Heavy Metal Æons Playtest

8/19/2019 Heavy Metal Æons Playtest

1/98

eavy Metal

Æons

Roleplaying GameBy M ichael Sands.

Illustrated by Juan O choa.

Alpha Playtest Draft – 28 December 2015

This is a playtest draft of the H eavy M etal Æ ons RPG .

Please let m e know if you play it and let m e know how it w ent.

Em ail m e atm ike@ genericgam es.co.nz

Heavy Metal Æons Page 1

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/98

Thanks Due

A gam e like this can’t be done alone, a lot of people helped m e along

the w ay and I w as inspired by m any other gam es and needless to say alot of m usic too.

For Game Design Discussions

Sim on C arryer, Steve H ickey, Ron Edw ards (for direct discussion, plus I

stole his com bat action system from C ircle of H ands), A llen Varney

(for the explosion clause in Road W arrior's “W alk A w ay”), D anielSteadm an (the Sapient W eapon), M atthew M ansell, Joonas Laakso.

For Playtesting

M atthew M ansell, D ennis M cFaull, D aniel Steadm an, Stefan Tyler.

Jono Baddiley, Sim on C arryer, Steve H ickey, V ictoria Johns, C hris

M oriarty, A ndrew B., Brandon M . C ody T., Reid H ., Savanna L.



3/98


4/98

Crank Up the Metal

I cam e up w ith the concept for this gam e at a B eastw ars/Red Fang gig.

Recently I've been listening to a bunch of other stuff that also fed intothis gam e.

I'm no genre purist, so these cover a range of styles, and there's a few

things that m ight not even be heavy m etal as it's norm ally defined. But

they all rock, and they have the right sound, them es, or attitude to fit.

Try som e of these:

• Beastw ars

• Red Fang

• Turbow olf

• The Sw ord

• Ruby the H atchet

• M onster M agnet

• M astodon

• Black Sabbath

• Earth

• Fields of the N ephilim

• Isis

• Royal Thunder

• The D atsuns

• Elder

• Blüe Ö yster C ult

• A m orphis

• Blue Snaggletooth

• A crim ony

• A nciients

• G loryham m er

• Iron M aiden

• M am ont

• D anzig

• A SG

• D evin Tow nsend

• Tengger C avalry



5/98

• Blind G uardian

Put som e of this on, and you’ll see the m ood(s) that I’m going for. If this

selection is’t quite to your taste, you can substitute others, and the

style of gam e play can be tw eaked to fit your favourites too.



6/98

Prepare to kick ass

You are going to create a band of heroes that could have stepped out

of a science-fantasy m etal song. They're going on an epic quest, andthey're going to kick ass.

It’s not going to be easy. You’ll need to play a truly m etal hero to

succeed, especially w ithout losses along the w ay.

O ne of your group w ill be the Judge, w ho is responsible for generating

the foes you'll m eet on your quest and com ing up w ith the details of

the w orld you encounter. Everyone else w ill create heroes and strive

to com plete an epic quest.

Supplies

For m undane supplies, you'll need:

• Som e norm al six-sided dice – each person w ill need tw o. It canbe handy for the Judge to have a few distinct pairs for

different foes.

• A distinctive counter for each hero and a few for the foes.

• Printouts of the archetypes and quest w orksheets.

• Pencils and pens.

• Scratch paper for m aps, notes, and diagram s.



7/98

Set The Stage

N ow you can start generating basic details about the w orld and

heroes. W e'll go through these steps:

• Pick a style.

• D ecide details of this fantasy w orld.

• D ecide on your quest's epic objective.

• C om e up w ith som e tasks you need to attem pt before you can

com plete the quest.

• C reate your heroes.

• Play the quest, and destroy your foes!

Song Length

First you need to decide is how long the gam e w ill be.

The default is one song, w hich m eans your heroes w ill have one quest

to com plete (and you can im agine that the quest is described in a

single m etal song).

If you w ant a longer lasting gam e, you can plan for an album -length

gam e, in w hich you'll play through several quests w ith characters and

places in com m on. Think of this as a m etal concept album , that tells astory over the course of the w hole album .

You can even play a career-length gam e, in w hich you'll just keep going

as long as you w ant. Think of this as a series of concept album s that

continue the sam e story.



8/98

Style

D ecide on the m etal style your group w ants for your story. H ere's the

m ain m odes the gam e is designed to handle:

• C om ic pow er m etal m ode: O ver the top, w ith hum our. E.g.

G loryham m er or D evin Tow nsend's Ziltoid album s.

• Straight pow er m etal m ode: Sw ord & sorcery, played straight.

E.g. The Sw ord or Beastw ars.

• C lassic heavy m etal m ode: G ritty fantasy – am azing pow ers,

but dow n and dirty. E.g. Iron M aiden or Blüe Ö yster Cult.

• Black M etal m ode: G rim -dark and portentous, w ith Evil

turned up to 11. E.g. Slayer or D anzig.

• Stoner m etal m ode: Psychedelic w eirdness, surreal and

strange. E.g. M astodon or A crim ony.

O f course anything goes, as long as you enjoy yourselves. It's m ainly

im portant to get everyone is on the sam e page, to avoid any clash in

style as you play.



9/98

The World

D ecide w hat sort of m etal w orld you w ant for the gam e. The w orld w ill

be a science-fantasy one – m agic, m onsters, and w eird science m ay bepresent. There are lots of w ays to do that, and here is w here you nail

dow n the details.

W orlds could be:

• Earth

• A fantasy planet

• A n alien planet

• Ice age

• Stone age

• C lassical/iron age

• M edieval

• A lien/space

• Post-apocalyptic

• Far Future/End of Tim e

Talk through the details a bit, so everyone gets on the sam e page

about how this w orld w ill w ork.Lim its are also up for agreem ent here. For exam ple, if you w ant a

fantasy stone age gam e w ith no science fiction elem ents, say so in this

discussion.

The group consensus on the style and w orld w ill allow you all to m ake

heroes that fit in, and keep your descriptions of the action in the sam e

groove as the rest of the group.



10/98

The Quest

N ow decide w hat you are going to be doing. Try to com e up w ith

som ething evocative, but sim ple. M ost quests can be stripped dow n tosom ething like “w e're going to kill this enem y,” or” w e're going to

com plete that m agic ritual.” It's best if it's som ething that heroes m ight

w ant to do for a variety of reasons.

A t this stage just w ork out the basics – everyone w ill get to add som e

m ore tasks in the next section. Fill in a few details if you have ideas.

For exam ple, if you decide the quest is to kill the D uke of U nlife,m aybe som eone has som e ideas about the D uke's fortress.

Example Quests

This is the sort of thing to choose for your quest:

• K ill the B one Em peror to bring dow n the Em pire of U nlife.

• A ssassinate the Sun G od before he burns the Earth.

• Resurrect the Lady of W ar to give victory to your chosen

nation's arm y.

• Steal the C row n of the W orld from the D ark Q ueen.

• Stop the Shadow C ult sum m oning Soth, w ho w ill devour the

w orld.

• D efend the Earth from the Star-Tyrant.



11/98

The First Task

N ow the group should com e up w ith the first task their heroes w ill

attem pt on the w ay to their ultim ate goal.The tasks should be a significant action that helps achieve the ultim ate

quest goal.

For exam ple:

• Retrieve the Blood-drinking Spear from the Tem ple of the

Forest Stalker.

• Infiltrate the C itadel of the Shorn O nes.

• K ill the A bbot-C aptain of the W ar Priests.

• Find the place w here your ancestor talked to the m oon, to find

out w hat she said.

• Prove to the W olf K han that you are m ighty heroes.C reating the task is a group brainstorm – anyone m ay suggest a task,

and everyone is encouraged to add m ore details or ask som eone to

clarify som ething.

D on't w orry about the details of the task, just the goal. The Judge w ill

set up som e dangers and enem ies w hile everyone else creates their

heroes.



12/98

The Heroes

N ow generate your hero by picking an archetype, m aking the choices

required, then pick a nam e and how your hero looks. It's okay to talkabout your choices and get feedback from the other players as you go

(this helps your hero band w ork together).

O nce everyone is done w e'll introduce the heroes to each other.

Rem em ber the style and w orld of the gam e as you do this, and keep

your hero in line w ith the agreed gam e style.

The Archetypes

Start by picking an archetype. The hero archetypes are:

• Astronaut

• Beastm aster

• Berserker

• C ham pion

• M ystic Cat

• Psychic Veteran

• Road W arrior• Sapient W eapon

• Sham an

• Skald

• Skinchanger

• Sorcerer

• Star Trooper

• Trollkiller

• Vengeful Revenant

• W itch• W izard



13/98

Hero Bones

There's a few things you need to know before creating your hero.

