some sort of chaos breed, or perhaps a form of fae.

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Last there are the Undead. A soul may be awakened from its rest, sometimes due to its own pain, suffering and unfinished business, more often through the foul magics of necromancy. With or without their bodies they walk among the living in many forms- zombies, skeletons, haunts, wights, revenants, ghouls, and more. The source of necromancy is the greatest of the Undead- Vampires.

CHRONICLES
The saga of Mystwood is divided into Chronicles which may last one, two or three years. There are several chronicles operating at any given time in Mystwood. This ensures that there are a several story lines for players to become involved in, and players have a good chance of seeing at least a few of them through to the end. A chronicle may focus on role-playing, combat, adventure, or some mixture of each. It is hoped that the variety of chronicles will enable those who cannot commit to full weekends of live role-playing to still enjoy a complete storyline. Players may also choose to act as Non-Player Characters for one chronicle, thereby enriching the game with a larger cast of characters. A typical Mystwood event is divided into Chronicles and Adventure Time. During Chronicle Time events unfold quickly and are all focused on a single story. Adventure Time by contrast is devoted to small events not essential to any particular story, such as small group quests, role-playing within the town, the practice of occupations and the pursuit of spirit gates. Each chronicle is directed by a Triad of three game masters, the permanent staff of Mystwood. It is intended that Triads may retire after completing their chronicle, perhaps creating their own characters, and new Triads come forward to continue the saga. Each Triad is independently responsible for their chronicle, but any decisions effecting the game as a whole requires assent of five of the Nine. If you would like to become part of a Triad or run your own one or two year chronicle please contact current game staff. If your proposal is not chosen feel free to submit it again next year. You may also submit more than one proposal if you wish, however you will never run two chronicles at the same time.

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ABriefIntroductiontoLiveActionRolePlaying
What is Extreme Role-playing? Imagine a virtual reality in which you are transported into a fantasy movie like the Fellowship of the Ring, Conan the Barbarian, or Willow. Imagine that you could become a character in that movie, but without a script. Imagine that you could be a hero in the struggle against evil for a day. Imagine that you could feel the pulse pounding excitement of a fantasy adventure without real danger. Imagine the feeling of magic at your fingertips. Imagine yourself fighting hand to hand against savage foes, with victory decided not by dice, but by your own skill. Imagine a world created for you to adventure in, as complete as possible. As real as possible. No dice. No computers. Imagine that you do not NEED to use your imaginationbecause it is all there before you. Also called LARP (Live Action Role Playing), Extreme role-playing is a hobby in which you portray an imaginary character, Live, as though you were an actor in a movie, but without a script. To put it more simply, its about picking up a (padded) sword, and heading out into the woods to enter a fantasy world complete with props, sets, and actors for a d What is the Maine Adventure Society Inc.? The Maine Adventure Society, or MASI, is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting Adventure, usually though not always in the form of Extreme Role-playing (LARP), in Maine. The Maine Adventure Society sponsors the game of Mystwood and other games. How is Combat handled? Combat is a sport, in which you swing specially constructed padded swords and other weapons at your opponent, while trying to avoid being struck by them. It is not a particularly Realistic simulation of sword fighting, but it is fun, safe, exciting, and easy to get into. Does it hurt? When conducted properly, no. The weapons used are very safe, but they can sting or bruise when used with too much force. Hits to the head and other vulnerable areas are not allowed. Anyone causing another player pain is breaking the rules, and will be in big trouble if the problem persists. Poorly constructed weapons are another problem. Some people have encountered larp combat with heavy swords poorly padded with too much duct tape, used with too much force, and found it painful and intimidating. MASI combat strives to avoid this. Even the most delicate person should be able to participate in combat in (relative) comfort.

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So its like Martial Arts? Not really. It bears little resemblance to things like Kick boxing. Since the objective is NOT to hurt (or even bruise) your opponent, real life combat skills are not as helpful as they would be in a real fight. However, many of the principles of the martial arts apply, and anyone trained in Martial arts should have no problem mastering LARP combat. How do you know when youre dead? Most MASI games use a Hit Point system. For example, a certain character might have 5 Hit Points or HP. They could be struck with a sword 5 times before being taken out. If they were hit by something that did 3 points of damage, they would subtract this from their HP total, and 2 HP left. Im no Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bruce Lee. Do I still stand a chance in combat? Absolutely. LARP combat is a sport, and like any sport, there are those who are VERY good at it. However, it is a sport that is easy to become competent in. A few weeks of practice is enough to enable most people to hold their own. The weapons are light enough for just about anyone to use, so you dont have to build up strength, as you would have to in order to wield a real sword. Since you arent really trying to hurt people, large folk are actually at a DISADVANTAGE, since they present a larger target, and get no benefit from their generally greater strength. Teamwork and Tactics are often more important than raw skill and fitness. This isnt a movie where extras attack the hero one at a time to be conveniently slaughtered, leaving themselves wide open. Two fighters working together can defeat most single foes, and anyone can be defeated by a well-placed attack from behind. What about Magic? Magic is simulated in a variety of ways. Some spells work automatically the person points at you, and says the effect of the spell. Most though require that the magician throw a spell packet, a basically a birdseed bean bag (hacky sack sized), at you. If it misses, the spell fails. Is Combat the only thing going on? Not at all. Combat is exciting, and plays a large role in most LARPs, but usually an equal emphasis is placed on role-playing characters, costumes, sets, special effects, the Story of the game, challenges of physical skill (such as leaping from platform to platform), or mental ability (solving puzzles), entertainment and feasts. Do I have to wear a costume? Yes - you wouldn't want someone in khakis and a Metallica t-shirt wandering through a "Star Wars" movie set would you? However, costumes can generally be borrowed from the staff if need be; though its better to find your own. What are NPCs and PCs? PC stands for Player Character. A person who participates as a PC plays a single character for an entire event - a hero or heroine of the story. The player creates a Character, who has various skills and abilities defined in the rules. Such characters are the central focus of the story, and the action revolves around them. Think of them as the Main characters of a movie. As time passes, Player characters progress and gain power and experience. NPCs are the Extras. During an event, an NPC will play many roles, often enemies of the Pcs. Thus in a fantasy game they might be peasants, marauding brigands, wise sages, winsome maidens, foppish rakes, or hideous monsters. The parts are assigned by the game STAFF, the people who actually organize the event, and NPCs must play the part assigned as best they can, until it is time to receive a new one.
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Does this have anything to do with Vampires? No. Vampire LARP is a different hobby. Each has its own merits, but they have relatively little in common beyond the idea of role-playing. Though there certainly are Vampires in Mystwood! Whats the Difference between Extreme Role-playing and a Ren Faire? A Renaissance faire is a large production, which most people go to watch. At an extreme role-playing event is much smaller and there are no spectators (though see Watchers below), and everyone is involved in the action. Another difference is that Ren Fairs stage choreographed battles between professionals, using steel weapons, while LARP combat is unchoreographed, with NO steel weapons allowed. Everyone at a LARP is in game, and you are a direct participant in the action, not a spectator. You dont watch the goodly knight thwart the evil sheriff you do it yourself, or try to anyway. There is no script, so success or failure depends on your skill, cunning, teamwork, and luck. There also arent large numbers of people trying to sell you stuff. How does Extreme Role-playing compare with the Society for Creative Anachronism (S.C.A.)? Though they often appeal to the same sort of people, the experiences are very different. The main differences are two fold: First, LARP combat is much less demanding, and consequently, not as realistic as that of the SCA. On the plus side, that means you can do a lot more of it. Second, in an Extreme Role-Playing LARP you are continuously in character. The goal is to create as complete a world of sight, sound, touch and even taste as possible. There is also an ongoing story - things happen to the PC s, events transpire, choices are made. The SCA on the other hand, works to recreate historical arts and situations rather than a fantasy world. So theres an Ongoing Story? Absolutely. The Player characters continue from event to event, learning more about their world, learning new skills, gaining new abilities, encountering new and old friends and enemies, and generally living a fantasy adventure. What does it actually LOOK like? The Live Action role-playing hobby has reached the point where costuming and effects could be compared to a B grade movie - and they are getting better all the time. At Dreamquest all inhabitants, monsters, and other creatures wear costumes, often quite elaborate. A variety of masks and makeup are used to simulate non human beings. Clothing is worn that is appropriate to a fantasy world. The Village where the game takes place is specially constructed as a set to appear as a fortified settlement from the past. Other sets are used for ruins and tunnels. Music, fog machines, light, and other special effects are also sometimes used. Who Can Play? Anyone 14 years of age or older. You must present some proof of age. Persons under 18 years old also need parents consent.

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WhatToExpectataMystwoodLARPEvent
Mystwood events are open to anyone 14+ years of age who can follow the rules (especially the core safety rules) Younger players are sometimes allowed on a case by case basis. EVENT SCHEDULE: Full weekend events generally begin Friday night around 7:00pm and end Sunday afternoon around 3:00pm. Mystwood is uniquely built so that if you can only attend part of the event you can pay a reduced entry fee and will (most likely) not miss out on the story line. It is a good idea to arrive early to your first event and let the staff know you are attending so they can show you around as the site is quite large. Weekend Event Schedule: Friday Evening (6:00pm - 9:00pm): set up, registration, and transportation of gear Friday Night (9:00pm - 12:00am): Adventure Time Saturday Morning (10:00am - 11:00am): Adventure Time Saturday Day (11:00am 4:00pm): Chronicle A Saturday Evening (4:00pm 7:00pm): Adventure Time + Dinner Saturday Night (7:00pm 12:00am): Chronicle B Sunday Day (10:00am 2:00pm): Chronicle C Sunday Afternoon (2:00pm 3:00pm): Clean Up Single Day Event Schedule: Saturday Morning (9:00am - 10:00am): Registration and Set up Saturday Day (10:00am 2:00pm): Chronicle / Quest Saturday Evening (2:00pm 5:00pm): Adventure Time + Dinner Saturday Night (5:00pm 9:00pm): Chronicle / Quest "Adventure Time" is a time for players to explore the Mystwood and go on player driven adventures. It can also be a great opportunity to take a break and interact with other players in a leisurely way. No major plot will occur during adventure time however player specific and occupation based plot will occur led by staff. FOOD: Mystwood provides little to no food for players so if you plan to stay the whole weekend you will want to pack a lunch or two, breakfasts, and snacks. There is often a Pot luck dinner (out of game) Saturday night, if you plan to participate PLEASE bring an item to share. Food is however provided for permanent staff (Non-Player Characters) ACCOMMODATIONS: Anyone attending an overnight event should be aware that most Mystwood events take place at wilderness campgrounds - you will need your own tent, sleeping gear, food, sensible shoes, bug spray, sunscreen, and water at a minimum. Some players choose to return home during the overnight period.

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GEAR AND EQUIPMENT: You do not however need to worry about costumes, foam swords, spell packets or the like as Mystwood is happy to loan such items to new members. However, as you travel deeper into the hobby you will want to acquire your own items. RULES: You should be at least somewhat familiar with the rules of Mystwood, although you do not need to memorize them by any means. If you are going to NPC, all that is needed is a knowledge of the Core Rules. LIABILITY: Everyone needs to sign a waiver which is available online and at game check in, those under 18 must have it signed by a parent in advance, those 18+ can sign their own at check in. PRICING: Pricing varies based on the type of participation and by location, you can attend an event for as little as $15 or as much as $45, each pricing option has its advantages. Some events may have different pricing options. Benefits Live Action Roleplaying is an exciting and demanding activities that often brings great personal growth. The athletic challenge of swordfighting helps build fitness and often appeals to young people who dont enjoy traditional sports. Success requires practice, focus and discipline much like a traditional martial art. Most live action roleplaying adventures require teamwork to overcome a variety of challenges not unlike Outward Bound activities. There is also a great opportunity for social growth as people of a variety of ages and backgrounds come together in a way that is all too rare today. The need to create ones costume and gear is a way to exercise artistic talents and craft skills. Every participant is valued for their contributions regardless of their age. Successes in a difficult battle, solving a complex puzzle, or leading others to victory are great self-esteem builders. Unlike computer gaming, live action role-playing takes place outdoors, has physical, social, and emotional benefits computers cannot provide. Safety Concerns Like any contact sport, there are risks associated with live roleplaying. Injuries are rare, but they do occur, almost always from falls in rough terrain. Good judgement in running and jumping is the most important safety skill. The padded swords, properly constructed, are extremely safe. If your child trains at home you should be sure that they are following Mystwood safety standards for sword construction and for sparring. No blows to the head, no body contact, no pushing, wrestling, punching or kicking, no baseball bat type swings, and no more than 3 swings before a break. Sparring should take place on a level surface free from obstacles. Following these rules will help keep your child safe as well as insuring that they properly prepared for Mystwood events.

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Supervision MASI endeavors to provide a safe, supportive environment for all participants. No drugs or alcohol are allowed at any MASI event, and high standards of courtesy and safety are required. However, MASI does not provide supervision of any sort and should not be thought of as a camp or daycare activity. It is primarily an adult organization. Young people that participate are expected to be mature enough to take care of themselves. Age limits for MASI events vary from 14-18 years old minimum, and ultimately it is your responsibility as a parent to determine if your child is mature enough to participate safely. A good rule of thumb is Would you be comfortable with your child spending a weekend camping with friends? If the answer is yes, then they should be ready for MASI events. It may be a good idea to accompany your child to an event. This will give you a better idea of what an event is like and is also a great family activity. Another alternative is to start with an afternoon of adventuring rather than a full weekend event. Anyone under 18 must have a waiver of liability signed by a parent or guardian. (Found online)

Welcome Adventurer!

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CHAPTERONE: THECORERULES
SafetyRules
General Safety Notes - Live Action Role-Playing is exciting, but it is a contact sport. You wander the woods, have daring escapes, close calls, delve into ruins, and battle against your foes with padded nerf swords. All these things can be dangerous. You must keep real life safety firmly in mind at all times. It is a game, and the most important thing is keeping everyone safe. Common sense must be used at all times no matter how much fun you are having. Dont hesitate to stop the game or take other steps to protect yourself and others from injury. Non-Combatants - Non-combatants are a special case. Rather than attacking them again and again, an enemy may merely place their weapon to the non-combatants chest and state I strike you down. The assailant must be able to finish this for it to work. This causes the non-combatant to drop to 0 hit points. Non-combatants must wear a yellow armband, or yellow Glow Stick at night, to denote their status. Physical Contact - No physical contact is allowed without the other players permission. No direct physical contact is allowed in combat AT ALL, and if you are within arms length during combat YOU ARE TOO CLOSE. Running at Night - The single greatest safety risk you face in live role-playing is NOT combat. It is running at night over rough terrain, risking falling and bashing your brains out on a rock. Always use extreme caution when running. Avoid pursuing other players at night. Weapon Safety - The staff must inspect all weapons before they are used. It is a players responsibility to maintain their weapons and keep them in safe condition. Using a weapon that has become unsafe (worn out foam, broken off tip, etc.) is grounds for disinvitation. Blocking Doors - Blocking or holding a door with your body or furniture is not allowed. Do not try to force doors open. Carrying other People - Unless the person is a close friend of yours and gives you permission to carry them, you may not move another player. The exceptions are if you have some in-game power that allows you to do this (Animate), and for safety. If someone is down in a position where they are likely to be stepped on, you may say something like I kick your body to the side, in which case they can move quickly out of the way. Combat Force - When fighting with padded weapons, you must always pull your blows so as not to strike too hard. No blow should cause real pain. If you are struck by a blow that you think is too forceful, say Excessive Force. The hit DOES NOT COUNT! Everyone is
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different, so you will have to adjust to your opponents level of comfort. Blows that some players would hardly notice are quite unpleasant for others. No one should feel uncomfortable about calling Excessive Force. It doesnt mean you are a wimp. You are actually helping the game by keeping things under control. Combat Targets - Do not strike the head or groin. Hits to the hands do not count, though if you purposely block a blow with your hand you will take the hit. Drugs, Alcohol, Real Weapons - These are NEVER allowed. You will be instantly disinvited if you are found with these. This includes coming to an event under the influence. You may bring a pocketknife or similar tool to use outside of the game for cooking or utility purposes. Fire - No unattended flames are allowed at any time. Fire rules may even be stricter depending on the situation and current fire hazard in the woods. No combat may occur within 10 feet of an open flame. Please do not yell Fire! unless there is really an out-of-game emergency. Light - No lights with directed beams may be used, at all. You can modify flashlights and lanterns so that they arent aimed by adding a diffuser or film. Glow sticks are also safe and useful. No Unsafe Stunts or Climbing - Please do not climb trees or buildings, or jump out of windows. You may be able to pull off such stunts safely, but others less capable might imitate you. Multi Level Fighting No multi Level fighting is allowed for the purposes of hand to hand combat, although you may be able to hit someone in a tower with your sword realistically, this lends itself to safety hazards. It you are on a different level than your opponent only ranged attacks may be used. Safety Calls Caution! - When you see a safety problem, call Caution! This is used for things such as someone about to back over a rock or into a tree. The caution creates a sort of mini-Hold during which you should be ignored by others, as should the person at risk. Hold! - In the case of MAJOR safety problems, injuries, lost glasses during combat, and the like, call "Hold!" ALL action stops within line of sight, and should start again only when the problem is resolved and a "Lay-On" has been called. Do not call "Hold!" for in-game reasons, but do not hesitate to call one when you think it might be needed. Clarify! - When you did not hear or do not understand a spell or in-game effect, call Clarify. The person should explain what has happened or answer your question. Excessive Force When you are struck for a blow that is uncomfortable or hurts call excessive force. The blow does not count. See combat force in the combat section for further clarification.

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RulesofCourtesy

-Do Not Use Obscenities -Do Not Cheat -Do Not Insult Others Out-of-Game -Do Not Litter -Smoke in Designated Areas ONLY -Maintain Atmosphere Role-Play! - MASI is about role-playing. Not everyone likes to role-play every minute of a game, but NO ONE likes to be trying to role-play while someone else is blatantly out of character nearby. Being out-of-character while others are role-playing is rude, and will not be tolerated. Certain areas of the game are role-playing zones. It is REQUIRED that you stay in character in these places. Some sort of horrid in-game penalties may be levied, such as curse from the gods, accusations of heresy, etc., against anyone not observing this.

SpecificRolePlayingGuidelines
You should try not to use modern terms like OK in conversation if you can help it. Unless, of course, you are playing a modern game. You must always role-play the pain of injury in combat. You should always strive to portray the character you are playing to the best of your ability. You are an actor, your audience is the other players, and they will enjoy it much more if you do your best. When dead, you should fall and lie still, until everyone leaves, if at all possible. Having people standing around after a fight chatting with the dead TOTALLY ruins the atmosphere of the battle. Stay in Control - Blatantly losing control of your actions or emotions leads to dangerous situations and out-of-game offensiveness. If you feel like this is happening, just step back from the situation for a moment to settle down and remember it is just a game. You may certainly role-play that your character has lost control, but even in that situation you must always keep safety first, and stay within the boundaries of good taste. Having someone raving and shouting in your face is rarely fun, even if it is part of the game. Whenever extreme emotions become involved, you should be a bit theatrical, and try to avoid creating a tense situation between players. The same applies to Berserk fighting. When your character is enraged, leap forward, give a great shout, and then FIGHT NORMALLY.
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Searching another Person - In many games you will encounter situations where someone has something you want. In this case you may (once they are dead or helpless), say I search you. The person will then get out their stuff in a leisurely fashion (often while doing their best to act like a dead body). This should be handled as discretely as possible. The Rules of Reality - The MASI rule of reality is quite simple: The game is real. What this means is that you can never say you are doing something. Nor can you ask other players out of game questions, generally. Questions like Do I recognize you? What do I see? What happens if I do X? are irrelevant. There are a few cases where you will need another player to clarify a situation, but they should be rare.

TheCoreEffects

Calling Effects - Effects can be delivered in a variety of ways, but they must always be called BEFORE the weapon, packet, or whatever strikes the target. You cannot swing a weapon, strike another player, and THEN call Lethal, for example. Called effects do only their stated effect, and do no other damage. In most MASI games being hit with a sword (or any padded weapon) does 1 point of damage, but if someone calls Sever before they hit you, you DO NOT take a point. You only suffer the Sever effect (see below). Duration of Effects - Unless otherwise noted, all effects last about 5 minutes, or until you receive the appropriate purge. MASI Effects used in the Mystwood Game Psychological Effects Charm - You become favorably inclined toward the person who called the effect. You will not attack the caster unless attacked first by the caster, and will go along with any reasonable suggestion he or she makes. You are NOT a mindless slave and will not give away (important) possessions, attack friends, or betray a trust, etc. The effect is broken if/when the caster or casters allies do something unfriendly towards you. Compel you to <Instruction> - You are compelled to follow the instruction to the best of your ability. The instruction must be a short, uncomplicated action. If there is no duration given as part of the instruction, the compulsion ends after you have followed the instruction. Enslave - You are a mindless automaton. You are bound to serve the caster without question. You will even slay your friends or yourself if so ordered. Frenzy - You are overcome with rage and attack the nearest person in your field of view (i.e. in front of you), even if it is an ally, until rendered unable to do so, or until the effect ends. If you hear a frenzy at me you will only attack the person who called it, similarly if you compelled to frenzy at Bob you will only attack Bob. Torment - You must scream loudly once, and briefly role-play mental anguish and horror. No physical damage is associated with this effect.
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Medical Effects Animate - Allows the person calling the effect to cause the recipient to move at a shambling walk within arms reach, under the casters control. For example, Animate Wounded could be used to move a wounded or incapacitated character to a safe place to perform healing. Any damage sustained ends the effect. Diagnose - Allows the person calling the effect to WHISPER the following questions. If your target is up, you may whisper What is your current Health? If your target is down, you may whisper Are you near death or unconscious? Heal - You are restored to full Hit Points (Life Points plus Armor Points); and any Severed limbs are restored. This will not work on a dead character. Heal followed by a number (e.g. Heal 2) restores only that many Hit Points. Life - Will only affect someone who is dead. It will restore a character to life, with full HP. Offensive Effects Bind - Your arms are bound to your sides, and you must drop your weapons. # Crushing - Indicates extra-powerful damage that will still do half-damage (round down) even if blocked with a shield or weapon. Thus a strike that causes 4 Crushing will do 4 points of damage if it strikes your body and 2 points of damage if it strikes your shield or weapon. This skill may not be used to damage an opponent by merely tapping their weapon. # Damage - You take the indicated damage. Death - Death causes you to enter a dead state. Only the Life effect will return you to a living state. Disarm - Your weapon or hand-held item falls from your hand. You must drop it and do a silent 3-count after it hits the ground before you can pick it up. Doom - You will fall into a dead state after approximately one minute (a 60 count). If you receive a cure for the trait of the attack (for example a purge poison) within one minute, you will suffer no ill effects. You must role-play the effect of the doom during the minute, but can still fight and use skills normally. Knockout - You are unconscious, but do not lose any Hit Points. Lethal - In order to be effective a Lethal attack must strike the torso. Lethal causes you to drop to Zero Hit points.
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Maim - You lose the use of the target arm or leg. If delivered by a weapon, it affects the limb struck (no effect on the torso when struck by a weapon). If no target is specified, you may choose which limb suffers the effect. Maimed legs are a special case. Hopping is discouraged for safety and silliness reasons. With one crippled leg assume you can drag it around behind you slowly. With two maims to the legs (the same leg or different, it doesnt matter), you will have to prop yourself up, sit down, or go down on one knee. In any case, you cant move. With three maims to the legs you must go prone, since they do not support any weight at all. Maim is PERMANENT until cured by a heal or Purge Maim effect. Paralyze - You cannot move any part of your body but you are fully aware of what is going on around you. Root - Both your feet are stuck to the ground and cannot be moved until the effect ends. Shatter - The target item is damaged. A Shatter (weapon or object) will damage that item so that it loses any special properties it has (rip any and all tags). If the phys-rep without tags is still good for something (e.g. you have the ability to use a sword without a tag), you may still use it! If someone swings a weapon at you and calls Shatter, it damages whatever weapon is hit. In the Mystwood world shattered weapons can still be used by anyone with the right skills, but shattered shields are useless until repaired and must be dropped. Defensive Effects Defensive effects are called when you are struck by a spell or attack, to let your foe know it didnt work, because you had some sort of defense against it. Bladeturn - This effect can be called against normal weapon attacks and effects delivered by a weapon. The attacker suffers the designated effect. For example, if a Mirror Beast was struck with a sword, it might call Bladeturn Damage 1. A bladeturned effect cannot be bladeturned again or reflected back in any way. No Effect - The particular blow or spell did nothing and it never will. Once someone has called No Effect to something, you may not continue with that attack against them. This is so that the person can accurately keep track of what is happening to them, without being confused by extraneous hits. Not Taken - The effect was not taken because it did not hit or was not delivered properly. You may role-play this instead of calling Not Taken. For example: Hah! Your blow was mighty- too bad it missed! Resist - The blow or effect misses as if you had moved out of the way and avoided it, or the particular blow or spell was ineffective, but it was an effort to ward off, and another one might succeed. You may only use this on blows affecting yourself.

