Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NUMENERA OVERVIEW
10
CHARACTER TYPE
16
CHARACTER DESCRIPTOR
34
CHARACTER FOCUS
38
EQUIPMENT
61
For a free downloadable copy of the official Numenera character sheet and a step-by-step
guide to character creation using this sheet, visit www.numenera.com/charactersheet.
CREDITS
Writer/Designer M o nte Coo k
R u l e Developers M o nte Coo k a n d Sean K. Reyn o l d s
Additional Writi ng S h a n n a G e rm a i n
Lead Editor S h a n n a G e rm a i n
Ed itor Ray Va l Iese
Proofreader M i c h e l e Ca rte r
Cover Designer and Lead Artist Kieran Ya n n e r
G raphic Designer S a ra h Ro b i n so n
Artists
J a son E n g l e , G u id o K u i p , Patrick M c Evoy, M att Stawi cki, Ad r i an Wi l k i n s , Kieran Ya n n e r
Cartographer Ch risto p h e r We st
Al pha Playtesters S h a n n a G e rm a i n , Ray Va l Iese, Co l i n M cCo m b , J a mes Bel l , E r i k M o n a , D a n ica K i n g ,
Sean Reyn o l d s , Stan!, Hyru m S avage
LIME NE
The older man stokes the fire, stirring the embers, some of which float into the night sky. The young girl's
gaze follows them as the sparks join the panoply of stars.
"Our world is very young," the man says. He leans heavily on his gnarled wooden staff and adjusts his
tattered cloak with one hand. "But it is built upon the bones of another, much older world."
The girl nods.
"Many worlds, actually. Most people say eight, but it could be more. They say eight so that they can call
our world the Ninth World."
She nods again, but he can see that she doesn't truly understand. Does he? Can anyone comprehend
such a passage of time? The face of the world had shifted so much. Even the stars were not untouched by
the changing aeons.
"The people that came before us, if people they were, commanded great powers." He pulls from his
leather pouch a thing made of metal and the light, smooth material called synth. He uses his thumb to
touch the clear panel in well practiced, if not entirely understood, ways. The air around the device fills with
light that dances and moves in symbols and pictures that mean nothing to him. The girl gasps and then
laughs in delight.
"Some of their ancient powers remain, even though the people do not," he tells her. "And some bring wonder
and beauty. But others bring deaths for which we have no name. Their legacy is a blessing and a curse."
"Magic," the girl whispers.
The man smiles. "We call it the numenera."
PLAYER'S GUIDE
LIME NE
NUMENERA OVERVIEW
''Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic. "
-Arthur C. Clarke
The key to playing Numenera is the story. The
way to "win" this game is to come away with
a great tale.
h e re h ave been eight p rev i o u s worl d s . Yo u may refer
to th em as ages, aeo n s , epoc h s , or e ra s , but it's n ot
wro n g to t h i n k of each as its own i n d ivid u a l worl d .
E a c h fo r m e r wo rld st retched acro s s vast m i l l e n n i a o f t i m e .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
p rod ucts of the prior ages; the past left beh i n d flora, fa u n a ,
and mach i n e s , s o m e d e s i gned b y lore or n atu re, others
tra n s p l a nted fro m d i stant stars or d i me n s i o n s .
The peo p l e of the N i nt h Wo rld c l o t h e t h e m s e lves i n
THE NUMENERA
Peo p l e with knowled ge of the re l i cs of o l d e r worl d s d ivide
t h e m i nto th ree types: a rtifacts, cyp hers, a n d oddities.
LIME NE
T h roughout t h i s book yo u ' l l find p l aces where
we s u ggest you a s k you r G M for additional
i nformation. The GM can find this i nformation
i n the N u menera corebook.
RULES OVERVIEW
be rated o n a sca l e of 1 to 1 0.
TASK DIFFICULTY
TAS K D I FFICU LTY D ESC R I PTION TARG ET NO.
Ro uti n e
0
0
3
Sim ple
2
Sta n d a rd
6
3
Demand ing
9
4
12
Difficult
Challenging
5
15
I nt i m i d ati n g
6
18
21
7
Fo rm i d a b l e
H e roic
24
8
27
9
I m mortal
30
10
I m possible
G U I DANCE
Anyo n e c a n d o t h i s basically eve ry t i m e .
M ost peo p l e can d o t h i s most of the t i m e .
Typical t as k req u i ri n g focu s , but m o s t peo p l e can u s u a l ly d o t h i s .
Req u i res fu l l atte ntion; m o s t peo p l e h ave a 5 0 / 5 0 c h a nce t o s u ccee d .
Tra i n ed peo p l e h ave a 5 0 / 5 0 c h a n ce to s u cceed .
Eve n tra i ned peo p l e often fa i l .
N o r m a l peo p l e a l m ost n ever s u cceed .
I m po s s i b l e without s k i l l s or great effo rt.
A task worthy of tales told fo r years afterwa rd .
A task worthy of lege n d s t h at last l ifet i m e s .
A tas k that normal h u ma n s cou l d n 't consider (but o n e that doesn't
break the l aws of physics) .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
COMBAT
S pecial Ro l l s o n page 8) .
LIME NE
When yo u see the word "Armor" capital ized i n t h e game
r u l e s (ot h e r t h a n as the n a m e of a s peci a l a b i l ity) , it refers
to yo u r Armor c h a racte ristic-t h e n u m be r you s u btract
fro m i n co m i n g d a m age. When yo u see t h e wo rd " a rmor"
with a l owerca se "a," it refers to any physical armor yo u
m i ght wea r.
Typical physical wea po n s co me i n t h ree categories: l i ght,
BONUSES
Rarely, an a b i l ity or p i ece of eq u i pment does not d ecrease
a task's d ifficu lty but i n stead ad d s a bon u s to the d ie ro l l .
k m ] , a n d so o n . )
SPECIAL ROLLS
When yo u ro l l a natural 1 9 (th e d20 s h ows " 1 9") a n d t h e
ro l l i s a s ucce s s , yo u a l s o h ave a m i n o r effect. I n co m bat,
a m i n o r effect i n fl icts 3 a d d i t i o n a l poi nts of d a mage with
yo u r attack, o r, if yo u ' d p refer a s pecial res u lt, yo u co u l d
decide i n stead t h at yo u knock the foe back, d i stract h i m ,
o r so meth i n g s i m i l a r. W h e n n ot i n co m bat, a m i n o r effect
co u l d mean t h at yo u perform t h e action with partic u l a r
grace. Fo r exa m p l e , w h e n j u m p i n g d own fro m a ledge, you
l a n d s m ooth ly o n yo u r feet, o r when tryi n g to pers uade
someone, yo u convi n ce h e r t h at yo u ' re s m a rter t h a n you
rea l ly a re. In oth e r word s , you n ot o n ly s u cceed but a l so go
a bit fu rt h e r.
When yo u ro l l a natural 20 (th e d20 s h ows "20") a n d the
ro l l i s a s ucce s s , yo u a l s o h ave a major effect. This i s s i m i l a r
t o a m i n o r effect, but the res u lts a re m o re re m a rka b l e.
I n co m bat, a major effect i n fl i cts 4 add iti o n a l poi nts of
PLAYER'S GUIDE
EXPERIENCE POINTS
Expe rience poi nts (X P) a re rewa rd s given to p l ayers w hen
the GM i ntrudes o n the story (th i s i s called G M i ntru s i on)
with a n ew a n d u n expected c h a l l e nge. Fo r exa m p l e, i n the
m i d d l e of co m bat, t h e GM m i ght i nform the p l ayer t h at
he d ro p s h i s wea po n . H owever, to i ntrude i n t h i s m a n n e r,
the G M m u st awa rd t h e p l ayer 2 XP. The rewa rd ed p l aye r,
i n t u r n , m u st i m m ed i ately give o n e of those XP to another
p l ayer a n d j u stify the gift (perh a p s t h e oth e r p l aye r had
a good idea, told a fu n ny j o ke, performed a n action t h at
s aved a l i fe, a n d so on) .
OTHER DICE
I n add ition to a d 20, yo u ' l l need a d6 (a s ix- s i d e d d i e) .
Rarely, yo u ' l l need to ro l l a n u m be r between l a n d l 00
(ofte n ca l l ed a d l OO or d% ro l l ) , w h i c h yo u can do by ro l l i n g
CYPHERS
As exp l a i ned i n C h a pter 2 :
N u m e n e ra Overview, cyp h e rs
a re a type of n u m e n e ra t h at
h ave a s i n g l e m i nor u se . A
c h a racter can carry cyp h e rs a n d
u s e t h e m d u ri n g t h e g a m e . Yo u
ca n ' t bear ma ny cyp h e rs at a
t i m e beca u s e a l a rge n u m be r of
these wei rd ite m s e m it rad iation
o r d a n ge ro u s c h e m i ca l s t h at
LIME NE
CREATING YOUR
CHARACTER
This section explains how to create characters to play in a
Numenera game. For a free downloadable copy of the official Numenera
character sheet and a step-by-step guide to character creation using this sheet,
visit www. numenera. com/charactersheet.
CHARACTER STATS
Each of these stats has two co m ponents: you r Pool and you r
Edge. Yo u r Pool rep resents you r raw, i n n ate a b i l ity, a n d you r
Edge rep resents knowi n g h ow t o u s e what you h ave. A t h i rd
element ties i nto t h i s con ce pt: Effort. When yo u r characte r
rea l ly need s to acco m p l i s h a task, you a p p ly Effort.
Pool
Yo u r Pool is the most b a s i c meas u rement of a stat.
Co m p a ri n g the Poo l s of two creatu res wi l l give yo u a
general s e n s e of wh ich creatu re is s u perior i n t h at stat. Fo r
exa m p l e, a c h a racter who h a s a M i ght Pool of 1 6 is stronger
( i n a b a s i c sen se) t h a n a c h a racte r who h a s a M i ght Pool
of 1 2 . M ost c h a racte rs sta rt with a Pool of 9 to 1 2 i n most
stats-that's the average ra n ge.
W hen yo u r c h a racte r i s i n j u red, s i cke ned , o r attacked ,
you te m porarily lose poi nts fro m o n e of yo u r stat Poo l s . The
n atu re of the attack d eterm i n e s w h i c h Pool loses points.
For exa m p l e, physical d a mage fro m a swo rd red u ces yo u r
M i ght Poo l , a poison t h at m a kes yo u c l u m sy red uces yo u r
S peed Poo l , a n d a p s i o n i c b l a st red uces yo u r I nte l l ect Poo l .
