Baptism of Fire (OSR)

Wilderness Orientation and Survival Getting lost in the dense forests, wild mountains, or tangled swamps is easy. Whenever a group of characters enters wilderness terrain (off-road or trail) and travels through it for over an hour, a DC 10 WIS check (modified by wilderness survival skill bonuses) is required to retain a sense of direction and location. A new check of the same sort must be made every 1d6 days of wilderness travel. If the GM feels that a given terrain is particularly dense, treacherous, or difficult, the DC for avoiding getting lost can be elevated to DC15. Characters with astronomy can likewise do a DC10 INT check (modified by the astronomy skill) to obtain a sense of direction, but this requires observing the clear night sky for at least 10 minutes. However, this will not necessarily help them figure out the best route to where they’re going, only a sense of where they are in proportion to their destination. Characters who wish to find sufficient food to survive in the wilderness must make a WIS check, modified by any skills in wilderness survival, hunting, or fishing (if they have access to a body of water). The DC for this is generally 10 in most types of terrain, except in very desolate areas or high mountains, where the DC is 15. Each success means the PC obtained enough sustenance to enable one person to survive for 1d6 days. If characters go without food for over 3 days, they must make a saving throw modified by their constitution to avoid temporarily losing one point of constitution; each 24-hour period thereafter requires a similar saving throw. This loss can’t be recovered through rest or healing until they have eaten. The first time the character loses CON from starvation, he will have a -2 penalty to all D20 rolls; these remain until he has been able to eat. If a character does not have access to water for 36 hours, he must make a saving throw each hour thereafter, modified by his constitution bonus. Failure results in the loss of 1d4 constitution score. These points are not recovered by rest until the character has access to water. The first time the PC loses CON from dehydration, the character will have a -2 to all D20 rolls; this penalty remains until they rehydrate. 144

Combat NPC & Monster Hit Points Most humans, including peasants, nobles, and non-veteran soldiers, are 0-level characters with 1d6 HP, theoretically modified by high or low constitution. For higher-level human NPCs, the GM may either choose to generate them ordinarily or simply estimate the appropriate hit points for the class. Sample stat blocks for some human combatants will be provided in the monster chapter. Monsters have “hit dice,” which are a number of dice rolled to determine the monster’s HP. Some monsters, particularly constructs like Golems, may have fixed HP values instead. The “HD” value of each monster is the number of dice it rolls for its hit points, but the type of die varies based on the monster’s size. Very small creatures will usually roll a d2. Small creatures (including almost anything at least 2ft smaller than the average person) will roll a d4. Creatures within a couple of feet either way of an average human will normally roll a d6. Large or especially tough animals or monsters will roll d8 for hit dice. Large supernatural creatures like giants would roll a d10. And enormous creatures (like a huge dragon) would roll a d12 per hit die. Timing Time in combat is measured in “rounds .” One round lasts 6 seconds of approximate time. 145

Random Encounter Distance The GM should use common sense to determine how far away an initial encounter might be from the PCs when they are first spotted. If there is no clear natural indication of what the initial distance should be for a potentially hostile encounter, assume that it is a distance of 4d6x10 feet in relatively open wilderness, 2d6x10 feet in wilderness terrain that may limit line of sight (forests or mountains), or 1d6x10 feet in enclosed areas like caves, buildings, or urban environments. Surprise Attacks At times, it may be possible to take opponents by surprise. In a given encounter where neither side is aware of the other’s presence, there is a 2/6 chance that either side may be taken by surprise. If both are taken by surprise, the mutual surprise cancels itself out. If one side is taken by surprise, the other may choose to make a free attack, with only that side getting to roll initiative on the first round, after which regular combat begins. It is also possible to make a surprise attack in a situation where one side of an encounter is aware of an opponent’s presence, but the other is not. Here, the side that is not surprised may attempt to set up an ambush or sneak up on their opponents to attack by surprise. An ambush will usually require a sneak check (which would be based on DEX) opposed by the other side’s perception check (which would be based on WIS). Note that if an entire group is trying to sneak up on an enemy unawares, the rules for multiple PCs attempting the same task could apply, and the GM may inflict penalties for each group member who is unskilled at sneaking or is wearing heavy, noisy armor or items. Likewise, if a whole group is trying to listen, the group task resolutions would apply, and while unskilled characters would not penalize the attempt, there may be other conditions (cover, the dark of night, drunken watchmen, etc.) that may cause penalties to the perception check. As soon as a hidden character attacks, his position becomes obvious to the victim and anyone adjacent to the victim, but others not adjacent might (at the GM’s discretion) still need to make perception checks to try to confirm the attacker’s location. Attacks on a surprised opponent grant a +2 bonus to hit or a +4 bonus to hit for thieves. Against opponents who are surprised and unaware, thieves can do “backstab” damage. Note that such an attack can ONLY be performed if the victim is unaware of the thief’s presence. If the target can see the thief, even if the target is otherwise surprised, a backstab is not possible. 146

Initiative At the start of regular combat, every character/ NPC/creature involved rolls 1d6, modified by DEX and armor initiative modifiers (or any others the GM chooses). This initial roll is fixed as the basic initiative for the entire combat, but round by round, that value may be modified depending on the character’s actions. PCs win any ties on initiative; if two PCs act on the same initiative, the one with a higher DEX goes first. Characters may choose on their turn to ‘hold’ their action to act first on a lower initiative number. Characters who plan to do nothing but move may announce so beforehand, they will be obliged to only move but get a +2 bonus to initiative. Characters who only move but did not declare it first do not get the bonus. Characters who take no action at all that round get a +2 to the initiative of the next round. Weapon modifiers to initiative apply to any character attempting a melee attack. Certain actions, like reloading some weapons or performing some magical skills, take “one round” or longer to complete. In this case, the character in question begins their action on their initiative, and the action is not completed until the same initiative count on the subsequent round(s). If the character is interrupted in this magic use by being struck in melee (or if they take a free attack), their attempt to perform magic is canceled. Actions In a round of combat, characters may choose to take the following actions: ² Movement: Characters may move their full movement rate up to 90 feet per round if they take no other action. Note that this maximum movement is three times the basic movement rate of the character; certain conditions, like wearing armor or sustained injuries, might reduce the base movement rate. So, for example, a character who is reduced to 20’ basic movement will only be able to move 60’ if they do a full-round movement. ² Combat: Characters can move up to their base movement (usually 30 feet) and make a melee or ranged attack. They can also do a charging attack of up to double their base movement (usually 60 feet). ² Multiple attacks: Characters who have multiple attacks per round and wish to use them cannot move during that round. Each 147

attack they make past the first happens one initiative ‘count’ after the first. For example, a character who rolled a 5 on initiative and has three attacks will do an attack on initiative 5, 4, and 3. ² Use magic: if a character uses any magical/miraculous power that can be used during a combat round, they cannot move more than 5 feet in the same round. If a power or magic item requires ‘concentration’ to maintain, a character can walk their base movement each round while concentrating but cannot take any other action. ² Change weapons: A character may put away a weapon in his hand and draw a new weapon; he may also move up to 30 feet while doing so. A character can also choose to drop whatever is in his hand, draw a new weapon, and attack; if he does this, he cannot move more than 5 feet and his attack roll that round has a -2 penalty. ² Other action: a character may use an object, try to use some kind of skill, or take any other actions not covered by the above options. Any special action depends on the GM’s judgment as to whether the action is permissible. ² Free Attacks: some special opportunities permit characters to make a ‘free attack .’ Characters might get free attacks if an opponent is trying to move past them (within 5’) to some point behind the character, or when trying to move out of melee without making an orderly withdrawal, or if an opponent is charging on horseback while the character facing them is armed with a spear or polearm. In all circumstances, a free attack happens as an immediate reaction to what the opponent is doing and does not use up the character’s regular actions on their own initiative turn. However, characters can only make one free attack of any kind during a melee round. Characters bound, restrained, stunned, engaged in grappling, engaged in full-round movement, full defense, or otherwise unable to act cannot take any free attacks. Characters in the process of using magic can take a free attack, but it cancels the process of their magic use. Likewise, characters getting up from being prone may take a free attack but remain prone that round, requiring another full round (starting on their initiative) to get up. Attacks To hit an opponent, a character must make the following rolls: ² For melee attacks: 1d20 + STR bonus + attack bonus (by level, weapon, and weapon hit modifiers) ² For ranged attacks: 1d20 + DEX bonus + attack bonus (by level, weapon, and weapon hit modifiers) ² In either case, various miscellaneous modifiers could be added or subtracted from the roll (such as visibility, range penalties, penalties from drawing a weapon and attacking in the same round, aiming bonuses, bonuses from magic, etc). ² To score a hit against an opponent, the attack roll total must be equal to or greater than the target’s armor class. 148

