Quickstart

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 Credits

“VULCANIA - Quickstart” by Gear Games

www.geargames.eu
info@geargames.eu
facebook.com/vulcaniarpg
instagram.com/vulcania.geargames

Authors: Mattia Arnaudo and Simone Raspi

Art Direction: Mastro Koboldo (Jacopo Tagliasacchi and Virginia Chiabotti)

Illustrations: Jacopo Tagliasacchi, Virginia Chiabotti, Giorgia Lanza.

Graphic Design: Marco “Daeron” Ventura

Editing: Marco “Daeron” Ventura

English Translation: Federico Lorenzo Gavioli

This is a work of fantasy. All characters and places are a product of imagination.

Special Thanks

Boti Sztankovits (Order #39837641)

 VVulcania

What is in this guide Vulcania’s feeling

This quick guide is meant to give you everything you need The world of Vulcania is defined by its atmosphere and
to try the game out and have a glimpse of the world of rhythm. It is a world with the technological level of the
Vulcania by jumping right into the introductory adventure industrial revolution of the XIXth Century, the typi-
at the end of this booklet. It is one or two sessions long cal elements of steampunk culture and a nod to classic
and comes with pre-generated characters. Of course, this is fantasy. Airships, zeppelins and steam-powered trains
but a small token of the full book, enough to test the base are widely in use, while the futuristic and picturesque
mechanics and have a taste of the setting. works of alchemy and engineering coexist with tra-
ditional weapons like sabers, greatswords and axes.
Tehcnology and science play a cardinal role in Vulcania;
there is almost no limit to what can be achieved, with every
wonder or mystery having a scientific explanation of some
kind.
Vulcania features six great archipelagos of volcanic origin,
each with its own distinct flavor. Itteghasp reflects the clas-
sic atmospheres of Victorian Europe at the end of the XIX-
th Century. Mostucaal is an unexplored, dangerous land
with a heavy Old West accent. Nuugard is shrouded in the
gloomy and gothic pall of classic horror literature. Ketniv
follows the traditions of the Far East and Balastoc is defi-
ned by the rich colors and flavors of Africa and the Middle
East. Abrabazem, last but not least, is a desolate wasteland,
right out of the apocalypse.
The timeline of the game is set thirteen years after the con-
clusion of a devastating war among the six nations, that
brought the entire world to the knee. In the decade fol-
lowing the cessation of hostilities, the powers that were
found a semblance of a new balance, but the world was
never going to be the same.
Within this context unravel the adventures of the cha-
racters, in a web of plots, violence, mysteries, international
intrigue, investigations, neck-breaking chases and unforgi-
ving duels worthy of the best adventure novel.

The Characters
Each Character is defined by four Attributes, each covering
four Skills. Attributes are the innate talents of a Character,
while Skills are the way they developed them. Arts, instead,
are what the Character has learned, like specific branches
of knowledge or combat techniques.

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Attributes and Skills Analysis defines the Character’s ability to elaborate data
and reason. Common Analysis Tests cover finding clues or
secret passages, symptoms of a mysterious illness or poiso-
STAMINA covers the physical prowess of a Character, ning, identifying chemicals or understanding mechanical
their bulk and toughness. devices.
Athletics is the Character’s capacity to compete in physical Insight covers the Character’s capacity to quickly gauge
challenges. Frequent Athletics Tests are climbing, sprinting people and situations. Common Insight Tests are seeing
or leaping. through the charming words of cheaters.
Brawl measures how effective is the Character in hand to Senses covers the sensory spectrum of the Character.
hand combat and brawling. Common Brawl Tests are tho- Common Senses Tests involve shooting with firearms or
se for resolving a grapple, projection or clinch. scanning the environment for threats.
Strength is a measure of the Character’s raw muscle power. Discipline is the Character’s ability to keep their cool even
Common Strength Tests involve breaking barriers, lifting under stressful conditions. Common Discipline Tests co-
heavy weights or lobbing objects. ver resisting to panic or performing tasks that require great
Resistance covers the Character’s toughness, their capacity degrees of concentration.
to withstand physical efforts, toxic substances or lack of
sustenance for extensive periods of time. MAGNETISM defines how the Character interacts with
other people, the surrounding world and the energies that
DEXTERITY defines how much fine control does the move the universe, be they fate, deities or chance.
Character have over their own body, their precision and Aggression defines how capable is the Character in having
the coordination of their movements. other people comply to their will. Common Aggression
Agility covers eye to limb coordination and the ability of Tests cover extorting information with duress or making it
the Character to control their body under extreme condi- absolutely clear to a nosy bystander that they saw nothing
tions. Common Agility Tests are keeping one’s footing or of what the Character just did.
pulling acrobatic stunts. Cunning reflects how convincing is the Character when
Stealth is the capacity to move silently and precisely. Com- they lie or try to deceive the person they are talking to.
mon Stealth Tests cover hiding, infiltrating a building, pi- Common Cunning Tests cover telling a lie or try to imper-
cking a pocket or blending in a crowd. sonate somebody else.
Handicraft represents how precise is the Character when Charm represents how capable is the Character of gaining
performing tasks that require precision, like picking a
somebody’s sympathy and make them feel comfortable.
lock, repairing a damaged mechanism or suturing an open
Common Charm Tests are necessary when trying to seduce
wound.
somebody or trying to gain their trust.
Reflexes is the Character’s capacity to quickly react to dan-
Luck means how much the gods or whatever like you! A
ger or capitalize on opportunities. Common Reflexes Tests
Luck Test might be called for to find just what the Cha-
include those to avoid traps or close quarters attacks.
racter needs or if the sniper in the bell tower is going to
MIND represents the Character’s intellectual faculties and shoot them or the person right to their left.
perceptual abilities.

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Also, to better manage your Character in the thick of the

action, there are Tactical Indicators; their value is gene-
rated by a Skill and all the modifiers given by Arts, equip-
ment or other factors.

Dodge is the measure of how able is the Cha-

racter to evade enemy melee attacks. It is the
sum of DEXTERITY, Reflexes and any rele-
vant modifier.

Evade is the measure of how able is the Cha-

racter to not be hit by ranged and area of ef-
fect attacks. It is the sum of MAGNETISM,
Luck and any relevant modifier.

Iniziative is the measure of how able is the

The Arts
Character to react lucidly during combat. It is Arts represent the fields in which your Character either has
the sum of MIND, Discipline and any rele- specialized in before becoming an adventurer or will del-
vant modifier. ve into once the game starts. They grant new capabilities,
knowledge and advanced ways to use your Skills. A Cha-
Movement is the measure of how many cu- racter attempting to use a Skill in an advanced manner wi-
bitus the Character can move during a com- thout the proper proficiency succeeds on the relevant Test
bat round. It is half DEXTERITY rounded only with a Success and an Opportunity.
up + 3. The description of each pre-generated Character in this
guide lists in detail their Arts.
Wounds are a measure of how much dama-
ge can the Character suffer before earning
eternal rest. It is half Resistance rounded
up + 3. Equipment
The industrial revolution granted Vulcanians access to a
staggering variety of extraordinary gadgets, like remotely
controlled devices and incredibly deadly weapons. As such,
the items with which you gear your Character play a vital
role. The description of each pre-generated Character in
this guide lists in detail their equipment and weapons.

The Rules
The rules in Vulcania are quick and intuitive, designed to
allow for fluid and gut-wrenching combat without sacrifi-
cing narrative depth or the potential for action.
To allow the Narrator to better oversee the game, the players
do all the rolling. When it comes to interactions between
Characters and the world, their player rolls against a diffi-
culty set by the Narrator. As an example, during combat a
player Character rolls against their opponent’s Dodge score
to hit them or against their Attack value to avoid being hit.
To determine success or failure, the Character must pass a
Test. The player rolls a d12, a 12-sided die, and adds the
score of the Skill best suited for the situation. As an exam-
ple, a d12 plus the Character’s Athletics score if they are
attempting to leap from point A to point B. If the result
is equal or higher than the Difficulty set by the Narrator,
then the Character scored a Success. If not, it is a Failure.

