Zweihander - Main Gauche

CHAOS IS NOT A PIT – IT IS A LADDER.
MAIN GAUCHE is a supplement for the ENnie award-winning

Best Game and Product of the Year ZWEIHÄNDER Grim &
Perilous RPG – a gritty, dark fantasy tabletop role-playing
game. Using this book, you will be able to: GRIM & PERILOUS SUPPLEMENT
� Add 68 all-new Professions to your grim & perilous game
� Easily integrate cinematic, vehicle-based combat into
encounters
� Use alchemy & Wytch-science to gain deadly abilities
� Build fantastic machines, like the Arkwright Cauldron
& Rumblebutler
� Devote yourself as an occultist to forbidden gods
� Learn over 90 new chaos magick spells & their horrific
manifestations
� Make soul-altering pacts for daemonic gifts of unfettered
GRIM & PERILOUS SUPPLEMENT

power
� Build your own unique creatures & NPCs on the fly
Using the Powered By ZWEIHÄNDER d100 game engine, you will create
grim characters, write perilous adventures, and build your own low
fantasy & dark fantasy campaigns. These rules are a perfect fit for
Renaissance and medieval-styled adventures, too. You can also use this
book to create your own homebrewed worlds, whether inspired by the
works of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher, George R.R. Martin’s Game
of Thrones , Glen Cook’s Black Company, Myke Cole’s The Sacred Throne ,
Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane , Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastards , or
other ”grimdark”-inspired media.
With a total of 186 unique Professions and over 300 spells across
ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE, you now have countless ways
to create your own vision of grim characters ready to embark upon
perilous adventures.
embrace the left-handed path of

MAIN GAUCHE, where chaos awaits!
GRIM & PERILOUS $55.00 U.S.A. ($76.00 Canada)

STUDIOS ISBN: 978-1-5248-5167-5
55500
9 781524 851675
Printed in China
MG Cover Mech.indd 1-3 5/1/19 10:45 AM

MAIN GAUCHE
MAIN GAUCHE
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MAIN GAUCHE Grim & Perilous Supplement copyright © 2019 by Daniel D. Fox.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.
Andrews McMeel Publishing

a division of Andrews McMeel Universal
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
ISBN: 978-1-5248-5872-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019938791
ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES

Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for
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Andrews McMeel Publishing Special Sales Department:
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Daniel D. Fox
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Creator & Lead Designer

Daniel D. Fox
Writing Consultant
Tanner Yea & Ken Duquet
Rules Development
Adam Rose
Managing Editor
Matthew Pook
Proofreading & Editing

Fiona Maeve Geist & Jennifer Ford
Managing Art Director

Dejan Mandic
Managing Layout Designer

Ken Duquet
Cover Illustrators
Ken Duquet & Dejan Mandic
Interior Illustrator Special Thanks

Dejan Mandic Alison & Jack Fox, Adam Koebel, Chris Tang, Encounter
Roleplay, ENnie Awards, Graeme Davis, Hugh Brown,
Interior Cartography IGArol.org, Kalevala Hammer, Phill Kilgore, Robert
Peter Lattimore Hamilton, Strike-to-Stun.net, TableTop Game and Hobby,
Trey Runnion & Mum
“There’s Something About Marié” Adventure
Sami Uusitalo & Daniel D. Fox Kickstarter Backers
A final thanks is owed to all our backers. Without you, we
Danziger’s Story could not have brought MAIN GAUCHE to print.
Matthew Fulbright & Daniel D. Fox
Published By
Internal Playtesting & Contributors Grim & Perilous Studios
Ben Peek, Caleb Rose, Christopher Birch, Cliff Barendsen, First Print Edition Hardback
Cole White, Jake Waid, Jason Birch, Jennifer Ford,
Jeremiah Zentz, Jeremy Jones, Jeremy Scott, Kay Peek, Kent
Schoonover, Matthew Fulbright, Michael Villaverde, Mike Powered by ZWEIHÄNDER, MAIN GAUCHE and
‘well, if you’re going to throw it away’ Bossaller, Nicholas ZWEIHÄNDER Grim & Perilous RPG are trademarks
O’Hare, Tim Cohron, Tim Yoder & Walter Fulbright of Grim & Perilous Studios, LLC.
Contributions & Additional Feedback All logos and original artwork content are copyright ©
Benjamin Wenham, Erik Ellis, Garblag Games, Moon Rat Grim & Perilous Studios, unless otherwise specified at
Conspiracy & ZWEIHÄNDER Discord community. https://grimandperilous.com
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◆ TABLE OF CONTENTS ◆
Expert Professions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Havoc Conjuror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

CHAPTER I: Abbot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Hexer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
BOOK OF MORTALS Alienist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Howling Marauder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
LIBER MORTALIUM . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Armiger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Infernal Saboteur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Professions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Artillerist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Jackdaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
New Archetype Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Barnstormer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Kinslayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Apostle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Bladedancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Maestro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Blitzballer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Butcherpriest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Minister Of Rot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Cadet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Burgomaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Mootwarden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Convict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Caravan Mystic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Natural Philosopher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Fence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chamberlain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Oathkeeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Forger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chevalier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Occult Magician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Henchman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Condottiere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Opener Of The Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Messenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Courtesan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Outlaw Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Nomad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Cult Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Physiker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Pamphleteer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Dirgesinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Rime Maiden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ecstatic Celebrant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Rune Jarl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Quacksalver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Exorcist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Sanguine Legionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Quartermaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Fanatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Sharpshooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Reaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Fell Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Shipmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Rustler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Friar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Shopkeeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Skald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Grand Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Sirocco Prophet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Stevedore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Grey Vivimancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Skinwalker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Undertaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Grognard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Sworn Sword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
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Vampire Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Wytch-Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Danziger Eckhardt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

War General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Miscellanea Obscura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Witch Doktor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 CHAPTER VIII:
Expert Professions Addendum . . . . . . . . . . 92 CHAPTER V: BOOK OF MYSTERIES
BOOK OF DEMONS LIBER OBSCURUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
CHAPTER II: LIBER DAEMONUM . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Running A Conspiracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
BOOK OF WEAPONS On The Nature Of Daemons . . . . . . . . . . . 159
LIBER ARMORUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Order Denied: Daemonic Aspects . . . . . . 159 CHAPTER IX
Settlements & Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Daemons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 THERE’S SOMETHING
New Materials In Craftsmanship . . . . . . . . 99 Daemonic Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 ABOUT MARIÉ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
New Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Plot Synopsis (The Conspiracy) . . . . . . . . 295
New Armor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 CHAPTER VI: Dramatis Personae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
New Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 BOOK OF SHADOWS Part I: Lloyd’s Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
New War Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 LIBER UMBRARUM . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Part II: Arrival In Minuet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Covenant Magick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Part III: Morning In Minuet . . . . . . . . . . 307
CHAPTER III: Magick Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Part IV: Showdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
BOOK OF VEHICLES Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
LIBER VEHICULORUM . . . . . . . . 117 Rewards For Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Fantastic Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 CHAPTER VII: The Knavery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Creating Bottled Lightning . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 BOOK OF EVIL
Vehicles & Steeds Expanded . . . . . . . . . . . 120 LIBER MALUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 APPENDIX
Chariot & Wagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Creature Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Fancy Coach, Stagecoach, Creature Creator Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Taints Of Chaos Addendum . . . . . . . . . . . 326
And War Wagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Step I: Influences & Classification . . . . . . 223 Creature Size & Risk Factor Expanded . . 340
Vehicle Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Step II: Creature Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Creature Traits & Risk Factor . . . . . . . . . 342
New Actions In Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Step III: Risk Factor & Notch . . . . . . . . . 225 Creature Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Movement Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Step IV: Primary Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . 226 NPC Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Attack Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Step V: Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Perilous Stunts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Step VI: Skill Ranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Special Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Step Vii: Bonus Advances . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Reactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Step VIII: Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Expanded Guide To Vehicle Combat . . . . 132 Step IX: Attack Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Step I: Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Step X: Final Considerations . . . . . . . . . . 258
Step II: Make The Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Non-Player Character Creator . . . . . . . . . 260
Step III: Other Vehicle Evades . . . . . . . . . 134 NPC Creator Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Step IV: Roll Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Step I: Determine Approach . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Step V: Determine Vehicle Condition . . . 135 Step II: Persona & Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Step VI: Determine Mishap . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Step III: Age Group & Ancestry . . . . . . . . 264
Repairing Structural Integrity . . . . . . . . . . 138 Step IV: Appearance & Social Class . . . . . 265
Healing Dray Horses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Step V: Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Using Steeds In Place Of Vehicles . . . . . . 138 Step VI: Archetype & Alignment . . . . . . . 270
Step VII: Primary Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . 272
CHAPTER IV: Step VIII: Risk Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
BOOK OF ALCHEMY Step IX: Skill Ranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
LIBER ALCHEMIÆ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Step X: Bonus Advances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Ætheric Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Step XI: Talents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Decoctions & Prima Materia . . . . . . . . . . 141 Step XII: Additional Options . . . . . . . . . . 280
Mutagenic Potion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Step XIII: Trappings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Void Salts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Step XIV: Final Considerations . . . . . . . . 281
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Beneath the cobbles of Kahabro lies the Pit, a tortuous prison of unforgiving stone fashioned from the fallow caverns in
the earliest days of the city. Graven in an age before memory, a sprawling labyrinth of tunnels and caverns descends into
the vestiges of a once-great and terrible dominion. For all its misery, the Pit is but a threshold teetering on the edge of a
vast, roiling tenebrosity. Here, in this provenance of the profane, the aberrant ways of Daemons are revered by Kahabro’s
stygian inhabitants. Only the most iniquitous offenders, deemed unfit for the mercy of execution, are cast into its gaping
maw to suffer and die.
and i, Danziger Eckhardt, was among the worst ever to be thrown into the pit. It was in these
depths I learned that there are things far worse than death. Now if you’ll keep your mouth shut, I’ll tell you what
desperate men are willing to do to survive.
My abduction was swift and severe – a rough burlap sack thrown over my head from somewhere in the shadows, and a
flurry of clubbing blows raining down from all sides. I was overcome with vertigo, and then, save for the soft scraping of
my worn boots, i was dragged down into true darkness.
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In the Pit, time lost all meaning. within, i was stripped, starved and drugged. Consciousness came in fits and
starts. The foul odor of the charnel, the strange symbols scrawled across the stone walls, the impregnable iron manacles,
the small bowl of putrescent black liquid from which I was forced to slake my thirst – these became the totality of my
existence. For days, perhaps weeks, my mysterious captors remained hidden from sight. But their ministrations were
unmistakable proof of their presence. Betwixt a drug-fueled haze, there were passing moments of clarity. Piercing pain
demarcated etchings upon my flesh, runes intricately carved all over my body. Dark ichor oozed from these scarred
adornments, a foul fluid staining the cavern floor, drip by drip. with every festering spatter, i sensed the
erosion of my humanity. I prayed for death, but it would not come to pass. In its place, a terrible deliverance was
to be had.
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MAIN GAUCHE
when i finally awoken from internment, i was struck by the

blinding intensity of light from hundreds of blood red candles.
Slowly I arose, blinking against the harsh glare. I was alone and unchained.
There remained no sign of my abductors, but shadows enveloped the edges of a
rough cavern. In the center of the floor stood three large obelisks; deep furrows
had been carved into each of the Stones, unmistakably intended to ensconce a human
shape. Something stirred within those channels – a teeming mass of algae wreathed in a dense miasma. The strange,
moist growth shuddered and heaved like a giant lung. Even the light of the candles seemed to flee from it.
Immediately, I was filled with a palpable terror, a primal shiver worming its way from beneath the skin. It was then
that I heard the whispers – thousands of them – echoing inside my head. My mouth opened in a scream, but no sound
emerged. My limbs twitched and shuddered, but I could not flee. Slowly, against every fiber of my being, I took a step
toward the Stones, and then another. I could do nothing but watch as my body was wrested completely from my control.
I was being drawn into the Stone’s furrow and the mossy entity within its folds began to envelope me. The cold slither of
gelatinous tendrils slid across, under and into every orifice. The blackness began to inexorably overtake me. I closed my
eyes, as I knew death was finally here.
I felt myself passing into the Custodian’s embrace when I saw the shine of a knife pierce the blackness. Thin, strong
hands grasped my wrists and wrenched me from the depths of a shadowy grave. As I lay upon the floor of the ritual
chamber, I beheld a waifish figure. still holding the knife in a shaking hand was a small girl, mouth
arrested in a silent scream. Her flesh was carved with runes similar to my own.
Before I could ascertain what had happened, a strange shuffling echoed throughout the chamber. One
by one, the blood red candles were being snuffed out. The girl dropped the knife with a clatter; she was
frozen in fear, and her face began streaming with tears. As darkness spread across the chamber, I saw brief
glimpses of strange, hunched figures scuttling around the edges of the light, their features hidden within
the folds of gray robes. Immediately, I grabbed one of the few remaining candles, lifted the girl into my
arms and sprinted wildly away.
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I did not look back. Cradling the girl and acting on blind instinct, I barreled through the grasping outstretched hands
of our abductors to the edge of the light. There, I discovered a narrow fissure in the cavern wall, hidden from view.
Squeezing both of us through the crack, I ran through endless tunnels, careening madly off the walls as enraged hisses
erupted from behind us.
Long we fled into the constricting darkness, with the flickering candle our only guide. A low, droning chant writhed
through the tunnels, the promise of perdition borne upon its insidious crescendo as our pursuers drew ever closer. The
path ahead became more and more treacherous, yet I persisted forward, each agonizing step more difficult than the last.
The candle was nearly consumed when exhaustion had overtaken me. Gasping for breath, I slumped to the floor of the
tunnel. The girl’s arms unclasped from around my neck and her green eyes met mine, wet with tears.
I cradled the frightened girl, stroking her hair. I began to think about my daughter, to the many times I wished I could
hold her again just like that. It seemed a lifetime ago. That night, the young girl had saved my life… but together, we
were doomed. Even if it was only the faintest chance, one of us might be able to escape. A sacrifice had to be made. And
I knew what I had to do.
In one swift motion, I grasped her ankle and twisted hard. I felt the bones give with a soft snap, like breaking a wet twig.
There was a soundless scream of pain and forlorn sobs. Her tiny fingers outstretched toward the last of the light as I
carried it around the corner.
i never looked back.
— Danziger Eckhardt, Soldier and Ex-Convict
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◆ DESIGNER'S NOTE ◆
ow! It seems like yesterday when ZWEIHÄNDER Grim & Perilous RPG came out. Since
W
its release in 2017, the team at Grim & Perilous Studios has given birth to 13 new products,
launched the Grim & Perilous Library (a Dungeon Masters Guild-like community content
program at DriveThruRPG), and won not one, but two ENnie awards at Gen Con 2018 for
Best Game and Product of the Year. We now have distribution to every brick-and-mortar
store in the United States, and availability at Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Target,
Simon & Schuster and Walmart through our new publisher Andrews McMeel Universal.
You’ve proven to us – and the RPG industry at large – that there’s room for more gritty, low
fantasy tabletop role-playing games! The book you now hold in your hands is a testament to
ZWEIHÄNDER’s success. We’re so proud of what you’ve helped us achieve, and couldn’t
have done it without you – the loyal grim & perilous community.
So, what is MAIN GAUCHE, you may be asking yourself. In short, it’s a supplement for ZWEIHÄNDER, containing
a number of new Professions, weapons, vehicles, combat approaches, alchemical systems, Magick and a whole lot more
for your grim & perilous game. MAIN GAUCHE also contains material we left on the cutting room floor when we
originally developed ZWEIHÄNDER. But this is no mere ‘splatbook’. Within, we ensure that 1) every new mechanic
had undergone extensive rounds of playtesting, 2) all math adheres to our bounded accuracy model introduced in the
Powered By ZWEIHÄNDER™d100 game engine and 3) the writing fits into the themes of the original work. The
result? A well-playtested supplement with a host of awesome options that can be used by players and Gamemasters
alike. And like ZWEIHÄNDER, the entire book is fully illustrated cover-to-cover with deliciously chaotic illustrations,
oozing with dark themes by Dejan Mandic.
Here’s a chapter-by-chapter overview of what you’ll find inside:
❖ Liber Mortalium (Book of Mortals) introduces a host of all-new Professions.

Ranging from the pedestrian to the truly chaotic, this chapter has 18 regular
Professions and 25 Expert Professions.
❖ Liber Armorum (Book of Weapons) provides new materials to craft armor,
weapons and shields from. It also includes a garrison of over 65 new weapons,
armor, shields and war machines to add to your grim & perilous campaign.
❖ Liber Vehiculorum (Book of Vehicles) greatly expands upon carriages, carts and
steeds. It also introduces a number of Wytchstone-powered fantastic machines, such
as the Arkwright Cauldron, Kugelpanzer and Rumblebutler. Finally, it sets up new
rules for vehicle combat, which can be easily plugged into standard combat rules from
the ZWEIHÄNDER core rulebook.
❖ Liber Alchemiae (Book of Alchemy) teaches your Characters how to brew decotions from
salvaged parts of creatures. It also introduces the radical new practice of Wytch-science for your campaign world.
Plus, new Diseases, Disorders, Poisons and Treatments expand the Gamemaster’s palette of tools to run their game.
❖ Liber Daemonum (Book of Demons) explains the nature of banned gods (called Demons), how the daemon’s
will is imposed upon the Material Realm through their occultists and the rewards of venerating forbidden deities:
Daemonic Gifts!
12
MAIN GAUCHE
❖ Liber Umbrarum (Book of Shadows) opens up the new tradition of Covenant Magick for those who venerate
Daemons. Over 99 new spells await your occultist, and 6 frightening Rituals offer ways to create golems, exorcising
demons and much, much more.
❖ Liber Malus (Book of Evil) unlocks all the necessary mechanics required to custom create your own creatures and
non-player Characters in tabletop role-playing games Powered By ZWEIHÄNDER™d100 game engine. Aided
by helpful tables and in-depth knowledge of how the foundation of the D100 game engine works, you will be able
to craft any type of monster for your campaign world.
❖ Liber Obscurus (Book of Mysteries) sets out an optional framework for Gamemasters to run investigative
Conspiracies in their campaign world.
❖ There’s Something About Marié is a full-length adventure that picks up after the events of “A Bitter Harvest” from
the ZWEIHÄNDER core rulebook. Within, players will be challenged to unravel a mystery set in the riverside
village of Minuet, in a race against time as a ruthless Inquisitor, petty criminal lord, local madame and the remnants
of a secret society come to a head over an illegal shipment of Wytchstone.
❖ MAIN GAUCHE then concludes with an Appendix, which includes expanded Taints of Chaos, Creature Traits
and helpful worksheets to make your own NPCs and bespoke creatures.
Welcome to a new realm of Magick & beyond in MAIN GAUCHE, where chaos awaits!
- Daniel D. Fox, Creator and Lead Designer
13
CHAPTER 1 : LIBER MORTALIUM
14
C H AP
TER 1 : LIBER MORTALIUM
◆ LIBER MORTALIUM ◆
here are 72 regular Professions
T
T
and 46 Expert Professions
found in the ZWEIHÄNDER
core book. This chapter adds 18
new regular Professions to the
mix, along with 50 new Expert
Professions to MAIN GAUCHE.
In total, the game now offers
90 regular Professions and 96
Expert Professions. This brings
an endless host of combinations
for you to explore as you embark
upon grim & perilous adventures!
PROFESSIONS
Professions are arranged alphabetically, using the following
format:
NAME: The general name that the Profession follows.
These names are merely a guideline; your GM may have
very different ideas about how each Profession is named
and can change them to suit their campaign world’s milieu.
Following each Profession is a general explanation of its
role in the world. When considering how your Character’s
Profession influences their background, you can refer to
this description to form a better idea about who they were
before they took on the mantle of an adventurer (or who
they will become if moving into this Profession).
PROFESSIONAL TRAIT: Every Profession possesses
a unique knack, an ability that no other Profession has
access to. The Professional Trait immediately follows the
Profession’s description.
SPECIAL TRAIT: Although not every Profession has a
Special Trait, when it does, the Special Trait may provide
further insight and specializations your Character will
possess. Professions which grant access to Arcane Magick
are indicated in the table below with an asterisk (*) beside
their name. Those which grant access to Divine Magick are
indicated with a plus (+) beside their names. Remember:
you automatically gain the Special Trait once you adopt
the Profession, and do not have to invest Reward Points
to acquire it.
DRAWBACK: Much like Special Traits, some Professions
possess a Drawback. These Drawbacks are generally unique
to that Profession, providing background information
and distinct mechanics you must adhere to with your
Character when role-playing that Profession. Remember:
you automatically gain the Drawback once you adopt the
Profession, and do not have to invest Reward Points to
acquire it.
15
NEW ARCHETYPE TABLES

As MAIN GAUCHE adds a number of new Professions, we have revised Professions by Archetype in the following table.
New Professions from this book are indicated below in bold font. After determining your Archetype from Character
Creation in ZWEIHÄNDER, determine your first Profession by rolling D100 and consulting the table below by your
Archetype. Write your Profession on the first page of your Character sheet as normal:
ACADEMIC COMMONER KNAVE RANGER SOCIALITE WARRIOR

D100 PROFESSION PROFESSION PROFESSION PROFESSION PROFESSION PROFESSION
1 to 6 Adherent + Artisan Beggar Animal Tamer Anarchist Berserker
7 to 13 Anchorite Barber Surgeon Burglar Bailiff Apostle Bravo
14 to 20 Antiquarian Blitzballer Charlatan Bonepicker Courtier Buccaneer
21 to 27 Apothecary Boatman Convict Bounty Hunter Cultist + Cadet
28 to 34 Astrologer * Camp Follower Fence Gamekeeper Entertainer Dragoon
35 to 41 Diabolist * Cheapjack Footpad Hedgewise * Envoy Hedge Knight
42 to 47 Engineer Coachman Gambler Nomad Fop Henchman
48 to 54 Forger Doomsayer Graverobber Old Believer Jester Man-At-Arms
55 to 61 Informer Jailer Guttersnipe Outrider Messenger Militiaman
62 to 68 Investigator Laborer Highwayman Pilgrim Provocateur Pit Fighter
69 to 75 Monk Peasant Prostitute Pioneer Quacksalver Pugilist
76 to 82 Pamphleteer Rat Catcher Reaver Reeve Racketeer Sellsword
83 to 89 Preacher + Servant Smuggler Rustler Raconteur Skald
90 to 95 Quartermaster Stevedore Vagabond Slayer Rake Squire
96 to 100 Scribe Undertaker Vigilante Trapper Valet Watchman
16
C H AP
they are often seen as little more than part-time workers or

children, which obviously rubs them the wrong way. Many
are willing to do basically anything in order to move up
the ecclesiastical ranks – steal from other churches, or even
serve as enforcer goons for anyone who denigrates the faith.
Many pick up the implements of ‘peaceful enforcement’ to
beat their religion into others, often with an iron shod stick.
The forces of Corruption love nothing more than a cleric
abusing their divine mandate, and if they can manage to
influence an Apostle, their movement up the ranks could
result in thousands of the church’s flocks to become sway
to these fell powers of darkness.
BY CROOK OR BY HOOK
There is a willingness to Apostles to spread their faith by all
means necessary. Others protest at such unethical approaches,
but that’s generally because they’re being berated while suffering
the Apostle’s wrath.
Effect: Whenever you deal Damage with a weapon, you
also inflict an equal amount of mental Peril. This only
affects creatures that are classified as a Humanoid or
Mutant (including player Ancestries).
DRAWBACK: VOW OF ‘NONVIOLENCE’

Most find it deeply ironic that Apostles take upon bludgeoning
instruments to convert others to their faith. To an Apostle,
bloodshed is ‘at least’ mitigated in this fashion, as their martial
instrument of conversion serves as a grim reminder to not
denigrate the faith.
Effect: You can only use weapons that are of the Brawling
APOSTLE or Crushing types. Otherwise, you cannot use any of your
Traits or Talents conferred by this Profession.
The divine blessings of the gods are a powerful force,
seemingly the only thing keeping people from doubting
their existence in a grim & perilous world. However, not APOSTLE ADVANCES
every priest has the capacity or desire to channel holy SKILL RANKS Coordination
BONUS
[AB]
ADVANCES
might. Enter the Apostle. These novitiates have just started BONUS
working for the faith, and come from all walks of life – child SKILL RANKS Education [BB]
ADVANCES
or adult, starved or sated, pauper or prince. They are laymen SKILL RANKS Folklore
BONUS
[IB]
who have recently joined the church and have yet to earn the ADVANCES
BONUS
full raiment that friarhood has to offer. Many Apostles are SKILL RANKS Heal
ADVANCES
[IB]
given charge of the menial tasks necessary to the church’s BONUS
SKILL RANKS Intimidate [PB]
operation, whether it is leading small prayers, handing out ADVANCES
BONUS
sacraments or attending to the church’s Abbot. An Apostle SKILL RANKS Resolve
ADVANCES
[WB]
spends most of their day involved in studying liturgical BONUS
SKILL RANKS Rumor [WB]
works, in prayer and often severe boredom. While their ADVANCES
numbers may be many, few ever finish their training and go SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Beatdown
on to become a Friar. Many Apostles lapse in their official
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Carousing
duties and turn to other means to convert the faithless.
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Rural Sensibility
If one thing eats at the back of the Apostle’s mind, it is
their desperate itch to prove themselves – not only to the
faith, but also to the wider world without. In the church,
17
between feuding merchants. Deep down, many are

vulnerable, scared and unsure of how to deal with their
newly-found fame in responsible ways. The very best of
Blitzballers may see riches heaped upon them by their
merchant-managers for their vicious acts of violence. Few
understands how to properly cipher or take under account a
life beyond Bloodblitz, thus spending their coin lasciviously,
burning out like a candle at both ends. Of course, as much
as the crowd roars at the sight of a Blitzballer smashing
their elbow into a defender’s face and breaking their nose
before slamming the bladder past the post and scoring a
point, there is nothing more fitting than seeing a gold-
laden Blitzballer in the throes of anguish – sobbing for
their mother – as they lose the big game.
LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
You have the body of an icebox, the arm of a blunderbuss and the
head of a boulder. Once you get going, nothing can stop you from
running roughshod over everyone.
Effect: Select one of these roles: blitzer, blocker, catcher,
lineman, runner or thrower. You gain one of the following
Traits by role:
As a blitzer: whenever you Charge or Run towards a

foe, attempt a Stunning Blow or Takedown for 0 AP;
As a blocker: whenever a foe Charges or Runs toward
you, attempt a Disarm or Chokehold for 0 AP;
As a catcher: you can Parry ranged weapons with the
BLITZBALLER
Throwing Quality, and throw it back as an Opportunity
Life is full of pain, misery and death, but that does not Attack if successful;
mean there is little time for recreation. Ironically, that As a lineman: when you Assist others with Skill Tests,
recreation sometimes involves pain, misery and death in they may flip the results to succeed at the Test;
the form of ‘Bloodblitz’ – a rough serf sport of unknown
origins. Played by bruisers, cretins and dunces known as As a runner: add your [BB] to Movement whenever
Blitzballers, the sport of Bloodblitz is played by two lineups you Charge or Run;
of eleven players who compete to place an inflated animal’s As a thrower: when using ranged weapons, you
stomach (affectionately called a pigskin) past a post to score can ignore the Throwing Quality for purposes of
points. In Bloodblitz, savagery reigns, save from a universal Medium and Long Distances. In addition, ignore the
‘no-weapons allowed’ rule. Blitzballers otherwise have free Ineffective Quality and add the Pummeling Quality
reign to throat punch, eye-gouge and land cheap shots on when using pigskin.
members of the opposing team. The game is complex but
brutal, and has seen a rapid spread in popularity because of DRAWBACK: FOR THE GLORY!
the unadulterated violence. The best Blitzballers have even Blitzballers have a reputation to uphold. That reputation
gained a little fame, such as Herr Jervis Jänsen of the team is oftentimes foisted upon others by constantly roaring and
Spiele Werkstatt – or is that notoriety? pumping their fist from the thrill of violence, but such is the life
of these dunderheads.
Well-to-do merchants sometimes find themselves Effect: You must always leave one hand free. This means
sponsoring Bloodblitz, forming teams to settle perceived you cannot wield 2 one-handed weapons, a two-handed
(and material) scores between rivals. Although Blitzballers weapon or a weapon with shield. Otherwise, you cannot use
are brutish, many are little more than dim-witted youths any of your Traits or Talents conferred by this Profession.
– drafted off of the ploughshare and press-ganged onto
the field to play for the masses and to settle disagreements
18
C H AP
pressure from their master chiefs, vigorous exercise that can

BLITZBALLER ADVANCES
leave one sick and harsh study can lead to a frail mind –
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Athletics
ADVANCES
[AB] one that ends with the Cadet muttering arquebus drills to
BONUS themselves while incarcerated in a sanatorium.
SKILL RANKS Awareness [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Coordination
ADVANCES
[BB] SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY
BONUS Spouting a litany of orders, others quickly fall in line under your
SKILL RANKS Gamble [FB]
ADVANCES order. And when words fail, you take it upon yourself to fight.
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Leadership [FB] Effect: When Engaged with an ally and they fail to strike,
ADVANCES
BONUS you may immediately use an Opportunity Attack in their
SKILL RANKS Rumor [IB]
ADVANCES stead for 1 AP. You must be armed with a melee weapon in
BONUS order to use this Trait.
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize [PB]
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Long-winded
CADET ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Run Amok BONUS
SKILL RANKS Awareness [AB]
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Strongjaw BONUS
SKILL RANKS Leadership [CB]
ADVANCES
CADET SKILL RANKS Martial Melee
BONUS
[CB]
ADVANCES
Though a few great military minds have been forged on SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged
BONUS
[FB]
ADVANCES
the heat of the battlefield, many commanders and generals BONUS
were raised in halls of martial knowledge. Starting their SKILL RANKS Resolve [IB]
ADVANCES
martial journey as a Cadet, they are officers in training. SKILL RANKS Ride
BONUS
[PB]
Most Cadets are children of wealthy aristocratic families ADVANCES
BONUS
sent away to continue the family tradition of service. These SKILL RANKS Rumor
ADVANCES
[WB]
military academies teach different tactical SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Determination
methods, the best words for leadership and
Military
a peerless knowledge of how the theatre SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS
Formation
of war works. That said, Cadets are still
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Siegecraft
students who must submit to the will
of the sergeants and instructors, who
are often authoritarian and dogmatic.
This methodology produces strong
soldiers, as weak Cadets who break
were never worthy of holding
command in the first place.
Cadets are not always the most

experienced in the ways of
war, but they can lead small
platoons and skirmishers in
maneuvers that any seasoned
soldier or mercenary would easily
recognize. Unfortunately, Cadets are
generally inadequate fighters at best.
Though officers are not meant to be on
the frontlines, having them stay out of
a battle is bad for morale. Cadets need
battle experience to truly test their
stratagems and leadership. Exposure to
violence is also expected to harden cadets,
but at times it can break them too. Constant
19
enough to deter most criminals. The vilest of criminals are

locked up deep in castle dungeons, cast-off to man the
walls of far-flung fortresses, press-ganged into the navy
and forced to become a sailor or even exiled upon an island
of like-minded criminals. Surprisingly, death sentences are
reserved for blue-blooded nobles to make an example out
of. Justice has a strange predilection towards reform, but
the Convict is rarely assuaged by it, returning to their roots
often after having been reprimanded.
When a Convict is finally released from their confinement,

many will adventure because few places will employ a
former criminal. This brings us to lesson two: a man will
do anything he can to survive. Life inside changes many
Convicts – they become hard and brutal, learning how to
best protect themselves and the handful of people they
place even a small amount of trust in. Many are ruthless and
unfeeling, able to kill at a moment’s notice if it means their
survival. Though some Convicts are wrongly imprisoned
as scapegoats or from misunderstandings, there are many,
many more who actually deserve their punishment. From
this, we learn the third and most important lesson: life is
pain and death. Once they have been let out of jail, they will
fulfill their bloodlust or primal urges by preying on their
unsuspecting fellows.
JAILHOUSE ROCK
Your style of fighting is dirty and chaotic, confounding more
traditional martial styles of combat.
Effect: Whenever you Parry a melee weapon, immediately
make an Opportunity Attack against that same opponent.
You may only make this attack if you are wielding a melee
CONVICT weapon of the Brawling type.
In the criminal underworld, there are three important

life-lessons one must know. Lesson one: you can’t earn CONVICT ADVANCES
BONUS
anything in this world. The justice system is often corrupt SKILL RANKS Athletics
ADVANCES
[AB]
and exploitative, and there is a certain stripe of criminal BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [AB]
the system loves to exploit. Enter the Convict: a petty ADVANCES
miscreant who knows nothing else but incarceration. BONUS
SKILL RANKS Guile [BB]
ADVANCES
Following their release from having served their first jail BONUS
SKILL RANKS Intimidate [BB]
sentence, unable to find work which society would let them ADVANCES
do, they committed another crime, got caught, and found BONUS
SKILL RANKS Resolve [FB]
ADVANCES
themselves back in the fortified jail only a fortnight after BONUS
having been released. This is a pattern that has repeated SKILL RANKS Rumor [PB]
ADVANCES
itself again and again. Some Convicts never escape the SKILL RANKS Scrutinize
BONUS
[WB]
ADVANCES
pattern, some look for a way out and become adventurers.
Convicts are not sneaky rogues or dashing swashbucklers SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Holdout
– they are firebugs and drug peddlers, pimps and grifters, SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS
Lightning
rebels and bandits who have become resigned to a fate Reaction
which imprisonment leavened by a few weeks’ freedom. SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Light Sleeper
Serious incarceration is a rarity – usually a few days in a
Reeve’s jail or an evening in the stockades functions well
20
C H AP
FENCE DRAWBACK: BLACK MARKETEER

Every time some stolen good passes from your hands to another,
The criminal underworld is difficult to navigate and enter
you cannot shake the feeling that somebody is watching you.
– one wrong word or a backwards glance can result in your
Effect: Whenever attempting to buy, sell or trade stolen
being taken down an alleyway to be sternly talked to, beaten
goods, you cannot use Fortune Points to modify your Skill
up or worse. The need for rival criminals to talk to each other
Test results.
and sometimes for the ordinary folk lacking in streetwise to
talk to criminals, gave rise to the need for the crafty Fence, FENCE ADVANCES
the ultimate middleman. The Fence’s main job is to sell SKILL RANKS Bargain
BONUS
[FB]
and buy illegal goods, serving as a defense against official ADVANCES
BONUS
interest in the local underworld’s activities. Not only that, SKILL RANKS Guile
ADVANCES
[FB]
they also serve as communicators for criminal higher-ups, BONUS
SKILL RANKS Counterfeit [IB]
usually as messengers or contractors looking to distribute ADVANCES
BONUS
more ‘unsavory’ work. Rarely does the Fence do anything SKILL RANKS Education
ADVANCES
[IB]
extremely illegal – they just serve as go-betweens that make BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [PB]
evidence trails harder to follow. Fences are charismatic and ADVANCES
BONUS
disarming, but always vague as well; everyone to them is SKILL RANKS Rumor [WB]
ADVANCES
either an ‘associate’ or an ‘employer’. This is good for them BONUS
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize [WB]
and the people they usually associate with, but frustrating ADVANCES
if trying to get more out of any bargain. SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Forked Tongue
Incredible
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS
Numeration
Fences usually stay within a city and parlay SKILL RANKS Tradecraft TALENTS Larceny
as best they can with the city watch
(paying them off to look the other FORGER
way), though some wander either Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, so that
looking for greener pastures or must mean the Forger cares deeply for the people they steal
to escape the law. Fences know from. The Forger is both an academician and con-artist,
how to defend themselves, but one whose job it is to professionally counterfeit seals,
their main expertise comes with signatures, coins and so on. Any simple back alley filcher
swaying others, striking deals and can clip a coin or scrawl out fraudulent handwriting,
influencing market places. The life but the educated Forger treats it like the art form it
of a Fence is very lonely, however. deserves to be. A replicated painting from the hand
For their business to flourish of a master forger is nearly indistinguishable from
and them to stay safe, Fences the original, while a Forger’s debased coins invariably
must distance themselves from stand up to official scrutiny. The Forger has a knack
everyone, often using fake names of making something out of nothing, so that their
or identities. Fences will never fully ‘masterpieces’ represent nearly pure profit, even if
trust anyone they journey with, and they are actually worthless. In addition to their own
many will end up alone in a ditch work, Forgers can modify passports, replicate letters of
or in prison, screaming into an marque, forge death certificates, and hundreds of other
endless, uncaring void that mirrors things. A good Forger may find themselves rubbing
their souls. elbows with intellectuals and criminals alike.
THIEFSPAWN The Forger’s life is not an easy one though. The

You are the go-to when it comes to crime of forgery is tantamount to treason, which
trafficking ‘hot items’ on the black usually results in the Forger being sentenced to an
market. excruciating death (being boiled alive or having the
Effect: Any object you fence is molten metal of forged coins poured down one’s
treated and appraised at its full throat are common forms of punishment). Forgers
value. Furthermore, you may flip must stay hidden at all times lest they be ousted –
the results to succeed at Skill for once they are found, the evidence against them is
Tests to identify and sell stolen often staggering and there is little hope of a proper
goods.
21
trial. That is why some Forgers take upon the mantle of DRAWBACK: FORGER’S FOURRÉE
an adventurer’s life, both to lay low and to learn new, Being a master counterfeiter has its perks and disadvantages.
more advanced techniques by traveling the world. Forgers Despite the sheer quality of your fraudulent work, trafficking it
are road scholars at heart – they seek out new lore and into the local economy makes you extremely nervous. Thus, you
cultural touchstones in order to best hone their craft. Plus, often work through a Fence.
moving from town-to-town means that they can abscond Effect: Whenever attempting to buy, sell or trade forged
quickly should a buyer get wise to the counterfeited work. materials or use counterfeited coins, you cannot use Fortune
However, as the stress of living weighs down upon a Forger’s Points to modify your Skill Test results.
head, they soon begin to doubt what is real. It may start
something simple as wondering if the newly acquired coin
in their hand is legitimate, but these paranoid delusions can FORGER ADVANCES
become so grand that a Forger will start to question the BONUS
SKILL RANKS Bargain [AB]
ADVANCES
very nature of reality. BONUS
SKILL RANKS Coordination [IB]
ADVANCES
SECOND OLDEST PROFESSION SKILL RANKS Counterfeit
BONUS
[IB]
ADVANCES
While prostitution is often heralded as the world’s oldest BONUS
profession, the work of a Forger is said to come a close second. SKILL RANKS Education [FB]
ADVANCES
Your handiwork is nearly unparalleled, both by seekers of art SKILL RANKS Folklore
BONUS
[PB]
and by Fences who know your craft. ADVANCES
BONUS
Effect: Any object you counterfeit is treated and appraised SKILL RANKS Rumor
ADVANCES
[WB]
at its full value. Furthermore, you may flip the results to SKILL RANKS Scrutinize
BONUS
[WB]
succeed at Skill Tests to identify and create counterfeit ADVANCES
items. SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Ambidexterity
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Determination

Incredible
SKILL RANKS Tradecraft TALENTS
Numeration
HENCHMAN
For every grizzled soldier or erudite sage (read: adventurer),
there is always someone who looks up to them, mostly in
adoration, but sometimes in envy, the latter typically in
secret too. Some people actually make it their mission to aid
their heroes, and these annoyances are called Henchmen.
Henchmen are followers and servants who themselves
aspire to become like their liege. Some are weak and sickly,
wishing nothing more than to become a knight-in-shining-
armor. Others are religious sectarians, following a priest as
if they are the very incarnation of a god. Henchmen are
willing to do most anything for prestige and coin, and
willing to suffer many abuses as well. Not all Henchmen
are willing however – some are forced into their position,
usually as a form of bondage or a way to alleviate a sentence.
Henchmen are often exploited for their naiveté, and many
are treated as throwaway sidekicks. That does not stop the
Henchmen – in fact, it usually drives them forward, for if
they survive it merely proves their loyalty to their master.
Henchmen are often oblivious and vapid, but they are loyal,
willful, and – yes – surprisingly helpful. More than a few
Henchmen have thrown themselves on their swords for
paragons, and in the process, instantly casting themselves
in a better light. Henchmen are still, however, pitiable and
22
C H AP
DRAWBACK: HIRELING’S DILEMMA

Henchmen often go unrecognized for their sacrifices and rarely
win accolades for their daring-do.
Effect: Treat a result of 1% on percentile dice as a Critical
Failure, no matter whether you would have succeeded or
Critically Succeeded the Skill Test.
HENCHMAN ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Athletics [AB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Coordination [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [CB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Intimidate [FB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Resolve [PB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Indifference
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Light Sleeper
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Strong Jaw
MESSENGER
A grim & perilous world is often fraught with
communications errors. This is primarily due to the
distances between settlements. Crucial information is lost
or never makes its way to its intended source. Countless
obstacles stand in the way of news and events – corrupt
prone to the worst of abuses. The saddest cases are when a politicians, roving armies and long distances all provoke
bright-eyed hireling follows a cruel liege who hurls nothing uncertainty. Enter the Messenger. Messengers are solely
but insults, beatings and danger their way, all while laughing charged with making it their job to get information from
it off. The Henchmen may take it for a time, but some come place or person to another, on time. There are countless
to resent their treatment with a boiling, seething hatred types of these couriers: some are town criers who warn of
stewing behind their subservient demeanor. This bile can an impending attack (recall Paul Verehen’s warning that,
come to a head, and when it does, the Henchman’s liege “the redcloaks are coming!”), runners who ferry messages
usually is found dead, having been stabbed in their sleep, between underground citadels and officers of the law
left drowned and bloated face down in the river or suffered who mount fast stallions to deliver parcels and letters.
some other cruel fate. The Henchman is, of course, suddenly Messengers are especially useful to imperial rulers, ferrying
nowhere to be found… nor is their former liege’s treasure. official laws and orders from the capitol to far-flung bastions
or outposts, whether they be a simple commendation or
FAIR SHARE new orders in a battle strategy. If roads are a nation’s veins,
Love it or hate it, you are a professional hireling. This rough- Messengers are its lifeblood.
and-tumble life has taught you a few important lessons before
you joined an ‘adventuring party’.
Effect: Add 3 to your Encumbrance Limit. In addition,
whenever you negotiate your rate of pay, add your [FB] in
the type of coins you will be paid in. For instance, if you are
being paid as a Stevedore (2bp daily) and have a [FB] of 4,
you would be paid 6bp a day instead.
23
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night

MESSENGER ADVANCES
stays these couriers from the swift completion of their
BONUS
appointed rounds, for that is the Messenger’s official motto. SKILL RANKS Awareness
ADVANCES
[AB]
Messengers are cunning, spry and able to adapt to a change BONUS
in circumstances at a moment’s notice. Sadly, that makes ADVANCES
BONUS
Messengers somewhat lacking in versatility – they just SKILL RANKS Navigation
ADVANCES
[BB]
deliver messages, don’t directly influence policy or know BONUS
SKILL RANKS Resolve [IB]
how to read or write. This also makes them prime targets ADVANCES
BONUS
for enemies of all sorts – whether they be opposing armies SKILL RANKS Ride [PB]
ADVANCES
or information-brokers, disrupting communication lines BONUS
SKILL RANKS Rumor [PB]
can easily cause an entire country to crumble if executed ADVANCES
correctly. Messengers often develop paranoid delusions BONUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged [WB]
ADVANCES
that their failure to deliver their message on time will have
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Long-winded
disastrous consequences. As long as they are wary of whatever
lurks around each corner or beyond each hill, they will be SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Sprint
safe. In reality though, they are just as vulnerable as us all.
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Spirited Charge
LICKETY-SPLIT
As the old saying goes ‘it is not a sprint, it’s a marathon’. Lithe NOMAD
of limb and spry of spirit, the Messenger is ready to show others Large tracts of land in many grim & perilous worlds remain
that it can be both. unsettled and hazardous to travelers. From dangerous
Effect: Increase your Movement by +3. In addition, reduce deserts to arid tundra, very little grows and it is hard for
all Movement Actions by 1 AP (to a minimum of 1 AP). folk to thrive. Thus, many who live within these areas are
itinerant travelers called Nomads. Being a Nomad is not
so much a ‘profession’ as a way of life. Nomads travel with
their tribe or village in order to follow herds, migrate
between dry seasons, live as peripatetic workers or even
to flee oppressors in a diaspora. Nomads have to be able
to handle nearly any hardship the environment throws
against them, from long marches through desolate wastes
and hunting rabid beasts to protecting themselves from
roving armies and other unspeakable horrors. Nomads are
often hard and weather-worn, but they are also strong of
heart and close of kin. Family is vital to a Nomad’s survival,
for if one person falls, the whole tribe does, too.
Nomads make most of their living off livestock, itinerant

workmanship or other less savory, vaudevillian tasks.
Nomads take easily to the adventuring life, though many
are hesitant to leave their tribe behind as it amounts to
their entire life and family. Therein lies the cruel irony
for the Nomad – for not having a formal home, many of
them grow homesick quite easily. Many Nomads will try
to form bonds with their adventuring companions, but
even then, it is not the same or as close as their tribe.
Paranoia and loneliness can easily weigh down upon
them, particularly as they strike out into the strange away
from their traditional lands. From here, it is not difficult
to implant a final seed of doubt that can lead them
wandering off alone to their deaths.
24
C H AP
As a northerner: you always succeed at Skill Tests to

Resist the effects of physical Peril. In addition, you
never suffer from Frostbite;
As a midlander: you always succeed at Skill Tests to
never suffer from Starvation;
As a southerner: you always succeed at Skill Tests to
never suffer from Heatstroke.
DRAWBACK: WANDERLUST
A Nomad dislikes being tied down to one place permanently. A
vagabond’s life is what best suits them.
Effect: Any time you are in an urban environment, you can
never be restored to Unhindered on the Peril Condition
Track, only to Imperiled.
NOMAD ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Handle Animal [AB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Navigation [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Ride [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee [WB]
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Azimuth
WEATHER-WORN
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Light Sleeper
Every Nomad hails from one of three regions. Each region has
‘borne in’ a natural resistance and hardiness into those who SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Long-winded
grew up in it.
Effect: Select one of these regions: northerner, midlander or
southerner. You gain one of the following Traits by region:
25
PAMPHLETEER And that is precisely why many see Pamphleteers as

dangerous – clergy and kings alike have long decided
One of the most important inventions of the last few what citizens should and should not know, and many a
decades is not the mechanical clock, the microscope or Pamphleteer has had to face the consequences of publishing
even gunpowder, but rather something simpler – movable the oft-dangerous rhetoric in their broadsheets. Despite
type. The printing press has revolutionized how stories their resourcefulness, cunning and intellect, many are run
are made, spread around and read, allowing even the out of smaller towns if the propaganda does not meet its
poorest folk the chance at education and modernization. ruler’s decrees. All the better perhaps, for a Pamphleteer can
The humble Pamphleteer operates these printing presses, instead live their own fascinating adventures to publish in
and disseminates what they print to the streets. Since the the future. Sometimes those adventures turn sour or strange
technology is relatively new, many are printing simple things compulsions absorb the Pamphleteer’s attention – it is then
like leaflets, religious tracts and written notices. This is what that the elite have to worry, as the Pamphleteer returns to
sets them apart – though some Pamphleteers print erotic publish works of alternative thinking, sedition and anarchy.
poems, penny dreadfuls and other less intellectual material, These ideas begin to sow chaos and discord, and not all
most are taking it upon themselves to gather and spread stories the Pamphleteer prints are necessarily true. There
news otherwise unobtainable. Many Pamphleteers are is a thin line between being an upright journalist and a
champions of the common folk, giving them information rabble-rousing perfidious game-playing pundit, and some
and ideas they would otherwise have no access to. Pamphleteers are not afraid to cross it to achieve notoriety.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
The Pamphleteer has their ear to the proverbial ground and
when it comes to rumor or gossip, local or from further away,
there is no one better to chew the fat with.
Effect: When you fail a Folklore or Rumor Test, you can
re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept the
outcome.
PAMPHLETEER ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Awareness [FB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Bargain [FB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Eavesdrop [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Education [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Interrogation [WB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Carousing
Incredible
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS
Numeration
SKILL RANKS Tradecraft TALENTS Worldly
26
C H AP
Pioneers are natural survivalists who can forge over

high peaks, across dry wastelands and through fetid
swamps with little concern. They are also purveyors of
folksy wisdom, tall tales and occasional survival tips, all
conveyed with a sense of optimism. Although many who
travel in their company find their happy-go-lucky attitude
infectious, it can sometimes hide a sad truth – they are
often willing to give up anything to seek out riches. They
sell their possessions, disown their family and forget to
take care of both themselves and the daily necessities,
all because of their thirst for those golden hills. Some
go insane, blathering in their shacks about how they are
kings who have made their fortune on skill or intuition,
all the while surrounded by mounds of pyrite and slags of
peat, both great monuments to their failure. They are truly
pitiable, for they have lost everything, but believe they
have gained everything.
TRAILBLAZER
Whether across rock, snow or ice, you remain undeterred by the
rigors of passing over its hardships.
Effect: You may flip the results to succeed at Athletics
Tests. When you succeed, it is always considered a Critical
Success. In addition, when using the Movement subtype
of Climb, you do not have to add the additional 1 AP cost.
PIONEER ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Coordination [AB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
PIONEER SKILL RANKS Navigation
ADVANCES
[IB]
BONUS
There are no mountains high enough, no valleys low SKILL RANKS Resolve
ADVANCES
[IB]
enough or no rivers wide enough to keep a Pioneer from BONUS
SKILL RANKS Ride [WB]
reaching the peak. Pioneers are both rock-climbers and ADVANCES
BONUS
navigators, crawling around ranges and deep furrows in SKILL RANKS Rumor
ADVANCES
[WB]
search for deposits of gold, gems and more. Pioneering is
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Azimuth
a thankless and often unfruitful job – very few actually
discover any deposit worth digging up, and those that do SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Determination
are often swiftly pushed out by petty land barons looking
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Long-winded
for new resources. When not searching for these treasures,
Pioneers also often serve as bearers or forward scouts for
the military, as they have spent many long years learning
the best routes over peaks and dales and across moors and
valleys. Such duties rarely last long, which is how they
prefer it, for the clarion call of riches and glory always
awaits them. So it is not long before they pick up their
sifting pan or dowsing rod in search once again for their
big break.
27
QUACKSALVER QUACKSALVER ADVANCES

The Lowborn do not trust many things – wizards, politicians, BONUS
SKILL RANKS Education [FB]
ADVANCES
or even each other. However, when they become sick or BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [FB]
weary, and the local Old Believer has been strung up by witch ADVANCES
hunters, the poor and the gullible will instead turn to the BONUS
SKILL RANKS Gamble [IB]
ADVANCES
itinerant Quacksalver. Quacksalvers are purveyors of ‘patent BONUS
medicine’ and usually con artists of the first order. They take SKILL RANKS Guile [IB]
ADVANCES
mundane reagents like beef fat, turpentine and pepper, BONUS
SKILL RANKS Handle Animal [PB]
ADVANCES
mixing them with venoms to produce ‘wondrous solutions’ BONUS
said to cure any type of malady. Their showmanship and SKILL RANKS Rumor [WB]
ADVANCES
slick tongues make them sales that line their pockets with SKILL RANKS Scrutinize
BONUS
[WB]
coins aplenty, but rarely do their remedies have the desired ADVANCES
effect that purchasers want. Some of the Quacksalver’s SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Doppelganger
medicines are sometimes impotent and have no effect, SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Forked Tongue
but others though, can have severe after-effects. Usually, a
Quacksalver will luck out and actually find that a certain oil SKILL RANKS Tradecraft TALENTS Gallows Humor
drawn from a snake does in fact aid joint pain, but these are
either flukes or stolen remedies from Hedgewise and worse.
Once a Quacksalver is found out to be a fraud, it does not

take long for locals to round up a posse and run them out of
town – or worse. This seems to be a continuous pattern, as
many Quacksalvers take up a life of vagrancy. This lonesome
path of schemes and lies can lead them to dark thoughts
and darker means. Looking to prove everyone else wrong,
some Quacksalvers will resort to pushing black market
pharmaceuticals and strange ‘cures from the Orient’as miracle
cures (such as Devilweed and Madam Geneva). The afflicted
who take them become dependent upon the Quacksalver,
coming back again and again for a fix. Some Quacksalvers
have built themselves up a small drug empire purely out of
scorn and spite. And, as we know, Corruption finds easy
targets in addled brains in distress and peddlers of maladies.
SNAKE OIL
With a few drops of mineral oil, turpentine and a bit of that
“ol’ black magic”, you turn any normal ointment into a
miracle liniment.
Effect: You treat the Alchemy Skill as a Common Skill. In
addition, you may substitute Snake Venom in place of any
needed reagent to alchemize consumables (as outlined
under Materia Medica from the Hazards & Healing
chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER and in Chapter 4:
Liber Alchemiae). The only exception to this is when
Wytchstone or its byproducts are required as regents.
DRAWBACK: QUACKERY
The quality of your ‘remedies’ is questionable, at best.
Effect: After a person imbibes one of your alchemical
concoctions and goes to sleep, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. On a
result of face ‘1-5’ nothing happens. On a result of face ‘6’,
the imbiber suffers 2D10+2 physical Peril.
28
C H AP
direction, these soldiers and sailors are as good as dead.

The Quartermaster is more than aware of this position
and they take it with quite some pride, though
often that can be misinterpreted as arrogance.
Some Quartermasters eventually leave their military

units, trading in their skills in cartography and
logistics for opportunity and coin. An adventuring party
is a perfect place for a Quartermaster, as they can make
even the longest hike through a mountain pass seem like
an afternoon stroll. Sometimes, the group becomes so
reliant on them, that the Quartermaster’s ego grows to the
point where they believe themselves superior to others.
This kind of sedition can bring about smaller food shares
over misunderstandings, refusal to listen to other people’s
directions and a general sense of ‘never being wrong’. This
arrogance breeds doubt and sews conflict within a party,
one that can cause their bonds to strain or even break,
leaving the Quartermaster refusing to budge in even the
most dangerous of wildernesses or waters.
CALL TO ARMS
Carrying forward their victories (and defeats) in battle, a
Quartermaster brings puissance to any party they serve.
Effect: Whenever you fail a Navigation or Warfare Test,
you can re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept
the outcome.
QUARTERMASTER ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Bargain [CB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
QUARTERMASTER SKILL RANKS Leadership
ADVANCES
[IB]
BONUS
An army goes to war with its men-at-arms, cavalry, and SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [IB]
ADVANCES
siege engines, often fueled by patriotism or other great SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged
BONUS
[PB]
cause. This is not enough, for every army marches on its ADVANCES
BONUS
stomach, which requires a specialized non-combatant role SKILL RANKS Navigation
ADVANCES
[WB]
– the Quartermaster. These educated women and men, SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Determination
found in all large militaries, martial vessels and mercenary
Incredible
groups, do not handle strategy, but rather orchestrate the SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS
Numeration
logistics of their fighting unit. This boils down to two main SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Siegecraft
roles: distributing munitions or tactical navigation. Most
Quartermasters within an army emphasize the former
purpose, while the navy Quartermaster emphasizes
the latter. Quartermasters have the trust of their senior
officers, but they are also able to interact with foot
soldiers and mercenaries to ensure battle preparedness.
Their position is extremely valued by warriors of all
stripes, because without enough provisions or the right
29
REAVER In fact, stories abound of entire tribes transformed into

horrifically mutated Howling Marauders in a fortnight.
Ripper. Tearer. Slasher. Gouger. They In some ways, this makes many Reaver outcasts blessed
are the teeth in the darkness and the despite their sorrows.
talons in the night. Theirs is of strength
and lust and power: they are the dread VÍKINGR
Reaver. These born-and-bred fighters come Born on foot or by horse, you quickly leap
from cultures where resources are sparse out of the way from danger…
and the land is hard – meaning the only providing you can see the danger
way for them to survive is by raiding and coming.
plundering others. Many Reaver tribes Effect: When you or your steed
will threaten at first, demanding tribute are struck by a ranged weapon, roll
and fealty in exchange for a merchant a 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on face
or even a village being spared their ‘6’, you ignore it as you automatically
ravages. If they refuse, Reavers will Dodge it for 0 AP. Otherwise, you
hold no mercy, putting coach, caravan can attempt to Dodge as usual. You
and village to the flame, slaughtering must be unarmored, or wearing fur
guards and militia, before taking or hide to take advantage of this
livestock, riches and slaves. That does Trait.
not make them savages, however
– Reavers are people just like DRAWBACK:
everyone else, but their violence SEA-BORNE FEAR
is an adaptation they have A Reaver does not trust the
had to make if they are to seas or the ocean, for they nor
survive. Most simply their horse can drink from it.
know no other way, Effect: Whenever you cross a body
and see their plunder of salt water (out of sight of land), you
as a form of placating are made victim to Fear.
their violent gods and ensuring that their family survives.
Most Reavers are nomadic and horse-borne, but some do
take to shallow-drafted, dragon-prowed boats to sail up and REAVER ADVANCES
down coastlines and far up rivers in search of communities BONUS
ADVANCES
to raid and plunder. Reavers of this sort pay tribute to far
BONUS
older gods than those prayed to in the hallowed halls of SKILL RANKS Gamble [AB]
ADVANCES
civilized humanity. Despite their seafaring ways, they have BONUS
learned to fear the Leviathan and His storm-Daemons ADVANCES
who thunder above. Rarely though do they travel without SKILL RANKS Martial Melee
BONUS
[BB]
their trusty steed, however, borne upon boats shoulder-to- ADVANCES
BONUS
shoulder with their masters. SKILL RANKS Resolve
ADVANCES
[CB]
BONUS
Reavers will often sacrifice the good of the individual for SKILL RANKS Ride [WB]
ADVANCES
the good of the group – the sick, elderly or weak are usually BONUS
expelled or even killed, and poor leaders are cut down. ADVANCES
Children who are born lame or sick are often tossed to the Menacing
Demeanor
wolves, or Martyr’s mercy, buried by their grieving parents.
Most cast-aside Reavers are these scorned warriors who SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Saddle-born
have lost everything, and must either live as outcasts or go
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Spirited Charge
through terrible trials to return to their peoples and loved
ones. These stalwarts – usually bent, broken or misshapen –
are usually sullen and taciturn, but extremely intimidating to
the common folk. Sadly, they may also be the people closest
to Corruption – many of their gods or Daemons they pay
tribute to can be traced in some way to the Abyssal Princes.
30
C H AP
RUSTLER rustle and coerce Animals and Beasts, you may flip the
results to succeed at Handle Animal Tests. When you
Horseflesh and livestock remain an important industry succeed, it is always considered a Critical Success.
no matter how far technology progresses. Leather, meat,
lard and bone are all bounties that beasts of the land can
provide. As a result, thievery of livestock is fairly rampant, RUSTLER ADVANCES
BONUS
often committed by the devious Rustler. Rustlers like to SKILL RANKS Athletics
ADVANCES
[AB]
strike when livestock is being herded for sale prior to being BONUS
branded. Come nightfall, they will dispatch the unfortunate ADVANCES
shepherd and their watch dogs, then drive the animals BONUS
ADVANCES
themselves to sell for a bounty. Rustlers rarely act alone and BONUS
SKILL RANKS Handle Animal [BB]
in lands of sweeping prairies and far-apart settlements, they ADVANCES
are often more common than bandits. Selling the livestock BONUS
SKILL RANKS Ride [FB]
ADVANCES
is usually the easiest part of the Rustler’s task. After all, BONUS
no one in the settlement where the herd’s original owner SKILL RANKS Rumor [PB]
ADVANCES
was going to sell it is likely to know what the herd looks SKILL RANKS Simple Melee
BONUS
[PB]
ADVANCES
like or who its original owner was, so the Rustler simply
walks in, sells the stolen beasts and pockets the profits. At SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Instincts
other times, Rustlers are not in it for money, but rather SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Rural Sensibility
in desperation–having turned to stealing cattle in order
to feed their starving villages or appease despotic rulers. SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Saddle-born
Unsurprisingly, when stealing the herds of others, Rustlers
often wear a neckerchief over their faces so as to prevent
their countenance from being discovered.
Rustlers know as much about the lay of the land as any

hunter does, plus they know how to operate in secrecy
fairly well. They also possess a powerful persuasiveness
when it comes to handling animals. Yet the loneliness of
their thievery, the emptiness of the wilderness when it is
not full of slavering monsters or horrors and the threat
of punishment should they be caught, can push Rustlers
to the edge of sanity – and beyond. Such men snap and
instead of having a care for the animals they wish to rustle
and steal, they grow heartless. Severe and cruel to both man
and animal, they take up with the dregs of humanity, or
worse, allow themselves to be recruited into the ranks of
cults who follow the call of Daemons. Such Rustlers can
obtain fresh sacrifices with little hassle and are willing to
drive chattel off cliffs or leave without a shepherd in the
middle of a wolf-haunted forest. The beast-like Grendel
employ Rustlers to round up both animals to mate with and
shepherds to defile. These Rustlers take a sadistic pleasure
in their job, armed with barbed whips and scalding brands
to drive innocent beasts and their keepers through pain and
misery to their sacrificial end.
RAWHIDE!
Don’t try to understand ’em, just rope, throw and brand ’em.
Soon we’ll be livin’ high and wide!
Effect: You influence any number of creatures classified as
Animals who can see and hear you clearly with Fellowship-
based Skill Tests. In addition, whenever you attempt to
31
SKALD SKALD ADVANCES

Upon the battlefield, the screams of terror and the sound of BONUS
SKILL RANKS Charm [AB]
ADVANCES
hewn flesh can nearly drive a person to rout and flee their BONUS
SKILL RANKS Education [BB]
comrades in arms – the soldiers need something to distract ADVANCES
them, to keep them focused on the battle. The person BONUS
ADVANCES
who does that is called the Skald, a musician, drummer BONUS
or speaker whose job is to inspire the troops. Skalds differ SKILL RANKS Leadership [FB]
ADVANCES
from Entertainers in that Skalds are soldiers rather than BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [FB]
ADVANCES
civilians, albeit specifically trained to boost the morale of BONUS
the men and women around them. Their tools vary: many SKILL RANKS Resolve [IB]
ADVANCES
modern armies have drum and flute corps, while more SKILL RANKS Rumor
BONUS
[IB]
tribal people may shout intimidating chants or exaltations ADVANCES
of valor. It is even known for Skalds to accompany crusaders SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Carousing
in their wars in the holy lands, their Skalds belting out SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Nerves of Steel
scripture and divine providence to show that god is on
their side. When not in the midst of battle, Skalds bring SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Worldly
cheer to the troops, sometimes on the march, but usually
when encamped, performing raucous songs of victory and
love while the soldiers drown their sorrows in ale over
comrades and loves lost.
Skalds rarely concern themselves with the size or

type of military unit they perform for, whether
mercenary band or adventuring group, as to
them the ballad played to a Squire is much
the same as a song played to a Sellsword. One
curious aspect of a Skald is their age. Often, in
many ‘civilized’ lands, armies will recruit young
boys to serve as drummers and fifers – many of these
boys being more than willing to join up, typically out
of a sense of patriotism as much as adventure. Sadly,
exposing children to the often unspeakable sights and
horrors of war, having them see their eager comrades and
jaded mentors cut down before them and then expecting
them to march over their corpses and leave them behind
with barely a glance, is not without its consequences.
Many go mad far before they reach adulthood, that is,
if they are captured and turned into child soldiers by
less scrupulous armies and mercenary companies. For
there is nothing more sorrowful and pitiable than seeing
a hollow-eyed child returning home, their life and spirit
taken from them by the brutal truths of war.
THE BARD’S TALE

You inspire great courage and alacrity in arms whenever
you belt forth anthems, speak poetry or play ballads upon
the battlefield.
Effect: When you succeed at using Inspiring Words,
allies increase their Damage and Peril Thresholds by +1,
and add +3 to their Initiative.
32
C H AP
their pockets rattling with brass and their throats parched

from a long day’s work. After celebrating, Stevedores sleep
deeply, before waking at the crack of dawn to repeat the
day all over again.
While there is much to do as a Stevedore, the routine of

work/drink/work, week over week, can grow monotonous
and degrading. Those confident in their physicality and
hardiness may grab a scaling knife and cargo hook, and
strike out for other opportunities that bring faster coin
and more restful days. Stevedores are good to have along
as brutes and handlers, able to easily break down doors or
break an arm or two when needed. However, with many
not being aware of just how dangerous the job of leg-
breaking is, their confidence is a slow and insidious killer.
For when a Stevedore sees a Fomorian drag an ally down
into the briny deeps, they realize that they sea they love can
be just as cruel, if not even more so. When that happens,
they often go back to the drudgery of laboring, and when
that is not enough, replace their routine with a constant
stream of wine to dull the memories, rotting in an alleyway.
WHARF RAT
A Stevedore passes the drudgeries of the day away with bawdy
songs and small contests with their brethren. It may be who can
tie a knot the tightest or who can lift the most weight at once
without wobbling over.
Effect: You may flip the results to succeed at Toughness
Success. Furthermore, you never reduce your Movement
due to Overage.
STEVEDORE ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
STEVEDORE SKILL RANKS Coordination
BONUS
[BB]
ADVANCES
When ships come in, the cargo comes out, and in doing SKILL RANKS Folklore
BONUS
[BB]
so, that freight lies upon the literal backs of the Stevedore. ADVANCES
BONUS
A breed apart from petty Laborers, medieval work-gangs SKILL RANKS Gambling [FB]
ADVANCES
called Stevedores are dockworkers and longshoremen SKILL RANKS Handle Animal
BONUS
[FB]
who spend their days upon the wharfs. They haul and ADVANCES
BONUS
move cargo, clean fish for market, repair and scuttle ships, SKILL RANKS Intimidate
ADVANCES
[IB]
and even run ferries or other small boats as needed. They BONUS
SKILL RANKS Navigation [WB]
are fiercely protective of their docks and ward away rival ADVANCES
work gangs with both strong words and wooden sticks. SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Beatdown
Stevedores are rough-and-tumble because they have to
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Carousing
be – the work they do is both physically and mentally
Menacing
demanding. They are also charged with keeping cargoes safe SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS
Demeanor
once warehoused or before its trafficked, as the docks are
a favored place for illegal trade and smugglers. Stevedores
work hard and celebrate harder – every river or sea-side
tavern knows that when the dockworkers end their day,
33
UNDERTAKER DUSK TILL DAWN

You are charged with filling your days with funerary needs and
Death is inevitable. Whether it be from violence, disease, or
your nights warding the graveyard against corpse thieves and
the rarity of old age, everyone returns to the dust from where
tomb robbery. Thus, you have grown accustomed to just a few
we were all raised from. The transition into the Custodian’s
hours of sleep a night.
embrace is best handled by the Undertaker. If Augurs, the
Effect: You may flip the results to succeed at Resolve
priests of the Custodian, most often must deal with the
destruction of a corpse if it rises again, the Undertaker
Success. In addition, you only need 3 hours of uninterrupted
deals with everything else – ministering, burying the
sleep to recover your Peril Condition Track.
bodies, maintaining graveyards and distributing last will
and testaments. Undertakers are no mere gravediggers, but
they do have a secondary role few speak about – they are UNDERTAKER ADVANCES
wardens of the graveyards. Undertakers protect the sanctity SKILL RANKS Bargain
BONUS
[AB]
of these places of rest, whether they be from nascent Grave ADVANCES
BONUS
Robbers or unspeakable rituals that bring the slumbering SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[CB]
residents back to life. They are the first defense against BONUS
SKILL RANKS Heal [FB]
grave robbing and corpse-theft, and they ADVANCES
BONUS
bear this responsibility quietly. SKILL RANKS Leadership
ADVANCES
[FB]
BONUS
Many towns and villages are too poor ADVANCES
BONUS
or out of the way to afford a proper SKILL RANKS Rumor [WB]
ADVANCES
burial, so many Undertakers will BONUS
travel and perform their ADVANCES
duties for free. At other SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Indifference
times, they are recruited
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Instincts
by adventurers because
of their knowledge Meeting of the
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS
Minds
of the graveyard and
how to best rob a
tomb. Undertakers are
surrounded by death so
often, that it becomes
second nature to them
– some even wish
to delve further into
forbidden dark arts and
foul experimentations.
Perhaps a loved one has
died they wish to see
again, so they seek to
revive them as they feel
they know best how to
handle the abomination.
More often than not,
though, these dead
spouses and children
come back different,
changed and hungry.
An Undertaker who
meets this foul fate
will learn that death is
a better outcome.
34
C H AP
EXPERT PROFESSIONS
Unlike regular Professions, Expert Professions have specific
requirements that must be met before a Character can
enter them. Special requirements are indicated in italics
below the Profession’s name. Expert Professions which
grant access to Covenant Magick are indicated with a hash
(#) beside its name. You will learn more about Covenant
Magick and its usage in Chapter 6: Liber Umbrarum.
EXPERT PROFESSIONS
Abbot Hexer
Alienist Infernal Saboteur #
Armiger Jackdaw
Artillerist Kinslayer
Barnstormer Maestro
Bladedancer Minister of Rot #
Burgomaster Mootwarden
Butcherpriest # Natural Philosopher
Caravan Mystic Oathkeeper
Chamberlain Occult Magician #
Chevalier Opener of the Way #
Condottiere Outlaw Chief
Courtesan Physiker
ABBOT
Cult Leader Rime Maiden #
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in both Education
and Heal in order to enter this Expert Profession.
Dirgesinger # Rune Jarl
Ecstatic Celebrant # Sanguine Legionnaire Many who are chosen by the gods revel in their power and
authority, their divine might and Magickal power marking
Exorcist Sharpshooter them as chosen above others. This is not so for the Abbot
Fanatic Shipmaster (or Abbess for women), an ordained religious leader who has
not been touched by the divine spark in a traditional sense,
Fell Knight Shopkeeper but nevertheless speaks with the authority of the heavens.
Friar Sirocco Prophet #
An Abbot is always canonized by a monastery’s chapter by
secret ballot and rare are the few who reach such a position
Grand Master Skinwalker outside of the ecclesia. Upon election to this holy office,
Grey Vivimancer # Sworn Sword they remain so until the end of their lives (or until frailty
demands another to be elected to their position). Many
Grognard Vampire Hunter head monasteries, meditative branches of church or even
Havoc Conjuror # War General more secular faiths. Abbots also serve as trusted advisors
to kings and emperors, while also reporting on the civil
Howling Marauder Witch Doktor # needs of the faith to the board of church elders. Abbots
are generally more cloistered and calm than a traditional
firebrand, many studying the histories and myths of their
religious order to obtain a better understanding of how the
church has changed and what policies will change over time.
35
Without a doubt, an Abbot is humbler than their Friar

brethren, but their deferential and subdued attitudes make
them particularly susceptible to infirmity of the mind.
While they certainly respect and follow the traditions of
the church, Abbots are oft so lost in self-reflection that they
begin to lose sense of the world around them. They may
absentmindedly forget their sermons, losing hold of what
ties them to their fellow clergy. Some may develop strange
habits, navel-gazing and imbibing all manner of drugs to
find ‘true oneness’ with their god. Moments of lucidity
become less frequent, as the Abbot slips towards total
impairment, until they simply wither away and another
Abbot is canonized. Thus, the eternal cycle continues as a
new Abbot is put into their place.
ABSOLVE SIN
Although you do not command divine Magicks, you are charged
with a sacred duty: to absolve others of their sinful through
penance and acts of contrition.
Effect: You can spend a Fortune Point to immediately
remove a curse or dispel harmful Magickal effects that
ail another. In addition, you can spend a Fate Point to
immediately reduce another Character’s Chaos Ranks
equal to your [WB]. You must be able to touch the person
in order for them to be absolved.
DRAWBACK: FEEBLE-MINDEDNESS
Corruption affects everyone differently. For the Abbot, it does
not result in the erosion of their spirit, but instead leads to ALIENIST
frailty of the mind.
Effect: Whenever you would gain 10 Chaos Ranks, you do You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Heal in order to
not gain a Disorder. Instead, reduce your Willpower by 9% enter this Expert Profession.
each time you would normally gain a Disorder. Should your
Willpower ever reach 0%, your Character must be retired. For centuries, the mind has been a mystery. Though
Physikers are finally starting to understand the body and
how people get sick, the mind remains an enigma. Many
ABBOT ADVANCES
explore the reaches of the conscious, trying to figure out
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Education
ADVANCES
[BB] what makes people tick. The most common method of
BONUS this is hypnotism, and those who devote themselves to
ADVANCES hypnotism and the workings of the ‘mental machine’ call
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Heal [IB] themselves Alienists. The average Alienist speaks calmly
ADVANCES
BONUS and soothingly, assuring their convalescent that what
SKILL RANKS Interrogation [IB]
ADVANCES they are experiencing is completely ‘normal’. They then
BONUS subject their patients to tests with all sorts of medieval
SKILL RANKS Leadership [PB]
ADVANCES
BONUS and unusual devices like calipers and silver charms, before
SKILL RANKS Resolve [WB]
ADVANCES plunging them into a twilight dream-state to find out what
BONUS haunts them. Alienists are often employed by the rich
ADVANCES
Impervious
and powerful, but often they care little if they are actually
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS helping or not – most are striving to find a breakthrough
Mind
Meeting of the that will grant them medical acclaim. Alienists may truly
Minds have developed an understanding of the mind’s mysteries,
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Multilingual but even if this approach is not ‘real’, the placebo effect it
can have on patients is certainly determinable.
36
C H AP
Alienists are not well-trusted by the common populace

ALIENIST ADVANCES
nor the priesthood, as the idea of someone ‘picking
BONUS
around in your head’ is not something most rational SKILL RANKS Charm
ADVANCES
[FB]
people find appealing. Regardless, Alienists see the power BONUS
that hypnotism and suggestion can have. They pose as ADVANCES
BONUS
innocent enough, worming their way into haughty circles SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[IB]
of blue-bloods or in with jumped up burghers who crave BONUS
SKILL RANKS Guile [IB]
a social status a notch above their peers. The Alienist’s ADVANCES
BONUS
end goals may be to eventually entrance these fools and SKILL RANKS Heal [PB]
ADVANCES
request they reveal family secrets and treasures, or entreat BONUS
SKILL RANKS Interrogation [WB]
them to far worse outcomes under suggestive influence. ADVANCES
Understandably, those desperate and truly damaged long BONUS
ADVANCES
for their problems to be fixed, and thus turn to this heinous Incredible
form of treatment. Corruption loves a good Alienist, SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS
Numeration
as it allows them to infiltrate their filth and hatred into SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Secret Signs
someone’s subconscious willingly, leading to a servant who Supernatural
runs less on suggestion and more on animal instinct. SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS
Paranoia
DOKTOR MIND-BENDER ARMIGER

While hypnotism can lead the insane toward the path of sanity, You must possess at least one Skill Rank in both Martial Melee
the power of your voice can also force others to do things more and Warfare in order to enter this Expert Profession.
unsavory.
Effect: Whenever you perform Hypnosis, the patient As the world has changed and evolved, so too has the
is also Entranced. While Entranced, the person can be nature of war altered. Rarely do feudal lords field large
commanded to take any single action you desire over the armies, crashing against each other like waves against a
next week (e.g., quack like a duck, steal a carriage, poison shore. Today’s warfare mostly consists of small skirmishers,
your lord). Should they be commanded to undertake a where only the members of the fighting elite are able to
dangerous task, they can attempt a Resolve Test to Resist stand against the tide. As a result, a new breed of soldier
this effect prior to taking the action. Once the action has has emerged to take their place on the battlefield: the
been taken, they are no longer Entranced. Entrancement Armiger. These warriors clad themselves in the heaviest
can only affect Humanoids and Mutants (including player of armors and carry the largest and most explosive of
Ancestries). Substitute Heal in place of Incantation when weaponries. Whether they wield massive hand cannons,
using Perform Hypnosis. Finally, the same person cannot steel-headed hammers or razor-sharp pikes, they stand as
be made subject to Entrancement more than once a week. a bulwark against their enemies. They are solitary, powerful
Performing Hypnosis can be found in Chapter 4: Liber and worthy of respect, though many refuse to speak of the
Alchemiae. horrors they have faced or the allies they have lost.
DRAWBACK: PLACEBO EFFECT After the fields have been reaped free of soldiers, many
Unfortunately, your words sometimes fall on deaf ears. But this an Armiger then moves onto a more adventurous living
only leads you further down the spiral, as you enact even more somewhere in the gloom and the shadows. Given their
vicious studies that threaten to unravel your grasp of sanity. specialty, they head into the fetid depths and haunted
Effect: Whenever you fail to perform Hypnosis, both you tunnels of the earth below. These Armigers spend the rest
and the patient suffer from Stress. of their brief lives learning to fight in labyrinthine caverns,
pressing deeper into the folds of the world. Within the
under-tunnels, Armigers know no rest, only the constant
struggle to protect the lands above by hunting down the
enemy below. When they return, they have countless stories
of terror to tell, but few return without some kind of scar –
either physical or psychological. An Armiger may appear to
be glamorous for all their brawn and fortitude, but an old
Armiger is a rarity. A completely sane Armiger is rarer still.
37
ARMIGER ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged [CB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Resolve [CB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged [WB]
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Die Hard
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Hard To Kill
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Light Sleeper
ARTILLERIST
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Warfare in order to
enter this Expert Profession.
The battlefield has drastically changed in recent years:

what were once simple hills and valleys of the dead have
become pockmarked with craters, scarred landscapes and
diseased trenches. This scattershot landscape is borne from
the terrible war machines that have entered the theatre of
conflict… and the Artillerists who operate them. Artillerists
maintain and man a host of infernal machines upon the
fields of battle. They work hand-in-hand with Engineers
IRON CITADEL to find their enemies’ weak points, strongest defensive
You are literally a living bulwark of defense, growing more and positions, and most important sites of strategic value – in
more implacable with every strike. fact, many Artillerists were once Engineers themselves. In
Effect: Every time you suffer Damage from a melee general, it is the common Man-At-Arms who does the
weapon, temporarily increase your Damage Threshold by actual firing of war machines, but they would be useless if
+1 cumulatively, lasting until you are Slain! or combat ends. it was not for the Artillerist’s ever-vigilant eye. Obviously,
You must be wearing armor with the Heavy Quality to this makes them high priority targets – the bolt throwers
grant this advantage. and cannons whose fire they direct can rip frontlines apart,
so targeting them – whether by a Sharpshooter or a strike
DRAWBACK: VISOR OF POOR VISIBILITY squad – makes both perfect tactical sense and prevents
Ironclad as you are, you refuse to fight with the visor of your many casualties.
helmet up.
Effect: While wearing armor with the Heavy Quality, you It is no wonder that many take to adventuring instead, or
must flip the results to fail all Perception-based Skill Tests even loaning out their services to higher bidders (mercenary-
that rely on vision. minded as they are). Like all military men, Artillerists can
defend themselves, but they are most dangerous behind
the ballast of a catapult or the giant windlasses of a bolt
thrower. The life of an Artillerist is not easy – the constant
strain on their senses while standing next to war machines
leave many deaf or with ragged vocal cords, while others
have found themselves maimed or killed after a cannon has
misfired or the arm of a trebuchet snaps under the strain.
38
C H AP
It is a career of deep lows and soaring highs, with little in DRAWBACK: HARD OF HEARING
between. While the drums of war may beat as soldiers take The high-pitch sounds of war machines operating and bombastic
to the field, Artillerists are generally focused on waiting explosions of gunpowder have left you partially deaf. Or, maybe
for an opening through which their great war machines you are just dense, and care little to listen to others as the power
can pound their enemies without harming their friends. of a god rests in your very hands!
Unfortunately, not every cannon or catapult is as accurate Effect: You cannot add Skill Ranks to Skill Tests that rely
as Artillerists claim and their commanders would want. on hearing or speaking aloud.
Nor is every Artillerist as skilled as they claim. Which at
best often means that the field of battle is littered with
miscalculated shots and at worst, an Artillerist’s comrades- ARTILLERIST ADVANCES
at-arms face the danger of being crushed, blown apart, or BONUS
ADVANCES
impaled by friendly fire. BONUS
ADVANCES
BOMBS AWAY! SKILL RANKS Drive
BONUS
[BB]
ADVANCES
Within your hands, you wield a power that dwarfs all other BONUS
weaponry on the battlefield. The complex hardware and clever SKILL RANKS Folklore [IB]
ADVANCES
gadgetry of the great war machines are like an extension of your SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged
BONUS
[IB]
eye as much as your hand, having taken to it like a swordsman ADVANCES
BONUS
does to their blade. SKILL RANKS Navigation
ADVANCES
[PB]
Effect: You may flip the results to succeed at Warfare Tests. SKILL RANKS Ride
BONUS
[PB]
When you succeed, it is always considered a Critical Success. ADVANCES
In addition, whenever using Burst, Cone and Explosion SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Eagle Eyes
Templates with a war machine, you can spend a Fortune
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Instincts
Point to not harm your allies after firing the weapon.
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Siegecraft
BARNSTORMER
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Awareness in order
to enter this Expert Profession.
Most common folk have grown up listening to the

rumbling of a blueblood’s carriage, the rattling of a pedlar’s
cartwheels and the thundering of hooves as the soldiery
rides into town. However, clever philosopher-naturalists
and daring Natural Philosophers have developed vehicular
technology far ahead of others – rotor-driven velocipedes,
horseless carriages and floating gondolas borne in the air
by balloon. These vehicles of the ‘new science’ are awe-
inspiring and fantastical, yet dangerous and unpredictable.
Thus, only daredevils called Barnstormers dare grasp
hold of the tillers, steering wheels, and control ropes in
order to operate these mad devices. Barnstormers are
professional aeronauts and drivers. While they can pilot
almost any horse-driven vehicle, they tend to favor those
of the motorized variety. Their daring stunts might cause
onlookers heart palpitations, but any Barnstormer worth
their salt has lived to tell the tale of death-defying flights
and misadventure – despite the injuries that they might
have suffered!
Barnstormers are a rarity, if only for the scarcity of their

vehicles of choice. Though useful for piloting new-fangled
39
DRAWBACK: DEVIL-MAY-CARE
You are a ‘stuntman’, taking wild chances and pushing your
luck when no others would dare. As such, your reckless attitude
makes you a liability.
Effect: You cannot use Fortune Points to change the results
of any Skill Tests, save for Agility-based ones.
BARNSTORMER ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Coordination [FB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Navigation [PB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Pilot [PB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Eagle Eyes
Incredible
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS
Numeration
BLADEDANCER
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Martial Melee in
order to enter this Expert Profession.
To the Bladedancer, war is not a means to an end, but rather

gyrocopters to drop bottle bombs on enemy soldiers, racers
an art form. The Bladedancer is the ultimate warrior-ascetic:
of horseless ‘rumblebutlers’ or to serve as royal bargees
one who has trained their entire life to bring their mind and
commanding floating pleasure skiffs cradled beneath a
body into perfect alignment to be able to strike down their
dirigible, Barnstormers do not loan out their skills cheaply.
enemies swiftly and without pain. They traditionally study
Undoubtedly bedlamites, risk-takers and thrill seekers, this
a single weapon, ‘bonding’ with it as one does a beloved pet.
does not stop adventuring parties from making fast friends
Of all weapons, the long and deadly greatsword is often the
with Barnstormers; after all, having an ally with a fast
implement of choice. The Bladedancer’s ideology revolves
vehicle or a getaway driver is extremely tempting. What this
around inward and outer grace, harmoniously living in
means though is that a Barnstormer’s life is fast and loose,
simpatico with nature far removed from civilization in a
often finding their end entangled in the metal and oil of
hermitage, all to prepare body and mind for the study of
their trusty steeds or plummeting towards the earth in an
their martial art. In order to achieve true equilibrium with
explosive, fiery end – along with their unfortunate passengers
the world around them, Bladedancers meditate, perform
intricate ceremonies by rote, and even create art and poetry
RED BARON
to align their martial spirit with their mortal self. But when
You are the ace-of-aces, able to keep even the most ramshackle
battle rears its head, they put down the quill and pick up
carriage or airborne dirigible from turning into a heaping,
the sword, carrying the careful strokes of the brush they
flaming wreck of wood and iron.
applied to parchment forward into the melee. Bladedancers
Effect: You may substitute Pilot in place of any Skill
then paint the battlefield not with ink, but with the
required to drive a vehicle, use a boat or ride a creature.
blood of their enemies.
Furthermore, whenever your vehicle is Wrecked!,
you do not crash. Instead, your vehicle coasts a
Distance of 6 yards and stops, collapsing to pieces.
40
C H AP
As a result of their training, many Bladedancers are DRAWBACK: NIRVANA

oftentimes aloof and distant, either feeling themselves Bladedancers value individualism over traditionalism. The
superior to others or just generally apathetic. This can make struggle they face is having to shed their humanity to find
them hard to deal with, but the force of their personality, enlightenment. Their ultimate goal: to enter a final, blessed state
mind for tactics and martial poise are all but unparalleled. marked by the absence of suffering and desire.
The Bladedancer tradition is long and mysterious, and Effect: Immediately change your Order Alignment to
some whisper that certain members of their orders do Enlightenment and your Chaos Alignment to Detachment.
more than meditate and practice with their weapons. Such
Bladedancers seek both revelation and sorcerous abilities
to bolster their martial power from cult-like religions that BLADEDANCER ADVANCES
have been banned by civilized society. There may be a kernel BONUS
ADVANCES
of truth to such rumors, for while Bladedancers try to bend BONUS
instead of break, when they do break – they break hard. If SKILL RANKS Charm [BB]
ADVANCES
they do suffer this fate, many Bladedancers would rather SKILL RANKS Coordination
BONUS
[CB]
ADVANCES
fall upon their swords than give into to the vile promises of BONUS
Daemons. But for those who are not brave enough to fall SKILL RANKS Folklore [CB]
ADVANCES
upon their sword, a vaunted new beginning awaits them in SKILL RANKS Martial Melee
BONUS
[FB]
the hell-pits of the Abyss. ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
LEAF ON THE WIND SKILL RANKS Rumor
BONUS
[WB]
With inward focus, you can attune yourself to the world as a ADVANCES
combative technique. Taking in all the subtle noises, the rhythm SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Handspring
of your opponent’s breathing and movement, you swiftly draw Lightning
your sword – exhaling “kiai!” – to strike true. Reaction
Overwhelming
Effect: Whenever you Take Aim for 2 AP with a melee SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS
Force
weapon and successfully strike, roll two Fury Dice and select
the better of the two to determine BUTCHERPRIEST
weapon Damage. In addition, you can
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Incantation in order
Take Aim as a Reaction before
to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must have the
Parrying attacks. You must
Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick.
attack with a Bladed
type of weapon to
A Daemon of inexorable appetites and ceaseless hunger,
utilize this Trait, and
the Endless Gullet is a being that is said to be a world-
it must be sheathed
spanning jaw and whose gullet is said to lead into the
before striking.
endless pits of the Abyss where all are devoured after death.
The Endless Gullet is a Daemon of ceaseless hunger, a trait
displayed by His chosen acolytes – the Butcherpriests.
In order to communicate with their Daemon patron,
Butcherpriests must consume and serve flesh-meats in
a disquieting and grotesque manner. They are never
without their hefty war choppers, using them to
carve up their fallen enemies, wrapping innards
and limbs in brown paper to cook and consume
with their comrades. Though cannibalism is
not unheard of within some savage societies,
others look upon this practice with disgust.
As far as mankind is concerned, there no sin
in their eyes as awful as cannibalism.
Yet, the faith of the Endless Gullet is found not only among
savages, but in mankind as well. Although gluttony is a
cardinal sin, it is not surprising to see ‘civilized’ folk succumb
41
to greed, falling to their knees and paying homage to the Manifestation. Furthermore, you must add 1 additional
Daemon when all else fails. Some become Butcherpriests Chaos Die when Channeling Power. Finally, you must eat
themselves, but for others it is merely enough to travel as three meals a day or else suffer from Starvation (as outlined
part of the Butcherpriest’s greed-driven pack. There are under Starvation from the Hazards & Healing chapter in
those for which this is not enough and they willingly join ZWEIHÄNDER).
the packs led by Butcherpriests, but even then, they will
try to remain at arm’s length from Butcherpriests for fear
of being bloodily rent by the Butcherpriest’s war chopper
BUTCHERPRIEST ADVANCES
and messily eaten after making some misunderstood
BONUS
sleight. The most ‘blessed’ of Butcherpriests are enormous SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[BB]
and corpulent, constantly trying to slake the hunger the SKILL RANKS Handle Animal
BONUS
[BB]
Endless Gullet has charged them with filling. Those ADVANCES
BONUS
who are found worthy grow massive and powerful, full SKILL RANKS Heal
ADVANCES
[CB]
of belly and full of the Daemon’s disquieting power. A BONUS
SKILL RANKS Incantation [FB]
Butcherpriest eventually will split apart at the seams, with ADVANCES
BONUS
entrails spilling out like sausages and blood oozing out like SKILL RANKS Martial Melee
ADVANCES
[IB]
pudding. When this happens, the Butcherpriest willingly BONUS
sacrifices themselves as the rest of the members of the pack ADVANCES
engorge themselves on the holiest of delicacies – a gift from BONUS
ADVANCES
their Daemon master and their former pack leader.
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Carousing
GROG, GUTS & GLORY SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Indifference

You satisfy the Endless Gullet’s hunger by savoring every last
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS No Mercy
drop of booze, blood and befouled water.
Effect: Whenever you are Intoxicated, add +3 to all
Damage you inflict. Furthermore, you can consume spoilt
or uncooked meat and drink filthy water without getting
sick or diseased.
SPECIAL TRAIT: COVENANT MAGICK

You have permanently bound your soul to a single Daemon and
can harness its forbidden power.
Effect: You are now a practitioner of Covenant Magick
and ignore any Drawbacks your former Arcane or Divine
Magick-using Expert Profession required of you (but may
continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt to
learn spells from the Covenant to the Endless Gullet. In
addition, you automatically learn one Petty and one Lesser
Magick spell from this Covenant. You cannot cast Lesser
Magick from this Covenant unless you have two Skill
Ranks in Incantation. You can only learn new spells of this
Covenant and Generalist Magick from this point forward.
DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER

You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon
are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish.
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, select
one of the Endless Gullet’s Aspects and replace your Order
Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you
may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic
Gifts are found in Chapter 6: Liber Umbrarum. When
you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos
42
C H AP
That does not necessarily mean that Burgomasters are

well-loved by their people. Many are prone to political
corruption, levying a sales tax on all goods coming in and
going out of village markets; raising taxation to benefit
from others’ labor; and hiring out the labor of constituents
while skimming off the top – all to line their own coffers.
Burgomasters are often not very strong or even that smart,
but many are of low cunning, and able to sway individuals
to do their dirty work for them. Sometimes such efforts
lead to Burgomasters hiring bands of miscreants to protect
their interests and to prevent do-gooding adventurers
from interfering. However, when they are found out,
Burgomasters are forced to flee, often forced to join the
miscreants they hired to survive beyond the wooden
palisades of the village or the curtain walls of the town they
once controlled. Here they find the world quite savage and
forced to turn to banditry to survive, continuing to make
miserable – or worse – the lives of the townsfolk whose
lives they previously governed.
DE FACTO
A Burgomaster speaks with their master’s or lady’s voice, and
has at their command a breadth of knowledge and tools in
negotiation.
Effect: When you fail a Bargain or Education Test, you
can re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept the
outcome.
DRAWBACK: DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

Burgomasters are often dogmatic in their worldview and
BURGOMASTER impart these same values over the people they rule over.
Effect: Immediately change your Order Alignment to
You must possess at least two Skill Rank in Folklore in order to Dignity and your Chaos Alignment to Vehemence.
Not all politicians hold a large power base. Unlike members BURGOMASTER ADVANCES
of the nobility they will never govern an entire country or BONUS
SKILL RANKS Bargain [BB]
ADVANCES
even a county and neither will they take command of an BONUS
army and take to the field of battle. Instead, a Burgomaster SKILL RANKS Education [FB]
ADVANCES
is a petty politician, typically the mayor of one of the many BONUS
ADVANCES
villages that dot the landscape, a village elder of a tribal BONUS
clan, a seneschal for a province or county, or a spokesperson SKILL RANKS Intimidate [IB]
ADVANCES
for a city borough. Burgomasters are generally not elected SKILL RANKS Leadership
BONUS
[PB]
by their constituents, but are installed by the aristocracy ADVANCES
BONUS
to act in their stead. Burgomasters are a means to an end SKILL RANKS Resolve
ADVANCES
[WB]
for the nobility; a necessary cog in the political machine SKILL RANKS Rumor
BONUS
[WB]
who takes care of local concerns. That being said, they exist ADVANCES
only in part because bluebloods lack the time or patience to SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Appalling Mien
govern every community beneath their rule. Incredible
Surprisingly, Burgomasters do make Numeration
Meeting of the
fairly decent strategists, as it is they SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS
Minds
who organize the militias as part of a
town or village’s defense.
43
Caravan Mystics enter into fugue states they never come

out of, clawing at their eyes as revelation upon revelation is
divulged to them, constantly muttering of the things they
see in their visions, until they die of starvation. Caravan
Mystics are rarely respected or given aid, so many are left
to rot in insanity.
WEAVER OF FATE
Destiny is largely unknown, even to workers of miracles and
arcane might. But in the Caravan Mystic, they can sacrifice a
sliver of their soul to discover what lies in store for others.
Effect: You understand how to use the Ritual of Fortune-
telling. Furthermore, you treat the Incantation Skill as a
Common Skill for purposes of Fortune-telling. Finally,
after successfully using Fortune-telling, the person to
whom you told their future gains a Fate Point, which must
be used within a month or it is lost. A person can only gain
the benefits of the Weaver of Fate Trait once a month.
DRAWBACK: FUGUE STATE

Once the strands of fate have been pulled apart, they cannot be
woven together again so easily.
Effect: Once a person has used their Fate Point from your
Weaver of Fate ability, you cannot walk for 1D10+1 days.
CARAVAN MYSTIC
CARAVAN MYSTIC ADVANCES
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Folklore in order to BONUS
SKILL RANKS Eavesdrop [FB]
enter this Expert Profession. ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
At every festival or carnival, in a far-off corner there often BONUS
sits a lone caravan – one resplendent in faded colors and SKILL RANKS Folklore [IB]
ADVANCES
baubles, an enticing presence for anyone seeking to know SKILL RANKS Guile
BONUS
[IB]
their future. These enigmatic huts on wheels are home to ADVANCES
BONUS
the Caravan Mystic – an itinerant fortune teller and fate SKILL RANKS Handle Animal [PB]
ADVANCES
weaver. Caravan Mystics spend their lives wandering from SKILL RANKS Interrogation
BONUS
[WB]
town to town, offering their services as a seer and a scryer ADVANCES
BONUS
for a modest fee. Many brush them aside as peddlers of lies, SKILL RANKS Navigation
ADVANCES
[WB]
but the Caravan Mystic has utmost faith in their craft. Using SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Azimuth
instruments such as tarot cards, bird bones and crystal balls,
they can read the stars and feel the winds of the universe SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Forked Tongue
to prognosticate the fate to come. Caravan Mystics are Impervious
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS
not traditional arcanists, but they can tap slightly into the Mind
beyond for their craft. Their predictions may not always
be accurate, but at times an almost preternatural accuracy
overtakes them – a foreboding omen that takes over their
body and leaves them weak.
Caravan Mystics are always travelling, and often end

up on explorations and expeditions with little inkling
of their own safety. They find the nature of fortune and
fate terribly fascinating, so following occult activities is
not an uncommon practice. Risking life and soul, some
44
C H AP
CHAMBERLAIN Some Chamberlains take up an adventuring spirit if

the house they are working for is dissolved or they were
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Education in order removed from their position. Though Chamberlains are
to enter this Expert Profession. not the greatest of fighters, their knowledge and head for
logistics can keep a party operating far beyond its normal
Though a duchess or count may rule over a noble house capabilities. But that is also their biggest weakness – to a
and its surrounding lands, very rarely do they deal with Chamberlain, everything must go according to plan at all
the minutiae and bureaucracy necessary to governing. times. When confronted by the inscrutable machinations
The Chamberlain, instead, fills that job. A Chamberlain of Corruption, bandit hordes or deadly
is a household servant; unlike the Valet who serves as a plagues, the Chamberlain finds little that
personal butler, the Chamberlain actually manages the fits into their worldview of prosperity and
logistics of the house. They direct workers, balance budgets, book-balancing. Many end up insane,
advise their lady or lord, maintain the grounds and direct rambling to themselves about schedules
or carry out every other piece of daily work a lord is too and dividends as waves of blood and brain
busy to bother with. Many Chamberlains are taken for splash about their feet.
granted, although a select few are treated as trusted friends
and the right-hand of the noble they serve. Rest assured, PRIVY COUNCIL
without a Chamberlain, a noble household would quickly You are likely a member of a private body of advisors who serves
fall into ruin as the small intricacies of rulership quickly a house. You hold an office that requires a deep understanding of
become too much to bear for the master of the house. politics and bureaucracy, and speak with the authority of your
Chamberlains find comfort in this knowledge and use it lord or lady.
as a balm to soothe the verbal barbs they may suffer from Effect: When you fail an Education or Leadership Test,
their employers. you can re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept
the outcome.
DRAWBACK: MASTER & SERVANT

Chamberlains have a strong sense of commitment to their
sovereign. To turn away from their post or to abandon their
ideal is almost unheard of.
Duty and your Chaos Alignment to Fatalism.
CHAMBERLAIN ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Interrogation [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
Incredible
Numeration
Meeting of the
Minds
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Multilingual
45
CHEVALIER superiority complex. Many Chevaliers see themselves as a

cut above everyone else. At best they are merely arrogant,
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in both Martial Melee at worst they see this as an excuse to abuse, exploit, and
and Ride in order to enter this Expert Profession. plunder to their heart’s content. It does not help that
the other Chevaliers play off this, building each other’s
One of the greatest privileges that can be afforded is to travesties up feed off of it. At the end of the day, they
be raised to knighthood – a martial rank of pedigree and legitimize it as being for the ‘good of the people’, but is
honor. Though some work their way up from Squire or most often for the stock they raise for their own coffers and
journey as a Hedge Knight, the most common knight is the horrific accolades.
Chevalier. These knights do not wander or loan their skills
out to the highest bidder like Hedge Knights. Instead, KNIGHTLY ORDER
they become members of an order, a group of sisters and There is a multitude of knightly orders, but at their very basic,
brothers who have earned their spurs and share the bonds they are divided into three broad orders.
of a common cause. Knightly orders are broadly arranged Effect: Select one of these orders: noble, secular or templar.
into three types: secular, who are pledged to a province and You gain one of the following Traits by order:
lead soldiers into battle; templars, who are pledged to a
religion and are usually the military arm of a church and As a noble Chevalier: whenever you fail a Martial
noble, who are pledged to a social stratum and awarded Melee or Education Test, you can re-roll to generate a
for excellence. While many attests that these three orders better result, but must accept the outcome;
are not similar at all, they often share the same principles,
As a secular Chevalier: whenever you fail a Martial
morals and views – though one claims it is for god, the
Melee or Ride Test, you can re-roll to generate a better
other for country and the last for blue-blooded excellence.
result, but must accept the outcome;
Chevaliers like to see themselves as infallible and paragons As a templar Chevalier: whenever you fail a Martial
of what it means to be a Melee or Resolve Test, you can re-roll to generate a
citizen or a believer, and better result, but must accept the outcome.
this often breeds a
DRAWBACK: STRICTURES
OF THE ORDER
Chevaliers have a strong sense of commitment to their order. To
turn away from their post or to abandon their ideal is almost
unheard of.
Duty and your Chaos Alignment to Fatalism.
CHEVALIER ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
Lightning
Reaction
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Saddle-born
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Sword & Board
46
C H AP
While Condottieri can be found amongst most Ancestries,

Ogres take a particular liking to the life of the Condottieri.
Ogrish mercenaries of this kind often call themselves
‘man-eaters’, for they profess to consume the martial soul
of every warrior they fell. Once these martial juggernauts
have won the battle or the war, they head on their way,
looking to the next burg for opportunities to pillage and
for rapine. Their wanderlust, however, can turn into quite
a problem, as their journeys expose them to less than holy
ideas and dishonorable ideals. In the best cases, this results
in a conflicting mindset that gives Condottieri a bizarre
world view, but not much else. In the worst cases, they fall
in with the wrong groups, learn darker knowledge and viler
methods, eventually coming to a dark truth that no man
living or dead should ever have to face – that there is no
truth at all. This revelation can make the Condottieri less
a martial champion and more a true butcher of man-flesh.
Stories abound of Ogre man-eaters eating the flesh of the
dead, boiling meat in a cauldron amidst the carnage to
make a stew.
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
Your unpredictable fighting style originates from your mercenary
attitude and the many victories you’ve gained in lands both
native and foreign.
Effect: Whenever you make an Attack Action or Perilous
Stunt using a melee weapon, foes must flip the results to
fail to Dodge, Parry or Resist it.
DRAWBACK: SAVAGERY
CONDOTTIERE Your martial spirit is not easily sated and you are large in both
raw appetite, adventurous spirit and belligerent attitudes.
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Martial Melee in Effect: Immediately change your Order Alignment to
order to enter this Expert Profession. Ferocity and your Chaos Alignment to Hatred.
Most Sellswords travel for coin and glory, plying their

martial skills sword-to-mouth. But the Condottiere CONDOTTIERE ADVANCES
BONUS
has developed their own way of thinking – instead of SKILL RANKS Athletics [AB]
ADVANCES
journeying simply for the clink of coin, they journey for BONUS
either the clash of swords, the taste of far-flung cuisine ADVANCES
or pure rapine. Oftentimes leading a mercenarium, they BONUS
ADVANCES
accrue many scars, war stories and exotic weaponry on their BONUS
SKILL RANKS Leadership [IB]
journeys. Condottieri are mostly unpredictable but not ADVANCES
stupid – their erratic attacks, foreign feints and hunger for BONUS
ADVANCES
experience makes them some of the best warriors around. BONUS
Many stride into battle in heavy armor, often bedecked in SKILL RANKS Resolve [PB]
ADVANCES
the styles and fashions of the world at large. A dizzying SKILL RANKS Rumor
BONUS
[WB]
array of weapons often adorn their belts and back, marking ADVANCES
their approach with a characteristic rattling of iron and SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Hard to Kill
leather. Condottieri love nothing more than an opportunity SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS
Impenetrable
to stretch their martial muscles – offering their services for Wall
the pure thrill of the fight. SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS No Mercy
47
COURTESAN extramarital affairs can be silenced with a court order or

even an assassin’s blade. Courtesans that escape the red
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Charm and Rumor dagger are thrown below the status of the lowliest beggars,
in order to enter this Expert Profession. seen as tramps, liars and manipulators. Even if they had
lofty goals of bringing despots to justice or shame, those
Among those of the court and upper echelons of society, get easily dashed if love letters or evidence of their petty
Prostitutes are seen as contemptible wretches - selling treasons are discovered. These low Courtesans have lost
their bodies for coin or a filling meal, who have no self- their good name and will look for repairers of reputation
respect. No, to the bluebloods of polite society, Courtesans to help them return to a normal life. However, sometimes
are preferable. Courtesans are ‘professional’ paramours and these ‘aids’ come from the dark outside of Corruption,
mistresses – hanging on the arm of widows and dandies to especially from the Prince of Pleasure who sees a willing
laugh at their jokes, pour their sparkling wine or make it supplicant in exchange for a Faustian bargain.
appear that these wretched nobles are something besides
detestable. Courtesans know the value of their sex appeal DEADLY BEAUTY
- not only can it buy them houses and fine clothes, but can Courtesans are particularly adept at capturing the attention of
also buy information. The sweet whispering of pillow talk others, and all eyes turn towards them as they enter a room.
and the proximity to movers and shakers make Courtesans You possess an unnaturally radiant countenance, as if you
valuable allies who can depose dukes and knights with a were painted by the finest of Maestros to be the very image of
single rumor of their… predilections. perfection.
Effect: By succeeding a Charm Test, a single person who
Courtesans move easily in social circles and don’t carry can see you clearly is Captivated, and will come towards
the same stigma as a brothel worker. However, that doesn’t you. Should they enter a dangerous area to approach you,
make them immune from tragedy. If a countess is both they can attempt a Resolve Test to Resist this effect. Once
powerful enough and ignoble enough, the words of their they are Engaged with you, the effects end. Captivation
can only affect Humanoids and Mutants (including player
Ancestries). Finally, the same person cannot be made subject
to Captivation more than once in any 24 hour period.
DRAWBACK: SKIN DEEP

People have a hard time looking past your beauty, and generally
ignore the deeper aspects of your personality and skills. As such,
you must work twice as hard to prove yourself
Effect: You cannot Assist other Characters unless you have
at least two Skill Ranks in the Skill you are Assisting.
COURTESAN ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Forked Tongue
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Silver Tongue
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Streetwise
48
C H AP
CULT LEADER CULT INDOCTRINATION

Cult groups often have a dynamic leader whose authority is
You must possess at least
respected and often unquestioned. Using merely power of their
two Skill Ranks in
voice, Cult Leaders can erase memories, implant new memories or
Charm or Education
cajole a frail mind to experience a forgotten event from their past.
in order to enter this
Effect: You treat the Incantation Skill as a Common Skill
Expert Profession.
for purposes of Hypnosis. By succeeding an Incantation
Test, the person you perform Hypnosis on is Brainwashed,
Despite stories of
and you choose one of three effects to occur:
‘vast armies of chaos’,
most seedlings of
you remove a single memory;
Corruption are borne from
cults. Cults are generally formed you implant a new memory;
as a social groups between the person can recall an event that has transpired with
people who’ve lost their faith perfect clarity.
in the world. When aligned
with like-minded individuals, Should your Brainwashing impose new beliefs that are
they grow towards a system dangerous, they can attempt a Resolve Test to Resist
of unorthodox beliefs and this effect. Brainwashing can only affect Humanoids and
dangerous philosophies. In Mutants (including player Ancestries). Finally, the same
fact, they rarely pay tribute person cannot be made subject to Brainwashing more
to gods or Daemons than once a week. Performing Hypnosis can be found in
at all. No matter its Chapter 4: Liber Alchemiae.
size, every cult has
an authority figure who DRAWBACK: PUBLIC ENEMY
becomes a shining beacon Your face and name are well-known. Very likely, there’s a reeve,
to their following. Cult bounty hunter or worse on your tail. As such, you are forced to
Leaders are these live a life in the shadows, using trusted confidantes to carry out
charismatic individuals, your tasks in public.
able to sway those on hard Effect: When in places where you may be recognized, you
paths or uncertainties into cannot use Fortune Points unless you make means to hide
the embrace of their ‘religion’. your true identity. The GM will likely ask you to make a
To fully indoctrinate others to their Secret Test for Disguise when in public, only revealing the
beliefs, potential followers are at first separated from results at the most inopportune of times.
friends and family. Once separated, the Cult Leader goes
to work, spitting venomous doctrine in their ears and often
ask of their followers vile things. The cult and its devotees CULT LEADER ADVANCES
eventually accept and follow the Cult Leader’s words BONUS
SKILL RANKS Charm [BB]
ADVANCES
without question. BONUS
ADVANCES
A Cult Leader is more than just a charismatic person - they BONUS
ADVANCES
are a pontiff and a parent, and perhaps even a deity in their BONUS
own right - feeding off the emotions of their followers. SKILL RANKS Guile [IB]
ADVANCES
Many Cult Leaders become enamored with themselves, SKILL RANKS Interrogation
BONUS
[IB]
ADVANCES
turning not to gods or Daemons, but towards self-worship. BONUS
When gripped by insanity, a Cult Leader can easily destroy SKILL RANKS Intimidate [WB]
ADVANCES
their own congregation for selfish purposes. More than one SKILL RANKS Resolve
BONUS
[WB]
story has been told of a Cult Leader trapping their flock ADVANCES
Impervious
inside a compound while soldiers bargain for release - only SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS
Mind
for the Cult Leader to kill everyone inside, rather than SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Nerves of Steel
being taken alive. More often than not, a disavowed Cult
Leader will simply die, writhing in their own emissions as SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Silver Tongue
their flock abandons them at their last waking moment.
49
Manipulating the Æthereal winds merely with their voice,

a Dirgesinger warps both their voice and the winds into
something both haunting and beautiful, frightening and
tearful. Dirgesingers are a thankful rarity, as outright
devotion to the Black Lodge is a peculiarity. It is also said
that Dirgesingers do not die, so much as they transmutate
into the other. Those of an older age begin to take upon an
unmistakable tree-like appearance. They suffer from wart-
like lesions that grow under their skin and nails. Their flesh
takes on the texture of rotted wood. Insects and animals nest
in their clothes and hair. Their songs turn from laments of
loss to wails of pain. Slowly, as they undergo their arboreal
transformations, they become direct conduits to the Black
Lodge, with old Dirgesingers eventually driving roots into
the ground and becoming portals to that dark dimension.
SEASONS OF CHANGE
Dirgesingers take upon an aspect of the season they are in.
Changeable like the leaves of the tree, both their ability and
personality evolve as the months pass.
Effect: During each in-game season, you can take
advantage of the following appropriate Traits:
In spring, anytime you generate a Critical Success

after rolling D100, automatically add one Fortune
Point to the Fortune Pool;
In summer, at your option you may substitute
Incantation in place of any Skill required to Resist
Magick spells;
DIRGESINGER In autumn, you never suffer mental Peril as a result

of failed Resolve Tests nor Corruption due to it.
In winter, whenever you succeed at casting Magick,
you do not expend reagents. This benefit does not
apply to Rituals.
The Black Lodge is the most mystifying and puzzling of
all Daemons. It is both a place and an entity, a singular
thing built from the ossified remains of dead gods. It is
inscrutable, inexplicable and not even overtly malevolent.
However, it is so alien that its agents and agendas are
abhorrent to humanity. The Black Lodge lends an inkling
of its power to occultists, whether they be human or Fey,
continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt
but this power is far too extreme and obtuse to handle
to learn spells from the Covenant to the Black Lodge. In
through the standard traditions of Magick. Instead, those
blessed by the Black Lodge intone haunting melodies, ones
that erode the Æthereal Veil and allow the whispers of the
Magick from this Covenant unless you
Black Lodge to creep back into our reality. These unsettling
have two Skill Ranks in Incantation.
troubadours are known as Dirgesingers, and are the primary
You can only learn new spells of
proselytizers of the Black Lodge ‘faith’... if it can be called
this Covenant and Generalist
that. They are taciturn and inscrutable – though their
Magick from this point
manner comes to be marked by a capriciousness as the
forward.
seasons pass – making them inscrutable and alien indeed.
50
C H AP
DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER unlock ‘ultimate bliss’, the Ecstatic Celebrant organizes
You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon secret clubs of libertines and debauchees. These sybarites
are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish. fill their nights with Bacchic carousing, opioid-induced
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. Select one of the spirit journeys, joyous erotica and self-mutilation, only to
Black Lodge’s Aspects and replace your Order Alignment bring decadence to its final level, cavorting in the foul halls
with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you may opt to gain of the Prince of Pleasure Himself.
a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic Gifts are found
in Chapter 6: Liber Umbrarum. When you generate face Ecstatic Celebrants ooze charisma. With but a word, they
‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos Manifestation. can instill orgasmic nocturnal emissions in an attentive
Furthermore, you must add 1 additional Chaos Die when student or send a joyous convert spiraling down into
Channeling Power. Finally, whenever you Critically Fail to endless pain with a brush of their fingertips. Heedless of
cast Magick in a season other than that of your birth (as the dangers involved, Celebrants seek to experience every
outlined under Background from the Character Creation and any type of amusement and torment imaginable, so
chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER), you gain 6 Corruption. that they can ‘share’ it with others through their insidious
whisperings. This of course will drive them into the arms
of lunacy, but the Prince of Pleasure cares little for His
DIRGESINGER ADVANCES occultist’s madness, for the dark prince loves to see them
BONUS writhe in their own wanton, joyous destruction. He, too,
ADVANCES
BONUS was born from mankind’s willingness to engage in jubilant
SKILL RANKS Handle Animal [AB] decadence and self-destructive hubris, so the Prince
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Incantation
BONUS
[BB] of Pleasure knows He will always hold sway for time
ADVANCES
BONUS
immemorial. This is why many Ecstatic Celebrants do not
SKILL RANKS Intimidate [FB] even know that they glorify Him – they are simply too far
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Resolve
BONUS
[PB]
removed from reality to realize that their debauchery is
ADVANCES fueling the Prince’s destructive ends.
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Ambidexterity
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Indifference
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Instincts
ECSTATIC CELEBRANT
The rich and powerful enjoy much leisurely idling –

from banquets and boating to billiards and bowling. But
what happens when a marchioness becomes bored of her
masquerades or a duke grows grim of his drink? The Prince
of Pleasure sees this as an opportunity to subtly plant
His Daemonic seed, so thus sending one of His Ecstatic
Celebrants to the door of their estates in order to spread the
dark prince’s influence. Celebrants pose as well-landed bon
vivants or wondrous mystics, come to offer the pleasures of
the wider world to those who are bored of calcio and have
had enough of primero. Once welcomed into manor houses
by their curious patrons, the Ecstatic Celebrant quickly
gets to work, leading the vapid nobility into pleasures
unheard of… as well as pains. Saying that they will soon
51
INSIDIOUS WHISPER ECSTATIC CELEBRANT ADVANCES

Whispering but a few words, you compel another to experience BONUS
feelings unbecoming of their situation or nature. ADVANCES
Effect: When you are standing next to or Engaged with BONUS
ADVANCES
a person (who can also hear you), you can use your voice BONUS
to compel another. By succeeding a Guile Test, you force ADVANCES
a person to experience an emotion of your choice for a BONUS
ADVANCES
number of minutes equal to your [WB]. Suggestions include BONUS
anger, anticipation, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise or SKILL RANKS Incantation [PB]
ADVANCES
trust. As the emotion is felt, choose whether they move SKILL RANKS Interrogation
BONUS
[WB]
one step up or one step down the Peril Condition Track. ADVANCES
BONUS
Once the experience of the instilled emotion has passed, SKILL RANKS Rumor [WB]
ADVANCES
the person has no memory of who compelled them to do SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Carousing
so. Insidious Whisper can only affect Humanoids and
Left-handed
Mutants (including player Ancestries). Finally, the same SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS
Path
person cannot be made subject to Insidious Whisper more SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Worldly
than once in any 24 hour period.
EXORCIST
You have permanently bound your soul to a single Daemon and You must possess at least one Skill Rank in both Education and
can harness its forbidden power. Folklore in order to enter this Expert Profession.
and ignore any Drawbacks your former Arcane or Divine Most ecclesiastical hierarchies consist of Apostles who
Magick-using Expert Profession required of you (but may protect their shrines, Friars who teach their guidance,
continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt to Abbots who head churches and monasteries
learn spells from the Covenant to the Prince of Pleasure. and others. Among these others, is a singular
In addition, you automatically learn one Petty and one provost whose duty it is to excise heresy
Lesser Magick spell from this Covenant. You cannot cast from within – and that is the Exorcist.
Lesser Magick from this Covenant unless you have two An Exorcist does not have access to the
Skill Ranks in Incantation. You can only learn new spells Magickal prayers of their more mystical
of this Covenant and Generalist Magick from this point brethren, but what they do possess is
forward. the unique ability to cast out haunts
and spirits from the possessed. The
DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER layman may think exorcism involves
You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon the simple laying on of hands and
are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to incanting a few words, but it is much
punish. more complicated than that. Every
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, spirit, haunt or other foul abomination
select one of the Prince of Pleasure’s Aspects and replace is different, and the Exorcist must adapt
your Order Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate to each of them on the fly. Exorcists
Points, you may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects are more feared than respected, both
and Daemonic Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber among the common folk and fellow
Daemonum. When you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos members of their church, but both
Dice, you invoke a Chaos Manifestation. Furthermore, see the unique abilities wielded by
you must add 1 additional Chaos Die when Channeling Exorcists as necessary if corruption is
Power. Finally, whenever you are Incapacitated!, you to be driven out. Their skills and their
cannot recover your Peril Condition Track under perspicacity means that Exorcists
any circumstance until you indulge in a vice first. can come to rank nearly as high
Suggestions include blasphemy, gambling, intoxication, as Inquisitors, but however high
prostitution and self-harm. they ascend in the church
hierarchy, their approach will
always inspire trepidation.
52
C H AP
Though many Exorcists are given their assignments by an DRAWBACK: LIBERA A MALO
Abbot, others operate as freelancers, leading an itinerant The Exorcist walks on the razor’s edge, with one foot in the
life in search of those who are driven to seek their help. Abyss and the other in the Material Realm. This dangerous
They travel the countryside, moving from village to village path can lead them to damnation in both body and spirit.
and town to town, where with detective-like precision, Effect: Any time you suffer Damage or Peril from a
they expose hoaxes and put to rest real hauntings. Some Restless Spirit, you suffer 3 Corruption.
are hucksters, convincing people that they are ‘plagued
by spirits’ and offering their services for a hefty fee.
Exorcists may not be intimidating combatants, but what EXORCIST ADVANCES
they lack in martial spirit is made up in spades by their BONUS
ADVANCES
being intimately knowledgeable about the occult and BONUS
taboo subjects – including the nature of worlds beyond our SKILL RANKS Education [FB]
ADVANCES
own. Unsurprisingly, Exorcists are prone to possession by SKILL RANKS Folklore
BONUS
[FB]
ADVANCES
spirits and daemons themselves. Some chase away their BONUS
experiences with deliriants, but more than a handful have SKILL RANKS Guile [IB]
ADVANCES
thrown themselves from balconies after taking in a spirit SKILL RANKS Interrogation
BONUS
[PB]
that was haunting a young girl or frail widow. Sadly, most ADVANCES
BONUS
Exorcists find their lives on the receiving end of the vitriol SKILL RANKS Resolve
ADVANCES
[WB]
and vengeance of the spirits they fight, leaving them ripped SKILL RANKS Rumor
BONUS
[WB]
asunder by forces unknown or confined to an asylum. ADVANCES
Impervious
Mind
SPIRITUS SANCTUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Nerves of Steel
Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica
Supernatural
potestas omnis incursio infernalis adversarii! SKILL RANKS Skulduggery TALENTS
Paranoia
Effect: When facing a creature that is classified of an
Abyssal or Supernatural nature, make an Interrogation
Test. If successful, they remain Stunned for a number of
Turns equal to your [WB]. However, this only works if
the creature can both see and hear you clearly. You also
understand how to use the Ritual of Exorcism. Substitute
Interrogation in place of Incantation when using the Ritual
of Exorcism, but you cannot Channel Power.
53
Daily do Fanatics toe the line between their obsession and

the calls of Corruption. True, Fanatics know much canon
and many have become so inured to pain they are resilient
warriors of their god, but at what cost? They are already exiles
among the common folk and often heretics among their
own faithful, but the Abyssal Princes lauds and loves the
Fanatic for their passion and dedication. What difference
is there in flaying yourself for the God-Emperor or the
Prince of Violence aside from a slight change in name?
Even the most experienced, enlightened Fanatic can see
the passion and fury in the hordes of Daemon-worshipers,
and feel what may be called a form of begrudging respect.
Thus, many of these lambs go to the lion’s den of outer
darkness, and they are consumed by it.
RELIGIOUS FERVOR
The power of a Fanatic’s beliefs are so real that they manifest in
supernatural ways.
Effect: Select one of these three sects: flagellant, heretic or
zealot. You gain one of the following Traits by sect:
As a flagellant: for every Injury you are suffering from,

add a cumulative +1 to Damage Threshold (until
reaching +6) – this includes Injuries you inflict upon
yourself;
As a heretic: you may Counterspell Divine Magick
spells, substituting Interrogation in place of Incantation
– if you Critically Succeed, the spell instead affects the
caster;
As a zealot: whenever you or an ally render a foe of an
opposing faith Slain! in combat, add a cumulative +1
to Damage (until reaching +6). Only enemies who are
FANATIC classified as Humanoids or Mutants (including player
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Folklore in order to Ancestries) counts toward these cumulative bonuses.
enter this Expert Profession. Once combat ends, this bonus resets to 0.
To most common folk, religion and the gods serve as a balm DRAWBACK: GOSPEL OF DESOLATION
- as the world crumbles around them and descends into The world is going to end – there is no doubt in your mind. You
anarchy, they know that they are right with the gods and treat every battle as if it would be your last. And, it must be a
will receive their just reward upon death. However, there glorious end.
are those who believe that weekly prayers are not enough. Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, you
These Fanatics feel their flesh is weak and unable to achieve can never wear armor as it violates your tenets. Should you
or understand the full extent of divinity, and they must don armor, you do not gain the benefits of any Professional
harden and temper it to achieve perfection. The ultimate Trait – Fanatic or otherwise – that you possess.
result of the Doomsayer, Fanatics know nothing but pain
and devotion. The more ‘benevolent’ Fanatics purge others’
sin with iron and fire, while others spend the remaining
years of their life stripping their backs to ribbons to reveal
the divine mysteries. Abbots of the faith can find some of
their most militant and stalwart followers in the Fanatic,
but many balk and cower at those who have blinded
themselves for faith - sometimes even quite literally.
54
C H AP
ranks of the Dread Counts. The only obstacle to this are

FANATIC ADVANCES
other Fell Knights. They share no sense of fraternity or
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Awareness
ADVANCES
[BB] brotherly love with each other, instead conducting violent
BONUS rivalries and holding murderous grudges against their
ADVANCES peers. The Abyssal Princes only sponsor a mere few Dread
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Handle Animal
ADVANCES
[CB] Counts every century. As a consequence, Fell Knights are
BONUS constantly embattled, constantly conspiring against and
SKILL RANKS Interrogation [CB]
ADVANCES attempting to one-up each other in order to obtain their
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Intimidate [FB] Daemon’s favor. The Princes encourage this, as it weeds out
ADVANCES
BONUS the weak and leaves only the truly devoted. This makes Fell
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [WB]
ADVANCES Knights paranoid, quick to react and rash when it comes to
BONUS any decision or situation that would give them advantage
SKILL RANKS Navigation [WB]
ADVANCES
over a rival. And for the unique few who have reached these
SKILL RANKS Resolve TALENTS Die Hard
heights, they do win – joining as one with a Havoc Conjuror
Impervious and ascending to the unhallowed, disgusting ranks of the
Mind
infernal Dread Counts.
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Indifference
BONDS OF DAMNATION
FELL KNIGHT Literally fused with a harness of steel, your body absorbs the
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Martial Melee metal’s strength as it takes upon the tensile nature and flexibility
in order to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must of muscle. It is now a part of you as much as your bones, skin and
have the Drawback of Ruinous Power. blood are.
Effect: You can metaphysically ‘bond’ with a full suit
Fell Knights are fierce, vociferous warriors who stand above of armor. By bonding with it, you automatically gain 1
other warriors, exemplifying unadulterated sanguinity and permanent Chaos Rank. Once bonded, you ignore its
devotion to the causes of Corruption. They do not come to
this exalted position with any ease, however. The Daemon
requires the ultimate sacrifice before any soldier can become
a Fell Knight: they must murder their comrades. Only by
ritually slaying their entire unit – leaders, confidantes and
‘battle buddies’ alike – can they begin the transformation
that turns them into a Fell Knight. Scraping together the
remains of their dead comrades’ armor, they undergo a
grotesque transmutation by fastening iron to their naked
muscle and stepping into a bonfire. Sloughing off their
skin, they reemerge, fused with an amalgamated harness
of iron. Now far from recognizable as being ‘human’, both
body and mind have been warped by the umbral gifts of
their Daemon lord. They are mortal champions who do
not suffer dissension, warriors who do not abide debility
and fanatics who know only devotion. The ritual must
be performed precisely though, as for every warrior who
has successfully accepted the embrace of both iron and
their Daemon master’s love, there are many more whose
transformative endeavors have failed. Their fate is ignored
by the Daemon they worship, left to die in agony as their
flesh seers off and the superheated iron cracks their bones.
The newly-born Fell Knight who emerges from the flames

is already on the road to damnation. In fact, they welcome
it – their only motivation is to further their blasphemy to
such depths that they will be accepted into the hallowed
55
Encumbrance Value and any negative Qualities it confers.