H eroes have 4 basic abilities that define w hat they are good at. The

abilities are:

• Eldritch : M agical pow er and know ledge.

• Fast: Q uickness of w it and physical agility.

• Strong : H ow hard you hit in com bat.

• Tough : G rit and physical condition.

There are also som e derived abilities, w hich are based on the values

you allocate to the basic four. The derived abilities are:

• Energy : Physical reserves. This is m ainly used to am p up your

com bat abilities. Starts at 5 + Fast + Tough.

• Pow er: A rcane reserves. This is m ainly used to cast spells and

for som e special m oves. Starts at 5 + double Eldritch.

• Toughness Resistance : If your Tough is m ore than 0, you get 2

boxes per point. These are checked off to ignore one injury you

w ould otherw ise suffer.

Specialities and Basic ABilities

Your hero w ith have som e special skills and pow ers that go w ith thearchetype, plus there are som e basic m oves that any hero can do

(including casting spells, fighting, and defying danger). These are

explained later – for now you just need to know that the ones on your

archetype are specific to you.



14/98

Magic

Your starting m oves m ight list your m agic dom ains. A ll heroes can cast

spells w hen they need to, but archetypes w ith dom ains listed are

experts at casting spells in those areas. W hat counts as part of acertain dom ain is up to your group, and how you have defined your

w orld.

You'll com e across som e other things that aren't defined – interpret

these how ever m akes sense to you and your group. These elem ents

are intended to inspire you, so fill in the details as you create your

hero and as you play your adventure through.

Hit Locations

M ost characters default to hum an (or at least hum anoid), and have a

default set of hit locations based on that body plan. The default,

hum an, hit locations are:

Skin locations:

• H ead (4 hits)

• C hest (4 hits)

• G ut (4 hits)

• A rm s (3 hits each)

• H ands (2 hits each)

• Legs (3 hits each)

• Feet (2 hits each)

Body locations:

• H eart (2 hits)

• Brain (2 hits)

M ystical locations:

• Soul (4 hits)

The M ystic C at and Sapient W eapon have different sets…



15/98

Leveling up

D uring play, optionally w hen your hero com pletes a task, or every tim e

your hero com pletes a quest, you get to level up.

Each archetype has som e specific level up options, but all heroes get

these as w ell:

A bility Increase +1 to Eldritch, Fast, Strong, or Tough (up to +3)Take A Trophy W rite a trophy onto your list. It m ay be used, once

only, to treat one roll as if you rolled a 12.



16/98

Make Your Hero

W ork through these steps to m ake your hero:

1. Pick your basic abilities (Eldritch, Fast, Strong, Tough): one at+2 (great), one at +1 (good), one at 0 (average), and one at -1

(bad). Each archetype gets +1 to a certain ability.

2. W rite dow n derived abilities (Energy, Pow er, Toughness

resistance) based on w hat you just picked. Energy is 5 + Fast +

Tough. Pow er is 5 + double Eldritch. A dd 2 Toughness

resistance boxes per Tough over 0.

3. G o through your gear choices and pick w hat you w ant. If you

are inspired to nam e or add details to any of your gear, that's

aw esom e – go for it!

4. Based on your chosen w eapons, and using the w eapons table

on page 49, fill in your w eapon attacks.

5. Fill in any resistances from your chosen arm our.

6. W rite in a signature item : som ething unique to your hero, that

hints at their personality, attitudes, or history.

7. Read your starting m oves – you'll get one or m ore special

abilities here, and a m ove that tells you how you recover

Energy and Pow er once you have spent them .

8. D on't w orry about the level up m oves for now , they only com e

into play for m ulti-song gam es.

9. Pick a nam e and background, and decide how your hero looks.



17/98

Introductions

O nce everyone has m ade up their heroes, take a m inute to introduce

each hero properly.

W hen you introduce your hero, m ake sure everyone know s your

nam e, archetype, how you look, and w hy the quest is im portant to you.

A dd m ore details you that you w ant them to know .

Think about how you m et each other and began w orking together for

this quest. Is any of you the

You m ay w ish to play out a short scene w here the heroes m eet, or asthey travel to begin their quest. This gives everyone a chance to show

a little m ore depth to their hero – try to show som ething that didn't

com e out in your description.



18/98

Astronaut

“I m ay not know the

nam e of this rock, butI'll help you fight for

justice. And if w e can

get m y ship flying

again, along the w ay,

that w ould be a nice

bonus.”

The astronaut uses their

high-tech gadgets to be an

all-round hero, flexible in

and out of com bat.

Reference

D une by B eastw ars (video).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus

you get +1 to Fast.

ATTACK MOVES NORMAL AMPED

Precision Shot 1 hit to 1 body location. Vaporise 1 body location.H it & Evade 1 hit to 1 skin location, you

take 1 less hit back.2 hits to 1 skin location,you take no harm back.



19/98

Gear

You get: Spacesuit (2 arm our), Blaster, Starship (w recked).

C hoose tw o of these : Laser-sw ord, G renades, Robot, M achete, H eavy

blaster, Spiderw eave A rm our (3 arm our), Sw ord.

Lastly, choose a signature item .

Specialities

A t level one, you start w ith these:

G adgets You have three special gadgets to help you out. They

start out undefined, but w hen you have a need spend1 Pow er to define it. That gadget has that function

from now on. At the end of each Song, you m ay leave

any of your defined gadgets behind and take an

undefined gadget in place of each.

R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you spend tim etinkering w ith technical devices or find spare parts

you can use.

W hen you level up, take one of these:

R epair Your Ship You can repair your starship and use it to get around.Any extra equipm ent on the ship is for you and the

Judge to agree on.Technom ancer G ain the Technology and Psychic m agic dom ains.Boost You m ay use 1 Pow er instead of 1 Energy to A m p an

attack m ove.



20/98

Beastmaster

“I speak to the beasts,

I know theirlanguages. You w ill

not escape m e, and

certainly not all of m y

friends.”

The beastm aster is focused

on anim als: you can talk toyour com panions and

others you m eet on your

quest.

Reference

Iron W olf by B eastw ars

(song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you get +1 to Fast.

Attack Moves Normal Amped

Entangle Entangle 1 arm or leg, foecan't use gear held there.

Foe is entangled and on

the ground.Sic 'Em 1 hit to 1 skin location, you

can't be hurt.

Shred 1 skin location, you

can't be hurt.



21/98

Gear

You get: Spear, Rope.

C hoose tw o of these : Bolas, N et, B ow , Rifle, Riding beast, H auberk (2

arm our).


Specialities

A t level one, you start w ith:

Language of

B easts

You can speak w ith anim als, and begin the gam e w ith

tw o anim al com panions.C hoose from : bear, eagle, falcon, fox, hound, horse,

leopard, lynx, ow l, lion, snake, w olf.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you befriend a new

anim al, or spend tim e doing a favour for an anim al.W hen you level up, take one of these:

B east Lore You have studied beasts and m onsters at great length.

W henever you first hear of, exam ine the spoor, orencounter a creature, ask the Judge w hat specialfeatures you know about. They w ill tell you the m ost

im portant facts know n.W hispers W hen you have befriended an anim al, you m ay spend

3 Pow er to have them becom e a new anim alcom panion for you.

A lpha You m ay spend 1 Pow er to sum m on a group of

anim als to aid you. They m ust be the sam e type as oneof your anim al com panions.



22/98

Berserker

“The spirit of W ar is

upon m e, it is bestthat you stand w ell

clear.”

The berserker is focused

entirely on com bat,

destroying foes w ith no

regard to her ow n w ounds.She can inflict devastating

attacks.

Reference

Seven Severed H eads by

Turbow olf (song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set,

plus you get +1 to Strong.

Attack moves Normal Amped

Roar 1 hit to 1 skin location, foe

gets -3 to next speed roll.

D estroy 1 skin location.

Pick a foe, they skip theirnext attack.Tear 1 hit to 1 skin location. Tear off 1 skin location.Sw ord 1 hit to 1 body location. Sever 1 skin location.Shield 1 hit to skin location or

prevent harm from foe.

2 hits to skin location and




23/98

Gear

You get: Sw ord, Shield (2 arm our), D agger

C hoose tw o of these : Battleaxe, Pistol, M achete, Paired sw ords,Paired axes, M ail (4 arm our), C lub, Bearskin (1 arm our), W olfskin (1

arm our).


Specialities

A t level one you start w ith:

B attle Fury You know a drug and m usic-fuelled rite to enter abattle trance. In the trance, spend 1 Pow er to:

• Ignore 2 hits from a foe’s attack.

• D o 2 extra hits against a foe w hen you strike

them .R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you celebrate your

deeds w ith boasts, drink and drugs, sex, or feasting.


