Core Ru leb o o k

AN EMPIRE WITHOUT END

LEX ARCANA® is a game by:

Leonardo Colovini, Dario De Toffoli, Marco Maggi, and Francesco Nepitello

Corebook Design and Development, second edition: Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello,
with advice of Leo Colovini
Additional design and supervision: Michele Garbuggio
Adventures by: Giacomo Marchi
Historical consulting: Francesca Garello
Editing: Paul Baldowski, Kevin Chapman, and Michele Garbuggio
Creative Direction: Andrea Angiolino
Project Manager: Valerio Ferzi

ARTWORKS
Artistic Direction: Valeria De Caterini
Cover artist: Antonio De Luca
Cartographer: Francesco Mattioli
Character Sheet: Fabio Porfidia
Illustrations: Antonio De Luca, Alberto Besi, Alessandro Paviolo, Andrea Montalto, Daniele Solinene,
Federica Costantini, Mattia Rangoni, Mauro Alocci, Michele Esposito, Mirko Failoni, Fabio Porfidia,
Giorgio Donato, Andrea Piparo, Michele Parisi, Roman Kuteynikov, Daniel Comerci, Gianluca Rolli,
and Angelica Donarini
Layout: Simone Peruzzi, Matteo Ceresa
Mistype hunters: Kevin Chapman, Simone Maurilli, Bernd Mayer, Ty Larson, João Talassa,
and Michele Garbuggio

Special thanks to: Giovanni Caron, Gregory Alegi, Livia Alegi, Nicola DeGobbis, Sergio d’Innocenzo,
Paolo Fedeli, Mauro Longo, Alessandro Marmorini, Marco Munari, and Matteo Pedroni

Join the Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana at the following FB group:

www.facebook.com/groups/LexArcanaFan

© 2019 Quality Games S.r.l. - Italy

Lex Arcana® is a trademark by Quality Games S.r.l. in U.S.A. and other Countries

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Lex Arcana © 1994 Leonardo Colovini, Dario De Toffoli, Marco Maggi, and Francesco Nepitello

Printed in Lituania

QUALITY
G MES
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prelude: PART IV: CHARACTER CREATION
The Emperor’s Speech.......................................................................... 6
Custos Creation Summary......................................................... 30

PART I: INTRODUCTION Part 1:Using the Worksheet............................................................. 30

Step 1:Determine Basic Virtutes................................................. 30
Prologue.......................................................................................... 10 Box - Male and female Custodes................................................... 30
Where to start............................................................................ 10
What is a role-playing game?...................................................... 10 Step 2:Choose Province.............................................................. 31
Table - Offices and Virtutes.......................................................... 31
Adventures in the ancient world...................................................... 10 Box - Languages known by Custodes............................................. 31
476 CE: Our World................................................................... 11 Table- Provinces.......................................................................... 32
1229 Ab Urbe Condita: An Alternate World.............................. 11 Table - Peritia Modifiers.............................................................. 32
Box - Example of play.................................................................. 11
Step 3:Determine Peritiae........................................................... 33

Step 4: Determine Age and Final Virtutes.................................. 35

PART II: THE CUSTODES
Step 5: Compile the Character’s Sheet........................................ 35
The Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana......................................................... 14
The Contubernium.................................................................... 14 Part 2: Using the Character sheet.................................................... 35
Character Sheet............................................................................... 14 Step 1: Choose Background Specialties....................................... 35
Personal Data............................................................................. 14 Table - Age Modifiers................................................................... 35
Box - Specialties........................................................................... 15
Box - Creating new Specialties...................................................... 16 Step 2: Choose Office................................................................ 36
Hit Points and Pietas.................................................................. 17 Combat Talents.......................................................................... 36
Experience.................................................................................. 17 Table - Cursus and Peritiae.......................................................... 37
Equipment................................................................................. 17 Divine protection....................................................................... 38

Getting Started................................................................................ 19 Step 3:Tirocinium...................................................................... 39

Box - Sample character: Gaius Valerius......................................... 19
Step 4: Calculate Hit Points and Pietas....................................... 39

PART III: HOW TO PLAY Step 5: AssignExperience Multipliers.......................................... 39