Furthermore, it cannot be destroyed or gain the Ruined!
Quality. Finally, the bonded armor does not negatively
impact any Skill Tests that would normally be affected
by the type you wear (e.g. swimming, sprinting, climbing,
Dodging, etc.). This bond can be broken, but you must
undergo the ceremony again. Your GM will outline the
requirements for the ceremony.
DRAWBACK: AMBITION DENIED

Petty squabbling and infighting reigns among the forces of
Corruption. The rank and file rarely engage openly in such
activities, crushed and cowed as they are by their officers, but
between its lieutenants it can run rampant, the machinations of
others apparent to you connive, deceive and maneuver your way
through the ranks. When your plans and connivances succeed,
you are exultant, but when they go awry, you fall into a fit of
self-loathing and despair.
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, for
every enemy that is Slain! by your allies you did not render
the killing blow to, you gain 3 Corruption.
FELL KNIGHT ADVANCES

BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Intimidate
ADVANCES
[BB] FRIAR
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Leadership [BB] You must possess at least one Skill Rank in both Education and
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee
BONUS
[CB] Heal in order to enter this Expert Profession.
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged [CB] Not all priests of the gods have been blessed with the
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Ride
BONUS
[WB]
potential to invoke divine spells – in fact, that blessing is
ADVANCES often a rarity. Apostles who rise to the ability of religious
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee
ADVANCES
[WB] leadership, without divine blessing, generally become
Friars. Though Abbots serve as paragons of faith, often
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Hard to Kill
heading churches and temples with massive congregations
Impenetrable
Wall
or monasteries staffed by many, many monks, the Friar is
Overwhelming humbler – educating monastics within a cloister, serving
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS
Force as a deacon for a rural church or any other number of
roles that an Abbot finds themselves too busy to fulfill.
Friars are far more sociable than most novitiates, and many
wander among their congregation, offering charity, healing
and aid where the superior general and their congregation
cannot. Some Lowborn even say that Friars are more holy
than the godhead, Magick-using High Lector.
At some point, it is not uncommon for Friars to venture

out from their churches as itinerant priests, either to bring
the ‘good word’ of their god to villages too small to be
served by a priest or to enter virgin territory where they
will convert the heathen. In addition to their humbleness,
Friars have learned to take care of themselves well-
56
C H AP
enough, able to avoid or face dangers that would turn away GRAND MASTER
the laity in fear. Like any person of religious bent on a
journey, Friars have their faith constantly tested. Some are You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in both Martial Melee
emboldened by danger and know their deity has a divine and Ride in order to enter this Expert Profession.
plan for them, while others see the horrors of reality and
wonder how any god could allow such a thing to happen – A knight brings gallantry and reputation to a military
or even curse their god when the horrors of the world are force, for without chivalric leadership, they would simply
inflicted upon the innocent. Perhaps this is why the gods be another group of armed brigands fighting at the behest
rarely turn an eye earthward anymore, and is also possibly of some petty count. Yet when a Grand Master stands in
why Friars are becoming more scarce. the vanguard, emperors and kings alike pay heed. A Grand
Master is the head and de facto commander – though in
HOLY RAIMENT their declining years some Grand Masters do delegate
Although you may not harness the Magicks granted by a deity, the latter role – of a fraternal order of Grail Knights and
you are no less blessed by your god. Living a hardscrabble life Chevaliers and their Squires. Grand Masters wield nearly
upon the road, the religious habit you wear and symbol you as much power and respect as some rulers, granted special
carry are blessed, safeguarding you against wrongdoers. dispensations by both the clergy and state alike to operate
Effect: Whenever you wear the robes of your office and unfettered by the law. Veterans of countless campaigns,
bear a holy symbol around your neck, add +1 to both your they are military leaders and advisers of great skill, earning
Damage and Peril Thresholds. Furthermore, you may add the respect of their peers and sometimes the jealousy of
the Defensive Quality to any weapon you wield. religious figures and powerful politicians. It is rare to find
a Grand Master living a sheltered life, for the horn of
DRAWBACK: AVOWED war is trumpeted often. Grand Masters wade into battle
Although Friars are not monastic, they have taken a sacred pauldron-to-pauldron with their brothers and sisters,
vow of poverty, ministry and evangelizing. Should you stray resplendent in gleaming armor and their order’s banner
from the path, you are wracked with extreme guilt, a sin which snapping in the wind above
requires tithe or self-flagellation to correct. their head. Each
Effect: You cannot accumulate property, except for what order has but one
you may be able to carry upon yourself. Violation of this Grand Master and
sacred tenet means you cannot add Skill Ranks to Skill how they achieve
Tests, until you unburden yourself by donating the excess
to your religious order and causing yourself enough harm
to move three steps down the Peril Condition Track
negatively.
FRIAR ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Athletics [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Heal [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Azimuth
Lightning
Reaction
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Long-winded
57
that station varies. Nevertheless, Grand Masters

remain a close confidante to their fellow knights, no
matter how high they soar politically… or fall tragically.
Grand Masters whose orders have been destroyed or been

disenfranchised often operate undercover to restore their
lost valor. Grand Masters are without peer in combat, both
from a tactical point-of-view and in actual engagement.
They can rouse even the weariest of spirits and make
even the darkest cause seem divine and true. All that
responsibility, however, weighs heavy upon the shoulders
of a Grand Master. To lead an order of virtual sisters and
brothers, bonded by fidelity and love, means watching their
closest of kin fall under the sword time and time again. It
is not unsurprising that some Grand Masters eventually
break under such pressure, becoming a lone wolf hell-bent
on vengeance without end in a campaign of terror.
VALOROUS AURA
From how you carry yourself to the impassioned words you
speak, your allies are inspired by your very presence.
Effect: Whenever you succeed at using Inspiring Words,
your foes also suffer from Litany of Hatred. In addition,
all allies who can clearly see and hear you reference your
Percentile-based chances to succeed at Skill Tests to
withstand the effects of Stress and Fear.
DRAWBACK: AND JUSTICE FOR ALL

Grand Master Dunklewasser von Artur once famously said, “...
when I cross the river Lethe, my last conscious thoughts will GREY VIVIMANCER
be of the order, and the order, and the order.” Nothing is more
sacred to a Grand Master than the order they serve, holding it You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Incantation in order
above their own family and blood. to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must have the
Effect: Immediately change your Order Alignment to Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick.
Pride and your Chaos Alignment to Arrogance.
Deep below the earth, the Kabals of the Skrzzak chitter,
scratch and connive over the divine authority of their
GRAND MASTER ADVANCES mysterious god, the Thirteen. It is unknown what brings
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Education [BB] about the creation of the Grey Vivimancer, but it is a curse
ADVANCES
BONUS indeed. Both Skrzzak and other folk that become one of
ADVANCES these dark priests grow goat-like horns that arch back past
BONUS their heads. These are seen as a blessing from the Thirteen,
ADVANCES
BONUS though their Human servants must go to great lengths to
ADVANCES hide their affliction (oftentimes beneath an oddly-shaped
BONUS turban). The Grey Vivimancer sees events not in seconds,
ADVANCES
BONUS
but in years as they constantly peer into the delirious haze
SKILL RANKS Ride [IB] of Wytchstone Essence. Thus, most Grey Vivimancers have
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Rumor
BONUS
[WB] green within green eyes – a signature of their Wytchstone
ADVANCES addition. Skrzzak Vivimancers serve as close advisors to
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Hard To Kill the Broodmother of a Kabal, while humanoid Vivimancers
Military serve as liaisons of Skrzzak power on the surface world.
Formation Grey Vivimancers are both incredibly intelligent and
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Second Skin damningly cunning.
58
C H AP
The Magicks of the Thirteen are both rotten and dark, not DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER
to be tampered with by anyone save the Grey Vivimancer. You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon
Unsurprising, they become absorbed with the Skrzzak’s are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish.
foul gestalt god as they grow more powerful. Even their Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition,
fellow Skrzzak become more frightened of them, seeing select one of the Thirteen’s Aspects and replace your Order
them less as occultists and more as direct hands (and feet) Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you
of the fury of the Thirteen. That said, Skrzzak and their may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic
allies are mostly jumped-up ruffians disrespected by other Gifts are found in Chapter V: Liber Daemonum.
forces of Corruption – they are a new blight and one that When you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke
will most likely eat its tail long before it gains ground. a Chaos Manifestation. Furthermore, you must add 1
That does not stop the Grey Vivimancers, however, as they additional Chaos Die when Channeling Power. Finally,
believe the destiny of reality is to be swallowed into the foul you immediately gain a Mutation called Goat Horns
embrace of the Thirteen. (as outlined under Taint of Chaos from Appendix G in
ZWEIHÄNDER).
WYRDING WAY
Grey Vivimancers move through the folds of space-time,
metabolising Wytchstone at an immeasurably chaotic rate, GREY VIVIMANCER ADVANCES
Effect: Whenever you are under the effects of Wytchstone BONUS
SKILL RANKS Alchemy [AB]
ADVANCES
Essence, reduce the number of AP to cast Magick spells of BONUS
your Covenant by 1. In addition, you never suffer from the SKILL RANKS Coordination [AB]
ADVANCES
ill-effects of using multiple ampules of Wytchblight. SKILL RANKS Disguise
BONUS
[FB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SPECIAL TRAIT: COVENANT MAGICK SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[IB]
You have permanently bound your soul to a single Daemon and SKILL RANKS Guile
BONUS
[PB]
can harness its forbidden power. ADVANCES
BONUS
Effect: You are now a practitioner of Covenant Magick SKILL RANKS Incantation
ADVANCES
[WB]
and ignore any Drawbacks your former Arcane or Divine SKILL RANKS Interrogation
BONUS
[WB]
Magick-using Expert Profession required of you (but may ADVANCES
continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt to SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Ambidexterity
learn spells from the Covenant to the Thirteen. In addition, Lightning
you automatically learn one Petty and one Lesser Magick Reaction
spell from this Covenant. You cannot cast Lesser Magick SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Instincts
from this Covenant unless you have two Skill Ranks in
Incantation. You can only learn new spells of this Covenant
and Generalist Magick from this point forward.
59
GROGNARD DRAWBACK: GRUMBLER

Being a remnant of the old guard, you can’t help but struggle
You must be in the Adult, Middle Aged or Elderly Age Group,
adjusting to new things. It is your duty to remind these
and possess at least two Skill Rank in Warfare in order to enter
youngbloods that sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
this Expert Profession.
Effect: Immediately change your Order Alignment
to Wisdom and your Chaos Alignment to Rancor. In
Although veterans of all stripes share the same mirthless
addition, you must spend an additional 50 Reward Points
disposition, Grognards are a breed apart. Due to their
to buy Skill Ranks.
flagging physical abilities, they are oftentimes retired from
service but notable for their compendious knowledge
of simulation and war. Not only visibly hard-bitten and GROGNARD ADVANCES
battle-scarred, they articulate these rough qualities with SKILL RANKS Bargain
BONUS
[CB]
their legendary complaining. While most veterans sulk ADVANCES
BONUS
and let their bitterness turn to self-interest, Grognards SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[FB]
vent their frustration loudly, moaning about lamentable BONUS
SKILL RANKS Gamble [FB]
conditions they find themselves in. Strangely, instead of ADVANCES
BONUS
being punished, leaders can’t help but find the stubborn SKILL RANKS Interrogation
ADVANCES
[IB]
candor of the Grognard endearing. Armed with charts, BONUS
tables, miniature soldiers and unit statistics, the Grognard ADVANCES
BONUS
simply can’t help but to be one step ahead of an opponent – SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [WB]
ADVANCES
a trait even the foremost soldiers of war find useful. BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged [WB]
ADVANCES
Eventually, the obstinate nature of the Grognard can turn Incredible
SKILL RANKS Resolve TALENTS
Numeration
even their most ardent defenders against them. Forward-
SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Long-winded
thinkers find the Grognard’s unwillingness to grasp new
concepts – or change their routine – somewhat pathetic. Military
Formation
The stories of past battles becomes repetitive, and pearls of
wisdom devolve into long-winded lectures. These ancient
militants become engrossed in bitter feuding with younger
warriors. Leaders quickly consign Grognards and their ilk
to the back of the camp, as to not bring down the morale
of the troops. Fortunately for others, Grognards tend to
align with other Grognards, complaining together in
veterans’ halls and other echo chambers where obsequious
hanger-ons virtually worship every word the Grognard
espouses. The constant grumbling about the ‘swine’ of the
new school, Gygaxian musings over the many pole weapons
of garrisons from yesteryear and grousing over the value of
the old school and newly-found military stratagems quickly
whittles down even the Grognard’s ability to learn new
things. A Grognard simply can’t help it. They see this sort
of progressiveness as surrender, and Grognards will always
choose death over capitulation.
HEX-AND-COUNTER
There is a rule for every action on the battlefield, and it took
you years to master all those subtle rules, no matter how esoteric.
Effect: You may flip the results to succeed at Warfare
Success. In addition, whenever the GM intends to spend
a Misfortune Point against you, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If
the result is face ‘6’, they must use two Misfortune Points
instead of one.
60
C H AP
Havoc Conjurors’ minds are constantly wracked by

seething, Daemonic energies. Thus, their sanity and
physical state are always under question. Like Fell Knights,
they too compete against other Havoc Conjurors to
be ‘elevated’ to the position of Dread Count. However,
these extremists prefer to use subtlety and manipulation
rather than the overt brutality of Fell Knights. If the Fell
Knight is a blasphemous barbarian, the Havoc Conjuror
is a cunning courtier – using machinations, sorceries and
falsities to first foil other Havoc Conjurors from ascending
to greater power, then render them impotent by ‘absorbing’
their essence. As a consequence, it is very rare for Havoc
Conjurors to trust anyone and they often see reality as
an elaborate chess game that they alone are destined
to win. And for the unique few who have reached these
heights, they do win – joining as one with a Fell Knight
and ascending to the unhallowed, disgusting ranks of the
infernal Dread Counts.
FINAL BENEDICTION
In place of the Daemon Prince, you shall have me! Not dark,
but bewitching and beauteous as the dawn! All shall adore me,
and bask in my light of despair!
Effect: Whenever you Critically Succeed at casting a
Magick spell from your Covenant, you inspire Stress if it
is Petty Magick, Fear if it is Lesser Magick and Terror if
it is Greater Magick. Foes can attempt to Resist its effect
HAVOC CONJUROR by making a successful Resolve Test. Once a foe has been
subjected to Stress, Fear or Terror from the casting of this
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Incantation in spell, they cannot be subjected to it again until after 24
order to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must hours have passed.
have the Special Trait of Covenant Magick and Drawback of
Ruinous Power. SPECIAL TRAIT: COVENANT MASTERY
Having reached the ultimate stratum of Magickal practice,
Arcane and Divine Magick are both dangerous prospects, you have discovered the secrets of your Daemon. Unraveling
but Covenant Magick is an even more vile concept. Those these devoted mysteries, you call forth unearthly and befouled
who manage to physically survive the black energies of sorceries at your fingertips, distorting reality around you.
their Daemon are deemed worthy, thereby entitled to Effect: You can now attempt to learn Greater Magick
follow the path of a Havoc Conjuror. Unlike the paths of a from the Covenant your Expert Profession granted
Black Magister, Dark Disciple or Occult Magician, Havoc you, provided you possess at least three Skill Ranks in
Conjurors are considered to be the vanguard of Incantation. In addition, you automatically learn one
Corruption, fully embracing chaos as an idea. Their Greater Magick spell from your Covenant.
powers evolve in grossly different ways, privy to the
foulest of Covenants imaginable. Havoc Conjurors DRAWBACK: AMBITION
revel in their seemingly limitless power, inspiring DENIED
despair and adoration upon those who behold it. Petty squabbling and infighting reigns
Considered lieutenants to Corruption’s zealous among the forces of Corruption. The rank
forces (akin to Fell Knights), they are devoted and file rarely engage openly in such activities,
fully to their Daemon. They are fanatical in crushed and cowed as they are by their officers,
approach, above all reproach and act without but between its lieutenants it can run rampant,
hesitation to obliterate those idlers and apparent to you as you connive, deceive and
sluggards who do nothing to further their convince your way through the ranks. When
Daemon’s cause.
61
your plans and connivances succeed, you are exultant, but when
they go awry, you fall into a fit of self-loathing and despair.
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, every
enemy that is Slain! by your allies you did not render the
killing blow to, you gain 3 Corruption.
HAVOC CONJUROR ADVANCES

BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Incantation [PB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Leadership [WB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
Æthereal
SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS
Alignment
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Appalling Mien
Winds of
Change
HEXER
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Folklore in order
to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must have
successfully imbibed a Mutagenic Potion (which is found in
Chapter 4: Liber Alchemiae).
In a world rife with monsters and witches, there are many

who take up the mantle of monster or chaos hunter. Slayers
have long heeded the call to destroy chaos in all its forms.
Few live long lives though, as Slayers are driven by a
singular wish to die a glorious death. Diabolists and other
practitioners of Magick also see themselves as hunters
of beasts, but only to further their study of the Material
Realm. Somewhere between the two is the true professional
monster hunter – the Hexer. Graduates of remote schools
which combine intense martial training with a study of
herbalism, alchemy and toxins, Hexers make their mark
upon the world as stalkers of inhuman prey. As a Hexer
grows in age and power, so does their understanding of
both the natural and supernatural world. Every Hexer
worth their salt carries two swords, one wrought of steel
to protect themselves against sentient beings, the other
of cold iron to fight monsters. If necessary, they coat both
blades with oil-based Toxins they specialize in concocting.
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C H AP
Hexers are not true warrior-mages, but they do possess an

HEXER ADVANCES
inherent predilection towards simple Magick practices.
BONUS
Most rely on the use of Sigils – elemental-based cantrips SKILL RANKS Alchemy
ADVANCES
[AB]
traced in the air by hand – to hedge themselves against BONUS
monsters and their ilk. ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
Yet behind the closed doors of every Hexer school, the staff BONUS
keep a dirty secret. Hexers-to-be, known as ‘potentials’, ADVANCES
BONUS
are usually accepted into the school as children. Some are SKILL RANKS Folklore [IB]
ADVANCES
orphans, others are simply mouths their families can no BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [PB]
longer afford to feed. In their first year, they undergo a ADVANCES
series of grueling physical and mental trials, culminating in BONUS
ADVANCES
the consumption of a strange mutagenic potion. Imbibing
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Die Hard
this concoction has three distinct results – transmutation
into a Hexer, being driven insane or simply death. If they SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Instincts
survive the process, training resumes and they continue
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Secret Signs
to hone their skills until they graduate as a true Hexer.
Although some adults have undergone these same trials,
it is rare for them to result in anything other than death. HOWLING MARAUDER
However, mutagenic potions have a tendency to corrupt You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Martial Melee in
those that imbibe them and unlike their Diabolist cousins, order to enter this Expert Profession.
Hexers do not have the same mental fortitude with which
to withstand their effects, especially when combined with Living far to the north of civilization, where both the
the corruptive side effects of the Sigils they use. Under the Abyss and the frozen gales bite at the soul, the Howling
influence of both, their minds begin to twist and contort. Marauders make their savage homes. Born on horseback,
Those rare few whose minds unravel become assassins and Marauders are barbarians: women and men who grew up
king slayers, as their prey changes from beast to mankind. in their frost-rimmed villages taught to hold the Abyssal
Princes above all other gods. They are a hardy and
THE TRIALS powerful people, towering over most other men and
Before a person is made a Hexer, they must go through three being nearly twice as strong. Composed of countless
rigorous trials, culminating in the consumption of intense tribes with individual traditions, their one consistency
alchemical decoctions to mutate their physiological selves. is their devotion to the Corruption made
Effect: Whenever you attempt to Resist Disease manifest. They often raid defenseless
or Poisons (including Intoxication), northern villages, storming walls in
you may flip the results to succeed at hallucinogenic-fueled rages with only
Toughness Tests. When you succeed, it is a weapon and their armor to defend
always considered a Critical Success. You them against the bite of both cold and
also understand how to use the Ritual of steel. They return to their homes
Trace Sigil. Substitute Folklore in place of with riches and slaves, both to
Incantation when using the Ritual of Trace be sacrificed to a myriad of
Sigil, but you cannot Channel Power. Abyssal abominations. This
is all in the hope that their
DRAWBACK: MUTAGENIC peers will look favorably
TRANSFORMATION upon them and grow to be
After swallowing a host of mutagenic a Fell Knight. It is the only
compounds, a Hexer is born. However, they thing they desire more than
become sterile as a result of their mutations. glory on the battlefield.
Effect: You gain the Eunuch Drawback upon
entering this Profession. In addition, you At first sight, Howling
are also considered both a Humanoid and Marauders seem to
Mutant for purposes of being affected by have no culture
Magick, Toxins and the like. aside from outright
63
barbarism, but that is not the case. Each tribe has its own DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER
nuanced traditions and Daemon its members pay tribute to You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon
which together sets it apart from the tribe in the valley on are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish.
the other side of the mountain. Infighting is extremely Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, select
common among the tribes, so much so that brother often one of your Daemon’s Aspects and replace your Order
runs brother through in the heat of battle. Howling Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you
Marauders do not hate those who have not tasted Corruption; may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic
they are not enemies, but rather mewling babes who have yet Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber Daemonum. Finally,
to taste the sweet nectar of life. No matter their Ancestry, whenever you take the life of an occultist to the Abyssal
creed or faith, if someone can storm into a Marauder camp, Princes unprovoked, you automatically gain 1 permanent
drink their weight in mead, devour a whole boar and bed the Chaos Rank.
first person they see, the raiders will take you in as one of
their own without a second word.
DAEMONIC GIFTS
DISCIPLE TO CHAOS & HOWLING MARAUDERS
You venerate the entire pantheon of the Abyss, undivided in
your loyalties. However – of them all – one has taken particular Some Daemonic Gifts grant occultists ways to
notice of you. Whether this is favorable or not towards your path manipulate their Magick. As a Howling Marauder
of Fell Knight is yet untold. doesn’t immediately have access to Magick, simply re-
Effect: Select one of the following Abyssal Princes: roll the Daemonic Gift for these situations.
Change, Decay, Pleasure, Violence or the Outsider. You
gain an associated Trait from the list below, but must have
an infernal holy symbol branded and visible on your body:
As an occultist to the Prince of Change, after you
successfully use a Litany of Hatred, those same foes HOWLING MARAUDER ADVANCES
reverse their Difficulty Ratings until combat ends (e.g., SKILL RANKS Athletics
BONUS
[AB]
if they have a Routine +10%, it becomes Challenging ADVANCES
BONUS
-10% instead); SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[BB]
BONUS
As an occultist to the Prince of Decay, your weapons SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [BB]
ADVANCES
cause Infection whenever you deal Damage. Whenever BONUS
you Critically Succeed at the Skill Test to strike, your ADVANCES
foes also suffer Chaotic Rot; BONUS
SKILL RANKS Ride [FB]
ADVANCES
As an occultist to the Prince of Pleasure, foes who are SKILL RANKS Simple Melee
BONUS
[WB]
Engaged with you are enraptured by your hypnotic ADVANCES
BONUS
musk and cannot add their Apprentice or Journeyman SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged
ADVANCES
[WB]
Skill Ranks to Combat and Willpower-based Skill SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Gatecrasher
Tests;
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Instincts
As an occultist to the Prince of Violence, when you
deal Damage to a foe using a melee weapon with the SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS No Mercy
Punishing or Vicious Quality, they begin to Bleed;
As an occultist to the Outsider, when fighting against
occultists of the other four Abyssal Princes, you add an
additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage and automatically
succeed at Resolve Tests.
64
C H AP
sometimes called the ‘architect of chaos sorcery’, in that

He is able to tear and warp the Æther in unseemly ways.
But manipulating Magick energies is very dangerous.
Grotesque things lurk within the Æthereal Veil – not
just spirits and monsters, but also powers lost to the gods
and sorcery unknown to mankind. Working too much
with the weft and weave of the Æther can easily ‘rip’ at
time and space, rendering unnatural ruin upon Infernal
Saboteurs. Stories are whispered of occultists whose
haphazard manipulations resulted in their bodies being
ripped asunder, exploding from the inside to form a fleshy
portal from which monsters spill forth into the Material
Realm. As a consequence, Infernal Saboteurs know to be
careful and deliberate – one false move, and the schemes
and conspiracies they have spent years building can come
tumbling down like a house of cards.
PURPLE HAND OF CHANGE

The Prince of Change has given you a special, damning gift: the
power to understand all Magick in its myriad of forms.
Effect: You do not need to spend Reward Points to learn
Magick spells. Furthermore, triple your [IB] to determine
how many Petty Magick, Lesser Magick and Greater
Magick spells you may learn.

INFERNAL SABOTEUR can harness its forbidden power.
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Incantation in and ignore any Drawbacks your former Arcane or Divine
order to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must Magick-using Expert Profession required of you (but may
have the Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick. continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt to
learn spells from the Covenant to the Prince of Change. In
The Abyssal Princes are forever seeking ways of insinuating addition, you automatically learn one Petty and one Lesser
their influence into society – high, low and in-between. Magick spell from this Covenant. You cannot cast Lesser
Their methods range from the brutal to the subtle, but the Magick from this Covenant unless you have two Skill
Prince of Change’s occultists are by far the most insidious. Ranks in Incantation. You can only learn new spells of this
His earthly agents – called Infernal Saboteurs – like to hide Covenant and Generalist Magick from this point forward.
in plain sight. Their primary goal is to ensconce themselves
into positions of power and influence, and when the time DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER
comes to strike at the heart of polite society, they are You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon
more than ready. They have infiltrated scholastic circles to are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish.
disseminate false rhetoric, misdirected knightly orders to Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, select
strike at targets in their favor, rigged guild elections and one of the Prince of Change’s Aspects and replace your
tuned many a merchant-lord’s fortunes to ruin. Infernal Order Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you
Saboteurs operate as part of a global conspiracy, greasing may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic
the wheels of progress and pushing it into the direction Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber Daemonum. When
they want… into the ever-shifting and cunning hands of you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos
their Daemonic master. Manifestation. Furthermore, you must add 1 additional
Chaos Die when Channeling Power. Finally, whenever you
In addition to being powerful manipulators of minds, invoke a Chaos Manifestation, add +25% to your percentile
Infernal Saboteurs possess the strangest, most alien dice results to determine what happens.
and incalculable of Magicks. The Prince of Change is
65
Despite their skills, charm and wit, the life of the Jackdaw
INFERNAL SABOTEUR ADVANCES
is far from sterling. Just like other thieves, they also live
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Disguise
ADVANCES
[AB] a life of squalor, although emotional rather than physical
BONUS squalor. Jackdaws abandon many people they know and
ADVANCES care for, invariably to avoid them learning the Jackdaw’s
BONUS
ADVANCES
[FB] secret and revealing or their being used to blackmail the
BONUS Jackdaw. A Jackdaw must always work keep up a façade
ADVANCES of respectability and some even go as far to maintain
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Guile [IB] identities as upstanding members of society, but it
ADVANCES
BONUS is always a cover for the terrible secret they can tell
ADVANCES no one. If they are ever caught or investigated, the
BONUS Jackdaw’s reputation – and the reputation of every
ADVANCES
Jackdaw before them – they know that they face
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Doppelganger
nothing less than the headsman’s axe, if only to
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Gallows Humor send a message to others who would
aspire to the romanticism of the
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Holdout
Jackdaw. All Jackdaws are caught
in this predicament. They spend
JACKDAW their days looking for their
You must possess at least two Skill one last job to ‘set them up for
Ranks in Skulduggery in order to enter life’ and allow them to escape
this Expert Profession. their peripatetic life of crime.
However, the last job is never
Thieves, rogues and cutpurses are such the last job, thus the vicious
a part of everyday life that news of cycle repeats over, and over, and
someone being robbed or one of their over…
number being sent to the gallows is
common enough to barely warrant THE BLACK ART
a comment by society at large. Even if they You are a practitioner of the ‘black
survive long enough without feeling the long art’, a simple yet deceptive form of
arm of the law or the knife of one of their rivals, prestidigitation where your hands
few of these ne’er do wells rise above the gutters move lightning-quick.
from whence they came. They continue to steal Effect: You may flip the results to
from their own, perhaps making a bigger score by succeed at Skulduggery Tests. When
breaking into a merchant’s warehouse, but nothing you succeed, it is always considered
more. However, once in a blue moon, a knave will a Critical Success. Furthermore, you
strike it lucky or make a massive score, and in doing so, may substitute Skulduggery in place
join the esteemed ranks of thieves known as Jackdaws. Not of any Skill required to Parry melee
so much a career as the term used to refer to the master weapons.
thieves who steal crown jewels, plunder relics from church
reliquaries and even cozen a duchess’ lady-in-waiting. Few DRAWBACK: RED-HANDED
in number, Jackdaws are thieves of legend, glamorous and Whenever your acts of larceny have been discovered, you are
nigh-untouchable. Unlike lesser thieves, there is never less unable to continue with your escapades until reaching safety.
than begrudging respect between one Jackdaw and another, Effect: Whenever you fail at an attempt to use Skulduggery
but many are on friendly terms with one another even if they or Stealth, you cannot use Fortune Points to change your
are professional rivals. Although their highly romanticized results.
image means that young men want to be them and young
ladies want to be whisked away by them, Jackdaws are the
bane of lawful society, the source of scandal in polite society
and reviled by almost everyone they steal from.
66
C H AP
killer. Such Kinslayers become more interested in the

JACKDAW ADVANCES
gaudy clothes, expensive carriages and fine food that their
BONUS
ADVANCES
[AB] duties can buy rather than in carrying them out. The worst
BONUS Kinslayers are those that steal weregild and keep it for
ADVANCES themselves – some even steal property because they believe
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Charm
ADVANCES
[BB] to be the rightful inheritor of the bounty. These Kinslayers
BONUS are not officially supported, but their esteem and celebrity
ADVANCES means many common folk have at least heard rumors of
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Guile [FB] the worst of the Kinslayers. The Daemon Princes do so love
ADVANCES
BONUS the Kinslayer, as this greed and avarice is sure to bring other
ADVANCES disenfranchised people to follow these decadent lifestyles
BONUS and do the same: to throw the world further into chaos.
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Ambidexterity
BLOOD OATH
SKILL RANKS Skulduggery TALENTS Gallows Humor Written in blood, you have sworn an oath against another.
Lighting Bound by blood, you will ensure that it is carried through to
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS the bitter end.
Reaction
Effect: You may voluntarily move three steps down the
KINSLAYER Damage Condition Track negatively. Unlike Damage done
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Resolve in order to during combat, you do not suffer Injuries from this Damage,
enter this Expert Profession. but you can enact a Blood Oath against a single foe whose
real name you know (or True Name for creatures who are
In some societies, there is a curious institution called Abyssal or Supernatural). Whenever you use Fury Dice to
weregild – an old word meaning ‘man price’. Every object determine weapon Damage against this foe, they explode
and person has a price, and if something untoward happens on face ‘1’ or ‘6’. You can enact another Blood Oath once
to a person or property, the guilty party is required as a the current one is completed by the person being Slain!.
penance to pay the weregild to victims. However, not
everyone is willing to make these reparations. Enter the DRAWBACK: DEAD OR ALIVE
Kinslayer, whose job it is to collect the weregild through Should you waiver or fail in your duty, you will carry the
use of force. If necessary, Kinslayers can be utterly ruthless weight of the Blood Oath until it sees its end… or yours.
in their execution of duty, for their mandate includes the Effect: Whenever you enact a Blood Oath, you are
broad authority to do basically anything in order to retrieve considered to be under the effects of Vow of Fealty (as
a weregild and hand it over to its rightful owners – even outlined under Generalist Magick from the Grimoire
if it involves murder. Often, the reputation of a Kinslayer chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER).
is enough that word of their being hired will persuade
the guilty party to pay the weregild. Though many other
civilizations have mostly abandoned the idea of weregild
and their Kinslayer enforcers, Gnomes roundly embrace its
ideals. They openly boast of the ‘heroic’ Vigilante-turned-
Kinslayer, where Gnomish bastard-borne amalgams of
Elves and Dwarves are less upset about someone in their
extended family being murdered, and more upset about the
production that murder halted. Being a Kinslayer requires
tenacity, apathy, ruthlessness and a little jadedness, all of
which Gnomes embody in spades. Since Gnomes despise
even their own, it is no wonder that they hold Kinslayer
justicars in such high regard.
Make no mistake: Kinslayers are killers, through and

through. Many become entranced with this lifestyle, as
there is great money to be made in being a professional
killer – living off the reputation of being a professional
67
performers are little more than journeymen, their talents

KINSLAYER ADVANCES
enough to earn them a living, painting portraits of
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Awareness
ADVANCES
[AB] merchants or minor nobles or strutting the boards in front
BONUS of one village after another as part of a travelling theater,
SKILL RANKS Intimidate [AB]
ADVANCES but others are truly talented. As their talent grows, so does
BONUS
ADVANCES
[BB] their renown, until they become the Maestros who create
BONUS great works of art. Whether a playwright, a composer, a
ADVANCES sculptor or a painter, Maestros are the masters of their craft
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Ride [CB] who become the darlings of the poor and the elite alike.
ADVANCES
BONUS Maestros can achieve a level of fame rarely seen outside
ADVANCES of royalty. Playwrights like Wilhelm Speerschüttler or
BONUS painters like Johannes Weisz are not only well-known in
ADVANCES
their own countries, but often around the world.
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Appalling Mien
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS No Mercy The Maestro’s reputation and position in the public eye
are what allow them to continue following their passions,
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Rural Sensibility
but this also puts unimaginable pressure on them. They are
constantly pestered by high-ranking members of royalty,
MAESTRO the nobility and the clergy, seeking commissions for ever
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Tradecraft in order greater pieces of art or mobbed in the streets by their
to enter this Expert Profession. fanatic followers. Further, everything they do is dissected
down to the minutest detail – broadsheets spread salacious
Art and performance are often seen as frivolous activities rumors of opiate-fueled abuse and romantic trysts, their
by common folk, as why should someone admirers follow them like scorned lovers and their creative
busy themselves with paint or music when wells dry up due to this pressure. Some Maestros withstand
they could be tending fields or defending the pressure and able to draw from their creative well again
the borders. That said, art serves as an and again, but for some, the pressure is too much. They
escape from the terrible rigors of a grim are driven mad by the use of alcoholic spirits like Green
& perilous world and Fairy, and begin to draw from it as inspiration. Thus, their
serves as the tapestry art and their performances radically changes, becoming
of history to a maddening and corrupt, and the more it fails and is
largely illiterate rejected, the greater their spiral into abuse, depression and
world. Most further madness. Scorned by their former patrons and
artists and society at large, they become conduits for the vile influence
of the Abyssal Princes, but deep down, they feel that they
are still following their muse – even if it has twisted into
a blasphemous form. Look no further than the work of
Malen Fulci and his painting, ‘The Beyond’, to understand
the grotesqueries of a Maestro turned to madness and chaos.
VIRTUOSO
There is a ‘music’ that plays in your head whenever you
practice the arts. Matching your brushstrokes, chisel or pen to the
rhythm of the music, you create works of art that last not only
a lifetime, but will gain acclaim long after you are long gone.
Effect: Whenever you perform or create works of art, roll
a 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on face ‘6’, you automatically
Critically Succeed at the related Skill Test. Otherwise,
you can attempt a Skill Test as usual. You must
be Unharmed during the creative process to take
advantage of this Trait.
68
C H AP
DRAWBACK: CELEBRITY STATUS

Everywhere you go, your renown precedes you. It makes it
difficult to find a quiet spot at the local watering hole and
especially hard to get any work done when your admirers are
gathered in throngs outside the doorstep!
Effect: When in places where you may be recognized by
your real name or by your works, you suffer from Stress.
MAESTRO ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Determination
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Secret Signs
SKILL RANKS Tradecraft TALENTS Worldly
MINISTER OF ROT
Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick. ultimate solution: joining a church at which their ‘papa’
will cure them of everything. As members of this fateful
The streets are filled with the downtrodden, left to a congregation, the sick are turned to final and deadly
hardscrabble life while the blue-blooded cavort in comfort embrace of the Prince of Decay. And, as a Minister of Rot
and luxury above. It is in these poor wretches that the Prince brings more and more fodder to the table, their favor grows
of Decay sees the most potential. In His eyes, they need to exponentially with their infernal master.
feel the embrace of disease and death, and to understand its
sweet sickness before succumbing to the Prince of Decay’s CHESHIRE GRIN
unwholesome love. This is exactly how the Ministers of Ministers of Rot always seem to wear a wide grin, even in
Rot aid their Daemonic lord. They are always loving and the hardest of circumstances. It leads to disquieting moments,
charitable, offering instant comfort with a smile and a hug when others don’t realize that the Minister’s inscrutability may
that seems almost supernatural in its effectiveness. They be luring them further into danger.
are champions of the unfortunate – they volunteer at soup Effect: At your option, you can substitute the Charm Skill
kitchens, shelter the lame and the blind and to embrace in place of Guile. Furthermore, you can substitute Charm
children orphaned on the fetid streets. in place of any Skill required to Parry melee weapons.
On the surface, a Minister of Rot may seem innocuous and SPECIAL TRAIT: COVENANT MAGICK
charitable, but a pernicious nature lies within: a drained You have permanently bound your soul to a single Daemon and
cyst into the day’s soup, a warm blanket infected with pox can harness its forbidden power.
or a mangy cur given as a play companion. They encourage Effect: You are now a practitioner of Covenant Magick
reliance from the lame, the sick and the desperate, who and ignore any Drawbacks your former Arcane or Divine
come to them for necessities only to return later with worse Magick-using Expert Profession required of you (but may
symptoms. Eventually, the Minister of Rot will offer the continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt to
69
learn spells from the Covenant to the Prince of Decay. In

Ranks in Incantation. You can only learn new spells of this
Covenant and Generalist Magick from this point forward.
DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER

You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon
are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish.
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition,
select one of the Prince of Decay’s Aspects and replace
your Order Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate
Points, you may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects
and Daemonic Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber
Daemonum. When you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos Dice,
you invoke a Chaos Manifestation. Furthermore, you must
add 1 additional Chaos Die when Channeling Power.
Finally, you cannot be treated or cured of any Disease,
regardless of what Traits, Magick or otherwise you have.
MINISTER OF ROT ADVANCES

BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Charm [FB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS MOOTWARDEN
SKILL RANKS Leadership [WB]
ADVANCES
BONUS You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Survival in order to
ADVANCES enter this Expert Profession.
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Indifference
Within fortified townships and walled cities, residents have
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Nerves of Steel
little worry about potential violence beyond the gates. While
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Silver Tongue their gates are guarded by soldiers of an army or by the
town watch, beyond in the hamlets and villages that dot the
landscape, there is no such protection and the inhabitants
must rely on their own wits and strengths to defend against
the dangers of a grim & perilous world. At times, when this
is not enough, a champion of the people rises up to take on
the mantle of Mootwarden. As provincial peasant-heroes,
they see it as their duty not to focus on attacking active
threats, but to deter unwanted visitors and persuade them
to move on. Mootwardens lead border patrols, staying out
of sight while watching for threats attempting to enter the
settlement they are protecting. Any unwanted intruder,
beast or monstrosity who makes such an attempt are either
deterred or dealt with, depending on the situation.
70
C H AP
As more of the countryside is settled, and travel between NATURAL PHILOSOPHER

settlements is increasingly commercialized, Mootwardens
are becoming a rarity. However, they are still found in You must possess at least one Skill Rank in both Alchemy and
the service of those remote settlements which do not fall Education in order to enter this Expert Profession.
under the jurisdiction of some local baron or count, while
many Halfling shires proudly employ these ‘wardens of the Quartered away in steamy laboratorium, deep in the
road’ to shoo away unwanted visitors and so maintain the cloistered halls of the great universities and colleges,
status quo. Their stealth and dedication to their home is surrounded by bubbling vials, endless shelves of scrolls and
admirable, but can also backfire. As more vicious creatures ticking machinery sits the quizzical Natural Philosopher.
and unscrupulous bushwhackers encroach upon their lands, They are natural philosophers and mathematicians, and
the Mootwarden starts to see everything as a threat – from many of the most radical inventions born of this age from
clueless mutts and itinerant peddlers to lost travelers their philosophical explorations. Gunpowder, boneshakers,
and desperate refugees, even their own kin. Soon the difference engines and other oddities have come from these
Mootwarden runs all outsiders away from the settlement, cloistered colleges of learning. Natural Philosophers are
believing that only they can preserve the village and that eccentric to say the least – many have been ousted from the
only they know what is best for it. These delusional lawmen great guilds or are collegiate dropouts, their ideas deemed
are often left alone – either that, or they become the target too radical or improbable to be taken seriously. Natural
of a mob of villagers they once swore to protect. Philosophers of means maintain their own workshops,
where they and other naturalists can collaborate and
BORDER PATROL grow together in their breadth of knowledge and
To ensure the safety of the village, Mootwardens employ experimentation, but others seek patronage and
skirmisher tactics at range. This keeps both themselves funding from radical universities or the courts of
and the people they’ve sworn to protect safe from harm. forward-looking nobles.
Effect: Select one foe in combat. That foe is left
Defenseless to all Ranged Attacks and Called Although Natural Philosophers often have
Shots made with ranged weapons you make against reputations as crackpots, a few have become minor
them until they are defeated. You may select another foe celebrities, their most feasible
once the current one is defeated. ideas having been endorsed by other
academics and those who supply
DRAWBACK: NOBLESSE OBLIGE their funding. This is particularly
Nobility extends beyond mere entitlements and a Mootwarden true of Natural Philosophers who
who claims such status must fulfill their obligation. have the sponsorship of counts
Effect: Immediately change your Order Alignment to and kings, as they prefer to have
Duty and your Chaos Alignment to Fatalism. their pet Natural Philosopher’s
revolutionary weapon in
their garrison rather than in
MOOTWARDEN ADVANCES the hands of their enemies
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Ride [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Rumor [CB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee [PB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged [PB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Stealth [WB]
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Eagle Eyes
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Rural Sensibility
71
so that they can make money from it rather than their

NATURAL PHILOSOPHER ADVANCES
rivals. Those who refuse sponsorship or are out of favor
BONUS
are forced to look to other sources for funding. In their SKILL RANKS Alchemy
ADVANCES
[AB]
haste to further their research, they care little as to the BONUS
SKILL RANKS Drive [AB]
source of said funding. This, of course, makes the strange ADVANCES
BONUS
yet adaptable mind of the Natural Philosopher open to SKILL RANKS Education
ADVANCES
[BB]
influence from the forces of Corruption. This adaptability BONUS
also makes them perfect agents for such forces and since ADVANCES
BONUS
many are so eccentric and odd, few are surprised when SKILL RANKS Heal [IB]
ADVANCES
a Natural Philosopher develops quirks that could be BONUS
SKILL RANKS Pilot [PB]
damning in others. Make no mistake, a deranged Natural ADVANCES
Philosopher would happily let their inventions and BONUS
ADVANCES
automatons run amok, with little in the way to stop them.
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Determination
Forget not the stories of Doktor Fraustein’s monster or
Albertus Magnus’s mechanical androides to understand SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Multilingual
the dangers of a Natural Philosopher left unchecked. Incredible
Numeration
WYRD SCIENCE
Metal tubes and pots and pans, bits and pieces and magic from
the hand, we’re making Wyrd Science!
Effect: You can use Tradecraft Skill to forge fantastic
machines. These machines can take practically any
form you can imagine (e.g. horseless carriage called a
rumblebutler, flintlock pistol that transforms into a sword,
‘living’ paintings, personal glider, etc.), of which the GM
must approve of the design. You also understand how to
use the Ritual of Construct Golem. Substitute Tradecraft
in place of Incantation when using the Ritual of Construct
Golem, but you cannot Channel Power.
DRAWBACK: ICARUS COMPLEX

Unsurprisingly, Natural Philosophers are overly-ambitious,
thus blind to any faults or dangers that may be found in
their studies. Many have fallen victim to their own insane
machineries – recall the story of Daedalus’ folly.
Effect: Any time you or someone else Critically Fails
at an attempt to use a fantastic machine or Golem you
have crafted or it is Ruined!, Slain! or Wrecked!, roll a
1D6 Chaos Die. On a result of face ‘1-5’, it fails to work,
requiring a week to clean and repair. On a result of face ‘6’,
it explodes, effectively destroyed. Those caught in a Burst
Template area of effect must succeed at a (Challenging -10%) OATHKEEPER
Coordination Test or suffer 3D10+3 Damage from fire. You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Folklore in order to
In isolated towns and tribal villages, the written word is

a luxury and education even more so. However, this does
not stop the common folk from wanting to remember
their ancestors, where they came from and the histories
that preceded them. Those whose job it is within these
villages to remember and pass on these stories are known
as Oathkeepers, warrior-poets who in their communities
72
C H AP
are as respected as any tribal leader. An Oathkeeper is a

OATHKEEPER ADVANCES
sacred position and it is their responsibility to know their
BONUS
people’s apocrypha – tales of heroes and villains, droughts SKILL RANKS Education
ADVANCES
[CB]
and rainfall, gods and demons – and to pass it onto the BONUS
younglings of the village. Oathkeepers also keep track of ADVANCES
BONUS
community agreements, marriages, trades and vendettas, SKILL RANKS Leadership
ADVANCES
[IB]
usually recorded in their namesake ‘book of oaths’. Some BONUS
Oathkeepers also study events about the world at large, and ADVANCES
BONUS
can talk just as easily about a war between two empires as SKILL RANKS Resolve [PB]
ADVANCES
their village’s last harvest. BONUS
ADVANCES
Given their duties, Oathkeepers rarely keep to one place. BONUS
ADVANCES
Many were Skalds, used to travelling between tribal villages,
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Bad Axx!
a kind of itinerant teacher and vagabond. As Oathkeepers
age, they grow stubborn in their ways, lamenting the Impervious
Mind
‘old days’ and ‘how it used to be’. These Oathkeepers
first foment resistance against change and progress, then SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Secret Signs
outright sedition against any rulers they deem unfit. If
successful, their words have been known to raise armies.
Armed insurrections are nothing new, but when they are
led by a twisted yet trusted warrior, they are much more
difficult to put down. Ethnocentric violence, pogroms and
other atrocities are said to be fed from the propaganda and
agitprop that is purveyed by corrupted Oathkeepers.
BOOK OF OATHS
Oathkeepers oftentimes keep a book of ‘grudges’ against others,
but sometimes these stories are more inspirational rather than
being fueled by hatred of other clans or Ancestries.
Effect: You can attempt a Skill Test, related to your Focus
in the arts, to tell a story to others. If successful, a number
of allies equal to your [FB] may either ignore any one
Critically Failed Skill Test or treat one Fury Die as a face
‘6’ without spending a Fortune Point within the next 24
hours. If you Critically Succeed, you influence a number of
allies equal to three times your [FB] instead. A Character
may only gain the benefit of this storytelling once per day,
which takes at least an hour of time to perform.
DRAWBACK: BOOK OF GRUDGES

Through the annals of time, Oathkeeper’s kinfolk have been
felled by many rival tribes. Those who bring you to the end of
their blade will remain your enemy forever, both kith and kin.
Effect: After you have been Injured or Slain! by a creature
and survived (providing it is classified as a Humanoid,
Mutant or of a player Ancestries), their kind then becomes
your grudge-born enemy. When your grudge-born enemy
attacks, they always add a 1D6 Fury Die to melee weapon
Damage against you. In addition, they are immune to the
Intimidate Skill – along with Stress, Fear and Terror – used
by you. Note that there is no upper limit to the number of
chosen grudge-borne enemies types an Oathkeeper can have.
73
Occult Magicians choose to operate from the shadows,

leading their cabals through indirection and suggestion
rather than direct missive. This leaves time to focus on
their Magickal studies, always pushing the edge of their
limitations while legitimizing it. Occult Magicians strike
many, many deals with a myriad of Daemons; deals that
they generally feel are ironclad in their favor. To an Occult
Magician, the price of hubris is but a drop in the ocean
of souls owed to their Daemon master. On the contrary,
the Daemon has seen everything three steps in advance.
Whether it be a foul coupling between man and beast, or
a sanguination to open a portal to another mind-blasting
reality, a Daemon will always come to collect - no matter
how small the price.
PSIONIK DISRUPTION
Occult Magicians are feared for their ability to rip through
fragile minds, and to change the course of the immediate future
using mind tricks.
Effect: Whenever a Character you can see clearly takes their
Turn, you may make a Scrutinize Test as a Reaction for 1
AP. By succeeding a Scrutinize Test, the person you see is
Disrupted, and you command them to take any Action
In Combat (but it must be a 1 AP action). Should your
Disruption cause them to bring harm to their allies, they
can attempt a Resolve Test to Resist this effect. Disruption
can only affect Humanoids and Mutants (including player
Ancestries). You can use this ability outside of combat, but
the action you declare cannot exceeds 10 seconds of time
to complete it. Finally, the same person cannot be made
OCCULT MAGICIAN subject to Disruption more than once in any 24 hour period.
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Incantation in SPECIAL TRAIT: COVENANT MASTERY
order to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must Having reached the ultimate stratum of Magickal practice,
have the Special Trait of Covenant Magick and Drawback of you have discovered the secrets of your Daemon. Unraveling
Ruinous Power. these devoted mysteries, you call forth unearthly and befouled
sorceries at your fingertips, distorting reality around you.
Covenant Magick is dangerous indeed, and most do not Effect: You can now attempt to learn Greater Magick
have the faculties (or lack of sanity) to study the eldritch from the Covenant your Expert Profession granted
mysteries of their Daemon. The Occult Magician gladly you, provided you possess at least three Skill Ranks in
takes upon this role. Often working hand-in-hand Incantation. In addition, you automatically learn one
with a Havoc Conjuror, they channel the true might Greater Magick spell from your Covenant.
of their Daemon. Some Occult Magicians manage to
form cabals of their own, but they are almost always DRAWBACK: DAMNED
organizations of like-minded occultists, created in order Unfortunately, the power you wield is highly destructive
to best perform more unsavory spells. Occult Magicians – not only to others, but to your very soul.
are without a doubt powerful wizards, but they differ from Effect: You immediately gain a Malignancy. Any
Havoc Conjurors as they have not fully succumbed to dark time you gain a Disorder, you gain a Malignancy as
temptation. They somehow still retain a shred of their well (as outlined under Malignancies from the Game
humanity. Sometimes this is born of ignorance of the true Mastery chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER).
reality of their Daemonic ‘god’, while in other instances, it
is a cruel joke the Daemon will reveal (and revel in) when
all the cards are laid out on the table.
74
C H AP
them as hindrances, holding them back from their mission.

OCCULT MAGICIAN ADVANCES
So, they prefer to work alone, but what they do not realize
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Alchemy
ADVANCES
[BB] is that the Abyss feeds on isolation, as corruptible Openers
BONUS Of The Way may end up being swayed to another Daemon,
SKILL RANKS Bargain [FB]
ADVANCES another casualty of the Outsider’s liberation.
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS RENEGADE MAGICK
ADVANCES Your mission is unwavering and unquestionable. You shall
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Incantation [PB] bring the Abyssal Princes and their vassals to their knees. In
ADVANCES
BONUS Him, you believe. In you, He trusts.
SKILL RANKS Intimidate [WB]
ADVANCES Effect: Your Magick can affect Abyssal & Supernatural
BONUS creatures, despite not knowing their True Name.
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Blood Magick
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Indifference You have permanently bound your soul to a single Daemon and
Supernatural can harness its forbidden power.
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Effect: You are now a practitioner of Covenant Magick
Paranoia
OPENER OF THE WAY Magick-using Expert Profession required of you (but may
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Incantation in order continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt to
to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must have the learn spells from the Covenant to the Outsider. In addition,
Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick. you automatically learn one Petty and one Lesser Magick
spell from this Covenant. You cannot cast Lesser Magick
The Outsider is an enigma wrapped within a mystery, so from this Covenant unless you have two Skill Ranks in
much so that even His followers do not understand Him. Incantation. You can only learn new spells of this Covenant
The Outsider was once an Abyssal Prince, said to have and Generalist Magick from this point forward.
been the Prince of Anarchy. However, the Outsider was
exiled from the Abyss by His four peers for the dangers
He had sown among the forces of Corruption, cast out
into the infinite Æthereal Veil. Thus, the Outsider has few
followers, but those He does have are called the Openers Of
The Way. Their overarching goal is to root out the religion
of the Abyssal Princes wherever it spreads, so as for the
Outsider to have carte blanche to rule. Openers Of The Way
strive to honor their anarchic lord through agnosticism and
contradiction. The forces of the Outsider do not believe in
the existence of any god or Daemon, save their own. Even
then, belief that the Outsider is truly real is sometimes
questioned by his occultists. Openers Of The Way are truly
queer specimens, but their goal stands clear: kill all believers.
Journeying with an Opener Of The Way is often a strange

and paradoxical experience, as they are allying themselves
with a follower of a former Abyssal Daemon whose sole
purpose is to fight other Abyssal Daemons. Openers
outwardly attract trouble, very rarely veiling their purpose
or allegiance, and tend to seek out powerful demons and
their ilk to destroy. When there are none left to suffer the
vengeance of the Outsider, Openers turn their eyes towards
the commonly-accepted faiths to squash. Their outward
agnosticism means they care little for their safety or the
safety of others who join them in these tasks, simply seeing
75
DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER The Outlaw Chief is nothing if not paranoid – many of
You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon their followers are jealous of their position of power and
are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish. will stop at nothing to usurp or simply kill their leader in
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, select order to assume their mantle as chief. Outlaw justice and
one of The Outsider’s Aspects and replace your Order succession rules are often brutal and cutthroat, so there
Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you is no fear of reprimand by shoving a knife in the back of
may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic a rival or a silent death in the rival’s sleep. Those Outlaw
Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber Daemonum. When Chiefs who become too obsessed with watching their own
you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos backs grow to be extremely delusional, suspecting even
Manifestation. Furthermore, you must add 1 additional their most trusted friends of conspiracy. Many will even
Chaos Die when Channeling Power. Finally, you cannot begin preying on their own, dispatching ‘trusted’ outlaws to
be made the subject of any beneficial Divine Magick spells. haunt the woods and clear them of other bands of outlaws
in turn. These ‘border princes’ carve out ragtag tyrannical
kingdoms where they must either kill or be killed.
OPENER OF THE WAY ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Counterfeit
BONUS
[CB] WARMONGER
ADVANCES
BONUS Raise the shield or be cast into death! Take a final look, your
SKILL RANKS Eavesdrop [FB] final breath! No turning back, in battle there is no law!
ADVANCES
BONUS
[FB] Effect: Add both the Punishing and Reach Qualities to all
ADVANCES
BONUS
one-handed melee weapons you wield.
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Guile
BONUS
[PB]
DRAWBACK: WATCH YOUR BACK
ADVANCES The Outlaw Chief is always mindful of ‘beta knaves’ trying to
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Incantation
ADVANCES
[WB] usurp the top dog.
SKILL RANKS Interrogation
BONUS
[WB]
Effect: Whenever you fail Resolve Tests, you suffer from
ADVANCES Stress.
Higher
Mysteries
Impervious
Mind
Supernatural
Paranoia
OUTLAW CHIEF
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Simple Melee in
order to enter this Expert Profession.
In a grim & perilous world, the roadways are no longer safe

– at least for the rich. Bushwackers and blackguards of all
stripe make their coin off of the misfortunes of the wealthy,
but in times of war, they need coordination to avoid the
swords and spears of imperial armies. That is why many
brigands come together to form gangs and from their ranks
pick an Outlaw Chief – someone crafty, ruthless and larger
than life. The Outlaw Chief takes a share of everyone’s
plunder in exchange for their expertise in cunning and
derring-do. A shrewd leader can quickly raise one of these
bands to legendary status, being viewed as champions of
the small folk who rob from the rich and give to the poor.
While a few Outlaw Chiefs do take pride in protecting
the downtrodden and destroying the rich, many are just
opportunists who see the Lowborn as… well, too poor to
bother with.
76
C H AP
that the dead require respect and death is inevitable, and

OUTLAW CHIEF ADVANCES
should not be forestalled by science or sorcery. Many
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[BB] Physikers take to the road because they have been run out
BONUS of their hospitals, forced to operate in secret at the risk
SKILL RANKS Gamble [CB]
ADVANCES of being strung up as a heretic. The most unstable among
BONUS
ADVANCES
[CB] them – spurned by the stress of losing their life’s work –
BONUS often start performing drastic, unnecessary surgeries. This
SKILL RANKS Leadership [FB]
ADVANCES is but a slippery slope before the plunge into the true realm
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [FB] of necromancy and biological reconstruction not meant
ADVANCES
BONUS for this world.
SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged [IB]
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Resolve
BONUS
[WB] BEDSIDE MANNER
ADVANCES
You’ve given up the spiritual approach of humorism to embrace a
SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Light Sleeper
more modern (but still questionable) approach to medicinal practice.
Military Effect: Whenever you successfully bind wounds, you
Formation
Supernatural also move the patient an equal a number of steps up the
SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Peril Condition Track positively. In addition, you always
Paranoia
Critically Succeed at Heal Tests to treat injuries (as
PHYSIKER outlined under Bind Wounds and Treat Injuries from the
You must possess at least two Skill Rank in both Education and Hazards & Healing chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER).
Heal in order to enter this Expert Profession.
DRAWBACK: OVERWORKED
Imagine a monocle-wearing academic, standing at the The long hours can lead to stress, anxiety and depression…
center of a lecture auditorium, wielding a series of making you an easy target for the influence of Corruption.
frightening blades while cutting into the brainbox of a Effect: Whenever you suffer
vivisected corpse. Surrounding the corpse are wide-eyed Peril due to Stress, Fear
and eager students observing, as the prodding of a nerve or Terror, move one
bunch by the academic shows them what makes the corpse additional step down
move. These academics are called Physikers – trained the Peril Condition
medical professionals with years of work and study under Track negatively while
their belt. They believe illness and pain are not imposed suffering 1 additional
by gods or a result of imbalanced humors. Instead, it Corruption.
can be solved by studying vivisected corpses and use of
intensive treatments that border on necromancy. Physikers
often work at universities or maintain hospices under the
strict, watchful eye of the church to make certain their
body of work does not veer into heresy. These hospitals
vary greatly in the quality of treatment they provide or
the reputation they accrue; many are either sanatoriums
where the near-dead ‘live’, while others are only reserved
for blue-blooded. Still, whatever chance the Physiker has
to further their knowledge and influence, they will take
it… even if it means having their work routinely reviewed
by church Inquisitors.
Of course, just as the church is present to ensure that

medical research does not stray into heresy, it is also the
Physiker’s biggest obstacle in their journey to understand
the human condition. Many churches see the desecration
of corpses and vivisection as heretical and blasphemous,
as they feel most sickness and pain is godly punishment.
Funerary Mages follow a similar path of thinking, claiming
77
Daemon. The Witch-Queen wants nothing more than to

PHYSIKER ADVANCES
spread Her wintry breath across the land, locking all in its
BONUS
ADVANCES
[AB] place and rendering the world into a barren tundra where
BONUS life is forever frozen. Rime Maidens desire such a thing as
ADVANCES well, but they hope within their hearts that their people
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[IB] will adapt and grow in this new world. Unfortunately, even
BONUS the Witch-Queen’s chosen ones will not escape Her arctic
ADVANCES grip should the Daemon’s plans reach its bitter fruition.
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS COLDHEART
ADVANCES Within every Rime Maiden’s breast beats a heart of ice and fire,
BONUS a gift from their Daemonic mistress.
ADVANCES
Effect: You always succeed at Skill Tests to Resist Damage
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Long-winded
and Peril from cold weather. In addition, you take no
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Nerves of Steel additional penalties to movement in winter from inclement
There Will Be weather or icy surfaces.
Blood
RIME MAIDEN You have permanently bound your soul to a single Daemon and
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Incantation in order can harness its forbidden power.
to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must have the Effect: You are now a practitioner of Covenant Magick
Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick. and ignore any Drawbacks your former Arcane or Divine
In the icy climes of the Witch-Queen, Magick takes on continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt
a much different hue. The only winds to be harnessed to learn spells from the Covenant to the
there are the boreal squalls from crevasses between Witch-Queen. In addition, you
icebergs, said to be the insidious whispers of the automatically learn one Petty
Witch-Queen Herself. Some of Her occultists and one Lesser Magick spell
take their mistress’ chilly words and use from this Covenant. You cannot
them to speak with spirits and conjure forth cast Lesser Magick from this
blizzards. Known as Rime Maidens, they Covenant unless you have two
are the ‘spiritualists’ of the Witch-Queen. Skill Ranks in Incantation. You
While the name and position can also be can only learn new spells of this
bestowed upon men, it is far less common. Covenant and Generalist Magick
Powerful occultists of the Witch-Queen, from this point forward.
Rime Maidens are intelligent, regal, and know
how to survive the often-barren steppes and DRAWBACK: RUINOUS
tundra they call home. They are seen as POWER
mediums and leaders among their tribes, You obtain power, but at what cost?
but on their own, Rime Maidens are The eyes of your Daemon are fixated on
feared and greatly mistrusted. you, judging you – eager to reward, or
to punish.
Rime Maidens are groomed from Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder.
an early age for their position, In addition, select one of the Witch-
taking years and years to fully Queen’s Aspects and replace your Order
grow into their powers. They Alignment with it. Instead of gaining
become much like their Lady – Fate Points, you may opt to gain a
indifferent, cruel and mystifying. Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic
Rime Maidens have glacial whims, Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber
and may come off as unapproachable Daemonum. When you generate face
and hostile. At the end of the day, they ‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos
still idolize and follow the gelid vagaries of a Manifestation. Furthermore, you must add
78
C H AP
1 additional Chaos Die when Channeling Power. Finally,

whenever you Critically Fail to cast Magick, you provoke
Winter’s Surge - immediately roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. On
a face ‘1’, you are struck numb as you are Stunned for one
minute. On face ‘2-4’, your fingers grow frigid, as you must
spend three times the normal amount of time (or AP if in
combat) to complete casting. On face ‘5’, you are paralyzed
from cold, unable to move and left Helpless for one minute.
Finally, on face ‘6’, you summon a momentary winter storm,
causing those within an Explosion Template to Resist with
a Toughness Test or else suffer 2D10+2 physical Peril.
RIME MAIDEN ADVANCES

BONUS
SKILL RANKS Alchemy [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Incantation [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Appalling Mien

Winds of RUNE JARL
Change
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in both Resolve and
Tradecraft in order to enter this Expert Profession.
Rune Thanes may have devoted their life to the art of

the Elder Futhark and all it entails, but the Rune Jarl has
forged a new form of rune Magick, colloquially called
Younger Futhark. Rune Jarls are undoubtedly the leaders of
runic study and some are said to have been the very first to
research the symbols. While a mere Rune Thane may take
hours to bind a singular rune to an item, a Rune Jarl can
do the same process in a matter of minutes. Their power
also blossoms – they can construct runes that affect things
such as war machines, buildings and sometimes even entire
cities. Rune Jarls are considered near-royalty who have as
much say as the greatest artisans and warriors. In others,
Rune Jarls are actually considered level-headed and proper
fighters, rather than simply scribes of an ancient language.
Level-headed thinking can escape the Rune Jarl – not out

of spite, but by taking on too much responsibility. People
begin to see the gregarious and quick-acting Rune Jarl as
an easy solution, coming to them with all their problems
while expecting a missive with some ‘magic words’ upon
them. Many Rune Jarls see through this ploy and offer
79
their services at a premium – this usually casts them out of

favor of the smallfolk, but it keeps them stable. Those who
don’t can easily buckle from it all, usually from making
sloppy runes that backfire or don’t work. One tale tells
of a Rune Jarl who was so exhausted from their requests
for runes of protection that the Rune Jarl inscribed one
upon the land of a whole dukedom. When it was finally
activated, the rune backfired and destroyed the duchy – a
deadly result of Magick done under too much stress!
YOUNGER FUTHARK
The secrets of Elder Futhark have been passed down by
generations. However, Rune Jarls have mastered a simpler,
battle-ready form called Younger Futhark. These runes possess
even more power than their forbearers.
Effect: You reduce the binding time to one hour for
Apprentice Runes, two hours for Journeyman Runes and
three hours for Master Runes. Furthermore, the items you
inscribe can bear up to 6 Apprentice, 4 Journeyman or 2
Master Runes. Finally, any object you inscribe a Rune upon
(including buildings, vehicles or objects larger than a man
is tall) takes upon the benefits of the Rune.
DRAWBACK: RUNIC INSTABILITY

Your Runic enhancements are unstable, and threaten to explode
with Ætheric might. Your Runes cannot be inscribed upon
living things – unfortunate for those who wished to raise a
litter of exploding kittens!
Effect: Whenever an object you have inscribed a Rune upon SANGUINE LEGIONNAIRE
is broken, Ruined! or Wrecked!, it explodes, destroying the You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Martial Melee in
object. Those caught in a Burst Template area of effect order to enter this Expert Profession.
must succeed at a (Challenging -10%) Coordination Test
or suffer 3D10+3 Damage from fire. Though all Daemons field a number of fearsome warriors,
none are more unnerving than the battle-hungry Sanguine
RUNE JARL ADVANCES Legionnaires. Forming the bulk of the Prince of Violence’s
BONUS hordes, these bellicose soldiers see the battlefield as their
ADVANCES church and the blood of their enemies as sacrament to
BONUS
ADVANCES
[BB] their unyielding god of bloodshed and war. Knowing their
BONUS nature, the recruitment of Sanguine Legionnaires is rather
ADVANCES insidious, for the Prince of Violence knows that being
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [CB] too visible will result in the elimination of His occultists.
ADVANCES
BONUS Thus, Sanguine Legionnaires usually carry themselves off
ADVANCES as military consultants, infiltrating aristocratic families,
BONUS mercenary bands and other fraternities in order to teach
ADVANCES
BONUS the martial disciplines. Slowly but surely, the Legionnaires
SKILL RANKS Rumor [WB] sways their students into becoming barbaric killers,
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Second Skin changing from simple drills to ritualized gladiatorial
combat and hardened discipline to blood-addled sacrifices.
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Secret Signs
SKILL RANKS Tradecraft TALENTS True Grit The Sanguine Legionnaire does not suffer the wizard, seeing
no value in anything but flesh and metal. Therein lies their
greatest weakness: they are often so caught up in battle lust
80
C H AP
that they fail to plan, strategize or even watch their own

SANGUINE LEGIONNAIRE ADVANCES
steps. Some never retreat out of their self-inflicted rages,
BONUS
caring little for the consequences. The Prince of Violence SKILL RANKS Athletics
ADVANCES
[BB]
cares just as little, for even an occultist’s death fertilizes the BONUS
Material Realm with blood and bone. ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
ANOINTED BY CHAOS BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [CB]
Slathering your weapon with sacred oil, you call forth to ADVANCES
BONUS
the Prince of Violence to guide your hand. Hopefully, your SKILL RANKS Resolve [FB]
ADVANCES
invocation is answered… but there are no guarantees when you BONUS
toy with Corruption. ADVANCES
Effect: You can Channel Power in order to increase your BONUS
ADVANCES
chances to succeed Combat-based Skill Tests. This follows
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Indifference
many of the same rules as Channeling Power to cast
Magick, but with these specific requirements: you must Military
Formation
have a weapon in-hand, you must be able to see and speak There Will Be
and a phial of sacred oil must be poured onto the weapon. SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS
Blood
This sacred oil is determined by your GM, based on the
weapon you intend to bedevil with chaotic might. SHARPSHOOTER
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Coordination in
You may Channel Power up to three steps. However, if you order to enter this Expert Profession.
generate one face ‘6’, you invoke a Petty Manifestation. If
you roll two face ‘6s’, you invoke a Lesser Manifestation Since the earliest days of war, war parties and armies
and if three or more face ‘6s’, you invoke a Greater have strived to put distance between themselves and
Manifestation. Furthermore, if a Chaos Manifestation their opponents – resulting in such weaponry as
inflicts any sort of negative effects upon you spears, bows and more recently modern gunpowder
to Cast Magick, apply them instead to your weaponry. Even then, these weapons are often
Combat-based Skill Tests. The GM will difficult to master with precise skill, but
change the effects of the table to best match that is actually what the Sharpshooter
the mechanical results. has accomplished. Unlike their
Pistolier kin, the Sharpshooter
DRAWBACK: RUINOUS is an unparalleled targeteer
POWER who specializes in strung
You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes weapons, able to strike and
of your Daemon are fixated on you, judging pierce a coin out of the air
you – eager to reward, or to punish. like a snipe can snatch a worm.
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. Their finesse is prized in many
In addition, select one of the Prince of arenas, with some performing
Violence’s Aspects and replace your Order in tournaments during summer
Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate months and turning to hunting
Points, you may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. in the colder seasons The
Aspects and Daemonic Gifts are found in Chapter Sharpshooter is silent, calm and
V: Liber Daemonum. When you generate face ‘6’ collected, able to drive an arrow
with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos Manifestation. through a helm’s eye slit at
Furthermore, you must add 1 additional Chaos Die over 50 paces. It is no wonder
when Channeling Power. Finally, you can never why so many are acclaimed,
be affected by Magick intended to benefit you, nor travelling from tourney to
can you adopt any Profession that uses Magick, tourney, commanding large
‘unlearning’ any spells or Rituals you may have known purses and the accolades of the
before becoming a Sanguine Legionnaire. nobles who sponsor them as
they put on display their
sharpshooting skills.
81
Sharpshooters are not necessarily great warriors, but they

are great shots do appreciate opportunities to test their
skill. There is no greater place to test their skill than on the
field of battle where they are employed to target important
individuals. In comparison to the simple man-at-arms,
the tactics employed by Sharpshooters take advantage of
their skill, their stealth, and their ability to separate the
man from the target. It is no longer another man they are
targeting with a shot, but rather just a bullseye to shoot –
and another purse to be won depending upon the terms of
their contract. Both this disconnect and willingness to kill
another being tends to break at the most inopportune of
times, like when they are given the order to attack a helpless
serf or their younglings. This sedition leaves them broken
and doubting their entire life, as they realize all they have
been doing is killing poor souls their whole career.
PRECISION SHOTS
Whenever your shots find purchase, you whittle away at your
opponent’s ability to react accordingly.
Effect: Every time you inflict Damage using a ranged
weapon, temporarily increase your Damage by +1
cumulatively, lasting until you are Slain! or combat ends.
You cannot wear armor with the Heavy Quality to take
advantage of this Trait.
DRAWBACK: PSYCHOTIC BREAK

One must have a callous indifference towards the sanctity of
life to move from being a tourney archer to a hunter of men.
Targeteers who are consumed by the act of killing are utterly
corrupted, while others who maintain proper decorum will SHIPMASTER
remain untainted by their grisly work.
Effect: When you take an innocent life unprovoked, you You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Pilot in order to
automatically gain 1 permanent Chaos Rank. enter this Expert Profession.
Every country must have a king, and upon the high seas
SHARPSHOOTER ADVANCES where there is no country, every Shipmaster is a king in
BONUS
ADVANCES
[AB] their own right. Shipmasters are captains of seafaring
BONUS vessels, whether they be long boats, merchant clippers or
ADVANCES large galleys. Shipmasters not only lead and direct their
BONUS crews, they also plot courses, negotiate trade deals, order
SKILL RANKS Coordination [BB]
ADVANCES
BONUS attacks and when tales of their exploits and explorations
ADVANCES reach the shore, become legendary figures in their own
BONUS right. Some Shipmasters are fine spending their days
ADVANCES
BONUS commanding their family’s fishing vessel, while others make
SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged [PB] a name for themselves as brilliant admirals or dread pirates.
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Rumor
BONUS
[PB] Owning a ship is no mere trifle – it serves as transport,
ADVANCES
housing and livelihood all-in-one for the Shipmaster and
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Arbalest’s Speed the crew. The Shipmaster is a thankless task that requires
SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Instincts strong leadership, either with closed fist or open palm – if
that does not exist, these ‘kings of the sea’ can easily be
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Take ’em Down dethroned and cast into the deeps.
82
C H AP
Shipmasters go where the wind or their pockets take them, DRAWBACK: SEA LEGS
and many hire their services out as both privateers and You live for the sea and the rising of the tide. But when you
ferrymen for adventurers looking for new vistas. They know stand on land, the swell of the sea fills your head with dizziness.
their way around a sword, a wheelhouse and a podium, able Effect: When not borne upon water or a boat, reduce your
to lead and back that leadership up with force into the Initiative by your Chaos Ranks (to a minimum of 1).
bargain. Aside from their vessel, Shipmasters rarely have
more than a few possessions – their crew substitutes as
family, the ocean as their homeland and their ship as home. SHIPMASTER ADVANCES
More than a few Shipmasters’ brains have been ‘cooked’ BONUS
ADVANCES
by the blazing summer sun or their hearts ‘frozen’ by the BONUS
ice of winter, their ship coming to mean more than the SKILL RANKS Awareness [BB]
ADVANCES
crew which is willingly left to starve and die in order to SKILL RANKS Folklore
BONUS
[CB]
ADVANCES
keep the ship from sailing into port ever again. Rumors BONUS
abound that ghost ships of the high seas are indeed these SKILL RANKS Leadership [FB]
ADVANCES
cursed Shipmasters, fleeting between corporeal reality and SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged
BONUS
[IB]
a ghostly demise. ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Navigation [IB]
ADVANCES
AYE AYE SKIPPER SKILL RANKS Pilot
BONUS
[WB]
Both on the sea and by land, you attract both admiration and ADVANCES
respect for your position as a captain of the sea. SKILL RANKS Rumor TALENTS Azimuth
Effect: You may flip the results to succeed at Navigate
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Instincts
Success. In addition, when using the Movement subtype of SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Light Sleeper
swim, add your Initiative value to the Distance you swim.
83
the life of a clerk. They have few survival skills, but they
know a great deal about logistics and getting the most out
of a little bit. Unfortunately, eking the most out of very little
and being able to balance the books is often their biggest
downfall – some Shopkeepers become so absorbed in their
work that it becomes all they care about. They become
dismissive and angry towards their workers and customers,
first driving everyone away with words and ill manners and
then by word of mouth as their poor reputation spreads.
Soon they will not be able to make enough money to
support their storefront and will lose their entire livelihood.
Many of these Shopkeepers end up at the end of a rope or
the barrel of their own blunderbuss, having undone all of
their success by their own hand.
NO MERE NPC
Although some may mistake you for just another hawker on the
docks or greengrocer, you’re anything but. You are a big spender,
a wheeler-dealer and know how to distinguish trash from real
treasure.
Effect: Any object you sell is treated and appraised at its
full value. Furthermore, you may flip the results to succeed
at Skill Tests to appraise and sell legal goods.
DRAWBACK: THE CUSTOMER

IS ALWAYS RIGHT
Shopkeepers adhere to the time-honored rule that the customer
is always right. This has been a throne in the side of every
Shopkeeper for generations, but ensures that their dealings are
SHOPKEEPER seen as upright.
Effect: Whenever you fail at an attempt to use Bargain
You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Bargain in order to or Rumor, you cannot use Fortune Points to change your
enter this Expert Profession. results.
Artisans, merchants and traders all create and peddle their
own wares, but not every store front holds exotic goods SHOPKEEPER ADVANCES
or forged steel. Running the inns, bordellos, rathskellers, BONUS
SKILL RANKS Awareness [FB]
ADVANCES
coaching houses and grocers are the Shopkeepers. These BONUS
under-the-counter, blunderbuss-wielding purveyors of fine SKILL RANKS Bargain [FB]
ADVANCES
goods either peddle services or sell and buy local goods. An SKILL RANKS Eavesdrop
BONUS
[IB]
innkeeper, a brothel owner or a chef would be considered a ADVANCES
BONUS
Shopkeeper, spending their days opening their storefronts SKILL RANKS Education
ADVANCES
[IB]
and their nights balancing their books. Shopkeepers often SKILL RANKS Folklore
BONUS
[PB]
wear a variety of hats in their business, but all strive to ADVANCES
BONUS
be effective leaders that can be both charismatic to their SKILL RANKS Gamble
ADVANCES
[PB]
employees and their customers. Some stay small and BONUS
SKILL RANKS Handle Animal [WB]
humble with but a single shop, while the more visionary- ADVANCES
Incredible
minded work to spread their business among multiple SKILL RANKS Resolve TALENTS
Numeration
venues and ventures. Meeting of the
Minds
Shopkeepers rarely leave their business for any extended SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Multilingual
period of time – most who do are either looking for new
locations to move their business to or have grown tired of
84
C H AP
SIROCCO PROPHET Effect: You are now a practitioner of Covenant Magick

You must possess at least one Skill Rank in Incantation in order Magick-using Expert Profession required of you (but may
to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must have the continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt
Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick. to learn spells from the Covenant to the Hellfurnace. In
The Tusked One is comprised of three forms, the most Magick spell from this Covenant. You cannot cast Lesser
mysterious and merciless of which is the Hellfurnace. Magick from this Covenant unless you have two Skill
Supposedly having manifested in the deepest reaches of a Ranks in Incantation. You can only learn new spells of this
black burbling pit and made from bitumen and brass, the Covenant and Generalist Magick from this point forward.
Hellfurnace demands ceaseless subjugation and sacrifice
from the Dvergar. Though they rarely practice Magick, DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER
His Sirocco Prophet clergy exalt in their Daemon-lord’s You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon
blessing by using their foul Magick to fuel the flames are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish.
of the Hellfurnace’s unearthly belly. These Prophets are Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, select
both mighty chaos sorcerers and unsparing shaman of one of the Hellfurnace’s Aspects and replace your Order
the Dvergar people, often directing them in their efforts Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you
to build their wretched hell-vaults and Daemon-born may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic
machines. Sirocco Prophets spend most of their time Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber Daemonum. When
divining the meaning of the smoke and pitch their furnaces you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos
splurt out, viewing them as divine messages from their Manifestation. Furthermore, you must add 1 additional
‘father of darkness’. They also see His hatred in sand storms Chaos Die when Channeling Power. Finally, whenever you
and heatwaves, and take these words as prophetic, too. gain 1 permanent Chaos Rank, a Disorder or Malignancy,
you also permanently suffer a -1 penalty to Movement.
Sirocco Prophets are rarely found beyond the halls of the Should your Movement permanently reach zero, you are
Dvergar’s inverted pyramids, but they are not unheard of. immediately Slain!, turned entirely to stone.
The Hellfurnace’s rites and witchcraft are absurdly unnatural
though, and not just due to its Daemonic influence. His
Magick is truly cursed – as Sirocco Prophets manifest their
Covenants, their joints stiffen and their movement slows.
Over time, they find their skin hardens and begins to flake,
starting at their feet and spreading upwards across their
whole body. Twisted by their befouled Covenants, their
skin becomes stone, their voices become hoarse and gravid
with calcified, stony might. The most powerful Sirocco
Prophets are nigh immobile, but this is seen as an honor
and a true conduit of the Hellfurnace’s power. It is said
that when they turn completely pitch-black into stone,
their ossified remains are used to forever fuel the fires of
the Hellfurnace – a fitting and worthy end indeed.
HELLFURNANCE’S GIFT
Once they profess their might, a Sirocco Prophet’s body grows
gravid with black, stone-like growths and their voice becomes
but a harsh whisper – the sound of tectonic plates slowly moving
beneath the earth.
Effect: You do not need to be able to speak to cast Magick,
use Rituals or Counterspell. In addition, you automatically
Resist touch-based spells.

85
SIROCCO PROPHET ADVANCES PRIMAL RAGE

BONUS Through intense focus, you can channel the might, speed and
SKILL RANKS Alchemy [BB]
ADVANCES intelligence of the Primeval your clan has bound themselves to.
BONUS Effect: Select one of these spirits: attercap spider, barrel-
ADVANCES
BONUS bellied orc, death bat, dire rat, howlbear, silverback warg or
SKILL RANKS Incantation [IB]
ADVANCES water panther. You gain one of the following Traits by spirit:
BONUS
ADVANCES For an attercap spider: you gain the Inescapable Trait
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Navigation
ADVANCES
[PB] from the self-same creature (as found in the Bestiary
BONUS chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER);
ADVANCES
BONUS For a barrel-bellied orc: you gain the Chomp Trait
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize [WB] from the self-same creature (as found in the Bestiary
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Instincts chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER);

Left-handed For a death bat: you gain the Dark Sense Trait from the
Path self-same creature (as found in the Bestiary chapter of
SKILL RANKS Tradecraft TALENTS Mine Craft ZWEIHÄNDER);
For a dire rat: you gain the Disease-Ridden (Bloody
SKINWALKER Flux) Trait from the self-same creature (as found in
You must possess at least two Skill Rank in Survival in order to the Bestiary chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER);
In some cultures, the light of the ‘true gods’ have yet to shine
upon them. Instead, these lost cultures worship Primevals –
superior apex creatures of the natural world that represent
their best interests, and looks over their clan. Skinwalkers
claim these spirits have taken a special interest in them,
choosing them as their champion and to serve as an avatar
of sorts. Often discovered through vision quests in the
wilderness or near-death experiences with Primeval creatures,
Skinwalkers seem to obtain the traits of their primal guardian;
the cunning of a silverback warg, the strength of a barrel-
bellied orc or what have you. Those of a more academic bend
chalk this up to simple self-realization, but when viewed
through the lens of Magickal insight, these warriors do seem
to emanate some sort of animistic, otherworldly energy.
Skinwalkers, regardless of their culture, are highly-

respected individuals who serve as paragons for everything
their clan stands for. However, shamen warn fresh-to-the-
fold Skinwalkers of the danger of relying too much on these
spirits, for they are very old and not completely benevolent.
Those who do not heed these warnings start to take on a
more physical appearance of their Primeval - the water
panther causes the skin to become squamous and rigid,
the howlbear causes the Skinwalker’s shoulders to
become hunched or webbing between digits and limbs
for those who worship of death bats. Eventually, these
Skinwalkers who have given into their desire for power
become more beast than man, and are either banished,
imprisoned or killed. Rumors of half-man/half-beasts may
not be fully lycanthropic, but rather ones of unbound hubris.
86
C H AP
For a howlbear, you gain the Primal Scream Trait

from the self-same creature (as found in the Bestiary
chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER);
For a silverback warg, you gain the Ripping Teeth Trait
chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER);
For a water panther, you gain the Death Roll Trait
chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER).
DRAWBACK: MONSTROUS WEAKNESS

Like an ancient creature of the world, you are particularly
susceptible to certain metals and Magicks. Eventually, you will
become victim to it in ways that are worse than death, dragged
onto all fours as the animal you worship.
Effect: Whenever you are struck by weapons wrought
from Cold Iron or Mithril and those which have been
imbued with Magick, you suffer an additional 3 Damage.
In addition, whenever you gain 1 permanent Chaos Rank,
a Disorder or Malignancy, you also permanently suffer a
-1 penalty to Encumbrance. Should your Encumbrance
permanently reach zero, you are immediately Slain!, turned
entirely into the spirit you worship.
SKINWALKER ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
BONUS
ADVANCES
[BB] SWORN SWORD
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Folklore [BB] You must possess at least two Skill Rank in both Martial Melee
ADVANCES
BONUS
[CB]
and Resolve in order to enter this Expert Profession.
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Resolve
ADVANCES
[PB] Among bluebloods and the nouveau riche, there exists a
BONUS curious legal procedure where one may try to prove their
ADVANCES innocence through trial by combat. Usually in these cases,
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee
ADVANCES
[WB] the accused is unable to fight in their own defense, but
may call upon a judiciary champion to adjudicate in
SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Hard to Kill
their stead. Few in number, but practiced in a number
SKILL RANKS Survival TALENTS Instincts of arms, these so-called Sworn Swords are more than
capable of defending the honor of the accused. They excel
in the martial arts and act with an incredible precision.
Oftentimes, Sworn Swords pledge themselves to a noble
house, serving as judicial champions in all capacities.
Others instead are travelers, offering their services to
lesser nobles and Burghers who either lack the martial
skill necessary to defend their honor or are too cowardly to
stare death in the eye. The Sworn Sword is always ready to
lay their life on the line, but their confidence in their own
abilities keeps them headstrong and unswerving.
Though most duels are usually to ‘first blood’ (that is, to

Injury or Bleeding), deaths are not uncommon. However,
87
duels to the death are mandated for crimes such as treason

and heresy. These are the type of face-offs that truly haunt
the Sworn Sword at night – visions of the lives they
have crushed, royal houses they have ruined or images
of their own life’s blood pouring from gaping wounds.
Many become indifferent to the violence, emotionless and
seemingly cruel as a coping mechanism. Sworn Swords
train their bodies and minds against breaking, for if they
do not, their next opponent will eviscerate both their
bodies and their reputations. These imposing figures are
perfect vessels for darker thoughts as the Sworn Sword
comes to disassociate themselves from other fellows and
believes themselves superior to all. Once this empathy is
lost, there is nothing left but a stone-cold killer – an ideal
way to sow discord and intimidation.
TRIAL BY COMBAT
What justice giveth, justice can just as easily taketh away.
Effect: Whenever you inflict a Grievous Injury upon a
foe, they are instantly Slain! instead. You must use a melee
weapon to take advantage of this Trait.
DRAWBACK: ACHILLES HEEL

Despite your (mostly) unerring martial attitudes, you become
overwhelmed when facing three or more combatants at once.
Effect: When attackers outnumber you 3:1 or more in an
Engagement, they add a 1D6 Fury Die to Total Damage
results made with melee weapons against you. This means
you can never take advantage of the Impenetrable Wall VAMPIRE HUNTER
Talent.
You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Resolve in order to
SWORN SWORD ADVANCES
BONUS The restless dead have taken many from us – whether
ADVANCES
BONUS
they be sick or healthy, young or old, rich or poor – the
SKILL RANKS Folklore [BB] unliving and their necromantic resurrectionists do not
ADVANCES
SKILL RANKS Heal
BONUS
[BB] discriminate. Others, such as the esurient vampire, wish
ADVANCES nothing more than the opportunity to eat away at the
BONUS
ADVANCES
[CB] foundations of civilization, to enslave others and to bring
BONUS
[CB]
about the downfall of the world. It is not unknown for
ADVANCES the survivors of such predations, having loved ones taken
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Resolve
ADVANCES
[WB] from them or seen their homes pulled out from under
BONUS them, to take to carving out stakes, tar-dipping torches and
ADVANCES filling phials with holy water and setting out on a drastic
SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS Indifference change of career – the Vampire Hunter! These brave, and
Overwhelming often foolhardy, hunters stalk the bloodsucking and spirit-
Force stealing supernatural threat of the Vampire and their ilk.
There Will Be
SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Many Vampire Hunters will often group with others to
Blood
fight the midnight coterie, not only to exchange lore about
the nosferatu and its brood, but to combat the restless dead
en masse – as many are too powerful to fight alone. One
such story tells of a female hunter named Lady Sommers,
who surrounded herself with roughshod apprentices, an
88
C H AP
Antiquarian named Rupert, a man

VAMPIRE HUNTER ADVANCES
who could transmutate into a
BONUS
wolf and Willow the Hedgewise. SKILL RANKS Coordination
ADVANCES
[AB]
At one point, she even reputedly BONUS
aligned with a vampire to hunt ADVANCES
BONUS
down other vampires! SKILL RANKS Leadership
ADVANCES
[CB]
BONUS
Unlike Slayers, who often loan ADVANCES
BONUS
out their services to fight beasts SKILL RANKS Resolve [PB]
ADVANCES
for glory in the afterlife, Vampire BONUS
Hunters actively seek out their prey ADVANCES
to either earn salvation, enact revenge or fulfil a death BONUS
ADVANCES
wish from an existence made meaningless without their Impervious
loved ones. Vampire Hunters possess limited knowledge SKILL RANKS Scrutinize TALENTS
Mind
about the foes they seek to destroy, due to the lack of SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Instincts
scientific understanding of vampire’s ecology and true
weaknesses. Thus, they rely on folklore and apocrypha to SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Light Sleeper
prepare themselves. It is said that there is no such thing as
an inexperienced Vampire Hunter and that they are often WAR GENERAL
‘made’ into hunters having somehow survived a vampire’s You must possess at least two Skill Ranks in Warfare in order to
reign of terror. Even those who do survive constantly look enter this Expert Profession.
over their shoulder, as they never know who among them
could be a vampiric thrall seeking to please their master by “No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it
capturing the Vampire Hunter. by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.” This
is the common sentiment among War Generals, some of
CHOSEN ONE the keenest minds and strategists to ever step onto the field
In every generation, there is a chosen one. They alone will stand of battle. These soldiers have worked their way up through
against the vampires, demons and forces of darkness. They are the ranks by slogging through midden heaps, sleeping in
the slayer. inhospitable territory and slaughtering countless enemies.
Effect: Any weapon you wield is always under the effects After all the mud and pain and shit, they now lead armies
of the Generalist Magick called Anoint Weapon (as outlined and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with sultans and emperors
under Generalist Magick from the Grimoire chapter in alike in war rooms. War Generals rarely engage in combat
ZWEIHÄNDER). You also understand how to use the due to their value and importance, but their charisma,
Ritual of Blessed Sacrament, but only to create holy water, tactical mindset and iron will have made them the lynch-
despite not having the Special Trait of Divine Magick. pin in many victories. Their words inspire thousands of
Substitute Folklore in place of Incantation when using the warriors and their wins change the strategy of war for years
Ritual of Blessed Sacrament, but you cannot Channel Power. to come. Theirs is a hardened mind who only believes in
victory, often at any cost. War Generals are not ones to
DRAWBACK: CURSE OF DARKNESS bend, but when they do, they rarely break underneath the
Vampire Hunters are haunted by terrible dreams, and in them, pressure. Even when they are forced to accept defeat, their
they turn from hunter to hunted. Perhaps there is some truth staunch military minds are ready to regroup the forces
within these nightmares, a precognition of the fate the Vampire under the command and to drive the next battle towards
Hunter is doomed to suffer. an eventual victory.
Effect: Any time you suffer Damage or Peril from a
Vampire, you suffer 3 Corruption. A sword is only useful if it stays sharp, and War Generals
are often teetering on the edge. One slip-up or defeat can
ruin their reputation and deem them ‘too old and inflexible’
to hold the fate of empires on their hands. Those who
do not remain honorable or are incapable of swallowing
their pride may instead turn to drink to wash away their
failures on the battlefield. Some may even fall upon their
sword. However, they may rally, and the itch of violence
89
returns. Though their voices bellow and their tactics are

WAR GENERAL ADVANCES
exceptional, the War General needs the power – needs the
BONUS
control they have grown accustomed to wielding. Some SKILL RANKS Awareness
ADVANCES
[CB]
begin to drive their allies harder and harder or instead rally BONUS
up small armies for blind causes. Finally, a psychotic break ADVANCES
BONUS
happens and they seek to command an army at all costs. If SKILL RANKS Folklore
ADVANCES
[FB]
this means leading hordes of grossly mutated marauders, BONUS
then so be it, these War Generals, desperate to retain their ADVANCES
BONUS
former glory, having exchanged it for their very soul. SKILL RANKS Martial Melee [IB]
ADVANCES
BONUS
SKILL RANKS Martial Ranged [PB]
ART OF WAR ADVANCES
Herr Sunna once said, “...in the midst of chaos, there is also BONUS
ADVANCES
opportunity”. You will implore your comrades to find an opening
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Light Sleeper
when mayhem rises.
Effect: Whenever you succeed at using Inspiring Words, Military
Formation
allies may immediately make an Opportunity Attack. In
addition, whenever you succeed at using Litany of Hatred, SKILL RANKS Warfare TALENTS Nerves of Steel
enemies affected by it cannot Counterspell, Dodge or Parry
the next Attack Action your allies make. WITCH DOKTOR
DRAWBACK: HIGH-HANDED to enter this Expert Profession. In addition, you must have the
War Generals are oftentimes more concerned with the point Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick.
of the spear, not the heavy lifting required to get soldiers and
supplies to the front. Of all Daemons in the Abyss, the Tusked One’s form of
Effect: For every step you move down the Peril Condition the Slavering Maw is the wildest and most unpredictable of
Track negatively, reduce your Initiative and Movement them all. It would only make sense, then, that their Witch
in kind. As an example, if you are Doktor priests would be just as anarchic as the lord they
suffering from Imperiled, you hold so high. The Magick of the Tusked One is truly odd,
would reduce your Initiative and as it relies on the collective willpower of their believers. If
Movement by a -1 penalty. there is no group around a Witch Doktor, their sorcerous
potential drops severely. Witch Doktors are rarely seen
among ‘civilized’ peoples, but in some societies, they are
viewed as representatives of the Slavering Maw Himself
and as such, there are many taboos against killing or
injuring the Witch Doktor. In addition to their massive
psychic energies that allow them to manifest the will of the
Slavering Maw, Witch Doktors also have a sort of ancestral
memory of the tribe that they serve. As self-professed, if
barbaric scholars and historians, Witch Doktors are an
extraordinary dichotomy of raw id and pure intellect.
A Witch Doktor’s Covenants are truly unhinged, requiring

the occultist to abandon much of their common sense
in order to properly harness them. Madness amongst
the Witch Doktors is a rule rather than an exception,
though this often only manifests as eccentricities and
odd babbling. A Witch Doktor is not that hard to spot –
their erratic behavior, scant method of dress and constant
gibbering makes their fate at the hands of any Inquisitor
(or individual who does do not suffer the heretic to live)
who sees them a foregone conclusion. Yet for the hordes
who follow Witch Doktors wholeheartedly, there comes a
90
C H AP
tipping point – some become so powerful, that they snap

entirely. They switch from manic to a placid, sage-like calm,
and their power invokes the true fury of the Slavering Maw.
It is more terrifying to see a Witch Doktor calmly stroll
into battle than to see one leap into the fray with fervor
and righteous fury.
OOH-EE-OOH-AH-AH
Finishing the intonation with ‘ting tang walla walla bing
bang!’, you summon forth the Slavering Maw’s barbed tongue
to mend believers of their ailments, but at a high price.
Effect: Whenever you successfully invoke a Petty Chaos
Manifestation, you may heal one person who you can
clearly see one step up the Damage Condition Track
positively. If it is a Lesser Chaos Manifestation, two people
are healed two steps positively. Finally, if it is a Greater
Manifestation, three people are healed three steps up the
Damage Condition Track positively.

continue using your old Magicks). You can now attempt to
learn spells from the Covenant to the Slavering Maw. In
Ranks in Incantation. You can only learn new spells of this WITCH DOKTOR ADVANCES
Covenant and Generalist Magick from this point forward. BONUS
SKILL RANKS Athletics [BB]
ADVANCES
DRAWBACK: RUINOUS POWER SKILL RANKS Folklore
BONUS
[BB]
ADVANCES
You obtain power, but at what cost? The eyes of your Daemon BONUS
are fixated on you, judging you – eager to reward, or to punish. SKILL RANKS Handle Animal [CB]
ADVANCES
Effect: You immediately gain a Disorder. In addition, select SKILL RANKS Incantation
BONUS
[FB]
one of the Slavering Maw’s Aspects and replace your Order ADVANCES
BONUS
Alignment with it. Instead of gaining Fate Points, you SKILL RANKS Leadership
ADVANCES
[FB]
may opt to gain a Daemonic Gift. Aspects and Daemonic SKILL RANKS Resolve
BONUS
[WB]
Gifts are found in Chapter 5: Liber Daemonum. When ADVANCES
BONUS
you generate face ‘6’ with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos SKILL RANKS Rumor
ADVANCES
[WB]
Manifestation. Furthermore, you must add 1 additional
SKILL RANKS Simple Melee TALENTS Die Hard
Chaos Die when Channeling Power.
Finally, whenever you are not standing SKILL RANKS Toughness TALENTS Indifference
among three or more occultists of the Left-handed
Slavering Maw, foes may Path
flip the results to succeed
at their Skill Tests to
Resist your Magicks.
91
EXPERT PROFESSIONS ADDENDUM

Unlike regular Professions, Expert Professions have specific requirements in order to qualify for them. What follows is
a summary of all requirements to move into any Expert Profession, including the Tier you must be in to qualify for it. If
you want to plot out your Character path to Intermediate and Advanced Tiers, this should give you a broad overview of
what will be required to get there.
Professions which grant access to Arcane Magick are indicated in the table below with an asterisk (*) beside their name.
Those which grant access to Divine Magick are indicated with a plus (+) beside their name. Finally, those which grant
access to Covenant Magick are indicated with a hash (#) beside their name.
EXPERT
PROFESSION QUALIFYING TIER SKILL REQUIREMENTS OTHER REQUIREMENTS
INT. ADV.
TIER TIER
Abbot  2 Skill Ranks in Education & Heal
Alienist   1 Skill Rank in Heal
Archmage *  2 Skill Ranks in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick & 1 Fate Point
Armiger   1 Skill Rank in Martial Melee & Warfare
Artillerist   1 Skill Rank in Warfare
Assassin  2 Skill Ranks in Stealth
Augur +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Badlander   1 Skill Rank in Survival
Barnstormer   1 Skill Rank in Awareness
Barrister   1 Skill Rank in Bargain & Guile
Black Magister *  2 Skill Ranks in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Bladedancer  2 Skill Ranks in Martial Melee
Bloodmonger + x  1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Burgomaster  2 Skill Ranks in Folklore
Butcherpriest #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Caravan Mystic   1 Skill Rank in Folklore
Chamberlain   1 Skill Rank in Education
Chattel Slaver   1 Skill Rank in Interrogation
Chevalier   1 Skill Rank in Martial Melee & Ride
Condottiere   1 Skill Rank in Martial Melee
92
C H AP
EXPERT
INT. ADV.
TIER TIER
Courtesan   1 Skill Rank in Charm & Rumor
Crime Boss  2 Skill Ranks in Skulduggery
Cult Leader  2 Skill Ranks in Charm or Education
Dark Disciple +  2 Skill Ranks in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Demagogue   1 Skill Rank in Leadership
Dirgesinger #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Drowned One +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Druid +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Duelist   1 Skill Rank in Coordination
Dungeoneer   1 Skill Rank in Folklore
Ecstatic Celebrant #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Elementalist *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Executioner   1 Skill Rank in Interrogation
Exorcist   1 Skill Rank in Education & Folklore
Explorer   1 Skill Rank in Education & Navigation
Fanatic   1 Skill Rank in Folklore
Fell Knight  2 Skill Ranks in Martial Melee Drawback of Ruinous Power
Friar   1 Skill Rank in Education & Heal
Funerary Mage *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Godsworn +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Grail Knight   1 Skill Rank in Martial Melee
Grand Master  2 Skill Ranks in Martial Melee & Ride
Grey Guilder +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Grey Vivimancer #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Grognard  2 Skill Ranks in Warfare Middle Aged or Elderly Age Group
Guildmaster  2 Skill Ranks in Tradecraft
93
EXPERT
INT. ADV.
TIER TIER
Special Trait of Covenant Magick & Drawback

Havoc Conjuror #  2 Skill Ranks in Incantation
of Ruinous Power
Hermetic *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Hexer   1 Skill Rank in Folklore Successfully imbibe a Mutagenic Potion
Hierophant *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
High Lector +  2 Skill Ranks in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick & 1 Fate Point
Howling Marauder   1 Skill Rank in Martial Melee
Illusionist *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Infernal Saboteur #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Inquisitor  2 Skill Ranks in Resolve
Iron Abbot +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Jackdaw  2 Skill Ranks in Skulduggery
Kinslayer   1 Skill Rank in Survival
Maestro  2 Skill Ranks in Tradecraft
Merchant Lord  2 Skill Ranks in Bargain
Military Officer   1 Skill Rank in Leadership & Warfare
Minister of Rot #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Mootwarden   1 Skill Rank in Survival
Natural Philosopher   1 Skill Rank in Alchemy & Education
Necromancer *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Oathkeeper   1 Skill Rank in Folklore
Special Trait of Covenant Magick & Drawback

Occult Magician #  2 Skill Ranks in Incantation
of Ruinous Power
Opener of the Way #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Outlaw Chief  2 Skill Ranks in Simple Melee
Physiker  2 Skill Rank in Education & Heal
1 Skill Rank in Coordination & Martial

Pistolier  
Ranged
94
C H AP
EXPERT
INT. ADV.
TIER TIER
Plague Doktor   1 Skill Rank in Heal
Pledged Guard   1 Skill Rank in Athletics & Toughness
Pyromancer *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Revered Mother +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Rime Maiden #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Rune Jarl  2 Skill Ranks in Resolve & Tradecraft Know the Ritual of Inscribe Magick Rune
Rune Thane   1 Skill Rank in Resolve & Tradecraft
Sanguine Legionnaire   1 Skill Rank in Martial Melee
Scholar   1 Skill Rank in Education & Resolve
Shaman *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Sharpshooter   1 Skill Rank in Coordination
Shipmaster  2 Skill Ranks in Pilot
Shopkeeper   1 Skill Rank in Bargain
Sirocco Prophet #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
Skinwalker  2 Skill Ranks in Survival
Soothsayer *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
Sworn Sword  2 Skill Ranks in Martial Melee & Resolve
Truthsayer +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Vampire Hunter  2 Skill Ranks in Resolve
Veteran  2 Skill Ranks in Warfare
War Dervish   1 Skill Rank in Martial Melee & Resolve
War General  2 Skill Ranks in Warfare
Warlock *   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Arcane Magick
White Wolf +   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of Divine Magick
Witch Doktor #   1 Skill Rank in Incantation Special Trait of either Arcane or Divine Magick
95
CHAPTER 2 : LIBER ARMORUM
96
CHAP
TER 2 : LIBER ARMORUM
◆ LIBER ARMORUM ◆
here are generally three types possessing a title related to the city. Below them, guild
T
of settlements, and for the masters, entrenched blue-bloods and upjumped merchants
most part, they work together fight for political control, all while maintaining a mask of
in concert, reliant upon one civility in public. Behind this mask, no quarter is given as
another for trade and protection. the Aristocracy vies politically – and sometimes violently
Settlements are often built near – against each for power, while Burghers fight for the
sources of water, either a river scraps and the Lowborn suffer from the fallout. In some
or a lake. If not that, they are cities, the guilds and merchants hold power rather than
built near some kind of natural the aristocracy, but even so, the same struggle for power
resource, such as an old growth continues unabated.
forest or perhaps an iron mine.
While each settlement may have Many cities are dominated by a number of fortified manors
its own economic resources and or the rare castle or two hedge their walls, forming the
forms of trade, they are always inevitably linked together lynchpin of their defense. Cities are always surrounded by a
by main roads, access to which is through toll gates. Reeves, number of villages within a day’s walk, and the villages are
Bailiffs and other lawmen gather at these gates, exchanging solely dependent upon the city to pave their roads, protect
news, pleasantries and rumors before setting out to patrol their borders and open its markets to trade. Villages two
the roads nearby and then outwards towards some far- or more days’ walk away are located in largely uncultivated
flung settlement. lands and while they enjoy some of the city’s protection,
they are more self-sufficient and independent. It is rare to
SETTLEMENTS & AVAILABILITY find isolated villages more than three days’ walk from a city.
The size of a settlement determines the most common If they are, then they are generally within half a day’s travel
dwellers by Social Class. It also dictates the immediate of a town.
availability of goods and services within the settlement. AVAILABILITY OF GOODS: A Character can acquire
practically any trapping or service, although local shortages
CITY may affect what is available. Items which have a price in
The first sort of community is the city, often quite large gold crowns (gc), silver shillings (ss) or brass pennies (bp)
and inhabited by populations of 10,000 or more people. can be priced as-is from the book. The GM may have other
Most cities are ruled by the Aristocracy, with one noble thoughts on what may be available.
97
TOWN VILLAGE
Most towns lie within four days’ travel of a city, to which Villages are rarely home to more than 500 people, most
they owe their fealty. Their populations range between of them Lowborn, with perhaps a prominent Burgher or
1,000 and 10,000 people, and while they are also the seat two. Villages are home to farmers and laborers, who work
for some noble or other, most towns are dominated and and toil, spending their days in the fields and their nights
governed by Burghers and the guilds. Burghers trade from preparing for the next day. Most of their produce or goods
the town while the guild craftsmen send their trinkets and are sold in nearby towns. Most cities are surrounded by
goods to the city to sell. Most of each town’s population hundreds of villages – many without an assumed name –
consists of Burghers and the Lowborn who owe both while those around the towns can at least enjoy a name of
allegiance and fees to the guilds which in turn pay homage their own. After all, there is less competition for names.
to the guild masters of the cities.
Villages are rarely home
Landed knights or governors lord over towns to fortified manor or castles,
from either a fortified manse or familial castle although an aristocrat might have
of yore. Towns are largely dependent upon the a hunting lodge nearby. Instead, burgomasters or
Lowborn for production. While some towns mayors – elected or appointed – run the village out
are located on the main roads between cities, of their home. Most villages are either within a day’s
most are easily reachable within a few days by walk of a nearby town or three days’ walk of a city.
horse. Where there is no large city nearby, Villages are rare beyond this limit, since it means they
towns extend their protection to nearby have to be self-sufficient, unable to rely upon a town for
villages. protection and trade.
AVAILABILITY OF GOODS: A Character AVAILABILITY OF GOODS: A Character can acquire
can acquire practically any trapping or service, although practically any trapping or service, although local shortages
local shortages may affect what is available on-hand. Items may affect what is available on-hand. Items which have a
which have a price in silver shillings (ss) or brass pennies price in brass pennies (bp) can be priced as-is from the book.
(bp) can be priced as-is from the book. Items that have Items with a price in silver shillings (ss) may command two
a price in gold crowns (gc) may command two times the times the normal price, whereas items with a price in gold
normal price (if available at all). The GM may have other crowns (gc) may command three times the normal price (if
thoughts on what may be available. available at all). The GM may have other thoughts on what
may be available.
98
CHAP
NEW MATERIALS IN shine, while cold iron glimmers like the stars in the Vault
CRAFTSMANSHIP of Night. While weapons wrought from cold iron are far
more brittle than their iron and steel cousins, they are
While most weapons and armor are made from traditional naturally inimical to the Fey and other unnatural creatures.
materials like iron and leather, there are unusual materials Hexers generally carry a sidearm wrought from cold iron to
that can be used to fashion better (or less expensive) combat supernatural creatures.
equipment. The price of some special materials would deter
PROPERTIES: Weapons made from cold iron are treated
most adventurers, causing them to draw their purse strings
as if they had been made the benefactor of the Generalist
closed all too quickly. However, plundering these materials
Magick spell called Anoint Weapon. However, whenever
– or committing unsavory tasks in exchange for them – is
its user Critically Fails a Skill Test to strike with one of
not unheard of.
these weapons, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the die lands on
face ‘6’, the weapon is Ruined! and must be repaired.
Note that weapons, armor and shields can only be crafted
from one type of material. Your Gamemaster will prescribe
CUIR BOUILLI
further definition where there may be confusion as to
By adding royal water to the leather-crafting process, an
which armor, weapons and shields can be crafted from
artisan can turn soft leather into a more molded, durable
these materials.
material. Traditionally utilized by rich militias, cuir bouilli
MATERIALS PRICE
(pronounced ‘kweer-boo-yee’) is used strictly in times of
war. Often tasseled and covered in fur, it makes for great
Bronze 2/3rd normal price protection and it is highly flexible.
Cold Iron 3x normal price PROPERTIES: Only fur or hide, leather, ringmail and
Cuir Bouilli 6x normal price
brigandine armor types can be made from cuir bouilli.
Those who wear armor of cuir bouilli gains the Natural
Iron standard price Quality. All armor made from cuir bouilli increases their
Ironwood 9x normal price
Encumbrance Value by 1.
Meteoric Iron 12x normal price

HOW MUCH DO I ‘WEIGH’
Mithril 15x normal price
IN ENCUMBRANCE?
Steel 2x normal price
In cases where a GM would require a more specific
Encumbrance value for a Character, assume 15 lbs
BRONZE
equals 1 Encumbrance. Once again, realism trumps
Whereas weapons of stone and bone ruled during the
expectations in the rules, and we encourage you to
first epoch, the rise of bronze weaponry reputedly sprang
treat Encumbrance in an abstract fashion.
from the cradle of civilization. Coats and blades of bronze
were vastly superior to their simpler cousins of stone and
bone; soldiers who bore them brought desolation and ruin
to ‘primitives’ who stood before them. Today, bronze is
not commonly used by standard society for purposes of
crafting weapons. IRON
At the third epoch of humanity’s rise from primordial
PROPERTIES: Whenever the wielder of a bronze
ooze, weaponry graduated from the soft tensility of bronze
weapon or shield Critically Fails to Parry an attack, the
into iron. Today, iron is the most common metal used for
weapon or shield is instantly Ruined!. Whenever the
crafting arms of war.
wearer of bronze armor is struck by a Critical Success from
a melee attack, the armor is instantly Ruined!. PROPERTIES: Assume all prices of standard armor,
weapons and shields are wrought of iron, commanding no
COLD IRON more or no less than the standard prices as listed.
Cold iron is dug from deep below the earth,
a rare metal that appears similar to iron.
However, a discerning eye can tell the
difference – regular iron has a pallid
99
IRONWOOD Dooger von Clud reduces a foe down to Grievously