U nstoppable W hen you have taken 2 hits, gain 2 arm our for therest of the fight. W hen you have a location taken out,

gain 6 m ore arm our for the rest of the fight.A drenaline You m ay spend 1 Pow er instead of Energy in order to

m ove to the front of the Pit.

A ll In You m ay spend Energy 1-for-1 to add m ore hits to theam ount of harm you inflict on a foe.



24/98

Champion

“I stand for m y people,

undefeated in any

battle.”

The C ham pion is a pre-

em inent w arrior, w ho has

devoted his life to m astering

com bat. H is com bat abilities

are flexible and form idable,

and he is a m aster of

w eapons.

Reference

A xethrow er by The D atsuns

(song).

Abilities


you get +1 to Strong.


Slice 1 hit each to 2 adjoiningskin locations

2 hits each to 2 adjoiningbody locations.

Lunge 1 hit to 1 body location. Pierce through 1 bodylocation



25/98

Gear

C hoose tw o of these: Sw ord, A xe, H am m er, M ace, Spear, Lance, Shield

(2 arm our), M usket, Rifle, Bow , Battleaxe, Flail, H alberd.

C hoose one arm our: Beast-hides (3 arm our), M ail (4 arm our), Plate (6

arm our).

C hoose one of these: Riding beast, Lover's favour, D ice, D eck of

cards, Bottle of rare liquor, First aid kit.


Specialities


C om bat M aster W hen you take an action in a fight, don’t m oveyourself right to the back: go to the m iddle of the Pitinstead. If the m iddle is a fighter, rather than a space,

put yourself ahead of them .R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you boast of you

deeds over drinks, m eet som eone w ho has heard ofyour exploits, or best a w orthy foe or boss in single

com bat.W hen you level up, take one of these

A gile Each fight, you dodge the first hit each enem y scoresagainst you: ignore the attack com pletely.

D eadly Each of your attack m oves does +1 hit. If you took outa location, the extra hit spills over to the next location

as usual.C aptain You gain a band of soldiers under your com m and.

D escribe the group. W hen they help you in a fight,

you get +1 to attack rolls, but they can get hurt too.



26/98

Mystic Cat

“G et m e som e food,

then w e can talk about

cursing your enem y.”

The m ystic cat is a feline

w izard, able to talk, cast

spells, and transform into a

form idable big cat w hen

fighting is necessary. C at

m agic is subtle but pow erful.

Reference

A sleep In The D eep by

M astodon (video).

Abilities


you get +1 to Fast.


Tooth & C law 1 hit to 1 skin location. Shred 1 skin location.C urse 1 hit to any location, foe has

-1 on next roll.1 hit to soul, foe has -1on all rolls until the

curse is broken.



27/98

Gear

C hoose som e : body slave, collar, palanquin & bearers, jew ellery.

C hoose your colouration.

Specialities


C at M agic Although naturally a dom estic cat, you can talk anduse m agic. You m ay freely transform yourself into onebig cat form to fight. You know the dom ains of C urses,

C urse-breaking, Finding, and SpiritsR echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you take a nap or

indulge yourself w ith drugsW hen you level up, take one of these:

Spirit W alker You m ay take a ghost cat form and w alk in the spiritw orld.

You m ay spend 1 Pow er to give a com m and to a spirit.

M any Ears,M any Eyes

C ats of any com m unities you visit recognise yourstatus, and w ill provide inform ation and spy for you.

You m ay spend 1 Pow er to have them attack your

enem ies: they w ill overw helm 1d6 unw orthy foeseach tim e you m ake an attack.

H um an Form You m ay take a hum an form . You m ay sw itch betw eenform s w henever nobody is w atching.

Hit Locations

C at hit locations: as hum an but w ith paw s instead of hands or feet,

plus add a 2-hit Tail location. Tail counts as a skin location.



28/98

Psychic Veteran

“Ain't nothing here to

scare m e. N othing

close to the hellscapes

I seen, deep in the

corners of a terrified

m ind.”

The psychic veteran w as a

special forces telepath,

destroying the m inds of herenem ies m em ory by

m em ory.

Reference

Veteran of the P sychic W ars

and Flam ing Telepaths by

Blüe Ö yster C ult (songs).

Abilities



Attacks Normal Amped

Telekinesis 1 hit to 1 skin location,target knocked dow n.

Sm ash 1 skin location,throw target.

C rush M ind 1 hit to brain or soul. 2 hits to brain or soul, foeto end of the Pit.



29/98

Gear

C hoose one w eapon:Pistol, Blaster, Psy-blade, Psy-blaster.

C hoose three of these: Psy-helm (2 arm our), Sw ord, Rifle, Psy-

am plifier (+1 Pow er), N anow eave vest (4 arm our), Isolation gloves.


Specialities


Telepathy You can talk m ind-to-m ind, to anyone you know or can

directly sense.You know the Psychic m agic dom ain.

R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy after a full night's sleep ora few hours of m editation isolated from other m inds.


D om ination Spend 1 Pow er to control another m ind for a fewseconds. Add the M ind C ontrol m agic dom ain.

Inner W orld Spend 1 Pow er to induce hallucinations in a victim , or2 Pow er to trap them in a hallucinatory w orld. Thiseffect lasts for a few m inutes, but m ay seem longer

for the victim . Add the Illusion m agic dom ain.Psy-B oosters You have drugs to enhance psychic strength. W hen

you take them , gain +5 Pow er and +5 Energy butm ark 1 hit against your brain or heart.



30/98

Road Warrior

“M y road to freedom

and redem ption is along one, but you're

w elcom e to ride

along for a w hile.”

The post-apocalyptic road

w arrior is an expert driver,

as w ell as a form idablefighter.

Reference

M otherfucker From H ell by

The D atsuns (song).

AbilitiesC hoose the norm al set, plus



B rutalize 1 hit to 1 skin location. Take out 2 skin locations,you take 1 hit to chest.

V ehicularA ssault

2 hits to 1 skin location. 2 hits each to 2 body

locations.



31/98

Gear

Battle w agon. Type: ______________________________

C hoose tw o w eapons:Shotgun, Pistol, Rifle, Bom b-lances.

C hoose tw o of these:Bottle of nitro, M achete, Binoculars, Toolbox,

W arlord's brand, W arrior tattoos, Biker jacket (1 arm our).


Specialities


B attle W agon You have a car, technical, or w ar-rig to drive intobattle. W hen driving it, you autom atically take out

1d6 unw orthy foes every attack in addition to your

norm al attack.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you find a source of

fuel or spares, or spend a few hours repairing the

battle w agon and tuning the engine.W hen you level up, take one of these:

Fang It W hile driving your battle w agon, you get +1 on allrolls.

H ot R od Your battle w agon is the fastest thing around. Youcan’t be caught or outrun.

W alk A w ay You are never hurt in a vehicle crash. N o m atter howbad it w as, you w alk aw ay from the w reck w ith only

superficial dam age. If you don’t look back, it w ill

explode.



32/98

Sapient Weapon

“G ive m e souls and I w ill lend

you m y pow er – the pow er ofan im m ortal spirit of w ar.”

The sapient w eapon is alive, and

possesses great m agical pow er to

give its w ielder terrifying prow ess

in battle. Take care not to lose your

w ielder, finding another is tiresom e.

Reference

Black B lade by B lüe Ö yster C ult

(song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you get +1 to Eldritch.


Soulburn 1 hit to soul. 2 hits to soul, plus yourecover 1 Pow er.

R unes of Pow er 1 hit each to 2 adjoiningskin locations.

D estroy 1 body

location.Plus the attack m ove that goes w ith your type, see page 52.

Gear

W ielder: D ecide on w ielder's nam e, attitude, and look. You m ay use

them to m ake your ow n norm al m oves, otherw ise the Judge controls

them . They count as 7 arm our, dying w hen all are m arked.

C hoose a signature item .



33/98

Specialities


A ncient Pow er C hoose w hat style w eapon you are, and add the

m atching attack m oves. You m ay be anything: sw ord,axe, bow , dagger, ham m er, spear, m ace, gun, etc.

Spend 1 Pow er to add +1 to any roll by channellingyour pow er into your w ielder.

You know the Soul-devourer m agic dom ain.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w henever you kill

som ething and devour its soul. This includes anyone

you kill w ith a soul burn attack m ove.


B itter Edge Any hit you score poisons the victim . They w ill die,painfully, over the next few hours.

W ilful Spend 1 Pow er to force your w ielder to obey any onesentence com m and.

D ark M agicks Add 2 of these m agic dom ains: C haos, D eath,

D estruction, Storm , W ar.

Hit Locations

W eapon hit locations are com pletely different to hum an.

Your skin locations are H andle (4 hits) and W eapon (4 hits). Your body

locations add your Pow er Source (3 hits). Finally, you have a Soul (4

hits).