149 Natural “1” and Natural “20” If the roll on the d20 is a “natural” (unmodified) 1, the attack roll always misses, regardless of any other modifiers. A roll of a natural 20 always hits, regardless of an opponent’s armor class. Additionally, if the natural 20 roll with all modifiers would have hit the opponent’s armor class, it is a “critical hit .”In that case, roll 1d20, modified by the CHA modifier of the attacker, on the critical hit tables below for the additional effect. Fighters, Holy Warriors, and Witch Hunters also add their level to the result. Modify the details of the results according to what is sensible for the kind of strike made. Note that certain supernatural creatures (the undead, constructs, etc) are immune to critical hits. Very large creatures may be affected in terms of taking extra damage but might get considerable bonuses to any saving throws. In any case, a natural ‘20’ is still always an automatic hit (though if a creature is immune to the type of damage being done, such a hit will do no good). (Note: in all cases where a strike from a critical is to an arm or leg, the GM should roll at random to determine whether it is the right or left limb that is struck).

Slashing Weapons Critical Table 1 or less An impressive-looking strike but no additional damage 2-5 A serious slash that does +1d4 extra damage 6 A slash to the body that will leave a scar that could be hidden by clothing; +1d4 damage 7 A strike to the arm; +1d4 damage, and the target must make a saving throw or drop their weapon (or whatever they’re holding at the time) 8 A gash to the face that will leave an ugly scar. +1d4 damage and -1 to reaction rolls in any situation where physical beauty would matter 9 A cut to the muscles of the arm or leg that does +1d4 damage and a -2 penalty to attack rolls; the penalty is removed when the wound is fully healed 10 A serious cut to the leg or thigh that does +1d6 damage, and the target must make a saving throw (STR) or be knocked to the ground. 11 A serious cut to the leg or thigh, which does +1d6 damage and reduces mobility, causes a -2 penalty to the DEX modifier to AC (to a minimum modifier of -3) until the wound is fully healed. 12 A serious cut that bleeds profusely! +1d6 damage and the character loses a further -1 hp per round from bleeding until he receives some form of first aid. Anyone with medical training could provide such first aid automatically. Anyone who has no training would need to do a DC10 WIS check. 13 The victim loses a finger on one hand (roll randomly). The character must make a saving throw to avoid dropping anything held in that hand. If it is the dominant hand, the victim will have a -1 to hit in combat until the next time they gain a level. 14 A severe cut to the torso! +1d6 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) or fall to the ground. Regardless, they will also suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls and parry checks until the wound is healed. 15 A severe cut to the leg! +1d6 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) or fall to the ground. The victim will permanently suffer from a limp and can run only at half-speed from then on. 16 A severe cut to the arm! +1d6 damage and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) or be stunned for one round. Additionally, they will be unable to use that arm until the wound is fully healed and will have a -2 penalty to attacks or parries with that arm until they gain a level. 17 A severe cut to the head or neck! +1d6 damage, and blood loss of -1hp per round until the wound is bound. The victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid falling to the ground AND being stunned (from shock) for 1d6 rounds. 18 A cut clean through, severing the victim’s hand, wrist, or forearm! +1d6 damage and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned from shock for 1d6 rounds. He will bleed -1hp per round until the wound is bound. If the hand lost was dominant, the victim will have a -4 penalty to attack rolls with the other hand until they gain a level. At that point, the penalty will be reduced to a -2 penalty (optionally, reduce to a -1 penalty upon gaining another level). 19 A strike to the spine (+2d6 damage!); the victim falls to the ground and cannot get up and must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid passing out from shock. If they survive the battle, a second saving throw is required; failure means the victim will never walk again (barring magical intervention). 20 A brutal strike to the head (+1d8 damage), requiring an immediate saving throw (CON). Failure means the head was sliced clean open, and the victim is instantly killed. If the first saving throw succeeds, the victim falls unconscious. A second saving throw is required if the victim survives the battle. Failure means they have lost the use of one eye (-2 penalty to both perception checks and to hit rolls in melee, -4 penalty to ranged attacks). 21+ An extreme and vicious blow! The victim must make a saving throw (CON); if they fail the roll, they are instantly slain (decapitated or cut in half). Even if they succeed in the save, they take triple the usual damage and are unconscious and bleeding 1hp per round until treated. 150

Piercing Melee Weapons Critical Table 1 or less An impressive-looking strike but no additional damage 2-5 A serious strike that does +1d4 extra damage 6 A painful strike that does +1d4 extra damage and a -2 penalty to attacks for the next 1d4 rounds. 7 A glancing strike to the leg. +1d4 extra damage and a moderate limp, meaning the PC can’t run until the wound is fully healed. 8 A glancing strike to the cheek. +1d4 extra damage, and it leaves a scar that will provide -1 to reaction rolls where physical beauty applies. 9 The strike pierces the victim’s arm; +1d4 extra damage and a -2 penalty to hit or parry with that arm until the wound is fully healed. The victim must also make a saving throw (STR) or drop whatever they’re holding. 10 The strike digs deep into the victim’s torso; +1d6 damage, and the victim will bleed at -1hp per round until the wound is bound. Anyone with medical training could provide such first aid automatically. Anyone who has no training would need to do a DC10 WIS check. 11 A cut into the temple; +1d6 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) or be stunned for one round. Additionally, blood running down the eye causes a -1 penalty to attack rolls and AC for 1d6 rounds, or until the character spends 1 round cleaning his face. 12 A strike to the lower leg. +1d4 damage and the victim immediately falls to the ground. He can’t move faster than a walk until the wound is fully healed. 13 A strike deep into the upper arm. +1d4 damage and the victim drops whatever he has in that hand. He’ll have a -2 penalty to attacks or parries with that arm and will bleed -1hp per round until the wound is bound. 14 A piercing blow right into the torso; +1d6 damage. The victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid falling to the ground. The wound leaves the victim in constant pain. From then on, they only heal ½ as much from natural healing and suffer insomnia. May turn to drugs for pain-free sleep. 15 A piercing blow to the throat! +1d6 damage. If the victim survives, the damage means he’ll speak with a hoarse voice from then on, causing a -1 reaction roll to any social rolls requiring eloquent speech. 16 A brutal strike to the groin (+1d6 damage, plus losing -1 hp per round until receiving first aid); the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid collapsing in shock for 10 minutes. Any male who survives is left permanently impotent, which will have enormous (negative) social consequences if it is known! 17 A strike to the arm that cuts through tendons and nerves! +1d6 damage. The victim immediately drops anything he was holding and must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned by the pain for 1d6 rounds. The arm will be useless until it is fully healed, and even after that, the victim will have a -2 penalty to attacks and parries with that arm until they gain a level. 18 A strike right into the lung! +2d6 damage and the victim falls to the ground. The victim must make a saving throw (CON), or they will be bleeding into the lung, which will cause death in a number of rounds equal to the victim’s CON ability score unless they receive magical healing. If he survives, he’ll be effectively incapacitated until the wound is fully healed. 19 A strike pierces the victim’s cheek and severely damages his ear. +1d8 damage and the victim falls to the ground, stunned for 2d10 rounds. The damage from the wound affects the victim’s sense of balance, causing a -2 penalty to any attack rolls and DEX-based checks until they gain a level. It also causes a permanent -4 to any listening-based perception checks, and the gruesome disfigurement causes a -2 to all reaction rolls where physical appearance would be a factor. 20 A severe strike into the gut! +2d6 damage and the character must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid dying from shock. If they survive immediate death, the internal damage is so severe that the character will bleed -4hp per round until they get magical healing or treatment from someone skilled in medicine succeeding at a DC15 skill check. 21+ An extreme strike to the head or heart! The victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid immediate death. If they make the saving throw, they take triple the usual damage, fall unconscious, and bleed 1hp per round until treated. 151