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Grade Difficulty
EXAMPLE
Vas is standing on the hood of a vehicle at full thrott- Trivial 6
le, ready to leap onto the train passing right beside
him. The Narrator calls for a Test of the Athletics
Easy 8
Skill, setting the Difficulty at 13 for such a dange-
rous endeavor. Vas’ Athletics score is 2 and his STA-
MINA, Athletics’s parent ATTRIBUTE, is 5 for a Medium 10
total of 7; to pass the Test, then, he needs at least 6
on the d12 to get a 13 and avoid being turned into Challenging 12
red paste on the side of the railroad.
Hard 14

Extraordinary 16
However, Tests do not yield only Success or Failure results.
Success: you rolled equal or higher than the Difficulty. The Epic 18
Skill Test is successful and the Character acts as expected.
Failure: you rolled less than the Difficulty. While attemp-
ting to do what you wanted, something happens that ma-
kes it fail. A few Skills allow you to avoid catastrophic fai- Gears of Fate
lure, as detailed further into the book. They say that Fortune favors the bold and to survive the
Success with Opportunity: Lady Luck smiles upon you! challenges your Narrator will throw at your group, you will
The result of the d12 roll, before adding any modifier from need to be both fortunate and bold!
Skills and ATTRIBUTES, is either 11 or 12. Not only During each play session, your Character can use three Ge-
your Character succeeds in what you wanted them to do, ars of Fate to force the hand of chance and reroll a failed
but they do so under a favorable condition. Then, you can Test or benefit from an Opportunity as if they had rolled
negotiate with the Narrator the nature of this boon, al- a natural 11 or 12.
though they have the last say on the matter. However, the Narrator receives any Gear spent by the
Catastrophic Failure: Lady Luck turned her back on you! players and can award them back from their pool (5 +
The d12 gave you a solid 1; no boon can save your poor however many the players spent) to prove that fate can
Character from such a calamitous event! sometimes be magnanimous or reward particularly acute,
Not only the Skill Test did not succeed, but the Narrator heroic or spectacular behavior.
adds a negative consequence to the roll or imposes a -1 pe- As they say, “The Lord giveth. The Lord taketh.”
nalty to the next one. Of course, for Catastrophic Failures
during combat, the Narrator is allowed fo unleash the full
extent of their sadism.

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Combat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
When in the thick of the action the flow of events is bound
to deeper more detailed rules. Time is measured in rounds, 1 2 3 4
through which Characters and their opponents alternate damage damages damages damages
their actions following a precise order.
When combat breaks out, each players rolls an Initiative
Test (Discipline plus any relevant modifier) and the Narra- Particular situations during combat, like fighting with su-
tor orders the Character tokens in descending order. Op- perior numbers, charges or point blank shooting, grant the
ponents controlled by the Narrator count their Initiative Characters Advantage, that can be spent to deal 1 additio-
score without rolling. The place each token has in the Ini- nal point of damage after a successful Test to hit.
tiative order is called an Initiative slot. Arts, Opportunities When it is up to the opponents controlled by the Narrator
and other factors can alter the position of a token in the to act, the most frequent Tests you are going to roll are
Initiative order. Dodge to avoid being hit in melee combat or Evade not
Each round, a Character can take one Action and per- to be shot to death.
form a Maneuver; as a general rule, rolling a Test, such
as attacking, pulling a stunt or hiding, takes an Action.
Everything else, like moving, drawing a weapon or going
prone, is considered a Maneuver.
Opportunities and Catastrophic Failures
Whenever you attack an opponent, the Test you must roll
Opportunities in combat allow Characters to execute spe-
to hit is indicated in the Attack section of the weapon’s
cial attacks of their weapons or techniques they know. A
description. As an example, slashing with a saber requires
Character gains an Opportunity when they roll a natural
an Athletics + STAMINA Test against the Dodge score of
11 or 12 on a Test to hit or spend a Gear of Fate after a
the opponent.
successful Test. Much in the same way, on a Catastrophic
If the weapon connects, check the graded bar in the wea- Failure the Narrator can have an enemy use an Opportuni-
pon’s profile. If the result of the die rolled to hit is a num- ty against their poor target.
ber in the uncolored area of the bar, then it deals only 1 The description of each pre-generated Character and
point of damage. If it is in the green area, it deals 2, 3 for enemy in this guide lists a few ways Opportunities can be
the yellow one and 4 if it is in the red zone. used in combat.

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To better understand the rules presented above, the fol- tage in Combat and deals an additional point of damage,
lowing is an example of the first round of combat involving for a total of 3!
a group of higher end Characters. The Narrator decides to activate an Opportunity for the
Assassin to use Anticipate. Chana’s player is then given
Chana, Vas and Lamia are heading to the secret laboratory a Gear of Fate from the Narrator’s pool and the Assassin
of the Crimson Spider, a crime syndicate that is growing in advances 2 slots in the Initiative order, changing the turn
the industrial district. It appears they are behind a power- order as follows.
ful new drug that is quickly exacting its toll among the
population. Hoog, an important local boss, is not happy
with such an activity flourishing in his turf and so hired the
party to punt an end to the rival gang’s business. Unfor-
tunately, the Characters led their investigations a tad too
much on the loud side and so the Crimson Spider now is
waiting for them.
Now it is Lamia’s turn, who charges the Brutes, her scimi-
The ambient that should host the lab is occupied only tars a blur of steel, and attacks! It is up to Vas to help poor
by a few large crates piled randomly, covering four mu- Chana. Lamia rolls her d12 to hit and gets a solid 11! Plus
scle-bound brutes with weapons in hand. It is time to roll her 5 in Athletics and the +1 given by her weapons, her
Initiative! Chana rolls a 12 on her die, plus her bonus of total to hit is a 17 against the Brute’s 10 to Dodge.
5, totaling a 17. Lamia obtains a 12 and Vas a 10. The
now exposed Brutes have an Initiative score of 10; had they
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
remained hidden behind those crates, it would have been
13. The Narrator, then, sorts the Initiative slots as follows.
With an 11 die roll, Lamia deals 3 points of damage and
can also benefit from an Opportunity. Thanks to her Sap-
phire Blades Art, she activates Twin Blades to immediately
make a second attack against another target.
She rolls a 9, hitting for 2 points of damage to her second
target. Both Brutes fall down, dead!
Now it is up to Vas, who moves against the Assassin to
Chana, with her Opportunity on the Initiative Test, can
given them a taste of his malleus, a tormentum weapon of
use an additional Maneuver during her first round. So, she
incredible power!
ducks behind the corner of a crate (first Maneuver), then
takes aim (second Maneuver) and shoots one of the Brutes Unfortunately, bad luck is always waiting for an occasion
(Action). to pounce, as Vas’s d12 stops on the dreaded 1. The attack
is a bust and the Narrator now has an occasion to be cre-
To shoot with her pistol, she rolls a Senses Test, +1 for
ative with their signature sadism! Vas stumbles, crashing
having aimed plus any modifier from the weapon itself, in
onto the ground right in front of the Assassin, who laughs
this case a -1. She rolls the d12, plus a total modifier of 6,
heartily at the prone Character.
and gets a natural 6. The Brute’s Evade score is only 10, so
a 12 is a hit! Now, on to determining damage. The two remaining Brutes try to double up on Lamia, who
just butchered their fellows. Lamia rolls a first Dodge Test,
obtaining a 6 plus her Reflexes of 4 equals 10 as her sci-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 mitar does not offer any help in those situations. Luckily,
the Brute’s target Difficulty to avoid being hit is 10, so the
A result of 6 equals to just 1 point of damage. worst that Lamia suffers is his greatsword barely cutting a
Now, it is up to the assassin who attempts to sneak behind lock of her hair away.
Chana to catch her by surprise. She must then roll a Senses Against the second attack, her player rolls a 9, allowing
Test to recognize the threat. With a total of 13 against the her to avoid it. However, her player also opts to spend a
assassin’s 15 Stealth, she does not. Gear of Fate and activate the Opportunity Defense Cross
The Assassin, then, moves behind her and attacks with she learned thanks to the Emerald Blades Art. By crossing
their dagger. Chana attempts to dodge the attack, rolling a her blades, then, Lamia parries the opponent’s blade, whi-
4 on the d12 plus another 4 for a total of 8. The Difficulty, le slashing the Brute’s face a moment later for 1 point of
however, is the Assassin’s 13, so Chana is struck! damage.
This is where the round closes and the next one starts. This
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 time, however, is the Assassin who goes first; will they ma-
nage to best the Characters or, seen what fate befell their
The die roll of Chana’s Dodge Test, 4, is checked on the da- allies, will they opt to leave the area before joining them
mage bar of the Assassin’s dagger. Being 4 in the green area in the eternal slumber of death? Maybe they are doomed
of the bar, the dagger deals 2 points of damage. Catching anyway or the Narrator has reinforcements arrive to turn
her by surprise, however, the Assassin benefits from Advan- the tide… who knows!

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Once familiarized with the base mechanics of the game, Aaron is a reserved type, notoriously inept at dealing with
a combat round should take at worst a few minutes, du- other people and known for his outbursts of rage. Howe-
ring which can happen all sorts of spectacular actions, plot ver, he rarely goes beyond showering in vitriol the poor
twists and awesome stunts. The full book, the Arts and soul he is arguing with. Although his mutation is frequent-
equipment section also give plenty of ideas to make com- ly looked at with disgust and sometimes even discrimina-
bat more detailed and yet keeping it simple and fluid. Of tion, he does nothing to hide it, reacting with annoyance
course, then, it is up to the players to make it more immer- at the idea of hiding it.
sive with descriptions, banter and improv!