You die w hen your pow er source or soul are destroyed.



34/98

Shaman

“The spirits foretold our

m eeting, and that w e

w ould be com panions

for a w hile. Best not

anger them .”

The sham an is a m aster of the

spirits and the spirit w orld, she

can talk to and com m and

natural and unnatural spirits

she encounters, and w hen

necessary to w alk in the spirit

w orld.

Reference

The W olf Ritual by Tengger

C avalry (song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you get +1 to Tough.


Ley C hannel 1 hit to a skin location. 1 hit to 1 skin location, and

you regain 1 Pow er.Spirit Storm 1 hit each to 2 skin

locations.1 hit each on 5 skinlocations.



35/98

Gear

You have: Sacred drugs, D rum , Spirit fetishes.

Pick one w eapon: H atchet, Sickle, Big K nife.C hoose tw o of these:Sw ord, C lub, Battleaxe, Paints, Flute, C arved

pipe, Beaded Vest, A pprentice, Beast-skin headdress (arm our 1).


Specialities


Spirit Trance You m ay enter a trance w ith drugs and m usic, leavingyour body to w alk in the spirit w orld, w here the spiritscan tell you of far aw ay places and tim es.

You know the Spirit m agic dom ain.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you ritualistically

com m une w ith the spirits for a few hours, or do afavour for a spirit.

W hen you level up, take one of these:Touch of Life Spend 1 Pow er to heal som eone: rem ove all hits from

a location, or cure a disease.Add the H ealing m agic dom ain.

Spirit M aster You m ay com m and m inor spirits, and by spending 1Pow er you m ay com m and a m ajor spirit.

Paths of Earthand Sky

Spend 1 Pow er to lead your com panions on a spirittrod, bypassing m undane obstacles.



36/98

Skald

“Fear the pow er of this

riff!”

The skald is trained in their

people's bardic tradition.

They know m any songs,

stories, and secrets. They

are also able to w ield their

m usical talents as a m agical

w eapon.

Reference

The B ard’s Song, Skalds &

Shadow s by B lind G uardian

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you get +1 to Fast.


M isdirection 1 hit to a body location,foe m ay not use arm our.

2 hits to a body location,

foe m ay not use arm our.Cacophony Foe m ay not take an action

on their next turn.1 brain hit and foe m ay nottake an action on their

next turn.



37/98

Gear

C hoose an instrum ent:G uitar, D rum , or other.

C hoose four of these: Sw ord, A xe, Shield (2 arm our), D rugs, M ail (4

arm our), Face paint, Tattoos, Pyrotechnics, A roadie, A pet, A m plifier.


Specialities


Songs & Secrets If you need to know som e lost or secret lore, ask the

Judge: they'll tell you w hat you know about it, andhow trustw orthy the inform ation is.

You know the Secrets m agic dom ain.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you unearth lost

know ledge or rock out for an audience.W hen you level up, take one of these:

R iff of

D estruction

Spend 1 Pow er to unleash a Riff of D estruction. The

riff takes out 1d6 unw orthy foes and does 1 head hitto all w orthy foes and bosses w ho hear it.M etal Legend You are a fam ous rocker. W herever you go, there are

fans. Your fans help you w ith sim ple needs -

inform ation, supplies, and so on. You m ay spend 1

Pow er to have a gang of fans appear for m oredangerous help, either to create a distraction or to

help you in a fight. Your fans take out 2 unw orthy foes

each tim e you take an action in a fight. If there are nounw orthy foes, you get to add +1 hit to your attacksas they join in.

Songs of Pow er You know the m agic dom ain of M usic plus 1 from :Storm , D eath, Fire, Blast.



38/98

Skinchanger

“You have lost the trail? I

can still sm ell our prey, for

all he has hidden him self

aw ay. Follow m e to battle,

if you can keep up.”

The skinchanger m ay transform

him self into the form s of his

totem beasts. H e em bodies raw

physical pow er in battle, and

m ay take advantage of the

senses of his anim al form s.

Reference

K iller W olf by D anzig (song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you

get +1 to Eldritch.


Rake 2 hits to a leg or gut. Rip guts out.Flurry of C law s 1 hit each to 2 skin

locations.

5 hits over any num ber of

skin locations. Gear

You have: Your totem s, Beast-skin clothes.

C hoose three of these: C lub, Spear, A xe, Shield (2 arm our), Rifle, Bow ,

Beast-hides (2 arm our), Ritual finery, Fiery liquor.




39/98

Specialities


Totem Form s Spend 1 Pow er to transform into any creature for

w hich you possess a totem . You can return to hum anform w henever you w ant.

As a beast, take +1 to rolls that your form excels in. Asa hum an, your senses are enhanced by those of your

totem s.

You m ay craft a new totem from a creature you'veslain.

C hoose 2 starting totem s: bear, eagle, fox, honey

badger, leopard, lion, ow l, sea lion, snake, raven, w olf,w olverine.

R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you kill in beast form ,or craft a totem for a new type of creature.


Em peror ofB easts

W hile in a beast form , you m ay talk to other m em bers

of that species. Spend 1 Pow er to m ake them obey a

com m and.V igour Recover 1 hit w henever you change form s.

W ild M agic You know the m agic dom ains of Beasts, C hanging, andW ild.



40/98

Sorcerer

“Fear m e, for I

com m and the pow ersof H ell itself! Bow

before m e!”

The sorcerer com m ands

infernal m agics, allow ing

them to sum m on and bind

dem ons, and cast the spellsof H ell.

Reference

D evil's Plaything by D anzig

(song).

AbilitiesC hoose the norm al set, plus

you get add +1 to Eldritch.


Fell C urse 1 hit to soul, foe can’t usearm our.

2 hits to soul, foe can’t usearm our, next allied attack

on foe is Am ped for free.H ellfire 1 hit to a skin location, plus

it's on fire.

2 hits each to 2 adjoining

skin locations, plus they'reon fire.

A tham e 1 hit to a skin location. 1 hit to soul.



41/98

Gear

You have: A tham e, H ooded robe.

C hoose three of these: Sw ord, Black grim oire, Spiked m ace,

Executioner's axe, Black candles & goat skull, Fam iliar (nam e:________________, type: _________), C ow ering acolyte (nam e:

_______________), H ell-m ail (4 arm our).


Specialities


D em onologist You know the language of dem ons, and m ay call uponthem for aid.

Spend 1 Pow er to sum m on a dem on from H ell orcom pel a dem on to follow a single order to the letter.

You know the Infernal m agic dom ain.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you sacrifice a living

soul to a Lord or Lady of H ell, or do w hat your Infernal

patron asks of you.W hen you level up, take one of these:

Infernal Slave You have enslaved a m inor dem on. It w ill follow any ofyour com m ands, to the letter.

R uned H ellblade You gain a sw ord forged by a Lord or Lady of H ell.W hen you slay a living being w ith it, as w ell as the soul

being sacrificed to the m aker (and triggering a

recharge), you m ay restore 1 hit or m arked Toughnessbox.

D ark Sorceries C hoose 2 m ore m agic dom ains from : C haos, Sin,D eath, D estruction, C urses, Fire.



42/98

Star Trooper

“H ow m any com bat

drops? H ell, I stopped

counting. It's all the

sam e anyhow – kill

everything, w ait for

relief to com e pick up

the pieces, then go get a

beer.”

In her pow ered arm our, she's aw alking tank, a source of utter

devastation. H er training

didn't leave tim e for m uch

else, but she know lots of w ays

to kill people and blow shit up.

Reference

Last Patrol by M onster

M agnet (song or w hole

album ).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you get add +1 to Tough.


Enhanced Punch 2 hits to skin location. Sm ash 1 skin location.D eath FromA bove

1 hit to head. If head is

taken out, 1 hit to brain.

Sm ash or explode head. If

head taken out, sm ash orexplode brain.



43/98

Gear

You have:Your com bat arm our (8 arm our), H eavy blaster.

C hoose three of these: O cular, Sniper rifle, G renades, M achete,

D em olition charges, M edikit, Rocket launcher, C lose com bat claw .Lastly, choose a signature item .

Specialities


A rm ouredV eteran

Your pow ered com bat arm our provides you w ith 8

arm our.

Its system s allow you to spend 1 Pow er to:• U se superhum an strength.

• Fire the jum p jets.

• Repair 1 of the suit’s checked arm our boxes.

R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you take som e tim eto m aintain and repair your arm our, or relax and get

drunk, stoned, or laid.

W hen you level up, take one of theseFirst In W hen you charge into com bat, you autom atically get

the first action: don’t bother rolling for it.

H ard B itten If you take a hit, your next attack is Am ped for free.Stealth M ode W hen you need to get into som ew here protected,

ditch your heavy gear, put the suit into stealth m odeand you're in, no problem s.



