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The Black Age

Roleplaying Game

The Black AgeRoleplaying Game

Designed by Philip Roberts and Matthew Sparkman

E-mail the creators with your feedback at [email protected]

/tg/ should only trust new versions posted with the tripcode - Black Age RPG[HBU] !!k4JCyYfuJYR

version 0.05 notes• complete redesign with InDesign

copyright 2015

The holders of this copyright reserve these exclusive rights:• to produce copies or reproductions of this work and to sell those copies (including digital copies)• to import or export the work• to create derivative works that adapt the original work• to display the work publicly• to transmit or display by other means• to sell or cede these rights to others

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ContentsForeword 6Preface 7Chapter One - About this game 9 What you need 9 The Basics 10Chapter Two - Character Creation 13Chapter Three - Classes 17 The Classes 17 Class Overview 18 Alchemist 20 Bard 22 Cultist 24 Doctor 26 Priest 28 Scoundrel 30 Soldier 32 Stalker 34Chapter Four - Skills 37 Skill Overview 37 Skill Descriptions 41Chapter Five - Items and Utilities 53 Wealth 53 Weapons 54Chapter Six - Mechanics for Horror 57 Stress 57 Disease 59 Exposure 59 Hunger 59 Light 60Chapter Seven - Combat 63 How Combat Works 63 Combat Statistics 65 Actions in Combat 66Chapter Eight - Sub-classes 69 Sub-classes 69 Assassin 70 Bomber 72 Grave Robber 74 Hospitaller 76 Hunter 78 Inquisitor 80 Jester 82 Knight 84 Lunatic 86 Mercenary 88 Minstrel 90 Oathsworn 92 Outsider 94 Piper 96

Plague Doctor98 Scout 100 Shaman 102 Shifter 104 Survivalist 106 Templar 108Chapter Nine - Metaphysics 111 Dominions 111 Religion 112Chapter Ten - The World 115 Nations 115 Zones 115Chapter Eleven - Enemies 119

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Foreword

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PrefaceFirst of all, thanks very much for taking a look at this game. It is the product of too much time and very little organization. I have done my best to create something original that feels familiar to an audience of roleplaying gamers. Please let me know if I was successful in this endeavor by sending feedback to the email provided a few pages back. Iamabigfanofroleplayinggames.UnfortunatelyformeIjustcannotfindagrouptoplaywithlocally. All of my experience with games lies in the good old college days with Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition, and also these early months of 2015 with Star Wars Revised. So if The Black Age bears uncanny similarities to the D20 system then do forgive me. It is all I know and it has some comfortable conventions. Withthedesiretoplaygamessittingthereunfulfilledfortheyearsaftercollege,Idecidedtolivevicariously through some of the play groups I discovered on YouTube. Through one of the members in those games I learned of an unforgiving RPG video game called Darkest Dungeon. I enjoyed the style, the storytelling, and the deadliness of the early version that was available. Somehow the idea of putting the concepts to paper wormed their way in to my head. I did not want to completely plagiarize what the game was, and hoped that I could create a larger system that allowed for richer roleplaying in an equally grimdark setting. That game and others (from Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem to Dishonored and Bloodborne) haveeachhadtheirowninfluencesonthemechanics.IhopethatcombatinThe Black Age feels quick and deadly as a result, but also rewarding and fun. The other hope is that combat is not all the game does well. Running around as a murder-hobo is good fun, but this game does not have such a narrow focus. Hopefully thewaythecharacterscaninteractwiththeworldanditsinhabitantswillfleshouttheexperience. If nothing else, designing has allowed me to use up a lot of my free time, and really provided a healthier mindset. Having a project provides wonders for your self-esteem when you feel motivated and productive. Seeing my family excited to hear about my progress has been a great reward in itself. So this is where I say thank you again. It means a lot that anyone has read this far. Please enjoy the rest of the document!

-Philip

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The Black Age is a tabletop roleplaying game that allows a small group of players to engage in a story of their own creation. With this rulebook those players will take on a role of their choosing, a protagonist with their own background and ambitions. This book will also prepare players for the world of Munderra, the gigantic sandbox where your characters live and die. Deathisguaranteed.Aluckyfewwillfinddeathinoldage.Manywillfinditattheedgeofablade, and the majority will pass with the creeping agony of disease. The Black Age is an apocalypse as it happens, with humanity facing a culling wrought by the terrible plague that seems born from a pale fog far to the north. There is no telling what brings the disease or how it passes between people, but few survive the corruption. Those who manage to pull throughsufferafflictionsoftheirmind,theirvirtuesrewritten by the hands of deperation. Your character is a survivor. For now. It is up toyouiftheyareahero,buttheyarecertainlyflawedfrom the start. Each character will face dangerous enemies, slip into madness, and submit to tempta-tions. Righteously, they will also support their party members, save the sick and injured, and try to salvage their own souls. If an apocalypse is a time of short-age, and the shortage in The Black Age is of decent humans, then your character is what will bring hope to the weary.

What you needThis rulebook. It contains as much information as the designers could think of that would be helpful for people who are living a second life inside this fantasy world. With at least one copy of this rulebook you can play with a group of 2 or more people. At least one of those people will have to be the Game Master. A Game Master prepares each session, narrates the story, controls the non-player characters, and makes ruledecisions.Theyshouldhaveaveryfirmunder-standing of the contents of this rulebook. A character sheet will be handy for keeping track of the abilities of your character. It will contain things like their hit points, their stability points, their skills, and more. A character sheet for photocopying

can be found in the back of this rulebook. A printable version can also be found online at ..............

You will need at least one ten-sided die (called a d10). This will be used for d10 rolls as well as d100 rolls (also called d%). Some d10 are numbered conve-niently from 00 to 9, and are packaged with a normal d10 numbered 1 to 10. These can be helpful. There are also d100s for sale, but are a little silly and probably not worth using. Lastly, the game is intended to make use of a mat when the party engages in combat. The mat should be marked with hexes like these:

A single hex represents 5 feet of space on the battle-field.Youcangetasfancyasyouwantwithdecoratingthe mat to represent dense forests and damp dun-geons.Youmayevencreateorbuysceneryorfiguresto represent the characters and their enemies. Just remember the scale of 5 feet per hex. Other than those important bits you will need things like pencil and loose paper. Of course, if you are playing this game online through some kind of group call application then there are digital dice rollers you can use. A great system for mapping, rolling, and other Game Master duties is the Roll20 app, found at Roll20.net.

Chapter One - About this game

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Chapter One - About this game

The BasicsWhat you do with this game is up to you, but what this game aims to do well is pit characters against their own fears. Overcoming those fears, surviving in battle, exploring the wilds; all of these things are possible for a player with enough skill. Just imagine yourself in the role of a knight charging his enemies down, or a priestofferingconsolationtothesufferinglittlefolk.Thereisplentyofadventureandmythologytofindin this rulebook. It is your portal to a grim world.

Munderra is a planet much like the one you and I live on. Humans are the only intelligent species, but the cultures are many and varied. Several kingdoms lie across the large continents, keeping law and order in a time of great upheaval. The distances between regions are huge, and travelling great spans over earth can take a lot of time. Even the greatest trade routes can take years to wander. It is trade routes such as these that allow commerce and culture to spread and mix.

Whenever a character is required to take certain actions they have to pass a test . Tests determine the success of using a skill, avoiding harm, and resisting mental drain. To see how your character fares on a test, roll d%.

• Roll two d10s.• Thefirstrollrepresentsthetensspacevalue,the

second represents the ones space value. A roll of 8 and 4 is 84. A roll of 9 and 10 is 100. A roll of 10 and 5 is 5. If you own a d10 numbered from 00 to 9, this is used for the tens space value.

• Compare the result to the test number given to you by the Game Master.

If the result is equal to or lesser than the test number, your character succeeds. If the result is higher than the test number, you fail. The test number will be referred to as Success Chance, or SC, from now on.

A class represents the way of life you choose for your character. It determines their background and gives youanicestartingpointfordefiningyourcharacterspersonality. Character creation in The Black Age is

fairly simple and straightforward, with much being determined just by a character’s class. The classes in this book are fairly exclusive from one another, but there is quite a bit of room for branching out as your character improves and moves forward with their profession.

Levels are a gauge of your character’s advancement in their class, and a way of determining their power and skill. A level 5 character is objectively better than a level 1 character. Yourcharacterwillusuallystartoffatlevel1(unless you are a veteran player whose Game Master is running an advanced game) and gain levels by aquiring experience points. Experience can be gained in a number of ways, from winning battles to helping the sick. Gaining a level will increase a character’s statistics as well as their social standing.

Hit points are a gauge of your character’s physical well being, and they can withstand only so much damage before they are knocked unconscious or start to die. Hit point loss represents general wear and tear as a result of taking blows in battle or being exposed to some other type of harmful elements. Wounds are serious, and represent deadly harminflictedonyourcharacter.Woundsareac-cumulated every time a part of your body takes Hit Point damage. With enough wounds, a limb can end up severed. Luckily, your hit points can be recovered and wounds can be healed through certain skills, class abilities, or even just natural regeneration. Just be mindful of your character’s condition before you make any quick decisions. There is no way to come back from death.

Stability points are a gauge of your character’s mental well being. People can only witness so many horrors beforethetraumabeginstohaveeffectstheiractions.DamagetoStabilityPointsthroughdifferentstresseswillmakeresistingnewstressesevenmoredifficult.Eventually, players may lose momentary control over their characters as the Game Master narrates their total loss of reason.

The World

The Core Mechanic

Class

Level

Hit Points and Wounds

Stability Points

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The Black Age

A character’s skills represent their abilities outside of combat scenarios. People can have many skills in which they are generally capable, but this game mechanizes a few where characters can be above average. A character will have a certain measure of success in their skills, representing how much training theyputintoaspecificskill.Whetherthecharacterwants to use a skill or the Game Master calls upon them to, a test is required as outlined before.

It is important to take the time to provide some ex-amples of tests while learning the basics of the game.

A typical skill test would be:John of Antior wants to try and use Jump to cross a wide gap. The Game Master determines the difficulty of the Jump and subtracts modifiers from John’s Jump skill SC. With the modified SC the GM says John has a 45% chance of succeeding. John rolls a 2 followed by a 9, a result of 29. This is a success!

A stress test:Theresa the Crow has been having a rough time in the catacombs. Traps, enemies, and the festering stinking blackness have taken a toll on her mind. She only has 35 Stability Points left. Some new horror has appeared in front of her, and the Game Master asks for a stress test. The test SC is equal to Theresa’s remaining Stabil-

ity Points. Theresa rolls an 8 followed by a 7, a result of 87. This is a failure.

A test to avoid harm:Trapper Laurence has met a territorial beast in the wilderness. It attacks him, and he wants to use his Block of 35% to avoid the damage. He rolls a 1 followed by a 6, a result of 16. This is a success!

In The Black Age, when you declare an attack, you do not have to roll to see if you hit your target. Your attack hits automatically. Or it would, if the target decided not to Dodge or Block the incoming damage. If the target fails in their test to avoid harm, you get to roll for how much damage you dealt with your attack. Characters also have techniques at their dis-posal which follow these same guidelines, but have special properties such as draining stability points or causingdebilitatingstatuseffects.

Using these mechanics, your character can try to ac-complishjustaboutanythingaslongasitfitsinthescene the Game Master describes. You may...

• Listen at a door• Solve a puzzle• Explore a tomb• Commune with a mystical being• Bargain with a peddlar• Intimidate a highwayman• Charm a noble• Dodge away from an attack• Ride a horse• Search for clues• Bluffaguardsman• Overcome temptations• Disable a trap• Swing across a gap• Run across the rooftops• Duck behind a pile of crates• Attack a hated enemy

So as you can see, everything ties back to taking tests. While the rules for making these rolls follow the core mechanic, each type of roll is used for a slightly dif-ferent purpose.

Skills

Tests

Attacks

Taking Action

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Chapter Two - Character CreationThis chapter can serve as a helpful guide to you as youfilloutyourcharactersheet.Besuretoatleastread Chapters Three through Five so you can get the most out of this overview.

Your character’s class is your starting point. It will serve as the building block for you background as well as all future hopes and endeavors. Choosing a class will determine the strengths and weaknesses of a character, so be sure to look over the features of each class in Chapter Three.

A belief can be as simple as “Everyone lies” to as determining as “I am the leader of the group”. When you choose a belief you should also explain how you willactonthatbelief.Yourbeliefshouldinfluencehow you roleplay, and sticking to that belief will earn you experience at the end of the session.

Instinct can drive your roleplaying in new and inter-estingdirections.Isyourinstincttofleeatthesightof rodents? Perhaps you are compelled to help as many plague victims as you can. Maybe you are so paranoid you are never without your sword. Letting your instinct take control of your character will earn you experience at the end of the session.

Bonds are useful for roleplaying your character’s rela-tionships and setting up camaraderie or drama within the party. Does your character know a secret about another party member? Maybe he or she has decided toinfluencethebeliefsofsomeoneelseinthegroup.Your character must have at least one bond per party member, and is welcome to have more. When you resolve your bond you gain experience at the end of the session. Resolving a bond lets you choose another with the same character.

Your character will start with two traits; one positive and one negative. Roll a d% for each table and record your result. More traits can be rewarded at the Game Master’s discretion, up to a max of 5.