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Other Effects Afflict you with <Affliction> - You have received the indicated affliction. This has no immediate effect. At your earliest convenience, you must travel to the Library and look in the Book of Woe. This book contains listings of possible afflictions you may encounter, with descriptions of the effects of each and the required Cures. Read the description of your Affliction. If it is a progressive Affliction, there may be postings for Day 1, Day 2, etc., in which case you should only read the appropriate one. Bestow you with <Bestow> - You receive the indicated enhancement. For example: I bestow you with one resist fire or I bestow you with one lethal. You may have multiple enhancements bestowed on you, however you may not have multiples of the same benefit (i.e. "one Resist Fire") bestowed on you at a time. And Bestows do not stack. If someone bestows +1 hit point on you, and someone bestows +2 hit points on you, you only get 2 extra hit points, not 3. If someone bestows One Resist Will on you, and someone else bestows Two resists vs Will on you, you only get two, not three. Bestow lasts for 6 hours. If not used during the time, the benefits are lost. Bestowed hit points increase your total for the entire six hours. So for example if you had two hit points and received 2 more, you would have 4 for all purposes for that, and a Heal effect would bring you back to 4 hit points, not two. Curse you to <Curse> - You suffer from the stated Curse. For example: I curse you to howl like a wolf, or I curse you to take double damage from fire. Curses last longer than other effects- you must get an appropriate Purge. (A Purge Curse, or if the effect was By Magic, a Purge Magic would work.) Detect <Type or Item> - If you fit the type or possess the item being detected, you must indicate this to the caster. A simple wave or statement of Here is sufficient. Detect Health - A special ability that lets you tell how many hit points the target has. When you are targeted by a Detect health you must say how many hits (armor points + life points) you have. Detect health works on only one person at a time. Disengage - You must fall back from the person calling the disengage until a distance of about 10 separates you, or if you cant get that far back for whatever reason, as far as you can safely. The spirit of this effect is that the person calling it drives their enemies back to get some breathing room, to make a hole in the line, or to escape. Disengage cant force you into a damaging area, such as an area of Carnivorous grass. Disengage doesnt work through doorways or narrow gaps either, so you cant use it to push defenders out of a fortification, though you could use it once you get inside to make room for others to follow. Purge <trait or effect> - This effect removes ONE effect with the stated trait after a few seconds of role-playing. A Purge Poison would remove ONE effect By Poison. A Purge Sever would remove a sever effect, no matter how it was caused. Note that you do not have any choice about having effects removed- a Purge Magic will remove one effect caused By Magic on you, including a defensive spell caused By Magic if that was the only By Magic effect on you. If there are several effects that a Purge could remove, YOU choose which one is purged.
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The Purge effect will NOT counter an effect that happens instantly. So if you get smacked by a Death to Living by Magic effect, you can't Purge Magic it. You can't Purge Damage either. Renew - This effect is often granted upon you. Once renewed you regain all of your per renew abilities, and if you have the Gift of wisdom your mana is also restored. (For more information look in Miscellaneous Rules where Renew is explained in greater detail.) Repel - You must stay at least 10 feet away from the caster. This effect cannot be used to drive back targets; if the caster advances upon the target, the target may hold ground. Silence - You are unable to speak or make any vocal noise. You may still call appropriate out of game effects. This effect may last longer than 5 minutes depending on the situation. Subdue - Prevents you from doing ANYTHING for a (silent) 10 count. While subdued you can (perhaps) stand, or reel backwards, and can defend yourself (weakly!) with your weapons, but thats all. It is important to give your foe an advantage by role-playing the effect on your fighting skills. Slow - You become unable to run, and can only walk SLOWLY, though you can fight normally. Traits Many effects have Traits, which tell you WHAT caused the effect, or HOW it was caused. They are called as Effect by Trait. For example: Root by Magic Slay living by Poison or Disengage by Will. Traits do not change the effect in any way, but may determine if you able to resist the effect in some way. For example if your character is immune to poison, you would call No Effect to Paralyze by Poison, but not to Paralyze by Magic. Flavor Traits Traits also help you to know how to role-play the effect. These are referred to as Flavor Traits. The Following traits are used in Mystwood; By Fire/Water/Air/Earth, by Magic, by Will, and by Poison. Effects without traits are generally divine powers making them more difficult to deal with. For example, consider Paralyze, which states that you cannot move. This effect could be interpreted differently for role-play purposes depending on the trait that caused it: Paralyze by Ice Could indicate being frozen in a block of Ice. Paralyze by Magic would indicate that you were basically frozen in place as a magical statue. You would hold your exact posture from the moment the effect struck you. Paralyze by Poison would be an effect like spiders venom. You may, for example, curl up into a ball. Paralyze by Will would indicate that your character was frozen in place in panic and horror. You would stand in place quaking or gaping until the effect wore off.
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Flavor Traits also tell you if you are affected by something. If an effect is called To a certain trait, you take the effect only if you have that trait. For example Heal to Dwarfs would work only if you were, in fact, a Dwarf. All players have the Town Dweller trait, their race as a trait, and their gender. You have the Lies trait immediately after telling a falsehood, until you say something that is true. You have the Oathbreaker trait if you have ever broken an oath. You have the Enemy trait if you consider yourself an enemy of the person calling the effect. You have the Ally trait if you consider yourself a friend, (or at least fighting on the same side) as the person calling the effect. Delivery Traits By Discourse - In order for an effect By Discourse to work on you, you must have engaged in conversation with the person calling it. This need not be friendly conversation (insults shouted across the battlefield count), but if you feel that you have not actually conversed in some way, you may say Not Taken to the effect. By Gesture - Effects called By Gesture only require that the person point at you to call the effect. If you are fortunate enough to have a by gesture effect, be aware that it will not work on enemies who cant see you - in other words you must have their attention. The best way to get it is to use their game name (you may not use real life names). In fact, many forms of magic require that you know the targets name. By Name - Effects called By Name require that the person say (and know) your name to call the effect. By Packet - Effect by bean bag packets represent magical assaults that envelope your whole person. They affect you if they strike a weapon or shield. Again, all beanbag attacks are assumed to be By Packet. You dont have to call them. By Voice - Effects called By Voice affect EVERYONE who hears them (or should have- the fact that you were not paying attention doesnt mean you werent affected if everyone around you was). You cannot stop up your ears or talk really loud to avoid this kind of effect. By Weapon - Effects by weapon represent a physical attack-a dart, a sword, a knife, a fist, etc. They must strike you in order to take effect, and they CAN be blocked by weapons or shields. If you swing a weapon and call and effect, it is assumed to be By Weapon; you do not have to say it every time. If someone throws a packet and calls and effect By Weapon you CAN block it with a shield. Magestrike - Effects that are Magestrike are swung with a weapon, but count as though a packet had struck you on the location hit. They WILL go through your armor, weapon or shield.

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HandtoHandCombat
Hand to hand combat is conducted using SAFE padded weapons. The Three Swing Rule - You are allowed to swing at a foe three times in quick succession before you must break and fall back, or, if you cannot fall back for some reason, you may pause for a few seconds, or attack another foe. This means that no one foe can ever do more than 3 points of damage to you in a single flurry, and usually less. If anyone presses on after three swings in the heat of combat, you should say Break to remind them, and not count any damage they cause after the third swing. Assume that since they were swinging so quickly, the blows did not have much force behind them. Judging Hits - Judging when you have been hit by a foe is solely your responsibility, but you MUST at all times do so in as fair and scrupulous a manner as possible. You are hit by any blow that, had it been struck full force with a razor sharp weapon, would have drawn blood. Thus most contacts are hits. Do Not Count Any blow after the first that land on the same body part. This is called machine gunning. Before legally scoring another blow on the same part of the body; a foe must strike at another body part, or parry a blow. A blow that strikes only cloak or a dangling pouch, unless that blow, if it had cut straight through the gear, would have damaged you. A blow that is too hard. A blow that overcomes your parry by force. Do Count Blows that strike capes, backpacks and the like, if they would have hit you if the item were not there. Blows that are very light. Blows that hit your weapon then hit you. Combat Targets - Hits to the groin, hands, or head do not count. Damage and Hit Points - Every player has a number of Hit Points, depending on the character they are playing at the time. These are reduced when you take damage from magic or combat. All hits with a melee weapon do one point of damage, UNLESS the foe calls something else when striking you, in which case the damage done is the number called, or you take the effect they call. Thrown weapons also do 1 point of damage, unless otherwise noted. Arrows and crossbow bolts do 1 point of damage. Falling In Combat - Feel free to stumble off to the side of battle so that you do not get stepped on. Do not just fall down where you are killed, if you are likely to be a tripping or movement hazard.

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SpecialRulesforWeaponsandArmor
Weapons There are many types of weapons a warrior can use each with its strengths and weaknesses. Weapons should be constructed according to the guidelines specified above. You may also choose to purchase pre-made weapons. Never let a lack of weapons stop you from coming to an event, we have plenty of spare weapons that we would be happy to lend you. On the charts below please note the weapon lengths (as they will be checked by staff) and the Special Attacks. Special Attacks are particularly powerful blows a skilled warrior can make a limited number of times based on their Gifts and occupational skills. Any character may use a single, one handed weapon of up to 42 in length And Any character may use a two handed crossbow Depending on your Gifts and possibly occupational skills you may be able to use more advanced weapons. Your character is assumed to be armed with weapons suitable to you at the start of game. If you somehow lose your weapons (or armor) it is assumed that you can find more without much difficulty. Close Combat Weapons One handed Sword Two Handed Sword One handed Blunt Weapon (Mace, Hammer) Two handed Blunt Weapon (Mace, Hammer) One handed Axe Two handed Axe Dagger Spear Polearm Staff Flail (requires special skill to use) Pick, Shovel, Broom, and other tools Length 24- 42 36 - 60 18- 36 30" - 54" 18" - 36" 30" - 60" 18" - 24" 48" - 72" 60" - 72" 48" - 66" 32"-54" 24"-60" Special Attacks Lethal, Maim Lethal, Maim 3 Crushing, Subdue 5 Crushing, Subdue 4 Damage, Maim 6 Damage, Maim Doom Lethal Maim, 3 Damage Subdue, Trip 2 Crushing 2 Damage, Subdue
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Weapon Construction Guidelines - Most players will want to make their own weapons. MASI will provide weapons to players for their first event, free of charge, but what you get is luck of the draw from the NPC weapon stockpile. If at all possible, it is better to make or buy your own. For those with the cash, excellent weapons can be purchased on the Internet. For More information look to the Mystwood Website. Ranged Weapons Bow (See Below) Crossbow (See Below) Hand Crossbow (See Below) Small Throwing Weapons Javelin Length 24-36 20-40 16" or less 12 or less 24" - 36 Special Attacks Lethal Lethal Lethal 2 Damage Lethal

Bows - Bows are simulated using padded weapons curved into a bow shape. They can be used to block attacks (but not strike), but if they do so they are damaged and may not be used to fire arrows for the duration of the current battle. The arrows are presented by bird seed packets much like spells and other effects. However, no effect is called for an ordinary shot and all players should know that all arrows do 2 points of damage per hit unless something else is called. Unlike crossbow bolts, arrows are consumed when they are fired. They must be made, purchased or found in game and come in sets of 5 or 10. You must carry them in a quiver of some kind, and must properly roleplay firing them. You must rip up the arrow tag when you fill your quiver. Thus the bow is more of a secondary weapon than the crossbow, since arrows are more precious. Crossbows - Powerful and deadly, the crossbow is a popular weapon among the common folk of Mystwood. Indeed, some Knights have sought to outlaw it due to its killing power. Any bolt fired from a two handed crossbow does 3 points of damage automatically as long as it is at least 8 long. It is not necessary to call this damage. Tiny darts fired from hand crossbows do only 1 however. Any crossbow struck by a melee weapon is damaged and useless for the duration of the current battle. They are best used from a distance. You may only carry 12 crossbow bolts at a time, however you may retrieve them and use them as often as desired. Hand Crossbows - Small, easily carried, and dangerous when skillfully used, hand crossbows normally fire nerf darts or similar projectiles. These do only 1 point of damage, however there is no limit to how many you can carry, and hand crossbows are not damaged if struck by a melee weapon.
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Shields Shields are the only "weapons" that are totally useless and must be dropped if they suffer the "shatter" effect. After the battle you may however pick up your shield and use it in future battles. It is assumed that there are a plentiful amount of shields around or that you are skilled enough to repair your shield. All shields must have a padded rim and no sharp or otherwise dangerous projections. THERE IS NO SHIELD BASHING ALLOWED. Armor It is possible to wear armor for increased protection. Only armor that looks realistic may be used- sports equipment and plastic Halloween armor are not allowed. Armor adds to your Hit Point total. For simplicitys sake, it doesnt matter if your foe strikes you in an armored area or not, you still have the extra Hit Points. The amount of Health you gain from your armor is rated according to the type of armor and what pieces of armor you are wearing. All of the following pieces of armor will stack with one another, however the maximum armor you are allowed to wear will be determined by your occupation. Other benefits may be gained by wearing armor enhanced by a blacksmith. To find examples of these different types of armor look online.

Armor Helmet Great Helm Metal Bracers/Gauntlets Full arm Armor Gambeson Pauldrons and Gorget Breastplate Back Plate Leather/hide clothing

Benefit +1 HP +2 HP

Armor Brigandine Leather/hide Clothing

Benefit +2 HP +1 HP +1 HP +1 HP +2 HP +4 HP +1 HP +1 HP +1 HP

+1 HP (pair) Chainmail Coif +1 HP +1 HP +2 HP +2 HP +2 HP +1 HP Chainmail Vest Chainmail Shirt Chainmail Hauberk Cuisses or Tassets Greaves Soft leather arms AND legs

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MiscellaneousRules
Per Renew Powers Per renew powers are powers that must be renewed. Once you exhaust a per renew power you must do something to renew it if you want to get it back. While you are out on adventures you must conserve your per renew powers as you may not be able to regain them until you get back to town. Generally the Renew effect comes from role-play, the following is a list of things that may renew you. (Keep in mind the effect will be stated or written, never assume that you have been renewed.) -A (5 Crown) Drink in the Dukes Cup tavern, with some relaxation (though beware of Alcohol Poisoning) -Watching an Execution or other entertainment event -Participating in a religious ceremony held by a Preacher or Priest -Some games such as chess or cards (as stated on a tag) -Having your fortune read by a fortune teller -Fulfilling a duty as specified in your occupations description -Participating in drill training by an Armstrainer -Eating an Iron Ration (an item made by a cook) Per Day Powers - Some skills are usable "once (or more) per day". The Mystwood Game Day starts and ends at 6:00pm. So essentially each event has two game days, one day prior to 6:00pm Saturday, and one prior to the end of the event on Sunday. Per Event Powers - Some skills are usable "once (or more) per Event". This means that you can use the ability a designated number of times over the course of the event. Accolades Accolades are Mystwood's way of rewarding exceptional role-playing and commitment to the game and your character. An Accolade is a title earned through reputation such as Tibolt the Brave, Pennysworth the Frugal, Aaron the Merciful, Athea the Just. Accolades are similar to magic items, they offer the bearer a special ability, for instance Bartolo the Wall might gain one use of "Stubborn Courage" per event. However, like magic items they only last a year. Reputation has a way of fading away if the great deeds are not performed often. Each year up to four characters may receive Accolades. Each triad chooses one and the Game Master chooses the fourth. Decisions will be based on player feedback in PELs (Post Event Letters) as well as NPC interactions. It is possible for the same character to be chosen year after year if they are deserving, but it is not possible for a character to have more than one Accolade. Unlike a Magic Item an Accolade can never be stolen or purchased, only earned. Traps The most common form of trap used in Mystwood is the trusty Dart Trap, represented by a mousetrap. It affects whoever sets it off. Other forms of traps are possible- falling rocks, swinging beams, scything blades, poppers that you step on and cause to explode, etc. Traps are deadly. If hit by one you take the Death Effect, and become dead.
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Traps may NEVER be used offensively. They cannot be carried around and used on enemies. They must wait, passively, until someone sets them off. If you set off a special trap (such as a deadfall) to strike another, it doesnt count as a trap. It may still do damage- if the yellow card attached to it says it does. This is to keep players (or NPCs) from rigging up a falling rock they drop on everyone who comes through their door. Unusual traps may have other effects than killing. If so, this will be made clear, either by an NPC using the Forsooth call, or by a yellow card. Not all traps are fully represented- for example, a pressure plate could be placed on the floor, represented by a square of plywood, and the effect of stepping on it called by an NPC. Traps cannot be set, reset, or constructed without special skills. Only one with a special skill can actually attempt to make safe a trap to prevent it from going off by cutting trip wires and the like. The Town Gates The Mystwood Keep is very well protected from the outside world, there are three main gates, each of them when closed are considered locked from the inside. To enter them from the outside you must be allowed in, or have a key, only specific individuals carry a key to the keep as it would be very dangerous if a key fell into the wrong hands. More information on the locks and the gates can be found in the form of a tag on the gates themselves. Poisons Ingested poison, aka poisoning someone's food, is represented by a yellow tag. If you find a yellow tag very close to your food that says Poison rip the tag and take the Doom by Poison effect. Appropriate dramatic role-playing is required. Contact Poison is represented by petroleum jelly smeared on something. Touching it produces the Doom by Poison effect. This can ONLY be used as a passive defense- you cannot attack someone offensively using contact poison. They must touch it of their own volition. Special Poisons. There are a wide variety of special poisons in the Mystwood Forest, with a variety of effects and a variety of means of administration. These will either be represented by an NPC using the Forsooth call to inform you of what has happened, or a yellow Card.

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Grey Wanderers Hooded and cloaked, often bearing a light or a heavy tome, these strange beings have existed for as long as history has been recorded. They are human, they eat, they wander, they are highly obscure, but they are guided by the gods. They can use "Forsooth" to make clear when they are serving as referees, rather than just role-playing. They give up their names and past when they join the Grey Order, and are sworn to strict non violence and neutrality. Their power is undoubted. No one is certain what, if anything, they cannot do. Fortunately, they rarely do anything at all. They serve good and evil with equal impartiality. Grey Wanderers serve as the referees of the Mystwood game. They bestow divine intervention, oversee battles, serve as guides on some adventures, assist the Gifted, those with the Gift of Precognition, and generally keep the game on track. Minor infractions of rules or role-playing may be punished by death or cursing by grey wanderer. Nothing personal- everyone messes up sometimes. Anything a grey wanderer tells you is true. Grey Wanderers are fully in game. You can see them and talk to them, though treating them with disrespect is never wise. If an action requires a Grey Wanderer and one is not present, you cannot perform the action. Any player can summon a Grey Wanderer by going to the NPC building, and leaving a note as to the place and time the Wanderer is needed. It is best to summon an hour in advance, there is no guarantee of a spirit appearing, and it is unwise to summon without great need. Grey Wanderers are not on your side. They will aid only if required to do so by their own strange code. Do not expect them to aid or help you without reason. Yellow Cards - Generally in Mystwood, what you see is what you get. If there is a sword stuck in a stone, you will see a reasonable representation of a sword and a stone. Generally nothing will be described to you. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to convey extra information. For this Yellow Cards- pieces of yellow paper are used. When reading a yellow card, you should be as discreet as possible, to avoid breaking the flow of the game. If you see a yellow card, you must read it. Sometimes it will simply give you information; sometimes it will inform you of an effect. Yellow Hands - If you see a door or area marked with a yellow hand, you cannot go there and should ignore anything you see in the yellow hand area. You can invent any plausible reason you like for not going through the door- the best generally being that its not actually there.

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Flags - Yellow cards present information that everyone should have. Sometimes, however, there may be information available only to those with special skills. These are represented by small white pieces of paper called Flags. The flags are marked with text and symbols. Special skills may be necessary for reading a flag, so if you don't have the proper skill do not read the flag. When reading a flag, you should be as discreet as possible, to avoid breaking the flow of the game. Sometimes flags will instruct you to remove them after reading- this helps keep the site clean and represents the fact that the information can only be gained once. Way Stones In Mystwood, it is common to find these structures, most appearing as some sort of large boulder, although sometimes they are gates. They lead to interesting places, but there is a price for passing through. A portion of those passing through will be possessed and forced to play the roles of the entities beyond the gate, basically becoming NPC's for a few minutes. Essentially, a Way Stone is an adventure with no NPCs. Follow the rules stated on the plaque. The chosen ones then pass through, and locate the tote of props and items needed for the adventure. They read the instructions, don the masks provided, and act as NPCs for the duration of the adventure. The parts they are called upon to play are quite simple, usually basic combat parts. Sometimes a spirit gate has nothing but combat and danger behind it, but often there are useful items or components, or information to be gained. In game terms those who become spirits are able to watch the entire adventure, and thus know what happened on it, but are trapped in the spirit world and cannot leave it until the other party leaves the gate or is all dead. Some spirit gates can be entered as often as desired, some only once per event or day. This will be specified on the plaque. If you become unconscious beyond a spirit gate, your body will materialize outside the gate after the gate is closed or 5 minutes whichever comes first. You may not enter a spirit gate that is "in use", the only way in is to be part of the original party and take your chances with being possessed. Sometimes Spirit Gate locations will be used by NPCs, if this is the case the location ceases to be a Way Stones, and you may enter it without following the instructions on the plaque.