You c a n a l so s p e n d p o i n t s fro m o n e o f you r stat Poo l s to
d ecrease a task's d ifficu lty (see Effo rt, n ext page) . Yo u can
rest to rega i n lost poi nts fro m a stat Pool (ask yo u r G M
fo r a d d i t i o n a l i n fo rmation) , a n d some special a b i l ities o r
n u m e n e ra m i ght a l l ow yo u to recover lost poi nts q u ickly.
Edge
Although you r Pool is the basic mea s u rement of a stat, you r
Edge i s also i m portant. When somet h i n g req u i res you to
s pend poi nts from a stat Pool, you r Edge for that stat red uces
the cost. It also red uces the cost of applying Effort to a rol l .
For exam ple, let' s say you have a mental blast abil ity, and
activating it costs 1 poi nt from you r I ntellect Pool. S u btract you r
I ntellect Edge from t h e activation cost, and t h e result is how
many poi nts you m u st s pend to use the mental blast. If using
you r Edge red uces the cost to 0, you can use the abil ity for free.
PLAYER'S GUIDE
Effort
LIME NE
h ave a S peed E d ge of 2 , so you s u btract t h at from the cost.
T h u s , a p p lyi n g Effort to the ro l l costs o n ly 1 point fro m yo u r
S peed Poo l .
What if y o u a p p l ied two l eve l s o f Effort t o the S peed ro l l
i n stead o f j u st o n e ? That wo u l d red uce t h e d i fficu lty o f t h e
ta sk by two ste p s . N o r m a l ly, it wo u l d cost 5 points fro m
yo u r S peed Poo l , but after s u btract i n g yo u r S peed E d ge of
2, it costs o n ly 3 points.
O n ce a stat ' s E d ge reaches 3 , yo u can a p p l y o n e l evel of
Effort fo r free. Fo r exa m p l e, if you h ave a S peed E d ge of 3
a n d yo u a p p l y o n e l evel of Effort to a S peed ro l l , it costs yo u
STAT EXAMPLES
A begi n n i n g c h a racte r is fight i n g a creatu re ca l l ed a b roken
h o u n d . She sta bs her spear at the broken h o u n d , wh ich is
a l evel 2 creatu re and t h u s has a ta rget n u m be r of 6. The
c h a racte r sta n d s atop a boulder a n d stri kes d ownward at
t h e beast, a n d t h e GM r u l e s t h at this helpful tactic i s a n
a s set t h at d ecreases t h e d ifficu lty b y o n e step (to d i fficu lty
1 ) . That l owers the ta rget n u m be r to 3. Attacki n g with a
d a m age to t h e m .
i s a m e a s u re m e n t of powe r, to u g h n e s s , a n d a b i l ity.
C h a racte rs can adva n ce u p to t h e s i xt h t i e r. As yo u r
c h a racter advances t o h i g h e r t i e r s , yo u ga i n m o re
PLAYER'S GUIDE
S K I L LS: Yo u beco m e t ra i n e d i n o n e s k i l l of yo u r c h o i ce ,
ot h e r t h a n attacks o r d efe n s e . As d e s c r i bed i n t h e R u l e s
LIME NE
SKILLS
S o met i m e s yo u r c h a racte r ga i n s tra i n i n g i n a s pecific s ki l l or task. For exa m p l e, yo u r focu s m i ght mean t h at yo u ' re
tra i ned i n s n e a k i n g , i n cl i m b i n g a n d j u m p i n g, or i n soc i a l i nteract i o n s . Ot h e r t i m e s , yo u r c h a racte r can choose a s k i l l
t o become t ra i ned i n , a n d yo u c a n p i c k a s k i l l t h at re l ates t o any t a s k y o u th i n k yo u m i ght face.
The game has n o defin itive l i st of s ki l l s . H oweve r, the fo l l owi n g l i st offers ideas:
Astronomy
Balancing
B i o l ogy
Bota ny
Ca rry i n g
Healing
H i story
I d entifyi n g
I n itiat ive
Percept i o n
Pers u a s i o n
P h i losophy
Pickpocket i n g
Repa i r i n g
I nt i m i d at i o n
Cl i m b i n g
j umping
Rid i n g
Deceivi n g
Esca p i n g
Leat h e rworki n g
Lockp icki n g
G eogra ph y
Geol ogy
M etalworki n g
N u m e n e ra
Smashing
Sneaking
Swi m m i n g
Woodworki n g
CHARACTER DESCRJPTOR,
TYPE, AND FOCUS
To create yo u r c h a racte r, yo u b u i l d a s i m p l e state ment t h at
describes h i m or h e r. The state ment takes t h i s fo r m: " I a m
1 4
PLAYER'S GUIDE
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Character types and foci grant PCs s pecial a b i l ities at each new
tier. U s i n g these a bil ities u s u a l ly costs poi nts from you r stat
Pools; the cost is l i sted in parentheses after the a b i l ity name.
You r Edge i n the appropriate stat can red uce the cost of the
a bil ity, but remember that you can apply Edge o n ly once per
action. For example, let's say a nano with an I ntellect Edge of
2 wants to use his Onsla ught a bil ity to create a bolt of force,
which costs 1 I ntel lect poi nt. H e also wants to i ncrease the
damage from the attack by u s i n g a level of Effort, which costs
3 I ntel l ect points. The total cost for h i s action is 2 poi nts from
h i s I ntel l ect Pool (1 point for the bolt of force p l u s 3 poi nts for
u s i n g Effort m i n u s 2 poi nts from h i s Ed ge) .
S omet i m e s t h e point cost for an a b i l ity h a s a + s i g n after
the n u m ber. Fo r exa m ple , the cost m i ght be given as "2+
I nte l l ect points . " T h at means yo u can spend more poi nts o r
more l eve l s of Effort to i m p rove the a b i l ity fu rt h e r.
M a ny special a b i l ities grant a c h a racte r the option to
LIME NE
CHARACTER TYPE
Character type is the core ofyour character. In some roleplaying games, it might be called
your character class. Your type helps determine your character's place in the world and re
lationship with other people in the setting. It's the noun of the sentence "I am an adjective
n o u n who verbs. "
You can choose from three character types: glai11e, nano, andjack.
GLAIVE
G l a ives a re t h e e l ite w a r r i o r s of t h e N i n t h Wo r l d , u s i n g
wea p o n s a n d a r m o r t o fi g h t t h e i r e n e m i e s . H u nters,
Stat
Pool Starti ng Value
M i ght
11
10
S peed
I nte l l ect
7
You get 6 a d d i t i o n a l poi nts to d iv i d e a m o n g yo u r stat Poo l s
h oweve r yo u wi s h .
g u a rd i a n s , a n d s o l d i e rs co u l d be g l a ive s . S o m et i m e s
s c o u t s , wa r l o rd s , b a n d i t s , a n d eve n at h l etes a re
g l a ive s . " G l a ive" i s a co m m o n s l a n g term u s ed a l m o s t
everyw h e re i n t h e Ste a d fa st a n d t h e Beyo n d fo r a n y
p e r s o n s k i l l e d w it h wea p o n s o r a m a rt i a l a rt, b u t i n
t r u t h , it a p p l i e s o n l y to t h e b e s t of t h e b e s t . G l a ives a re
w a r r i o r s w h o co m m a n d a b i l i t i e s fa r beyo n d t h o s e of a
typ i c a l p e r s o n w i t h a sword .
M ost g l a ives a re either stro n g-u s i n g the heaviest armor
a n d wea p ons ava i l a b l e a n d h avi n g a high M i ght-o r fast,
sticki n g with l i ght wea p o n s a n d armor a n d h avi n g a h i g h
S peed . A few atte m pt t o u s e both M i ght a n d S peed a n d stay
somewh e re in the m id d le. G l a ives a l so use ra n ged wea p o n s
s uch a s bows o r d a rts. Some d o n 't r e l y o n wea po n s at a l l ,
p referri n g t o u s e t h e i r bod ies i n h a n d -to- h a n d com bat
p u nch i ng, kicki ng, gra b b i n g, t h rowi n g, a n d so o n .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
GLAIVE BACKGROUND
you more than the others around you . Choose one of those
three options (descri bed below) as the source of you r s ki l l s ,
Intensive Training
Biomechanical Modification
Inborn Traits
Yo u 've t ra i ned u n d e r exce l lent i n structors a n d h ave
experience in m a n y d a n ge ro u s s i t u at i o n s , but w h at
made man ifest in the present, and now you ' re shaping the
future. Perhaps you r mod ifications are obvious and visi ble;
perhaps they' re not. Regard less, you know that you ' re more than
merely human.
Advancement: Yo u r body i s a n o n go i n g p roject. In a way,
it's a work of a rt, although its bea uty comes n ot fro m its
a p peara n ce but fro m w h at it can d o . As you go fo rwa rd ,
LIME NE
yo u s h o u l d keep an eye out at a l l t i m e s for n ew parts a n d
syste m s t h at can be i n corpo rated i nto yo u r body, o r n ew
doses of d rugs a n d s u p p l e m e nts to m a i nta i n yo u r a b i l ities.
Yo u m i ght need to seek out s u rgeo n s , mech a n ics, o r
bioen h a n cement s peci a l i sts to take yo u to the n ext l eve l .
Perh a p s the Aeon Priests c a n h e l p . Pe r h a p s the parts yo u
need can be fo u n d o n ly i n t h e ru i n s of the past or t h e
d a n ge ro u s b l ack m a rket of a fa raway city.
When yo u r stats i m p rove, it's beca u s e yo u l itera l ly h ave
added someth i n g n ew to yo u r body. When yo u ga i n a n ew
a b i l ity, it's t h e d i rect re s u lt of a ta n g i b l e c h a n ge i n yo u r own
Second-Tier Glaive
physical b e i n g .
First-Tier Glaive
GLAIVE TIERS
a n d a n I nte l l ect E d ge of O.
Cypher Use: Yo u can bear two cyp hers at a t i m e .
Practiced i n Armor: G l a ives c a n wea r a r m o r for long
Third-Tier Glaive
T h i rd-tier g l a ives h ave t h e fo l l owi n g a b i l it i e s :
Expert Cypher Use: Yo u can bear t h ree cyp h e rs at a t i m e .
18
PLAYER'S GUIDE
GLAIVE CONNECTION
Ro l l a d20 or choose from the fo l l owi n g l i st to d eterm i n e a s pecific fact about you r backgro u n d t h at p rovides a
co n n ecti o n to the rest of t h e worl d . Yo u can a l so create yo u r own fact.
Roll
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Background
Yo u we re i n t li e m i l ita!}'. a n a li ave fr i e n a s wli o sti l l serve. Yo u r former co m m a n a e r re mem oers yl.<o" "u.. w'"""e l"I ".____
Yo u we re t h e perso n a l g u a rd of a wealthy m e rchant who accused yo u of t h eft. Yo u left h e r service i n d i s grace.