Within petrified forests grows young, sapling trees. These
Wounded. The foe is wearing mail armor made from
sproutlings are of a highly unusual nature, an amalgamation
meteoric iron. Normally, Dooger would roll 3D6
of naturally-grown trees of wood and those turned to stone.
Chaos Dice to determine whether she Injured the foe.
Called ironwood, these trees are hewn down and reworked
However, she gets to roll 2D6 Chaos Dice instead.
into incredibly strong yet tensile materials. Glades of
ironwood trees are fiercely guarded by foresters. Knowing
its strength, ironwood is sought after by poor marksmen MITHRIL
and nobles alike, able to be made into strong shafts for Worked by the hand of incanter-blacksmiths, mithril is
bows and stocks for crossbows. Ætherically-bonded to steel and other materials, making
it stronger and lighter. Exquisitely-woven suits of mithril
PROPERTIES: ‘Strung’ ranged weapons that are made
mail are highly prized and regarded as the height of Elven
from ironwood increase their Distance by 6 yards.
blacksmithing. The practice of bonding Æther into mithril
is kept secret by the Elves, closely guarded and rarely taught
Lyndon Geneveux raises his ironwood hunting bow to to others outside their kindred.
take a shot at a white hart. Normally, a hunting bow
PROPERTIES: Weapons made from mithril gain the
has a Distance factor of 9+[PB]. However, Lyndon’s
Fast Quality and lose the Slow Quality, whereas shields
ironwood hunting bow has a Distance of 15+[PB].
made from mithril gain the Light Quality. Mail, scale,
munitions plate and full plate armor made from mithril
METEORIC IRON gain the Flexible Quality. Any armament from mithril
Smelted from fallen stars, meteoric iron is incomprehensibly decreases its Encumbrance Value by 1 (to a minimum of 1).
adamantine-strong, rare to find and even more difficult to SPECIAL: In order to bond armor or weapons with
work. The techniques to forge meteoric iron are closely mithril, its creator must successfully cast the Ritual of Bond
guarded by the Dwarves and kept secret by the same Mithril at the end of the crafting process.
blacksmiths who practice the lost art of Runesmithing.
STEEL
PROPERTIES: Melee weapons and ranged weapons made Born from the crucible where iron is smelted, steel is
from meteoric iron which possess the Throwing Quality decidedly a stronger cousin of iron. Known for its lighter
add an additional Chaos Die when determining whether weight and sterner tensility than iron, it didn’t take long for
they Injure a foe (even if they already possess the Vicious knights to demand that all their armaments be wrought
Quality). Armor made from meteoric iron with the Heavy from steel.
Quality enables its wearer to subtract an additional Chaos
Die when determining whether they suffer an Injury. PROPERTIES: Any armament from steel decreases its
Encumbrance Value by 1 (to a minimum of 1).
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CHAP
NEW WEAPONS FAST: Whenever a foe is struck by weapons of this Quality,

they suffer a -10 Base Chance to Dodge or Parry.  
MAIN GAUCHE includes a variety of unusual and
FIERY: After a foe is struck with a weapon of this Quality,
uncommon weapons. Meant to accompany the Trappings
both the foe and one other combatant who are Engaged
chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER, these weapons possess an
with them must succeed at a Coordination Test or be set
assortment of different Qualities and traits.   
On Fire.
WEAPON QUALITIES FINESSE: Weapons of this Quality always reference
We have repeated the old Qualities below, along with new [AB] whenever dealing Damage, instead of [CB].
Qualifies for weapons specific to this work. Remember, as GAS: Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired, it
a general rule, if your Character is wielding two weapons at affects multiple targets in a Burst Template. The Gas effects
once which both confer the same Quality, they cannot take remain immobile for 1D10+1 minutes, but a heavy wind
advantage of it twice; only account for it once, and only will disperse it after one minute has passed.
when held in-hand:
GUNPOWDER: Weapons of this Quality can be loaded
ADAPTABLE: Whenever weapons of this Quality are and fired while standing in an Engagement. Furthermore,
held in two hands instead of one for Attack Actions, add these weapons cannot be Dodged or Parried. Finally, they
+1 to Damage. explode on a face ‘1’ or ‘6’.
ARMING: Weapons and shields of this Quality cannot be IMMOLATE: After a foe is struck with a weapon of this
Disarmed from their wielder. Quality, they must succeed at a Coordination Test or be set
BINDING: Whenever a foe is threatened with Disarm On Fire. The weapon is immediately extinguished after a
with a weapon of this Quality, they suffer a -10 Base successful attack, until relit.
Chance when Resisting its effects.
BREAKER: Whenever weapons of this Quality
successfully Parry a melee weapon with the Finesse Quality, FLAMING ARROWS
its wielder can spend 1 Action Point (called AP throughout & OTHER WEAPONS
the rest of this chapter) to force the attacking foe to Resist
Using a bandage and a pot of oil, you may impart
with a Warfare Test. If they fail, the foe’s weapon gains the
the Immolate Quality to 9 ammunition (such as
Ruined! Quality.
arrows or bolts), provided the weapon which uses
BRACE: A wielder of a weapon with this Quality cannot the ammunition doesn’t possess the Wytchfire or
Charge, Maneuver or Run. Gunpowder Qualities. In addition, you can grant
CASTLE-FORGED: Armor, weapons and shields of the Immolate Quality to melee weapons and ranged
this Quality cannot acquire the Ruined! Quality, outside of weapons that possess the Throwing Quality, but
special exceptions by the GM. immediately gains the Ruined! Quality upon dealing
Damage.
DEFENSIVE: Shields and weapons of this Quality add a
+10 Base Chance to Parry. 
In order to ignite the weapon during combat, you
DETONATE: Whenever a weapon with this Quality must spend 2 AP as a Special Action. Ignited weapons
is fired, it affects multiple targets in a Burst Template. remain lit for 9 minutes before extinguishing.
In addition, Detonate weapons always inflict a Grievous
Injury whenever a target suffers Damage.
DISTRACTION: Immediately after Taking Aim at a foe,
weapons and shields of this Quality force the foe to Resist
Dirty Tricks.
INEFFECTIVE: Weapons and shields of this Quality
ENTANGLING: Immediately after striking a foe, cannot deal Damage or inflict Injuries.
weapons of this Quality force a foe to Resist either a
Chokehold or Takedown. In addition, whenever a foe is LIGHT: Whenever weapons or shields of this Quality are
threatened with a Chokehold or Takedown with this held in your off-hand when attacking with a melee weapon
weapon, they must flip the results to fail when Resisting in your primary hand, add +1 to Total Damage.  
its effects.
101
MAKER’S MARK: Weapons of this Quality gain a +5 Pummeling weapons can only inflict Moderate Injuries,
Base Chance to strike. Armor of this Quality reduces its never Serious or Grievous Injuries. Finally, Pummeling
Encumbrance Value by 2 (to a minimum of 1). Shields weapons cannot be used to cause Bleeding.  
of this Quality adds a passive +1 to Damage Threshold PUNISHING: Immediately after striking a foe, weapons
Modifier. of this Quality may add a 1D6 Fury Die to Total Damage
POWERFUL: Immediately after striking an Engaged in exchange for spending 1 additional AP on this Turn.
foe, weapons of this Quality force a foe to Resist with REACH: Weapons of this Quality may strike a foe the
Toughness or be shoved out of the Engagement.  wielder is Engaged with or standing one yard away from
PUMMELING: Weapons of this Quality always refer outside of an Engagement. In addition, foes who are armed
to [BB] whenever inflicting Damage, instead of [CB]. with a Reach weapon can make an Opportunity Attack
whenever someone Charges or Runs toward them. 
RECOIL: After being fired, weapons of this Quality
CONE, BURST & force its wielder to Resist with Toughness or be shoved
EXPLOSION TEMPLATES out of the Engagement. If they Critically Fail this Skill
Test, they also suffer an Injury based on their current
Some weapons and Magick effect multiple targets at once.
Damage Condition. If Moderately Wounded, they suffer a
In these cases, refer to one of the Template types below:
Hyperextended Elbow; if Seriously Wounded, they suffer
CONE TEMPLATE: A Cone will extend straight from a Stress Fracture; and if Grievously Wounded, they
in a 16 yard line from where you stand, 1 yard wide suffer a Splintered Elbow. Finally, these weapons require
at its starting point and 5 yards wide at its end point. three ammunitions to Load instead of one.
You can aim weapons and Magick, so that it can be REPEATING: Ranged weapons of this Quality can be
used to affect only foes. However, you will need to fired up to three times without having to spend APs to
succeed at an Awareness Test to not harm your allies. load.
BURST TEMPLATE: A Burst will radiate outwards RUINED!: Armor of this Quality does not add to Damage
in a circle with a diameter of 6 yards in all directions. Threshold. Shields of this Quality cannot be used to Parry.
Select a point of origin within sight – whether it is a Weapons of this Quality suffer a -3 penalty to Total
creature, object, person or place – and the Burst then Damage. Fixing Ruined! trappings require an appropriate
takes effect. A Burst affects both allies and foe alike. tradesman who can fix it, who must be paid six days’ wages.
Your GM will make the determination who is affected. Alternatively, a successful Tradecraft Test after six days
EXPLOSION TEMPLATE: An Explosion will of repair will fix it. If already Ruined! trappings are once
radiate outwards in a circle with a diameter of again Ruined! before they can be fixed, they are destroyed.
10 yards in all directions. Select a point of origin SHRAPNEL: Whenever a weapon with this Quality is
within sight – whether it is a creature, object, person fired, it affects multiple targets in a Cone Template.
or place – and the Explosion then takes effect. An
SLOW: Whenever a foe is struck by weapons of this
Explosion affects both allies and foe alike. Your GM
Quality, they gain a +10 Base Chance to Dodge or Parry
will make the determination who is affected.
its Damage.
Distinct barriers limit areas over which Templates SMOKE: Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired,
takes effect. However, soft barriers such as clothing it affects multiple targets in a Burst Template. The Smoke’s
lines, trees, foliage and the like will not. The best effects remain immobile for 1D10+1 minutes, but a heavy
rule of thumb to follow is that if the barrier totally wind will disperse it after one minute has passed. Those who
prevents a Character’s line of sight, it will limit the stand inside or fire into the Smoke cannot use the Medium
area of effect for the Template, reshaping it to meet or Long Distance values of ranged weapons, while attacks
the constraints of the space available. As an example, made with weapons or Magick outside of Engaged suffer
a blunderbus (which uses the Cone Template) could additional penalties to strike.  
be fired through a crate of bottles, but not through a THROWING: Weapons of this Quality do not have a
wooden palisade. Medium or Long Distance increment for ranged weapons.  
VICIOUS: Weapons of this Quality grant an additional
1D6 Chaos Die to determine whether a wielder inflicts an
Injury upon a foe.  
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CHAP
VOLATILE: When a wielder Critically Fails an Attack a Short Distance of one yard, up to 13 yards away (9+4).
Action or Perilous Stunt using weapons of this Quality, Medium Distance is equal to Short Distance times two
roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. On a result of ‘1’ to ‘5’, the weapon and Long Distance is equal to Short Distance times three.
misfires, requiring an hour to clean and repair. On a result So, if the aforementioned Short Distance is 13 yards, the
of face ‘6’, it explodes, destroying the weapon and dealing Medium Distance is between 14 to 26 yards (13×2) and
2D10+2 Damage from fire to its wielder. This Damage Long Distance is between 27 to 39 yards (13×3).  Attacks
cannot be Dodged, Parried or Resisted. made with ranged weapons fired outside of the Short
WEAK: Weapons of this Quality can only inflict Moderate Distance are penalized by a Difficulty Rating, which the
or Serious Injuries, never Grievous Injuries. GM will determine.  
WYTCHFYRE: After a foe is struck with a weapon of QUALITIES: All weapons possess a combination of
this Quality, they must succeed at a Coordination Test or Qualities, as outlined above. A weapon’s Quality, however,
be set On Fire. Finally, a foe suffers 3 Corruption whenever is only conferred when you are wielding it in your hands.
they suffer Damage from these weapons. Meaning, you cannot take advantage of a lasso’s Defensive
Quality if it is stowed at your side.  
WEAPON STATISTICS  TYPE: There are five specific subcategories which
Weapons are presented in the following format: all weapons belong to: Bladed, Brawling, Crushing,
Gunpowder and Missile. In addition, there is one new
NAME: Every type of weapon possesses a proper name. Type: Wytch-Science. These Types are generally referred
Many weapons are known by different names (such as the to by your Character’s Talents and Traits.
bec de corbin may also be called a “crow’s beak”, whereas a
claymore may also be called a “bastard sword”). However, ALT. DAMAGE: Damage is normally determined by
you will refer to its proper name when recording it on your [CB]+1D6 Fury Die. If your GM allows it, you can instead
Character sheet.   use Damage by weapon type combining the weapon’s
alternative Damage and rolling 1D6 Fury Die to determine
SKILL: Every weapon requires a specific Combat-based Total Damage.
Skill to use it. These four Skills are Simple Melee, Martial
Melee, Simple Ranged and Martial Ranged.   ENCUMBRANCE VALUE: Weapons have very little
Encumbrance, but just enough to make sure you’re not
LOAD: Ranged weapons, which can be used at a Distance walking around like a living armory. Encumbrance Values
outside of one yard, require its wielder to load it with are added up to determine whether or not you’re suffering
ammunition before firing. Loading a weapon requires a from Overage. However, reasonable assumptions trump
certain number of APs. Loading can be a time-consuming mechanics. Just because you have a 14 Encumbrance Limit
process, taking more than your allotted time during a fight. does not mean you can realistically haul around fourteen
You must complete the load action before using the weapon foils!  
again and the action cannot be interrupted; meaning, you
cannot halfway load a bolt onto a crossbow. If you are PRICE: This is how much the weapon normally costs.
interrupted, you will need to take the loading action again, Prices may vary during wartime or periods when there are
even if it carries between your Turns.    shortages in the area of iron, stone, leather, wood and the
other types of trade goods used to craft weapons. 
HANDLING: Weapons are always used in either one or
both hands. Providing you have use of both hands, you must
carry two-handed weapons; most cannot be simply strapped WYTCH-SCIENCE
to the back (without the approval of the GM). One- Extremely rare items have a price of UNIQUE and
handed weapons are generally sheathed or hidden away. cannot be acquired with money. They must be taken
DISTANCE: Melee weapons require you to be standing from the hands of enemies who wield them using
toe-to-toe or Engaged with an opponent.  Ranged weapons deception, force or murder.
are able to be used at distinct ranges between the Character
firing it and their target. Distances are always expressed
in yards and are derived from [PB]. As an
example, an arbalest crossbow has a Distance
of 9+PB. This means that
if you have a 4 [PB], you
can fire this weapon at
103
104
CHAP
MARTIAL
MELEE ALT. ENC.
WEAPONS LOAD HANDLING DISTANCE QUALITIES TYPE DAMAGE VALUE PRICE
Backsword 0 One-handed Engaged Finesse, Light, Vicious Bladed AB+1 2 7gc
One or two-
Barbed Spear 0 Engaged Adaptable, Fast, Vicious Bladed CB+1 2 1gc
handed
Bladed,
Bec de Corbin 0 Two-handed Engaged Fast, Powerful CB+2 3 4gc
Crushing
Bohemian
0 Two-handed Engaged Defensive, Vicious Bladed CB+2 3 4gc
Earspoon
One or two-
Claymore 0 Engaged Adaptable, Punishing, Slow Bladed CB+2 2 10gc
handed
Engaged or
Demilance 0 Two-handed Powerful, Reach Bladed CB+2 2 1gc
1 yard
One or two-
Falchion 0 Engaged Adaptable, Vicious Bladed CB+1 2 7gc
handed
Binding, Defensive, Finesse,
Flammard Rapier 0 One-handed Engaged Bladed AB+2 1 5gc
Weak
Gauntlet-Sword 0 One-handed Engaged Arming, Finesse, Slow Bladed AB 2 7gc
Engaged or
Glaive 0 Two-handed Reach, Vicious Bladed CB+3 3 2gc
1 yard
Engaged or
Greatsword 0 Two-handed Finesse, Reach, Slow Bladed AB+3 3 12gc
1 yard
Engaged or
Guisarme 0 Two-handed Entangling, Finesse, Reach Bladed AB+2 3 4gc
1 yard
Engaged or
Halberd 0 Two-handed Powerful, Reach, Slow Bladed CB+2 3 5gc
1 yard
Katzbalger 0 One-handed Engaged Defensive, Weak Bladed CB 1 2gc
One or two-
Lochaber Axe 0 Engaged Adaptable, Powerful Bladed CB+2 2 2gc
handed
Engaged or Arming, Entangling, Reach,
Man-Catcher 0 Two-handed Crushing CB+1 3 7gc
1 yard Weak
One or two-
Military Fork 0 Engaged Adaptable, Finesse Bladed AB+2 2 7gc
handed
Military Pike 0 Two-handed Engaged Slow, Powerful, Punishing Bladed CB+2 3 5gc
One or two-
Rondel Dagger 0 Engaged Adaptable, Vicious, Weak Bladed CB 1 1gc
handed
Sparth Axe 0 Two-handed Engaged Punishing, Slow, Vicious Bladed CB+3 3 2gc
Swagger Stick 0 One-handed Engaged Powerful, Pummeling, Slow Crushing BB 1 1gc
Swordbreaker 0 One-handed Engaged Breaker, Finesse, Weak Bladed AB 1 8ss
Tulwar 0 One-handed Engaged Fast, Finesse Bladed AB 1 7gc
Urumi 0 One-handed Engaged Distraction, Fast, Weak Bladed CB 2 2gc
Engaged or
Voulge 0 Two-handed Reach, Vicious Bladed CB+2 3 4gc
1 yard
One or two-
War Chopper 0 Engaged Adaptable, Slow, Vicious Bladed CB+1 1 7gc
handed
105
SIMPLE
MELEE ALT. ENC.
Baselard 0 One-handed Engaged Fast, Finesse, Light, Weak Bladed AB 1 1gc
Bollock Dagger 0 One-handed Engaged Slow, Vicious, Weak Bladed CB 1 10ss
Cat O’ Nine Tails 0 One-handed Engaged Fast, Pummeling Brawling BB-2 1 7ss
Cestus 0 One-handed Engaged Light, Pummeling Brawling BB 1 8bp
Cleaver 0 One-handed Engaged Slow, Punishing, Weak Bladed CB 1 2ss
Engaged or
Fauchard 0 Two-handed Entangling, Reach, Weak Bladed CB+1 3 7ss
1 yard
Binding, Finesse, Slow,
Foil 0 One-handed Engaged Bladed AB 1 3gc
Weak
Finesse, Light, Vicious,
Hunting Sword 0 One-handed Engaged Bladed AB 2 2gc
Weak
Khopesh 0 One-handed Engaged Slow, Vicious, Weak Bladed CB+1 1 1gc
Pick Axe 0 Two-handed Engaged Slow, Punishing, Weak Bladed CB+1 2 2ss
Defensive, Powerful,
Pilgrim’s Staff 0 Two-handed Engaged Crushing BB+1 2 2ss
Pummeling
Engaged or
Pitchfork 0 Two-handed Reach, Slow, Weak Bladed CB+1 2 2ss
1 yard
Engaged or
Scourge 0 One-handed Pummeling, Reach Brawling BB-1 2 12ss
1 yard
Powerful, Slow, Vicious,
Scythe 0 Two-handed Engaged Bladed CB+1 3 4ss
Weak
Finesse, Slow, Vicious,
Sickle 0 One handed Engaged Bladed AB 2 3ss
Weak
Bladed,
Swordstick 0 One-handed Engaged Finesse, Weak AB 1 3gc
Crushing
One or two-
Trident 0 Engaged Adaptable, Finesse, Weak Bladed AB 2 4ss
handed
Trident Dagger 0 One-handed Engaged Binding, Light, Weak Bladed CB 1 1gc
MELEE WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS  BASELARD: These weapons go from occupying tombs

The following entries give general descriptions of all melee to finding their way into the hands of criminals. Oversized
weapons. These weapons are not necessarily portrayed in a versions of these daggers are sometimes a centerpiece of
historical light. Instead, they are simple accounts on how a discussion among nobles as a fashion accessory.
weaponsmith might speak to a would-be warrior: BEC DE CORBIN: A pole weapon rarely seen outside
ceremonies, it is tipped with both a hammer on one end
BACKSWORD: Although technically not worn on and a hook on the other. Bec de corbin is an ancient word
the back, these knuckle-guarded single-edged blades meaning “raven’s beak”.
are favored by kilt-wearing screamers and common
infantry. BOHEMIAN EARSPOON: This diabolical yet oddly-
named weapon is little more than a winged spear, affixed
BARBED SPEAR: This frightening instrument is with twin, sharply-bent ‘ears’ on either side.
generally found in the hands of coldly-neutral
Elves of the forest. Its vicious barbs pull at BOLLOCK DAGGER: They say it is not the size of
the flesh when expunged from their victims’ the dagger, but the way you use it. So-named for its
bodies. phallic-like shape, the bollock dagger has been used for
both clean kills and unsanitary, penetrative means.
106
CHAP
CAT O’NINE TAILS: Sometimes called ‘the cat’, GAUNTLET-SWORD: As the name prescribes, this
this short lash is used to flagellate oneself in service for oddity of foreign lands is generally wielded by those on
penitence to a god, or as a ‘gentle’ reminder across the face horseback against other cavalrymen. However, the derring-
of your enemies that gods are real. do may bewilder their foes with such armaments, despite
CESTUS: A battle glove with hardened iron being restrictive and cumbersome.
around the knuckles, a cestus is perfect for GUISARME: Similar to the fauchard,
beating others to a bloody pulp. Usually, the guisarme is of military design, and has
they are seen as ‘against the rules’ in a hook on it to drag opponents around the
street brawls. battlefield or riders from their saddles.
CLAYMORE: An enormous sword HALBERD: A spear that terminates with an
that takes two hands to wield, it can oversized axe head, the halberd is perfect for
slice the head off a stallion in one swing. swings rather than stabs. However, it makes a
It is also oftentimes conflated with a bastard poor substitute for a woodsman’s axe when it
sword; the namesake of the bastards who comes to splitting logs.
wield them. HUNTING SWORD: These blades are
CLEAVER: These broad-bladed knives are the commonly carried by hunting parties to
favored tools of butchers of meat and men alike. With humanely finish off their prey. Dungeoneers,
one fell swoop of the blade, it can hew a ragged sliver knaves and other ne’er-do-wells call them
of ‘money muscle’ right off the bone for a barbeque. “short swords”; an obvious description of
DEMILANCE: When playing at the joust, the their length but common misconception of
demilance is a choice weapon, held in one hand their utility.
much like its military lance contemporary. Out of the KATZBALGER: These ‘improper’ arming swords with
saddle, it is treated as a cavalry lance for footmen, held in a figure 8-shaped guard are never found far from the
two hands. waistband of an archer or other coward who uses a ranged
FALCHION: A weapon with broad regional differences, weapon. At least, that’s what knights tend to say about
the falchion’s blade is always curved and seen as the those who wield these strange blades.
implement of foreigners and sailors alike. KHOPESH: Seen often in desert lands, the khopesh
FAUCHARD: Rebellious serfs often use this rudimentary, adds an odd, sickle-like arc to the blade. They are generally
bastardized version of a polearm to yank knights and nobles wrought of bronze, telling of a lost age of desert-kings who
off their high horses. were worshipped as gods. 
FLAMMARD RAPIER: These wavy-bladed rapiers LOCHABER AXE: The lochaber, like its other polearm
stand apart from other duelists’ blades in that the cousins, is often the subject of Gygaxian musings on the
undulating design of their blades can inflict deadlier multitude of pole axes of the world.
wounds. However, this is a misnomer – it instead makes MILITARY FORK: A long and elegant bident on a pole,
it flimsier. But it does provide one genuine advantage: its the fork impales with the best of them. 
curves slow an opponent’s sword down, thus making it a MILITARY PIKE: Little more than a military-grade spear,
more defensive weapon.  the pike is extremely long and often used to either dispatch
FOIL: A thin and flexible blade, the foil – along with the horses and their riders or used in the thicket of a phalanx.
rapier and court sword – are considered the three most MAN CATCHER: This odd halberd terminates in a
popular blades for fencers and duelists alike. barbed-ring, designed to be placed around a foe’s neck or
GLAIVE: With a long, shivering pole and a cumbersome limb. This allows the wielder to control the movement and
ornamental blade affixed at its tip, the glaive is the most direction of the foe who risks impalement if they resist
recognized of polearms. while held in the man catcher.
GREATSWORD: Oftentimes confused with the PICK AXE: A normal pick usually swung to mine for ore
ubiquitous (but ill-named) mortuary sword, these long, or dig for corpses, it can also cause severe puncture wounds
elegant and graceful swords are the marque of Bladedancers. and death when hefted at flesh.
Notoriously heavy, tall and requiring a flexible grasp, this PILGRIM’S STAFF: Oftentimes seen in the hands of
sword (like its war hammer cousin) has mostly fallen out wayward travelers to navigate the wilderness, this utilitarian
of favor to the far-superior zweihänder blade.
107
stick is obscenely large. It is often a prop wielded by clerics, blades split into three. They are used by common street
wizards and their ilk, who like to make a grand entrance duelists, ‘sprung’ at a moment’s notice when they need to
before they preach the word. catch an incoming attack.
PITCHFORK: A tool for farmers, put to the right use it TULWAR: A curved sword like the sabre or falchion, the
can be just as deadly as any formal polearm. Also, the name tulwar is often much longer and much thinner than their
of a leaflet distributed between cities which criticizes bards cousins. They, too, evoke the feel of the distant East.
and other entertainers, written by disillusioned, entitled URUMI: These strange swords are not only flexible, but
Burghers. downright floppy. When swung, it acts like a whip – one
RONDEL DAGGER: A favored sidearm of the shod entirely in metal, and with two deadly edges. It is
Chevalier, this dagger is always made from steel. While not generally worn like a belt when not in use, making it easy
sharpened, it can still punch a hole through plate if held in to conceal.
two-hands. VOULGE: Gygaxian musings have taught weapon
SCOURGE: This painful ‘kill-whip’ is used to dole out masters that the voulge is nothing more than a halberd
lasting punishment to enemies, with barbs or iron balls with a sharp spear tip on the end. Or was it a lochaber axe?
affixed to the end of its leather lashes. WAR CHOPPER: The weapon-du-jour of vile
SCYTHE: A massive curved blade at one end with a barbarians, war choppers are cruel hand axes fixed with
jagged pole on the other, the scythe is terrifying barbs, spikes and scrap metal. They are ugly yet brutal.
if used as a weapon. The scythe is also seen as a
symbol of death – many students of Morticism, RANGED WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS 
Necromancy and the Custodian revere them.  The following entries give general descriptions of all
SICKLE: Similar to a scythe, but much smaller ranged weapons. These are the most common names
and able to be wielded in one hand, it is normally used, although mileage may vary, depending on what
used to cut sheaves of wheat, but druids are said to region you are from: 
use sacred versions of this weapon to cut the holly they
revere. It is also used in-hand by the common rabble when BLOWPIPE: Found in many hunter cultures, the
pushed to the fore of battle.  blowpipe is little more than a hollow reed you blow
into to propel a dart. The dart, however, is harmless
SPARTH AXE: Similar to a halberd, the sparth axe unless laden with toxic poison.
blade sweeps up, meaning it is better for upward strikes.
Unfortunately, it is a clumsy affair for its wielder. CAST-IRON GRENADE: Made from sturdy iron
and often filled with shards of metal, these explosives tear
SWAGGER STICK: Commonly carried by military limb from body in a grisly fashion.
officers, this rod is a rattan stick tipped in iron and wielded
by off-duty soldiers. It serves as a grim reminder to criminals GLASS GRENADE: Little more than a glass or clay
who would step up with the intent to harm or rob a veteran flask, these grenades are filled with toxins that splash upon
of the arse-beating they will receive in turn. foes when the vial breaks.
SWORDBREAKER: A broad dagger with deep metal HAND BOMBARD: This deadly precursor to the
grooves along the back end of the blade, it is used to catch bazooka is uncommon, and only a brave few dare tote one
and snap opponents’ blades. around in a fight. Many a limb and life have been lost to
a grenade that didn’t fire from the mouth of this absurd
SWORDSTICK: Called ‘the aristocrat’s weapon’, the launcher.
swordstick is a narrow blade hidden within a walking
stick or cane. A favorite of the well-to-do or enfeebled HANDCANNON: The size of a pistol with the power of
military veteran to intimidate others, but senseless on the a musket, you will make others pray, ‘Is this your lucky day,
battlefield. knave?’ when you level it at them.
TRIDENT: Originally designed for spearfishing, the LASSO: A length of rope used by rustlers and horsemen
trident is similar to the military fork, albeit terminating in alike, a lasso can prove useful in wrangling cattle or foes in
three prongs. The weapon is associated with both the sea a pinch.
and the Leviathan. NET: Usually used to catch fish or game, a net is perfect
TRIDENT DAGGER: These spring-loaded knives look for entangling an enemy in order to get a few jabs in for
like ordinary heavy blades, but with a click of a button, the free. It is also used in theatrical fights in arenas, oftentimes
snagging a gladiator when they least expect it.
108
CHAP
MARTIAL
RANGED ALT. ENC.
Cast-Iron Detonate, Gunpowder,
2 AP One-handed 1+[PB] yards Gunpowder BB+1 2 3gc
Grenade Throwing, Volatile
Detonate, Gunpowder,
Hand Bombard 4 AP Two-handed 3+[PB] yards Gunpowder CB+2 3 68gc
Volatile
Gunpowder, Punishing,
Handcannon 2 AP One-handed 3+[PB] yards Gunpowder CB+1 2 34gc
Recoil, Volatile
Brace, Gunpowder,
Rampart Gun 6 AP Two-handed 18+[PB] yards Gunpowder CB+3 6 154gc
Punishing, Vicious
Repeating
4 AP Two-handed 6+[PB] yards Fast, Punishing, Repeating Missile CB+2 3 10gc
Crossbow
Wytchfyre Finesse, Gunpowder, Wytch-
4 AP Two-handed 12+[PB] yards AB+2 4 UNIQUE
Jezzail Volatile, Wytchfyre Science
Wytchfyre Finesse, Gunpowder, Vicious, Wytch-
3 AP One-handed 9+[PB] yards AB+1 2 UNIQUE
Pistol Volatile, Wytchfyre Science
Brace, Finesse, Gunpowder,
Wytchfyre Wytch-
4 AP Two-handed 3+[PB] yards Repeating, Shrapnel, Volatile, CB+2 6 UNIQUE
Thrower Science
Wytchfyre
PIGSKIN: This oblong-shaped inflated ball is made from Condottiere Arnolt Uberschwarz wielding it one-handed
pig or cow’s stomach. Despite its origins, the slang term against an onslaught of soldiers.
pigskin is used by Blitzballers out on the field, whom often REPEATING CROSSBOW: A crossbow with an automatic
throw the ball at the heads of opposing players to take feeding and reloading mechanism, even the least trained
them out. soldier can unleash a hail of bolts in a matter of seconds.
RAMPART GUN: These smooth-bore muskets are used SMOKE BOMB: Used by self-named ‘experts on the
by defenders along a wall to take ‘pot shots’ at besiegers. Orient’, these small incendiaries are filled with minute
Generally affixed with either a barrel hook or lain atop amounts of sage, gunpowder and charcoal wrapped in
a window ledge to fire, tall tales abound of the infamous
109
SIMPLE
RANGED ALT. ENC.
Blowpipe 1 AP One-handed 1+[PB] yards Fast, Ineffective, Throwing Missile NONE 1 1gc
Wytch-
Glass Grenade 1 AP One-handed 1+[PB] yards Gas, Ineffective, Throwing NONE 2 UNIQUE
Science
Arming, Entangling,
Lasso 2 AP Two-handed 1+[PB] yards Missile NONE 2 5ss
Ineffective, Throwing
Entangling, Ineffective,
Net 2 AP One-handed 1+[PB] yards Missile NONE 2 5ss
Throwing
Pigskin 1 AP One-handed 18+[PB] yards Fast, Ineffective, Throwing Missile NONE 1 1ss
Ineffective, Smoke,
Smoke Bomb 1 AP One-handed 1+[PB] yards Missile NONE 1 10s
Throwing
Fast, Pummeling,
Staff Sling 2 AP Two-handed 3+[PB] yards Missile BB 1 6ss
Throwing
Distraction, Fast,
Throwing Star 1 AP One-handed 1+[PB] yards Bladed NONE 1 1gc
waxed paper. Detonating upon impact, thick plumes of NEW ARMOR 

smoke arise from where it was thrown.
It takes far more than physical fortitude to protect oneself
STAFF SLING: A walking staff as expected, but with
against the risk of death. A harness of plate or a coat of
a leather sling attached to the tip in order to toss stones
mail bridges the gap between those who have little combat
or other objects at a moment’s notice. It should not be
know-how and those who are combat-ready. While some
confused with the ‘wrist rocket on a stick’ of thieving little
elect not to wear armor (a penchant perhaps of half-naked
Halflings.
Dwarf Slayers), it is always wise to wear some sort of
THROWING STAR: Usually found in the collections of protection – regardless of whether you are a simple fop or a
mercenary agents from the mysterious East or in the hands political mastermind.  
of Skrzzak assassins, throwing stars are handheld bladed
projectiles, tipped with venom. ARMOR QUALITIES
WYTCHFYRE JEZZAIL: A long range rifle used by the Much like weapons, armor possesses specific Qualities.
Skrzzak, the jezzail shoots a fast and accurate screaming However, not all armor has Qualities associated with it.
ball of Wytchfyre that explodes in green flames upon Also included – should you use alternate armor rules – is
impact. Piecemeal Armor costs and areas of protection, carried over
from the Game Mastery chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER
WYTCHFYRE PISTOL: Like a normal pistol, save (includes parts covered on the body for area-specific hits):  
that the barrel propels a Wytchstone propels a charge that
explodes upon impact in warping pain. It is the favored FLEXIBLE: Armor of this Quality allows its wearer to
sidearm of the Skrzzak. Dodge attacks using Athletics.
WYTCHFYRE THROWER: Appearing as a broad HEAVY: Armor of this Quality prohibits the use of the
tube with a billow at one end and connected to an iron- Incantation Skill to cast Magick and Coordination in order
bound barrel full of oil, pitch and Wytchstone Essence, the to Dodge attacks. 
thrower shoots out plumes of flame that consume those in
NATURAL: Armor of this Quality adds a +10 Base
a wide cone.
Chance to Dodge attacks.
ARMOR DESCRIPTIONS 
The following entries give general descriptions of each
type of armor. Note that the descriptions do not aim for
true historical ‘accuracy’, but reflect how Characters would
perceive these type of armor in a grim & perilous world.
110
CHAP
DAMAGE
THRESHOLD ENCUMBRANCE
ARMOR NAME MODIFIER QUALITIES VALUE PRICE
Ringmail 3 NONE 5 28gc
PIECEMEAL RINGMAIL PARTS COVERED PRICE

Doublet Arms & Body 20gc
Nasal helmet Head 3gc
Trousers Legs 5gc
DAMAGE
THRESHOLD ENCUMBRANCE
ARMOR NAME MODIFIER QUALITIES VALUE PRICE
Scale 5 Heavy 7 77gc
PIECEMEAL SCALE PARTS COVERED PRICE

Coat Arms, Body & Legs 69gc
Tunic Body 35gc
Ridge Helmet Head 8gc
RINGMAIL: Oftentimes confused with its brigandine SCALE: As a relatively new-fangled approach to
cousin, ringmail armor is nothing less than a poor man’s reproducing plate armor at a more generous cost, scale
version of mail armor. Made from interlocking rings woven armor is a far cry cheaper than its contemporary. Made of
into a flexible coat of leather, ringmail is a common form overlapping disks (or rectangular plates) of thin metal, it
of armor worn by rebels and highwaymen alike. Cheap and makes the wearer look akin to a fish or some other nautical
affordable, many a bitpenny-pinching baron has foisted creature. Oftentimes, scale is decorated with pearls
this conciliatory form of armor upon his militia. and seashells, only further underscoring its namesake.
Fortunately, it affords better protection than mail, but has
a considerable amount of weight.
111
SHIELD HANDLING QUALITIES ENC. VALUE PRICE

Heater shield One-handed Arming, Defensive 2 2gc
Lantern shield One-handed Distraction, Light 2 3gc
Mantle One-handed Distraction, Ineffective 1 3gc
Pavise Two-handed Free-standing, Protective 3 4gc
Unrimmed shield One-handed Ineffective, Splintered 1 2ss
NEW SHIELDS FREE-STANDING: Shields of this Quality must be

affixed into the ground for 1 AP to be useful. Once affixed,
Used to block arrows and bash enemies about, a shield it provides medium cover for purposes of Take Cover. In
can mean the difference between life or death. A shield is addition, a single person who is Engaged with the shield
primarily used to protect its wielder from ranged attacks, can take advantage of the shield’s Protective Quality
but some can be interspersed between melee attacks.   (despite not wielding it in-hand). If left unfixed, a shield
with this Quality is useless.
SHIELD QUALITIES 
INEFFECTIVE: Weapons and shields of this Quality
Much like weapons, shields possess specific Qualities:
cannot deal Damage or inflict Injuries.
ARMING: Weapons and shields of this Quality cannot be LIGHT: Whenever weapons or shields of this Quality are
Disarmed from their wielder. held in the off-hand while attacking with a melee weapon
DISTRACTION: Immediately after Taking Aim at a foe, in the primary hand, add +1 to Total Damage.  
weapons and shields of this Quality force the foe to Resist PROTECTIVE: Shields of this Quality can be used to
Dirty Tricks. Parry any Attack Action made with a ranged weapon.
112
CHAP
SPLINTERED: Immediately after the wielder of a shield shields are used by archers and others to take cover behind.
with this Quality suffers Damage from a melee or ranged The pavise is generally decorated with gaudy or explicit
weapon, they can spend a Fortune Point to automatically images, intended to draw the attention and fire of others
ignore it. The shield is then destroyed. who intend their wielders harm. A pavise is useless, unless
affixed into the ground.
SHIELD STATISTICS 
The benefits and drawbacks shields gives to its wearer are UNRIMMED SHIELD: Considered to be a cheap form
as follows:   of defense, an unrimmed shield is usually made from a
bucket lid or other poorly-made bits of lumber and bound
NAME: Every type of shield possesses a proper name. together with a leather strap. In desperation, they are
These names are purposefully abstract: a pavise is sometimes typically interposed to entirely absorb a single blow… only
(mistakenly) called a tower shield and an unrimmed shield to shatter into splinters afterwards.
may potentially be construed as being a small shield or a
target shield. However, you will refer to its proper name NEW WAR MACHINES
when recording it on your Character sheet.   Beyond the standard bolt thrower, cannon and stone
HANDLING: Unless otherwise noted in other hurler, other war machines exist within the world. Some
supplements, a shield is always held in one hand (and are fielded aboard naval ships, as others are affixed to the
considered to be an improvised hand weapon if used to top of parapets to protect from interlopers. A few can even
strike with).   be hidden inside a wagon, uncovered at the right moment
to pound the ever-living hell out of highwaymen with a
QUALITIES: Akin to weapons, shields can also possess
rain of lead and smoke. Below is a small host of new war
Qualities. Refer to the Qualities above to understand their
machines to include in your ZWEIHÄNDER game.
effect.  
ENCUMBRANCE VALUE: Overall, shields are relatively WAR MACHINE QUALITIES
easy to carry around. However, when their Encumbrance Much like weapons, war machines possess a few unique
Value is added to armor, weapons and other sundries, it Qualities:
can create Overage.  PRICE: This is how much shields
normally costs. Prices may vary based on the settlement, ARTILLERY: Weapons of this Quality can be loaded
or even during wartime as certain materials command a and fired while standing in an Engagement. Furthermore,
premium. these weapons force foes to flip the results to fail whenever
they attempt to Dodge or Parry an attack made with an
SHIELD DESCRIPTIONS 
Artillery weapon.
The following entries give general descriptions of each type
of shield. DETONATE: Whenever a weapon with this Quality
is fired, it affects multiple targets in a Burst Template.
HEATER SHIELD: These shields are used by common In addition, Detonate weapons always inflict a Grievous
stock soldiers and mounted knights alike. Known for their Injury whenever a target suffers Damage.
clothes iron-like shape, they have several straps attached to
GUNPOWDER: Weapons of this Quality can be loaded
the wearer’s arm, making it impossible for the wielder to
and fired while standing in an Engagement. Furthermore,
have their shield disarmed.
these weapons cannot be Dodged or Parried.
LANTERN SHIELD: These personal defense devices are
FIERY: After a foe is struck with a weapon of this Quality,
carried by burghers and other nobles who conduct their
both the foe and one other combatant who is Engaged
business in dangerous parts of the city, or in the dead of
with them must succeed at a Coordination Test or be set
night. Utilizing a bizarre combination of a gauntlet and
On Fire.
buckler – affixed with a candle light on the inside of a
mirrored shield – it can be used to maim or blind would-be REPEATING: Ranged weapons of this Quality can be
robbers. fired up to three times without having to spend APs to load.
MANTLE: While not technically a shield, this fancy cloak SHRAPNEL: Whenever a weapon with this Quality is
with tassels is worn by duelists and nobles alike. When fired, it affects multiple targets in a Cone Template.
grasped in one hand, it can be used to temporarily blind SIEGE: Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired,
a foe by whipping them in the face, or flat-out embarrass it affects multiple targets in an Explosion Template. In
yourself by acting the fool. addition, Siege weapons always inflict a Grievous Injury
PAVISE: These wholly cumbersome, but highly useful whenever a target suffers Damage.
113
VOLLEY: Ranged weapons of this Quality can be fired up Distances are always expressed in yards, multiplied by the
to nine times without having to spend APs to load. crew’s highest [PB]. As an example, a ribauldequin gun has
a Distance of 9×PB. This means that if the highest crew
WAR MACHINE STATISTICS member’s [PB] is 8, you can fire this weapon at a Short
All war machines possess unique statistics. Unlike regular Distance of up to 72 yards. Medium Distance is equal to
melee or ranged weapons, they are handled very differently. Short Distance times two and Long Distance is equal to
Short Distance times three. So, if the aforementioned Short
SKILL: All war machines require the use of the Warfare Distance is 72 yards, the Medium Distance is between 73
skill to operate. The chance to strike is derived from the and 144 yards (72× 2) and Long Distance is between 145
crew’s highest Warfare value. However, whenever firing a and 216 yards (72× 3).
war machine, they gain the benefits of one Assist Die.
CREW: War machines require the attention of many Attacks made from ranged weapons fired outside of the
people to appropriately handle it. Some focus on assessing Short Distance are penalized by additional Difficulty
distance, a few others on positioning it and a crew leader to Rating, which the GM will determine. The only exception
either pull the lever or light the fuse when the time is right. to this is for the battering ram, which has a limited range.
LOAD TIME: Unlike other ranged weapons, all war DAMAGE: War machine Damage is expressed using
machines require not only a crew to man it, but also to a number of 1D6 Fury Dice added to [PB]. Damage is
Load it. Load times are expressed in minutes, instead of always derived from highest [PB] of the crewmember that
APs. Whenever Loading, it is assumed that the crew are is manning the war machine.
using 3 APs to operate it. QUALITIES: War machines possess a combination of
DISTANCE: War machines are able to be used at distinct Qualities, as outlined above.
ranges between the Character firing it and their target. TYPE: There are three specific subcategories which war
machines belong to: Crushing, Gunpowder and Missile.
These Types are generally referred to by your Character’s
Talents and Traits.
PRICE: Although these prices are normally prohibitive
to run-of-the-mill Characters, it can infer the immense
cost that a settlement must incur in order to build a war
machine.
WAR MACHINE DESCRIPTIONS

Below are three new types of war machines. While the
noble battering ram is fielded by even the most ignorant
of barbarians, gunpowder-driven artillery is reserved for
nations rich in resources and/or a strong navy.
BATTERING RAM: Battering rams are the mainstay

of any besieging force, used to bash down gates. Most are
hewn of rough wood and carried by a forlorn hope, whereas
true militaries have ones that sit inside a protected ‘house’
borne on wheels and roofed in soaked hides. Battering rams
sometimes carry a namesake, such as the God-Emperor’s
Fist or the Nightfather’s Cock. In these cases, it is common
to find that the head of the battering ram is decorated
accordingly, using paint or an iron-shod masthead.
DEMI-CULVERIN: These eleven-foot long barreled-
cannons are frightening to behold, considered to be the
deadliest and most accurate of all medium cannons. Most
burn red-hot once fired, as their payload is perfectly
delivered to demolish walls and soldiers alike.
114
CHAP
WAR LOAD
MACHINES CREW TIME DISTANCE DAMAGE QUALITIES TYPE PRICE
Engaged or 3
Battering ram 6 1 minute 3D6+[PB] Artillery Crushing 110gc
yards
Demi-culverin 3 9 minutes 9 x [PB] yards 9D6+[PB] Artillery, Gunpowder Gunpowder 952gc
Powder barrel 2 3 minutes Engaged 9D6+[PB] Gunpowder, Siege Gunpowder 24gc
Powder keg 1 1 minute Engaged 6D6+[PB] Detonate, Gunpowder Gunpowder 13gc
Puckle gun 3 3 minutes 6 x [PB] yards 6D6+[PB] Artillery, Gunpowder, Repeating Gunpowder 634gc
Ribauldequin 6 12 minutes 9 x [PB] yards 6D6+[PB] Artillery, Detonate, Gunpowder, Volley Gunpowder 317gc
POWDER BARREL or KEG: Gunpowder is stored and believed to be a great insult to the Orx.
shipped in two types of casks – either in 25 lbs. keg or 100 RIBAULDEQUIN: Not to be confused with ribald
lbs. barrels. Special coopered casks create an airtight seal, matters (although one could argue that any gun is a form
protecting it from humidity and air. Although durable, of compensation for small genitalia), the ribauldequin is
they are oftentimes painted red as a warning to others not an organ gun. Pulled behind wagons, they fire a series of
to fire a flintlock at it… or else premature combustion is its grapeshot, penetrating both soldiers and beast alike while
deadly consequence. impregnating them with deadly shrapnel.
PUCKLE GUN: These primitive flintlock guns are affixed
to a tripod, pivoting where the crew may wish to point it.
A puckle gun either fires conventional round bullets, while
square ones are specially reserved for heretics and infidels.
Oftentimes, square bullets are bathed in pig’s blood,
115
CHAPTER 3 : LIBER VEHICULORUM
116
CHAP
TER 3 : LIBER VEHICULORUM
◆ LIBER VEHICULORUM ◆
n tucked away corners of sorcery. Reputedly, only a handful of Natural Philosophers
I
the world, there exists such (and potentially Skrzzak) understand how to create
machinery that defies all logic. it. Using it is just as dangerous, as a measure of Bottled
Natural Philosophers have Lightning is required to properly run a fantastic machine…
puzzled their way through series lest it fail at the wrong moment.
after series of experimentation
to create automated machines CREATING BOTTLED
– marvels of a new grim & LIGHTNING
perilous age. These erudite and Wytchstone can be prepared into
arcane creations of steel and bottles, then dumped into an
Wytchstone can sometimes be Arkwright Cauldron for power.
seen racing through the streets, After being dumped, it will
piloted by daring Barnstormers. power any one fantastic machine
Above in the skies, flotillas given the power of flight beneath for up to 3D10+3 hours. Up to
an aerostat laze overhead. Ticking of clocks and whirring three bottles can be prepared at a
of gears in the back of Natural Philosopher workshops time. The more bottles you wish
are automated orrery mechanisms, laboring away to make to prepare at once, the greater the
calculations. And by sea, ironclad war galleys cast off to Difficulty Rating of the Alchemy
spear whales and make war. Test gets:
FANTASTIC MACHINES One bottle: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test
At the heart of every fantastic machine labors the Arkwright Two bottles: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test
Cauldron – an engine which converts Wytchstone Essence
Three bottles: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test
into an unadulterated, dangerous power called Bottled
Lightning. What follows is a mere inkling of such wonders To have a chance of preparing Bottled Lightning, a
that have come from the minds of madmen. preparer must have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access
ARKWRIGHT CAULDRON: The Arkwright Cauldron to a laboratory, a powder of Wytchstone Essence and a
is a marvel of the pre-industrial age – the engine that quintessence of Royal Water (both of which are expended
powers almost every fantastic machine. Greatly resembling as part of the preparation) and be left uninterrupted for at
a witch’s cauldron (thus its namesake), they are cradled least 1D10+1 hours.
within machines powered by Wytchstone. Little is known
about their construction or how it works, save for the fact With a successful Alchemy Test, you prepare the number
it harnesses Bottled Lightning to conjure immeasurable of bottles you intended to make. A Critical Success
power, without the aid of wood, wind or fire. Some prepares one additional bottle. Failure results in
whisper that it is devilry and sorcery, but the erudite the ingredients being expended without
Natural Philosopher simply sighs, pointing their finger success, whereas a Critical Failure has
towards science. the same result and causes you to suffer 9
Corruption.
BOTTLED LIGHTNING: In the
modern age, Natural Philosophers began DIFFERENCE ENGINE: These
development of a combustible substance ‘prophetical’ devices have two functions
known as Bottled Lightning; a highly – both to tell time by the passing of
dangerous, elemental source of the stars in the sky as an orrery
Wytchstone fuel. Resembling oil device, and also to make massive
flasks marked with a characteristic calculations when normal algebra
greenish hue, its manufacture is a would not suffice. Calculating
closely-guarded secret. Whispers complex mathematical problems
persisted of deals struck with and determining astrological
Daemons, and how the substance analytics, the difference engine whirs
was a corollary to dabblers of and clicks with unusual fervor. Like
117
CRAFTING FANTASTIC MACHINES
Following the same rules as presented under Crafting

from the Trappings chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER,
Characters can create vehicles and other works of
wonder from this chapter. The materials required
usually require shards of Wytchstone, Prima Materia,
Void Salts and other unusual concoctions to make
them operate. Work with your GM to determine
which of these machines are available in their
campaign world to create.
its fantastic machine-kin, it too is powered by Wytchstone.

Difference Engines are entirely immobile, and it usually
takes up an entire workshop to house its timepieces, gears
and spring-driven calipers.
HALDAVINSON: These one-man automated velocipedes
are bulky, extremely loud and dangerous to pilot. Meant to
resemble a destrier born upon either one or two wheels,
they can traverse practically any landscape (albeit a bumpy,
loud ride in the process). Although they can bear just the
one driver (and perhaps a passenger, should they squeeze
onto the back seat), these motored cycles are fast and
nimble. Due to the arcane craftsmanship involved in their
manufacture, Haldavinsons are also notoriously unreliable,
Wytchstone fluid constantly leaks from its V-shaped
Arkwright Cauldron.
IRON HORSE: Powered by Bottled Lightning, Iron
Horses are unmanned carriages which ferry charcoal and
other heavy goods both below the earth and across the
open plains. Capable of automated locomotion, but guided
by rails, Iron Horses trudge slowly laden with cargo that
would normally require an entire wagon train. Multiple
Iron Horses, coupled together by detachable iron bands,
are called a gestalt.
JUGGERNAUT FRIGATE: Looming ominously in a
haze of green smoke, lurking atop the water and crested
with three inhumanly tall torches lay the Juggernaut
Frigate at harbor. Closely modeled after war galleys of the
ancient past, these ironclad galleons do not have a sail,
instead relying on an Arkwright Cauldron to give them
power. Fleets of ships powered by an Arkwright Cauldron
fail to complete even a single voyage across the sea. Indeed,
a characteristic of some harbors is the ‘graveyard’ of half-
sunken Frigates to be seen off the shore – a mark of the
Natural Philosopher’s folly.
118
CHAP
KUGELPANZER: This infernal machine strikes awe and guilds of lamplighters are charged with refilling them each
fear in those who behold its peculiar glory. Resembling a day before dusk. The elite pay a premium to pipe Bottled
gargantuan wooden beer keg split in half, it sits upon an Lightning from a wellspring throughout their properties,
elliptical track where peasants scurry to draw power from enabling the rooms to burn with a great green light. Dare
the Arkwright Cauldron to its treads. Bedecked in spikes, you ask what happens to manors powered by Torchlamp
surrounded by a green Wytchstone haze and operated by a should the wellspring be set alit by a masked rebel with a
Grey Vivimancer, this infernal device is the scourge of any vendetta?
battlefield it is deployed upon. ZEPPELIN: Resembling floating pleasure barges slung
RUMBLEBUTLER: Resembling a carriage borne well-below an aerostat, zeppelins are mankind’s first
without a team of horses, a Rumblebutler is low and overly attempt to conquer the skies. Lazing slowly aloft and born
ponderous, given its Arkwright Cauldron takes up most within the air, green haze surrounds it, giving it the mark
of its cabin. A complicated system of levers and knobs of some Daemon made manifest in a viridescent cloud. It
are used to steer a Rumblebutler, requiring a specialized is a landmark achievement, but also speaks to the struggle
coachee called a Barnstormer to drive it. In parts of the every Natural Philosopher faces: personal over-ambition
world where they are more common, Rumblebutlers are and its consequence. Unfortunately, much like the
a mark of both prestige and wealth. Unlike its Iron Horse mythological Icarus, most zeppelins are prone to plummet
cousin, it moves without need for a railway to guide it. out of the sky once the Cauldron runs dry, crashing in a
TORCHLAMP: Burning ever-bright with a greenish green explosion of smoke and Wytchfyre.
haze, the Torchlamp demarcates the winding streets of the
city. Torchlamps require Bottled Lightning to power, and
119
VEHICLES & STEEDS EXPANDED VEHICLE STATISTICS

Vehicles are presented in the following format:
In a grim & perilous world, not every fight will be borne
upon foot. Coachmen, Barnstormers and other daredevils NAME: Every manufacture of vehicle possesses a proper
will take to the road to escape their pursuers or take flight make or name. Many are known by different names (such as
after their enemy. Meant to accompany the Trappings the Rumblebutler may also be called a ‘horseless carriage’,
chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER, these vehicles and steeds whereas a Kugelpanzer may also be called a ‘doom wheel’).
possess an assortment of different Qualities you will apply However, refer to its proper name when recording it on
whenever engaging in vehicle combat (which you will learn your Character sheet.
more about below). DRIVERS: Every vehicle requires at least one person
to guide and steer it. Some require multiple drivers to
VEHICLE QUALITIES properly pilot.
Much like weapons, vehicles possess
unique Qualities. These Qualities PASSENGERS: Vehicles may also carry
distinguish one vehicle from another: passengers alongside their driver. For
vehicles, they may be sitting ‘blunderbus’
ARKWRIGHT: Vehicles with this beside the driver, inside the vehicle, atop it
Quality require Bottled Lightning as a with the trunks or even on the running boards.
replacement for Horsepower. This also
means that they ignore Mishaps intended OPERATE CHECK: Every vehicle references
for dray horses. Whenever they Crash, a a different Skill to operate it. For instance, Drive is
driver must succeed at a Pilot Test. Otherwise, used for most horse-drawn vehicles, but in some cases may
the vehicle also inflicts 3D10+3 Damage from fire, require Pilot for Rumblebutlers. When called to make an
affecting multiple targets in a Burst Template. You’ll learn Operate Check, you will reference the required Skill in the
more about Crashing below. table that follows.
BAT OUTTA HELL: Vehicles with this Quality allow its QUALITIES: All vehicles possess a combination of
driver to Gun It for 1 less AP. Qualities. A vehicle’s Quality, however, is only conferred
when you are driving it. Meaning, you cannot take
BELLOWS TOP: Vehicles with this Quality suffer an advantage of a carriage’s Ghost Ride Quality if the reigns
additional 1D6 Chaos Die to determine whether it gains a are not in-hand.
Mishap when Damaged.
MOVEMENT: Vehicles that can be used in vehicle-based
CANTANKEROUS: Vehicles of this Quality cannot combat have Movement values. These values are always
Bootleg Turn. modified by the driver. For instance, a Rumblebutler has
CIRCUS MINIMUS: Vehicles with this Quality cannot Movement of 7+[AB]. If a driver's [AB] is equal to 9,
Swerve. then a Rumblebutler’s Movement is 16 (7+9=16). Where
Movement is mentioned, you can adjust the value up or
GHOST RIDE: Vehicles with this Quality allow its driver
down. A Rumblebutler has Movement of 16. This means
to Change Speed for 1 less AP.
Movement can be adjusted anywhere from 1 to 16 yards.
LEAF SPRINGS: Vehicles with this Quality allow its
SIZE MODIFIER: Size Modifier functions as both a
driver to flip the results to succeed at Sideswiping. However,
foundation of a conveyance’s Vehicle Threshold, and also
they must also flip the results to fail to Jink.
how much base Damage it inflicts whenever it strikes
LEAKY: Vehicles with this Quality must spend 4 AP to another vehicle of person. Unsurprisingly, the larger and
stop. In addition, Bottled Lightning only powers these sturdier the vehicle, the higher the Size Modifier is.
vehicles for 2D10+2 hours.
HORSEPOWER: This is the number of dray horses you
RICKETY: Whenever vehicles of this Quality suffer need in order to pull the vehicle. Note that a vehicle with
Damage from another vehicle, they move one additional the Arkwright Quality does not need dray horses to pull it,
step down the Vehicle Condition Track negatively. thus no value is listed.
SCISSOR SUSPENSION: Vehicles with this Quality PRICE: This is how much the vehicle normally costs.
can Bootleg Turn for 1 less AP. Prices may vary during wartime or periods when there are
SPIKED WHEELS: Vehicles with this Quality inflict shortages in the area of iron, wood, leather and the other
1D10+1 Damage after successfully Sideswiping. types of trade goods used to build vehicles.
120
CHAP
VEHICLE
OPERATE SIZE
NAME DRIVER PASSENGER CHECK QUALITIES MOVEMENT MOD. HORSEPOWER PRICE
Arkwright
Not usable in vehicle combat 5547gc
Cauldron
Bottled
Lightning
Ghost Ride, Leaf
Carriage 1 4 Drive 7+[BB] 14 2 111gc
Springs
Circus Minimus,
Chariot 1 1 Drive Rickety, Spiked 9+[BB] 9 2 20gc
Wheels
Bellows Top,
Covered
1 8 Drive Cantankerous, 5+[BB] 12 4 75gc
Wagon
Ghost Ride
Difference
Engine
Bellows Top, Scissor
Fancy Coach 1 4 Drive 6+[BB] 15 4 333gc
Suspension, Rickety
Arkwright, Bat
Haldavinson 1 1 Pilot 6+[AB] 9 SPECIAL 3075gc
Outta Hell, Leaky
Iron Horse Not usable in vehicle combat 9923gc
Juggernaut
Frigate
Arkwright, Bat
Kugelpanzer 5 1 Pilot Outta Hell, Circus 7+[AB] 12 SPECIAL 11568gc
Minimus
Arkwright,
Rumblebutler 1 4 Pilot Cantankerous, Bat 7+[AB] 15 SPECIAL 5459gc
Outta Hell
Ghost Ride, Leaf
Stagecoach 1 5 Drive 9+[BB] 18 4 222gc
Springs
Torchlamp Not usable in vehicle combat 1105gc
Cantankerous,
Circus Minimus,
War Wagon 2 10 Drive 4+[BB] 21 4 444gc
Ghost Ride, Spiked
Wheels
Zeppelin Not usable in vehicle combat 18352gc
VEHICLE DESCRIPTIONS CHARIOT: Chariots are both the hallmark of arena

The following entries give general descriptions of vehicles. fighting and armies of old. Made from lacquered wood
Note that the descriptions do not aim for true historical and painted with chevrons, this vehicle is either used by
‘accuracy’, but reflect how Characters would perceive them barbarians on the move or in parades.
in a grim & perilous world. The aforementioned fantastic COVERED WAGON: This is your typical four-wheeled
machine descriptions can be found earlier in this chapter. and canvas-covered affair. Pilgrims and pioneers alike take
to covered wagons to ‘blaze a trail’ across the wilderness.
CARRIAGE: These two-wheeled vehicles are specially
designed for blue-bloods and landed nobility. To be seen FANCY COACH: Unlike its carriage cousin, these
upon a carriage is a mark of wealth and taste. It is also an palanquins-on-wheels are borne upon four wheels and
indicator that you would make an easy mark for highway pulled by a large draft of horses. The fancy coach is the
robbery. predecessor to its automated kin, the Rumblebutler.
121
CHARIOT & WAGON
122
CHAP
FANCY COACH, STAGECOACH, AND WAR WAGON
123
STAGECOACH: A stagecoach is nothing more than a ANCESTRAL LIFT LIMITS BY ENCUMBRANCE

four-wheeled fancy coach with the fanciness striped off. It
[BB] DWARF ELF HALFLING GNOME HUMAN OGRE
is spartan and somewhat accommodating, but affordable
for common passengers who travel village to village (or 1 3 2 1 2 3 9
even cross-country).
2 6 3 2 3 6 18
WAR WAGON: These monstrous, lumbering vehicles
3 9 5 3 5 9 28
resemble stubby siege towers saddled atop a bowing (yet
stunted) merchant ship. Pickets of soldiers crown the top 4 12 6 4 6 12 37
of it, while a contingent of pilots drive the vehicle straight
5 15 8 5 8 15 46
into the thick of battle. War Wagons can both ride across
the ground and into shallow waters. 6 18 9 6 9 18 55
7 21 11 7 11 21 64
8 25 12 8 12 25 74
9 28 14 9 14 28 83
LIFT, PUSH, PULL
10 31 15 10 15 31 92
You can determine how much Encumbrance a
Humanoid or Mutant Character can pick up above 11 34 17 11 17 34 101
their head for a number of minutes equal to [BB]. 12 37 18 12 18 37 110
First, reference your [BB] and add your Ancestral
Value to it. A combination of both determines how 13 40 20 13 20 40 120
much Encumbrance you can Lift to your waist 14 43 21 14 21 43 129
without the aid of a fulcrum or machine. Multiply
the value by three times to determine how much you
can Push forward, and multiply the value by by two ANCESTRAL LIFT LIMITS BY POUNDS
times to determine how much you can Pull sideways LIFT
or backwards: VALUE DWARF ELF HALFLING GNOME HUMAN OGRE
[BB]
1 46 23 15 23 46 138
2 92 46 31 46 92 276
3 138 69 46 69 138 414
4 184 92 61 92 184 552
5 230 115 77 115 230 690
6 276 138 92 138 276 828
7 322 161 107 161 322 966
8 368 184 123 184 368 1,104
9 414 207 138 207 414 1,242
10 460 230 153 230 460 1,380
11 506 253 169 253 506 1,518
12 552 276 184 276 552 1,656
13 598 299 199 299 598 1,794
14 644 322 215 322 644 1,932
124
CHAP
STEED ENCUMBRANCE LIMITS corrupt land-baron was dragged off his high horse because
Realism trumps expectations in the rules and we encourage he cheated his people of taxes. In this same story, the palfrey
you to treat Encumbrance in an abstract fashion. However, simply turned its nose up in the air, despite the pleas of its
the GM may wish to have distinct Encumbrance values for rider. Perhaps too, the palfrey understood what it meant to
steeds and the like. In these cases, reference the Character’s be put under the proverbial lash (or riding crop in this tale).
weight, assuming 15 lbs. equals 1 Encumbrance (rounded ROUNCEY HORSE: Just an ordinary horse. No more, no
down). less.
WAR ELEPHANT: As you can imagine, these behemoths
Unlike Characters, steeds have a fixed value for their
are imposing and absolutely terrifying on the field of battle.
Encumbrance Limits. To determine if a steed can bear the
Accompanied by a howdah and armed spearmen, the war
weight of a rider with their gear, you will add the Character’s
elephant is considered to be the penultimate weapon on the
weight in Encumbrance to the trappings they are wearing.
battlefield (save for Wytchfyre).
Compare the result against the steed’s Encumbrance Limit.
For every point beyond this initial value (otherwise called
STEED
Overage), the rider suffers an ongoing, cumulative -1 to SIZE ENC.
their Initiative and the steed suffers a cumulative -1 to its NAME MOVEMENT MOD. LIMIT PRICE
Movement. Should Overage ever reduce either Initiative or
Courser horse 8+[AB] 4 21 287gc
Movement to 0, the steed cannot move.
Destrier horse 9+[AB] 5 22 952gc
STEED DESCRIPTIONS
Dray horse 5+[AB] 3 18 21gc
The following entries give general descriptions of
traditional steeds. Note that the descriptions do not aim Mule or donkey 3+[AB] 2 20 10gc
for true historical significance, but reflect how Characters
Palfrey horse 6+[AB] 2 18 90gc
would perceive them in a grim & perilous world.
COURSER HORSE: Swift and strong, these are the Rouncey horse 7+[AB] 3 19 100gc
traditional breed raised for the battlefield. Nothing else to War Elephant 3+[AB] 15 80 1569gc
say in this respect, save for the fact that they are not as
reliable as their superior destrier cousins.
DESTRIER HORSE: Bearing both the knight and full
harness, these ‘storm horses’ are born and bred for battle.
They simply do not balk at the clashing of swords and
shield, nor the thundering of gunfire or the screams of the
dying. In fact, some even swear that destriers ‘bask’ in such
glories. Tales abound that destriers were once bred from
a Primeval progenitor horse, one who demanded bloody
sacrifices before allowing its foal to be broken.
DRAY HORSE: These are your prototypical work horses.
Guaranteed a short life of burden and sweat, most take
to flounder without proper care of their hoofs. And when
this happens, they are either rented out by a stable hand or
led to slaughter, as horseflesh is rarely squandered – even
by Rustlers.
MULE or DONKEY: These stubborn animals are
oftentimes confused with one another. Many would-
be prophets find it fits their fancy as a modest mode of
transportation.
PALFREY HORSE: Highly-valued for their smooth
gait and long legs, palfreys are specifically bred and raised
for blue-bloods. Considered to be the ‘aristocrat’s horse’,
this breed happens to be at the center of the tale where a
125
126
CHAP
VEHICLE COMBAT PASSENGERS ON/INSIDE A VEHICLE

Passengers on a vehicle can generally use their normal
Action in a grim & perilous world takes place not only
gamut of Actions In Combat. The Distance they are
on foot or horseback, but also by carriage and wagon.
moving upon the vehicle is not important, so much as the
Vehicles are designed to be ‘plugged’ into encounter types
physical requirements it takes to move in the vehicle (such
that utilize Structured Time (specifically for combat). This
as moving inside a carriage buggy to the outside, climbing
section outlines how you can easily integrate cinematic,
atop a wagon or stepping to the starboard side of a skiff ). In
vehicle-based combat into your ZWEIHÄNDER game.
cases of Movement Actions, passengers can safely assume
the only Movement Action they can use while embarked
Note that this section is specifically reserved for ‘personal’
upon a vehicle is the Get Up Action (unless a GM sees a
vehicles. Traditional naval combat will be a consideration
sufficient reason why another might be required).
for a future supplement.
Many of these actions are purely of a narrative nature, thus
DRIVING A VEHICLE – OPERATE CHECK
commanding a special Skill Test as determined by the GM.
In order to drive or pilot a vehicle and/or urge a dray horse
For instance, a passenger may wish to unstrap trunks and
onwards, you will use an Operate Check. These checks
crates to roll off the back of the wagon they are aboard
usually come into play during high stress situations. For
to create a road hazard in their wake (Athletics Test). In
example, jockeying a carriage to run alongside another
another example, a passenger might move to the running
would require an Operate Check, as would turning a wagon
board on the outside of a carriage (Awareness Test) or leap
to avoid an incoming crowd. Another example would
to another horse (Coordination Test). And in some rare
include ramming your skiff into another, or zigzagging
cases, passengers might take command of a puckle gun
a coach back and forth so that its driver and passengers
affixed to a river barge (Warfare).
might avoid blunderbus-fire.
OPPOSED TESTS: Operate Checks are generally a one- Only in certain perilous situations will passengers have to
sided Test, requiring a simple pass/fail approach. However, make Skill Tests to hold on, which are covered below.
a GM may require an Opposed Test in unique cases. Such
OTHER ACTIONS IN COMBAT: Because a driver
examples include when two wagons go head-to-head in
has their hands on the reigns, they cannot use the normal
a game of chicken (requiring Opposed Resolve Tests), or
gamut of Actions In Combat (such as Dodge, Parry and so
charging towards a narrow alleyway, where only one vehicle
on), save for those below. A GM may make exceptions to
may fit into its expanse (requiring Opposed Drive Tests).
this rule in special cases.
127
NEW ACTIONS IN COMBAT

There are a host of new Actions In Combat that a driver of a vehicle can take advantage of.
MOVEMENT ACTIONS AP DESCRIPTION

Make a successful Operate Check to drive in a straight line forward a total of 6 yards and make up to a
Bootleg Turn 3 180° turn, and drive in a straight line forward up to full Movement. If failed, drive straight forward up to
full Movement.
Spend 2 AP to drive straight forward up to full Movement. Spend 3 AP to drive in a straight line forward
Change Speed 2 or 3
up to full Movement and make up to a 90° turn any time during Change Speed.
Spend 3 AP and make a successful Operate Check to drive straight line forward 2× Movement. Or, spend
Gun It 3 or 4 4 AP and make a successful Operate Check for 3× Movement instead. If failed, drive straight line forward
up to full Movement. If you Collide or Run Over on same Turn, add 1D10 Momentum Die to Damage.
Stop 3 Drive in a straight line forward a total of 6 yards and stop your vehicle.
ATTACK ACTIONS AP DESCRIPTION

Collide 1 Make a successful Operate Check. The other vehicle must Jink or suffer Damage.
PERILOUS STUNTS AP DESCRIPTION

When In Front of another vehicle, make a successful Operate Check. The other driver must Resist with
Brake Check 1
an Operate Check or be Rattled. Start with 1 less AP until Resist with an Operate Check is successful.
When Beside another vehicle, make a successful Operate Check. Other driver must Resist with Operate
Sideswipe 1
Check or be Sideswiped. Cannot use Jink until their next Turn.
SPECIAL ACTIONS AP DESCRIPTION

Make a successful Operate Check to make it more difficult for other vehicles and attackers to strike you,
Swerve 1
the vehicle, passengers and the dray horses.
REACTIONS AP DESCRIPTION
Make a successful Operate Check to avoid Damage to you, the vehicle, passengers or the dray horses for 1
Jink 1
AP deficit. Avoids all Damage.
Run Over 0 Make a successful Operate Check in specific situations, foes in Cone Template suffers Damage.
MOVEMENT ACTIONS Once you have used a Movement Action, whether successful
or not, you cannot use any other type of Movement Action
Overland distances covered by vehicles follow the until your next Turn.
standards previously presented under Distances in the
COASTING: Once a driver uses a Movement Action
Game Mastery chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER. However,
to urge their vehicle onwards, it is assumed to keep its
when vehicles are used in combat they use Movement – a
momentum. If a driver does not use a Movement Action
dramatic abstraction of forward momentum, horsepower
on their Turn, their vehicle coasts in a straight line forward
and distance. Movement is covered in the tables following
6 yards.
this entry.
SPECIAL NOTE ON MOVEMENT SUBTYPES:
As mentioned before, when the term Movement is Movement Actions have a relative AP cost, and follow the
mentioned, you can adjust the value up or down (to a standards previously presented under Movement Subtypes in
minimum of 1). For example, a vehicle has a Movement of the Combat chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER. This AP cost
12. This means that Movement can be adjusted has already been baked into vehicle Movement. If
anywhere from 1 to 12 yards. Remember: your Profession allows you to ignore 1 AP
Movement is always impacted by any for a Movement subtype, reduce the AP
Overage your steed is suffering from. below (to a minimum of 1).
128
CHAP
BOOTLEG TURN (3 AP)

Executing a swift 180° turn, your vehicle immediately reverses LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE
course.
Effect: Make a successful Operate Check to drive in Any time a driver Critically Fails an Operate Check,
a straight line forward a total Distance of 6 yards and the driver temporarily Loses Control. While Losing
immediately turn the vehicle around up to 180°. After the Control, the driver and their passengers are unable to
vehicle turns around, you drive in a straight line forward up use Movement Actions or Reactions until their next
to a Distance equal to Movement. If you fail, you instead Turn. An out-of-control vehicle will immediately
drive in a straight line forward up to a Distance equal to the make a 90° turn left or right (GM’s call or flip a coin)
vehicle’s Movement. and coast 6 yards.
CRASH: Should a vehicle ever reach Wrecked! while
CHANGE SPEED (2 OR 3 AP) in motion, it results in a Crash. The driver and any
You urge the dray horses along, modifying the speed or direction passengers outside the vehicle are thrown a number
they’re headed. of yards equal to 1D10+full Movement, as if they had
Effect: Spend 2 APs to drive in a straight line forward up fallen. Passengers inside the vehicle suffer the same
to a Distance equal to the vehicle’s Movement. If you spend Damage.
3 APs, you gain the same benefits as above and can execute
up to a 90° turn at any point while Changing Speed.
GUN IT (3 OR 4 AP)
Lashing the dray horses with crop or whip and yelling, “Hi-
ho!”, your vehicle presses forward at a faster pace. If you successfully Collide with another vehicle or Run
Effect: Spend 3 APs and make a successful Operate Check Over a foe on the same Turn, add an additional 1D10
to drive in a straight line forward up to a Distance equal Momentum Dice to Total Damage results.
to two times the vehicle’s Movement. If you spend 4 APs
and make a successful Operate Check, you instead move a STOP (3 AP)
Distance equal to three times the vehicle’s Movement. If Taking a firm grasp of the reins, you bring both dray horses and
you fail, you instead drive in a straight line forward up to a the vehicle to an abrupt stop.
Distance equal to the vehicle’s Movement. Effect: Drive in a straight line forward a total Distance of
6 yards to stop your vehicle.
129
ATTACK ACTIONS
MOVEMENT MODIFIERS Attack Actions can only be used by a driver of a vehicle.
Heavy loads, bad roads, prevailing winds and other Once a driver has attempted an Attack Action, whether
situations may sometimes affect Movement for successful or not, they cannot use another Attack Action
vehicles. For instance, a rough road may cause your until their next Turn.
fancy carriage to crawl along, whereas a swift-flowing
river may cause your skiff to move expeditiously. COLLIDE (1 AP)
The GM will assign a modifier between +3 and -3 Clip, hit, slam and ram: it’s all the same when it comes to
to Movement in these situations, with only the rarest running into another vehicle to disable it.
of cases preventing your vehicle from moving (e.g. Effect: When Beside and Engaged with another vehicle,
impenetrable woods for land borne vehicles, doldrums make an Operate Check. After successfully striking, refer
or rocky shore for seaborne vehicles, shallows for river to the vehicle’s Size Modifier and add 1D10 Momentum
borne vehicles, headwinds for fantastical vehicles). Die to determine Total Damage inflicted upon another
vehicle.
A foe can attempt to Jink to avoid collision.
PERILOUS STUNTS
HAZARDS & TERRAIN: Road hazards and hard Only the driver of a vehicle can use these Perilous Stunts.
terrain and other narrative circumstances may also call Perilous Stunts cannot be avoided with Jink. Once a driver
under consideration the need for an Operate Check. For has attempted a Perilous Stunt, whether successful or not,
instance, handling a wagon to navigate tight, switchback they cannot use another Perilous Stunt until their next
turns up a mountainside where a misstep could lead to the Turn.
vehicle careening off the edge would require an Operate
Check. The GM will always indicate when these situations BRAKE CHECK (1 AP)
are necessary. Drawing your reins in, you attempt to scare another vehicle’s
driver to get off your tail.
Effect: When In Front and Engaged with another vehicle,
make an Operate Check. If successful, your foe must make
a successful Operate Check or be temporarily Rattled.
While Rattled, your foe begins their Turn with 1 less AP

until they successfully make an Operate Check at the
beginning of their Turn to shake off the Rattled condition.
A foe cannot be forced to suffer from multiple Brake
Checks at once.
MOMENTUM DICE
A vehicle carries a lot of weight and velocity, thereby

conferring a lot of momentum behind it. You will
see references throughout this chapter to 1D10
Momentum Dice for purposes of Damage. However,
Momentum Dice never explode like 1D6 Fury Dice do.
130
CHAP
SIDESWIPE (1 AP) JINK (1 AP)

You veer close into another vehicle, glancing against its wheels As the threat of harm arises, you swiftly lead your vehicle away
to cause it to dance back and forth on the road. The driver has no from the blow.
choice but to reset its course. Effect: Whenever you, the vehicle, passengers or the dray
Effect: When Beside and Engaged with another vehicle, horses are successfully struck by another vehicle or weapon
make an Operate Check. If successful, your foe must make (but before Damage is determined), attempt an Operate
a successful Operate Check or be temporarily Sideswiped. Check. If successful, avoid all Damage. If you Critically
Succeed, you avoid all Damage and you do not have to
While temporarily Sideswiped, your foe cannot Jink until spend an AP to Jink. More details on Jink can be found
the beginning of their next Turn. later in this chapter.
SPECIAL ACTIONS You cannot Jink when left Defenseless or Helpless, nor can
Only the driver of a vehicle can use these Special Actions. you use it to avoid the effects of Perilous Stunts.
SWERVE (1 AP) RUN OVER (0 AP)

You maneuver your vehicle to weave left and right to avoid Powering forward, you run through through people on the
collision. ground, sending them to scatter.
Effect: Make an Operate Check. If successful, your vehicle Effect: When your vehicle passes through an Engagement
is considered to be Swerving. with foes on foot, make an Operate Check. After successfully
striking, refer to the vehicle’s Size Modifier and add 1D10
While Swerving, the Difficulty Rating for attackers to Momentum Die to determine Total Damage inflicted
strike you, the vehicle, passengers and the dray horses upon foes in a Cone Template. If the Operate Check is
becomes worse by one step on the Difficulty Rating Chart. a Critical Success, foes are also made temporarily Prone.
This is dictated by the GM. This lasts until the beginning The Cone Template follows the same standards to avoid
of your next Turn. striking friendly Characters, as presented in the Combat
chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER.
REACTIONS
Foes can attempt to Dodge to avoid being Run Over. You
Only the driver of a vehicle can use these Reactions. cannot Run Over vehicles.
131
EXPANDED GUIDE Once Position is determined, it cannot be changed unless

TO VEHICLE COMBAT the driver makes a successful Operate Check (or the
vehicles are no longer Engaged).
When a Character is driving a vehicle, they follow the
standard Initiative Ladder in Structured Time. However, STEP II: MAKE THE ATTACK
their Actions In Combat are limited to those above, unless
Attacks are resolved using the same rules as presented
they hand the reins to another passenger to drive instead.
for Using Attack Actions in the Combat chapter from
Some vehicles may even require multiple drivers. In these
ZWEIHÄNDER. However, the GM will adjust the
cases, the GM will require one driver to make Operate
Difficulty Rating, based on the Position of vehicles
Checks, adding an Assist Die if both drivers possess the
alongside one another and any circumstances either driver
associated Skill Rank in the Skill required to operate the
is currently caught in. Once tallied, you will call out your
vehicle. Some GMs may even flip the roles of each driver
Total Chance for Success. The following outlines the use
for every Action In Combat they take.
and limitations of weapons when embarked in a vehicle:
Given that passengers generally have to consider the
VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE STRIKE
Position of the vehicle they are embarked upon before
Vehicles possess hard lumber exteriors, plaster-and-lathe
taking their own Actions In Combat, Characters may wish
decoration, metal plating and other forms of protection to
to use the Wait action to change their order in the Initiative
keep its passengers and cargo safe from the weather and
Ladder.
weapons. The most worthwhile means to debilitate another
vehicle is simply plow into it with your own vehicle from
There are six simple principles to resolving vehicle Attack
the side. Much like how melee weapons are used, a vehicle
Actions which result in Damage:
can be used to Collide with another vehicle. Vehicles also
Step I: Positioning carry a lot of momentum behind them. This is why they
have a higher Damage output than Characters.
Step II: Make The Attack
Step III: Other Vehicle Evades
Step IV: Roll Damage
Step V: Determine Vehicle Condition
Step VI: Determine Mishap
STEP I: POSITIONING
Attacking a vehicle with your vehicle follows the same
standards for striking Engaged foes, as presented in the
Combat chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER. However, you
must be cognizant of the Position of vehicles relative to
one another to strike.
First, your vehicle must be Engaged with another vehicle

to successfully strike it. The GM will be the ultimate arbiter
of what constitutes an Engagement between vehicles.
Once two vehicles are in proximity to one another, the

driver whose Turn it currently is announces what Position
they wish their vehicle to occupy in relation to the other
vehicle. Vehicles have three specific Positions once they’re
Engaged. It will be Behind another vehicle, Beside
another vehicle (either on the left or the right) or In Front
of another vehicle. The vehicle’s Position limits the actions
both the driver and passenger may make.
132
CHAP
The following outlines examples where a driver can either can Jink to avoid Damage for themselves, the vehicle,
gain the upper hand over another, or face additional passengers or the dray horses.
hardship: If a dray horse begins to Bleed or suffers an Injury, a
SAMPLE DIFFICULTY RATINGS defending driver must succeed at an Operate Check
or temporarily Lose Control. If the dray horse is
(Trivial +30%): Slam your vehicle into another that is Slain!, a driver must immediately make a successful
stuck in mud or immobile Handle Animal Test to loosen the dead animal from
(Easy +20%): Broadside a vehicle that executed a 90° the connecting shaft, or else the vehicle immediately
turn on its last Turn Crashes. For every dray horse removed in this fashion,
reduce the Movement by 3 (until no dray horses
(Routine +10%): Scrape alongside a vehicle that has
remain or Movement is equal to 0, wherein the vehicle
recently executed a Bootleg Turn
Crashes).
(Standard +/-0%): Collide against another vehicle by
banging into it, side-by-side RANGED WEAPONS: Ranged weapons can only be
fired from a vehicle, provided that it has some means to
(Challenging -10%): Slide into a vehicle when your
allow a passenger to see outside. For instance, open-faced
own is out-of-control
wagons may allow the freedom for any ranged weapon to
(Hard -20%): Clip a moving vehicle without proper be used, up to and including a pivoting blunderbus fixed to
light to see by a tripod. Fancy coaches and the like may have a convertible
(Arduous -30%): Run into another vehicle in a narrow soft top which needs to be ‘put down’ before the passengers
alleyway can fire from it. The GM will make this call. The following
outlines other restrictions:
MELEE WEAPONS: When two vehicles
are Engaged with one another, passengers can Attacking a vehicle with a ranged weapon is generally
attack another vehicle’s passengers with melee useless, but the GM may make exceptions in special cases.
weapons. For instance, a coach may have a Attacking a driver, passenger or dray horse with a
running board for an attacker to stand upon (but ranged weapon follows the same standards as presented
with the limitation that one-handed weapons in the Combat chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER. A
can be used, as their other hand is holding onto driver can Jink to avoid Damage for themselves, the
the rail above for support). The following outlines vehicle, passengers and the dray horses.
other restrictions:
If a dray horse begins to Bleed or suffers an Injury, a
Attacking a vehicle with a melee weapon defending driver must succeed at an Operate Check
is generally useless, but the GM may make or temporarily Lose Control. If the dray horse is
exceptions in special cases. Slain!, a driver must immediately make a successful
Handle Animal Test to loosen the dead animal from
Attacking a passenger with a melee weapon the connecting shaft, or else the vehicle immediately
follows the same standards as presented in the Crashes. For every dray horse removed in this fashion,
Combat chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER. reduce the Movement by 3 (until no dray horses
Attacking a driver or dray horse with a melee weapon remain or Movement is equal to 0, wherein the vehicle
requires a weapon with the Reach Quality. A driver Crashes).
133
PERILOUS STUNTS: These generally cannot be used VEHICLE SIZE & DIFFICULTY RATINGS: The size
against drivers, and the GM may require you to disembark of a vehicle is an additional consideration when using Jink.
between vehicles to get close enough to use them against Swift vehicles, such as a chariot, may have an easier time
passengers on the defender’s vehicle. Perilous Stunts against evading an attack from a heavier carriage. The GM will
a dray horse or vehicle have no effect. always make these determinations on a case-by-case basis,
changing the Difficulty Rating as needed.
STEP III: OTHER VEHICLE EVADES
Should a driver wish to avoid an attack from either another
PASSENGERS’ DAMAGE BONUS
vehicle or a weapon intended to harm them, they may try
to avoid it by zigzagging their vehicle, using Jink. Passengers can take advantage of a vehicle’s
momentum to deal additional Damage. If a passenger
JINK strikes a foe on the ground with a melee weapon while
When you are driving and either you, the vehicle, passengers embarked upon a moving vehicle, add an additional
or the dray horses are successfully struck by a melee or 1D6 Fury Die to Damage.
ranged weapon, you can attempt an Operate Check. The
Test’s Difficulty Rating is based on the Difficulty Rating
of your foe’s Attack Action and always translates into its
opposite as a bonus or penalty. This means that if your foe’s
Attack Action has a Difficulty Rating of (Routine +10%),
your Difficulty Rating for Jink is (Challenging -10%). If
STEP IV: ROLL DAMAGE
successful, avoid all Damage. If you Critically Succeed,
avoid all Damage and you do not spend AP to Jink. You After an attacker successfully strikes and the defending
cannot re-attempt to Jink against the same attack you just driver fails to Jink (or chooses not to defend), it is time to
failed to Jink against. determine Damage. Damage by standard melee and ranged
weapons against other Characters is determined normally.
A Coachman’s covered wagon Collides into Lyndon VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE DAMAGE: Damage
Geneveux’s fancy coach and Lyndon wishes to Jink rendered from one vehicle to another vehicle is determined
to get out of the way. Fortunately, the Coachman’s differently. First, reference the vehicle’s Size
Difficulty Rating to attack was (Hard -20%), Lyndon’s Modifier and add it to 1D10 Momentum
Difficulty Rating to Jink is (Easy +20%). Dice. The sum of these and the derived results
determine Total Damage inflicted.
134
CHAP
CALCULATE VEHICLE THRESHOLD

Lyndon Geneveux’s Vehicle Threshold is 14 (20/26/32).
A defending driver always takes into consideration their
The Coachman inflicted 22 Damage, thus Lyndon’s
Vehicle Threshold when it suffers Damage. It is derived
vehicle is moved two steps down the Vehicle Condition
from two sources. One is the exterior construction of the
Track.
vehicle; its ability to weather hardship and withstand
the rigors of the road. The other comes from defensive
driving instincts, regardless of whether the driver is aware STEP V: DETERMINE
that their vehicle is being attacked or not. The first is the VEHICLE CONDITION
defending driver’s vehicle Size Modifier, as every vehicle
Any time a Character’s vehicle suffers Damage that exceeds
has a different value. The second is the defending driver’s
its Vehicle Threshold, the player or GM must announce to
[PB]. Combined they make up the Vehicle Threshold:
the group where their vehicle is on the Vehicle Condition
[PB] 1 to 6: Add 1 to Vehicle Threshold Track:
[PB] 7 to 12: Add 2 to Vehicle Threshold Fixed

[PB] 13+: Add 3 to Vehicle Threshold Lightly Smashed
Moderately Smashed
Lyndon Geneveux has a [PB] of 8 and is driving a
Seriously Smashed
fancy coach. It has a Size Modifier of 12. Thus, his
vehicle’s total Vehicle Threshold is 14 (2+12). Grievously Smashed
Wrecked!
When an attacking driver strikes and after Total Damage
The closer a vehicle gets to the bottom of the Vehicle
is considered, the defending driver must now compare it to
Condition Track, the riskier things become. Mishaps can
the Vehicle Threshold:
occur within a specific threat range at misfortune’s whim. If
they reach the very bottom of the Vehicle Condition Track
EQUAL TO OR BELOW VEHICLE
(Wrecked!), a Crash is an assured.
THRESHOLD
If Total Damage is equal to or below the Vehicle Threshold, STEP VI: DETERMINE MISHAP
nothing happens. The defending driver’s vehicle withstands
the blow. When a defending driver’s Vehicle Condition Track drops
to Moderately Smashed, Seriously Smashed or Grievously
EXCEEDS VEHICLE THRESHOLD Smashed, their vehicle is at risk of suffering a Mishap. In
When Total Damage is considered, treat it as such for some cases, particular Talents or other Traits may make
purposes of determining Vehicle Threshold: said Mishaps more (or less) severe. Note that your vehicle is
never at risk of suffering Mishaps if it moves up the Vehicle
If Total Damage exceeds base Vehicle Threshold, the Condition Track; only when it moves down the Vehicle
defending driver’s vehicle moves one step down the Condition Track.
Vehicle Condition Track negatively.
If Total Damage exceeds 6+Vehicle Threshold, the When the Vehicle Condition Track drops to Lightly
defending driver’s vehicle moves two steps down the Smashed, there is no risk of Mishap. Once the Condition
Vehicle Condition Track negatively. Track drops to Moderately Smashed, they must
If Total Damage exceeds 12+Vehicle Threshold, the immediately roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face
defending driver’s vehicle moves three steps down the ‘6’, they suffer a Moderate Mishap. When the Vehicle
Vehicle Condition Track negatively. Condition Track drops to Seriously Smashed, they must
immediately roll 2D6 Chaos Dice. If the results show one
If Total Damage exceeds 18+Vehicle Threshold, the or more face ‘6’, they suffer a Serious Mishap. When the
defending driver’s vehicle is instantly Wrecked! Vehicle Condition Track drops to Grievously Smashed,
Each level of Damage Threshold should be noted on they must immediately roll 3D6 Chaos Dice. If the
the Vehicle Sheet as base Vehicle Threshold (Vehicle results show one or more face ‘6’, they suffer a Grievous
Threshold+6/Vehicle Threshold+12/Vehicle Threshold+18). Mishap, and once they reach Wrecked!, the vehicle coasts
For example, if Vehicle Threshold is 14, it is recorded on to a stop. When a vehicle is Wrecked!, it cannot be driven
the Vehicle sheet as: 14 (20/26/32). until it is repaired.
135
WHEN MISHAPS OCCURS

Every Mishap has a specific penalty the vehicle incurs and then suffers until either the vehicle is repaired or the dray horse’s
Injury is treated (or the dray horse is removed from the vehicle). Some Mishaps can inflict temporary harm, while others
are more permanent (and indicated as permanent). The GM will assign or randomly determine which Mishap the vehicle
suffers from, referenced by the table below. When a Mishap says ‘you’, it refers to the driver and only when driving the
vehicle which suffered a Mishap. The kind of Mishap is solely dependent on where the defending driver’s vehicle is on the
Vehicle Condition Track:
MODERATE
D100 MISHAP DESCRIPTION
1 to 8 Fortune’s Mercy! Ignore Mishap, keep your Fate Point and continue driving onwards!
9 to 16 Bone Bruise Until one of your dray horse’s Injuries is treated, you start your Turn with 1 less AP when driving this vehicle.
17 to 25 Broken Running Board Until Fixed, passengers cannot strike other Engaged vehicles or its passengers with melee weapons.
26 to 33 Champing At The Bit Until you succeed at a Handle Animal Test, you cannot use Perilous Stunts when driving this vehicle.
34 to 41 Loose Buckboard Until Fixed, you must spend 1 additional AP to use Perilous Stunts when driving this vehicle.
42 to 49 Splintered Spoke Until Fixed, your vehicle subtracts 1 from its Size Modifier.
50 to 58 Sprained Ankle Until one of your dray horse’s Injuries is treated, reduce your Initiative by 3 when driving this vehicle.
Until one of your dray horse’s Injuries is treated, you must succeed at a Handle Animal Test or else cannot
59 to 67 Torn Ligament
use Movement Actions when driving this vehicle.
68 to 76 Twisted Reigns Until Fixed, you must succeed at a Handle Animal Test to use Movement Actions when driving this vehicle.
77 to 85 Unstrapped Yoke Until Fixed, passengers must Take Aim to use any ranged weapon in this vehicle.
Until Fixed, passengers must flip the results to fail all Actions in Combat that rely on Distance beyond
86 to 92 Wobbly Wheel
Engaged.
93 to 100 Misfortune! Roll on the Serious Mishap table instead!
D100 SERIOUS MISHAP DESCRIPTION

Until Fixed, you must succeed at a Handle Animal Test to use any Actions In Combat when driving this
9 to 16 Broken Reigns
vehicle.
17 to 25 Broken Spoke Until Fixed, the vehicle subtracts 2 from its Size Modifier.
26 to 33 Chaffed Abdomen Until one of your dray horse’s Injuries is treated, you cannot use Reactions when driving this vehicle.
Until Fixed, whenever you Position this vehicle, every passenger must succeed at an Athletics Test or else be
34 to 41 Concussive Impact
unable to use Movement Actions on their next Turn.
42 to 49 Cracked Axle Until Fixed, you cannot take advantage of Perilous Stunts with this vehicle.
50 to 58 Lame Horse Until one of your dray horse’s Injuries is treated, you start your Turn with 2 less AP when driving this vehicle.
59 to 67 Loose Suspension Until Fixed, you cannot use Reactions when driving this vehicle.
Until Fixed, any time you fail an Operate Check when driving this vehicle, both you and all passengers suffer
68 to 76 Misaligned Wheel
2D10+2 physical Peril.
77 to 85 Shattered Wheel Hub Until Fixed, you cannot add this vehicle’s Size Modifier to Total Damage.
86 to 92 Snapped Reigns Until Fixed, you must succeed at an Operate Check to use any Attack Actions.
93 to 100 Misfortune! Roll on the Grievous Mishap table instead!
136
CHAP
GRIEVOUS
D100 MISHAP DESCRIPTION
9 to 16 Broken Axle Until Fixed, the vehicle cannot move, and immediately Crashes.
17 to 25 Broken Suspension Until Fixed, you must flip the results to fail all Operate Checks when driving this vehicle.
Your vehicle comes to a sudden stop, until it flips over onto your dray horses. They are all Slain!, and
26 to 33 Locked-up Drivetrain
passengers and the driver miraculously survive. Your vehicle is Wrecked!.
Until Fixed, you cannot add your [AB] when driving this vehicle. If at least 50% of a vehicle’s wheels are
34 to 41 Lost Wheel
already lost, the vehicle is Wrecked!.
42 to 49 Shattered Box Seat Until Fixed, you cannot use Movement Actions.
50 to 58 Shattered Thoroughbrace Until Fixed, passengers must Get Up before using any other Action In Combat on their Turn.
One dray animal is Slain!. You must immediately succeed at an Operate Check to loosen the dead animal
59 to 67 Slaughtered Steed
from the yoke or else the vehicle Crashes.
Your vehicle comes to a sudden stop, as both the driver and passengers are thrown from the vehicle, suffering
68 to 76 Sudden Stop
Damage from falling from a number of yards equal to the Size Modifier.
77 to 85 Torn Cargo Straps Until Fixed, all cargo stored inside or out is left in this vehicle’s wake as it travels.
Until Fixed, when the vehicle is in a collision with or Sideswipes another vehicle, it suffers the same Damage
86 to 92 Twisted Chassis
it inflicts upon the other vehicle
Your vehicle and its dray horses flip over multiple times in a twisted wreck of splintered wood, bone and
93 to 100 Fatal Crash
blood; your vehicle is instantly Wrecked! and the driver, passengers and dray horses are instantly Slain!
137
REPAIRING HEALING DRAY HORSES

STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
A dray horse’s Injuries are treated in a similar fashion
The standards presented under Repairing Structural Integrity as a Character would be, as presented under Damage
in the Game Mastery chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER are Condition Track in the Hazards & Healing chapter from
further fleshed out below to handle the repair of vehicles. ZWEIHÄNDER. However, there are a few additional
factors that must be taken under account before care can be
Wrecked! vehicles can be automatically repaired after used. A caretaker must have a Skill Rank in both Handle
six weeks of labor. However, if the GM wishes to take a Animal and Heal. In order to treat a dray horse’s wounds
more methodical and lengthy approach, they may use the and Injuries, they must also have at least three of every
following rules to address how to repair vehicles. expendable material normally required to treat a Character.
Otherwise, follow the provisions as if you were healing a
The Vehicle Condition Track can be repaired by a craftsman normal person.
with a successful Tradecraft Test. A vehicle may only be
repaired in this manner once every 24 hours, no matter “Little Lord” James Callaway’s horse is currently
whether it is successful or not. Depending on where the Grievously Wounded. He enlists the aid of a local
vehicle is at on the Vehicle Condition Track, the Difficulty veterinarian. Surgery is required, and requests that
Rating of the Tradecraft Test gets worse: James gathers from a local apothecary three seed pods of
Lightly Smashed: Automatically succeed Opium and three Bandages to Treat Injury.
Moderately Smashed: (Routine +10%) Tradecraft Test

Seriously Smashed: (Standard +/-0%) Tradecraft Test USING STEEDS
IN PLACE OF VEHICLES
Grievously Smashed: (Challenging -10%) Tradecraft
Test Making the transition between using steeds in lieu of
vehicles is a relatively simple process. In these cases,
Wrecked!: (Hard -20%) Tradecraft Test substitute all instances of ‘vehicle’ with the steed you’re
To have a chance of being repaired, a craftsman must have riding. There are a number of caveats to this, however:
a Skill Rank in Tradecraft, tradecraft tools, the appropriate Steeds are not as dense or massive as vehicles, therefore
materials and be left uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 cannot Damage vehicles (but may harm other steeds
days. Note that even though there is a limitation on and foes on foot).
repair attempts to once every 24 hours, the Skill Test is
made at the end of the repairs, not the beginning. Once Substitute instances of driver with rider and Vehicle
the Tradecraft Test is failed, the Character would have to Threshold with Damage Threshold.
wait at least 24 hours before attempting again, spending yet Remember that a steed’s Damage Threshold may be
another 1D10+1 days to repair the vehicle. modified by barding (as presented under Barded Animals
in the Trappings chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER).
If the vehicle is repaired with a successful Tradecraft
When Colliding, make a Melee Attack. However,
Test, it is moved one step up the Vehicle Condition
you will make a Ride Test to strike, in lieu of a
Track positively. This means if the vehicle was Grievously
Combat-based Skill Test. If successful, the foe suffers
Smashed, it is now Seriously Smashed. A Critical Success
1D10+your mount’s [BB] in Damage. If your Ride Test
allows the vehicle to be moved two steps up the Vehicle
is a Critical Success, the foe is also made temporarily
Condition Track positively. Failure results in no repairs,
Prone. A foe can only Dodge being trampled in this
whereas a Critical Failure has the same result as above and
fashion (as presented under Trample in the Combat
causes the vehicle to instead be destroyed, having been
chapter from ZWEIHÄNDER).
rendered entirely unrepairable.
You may Run Over foes with a steed, referencing the
same Damage as above.
A steed never suffers Mishaps, instead suffering
Injuries (as any creature normally would).
138
CHAP
139
CHAPTER 4 : LIBER ALCHEMIÆ
140
CHAP
TE R 4 : LIBER ALCHEMIÆ
◆ LIBER ALCHEMIÆ ◆
s presented in both the Materia Using the Alchemy Skill, you can manufacture a concoction
A
Medica entry from the Hazards to impart supernatural speed, strength and alacrity by way
& Healing chapter and from of a Decoction. However, they are wildly unstable however,
Wytchstone in the Grimoire as the Effects they give go away after a short period of
chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER, time passes. Based on its potency, they will impart varying
a host of new formulae can be degrees of Peril after being quaffed. Take too many
alchemized in an alchemical Decoctions at once, and it may result in drunkenness. In
laboratory or on the field of battle. order to manufacture Decoctions, you must first harvest
Prima Materia.
ÆTHERIC FLUID
Natural Philosophers and other PRIMA MATERIA
madmen have tried to play god Amongst Alchemists, there is a saying, “Prima Materia
through creation of Golems; has been compared to everything – from male to female, to
supernaturally-arisen homunculus that attend to complex the hermaphroditic monster, to the Well of Souls and Material
and violent needs. Only through use of Ætheric Fluid can Realm, to body and spirit, chaos and corruption, the Vault
a Golem be animated and healed. All details on creating of Stars and the confused mass of the Abyss. Prima Materia
and healing Golems can be found in Chapter 6: Liber contains in itself all colors and potentially all metals, and there
Umbrarum. is nothing more wonderful in the world for it begets itself,
conceives itself and gives birth to itself ”. All of these things
PREPARING ÆTHERIC FLUID are true, but here is what it all really means.
Ætheric Fluid can be prepared into an flask, which is
anointed over a Golem’s body to animate and heal it. Only From the gut of beasts, the wings of monsters, the teeth
one flask can be prepared at a time: of humanoids and hearts of corrupted politicians, Prima
Materia (or sometimes more simply called primal matter)
One flask: (Hard -20%) Alchemy Test exists within all living things. Whether it takes the form
of the leaves of a flower that blooms but once a year, the
In order to prepare Ætheric Fluid, a preparer must have seminal fluid of a Grendel, the sinew of a Silverback Wolf,
a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access to a laboratory, a the mold growing upon an Orx’s gonads, cysts from the
powder of Wytchstone Essence, a vial of Void Salt (both of bellies of Wyverns or jawbone of an ossified Talking Tree,
which are expended as part of the preparation) and be left Prima Materia can be harvested and combined by the
uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours. aspiring chemist to brew a host of Decoctions and for
Magickal reagents.
With a successful Alchemy Test, you prepare one flask of
Ætheric Fluid. A Critical Success prepares one flask and
allows you to retain the Wytchstone for later use. Failure
results in the ingredients being expended without success,
whereas a Critical Failure has the same result and causes
you to suffer 3D10+3 Damage from fire.
DECOCTIONS & PRIMA MATERIA

In the realm of academia, it is accepted that the Material
Realm is made up of five classical elements: Air, Earth,
Fire, Water and Æther. But to esoterics like the Alchemist
and Hexer, there are other ‘hidden’ elements that exist in
our world. Study of these hidden elements – which have
a host of fantastical and oftentimes obscure names – can
create powerful concoctions that bring advantage to the
battlefield. Used primary by Hexers, these synthesized
Decoctions are made up of monster parts, herbs and other
ingredients.
141
Prima Materia is found from three specific sources of HARVESTING PRIMA MATERIA: You can harvest
matter: Creatures, Plants and Minerals. Prima Materia from a creature or plant, guaranteeing
that it has not been dead for more than a week. A hunter
HUNT & HARVEST PRIMA MATERIA must have one Skill Rank in Alchemy, be equipped with a
Before you manufacture a Decoction, determine first which sharp knife and a bottle of rotgut to extract Prima Materia
you intend to brew and reference the table below to gather correctly. For every Skill Rank in Alchemy a hunter has,
the necessary Prima Materia: they are able to extract one source of Prima Materia.
BREW DECOCTION
PRIMA MATERIA
Decoctions can be brewed in the following fashion, and
DECOCTION SOURCE REQUIREMENTS
TYPE BY DECOCTION can be consumed by anyone. Only one Decoction can be
brewed at a time. The more potent the Decoction you wish
PLANT MINERAL CREATURE to brew, the greater the Difficulty Rating of the Alchemy
Combat Decoction 3 Exotic 3 Exotic 3 Exotic Test gets:
Brawn Decoction 2 Exotic 2 Exotic 2 Exotic Weak Decoction: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test
Agility Decoction 1 Exotic 1 Exotic 1 Exotic Middling Decoction: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test
Perception Strong Decoction: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy
3 Uncommon 3 Uncommon 3 Uncommon
Decoction Test
Intelligence
2 Uncommon 2 Uncommon 2 Uncommon To have a chance at brewing a Decoction, a preparer
Decoction
must have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, a vial of Void Salt,
Willpower
Decoction
1 Uncommon 1 Uncommon 1 Uncommon a number of Prima Materia by Decoction strength (all of
which are expended as part of the preparation) and be left
Fellowship
Decoction
3 Abundant 3 Abundant 3 Abundant uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours.
With a successful Alchemy Test, you brew one Decoction.

RARITY OF PRIMA MATERIA: Although Prima A Critical Success brews one additional Decoction and
Materia may take the shape of creatures, rocks and herbs, allows you to retain the Prima Materia for later use. Failure
hunting sources of it down takes time and patience. It results in the ingredients being expended without success,
usually results in some form of a social exchange, a chase, whereas a Critical Failure also causes you to suffer 2D10+2
combat encounter or other challenge. The rarer the source physical Peril.
of Prima Materia you wish to harvest, the greater the
Difficulty Rating of the Survival Test becomes: QUAFFING A DECOCTION
Once a Decoction is quaffed, you temporarily increase
Abundant: (Challenging -10%) Survival Test
one Primary Attribute by 9%. Successfully-prepared
Uncommon: (Hard -20%) Survival Test Decoctions continue to grant their benefits for 1D10+1
Exotic: (Arduous -30%) Survival Test minutes if they are weak, 2D10+2 minutes if they are
middling and 3D10+3 minutes if they are strong.
To have a chance at foraging or hunting sources of Prima
Materia, a preparer must have a Skill Rank in Survival Depending on the strength of the Decoction, you must
and be left uninterrupted for 1D10+1 hours for abundant, Resist with a Toughness Test or else suffer from Peril.
2D10+2 hours for uncommon and 3D10+3 hours for exotic For a weak Decoction, you must Resist a (Routine +10%)
Prima Materia. Toughness Test or else suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril. For a
middling Decoction, you must Resist a (Standard +/-0%)
With a successful Survival Test, you find a source of Prima Toughness Test or else suffer 2D10+2 physical Peril. For a
Materia. A Critical Success finds a source of Prima Materia strong Decoction, you must Resist a (Challenging -10%)
and reduces the time required to find it by three Toughness Test or else suffer 3D10+3 physical Peril. If you
hours, to a minimum of one hour. Failure results Critically Fail your Toughness Test, you suffer from
in the hunt going without success, whereas Peril as above and from Intoxication (but without the
a Critical Failure also causes you positive benefits).
to suffer 2D10+2 mental Peril.
142
CHAP
Hand of Chaos: all 5 dice show face 6!

Five of A Kind: 5 dice show the same number
Four of a Kind: 4 dice show the same number
LET’S PLAY DICE POKER! Full House: 2 dice show the same number and 3
dice show the same, but different number
Remember that awesome dice game from the Witcher
2 video game? Here's a way to introduce it into your Six High Straight: dice show these numbers: 6, 5,
game! Dice Poker is an exciting way to shake things 4, 3, 2
up around the table, particularly when the GM wants a Five High Straight: dice show these numbers: 5,
slight change of pace during the game. It is an unusual 4, 3, 2, 1
dice game, but is easy to play and wager on. It is intended Three of a Kind: 3 dice show the same number
for two Characters, but others may be substituted after
each hand is resolved. Two Pairs: dice show two pairs of matched numbers
One Pair: the dice show one pair of matched
You and another Character begin play by grabbing 5D6 numbers.
Chaos Dice. We recommend using non-standard, D6
dice without pips, as it makes reading the results much The game is not over yet! You and the other Character
easier. may elect to re-roll anywhere from one to four dice:
The first round begins by placing a bid. The bid is Before rolling, the Character who made the first
generally dictated by the Social Class of the tavern’s bid may raise the stakes. If the other Character
most common patrons: 1 brass penny (bp) for Lowborn, does not match the stakes, they lose. However, they
1 silver shilling (ss) if the clientele are Burghers and 1 may raise the stakes themselves, which you must
gold crown (gc) for Aristocrats. match or else lose.
The GM will usually pick a Character to start the If your Character has loaded dice (and are being
first bid, unless the game is already in progress. If used in dice poker), make a Skulduggery Test as
the opponent matches the bid, they may raise. The an alternative to “bump” the table in your favor.
raise must be met for the game to continue onwards. Alternatively, use a Gamble Test to simply cheat.
Otherwise, it is forfeit and the Character who raised Your first Skill Test is (Routine +10%), your second
the bid wins. (Standard +/- 0%), and grows worse for every die
you cheat. If you succeed, roll an additional die
Assuming both you and the other Character are fine for consideration of your hand. If you Critically
with any bids or matches, you both roll all five dice. Succeed, roll two additional dice for consideration
Normally, the dice must be rolled inside a farkel box, but of your hand. For every failed Skill Test, you cannot
rolling atop a piece of paper can be an easy substitution. re-roll that die and suffer 2D10+2 mental Peril.
Should any of the dice fall outside the agreed-upon For any Critically Failed Test, you cannot re-roll
play area, they are immediately discarded, and don’t and are discovered! For every die you cheat, gain 1
count towards winning Picking up dice from the floor Corruption.
or outside the area of play raises suspicions, thus it is
a common rule to simply leave them until a winner Whomever has the best combination of dice after
is declared. However, you may attempt to succeed a the re-roll wins. If both you and the other Character
Gamble Test to recover any die that has fallen out of have the same combinations, add the dice together to
the play area, and roll it again. Your first Gamble Test determine who wins. If both of the rolls are exactly the
is (Routine +10%), your second (Standard +/- 0%), and same, it is a draw and another round begins with the
grows worse for every die you pick up. same starting bid and different bidder.
Once the dice have been rolled, look at the numbers on

the face of the dice. You are attempting to determine
a winning combination. The combinations below are
ordered from best to worse hand:
143
If by taking a Decoction you become Incapacitated!, you potential. The results of ingesting this potion results in one
fall unconscious for six hours. Upon awakening, you cannot of three outcomes: transformation, insanity or death.
recover your Peril Condition Track for 24 hours after being
Incapacitated! in this fashion. MANUFACTURE MUTAGENIC POTION
DECOCTION LIMITS: Note that you can only increase A Mutagenic Potion can be manufactured in the following
a single Primary Attribute with a Decoction within a 24- fashion, and can be quaffed by anyone. Only one potion
hour period. Quaffing more than one of the same type of can be manufactured at a time:
Decoction during that period has the opposite intended ❖ One potion: (Arduous -30%) Alchemy Test
effect. However, you may quaff any number of Decoctions at
once, providing they augment different Primary Attributes To have a chance at manufacturing a Mutagenic Potion, a
all together. preparer must have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access
to a laboratory, a shard of Wytchstone, a vial of Void Salt,
EFFECTS & SHELF LIFE: Successfully-prepared three exotic Prima Materia (all of which are expended as
Decoctions have a shelf life of a number of days equal to part of the preparation) and be left uninterrupted for at
your [IB]. least 1D10+1 hours.
CURSED DECOCTION: Whenever a Decoction’s
shelf life expires, it becomes a Cursed Decoction. The With a successful Alchemy Test, you manufacture one
Effects are still the same, but the Character rolls a 1D6 Mutagenic Potion. A Critical Success manufactures one
Chaos Die upon quaffing. If it lands on face ‘6’, they are potion and allows you to retain the Wytchstone for later
also immediately Incapacitated!. use. Failure results in the ingredients being expended
without success, whereas a Critical Failure has the same
IDENTIFYING UNKNOWN DECOCTION: result and causes you to suffer 3D10+3 Damage from fire.
Decoctions found in the wild are likely not labeled and
quaffing them without understanding their Effects could QUAFF A MUTAGENIC POTION
prove fatal. A Character with at least one Skill Rank in A potential may only quaff a Mutagenic Potion once in a
Alchemy can attempt to identify what type of Decoction it lifetime, no matter whether it is successful or not. However,
is with a simple sniff and sip. You will make a Secret Test, the older the potential is, the greater the Difficulty Rating
using your Alchemy Skill, to see if it can be identified. of the Resolve Test gets. Reference the Age Group the
BUYING SOURCES OF PRIMA MATERIA: Some Character is from their Background:
Hedgewise and others of an alchemical persuasion willingly Young: (Standard +/-0%) Resolve Test
stockpile and resell Prima Materia. Follow these guidelines
to understand the ideal prices by Prima Materia type: Adult: (Challenging -10%) Resolve Test
Middle Aged: (Hard -20%) Resolve Test
PRIMA
MATERIA
Elderly: (Arduous -30%) Resolve Test
TYPE ABUNDANT UNCOMMON EXOTIC
The potential must convalesce for 1D10+1 days after
Plant 3gc 6gc 9gc drinking the potion, regardless of success or not.
Mineral 6gc 9gc 12gc
If the potential makes a successful
Creature 9gc 12gc 15gc Resolve Test, they can adopt the Hexer
Profession whenever they have enough
Reward Points. A Critical Success has
MUTAGENIC POTION the same results as above, while also
When a ‘potential’ is brought into a Hexer school, reducing their current Chaos
they undergo a series of examinations of relentless Ranks to 0. Failure results
physical and mental trials. Potentials who remain causes the potential to be
after undergoing these intense rigors are then unable to become a Hexer,
taken before a master Hexer. Their training and gain 9 permanent
culminates with the ritual of ingestion of a strange Chaos Ranks, whereas a
potion made from Wytchstone. Called a Mutagenic Critical Failure causes the
Potion, this grossly abhorrent concoction changes potential to be Slain!.
both the physiological and mental capabilities of the
144
CHAP
VOID SALTS WYTCH-SCIENCE

Wytchstone Essence can be mixed Discovered within the Skrzzak’s drug-fueled meddling
into Royal Water to create a vial and dangerous explorations, Wytch-science is an emerging,
of black salt, which can be used unnatural philosophy. Comprised of a bizarre fusion
to enhance alchemical studies or of alchemy, communion with Daemons (in the case of
as a Reagent for some Rituals. Skrzzak) and diabolical experimentation, they have created
Whenever Void Salts are added in a new science that produces insidiously
with other ingredients for purposes of unnatural concoctions and deadly
creating formulae (as outlined under Materia Medica from weaponry. Most (if not all) require
the Hazards & Healing chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER and the use of Wytchstone Essence,
other options in this chapter), you have three options (with a distillation from shards of
the following consequences): Wytchstone.
By adding one Void Salt, raise your chances of success

by increasing the Difficulty Rating by one positive step
(but immediately suffer 1 Corruption).
By adding two Void Salts, raise your chances of success
by increasing the Difficulty Rating by two positive
steps (but immediately suffer 2 Corruption).
By adding three Void Salts, raise your chances of
success by increasing the Difficulty Rating by three
positive steps (but immediately suffer 3 Corruption).
MIXING VOID SALTS

Up to three vials can be mixed at a time. The more vials you
wish to mix at once, the greater the Difficulty Rating of the
Alchemy Test gets:
One vial: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test

Two vials: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test
Three vials: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test
To have a chance at mixing Void Salts, a preparer must

have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access to a laboratory,
a quintessence of Royal Water, a powder of Wytchstone
Essence (both of which are expended as part of the
preparation) and be left uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1
hours.
With a successful Alchemy Test, you mix the number of

vials you intended to make. A Critical Success mixes one
additional vial. Failure results in the ingredients being
expended without success, whereas a Critical Failure has
the same result and causes you to suffer 9 Corruption.
145
WYTCHSTONE ESSENCE PREPARING CHITTERCHANT BREW

Wytchstone can be distilled down from a shard into powder, Chitterchant Brew can be prepared into a keg, which is
which can be inhaled, injected or used for other practices force-fed to a rat or other type of vermin. Only one keg can
of Wytch-Science. After it is taken, you can Critically be prepared at a time:
Succeed at any one Incantation Test over the next 24 hours
in exchange for suffering 9 Corruption. One keg: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test
In order to prepare Chitterchant Brew, a preparer must

DISTILLING WYTCHSTONE ESSENCE
have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access to a laboratory,
Up to three powders can be distilled at a time. The more
a shard of Wytchstone, a vial of Void Salt, a keg of brandy
powders you wish to distill at once, the greater the Difficulty
(all of which are expended as part of the preparation) and
Rating of the Alchemy Test gets:
be left uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours.
One powder: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test
With a successful Alchemy Test, you manufacture one keg
Two powders: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test of Chitterchant Brew. A Critical Success manufactures one
Three powders: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test keg and allows you to retain the Wytchstone for later use.
Failure results in the ingredients being expended without
To have a chance at distilling Wytchstone Essence, a success, whereas a Critical Failure has the same result and
preparer must have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access causes you to suffer 3D10+3 Damage from fire.
to a laboratory, a shard of Wytchstone (which is expended
as part of the preparation) and be left uninterrupted for at GLASS GRENADE
least 1D10+1 hours. Skrzzak carry a bewildering assortment of cylindrical
vials in the Great Warren, versatile but primarily used in
With a successful Alchemy Test, you distill the number of chemical warfare. Called Glass Grenades, these contain
powders you intended to make. A Critical Success distills concoctions which can be prepared relatively easily (but not
one additional powder. Failure results in the Wytchstone without considerable risk). Their preparation is almost too
being expended without success, whereas a simple: stuff either a diseased rag or single dose of Poison
Critical Failure has the same result and causes into a bottle bomb, mix it with a powder of Wytchstone
you to suffer 3D10+3 Damage from fire. Essence and vigorously shake to diffuse the Reagents inside.
Provided that it does not shatter during creation, what
CHITTERCHANT BREW remains is a green fetor swirling within a dull, irradiated
In the Great Warren, the Skrzzak employ globe. When thrown, the glass orb releases a cloud of lethal
a number of slaves to do their dirty gas, creating a faint mist that whorls with either contagion
work. Whether it is to fetch supplies, or bane.
carry messages between Kabals
or ferret out secrets from enemy TYPES OF GLASS GRENADES: There are two types
camps, a host of Warren Runners are of glass grenades: those that dispense any 1 Disease, and
charged with these tasks. However, those that dispense 1 dose of Poison. Naturally, not all
when ultimate secrecy is required, they Poisons are necessarily baneful, but can be used to ‘buff ’
will capture rats or other vermin, and force- allies from afar. Unless otherwise noted, those who are
feed them a strange brew called Chitterchant. exposed also suffer its related side effects.
Whenever a rat or other type of small vermin is fed a PREPARING GLASS GRENADES
few drops of Chitterchant Brew, they are instantaneously Glass Grenades can be used as a ranged weapon. Upon
‘charmed’ by the first person they see, and empowered contact, a Glass Grenade shatters in a Burst Template and
with the ability to speak the native tongue of its brewer. immediately exposes others to whatever Disease or Poison
For the next 24 hours, the rat or vermin can communicate was contained within. Only one vial can be prepared at a
using a shared language, and will carry out any mission time:
they’re charged with (even one that would lead to its own One vial: (Challenging -10%) Tradecraft Test
death). Their missions are limited by the creature’s animal
intelligence, however. In order to prepare a Glass Grenade, a preparer must have
a Skill Rank in Tradecraft, either a Diseased rag or a single
dose of Poison, a powder of Wytchstone Essence, a bottle
146
CHAP
bomb (all of which are expended as part of the preparation) BILIOUS WYTCHBLIGHT
and be left uninterrupted for at least ten minutes. A Broodmother’s black bile can be ‘raised’ through a steady dose
of Wytchstone Essence and diabolical experimentation, thus
With a successful Tradecraft Test, you prepare one vial giving birth to Bilious Skrzzak. Born blind, the keepers of the
of Glass Grenade. A Critical Success prepares one Glass rat-pups administer injections of the Broodmother’s bile and her
Grenade and allows you to retain the Wytchstone Essence teat-milk to make this breed of Skrzzak fanatically maniacal.
for later use. Failure results in the ingredients being By injecting Bilious Wytchblight, you too can take advantage of
expended without success, whereas a Critical Failure has its transmutative properties.
the same result and causes you Resist against the Disease or Effect: When affected by one ampule, add +10 Base
Poison within the shattered remains of the vial. Chance to Survival and Toughness Tests for one hour.
When affected by two ampules, you gain the same benefits
WYTCHBLIGHT above and also add +10 Base Chance to Simple Ranged
Following the Poisons entry from the Hazards & Healing and Martial Ranged Tests for two hours. When affected
chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER, a new subtype of Poison can by three ampules, you gain the same benefits as above and
be created called Wytchblight. Rendered from a mix of may make an Opportunity Attack at the end of your Turn
Wytchstone Essence and the exaltations of a Broodmother’s for three hours.
teat-milk, Wytchblight is a dangerous substance turned into
ampules or Glass Grenades. These concoctions are mostly CHOLERIC WYTCHBLIGHT
harmless to the Skrzzak, but to others, their transmutative Wytchstone-infused elixirs are suffused within the belly of the
properties are positively harmful. Broodmother, increasing her yellow bile while filling her with
EXPOSURE TO WYTCHBLIGHT: Wytchblight’s exalting passions and religious babblings. The Choleric Skrzzak
effects immediately take hold – no matter how many are her resultant children, groomed from birth to become priests
ampules you have injected or been exposed to from a of the Kabal. By injecting oneself with these same ampules, one
Glass Grenade. For each ampule, you gain 3 Corruption. will be filled with the ‘holy spirit’ of the mysterious Skrzzak god
In addition, when under the influence of one ampule, called the Thirteen.
treat all failed Perception-based Skill Tests as Critically Effect: When affected by one ampule, add +10 Base
Failed instead. When under the influence of two ampules, Chance to Intimidate and Guile Tests for one hour. When
you suffer the same effects as above and treat all failed affected by two ampules, you gain the same benefits above
Willpower-based Skill Tests as Critically Failed instead. and also add +10 Base Chance to Charm and Leadership
When under the influence of three ampules, you suffer Tests for two hours. When affected by three ampules, you
the same effects as above and treat all failed Brawn-based gain the same benefits above and are immune to Disease
Skill Tests as Critically Failed instead. If for some reason for three hours.
you are Incapacitated! while exposed to Wytchblight, you
fall unconscious for six hours. Afterwards, your PHLEGMATIC WYTCHBLIGHT
Peril Condition Track is not restored as if you Broodmothers can alter her humors to excel her
had rested. phlegm to monstrous levels, a predicator
for the birth of Phlegmatic Skrzzak.
There is no known cure to break the hold This breed is nearly as intelligent
of Wytchblight. It must simply run as their Broodmother, but in
its course. Note that Wytchblight differing ways; their intellect is
only affects living victims; creatures more calculating and objective. By
that are classified as Abyssal injecting Phlegmatic Wytchblight,
or Supernatural are unaffected. you are given the mutative gift of
Furthermore, it is specifically lightning fast deduction, calculating
tailored to Skrzzak physiology. If information at alarming rates to
Slain! while under the effects of hypothesize possible outcomes
Wytchblight, creatures classified Effect: When affected by one
as a Humanoid (including player ampule, add +10 Base Chance to
Ancestries) will doubtlessly Education and Scrutinize Tests
arise from death as a breed of for one hour. When affected by
Skrzzak pertaining to the type two ampules, you gain the same
of ampule injected. benefits above and also add +10
147
Base Chance to Alchemy and Tradecraft Tests for two

hours. When affected by three ampules, you gain the same
benefits above and also do not suffer additional penalties
when crafting multiple numbers of alchemical Materia
Medica or Wytchstone-infused objects for three hours.
SANGUINE WYTCHBLIGHT
Like other pups, Sanguine Skrzzak are born from a chemically-
induced exsanguination of blood in the Broodmother, making
this breed very excitable, flighty and highly dangerous. They are WYTCH-SCIENCE WEAPONRY
lithe and quick, leaving no trace of their presence. By mainlining These horrendous weapons of the Skrzzak aid them in
this Wytchblight, you too can temporarily gain its powers. their never-ending quest to conquer the surface world.
Effect: When affected by one ampule, add +10 Base Chance Consisting of a bewildering array of ranged weaponry, they
to Awareness and Scrutinize Tests for one hour. When discharge a violent green flame upon impact.
affected by two ampules, you gain the same benefits above
and also add +10 Base Chance to Coordination and Stealth As presented under Wytchstone in the Grimoire chapter
Tests for two hours. When affected by three ampules, you from ZWEIHÄNDER, Wytchfyre can be loaded into
gain the same benefits above and gain one additional AP any gunpowder weapon to cause horrendous effects. We
whenever your Turn comes up to Counterspell, Dodge or have copied the Wytchfyre passage below, with a slight
Parry for three hours. addendum for its preparations.
PREPARING WYTCHBLIGHT PREPARE WYTCHFYRE

Any type of Wytchblight (bilious, choleric, phlegmatic or Wytchstone can be prepared into pyreshot, which can be
sanguine) can be rendered into an ampule that is injected loaded into any weapon possessing the Gunpowder Quality.
by the user. Up to three ampules of Wytchblight can be Whenever used in place of standard gunpowder & shot, it
prepared at a time. The more ampules you wish to prepare confers the Wytchfyre Quality to the weapon. Up to three
at once, the greater the Difficulty Rating of the Alchemy pyreshot can be prepared at a time. The more pyreshot you
Test gets: wish to prepare at once, the worse the Difficulty Rating of
the Alchemy Test gets:
One ampule: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test
One pyreshot: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test
Two ampules: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test
Two pyreshot: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test
Three ampules: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test
Three pyreshot: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test
To have a chance of preparing Wytchblight, a preparer must
have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access to a laboratory, a To have a chance at preparing Wytchfyre, a preparer
powder of Wytchstone Essence, a vial of Void Salt (both of must have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access to a
which are expended as part of the preparation) and be left laboratory, a shard of Wytchstone, a shot of Gunpowder
uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours. (both of which are expended as part of the preparation)
and be left uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours.
With a successful Alchemy Test, you prepare the number of
ampules you intended to make. A Critical Success prepares With a successful Alchemy Test, you prepare the number
one additional ampule. Failure results in the ingredients of pyreshot you intended to make. A Critical Success
being expended without success, whereas a Critical Failure prepares one additional pyreshot. Failure results in the
has the same result and causes you to suffer 9 Corruption. Wytchstone being expended without success, whereas a
Critical Failure has the same result and causes you to suffer
3D10+3 Damage from fire.
WYTCHSLIME
Wytchslime is often quaffed by Sanguine Skrzzak before
they embark on their infernal missions. This is to ensure
that should they fail, their remains dissolve into a foul-
smelling black slime, leaving but a trace of their coming
or going.
148
CHAP
After quaffing Wytchslime, you gain 1 permanent Chaos ❖ One stick: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test
Rank. Whenever you are Slain! while under its effects, your ❖ Two sticks: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test
body and trappings instantaneously dissolve into a pool of
icky goo. Wytchslime remains in your system for 24 hours ❖ Three sticks: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test
until expiration. This benefit cannot be gained more than
To have a chance of preparing Wytchstone Incense, a
once in a 24-hour period.
preparer must have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access
to a laboratory, a powder of Wytchstone Essence, a vial
PREPARING WYTCHSLIME
of Void Salt (both of which are expended as part of the
Wytchslime can be prepared into bottles, which is quaffed
preparation) and be left uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1
by the user. Up to three bottles can be prepared at a time.
hours.
The more bottles you wish to prepare at once, the greater
the Difficulty Rating of the Alchemy Test gets:
With a successful Alchemy Test, you prepare the number
One bottle: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test of sticks you intended to make. A Critical Success prepares
one additional stick. Failure results in the ingredients being
Two bottles: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test expended without success, whereas a Critical Failure has
Three bottles: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test the same result and causes you to suffer 9 Corruption.
To have a chance of preparing Wytchslime, a preparer must

have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access to a laboratory, a
powder of Wytchstone Essence, a vial of Void Salt (both of
which are expended as part of the preparation) and be left
uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours.
With a successful Alchemy Test, you prepare the number of

bottles you intended to make. A Critical Success prepares
one additional bottle. Failure results in the ingredients
being expended without success, whereas a Critical Failure
has the same result and causes you to suffer 9 Corruption.
WYTCHSTONE INCENSE
Wytchstone Essence is sometimes turned into sticks of
incense, burned in a Broodmother’s nest to aid in their
prophetic, drug-fueled prognostications. This expands
consciousness, while restoring the frayed mind of their
oracular visions. It also raises awareness of surroundings,
as their sensories are overloaded with visions of the future.
After inhaling a stick of Wytchstone Incense for three

hours, you automatically restore your Peril Condition Track
to Unharmed. In addition, you may ignore any one instance
of a Chaos Manifestation within the next 24 hours. You
also suffer 9 Corruption. This benefit cannot be gained
more than once in a 24-hour period.
PREPARING WYTCHSTONE INCENSE