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NPC Conventions Fair Escape At times, players and NPCs will be chasing each other around in the woods. Player characters fleeing from monsters can generally escape by reaching the town, but it's a bit harder for NPCs. NPCs with players in pursuit cannot simply sprint to the NPC building, since it is out of game and that would be cheezy. Instead, they must get out of line of sight from players and remain motionless for 3 minutes. If they do that successfully, they are considered to have slipped away into a swamp or the like. The NPC may then become a spirit and return to the NPC building. Recycling At times, NPCs may "recycle" or "re-spawn" to represent new enemies arriving to join a battle. Generally they can only do so a limited number of times, how many times being determined by the staff. Area Recycling When Area Recycling is used, NPCs must move out of line of sight of the players and wait for a specified amount of time (usually a minute) before returning. Gate Recycling In this form of recycling, NPCs emerge from some sort of gate or door - be it chaos portal or rat hole. They may call a "disengage" when they emerge. Totem Recycling In this form, when NPCs die they become spirits, travel to a talisman, banner or the like, tag it, and then return to the battle. If a PC is within 10 feet of the Talisman, NPCs may not "tag in" and should stay out of the way. Regeneration Some creatures can regrow their lost limbs and restore themselves even when horribly mauled. Such creatures always regain all their Hit Points if they remain motionless for 1 minute. They are also cured of all hostile effects such as "Root" or "Maim" when they do this. They may be unconscious while regenerating Striking the regenerating creature does not prevent regeneration. The only way to prevent the regeneration is a Doom or Death effect. Most regenerating creatures have a weakness, often fire damage. If they are struck with such an effect while they are unconscious, they will not regenerate. Threshold Some creatures are so tough that ordinary weapon blows and attacks doing 1 point of damage will not harm them. Lethal will not reduce them to zero hit points, maim will not cripple their limbs, and Death will not kill them. Such creatures take only one point of damage from a Lethal Effect, maim or any damaging attack, no matter how much. Thus a "5 fire" would do only 1 point. The Death effect does 5 points of damage. When attacked the NPC should state "threshold" - however it is not necessary to repeat it every time they are struck. It is poor form to keep hitting a creature you can't hurt, as this just bruises the NPC to no purpose.

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Death and Dying in Mystwood Death is a frequent hazard for Characters. Fortunately, your character is an individual with a heroic destiny, and thus not (very) likely to die PERMANENTLY in any given combat. As long as magical healing is available, your character can be restored from all but the most horrible wounds. Once magical healing is used up however, you will have to rely on surgery, and that carries with it a significant risk of death. Thus a wise player will carefully consider when to keep fighting and when to run away. Wounded If you have fewer current Health than your max Health, you are considered to be Wounded. Battle Surgery or other healing can help you return to full health. You will also return to full health after roughly 15 minutes of resting in the town. While wounded you may fight and act as normal. Unstable If you have 0 or less Health, you must fall down, preferably far off to the side so that you do not get stepped on. You are only semi-conscious, enough so to sputter a few last words, moan feverishly, and stumble out of the way of combat. After five minutes of being unstable without receiving healing you reach a Near Death state. Tending and healing still work while you are in the Unstable state. Near Death In most places, those who reach Near Death wait a few minutes, die, and simply pass on in the ordinary way. However, in certain lands there are occasionally miracles of various sorts that may allow you to return to life should your adventures take you to such places. In Mystwood Keep, the Book of Life keeps those whose names are within safe within it's environs. In the City of Novogorond in Thule citizens who place their names on the great roll of those who defend the walls against the Chaos hordes are granted similar benefits, and in Burgundy there is said to be another means of returning from death There are a few commonalities between Mystwood Chapters, however. The moment someone is about to die (i.e. has bled out, or been struck by the death effect, or one minute has passed since taking a doom effect), they transform to a spirit, and as a spirit journey to the resurrection place. During this journey they may not speak. Upon arriving at the location,
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they must follow the systems in place. During resurrection, the gift of the god of Mercy is most common or most powerful, followed by Wild, then Justice. In time, all mortal kind must die, and in dying, sleep in the grave until the world is made pure of all evil and chaos and the gods awaken them. There is but one exception to this, save for the blasphemy of the Undead, and that is Sainthood. Those who have lived exemplary lives may, upon dying, be taken into the presence of the gods themselves, and then, for a single day, return to walk the land, to teach others of what is good and holy, and to accomplish their last tasks. There have been many, many Saints, and it is through their teachings that mortals come to know the nature of the Gods, to separate what is holy from what is Chaotic, and to know the Gods Will and Plan. Though they have stood in the presence of the gods, Saints remain mortal, and thus they are not infallible, nor are those who record their teachings. The Acrophia of the Saints sometimes contradict each other, and it is only by pondering the lives and words of many saints that one truly comes to know the Gods. Final Death If you have no other options, you are dead. You may role-play your body for a while if you choose, to allow others to mourn you and swear vengeance, or you may travel as a spirit to the NPC building for a proper funeral. Death in the Wide World In most places, those who die simply pass on in the ordinary way. However, While in other lands, far from your home, there are occasionally miracles of various sorts that may allow you to return to life You must learn how to access such things on your own, and such benefits have no effect on your use of the local means of resurrection. Return to Battle Resurrection serves little purpose if you are cut down in a losing battle, are restored, then rush back to the same battle to be slain again. Therefore, you must wait until the current battle is concluded and all enemies are slain or have departed if the battle takes place near the resurrection location. You may petition a Grey Wanderer or NPC for an exception to this if the battle is long. If None Survive... It is possible, usually during a mass assault, for all players to be slain. If this happens you may not be restored to life until the enemy has had a chance to loot the workshops, pillage everything in sight, and carry out any other nefarious designs they may have. During this time the spirits of the near - dead should stay out of the way. On the plus side, the spirits of the near-dead are almost always safe from any further harm.

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CHAPTERTWO CHARACTERCREATION
CreatingaMystwoodCharacter
It is encouraged that every participant in Mystwood create a character (or even more than one). Even members of the Nine may have characters. Your character is your Persona in Mystwood. Like an actor in a movie, by portraying your character well you will add to the enjoyment of those around you. Some people like to create very elaborate characters with all sorts of role-playing traits, an elaborate backstory and highly detailed persona. Others prefer to create a simple character that is basically their real self with a sword. You must choose a name for your character (history and fantasy provide many great names if youre having trouble thinking of one - but dont choose one that is too well known - there is only one Gandalf and youre not him!), and fill out a character sheet that will be kept by the Nine (the game staff). Its a good idea to keep a copy for yourself as well. There are six aspects to Character Creation. 1. Adventurer or Townsperson 2. Gifts 3. Character Background 4. Advantages and Disadvantages 5. Occupation 6. Religion. PLUS Character Advancement Most characters are Adventurers individuals, who, possess Gifts useful times of danger or adventure. Adventurers follow the full character creation process, choosing Gifts, an occupation, etc. On the other hand, a player interested mostly in role-playing and enjoying the medieval atmosphere of Mystwood may choose to play a Townsperson. Townspersons choose ONLY an occupation, and thus are barred from battles and (most) quests. Creating a Second or Third Mystwood Character For those who lose their characters in glorious battle you may submit a new character in the same manner as the first character however, your starting character level will be equal to the average character level of the game at the time, or your current character level whichever is LOWEST. Items, Karma and coin NEVER transfers. Occupations and advanced occupations do not carry over, HOWEVER if your original character dies you may create a character from a distant land, like Thule, Cathay, Rothenburg, etc. This may not give you an advantage in the game, but it allows for a little more creativity.

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Adventurers:
Starting Income: Starting Hit Points: Hand-Weapon: Gifts: Occupation: Advantages and Disadvantages: Religion: Character Background: 25 Crowns from the Duke 2 Or Non-Combatant (see townsperson) Regardless of Gifts chosen you are able to use any one handed weapon and crossbows. You may pick 5 levels of Gifts (6 if you submit a public character history) You may choose any Basic Occupation You may choose up to 4 points of advantages/disadvantages, just make sure to choose an equal number of each. You may choose to follow one of the three gods; Justice, Mercy, Wild. You should come up with a brief history of your character, and choose where you are from. If you post it publicly you may choose an additional level of Gifts.

Townsperson:
Starting Income: Starting Hit Points: 25 Crowns from the Duke You will always operate as a Non-Combatant. Not everyone chooses to fight with padded weapons in Mystwood, and by choice, or for medical reasons, one can be a Non-Combatant. Rather than attacking them, an enemy may merely place their weapon to the non-combatants chest and state I strike you down. This causes the non-combatant to drop to 0 hit points. Non-combatants must wear a yellow armband, or yellow glowstick at night, to denote their status. Never strike a non-combatant under any circumstance, and always be aware of who the non-combatants in the game are. You may not use any weapon, though you may pretend to use padded props like padded brooms. You may not choose Gifts. You may choose any Basic Occupation. You may choose to wear a little make up as described in the advantages/disadvantages section, but you may not gain any benefits. You may choose to follow one of the three gods; Justice, Mercy, Wild. However you may not gain Karma. You should come up with a brief history of your character, and choose where you are from. Just for fun. 45

Hand-Weapon: Gifts: Occupation: Advantages and Disadvantages: Religion: Character Background:

ChooseGifts

Gifts are your characters core abilities. Do you fight? Wield magic? Heal others? Your Gifts are your most directly useful abilities during the game. There are six Gifts with ten Levels each. Over the course of time you can increase your Gifts. There are six Gifts: -Prowess and Courage (useful in battle) -Wisdom and Passion (which allow you to use magic) -Dexterity (which gives you some combat and stealth abilities) -Empathy (which allows you to heal others.) Every person in the world of Mystwood has some Gifts, but your character begins at Level 5, representing a talented but not extraordinary person. That means you may choose up to 5 levels of Gifts. You could choose to take 5th Level in Courage, or 3rd in Courage and 2nd in Dexterity, or 1st level in Prowess, Wisdom, Courage, Dexterity and Empathy, of whatever you wish. To find out more about what the Gifts do, consult that section. Choose Advantages and Disadvantages (Optional) If you like, you may customize your character by taking advantages and disadvantages. These usually (but not always) represent some supernatural element in your characters history - a bit of Fae heritage, a family curse or bond to a certain element, a touch of chaos, or the bloodbond of a vampire. You may if you wish wait and choose these later on at any point in your characters career, though you cannot change them once you have them without giving a good reason to the Nine. Advantages and disadvantages taken later can be based on events during the game, or on your character discovering more about their heritage and powers Choose your Occupation You may choose an occupation for your character, such as squire, monk, astrologer, town guard or peddler. Your occupation will give you certain skills - abilities mostly useful strengthen other characters, renew their skills, and develop their Gifts. Your Occupation gives you a role in the Keep, something that will make your character be useful to others and stand out. You are allowed to change your Occupation once per year, so if you are one of 8 cooks in town, for example, you are not stuck in that occupation forever. You do not HAVE to choose an occupation for your first event - you can pick one later if you like. One critical note: Your ability to wear Armor to gain extra hit points depends on your occupation. If you have a suit of armor and wish to wear it at Mystwood, choose an occupation that uses armor, such as Squire or Town Guard.
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Choose a God to Follow (Optional) There are Three Gods to Choose from: Justice, Mercy and Wild. They each give specific Karma abilities and have certain sins, rituals etc.

Character History (optional) Once you have chosen your basic Gifts, you may want to think about how your character developed those Gifts. You should examine the Mystwood background and geography available online. All starting characters are from the villages, towns and castles of Eastmarch near the Mystwood - you may not play a dark wanderer from beyond the sea or the like for your first character. If you write a Public History and post it in the Mystwood Background section of the Mystwood forum, you may choose an extra level of Gifts, starting at 6th Level! Your public history is what people from your home area would know about you. Mystwood is a world of small, close knit communities, and you would be well known back home. You should read only the histories of those who are from your own home town. In this way you will have some connection to other characters, but will also be able to discover more about other characters by interacting with them during games. Finally, your public history is your chance to add interesting stories and details to the world of Mystwood. The Nine reserve the right to edit public histories, but they are unlikely to do so unless one is somehow very inappropriate. Your history should be rated PG-13 at most - avoid rape, graphic torture and other such nastiness. You may also write a Private history for yourself detailing the darkest and most secret details of your characters past. But this is for your enjoyment and roleplaying only and should never be shared except during game.

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Gifts
Gifts bestow various abilities - some which are useable as often as you like, but some of which are more limited. Some Gifts give you an ability you can use a certain number of times Per Renew. These abilities return to you when you receive a Renew effect or sleep overnight. Other abilities are useable Per Day. A Mystwood game day is 24 hours long and runs from 6 PM to 6 PM. For information on how to advance your Gifts, see Character Advancement.

The Gift of Courage

The Gift of Courage increases your constitution, resolve, resistance to fear, and toleration for pain. With this Gift you will gain the ability to triumph over adversity. You will be more durable in combat, and less dependent on healing from others. You may also use large, unsubtle weapons requiring strength and bravery. Courage bestows the following abilities: Disengage (1st Level) - You may call Disengage one per Renew per use of this ability. This represents you courageously hurling back your enemies, and you should brandish your weapons heroically when using this ability. Stretcher Bearer (1st level) - you may Animate Wounded one fallen person at a time, as often as desired. This represents dragging them off the field of battle. Use of Arms (1st Level). Allows you to use any melee weapon, even two handed ones, or any shield up to 36 in any dimension. Does not allow you to use two weapons at once. Hit Point Bonus (2nd level) - Your hit points are increased by indicated Amount due to your courage and resistance to pain. Battle Endurance (3rd Level) - If you are conscious, you may spend 30 seconds resting, cauterizing your wounds, shaking the blood from your eyes, and otherwise hardening your resolve to Heal 3 yourself. You may do this a number of times per Renew as indicated.

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Resist Will (4th Level) - Once per use of this ability, you may call Resist against a By will effect. This represents your courage and strength of mind. The terror of the undead, or effects of magic on the mind cannot easily overcome you.

Level

Abilities Gained

Hit Point Bonus

Resist Will per Day

Battle Disengage Endurance per Renew per Renew 1

Special Attacks per Renew

Use of Arms, Stretcher Bearer +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 1 1 1 1 2 2 2

The Gift of Dexterity

The Gift of dexterity grants you quick wits and a nimbleness. You may or may not be agile (that really depends on what you, the player, are capable of), but your hand eye co-ordination is allows you to perform prodigious feats. The Gift of Dexterity grants the following Abilities Use Small Weapon (1st Level) - you can use any melee weapon 24 or less in length, such as a short sword or small club. Thrown Weapon (I) (1st Level) - you may carry and use a single thrown weapon.

49

Pick Locks/Disarm Traps (1st Level) - You may attempt to pick an in game lock, or disarm a trap. In the case of locks, you must actually pick the toy lock yourself, so you will need a paperclip or the like at a minimum. In the case of traps you cut wires or strings, move the trap out of the way, and so on. In no case can you actually destroy props (for example, by taking a chest apart to get into it), or use obviously modern tools. Use Hand Crossbow (1st Level) - You may use a hand crossbow firing safe, padded darts. For more information on MASI safe crossbows, see our web page. Special Attacks (2nd Level) - This ability allows you call one of the special attacks for the weapon you are using per renew. You may use missile weapon special attacks freely, but can only use melee weapon special attacks when you Backstab an opponent by attacking from behind. You may not be running when you Backstab someone. If your special attack misses or is Blocked or Resisted, it is used up until your next renew. You may also use a special attack to waylay an unmoving foe whom you manage to sneak up on from behind. You may call knockout with any weapon. The person cannot be fighting, walking etc. Use Bows (2nd Level) - Allows you to use a safe, padded bow, as long as you have arrows for it. Tarot Mortis (3rd Level) - Long ago, it is said, a great rogue, Harlequin, made a bargain with the fates to cheat death while prying into locked boxes and musty tombs. The truth of this cannot be proven, but to this day those who are quick of hand use the same methods to focus themselves to dive out of the way the instant a trap goes off. Ordinarily, Traps cause Death to those who set them off, but with this ability you can lessen the effect. To use the Tarot Mortis,, you must have a special set of 3 cards, which will be given to you at your first check in. These are physical items and you must carry them with you to use them, but they cannot be stolen. If you accidentally lose them, you cannot use this ability until your next event. When you want to try to disarm a trap, you may first shuffle the cards, choose one without looking, and place it before you face down. As long as you do not move more than a foot from your current position, or engage in combat or other violent motions, you are protected from traps.The Tarot Mortis is no help when you do not have the card placed - for example if you are walking along and set off a trip wire you are dead just like anyone else! But if you see the trip wire, you can place the card before trying to cut it, just in case it goes off. Its a good idea to place the card before opening any box, or suspicious door.

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If you do set off the trap, you must immediately flip over the card to see what happens to you. If it is too dark to read the card, the shield does not work and you take Death normally. The effects of the three cards are: Death: The hand of Death has claimed its inevitable prize. You are dead. Doctor: Harlequins friend, the learned Doctor, has intervened to save you from death, but his ministrations are not gentle, nor as learned as he would like you to think. You suffer the Knockout and Maim effects (to a single limb of your choice). Harlequin: Harlequins boon has protected you. and you suffer only a graze from the deadly trap. Take 1 point of damage. Not pleasant, but much better than automatic death! Florentine (3rd Level) Allows you to use two weapons, one of which can be no more than 18 long. Pick Pockets (3rd Level). Allows you to use a Thieves Clip to try to pick someones pocket. See Effects. Assassinate (4th Level) - Allows you to call Death when attacking from behind, or by aiming a ranged weapon for 10-15 seconds, a number of times per day as listed. Thrown Weapons (II) (4th Level). Allows you to carry and use up to 3 small thrown weapons, such as daggers. Two Weapons (5th Level) - Allows you to use two melee weapons. You can also use this ability to fight with a bow in one hand and a weapon in the other. Swashbuckling (7th Level). When armed with swords or daggers, you may call Resist against any packet attack that strikes the weapon, allowing you to deflect many spells if you are quick enough.

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Evade Trap (8th Level). Once per day you may call Resist against a trap, as you role play jumping out of the way. You may not wear armor while using this ability (natural armor and Livery do not count).

Level

Abilities Gained

Special Attacks Per Renew

Assassinate per Day

Use Small weapon, Disarm Traps/Pick Locks, Use Crossbow, Thrown Weapon (I) Use Bows Florentine, Pick Pockets, Tarot Mortis Thrown Weapons(II) Two Weapons

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 1 1 2 2

0 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 3

Swashbuckling Evade Trap

3 3 4 5

The Gift of Empathy

This gives you the kindness and compassion to help those who are wounded, either with magic, a few encouraging words, mundane bandaging, or a kick in the pants. Battle Surgery (1st Level). You may role-play attempting desperate measures (magical or medical) to help someone wounded and unconscious generally when no other healing is available. Alas, such healing is highly unreliable in the world of Mystwood. This takes TWO minutes minimum and may only be attempted on a person ONCE per battle, their count is paused once Battle Surgery begins so they will not bleed out during surgery. After roleplaying, you must have the wounded person draw from a bag containing three white marbles, one red marble and two black marbles. If they draw white you must say Heal 3, and they will recover and awaken immediately. If they draw red, say Heal 1 and Tainted Wound Affliction if they draw black, you must say No Effect. You cannot use this on yourself. It is possible to improve your chances with special skills, tools, and supplies. Note that you cannot do anything for those who have suffered Death or Doom effects. Cure Maim (1st Level). You may spend one minute roleplaying resetting a dislocated arm, or magically healing cut tendons. You may then call Cure Maim.
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Diagnose (1st Level). You may use the diagnose skill on fallen patients. This allows you to determine the status of a fallen character. Stretcher Bearer (1st level) - you may Animate Wounded one fallen person as often as desired. This represents dragging them off the field of battle. Healing Hand (2nd Level). By roleplaying the use of healing magic, encouragement, bandaging, or simple concentration, you can heal another.This is usable a limited number of times per Renew, as shown on the Empathy table. For example, at 2ndd level you can bestow one Heal 2, at fifth level two Heal 5s and three Heal 2s per Renew. These could be used on the same or different people, but cannot be used on yourself. With Malice Towards None (4th Level). You can strengthen your Gift of healing by refraining from harming others. If you have not inflicted damage on any other creature (Undead and Daemons excepted) during the current Renew, you may call a full Heal instead of a Heal 5 and a Heal 3 instead of a Heal 2 when using the Healing Hand ability. Detect Unconscious (7th Level) Once per Renew you may call Detect Unconscious to find wounded companions. Heroic Surgery (10th Level). You can attempt to restore even a dead person. This ability is usable once per day. You must role-play heroic efforts to save the persons life for 5-10 minutes, then have the person draw from your Battle Surgery bag. If they draw white, you may call Life to restore them. If they draw red you may call Life to restore them and Tainted Wound Affliction. If they draw black, nothing happens, and they remain dead. Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Heroic Surgery Detect Unconscious With Malice Toward None Abilities Gained Battle Surgery, Cure Maim, Diagnose, Stretcher Bearer Healing Hand Heal 5 Per Renew 0 0 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 Heal 2 Per Renew 0 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 5
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The Gift of Passion

Summoning (Beginning at Level 1) Allows a character to chant to summon the elements themselves from the air. To use this skill, you must close your eyes and repeat a 12-word chant while holding a Dysha. Every three times the chant is repeated, the bolt gains one point of damage. You may open your eyes at any point and throw the bolt without any further incantation, or hold it until ready. You may not move your feet while holding the bolt, however. If you are damaged while holding a bolt, the bolt is lost. Using this skill requires that both hands be free, however you may wear armor while using it. The Maximum amount of damage that can be summoned is determined by your level. Each summoner must choose an element to favor them - Fire, Water, Earth or Air when they first take this Gift. When they throw their bolt, they must call the damage By fire, by Water, by Earth or by Air. Elemental Burst (1st Level) To use this ability you gather as many Dysha as you can and throw them all at once, calling Two Damage by (Element). You do not have to concentrate to use this ability, but you can use it only a limited number of times per renew. Hedge Magic (Level 2) Hedge Magic, also known as Thaumatergy, or Alchemy, is the art of combining the elements in the simplest and most dangerous way. To use this ability, you must possess one or more Elemental Components. There are eight types, one for each element. They may look like anything (a Earth Component could be an unusual stone, a small carved statue, a grey orb, or the bones of a burrowing creature). With the component will be a tag identifying the type: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Life, Death, Time or Chaos. Possession of Death or Chaos components is illegal and Time is extremely rare. The tag may also show an expiration date. IMPORTANT: the Gift of Passion allows you to use the Earth, Air, Water and Fire components ONLY. Once you have a few components, you must find a Matrix. A Matrix may be a Philosophers tome containing instructions on how to combine certain elements, a set of tools for the making of potions, or a fell monolith for the working of dark rituals hidden in the woods. It will indicate combinations of elements you can use with it, for example you might be able to combine a Fire component with an Air Component, but the effect will be hidden behind a slip of paper. Role-play the magic, rip the component tags, then read what it does. It may be one of two things: An immediate effect on you or others (this is usually but not always bad) A Potion. Write the effect on a piece of paper (be sure to copy it EXACTLY) and place it in a film canister or other small bottle. You may keep it yourself or give it to others. When someone opens it and reads the tag it takes effect Of course, they have no way of knowing what it does until they use it..... IMPORTANT: You may only try the same combination of elements in a Matrix once per event. Elemental Storm (4th Level) This power lets you call down the wrath of the elements in an unending torrent. You must plant your feet to use this power. After doing so you can throw as
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many One Damage by (Element) packets as you like, one at a time. If you move your feet or take damage the storm ends. This requires no concentration, but you may use this ability only a limited number of times per Renew. Mage Lore (5th Level) You are aware of spirit essences, invisible runes, ghostly presences, magical taints, etc. You may read Mage Lore Flags at will. Elemental Kinship (7th Level) Summoners now take half damage from their element. Damage is rounded down, so a 1 point effect will cause no damage. Summoners Stride (10th Level) After summoning you may take up to 7 steps, then throw your bolt. You cannot delay throwing throwing the bolt however, and must throw it as soon as you take the steps.