Positive traits:Amateur Armorsmith -20% cost for repairing armor

Amateur Weaponsmith -20% cost for repairing weapons

Early Riser +2 Reaction in good light

Evasive +10% to Dodge SC

Hard Headed +15% to Dodge SC versus stuns

Hard Skinned +2 damage reduction

Hatred of Beasts +1d10 damage to beasts

Hatred of Horrors +1d10 damage to horrors

Hatred of Humans +1d10 damage to humans

Mediator +1d10 SP recovered from party rest

Night Owl +2 Reaction in poor light

On Guard +10%toDodgeandBlockSCinthefirstround of combat

Quickdraw +4Reactioninthefirstroundofcombat

QuickReflexes +2 Reaction

Second Wind +1d10 damage dealt when hit points are below 50%

Negative traits:Calm -1d10damagedealtinthefirstroundof

combat

Clumsy -10% to Dodge SC

Fear of Beasts -10% to stress test SC versus beasts

Fear of Horrors -10% to stress test SC versus horrors

Fear of Humans -10% to stress test SC versus humans

OffGuard -4 Reaction and -10% to Dodge SC in the firstroundofcombat

Nervous -10% to all stress test SCs

Nocturnal -2 Reaction in good light

Slowdraw -4Reactioninthefirstroundofcombat

SlowReflexes -2 Reaction

Thanataphobia -20% to stress test SC when hit points are below 50%

Winded -2 Reaction when hit points are below 50%

Choose a Class

Write Your Belief

Write Your Instinct

Choose your Bonds

Roll Your Traits

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Chapter Two - Character Creation

Eachclassoffersacombinationofregularattacksdealt with any weapon they wield and techniques specifictothatclass.Techniquesarespecialattacksor maneuvers your character can use in battle once they have reached the necessary level. While regular attacks can be made whenever, techniques have a “cooldown” that will limit how often a character uses them. Make note of the damage attacks and tech-niques deal at your level, and be sure to write down anyeffectsorcooldownsassociatedwithatechnique.

Classesalsoofferabilitiesthatyourcharactercanusein and out of battle, as a sign of their training and experience in their profession. Write these down on the appropriate section of the character sheet, along with their descriptions.

Your class determines how hardy your character is, represented by their hit points total. Classes have differenthitpointbonusestorepresentthesortoflifestyle that characters in that class would be used to. Be sure to write down what your class’s hit point bonusisforeasyreference.Thenyoucanfigureoutyour starting hit points. A level 1 character has the maximum number of hit points possible for their class. For example, if your character belongs to the Doctor class your hit point bonus is 4. Thus you have 14 hit points at level 1 (The maximum d10 result of 10 plus 4 for your class bonus). For every level after 1, roll a d10 and then add the class’s hit point bonus. The result is added to your total hit points. So when the same Doctor reaches level 2:

Amelia rolls a d10 with a result of 6. She adds her class bonus of 4 to get a total of 10 hit points

gained that level. These hit points are added to her maximum total hit points of 14, so her new total is 24. Amelia is now able to take more damage before

suffering some ill consequences.

Dodge and Block will allow your character to avoid harm in certain situations. Not every attack, trap, or spiritual force can be avoided. Your Game Master will let you know when it is possible to defend yourself with these features. Each class has a rating for Dodge and Block, indicating how they get better at avoiding harm as they gain levels. For more on these ratings please refer to Chapter Three. Everyone starts with a Dodge and Block SC of 15% at level 1 though, so this can be recorded now.

Every character has a speed of 30 feet. This is the distance they can move in a single round of combat. Yourcharacter’sspeedcanbeaffectedbythingsliketechniques and wounds.

Reaction is what will determine the turn order for combat.Classeshavedifferentreactionstorepresenthow quickly they are used to responding in danger-ous situations. Write yours down in preparation of meeting enemies in battle.

Mark down what you class description lists as your class’s skills. These class skills are easier for your character to perform. All other skills are harder, and some may not even be learned yet. Take not of how many skill points your char-acter gets as a result of being in their class. These skill points can be used to increase your character’s SC in a skill. For an extended explanation of skills read Chapter 4.

Classes also have a set of starting equipment and starting gold. These represent the career and salary that goes with being in a certain class. You are free to buy more equipment with your starting gold. Keep in mind that there is a cost of living to consider as well. Everything you end up keeping on your character at all times should be recorded.

Write Your Class Attacks and Techniques

Write Your Class Abilities

Hit Points

Dodge and Block

Speed

Reaction

Skills

Equipment

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The Black Age

With all of that overhead out of the way, it’s time to get personal. Come up with some details that will help you and others vizualize you character. A name shouldfitintothesettingandcultureofyourchar-acter’s origin. Chapter 10 will be helpful for getting accustomed to the people and places of Munderra. It will also be helpful to decide your character’s age. In The Black Age the age of expectancy is in the mid-thirties. It should be understood that this age is an average, pulled down by the death rate of young people due to the plague. It is normal for people to reach the age of 60 and over. Next is the physical appearance of your char-acter. Details such as gender, height, weight, eye and hair color, skin color can be established. You may even decidetofindanimagetorepresentyourcharacter.Those who have the skill can draw their character. Lastly you have the option to form the back-story of your character. You can be as detailed as you want, but always be sure that it makes sense for the setting. Most importantly is getting approval from your Game Master to use your backstory. A well formed history could easily come into the gameplay, withtheGameMasterhelpingyourcharacterfindtheir long lost sister or get revenge for the sabotage of their military career.

Add Some Flair

Ever been saidof that land, now dead,

that the peoplewere wanting for naught.‘Til along came a king

whose crown, a fine thing,hid his gaze.

‘Twas never caught.

“The man rules well,”his subjects would tell.

“What care have weof his lot?”

“It’s quite out of place.Why hide his face?”

said others,forming a plot.

The king heard and agreedwith a royal decree

to reveal who he was,on the spot.

The moment was nigh,beautiful day, sun high,

as people joked.“His nose is gone to rot.”Then the figure appeared,and the people cheered‘til they realized

what they had wrought.

An impossible sightfilled them with fright,their minds struck down

with a thought.“I wear no mask.”

“He wear’s no mask!”The name of this land

is forgot.

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Chapter Three - ClassesHonorablesoldiersfightinginthenameoftheirlord.Lowlyrobberstryingtomakeaprofitoffofotherpeoples misfortune. Caring doctors doing their best to staunchtheflowofcorpses.Theseclassesandotherscan be found in this chapter, a framework for you to build the rest of your character upon. Classes try not tobetoorestrictive,hopingtodefineacharacterthatwill grow in concept as you play.

The ClassesEight main classes are available in The Black Age. These classes represent regular walks of life for many of the people inhabiting the world. Classes do not necessarily make your character special. What you do with your character does.

The classes in this branch are comfortable on the battlefield.Theyareusedtothedangersofcombatandregularlyfightfortheirlives.

Soldier: A warrior with the best combat ability, trained tofightwithendurance.

Stalker: A cunning and skillful explorer, trained to survive in the wilderness.

The classes in this branch prefer to utilize charisma and skill when solving their problems. If push comes to stab, they can also mix lethality to their repetoire.

Bard: A student of creativity, trained to uplift the spirits of their comrades.

Scoundrel: A tricky rogue, trained to succeed by stealth over more brutish means.

The classes in this branch stand with one leg in science and the other in magic. They are endlessly curious and seek the answers to all of life’s secrets.

Alchemist: An inventive experimenter, trained to concoct useful draughts.

Doctor: A healer and surgeon, trained to save lives no matter what.

The classes in this branch keep their minds focused on ascension and understanding. They hope to surpass their own humanity through metaphysical means.

Cultist: An unstable summoner, trained to speak with presences from the hidden world.

Priest: An ordained minister, trained to bring them-selves enlightenment through spirituality.

As your character goes on adventures and completes tasks, discovers new areas, saves lives and take others, they will gain experience points. Experience points will allow your character to level up as they reach certain milestones. Progress is determined as such:

Experience:Level 1 0 Experience Points

Level 2 100

Level 3 300

Level 4 600

Level 5 1000

Level 6 1500

Level 7 2100

Level 8 2800

Level 9 3600

Level 10 4500

Blade and Shield

Cloak and Elegy

Needle and Germ

Faith and Zeal

Leveling Up

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Chapter Three - Classes

Class OverviewThe following is general information that will be covered in more detail in the class descriptions. The overview will prepare you for the layout of those descriptions.

The bonus used by the character each time they gain a level in the class.

Hit points bonus:+2 bonus Alchemist

+4 Bard, Cultist, Doctor, Rogue

+6 Priest, Ranger

+8 Soldier

When a level is gained in a class, the player rolls a d10 and adds the class’s hit point bonus to the roll. The result is added to the character’s hit point total. Remember that a level 1 character has the maximum hit points possible

Class skills are listed and start with an SC of 40% at level 1. General skills not listed start with an SC of 30% at level 1. Trained skills cannot be used if they are not in a class’s skill list. Trained skills start with an SC of 20% when they are purchased. Look into Chapter 4 to learn more about upgrading skills and what they can be used for. Next are the number of skill points a character gainsatfirstlevelandeverylevelthereafter.Thesepoints can be used to increase the SC of a character’s skills.

A character’s reaction dictates whether they will act firstorlastinaroundofcombat.Reactionisequaltothe character’s class bonus plus their character level.

As previously stated, Dodge and Block can be used to avoid harm in certain situations. Classes have dif-ferent ratings for the advancement of a character’s ability to avoid harm through Dodge and Block. While everyone starts on equal footing, they progress at differentrates.

Dodge/Block progress:Level Poor Average Good

1 15% 15% 15%

2 +5% +5% +5%

3 +0% +5% +10%

4 +5% +5% +5%

5 +0% +5% +10%

6 +5% +5% +5%

7 +0% +5% +10%

8 +5% +5% +5%

9 +0% +5% +10%

10 +5% +5% +5%

For more on how Dodge and Block work in combat, refer to Chapter Five.

This table will outline the class features a character gains from training and experience. Us it as a refer-ence when reading the class’s features

This section of the class description covers details on what a character can expect from their history and future in the class. First is the character’s starting equipment and starting gold, representing a small part of their professional life. Next, weapon and armor types will be listed which characters in their class are trained to use without taking penalties. The rest of the class’s entry will focus on the attacks, techniques, and abilities available at certain levels as shown in the class table. Attacks and some techniques that deal damage to their target will have a rating for advancement, just like Dodge and Block did. When you level up, be sure to check the follow-ing table and see if an attack or technique becomes stronger based on the rating given in the class’s de-scription.

Hit Points

Class Table

Skills

Reaction

Dodge and Block

Class Features

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The Black Age

Damage progress:Level Weak Poor Average Good Strong

1 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10 1d10

2 - - +1d10 +1d10 +1d10

3 - +1d10 - - +1d10

4 +1d10 - - +1d10 -

5 - +1d10 +1d10 +1d10 +1d10

6 - - +1d10 - +1d10

7 +1d10 +1d10 - +1d10 +1d10

-8 - - - +1d10 -

9 - +1d10 +1d10 - +1d10

10 +1d10 - +1d10 +1d10 +1d10

Anders rushed to Sir Tamerlin’s aid as the knight stum-bled into the alleyway. Some of the knight’s armor was removed,

and he pulled off his helmet after slumping down against the wall. As he tossed it to the side Anders could see the blood matting down Tamer-lin’s blonde hair. “Sir,” Anders started before being stopped by a raised hand. “The heathens...are in the city...” Sir Tamerlin’s breathing was ragged, and wheezed as he spoke. From where Anders knelt he could see a ragged wound had been dealt to the knight’s chest, through his armor. “I must get you to the hospital,” Anders distressed as he tried to raise Tamerlin. The dying man groaned and made no effort to lift himself, instead pushing the pommel of his sword to Anders’ chest. “Fight or die...” he whispered. Anders put his hand over the knight’s. For a little while there was only the sound of battle growing nearer, and Tamerlin’s wheezes growing fainter. Eventually the screaming and shouting were all that remained, and Anders was left with a beautiful sword. He trembled there in the alley for only a few seconds before putting on what pieces of Tamerlin’s armor he could manage by himself, which also happened to fit. He ended up feel-ing very small and unprepared. Lastly, he said a prayer over the body of the man he had been squired to. He prayed that the spirit of this knight find peace in the beyond. He prayed that Iea recognize his servant’s sacrifice in Her holy name. A deafening crash from the nearby street, and the crying of a girl. Anders turned from the corpse and started to walk out of the alley. Smoke clouded his eyes, death choked his lungs, and fear gripped his heart. He knew he was going to perish here, his life unfulfilled, and he cried as he raised Tamerlin’s sword. His only wish was that when the moment came, he have someone by his side too.

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AlchemistAlchemists are formally educated students of natural and metaphysical science. They make use of their intelligence and understanding to experiment with changing the physical nature of people and things. They usually live in civilized regions of the world. Because they are more comfortable indoors on a college campus, they are not the best suited class to be running about in the wilderness. If they can they will include themselves in expeditions in order to pick up materials for their labs.

Alchemists come from middle-class or high-class backgrounds. They gained an interest in the sci-ences while in school and turned it into a profession. Alchemists are not necessarily motivated by riches, but several do their best to create wealth from what is comparitively nothing. Men and women in this class genuinely want to advance the course of human knowledge. For them the best way to improve life for allpeopleisthroughscientificdiscovery.

The alchemist is capable in a narrow focus of life’s experiences. They study and experiment almost sin-gle-mindedly in their interests, though it isn’t rare for him or her to spread themselves thin across dif-ferentscientifictrials.Asalchemistsgainexperiencethey open new doors for themselves in their pursuit of knowledge.

Hit points: An alchemist gains 1d10+4 hit points every level.

Class skills: Appraise, Knowledge (dominions), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Persuade, Literacy, Sleight of Hand, Spot

Skill points: An alchemist gains 4 skill points every level.