44/98

Trollkiller

“Yes, I've fought a w yvern

before. W hat m arkingsdoes this one have? Ah,

those are nasty ones.

D on't w orry, I can deal

w ith it.”

A specialist in the tracking and

killing of m onsters and w ildbeasts, the Trollkiller fears

nothing in the w ilds – instead,

the w ilds fear them . They are

exceptionally tough and experts

in com bat w ith m onsters.

ReferenceThe H unter by M astodon

(song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you get +1 to Tough.

Attack Moves Normal AmpedB ullseye 1 hit to 1 body location. Pierce or sever 1 body

location.

Spot W eakness 1 hit to skin location, foecan’t use arm our.

D estroy 1 skin location,

foe can’t use arm our.



45/98

Gear

You have: M achete, Bag of m onster lures, B east-fang necklace.

C hoose one w eapon: Bow , C rossbow , Rifle, Blaster rifle.C hoose one arm our: Light beast-hide (2 arm our), H eavy m onster

carapace (4 arm our).


Specialities


H unter You never lose a trail you are follow ing.In a fight w ith a beast or m onster, your first successful

attack m ove is Am ped for free.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you take a trophy

from a beast (w orthy foe or boss) that you helped slay,

or w hen you feast on gam e you hunted.

W hen you level up, take one of these:Survivalist You never have to roll for dangers related to bad

w eather or routine w ilderness hardship. You can

alw ays find or m ake som e shelter for you and your

com panions.B lood D rinker You habitually ritually consum e m ighty prey to

im prove yourself. Add +1 to tw o of Fast, Strong, or

Tough. Your look develops bestial or m onstrous

details, add them now .Sharpshooter W hen you fire at an enem y from a distance, taking

tim e to aim carefully, Am p your first shot for free, plus

the target m ay not use arm our.



46/98

Vengeful Revenant

“Kill you? N o. N o, that w ould be

far too quick. Far too sim ple.”

D ead already, you are very hard to

destroy. Your living death provides

you w ith pow ers you w ill use to

pursue those w ho w ronged you, and

enact justice - w ell, justice of a sort -

upon them all.

Reference

Last Exit for the Lost by Fields of the

N ephilim (song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you get +1 to Strong.Attack Moves Normal Amped

D eath Touch 1 hit to 1 skin location. W ithered death to 1 skinlocation.

Soulburn 1 hit to soul. 2 hits to soul, plus yourecover 1 Energy

Gear

C hoose one w eapon: A ncestral Sw ord, A ncient A xe, Fell Spear.

C hoose tw o of these: Ragged m ail (3 arm our), M usket, Several

daggers, D ecayed crow n, Tattered robe, Torn m ap, Book filled w ith

nam es.

C hoose a signature keepsake.



47/98

Specialities


U ndead You're already dead – your locations are only taken

out if they are vaporised, explode, or destroyed bym agic. Severed body parts still w ork fine, aside from

the obvious. You m ay not select a Post-m ortemArchetype if you are destroyed.

G rudges N am e the people and creatures you w ant revenge on.You get +1 on all rolls to hurt or punish them .

R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you slay som eonenam ed in your grudges, or w hen you com e upon a

rem inder of your m ortal life.W hen you level up, take one of these:

B est Served C old W hen you roll an attack on som eone on your grudgelist, double the num ber of hits rolled. Take out hits

count as 8.Lord of theU nliving

O ther undead creatures w ill recognise your unholy

quest.

You know the m agic dom ains of D eath and U nlife.Lineage You find a surviving descendant or relative. If you

w ish, they w ill accom pany you on your quest.If they accom pany you, gain +1 on rolls w hen the

insight of your living relative w ould help.

If you leave them to live out their life, any tim e you

visit them counts as a rem inder of your m ortal life forthe purposes of your recharge m ove.



48/98

Witch

“A little dragon's blood, a

little eye of new t. D rink up,now.”

The w itch has access to pow erful

m agic to heal the sick or curse

the healthy. H e also has the help

of a fam iliar spirit in anim al form .

Reference

Rabbit's Foot by Turbow olf

(song).

Abilities

C hoose the norm al set, plus you

get +1 to Tough.


Poisoned Touch 1 hit to 1 skin location. 1 hit to 1 skin location. In 1m inute foe dies or falls

unconscious (choose w hen

you attack).H ex 1 hit to any location. Take out soul.

A tham e 1 hit to 1 skin location. 1 hit to soul.



49/98

Gear

You have: A tham e. Poisons, potions, and m ystical ingredients.

C hoose three of these: Sw ord, H atchet, G rim oire of spells, First aid

kit, Runestones, Tarot cards, H ex bags.

Your fam iliar:C at, D og, Rat, Toad, C row , O w l, Fox, Stoat, Bat.


Specialities


W itchcraft You m ay spend 1 Pow er to heal som eone 2 hits,concoct a poison, or brew a m agic potion, plus you can

see and talk to spirits.

Your m agic dom ains are H ealing and C urses.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you spend tim e

gathering herbs, or if asked for help you do it w ithout

concern for paym ent.W hen you level up, take one of these:

Poisoner’sForesight

You m ay spend 1 Pow er to poison som eone, if youhave any access to them at all. For 2 Pow er, you m ay

do this retroactively.M oon C hild You have dedicated yourself to Luna.

W hen the m oon is in the sky, you m ay w alk them oonbeam s: from a m oonbeam , appear in any other

m oonbeam w ith a step.

Add the m agic dom ains of C hanging and The M oon.Seer At the beginning of each new task, you m ay foretell

the future. Pick a m ethod of prophecy, and tell the

Judge w hat you fear. The Judge w ill tell you if your

fear m ay com e to pass, and w ill describe a vision of

som ething useful to you.Add the m agic dom ain of Scrying.



50/98


51/98

Gear

You have: Spellbooks, W and.

Fam iliar: C at, Fox, Im p, O w l, Rat, Raven, Terrier, Tiny dragon, Toad.

Pick three of these: Staff, A tham e, Runed m ail (5 arm our), Pistol,M ystical reagents, Tw o potions, A n arcane tom e.


Specialities


M agical Paths C hoose 3 m agical dom ains: Storm , Blood, Earth, Light,Fire, Sea, Flora, Beasts, Shadow , Stars, W ater, Air,

H ealing, C urses.R echarge Regain 1 Pow er or Energy w hen you take a few hours

in an arcane library or com m uning w ith the source of

one of your dom ains.W hen you level up, take one of these:

C om bat M agic In a fight, you m ay spend 1 Energy instead of 1 Pow er

to cast a spell.A rchm age C hoose 2 m ore m agical dom ains, from the M agical

Path list or these: C haos, O rder, Artifacts, M etam agic,

C ounterspells.A dept You m ay cast spells from your dom ains w ithout

needing to spend 1 Pow er.



52/98

Weapons

Each w eapon has an attack m ove w ith a norm al and am ped version,

just like your archetype's basic attack m oves. They can be am ped byspending 1 Energy.

Weapon Attack Moves

Weapon Normal Attack Amped Attack

B laster 1 hit to 1 body location. Vaporise 1 body location.

Sw ord 1 hit to 1 body location. Sever 1 skin location.

G renade 1 hit each to 2 skin

locations.

6 hits over at least 3 skin

locations.

H eavy blaster 2 hits to 1 body location. Vaporise 1 body location.

M achete orSickle

1 hit to 1 skin location. Sever 1 skin location.

A xe or H atchet 1 hit to 1 skin location. Sever 1 skin location.Spear 1 hit to 1 body location. Pierce through 1 body

location.

M usket 1 hit to 1 body location. Pierce through 1 body

location.

D agger 1 hit to 1 skin location. Pierce 1 body location.

R ifle 1 hit to 1 body location. Pierce through 1 body

location.

B olas 1 hit to an arm or leg. 1 hit to an arm or leg. Foe

is disarm ed or tripped

over.



53/98


B ow 1 hit to 1 skin location. Pierce through 1 body

location.

N et Foe is tangled over 2 skin

locations.

Foe is totally entangled

and falls over.

Sniper rifle 3 hits to 1 body location. Vaporise 1 body location.

R ocket launcher 1 hit each to 3 body

locations.

Vaporise w hole body.

C om bat claw 1 hit to 1 skin location. Sever 1 skin location.

M ace or C lub 1 hit to 1 skin location. Sm ash 1 skin location.

Psyblade 1 hit to body or soul. D estroy soul or sever 1

skin location.

Pistol 1 hit to 1 body location. Pierce 1 body location.

Psyblaster 1 hit to brain or soul. D estroy brain or soul.

H am m er 1 hit to 1 skin location. Sm ash 1 skin location.