Blunt Weapons Critical Table 1 or less An impressive-looking hit but no additional damage 2-5 A serious hit that does +1d4 extra damage 6 A painful hit to a (randomly determined) shoulder that does +1d4 extra damage, and the victim has a -2 to either hit or parry with that arm the next round. 7 A quick hit to the gut or body does +1d4 extra damage, and the victim must roll a saving throw (CON) to avoid having the wind knocked out of them and being stunned for one round. 8 A hit to the side of the head causes +1d4 damage and severe imbalance as the ears ring; the PC must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid stumbling to the floor and has a -2 penalty to attacks, parries, and AC for the next 1d4 rounds. 9 A hit to the knee! +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid falling to the ground. Regardless, he won’t be able to run for the next 1d4x10 minutes and will have a -2 penalty to any DEX-based athletic checks (jumping, climbing, acrobatics, etc) until the HP damage is fully healed. 10 A hit to the elbow! +1d4 damage, and that arm will be useless for the next 1d4 rounds. Note if it was the dominant hand, making attacks with the non-dominant hand would have a -4 penalty. 11 A crushing hit right in the groin! +1d4 damage, and the victim falls to the ground. If they have male genitals, they must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being paralyzed with pain for 1d6 rounds. 12 A ringing hit to the head! +1d6 damage, and the victim falls to the ground. He must make a saving throw (CON) or be stunned for 1d6 rounds. Either way, he will have a -2 penalty to all attacks, parrying, Dexteritybased checks, and any rolls requiring mental effort (lore skills, etc) until the hit point damage from this strike is fully healed. 13 A powerful hit to the thigh! +1d6 damage, and the victim falls to the ground. He will have a -2 penalty to attacks, parries, and AC until the hit point damage is fully cured. 14 A mighty hit shatters the target’s wrist! +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) or spend the next 1d6 rounds stunned from the pain. He will have a -6 penalty to any attempts to hit or parry (and to any fine manipulation, like picking pockets) with that arm for the next 1d4 weeks (unless magically healed)! If it is not properly set by someone with some kind of medical skill (DC10) within the next day, he will have a permanent -2 penalty to the above. 15 A severe hit to the body that causes internal bleeding! +1d6 damage, and the victim will lose 2hp per hour thereafter. The blood loss can be stopped by magical healing being applied to the wound (the bleeding will stop even if the wound itself is not fully healed by magic). Otherwise, only medieval surgery could stop the blood loss. This would require someone with medical skill to perform a skill check at DC16 to stop the bleeding successfully. The surgery will take about an hour and will do 1d4 damage to the victim. Whether or not the bleeding is stopped, there is a 30% chance of infection from the surgery. 16 A crushing hit right in the face! +1d6 damage and the victim is stunned for 1d4 rounds. The victim’s nose is also broken, causing a permanent -1 penalty to any reaction checks where physical beauty is a factor. 17 A precise hit breaks the victim’s leg! +1d6 damage, knocking the victim to the ground and requiring a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d6 rounds. He will be unable to walk unassisted until the hit point damage is fully healed, and if the bone is not properly set in the first 24 hours by someone with medical knowledge (DC10 check), he’ll have a permanent limp, making him unable to run again. 18 A powerful hit shatters the victim’s upper arm; +1d6 damage and the victim is stunned for 2d6 rounds! The arm is useless and suffers internal bleeding. Unless magically cured within the first 24 hours, the arm will automatically become infected unless amputated. Amputation does 1d6 additional damage and requires a DC15 medicine check. Failure means the arm is amputated, but there is a 35% chance of an infection developing regardless. Regardless, even with most ordinary healing magic, the arm will be left practically useless. If it was the dominant arm, the victim will have a -4 penalty to attack rolls with the other hand until they gain a level, at which point, the penalty will reduce to a -2 (optionally, reduce to a -1 penalty upon gaining another level). 152

19 A hit to the face shatters the victim’s cheek and jaw! +1d6 damage and he must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid falling unconscious. If he succeeds in the saving throw, he’s still stunned for 2d6 rounds. If magical healing isn’t used within 24 hours to fully heal the damage from this blow, the PC will be left hideously deformed and unable to speak properly, suffering a -2 penalty to any reaction rolls where eloquent speech or physical appearance is a factor. 20 A forceful hit to the side, damaging the spine! +2d6 damage and the victim falls to the ground, stunned for 1d8 rounds. He must make a saving throw (CON); if failed, he is paralyzed from the waist down for 1d6 weeks, after which he must make a second saving throw, or the paralysis is permanent (barring magical intervention). 21+ A crushing blow to the skull! The victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid instant death. If they succeed, they take triple the normal damage, fall unconscious, and bleed 1hp per round until treated. If they survive, they must make a second saving throw or permanently lose 1d4 intelligence points from brain damage. 153

Arrows/Bolts and Other Pointed Missile Weapons Critical Table 1 or less An impressive-looking hit but no additional damage 2-5 A serious shot that does +1d4 extra damage 6 A shot hits the victim’s side, doing +1d4 damage. The arrow’s shaft is stuck in an awkward position, making one arm suffer a -1 penalty to attacks or parries until the victim takes one round to remove it. 7 A shot nicks an arm (randomly determine which one). +1d4 extra damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid dropping whatever he’s holding in that arm. 8 A shot cuts the side of the victim’s neck! +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (WIS) to avoid panicking and spending one round staunching the bleeding for fear the hit is deeper than it really was. 9 A shot hits just below the knee! +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid falling to the ground. Regardless, for the next 1d4 rounds, the victim will suffer a -2 to AC as the pain makes avoiding blows more difficult. 10 A shot embeds itself in the shoulder. +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid dropping whatever he holds in that arm. He won’t be able to use the arm until he spends a full round removing the missile from his shoulder. 11 A shot embeds itself between the victim’s ribs! +1d6 damage and the victim suffers a -2 to attacks and parries until the shot is removed. Removing the shot requires a DC10 DEX check (modified by any bonuses to medicine); failing the roll means that the wound begins to bleed at a rate of 1hp/round until the wound is bound (requiring free hands and another round of action). 12 The shot grazes the target’s hip! +1d4 damage and the injury causes the victim to have a -2 penalty to attacks, parries, and armor class for the next 1d6 rounds. 13 The shot grazes the target’s temple! +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds. Additionally, while the bleeding is not profuse enough to do additional damage, enough blood is getting into the victim’s eye that he will have a -2 penalty to attack rolls for the next 1d6 rounds. 14 The shot embeds itself deep into the victim’s arm. +1d4 damage and the victim drops whatever he’s holding in that arm. He has to make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds. The arm in question is useless until the arrow is removed, requiring a DC14 DEX check (modified by medical skill bonuses). Failing the check will cause another 1d4 damage as the shot is removed. If the check succeeds, the arm will be usable but with a -2 penalty until the damage from the shot is fully healed; if the check fails, the penalty is -4. 15 A gruesome shot to the torso! +1d6 damage, and the wound is bleeding at a rate of 1hp/round. Until the shot is removed, the victim has a -2 penalty to attack rolls and AC. To staunch the bleeding, one round must first be spent removing the shot, and then a second round to stop the bleeding. 16 A shot gets lodged at the base of the neck! +1d6 damage. The wound is not bleeding, but to remove it requires a DC12 DEX check (modified by medical skill); failing at the roll means that an extra 1d4 damage is done in the process, plus a vein was cut and starts to bleed at a rate of 2hp/round. Stopping the blood loss requires a DC15 medical check. 17 A shot right into the knee! +1d4 damage and the victim falls to the ground and must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds. The victim will be unable to walk until the damage from this wound is fully healed. After that, the damage to the knee means the victim will have a permanent limp, will be unable to run, and suffer a -1 penalty to AC. 18 A shot hits the upper arm, cutting veins, muscle and damaging nerves. +1d6 damage and the victim immediately drops whatever they are holding in that arm. The victim will bleed 2hp per round until the injury is bound. The arm will become permanently useless. If the arm lost was the dominant one, the victim will have a -4 penalty to attack rolls with the other hand until they gain a level, at which point, the penalty will reduce to a -2 (optionally, reduce to a -1 penalty upon gaining another level). 154