In Vulcania, every Character is completely customizable.

Arts
To give you a small taste of the possible combinations, we
have included five detailed Characters with some experien- Entropic Master
ce under their belt in this book. In the next pages, we will
examine the Arts and equipment of each of them, as well ¤¤ Academic Knowledge (Alchemy): a wide discipli-
as their rules, as seeing them directly in action we think is ne, combining the likes of chemistry, metallurgy and eso-
the easiest way to learn. At the end of this volume you will teric philosophies.
also find the premade Character sheets for the "The Curse ¤¤ Biomes Knowledge (Urban Areas): Frak knows a
of Axpron Hamlet" introduction adventure, that will send great deal about how settlements are planned, the social dy-
you in the murkiest of Vulcania's nights! namics that rule them and their dangers.
¤¤ Proficiency (Alchem Weapons): wielding the mar-
velous weapons of war developed by the Alchemist is no
trivial matter. However, the Character knows how to use
such wonders of technology without hurting themselves…
The crew of the Red Viper most of the time.
¤¤ Craftsmanship (Create Bombs): alchemical rea-
Once the War for Letvia ended, after shedding blood all gents are highly unstable substances to be handled with the
over the islands for more than five years and bringing ci- utmost care, as the slightest mistake could result, at best,
vilization to its knees, people had to reinvent their lives all in a disintegrated beard. However, the Character knows
of a sudden. Hamil Kadhir managed to steal an old Abrab what they are doing, avoiding distractions and keeping
military freighter and gather a small crew and from there an adamant focus when dealing with such components.
the Red Viper took to the skies of Vulcania. They ferried
passengers, various degrees of legal cargo and worked as
mercenaries, bounty hunters and even small time pirates. Entropic Architect

¤¤ Instant Creation: the Character is able to cause an

A aron Frak alchemical reaction in mere seconds, thanks to his experti-
se and quickness of thought. After a successful Handicraft
Origins: Abrabazem Test, The Character creates a Bomb in 1 round. Given the
Special Trait: Mutation, Reptile Eyes (Aaron can see in unstable nature of this process, the Difficulty is increased
the dark) by 2 and the device must be used in the following round.
If not, it detonates in the Character’s
Past: Enthropist
¤¤ Tinkering with Devices: the Character’s vast
The young professor Frak was in service to the Enthro- knowledge of alchemy and the equipment their Monopoly
pic Academy of the Alchemist Cartel when mount Abrab designs allows them to improve their alchemical devices.
erupted, crushing one of the largest economic empires of On a successful Handicraft Test against the device’s Diffi-
the world. culty +2, they can make it detonate after up to 5 rounds.
Thanks to his position, he managed to secure passage to Otherwise, the player can choose to have it activated by
leave the country, but the chemicals unleashed in the cata- pressure or other means, like a mine.
clysm left their mark on him, mutating his eyes into those
of a reptile. Now, his vertical pupils and scaly eyelids allow
him to see even in the thickest of darkness. Of course, Aa- Bomber
ron went through a dire emotional breakdown, dealing
with heavy depression and addiction, until Hamil came “Using” Bombs is not just the good, old “throw and keep
to him looking for an alchemist. Aboard the Red Viper, your head down.” Knowledge of these fun little items is
professor Frak found a measure of dignity and a way to rise key in salvaging otherwise hairy situations.
from his abyss.

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¤¤ Long Throw: it’s all about the wrist, son! The Cha-

racter adds 2 cubitus to the throwing range of a Bomb. Equipment
Not in my House:  the Character is an expert in
holding their ground against assailants. When a bomb is
thrown at them, they know how to grab it without having Dagger [Brawl] Melee Weapon
it detonate and kindly send it back to its owner. Size: small
Type: melee

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

+1 +1

Perfect for those looking for discretion and efficiency, this

short sword is light, well-balanced, and easy to conceal,
perfect for fighting in narrow spaces or backstabbing.

Some weapons are more unwieldy than others, be

it because of their size or weight balance. Handling
is a modifier added to the weapon’s attack Tests and
will be identified with the yellow icon with the blade
for melee attacks or the red icon with the pistol for
remote attacks.

There are some weapons designed to help in deflecting

incoming blows, while others that are more of a hin-
drance than anything else in hand-to-hand combat.
Defense is the modifier you must add to Dodge Tests
while using the weapon in close quarter combat.

Pistol [Senses] Firearm

Size: small
Type: ranged (range: 12 – shots: 6) - Piercing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

–1 –3

The most widely-used firearm in Vulcania. It boasts a good

price, dependability, and a decent weight because, as the
wise man says, “Heavy is good! You can trust heavy. If it
jams, just bonk ‘em on the head with it!”

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Zeus Ammunition Flagrant [Insight]] Bomb

Type: ranged (line 6) - Piercing Area: 2
Complexity:16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
When this device explodes, it generates a powerful flame
These special rounds of ammunition feature a cartridge that roasts anything in the area, dealing 2 points of da-
with chambers containing a small amount of alchem rea- mage.
gents. When the hammer strikes, the reagents mix, unle- Special: You can spend an Opportunity on this device to
ashing a lightning bolt from the barrel of the weapon in have it inflict the Burning condition.
a 6 cubitus long straight line. Unlike an actual Iuppiter,
however, a gun loaded with Zeus ammunition does not
benefit from its Opportunity and does not require profi-
Fumidus [Insight]] Bomb
ciency with alchem weapons.
Area: 3
Complexity: 8
Acidus [Insight]] Alchem Weapon
The nozzles on this bomb emit dense smoke that reduces
Size:: medium visibility to 1 cubitus. The smoke is not toxic and dissipates
Type: ranged (range 6 - area 2) - Piercing after 3 rounds.
Special: You can spend an Opportunity on this device for
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 its smoke screen last for 2 additional rounds.

–1 –2
Glacies [Insight]] Bomb
The tanks in this gun hold reagents that mix into an un- Area: 3
stable and highly corrosive substance, expelled in globs that Complexity: 10
explode when they hit a solid item or at the end of their
range. The acid compound inundates a square 2 cubitus by This explosive device emits a layer of slippery frozen liquid
2 cubitus and, on contact with solid surfaces, exhales toxic that dissipates after 5 rounds. All targets within its area of
gas. All damage dealt by an Acidus ignores damage re- effect suffer the Unbalanced condition. Those who try to
duction offered by armor. move under the effect of a Glacies are knocked Prone.
Special: You can spend an Opportunity on this device to
You can spend an Opportunity on this weapon to
have it also deal 1 point of damage to the targets in its area
have it inflict the Disoriented condition on its target. of effect.

Bombs are small explosives that, after a violent sha-

ke, blow up with an alchemical reaction that spreads
their contents to the four winds. The effects vary de-
pending on the reagents they contain, ranging from
the good old boom to freezing or conjuring smokes
and acids. To use a bomb, a Character does not need
specific training, they just have to take the safety off
and throw.
Throwing a Bomb in its optimal arc requires an In-
sight Test against a Difficulty of 8 plus the number
of targets within its area of effect. If the result is a
Catastrophic Failure, the bomb detonates in the
Character’s hands.
When Characters are attacked with a Bomb, they
must pass an Evade Test against the Difficulty listed
in the enemy’s profile. A Bomb can be thrown up to
the Character’s Strength in cubitus away.

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Gluntinum [Insight]] Bomb Potio Mutagen

Area: 3 Complexity: 6
Complexity: 8
This light-blue compound heightens the natural regenera-
This Bomb spreads a viscous substance that instantly glues tion of tissue, healing the Character for 1 Wound.
anything in its area of effect to the ground, inflicting them Special: Opportunities generated by a Potio’s Resistance
with the Pinned condition. This substance retains its po- Test have it heal 1 additional Wound.
tency for 2 rounds, then it crystallizes and can be easily
shattered. Those who enter the area of effect of a Glutinum
bomb before this are glued to the ground also.
Special: You can spend an Opportunity on this device to Purificatio Mutagen
have its effect last one additional round. Complexity: 10

This blue substance gives the organism a kick of adrenali-

ne, allowing it to keep on working through traumas and
intoxication. The Character is cleansed of all negative con-
ditions afflicting them.
Special: Opportunities generated by a Purificatio’s Resi-
Mutagens are meant to help and support combatants. stance Test have it also heal 1 Wound.
They are sold in vials fitted with a hypo-dermal injec-
tor that allows anybody to use them on oneself or
others without the need for special training. Being
complex and potent substances, abuse and misuse
could lead to unpleasant side effects.

Retrieving and injecting a Mutagen takes an Action

and a Resistance Test against a Difficulty correspon-
ding the mutagen’s Complexity score. Its effects,
unless specified otherwise, are instantaneous or fade
away the round after the mutagen was imbibed.