Yo u we re t li e oou ncer i n a local oar for a wli i le, a n a t li e patro n s t li e re re m e m o e r yo u .
Yo u tra i ned with a h i g h l y res pected mentor. H e rega rd s yo u we l l , but he h a s many e n e m i e s .
You tra in ed in an isolated monaste!}'. far awa . The monks th i n k of you as a brother, but you ' re a stranger to a l l others.
Yo u h ave no formal tra i n i ng. Yo u r a b i l ities co m e to yo u n atu ra l ly (or u n n at u ra l ly) .
Yo u s12ent t i m e o n the streets a n d eve n were i n rison fo r a w h i le.
Yo u we re conscri pted i nto m i l itary service, but yo u deserted before l o n g .
Yo u served as a bodyg u a rd to a 12owe rfu l cri m i n a l who now owes yo u h i s l i fe.
Yo u worked a s a co n stable. Eve ryo n e knows yo u , but t h e i r o p i n i o n s of you va ry.
Yo u r o l d e r s i b l i n g i s a n i nfa m o u s g l a ive who h a s been d i s graced .
Yo u served as a caravan g u a rd . You know a s m atte ri n g of peo p l e i n many cities a n d tow n s .
Yo u r best friend i s a sage a n d a s c h o l a r. S h e i s a great sou rce of knowledge.
Yo u a n d a friend both s m o ke the s a m e k i n d of rare, expe n s ive tobacco. The two of yo u get toget h e r wee kly to
c h at a n d s m o ke.
15
16
17
18
19
20
o f a m m o ( o r a l l t h e a m m o i n t h e wea p o n, if it h a s l es s
t h a n t h e n u m be r ro l l ed) . The d ifficu lty of the attack ro l l i s
Fourth-Tier Glaive
Fo u rth-tier g l a ives h ave the fo l l owi n g a b i l ities:
LIME NE
to Armor. E n a b l e r.
Fei nt (2 Speed poi nts) : I f you s pe n d one act io n creat i n g a
m i s d i rectio n or d ivers i o n , i n t h e n ext ro u n d you can take
advantage of yo u r opponent's lowered defenses. M a ke
Sixth-Tier Glaive
Fifth-Tier Glaive
Fifth-tier g l a ives h ave t h e fo l l owi n g a b i l ities:
Adept Cypher Use: Yo u can bear fo u r cyp h e rs at a t i m e .
fi re wea pon, such as the cra n k cross bow) , you can fire you r
weapon a t u p t o t h ree targets (a l l next t o o n e a n other) at
once. M a ke a sepa rate attack rol l aga i n st each ta rget. The
GLAIVE EXAMPLE
Co l i n wants to create a g l a ive c h a racte r who is fast a n d
stro ng . H e puts 3 of h i s a d d i t i o n a l poi nts i nto h i s M i ght
PLAYER'S GUIDE
that one sword i s s l ightly smaller than the other, and he' l l
s heathe them together on h i s left side.
Fo r his focu s , Co l i n chooses M asters Weap o n ry. Th i s
gives h i m yet another weapon o f h i g h q u a l ity. H e chooses
a b road sword a n d a s ks t h e GM if his fi rst sword can be a
s h i e l d i n stea d , w h i c h wi l l red u ce the d ifficu lty of h i s S peed
defe n s e ro l l s (t h e s h i e l d co u nts a s a n as set) . The G M
agrees to the c h a nge. D u r i n g the game, Co l i n ' s g l a ive wi l l
act i o n .
re n own as a sword s m a n .
physical s k i l l .
H e sti l l need s t o choose a descri ptor a n d a focu s. Looking
NANO
LIME NE
NANO STAT POOLS
Stat
Pool Starti ng Value
M i g h t 7
---9
S peed
12
I nte l l ect
Yo u get 6 add iti o n a l poi nts to d ivide a m o n g yo u r stat Poo l s
h owever y o u w i s h .
The t e r m " n a no" i s d e rived fro m t h e n a n otec h n o l ogy
t h at is o m n i p resent t h ro u gh o u t the N i nt h Wo rld (whether
a nyo n e rea l izes it o r n ot) . So m et i m e s peo p l e ca l l these
d o so i n te m p l e s , b u t j u st as oft e n o n e of t h e m l ives
a l o n e a m i d a fl o c k of t h e fa it h fu l . Some of these l o n e r
n a n o s d o n 't ca l l t h e m s e lves p r i e s t s ; t h ey ca l l t h e m s e lves
god s .
t h e a i r i n c l o u d s , w h i c h can be fa r more d a n ge ro u s t h a n
any conve n t i o n a l sto rm. I n trut h , n a n ites a re l itera l ly
eve rywhere.
N a nos wield their powe r i n t h e form of what they ca l l ,
a l t h o u g h some p refe r to ca l l t h e m spe l l s , e n c h a ntments,
NANO BACKGROUND
N a nos can do t h i ngs t h at seem l i ke magic to ot h e r peo p l e ,
but t h e i r powe rs a re n ' t b a s e d o n c h a r m s o r s p e l l cast i n g
t h e exp l a n at i o n i s l i kely far stra n ge r. Choose o n e of the
t h ree opti o n s descri bed below a s t h e sou rce of yo u r
a b i l ities. I t wi l l p rov i d e t h e fo u n d ation o f yo u r backgro u n d
a n d give y o u a n idea o f h ow yo u c a n i m p rove. The G M can
u s e this i n fo rmation to deve l o p adventu res a n d q uests
t h at a re s pecific to yo u r c h a racte r a n d p l ay a ro l e in yo u r
advancement.
Forbidden Knowledge
You u n d e rsta n d the n u m e n e ra far bette r t h a n most peo p l e .
You know t h at it i s n't j u st stra n ge mach i n e s b u ried i n o l d
ru i n s . The n u m e n e ra i s eve rywhere , beyo n d t h e perception
PLAYER'S GUIDE
esoteries.
Th rough vari o u s t i n y devices t h at you possess, w h i c h
p robably seem l i ke magic c h a r m s to t h e u n i n it i ated , yo u
of yo u r neck.
garment.
Advancement: Do you want to ga i n more a b i l ities? J u st
find new h a rdware and p l u g it i n . Alth ough talent and
Psionics
NANO TIERS
First-Tier Nano
LIME NE
co nti n u o u s ly without need i n g to be activated. So m e
esote ries s pecify a d u rati o n , but yo u can always e n d o n e o f
yo u r own esote ries anyt i m e yo u wi s h .
Choose two o f t h e esote ries d e scri bed bel ow. You
ca n't choose t h e sa m e esotery more t h a n o n ce u n le s s its
Second-Tier Nano
Seco n d -tier n a n o s h ave the fo l l owi n g a b i l ities:
M i nd Read ing (4 I ntel lect poi nts) : You can read the
s u rface t ho u ghts of a creatu re with i n s h o rt ra n ge of yo u ,
eve n if t h e ta rget d o es n' t want you to. Yo u m u st be a b l e
to s e e the ta rget. O n ce yo u h ave esta b l i s hed contact, yo u
can read t h e ta rget ' s t h o u ghts for u p to o n e m i n ute. I f
you o r t h e ta rget move o u t o f ra n ge, t h e co n n ection i s
b ro ke n . Act i o n t o i n itiate.
Stasis (3 I ntel lect poi nts) : Yo u s u rro u n d a foe of yo u r
s ize o r s m a l l e r with sci nti l l ati n g e n e rgy, kee p i n g it fro m
movi n g or act i n g for o n e m i n ute, as if frozen sol i d . Yo u
m u st be a b l e to see the ta rget, a n d it m u st be wit h i n
s h o rt range. W h i l e i n sta s i s , t h e ta rget i s i m perv i o u s to
h a r m , ca n n ot be moved , a n d is i m m u n e to a l l effects.
Act i o n .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
NANO CONNECTION
Ro l l a d20 or choose from the fo l l owi n g l i st to d eterm i n e a s pecific fact about you r backgro u n d t h at p rovides a
co n n ecti o n to the rest of t h e worl d . Yo u can a l so create yo u r own fact.
Rol l
1
2
Background
You servea as an a 12 12 rentice for a n a no-sorcerer res EJectea a n a fea rea oy many EJeo 12 l e . N ow yo u oear fi i s m a rl<.
You st ud ied i n a school i n fa m o u s for its d a rk, b rood i n g i n structors a n d grad uate s .
You l ea rnea n a n o-sorce ry (or ga i n ea yo u r moa ificat i o n s) i n t fi e te m p l e of an o o s c u re goo . Its p riests a n a
wors h i 1212ers, a l t h o u h s m a l l i n n u m ber, res 12ect a n d ad m i re yo u r t a l e n t s a n d 12ote n t i a l .
W h i l e t rave l i n g a l o n e , yo u s aved t h e l ife of a powe rfu l a b h u m a n b rute. Although u n wi l l i n g to acco m pany yo u o n
yo u r j o u rn ey, h e re m a i n s i n d e bted to yo u .
You r mother was a powe rfu l n a n o w h i l e s h e l ived , h e l pfu l to m a ny loca l s . They look u po n yo u k i n d ly, but they a l so
exi:iect m u ch fro m YR ! L
6
7
8
9
10
You k i l led a we l l - known cri m i n a l i n self-defe n s e , earn i n g the re s pect of many a n d the e n m ity of a d a n ge ro u s few.
You tra i ned as a g l a ive, but yo u r s ki l l s with the n u m e n e ra a n d oth e r types of l o re eve n t u a l l y led you d own a
11
12
13
14
You tra i ned fo r a t i m e with a gro u p of Aeo n Priests, a n d they sti l l look u p o n yo u with fo n d n e s s .
You worked the gard e n s i n the pal ace of a n i n fl uent i al n o b l e . S h e wo u l d n 't re m e m b e r yo u , but yo u mad e fr i e n d s
15
w i t h h e r you n g d a u g h te r.
An expe riment yo u co n d u cted i n tfie past went horribly awry. The loca l s re m e m b e r yo u a s a a a n ge ro u s a n d
16
17
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19
20
Third-Tier Nano
Th i rd-tier n a n o s h ave t h e fo l l owi n g a b i l it i e s :
Adept Cypher Use: Yo u can bear fo u r cyp h e rs a t a t i m e .
LIME NE
Fourth-Tier Nano
Fo u rth-tier n a n o s h ave t h e fo l low i n g a b i l ities:
Esoteries: Choose o n e of the fo l l owi n g esote ries (or
a n esote ry fro m a l ower t ie r) to add to yo u r re perto i re. I n
a d d i t i o n , you can re p l ace o n e of yo u r l owe r-tier esote ries
Fifth-Tier Nano
F i ft h -t i er n a n o s h ave t h e fo l l owi n g a b i l ities:
M aster Cypher Use: Yo u can bear five cyp h e rs at a t i m e .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
Sixth-Tier Nano
d ra m at i c effect s . Act i o n .