Reaction: An alchemist’s reaction is equal to 2 + their character level

Dodge: Average Block: Poor

Alchemist class table:Level Technique Ability

1 Brew Potion

2 Blight

3

4

5 Vial Toss

6

7 Splash

8

9 Firebomb

10

Starting equipment: Candles, ink, lens, parchment, quill, scale

Starting gold: 5d10

Weapon proficiency: Simple

Armor proficiency: Light

Attacks:When an alchemist uses a melee weapon it is a Weak attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If an alchemist uses a ranged weapon it is an Average attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:Blight is a Poor technique that gives an adjacent target theSickstatuseffectuntiltheyarethesujectofasuccessful Treat Injury skill test or receive hit point healing. Cooldown is 2 rounds

Vial Toss is a Good technique that can reach a target 20 feet away. Cooldown is 3 rounds

Splash is a Weak technique that creates a 10 foot cone affectinganareaadjacenttothealchemist.Anyonein the area must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points. This stability point damage does not increase with higher levels. Cooldown is 4 rounds

Firebomb is a Strong technique with a range of 20 feet that damages everyone standing in an area of 2

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

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The Black Age

hexes by 2 hexes. Cooldown is 5 rounds

Abilities:Brew Potion allows an alchemist to create a number of transformative or utility draughts.

22


BardBardsareperformerswhomakealivingoffoftheirtalent with instrument and voice. This allows them to provide the pacifying arts that are so highly valued among commoners and royalty alike in these dark times. Bard’s can be found in every culture living any kind of lifestyle. Adventuring away from hearth and home is normal for a bard, and many relish the thought of travelling with a group to seek fortune and fame.

Bards can come from a variety of backgrounds, with some being trained by the masters in a college art program and others being naturally talented rural folk-artists. Some wander looking to make a few coin or just earn a hot meal. Others set out from the start to make a name for themselves. Others may not set outatall,findingemploymentinalord’scourtorata theatre.

Abardwillalwaysconsideradvancingtheirtalentfirstand foremost. It is this which allows them to make a living, support their friends and allies, and soothe the minds of all who listen. Their lifestyles also provide them with worldly knowledge that is sure to help in lands foreign to the rest of the party.

Hit points: A bard gains 1d10+4 hit points every level.

Class skills: Hide, Jump, Knowledge (local), Knowl-edge (nobility), Listen, Perform (any), Persuade, Search, Spot

Skill points: A bard gains 6 skill points every level.

Reaction: An bard’s reaction is equal to 6 + their character level.

Dodge: Average Block: Average

Bard class table:Level Technique Ability

1

2 Cacophony

3

4 Rouse

5

6 Soothe

7

8 Quickstep

9

10

Starting equipment: Change of clothes, ink, instru-ment (any portable), parchment, quill

Starting gold: 3d10



Attacks:When a bard uses a melee weapon it is a Poor attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If a bard uses a ranged weapon it is an Average attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:Cacophony is a Poor technique that creates a 10 foot coneaffectinganareaadjacenttothebard.Cooldownis 3 rounds.

Rouseisapartybuffthatincreasesattackandtech-nique damage by 1d10 for as long as the bard maintains the technique. Cooldown is 2 rounds.

Sootheaffectsthebard’salliesbyrestoring1d10sta-bility points. Soothe can only be used in combat. Cooldown is 5 rounds.

Quickstepisapartybuffthatincreasesspeedby10feetandReactionby2.Theeffectlastsforaslongasthebard maintains the technique. Cooldown is 4 rounds.

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

23

The Black Age

Abilities:

24


CultistA cultist is a radical practitioner of secret rituals conducted in search of eldritch truths. The majority of known cults are labelled as heretical by the large organized religions of the world, for use of amoral methods. Cults to the Dominions are focused on making contact with metaphysical presences outside of human existence, the very forces that control reality. Anyone walking down the street could belong to a dangerous cult of power-hungry fanatics.

A cultist does not need to be trained in a certain focus or come from a certain lifestyle. Members of a cult are in plain sight, like the man behind the counter at the bank or the noblewoman who seems to have too much time on her hands. Anyone who is unscrupulous about gaining power can show interest in joining a cult. Or maybe a character is called into creating a cult after recieving visions and messages from a time and place beyond our own. The number of cults is unknown, but large.

Because of their dealings in matters that are not usually thought about by the general population, cultists are more used to the weird and out of place. TheywitnesstheeffectstheDominioinshaveonour world every day. In their minds there is nothing which is not capable through otherworldly aid. This does not exempt their minds from being unable to comprehend the hidden truths they seek.

Hit points: A cultist gains 1d10+4 hit points every level.

Class skills:Bluff,Knowledge(dominions),Knowl-edge (horrors), Listen, Literacy, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand

Skill points: A cultist gains 4 skill points every level.

Reaction: A cultist’s reaction is equal to 4 + their character level.

Dodge: Good Block: Average

Cultist class table:Level Technique Ability

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Starting equipment: Bell, candles, chalk, hourglass

Starting gold: 4d10



Attacks:When a cultist uses a melee weapon it is an Average attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If a cultist uses a ranged weapon it is an Average attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

25

The Black Age

Abilities:

26


DoctorAdoctorinTheBlackAgeisverydifferentfromwhatyou are used to in the modern era. Doctors in this time have no idea what a germ is. Sickness is thought to be caused by an imbalance within the body, caused by “ill humours”. Treating the sick was not focused on scientificmedicine,butratherobservationandspiri-tualinfluencessuchasdestinyandsin.That’snottosay there is a lack of procedures for treating patients. Leeching blood, treating sword and arrow wounds, pulling teeth, giving anesthetics to those who could affordit,trepanning,amputation,andcauterizationwere regularly employed methods of care.

Some might say there is a heirarchy in a town with a university, with educated physicians on top and craft-trained surgeons, dentists, and charitable clergy following. In rural areas, it is usually members of reli-gious orders who are the source of medical knowledge and cures.

A doctor in The Black Age is going to have more work than they can handle. Thousands of people are dying in every city, every week. This does not discourage the doctor, and instead incites him or her to work harder to foind a cure for the terrible plague. They understand there may be some risk to exposing themselves to the illness, but they care not.

Hit points: A doctor gains 1d10+4 hit points every level.

Class skills: Knowledge (local), Listen, Persuade, Literacy, Search, Spot

Skill points: A doctor gains 4 skill points per level.

Reaction: A doctor’s reaction is equal to 6 + their character level.

Dodge: Poor Block: Poor

Doctor class table:Level Technique Ability

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Starting equipment: Alcohol, lard, needle/thread, oil, razor, wax

Starting gold: 6d10



Attacks:When a doctor uses a melee weapon it is a Weak attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If a doctor uses a ranged weapon it is an Average attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

27

The Black Age

Abilities:

28


PriestThepriestclassdoesnotrefertotheclergyofaspecificreligion. Rather, it provides a general framework for the men and women ordained to minister for any of the large religions. While teachings, scriptures, and beliefs can vary

Hit points: A priest gains 1d10+6 hit points every level.

Class skills:

Skill points: A priest gains 6 skill points every level.

Reaction: A priest’s reaction is equal to 2 + their character level.

Dodge: Poor Block: Average

Priest class table:Level Technique Ability

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Starting equipment:

Starting gold: 2d10



Attacks:When a priest uses a melee weapon it is a Poor attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If a priest uses a ranged weapon it is an Average attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

29

The Black Age

Abilities:

30


Scoundrel

Hit points: A rogue gains 1d10+4 hit points every level.

Class skills:Bluff,Climb,Hide,Jump,Listen,MoveSilently, Sleight of Hand, Search, Spot, Use Rope

Skill points: A rogue gains 8 skill points every level.

Reaction: A rogue’s reaction is equal to 8 + their character level.

Dodge: Good Block: Poor

Rogue class table:Level Technique Ability

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Starting equipment: Candles, chalk, crowbar, dice, drill, lock picks, saw, mirror, rope

Starting gold: 4d10



Attacks:When a rogue uses a melee weapon it is an Average attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If a rogue uses a ranged weapon it is an Average attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

31

The Black Age

Abilities:

32


Soldier

Hit points: A soldier gains 1d10+8 hit points every level.

Class skills: Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (local), Listen, Search, Spot, Use Rope

Skill points: A soldier gains 4 skill points every level.

Reaction: A soldier’s reaction is equal to 4 + their character level.

Dodge: Poor Block: Good

Soldier class table:Level Technique Ability

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Starting equipment:

Starting gold: 3d10

Weapon proficiency: Simple, Trained

Armor proficiency: Heavy

Attacks:When a soldier uses a melee weapon it is a Strong attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If an soldier uses a ranged weapon it is an Average attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

33

The Black Age

Abilities:

34


Stalker

Hit points: A ranger gains 1d10+6 hit points per level.

Class skills: Climb, Jump, Knowledge (dominions), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim

Skill points: A ranger gains 8 skill points per level.

Reaction: A ranger’s reation is equal to 6 + their char-acter level.

Dodge: Average Block: Average

Ranger class table:Level Technique Ability

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Starting equipment:Bedroll,fishhooks, lantern,shovel,spyglass,tent,firestarter

Starting gold: 3d10

Weapon proficiency: Simple, Trained

Armor proficiency: Medium

Attacks:When a ranger uses a melee weapon it is an Average attack that can reach an adjacent target.

If a ranger uses a ranged weapon it is a Strong attack that can reach a target 60 feet away.

Techniques:

Background

Characteristics

Game Rule Info

Class Features

35

The Black Age

Abilities:

37

Chapter Four - SkillsIn the context of this game, a character’s skills rep-resent their growing mastery over certain actions or comprehensions. Skills cover a wide range of cat-egories, and can be used in or out of combat when necessary.

Skill OverviewWhen you choose your class at level 1, you are also choosing your character’s talents in the form of class skills.Thesespecificskillsshowadegreeoftrainingrising from their career or lifestyle, and so they are more likely to succeed when using these skills. Some skills may not be on the class’s list, but are a type of action that anyone would be capable of. These general skills initially have a smaller degree of success than class skills. Theremainingskillsthatareneitherspecifictoyour character’s class nor generally known will require training. They are outside of the normal experiences for someone in his or her shoes. These are untrained skills.

Before spending your skill points, skill SCs are:

• Class skill SC = 40%• General skill SC = 30%• Untrained skill = cannot attempt

Using a skill point will increase a skill’s SC by 5%. You can not increase a skill’s SC more than once in a single level up. The highest a class skill SC can be at level 1 is 45%. The highest a general skill SC can be at level 1 is 35%. If you want, you can spend 1 skill point at any level up to purchase an untrained skill. This will allow your character to use that skill with an SC of 20%. You can not unlock an untrained skill and upgrade it in the same level up.

Skill points per level:Alchemist, Cultist, Doctor, Soldier 4 skill points every level

Bard, Priest 6 skill points every level

Ranger, Rogue 8 skill points every level

We cannot include a skill for every bit of knowledge and discipline a character has because it would com-plicate the game endlessly. Skills in The Black Age then represent areas where your character is above average in their experience. The game’s skills are mainly for use in dramatic situtations where there is a lot that depends on a character’s success or failure. Taking on a routine task in a normal situation, on the other hand, probably wont require a skill test. In a dramatic situation, any number of cicum-stanceswillaffectyourcharacter’sactions.Thiswillberepresentedbymodifierstotherelevantskill’sSC.Thesemodifierscanbepositiveornegativeandaredetermined by the Game Master.

Skill tests use the same d% core mechanic as the rest ofthegame,butbecauseofthosemodifiersthemathis a little more involved. When making a skill test roll,besuretotakeallmodifiersintoconsideration.To make a skill test:

• Check the SC of the skill being used• Addorsubtractallmodifiersdealingwithcircum-

stance, armor, wound, trait, and ability.• Roll d%

If the roll is equal to or lower than the SC, the character passes the test and carries out the skill. For some simply succeeding is not enough and degrees of success become important. It may just come down to Game Master preference, but passing a test by 10% 0r higher could be a greater success, while passing by 20% or higher could be a perfect success. In these situations, more options become available to the succeeding character.

Skills are categorized under their ruling attributes, mind or body. These two groups indicate the ways inwhichcertainmodifiersareapplied,suchasthoseresultingfrominjuriesorstatuseffects.

Upgrading Skills

Using Skills

Skill Tests

Mind and Body

38

Chapter Four - Skills

So the results of a skill test are not of a binary “yes or no” nature. This is doubly true of a skill test that can be opposed by another character. When a skill like BlufforHideisused,acharactermaywanttouseSenseMotivetochecktheBlufforSpottofindtheperson who used Hide. It is very important that the Game Master rule when an opposing skill test can be made. The knowledge of the players is greater than the knowl-edge of the characters. The players are privy to almost everything as it happens and will want to use Sense Motive if they know someone is lying or Spot if they know someone used Hide in this room. Skills are not passive, they are entirely active. That is to say, unless the character knows to take action they do not get a chance to use a skill. For example:

Sayid has entered the palace undetected. He sticks to the roofs and rafters, making Move Silently tests. The guards on the ground, balconies, and walls do not make Listen tests because they have no reason

to suspect an intruder. Their regular watches are no match for Sayid’s skill.

While stealing the sultan’s jeweled dagger, Sayid was discovered by the princess. Her scream alerted the guards. Sayid was able to make it back outside,

but now when he uses Hide or Move Silently, the guards get to use Spot or Listen to find him.

When a situation such as this arises, it is pos-sible for both parties involved to succeed.

Sayid has slipped into the palace gardens to avoid narrow hallways. He succeeds at passing Hide tests

to make his way through the garden unseen. The guards that were following him also passed their

Spot tests, and found the trail he is leaving behind in the grass. They begin to close in.

Thatiswhen“skillconflict”starts.Imaginebothparties in a tug-of-war where more successes leads to overall victory. The number of successes required for victory is up to Game Master adjudication based on the situation, but getting two successes more than your opponent is key at the least.