Flail 1 hit to 1 skin location or

disarm foe.

Sm ash 1 skin location or

disarm foe.

H alberd 2 hits to 1 skin location. Sever or take out 1 body

location.

Lance 2 hits to 1 body location. Pierce through any body

location.Shield (alsogrants 2 arm our)

1 hit to 1 skin location or


2 hits to 1 skin location

and prevent harm from

foe.

A tham e 1 hit to a skin location. 1 hit to soul.



54/98


Staff 1 hit to 1 skin location. 1 hit to 1 skin location, foe

is tripped or disarm ed.

B attleaxe 1 hit to 1 skin location. D estroy or sever 1 body

location.

Shotgun 1 hit each to 2 adjoining

skin locations.

D estroy 1 body location.

B om b-lance Explode 1 skin location. Explode 2 body locations,

but you take 1 hit to the

head.

C rossbow 1 hit to 1 skin location. Pierce through 1 body

location.

A ny location that is vaporised, severed, exploded, pierced through,

sm ashed, destroyed, disintegrated, etc is com pletely destroyed.

D estroy hits m ay have additional effects based on w hat other effects

it w ould have, e.g. w hen an arm is severed the hand is also lost.D estroy-type com bat effects count as 4 hits (this is im portant w hen

m itigating the dam age w ith Toughness, arm our, or crossing item s off

the character).

Custom Weapons And Attack Moves

If you w ant to create a new com bat m ove for a new w eapon (for

instance, if a hero has a signature item w eapon), then use one of the

follow ing tem plates as a guideline. W ith the Judge's agreem ent you

m ay change it slightly, if none of the exam ples is quite right.

Weapon Type Normal Amped

B asic 1 hit to 1 skin location. D estroy 1 skin location.Piercing 1 hit to 1 body location. D estroy 1 body location.



55/98

M ystical 1 hit to any location. D estroy any location.Explosive 2 hits to skin locations 4 hits to skin locations.

Armour

A rm our gives you extra protection from attacks. It has a num erical

rating that is how m any hits the arm our can stop.

W henever you take hits, you m ay m ark off an arm our box to reduce

the injury by 1 hit. O nce you have used all of the arm our boxes, it is

broken and useless. Broken arm our m ay be crossed off your sheet to

save you from one last injury, but then it is utterly devastated andcannot be repaired.

Armour repairs

M arked arm our boxes m ay be repaired in play, specifically:

• You could find an arm ourer as you quest.

• A s a rew ard for succeeding in one of the quest tasks.

• A utom atically w hen you have finished a quest.

Armour Guidelines

If a hero acquires som e new arm our in the course of their quest,

determ ine how m uch it is w orth using these guidelines:

• Slight protection (e.g. thick jacket): 1

• Light arm our (e.g. thick leather): 2

• M edium arm our (e.g. m ail): 4

• H eavy arm our (e.g. plate): 6



56/98

• Extraordinary arm our (e.g. high tech, m agical): 8

Trophies

Trophies are rew ards you earned or took on your quest. W hen youlevel up, a trophy is one of the things you m ay choose.

You get to decide w hat your trophy is, w ith the only lim it being w hat is

currently available to your hero in the story.

If your trophy is a w eapon or arm our, then you get to use it follow ing

the norm al rules.

In addition, you m ay call on your trophy (or your m em ories of w inning

it) to, once only, change a rolled result. Instead of w hatever you rolled,

treat it as a 12. M ark a check by your trophy w hen you do this. You

keep the trophy after this, you just can’t revise any m ore rolls w ith it.

Acquiring Other GearIn the course of the quest, heroes m ay have the chance to grab m ore

gear. M aybe they find an ally able to give them extra supplies, m aybe

they loot an enem y’s body, or som ething like that.

This is just fine. A dd the new item to the hero’s gear list. If it is a

w eapon, add the new w eapon’s com bat m oves as usual, and for

arm our add the new arm our boxes as usual.



57/98

Rules

These rules cover the basic things that heroes m ay w ant to do during

their quest. These are cases w here w e use random ness from the diceto add som e tension to the story.

M ost of the tim e, you w ill describe w hat your hero does and the Judge

w ill describe the im pact your actions have on the w orld and the other

characters.

The rules com e into play w hen w e can’t tell if the hero should succeed,

and the results - w hether you succeed or fail - w ill have a big im pact on

the story. In particular that covers w hen the hero is in danger of harm ,

w hen they channel dangerous m agic, and w hen they are fighting foes.

These rules are:

• D angerous A ction is used w hen a hero tries som ething risky

and it’s not obvious that they w ould succeed.• C ast A Spell is used w hen you channel m agical pow er.

• Fights zoom s in on com bat to resolve individual clashes

betw een heroes and foes, until one side is victorious.

There are also rules for specific situations that you m ight find yourself

in. That covers the effects of and recovery from injury, the effects of

m ortal w ounds and dying, and the benefits of com pleting tasks and

success on your overall quest.

These cases are:

• H arm : the effects of injuries.



58/98

• G oing O ut W ith G lory : w hat w ounds are m ortal, and happens

w hen your hero is going to die.

• Recovery : recovering from injuries, spent Pow er, and spent

Energy.

• W hen you com plete a task : w hen the heroes succeed w ith one

of the tasks for a quest.

• W hen you com plete a song .



59/98

Dangerous Action

W hen you take a dangerous, roll tw o dice and add the m ost

appropriate ability. If it's not clear w hich ability is m ost appropriate,the Judge gets the final w ord.

If the action falls under your archetype's specialties, add +1.

You m ay spend Energy to am p your feat. A gree w ith the Judge on the

extra effect you w ill get.

E.g. If you are charging a necrom ancer, and need to defy danger toevade her unliving bodyguards, am ping the roll could allow you to

destroy som e of them as w ell as dodging their attacks.

If your total is:

• 10 or m ore: You succeed at your attem pt and avoid the danger.

• 7-9: You succeed, but there is a cost. The Judge m ay requireyou pay a price, suffer harm , or face an unexpected

com plication.

• 6 or less: The danger com es to pass, and som ething terrible

happens.



60/98

Cast A Spell

W hen you w ish to cast a spell, tell the Judge your intended effect.

Betw een you and the Judge, agree on the special preparationsrequired. In general, the bigger the spell's effect, the m ore preparation

is necessary. You m ay spend extra Pow er to skip som e preparations -

it’s up to the Judge how m uch.

O nce you have prepared, spend 1 Pow er (plus any you used to

prepare). Then roll tw o dice and add your Eldritch.

W hen the spell falls under your archetype's nam ed m agical dom ains,

add +1 to your roll.

• 10 or m ore: The spell is cast as you w ished.

• 7-9: The spell is cast, but choose one: it has reduced effect or

duration, there is a dangerous side effect.

• 6 or less: The spell goes horribly w rong.

Spells During A Fight

C asting a spell during a fight norm ally requires an action. If you w ish

to interrupt another fighter, spend an Energy to take your action now ,

as usual.

Spells to cause harm or protect have special rules during fights, for all

other purposes they w ork as usual.

Spells cast to harm an enem y do 1 hit. If the spell is w ithin a physical

dom ain, choose a skin location. If the dom ain allow s a piercing attack

(e.g. the dom ain of Spears) then choose a body location. If the spell is



61/98

spiritual (e.g. the dom ain of Souls) then you can hit a m ystic location.

The spell m ay be A m ped w ith 1 Energy to do 2 hits dam age.

If a hero casts a protective spell, they m ay choose to either grant

m agical arm our against future attacks or deflect an attack this instant.Spells are w orth 2 arm our, 4 if the spell is Am ped w ith 1 Energy.



62/98

Fights

W e play out each fight until one side w ins – until everyone on the

other side surrenders, flees, is taken out by injuries, or is killed.

The Pit

The Pit tracks w ho w ill get the next attack. You need a m arker for the

front of the P it and one for each fighter.

Each fighter (that is, every hero and foe involved) rolls 1d6 + Fast for

their speed.

A rrange the fighters’ m arkers in order— highest result in the front of

the Pit, then w orking dow n. If there are any ties, highest Fast goes

first. If results and Fast are both tied then foes go before heroes. Ties

betw een foes are up to the Judge to arrange, and ties am ong heroes

need to be w orked out by their players.

Each Turn

The first fighter in the Pit gets to take an action (norm ally attacking an

enem y).

If anyone w ishes to interrupt and go first, they m ay spend 1 Energy to

m ove to the front right now . If m ore than one person w ants to do this,

that's fine – they m ay spend Energy for this as long as they w ant.

M ove your m arker to the back of the Pit, then resolve your action.

U nw orthy foes act just once for their group.



63/98

Attack!

The attacker selects a foe and w hich com bat m ove they are using and

rolls +Strong.