Table - Office Modifiers............................................................... 39
Dice................................................................................................ 22
Step 6:Choose Equipment.......................................................... 40
Die Rolls......................................................................................... 22 Standard Gear............................................................................ 40
The Fate Roll............................................................................. 22 War Gear.................................................................................... 40
Box - Experienceand Curriculum.................................................. 40
Dice Points...................................................................................... 22 Box - Encumbrance...................................................................... 41
Using Specialties......................................................................... 23 Box - Weapon Specialties (De Bello).............................................. 42
Box -Choosing a Dice Combination.............................................. 23 Table - Melee Weapons................................................................. 46
Box -Specialties Descriptions......................................................... 24 Table - Ranged Weapons............................................................... 46
Table - Armor.............................................................................. 46
Action Resolution........................................................................... 26 Table - Shields............................................................................. 47
I. Choosing the appropriate attribute.......................................... 26
II.Determining the Difficulty Threshold (DT)........................... 26
III.Making the roll..................................................................... 27 Optional: Background Specialties Method...................................... 47
Table - Birthplace........................................................................ 48
Opposed Actions............................................................................. 27 List of Birthplaces...................................................................... 49
Degree of Success............................................................................ 27
Table - Difficulty Levels and Thresholds........................................ 27 Special: The Assassin.................................................................. 56
Table - Degrees of success.............................................................. 27

2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART V: COMBAT Rituals of Divination....................................................................... 75

Ars Fulguratoria.......................................................................... 75
Box - Initial Volleys...................................................................... 60 Auspicium................................................................................... 76
Haruspicina................................................................................ 76
Close combat.................................................................................. 60 Omen......................................................................................... 76
Combat set up............................................................................ 60 Oraculum................................................................................... 76
Order of Action.......................................................................... 61 Sideratio..................................................................................... 77
Close CombatSequence.............................................................. 61 Somnii Interpretatio.................................................................... 77
Table - Damage Multipliers.......................................................... 61 Speculum.................................................................................... 77
Fighting Multiple Opponents..................................................... 62
Losing and Recovering Pietas.......................................................... 78
Escaping Combat............................................................................ 62 Losing Pietas.............................................................................. 79
Box - Size.................................................................................... 62 Recovering Pietas....................................................................... 79
Box -Escaping if Disengaged......................................................... 63 Table - Offending the Roman Gods............................................... 79
Box - Cults and Superstitions........................................................ 80
Ranged Combat.............................................................................. 63
Ranged Attack Modifiers............................................................ 63 PART VII: CHARACTER
Table - Range DTs. ..................................................................... 63
Box - Distances and Weapon Ranges.............................................. 63
ADVANCEMENT
Experience and Curriculum............................................................. 84
Unarmed Combat........................................................................... 64
How to use the Curriculum Points............................................. 85
Box - The Pancratium.................................................................. 64
Table - Adjusting the Multipliers.................................................. 85
Surprise Attacks............................................................................... 64
Increasing Peritiae and Specialties.................................................... 86
Making a Surprise Attack........................................................... 65
Spotting an Ambush................................................................... 65
Advancing in the Mos Arcanorum................................................... 86
Benefits...................................................................................... 86
Characters’ Health........................................................................... 66
Table - Mos Arcanorum Advancement.......................................... 86
Losing Hit Points....................................................................... 66
Fatigued..................................................................................... 66
Advancing in the Pax Deorum......................................................... 87
Dying......................................................................................... 67
Table - Assistant Specialties........................................................... 87
Unconscious............................................................................... 67
Table - Pax Deorum Advancement................................................ 87
Recovering Hit Points..................................................................... 67
Indigitamenta of the Official Pantheon........................................... 88
First Aid..................................................................................... 67
Box - Ancient and modern Indigitamenta..................................... 88
Box - Death of a Custos................................................................ 67
Natural Healing......................................................................... 68
Indigitamenta of the Di Indigetes.................................................... 92
Virtus Roll................................................................................. 92
Optional Rules: Mounted Combat.................................................. 68
Horses and the Cohors Arcana................................................... 68
Mounted Combat...................................................................... 69
Box - Special Mounted Weapon: The Contus................................. 69 PRE-GENERATED CHARACTERS
Aetius.............................................................................................. 96
LIX................................................................................................. 97
PART VI: MAGIC Pendaran Mab Elad......................................................................... 98
Theodora Alexis ............................................................................. 99
Disciplines and Rituals of Divination.............................................. 72
Cumar Nabateus........................................................................... 100
Zenobia Euergetes ........................................................................ 101
Performing a ritual.......................................................................... 72
Cloelia Jambale............................................................................. 102
Table - Discipline and Difficulties................................................ 73
Gaius Valerius............................................................................... 103
Box - Divination Etiquette........................................................... 73
Elektra Ziais.................................................................................. 104
Wulfgar......................................................................................... 105
Disciplines of Divination................................................................ 74
Aulus Antilochus .......................................................................... 106
Clairvoyance.............................................................................. 74
Julia Placidia ................................................................................. 107
Retrocognition........................................................................... 74
Box - The Gods and their favor..................................................... 74
Precognition............................................................................... 75
Interpretation of Omens............................................................ 75
Interpretation of dreams............................................................. 75
Favor of the Gods....................................................................... 75

3
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART VIII: THE DEMIURGE New magic rituals.......................................................................... 132