Sayid is proving to be a slippery eel, and the guards failed their latest Spot check. They cannot find his tracks any more, but they have a general idea of

where he was going. They exit the other side of the garden and make a new Spot test, failing. They keep running forward, not knowing any better, and pass

the wily thief Hiding in a dark alcove.

Socialskillconflictworksthesame,andhope-fully provides a good framework for roleplaying con-versations and intrigue between player and non-player characters.

Iago, leader of the sultan’s Red Right Hand, has found Sayid’s hideout. Sayid’s party and Iago’s are at a stand-off, not wanting to enter combat unless

necessary. Iago only demands that Sayid come with him. The brute of Sayid’s group tries to use

an Intimidate test to scare the enforcers away but fails. Iago succeeds in his opposing Intimidate test, taking control of the skill conflict. He and his men will not back down. Another in Sayid’s group sees how poorly that went and tries to be Diplomatic instead, succeeding. Iago fails his Diplomacy test

and admits that they have no hard evidence to support being here, just the reputation of Sayid’s crew and the princess’s vague description of the

thief. Sayid takes the opportunity to use his great Bluff skill and spins a tale about where he was that evening. Iago uses Sense Motive to suss out if the rogue is lying, and fails. The skill conflict is over,

and Iago leaves, but not before warning the group that they have the full attention of the Red Right

Hand.

Keep in mind that these examples heavily favored the player characters. It is entirely possible for skillconflictstogopoorlyfortheparty,andshouldbe seen as a good way of progressing the action and opening new storytelling doorways. Skillconflictsshouldprovideanewmeanstoresolve dramatic situations. Not everyone wants to solve problems with combat in The Black Age. Some players may be used to that solution in other systems, but it should rarely provide the best outcome when characters have options to consider. People value their lives more than video games or television would have you think, and murder always has repercussions.

Skill Conflict

39

The Black Age

If you fail a skill test, you may have a chance to try again if you have the time and are not in a skill con-flict.However,manyskillshavenaturalconsequencesto failing.

Lizzy isn’t a great climber, but she’s made it halfway up the wall anyways. She failed her latest Climb test, and doesn’t make any upward progress. She

tries again, but the strength in her arms has given out and she fails the test by 10% or more. She falls

off the wall, which we hope isn’t lethal.

The Game Master has a couple of options open tohimorher.Theycanusetheskillconflicttug-of-war mechanic to see how success and failure works for the character, or they can use degrees of success, or they can use both as in the example above. Failing canevenincreasedifficultyforthenexttry.

All skills take time to use, from taking up an action in combat (actions will be described in more detail in chapter 5) to taking an hour or more to resolve. The descriptions of the skills later in this chapter will indicate how long a test can be expected to take. There may be times for using a skill outside of dramatic situations. These moments are when your character is not in a rush and not being threatened. While it is up to the Game Master to allow it, at these times your character can succeed at generally routine tasks given their natural skill. No skill test required. This does not apply to untrained skills.

Lizzy survived her fall and is more determined than ever to make the climb. Her window of opportunity

for meeting her contact has closed after falling. There is no longer a dramatic risk to carrying out the skill test. She decides to take it slowly, sacrific-

ing several minutes to ensure success.

Remember that distractions and danger make it impossible to ask for automatic success, as does a test that the Game Master deems is too challenging for the character.

Sometimes your character will want to help another character to make sure they pass a skill test. As long as you are both trained in the skill, this is possible. If the helper is successful in their skill test, the other character gets a +10% bonus to their skill test SC.

Alistair is trained to use the Treat Injury skill, but not so well that he can stop his ally from dying on

his own. Dr. Hawkens, on the other hand, can try to pass the Treat Injury skill test to stabilize the bleed-ing man. Alistair passes the test against his unmod-ified Treat Injury SC. This aid allows Dr. Hawkens to add +10% to the various modifiers of her own Treat

Injury SC.

Cooperation like this can be limited by the Game Master, who determines how many cooperators are allowed or if cooperation is even possible.

Trying Again

Skill Tests and Time

Skill Cooperation

“Help! He-”Zallary was just regain-

ing her bearing when she heard the cries. Another sailor, not too far away, floundering in the open waters. She swam over just as his head seemed to disappear for good. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up for air. “Swim!” she ordered. “Kick your damn feet!” With her help they were able to make it to a piece of the Alba-tross that happened to not be burn-ing. Zallary noticed then that it was the cabin boy, Alex, whom she had saved. Eventually he stopped retching up water. “Thank you,” he said softly. Zallary was looking out, be-yond the bodies and the debris, where there was only ocean that stretched until it met the sky. “Thank me when we aren’t sure to die of thirst.”

40


Skills:Skill General

SkillAlchemist Bard Cultist Doctor Priest Ranger Rogue Soldier Time

Appraise No

Bluff Yes

Climb Yes

Diplomacy Yes

Disable Device No

Grapple Yes

Hide Yes

Intimidate Yes

Jump Yes

Knowledge No

Listen Yes

Literacy No

Move Silently Yes

Perform No

Pick Lock No

Ride No

Search Yes

Sense Motive Yes

Sleight of Hand No

Speak Language No

Survival No

Swim Yes

Treat Injury No

Trip Yes

Use Rope Yes

If a skill is a general skill, it does not require training to use. If a skill requires training, then a class can not use that skill unless it is a class skill or the character has purchased it.

41

The Black Age

Skill DescriptionsThissectionwillcoverthetypicalusesandmodifiersinvolved with skills. Not every use of a skill will be covered so don’t be afraid of getting creative with your exploits. Skills will follow in alphabetical order, and are arranged as such:

Name: The particular skill being describedGeneral Skill: “Yes” or “No”. General skills can be used without training, and start with an SC of 30. Skills that are not general require training and can not be used unless they are a class skill, or until they are purchased.Armor Penalty: Some skill tests will be penalized if you attempt them while wearing armor.Test: What you can do with a successful skill test result.Retry: The conditions that apply to repeated attempts to pass a skill test sucessfully.Special: Any extra notes for using the skill.Time: How long it takes to use the skill.

General Skill: No Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use appraise to estimate the value of practi-callyanyobject.TheSCforappraiseismodifiedbythe rarity of the object. If the object is common then there is no penalty. If the object is ucommon the SC takes a -10% penalty. If the item is rare then the SC takes a -25% penalty. If your character succeeds at passing the test then the Game Master will give you a value within 10% of true value. Failure gives you a result within 50% or greater of true value. Use the appraise skill to try and gain an ad-vantage before you start to haggle when buying or selling items. It can help you know if you are being taken for a sap or have discovered a deal that is too good to pass up.Retry: Not on the same object.Special: Using degrees of success for the outcome of skill tests can narrow the character’s percieved value of an object.Time: Appraising an item takes about a minute to resolve.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest:Useblufftotellaconvincinglie.TheSCforbluffcanbemodifiedinacoupleofways.Forexample,the outlook of your target for this skill is important. Ifthepersonyouaretryingtobluffisfriendly,thereisnomodifier.Iftheyareunfriendly,thereisa-10%modifiertotheSC. The believability of the lie is also important. Ifthelieorstoryisbelievable,thereisnomodifica-tion.Ifthestoryisunlikelythereisa-10%modifier.IfthelieisflatoutunbelievablethentheSCtakesa-25%modifier. Even if a character succeeds at passing the test thetargetofthebluffskillwillgettomakeaSenseMotiveskilltest,asapartofskillconflict.Failureoutsideofskillconflictusuallymeanstheliewasnotconvincing,andgetsyourcharacterwavedoff. Usingbluffcanhelpgetyourcharacteroutofa sticky situation or make sure people believe your side of a story.Retry: The person is too suspicious to retry under the same circumstances.Special: A character can not take the time to make a blufftestautomaticallysucceed.Time:Abluffcantakeonlyafewseconds.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: YesTest: Use climb to scale the outside wall of a build-ing or clamber up a tree. There are quite a number of conditionsthatwillaffecttheSCofaclimbtest.Firstof all consider if the surface is sloping or not. If the climbisgoingtobevertical,thereisnomodification.Iftheclimbisupaninclinethenadda+5%modifier.If the climb is up some sort of overhanging surface, themodifiertoSCis-10%. Next to consider is the state of the surface. If there are plenty of hand and footholds, there is nomodifier.Iftheholdsarefeworfarapartthereisa-10%modifiertotheSC.Ifthesurfaceisbareorslicked the SC is reduced by -25%. Having a rope to climb will help greatly, and increase the SC to a maximum of 90%. Succeeding at a climb test will allow your char-

Appraise

Bluff

Climb

42


acter to move at half of their speed up or along the surface as a move action. If you wish to climb faster youwilltakemorenegativemodifierstoyourclimbSC. Failure means your character makes no progress. Failure by 10% or more can mean that your character falls. Since you cannot move to avoid harm while climbing, you can not use dodge or block for attacks made against your character. If you are attacked while climbing,makeaskilltestusingyourunmodifiedskill SC to keep your hold. If you fail you fall. Climbing is often a necessary means of moving, such as making your way up a canyon’s walls or pulling yourself up the rigging of a ship.Retry: Failing stops your progress, allowing you to retry. Failing by 10% or more means your character falls.Special: A character can take the time to automati-cally succeed a climb test if they are not in danger, andifthemodifierstotheirSCdonotmakesuccessimpossible.Time: Climbing lets your character move half of their speed as a move action. If you want to move faster up thesurfacetheirwillbeadditionalnegativemodifiersto consider.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use diplomacy to coax others into seeing things yourway.Aswiththebluffskillyourtarget’spercep-tionofyourcharacterwillaffecttheSC.Iftheyarefriendlythereisnomodification,andiftheyareunfriendly the SC is reduced by -10%. What your character hopes to get from their target also comes into play. If you are looking for generalinformation,thereisnomodifier.Tryingtogetasecretoutofsomeonecarriesa-10%modifier.Ifyou want to get aid or knowledge that would endanger the target, the SC is reduced by -25%. Succeeding at a diplomacy test initiates skill conflict,whichallowsthetargettouseanyoftheother social skills in response. Failure outside of skill combat means the situation is not going to go your way. Diplomacy is the best way to get information without being belligerent. Diplomacy is also useful forhagglingagoodpriceornegotiatingeffectively.

Retry: Initially failing the skill test means the target is set in their opinion, committed to their position. Influencingthemfurtherisfutile.Special: A character can not take the time to make a diplomacy test automatically succeed.Time: Being diplomatic takes a few seconds.

General Skill: No Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use disable device to secure traps and other simple mechanisms. Your character will require the necessary equipment for taking this action. If you want to make a disable device test, the Game Master will be the one to carry it out. A simple machine with a few moving parts causes no penalty to the SC. A complex trap with pieces for arming and firingdecreasestheSCby-15%. When the Game Master carries out the test they will keep the result to themselves. If your char-acter succeeded they disabled the device. If you failed you can try again, unless the device is a trap in which case you dont know if you succeeded or failed. If you failed by 10% or more something goes wrong, and if it’s a trap your character has sprung it. Disable device is useful for solving simple mechanical puzzles, bypassing rudimentary locking mechanisms, and disarming traps.Retry: If your character is aware they failed, and didn’t spring the trap or break the mechanism, they can try againSpecial: A character can take the time to succeed at solving a puzzle or disabling a machine if they are not in danger. They can not take the time to automatically succed at disarming a trap.Time: Disabling a device can take a few seconds, usually longer than a round of combat.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: NoTest: Grapple will allow your character to restrict the movement and attacks of their opponent. When your character uses grapple it initiates a unique sort of skillconflict.TheSCisbasedonyourgrappleskillaswell as that of your opponent. If your grapple skill is betterthanyouropponent’s,theSCisnotmodified.If they are more skilled at grappling than you, the SC

Diplomacy

Disable Device

Grapple

43

The Black Age

is reduced by -10%. If you succeed at the grapple, you both take a -20% penalty to your block SC to avoid harm. Neither opponent can use dodge to avoid harm when in a grapple. Both opponents can only use attacks or tech-niques with a target range of adjacent. Only the person who is in charge of the grapple (the one who initiated it) can move out of the grapple. A person can try to gain control of the grapple on their own turn as an attack action, using the grapple skill. When your character successfully uses grapple itinitiatesauniquesortofskillconflict.Controlofthe grapple is determined by successful skill tests that can be taken on each character’s turn. Failing a test simply means the two opponents are still locked in combat. If your character failed to make the initial grapple skill test that would have started the skill conflict,theirtargetgetsafreeriposteattackwiththeir melee weapon. Grapple can be used to keep an inportant contractfromfleeing,ortomakesureadangerousenemyisengagedwithyourbestfighter.Retry: You can retry a failed grapple test on your turn during combat as an attack actionSpecial: A character can only take the time to succeed at a grapple if they are not in combat and their target is not aware of their presence.Time: Initiating the grapple is an attack action, but the grapple itself can last for several rounds.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: YesTest: Use hide when you want to keep out of sight. Thelightlevelcanaffectyourchancesofbeingseenby anyone looking for you. In darkness there is no modifiertotheSC.InpoorlighttheSCgoesdownby -5%, and in good light the SC is reduced by -10%. Hiding behind cover is a good way to stay hidden as well. Being out in the open gives your char-actera-25%modifiertotheirSC.Partialcovergivesnomodification,whilefullcoveradds+10%totheSC. Succeeding with a hide test will allow your character to move half their speed as a move action. If you want to move faster you will take additional negativemodifiers.FailingaHidetestmeansyour

character was seen. Keep in mind that a character can not use hide when they are being observed. If youareusinghideaspartofaskillconflict,successandfailurewillhavescalingeffects. Hide is useful for tailing someone from the shadows or approaching a bandit camp through the cover of trees and bushes.Retry:Outsideofskillconflict,failuremeansyouhave been seen and you can not retry unless you leave line of sight. Even then someone will know where youwent.Inskillconflict,failurecanmeangreaterdanger of being noticed.Special: A character can automatically succeed at a hide test if no one is looking for them, and nobody can see them.Time: Hiding is an attack action, and moving while hiding takes a move action. Moving lets a character progress at half their speed, or faster if they take ad-ditionalnegativemodifierstotheirSC.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoTest: Use intimidate if you want to demoralize or coerce your target into an action. Like other social skills, intimidate’seffectivenessispartiallydeter-mined by how the target views your character. If the targetisfriendlythereisnomodifiertothetestSC.Iftheyareunfriendlythereisa-10%modifier. Your intentions also factor into the SC of the test. For learning general information there is no modifier.Beingletinonasecretcarriesa-10%modi-fier,andtryingtocoercesomeoneintogivingyouaidor knowledge that would endanger themselves has a -25%modifier. Succeeding at an intimidate test can start skill conflict.Successandfailureinskillconflictmovestheconversationtodifferentoutcomes.Failureoutsideofskillconflictmeansthetargetwasnotimpressed.Whether you succeed or fail, the target of an intimi-date is usually unfriendly to your character after they have given him or her what they want. Intimidate is useful for getting someone to back away from a confrontation, give up a possession, or reveal information. You can not have someone obey your every command or risk their life for youRetry: Unlike the other social skills, intimidate is not typically used more than once even if you succeed. The