19 The shot hits the victim’s eye! +1d8 damage and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid falling unconscious. If the saving throw succeeds, they are still stunned for 2d6 rounds. The loss of the eye means the victim will have a permanent -2 penalty to sight-based perception checks and to hit rolls in melee and a -4 penalty to ranged attacks. 20 A shot penetrates deep into the torso! +2d6 damage and the victim is bleeding internally from organ damage at a rate of 2hp/round. This can not be treated by regular medicine. Without magical healing (which must be sufficient to cure the full initial damage of this wound), the victim will die. 21+ A shot directly into the head! The victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid instant death. If he succeeds, he still takes triple the regular damage and falls unconscious. Sling Stones/Bullets Critical Table 1 or less An impressive-looking hit but no additional damage 2-5 A serious shot that does +1d4 extra damage 6 A shot to the side; +1d4 damage, and the blow causes a -2 penalty to attack rolls for the next 1d4 rounds 7 A shot to the forearm; +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid dropping whatever is held by that arm. He suffers a -1 penalty to attacks or parries with that arm for the next 10 minutes. 8 The shot clips the victim’s shin! +1d4 damage and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid falling to the ground and dropping whatever he’s holding. 9 The shot grazes the thigh; +1d4 damage, and the victim falls to the ground. He must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for one round. 10 The shot takes off a piece of the victim’s ear! +1d4 to damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds. He will also have a -4 penalty for listening-based perception checks for the next 2d6x10 minutes. 11 The shot is lodged in the victim’s upper arm! +1d4 damage and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid dropping what he’s holding in that arm. He will have a -2 penalty to attacking or parrying with that arm until the bullet is removed, which requires a DC10 DEX check modified by medical skill bonuses if applicable. Failure means the victim takes another d4 damage and has an additional 10% risk of infection. 12 The shot clips the target’s back as they turn! +1d6 damage, and the victim falls to the ground. They must make a saving throw (CON) or be unable to stand up again (from shock to the legs) for the next 2d6 rounds. 13 The shot clips the victim’s skull! +1d6 damage and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds. They will also suffer a -2 penalty to attacks, parries, and AC from blood flowing down the face until they spend one round wiping the blood off and staunching the wound. 14 The shot lodges into the victim’s hip! +1d6 damage, and the victim falls to the ground. He must make a saving throw (CON) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. He’ll have a -2 penalty to AC and all DEX-based checks requiring mobility until the HP damage from the wound is fully healed. If the bullet is not removed (requiring a DC14 DEX check plus medical skill bonus, where failure causes an extra d4 damage), the victim will have an extra 15% chance of infection. 15 The shot hits the victim’s wrist! +1d4 damage, and the victim drops whatever he’s holding in that hand. He must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds. He’ll have a -4 penalty to any attack or parry rolls with that hand and to any DEX-based checks that require fine manipulation with that hand (i.e., pick-pocket) until the hp damage from the wound is fully healed. Once healed, the victim will still suffer a permanent -1 penalty to the above because of long-term damage. 155

16 The shot hits the torso and breaks a rib! +1d6 damage and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d6 rounds. He will be bleeding at a rate of 1hp/round until the wound is bound. The pain from the broken rib will cause a -2 penalty to attacks and AC until the HP damage from the wound is fully healed. 17 A shot to the throat! +1d6 damage and the victim is stunned for 2d6 rounds as he struggles to breathe. If the character survives, he must make a saving throw (CON) or permanently lose the ability to speak. If he makes the saving throw, he will have a raspy voice that will cause a -1 penalty to any reaction rolls based on eloquent speech. 18 A shot to the lower leg! +1d6 damage and the victim falls to the ground and is stunned for 1d4 rounds. He will also be bleeding at a rate of 1hp/round until the wound is bound. He cannot stand without assistance until the HP damage of the initial wound is fully healed. After this, he will suffer a permanent limp, rendering him unable to run. 19 A shot shatters the joint of the victim’s shoulder! +1d8 damage and the victim is stunned for 1d6 rounds. That arm will require magical healing to the full amount of the initial HP damage within 48 hours. Otherwise, the arm will automatically develop infection (unless it is amputated). Amputation does 1d6 additional damage and requires a DC15 medicine check. Failure means the arm is amputated, but there is a 40% chance of an infection developing regardless. Even with most ordinary healing magic, the arm will be left practically useless. If it was the dominant arm, the victim will have a -4 penalty to attack rolls with the other hand until they gain a level, at which point, the penalty will reduce to a -2 (optionally, reduce to a -1 penalty upon gaining another level). 20 The shot penetrates the victim’s gut! +2d6 damage and the victim falls to the ground, stunned for 2d4 rounds from the pain. Internal bleeding will cause 2hp/round damage. The injury is too extensive for blood loss to be stopped with regular medicine; only magical healing will be able to stop the bleeding. There is a 40% chance of infection developing unless the magical intervention healed the full amount of the initial hp damage of the wound. 21+ A shot directly into the head! The victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid instant death. If he succeeds, he still takes triple the regular damage and falls unconscious. 156

Animal and Monster Claw/Bite/etc Critical Table 1 or less An impressive-looking hit but no additional damage 2-5 A serious strike that does +1d4 extra damage 6 A strike rakes the victim’s chest, pushing them off-balance! +1d4 extra damage, and the victim suffers a -1 penalty to attacks on their next round. 7 A strike rakes the victim’s arm! +1d4 damage and light bleeding occur. The wound doesn’t bleed enough to do additional hp damage, but until the wound is bound, the victim must make a saving throw (STR) each round to avoid dropping whatever they’re holding in that hand. 8 A powerful strike that does +1d4 damage and knocks the victim to the ground. 9 A strike to the head that does +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. 10 A strike to the leg does +1d4 damage, and the victim is knocked to the ground. Minor damage to armor or clothing will cause a -1 penalty to AC until the victim can change or repair the damage. 11 A vicious strike to a (randomly determined) forearm will do +1d4 damage and knock whatever they’re holding out of that hand. The victim will suffer a -1 penalty to attack, and parry rolls until the damage is fully healed. 12 A bad rake to the shoulder; +1d6 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid being knocked to the ground. They will bleed at a rate of 1hp/round until the wound is bound (taking one round). There is a 25% chance of infection from this injury. 13 A vicious bite or slash takes most of the victim’s ear off! +1d4 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. The injury will leave permanent disfigurement, causing a -1 penalty to reaction rolls based on physical appearance. 14 A brutal gash to the thigh! +1d6 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (STR) to avoid falling to the ground. The wound will bleed 1hp/round until the wound is bound, and the victim will have a -2 to AC and cannot run until the full initial hp damage is healed. 15 A brutal strike breaks a bone in the arm! +1d6 damage and the victim automatically drops whatever they’re holding in that arm. They won’t be able to use the arm until the HP damage from the wound is healed, and the bone must also be set, requiring a DC10 medical check. If the check fails, the bone is not set properly, and the victim will suffer a permanent -1 penalty to attack, or parry rolls with that arm. 16 A horrific wound to the groin! +1d6 damage, plus bleeding at 1hp/round until receiving first aid. The victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid collapsing in shock for 10 minutes. Any male who survives is left permanently impotent, which will have enormous (negative) social consequences if it is known! 17 A bite or slash to the face that tears up the nose! +1d6 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d6 rounds. The disfigurement is horrific, causing a permanent -2 penalty to reaction checks based on physical appearance. 18 A brutal injury to the lower leg! +1d8 damage, and the victim falls to the ground. They must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 1d6 rounds. They will be unable to stand without assistance until the damage from the injury is fully healed, and after that, they will not be able to move faster than walking speed. 19 A gruesome hit tears off a huge chunk of flesh from an upper arm! +1d8 damage and the victim automatically drops whatever they’re holding in that hand. They must make a saving throw (CON) to avoid being stunned for 2d6 rounds. The wound will bleed at 2hp/round until the wound is bound. The arm will become infected unless it is amputated. Amputation does 1d6 additional damage and requires a DC15 medicine check; failure means the arm is amputated, but there is a 40% chance of an infection developing regardless. Regardless, even with most ordinary healing magic, the arm will be left practically useless. If it was the dominant arm, the victim will have a -4 penalty to attack rolls with the other hand until they gain a level, at which point, the penalty will reduce to a -2 (optionally, reduce to a -1 penalty upon gaining another level). 157