Taking additional doses of the same Mutagen within

an hour of the first requires the Character to roll
another Resistance Test. On a Success with Opportu-
nity, nothing adverse happens and the Mutagen wor-
ks as intended. On a simple Success, the Mutagen has
no effect. On a Failure, the Mutagen has no effect and
the Character falls to the ground, unconscious.

On a Catastrophic Failure, instead, well… the place

is most likely to need a good scrub.

Special: When the Character rolls a Catastrophic Fai-

lure on the Resistance Test for imbibing a Mutagen,
not only does the substance has no effect, but they
suffer 1 point of damage.

Pharus Special Kit

Complexity: 9

This shielded lantern is fed by a Vulcanus battery that ma-

kes it virtually inexhaustible. Its brightness and direction
can be tweaked to cover an area up to 12 cubitus.

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H akeem Mbama ¤¤ Ballistic Expertise: pistols and rifles are simple toys
for the Character. As a Maneuver, they can attempt a Han-
dicraft Test to unjam a firearm.
Origins: Balastoc
Special Trait: Divine Help (Hakeem can spend a Gear of
Fate to gain a +4 bonus to a Test he just rolled for)
Past: Engineer Tecnicus

When the war ended, Hakeem was little more than a boy, ¤¤ Foreman: study and experience has turned the Cha-
one of the numberless orphans crowding the streets of racter into a master of machines. They gain a +2 bonus to
Mettak and living off of small thefts and the like. When all Handicraft Tests to repair stuck or damaged vehicles
he tried to pickpocket a young pilot who came back home and gizmos.
after the theocratic regime of Balastoc had gone through a ¤¤ Craftsmanship (Gizmos and Remotes): the character
reformist period, Hakeem’s life changed drastically. has the ability to build and repair a variety of mechanical de-
This pilot, Hamil, saw potential in this kid, taking him vices. But, when dealing with remotes, the Character must be
under his protective arm and teaching him the basics of assisted by a skilled Markonist.
mechanics before Hakeem attended the Engineers’ Aca- ¤¤ Machinist: as a Maneuver, the Character can at-
demy under his suggestion. Today, Hakeem is the resident tempt a Handicraft Test against the Difficulty of a Device
mechanic of the Red Viper, its most senior member and to instantly kick it up to pressure. They cannot do so again
the right arm of Hamil himself, who he considers the clo- until the device goes through a full compression cycle.
sest he has to a father. Hakeem is a young and jovial fellow,
although his tendency to mockery can make him bother-
some at times. Backstabber

¤¤ Backstab: the best way to quicken a fight is to deal

Arts with one’s opponent before being seen. The Character
gains a +2 bonus to hit surprised enemies.
¤¤ Silent Step: for the Character, moving without ma-
Scoundrel king a sound is akin to breathing. They can attempt a Ste-
alth Test as part of their movement.
¤¤ Biomes Knowledge (Urban Areas: Slums): Hake- Anticipate: the Character’s attacks are surprisingly
em knows a great deal about how settlements are planned, difficult to avoid. They can advance 2 slots in the Initiative
the social dynamics that rule them and their dangers. order.
¤¤ Proficiency (Picking Pockets - Stealth)
¤¤ Proficiency (Lock-picking - Handicraft)
¤¤ Vanishing: the Character is adept at melding in
with people and gains a +2 bonus to Stealth Tests to hide
in a crowd and not be shadowed. Equipment
Dagger [Brawl] Melee Weapon

Meccanicus Size: small

Type: melee
¤¤ Academic Knowledge (Engineering): Hakeem is
well versed in the secrets of Vulcanus batteries, the devices 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
they power and motorized vehicles.
¤¤ Biomes Knowledge (Urban Areas): Hakeem +1 +1
knows a great deal about how settlements are planned, the
social dynamics that rule them and their dangers.
Perfect for those looking for discretion and efficiency, this
¤¤ Proficiency (Repairs - Handicraft): the Character short sword is light, well-balanced, and easy to conceal,
has spent years assembling and disassembling gizmos and perfect for fighting in narrow spaces or backstabbing.
devices and fixing things is their specialty.
¤¤ Advanced Cybernetics: lthe technological wonders
designed by the Monopoly of Engineers hold no secrets for
the Character. They are able to interface with the Devices
made by the Monopoly of Engineers as a Free Action.

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Anguis Tormentum Array

Complexity: 18 - Piercing
The Monopolies have developed lethal war machines
powered by small Vulcanus batteries and who knows
what other alchemical nonsense. Tormentum arrays make
weapons heavier, inflicting a -1 penalty to attack Tests,
although they make them significantly more powerful, as
the damage they deal is determined by the d12+1 instead
of just the d12 on their damage progression bar.

–1

Special: on a Catastrophic Failure, the Tormentum Array

explodes, dealing 1 point of damage that ignores armor
to everything within 2 cubitus. The weapon and the Ar-
ray are then useless until repaired.
Anguis Array is made of an alchem chamber that feeds
electricity along the blade it is attached to, making it shock
and zap with every hit.
Shock: You can spend an Opportunity on this device
to have it discharge electricity from the weapon’s intended
target to a secondary one within 2 cubitus, dealing them 1
point of damage.

Pistol [Senses] Firearm

Size: small
Type: ranged (range: 12 – shots: 6) - Piercing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

–1 –3

The most widely-used firearm in Vulcania. It boasts a good The Monopoly of Engineers continuously produ-
price, dependability, and a decent weight because, as the ces items to help the people in their everyday life,
wise man says, “Heavy is good! You can trust heavy. If it powered by small Vulcanus batteries that require
jams, just bonk ‘em on the head with it!” reloading once or twice a year. The water for the
steam engine just needs refilling, instead.
Once used, a gizmo requires a certain amount of
time to be recharged and brought back to pres-
sure before it can be used again. The replacing
of Vulcanus batteries is included in the purchase
price, and for that it is enough to regularly visit a
Monopoly workshop to have one’s gizmos always
up and running.
Everybody can use a gizmo, even if they are not
trained, but it takes them an Action to do so.
Engineers, depending on their degree of speciali-
sation, can lower these timescales to a Manoeuvre
or even a Free Action.

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Harpago Gizmo Nastur zio Artani

Complexity: 8
Origins: Itteghasp
This wrist-mounted apparatus shoots a grappling hook Special Trait: Family Business (Nasturzio receives an
tied to a 30-cubitus long cable that can hold a maximum additional 500 $ during Character creation)
weight of 200 kg. A small engine bundles the cable back Past: Markonist
10 cubitus each round. Restoring enough steam pressure Nasturzio is the young scion of a rich Turenian family who
to use a Harpago takes roughly 30 seconds. chose to turn his back to his past and rush headlong into
Special: With a Senses Test against the Evade score of an adventure. He grew up among the rich and powerful and
enemy, it is possible to use the Harpago as a ranged wea- had the opportunity to attend the best schools in Vulca-
pon, dealing 1 point of damage and entangling the target. nia. However, he grew bored of it, gradually sinking into
With an opposed Strength Test, the Harpago granting a decadence through alcohol, narcotics, gambling and pro-
+4 bonus to its owner, it is possible to pull in the entan- stitution.
gled target. On a failure, the opposite happens. It was during one of these nights of debauchery that he
met the sullen professor Frak, who introduced him to
Captain Hamil and his crew. Nasturzio is the charming
and gregarious type... with a legendary knack for getting
himself into trouble!

Arts
Magister Omega
¤¤ Academic Knowledge (Markonism): Nasturzio’s
studies allow him to transmit and crack messages going
through the mentographic line, make use of remotely con-
trolled devices and feel the presence of conlio.
¤¤ Biomes Knowledge (Urban Areas): Nasturzio
knows a great deal about how settlements are planned, the
social dynamics that rule them and their dangers.
¤¤ Assistant Mechanic: thanks to their training the
Impulsus Gizmo Character can control some of the more complex and eso-
teric of the remotes: drones. As a Maneuver, they can have
Complexity:: 10
a drone under their control take one Action. The drone
cannot be activated more than once per round.
This set of footwear is enhanced with a couple of small
nozzles that allow their wearer to jump up to 10 cubitus ¤¤ Basic Grafts: the Character is able to interface
away or to turn a deadly fall into a soft landing. To restore with the basic grafts of their drone.
enough steam pressure to use the Impulsus again takes ¤¤ Speed of Thought: when obtaining an Opportu-
roughly 5 minutes. nity from an Initiative Test, the Character can spend it to
activate the drone as a Free Action. This does not count
against the number of activations per round for that drone.
Potio Mutagen ¤¤ Remote Perception: the Character’s link with their
drone allows them to know its position and its surroundin-
Complexity: 6
gs, even if it is outside of their field of vision, as long as it
is within control range. If the drone does not carry sensory
This light-blue compound heightens the natural regenera- equipment, the Character can only perceive the presence of
tion of tissue, healing the Character for 1 Wound. moving creatures within 3 cubitus.
Special: Opportunities generated by a Potio’s Resistance
Test have it heal 1 additional Wound.