Hide

Intimidate

44


target can only be so intimidated. An initial failure to itimidate sees the target becoming resistant to the intimidator, and retries are futile.Special: A character can not take the time to make an intimidate check automatically succeed.Time: Intimidating someone can take a few seconds.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: YesTest: Use jump to leap across gaps or reach high ledges. A horizontal jump requires 10 feet of running space before the jump. Not having a running start doubles the following modifers:• 5feet-nomodification• 6 feet - (-5%)• 7 feet - (-15%)• 8 feet - (30%)• 9 feet - (-50%)• 10 feet - impossible A vertical jump does not require a running start. A character can grab a ledge above them based on their height:• 1footoverhead-nomodification• 2 feet overhead - (-5%)• 3 feet overhead - (-15%)• 4 feet overhead - (-30%)• 5 feet overhead - impossible Succeeding at a jump gets your character where they wanted to be. Jumping a distance in combat counts as a move action. Failing a jump test can result in a fall. Jump can be useful for crossing chasms or hurdling over low walls. Jump can also be used for intentionally jumping down from a height to avoid damage.Useyourcharacter’sunmodifiedjumpskillSC,andiftheypasstheyignorethefirst10feetoffalling damage.Retry: Usually only vertical jumps can be retried.Special: A character can only try to automatically succeed a jump test if they are not distracted and there is no danger of falling.Time: Jumping is a move action.

General Skill: No Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Knowledge covers a wide range of unrelated

studies and interests:• Beasts - knowledge of the ways to deal with dan-

gerous animals living in the wilderness.• Chemistry-scientificstudyofthepropertiesof

substances.• Crime - knowledge of the culture and business

practices of criminals.• Culture - knowledge of cultures and societies

foreign to your own.• Dominions - knowledge of the ways the meta-

physical reveals itself to humans.• Geography - knowledge of the physical features

of a region.• History - knowledge of past events that were im-

portant to the development of society• Horrors - knowledge of the ways to deal with

creatures from another time and place.• Local - knowledge of people and places within a

certain region.• Medicine-scientificstudyofmaintaininggood

health and alleviating disease.• Nobility - knowledge of the customs and policies

of those in power.• Religion - knowledge of the teachings and rites

of the world’s religions. Recalling information or answering a question withinyourrangeofexperiencecarriesnomodifierfor easy questions, -10% for uncommon knowledge, and -20% or higher for tricky questions. Succeeding a knowledge test means your char-acter brings up some useful insight into the situation. Failing means your character doesn’t know. Use kowledge if you want your character to gain an advantage they didn’t have before, like an enemy’s weakness or the way to alleviate someone’s pain.Retry: No. The test represents what your character knows, and you can’t try to recall what you didn’t learninthefirstplace.Special: If a character does not have training in an area of Knowledge, they can only know the most general information about that subject. A character can not automatically succeed at a knowledge skill test. It is not possible to take the time to know something you never learned.Time: Testing your knowledge is a full-round action

Jump

Knowledge

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The Black Age

General Skill: Yes Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use listen to percieve what is happening around yourthroughsound.Thecharacter’sSCismodifiedby how much noise is being made by what you are listening for:• A boulder crashing toward you - (+25% to a

maximum of 90%)• A nearby skirmish - (+10% to a maximum of 90%)• Someonewalking-nomodification• A secret conversation - (-10%)• The picking of a lock - (-25%) The Game Master may make the test on your behalf, so that you don’t know if not hearing anything was a result of failing the test or just because nothing is there. Succeeding in a voluntary listen test means your character heard what they were listening for. Succeedinginskillconflictgainsyoumoreinfoaboutwho or what you are listening for. Failing in a volun-tary listen test means your character hears nothing. Failinginskillconflictmakesthetargetofyourlistenmore elusive. Use listen to catch the sounds of a rushing river or to follow the footsteps of approaching enemies.Retry:Inskillconflictyoucanmakeatesteverytimeyou have the opportunity to hear something in a reactivemanner.Outsideofskillconflict,youcanmake a test if you think you failed and try again to hear something near you.Special: A character can take the time to automatically succeed a passable test to hear something, that may or may not be there, if they are out of skill combat and in no danger. Time: Using listen can take a few seconds in skill conflict,orafullroundinothersituations.

General Skill: No Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use literacy to read signs or books, and to write lettersorgraffiti.Literacyisnotaskillyouneedtotest in order to use. When you purchase literacy you know how to read and write your native language. You gain literacy for any other language you learn after that automatically.

Retry: You cannot fail to read or write in a language you know once you become literate in your native language.Special: You can automatically succeed in reading or writing any language that you speak when you are literate.Time: Reading and writing depends on the length of the subject.

General Skill: Yes Attribute:BodyArmor Penalty: YesTest: If you want your character to creep around without being heard, use move silently. A character can sneak at one half of their speed without any penalty. Trying to move faster than that will prove difficultandbringnegativemodifierstothetest’sSC. ThenoiselevelaroundyoucanalsoaffecttheSC for moving silently:• Quiet-nomodification• A conversation - (+5% to a maximum of 90%)• Chamber music - (+20% to a maximum of 90%)• A battle - (+50% to a maximum of 90%) Succeeding at a move silently test means your footsteps go unnoticed. Failing means you are heard, withtheappropriateconsequences.Inaskillconflictsucceeding means you are closer to making an escape. Failing means your opponent is closing in on you. Use move silently if you are sneaking around in anofficial’sofficeonthefloorabovetheirbedroom,ormovingthroughthefloodedcatacombwherebanditshave a keen ear.Retry: When you are not in skill combat, you can retry whenyouareoutofearshot.Failinginskillconflictonce is not the end for your character, and you may be able to try again.Special: Someone can take the time to automatically succeed at moving silently if they are not being ob-served and if no one is searching for them. Remember thatatestthatwouldbeimpossibleduetomodifierscan not be automatically succeeded.Time: A test to move silently takes a move-action, letting a character move half their speed. Moving any faster creates more penalties.

Listen

Literacy

Move Silently

46


General Skill: No Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use perform when you want your character to entertain a crowd or impress some nobles at a show. A character can take the perform skill as many times as the would like for each new type of instrument they want to play. These new instuments all start with an SC of 20%, and cannot be increased the same level they were purchased. Performing in certain environments can cause modifierstothetest’sSC:• Atafeastorinaking’scourt-nomodification• In the middle of a bar brawl - (-10%)• In the middle of a battle - (-20%) Success and failure when using perform are probably not binary conditions. This skill is prob-ably a good candidate for implementing degrees of success, with your perfomance based on the margin of how much you succeeded of failed the test. Use perform if you want to gain fans at a festival or make coin in a tavern. By laying in public you can gain 1d10 copper coins a day. Playing in a prosperous city can get you 1d10 silver coins a day. If you are part of a troupe you can play in a prosperous city for 3d10 silver coins a day. If you are playing an important event in front of nobles or royalty, you can earn 1d10 gold pieces for a memorable performance.Retry:Unlessyoufailedsobadlythefirsttimeyouended up angering the crowd, retrying is natural as your character probably intended to play more than one song to prove themselves.Special: Since you are always playing for someone else, you can not try to automatically succeed at a perform test.Time: A performance can last a few minutes to an hour or more depending on how many songs you want to play.

General Skill: No Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use pick lock when you want your character to unlockdoorsandchests.ModifierstotheSCforthistest coincide with the complexity of the lock.• Simplelock-nomodification• Advanced lock - (-10%)

• Complex lock - (-25%) Success means you bypassed the lock. Failure means your character broke a lockpick. Pick lock will allow a character to bypass a padlock or combination lock without using brute force, letting them keep their interference secret. A character needs special tools in order to attempt a pick lock test, and can not succeed without them.Retry: If the lock has a relocking mechanism to keep thieves from entering after a failure, trying to pick the lock again is impossible. Relocking mechanisms can not be disabled externally, and without knowledge oftheirexistenceinthefirstplace.Special: Your character can take extra time to auto-matically succeed at picking a lock if they are in no danger of being discovered. A test SC that would be impossibleafterapplyingmodifierscannotbeauto-matically succeeded by taking extra time.Time: Picking a lock takes several seconds or a minute.

General Skill: No Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: YesTest: Use ride when you want your character to stay on their mount. The training of the mount can determine whether is will let you ride it. If it is trained for riders thenthetestSCisnotmodified.Iftheanimalisnottrainedtocarryridersthenapplya-25%modifier. Beingincombatwillalsoaffectyouabilitytostay in the saddle. While you take no penalty outside combat, being in the chaos of battle carries an SC modifierof-25%.Ifyouarestruckwhilemounted,makeanunmodifiedridetesttoseeifyoucanstaymounted. Success in or out of combat means you remain mounted, handle your mount to make good time when travelling, or keep the creature calm. Failure outside of combat can lead to wasted time, supplies, or injury. Failing in combat can mean falling from the mount and hurting yourself. Use ride when you want to gallop through the night alerting townsfolk of an approaching army, or take part in a joust and stay in the saddle.Retry: Outside of combat you may retry a ride test after the consequences of a previous failure have played out. In combat it is not possible to retry a ride test.Special: If the mount and the character are both trained for riding, the character can take the time

Perform

Pick Lock

Ride

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The Black Age

to automatically succeed at a ride test. This can only be done outside of combat, and when there is no danger for the character. Typically the only time for anautosuccessiswhenridingdownaflatroadatanormal pace.Time: Using ride in battle is a move action, or a reac-tion when being attacked.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest:Usesearchtofindobjectscarriedonsomeone’sperson or left in a certain area. The sucess of a search depends on whether you know what you are looking for or not. If you do know what you are looking for, yougeta+10%modifiertothetestSC.Ifyoudon’tknow what you are looking for, then your character isjustlookingforwhattheycanfind.Takingasearchtestinthiswaymayormaynotfindyouanything,even if you succeed. It is up to the Game Master to determinewhatyourcharacterfindsbyusingdegreesof success. If someone took the time to conceal an object, or used the sleight of hand skill to hide it on them-selves, this will change the SC. Objects in the open causenomodifiertothetest.Tryingtofindsomethingthatwashiddenhasa-25%modifier. It may be best for the Game Master to make search tests on behalf of the character’s player. This waytheplayerwillnotknowiftheydidnotfindany-thingbecausetherewasnothingtofindorbecausethey failed the test. Succeeding means your character found some-thing through random snooping or focused investi-gation. Failing means you character could come up empty handed. Search can be used to locate the hidden com-partmentonasmuggler’sship,ortofindthefileaprisoner slipped into a hidden pocket in their clothing.Retry: It is possible to retry a search test only if your characterknowsthatthereissomethingtofind.Otherwise they missed what there was, or the object was to well hidden.Special: A character can take the time to automatically succeedatasearchtestifthemodifiersdonotmakeitimpossible. They must know what they are loking for, and they can not be in danger of discovery or harm.Time: A search takes a full round.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use sense motive to help your character discern thedifferencebetweenliesandtruth.Distinguishingby skill test relies on a couple of factors, such as your target’s disposition. If they are friendly it does not affectthetest’sSC.Iftheyareunfriendly,thetestismoredifficultandismodifiedby-10%. Believabilityisanothermodifier.Ifthestoryorlieisbelievable,yourcharactergainsnomodifier.Ifthestoryisunlikelythereisa+10%modifier.Ifthestory is not believable your character can tell more easily, and gets a +25% bonus to the test SC. Usually sense motive is used as a reaction in socialskillconflict.Ifyourcharacternoticessomeoneacting weirdly, or wants to assess a stranger’s trust-worthiness, sense motive can also be used voluntarily. Atestlikethisdoesnotcarryanymodifiers. Succeeding at a sense motive test keeps your characterfrombeingbluffedinsocialskillconflict,and may help them gain insight into someone else’s behavior. Failing the test means your character is not alerted to anything being wrong, and does not suspect the target’s trustworthiness or honor. Using sense motive will let you know if you are being taken for a fool. It can also help your character pick up on someone elses’s body language and speech habits.Retry:No,butinskillconflictyoucanusesensemotiveeverytimebluffisusedonyou.Special:Whenyouarenotinskillconflictyoucantake the time to automatically succeed a sense motive test.Thiscanonlybedonewhenmodifierswouldnotmake it impossible.Time:Inskillconflicttestingsensemotiveisareac-tion, lasting a few seconds. Outside of that, your character can take as long as they want trying to get a read on the people around them.