Traverse t h e Worlds (8+ I ntel lect poi nts): Yo u
i n stanta n e o u s l y t ra n s m it yo u rs e l f to a n o t h e r p l a net,
for two or th ree h o u rs, and snow for a few h o u rs (or for ten
m i n utes if it's out of season) . For the first ten m i n utes after
activating th is esotery, you can create more d ramatic and
NANO EXAMPLE
S h a n n a wants to create a n a n o . S h e decides to be
s o mewhat we l l ro u n d e d , so she puts 2 of h e r add iti o n a l
poi nts i nto e a c h stat Poo l , givi n g h e r a M i ght P o o l of 9, a
S peed Pool of 1 1 , a n d an I nte l l ect Pool of 1 4 . H e r n a n o i s
s m a rt a n d q u ick. S h e h a s a n I ntel lect E d ge of l , a M i ght
E d ge of 0, a n d a S peed E d ge of 0. As a fi rst-t i er cha racte r,
LIME NE
h e r Effort is 1 . S h e is t ra i ned i n t h e n u m e n e ra . As h e r i n it i a l
esoteries, s h e c h o o s e s O n s l a u ght a n d Wa rd , giv i n g h e r a
stro n g offe n s e a n d d efe n s e .
S h e can b e a r t h ree cyp hers, but the G M gives her two:
an occu ltic cyp her (wh ich cou nts as two cyph e rs for t h i s
p u rpose) and a n anoetic cyp her, w h i c h together cou nt
as t h ree. The occu ltic cyp her is a h a n d h e l d , sh o rt-ra n ge
teleporter, and the anoetic cyp her is a device that exp lodes
l i ke a fiery bomb. For her wea pon, S h a n n a chooses a knife,
which i s a l ight wea pon.
For her descri ptor, Shanna chooses G racefu l , which adds
JACK
J acks a re i ntrep id exp lorers and adventurers. They a re j acks
of a l l trades-h ence the n a me-although the wo rd al s o
hearke n s ba ck to fables i nvolvi n g a wily, resou rcefu l hero w ho
a lways see m s to be n a med j ack. U sed as a verb, "to j ack"
means to stea l , to deceive, or to get out of a tight scrape
t h rough i n gen u ity or l uck.
j acks d o n ' t use one s k i l l o r tactic excl u s ively; t h ey u s e
wh ateve r wea p o n s , armor, esote ries, o r anyt h i n g e l s e t h at
m i ght h e l p t h e m . They a re h u nters (particu l a rly trea s u re
h u nters) , con a rt i sts, s k a l d s , rogu e s, scouts, a n d expe rts i n
JACK BACKGROUND
jacks in Society: j acks are crafters, entertai n ers, leaders, a n d
th ieves. They' re arch itects, engi neers, con artists, salespeople,
and teachers. This d ivers ity does n 't mean that the jack i s the
a rchetypal everyman-that kind of simple categorization
wou l d d i m i n i s h the character type. j acks a re remarka ble i n that
they can do so many d ifferent t h i n gs, and some do m u ltiple
t h i ngs. I f one jack i s an artist and another i s a n explorer,
there's l i kely a t h i rd who is both at once.
PLAYER'S GUIDE
Born Lucky
JACK TIERS
First-Tier jack
t ra it s .
heavy wea pon, i ncrease the d ifficu lty of the attack by one step.
Skills: You a re tra i ned i n o n e task of yo u r choos i n g (ot her
t h a n attacks o r defe n se) .
A Cobbled Jumble
LIME NE
Act i o n .
Practiced i n Armor: j acks can wea r armor fo r rea s o n a b l e
period s of t i m e w i t h o u t t i r i n g a n d can co m p e n sate fo r
s l owed react i o n s fr o m wea ri n g armor. Yo u can wea r any
k i n d of armor. Yo u red u ce t h e M i ght cost per hour fo r
armor by 2 . E n a b l e r.
Ski l l With Defense: Choose o n e type of d efe n s e task
i n w h i c h you a re n ot a l ready tra i ned: M i ght, S peed , o r
I nte l l ect. Yo u a re t ra i ned i n defe n s e t a s k s o f t h at type.
U n l i ke most tricks of the trade, yo u can sel ect t h i s trick
up to th ree times. Each time yo u sel ect it, yo u m u st
choose a d ifferent type of d efe n s e task. E n a b l e r.
Th rust (1 M ight point) : Th i s i s a powe rfu l m e l ee sta b . You
m a ke an attack a n d i n fl ict 1 a d d i t i o n a l point of d a m age if
yo u r wea p o n has a s h arp ed ge o r poi nt. Act i o n .
Trained Without Armor: Yo u a re t ra i ned i n S peed defe n se
act i o n s when n ot wea ri n g armor. E n a b l e r.
Second-Tier Jack
Seco n d -tier j acks h ave t h e fo l l owi n g a b i l it i e s :
Third-Tier Jack
T h i rd-tier jacks h ave the fo l l owi n g a b i l ities:
30
PLAYER'S GUIDE
JACK CONNECTION
Ro l l a d20 or choose from the fo l l owi n g l i st to d eterm i n e a s pecific fact about you r backgro u n d t h at p rovides a
co n n ecti o n to the rest of t h e worl d . Yo u can a l so create yo u r own fact.
Rol l
1
2
3
4
5
Background
You co m e fro m a l a rge fa m i l a n a haa to fend fo r }'.O u rself fro m an earl}'. ag..::. e ...-------------You r o l d e r s i ster is a s k i l led n a n o . You were n 't a b l e to fo l l ow h e r pat h , but the n u m e n e ra i s n ot u n known to yo u .
You ' re a m e m ti e r of a g u i l d of exp l o rers who special ize i n u ncove r i n g ancient m}'.ste ries.
You worked a l o n g s i d e yo u r fath e r, who was s k i l led i n m a ny t h i n gs , u nt i l he d i s a ppeared one d ay with n o
exp l a n at i o n .
You grew LI B on the streets a n d stu d ied at the school of h a rd knocks.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
You h ave a friend with an exten s ive l i b rary, plenty of food and d r i n k, and a comforta ble home-a nd the door i s always
open to you .
Fourth-Tier Jack
_
_
_
p o i n t o f d a m a ge t h a n n o r m a l . Act i o n .
Spray (2 Speed points): I f a weapon h a s t h e ab i l ity t o fire
rapid shots without reload i n g (u s u a l ly cal led a rapid fire
weapon, such as the cra n k cross bow) , you ca n spray
m u ltiple shots a round you r target to i ncrease the chance of
h itti ng. T hi s move u ses l d 6 + 1 rou n d s of ammo (or a l l the
ammo i n the weapon, if it has less than the n u m ber rol l ed) .
The d ifficu lty of the attack rol l is decreased by one step. I f
the attack i s successfu l , it d e a l s 1 l e s s p o i n t o f damage t h a n
normal . Action.
Transdi mensional Weapon (3 I ntel l ect poi nts) :
O n e m e l ee wea p o n t h at yo u t o u c h v i b rates on a
d i m e n s i o n a l freq u e n cy so t h at it s p a n s i n to ot h e r
d i m e n s i o n s fo r o n e h o u r. D u ri n g t h i s t i m e , it i n fl i cts
1 a d d i t i o n a l point of d a m a ge o n a s u ccessfu l h it a n d
a ffects ta rgets t h at ca n o n l y be a ffected b y s p eci a l
t ra n s d i m e n s i o n a l e ffect s , s u c h a s t h o s e t h at a re o u t o f
p h a s e . Act i o n t o i n i t i ate.
Fifth-Tier Jack
F i ft h -t i er j acks h ave t h e fo l l owi n g a b i l ities:
Adept Cypher Use: You can bear fo u r cyp hers at a t i m e .
LIME NE
Sixth-Tier Jack
d a m age. Act i o n .
S n i pe ( 3 Speed poi nts): I f yo u s p e n d o n e act i o n a i m i n g ,
i n t h e n ext ro u n d y o u can m a ke a p rec i s e ra n ged attack.
T h e d i fficu lty of the attack ro l l i s d ecreased by one ste p .
I f yo u r attack i s s u ccessfu l , it i n fl i cts 4 a d d i t i o n a l p o i n t s
o f d a m age. Act i o n .
Successive Attack (2 Speed points): If you take down a foe,
you can i m med iately make another attack on that same turn
against a new foe with i n you r reach. The second attack is part
of the same action. You can use this trick with melee attacks
and ranged attacks. Enabler.
Targeti ng Eye: You a re tra i ned in any physical ra n ged attack
that i s a trick of the trade or comes from a n u menera
device. For exa m p l e , yo u a re tra i ned when u s i n g a n
O n s l a u ght force b l ast beca use i t ' s a physical attack, b u t
not when u s i n g a n O n s l a u ght m i n d s l ice beca use i t ' s a
mental attack. You a re tra i n ed when attacki n g with a death
ray em itte r beca u se it comes from a n u menera d evice,
but not when u s i n g a cross bow beca u se it's a m u nd a n e
wea pon. E n a b l e r.
M astery With Defense: Choose o n e type of defe n s e task
PLAYER'S GUIDE
JACK EXAMPLE
J a mes wants to p l ay a jack. H e l i ke s the idea of be i n g
crafty, s n e a ky, a n d m aybe a l ittl e devi o u s . H e p uts 4 o f h i s
add iti o n a l poi nts i n h i s I nte l l ect Pool (ra i s i n g i t t o 1 4) a n d
2 points i n h i s S peed P o o l (ra i s i n g it to 1 2) . Th i s leaves h i s
M i ght Pool a t 1 0. H e decides t o h ave a S peed E d ge o f 1 , but
it was a h a rd choice-h e was tem pted to put his E d ge point
i n I nte l l ect. As a fi rst-tie r c h a racte r, his Effort i s 1 .
J a mes chooses a q u a rterstaff a n d a d a rt th rowe r fo r h i s
wea p o n s . T h e staff i s a med i u m weapon t h at i n fl i cts 4
poi nts of d a m age. The d a rt t h rowe r i s a l i ght wea p o n , so h e
decreases the d ifficu lty of attack ro l l s w i t h i t , but e a c h s h ot
i nfl icts o n ly 2 poi nts of d a m age. The d a rt t h rowe r comes
with 1 2 d a rts.