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Primus Omega
Equipment
¤¤ Multi-Control: thanks to their experience and
knowledge, the Character can control an additional drone.
However, the strain on their mind is such that they suffer Schiavona [Athletics]] Melee Weapon
a -2 penalty to all Tests when using them. Size: medium
¤¤ Advanced Grafts: the Character’s skill allows them Type: melee
to interface with both the basic and advanced capabilities
of their drones. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

+0 +1

The most widely used blade in Vulcania, issued to the le-

vies of almost every army. A medium blade with a simple
guard, cheap and easy to use, it is a trusty ally in any melee.

¤¤ Five by Five: through deep concentration,

the Character enters a state similar to mental communion
with their drones. As an Action, they can control two dro-
nes at the same time.

Ballistics Expert

¤¤ Point-blank: the closer, the easier to hit, right? The

Character receives a +1 bonus to hit when shooting at tar-
gets within 3 cubitus.
¤¤ Crack Shot: thanks to a steady hand and an un-
flinching eye, the Character can shoot into melee without
having to aim and still not hit their allies.
Knee Breaker: flight is not an option, only fight.
On a successful hit, their opponent’s speed is halved until
they receive medical attention.

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Pepperbox [Senses] Firearm Serris: a small, sharp disc that rotates at high speed, wor-
king like a tiny saw able to cut through up 0.1 cubitus in
Size: small thickness. Although it is not meant for combat, it can still
Type: ranged (range: 12 – shots: 3) hurt.

Serris [Discipline] Simple Graft

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Type: melee

+0 –4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

This smallest of pistols is a jewel of miniaturization, easily

–3 +0
hidden among clothing but still powerful enough to ruin
somebody’s day. It grants a +4 bonus to hide it from a ca-
sual search and a +2 against an attentive search. The garter Complex Grafts
is included, because everybody knows that a pepperbox
without a garter is just not a thing! Propulsor: this graft enhances the Wings or Rotor grafts,
adding 4 cubitus of Movement.

Drone Remote Device

War Drone
Drones are small mechanical creatures a Markonist can This one of Nasturzio’s drones, instead, is equipped for
control within a distance equal to 10 times their MIND the battlefield!
score. If not appropriately equipped with grafts, drones
cannot take actions more complex than moving about or Simple Grafts
carrying small objects. Drones have 2 Wounds and a Mo-
vement score of 4. Injector: this telescopic arm is fitted with a capsule for one
Controlling a Drone takes an Action or a Maneuver, de- dose of a mutagen or toxin. When attempting to inject
pending on the individual Markonist’s mastery of their Art. its contents into an unwilling target, the Character con-
For their Drone to do something, the Markonist must pass trolling the Drone must successfully hit with a Discipline
a Discipline Test. melee attack.
Rotor: this graft enhances the ground Movement score of
a Drone to 6 cubitus.
Recon Drone Tubor: this gun assembly is capable of shooting up to 10
cubitus away. Unfortunately, it must be reloaded after
Nasturzio rigged his drones to grant him the best mobility
every shot.
and sensor coverage.

Simple Grafts Complex Grafts

Oplor: this graft adds a drum magazine and a longer barrel
Wings: these four thin membranes grant the drone a flight
to a Tubor graft.
capacity of 3 cubitus.
Gemini: these optic sensors are linked to a pair of goggles
Nasturzio wears, allowing him to see through the eyes of Oplor [Discipline] Complex Graft
the drone. Type: ranged (range 10 – shots 6) - Piercing
Inauris: this aural graft allows Nasturzio to hear through
his drone. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Light: this spotlight can project one, 10 cubitus long beam
or shed light in a 6 cubitus area. –2 +0
Multytool: this contraption of clamps and hooks allows
the drone to carry out simple tasks or carry light items.

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Fujiko Wung Ballistics Expert

Origins: Ketniv ¤¤ Point-blank: the closer, the easier to hit, right? The
Special Trait: Fearless (Fusjiko is immune to the Frighte- Character receives a +1 bonus to hit when shooting at tar-
ned and Terrified conditions) gets within 3 cubitus.
Past: Mercenary ¤¤ Crack Shot: thanks to a steady hand and an un-
flinching eye, the Character can shoot into melee without
During the War for Letvia, Fusjiko was assigned to the Im-
having to aim and still not hit their allies.
perial infantry and immediately sent to the front line. Not
wanting to waster her life in the trenches, she took the first Knee Breaker: flight is not an option, only fight.
chance to defect, hiding in the frozen forests of Nuugard. On a successful hit, their opponent’s speed is halved until
She would have died of hypothermia, has an old woman they receive medical attention.
who lived in the woods not taken her in. With a hot meal
and a roof over her head, Fusjiko regained her strength and
in the following years strove to repay her debt to the old
lady, until her nephew, Freya, came back from the war. In
the long weeks it took her to recover from the stress and
injuries, the old lady told her how much important had
been Fusjiko while she was away.
Since then, Fusjiko and Freya are the best of friends. The
girl from Ketniv is a pleasant and happy go lucky person,
although her hatred for defeats spurs her to push beyond
her limits.

Arts
Gambler

¤¤ Biomes Knowledge (Urban Areas): conosci gli am-

bienti cittadini, o comunque densamente abitati riguardanti
urbanistica, relazioni sociali, pericoli e quant’altro.
¤¤ Proficiency (Cheating - Cunning)
¤¤ Poker Face: spending a great deal of time gambling
has allowed the Character to develop the fine skill of re-
ading their opponents and hiding their emotions at the
same time. They receive a +2 bonus to Insight and Cun-
ning Tests when playing Syrus or other games of chance
that involve more than one player.
¤¤ Goad: the Character’s recklessness can make
their opponents lose their temper. The Character can
attempt a Cunning test against the target’s Discipline
to force them to attack in melee. The Character then
receives a Gear of Fate from the Narrator.

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Swashbuckler Knife [Brawl] Melee Weapon

Size: small
¤¤ Multitasking:  people have two hands, right? One
Type: melee
is for engaging some unfortunate soul in melee, the other
for shooting their friends from a distance. Easy! When
engaged in hand-to-hand combat, the Character can still 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
shoot their pistol against other targets as if they were not
engaged. +1 +0
Foul Play: many consider the pistol just a firearm,
but they forget that its considerable heft can leave some Light, cheap, and easy to find, the knife is a perfect choi-
nasty bruises. After a slash, the Character can strike their ce for those short on money and a weapon fit for any
opponent with the butt of their pistol, Slowing them. occasion.

Buccaneer Revolver [Senss] Firearm

Peripheral Vision:  not being limited by tunnel Size: small

vision has undeniable benefits, like shooting unsuspecting Type: ranged (range: 10 – shots: 7) - Piercing
enemies when they have opened a gap in their defenses!
The Character can shoot a secondary target that is not en- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
gaged with them in melee.
Premonition: when the Character is about to be –1 –3
shot at, they feel a tingling at the base of their neck. They
sidestep a cubitus just in time to see the bullet that would
A particularly advanced pistol, it features shock absorbers
have caved their skull in pierce through somebody else,
to make recoil more manageable at the expense of range. It
causing 1 point of damage.
is more powerful and holds more bullets than many other
pistols, allowing gunslingers and fighters to outlast their
opponents more often.

Equipment
Katana [Athletics] Melee Weapon
Size: medium
Type: melee

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

+1 +1

The millennia-long tradition of Ketnyi metalworking is Excursor Backpack Special Kit

incarnated by these weapons, each a masterwork of craft-
smanship. Unmatched in their balance and sharpness, it is What looks like a normal mountaineer’s backpack at first
said they can still be used to shave after butchering scores glance is in truth a tool that has saved a great many lives. It
of enemies, because the true soldier must look the part in can stretch into a heated sleeping bag, capable of withstan-
every situation, even when drenched in blood. ding even the harshest Nuug winter, while in torrid clima-
tes its insulating properties allow it to keep food and water
fresh. Thanks to a special alchem bladder, it can be inflated
into a small dinghy. The typical Excursor backpack is sold
with small hooks and gaffs, pitons, 30 cubitus worth of
rope, snowshoes, and a handy folding shovel.
Excursor backpacks grant a +2 to Athletics Tests rolled to
climb rock faces, trees, and other problematic hard sur-
faces.