General Skill: No Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: YesTest: Use sleight of hand when you want to cut a purse from someone’s waist or hide a small object on yourself. Being under observation will make success moredifficult.Ifnooneknowswhatyouareupto

Search

Sense Motive

Sleight of Hand

48


thereisnomodifier.Ifyouarebeingwatchedthetesthasa-10%modifier. Whatyouaretryingtodoalsoaffectsthedif-ficulty.Entertaininganaudiencewithtricks,andotherfeatsofprestidigitation,carriesnomodifier.Hidingan item on yourself so that it is harder to search for decreases the SC by -5%. Picking someone’s pocket decreases the SC by -10%. It is worth noting that being under observation andskillconflictaretwodifferentthings.Ifsomeoneis trained to use sleight of hand, it means they are used to operating in plain view of at least one person and still getting away with what they are doing. An onlooker’s passive observations will not catch them in the act. On the other hand, if someone has reason to believe that your character is up to something, thenusingsleightofhandinitiatesaskillconflict,where the observer gets to use their spot skill to try and witness your work. Succeeding with sleight of hand means you completed the trick with no one suspecting anything. Failing means you, or whatever you were trying to hide,wereseen.Succedinginskillconflictdecreasessuspicion, while failing increases it. Sleight of hand can be used for picking a note out of a noble’s pocket or for hiding a dagger in your vest when you visit the king’s throne room.Retry: If you are putting on a show, you may try to impress the audience again with a harder test SC. Failing to do anything sneaky with weapons or money can have dire consequences depending on the situ-ation.Special: If you are not being observed, and are outside ofskillconflict,youcantakethetimetoautomaticallysucceed a sleight of hand test. This can be useful for hiding something on yourself.Time: Sleight of hand takes up an attack action to use, a few seconds

General Skill: No Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoneTest: Use speak language when your character wants to carry on a conversation in a language they under-stand. Speak language does not require a test because it is not a normal skill. When you start playing your character knows how to speak their native language. You can learn how to speak other languages by using

a skill point to purchase training in that language. If you are literate, you also learn how to read and write in that language.Retry: You can not fail in understanding a language you trained to learn.Special: You can automatically succeed when speak-ing languages you know.Time: Speaking can take as little time as a free action, to as long as a couple of hours.

General Skill: No Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoTest: Use survival for foraging and navigating in the wild. The most important factor for success with the survival skill is the environment your character is in:• Lush-nomodification• Sparse - (-10%)• Barren - (-25%)• Inhospitable - (-50%) Next you must consider if the rest of your group istrainedtosurviveofftheland.Themorepeoplewho rely on help, the more work has to be done to support them. For every person in the group who does not have the survival skill trained, modify the test SC by -5%. Other factors about your preparedness can affecttheSCofasurvivaltest.Nothavingthead-equate clothing can bring the SC down by -5%. Not having the necessary tools for a job can decrease the SC by 10% Succeeding with a survival test means you and yourpartyareabletosustainthemselvesoffoftheland. Failing a survival test can mean any number of things depending on the environment. For rules about hunger, thirst, and exposure to the elements, be sure to read more in Chapter Six. Usesurvivalwhenyouwanttofindshelterfrom the elements, hunt for game to feed yourself, orfindfirewoodtofightthecoldandthedark.Retry: YesSpecial: Given how important the survival skill is to the livelihood of the party, a character can not take the time to automatically succeed their skill test.Time: A survival test results in an hour of hunting, foraging, and navigating whether the test was suc-cessful or not.

Speak Language

Survival

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The Black Age

General Skill: Yes Attirbute: BodyArmor Penalty: YesTest: Use swim when you want to move across or below the surface of a body of water. The condition of the water is important to know when determining SC. Ifwatersarecalmthereisnomodification.Choppywatershavea-10%modifierwhilerapidlyflowingorstormywatershavea-25%modifier. Swimming gets harder the longer you’ve been doing it without stopping. You can swim for an hour without any penalty, but every hour after that carries a-5%modifiertotheSCofaswimtest.Eachextrahour also cause 1d10 points of hit point damage. Succeeding at a swim test let’s your character move half of their normal speed as a full-round action or a quarter of their speed as a move action. Failing means your character makes no progress. Failing by 10% or more means your character starts to drown. If you are swimming underwater, voluntarily or because you are drowning, the test SC is reduced by -10% for every round you are underwater. Use swim when you are trying to cross to an island in a lake, or dive for a sumberged crate of goods.Retry: A character can make another test on the round after their failed test.Special: When there is no danger to failing and the character has been swimming for less than an hour, it is possible to automatically succeed at swim tests.Time: A swim test takes a full round or a move action, as described above.

General Skill: No Attribute: MindArmor Penalty: NoTest: Use treat injury for binding wounds and remov-ingharmfulstatuseffects.Sincethereareanumberofstatuseffectsorinjuriesacharactercansufferitisworth looking at each of them• Some injuries are so grievous that they require

treatment over a couple of days. For any wounds a character has, the recovery time can be halved (from one week for one wound per limb, to a minimum of 3 days for one wound per limb). A test is required for every day of treatment, and a failed test means recovery occurs at a normal rate for a character taking the appropriate amount of rest.

• Treatingacharacterwiththesickstatuseffecthasa-5%modifier.Acharacterneedssoothingherbsinordertoremovethesickstatuseffectasan attack action.

• Treatingacharacterwiththebleedingstatuseffecthasa-10%modifier.Acharacterneedsbandagesinordertoremovethebleedingstatuseffectasan attack action.

• Treatingacharacterwiththedyingstatuseffecthasa-25%modifierasanattackaction.

Whenitcomestoremovingstatuseffects,succeedingatthetreatinjurytestremovestheeffectand no more damage is calculated. A successful treat injury test does not restore hit points. Failing a test meansthestatuseffectcontinues,hitpointdamagecan accumulate, or character death is still approach-ing. Treat injury is probably the most helpful skill a character can have when expecting to spend a lot of time crossing blades. Use it frequently to keep you and your party alive.Retry: A character can try to pass a test on the round after their failed test.Special: Due to the nature of treat injury’s importance concerning the well being of a character, a character can not take more time to ensure success in a treat injury test.Time:Removingastatuseffecttakesanattackaction,whereas treating a wounded limb takes days.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: NoTest: Use trip if you want to knock your opponent to the ground. The success of a trip depends on the skill of both parties involved, the tripper and the target. If the person attempting the maneuver is more skilled attrippingthantheirtarget,thereisnomodifiertothe SC. If the target is more skilled, the SC is lowered by -10%. If you succeed at your trip attempt, your target is knocked down. They take a -30% to their dodge SC and a -20% to their block SC. They can attack, but their target gets a +10% to their dodge SC and block SC. It takes a move action for them to stand up. Failing at a trip attempt opens you up to a riposte from your target’s melee weapon. Tripping someone is an exellent way of gaining

Swim

Treat Injury

Trip

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advantage over them in battle.Retry: You can try to trip a target again on the turn after your failed attempt.Special: You can not take the time to automatically succeed at a trip test unless you are out of combat and your target is not aware of you.Time: Tripping someone is an attack action.

General Skill: Yes Attribute: BodyArmor Penalty: NoTest: Using a rope covers anything from securing a line to escaping from bindings. The complexity of your task will determine the SC of the test. Something assimpleastyingaknotdoesnotcarryamodifier.Trying to use a rope to lasso a distant target has a -10%modifier. If the target is moving or uncooperative, this canalsoprovedifficult.Ifthetargetisnotresistingoravoidingbeingtiedup,thereisnomodifier.Amoving or uncooperative target reduces the test’s SC by another -10%. Succeeding means you secured a rope or lashed a person so well that the bindings can only be undone by someone outside of them. Failing means that your character might notice they did a poor job of tieing somethingoff.Failingby10%ormoremightmeanthat your character doesn’t notice how unsafe their use of rope was. Game Master’s may want to roll use rope skill tests for players and hide the results so that the player’s knowledge is not greater than the caracter’s knowledge. The use rope skill is useful for mooring a boat to a dock, throwing a rope around a high branch, and tying up a criminal with a bounty on their head.Retry: If your character knows that they did not do a good job, they are free to try again.Special: If a character is not threatened, and there is no danger to failing a use rope test, then they may take the time to automatically succeed with simple tasks.Time: It can take at leasst a full-round action to tie a knot, with more involved uses taking longer time to complete.

Use Rope

51

The Black Age

53

No matter how capable your character is physically ormentally,theywillstillneedtobeoutfittedtoensure preparation for whatever comes their way. Coming up next are descriptions for the equipment, weapons, armor, tradeable goods, and services that your character can spend their hard earned wealth on.

WealthIn The Black Age, very few people are considered wealthy. Most people eke a living out of the soil in service to those who hold power. Very little of a man or woman’s holdings are represented by coin. Livestock and farmable land are better measures of someone’s livelihood and valuable property. For those who live in the city, having a regular wage is much more likely, but so is a higher cost of living. While these people usually do have coin, it is kept in a bank. When it comes to coin, there could be dozens ofdifferenttypesacrosstherealmsandnationsofMunderra. For the sake of keeping things simple and avoiding calculating exchange rates, The Black Age will use the following scale for currency:

Coinage:10 copper 1 silver

10 silver 1 gold

10 gold 1 platinum

Carrying your wealth with you is a good way to lose it. That being said, your character can only carry so many coins before the number of loose bits becomes a burden or unweildy. A character’s carrying capac-ity will be covered more in depth at the end of this chapter. For now just keep in mind that coins have a weight and take up space:

Coin burden:200 copper 1 pound 1/2 square foot

100 silver 1 pound 1/2 square foot

50 gold 1 pound 1/2 square foot

75 platinum 1 pound 1/2 square foot

When it comes to trade, promissory notes are more secure and easily transported than travelling with large sums of pecuniary wealth. Promissory notes can be used by whoever holds them to withdraw the amount indicated from the bank or person the purchaser trusted with their money. Banks in large cities may issue their own notes, called bank notes, that will allow a person to collect the precious coins that were deposited with a banker. This requires an account with the bank, but carries a benefitwhendealingwithintherangeofthebank’sbusiness. Use whatever mix of commodity money (coins) and representative money (notes) the group is most comfortable with.

Some people, with access to enough wealth and trans-potation, deal in commodities. Whether the goods are legitimate or smuggled, traders buy and sell their way across nations. They use their business to subsidize their travels, with adventurers in tow. Governments and guilds are what regulate trade. They draw up charters or liscences that allow for certain goods to be moved. Trade documents are vital to a legitimate trader and drive competition. These passes for business are what lead to the estab-lishment of trade routes.

Chapter Five - Items and Utilities

Carrying Coin

Negotiable Instruments

Wealth Beyond Coins

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Chapter Five - Items and Utilities

The following table will establish a few prices for trade goods in broad categories. The Game Master is welcome to add his or her own, or edit these as the campaign requires:

Tradable goods:Animal, common 1 gold

Animal, exotic 2 platinum

Animal, livestock 5 gold

Art 1 platinum

Food, common (1/2 pound) 1 silver

Food, quality (1/2 pound) 2 silver

Food, exotic (1/2 pound) 5 silver

Fur 5 silver

Gems, semiprecious (1/2 pound) 1 gold

Gems, precious (1/2 pound) 1 platinum

Ore, common (1/2 pound) 2 gold

Ore, rare (1/2 pound) 2 platinum

Spice 2 silver

Textiles (3 feet) 1 silver

WeaponsMunderra is a dangerous place, and nearly everyone carries or owns a weapon. Even the farmers who live in rural areas need to protect their homes and liveli-hoods from the beasts of the world, just as traders need protection from bandits and rangers need pro-tection from the horrors they are bound to run in to. While the use of weapons is wide-spread, the legality of carrying or even owning a weapon depends on local law. Weapons are separated into three categories for this game: Simple, Trained, and Exotic. Simple weapons require no training to use and can be weilded by anyone. Trained weapons are deadliest in the hands of someone who has experience using them. Exotic weapons are unusual, hard to come across, and require acertainamountoftrainingtouseeffectively. Within these categories, weapons will also be listed as either melee or ranged weapons.

Simple weapons are the easiest to use. They are widely available and have few legal restrictions. Civialians, law enforcement, and military personnel all make use of simple weapons.

Weapons with reach extend melee attacks another 5 ft? Targets in the outer hex get a bonus to dodge?

Simple Weapons

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Chapter Six - Mechanics for HorrorThe Black Age wants to do the best job it can of putting the player in their character’s shoes. Your desperation will mirror theirs as they claw their way out of dark dungeons and even darker mindsets. To represent the dangers of the world, at home and abroad, a few features have been mechanized. It is our hope that players will not get ahead of their character’s situa-tion, and be guided to roleplaying realistically inside of a fantasy horror game.

StressYou may recall back in Chapter One, when everything seemed so much simpler, the mention of a character’s stability points. These stability points are a representa-tion of your character’s fragile mental state. Stability points can be lost, and regained, in a number of ways.

Firstthingsfirst.Allcharactersstartwiththesamenumber of maximum stability points, 80. This number represents the best mental health achievable for someone who lives in a world where as much as half of the population is dying from an incurable plague. Your character’s total stability points at any time is the SC used when making a stress test to avoid taking more stability point damage. So even with the maximum of 80, a character has a 20% chance to fail their stress test and take stability point damage.

Bartholomew just watched his mother pass away. It had been a painful death, drawn out over 3 days with no comfort to give her. Bartholomew had kept himself together so far, but now the sorrow came crashing down upon him. With 67 stability points left, Bartholomew must pass a stress test with an

SC of 67%. The poor man’s player rolls a 9 and a 5, a result of 95 and a failed test. Next is the roll for

stability point damage.