Level

Abilities Gained

Maximum Summoning Damage 1 2 2

Bursts per Renew 1 1 2 2 3 3 3

Storms per Renew. 0 0 0 1 1 1 2

1 2 3 4 5 6

Summon Element, Elemental Burst Hedge Magic

Elemental Storm Mage Lore

2 2 3

Elemental Kinship 7 3

8 9 10 Summoners Stride

4 4 5

4 5 5

2 2 2

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The Gift of Prowess

Prowess is a Gift that thrives in the heart of battle. Warriors with this Gift have a natural talent for weapons, and the strength to challenge their enemies head on. Taking a few levels of prowess is necessary for using many weapons.Prowess bestows the following abilities: Detect Health (1st Level). By sizing an opponent up for a few moments, you may call Detect health. Your opponent will have to state their current hit point total. Use of Arms (1st Level). Allows you to use any melee weapon, even two handed ones, or any shield up to 36 in any dimension. Does not allow you to use two weapons at once. Extra Hit Point (2nd Level). You get 1 extra hit point. Special Attacks (Beginning at 3rd Level). You may employ weapons to particularly devastating effect, allowing you to call a special attack before a limited number of swings. If your attack is blocked, missed, or somehow resisted, it is used up. Deathstrike: Allows you to call Death OR Shatter Shield on one blow with a weapon, which must be aimed above the knees. This will kill ordinary mortals outright, but will only inflict 5 points of damage on the most powerful monsters. Unlike a special attack, a Deathstrike is not used up if it misses, but may not be used again against the same person during this battle. Your Deathstrike is only used up if your opponent acknowledges it by roleplaying, or by calling resist or No effect. You may also use this ability to call Resist against any Death effect (except Death by Trap) instead. Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Abilities Gained Detect Health, Use of Arms Extra Hit Point. Special Attacks Per Renew 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Deathstrikes per Day 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 3
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The Gift of Wisdom

The Gift of Wisdom is based on knowledge and understanding of the Mystwood world, which unlocks the power of magic. A character with this Gift can rely on powerful spells, unleashed with a mere gesture, and can counter the spells of others. The Gift of wisdom includes the following abilities: Lore (1st Level). You may see clues that others would miss. Once per Renew you may read a colored Flag (a small piece of paper) providing special information that you encounter during an adventure. The colors of flags Green (woodwise), Orange (Commerce), Grey (Engineering), and Blue (Mage Lore). Sorcery (1st Level). With the coming of the Lord of Justice, it became possible to tame the wild power of chaos, and use it in a purposeful manner, rather than allowing oneself to be ruled by the Chaos powers. Thus, High Magic was born. With great effort, spells are created that bind Chaos to a specific function, such as binding a foe, creating a defensive barrier or clouding the mind of another. Sorcery is different from Summoning in that it deals with pure magic, rather than manipulating natural elements through magic. In order to cast a spell, a mage must first master it. Casting a spell for the first time is difficult - there are long incantations, elaborate formulae, many steps and the like, all designed to shape and harness the power of Chaos. However, having cast the spell once, the Pattern needed to cast the spell becomes part of the Sorcerer's very soul, and they can then unleash that spell with but a gesture. High Magic spells are gained in three ways - the Sorcerer may find a spell template, an arcane text in an ancient and dangerous grimoire, or a diagram on a standing stone, OR the spell may be taught to the sorcerer by a powerful spirit. The mage must follow the directions and complete the ritual. Mages cannot teach each other spells, though they may share where spells may be found. A mage will also learn a new basic spell for each new level of Wisdom they gain. A mage may learn one new spell per event, and should keep a list of spells known in a spellbook. Spellbooks cannot be stolen and cannot be used to learn spells from - they are just a spellcasters notes and jottings. In addition to High Magic, many occupations have a few Cantrips, minor magics often mixing sorcery and alchemy, that may be cast by anyone in that occupation who also possesses the Gift of wisdom. If you leave the occupation, you are no longer in touch with the spirits who once helped you and lose the ability to cast those spells. Casting Spells In order to cast a spell, you may not be wearing Physical Armor. You may have natural armor or Livery however. See spells for more detail on how to cast magic. Generally however you indicate the target by throwing a beanbag Dysha, also known as a spell packet and calling the effect. If the packet hits the target is effected (even if it strikes a weapon, cloak, or shield), if it misses the spell is wasted. Each spell costs a certain amount of mana, which limits the number of spells you can cast per Renew.

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Spell Lists - The list of available spells can be found in their own section of the rule book. Starting Spells - You start knowing one spell for every level of the Gift of Wisdom you take when you first create your character. In addition, some occupations have their own spell list. You know all the spells on your occupational list. Mana (Level 1) Mana is Chaos bound in the service of magic, raw energy ready to be shaped into a spell. Each spell costs a certain number of Mana Points. A sorcerer can cast spells until they run out of mana. Mana is renewed like other abilities when you receive the Renew effect.. Hedge Magic (Level 2). See Gift of Passion for the full description. However, using the Gift of Sorcery allows you to use all eight elements- Chaos, Death, Life, and Time, as well as Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Mage Lore (Level 2) You are aware of spirit essences, invisible runes, ghostly presences, magical taints, etc. You may read blue Flags at any time. Resist Magic (Level 3) You may call resist against one by Magic effect once per Renew per use of the ability. Purge Magic I (Level 4) By concentrating for 30 seconds with your eyes closed, you can throw a Dysha and call Purge Magic. You may do this as often as desired. Purge Magic II (Level 7) Once per day you may concentrate for one minute, eyes closed, and then call Purge Magic by Voice. Abilities Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Purge Magic II Purge Magic I Lore, Sorcery Hedge Magic, Read Magic 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3
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Gained

Mana

Resist Magic Per Renew

Spell List Spells Below you will find the spells a character with the Gift of Wisdom may learn to cast. They are of several types: Bolt: You may throw a single Dysha (spell packet) and call the effect. Spray: You are allowed to throw a number of bolts, but you must throw them all as quickly as you can (within 3 seconds). Voice: You do not throw a bolt - instead all within the sound of your voice will be effected. Storm: You may throw any number of bolts but must keep both feet planted. If you take any effect the storm stops.
Name: Amicus Mort Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Charm Undead Mana: 4 Name: Arrows of Time Type: Storm Effect: Root by Magic Mana: 4 Name: Aura of Chaos Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, One Damage to Enemies by Magic Mana: 4 Name: Awaken Type: Bolt Effect: Purge Knockout Mana: 1 Name: Blinding Glamour Type: Bolt Effect: Subdue by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Exponere Mortis Type: Voice Effect: Detect Undead Mana: 1 Name: Feet of Clay Type: Spray Effect: Slow by Magic X3 Mana: 1 Name: Fool's Gold Type: Voice Effect: Compel you to perceive this as (as small item) by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Gaze of the Medusa Type: Bolt Effect: Paralyze by Magic Mana: 4 Name: Hydras Grasp Type: Spray Effect: Bind by Magic X4 Mana: 4 Name: Mind Blast Type: Spray Effect: Subdue by Magic X4 Mana: 2 Name: Minotaur's Breath Type: Spray Effect: Frenzy by Magic X3 Mana: 5 Name: Mortal Puppet Type: Bolt Effect: Animate Wounded by Magic Mana: 1 Name: The Serpent's Coils Type: Bolt Effect: Bind by Magic Mana: 2 Name: Shield of Capricorn Type: Bolt Effect: Repel by magic Mana: 1

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Name: Awaken Rage Type: Bolt Effect: Frenzy to Animal by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Castigation of Cassandra Type: Bolt Effect: Three Damage to Fae by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Disguising Glamour Type: Voice Effect: Compel you to perceive me as (any basic type of creature or person) by Magic Mana: 3 Name: Dispel Magic Type: Bolt Effect: Purge Magic Mana: 1 Name: Dizzydweamor Type: Bolt Effect: Compel you to spin around three times by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Dominion Mortis Type: Bolt Effect: Enslave undead by Magic Mana: 3 Name: Dreamseeker Type: Voice Effect: Detect Unconscious Mana: 1

Name: Gorgon's Breath of Chaos Type: Bolt Effect: Doom by Magic Mana: 4 Name: Illusory Vermin Type: Bolt Effect: Compel you to (itch or Sneeze) uncontrollably for 1 minute by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Infernal Dominion Type: Bolt Effect: Enslave Daemon by Magic Mana: 4 Name: Infernal Kinship Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Charm Daemon Mana: 4 Name: Infernal Revelation Type: Voice Effect: Detect Deamons Mana: 1 Name: Infernal Tongues Type: Voice Effect: Speak to Daemons Mana: 1 Name: Mage Winds Type: Storm Effect: Repel by Magic Mana: 3 Name: Webcutter Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Purge Root and Bind Mana: 4

Name: Smiting the Beast Type: Bolt Effect: Three Damage to Animal by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Sussuria Mortis Type: Voice Effect: Speak to Undead Mana: 1 Name: Telmar's Transfixion Type: Bolt Effect: Root by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Tendrils of the Kraken Type: Spray Effect: Root by Magic X3 Mana: 2 Name: The Twin Serpent Type: Spray Effect: Bind by Magic X2 Mana: 3 Name: Titan's Tread Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Slow by magic to Enemies Mana: 3 Name: Varo's Hand Type: Bolt Effect: Disarm (item) by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Voice Stealer Type: Bolt Effect: Silence by Magic Mana: 1

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AdvantagesandDisadvantages
If you like, you may customize your character by taking advantages and disadvantages. These usually (but not always) represent some supernatural element in your characters history - a bit of Fae heritage, a family curse or bond to a certain element, a touch of chaos, or the bloodbond of a vampire. You may if you wish wait and choose these later on at any point in your characters career. You may also change them, if you can justify the change based on events during the game. Advantages and disadvantages taken later can be based on your adventures and mishaps, or on your character discovering more about their heritage and powers. In the World of Mystwood, humans may mingle their blood with that of supernatural creatures. The Fae steal away human children and replace them with Changelings. Werefolk can assume human form and take mortal lovers. Other folk can claim descent from the elements, from the stone of the mountains or the light of the sky itself. Others are marked by darker powers - the mutations of Chaos, the curse of the Vampyre, or even the power of the Dragon. Sometimes whole families will bear the mark of the supernatural, at other times a bloodline may be thought extinct, only to reappear in a distant descendant. Such Marks are more common in Mystwood than in the wider world, comprising about 1/3 of all folk. Attitude towards supernatural Bloodlines varies - in places some are thought quite ordinary, while others, particularly those thought to stem from the power of Chaos or Unlife, are actively persecuted. How it works: You may choose one or more advantages from the list below.You do not HAVE to choose any - many folk, even great heroes, are ordinary mortals. If you do choose Advantages, you must choose an equal number of points of Disadvantages. So, for example, if you chose a Two point and a One Point advantage, you might take a 3 point disadvantage to compensate for it. You may not choose more than 4 points of advantages. In general, Advantages and Disadvantages are intended to allow those who wish to do so to customize their character a bit. Newer players may wish to skip this section entirely. You may also choose advantages and disadvantages later on in your characters career at the start or end of any event, so there is no great hurry. However, you may not change them once you have taken them, so choose wisely! This is another good reason to wait. If you take advantages or disadvantages marked with an asterisk (*), you must wear some kind of makeup or costuming to show your supernatural heritage. What you choose is up to you, but it must look good, B) be easy to put on and take off (10 minutes or less) C) fit your advantages and backstory and D) be comfortable and relatively subtle. No full face makeup is allowed. Supernatural Heritage: Elfin ancestry Although the Race of elves died out many hundreds of years ago in legend they were the founders of magic and the creators of spells as wizards understand them today. Pointed ears are commonly the Mark of Elfin blood.
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The Duergar Ancients smiths and miners, the Duergar are often known as the mountain fathers. Long ago it is said they imparted their knowledge of engineering unto the Romans. Those who share in their bloodline often have large beards or long hair, and if they are proud may wear rune marked clothing and gear. Shape Changers All manors of witchcraft can cause a child to be born with the ability to change shape, often into a ferocious beast. Animal Eye contacts make a great way to show a shapechangers heritage, as are tails, clothing of fur and leather, and wild hair. Monstrous Kinship Some people are abnormally large and powerful, they may share some blood with a monstrous creature, perhaps a giant or troll. This heritage can be shown with shoulderpads, or tusks. Nymphes and Satyrs These creatures are often referenced in the ancient Roman writings though none have been seen for quite some time. However their blood flows strong within some people of the Mystwood. Small horns on the forehead or leaves in the hair can show descent from these bloodlines, or perhaps the taint of chaos. Mutation - Chaos has a lingering presence everywhere and sometimes a child is changed. A mutation like an Animals head or a tentacle arm is too extreme to be allowed as the sign of Chaos, as such a person would not be allowed inside the town walls, but hunchbacks, club foot, and the like work, as does a costume of rags and bones. Vampyr Vampyrs are always a threat to the Mystwood keep, but there are some who have only the slightest marks and are deemed harmless- often, they have the power to heal with their blood, and can be quite useful. Vampyrs blood may be shown as a darkness around the eyes, pointed canines, or unusual hair. Dragon Kin Those whose Ancestors served the Dragon often have green around the eyes or lips. Elemental Kinship Those who possess certain affinities to Earth, Fire, Water or Air may share some bond with nature and the elements themselves, this is often passed down from generation to generation. It can be shown using lip or eye color, or distinctive costuming. The Nieblilungs Gift This Gift is said to come from the stars themselves and is not understood by many, however some children who were born on clear starry nights are blessed with good fortune for the rest of their lives. This Gift often shows itself as a few sparkles on the skin or hair.
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Advantages
Advantageous Gluttony (1 Point) You may consume two rations of food to gain an extra Hit Point for the next six hours. This is in addition to the extra hit point anyone can gain from consuming a ration, hearty meal, etc . *Call of Freedom (2 Points) Bindings cannot hold you. You may use this advantage once per Renew to call Resist against the Root, Bind, or Paralyze effect, or to escape from mundane bindings such as manacles. *Caustic Blood (2 Points) Whenever you take a Maim, Lethal, or Death effect from a hand held weapon, or 3 or more points of damage from a single weapon hit, you may call Bladeturn 2 Poison as your blood sprays out and burns your attacker. You still take the effect of the hit. Crushing Strength (1, 2 or 3 Points) You may swing a 2 crushing blow once per Renew per point you spent on this advantage. Durability (1 Point) Once per Renew you may resist a Maim effect. *Elemental Fury (1, 2 or 3 Points) For every point of this advantage you take, you may throw one. 3 damage by (element) bolt per Renew. You must choose one of the following elements: Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. Evil Eye (1 Point) Once per day you may curse someone with an annoying but not incapacitating effect- examples: I curse you to value leaves and trash I curse you to rhyme at all times I curse you to honk like a goose I curse you to see spiders everywhere I curse you to be filled with charity and good will. I curse you to be filled with sorrow and misery. I curse you with gout I curse you to sneeze frequently I curse you to suffer double damage from all attacks I curse you to stumble and fumble I curse you to dread the night. I curse you to fear you own weapons I curse you to find your armor confining I curse you with claustrophobia I curse you with hunger that is never satisfied. You may use any of the above or submit other curses to the staff. You may not curse during combat, as this takes about 1 minute of staring at someone. In addition, you may Purge curse once per day.
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Advantages Continued...
*Elemental Resistance (1 Point) Choose one element to be resistant to. This ability lets you call Resist against that element (Earth, Air, Fire or Water only) once per Renew. Feign Death (1 Point) Once per day you may fall down in a deathlike state. While in this state, which may last for up to 1/2 hour, you cannot be harmed in any way, but cannot move. *Forest Ally (1 Point) You may use this advantage when out in the wild, out of town, outside of any walls. You may throw one Root by magic packet per Renew and one Bind by magic, as the trees rise up and snare your foes. *Healing Blood (1 Point) Twice per Renew you may use a few drops of your blood to provide the Heal Two effect to an injured person (If anyone receives this Gift from you more than 3 times ever, you must also state Affliction, Blood Bond). Hunters Senses (1 Point) You may call use your senses to detect any of the following three times per renew: Animals, Living, Serpents, Undead, or Vermin. Major Talent (2 Points) You have a skill or knack that does not depend on your occupation. You must explain how you came by this talent. Essentially it allows you to choose a skill from the following list: Any Craft skill (2 points) - You are skilled in a craft, the number in parenthesis is the number of "Craft Points" you may use per day. Blessed - You may use one Karma per event, though you do not receive a tag for it and cannot save it for the future. See the Religion section. Research - This a plot skill - it has no effect during an event. However, in your Post Event survey you may list a question or topic you are interested in, and up to three books from the library you plan to look in for information on it. The Staff will then add information on that topic to those books, if its appropriate, and you can consult the books at the next game. No uses looking for information on Chaos Marauders in a book on Horticulture generally. Serene Contemplation - As long as you have not physically attacked someone with a weapon (spells and summoning are allowed) during the current day, you reduce the cost of casting spells. 3 Mana point spells cost only 2 points, 4 Mana spells cost only 3 mana points to cast, etc. One and two point spells are not affected. If you do not have the Gift of Wisdom, this skill is useless. Weapon Skill (bow) and Scavenge Arrows - You are able to use weapons of the indicated type, even if you do not have the Gifts normally required to do so, or it is a restricted weapon type (Flail, large shield, etc.) Scavenge Arrows allows you to fire 5 arrows (packets) using a bow per battle, even if you do not have any arrows made by a woodcrafter.

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Advantages Continued
Weapon Skill (Staff) - You are able to use weapons of the indicated type, even if you do not have the Gifts normally required to do so, or it is a restricted weapon type (Flail, large shield, etc.) Minor Talent (1 Point) You have a skill or knack that does not depend on your occupation. You must explain how you came by this talent. Essentially it allows you to choose a skill from the following list: Buy/Sell (10 Crowns)- Even in peaceful times, Mystwood is a remote area with few opportunities for commerce. Only the hardiest of peddlers and merchants will brave the treacherous roads through the forest, and without a good knowledge of when and where goods are likely to be available at a reasonable price, or buyers with actual coin to spend. To use this skill, place a list of items you want to buy or sell and the coin to do so in your player envelope at the end of an event. The maximum amount you can spend is (X). The price list is can be found in the library, and may vary from time to time depending on season and current events. Commerce - You know how much things are worth, and can read flags marked Commerce which may reveal the value of various items, and perhaps a little about their history or origin. Engineering - You understand buildings and structures and can read Engineering flags, which may reveal hidden compartments, unstable walls, secret doors and so on. Mage Lore - You are knowledgeable about magical effects and perils, and may read Mage Lore flags. News and Rumors - You receive a general write up of what is going on in Eastmarch at the start of each event, with a few extra rumors thrown in that may or may not be true. Weapon Skill (a single small thrown weapon) - You are able to use weapons of the indicated type, even if you do not have the Gifts normally required to do so, or it is a restricted weapon type (Flail, large shield, etc.) Woodwise - You may read flags which give information such as the properties of plants, tracks, and the like. *Natural Armor (2 Points) You always count as wearing one point of armor, which adds to your hit points. This armor point is NOT cumulative with any other armor you may wear. *Poison Spittle (2 Points) Once per day you may lick a blade to coat it with venom. You must call Doom by Poison on your next swing. If you miss or the target blocks your blow, the ability is wasted. Purity (1 Point) You may call Resist against any effect delivered by Poison once per Renew.
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Advantages Continued
Skin Changer (2 Points) Once per day you may don a mask, transforming yourself into a horrible beast for up to one hour. During this time you may use Claws (as per Natural Weaponry above), have 2 extra Hit Points, 3 disengages, and 2 maims. However, you may not speak or wear armor during this time, and many will not react well to your transformation. *Stonefast (1 Point) Once per day you may plant your feet and say stonefast. As long as you do not move your feet, you take no effect from normal, uncalled 1 point weapon blows. All called effects work normally on you. Stubborn Courage (1 Point) Once per day you may take up a defensive position (a roughly 10 foot area) and resolve to hold it to the last. As long as you do not leave your post, your hit points are doubled. You may not use this ability in duels of any sort. *Treewalk (1 Point) Once per day you may, while in the wild, outside of town, outside of any walls, and off of any cleared path, merge yourself with a tree, and remain so for up to 1/2 hour. While merged, you must remain in contact with the tree and may not use any abilities or weapons, but cannot be harmed in any way. Unarmed Combat (1 Point) Once per Renew you may throw a packet at an opponent within weapons reach and call Subdue. You may also call Disengage once per Renew. Undeads Bane (1 Point) You may throw a 5 damage to Undead packet twice per Renew. *Witchblood (1-4 Points) At the start of an event, you may draw tags that give you small random magical powers. You may draw one tag for each point you spend. Beware though, some are not beneficial.