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Freya Roog Equipment

Origins: Nuugard
Special Trait: Tough as Nails (during creation, the Cha- Axe [Athletics] Melee Weapon
racter gains an additional Wound)
Size: medium
Past: Valkyr
Type: melee
Freya is a veteran. She spent her wartime on the Ketniv
front line fighting those short folk, just to get back home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
and find one taking care of her grandma! Of course, her
first Reflexes to the Ketnivite was not of the warmest, but
as both recovered from their wounds rage melted into gra- –1 +0
titude for having taken care of the old woman during her
absence, cementing their nascent friendship. They left the A crude but functional weapon, issued to many local mili-
house in the woods together, to work as mercenaries until tias and a mainstay in almost any rural home.
a year ago, when they joined the crew of the Red Viper. Pay
is not the best, but her crew mates are decent.
Freya is gruff and impulsive, but can be of great company
Malleus (Potenza) Tormentum Weapon
if given respect and not made uncomfortable.
Size: large
Type: melee

Arts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Reaper –3 –2

¤¤ Tenderizer: gravity is the Character’s friend! They The head of this hammer contains a small reaction engine
deal 1 additional point of damage to Prone opponents. similar to those used by aeronauts, which allows the wiel-
Cleave: the attacks of the Character can hurt mul- der to spin it at hilariously high speeds. So high, its inven-
tiple enemies at once. They deal 1 point of damage to a tor must have been extremely drunk or a bloody genius,
second target adjacent to the first. they say. Regardless of the sanity or liver conditions of that
poor sod, it is beyond any sort of doubt that the Malleus is
appealing to a well-known category of crazies, right?
Human Missile: You can spend an Opportunity
Mower
on this device to rev the engine and knock its target 5 cu-
bitus away. If the target strikes a solid surface, like a wall
¤¤ Uppercut: with a slow and ascending attack, the
or a tree, it deals 1 additional point of damage and stops;
Character forces their opponent to retreat. Instead of rol-
if it strikes somebody else instead, both suffer 1 point of
ling to hit and dealing damage, they can spend a Gear of
damage and are knocked Prone.
Fate to push their opponent 1 cubitus away and inflict the
Unbalanced condition.
Weapon Breaker: intercepting their opponent’s
weapon with extreme force, the Character breaks it.

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Tomahawk [Handicraft] Thrown Weapon Noctuor Mutageno

Size: small Complexity: 8
Type: ranged (range 6)
This yellowish Mutagen causes pupils to widen and grants
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 limited low-light vision capabilities within 10 cubitus for
roughly one hour.
Special: Opportunities generated by a Noctuor’s Resistan-
+1 –1 ce Test have its effects last 1 additional hour.

This small hatchet is balanced for throwing. Larger than

a dart, its shape allows it to make better use of the stren-
gth of its thrower, becoming a very dangerous weapon
in expert hands.
It is a Nuug tradition to gift a tomahawk to their chil-
dren when they turn eight, to introduce them to the re-
alm of weapons. Should a tomahawk be used
as a melee weapon, its Brawl Tests do not
benefit from any modifier and it de-
als only 1 point of damage regard-
less of the die result.

Lacerta Armatura Tormentum

DR: 1
Encumbrance: 1

This suit of Karacena armor features two small bladders

holding mutagens to inject into its wearer. As a Free
Action, the wearer can press one of the two buttons in the
palm of its gauntlets and use one of the mutagens in the
suit. Refilling the bladders takes an Extended Action and
15 minutes for each bladder.

During a fight, the protection afforded by a suit of

armor can make the difference between life and de-
ath. But armor, although it absorbs damage, limits
the mobility of its wearer and is better not pitted
against firearms.
Encumbrance: suits of armor are unwieldy and he-
avy, imposing a penalty to all Tactical Indicators.
Damage Reduction (DR): this number is
subtracted from the amount of damage the wearer
of the armor suffers each time they are hit. If the
reduced damage is 0 or less, the wearer does not
suffer any!

Damage Reduction granted by armor is applied

only after an attack Test.

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WOUN DS AN D HE ALING
Potio Mutagen
The maximum amount of damage a Character can
Complexity: 6 withstand is their Wounds score. When they reach
0, the Character falls to the ground, suffering the
This light-blue compound heightens the natural regenera- Vulnerable condition, and dies after a number of
tion of tissue, healing the Character for 1 Wound. rounds equal to their Resistance score. If they suffer
Special: Opportunities generated by a Potio’s Resistance damage when in such a state, the Character dies
Test have it heal 1 additional Wound. instantly.

Healing: immediately after a combat, any Cha-

racter can attempt a Handicraft Test to treat their
wounded companions against a Difficulty of 11 +
Prodigium Mutagen
the amount of damage the target suffered. On a
Complexity: 10 success, the target heals 1 Wound. Gravely Woun-
ded Characters (a Character is considered Gravely
A more powerful version of the Potio, it instantly heals 2 Wounded when they have only 1 Wound left ) can-
Wounds. Potios and Prodigia are based off the same sub- not benefit from such a Test. They need medical
stances, so taking both within a short time counts as if the attention or partivular substances (like a Potio) to
Character had imbibed two doses of the same mutagen. heal.
Special: Opportunities generated by a Prodigium’s Resi- Natural Healing: the human physiology is known
stance Test have it heal 1 additional Wound. for its capacity to regenerate even without access to
medical attention or alchemical wonders.
Wounded Characters heal 1 Wound, 2 on an Op-
Bombard [Insight] Bomb portunity, on a successful Resistance Test against a
Difficulty of 8 + the Wounds they have lost. If they
Complexity:14 take a whole day to rest, then the Wound is healed
without rolling.
When this device explodes, it projects shrapnel, glass Gravely Wounded Characters need medical attention
shards, and nails to rend anything within its area of effect, to heal. Each day, the Character must pass a Resistan-
dealing 1 point of damage. ce Test against Difficulty 8 + the number of days they
Special: You can spend an Opportunity on this device to passed without treatment, entering the Dying state
have it deal 1 additional point of damage. on a Failure.

The last pages of this booklet contain the sheets for the pre-generated Character to run this adventure with.
The top side of each folds so that when the sheet rests on a surface everybody at the table can quickly read the
Character’s generals and its Insight and Senses scores. The Narrator can use those values should they wanted
to roll secret Tests; when the Character fails an Insight Test, for example, they are not aware that they rolled
for something. The player, on the other hand, is and knows that whet they are told is not everything there
is to know. This might influence their roleplay, even in the best of faith. Secret rolls on the Narrator’s part
should help.

Now, you just need a few d12’s and d20’s, tokens, coins or counters to represent the Gears of Fate, 3 for each
player and 5 for the Narrator, and you are ready to play The Curse of Axproon Hamlet!

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The Curse of Axproon Hamlet

Adventure for Characters of Expert Rank

Backstory And so he did, thanks to the massive amounts of conlio

present in the isle. However, his contraption bound his
mind to that of the children of the village, as close to the
From the frozen waters to the north of Mostucaal rises the Axproons as everybody else on the isle, causing the tragic
small isle of Seddax, a spit of rock barely fit for the spi- apparitions of Xaira’s ghost. Hugo and Gaddo, instead, dri-
der penguins that roost there. It would completely unre- ven by an all-consuming urge for vengeance, experimented
markable, if it was not for the large reserves of conlio, a on the corpses of both miners and family, unleashing the
metal capable of transmitting brain waves, resting beneath reanimated dead on the Republican mercenaries who were
its surface. Close the seaside rises the village of Gonnex, laying siege to their castle. Only a small, bloodied group of
made prosperous until a few years ago by the conlio mines. soldiers made it to Gonnex, ranting and raving, covered in
Count Hugo Axproon used to manage the mining com- blood as they spoke of horrid creature, of the living dead
plex with his sons Gaddo, a promising engineer, and Guel- who attacked them and butchered the garrison. They fled
fo, young but versed in the arts of radios. on their vessels, sinking anything else larger than a goiter
The first blow to the prosperity of Gonnex came when boat, and left the isle in isolation. Ever since, nobody dares
Xaira, the count’s daughter, died to a mysterious illness going anywhere close to the isle, Axproon Castle or the mi-
roughly five years after the end of the War. The island at nes. Gaddo committed suicide in a rare moment of clarity,
that time was not part of Mostucaal anymore and, thanks while his father, the last survivor, stalks the undead-infe-
to the ingenuity and the resources of the Axproons, had sted castle, tearing apart whatever dares drawing too close.
managed to sign a commercial agreement with Nuugard.
The girl’s death brought great grief in the household and
the townsfolk alike, who loved the people they owed their
prosperity to. After a few months, however, the specter of
the child started to manifest sporadically, at first. She led
The shipwreck
the other kids in games and chases that inexorably ended
in ruinous falls from cliff sides or mine shafts. Joy and hap-
piness abandoned Gonnex. “You are awakened by the roaring of thunder, too
A year and a half ago, came the fatal blow; Van Gomez, close for comfort. Eyes still heavy with sleep, you leave
reagent of the Free Republic of Aqualos, caused the Axpro- your cabins and gather on the main bridge; Hamil,
on to fall out of protection of the Cartels, those powerful your navigator, is struggling with the ship’s controls,
corporations that lord over Vulcania’s commercial routes his gaze fixed on the storm as he fights to keep the
and pacts. He then garrisoned the isle with a company of vessel on a safe course.
ruthless mercenaries, to force the count to bow to his will. Thunder and lighting tear the sky apart as, with a
However, Hugo Axproon did not bend the knee and Van titanic effort, he aims the airship through the war-
Gomez had him and his family segregated into their castle. ring clouds to crash it in the surf close to a small
The populace attempted an insurrection, brutally quelled unknown island. Hamil’s body is slammed against
by the Republican mercenaries. To set an unmistakeable the dashboard by the train-like impact, knocking
precedent, then, the Regent had the Axproons walled in him unconscious.
their own ancestral home to die of starvation. Soon after, The Red Viper, you vessel, has suffered heavy damage
terrible screams echoed among its halls, while rumors and and your navigator is in dire need of medical at-
stories spread like wildfire among the locals and merce- tention now that you find out Franz, the on board
naries alike of a crazed and desperate father driven by the medic, did not survive the crash.
basest instincts of survival to feed on the flesh of his dead You see only a handful of small fishing boats moored
sons. Eventually, the Republican siege brought both the close by and a miserable-looking village in the twili-
Axproons and the miners to a long, atrocious death by ght rising a close to the beach.
starvation or cannibalism, until the count and his sons, Beyond, a towering mining complex dwarfs the ham-
the lone survivors of the whole isle, lost their sanity com- let.”
pletely. Guelfo, who had already been driven mad by the
death of his sister, locked himself in the second subterra-
nean level of the castle, claiming to be able to use his radio
operating arts to create a neural amplifier to communicate
with the dead girl.