Wytchstone Essence can be prepared into a stick of
incense, which can be burned for one hour. Three sticks can
be prepared at a time. The more sticks you wish to prepare
at once, the greater the Difficulty Rating of the Alchemy
Test gets:
149
WYTCHSTONE TOKEN MISCELLANEA OBSCURA

Wytchstone Essence can be pressed into talc-like disks, have
Below is a host of new Diseases, Disorders, Poisons and
a hole punched in the middle to be worn upon a necklace
Treatments to consider for your grim & perilous game.
or simply kept in ones pocket. The resulting Wytchstone
Unless otherwise noted, everything in Miscellanea
Tokens are used both as a form of currency (equal to 1gc)
Obscura follows the same standards as presented in the
and as a narcotic within the Skrzzak’s Great Warren. While
ZWEIHÄNDER core book.
not normally suited to be eaten by other Ancestries outside
of the Skrzzak, they can grant phenomenal powers to
NEW DISEASES
practitioners of Magick when swallowed.
A host of new Diseases accompanies MAIN GAUCHE.
The below entries reflect three new Diseases you can easily
Whenever you ingest a Wytchstone Token, you may ignore
weave into your existing grim & perilous game.
one face ‘6’ on Chaos Dice for Chaos Manifestations
within the next 24 hours. This means if you rolled 2D6
KING’S DISEASE
Chaos Dice and generated one face ‘6’, you may ignore it
Caused by the excessive intake of wine and rich food, King’s
for purposes of invoking a Chaos Manifestation. You also
Disease (or as the Lowborn call it - “the unwalkable disease”)
suffer 6 Corruption for ingesting the Wytchstone Token.
is an affliction of the aristocracy. Barber Surgeons characterize
This benefit cannot be gained more than once in a 24-hour
its onset as phlegm building in the joints, causing one’s legs and
period.
feet to swell to brobdingnagian proportions. Plague Doktors will
prescribe a healthy dose of leeching and ingestion of a fat goose,
PREPARING WYTCHSTONE TOKENS
stuff with chopped kittens, lard, incense, wax and flour of rye to
Wytchstone can be prepared into a token, which can be
stave off its effects. The slough-off and grease from the goose are
traded or consumed. Up to three tokens can be prepared
then rubbed on the sore joints. And certainly, this treatment paves
at a time. The more tokens you wish to prepare at once, the
the way to recovery… or at the very least, cessation of symptoms.
greater the Difficulty Rating of the Alchemy Test gets:
Resist: (Challenging -10%) Toughness Test
❖ One token: (Routine +10%) Alchemy Test Duration: Until cured
Effect: Over the course of the duration, you permanently
❖ Two tokens: (Standard +/-0%) Alchemy Test reduce 1 from your [AB] value each week. Should you ever
❖ Three tokens: (Challenging -10%) Alchemy Test lose all of your [AB], your Character is Slain!.
Treatment: In order to treat a patient suffering from King’s
To have a chance of preparing Wytchstone Tokens, a Disease, a caregiver must have a Skill Rank in Heal, have
preparer must have a Skill Rank in Alchemy, have access access to surgical tools, a bottle of leeches, a hot meal for
to a laboratory, a powder of Wytchstone Essence (which an Aristocrat, a Bandage (all of which are expended as part
is expended as part of the preparation) and be left of the treatment) and be left uninterrupted for at least one
uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours. hour. If they succeed at a (Challenging -10%) Heal Test,
you do not suffer the effects for the following week. You
With a successful Alchemy Test, you prepare the number of may only be treated in this manner once every 24 hours, no
tokens you intended to make. A Critical Success prepares matter whether it is successful or not.
one additional token. Failure results in the ingredients
being expended without success, whereas a Critical Failure TREEMAN SYNDROME
has the same result and causes you to suffer 9 Corruption. A rapacious disease that seethes forth from the corruptive Black
Lodge, this cancerous illness afflicts those who dare trespass into
Fey sanctuaries. As the skin disease takes hold over its victim,
horn-like, warty lesions develop upon a person’s limbs, strangely
resembling tree bark. It viciously petrifies a victim’s hands and
feet, until they become immobile like an ossified tree… until
finally becoming one with the Black Lodge. Transformation
into ‘the other’ is complete!
Resist: (Hard -20%) Toughness Test
Duration: Until cured
Effect: Over the course of the duration, you permanently
reduce 1 from your [PB] value each week. Should you ever
lose all of your [PB], your Character is Slain!.
150
CHAP
Treatment: In order to treat a patient suffering from

Treeman Syndrome, a caregiver must have a Skill Rank
in Heal, have access to surgical tools, a vial of Void Salt,
a Bandage (both of which are expended as part of the
treatment) and be left uninterrupted for at least one hour. If
they succeed at a (Hard -20%) Heal Test, you do not suffer
the effects for the following week. You may only be treated
in this manner once every 24 hours, no matter whether it
is successful or not.
WAR FEVER
Borne from epidemics such as wartime, natural disasters and
Ætheric Phenomena, this sickness spreads rapidly amongst
crowded communities. Soldiers and prisoners, lacking proper
medical support or foreknowledge of how to keep at bay this
rapacious sickness, are its victims. Generally, it is thought that
War Fever is a curse of Corruption, but the truth of the matter
is that it is primarily spread by overcrowding and poor hygiene.
Marked prostration, malaise and stupor are the symptoms of
War Fever – all of which eventually lead to sickness and death.
Pyres of burning clothes and bedding are the only way to stave
off its spread.
Resist: (Routine +10%) Toughness Test
Duration: 1D10+1 days
Effect: Over the course of the duration, you suffer from
Starvation, thereby suffering 2D10+2 physical Peril each
day. Should you continue not eating for a number of days
greater than your [BB], you are Slain!.
Treatment: In order to treat a patient suffering from
War Fever, a caregiver must have a Skill Rank in Heal,
have access to surgical tools, an ampule of Quicksilver, a
Bandage, a hot bath (all of which are expended as part of
the treatment) and be left uninterrupted for at least one
hour. If they succeed at a (Routine +10%) Heal Test, you
do not suffer the effects for the following day. You may only
be treated in this manner once every 24 hours, no matter
whether it is successful or not.
NEW DISORDERS
A host of new Disorders accompanies MAIN GAUCHE.
The below entries reflect two new Disorders you can easily
weave into your existing grim & perilous game.
POSSESSED!
Restless Spirits and both Higher and Lower Demons have the
power to possess others. Weedling themselves into the fragile
minds of the immature, corrupted and elderly, these parasites
feed off distress and mental weakness. Whenever a possessed
host experiences a moment of weakness, they lapse into a terrible
slumber, as their bodies become the vehicle for a demon or spirit
to carry out their sinister plans. While possessed, the host will
exhibit different speech patterns and other unusual attributes
151
incongruent to their age and stature. For example, a child may Once reaching Incapacitated!, they are are automatically
speak in a deep baritone and frightening voice while levitating Possessed!. After being Possessed!, the afflicted immediately
in the air, whereas a possessed old woman may speak with adjusts their Peril Condition Track to Unhindered and
the voice of a legion and move with alarming speed. During suffer 6 Corruption.
this time, they are forced into acts of extreme debasement and
violence, with the actions befitting the selfish needs of the demon Being Possessed! can mean different things, as spirits and
or spirit. The possessed is always marked with a physical tell; a demons have their own agendas to enact. A GM should
fleshy mark which denotes they serve a chaotic force. Scrutinous pull the player aside, and talk with them about how to play
Inquisitors and other witch-hunters are equipped to sniff out their Character while under possession. These situations
a devil’s mark or witch’s mark; a sign that someone is under work best if the player and the GM are in on the possession,
the influence of a supernatural or Abyssal force. Fortunately, keeping it hidden from other players. The Possessed! host
it is only in a host’s weakest of moments that they are prone should treat their friends as wholly untrustworthy during
to fall under control of the demon or spirit who possesses this time, while treating their enemies as potential allies.
them. Children and adventurers are most susceptible to being When in doubt, your Character should lean into their
possessed, as naivete and foolhardiness are commonly-shared Chaos Alignment during this time (or Aspect Alignment
traits between the two. if possessed by a demon who is devoted to a Daemonic
Effect: After suffering 10 or more Corruption in a game master).
session or from Stress, Fear or Terror, those afflicted with
this Disorder cannot recover from Peril by any means and Possession lasts for 24 hours. During this time, temporarily
move one step down the Peril Condition negatively for add 9% to all Primary Attributes. The Possessed! Character
every hour they go until they choose to become Possessed!. takes on an amalgam of both their physical appearance
and of the creature who possesses them. In addition, they
gain three Traits of the creature when under possession
(GM’s choice). As an example, were a Character possessed
by an Apparition, they may gain the Traits of Accursed,
Bloodless and Dark Sense. Finally, randomly determine
a Distinguishing Mark, and record it on your Character
sheet. The mark is otherwise hard to detect when not
under possession, yet readily made visible with a Generalist
Magick spell called Wytchsight. It can also be uncovered by
succeeding an (Arduous -30%) Scrutinize Test against a
Possessed! Character.
The only way to stave off this condition is to wear a

talisman that has undergone Dedication (as indicated
in the Ritual of Blessed Sacrament from the Grimoire in
ZWEIHÄNDER), which gives them a chance to avoid
possession with a successful Resolve Test; this Test can only
be attempted once every 24 hours. Should they fail this
Test or are not given a talisman, they will revert to their
normal self after 24 hours. After reverting, the possessed is
Incapacitated! and remains unconscious for one hour.
When standing in a temple dedicated to the demon they

are possessed by or at the grave site of the spirit who
possesses them, they cannot resist falling under possession.
A talisman does no good in these situations. After 24
hours have passed, however, they revert to their normal
self and become Incapacitated!, unconscious for one hour.
Note that Possessed! Characters can undergo a Ritual of
Exorcism to be permanently cleansed of the demon or spirit
who possesses them.
152
CHAP
WYTCHSTONE ADDICTION NEW POISONS: INEBRIANTS

Though the trading of Wytchstone is an everyday facet of the Inebriants are a new type of Poison. They are no mere street
Great Warren’s shadow economy, Wytchstone-laced drugs have root peddled as a drug or of traditional alcoholic bend; they
made their way to the surface to appear among the realms of are risky and potentially deadly to use. Unlike other types
humanity. Every time that a drug synthesized from Wytchstone of Poisons (Deliriants, Toxins, Venoms), they produce
is taken, the chance for addiction to this Corruptive substance highly euphoric effects, and have no antidote.
grows. Waking dream-like states arrest the addict, as they find EXPOSURE TO INEBRIANTS: The effects of an
themselves tripping after ‘dropping a tab or a ring’, turning Inebriant immediately take hold within 1 hour of ingestion.
towards the sun or other strong sources of light to experience the For each dose taken, you suffer 1 Corruption. In addition,
strangeness of Wytchstone. Within the light, lucid images and you can only take advantage of three doses of the same
strange colors arise, coalescing into the mysterious gestalt-like Inebriant every 24 hours. However, you can take advantage
Daemon of the Skrzzak. These acid-fueled visions prognosticate of multiple types of Inebriants during this time.
of a bright yet doomed future. For Skrzzak, this addiction wears
away at their Dark Sense, causing ‘dark blindness’. For others, DEVILWEED
it can bring about glaucoma... or worse. Devilweed is a common peasant drug, but used by all stripe
Effect: Those who suffer from this Disorder are completely of folk, be they blue-blooded or simple-minded. It is usually
blind in low light conditions (including fog, mist and smoked, but can also be baked into bread or pie. Devilweed has
smoke), unless they eat a Wytchstone Token. When an a curious yet pleasant smell on the stem, but becomes particularly
opportunity presents itself to eat a Wytchstone Token, pungent when toked. Maestros and Raconteurs are the most
those afflicted with this Disorder must eat one or else gain common smokers of Devilweed – opening their minds to inspire
6 Corruption. new artistic works for the former, or to get into the smallclothes
of lovers by the latter. Spiritualists even partake of Devilweed to
At any time, those afflicted with Wytchstone Addiction ‘journey’ into the spirit world. While not particularly addictive,
can Take Aim for 0 AP in combat. Each time they take three common strains of Devilweed are regularly prescribed by
advantage of this benefit, they gain 3 Corruption. Quacksalvers to treat a host of symptoms. While providing some
pain relief, it can lead to a regular habit of use, accompanied
with the side effect of memory loss.
153
Special: Devilweed requires 1D10+1 minutes for

preparation.
Effect: When affected by ruderalis, immediately restore
Corruption you gained due to Moderate Injuries and Stress
within the last hour. When affected by indica, immediately
restore Corruption you gained due to Moderate or Serious
Injuries, and Stress or Fear within the last two hours.
When affected by sativa, immediately restore Corruption
you gained due to Moderate, Serious or Grievous Injuries
and Stress, Fear or Terror within the last three hours.
Devilweed reduces your Encumbrance Limit, Initiative

and Movement by a -3 penalty for the next six hours.
GREEN FAIRY
Professional Rake and prolific Raconteur Oskar Heftig
famously wrote, “After the first glass, you see things as you
wish they were. After the second, you see things as they
are not. Finally, you see things as they really are, and that
is the most horrible thing in the world.” And certainly,
for those who have consumed Green Fairy (or absinthe as it
is sometimes called), this holds true. A highly hallucinogenic
drink, it is intermixed with a variety of botanicals, toadstools
and a healthy dose of poison. Those who drink of it experience
a deep sense of euphoria, alcoholic stupor and strange visions.
Many a Maestro swears by Green Fairy, denoting that its KAFFE
characteristic emerald color paints their vision of the world Originating from the East, dilettantes speak of a strange brew
around them in illusions, inspiring them to create astonishing, made from the powder of roasted beans resembling snuff tobacco,
macabre artistic works. Those who are new to Green Fairy are water, milk and sugar. Called Kaffe (or ‘coffee’ by pedestrian
generally enamored with its illustrious preparation of the drink, cityfolk) this stimulant can suppress hunger and reputedly wake
called the ‘fire ritual’. For the ritual, three dram of Green Fairy the dead with its hot, warm and delicious smell. Kaffe cafés are
are poured into a clear glass, while a slotted spoon rests upon its found in large cities and small towns where philosophers, artists
top rim. A sugar cube soaked in the alcohol is then placed in the and pseudo-intellectuals gather to wax poetic about different
spoon, and the cube set aflame. As sugar drizzles into the glass, blends. Kaffe is also the chosen drink of military leaders in the
water is poured onto the remaining sugar crystals. Green Fairy field. Despite the crowing of priests about this ‘devilish drink of
is then drank, and visions of green dragons, music visible in the the East,’ Kaffe is a luxury that most can afford to drink.
air and other hallucinogenic nonsense quickly follows. Special: Kaffe requires 1 hour to prepare.
Special: You must add a dose of Snake Venom when Effect: When affected by one dose, you can recover from
preparing Green Fairy. Imperiled to Unhindered on the Peril Condition Track.
Effect: When affected by one dose, add a +10 Base Chance When affected by two doses, gain all benefits above and
to all Skill Tests related to works of art or performance you ignore the negative effects of Sleep Deprivation for two
create over the next three hours. When affected by two hours. When affected by three doses, gain all benefits above
doses, add a +20 Base Chance to all Skill Tests related to and ignore the effects of Starvation for three hours.
works of art or performance you create over the next six
hours. When affected by three doses, add a +30 Base Chance Drinking any dose of Kaffe prevents you from falling asleep
to all Skill Tests related to works of art or performance you for the next six hours.
create over the next nine hours.
If you fail to Resist against Stress or Fear while under

its effects, you immediately suffer from Intoxication (but
without the positive benefits). If you fail to Resist against
Terror, you suffer from a dose of Snake Venom.
154
CHAP
MADAM GENEVA If you fail to Resist against Stress or Fear while under
Spontaneous combustion: a much-rumored topic in a grim its effects, you immediately suffer from Intoxication (but
& perilous world. Some say those who’ve been afflicted with without the positive benefits). If you fail to Resist against
infernal possession are prone to such fatal outcomes, but the Terror, you suffer 3D10+3 Damage from fire.
truth is far more pedestrian. Enter: Madam Geneva, or the
spirit we know as ‘gin’. While spirits are a newer alchemical TOBACCO
commodity, this particular Inebriant has become the drink of From the pipes of Veterans and ‘wizards’, to the snuff boxes
choice. Known for its curative properties, it is believed to ward of nobles and Rakes, to the clove cigarillo of socialites and
away disease and sickness. In fact, Prostitutes are encouraged Raconteurs and finally, hand-rolled cigarettes from Stevedores
by their pimps to drink a shot of it before engaging in flagrante and Laborers, Tobacco is extremely prolific. It is usually mixed
delicto, girding themselves against Venereal Disease. Unlike with a variety of spices, fruits and flowers in hopes of diluting
other spirits, this drink induces wild, vivacious celebration: the raw, dry smell and bad taste of the burnt leafs. While one’s
selling of one’s shirt off the back for a pint, nudity in the streets, breath smells rancid from smoking clove or pipeweed, snuff
and yes, even spontaneous combustion. While occasions of freshens the taste buds while chaw simply blackens the teeth.
self-conflagration are exceedingly rare, Raconteurs have been Special: Tobacco requires 1D10+1 days for preparation.
known to tell tall tales of a widow exploding from grief while Effect: When affected by one dose, add a +10 Base Chance
‘consorting’ with Madam Geneva in the wake of her husband’s to Charm, Intimidate and Rumor Tests for one hour.
death, or of a rawkus gentlemen’s club going up in smoke because When affected by two doses, add a +20 Base Chance to
its patrons drank from a poorly-maintained still. Charm, Intimidate and Rumor Tests for two hours. When
Special: You must add a Bottle Bomb when preparing affected by three doses, add a +30 Base Chance to Charm,
Madam Geneva. Intimidate and Rumor Tests for three hours.
Effect: When affected by one dose, add a +10 Base Chance
to Resist Diseases you are exposed to over the next three If you fail to Resist against Stress or Fear while under its
hours. When affected by two doses, add a +20 Base Chance effects, you must use Tobacco again within ten minutes or
to Resist Diseases you are exposed to over the next six hours. else suffer 1 Corruption. If you fail to Resist against Terror,
When affected by three doses, add a +30 Base Chance to you must use Tobacco again within ten minutes or else
Resist Diseases you are exposed to over the next nine hours. suffer 3 Corruption.
THE GIN-SELLING CAT
In response to the gin craze, curiosities such as the

‘Puss-And-Mew machine’ have found their way along
busy street corners. These vending machines were
conceived by Natural Philosophers as a way to turn
some quick coin. Consisting of a metal relief of a cat,
the machine is installed into a brick wall and connected
to a keg of Madam Geneva by a lead pipe. By simply
inserting 2 brass pennies (bp) into the contraption’s
mouth and uttering the words, ‘Puss, give me two
pennyworth of gin’, it provides a single dose per pour.
In fact, it pours enough Madam Geneva in a day to
earn its inventors a daily income of 3 brass pennies
(bp) in a village, 3 silver shillings (ss) in a town, and 3
gold crowns (gc) in a city.
Puss-and-Mew machines can be created using

Tradecraft (Fine Smithery) for 186 gold crowns (gc).
155
one additional dose. Failure results in the ingredients being

UPDATED BLACK MARKET GOODS PRICE
expended without success, whereas a Critical Failure also
Animalbane by the dose 3gc causes you to suffer 2D10+2 physical Peril.
Beastbane by the dose 3gc
NEW TREATMENTS
Black lotus by the dose 2gc Below are new Treatments you can easily weave into your
existing grim & perilous game.
Blackroot by the dose 3gc
Demonbane by the dose 3gc LEECHING

Leeches are used for far more than simple Bloodletting and
Devilweed (indica) by the dose 2gc
pre-surgical procedures. Leeching is a therapeutic practice
Devilweed (ruderalis) by the dose 1gc amongst the wealthy and nouveau riche. As a ‘cure-all’,
leeching is prescribed for those who suffer from malaise,
Devilweed (sativa) by the dose 3gc
humoural imbalances and for those in need of warding
Folkbane by the dose 3gc away illness. Those with hemorrhoids, stomach aches and
inflammatory disorders often employ a Barber Surgeon
Green Fairy by the dose 5ss
to conduct leechcraft weekly. Leechcraft is also used in
Graveroot by the dose 3gc preparation for more extensive treatments of Disease,
Poison and the like.
Kaffe by the dose 1bp
Lockpicks 4gc Leeching can only be performed by a healer with a

successful Heal Test. A patient may only be treated in this
Madam Geneva by the dose 3bp
manner once a week, no matter whether it is successful or
Red cap mushroom by the dose 13ss not. The more severe the patient’s Peril Condition Track,
the worse the Difficulty Rating of the Heal Test gets:
Scorpion venom by the dose 1gc
Snake venom by the dose 2gc Unhindered: (Easy +20%) Heal Test
Spider venom by the dose 2gc Imperiled: (Routine +10%) Heal Test
Ignore 1 Skill Rank: (Standard +/-0%) Heal Test
Tobacco (chaw) by the dose 1bp
Ignore 2 Skill Ranks: (Challenging -10%) Heal Test
Tobacco (clove or pipeweed) by the dose 1ss
Ignore 3 Skill Ranks: (Hard -20%) Heal Test
PREPARING INEBRIANTS In order to leech a patient, a caregiver must have a Skill
Inebriants can be prepared into doses, and may be inhaled, Rank in Heal, have access to surgical tools, a bottle of
ingested or smoked by a user (depending on form of the leeches, a Bandage (both of which are expended as part of
Inebriant). Up to three doses of Inebriants can be prepared the treatment) and be left uninterrupted for at least one
at a time. The more doses you wish to prepare at once, the hour.
worse the Difficulty Rating of the Alchemy Test gets:
One dose: (Routine +10%) Survival Test With a successful Heal Test, the patient may attempt to
immediately Resist the Disease or Poison you are suffering
Two doses: (Standard +/-0%) Survival Test from. A Critical Success has the same results as above,
Three doses: (Challenging -10%) Survival Test while also allowing the patient to flip the results to succeed
the Skill Test associated with Resisting. Failure results in
In order to prepare Inebriants, a preparer must have a Skill the leeching having no effect, whereas a Critical Failure
Rank in Survival, have access to a laboratory, the Special also indicates the patient immediately suffers the effects
requirement of the Inebriant mentioned above, an extract and gains 3 Corruption.
of the animal, plant or matter that the Inebriant originates
from (which is expended as part of the preparation) and be
left uninterrupted for at least 1D10+1 hours.
With a successful Survival Test, you prepare the number

of doses you intended to make. A Critical Success prepares
156
CHAP
PERFORM HYPNOSIS With a successful Incantation Test, the patient can ignore
In a grim & perilous world, hypnosis is often seen as the effects of one Disorder for a number of days equal
a parlour game. For those who are susceptible to it (and to the hypnotist’s [FB]. A Critical Success has the same
happen to be easily-corruptible), it can temporarily lift results as above, while also immediately restoring their
ailment of the mind. Alienists and Charlatans alike Peril Condition Track to Unhindered. Failure results in the
practice the art, despite not fully understanding the inner hypnosis having no effect, whereas a Critical Failure also
workings of the mind. A hypnotist is able to make the indicates they gain 3 Corruption.
mind more susceptible to the power of suggestion. People
of the church deem its practice as black magic at best, and
heresy at its worst. BUT NPCS DON’T HAVE CHAOS RANKS!
You are correct - they don’t. Order and Chaos Ranks

Anyone can attempt to perform hypnosis with a successful
are a mechanic purely intended for player Characters.
Incantation Test. A patient may only be treated in this
However, when faced with this dilemma, a GM should
manner once a week, no matter whether it is successful or
first reference whether the NPC is Order or Chaos-
not. However, the more Chaos Ranks the patient has, the
Aligned (as mentioned under Non-Player Characters
easier the Difficulty Rating of the Incantation Test gets (as
in the Game Mastery chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER).
the patient’s mind is more susceptible to being hypnotized):
Then, determine how many equivalent Order or Chaos
0 to 1 Chaos Ranks: (Arduous -30%) Incantation Test Ranks the NPC would have by simply rolling a 1D10
die. The result is what you should reference in cases
2 Chaos Ranks: (Hard -20%) Incantation Test where Chaos Ranks are needed to dictate Difficulty
3 Chaos Ranks: (Challenging -10%) Incantation Test Rating and other mechanics tied to Alignment tracks.
4 Chaos Ranks: (Standard +/-0%) Incantation Test
5 Chaos Ranks: (Routine +10%) Incantation Test
6 Chaos Ranks: (Easy +20%) Incantation Test
7 to 9 Chaos Ranks: (Trivial +30%) Incantation Test
To have a chance at performing hypnosis, a hypnotist must

have a Skill Rank in Incantation, a hypnotic charm and be
left uninterrupted for at least one hour.
157
CHAPTER 5 : LIBER DAEMONUM
158
CHAP
TER 5 : LIBER DAEMONUM
◆ LIBER DAEMONUM ◆
ost Characters in grim & perilous gathered around the table to raise their glasses to make a
M
games are vehemently opposed toast, “To Chaos!”. Instead, they are the ordinary citizens
to the spread of Daemon- to be found in any community. They may be the local
worship, as the lesser deities miller, a stone worker, a merchant or a community leader.
are invariably unsanctioned, or As with other members of the community, they attend
outright banned by the officials church and pray to the local gods (albeit uttering devotion
of the temples devoted to the to Daemons within the church’s privy), pay tribute to the
‘true’ gods. Adopting a Daemon law (but silently protest beneath their breath) and do their
for a god seems detestable from best to blend into common society (carefully hiding their
a narrative sense, for although own mutations beneath a veneer of politeness and carefully
Characters are sometimes torn cut clothing). It is only when the sun goes down and their
in two different directions shades are drawn when they give praise to their Daemon
(typically between their Order lords. Living a double life, they take great pains to hide
and Chaos Alignments), most lean towards Order to gain their affiliation and afflictions, as Inquisitors and others are
the reward of Fate Points. However, in games that embrace always on the lookout for heretics.
more of the system’s ‘chaotic’ elements, some Characters
may inevitably enter into the worship of Daemons. Daemons are entirely unlike traditional gods. Whereas a
god’s flock worships them in preparation for the afterlife or
ON THE NATURE OF DAEMONS primarily to seek absolution, those who devote themselves
People are drawn into the embrace of Daemon-worship to Daemons are strictly concerned with earthly matters –
for a myriad of reasons. Some out of simple curiosity – such as influence over the church or seeking the truth of
scholars often find limits placed on their researches and the world beyond (a conflict of passions). Occultists aren’t
so seek out Daemons, sometimes to learn more about guaranteed an afterlife, having willingly parted with their
them, more often than not to gain knowledge and secrets soul in exchange for just a little of a Daemon’s power in
mere mortals were never meant to know, but which the the Material Realm. Unlike other faiths, the veneration of
Daemons will readily grant. Others out of ambition, avarice Daemons is almost always centered around a charismatic
or pride. Mortals from all walks of life – from peasants and leader. They seduce folk to their flock, using mental (and
burghers to merchants and kings – call out to Daemons for sometimes physical) tools to break down the individual
the power, gifts, favors, and influence such creatures may until they truly believe. These agents have no illusions about
give. Others may turn to Daemon-worship due to their what they do and they know precisely what role they are
frustration with cultural institutions, or loss of faith. The playing.
Preacher, in particular, is considered a prized convert by
some Daemons. Apathetic because the gods will not step Occultists who can make use of Magick, however, are a
in to help the meek and frustrated as the gods uplift the breed apart from the rest of the occult. If you choose one of
wealthy, such women and men of the cloth seek the means the handful of Expert Professions dedicated to the worship
to enact change themselves without the aid of religion or of a Daemon, you are a magician of the dark arts and a
regency, only to find the changes being brought about by wolf-in-sheep’s clothing. Your remit is to convert others to
unholy beings. Lastly, there is the Cultist, a Profession meet the Daemon’s end goals in the Material Realm.
dedicated to the worship of banned deities, far-flung
ORDER DENIED:
god-heads or simply forgotten spirits that resemble gods.
DAEMONIC ASPECTS
Some are born of Cultists and know no other way, others
are wretches reborn as Cultists and some willingly become Traditionally, the act of committing one or more Corruptive
Cultists. Whatever their original reason – detestable or offenses will set a Character on the road to embracing
innocent – for worshipping Daemons, such mortals are Chaos, and the gods or whomever watches over them will
guilty of heresy. ‘reward’ them with Fate Points. But for occultists, this holds
even more true. By acting against the Daemon’s desires and
Those who venerate Daemons are called occultists, and with giving into petty emotions, they continue down the path
rare exception, none don the garb they are said to wear in of discord. While Daemons may be borne of chaos, it is by
folktales and pamphlets – horned helmets, black robes with fulfilling their aspirations and motivations that Daemonic
high collars, their faces marked in blood with sigils – and influence spreads, thereby raising the occultist’s favor.
159
Every Daemon has three specific Aspects – strong ASPECTS & ALIGNMENT RANKS
feelings and desires – which drives their agenda. They Whenever your Character enters an Expert Profession
are a Daemon’s human-like characteristics – an extension devoted to a Daemon, you must choose one of its three
of their metaphysical personality that spreads their Aspects. Once selected, replace your Character’s Order
Corruptive influence into the Material Realm. Occultists Alignment with the Aspect. However, unlike standard
commit themselves to one of the three Aspects to further Order Ranks, your Character will grow in Aspect Ranks
the Daemon’s cause. as they fulfil the motivations of their Daemon. This means
that whenever they act in defiance of this Aspect (playing
DAEMON ASPECTS to their Chaos Alignment), they gain Corruption (as
outlined under Corruptive Offenses from the Game Mastery
The Black Lodge Depraved Vexing Xenophobic chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER). However, if the offense
The Endless Gullet Antagonistic Caustic Voracious furthers the desires of their Daemon, your Character does
not gain Corruption for it.
The Hellfurnace Destructive Incendiary Wrathful
The Outsider Anarchic Mutinous Nihilistic Once an Aspect is chosen, it is immutable. Unlike an Order
Alignment, you cannot change what Aspect of the Daemon
Prince of Change Inexplicable Manipulative Treacherous you represent.
Prince of Decay Cancerous Entropic Parasitic ASPECT RANKS: Whenever you would increase your
Prince of Pleasure Decadent Perverse Sadomasochistic
Order Ranks to 10, you would traditionally gain a Fate
Point. However, an occultist to a Daemon offers an
Prince of Violence Homicidal Ruinous Vainglorious enticing alternative. When your Order Ranks are equal to
The Slavering Maw Brutal Cunning Greedy
10, either reward yourself with one Fate Point or roll on a
table to gain a Daemonic Gift. This reflects the attention
The Thirteen Cabalistic Tyrannical Zealous your patron Daemon has given in return for spreading
The Witch-Queen Cold-hearted Narcissistic Vindictive
their desires upon the Material Realm. Daemonic Gifts are
detailed later in this chapter.
160
CHAP
Those magicians who wholly devote themselves to this

‘Pastor’ Sterling turned away from the gods long ago Daemon become Dirgesingers. Using haunting, Magickal
and has become an Infernal Saboteur in the Advanced arias, they chant to the Black Lodge in the hope that it will
Tier. His Order Alignment was Duty and his Chaos come forth with star-flung sorcery, ghostly apparitions and
Alignment was Fatalism. He then replaced the Order malevolent wilderness. Their music is both dolorous and
Alignment with the Aspect of Manipulative (as required beautiful, a true elegy calling for the world to return back
by his new Expert Profession). to its primordial roots.
FORBIDDEN LORE: The Black Lodge is quiet in its
Faced with a situation where action was necessary and
desires, using its Dirgesingers to draw people into its realm
could be turned to his immediate favor, Pastor Sterling
to trap them for years, if not centuries. Scholars believe
leaned into his Chaos Alignment of Fatalism and did
it is harnessing what they call Gar-mon’bozia – roughly
nothing. However, his Daemonic god demands that he
translated as ‘pain and sorrow’ – the energy extracted from
fulfill the Aspect of being Manipulative. The GM then
captives that the Black Lodge needs to grow and thrive.
gave Pastor Sterling 6 Corruption for defying the will of
The Black Lodge one day hopes to escape from its star-
his Daemonic master.
flung prison in its Fey form known as ‘The Sleeper’, and
spread over the entire world, reclaiming its place as the
DAEMONS rightful god of the land.
What follows is a mere inkling of the myriad of Daemons
THE BLACK LODGE’S ASPECTS
to be found in a grim & perilous world. Cut from many a
DEPRAVED: The realm of the Black Lodge is filled with
stripe and fashion, not every Daemon is necessarily ‘evil’.
manic howls and confusing speech, all sounding as if spoken
They do, however, espouse a universal, callous indifference
in reverse. Those that dwell within it – the Fey and other
towards the betterment of mankind. Daemons implore
twisted spirits – function less on higher learning and more
their followers to spread the ‘faith’: meaning, to remake the
on pure, animal instinct to survive and breed. Its occultists
world in their vision by embracing their earthly passions,
feel a primal call clawing at the back of their mind: eat,
sharing their wants and executing their desires. This is
rut, kill and repeat. Any act of depravity which fulfills the
all done irrespective of the faiths followed and the gods
basic, lizard-brain need is one that further tears the rift to
worshipped upon the Material Realm, oftentimes putting
allow the Black Lodge to seep into this reality and spread
them at odds with each other. Save for the Abyssal Princes
its dark stench and brooding weald across every valley and
– who are Chaos Made Manifest – Daemons are usually
mountainside.
conflated with the eldritch gods and elemental spirits of
an older age. Many an Old Believer worship such strange
gods and spirits without realizing that the divine being
they venerate is in fact a Daemon.
THE BLACK LODGE

The Black Lodge is not only an entity, but a place that
exists between time and space. Formed from the flesh
and bones of the elder gods, it broods eternal and serves
as the besotted, shadowed realm of the Fey. Though silent
and rotting, it still holds a terrible power that manifests
through the Fey’s haunting dirges to their fallen deities. It
desires nothing more than to escape its prison and swarm
the world with dark, fetid wilderness. In the primordial age,
there were countless Daemons – viciously neutral spirits of
the elements, plants and animals. With the adoption of the
new gods, the Daemonic spirits were cast into the Vault
of Night for all eternity. Exiled to the Well of Souls, they
eventually recovered the Daemonic corpses and used their
bones to build the frame of the immeasurable Black Lodge.
Although the Lodge has no true shape, a spectral delegate
called the ‘Twilight Walker’ is seen as its proxy.
161
VEXING: Those of this Aspect hunger for the primordial,

but also like to confuse, frighten, and frustrate. The Black
Lodge itself is maze-like, a riddle made form and a prison
of the mind and body. Its occultists love to bewilder and
obfuscate, leaving their intentions open and their purpose
hidden behind layers of mania. The Black Lodge’s fall
from grace and its bodily prison have caused its occultists
nothing but sorrow and vexation. Lo, they project these
fears onto their victims too.
XENOPHOBIC: Superiority, cold neutrality and utter
isolation are the watchwords of your Daemon. By removing
yourself from civilization, you can achieve perfection in
the eyes of the Black Lodge. Outsiders are not worthy of
understanding the Lodge’s detached glory, and the odious
few who creep too close to your enclave are dealt with
swiftly. It is not so much that you are vain – you have been
chosen, not anyone else. Allying yourself with others who
have also been chosen is an even steeper ask, as you find
yourself at odds with others who vie for the attention of
the Black Lodge. That is just the way the Lodge wants it...
THE ENDLESS GULLET

The Tusked One is a deity of three aspects, the most savage
and monstrous one may very well be The Endless Gullet.
Scholars dismiss the myth that it was once a cosmic object
which fell from the Vault of Night to smash into our
firmament, but the truth is that The Endless Gullet all but
nearly wiped out the elder Ancestries when it fell on their
homeland. Now it is a giant rend in the earth, asking for
sacrifices of blood and treasure while also spewing massive
THE ENDLESS GULLET’S ASPECTS
storms. What the Daemon wants besides these elemental
ANTAGONISTIC: The Endless Gullet is nihilistic and
necessities is unknown, but many clannish folk hope that
cares nothing for the fate of most things. It sees reality as
in return for their worship and servitude, the Endless
an experience formed out of conflict and hatred, and that
Gullet’s promises of power will alleviate the suffering they
the only true way to experience life is through working
experience from day-to-day.
against something to wear it down to nothingness. Many
of the Endless Gullet’s occultists are accusatory, bellicose
and contradictory – working like molars to wear down
Daemon become Butcherpriests. Through ritual slaughter,
their opposition until they can either swallow their souls or
devourment of organs and flesh, they empower themselves
convert them to the cause, but mostly swallow their souls.
with predatory might. They are a terror to behold on the
battlefield, both physically and mentally. CAUSTIC: The Endless Gullet does not often speak or
even direct its occultists. The Daemon sees the contradiction
FORBIDDEN LORE: The Endless Gullet wants one
of eternal hunger in an endless universe that can never
thing and one thing only – to feed. The Endless Gullet
be satisfied, and it rumbles in what could be considered
seeks to devour the world and all within it. There is no
a chortle. Its occultists also see the irony in them serving
rebirth in the mind of the Daemon, but instead a new
their master only to get eaten themselves, so they take the
existence where the world becomes a roiling pit of acid in
true meaning of the world with a grain of salt and a stroke
pitch darkness. Butcherpriests both fear and respect the
of sarcasm – if only to deflect away from the reality that
Endless Gullet, honored that they will be devoured last
they are only furthering their own destruction.
and reborn within the Endless Gullet’s abyss as its torture-
masters and chattel slavers. VORACIOUS: If the Endless Gullet is one thing, it is
hunger personified. This is not even just hunger of flesh
or bone, but hunger for material wealth, hunger for power,
162
CHAP
hunger for destruction – an all-consuming gluttony that is passions often overwhelm them, triggering a ‘righteous’
impossible to slake. Its occultists also experience this endless fury. Lost in this terribly manic state, they flail out
desire. Gluttony and excess is common and encouraged, as uncontrollably, striking at enemy and ally alike, their
it means all mass, all objects, all everything will eventually unpredictability both random and terrifying. This Aspect
find itself embroiled in the Endless Gullet’s roiling abyss. is favored by those of a rebellious nature and disposition,
often embraced by habitual arsonists.
THE HELLFURNACE WRATHFUL: There is always a seething ire – like a
One of The Tusked One’s three aspects, the Hellfurnace is persistent fever – that gnaws at the Hellfurnace’s very
a being of fire, ash and bitumen, who is thought to live at being. Perhaps it is anger at His imprisonment deep below
the very core of the earth. Long ago, the Dvergar dug too the earth or His hatred of those who walk on the land.
deep and too greedily into His domain in their insatiable Either way, He and his occultists are outwardly stern
thirst for Wytchstone. His dark ash and soot infected the and indignant, but inwardly boiling and seething with
minds of those who dug too deep and drove them mad, fury. Their inner natures may manifest as subtle barbs in
causing them to build massive ziggurats to praise Him. conversation or stares hard to freeze you to the spot, and it
The Hellfurnace revels in destruction, tyranny, hatred and may boil over into bloody outbursts of ultra-violence.
fire, wanting to bring a fiery holocaust to the world. He
beseeches his supplicants through the gurgling movements THE OUTSIDER
of lava flows, demanding sacrifices of flesh and gemstones. The rumored fifth Abyssal Prince, the Outsider’s devotion
In return, he offers both fell sorceries and hard metals for to the utter ruination of chaos makes Him the enemy of
His occultists to build blasphemous war machines. the other Abyssal Princes. Originally, this fifth Prince
represented chaos in its most pure form, the concentrated
Those magicians who wholly devote themselves to this efforts of all the other four Princes, and the tendency of
Daemon become Sirocco Prophets. The Hellfurnace’s chaos to eat its own tail. He supposedly hated the other
occultists can harness the powers of ash, dust and darkness four and would sponsor chosen mortals to strike at the
to both burn and confound their enemies. They are also throats of the other four Princes. Consequently, the Abyssal
masters of the forge and can produce terrible weaponry Prince was regarded as a renegade and anarchist. Renamed
powered by crackling Daemonic might. The Outsider, He was banished somewhere far beyond
FORBIDDEN LORE: The Hellfurnace is nothing if the bleakest reaches of reality. He is often associated with
not hate incarnate. He believes the world above is sinful the imbalance of humors (dyscrasia), the colors white and
and must be cleansed with fire and darkened with ash, black, the number eleven, the element of Æther, spiders
so it appears as if the underground depths of basalt and and Indian summers. The exile of The Outsider extends
magma have covered the world. After being shunned for to his followers, who considered personae non gratae, a
centuries in igneous caverns and dormant volcanoes, rare breed who cannot show their face in either polite or
Sirocco Prophets hope the land will one day be wiped daemonic society.
clean so they can claim it as their own.
THE HELLFURNACE’S ASPECTS Daemon become Openers of the Way. Their purpose is
DESTRUCTIVE: The Hellfurnace desires to pierce the very heart of Corruption wherever they
total annihilation of the self and body, and find it; it is their everlasting goal to pave
is absolute in His hold over death. Utter the path for their beloved
devastation is not enough – nothing must god’s return. Masters of
remain in the Daemon’s wake. There is no rhyme bewilderment, wizardry and
or reason to it either – Hellfurnace occultists rank fervor, they are stalwart
simply must destroy because they are told to. in their unending quest to
Little is sacred to them – villages, knowledge, snuff out chaos in all forms…
and even children are ripe for their destructive even sometimes from
appetites. among their own numbers.
INCENDIARY: The Hellfurnace and most
of its occultists have what could be considered
fiery personalities.They are easily provoked,
taking gross umbrage at even the smallest of
slights. Once inflamed, their enthusiasm and
163
FORBIDDEN LORE: Locked away beyond space and organization, usurping their power, and then casting them
time, The Outsider is a distant presence, so His motives and the entire system down is the way to venerate your
are often uncertain. However, He seems to embody pure Daemon. ‘Two wrongs make a right’ is your motto, one that
anarchy and chaos, so much so that it bleeds into pure spite you live up to no matter the nature of the task – petty or
for the other Princes. If this means temporarily allying with important.
the forces of order, then so be it.
NIHILISTIC: You have made a ‘sacred’ vow to The
THE OUTSIDER’S ASPECTS Outsider: eliminate believers of all faiths, until only
ANARCHIC: Buildings decay, storms ravage coastlines, agnosticism and uncertainty reign supreme. Beyond a
trees wither and die, morale breaks and armies shatter as shadow of a doubt, there is nothing benevolent about
their soldiery look to survive. This is the true nature of what you do. Through a campaign of violence and terror,
the universe; for without chaos, there cannot be change. you will ensure a bloody end to all religions and faiths,
All followers of The Outsider know order is anathema including those of the other Abyssal Princes. As you work
to progress and nothing should ever remain static. Your to diminish the other Abyssal Daemons’ power and make
Daemon demands unrelenting chaos simply for chaos’ them impotent, so too grows the power of The Outsider, a
sake, and you’ve embraced this attitude as well. Anarchy is parasite feeding on your success. It is a contradiction that
predictably unpredictable, and you will see it through to its you will be required to attend to in the afterlife. For now,
inevitable end. there must only be discord!
MUTINOUS: The slaves, outcasts and the downtrodden THE PRINCE OF CHANGE
who answer The Outsider’s call historically have little power The Prince of Change is a master of mutability, deception
with which to avenge themselves against the powerful. and the weaving of fate. Those who follow this Daemon
But, that has now changed. Interference of your betters’ are often neo-anarchists who seek to create and destroy at
a whim with little concern for the personal consequences.
After all, the shift from life to death is just another change
which the Prince approves of. He is a pact maker, but
never a deal breaker, as His ambition relies too much
on deception. Aspiration, plotting, fate and Magick are
hallmarks of this Daemon’s devotion. His occultists are
often the victim of a confusing bargain or deal that pledges
their undying soul. He is often associated with the choleric
humour, the color blue, the number nine, the element of
water, crows and winter.

Daemon become Infernal Saboteurs. In the halls of nobility,
they are subtle, creeping from one victim to next. They
whisper into the ears of the receptive, offering a false
bargain to the ambitious. It is on the field of battle these
occultists can bend reality with the brush of their hand,
utter damning curses and call forth hellish conflagrations.
FORBIDDEN LORE: The Prince of Change wants to
destroy civilization from the inside out and once done,
stand among the ruins as the enemy in plain sight. He
believes that humanity is its worst enemy, and infiltration
of his occultists will result in the dismantling of every social
norm. If the Prince’s occultists can cause the people to rise
up to cast down the powerful and the elite, his needs are
fulfilled. A vast, anarchic rule is enough to bring joy to the
Prince of Change, as of all the Abyssal Princes, He revels
in disorder.
164
CHAP
PRINCE OF CHANGE’S ASPECTS THE PRINCE OF DECAY

INEXPLICABLE: Tomes of forbidden The Prince of Decay is associated
lore and chronicles of secret histories with mortality, morbidity, plague and
kept locked away in libraries and disease. An oddly magnanimous
monasteries. Heretical mysteries and being, His worshippers often refer to
taboos hidden within the Æthereal Him as Father or Uncle – He adores
Veil by beings beyond your reckoning. being showered with admiration.
Cyclopean ruins far from civilization He then returns the favor, spreading
where the chanting of elder things the disgusting love of sickness. His
threatens the foundation of reality. The worshippers help Him do just
promise of endless knowledge drives that. He holds no special hatred
you to break into such institutions, towards the other Abyssal Princes,
to go beyond the Material Realm, but greatly distrusts the Prince
to seek out their dark siren song, of Pleasure with His false
to decipher their secrets and sense of carnal love. He
their inner workings, and then is often associated with
take such knowledge to your the phlegmatic humor, the
Daemon. By revealing the lost color green, the number seven,
secrets and enigmas of the world, the element of earth, flies and
you can finally break down the autumn.
barrier between what is and what
could be for the Prince of Change. Those magicians who wholly
devote themselves to this Daemon
MANIPULATIVE: In the great become Ministers of Rot. Their foul
game, it is said that history is written by Magicks fully embrace the stench
the victors, but this is not true: it is by the and fetid nature of the Prince of Decay
hand that forced the pieces across the board. It – whether it be through torrents of corrosive
is not enough to observe and nudge little by little; vomit or summoning plague vermin, sickness and
you must be aggressive – an instigator of revolution disease reveal their Prince’s love.
and infernal transformation. You are a force for change
– change brought about through direct manipulation. By FORBIDDEN LORE: The Prince of Decay holds no
being aware of all that is planned and that which might be, special hatred towards the other Abyssal Princes, but
you can directly interfere in the affairs of mortals to ensure greatly distrusts the Prince of Pleasure with His false sense
a new fate for humanity. You will spin the world off its axis of carnal love. The Prince of Decay dwells within what
if that is what it takes to usher in a new paradigm. He calls ‘a garden of delights’, being a rotten forest that
contains every plague and disease both real and imagined.
TREACHEROUS: The Prince of Change moves in The Prince is monstrous and bilious, permanently rent
conspiratorial ways. For every ploy, there must be a with rot, but cackling with joy and fondness for all things
contingency and nothing must ever be revealed. Although wretched.
you may conspire towards some goal, the ending rarely
matters: your Daemon demands for you to scheme simply PRINCE OF DECAY’S ASPECTS
to scheme (even if those devices unravel due to their own CANCEROUS: The Prince of Decay revels in not only
complexity). Among the Prince’s occultists, there is a saying: the stench of sickness, but in the spread of all things
chaos isn’t a pit, it’s a ladder towards opportunity. Plans, destructive: poisonous gossip, sanity-blasting knowledge
within plans, within plans – those are your watchwords. and caustic humor. All must know His fetid glory, thus you
are charged with spreading the Prince’s malevolent litanies
like a pox upon the land. You will remind the world through
cruel words and debased actions that all things come to an
end, using sex, lies and rumors to sew malcontent.
ENTROPIC: All men must die; so too will the world. The
sun will be extinguished, the land will be blown clean and
mankind will be reduced to dust. But from decay springs
165
forth the Corruption, thus repeating the cycle make everything around them reach an ecstatic
eternal – so why do anything? Melancholy and experience, but that ideal is debased and
despair rules, but you have to do something to grotesque, but most of all – scintillating.
usher forth the inevitable. The Prince of Decay PERVERSE: The Prince of Pleasure
may wane for now, but this too shall pass. does not only revel in debauchery,
PARASITIC: Those who follow the Prince but in all desires. The thrill of a crime;
of Decay know that one day, everyone the high of narcotics; the satiation of
and everything will become host to hunger; the emissions from sex – all
sickness. You accept the descent into are paths to divine ‘oneness’ with
diseased infirmity, and are thus able to the Daemon. Indulgence is the way
celebrate your life. You cling to others you live your life, and nothing you
and ride on their coattails, if only to should be ashamed of. This Aspect
spread your malodorous infections. is best practiced in groups where
With open arms, your flesh will flesh melds together like a singular
serve as a gruesome host for the creature of many limbs, spilling
Prince’s maladies. After all, who forth wine, spit and semen in
cares what happens to the vessel of smoke-filled dens of excess.
flesh when wondrous ‘gifts’ await in SADOMASOCHISTIC: His
the great beyond? is a glorification of extremes, and
where there is pain, there is also
THE PRINCE OF PLEASURE pleasure. Torture chambers of cruel delights are altars
The Prince of Pleasure – sometimes called to the Prince of Pleasure; its victims within ‘sigh’ in delight
the Purple Prince – is an inspiration to artists and from the gaoler’s instruments. Those who embrace this
lovers, as well as prostitutes and torturers. He is the youngest Aspect grow euphoric from abuse and torment; both doling
and least experienced Abyssal Prince, but that does not it out and taking it in kind. To the Prince of Pleasure’s
make Him any less dangerous. The Prince of Pleasure is occultists, pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin
associated with lust, greed, pain and pleasure – a being of – as one facilitates the other.
both divine comforts and blinding pain. Perversion, the
grotesque and conspicuous consumption are also hallmarks
of this Daemon, but so is passion, love and art. He is often
associated with the melancholic humour, the color purple,
the number six, the element of air, snakes and spring.

Daemon become Ecstatic Celebrants. Blurring the line
between ecstasy and agony, their powers bring up dark
desires of lust and greed, while also delivering blinding pain
and terrible knowledge.
FORBIDDEN LORE: Nothing is too extreme for the
Prince of Pleasure, and His occultists push themselves far
beyond the edge to feel His divine pleasure. The Prince
of Pleasure is insular and doesn’t trust many, but He
particularly despises the paternal affections of the Prince of
Decay. The Prince is lustful and deceiving, both an object to
be wanted and feared.
PRINCE OF PLEASURE’S ASPECTS

DECADENT: To the Prince of Pleasure’s celebrants there
is nothing more important than hedonism. Of course, it is
their zealous image of beauty – that of boundless excess,
effete pretension and Bacchanalian delights – which
motivates you. Those who embrace this Aspect wish to
166
CHAP
THE PRINCE OF VIOLENCE hear the lamentations of the women. The Prince of
The Prince of Violence is perhaps the most well-known Violence wants to reseed the world with the blood of
of all Abyssal Princes, making His presence felt in the His enemies and only through wanton violence can your
Material Realm. He embodies the powers of hatred, Daemon prosper. Civilization must be scourged,
rage, bloodshed and cruelty. He sees no allies in flayed and ruined to build upon His throne of skulls.
the other Princes, rather just worthy opponents that The end is nigh, and you are its instigator. Blood
must be struck down. He hates Magick of all types, for the blood Daemon, skulls for the skull throne!
and thus does not grant any of his followers the use VAINGLORIOUS: There is no value in senseless
of spells. Instead, he instills within them a means to killing, no sport in slaughtering the lame, and
disrupt the Æthereal Veil by channeling raw chaos- younglings are unworthy to be brought before
stuff from the Abyss into their weapons. He your sword. Pride is not a sin – it is a path
is often associated with the sanguine to reaching a greater glory with the Prince
humor, the color red, the number of Violence. Only through domination of
eight, the element of fire, young the strong can come the harvesting of
bulls and summer. the weak, and this harvest shall be
bountiful! All must recognize
Those who devote themselves and honor your martial prowess,
to the Prince of Violence are and those who doubt it will be
called Sanguine Legionnaires. brought to heel.
Forming the bulk of the Prince of
Violence’s hordes, these bellicose THE SLAVERING MAW
soldiers see the battlefield as As an aspect of the Tusked One, the
their church, and the blood of their Slavering Maw is a being that exemplifies
enemies as sacrament to their unyielding greed, brutality and cunning. The Slavering Maw is
god of bloodshed and war. The Sanguine Legionnaire does often at odds with itself. Much like the top and bottom rows
not suffer the wizard or priest, seeing little value in Magick, of teeth, His brutality and cunning often grind against one
only that of flesh and iron. other, yet also need each other. In fact, a common cause of
FORBIDDEN LORE: The Prince of Violence bears a arguments amongst His followers is whether the Slavering
special hatred towards the Prince of Change. His occultists Maw is savagely cunning or cunningly savage. The Slavering
are particularly brutal and full of sanguinity, bristling at Maw cares little for destruction or even standing for much
any moment to strike down their enemies with bloody of anything – He and his supplicants operate purely on
vengeance. The Prince of Violence’s bronze and onyx primal instinct and not much else. Regardless, all the while
fortress roves across the torrid Abyss atop the backs of they enjoy the savage life of bloodshed and pillaging.
millions of tortured souls that sold themselves to Him in
life. Inside, he sits atop a crumbling throne of goat skulls, Those magicians who wholly devote themselves to this
but wherever he goes, the stench of sulfur and death Daemon become Witch Doktors. Using the collective will
surrounds the Prince of Violence. of other occultists, they can summon the pure force of
the Slavering Maw to devastate and scatter their enemies
PRINCE OF VIOLENCE’S ASPECTS before them.
HOMICIDAL: The Prince of Violence is large in his FORBIDDEN LORE: The Slavering Maw’s only desire
actions and motives – whether it be burning hatred or the is to destroy, pillage and loot for all eternity – not out of
exsanguination of the dead, everything must be done with any clear goal or means, but simply because it is what
an inflamed spirit. Your Daemon does not often condone He likes to do. Many believe that the Slavering Maw is
premeditated murder in His name, but in you, He demands truly immortal and has existed before time and creation,
it. Although you are beyond a shadow of a doubt a cold- because they believe the Slavering Maw will be reborn over
blooded killer, the killings you do are highly ritualized and and over again. This makes the Slavering Maw less like a
always done to spread His influence. Bloodlust and cruel Daemon, and more like a monstrous, primeval animal.
savagery displays your reverence, and every sacrifice must
be a part of a larger scheme or plot. THE SLAVERING MAW’S ASPECTS
RUINOUS: It is not enough to kill, you must lay bare the BRUTAL: In the mind of the His servant, it is not simply
peasantry, burn the village, salt the earth, and ultimately, enough to win a battle – you must ‘destroy’ the battle. Every
skull must be crushed, every limb should be torn asunder,
167
every inch of the battlefield soaked with blood and piled an abiding desire to have it, to hold it, to hoard it. The
knee-high with gore. Whether it is hunting for food, WAAAR! Hordes are stacked high with loot and plunder
mating or fighting, every activity involves pure, unbridled that simply sits around gathering dust, for no one in their
aggression and animalistic anger. Their savage nature leads right mind would trade with the creatures who serve the
occultists into killing one another… not that the Slavering Slavering Maw. Nevertheless, those of its servants who
Maw cares, for He knows no bounds in their cruelty. collect such gilded gifts receive favor from the Slavering
CUNNING: Just as occultists must be brutal, they must Maw, whose joy only seems to come from the fact that the
also be cunning. The reason the armies of the Slavering Maw gold is His and no one else’s.
are so effective is that they are completely unpredictable,
which they chalk up to their ‘cleverness’. It is not enough THE THIRTEEN
to kill a foe; you must also do it in a way which makes The Thirteen is believed to be not one Daemon, but in fact
your opponent look inept and incompetent. Some cultures an unearthly host of the best of their kind – one ‘super
who venerate the Slavering Maw possess strategies that are being’ who speaks with multiple voices (thirteen to be
so bizarre and their thought-patterns so out of left field exact). This dark hive-mind plots from the vast emptiness of
that their battlefield acumen ranges from sheer stupidity to the Æthereal Veil, spreading change through Wytchstone-
unimagined tactical brilliance. filled revelations. Some scholars believe the Thirteen is not
many, but simply an aspect of the Abyssal Prince of Decay
GREEDY: If the Slavering Maw likes anything as much as – a statement that would drive their followers to literally
fighting, it may very well be trinkets and loot. Some savages eat you alive. The Thirteen exalts the virtues of destruction,
have an actual use for gold, and the Slavering Maw does plague, and shadow, their horn-bearing priests extolling
not require that it be tithed. Yet the Slavering Maw harbors them at every opportunity they can get.

Daemon become Grey Vivimancers. They often sprout
long and twisted horns – doubtlessly, a sign of divine
favor. Operating in the world above, they assure that the
Thirteen’s goal of surface domination is carried out with
vicious cunning and backstabbing.
FORBIDDEN LORE: The Thirteen has many enemies –
almost every other Daemon is seen as a threat and a blight
to their plans. The Thirteen brooks no alliances, demanding
only that its ceaseless hunger be slated with the death of
both enemies of order and chaos.
THE THIRTEEN’S ASPECTS

CABALISTIC: In some circles who venerate the Thirteen,
there exists an unlikely order – one that sees themselves
as the ‘viziers’ of fate, enacting change from behind the
curtain. No matter how divided the worship of the Thirteen
may be, these occultists never waver from their singular
cause. Through Wytchstone-fueled dreams, they hope
visions of countless threads will lead them to on a true,
optimum lifepath – the Viridescent Path – to dominate
the surface world above. By following this green path, the
Daemon’s ‘children’ will swarm across the earth and claim
it as their own.
TYRANNICAL: Although some societies consists of a
feudality bordering on true anarchy, it is only because the
prevailing virtue of being an egoist of superior cunning
satisfies the Thirteen. This ruthless lack of cooperation is
borne from their need to survive and reign supreme over
the world above. Thus, those who embrace this Aspect of
168
CHAP
the Daemon are cruel, treacherous and but spends the winter in a marvelous palace
deceiving. Ruling with an iron fist, of ice.
they seek to become magnanimous,
unforgiving and pitiless, thereby satisfying THE WITCH-QUEEN’S ASPECTS
the Thirteen’s malignant demands. COLD-HEARTED: It is rumored that the
ZEALOUS: To the most zealous among Witch-Queen’s heart is not flesh, but made
their number, merely incanting the of a solid block of never-melting ice.
Daemon’s name demands oblation. The This leaves the Witch-Queen with little
Thirteen has a ceaseless hunger that can sympathy or care outside her own concerns.
only be satisfied by sacrifice. Whether it be a She is just as quick to swat aside followers as
burnt offering of valuables, daily bloodletting, she is to embrace them, as long as it helps fuel
or the ritualistic slaughter of a lesser the form, her cruel machinations. She views most of her
it is not as important as the oblation itself. supplicants as tools that can be disposed of, or
Until a more suitable offering can be found, at best playthings to entertain her for a while.
the blood of the young and hale will avert the Some even say the very winds of winter howl
Daemon’s attentions. Unfortunately, the sacrifice out of Her mouth, but this is most likely a tale to
will only slake the Thirteen’s hunger for so long. scare the young.
NARCISSISTIC: The Witch-Queen is
THE WITCH-QUEEN shamelessly self-involved, when she awakens from
Hundreds of years ago, an ancient witch rose to prominence. Her slumber, she constantly preens herself or tells of
Known as the Crone, She was a powerful magi and leader, her woes. Everyone – from Her followers to the lovers
having mastered dark Magicks of spirits and blood-letting. the Witch-Queen takes – will never be more important
In time, the Crone came to think Herself more deserving than Herself. It was this narcissism that caused her to revolt
than the other Daemons, and resolved to freeze their spirits against the other Daemons in the first place. Many who
so that She could become the sole ruler of the tribes who follow her only encourage this self-absorption, making
followed the old Daemons. Her hubris was her undoing, dark sacrifices to Her terrible beauty. Without oblation in
for she could not totally hide her ambitions or her plans Her terrifying name, there is only one alternative: death.
and despite the backing of her many followers and her dark VINDICTIVE: There is nothing that can stand in the way
might, the other ancestors struck her down and mortally of the Witch-Queen – for anything that does is quickly
wounded her. Yet somehow, She survived and rose from swept aside, removed or destroyed. So long and maniacal
her death as the Witch-Queen. She was banished far from is Her sense of vengeance that She will brood on insults
the Material Realm. The Witch-Queen still lives and is for decades before totally annihilating nations simply out
worshipped as a god, but She is in a near-dead stasis hidden of spite and venom. Some may call it petty, but the Witch-
far from others. Her cult is one of both pleasure and pain, Queen and Her followers feel it to be an eye-for-an-eye
of cold and blood, and of frigid vengeance. – a just punishment for those who would dare raise arms
or dissent against their beloved mistress in any fashion.
Those magicians who wholly devote themselves to this That doesn’t prevent the Witch-Queen from sometimes
Daemon become Rime Maidens. Although the unsavory misinterpreting favor as dissent – but it is a loss that must
tales of their eating little children do not endear them be accepted.
to the common populace, women and men of all stripe
aspire to be like the Witch-Queen and beseech her for DAEMONIC GIFTS
Magickal prowess. Many Rime Maidens were kidnapped
at a young age by an elder crone and trained to command In a grim & perilous world many great beings are the
both a heartless, icy sorcery and the walking dead – those subject of veneration and worship, their faithful aspiring
are their hallmark. For this reason, girls who flower has yet to live by the tenets of their religion. In their adulation
to blossom are prohibited from walking the forests alone. of Daemons, occultists are no different to those who
worship any one of the gods, except they are commonly
FORBIDDEN LORE: The Witch-Queen is an ancient held to be debased, heretical and even inhuman monsters. In
Daemon, thought to be the first of all witches and possibly exemplifying the Aspects of their Daemon and spreading
the first servant of chaos. Stories says She has two faces – their ‘faith’, they have one ultimate goal: to reshape the
one of which is that of a marvelous white queen in winter, world in their Daemon’s unearthly vision. For some, this
while the other a countenance of a wizened, aged hag. She is a matter of sowing discord and discontent, but others
travels within a chicken-legged hut during the hot season,
169
are hell-bent on ushering the world towards a glorious from you. You instead gain 1 Fate Point, but still record
ruin, where no gods exist but their Daemon. They are the the permanent Chaos Rank. However, you may regain the
most uncivilized of occultists, since they do not come to Daemonic Gift at a later time (after once more gaining
town to trade or socialize, but rather to pillage, to plunder, 10 Aspect Ranks). And remember: Daemonic Gifts are
and to leave ruin in their wake. As these villains – fallen temporary – so be sure to keep track of any changes they
heroes and antiheroes, the greedy, the ambitious and the make to your Character.
venal – perform more and more deeds in the name of their
forbidden lords, their prestige grows in the eyes of their ‘Parson’ Sterling is an occultist in service to the Prince
Daemon. Then there may come a moment when their of Change. He already has the Gift of True Name.
efforts will be recognized and rewarded, the occultist being Acquiring 10 Aspect Ranks later in his career, his
granted an unsacred speck of their Daemon’s power, a speck player elects to roll on the Daemonic Gifts table once
which coalesces into a Daemonic Gift. more. Unfortunately, he rolls the True Name result
again. Parson Sterling immediately loses True Name,
GAINING A DAEMONIC GIFT but still records a permanent Chaos Rank. In return
Daemonic Gifts are temporary boons (and sometimes for generating the same result, ‘Parson’ Sterling gains
banes) granted by the Daemon for services that extend 1 Fate Point.
their influence upon the Material Realm. Ranging from
dark relics to grotesque infirmities to ‘blessed’ mutations,
the Gift granted is always random – a quality which ties
the occultist metaphysically back to the Daemon.
Whenever a Character gains 10 Aspect Ranks, they have

two options: gain a Fate Point or roll the dice to determine
which Daemonic Gift they receive. Whenever a Daemonic
Gift is chosen, you will do two things:
Your Character gains a permanent Chaos Rank.

Record it on your Character sheet.
Roll 1D100 on the Daemonic Gift table for
your Daemon. Record the result on your
Character sheet.
After you log your new Fate Point or Daemonic

Gift, reset both your Aspect and Chaos Ranks
to zero (as outlined under Step VIII: Alignment
in the Character Creation chapter in
ZWEIHÄNDER). Your Aspect Ranks may
increase again as you accumulate Corruption
over the course of the story.
Should your Character ever acquire more than

9 permanent Chaos Ranks, they are retired
from play (and may evolve/devolve into a
form that fits the vision of your Daemon).
FINAL CONSIDERATION:
Daemons are a fickle lot and a
Gift can be stricken from your
possession as quickly as it may be
gained. Should you already possess a
Daemonic Gift and gain the same one
again from the table (thereby rolling
the same result as the Gift you already
have), the Gift is immediately stricken
170
CHAP
THE BLACK LODGE
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
With a successful Resolve Test, you are completely invisible to sight, but can be heard. You remain invisible for a
1 to 10 Black Aria number of minutes equal to 3+[WB] as a long as you remain completely still. This only works in rural areas. Finally,
you must be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
Whenever you are in urban areas, you must add an additional Chaos Die when you Channel Power. However, when
11 to 20 Canticle Copse you are in rural areas, you never risk Chaos Manifestations unless you roll at least three or more face ‘6’s on the Chaos
Dice. Finally, you must be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
Chantey to the You never treat rural areas as Hard Terrain. However, you now treat urban areas as Hard Terrain. Finally, you must
21 to 30
Woodland be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, all those who can hear and are within an Explosion Template
Earworm of
31 to 40 around you are Stunned. In addition, they must flip the results to fail when Resisting its effects on future Turns.
Sylvania
Finally, you must be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
Whenever you awaken, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, add +1 to Damage Threshold, but subtract -1
to Movement. If the result is face ‘3-5’, add +2 to Damage Threshold, but subtract -2 to Movement. If face ‘6’, add
41 to 50 Elegy of Ironwood
+3 to Damage Threshold, but subtract -3 to Movement. This effect lasts for 24 hours or until you go to sleep. Finally,
you must be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
You can see in the dark and can automatically see hidden and Æthereal foes. You must be able to speak to take
51 to 60 Fey Hymn
advantage of this Gift.
You never suffer from Peril when made subject to Stress or Fear. In addition, you can never be made subject to the
61 to 70 Ode to the Walker
effects of the Intimidate Skill. Finally, you must be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
Whenever you are in shadows, fog, mist or smoke and are struck by a ranged weapon, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If it
71 to 80 Shadow’s Lament lands on face ‘6’, you automatically redirect it back at the attacker as an Opportunity Attack. Otherwise, you can
attempt to Dodge as usual. Finally, you must be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
By spending a Fortune Point, you can use your breath as a ranged weapon. This allows you to strike a single foe
Threnody of the within 1+[PB], causing the foe to suffer 1D10+[BB] Damage from acid. Toadstool Breath ignores a foe’s Damage
81 to 96
Toadstool Threshold Modifier from armor, but they can attempt to Dodge Toadstool Breath or Parry it with a shield. Toadstool
Breath can be used while Engaged with foes. Finally, you must be able to speak to take advantage of this Gift.
You are given a True Name by your Daemon, but you must tattoo it upon parchment made from the flesh of one of
your own Ancestry and conceal it somewhere considered holy to your Daemon. Unless foes invoke your True Name
97 to 99 True Name
before casting Magick, it fails to affect you. This also means that if someone knows your True Name, Magick, Rituals
and other miscellanea can be used to summon, contain and control you.
Your forehead is marked with the symbol of your Daemon, visible only to your Daemon’s occultists or by Magick.
Mark of the Black Whenever you Channel Power while using the Covenants of the Black Lodge, you may apply the benefits to both
100
Lodge the spell you are casting and the next spell you cast as well. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at Fellowship-
based Skill Tests with those who share your faith.
171
THE ENDLESS GULLET
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
Whenever you deal Damage, you can automatically knock your foe Prone. In addition, you ignore the effects of Hard
1 to 10 Boot-stomper Terrain. However, whenever you drop down the Damage Condition Track negatively, you move an equal number of
steps down the Peril Condition Track negatively.
Whenever you would be Slain!, immediately make a Toughness Test. If successful, you remain Grievously Wounded
11 to 20 Death-cheater
and suffer a random Grievous Injury.
You are treated as a Large Creature (see Chapter 7: Liber Malus for more information). In addition, you must
21 to 30 Giant-breaker
modify the cost for armor, food and clothing by +60% of its price.
Whenever you calculate your Peril Threshold, refer to your Damage Threshold values to determine results (whichever
31 to 40 Gut-thinker
is higher).
By spending a Fortune Point, you may make an Opportunity Attack using your mouth as a blunderbuss (with the
41 to 50 Lead-belcher
Gunpowder, Shrapnel, Volatile and Weak Qualities). You must have gunpowder & shot to make use of this Gift.
Whenever you deal Damage to creatures that are classified as a Humanoid (including player Ancestries), add an
51 to 60 Man-slayer
additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage and automatically succeed at Resolve Tests.
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, immediately make an Opportunity Attack bare-handed. If you
61 to 70 Mountain-eater
deal Damage, immediately move one step up the Damage and Peril Condition Tracks positively.
You can never succeed at Education or Scrutinize Tests. However, whenever you first encounter another Character
71 to 80 Mouth-breather
you provoke Fear.
81 to 96 Wall-crusher When you Charge, your next Attack Action using a melee weapon gains the Shrapnel Quality.
97 to 99 True Name
Mark of the Endless Add the Powerful Quality to any two-handed melee or ranged weapon you wield and you can spend a Fortune Point
100
Gullet to inflict falling Damage equal to 1+[BB] when wielding these weapons. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed
at Fellowship-based Skill Tests with those who share your faith.
172
CHAP
THE HELLFURNACE
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
You and any non-living possessions carried cannot be harmed by non-Magickal fire. However, for every hour you
are in the rain, you suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril. For every minute you stand in water, you suffer 2D10+2 physical
1 to 10 Ash & Basalt
Peril. For every minute you are completely submerged in water, you suffer 3D10+3 physical Peril. Should you be
Incapacitated! by this, you are instead Slain!.
Upon receiving this Gift, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, you gain a set of tusk-like mandibles (add
the Vicious Quality to all Brawling type weapons you wield). If the result is face ‘3-5’, your skin ripples with obsidian
11 to 20 Dvergar’s Blessing shards (foes suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril whenever they deal Damage to you with one-handed melee weapons). If the
result is face ‘6’, your eyes turn ruby red (you can see perfectly in the dark and ignore Medium and Long Distances
with ranged weapons).
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, all those who are Engaged with you must Resist with a Coordination
21 to 30 Fire for Blood
Test or be caught On Fire. You are immune to its effects.
You no longer suffer from the effects of Litany of Hatred. Whenever you suffer Damage from fire, reduce your
31 to 40 Forged of Flames Damage Condition Track by one less step negatively, but restore your Peril Condition Track positively by an equal
number of steps.
You may flip the results to succeed at all Skill Tests to Resist Perilous Stunts. In addition, increase your Encumbrance
41 to 50 Obsidian Jaw
by 3. However, you must spend an additional AP to Charge, Maneuver or Run.
Whenever you are Slain!, the foe who struck you must Resist with a Coordination Test or suffer 3D10+3 Damage
Retribution of
51 to 60 from fire. If the foe is Slain!, you are automatically restored to Grievously Wounded and suffer a random Grievous
Magma
Injury.
Tinge of Whenever you Critically Succeed at a Combat-based Skill Test and deal Damage, your foe also gains a Chaos Rank
61 to 70
Wytchstone or Taint of Chaos (your choice).
Whenever you flee from combat, you gain 6 Corruption. In addition, whenever you Charge towards a foe, add your
71 to 80 Vesuvian Mind [BB] to Movement. Finally, you may automatically succeed at a Skill Test to Parry melee weapons, but move one step
down the Peril Condition Track negatively.
Your off-hand gains the Immolate and Punishing Qualities. However, you can no longer hold anything in this hand.
In addition, by spending a Fortune Point, you can Stem Bleeding on a patient. As you cauterize the Bleeding, the
81 to 96 Volcanic Fist
patient moves three steps down on the Peril Condition Track negatively. If this moves them to Incapacitated!, they
also fall unconscious for 1 hour.
97 to 99 True Name
Mark of the Whenever you deal Damage to creatures that are classified as a Mutant (including player Ancestries), you move one
100
Hellfurnace step up the Damage and Peril Condition Tracks positively. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at Fellowship-
173
THE OUTSIDER
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, you gain an extra
arm (which you can use to make one additional Attack Action on your turn). If the result is face ‘3-5’, you gain an
1 to 10 Abyssal Geometry extra set of legs, which give you an additional 6 to Movement Actions. If the result is face ‘6’, you gain an external
Æthereal heart, adding 3 to both Damage and Peril Thresholds. These effects go away once you are out of danger.
Afterwards, you suffer 2D10+2 physical Peril.
Dimensional
11 to 20 You may teleport to any one place you can see within 3+[WB] in yards. Afterwards, you suffer 2D10+2 physical Peril.
Intrusion
Whenever you see a single foe (who can also see you), you force them to Resist with a Resolve Test or be Mesmerized.
Mesmerized foes cannot use any Actions In Combat, but may attempt to Resist again at the beginning of their Turn
21 to 30 Gaze Into Chaos to escape. You cannot use any other Actions while maintaining a Transfixed Gaze. However, you can release the gaze
at any time. If you suffer Damage while a foe is Mesmerized, you immediately relinquish the hold. Foes who attempt
to Resist must flip the results to fail at their Skill Test. Afterwards, you suffer 2D10+2 physical Peril.
Whenever a foe intends to use a Skill Test against you, you may force them to flip their results to fail. Alternatively,
31 to 40 Premonition if they roll a face ‘6’ on Fury Dice, you may force them to turn the Fury Die into a face ‘1’. Afterwards, you suffer
2D10+2 physical Peril.
You may maneuver any object through the air to any one place you can see within 3+[WB] in yards. the object cannot
41 to 50 Psychokinesis
be any larger than an Ogre. Afterwards, you suffer 2D10+2 physical Peril.
You may interrupt another’s action on the Initiative Ladder, while gaining 1 AP (which must be used immediately).
51 to 60 Seize the Moment In addition, whenever you fail a Skill Test, you may then re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept the
outcome. Finally, immediately after spending your AP or re-rolling the Skill Test, you suffer 3D10+3 physical Peril.
Whenever a foe suffers an Injury or begins to Bleed that you can see clearly, you can immediately render that foe
61 to 70 Tear Reality
Incapacitated!. Afterwards, you suffer 3D10+3 physical Peril.
You immediately conjure a perfect, physical apparition of yourself and your trappings anywhere you can clearly see.
Although your apparition cannot speak, it can be made to take actions as if it were under your control for 3+[WB]
71 to 80 Twin Shadow
minutes. In addition, the apparition has its own Initiative. The apparition is immediately Slain! whenever it suffers
Damage or the time runs out. Afterwards, you suffer 3D10+3 physical Peril.
You can automatically see hidden and Æthereal foes. In addition, you can see through walls a distance equal to
81 to 96 Voidsight
3+[WB] in yards, but suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril afterwards.
97 to 99 True Name
Your forehead is marked with the symbol of your Daemon, visible only to your Daemon’s occultists or by Magick. You
Mark of the
100 are immune to Bleeding, Injuries and Perilous Stunts. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at Fellowship-based
Outsider
Skill Tests with those who share your faith.
174
CHAP
THE PRINCE OF CHANGE
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
You must re-roll every Primary Attribute. Record these new values, but keep the old values on-hand in case you need
1 to 10 Changer of Ways
to refer to them again.
11 to 20 Gift of Brutality Upon command, turn your primary hand into any melee weapon you desire for 1 hour.
Your off-hand gains its own Motivation and Initiative in combat, equal to your [WB]. The hand is controlled by the
GM and will always work against you whenever you have more Chaos Ranks than Aspect Ranks. Finally, the hand
21 to 30 Hand of Chaos
can detach itself from your body, but must return every 24 hours. The hand has a Hardness Threshold of 3 (9/15/21).
If Slain!, it regrows from your stump a week later, and you gain one permanent Chaos Rank.
Whenever you are Slain!, your body splits into three Lemurian Hosts that attack your foe. If the foe is Slain!, you are
31 to 40 Jubilant Division
automatically restored to Grievously Wounded and suffer a random Grievous Injury.
When foes are Engaged with you (and they can see you), they must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or be
41 to 50 Mortifying Gaze
Mortified. While Mortified, they suffer a -10 Base Chance to all Skill Tests used against you, until combat ends.
So as long as your Peril Condition Track is at Unhindered, you may Unfetter any number of Magick spells without
51 to 60 Plans Within Plans
suffering from Peril.
You can use Movement Actions to fly at a rate of 9+[AB] in yards. In addition, every time you inflict an Injury or cause
Raziel’s someone to Bleed, you move one step up the Peril Condition Track positively. However, whenever you are Injured
61 to 70
Metamorphosis or made to Bleed, you cannot fly. Refer to Flying Creatures in the Game Mastery chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER for
other details.
Sorcerer’s Select a spell from each principle of Magick: Petty, Lesser and Greater. These spells need not be of your Covenant,
71 to 80
Enlightenment but can be of any Arcane, Covenant or Divine type. You immediately learn these spells.
Select any three Primary Attributes and then roll 1D6 Chaos Die for each attribute. If it lands on face ‘6’, reduce the
81 to 96 The Reckoning
Primary Attribute by that value. Otherwise, add the value on the Chaos Die to the Primary Attribute.
97 to 99 True Name
As a result, you ignore the Heavy Quality of armor to cast Magick. In addition, whenever you are made the target of
100 Mark of Change
a Magick spell, roll 1D6. If it lands on a face ‘6’, you automatically Counterspell for 0 AP. Finally, you may flip the
results to succeed at Fellowship-based Skill Tests with those who share your faith.
175
THE PRINCE OF DECAY
DAEMONIC
D10 GIFT EFFECT
You can never be restored to Unharmed on your Damage Condition Track, only to Lightly Wounded. As a result,
foes who are Engaged with you must flip the result to fail all Skill Tests to strike you using Actions In Combat.
1 to 10 Cloud of Bottle Flies
However, you can no longer have your Damage Condition Track restored positively using bind wounds. Instead, you
must be administered laudanum or healed Magickally.
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, a Swarm of your choosing (from the Bestiary) sprouts forth from
your orifices to fight on your behalf, remaining Engaged with you. You can only sprout a single Swarm during combat
11 to 20 Decaying Host
(and it is immediately Slain! whenever it suffers Damage). The Swarm returns to your body once you are no longer
in danger.
Whenever you first encounter another Character, you may provoke Stress if you are in the Basic Tier, Fear if you are
Decrepit
21 to 30 in the Intermediate Tier or Terror if you are in the Advanced Tier. In addition, you are immune to Grievous Injuries
Countenance
that would cause harm to your head or face.
You immediately gain the services of a Bog Thing, who otherwise functions as an Abyssal Familiar (as per the Ritual).
31 to 40 Familiar of Decay However, it cannot turn Æthereal and should it be Slain!, you gain one permanent Chaos Rank and another Bog
Thing will emerge from your feces 24 hours later.
Messenger of You become a carrier of any single Disease the Game Master selects. However, you are completely immune to its
41 to 50
Delight negative effects.
Upon receiving this Gift, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on face ‘1’, you contract Filth Fever. If it lands on face
‘2’, you contract Tomb Rot. If it lands on face ‘3’, you contract War Fever. If it lands on face ‘4’, you contract King’s
51 to 60 Miasma of Sickness Disease. If it lands on face ‘5’, you contract Chaotic Rot. And finally, if it lands on face ‘6’, you contract all five
aforementioned Diseases. As a result, whenever you inflict an Injury to a foe or cause them to Bleed, they also
contract the disease(s).
Any time you roll a face ‘6’ with a melee or ranged weapon, your foe also suffers a cumulative -1 to their Damage
61 to 70 Regurgitation
Threshold until they bind their wounds to recover.
71 to 80 Sickening Smile Whenever you inflict Peril from a Chokehold, you also deal an equal amount of Damage.
81 to 96 Slimy Trail All those who are caught within a Burst Template around you treat it as Hard Terrain. You ignore its effects.
97 to 99 True Name
Your forehead is marked with the symbol of your Daemon, visible only to your Daemon’s occultists or by Magick. You
are immune to the negative effects of all Diseases (but may remain a carrier of them). By spending a Fortune Point,
100 Mark of Decay you force a single foe you can touch to make a Toughness Test, or they suffer from any Disease you are suffering from.
In addition, choose any Build you like for your Character. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at Fellowship-
176
CHAP
THE PRINCE OF PLEASURE
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
Any time you are Intoxicated or affected by any type of Poison (such as a Deliriants, Intoxicants and others), you
1 to 10 Bacchanalian Rite
automatically add +3 to your Peril Threshold.
Whenever you perform acts of carnal knowledge with another, the person can be commanded to take any action
you desire over the next 24 hours. Should they be commanded to undertake a dangerous task, they can attempt a
11 to 20 Beguiling Congress
Resolve Test to Resist this effect. This can only affect Humanoids and Mutants (including player Ancestries). The
same person cannot be made subject to this effect more than once every 24 hours.
Grotesque You may now make attacks using your tongue as a bare-handed weapon. If successful, it inflicts Peril instead of
21 to 30
Penetration Damage. Your tongue has the following Qualities: Entangling, Finesse and Reach.
Your horn is treated as a bare-handed weapon with the Powerful and Vicious Qualities. Those who touch your horn
31 to 40 Horn of Potency can successfully reproduce within the next 24 hours (even if they have the Eunuch Drawback). However, offspring
born from such unions gain a Taint of Chaos.
Whenever others sleep near you, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die upon awakening. If the result is face ‘1-5’, nothing happens.
41 to 50 Nocturnal Emissions If the result is face ‘6’, choose one person. Both you and the person gain a free Fortune Point. This benefit cannot be
given or gained more than once every 24 hours.
Pincer of Pain & Your off-hand gains the Entangling and Vicious Qualities. However, you can no longer hold anything in this hand.
51 to 60
Pleasure Finally, by spending a Fortune Point, the person you touch moves one step up the Peril Condition Track positively.
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively. However,
61 to 70 Sadomasochist whenever you cause a foe to suffer an Injury or cause someone to Bleed, move one step down the Peril Condition
Track negatively.
71 to 80 Saturnine Musk Foes who are Engaged with you cannot add their Apprentice Skill Rank to Combat and Willpower-based Skill Tests.
Your hair immediately turns platinum blonde. Reduce your Age Group by one step and gain a permanent
81 to 96 Suicide Blonde Distinguishing Mark. Increase your [FB] by 1 for each Distinguishing Mark you have, but you now suffer a -20 Base
Chance to Resolve. If you advance beyond Young, you are immediately Slain! (unless you have a Fate Point to spend).
97 to 99 True Name
Any creature that is classified as a Humanoid (including player Ancestries) must reduce the Damage they inflict
100 Mark of Pleasure upon you by your [WB], until you initiate violence towards them or their allies. In addition, choose any Build you
like for your Character. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at Fellowship-based Skill Tests with those who
share your faith.
177
THE PRINCE OF VIOLENCE
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
Upon receiving this Gift, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, your skin turns pitch black (add 1 to [BB]).
1 to 10 Annealed Sinew If the result is face ‘3-5’, your skin turns ruby red (add 2 to [BB]). If the result is face ‘6’, your skin turns into brass
(add 3 to [BB]). In all cases, you no longer suffer from the Dangerous Quality while unarmored.
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, you enter a frenzied state as if you had succumbed to the effects of
11 to 20 Blood Frenzy
3 doses of red cap mushrooms.
Your hand (and any weapon you wield within it) takes upon the effects of the spell Anoint Weapon. Upon receiving
this Gift, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, your hand glows red-hot on command and provides an
insignificant amount of heat and light (equivalent to a torch), gaining the Immolate Quality when used to make
21 to 30 Chaos’ Handiwork a bare-handed attack. If the result is face ‘3-5’, bare-handed attacks gain the Breaker and Vicious Qualities. If the
result is face ‘6’, you permanently fuse any single one-handed weapon to your arm. Although you gain the penalties
normally associated with the Veteran’s Hand Drawback, you can never be Disarmed with that weapon. Finally, the
weapon takes upon the Castle-forged Quality.
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, all those who are caught within a Burst Template around you must
Resist with a Resolve Test or be made subject to Confusion. While Confused, they must roll 1D6 Chaos Die when
their Turn starts. If the result is face ‘1’, they lose 1 AP on this Turn. If the result is face ‘2’, they lose 2 APs on this
31 to 40 Fetor of Hatred Turn. If the result is face ‘3’, they must run in a random direction. If the result is face ‘4’, they must attack the nearest
ally. If the result is face ‘5’, they do nothing. However, if the result is face ‘6’, they are left Helpless. Once subject to
any of these effects, they can attempt to Resist it at the beginning of their Turn to shake it off. Foes who attempt to
Resist must flip the results to fail at their Skill Test. You are immune to its effects.
You suffer a loss of 9% to Fellowship, Intelligence and Willpower. However, you gain 9% to Brawn, Combat and
41 to 50 Hell-bent
Perception.
Whenever you are treated by a healer for any purpose, they never require bandages. In addition, you automatically
51 to 60 Living Sutures
recover one step up the Damage Condition Track positively every 24 hours.
Unsettling Whenever you first encounter another Character, you may provoke Stress if you are in the Basic Tier, Fear if you are
61 to 70
Countenance in the Intermediate Tier or Terror if you are in the Advanced Tier.
71 to 80 Venomous Maw Any bare-handed attack you make inflicts Damage normally, and also injects a single dose of scorpion venom.
Whenever you are targeted by a Magick spell, your foe must succeed at two Incantation Tests in order for it to be
81 to 96 Wretched Collar
successful.
97 to 99 True Name
Any time you move a foe two or more steps down the Damage Condition Track negatively or cause them to suffer
100 Mark of Violence an Injury, they begin to Bleed. Whenever you render a foe Slain!, you automatically move one step up the Damage
and Peril Condition Tracks positively. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at Fellowship-based Skill Tests with
those who share your faith.
178
CHAP
THE SLAVERING MAW
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
You never suffer penalties when using tools or weapons in either hand. In addition, you may make two Melee Attacks
1 to 10 Brutal Cunning
during your Turn in combat. However, you cannot carry a shield and must be wielding 2 one-handed melee weapons.
Whenever a foe causes you to move down one or more steps on the Damage Condition Track negatively, immediately
11 to 20 Chop Shop
make an Opportunity Attack against any foe.
21 to 30 Cunning Brutality You may Cast Magick twice during your Turn in combat. However, you cannot carry a shield or wear armor.
You can Counterspell using either Incantation or Resolve, despite not having the ability to cast Magick. If successful,
31 to 40 It Ain’t Real
the foe must flip the results to fail at their next Incantation Test.
You flip the results to succeed at Intimidate and Leadership Tests. However, you must flip the results to fail at Bargain
41 to 50 Lousy Git
and Charm Tests.
You immediately gain the services of a Primeval creature, who otherwise functions as an Abyssal Familiar (as per the
51 to 60 Me Pet Ritual). However, it cannot turn Æthereal and should it be Slain!, you gain one permanent Chaos Rank and another
Primeval will emerge from its corpse 24 hours later.
Whenever you are exposed to any sort of light (such as from a torch), you suffer a penalty of -3 to Damage Threshold.
61 to 70 Night Iz Best
However, when in darkness, you gain a bonus of +3 to Damage Threshold and you can see in the dark.
At the end of your Turn, make an Opportunity Attack bare-handed against an ally. You inflict physical Peril instead
71 to 80 Oi! Behave
of Damage. As a result, that ally can make an Opportunity Attack using a melee weapon against a foe.
Whenever you are at Ignore 1 Skill Rank, gain 1 additional AP. Whenever you are at Ignore 2 Skill Ranks, gain 2
81 to 96 Wotz Dat?
additional APs. Whenever you are at Ignore 3 Skill Ranks, gain 3 additional APs.
97 to 99 True Name
Mark of the
100 Replace all D6 Fury Dice with D10. These D10 Fury Dice explode on face ‘9-10’. Finally, you may flip the results to
Slavering Maw
succeed at Fellowship-based Skill Tests with those who share your faith.
179
THE THIRTEEN
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
By spending a Fortune Point, you automatically conjure forth any single Wytchblight. You must have a glass grenade
1 to 10 Bilious Innovation
to make use of this Gift.
Bright Light, Bright Whenever you are exposed to any sort of light (such as from a torch), you suffer a penalty of -3 to Peril Threshold.
11 to 20
Light However, when in darkness you gain a bonus of +3 to Peril Threshold and you can see in the dark.
You can sense whenever Wytchstone is within one mile of where you stand. In addition, whenever you successfully
21 to 30 Choleric Divination prepare a trapping with Wytchstone Essence as an alchemical requirement, you prepare an additional trapping as
well.
Whenever you inflict an Injury, your foe’s wounds are also Infected. In addition, you may flip the results to succeed
31 to 40 Fleabag at Skill Tests to Resist Disease. In addition, your flea-ridden clothing and countenance means you can never succeed
at Bargain Tests
Whenever you awaken, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, add +1 to [CB], but subtract -1 to Peril
41 to 50 Murderlord Threshold. If the result is face ‘3-5’, add +2 to [CB], but subtract -2 to Peril Threshold. If face ‘6’, add +3 to [CB], but
subtract -3 to Peril Threshold. This effect lasts for 24 hours or until you go to sleep.
Upon gaining this Daemonic Gift, you gain a number of Distinguishing Marks based on your current Tier. If Basic
Phlegmatic
51 to 60 Tier, you gain one; if Intermediate Tier, you gain two; if Advanced Tier, you gain three. As a result, increase your
Countenance
[PB] by 1 for each Distinguishing Mark you gain. However, you must now flip the results to fail at all Charm Tests.
61 to 70 Runner Runner You never treat urban areas as Hard Terrain. However, you now treat rural areas as Hard Terrain.
71 to 80 Sanguine Skittering You reduce all Movement Actions by 1 AP (to a minimum of 1 AP) and can Dodge both melee and ranged weapons.
Whenever you suffer an Injury or begin to Bleed, roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, your hands are
covered in rot as all Injuries you inflict also cause Infection. If the result is face ‘3-5’, your thews become engorged
Tyrannical
81 to 96 with might as you ignore the Weak Quality for all melee weapons and add the Reach Quality. If the result is face
Aggression
‘6’, your body bristles with bony ridges and hair as you increase your [BB] by 3. These effects go away once you are
out of danger.
97 to 99 True Name
Select a single Primary Attribute. Whenever you make Skill Tests related to that Primary Attribute, roll twice and
100 Mark of the Thirteen
use the better of the two results. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at Fellowship-based Skill Tests with those
who share your faith.
180
CHAP
THE WITCH-QUEEN
DAEMONIC
D100 GIFT EFFECT
You cannot Charge, Maneuver or Run with Movement Actions without spending an additional AP. If you already
1 to 10 Club-footed have a Veteran’s Boot, it costs you 2 AP instead. However, your bare-handed attacks gain the Powerful and
Punishing Qualities.
11 to 20 Cold Countenance You may flip the results to succeed at Intimidate Tests, but must flip the results to fail at Charm Tests.
Your hair immediately turns silver white. Advance your Age Group by one step positively and gain a permanent
Distinguishing Mark. Increase your [BB] by 1 for each Distinguishing Mark you have, but you now suffer a -20
21 to 30 Creaky Bones
Base Chance to Stealth Tests. If you advance beyond Elderly, you are immediately Slain! (unless you have a Fate
Point to spend).
Whenever you Channel Power and have a shard of ice on-hand as an expendable reagent, you may ignore 1 Chaos
31 to 40 Glacial Surge
Die.
Whenever you suffer Damage from fire, move one additional step down the Damage Condition Track negatively.
In addition, whenever you would normally suffer Damage or Peril due to cold weather, you move one step up the
41 to 50 Pyro-Cryo
Damage Condition Track positively. This means that if you were Grievously Wounded, you are now Seriously
Wounded instead.
Whenever you suffer Damage from a melee or ranged weapon, spend a Fortune Point to temporarily increase your
51 to 60 Rime Preservation
Damage Threshold by your [WB] for purposes of ignoring Damage from that single attack.
By spending a Fortune Point, you automatically understand the Motivation of a NPC or the Chaos Alignment of
61 to 70 Second Sight
any player Character. You must be able to see them clearly to make use of this Gift.
You may use any Fellowship-based Skill to directly communicate with Restless Spirits. This interaction is not
always beneficial: many spirits are skittish, ignorant, confused, cunningly deceptive or even openly aggressive. This
71 to 80 Spiritual Medium
empathy acts as an all but supernatural type of communication; the complexity being determined by the Game
Master. In addition, you may ignore the Accursed Trait for purposes of dealing Damage.
After a person imbibes one of your alchemical concoctions, they may automatically succeed at their next Skill Test
81 to 96 Witch’s Teat-milk
to Resist Damage and Peril from cold weather.
You are given a True Name by your Daemon, but you must tattoo it upon parchment made from the flesh of one
of your own Ancestry and conceal it somewhere considered holy to your Daemon. Unless foes invoke your True
97 to 99 True Name
Name before casting Magick, it fails to affect you. This also means that if someone knows your True Name, Magick,
Rituals and other miscellanea can be used to summon, contain and control you.
Mark of the Witch- Whenever you Channel Power while using the Covenants of the Witch-Queen, you may apply the benefits to
100
Queen both the spell you are casting and the next spell you cast as well. Finally, you may flip the results to succeed at
Fellowship-based Skill Tests with those who share your faith.
181
CHAPTER 6 : LIBER UMBRARUM
182
CHAP
TER 6 : LIBER UMBRARUM
◆ LIBER UMBRARUM ◆
ovenant Magick is a new tradition MAGICK FORMAT
C
of Magick for ZWEIHÄNDER,
an eldritch amalgam of Arcane Every Magick spell in MAIN GAUCHE is presented in
and Divine Magick. It is best the following format:
defined as a pact with banned DISTANCE: This reflects the range over which your
gods, demons or lost deities Magick can be cast. Distances that rely on sight and sound
stricken from the annals of must take into consideration the visibility and hearing
history, fused with Abyssal/ conditions. For instance, if it is dark out it would be nearly
Ætheric ‘chaos-stuff ’ to form impossible to target another with Magick without proper
its means. Most Daemons are lighting (or an appropriate Trait to see in the dark). If the
not as far removed from mortal Distance says ‘yourself ’, it means precisely that you can cast
concerns as the gods are and it only on yourself and no other. If a Magick spell can be
they take an active hand in cast upon objects or people by touch, it means that it can
having their followers ‘prepare’ the Material Realm for their also be cast on yourself. Any time a ‘person’ is mentioned,
inevitable return. A few, however, are simply on the verge it also means a creature (unless there is a restriction
of death, floating in the Æthereal Veil where all forgotten mentioned in the Effects) or yourself. The GM will apply
gods rot in the emptiness of oblivion. It does not stop them their best judgement in these cases. You are always your
from granting a choice few mortals a morsel of their power, own ally, so you can cast Magick intended for others upon
however. These precious few are called occultists and the yourself as well.
Daemon’s stratagems are ensured by granting the grandest
of their chosen the use of Covenant Magick. REAGENTS: Reagents are material ingredients normally
required to cast Magick. Reagents are usually not expended
COVENANT MAGICK after casting Magick, unless indicated otherwise in brackets
as in (expended). When reagents are expended, they are
Unlike the standard Arcane and Divine traditions of destroyed whether you were successful in casting the
Magick, Covenant Magick is incredibly dangerous. Not Magick or not. No additional time is required to produce
only are its spells far more destructive, but it comes at a reagents in readiness to cast a Magickal spell. Unless buried
steep price: the cost of one’s soul. Every occultist gives up in the bottom of your backpack, it is always assumed that
a part of themselves in order to curry favor with a single reagents are within easy reach – such as in pockets, a sling
Daemonic master. Every Daemon’s demands differ, but in bag or folds of a mantle – when casting Magick.
exchange, unfathomable power awaits. To no great surprise,
Daemons are a fickle lot – perhaps even more pernicious
than their divine counterparts – and there is no guarantee
of Daemonic favor through sacrifice by their occultists.
SIDEBAR: COST OF REAGENTS
Occultists who enter pacts with Daemons record their Most reagents require a bit of cleverness on the player’s
supernatural spells in a volume called a codex. Typically part to hunt down. While many can be found through
bound in lead, goatskin or other material considered sacred use of Skills, foraged for in the wild or recovered from
to the Daemon, a codex harbors eldritch stories and untold Slain! enemies, some reagents must be manufactured.
secrets about the Daemon. To be caught with a work of In cases where you are uncertain how much a reagent
such utter heresy would result in unswerving persecution at would cost to purchase or resell, follow these simple
the hands of the Inquisitors. However, much like how an guidelines to determine cost by Principle of Magick:
occultist lives a double life, their codex is generally hidden
in plain sight. It may masquerade as prayer book, brimming  Petty Magick Reagent: 3 brass pennies (bp)
with holy passages from the commonly-accepted gods
 Lesser Magick Reagent: 6 silver shillings (ss)
(but cryptically written to be interpreted as a Daemonic
orison). Or, it may be disguised as a fictional literary work,  Greater Magick Reagent: 9 gold crowns (gc)
meant to inspire laughter or horror (hiding its true intent
within the margins). Regardless of its form, the codex is
essential to an occultist’s Daemonic work, and the spells
its contains are the instruments of their infernal strategies.
183
DURATION: This determines how long the Magick lasts COVENANT TO THE BLACK LODGE
once successfully cast, until it runs its course. This Duration
can be ended by caster at will, unless they Critically Failed
to cast it. Otherwise, it must be made subject to Dispel SPELL PRINCIPLE
Magick in order to stop it before its Duration expires. Between Two Worlds Lesser
EFFECT: An Effect describes what happens after the Dullahan’s Curse Petty
Incantation Test has been successfully made. In some
cases, you will deal Damage with your Magick spells using Fey Requiem Greater
a number of 1D10 Magick Dice. However, Magick Dice Ossified Winds Lesser
never explode like 1D6 Fury Dice do. In all cases, ‘person’,
‘people’, ‘foes’, ‘creatures’, ‘enemies’, ‘target’ and ‘allies’ are Pall of Night Petty
interchangeable, imposing no additional distinction or Restore the Lodge Greater
restriction due to the relationship you have (or lack thereof )
for consideration as to who is affected by the Magick. The Sleeper Awakens Greater
CRITICAL SUCCESS: The Magick works, gaining Twilight Walker Lesser

additional bonuses as indicated in the description. Note
Wood-whisper Petty
that Magick spells where you have rolled a Critical Success
to cast Magick cannot be made subject to Counterspell.
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
CRITICAL FAILURE: The Magick fails and incurs You pass from the Material Realm into a strange purgatory of
additional penalties as indicated in the description. Critical velvet curtains and the ossified remains of the Fey progenitor
failures generally indicate that the Critical Failure Effects Ancestry. You emerge upon the other side, far away from where
last as long as the Duration, unless stated otherwise. you began.
Naturally, it is not to your benefit to Unfetter the Duration Distance: Special
in these cases! Reagents: An old sycamore tree, where you drop a ring
made of formica (expended)
MAGICK & RITUAL CONCENTRATION Duration: Special
Given that some Magick and Rituals requires Concentration Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you and a
or the casting time extends into next Turn, if you are number of allies equal to your [WB] step into the Black
subject to harm during this time, it may spoil your casting. Lodge. Time is strange within the Lodge, as one minute
If for any reason you suffer Damage or Peril, have to within the Lodge is equal to one hour in the Material
Resist Magick or an Effect, Counterspell or Dodge or Realm. You may remain within the Lodge’s ‘waiting room’
Parry during this time, you will need to make a successful as long as you wish, however when you leave, you emerge
Resolve Test or your focus, and thus your Concentration, from a tree that you have touched anywhere within the
will be broken. When this occurs, the Effects of spells that Material Realm.
have a limited Duration immediately end. You can only Critical Success: As above, but add one Fortune Point to
Concentrate upon one Magick spell or Ritual at a time, the Fortune Pool.
but may cast other spells and Rituals while Concentrating. Critical Failure: Caught between two worlds, you and
your allies become lost within the Black Lodge. In order to
SPELLS IN COMBAT escape, you must fight your own doppelgangers. Facedancers
If you are in combat, you must spend the appropriate who have not yet transformed will arise immediately
number of APs on your Turn before you make an somewhere within the Lodge and seek to steal your faces.
Incantation Test. Petty Magick costs 1 AP, Lesser Magick
2 APs and Greater Magick costs 3 APs. Casting a spell DULLAHAN’S CURSE
takes ten seconds of in-game time. As Duration is You invoke a terrible curse upon a single victim, a remembrance
measured in minutes (and combat of the Black Lodge’s vexing and inscrutable ways.
Turns are measured in seconds), Distance: Any one person you can touch
it is usually unnecessary to track Reagents: A gold ring with an owl symbol on it, placed
Duration in combat. upon the hand of a victim
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the foe you
touch must Resist with a successful Coordination Test
184
CHAP
or be made Doomed. While Doomed, whenever they are PALL OF NIGHT

Seriously or Grievously Wounded, they are forced to make You begin to sing a dirge of lament. Suddenly, the light is
an Opportunity Attack against one of their allies selected suddenly snuffed out, as a numbing cloak of stars and darkness
randomly by the GM. floats around you as if lifted by an invisible wind.
Critical Success: As above, but they also make an Distance: Yourself
Opportunity Attack when they are Slain! just before they die. Reagents: A handkerchief of blue velvet, placed over your
Critical Failure: The ring crumbles to dust, completely eyes (expended)
destroyed. In return, you suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril. Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you conjure a
FEY REQUIEM shroud of starlight in a Burst Template around you. This
All those who listen to your lament are filled with a white light Burst Template follows you wherever you walk. You and
from deep within the Lodge. a number of allies equal to your [WB] can see within it.
Distance: Any persons you can see Foes standing within the Pall treat it as if it were low-
Reagents: A mask made from ironwood, worn on your face light conditions, but you and your allies maintain clear
Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes sight within it. Should you be unable to speak, the Pall is
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number instantly dispelled.
of allies equal to your [WB]. Whenever they deal Damage Critical Success: As above, but enemies within the Pall
with melee and ranged weapons, they move one step up the also suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril now, and at the beginning
Damage Condition Track positively. of their Turn, until they leave it.
Critical Success: As above, but the allies can also add the Critical Failure: As you ingest the inky petroleum, you are
Vicious Quality to their weapons for the Duration of the spell. suddenly paralyzed by a vision: true insight into the nature
Critical Failure: You have awoken something strange of the Black Lodge. You unable to see for 24 hours and
and primal within all your allies. They look at one another, suffer 3 Corruption.
confused and angry, knowing that only one may survive
to rise as the alpha. Whenever your ally’s Turn begins, RESTORE THE LODGE
they must Resist the effects of your spell with a successful You incant the unholiest of all Covenants of the Black Lodge,
Resolve Test or be forced to attack one of their allies on restoring its brittle bones with the soul of a living victim.
their Turn. Your allies can a Resist attempt at the beginning Distance: Any one person you can see
of each of their Turns for the Duration. Reagents: A gold ring with a jade inset, worn (expended)
Duration: Instantaneous
OSSIFIED WINDS Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a foe who
As you blow the pulverized remains of bones from your can see and hear you is instantly Slain!. In exchange, you
previous victims, they reform in the air, taking shape as shards immediately gain one permanent Chaos Rank and are
and whorl about. Incapacitated!. Note that this Magick only affects creatures
Distance: Any persons you can see classified as Humanoid or Mutant (including player
Reagents: Powdered bone shards of a person you have Ancestries).
Slain!, blown into the air (expended) Critical Success: As above, but you are not Incapacitated!
Duration: 6+[WB] in minutes by casting this spell.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number Critical Failure: The ring crumbles to dust, completely
of foes who can see and hear you equal to your [WB]. They destroyed. In return, you suffer 2D10+2 mental Peril.
each must Resist with a successful Coordination Test or
be made Harried. While Harried, they immediately suffer THE SLEEPER AWAKENS
2D10+[WB] physical Peril when their Turn begins. In Roused from its Ætheric prison, the Black Lodge takes shape
addition, they cannot use ranged weapons for Actions in into the Material Realm. You are its host, as it terrifying form
Combat. of primordial origins transmutates your body into ‘The Sleeper
Critical Success: As above, but foes also cannot Who Has Awakened’.
Counterspell, Dodge or Parry. Distance: Yourself
Critical Failure: The bones blow about in the wind, until Reagents: A codex bound in a Lower or Higher Demon’s
they reform. As they coalesce, a violent Restless Spirit arises skin, held aloft (expended)
to take its vengeance upon you. This Phantom will arise Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes
immediately somewhere within sight and seek to kill you. Effect: After successfully casting this spell, both you and
all the trappings upon yourself take the shape of an avatar
185
of the Black Lodge. Temporarily replace your Character TWILIGHT WALKER

sheet with the creature profile of a Sidhe Lord, gaining its A haunting, tall Fey spirit steps forth from the stars, called to
benefits and drawbacks. If you suffer an Injury during this your singing. Crowned with antlers and clad in a veil of stars,
time, the Magick spell immediately ends. the Walker remains at your side until the sun rises.
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration. Distance: Yourself
Critical Failure: Your corpulent form temporarily explodes Reagents: A forest at twilight, where within you chant
into a bizarre amalgam of beast and plant: your head turns Duration: Special
into the shape of a tree trunk, your gonads turn into hooves Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you summon
and your legs into prehensile, fur-covered tails. Those who forth a Fey spirit from the Black Lodge. As the spirit walks
behold your countenance must succeed at a Resolve Test or with you, all allies are made immune to Stress and Fear as
else they suffer from Terror. In addition, you must succeed long as they remain within sight of the Walker. Foes who
at a Toughness Test or else be immediately Slain! (unless behold the Twilight Walker must Resist with a successful
you have a Fate Point to expend). If you succeed, you return Resolve Test or else suffer from Fear. The Twilight Walker
to your normal self, but are Prone and Incapacitated!. will remain in the Material Realm from sunset until sunrise.
Critical Success: As above, but allies are also made
immune to Terror.
Critical Failure: It is not the Twilight Walker who comes,
but instead a hungry, vengeful Fey spirit of the Black
Lodge. An Apparition will arise immediately somewhere
within earshot and will stalk you from sunset to sunrise.
WOOD-WHISPER
The forest is full of secrets, and in its darkest depths, it is a
dimension between words. Between here and there, however,
spirits inhabit the wood, telepathically speaking through the
creaking of branches.
Distance: Yourself
Reagents: Any tree you see, placing your hand and
whispering into it
Duration: Special
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the tree you
touch will ‘speak’ to you with the rattling of its branches.
You can ask the tree a number of questions equal to your
[WB], specifically about any who have passed within the
forest (as if it was able to see people who have passed by it).
However, the thoughts of the tree are slow and abstruse, so
you must make a Secret Test using Scrutinize after every
question to comprehend its meaning.
Critical Success: As above, but you do not have to make a
successful Scrutinize Test after each question to understand
the tree’s meaning.
Critical Failure: The tree comes to life, angered at your
trespass. Instilled with the anger of the Black Lodge, all
of those standing around the tree within a Burst Template
must Resist with a successful Coordination Test or else
suffer 1D10+[WB] in Damage.
186
CHAP
COVENANT TO THE ENDLESS GULLET Critical Failure: Imbibing the heart, you immediately bowl
over, growing sick. You instantly suffer 1D10+1 physical
Peril and are left Defenseless for the spell’s Duration.
SPELL PRINCIPLE
Brain Drain Greater FEAST FOR FRIENDS
With questionable ingredients, you whip up a stew that’s
Cardiac Cuisine Petty extremely tasty yet curiously spicy.
Feast for Friends Petty Distance: Any persons you can see
Reagents: Fresh innards from your own Ancestry, eaten by
Gobblemaw Greater others (expended)
Gout-Shanks Greater Duration: 3+[WB] in hours
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number
Iron Gut Lesser of allies equal to your [WB]. Whenever they Injure a foe,
Slaughterhouse Lesser they move one step up the Peril Condition Track positively.
At the end of the Duration, all those who ate the stew
Slurp Marrow Petty suffer 3 Corruption.
Victuals of Viscera Lesser Critical Success: As above, but triple the number of allies
affected.
BRAIN DRAIN Critical Failure: The feast is unsettling on everyone’s
Greedily scooping the mushy grey matter from the head between stomachs. For the Duration, any allies who ate the stew
your fingers, your enemy begins to experience an extreme sense of must Resist with a successful Toughness Test every
disquieting disgust at your depravity. hour for the Duration of the spell or else suffer 1D10+1
Distance: Any one person you can see physical Peril.
Reagents: A head, dashed open and its contents consumed
as you cast Magick (expended) GOBBLEMAW
Duration: Special The ground splits open, revealing a tremendous maw of many-
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you immediately rowed teeth, which terminates into a pit of bubbling acid –
cause one foe to suffer from waking nightmares, as well as doubtless spilling forth into the bottomless pit of the Endless
on each of the following Turns. They will suffer from Stress Gullet.
on your first Turn, Fear on your second Turn and Terror on Distance: Any place you can see
your third Turn. This Magick requires Concentration. Reagents: The jawbone and teeth of your own Ancestry,
Critical Success: As above, but instead the foe suffers from made into a puppet
Terror instead of Fear on your first Turn. Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes
Critical Failure: Staring long and deep into the eyes of Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you conjure
your victim, you momentarily are taken by the inhumanity forth a massive maw in the ground. You can move the maw
of this act. As you eat the brain, you immediately suffer a number of yards equal to 3+[WB] on your Turn for 1
from Fear. Again, you then suffer from Fear. And finally, AP and make a Melee Attack (1 AP). Whenever striking,
Terror. You cannot help but take three bites of the brain, your foe can attempt to Parry. As you strike, you deal
despite the mental anguish. 3D10+[WB] in Damage. You can inflict Injuries with this
Magick, but foes are caught in a Chokehold instead. This
CARDIAC CUISINE spell requires Concentration.
After eating the heart of a fallen foe, you are invigorated by its Critical Success: As above, but all foes struck automatically
raw strength. fail to Parry.
Distance: Yourself Critical Failure: The maw arises from the ground, forming
Reagents: A salted chunk of a heart from your own a grotesque, round, flesh thing resembling a giant rolling
Ancestry, consumed (expended) Fodderling. Those who behold this must succeed at a
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes Resolve Test or else they suffer from Terror. In addition, you
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, add 3 to Total must succeed at a Toughness Test or else be immediately
Damage results and an additional 1D6 Chaos Die when Slain! (unless you have a Fate Point to expend). If you
determining whether you inflict Injuries to your foes. At succeed, the Gobblemaw returns below, leaving you Prone
the end of the Duration, you suffer 3 Corruption. and Incapacitated!.
Critical Success: As above, but triple the duration.
187
GOUT-SHANKS
For every step they take, and every move they make, their body
begins to rot away.
Distance: Any one person you can see
Reagents: A cured leg muscle from your own Ancestry,
tied into a knot (expended)
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the foe you
can see must Resist with a successful Toughness Test or be
made Gouty. While Gouty, as a foe ends their Turn, they
must roll a number of D6 Chaos Dice equal to the number
of AP they spent on Movement Actions. If one Chaos
Die results in face ‘6’, they suffer a Moderate Injury. If two
Chaos Dice result in face ‘6’, they suffer a Serious Injury.
If three or more Chaos Dice result in face ‘6’, they suffer
a Grievous Injury. When this Magick inflicts a Moderate
Injury, it is always a Twisted Ankle. When it inflicts a
Serious Injury, it is always a Stress Fracture. Finally, when it
inflicts a Grievous Injury, it is always a Maimed Foot.
Critical Success: As above, but your foe is also left Helpless
whenever they suffer a Grievous Injury.
Critical Failure: Your legs suddenly give way beneath
you as you crumble into a heap onto the ground. You are
immediately made Helpless, but can Resist with a successful
Toughness Test at the beginning of each of your Turns for
the Duration of the spell to escape its Effects.
IRON GUT
Baking a tasty pie or something else using ingredients from your
‘six-demon bag’, it immediately satiates your friend’s hunger
and thirst.
Distance: Any persons you can see
Reagents: Powdered granite and a stomach from your own
Ancestry, eaten by others (expended)
Duration: 6+[WB] in days
of allies equal to your [WB]. They need not eat or drink for
the Duration. At the end of the Duration, all those who ate
the stomach suffer 6 Corruption.
Critical Success: As above, but triple the number of allies
affected.
Critical Failure: The stomachs of all those who ate the
Reagents grow sour! They must Resist with a successful
Toughness Test or else contract Bloody Flux.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
Covered in the blood and guts of another, you ready yourself
from wicked butchery.
Distance: Yourself
Reagents: Blood and feces from your own Ancestry,
smeared onto a butcher’s knife (expended)
188
CHAP
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the knife COVENANT TO THE HELLFURNACE
becomes ever-sharp and is treated as a one-handed melee
weapon with the Vicious Quality. Instead of using your
[CB], refer to your [WB] to determine Damage. Finally, SPELL PRINCIPLE
whenever you strike or Parry with this knife, refer to your Ashen Rite Petty
Incantation Skill instead of a Combat-based Skill. You
can inflict Injuries with this Magick. After suffering an Bow Before Me Greater
Injury, the foe must immediately Resist with a successful Brittlebone Curse Lesser
Toughness Test or begin to Bleed.
Critical Success: As above, but victims cannot Dodge or Hellworker’s Stick Petty
Parry this attack. Malign Subjugation Lesser
Critical Failure: The knife takes on its own personality,
dancing into the air as if guided by an apparition, for the Obsidian Promise Petty
spell’s Duration. For the Duration of the spell, roll a 1D6 Primordial Disruption Greater
Chaos Die at the start of your Turn. If the result is face ‘1’,
it will lash out at you; if the result is face ‘2-5’, the knife Salt & Sulphur Greater
does nothing; and if the result is face ‘6’, it will lash out at The Inverted Doom Lesser
a random ally.
ASHEN RITE
SLURP MARROW Your exhalation of breath covers all with ash, instilling a sense
You steal the essence of fallen foes by eating from their remains. of deep hatred and cruelty.
Distance: Yourself Distance: Special
Reagents: A roasted marrow bone made from your own Reagents: A handful of ash, consumed (expended)
Ancestry, sucked on (expended) Duration: Special
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes Effect: After successfully casting this spell, both you and
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, add 3 to your any allies caught in its Cone Template suffer 1D10+[WB]
Peril Threshold and you cannot become Incapacitated!, physical Peril. In exchange, whenever they generate face ‘6’
instead remaining at Ignore 3 Skill Ranks. At the end of on their Fury Die with melee and ranged weapons, their
the Duration, you suffer 3 Corruption. foe begins to Bleed. This spell lasts for 24 hours, unless
Critical Success: As above and you are immune to the ash is washed away.
physical Peril inflicted by foes (such as from Chokehold). Critical Success: As above, but allies automatically
Critical Failure: Your essence is immediately drained Knockout any foes they Injure (as the Perilous Stunt).
away! You immediately suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril Critical Failure: Your throat burns from the ash, as
and are left Defenseless for the spell’s Duration. your lungs begin to seize. You immediately begin to
suffer from Suffocation.
VICTUALS OF VISCERA
The innards of another is vivifying. BOW BEFORE ME
Distance: Any persons you can see With a deafening roar, your body completely transmutates
Reagents: Cooked chitterlings and bung made from into a Brass Primarch – the penultimate form of the
your own Ancestry, eaten by others (expended) Hellfurnance Himself!
Duration: Instantaneous Distance: Yourself
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a Reagents: A helmet made from the jawbone of a Brass
number of allies equal to your [WB]. They move one step Primarch, worn for the Duration
up the Damage Condition Track positively. All those Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes
who ate the chitterlings and bung suffer 6 Corruption. Effect: After successfully casting this spell, both you and
Critical Success: As above, but they do not suffer any all the trappings upon yourself take the shape of an avatar
Corruption whatsoever. of the Hellfurnance. Temporarily replace your Character
Critical Failure: The chitterlings are absolutely disgusting. If sheet with the creature profile of a Brass Primarch, gaining
you do not drink the blood from your own Ancestry within its benefits and drawbacks. If you suffer an Injury during
24 hours, you move one step down the Damage Condition this time, the Magick spell immediately ends.
Track negatively (but do not suffer an Injury due to it). Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration.
Critical Failure: Your body pulsates with lava bubbles
189
and smoke, temporarily exploding into a foaming smoke HELLWORKER’S STICK

monster, whose mouth flows with magma. Those who Tapping your stick upon the ground, distant bells clang,
behold your countenance must succeed at a Resolve Test or hearkening the Hellfurnance’s prophet.
else they suffer from Terror. In addition, you must succeed Distance: Yourself
at a Toughness Test or else be immediately Slain! (unless Reagents: A staff wrought of simple wood
you have a Fate Point to expend). If you succeed, you return Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes
to your normal self, but are left Prone and Incapacitated!. Effect: After successfully casting this spell, your staff
temporarily turns into petrified wood. It becomes a one or
BRITTLEBONE CURSE two-handed melee weapon with the Adaptive, Defensive
A shadow of your brass Daemon of ash and bone falls over the and Pummeling Qualities. Instead of using your [BB], refer
battlefield. to your [WB] to determine Damage. Finally, whenever you
Distance: Any one place you can see strike with this stick, your foe must Resist with a successful
Reagents: 13 bones of a broken man, shaken in a sack Athletics Test or be Disarmed. You can inflict Injuries with
Duration: 6+[WB] in minutes this Magick, but foes are always left Prone instead.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a shadow that Critical Success: As above, but victims are automatically
smells of bitumen falls over your enemies. All those caught Disarmed if they cannot Parry the attack.
within a Burst Template are Maledicted. While Maledicted, Critical Failure: Your stick completely shatters, and the
whenever they suffer Damage, they can be Injured on a bells toll for you. You are unable to cast Magick for the
result of face ‘4-6’. You are immune to this spell’s Effects. next 24 hours.
Critical Success: As above, and they instead can be Injured
on a result of face ‘3-6’.
Critical Failure: A brief storm of ash and salt rises in
an Explosion Template at your feet, rising like a tornado
into the sky. Those caught within an Explosion Template
immediately suffer 2D10+[WB] physical Peril.
190
CHAP
MALIGN SUBJUGATION can inflict Injuries with this Magick, but foes are always
A dark force infiltrates the minds of your enemies, causing On Fire instead.
confusion. Critical Success: As above, but your foes cannot Resist
Distance: Any persons you can see this Magick.
Reagents: A pinch of powdered gemstone, inhaled (expended) Critical Failure: The volcanic rod suddenly cracks and
Duration: 6+[WB] in minutes breaks. With a rumbling of earth below, a lance of magma
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number engulfs you. You suffer 3D10+[WB] in Damage from
of foes who can see and hear you equal to your [WB]. fire and all of your belongings are engulfed in flame and
They must Resist with a successful Coordination Test or be destroyed.
made Maligned. While Maligned, they must Resist with a
successful Scrutinize Test at the beginning of their Turn or SALT & SULPHUR
else lose their Turn. As the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, you are the Hellfurnace’s
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration. wrath. Radiant light falls over those who behold your fell
Critical Failure: You are forced down to your knees and countenance.
must pray to your dark Daemon in penitence. You are left Distance: Yourself
Helpless for two minutes. Reagents: The desiccated remains of a body left to
dehydrate, held in a sack
OBSIDIAN PROMISE Duration: Instantaneous
With this ring, the Hellfurnance shall protect. Effect: After successfully casting this spell, foes who look
Distance: Any one person you can touch at you or make you the target of an Attack Action or
Reagents: An obsidian ring, placed upon Perilous Stunt must Resist with a successful Scrutinize
the finger Test or be turned to a pillar of salt, instantly Slain!. Those
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes who Resist suffer 3D10+[WB] Damage from fire. You
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, can inflict Injuries with this Magick, but foes are always
the person you touch cannot be Injured or On Fire instead.
made to Bleed for the Duration of the spell. In Critical Success: As above, but those who Resist are also
addition, when they would suffer Damage from a melee or Defenseless.
ranged weapon, even after failing to Dodge or Parry, they Critical Failure: You have hell to pay to the Hellfurnace.
take no Damage instead. They can only avoid Damage from You must succeed at a Resolve Test or else suffer from a
a melee or ranged weapon once for the Duration of the random, but permanent Malignancy.
spell and it must be the Damage from the first successful
attack made against them. THE INVERTED DOOM
Critical Success: As above, but they also cannot be made A great horned shadow looms behind you, as your voice grows
Prone by the actions of a foe. from a whisper… to a ROAR!
Critical Failure: The ring crumbles to dust, completely Distance: Yourself
destroyed. In return, you suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril. Reagents: A miniature brass bull, set on ground
PRIMORDIAL DISRUPTION Effect: After successfully casting this spell, foes caught in
As you tap the rod against the ground, gouts of magma and ash its Cone Template must Resist with a successful Athletics
randomly spew upwards towards the sky. Tests or be thrown a number of yards equal to 2D10+[WB].
Distance: Any persons you can see Whether they successfully Resist the spell or not, they are
Reagents: A volcanic rod made from a live volcano, struck left Prone.
on the ground Critical Success: As above, but foes cannot Resist this spell.
Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes Critical Failure: The shadow falls over you… toying with
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, roll a 1D6 you. Suddenly, you are jerked into the air like a marionette
Chaos Die. On face ‘1-5’, a number of foes equal to your – and then, the strings are cut. You fall a number of yards
[WB]. They must Resist with a successful Coordination equal to 2D10+[WB].
Test or suffer 3D10+[WB] in Damage from fire. On face
‘6’, a number of allies equal to your [WB] must Resist with
a successful Coordination Test or suffer 3D10+[WB] in
Damage from fire. You must roll this 1D6 Chaos Die at the
beginning of your Turn for the Duration of the spell. You
191
COVENANT TO THE OUTSIDER CHAOTIC REBELLION