Stability point damage is calculated by rolling a d10 a certain number of times, depending on the severity of the stress that caused the damage. The following table outlines some general examples of stress and their appropriate damage.

Stability point loss:Walking in a dungeon in poor light -1d10 stability points per hour

Not eating enough -1d10 points per day

Getting hit by a trap -2d10 points

Losing a body part -3d10 points

Losing a party member or loved one -5d10 points

Certain enemy combat techniques -Xd10 points

A Game Master should keep in mind that no more than 50 stability points should be lost at any one time.

When a character loses all of their stability points they gain a Bane. Several types of bane are listed below, and the Game Master can determine which to bestow given the trauma that pushed a character over the edge. While the character possesses a bane, the Game Master can determine when to have the effectsofthebanemanifest.

Paranoid: When a character is paranoid they will suspect everyone around them is plotting against them.Negativeeffectsinclude:• Denying the use of healing abilities, skills or items

on them, wasting a companion’s turn.• Denyingtheuseofanykindofbufffromanability

or item, wasting a companion’s turn.• Refusing to use healing abilities, skills or items

orbuffingabilitiesoritemsonanothercharacter.• Using random attacks, techniques or abilities in

combat.

Selfish:Whenacharacterisselfishtheyactwithlittlethoughttootherpartymembers.Negativeeffectsinclude:• Moving forward during combat, commenting on

his or her desire for glory.• Moving backwards during combat, commenting

on his or her own safety being more important than someone else’s.

• Attacking an enemy without the player’s input.• Passing on criticism when an ally deals damage to

an enemy. The ally must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points.

• Makingselfishremarkswhiletravellingandex-ploring. Any ally that hears must pass a stress test

Stability Point Basics

Losing Stability Points

Banes

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or lose 1d10 stability points.• Skipping their turn in combat occasionally, com-

menting that they have done enough and need to rest.

• Stealing looted items for themself.

Depressed: When a character is depressed they share their dark thoughts with the rest of the group on a regular basis. Any ally who hears must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points.

Irrational: When a character is irrational they will say and do things that make little sense. Any ally who hears or witnesses must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points

Fearful: When a character is fearful they become cowardly and unable to cope with adversity. Negative effectsinclude:• Crying and dropping pessimistic quotes. Any

ally who hears must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points.

• Running toward the back of combat where it is safer,effectivelywastingtheirturn

• Denying the use of healing abilities, skills or items on them, wasting a companion’s turn.

Hopeless: When a character is hopeless they make forlorn remarks. Any ally who hears must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points.

Abusive: When a character is abusive they say harsh and critical things about their companions. The ally must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points.

Masochistic: What a character is masochistic they enjoy pain, trying to get themselves hurt. Negative effectsinclude:• Damaging themselves at the start of their turn

in combat.• Speaking about their enjoyment of pain. Any

ally who hears must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stabilty points.

• Lamenting when an ally takes damage instead of them. The ally must pass a stress test or lose 1d10 stability points.

• Moving forward at the start of their turn during combat, seeking pain.

• Denying the use of healing abilities, skills, or items on them, wasting a companion’s turn.

Banes are removed when a character recovers to 50 of their stability points.

Stability points can be recovered in a number of ways. The quality of the deed determines the amount that can be regained. The following table outlines some general examples of good deeds and their appropri-ate rewards.

Stability point gain:Party interactions while resting +1d10 stability points per hour

Praying, healing others, or whoring +1d10 points per hour

Disarming a trap +2d10 points

Saving a life +5d10 points

Certain ally combat techniques +Xd10

Keep in mind that no more than 50 stability points can be gained at any one time.

It is possible to save up stability points when you reach the 80 point maximum. This bank of saved up points is separate from the points total that depletes with stress. These separate points can not be depleted by stress, and so a player can not apply stability point damage to them to avoid gaining a bane. Points can only be banked when a character is in a healthy mental state with full stability points. Banked points can be transferred to replenish depleted stability points once a week. The maximum number of points that can be transferred is 50. If the number of banked points reaches 100, the character gains a Boon. When a boon is assigned it should be relevant to what helped a character reach this state of relative bliss.

Powerful: When a character is powerful they feel stron-ger than usual. Their melee attacks and techniques do an extra d10 of damage.

Courageous: When a character is courageous they say inspiring things during combat. Any ally that hears recovers 1d10 stability points.

Gaining Stability Points

Boons

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Stalwart: When a character is stalwart they lose half as many stability points as they normally would.

Vigorous: When a character is vigorous their reaction is increased by 2.

Focused: When a character is focused their targets incombathavea-10%modifiertotheirdodgeSCand block SC.

Boons are lost whenever a character no longer has 100 banked points. Boons are also lost whenever a character would gain a bane, regardless of how many points are banked.

DiseaseHealthcareinTheBlackAgeisbarelyfightingoffthe end of the human race. The will is there, but the ability to take on crippling disease is not. The Black Age focuses on one disease, simply called the plague. It is an extremely powerful and easily transmittable type of infection with a few pathological features. Your character will see others die from the plague all the time, and may even contract themselves. The Red Mask is a manifestation of the plague that weakens the blood vessels throughout the body. Theafflictedispronetothebleedeffectincombat.Once they lose half of their hit points, every attack causes bleed damage afterward. Infected bleed from the eyes, nose, and ears on a regular basis. They com-monly have patchy bruising and cough up or vomit blood. These individuals are extremely infectious and can die the same day that their symptoms appear. The Black Scales are a manifestation of the plague that numbs the nerves of an infected charac-ter.Theafflictedispronetolosingtheirlimbs.Theyhave one less wound available to their arms and legs before the limb is crippled or severed. Losing a limb bringsvariousnegativemodifiersandcausesstabilitypoint loss. For more on wounds and limb damage, refer to Chapter Seven. Infected typically see their skin blacken, starting at their extremities, as their nerves die. These individuals are not very infectious and this particular symptom is not thought to be deadly. The Yellow Mark is a manifestation of the plague that occurs when the disease crosses the blood-brainbarrier.Theafflictedsufferfromadisruption

that feeds their depression and paranoia. When they fail a stress test they take 1d10 more stability point damage than exposure to stress would normally require. It is not possible for a character to lose more than 50 stability points, as usual. Infected do not showphysicalsymptomsbutdosufferfromstrongheadachesandstiffnessoftheneck.Theseindividualsare mildly infectious and the manifestation is deadly within a few days.

ExposureBeing unprepared in the wilderness can also lead to problems arising from heat exhaustion or freezing to death. In a hot and humid location your character may be in danger of over exerting themselves and dehydrating. In a cold location your character’s body may shut down as their temperature rapidly drops. Hyperthermia is a danger for any character in a location with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahren-heit (38 degrees Celsius). Be on the look out for heavy sweating, rapid breathing and a fast, weak pulse. If the condition progresses to heat stroke, then hot, dry, skin is typical. Accompanying dehydration can produce nausea, vomiting, headaches, and low blood pressure and the latter can lead to fainting or dizzi-ness. In severe heat stroke, there may be confused, hostile, or seemingly intoxicated behavior. Heart rate and respiration rate will increase as blood pressure drops. Eventually, organ failure, unconsciousness and death will result. A character without water accrues the 10% penalties listed in the Hunger section for every hour spent in a hot environment. Hypothermia can take over very quickly when in freezing temperatures. Warning signs include un-controllable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and obvious exhaustion. Heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure all drop. Motor skills are lost, to the point of not being able to walk. Eventually major organs fail and death takes over. Being in freezing water drastically reduces a person’s expected survival time to 15-30 minutes. If frostbite sets in to extremities it could mean losing fingersoranose.Itcantake30minutesorshorterfor frostbite to set in.

HungerRations and water are extremely important to your

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survival. Diving into a dungeon without enough of either is a good way to end up dead. Every day that your character goes without food or water will tem-porarily lower their maximum hit points and Body skill SCs by 10% (20% for lacking both). A character can survive a maximum of 6 days without food and 3 days without water. If your character eats or drinks, they repair one day’s worth of damage to their health and skills.

LightIf your character is the type who delves underground caverns or explores disused catacombs, light will become very valuable to them. Without the proper light, characters can begin to lose stability points as the darkness overtakes them. Being in complete dark-ness can lead to rapid panicking, which will increase chances of becoming lost. Being unprepared when entering places with no natural light can very often be a death sentence. In The Black Age the light levels are:

• Good - A character can see without itssue. Ranges from midday levels of sunlight to an area dimly lit by candles.

• Poor - A character must strain to see prominent features. Ranges from an unlit room to midnight levels of darkness.

• Black - A character can not see. There are no sources of light at all, not even dim or distant.

In poor light a character will loose 1d10 stabil-ity points for every hour they remain in darkness. In blackness, a character will lose 1d10 stability points a minute.

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Chapter Seven - CombatSometimesacharactermaynotbeabletodiffusetensesituations or sneak past a dangerous creature. When all else fails, there’s nothing like using the tools and techniques at your disposal to spill some blood. Just rememberthatwhoeveryouarefighting,youbothwilllose.Itcouldbeafinger,itcouldbesomethinglikewealth, or your values. Every battle has an ugly cost. Usually it is a human life, a life that had hun-dreds of experiences, a life that a mother and a father put time and love into cultivating. A life that invari-ably touched the lives of others. A life that could have a family of it’s own. A life you know nothing about. Does any of that matter when steel starts to ring out in a bloody storm of swords? It should, because a life is everything in The Black Age. A value can not be put on life, and yet somehow it is more precious on this dying earth than it has ever been before. If your character is ready to take on the burden of being responsible for one more death, is ready to die for what they believe, is ready to go through pain andsacrifice,thenreadon.

How Combat WorksLet us take the time to look at an example of combat to demonstrate the commonly used rules.

The lord of a moderately sized holding sends out a group of 4th-level characters to take care of some raiders that are capitalizing on a local war. Margaret DuBois (a soldier), Artur Elric (a doctor), Sebastian Love (a rogue) and Julia Hollande (a priest) must investigate the rumors brought forward in their lord’s court. The characters meet with refugees in their travels,whoconfirmthereportsandsupplementthem with newer sightings of the raiders. The trail has brought the party to a meadery, abandoned and burned from the looks of the roof and weed covered grounds. The heroes stand near the outskirts, looking for a lookout or patrol. They see none, and decide to hurry forward as quietly as pos-sible. They reach the door, and at this point the Game Masterasksthemtosetuptheirfiguresortokensonthe game mat. This will represent their placement onthebattlefield.Margaretplacesherselfclosestto

the door. Sebastian and Julia post up behind her, and Artur takes up the rear. The Game Master decided earlier on that the front door would be the most heavily guarded. The players are not aware of the fact, because the Game Master has not placed any tokens for them to see. On the other side of the door are 4 ____and a ____. These raiders are aware of the player character’s approach and wait to spring a trap. Margaret reaches out to give the door a tug. It is locked. She gives a motion to Sebastian, who moves forward and kneels down at the door handle. He pulls out his theive’s kit and takes a pick lock test, passing nicely. The lock clicks and Margaret pulls open the door. Inside the light illuminates a narrow shaft of a hallway or room, the rest is hidden in total darkness. The character’s decide they want to try and spot any danger inside, so they take the approporaite skill test. Artur and Julia succeed, Margaret and Sebastian fail.

The surprise round is a special round where only character’s who are aware of their opponents can take action. The raiders and the characters who passed their spot tests are able to act in this case. The Game Master writes down the reactions of everyone who can act. The results are ____ for the ____ and ____ for the ____. The character’s reactions are 10 for Artur and 6 for Julia. The round order is then ____. The Game Master can have the round order b a secret, so that players can not prepare for the movements of their opponents before they make them.

Setup

Surprise!

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CONTINUED COMBAT EXAMPLE

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So as we’ve seen, everyone has a turn that repeats in a cycle. A round of combat can be outlined thusly:

• The Game Master determines which combatants are aware of each other at the start of battle. If some oponents have been caught unaware, then there is a surprise round. Combatants who are aware of their opponents may take a single action (a move action or an attack action; no full-round actions). The order of who gets to act at what time is determined by a character’s reaction. Combat-ants who are surprisesd can not act in this round. If everyone starts the battle equally aware, there is no surprise round.

• If there was a surprise round, at the end combat-ants that were caught unaware now add them-sevles to the reaction order.

• Thefirstnormalroundofcombatbeginsandcharacters act in reaction order.

• Thecombatantwiththehighestreactiongoesfirstat the start of each round of combat.

• Repeat the previous step until combat ends.

Combat StatisticsSomeclassesarebetteratfightingthanothers.Thisfact is represented by the statistics of various class features. This section will summarize these statistics and how to use them in combat situations.

When attacks and techniques hit their targets, you roll damage based on the attack’s rating (and your weapon?).

Dodge and block represent how hard it is for your opponents to deal damage to you. If you pass a test to avoid harm, you take no damage. Your base SC for dodge and block depends on your class and level. It represents your training and applies to all situations.

Hit points indicate how much punishment your char-acter can take before hitting the dirt. Your total hit points are determined by your class and level. When you reach 0 hit points your character falls unconcious.

When you are between -1 and -9 hit points, you are dying. A dying character must be stabilized through another character’s treat injury skill or healed by an ability to at least 0 hit points to stop dying. For every round that a character is dying and not stabilized, they lose 1 hit point. At -10 hit points or lower, a character dies.

Woundsrepresentthelastingeffectsoftakingdamagein battle. A character’s body parts will become crip-pled if they take too many hits, with the danger of beingloppedoffalwayspresent.

Speed is the maximum movement range of a char-acter in battle. Everyone has the same base speed of 30feet,whichcanbemodifiedby(armor?),wounds,buffs...Youcanmoveuptoyourspeedandattackinthe same round. If you do not attack, you can move up to twice your speed as a full-round action.