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The emergency procedure is extremely violent and all Cha- The town’s major, Hansal Cabid (Insight 10, Discipline 8,
racters must roll a Luck 11 Test to see how they fare throu- Aggression 8, Cunning 10, Charm 11), is also present, an
gh it. Success with Opportunity: they suffer no damage. old and emaciated man who drinks alone at the table.
Success: they suffer only 1 point of damage. Failure: they He was a close friend of Axproon’s and since the fall of the
suffer 2 points of damage. Catastrophic Failure: they suffer hamlet Cabid spends his time drinking, torn by the guilt
3 points of damage. of failing to protect Gonnex from the Regent and his son,
who fell fighting his mercenaries.
The hamlet is sad and depressing, but the group is forced Should the Characters find out about his disgraces and
to go there looking for a medic to help Hamil and the exploit them, they gain a +2 bonus to Charm Tests with
other wounded survivors. the locals.
When they make it to the village, the storm is raging to its By gathering information, the Characters discover that the
fullest, everybody is hiding in their homes and nobody no- local physician is Zeno Caspar (Insight 12, Discipline 11,
tices the ruinous arrival of the Viper and her battered crew. Aggression 7, Cunning 8, Charm 8), and the only place
Local architecture is typical Mos, reminding of the frontier to secure the necessary components and tools to make the
mining villages of the Old West, and the saloon is the ea- Viper sky-worthy again are the laboratories below Axproon
siest building to identify. Castle.
The locals are for the most part apathetic, resigned and not The surroundings, however, are cursed and nobody except
too inclined to socialization, especially those arrived with a mercenary named Maccu ever came back alive from the-
a vessel that is not capable of returning them from whence re. Maccu (Insight 7, Discipline 6, Aggression 8, Cunning
they came, but neither they are hostile to them as long as 7, Charm 6) was wounded and left behind by his compa-
they are not threatened. Thanks to its isolation from the nions.
rest of the world, here, money has lost its worth and the Everybody despises him, but after losing his sanity after
economy is driven by barter, so it is up to the Characters to what he saw in the Castle and the ordeal he went through
find ways of securing what they need. They could exchange folks took some kind of pity of him and spared his life.
their items, perhaps their services or even the promise of a He lives alone in a shack just outside of the main settle-
way out of the island! ment and contributes to the local economy with his brute
As they make their entrance in the saloon of Four Moors, labor.
all conversation halts and every single, solitary pair of eye- Being completely crazy, the Difficulty to get something out
balls shifts in the direction of the dripping, bruised newco- of him is 14.
mers. However, nobody makes a move.

Saloon of the Four Moors

It is a fairly well kept establishment, although it suffers like
the rest of the village.
After a successful Analysis 8 Test, the Characters realize
this place has recently seen better day; the ceiling is covered
in frescoes and faded decorations, covered in cobwebs and
partially fallen off.
The bar’s brass fittings have been in better shape and the
wood, if polished, would boast elaborate carvings. Sven
Murr, the rotund innkeeper with clear Nuug origins, is re-
served and of few words.
If the Character manage to rub him the good way (Insight
8, Discipline 11, Aggression 13, Cunning 9, Charm 9) , he
is friendly and of a good heart.
At the Characters’ arrival, there are twenty patrons in the
saloon, all armed per Mos tradition, a couple of tables
with games of cards going on, a few couples and the odd
lonely soul.
If a Character wants to join the gambling, they must pass a
Luck 13 Test to verify if they know the local version of the
games they are about to play.
The Difficulty to win a match is 8 when knowing the cor-
rect rule set or 12 if not. If a Character is proficient in
Cheating, then it is 10.

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C aspar's Clinic The C astle of the Count

The small physician shop of Zeno Caspar (Insight 12, Di- The largest and best preserved building is what they call
scipline 11, Aggression 7, Cunning 8, Charm 8) is adjacent “the castle”, although it just an elegant manor.
to a small stable used for his second duty as a veterinarian. Every door and window has been boarded shut, save for
Caspar is a decent practitioner and it fell onto his shoulders the entrance to the small courtyard, that has been sma-
to try and save young Xaira, but as the village sunk deep shed through from the inside. Inside, there is not a solitary
into disgrace after what happened to the count, so did he. source of light, the floor dirty and pockmarked with dried
If convinced to help, he heals one Wound to each Cha- blood. An Analysis 12 Test reveals many sets of footprints,
racter but still is extremely reluctant to hand his last vial some drawn out, others more definite, possibly left by so-
of potio. mebody still sane. The tracks go from the east entrance to
He keeps it in a locker with the antibiotics and it takes a door leading to the private area of the manor. If they find
either a Strength 8 Test to force it open or a Handicraft them, then the Characters can get to the staircase leading
10 Test to pick its lock. from the count’s own office to the dungeons. Otherwise,
Although Hamil’s conditions are stable and the doctor is they have to explore the manor, sooner or later meeting
optimist on his recovery, he still is unconscious and not some zombie miner that wanders the various chambers.
likely to wake up, let alone walk on his own feet, for at
The main door leads to an antechamber furbished like a
least two more days.
waiting room for those who had taken an appointment
with the count. To the nort, a large glass door opens on
a grand ball room, while to the west is the dining room.
Axproon H amlet It communicates with the kitchens, to the north, and the
living room to the south. There, the room is dominated by
The road leading to the village Hugo Axproon had built a towering billiards table and four comfortable armchairs
for the miners is in heavy state of disrepair, to the point facing the hearth. The eastern wing is dedicated to the in-
where sections have completely been lost to vegetation. dividual rooms, the bathroom and the count’s private stu-
Nobody has walked it for more than a year and now feral dy, featuring a vast library covering many scientific topics.
beasts roam the woods around it (8 adult wolves and a From there, a steep staircase leads to the underground le-
black bear). vels.
In a couple of hours, the first buildings visible from the
thinning woods are the stables and the tool sheds. Their
rooves have collapsed and they hold nothing of particular The Underground L aboratories
interest. A thin fog wanders among the rubble, feeding the
sense of unease evoked by the legends about this place. Below the castle, spread the laboratories where the count
It is among these walls that the Characters sight the first and his sons once developed new techniques for extracting
specters. Young Xaira appears, jumping with a metallic and refining conlio.
circle swirling around her waist. Her innocent voice in- Now, a crazed count Hugo Axproon wanders the area con-
vites the Characters to play with her. If the locals did not trolling 8 zombie miners he is going to unleash upon any-
mention Xaira, then the Characters see Franz, their dead body else within his domain. He is completely deranged,
comrade, instead of her. The specter then vanishes into the beyond hope, and does not react to any rational approach;
village proper. his only goal, now, is to kill everything. After his death, his
undead minions continue to attack for one round, then
To the right, buildings form the rough shape of a horseshoe
they crumple to the ground.
around a courtyard with a well, the lodgings of the miners
and the refectory. The girl leads the Characters inside the
building, luring them in an area where the floor is weak.
All Characters must roll a Reflexes 12 Test; on a Success,
a Characters suffers only 1 point of damage as they grab
onto the floor boards and their hands catch splinters. On
a Failure, they fall suffering 2 points of damage. Her appa-
ritions continue, leading the Characters through damaged
staircases, collapsing floors, wells covered in vegetation and
other perils at the discretion of the Narrator. Sooner or
later, players should understand that following the “ghost”
of Xaria is pointless.
To the left of the large compound, instead, there are the
more elegant and equally deserted rooms of technicians
and accountants.