Creating new rituals................................................................. 132
Box - Instructions on creating a new ritual.................................. 133
What does the Demiurge do?........................................................ 110
Box -The cry of Ereshkigal (Forbidden Cults).............................. 133
The roles of the Demiurge....................................................... 110
Learning new rituals................................................................. 134
Performing new rituals............................................................. 134
Managing the actions of Custodes................................................. 110
How many actions and how many Custodes............................ 110
Optional rule: the Sortes............................................................... 135
The Difficulty level of actions.................................................. 111
Drawing the sortes................................................................... 135
The Degree of Success of actions.............................................. 112
Using the sortes........................................................................ 135
Box - Optional rule: Predestined................................................. 112
Box -The Sortes......................................................................... 136
Table - Degrees of success............................................................ 112
Typical actions......................................................................... 113
Non-Player Characters (NPCs)..................................................... 137
Escape/Chase........................................................................... 113
The Dice Value........................................................................ 137
Gather information.................................................................. 113
Managing NPCs...................................................................... 137
Give a speech........................................................................... 113
Special Abilities........................................................................ 138
Hide/Lose track........................................................................ 113
Magic powers........................................................................... 139
Interpret/Decipher symbols...................................................... 113
Box - Magic healing................................................................... 140
Interrogate............................................................................... 113
List of Magic powers................................................................ 141
Box - Torture............................................................................. 113
Balancing combat..................................................................... 144
Open/Break (doors, trapdoors, caskets).................................... 114
Ride......................................................................................... 114
Humans........................................................................................ 145
Search/Follow tracks................................................................. 114
Non-combatant NPCs............................................................. 145
Search for traps/hidden passageways......................................... 114
Box - The average result............................................................. 145
Swimming................................................................................ 114
Combatant NPCs.................................................................... 151
Repeated actions...................................................................... 115
Gladiator NPCs (city).............................................................. 153
Cooperative actions.................................................................. 115
Barbarian NPCs (cross-border)................................................. 154
Prolonged actions..................................................................... 115
Special prolonged actions......................................................... 116
Animals......................................................................................... 156
Set up camp............................................................................. 116
Audience.................................................................................. 117
Fantastical creatures....................................................................... 160
Box - Using other Peritiae instead of De Societate........................ 117
Box - Teknés (techniques)........................................................... 160
Box - Outcome of Audience........................................................ 118
Box - Example: the Monstrous Boar............................................ 163
Explore an area......................................................................... 118
Box - Example: the Sacred Bull................................................... 164
Box - Using other Peritiae instead of De Natura.......................... 120
Box - Demons and Daimones..................................................... 171
Box - Using other Peritiae instead of De Scientia......................... 120
Box - In the company of Fauns................................................... 180
Investigation............................................................................. 120
Box - Faunus bicornis(with two horns)........................................ 180
Travel....................................................................................... 121
Box - Arimaspians..................................................................... 183
Table -Days of travel from Rome to a provincial capital................ 122
Box - Primitive Giants............................................................... 185
Table - Other examples of travel times......................................... 122
Box - Proclus of Athens............................................................... 197
Unfavorable weather conditions............................................... 123
Box - Oraculum Theurgicum...................................................... 199
Forced march........................................................................... 123
Box - Example: the lost Eagle...................................................... 200
Box - Climate and equipment.................................................... 123
Box - Example: Living Statue of Hekate...................................... 202
Box - Forced march in unfavorable weather conditions................. 124
Find food and water................................................................. 124
Vampires in the ancient world....................................................... 210
Box - The Goddess Carna........................................................... 213
Managing adventures.................................................................... 125
Inexperienced players............................................................... 125
Players and contubernium........................................................ 125
Adventure time........................................................................ 125
Improvisation........................................................................... 126
Ways to lose Hit Points............................................................ 127
Allocation of Experience Points and Curriculum Points........... 128
Box - Advancing in rank in the Cohors Arcana............................ 129

Creating adventures....................................................................... 129

Elements of adventures............................................................. 129
Types of adventures.................................................................. 130