Proffering four Abyssal symbols before you, you foment rebellion
among the enemy before you, filling them with rage against
SPELL PRINCIPLE
their commander.
Blasphemy! Petty Distance: Any creatures or persons you can see
Chaotic Rebellion Greater
Reagents: Four unholy symbols of the Abyssal Princes,
held aloft
Contempt of The Abyss Lesser Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes
Daark’s Escutcheon Petty
of foes who can see and hear you equal to your [WB]. They
Deny the Princes Petty are made Rebellious. While Rebellious, at the beginning of
Kaaleb’s Thirst Greater
their Turns, they must immediately Resist with a successful
Resolve Test or else redirect their Actions in Combat
Rend Chaos Lesser against their leader. If they Resist with a successful Resolve
The Other Greater
Test, they can act as normal for the remainder of the Turn,
but make another Resolve Test at the beginning of their
Through the Labyrinth Lesser next Turn. Once the leader is Slain!, another will rise among
their ranks to take command (and the cycle continues for
BLASPHEMY! the Duration of the spell).
You shout a litany of baleful sacrilege, meant to deny gods and Critical Success: As above, but the leader cannot Dodge,
Daemons alike, while espousing the ascendancy of the Outsider Parry or Resist attacks made by the Rebellious.
from His Ætheric labyrinthine prison. Critical Failure: You have deeply offended the Outsider!
Distance: Any persons you can see The ally with the highest Chaos Ranks is decreed to be the
Reagents: A page from a holy work, torn to shreds leader. Then, select a number of allies who can see and hear
(expended) you equal to your [WB]. They are instead made victim to
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes this Magick for the Duration. Once the leader is Slain!, the
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number remaining ally with the highest Chaos Ranks is decreed
of foes who can see and hear you equal to your [WB]. They to be the new leader. If none of your allies have any Chaos
must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or be made Ranks, or there are several allies with the same number of
Zealous. While Zealous, they must reduce their chances of Chaos Ranks, the GM will choose one randomly. Finally,
success for any action by decreasing the Difficulty Rating of the leader cannot Dodge, Parry or Resist attacks made by
all Skill Tests by one negative step. If they elect to Channel the Rebellious.
Power while affected by this Magick, they must channel
by two steps or more. Note that this Magick only affects CONTEMPT OF THE ABYSS
creatures classified as Abyssal, Humanoid or Mutant You temporarily dispel the Prince of Change’s twisted Magicks
(including player Ancestries). and the Prince of Pleasure’s depravity over another.
Critical Success: As above, but foes also drop one Distance: Any one person you can touch
step down the Peril Condition Track negatively when Reagents: An ampule of quicksilver, injected into the
Channeling Power. recipient (expended)
Critical Failure: As you thrash and tear at the holy pages, Duration: 6+[WB] hours
you know that the gods have heard your blasphemies. You Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person
immediately suffer 1D10+1 mental Peril from Stress. you touch is temporarily relieved of any ill-effects which
Magick has over them and instantly breaks any charms
or curses (Magickal or otherwise) they may be under the
Effects of.
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration.
Critical Failure: You have failed the Outsider! Not only do
you fail to relieve the person you touched of the ill-effects
of Magick or charms or curses they are under, but all of
those Effects are imparted upon you and their Duration
is tripled.
192
CHAP
DAARK’S ESCUTCHEON
An invisible, ghastly shield of white and black patterns – one
which only you can see – hover before you.
Distance: Yourself
Reagents: A pendulum, emblazoned with a skull split by
white and black colors
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, compare your
Aspect Ranks and Chaos Ranks. If your Aspect Ranks
are higher, add 3 to your Peril Threshold. If your Chaos
Ranks are higher, add 3 to all Damage you inflict. If both
your Aspect and Chaos Ranks are equal, you may choose
which of the above Effects you wish to gain, but suffer 3
Corruption in return.
Critical Success: As above, but you gain both Effects
without suffering Corruption.
Critical Failure: Within sight, the shield manifests upon
the arm of a foe! Unwittingly, they gain both the Effects
for the Duration.
DENY THE PRINCES

Your contempt for the Prince of Decay’s maladies and the Prince
of Violence’s bloody-handedness drives away their corruptive
influences.
Distance: Any one person you can touch
Reagents: A dose of tincture, consumed by the recipient
(expended)
Duration: 3+[WB] hours
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you
touch is temporarily relieved of any ill-effects a Disease has
over them and the Effects of their Injuries.
Critical Failure: Once again, you have failed the Outsider!
Not only do you fail to relieve the person you touched of
the Effects of the Disease and Injuries they are suffering
from, but all of those Effects of the Disease and Injuries are
imparted upon you and their Duration is tripled.
KAALEB’S THIRST
An ephemeral, skeletal head of a Jurassic-era creature takes
shape over your throwing axe. Its eye sockets and maw drips
endlessly with steaming asphalt.
Distance: Yourself
Reagents: A sickle made from ironwood, held aloft
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a ghastly
pterodactyl-like head extends from the end of your sickle.
The sickle is a one-handed melee and ranged weapon, with
the Throwing and Vicious Qualities. When thrown, it has
a Distance of 3+[PB] yards and a Load of 1AP. Instead of
using your [CB], refer to your [WB] to determine Damage.
Whenever you strike or Parry with this weapon, refer to
193
your Incantation Skill instead of a Combat-based Skill. Critical Failure: Your corpulent form temporarily
After throwing this weapon, it automatically returns to your explodes into harrowing shapes and forms: hands where
hand. You can inflict Injuries with this Magick, but they are your head was, swords where appendages once were and
Disarmed instead. If it inflicts an Injury upon a foe who endless eyes. Those who behold your countenance must
is classified as Abyssal or is an occultist to any one of the succeed at a Resolve Test or else they suffer from Terror.
Abyssal Princes, roll 3D6 Chaos Dice. If any of the Chaos In addition, you must succeed at a Toughness Test or else
Dice result in face ‘6’, they are immediately Slain!. For every be immediately Slain! (unless you have a Fate Point to
foe Slain! in this fashion, you must sacrifice one Fate Point. expend). If you succeed, you return to your normal self, but
If you have no Fate Points, you gain 9 Corruption instead. are left Prone and Incapacitated!.
Critical Success: As above, but victims cannot Dodge or
Parry this attack. THROUGH THE LABYRINTH
Critical Failure: Kaaleb’s sickle thirsts for you! You By touching the sleeve of another and turning the key in air, a
immediately suffer 3D10+3 Damage. portal that leads into an impossible labyrinth opens up below
them. They are instantly swallowed.
REND CHAOS Distance: Special
A bolt of writhing black energy unerringly strikes out, twisting Reagents: A key made from a precious stone, turned in-hand
its way down the throat and orifices of those who have pledged Duration: Special
themselves to the Abyss. Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the
Distance: Any one person you can see person you touch must Resist with a successful
Reagents: A pinch of bitumen, crushed Coordination Test or be temporarily
beneath heel (expended) teleported into the labyrinth of the Outsider.
Duration: Instantaneous When they return to the Material Realm
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, two minutes later, they appear at place you
one foe immediately suffers 2D10+[WB] can clearly see. Upon their return, they
in Damage. If it strikes a foe who is suffer from Fear. You can cast this Magick
classified as Abyssal or is an occultist to any upon yourself, but do not suffer Peril or Fear.
one of the Daemonic Princes, they must Resist Critical Success: As above, but they are
with a successful Coordination Test or be set On Disarmed, permanently losing whatever weapon or
Fire as well. object they were holding in their primary hand.
Critical Success: As above, but your foe is automatically Critical Failure: You are hurled through time and space,
set On Fire. taking in the endless cyclopean-wrought, awe-inspiring
Critical Failure: Crushing pain wracks your body, as labyrinth of the Outsider. Returning two minutes later,
writhing black tendrils penetrate you from stem to stern. you suffer from Fear. Whatever you were holding in your
You immediately suffer Damage as above and an equal primary hand is now gone, lost during your travels.
amount of Peril as well.
COVENANT TO THE PRINCE OF CHANGE
THE OTHER
Your body explodes into dizzying angles of divine proto-math.
SPELL PRINCIPLE
This god-form of twisted viscera and non-Euclidean shapes are
inexplicably geometric… but most of all, is terrifying. Abyssal Deportation Greater
Distance: Yourself Chaos into Chaos Petty
Reagents: A codex bound in a Lower or Higher Demon’s
skin, held aloft (expended) Disrupt Magick Lesser
Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes Guttering Flame Lesser
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, both you and
all the trappings upon yourself take the shape of a Higher Hellfire Transmutation Greater
Demon. Temporarily replace your Character sheet with the Plea to The Prince Greater
creature profile of a Numina, gaining its benefits
and drawbacks. If you suffer an Injury during Psychic Enslavement Lesser
this time, the Magick spell immediately ends. Unholy Vision Petty
Critical Success: As above, but triple the
Duration. Warp Reality Petty
194
CHAP
ABYSSAL DEPORTATION all Magicks they have cast within your sight are subject to
Holding the eyes aloft, a blue-pink portal opens below a foe, Dispel Magick). Magicks are temporarily nullified for your
exposing fleshy tendrils hell-bent to draw them into the endless [WB] in minutes. In both cases, you must immediately
pit of the Abyss. Resist with a successful Toughness Test or gain the
Distance: Any one person you can see Mutation called Taint of Chaos.
Reagents: The severed eyes of a Magick-user, held aloft Critical Success: As above, but you do not have to make
Duration: Instantaneous the Toughness Test.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a foe who can Critical Failure: The intonations work, but the fickle
see and hear you must Resist with a successful Resolve Test Prince of Change has chosen to punish you instead! Your
or be instantaneously exiled from the Material Realm into ability to wield Magick is instead nullified for a number of
the Abyss. Your foe is Slain!. Note that this only works on minutes equal to your [WB] and you immediately gain the
creatures who are classified as Humanoid (including player Mutation called Taint of Chaos.
Ancestries). As a result, you gain 9 Corruption.
Critical Success: As above, but the foe cannot Resist this GUTTERING FLAME
Magick. Lances of pink energy violently spurts from your fingertips,
Critical Failure: You are hell-bound for the Prince’s arcing towards a single foe as they’re blasted with hellish wrath.
labyrinth of crystal and fog. You must succeed at a Resolve Distance: Any one person you can see
Test or else be immediately Slain! (unless you have a Fate Reagents: A lit candle made of Humanoid fat, held in-
Point to expend). If you succeed, you are left Prone and hand (expended)
Incapacitated!. Duration: Instantaneous
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, one foe
CHAOS INTO CHAOS immediately suffers 2D10+[WB] in Damage from fire. You
Heatless pink flames dance upon the ground, taking the shape of can inflict Injuries with this Magick, but gains a Mutation
delicate, elfin harlequins. called Taint of Chaos instead. This ignores any Damage
Distance: Yourself Threshold Modifier their armor might confer.
Reagents: A shard of Wytchstone or meteorite, held in-hand Critical Success: As above, but your foe automatically
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes gains a Mutation called Taint of Chaos.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you conjure Critical Failure: The pinkish energy twists skyward and
heatless, dancing pink flames in a Burst Template around blasts all who stand nearby. All those within a Burst
you. While standing in this circle, if you fail a Skill Test, you Template around suffers 1D10+[WB] in Damage from
may re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept the fire. You can inflict Injuries with this Magick, but gains a
outcome. If you Critically Fail a Skill Test whilst standing Mutation called Taint of Chaos instead.
in the circle, you gain 3 Corruption.
Critical Success: As above, but you do not gain Chaos HELLFIRE TRANSMUTATION
Ranks if you Critically Fail. You summon a screaming hail of fiery pink rain, igniting all
Critical Failure: The harlequins of Change begin to around you. All that remains is a fine coral dust, which swirls
morph into flaming amalgamations of jesters affixed with together and forms into blasphemous demonic servants.
crooked beaks, absurdly long limbs and feathery wings. Distance: Any one place you can see
They torment you with a terrible dance for the Duration, Reagents: 13 charred jawbones of Mutant creatures,
as every spell you fail to cast results in 3 Corruption for 24 shaken in a sack
hours. Duration: Instantaneous
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you call down
DISRUPT MAGICK a hellish storm of fiery pink rain. All those caught within
Intoning the words of your Daemon, you draw chaos within an Explosion Template immediately suffer 3D10+[WB]
yourself, retarding Magickal power within sight. Damage from fire. You can inflict Injuries with this
Distance: Any one object or person you can see Magick, but foes always gains a Mutation called Taint of
Reagents: One pint of blood from a Man-eater, poured Chaos instead. If a foe is Slain!, smoke will whorl in place
onto the ground (expended) where the Explosion Template occurred, obscuring those
Duration: Special inside. Foes who are Slain! by this Magick emerge three
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, an object you minutes later – having turned into Adversary Demons –
see has all its Magick temporarily nullified. If cast upon a and attack anyone who is not you. The Adversary Demons
person, they are temporarily unable to cast Magick (and will remain for a number of minutes equal to your [WB],
195
until banished back to the Abyss. You are immune to the

spell’s Effects.
Critical Success: As above, but you also learn the True
Name of an Adversary Demon.
Critical Failure: A storm of pink rain rises from the ground
in an Explosion Template at your feet, falling upwards
into the sky. Those caught within the Explosion Template
immediately suffer 3D10+[WB] Damage from fire. You
can inflict Injuries with this Magick, but foes always gain 9
Corruption instead.
PLEA TO THE PRINCE

The Prince of Change is the lord of all Magick, and is willing to
grant access to nearly any manifestation imaginable – at times.
Distance: Yourself
Reagents: The fingerbone of an Archmage or High Lector,
affixed onto an iron rod
Duration: Special
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, roll 1D6
Chaos Die. If the die lands on face ‘1-5’, you temporarily
gain access to any one Greater Magick spell outside your
Arcana, Covenant or Prayer type. If the die lands on face
‘6’, you instead gain 9 Corruption. The newly learned spells
are available to cast for up to your [WB] in days and are
cast as normal.
Critical Success: As above, but you gain two spells instead.
Critical Failure: Your plea to the Prince of Change
goes unanswered. Instead, it is returned by the renegade
Daemon known as the Outsider. He temporarily grants
you access to any single Greater Magick spell, which you
can automatically cast with a Critical Success as many
times as you like for a number of days equal to your [WB].
Each time it is cast, you gain one permanent Chaos Rank.
PSYCHIC ENSLAVEMENT
Slipping into a comatose state, your spirit ‘slips’ into the body of
another. You see through their eyes, speak with their tongue, and
kill with their hands.
Reagents: A handful of pink sand, inhaled (expended)
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you immediately
move your spirit Ætherically into a foe’s body and gain
control of it. You bend them to your will, forcing them
to commit any act you can conceive of (even if the act is
suicidal). You retain your ability to cast Magick while in
your foe’s body, despite taking on their attributes. However,
your original body is left Helpless for the Duration of
the spell. Once you slip back into your own skin, the foe
must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or else gain a
Mutation called Taint of Chaos.
196
CHAP
Critical Failure: Your spirit is temporarily displaced into COVENANT TO THE PRINCE OF DECAY
the Æthereal Veil, and for 48 hours, you are under the
control of something else. The exact nature of the something
now controlling you will be determined by the GM and SPELL PRINCIPLE
neither its exact nature or the fact that you are possessed Carbuncle of Horror Lesser
should be shared with the other players. Embrace your
Chaos Alignment and play the part of the possessed! Carnival of Pestilence Greater
Depraved Courier Petty

UNHOLY VISION
Your eyes glow softly with a ghastly blue light, letting you see Feces’ Fetor Petty
within the shadows of the Material Realm. Noxious Haze Lesser
Distance: Yourself
Reagents: The noose of a hanged criminal, tied around Pungent Godsend Lesser
your neck Spew of Vomitous Corruption Greater
Duration: 3+[WB] in hours
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, your eyes begin The Fifth Trumpet Greater
to glow pink and you can see perfectly in the dark. You can Unseeming Visage Petty
also see through fog, mist or smoke. For the Duration of
the spell, anyone who sees your eyes glowing and recoil ever CARBUNCLE OF HORROR
so slightly at the horror of it. The contempt in which they Your form shifts into something unwholesome and alien,
hold you means that you cannot succeed at Fellowship- revealing your true patronage to the Prince of Decay.
based Skill Tests when interacting with them. Distance: Yourself
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration. Reagents: A diseased person’s pancreas, partially consumed
Critical Failure: Your eyes burn in intense pain. For the (expended)
Duration of the spell, every time you expose your eyes to Duration: 6+[WB] in minutes
light of any kind, natural or unnatural, you suffer 1D10+1 Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you take
physical Peril. upon a gelatinous physicality as your body is covered in
bubbling pustules and an arm sprouts from your back, its
WARP REALITY skin undulating with boils and pimples. In addition, you
You pinch a ball of wax between your fingers, causing the next can crawl up vertical surfaces as well as across horizontal
object you touch to become plastic and mutable. Nothing has a set surfaces with ease (but treat both as Hard Terrain). Your
form; everything is uncertain. new arm is treated as a one-handed ranged weapon with
Distance: Yourself the Fast, Powerful and Throwing Qualities, with a Distance
Reagents: A ball of earwax made from slain prostitutes or of 1+[WB] yards and a Load of 1 AP. Instead of using
dead pimps (expended) your [CB], refer to your [WB] to determine Damage.
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes Whenever you strike or Parry with your arm, refer to your
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, any objects you Incantation Skill instead of a Combat-based Skill. You may
touch (providing they are no larger than a child is tall) can inflict Injuries with this attack, but foes always suffer from
be bent as if made of soft putty. If you intend to touch a Chaotic Rot instead. For the Duration of the spell, you are
foe’s trappings (such as a weapon or their armor), they must temporarily immune to Injuries and Perilous Stunts.
Resist with a successful Coordination Test or else their Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration.
trapping temporarily gains the Ruined! Quality. If you keep Critical Failure: One of your body parts ‘burbles’ and
your hand on the object for longer than three minutes, you wobbles as if made from gelatin, but quickly returns to
can temporarily destroy the object. This spell has no Effect its former physicality. The spell is wholly unsuccessful;
on trappings with the Castle-forged Quality or Artifacts however, it has left its mark upon your body and weakened
and Relics. Once the Duration is up, objects affected by that body part. Roll 1D6 Chaos Die: on face ‘1-2’ it is your
this spell return to their normal state. left arm, on face ‘3-4’ it is your right arm, on face ‘4’ it is
Critical Success: As above, but objects do not return to your left leg, on face ‘5’ it is your right leg and on face ‘6’ it is
their normal state at the end of the Duration. your body. Whenever you are struck with a Called Shot to
Critical Failure: Dripping like hot wax, every metal that particular body part, you cannot add your [BB] to your
object you are wearing or carrying about your person is Damage Threshold to withstand Damage.
immediately destroyed.
197
CARNIVAL OF PESTILENCE FECES’ FETOR

All manner of filth, bilge and rot burbles forth from the ground The horrid stench of the last meal you ate is emitted from your
around you. As it gurgles its way into the orifices of those around smallclothes. It turns instantly into a green, noxious gas which
you, they are made victim to the sickly sweetness of the Prince surrounds all around in a cloud of stomach-churning nastiness.
of Decay. Distance: Yourself
Distance: Yourself Reagents: A meal of rotten eggs and curdled milk, eaten in
Reagents: A concoction made from the brains of diseased the last 24 hours (expended)
men, poured onto the ground (expended) Duration: Instantaneous
Duration: Instantaneous Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the rotten
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, all creatures stench of yesterday’s meal wafts around you. All those
caught within an Explosion Template contract a Disease. who are Engaged with you must Resist with a successful
Roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on face ‘1’, they contract Toughness Test or else be left Helpless for a minute. Those
Bloody Flux. If it lands on face ‘2’, they contract Filth who successfully Resist drop one step down the Peril
Fever. If it lands on face ‘3’, they contract Grey Plague. If it Condition Track negatively.
lands on face ‘4’, they contract Tomb Rot. If it lands on face Critical Success: As above, but foes who successfully Resist
‘5’, they contract Venereal Disease. And finally, if it lands drop two steps down the Peril Condition Track negatively.
on face ‘6’, they contract all five Diseases. Foes cannot be Critical Failure: Your body is torturously wracked with
infected with Carnival of Pestilence again, until at least a day convulsions from incessant dry heaving. You begin to
has passed. You are immune to the spell’s negative Effects. Suffocate, immediately suffering from 2D10+2 physical
Critical Success: As above, but foes must roll a Chaos Peril. Refer to the Suffocation section of Hazards & Healing
Dice twice to determine which Diseases they suffer from. from ZWEIHÄNDER.
Critical Failure: Green and brown tentacles writhe all over
you, leaving a slug-like trace of ichor and rot all over NOXIOUS HAZE
your body. You are immediately made victim to a A terrible brownish gas of roiling sickness rises from the ground
Disease of the GM’s choice. around you, choking all who stand within it.
Distance: Yourself
DEPRAVED COURIER Reagents: Teardrops of a diseased person, poured onto the
A horde of flies and locusts emerge from your mouth, carrying ground (expended)
a message to a single person. Once the message is uttered Duration: Instantaneous
through their chittering, they are absorbed into the orifices of Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a miasma of
the intended. brown sickness with the stench of decay fills the air. All
Distance: Any one person you have met those who are caught within the Explosion Template must
Reagents: The dead husks of locusts and flies, consumed flip the results to fail all Skill Tests while standing within
(expended) it. The Noxious Haze’s Effects remain in place for a number
Duration: Instantaneous of minutes equal to your [WB]. You are immune
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you send a to the spell’s Effects.
message to one person you can envision, delivered by Critical Success: As above, but foes
a swarm of dead flies and locusts. They can move one must spend an additional 1 AP to use
mile an hour, with no limit to where they can travel: Movement Actions while standing in
through doors, between cracks in the wall and even the Noxious Haze.
deep below the earth. The message can be no longer Critical Failure: Your body suddenly
than 140 characters. Once the message is received, explodes into a brown, roiling mist. You
the recipient gains 3 Corruption and has no choice but are immediately Incapacitated!. Select
to respond in kind with another message to you, no one ally – the mist you have become
longer than 140 characters. Once you receive the will follow behind them, trailed by
message in return, you gain 3 Corruption. the stench. You cannot return to
Critical Success: As above, but the messages your former physical self for 48
can be up to 280 characters. hours.
Critical Failure: The flies buzz all around
you, working their way into your mouth, ears
and other orifices. You are rendered blind and
deaf for 24 hours.
198
CHAP
PUNGENT GODSEND THE FIFTH TRUMPET

Your touch ‘miraculously’ relieves the diseased An unearthly trumpet sounds not from above,
of their illness… for a time. But then you but below. Smoke begins to roil forth from the
become a vehicle for the Prince of Decay’s heavens, as a plague of infernally-diseased
despoiling nature. The clock begins ticking locusts consume the flesh of others.
before you are infected. Distance: Any one place you can see
Distance: Any one person you can touch Reagents: A diseased liver, consumed by
Reagents: A pint of your vomit, imbibed by you (expended)
the recipient (expended) Duration: Instantaneous
Duration: 6+[WB] in hours Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a
Effect: After successfully casting this plague of locusts rises from the earth amidst a
spell, the person you touch is temporarily whorl of smoke. All those who are caught within
relieved of any ill-effects that a Disease has over them. The the Explosion Template must Resist with a successful
symptoms temporarily clear up, as the person is unburdened Toughness Test or else contract Chaotic Rot. All ranged
of their Effects for the Duration of the spell (and if you weapons used to fire into locust plague or out of the locust
make a successful Charm Test, they likely believe they plague, automatically fail. In addition, those who begin
have been ‘cured’ completely of the Disease). However, you their Turn within the locust plague must Resist with a
are now a carrier of the Disease yourself. You must either successful Resolve Test or else they suffer from Terror. The
impart the Disease upon another by touch (which a foe is Fifth Trumpet’s Effects remain in place for a number of
entitled to Resist with a successful Toughness Test) before minutes equal to your [WB]. You are immune to the spell’s
the Duration runs out or else you contract to the Disease Effects.
yourself. Critical Success: As above, but foes automatically fail
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration. their Toughness Test.
Critical Failure: Not only does your touch fail to relieve Critical Failure: The Fifth Trumpet does not call for
the victim of their Disease, it immediately infects everyone your enemies, but instead for you. You must succeed at a
within a Burst Template around the victim, including Toughness Test or else be immediately Slain! (unless you
yourself. have a Fate Point to expend). If you succeed, you are left
Prone and Incapacitated!.
SPEW OF VOMITOUS CORRUPTION
Inhaling deeply, you gurgle and belch forth vomitous detritus, UNSEEMING VISAGE
consisting of spoiled milk, writhing maggots and pink slime. Tiny tendrils bore into a person’s face, meticulously rearranging
Distance: Yourself their facial muscles and skin to appear clean, unblemished and
Reagents: A sliver of rancid pork, consumed (expended) perfect. But that perfection produces oddly high cheekbones, eyes
Duration: Instantaneous that are spread too far apart and teeth so white they appear to
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, any foes caught be made of pure ivory.
in its Cone Template suffer 3D10+[WB] physical Peril and Distance: Any one person you can touch
their wounds are instantly Infected. In addition, they must Reagents: An umbilical cord of your own Ancestry,
Resist with a successful Toughness Test or else they gain a wrapped around the person’s neck
permanent Chaos Rank. Duration: 3+[WB] in hours
Critical Success: As above, but your foes cannot Resist. Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you
Critical Failure: The rancid pork burbles in your stomach touch temporarily takes upon the pallor of someone whose
and you are taken by shaking and sickness. You are skin is nearly perfect, as blemishes and signs of sickness are
immediately Incapacitated! and left Helpless for a number washed away. This is a total physical change, so no illusion
of minutes equal to your [WB]. You also suffer from is cast. However, the person must flip the result to fail all
Bloody Flux. future Skill Tests to Resist Disease.
Critical Failure: As your fingers touch the person’s face,
both their face and yours immediately turn inside-out for a
minute. This does not cause any Injuries, but both you and
they permanently lose 3% Fellowship. Any who witness
this strange event also suffers from Stress.
199
COVENANT TO THE PRINCE OF PLEASURE the Base Chance bonus they can add to the Skill Test.
This is a one-time temporary bonus and once applied, the
Effects immediately expire. You cannot be made recipient
SPELL PRINCIPLE of this Magick more than once over the Duration.
Ætheric Strappado Lesser Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration.
Critical Failure: You immediately grow desirous of the
Breath of Revelation Petty person you touch. You cannot help but pursue them for the
Dance with the Devil Greater Duration of the spell. If they spurn your indecent proposals,
you suffer 3 Corruption each day. If they concede, you both
Domino of Desire Petty gain the benefits of ‘getting lucky’ (taking advantage of the
50 Shades of Pain Lesser Prostitute’s Professional Trait). However, you must flip
the results to fail the Skill Test tied to the Fortune Point.
Florentine Kiss Petty When you or the other person fails the related Skill Test,
Monstrous Dimorphism Greater you gain 3 Corruption.
Profusion of Piss Lesser DANCE WITH THE DEVIL

Succubus/Incubus Greater An otherworldly, Æthereal orchestra plays a damning
tune, enrapturing its victims who slowly undress and dance
ÆTHERIC STRAPPADO provocatively.
An Ætheric binding of chaotic energy immediately binds a Distance: Any persons you can see
person’s wrists behind their back and above their shoulders, as Reagents: A fiddle, played in-hand (expended)
their legs are spread apart. Duration: Special
Distance: Any one person you can see Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number
Reagents: A three-yard length of rope, woven from the of foes who can see and hear you equal to your [WB]. They
scalps of nine prostitutes must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or immediately
Duration: 6+[WB] in minutes begin dancing, unable to use any Actions in Combat except
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a foe who can Reactions. Those affected by Dance with The Devil will
see and hear you is immediately caught in a Chokehold. spend their first Turn removing their clothes and armor as
They suffer 2D10+[WB] physical Peril immediately they dance. You must continue to play the fiddle in order
(instead of the normal Peril suffered for Chokehold) and to continue the spell’s Duration. Should you move one
every Turn after that they are unable to escape. An escape step or more down the Damage or Peril Condition Tracks
attempt can be made at the beginning of their Turn, but negatively during this time, the spell’s Effects immediately
they must flip the results to fail their Skill Test. end. You can only play the fiddle for a number of minutes
Critical Success: As above, but your foe is also left Helpless. equal to your [WB].
Critical Failure: You are suddenly surrounded by an array Critical Success: As above, but your foes are also left
of phallic-shaped rods which thrust up from the ground, Helpless.
criss-crossing each other as they rip through your clothing, Critical Failure: It is not your foes who will cavort and
holding you in place and leaving you Helpless. To escape, dance with the Prince of Pleasure, it is your allies. Select
you must attempt to Resist with a successful Toughness a number of allies who can see and hear you equal to your
Test. Each time you fail, you feel the ‘prick’ of metal sticking [WB]. They are instead made victim to this Magick. You
into you; you suffer 2D10+[WB] physical Peril. must continue playing the fiddle for a number of minutes
equal to your [WB] or else suffer 9 Corruption. As you
BREATH OF REVELATION play, you are caught in a spotlight of pale moonlight, even
With an audible ‘sigh’, you breathe Daemonic influence over in the brightest of sunlight.
another. This spark of ghastly revelation remains with that
person, filling their head with visions of desire and torment. DOMINO OF DESIRE
Distance: Any one person you can touch Opening the jar, purple scintilla and tiny specks of pink energy
Reagents: A pint of amaretto, imbibed (expended) float into the air. These fall over a person’s shoulders like a
Duration: 3+[WB] in days mantle, forming an illusionary mask of beauty and perfection.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you Distance: Any one person you can touch
touch can choose to roll a 1D6 Chaos Die before making a Reagents: A liar’s tongue, held inside a jar
Skill Test. Multiply the face value times +3% to determine Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes
200
CHAP
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you

touch is instantly relieved of Intoxication and an illusion is
cast over them to temporarily obscure any physical Damage
or Injury they have suffered. Finally, the person may flip the
results to succeed at Guile Tests.
Critical Failure: The subject of the spell receives not
a mask of desire, but one of pain. Instead, the person is
immediately Intoxicated and an illusion of a mask of pain
and misery is cast over them. For the Duration of the spell,
anyone who beholds the domino of pain and misery whose
Order Ranks are higher than their Chaos Ranks suffers
from Stress.
50 SHADES OF PAIN
With soft words, you cause a person to ‘flip’ their pain and
pleasure receptors. They gain sexual arousal from pain, and
agony from pleasure.
Reagents: A drop of your own blood, swallowed (expended)
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a person who
can see and hear you is Aroused. While Aroused, if the
person suffers Damage in between their Turns, they
temporarily gain a +20 Base Chance to their next Skill
Test and increases their [BB] by 1. If the person does not
suffer Damage in between Turns, they temporarily suffer a
-20 Base Chance to their next Skill Test and decrease their
[BB] by 1. The Effects of this spell do not ‘stack’. However,
a person can take advantage of this Magick for its entire
Duration. If used on a foe, they may attempt to Resist the
spell’s Effects with a successful Toughness Test.
Critical Failure: The Prince of Pleasure demands that you
become submissive for His own delight for the Duration of
the spell. You suffer 2D10+[WB] at the start of any Turn
if you did not suffer Damage from your previous Turn. If
you did suffer Damage on the previous Turn, you gain 3
Corruption.
FLORENTINE KISS
A mutated tongue uncoils from your mouth, lasciviously probing
and twisting its meat into – and around – the throats of your
enemies.
Distance: Yourself
Reagents: A perfume made from rose petals, sprayed on
your neck
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, your tongue
mutates and grows in length to grotesquely coil at your
feet. Your newly extended tongue is treated as a one-
handed ranged weapon with the Entangling, Ineffective
201
and Throwing Qualities, with a Distance of 1+[WB] yards Reagents: A pint of rotgut, gargled (expended)
and requires 1 AP to Load. Finally, whenever you strike Duration: Special
with this tongue, refer to your Incantation Skill instead of Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the foe you
a Combat-based Skill. touch must Resist with a successful Coordination Test or
Critical Success: As above, but a victim suffers an be made Euphoric. While Euphoric, a foe must succeed
additional 1D10 physical Peril if caught in a Chokehold at a Resolve Test before taking any action, ever. Only
with the tongue. by succeeding at three successful Resolve Tests will the
Critical Failure: Your tongue suddenly lolls onto the Euphoric condition end.
ground, having mutated into a ginormous, writhing worm Critical Success: As above, but the spell affects all foes in
of disgust. You are unable to speak for the Duration of the a Cone Template instead.
spell and the tongue acts as a Man-Eater for purposes of its Critical Failure: Your body is made wet, smelling of piss
creature profile. The tongue will attack both you and allies and pipesmoke. The stench clings to you for the next 48
until it is Slain!. hours, unable to be washed away. Those who stand within
a Burst Template of you cannot add their Apprentice or
MONSTROUS DIMORPHISM Journeyman Ranks to any Skill Test.
Horrid appendages of undulating tongues, gibbering mouths,
spurting breasts and tentacles that terminate in sexual organs SUCCUBUS/INCUBUS
erupt all over a foe’s body. You project yourself into the Æthereal realm, taking the form
Distance: Any one person you can see of an energy vampire. While in this state, you can bring foes to
Reagents: A purse, stuffed with living spiders (expended) such pleasure that they may perish in their sleep.
Duration: Forever Distance: Yourself
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a foe who can Reagents: A cameo of the victim, held while you sleep
see and hear you must Resist with a successful Resolve Duration: 9+[WB] in hours
Test or be left Helpless and unable to take any actions. In Effect: After successfully casting this spell, name a single
addition, they must roll a 1D6 Chaos Die at the start of foe whom you have personally met and know their name.
each of their Turns. If the result is face ‘1-2’, growths of fat Once invoked, you leave your physical body behind and are
and offal explode from the foe, covering an Engaged ally. made Æthereal – occupying a different reality, but able to
That ally must Resist with a successful Coordination Test see perfectly into the Material Realm. You immediately
or else be caught in a Chokehold (referencing your [WB] manifest beside the named foe. You may manipulate a
in place of [BB]). If the result is face ‘3-4’, an appendage foe’s physical body (without being seen, heard, tasted or
shoots outward for 1D10+1 yards in a random direction, smelled, being felt only). At the end of each hour, the foe
striking an ally with an Opportunity Attack which deals suffers either 3D10+[WB] in Damage or 3D10+[WB]
3D10+[WB] in Damage). If the result is face ‘5’, nothing mental Peril (your choice). If your original body would be
happens. However, if the result is face ‘6’, the foe moves in made to suffer Damage, you are instead ‘snapped’ back into
a random direction for 1D10+1 yards. If the foe runs into your physical form and awaken, unhurt but gaining one
a person, they must Resist with a successful Coordination permanent Chaos Rank. At the end of the Duration, you
Test or else be caught in a Chokehold (referencing your move a number of steps up the Damage or Peril Condition
[WB] in place of [BB]). A foe who is affected by Monstrous Tracks positively based on the number of steps down the
Dimorphism remains in this form, until dispelled or Slain!. Damage or Peril Condition Track your foe suffered.
If a player Character is a victim of this Magick and survives, Critical Success: As above, but you instead move three
they gain one permanent Chaos Rank. steps up the Damage and Peril Condition Tracks positively
Critical Success: As above, but the foe always moves in a when you would have Injured a foe.
random direction every time their Turn begins. Critical Failure: My god, it’s full of stars! You are cast
Critical Failure: Dance, monkey, dance in honor of your through the Æthereal Veil, until you fall through the
Daemon lord! You must Resist with a successful Resolve endless pit of the Abyss at the end of the Duration of the
Test or be made the plaything to the Prince of Pleasure, as spell. However, far above you is a single pinprick of light
the Effects harm you. which may lead to a way back into the Material Realm. You
must succeed at an Awareness Test or else be immediately
PROFUSION OF PISS Slain! (unless you have a Fate Point to expend). If you
A golden torrent sprays from your mouth, rendering another succeed, you are left Prone and Incapacitated!, returning to
nostalgic and blithesome. the Material Realm where you started.
202
CHAP
COVENANT TO THE SLAVERING MAW DA’ BIG STOMP

With every stomp, a loud ‘CRUNCH!’ rumbles from below.
Distance: Any person you can see
SPELL PRINCIPLE
Reagents: Your boots drenched in blood, stomped on the
Bad Moon Rising Greater ground
Brain Burner Lesser
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you conjure
Da’ Big Stomp Lesser forth a massive yet invisible jackboot, taking shape only
Get Outta Here Petty
when you stomp the ground. All those caught in a Burst
Template suffer 2D10+[WB] in Damage. They can attempt
Glasgow Kiss Petty to Dodge by Resisting with a successful Coordination Test
Go for Broke Petty
to avoid the Damage. You can inflict Injuries with this
Magick, but foes are always left Prone instead.
Hut, Hut, Hike Lesser Critical Success: As above, but the foe is also Knocked
Odds & Sods Greater
Out if they fail to Dodge.
Critical Failure: A hideous cacophony of laughter and
WAAAR! Greater snickering rings out. You must Resist with a successful
Coordination Test or else be made Prone.
BAD MOON RISING
A strange illusion falls the moon; a twisted, GET OUTTA HERE
stitched-together grin, and a hollow frown. Its A taloned hand wraps around the throat of an
eyes watch balefully over the battlefield, as the enemy, as they are drawn upwards into the air.
blessing of the Slavering Maw is felt by all. Distance: Any person you can see
Distance: Yourself Reagents: A mummified hand, wrapped in
Reagents: The moon, providing it can be seen bandages
Duration: Instantaneous Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, those Effect: After successfully casting this spell, one
who are not occultists of the Slavering Maw must foe who can see and hear you is immediately caught
succeed at a Resolve Test or else they suffer from Terror. in a Chokehold (as the Perilous Stunt) and lifted 3 yards
In addition, occultists of the Slavering Maw may flip the into the air. For the Duration of the spell, the foe remains
results to succeed all Combat-based Skill Tests for the in the Chokehold and rises another 3 yards on each of your
Duration of the spell. Turns unless they can escape. Should your foe escape or the
Critical Success: As above, but foes automatically suffer Duration expires, they drop to the ground and are subject
from Terror to the effects of falling depending upon how high they
Critical Failure: The illusion is seen only by occultists of were up in the air. This spell requires Concentration.
the Slavering Maw. All those who behold its countenance Critical Success: As above, but you do not have to maintain
automatically suffer from Terror. Concentration.
Critical Failure: A hideous cacophony of laughter and
BRAIN BURNER snickering rings out. You must Resist with a successful
Glowering over your hated enemies, your eyes sear with green rays Coordination Test or else be left Prone for the Duration.
of light, blinding those whom behold your sickening countenance.
Distance: Yourself GLASGOW KISS
Reagents: A monocle made from Wytchstone, worn As your eyes widen and you ready yourself to headbutt your
Duration: Instantaneous enemy, you draw your head back and scream the name of your
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, foes caught Daemon. As your head smashes into the other person, a loud
in its Cone Template suffer 2D10+[WB] mental Peril. In ‘CRACK!’ resounds in the air.
addition, they must Resist with a successful Awareness Test Distance: Any one person you can touch
or be made Defenseless until their next Turn. Reagents: A broken skull of a Slain! foe
Critical Success: As above, but foes cannot Resist this spell. Duration: Instantaneous
Critical Failure: Your eyes burn with a terrible light as you Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you
are captivated by visions of your own destruction. You are touch must Resist with a successful Coordination Test or
made Defenseless until your next Turn and suffer from Fear. else suffer 1D10+[WB] in Damage and be Stunned.
203
Critical Success: As above, but the foe is also left Prone if ODDS & SODS
they fail to Resist. Everyone puts it all on the line: every chip they have, and every
Critical Failure: Staggering forward, you immediately bit of their spirit. They may make it out the other side, but will
invoke an Opportunity Attack. If you suffer Damage from pay in the end.
this attack, you are both Stunned and but are left Prone. Distance: Any persons you can see
You are also left with a really bad headache. Reagents: A shard of Wytchstone, crushed (expended)
Duration: Special
GO FOR BROKE Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number
A ringlet of iron will fill you with the powa’ of the Slavering of allies equal to your [WB]. Immediately after suffering
Maw. Damage from a melee or ranged weapon, they may choose
Distance: Any one person you can touch to ignore it entirely, therefore negating both Damage and
Reagents: A torc of iron, placed around your arm or throat any Injuries they may have suffered. However, allies must
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes record all instances of the times they ignored Damage.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you Once combat ends, roll an equivalent number of Chaos
touch may make an Opportunity Attack at the beginning Dice. If one Chaos Die results on face ‘6’, they suffer a
of their Turns. In addition, their Damage with melee Moderate Injury. If two Chaos Dice results on face ‘6’, they
weapons explodes on face ‘5-6’. suffer a Serious Injury. If three or more Chaos Dice result
Critical Success: As above, but they also cannot be in face ‘6’, they suffer a Grievous Injury.
Disarmed by the actions of a foe. Critical Success: As above, but they are immune to
Critical Failure: The torc wrenches and twists. If it’s on Bleeding until the Effects of the spell ends.
your arm, you’re unable to use that hand for 24 hours. If Critical Failure: You have advanced the plots of an entity
around your neck, you immediately suffer 1D10+1 physical greatly opposed to the Slavering Maw. You immediately
Peril at the beginning of every hour. It requires a successful gain 9 Corruption and suffer from Terror.
(Arduous -30%) Athletics Test to remove the torc.
WAAAR!
HUT, HUT, HIKE Evil minds that plot destruction, sorcerer of death’s construction.
You call for your WAAAR! Horde to fall in line and take Distance: Any persons you can see
commands. The voice of the Slavering Maw fills their ears, as Reagents: A shard of Wytchstone, crushed (expended)
they immediately scramble. Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes
Distance: Any persons you can see Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number
Reagents: A bloated pigskin filled with Wytchstone of allies equal to your [WB]. Providing you can see them,
Essence, thrown (expended) they cannot suffer from Peril, Stress, Fear or Terror for the
Duration: Instantaneous Duration of the spell. However, at the beginning of their
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, a number of Turn, they must Resist with a successful Toughness Test or
allies equal to your [WB] immediately take their Turn. This else begin to Bleed.
does not displace anyone’s place on the Initiative Ladder, Critical Success: As above, but for every six allies who
but simply allows your allies to act first on this Turn. On are fighting, add an additional +1 to all melee and ranged
subsequent Turns, the Initiative order returns to normal. In Damage they inflict (to a maximum of +6 Damage).
addition, they may add +3 to their Damage Threshold until Critical Failure: A great green mist begins pouring
the end of their second Turn. Finally, pick one ally. That ally forth from all of your orifices and with it, the reek of
may Run for 0 AP on their Turn now. the slaughterhouse. Those who smell your charnel stench
Critical Success: As above, but add one Fortune Point to must succeed at a Resolve Test or else they suffer
the Fortune Pool. from Terror. In addition, you must succeed at a
Critical Failure: The line of defense immediately Toughness Test or else be immediately Slain!
falls apart, as all allies who were benefit from (unless you have a Fate Point to expend). If
this Magick must spend their next Turn you succeed, you return to your normal self,
using Movement Actions only. You but are left Prone and Incapacitated!.
immediately scramble backwards 6
yards and drop the pigskin.
204
CHAP
COVENANT TO THE THIRTEEN down on your foes. All those caught within an Explosion
Template must immediately succeed at an Awareness Test
or else be held to the ground Prone. In addition, foes suffer
SPELL PRINCIPLE 3D10+[WB] Damage for each Turn they remain within
Bubonic Whorl Greater the Explosion Template. You can inflict Injuries with this
Magick, but their trappings is randomly Ruined! instead
Caustic Rain Greater (selected by the GM). You and your possessions are
Horde of Vermin Petty immune to the spell’s Effects.
Critical Success: As above, but foes automatically fail their
Mark of the Thirteen Petty Awareness Test.
Perfect Camouflage Petty Critical Failure: In a flash, a momentary storm of acidic
rain rises from the ground in an Explosion Template at
The Black Hunger Lesser your feet, falling upwards into the sky. Those caught within
Warp-step Lesser an Explosion Template around you will have 3D10+3
trappings immediately be Ruined! (selected by the GM).
Wytchfyre Discharge Lesser
Wytchfyre Knives Greater HORDE OF VERMIN

Either a tide of nasty rats swells from beneath your robes at your
BUBONIC WHORL feet or biting gnats and flies swarm about from your sleeves.
A whirlwind of Abyssal decay, dried dung and hot piss whorls Distance: Special
about, carrying with it a pestilence that claims its victims quickly. Reagents: Either a piece of dried dung for flies or a wheel
Distance: Any place you can see of moldy cheese for rats (expended)
Reagents: The dried ashes of a Lower Demon contained in Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes
a bottle, shattered (expended) Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you conjure
Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes forth either a Burst Template of flies or rats immediately at
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, all creatures your feet (select one type). All those who are caught within
caught within an Burst Template contract Grey Plague. the Burst Template of flies suffer a -10 Base Chance to
However, the Disease spreads rapidly, as every Turn they all Skill Tests that rely on vision. Foes suffer 1D10+[WB]
spend in the Burst Template they immediately (and Damage for every Turn they remain within the Burst
permanently) lose 9% Agility as if three weeks had passed. Template of rats. You can move the rats a number of yards
In addition, those in the Whorl cannot use ranged weapons equal to 3+[WB] on your Turn for 1 AP. You are immune
(or by struck by them). Foes cannot be infected with to the spell’s Effects.
Bubonic Whorl again until at least a day has passed. You Critical Success: As above, but both the flies and rats are
are immune to the spell’s Effects. considered Hard Terrain.
Critical Success: As above, but foes also lose 9% Brawn. Critical Failure: Both flies and rats scurry up your legs
Critical Failure: As the glass shatters at your feet, a glowing and bite and gnaw at your face. Waving your hands about
geomantic shape immediately sears into the ground below wildly in the air, you are left Defenseless for the Duration
you. You are ‘stuck’ in a triangle of containment (as if you of the spell.
had been summoned), unable to cause others harm or leave
it for an hour. While this occurs, a Lower Demon of the MARK OF THE THIRTEEN
same type from the bottle is summoned, before your feet, Placing your fingertip upon another, you trace out the infernal
who does as they please until dispatched. symbol of the Thirteen.
CAUSTIC RAIN Reagents: A ground-down rotten tooth, consumed
Calling upon your Daemon, a cloud of green, acidic rain (expended)
explodes overhead, hovering several hundred feet in the air. Duration: 3+[WB] in hours
Distance: Any one place you can see Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person
Reagents: Four Glass Grenades filled with each of the four you touch gains one of two Effects: either they are
Wytchblights, shattered on the ground (expended) marked somewhere upon their body with a blemish
Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes which is immediately recognizable to any occultist who
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you conjure worships the Thirteen or scholar educated about Daemons.
forth a baleful storm of green acidic rain which rains Alternatively, they gain a +1 to their Damage Threshold
205
and a +10 Base Chance to Stealth Tests while moving in Duration ends immediately after they have been rendered
fleeting shadows or total darkness (as outlined under Light Incapacitated! or Slain!.
Sources from the Trappings chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER). Critical Success: As above, but reduce the AP required for
Whenever someone is affected by this Magick, they suffer two Melee Attacks to 2 AP instead of 3 AP.
3 Corruption. Critical Failure: The blood drips ceaselessly from their face
Critical Success: As above, but they do not suffer as they begin to transmutate. They immediately take upon
Corruption unless you want them to. the shape of Tyrant Skrzzak and remain in such a state
Critical Failure: The Thirteen demands immediate until they are Incapacitated! or Slain!. Once Incapacitated!
sacrifice! You must either purposefully inflict 1D10+1 or Slain!, they revert to their normal self.
Damage upon yourself (and possibly suffer an Injury) or
else gain 3 Corruption. WARP-STEP
With a flick of the wrist and a gout of green smoke, you and
PERFECT CAMOUFLAGE another instantly ‘step’ away and reappear.
As the assassin to their shadows, you too are able to bend the Distance: Special
shadows to your benefit. Reagents: A pinch of Wytchstone Essence, tossed into the
Distance: Yourself air (expended)
Reagents: The hide of a chameleon, hidden in a pocket Duration: Instantaneous
Duration: Special Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you and another
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you have up ally you touch instantly leap to any place you can see. Once
to three minutes to find somewhere to stand or hide. At you complete Warp-step, you can both attempt a Stealth
any point during that time, you can choose to vanish by Test to hide from sight.
standing perfectly still, holding your breath. While stood Critical Success: As above, but you and the ally who leap
still, you are completely invisible to sight. If you use any are automatically hidden from sight.
action that requires you to speak or move, the Effects of the Critical Failure: With a flash of Wytchfyre, you and
spell are broken. You can only hold your breath for 1+[BB] the ally are instantaneously teleported into the most
minutes. If you exceed a number of minutes, you begin to disadvantageous situation within sight. This may be directly
suffer from Suffocation, but remain invisible until you pass in front of an enemy Prone onto the ground, bound up in
out or move (after which the Effects wear off ). Regardless, ropes or an otherwise dangerous situation determined by
the actual casting of Perfect Camouflage is apparent to the GM.
none but yourself, having remained perfectly disguised
throughout. WYTCHFYRE DISCHARGE
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration. A scourge of oozing viridescent electricity explodes from your
Critical Failure: The shadows betray you! You are unable hand, moving upon their own accord.
to hide, Take Cover or use other means to Disguise yourself Distance: Yourself
for 24 hours. Reagents: A powder of Wytchstone Essence, snorted
(expended)
THE BLACK HUNGER Duration: 6+[WB] in minutes
When one is filled with the Black Hunger, they must have their Effect: After successfully casting this spell, your hand
fill of blood, blood and more blood. They ravage their enemies explodes with a scourge of electrified, green energy. The
until they pass out… or have been killed. affected hand becomes a two-handed melee weapon with
Distance: Any one person you can touch the Reach, Powerful and Slow Qualities. Instead of using
Reagents: A dram of blood from a Man-eater, painted on your [CB], refer to your [WB] to determine Damage.
an ally’s face (expended) Finally, whenever you strike or Parry with this discharge,
Duration: Special refer to your Incantation Skill instead of a Combat-based
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you Skill. You can inflict Injuries with this Magick, but foes are
choose is filled with ‘the black hunger’. As a result, they add always left Prone instead.
2D6 Fury Die to all melee Damage. They can also spend Critical Success: As above, but victims are automatically
3 APs on each of their Turns in order to make two Melee Stunned if they cannot Parry the attack.
Attacks. However, they cannot Counterspell, Dodge or Critical Failure: The skin from your hands suddenly
Parry for the Duration of the spell. The recipient of this sloughs off, changing into a snake-like Man-Eater for
spell suffers 2D10+2 physical Peril at the beginning of their purposes of its creature profile. The Man-Eater will attack
Turns, until they are rendered Incapacitated! or Slain!. The you and your allies until it is Slain!.
206
CHAP
COVENANT TO THE WITCH-QUEEN
SPELL PRINCIPLE
Abjure Spirit Greater
Compel Spirit Lesser
Consult the Spirits Petty
Frock of Ice Petty
Frostkiss Lesser
Hellfrost Transformation Greater
Maleficium Greater
Purification Petty
Tempestarii Lesser
ABJURE SPIRIT
As your hands conduct movements in the air, you command a
spirit to return from whence it came.
Distance: Any one creature you can see
Reagents: The True Name of the Restless Spirit or
summoner of the Ætheric Spirit, spoken aloud
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the Ætheric
Spirit, Restless Spirit or their summoner (if present)
must Resist with a successful Resolve Test. If they fail,
WYTCHFYRE KNIVES the Ætheric Spirit or Restless Spirit is instantaneously
A viridescent, electrified set of throwing stars unerringly hurtle banished from the Material Realm. Note that this only
towards your foes. works on creatures who are Ætheric Spirits or Restless
Distance: Any persons you can see Spirits. You can also use this Magick to banish a Lower
Reagents: A throwing star carved from Wytchstone or Higher Demon’s possession of another, but it does not
(expended) cause the demon to be banished from the Material Realm,
Duration: Instantaneous only driven away from possessing others for nine days.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, select a number Critical Success: As above, but the creature cannot Resist
of foes you can see equal to your [WB]. Each foe suffers this Magick.
3D10+[WB] in Damage. In addition, if your foes fail Critical Failure: Despite calling out the True Name,
to Resist with a successful Coordination Test, they are you only cause the spirit to grow more furious. In fact,
Disarmed. your declaration of its True Name only serves to further
Critical Success: As above, but your foes cannot Resist empower it! The abjuration fails and calls forth another
this Magick. creature of equal power that manifests within a few yards
Critical Failure: The throwing star dances overhead, of you.
sparking with fireworks. With a whirring sound, it
strikes one of your allies (GM’s discretion). They suffer COMPEL SPIRIT
3D10+[WB] in Damage and are Disarmed. You command the spirit to do your bidding; its response is fear
and obedience.
Distance: Any one spirit you can touch
Reagents: A memento of a dead relative (expended)
Duration: Special
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you gain
the ability to touch a single spirit of your choice within
207
touching range. The spirit you touch must Resist with a FROSTKISS
successful Coordination Test. If it fails, the spirit is yours Your exhalation of breath twinkles with frost, as your foes grow
to command for exactly two minutes. Note that if you numb and others turn into statues of ice.
attack the spirit or cause it further harm, the spell ends Distance: Yourself
immediately. This only affects creatures classified as an Reagents: A handful of snow, consumed (expended)
Ætheric Spirit or Restless Spirit. Duration: Instantaneous
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration. Effect: After successfully casting this spell, any foes caught
Critical Failure: Your words only serve to antagonize the in its Cone Template suffer 2D10+[WB] physical Peril.
spirit. With a haunted moan, it has a new-found passion – to If they move one step down the Peril Condition Track
swallow your soul! The spirit can add a 1D6 Fury Die to Total negatively, they are Defenseless for one minute. If they
Damage whenever it strikes you for the next six minutes. move two steps down the Peril Condition Track negatively,
they are Defenseless and also Stunned for one minute. If
CONSULT THE SPIRITS they move three or more steps down the Peril Condition
Sitting cross-legged upon the ground, you reach beyond the Track negatively, they are Defenseless, Stunned and unable
Material Realm into the Veil to consult the spirits who haunt to use Movement Actions for one minute. Should they be
this place. Incapacitated! from Frostkiss, they also suffer from Frostbite.
Distance: Yourself Your foes can Resist with a successful Coordination Test.
Reagents: An eyeless hood, placed over your face Critical Success: As above, but foes cannot Resist this
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes Magick.
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, you fall into a Critical Failure: Your throat tightens from the cold air, as
trance and are rendered Helpless. During this time, you may your lungs begin to seize. You immediately begin to suffer
use any Fellowship-based Skill to directly communicate from Suffocation.
with Ætheric Spirits and Restless Spirits. This interaction
is not always beneficial: many such spirits are skittish, HELLFROST TRANSFORMATION
ignorant, confused, cunningly deceptive or even openly Within a whorl of ice and snow, your form grows to such
aggressive. This empathy acts as an all but supernatural type immensity that it is no longer yours. Your body transmutates
of communication; the complexity of which is determined into a living thing of frozen terror!
by the GM. Finally, any Restless Spirits present will not Distance: Yourself
cause you any harm for the Duration of the spell. Reagents: A wand made from the humerus of a Fomori
Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration. Crone, held aloft
Critical Failure: Your mind is wracked with grief, as you Duration: 9+[WB] in minutes
momentarily absorb the anguish of the spirits who linger in Effect: After successfully casting this spell, both you and
this place. You immediately suffer from Stress. all the trappings upon yourself take the shape of an avatar
of the Witch-Queen. Temporarily replace your Character
FROCK OF ICE sheet with the creature profile of a Fomori Crone, gaining its
Your frock glimmers with cold light, hardening into ice. Wind benefits and drawbacks. If you suffer an Injury during this
whirls around you, and with every step you take, the ground is time, the Magick spell immediately ends.
frozen solid. Critical Success: As above, but triple the Duration.
Distance: Yourself Critical Failure: Your half-frozen form temporarily
Reagents: An expensive white frock, worn explodes into a bizarre amalgam of fleshy whips and
Duration: 3+[WB] in minutes monster: your head turns to the shape of a gaping maw,
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, all melee your teats turn into child-like hands and your legs into
weapons that are not Magickal in nature cannot apply prehensile, purple tails. Those who behold your
Fury Dice to their Total Damage when harming you. In countenance must succeed at a Resolve
addition, foes must Maneuver in order to Engage with you. Test or else they suffer from Terror.
If they are already Engaged with you when you first cast In addition, you must succeed
this spell, they are immediately pushed 1 yard away. at a Toughness Test or else be
Critical Success: As above, but foes cannot Engage with you. immediately Slain! (unless you
Critical Failure: Let it go, let it go! With a terrible tearing have a Fate Point to expend).
sound, the white frock takes to the air, ripping from your If you succeed, you return to
neck. A gust of chilly wind catches it and it flies off, never your normal self, but are left
to be found again. Prone and Incapacitated!.
208
CHAP
MALEFICIUM Critical Failure: Your Magick backfires in the worst way

Incanting terrible words over an object in-hand, you can call imaginable! An object on your person is cursed instead,
forth a terrible hex to befall the object’s keeper. as you suffer the Effects so long as you possess the object.
Distance: Any one object you can touch Unfortunately, you do not know which object has been
Reagents: An inanimate object belonging to a person you bewitched without use of further Magick!
wish to curse
Duration: Forever PURIFICATION
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the object you Imbibing the innards, the person begins heaving up any and all
touch is cursed. Whenever another carries this object, they ‘impurities’ they are suffering from.
suffer a gruesome curse. As a consequence, the cursed Distance: Any one person you can touch
must flip the results to fail all Skill Tests. In addition, they Reagents: The guts of a frozen fish, consumed (expended)
permanently move down an Age Group (growing older) Duration: Instantaneous
at each new moon, until eventually they die of premature Effect: After successfully casting this spell, the person you
old age. They inspire intense hatred whenever confronting touch can attempt a Toughness Test. If successful, they
creatures classified as Animals. A foe cannot be made subject are cured of any Intoxication and Poison Effects they are
to the Effects of more than one curse at a time, which last suffering from. The spell also cures their Frostbite. If they
until the cursed object remains in their possession. fail, they suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril and are left Helpless
Critical Success: As above, but the cursed also temporarily for an hour. A Character may only gain the benefit of this
reduces every Primary Attribute Bonus by -1 at each new Magick once per day.
moon. Critical Success: As above, but they are also cured of one
Disease they are suffering from.
Critical Failure: Your touch brings great sadness, as the
person you touch suffers from Frostbite on their fingers.
TEMPESTARII
You possess a greatly valued power: the ability to dismiss
storms at-will (bringing adoration from those who behold
it) and to summon forth massive ice storms. It freezes
objects and people alike.
Distance: Any one place you can see
Reagents: A staff made from a branch of a tree
struck by lightning
Effect: After successfully casting this spell, choose
to either repress bad weather or conjure forth an
ice storm. If you repress bad weather, it temporarily
stops for the Duration of the spell. If you conjure
forth an ice storm, all those caught within an
Explosion Template must immediately succeed at
a Toughness Test or suffer 2D10+[WB] Damage
for each Turn they remain within the Explosion
Template. You can inflict Injuries with this Magick,
but foes always suffer from Frostbite instead.
This Magick only affects creatures classified
as Humanoid or Mutant (including player
Ancestries).
Critical Success: As above, but foes automatically
fail to Resist this Magick.
Critical Failure: As you raise your staff, it is
immediately struck by a blue thunderbolt. You are
frozen in place, left Helpless and paralyzed for the
Duration.
209
RITUALS RITUAL FORMAT

Every Ritual in MAIN GAUCHE is represented using
Outside of the prescribed and well-practiced rote of arcana,
the following format:
covenants and prayers, there is another sort of Magick.
Called Rituals, most use Wytchstone and Void Salts to CASTING TIME: All Rituals have a prescribed amount
sublimate raw Magick into an entirely different principle of time required to conduct them. This will usually be
and represent some of the most powerful Magicks available expressed in hours. Further conditions for the time needed
in a grim & perilous world. Unlike other Magicks, they are to conduct a Ritual may apply.
not the subject of great study, but their esoteric authorship REAGENTS: Reagents are material ingredients normally
is prized by practitioners for the knowledge they might required to conduct a Ritual. Reagents are usually not
contain, as well as those either unwise or too foolish expended after conducting the Ritual, unless indicated
to realize the risks of conducting rituals without a good otherwise in brackets, as in (expended). When reagents
education in the use of Magick. are expended, they are destroyed regardless of whether you
were successful in conducting the Ritual or not.
Unlike normal Magick, some Rituals can be used by
anyone, providing they gather the necessary reagents, CONDITION: Before the Ritual is conducted, there are
fulfill the proper conditions, have the Ritual inscribed on various Conditions which must be met. These Conditions
a sacred scroll and possess the wherewithal to walk down are mostly immutable, unless the GM approves of a
that path. Unfortunately, conducting Rituals in this way substitution of certain conditions or alternatives situations
is highly dangerous, as these fledgling conjurors have no where they are not required.
protection against the Abyssal Princes’ ruinous corruption. CHANNEL POWER: Every Ritual provokes a different
However, Rituals offer incredibly powerful results – and do level of Chaos Manifestation. For instance, if you Channel
so immediately, unlike the time and effort it takes to learn Power and generate a Chaos Manifestation using a Ritual
how to cast arcana, call covenants or make prayers. Whether called Trace Sigil, you will treat it as if it were Petty Magick
conducted by ambitious neophytes or learned practitioners, for purposes of referring to Chaos Manifestations or
Rituals are the mightiest of all Magicks, requiring Divine Punishment. You can only Channel Power if you
forethought and careful planning to use. Oftentimes, have the Trait of Arcane or Divine Magick.
Wytchstone and the other incredibly rare reagents needed DIFFICULTY RATING: Much like Magick, Rituals
to use such devilish Magicks, which requires a hefty price. have a default Difficulty Rating to cast using Incantation.
And, even with the forethought and careful planning, Unlike Magick, however, there are no any consequences
Rituals still carry considerable risk to oneself and others. for Critically Succeeding (or Critically Failing) your
Incantation Test. The GM may adjust these Difficulty
CONDUCTING A RITUAL Ratings taking into consideration the same circumstances
Whenever a Ritual is conducted, follow the standard as detailed for casting Magick.
rules for casting Magick. This includes the risk of Chaos
Manifestations and Divine Punishment when Channeling CONSEQUENCES: Some Rituals require a part of your
Power, unless indicated otherwise by the Ritual’s description. soul, corrupting you from within. Others may tear away at
Each Ritual has its own Difficulty Rating, however. others around you. Sometimes the Consequences come as
a part of successfully conducting the Ritual and other time
consequences come about regardless of whether you are
RITUAL NAME successful or not. The results are covered in each Ritual’s
Bond Mithril listing.
Construct Golem RITUAL EFFECTS: A Ritual’s Effects vary widely, with
each having a series of results. Sometimes, the Effects are
Exorcism followed by additional circumstances which may inherently
Fortune-telling change the outcome of the Ritual.
Oath to the Peerage
Trace Sigil
210
CHAP
BOND MITHRIL CONSTRUCT GOLEM

It is said that the wealth of the Elves is not measured in Constructed and given life through a sophisticated rite
gold and jewels. Instead, it is of those things bonded with of spirit-binding and anointment with Ætheric Fluid,
mithril; objects of indeterminate beauty, whose glint never a Golem takes upon many abilities of both living beings
fades and durability never falters. Mithril, in all its myriad of and machines. By forcing a spirit into a ‘body’ it had not
forms, can be beaten and folded like copper, yet maintains originally inhabited, a Golem is given a spark of life, and
its strength and shape. It can be blended into liquid sand able to behave in many ways that resembles a living being.
and blown into delicate glass, yet remains indestructible to However, this dangerous Ritual has oftentimes had odd
rocks and defenestration. It can even be woven into thread, consequences, as the spirit finds itself fighting against the
worn as easily as one wears a nightshirt to bed. Mithril, unliving housing it has been trapped inside of. There are
albeit a metal, is malleable enough to be bonded into many types of Golems: living brooms, animated skulls and
practically any sort of other material. No object is made small automatons (Petty Golems), man-sized simulacrum
entirely of mithril – instead, it is Ætherically-bonded into that resemble what they may have looked like in a former life
other materials. In all its myriad of forms, mithril-borne and mutated fleshy ‘things’ that resemble living trash heaps
objects remain in a state of everlasting beauty, luster and (Lesser Golems) and horrendously-shaped constructs:
long-lasting strength. living weapons, vehicles that take upon a life of their
own and colossally-animated statues (Greater Golems).
Casting Time: One day Depending on the medium and the level of freedom which
Reagents: You must have the relevant trade tools for the a Golem’s creator wants to give its creation, it thereby
object you intend to craft and they must have undergone determines the fashion in which the Golem will take.
Consecration (as indicated in the Ritual of Blessed Sacrament).
In addition, you must have a sample source of mithril bars Not every Golem – or spirit contained within – is readily
to bond to the object. Finally, you must have one vial of accepting of its new fate. Mentally shocked, Golems will
Void Salt (expended), which is intermixed with the mithril sometimes develop psychoses of their own. As in life,
as its bonded to the object. all Golems have their own whim and will. However, as
Condition: This Ritual is traditionally limited to their existence is to be whatever object they are
Elves only, unless your GM states otherwise. In trapped inside, their minds will eventually turn
addition, this Ritual is cast at the end of towards whatever needs and goals of their
the crafting process. Golem-master are, suited to their new form.
Channel Power: As Lesser Magick
Difficulty Rating: (Arduous -30%) Casting Time: One hour
Consequences: You can only Bond Reagents: First, you must declare whether
Mithril to one object at a time. you intend to construct a Petty, Lesser or
Ritual Effects: After successfully casting Greater Golem. In addition, you must have a medium to
this Ritual, you bond mithril into the object you are crafting. work from. Golems can be constructed from bone, leather,
The object then immediately takes upon the relevant flesh, metal, stone, wood or any other solid material. In
Qualities of mithril as a Special Material (as stated in addition, you must have one ampulla of Ætheric Fluid for a
Chapter 2: Liber Armorum). Weapons made from mithril Petty Golem, while Lesser Golems require two ampullas of
gain the Fast Quality, whereas shields made from mithril Ætheric Fluid and Greater Golems require three ampullas
gain the Light Quality. Mail, munitions plate and full plate of Ætheric Fluid (all of which are expended in the process).
armor made from mithril gain the Flexible Quality. Any You or another must summon a spirit to bind inside the
armament from mithril decreases its Encumbrance Value Golem by use of one of the following Rituals: Awaken
by 1 (to a minimum of 1). the Dead, Call Demonic Servant or Summon Ætheric Spirit.
Finally, the symbol of the god the spirit worshipped or
Mithril can also be bonded to practically any form, whether Daemon it was devoted to must be carved onto the Golem
it be armor, shield or a weapon. It can even be bonded to to complete the Reagent process.
shirts of cloth, leatherworks, wooden devices, instruments, Condition: You must construct the Golem yourself, but
mechanical clockworks, jewelry and other works crafted may receive assistance. It takes the same amount of time to
using your Skills. Objects made from mithril cannot be craft an object (as defined under Crafting in the Trappings
destroyed by normal means and must be made the target of chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER). If crafting a body of a
the Petty Magick spell called Dispel Magick in order for it creature, it takes a standard number of days from gestation
to be destroyed otherwise. to birth of the creature under normal conditions. You must
211
also have access to a laboratory and a lightning rod affixed and bring back my goods/ collect firewood and build a
with a shard of Wytchstone. The Ritual must be completed pyre for a witch/kill anyone who trespasses and drag their
during a rainstorm, during which you will roll 3D6 Chaos corpses outside).
Dice. If any land on face ‘6’, lightning strikes the rod
and travels down the rod and into the Golem. The rod is Lesser Golems can sufficiently remain activated for
instantaneously destroyed, but your Golem is brought to 2D10+2 hours at a time, either ‘triggered’ to be activated by
life. You can only attempt to bring the Golem to life once the presence of others within clear sight of the Golem or
every 24 hours. Finally, give your Golem a name. directly by command by its Golem-master. Furthermore,
Channel Power: As Lesser Magick calculate its Damage or Hardness Threshold equal to
Difficulty Rating: Special 6+your [WB]. Any weapon they wield (or an extension
Consequences: You can only create one Golem at a time. thereof from their body) gains the Powerful and Vicious
In addition, you gain one permanent Chaos Rank. Qualities. Otherwise, treat Lesser Golems as a Golem.
Ritual Effects: After successfully casting this Ritual, the
Golem is now yours to command. You can only command GREATER GOLEM: (Arduous -30%)
a number of Golems equal to your [WB] at any one time, Greater Golems can be of a shape no larger than an ogre
but may replace those which have been Ruined!, Slain! or is tall. Examples include activated huts, hell-cannons
destroyed. A Golem generally takes the shape of either a and living statues. Greater Golems can speak, and have
creature or object; decide which, so that you may reference a command of languages and intellect far greater than its
whether it has a Damage or Hardness Threshold. Each type Golem-master. These supernaturally-created beings can be
of Golem has its own Difficulty Rating to construct and controlled by you and obey supremely complex commands,
specific limitations of its autonomous abilities as defined and react accordingly (teach yourself to read but skip over
below: anything you do not find interesting/find me a cleric with
white hair who has cheated a gambler and decide if he is
PETTY GOLEM: (Challenging -10%) guilty/understand what it means to be alive and author a
Petty Golems can be of a shape no larger than a child is tall. story of your experiences).
Examples include brooms, treasure chests, the threshold of
a door, a small wind-up toy, an automaton animal or a doll.
Petty Golems are unable to use the power of speech, but
can use crude communication tools, typically in a series
of grunts, whirs, clicks and so forth. These supernaturally-
created beings can be controlled by you and understand
simple, distinct orders (such as open the door/sweep the
floor/chatter like disembodied teeth/rave till dawn/eat
small rats in sight/play dead).
Petty Golems can sufficiently remain activated for 1D10+1

hours at a time, either ‘triggered’ to be activated by the
presence of others within clear sight of the Golem or directly
by command by its Golem-master. Furthermore, calculate
its Damage or Hardness Threshold equal to 3+your [WB].
Any weapon they wield (or an extension thereof from
their body) gains the Pummeling and Ruined! Qualities.
Otherwise, treat Petty Golems as a Crypt Skeleton.
LESSER GOLEM: (Hard -20%)

Lesser Golems can be of a shape no larger than an adult
human is tall. Examples include talking skulls, mannequin-
like humans, automatons and rune-forged wooden dwarf
statues. Lesser Golems can speak, and have a command
of languages and intellect as deep as its Golem-master.
These supernaturally-created beings can be controlled by
you and obey more complex commands (drive to the docks
212
CHAP
Greater Golems can sufficiently remain activated for

D100 GOLEM RAGE
3D10+3 hours at a time, either ‘triggered’ to be activated
by the presence of others within clear sight of the Golem 1 to 25 The Golem attacks the nearest ally of the Golem-master.
or directly by command by its Golem-master. Furthermore,
26 to 50 The Golem attacks the nearest foe of the Golem-master.
calculate its Damage or Hardness Threshold equal to 9+your
[WB]. Any weapon they wield (or are an extension thereof 51 to 75 The Golem attacks the Golem-master.
from their body) gains the Powerful and Reach Qualities.
76 to 99 The Golem does something else the GM decides.
Otherwise, treat Greater Golems as a Living Statue.
The Golem is now fully autonomous; one of the ‘Awoken’.
GOLEM MOTIVATIONS: Like any other non- 100 The Golem-master is no longer able to command it and the
player Character, every Golem has its own Motivation Awoken Golem remains activated indefinitely.
(see under Motivations in the Game Mastery chapter of
ZWEIHÄNDER). These Motivations will dictate how EXORCISM
the GM will role-play the Golem. Through time immemorial, demons and spirits have clung
GOLEM HEALING: Any time that you intend to treat to the frayed edges of our world. In order to enact their
a Golem for Bleeding, Injuries, repairs or healing, you must terrible plans – or simply cause horror and chaos – they
have one ampulla of Ætheric Fluid to add as an additional inhabit abodes: houses, temples and rotten log cabins,
reagent (which is expended as a part of the process). In haunting those who would dare trespass inside. Untimely
addition, Golems can only ever restore their Peril Condition deaths and infernal summonings may cause spirits or
Track positively by deactivating for six hours and cannot demons to live inside an object; examples include cursed
use Smelling Salts. dolls, mirrors, amulets and swords. The most misfortunate
of possessions occur within hosts: innocent children whose
PENULTIMATE CONTINGENCY: By sacrificing a minds are highly malleable, the infirm and the sick whose
Fate Point during creation of the Golem, you can enact faculties have worn away as age sets in and of course,
a Penultimate Contingency: the transference of your spirit adventurers – survivors of a cruel, unusual existence. The
into your Golem, culminating at the end of the Ritual. infestation and haunting of abodes, hosts and objects
Alternatively, you can pass your spirit into your Golem requires a rite to ward off the demon or spirit that possesses
once you are Slain!. Once your spirit is transferred, you are or haunts them. This ancient Ritual can be used to expel
forever bound to the new Golem body. the demon or spirit from the place, person or object it
GOLEM PSYCHE: Whenever a Golem Critically Fails possesses. However, an exorcist is also liable to become a
to Resist against Stress, Fear or Terror, you must roll on the victim or instrument to the demon or spirit’s malice, with
Golem Rage table below to determine what happens next. potentially damning consequences.
Golem Rage lasts for 1D10+1 minutes.
Casting Time: One hour, and Concentration as needed
DEACTIVATION & FORCED REACTIVATION:
(outlined below)
Once deactivated, a Golem must rest for six hours before
Reagents: An abode, host or object intended to be
it can be reactivated again. Should a Golem-master
Exorcised that you can touch, a holy book or other religious
attempt reactivate the Golem during its rest period, you
work read aloud and no less than three observers who give
will make a Secret Test using your Leadership Skill. If you
worship to the Daemon or god you invoke as part of the
succeed, the Golem will reactivate for 1D10+1 minutes. If
exorcism. In addition, you must have a dose of graveroot or
you Critically Succeed, the Golem will reactivate as if it
vial of holy water (either of which are expended).
had been deactivated for six hours. If you fail, the Golem
Condition: Graveroot or holy water is sprinkled around
will simply refuse to reactivate, although you can attempt
the possessed abode, host or object.
to reactivate it again a minute later. If you Critically Fail
Channel Power: As Petty Magick
however, the Golem will reactivate and take random
Difficulty Rating: Special
actions for 1D10+1 minutes. During this
Consequences: For every Call Name (as spelt out in the
time, roll D100 to determine
sidebar) of the demon you know, add an additional 1D6
what happens at the
Chaos Die when attempting to use this Ritual. However,
beginning of each of
the first time you fail to Coerce or Exorcise the demon or
its Turns:
spirit, you suffer from Stress. The second time you fail
to Coerce or Exorcise, you suffer from Fear. The third and
subsequent times you fail to Coerce or Exorcise, you suffer
from Terror. This Ritual requires Concentration. Finally,
213
TRUE NAMES REVISITED
Every creature, both small and large, is given a name mortal memories snuffed out like a flame from a candle.
upon birth. Whether it crawled forth from an Orxish A universal truth remains: A Restless Spirit can only
slime pit, slipped from the bellies of Elven maidens be Exorcised (and affected by Magick) when their
or amongst the brood of varied animals which inhabit True Name has been spoken aloud. Fortunately for
the earth, every creature manifest possesses a term of spiritualists, the True Names of the Restless Spirits are
affection it self-identifies as (a name). However, Higher easier to figure out. These True Names are not assembled
Demons and Restless Spirits possess what is called a from infernal glyphs, but of the tongue that the Restless
True Name. Spirit spoke before death.
Mirroring the rite of naming children upon birth, A True Name must be spoken aloud before a Higher
blasphemous demons are given a True Name by Demon or some Restless Spirits can be affected by your
the Abyssal Prince they serve. This unholy name is Magick. Speaking the True Name of a Restless Spirit
immensely sacred; a reflection of their real nature. To merely requires knowledge of its True Name in the
know and speak aloud a True Name is to bring weakness tongue it was created.
to the demon whom it was given to. To possess a SPEAKING A HIGHER DEMON’S TRUE NAME:
demon’s True Name is to be able to wield power over Pronouncing a Higher Demon’s True Name is incredibly
it. Unfortunately, even if a Higher Demon’s True Name difficult. It requires a successful (Challenging -10%)
is found out, it is crucial to carefully convey that name Incantation Test to intone a True Name properly – even
correctly, as they are typically comprised of confusing if practiced over and over. If forced into a situation where
combinations of cursed consonants. a True Name must be spoken aloud where the speaker’s
CALL NAMES: Higher and Lower Demons alike life is in imminent danger, it requires a successful (Hard
jealously guard their True Name from others. To that -20%) Incantation Test instead. However, Critically
end, they typically adopt a number of inspiring and Failing this Test, immediately results in the speaker
terrifying nicknames (Call Names). Both Higher and suffering 3D10+3 mental Peril. In addition, if the
Lower Demons have at least 666 unique call names. speaker possesses the Special Trait of Arcane, Covenant
ON RESTLESS SPIRITS: In some cases, True or Divine Magick, they also invoke a Lesser Chaos
Names are carried from a mortal life into ‘undeath’. Manifestation if mispronouncing a Lower Demon’s
Such is the case with Restless Spirits. Many years may True Name or invoke a Greater Chaos Manifestation if
have passed since a Restless Spirit arose to unlife, its mispronouncing a Higher Demon’s True Name.
should the exorcist be Incapacitated! at any time during Coerce True Name: At the end of the Ritual, and over
use of this Ritual, they immediately gain the Disorder of each minute thereafter you maintain Concentration upon
Possessed!. this Ritual, you attempt to force the demon or spirit to
Ritual Effects: First, determine the Difficulty Rating to reveal its True Name. Roll 3D6 Chaos Dice (and add an
cast this Ritual based on the Risk Factor of the demon or additional 1D6 Chaos Die for every Call Name you know)
spirit who possesses the abode, host or object: for every minute you attempt to Exorcise the demon or
spirit in this fashion:
Basic RF: (Standard +/-0%) Incantation Test
Intermediate RF: (Challenging -10%) Incantation Test
Advanced RF: (Hard -20%) Incantation Test
Elite RF: (Arduous -30%) Incantation Test
After successfully casting this Ritual, you can use Exorcism

for one of two unique purposes:
214
CHAP
Should all three dice or more land on face ‘6’ (666), crystal ball). However, even in its basest of forms, the
pick whether a Call Name or True Name of the demon diviner is reaching out to someone to predict the future,
or spirit possessing the abode, host or object is revealed. whether it be a Daemon, god or something else entirely
Should two dice land on face ‘6’ (66), the True Name alien to the Material Realm. Answers are often opaque
of the spirit possessing the abode, host or object is and left to interpretation, but generally hold some kernel
revealed. of truth or nugget of wisdom, hidden behind a series of
cryptic messages and ill-omens.
Should one die land on face ‘6’ (6), a Call Name of the
demon possessing the abode, host or object is revealed. Casting Time: Ten minutes
Reagents: The reagents vary based on divinatory approach
Exorcise Abode, Host or Object: At the end of the Ritual,
and must be held in-hand as the Fortune-telling begins.
and over the course of each hour thereafter you maintain
Suggested Reagents are described for each of the divinatory
Concentration upon this Ritual, you can attempt to force
approaches detailed later in this Ritual.
the demon or spirit to leave the abode, host or object it
Condition: The fortuneteller must know the real name of
possesses. During this time, you must announce at least one
the person who is to be subject to the divination. A person
Call Name (if a Lower Demon) or the True Name (if a
cannot be made subject to Fortune-telling more than once
Higher Demon or Restless Spirit) in order to Exorcise it.
a month (but you can tell the fortunes of multiple people).
Roll 3D6 Chaos Dice (and add an additional 1D6 Chaos
Fortune-telling can only affect Mutants and Humanoids
Die for every Call Name you know) for every hour you
(including player Ancestries).
attempt to Exorcise the demon or spirit in this fashion:
Channel Power: As Petty Magick
Should all three dice or more land on face ‘6’ (666), a Difficulty Rating: Special
Lower Demon, Higher Demon or Restless Spirit is Consequences: Whenever a Fortune-telling is complete,
immediately exorcised and will not possess that abode, regardless of its success or not, the fortuneteller suffers
host or object ever again. 2D10+2 mental Peril.
Ritual Effects: After successfully casting this Ritual,
Should two dice land on face ‘6’ (66), a Lower Demon you can foretell the near future of an individual. The
or Restless Spirit is immediately exorcised and will not more Chaos Ranks the fortune-teller has, the harder the
possess that abode, host or object ever again. Difficulty Rating of the Incantation Test gets (less Chaos
Should one die land on face ‘6’ (6), a Restless Spirit is Ranks indicates the degree to which you are in harmony
immediately exorcised and will not possess that abode, with the universe):
host or object ever again.
0 to 1 Order Ranks: (Trivial +30%) Incantation Test
Once a demon or spirit has been exorcised, it cannot 2 Chaos Ranks: (Easy +20%) Incantation Test
possess another abode, host or object for one year. However,
at the end of the Exorcise ritual, the exorcist must attempt 3 Chaos Ranks: (Routine +10%) Incantation Test
a Secret Test using their Resolve Skill, with the Difficulty 4 Chaos Ranks: (Standard +/-0%) Incantation Test
Rating determined by the GM. If successful, the exorcist
5 Chaos Ranks: (Challenging -10%) Incantation Test
can never be Possessed by the demon or spirit they just
Exorcised. A Critical Success causes the demon or spirit to 6 Chaos Ranks: (Hard -20%) Incantation Test
be instantaneously banished from the Material Realm (as 7 to 9 Chaos Ranks: (Arduous -30%) Incantation Test
the Greater Magick spell of Banishment from the Grimoire
chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER). Both Failure and Critical The clarity of a divination is always based on [PB] of the
Failure means that the exorcist suffers 6 Corruption, fortuneteller:
while Critical Failure also results in the exorcist gains the
Disorder of Possessed!. [PB] 1 to 6: The fortune-teller’s message is cryptic
and indirect. The interpretation is incomplete, but the
FORTUNE-TELLING recipient Character of the Ritual will understand it
There is ‘fortune telling’, and then there is Fortune-telling. once it comes to pass. The Character can automatically
This form of true divination takes one of the following succeed at one Skill Test that applies to the situation
approaches: astrology, card reading, casting runes, dream described in the Ritual, providing it occurs within a
interpretation, palmistry, scapulimancy and scrying. All month of the Ritual.
forms of divination require some type of device or other [PB] 7 to 12: The fortune-teller’s message is clear, but
equipment (e.g., scrying requires a cauldron, mirror or incomplete. Important facts may be missing, but the
215
recipient Character of the Ritual will understand it CAST RUNES

once it comes to pass. The Character can automatically Suggested Reagents: Bag of pebbles, juju, set of runestones
succeed at two Skill Tests that apply to the situation Critical Success: The runes begin to softly glow, ebbing
described in the Ritual, providing it occurs within a a pleasant blue light. The recipient gains 1 Fortune Point,
month of the Ritual. which they alone can use within the next 24 hours.
[PB] 13+: The fortune-teller’s message is crystal clear Critical Failure: The surface in which the runes were
and the GM should communicate it to the Character lain begins to tremble, until the runestones shake and
who was the recipient of the Ritual. The Character can eventually break into tiny pieces. Your mind is penetrated
automatically succeed at three Skill Tests that apply by a damning truth: your own death. Whenever you come
to the situation described in the Ritual, providing it into a situation that would be referenced by your Dooming,
occurs within a month of the ritual. you must flip the results to fail all Skill Tests. This lasts for
24 hours.
However, the divinatory approach used and whether a
Critical Success or Critical Failure was rolled, you gain an DREAM INTERPRETATION
additional Effect: (ONEIROMANCY)
Suggested Reagents: Bed, diary, pillow
ASTROLOGY Critical Success: You begin to have a recurring dream,
Suggested Reagents: Astrological chart, stars, telescope with increasing intensity and clarity until its meaning is
Critical Success: You have deepened your understanding made clear to you. This dream is tied to the recipient’s fate,
of the Vault of Night, having been exposed to something and does not stop until you fully interpret it. It will reveal
damningly enlightening. Perhaps a new star or constellation itself within 1D10+1 days. Upon its revelation to both you
is revealed to you. Place 1 Fortune Point into the Fortune and the recipient of your fortune-telling, it will allow them
Pool. to automatically succeed at one additional Skill Test that
Critical Failure: You discover a new constellation, but applies to the situation from the Ritual.
are unable to interpret its meaning as it relates Critical Failure: You reverse the meaning of a key element
to the zodialogical charts of the recipient of from the recipient’s dreams, so that its interpretation is
your auguries. You gain 6 Corruption. completely different from its true meaning. You gain 6
Corruption.
CARD READING
(CARTOMANCY/ PALMISTRY (CHIROMANCY)
TAROMANCY) Suggested Reagents: Hand, head or foot of recipient
Suggested Reagents: Deck of Critical Success: You have discovered a critical path
playing cards, blocks engraved with along the recipient’s lifeline that leads to their doom.
animals, tarot cards Should they be required to sacrifice a Fate Point over
Critical Success: The cards suddenly the next 24 hours, they ignore having to use it. This
levitate into place upon the table, only lasts one time, until their next Fortune-telling.
reordering themselves to reveal a Critical Failure: You notice several severe lines along
deadly secret about the subject of the the recipient’s palm that resemble a pattern of chaotic
Divination’s true enemy. Should the manipulation of their lifeline. It may resemble a
recipient have the Drawback of Nemesis, diabolical rune, a symbol of a Daemon or otherwise
they can use Fortune Points upon their infernal influence. You gain 6 Corruption.
next encounter with their Nemesis.
Otherwise, the player can add a 1D6 SCAPULIMANCY
Fury Die to all melee and ranged Damage Suggested Reagents: Bag of finger bones,
against a foe during their next fight. bones of a raven, plastron of a turtle
Critical Failure: Your cards suddenly Critical Success: The bones fall in a clear
burst into flames, providing a significant pattern, which is recognizable even by
amount of heat and light, equivalent to unskilled diviners. It may resemble
a candle. Its flames are considered to be a map, a heraldic device or other
Mildly Dangerous. Those who witness symbols – even letters spelling out a
this event must succeed at a Resolve word. Place 1 Fortune Point into the
Test or else suffer from Fear. Fortune Pool.
216
CHAP
Critical Failure: As you toss the bones, they shatter and OATH TO THE PEERAGE
fly around for a moment. Those who are within 3 yards of When the world was young, humanity consisted of little
the Fortune-telling must succeed at a Coordination Test more than barbarous tribes spread across hill and dale.
or else suffer 1D10+1 Damage. When the bones inflict Choking under the yoke of violence, champions arose
a Moderate Injury, it is always a Black Eye. When they from the fledgling kingdoms – folk of great influence
inflict a Serious Injury, it is always Head Trauma. Finally, and persuasion. Uniting the former squabbling tribes, the
when they inflict a Grievous Injury, it is always a Vitreous knights beat back the oppressors and carved their own
Hemorrhage. niche into our grim & perilous world. Those women and
men became known as the Peerage, and their fiefs were
SCRYING vast and powerful for their time. And none held sway
Suggested Reagents: Bonfire, cauldron, mirror over another, heeding an equal counsel among themselves
Critical Success: Blinding light bursts forth from the where no one person stood over another. Aligned about a
scrying device as images hang in the air like an illusion. single table seasonally, the Peerage would discuss matters
Everyone who witnesses this event gains an additional of foreign invaders, settle petty squabbles and ensure that
+10 Base Chance to any three Skill Tests that apply to the the land would remain under peace through their reign.
situation described in the Ritual
Critical Failure: The scrying device shatters into a But as time marched on, the Peerage wavered and soon
million-million pieces and is otherwise destroyed. You splintered into two causes. Those of the Peerage of
suffer 3D10+3 mental Peril. If for some reason you are Dominion were knights of unyielding order who brooked
Incapacitated! from this, you fall unconscious for six hours. no question of their rulership. The clergy and landed
You cannot recover your Peril Condition Track for 24 hours nobility backed them eagerly, aligning themselves to these
after being unconscious, as you suffer from terrible visions. self-professed ‘champions of order’. In the shadows where
the Peerage of Dominion held no sway, stood the Peerage
of Sovereignty. They, too were knights in their own right,
favoring independence and freedom from the absolutism
of the Peerage of Dominion. Currying favor with the
downtrodden and those who were given to a life free of
the shackles of society, the Peerage of Sovereignty stood
in direct opposition to the reign of law. They were ignobly
dubbed ‘champions of chaos’ by the Peerage of Dominion.
217
Difficulty Rating: Special

Channel Power: NONE
Consequences: A knight-candidate pledges themselves to
a single Peerage for a lifetime. Should they change Peerages,
the knight-candidate gains one permanent Chaos Rank.
Ritual Effects: First, determine the Difficulty Rating,
based on whether the knight-candidate is pledging
themselves to the Peerage of Dominion or the Peerage of
Sovereignty. The number of Chaos Ranks possessed by the
knight-candidate will determine the Difficulty Rating of
the Incantation Test:
PEERAGE OF DOMINION DIFFICULTY

RATING:
0 to 1 Chaos Ranks: (Trivial +30%) Incantation Test

2 Chaos Ranks: (Easy +20%) Incantation Test
4 Chaos Ranks: (Standard +/-0%) Incantation Test
5 Chaos Ranks: (Challenging -10%) Incantation Test
6 Chaos Ranks: (Hard -20%) Incantation Test
7 to 9 Chaos Ranks: (Arduous -30%) Incantation Test
PEERAGE OF SOVEREIGNTY DIFFICULTY

RATING:
0 to 1 Chaos Ranks: (Arduous -30%) Incantation Test

2 Chaos Ranks: (Hard -20%) Incantation Test
Even though the ancient lines of the Peerage are all but
extinct, martial orders continue to pledge oaths of fidelity 3 Chaos Ranks: (Challenging -10%) Incantation Test
to them. To give an oath to a Peerage is not just a vow to 4 Chaos Ranks: (Standard +/-0%) Incantation Test
uphold, but also a semi-mystical bond to its history and
predecessors. Although the Peerage does not see its ancient
champions as Daemons or gods, the oath is meant to be 6 Chaos Ranks: (Easy +20%) Incantation Test
immortal and everlasting. For those who pledge fidelity to 7 to 9 Chaos Ranks: (Trivial +30%) Incantation Test
one of these two groups, they are granted a boon in return.
Be warned however: the oath is strict and unwavering, and After succeeding at the Incantation Test, the knight-
any faltering or dereliction of duty can easily see the boon candidate is now a formal pledge to the Peerage. As
revoked. a pledge, they can now ‘tap’ into their Alignment by
spending a Fortune Point. Pledges of Dominion may tap
Casting Time: One hour into their Order or Aspect Alignment, whereas pledges of
Reagents: A banner to either the Peerage of Dominion or Sovereignty may tap into their Chaos Alignment.
Sovereignty, a knight-candidate intends to make an oath to
the Peerage, a pinprick of the knight-candidate’s blood and By ‘tapping’ into their Alignment, they may automatically
a sponsoring knight. succeed at the next, immediate Skill Test they make by
Condition: This Ritual can only be used upon another spending a Fortune Point. However, the Skill Test must
(the ‘knight-candidate’), who stands beneath a banner be appropriate to the situation. For example, a Character
dedicated to the Peerage of Dominion or Sovereignty. The may have the Chaos Alignment of Mayhem. They are
knight-candidate must have a sponsoring knight (pledge), engaged in a back-and-forth with a merchant aggressively
who has already made an oath to the same Peerage that the haggling over the price of an item they wish to purchase (an
knight-candidate wishes to join. Intimidate Test). A player cannot simply state, “I tap into
218
CHAP
my character’s Alignment of Mayhem to get an advantage.” ÆTHER SIGIL: These Sigils are used to invoke an
Instead, they should justify from a role-playing perspective amalgamation of all other Sigils’ energy. Once traced, the
how Mayhem comes into play in-game. Perhaps they Sigil floats in the air momentarily, glowing a shade of
describe that their Character begins flipping over tables, purple and twinkling more brilliantly as the Intensity of
scattering the merchant’s goods, effectively intimidating the the Sigil is raised.
merchant until he capitulates to their demands. Another
way would be to draw their sword, and act erratically to ÆTHER SIGIL
convince the merchant to acquiesce, if only to save the
merchant’s own hide. The GM has the final say, however. INTENSITY EFFECT
You can find additional clarification under Alignment in the All those who are caught within the Burst
Character Creation chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER. Template around you must Resist with a successful
Minor Scrutinize Test or else treat their Movement as if it
were upon Hard Terrain. This Sigil remains active
TRACE SIGIL for one minute.
Our Material Realm is composed of four classical elements.
All those who are caught within the Burst
Together, they take shape in the air we breathe, the soil Template around you must Resist with a successful
beneath our boot, the rain that falls and the fire that dances Middling
Scrutinize Test or reduce all ranged Damage by a
in hearths during winter. However, in places where high -3 penalty. This Sigil remains active for one minute.
concentrations of these elements reside, ancient menhir, All those who are caught within the Burst
standing stone circles and sacred trees stand in tribute Template around you must Resist with a successful
to the elements. At these so-called ‘places of power’, the Scrutinize Test or else temporarily disables the
Major
ability for creatures to become Æthereal while
barrier between the Material Realm and the Well of standing in the Burst Template. This Sigil remains
Souls is particularly thin, as raw Magick gathers at their active for one minute.
base. To Hexers and others sensitive to the way Magick
is interwoven into the fabric of our world, they can draw AQUAE SIGIL: These Sigils are used to put creatures into
out this power. From there, practitioners can ‘train’ classical a trance. Once traced, the Sigil floats in the air momentarily,
elements to combine together, taking shape in perfunctory glowing a shade of blue and twinkling more brilliantly as
ways. By the weaving of a hand and twisting of fingers, the Intensity of the Sigil is raised.
Hexers can ‘stack’ signs with their hand to call forth minor
Magicks of varied effects.
AQUAE SIGIL
Casting Time: One minute (in combat: 1 AP for Minor INTENSITY EFFECT
Intensity Sigils, 2 AP for Middling Intensity Sigils and 3 One person who can see and hear you clearly must
AP for Major Intensity Sigils) Resist with a successful Resolve Test or be forced
Reagents: NONE to give a truthful answer to your next question. The
person can only answer to the best of their abilities
Condition: The person using this Ritual must have one
and must give an honest answer. Alternatively, any
hand free and be able to see clearly. In addition, you cannot Minor creature you can see and hear clearly (providing
trace more than one Sigil on your Turn in combat. they are classified as an Animal) must Resist with
Channel Power: As Petty Magick a successful Resolve Test or be yours to command
for one minute. Note that if you attack the creature
Difficulty Rating: Minor Intensity Sigils are (Routine
or cause it further harm, the Effect is immediately
+10%), Middling Intensity Sigils are (Standard +/-0%) and dispelled.
Major Intensity Sigils are (Challenging -10%).
One person who can see and hear you clearly
Consequences: You suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril every must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or be
time you trace a Minor Intensity Sigil, 2D10+2 physical left Defenseless and unable to move or use Skill
Middling
Peril for a Middling Intensity Sigil and 3D10+3 physical Tests for one minute. Should they suffer Damage
Peril for a Major Intensity Sigil. or Peril during this time, the Effect is immediately
dispelled.
Ritual Effects: After successfully casting this Ritual, you
can conjure forth one of six Effects, based on the form of One person who can see and hear you clearly must
Resist with a successful Resolve Test or you can
Sigil you are tracing – Æther, Aquae, Caeli, Helios, Ignis bend them to your will for one minute, forcing
or Terra. Effects from the same Sigil cannot stack, but them to commit acts they would normally not do.
Major
different types of Sigils may be active at the same time: Although not truly ‘charmed’, they cannot defy your
commands. They may speak as they would normally.
Should they suffer Damage or Peril during this
time, the Effect is immediately dispelled.
219
CAELI SIGIL: These Sigils are used to conjure forth HELIOS SIGIL: These Sigils are used to conjure forth
psychokinetic energy. Once traced, the Sigil floats in the spiritual energy. Once traced, the Sigil floats in the air
air momentarily, glowing a shade of yellow and twinkling momentarily, glowing a shade of white and twinkling more
more brilliantly as the Intensity of the Sigil is raised. brilliantly as the Intensity of the Sigil is raised.
CAELI SIGIL HELIOS SIGIL
INTENSITY EFFECT INTENSITY EFFECT

You can automatically extinguish any Mildly or Foes who are Engaged with you suffer a -10 Base
Moderately Dangerous flames you stand next to. Minor Chance to strike you with melee and ranged
In addition, you can instantly push over any debris weapons. This Sigil remains active for one minute.
or object you stand next to, providing it is no larger
Minor You gain a +20 Base Chance to Resist Magick and
than an adult human is tall. Finally, you can blow
open any poorly-secured door or structure you Middling Perilous Stunts. This Sigil remains active for one
stand next to, providing it is no larger than an hour.
adult human is tall.
You can spend 1 AP to Counterspell as a Reaction
One foe who is standing within 1+[PB] yards of Major (as Counterspell for casting Magick). This Sigil
Middling you must Resist with a successful Athletics Test or remains active for one hour.
else be knocked Prone.
Foes caught in a Cone Template who stand within TERRA SIGIL: These Sigils are used to summon earthen
1+[PB] yards of you must Resist with a successful Magick, taking meta-Magickal shape into a crackling
Major
Athletics Test or else be knocked Prone and
Disarmed.
hemisphere of energy. Once traced, the Sigil floats in the
air momentarily, glowing a shade of brown and twinkling
more brilliantly as the Intensity of the Sigil is raised.
IGNIS SIGIL: These Sigils are used to summon flames,
taking shape into a fountain of sparkling energy and fire
from your fingertips. Once traced, the Sigil floats in the air TERRA SIGIL
momentarily, glowing a shade of red and twinkling more INTENSITY EFFECT
brilliantly as the Intensity of the Sigil is raised.
After successfully tracing this Sigil, add 3 to your
Damage Threshold. While this Sigil is active, you
IGNIS SIGIL Minor cannot recover on the Damage or Peril Condition
Tracks positively. This Sigil remains active for one
INTENSITY EFFECT minute.
You can ignite a candle, torch or other tiny object Immediately after you are struck by a melee or
you can see. It provides an insignificant amount of ranged weapon, ignore it once entirely, therefore
heat and light, equivalent to a candle. Its flames are negating both Damage and any Injuries you may
Minor
considered to be Mildly Dangerous. Optionally, have suffered. You may even use this after failing
you can hold this burning light in your palm Middling to Dodge or Parry. Once the Effect is used, anyone
without risk of harm for a minute. who is Engaged with you is shoved out of the
Engagement. While this Sigil is active, you cannot
One foe who is standing within 1+[PB] yards of recover on the Damage or Peril Condition Tracks
you must Resist with a successful Coordination positively. This Sigil remains active for one hour.
Test or else suffer 1D10+1 Damage from fire,
Middling
while their armor permanently loses 1 Damage Immediately after you are struck by a melee or
Threshold Modifier. You can inflict Injuries with ranged weapon, your foe suffers 1D10+1 Damage
this Sigil, but foes are always On Fire instead. in return. This Damage cannot be Dodged, Parried
or Resisted. Foes do not suffer Injuries due to this
Foes caught in a Cone Template who stand within Major Sigil. As a result, you suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril
1+[PB] yards of you must Resist with a successful each time your foe suffers Damage in this fashion.
Coordination Test or else suffer 1D10+1 Damage While this Sigil is active, you cannot Charge,
Major from fire, while their armor permanently loses Maneuver or Run. This Sigil remains active for
1 Damage Threshold Modifier. You can inflict one hour.
Injuries with this Sigil, but foes are always On
Fire instead.
220
CHAP
LEARNING NEW SIGILS PRACTICE NEW SIGIL: Following the period of

Unless you have learned the specific Sigil, it cannot be meditation, you will begin practicing the procession of
traced. The only way to learn how to properly trace a Sigil ‘stacking’ your fingers and tracing the signs in-air. For
is from a master Hexer. However, most Hexers jealously practice, you will spend one week to practice the new Minor
guard their Sigil techniques. These Sigils are never found Intensity Sigil, two weeks for a new Middling Intensity
inscribed upon sacred scrolls or written down in the Sigil or three weeks total for a Major Intensity Sigil. The
grimoires of old. Sigils are a discipline taught from Hexers hours, along with the days spent are sacred. These days need
to initiates; an art kept secret within their schools. So secret not be consecutive, however the days you commit cannot
is the process of learning Sigils that an entire Hexer school be disturbed or else you must begin anew.
may possess a unique monopoly on its Sigils. This also FINALIZE STUDY: Once you finish practicing, you
means that no one Hexer could possibly learn all of the will make an Incantation Test to see if your studies were
known Sigils. Once you commit to learning a new Sigil, successful, with the category of Sigil setting the Difficulty
you can only spend time learning that specific Sigil. You Rating: Minor Intensity Sigils are (Routine +10%),
cannot study multiple Sigils at once. Middling Intensity Sigils are (Standard +/-0%) and Major
REQUIREMENTS: As described before, Sigils are Intensity Sigils are (Challenging -10%). This Difficulty
categorized into six forms. You must have at least one Skill Rating may be given bonuses or penalties, depending on
Rank in Incantation to learn Minor Intensity Sigils, two the place you study, other requirements and sundry factors
Skill Ranks to learn Middling Intensity Sigils and three – or lack thereof – by the GM.
Skill Ranks to learn Major Intensity Sigils. In addition, in
order to learn a higher Intensity Sigil, you must Upon success, spend
first know its lesser Intensity. As an example, Reward Points to
that means that you cannot learn Ignis Middling finalize the process.
Intensity Sigil unless you already know the Minor You must spend 100
Intensity version first (or Major Intensity without first Reward Points for a
knowing the Minor and Middling Intensity). Minor Intensity Sigil,
200 Reward Points for a
MEDITATE AT PLACE OF POWER: In order Middling Intensity Sigil
to learn a Sigil, you must begin the learning or 300 Reward Points for
process (which is traditionally limited to Hexers, a Major Intensity Sigil, to
unless your GM states otherwise). First, you complete the ceremony. If
must stand in a place of power – a place you rolled a Critical Success,
distinctly dedicated to one of the six forms of you both finalize your study without
a Sigil. This place of power may be a sacred the need spend Reward Points to
tree, a standing circle of rocks, a dedicated record it. Failing the Incantation
stone within a Hexer school or some other Test means you must begin
place your GM describes. You then spend practicing anew right from the
time meditating in the place of power. start. Critically Failing the
Generally, it takes one hour to meditate Incantation Test, however,
upon an Minor Intensity Sigil, two means that you can never learn
hours for a Middling Intensity this Sigil. Be sure to track the
Sigil and three hours for a Major Sigils you know under Unique
Intensity Sigil. Meditation does Advances on your Character sheet.
not require any Skill Tests, but
you must remain undisturbed You can only ever learn a total
during this time. However, number of Minor Intensity
merely meditating upon a Sigil Sigils, Middling Intensity Sigils
does not necessarily mean you and Major Intensity Sigils equal
can learn it yet. This is only the to your [WB].
beginning of the process.
221
CHAPTER 7 : LIBER MALUS
222
CHAPT
ER 7 : LIBER MALUS
◆ LIBER MALUS ◆
lthough the Bestiary from STEP I: INFLUENCES
A
ZWEIHÄNDER is meant & CLASSIFICATION
to be comprehensive, there
will be times where you as the Every creature has a proper name. In addition to this, the
Gamemaster will want to create entry also describes the general ecology, behaviors and
your own enemies for your places the creature occupies in the world. These descriptions
grim & perilous adventures. represent both common and scholarly views on each of the
While we have copied some creatures, as well as touching upon any eccentricities and
of the information from predilections they possess. Enemies you create should also
ZWEIHÄNDER here for have a name that suggests its origin, but only when and
context, we provide a new where needed.
definition in some places, while
giving some additional clarity You likely have in mind what sort of monster you want to
to mechanics in others. What follows is a framework to create. These ideas may be influenced by books you have
allow you to customize your own foes, split into two parts: read, video games you have played, other tabletop role-
first, how to create custom creatures and second, how to playing games you have ran or movies you have watched.
create custom non-player Characters. The foremost consideration here is what ideas have inspired
you – this will lead naturally towards what the creature
CREATURE CREATOR looks like, how it lives, what it eats and who it serves.
We have completely overhauled creature creation from
CLASSIFICATION
the Bestiary chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER. While the
There are six total classifications of creatures: Abyssal,
old approach is still applicable for quick creature creation,
Animal, Beast, Humanoid, Mutant and Supernatural.
this new approach gives you greater insight into how the
Classification is important, because many player Characters’
creators of ZWEIHÄNDER made the original Bestiary.
spells, Professional Traits and Talents are reliant on them
To make new creatures, we will use our new Creature
both in and out of combat. While there are only six
Profile sheet, which is included in the Appendix and as a
Classifications, there are an abundance of creatures in the
form-fillable PDF format online. Be sure to print one out
ZWEIHÄNDER Bestiary to help guide you in deciding
before you get started!
where your creature fits within that taxonomy.
CREATURE CREATOR OVERVIEW
Consider making a bulleted list for your creature on scrap
What follows is a brief overview of the step-by-step process paper, collecting themes, physical attributes, where it lives,
which you can follow as you create your own custom what it eats, its weaknesses and how it may function in a
creatures: fight. This will help you form an idea about what the creature
might be named. Distill it down to three to six important
Step I: Influences & Classification keywords and write these down under Influences on the
Step II: Creature Size Creature Profile. If you already have a name in mind for the
Step III: Risk Factor & Notch creature, write it down under Creature Type. Finally, pick a
Classification for the creature.
Step IV: Primary Attributes
Step V: Role For purposes of creature creation, we are going to make a
monster similar to the one from the popular Netflix show
Step VI: Skill Ranks
“Stranger Things”. We are calling it the Demodog, inspired
Step VII: Bonus Advances by “Cujo” and the hellhounds from the world’s oldest role-
Step VIII: Traits playing game.
Step IX: Attack Profile
Step X: Final Considerations
223
CREATURE TYPE Demodog SMALL (S)

Any creature that is defined as being of a Small size
CLASSIFICATION Abyssal
is considered to be no heavier, taller or longer than a
INFLUENCES Stranger Things, hellhounds, Cujo Human child (1 to 2 feet). Only a few examples exist in
the ZWEIHÄNDER Bestiary, such as the Boogan and
Small Animal, but you could also include mostly harmless
youngling Lower Orx and other player Ancestries.
SUPERSTITION & KNOWLEDGE
DAMAGE MODIFIERS: Small creatures normally do
Naturally, you may wish to keep information about not add any Fury Dice to attack Damage, unless there are
a creature’s habitat and general disposition secret special circumstances (such as outnumbering foes, making a
from your players. Should their player Characters Melee Attack after Charging and other unique situations).
seek to learn about such creatures, it would require
a successful Folklore Test to understand any NORMAL (N)
superstitions surrounding them and perhaps their Any creature that is defined as being of a Normal size is
common name. For instance, a creature of ancient considered to be no heavier, taller or longer than an Ogre
might – the Nephilim – might simply be called a ‘frost (3 to 9 feet). Some examples of Normal-sized creatures
giant’ by professional Slayers or the ‘Jotunn’ among include all player Ancestries as well as Harpies, Lower Orx,
northern wastelanders. most Skrzzak and a host of other creatures.
DAMAGE MODIFIERS: Normal creatures use a
A successful Education Test would give the player
1D6 Fury Die to modify attack Damage, following the
Characters a more scholarly view, with hints as to
same standards presented in the Combat chapter of
the origin of such creatures, their place in the world’s
ZWEIHÄNDER.
taxonomical hierarchy and their proper name. In the
case of the ‘frost giants’ or ‘Jotunn’, for instance, a
LARGE (L)
player Character would learn that they dwell in cold
Any creature that is defined as being of a Large size is
climes, eat only mountain goats and make trade with
considered to be no heavier, taller or longer than twice the
local huntsmen. As a bonus, they might also learn
size of an Ogre (10 to 18 feet). Some examples of Large
the Nephilim fear Ogres, because ancestors of the
creatures include Adversary Demons, Basilisks, Fomori
Ogres tore down their sky castles. A Test made with
Huscarls, Jabberwockies, Talking Trees and some Swarms.
a Critical Success, however, would grant information
on any weaknesses the creature might possess. In the DAMAGE MODIFIERS: Large creatures use 2D6 Fury
instance above, it would reveal to the scholar that Dice to modify attack Damage.
the Nephilim are prone to rages when they suffer an
Injury (such as with the Trait of Unruly). HUGE (H)
Any creature that is defined as being of Huge size is
considered to be three times heavier, taller or longer than
an Ogre’s normal size (19 ft and more). Some examples of
Huge creatures include Broodmothers, all Higher Demons,
Dragon Turtles, Nephilim, Pit Dragons and Tlaloc.
DAMAGE MODIFIERS: Huge creatures use 3D6 Fury
STEP II: CREATURE SIZE Dice to modify attack Damage.
The Bestiary in ZWEIHÄNDER contains a number
of creatures both small and large, ranging from those OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
which scurry, have short legs or are slinky to those which You have the freedom to change any creature you feel best
have massive musculature, enormous height or long gait. appropriate into a different size of itself. However, this
There are four classifications of creature sizes: Small, also changes the way the creature will operate in combat
Normal, Large and Huge. While we do not distinctly situations and modifies their tactical behavior:
classify creature height and weight differently from player
Ancestries, a creature’s size primary modifies how many Bigger creatures are easier to strike. However, they are
Fury Dice the Gamemaster adds when dealing Damage less prone to being affected by Perilous Stunts (if at
with its weapons: all in some cases). Adjust the Difficulty Rating more
in the player’s favor on the Difficulty Rating Chart
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CHAPT
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when attempting to strike them with Attack Actions. able to get an idea how each Risk Factor stacks up against
However, penalize them to the same degree when they the player Characters in their Tiers:
attempt to use Perilous Stunts against bigger foes. BASIC RISK FACTOR: Creatures with this Risk Factor
Bigger creatures are at a disadvantage when Dodging would prove a simple challenge, requiring a handful
and Parrying attacks from smaller enemies. Adjust the of Turns to properly defeat one-on-one. Should the
Difficulty Rating in the player’s favor on the Difficulty Characters outnumber them, they should be easily defeated
Rating Chart in these cases. However, penalize them within a few Turns.
to the same degree when they attempt to Dodge or INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR: Creatures
Parry a bigger creature’s attacks. with this Risk Factor are of an ample challenge to any
Bigger creatures also possess weapons or armor Profession. When matched one-on-one, it may take several
proportional to their size which would be unable to be Turns to defeat one on their own, without aid from other
wielded by most player Characters. Characters. If outnumbered, it may require less Turns to
defeat, but remains a great challenge no less.
Once determined, write down the creature’s Size on the
Creature Profile, along with any relevant Damage modifiers ADVANCED RISK FACTOR: Creatures with this Risk
it has. Factor are nearly impossible to defeat on their own without
significant aid from allies in the Advanced Tier. Generally,
these foes are either well-equipped, have use of Magick or
For our Demodog, we have determined that while a
can hurt multiple Characters with ease. These creatures are
Demodog in its pollywog state may be considered Small,
immensely challenging, even to those within the same Tier.
we’re going to assume that a grown Demodog is Large.
Therefore, when dealing Damage with melee and ranged ELITE RISK FACTOR: There is also a final Elite Risk
weapons, the Gamemaster will roll 2D6 Fury Dice. Factor. There are a handful of creatures who possess this Risk
Factor in the ZWEIHÄNDER Bestiary. Foes classified
as such are unique and should be used sparingly, for
CREATURE TYPE Demodog encounters with them typically result in terrible outcomes
CLASSIFICATION Abyssal for even the most experienced of player Characters. Elite
creatures make perfect ‘boss-level’ foes.
INFLUENCES Stranger Things, hellhounds, Cujo
Large (2D6 Fury Dice for Damage)

NOTCH & PARTY SIZE
SIZE
An adventuring party’s size also has an impact on how
many Characters it would take to defeat one or more
STEP III: RISK FACTOR & NOTCH creatures. This additional layer of sub-categorization is
Every creature is classified by the estimated level of danger called a Notch. When Notch is combined with Risk Factor,
it represents to Characters, called Risk Factor (abbreviated this gives you an idea of how powerful a creature would be
RFa in the ZWEIHÄNDER Bestiary). Much like how when compared against a number of Characters within the
player Characters are classified into Basic, Intermediate Warrior Archetype:
and Advanced Tiers, creatures are designed to have one of (LOW ): Those creatures with a (Low) Notch can be
three Risk Factor – Basic, Intermediate or Advanced Risk handled one-on-one by Characters in the same Tier. This
Factor. means a creature that has a Basic (Low) Risk Factor would
likely be evenly matched against any Profession within the
While the methodology is not totally perfect, you can Warrior Archetype in a one-on-one fight.
use Risk Factor as a guideline to better craft memorable
combat encounters. Used as a benchmark, it should help (MEDIUM): Creatures of this Notch require at least
you determine how creatures stack up against player three allies in the same Tier to have a fighting chance. This
Characters, agnostic of Fortune Points, Fate Points, tactics, means a creature that has a Basic (Medium) Risk Factor
random dice rolls or trappings. Not all encounters or fights would be difficult to fight by a single Character within the
need be evenly matched with player Characters, however. Warrior Archetype, but when assisted by two additional
Instead, it is not always necessary to ‘balance’ against the Characters, they would be evenly matched.
Characters, but as Gamemaster you need to understand
the danger they may pose and let it influence the narrative (HIGH): Creatures of this Notch require an adventuring
when you communicate these things to the players and party of six or more player Characters of the equivalent
their Characters. Using the examples below, you should be Tier to have a chance to defeat. This means a creature that
225
has a Basic (High) Risk Factor would be impossible to Combat (C)

defeat one-on-one by a single Character in a Profession Brawn (B)
of a Warrior Archetype and even three additional assisting
Characters would make it an extremely challenging fight. Agility (A)
Instead, there would need to be at least six total player Perception (P)
Characters to evenly match a creature of this Notch.
Intelligence (I)
(UNIQUE): This Notch is reserved for ultra-powerful
Willpower (W)
creatures, namely Higher Demons. Often, (Unique)
creatures possess specific Traits which make them mostly Fellowship (F)
immune to Magick and weapons. Reserve this Notch for
one-of-a-kind villains and only for those that possess an You will also note that the Primary Attribute Bonus is
Elite Risk Factor. referred to in brackets, following the percentage value (e.g.
50% [7]).
Once determined, write down the Risk Factor on the COMBAT: Combat represents a creature’s overall
Creature Profile, along with its Notch. proficiency while fighting bare-handed and with weapons
in close quarters and from afar, as well as defending itself.
For our Demodog, we want it to be extraordinarily tough It also determines a creature’s Base Chance for success
for a Basic Tier Character (which we assume any adult with the Martial Melee, Martial Ranged, Simple Melee
protagonist from “Stranger Things” would be at least of Basic and Simple Ranged Skills. Its [CB] directly affects Total
Tier). We also want the creature to be challenging enough Damage inflicted with melee and ranged weapons.
for three or more Characters. To reflect this, we give our
BRAWN: Brawn represents a creature’s physical prowess,
Demodog the Intermediate Risk Factor with the (Medium)
muscle, durability and overall endurance, as well as their
Notch.
ability to overpower others using might or force and
to withstand pain. It also determines a creature’s Base
CREATURE TYPE Demodog Chance to succeed at Skill Tests with the Athletics, Drive,
Intimidate and Toughness Skills. Its [BB] directly affects
CLASSIFICATION Abyssal
Damage Threshold. For purposes of creature creation, do
INFLUENCES Stranger Things, hellhounds, Cujo not worry about Encumbrance Limit.
Large (2D6 Fury Dice for Damage)