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Guelfo's Mental Distortion M achine they had experienced since landing on the island but had
ascribed to the shipwreck. With a 12, they realize there is
From the labs, the Characters can take an elevator to an inconsistency with the fighting they are in. With a 14,
descend one more level. After the siege, Guelfo locked they fully realize what is happening.
himself up in the basement, hooked to his machine and
became one with it. He lives in a nightmarish limbo wi-
thout being able to move or communicate, influencing
the minds of the islanders. Close to his machine, the Cha-
The Return to Gonnex
racters experience an unrelenting assault of visions they are
Once eliminated the count and the influence of the men-
not prepared for.
tal distortion machine, the group can return to the village
Once they have taken the elevator down, the group is at- and tell its people what they discovered. In the laboratories
tacked by animated dead remarkably similar to Hamil, they find enough components and tools to make the Red
Franz, Hugo himself and Xaira. In truth, they are fighting Viper sky-worthy again and reach the coasts of Mostucaal.
one another, but Guelfo’s influence is such that they do not Of course, the locals are more than happy to help them
realize it. A Markonist controlling a drone with the Gemin now and a few of them, tired of that place of pain and suf-
graft, however, could see what is actually happening and fering, are likely to ask passage aboard the Viper. Others,
realize the group is being manipulated. An Insight Test instead, will open the mines again to return to Gonnex’s
allows them to understand something is not right; a result past glories. To do so, however, they will need resources,
of 10 makes the Markonist aware of a hiss in their ears suppliers and, of course, heroes.

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Adversaries
These enemies do not need as many details as the player - Opportunities -
Characters. Their relevant scores are the Difficulties of any
Tests the Characters must roll to interact with them, unless Discharge: an electrical discharge leaps from the
stated otherwise. target struck by a Iovis to a secondary target within 2 cubi-
tus, dealing 1 point of damage.
Count Axproon Necromancer Aid: The Count dodges the attack and calls forth
up to 2 Zombie Miner within 4 cubitus to help him. They
The count is beyond recognition. Assisting to the fall of
gang upon the closest target to the Count, disengaging wi-
friends and family and feeding upon them to survive de-
thout penalty if they were fighting previously.
ranged his mind, turning him into a catatonic killing ma-
chine. His own body bears the signs of the techniques he Be quick or be dead: if a Characters obtains a Ca-
refined to preserve dead tissue, making a hybrid of man tastrophic Failure on the Initiative, the Count can have a
and undead. Although beyond any chance of recovery, he Zombie Miner act immediately.
will fight with cold, detached efficiency, reanimating his
minions for cover as he eliminates any threat.
- Equipment -

Rank: Expert Difficulty: 13 Koopesh [Athletics] Melee Weapon

Size: medium
Iniziative: 14 Movement: 4
Type: melee
Dodge: 11 Wounds: 7
Evade: 14 Damage Reduction: 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
- Qualità -
–1 +0
Skills: Discipline 15, Senses 15
Training: Necromancy (as an Action, the Count can Midway between a sickle and an ax, it was developed in
reanimate up to 4 Zombie Miners, each with 1 less Wound southern Balastoc and then exported to the rest of the world.
than their profile. Once taken down, they cannot be risen
again).
Iuppiter [Insight] Alchem Weapon
Special Ability: Disgusting Sight. The very sight of the
Count is enough to frighten the hearties of men. The Cha- Size: small
racters must pass a Discipline 13 Test or suffer the Fri- Type: ranged (line 6) - Piercing
ghtened condition.
Special Ability: The count’s suit of armor features po- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
larized electrolytic antennas linked to the tanks in his la-
boratory, dealing 1 point of damage to all living creatures
–1 –3
within 2 cubitus of him. This feature can be activated up
to 2 times per round.
The reagents contained within a Iuppiter’s tank mix
Equipment: Koopesh, Iovis, Armatura: Murenide
together, unleashing powerful electrolytic discharges,
modificata, Ordigni: Schiuma K e Glutinuum.
striking all targets in a straight line from the barrel of the
weapon. All damage dealt by a Iuppiter ignores damage
- Attacks - reduction offered by armor.
You can spend an Opportunity on this weapon to
Koopesh: 11
have its lightning bolts arc from one target to another
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 within 2 cubitus, dealing 1 point of damage.

Iovis: 12 (range: 10 cubitus) - Piercing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Bombs: 13 (range: 5 cubitus)

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K Foam [Insight] Bomb

Linea: 3
Complessità: 10

This Bomb sprays a dense foam that consolidates into a

temporary bulwark, granting a +1 cover bonus to Evade
Tests.
Special: You can spend an Opportunity on this device to
have it give a +2 bonus instead of +1.

Zombie Miner Reanimated Corpse

These creatures are barely more than shambling corpses,
clothed in rags revealing mechanical implants or small al-
chemical tanks. Their undead nature makes them more re-
silient than an ordinary human and upon closer inspection
one can see the bite marks where the Count and his sons
bit them to eat their flesh.
They attack biting, clawing away or swiping the air with
whatever mining equipment they retained.
And they stink… goodness gracious, they stink!

Rank: Expert Difficulty: 10

Iniziative: 8 Movement: 3
Dodge: 9 Wounds: 2
Evade: 8 Damage Reduction: 1

- Qualities -
Skills: Resistance 11, Aggression 12
Special Ability: Disgusting Sight. Even just laying eyes
on these aberrations is disturbing. The Characters must
pass a Discipline Test against Difficulty 10 or suffer the
Frightened condition.
Equipment: 1 $, just because, if your poor, poor players
want to loot such a sorry excuse of a monster, they must be
really desperate.

- Attacks -

Improvised or natural weapons: 13

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

- Opportunities -

or Unbearable Stench: the target is overwhel-

medby the stench of death and decay, starting to vomit.
They suffer the Dazed condition.

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Wolf Wild Animal Black Bear Wild Animal

Like other animals originating from Nuugard, the voolk, Among the largest and most ferocious bears in Vulcania,
also known as wolf, is present almost everywhere and is a the black bear lives in the woodlands at the foot of moun-
much greater threat than a wild dog! tain chains. Aggressive and ferocious, its raw strength
usually leaves little hope for its victims.
Rank: Newbie Difficulty: 9
Rank: Heroic Difficulty: 14
Iniziative: 11 Movement: 5
Dodge: 9 Wounds: 6 Iniziative: 12 Movement: 6
Evade: 8 Damage Reduction: – Dodge: 13 Wounds: 13
Evade: 11 Damage Reduction: 1
- Qualities -
- Qualities -
Size: medium
Skills: Athletics 11, Senses 13 Size: large
Skills: Strenght 17, Senses 17
- Special Abilities -
- Special Abilities -
Dark Vision: wolves can see in the dark.
Thick Skin: bears ignore the Piercing property of wea-
- Attacks - pons.
Fear: every Character who sees a black bear must pass a
Bite: 10
Discipline Test against Difficulty 14 or suffer the Frighte-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ned condition.
Multiple Attacks: every round, the black bear attacks
- Opportunities - with both its Claws and Bite.

Shove. Attacking its target’s throat, the wolf inflicts - Attacks -

the Unbalanced condition. Bite: 15

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Claws: 14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

- Opportunities -

Hemorrhaging Bite: the black bear bites a chunk of

flesh off their target, who starts bleeding profusely. Until
they spend a full round to staunch the bleeding, the target
suffers 1 point of damage at the beginning of their turn
each round.
Mighty Slap: the bear reacts to the attack by back-
handing its target 2 cubitus away and inflicting the
Disoriented condition.

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How to read and fill in the Character sheet

The Insight and Senses

scores in this section of the
Character Sheet are visible
to the Narrator, should
they need Hidden Rolls,
as explained in the next
Chapter.

ATTRIBUTE
SCORE Skill Value
This score is the sum
of Skill Bonuses and
Skill Bonus ATTRIBUTE and is
This score is used added to the d12 roll to
only when creating or determine a success or
modifying a Character failure of a Test.
sheet and not during
actual play.

Iniziative Wounds
Dodge
Dodge score, including
Dodge Movement any weapon modifier.
Attacks
Weapon and score Evade Damage Reduction
to add to the d12
result, including Skill
score and any weapon
modifiers.

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