4
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART IX: THE WORLD OF LEX ARCANA PART X: THE ADVENTURES

A magical story.............................................................................. 216 The Long Winter Nights
Pious Aeneas............................................................................ 216
Romulus and Remus................................................................ 216 Introduction for players............................................................ 248
The founding of Rome............................................................. 216 Introduction for Demiurge....................................................... 248
The first Kings......................................................................... 216 Box - Limits to equipment.......................................................... 248
The Republic........................................................................... 217 Synopsis................................................................................... 249
The Empire.............................................................................. 217
Part 1: Beyond enemy lines........................................................... 250
Custodesof the Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana...................................... 217 Box - Slave traders..................................................................... 250
The birth ofthe Cohors Arcana................................................ 217 Box -The peoples of Germania Magna........................................ 250
The duties of the Cohors Arcana.............................................. 217 On the right track.................................................................... 251
Box - Secret history of the Cohors Arcana..................................... 218 Box - What is the purpose of all this?........................................... 251
The Custodes........................................................................... 219 Box - Magical search (I)............................................................. 252
Box - In the castra...................................................................... 219
Women and the Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana................................ 220 Part 2: In the den of thieves........................................................... 254
Box -A cursed glade.................................................................... 254
Custodes’ equipment..................................................................... 220 Box - The berserkIr of the glade.................................................. 256
Standard equipment................................................................. 220 Box - The Germani.................................................................... 258
Melee weapons......................................................................... 221
Ranged Weapons...................................................................... 223 Part 3: The long road home........................................................... 260
Suits of Armor.......................................................................... 224 Box - Magical search (II)............................................................ 260
Shields...................................................................................... 225 Box -Managing the Magister and the legionaries.......................... 261
Box - Tightening the belt............................................................ 262
Organization of Empire................................................................. 225 Box -Faux farmers..................................................................... 268
Extension and languages........................................................... 225 Box - Liosalfar(New fantastical creature)..................................... 269
Prefecture and Municipium...................................................... 225
The imperial army.................................................................... 225 The Mothersof Cenabum

Communication routes................................................................. 226 Introduction for players............................................................ 270

Main and secondary roads........................................................ 226 Box - The Story Goes On............................................................ 270
Along the road......................................................................... 226 Introduction for Demiurge....................................................... 271
Prodigies and betrayals............................................................. 271
Economic and social situation....................................................... 227 Synopsis................................................................................... 272
Agriculture and latifundia........................................................ 227 Box - The city of Urbs Aurelianorum.......................................... 272
Trade and manufacturing activities........................................... 227
Homes and cities...................................................................... 227 Part 1: The arrival.......................................................................... 273
Box - Imperial Currency............................................................. 227 Box - Fixed adventure events...................................................... 273
The rich and the poor.............................................................. 228 Box - Effects of Awareness of the Mothers..................................... 275
Food......................................................................................... 228
Names...................................................................................... 228 Part 2: Investigations in the city.................................................... 276
Box - The notes of Maera Diodora.............................................. 277
Official Cult.................................................................................. 231
The main gods of the official cult............................................. 231 Part 3: A blow to the heart............................................................ 286
The main Di Indigetes............................................................. 232 Box - The earth’s resentment....................................................... 286
The cult................................................................................... 232 Box - Funerary guards................................................................ 288
Box - Giant-antlered deer........................................................... 288
Tolerated cults and Forbidden cults............................................... 232 Box - Long-toothed tigers............................................................ 290
Tolerated cults.......................................................................... 232 Box - The Mothers of Cenabum (New fantastical creature)........... 292
Forbidden cults........................................................................ 233 Box - New magic powers............................................................ 293
Box - Alternatives to consecration ritual...................................... 294
Magic............................................................................................ 233
Pleasures and pains................................................................... 233
APPENDIX: GAME TOOLS
The Provinces of the Empire......................................................... 234
Capitalis Prefecture.................................................................. 234 Character Sheets............................................................................ 296
Western Prefecture................................................................... 236 Backers.......................................................................................... 299
Eastern Prefecture..................................................................... 239
Meridionalis Prefecture............................................................ 243

5
 n the hot summer of the year 1229, from the foundation of the City, the Sen-
I ators returned to Rome in haste from the leisure of their country villas. They
found the capital of the Empire in turmoil: the news of an unexpected summoning
of the Senate had spread quickly, and conflicting rumors about the content of a
secret Imperial oration had filled the air with eager anticipation.

On the morning of August 28, the day of the convocation, a full cohort of Praeto-
rians surrounded the Palace of the Senate—to discourage the curious and to let the
Senators enter without interference. The seats were filled, quickly and early, allow-
ing the three hundred Senators to share their opinions on what everyone knew—or
thought they knew. The emperor Theodomir appeared in the crowded hall with
perfect timing, ushered in by trumpets and richly dressed as Augur Maximus, ac-
cording to the canon of a long-forgotten tradition. Without delay, he took off his
red cloak and laid it on his seat in studied disorder, immediately beginning his
historic speech:

“Conscript fathers,
You have certainly formulated worrying assumptions about the reasons for this sum-
mons: violated borders, rebel provinces, barbarian hordes raging across the plains of
Gaul. None of these are correct,, Senators. The military and territorial supremacy of
the Empire is still unchallenged.

It is something more serious instead, the nature of which goes far beyond your imag-
ination. A sinister omen prompted me to consult the Sibylline Books and to question
the oracle of Delphi, and the response was unanimous: an obscure design threatens the
Empire’s very existence!