20 A horrid assault tears open the victim’s side! +2d6 damage and the victim falls to the ground and is stunned for 1d6 rounds. There is a 40% chance of developing infection from this injury. Regardless, the victim will be in constant pain from this point on, only healing at half the natural rate, only able to carry half the usual encumbrance and march half the normal distance per day before being exhausted. 21+ A brutal attack tears open the victim’s belly! The victim must make a saving throw (CON); failure means their guts spill out, and they die instantly. If they succeed, they still take triple the normal damage, bleed 2hp per round until the wound is bound, and will automatically suffer infection. Critical Hits from unarmed damage: Unarmed damage cannot do a critical hit, except if a PC is specifically trained in a lethal unarmed combat style due to class or background. In that case, treat a critical hit as if it was from a blunt weapon. Critical damage from Blasting Wands and other magical energies: Pure magical energies will always do double their regular damage on a critical strike. Critical damage from Holy Water or acid: A critical hit from Holy Water or acid will always do the maximum normal damage from a hit, assuming the target can be damaged by the substance. 158

Charging A melee charge is possible if a character is not currently adjacent to any opponent, is at least 20 feet away, and is no more than 60 feet from an opponent without any movement obstacles in the way. Charging grants +1 to hit but -2 to AC for the entire round. If the target of a charge is armed with a spear or polearm, they get a free attack against the charger and do double damage if they hit. However, this only applies if they are the target of the charge (that is, not if they are in the second row of a column or block). Parrying (Defensive Combat) It is assumed that all characters are trying to defend themselves from attacks, and this is largely reflected by Armor Class. However, at the start of their round, characters can declare they are “fighting defensively,” actively parrying with their weapon and/or shield. To engage in parrying, they must be wielding something capable of parrying in their hands (a metal weapon, shield, or some other durable object). If you are parrying with anything other than a shield, you also need some sort of hand protection, meaning you must wear either thick leather or metal gauntlets. These are part of Padded Splint or better quality armor (or can be purchased separately; leather fighting gauntlets cost about 25dn). Characters doing so can engage in “partial” or “total” defense. When engaged in partial defense, characters will suffer a -4 penalty to attack rolls during that round and cannot move more than their base movement per round (normal unencumbered base movement is 30’). If engaged in full defense, characters will not be able to attack that round and cannot move more than 5’ that round (nor can they use any magical object or perform any magic that requires anything other than a free action to activate). If successfully attacked in melee, a character engaging in defense may make a parrying roll of 1d20 plus their attack bonus with their weapon type. If they are using a shield, they add their basic melee attack bonus +2. If engaged in total defense, the character gets an additional +4 bonus to parrying rolls. To successfully parry, the character’s parrying roll must surpass the value of the attack roll. If the character successfully parries, he must do a ‘blocking’ roll of a d4 or a d8 if parrying with a shield; this roll is modified by the defender’s STR bonus. If the shield being used has a magical bonus, that is also added. Finally, Fighters and Holy Warriors get a further bonus equal to their level. 159

The attacker rolls his damage normally. If the attacker’s damage roll surpasses the value of the blocking roll, the attacker does full damage. If the blocking roll is higher than the attacker’s damage roll, then the damage was absorbed by the parry. Characters doing Partial Defense can only attempt to do one parrying roll per round, except for fighters who can parry a number of attacks equal to their level but have a cumulative -2 penalty to parrying rolls for each attack after the first that they attempt to parry in the round (so a fighter trying to block the third melee attack in a round gets a -4 penalty to parrying rolls). Characters engaged in Total Defense can attempt to parry all attacks against them in the round but suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to every parrying roll in the round after the first. Characters cannot attempt to parry surprise attacks. They can attempt to parry ‘free attacks’ if they were already engaged in defensive combat at the time of the attack and are aware of the incoming attack. Characters cannot attempt to parry ranged attacks, except for fighters with shields, who may attempt to do so at a -8 penalty. Firing Into Melee or at a Moving Opponent A character must be at least 5’ from an opponent to fire any ranged weapon. A character who fires at an opponent currently engaged in melee combat may take a -4 penalty to their attack roll. If they fail to do so, any shot missed by a margin of 4 or less will have a 50% chance to hit the person their opponent was in melee with. If there was more than one character in melee with his intended target, roll randomly with one equal chance for each person or no one taking the hit (for example, if there were three people in melee with the archer’s target, and he misses the shot by 4 or less, roll 1d4 to determine if the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or none of the above are struck by the ranged weapon). This penalty need not apply if his intended target is of Large size (8’+) or greater and all of the target’s melee opponents are medium (human) size or less. If the target of a ranged attack had spent their previous action (either in the previous round or before the attacker in the current initiative round) engaging in a full movement (that is, running), the attacker has a -2 penalty to hit with their ranged attacks. Aimed Shots Characters armed with a ranged weapon can choose to forgo their attack that turn and instead spends the round aiming their weapon. They can take no other action and cannot move while aiming. On their next round, they fire their ranged attacks with a +4 bonus to hit (this is still modified by penalties from range or other factors). 160

Mounted Combat and Mounted Charges Characters on horseback (or some other combat-capable mount) gain a +1 bonus to hit opponents on foot in melee combat. They gain a +1 bonus to their AC against any attacks from opponents on foot. This bonus to AC also applies to the mounts. Only war horses can effectively be used to fight in melee combat. Any other types of horse will make a morale check every round that there is combat, and if they fail, will run off, out of control of their rider (requiring a DC 15 riding check to avoid being thrown in the first round, and a second DC 15 riding check in the next round to regain control, and subjecting a PC to the standard “free attack” from any opponent in melee combat with them). War Horses only check Morale in the usual circumstances listed in the rules on Morale (if they take damage, etc) and will not throw their riders but only lose control and try to flee if they fail the check, requiring a DC 15 riding check to avoid this. Any mount that takes enough damage to be knocked unconscious or killed will fall to the ground; any characters on that steed will have to make a saving throw modified by their DEX bonus to avoid taking 1d6 damage from the fall. Getting up after being thrown takes one round, during which the character can take no other action. A character with a one-handed medium weapon or lance can do a mounted charge on horseback from 20 to 80 feet away. They get +2 to hit and do double damage on a hit. Opponents with spears or polearms can get a free attack against the charge, but only if they are the target of the charge and do double damage if they hit. 161

If characters shoot a ranged weapon while moving on horseback (or a wagon or any other means of propulsion), moving faster than 30’ in the round, they have a -4 penalty to hit. This is in addition to any other ranged penalties. Visibility and Cover Characters in total darkness (and cannot see in darkness) or who have been struck blind have a -6 penalty to all melee attack rolls and a -12 penalty to all ranged attack rolls. Characters who have no visibility are always considered surprised for the purpose of being attacked by any character who can see. Invisible opponents operate in much the same way: all foes who cannot see the invisible have the same penalties as listed above to strike them (and only stand a chance of attacking at all if they have a vague idea of where the opponent might be), and invisible opponents can strike any foe they can see normally as if it was a surprise attack. Characters partially covered behind a solid object, like a wall, gain a +2 bonus to their AC. Withdrawal and Opportunity Attack A character who moves away from or flees from a melee situation suffers a free attack from any opponent in melee with them unless they choose to spend one round making an orderly withdrawal, moving backward at up to half the regular movement rate (typically 15 feet) without making an attack. If a character is in melee and doesn’t do a ‘withdraw’ to disengage from melee, then any character currently in melee combat with that character gets a free attack against them. However, characters can only do one opportunity attack per melee round. Prone and Helpless Opponents An opponent who has fallen to the ground or is otherwise prone suffers a -4 penalty to his Armor Class. Getting up from a prone position requires a full round, during which no other action can be taken. Opponents who are completely helpless (either unconscious, paralyzed, completely bound or pinned, or otherwise totally immobilized) can be hit automatically by melee attacks; any melee strike against a helpless opponent will automatically do double the maximum usual damage against a helpless opponent. For example, a character whose melee attack does 1d8+1 damage would do 18 points of damage against a totally helpless opponent. Characters who have backstab do double their usual maximum backstabbing damage against a completely helpless opponent, and may do this damage even if the opponent is aware of their presence. 162