If the attacker w ants to am p their attack, they spend 1 Energy now . A n

am ped attack uses the am ped version of the com bat m ove.

• O n a 10 or m ore, a hit!

• O n a 7-9, you hit your foe, but choose one of these:

◦ You are hit by a counter-attack. Your enem y (or one of

their allies) selects an applicable attack m ove, w hich autom atically hits

you. They m ay am p this attack if they w ish.

◦ You are disarm ed (your w eapon could be lost, stuck,

out of am m o, or broken: Judge's choice).

◦ Your attack is w eakened (it does 1 less hit per location

affected).

• O n a 6 or less, your foe hits you w ith a counter-attack (as

under 7-9), and also chooses tw o of these:

◦ You are disarm ed, as the 7-9 option.

◦ Your foe regains 1 Energy or Pow er.

◦

Your foe’s attack is A m ped for free.◦ Your foe im m ediately m oves to the front of the Pit.

◦ You m ay not use arm our.



64/98

Targets

A ttacks m ay target different locations on the victim , either specified

or in a general type. The general types are:

• Skin: A ny location on the body surface (not soul, brain, or

heart).

• Body: A ny location in the body (but not the soul).

• M ystic: A ny location.

Resolve The AttackThen the effects of the attack, as listed, are resolved. Take as m any hits

as required, and lose the affected location com pletely if it is

destroyed.

If the hit is too m uch for you to take, it can be m itigated. You'll pay a

cost, but you w on't have to take all the harm .

W hen a hero hits an unw orthy foe, then every hit scored takes out one

of the unw orthy foes. A destroy-type hit counts as 4 hits, or w ill take

out 1d6 unw orthy foes.

If any hits get through, after m itigation, m ove yourself to the back one

place in the Pit.



65/98

Mitigating Hits

The three w ays to m itigate hits are your native toughness, arm our,

and losing som ething im portant. For each point of m itigation, theincom ing attack is reduced by 1 hit. D estroy-type attacks are

considered to be 4 hits per location affected for this purpose.

H eroes w ith high Tough (and som e foes) have extra toughness boxes.

H eroes get one per positive point of Toughness. M itigate a hit by

m arking off a toughness box.

A rm our gives you som e arm our boxes. M itigate a hit by m arking anarm our box.

If you choose to lose som ething, cross off an elem ent on your

character sheet: a piece of gear, a trophy, or an item or com panion

granted by a m ove.



66/98

Harm

A ny location that has taken hits is painful and causes trouble – any hit

is serious dam age. Being m oved back a step in the P it represents theshock and pain of the hit.

Overkill

Taken out locations are crippled and unusable. If there w ere any

excess hits that aren’t “used” by taking out the location, then the

excess “pushes through” to the next location tow ards the heart orbrain.

O verkill follow s these paths:

• H and => A rm => C hest => H eart

• Foot => Leg => G ut => C hest => H eart

• H ead => Brain

For the heroes w ith unusual m aps:

• M ystic C at: add Tail => G ut

• Sapient W eapon: H andle/Edge => Pow er Source => Soul



67/98

Going Out With Glory

“W hat a day! W hat a lovely day!” - N ux, M ad M ax: Fury

Road

So, you're dying. It's tim e to go out in style.

Mortal Wounds

You are m ortally w ounded w hen your brain, heart, or soul have all

their hits taken out, or you have taken other injuries of the sam eseverity. The Judge w ill determ ine w hen, as it depends on w hat sort of

dam age it is and how it happened - there’s no hard and fast rules for

this.

For exam ple, if a foe does a “sever one location” attack and chops a

hero’s head off w ith a sw ord, you’ll be dead. But a hero w ho had

previously taken 3 hits to the head and then takes one m ore from

being sm ashed into a w all m ight still be okay.

If you're in a fight, the turn is yours. Your attack roll counts as if you

had rolled a 12, and you m ay autom atically am p the m ove for free. If

you w ant to use any other abilities that cost Energy or Pow er, you m ay

do so at no cost.

If you're not in com bat, you get to m ake one last heroic effort, w hichw ill succeed. If any m ove rolls are required you do not roll, but succeed

as if you had rolled a 12. If you w ish to spend Pow er or Energy, spend

as m any as you w ant regardless of how m any you actually have left.

Then tell everyone how you leave the m ortal realm . H ow it happens is

entirely up to you, so m ake it aw esom e.



68/98

Through The Gates Of Death

Then choose one of these options:

• M ake a new hero w ho also w ishes to achieve the sam e goal.Perhaps there is som eone accom panying the heroes w ho fits

the bill, otherw ise the Judge can arrange for a m eeting.

• Take one of the Post-M ortem A rchetypes, below , and continue

to play your dead hero.

• Join the Judge and take on the roles of enem ies.

Take into account how m uch tim e is left, and how the story is going,

w hen you choose.



69/98

Post Mortem Archetypes

These are available to dead heroes w ho w ish to com plete their quest.

Pick w hich form you take after death:

• A n im m aterial G host.

• A w alking dead W ight.

• A m echanical C yborg.

If you are killed again in your post-m ortem form , that’s it for you.M ake a new hero or help the Judge.



70/98

Ghost

You gain these:

Immaterial

You are now a ghost, a bodiless soul rem nant. You m ay no longer be

attacked by physical m eans— only other spirits, m agic, or other non-

physical w eapons can harm you.

You retain ghostly versions of your gear that m ay be used in the spirit

w orld.

You m ay no longer affect the physical w orld either, except by

appearing to people. M ost people can only see your form , som e heroes

can talk to spirits (or m ay do so via casting a spell).

You cannot use specialities or take level up m oves that require a living

body. That includes your Strong and Tough abilities.

Ephemeral

W hen the current quest is com plete, you m ove on beyond the gates of

death. Your m ortal w ork is done.



71/98

Wight

You gain these:

Force of Will

Your w ork is not done, so you have rem ained in your body through

force of w ill alone. You are no longer alive, but your soul keeps your

body anim ated.

Unchanging

You no longer need food, w ater, or air. You no longer heal naturally.You cannot use specialities or take level up m oves that require a living

body. That includes your Fast and Tough abilities.

Cyborg

You gain these:

Cyborg Body

Your soul is bound to an enchanted cyborg body. A dd a new Pow er

Source location w ith 3 hits in place of your heart. You no longer heal

naturally, but m ay be m agically healed or m echanically repaired.

You m ay no longer use any abilities or take any level up options that

require em otion. That includes your Fast and Eldritch abilities.

Last Resort

If your Pow er Source is destroyed, it explodes, destroying all nearby.

Everyone w ithin 10 m eters has 1 skin location vaporised and takes 1

hit each to four other skin locations. You m ay detonate your pow er

plant voluntarily, if you w ish.



72/98

Recovery

Recover 1 hit w hen you get norm al treatm ent for your w ounds.

Recover 1 hit or 1 Toughness resistance box w hen you have a chance

to get a proper rest (e.g. a m eal and a good night's sleep).

Spent Pow er and Energy is recovered according to your archetype's

recharge m ove.

If a hero has a healing, follow the rules for that in addition to basic

recovery.



73/98

When You Complete A Task

W hen the heroes successfully com plete a task, they m ay choose one

of the follow ing:

• Level up: choose one of the options for your archetype. Be

w arned that this gives the Judge m ore to spend on your foes.

• Recharge 2 Pow er or Energy points.

• H eal 1 hit.

• Repair 1 piece of dam aged arm our com pletely.

• Erase all m arks against your Toughness resistance.

The player says how this happens, but m ay invent booty, tim e to rest,

or w hatever else they need to explain it in keeping w ith the situation.

In addition to this aw ard, several of the archetypes recharge m oves

could be accom plished in the dow ntim e after finishing a task. If that'sreasonable, a hero can do so and recover 1 Pow er or Energy.

The task m ight also leave you in possession of know ledge or gear that

w ill help you w ith your m ain quest.



74/98

When You Complete A Quest

H its against locations that w ere not taken out are all healed. You m ay

also repair all your arm our and erase m arks on your Toughnessresistance.

Then choose one of these:

• Level up: choose one of the options for your archetype.

• Restore a taken out location (and any dependant locations).

D escribe how this healing or replacem ent took place.

• Replace a crossed out item w ith som ething sim ilar.



75/98

Hero Starting Level

If you w ant a m ore high-pow ered hero band, you can start your heroes

at a higher level. Pick w hat level you w ant, and note that the Judge w illbe m aking your enem ies correspondingly tougher.

For each level past level 1, choose one of your archetype’s level up

options.



76/98

The Judge

H eavy M etal Æ ons is designed so that you can finish a song (one

quest) in 2-4 hours of play.

Your job as Judge is to be the m aster of cerem onies, and m ake sure the

group stays on track to get the quest done.