33
LIME NE
CHARMING
Yo u ' re a s m ooth ta l ke r a n d a charmer. Whet h e r t h ro u g h
see m i ngly s u pernatural m e a n s o r j u st a way w i t h word s ,
yo u can conv i n ce oth e rs to d o as yo u wi s h . M ost l i kely,
yo u ' re phys ically attractive or at least h i gh ly c h a ri s m atic,
a n d others enjoy l i ste n i n g to yo u r voice. Yo u p robably
pay atte ntion to yo u r a p peara n ce, kee p i n g yo u rself we l l
groo med . Yo u m a ke fr i e n d s e a si ly.
Yo u p l ay u p t h e perso n a l ity facet of yo u r I nte l l ect stat;
i nte l l igence is n ot yo u r stro n g s u it. Yo u ' re pers o n a b l e , not
nece s s a r i l y stud i o u s o r stron g-wi l l ed .
Yo u ga i n the fo l l owi n g benefits :
DESCRIPTORS
C h a rm i n g
Ru gged
Clever
G racefu l
I nte l l igent
Stealthy
Stro n g
Strong-W i l led
Lea rned
Mystica l / M ec h a n ical
Swift
To u g h
CLEVER
Yo u ' re q u i ck-witted, th i n ki n g we l l on yo u r feet. Yo u
u n d e rsta n d peo p l e , so yo u can fool t hem but a re rarely
PLAYER'S GUIDE
INTELLIGENT
GRACEFUL
Yo u h ave a pe rfect s e n s e of b a l a n ce, m ovi n g a n d s peaki n g
w i t h grace a n d beauty. Yo u ' re q u ick, l ithe, fl exi ble , a n d
d exte ro u s . Yo u r body i s pe rfectly s u ited t o d a nce, a n d yo u
u s e t h at advantage i n com b at to d od ge b l ows. You m i ght
wea r garments t h at e n h a n ce yo u r a g i l e m ovement a n d
s e n s e of styl e.
Yo u ga i n the fo l l owi n g benefits :
LEARNED
You h ave stu d i ed, either on yo u r own or with an i n structor.
You know many t h i ngs a n d a re an expe rt on a few to pics,
s u c h a s h i story, b i o logy, geogra phy, the n u m e n e ra , n at u re ,
o r any oth e r a rea of study. Lea rned c h a racters typ ically carry
a few books a ro u n d with t h e m a n d s p e n d t h e i r s p a re t i m e
read i n g.
You ga i n t h e fo l low i n g benefits:
35
LIME NE
RUGGED
Yo u ' re a nature l over accu stomed to l iv i n g ro u g h , pitt i n g
yo u r w i t s aga i n st the e l e m e n t s . M ost l i kely, yo u ' re a s k i l led
h u nter, gat h e re r, o r natura l i st. Years of l iv i n g in t h e w i l d
h ave left t h e i r mar k w i t h a worn co u nte n a n ce , w i l d h a i r, o r
s c a r s . Yo u r cloth i n g i s p robably m u c h l e s s refi ned t h a n the
garments worn by city dwe l lers.
You ga i n t h e fo l low i n g benefits:
MYSTICAL/MECHANICAL
o r p l acat i n g n atu ra l a n i m a l s .
Skill: Yo u ' re tra i ned i n a l l tasks i nvolvi n g i d e ntifyi n g o r
u s i n g n a t u r a l p l a nts.
I nabi l ity: Yo u h ave n o soci a l graces a n d p refe r a n i m a l s
t o peo p l e . T h e d ifficu lty o f a n y t a s k i nvo lvi n g c h a r m ,
pers u a s i o n , eti q u ette, o r deception i s i n creased b y o n e ste p .
Add itional Eq u i pment: Yo u carry a n exp l o rer's p a c k . I f
y o u a l ready h ave o ne, yo u c a n i n stead take 50 extra feet (1 5
m) of ro pe, two more d ays' wort h of rat i o n s , a n d an ext ra
ran ged wea p o n.
I n itial Link to the Starting Adventu re: Fro m t h e fo l l owi n g
l i st o f o pt i o n s , choose h ow yo u beca m e i nvolved i n t h e fi rst
adventu re.
1 . Aga i n st yo u r bette r j u d gment, yo u j o i ned the oth e r PCs
beca u s e you saw t h at they we re in d a n ge r.
2. O n e of t h e oth e r PCs convi n ced you t h at joi n i n g the
g ro u p wo u l d be i n yo u r best i nterest.
3. Yo u ' re afra id of what m i ght h a p pe n i f t h e oth e r PCs fa i l .
4 . There i s rewa rd i nvolve d , a n d you need t h e mon ey.
STEALTHY
You ' re sneaky, s l i ppery, and fast. These talents h e l p you h ide,
move q u i etly, and pull off tricks that req u i re s l e i ght of hand.
M ost l i ke ly, you ' re wiry and small. H oweve r, you ' re not m uch
36
PLAYER'S GUIDE
STRONG
Yo u ' re ext re mely stro n g a n d phys i ca l l y powe rfu l , a n d yo u
u s e these q u a l ities we l l , whet h e r t h ro u g h vio le n ce or feats
of p rowe s s . Yo u l i kely h ave a b rawny b u i l d and i m p re s s ive
m u scles.
Yo u ga i n the fo l l owi n g benefits :
Very Powerfu l : + 4 t o yo u r M i ght Poo l .
Skill: You ' re tra i ned i n a l l act i o n s i nvo lvi n g b rea k i n g
i n a n i m ate o bj ects .
Skill: You ' re tra i ned i n a l l j u m p i n g act i o n s .
Add itional Equi pment: You h ave a n extra m ed i u m
wea p on o r heavy wea p o n .
I n itial Li n k t o t h e Starti ng Adventu re: Fro m the fo l l owi n g
l i st o f o pt i o n s , choose h ow y o u beca m e i nvolved i n the fi rst
adve n t u re.
1 . Aga i n st yo u r bette r j u d gment, you joi ned the oth e r PCs
beca u s e yo u saw t h at t h ey were i n d a n ger.
2. O n e of the oth e r PCs co n v i n ced yo u t h at jo i n i n g t h e
gro u p wo u l d be i n yo u r b e s t i nterest.
3 . Yo u ' re afra i d of what m i ght h a p p e n if t h e oth e r PCs fa i l .
4 . There is reward i nvolved , a n d you need the money.
STRONG-WILLED
Yo u ' re to u g h - m i nded , w i l lfu l , a n d i n d e pe n d e nt. N o one can
ta l k yo u i nto anyt h i n g o r c h a n ge yo u r m i n d w h e n you d o n ' t
w a n t it c h a n ged . T h i s q u a l ity does n ' t nece s s a r i l y m a ke yo u
s m a rt, but it does m a ke you a bastion of w i l l powe r a n d
reso lve. You l i kely d re s s a n d act w i t h u n i q u e style a n d fl a i r,
n ot cari n g w h at oth e rs th i n k.
Yo u ga i n the fo l l owi n g benefits :
Willfu l : + 4 t o yo u r I nte l l ect Poo l .
Skill: You ' re tra i ned i n re s i st i n g mental effects.
Skill: You ' re tra i ned i n tasks req u i r i n g i n cred i b l e focus o r
co ncentrat i o n .
SWIFT
You m ove q u ickly, a b l e to s p r i n t i n s h o rt b u rsts a n d work
with yo u r h a n d s with d exte rity. Yo u ' re great at cro s s i n g
d i stances q u ickly but n ot always s m ooth ly. You a re l i kely
s l i m a n d m u sc u l a r.
You ga i n t h e fo l low i n g benefits:
Fast: +4 to yo u r S peed Poo l .
TOUGH
You ' re strong and can take a lot of physical p u n i s h ment. You
m ight have a large frame and a square jaw. Tough cha racters
freq uently h ave visible scars.
You ga i n the fo l low i n g benefits:
Resil ient: + 1 to Armor.
37
LIME NE
CHARACTER FOCUS
Focus is what makes your character unique. No two PCs in a group should
have the same focus. Yourfocus gives you benefits when you create your
character and each time you ascend to the next tier. It's the verb of the
sentence "/ am an adjective n o u n who verbs. "
FOCI
Bears a Halo of Fire
Carries a Qu iver
Commands Mental Powers
Lead s
Controls Beasts
Controls G ravity
Crafts I l l usions
Crafts U n ique Objects
Employs M agnetism
Entertai n s
Exists Partially Out
of Phase
Explores Dark Places
starting gear has a l ready been treated u n less you don't want it
to be.
Fire Esoteries: I f you perform esoteries, those that wou l d
norm a l ly use force or other energy ( s u c h as electricity)
i n stead use fire. For exa m p l e , force b l asts from O n s l a u ght
are b l asts of flame, and Flash i s a bu rst of fire. These
before.
You p robably wea r red and yel l ow, or perh a p s b l ack.
Although most of those who take up t h i s mantle a re
n a n o s , fl a m e-wi e l d i n g g l a ives a n d jacks a re fearsome
i nd eed .
Connection: Pick one oth e r PC. T h ro u g h a q u i rk of fate,
yo u r fi re ca n n ot h a rm t h at cha racter.
38
PLAYER'S GUIDE
Roll
01 -05
06-09
1 0-1 5
1 6-2 1
2-2 7
28
29
30
1
3 2-3 5
6-3 9
40-43
44-4 7
48-5 1
2-5 6
5 7-60
6 1 -64
65-66
67
68-69
70
7 1 -80
8 1 -00
Explanation
N at u ra l m utation
U n expected v i ra l reco n structio n of yo u r body
M utat io n a ue to a n cestral ex12o s u re to cli e m ica l s , raa i at i o n , or v i r u s
M utatio n d ue to expe r i m e ntal science performed o n yo u r a n cestor(s)
An e n co u nter with the I ro n Wind ( u n ex12ected n a n otech reco n struct i o n of yo u r body)------
Abd u ct io n by ext rate rre stri a l (s) who experi me nted or performed s u rge ry on yo u
Abd u ct io n by rogue scientist (s) who ex12e r i me nted or 12erformed s u rge ry o n y_
ou
_
Abd u ct io n by mach i n e i nte l l i ge n ce t h at experi me nted o r performed s u rgery o n yo u
An e n co u nter with an u ltraterrest rial entity t h at myste rio u s ly c h a n ged yo u
I ntent i o n a l or acc i d e ntal fu s i o n / i m p l a ntat i o n with mec h a n ical devices i n fi n ge rt i p s
I ntent i o n a l o r acc i d e ntal fu s i o n / i m p l a ntat i o n w i t h mec h a n ical devices i n pal m s
I ntent i o n a l o r acc i d e ntal fu s i o n / i m p l a ntat i o n with mec h a n ical d evice i n head o r eye
I ntent i o n a l or acc i d e ntal fu s i o n / i m p l a ntat i o n with mec h a n ical d evice i n chest
I ntent i o n a l o r acc i d e ntal i m mersion o r treatment with ancient c h e m i c a l s o r rad iation
H i d d e n a rtifact (s secreted o n yo u r person
Cloud of n a n otech t h at fo l l ows a n d res p o n d s to yo u for rea s o n s u n known
_
------------
I m p l a n t o r m utat io n t h at p rovides knowled ge a n d powe r from the d ata s_p h-e-re
Drugs
Tra i n i n g by extrate rrestri a l entities i n stra n ge a n d myste r i o u s d evot i o n s
Tra i n i n g b y secret o rd e r t h at h a s m a stered myste ries p a s s e d d own fro m the ancients
-----,
Tra i n i n g by mach i n e i n te l l i ge n ce t li at s h a red i n h u m a n knowled ge
Co n fl u e nce: Ro l l twice a n d co m b i n e res u lts
U n known (G M can secretly ro l l aga i n and keep the res u lt li i a a e n )
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
hand can grab, move, and carry t h i n gs, but anyt h i n g it touches
takes 1 point of d amage per rou n d from the heat. The hand
ca n also attack. It's a level 3 creatu re and deals 1 extra point of
damage from fire when it attacks. Once created, the hand lasts
for ten m i n utes. Action to create; action to d i rect.