When in combat, characters get to act on their turn. The order in which combatants act is determined by theirreaction,definedbytheirclassandlevel.Theround starts with the highest reaction and ends with the lowest. If there is a tie, the character with the higherlevelgoesfirst.Ifthereisstillatie,rolladie. If a character joins a battle after it has started, they act wherever their reaction comes up in the ex-isting round order.

The Round Order

Damage

Dodge and Block

Hit Points

Wounds

Speed

Reaction

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Actions in CombatEvery round of combat lasts 6 seconds, and every round is an opportunity for characters to carry out certain actions. The actions a character can take in a round are:

• Attack - attack actions include melee and ranged attacks, techniques, and some skills

• Move - move actions include moving up to your character’s normal speed, standing up from a prone position, and some skills.

• Free - free actions include talking to your allies, dropping to the ground, and drawing a weapon.

• Full-round - full-round actions include running and some skills.

So the round starts with the character with the highest reaction and continues in descending order. Every round uses the same reaction order unless a charac-ter has a trait or ability that changes their reaction. When a character’s turn comes in the round order they can take an entire round’s worth of actions. A character can take an attack action and a move action in a round of combat. The following tables will help you determine where certain actions are categorized, whether those actions will leave you open for a riposte, and the movement that can accompany that action in a single round. An attack action allows a character to do many things, from attacking to using a skill. Attack actions can be made before or after move actions, or you can take two attack actions.

Attack actions:Action Riposte Movement

Attack Maybe Move action

Use a technique Maybe Move action

Use a skill No Move action

A move action represents the time it takes to move your speed or perform an action in a similar amount of time. Other move actions include climb-ing and jumping. You can take a move action before or after an attack action, or you can take two move actions.

Move actions:Action Riposte Movement

Move No 1 x speed, move action

Climb No 1/2 speed, move action

Pick up an item Yes 5 feet, move action

Take out a stored item Yes 5 feet, move action

Stand up from lying down

Yes 5 feet, move action

Use a skill No 5 feet, move action

Free actions by nature do not take up a lot of time, but should be limited by the Game Master to fitthe6secondwindowcharacterscantakeactionin.

Free actions:Action Riposte Movement

Activate an item Yes Move action

Drop an item No Move action

Droptothefloor No Move action

Speak No Move action

A full-round action requires all of your char-acter’seffortandconcentration.

Full-round actions:Action Riposte Movement

Double attack actions Maybe 5 feet

Double move actions Yes 2 x speed

Use a skill No 5 feet

Common attack actions include melee and ranged attacks. With a melee attacks you can deal damage to an enemy that is adjacent to you. This means the target has to be in a hex next to you, up to 5 feet away. Sometimes a melee weapon will have a reach that can exceed the 5 foot limit. This will be indicated in the weapon’s item description. Ranged attacks consist of throwing or shooting a ranged weapon at a target that is within the weapon’s maximum range and the character’s line of sight. A target is in line of sight if there are no obstructions between a character and their target. This includes other characters. The maximum range of a weapon can be found in it’s item description.

A Round of Combat

Attack Actions

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Chapter Eight - Sub-classesIt may come to pass that characters prove them-selves in a way that opens new career and adventure paths. The base classes will likely no longer cover the perks and abilities that come with experience. Advanced classes can be found in this chapter. These will provide players with some options that focus on specificabilitiesofcertainclasses,oraddnewflavorwith unexplored abilities. Each of these classes require Game Master approval, as a character will need to have reason to enter a powerful class like a knight or an inquisitor. A character should always be around mid-level (level 5 or 6) before they enter a sub-class.

Sub-classesThere are 20 sub-classes in The Black Age. These represent the capabilities of reknowned specialists intheirfield

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Assassin

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Bomber

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Grave Robber

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Hospitaller

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Hunter

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Inquisitor

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Jester

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Knight

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Lunatic

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Mercenary

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Minstrel

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Oathsworn

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Outsider

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Piper

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Plague Doctor

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Scout

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Shaman

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Shifter

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Survivalist

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Templar

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Chapter Nine - MetaphysicsPhilosophies on existence, nothingness, anthropo-centism, and myticism are mingling and develop-ing in interesting ways during The Black Age. The catalyst for these worldviews are the ways in which theso-called“hiddenworld”influencestherealitythat humans experience. Commonly referred to as Dominions, these forces are seen to have power over manydifferentaspectsofnature.Theyrepresentacycle of Birth, Growth, Death, and Repose. The Black Age is said to be an age of Death.

DominionsDominions are inexplicable, because they reach out from a time or place that is beyond human compre-hension. Even science as you and I know it can not reason what causes or motivates or allows a domin-iontomanifestsomechangeinreality,affectingthepeople of Munderra. As chaotic as that sounds, there is order to the cycle of dominions, the wheel of life that turns without consideration for humanity. Belief in dominions is accepted, if not always understood. Most people are not able to percieve dominions directly, but they can see it manifest in everything from the seasons, to natural disasters, and even in others who are attuned to them.

The start of all things, the great renewal, the begin-ningoftheend.BirthinfluencesthesubtleworkofBards as they create music.

Fulfillingourdestiny,meetingourpotential,ensur-ingoursurvival.Growthinfluencesthescientificprocesses of doctors and alchemists.

Our bodies failing, our blood cooling, a doorway to whatliesahead.Deathinfluencestheinstrumentsof rogues and cultists.

An eternal peace, a paradise for the good, a pause beforereincarnation.Reposeinfluencesthegentleaid of priests.

If the practitioners of profane rituals, the members of secret cults, have any idea what they are talking about, then it means that dominions, or some part of them, are sentient and communicative. The implica-tions of consciounesses that exist in another reality or dimension are immense, and so the knowledge of what dominions are is kept secret. However, this knowledge only carries those with insight so far. Even if a dominion contacts a person directly, there is a separation between the two that can not be over-come. Humans and dominions exist exclusively of one another, a fact that should grip most capable thinkers with a chilly horror.

Cults spring up for a number of reasons, but every cult operates through rituals that are meant to commune with an intelligence or being associated with a certain dominion. These cults seek to gain insight into an eldritch truth, knowledge of existence separate from human experience. A few researchers brave and lucky enough to gather a little information have found that successful cults spring up when a mediator is con-tacted.Thispersonisthefirsttohaveanaudiencewith “the kin”. Kin can never seem to be discovered through even the most sincere rituals. They reveal themselves on their own accord, and choose their own emissaries. Rituals can take all manner of form, depending on the steps outlined by a kin in their initial revela-tion. Some processes may require a certain number of members, while others can be performed by chosen individuals who are the only ones privy to a kin’s existence. It is not known what reason the kin have for contacting humans, or for demanding the use of rituals. They do not share their purposes and cultists are happy to leave it that way while, bought over by the abilities a kin can share. Just what goes in to a successful ritual can be decided by the cultist’s player and the Game Master at the start of the campaign. As the player levels up and gains favor with their kin, the Game Master can choose new rituals for a player to perform as a part of their new abilities.

Birth

Growth

Death

Repose

Dominions as Beings

Rituals of the Zealous

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ReligionCults are almost always deemed heretical by an estab-lished religion, no matter in what part of the world yourcharacterfindsthemselves.Thisisbecausetheidea that there are any number of higher intelli-gences out there with complete disregard for human life goes against the anthropocentric philosophy of those religions. The faiths of these institutions has been built on the idea that the world was created for humans. More to the point, all of existence is created for humans by a god, and humans were created just to be. No other reason.

The major emphasis of mysticism concerns a spiritual transformation of the egoic self, the following of a path designed to produce more fully realized human persons living in harmonious communion with “God”, the Church, the rest of the world, and all creation, including oneself. This path starts with discipline, particularly in terms of the human body; thus, it emphasizes prayer at certain times, either alone or with others, and in certain postures, often standing or kneeling. It also emphasizes the other disciplines of fasting and alms-giving, the latter including those activities called “the works of mercy”, both spiritual and corporeal, such as feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless. Purificationincludesnotonlyexternalbehav-ior, but also those habits, attitudes, compulsions, ad-dictions, etc. which oppose themselves to true being and living as a Church-ian not only on the outside, buttheinsideaswell.Purificationisanawarenessofone’sownimperfectionsandfiniteness,followedbyself-disciplineandmortification.Whatissoughthere is salvation in the original sense of the word, referring not only to one’s eternal fate, but also to healing in all areas of life, including the restoration of spiritual, psychological, and physical health.

• Meditation• Asceticism-fasting,sleepdeprivation,self-flag-

ellation

The second phase, the path of illumination, has to do with the activity of the “Holy Spirit” en-lightening the mind, giving insights into truths not only explicit in scripture and the rest of the Church

tradition, but also those implicit in nature, not in the scientificsense,butratherintermsofanilluminationof the “depth” aspects of reality and natural happen-ings, such that the working of “God” is perceived in all that one experiences. Church scholars describe it as marked by a consciousness of a transcendent order and a vision of a new “Heaven” and a new earth.

• Fire in the chest• Stigmata• Visions• Divine odor• Heavenly arias

The third phase, usually called contemplation, refers to the experience of oneself as in some way united with “God”. The experience of union varies, butitisfirstandforemostalwaysassociatedwitha reuniting with Divine love, the underlying theme being that “God”, the perfect goodness, is known or experienced at least as much by the heart as by the intellect.

• Ecstasy• Miracles

The idea is that God became human so man might become god. The horror lies in how this is impos-sible, and God remains hidden in perfect darkness no matter how much he might reveal to his followers.

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Chapter Ten - The WorldMunderra can be easily compared to the Earth you live on. The climates and landscapes are not alien to yourexperience.Riversflowdownmountainsandinto great oceans. Forests grow densely around the spines of the planet and spread across the foothills. Deserts lie where the rains do not reach, and swamps festerinthefloodplains. Nations of people, great and small, dot the face of the planet. Some have lasted millennia, while others consist of nomads who never settle. The borders of manynationsareinastateoffluxduringTheBlackAge. War has broken out in this time of desperation and greed.

NationsThe Ellan Republic has lasted many ages, with a culture and military that endures all hardships. Their capital lies in the thick Tromir forest with the Senate acting as the ruling body. The Republic has become very protective during the Black Age, but sends out doctors and soldiers to help in many foreign lands. TheEllanpeopleareknowntobenefitfromholdingzonesinfluencedbytheDominionofGrowth.

The Wahmed Dynasty is the latest in a long progres-sion of unrelated bloodlines that claim divine right has given them the power to rule over the land of Hanja. This nation, its size always changing, has a capital on an island chain in the Daligol Sea. This is said to be a zone for the Dominion of Birth. The Daligol are a powerful group of merchants and seafarers, and they have spread to many distant shores under the rule of the Wahmed.

The Kingdom of Bevalem is small and relatively new. King Baldred II claims rule over a small area surround-ing his capital, believed to be both a Church holy site and a zone under the Dominion of Repose. This city is hotly contested, and the surrounding lands devastated by years of constant war with the Al’aban Empire. There really are no people native to this land, and the Kingdom is full of foreigners hoping to save their soul in the Church’s crusade.

The Al’Aban Empire is a powerful and rapidly expand-ing nation. They have spread from their native lands in Ishtan for hundreds of miles in every direction. Their leader, Sultan Jall’ah, is also a holy prophet who claims to speak for the Dominion of Repose. His words promising a blessed eternal afterlife have gripped the Ishtani. They now believe they are a chosen people with divine favor. They are not afraid to die in a holy war for what is theirs.

The Sangouin are a nomadic people who have re-cently disappeared from the world stage. At the start of the Black Age, they held the largest land empire in recorded history. They swiftly abandoned it with the rapid spread of the plague, and left several power vacuumsthatarebeingfilled.TheSangouinnowkeep to the plainlands from which they came, and everyone else is happy to leave them alone.

ZonesUninhabited and explored only by those with special training, zones are areas with a strong connection to a dominion. In a zone, the very landscape has a sentient and often hostile presence. Anyone willingly entering a zone must observe the explicit regulations that govern conduct within these places. Zones appear to be products of large scale natural disasters. When a zone develops in a civilized part of the world there is usually a documented ca-lamity preceeding. Zones in the wilderness also show signs of forming around the site of natural energies releasing themselves. While all zones contain an element of the un-expected, some have been explored well enough that their secret ways are known. First and foremost, direct routes can never be taken. Winding and backtracking is the only way to move forward without upsetting the zone. Rangers know generally the safest passages, but these can shift between visits or become blocked by anomalies. Anomalies are dangerous blemishes, scars in the fabric of reality. An anomaly can have a number ofeffectsonanyonewhowandersintoit.Mostcom-

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monly, a person is ripped or smashed to bits in an invisible pocket of space that does not follow the local rules of gravity. Rangers can sense or even see anomalies that lie before a party. Other common obstacles in a zone include familiarvoicesinfluencingyourthoughtsandactions,tricks of sight, dangerous air, toxic water, and power-ful horrors. Every risk has its reward though. Everyone knows that zones hold a special power, and the most frequently visited are said to grant the brave a wish. Rangers will tell you that what zones really grant is aperson’sinnermostdesire.Tosomethisdifferencecan be unsettling. For instance, a m-an may go to the heart of a zone and wish to have his brother returned to life. Instead, the zone will bestow riches on him because of his heart’s true desire. A realization of suchselfishnesscandriveamantodeepdepression. Also, alchemists regularly travel into zones to gather dominion-touched ingredients for their recipes. There is no shortage of powerful reagents beyond the borders of sanity.Keep in mind that going into a zone is usually forbid-den. The Church heavily polices well known zones inanefforttosavepeople’ssouls.

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Chapter Eleven - Enemies

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