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Disadvantages
*Anathema (1 Point) The Dragons kind are deadly to you. Touching any snake, or being struck by any reptilian monster causes the Death effect to you. You may never call a Resist against poison for any reason. Blind (4 Points) You must role-play this at all times. You cannot use weapons, run, throw packets, or read. Bloodlust (3 Points) Once you take damage, you are in a fight to the end. You will not run, retreat, negotiate, break off the battle, surrender or take prisoners. Compulsive Carousing (2 Points) You must always join any drinking, carousing or gambling that is going on, even if it is not a good idea. You may not stop gambling until the event is over or your funds are exhausted. If there is no celebration on any given night, you must start one. Cowardice (2 Points) When the going gets rough, you run for it, leaving your friends in the lurch. You must flee from any fight that looks like its going badly, even if only to hide in a building. Creature of the Night (3 Points) You dislike sunlight and must wear a broad brimmed hat, hood, or other protection during the day, as well as staying inside as much as you can. In addition, you lose one level from one of your Gifts while in sunlight. Divine Disfavor: God of the Wild (2 points) The Book of life will not grant you your once per year "resurrection" as you have done something to displease the God of the Wild. Divine Disfavor: Goddess of Mercy (4 points) The Book of life will not grant you your once per event "resurrection" as you have done something to displease the Goddess of Mercy. Keep in mind that if you take this disadvantage your character is very likely to die much sooner than others. Divine Disfavor: Lord of Justice (1 point) The Book of life will not grant you your once per character career "resurrection" as you have done something to displease the Lord of Justice. Eternal Foe (2 Points) One of the great evils of the world senses you as a great enemy, and will go to great lengths to hunt and kill you, targeting you above all others in any battle. Choose Undead or Chaos to be your Eternal Foe.
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Disadvantages Continued

Excessive Curiosity (1 Point) You cant leave any mystery unexplored. Forgetful (1 Point) You should role-play this. At least once per event you must forget something of importance. Frail (3 Points) The Lethal effect causes Death to you instead. Greed (1 Point) Gold and other valuables bring out the worst in you. You will not spend money if you can avoid it, and must go to almost any length short of directly harming yourself or others to obtain any money on offer. Gullible (1 Point) Reasonable attempts to trick or mislead you always work. You always assume people are telling the truth unless they are an obvious monster or evil creature. Horribly Disfigured (1 Point). You have suffered some nasty injury or illness in the past. You must wear makeup to show this. Maimed (3 Points) You may only use one of your arms. Mostly Illiterate (1 Point) You cannot read. (but may sign your name in the book) Nearsighted (1 Point) You cannot use any ability or weapon that targets someone more than 5 feet away. You cannot identify others at a distance either, or Resist any effect that comes from more than 5 feet away. Pacifist (2 Points) You won't harm another human (no matter how tainted or warped) under any circumstances, though animals, undead, daemons, monsters and so on are fine. Perpetual Gloom (1 Point) You are always dour and Cynical and must alway role-play seeing the dark side of things. You take no effect from the Renew effect by voice.
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Disadvantages Continued
Phobia (1 Point per Phobia) You are deathly afraid of one of the following and must avoid it if at all possible. Darkness, Undead, Chaos, Enclosed Places, Fire, Fae, Large Animals, Nobles, Spellcasters. While in the presence of your fear, you may not use any abilities that require you to call an effect, including Resists, spells, etc. *Raging Hunger (1 point) If you do not consume at least one ration of food every six hours, you become weak. You have one less hit point. If this would reduce you to zero Hit points, you lose one level from one of your Gifts instead. Sickly (3 Points) You bleed out and die after only one minute unconscious. Slow (2 Points) You may not run. Spendthrift (1 point) You must always spend any money you have at the first opportunity. You may not give treasure to others though - you like spending money. Basically you must spend all your money by the end of the event. Tainted (1 Point) You start with (or gain) 3 Marks of Chaos. Since Seven marks of Chaos will cause your character to become an NPC, this is a bad thing. Once in Game look at the Book of Woe for the full description of this affliction. Teetotaller (1 Point) You cannot gain a Renew by tavern or tavern keeper provided means (for example, drinking). Troublemaker (1 Point) You are always meddling and playing pranks on others. Truthfulness (2 points) You are bound to never lie. *Vulnerability (2 Points) You take double damage from any effect called by one of the FOUR elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air). You choose which one. *Wild Heart (1 Point) You are not comfortable with civilized things. Any by fire effect on you causes you to suffer the Frenzy effect.

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CHAPTERTHREE THEECONOMY&CHARACTEROCCUPATIONS
MoneyandItems
Phys-Reps Short for Physical Representation, Physreps are required for all tags. Unless you are told otherwise, you must turn in any Physreps you find at the end of an event, and replace them with your own. So, if you found a magic sword, you would transfer the tag to your own sword and return the original to the NPC building to be used again. Some tags will note that you should keep the phys-rep instead. This applies to things like jewelry, furs, materials, etc. Props Objects not marked with a tag of some sort are props. You may need to use them for something, but they dont belong to you, and you should not remove them beyond line of sight of the place where you found them. They are not particularly valuable, so your character would not want to take them in any case. Written texts and game money are exceptions to this rule. Currency Currency is probably the most sought after form of treasure. In the Mystwood LARP the Crown is used. There are many coins, gold and silver, from the plain coins of the Old Empire, to newer minted coins of lesser lords, to the coins of distant Cathay. For purposes of simplicity, each is marked with a number, its value in Crowns. Materials Materials are used in craft skills, most often Metal for the smithing of weapons, are represented by a phys-rep- an object that looks and weighs about the same as the real thing, and a tag that is attached to it. Materials will more or less have a set value and set purposes, so they will not be marked with a sticker. You may keep materials. For purposes of simplicity, these are quite general. For example 1 Food could be virtually anything - a haunch of meat, a bag of potatoes, or even a really strong drink... Its assumed that your character has stores of materials makes an exchange so that you have the right materials for the job at hand. Its perfectly fine to use a haunch of meat brought by a hunter to serve cookies... Imagine that youll eat or trade the materials later. The basic materials are Cloth, Food, Metal, Parchment, and Wood.
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Components Components are rare and valuable ingredients - the claws of magical beasts, rare flowers, special gemstones, elemental essence, quintessence, bottled emotions, stardust, etc. Components are can be used by spell casters, crafters, or others. Be warned that the use of Chaos and Death components is illegal! The Time component is extraordinarily rare and must generally be purchased at great price from distant Thule. The components are Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Chaos, Death, Life, and Time. Magic Items It is a common misconception that magic items can be made. While simple potions and the like can be made by those with the Gift of Wisdom or Passion, items of magic are most often created by being used in great events. Most are relics of some sort. A sword that slays a great daemon will inherit some of its owners power and grace when they die, waiting for the hand of another worthy warrior to strike down daemons again. The purse of a great miser may be able to spawn coin, or the fan of a courtier to charm the eye. A great hero or saint always leaves something of themselves behind in their most prized possessions. Magic items never do anything for their original owners, instead they draw upon their owner's spirit after their death for their powers. Many even include their owner's bones or other relics! Once they have awakened, their power lasts for perhaps a season or so. Thus their tags are marked with an expiration date, after which the item is of no further use. It is customary at this point to pass it on to a worthy apprentice, hide it away in a cave, or bequeath it to church or monastery. In time, it may awaken again, ready for further adventures. This allows Mystwood to be quite generous with powerful magic items, knowing that they will not ruin the game.

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TheTownEconomy
Everyone will have an occupation in the town. Some occupations are paid at check in, other occupations harvest materials to sell, and others rely on the inhabitants of the town. The economy should sustain itself with limited interaction by the GM. Accumulation of wealth will be slightly inflated to demonstrate the time in between events. Typical Cost of Goods and Services Here is a chart of typical goods and services, to give you an idea of what money is worth. Prices fluctuate considerably however. In todays terms, think of a Crown is about $3.50 . Many things that are fairly cheap today (clothing for example) are more expensive relatively, because they must be hand made. Cost Examples Mug of ale A good meal Peasants Clothes A unit of Wood Good Boots A unit of Metal A night at a good inn A laborers wages for a week A skilled craftsman's wages for a week A Cow A horse A small farm 1 Crown 4 Crowns 9 Crowns 3 Crowns 12 Crowns 3 Crowns 15 Crowns 30-50 Crowns 50-100 Crowns 100 Crowns 600 Crowns 1,000 Crowns

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Occupations
Below you will find the list of Basic and Advanced occupations, along with the skills you gain for each one. You may choose any basic occupation to start the game. Changing your occupation - You may change your occupation once per year. You may change from one basic occupation to another freely. It is up to you to justify the change in your character. IMPORTANT: When you change from one occupation to another, you lose all skills from the previous occupation and immediately gain all skills from the new occupation. This may strike some as odd, but think about it this way - most of the skills require specialized tools, lots of time to use them, contacts, etc. For example, consider a blacksmith who joins the Town Guard. Its not that she suddenly forgets how to make swords, but rather that she doesnt have the time any more with her new duties, or the kinship with the fire spirits, and she probably sold her tools to buy armor and weapons as a member of the Guard. Advanced Occupations - You may change from a basic occupation to an advanced occupation using your once per year change ONLY when the Nine agree that you have met the entry requirements. For example, the Slayer occupation requires that you defeat three great monsters. What constitutes defeating exactly is up to the Nine - its probably not being one of six people who surrounded a minotaur before beating it to death, but it probably would include being the person who organized the ambush that led to the minotaurs demise. You should make it abundantly clear that you are pursuing an advanced occupation through your roleplaying, trappings, and Post Event Letter Surveys. Some advanced occupations require that you pay a sum of money for training and tools as well. You may always change from an advanced occupation back to a basic one if you prefer. Subject to the requirements above, you may change from one advanced occupation to another.
Occupation Adventurer - Adventurer is a special occupation. Many travelers that find their way to the Mystwood Keep start out as common adventurers, but soon find their role in the town. Anyone under the age of 18 may utilize this occupation until they turn 18, when they must choose a different occupation. New players of any age may have this occupation until their third event, when they must settle into a more conventional role. Income Anything you can find in the form of treasure! Skills Agility Scavenging Serene Contemplation Wear Armor (2 Points)

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Apprentice - For as long as anyone can remember apprenticeship has always been the best way to learn a craft. The skills of an apprentice are very helpful to a master therefore this occupation is in high demand. The pay is not always too great, but the perks are handy. Relationships formed as an apprentice can last the rest of your life. Agitator (Town Crier) - Sometimes a loud mouth is just another loud mouth getting into brawls at the tavern, spreading nasty rumors, and inciting riots Other times a person with a good (booming) voice is an upstanding member of a community shouting news, gathering people for meetings, and helping to sell a merchant's stock. Its up to you which one youll be, all are welcome in the Mystwood. Astrologer/Fortune Teller - The future is a riddle many seek to answer, and they are willing to pay handsomely for any clues to what lies ahead.A successful court astrologer can earn tremendous wealth, and even village fortune tellers are quite well off. Alas, seers are also viewed with great suspicion, which can make this career quite risky. The notion that they are all charlatans is sometimes bandied about, and more dire, some believe they make their predictions come true with dark sorcery. Barber Surgeon - The practice of Medicine in the Mystwood is not for the faint of heart. Maladies are many and terrible, and the nature of the Mystwood means they progress at terrifying speed. Patients transform into monsters on the operating table, and the Barber Surgeon must take precautions to avoid the most horrid of afflictions.

An Apprentice is generally paid by the person they are assisting. However, being an apprentice comes with many other benefits so in some cases it might be worth offering your services for free until a more wealthy patron comes along to employ you.

-Agility -Apprenticeship -Duty -Production X (any 1 component) -Serene Contemplation

10 Crowns (paid at check in) in addition those with weaker -Bardic Voice (2) voices are often in need of a Town Crier to spread -Duty messages to the entire town. -Leadership (2 - those who have joined your cause) -News and Rumors -Unarmed Attack 10 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also be able to earn money with your fortune telling skill and craft skill. -Fortune Telling -Mage Lore -News and Rumors -Serene Contemplation -PLUS Bardic Voice (2) or Scribe (2)

The Curing of afflictions is a vital service in any town and should be rewarded. It is fair to charge 3+ crowns for the curing of afflictions. Depending on the labor and components necessary to cure an affliction you may need to charge much more.

-Apothecary (2) -Cure Affliction -Medicine (1)

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Bard/Minstrel/ThespianJugglers, dancers,minstrels,thespians,even puppeteers,thesearethesuperstarsof theKnownworld.Theirperformances areoftenthehighpointsoffolks existence,especiallyintimesof trouble.

Good entertainment is always -Bardic Voice (3) needed, you may find employment with rich nobles, -Entertainer the Dukes Cup Tavern, or you could go into business for -News and Rumors yourself and charge an admission fee to see your performance. -Agility -Livery (Rags and patches) -Scavenging

BeggarTheBeggarsofMystwood Begging players and comeinmanyforms,andsomearenot Non-player characters can be whattheyappeartobe.Manyarein quite profitable. factBeggarThieves,whosteallaundry, piesfromshopwindows,orcoinsfrom pouches.Othersaresocalled"Sturdy Beggars"whoarenotinfirmorfeebleat all,butratherstalwartindividualswho maketheirlivingextortingprotection moneyfromothers,oroutright brigandage. Blacksmith - Blacksmiths form the backbone of the kingdom. They service the many knights who need a great deal of upkeep on their armor. Blacksmiths use of metalworking is also helpful to the commoner who needs sturdy arrows for their bows. Clerk - Clerks are employed by many wealthier individuals, though some offer freelance services. They are skilled in the art of writing and record keeping. Clerks are never without a few sheets of quality parchment. Cook - Life is hard in the Mystwood, but a hearty meal brighten anyones spirits. Cooks provide much needed nutrition, and warm food. They are in a prime position economically as everyone needs to eat and a well fed town is a stronger town. Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make.

Livery (Leather Apron) Metalworking (4) Weapon Specialization (Hammer)

Production (2 Parchment) Scribe (4)

Butcher Cooking (4)

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Dancer/Juggler/Acrobat - Often dressed in colorful and unique attire Dancers, Jugglers, and Acrobats are popular among commoners. They perform a service needed by all, quality entertainment. They are agile and at time their performance skills will benefit them in a fight.

Good entertainment is always needed, you may find employment with rich nobles, the Dukes Cup Tavern, or you could go into business for yourself and charge an admission fee to see your performance.

Agility Entertainer Livery (performance costume) News and Rumors Weapon Specialization (Thrown Weapons)

GentlefolkGentlefolk,akaLadiesin 10 Crowns (paid at check in) waiting,GentlemenofLeisureandso Plus any profit you can earn on,arethosewhoarewellenoughoff from your craft skill. tonothavetoworkforaliving,and choosenotto.Usuallytheyarethe childrenofKnightsbutnotKnights themselves,havingchosennotto pursuethepathofbattle.Sometimes theyarethosewhohavemadeasmall fortuneinthepastandarenowtaking advantageofthatwealth.Someare purecharlatans,whousetheirbearing, glibconversationandclothingtomake themselveswelcomeinthecastlesat feasthallsofothers.

Bestow Favor Also, choose any 2 of the following: Bardic Voice (2 Craft Points) Cooking (2 craft Points) Scribe (2 craft Points) Sewing (2 craft Points) Divine Lore Research Scavenge Arrows Serene Contemplation

Gravedigger - In a time where death can come at any moment due to plague, famine or violence gravediggers have the solemn duty of burying those deceased. Due to their proximity to the dead each gravedigger has their own unique methods of avoiding sickness or curse. Traditionally a gravedigger wheres dark colors, black in most cases, out of respect for the dead.

5 Crown (paid at check in) Grave digging is a very lucrative profession ever since the plagues came to Navarre. Few dare to handle the bodies of the dead for fear of affliction, so those brave enough to dispose of them are well compensated. It is wise to look to non player characters for employment, though players may also be willing to pay, especially the followers of the Wild.

Engineering Production X (1 Death Component) Slayer (Undead) Weapon Specialization (Shovel or Pick) Woodworking (2)

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Gravedigger Occupational Spells: Name: Hex against accidents Type: Bolt Effect: Bestow one Resist against Crushing Mna: 2 Herbalist - Herbalists were the chemists of the middle ages and play an important role in healing those who are afflicted by ailments. They are often able to brew powerful potions, capable of doing a great many things, from healing a fallen soldier to making someone fall in love. Name: Quiet the Dead Type: Bolt Effect: Paralyze Undead by magic Mana: 2 Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. The Curing of afflictions is also a vital service in any town and should be rewarded. It is fair to charge 3+ crowns for the curing of afflictions. Depending on the labor and components necessary to cure an affliction you may need to charge much more. Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your components. Name: Transfix the Dead Type: Spray Effect: Root Undead by Magic x3 Mana: 1 -Apothecary (4) -Cure Affliction -Mage Lore -Woodwise

Herdsman/Herdswoman - The staple of all communities are the herdsmen and women. They provide fresh meat and cloth to commoners by nurturing a hearty flock. The creatures herded by these individuals varies considerably, while some have sheep, others herd pigs, and others still herd more unique animals. Hermit/Anchorite - There are many strange people who live in the woods, and little is known of why they seek solitude. Perhaps, within nature, they are able to hone their fine skills in brewing, or maybe they seek the rarest elements, herbs and plants. In any case, a hermit can be a very valuable companion when coerced out of their solitude. They tend to have communion with the gods, and can cure diseases that barber surgeons seldom are aware of.

-Pathfinder -Production (8 food + 3 Cloth) -Wear Armor (1) -Woodwise

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. The Curing of afflictions is also a vital service in any town and should be rewarded. It is fair to charge 3+ crowns for the curing of afflictions, depending on the labor.

-Apothecary (2) -Cure Affliction -Divine Lore -Scribe (2)

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Hunter - In the thick woods it is hard to find a suitable place for farmland, and so, hunting is a primary form of food gathering. Hunters are hearty individuals who know how to take care of themselves. One never knows whether the hunt will lead to a more or less harmless deer, or a ferocious wild cat.

5 Crowns (paid at check in) Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your components.

-Butcher -Pathfinder -Production X (2 food) -Scavenge Arrows -Weapon Specialization (Bow or Crossbow) -Wear Armor (1) -Woodwise

Night Watchmen - The roads and paths are very dangerous at night. There are all manors of monsters that lurk in the shadows, as well as bandits that prey on the weak. Night Watchmen are not part of the town guard, but have similar duties. They are usually loyal to the local magistrate who keeps them well employed.

10 Crowns (paid at check in)

-Duty (Patrolling the Road x 2 per day) -Production X (1 Fire Component) -Special Duty (Set up mini lights) - you may renew yourself once per day, any time after nightfall -Wear Armor (2 Points) -Weapon Specialization (Crossbow or Hand Crossbow)

Novice Monk - Monks were often the scientists of their day, somber and determined they serve the church and their neighbors. They tend to dress in dull tones and have an aptitude for book learning, a very rare thing in a society with few who can read well.

Novice monks live a meager life, but sometimes can make a bit of coin with their scribing skills.

-Divine Lore -Livery (Robe or Habit) -Research -Scribe (3) -Serene Contemplation

Peddler - Most merchants dont begin with a store of their own, they need to build up connections and develop a reputation. To do this they travel near and far buying and selling what merchandise they can easily transport.

10 Crowns (paid at check in) You should also be able to turn a fair profit by buying and selling items to players. Refer to the Buy/Sell Guide to see how much items cost.

-Buy/Sell (50 crowns) -Commerce -News and Rumors -Pathfinder 78

Penitent - Penitents are the fanatics of the old world. They are often travelers spreading their faith. They accept great pain on behalf of those who sin but do not recant. Some turn to self flagellation, whereas others try to embrace higher degrees of reason in order to spread their faith. Others still are rather quiet and keep to themselves, completing their spiritual journey alone. Preacher/Lay Cleric - Messengers of the gods these individuals are often leading members of communities. They are battle ready to serve their god/goddess and are capable of harnessing powers that allow them to cast spells while wearing armor. They give fiery and thoughtful sermons, while reminding everyone of the true enemies; chaos and undeath.

The Penitent has no real means for income, they must survive on their share of the treasure from adventures. Sometimes a church official may reward you for your service to the faith, but you should not count on a having much coin.

-Battle Rage -Blessed -Divine Lore -Livery (icons of faith) -Weapon Specialization (flail) -Weapon Use (flail)

5 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also choose to have a collection during your religious ceremony, however if more than 20 crown is earned the remainder should be paid to the church.

-Divine Lore -Religious Ceremony -Serene Contemplation -Wear Armor (3) -Weapon Specialization (Mace/Hammer) -Divine Magic

RatcatcherIntherealmofNavarre, Ratcatchers are often hired ratcatchingisseriousbusiness.Not by town magistrates during onlydoratsandsimilarverminspread times of need. diseaseanddevourvitalfoodsupplies, whentouchedbyChaostheygrowto enormoussizeanddevourlivestock, petsandchildren.Attimesgreat hordesofratssweepacrosstheland, overwhelmingvillagesleavingonlywell gnawedbonesbehind.Thecommon folkhateandfearrats,andthe ratcatcheristhusafigureofboth admirationanddread. RatcatcheroccupationalSpells Name: Blast Vermin Type: Bolt Effect: Five damage to Vermin Mana: 1 Name: Escape Bonds Type: Bolt Mana: 1 Effect: Purge Bind Name: Expose Vermin Type: Voice Mana: 1 Effect: Detect Vermin Name: Hex against Accidents Type: Bolt Mana: 2 Effect: Bestow one Resist against crushing

-Engineering -Livery (Rats or rat symbols) -Poisoner (2) -Set Trap -Slayer (Rats and Spiders)

Name: Smite Vermin Type: Voice Mana: 2 Effect: By my voice, one damage to Vermin Name: Walk Unhindered Type: Spray Mana: 1 Effect: Purge Root x3 79

Squire - Squires come in all shapes and sizes, men and women, the young and the old. It is one of the best ways to begin the journey to knighthood. Tailor/Leatherworker - Fine cloth is often in short supply in the darker parts of the kingdom, but many are in need of leather working and animal hides are easy to find. Talents in stitching can sometimes aid in tending battle wounds as well. Tavern Keeper - In the year 820, some 30 years ago, a vile chaos cult nearly brought down the duchy of Eastwick by distributing tainted wine at a series of festivals. Many died as the vile spirits took effect. Since that time Brewing of any sort has been a closely guarded noble monopoly carried out by licensed brewers.

10 Crowns (paid at check in) Sometimes a squires patron will provide them with enhanced armor or additional payment. Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. Tavern keepers are generally hired by taverns for about 10 Crown per event. You should also reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. 5 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also earn a little extra from the Magistrate if many fines are collected.