Tier 5: Fire Tendrils (5 I ntel lect poi nts). W hen you w i s h it,
yo u r halo s p routs th ree te n d ri l s of flame t h at l a st fo r u p
t o ten m i n utes. A s a n act i o n , yo u can u s e t h e tend ri l s to
attack, m a k i n g a separate attack ro l l fo r each . Each te n d r i l
i n fl i cts 4 poi nts o f d a m age. Ot h e rwi se, t h e attacks fu nction
as sta n d a rd attacks. I f yo u d o n ' t u s e the te n d r i l s to attack,
they re m a i n but d o noth i n g. E n a b l e r.
Tier 6: Fire Servant (6 I ntellect points). You reach i nto you r
h a l o a n d p rod uce a n automaton o f fire that i s you r general
s h a pe and s ize. It acts as you d i rect each rou n d . D i rect i n g
the servant i s a n action, and y o u can com m a n d it o n ly w h e n
you a re with i n l o ng ra nge o f i t . Without a com m a n d , the
servant cont i n ues to fol low you r p revious com m a n d . Yo u can
LIME NE
a l so give it a s i m ple p rogra m med action, such as "Wait here,
and attack a nyone who comes with i n sh o rt ra n ge u n t i l they' re
dead . " The servant l asts for ten m i n utes, is a l evel 5 creat u re,
and deals 1 extra point of d a m age from fi re when it attacks.
Action to create; action to d i rect.
CARRIES A QUIVER
PLAYER'S GUIDE
CONTROLS BEASTS
To say that you have a way with animals and non human
creatu res doesn 't begin to cover it. You r mastery and
com m u n ication with beasts is positively u ncan ny. They come to
you fearless ly, and it's not u ncom mon for bird s to al ight on you r
shoulder or for small animals t o cl i m b u p you r a r m s or legs.
You p robably wea r to u g h cloth i n g and h ave a d i s h eve led
o r grizzled appeara nce t h at s u ggests a rugge d , outdoor l ife .
Perh a p s yo u eve n s m e l l l i ke a n a n i m a l .
A n y type o f c h a racte r i s l i kely t o h ave t h i s focu s .
LIME NE
Connection: Pick one oth e r PC. T h at c h a racte r see m s to
d i st u rb yo u r creat u res i n a way t h at you ca n ' t exp l a i n . You
know t h at yo u m u st keep yo u r a n i m a l s away fro m h i m if
pos s i b l e, o r yo u m i ght lose control of t h e m .
Add itional Equi pment: You h ave t h ree d ays' worth o f food
fo r you r beast co m pa n i o n , p l u s a h a rn e s s , co l l a r, o r s i m i l a r
accouterment.
M i nor Effect Suggestions: The d u rat ion of ca l m n e s s o r
control i s d o u b le d .
M ajor Effect Suggestions: The d u ration of ca l m nes s o r
control exte n d s to 28 h o u rs .
Tier 1 : Beast Com panion. A leve l 2 creatu re o f you r s ize or
s m a l ler acco m p a n ies yo u and fo l l ows you r i n structio n s . You
and the G M m u st work out the d eta i l s of you r creat u re, and
you ' l l probably m a ke rol l s for it i n co m bat o r when it takes
actions. The beast co m p a n i o n acts on you r turn. As a l evel
2 creatu re, it has a ta rget n u m be r of 6 and a health of 6, and
it i n fl icts 2 poi nts of d a m age. Its movement i s based on
its creatu re type (av i a n , swi m m e r, and so on) . I f you r beast
com p a n i o n d ies, you can h u nt i n the wild for 1 d 6 d ays to find
a new co m p a n i o n . E n a b l e r.
Tier 2: Soothe the Savage (2 I ntel lect poi nts) . Yo u ca l m a
n o n h u m a n beast with i n 30 feet (9 m) . You m u st speak to it
(a lthough it d oesn ' t need to u n d e rsta n d yo u r word s) , and it
m u st see yo u . I t re m a i n s ca l m fo r one m i n ute o r fo r a s l o n g
CONTROLS GRAVITY
G ravity m u st h ave been q u ite a co ncern for the peo p l e
of prior epoch s beca u s e t h e re a re many pat h s with i n t h e
n u m e n e ra to control i t . T h ro ug h a q u i rk of fate, some
u n iq u e d evice (s) , o r s u p re m e d evotion (or a co m b i n at i on
PLAYER'S GUIDE
Tier 6: Weight of the World (6+ I ntel lect poi nts) . Yo u can
i n crease a ta rget ' s we ight d ra m atical ly. The ta rget i s p u l led
to t h e gro u n d a n d can't m ove phys ically u n d e r its own
powe r fo r o n e m i n ute. The ta rget m u st be with i n s h o rt
ra nge. Fo r each l evel of Effort a p p l ied , yo u can affect o n e
a d d i t i o n a l creat u re. Act i o n .
CRAFTS ILLUSIONS
You use the n u menera to create hologra p h i c i m ages that
appear rea l . You a re, i n effect, an a rti st-a crafter of l ight and
sou n d . H o l ogra p h i c i m ages can neve r i n fl ict d i rect harm
Add itional Equi pment: You h ave a pen-s ized odd ity t h at
te l l s t h e we ight of wh ateve r yo u poi nt it at (wit h i n s h o rt
ra n ge) . The we ight i s d i s p l ayed on a s m a l l g l a s s p l ate i n
r u n e s t h at o n ly yo u can d eci p h e r.
M i nor Effect Suggestions: The d u rat ion of the effect i s
doubled.
M ajor Effect Suggestions: An i m portant item o n t h e
ta rget ' s p e r s o n i s destroyed.
43
LIME NE
Tier 2: Disguise (2+ I ntel lect poi nts) . Yo u appear to be
someone o r someth i n g else, ro u g h ly of you r s ize and
s h ape, fo r up to o n e h o u r. O n ce create d , the d i sg u i se
req u i res no co ncentrat i o n . Fo r each a d d i t i o n a l I ntel lect
point yo u s p e n d , yo u can d i s g u i se o n e oth e r creat u re. A l l
d i sg u i sed creatu res m u st stay with i n s i ght o f yo u o r l o s e
t h e i r d i s g u i se. Act io n t o create.
Tier 3 : M ajor I l l usion (3 I ntel lect poi nts) . Yo u create
a co m p l ex scene of i m ages with i n i m med i ate ra n ge .
T h e e n t i re sce n e m u st fit with i n a 1 00-foot (30- m eter)
c u b e . T h e i m ages can m ove, but t h ey ca n ' t l e ave t h e
a rea d efi n e d b y t h e c u b e . T h e i l l u s i o n i n c l u d e s s o u n d
a n d s m e l l . I t l a sts fo r t e n m i n utes a n d c h a n ge s a s yo u
d i rect (no co ncentrat i o n i s needed ) . I f you m ove beyo n d
i m med i ate ra n ge of t h e c u b e , t h e i l l u s i o n va n i s h e s . Act i o n
to create.
Tier 4: I l l usory Selves (4 I ntel lect poi nts) . You create fo u r
hologra p h i c d u p l i cates o f yo u rself with i n s h o rt ra n ge. The
d u p l icates last fo r o n e m i n ute. You mentally d i rect t h e i r
act i o n s , a n d t h e d u p l i cates aren't m i rror i m ages-each
o n e can d o d i fferent t h i n g s . I f struck violently, t h ey either
d i s a p pear perm a n e ntly o r freeze motio n l e s s (yo u r choice) .
Actio n to create.
Tier 5 : Terrifyi ng I mage (6 I ntel lect poi nts) . You use a bit
of s u bt l e te l ep athy to learn w h i c h i m ages wo u l d appear
terrifyi n g to creat u re s t h at yo u choose with i n l o n g ra n ge.
Those i m ages a p pear with i n t h at a rea a n d m e n ace t h e
a p p ro p r i ate creat u re s . M a ke a n I nte l l ect attack ro l l aga i n st
each creatu re yo u want to affect. S u cces s m e a n s the
creatu re flees i n terror fo r o n e m i n ute, p u rs ued by its
n i ghtmare s . Fa i l u re m e a n s the creatu re i g n o res the i m ages,
w h i c h d o n ot h a m pe r it i n any way. Act i o n .
Tier 6: G rand iose I l l usion ( 8 I ntel lect poi nts). You create a
fa ntastica l ly co m p l ex sce n e of i m ages t h at fit with i n a 1 - m i le
(1 .6-km) cube t h at yo u a re a l so with i n . Yo u m u st be a b l e
t o s e e the i m ages w h e n y o u create t h e m . The i m ages c a n
m ove i n the cube a n d act i n acco rd a n ce w i t h yo u r d e s i re s .
They can a l s o act logica l ly (such a s react i n g a p p ropriately
to fi re o r attacks) when yo u a re n ' t d i rectly observ i n g t h e m .
The i l l u s i o n i n c l u d e s s o u n d a n d s m e l l . Fo r exa m p l e, a r m i e s
can c l a s h i n battle, w i t h a i r s u p po rt fr o m mach i n e s o r
flyi n g creat u re s , on a n d a bove terra i n of you r creat i o n . The
i l l u s i o n l asts fo r o n e hour (or l o n ger, if you co ncentrate o n
it afte r t h at t i m e) . Act i o n .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
EMPLOYS MAGNETISM
E l ectromagnet i s m i s a fu n d a mental fo rce i n the u n iverse,
and it is yo u rs to co m m a n d . You a re a m a ster of m eta l .