AGILITY: Agility represents a creature’s speed and
SIZE
nimbleness, as well as their ability to outmaneuver
RISK FACTOR Intermediate (Medium) others and avoid falling hazards. It also determines a
creature’s Base Chance to succeed at Skill Tests with the
Coordination, Pilot, Ride, Skulduggery and Stealth Skills.
STEP IV: PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES Its [AB] directly affects Movement.
Primary Attributes are the building blocks of creation, PERCEPTION: Perception represents a creature’s
governing a creature’s raw potential and capabilities. mental acuity and insight, as well as their ability to observe
Representing its physical, mental and social characteristics, the world around them. It also determines a creature’s
the higher the value, the better the raw ability. If you have Base Chance to succeed at Skill Tests with the Awareness,
read the Bestiary in ZWEIHÄNDER, you have probably Eavesdrop, Scrutinize and Survival Skills. Its [PB] directly
noticed that all creatures seem to share an array of Primary affects Initiative and Distances for ranged weapons.
Attributes. This is by design – we have taken the average INTELLIGENCE: Intelligence represents a creature’s
distribution of Primary Attributes, measured against ability to learn and commit things to memory, as well as
the average rolls of player Characters to create a well- their ability to understand the written word and recall
balanced set of values that can be applied across a creature’s important facts. It also determines a creature’s Base Chance
Primary Attributes. The abbreviation for each Primary to succeed at Skill Tests with the Alchemy, Counterfeit,
Attribute from the ZWEIHÄNDER Bestiary follows in Education, Folklore, Gamble, Heal, Navigation and
parentheses: Warfare Skills. Its [IB] directly affects the number of
Magick spells it can learn. For purposes of creature
creation, do not worry about Foci.
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WILLPOWER: Willpower represents a creature’s resolve There are no hard or fast rules to define when you should
and fortitude, as well as their ability to act decisively in the assign higher values to certain Primary Attributes rather
face of hardship and exercise self-control in dangerous or than lower ones. However, consider the Background of the
frightening situations. It also determines a creature’s Base creature you are designing: how prevalent they are in their
Chance to succeed at Skill Tests with the Incantation, environment, where do they sit in the food chain, whether
Interrogation, Resolve and Tradecraft Skills. Its [WB] they are hunters or gatherers, how they interact with the
directly affects Peril Threshold and several miscellaneous environment around them – whether living off the fat of
modifiers for Magick. the land in civilized regions or eking out a hardscrabble
FELLOWSHIP: Fellowship represents a creature’s existence on the edge of the wilderness and how resilient
charisma and social savvy, as well as their ability to they are to changes in the weather. All of these factors will
persuade others, adapt to social situations and project doubtlessly influence how you distribute these values.
personal confidence. It also determines a creature’s Base
Chance to succeed at Skill Tests with the Bargain, Charm, FIRST ARRAY – MOST RISK FACTORS: This first
Disguise, Guile, Handle Animal, Leadership and Rumor array of Primary Attribute values is reserved for all
Skills. Its [FB] is the first number of the Primary Attribute, creatures with the Basic, Intermediate or Advanced Risk
which directly affects how many creatures or other people Factor (regardless of their Notch). Assign these values as
they can influence with Fellowship-based Skill Tests. For you see fit: 50%, 45%, 45%, 40%, 40%, 40% and 35%.
purposes of creature creation, it is unlikely that you will SECOND ARRAY – ELITE RISK FACTORS: As
need to worry too much about the languages they speak. previously noted, creatures with the Elite Risk Factor are
Also, unless the NPC is trying to bargain their way out leagues ahead of other creatures. Elite creatures have 50%
of a fight or the creature possesses enough intelligence to in most of their Primary Attributes, save for one Primary
manipulate the player Characters with its own Fellowship- Attribute, which is 55%.
based Skill Tests (such as with Inspiring Words and Litany
of Hatred), it is unlikely that the Fellowship Primary Once determined, distribute the appropriate array of values
Attribute will even come into play. on the Creature Profile according to its relevant Primary
Attributes. You will also see brackets following the values
TWO ARRAYS, TWO SITUATIONS in the white space. Do not adjust the creature’s Primary
Now that you understand what each Primary Attribute Attribute Bonuses just yet, as its Role, Traits and Taints
does and the Skills that they influence, it is time to of Chaos (all of which are included in the Appendix) may
distribute Primary Attributes. This is intended to create a change these values.
compelling mix of strengths and flaws, using the creature’s
innate, natural set of the seven characteristics to reflect the For our Demodog – which has the Intermediate (Medium)
bleak nature of the world the creature inhabits. Risk Factor – we will assign the first array across its Primary
As the Gamemaster, you need to rely on your instincts here. Attributes:
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES
Combat Brawn [ Agility Perception Intelligence Willpower Fellowship

[CB] BB] AB] PB] IB] WB] FB]
50% [ ] 40% [ ] %[ ] 45% [ ] 40% [ ] 45% [ ] 35% [ ]
Bonus
Advances
227
You have the freedom to change any creature you feel best
appropriate into an Underling. However, this changes the
way that the creature will operate in combat situations and
modifies their tactical behavior:
Underlings do not bank APs, nor can they use

Reactions
Underlings cannot use Misfortune Points to change
the outcome of their actions
Underlings are instantly Slain! when they are made to
Bleed or suffer any sort of Injury
In addition, Underlings are more likely to fail Resolve Tests

when faced with overwhelming odds and take flight in the
face of danger. Underlings, in these instances, often have a
leader they rely on for guidance. This leader should at least
be a Normal or Boss version of the creature.
Finally, it is not recommended that you use these rules for

creatures with either the Advanced or Elite Risk Factor.
They are specifically designed to be terrifying and nothing
destroys the verisimilitude of a grim & perilous game faster
than having a Lower Demon immediately fall to the single
blast of a blunderbus because you have reduced it to an
STEP V: ROLE Underling.
Creatures are also further defined by their Role. We defined
a few Roles in the ZWEIHÄNDER Bestiary, providing MAGICIAN
a way for you to turn a bog-standard creature (a ‘Normal’ Creatures that take upon the Role of a Magician either
creature) into an Underling, a Magician or a Boss. We will have an inherent ability to cast Magick or are an adherent
revisit these approaches below, while providing clarifying to Arcane, Covenant or Divine Magick.
mechanics on how to quickly assign a Role to a creature. MAGICIANS SWAP PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES:
Magicians rely on the Willpower-based Skill called
NORMAL Incantation. To reflect this, immediately swap any two
If you decide a creature is Normal – meaning, that it is an Primary Attributes so that the Magician’s Willpower is
ordinary, unexceptional example of its own kind – make no either the second highest or highest Primary Attribute.
further adjustments and move onto Step VI: Skill Ranks. This means the creature’s Willpower will be 45%, 50% or
55% if it has an Elite (Unique) Risk Factor.
UNDERLING
MAGICIANS TAKE SPECIFIC SKILL RANKS:
Other role-playing games qualifies less-powerful threats
Later in this chapter, you will be selecting Skill Ranks
as minions or fodder, used (for better or worse) as nuisance
for your custom creature. Magicians are required to have
encounters to ‘soften up’ player Characters before a big
a certain number of Skill Ranks in Incantation to cast
fight. Underlings fit this same role within a grim & perilous
Magick. Although you will not make these adjustments
world, representing weaker versions of their kind that are
yet, be sure to remember these considerations during the
much less of a threat to the player Characters than ordinary
next step of creature creation:
versions would be.
BASIC TIER MAGICIAN: Must take one Skill
For encounter-building purposes, Underlings are always set Rank in Incantation
at the lowest Notch of their Risk Factor. This means that
INTERMEDIATE TIER MAGICIAN: Must take
the Underling version of a creature which would normally
two Skill Ranks in Incantation
have the Intermediate (High) Risk Factor has its Risk
Factor reduced to the Intermediate (Low) Risk Factor. ADVANCED or ELITE TIER MAGICIAN: Must
take three Skill Ranks in Incantation
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MAGICIANS NEED REAGENTS (SOMETIMES):

Most Magick in ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE
is defined as a specific rite to call forth chaotic energies. One
consideration is whether your creatures will use Magick as
a player Character would or if its spell-casting ability is
more innate. If it is innate, do not worry about reagents
whatsoever as a precursor to using Magick. However, you
may want to prohibit your creatures from Channeling
Power if their Magicks are innate.
MAGICIANS INVOKE CHAOS MANIFESTATIONS:
Despite their origin, creature Magician’s spells are treated
as Arcane Magicks, even if they are of Covenant or Divine
Magick origins: meaning, whenever they Channel Power,
they cause Chaos Manifestations.
MAGICIANS ADHERE TO ONE OR MORE

TRADITIONS OF MAGICK: The ZWEIHÄNDER
rules explicitly spell out Arcane and Divine Magic as
the two traditional paths for player Characters. MAIN
GAUCHE adds a new tradition, called Covenant Magick.
To make this process flexible, you can create a unique list of
spells, unbound by these traditions. Based on the creature’s
Risk Factor, it grants a certain number of spells it can use:
BASIC TIER MAGICIAN

1 to 3 Generalist Magick spells
1 to 3 Petty Magick of Arcane, Covenant or Divine
Magick spells
INTERMEDIATE TIER MAGICIAN

Magick spells
1 to 3 Lesser Magick of Arcane, Covenant or Divine
Magick spells
ADVANCED -or- ELITE TIER MAGICIAN

Magick spells
1 to 3 Lesser Magick of Arcane, Covenant or Divine
Magick spells
1 to 3 Greater Magick of Arcane, Covenant or Divine
Magick spells
229
RANDOMIZED SPELLS: In addition, we have 80 to 84 Sanctuary

collected all spells from both ZWEIHÄNDER and
MAIN GAUCHE to help guide you in selecting spells 85 to 88 Subdue
by tradition. You can either select spells or randomly 89 to 90 Trackless Step
determine which spells your creature has access to. When
using the random tables, feel free to ignore any Character- 91 to 94 Vow of Fealty
related prerequisites, meaning the Petty, Lesser and Greater 95 to 96 Warding
Magick Tier limitations for Characters. In other words, let
creatures with the Basic Risk Factor use Greater Magick if 97 to 98 Will o’ the Wisp
you feel it suits your vision for a grim & perilous creature! 99 to 100 Wytchsight
ARCANE MAGICK
BUT WHAT ABOUT RITUALS?
Rituals are mostly the preserve of player Characters. ARCANA OF ANIMISM

Of course, there may be times when you want a D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE
creature to possess a few Rituals. If so, that is entirely
1 to 11 Feast for Crows Lesser
up to you.
12 to 23 Inhuman Fury Petty
24 to 35 Lemurian Polymorph Greater
36 to 47 Primeval Form Greater
48 to 59 Quoth The Raven Petty

GENERALIST MAGICK SPELLS
60 to 71 Savage Transformation Lesser
D100 GENERALIST MAGICK SPELLS 72 to 83 Sooth the Savage Heart Petty
1 to 4 Ægis 84 to 93 The Beast Within Greater
5 to 8 Anoint Weapon 94 to 100 Tongue of Beasts Lesser
9 to 13 Bewitched
ARCANA OF ASTROMANCY
14 to 18 Cack-handed Grasp
D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE
19 to 23 Candlelight
1 to 11 Astral Bridge Greater
24 to 28 Dispel Magick
12 to 23 Augury Petty
29 to 32 Gust of Wind
24 to 35 Call Lightning Petty
33 to 37 Hasten Speed
36 to 47 Dooming Greater
38 to 41 Hat-Trick
48 to 59 Heavenly Wings Lesser
42 to 46 Haunting
60 to 71 Lightning Storm Greater
47 to 51 Hush
72 to 83 Night’s Secrets Lesser
52 to 56 Indomitable Spirit
84 to 93 Terrestrial Refraction Petty
57 to 61 Invoke Fury
94 to 100 Zephyric Squall Lesser
62 to 66 Magick Missile
67 to 70 Pinprick
71 to 74 Rainshade
75 to 79 Robber’s Misery
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ARCANA OF ELEMENTALISM ARCANA OF NECROMANCY
D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE

1 to 11 Blood of the Earth Petty 1 to 11 Ashes to Ashes Petty
12 to 23 Bubbling Geyser Greater 12 to 23 Banshee’s Wail Greater
24 to 35 Crown of Thorns Petty 24 to 35 Brush With Death Lesser
36 to 47 Earthen Strength Greater 36 to 47 Crippling Stare Greater
48 to 59 Ephemeral Whisper Lesser 48 to 59 Death’s Visage Petty
60 to 71 Hoarfrost Greater 60 to 71 Golemskin Lesser
72 to 83 Pillars of the Earth Lesser 72 to 83 Sanguine Restoration Petty
84 to 93 Spring’s Bounty Lesser 84 to 93 Spectral Form Lesser
94 to 100 Through Thick and Thin Petty 94 to 100 The Final Surrender Greater
ARCANA OF LUMINESCENCE ARCANA OF PYROMANCY

1 to 11 Banishment Greater 1 to 11 Bolt of Flame Petty
12 to 23 Blinding Gaze Petty 12 to 23 Cataclysmic Inferno Greater
24 to 35 Cleansing Light Petty 24 to 35 Cauterize Wound Petty
36 to 47 Coruscating Mantle Petty 36 to 47 Courage Under Fire Lesser
48 to 59 Medicament of the Mind Lesser 48 to 59 Dragon’s Breath Greater
60 to 71 Pillar of Brilliance Greater 60 to 71 Fireproof Lesser
72 to 83 Purification Lesser 72 to 83 Flaming Sword Lesser
84 to 93 Radiant Shield Lesser 84 to 93 Meteors of Doom Greater
94 to 100 Scintillating Explosion Greater 94 to 100 Shimmering Crown Petty
ARCANA OF MORTICISM ARCANA OF SHADOWMANCY

1 to 11 At The Threshold Greater 1 to 11 Addle-coved Petty
12 to 23 Banish Undead Greater 12 to 23 Death Mask Greater
24 to 35 Bereavement Petty 24 to 35 Eternal Darkness Lesser
36 to 47 Dearly Departed Lesser 36 to 47 Imposter Petty
48 to 59 Death’s Embrace Greater 48 to 59 Mass Hallucination Greater
60 to 71 Grave Ward Lesser 60 to 71 Mindwipe Lesser
72 to 83 Harvester of Souls Petty 72 to 83 Shadow Slip Petty
84 to 93 Swift Passage Petty 84 to 93 Two Selves Lesser
94 to 100 Wither Limb Lesser 94 to 100 Umbral Knives Greater
231
ARCANA OF SORCERY DIVINE MAGICK
D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE PRAYERS OF THE CROUCHING ONE

1 to 11 Basilisk’s Spittle Petty D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE
12 to 23 Condemnation Greater 1 to 11 Dance of Death Greater
24 to 35 Grotesque Miasma Greater 12 to 23 Eternal Damnation Lesser
36 to 47 His Dark Gift Petty 24 to 35 Hand of the Murdered God Lesser
48 to 59 Mark of Chaos Lesser 36 to 47 Knife In The Dark Petty
60 to 71 Metamorphosis Greater 48 to 59 Lustful Blade Lesser
72 to 83 Nightmare Visions Petty 60 to 71 Murderous Demands Greater
84 to 93 Skin Guest Lesser 72 to 83 Spider’s Fang Petty
94 to 100 Withering Touch Lesser 84 to 93 Stinging Blows Petty
94 to 100 Terrifying Attacks Greater

ARCANA OF TRANSMUTATION
D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE PRAYERS OF THE CUSTODIAN

1 to 11 Corrosion Petty D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE
12 to 23 Dancing Arrows Greater 1 to 11 Beyond the Pale Petty
24 to 35 Enchant Trapping Lesser 12 to 23 Déjà Vu Lesser
36 to 47 Fool’s Fortune Lesser 24 to 35 Dreamweaver Petty
48 to 59 Gird of Iron Petty 36 to 47 Final Rest Greater
60 to 71 Law of Order Petty 48 to 59 Last Rites Petty
72 to 83 Reshape Metal Lesser 60 to 71 Omen of Death Greater
84 to 93 Transmutate Mind Greater 72 to 83 Sleepwalker Greater
94 to 100 Unlock Secrets Greater 84 to 93 The Invitation Lesser
94 to 100 Turn Undead Lesser
PRAYERS OF THE DEMIURGE

1 to 11 Fury of the Wildlands Greater
12 to 23 Hare’s Speed Petty
24 to 35 King of Beasts Petty
36 to 47 Mother’s Cradle Greater
48 to 59 Part The Ways Lesser
60 to 71 Primordial Tongue Petty
72 to 83 Rage of the Primal Lord Greater
84 to 93 Suffocating Growth Lesser
94 to 100 Thunderclap Lesser
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PRAYERS OF THE GOD-EMPEROR PRAYERS OF THE MARTYR

1 to 11 Celestine Judgement Greater 1 to 11 Compassionate Words Lesser
12 to 23 Chaos Overturned Lesser 12 to 23 Cure Malady Lesser
24 to 35 Damnation Lesser 24 to 35 Expel Poison Petty
36 to 47 Flames of Order Greater 36 to 47 Lay On Hands Petty
48 to 59 Heresy Denied Petty 48 to 59 Martyrdom Lesser
60 to 71 Imperial Might Petty 60 to 71 Purifying Halo Greater
72 to 83 Lionheart Lesser 72 to 83 Resolve Injury Greater
84 to 93 Order’s Majesty Greater 84 to 93 Sooth Corruption Petty
94 to 100 Unassailable Bulwark Petty 94 to 100 Suppress Affliction Greater
PRAYERS OF THE LEARNER PRAYERS OF THE NIGHTFATHER

1 to 11 All-Seeing Eye Petty 1 to 11 Bargain Bin Petty
12 to 23 Bonds of Justice Petty 12 to 23 Eyes Without A Face Greater
24 to 35 Criminal’s Remorse Petty 24 to 35 Flimflam Lesser
36 to 47 Eye For An Eye Lesser 36 to 47 Fortune Favors The Bold Lesser
48 to 59 Gods As Your Witness Greater 48 to 59 Luck Of The Draw Greater
60 to 71 Justiciar’s Blade Lesser 60 to 71 My Lucky Day Petty
72 to 83 See Through Lies Lesser 72 to 83 Open Sesame Petty
84 to 93 Tooth For A Tooth Greater 84 to 93 Pussyfoot Around Lesser
94 to 100 Trial By Fire Greater 94 to 100 Riches to Rags Greater
PRAYERS OF THE LEVIATHAN PRAYERS OF THE STEWARD

1 to 11 Becalm Squall Greater 1 to 11 Blazing Retribution Greater
12 to 23 Blessed Albatross Greater 12 to 23 Blitzkrieg Lesser
24 to 35 Bon Voyage Petty 24 to 35 Commander’s Vision Lesser
36 to 47 Breath of the Æther Petty 36 to 47 His Great Blessing Greater
48 to 59 Fisher’s Intuition Petty 48 to 59 Mask of Terror Greater
60 to 71 Kraken’s Curse Greater 60 to 71 Praise the Light Lesser
72 to 83 Saltwater Blast Lesser 72 to 83 Vengeful Wrath Petty
84 to 93 Seasickness Lesser 84 to 93 Voice of the Legion Petty
94 to 100 Walk Upon Water Lesser 94 to 100 Warrior’s Blessing Petty
233
PRAYERS OF THE WINTER KING COVENANT MAGICK
D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE COVENANT TO THE BLACK LODGE

1 to 11 Battle Rage Lesser D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE
12 to 23 Dictum of the Winter King Greater 1 to 11 Between Two Worlds Lesser
24 to 35 Frostbite Petty 12 to 23 Dullahan’s Curse Petty
36 to 47 Ice Storm Greater 24 to 35 Fey Requiem Greater
48 to 59 Roar of Winter Greater 36 to 47 Ossified Winds Lesser
60 to 71 The Wolfpack Lesser 48 to 59 Pall of Night Petty
72 to 83 To Crush Your Enemies Lesser 60 to 71 Restore the Lodge Greater
84 to 93 Winter’s Bone Petty 72 to 83 The Sleeper Awakens Greater
94 to 100 Wolvenheart Petty 84 to 93 Twilight Walker Lesser
94 to 100 Wood-whisper Petty
COVENANT TO THE ENDLESS GULLET

1 to 11 Brain Drain Greater
12 to 23 Cardiac Cuisine Petty
24 to 35 Feast for Friends Petty
36 to 47 Gobblemaw Greater
48 to 59 Gout-Shanks Greater
60 to 71 Iron Gut Lesser
72 to 83 Slaughterhouse Lesser
84 to 93 Slurp Marrow Petty
94 to 100 Victuals of Viscera Lesser
COVENANT TO THE HELLFURNACE

1 to 11 Ashen Rite Petty
12 to 23 Bow Before Me Greater
24 to 35 Brittlebone Curse Lesser
36 to 47 Hellworker’s Stick Petty
48 to 59 Malign Subjugation Lesser
60 to 71 Obsidian Promise Petty
72 to 83 Primordial Disruption Greater
84 to 93 Salt & Sulphur Greater
94 to 100 The Inverted Doom Lesser
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COVENANT TO THE OUTSIDER COVENANT TO THE PRINCE OF PLEASURE

1 to 11 Blasphemy! Petty 1 to 11 Ætheric Strappado Lesser
12 to 23 Chaotic Rebellion Greater 12 to 23 Breath of Revelation Petty
24 to 35 Contempt of The Abyss Lesser 24 to 35 Dance with the Devil Greater
36 to 47 Daark’s Escutcheon Petty 36 to 47 Domino of Desire Petty
48 to 59 Deny the Princes Petty 48 to 59 50 Shades of Pain Lesser
60 to 71 Kaaleb’s Thirst Greater 60 to 71 Florentine Kiss Petty
72 to 83 Rend Chaos Lesser 72 to 83 Monstrous Dimorphism Greater
84 to 93 The Other Greater 84 to 93 Profusion of Piss Lesser
94 to 100 Through the Labyrinth Lesser 94 to 100 Succubus/Incubus Greater
COVENANT TO THE PRINCE OF CHANGE COVENANT TO THE SLAVERING MAW

1 to 11 Abyssal Deportation Greater 1 to 11 Bad Moon Rising Greater
12 to 23 Chaos into Chaos Petty 12 to 23 Brain Burner Lesser
24 to 35 Disrupt Magick Lesser 24 to 35 Da’ Big Stomp Lesser
36 to 47 Guttering Flame Lesser 36 to 47 Get Outta Here Petty
48 to 59 Hellfire Transmutation Greater 48 to 59 Glasgow Kiss Petty
60 to 71 Plea to The Prince Greater 60 to 71 Go for Broke Petty
72 to 83 Psychic Enslavement Lesser 72 to 83 Hut, Hut, Hike Lesser
84 to 93 Unholy Vision Petty 84 to 93 Odds & Sods Greater
94 to 100 Warp Reality Petty 94 to 100 WAAAR! Greater
COVENANT TO THE PRINCE OF DECAY COVENANT TO THE THIRTEEN

1 to 11 Carbuncle of Horror Lesser 1 to 11 Bubonic Whorl Greater
12 to 23 Carnival of Pestilence Greater 12 to 23 Caustic Rain Greater
24 to 35 Depraved Courier Petty 24 to 35 Horde of Vermin Petty
36 to 47 Feces’ Fetor Petty 36 to 47 Mark of the Thirteen Petty
48 to 59 Noxious Haze Lesser 48 to 59 Perfect Camouflage Petty
60 to 71 Pungent Godsend Lesser 60 to 71 The Black Hunger Lesser
72 to 83 Spew of Vomitous Corruption Greater 72 to 83 Warp-step Lesser
84 to 93 The Fifth Trumpet Greater 84 to 93 Wychfyre Discharge Lesser
94 to 100 Unseeming Visage Petty 94 to 100 Wytchfyre Knives Greater
235
Risk Factor. This means that a creature with an Advanced

COVENANT TO THE WITCH-QUEEN
(Low) Risk Factor would have it increased to an Advanced
D100 SPELL PRINCIPLE (High) Risk Factor. If it is already of the highest Notch in
its Risk Factor, no other changes need to be made to its
1 to 11 Abjure Spirit Greater
Risk Factor.
12 to 23 Compel Spirit Lesser
BOSSES ADJUST PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES
24 to 35 Consult the Spirits Petty
Bosses gain the advantage of modified Primary Attributes.
36 to 47 Frock of Ice Petty This reflects their enhanced strength and influence which
makes them stand out from other creatures of their kind.
48 to 59 Frostkiss Lesser
60 to 71 Hellfrost Transformation Greater BASIC TIER BOSS: Adjust any one Primary
Attribute to 50%
72 to 83 Maleficium Greater
INTERMEDIATE TIER BOSS: Adjust any two
84 to 93 Purification Petty Primary Attributes to 50%
94 to 100 Tempestarii Lesser ADVANCED TIER BOSS: Adjust any three
Primary Attributes to 50%
BOSS
Finally, creatures which lord over their own kind are Bosses; Note that Elite Risk Factor creatures are already considered
leaders of the pack, earned through being the biggest, Bosses, and you need not make any additional changes
meanest, most beauteous or even the most influential from here.
among their own. The following rules for Bosses supersede
and replaces the original boss rules from ZWEIHÄNDER. Once determined, write down the Role of the creature and
make any necessary adjustments for Spells and Primary
BOSSES ADJUST NOTCH: For encounter building
Attribute changes
purposes, Bosses move up to the highest Notch with their
For our Demodog – who has an Intermediate (Medium)

Risk Factor, we are going to assume it is a Boss creature.
We will adjust both its Brawn and Perception to 50%:
CREATURE TYPE Demodog SPELLS None
CLASSIFICATION Abyssal GENERALIST

PETTY
SIZE Large (2D6 Fury Dice for Damage)
Intermediate (Medium)
LESSER
RISK FACTOR
ROLE Boss GREATER
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

50% [ ] 50% [ ] %[ ] 50% [ ] 40% [ ] 45% [ ] 35% [ ]
Bonus
Advances
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STEP VI: SKILL RANKS

A set of Skills are listed in the ZWEIHÄNDER Bestiary,
followed by a +10, +20 or +30 value. Although they have
been accounted for in the Attack Profile, should you need
to conduct a Skill Test, you will need to add the value of
the Primary Attribute and the value after the Skill as you
would for a player Character. For instance, if a creature’s A combination of Risk Factor and Notch will cap the
Agility is 50% and it has a Skulduggery of +30%, the maximum number of Skill Ranks you can assign to
creature has a Base Chance in that skill of 80% (50 +30). In the creature. Follow these guidelines to determine how
cases where a creature does not have any Skill Ranks in a many Skill Ranks you can assign. Remember, this is the
Primary Attribute, simply do not list it. maximum number of Skill Ranks a creature can possess
across all Skills. You need not select all Skill Ranks, unless
When making the initial assignment of Skill Ranks to absolutely necessary:
your creature, several factors will influence how you do
this. These include, but are not limited to, its Role, combat BASIC RISK FACTOR
readiness, general ecology, behaviors and place it occupies (Low) Notch: up to 4 Skill Ranks
in the world as well as the story you want to tell and flavor
(Medium) Notch: up to 7 Skill Ranks
you want it to have.
(High) Notch: up to 10 Skill Ranks
Deciding which Skill Ranks to assign is the second-
most important step in the entire process, as it will INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR
define how precisely the creature will function from (Low) Notch: up to 14 Skill Ranks
a baseline perspective beyond Primary Attributes. As
ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE use a ‘bounded
accuracy’ model to reduce potential bloating of numbers at (High) Notch: up to 20 Skill Ranks
higher Risk Factors and Tiers, there are specific limitations
to the number of Skill Ranks you may assign to any one ADVANCED or ELITE RISK FACTOR
Skill: (Low) Notch: up to 24 Skill Ranks
Creatures with a Basic Risk Factor cannot have more (Medium) Notch: up to 27 Skill Ranks
than one Skill Rank in the same Skill; (High-or-Unique) Notch: up to 30 Skill Ranks
Creatures with an Intermediate Risk Factor cannot
have more than two Skill Ranks in the same Skill for CONSIDERATIONS FOR MAGICIANS: Remember,
Intermediate Risk Factor; a Magician already has certain Skill Ranks assigned. Be
sure to allocate them accordingly before moving on to the
Creatures with an Advanced or Elite Risk Factor
next step:
cannot have more than three Skill Ranks in the same
Skill; BASIC TIER MAGICIAN: Must take one Skill
Creatures do not have Skill Focuses whatsoever. Rank in Incantation
INTERMEDIATE TIER MAGICIAN: Must take
A Demodog has an Intermediate (Medium) Risk two Skill Ranks in Incantation
Factor. Therefore, it cannot have more than two Skill
ADVANCED or ELITE TIER MAGICIAN: Must
Rank (+20) in any Skill it possesses. Let’s use Survival
take three Skill Ranks in Incantation
as our example; if it has a Basic Risk Factor instead, it
could have only one Skill Ranks (+10) in Survival; if it
has an Intermediate Risk Factor, it could have up to two
Skill Ranks (+20) in Survival; and finally, if it has an
Advanced or Elite Risk Factor, it could have up to three
Skill Ranks (+30) in Survival.
237
The following is a list of Skills, along with their associated Once decided, assign Skill Ranks to the creature. Be
Primary Attributes that influence them: sure to take into consideration the maximum number of
Skill Ranks you can assign and those which are reserved
SKILL PRIMARY ATTRIBUTE for Magicians. Remember: you do not have to assign all
Intimidate Brawn Skill Ranks – you need only assign those which are most
Leadership Fellowship
relevant to the creature.
Martial Melee Combat
Our Demodog has an Intermediate (Medium) Risk
Martial Ranged Combat
Factor, which means we have 17 Skill Ranks to assign.
Navigation Intelligence We also know that because of its Intermediate Risk
Pilot Agility Factor, it cannot have more than +20 assigned to any one
Resolve Willpower
Skill. We’ve already decided that it is going to be an apex
hunter, particularly because we’ve defined it as a Boss.
Ride Agility
We also know we want it to be extremely frightening
Rumor Fellowship and lightning quick, with human-like insight and a
Scrutinize Perception strong resolve. Thus, we have assigned the Demodog’s
Simple Melee Combat 17 Skill Ranks as follows:
Simple Ranged Combat
Skulduggery Agility Athletics +10, Awareness +10, Coordination +20, Eavesdrop
Skill +10, Intimidate +20, Navigation +10, Resolve +20, Scrutinize
Stealth Agility Ranks +10, Simple Melee +20, Stealth +20, Survival +20
Survival Perception
Toughness Brawn
Tradecraft Willpower STEP VII: BONUS ADVANCES
Warfare Intelligence Now, it is time to begin assigning Bonus Advances to your
Alchemy Intelligence creature. Bonus Advances are added to Primary Attribute
Athletics Brawn Bonuses to calculate its final Primary Attribute Bonus
value. This means you apply Bonus Advances to [CB], [BB],
Awareness Perception
[AB], [PB], [IB], [WB] and [FB] as a final modifier to
Bargain Fellowship determine the ultimate values for all Secondary Attributes.
Charm Fellowship
Coordination Agility ASSIGNING BONUS ADVANCES
Deciding which Bonus Advances to assign will define how
Counterfeit Intelligence
the creature’s Secondary Attributes influences its function.
Disguise Fellowship As ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE use a
Drive Brawn ‘bounded accuracy’ model to reduce potential bloating of
Eavesdrop Perception numbers at higher Risk Factors and Tiers, there are specific
limitations on the number of Bonus Advances you can
Education Intelligence
assign to any one Primary Attribute:
Folklore Intelligence
Gamble Intelligence You may assign Bonus Advances to one or more
Primary Attribute Bonuses. So, if you have three
Guile Fellowship
Bonus Advances to assign, you could add them to the
Handle Animal Fellowship same Primary Attribute Bonus or split them up among
Heal Intelligence multiple Primary Attribute Bonuses.
Incantation Willpower Creatures with a Basic Risk Factor cannot have
Interrogation Willpower more than two Bonus Advances in the same Primary
Attribute.
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Creatures with an Intermediate Risk Factor cannot To determine Initiative (abbreviated to Int in the
have more than four Bonus Advances in the same Bestiary), add 3 + [PB].
Primary Attribute. To determine Movement (abbreviated to Mov in
Creatures with an Advanced or Elite Risk Factor the Bestiary), add 3 + [AB]. Remember, a creature’s
cannot have more than six Bonus Advances in the Movement rate is the number of yards it can move in
same Primary Attribute. combat. If a creature can fly, simply list it as such (e.g.
13/16 fly). Flying creatures are covered later under
Traits.
Our Demodog has an Intermediate Risk Factor and a
Combat attribute of 50%. This means its [CB] is 5, prior To determine Peril Threshold (abbreviated to PTh in
to modification by any Bonus Advances. Therefore, it the Bestiary), add 3 + [WB].
could not have more than four Bonus Advances assigned To determine Damage Threshold (abbreviated to DTh
to [CB] because of its Risk Factor. If the Demodog had in the Bestiary), add [BB] to any Traits that would
a Basic Risk Factor instead, it could have up to two modify Damage Threshold or Damage Threshold
Bonus Advances assigned to [CB]. And finally, if it were Modifiers from armor.
of Advanced or Elite Risk Factor, it could have up to six
Of all Secondary Attributes, Encumbrance Limit is
Bonus Advances assigned to [CB].
the least important. Ignore it for creating creatures.
Parry (abbreviated to Par in the Bestiary) is equal to
the highest Combat-based Skill the creature has, while
In addition, a combination of Risk Factor with Notch will
Dodge (abbreviated to Dod in the Bestiary) is equal
cap the maximum number of Bonus Advances you can
to its Coordination value. Should any Qualities or
assign to the creature. Follow these guidelines to determine
other factors figure into the Dodge or Parry value, they
how many Bonus Advances can be assigned:
will be listed in parentheses. For instance, a creature
BASIC RISK FACTOR may have Dodge: 50% (Natural). This indicates that
the Natural Quality has already been calculated into
(Low) Notch: up to 2 Bonus Advances the creature’s chances to Dodge. Note that most non-
(Medium) Notch: up to 3 Bonus Advances humanoid creatures do not have Dodge or Parry
(High) Notch: up to 4 Bonus Advances values or are prohibited due to armor. This should be
indicated as None.
INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR If the creature is not wearing any sort of armor, be sure
(Low) Notch: up to 6 Bonus Advances to apply the Natural Quality to its Dodge value and
indicate its application in parenthesis.
(Medium) Notch: up to 7 Bonus Advances
Carry over the Risk Factor (abbreviated to RFa in the
(High) Notch: up to 8 Bonus Advances Bestiary) from the above field.
ADVANCED or ELITE RISK FACTOR

(Low) Notch: up to 10 Bonus Advances
(High-or-Unique) Notch: up to 12 Bonus Advances
Once decided, assign Bonus Advances to the creature. We

recommend not calculating the final Primary Attribute
Bonuses yet, as its Role, Traits and Taints of Chaos
(described later in this chapter) may change these values.
Instead, use a check mark below each Primary Attribute to
indicate how many Bonus Advances were assigned, so that
you can make final adjustments at the end of this process.
SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: As with Primary
Attributes, a creature’s Secondary Attributes are calculated
in the same fashion as they are on the player Character sheet:
239
Our Demodog has an Intermediate (Medium) Risk Factor, which means we have 7 Bonus Advances to assign. We
also know that because of its Risk Factor, it cannot have more than four Bonus Advances assigned to any one Primary
Attribute. We know our Demodog is going to be particularly nimble and possess a high strength. Thus, we have
defined the Demodog’s 7 Bonus Advances as the following:
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

50% [5] 50% [7] 45% [8] 50% [5] 40% [5] 45% [4] 35% [3]
Bonus
      
Advances
STEP VIII: TRAITS ASSIGNING TRAITS

Deciding which Traits to choose will define how
Creatures possess a number of Traits which can affect their
precisely the creature’s Secondary Attributes influences
general abilities, their weaknesses and other non-combat
its functionality. As ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN
behaviors. However, Traits may also represent additional
GAUCHE use a ‘bounded accuracy’ model to reduce
abilities which you will need to reference while playing the
potential bloating of numbers at higher Risk Factors and
creature. Unlike Skills, Traits do not require any forethought
Tiers, there are specific limitations to the number of Traits
to employ. They are innate abilities that act as ‘riders’ to the
you can assign to a creature:
actions your creature takes during play. Unless specified
otherwise, you can use Traits in combat freely without BASIC RISK FACTOR
having to dedicate Action Points. Any Traits which change
a creature’s Creature Profile and Attack Profile should be (Low) Notch: up to 2 Traits
factored into the Creature Profile sheet. (Medium) Notch: up to 3 Traits
SIMILAR BENEFITS: Traits are treated as exceptions (High) Notch: up to 4 Traits
to the standard rules of play. However, there may be a few
unique situations where the benefits derived from one Trait INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR
are trumped by another Trait. While we do not want the (Low) Notch: up to 6 Traits
game to break down into an argument about the rules, we
empower you as the Gamemaster to make good, judicious (Medium) Notch: up to 7 Traits
decisions. (High) Notch: up to 8 Traits
In addition, you cannot ‘stack’ similar Traits that give ADVANCED or ELITE RISK FACTOR
the same benefit, this means you cannot assign multiple
(Low) Notch: up to 10 Traits
instances of Natural Armor, or combine it with Scar the
Flesh. The same goes for ‘death’ conditions (such as Ashes (Medium) Notch: up to 11 Traits
to Ashes and Golden Death). (High-or-Unique) Notch: up to 12 Traits
Find the specific Risk Factor your creature belongs to and

refer to that table only for purposes of selecting Traits. Note
that we have omitted the master table for Elite Risk Factor
creatures here due to brevity, as creatures who are Elite can
have any creature Trait. However, it will be included in the
Appendix for sake of comprehensiveness.
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CHAPT
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BASIC RISK FACTOR TRAITS

TRAIT EFFECT
Accursed These creatures cannot be harmed by normal weapons, only by weapons which have been imbued with Magick.
Ambush Tactics These creatures roll 2D10 to determine Initiative.

When these creatures would be Slain!, they immediately break off their tail, remaining Grievously Wounded and
Autotomy
can use any Movement Action for 0 APs. Should they suffer Damage again, they are permanently Slain!.
When these creatures are exposed to any sort of light (such as from a torch), they suffer a penalty of -3 to their
Aversion to Light
Damage Threshold.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on a face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they are under the
Battle Frenzy
effect of that many doses of red cap mushrooms.
When these creatures Charge, they may flip the results to succeed at their next Attack Action or Perilous Stunt on
Blitz
the same Turn.
Bloodless These creatures cannot Bleed.
Bloodlust Every time these creatures inflict an Injury, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively.
Bog Stench These creatures emit a horrific stench, causing 1D10+1 physical Peril to those who stand Engaged with it.
When a foe makes a successful Parry against this creature’s melee attack, it can make an Opportunity Attack
Chomp
against that same foe.
These creatures do not need to breathe and are immune to Chokehold. In addition, they can burrow or swim at the
Chthonian Dweller
same rate of Movement as they can on foot. Finally, they may flip the results to succeed at Resolve Tests.
These creatures can attack all foes in a Burst Template area of effect and are able to occupy the same space that its
Creepy Crawlies
foes stand within. In addition, the creature never provokes Opportunity Attacks.
Dark Sense These creatures can see in the dark.
Dense Anatomy These creatures only suffer Damage dealt by fire.

When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-5’, they are Intoxicated. If the
Dionysian Delights
result is face ‘6’, they are not Intoxicated.
When these creatures reduce a foe to Seriously Wounded, the foe’s wounds are Infected. When they reduce a foe
Disease-ridden (DISEASE)
to Grievously Wounded, the foe contracts the Disease indicated in parentheses.
When this creature’s eyes are successfully struck with a Called Shot (otherwise treated as their head), they lose
Eyes Wide Shut
their ability to use Petrifying Gaze.
After these creatures consume the face of someone they have killed, they assume their memories and mannerisms
Faces of Death with near perfection. This includes use of Magick, if applicable. Only with a Scrutinize Test made with a Critical
Success would someone else be able to tell otherwise. This Trait’s effects last until the new moon.
These creatures reduce all Movement Actions by 1 AP (to a minimum of 1 AP). They can also Dodge both melee
Fast on Their Feet
and ranged weapons.
When this creature’s Turn begins, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘6’, they attack that Turn with a
Feckless Runt senseless object that does no Damage. This means that the creature will have a foe’s attention and be in the way,
but will otherwise be an ineffective combatant.
When foes are Engaged with this creature, they must Resist with a successful Coordination Test or be exposed to
Feel the Heat
Mildly Dangerous flames.
Fetid Weaponry When these creatures inflict an Injury, their foe’s wounds are also Infected.
Fey Sight These creatures can see in the dark and automatically spot foes who are hidden or Æthereal.
Flammable When exposed to flames, these creatures suffer an additional 1D10+1 Damage from fire.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Dice if a Basic Risk Factor; 2D6 Chaos Dice if an
Foul Mutation Intermediate Risk Factor; 3D6 if an Advanced Risk Factor; and 4D6 if an Elite Risk Factor. For every face ‘6’, add
one Taint of Chaos to the creature.
Hallucinogenic Frenzy After ingesting a dose of red cap mushrooms, these creatures add 1D6 Fury Die to melee weapon Damage.
Hangin’ Tough These creatures cannot Bleed or suffer Injuries.

When facing the Ancestries indicated in the parentheses, these creatures add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to
Hatred (ANCESTRY)
Damage and automatically succeed at Resolve Tests.
241
Herp Derp These creatures are easily distracted. When their Turn starts, they must succeed at a Resolve Test or else lose 1 AP.
Holy Retribution When struck by holy water, these creatures suffer 2D10+2 Damage from fire.
Lick Your Wounds These creatures can spend 1 Misfortune Point to move three steps up the Damage Condition Track positively.
When these creatures are Injured, always refer to the Moderate Injuries table to determine their severity. This Trait
Man O’War
overrides any potential for increase in Injuries due to Qualities, Traits or other Talents.
Menacing When these creatures use a Litany of Hatred, they inflict 1D10+[BB] mental Peril.
These creatures do not possess Fellowship, Intelligence or Willpower and cannot be made to Resist effects which
Mindless
affect the mind. They can also see in the dark.
When these creatures make an attack with a blackjack, garrote or bullwhip, their foe cannot Dodge, Parry or
Murderous Attacks
Resist this attack.
Natural Armor (VALUE
These creatures have factored in a bonus to their Damage Threshold, equal to the value in parentheses.
1-6)
When these creatures Take Aim and then make a successful Melee Attack, they force a foe to Resist a Stunning
One-two Punch
Blow.
Pack Mentality When three or more of these creatures are alive during combat, they may flip the results to succeed at Skill Tests.
These creatures’ movement uses 6+[AB] on foot and 9+[AB] for flight. Creatures capable of flight are indicated
Paw/hoof/wing
under Movement.
Perfect Camouflage Foes must flip the results to fail attacks made with ranged weapons to strike these creatures.
When foes are Engaged with this creature (and the creature can see them), they must Resist with a successful
Awareness Test or be Petrified. While Petrified, they are left Helpless and unconscious. Petrification lasts until
Petrifying Gaze
the heart of the creature that caused the Petrification is pulverized into a bloody concoction and poured over the
victim with a successful Alchemy Test.
When these creatures make an Attack Action with a weapon possessing the Gunpowder Quality within Short
Point Blank
Distance, they add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage.
Poison Resistance These creatures are immune to poisons.
When this creature’s Turn begins, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively. Other Traits
Reanimator
cover how these creatures are permanently Slain!.
These creatures penalize their foe’s ability to Resist a Chokehold and Dirty Tricks by a -10 Base Chance to their
Ringen Skill Test. In addition, when they use a Chokehold, add an additional 1D10 to determine how much physical Peril
they inflict.
Ripping Teeth When these creatures deal Damage, they can force a foe to Resist a Takedown.
Saddle Tactics When fighting on horseback or a vehicle, they flip the results to succeed at Attack Actions and Perilous Stunts.
Salt of the Earth These creatures have factored in +3 to their Peril Threshold.
When first encountered, these creatures provoke one of the three brands of Madness; if of Basic Risk Factor,
Sanity-blasting they provoke Stress; if of Intermediate Risk Factor, they provoke Fear; if of Advanced or Elite Risk Factor, they
provoke Horror.
Scar the Flesh These creatures add +3 to their Damage Threshold, but do not wear armor.
These creatures ignore the Pummeling and Weak Qualities when fighting bare-handed, with a blackjack or using
Shootfighting
knuckledusters. In addition, they can refer to [BB] or [CB] when inflicting Damage with these same weapons.
When these creatures successfully strike with a ranged weapon possessing the Gunpowder Quality, they
Shotgun Bang!
automatically Load their weapon for 0 APs.
Silent Stalker When these creatures use the Stealth or Survival Skill, they flip the results to succeed at their Test.
Skeletal Remains Only after these creature’s bones have been spread around for 1 AP are they forever Slain!.
Sniveling Whelp These creatures can only use 2 AP during combat.

These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless the fetish or phylactery which houses their soul is destroyed.
Soul Jar However, they can be forced to remain in hibernation and left unconscious if a jar of salt is poured into their
mouths.
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CHAPT
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When these creatures attack, it cannot be Dodged or Parried – it may only be Resisted with a successful
Spore-splosion
Toughness Test. If a foe fails this Toughness Test, they are exposed to Orx-molt.
Squabble Among When these creatures suffer from Fear or Terror, they must succeed at a Resolve Test when their Turn starts or else
Themselves attack their own allies. They can Resist every Turn thereafter.
Steely Fortitude These creatures always succeed at Resolve Tests and cannot be Intimidated.
When these creatures make a successful Chokehold, they deal Damage as a bare-handed weapon and force a
foe to Resist with a Toughness Test or be Swallowed. While Swallowed, the foe cannot use any Actions, but can
Swallow Whole
attempt to Resist again at the beginning of their Turn to escape. Foes who attempt to Resist must flip the results
to fail their Skill Test.
When these creatures are Seriously or Grievously Wounded, add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to the Damage they
Unbridled Rage
inflict with melee weapon attacks.
Uncertain Form These creatures are immune to Injuries and Perilous Stunts.
These creatures are immune to attacks made with ranged weapons. However, they cannot use any Movement
Unnatural Viscera
Action that requires 3 APs.
When these creatures drop down the Damage Condition Track, they move an equal number of steps down the
Unruly
Peril Condition Track.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-5’, their hunger has been sated.
If the result is face ‘6’, their hunger has not yet been sated and they are in a state of frenzy. When sated, they add
Wanton Hunger
+1 to both Damage and Peril Condition Tracks. When in a state of frenzy, they add an additional 1D6 Fury Die
to Damage.
When a creature’s body part indicated in parentheses is successfully struck by a Called Shot, a foe adds an
Weak Spot (BODY PART)
additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage.
When casting Generalist Magick , at their option, these creatures can automatically succeed at the Incantation
Winds of Chaos Test, but must drop one step down the Peril Condition Track negatively. In addition, they must always add 1
additional Chaos Die when they Channel Power.
INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR TRAITS
TRAIT EFFECT
These creatures can use their breath as a ranged weapon. This allows them to strike a single foe within 1+[PB],
causing the foe to suffer 1D10+1 Damage from acid. However, Acidic Spittle ignores a foe’s Damage Threshold
Acidic Spittle
Modifier from armor. A foe can attempt to Dodge Acidic Spittle or Parry it with a shield. Acidic Spittle can be used
while Engaged with foes.
Creatures in Æthereal Form cannot inflict Damage or manipulate physical objects, but can pass through objects
Æthereal Form effortlessly and hover 1 yard off the ground. They can manifest into physical form instantaneously, but assuming
Æthereal Form once more costs 2 APs.
These creatures can use Bolt of Flame from the Arcana of Pyromancy. If at least three of these creatures are standing
within sight of one another, they can use Withering Touch from the Arcana of Sorcery. If at least nine of these
Arcana of Horror creatures are standing within sight of one another, they can use Death’s Embrace from the Arcana of Morticism.
Should a foe be Slain! by use of any of these Magicks, they are immediately turned into a Lemurian Host. Reagents
are unnecessary to cast this Magick.
When these creatures would be Slain!, they immediately break off their tail, remaining Grievously Wounded and can
Autotomy
use any Movement Action for 0 APs. Should they suffer Damage again, they are permanently Slain!.
When these creatures are exposed to any sort of light (such as that from a torch), they suffer a penalty of -3 to their
Aversion to Light
Damage Threshold.
When creatures are struck with weapons coated with a sprig of wolfsbane, they suffer an additional 1D6 Fury Die
Bane of Lycanthropes
in Damage.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on a face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they are under the effect
Battle Frenzy
.of that many doses of red cap mushrooms.
Big Grim These creatures can use two-handed weapons in one hand and take advantage of the Adaptable Quality.
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These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with two ranged weapons, providing they possess the Gunpowder
Blam! Blam!
Quality and are Loaded.
When these creatures Charge, they may flip the results to succeed at their next Attack Action or Perilous Stunt on
Blitz
the same Turn.
Bonds of Death These creatures can manipulate physical objects in Æthereal Form.
When they wield two one-handed melee weapons and fail a Combat-based Skill Test, they may re-roll to generate
Both-handedness
a better result, but must accept the outcome.
After these creatures are Seriously Wounded or made subject to a Called Shot to the body and suffer at least 9
Broken Gut-plate
Damage, they suffer a penalty of -6 to their Damage Threshold.
Broken Wings Once this creature is Grievously Wounded, it can no longer fly.
When these creatures make a successful attack bare-handed, they provoke Fear, but do no Damage. They also force
Brush With Death a foe to Resist with a Resolve Test or be aged by one year. For every year aged, the foe permanently reduces Brawn
by 1%.
These creatures refer to [BB] for Damage with melee weapons and ones with the Throwing Quality. They have also
Brute Strength
factored in +3 to their [BB]. Finally, they can inflict Injuries with Pummeling weapons.
When this creature suffers Damage and is unable to deal Damage by the end of its next Turn, roll 3D6. If all three
Call of the Abyss
dice show face ‘6’, the creature is banished back to the Abyss, until summoned once again.
When foes can hear this creature, they must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or be drawn towards the sound.
Captivating Cry Should they enter a dangerous area to find the sound, they can attempt another Resolve Test. Once they are able to
visually see the creature, the Captivating Cry’s effects end.
One foe is left Defenseless to all of this creature’s attacks, until the foe is defeated. The creature may select a new foe
Champion’s Call
once the current one is defeated.
Chthonian Dweller
Corrosive Bile When creatures use this attack, it ignores their foe’s Damage Threshold Modifier from armor.
Crippling Constrictor When these creatures maintain a Chokehold, they deal Damage as if they were using a bare-handed weapon.
Death Roll When these creatures deal Damage, at their option, they can force a foe to Resist a Chokehold.
When this creature’s Turn starts, roll 6D6 Chaos Dice. If at least three dice land on face ‘6’, they enter a demonic
Frenzy. While Frenzied, they can make up to three Melee Attacks during their Turn, costing 1 AP for each
Demonic Frenzy Melee Attack. In addition, they can make an Opportunity Attack at the end of a Charge. However, they cannot
Counterspell, Dodge or Parry while in a frenzied state. Finally, their Frenzied state makes them more susceptible to
harm, as foes add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage when striking the creature.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-5’, they are Intoxicated. If the result
Dionysian Delights
is face ‘6’, they are not Intoxicated.
When these creatures reduce a foe to Seriously Wounded, the foe’s wounds are Infected. When they reduce a foe to
Grievously Wounded, the foe contracts the Disease indicated in parentheses.
When these creatures are Slain!, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-3’, they instantaneously split into two
minor Adversary Demons (albeit unable to cast Magick, use the Underling rules this chapter and can now be
Divide & Conquer
permanently Slain!). If the result is face ‘4-6’, it bursts into a cloud of mutating energy. Those caught in a Burst
Template area of effect must succeed at a Resolve Test or gain a Taint of Chaos.
When this creature’s eyes are successfully struck with a Called Shot (otherwise treated as their head), they lose their
Eyes Wide Shut
ability to use Petrifying Gaze.
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Fast on Their Feet
and ranged weapons.
When these creatures are encountered, they carry a staff which buzzes with flies. When they deal Damage, the foe’s
wounds are also Infected. It can only be used in the hands of these creatures, being otherwise useless relics to others.
Fetid Stick
If picked up by PCs whose Order Ranks are higher than their Chaos Ranks, they are instantly infected with Chaotic
Rot.
Fireproof These creatures and their possessions are entirely immune to Damage from fire.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Dice if it has a Basic Risk Factor; 2D6 Chaos Dice if an
Foul Mutation Intermediate Risk Factor; 3D6 if an Advanced Risk Factor; or 4D6 if an Elite Risk Factor. For every face ‘6’, add
Fwip! Fwip! These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with ranged weapons without Loading.
When these creatures deal Damage, a foe must Resist with Coordination. If they fail, the foe’s armor, weapon or
Gastric Acidity
shield is Ruined!.
Gift of Devils These creatures ignore the Heavy Quality of armor to cast Magick.
When these creatures are encountered, they have a glass grenade. When thrown, it affects multiple foes in a Burst
Grenadier
Template. Affected foes must succeed at a Toughness Test or contract Tomb Rot.
Grossly Paranoid These creatures have factored in +3 to their Initiative.
When these creatures attempt to hide in urban and underground environments, they flip the results to succeed at
Gutter Runner
Stealth Tests.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-5’, they carry a massive gong. If
the result is face ‘6’, they carry a set of chimes. When they play the gong with Litany of Hatred, player Characters
Harbinger of Plagues so affected also suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril. When they play the chime with Litany of Hatred, player Characters so
affected instead lower their Damage and Peril Condition Tracks by -3 instead. These trappings can only be used by
hands of these creatures who bear them, otherwise they are useless relics.
Hard-nosed These creatures are immune to Knockout! and Stunning Blow.
When facing the Ancestries indicated in parentheses, these creatures add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage
Hatred (ANCESTRY)
and automatically succeed at Resolve Tests.
These creatures add the Reach and Vicious Qualities to any melee weapons they wield. They also ignore the Weak
Hideous Might
Quality of melee weapons.
These creatures do not need to breathe and are immune to Chokehold. In addition, player Characters whose Order
Horror of the Pit
Ranks exceed their Chaos Ranks reduce their Damage by -3 when striking these creatures.
Foes who stand within 9 yards of this creature cannot add their Apprentice Skill Rank to Combat and Willpower-
Hypnotic Musk based Skill Tests. In addition, foes who are Engaged with these creatures must successfully Resist using Toughness
or be unable to add any Skill Ranks to Combat and Willpower-based Skill Tests for a day.
After this creature makes an Attack Action with a melee weapon, it can immediately make an Opportunity Attack
I Got Axe for You
with any one-handed ranged weapon with the Throwing Quality on the same Turn.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their wedding ring is placed into a decanter consecrated with
the Ritual of Blessed Sacrament. As long as it remains in the decanter, they also remain in a state of hibernation,
I Thee Wed
unless the ring is removed therefore giving life to the creature again. Only by then submerging the decanter into a
large body of water are they forever Slain!.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos die to determine what special power they can grant to one
ally, once a day. If the result is a face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they can cause any one ally standing within 3 yards of them to gain
Impish Delights the benefits of Demonic Frenzy (as a Legion Demon). If the result is face ‘4’ or ‘5’, they allow any one ally standing
within 3 yards of them to flip the results to succeed at a single Skill Test. If the result is face ‘6’, anyone standing
within 3 yards of this creature must succeed at a Resolve Test or temporarily lower their Fellowship by 9% for a day.
245
Implacable Defense When this creature’s Turn begins, they gain 1 additional AP. However, it can only be used to Dodge and Parry.
In the Face These creatures can only be harmed by melee and ranged weapons by using a Called Shot to the head.
Inescapable When these creatures use a Chokehold, they are able to maintain it for 0 AP and use other Actions In Combat.
These creatures can spend 2 APs to make an Interrogation Test. If successful, foes caught in a Cone Template who
Keening Wail fail to Resist with a Resolve Test immediately suffer from Fear and cannot Counterspell or Parry until their next
Turn. A foe can be made victim to Keening Wail every Turn.
Kill it With Fire Only after these creature’s remains are set On Fire are they forever Slain!.
Lamb to the Slaughter When these creatures Injure a foe with a melee weapon, they inflict two Injuries instead of one.
When a foe uses Take Aim for 2 APs to shine a source of light upon this creature before making their attack, reduce
Light Sensitive
its Damage Threshold by a -6 penalty (to a minimum of 1).
When these creatures use Magick, they must roll 3D6 Chaos Dice. If all land on face ‘6’, they are instantaneously
Living Chaos
Slain!.
When these creatures are Injured, always refer to the Moderate Injuries table to determine their severity. This Trait
Man O’War
overrides any potential for increase in Injuries due to Qualities, Traits or other Talents.
These creatures refer to their [AB] for all Damage they inflict with weapons. They also have factored in +3 to their
Masterfully Adroit
[AB].
Mindless
1-6)
Never Say Die When these creatures are Grievously Wounded, add 3 to their Damage Threshold.
Never Surrender Foes do not gain an advantage when they flank or outnumber this creature in combat.
Paw/hoof/wing
under Movement.
Awareness Test or be Petrified. While Petrified, they are left Helpless and unconscious. Petrification lasts until the
Petrifying Gaze
heart of the creature that caused the Petrification is pulverized into a bloody concoction and poured over the victim
with a successful Alchemy Test.
Every minute these creatures remain in the Material Realm in physical form, roll 3D6 Chaos Dice at the end of their
Physical Instability
Turn. If all three dice show face ‘6’, the creature is banished from the Material Realm until the new moon.
When these creatures deal Damage, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘6’, they inject Spider Venom into their
Poisonous Bite
foe.
When these creatures successfully use a Litany of Hatred, those affected must Resist with a Resolve Test or suffer
Primal Scream
from Fear.
Punishing Attack When these creatures Take Aim and then make a successful Melee Attack, add 3 Damage.
When this creature’s Turn begins, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively. Other Traits cover
Reanimator
how these creatures are permanently Slain!.
Resistance to Chaos This creature may flip the results to succeed at Resolve Tests when Resisting the effects of Magick.
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When first encountered, these creatures provoke one of the three brands of Madness; if of Basic Risk Factor, they
Sanity-blasting provoke Stress; if of Intermediate Risk Factor, they provoke Fear; if of Advanced or Elite Risk Factor, they provoke
Horror.
Scar the Flesh These creatures add +3 to their Damage Threshold, but do not wear armor.
When these creatures are encountered, they wear a cloak made from an undersea creature. It provides a Damage
Serpentine Cloak
Threshold Modifier of 1 when worn.
Sharp-sighted These creatures do not suffer penalties for ranged weapons at Medium or Long Distances.
When these creatures successfully strike with a ranged weapon possessing the Gunpowder Quality, they automatically
Shotgun Bang!
Load their weapon for 0 APs.
When these creatures are encountered, they have a smoke bomb. When thrown, it explodes outwards. Those caught
Smoke Bomb in an Explosion Template area of effect must reduce their Movement by a -6 penalty, until they escape. In addition,
it provides enough concealment for the creature to use their Stealth Skill.
Snikt! Snikt! These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with melee weapons.
Stinging Tentacle When these creatures deal Damage, they have the option to force a foe to Resist a Stunning Blow.
Strafing Talons When these creatures execute a successful attack while flying, they also deal 1D10+[AB] physical Peril.
True Name Unless foes invoke this creature’s True Name before casting Magick, it fails to affect the creature.
When these creatures are Seriously or Grievously Wounded, add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage they inflict
Unbridled Rage
with melee weapon attacks.
These creatures can crawl upon both vertical and horizontal surfaces with ease. In addition, they can initiate a ranged
Wall Crawler
Chokehold at a Distance of 3+[PB], with a Load of 1 AP.
Wanton Hunger
+1 to both Damage and Peril Condition Tracks. When in a state of frenzy, they add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to
Damage.
When a creature’s body part indicated in parentheses is successfully struck by a Called Shot, a foe adds an additional
1D6 Fury Die to Damage.
When casting Generalist Magick , at their option, these creatures can automatically succeed at the Incantation Test,
Winds of Chaos but must drop one step down the Peril Condition Track negatively. In addition, they must always add 1 additional
Chaos Die when they Channel Power.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their remains are placed beneath a spirit board. Once placed
beneath a spirit board, they enter hibernation and will remain so unless the board or remains are removed, therefore
Witchboard
giving life to the creature again as it is restored to Unharmed. Only by successfully casting Last Rites over the spirit
board are they forever Slain!.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-4’, they carry two Wytchfyre
Wytch-science pistols. If the result is face ‘5’, they carry a Wytchfyre jezzail. If the result is face ‘6’, they carry a Wytchfyre thrower.
While carrying a Wytchfyre thrower, they cannot Charge, Maneuver or Run.
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ADVANCED RISK FACTOR TRAITS
TRAIT EFFECT
These creatures can use their breath as a ranged weapon. This allows them to strike a single foe within 1+[PB],
causing the foe to suffer 1D10+1 Damage from acid. However, Acidic Spittle ignores a foe’s Damage Threshold
Acidic Spittle
Modifier from armor. A foe can attempt to Dodge Acidic Spittle or Parry it with a shield. Acidic Spittle can be used
while Engaged with foes.
Creatures in Æthereal Form cannot inflict Damage or manipulate physical objects, but can pass through objects
Æthereal Form effortlessly and hover 1 yard off the ground. They can manifest into physical form instantaneously, but assuming
Æthereal Form once more costs 2 APs.
When these creatures would potentially invoke a Chaos Manifestation, they must roll two or more face ‘6’ on Chaos
Ætheric Domination
Dice to invoke it.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their remains are placed into a decanter consecrated with the
Ashes to Ashes Blessed Sacrament Ritual. Within, they remain in hibernation, unless the remains are removed therefore giving life
to the creature again. Only by placing the decanter into a font of holy water are they forever Slain!.
When these creatures would be Slain!, they immediately break off their tail, remaining Grievously Wounded and
Autotomy
can use any Movement Action for 0 APs. Should they suffer Damage again, they are permanently Slain!.
When these creatures are exposed to any sort of light (such as that from a torch), they suffer a penalty of -3 to their
Aversion to Light
Damage Threshold.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands on a face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they are under the effect
Battle Frenzy
of that many doses of red cap mushrooms.
Big Grim These creatures can use two-handed weapons in one hand and take advantage of the Adaptable Quality.
Bonds of Death These creatures can manipulate physical objects in Æthereal Form.
When they wield two one-handed melee weapons and fail a Combat-based Skill Test, they may re-roll to generate
Both-handedness
a better result, but must accept the outcome.
Broken Wings Once this creature is Grievously Wounded, it can no longer fly.
These creatures refer to [BB] for Damage with melee weapons and ones with the Throwing Quality. They also have
Brute Strength
factored in +3 to their [BB]. Finally, they can inflict Injuries with Pummeling weapons.
When they render an enemy Slain!, they gain +3 to [BB] and move three steps up the Damage Condition Track
Cancerous Absorption
positively.
When foes can hear this creature, they must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or be drawn towards the sound.
Captivating Cry Should they enter a dangerous area to find the sound, they can attempt another Resolve Test. Once they are able to
visually see the creature, the Captivating Cry’s effects end.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they have three
Ceremonial Runes Apprentice Runes inscribed upon their staff. If the result is face ‘4’ or ‘5’, they have two Journeyman Runes inscribed
upon their staff. If the result is face ‘6’, they have one Master Rune inscribed upon their staff.
One foe is left Defenseless to all this creature’s attacks, until the foe is defeated. The creature may select a new foe
Champion’s Call
once the current one is defeated.
When a foe makes a successful Parry against this creature’s melee attack, it can make an Opportunity Attack against
Chomp
that same foe.
Chthonian Dweller
Cold Hands These creatures ignore the Damage Threshold Modifier a foe’s armor may confer when they inflict Damage.
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These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their lantern is destroyed. If the lantern is snuffed out, they
Come Into the Light
remain in a state of hibernation until it is relit.
These creatures can attack all foes in a Burst Template area of effect and are able to occupy the same space that its
Creepy Crawlies
foes stand within. In addition, the creature never provokes Opportunity Attacks.
Crippling Constrictor When these creatures maintain a Chokehold, they deal Damage as if they were using a bare-handed weapon.
Death Roll When these creatures deal Damage, at their option, they can force a foe to Resist a Chokehold.
In combat, these creatures only use Attack Actions unless commanded otherwise by their leader with a successful
Dim-witted
Leadership Test.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-5’, they are Intoxicated. If the
Dionysian Delights
result is face ‘6’, they are not Intoxicated.
When these creatures reduce a foe to Seriously Wounded, the foe’s wounds are Infected. When they reduce a foe to
Grievously Wounded, the foe contracts the Disease indicated in parentheses.
Creatures composed of the elements have specific weaknesses. Those composed of elemental air cannot move
underground or across water; those composed of elemental earth instantly disintegrate and are Slain! if detached
Elemental Weakness
from the ground; those composed of elemental fire are Slain! if they enter a body of water or caught in a heavy rain
shower; and those composed of water are instantly disintegrated, Slain! if they leave the water.
When this creature uses a Transfixed Gaze, they can use other Actions while they maintain its Mesmerizing effect.
Entrancing
In addition, foes suffer 1 Corruption and 2D10+2 mental Peril for each of their Turns that they remain Mesmerized.
When this creature’s eyes are successfully struck with a Called Shot (otherwise treated as their head), they lose their
Eyes Wide Shut
ability to use Petrifying Gaze.
Fast on Their Feet
and ranged weapons.
When this creature’s Turn begins, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘6’, they attack that Turn with a senseless
Feckless Runt object that does no Damage. This means that the creature will have a foe’s attention and be in the way, but will
otherwise be an ineffective combatant.
When foes are Engaged with this creature, they must Resist with a successful Coordination Test or be exposed to
Feel the Heat
Mildly Dangerous flames.
Fiery Retribution These creatures can use Spit Fire as an Opportunity Attack without having to Load.
Fireproof These creatures and their possessions are entirely immune to Damage from fire.
These creatures can attack up to nine foes in an Engagement with one Attack Action. In addition, their tentacles
Flailing Tentacles
have the Reach Quality, able to strike foes up to 3 yards away.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Dice if it has a Basic Risk Factor; 2D6 Chaos Dice if an
Foul Mutation Intermediate Risk Factor; 3D6 if an Advanced Risk Factor; 4D6 if an Elite Risk Factor. For every face ‘6’, add one
Taint of Chaos to the creature.
Fwip! Fwip! These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with ranged weapons without Loading.
When these creatures deal Damage, a foe must Resist with Coordination. If they fail, the foe’s armor, weapon or
Gastric Acidity
shield is Ruined!.
When these creatures inflict a Moderate Injury, it is always a Black Eye. When they inflict a Serious Injury, it is
Give Me Your Eyes
always Head Trauma. Finally, when they inflict a Grievous Injury, it is always a Vitreous Hemorrhage.
249
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their eyes are pierced with a golden pin or 1 gold crown (gc) is
placed beneath their tongue. During this time, they remain in a state of hibernation, unless the pins or gold crown
Golden Death
(gc) are removed, therefore giving life to the creature again. Only by then decapitating and burning the head of the
creature in a funeral pyre are they forever Slain!.
Hard-nosed These creatures are immune to Knockout! and Stunning Blow.
When facing the Ancestries indicated in parentheses, these creatures add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage
Hatred (ANCESTRY)
and automatically succeed at Resolve Tests.
Herp Derp These creatures are easily distracted. When their Turn starts, they must succeed at a Resolve Test or else lose 1 AP.
These creatures add the Reach and Vicious Qualities to any melee weapons they wield. They also ignore the Weak
Hideous Might
Quality of melee weapons.
After this creature makes an Attack Action with a melee weapon, they can immediately make an Opportunity
I Got Axe for You
Attack with any one-handed ranged weapon with the Throwing Quality on the same Turn.
In the Face These creatures can only be harmed by melee and ranged weapons by using a Called Shot to the head.
Inescapable When these creatures use a Chokehold, they are able to maintain it for 0 AP and use other Actions In Combat.
Kill it With Fire Only after these creature’s remains are set On Fire are they forever Slain!.
Lamb to the Slaughter When these creatures Injure a foe with a melee weapon, they inflict two Injuries instead of one.
Lashing Tail These creatures can attempt an Opportunity Attack with their tail at the end of their Turn.
Lumbering Brute These creatures cannot Charge, Run or use Movement Actions that require 3 AP.
By spending 1 Misfortune Point, these creatures create 1D6 illusions of itself that mimic its precise actions. Once
Many Faces of Death a mirrored image is successfully struck with any weapon or Magick, it immediately dematerializsd. Determining
which is the creature and the illusion requires a Secret Test using Scrutinize.
These creatures refer to their [AB] for all Damage they inflict with weapons. They also have factored in +3 to their
Masterfully Adroit
[AB].
Mindless
Monstrous Bellow When these creatures successfully use a Litany of Hatred, they inflict 2D10+[BB] physical Peril.

1-6)
Never Surrender Foes do not gain an advantage when they flank or outnumber this creature in combat.
When these creatures make a successful attack bare-handed, they deal both Damage and force a foe to Resist with a
Paralyzing Touch Toughness Test or be Paralyzed. While Paralyzed, foes are unable to use Movement Actions until they successfully
Resist.
Paw/hoof/wing
under Movement.
Awareness Test or be Petrified. While Petrified, they are left Helpless and unconscious. Petrification lasts until the
Petrifying Gaze
heart of the creature that caused the Petrification is pulverized into a bloody concoction and poured over the victim
with a successful Alchemy Test.
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Every minute these creatures remain in the Material Realm in physical form, roll 3D6 Chaos Dice at the end of
Physical Instability
their Turn. If all three dice show face ‘6’, the creature is banished from the Material Realm until the new moon.
When these creatures deal Damage, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘6’, they inject Spider Venom into their
Poisonous Bite
foe.
When these creatures successfully use a Litany of Hatred, those affected must Resist with a Resolve Test or suffer
Primal Scream
from Fear.
When this creature’s Turn begins, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively. Other Traits cover
Reanimator
how these creatures are permanently Slain!.
When first encountered, these creatures provoke one of the three brands of Madness; if of Basic Risk Factor, they
Sanity-blasting provoke Stress; if of Intermediate Risk Factor, they provoke Fear; if of Advanced or Elite Risk Factor, they provoke
Horror.
Scar the Flesh These creatures add +3 to their Damage Threshold, but wear no armor.
When these creatures enter combat, they take upon a different aspect every Turn which passes. In the first Turn,
they take on the aspect of spring, gaining +3 to Damage Threshold. In the next Turn, they lose the +3 to Damage
Threshold, but take on the aspect of summer, gaining total immunity to fire. In the following Turn, they lose their
Seasons to Pass total immunity to fire and take on the aspect of autumn, able to use two Melee Attacks on that Turn for 2 AP. In
the final Turn, they lose their ability to use two Melee Attacks on and take on the aspect of winter, able to Dodge
and Parry for 0 APs. This creature may only take upon one aspect at a time and continues to cycle through the four
seasons as their Turns pass.
These creatures may take any form they please, providing it is of a Small or Large Animal or Humanoid (including
Shapeshifter
player Ancestries).
These creatures ignore the Pummeling and Weak Qualities when fighting bare-handed, with a blackjack or using
Shootfighting
knuckledusters. In addition, they can refer to [BB] or [CB] when inflicting Damage with these same weapons.
Snikt! Snikt! These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with melee weapons.
Sniveling Whelp These creatures can only use 2 AP during combat.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless the fetish or phylactery which houses their soul is destroyed.
Soul Jar
However, they can be made to remain in hibernation, left unconscious if a jar of salt is poured into their mouths.
These creatures can use their breath as a ranged weapon. This allows then to strike a single foe within 3+[PB], as the
Spit Fire foe suffers 2D10+2 Damage from fire. A foe can attempt to Dodge Spit Fire or Parry it with a shield. Spit Fire can
be used while Engaged with foes.
Stinging Tentacle When these creatures deal Damage, at their option, they can force a foe to Resist a Stunning Blow.
When these creatures deal Damage, they can automatically knock their foe Prone. In addition, they ignore the
Stomp the Yard
effects of Hard Terrain.
When creatures use this attack, it forces a foe to Resist with an Athletics Test or suffer 1D10+ the creature’s [BB] in
Stone Blast
Damage. This attack can be used against three foes at once and cannot be Dodged or Parried.
These creatures are immune to all attacks from electricity and lightning. Furthermore, when they are struck by such
Storm Rage attacks, it empowers them, adding a one-time bonus of +3 to Damage Threshold while enabling them to add a 1D6
Fury Die to weapon Damage for an hour.
Strafing Talons When these creatures execute a successful attack while flying, they also deal 1D10+[AB]physical Peril.
When these creatures make a successful Chokehold, they deal Damage from a bare-handed weapon and force a
foe to Resist with a Toughness Test or be Swallowed. While Swallowed, the foe cannot use any Actions, but can
Swallow Whole
attempt to Resist again at the beginning of their Turn to escape. Foes who attempt to Resist must flip the results
to fail their Skill Test.
251
When these creatures make a successful attack with a two-handed melee weapon, they strike up to three foes they’re
Sweeping Strike
Engaged with.
When these creatures are made subject to Chaos Manifestations, they can roll twice and choose the most desirous
The Changer of Ways result. Finally, they can Counterspell for 0 APs and can use Dispel Magick without having to make an Incantation
Test.
When these creatures can see a foe (who can also see them), they force a foe to Resist with a Resolve Test or be
Mesmerized. Mesmerized foes cannot use any Actions In Combat, but may attempt to Resist again at the beginning
Transfixed Gaze of their Turn to escape. The creature cannot use any other Actions while they maintain a Transfixed Gaze. However,
they can release the gaze at any time. If the creature suffers Damage while a foe is Mesmerized, they immediately
relinquish the hold. Foes who attempt to Resist must flip the results to fail their Skill Test.
True Name Unless foes invoke this creature’s True Name before casting Magick, it fails to affect the creature.
When these creatures are Seriously or Grievously Wounded, add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage they inflict
Unbridled Rage
with melee weapon attacks.
When these creatures are Slain! all those Engaged with it must succeed at a Coordination Test or be knocked Prone
Ungainly
beneath of it, suffering 3D10+3 Damage from falling.
Unlatch Doors These creatures can automatically unfasten any lock they can see or touch, Magickal or otherwise.
These creatures are immune to attacks made with ranged weapons. However, they cannot use any Movement Action
Unnatural Viscera
that requires 3 APs.
When these creatures drop down the Damage Condition Track, they move an equal number of steps down the Peril
Unruly
Condition Track.
These creatures cannot cross running water, unless by bridge or boat. When exposed to sunlight, they suffer 2D10+2
Damage from fire for every minute they remain exposed. Instead of suffering Injuries in this case, they instead are
caught On Fire. When Slain!, they turn into mist and immediately return to their resting place to sleep. For every
Vampire’s Curse
hour they sleep, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively. Once Unharmed, all Injuries are
healed as well. However, while asleep, they can be permanently Slain! if an ironwood stake is driven through their
heart and the head is removed.
These creatures can crawl upon both vertical and horizontal surfaces with ease. In addition, they can initiate a ranged
Wall Crawler
Chokehold at a Distance of 3+[PB], with a Load of 1 AP.
Wanton Hunger
+1 to both Damage and Peril Condition Tracks. When in a state of frenzy, they add an additional 1D6 Fury Die
to Damage.
When a creature’s body part indicated in parentheses is successfully struck by a Called Shot, a foe adds an additional
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless a killing blow is rendered with a weapon made of brass or
Weakness to Brass
bronze.
When creatures use this attack, it forces a foe to Resist with a Coordination Test or be thrown 1D10+[BB] in yards.
Wind Kick
This attack can be used against three foes at once.
When casting Generalist Magick , at their option, these creatures can automatically succeed at the Incantation Test,
Winds of Chaos but must drop one step down the Peril Condition Track negatively. In addition, they must always add 1 additional
Chaos Die when they Channel Power.
When these creatures encounter those who are suffering from a Disorder, Disease or Grievous Injury, the foe must
Word of Death Resist with a successful Resolve Test or else be Slain!. However, the foe must be able to see and hear them for Word
of Death to work. If a foe succeeds at this Resolve Test, they are forever immune to Word of Death.
252
CHAPT
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Once decided, assign Traits to the creature. Be sure to

consider the maximum number of Traits you can assign Our Demodog has an Intermediate (Medium) Risk
and those which are reserved for specific Risk Factors. Factor, which means we have 7 Traits to choose. We also
Remember: you do not have to assign all Traits – you need know because of its Risk Factor, that we can only choose
only assign those which are most relevant to the creature. from the Intermediate Creature Traits table. All 7 Traits
will affect the values within the Character Profile,
which we’ll update in Step X: Final Considerations. In
addition, we selected the Trait Foul Mutation and will
give our Demodog Barbed Spines and Fanged Maw.
Trait: Dark Sense Trait: Masterfully Adroit

Effect Effect These creatures refer to their [AB] for all Damage
These creatures can see in the dark. they inflict with weapons. They also have factored
in +3 to their [AB].
Trait: Foul Mutation Trait: Natural Armor (3)

Effect When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Effect
Chaos Dice if it has a Basic Risk Factor; 2D6
These creatures have factored in a bonus to
Chaos Dice if an Intermediate Risk Factor; 3D6 if
their Damage Threshold, equal to the value in
an Advanced Risk Factor; or 4D6 if an Elite Risk
parentheses.
Factor. For every face ‘6’, add one Taint of Chaos
to the creature.
Trait: Gutter Runner Trait: Ripping Teeth

Effect When these creatures attempt to hide in urban and Effect
When these creatures deal Damage, they can force
underground environments, they flip the results to
a foe to Resist a Takedown.
succeed at Stealth Tests.
Trait: Fanged Maw Taint of Chaos: Barbed Spines

Effect Effect Whenever you successfully use a Takedown, you
Attacks made bare-handed gain the Entangling
also deal Damage as if you were using a bare-
Quality.
handed weapon.
STEP IX: ATTACK PROFILE APs needed to be spent to load should also be included,
such as Load (1 AP). Simply multiply the Short Distance
Now it is time to consider what sort of Attack Profile your by two to calculate Medium Distance and multiply the
creature will use. First, we need to talk about a general set Short Distance by three to calculate Long Distance.
of definitions wich will help you model normal weapons
DAMAGE & QUALITIES: Total Damage should be
from ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE or help
automatically calculated from Primary Attributes and
you create weapons or attacks of your own design that are
Traits, along with any particular Qualities a creature’s
perhaps unique to your new creature. This will include all
weapons might possess. If it is a non-standard Damage
calculations from the entry, so you have a reference point
determination (such as from a Trait), mark it as being
when using it in combat. Additional details include the
Special. In these cases, you will need to refer to the creature’s
following:
Traits to better understand what occurs in place of standard
MELEE & RANGED WEAPONS: The Attack Profile Damage.
begins first with any melee or ranged weapons a creature
TRADITIONAL WEAPONS OR
might possess. Following the proper name of the weapon
NATURAL WEAPONS?
is the creature’s Base Chance of Success to use the weapon
Some creatures use melee and ranged weapons (particularly
(before Difficulty Rating is factored in).
those who stand upright and have prehensile appendages).
DISTANCE & LOAD: Although not all creatures have Reflecting in their weapon entries is trivial, referencing
both melee and ranged weapons, you will note that the what has already been described in the Trappings chapter of
listing for Distance should include whether it is a melee or ZWEIHÄNDER. However, other creatures will use some
ranged attack. Distance always includes the Short Distance form of natural weapon. The classification of the creature
listing for ranged weapons, such as (ranged 8 yards). Any will determine which natural weapons are available. Natural
253
attacks are not necessarily ‘balanced’ in terms of its assigned

ABYSSAL CREATURE NATURAL WEAPONS
Risk Factor, so if you feel the tables below are too limited,
feel free to borrow cross-classification. NAME EFFECTS
Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) •
If your creatures use weapons, simply enter them into the Bull-like Horns Damage [BB] • Pummeling, Reach, Slow,
creature’s Attack Profile. You may also combine this with Vicious
natural weapons, but use the guideline below to limit your Distance (ranged 1+[PB] yards) • Load (1
Corrosive Bile
selection: AP) • Damage [CB] • Slow
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB]
Demonic Beak
BASIC RISK FACTOR: 1 natural weapon • Pummeling, Punishing, Slow
INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR: 1 to 2 natural Deplorable Claws

Distance (melee engaged) • Damage
[CB] • Fast, Finesse, Powerful, Vicious
weapons
ADVANCED or ELITE RISK FACTOR: 1 to 3 Dire Penetration Damage [AB] • Entangling, Fast, Finesse,
natural weapons Vicious
Euclidean Strike
QUICK NOTE: Do not calculate final Damage for [AB] • Finesse, Weak
weapons yet, as you will be looking at other parts of the Distance (melee engaged) • Damage
Eviscerating Pincer
Creature Profile to determine final values. [CB] • Slow, Vicious
Fire Hooves
• Fast, Immolate, Pummeling
Fleshy Whips Damage (None) • Entangling, Ineffective,
Fast, Reach
Halitosis Bite
[AB] • Fast, Finesse
Hellbite
[CB] • Entangling, Slow, Weak
Simple Melee Distance (melee engaged)
Higher Demonic Claws • Damage [BB] • Pummeling, Vicious,
Slow
Distance (ranged 6+[PB] yards) • Load (1
Hyperbolic Fluctuation
AP) • Damage [AB] • Finesse, Weak
Immolating Claws Damage [CB] • Immolate, Punishing,
Reach, Vicious
Lashing Tail
• Pummeling, Punishing, Slow
Lower Demonic Claws
[AB] • Fast, Vicious
Penetrating Tongue Damage [CB] • Entangling, Fast, Finesse,
Reach, Vicious
Ragged Claws
• Fast, Pummeling
Distance (ranged 3+[PB] yards) • Load (0
Spire Fire
AP) • Damage (Special) • Shrapnel
Undulating Tentacles
Damage [CB] • Reach, Vicious
Distance (ranged 3+[PB] yards) • Load
Wall Crawler Reach (1 AP) • Damage (None) • Entangling,
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CHAPT
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ANIMAL CREATURE NATURAL WEAPONS Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) •

Spiked Tail
Damage [CB] • Reach, Slow, Powerful
NAME EFFECTS Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [AB]
Talons
Large Critter Bite or Distance (melee engaged) • Damage • Finesse, Slow, Vicious
Claws [CB] • Slow, Weak Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [AB]
Terrible Teeth
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage • Fast, Finesse, Vicious
Mandibles
[CB] • Fast, Vicious Distance (melee engaged or 3+[PB] yards)
Thrashing Tentacles
Rending or Horrendous Distance (melee engaged) • Damage • Damage [CB] • Powerful, Reach
Bite [CB] • Fast, Vicious Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB]
Vicious Bite
Small Critter Bite or Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] • Slow, Vicious, Weak
Claws • Pummeling, Slow Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] •
Vile Claws
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] Pummeling, Slow
Swarm Attack
• Fast, Powerful, Pummeling Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) •
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage Vorpal Claw Damage [CB] • Punishing, Reach, Slow,
Talons & Beak Vicious
[CB] • Powerful
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage Distance (ranged 3+[PB] yards) • Load
Tentacles or Pincers Wall Crawler Grasp (1 AP) • Damage (None) • Entangling,
[CB] • Fast, Entangling, Weak
Terrible Bites or Claws
[CB] • Finesse, Punishing, Vicious
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage HUMANOID & MUTANT CREATURE
Tusks NATURAL WEAPONS
[CB] • Fast, Powerful, Vicious
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage NAME EFFECTS
Vampiric Fangs
[CB] • Fast, Vicious
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB]
Bog Claws
Distance (ranged 3+[PB] yards) • Load • Fast, Vicious, Weak
Wall Crawler Spinneret (1 AP) • Damage (None) • Entangling,
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [AB]
Ineffective, Throwing Eviscerating Claws
• Fast, Finesse, Vicious
Yellow Teeth Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] •
[CB] • Fast, Vicious, Weak Flailing Branch
Entangling, Pummeling, Slow
Distance (ranged 1+[PB] yards) • Damage
Fluorophore
BEAST CREATURE NATURAL WEAPONS (None) • Entangling
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] •
NAME EFFECTS Mutated Antlers
Pummeling, Slow
Claws & Teeth Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] •
Pummeling, Vicious Mutated Hooves
Pummeling, Powerful, Slow
Dull Hoof Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB]
• Pummeling Mutated Horns
• Pummeling, Powerful, Punishing, Slow
Distance (melee engaged or 6 yards) •
Lashing Tail Distance (ranged 3+[PB] yards) • Load (1
Damage [BB] • Pummeling, Slow
Pseudopod Glob AP) • Damage [BB] • Slow, Pummeling,
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] • Throwing
Powerful Bite
Pummeling, Slow
Pseudopod Tentacle
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB] Entangling, Fast, Pummeling
Ragged Claws
• Slow, Vicious
Ragged Teeth
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [AB] • Entangling, Pummeling, Slow
Ragged Talons
• Finesse, Weak
Stomach Maw
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] • • Vicious, Punishing
Razor Fin
Pummeling, Weak
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [AB] Tail Vertebrae Damage (None) • Entangling, Ineffective,
Sharp Beak
• Fast, Finesse, Vicious Reach
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB] Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) •
Snapping Jaw
• Punishing, Slow, Vicious Tail Whip Damage [BB] • Entangling, Pummeling,
Reach
255
Terrible Claws
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] • GETTING CREATIVE!
Pummeling, Slow There are a host of Qualities within both ZWEIHÄNDER
Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • and MAIN GAUCHE. You can use the table below to craft
Thundering Claws Damage [BB] • Pummeling, Powerful, your own natural weapons. Simply choose 1 to 3 Qualities,
Reach
name the natural weapon your creature uses and enter it
Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • into the Attack Profile on the Character Profile sheet.
Tyrant Spike Damage [BB] • Fast, Reach, Powerful,
Pummeling, Vicious DISTANCES: If it is a melee natural weapon, assume it
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] • has a Distance of (melee engaged), unless it is of a Large
Unhinged Jaw or Huge size. In that case, give it a Distance of (melee
Pummeling, Weak
engaged or 1 yard). If it has a ranged natural weapon, give
it a Distance of 1+[PB], 3+[PB], 6+[PB] or 9+[PB].
SUPERNATURAL CREATURE
NATURAL WEAPONS
NAME EFFECT
NAME EFFECTS
Whenever weapons of this Quality are held in two hands
Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • Adaptable
instead of one for Attack Actions, add +1 to Damage.
Branch-like Claws Damage [BB] • Entangling, Pummeling,
Slow Weapons of this Quality cannot be Disarmed from their
Arming
wielder.
Cold Touch
Pummeling, Slow, Weak Weapons of this Quality can be loaded and fired while
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB] standing in an Engagement. Furthermore, these weapons
Earthen Fisticuff Artillery force foes to flip the results to fail whenever they attempt
• Slow
to Dodge or Parry an attack made with an Artillery
Distance (ranged 3+[PB] yards) • Load weapon.
Elemental Lash (2 AP) • Damage [BB] • Entangling,
Pummeling Whenever a foe is threatened with Disarm with a weapon
Binding of this Quality, they suffer a -10 Base Chance when
Distance (ranged 6+[PB] yards) • Load ( 2 Resisting its effects.
Elemental Slash
AP) • Damage [AB] • Entangling, Finesse
A wielder of a weapon with this Quality cannot Charge,
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB]• Brace
Ghastly Touch Maneuver or Run.
Entangling, Pummeling, Slow, Weak
Whenever weapons of this Quality successfully Parry a
Gnashing Teeth & Claws melee weapon with the Finesse Quality, its wielder can
• Slow, Vicious
spend 1 Action Point (called AP throughout the rest of
Breaker
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB] this chapter) to force the attacking foe to Resist with a
Iron-hard Fists
• Vicious Warfare Test. If they fail, the foe’s weapon gains the
Ruined! Quality.
Phantom Limb (1 AP) • Damage [CB] • Entangling, Shields and weapons of this Quality add a +10 Base
Throwing Defensive
Chance to Parry.
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] • Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired, it affects
Ragged Talon
Pummeling, Slow, Weak multiple targets in a Burst Template. In addition, Detonate
Detonate
Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • weapons always inflict a Grievous Injury whenever a
Redcap Claws target suffers Damage.
Damage [BB] • Pummeling, Slow, Weak
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB] Immediately after Taking Aim at a foe, weapons and
Stinging Tentacle Distraction
• Entangling, Fast, Pummeling shields of this Quality force the foe to Resist Dirty Tricks.
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [CB] Immediately after striking a foe, weapons of this Quality
Stunted Claw
• Slow, Weak force a foe to Resist either a Chokehold or Takedown. In
Entangling addition, whenever a foe is threatened with a Chokehold
Teeth & Claw or Takedown with this weapon, they must flip the results
• Slow, Vicious, Weak
to fail when Resisting its effects.
Tooth & Nail Whenever a foe is struck by weapons of this Quality, they
Pummeling, Slow, Weak Fast
suffer a -10 Base Chance to Dodge or Parry.
Vampiric Claw After a foe is struck with a weapon of this Quality, both
Punishing, Slow, Weak
the foe and one other combatant who is Engaged with
Distance (melee engaged) • Damage [BB] Fiery
Vampiric Talon them must succeed at a Coordination Test or be set On
• Pummeling, Slow, Weak Fire.
Wall Crawler Grasp (1 AP) • Damage (None) • Entangling,
256
CHAPT
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Weapons of this Quality always reference [AB] whenever Whenever a foe is struck by weapons of this Quality, they
Finesse Slow
dealing Damage, instead of [CB]. gain a +10 Base Chance to Dodge or Parry its Damage.
Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired, it affects Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired, it affects
multiple targets in a Burst Template. The Gas effects multiple targets in a Burst Template. The Smoke’s effects
Gas
remain immobile for 1D10+1 minutes, but a heavy wind remain immobile for 1D10+1 minutes, but a heavy
will disperse it after one minute has passed. wind will disperse it after one minute has passed. Those
Smoke
who stand inside or fire into the Smoke cannot use the
Weapons of this Quality can be loaded and fired while
Medium or Long Distance values of ranged weapons,
standing in an Engagement. Furthermore, these weapons
Gunpowder while attacks made with weapons or Magick outside of
cannot be Dodged or Parried. Finally, they explode on a
Engaged suffer additional penalties to strike.
face ‘1’ or ‘6’.
Weapons of this Quality do not have a Medium or Long
After a foe is struck with a weapon of this Quality, they Throwing
Distance increment for ranged weapons.
must succeed at a Coordination Test or be set On Fire.
Immolate
The weapon is immediately extinguished after a successful Weapons of this Quality grant an additional 1D6 Chaos
attack, until relit. Vicious Die to determine whether a wielder inflicts an Injury
upon a foe.
Weapons and shields of this Quality cannot deal Damage
Ineffective
or inflict Injuries. When a wielder Critically Fails an Attack Action or
Perilous Stunt using weapons of this Quality, roll a 1D6
Whenever weapons or shields of this Quality are held in
Chaos Die. On a result of ‘1’ to ‘5’, the weapon misfires,
Light your off-hand when attacking with a melee weapon in
Volatile requiring an hour to clean and repair. On a result of
your primary hand, add +1 to Total Damage.
face ‘6’, it explodes, destroying the weapon and dealing
Weapons of this Quality gain a +5 Base Chance to strike. 2D10+2 Damage from fire to its wielder. This Damage
Maker’s Armor of this Quality reduces its Encumbrance Value cannot be Dodged, Parried or Resisted.
Mark by 2 (to a minimum of 1). Shields of this Quality add a
Ranged weapons of this Quality can be fired up to nine
passive +1 to Damage Threshold Modifier. Volley
times without having to spend APs to load.
Immediately after striking an Engaged foe, weapons of
Weapons of this Quality can only inflict Moderate or
Powerful this Quality force a foe to Resist with Toughness or be Weak
Serious Injuries, never Grievous Injuries.
shoved out of the Engagement.
Weapons of this Quality must be Loaded with
Weapons of this Quality always refer to [BB] whenever
gunpowder and shot, along with a pyreshot of Wytchfyre,
inflicting Damage, instead of [CB]. Pummeling weapons
in order to be used. After a foe is struck with this
Pummeling can only inflict Moderate Injuries, never Serious or Wytchfyre
weapon, they must succeed at a Coordination Test or be
Grievous Injuries. Finally, Pummeling weapons cannot be
set On Fire. Finally, a foe suffers 3 Corruption whenever
used to cause Bleeding.
they suffer Damage from these weapons.
Immediately after striking a foe, weapons of this Quality
Punishing may add a 1D6 Fury Die to Total Damage in exchange for
spending 1 additional AP on this Turn.
Weapons of this Quality may strike a foe a wielder is
Engaged with or standing one yard away from outside of
Reach an Engagement. In addition, foes who are armed with a
Reach weapon can make an Opportunity Attack whenever
someone Charges or Runs toward them.
After being fired, weapons of this Quality force its
wielder to Resist with Toughness or be shoved out of
the Engagement. If they Critically Fail this Skill Test,
they also suffer an Injury, based on their current Damage
Recoil Condition. If Moderately Wounded, they suffer a
Hyperextended Elbow; if Seriously Wounded, they suffer
from a Stress Fracture; and if Grievously Wounded, they
suffer a Splintered Elbow. Finally, these weapons require
three ammunitions to Load instead of one.
Ranged weapons of this Quality can be fired up to three
Repeating
times without having to spend APs to load.
Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired, it affects
Shrapnel
multiple targets in a Cone Template.
Whenever a weapon with this Quality is fired, it affects
multiple targets in an Explosion Template. In addition,
Siege
Siege weapons always inflict a Grievous Injury whenever a
target suffers Damage.
257
Our Demodog is of an Intermediate (Medium) Risk Factor, which means we can choose one or two natural weapons.
We also know that it is of the Abyssal classification, so we have chosen Halitosis Bite and Lower Demonic Claws for
its natural weapons:
ATTACK PROFILE
Base Melee or Ranged

Weapon Load Damage Qualities
Chance & Distance
Lower Demonic Claws 70% Melee engaged AP 2D6 + [ ] Fast, Vicious
Halitosis Bite 70% Melee engaged AP 2D6 + [ ] Fast, Vicious
STEP X: FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

It is time to wrap up your Creature Profile! Follow these
steps to bring it to a close:
DODGE VALUE: Remember, if your creature is not
wearing armor, apply the Natural Quality to its Dodge,
indicated in brackets
PARRY VALUE: If the creature has a natural weapon,
do not calculate Parry (unless you feel your creature is an
exception to the rule).
TAINTS OF CHAOS: The trait of Foul Mutation
indicates your creature has a certain number of Taints of
Chaos. Taints usually change Primary Attributes, alter
weapon Qualities or have a miscellaneous effect which
needs to be accounted for in the final calculations. Taints
of Chaos and their revised listings with effects are covered
in the Appendix.
TRAPPINGS: Does your creature have trappings? If so,
pick a handful that makes sense. Try to keep these within
the boundaries of your world economy. If a creature has no
trappings, mark this entry as None.
TREASURE: Does the creature have its own treasure it
holds dear? If so, you may wish to give them other treasure
and coins, as described in Loot & Lucre from the Bestiary
chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER.
FINAL CALCULATIONS: A combination of Primary
Attributes, Bonus Advances, Traits and Taints of Chaos
will ultimately affect all the calculations for your creature.
Go back through the nine steps of the creature creation
process and calculate all the additive bonuses in the
Creature Profile before making the final adjustments.
258
CHAPT
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CREATURE TYPE DEMODOG SPELLS None
CLASSIFICATION Abyssal GENERALIST

PETTY
SIZE Large (2D6 Fury Dice for Damage)
Intermediate (Medium)
LESSER
RISK FACTOR
ROLE Boss GREATER
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

50% [5] 50% [7] 45% [8] 50% [5] 40% [5] 45% [4] 35% [3]
Bonus
      
Advances
SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES
Damage Peril
Initiative Movement Parry Dodge Risk Factor
Threshold Threshold
+8 11 10 (16/22/28) 7 (13/19/25) - 45% (Natural) Intermediate (Med.)
Skill Athletics +10, Awareness +10, Coordination +20, Eavesdrop +10, Intimidate +20, Navigation +10, Resolve +20, Scrutinize +10, Simple
Ranks Melee +20, Stealth +20, Survival +20
ATTACK PROFILE

Chance & Distance
Lower Demonic Claws 70% Melee engaged AP 2D6 + [8] Fast, Vicious
Halitosis Bite 70% Melee engaged AP 2D6 + [8] Fast, Vicious
Trait: Dark Sense Trait: Masterfully Adroit

Effect Effect These creatures refer to their [AB] for all Damage
These creatures can see in the dark. they inflict with weapons. They also have factored
in +3 to their [AB].
Trait: Foul Mutation Trait: Natural Armor (3)

Effect When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Effect
Chaos Dice if it has a Basic Risk Factor; 2D6
These creatures have factored in a bonus to
Chaos Dice if an Intermediate Risk Factor; 3D6 if
their Damage Threshold, equal to the value in
an Advanced Risk Factor; or 4D6 if an Elite Risk
parentheses.
Factor. For every face ‘6’, add one Taint of Chaos
to the creature.
Trait: Gutter Runner Trait: Ripping Teeth

Effect When these creatures attempt to hide in urban and Effect
When these creatures deal Damage, they can force
underground environments, they flip the results to
a foe to Resist a Takedown.
succeed at Stealth Tests.
Trait: Fanged Maw Taint of Chaos: Barbed Spines

Effect Effect Whenever you successfully use a Takedown, you
Attacks made bare-handed gain the Entangling
also deal Damage as if you were using a bare-
Quality.
handed weapon.
259
NON-PLAYER the player Characters to engage with the NPC, but without
CHARACTER CREATOR the need to provide them with full stats. This approach
is suitable for most NPCs the player Characters will
While it is assumed that a non-player Character (called a encounter in your grim & perilous game.
NPC here on out) shares all of the same characteristics as
COMPLEX: By joining the descriptors above, you will
player Characters (Skill Ranks, Bonus Advances, Talents,
create a fully-fledged NPC with an entire array of attributes.
etc.), it may not always be necessary to generate a complete
This is suitable for NPCs prepared to enter combat or other
Character from the ground up. We will show you in the
tense situations with the player Characters where their stats
steps below how to create memorable NPCs, regardless of
are likely to be needed.
whether they are a scurrilous serf, a sniveling sycophant or
a svelte sultan. FIVE SENTENCE NPCS
Regardless of the Approach, we need to give the NPC five
TWO APPROACHES, TWO SITUATIONS descriptors, each as a brief statement which together define
We have two approaches to show you on how to create a the most important details about them. The first defines
NPC. One to fit a particular narrative situation, the other both why the players and their Characters should care about
to create a fully-fledged NPC. Regardless of the approach, the NPC and how you think your NPC would be in a social
you will use the new NPC Profile sheet, which is included situation. The of second, third and fourth each encapsulates
in the Appendix and as a form-fillable PDF format online. precisely how you could describe the NPC to the players at
Be sure to print one out before you get started! the table. The final descriptor provides distinct mechanical
details about the NPC, these being what you would refer to
NPC CREATOR OVERVIEW whenever the players use Skill Tests for their Characters to
interact with them.
What follows is a brief overview of the step-by-step process
which you can follow to create your own custom NPCs:
For example, we want to create Solomon Kane, the puritanical
firebrand found in the stories of Robert E. Howard. Using
Step I: Determine Approach
this system, we would describe him thusly – note that items
Step II: Persona & Identity identified in bold font are variables determined by you:
Step III: Age Group & Ancestry
1. ‘A dour English Puritan and redresser of wrongs.’
Step IV: Appearance & Social Class
2. Solomon Kane is an adult human male.
Step V: Motivation
3. He is of tall height and a slender build for a human,
Step VI: Archetype & Alignment but with pale skin.
Step VII: Primary Attributes 4. He is dressed modestly for someone of the Burgher
Step VIII: Skill Ranks class, & has beady eyes and lanky hair.
Step IX: Bonus Advances 5. He is of the Warrior Archetype, driven by Judgement
and is Order-Aligned.
Step X: Talents
Step XII: Additional Options Despite the Approach you choose, you may always stop
Step XIII: Trappings at the end of the Simple Approach or continue onwards
to Complex Approach. Regardless of the Approach, move
Step XIV: Final Considerations onto Step II to continue creating your NPC.
STEP I: DETERMINE APPROACH
Initially, you need to decide how well-defined you want the
NPC creation process to be. There are two options, Simple
and Complex. Regardless of the Approach you choose, you
may can always stop at the end of the Simple Approach or
continue onwards to Complex Approach.
SIMPLE: You will use this approach to create a NPC with
enough narrative descriptors to have a mechanical effect
upon the story with mechanics. This gives you enough for
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STEP II: PERSONA & IDENTITY IDENTITY

Now that you have set the baseline expectations for the
This is the second step for the Simple Approach, but perhaps
NPC’s Persona using the descriptors, it is time to move
the most important one. Using just a few words, either a
onto two important pieces of background.
descriptor or a short sentence, you will communicate to
your players why their Characters should care about the NAME: Now that you have defined the NPC’s persona,
NPC. These should be reasons that transcend a collection you need to give them a name. You may even have in mind
of mundane words and categorical descriptors. a name for them. The name may be inspired by novels you
have read, video games you have played, other tabletop
PERSONA role-playing games you have ran or movies you have
Building unique character personality types is tough; it watched. There really are no strict naming conventions
is easier for players to gravitate towards useful character you should follow. However, it is worth noting what sort
personalities they can recognize from movies, TV shows of impressions the name may leave on your players in
and books. However, be aware the further you stray from case they conflict with what sort of Character you wish to
the media they know and consume, the less likely your present them with. Always consider the campaign’s milieu
players will recognize the personality or flair that makes and the naming conventions you have used before to set
the NPC easily identifiable in their heads. You know your the right tone. Selecting a name such as Bobby Badass may
players best. For example, current affairs may resonate with not fit within the context of a campaign set during the War
some players, whereas pop culture references may work of the Roses, but perhaps Bold Robert would. Similarly, silly
with others. For the former, you might describe your NPC’s names such as Carlos the Dwarf, Pierce the Dickish or
persona as “Elon Musk as a mad scientist rising from the Karlore the Mayor of Wizard Township are likely to be
slums”, but for the latter, you might say, Rupert Angier in unacceptable unless the tone of your campaign is also silly
the book The Prestige. or humorous. When in doubt, select something evocative
that rolls off the tongue easily.
While traditional fantasy archetypes can influence your
decision here, there is a wide, diverse array of other personas Real world names tend to work, particularly if they evoke
that transcend the age-old and tired tropes such as ‘ranger the age of old antiquity (Germanic-sounding names
girl with bow who hates cities and orcs’. Do not be afraid work well for those playing a campaign set in the world
to lean on Hollywood or television personalities to that evokes ZWEIHÄNDER’s source material). Picking
better define what your NPC’s persona names with several consonants or unpronounceable
will be like. From our home game, we words may be a problem for some players and
had a folksy NPC named Jim Dandy, like picking silly names, may break their
a notorious liar and slickster. When suspension of disbelief in your game world.
writing his persona, it was written as Nevertheless, do not be afraid to get creative!
“Andy Bernard from The Office, but Evocative and colorful names such as Ser
with a Southern drawl and a sinister, Sebastian Bastian, Blixa Killbride, Grover
Mad Hatter-like twist”. This allowed the Huckster or Little Lars the Ninefinger
the GM to think about the NPC’s have a distinct ring to them; ones that are
mannerisms (bad humor), the way he not easily forgotten.
spoke (with a “Savannah accent, which SEX & PRONOUN: This game
is more like molasses just sorta spillin’ makes no basic intellectual, physical
out of your mouth”) and his sense of or spiritual distinctions between
humanity (self-involved/capricious). females and males of any Ancestry.
The same goes for transgender
Once you have decided upon your NPCs, regardless of their gender
NPC’s persona, write it down under identification. Any social inequalities
Persona. You should refer back to these in the campaign world should be owned
five descriptors as you work through the and addressed by you with players.
remainder of the creation process as it
will help you better define your NPC. Write down the Name and Sex on the NPC
Remember: this may change throughout Profile. Be sure to indicate the Pronoun you
the course of gameplay. Amend as feel is appropriate in the fields.
necessary.
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D100 MALE NAMES D100 FEMALE NAMES

1 Adelard 35 Georgii 69 Mikail 1 Aggora
2 Agnore 36 Gilgarion 70 Moldof 2 Alane
3 Alanin 37 Giselbert 71 Mormecar 3 Aldis
4 Alcanix 38 Gloringwa 72 Narien 4 Altronia
5 Alexi 39 Grani 73 Nitzer 5 Anikka
6 Artur 40 Grinwold 74 Olanis 6 Anya
7 Asan 41 Gunnulf 75 Orri 7 Arwin
8 Asvald 42 Hardt 76 Pavel 8 Aslaug
9 Balboa 43 Harrond 77 Rana 9 Baeju
10 Baltar 44 Hedeon 78 Ravandril 10 Beatrix
11 Bogdahn 45 Heinrich 79 Reinholdt 11 Belle
12 Bram 46 Hensil 80 Richart 12 Bera
13 Camring 47 Hobi 81 Rudger 13 Berchte
14 Dankmar 48 Hrosskell 82 Rulde 14 Beryll
15 Dima 49 Ichabod 83 Salvik 15 Bingjaz
16 Dmitri 50 Imhol 84 Selkollr 16 Brigirt
17 Dolwen 51 Iorveth 85 Sergei 17 Brunhilda
18 Dunfjall 52 Ivan 86 Sigmir 18 Carla
19 Edmund 53 Jorgle 87 Sigurt 19 Cordelia
20 Edwin 54 Karl 88 Skeggi 20 Cutka
21 Egdor 55 Kaspar 89 Skialg 21 Elandor
22 Egor 56 Kelta 90 Stein 22 Elenwe
23 Einheit 57 Ketilbiorn 91 Svartgeirr 23 Emme
24 Elror 58 Killian 92 Thalos 24 Engela
25 Erasmus 59 Kolbein 93 Tolman 25 Eponia
26 Eredor 60 Kollskegg 94 Torberg 26 Errgha
27 Erling 61 Kostantin 95 Urdithane 27 Finduelis
28 Farnoth 62 Kristof 96 Viktor 28 Fluli
29 Fillip 63 Laurenor 97 Voltz 29 Gabby
30 Foros 64 Levin 98 Vyach 30 Galadwen
31 Frey 65 Link 99 Zeidle 31 Gayle
32 Fyodor 66 Luppolt 100 Zoltan 32 Gertrude
33 Garald 67 Markcha 33 Giselbert
34 Gaul 68 Matheus 34 Gretla
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35 Grima 69 Prisco For our NPC, we have an idea in our head what this
36 Gudfrid 70 Ragna
person is like. They are suited for a grim & perilous world,
therefore they have been ‘physically & psychologically
37 Hilda 71 Rilia scarred, with a gravelly voice with no sense of humor
38 Hilde 72 Rosabella
but drags their foot as they walk’. We’ll name the NPC
Danziger Eckhardt – the misfortunate protagonist at
39 Hildegard 73 Rowena the beginning of both ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN
40 Hlif 74 Ruela
GAUCHE. His name was inspired by the band Danzig,
the term ‘edgelord’ (that seems to fit the tongue in
41 Hrafnhild 75 Sadrilil cheek joke-ish nature of ZWEIHÄNDER) and thus
42 Ildrin 76 Salina
his surname Eckhardt). In our home game, he went by
the moniker ‘Sunshine’ because his personality was so
43 Iludir 77 Sibbe dour. Now, imagine what sort of impact our protagonist
44 Ingunn 78 Sigrid
would have if he was simply called Danziger Sunshine.
Would it instill the same sense of respect, reverence or
45 Irrgha 79 Steinunn caution that Eckhardt would connote?
46 Janna 80 Styrlaug
47 Jarjeen 81 Tallana
48 Jilly 82 Tallana
49 Jimja 83 Tarkha
50 Klare 84 Thordi
51 Lena 85 Thorfrithr
52 Liessa 86 Thraslaug
53 Lindo 87 Tilda
54 Lucia 88 Torporza
55 Lucinda 89 Unn
56 Lucretia 90 Vadandre
57 Magi 91 Vaklana
58 Marta 92 Verina
59 Mina 93 Vivandrel
60 Muriel 94 Wulfhilde
61 Nianna 95 Xena
62 Ogrila 96 Ylarfa
63 Orrgha 97 Yrrgha
64 Pansy 98 Yuviel
65 Pelegrane 99 Zagba
66 Perplopa 100 Zelda
67 Phee
68 Poppy
263
Physically & psychologically scarred, with a gravelly voice with no sense of humor; drags his foot as
PERSONA he walks.
NPC Name Age Group Ancestry Sex

Danziger Eckhardt is a(n) male.
Pronoun Height Build Ancestry Complexion

He is of stature & a build for a , but with .
Pronoun Manner of Dress Social Class Distinguishing Marks

for someone class,
He is dressed of the & has .
Pronoun Archetype Motivation Alignment

Archetype,
He is of the & is
driven by .
ANCESTRY
STEP III: AGE GROUP & ANCESTRY Humans are the default Ancestry for most grim &
perilous worlds, but you may want to select a specific or
AGE GROUP random Ancestry when making a NPC. Ancestry is also
Use what you have decided as your NPC’s persona to an important factor in determining a NPC’s Skill Ranks,
determine their age. Age has no immediate impact to their Bonus Advances and Talents when taking the Complex
Primary Attributes. Also, note that we have purposefully Approach to NPC creation.
omitted specific age ranges and instead use general terms
for Age Groups. As a GM, you may have your own idea If you do not have a specific idea as to what the Ancestry
about how life expectancy and number of years categorized of your NPC should be, you can randomly determine
by age varies by Ancestry. Ancestry by using the table below. Once you determine the
Ancestry of your NPC, mark it under the relevant fields for
Age Group also determines the number of Distinguishing Ancestry.
Marks your NPC might have when you create them. In
addition, if you are using the Complex Approach rather D100 ANCESTRY
than the Simple Approach, it will also determine the 1 to 15 Dwarf
number of Skill Ranks, Bonus Advances and Talents your
NPC will possess later in the process. 16 to 32 Elf
33 to 49 Gnome
NUMBER OF 50 to 66 Halfling
DISTINGUISHING
D100 AGE GROUP MARKS 67 to 83 Human
1 to 25 Young None 84 to 100 Ogre
26 to 70 Adult 1
Even though Danziger’s stories seem to indicate that
71 to 90 Middle Aged 2
he has lived a long (yet misfortunate) life, Danziger is
91 to 100 Elderly 3 barely 21 years of age. At the time of the opening story,
he was but a youth. For now, we will place him in the
Adult Age Group. Danziger Eckhardt lives in the great
city of Kahabro upon the continent of Goth Moran; a
world that is treated as mostly humanocentric. Thus, we
have chosen human for his Ancestry.
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PERSONA he walks.

Danziger Eckhardt is a(n) adult human male.
He is of stature & a build for a human , but with .

for someone class,
He is dressed .
of the & has

Archetype,
He is of the & is .
driven by
STEP IV: APPEARANCE D100 COMPLEXION

& SOCIAL CLASS
1 to 10 Pale skin
It is now time to determine the baseline appearance of your
11 to 20 Fair skin
NPC. The Character creation section in ZWEIHÄNDER
contains a number of specific appearance options to help 21 to 30 Light skin
further round out a Character’s description. We have
31 to 40 Light tan skin
simplified the information here, as well as added a few
more options to help you create individual NPCs. 41 to 50 Tan skin
51 to 60 Dark tan skin

Using the tables below, select their Height, Build,
Complexion and Manner of Dress. Also, be sure to select 61 to 70 Light brown skin
up to three Distinguishing Marks, based on the NPC’s
71 to 80 Brown skin
Age Group. Alternatively, you can use the tables below to
randomly determine your NPC’s appearance. Write all of 81 to 90 Dark brown skin
the relevant details down in the NPC Profile.
91 to 100 Ebony skin
D100 HEIGHT TYPE

D100 MANNER OF DRESS
1 to 20 Short
1 to 25 Shabbily
21 to 79 Normal
26 to 70 Modestly
80 to 100 Tall
71 to 90 Fashionably
91 to 100 Extravagantly
D100 BUILD TYPE
1 to 20 Frail
21 to 40 Slender
41 to 60 Normal
61 to 80 Husky
81 to 100 Corpulent
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D100 DISTINGUISHING MARKS 41 Golden lock of hair
1 Abnormally white teeth 42 Harelip
2 Abundance of freckles on face 43 Hooked nose
3 Acne-scarred face 44 Horse-faced
4 Additional toes or fingers 45 Humpbacked
5 Almond-shaped eyes 46 Incredibly beautiful

47 Itchy scabies bites
6 Asexual appearance
7 Ashy elbows
48 Jaundiced complexion
8 Balding pate 49 Lanky hair
9 Beaded mustachio 50 Large and hairy mole
10 Beady eyes 51 Large nose
11 Beauty mark on face 52 Large red birthmark on arms
12 Big ears 53 Lazy eye
13 Blood-shot eyes 54 Leathery countenance
14 Bow-legged walk 55 Lichtenberg scar
15 Branded with cattle iron 56 Long eyelashes
16 Broken nose 57 Long moustache
17 Buck-toothed or snaggle-toothed 58 Long sideburns
18 Bulging eyes 59 Milky eye
19 Burn scars on face and arms 60 Mismatched eye color
20 Bushy eyebrows 61 Missing an eyebrow
21 Carefully-groomed beard 62 Missing fingers
22 Cherubic face 63 Nervous tic
23 Clammy hands 64 Older-looking face
24 Claw marks over face 65 Painted beard
25 Covered in black moles 66 Pallid countenance
26 Curly locks of hair 67 Patch of white hair
27 Devilish goatee 68 Perfect posture
28 Different colored eyes 69 Perpetual sneer
29 Dimpled cheeks 70 Perpetually deep frown
30 Doll-like face 71 Piercing eyes
31 Drooping eye 72 Pigeon-toed stance
32 Dry, flaking skin 73 Pot belly
33 Ear half-missing 74 Pox scars all over body
34 Embarrassing acne scars 75 Pronounced brow
35 Embarrassing tattoo on face 76 Purple bags beneath eyes
36 Excessive body hair 77 Rancid breath
37 Eyes too far apart 78 Rash of pimples
38 False finger 79 Rheumy eyes
39 Farmer’s tan 80 Six-fingered hand
40 Glasgow smile 81 Slouchy posture

82 Spiked mohawk
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83 Squinting eyes or false eyepatch run from serfdom – servitude not far removed from slavery.
Lowborn are a simple, superstitious lot, unburdened by
84 Steely gaze
formal education or training. This rustic demeanor can be
85 Strong jaw a solace amongst the like-minded, but others view it with
86 Sunburn scars bemusement or disdain.
87 Sunken eyes BURGHER: The NPC grew up amongst a family that
88 Tanned, leathery skin has broken free from the feudal order, a member of the
89 Tarred and feathered burgeoning middle class called the Burghers. The growth
of commercialism and the capacity to make money in the
90 Terribly crooked teeth
towns and cities have provided them with two freedoms the
91 Vacant expression Lowborn lack – the freedom to make their own choices and
92 Veteran’s nose the freedom to forge their own life without the patronage
93 Vulgar tattoo
and protection of the Aristocracy. Lawyers, doctors and
other academicians are often of the Burgher caste. Money
94 Weak chin
is not everything, but it can certainly grease the wheels, as
95 Wears spectacles it were, as all but the wealthiest of Burghers can afford the
96 Webbed hands and feet same social network as their betters within the Aristocracy.
97 Widow’s peak
Because they are not required to ‘play at court’ with
their betters, Burghers instead dedicate their spare time
98 Wind-chapped cheeks
to crafts, hobbies and the world around them. Perhaps
99 Yellow scum on teeth more so than any other Social Class, Burghers possess a
100 Yellowed fingernails and toenails unique opportunity, the chance to better themselves and
rise above their station. However, not everyone appreciates
SOCIAL CLASS the freedom that Burghers enjoy or the sweeping social
Social Class plays a large part in the way the NPC was changes this freedom may herald.
raised, the social conventions they adhere to and what ARISTOCRAT: The NPC was born to a family whose
actions they consider to be acceptable. It also affects the name can be traced back to the nobility of old. The influence
vocabulary they use to communicate and the way in which and renown of their lineage can be a significant boon; they
they communicate. Referring to someone by their first name may be able to call upon powerful allies or even command
may be acceptable amongst the Lowborn, but a Lowborn subjects to assist them when needed. Their life has also
addressing a Highborn person, even an Aristocrat, is likely afforded them many luxuries, including food, clothing and
to cause offense. Altogether, this should further color how other comforts. Many are highly educated, girls typically
your NPC would interact with the player Characters and being sent to formal finishing schools, while the boys are
react to what they say and do. expected to study under the sometimes knuckle- wrapping
tutelage of schoolmasters – though there are always
Each Social Class has been painted with a broad brush, exceptions. Whatever their schooling, aristocrats are always
leaving them open to interpretation. The fundamental well-versed in the nuances of high society and maintaining
differences between them are likely to vary from culture one’s courtly appearance.
to culture.
LOWBORN: The NPC was born poor and never found a Patronage, ambition, climbing the social network and an
way to raise themselves above their station. From morning array of responsibilities define the differences between the
to night, their days have been spent in backbreaking labor Aristocracy and the nouveau riche Burgher. Aristocrats
beneath the sun, barely making enough to put food on exercise certain freedoms others cannot afford. It is common
the table. They likely work six days a week with only the for them to express an interest in the arts and hunting for
Sabbath or other special holy days providing respite from sport, but some dedicate themselves to understanding
labors. The Lowborn live in constant deference, humble in the sciences and literature, perhaps sponsoring artists
spirit, but hearty in lifeblood for what meager riches they and scientists for the prestige it brings them. Whatever
can gather from their hardscrabble existence. The Lowborn their pursuits, Aristocrats display a degree of eloquence
also tend to be meek and small, shying away from their and refinement that frequently inspires resentment or
betters, which works well when standing before lord discomfort among those who did not share a similar
such-and-such. Yet it also allows them to move around upbringing.
unnoticed, which is an advantage for any peasant on the
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Once you determine the Social Class of your NPC, mark

it under Social Class. Alternatively, you can randomly Danziger comes from a stock of tall folk who are tanned
determine its by using the table below. from centuries of working under the blazing sun and
pouring rain. He is of tall statue, husky build and has a
dark tan complexion. In addition, he is shabbily dressed
D100 SOCIAL CLASS and has burn scars on his face and arms. His limited
1 to 60 Lowborn vocabulary, his having lived amongst society’s castoffs
and having made his living from committing murder-
61 to 90 Burgher
for-hire, Danziger Eckhardt carries himself with the low
91 to 100 Aristocrat expectations and rough manners of the lower classes.
Thus, we will select Lowborn as his Social Class.
PERSONA he walks.

He is of tall stature & a husky build for a human , but with dark tan skin.

He is dressed shabbily for someone of the Lowborn class, & has burn scars on face and arms.