-Armstraining (2) or -Metalworking (2) -Wear Armor (4) Duty (Mending and Patching 1x per day) Medicine (1) Sewing (4) -Cooking (2) -Drinks on the House -Duty -News and Rumors -Sell Drinks

Town Guard - The Town Guard is the only standing fighting force in the Mystwood. Usually numbering about 100-200 strong, the soldiers of the guard are spread very thinly throughout the area of the Mystwood, patrolling trails, watching river fords, and guarding fortified Way Houses. There may be as few as five in the area of the Keep (where the game takes place) at many times, though they can summon a score or so to aid them given time. Woods(wo)men - Trees all around yet wood is still scarce. All trees in Mystwood are property of the Duke and cannot be cut without a special writ. This makes the job of a Woods(wo)men challenging at times. Nevertheless good carpentry skills are essential to the survival of any outpost. The walls of a keep are always in need of repair.

-Duty (Guarding the Town x 3 per day) -Livery (Green and Black Town Guard Tabard) -Warcaster -Weapon Specialization (Any Weapon) -Weapon Use (Large Shield) -Wear Armor (3 Points) -Duty (Gathering Firewood, 1x per day) -Weapon Specialization (Axe) -Wear Armor (1) -Woodworking (4) -Woodwise 80

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make.

Advanced Occupations
Occupation Captain of the Guard Requirements: Must be appointed to the post. Income 15 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also get bonuses if the town finances allow it, based on the number of fines collected. Skills Duty (Reviewing the Guard, 1x per day) Leadership (4 - Town Guard) Livery (Town Guard) Patronage (1) Scribe (2) Warcaster Weapon Specialization (Any Weapon) Weapon Use (Large Shield) Wear Armor (5 Points) Corporal of the Guard Requirements: Must be appointed to the post. 10 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also get bonuses if the town finances allow it, based on the number of fines collected. Armstrainer (2) Duty (Guarding the Town - 2x per day) Leadership (2 - Town Guard) Livery (Town Guard) Warcaster Weapon Specialization (Any Weapon) Weapon Use (Large Shield) Wear Armor (4 Points)

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Dragon Slayer Requirements: Must slay at least 3 draconians, minotaurs or trolls.

You may make some coin by selling the things you scavenge, however most of your coin will come from your skill with a blade. Market yourself well and you should be able to find employment with wealthier members of society. You may also be well suited for high paying pit fights or dangerous quests. 10 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also be able to carry out executions by contract from the town or presiding magistrate, though a poor town may not offer much pay.

Battle Rage Livery (Fantastical costume, hair and tatoos) Scavenger Slayer (Minotaur, Troll, Draconian, Beastman, Goblin) Wear Armor (3 Points) Entertainer Execution Livery (Black Hood) Poisoner (4) Weapon Specialization (Axe and Sword)

Executioner Requirements: Training (100 Crowns) A writ of appointment from a Baron or Duke.

Executioner Occupational Spells: Name: Soothing End Type: Bolt Effect: Slow and Subdue by Will Mana: 1

Name: Find Fugitive Type: Voice Effect: Detect Living Mana: 1 Name: Cauterizing Spark Type: Bolt Effect: 2 Damage by Fire Mana: 1

Name: Cripple Limb Type: Bolt Effect: Maim (limb) by Magic Mana: 1 Name: Torment Type: Bolt Effect: Subdue by Will Or Compel you to writhe in pain. (May be cast 3 times on the same person) Mana: 1 Pathfinder Production (8 Wood) Scavenge Arrows Weapon Specialization (Axes) Wear Armor (2) Woodwise Woodworking (3) 82

Forester/Ranger/Gamekeepe r Requirements: Must be given a writ by the Duke to protect an area of the Mystwood and oversee tree felling.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your components.

Freeholder Requirements: You must obtain a grant of land in or near the Mystwood, either by purchase, rent, or reward for deeds. Alternately you may be a Herds(wo)man and spend 200 Crowns to expand your herd.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your components.

Butcher Patronage (1) Production (12 Food + 4 Cloth + 2 Wood) Weapon Skill (Flail) Woodwise Woodworking (2)

Guild Crafter Requirements: You must submit an example of your skill, or present a tract or presentation on it, which must be approved by the guild. This Advanced Occupation can only be appended to a basic occupation. Master Crafter Requirements: You must have been a Guild Crafter and must complete a masterwork acclaimed by your peers. This Advanced Occupation can only be appended to a basic occupation.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make.

Craft Skill - +2 Craft Points added to any one craft skill you possess. PLUS - You retain all abilities of your previous basic occupation. This will not stack with an advanced occupation. Though a person with an advanced occupation may still be a Guild Member. Craft Skill - +4 Craft Points added to any one craft skill you possess. PLUS - You retain all abilities of your previous basic occupation. This will not stack with an advanced occupation. Though a person with an advanced occupation may still be a Master Crafter. Livery (Town Guard) PLUS - retain all abilities of your previous basic occupation. This will not stack with an advanced occupation.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make.

Town Guard Auxiliary Requirements: Must be accepted into the town guard.

+5 Crowns

Herald Requirements: Training (100 Crowns) and you must pass the examination of the College of Heralds.

10 Crowns (paid at check in) Plus any profit you can earn from your craft skill.

Armstrainer (2) Bardic Voice (3) Livery (Heralds Garb) Scribe (3) 83

Herald Occupational Spells: Name: Holdfast Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Subdue by Will Mana: 2 Name: Diplomatic Immunity Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Repel by Magic Mana: 3 10 Crowns (paid at check in) Name: Silence in the Ranks Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Silence for one Minute by Will Mana: 2 Leadership (1) (Any non Knight) Livery (Your heraldry) Wear Armor (6) Knight of the Realm Requirements: You must be a Knight who has been granted a Fief by a noble or church. 50 Crowns (paid at check in) Leadership (4) Any wearing your colors. Livery (Your heraldry) Patronage (3) Retainers (6) Wear Armor (8) Knight Paladin Requirements: You must be a Knight who has completed a Paladins quest for each of the three gods. Or an Ordained Priest who is Knighted. 10 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also choose to have a collection during your religious ceremony, however if more than 20 crown is earned the remainder should be paid to the church. Absolution Blessed Divine Lore Divine Magic Grant Karma Livery (Your Heraldry) Religious Ceremony Wear Armor (10)

Knight Errant Requirements: You must be Knighted.

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Knight Penitent Requirements: You must be a Knight who has been accepted into the service of one branch of the church and renounced worldly things.

10 Crowns (paid at check in)

Wear Armor (8) Livery (Your Heraldry) Blessed Divine Lore Divine Magic

Knight Templar Requirements: Training (500 Crowns) and Acceptance into the Templar order.

20 Crowns (paid at check in) You should also reference the Guild Prices Sheet they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make.

Battlemage Leadership (1) (Any non Knight) Livery (Your heraldry) Mage Lore Research Scribe (4) Wear Armor (6)

Magistrate

20 Crowns (paid at check in)

Scribe (4) News and Rumors Research Bardic Voice (2) Commerce Retainers (3) Duty (holding court, 1x per day)

Requirements: Must be elected Reference the Guild Prices to the post. Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make.

Master Thespian Requirements: Patronage, must have had the Entertainer skill in previous occupation.

10 Crowns (paid at check in) Good entertainment is always needed, you may find employment with rich nobles, the Dukes Cup Tavern, or you could go into business for yourself and charge an admission fee to see your performance.

Bardic Voice (6) Entertainer News and Rumors Research Scribe (2) 85

Merchant Requirements: You must spend 300 crowns to set yourself up in business. If you maintain an in game shop or stall this is reduced by 100 Crowns, and if you are member of the Shadow Guild by another 100.

30 Crowns (paid at check in) Any one Craft skill (2 points) You should also be able to turn a fair profit by buying and Buy/Sell (100 Crowns) selling items to players. Refer to the Buy/Sell Guide to see Commerce how much items cost. News and Rumors Patronage (1) Retainers (2)

Miner Requirements: You must find a Mine and spend 100 crowns to develop it and obtain writs.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your components. Plus any profit you can earn with your craft skills.

Commerce Engineering Metalworking (2) Patronage (1) Production (8 Metal) Weapon Specialization (Pick) Wear Armor (3) Woodworking (2)

Ordained Priest Requirements: Must be ordained by the church.

10 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also choose to have a collection during your religious ceremony, however if more than 20 crown is earned the remainder should be paid to the church.

Absolution Divine Lore Divine Magic Grant Karma Religious Ceremony Serene Contemplation Weapon Specialization (Mace/Hammer) Wear Armor (4)

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Philosopher Requirements: Patronage and 100 crowns for books and education.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. Most of your coin will come from your skill with a blade. Market yourself well and you should be able to earn a decent bit of coin through your duels and pit-fights.

Scribe (6) Research x 3 Production (2 Parchment) Serene Contemplation Wear Armor (3) Unarmed Attack Duelist Armstrainer (2) Entertainer Battle Rage

Pit Fighter/Judicial Champion Requirements: You must win at least 5 pit-fights (which are illegal) or 3 Judicial Combats and invest 50 crowns in training and equipment.

Physician Requirements: Patronage and 500 crowns in training.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. The Curing of afflictions is also a vital service in any town and should be rewarded. It is fair to charge 3+ crowns for the curing of afflictions. Depending on the labor and components necessary to cure an affliction you may need to charge much more. Name: Cauterizing Spark Type: Bolt Effect: 2 Damage by Fire Mana: 1

Livery Apothecary (6) Medicine (2) Cure Affliction Research Serene Contemplation Occupational Spells

Physician Occupational Spells

Name: Cripple Limb Type: Bolt Effect: Maim (limb) by Magic Mana: 1

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Poacher Requirements: You must be accepted into the Shadow Guild.

Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your components.

Wear Armor (2) Production (6 Food, 3 Cloth) Scavenge Arrows Woodwise Pathfinder Butcher Weapon Specialization (Bow or Crossbow)

Sergeant at Arms/Bodyguard Requirements: Patronage Steward Requirements: Patronage

10 Crowns (paid at check in) You may also be able to market your skills to more wealthy individuals. Reference the Guild Prices Sheet, they recommend prices that will allow you to make a fair profit with your craft. Generally the more crafting points you have the more you can make. You should also be able to turn a fair profit by buying and selling items to players. Refer to the Buy/Sell Guide to see how much items cost In a land of sorcerers, necromancers and vampires, Witch Hunters are well respected individuals indeed, and greatly sought after. By selling their sword they can make a great deal of coin.

Wear Armor (4) Armstrainer (4) Cooking (6) Commerce Buy/Sell (50 Crowns) Leadership 3 (all retainers and followers of your patron) Scribe (2)

Witch Hunter Requirements: Writ from a lord to practice this occupation, 300 crowns of training and equipment

Bardic Voice (2) Leadership (2) (Anyone under your command in battle) Research Set Trap Slayer (undead) Wear Armor (4) Mage Lore

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Witch Hunter Occupational Spells Name: Find Fugitive Type: Voice Effect: Detect Living Mana: 1 Name: Walk Unhindered Type: Spray Effect: Purge Root x3 Mana: 1

Name: Holdfast Name: Torment Type: Voice Type: Bolt Effect: By my voice, Subdue by Effect: Subdue by Will Or Will Compel you to writhe in pain. Mana: 2 (May be cast 3 times on the same person) Name: Transfix the Dead Mana: 1 Type: Spray Effect: Root Undead be Magic x3 Mana: 1

OccupationalSkills
The skills possessed by different occupations help you round out your character, and also (usually) give you a way to contribute to the overall strength of the Mystwood outpost, a role in the community. Skills can be divided into two categories: These two categories are Ordinary Skills and Craft Skills. Ordinary skills give you some ability that is useful in battle or adventure, such as extra benefits with certain types of weapons, or the ability to wear armor. Craft skills are not used during adventures as often, but allow you to make or improve items useful to yourself or other players. Skills are generally granted by an occupation, but you may also choose to purchase skills with moonstones, though not more than one per weekend. There is no maximum skills a character can have, however like gifts skill become progressively more expensive. The first skill you buy costs what it says it costs. The next skill costs 1 Moonstone more. If you find an NPC with the skill you would like to learn, and they agree to be your teacher you may role-play with them to earn Tokens that will function as moonstones for the purpose of learning the skill you are being taught. Additionally, over time additional skills may be introduced into the game through books or teachers. Example: Skill #1 Skill #2 Skill #3 Skill #4 Skill #5 Skill Butcher Scavenging Livery Divine Spells Pathfinder Type Major Minor Standard Major Standard Cost 15 Moonstones 6 Moonstones 12 Moonstones 18 Moonstones 14 Moonstones

Only skills marked with a value may be purchased this way. There are some skills that are reserved to their respective occupations.

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Crafting All craft skills use Craft points to determine how often you can use your abilities. So for example Metalworking (4) means that you have 4 craft points to use each day (the Mystwood day begins and ends at 6 PM). Any craft points from the Sunday day which remain unspent may be spent between games, provided you have the proper materials. While characters do not have very many craft points, you can create workshops that will give you extra craft points. Any number of people can use a workshop, which must be set up with appropriate props. All craft skills require that you do your best to actually practice the craft skill in question, within the limits of safety and practicality. At the very least you should read up on how the craft was practiced in the middle ages and engage in appropriate role-playing. Whenever practical, actual practice of the craft is strongly encouraged. You will only be able to advance to higher levels of skill by developing your real life abilities in that craft. How long it takes to use craft abilities is up to you, but in most cases anything less than 5 minutes per craft point is cheezy.

GameItems
Immediate effects are powers you may use at any time. An example of an Immediate effect would be a smiths ability to sharpen a weapon. Enhancements are one use, but last until used. You must write the effect on a material tag, and must do actual crafting in order to activate it. You then give the tag to the person whose gear you have enhanced. The enhancement is applied to a persons gear - they must have the type of item in question, and must be wearing/using it when they use the enhancement. So using a Reinforced Breastplate requires you to be wearing a breastplate, of course! An item may only have one Enhancement on it at a time. Enhancements are game items and can be stolen. The new owner must then apply them to their props or store them in a box if they do not have an appropriate piece of gear. Tools have no game effect but are useful in making equipment chests and when collaborating between crafters. They can represent permanent tools like hammers or refined materials like nails.
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Craft Kits A Craft kit is a the basic tools needed for a particular craft, and grants extra craft points to up to 3 crafters. In Mystwood the physical workshop spaces are usually shared between crafters, but individuals and small groups maintain their own personal tools. Each craft kit should represented by a few tools, either real or theatre props, perhaps in a small chest. Each kit has an owner identified in the certificate of ownership. You cant get away with using someone elses tools without their permission, since its a small town and if somebody is running around with your hammer, youll know. The owner can permit up to 3 people per event to use the Craft Kit, usually themselves and two others. Craft kits can be stolen, usually by rats or pillaging marauders, or destroyed. This is represented by taking or ripping up the certificate of ownership. Some skills allow you to award moonstones to others in recognition of their deeds. This is a solemn responsibility, and miss using it (for example awarding them to your friends when their actions dont warrant it, awarding them to others with the understanding that they will do the same for you, etc.) is serious breach of the spirit of the game. Components and Materials Many crafter abilities require you to obtain materials to make certain items. For purposes of simplicity, these are quite general. For example 1 Food could be virtually anything - a haunch of meat, a bag of potatoes, or even a really strong drink... Its assumed that your character has stores of materials makes an exchange so that you have the right materials for the job at hand. Its perfectly fine to use a haunch of meat brought by a hunter to serve cookies... Imagine that youll eat or trade the materials later. The basic materials are Cloth, Food, Metal, Parchment, and Wood, Cloth, and Parchment. In addition to these, crafters can sometimes make use of magical components. These are the Eight Elements of the Known World - Air, Earth, Fire,Water, Chaos, Death, Life, and Time. Be warned that the use of Chaos and Death components is often illegal! The Time component is extraordinarily rare and must generally be purchased at great price from distant Thule.

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Metalworking(x)
You are able to create various items and enhancements to items dealing with metal. You can hone blades to razor sharpness, reinforce armor at a critical point, repair a damaged weapon, craft manacles or traps, and the like.
Action Armor Piercing Arrows Arrows Break Lock Type Enhancement Enhancement Immediate Effect 10 2 Crushing Arrows 10 2 Damage Arrows Forsooth, I shatter this lock. Resist Shatter, once Resist Maim, Once Resist Lethal, Once Resist Knockout or Lethal, Once Bestow 3 Damage +2 Craft Points per day for metalworking

Craft Points 0 0 3

Materials Consumed 2 Metal 1 Metal or Wood None

Harden Weapon Reinforce Bracers or Greaves Reinforce Breastplate Reinforce Helmet Sharpen Blade Smithy

Enhancement Enhancement

2 1

1 Metal 1 Metal

Enhancement Enhancement Immediate Workshop

2 2 1 4

1 Metal 1 Metal None 5 Air, 5 Fire, 5 Water, 1 Cloth Tool, 5 Metal Tools, 3 Wooden Tools. None 2 Metal

Spot Weakness Unusual Weapon

Immediate Special

Shatter with weapon Allows you to create a weapon with different special attacks than the basic list. See below.

2 2

92

Unusual Weapons: name - attacks - type - description (weapon max length is based on weapon type) Rapier - Lethal (blade may be 3 inches longer than normally allowed) - Sword - Lighter and longer than most swords these are excellent in duels where extra reach can mean the difference between winning and losing. Court Blade - lethal, disarm - Two Handed Sword - Lighter and more ornate than most great swords. Basically a two handed rapier. Double Sword- lethal, maim - sword Heavy sword, with a blade protruding on both sides. It is wielded almost like a staff but can deal far greater damage. Falchion - 4 damage, maim - sword- a broad bladed sword with most of its weight on the striking end giving it the chopping power of an axe. Frankard - 3 damage, trip - polearm - This polearm sports a wicked hook. Gouge - 6 damage, maim - two handed axe - This axe head brandishes nearly 360 degrees of sharpened steel allowing it to thrust as well as chop. Gutten Tag- 5 crushing, subdue - 2 handed club - Atop this great club sits a reinforced spike the length of a hand allowing it to punch through flesh and armor alike. Hamaxe - 3 crushing, maim- one handed axe or club- A wood splitting maul adapted for war. Strong and versatile on and off the battlefield. Hewing Spear - 3 damage, lethal - spear- Little more than a short sword attached to a spear shaft. It can achieve vicious slashes and deadly thrust. Khopesh - maim, trip - one handed sword. This curved sickle looking blade is equally suited to taking legs out from under people as taking them off. Mace-spear - Lethal, 3 crushing - spear and one handed blunt - Also know as a scorpion, this weapon gives option to a soldier without adding bulk to his gear. You may use lethal only with the spear side and 3 crushing with the mace side of the weapon. Pilum - lethal, shatter (shield) javelin - Favored by professional armies the long slender head can penetrate a shield as easily as a man in skilled hands, Rendering either useless in a battle. Reaper Maul - 5 crushing, maim - two handed axe or hammer - Favored by beast hunters and their foes alike. This fierce looking weapon takes on many styles but always consist of a large hammer with an axe blade mounted below it. Shot put (2 Crushing all the time when thrown with proper form) 4 crushing, subdue thrown weapon - This solid iron ball over 4 inches in diameter deals devastating damage when thrown by a strong arm.
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BardicVoice(x)
The tradition of the Bard and Skald is strong in Mystwood. Those who can craft words to suit their purposes have a special power and are accorded a special respect. Most of the abilities of the Bard require you to create a short poem (any format) or speech. This requires at least a few minutes, but can be composed in advance and saved to use until a suitable opportunity. You may not use the same poem or speech more than once per event.

Action

Type

Effect Useable once per event. Hold a debate or discussion on a topic of interest with at least three participants. Award a moonstone to the victor. Once per event, you may set a task or quest for others. If they succeed at it, you may award a Moonstone to ONE of them. May only be used in town when no combat is going on, or in a place of safety. You may renew up to 6 people per craft point. Creates a Moonstone, which must be awarded to a person whose deeds you recount before an audience of at least six others. Charm by Will After a brief argument refuting a pointBy my Voice, Purge Will. Compose a nasty ditty mocking another. Recite it as often as possible, and give a copy to a Gray Monk. It will soon be widespread. Tell a joke that makes light of your circumstances. The first person to laugh, genuinely, may be Renewed.

Craft Points 2

Bardic Contest/Philosophic Special Debate

Bestow Task or Quest

Special

2 (None if the fail)

Careful Planning, Diverting Story, Pleasant Song, or Rousing Tale Heroic Recounting

Immediate

1+

Special

Praising Couplet Reasoned Argument Scornful Rhyme

Immediate Immediate Special

2 1 1

Witty Jest

Immediate

1 (used only if someone laughs)

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Scribe(x)
Humble though it may appear from the outside, the outpost of Mystwood, with its library, is in fact a center of learning in the sea of ignorance that covers much of the Known World, one that equals many great cities. It is not surprising that it attracts those who can write, and that their writings, especially when illuminated to transform them into works of art, have great power.
Item Forged Document Type Special Effect You may create any form of document so long as a phys-rep is provided. It will appear official to anyone who is not an expert on such document. Write an illuminated account of the adventures of others in the book of Deeds (Liber Histrae Veritas). You may award one moonstone on each of up to 8 worthy persons involved in the adventure. You may not duplicate a story already in the Book. Invite an NPC to visit town. The invitation can be given to a Gray Monk, and will usually be accepted. Record the prayers of yourself or another, give them to a Gray Monk or place them in a temple, and they may be heard. One Resist vs. Magic. Must be worn visibly. Compose a sacred verse in praise of the gods. Place it in the library, and you may request 1 Karma from a priest. +2 Scribe craft points per day. Materials Needed: 9 Parchment, 2 Air, 2 Earth, 2 Fire, 2 Water, 2 Chaos, 2 Death, 2 Life, 2 time, 3 Cloth Tools, 1 Metal Tool, 2 Wooden Tools Write a letter and give it to one of the Gray Monks for delivery. Craft Materials Points Consumed 1 1 Parchment

Illuminated Account

Special

None

Invitation

Special

1 Parchment

Prayer

Special

1 Parchment, 1 or more Karma (yours or anothers) 1 Cloth or Parchment. 1 Parchment

Purity Seal Sacred Verse

Enhancement Special

0 1

Scriptorium

Workshop

See Left

Swift Letter

Special

1 Parchment

95

Woodcrafting(x)
Wood, wood, everywhere, and not a piece to carve... The Woodworker suffers from the unusual situation of being surrounded by their raw materials, but often unable to use them. Technically, all trees in the Mystwood belong to the Duke of Eastmarch, and only fallen boughs or trees may be used. This makes wood surprisingly hard to come by. None the less, Wood is a crucial element in all peoples lives, and the woodworkers labor is greatly valued.
Item Create Arrows Create Fire Arrows Dart Trap Type Effect Craft Points 0 0 2 Materials Consumed 1 Wood 1 Wood, 1 Fire 1 Metal, 1 Wood, 1 Death

Enhancement 10 normal arrows Enhancement 5 Arrows doing 2 Fire each. Special Allow you to place a Dart Trap (Mouse Trap painted black) where desired. Must be immobile. Can be armed by anyone with the Disarm Traps ability

Glancing Shield Glyph of Warding

Enhancement Resist Crushing once. Special Allows you to place a yellow card that reads Forsooth, 10 damage by (element type). Remove this card. Can only be placed behind a door or in a container where it will be seen only when something is opened, cannot be moved. Passive trap only, cannot be used offensively Allows you to harvest 1 wood component, which must be used immediately.