Yo u p ro b a b ly wea r a l ot o f meta l , perh a p s a s part o f yo u r
cloth i n g o r armor, a s p a rt o f yo u r accessories (such a s
jewe l ry o r p i e rci n gs) , e m bedded i nto yo u r b o d y s u rgical ly,
or i n some co m b i n ation of these o pt i o n s .
N o o n e type o f c h a racte r i s m o re l i kely t h a n any oth e r to
e m p l oy m a g n eti s m , a l t h o u g h g l a ives who wield wea p o ns
a n d wea r armor wi l l fi n d it a n i nterest i n g co m p lement t o
t h e i r powe rs.
Connection: Pick one oth e r PC. W h e n ever you use
yo u r powe rs, t h e meta l l i c ite m s o n t h at c h a racte r' s body
s h ud d e r, rattl e, c l i n k, a n d s h a ke if h e i s with i n s h o rt ra n ge.
M i nor Effect Suggestions: The d u rat ion of the effect i s
doubled.
M ajor Effect Suggestions: An i m portant item o n t h e
ta rget ' s p e r s o n i s destroyed.
Tier 1 : M ove M etal (1 I ntel lect point) . You can exe rt fo rce
on meta l o bj ects with i n s h o rt ra n ge for one ro u n d . O n ce
activated , yo u r powe r h a s an effective M i ght Pool of 1 0, a
M i ght Edge of 1 , a n d an Effort of 2 ( a p p roxi mately eq u a l to
the stre n gt h of a fit, ca p a b l e , ad u l t h u m a n ) , a n d yo u can
u s e it to m ove metal o bjects, p u s h aga i n st metal o bjects,
a n d so o n . Fo r exa m p l e, i n yo u r ro u n d , yo u co u l d l ift a n d
p u l l a l i ght metal o bj ect a nywh e re with i n ra n ge t o yo u rself
or move a heavy o bj ect (l i ke a p i ece of fu rnitu re) about
10 feet (3 m) . This powe r l acks the fi n e control to wield
a weap o n o r m ove o bjects with m u c h s peed , so i n most
s ituati o n s , it' s not a m e a n s of attack. Yo u ca n ' t u s e t h i s
a b i l ity o n yo u r own body. Act i o n .
45
LIME NE
yo u h ave the p roper craft i n g s k i l l s) . You can t h e n move the
n ew o bj ect a nywh e re wit h i n ra n ge. Fo r exa m p l e, yo u co u l d
take a few metal s h i e l d s , fu s e th e m toget h e r, a n d u s e t h e
res u lt i n g s h ape to block a doorway. You can u s e t h i s a b i l ity
to m a ke an attack-ca u s i n g a foe's armor to co n strict,
re n d e ri n g a metal item i nto s h a rd s t h at yo u fl i n g acro s s
the battl efie l d , a n d so o n-aga i n st one ta rget with i n s h o rt
ENTERTAINS
Yo u a re an enterta i n e r: a s i n ge r, d a n ce r, poet, sto ryte l l e r, o r
so meth i n g s i m i l a r. You perform fo r t h e benefit of others.
N atur a l l y c h a r i s matic a n d talented , yo u h ave a l s o stu d ied to
m aster you r a rt. Yo u know all the o l d poe m s , songs, j o kes,
a n d stories, a n d yo u ' re s k i l led at creat i n g n ew o n e s , too.
Yo u p ro b a b ly wea r fl a m boya nt o r at least fa s h i o n a b l e
cloth es a n d u s e cos metics, tattoos, o r h a i r styl i n gs fo r
d ra m atic effect.
The ro l e of the enterta i n e r fits the jack best, but g l a ives
and n a n o s somet i m e s enterta i n a s we l l .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
For the next ten m i n utes, red uce the d ifficu lty of a l l you r S peed
defensive tasks by one step, but d u ri n g t h i s time you lose any
benefit from armor you wear. Action to i n itiate.
Tier 4: G h ost (4 I ntel lect poi nts) . For the n ext ten m i n utes,
yo u a re tra i ned in s n e a k i n g tasks. D u ri n g this time, you can
m ove t h ro ugh solid barriers (but not e n e rgy ba rriers) at a
47
LIME NE
or b ravado. Pe rhaps s h e i s a riva l , perh a p s you need h e r
res pect, o r perh a p s yo u ' re ro m a ntica l ly i nterested i n h e r.
Add itional Equi pment: You begin with a set of extre mely
styl i s h cloth es a n d a j ewe led wea p o n .
M i nor Effect Suggestions: The ta rget i s so d azz led b y
yo u r style t h at it i s d azed fo r o n e ro u n d , d u ri n g wh ich t i m e
Con nection: Pick one other PC. Th i s cha racter can cause
you r te lekinetic powe rs to act odd ly. Every once i n a while, if
PLAYER'S GUIDE
FUSES FLESH
AND STEEL
At some point i n you r past,
some of yo u r orga n i c parts
we re re p l aced with a rtificial
com ponents. (Altern atively,
you belong to a secret race
of biomech a n ical hybri d s . )
T h e s e artifici a l com ponents
m i ght be s u bdermal, or
they m ight rese m b l e more
overt metal or synth p l at i n g
on you r s k i n . They c a n a l so
take the form of t h read l i ke
te n d r i l s of circu itry wi n d i n g
across yo u r fl e s h . Wh ateve r t h e i r
a p pearance, t h e s e com ponents
give you s pecial a b i l ities.
As yo u adva nce, you can
add to, mod ify, or d i scove r
new fu nctions for them.
U nfort u n ately, you r a rtificial
body a l so h a s s peci a l
req u i re ments when it takes
d a mage.
LIME NE
Tier 5: Deep Reserves. Once each day, you can transfer up to
5 poi nts between you r Pool s in any com b i n ation, at a rate of
1 point per rou n d . For example, you could tran sfer 3 poi nts of
M ight to S peed and 2 poi nts of I ntel l ect to S peed , which would
take a total of five rou n d s . Action.
50
PLAYER'S GUIDE
LEADS
U s i n g c h a r i s m a , natural leaders h i p , a n d perh a p s some
tra i n i ng, yo u co m m a n d t h e act i o n s of ot hers, who fo l l ow
yo u wi l l i n gly. You a re a co m m a n d e r, a capta i n , a leader, o r
a ge n e ra l . Yo u r s k i l l s a l l ow yo u to m a ke peo p l e d o w h at you
want, but yo u a l so h ave the wisdom to know what act i o n s
wo u l d be b e s t fo r yo u r fo l l owers a n d a l l ie s .
S i nce yo u n e e d the res pect of oth e rs , yo u p r o b a b l y d re s s
a n d carry yo u rself i n s u c h a w a y t h at i n s p i re s , endears, o r
i nt i m i d ates. Yo u h ave a voice s u ited to barki n g orders t h at
can be h ea rd eve n on a n o i sy battl efie l d .
G l a ives m a ke exce l lent m i l itary leaders, b u t a j a c k co u l d
e a s i l y l e a d a gro u p o f exp l o rers o r a d e n o f t h i eves. A n a n o
m i ght be the h e a d o f a gro u p o f " m ages" o r s c h o l a rs , o r
s h e m i ght h ave a gang of bodyguards a s fo l l owe rs.
Connection: Pick one oth e r PC. T h at c h a racte r was o n ce a
fo l l ower of yo u rs , but yo u h ave s i nce grown to t h i n k of h i m
a s a peer.
LIME NE
Tier 6: M i n d of a Leader (6 I ntel lect poi nts) . When you
d evelop a p l a n that i nvolves you r fo l l owers, yo u can ask the
GM one very general q uestion about what i s l i kely to h a ppen
if you carry out the plan, and yo u will get a s i m p l e , b rief
a n swe r. Action.
Capable Fol lowers. Yo u r fi rst fo l l ower i n creases to l evel
5 . As a l evel 5 fo l l ower, it has a ta rget n u m be r of 1 5 a n d a
health of 1 5 , a n d it i n fl i cts 5 poi nts of d a m age. Each of yo u r
l evel 2 fo l l owers i n creases t o l evel 3 . E n a b l e r.
Tier 6: One With the Wi ld (6 I ntel lect poi nts) . Fo r the n ext
ten m i n utes, n atu ra l a n i m a l s a n d p l a nts with i n l o n g ra n ge
w i l l n ot knowi ngly h a rm you or those yo u d e s i g n ate. Act i o n .
M aster o ft h e Wild. Wh i l e yo u ' re i n the w i l d e r n e s s , yo u r
M i ght E d ge, S peed E d ge, a n d I nte l l ect E d ge i n crease by
1 . W hen you m a ke a recovery ro l l in t h e w i l d e r n e s s , yo u
recover twice as many points. E n a b l e r.
MASTERS DEFENSE
Tier 2: Sturdy. You are trai ned in M ight defense tasks. Enabler.
Armor Expert. When you wea r any armor, you red uce
the armor's penalties ( M i ght cost per h o u r and S peed
red u ction) by 1 . E n a b l e r.
PLAYER'S GUIDE
in which you tra i n e d , the style of fight i n g you h ave maste red ,
or the name of you r mentor. You r weapon is a l most certa i n ly
you r finest posses s i o n . N ot o n ly is it wel l ca red for and of
h i g h q u a l ity, but yo u probably kee p it in a beautifu l sca b ba rd ,
harness, belt, case, o r somet h i n g s i m i l a r.
MASTERS WEAPONRY
You have worked long and hard with one particu lar type of
weapon: sword s, axes, daggers, whips, or whatever you choose.
53
LIME NE
Tier 1 : Weapon M aster. You ga i n a + 1 bon u s to d a mage
with yo u r chosen wea p o n . E n a b l e r.
MURDERS
The m u rderous assas s i n is a master of deal i n g death . No one
i s better at sneaking i nto a location, e l i m i nating a target, and
s l i p p i n g out aga i n . Obvious ly, a professional ki l ler i s not l i kely
to h ave a lot of friends.
You probably wear dark colors-black, charcoal grey, or
RAGES
The berse rker i s a fea red fighter who ca n n ot be sto p ped .
You put yo u rself i nto a h owl i n g battle fre nzy t h at can m a ke
you a terror on t h e battl efie l d . You m i ght h a i l fro m a l ess
civil ized soci ety, perhaps eve n a t r i b a l o ne.
midn ight blue---to help blend into the shadows. But since you're
also a master of d isguise, in truth you could look like anyone.
a n d uti l itari a n .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
ca n ' t s p e n d t h e m to a p p l y Effort to ro l l s . E n a b l e r.
yo u rself.