Archetype,
He is of the Revelation & is
driven by .
STEP V: MOTIVATION no, they do so with an end goal in mind. Each Motivation
gives you a keyword you can refer to when the player
What drives a NPC to commit certain acts or dedicate Characters interact with each NPC, while each also gives
themselves to a particular cause or purpose, will vary you an idea whether the player Characters share a common
from NPC to NPC. They may have suffered a lifetime of bond or goal with them. Ultimately, a NPC’s Motivation
hardship, enjoyed an upbringing of luxury and indulgence, is an excellent tool to enhance role-playing, using it as a
been subject to a social slight or been indoctrinated from ‘north star’ to guide you when the NPC is faced with moral
childhood. So one NPC might want to bring down the dilemma.
social order, another to accumulate wealth, another to
embarrass an equal and another to fulfill the aims of the foul Although we recognize that some of these Motivations are
daemon they worship through wanton acts of adoration apparent in their meaning, we have copied and expounded
and sacrifice. These drives create a defining purpose for upon their original entries from ZWEIHÄNDER below.
your NPC, called a Motivation. A NPC is not restricted to
ABSOLUTION: Those who are driven by this Motivation
one Motivation and they may be driven by several different
seek to be redeemed through their actions, either to a
agendas and may even have odd urges. For example, it is not
mentor, peer or perhaps a god. They will often go to great
unknown in a grim & perilous world for an Aristocrat to
lengths and sacrifice others, to guarantee that they are given
want to maintain their luxurious lifestyle while also serving
clemency for their crime. And crimes committed along the
the aims of some daemonic cult. The question is, which is
way… well, those too will be absolved.
more important to them?
ASCENDANCY: Whether for moral dominance or from
Roleplaying and portraying these Motivations is vital when a position of power, these people will stop at nothing to
creating deep and compelling NPCs. For instance, villains maintain their status quo. Slipping backwards is not an
do not simply scheme for the mere purpose of being evil; option, forward momentum is their goal. Those who stand
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in their way can become allies or be simply trampled over. ons often circle around the charitable. But they, too can
DECORUM: Propriety is paramount, as seemliness be used – perhaps the philanthropy of the kind-hearted is
leads to a better end. While they maintain airs in front dispensed if only to cover up their true crimes.
of others, it may all be a show, meant to hide their darker LEGACY: They must leave something behind, whether
predilections behind closed doors. In public and before it be an esteemed name, reputation, commemorations or
their peers, however, they must appear astute and reputable. their seed. Heritage means everything to them, going to
DEFIANCE: Every cause is worth dying for and the great lengths to know everyone knows about their victories
defiant will harp endlessly on about what they feel is just and achievements. This may mean erecting temples in their
and right. Their sense of true justice may be skewed by their name or racking up a murder count that would make the
inability to give ground or call it quits. Even in the face of most heinous of criminals blush.
danger, they remain resolutely disobedient. METAMORPHOSIS: Change and evolution are all
DESTRUCTION: Those given to this Motivation care that matter. Evolving from where they are now into
little for the world and would rather see it burn than something else is the only way to live. Being upjumped
flourish. While they may not take an active hand to help from their current circumstances, growing in their duties
kindle the fire, they are certainly not going to toss a and responsibilities or transmutation into something less
bucket of water on it when it starts to burn everyone and human would fulfill their intent.
everything around them. NIHILISM: Life means nothing. Do what you want.
DOMINION: Territorial and haughty, these folk believe Party as you like. Steal to your heart’s content. It may also
their home is their castle. And, perhaps even your castle mean that one predisposed to such entropic desires care
is their castle. They broker no deals nor make allegiances little if their own goods are stolen. However, it would prove
unless it strengthens their sovereignty over what they hold a great test of faith to see what little property they have
most precious. taken by another.
EMANCIPATION: Freedom and choice are the PEACE: An end to hostilities is the only way to pure
watchwords of this Motivation. Free thought and enlightenment. But, peace is not always sown by making
independence are keys to make society better. They may deals with their enemies. Sometimes, peace can only be
even foment rebellion or support illegal activities to see achieved forcibly through tyranny. This may not suit every
that personal freedom is achieved, but are not afraid to peacenik, but plenty of rulers use moments of chaos as a
enslave others to see their ideology is met. way to enforce harmony with violent reprisal.
HOMAGE: Those who are motivated by Homage do PERFECTION: Infatuation with their looks or
aught else, but emulate the behaviors of a peer. Succor, capabilities drives these people to places others might
adoration and obsequiousness are often the descriptors not like. They abhor others who may be comparable to
of those who care nothing of themselves, but live only to themselves. They may spite others’ faces for their perfect
appease others. noses – and simply cut it off to wear as their own. Or
perhaps they hide their inadequacies behind a carefully
INNOVATION: Those who thrive on discovery embark prepared veneer of makeup and rouge.
upon an endless quest of self-fulfillment. Innovators may
be friendly naturalists or murderous magicians, hell-bent REVELATION: The word of gods or the universe, will
on creating a new world for themselves. They hold dear teach everyone else what it means to be faithful. Only a
their achievements and may stop at nothing to see others few are worthy of knowing the truth and no others may
fail in their footsteps. understand the complications that are to come but those
awaiting Revelation.
JUDGEMENT: Standing upon high, they believe there
is only one truth in this world – their own. Whether SECRECY: Obfuscation of the truth and staying out of
empowered by the state or by a god, their shrewdness is the limelight, suits them just fine. Those obsessed with
matched only by reasonable arguments. It is rare that they Secrecy would rather not attract attention from others,
entertain the ideas of others’ in this regard, given that especially if it would raise the ire of witch hunters seeking
they discriminate indiscriminately against others’ sense of out the heresy they practice.
prudence. VENERATION: They seek to be worshipped, whether for
LARGESSE: Generous to a fault, they dispense favors personal achievements, adoration of their physical selves or
and gold ceaselessly. Their munificence is well-regarded hero-worshipped by soldiers. There have been many kings
by their friends. Unsurprisingly, sycophants and hanger- and priests who have desired to be worshipped as gods born
upon earth, but a rare few ever deserved such attentions.
269
VENGEANCE: A right must be wronged and they will

stop at nothing to see it happen. Once the wrong is righted, At first Danziger searched for coin, but then he decided
however, some borne upon this path may continue a twisted truth was more powerful than cash. In order for him to
game of finding yet more wrongs to be righted. Many a be able to wield the power of truth, he would have to
masked vigilante have been led astray to seek vengeance. seek it out using steel and avarice. For that, we would
select Revelation as his Motivation.
Once you determine the Motivation of your NPC, mark
it under Motivation. Alternatively, you can randomly
determine it by using the table below.
D100 MOTIVATION
1 to 5 Absolution
6 to 10 Ascendancy
11 to 15 Decorum
STEP VI: ARCHETYPE &
16 to 20 Defiance ALIGNMENT
21 to 25 Destruction ARCHETYPE
For the Simple Approach, we only choose a NPC’s
26 to 30 Dominion Archetype, not an individual Profession. This will provide
you with a generic term you can assign to the NPC if the
31 to 35 Emancipation player Characters ask and it also provides you with the
starting point for their full stats (such as Primary Attributes,
36 to 40 Homage Skills and Talents) if you decide to develop the NPC using
the Complex Approach.
41 to 45 Innovation
Choose from Academic, Commoner, Knave, Ranger,
46 to 50 Judgement
Socialite or Warrior. Once you determine the Archetype
of your NPC, mark it under Archetype. Alternatively, you
51 to 55 Largesse
can randomly determine it by rolling on the table below.
56 to 60 Legacy D100 ARCHETYPE

1 to 15 Academic
61 to 65 Metamorphosis
16 to 32 Commoner
66 to 70 Nihilism
33 to 49 Knave
71 to 75 Peace 50 to 66 Ranger
67 to 83 Socialite
76 to 80 Perfection
84 to 100 Warrior
81 to 85 Revelation
ALIGNMENT
86 to 90 Secrecy Just as the player Characters themselves will be drawn
betwixt Order and Chaos, so too will the NPCs they
91 to 95 Veneration interact with. However, NPCs are a touch more linear in
their thinking. Either they side with the cause of Order and
96 to 100 Vengeance the needs of society around them or they are drawn to the
selfish needs of Chaos.
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WHY ALIGNMENT? Once you determine the Alignment of your NPC, mark
Take a moment to decide just how the NPC came to be it under Alignment. Alternatively, you can randomly
drawn towards Order or Chaos. Was their Motivation born determine it by using the table below.
from it? A quick glance at their history will show a passion
for something, whether it be food, lucre, comfort, kindness, D100 SOCIAL CLASS
battle, knowledge or even salvation. It is important to 1 to 50 Chaos-Aligned
consider the broader strokes of what the NPC seeks, as
51 to 100 Order-Aligned
gameplay itself (and your decisions) will decide
whether their pursuit is pure or corrupt.
CHAOS-ALIGNED: If a NPC is prone to internal SIMPLE APPROACH COMPLETE
conflict, madness and unfiltered sentiment, then they will Congratulations! You have created your first NPC. Be
be drawn to the Chaos Alignment. They are likely to give sure to share any NPC you design over on the Grim
into baser things, perhaps becoming a mirror of the cruelty & Perilous Library, our community content portal at
they once trembled from. Perhaps it is a simple matter of GrimAndPerilous.com. However, if you wish to move on
the madness of this world being reflected in them, but and further flesh out your NPC with a full line of stats,
dissonance, uncertainty and discord are reflected in those move onto the next step.
who are Chaos-Aligned.
With the power of his own flesh and wherewithal,
ORDER-ALIGNED: On even the rockiest of
Danziger’s life became one filled with blood and iron.
outcroppings, a wildflower blooms, a sign of stubborn life
He was no wordsmith, but he had a way to make
refusing to bend or submit. Despite the circumstances or
others ‘understand’ him using violence and avarice.
perhaps because of them, a NPC possesses an inner strength
We will choose the Warrior Archetype for Danziger.
which refuses to be extinguished. Harmony, stability and
It is Danziger’s endless search of truth and power that
hierarchy are reflected in those who are Order-Aligned.
allowed a small handful of cultists to take him down. For
this reason, we will make him Chaos-Aligned.
PERSONA he walks.

He is of tall stature & a husky build for a human , but with dark tan skin.
He is dressed shabbily for someone of the Lowborn class, & has burn scars on face and arms.

He is of the Warrior Archetype, driven by Revelation & is Chaos-aligned.
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PRIMARY ATTRIBUTE DISTRIBUTION BY ARCHETYPE
PRIMARY
ATTRIBUTES ACADEMIC COMMONER KNAVE RANGER SOCIALITE WARRIOR
Combat 40 35 40 45 40 50
Brawn 35 50 40 40 35 45
Agility 40 45 50 40 40 35
Perception 45 40 45 50 45 40
Intelligence 45 40 40 40 45 40
Willpower 50 40 35 45 40 45
Fellowship 40 45 45 35 50 40
STEP VII: PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

At this point, you have determined that because you want MAKING FULLY-FLEDGED NPCS
your NPC to have the necessary stats and skills needed to
If you are interested in creating a custom NPC using
fully enter combat and other tense situations, a Complex
the same approach as you would in building a player
Approach is needed rather than a Simple Approach. This,
Character, refer to Creation Overview of the Character
and the following steps, will guide you to further develop
Creation chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER. Then marry
and create your NPC.
that concept to Starting At A Higher Tier in the Game
Mastery chapter therein.
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES
We have taken the liberty of assigning Primary Attributes
to Archetypes for a quick approach to NPC creation.
Simply look at the table below and assign the Primary
Attributes that are relevant to the NPC’s Archetype. Then,
record it under the relevant fields. You will also see brackets
following the values in the white space. Do not adjust
the NPC’s Primary Attribute Bonuses just yet, as Bonus
Advances and Taints of Chaos from the Appendix may
change these values.
For further customization, assign these values to your NPC

as you see fit: 50%, 45%, 45%, 40%, 40%, 40% and 35%.
We already determined that Danziger Eckhardt is of

the Warrior Archetype. Thus, we have distributed his
Primary Attributes as follows:
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

50% [ ] 45% [ ] 35% [ ] 40% [ ] 40% [ ] 45% [ ] 40% [ ]
Bonus
Advances
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STEP VIII: RISK FACTOR

Every NPC is classified by the estimated level of the danger ELITE RISK FACTORS
they represent to the player Characters. This classification
As previously noted, NPCs with the Elite Risk Factor
is called their Risk Factor. In addition, when Notch is
are leagues ahead of others. Elite NPCs have 50% in
combined with Risk Factor, this gives you an idea of how
most of their Primary Attributes, save for one Primary
powerful a NPC is and how many Skill Ranks, Bonus
Attribute, which is 55%. Make the modifications
Advances and Talents they may have. This methodology
accordingly.
follows the same standards as annotated earlier in the
Creature Creator.
Once determined, write down the Risk Factor on the

NPC Profile, along with their Notch.
Danziger Eckhardt is something not to be trifled with.

He has been marked for death, has undergone horrific
cult activities and learned to survive on the streets of
Kahabro – both above and below. We also want Danziger
to be challenging enough for three or more Characters.
To reflect this, we made him of the Intermediate Risk
Factor with the (Medium) Notch.
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

50% [ ] 45% [ ] 35% [ ] 40% [ ] 40% [ ] 45% [ ] 40% [ ]
Bonus
Advances
Damage Peril
Threshold Threshold
+ ( / / ) ( / / ) %( ) %( ) Intermediate (Med.)
Skill
Ranks
STEP IX: SKILL RANKS As before, ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE use
a ‘bounded accuracy’ model to reduce potential bloating of
When making the initial assignment of Skill Ranks to numbers at higher Risk Factors and Tiers. This means that
your NPC, several factors will influence how you do this. there are specific limitations to the number of Skill Ranks
These include, but are not limited to, what Archetype they you may assign to any one Skill:
are in, their combat readiness, general economic standing,
behaviors and the place they occupy in the world, as well NPCs with a Basic Risk Factor cannot have more than
as the story you want to tell and flavor you want the NPC one Skill Rank in the same Skill.
to have. NPCs with an Intermediate Risk Factor cannot have
more than two Skill Ranks in the same Skill for
Intermediate Risk Factor.
273
NPCs with an Advanced or Elite Risk Factor cannot

have more than three Skill Ranks in the same Skills.
NPCs do not have Skill Focuses whatsoever.
Danziger Eckhardt has an Intermediate (Medium)

Risk Factor. Therefore, he cannot have more than two
Skill Rank (+20) in any Skill he possesses. Let’s use
Martial Melee as our example; if he has a Basic Risk
Factor instead, Danziger could have only one Skill Rank
(+10) in Martial Melee; if he has an Intermediate Risk
Factor, Danziger could have up to two Skill Ranks (+20)
in Martial Melee; and finally, if he has an Advanced or
Elite Risk Factor, Danziger could have up to three Skill
Ranks (+30) in Martial Melee.
A combination of Risk Factor and Notch will cap the

maximum number of Skill Ranks you can assign to the
NPC. Follow these guidelines to determine how many Skill
Ranks you can assign. Remember, this is the maximum
number of Skill Ranks a NPC can possess across all of their
Skills. You need not select all Skill Ranks, unless absolutely
necessary:
BASIC RISK FACTOR

(Low) Notch: up to 4 Skill Ranks
INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR


(High or Unique) Notch: up to 30 Skill Ranks
SELECTING SKILL RANKS: We have assigned Skill

Ranks to each Archetype, however they only serve as a
guide. If there are a few Skill Ranks you think your NPC
should have, feel free to select Skill Ranks not indicated on
the list.
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SKILL DISTRIBUTION BY ARCHETYPE
SKILL ACADEMIC COMMONER KNAVE RANGER SOCIALITE WARRIOR

Alchemy 
Athleticst   
Awareness    
Bargain     
Charm  
Coordination  
Counterfeit   
Disguise  
Drive  
Eavesdrop  
Education  
Folklore      
Gamble   
Guile   
Handle Animal  
Heal   
Incantation 
Interrogation   
Intimidate   
Leadership   
Martial Melee 
Martial Ranged   
Navigation   
Pilot  
Resolve     
Ride    
Rumor      
Scrutinize  
Simple Melee      
Simple Ranged      
Skulduggery 
Stealth    
Survival   
Toughness   
Tradecraft  
Warfare  
275
BASIC RISK FACTOR

Danziger Eckhardt has an Intermediate (Medium) Risk
Factor, which means we have 17 Skill Ranks to assign. (Low) Notch: up to 3 Bonus Advances
We also know that because of his Intermediate Risk (Medium) Notch: up to 5 Bonus Advances
Factor, he cannot have more than +20 assigned to any (High) Notch: up to 7 Bonus Advances
one Skill. We’ve already decided that he is going to be
well-versed in swordsmanship. We also know we want
him to be a tough sonofabitch and an inconsummate INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR
gambler, but frail of mind. Thus, we have assigned (Low) Notch: up to 10 Bonus Advances
Danziger’s 17 Skill Ranks as follows:
(High) Notch: up to 14 Bonus Advances
Athletics +20, Awareness +20, Folklore +20, Gamble +10,
Skill Resolve +10, Rumor +20, Martial Melee +20, Simple Melee
Ranks +20, Toughness +20, Warfare +10 ADVANCED or ELITE RISK FACTOR
(Low) Notch: up to 17 Bonus Advances
STEP X: BONUS ADVANCES (Medium) Notch: up to 19 Bonus Advances
Now, it is time to begin assigning Bonus Advances to your (High or Unique) Notch: up to 21 Bonus Advances
NPC. Bonus Advances are added to Primary Attribute
Bonuses to calculate their final Primary Attribute Bonus Danziger Eckhardt has an Intermediate Risk Factor and
value. This means you apply Bonus Advances to [CB], [BB], a Combat attribute of 50%. This means his [CB] is 5,
[AB], [PB], [IB], [WB] and [FB] as final modifiers to prior to modification by any Bonus Advances. Therefore,
determine the ultimate values for all Secondary Attributes. he cannot have more than four Bonus Advances
assigned to [CB] because of his Risk Factor. If Danziger
ASSIGNING BONUS ADVANCES Eckhardt had a Basic Risk Factor instead, he could
Deciding which Bonus Advances to assign will define how have up to two Bonus Advances assigned to [CB]. And
precisely the NPC’s Secondary Attributes influence how it finally, if Danziger Eckhardt were of Advanced or Elite
functions. As ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE Risk Factor, he could have up to six Bonus Advances
use a ‘bounded accuracy’ model to reduce potential bloating assigned to [CB].
of numbers at higher Risk Factors and Tiers, there are
specific limitations on the number of Bonus Advances you
can assign to any one Primary Attribute: Once decided, assign Bonus Advances to the NPC. We
recommend that you do not calculate the final Primary
You may assign Bonus Advances to one or more Attribute Bonuses yet, as their Talents and Taints of Chaos
Primary Attribute Bonuses. So, if you have three may change these values. Instead, use a check mark below
Bonus Advances to assign, you could add them to the each Primary Attribute to indicate how many Bonus
same Primary Attribute Bonus or split them up among Advances were assigned, so you can make final adjustments
multiple Primary Attribute Bonuses. at the end of this process.
NPCs with a Basic Risk Factor cannot have more than SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: As with Primary
two Bonus Advances in the same Primary Attribute. Attributes, a NPC’s Secondary Attributes are calculated in
NPCs with an Intermediate Risk Factor cannot have the same fashion as they are on the player Character sheet:
more than four Bonus Advances in the same Primary To determine Initiative, add 3 + [PB].
Attribute.
To determine Movement, add 3 + [AB]. Remember, a
NPCs with an Advanced or Elite Risk Factor cannot NPC’s Movement rate is the number of yards they can
have more than six Bonus Advances in the same move in combat.
Primary Attribute.
To determine Peril Threshold, add 3 + [WB].
In addition, a combination of Risk Factor with Notch will To determine Damage Threshold, add [BB] to any
cap the maximum number of Bonus Advances you can Damage Threshold Modifier they gain from armor.
assign to the NPC. Follow these guidelines to determine
Of all Secondary Attributes, Encumbrance Limit is
how many Bonus Advances can be assigned:
the least important. Ignore it for creating NPCs.
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CHAPT
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Parry is equal to the highest Combat-based Skill the Find the specific Risk Factor your NPC belongs to and
NPC has, while Dodge is equal to their Coordination assign Talents to the NPC.
value.
SELECTING TALENTS: We have assigned suggested
Danziger has an Intermediate (Medium) Risk Factor, Talents to each Archetype. However, these suggestions are
which means we have 12 Bonus Advances to assign. We only a guide. If there are a few Talents you feel the NPC
also know that because of his Risk Factor, he cannot should have, select ones not indicated on the list.
have more than four Bonus Advances assigned to any
one Primary Attribute. We know Danziger is going to be
particularly dangerous in a fight and from his harrowing
adventures, has learned a number of dark secrets not
intended for mankind. Thus, we have defined Danziger’s
12 Bonus Advances as the following:
STEP XI: TALENTS

NPCs possess a number of Talents which can affect their
general abilities, their combat abilities and their non-
combat abilities. However, Talents may also represent
additional abilities which you will need to refer to while
playing the NPC. Unless specified otherwise, you can use
Talents in combat freely without having to dedicate Action
Points to those Talents. Any Talents which change the
NPC’s Profile and Attack Profile should be factored into
the NPC Profile sheet.
ASSIGNING TALENTS
Your choice of Talents will define how precisely the NPC’s
Secondary Attributes influence how they function. As
ZWEIHÄNDER and MAIN GAUCHE use a ‘bounded
accuracy’ model to reduce potential bloating of numbers at
higher Risk Factors and Tiers, there are specific limitations
to the number of Traits you can assign to a NPC:
BASIC RISK FACTOR

(Low) Notch: up to 1 Talent
(Medium) Notch: up to 2 Talents
(High) Notch: up to 3 Talents
INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR

❖ (Low) Notch: up to 4 Talents
❖ (Medium) Notch: up to 5 Talents
❖ (High) Notch: up to 6 Talents

(Low) Notch: up to 7 Talents
(Medium) Notch: up to 8 Talents
(High or Unique) Notch: up to 9 Talents
277
TALENT DISTRIBUTION BY ARCHETYPE
TALENTS ACADEMIC COMMONER KNAVE RANGER SOCIALITE WARRIOR

Æthereal

Alignment
Ambidexterity    
Appalling  
Arbalest’s Speed  
Azimuth  
Bad Axx! 
Battle Magick 
Beatdown  
Blood Magick 
Carousing    
Cheap Shot  
Clinch Fighter  
Determination    
Die Hard   
Doppelganger  
Eagle Eyes  
Fencer’s Panache  
Forked Tongue   
Gallows Humor    
Gangster Grip 
Gatecrasher 
Ground & Pound  
Gruesome Shot  
Handspring  
Hard To Kill   
Higher Mysteries 
Holdout  
Housebreaker 
Impenetrable Wall 
Impervious Mind   
Indifference   
Incredible
 
Numeration
Instincts    
Kidney Shot   
Knifework     
Larceny  
Left-handed Path 
Lightning
 
Reaction
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TALENTS ACADEMIC COMMONER KNAVE RANGER SOCIALITE WARRIOR

Light Sleeper   
Long-winded   
Mariner   
Menacing

Demeanor
Meeting Of The
 
Minds
Military Formation 
Mine Craft  
Mounted Defense  
Multilingual  
Nerves Of Steel   
No Mercy  
Overwhelming

Force
Run Amok 
Rural Sensibility  
Saddle-born    
Second Skin 
Secret Signs    
Shield Slam 
Shoot From The
 
Hip
Siegecraft  
Silver Tongue  
Spirited Charge   
Sprint   
Strangler’s Union 
Streetwise  
Strong Jaw  
Supernatural
   
Paranoia
Sword & Board 
Take ’em Down  
There Will Be
 
Blood
Tough As Nails   
True Grit   
Winds Of Change   
Worldly   
279
PROFESSIONAL TRAIT: Add Professional Traits.

Danziger has an Intermediate (Medium) Risk Factor, In addition, you can add Special Traits and Drawbacks
which means we have five Talents to choose. We also as well:
know that because of his Archetype, we can choose from
the Warrior table. In addition, we selected the Talents ❖ BASIC RISK FACTOR: 1 Professional Trait
of: Clinch Fighter, Indifference, No Mercy, There Will ❖ INTERMEDIATE RISK FACTOR:
Be Blood and Tough As Nails. 2 Professional Traits
❖ ADVANCED RISK FACTOR: 3 Professional
Talent: Clinch Fighter Traits
Effect You penalize your foe’s ability to Resist a Chokehold
and Dirty Tricks by a -10 Base Chance to their Skill
TAINT OF CHAOS: Taints usually change
Test. In addition, when you use a Chokehold, add an Primary Attributes, alter weapon Qualities or have
additional 1D10 to determine how much physical a miscellaneous effect which needs to be accounted
Peril you inflict. for in the final calculations. Roll 1D6 Chaos Dice if
Talent: Indifference the NPC has a Basic Risk Factor; 2D6 Chaos Dice
if the NPC has an Intermediate Risk Factor; 3D6 if
Effect When viewing blood-soaked and visceral scenes of
death, you always succeed at Resolve Tests to with-
an Advanced Risk Factor; and 4D6 if an Elite Risk
stand their potential psychological effects (such as with Factor. For every face ‘6’, add one Taint of Chaos to the
Stress, Fear and Terror) and do not suffer Corruption NPC and adjust their revised listings with Effects that
due to such scenes. are detailed in the Appendix.
Talent: No Mercy MAGICK: If your NPC can use Magick, adhere
Effect
to the guidelines previously spelt out above under
the Magician Role in the Creature Creator, save for
When you Injure a foe with a melee weapon, you
inflict two Injuries instead of one. the fact that NPCs should always be required to use
reagents when casting Magick.
Talent: There Will Be Blood Danziger’s ancestors have intermingled their blood
Effect with the Dwarves of the mountains. Therefore, we’ll
You roll an additional 1D6 Chaos Die to determine if select Rune-Marked Glory for his Ancestral Trait. For
you Injure foes. Professional Traits, we will give him Wharf Rat from
the Stevedore Profession and Jailhouse Rock from the
Convict Profession.
Talent: Tough As Nails
Effect
STEP XIII: TRAPPINGS
You no longer suffer Moderate Injuries, remaining
uninjured as a result. What sort of objects does your NPC carry on them? Their
Archetype, as well as their skills and talents should suggest
what possessions they have. Does your NPC have any
STEP XII: ADDITIONAL OPTIONS weapons or armor that they carry to defend themselves
with? Do they need particular tools for their trade? Do
While the Complex Approach is designed to avoid the they have something the player Characters might want to
need to roll up a whole character for a NPC, you may wish purchase – goods or services? Is there something in their
to further distinguish your NPC. Use any of these options Archetype, skills or talents which might serve to assist or
as you see fit: hinder the player Characters, for example, the means to
bind wounds (or cause them)? How much money do they
ANCESTRAL TRAIT: Add any one Ancestral Trait.
regularly carry to make change with or lose if their purse
The Ancestral Trait will be dictated by the Ancestry
is cut? Lastly, do they have any sort of iconic trapping that
of the NPC. However, if you want the NPC to be of
sets them apart?
mixed blood, simply choose the Ancestral Trait from
the other Ancestry.
When deciding what items a NPC possesses, be sure to
consider whether or not it makes sense for a Socialite to
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CHAPT
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be wearing Munitions plate or for a Warrior to carry an STEP XIV: FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
alchemy kit. Only record trappings that are most relevant
to their Persona and what they. Do not worry about It is time to wrap up your NPC Profile! Follow these steps
tracking what sort of clothing they have as an example. It to bring it to a finish:
is only important to track those possessions which you feel DODGE VALUE: If the NPC is not wearing any sort of
are most relevant to the personality of the NPC. armor, be sure to apply the Natural Quality to their Dodge
CASH ON-HAND: As there are the three tiers of money value and indicate its application in parenthesis. If the
per Social class, your NPC may have the following available NPC is wearing armor of the Heavy Quality, be sure to
on their person. eliminate their Dodge value all together (unless a Talent or
Quality allows them to.
SOCIAL CLASS CASH ON-HAND PARRY VALUE: If the NPC is using a bare-handed
weapon, do not calculate Parry (unless you feel your NPC
Lowborn 3d10+3 brass pennies (bp) is an exception to the rule).
Burgher 2d10+2 silver shillings (ss) TAINTS OF CHAOS: The trait of Foul Mutation
Aristocrat 1d10+1 gold crowns (gc) indicates the NPC has a certain number of Taints of Chaos.
Taints usually change Primary Attributes, alter weapon
Qualities or have a miscellaneous effect which needs to
FINERIES: You may decide that your NPC wears
be accounted for in the final calculations. Taints of Chaos
something valuable that is indicative of their Social Class,
and their revised listings with effects are detailed in the
such as a ring, locket or brooch. If the NPC is of some
Appendix.
importance in the community, as an example, it may make
sense to have them wear something that distinguishes them ATTACK PROFILE: If your NPC use weapons, simply
from other members of their Social Class. For example, a enter them into the Attack Profile, as indicated in the
local mayor might wear their chain of office, a member of NPC Profile.
a chivalric order might wear a badge bearing its device and FINAL CALCULATIONS: A combination of Primary
a cultist might wear an item of jewelry, such as a ring or Attributes, Bonus Advances, Traits and Taints of Chaos
earring. Any one of these items might be indication of their will ultimately affect all the calculations for your NPC.
greater affluence or influence. Review all of the mechanics you have recorded and then
calculate the new values in the NPC Profile before making
FINERY VALUE BY SOCIAL CLASS the final adjustments.
FINERY LOWBORN BURGHER ARISTOCRAT

Since Danziger Eckhardt’s dealings with the cultists in
Armband 3 bp 3 ss 3 gc the Pit, he was afflicted with a Petrified Limb – a result
of slaking his thirst on the putrescent black liquid. We’ll
Bracelet 1 bp 1 ss 1 gc
record this under Taint of Chaos.
Brooch 9 bp 9 ss 9 gc
Earrings 3 bp 3 ss 3 gc
COMPLEX APPROACH COMPLETE!
Locket 12 bp 12 ss 12 gc Congratulations – you have created your first NPC using
the Complex Approach. Be sure to share any NPC you
Necklace 6 bp 6 ss 6 gc
design over on the Grim & Perilous Library, our community
Ring 3 bp 3 ss 3 gc content portal at GrimAndPerilous.com.
Using the Complex Approach, on the next page is our

Danziger Eckhardt escaped from the Pit and has since fully-realized Danziger Eckhardt:
lived on the harsh streets of Kahabro. His trappings will
include: a garrote, two doses of Madame Geneva and a
shiv. In addition, he has 15 brass pennies (bp) for being
of the Lowborn Social Class. Lastly, he owns blood-
stained leather armor and a lochaber axe he pilfered
from a Legate agent.
281
DANZIGER ECKHARDT
PERSONA Physically & psychologically scarred, with a gravelly voice with no sense of humor; drags his foot as he walks.


He is of tall stature & a husky build for a human, but with dark tan skin.

He is dressed shabbily for someone of the Lowborn class & has burn scars on face and arms.

He is of the Warrior Archetype, driven by Revelation & is Chaos-aligned
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

50% [9] 45% [6] 35% [3] 40% [5] 40% [7] 45% [6] 40% [4]
Bonus
           
Advances
Damage Peril
Threshold Threshold
+8 6 8 (14/20/26) 9 (15/21/27) 70% 35% Intermediate (Med.)
Skill Athletics +20, Awareness +20, Folklore +20, Gamble +10, Resolve +10, Rumor +20, Martial Melee +20, Simple Melee +20, Toughness
Ranks +20, Warfare +10
ATTACK PROFILE

Chance & Distance
Garrote 70% Melee engaged 0 AP None Entangling, Fast, Ineffect
Lochaber Axe 70% Melee engaged 0 AP D6 + [9] Adaptable, Powerful
Shiv 70% Melee engaged 0 AP D6 + [9] Fast, Weak
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NPC PORTRAIT Talent: Clinch Fighter

Effect You penalize your foe’s ability to Resist a Chokehold
and Dirty Tricks by a -10 Base Chance to their Skill
Test. In addition, when you use a Chokehold, add an
additional 1D10 to determine how much physical
Peril you inflict.
Talent: Indifference
Effect When viewing blood-soaked and visceral scenes of
death, you always succeed at Resolve Tests to with-
stand their potential psychological effects (such as with
Stress, Fear and Terror) and do not suffer Corruption
due to such scenes.
Talent: No Mercy
Effect
When you Injure a foe with a melee weapon, you
inflict two Injuries instead of one.
Talent: Tough As Nails Talent: There Will Be Blood

Effect Effect
You no longer suffer Moderate Injuries, remaining You roll an additional 1D6 Chaos Die to determine if
uninjured as a result. you Injure foes.
Trait: Fair Share Trait: Jailhouse Rock

Effect Add 3 to your Encumbrance Limit. In addition, Effect
Whenever you Parry a melee weapon, immediately
whenever you negotiate your rate of pay, add your [FB]
make an Opportunity Attack against that same
in the type of coins you will be paid in. For instance, if
opponent. You may only make this attack if you are
you are being paid as a Stevedore (2bp daily) and have a
wielding a melee weapon of the Brawling type.
[FB] of 4, you would be paid 6 bp a day instead.
Trait: Rune-Marked Glory Trait

Effect Whenever you suffer Damage or Peril from Magick, Effect
spend a Fortune Point to ignore it entirely. Note that
this does not alleviate any additional effects the Magick
spell may also cause (such as being caught On Fire or
knocked Prone).
Taint of Chaos: Petrified Limb Taint of Chaos

Effect Effect
You gain either the Veteran’s Hand or Veteran’s Leg
Drawback.
Taint of Chaos Taint of Chaos

Effect Effect
TRAPPINGS
Garotte, leather armor, lochaber axe, two doses of Madame Geneva, pipe with matches, shiv, 15 brass pennies (bp)
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CHAPTER 8 : LIBER OBSCURUS
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CHAP
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◆ LIBER OBSCURUS ◆
n grim & perilous adventures, this comes about by breaking it down into three sections:
I
player Characters are doubtlessly Clues, Leads and Revelations.
going to find themselves being RULE OF THREES: In our approach to Conspiracies,
caught up in investigations of remember these key terms and counts: 3 Clues uncovers
conspiracies. Their involvement 1 Lead. 3 Leads uncovers 1 Revelation. And finally, 3
may find them delving into the Revelations lays bare the entire Conspiracy. You will see
murky, morally-grey politics of how this approach comes to life later in this chapter.
high courts and machinations of
minor lords (consider the works INDEX CARDS: Within a Conspiracy, an investigation is
of George R.R. Martin). They going to turn up a lot of evidence. We strongly recommend
may find themselves trapped in having index cards handy as a means to keep a record of
matters of parochial intrigue, clues for the players throughout the Conspiracy. Much
betwixt a murder within the like the People, Places & Things approach from the Game
hidden halls of a monastery (such as in the book The Name Mastery chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER, this gives players
of the Rose) or a cover-up to hide the truth (the medieval something to constantly reference, refreshing their memory
reign of the female Pope Joan). Perhaps the investigation prior to and during the adventure. Plus, interactive players
will lead them down darker paths, as the Characters uncover may insist on pinning up the cards on a wall, emulating
what drives a killer to wantonly slaughter innocent people a true investigative style beyond the game table! We will
(the Renaissance child-murderer Baron Gilles de Rais), explain later how to use the index cards effectively.
lay bare black allegiances between corrupted Inquisitors
or even track down demon-worshipping cults (paying CONSPIRACY OVERVIEW
homage to WFRP). Conspiracies are part and parcel of Below is a quick guideline for GMs to follow when crafting
the experience GMs can offer their players, dramatically a Conspiracy:
changing standard ‘murder hobo’ adventures into more
Step I: Your Hook
mature games, interweaving complex storylines together
that must be unraveled by the players and their Characters Step II: The Agenda
to resolve the mystery and bring the investigation to its Step III: Clues
(oftentimes) grim conclusion.
Step IV: Leads
RUNNING A CONSPIRACY Step V: Revelations
A Conspiracy is a type of challenge that uses both Step VI: Beyond the Conspiracy
Structured and Narrative Time to frame its encounters. It
is equally as important as Chase Scenes, combat encounters STEP I: YOUR HOOK
and Wilderness Travel. Oftentimes, it blends into the Social Most systems would have you start with the Agenda, but
Intrigue system – and the other aforementioned systems – as that is not important at this stage – you need to first get
its events and the Characters’ investigative efforts play out. your players’ attention. Where does every Conspiracy start?
Within these pages is a set of guidelines a GM can follow At its beginning.
to craft their own Conspiracy to enhance an adventure.
Unlike other systems, however, these guidelines have more Something has gone amiss. Someone is missing.
of a narrative punch, giving advice on how to construct and Somewhere, something does not add up. In the case of
conduct a Conspiracy. We will also show how to map out the book The Name of the Rose, a monk commits suicide,
the Conspiracy and point out the pitfalls to avoid and the leading to the disappearance of his brethren without
way to fix dead ends. In addition, we will weave in examples apparent reason. If we were to look at the real-world
from the adventure found in ZWEIHÄNDER called ‘A Manson Family’s spree of crime through the lens of MAIN
Bitter Harvest’, and other examples from the adventure GAUCHE: A Cult Leader’s cabal commits the heinous
found later in this book ‘There’s Something About Marie’. murder of a Maestro’s pregnant mistress. The members of
Cult may take hostages (who may be there upon their own
Several factors affect how the Conspiracy unfolds, but we free will) or attempt to very publicly murder a well-known
are going to let you in on a little secret: most of the work is aristocrat to further its scurrilous ends. Mysteriously, cattle
in the hands of the player Characters. We will explain how or other domesticated animals keel over in the dead of
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night, without any apparent signs of abuse or mishandling. of a Conspiracy with an action-filled scene immediately
A perfect example can be drawn from ‘A Bitter Harvest’, engages players, drawing them into the story.
where an important shipment of hemp does not make it to
its destination; this is the hook. In ‘There’s Something About Marie’ (contained later in
this book), a young man stumbles upon the Characters’
Why it has happened is not important yet, however defining boat. They do not yet know the young man, but it does play
what the hook is will attract the attention of your players towards their own sense of humanity (the apparent injury of
and draw their Characters into the Conspiracy. Your hook an innocent man). It also could play toward the Characters’
should both be relevant to the Characters’ world and impart sense of self-preservation (a bleeding man may contradict
a human connection. As an example, introducing the their identity as merchants). This example of in media res
murder of an unknown lady or lord without any connection immediately draws the players and their Characters into
to the player Characters may not impress upon them the the Conspiracy as they bite the hook, even if
importance of their death, but the murder of a beloved guild they do not realize it yet.
master who has actively sponsored the Characters might
be. The ill-tidings of a home village mysteriously burnt to STEP II: THE AGENDA
the ground without any provocation or sign of rapine may For every hook, there must be an Agenda,
pull at the Characters’ heartstrings, but the disappearance and for every Agenda there must be a set
of a merchant ship bound for a foreign nation they know of conspirators behind it. Traditionally, an
nothing about or care little for, will not draw the player, let Agenda is an overarching concept that drives
alone their Character, in so readily (unless perhaps there is the Conspiracy. When you create the Agenda, define it in
promise of coin to be had). You do not necessarily need to three very abstract categories. Do not spend too much time
‘go big or go home’ in this respect, but you need to define detailing the Agenda out – keep it broad, so that you do not
your hook as something the Characters would care about box yourself in, and so it remains flexible to accommodate
(thus why it is called a hook!). any new Leads or Clues you decide to introduce later in
START IN MEDIA RES: This Latin phrase translates to the adventure.
‘in the middle’. Using in media res, you begin the Conspiracy
– session #1 – in the middle of the story. Although you As an example, in ‘A Bitter Harvest’, Johanna Steiger seeks
do not have to adhere to this, starting out the beginning to enact revenge against the village of Vorberg (specifically,
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against its men-folk) who sold her and the other women the betterment of the story and enjoyment of the game.
to the Orx WAAAR! Horde, using the remnants of the Should the Agenda seem flimsy, or for some reason appear
same horde that enslaved her, using witchcraft to turn the not be working, rework it (but keep this a secret). Take
tide. To make this happen, she staked out three things to the sum parts of the players’ interactions thus far, together
bring her Agenda to fruition. Although ‘A Bitter Harvest’ with their deductions and change the Agenda to suit
does not necessarily adhere to the Conspiracy Rules their findings, particularly if they are running with some
format, it is easy to understand what Johanna’s Agenda is: outlandish ideas themselves. This will make them feel like
they have agency in the discovery process and gives you
Create an air of chaos in the village of Vorberg by the ability to change it while reinforcing the illusion that
disrupting the business affairs of her ex-husband, you ‘had planned this all along’.
Maximilian Steiger.
Kill the Orx WAAAR! Horde leader, and then enslave
the remainder of the horde with her stew ‘Mother
Knows Best’.
Invade the village of Vorberg, reclaiming it for
Katarina and bringing the menfolk to ‘justice’ at the
end of the Orxish blades.
KEEP IT VAGUE: You have intentionally written a

skeleton of a Conspiracy for a reason: you want the ability
to overlay it into whatever adventure you are writing or
running, you want it to accommodate changes from your
players as you will never be able to totally anticipate what
direction they will go in. In fact, do not be afraid to change
an Agenda mid-Conspiracy, should it make more sense
narratively for the story. Foreshadowing is fine in some
circumstances, but do not muddle players’ minds with too
many details. You have a lot of plates spinning at the same
time. Keep things streamlined – and do not overcomplicate.
TIME IS NOT THEIR FRIEND: Throughout the
player Characters’ investigations, they are likely to run
up against the limitations of time before the Conspiracy
comes to fruition. In the adventure ‘There’s Something
About Marie’, the Wytchstone shipment will arrive within
two days at Minuet. That means the players and their
Characters have got to figure things out quick… but that is
where in media res and your Hook comes into play!
GO FOR BROKE: Your agenda should be imaginative
– do not be so straightforward with the conspirators’
goals. Remember, the villain is the hero in their own eyes,
and their Conspiracy should position them in a fashion
to appear as if they were in the right all along. The more
outlandish the idea, the more likely the players are to run
with it. Keep the boring, staid Conspiracies for one-shots
and short scenarios (where compactness is necessary to
keep the adventure moving), and save the big bad Agendas
for Conspiracies that span an entire campaign.
REDUCE & REFACTOR: Instead of you doing all
of the heavy lifting, listen to your players’ discussions –
both in-Character and out of Character – about what the
Conspiracy is. Take notes and be willing to change for
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WEB OF CONSPIRACY: Construct a loose ‘web’ of

conspirators/masterminds, using a scratch sheet of paper.
Draw solid boxes around the masterminds, dotted line
boxes around conspirator’s henchmen, and avoid aught
else until you have to begin fleshing out who else might
be involved. You can illustrate connections/alliances to
those who are on the periphery by drawing arrows between
NPCs. You may even choose to not spell out who the
masterminds are at this point. But why? It affords you
flexibility later on as Clues are revealed to ‘fill in the blanks’
with NPCs the player Characters come across later. There is
power in not marrying yourself to a defined rogue’s gallery.
In Graeme’s Davis’ third edition of “The Enemy Within”,
he purposely gave the GM liberty to set up who the true
mastermind was, the campaign being peppered throughout
with options to easily adapt one of the three most notable
NPCs as the real mastermind behind the Conspiracy.
Not all adventures will adhere to this policy. You may already
have the conspirators staked out ahead of the campaign.
As an example, in ‘There’s Something About Marie’, you
can draw solid boxes around Zacharias Kohlenfeuer and
Sergeant Winterhalder, whereas Bruno Connard should
have a dotted line box around his name. Direct arrows
point between Zacharias and Winterhalder.
STEP III: CLUES

Every Conspiracy involves both investigative work and
interrogations. Every investigation turns up evidence,
otherwise called Clues. While players will inevitably turn
up hints as to what might be going on in their investigation,
Clues are very different, as they provide material evidence
which leads to the uncovering of a Lead. Finding Clues
should always be very simple and should never be vague.
Do not make players roll Skill Tests to find Clues, as this
will not only stall their Characters’ investigation as they
stop to make the rolls, but also has the potential to thwart
their investigation into the Conspiracy if the players fail
the Skill Tests. Players may simply state “I look for clues”,
and you should let them. It may even be contextual to
the scene. As an example, in ‘A Bitter Harvest’, the player
Characters happen upon a scene of carnage peppered with
black arrows where the hemp shipment was ambushed.
The black arrows indicate some sort of attack. Should the
Characters approach, immediately reveal the fact that they
have found black arrows.
When a Character uncovers a Clue, consider writing it up

on an index card, making sure to give it the same title as
the Clue. Allow enough room on the card for the players to
write their deductions and understanding about that Clue.
Then hand the index card to the players. This card (and its
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Clue) signals to your players that it is something important GM constantly steer the players in the right direction. This
related to the plot – and thus, worth paying attention to. It is where you can have multiple players participate in the
should be included as part of any player handouts and be deduction, and help inform the outcome with Assisted Tests.
available to the players, so that they can refer to the Clue When in doubt which Skill to reference, have them roll a
as they begin to draw their own conclusions about the Scrutinize Test to make a deduction. Here are a few examples:
Conspiracy.
In the adventure ‘A Bitter Harvest’ from
CONTEXTUAL & CONSPICUOUS CLUES: Clues ZWEIHÄNDER, the Characters find cruelly-
are generally contextual to the environment. As an example, barbed, black fletched arrows, an immediate Clue. A
in our previous adventure ‘A Bitter Harvest’, the Characters successful Tradecraft Test would help the players and
embark upon an investigation within the small community their Characters understand the Clue – these arrows
of Vorberg. As they interact with and investigate the were handcrafted by Mutants.
locals, they begin to slowly unravel what happened in the
community a number of years ago. In this instance, you In the new adventure ‘There’s Something About
would reveal the Clue, ‘Mutant Invasion’. Characters will Marie’, Udo stumbles upon their barge, badly bleeding.
sometimes also reveal a Clue by simply being present in the This is called out in the text: Characters will notice he
scene. In the example above from ‘A Bitter Harvest’, the is as pale as a ghost, and grasping his left side where blood
amulet at the grave and around Waldman’s neck are distinct has stained his jerkin. With a successful Heal Test, the
Clues that the players will discover. Characters can deduce that he has been stabbed with a
thin knife, penetrating his lungs.
The only challenge you should present when finding Clues In the aforementioned adventure, the player Characters
is time. For instance, a player Character would be hard- will also notice the stiletto that Sergeant Winterhalder
pressed to uncover a Clue in the middle of combat, however carries at his side, an ‘unusual’ weapon for a Reeve to
they should be able to quickly gather Clues when no other be carrying. With a successful Folklore Test, they can
factors are immediately affecting their ability to find them. deduce that the stiletto is a weapon wielded by an
underhanded or dastardly person.
GIMME A HINT, GM! Depending upon the quality of the success or failure of
their deductive Skill roll, there are four responses you can
Let us face it, sometimes Clues can fly over the use to interpret and track how much the players and their
heads of the players. Whether the GM is being too Characters have learned. The better they roll, the more
ambiguous, players are not paying close enough detail and information a Clue may provide:
attention or the story just is not clicking for them,
the GM may need to spell things out for their players. SUCCESS: Reveal one material hint about the Clue
Adhere to this simple rule, and you will find that that is important to the Conspiracy. Make a check
your Conspiracies take shape faster and move the mark beside the Clue on an index card. Once the
story forward, making your players feel like they are Characters have collected three Clues, it uncovers a
accomplishing something: allow players to spend a Lead. We will talk about Leads next.
1 Fortune Point to deduce a hint about a Clue, but CRITICAL SUCCESS: Reveal two material hints
only when all else fails. Keep this option in your back about the Clue that are important to the Conspiracy.
pocket and use it rarely. Make a check mark beside the Clue on an index card.
Once the Characters have collected three Clues, it
uncovers a Lead. We will talk about Leads next.
FAILURE: The Clue reveals nothing for now, but the
players and their Characters may try again after they
find another Clue or uncover a Lead or Revelation.
UNDERSTANDING CLUES
Although you never have a player roll to have their Character CRITICAL FAILURE: The Clue reveals nothing
find a Clue, you will have them make a Skill Test to deduce for now, but the players and their Characters may try
important information (hints) about it. These deductions again after they find another Clue or uncover a Lead
reveal more evidence, giving them an idea on how or Revelation. The Character whose player rolled the
to continue the investigation and drive Critical Failure also suffers 1D10+1 mental Peril from
the story forward without having the Stress.
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WHAT IS A LEAD?
INVESTIGATOR’S A Lead is a correlation between three Clues. As Clues are
contextually related to one another, so must the Lead provide
“TRUE DETECTIVE” TRAIT
a conclusion that the Characters can draw from the three
The investigator has a Professional Trait which can Clues. Using the example provided in ‘There’s Something
play an important role when the Conspiracy Rules About Marie’, the Characters uncover three Clues before
come into play. Whenever an investigator uses their they ever reach Minuet. By using their deductive Skills,
True Detective Trait and the player spends a Fortune they reveal important, contextual information about three
Point, treat their understanding of a Clue as if it were Clues: Udo’s knife wound, Sergeant Winterhalder’s stiletto
a Critical Success. and the scroll case. If the Characters are able to use their
Skills to understand all three of these Clues, the GM can
immediately reveal a Lead: “Without a doubt, Sergeant
Winterhalder, his Crooked Reeves and the Twin Trout are
connected to the shipment, and silenced Udo Gébler over the
illegal shipment.” This is the way in which Leads should be
UNDERSTAND CLUES WITHOUT revealed most of the time.
ROLLING: Through discussion and role-
play, players may come up with deductions Leads are always contextual. Do not marry yourself to a
of their own without rolling a Skill Test for precise determination of what that Lead is, but be sure
their Characters. Should they guess right, that it is plain enough for players and their Characters to
allow them to make an immediate deduction as if they continue their investigations. And just like Clues, once
had succeeded at their Skill Roll – and be sure to let a Lead is revealed, write it down on an index card, and
them know! Players should never be left in the dark about beneath the Lead, write the three Clues that are tied to it.
whether or not they understand the Clue, but they should Hand the index card to the players, so they may refer to the
not be provided with too many extraneous details. Let Lead as they begin to draw their own conclusions about
players deduce at their own pace, but be sure to avoid dead the Conspiracy.
ends (which we will talk about later).
WHEN IN DOUBT, K.I.S.S.: ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’. REVEALING A LEAD
We do not mean that you are stupid, but keep things Leads should be left to the discretion of players to
streamlined enough to the point where it gives you uncover. Meaning, you should allow them to uncover
the ability to pivot and adapt as needed. Do Leads either naturally (through skillful deduction
not overwhelm players with more than on the player’s part) or through use of Skill Tests
three material Clues, as they have enough (successfully understanding three concurrent
to keep track of along the way. Instead, Clues that are related to one another).
color in their Clues with hints and
other substantive information that better The players and their Characters are
defines the Clues they have uncovered so far. likely to be drawn in different
directions and this can work in
STEP IV: LEADS the GM’s favor. The urge will
The best mysteries are revealed over a period be for you to reveal all of the
of time; so, to reflect this, the Clues that turn Conspiracy’s Leads in order, but
up to reveal the Conspiracy oftentimes unfold you should not give into this or
in unusual ways. Remember: 3 Clues uncovers a feel pressured to do so. Instead,
Lead for the players their Characters, one which by creating and revealing Leads
will draw them deeper into the Conspiracy. out-of-order, the Conspiracy
A Lead is like the corner of a jigsaw puzzle; begins to open up, playing towards
it begins to show them what the Conspiracy a sandbox-style approach. To the
looks like, what its boundaries are and provides players, however, you are creating
fertile ground for players to begin linking the illusion that the story feels
together various disparate Clues to discover the open ended, while as the GM,
greater mystery. Just like with 3 Clues uncovers you are secretly keeping the story
a Lead, 3 Leads uncovers a Revelation. under tight control. Remember: Leads
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always point towards the Revelation and form a chain of a dead end or that the side trek scenario is designed to
evidence that points back towards the conspirators, their break the dead end. Any dead-end breaker should be at
Agenda and eventually a Revelation about the Conspiracy. best, no more than one or two sessions in length; otherwise,
Crafting a Conspiracy is not unlike working on a jigsaw players will lose focus. And, when in doubt, it may be time
puzzle. All of the pieces in the box are mixed up randomly, to introduce a fight…
but you start by pulling out all of the pieces and corners ENFORCERS: Of course, the conspirators are trying
to form the border (Leads), setting aside those which are to cover up their tracks. They need to eliminate anything
not important yet or you are unsure as where they fit in. that pulls the investigators towards new Leads or reveals
Slowly, by examining and comparing these other pieces, the Conspiracy’s agenda. So, how do they do this? The
you uncover the picture by guessing what is in between the conspirators will typically hire unaffiliated ne’er do wells
pieces you have already laid out. to do their dirty work; employ subterfuge to eliminate the
weakest links in the chain; and even use social and political
In fact, you do not necessarily want the players and their pressure in this fashion, but rarely use violence. Use of
Characters to follow a distinct chain of Leads, so you violence only raises a red flag that something is amiss –
should not worry too much about them uncovering Clues not only confirming the suspicions of the players and their
or Leads out-of-order. This gives you time to prepare, Characters, but also raising their ire – so use it sparingly. Do
respond and lay out other contingencies should things go not be afraid to have enforcers enact direct conflict with the
amiss. Certainly, do not be afraid to dump some Clues, or Characters, but be careful to hide their faces. Hiding their
to create new Leads, based on how the players and their faces maintains the Conspiracy’s air of mystery and if the
Characters are proceeding through the story. This Characters capture and interrogate these enforcers, by
is where you can let go of the GM reins a bit unveiling their faces it can reward them with another
and begin thinking about the deductions Clue. Since violence is a means to an end, violent
the players have made about the Clues. encounters should always result in a new Clue.
Let them go off on wild goose chases and
let that inform how you reveal each Lead. ADRENALINE BOOST: Your players are
However, should they get lost in their own likely to focus on their Character’s Intelligence
tangled minds as to what the Clues are driving and Fellowship-based Skills for most of
them towards, you can use these four important the Conspiracy. There are rumors to be
tools to right the ship: uncovered, interrogations to be conducted and
deductions to be made. Eventually, your players
LEADS ARE OBVIOUS, EVIDENCE IS may want to crack some skulls to get the answers they
AMBIGUOUS: Your Leads should provide enough need. Intersperse combat and Chase Scenes into a game
fodder to feed players should they decide to go off in their session as a cheap shot to change the pace. However, such
own direction. As yet, they have not connected all of the adrenaline boosters should be used sparingly – and with
dots and should not be able to do so. When your players some care – too much combat and you will set the wrong
begin an above-board conversation about “...where to go tone. But, every gaming group is different. Listen to them,
next” and begin to review the Clues and any Leads they try to sense where they might be getting stuck and use
have turned up at this point, you know you have done your combat and Chase Scenes to liven up the investigation. If
job. Players are likely to begin retracing their steps and are you can interweave secondary allies into the Conspiracy in
prepared for their Characters to stumble from one end of this way, you can even use adrenaline boosters to divulge
hell’s half acre to the other in order to uncover something new hints about the story – or even better, a new Clue you
they feel they may have missed. Do not discourage them in devised on the fly or between game sessions. And, it is also
this fashion, but be sure to avoid the perils of a dead end. an excellent time to use a ‘divine hand’ to realign the players
DEAD-END BREAKER: Players will inevitably follow to the Conspiracy…
a path that you know will not get them any closer to new DEUS EX MACHINA, SPARINGLY: Should the
Clues or Leads. In fact, Leads often drives them toward a players and their Characters’ investigative effort not only
dead end. When this occurs, you can use ad hoc scenarios to come off the rails, but also be unable to climb back on,
take their Characters off the beaten path to provide them despite their best intentions, you can use their NPC
with a break from the Conspiracy. In addition, this tool allies to help steer them back along the path. Do not be
gives you some time between sessions to consider other too obvious, however – it should never feel ham-fisted. If
implications or ways to draw in the Characters, and thus you can, take advantage of foreshadowing to set up these
their players, back onto the path towards the Conspiracy. moments.
You should not reveal to the players that they have reached
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STEP V: REVELATIONS
A Revelation is the end of a story arc; a culmination of
Clues and Leads. The Revelation should provide generous
exposition about both the Conspiracy and the Agenda of
its masterminds. If you think of a story taking place in
three acts, then Revelations should be revealed at the end
of each act. Provided that you are using a Conspiracy to
drive a full three-tiered approach to running a campaign,
a Revelation should be revealed by the end of each Tier of
play. This may take some careful pacing on your part, but
we will show you some additional tools to help you control
this pacing later in this chapter.
When a Revelation is revealed, just as with Leads and

Clues, write it down on an index card, and beneath the
Revelation, write the three Leads that are tied to it. Hand
the index card to the players, so that they may refer to the
Revelation as they begin to draw their own conclusions
about the Conspiracy.
Every Conspiracy consists of three Revelations. Use these

general approaches for each Revelation:
FIRST REVELATION
The first Revelation should be revealed shortly before the
end of Basic Tier. It should give the players an idea that
there are conspirators out there (but not who they are), that
a Conspiracy exists and it has an Agenda. At this point,
you should reveal one of the Agenda’s major story points.
Using ‘There’s Something About Marie’ as an example,
the summoning of Sss’ilky-Synnn will enable Zacharias
to resurrect his beloved Mädchen. This is a major reveal,
which comes at the culmination of the adventure.
SECOND REVELATION
The second Revelation should be revealed shortly before the
end of Intermediate Tier. This would reveal the identities
of the conspirators, the identity of the mastermind
of the Conspiracy and reveal the second part of the
Conspiracy’s Agenda. Although our example from ‘There’s
Something About Marie’ does not develop further to the
point where a second Revelation can be made, you could
possibly infer that there is something afoot with the rise
of the Fulci Movement by introducing another surviving
member. Perhaps Count Wilhelm Byron lived through his
encounter with the inquisitor, and is using Zacharias to
summon Sss’ilky-Synnn so he does not face any imminent
danger. His goals may be to develop the Fulci Movement
into a full-blown cult! You could also take the approach
that Marié de Mericourt is secretly orchestrating the events
which unfold over the course of ‘There’s Something About
Marie’ because she is possessed by Sss’ilky-Synnn, and
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intends to infiltrate the priesthood by dragging Zacharias And especially, do not spend a lot of time between sessions
before Marié’s inquisitorial masters. writing up or expanding on the Revelation. Use the tools
from your GM toolbox to write in broad terms only what
THIRD REVELATION is necessary. You do not need to explicitly spell out every
This third and final Revelation is the showdown: The minor detail.
Characters have uncovered all of the Clues needed to
provide a complete and comprehensive understanding of STEP VI: BEYOND THE CONSPIRACY
the Conspiracy, as well as the mastermind behind it. This is You should always conclude the Conspiracy with a sense of
generally revealed shortly before the end of Advanced Tier. accomplishment and resolution on the players’ part. They
should feel like they took an active hand in investigating
Following the third and final Revelation, the entire the Conspiracy and that their investigations led to the
Conspiracy has been laid bare before the Characters. Conspiracy’s (seeming) end.
Ideally, the campaign or scenario should culminate shortly
thereafter with a final confrontation which can take shape Although the campaign has closed out, is there another
in many ways. The traditional option is for this to be a final Conspiracy afoot? Is it possible that there is something
set piece battle, but alternatively, it could be a very complex even larger at play than what the Characters have foiled?
Social Intrigue event where the Characters are staking You can easily lead into new adventures, scenarios or even
their reputation. The players will likely have weighed the completely-new campaigns by tying in the previous story
consequences of their actions already and will have in mind to the next. And, it need not involve the same Characters!
how they want the confrontation between the Conspiracy While these sorts of considerations are beyond the scope
and their Characters to be resolved. of this chapter, do not be afraid to end the entire story
AVOID EXPOSITION: Your players may well uncover with an ‘off-camera’ event, showing what happened in the
every single link in the chain of Conspiracy – good on aftermath of the Conspiracy. Do not be afraid to wrap up
them! They may even skip some Leads, and trudge onwards the Conspiracy with a plot twist as an epilogue to the story,
– leaving some parts of the investigation in their wake and but be careful not to completely undo or crush the hard work
forging onwards to figure out the Conspiracy. This is also the players put into revealing and squashing the Conspiracy.
perfectly fine! Do not get bogged down into the details.
As to what this leads to? That is entirely up to you.
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CHAPTER 9 :
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARIÉ
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APT IÉ
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RE’S SOMETHING ABOUT
◆ THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARIÉ ◆

here’s Something About Marié’ (ZWEIHÄNDER, page 450). Specifically, the scenario
T
is a rural adventure you can begins in the autumn, with the player Characters travelling
run for players new to along the Basque River. The bulk of the adventure will take
ZWEIHÄNDER, or those place in and around the dockyards of Lloyd’s Beacon and
already familiar with it. It conclude in Minuet.
uses many of the tools you
have learned about in the PLOT SYNOPSIS (THE CONSPIRACY)
core book, including Combat The story leading to the events of the scenario starts a year
Encounters and Social Intrigue. ago with the Fulci Movement, a salon of poets and authors
It is meant to teach you how founded by Count Wilhelm Byron in the cosmopolitan
to use these tools during an city of Kahabro. A notorious libertine, Count Byron had
adventure, while providing a been a student of the infamous old master, Malen Fulci,
structured adventure to better and was the chief proponent of the artistic style known
teach players how ZWEIHÄNDER’s mechanics work. as ‘The Fulci Movement’, which attracted a number of
painters, poets and storytellers to the salon’s ranks. This
This adventure is designed for three to six Characters in included Mädchen Galloe, a painter of middling measure
either the Intermediate or Advanced Tier, but may be whose ambition was to study under the count. In public,
too challenging for those in the Basic Tier unless they Byron merely humored Galloe’s attempts to impress him
rely on their wits and try to avoid combat. It can be run and refused to take her on as a student, but behind Galloe’s
independently or easily inserted into an existing campaign. back, laughed at the paucity of her talent. Rebuffed and
This scenario is not intended to be the origin story of how frustrated, in her despair Galloe prayed for inspiration
the adventurers met. It is assumed that “There’s Something and adoration – and those prayers were not only answered
About Marié” is one of the party’s many adventures, as its by the Abyssal Prince of Pleasure, the dark prince also
members begin gameplay already knowing one another. provided like He always does. The Prince’s ‘gift’ was a jade
The exact dynamics of the relations between them will be statue of a naked man with a serpent coiled around him, a
determined as they play through first this scenar io, and muse not just for Galloe, but all of the Fulci Movement.
then hopefully many others. Note that this adventure
contains mature themes.
The scenario consists of four parts, its structure being

directed by a few key events and the player Characters’
choices. The entire adventure is crafted around the
Conspiracy Rules found in Chapter VIII: Liber
Obscurus. It encourages proactivity, investigation and
critical thinking upon the players’ part if they are to solve
the mystery, with a shocking revelation requiring them to
decide upon the best course of action in order to bring
the story to a close. The players will also need to show
initiative if they are to get the most out of the scenario.
Completion of the entire adventure should roughly take
between three and five sessions.
It is assumed that the player Characters are travelling by

river barge along the tributary of a great river, within a
day’s travel of a riverside village whose economy has been
disrupted by civil war. Although this has made life harder
for the peasantry, the unscrupulous, the opportunist, and the
greedy have flooded into the region looking to make a quick
coin or two. For purposes of this adventure, we have used
the setting from the Goth Moran Divided campaign seed
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When Galloe showed Byron her next painting, the despite dealing him a mortal blow with her sword, Marié
count was flabbergasted. How could an artistic nonentity could not stop Count Byron from completing the ritual.
like Galloe paint something of such exquisite rapture? When Sss’ilky-Synnn materialized, it was to find his
Byron demanded to know who had painted the painting, occultists lying dead. Consumed with fury, he launched
promising to take such a burgeoning talent under his wing a fierce attack at the only person still standing, Marié,
and make him an old master whose name would carry down severely wounded the inquisitor. Laughing, the Carnal
the centuries. Galloe saw her chance and in a gabble, Demon leaned in to savor the kill, but de Mericourt was
explained how she was inspired by a statue and not finished yet, and with a single, desperate thrust,
that the painting was truly hers. Upon being her blade cut deep. Within hundreds of yards,
shown the statue, Byron knew that it had to people fell to the ground bleeding from the
be his, even if it meant taking on the insipid ears as Sss’ilky-Synnn’s screams of vexation
Galloe as a pupil. ravaged the air as the Carnal Demon was
sucked back into the Abyss.
Little did Byron or Galloe know that to this
statue was bound the Carnal Demon Sss’ilky- The Ætheric Winds are indeed fickle; a rift
Synnn. For weeks, his honeyed words snaked opened and a clawed hand dragged Count
into Count Byron’s dreams, taking shape in his Byron into the Abyssal void. He would be heard
works and those of the other members of the salon from no more. Although in years to come, he would
until it was no longer a like meeting of artistic minds, but be renowned for later fathering the woman who invented
a true cult devoted to the Prince of Pleasure. From their the first difference engine (powered by Wytchstone), his
dark explorations came works exquisite and nightmarish, name remained a case study for Witchhammer on how to
grotesque and scintillating, and for Count Byron – now identify occultists in libertine circles. But that is not where
under the spell of the Carnal Demon – the ambition to our story picks up.
create his greatest ever work. As the count envisioned it,
Byron’s magnum opus would not only surpass the skill and
vision of his late master, Malen Fulci and his masterwork
The Beyond, but it would also summon the cult’s beloved
muse to inspire him to even greater artistic endeavors.
This proved to be the cult’s undoing.
Just as the cult was performing the summoning, Marié de

Mericourt – an inquisitor of the Witchhammer order –
stormed its hedonistic ceremony. She had been tracking the
activities of the salon for nearly a year, but to date, had been
unable to turn up any strong evidence of its wrongdoings,
or indeed, the fact that it had become a cult. Marié was
convinced that Count Byron was an occultist dedicated to
the Abyssal Prince of Pleasure, but without firm evidence,
neither she nor the church could move against him or
the cult. This was not enough for the veteran inquisitor
and despite knowing that she would face disciplinary
procedures, Marié continued her surveillance of the salon
and its members. The opportunity for her suspicions to
be proved right came after she tracked the salon’s inner
members to a secret meeting at which Count Byron was
leading them in a summoning ceremony!
Knowing that she had been right all along and angered that
the church had not believed her, Marié acted immediately
to stop the summoning. None of the occultists could
withstand her zealous charge, not even Count Byron. Yet
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Wounded and bleeding, de Mericourt was unable to stop

the only other survivor of the ceremony, Mädchen Galloe,
from fleeing with the statue. Taking to the streets, the
bloodied and shocked painter thought she was the sole
survivor, but she managed to find one other remaining
member of the cult still alive. Zacharias Kohlenfeuer had
been the cult’s most recent inductee, too new to have been
at the ceremony, but the starving artist was still keen to
serve its interests. On the run together and desperately
attempting to attend to her wounds, Zacharias became
besotted with the woman. He viewed Mädchen Galloe with
not only adoration, but also with complete and utter lust-
filled obsession. This was not true love in the romantic or
artistic sense, but the influence of the demonically-amorous
musk of Sss’ilky-Synnn which still clung to Mädchen and
warped Zacharias’ mind. Whatever his intentions towards
Mädchen, they would never see fruition. Over several
fitful nights, Mädchen was wracked with fevered dreams
and pain from her injuries. Zacharias could do nothing to
save her. Having been shot by Marié de Mericourt at the
ceremony, Mädchen expired a week later from her wounds.
Zacharias was ineffably distraught at the death of Galloe.
Yet just as he had been obsessed with making Mädchen
his when she had been alive, Zacharias was equally as
determined to ensure she remained his when she was dead.
Thus Zacharias’ obsession become grotesque as he did the
best he could to preserve the decaying corpse… until it
rotted entirely.
With her corpse gone, Zacharias turned his obsession

with Mädchen to the only remnant of her he had – the
jade statue of Sss’ilky-Synnn. He devoted himself to the
worship of the Prince of Pleasure through the statue for
more than a year, praying for a means by which Mädchen
could be restored to him. Eventually, . . . . the statue began
to whisper to him just as it did Mädchen Galloe and
Count Byron before. To Zacharias’ joy, the statue not only
told him dark secrets, expanding his horizons to become
a fledgling Ecstatic Celebran t, and revealing promising
avenues via which his beloved could be resurrected, it did
so in Mädchen’s voice.
Of course, it was not Mädchen speaking to him from

beyond the grave, but Sss’ilky-Synnn, whose thirst for
revenge against Marié de Mericourt was as powerful
as Zacharias’ obsession with Mädchen. His seductive
whispers told Zachariah how he could save Mädchen by
reviving her from death. All he has to do is gather the right
reagents, capture Marié de Mericourt, and then sacrifice
the inquisitor in a ceremony which would ensure the return
of the love of his life to the Material Realm. Unsurprisingly,
this is all a lie. The ceremony will not summon Mädchen
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Galloe back to life, but Sss’ilky-Synnn from the Abyss Of course, what no one knows (but the player Characters
to first take revenge against Marié and then . . . claim are about to find out) is the fact that the Aradain woman
Zacharias’ soul for the Prince of Pleasure. is actually an inquisitor. Marié’s secret will be revealed
as the events of the scenario reach their explosive climax
After nearly six months of wandering, Zacharias has on the evening when the Crooked Reeves arrive with
gathered most of the necessary reagents save for one – the Wytchstone and the inquisitor comes to arrest them.
Wytchstone! Fortunately, he has made arrangements with Unfortunately, this is when all of the other interested
a band of Crooked Reeves to deliver this highly illegal and parties decide to make their move against Marié as well
dangerous substance to him and he is supposed to meet and all this will take place at the tollhouse where the player
them in Minuet on the 13th – a lucky day. Characters are on guard duty…
Meanwhile, Marié de Mericourt has recovered from TIMELINE

her wounds and has been tracking down the remaining
occultists and their allies, and has found out that a certain 1 year ago: Count Wilhelm Byron founds The Fulci
Crooked Reeve chapterhouse is smuggling heretical cargo Movement
down the Basque River for Zacharias. She knows that 8 months ago: Count Byron summons Sss’ilky-Synnn;
the shipment of Wytchstone is coming to Minuet soon Byron is slain and Sss’ilky-Synnn is banished by Marié
and has dispatched her agent Udo Gébler to Lloyd’s de Mericourt
Beacon find out more about the shipment. Meanwhile, the
7 months ago: Mädchen Galloe dies from her injuries
inquisitor waits in Minuet, hiding amongst the prostitutes
of a local brothel. 6 months ago: Zacharias Kohlenfeuer gives himself to
the Prince of Pleasure’s devotion
ENTER THE ‘HEROES’: The player Characters are
drawn into this series of events when a wounded man 3 months ago: Bruno Connard takes control of
suddenly stumbles aboard their river barge. This stranger is Minuet; Hermann Treumann sends word to Drach’s
Udo Gébler, the agent dispatched by Marié de Mericourt, Landing for help against the racketeer, but help never
who is being chased by the Crooked Reeves in Lloyd’s comes
Beacon. Udo discovered the connection between their 2 month ago: Marié de Mericourt tracked down
Sergeant Winterhalder and the occultist, Zacharias, but Zacharias into the Basque River Valley, and sent Udo
they discovered him. Before he could escape, he was stabbed Gébler to spy in Lloyd’s Beacon
with a poisoned blade by Winterhalder’s men. During this
encounter, Gébler hides a secret note aboard the barge. 1 month ago: Sergeant Winterhalder arranges to
The note is intended for Marié de Mericourt, but hoping smuggle Wytchstone to Minuet on the 13th of the
that in his fit of death, the note will reach her regardless. following month for Zacharias Kohlenfeuer
3 weeks ago: Marié arrives in Minuet
The player Characters find themselves in Minuet on 2 weeks ago: Hermann Treumann sent word to Lloyd’s
the 12th, seeking shelter against a rainstorm. They are Beacon asking for Sergeant Winterhalder to come to
directed to a local inn where they quickly pick up hints Minuet to judge Ruben
that everything is not as it seems. In particular, a certain
mysterious Aradain woman is acting suspiciously. Could 1 week ago: Marié dispatched Udo to investigate
she be after the Wytchstone? possible links between a band of Crooked Reeves and
Zacharias, who she believes is an occultist
The next day, they will find out that the Aradain has caused
CONSPIRACY RULES: In this adventure, there is but
quite a stir in the small community with almost everyone
one Revelation to be revealed: Marie is after Zacharias,
in the village taking some interest in her. While they wait
as Zacharias is after the Wytchstone and Winterhalder
for their barge to be repaired, the player Characters will
has arranged for its illegal transport. Although the entire
be approached at different times by a watchman, a local
Conspiracy will not be laid bear in this adventure, it should
racketeer, a bounty hunter and the matron of the brothel.
give you ideas on how to craft a grander conspiracy about
In turn, they each try to hire, bribe, threaten or plead with
the cult. We have written in 9 Clues throughout the story,
the player Characters into helping them. It is quite possible
but it is up to you to create a contextual Lead that brings
that different player Characters ally with different parties,
the player Characters to the Revelation.
which will set up an interesting situation when it comes to
the big finale.
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DRAMATIS PERSONAE smugglers a few years back left Herman with a pronounced
limp, forcing him to hire Ruben to assist him. Ruben’s
The following describes the major NPCs in ‘There’s eventual betrayal came as a huge shock and disappointment
Something About Marié’. It includes all related, mechanical to Hermann, as he had learnt to trust the young man and
details the GM may need to while running the adventure. thought he would someday take his place as the toll keeper.
Full NPC Entries follow at the end of this scenario. He suspects Connard for influence young Ruben, but lacks
tangible evidence.
BRUNO CONNARD
Professions: Convict/Outlaw Chief Hermann is a solidly-built man in his late fifties, his hair
Ancestry: Adult Human (40 years old) turned to gray around the temples. A pronounced limp
Social Class: Lowborn marks his slow, but methodical approach.
Motivation: Largesse
Alignment: Chaos-Aligned LUDO HÄLFTEMANN
NPC Entry: None, see The Knavery at the end of this Professions: Bounty Hunter/Kinslayer
scenario Ancestry: Middle Aged Halfling (50 years old)
Social Class: Lowborn
In the wake of the Blood War, Bruno Connard has found Motivation: Emancipation
a good place in Minuet where law enforcement is almost Alignment: Chaos-Aligned
non-existent and merchants pass by regularly. He and Bestiary Entry: None, see The Knavery at the end of this
his gang run a protection racket that includes One-Eyed scenario
Jakob’s, the general store, as well as some wealthier locals.
He also runs the dog gambling ring in Sigmund’s Flask. During the Blood War, Ludo served Ghulistan. He and
In reality, Bruno Connard is much like his codpiece his war hounds – Hans and Franz – braved the parts of the
– full of hot air with little to back up his claims. He is forest to drive out the Walstanians, and worse. He fought
a coward who preys on helpless victims and avoids any horrible things in the Grunwald Forest, but managed to
direct confrontation. He has heard there is a new girl in survive , although the things he saw during those dark and
the brothel, but has been denied a chance to meet her so bloody days have left him with a mean streak as wide as the
far. Her “hard-to-get routine” has only served to make him Basque. After the war, Ludo Hälftemann had to find work
more intrigued by the mysterious Aradain woman. to sustain him, so he turned to kin-slaying.
Bruno Connard is a tall, skinny man with bad skin and Saw-toothed with a perpetual five o’clock shadow, the
a crooked smile. He wears a mismatch of good-quality Halfling’s ruthlessness and tenacious character suits his
clothing taken from his victims, plus cheap jewellery. new line of work. A long scar runs across Ludo’s face, and
is unusually skinny.
HERMANN TREUMANN
Professions: Laborer/Watchman MARIÉ DE MERICOURT
Ancestry: Middle Aged Human (59 years old) Professions: Hedge Knight/Investigator/Inquisitor
Social Class: Burgher Ancestry: Adult Human (38 years old)
Motivation: Decorum Social Class: Aristocrat
Alignment: Order-Aligned Motivation: Judgement
NPC Entry: None, see The Knavery at the end of this Alignment: Order-Aligned
scenario Bestiary Entry: None, see The Knavery at the end of this
scenario
Herman Treumann has worked at the tollhouse for as long
as it has been in Minuet and, unlike many of his peers, Marié de Mericourt was born to an Aradain noble family
Hermann is actually an honest, hardworking servant who in Bellegane, the capital of Aglador. When she was just
takes pride in his duty. Over the years, travelers from eleven years old, a gang of occultists broke into their home
across the region have come to know and respect him as in the middle of Candlemass Eve on the winter solstice and
a no-nonsense kind of a man who is never less than and butchered her family. Her father’s valet helped her escape
never takes a bribe. Herman has two younger brothers, and the orphaned child was taken to live with her Gothric
Heinrich and Wilhelm, who reside in the family’s home cousins in Drach’s Landing. Despite being Walstanian
village of Vorberg (see the ‘A Bitter Harvest’ adventure, sympathizers during the Blood War, her Gothric cousins
ZWEIHÄNDER, page 625). A violent encounter with
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were devout followers of the Steward and under their Sergeant Winterhalder is a short, stumpy man with a
tutelage, Marié grew into a strong, independent woman paunch belly, a prototypical “cop ‘stache” and short-cropped
with a deep and abiding hatred of all heresies. At first, hair. He wears a set of copper-trimmed scale mail , and
the church welcomed her ardent devotion and dedication carries a swagger stick he holds bent between two chubby
with which she ferreted out heretics and occultists, but hands.
her explosive temper and reputation for relentlessness and
unforgiving zeal have not only damaged her reputation, SSS’ILKY-SYNNN
they driven her to act beyond the strictures of the church. If Professions: None
there is one thing that the church of the Steward hates only Ancestry: Lower Demon
slightly less than heretics, it is an inquisitor who has turned Social Class: Aristocrat
renegade. Right now, Marié is meant to be recovering from Motivation: Vengeance
wounds received while dealing with a cult and as long as Alignment: Chaos-Aligned
she is in Minuet, she is not operating with the church’s Bestiary Entry: Carnal Demon (ZWEIHÄNDER, page
blessing. 476) or see The Knavery at the end of this scenario
Besides having a bad temper, Marié is also very superstitious. Sss’ilky-Synnn was one of the Abyssal Prince of Pleasure’s
While staying at One-Eyed Jakob’s, Marié has noticed favored paramours, allowed to comb the Dark Prince’s hair
the plight of the prostitutes. Being a devout follower of with his oiled claw. When he was initially defeated by Marié
the Steward, she believes in strength and independence, de Mericourt, Sss’ilky lost his favored position and was
and has therefore taught the prostitutes how to defend driven from his master’s dais. Since then, he has obsessively
themselves both physically and spiritually. sought revenge against de Mericourt to win back his right
to lounge on the divans in the Prince’s presence.
Marié is beautiful in a typically Aradain way, with flowing
dark hair and dark brown eyes. Typically, she dons a wide Horrible and entrancing at the same time, Sss’ilky-Synnn
brimmed hat – characteristic of inquisitors – several purity has creamy white skin, is rippling with cords of muscle, has
seals and talismans fastened to her boot-length leather jack. a head full of beautiful golden hair and large, emerald pools
She always wears a green scarf around her neck to hide for eyes. His left arm terminates in a purplish, scythe-like
hideous scars caused by Sss’ilky-Synnn’s pincer. While in pincer with which he can bestow the gentlest of caresses or
the brothel, she is dressed (and perfumed) accordingly. the deadliest of slashes. His legs terminate in twin talons
and and between his legs writhes a prehensile, barbed
SERGEANT ALDUS WINTERHALDER phallus – the length of a whip.
Professions: Watchman/Reeve
Ancestry: Adult Human (45 years old) ZACHARIAS KOHLENFEUER
Social Class: Burgher Professions: Cultist/Ecstatic Celebrant
Motivation: Dominion Ancestry: Adult Human (24 years old)
Alignment: Chaos-Aligned Social Class: Burgher
Bestiary Entry: None, see The Knavery at the end of this Motivation: Secrecy
scenario Alignment: Chaos-Aligned
NPC Entry: None, see The Knavery at the end of this
During the Blood War, Aldus Winterhalder led a band scenario
of Sellswords who fought for Ghulistan. Following the
Blood War, he and his men raided an abandoned reeve Ever since Zacharias Kohlenfeuer saw his ‘beloved’
chapterhouse a few days outside of Swanzi. Adopting Mädchen perish, he has been utterly obsessed with the idea
their dress and decorum, Winterhalder and his band that he can bring her back to life. He blames himself for
of miscreants moved to Lloyd’s Beacon , and installed her death and his sole solace is that the fact that her final
themselves as reeves. They have held the position for so gift to him, the statue of Sss’ilky-Synnn, has offered him
long that barely recall what they did during the Blood War. a glimmer of hope. The statue speaks to Zacharias in his
Sergeant Winterhalder knows that he and his men are on dreams, promising to return Mädchen from death. All he
to a good thing and they do everything to hold onto their has to do is perform a ritual in the presence of the inquisitor
position of power. Consequently, the Sergeant is officious, Marié de Mericourt. Kohlenfeuer knows the ritual comes
pompous and runs a tight ship lest he be revealed as an with a high cost – the inquisitor’s life for Mädchen’s, but
imposter, along with all of his men. that is a price he is willing to pay to see Mädchen’s return
from the grave.
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Zacharias is a young, handsome man with perfectly coiffed PART I: LLOYD’S BEACON
black hair. However, his forays into the dark arts have
left his skin pale and the fear and stress he is currently The adventure begins as the party has been travelling the
under have left him with rings around his eyes. In Minuet, Basque River aboard a river barge for a few days. Perhaps
Zacharias is disguised as a monk. they are under the employ of Lutz Wassertragger. or even
Maximillian Steiger, the personalities from the adventure
OTHER NPCS ‘A Bitter Harvest’ (ZWEIHÄNDER, page 625).
Throughout this adventure, the player Characters will
encounter several other people. The GM should assume Regardless of its employer, t he party has started is journey
those who would not intend the player Characters harm to down the Basque River and is well on its way towards its
be Order-Aligned, whereas others who may intend violence destination when the events of the adventure. After a few
upon them are Chaos-Aligned. Most of the people that days of travel, the barge stops at a tiny riverside dockyard
the player Characters will meet will be of Lowborn stock. called Lloyd’s Beacon to resupply, check the boat for any
Exceptions to this may be made at the GM’s discretion. damage and spend the night. It is the 11th of a cool,
autumn day. There is but a population of twelve people in
Lloyd’s Beacon, plus four others who are Crooked Reeves.
A FEW GOOD MEN The shadows are already growing longer and the various
vendors and stevedores are preparing to call it a day when
The Basque River is the lifeblood of the continent the party’s barge slides to a halt alongside one of the
of Goth Moran and countless vessels ply its waters wooden jetties. The party has an hour to kill at best before
and tributaries every day. In recent times, the flow of The Altercation.
trade up and down the mighty river, as well as across
it between the provinces of Ghulistan and Walstania, THE ALTERCATION
have been severely disrupted by the Blood War. As Just as they prepare to leave the barge, there is a crash
the vicious ethnic war has wound down with no clear as something is knocked over, followed by angry shouts.
victor, merchants have rushed back into the area to Ahead of them, a wiry young with youthful features darts
re-establish the once lucrative markets across the river. from behind a pile of crates and proceeds up the ramp onto
their barge. This is Udo Gébler, the agent sent to Lloyd’s
One such merchant is Rudger Weissbier. A grey-haired Beacon by Marié de Mericourt. He is dressed in good
and jovial man in his late forties, Weissbier wants to quality, yet practical, clothing and a backsword hangs from
hire a few good men to escort his cargo of fine wines his belt. The man’s eyes dart from side to side as staggers
to Kahabro during the week of Mourning-Limb (a onto the deck, panting heavily, first looking for a place to
Gothric holiday dedicated to maimed veterans, who hide , then at the player Characters for help.
generally receive free ale and beer for their sacrifice).
The route to Kahabro (or any other larger city that Udo Gébler
suits the GM’s needs) is not an easy one, requiring
“Help me… they must not catch me… I have to find
travelers to traverse some of the Basque River’s less-
a place to hide!
travelled tributaries, Weissbier wants to insure that he
and his cargo will get there in one piece. He offers to Try to establish a sense of urgency by asking each player
pay the player Characters each a standard fee of 80 around the table to quickly describe what their character’s
brass pieces (bp) per day of travel. However, add +10% initial reaction to the situation is. As soon as everyone has
(+8 bp) if a player Character has two Skill Ranks in had their turn, four Crooked Reeves run onto the pier,
any Combat-based Skill , or +20% (+16 bp) if they military pikes in-hand, obviously in pursuit of someone.
possess three Skill Ranks in any Combat-based Skill. While the Crooked Reeves question all passers-by, the
player Characters have 1D10+1 minutes to decide what
to do. You may wish to measure this period of time using
the stopwatch function on your phone, hidden behind a
Gamemaster’s Screen so as to not tip your hand for when
the Crooked Reeves will approach the party’s barge.
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CLUE: Players will notice he is as pale as a ghost , and CLUE: Players will also notice a stiletto at Sergeant
grasping his left side where blood has stained his jerkin. Winterhalder’s side, an ‘unusual’ weapon for a Reeve to
With a successful Heal Test, players can deduce that he be carrying. With a successful Folklore Test, players can
has been stabbed with a thin knife, penetrating his lungs. deduce that the stiletto is a weapon of an underhanded
or dastardly person.
The player Characters probably want to know who the
stranger is and why the Crooked Reeves are after him. He It is up to the player Characters how they handle the
promises to answer all their questions later, just as soon as situation with Gébler. Some possibilities are discussed
he has evaded his pursuers and had a chance to see to the below:
wound in his side.
TALK OR BRIBE THEIR WAY OUT
As Gébler has undiscriminating evidence on the Crooked
UDO GÉBLER Reeves, no amount of convincing, threatening, pleading ,
or bribing will prevent them from searching the ship. The
The stranger is in fact Udo Gébler, an agent in the player Characters can of course lie that they saw him board
employ of Marié de Mericourt. The inquisitor has some other vessel etc. This requires a successful Challenging
been tracking Zacharias and has learned that they use (-10%) Guile Test and even then, Sergeant Winterhalder
the Crooked Reeves of this area to smuggle heretical will search the ship’s manifest for illegal contraband, while
items for them every now and then. Gébler snuck the others move on.
into their chapterhouse, but was discovered. A fight
ensued and Udo was wounded, but still managed to COMBAT: FIGHT IT OUT
escape and is now trying to find a place to hide. He The player Characters should realize that this would be
will not reveal this to the player Characters, however, an extremely unwise course of action. If a fight breaks
as there isn’t enough time. out, three more Crooked Reeves arrive at the scene after
1D10+1 minutes. Unless the player Characters have
defeated Sergeant Winterhalder and his men, thrown them
off the barge , and their barge has pulled away from the
jetty, the new arrivals will storm onto the barge and gain a
SERGEANT WINTERHALDER: When their time is Surprise Turn.
up, a successful (Easy +20%) Awareness Test reveals one of
the stevedores pointing at their barge – the Crooked Reeves If the player Characters survive and manage to flee, they
start towards their ship. Unless they remove the ramp, the will be dogged by patrol ships for the rest of their journey.
Crooked Reeves will board the barge without bothering This could lead to an exciting Chase Scene, but may undo
to ask for permission. If the player Characters bar them the adventure at-hand. Either way, ensure that the direction
entry, a surely-looking lout with a large moustache and they head is downriver towards Minuet , to keep the story
big belly steps forward and announces himself as Sergeant pacing in the right destination.
Winterhalder and demands to be allowed on board in
pursuit of a dangerous criminal. If the player Characters TURN UDO IN
continue to resist, he points out that the Reeves have a They can turn in Udo, in which case the Crooked Reeves
chapterhouse here with two well-armed patrol ships. Once take him away and he is never seen again. Sergeant
the Crooked Reeves are aboard, they proceed to search the Winterhalder thanks them for doing the right thing by
vessel. If the player Characters ask Sergeant Winterhalder Ghulistan and the Crooked Reeves leave.
who they are after, a successful (Standard +/-0%) Charm
Test gets the Sergeant to reveal to them that he and his STOWAWAY UDO
men are after a dangerous criminal named Udo Gébler. If If its choose this route, the party will need to distract or
the result of the Skill Test is a Critical Success, the Sergeant direct the Crooked Reeves away from Udo’s hiding place.
reveals that Udo is a ‘dangerous occultist’. Also, his wound is bleeding so heavily, they’ll need to cover
the bloodstains or somehow explain them away. Once they
fail to find any sign of the man, the Crooked Reeves leave
with a stern warning against harboring wanted criminals.
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creativity on your part to tie together any loose strings to

put them back onto the path to an encounter with Marié
PLAYTEST NOTES
de Mericourt.
In our first playtest, one of the player Characters took
one of the bottles of wine , and poured it across the DEPARTURE & UDO’S FATE
deck of the barge. This helped cover up the fact that Whatever course of action the player Characters decide
they helped hide Udo, who was bleeding like a stuck on, Udo will give one final groan and with blood foaming
pig when he came onto their ship. from his mouth, and breathe his last words, “mother…”. It
will obvious to anyone that the young man is dead and a
successful (Easy +20%) Heal Test confirms that the wound
was poisoned.
With a successful Incantation Test, what they can glean

IF THEY FIND THE FUGITIVE: The Crooked
from the note is that someone will be bringing highly-
Reeves will seize Udo Gébler and take him away. The
illegal and downright heretical Wytchstone to Minuet.
player Characters are taken to the chapterhouse and
This handout will lay the groundwork for the events which
questioned. If they fail to give a satisfactory explanation or
unfold in Minuet.
a sizable bribe of at least 18 gold crowns (gc), they will be
reprimanded (maybe even flogged to Incapacitated! on the
Peril Condition Track) for attempting to help a dangerous CLUE: In any event, even if the party did not allow him
criminal. If you see it fit, they could even be fined or to stay aboard, Udo has still managed to hide a scroll case
bribed with 3 gold crowns each (gc) – or if unable to pay aboard their barge. The player Characters should find
– imprisoned for a few weeks while their backgrounds are this case a few hours after the incident, after they have
‘checked’. If they choose this course of action, the adventure left Lloyd’s Beacon and are already well on their way to
is not necessarily over. In this case, you may rule that Minuet. Inside the scroll case is a short note written by
during inclement weather, the Crooked Reeves forget to Udo and intended for Marié de Mericourt. It reads:
lock the cell door during shift change, providing an ample
opportunity to escape (perhaps to abscond with one of the Expecting Wytchstone to arrive in Minuet on the 13th
reeve’s patrol boats). This also ensures that the adventure Aboard the Twin Trout
moves towards Minuet once more, but may require some ~ U.G.
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CHAPTER 9 :
PART II: ARRIVAL IN MINUET When the player Characters knock on the inn’s front door,
it is answered by a big, ugly bouncer named Diesel, who
Gébler’s note says the 13th, but the month has been left will eye them up and down before stepping aside to let
unnamed on purpose. This way it is up to you whether the them enter. Once inside, he will shut the door and resume
player Characters arrive in Minuet a few days after the his seat. Any attempt to engage him in conversation will
events in the previous chapter, or after a longer time, and elicit barely a grunt. The bouncer is only there to discourage
perhaps another scenario , has passed. What matters is that anyone from doing anything stupid. Fortunately, the party
they arrive in Minuet in the late afternoon of the 12th. receives a much warmer welcome from the rest of the staff.
Two brightly-painted prostitutes will introduce themselves,
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MINUET? “Oh hello! I’m Julian and this is my friend Vivian!”. They
Around midday on the 12th, dark clouds roll across the offer to help them out of their wet overcoats , and over to
sky and the wind picks up. The drizzle soon turns into rain a vacant table. In spite of the weather, the place seems to
and shows no signs of stopping – even as night falls. By be quite full; a mishmash of patrons is enjoying warm ale,
the time the party is near Minuet, their barge is traveling a hearty laugh and attractive company. A group of passing
through a serious rainstorm. Anyone with the Navigation merchants is downing drinks and dancing, there is a loud
or Pilot skills will know that the safest option at this point card game going on in a side booth , and a pale young man
is to secure the barge at the nearest village and seek shelter with perfectly coiffed hair sits by the fire, writing in a large,
there. leather-bound book.
The barge heaves and seizes dangerously, but the player Once the player Characters have settled down, they are
Characters manage to dock safely. As they struggle to approached by the matron of One-Eyed Jakob’s, Madame
fasten the moorings, a shaft of light pierces the darkness as Domenica Niehoff. In late forties, this striking woman
a toll keeper in a cloak that threatens to be torn from his welcomes them and personally assures them all of their
shoulders by to the weather braves the dreadful storm to needs will be taken care of. Jakob’s has a rather impressive
meet them. This is none other than Hermann Treumann. selection of warm ales, fine wines and the food is tasty, if
His guttering lantern swings wildly in the wind in a valiant a bit spicy – not to mention expensive (double the prices
– but desperate – attempt to shed some light on the party’s found under Lodging & Tavern Provender, page 234, of the
dockside activities. He shouts in order to be heard over the the Trappings chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER). The player
howling wind: Characters are free to indulge themselves.
Hermann Treumann
SCHNAPS, SCHNAPS, SCHNAPS,
“Welcome to Minuet, travelers! Grace be to the SCHNAPS, SCHNAPS, EVERYBODY!
God-Emperor, ye made it here safely! I am Hermann
Feel free to actively encourage the player Characters
Treumann, the toll keeper. Don’t ye worry about them
to drink to excess. It has clearly been a terrible day’s
tolls now, we can settle them in the mornin’! If yer be
travel, and the warm food and drink is certainly a
lookin’ for a place to spend the night I recommend
respite from the autumn weather outside. If the party
One-Eyed Jakob’s, on the west side of the village.
intends to drink, be sure to reference the Intoxication
About the only place open at this hour too!”
rules from the Hazards & Healing chapter
Refuge will be refused to anyone seeking shelter elsewhere (ZWEIHÄNDER, page 263).
in Minuet besides One-Eyed Jakob’s, due to both the hour
and the inclement weather.
TO ONE-EYED JAKOB’S
Even in the heavy rain, One-Eyed Jakob’s is PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE
easy to find, as it is the largest building in If they attempt to talk to the pale young man (who is
the village. It looks like a typical two-story Zacharias Kohlenfeuer) he will shut the journal he is
inn, in front of which a sign with a jack of spades swings holding before politely declining to share his name or
wildly in the wind. A successful (Easy +20%) Folklore Test engage in conversation, on the pretense of not feeling too
tells them that One-Eyed Jakob’s is well-known by the well.
more regular travelers across the region, as the inn is also
a brothel.
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CLUE: This will not prevent the party from noticing that
his book contains many drawings of a young woman. If A NOTE ON WYTCHSIGHT
asked about the woman requiring a (Challenging -10%)
Charm Test, a sudden wave of sadness overcomes the The jade statue is a corrupting relic that warps the
man, as he says that she is his fiancée Mädchen, and Ætheric Winds around it, effectively making them
that they have been apart from each other for a few unreadable. This convenient fact helps to keep the
months. Thankfully, he is meeting her in Minuet on the identity of the true recipient of the Wytchstone a
following day. secret until the events described later.
TROUBLE WITH DIESEL

Diesel, the bouncer, sits by the door, slowly drinking
and growing more intoxicated by the minute. Being an
unimaginative brute, he attempts to grope any female MEETING MARIÉ
figure that comes anywhere even remotely near him. The All eyes in the brothel turn towards the stairs where
party can easily tell that the prostitutes absolutely loathe Vivian was looking. A beautiful Aradain woman descends
the man. If asked about it, they will quite openly admit that down the stairs completely cloaked, save for the faintest
Diesel is not liked. A successful (Trivial +30%) Charm or hint of a red corset peeking out from beneath her collar.
Rumor Test further reveals that the bouncer actually works This is Marié de Mericourt. Her large, brown eyes look to
for a local racketeer named Bruno Connard rather than Vivian Ward and her lips curl into a slow smile. Madame
Madame Domenica Niehoff; not exactly a secret, as most Domenica ushers Vivian to a backroom, putting a finger to
folk in Minuet already know of his allegiances to Bruno her own lips. The lingering scent of perfume pervades the
and his protection racket. room ( the same perfume that can be smelled at the God-
Emperor’s Shrine). Two stable hands carry the unconscious
At a suitable moment Diesel demands more ale in a loud Diesel outside.
voice and Vivian, the girl who was there to greet the party,
goes to take him a fresh tankard. As she hands him the At this point, a (Challenging -10%) Awareness Test reveals
drink, Diesel gropes her from behind. Vivian squirms and that that upon seeing the Aradain, the pale man gets visibly
tears herself away. upset and spills the contents of his inkwell across the table
and his journal. He tears the smeared page out and flings it
WHITE KNIGHTS, ASSEMBLE into the hearth, then quickly makes his way upstairs where
Clearly, this is an opportunity for a player Character to he will lock himself in his room. Should one of the player
help Vivian. However, the whores of One-Eyed Jakob’s are Characters retrieve it, it depicts a smeared picture of a
not entirely defenseless (as Diesel will learn soon enough). woman’s face, framed within dark curls. Players may assume
If a player Character wishes to interfere, they will need this is supposed to be Marié, but it is in fact Mädchen. Feel
to beat her Initiative value of 17. If their result is higher, free to indulge players if they chase after this red herring,
Diesel is left Defenseless and Helpless to their first attack. as it could hook them into Zacharias Kohlenfeuer’s plot
If they manage to piss Diesel off, this may result in a fight. sooner than expected.
He uses the same stats as an Ex-Convict (found in The
Knavery later in this scenario). Once Diesel and Vivian are out of sight, they are also
VIVIAN STRIKES: Just as Diesel stands up and reaches quickly out of mind and the merrymaking continues as if
for her; with one punch square in the nose, she drops the nothing had happened. Madame Domenica will dismiss
brute to the ground. Blood bursts from his nose as he hits the incident hurriedly and refuses to further discuss it.
the floor with a hard ‘thud!’ . Everyone stares in stunned
silence as Vivian looks to her balled-up fist, then at the Marié de Mericourt is a very striking figure, and is hard
unconscious Diesel. Her face lights up and as she looks up to look away from – not only for her beauty, but for also
towards the stairwell, she exclaims joyously: for the fact that an Aradain woman this far south in Goth
Moran is highly unusual. With a successful (Challenging
Vivian -10%) Awareness Test, the party will notice she has a
hidden stiletto strapped to her leg.
❖ “It worked, it really worked Marié!”
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CHAPTER 9 :
SOCIAL INTRIGUE: WHO IS MARIÉ? and fiancée, however. Regardless, she cheerily ends the
If confronted about it, she will become openly suspicious story, saying that there is no such thing as demons, smiles
of the player Characters. This immediately triggers a Social and bids them all a good evening as she retires upstairs to
Intrigue event. Treat her as if she were an Aristocrat for her chambers.
purposes of role-playing. Marié begins with a Polite
Disposition. However, depending on how the party CLUE: While Marié will not reveal who she truly is, it
interacted with Diesel earlier, her Disposition towards should become evident that she is not who she pretends
the player Characters may be better or worse than this. to be. A (Hard -20%) Scrutinize Test leads to that she’s
Follow the normal rules for Social Intrigue as a Complex put on a façade, acting as a prostitute of Jakob’s is poor
Exchange, but in this case, those who pick Interrogation at best.
or Guile for their Social Tactic will be less effective,
both being unfavorable Skills. Remember, before their
player Characters fully commit to the Social Intrigue, let
the players discuss with one another what they want to
accomplish, how they wish to accomplish it and the risks
associated with what they agree to do. I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS
Marié will speak with them, in her attractive Aradain It serves the purposes of this adventure if the player
accent, and tell them she arrived here only recently. At your Characters suspect Marié could very well be the
discretion, Marié may use her feminine wiles – all flowing unnamed recipient of the Wytchstone. Therefore,
locks, warm eyes , and honeyed words – in order to have once the player Characters have downed a few drinks
some of the player Characters take an interest in her, or and are starting to relax, you should start dropping
better yet, try to outdo each other in an attempt to gain subtle hints of something sinister lurking behind the
her attention. Of course, she will turn them all down in the inn’s friendly façade. Once your player Characters
end. Marié’s intention is to work out whether anyone in start looking at each other muttering about witches
the party might be an occultist. However, her teasing will and occultists, you know you are on the right track.
simply come to an abrupt (and noticeable) halt once she Suggestions include:
gets to the heart of who they are. If the player Characters
A sweet scent of perfume and incense lingers in
continue pressing Marié with questions, here is what she
the air, gently caressing their senses and making
has to say about each of following people:
them slightly giddy (after an hour inside, allowing
UDO: Marié will pretend to not know who he is, but does them to restore themselves one positive step up
mention a man by that name heading to Lloyd’s Beacon the Peril Condition Track) .
sometime back. Whether it was a few days or weeks ago
There is always music in the air, even when the
depends on when the party left Lloyd’s Beacon.
entertainers have put their instruments down. It
VIVIAN: If asked about Vivian, Marié will quickly dismiss seems to come from elsewhere – deeper – below
the situation with a disarming laughter, and explain that the inn.
Diesel probably deserved i t, as he’s “been hands-ey with the
A Scrutinize Test (Easy +20%) reveals the
girls” and that “…it’s about time he got his just desserts”.
decoration of the candelabras to be very sexually
suggestive.
If they manage to persuade Marié as to their good
intentions, she will dish out rumors to ‘stir the pot’ – as The brothel’s hosts smile and are coquettish, but
it were – to better understand where the party’s loyalties constantly whisper amongst themselves about the
lay. This requires a successful (Standard +/-0%) Charm player Characters. If questioned, they will simply
Test. She will then tell of the sordid tale of Count Byron point out the most handsome or comely of the
(as detailed in the Background section at the start of the bunch (the member of the party with the highest
adventure), but will not speak about or to the fates of [FB]), and ask to provide them company ‘free of
Mädchen or Zacharias. If pressed about Zacharias and charge’ for the night.
his mention of his fiancée, she plays coy, suggesting that
Mädchen is a very common term of endearment (a word
meaning ‘girlfriend’ in the native Gothric tongue). Astute
players will pick up on the differences between girlfriend
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GETTING LUCKY
If any of the players take advantage of the hosts to

engage in a bit of sexual play, they will gain the benefits
of ‘getting lucky’ (see the Prostitute’s Professional Trait
of The Full Monty on page 124 of ZWEIHÄNDER),
but must succeed a (Trivial +30%) Toughness Test the
next morning or else they contract Venereal Disease
(as described under Diseases in the Hazards &
Healing chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER).
Once the player Characters have finished indulging

themselves in what One-Eyed Jakob’s has to offer, it is time
to retire for the evening. However, the jade statue has a
strange effect upon those who rest within the inn’s walls.
The player Characters experience strange dreams as they
sleep. Some suggestions as to what those might encompass
are as follows (employ at your discretion):
Something in these dreams could be tied to something

the Carnal Demon says during the finale .
Perhaps one of the player Characters dreams of an
insidiously-tall and pale demon-man combing their
hair, only to find Sss’ilky-Synnn’s obsidian comb on
the dresser beside them.
They may experience nocturnal emissions.
Due to the statue’s strange effects, the player
Characters will awaken the next day to be Imperiled
on the Peril Condition Track.
PART III: MORNING IN MINUET

On the morning of the 13th, the day the Wytchstone is
allegedly arriving in Minuet, it is still cloudy and cold,
but the rain has subsided. When the player Characters go
down to the tollhouse, they will find out that the storm has
wreaked some minor damage on their barge (see The Toll
Keeper’s Offer for more on this).
Suddenly, the player Characters find themselves stuck in

the village for the day and they probably want to have a
look around. What follows is a short description of some
of the more interesting locales in Minuet. This is followed
by a description of the key events that will occur during the
party’s stay. In case the party wishes to investigate Marié
further, various rumors and red herrings are provided.
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CHAPTER 9 :
INSIDE MINUET ONE-EYED JAKOB’S: This inn and brothel is the largest
Minuet is a small trading outpost sitting on one of the and busiest establishment in Minuet. It is described in the
Basque’s many tributaries. With a population of around previous chapter.
100 souls, most of the people who live here either own SIGMUND’S FLASK: This is a small, shadowy watering
or work in the various establishments which cater to the hole owned by an ex-mercenary Ramsus Stein, called ‘Ram’
passing travelers. For a most part, the buildings are simple by the regulars. Most of the patrons are gloomy locals trying
one-story wood and stone affairs, though are several taller to drown their lost dreams in the stale ale. Ram himself
buildi ngs, such as One-Eyed Jakob’s. Most businesses is a large, scarred man who during his younger days hired
have been built in the vicinity of the river. Before the out his allegiance to the highest bidder. Nowadays, most of
Blood War, the village was a frequent and popular stop on his money comes from the dog-fighting ring he runs with
the river route to Drach’s Landing, but in the wake of war, Bruno Connard. Therefore, the tavern is also a hangout for
trade and visitor numbers have declined, rerouted to better Connard’s gang, and the man himself can be found here
exploit the demands of the growing number of refugees most of the time.
elsewhere. Many of the village’s shops and establishments
THE TOLLHOUSE: The tollhouse is a part of a
have closed their doors and now only a few continue to
traditional Gothric network which collects tolls from
trade, along with two or three pedlars and One-Eyed
anyone travelling on the river. Like the others, it consists
Jakob’s remain.
of the tollhouse itself where the toll keeper lives and
collects the tolls plus a winch which is used to lower and
The people of Minuet are used to travelers and strangers
raise a boom placed across the river. The boom prevents
from all over, but the steady decline of their village and
any shipping from travelling up or down the river until the
the growing number of criminals and other unsavoury
toll is paid. Toll keepers often have a reputation for being
characters has made them wary and cautious. That said, any
corrupt – although not Hermann Treumann – and during
chance to make money is still greeted with a warm smile
the recent Blood War, many toll houses were robbed or
– and a greedy hand. The player Characters are likely to
abandoned and taken over by bandits who collected the
be surprised by the villagers’ knowledge of different trade
tolls taken for themselves.
customs from across the continent of Goth Moran. While
many were touched by the vicious conflict between the SHRINE OF THE GOD-EMPEROR: A small,
Ghulistani and Walstanians, few pay heed to such petty unmanned shrine sits on the outskirts of Minuet. Flanking
ethnic disagreements. The only thing that matters most to it is an empty gibbet (which may contain Diesel, see below).
them is cash money. It is dedicated to the God-Emperor, with an offering bowl
dominating its small altar. Spent candles and traces of burnt
GENERAL STORE: Wilhelm Handelman runs the
incense can be seen inside. A (Routine +10%) Folklore Test
general store. His small and confined shop combines a lousy
will determine that the offerings were not actually made to
selection with unreasonably high prices (double the prices
the God-Emperor. Only a successful (Challenging -10%)
found in the Trappings chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER). This
Incantation Test will reveal to whom the offering was
is because a lion’s share of every gold crown Handelman
made: the Steward. Confined to the Basque River Valley,
makes goes to Bruno Connard to insure his store against
the worship of this god is uncommon.
any ‘spontaneous combustions’. The lanky man is friendly,
but his shifty eyes make him seem nervous and edgy at
CLUE: The only clue to who might have made the
times.
offerings is the scent of a strange perfume which lingers
LANTERMAN’S REMEDIES: Catarina Lanterman, a in the air. It smells of orange and lilac. Characters will
local herbalist, lives in a small hut where numerous herb recall having smelled it in the brothel with a successful
jars exuding overpowering aromas hang from the ceiling. Scrutinize Test (Routine +10%). If it is a Critical Success,
The sweet (but extremely odd) old lady provides the locals the player Characters remember that it was worn by
as well as the prostitutes and guests of the Jakob’s with Marié in the brothel.
herbs to remedy any and all (embarrassing) ills. She can
offer practically any medicine (found in Medicines from
the Trappings chapter in ZWEIHÄNDER). She carries
a large lantern around in her hands at all times, and can be
seen whispering to it adoringly when others are not paying
attention.
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◆ MINUET ◆
5
4
2
1
1. DOCKS
2. TOLLHOUSE
3. GENERAL STORE
4. LANTERMAN'S REMEDIES
5. TEMPLE TO THE GOD-EMPEROR
6. ONE EYED JAKOBS
7. SIGMUNDS FLASK
8. ABANDONED BUILDINGS
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CHAPTER 9 :
INVESTIGATION If the player Character takes him up on his offer, Hermann

These key encounters take place between the hours of asks them to come to the tollhouse at sunset. The shipwright
sunrise and sunset on the 13th. They can take place at any can be found working on their barge later that day.
time you see fit as long as they happen before the Twin
Trout arrives. There are a few matters worth noting though. ‘TAX’ COLLECTORS
Sometime during the day, the party will see several rugged
Firstly, it is not necessary to have all the player men pushing a pedlar named Fingal around and in the
Characters present at all of the events ( as long as process, scattering his wares on the ground. The Ex-
everyone is present in at least one). In fact, you are Convicts (the racketeer’s hired muscle) are shaking up the
encouraged to have different player Characters meet poor pedlar for a ‘tax’. Fingal tries to protect himself against
different NPCs as this can lead into some interesting the blows and pleads for mercy. One of the Ex-Convicts is
situations in Part IV. holding a pair of a blacksmith’s tin snips, threatening to rip
out a few of Final’s molars. If the party does not intervene
Secondly, The Madame’s Plight does not directly
in any way, the men give the pedlar a nasty look as they take
concern the events of Part IV and therefore it is an
what little money he has before leaving the broken man
optional event that you can leave out if necessary. The
sobbing in the mud.
Toll Keeper’s Offer and Aradain & The Beast , however,
serve to explain why certain NPCs are present at the
This is encounter should be tailored to the number of
big finale in Part IV, while Monsieur Connard might
player Characters present. There should one Ex-Convict
affect party allegiances in that scene. Therefore, leaving
per player Character, plus one. Bruno Connard is not to
them out is not recommended.
be trifled with.
THE TOLL KEEPER’S OFFER
COMBAT: THUG LIFE
In the morning when the player Characters come to the
If the player Characters intervene, the Ex-Convicts turns
tollhouse to see to their barge, they find out that the last
to face them with an angry look on their faces. The way
night’s storm has caused some minor damage to the vessel.
they crack their knuckles and measure them from head-
It seems they are stuck in Minuet until the barge is repaired.
to-toe tells the player Characters that these low lifes
are no strangers to violence. The Ex-Convicts
Hermann Treumann, having overheard their
have a reputation to protect, so they are looking
discussion, feels sorry about their situation
forward to teaching any and all would-be
and offers a helping hand. He knows a local
‘heroes’ a lesson or two about life
shipwright who can have the barge back on the
in Minuet. Trying to speak or
river in a day, a day and half at the most. He even
intimidate one’s way out
promises they will to do it for a very reasonable
of the situation is probably
price. All he asks in return is that they lend him
not going to work, unless the
their eyes and ears for tonight.
player Characters come up with
something brilliant – and fast.
Three nights ago , Hermann caught his assistant,
Ruben, trying to break into the moneybox
As soon as either of the Ex-Convicts is
where he keeps the collected tolls and threw
Seriously Wounded, Injured or it is evident
him into a cell in the tollhouse. He suspects
that they are clearly outmatched, they
that Ruben was working for Bruno Connard
retreat inside Sigmund’s Flask. Fingal will
(as the young man’s strengths have always been
be profuse in his thanks and happily offer
more martial then mental), but right now he cannot
the party discount on any of his wares. The
prove anything.
wares he has are cheap at best, and he has no
armor, shields, weapons or the like for sale.
Instead, he heard rumors yesterday that the
racketeer might be planning to break the boy out
MONSIEUR CONNARD
before Hermann can hand him in to the proper
An hour later in Minuet, the player Characters
authorities in Drach’s Landing. The toll keeper
are approached by a filthy man with almost
suspects the attempt will take place tonight and is
no teeth and hands scarred with dog bites. His
looking for someone to help him, as he has no hope
name is Dendish and is another of Connard’s
of standing up against Connard’s gang alone.
Ex-Convicts.
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Dendish (Chaos-aligned Lowborn) and steal the collected tolls. The fool got caught, however,
“Monsieur Connard wants to see you to the ‘Flask. and is now jailed in the tollhouse. The Racketeer was not
Now.” too worried until he heard a rumor that a travelling judge
summoned by Hermann Treumann was on his way here.
If they refuse, Connard will come to meet him a little later. Now Connard fears Ruben will rat him out to the judge
If they agree, the Ex-Convict leads him into the tavern. and he is not prepared to give up his lucrative business in
Minuet, not to mention his freedom.
It is terribly noisy inside the cramped, smoky hellhole, the
noise a combination of laughter, jeering and dog barks. A Connard’s problem is that the toll keeper is a sanctioned
motley crowd of saw-toothed hunters, haggard-looking official and an attack against him would be an attack against
gamblers and rough-trade thugs have gathered in a circle the powers-that-be. Being a cowardly man, Connard is not
to loudly cheer and root at the two vicious-looking mutts, willing to go that far yet, and has been looking for suitable
barking and snapping at each other inside a dog ring. Money outsiders to do the deed for him. This way, should the player
is changing hands as bets are placed. The atmosphere is one Characters fail, there is no direct link to him.
of imminent danger and the player Characters will need to
succeed at a Resolve Test (Routine +10%) or suffer from The racketeer wants the player Characters to make sure
Stress (1D10+1 mental Peril and 1 Corruption). that Ruben does not “talk to anyone ever again”. The party
is free to interpret this in any way it can imagine. He is
The Ex-Convict pushes through the press of bodies prepared to pay 25 gold crowns (gc), but can be haggled
towards a small, rickety table at the back. Behind it, the with. If the player Characters refuses, he warns him not to
bellicose Bruno Connard counts his crowns, oblivious to share the details of this little exchange with anyone if they
all the hullabaloo around him. The Ex-Convict leans in to know what is good for them.
say something to his boss and then takes his place behind
him. Slowly, as if afraid to let the coins out of his sight, ARADAIN & THE BEAST
Bruno lifts his eyes to give the player Characters a rather Last night, the sudden appearance of Marié de Mericourt
contemptuous look. What happened earlier with the pedlar caught Zacharias Kohlenfeuer completely by surprise.
determines the racketeer’s approach. Panicking, he locked himself in his room at One-Eyed
Jakob’s. After he was certain the inquisitor did not follow
If the player Characters had ignored the pedlar’s blight: him upstairs and so was unaware of who he was or why he
was in Minuet, he started to weigh up his options. As the
Bruno
first rays of the sun chased away the moon, he hatched a
“Thank you for taking the time to see me. I heard plan.
from my men that, earlier today, you did not seem
too uncomfortable with seeing, shall we say, business He would hire someone to capture the inquisitor for him,
taken care of. Now, I could have some use for the likes so that he could safely get the Wytchstone when the Twin
of you, a business proposal if you will. I will make it Trout arrives and then perform the ritual on the captured
worth your while, if you care to hear me out?” and chained woman in a nearby clearing. Around midday
Zacharias Kohlenfeuer snuck out of his room and made his
However, if the player Characters drove off the Ex- way to the Sigmund’s Flask to look for a suitable man for
Convicts: the job. One of the player Characters is now about to meet
Bruno this bounty hunter.
“Now, first off, let me start by apologizing for that
little incident earlier. My men are sometimes… a bit As the player Characters are making their way around
eager, if you know what I mean. And speaking of the Minuet, they hear a plea for help coming from the direction
incident, I must say I was impressed with the way you of the God-Emperor’s shrine. Upon investigating, they
handled yourself. I could have some use for the likes find Diesel, the bouncer with the roving hands from One-
of you, a business proposal if you will. I will make it Eyed Jakob’s the night before, locked in the gibbet next to
worth your while, if you care to hear me out?” the temple. Now drenched and dirty, the man desperately
grasps at the rusty bars of the cage, staring at the player
The reason Connard summoned the player Characters here Characters with eyes wide with fear from under streaks of
is Ruben, the Toll Keeper’s assistant. Connard convinced greasy hair. With a whimpering voice he begs,
the young man to break into the moneybox in the tollhouse
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Diesel THE MADAME’S PLIGHT

“Ye gotta help me. Please, ye gotta let me out ‘fore Madame Domenica Niehoff, the matron of the brothel, has
that… monster returns! I’m beggin’ ya! No, it’s too late, a dilemma. She has been running the inn since the previous
it’s behind ye…” owner died in a bar fight in the Sigmund’s Flask a few years
ago. However, ever since taking over the business, she has
When the party turns to see the monster that Diesel is had trouble from Bruno Connard. The racketeer has in his
referring to, they will see a skinny Halfling with a perpetual possession the deeds to the inn which he won in a card
five o’clock shadow. That is, a Halfling with a perpetual five game on the very night of the fateful bar fight. Connard has
o’clock shadow, two growling war hounds and a twisted been using these documents, plus his alleged connections
smirk on his scarred face. Ludo Hälftemann looks at the to the Kahabran crime families, to blackmail Madame
player Characters and says, Domenica for ‘protection’ money and more, including Jus
Primae Noctis, a historically dubious claim to be the first to
Ludo
lay with a prostitute who has recently joined Domenica’s
“I hope you’re not planning on doing anything stupid, brothel.
are you now? Han and Franz here will be at your throat
before you can get your sword out of its scabbard.” When Marié arrived, she quickly noticed the predicament
the prostitutes were in, but was unwilling to get directly
If the player Characters do not show any immediate signs
involved and risk her cover. Instead, she chose to teach
of hostility, he continues,
them some basic skills on how to defend themselv es, hence
Ludo Vivian being unable to deal a knockout blow to Diesel
“Actually, you could be of more use to me than this last night. Word quickly reached Connard that Madame
wretched fool here. I’m lookin’ for a dangerous Domenica had added a new girl to her stable, a beautiful
criminal, one of them Aradain. They say her name is Aradain woman, and in his insatiable lust for women, he
Mariah, or something like that. You haven’t seen her has been trying to arrange a meeting with her. Madame
by any chance? There’s a crown in it for you if the tip’s Domenica has used all kinds of excuses to prevent the two
good. Don’t say ask at the brothel, as I already did and from meeting as she – rightfully – fears that the encounter
they said she’s not in.” would end in disaster. She does not want to risk losing the
inn, but Domenica fears she has run out of excuses to deny
If the player Characters seems willing to cooperate, Ludo the racketeer any longer. Therefore, she needs the help of
will pay 1 gold crown (gc) for a good tip. In addition, he is an outsider.
ready to pay as much as 3 gold crowns (gc) for any piece of
cloth from which the dogs can get her scent. If asked why In the late afternoon, Madame Domenica, careful not to
he is looking for the woman, a (Standard +/-0%) Charm soil her dress in puddles which pockmark Minuet’s few
Test will persuade Ludo reveal that: streets, hurries out of One-Eyed Jakob’s to find one or
more of the player Characters. First and foremost, she will
Ludo
be looking for any female player Characters. If there are
“A sickly boy hired me to capture one of them renegade none, she will seek out a player Character who seems the
sorcerers.” most talkative or has the highest Fellowship. Whomever
she finds, Madame Domenica asks them to return with
Ludo is as cunning as Halflings come, and knowing how
her to the inn. If they agree, she will walk back with them,
dangerous sorcerers can be, he is looking to have some
arm-in-arm, to One-Eyed Jakob’s. Once inside, and having
insurance (aka disposable help). If the player Characters
ensured that there are no unwanted listeners around, she
help Ludo find out that Marié visits the river lock every
explains what this is all about.
sundown, he will offer them 9 gold crowns (gc) for helping
him capture her tonight. Of course, he has no intention Madame Domenica
of paying and plans to kill them after the Aradain is in “I have a small dilemma and I believe you could be
manacles. The bounty hunter’s plan is detailed in the next able to help me. I believe you met the Aradain woman,
part of the scenario. If for some reason the party crosses Marié, last night. Connard, a local racketeer, has been
Ludo, he will enact a Blood Oath against one of them causing us all kinds of trouble, blackmailing us and
(detailed later in The Knavery). manhandling my girls. Now, Connard wants to meet
Marié, but she is nowhere to be found and I’m afraid
of what he will do if he doesn’t get to meet her.”
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If the player Character is a female, Madame Domenica If the player Characters seek out Vivian or Julian to ask
proposes that she will pretend to be the Aradain and meet about what happened with Diesel, they must first gain
Connard. He is notoriously bad at holding his liquor, and their trust with a successful (Challenging -10%) Charm
all that is needed is to get Bruno to down a few drinks until Test or intimidate them with a successful (Routine +10%)
he passes out. If the player Characters is a male, she asks Intimidate Test. Only then will they reveal that Marié
for their help and any suggestions as to how to handle this taught them a few tricks on how to put bastards like Diesel
situation. to their place.
ASK THE PEDLARS: Further inquiry with pedlars or
Madame Domenica is willing to offer the player Character other hawkers in and around of One-Eyed Jakob’s.
3 gold crowns (gc), but is prepared to offer other
inducements which persuade them to help her. Indeed,
CLUE: The pedlars have something to say about Marié.
she is very perceptive and imaginative when it comes
By making a successful (Routine +10%) Rumor Test
to offering people what they want. If asked about what
or (Easy +20%) Rumor Test if they ask Fingal after
the racketeer has to blackmail them with, a successful
coming to his aid (see ‘Tax’ Collectors) – reveals that
(Easy +20%) Charm Test has Madame Domenica speak
Marié has bought some strange items from the Catarina
about the documents the man keeps in his room in the
Lanterman, the local herbalist, that sound awfully lot like
Sigmund’s Flask.
superstitious or ‘religious’ paraphernalia.
BREAKING INTO THE FLASK: The room is
accessible from the outside, but a (Challenging -10%)
Athletics Test is required to get to the window. Furthermore, SEARCH MARIÉ’S ROOM: In case the player
a (Routine +10%) Coordination Test is needed to open the Characters want to search Marié’s room, it is accessible from
window shutters from the outside. Once inside, it will take within the inn. They need to break in quietly by making
just a few minutes for the player Character to find the only a (Standard +/-0%) Skulduggery Test taking 1D10+1
thing of note in the room, a moneybox, which is hidden minutes or break down the door with a (Challenging
under a loose floorboard under the bed. A Skulduggery Test -10%) Athletics Test, taking a minute at best. However, any
(Hard -20%) to unlock the moneybox or a (Routine +10%) attempt to break down the door is easily heard by anyone
Athletics Test is needed to pry it open. The moneybox in the common room.
contains the deeds to the inn as well as 14 gold crowns (gc),
34 silver shilling (ss) and 56 brass pennies (bp). CLUE: Searching the room reveals her trappings as an
inquisitor. A successful (Routine +10%) Folklore Test
INVESTIGATING MARIÉ will reveal that she’s a member of Witchhammer
Once the party notice that everyone seems order, and a hand-drawn picture of Zacharias is in
to have some interest in the mysterious her footlocker.
Aradain, it might want to look
into the matter a little further.
Also, the party could very well Should they be caught
suspect her to be the recipient of the breaking in, the Madame
Wytchstone. Unfortunately, Marié cannot Dominica (or whomever else
be found in Minuet during the day as she leaves catches them) will immediately report them
first thing to check a prearranged spot for a message to Hermann Treumann.
from Gébler. She will return just before sunset, just in
time for the big climax detailed later in this adventure. PART IV: SHOWDOWN
The events of the scenario reach their climax in a big finale
CLUE: Any of the prostitutes at One-Eyed Jakob’s will at the tollhouse. The party should have several reasons to be
tell the player Characters that Marié arrived about a at the tollhouse when the sun sets. They could be helping
week ago. She made some arrangement with Madame Hermann Treumann, working for Bruno Connard seeking
Domenica and has stayed in the inn ever since. A to silence Ruben or they could be cooperating with the
successful Charm Test (Routine +10%) reveals that she bounty hunter Ludo Hälftemann. Whatever the reason,
visits the river lock every evening around sunset, taking a they should be at the tollhouse around sunset to see Marié’s
keen interest in new arrivals. true identity revealed and the unravelling of Kohlenfeuer’s
– and ultimately – Sss’ilky-Synnn’s plans.
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One of the Crooked Reeves hands Kohlenfeuer a small,

WEAVING IT ALL TOGETHER but weighty box and receives a purse in return. This should
set alarm bells ringing in the player Characters’ heads, as
Running an encounter with multiple plot threads, should the fact that the name of the patrol boat is Twin
NPCs with different goals and the player Characters Trout. The name of the boat is easy to spot and does not
who possibly have plans of their own, can seem like a require a roll if the players ask for its name. Otherwise,
daunting task. Worry not, for there are several things you can have them make a (Routine +10%) Awareness
you can do to make it easier on you. First of all, the Test to spot the name if none of the players ask for it. At
events in this part of the scenario are divided into this distance it is difficult for the player Characters to note
iterative parts that follow each other to make it easier anything special about the box, but with Critical Success,
for you to control all of the NPCs involved. Secondly, they will be able to tell that the box appears to be made
ask your players what their plans for their characters of lead and inscribed with crude runes. A successful (Easy
are. This will give you an indication of what is to come +20%) Incantation Test tells them that these are runes of
and some time to prepare. protection against Wytchstone’s transmutative effects.
There are also a few things you should keep in mind NO ONE EXPECTS THE ARADAIN
when running this chapter. Firstly, this is the big finale INQUISITION!
of this scenario and it should be about how your players Give the player Characters a few seconds to figure out
and their Characters handle the situation. There are what is happening here. Pause the game, and have them
several NPCs involved, but always keep the focus on talk among themselves ‘above the table’ to piece everything
the player Characters. Their decisions should be what together. Then, resume the story.
drives the outcome. Also, even though there is a lot of
potential for combat here, do not concentrate on the Marié de Mericourt has been watching from the shadows
combat rolls. Instead, use the situation as a narrative as the lead-lined receptacle changed hands and decides that
element; imagine the player Characters shouting at now is the time to take action. The inquisitor, in full gear
each amidst all the chaos struggling to find out what and with a claymore and flintlock pistol in hand, steps out
is going on and who is the real enemy here. Again, of the shadows and marches down the pier. With zealous
keep the focus on the party and the fight it is involved fire burning in her eyes she says,
in, while describing the other battles as background to Marié de Mericourt
its fights. Finally, do not roll attacks for any combat
encounter that the player Characters are not directly “By the power vested in me by the Temple of Steward,
involved in. I find you guilty of trafficking in blasphemous artifacts.
There can be no mercy for such a crime, no penalty
other than the cleansing flame of the pyre. In Her
wisdom, the Custodian may yet grant your souls some
clemency in death. I know I will not…”
Just as the party arrives at the tollhouse, the final rays of RELEASE THE HOUNDS!
the setting sun disappear behind the horizon. Moths dance Just as Marié is about to dish out divine retribution to the
around lanterns that cast pale reflections across the dark Crooked Reeves, she is interrupted by the barking and
waves. As the player Characters start towards the pier, growling of Hans & Franz as the war hounds charge down
Hermann Treumann comes out of the tollhouse escorting the pier. The player Characters’ actions earlier determine
the young Ruben. He smiles cheerfully at the player whom the dogs attack:
Characters and says,
If they provided Ludo Hälftemann with Marié’s scent,
Herman Treumann
both dogs will attack her. If they did not, one of the
“Thanks for comin’ , although it seems I might not be dogs attacks Marié and the other attacks a random
needin’ ye after all. Ye see, the reeves jest arrived…” player Character ;
A glance at the pier will confirm what Hermann said, a If party cheated Ludo and provided a false scent, it will
patrol boat has just docked and three Crooked Reeves be a surprise to all as to where the first dog runs, while
stand on the pier. At the moment, they are talking to the the other attacks Marié.
pale young man with the c oiffed hair the player Characters With the bounty hunter’s attack, everyone jumps into
remember seeing at One-Eyed Jakob’s the night before. action...
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◆ THE TOLLHOUSE ◆
7
8
6
5
4
3
1. PLAYER CHARACTERS' BARGE

2. TWIN TROUT
3. REEVES
CHAOS ON THE DOCKS 4. ZACHARIAS
Be sure to set up an Initiative Ladder, using hash marks 5. STATUE
to denote the passage of time of other NPCs. Tracking
6. HERMANN TREUMANN
time in this instance is important. Whenever Turns are
mentioned above (e.g., it will take the Crooked Reeves six 7. MARIÉ'S ENTRANCE
Turns in combat to untie the ropes and use the winch to lift 8. LUDO'S ENTRANCE
the boom), simply make a checkmark beside their name to
track the passage of time. In the aforementioned example, All parties’ actions are detailed below, which you should
on their seventh Turn, the Crooked Reeves leap onto their loosely narrate as combat unfolds:
boat and sail out of the harbor onto the Basque and so
make their escape. Marié turns to face the charging dogs after which she
will concentrate on the bounty hunter. If the Crooked
This leaves the players and their characters to find out what Reeves are still there after this, they will face her
is happening and what to do. This should be frantic, chaotic righteous fury next ;
situation with the party shouting at each to find out what is
Ludo stays back using his trusted repeating crossbow
going and who the real enemy here is. Both the party’s and
to attack Marié (or one of the player Characters he
the individual player Characters’ earlier interactions with
has enacted a Blood Oath against), regardless of the
the NPCs might influence their allegiances, or even some
dogs. If the bounty hunter is reduced to Grievously
NPC’s plans, so make sure to be prepared for this.
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CHAPTER 9 :
Wounded or is otherwise Injured, he will attempt to into three-foot pillars of pink flame. They will see Zacharias
flee or failing that, surrender; raise a ritual dirk above his head before plunging it into the
The Crooked Reeves have received the ir cash, so use neck of either Hans or Franz and calling to the Abyss.
the distraction provided by the dogs to beat a hasty
retreat. They fire their pistols at random targets and The Prince of Pleasure answers.
then run to the moorings to unfasten their vessel. It
will take them six Turns in combat to untie the ropes The pier is suddenly covered in hoarfrost. As the
and use the winch to lift the boom to allow a ship to temperature drops dramatically, the air in front of the
pass through the lock; Zacharias shifts and warps as laws of time and space twist
and with a scream of a tortured lover, Sss’ilky-Synnn
Hermann Treumann shouts at the player Characters to arrives. The Carnal Demon appears next to Zacharias
stop the Crooked Reeves from leaving as he struggles Kohlenfeuer, his mane of golden hair flowing wildly as if
to prevent Ruben from escaping. It will take Hermann he was suspended in water, the purplish pincer glistening
ten Turns to haul Ruben back to his cell unless the with scented oils. Tenderly he caresses Zacharias’ cheek
player Characters intervene; with the pincer.
Zacharias Kohlenfeuer’s reaction as soon as Marié
appears is to dive behind a stack of nearby crates and Seeing the Carnal Demon, Zacharias collapses to his
unseen to anyone, watch to see how events play out. knees like a marionette when its strings are cut. The Carnal
At this point, the party should not be able to find him Demon’s cruel betrayal is now revealed, and the only hope
(modify his exact location accordingly), as he has a of ever seeing his beloved lost leaves him utterly devastated.
significant role to play a little later. He stares up at the Carnal Demon and moans over and
over again,
ABYSS HATH NO FURY Zacharias

LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED “What have I done…? you are not Mädchen… you
Once the fighting ceases, give the player Characters a are not my Mädchen! I’ve been deceived…no, no…
moment to catch their breath and realize that the pale young nooooo!”
man is nowhere to be seen. If Ludo’s attempt to capture
Marié fails, Zacharias has no other option but to proceed Meanwhile, Sss’ilky-Synnn turns his attention to his
with the ritual here and now. He uses the Wytchstone to nemesis.
draw a triangle of containment on the pier (unfortunately
forgetting to draw a Magick Circle around himself ), and Sss’ilky-Synnn
places the jade statue inside it. Any player Character who ❖ “Finally, I shall have my sweet revenge. Last time
has witnessed the Ritual of Call Demonic Servant previously you resorted to guile and chance to slay my occultists
or knows the Ritual will spot that Zacharias has made a and banish me, inquisitor, but nothing can save you
fatal error. this time. I shall enjoy making you die a thousand
exquisitely slow deaths.”
The first sign that the situation is not over yet comes when
Marié drops her weapons and is suddenly unable to move. DEFEAT THE CARNAL DEMON
Pink shadows with spectral faces spring forth from thin Muscles rippling and the pincer snapping in anticipation
air and encircle Marié’s arms and legs, laughing mockingly. the Carnal Demon starts towards the helpless inquisitor.
This is the Ætheric Strappado spell from the Covenant to It is up to our adventurers to save the day! They should
the Prince of Pleasure, preventing Marié from moving. prevent the Carnal Demon from getting his pincers on
However, this story is about your player Characters so you Marié while finding a way to banish the abomination.
should let Marié struggle with the spell and let the player There are several ways to defeat the Carnal Demon and
Characters be the heroes here. She can break free and come these are discussed next.
to their aid if the situation starts to look hopeless.
The sound of Zacharias’ chanting alerts the party to his

presence on the far side of the pier, as does green glow which
seems to be coming from nearby. This is from the burning
Wytchstone, which when any of the player Characters
moves to see what Zacharias is doing, will suddenly burst
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player Characters who touch the flames must succeed at

an (Easy +20%) Coordination Test or gain a permanent
LOOKING BACK WITH FONDNESS Chaos Rank. Any player Character can take the statue by
force, in which case they must succeed in an Opposed Test
Facing Sss’ilky-Synnn is the climactic fight that against Zacharias Kohlenfeuer as he clings to it desperately.
concludes the adventure. Here are a few suggestions The player Character should make a (Challenging
on how to make him a memorable and unsettling -10%) Athletics Test against Zacharias’ (Routine +10%)
opponent: Toughness Test.
During the fight, the Carnal Demon leans in
and his lips brushes one of the player Character’s SOCIAL INTRIGUE: STRIKE A FAUSTIAN
ears as he whispers a pet name known only by a BARGAIN
former lover. Another option is to convince Zacharias to break the statue
or toss it into the river. This act of penance might allow his
The Carnal Demon spends 1 AP to gingerly – damned soul some redemption. Zacharias is of a Hostile
but forcefully – snap his claw around a player Disposition. Alternatively, if any of the player Characters
Character’s arm, pulling them in for a passionate are active occultists to any of the Abyssal Princes, improve
kiss. Excruciating pain turns into exquisite his Disposition to Polite. Follow the normal rules for
pleasure as Sss’ilkys’ lips lock with theirs. Social Intrigue as a Complex Exchange, but in this case,
The Carnal Demon sighs with orgasmic pleasure those who pick Charm or Interrogation for their Social
every time he goes down the Damage or Peril Tactic have less effect , both being unfavorable Skills. Treat
Condition Tracks. Zacharias’ Social Class as being that of Burgher.
Any time the Carnal Demon kills someone, his
Remember, before their Characters fully commit to the
barbed phallus expels disgusting seminal fluid
Social Intrigue, let the players discuss with one another
over the corpse.
what they want to accomplish, how they wish to accomplish
it and the risks associated with what they agree to do.
The jade statue has a Hardness Threshold of 12

(18/24/30), as referenced in the Game Mastery chapter of
COMBAT: FIGHT IT OUT ZWEIHÄNDER, page 393.
Facing the Carnal Demon in combat is a straightforward,
but extraordinarily dangerous way to banish him. As the SOCIAL INTRIGUE: STRIKE A FAUSTIAN
dock is covered in hoarfrost, treat it as Hard Terrain (as BARGAIN
mentioned in the Combat chapter of ZWEIHÄNDER, Of course, player Characters unburdened by normal
page 244). Like all Demons, Carnal Demons possess the standards of morality might seek a bargain with the
Trait of Call of The Abyss. However, Sss’ilky-Synnn is not Carnal Demon. Sss’ilky-Synnn is of a Hostile Disposition.
subject to it as long as the jade statue is intact. If he is Alternatively, if any of the player Characters are active
somehow Slain! normally, the Carnal Demon returns to occultists of any of the Abyssal Princes, improve his
the Abyss with a wailing shriek. Disposition to Polite. Follow the normal rules for Social
Intrigue as a Complex Exchange, but in this case, those
THE JADE STATUE: The party probably noticed that
who pick Interrogation or Intimidate for their Social
Zacharias used the statue to summon the Carnal Demon
Tactic have less effect, both being unfavorable Skills. Treat
and he is currently grasping it against his chest as he weeps
his Social Class as being that of Aristocrat.
for his beloved Mädchen. A snaking, purple serpent wends
its way out of the statue’s loins and about Zacharias and in
Remember, before their Characters fully commit to
and out of his mouth and other orifices, as the jade statue
the Social Intrigue, let the players discuss with one
seems to dance in his arms. If the party misses this, you
another what they want to accomplish, how they wish to
could allow them a (Routine +10%) Scrutinize Test, or
accomplish it and the risks associated with what they agree
have Marié point it out.
to do. Whatever the bargain, Sss’ilky-Synnn’s price is at
the very least Marié’s life without exception.
Zacharias is standing in the triangle of containment
and entering it requires a successful (Challenging -10%)
Coordination Test to avoid touching the pink flames. Any
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CHAPTER 9 :
EPILOGUE In any case, the next day, the repairs on their river barge will
be complete – despite everything – and ready to take them
Silence falls upon the pier as the sounds of battle die down. towards further adventures.
As the dust settles, it is time to see who came out on top.
The fight has likely been quite chaotic and deadly, and the REWARDS FOR COMPLETION
outcome depends largely on the player Characters and
In addition to the 100 Reward Points you give at the end
whomever they decided to side with in the end.
of each game session, the players can earn the following
rewards for their Characters in playing ‘There’s Something
If Sss’ilky-Synnn manages to kill Marié, the Carnal Demon
About Marié’. Give these both Reward Points and the
corpse freezes into place and then bursts into snowflakes
Reputation Points at the conclusion of the adventure:
with a triumphant laughter, causing the water on the river
to immediately freeze. It will be another two weeks before
Hiding Udo Gébler: 10 RP
anyone is able to leave Minuet, it taking that looking for the
river to thaw. With everyone stuck in the village, tensions Fighting Sergeant Winterhalder in Lloyd’s
between the various factions rise higher than ever before, Beacon: 20 RP
the survivors quickly at each other’s throats. Dealing with a Key Event: 30 RP per event
If both Madame Domenica and Bruno Connard Breaking the Statue: 20 RP or 30 RP if they convince
survive, the racketeer moves against the brothel, kills Kohlenfeuer to do it
her and becomes the pimp of One-Eyed Jakob’s . Defeating the Carnal Demon: 30 RP
If Madame Domenica is dead and Bruno Connard Surviving Without Spending Fate Points: 30 RP
survives, the racketeer moves against the brothel, beats
the prostitutes into submission and takes ownership of Good Roleplaying: 30 RP
One-Eyed Jakob’s. Actively Participating in The Showdown: 1 Reputation
If Marié survives, she is eager to see all surviving Point per player Character
wrongdoers burnt at the stake. If the party sided
against her, they have made an enemy for life (all party THE KNAVERY
members gain the Drawback of Nemesis). However, if
they helped Marié, they now have a powerful ally. What follows are the NPC profiles of those who the player
Characters are likely to encounter during the events of
If Sss’ilky-Synnn is defeated, he has only been ‘There’s Something About Marié’. Depending upon what
temporarily defeated. Should anyone gain a Disorder the player Characters decide and do, these NPCs may help,
coming out of this adventure, they will be Possessed! hinder or harass them.
by the demon (a new Disorder found in Chapter IV:
Liber Alchemiae).
If the party is left wondering what actually happened

here and why, Marié can fill in all the missing details. If
Zacharias, any Crooked Reeves or Ludo survive, they can
look forward to a ‘steamy’ session on the receiving end of
hot irons.
There are multiple possibilities for further adventures.