Grappling Grappling describes various unarmed combat maneuvers. Using grappling, one can wrestle with, trip, or disarm an opponent. The attacker must specify which kind of maneuver he is attempting before making the wrestling check. A grappling maneuver is done by rolling a d20 + STR bonus + basic melee attack bonus, potentially with modifiers for skills or other factors at the GM’s discretion. The target of the grappling maneuver rolls the same but may choose to substitute his DEX bonus for his STR bonus if he so desires. If the attacker rolls higher, they succeed in grappling their opponent. Wrestling: A successful grapple maneuver means that both attacker and target are now grabbing each other, neither can take any action in the next round other than do a wrestling maneuver, and both count as though they would be “surprised” against attacks from any other opponent. A character who is already wrestling (whether or not he was the one who initiated it) may attempt, on a subsequent round, to make another wrestling maneuver to attempt to break free, to strike at his opponent, or to attempt to pin his opponent (note that it doesn’t matter if a character was the victim or the instigator of the original grappling maneuver). A success at attempting to break free releases the ‘wrestling’ status. A successful strike maneuver deals damage (which can only be unarmed, from a gauntlet, or from a dagger) or can be used to attempt to choke an opponent (see ‘drowning and strangulation below). A successful pin means the opponent cannot move or take any action for however long the attacker chooses to dedicate his full action each round to holding the pin. Tripping: A successful “tripping” maneuver causes the target to fall to the floor, up to five feet away, in the direction desired by the attacker (this maneuver can also theoretically be used to trip someone off a ledge or into a pit, etc.). Getting up from a prone position on the floor takes a full round. Disarming: A character can attempt to use a grappling maneuver to disarm an opponent. If the defender of the maneuver has a weapon in their hand and the attacker doesn’t, the defender gets a free attack against his assailant before executing the maneuver. If the maneuver is successfully executed, the attacker has knocked their opponent’s weapon out of their hand, the weapon falling to the ground up to five feet away in the direction chosen by the attacker. If the maneuver succeeds by a margin of 5 or more, and the attacker was unarmed, they may choose instead to end up wielding the weapon disarmed from the opponent. Any weapon on the floor takes a full round to pick up. 163

Injury Characters who reach precisely 0 hp are unconscious and will recover consciousness (and 1hp) after 1d6 x 10 minutes or if revived by a DC10 medicine check. Characters at -1 or -2 HP are gravely injured. They will be unconscious when first injured, but they can be stabilized by any character making a DC10 (WIS) medicine check; if they are not stabilized within 10 minutes, they will lose 1hp and continue to do so every 10 minutes until stabilized or killed. Stabilized characters regain consciousness but are unable to take any physical actions. They remain at their current HP level but do not risk losing more HP. Characters at -3 or -4 hp are mortally wounded and can only be stabilized by a DC15 (WIS) check; if they are stabilized, they are immediately brought back up to -2 hp; until stabilized, they will lose 1 hp every 1d10 minutes. When stabilized, they will keep slipping in and out of consciousness, unable to take physical actions or communicate until reaching at least -1HP. Characters at -5 HP can only be saved by magic and will lose another hit point after 1d10 rounds. If a character drops to -6 HP or less, they immediately die. Saving Throws There are various situations of danger that are not necessarily covered by mechanics like armor class or hit points. In these cases, a Saving Throw roll is made instead. Every character has a base Saving Throw DC; said value represents the number that must be rolled equal to or higher than on a D20 to successfully “save” against the danger. Sample dangers that can be resolved by a saving throw include damage from sudden traps, poisons, trying to reduce damage from a fall, various forms of magic, magic items, special attacks from monsters, and attacks that cause area damage (these are usually saved against to reduce the damage taken by half, though in some cases a saving throw might remove all damage taken). Many classes can grant bonuses to save against a certain type of danger, for example, a +2 to save vs. magic. This would be added to the die rolled. In addition, most saves should also be modified by an ability score bonus: STR modifies saves against movement restriction (nets, magic barriers, being knocked down, etc.) 164

DEX modifies saves for area effects and reflexes CON modifies saves versus poison, disease, and most instant-death scenarios WIS modifies saves versus magical effects of any kind not listed elsewhere INT modifies saves versus any forms of mindcontrol or other mental effects Healing and Recovery Characters can recover lost hit points through magic or special powers; otherwise, they can recover them naturally through healing herbs, medical care, or rest. A character with 1 or more remaining hp who rests for a full night will recover their level in hit points, modified by CON bonus. If the modified total is less than 1, they recover 1hp every two days of regular rest or from a full 24-hour rest period. Characters who recover 1 or more hp normally can recover 1 extra hp if they rest for 24 hours. Characters injured to negative hp will only recover 1hp per full 24 hours of rest. CON bonuses do not modify this number, but healing herbs or medical treatment can. To qualify as rest, a character with serious injuries (less than 0hp) cannot be moved, while a character with 1 or more hp cannot engage in any heavy physical activity, including traveling long distances. Anyone under the care of someone with a medical skill will heal twice their regular HP for a night or day of rest if the doctor makes a DC15 skill check to treat them that day. Characters at negative hp being treated by a doctor who makes the skill check will heal 2hp per 24-hour period instead of 1. Healing herbs can add to these healing rates (see the “herbalism” section above). Aging and Illness Characters who reach the age of 40 are middleaged and suffer a -1 penalty to strength and constitution ability scores (noting any changes to bonuses or hit points). At the age of 50, they must begin to make a saving throw each year. Every year they fail, they lose one point of a random ability score (and applicable modifiers). If any ability score falls below 3, the character becomes bedridden. When any ability score reaches 0, they will die. If a character survives past the age of 70, the absolute maximum age he can live to will be 70+1d20 years. Illness can strike characters whenever they are exposed to a disease. Cities and towns tend to be ridden with disease due to poor hygiene. Marshy fens or riversides may be full of parasites, which can be treated as diseases. Characters who suffer serious wounds in battle may be exposed to infection. Suppose a GM wishes to feature disease as a frequent problem in his campaign. In that case, he should establish a risk of 6% chance of exposure to disease, modified by a character’s CON modifier, per month on any month that a character spent time in a crowded urban environment or in a particularly insalubrious wilderness area (most notably marshland). Likewise, if a GM wishes for a particularly gritty game, he could rule a base 4% chance of potential infection (again, modified by the CON modifier) for any character who took injury from a cutting weapon in a battle. A GM who does not wish to have disease act as such 165

a common occurrence in their game can feel free to ignore this; likewise, in situations where disease is particularly prevalent (for example, in a city during a plague epidemic), the GM may simply wish to assume all characters have been exposed. A GM should make a PC roll a saving throw versus disease to determine if a character is infected with a disease they were exposed to, modified by the character’s constitution modifier; particularly virulent diseases confer penalties to the roll. Likewise, any character over 50 will have a penalty to his saving throw equal to -1 for every five-year interval above 50. Diseases often have a period of latency or incubation, during which the infected character may feel well but may be capable of infecting others. After this, the GM should determine the characteristics of the disease as being mild or severe and whether it is fatal. Mild diseases should have symptoms that will be incapacitating, temporarily reducing ability scores, or causing penalties to combat bonuses and/or skill checks. These diseases should require new saving throws at regular intervals (be it days or weeks, rarely longer), and the player character will recover fully after successfully making one of these saving throws. A severe disease should have more significant effects, usually reducing ability score bonuses cumulatively over certain intervals (for example, every day, two days, or one week) each time a PC fails a saving throw. However, succeeding in the saving throw does not remove the disease; it only avoids a further increase in penalty. If the severe disease is not fatal, the number of intervals should be determined beforehand (for example, a saving throw every 2 days to avoid losing one point of constitution, for two weeks total), and after the duration of the disease is over the player character will typically recover gradually (at a rate of one ability point per day) until fully cured. Thus, a severe disease may still kill someone very weak by cumulative ability score loss. If a disease is fatal, then there is no end to the intervals requiring saving throws; characters just continue to gradually or rapidly deteriorate until they die. Ability score loss from diseases that do not prove fatal will recover after the disease duration ends, at a rate of 1 point per ability score per day, unless permanent loss is specifically indicated. Sample diseases: a) Cholera: Exposure risk to this disease happens from being in the poorer areas of any city or in any village where poor sanitation is prevalent. This is particularly true when eating food prepared in an area where the disease exists. It causes extreme intestinal disruption, vomiting, and chills. 166