2 3

None 2 Air, Fire, or Water

Harvest Wood

Special

None

Improved Wooden Splint Locked Box or Door Make Paper

Enhancement Purge Maim (once) Special Allows you to mount a game legal lock in a door or box

1 2

1 Wood 1 Metal, 2 Wood, 1 Earth 1-3 Wood

Special

Allows you to turn up to 3 wood tags 1 into Parchment. Simply cross out Wood and write Parchment instead with your initials. 2

Reinforce Shield

Enhancement Resist one Shatter

1 Wood 96

Sunder Shield Town Upkeep

Immediate Special

Shatter Shield Perform needed maintenance or repairs on the town walls and buildings. You and up to 3 helping you are renewed. Usable once per day. +2 Woodcrafting points per Day

1 0

None None.

Wood Shop

Workshop

2 Cloth, 2 Air, 5 Earth, 2 Water, 3 Metal tools, 3 Wooden Tools 1 Wood

Wooden Tools

Tools

Useful in Crafting

Apothecary(x)
Those with Apothecary skill are viewed with both hope and dread. Apart from the intervention of the saints they are often the only possibility of relief from many horrid afflictions, however, their cures are often draconian, and the line between Poison and Medicine is very slim in the Known World... Apothecaries make most of their potions from herb and simple animal products. They do often use magical components, but their Art should not be confused with Alchemy, which is a form of Magic available to those with the Gift of Wisdom or Passion.
Action Ingested Poison Caustic Tar Contact Poison Type Special Enhancement Enhancement Effect Allows you to poison food or drink by placing an m&m in it. Bestow up to 3 Subdue by Poison effects (on weapons) Craft Points 1 2 Materials Consumed 1 Death 1 Fire 1 Death.

Allows you to put contact poison on one 3 small object (not a weapon). The object cannot be thrown or used offensively. Bestow one Doom by Poison on weapon. If the attack misses the poison is wasted. Purge Poison Once 6 uses - Heal 3 after Roleplaying 1

Blade Poison Enhancement

1 Death

Herbal Poultice Enhancement Medical Kit Enhancement

2 1

1 Life, 1 Cloth Tool 1 Life, 1 97

(medicines, etc.) Set the Bone Administer Anesthesia Immediate Special Cure Maim 1

Cloth Tool, 1 Metal Tool None None

By administering soothing drugs you can 2 allow a redraw of a failed Battle Surgery attempt. Can only be done once per surgery attempt. Cure Poison Cure Knockout Create 3 Candies that Bestow +1 Mana +2 Apothecary Craft Points Per Day. 1 1 0 4

Purging Smelling Salts Potent Sweets (Candy) Apothecarys workshop.

Immediate Immediate Enhancement Workshop

1 Water None 1 Time 3 Death, 3 Life, 3 Water, 2 Cloth Tools, 2 Metal Tools, 2 Wooden Tools

Poisoner(x)
Some are interested mostly in the use of Poison, rather than medicine. The poisoning of Humans is illegal, but the poisoning of just about anything else is not. Poison is greatly feared and regarded with suspicion, however... This skill allows you to use the Ingested Poison, Contact Poison, Caustic Tar, and Blade Poison abilities from the Apothecary list. You may also use an Apothecarys workshop to increase your craft points. In addition, you may spend 1 craft point to bestow a 3 damage by poison on a weapon (no components required).

98

Sewing(x)
Most folk in Mystwood own only one or two sets of clothing, making the care of that clothing a high priority. As everything must be hand sewn and hand woven, considerable time and skill goes into things we take for granted in the modern world. The art of sewing is valuable for the protective runes that can be embroidered into clothing, for the tapestries that recount great deeds, and for many medical applications.
Action Cloth Tools Comforting Bandages Create Vellum Type Tool Enhancement Material Effect Useful in Crafting Heal 2 when tied on (One use) Craft Points 1 0 Materials Consumed 1 Cloth 1 Cloth 1-3 Cloth

Allows you to turn up to 3 cloth into 1 1 parchment each. Renew yourself and the person whose clothing is mended. Can only be used when repairs are actually needed. Cannot be done outside of town. 1 Resist vs Fire Resist Root or Bind Once (Those Wearing No Armor) 1 Resist vs Water 0

Mending and Patching

Immediate

None

Rune of Fireproofing Rune of Freedom Rune of Warmth Secret Pocket

Enhancement Enhancement Enhancement Enhancement

2 2 2

1 Cloth 1 Cloth, 1 Air 1 Cloth 1 Cloth

Allows you to hide one small item or up 1 to 10 coins so they will not be found in a search. Works once, but defeats all searches for 1/2 hour when used. Heal 3 Call Disengage Once Per combat +2 Sewing Craft Points Materials needed: 5 Air, 2 Earth, 2 Water, 2 Cloth Tools, 1 Metal Tool, 1 Wooden Tool 1 2 4

Sewing up the Wound Swirling Cloak Tailors Shop

Immediate Enhancement Workshop

None 2 Cloth See Left

Tapestry

Special

Create a Tapestry depicting the deeds 2 of others and hang it in a suitable place. Most are painted rather than embroidered. Bestow up to 3 moonstones on those depicted in the tapestry (all to one person or divided up).

1 Cloth per moonstone.

99

Cooking(x)
Few in the Mystwood starve, due to the abundance of Magrel Wurzzle, a sort of a starchy cross between a potato and a turnip that grows quickly in the rich forest soil. Even beggars often appear quite well fed. However, Magrel Wurzzle has no real tastiness value whatsoever, and does not stick to the ribs. Thus the people of Mystwood eagerly seek food of other kinds, and a good meal before an adventure may mean the difference between victory and defeat. Although a cook has some latitude as how Medieval they wish to be in their craft, obviously modern food and packaging should be avoided. Going to Eat Mangrel Wurzzle is the polite way of saying Im off to eat my tasty chips and subway out of game.
Action Hearty Meal Iron Rations Type Immediate Enhancement Effect Bestow 2 Hit Points Renew 1 person (may be used whenever the food is eaten, even outside of town, but not in combat.) +2 Cooking Craft Point per Day. Materials needed: 3 Air, 3 Fire, 3 Life, Water, 2 Cloth Tools, 2 Metal Tools, 2 Wood Tools Bestow 1 Hit Point Hold a lavish meal in recognition of great deeds, and award 1 moonstone to up to 6 different people, 2 moonstones to each of 2 people, or 3 moonstones to a single person. Renew up to 6 people (can only be performed inside of the town when there is no combat going on, takes approximately 10 minutes) Afflict eater with food Poisoning Craft Materials Points Consumed 1 2 1 Food 1 Food

Kitchen

Workshop

See left

Nail Soup

Immediate

1 per None person 8 6 Food

Recognition Special Banquet

Replenishin g snack

Immediate

1 Food

Toxic Food

Immediate

1 per 1 Food 6 people 1 None

Welcoming Morsel

Immediate

Charm by Will

100

Armstrainer(x)
Mystwood exists in a near constant state of warfare, beset by marauders, brigands, and monsters of every kind. Not only the Town Guard and local Knights, but every able bodied person must be prepared to fight at a moments notice. Hence many folk train every day, and those who can teach the Martial Arts are greatly valued.
Action Basic Drill Type Immediate Effect Renew up to 6 people per craft point. Cannot be done outside of the area of town. Bestow one Resist (against any effect that strikes the shield) Disarm Bestow one Maim. Bestow one Disengage on up to 6 people with 2 handed weapons. Bestow one resist disarm. Bestow one Lethal Organize a tournament of at least 4 participants. Bestow a moonstone on the winner. Craft Points 1+ Materials Consumed None

Deflection Training Disarming Maneuver Shrewd Cuts Spear Hedge

Immediate

None

Immediate Immediate Immediate

2 1 1

None None None

Supple Wrist Target Practice Tournament of Arms

Immediate Immediate Special

1 2 2

None. None None

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OtherSkills
Absolution - Major (15 Moonstones) - You may offer Absolution to those of your faith if you deem they have performed a true penance. See the rules for Religion. Agility - Standard (10 Moonstones) - You have unusual flexibility and are full of surprising maneuvers and flourishes. Once per renew you may Resist any thrown weapon, spell packet, arrow crossbow bolt, etc. (basically anything that flies through the air). In addition, you may call disengage once per combat. You may not be wearing armor while using this ability. Apprentice - Unavailable for Purchase - You are good at assisting others and at learning trades. Once per day, you can Bestow 2 Craft points on another by helping them with their work. Once per event you may ask a person with a craft skill to set you a challenge or task, if you complete it they must award you a moonstone. Award Karma - Major (15 Moonstones) - You may, after private conference, award Karma to those of your faith. The rules for doing so are in the Religion section. Battle Rage - Unavailable for Purchase - Once per day you can spend 1 minute whipping yourself into a state where you are beyond pain and fear. Battle rage lasts for 5 minutes. During this time you may Resist any one effect. In addition, you gain 3 extra hit points. Battlemage - Major (15 Moonstones) - Must also have the warcaster skill to purchase You may wear armor while casting spells. Bestow Favor - Unavailable for Purchase - Usable twice per day. Give someone a token such as a scarf before a battle or adventure. Allows you to Bestow one Resist against any Effect. Blessed - Standard (10 Moonstones) - You may use one Karma per event, though you do not receive a tag for it and cannot save it for the future. See the Religion section. Butcher - Major (15 Moonstones) - You receive 6 Butchers tags per event. Each time you roleplay butchering an Animal (Must be unintelligent, not using weapons, speaking, etc.)you can activate one tag as either a ration of food, or one unit of cloth (hide). Only one person can butcher any given animal.

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OtherSkillsContinued
Buy/Sell (X) - Minor (5 Moonstones) - Purchasing = Buy/Sell (10 Crowns) - Even in peaceful times, Mystwood is a remote area with few opportunities for commerce. Only the hardiest of peddlers and merchants will brave the treacherous roads through the forest, and without a good knowledge of when and where goods are likely to be available at a reasonable price, or buyers with actual coin to spend. To use this skill, visit the library, place the required coins in the locked box, and enter your transaction into the book of Accounts. You may then write tags for the items in question. You must provide physreps of some sort for the item (or your customer can). Its assumed that you either have purchased the items earlier, or buy them in Low Town. The maximum amount you can spend is (X). The price list is can be found in the library, and may vary from time to time depending on season and current events. Craft Skill (X) - Major (15 Moonstones) - Purchase = Craft Skill (2) *May only purchase this once - You have a (X) of crafting points in a crafting skill, see above. Commerce - Minor (5 Moonstones) - You know how much things are worth, and can read flags marked Commerce which may reveal the value of various items, and perhaps a little about their history or origin. Cure Affliction - Major (15 Moonstones) - You have sufficient basic medical knowledge to attempt to cure an affliction effect (curses, diseases, infections, taints, etc.) The cures known can be found within the Library. You should role-play the cure, expend any components required, and then state the name of the cure. As the person afflicted cannot tell you the name of their affliction, there is a bit of guesswork involved here. Fortunately, given the extensive medical texts available, virtually any affliction is curable. Eventually. Divine Lore - Minor (5 Moonstones) - You know much of the lore of the Gods, and of your own in particular. You may read flags marked Divine Lore. If they are marked with the name of a god, however, you may read them only if it is your own. Divine Spells - Major (15 Moonstones) - Each faith has a body of lore that allows them to cast spells. YOU MAY NOT USE THESE SPELLS UNLESS YOU HAVE THE GIFT OF WISDOM. However, divine spells may be cast while wearing armor. Drinks on the House - Unavailable for Purchase - Once per event you may offer free drinks, renewing up to 6 people by doing so. Duelist Major (15 Moonstones) - Once per day, when you enter into a formal, single combat against a worthy foe (no use challenging rats), you renew your abilities. However, you must fight fairly and to the death, and they must have accepted your challenge. Duty - Standard (10 Moonstones) - Some professions are humbler than others - they have tasks to perform that although necessary, may not be glamorous. However, when you fulfill a shift (15 min to 1/2 hour) of your duty, you renew your abilities. This skill is useable a limited number of times per day, as noted.

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OtherSkillsContinued
Engineering - Minor (5 Moonstones) - You understand buildings and structures and can read Engineering flags, which may reveal hidden compartments, unstable walls, secret doors and so on. Entertainer - Major (15 Moonstones) - Jugglers, dancers, minstrels, thespians, even puppeteers, these are the superstars of the Known world. Their performances are often the high points of folks existence, especially in times of trouble. Once per day you may give a performance lasting at least 15 minutes. At the end of it you may call Renew by voice, and you also gain the ability to Renew up 6 different people present at your performance at a later time, even in combat. These must be used before you perform again. Execution - Major (15 Moonstones) - You gain the ability to swing one Death strike against any person you meet who has been legally sentenced to death and is unarmed. may also perform certain other punishments, such as branding. You

Fortune Telling - Standard (10 Moonstones) - Three times per day you may tell another's fortune using cards, runes, etc. They must first cross your palm with silver, of course. This takes about 15 minutes, at the end of which you may Renew them. However, you must have certain cards, runes or the like that signifies very bad fortune. If that card/rune/etc is drawn, you may not renew them and must instead say I curse you to take double damage from all attacks in your next battle. The odds of drawing the bad effect should be about one in ten. Income (X) - Minor (5 Moonstones) - Purchase = Income (5) - You receive the indicated number of Crowns per event. Leadership (X) - Major (15 Moonstones) - Purchase = Leadership (2 - anyone whom you employ OR Those who follow your Faith OR agreed upon by staff) - You gain the ability to Heal 2 X number of times per renew, to those under your command. Note that the occupation description specifies who this applies to - others cannot voluntarily place themselves in your service to take advantage of this skill. You can do this by offering a few words of encouragement, threatening consequences, and so on, but you cannot use it when silenced, or when the person you wish to heal is unconscious (knocked out, reduced to zero hit points, etc.) Livery - Standard (10 Moonstones) - Must strongly represent your occupation - While wearing a certain type of costume, or the colors and Heraldry of your sponsor, you gain 1 extra hit point. Mage Lore - Minor (5 Moonstones) - You are knowledgeable about magical effects and perils, and may read Mage Lore flags. Medicine (X) - Unavailable for Purchase - Gain X redraws on First Aid per renew.

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OtherSkillsContinued
News and Rumors - Minor (5 Moonstones) - You receive a general write up of what is going on in Eastmarch at the start of each event, with a few extra rumors thrown in that may or may not be true. Occupational Spells - Unavailable for Purchase - Some occupations have spells, a mix of hedge magic and true sorcery, that aid them in their work. You MAY NOT USE THESE SPELLS UNLESS YOU HAVE THE GIFT OF WISDOM. Pathfinding - Standard (10 Moonstones) - You can find your way to distant locations within the forest, navigating the many treacherous paths of the Mystwood. This is a plot skill - it does nothing during events, but at the end of an event you may, in your post event survey, indicate 3 locations, in order of preference, that you would like to find your way to. Examples could be The ruins we visited where we found the six eyed hag, The goblin encampment Ive heard rumors about, Any stone monolith. You can also choose to search for certain monsters or persons A medusa or The bandit Chief Bolo the Red. The success of your search is up to the Nine and depends on available time, how much information you have to guide your search, and how reasonable your goal is. In some cases you may gain some information but not actually locate anything. If you are successful, a Grey wanderer will seek you out when it is time to journey to the adventure in question AT THE NEXT EVENT YOU ARE PREREGISTERED FOR. This is very important unless you sign up for an event, no adventure will be planned. Patronage (X) - Unavailable for Purchase - Once per year you can sponsor (X) number of people into an advanced occupation, such as Philosopher, or Physician . This represents you using your influence and wealth to enable them to pursue their studies rather than having to work for survival. Production X (Type) - Unavailable for Purchase - You are able to gather, harvest or otherwise obtain X components of the indicated type (for example 5 Metal) Religious Ceremony - Major (15 Moonstones) - By organizing a religious ceremony lasting 15 minutes to hour, you may call By my voice, Heal and Renew at the end of it. Those pledged to other gods may not attend the event. Usable once per day. Unless permission is granted by an NPC this may not be done during a battle or adventure.

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OtherSkillsContinued
Research - Unavailable for Purchase - This a plot skill - it has no effect during an event. However, in your Post Event survey you may list a question or topic you are interested in, and up to three books from the library you plan to look in for information on it. The Nine will then add information on that topic to those books, if its appropriate, and you can consult the books at the next game. No uses looking for information on Chaos Marauders in a book on Horticulture, generally. Retainers (X) - Minor (5 Moonstones) - A number (X) of loyal servants and retainers may wear your colors, gaining the Livery skill. If they already had the skill from their occupation this does not add any benefit. Scavenge Arrows - Standard (10 Moonstones) - Allows you to fire 5 arrows (packets) using a bow per battle, even if you do not have any arrows made by a woodcrafter. Scavenging - Minor (5 Moonstones) - You are not afraid to loot the dead of items others would not wish to touch. You receive 6 Salvage tags per event in your player envelope. You may Activate them under certain circumstances, turning them into useful materials. You should then write the material type on the tag and stow them in a sack with various oddments. You shouldnt scavenge from someone who has already been picked over by another. You may activate one tag as Food, Cloth or Metal when you loot at least 3 humanoid (not animals, spirits, undead, etc.) bodies. You may activate one Metal Tag whenever you loot an armored person. You may activate one cloth whenever you loot a person who is, in your opinion, well dressed. You may activate one tag of any type (Food, Cloth, Wood, or Metal) when you pick through any kind of home, shop or lair as long as it contains at least few props such as furniture, pots and pans, etc. You cannot do this to locations in the town, as the stolen items would be missed. Sell Drinks - Unavailable for Purchase - You may sell licensed booze (usually actually soda, iced tea, etc.) of various sorts at the Tavern. NO REAL ALCOHOL OF ANY TYPE IS PERMITTED AT MASI EVENTS. These drinks have various effects, which you pronounce on the person buying them (usually Renew, but others are possible). Drinks may not be sold during battles. The game money paid for drinks must be returned to the NPC building, as all brewing is the exclusive privilege of the nobility in Mystwood.

106

OtherSkillsContinued
Serene Contemplation - Minor (5 Moonstones) - As long as you have not physically attacked someone with a weapon (spells and summoning are allowed) during the current day, you reduce the cost of casting spells. 3 Mana point spells cost only 2 points, 4 Mana spells cost only 3 mana points to cast, etc. One and two point spells are not affected. If you do not have the gift of Wisdom, this skill is useless. Set Trap - Standard (10 Moonstones) - You can arm and re-arm traps, or move them and set them in new locations. Slayer (type) - Unavailable for Purchase - You gain the ability to call one Special Attack against each creature of the indicated type you encounter. When you have a creature in sight, but are not sure if actually is of the proper sort, you may say Detect (type). You may not shout this and can use this ability only to confirm that the monster is of the kind you slay, not to find hidden creatures. Unarmed Attack - Standard (10 Moonstones) - Once per cycle you may throw a large beanbag type packet at an opponent within arms reach and call subdue. Use of Arms - Standard (10 Moonstones) - Allows you to use any melee weapon, even two handed ones, or any shield up to 36 in any dimension. Does not allow you to use two weapons at once. Use Two Weapons - Major (15 Moonstones) - You may use a weapon in each hand. Warcaster - Standard (10 Moonstones) - You may wear one point of armor while casting spells. Weapon Specialization (Type) - Standard (10 Moonstones) - Gain a special attack per renew with weapon type. You must have the gift (Prowess, Courage, or Dexterity) Weapon Use (type) - Major (15 Moonstones) - Flail, Bow, Hand Crossbow, Large Shield You are able to use weapons of the indicated type, even if you do not have the Gifts normally required to do so, or it is a restricted weapon type (Flail, large shield, etc.) Wear Armor (X) - Minor (5 Moonstones) - Purchase = Wear Armor (+1) - Allows you to wear X armor points, which add to your hit points. In order to gain these hit points you must be actually wearing enough reasonably realistic looking armor to warrant it - see the Armor section. Woodwise - Minor (5 Moonstones) - You may read tags marked woodwise, this represents your ability to commune with nature and see things others may miss.
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CHAPTERFOUR RELIGION
MattersofLife,Death,andFaith.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: All this stuff is made up. Although the Mystwood game incorporates religious elements in order to create a more complete and believable setting, it is purely fictional and involvement in any form of religious roleplaying is purely optional. The Library of Mystwood is a wonder. It rivals that of any lord in size, with many ancient texts, some said to have come from the Library of Alexapolis before it was destroyed. Yet the most treasured tome with in is the Book of Life, said to be a blessed Gift from the gods themselves. Many come and attempt to write their names upon one of the book's blank pages, yet few succeed. How the book chooses those who may write in it is unclear, for many a great lord or paladin has been rejected by the tome, while simple peasants may scratch their name in charcoal. In time, the book is filled and the Lady of the Mists brings a new, pristine book. Attempts to remove it from the Library, or indeed any tome, invariably fail. A new arrival's first act in Mystwood is attempt to write their name in the book. This must be done in their own hand and the person in question must be reasonably literate to do so. If they succeed, (and all player characters automatically succeed) then they are under the protection of the book, and generally assumed to have a reasonable chance for a heroic destiny. The moment someone who has put their name in book is about to die (i.e. has bled out, or been struck by the death effect, or one minute has passed since taking a doom effect), they linger for a few minutes near death, then transform to a spirit, and as a spirit journey to the book. During this journey they may not speak. Upon arriving at the library, they must enter the date and circumstances of their Near Death experience into the book, at which point they are fully restored, healed, and renewed. The power of the book is not unlimited. It can always restore you once per event, for this is the Gift of the Goddess of Mercy. It can also restore you once per calendar year, for this is the Gift of the God of the Wild, to be replenished by the turning of the seasons.
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In addition, the Lord of Justice grants that you may be restored once more, but only once more, at any point in your life. The book also cannot restore those who are beyond walking distance from the library. It is possible to lose one's connection to the book - either by acquiring seven Marks of Chaos, or committing a Heinous Act of True Evil. In time, all mortal kind must die, and in dying, sleep in the grave until the world is made pure of all evil and chaos and the gods awaken them. There is but one exception to this, save for the blasphemy of the Undead, and that is Sainthood. Those who have lived exemplary lives may, upon dying, be taken into the presence of the gods themselves, and then, for a single day, return to walk the land, to teach others of what is good and holy, and to accomplish their last tasks. There have been many, many Saints, and it is through their teachings that mortals come to know the nature of the Gods, to separate what is holy from what is Chaotic, and to know the Gods Will and Plan. Though they have stood in the presence of the gods, Saints remain mortal, and thus they are not infallible, nor are those who record their teachings. The Acrophia of the Saints sometimes contradict each other, and it is only by pondering the lives and words of many saints that one truly comes to know the Gods. It is known that there are three Gods, and that it is blasphemy to try to name them. The gods love the world and all mortal kind, even those who are wicked or tainted by Chaos. Alas, the evil of Chaos, base emotion, cruelty, disorder, unmakes the world and separates mortals from the gods, and one must struggle against such things, both in the exterior world and within oneself. The gods do not speak, though some hold that they send dreams, nor do they appear in any form. Only priests and priestesses, properly sanctified and trained, can serve as intermediaries between mortal and god, allowing the gods to hear the prayers of mortals and mortals to earn a fraction of the power of the gods. Some worship no god, others venerate all three, and some pay lip service but have no true faith. Only those who choose to dedicate themselves to a single god may earn Karma however, there is no requirement that your character follow a deity. Karma is the favor of the gods, measured in Icons (tags). These are earned by goodly deeds that please the gods, living an upright life, and striving against the powers of evil, unlife, and chaos. Karma is most often awarded by priests, to whom you must admit your sins and relate your deeds, though it can be gained in other ways. Karma may then be spent to invoke the favor of the gods. You may save Karma tags as long as you like before using them. Using a Karma ability requires prayer - as much as possible in the time available, and certainly thanksgiving after the miracle.