Con nection: Pick one other PC. Th i s cha racter has been
you r friend for a long time, and yo u h ave learned to b ri n g her
along when you ride the l i ghtn i n g. I f the characte r i s sta n d i n g
right next t o you , yo u c a n take her with you w h e n you u s e
t h e Bolt R i d e r or E lectrical Fl ight powers. (Normal ly, neither
a b i l ity a l lows yo u to tra n s port other creat u res.)
Additional Equipment: You have a bag of m i scel l aneous
batteries and power cel l s . Whenever you find a new device that
operates on batteries or cel l s (G M d i scretion) , there is a 75
percent cha nce that the bag contai n s one that w i l l power it if it
depletes.
55
LIME NE
M ajor Effect Suggestions: Devices fi l led with e l ectrical
Tier 2: Bolt Rider ( 4 I ntel lect poi nts) . You can m ove
a l o n g d i stance fro m one locat io n to another a l m ost
i n stanta n e o u s ly, carried by a bolt of l i ghtn i n g. Yo u m u st
be a b l e to see the n ew l ocat i o n , a n d t h e re m u st be n o
i nterve n i n g b a rriers. Act i o n .
Tier 3 : Lightn ing Swift. You ga i n +3 t o yo u r S peed P o o l a n d
+ l to yo u r S peed E d ge. E n a b l e r.
Drai n Charge. Yo u can d ra i n t h e powe r fro m a n a rt i fa ct
or d ev i ce, a l lowi n g yo u to rega i n l I nte l l ect p o i n t p e r
l e v e l of t h e d evice. Yo u rega i n poi nts at t h e rate of l p o i n t
per ro u n d a n d m u st g i v e yo u r fu l l conce ntrat i o n to t h e
p roce s s e a c h rou n d . T h e G M d eterm i n e s w h et h e r t h e
d evice i s fu l ly d ra i ned (l i kely true of m o s t h a n d h e l d o r
s m a l l e r d evices) o r reta i n s s o m e powe r (l i ke l y t r u e of l a rge
mach i n es) . Act i o n to i n iti ate; act i o n each ro u n d to d ra i n .
Tier 4 : Bolts of Power (5+ I ntel lect poi nts) . Yo u b l a st a fa n of
l i ghtn i n g out to s h o rt ra n ge in a n a rc t h at is a p p roxi mately
50 feet (1 5 m) wide at the e n d . T h i s d i sch a rge i n fl i cts
4 poi nts of d a m age. I f yo u a p p ly Effort to i n crease the
d a mage rath er than to decrease the d ifficu lty, you deal 2
a d d i t i o n a l poi nts of d a m age per l evel of Effort ( i n stead of 3
poi nts) ; h oweve r, ta rgets i n t h e a rea take l point of d a m age
eve n if yo u fa i l the attack ro l l . Act i o n .
Tier 5: Electrical Fl ight ( 5 I ntel lect poi nts) . Yo u exud e a n
a u ra of crackl i n g e l ectricity t h at l ets y o u fly fo r ten m i n utes.
Yo u can't ca rry oth e r creatu res with yo u . Act io n to activate.
Tier 6: Wal l of Lightn ing (6 I ntellect poi nts) . Yo u create
a barrier of crackl i n g e l ectricity up to 2 , 5 00 s q u a re feet
(23 0 s q . m) in size, s h a ped as yo u wi s h . The wa l l is a l evel
7 barrier. Anyo n e wit h i n i m m ed i ate d i stance of the wa l l
automatica l ly takes l 0 poi nts o f d a m age. T h e wa l l l a sts fo r
o n e h o u r. Actio n t o create.
TALKS TO MACHINES
S i nce yo u were you n g, you had an affin ity for mach i nes. I t
seemed a l most l i ke y o u we re speaki n g to them.
56
PLAYER'S GUIDE
LIME NE
Connection: Pick o n e oth e r PC. Yo u 've
p l aced an i m m utable, one-t i m e wa rd t h at
re n d e rs h e r i m m u n e to the esote ries yo u
perform u n l es s s h e wants to be affected .
Add itional Eq u i pment: Yo u h ave a n
a d d i t i o n a l b o o k o n t h e s u bject of the
n u m e n e ra.
58
PLAYER'S GUIDE
WORKS MIRACLES
You m a n i p u l ate m atte r a n d t i m e to h e l p oth e rs a n d a re
beloved by eve ryo n e yo u encounter. Some peo p l e co n s i d e r
y o u a re p rese ntative o f the god s o r a powe r fr o m beyo n d
t h i s worl d . Perh a p s they' re right-tra n sd i me n s i o n a l
experi ments i n the p r i o r worl d s m i ght be what created t h e
e n e rgies t h at yo u n ow w i e l d .
Yo u p ro b a b ly w e a r s i m p l e clothes-not h i n g t o o fl a s h y
o r styl i s h . T h e re ' s n o n e e d to ca l l m o re atte n t i o n t o
yo u rs e l f.
N a nos a re t h e l i ke l i est m i racle workers, u s i n g t h e i r
m e n t a l fo rtitude t o focu s the powe r o f h e a l i ng. A gla ive w h o
can heal h i m s e lf, t h o u g h , i s a n i nterest i n g a n d d a n ge ro u s
p ro po s i t i o n .
Connection: Pick o n e oth e r P C . Th i s c h a racte r q u ietly
s u s pects t h at yo u ' re a m e s s i a h o r s u pernatural b e i n g . You
can choose whet h e r or n ot yo u ' re aware of h i s s u s p i c i o n .
LIME NE
I nte l l ect Pool to t h e i r m axi m u m v a l u e s , as if it were fu l ly
rested . A s i n g l e creatu re can benefit fro m t h i s a b i l ity o n ly
o n ce each d ay. Act i o n .
PLAYER'S GUIDE
EQUIPMENT
The Ninth World is a dichotomy ofpast and future, of the primith1e and the
extremely ad11anced. Nowhere does this dichotomy become more e11ident than in
the tools the inhabitants use, the clothing they wear, the weapons they wield, and
the gear they carry. This section looks at some of the currency, materials, and gear
in the Ninth World.
CURRENCY
ENCUMBRANCE
MATERJALS
M ost objects built in the N i nth World are made of wood , leather,
cloth, stone, glass, or metal. S m ithies and forges can prod uce
h igh-qual ity steel objects, but they generally work in i ron or
bronze. However, plastic (cal led "synth") , organic stone or steel ,
exotic crystal , and even stranger materials are not u n known.
S uch materials i nclude (but are not l i m ited to) adamant s i l k,
azu re steel, molded foam, shapestone, and stronglass.
M ost co m m o n N i nth Wo rld ite m s a re made of
conve n t i o n a l materi a l s , but it's n ot stra n ge to find a
ARMOR
LIME NE
ARMOR
Price
3 shins
2 shins
WEAPONS
Price
40 s h i n s
50 s h i n s
Price
i n creased b y o n e ste p.
5 shins
5 shins
6 shins
Price
4_
i n-s
0_s h-
Price
1 5 shins
12 shins
_
_
50 s h i n s
PLAYER'S GUIDE
WEAPONS
Light Weapons (2 poi nts of damage)
B l owg u n
1 2 d a rts
zz
_e...r
._
B u_
5-d i s k b u zzer magaz i n e
Cl u b
Dagger
e r.,..
D a_rt' " t"h_ro w
....
1 2 d a rts
Fo rearm b l a d e
K n i fe
ger
Rapier
Razor ri n g
Sisk
U n a rmed ( p u n c h , kick, etc.)
Wh i p
...
Price
1 shin
3 shins
N otes
ns
a_n_.
d_
el...
2 s_s
'"h_
" i_
....
...
H
....
h...
d...w....e.._af:!on. Fires thumbnai l-sized bladed disks U f2 to short range.
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
...
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
1 shin
1 shin
1 shin
Ca n be th rown up to s h o rt ra n ge
o_
n g ra n ge------""""'
8""""'_sh_i_n s-L
3 shins
4 shins
1 shin
Ca n be th rown u p to s h o rt ra n ge
_.
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
1 shin
2 shins
1 shin
1 shin
_
_
_
_
2 shins
Price
3 shins
3 shins
N otes
Lo n g ra n ge
5 shins
3 shins
l O shins
5 shins
5 shins
5 shins
3 shins
2 shins
2 shins
2 shins
3 shins
2
2
2
2
shins
shins
shins
shins
Price
shins
shins
shins
shins
shins
5 shins
5
5
7
5
4
Lo n g ra n ge
Often u sed two- h a nded
Often u sed two- h a nded
Ca n be th rown u p to l o n g ra n ge
A type of s h o rt swo rd with two fo rked b l a d e s
S p l ayed m e t a l c l aw m o u nted u p o n a 2-foot (0.6-m) h aft
N otes
tit rl ti
LIME NE
OTHER EQUIPMENT
D 1 s g u 1 se l<it
Exp l o rer's pack
F i rst a i d kit
G ra p p l i n g hook
Lockpicks
M atchsticks ( 1 0)
M u sical i n strument
Pouch o r oth e r small conta i n e r
R o p e ( 5 0 feet / 1 5 m)
S h ield
Te nt
Torches (2)
Price
2 shins
10 shins
12 shins
2 shins
5-20 s n i n s
1 shin
10 shins
2 shins
1 2 s li i n s
20 shins
10 shins
3 shins
5 shins
1 shin
5-1 0 s h i n s
1 shin
2 shins
3 shins
3 shins
1 shin
Price
1 shin
3 shins
1 shin
2 shins
1 shin
1 shin
2 shins
N otes
See Furt h e r N otes
See Furt h e r N otes
See Furt n e r N otes
Asset for S peed defense tasks (decreases the d ifficu lty by one step)
La rge e n o u g h for two peo p l e
N otes
FURTHER NOTES
Bag of light Tools: Co nta i n s s m a l l to n g s , p l iers,
screwd river, s m a l l h a m m e r, s m a l l p ry bar, lockpicks, 1 0
feet (3 m) of stri ng, 3 feet (1 m) of w i re, a n d m i sce l l a n e o u s
screws a n d n a i l s .
Bag of H eavy Tools: Co nta i n s h a m m e r, six s p i kes,
crowbar, l a rge to n gs, chisel, a n d 10 feet (3 m) of l i ght (but
stro n g) metal ca b l e .
Book: P rov i d e s a n a s set to a n y ro l l m a d e concern i n g
t h e s u bject o f t h e book a s l o n g a s t h e c h a racter h a s t h e
book i n h i s p o s s e s s i o n , c a n read i t , a n d c a n d evote h a l f a n
h o u r t o t h e t a s k ( o r twice a s l o n g a s n o r m a l , w h i ch ever i s
g reate r) .