Hermann Treumann might ask the player Characters
to escort Ruben to the authorities downriver in Drach’s
Landing. Likewise, Marié de Mericourt will probably
want to take the remnants of the jade statue to Drach’s
Landing and could require some special measures and help
from the party. If the party ends up with the statue, it will
not be long before Sss’ilky-Synnn’s seductive whispers start
snaking their way into their dreams.
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BRUNO CONNARD SIZE: Normal CROOKED REEVES SIZE: Normal
C B A P I W F C B A P I W F
50% [7] 55% [8] 35% [5] 40% [5] 45% [4] 40% [6] 40% [7] 50% [6] 40% [5] 45% [4] 45% [6] 35% [3] 40% [6] 40% [5]
Int Mov DTh PTh Par Dod RFa Int Mov DTh PTh Par Dod RFa
11 9 Intermediate 8 9 Basic
+11 8 70% 35% +9 7 50% None
(17/23/29) (15/21/27) (High) (14/20/26) (15/21/27) (High)
Athletics +10, Folklore +20, Guile +20, Intimidate +20, Interrogation +10, Intimidate +10, Leadership +10, Martial
Leadership +10, Martial Melee +10, Martial Ranged +10, Ranged +10, Resolve +10, Rumor +10, Simple Melee +10,
Resolve +20, Rumor +10, Scrutinize +10, Simple Melee +20, Survival +10, Toughness +10
Stealth +10, Toughness +10, Warfare +10
ATTACK PROFILE
ATTACK PROFILE Flintlock pistol: 60% • Distance ( ranged 9 yards) • Load (3
Bollock dagger: 70% • Distance ( melee engaged or 1 yard) • AP) • Damage (6) • Fast, Punishing
Damage (7) • Punishing, Reach, Slow, Vicious, Weak Military pike: 50% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage
Cestus: 70% • Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • Damage (6) • Slow, Powerful, Punishing
(8) • Light, Pummeling, Punishing, Reach
TRAITS
TRAITS I AM THE LAW!: You may flip the results to succeed at
JAILHOUSE ROCK: Whenever you Parry a melee Intimidate Tests. When you succeed, it is always considered a
weapon, immediately make an Opportunity Attack against Critical Success. Furthermore, you always influence a number
that same opponent. You may only make this attack if you are of people with the Intimidate Skill equal to three times your
wielding a melee weapon of the Brawling type. [BB] – this includes use of Litany of Hatred during combat.
HOLDOUT: You always succeed at Skulduggery Tests to MENACING DEMEANOR: When you succeed at an
conceal objects no larger than a knife about your person. Intimidate Test, you inflict 1D10+1 mental Peril.
LIGHTNING REACTION: In combat, you gain 1 TRUE GRIT: You are immune to the effects of Knockout!
additional Action Point. However, it can only be used and Stunning Blow.
to Dodge and Parry. This Action Point refreshes at the
beginning of your Turn. TRAPPINGS
LIGHT SLEEPER: When you are sleeping, you cannot be Flintlock pistol w/(6) shot, military attire, military pike,
Surprised or left Helpless. ringmail armor, manacles
MILITARY FORMATION: When you successfully use
Inspiring Words in combat, both you and the allies you
inspire raise their Initiative by 3.
NATURAL SELECTION: You may permanently change
any one Primary Attribute to a 55%.
SUPERNATURAL PARANOIA: When your Chaos
Ranks are higher than your Order Ranks, add 3 to your
Initiative.
WARMONGER: Add both the Punishing and Reach
Qualities to all melee weapons you wield.
WATCH YOUR BACK: You can never be restored to
Unhindered on the Peril Condition Track, only to Imperiled.
TRAPPINGS
Bollock dagger, cestus, mismatched fine clothes, ringmail
armor, 12 gold crowns (gc), 22 silver shilling (ss), 64 brass
pennies (bp)
319
CHAPTER 9 :
EX-CONVICTS SIZE: Normal HANS & FRANZ SIZE: Normal
50% [5] 55% [7] 35% [5] 40% [5] 45% [3] 40% [5] 40% [5] 40% [4] 45% [4] 50% [7] 45% [5] 35% [4] 40% [4] 40% [4]
7 8 Basic 4 7 Basic
+8 8 65% 45% +8 13 None None
(13/19/25) (14/20/26) (High) (10/16/22) (13/19/25) (Medium)
Athletics +10, Folklore +10, Guile +10, Intimidate +10, Resolve Awareness +10, Coordination +10, Resolve +10, Simple Melee
+10, Rumor +10, Scrutinize +10, Simple Melee +10, Stealth +10, Stealth +10, Survival +10, Toughness +10
+10, Toughness +10
ATTACK PROFILE
ATTACK PROFILE Vicious teeth: 65% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage
Cestus: 65% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (6) • (4) • Pummeling, Slow, Vicious, Weak
Light, Pummeling
TRAITS
TRAITS FETID WEAPONRY: When these creatures inflict an
JAILHOUSE ROCK: Whenever you Parry a melee Injury, their foe’s wounds are also Infected.
weapon, immediately make an Opportunity Attack against PAW/HOOF/WING: These creatures’ movement uses
that same opponent. You may only make this attack if you are 6+[AB] on foot and 9+[AB] for flight. Fliers are indicated
wielding a melee weapon of the Brawling type. under Movement.
HOLDOUT: You always succeed at Skulduggery Tests to RIPPING TEETH: When these creatures deal Damage,
conceal objects no larger than a knife about your person. they can force a foe to Resist a Takedown.
LIGHTNING REACTION: In combat, you gain 1
additional Action Point. However, it can only be used TRAPPINGS
to Dodge and Parry. This Action Point refreshes at the Spiked dog collar and tag
beginning of your Turn.
LIGHT SLEEPER: When you are sleeping, you cannot be
Surprised or left Helpless.
NATURAL SELECTION: You may permanently change
any one Primary Attribute to a 55%.
TRAPPINGS
Cestus, mismatched poor clothing, cheap necklace (1), 12
silver shillings crowns (ss), 8 brass pennies (bp)
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HERMAN TREUMANN SIZE: Normal LUDO HÄLFTEMANN SIZE: Normal
50% [5] 45% [6] 40% [4] 45% [5] 35% [3] 40% [4] 40% [4] 45% [8] 45% [5] 50% [9] 40% [6] 35% [4] 40% [6] 40% [4]
9 7 Basic 8 9 Intermediate
+8 7 60% 40% +9 12 65% 50%
(15/21/27) (13/19/25) (Medium) (14/20/26) (15/21/27) (Medium)
Athletics +10, Awareness +10, Guile +10, Martial Melee +10, Awareness +10, Bargain +10, Intimidate +10, Handle Animal
Resolve +10, Ride +10, Simple Ranged +10, Toughness +10, +10, Martial Melee +10, Martial Ranged +10, Navigation +10,
Warfare +10 Resolve +10, Ride +20, Rumor +20, Simple Melee +20, Simple
Ranged +20, Stealth +10, Survival +20, Toughness +10
ATTACK PROFILE
Pike: 60% • Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) • Damage ATTACK PROFILE
(5) • Reach Baselard: 65% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (8) •
Misericorde: 60% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (4) Fast, Finesse, Light, Weak
• Fast, Finesse Repeating crossbow: 65% • Distance (ranged 12 yards) •
Load (4 AP) • Damage (7) • Fast, Punishing, Repeating
TRAITS
LICK YOUR WOUNDS: These creatures may spend TRAITS
1 Misfortune Point to move three steps up the Damage APPALLING MIEN: When you succeed at an Intimidate
Condition Track positively. Test against one foe, they cannot attack you until they
MAN O’WAR: When these creatures are Injured, always succeed at a Resolve Test. However, if you or your allies harm
refer to the Moderate Injuries table to determine their them in any way, they immediately shake off this effect.
severity. This Trait overrides any potential for increase in BLOOD OATH: You may voluntarily move three steps
Injuries due to Qualities, Traits or other Talents. down the Damage Condition Track negatively. Unlike
MENACING: When these creatures use a Litany of Hatred, Damage done during combat, you do not suffer Injuries from
they inflict 1D10+[BB] mental Peril. this Damage, but you can enact a Blood Oath against a single
foe whose real name you know (or True Name for creatures
DRAWBACK who are Abyssal or Supernatural). Whenever you use Fury
VETERAN'S BOOT: You cannot Charge, Maneuver or Dice to determine weapon Damage against this foe, they
Run with Movement Actions without spending an additional explode on face ‘1’ or ‘6’. You can enact another Blood Oath
Action Point. once the current one is completed by the person being Slain!.
FOR A FEW SHILLINGS MORE: In combat, whenever
TRAPPINGS
you make your first Attack Action with a ranged weapon, you
Brigandine armor, Misericorde, Pike, War medal
never miss. In addition, your intended target cannot Dodge,
Parry or Resist the attack. You also add an additional 1D6
Fury Die to the same attack.
GRUESOME SHOT: When you Take Aim and then make
a successful Ranged Attack, add 3 Damage.
INSTINCTS: While in fog, mist or smoke, you ignore the
normal penalties associated with impaired vision.
NO MERCY: When you Injure a foe with a melee weapon,
you inflict two Injuries instead of one.
TAKE ’EM DOWN: At Distance, you can substitute
either your Simple Ranged or Martial Ranged Skills when
you attempt to use Disarm, Stunning Blow or Takedown.
Note that you do not inflict Damage when you attempt such
maneuvers. You must be armed with a loaded ranged weapon
in order to Take ‘Em Down.
TRAPPINGS
Manacles, net, repeating crossbow w/ (12) bolts, ringmail
armor, war hounds (2), 25 gold crowns (gc)
321
CHAPTER 9 :
MARIÉ DE MERICOURT SIZE: Normal SERGEANT WINTERHALDER SIZE: Normal
50% [7] 45% [5] 35% [4] 40% [6] 45% [6] 40% [7] 40% [5] 50% [7] 40% [6] 45% [6] 45% [8] 35% [3] 40% [7] 40% [5]
8 10 Advanced 11 10 60% Intermediate
+9 7 70% 45% +11 9 None (High)
(14/20/26) (16/22/28) (Low) (17/23/29) (16/22/28) (Defensive)
Athletics +10, Charm +10, Counterfeit +10, Eavesdrop +10, Athletics +10, Awareness +10, Interrogation +10, Intimidate
Folklore +30, Interrogation +20, Intimidate +20, Martial Melee +10, Leadership +10, Martial Ranged +10, Resolve +10, Ride
+20, Martial Ranged +10, Navigation +10, Resolve +20, Ride +10, Rumor +20, Simple Melee +20, Simple Ranged +10, Stealth
+10, Scrutinize +10, Simple Melee +30, Simple Ranged +10, +10, Survival +20, Toughness +20, Warfare +10
Toughness +10, Warfare +10
ATTACK PROFILE
ATTACK PROFILE Flintlock pistol: 60% • Distance (ranged 11 yards) • Load (3
Claymore: 70% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (7) • AP) • Damage (7) • Gunpowder, Volatile
Adaptable, Punishing, Slow Swagger stick: 50% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage
Flintlock pistol: 60% • Distance (ranged 9 yards) • Load (3 (6) • Powerful, Pummeling, Slow
AP) • Damage (7) • Gunpowder, Volatile
Stiletto: 70% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage (7) • TRAITS
Fast, Vicious, Weak BORDER PATROL: Select one foe in combat. That foe
is left Defenseless to all Ranged Attacks and Called Shots
TRAITS made with ranged weapons you make against them until they
GATECRASHER: When you Take Aim and then make a are defeated. You may select another foe once the current one
successful Melee Attack, add 3 Damage. is defeated.
IMPENETRABLE WALL: Opponents do not gain an EAGLE EYES: You do not suffer additional hardship when
advantage (such as additional Damage or bonuses to strike) firing ranged weapons at Medium Distance, instead treating
when they flank, outnumber or surround you in combat. it as Short Distance.
IMPERVIOUS MIND: When you suffer mental Peril, I AM THE LAW!: You may flip the results to succeed at
reduce your Peril Condition Track by one less step negatively. Intimidate Tests. When you succeed, it is always considered a
ISSUE CHALLENGE: Select one foe in combat. That foe Critical Success. Furthermore, you always influence a number
is left Defenseless to all Melee Attacks and Called Shots of people with the Intimidate Skill equal to three times your
made with melee weapons you make against them until they [BB] – this includes use of Litany of Hatred during combat.
are defeated. You may select another foe once the current one LIGHT SLEEPER: When you are sleeping, you cannot be
is defeated. Surprised or left Helpless.
WITCH HUNTER’S INSIGHT: You are always under MENACING DEMEANOR: When you succeed at an
the effects of the Generalist Magick called Wytchsight. Intimidate Test, you inflict 1D10+1 mental Peril.
However, you retain your normal vision, able to ‘turn off ’ this RURAL SENSIBILITY: When you attempt to hide in
sight on command. rural environments, you gain a +20 Base Chance to Stealth
Tests.
TRAPPINGS TRUE GRIT: You are immune to the effects of Knockout!
Cheap perfume, claymore (Castle-forged and cold iron), and Stunning Blow.
destrier, ‘good luck’ baubles (6), flintlock pistol w/(6) shots,
leather armor (cuir bouilli) holy water (3), rope (5 yards), TRAPPINGS
stiletto, talisman (+5% to Martial Melee), witchhunter coat Flintlock pistol w/ (6) shot, swagger stick, scale armor,
& mantle, witchhunter hat, 18 gold crowns (gc) manacles, scorpion venom (3)
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SSS’ILKY-SYNNN SIZE: Normal CALL OF THE ABYSS: When this creature suffers
Damage and is unable to deal Damage by the end of its next
C B A P I W F Turn, roll 3D6. If all three dice show face ‘6’, the creature is
50% [6] 40% [4] 45% [7] 40% [4] 35% [3] 40% [6] 45% [6] banished back to the Abyss, until summoned once again.
CAPTIVATING CRY: When foes can hear this creature,
Int Mov DTh PTh Par Dod RFa they must Resist with a successful Resolve Test or be drawn
+7 10 4 9 70% 75%
Intermediate towards the sound. Should they enter a dangerous area to
(10/16/22) (15/21/27) (High)
find the sound, they can attempt another Resolve Test. Once
Athletics +20, Charm +20, Coordination +20, Folklore +20, they are able to visually see the creature, the Captivating
Guile +20, Interrogation +20, Rumor +20, Scrutinize +20, Cry’s effects end.
Simple Melee +20, Toughness +20 CRIPPLING CONSTRICTOR: When these creatures
maintain a Chokehold, they deal Damage as if they were
ATTACK PROFILE using a bare-handed weapon.
Eviscerating Pincer: 70% • Distance (melee engaged) • DARK SENSE: These creatures can see in the dark.
Damage (6) • Slow, Vicious HORROR OF THE PIT: These creatures do not need to
Dire Penetration: 70% • Distance (melee engaged or 1 yard) breathe and are immune to Chokehold. In addition, player
• Damage (7) • Entangling, Fast, Finesse, Vicious Characters whose Order Ranks exceed their Chaos Ranks
TRAITS reduce their Damage by -3 when striking these creatures.
BLOODLESS: These creatures cannot Bleed. HYPNOTIC MUSK: Foes who stand within 9 yards of this
BLOODLUST: Every time these creatures inflict an creature cannot add their Apprentice Skill Rank to Combat
Injury, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track and Willpower-based Skill Tests. In addition, foes who are
positively. Engaged with these creatures must successfully Resist using
BOTH-HANDEDNESS: When they wield two one- Toughness or be unable to add any Skill Ranks to Combat
handed melee weapons and fail a Combat-based Skill Test, and Willpower-based Skill Tests for a day.
they may re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept INESCAPABLE: When these creatures use a Chokehold,
the outcome. they are able to maintain it for 0 AP and use other Actions
In Combat.
SANITY-BLASTING: When first encountered, these
creatures provoke one of the three brands of Madness: if
of Basic Risk Factor, they provoke Stress (1D10+1 mental
Peril and 3 Corruption); if of Intermediate Risk Factor, they
provoke Fear (2D10+2 mental Peril and 6 Corruption); if of
Advanced or Elite Risk Factor, they provoke Terror (3D10+3
mental Peril and 9 Corruption).
SNIKT! SNIKT!: These creatures may spend 3 APs to
attack twice with melee weapons.
STEELY FORTITUDE: These creatures always succeed at
Resolve Tests and cannot be Intimidated.
TRAPPINGS
Dream mementos from former lovers (9), expensive cologne,
infernal holy symbol, obsidian comb
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CHAPTER 9 :
ZACHARIAS KOHLENFEUER SIZE: Normal RUINOUS POWER: When you generate face ‘6’
with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos Manifestation.
C B A P I W F Furthermore, you must add 1 additional Chaos Die when
35% [3] 40% [4] 35% [3] 40% [6] 45% [6] 50% [7] 40% [5] Channeling Power. Finally, whenever you are Incapacitated!,
you cannot recover your Peril Condition Track under any
Int Mov DTh PTh Par Dod RFa circumstance until you indulge in a vice first. Suggestions
+9 6 4 10 55% 45%
Intermediate include blasphemy, gambling, intoxication, prostitution and
(10/16/22) (16/22/28) (Medium)
self-harm.
Charm +10, Eavesdrop +20, Education +10, Folklore +20, Guile
+20, Incantation +20, Interrogation +10, Navigation +10, DISORDER
Resolve +10, Rumor +20, Scrutinize +20, Simple Melee +20, CLAWING OBSESSION: While at Ignore 2 or 3 Skill
Toughness +10 Ranks on the Peril Condition Track, those afflicted with this
Disorder automatically fail all Awareness and Resolve Tests.
ATTACK PROFILE At any time, those afflicted with Clawing Obsession may re-
Bare-handed: 55% • Distance (melee engaged) • Damage roll Skill Tests twice when using Fortune Points.
(4) • Pummeling, Slow
MAGICK SPELLS
TRAITS GENERALIST MAGICK: Candlelight, Hush, Wytchsight
BLOOD MAGICK: After you have made the appropriate COVENANT TO THE PRINCE OF PLEASURE:
sacrifice of an innocent creature (a beloved animal like a Ætheric Strappado, Domino of Desire, Florentine Kiss
kitten or puppy for Petty Magick, a farm animal such as a
cow or sheep for Lesser Magick or a living person like an Elf TRAPPINGS
or Dwarf for Greater Magick), you can cause any one foe to Codex, jade statue, merchant’s clothing, ritual dirk, writing
automatically fail to Resist one cast Magick spell within the kit, 3 gold crowns (gc), reagents for all Magick spells (9)
next 24 hours. You can only make a sacrifice like this once per
day and will likely suffer Corruption for such a heinous act.
CRUEL TUTELAGE: When you generate face ‘1’ or ‘6’
with Chaos Dice, you invoke a Chaos Manifestation.
CULT OF PERSONALITY: When casting Generalist
Magick – at your option – you may automatically succeed
at the Incantation Test, but move one step down the Peril
Condition Track negatively. In addition, you must always
add 1 additional Chaos Die when you elect to Channel
Power. You also understand how to use the Ritual of Blessed
Sacrament.
FORKED TONGUE: When you attempt to deceive
someone of a Social Class other than your own, you gain a
+20 Base Chance to Guile Tests.
INSIDIOUS WHISPER: When you are standing next to
or Engaged with a person (who can also hear you), you can
use your voice to compel another. By succeeding a Guile Test,
you force a person to experience an emotion of your choice
for a number of minutes equal to your [WB]. Suggestions
include anger, anticipation, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise
or trust. As the emotion is felt, choose whether they move
one step up or one step down the Peril Condition Track.
Once the experience of the instilled emotion has passed, the
person has no memory of who compelled them to do so.
Insidious Whisper can only affect Humanoids and Mutants
(including player Ancestries). Finally, the same person
cannot be made subject to Insidious Whisper more than
once in any 24 hour period.
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APPENDIX
325
TAINTS OF CHAOS ADDENDUM

While ZWEIHÄNDER speaks to Taints of Chaos for creatures and Characters, we have expanded the original tables
by describing what they look like. This will create even more mutative options for your game, offering a host of alternative
forms that Taints of Chaos can manifest as.
D100 TAINT OF CHAOS

1 Acidic Spittle 37 Forestwalker 73 Quadrumanibus
2 Albinism 38 Froggy Eyes 74 Quadruple Jointed
3 Arachnos 39 Goat Horns 75 Roid Beast
4 Astral Vision 40 Hellish Visage 76 Rotting Flesh
5 Barbed Spines 41 Horrific Stench 77 Seemingly Headless
6 Beaked Maw 42 Hunchbacked 78 Shrinky Dink
7 Beweaponed Extremity 43 Hypnotic Glare 79 Skull-faced
8 Black Nails 44 Infantile Transformation 80 Spiritual Instability
9 Blood Substitution 45 Limb Transference 81 Spit Flames
10 Bloodborne Rage 46 Mace-like Tail 82 Swinging Gait
11 Brightly-patterned Skin 47 Mad Hopper 83 The Thin Man
12 Burning Body 48 Mane of Hair 84 Thinktank
13 Cancerous Protection 49 Mangy Cur 85 Third Eye
14 Centauroid 50 Manikin 86 Translucent Skin
15 Chitinous Head 51 Material Instability 87 Transmutative Growth
16 Clamorous Vocals 52 Mere-form 88 Two Minds
17 Cloud of Rot 53 Metasoma 89 Uncanny Resemblance
18 Cloven Hooves 54 Misshapen Face 90 Uncontrollable Flatulence
19 Conehead 55 Monstrous Countenance 91 Undulating Tail
20 Crow’s Legs 56 Moronic Mutation 92 Vestigial Twin
21 Crown of Flesh 57 Multiplication 93 Vitriolic Excretion
22 Crystalline Body 58 Mutative Chimerism 94 Vividly-colored Skin
23 Cyclopean Eye 59 Mutative Regeneration 95 Vocal Oddity
24 Demonic Tentacle 60 Necrotic Atrophy 96 Walk On Hands
25 Doppelganger 61 Obsidian Skin 97 Walking Head
26 Egghead 62 Octopoid Suckers 98 Winged Horror
27 Elongated Neck 63 Ouroboros 99 Wytchstone Mind
28 Evil Eye 64 Petrified Limb 100 Zoological Mutation
29 Eyes Without A Face 65 Pinhead
30 Eyestalks 66 Plague-borne
31 Fanged Maw 67 Prehensile Tail
32 Fantastic Arms 68 Prominent Ears
33 Featherweight 69 Pronounced Snout
34 Feathery Coat 70 Protean Growth
35 Flaming Skull 71 Protoplasmic Transformation
36 Floating Fatman 72 Puny Jumbo
326
TAINT
S OF CHAOS ADDENDUM
ACIDIC SPITTLE BLACK NAILS

Glands grow at the back of your throat, allowing you to spit a Your fingernails harden and grow, turning black and able to
blinding acid in foe’s faces. cut through flesh.
Effect: By spending a Fortune Point, you can make an Effect: Attacks made bare-handed gain the Fast Quality.
improvised ranged attack against a single foe within 1+[PB].
They suffer 1D10+[BB] Damage from acid. However, BLOOD SUBSTITUTION
Acidic Spittle ignores a foe’s Damage Threshold Modifier Your blood is replaced with some other substance, though it
from armor, but a foe can attempt to Dodge Acidic Spittle still ‘functions’ like blood. This could be any number of things –
or Parry it with a shield. Acidic Spittle can be used while worms, molten metal, vomit, and so on.
Engaged with enemies. Effect: You can no longer be made to Bleed. Roll 1D100
on the on table below to determine what your blood is
ALBINISM replaced with.
You lose all skin pigmentation. Your hair turns snow-white,
your skin blanches, and your pupils turn red. D100 RESULT
Effect: You suffer a permanent loss of 9% to Brawn. 1 to 10 Acid
ARACHNOS 11 to 20 Excrement
You grow a venomous pair of pedipalps around your mouth, 21 to 30 Glue
allowing you to inject poison into those you bite.
Effect: Attacks made bare-handed inflicts a single dose of 31 to 40 Insects
spider venom. 41 to 50 Mud
ASTRAL VISION 51 to 60 Plants

Your eyes gain a milky film over 61 to 70 Rodents
them, letting you see in the dark but
be blinded by light. 71 to 80 Tar
Effect: You can see in the dark, and 81 to 90 Vomit
spot Æthereal creatures. However, you
must flip the results to fail any Skill Test made in broad 91 to 100 Wax
daylight.
BLOODBORNE RAGE
BARBED SPINES You become angry and seethe with rage at all times. When
Boney spikes erupt out from your skin, similar to a porcupine’s. violent, you care little for your own health and even less for that
They are razor-sharp to the touch. of your enemies.
Effect: Whenever you successfully use a Takedown, you Effect: Whenever you are Seriously or Grievously Injured,
also deal Damage as if you were using a bare-handed you cannot Dodge or Parry. However, you may add 3 to all
weapon. melee Damage.
BEAKED MAW
Your mouth hardens and elongates into a sharp, pointed bird’s
beak.
Effect: Attacks made bare-handed gain the Punishing
Quality.
BEWEAPONED EXTREMITY
Your arm twists and warps, the flesh and bone forming into an
organic weapon, be it a sword, a hammer, or an axe.
Effect: Select a single one-handed Martial Melee weapon.
Attacks made bare-handed are instead treated as if you were
fighting with that weapon. However, you can no longer use
one of your hands, nor wield two-handed weapons.
327
BRIGHTLY-PATTERNED SKIN CENTAUROID

Your skin takes on an odd pattern. Stripes, dots, swirls, and Your legs mutate and are replaced with the torso and legs of
more have been seen and equally feared. a different animal. The body of a horse is common, but other
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the animals have been seen.
table below to determine what your skin is patterned as. Effect: You permanently gain 3 to Movement. Roll 1D100
on the table below to determine what animal replaces your
D100 RESULT lower body.
1 to 10 Black & Blue
D100 RESULT
11 to 20 Chevrons
1 to 10 Bear-like
21 to 30 Gingham
11 to 20 Bird-like
31 to 40 Gleaming Brass
21 to 30 Cat-like
41 to 50 Multicolored
31 to 40 Cow-like
51 to 60 Red & White
41 to 50 Dog-like
61 to 70 Scales
51 to 60 Gorilla-like
71 to 80 Soft Pastels
61 to 70 Horse-like
81 to 90 Tiger-like
71 to 80 Insect-like
91 to 100 Zebra-like
81 to 90 Mouse-like
BURNING BODY 91 to 100 Pig-like

Your body is consumed in an everlasting unnatural flame,
though it does not burn your skin. CHITINOUS HEAD
Effect: Attacks made bare-handed gains the Fiery Quality A bony, fleshy crest erupts from your head and grows like a
(but you and your trappings are not harmed by these dwarven mohawk.
flames). Roll 1D100 on the table below to determine what Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
color the flames are: table below to determine what type of crest you grow.
D100 RESULT D100 RESULT

1 to 10 Blue 1 to 10 Ceratopsian
11 to 20 Green 11 to 20 Corythosaurus
21 to 30 Indigo 21 to 30 Crocodilian
31 to 40 Multicolored 31 to 40 Cryolophosaurus
41 to 50 Pink 41 to 50 Dilophosaurus
51 to 60 Purple 51 to 60 Gecko
61 to 70 Red 61 to 70 Iguana
71 to 80 Violet 71 to 80 Lambeosaurus
81 to 90 White 81 to 90 Parasaurolophus
91 to 100 Yellow 91 to 100 Stegosaurus
CANCEROUS PROTECTION
Your skin erupts in rock-hard plates and tumors, covering your
skin in a disgusting, natural armor.
Effect: You permanently gain a +2 to Damage Threshold.
328
TAINT
S OF CHAOS ADDENDUM
CLAMOROUS VOCALS CROWN OF FLESH

You periodically produce a deafening sound. Sometimes it’s a The top of your head erupts in a fleshy circle of… things. It could
scream, sometimes it’s a laugh, sometimes it is the breaking of be horns, fingers, horns, or even worse.
wind. Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
Effect: You must succeed at a Scrutinize Test in order to table below to determine what your crown is composed of.
use your normal voice.
D100 RESULT
CLOUD OF ROT 1 to 10 Baby hands
You are surrounded by a permanent swirling mass of flies,
gnats, and a general miasma of sickness. 11 to 20 Ears of various animals
Effect: When a foe attempts to strike you with ranged 21 to 30 Eyes of varying colors
weapons, they suffer penalties as if they were firing into
fog, mist, or smoke. 31 to 40 Fingers and toes
41 to 50 Genitals of various girth

CLOVEN HOOVES
Your feet are warped, taking the form of cloven hooves like those 51 to 60 Horn; twisted and straight
of a goat or a horse. 61 to 70 Tentacles of various invertebrates
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
table below to determine what type of hooves you have. 71 to 80 Tiny Hands
81 to 90 Tails of animals
D100 RESULT
91 to 100 Tongues of blue, red and black
1 to 10 Deer
11 to 20 Gazelle CRYSTALLINE BODY

21 to 30 Giraffe Your body hardens and changes it make-up to be composed of
pure crystal – a substance that is prone to break and shatter.
31 to 40 Goat Effect: You permanently gain 9% to Brawn, but all melee
41 to 50 Horse and ranged attacks made against you gain the Vicious
Quality.
51 to 60 Llama
61 to 70 Moose CYCLOPEAN EYE

Your two eyes merge into one giant eye in the middle of your
71 to 80 Oxen face, making you lose all depth perception.
81 to 90 Pig Effect: You must reduce the Distance of ranged weapons
and Magicks you use by 6 yards (to a minimum of 1 yard).
91 to 100 Sheep
DEMONIC TENTACLE
CONEHEAD One of your arms elongates, fattens, and grows countless suckers
The crown of your head elongates and tapers into a fine point. on it. It’s a powerful limb, but not as good as the old one.
Effect: You suffer a permanent loss of 9% to Intelligence Effect: Attacks made bare-handed are instead treated as
and treat the cost of anything you wear on your head as if if you were fighting with a bullwhip. However, you can
you had a Frail build. no longer use one of your hands, nor wield two-handed
weapons.
CROW’S LEGS
Your legs and feet twist, taking on the shape of those of a crow, DOPPELGANGER
raven, or other member of the corvidae family. In a moment of extreme pain, another ‘copy’ of you emerges from
Effect: You permanently gain 9% to Agility. your body. One with its own feelings and goals, but incredible
hatred towards you.
Effect: A NPC is spawned from you, sharing your same
Profession and Attributes. However, its motives, thoughts,
and goals are diametrically opposed to yours. This means
you gain the Nemesis Drawback.
329
EGGHEAD FANTASTIC ARMS

Your head grows massive in size, almost too large to be supported Your arms grow long and rubbery, letting you stretch your limbs
by your neck. to incredible distances.
Effect: Treat the cost of anything you wear on your head as Effect: Attacks made bare-handed gain the Reach Quality.
if you had a Corpulent build. In addition, you permanently
gain 9% to Intelligence. FEATHERWEIGHT
You grow light as a feather, allowing you to skirt along the
ELONGATED NECK ground without touching it.
Your neck grows long and thick, like the odd giraffes of the Effect: You may ignore the effects of Hard Terrain.
southern lands. However, weapons used against you gain the Powerful
Effect: Whenever you are made victim to a Called Shot to Quality.
the head, you suffer an additional 1D6 Fury Die in Damage.
FEATHERY COAT
EVIL EYE From your skin erupts a monstrous gown of feathery down.
One eye grows large and bulbous, and just directing your gaze Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
from it onto someone can cause them to wither in fear. table below to determine what kind of feathers you have.
Effect: Whenever you use a successful Intimidate Test, one
foe suffers a -20 Base Chance to all Skill Tests for 24 hours. D100 RESULT
1 to 10 Chicken
EYES WITHOUT A FACE
Your face loses all of its features, leaving you a blank, fleshy slate 11 to 20 Duck
– though you can still use your senses. 21 to 30 Falcon
table below to determine the color of your faceless visage. 31 to 40 Finch
41 to 50 Gull
D100 RESULT
51 to 60 Ostrich
1 to 10 Black
61 to 70 Owl
11 to 20 Blue
71 to 80 Parrot
21 to 30 Flesh-Colored
81 to 90 Peacock
31 to 40 Green
91 to 100 Raven
41 to 50 Multicolored
51 to 60 Orange FLAMING SKULL

61 to 70 Purple At will, fire erupts on your head, melting the flesh and fat. You
are left with only a burning skull, though you remain alive to
71 to 80 Red writhe and grimace in its pain and fear.
81 to 90 White Effect: When you succeed Intimidate or Interrogation
Tests, you provoke Fear.
91 to 100 Yellow
FLOATING FATMAN
EYESTALKS You become grossly fat, so much so that you can no longer move
Your eyes extend out on fleshy stalks, allowing you to move each of your own will. However, the Daemons have chosen to bless
of them independently. you with the ability to float – like a blimp.
Effect: You permanently gain 9% to Perception. Effect: Change your build to Corpulent and reduce your
Movement by 6. However, you can hover 1 yard off the
FANGED MAW ground.
Your jaw elongates and fills with row upon row of jagged,
snarling teeth.
Effect: Attacks made bare-handed gain the Entangling
Quality.
330
TAINT
S OF CHAOS ADDENDUM
FORESTWALKER 61 to 70 Goat-like
Your legs grow long and gangly, allowing you to take
71 to 80 Gorilla-like
monstrously huge steps.
Effect: Increase your Movement by 3. 81 to 90 Mouse-like
91 to 100 Pig-like
FROGGY EYES
Your eyes grow large and bulge out of your skull, leaving them
watery and wide. HORRIFIC STENCH
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the You emit a stench that reeks of rotted flesh, sulphur, and splayed
table below to determine what kind of eyes you grow. organs.
Effect: Whenever a foe is Engaged with you, they must
D100 RESULT Resist a Stunning Blow. However, you cannot add your
Apprentice Skill Rank to Fellowship-based Skill Tests.
1 to 10 Cat
11 to 20 Chameleon HUNCHBACKED
You have a large cyst of fat and pus that grows upon your
21 to 30 Dragonfly
shoulders, leaving you stooped over.
31 to 40 Frog Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
table below to determine what’s inside of it.
41 to 50 Gecko
51 to 60 Goat D100 RESULT
61 to 70 Mantis 1 to 10 Ale
71 to 80 Spider 11 to 20 Bile
81 to 90 Squid 21 to 30 Blood
91 to 100 Tarsier 31 to 40 Flies
41 to 50 Glue
GOAT HORNS
51 to 60 Milk
From your forehead grows monstrous ram’s horns, ready to bash
and buck. 61 to 70 Soup
Effect: Attacks made bare-handed gain the Powerful
71 to 80 Vomit
Quality.
81 to 90 Water
HELLISH VISAGE
91 to 100 Wine
Your face takes on the appearance of a beast or animal, slavering
for blood.
Effect: Whenever your face is visible, you may flip the HYPNOTIC GLARE
results to succeed at Intimidate Tests. Roll 1D100 on the Your gaze becomes haunting and bewitching, making it difficult
table below to determine what animal your face takes the for anyone to avert your gaze.
appearance of. Effect: By spending a Fortune Point, you can cause any one
foe who can see you to remain Helpless for one minute.
D100 RESULT
INFANTILE TRANSFORMATION
1 to 10 Bear-like
Your legs shrink and shrivel, resembling more those of a child’s
11 to 20 Bird-like than a full-grown adult’s.
Effect: You can no longer use the Charge or Run Movement
21 to 30 Cat-like
Actions In combat.
31 to 40 Cow-like
41 to 50 Dog-like
51 to 60 Fish-like
331
LIMB TRANSFERENCE 41 to 50 Giraffe

Your body parts get jumbled and swapped, all mixed together
51 to 60 Horse
like a child’s puzzle.
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll D6 to determine 61 to 70 Lion
how many body parts are swapped. Roll 1D100 on the table
71 to 80 Macaque
below twice for each body part to find what was swapped.
81 to 90 Maned Wolf
D100 RESULT
91 to 100 Zebra
1 to 10 Head
11 to 20 Eyes MANGY CUR

The hair on your body grows thick and furry, like that of a dog
21 to 30 Mouth
or wolf.
31 to 40 Arm/Hand Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
table below to determine what kind of furry hide you have.
41 to 50 Leg/Foot
51 to 60 Back D100 RESULT
61 to 70 Knee/Elbow 1 to 10 Ape
71 to 80 Chest/Stomach 11 to 20 Bear
81 to 90 Hip 21 to 30 Cat
91 to 100 Groin 31 to 40 Chinchilla
41 to 50 Dog
MACE-LIKE TAIL
51 to 60 Tiger
You grow a large, powerful tail, tipped with a bony and fleshy
growth useful for bashing. 61 to 70 Otter
Effect: You are always equipped with a cudgel, but can no
71 to 80 Sheep
longer wear trousers comfortably.
81 to 90 Spider
MAD HOPPER
91 to 100 Wolf
All but one of your legs withers away, while that leg grows
powerful and making you capable of leaping long distances.
Effect: At the end of a Run action, with a successful MANIKIN
Athletics Test, you may jump horizontally three yards for Your face shrinks and becomes vestigial. To compensate, out
every 3 points of [BB] or leap vertically three yards for from your head grows a small torso and head, which now serves
every 6 points of [BB]. However, you must reduce your as your new ‘face’.
Movement on foot by 3. Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
table below to determine what kind of torso you grow.
MANE OF HAIR
D100 RESULT
You grow a luscious, lion-like mane of hair that grows from
your scalp to nearly halfway down your back. 1 to 10 Demonic
11 to 20 Emaciated
table below to determine what kind of mane you have.
21 to 30 Feathered
D100 RESULT
31 to 40 Furred
1 to 10 Antelope
41 to 50 Insectoid
11 to 20 Camel
51 to 60 Metallic
21 to 30 Donkey
61 to 70 Muscular
31 to 40 Flowing Human Hair
332
TAINT
S OF CHAOS ADDENDUM
71 to 80 Normal D100 RESULT

81 to 90 Scaled 1 to 10 13 inches
91 to 100 Skeletal 11 to 20 14 inches
21 to 30 15 inches
MATERIAL INSTABILITY
Your material form is out-of-phase with this reality, and when 31 to 40 16 inches
under great stress, you phase out of time only to appear back 41 to 50 17 inches
where you were in the future.
Effect: Whenever you fail a Resolve Test, roll a 1D6 51 to 60 18 inches
Chaos Die. If it lands on face ‘6’, you are Incapacitated! and 61 to 70 19 inches
unconscious, disappearing only to reappear where you had
last stood an hour later. 71 to 80 20 inches
81 to 90 21 inches
MERE-FORM
Your legs fuse and grow scales, your feet turning into fleshy, fish- 91 to 100 22 inches
like fins. You can navigate in the water wonderfully, but flop all
but uselessly around on the land. MULTIPLICATION
Effect: You permanently gain 3 to Movement to swim in You can split yourself into multiple copies, allowing you to
water, while reducing your Movement on foot by 3. literally be in two places at once.
Effect: By spending a Fortune Point, you can create a perfect
METASOMA simulacrum of yourself, including Primary Attributes,
You grow a large, segmented tail, which ends in a barbed and Magick usage if applicable, and other Traits, Talents and
poisonous scorpion’s stinger. abilities as well. This ‘second self ’ will do as you please for
Effect: Attacks made bare-handed inflicts a single dose of one hour, before turning into mist and dissipating at the
scorpion venom. end of the duration.
MISSHAPEN FACE MUTATIVE CHIMERISM

The features on your face swap and switch around oddly, leaving Your whole body mutates and warps back to one of its primal
you with your mouth on your check, your nose on the side of your stages. When you emerge from your fit, you find you have become
head, and your eyes where your mouth should be. a hybrid creature – one of man and beast.
Effect: Roll 1D6 Chaos Die to determine how many Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
features are swapped. This is a cosmetic change only. table below to see how your chimerism manifests.
MONSTROUS COUNTENANCE D100 RESULT

Your face takes on the most disgusting, horrifying, and sanity- 1 to 10 Animal
blasting mien imaginable. Even you can’t look in a mirror
without being horrified. 11 to 20 Aztlan
Effect: By spending a Fortune Point, you may provoke Fear 21 to 30 Beast
in others.
31 to 40 Fomorian
MORONIC MUTATION 41 to 50 Goblin
Your mind literally shrinks, leaving you simple of thought and
child-like in behavior. 51 to 60 Grendel
Effect: You suffer a permanent loss of 9% to Willpower. 61 to 70 Mindless Undead
Roll 1D100 on the table below to determine the diameter
of your head. 71 to 80 Orx
81 to 90 Skrzzak
91 to 100 Zoatar
333
MUTATIVE REGENERATION PREHENSILE TAIL

You have a mutative ‘healing factor’ that lets you stitch closed You grow a long, monkey-like tail, one that is able to operate
your own wounds in a matter of moments. It is often called and grab things much like an extra hand.
‘Logan syndrome’. Effect: This allows you the use of an additional limb,
Effect: After sleeping, you recover one step up the Damage although it does not allow you to make additional attacks.
Condition Track positively. Treat this tail as if it were an off-hand.
NECROTIC ATROPHY PROMINENT EARS

Black magicks eat at your flesh and nerves, withering your Your ears grow enormous, nearly as big as your head. Sometimes
limbs into useless, blackened stumps. they take on animalistic appearance as well, such as those of a
Effect: Roll a 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is face ‘1-2’, dog or elephant.
you suffer a permanent loss of 9% to Agility as your hand is Effect: Whenever using your sense of hearing, you
atrophied. If the result is face ‘3-4’, you suffer a permanent automatically succeed at Awareness Tests.
loss of 9% to Brawn as your foot is atrophied. If the result is
face ‘5’, you gain the Veteran’s Hand Drawback. If the result PRONOUNCED SNOUT
is face ‘6’, you gain the Veteran’s Leg Drawback. Your nose becomes elongated, enhancing your sense of smell and
letting you track like a bloodhound.
OBSIDIAN SKIN Effect: Whenever using your sense of smell, you
Your skin turns black. Not just dark, but supernaturally black – so automatically succeed at Survival Tests.
much so it absorbs all light and darkens light sources around you.
Effect: Whenever hiding in darkness, you may flip the PROTEAN GROWTH
results to succeed at Stealth Tests. Your legs or your arms grow massive, as the muscle mass from
one gets transferred to the other.
OCTOPOID SUCKERS Effect: You suffer a permanent loss of 6% to either Brawn or
Your body becomes lined with fleshy octopus suckers that allow Agility, but permanently gain 3% to the Primary Attribute
you to stick to and grip almost anything. you don’t choose.
Effect: Whenever you climb, you may flip the results to
succeed at Athletics Tests. PROTOPLASMIC TRANSFORMATION
When under extreme stress, your form literally collapses under
OUROBOROS you – leaving you little more than a quivering slime until you
You grow a long, serpentine tail – however, on the tip of it is a can pull yourself together.
sentient snake head whose fangs drip with venom. Effect: Whenever you Critically Fail any Resolve or
Effect: Attacks made bare-handed inflicts a single dose of Toughness Test, you turn into a useless puddle of slime for
snake venom. 24 hours.
PETRIFIED LIMB PUNY JUMBO

One of your limbs petrifies into a stone-like material and Your skeleton loses much of its bone mass, leaving you tall and
crumbles, leaving you unbalanced. thin, but your flesh and skin hangs off in sheets, leaving you
Effect: You gain either the Veteran’s Hand or Veteran’s Leg enervated.
Drawback. Effect: You suffer a permanent loss of 9% to Combat and
must change to the tallest height your Ancestry allows
PINHEAD under its build.
Your head shrinks, nearly to the size of a child’s doll’s head.
Effect: You suffer a permanent loss of 3% to Intelligence, QUADRUMANIBUS
Perception, and Willpower. You grow two new limbs, each with all the range and movement
of your original two arms.
PLAGUE-BORNE Effect: This allows you the use of two additional limbs,
You become covered in pustules and lesions, ones that bursts and although it does not allow you to make additional attacks.
exude a deadly disease. Treat these arms as if they were an off-hand.
Effect: Select a single Disease. By spending a Fortune
Point, one attack made bare-handed inflicts the Disease
upon your foe.
334
TAINT
S OF CHAOS ADDENDUM
QUADRUPLE JOINTED 21 to 30 On arm

Your limbs fracture and grow multiple joints, allowing you to
31 to 40 On knee
bend and move at odd and extreme angles.
Effect: You permanently gain 9% to Agility and may flip 41 to 50 On belly
the results to succeed at Agility Tests to escape bonds.
51 to 60 On elbow
ROID BEAST 61 to 70 On groin

Your legs grow massive, muscular and veiny, allowing you to
71 to 80 On shoulder
make monstrous leaps incapable by a normal humanoid.
Effect: At the end of a Run action, with a successful 81 to 90 Turned backwards
Athletics Test, you may jump horizontally two yards for
91 to 100 Up own arse
every 3 points of [BB] or leap vertically two yards for every
6 points of [BB].
SHRINKY DINK
ROTTING FLESH Your body shrinks down until you are nearly knee high to a
Your skin is pock-marked with oozing sores, rashes, and gashes. grasshopper. An especially infuriating mutation for dwarves,
As you walk, your flesh sloughs off and festers, only to regrow gnomes, and halflings.
overnight equally as rotten. Effect: You permanently gain 6% to Agility, but suffer a
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the permanent loss of 3% to Brawn. Roll 1D100 on the table
table below to determine how many pounds of flesh you below to determine your new height.
slough off daily.
D100 RESULT
D100 RESULT 1 to 10 4 feet
1 to 10 3 pounds 11 to 20 3 ½ feet
11 to 20 6 pounds 21 to 30 3 feet
21 to 30 9 pounds 31 to 40 2 ½ feet
31 to 40 12 pounds 41 to 50 2 feet
41 to 50 15 pounds 51 to 60 1 ½ feet
51 to 60 18 pounds 61 to 70 1 foot
61 to 70 21 pounds 71 to 80 10 inches
91 to 100 30 pounds
SEEMINGLY HEADLESS
Your head sucks into itself, only to appear moments later pushing
through your chest. All your senses and faculties work, but your
appearance is terrifying.
table below to determine where your head reappears at
SEEMINGLY HEADLESS
D100 RESULT
1 to 10 In hand
11 to 20 In chest
335
SKULL-FACED SWINGING GAIT

All the skin, muscle, and flesh falls off your face painlessly. You develop an odd walk. Whether it be odd leg swings,
You are left with just a skull for a head, your eyes reduced to gyrations, spins or cartwheels, you can’t even force yourself to
pinpricks of light. walk normal.
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
table below to determine what kind of skull you have. table below to determine what sort of walk you have.
D100 RESULT D100 RESULT

1 to 10 Ape 1 to 10 Backwards
11 to 20 Bear 11 to 20 Cartwheels
21 to 30 Cattle 21 to 30 Crab Walk
31 to 40 Crocodile 31 to 40 High Kicks
41 to 50 Demonic 41 to 50 Hip Gyration
51 to 60 Fish 51 to 60 Hopping
61 to 70 Human 61 to 70 Leg Swings
71 to 80 Lion 71 to 80 Skipping
81 to 90 Snake 81 to 90 Somersaults
91 to 100 Wolf 91 to 100 Spins
SPIRITUAL INSTABILITY THE THIN MAN

Your material form is out-of-phase with this reality, and when You grow tall and extremely thin, resembling something closer
badly injured, you shift to another plane of existence. to a 10-foot pole rather than an actual creature of flesh-and-
Effect: Whenever you fail a Toughness Test, roll a 1D6 blood.
Chaos Die. If it lands on face ‘6’, you are Incapacitated! and Effect: Immediately change your build to Frail and the
unconscious, disappearing only to reappear where you had tallest height your Ancestry allows.
last stood an hour later.
THINKTANK
SPIT FLAMES Your brain swells in size, giving you a fearsome intellect. How
Your saliva glands mutate, causing your neck to swell and glow you choose to best apply that intellect, however, is up to you.
red-hot. Your spit is instead replaced with a napalm-like liquid Effect: You may permanently increase any one Primary
flame. Attribute Bonus by 1.
Effect: By spending a Fortune Point, you can make an
improvised ranged attack against a single foe within THIRD EYE
1+[PB]. They suffer 1D10+[BB] Damage from fire. Spit You grow a third eye in the center of your forehead. Highly
Flames ignores a foe’s Damage Threshold Modifier from developed, it is said to be able to see into people’s souls.
armor, but a foe can attempt to Dodge Spit Flames or Parry Effect: You permanently gain 9% to Perception.
it with a shield. Spit Flames can be used while Engaged
with enemies.
336
TAINT
S OF CHAOS ADDENDUM
TRANSLUCENT SKIN 81 to 90 Robotic head

Part of your skin becomes see-through, allowing onlookers to see
91 to 100 Undead head
some of your muscles, bones, and internal organs at every hour
of the day.
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE
table below to determine which organ system becomes Your facial features twist and warp, until they take on the
visible. resemblance of someone else – usually a family member, but
sometimes someone completely foreign to you.
D100 RESULT Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the
table below to determine what relative you look like.
1 to 10 Circulatory
11 to 20 Digestive D100 RESULT
21 to 30 Endocrine 1 to 10 Aunt or Uncle
31 to 40 Lymphatic 11 to 20 Child
41 to 50 Muscular 21 to 30 Cousin
51 to 60 Nervous 31 to 40 Distant Relative
61 to 70 Renal 41 to 50 Grandparent
71 to 80 Reproductive 51 to 60 In-Law
81 to 90 Respiratory 61 to 70 Niece or Nephew
91 to 100 Skeletal 71 to 80 Parent
81 to 90 Sibling
TRANSMUTATIVE GROWTH
91 to 100 Total Stranger
You grow huge in size, towering over friend and foe alike.
Though you also grow stronger, your bulk is hard to maneuver.
Effect: You permanently gain 6% to Brawn, but suffer a UNCONTROLLABLE FLATULENCE
permanent loss of 3% to Agility. Your stomach and bowels constantly gurgle and churn, causing
you to break wind during times of stress. Unfortunately for
TWO MINDS those around you, this flatulence is often overwhelming.
Out from your shoulder sprouts another head, one with its own Effect: Whenever you are made to Bleed or suffer an Injury,
thoughts, ideas, and wishes. They say two heads are better than all those in a Burst Template around you are Stunned.
one, but you’re not so sure.
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on UNDULATING TAIL
the table below to determine what type of other head you You grow a long tail from your backside. Whether it be scaled,
manifest. furred or hairless, it helps you keep balance.
Effect: You permanently gain 9% to Agility.
D100 RESULT
1 to 10 Ally’s head
11 to 20 Animal head
21 to 30 Beast head
31 to 40 Demonic head
41 to 50 Enemy’s head
51 to 60 Identical to your own head
61 to 70 Malformed head
71 to 80 Mutant head
337
VESTIGIAL TWIN VOCAL ODDITY

From your torso grows a twin, one that shares many of your You have a strange voice, one that does not operate or sound like
major organs. It is intelligent and often annoying, but it has a normal speaking level voice. This obviously makes you stand
‘grown’ on you over time. out when you open your mouth.
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the Effect: You must succeed at a Scrutinize Test in order to
table below to determine how the twin is attached. use your normal voice. Roll 1D100 on the table below to
determine what your voice sounds like.
D100 RESULT
1 to 10 At the arms
D100 RESULT
1 to 10 Belching
11 to 20 At the posterior
11 to 20 Growling
21 to 30 At the chest
21 to 30 Hoarse
31 to 40 At the crotch
31 to 40 Honking
41 to 50 At the head
41 to 50 Lilting
51 to 60 At the hip
51 to 60 Shrill
61 to 70 At the legs
61 to 70 Squeaking
71 to 80 At the torso
71 to 80 Ululating
81 to 90 Back-to-back
81 to 90 Whining
91 to 100 Twin is a parasite
91 to 100 Whispering
VITRIOLIC EXCRETION
A foul, green acid leaks from your pores and covers your body. WALK ON HANDS
Those you touch suffer from severe skin burns from the acid. Your legs either turn into arms or your arms turn into legs. It
Effect: By spending a Fortune Point, one attack made bare- becomes quite awkward to walk and manipulate objects this
handed inflicts an additional 1D10+1 Damage from acid. way, but you eventually adapt to it.
VIVIDLY-COLORED SKIN table below to determine for how long your hands are feet,
Your skin pigment changes color radically, switching to a bizarre and your feet are hands.
color not found naturally in most humanoids.
Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on the D100 RESULT
table below to determine what color your skin becomes. 1 to 10 3 minutes
D100 RESULT 11 to 20 6 minutes
1 to 10 Red 21 to 30 9 minutes
11 to 20 Orange 31 to 40 3 hours
21 to 30 Yellow 41 to 50 6 hours
31 to 40 Green 51 to 60 9 hours
41 to 50 Blue 61 to 70 3 days
51 to 60 Purple 71 to 80 6 days
61 to 70 Brown 81 to 90 9 days
71 to 80 Black 91 to 100 3 weeks
81 to 90 White
91 to 100 Grey
338
TAINT
S OF CHAOS ADDENDUM
WALKING HEAD ZOOLOGICAL MUTATION

Your arms and body wither to nothing, as your head grows One or more of your body parts is replaced with those of an
enormous in size and all your organs rush into it. Your legs still animal. In extreme cases, you end up looking more animal than
support your now massive head. humanoid.
Effect: You no longer have arms or hands. Roll 1D100 on Effect: This is a cosmetic change only. Roll 1D100 on
the table below to determine how long this lasts. the table below to determine what animal you take the
appearance of and them roll again on the second table to
D100 RESULT determine which appendage has mutated.
1 to 10 3 minutes
D100 RESULT
11 to 20 6 minutes
1 to 10 Amphibian
21 to 30 9 minutes
11 to 20 Avian
31 to 40 3 hours
21 to 30 Bovine
41 to 50 6 hours
31 to 40 Canine
51 to 60 9 hours
41 to 50 Feline
61 to 70 3 days
51 to 60 Insecta
71 to 80 6 days
61 to 70 Primate
81 to 90 9 days
71 to 80 Rodentia
91 to 100 3 weeks
81 to 90 Suidae
WINGED HORROR 91 to 100 Ursine

From your back sprouts a pair of giant wings. These can be bird-
like, bat-like, reptilian, or any other style you can imagine.
ZOOLOGICAL MUTATION APPENDAGE
Effect: You can use Movement Actions to fly at a rate of
9+[AB] in yards. D100 RESULT
1 to 10 One Arm
WYTCHSTONE MIND
Your mind is sucked away into the Abyss and instead replaced 11 to 20 Both Arms
with a shard of Wytchstone. You are little more than an
21 to 30 One Leg
automaton, but you can use fearsome magicks.
Effect: You must flip the results to fail all Intelligence- 31 to 40 Both Legs
based Skill Tests, but may flip the result to succeed at
41 to 50 Torso
Incantation Tests. You also gain the Arcane Magick Special
Trait, if you don’t already possess it. 51 to 60 Head
61 to 70 Face
71 to 80 Tail
81 to 90 Specific facial feature
91 to 100 Entire body
339
CREATURE SIZE
& RISK FACTOR EXPANDED
CREATURE SIZE & RISK FACTOR EXPANDED
BASIC
CREATURES SIZE RISK FACTOR
Barghest Normal or Large Basic (Medium) Small Animal Small Basic (Low)
Barrel Bellied Orc Normal or Large Basic (High) Small, Normal or

Swarm Basic (Low)
Large
Bog Thing Normal Basic (High)
Warren Runner Normal Basic (High)
Boogan Small Basic (Low)
Wose Normal Basic (High)
Brigand Normal Basic (High)
Broo Normal Basic (Low) INTERMEDIATE

Cockatrice Normal Basic (High)
Adversary Demon Large Intermediate (High)
Crypt Skeleton Normal Basic (Medium)
Attercap Spider Normal or Large Intermediate (Low)
Death Bat Normal or Large Basic (Medium)
Basilisk Large Intermediate (Low)
Death Hedge Normal or Large Basic (Low)
Bilious Skrzzak Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Deranged Zealot Normal Basic (Medium)
Butler Demon Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Deserter Soldier Normal Basic (Medium)
Carnal Demon Normal Intermediate (High)
Dire Rat Normal or Large Basic (Medium)
Choleric Skrzzak Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Facedancer Normal Basic (High)
Draugr Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Fodderling Normal Basic (Low)
Duergar Normal Intermediate (Low)
Fomori Thrall Normal Basic (High)
Equigorn Large Intermediate (High)
High Orx Normal Basic (High)
Fell Knight Normal Intermediate (High)
Hobgoblin Normal Basic (High)
Filth Demon Large Intermediate (High)
Iguania Normal Basic (Medium)
Fomori Huscarl Large Intermediate (Medium)
Kobold Normal Basic (Low)
Harpy Normal Intermediate (Low)
Kobold Fanatic Normal Basic (Low)
Havoc Conjurer Normal Intermediate (High)
Large Animal Large Basic (Medium)
Hircus Normal Intermediate (Low)
Large Insect Large Basic (Medium)
Howlbear Normal or Large Intermediate (Medium)
Low Orx Normal Basic (Medium)
Howling Marauder Normal Intermediate (Low)
Man Eater Normal or Large Basic (High)
Lacertilia Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Occultist Normal Basic (High)
Legion Demon Large Intermediate (High)
Orx Spore Normal Basic (Low)
Lycanthrope Normal Intermediate (High)
Petty Thug Normal Basic (Low)
Ogre Mercenary Normal Intermediate (High)
Reanimated Corpse Normal Basic (Medium)
Phantom Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Rebellious Peasant Normal Basic (Low)
Phlegmatic Skrzzak Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Redcap Normal Basic (Low)
Ravenous Ghoul Normal Intermediate (Medium)
Rudeboy Normal Basic (Medium)
Sanguine Skrzzak Normal Intermediate (Medium)
340
CRE
ATU DED
RE SIZ
E & RISK FACTOR EXPAN
Shimmering Mimic Normal Intermediate (Low) Nephilim Large or Huge Advanced (High)
Siabra Normal Intermediate (Low) Night Mare Normal or Large Advanced (Low)
Silverback Warg Normal or Large Intermediate (Low) Protoplasmic Dolor Normal or Large Advanced (High)
Siren Normal Intermediate (Low) Rakshasa Normal Advanced (High)
Sorrow Demon Large Intermediate (High) Red Revenant Normal Advanced (Medium)
Templar Fanatic Normal Intermediate (High) Succubus Normal Advanced (Medium)
Tenebrae Normal Intermediate (Low) Talking Tree Large or Huge Advanced (High)
Wailing Woman Normal Intermediate (High) Taurus Large Advanced (Low)
Water Panther Normal or Large Intermediate (Low) Tlaloc Huge Advanced (High)
Witch Normal Intermediate (Medium) Troll Large Advanced (Medium)
Tyrant Skrzzak Large Advanced (Low)

ADVANCED
Vampiric Templar Normal Advanced (High)
Air Sylph Small or Normal Advanced (Low) Water Undine Large Advanced (Low)
Apparition Normal Advanced (Low) Woodland Nymph Normal Advanced (Medium)
Bog Behemoth Large Advanced (Medium) Wyvern Large Advanced (Medium)
Chimaera Large Advanced (High) Zoatar Large Advanced (Medium)
Dragon Turtle Huge Advanced (High) Elite Creatures Size Risk Factor
Dragon-born Ogre Large Advanced (Medium) Arch Cenobite Huge Elite (Unique)
Dullahan Normal Advanced (Medium) Brass Primarch Huge Elite (Unique)
Earthen Gnome Large Advanced (Low) Broodmother Huge Elite (Unique)
Fen Wyrm Large Advanced (Low) Defiler Normal Elite (Unique)
Fire Salamander Large Advanced (Low) Dread Count Large Elite (Unique)
Gekkota Normal Advanced (Medium) Fomori Crone Large Elite (Unique)
Golem Normal Advanced (Low) Great Devourer Huge Elite (Unique)
Gryphon Large Advanced (Medium) Light-Eater Huge Elite (Unique)
Hooded One Normal Advanced (Medium) Nosferatu Normal Elite (Unique)
Hydra Large Advanced (High) Numina Large Elite (Unique)
Jabberwocky Large Advanced (High) Pit Dragon Huge Elite (Unique)
Lamashtu Normal Advanced (Low) Sidhe Lord Normal Elite (Unique)
Lemurian Host Normal or Large Advanced (Low)
Normal, Large or
Living Statue Advanced (High)
Huge
Medusa Normal Advanced (High)
341
CREATURE TRAITS
& RISK FACTOR
CREATURE TRAITS & RISK FACTOR
RISK FACTOR CREATURE TRAITS
BASIC INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED ELITE TRAIT EFFECT
These creatures cannot be harmed by normal weapons, unless they have

    Accursed
been imbued with Magick.
These creatures can use their breath as a ranged weapon. This allows
them to strike a single foe within 1+[PB], causing the foe to suffer
1D10+1 Damage from acid. However, Acidic Spittle ignores a foe’s
   Acidic Spittle
Damage Threshold Modifier from armor. A foe can attempt to Dodge
Acidic Spittle or Parry it with a shield. Acidic Spittle can be used while
Engaged with foes.
Creatures in Æthereal Form cannot inflict Damage or manipulate
physical objects, but can pass through objects effortlessly and hover 1 yard
   Æthereal Form
off the ground. They can manifest into physical form instantaneously, but
assuming Æthereal Form once more costs 2 APs.
Ætheric When these creatures would potentially invoke a Chaos Manifestation,
 
Domination they must have two or more face ‘6’ on Chaos Dice to invoke it.
    Ambush Tactics These creatures roll 2D10 to determine Initiative.
These creatures can use Bolt of Flame from the Arcana of Pyromancy. If
at least three of these creatures are standing within sight of one another,
they can use Withering Touch from the Arcana of Sorcery. If at least
Arcana of
  nine of these creatures are standing within sight of one another, they can
Horror
use Death’s Embrace from the Arcana of Morticism. Should a foe be
Slain! by use of any of these Magicks, they are immediately turned into a
Lemurian Host. Reagents are unnecessary to cast this Magick.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their remains are
placed into a decanter consecrated with the Blessed Sacrament Ritual.
  Ashes to Ashes Within, they remain in hibernation, unless the remains are removed
therefore giving life to the creature again. Only by placing the decanter
into a font of holy water are they forever Slain!.
When these creatures would be Slain!, they immediately break off their
    Autotomy tail, remaining Grievously Wounded and can use any Movement Action
for 0 APs. Should they suffer Damage again, they are permanently Slain!.
Aversion to When these creatures are exposed to any sort of light (as such as from a
   
Light torch), they suffer a penalty of -3 to their Damage Threshold.
Anytime these creatures attempt to raise and control Supernatural
creatures using Magick and Rituals, they Critically Succeed at their Skill
 Awakening Test. In addition, they automatically understand how to use the Ritual
of Awaken the Dead, don’t need reagents to cast it and treat the casting
time as one minute (3 AP), instead of one hour.
Bane of When creatures are struck with weapons coated with a sprig of wolfsbane,
 
Lycanthropes they suffer an additional 1D6 Fury Die in Damage.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If it lands
    Battle Frenzy on a face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they are under the effect of that many doses of red
cap mushrooms.
These creatures can use two-handed weapons in one hand and take
   Big Grim
advantage of the Adaptable Quality.
These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with 2 ranged weapons,
  Blam! Blam!
providing they possess the Gunpowder Quality and are Loaded.
342
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When these creatures Charge, they may flip the results to succeed at
   Blitz
their next Attack Action or Perilous Stunt on the same Turn.
    Bloodless These creatures cannot Bleed.
Every time these creatures inflict an Injury, they move one step up the
    Bloodlust
Damage Condition Track positively.
These creatures emit a horrific stench, causing 1D10+1 physical Peril to
  Bog Stench
those who stand Engaged with it.
   Bonds of Death These creatures can manipulate physical objects in Æthereal Form.
When they wield 2 one-handed melee weapons and fail a Combat-based

Both-
   Skill Test, they may re-roll to generate a better result, but must accept
handedness
the outcome.
After these creatures are Seriously Wounded or made subject to a Called
Broken Gut-
  Shot to the body and suffer at least 9 Damage, they suffer a penalty of -6
plate
to their Damage Threshold.
   Broken Wings Once this creature is Grievously Wounded, it can no longer fly.
When these creatures make a successful attack bare-handed, they

Brush With provoke Fear, but do no Damage. They also force a foe to Resist with
 
Death a Resolve Test or be aged by one year. For every year aged, the foe
permanently reduces Brawn by 1%.
These creatures refer to [BB] for Damage with melee weapons and ones
   Brute Strength with the Throwing Quality. They also have factored in +3 to their [BB].
Finally, they can inflict Injuries with Pummeling weapons.
When this creature suffers Damage and is unable to deal Damage by the
Call of the
  end of its next Turn, roll 3D6. If all three dice show face ‘6’, the creature
Abyss
is banished back to the Abyss, until summoned once again.
Cancerous When they render an enemy Slain!, they gain +3 to [BB] and move three
 
Absorption steps up the Damage Condition Track positively.
When foes can hear this creature, they must Resist with a successful
Resolve Test or be drawn towards the sound. Should they enter a
   Captivating Cry dangerous area to find the sound, they can attempt another Resolve Test.
Once they are able to visually see the creature, the Captivating Cry’s
effects end.
Whenever a foe strikes these creatures, their weapon gains the Ruined!
 Caustic Flesh
Quality (unless the weapon has the Castle-forged Quality).
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result
is face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they have three Apprentice Runes inscribed upon
Ceremonial
  their staff. If the result is face ‘4’ or ‘5’, they have two Journeyman Runes
Runes
inscribed upon their staff. If the result is face ‘6’, they have one Master
Rune inscribed upon their staff.
One foe is left Defenseless to all this creature’s attacks, until the foe
   Champion’s Call is defeated. The creature may select a new foe once the current one is
defeated.
When foes Parry this creature’s melee attack, it can make an Opportunity
   Chomp
Attack at this same foe.
These creatures do not need to breathe and are immune to Chokehold.
Chthonian In addition, they can burrow or swim at the same rate of Movement as
   
Dweller they can on foot. Finally, they may flip the results to succeed at Resolve
Tests.
343
CREATURE TRAITS
& RISK FACTOR
These creatures ignore the Damage Threshold Modifier a foe’s armor

  Cold Hands
may confer when they inflict Damage.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their lantern is
Come Into the
  destroyed. If the lantern is snuffed out, they remain in hibernation until
Light
it is relit.
When creatures use this attack, it ignores their foe’s Damage Threshold
  Corrosive Bile
Modifier from armor.
When these creatures cause a foe to suffer Damage from Spit Fire, they
Corruptive
 also inflict 3 Corruption as a result. In addition, their Spit Fire ability
Breath
gains the Shrapnel Quality.
These creature can attack all foes in a Burst Template area of effect and
   Creepy Crawlies are able to occupy the same space that its foes stand within. It also never
provokes Opportunity Attacks.
Crippling When these creatures maintain a Chokehold, they deal Damage as if
  
Constrictor they were using a bare-handed weapon.
    Dark Sense These creatures can see in the dark.
When these creatures deal Damage, at their option, they can force a foe
   Death Roll
to Resist a Chokehold.
When these creatures are encountered, they carry a battle axe infused
 Demonic Axe with the souls of other demons. When they inflict an Injury, the foe is
instead Slain!
When this creature’s Turn starts, roll 6D6 Chaos Dice. If at least three
dice land on face ‘6’, they enter a demonic Frenzy. While Frenzied, they
can make up to three Melee Attacks during their Turn, costing 1 AP for
each Melee Attack. In addition, they can make an Opportunity Attack
  Demonic Frenzy
at the end of a Charge. However, they cannot Counterspell, Dodge or
Parry while in a frenzied state. Finally, their Frenzied state makes them
more susceptible to harm, as foes add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to
Damage when striking the creature.|
    Dense Anatomy These creatures only suffer Damage dealt by fire.
In combat, these creatures only use Attack Actions unless commanded

  Dim-witted
otherwise by their leader with a successful Leadership Test.
Dionysian
    is face ‘1-5’, they are Intoxicated. If the result is face ‘6’, they are not
Delights
Intoxicated.
When these creatures reduce a foe to Seriously Wounded, the foe’s
Disease-ridden
    wounds are Infected. When they reduce a foe to Grievously Wounded,
(DISEASE)
the foe contracts the Disease indicated in parentheses.
When these creatures are Slain!, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is
face ‘1-3’, they instantaneously split into two minor Adversary Demons
Divide & (albeit unable to cast Magick, use the Underling rules later in this
 
Conquer chapter and can now be permanently Slain!). If the result is face ‘4-6’, it
bursts into a cloud of mutating energy. Those caught in a Burst Template
area of effect must succeed at a Resolve Test or gain a Taint of Chaos.
Those creatures which are composed of elemental air cannot move
underground or across water. Those which are composed of elemental
Elemental earth instantly disintegrate and are Slain! if detached from the ground.
 
Weakness Creatures composed of elemental fire are Slain! if they enter a body of
water or caught in a heavy rain shower. Finally, those composed of water
instantly disintegrate, Slain! if they leave the water.
344
CREA
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When this creature uses a Transfixed Gaze, they can use other Actions
while they maintain its Mesmerizing effect. In addition, foes suffer 1
  Entrancing
Corruption and 2D10+2 mental Peril on each of their Turns while they
remain Mesmerized.
These creatures can summon fog anywhere in sight. Those caught in
 Enveloping Fog an Explosion Template area of effect must flip the results to fail the
following tests, until they escape
When these creatures are encountered, it is clear which of the Abyssal
Princes they worship from the marks they bear and the particular gift
of darkness they have been given. Those who worship the Abyssal
Prince of Decay can inflict a random Disease upon a foe when they
generate a Fury Die. Those who worship the Abyssal Prince of Change
 Ever-chosen can Critically Succeed at casting one Petty, Lesser and Greater Magick
without having to make an Incantation Test. Those who worship the
Abyssal Prince of Pleasure can use their Possession ability to control a
foe for hours, instead of minutes. Those who worship the Abyssal Prince
of Violence add a 1D6 Fury Die to all Damage they do, regardless of
whether it is from weapons or Magick.
When this creature’s eyes are successfully struck with a Called Shot
    Eyes Wide Shut (otherwise treated as their head), they lose their ability to use Petrifying
Gaze.
After these creatures consume the face of someone they’ve killed, they
assume their memories and mannerisms with near perfection. This
  Faces of Death includes use of Magick, if applicable. Only with a Critically Succeeded
Scrutinize Test would someone else tell otherwise. This Trait’s effects
lasts until the new moon.
Fast on Their These creatures reduce all Movement Actions by 1 AP (to a minimum of
   
Feet 1 AP). They can also Dodge both melee and ranged weapons.
When this creature’s Turn begins, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is
   Feckless Runt face ‘6’, they elect to attack that Turn with a senseless object that does
no Damage.
When foes are Engaged with this creature, they must Resist with a
   Feel the Heat
successful Coordination Test or be exposed to Mildly Dangerous flames.
When these creatures are encountered, they carry a staff which buzzes
with flies. When they deal Damage, the foe’s wounds are also Infected. It
  Fetid Stick can only be used in the hands of these creatures, being otherwise useless
relics to others. If picked up by PCs whose Order Ranks are higher than
their Chaos Ranks, they are instantly infected with Chaotic Rot.
When these creatures inflict an Injury, their foe’s wounds are also
    Fetid Weaponry
Infected.
These creatures automatically spot hidden and Æthereal foes, and can
    Fey Sight
see in the dark.
Fiery These creatures can use Spit Fire as an Opportunity Attack without
 
Retribution having to Load.
These creatures and their possessions are entirely immune to Damage
   Fireproof
from fire.
These creatures can attack up to 9 foes in an Engagement with one
Flailing
  Attack Action. In addition, their tentacles have the Reach Quality, able
Tentacles
to strike foes up to 3 yards away.
345
CREATURE TRAITS
& RISK FACTOR
When exposed to flames, these creatures suffer an additional 1D10+1

    Flammable
Damage from fire.
When these creatures fail any Skill Test, they may re-roll to generate a
 Foresight
better result but must accept the outcome.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Dice if of Basic
Risk Factor; 2D6 Chaos Dice if of Intermediate Risk Factor; 3D6 if of
    Foul Mutation
Advanced Risk Factor; 4D6 if of Elite Risk Factor. For every face ‘6’, add
These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with ranged weapons
   Fwip! Fwip!
without Loading.
When these creatures deal Damage, a foe must Resist with Coordination.
   Gastric Acidity
If they fail, the foe’s armor, weapon or shield is Ruined!.
  Gift of Devils These creatures ignore the Heavy Quality of armor to cast Magick.
When these creatures inflict a Moderate Injury, it is always a Black Eye.

Give Me Your
  When they inflict a Serious Injury, it is always Head Trauma. Finally,
Eyes
when they inflict a Grievous Injury, it is always a Vitreous Hemorrhage.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their eyes are
pierced with a golden pin or 1 gold crown (gc) is placed beneath their
tongue. During this time, they remain in a hibernating state, unless the
  Golden Death
pins or gold crown (gc) are removed, therefore giving life to the creature
again. Only by then burning the head in a funeral pyre are they forever
Slain!.
When these creatures are encountered, they have a glass grenade. When
  Grenadier thrown, it affects multiple foes in a Burst Template. Affected foes must
succeed a Toughness Test or contract Tomb Rot.
Grossly
  These creatures have factored in +3 to their Initiative.
Paranoid
When these creatures attempt to hide in urban and underground
  Gutter Runner
environments, they flip the results to succeed at Stealth Tests.
Hallucinogenic After ingesting a dose of red cap mushrooms, these creatures add 1D6
 
Frenzy Fury Die to melee weapon Damage.
    Hangin’ Tough These creatures cannot Bleed or suffer Injuries.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the
result is face ‘1-5’, they carry a massive gong. If the result is face ‘6’, they
carry a set of chimes. When they play the gong with Litany of Hatred,
Harbinger of Characters so affected also suffer 1D10+1 physical Peril. When they play
 
Plagues the chime with Litany of Hatred, Characters so affected instead lower
their Damage and Peril Condition Tracks by -3 instead. These trappings
can only be used by hands of these creatures who bear them, otherwise
useless relics.
   Hard-nosed These creatures are immune to Knockout! and Stunning Blow.
When facing the Ancestries indicated in parentheses, these creatures

Hatred
    add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage and automatically succeed
(ANCESTRY)
at Resolve Tests.
These creatures are easily distracted. When their Turn starts, they must
   Herp Derp
succeed a Resolve Test or else lose 1 AP.
These creatures add the Reach and Vicious Qualities to melee weapons
   Hideous Might
they wield. They also ignore the Weak Quality of melee weapons.
346
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Holy When struck by holy water, these creatures suffer 2D10+2 Damage from
   
Retribution fire.
These creatures do not need to breathe and are immune to Chokehold.
Horror of the
  In addition, PCs whose Order Ranks exceed their Chaos Ranks reduce
Pit
their Damage by -3 when striking these creatures.
When these creatures successfully use a Litany of Hatred, affected foes
must Resist with a Resolve Test or be made subject to Confusion. While
Confused, they must roll 1D6 Chaos Die as their Turn starts. If the
result is face ‘1‘, they lose 1 AP on this Turn. If the result is face ‘2‘, they
Howl of the lose 2 APs on this Turn. If the result is face ‘3‘, they elect to run in a

Abyss random direction. If the result is face ‘4‘, they elect to attack the nearest
ally. If the result is face ‘5‘, they do nothing. However, if the result is face
‘6’, they are left Helpless. Once subject to one of these effects, they can
attempt to Resist at the beginning of their Turn to shake it off. Foes who
attempt to Resist mustflip the results to fail their Skill Test.|
Foes who stand within 9 yards of this creature cannot add their
Apprentice Skill Rank to Combat and Willpower-based Skill Tests. In
  Hypnotic Musk addition, foes who are Engaged with these creatures must successfully
Resist using Toughness or be unable to add any Skill Ranks to Combat
and Willpower-based Skill Tests for a day.
After this creature makes an Attack Action with a melee weapon, they
I Got Axe for
   can immediately make an Opportunity Attack with any one-handed
You
ranged weapon with the Throwing Quality on the same Turn.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their wedding ring is
placed into a decanter consecrated with the Ritual of Blessed Sacrament.
As long as it remains in the decanter, they also remain in hibernation,
  I Thee Wed
unless the ring is removed therefore giving life to the creature again.
Only by then submerging the decanter into a large body of water are
they forever Slain!.
When these creatures are encountered, roll 1D6 Chaos die to determine
what special power they can grant to one ally, once a day. If the result is
a face ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’, they can cause any one ally standing within 3 yards of
them to gain the benefits of Demonic Frenzy (as a Legion Demon). If
  Impish Delights
the result is face ‘4’ to ‘5’, they allow any one ally standing within 3 yards
of them to flip the results to succeed at a single Skill Test. If the result
is face ‘6’, anyone standing within 3 yards of this creature must succeed
at a Resolve Test or temporarily lower their Fellowship by 9% for a day.
Implacable When this creature’s Turn begins, they gain 1 additional AP. However, it
 
Defense can only be used to Dodge and Parry.
These creatures can only be harmed by melee and ranged weapons by
   In the Face
using a Called Shot to the head.
When these creatures use a Chokehold, they are able to maintain it for 0
   Inescapable
AP and use other Actions In Combat.
These creatures can spend 2 APs to make an Interrogation Test. If
successful, foes caught in a Cone Template who fail to Resist with a
  Keening Wail Resolve Test immediately suffers from Fear and cannot Counterspell,e
or Parry until their next Turn. A foe can be made victim to Keening
Wail every Turn.
   Kill it With Fire Only after these creature’s remains are set On Fire are they forever Slain!.
347
CREATURE TRAITS
& RISK FACTOR
Lamb to the When these creatures Injure a foe with a melee weapon, they inflict two
  
Slaughter Injuries instead of one.
These creatures can attempt an Opportunity Attack with their tail at the
  Lashing Tail
end of their Turn.
Lick Your These creatures can spend 1 Misfortune Point to move three steps up the
   
Wounds Damage Condition Track positively.
When a foe uses Take Aim for 2 APs to shine a source of light upon this
  Light Sensitive creature before making their attack, reduce its Damage Threshold by a -6
penalty (to a minimum of 1).
When these creatures use Magick, they must roll 3D6 Chaos Dice. If all
  Living Chaos
land on face ‘6’, they are instantaneously Slain!.
These creatures can control a number of Mindless Undead equal to three
Lord of the times their [WB]. They need not remain within sight of these creatures

Damned to be controlled, as they share a telepathic bond. Finally, they can see
through the eyes of all Mindless Dead they control.
Lumbering These creatures cannot Charge, Run or use Movement Actions that
 
Brute require 3 AP.
When these creatures are Injured, always refer to the Moderate Injuries
   Man O’war table to determine their severity. This Trait overrides any potential for
increase in Injuries due to Qualities, Traits or other Talents.
By spending 1 Misfortune Point, these creatures create 1D6 illusions of
itself that mimics its precise actions. Once a mirrored image is successfully
Many Faces of
  struck with any weapon or Magick, it immediately dematerializes.
Death
Determining which is the creature and the illusion requires a Secret Test
using Scrutinize.
Masterfully These creatures refer to their [AB] for all Damage they inflict with
  
Adroit weapons. They also have factored in +3 to their [AB].
When these creatures use a Litany of Hatred, they inflict 1D10+[BB]
    Menacing
mental Peril.
When foes stand within nine yards of these creatures, they must Resist
with a successful Toughness Test or succumb to a disease. Roll 1D6
Chaos Die. If it lands on face ‘1’, they contract Bloody Flux. If it lands
on face ‘2’, they contract Filth Fever. If it lands on face ‘3’, they contract
Miasma of
 Grey Plague. If it lands on face ‘4’, they contract Tomb Rot. If it lands on
Sickness
face ‘5’, they contract Venereal Disease. And finally, if it lands on face ‘6’,
they contract all the aforementioned Diseases. Whether they Resisted
or not, they cannot be infected with Miasma of Sickness again, until at
least a day has passed.
These creatures do not possess Fellowship, Intelligence or Willpower
    Mindless and cannot be made to Resist effects which affect the mind. They can
also see in the dark.
Monstrous When these creatures successfully use a Litany of Hatred, they inflict
 
Bellow 2D10+[BB] physical Peril.
Murderous When these creatures make an attack with a blackjack, garrote or
 
Attacks bullwhip, their foe cannot Dodge, Parry or Resist this attack.
Natural Armor These creatures have factored in a bonus to their Damage Threshold,
   
(VALUE 1-6) equal to the value in parentheses.
348
CREA
TURE T R
RAITS & RISK FACTO
When these creatures are Grievously Wounded, add 3 to their Damage

  Never Say Die
Threshold.
Foes do not gain an advantage when they flank or outnumber this
   Never Surrender
creature in combat.
When this creature Channels Power and succeeds at their Skill Test,
 Occult Mastery
they Critically Succeed instead.
When these creatures Take Aim and then make a successful Melee
  One-two Punch
Attack, they force a foe to Resist a Stunning Blow.
When three or more of these creatures are alive during combat, they may
    Pack Mentality
flip the results to succeed at Skill Tests.
When these creatures make a successful attack bare-handed, they deal
Paralyzing both Damage and force a foe to Resist with a Toughness Test or be
 
Touch Paralyzed. While Paralyzed, foes are unable to use Movement Actions
until they successfully Resist.
These creatures’ movement uses 6+[AB] on foot and 9+[AB] for flight.
    Paw/hoof/wing
Fliers are indicated under Movement.
Perfect Foes must flip the results to fail attacks made with ranged weapons to
   
Camouflage strike these creatures.
When foes are Engaged with this creature (and the creature can see
them), they must Resist with a successful Awareness Test or be Petrified.
While Petrified, they are left Helpless and unconscious. Petrification
    Petrifying Gaze
lasts until the heart of the creature that caused the Petrification is
pulverized into a bloody concoction and poured over the victim with a
successful Alchemy Test.
Every minute these creatures remain in the Material Realm in physical
Physical form, roll 3D6 Chaos Dice at the end of their Turn. If all three dice
  
Instability show face ‘6’, the creature is banished from the Material Realm, until
the new moon.
When these creatures make an Attack Action with a weapon possessing
  Point Blank the Gunpowder Quality within Short Distance, they add an additional
Poison
    These creatures are immune to poisons.
Resistance
When these creatures deal Damage, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. If the result is
   Poisonous Bite
face ‘6’, they inject Spider Venom into their foe.
These creatures can use Skin Guest from the Arcana of Sorcery without
 Possession having to make an Incantation Test. In addition, they do not have to
maintain Concentration.
When these creatures succeed any Attack Action to strike, their foe must
 Potent Blows
flip the results to fail when Dodging or Parrying the attack.
When these creatures successfully use a Litany of Hatred, those affected
   Primal Scream
must Resist with a Resolve Test or suffer from Fear.
Punishing When these creatures Take Aim and then make a successful Melee
 
Attack Attack, add 3 Damage.
When this creature’s Turn begins, they move one step up the Damage
    Reanimator Condition Track positively. Other Traits cover how these creatures are
permanently Slain!.
349
CREATURE TRAITS
& RISK FACTOR
Resistance to This creature may flip the results to succeed at when Resisting the effects
 
Chaos of Magick.
These creatures penalize their foe’s ability to Resist a Chokehold and
Dirty Tricks by a -10 Base Chance to their Skill Test. In addition, when
  Ringen
they use a Chokehold, add an additional 1D10 to determine how much
physical Peril they inflict.
When these creatures deal Damage, they can force a foe to Resist a
    Ripping Teeth
Takedown.
When fighting on horseback or a vehicle, they flip the results to succeed
  Saddle Tactics
at Attack Actions and Perilous Stunts.
  Salt of the Earth These creatures have factored in +3 to their Peril Threshold.
When first encountered, these creatures provoke one of the three

brands of Madness; if of Basic Risk Factor, they provoke Stress; if of
    Sanity-blasting
Intermediate Risk Factor, they provoke Fear; if of Advanced or Elite
Risk Factor, they provoke Horror.
    Scar the Flesh These creatures add +3 to their Damage Threshold, but wear no armor.
When these creatures enter combat, they take upon a different aspect
every Turn which passes. In the first Turn, they take on the aspect of
spring, gaining +3 to Damage Threshold. In the next Turn, they lose the
+3 to Damage Threshold, but take on the aspect of summer, gaining total
immunity to fire. In the following Turn, they lose their total immunity
  Seasons to Pass
to fire and take on the aspect of autumn, able to use two Melee Attacks
on that Turn for 2 AP. In the final Turn, they lose their ability to use two
Melee Attacks on and take on the aspect of winter, able to Dodge and
Parry for 0 APs. This creature may only take upon one aspect at a time,
and continues to cycle through the four seasons as their Turns pass.
When these creatures are encountered, they wear a cloak made from an
Serpentine
  undersea creature. It provides a Damage Threshold Modifier of 1 when
Cloak
worn.
These creatures may take any form they please, providing it is of a Small
  Shapeshifter
or Large Animal or Humanoid (including player Ancestries).
These creatures do not suffer penalties for ranged weapons at Medium
  Sharp-sighted
or Long Distances.
These creatures ignore the Pummeling and Weak Qualities when
fighting bare-handed, with a blackjack or using knuckledusters. In
   Shootfighting
addition, they can refer to [BB] or [CB] when inflicting Damage with
these same weapons.
When these creatures successfully strike with a ranged weapon
   Shotgun Bang! possessing the Gunpowder Quality, they automatically Load their
weapon for 0 APs.|
When these creatures use the Stealth or Survival Skill, they flip the
    Silent Stalker
results to succeed at their Test.
Skeletal Only after these creature’s bones are spread around for 1 AP are they
 
Remains forever Slain!.
When this creature’s Turn ends, roll 1D6 Chaos Die. Whatever the
result is, a number of Kobold Fanatics sprout forth beside this creature.
Slime-born
 In addition, foes who begin their Turn Engaged with this creature must
Host
Resist with a successful Coordination Test or be unable to use Movement
Actions, as they are clawed at by tiny hands along the creature’s body.
350
CREA
TURE T R
RAITS & RISK FACTO
When these creatures are encountered, they have a smoke bomb. When
thrown, it explodes outwards. Those caught in an Explosion Template
  Smoke Bomb area of effect reduces their Movement by a -6 penalty, until they escape.
In addition, it provides enough concealment for the creature to use their
Stealth Skill.
   Snikt! Snikt! These creatures may spend 3 APs to attack twice with melee weapons.
Sniveling
   These creatures can only use 2 AP during combat.
Whelp
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless the fetish or
phylactery which houses their soul is destroyed. However, they can be
   Soul Jar
made to remain in hibernation, left unconscious if a jar of salt is poured
into their mouths.
These creatures can use their breath as a ranged weapon. This allows then
to strike a single foe within 3+[PB], as the foe suffers 2D10+2 Damage
  Spit Fire
from fire. A foe can attempt to Dodge Spit Fire or Parry it with a shield.
Spit Fire can be used while Engaged with foes.
When these creatures attack, it cannot be Dodged or Parried – it may
  Spore-splosion only be Resisted with a successful Toughness Test. If a foe fails this
Toughness Test, they are exposed to Orx-molt.
Squabble When these creatures suffer from Fear or Terror, they must succeed at a
  Among Resolve Test as their Turn starts or else attack their own allies. They can
Themselves Resist every Turn thereafter.
These creatures always succeed at Resolve Tests and cannot be
    Steely Fortitude
Intimidated.
Stinging When these creatures deal Damage, at their option, they can force a foe
  
Tentacle to Resist a Stunning Blow.
When these creatures deal Damage, they can automatically knock their
  Stomp the Yard
foe Prone. In addition, they ignore the effects of Hard Terrain.
When creatures use this attack, it forces a foe to Resist with an Athletics
  Stone Blast Test or suffer 1D10+ the creature’s [BB] in Damage. This attack can be
used against three foes at once and cannot be Dodged or Parried.
These creatures are immune to all attacks from electricity and lightning.
Furthermore, when they are struck by such attacks, it empowers them,
  Storm Rage
adding a one-time bonus of +3 to Damage Threshold while enabling
them to add a 1D6 Fury Die to weapon Damage for an hour.
When these creatures execute a successful attack while flying, they also
   Strafing Talons
deal 1D10+[AB]physical Peril.
When these creatures make a successful Chokehold, they deal Damage
from a bare-handed weapon and force a foe to Resist with a Toughness
   Swallow Whole Test or be Swallowed. While Swallowed, the foe cannot use any Actions,
but can attempt to Resist again at the beginning of their Turn to escape.
Foes who attempt to Resist mustflip the results to fail their Skill Test.
When these creatures make a successful attack with a two-handed melee
  Sweeping Strike
weapon, they strike up to three foes they’re Engaged with.
When these creatures are made subject to Chaos Manifestations, they
The Changer of can roll twice and choose the most desirous result. Finally, they can
 
Ways Counterspell for 0 APs and can use Dispel Magick without having to
make an Incantation Test.
351
CREATURE TRAITS
& RISK FACTOR
When this creature makes a Skill Test, they roll twice and assume the
The Viridescent
 better of the two results. In addition, they never suffer from Critical
Path
Failures, instead treating them as regularly failed Skill Tests instead.
When these creatures can see a foe (who can also see them), they force
a foe to Resist with a Resolve Test or be Mesmerized. Mesmerized foes
cannot use any Actions In Combat, but may attempt to Resist again
at the beginning of their Turn to escape. The creature cannot use any
  Transfixed Gaze
other Actions while they maintain a Transfixed Gaze. However, they can
release the gaze at any time. If the creature suffers Damage while a foe is
Mesmerized, they immediately relinquish the hold. Foes who attempt to
Resist must flip the results to fail their Skill Test.
Unless foes invoke this creature’s True Name before casting Magick, it
   True Name
fails to affect the creature.
When these creatures are Seriously or Grievously Wounded, add an
    Unbridled Rage additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage they inflict with melee weapon
attacks.
    Uncertain Form These creatures are immune to Injuries and Perilous Stunts.
When these creatures are Slain! all those Engaged with it must succeed
  Ungainly at a Coordination Test or be knocked Prone beneath of it, suffering
3D10+3 Damage from falling.
These creatures can automatically unfasten any lock they can see or
  Unlatch Doors
touch, Magickal or otherwise.
Unnatural These creatures are immune to attacks made with ranged weapons.
  
Viscera However, they cannot use any Movement Action that requires 3 APs.
When these creatures drop down the Damage Condition Track, they
   Unruly
move an equal number of steps down the Peril Condition Track.
These creatures cannot cross running water, unless by bridge or boat.
When exposed to sunlight, they suffer 2D10+2 Damage from fire for
every minute they remain exposed. Instead of suffering Injuries in this
case, they instead are caught On Fire. When Slain!, they turn into mist
  Vampire’s Curse and immediately return to their resting place to sleep. For every hour they
sleep, they move one step up the Damage Condition Track positively.
Once Unharmed, all Injuries are healed as well. However, while asleep,
they can be permanently Slain! if an ironwood stake is driven through
their heart and the head is removed.
These creatures can crawl upon both vertical and horizontal surfaces with
   Wall Crawler ease. In addition, they can initiate a ranged Chokehold at a Distance of
3+[PB], with a Load of 1 AP.
is face ‘1-5’, their hunger has been sated. If the result is face ‘6’, their
    Wanton Hunger hunger has not yet been sated and they are in a state of frenzy. When
sated, they add +1 to both Damage and Peril Condition Tracks. When
in a state of frenzy, they add an additional 1D6 Fury Die to Damage.
When a creature’s body part indicated in parentheses is successfully
Weak Spot
    struck by a Called Shot, a foe adds an additional 1D6 Fury Die to
(BODY PART)
Damage.
Weakness to These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless a killing blow is
 
Brass rendered with a weapon made of brass or bronze.
352
CREA
TURE T R
RAITS & RISK FACTO
When these creatures are encountered, they carry a scythe infused with
the blood of mortals. When they deal Damage, the foe also begins
to Bleed. This can only be used in the hands of these creatures, being
 Weeping Scythe
otherwise useless relics to others. If picked up by PCs whose Order Ranks
are higher than their Chaos Ranks, they are instantly disintegrated into
ash, Slain!.
When these creatures are encountered, they carry a bullwhip woven
Whip of the from the skins of Dread Counts. When they strike with the bullwhip,

Fallen the foe suffers 2D10+[BB] physical Peril. This can only be used in the
hands of these creatures, being otherwise useless relics to others.
When creatures use this attack, it forces a foe to Resist with a
  Wind Kick Coordination Test or be thrown 1D10+[BB] in yards. This attack can be
used against three foes at once.
When casting Generalist Magick – at their option – these creatures
can automatically succeed at the Incantation Test, but must drop one
    Winds of Chaos
step down the Peril Condition Track negatively. In addition, they must
always add 1 additional Chaos Die when they Channel Power.
These creatures cannot be permanently Slain! unless their remains are
placed beneath a spirit board. Once placed beneath a spirit board, they
enter hibernation and will remain so unless the board or remains are
  Witchboard
removed, therefore giving life to the creature again as it is restored to
Unharmed. Only by successfully casting Last Rites over the spirit board
are they forever Slain!.
When these creatures encounter those who are suffering from a Disorder,
Disease or Grievous Injury, the foe must Resist with a successful Resolve
  Word of Death Test or else be Slain!. However, the foe must be able to see and hear them
for Word of Death to work. If a foe succeeds at this Resolve Test, they
are forever immune to Word of Death.
is face ‘1-4’, they carry two Wytchfyre pistols. If the result is face ‘5’, they
  Wytch-science carry a Wytchfyre jezzail. If the result is face ‘6’, they carry a Wytchfyre
thrower. While carrying a Wytchfyre thrower, they cannot Charge,
Maneuver or Run.
353
CREATURE PROFILE
CREATURE PROFILE
CREATURE TYPE SPELLS
CLASSIFICATION GENERALIST
INFLUENCES
PETTY
SIZE
LESSER
RISK FACTOR
ROLE GREATER
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

%[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ]
Bonus
Advances
Damage Peril
Threshold Threshold
+ ( / / ) ( / / ) %( ) %( )
Skill
Ranks
ATTACK PROFILE

Chance & Distance
% ( yards) AP D6 + [ ]
% ( yards) AP D6 + [ ]
% ( yards) AP D6 + [ ]
Trait Trait
Effect Effect
Trait Trait
Effect Effect
354
CREATURE PROFILE
Trait Trait
Effect Effect
Trait Trait
Effect Effect
Trait Trait
Effect Effect

Effect Effect

Effect Effect

Effect Effect
TRAPPINGS
DESCRIPTION
355
NPC PROFILE
NPC PROFILE
PERSONA
is a(n) .
is of stature & a build for a , but with .

for someone class,
is dressed of the & has .

Archetype,
is of the driven by & is .
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES

%[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ] %[ ]
Bonus
Advances
Damage Peril
Threshold Threshold
+ ( / / ) ( / / ) %( ) %( )
Skill
Ranks
ATTACK PROFILE

Chance & Distance
% ( yards) AP D6 + [ ]
% ( yards) AP D6 + [ ]
% ( yards) AP D6 + [ ]
356
NPC PROFILE
NPC PORTRAIT Talent

Effect
Talent
Effect
Talent
Effect
Talent Talent
Effect Effect
Trait Trait
Effect Effect
Trait Trait
Effect Effect

Effect Effect

Effect Effect
TRAPPINGS
357
◆ INDEX ◆
Ancestral Limit by Pounds 124 Hunt & Harvest 142
A Lift, Push, Pull 124 Rarity 142
Steed 125
Actions In Combat, New 128 Weight in Encumbrance 99 Q
Addiction, Wytchstone 153
Aetheric Fluid 141 E Qualifying Tier, Professions 92
Preparing 141 Qualities, New
Ancestral Lift Limits 124 Expert Profession, Requirements 92 Armor 110
Archetype Tables 16 Shield 112
Arkwright Cauldron 117
Armor
F Vehicle 120
War Machine 114
New Materials in Craftsmanship 99 Fantastic Machines 117 Weapon 101
Qualities, New 110 Flaming Arrows 101
Aspects, Daemonic 159 R
Availability Of Goods 97
City 97
G
Randomized Spells 230
Town 98 Grenade, Glass 146 Reagents, Cost 183
Village 98 Preparing 146 Repairing Structural Integrity 138
Rituals 210
B H
Base Vehicle Threshold 135
S
Harvesting Prima Materia 142
Black Market Goods, Updated 156 Healing Special Materials, Crafting 99
Bottled Lightning 117 Dray Horses 138
Brew Decoction 142 Golem 213 T
Horsepower 120
C Template, Cone, Burst & Explosion 102
Clues 285
I True Names, Revisited 214
Combat
Actions In Combat, New 128
Identifying 144 V
Inebrients 153
Expanded Guide to Vehicle 132 Vehicle Combat 127
Mishaps 136
Conspiracy 285
L Movement Modifiers 130
Passengers On/Inside 127
Construct Golem 211 Lift, Push, Pull 124 Repairing Structural Integrity 138
Covenant Magick 183 Lose Control of Your Vehicle 129 Size Modifier 120
Custom Creature 223 Vehicle-to-Vehicle Combat 132
M Void Salts 145
D
Daemonic Aspects 159
Mishaps 136 W
Momentum Dice 130
Daemonic Gifts 169 Roll Damage 134 Weight in Encumbrance 99
Tables 171 - 181 Mutagenic Potion 144 Wytch-Science 103
Decoction 141 Hexer 62 Chitterchant Brew 146
Cursed 144 Manufacture 144 Glass Grenade 146
Brew 142 Quaffing 144 Wytchblight 147
Identifying 144 Wytchfyre 148

Quaffing 142
Shelf Life 144
O Wytchslime 148
Wytchstone Essence 146
Dice Poker, 143 Operate Check 120, 127 Wytchstone Incense 149
Diseases New 150 Wytchstone Token 150
Disorders New 151
Distilling Wytchstone Essence 146
Dray Horse 125
P
Healing 138 Possessed 151
Encumbrance Exorcism 213
Ancestral Limit 124 Prima Materia 141
GRIM & PERILOUS
ADVENTURES WITHIN
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� Easily integrate cinematic, vehicle-based combat into
encounters
� Use alchemy & Wytch-science to gain deadly abilities
� Build fantastic machines, like the Arkwright Cauldron
& Rumblebutler
� Devote yourself as an occultist to forbidden gods
� Learn over 90 new chaos magick spells & their horrific
manifestations
� Make soul-altering pacts for daemonic gifts of unfettered

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� Build your own unique creatures & NPCs on the fly
Using the Powered By ZWEIHÄNDER d100 game engine, you will create
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GRIM & PERILOUS $55.00 U.S.A. ($76.00 Canada)

STUDIOS ISBN: 978-1-5248-5167-5
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9 781524 851675
Printed in China
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What new professions does this supplement add?

What new professions does this supplement add?

What abilities can alchemy and Wytch-science provide?

What abilities can alchemy and Wytch-science provide?

CHAOS IS NOT A PIT – IT IS A LADDER.

MAIN GAUCHE is a supplement for the ENnie award-winning

GRIM & PERILOUS SUPPLEMENT

embrace the left-handed path of

GRIM & PERILOUS $55.00 U.S.A. ($76.00 Canada)

MG Cover Mech.indd 1-3 5/1/19 10:45 AM

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019938791

ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES

Creator & Lead Designer

Proofreading & Editing

Managing Art Director

Managing Layout Designer

Interior Illustrator Special Thanks

Expert Professions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Havoc Conjuror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Vampire Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Wytch-Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Danziger Eckhardt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

when i finally awoken from internment, i was struck by the

— Danziger Eckhardt, Soldier and Ex-Convict

Here’s a chapter-by-chapter overview of what you’ll find inside:

❖ Liber Mortalium (Book of Mortals) introduces a host of all-new Professions.

- Daniel D. Fox, Creator and Lead Designer

NEW ARCHETYPE TABLES

ACADEMIC COMMONER KNAVE RANGER SOCIALITE WARRIOR

7 to 13 Anchorite Barber Surgeon Burglar Bailiff Apostle Bravo

14 to 20 Antiquarian Blitzballer Charlatan Bonepicker Courtier Buccaneer

21 to 27 Apothecary Boatman Convict Bounty Hunter Cultist + Cadet

28 to 34 Astrologer * Camp Follower Fence Gamekeeper Entertainer Dragoon

35 to 41 Diabolist * Cheapjack Footpad Hedgewise * Envoy Hedge Knight

42 to 47 Engineer Coachman Gambler Nomad Fop Henchman

48 to 54 Forger Doomsayer Graverobber Old Believer Jester Man-At-Arms

55 to 61 Informer Jailer Guttersnipe Outrider Messenger Militiaman

62 to 68 Investigator Laborer Highwayman Pilgrim Provocateur Pit Fighter

69 to 75 Monk Peasant Prostitute Pioneer Quacksalver Pugilist

76 to 82 Pamphleteer Rat Catcher Reaver Reeve Racketeer Sellsword

83 to 89 Preacher + Servant Smuggler Rustler Raconteur Skald

90 to 95 Quartermaster Stevedore Vagabond Slayer Rake Squire

96 to 100 Scribe Undertaker Vigilante Trapper Valet Watchman

they are often seen as little more than part-time workers or

DRAWBACK: VOW OF ‘NONVIOLENCE’

between feuding merchants. Deep down, many are

 As a blitzer: whenever you Charge or Run towards a

pressure from their master chiefs, vigorous exercise that can

Cadets are not always the most

enough to deter most criminals. The vilest of criminals are

When a Convict is finally released from their confinement,

In the criminal underworld, there are three important

FENCE DRAWBACK: BLACK MARKETEER

THIEFSPAWN The Forger’s life is not an easy one though. The

SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Determination

DRAWBACK: HIRELING’S DILEMMA

SKILL RANKS Simple Ranged TALENTS Light Sleeper

SKILL RANKS Stealth TALENTS Strong Jaw

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night

Nomads make most of their living off livestock, itinerant

 As a northerner: you always succeed at Skill Tests to

PAMPHLETEER And that is precisely why many see Pamphleteers as

As a blitzer: whenever you Charge or Run towards a

As a northerner: you always succeed at Skill Tests to

In spring, anytime you generate a Critical Success

DIRGESINGER In autumn, you never suffer mental Peril as a result

As a flagellant: for every Injury you are suffering from,