Saving Throw modifier: -4 Classification: Severe Duration: 5d6 days, Saving throw vs. disease every 2 days to avoid losing 1 point of CON. While affected, the character will have a -4 penalty to all skill checks or attack rolls. b) Cold/Flu: Exposure comes from being near someone else with this ailment or suffering extreme temperature shifts. Anyone exposed should make an initial saving throw; if they succeed, the ailment is only a cold and is mild. Otherwise, it is full-blown pneumonia and potentially lethal. Saving Throw Modifier: 0 Classification: Mild/Severe Duration: 1d6 days for colds, 2d6 days for pneumonia. Characters suffering from Colds will have to do a saving throw each day of the duration; any day they fail, they have a -2 to all actions. If they save, it is only a -1. However, any character with a cold who engages in strenuous activity may, at the GM’s discretion, develop a more serious pneumonia. Characters potentially exposed to infection or any other disease at this time will have double the chances of catching it. Characters suffering from pneumonia will have a -4 to all checks and must roll a saving throw each day to avoid losing 1 point of CON. They will also have double the chance of catching any other illness. After the duration is finished, the character will continue to feel slightly unwell for the next 1d6 days, with mild coughing and runny nose. They will have -1 to all checks each day and will continue to be twice as susceptible to other ailments. c) Infection: A consequence of any cutting injury will cause strong fever, swelling, difficulty breathing, and potentially death. Saving Throw Modifier: -4 Classification: Severe Duration: 1d8+1 days. Saving throw vs. disease every day to avoid losing 2 points of CON. Any day the character fails their saving throw, they will be feverish and unable to take any strenuous actions. d) Leprosy: A dreaded disease that seems to rot away the flesh. Exposure comes from direct contact with lepers. As such, Lepers are usually required to wear special cloaks and bells to alert others of their presence. 167

Saving Throw Modifier: +1 Classification: Fatal Duration: For every three months infected, the PC will have to make a saving throw for each physical stat (STR, DEX, CON) plus CHA. For each one he fails, he will lose 2 points in that ability score as his body rots away. e) Plague: The Black Death or Bubonic Plague is still more than 300 years away. However, other less contagious and less lethal forms of the plague exist at this time, brought from the East by the Roman Empire and a part of the cause for Rome’s collapse. Plagues like the Antonine Plague still periodically strike entire regions and kill hundreds or thousands. Those infected develop intense fevers, to the point of bedridden semi-comatose incoherence, and infections of the lungs, blood, or lymph nodes. Saving Throw Modifier: -4 Classification: Severe Duration: fever for 1d4 days; during each day, the PC must make a saving throw to avoid losing 1 point of CON. Then, for the next 1d6+4 days, the PC is bedridden and must make a saving throw each day to avoid losing 2 points of CON. If he survives at the end of this period, he must make a final saving throw to avoid permanently losing 1 point of CON. Falling Damage and Fire Damage Characters generally suffer 1d6 hit points of damage for every 10 feet they fall, to a maximum of 20d6 points of damage. Depending on the situation that caused the fall, a character may be able to perform a dexterity-based check (possibly modified by the climbing skill) to grab onto something to stop his plummet or may be able to make a saving throw to try to soften his landing (for half damage). Usually, neither will apply if the character is free-falling and has nothing nearby to help him slow or stop his descent. Characters passing through fire will take 1d6 fire damage each round they are in the fire. Additionally, every round they are in contact with fire, they will have a 1 in 6 chance of catching fire themselves. Typically, it will require a full-round action to put themselves out if they are on fire. Being struck with a torch or flaming arrow will usually only do 1 point of fire damage (in addition to damage from the weapon itself) but will likewise have a 1 in 6 chance of the PC so struck catching fire. 168

Drowning and Strangulation Characters who are underwater of their own volition can hold their breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + CON modifier, with any result of less than one meaning that character can hold their breath for 30 seconds. Characters being strangled or drowning must make a CON-based saving Throw each round; the first time they fail the check, they get a -2 penalty to all d20 rolls (including subsequent saving throws) until they can draw breath. If the character being strangled or drowned fails a second saving throw, they fall unconscious. If they fail a third saving throw, they die. Characters engaged in grappling can attempt to choke an opponent, but if their opponent is conscious, they can make an opposed grappling check to break the choke-hold and draw breath. Extreme Cold In extreme cold (freezing temperature), characters must make CON-based Saving Throws every 4 hours. If the character is wearing warm, heavy clothing, they will get a +4 bonus to the saving throw. On the other hand, if they are severely undressed or wet, they will get a -2 penalty to the save. For each failed save, the effects of harm from cold get worse. Cold Save Effect Table 1st Fail: The character has a -2 penalty to all D20 checks for physical activity, including combat. 2nd Fail: The penalty is increased to -4 3rd Fail: The above penalty now applies to ALL D20 rolls. The PC takes 1d4 temporary CON damage. 4th Fail: The above penalty remains, and the PC takes another 2d4 CON damage. 5th Fail: The above penalty remains, and the PC takes another 3d4 CON, which repeats at every subsequently failed save until they die. Note: Spending 4 hours near a heat source (i.e., fire) will reduce 1 level of effect. Any character who reaches the 4th or higher cold effect will need to make another CON-based Save to avoid losing the use of a hand or foot (roll randomly) due to frostbite. In extreme cold, like high mountain regions, the frequency of saving throws increases to rolling every 2 hours, assuming the characters have heavy clothing. If they are not properly dressed or wet, they must make a saving throw every 10 minutes. 169

Experience A GM could feel free, if they so desired, to use the experience point system of a more traditional OSR game. However, there is some difficulty associated with experience point systems that provide significant rewards for treasures obtained. In a truly MedievalAuthentic setting, while certainly there would be abundant greed throughout society, just as in any realistic world, certain kinds of material pursuits would be beneath certain kinds of classes. Priests and Holy Warriors have a vow of poverty and should have only a minimum of possessions and give all treasures found to the poor or the Church. Characters of the Knightly class and above would be gravely dishonored by looting bodies for a few measly coins; it would be beneath them. They should be adventuring for other motives; certainly, some of these can be higher motives like fighting chaos or serving their noble sire, but greedier motives could also exist without having to do with the pure acquisition of material wealth. They could be after prestige, fame, or rising offices’ political influence. So, a system of experience points that innately encourages characters to try to pick up every last copper piece is not necessarily a good match with the Medieval Authentic experience. Besides which, while some campaigns can certainly be run with that sort of orientation (the classic tomb/ruin/caverncrawling motif), other campaigns in settings like Piast Poland could be very different: investigative adventures for inquisitors or agents of the crown, a courtly campaign based on intrigue and politics, a war campaign. Thus, the following advancement system does not predicate any particular condition for gaining experience points. It is simply assigned for ‘time served.’ Assuming the GM agrees, whatever the PCs choose to do can grant experience. ² Under this system, every session completed counts as 1xp. ² Every major adventure/quest completed counts as an extra 1xp. ² Optionally, the group votes for the best roleplayer in each session, who gets an extra 1xp. ² The GM may also give more XP at his leisure, and he defines what is or is not a full (experience-worthy) “session” or what qualifies as a “major adventure.” However, he should be careful not to give excessive extra points unless he wants a campaign to proceed very quickly. 170