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Every deity has particular sins. If you commit a sin (and no one is perfect all the time), you may not use your Karma until you have completed a penance assigned by a priest. Rituals, penances and so on vary a great deal. Each priest must interpret the writings of the saints and the teachings of wise folk. What is agreed upon are the seven tenets of Faith, established in the Year One of the church. First, that there are three gods, each equal in benevolence and necessity. Second, that each person of True faith is called to serve a single deity to the exclusion of all others. Third, that the gods are without name or form and that it is the unclean gods of Chaos who are given blasphemous names by their wretched followers, which shall not be uttered. Fourth, that the Gods embody and inspire what is pure and good in humankind - Honor, order, compassion, humility, justice, wisdom, courage. The gods of Chaos embody all that is foul and that humankind must overcome - greed, envy, fear, madness, sadism, lust, and rage. Fifth, the world was born of base chaos, but as the plan of the gods unfold, it becomes pure. So too must mortal kind strive to overcome the evil within them and reach their potential. Sixth, when a mortal dies, they sleep in the grave until the day when all chaos is purged from the world and the gods call them forth. Seventh, that true Sainthood is revealed by a return from death for a single day, and that it is only through sainthood that the Gods reveal their will. Yet is is known that saints are still mortal, and thus cannot fully comprehend the revelations of the gods and thus they remain fallible. Due the nature of Saintly Revelation, there is a fair amount of variation in the actual practice of Worshipping the gods. It is therefore perfectly allowable to make up your own ceremonies and such, as long as they are in good taste. You may also choose to change any two Sins, Rituals, or Duties from those listed for your god, to reflect your particular beliefs.

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Justice, Wisdom, the Keeper of the Scales It is through the inspiration of Justice that mortals build ordered societies, and so prosper, each playing their part, the whole greater than the sum of its parts. It is through Wisdom that knowledge is gained and preserved. It is the Keeper of the Scales that sees that evil is punished, that all are held to account and that the law is honored, as it must be. He is a stern but never needlessly cruel god, a benevolent patriarch. It is through him that law, government, and society become more perfect over time, from the anarchy of the ancient past, through the cruel despotism of empires, to the current enlightened age when Knighthood is earned by the worthy and serfs may purchase their freedom, and even nobility must respect the law. In time, it is said, justice and the rights of all will advance even further with his guidance, though it is hard to imagine what form this might take. Followers of Justice strive particularly for the destruction of all things chaotic, especially Daemons. Greeting:Hand held forward, straight arm, Palm Out. Heraldry: Black and White colors, Keys, Scales, Hammers. Rituals and Duties: Settling Disputes Delivering/Enacting sentences Affirms all ones Oaths - Loyalty, etc. Preaching the Laws Purification of self, others and the land after encounters with Chaos Sins: Breaking the Law Creating or supporting Unjust Laws for gain. Harboring Chaos, even unwittingly Lying Killing Captives Dishonor Disrespect for position and rank Allowing Knowledge to be lost, destroyed, or used for evil purposes. Karma awards: One Karma may be awarded to you by a priest of Justice for any of the following actions: -Playing a significant role in destruction of a Named Daemon, closing of a Daemonic Portal. -Defeat of Chaos schemes or attacks at cost to yourself, or through great personal effort. -Playing an instrumental role in bringing an important criminal to justice or seeing justice done in complicated or difficult circumstances. -Tithing 10 Crowns or 10% or your wealth whichever is more to the church. -Settling a dispute honorably. -Making a significant contribution to knowledge or philosophy.
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Karmic Powers: Power Calm and Reason Daemonbane Doom of the Faithless Guidance Karma 1 1 2 1 Effect You may call By my voice, Purge Will once. You gain the skill Slayer (Daemons) for one battle. You may call (name), doom to Oathbreaker once. You may ask a Grey Monk to hear your prayers, seeking information on how to proceed in a matter related to Justice, Law, Politics or combatting Chaos. You gain one use of the skill Battle Rage. You may use 2 craft points on a task related to your beliefs. You may purge a mark of Chaos from another after they perform suitable penance. Say Forsooth I remove a Mark of Chaos. You may call 8 crushing once.

Holy Fury Honest Labor Purify

1 1 5

Smite

Divine Spells of Justice Name: Apprehend Type: Bolt Effect: Root by Magic Mana: 2 Name: Banish Type: Bolt Effect: 5 Damage to Daemon Mana: 1 Name: Castigate Type: Voice Effect: By my voice, one damage to Daemons Mana: 2 Name: Defend Type: Spray Effect: Root Daemon by magic x3 Mana: 1

Name: Expose Daemons Type: Voice Effect: Detect Daemons Mana: 1

Name: Mute Type: Bolt Effect: Silence by Magic Mana: 3

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Mercy, Courage, Fortune, The Maiden, Brave Sister, The Iron Dove Without the human heart, the gods would mean nothing. There is no greater Gift than the ability to feel - to love, to laugh, to strive, to hope, and to forgive. Mercy bestows this Gift, and it is she that makes life living. She is the bond between humankind that transcends the laws of society and the harsh realities of nature. She is true courage on the field of battle which comes from fighting for loved ones and beside worthy companions. She is the bond of freedom, the love of family, the light in darkest time, the miracle of hope and chance. She is a goddess of both love and war. She recognizes that there is good in even the darkest soul, and that all may hope to be forgiven. She is the bulwark against the greatest threat of Chaos - cruelty, anger, greed and the dark forces that corrupt ones soul. Followers of Mercy believe in the importance of courage and being true to ones own heart above. They will never flee the field of battle leaving others behind, and while they will fight fiercely when needed, they strive for peace when they can. Greeting: Fist to Heart Heraldry: Red and white colors, Lions and Doves, Olive Branch Rituals and Duties Preventing Torture Fighting to the end Uniting lovers Bringing peace Ritual forgiveness Preparation for battle Invoking good fortune Sins Failure to Show Mercy Fleeing from Battle, Not accepting challenges Failure to Forgive Giving in to Hatred or Anger Bullying, taunting, cruelty, torture Giving in to Torture, Fatigue, Weakness Parting Lovers Karma Awards One Karma may be awarded to you by a priest of Mercy for any of the following actions: -Outstanding heroism in battle. -Forgiveness of great wrong. -Gifts of charity of at least 10 crowns or 10% of your wealth, whichever is more. -Death or great loss in defense of others. -Bringing reconciliation to those who have a deadly quarrel but were once close. -Uniting family members, lovers or long time friends parted by evil. Showing mercy at great cost to yourself.

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Karmic Powers: Power Glory Guidance Karma 1 1 Effect You gain the skill Slayer (Humans) for one battle. You may ask a Grey Monk to hear your prayers, seeking information on how to proceed in a matter related to Battle, Courage, Love or Peace. You may call Heal on someone once. A life Link can be formed with only one person at a time, and lasts for 6 hours. At will you may call heal (X) to (their Name). However, this does X points of damage to you. You may call By my Voice, Purge Frenzy. Allows you call any of the following for 5 minutes at will: Detect Poison, Purge Poison, Resist Poison. You may Purge Doom once You may take anothers final death on yourself. They are restored to life, but you lose your once ever resurrection bestowed by Justice, or if you have used it, you die yourself. You must enter this in the book of Life and a Grey Monk is required. You man take 2 component tags and divide them in half. Each half will function as a normal tag. You may call By my voice, Heal One once.

Healing Hand Life Link

1 1

Peace Purity Salvation Self Sacrifice

1 1 1 5

The Gods Provide Wonder of Healing Divine Spells

1 3

Name: Aid Type: Spray Effect: Purge Maim x3 Mana: 1 Name: Seek the Fallen Type: Voice Effect: Detect Unconscious Mana: 1

Name: Calm Type: Spray Effect: Purge Frenzy x3 Mana: 1 Name: Storm of Battle Type: Storm Effect: Subdue by Magic Mana: 4

Name: Mercy Type: Bolt Effect: Heal Enemy Mana: 1 Name: Purification Type: Bolt Effect: 3 Damage to Daemon (or Undead) Mana: 1
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The Wild, Nature, The Huntsman, The Roots of the Earth, The Keeper of the Dead, The Lord of Gold The Wild is the god of all things Primal, of the natural path, of the needs of the body. It oversees not the harvest and the hunt, but also the honest labor and skillful craft of the common folk and the efforts to win coin. The dead are in its keeping, and also the riches of the earth. It teaches the need to both preserve and prosper from the natural world. It is the link between humankind and the world around them that must never be severed. It is the kinship between human and animal, the primal spirit that enables humans to survive, compete, and prosper. It is the dictum that the weak must perish so that strong may survive. It is the Wild. Followers of the Wild have a great hatred for the Undead, for they break the circle of life and steal what was in the keeping of the Wild. Greeting: Touching head, heart, stomach Heraldry: Green and Gold Colors, Oak Leaves, wheat sheaves, crescent moon, stags head or skull. Rituals and Duties Hunting, Farming, and crafting. Bleeding upon the Earth Killing Undead Laying the Dead to Rest Feasting and Harvesting Showing respect for the dead Sins Damaging Forest or Crops Injuring Prey and Letting it go Cruelty to Animals or children Not eating kills Letting things go to waste Fighting for sport Karma Awards One Karma may be awarded to you by a priest of the Wild for any of the following actions: -Protecting wild land, natural creatures, tombs and the dead at cost or great effort to yourself. -Playing a major role in destroying a greater undead creature. -Playing a major role in any economic improvement, such as establishment of new hunting grounds, farms, trade routes, etc. -Significant Gifts of food or materials to the community at large, valued at least 10 crowns or 10% of your wealth, whichever is more. -Slaying those who transgress against things protected by the Wild.

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Karmic Powers: Power Animal Kinship Armor of Wode Karma 1 2 Effect You may throw 3 Charm Animal Packets all must be used within 1 minute. By donning a garment of leaves, crown of horns, elaborate face and body paint or the like, you may Bestow 3 Armor points on yourself or another. These do not add to physical armor, but anyone may use them even if they cannot normally wear armor. Lasts for the normal 6 hours of a bestowed effect. You may call forth 3 rations of food, 2 units of wood, or any one elemental component, which must be used immediately (no tags). You may ask a Grey Monk to hear your prayers, seeking information on how to proceed in a matter related to Nature, Undead, Craft, Wealth. After a protracted ritual and various tests over the course of a day, this allows you or another to gain a 1 point advantage. A character may only benefit from this once. You gain the skill Slayer (Undead) for one battle.

Bounty of the Earth Guidance

1 1

Transformati on Vengeance of Nature Divine Spells

Name: Banish Undead Type: Bolt Effect: 5 Damage to Undead Mana: 1

Name: Freedom Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, Purge Root Mana: 3 Name: Expose the Unliving Type: Voice Effect: Detect Undead Mana: 1

Name: Castigate Undead Type: Voice Effect: By my Voice, 1 Damage to Undead Mana: 2 Name: Bestial Rage Type: Bolt Effect: Frenzy by Magic Mana: 3

Name: Entangle Type: Storm Effect: Root by magic Mana: 6 Name: Sympathy Type: Bolt Effect: Heal Animal Mana: 1

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CHAPTERFIVE CharacterAdvancement
Moonstones:
Moonstones are tokens of achievement. They are given in recognition of deeds and in gratitude. The most holy of them are said to appear to those in great need of aid, to reward those who take up their quest. Others appear on the corpses of the most terrible monsters when they are slain. Most are made by mortals however, simple tokens of wood, bone or glass. Regardless, they are still sacred. Its is a players responsibility to keep their own moonstones until they are used a special pouch (with your name in it so it can be returned to you if it is lost) is a good idea. If you have the ability to award moonstones, you must make your own, which must be marked with your (real) initials. Moonstones may never be stolen, sold, bought, or given between players. They can be only be earned or awarded as discussed in the rules. Moonstones may be spent to increase the levels of your Gifts. The cost of a new level is equal to the new level in moonstones. So if you are currently 9th level, it would take 10 moonstones to advance to 10th level. You may choose any Gift to take your new level in. 10 game bucks are equal to 1 moonstone. You may advance any number of levels at check in each event. How to get Moonstones: Attending Events - If you RSVP on the official Facebook Mystwood event you will be awarded 1 moonstone at check in. NPCing for Chronicles - By NPCing for a chronicle you will be rewarded with 5 Crowns, and one moonstone. You should keep track of the time and make sure to arrive on time to your chronicle. Fully Equipped - If you bring the following items with you to an event you will be granted one (1) Moonstone. -Basic Costume -Dark Colored (or Period) Shoes -Own sword ring if needed -Own Mug with Name on it -Own spell packets -Own Weapons -Own water -Own food (and potluck item if you intend to participate in the potluck) -Own Light source
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Being a Hero - There are many actions that may grant you moonstones, a baker catering a wedding for a poor farmer at no cost may be worthy of a moonstone reward. Often killing a great and powerful creature will earn you moonstones. Fulfilling a quest, bringing justice, compassion, or mercy may be a way to earn moonstones. These opportunities will present themselves in game, sometimes an opportunity will be well define other times you may be surprised. Post Event Letter - After each event you will want to complete the PEL survey. The PEL survey will ask for a small summary of your experience and a few specific questions about your weekend. It should only take 45 minutes to complete and you will earn 1 moonstone. Completing the PEL survey also allows you to use between event actions (called Plot skills) that some occupations allow you to use. For example a pathfinder may be able to locate a hidden trail between events so that it can be visited next event, setting up a future adventure. A link will be posted on the homepage after each event. Helping Out - You may purchase moonstones at 10 game bucks a piece. Game bucks (or Mystbucks) are described below and often awarded to for donations of props, or time. Seneschal A Seneschal is a player who helps game staff in many ways, they are a mentor to newer players, experts on the rules and helpful in setup and game logistics. To become a Seneschal you must be approved by the NINE. You will be rewarded with one moonstone or 5 crowns per event. Triumphs: Moonstone advancement can be fast at first, but for higher level characters it can be quite slow. Hence Mystwood provides another avenue. During a two+ year chronicle there is always an opportunity for a crushing victory over the forces of evil. This is by no means guaranteed, and always requires working together with other players, sharing information, proactive efforts by players to solve the storyline, and (usually) hard fighting and a bit of luck. In this case, a Triumph (a feast or celebration of some sort) will be held, and ALL Mystwood Characters will gain one Level. (This will even increase starting players character level.)

GameBucks
What are Game Bucks? Game bucks are the game's way of saying thank you to those who do the hard work to make it happen. There is a tremendous array of props and supplies, labor and cleanup, needed to make an event happen. No game could ever hope to PAY people to do all this- or events would cost $100+ per weekend. Instead, this is done by volunteers, who are rewarded with Game Bucks.

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What are Game Bucks Good For? Resurrection - 100 Game bucks will allow you to resurrect a character from the dead though there is usually an adventure involved. Moonstones Any number of moonstones may be purchased at a cost of 10 game bucks per moonstone. Feats of Legend- Feats varies in cost and represent amazing and heroic one use skills a player may have. See the section on Feats below.

HowDoYouGetGameBucks?
Game bucks can be earned in a variety of ways. You can earn game bucks by NPCing for an allied game- one that offers the same deal- this helps every LARP have enough NPCs to run a fun game. Generally an NPC is payed 15 game bucks for the weekend. A list of Needful Things is maintained on the forum. These are props that would improve the game- if you can make them or find them at yard sales, you can donate them for game bucks. New players, and even more importantly, NPCs are always sought to help the game grown and expand and become even better than before. There is a 20 game buck bonus for bringing in a new player or a new NPC. The game holds many work days to improve the site, make props, etc. Helping out at these is worth 10 game bucks per hour. A list of upcoming work days can always be found on the Mystwood Facebook Page. Game bucks are often awarded to people willing to give a stranded PC or NPC a ride to an event, or run similar errands. Finally, at the end of each event there is a huge amount of cleanup to do to preserve the site. Each job is worth a certain number of game bucks, which are shared by the players that do the job. If you do it alone, you get all the game bucks!

PostEventLetters
After each event you will want to complete the PEL survey. The PEL survey will ask for a small summary of your experience and a few specific questions about your weekend. It should only take about 45 minutes to complete and you will earn 1 moonstone. Completing the PEL survey also allows you to use between event actions that some occupations allow you to use. For example a pathfinder may be able to locate a far off region between events so that it can be visited next event, setting up a future adventure. A link will be posted on the homepage after each event.
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FEATSOFLEGEND
Feats are special abilities that let you do things your characters are normally incapable of doing. Feats are purchased using gamebucks, which can be earned by doing things for the game or helping the MASI camp. You can use a maximum of 3 feats per event. To start you may only be able to purchase the feats listed, though it may be possible to find access to more feats in game. There is a Book of Legends located in the library, when you use a Feat, put your gamebucks in the book and write an in game account of your characters use of the feat. Blather (5 Gamebucks) - To use this feat, you utter a string of nonsense. If someone makes the mistake of replying to you, even by saying what?! you may call Subdue by Will by Discourse against them, as they are stunned by your gibbering. Clobber (5 Gamebucks) - By clubbing someone from behind with a rock or other blunt (but safe) object, you can call Knockout. Desperation (5 Gamebucks) - You may use this feat to wield a weapon in a single combat, without having the ability needed to use it. Evade Trap (5 Gamebucks) - Allows you to call dodge against a single trap. Can only be used if you have the Rogue skill, Engineering skill, or the Free Guilds background. Gearing Up (5 Gamebucks) - For a single mission or battle, you may strap on any armor you can find and get Armor Points for it, even if you are normally not able to wear armor. You may also bring and use any number of weapons, even those you do not normally have the skill to use. You are limited to three things that can be thrown however. Got Better (5 Gamebucks) - Allows you to negate any one affliction through role-playing. You should use this ability only when an affliction is interfering with your enjoyment of the game. Its poor form to throw yourself into a bad situation knowing you can use this feat to get out of it. Laughter is the Best Medicine (5 Gamebucks) - If you can make someone laugh, you can call a Heal effect on them. This must be reasonably spontaneous - if theyre not in a laughing mood dont push it. Also note that the unconscious cant laugh. One More Spell (5 Gamebucks) - Often a mage runs out of Mana at just the wrong time! You can use this feat to cast just one more cantrip, costing up to 3 Mana. However, you must figure out a way you could tap into just a little more magical might. Smite (5 Gamebucks) - Allows you to call Five Crushing on one blow with a weapon held in two hands. Song of Courage (5 Gamebucks)- After singing a full song, you may call Purge will to allies (by voice) or Shield vs. will by voice. Sunder the Shield (5 Gamebucks) - Allows you to call Shatter on one swing.
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Taunt (5 Gamebucks) - To use this feat, you must engage a foe in an insult match. After they have gotten worked up, you may call Frenzy by Will by Discourse, sending them into a rage and forcing them to attack you, and possibly their friends on the way to you. You may only use this one someone who has shouted insults BACK at you, and whom you feel you have gotten the better of. The Twin Threat (5 Gamebucks) - Allows you to use a second weapon in your off hand, for one combat. You also gain a free lethal strike with the off hand weapon. Hey , it works great in the movies. You Shall Not Pass (5 Gamebucks) - You take up a strong defensive position, but you may not leave it for at least 5 minutes. Doing so heals your wounds and allows you to call resist against any one effect (while defending). Battle Thirst (10 Gamebucks) - You may use this feat when you are reduced to Zero Hit Points, or take the Lethal, Death or Doom special effects. You cry Battle Thirst and fight on until you take a TOTAL amount of damage equal to twice your ordinary Hit Points. Effects that would ordinarily take you down (Lethal, Death, Doom) only do three Hit Points of damage to you (you should call Resist). However, at the end of the combat you fall down to zero hit points as your wounds catch up with you. Bladesharp (10 Gamebucks) - By spending ten minutes sharpening and polishing an edged weapon to razor sharpness, you can gain an advantage in one battle. This feat allows you to call Bladebite Two Damage once against each foe you face. You can also give a bladesharped weapon to someone else. Drunken Mayhem (10 Gamebucks) - You fight better when well lubricated with strong spirits. Of course no real alcohol is allowed at any MASI event for safety reasons, but roleplaying can partly take its place. To activate this feat, you must roleplay getting roaring drunk before battle, then stumbling about drunkenly during the battle. You may call Resist to avoid three weapon attacks, spell packets, or missile weapons by stumbling out of the way. Three times you can lurch forward to impale a foe, calling Lethal. Flee (10 Gamebucks) - As long as you are running away from your enemies you can call dodge against any melee attack. You cant use any abilities and must run towards safety, not away. You cant dodge spells or missiles. You may also call disengage at will as you run away. Cant be used while wearing metal armor. Strike Hard (10 Gamebucks) - Allows you to use a one handed weapon two handed and swing three Four Damage blows.

Unencumbered (10 Gamebucks) - Sometimes speed is more important than armor. By divesting yourself of all armor, surplus gear, extra weapons, and other encumbrance, you can move like the wind. You gain the ability to call Resist against two weapon attacks, spell packets, or missiles, OR you can use the Flee! feat in place of a Dodge.
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Against the Odds (15 Gamebucks) - You may only use this feat when outnumbered three to one in combat. It gives you two free special attacks against each foe against you, and allows you to call Resist twice to negate any two weapon hits (total, not per foe). You may also call Disengage three times during the combat.

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