A t the beginning, guide the group in picking a style, w orld, quest, and

tasks. Then w hile the others m ake their heroes, you w ill flesh out the

quest and foes.

A fter that your job changes gear, and you'll provide the background as

they adventure, and introduce them to the strange things that live in

this w orld, including the foes and obstacles they need to overcom e

along the w ay. You'll still be a fan of the heroes, but you need to

provide them w ith tough challenges to deal w ith. That w ay, the heroes

can show everyone that they are m etal enough to sm ash through and

succeed anyw ay (or m aybe die in glory).



77/98


78/98

Work Out Foe Numbers and Boosts

You have a set budget for how m any foes the heroes w ill face. You can

draw on this budget w hen creating each task, and use the balance forthe final quest goal.

1. Each task m ay have 1 group of unw orthy foes to defeat.

2. You m ay use as m any w orthy foes as there are heroes.

3. There is one boss for the final task.

4. For each hero level, you get a B oost. E.g. If there are 2 level 1heroes and 1 level 3 hero, you w ould get 5 Boosts. Boosts m ay

be spent to increase foe num bers and abilities.

A s you play, m ake sure you add to your Boosts w henever a hero levels

up.

Spending BoostsA dd a group of unw orthy foes: 1

A dd a w orthy foe: 3

Increase a w orthy foe ability 1

Increase a boss ability 2

The section on creating foes, on page XX, has the details of how youcreate foes and increase their abilities.



79/98

Set Up The First task

W hile the others are m aking up their heroes, you need to quickly plan

for the dangers they w ill face during their first task. A s the gam e goeson, you w ill repeat the process for subsequent tasks, building on

events until the heroes decide to face their final foe and end the quest.

Each task, including the ultim ate quest goal, w ill have som e dangers

and foes for the heroes to contest.

ConnectionsA s w ell as building on the events of the gam e so far, you can add hero

connections to the task. C onnections are characters w ho a hero

already has a relationship w ith, and w hose presence w ill add dram a to

the task.

Pick the general concept of the connection, then ask w hich hero’s

connection is involved, e.g. “W hich of your lover’s is w orking for theO verm ind?” or “W hich of your enem ies has been prom oted to the

Fifth C ircle of the Black Tem ple?”

C onnection suggestions:

◦ Your lover, com plicit w ith your foes - are they being

com pelled?

◦ Your child, enslaved or im prisoned.

◦ Your lover, w ho requires som ething from you that conflicts

w ith your quest.

◦ Your rival sibling, w orking w ith your foes to hurt you.

◦ Your com rade-in-arm s, w ho needs your help in battle.



80/98

Dangers

A s w ell as the enem y, com e up w ith tw o or three dangers that w ill be

present during the task.

For exam ple, perhaps one task is “C arve a blood-oak spear”. The

dangers m ight be:

• The forest goddess.

• A m onstrous w olf.

• Feed the blood-oak.

You don't need m ore details now , but if you have any extra thoughts

note them dow n.

Each danger should require at least one successful roll, cunning plan,

or fight to overcom e it.

Other Characters

W henever you introduce a new character, w hether hum an, alien, or

even a beast or m onster, think about its nam e and history.

Pick a goal for it – som ething that the heroes can either help it

achieve, or they presence prevents it. U se this goal to drive the

character w hen you play.



81/98

Later Tasks

A s the quest continues, you’ll need to generate later tasks for the

heroes. This w orks basically the sam e as creating the first one, w ith afew extra things to consider.

Start w ith the current situation, in the afterm ath of their attem pt at

the previous task. D id they succeed or fail? If they succeeded, w hat is

the next step they take tow ards their goal? If they failed, w hat w ill

they do next - do they continue tow ards the ultim ate goal or try

som ething else to m ake up for their failure? W hichever case applies,the heroes decide w hat they try next. You’re w elcom e to suggest

som ething if you have an idea, but it’s their call.

First, if any of the heroes elected to level up as their quest rew ard, you

get another Boost to spend for each one.

Second, take their idea and spike it to m ake it m ore exciting. W ho has

a connection involved? Is there som ething they don’t know that w illcom plicate their attem pt? Think of som ething that w ill pull the heroes

into the dram a of the task, and give them m ore reasons to fight.

Think too, about w hat the boss m ight do in reaction to the com pleted

tasks if they are aw are of the heroes. W ill the heroes have an assassin,

or an arm y, sent after them ? C ould other obstacles be put in the w ay?



82/98

Enemies

Enem ies are categorised by how dangerous they w ill be for the

heroes.

The types of enem y are:

• U nw orthy foes, w ho are individually no m atch for a hero. They

fight in groups, and like that they m ay provide a challenge, but

norm ally they are just there to help tougher enem ies.

• W orthy foes are serious fighters w ho m ay be able to m aim orslay a hero.

• Bosses are the toughest enem ies, reserved for the finale of the

song. They are tougher than a hero and require the w hole hero

band to w ork to take them dow n.

Enemy MotivationsJust like all your other characters, enem ies should w ant som ething to

drive their actions. H ow ever, for enem ies it should alw ays be

som ething that the heroes cannot accept.

Enemy Damage Mitigation

Enem ies m ay m itigate dam age w ith toughness and arm our boxes, butthey do not cross off item s for further m itigation.



83/98

Enemy Tactics

W hen you are playing enem ies, their type guides how cunning and

determ ined they are.• U nw orthy foes are easy to trick or intim idate, and not

especially determ ined.

• W orthy foes are cunning and w ill do all they can to pursue

their m otive.

• Bosses should be as cunning as you can m ake them , and w ill

stop at nothing to destroy the heroes.

In fights, use these specific guidelines to decide how they attack:

• U nw orthies w ill target w hoever hit them last, or w hoever is

currently closest to rear in the Pit (they are on the back foot).

• W orthies target w hoever has annoyed or hurt them the m ost,

and w ill prefer heroes closest to the front of the Pit.

• Bosses should target w hoever they have the best chance to kill

right now . If there’s nobody particularly vulnerable, aim to

cripple the m ost dangerous or annoying hero.



84/98

Different Hit Locations

For non-hum an w orthy foes and bosses, you can substitute a different

set of hit locations.U se these starting guidelines:

• U nless specifically soulless, a Soul location w ith 4 hits. Som e

soulless foes m ight have an alternative, e.g. A robot pow ered

by a portal to another dim ension, that is also a m ystical

location. In general, alternatives should be attackable w ith

m agic but other soul-targeting attacks should be consideredcase by case.

• Body locations w ith 4 hits, destruction of w hich w ill kill the

foe. Split the hits up if you w ant.

• M ain skin locations w ith 12 hits (corresponding to head, chest,

and gut for hum ans).

• Lim bs w ith up to 20 hits total.

Feel free to rearrange the hits to m atch the body plan of the foe, but

don’t add m ore hits - use boosts to get m ore Toughness and A rm our if

you w ant the foe to be harder to kill.

You can m ake a foe quite a lot tougher if you opt for few er locations -

half as m any locations w ith double the hits w ill be very hard to take

dow n. O nly do this if the foe concept requires it.



85/98

Example foe Hit Locations

Dire Wolf

M ystic: Soul 4 Body: H eart 2, Brain 2

Skin: H ead 4, C hest 4, G ut 4, Four

legs: 4 each, Tail 2

Dragon

M ystic: Soul: 4 Body: H eart: 2, Brain 2

Skin: H ead: 3, N eck: 2, C hest: 4,

G ut: 3, W ings: 2 each, Four legs: 4

each, Tail: 2

Robotank

M ystic: -Body: A I core: 1, N ova reactor: 3

(reached via Superstructure or

C hassis destruction)

Skin: Turret: 4, Superstructure: 5,

C hassis: 3, Tw o tracks: 5 each, Tw o

claw s: 3 each, Sensor units: 4.



86/98

Unworthy Foes

U nw orthy foes act in groups. By default, there is an unw orthy foe

group for each task, including the final quest goal.U nw orthy foe group size is equal to 4 tim es the num ber of heroes. You

m ay split larger groups into sm aller units, if you w ant, w hich adds

variety to the fights and allow s you to include different w eapons and

tactics. For bands of four or m ore heroes, splitting the unw orthy

groups is advised - fights w ill drag out m ore if there is just one group

that takes a long tim e to elim inate. Try to keep your unw orthy foegroups to no m ore than 12.

Unworthy Foe Abilities

They get Fast 0 for rolling their place in the fight sequence.

They start at Strong -1, then add +1 Strong for each of the follow ing

that is true:

• They outnum ber the heroes.

• They are w ell-prepared for the heroes.

• They are exceptionally w ell-arm ed.

Combat Moves

For their com bat m

Documents

Heavy Metal Æons Playtest