Characters advance along the following table: To reach Level XP needed 0 Starting Character 1 Completing one adventure. Characters only begin to gain XP at lv1. 2 2 3 5 4 10 5 15 6 20 7 25 8 30 9 35 10 40 11 45 12 55 13+ +10 Note that in the default setting, the vast majority of people are 0-level humans. NPCs above the 5th level should be unusual and noteworthy. People of 9th level and above will likely be famous throughout the land and beyond (unless they’ve tried hard not to be). The most powerful people in each class in the world should be somewhere between the 14th and 18th levels. A GM may also optionally require that ‘training time’ be taken between levels to grant advancement. This reflects and explains the improvement of abilities and the gaining of new skills. It is advisable that the GM not be exceedingly strict with the conditions of this; just as it might be unrealistic for a character to suddenly gain a new skill in the middle of the wilderness where learning such a thing would have been impossible, a too-strict application of this option could also create unlikely situations like players feeling the need for their characters to stop everything they’re doing just to train at an inadequate moment. If you are using this option, let your players have the chance for their characters to train in advance of their actual XP gain, and if they have done so in their PC’s spare time, allow them to advance as soon as their XP qualifies. Training time should not be excessive, perhaps a number in weeks equal to the new level gained. Treasure and Valuables In a default medieval authentic setting, the obtaining of ‘loot’ should be somewhat less of a priority for many (though not all) PCs than in a standard OSR game. However, it is certainly likely that a campaign can involve delving into ancient tombs or ruins, overrunning an enemy or brigand camp, defeating monsters that had been raiding the local human population, and so on. Before relying on random tables to determine loot, consider the basics. The typical (0-level or 1st-level) character will have only the basic items you would expect from someone of their social class. For a peasant, that usually means nothing of value (except a knife and maybe some pickled eggs). In a war or conflict situation, they may have a weapon on them (usually a spear, maybe a bow and arrows). Grodniks will likely have a bit of money on them, likely around 2d12dn. A knight or noble will ironically be less likely to be carrying any cash (although if they are traveling in an entourage, someone in their group may be carrying 10+2d12dn worth of cash for them), but they will have valuables of other sorts: fine clothes, a sword, sturdy shoes or boots, possibly 171

some fancy ring or amulet, and horses. In a person’s home, the GM should assume there to be the standard materials you would expect for anyone of that social class or profession. Grodniks who are not impoverished will have some amount of money in their homes, but how much will depend upon the NPC’s profession, wealth, greed, and criminality. Since banking was not yet common at this time, this wealth is likely kept hidden and/or secured within the home (the amount would be highly variable; a very successful craftsman or merchant might have several Gr, while a more basic worker might only have 6d20dn). Beyond this, to determine further treasures, roll 1d100 randomly in the table most appropriate to the type of lair/home/base being looted. If the GM judges that a treasure haul should be larger, he could roll 1d4, 1d8, or 1d10 times. a) Poor 1-50 Nothing 51-75 Trifle 76-88 Goods 89-95 Weapon/Armor 96-99 Religious 00 Valuable b) Wealthy 1-10 Nothing 11-20 Trifle 21-50 Goods 51-70 Weapon/Armor 71-75 Religious 76-90 Valuable 91-96 Jewels 97-00 Special c) Criminal 1-23 Nothing 24-40 Trifle 41-70 Goods 71-85 Weapon/Armor 86 Religious 87-95 Valuable 96-99 Jewels 00 Special d) Religious 1-25 Nothing 26-30 Trifle 31-35 Goods 36-48 Weapon/Armor 49-75 Religious 76-86 Valuable 87-95 Jewels 96-00 Special 172

e) Non-supernatural Animal Lair 1-75 Nothing 76-90 Trifle 91-95 Goods 96-97 Weapon/Armor 98 Valuable 99 Jewels 00 Special f) Supernatural (unintelligent) 1-50 Nothing 51-75 Trifle 76-80 Goods 81-85 Weapon/Armor 86-90 Valuable 91-95 Jewel 96-00 Special g) Supernatural (intelligent) 1-30 Nothing 31-50 Trifle 51-60 Goods 61-70 Weapon/Armor 71-80 Valuable 81-90 Jewel 91-00 Special h) Tombs/Catacombs/Barrows (Note: roll for each area that would contain treasure or each separate creature/trap encountered) 1-30 Nothing 31-40 Trifle 41-50 Goods 51-70 Weapon/Armor 71-90 Valuable 91-95 Jewel 96-00 Special Treasure Tables: I) Trifles: 1. 1 item of silk clothing (worth 125dn!) 2. 1d6 gems worth 5d10dn each 3. 1dn 4. 5d10dn 5. 1d100 arrows 6. 1d100dn 7. 3d6 apples 8. 30ft of string 9. 4d6 eggs 10. A healing potion, drinking it recovers 1d4hp with a night of rest 11. trade tools, random 12. astrology book, ephemeris 13. astrological talisman, random 173

14. rabbit trap 15. blasting wand, magister’s 16. book, ancient random topic (1/6 chance being a summoning book with 1d6 sigils/ names) 17. Bible, worth 160dn 18. bottle of beer or mead 19. bottle of olive oil worth 8dn 20. bottle, empty 21. brooch worth 1d100dn 22. candles, 2d6 23. chalk 24. chaos ritual to summon a fairy creature under a full moon 25. cheese wheel 26. chicken 27. cloak, heavy winter worth 8dn 28. cod, pickled in a jar 29. comb worth 1d4dn 30. ring worth 3d20dn 31. crowbar 32. dagger 33. dice 34. disguise kit (makeup, wig, beard) 35. doll, child’s 36. false gold, alchemical (worth 1d3Gr if not recognized as fake) 37. fishing equipment 38. flute 39. fruit, dried, 1 pound 40. gem worth 1-2Gr 41. gloves 42. gold bar worth 8 Gr 43. grappling hook 44. hammer, small 45. hand-axe 46. herbs, random medicinal, 1d6 doses. 47. Holy water, 1 vial 48. honey, 1 pot 49. Hymnal book, plain, worth 5d20dn 50. ink, 1 vial 51. key 52. letter of introduction to the abbot of the nearest monastery 53. letter, sealed, addressed to a noble 54. loaf of bread 55. lockpicks 56. longsword 57. lute, common, 10dn value 58. manacles 59. map to an ancient pagan burial complex 174

60. map of a mine in the Carpathian mountains 61. map to a cave in the nearest hills 62. map to a location in the Thornlands (possibly a bandit or rebel hideout) 63. map to a nearby rural location with an X mark 64. mirror, worth 8dn 65. mushrooms, poison, 1 dose 66. monkey’s paw 67. nails, 3d10 68. notice of safe passage through a random territory 69. oil, vial 70. oil lamp 71. ornate wooden cup worth 1d4dn 72. paper, blank, 2d10 sheets 73. Pendant worth 3d20dn 74. pepper, 16dn worth 75. perfume, 1 vial, worth 1d10dn 76. piece of glass, broken 77. poison (random) 78. potion, curative (heals 1d6+1 hp) 79. prayer book, plain, worth 1d100dn 80. pre-indulgence document, pardons 1 sin 81. rope, 50ft 82. salted meat rations, 1d6 days worth 83. sausages, 2d6 84. scissors, worth 1d4dn 85. sewing kit 86. shovel 87. short bow plus 30 arrows 88. Sigil to summon a demon with the demon’s name 89. signet ring belonging to a noble house 90. small religious icon of Mary, Jesus, or some saint, worth 4d20dn 91. small wooden cross 92. spoon, wooden, large 93. statuette of a saint, wood, worth 1d4dn 94. statuette of a pagan god 95. tinderbox 96. title to a farm or building 97. turnip 98. wooden staff 99. wooden sword, child’s 00. Writ of entry to noble or royal court II) Goods: 1-3 1d3 pigs 4-5 1d3 oxen 6-8 1d6 geese 9-12 1d6 ropes, 50ft each 13-14 1d10 cows 15-20 2d6 chickens 21-25 2d6 x 10 candles 26-27 4d10 sheep 28-38 barrel of beer, 12dn worth 39-41 barrel of nails, 3d10dn worth 42-45 barrel of wine, 50dn worth 46-50 craftsman’s tools, random 1d10dn worth 51 dyed wool, 1d4Gr worth 175

52-53 fine cloth, 1Gr worth 54 frankincense, 2d100dn worth 55-57 furs, 1d2Gr worth 58-65 grain, 2d6 sacks (4dn/sack) 66-70 honey, 1d8 pots worth (4dn/pot) 71 magician’s incense, 1d4Gr worth 72 paper, 2d100 sheets 73-76 pepper, 1d100dn worth 77-85 plain cloth, 1d100dn worth 86-90 plain wool, 1d100dn worth 91 rare dyes 1Gr worth 92 rare spices, 2d100dn worth 93-94 salted fish, 2d6 meals worth 95-98 Salted meats, 4d6 meals worth 98-99 tanned leather, 1d100dn worth 00 wine, 2d20 bottles (8dn/bottle) III) Weapons/Armor 1 1d4 silver-edged daggers 2 1d6 sling bullets, silver 3 1d6 arrows, silver-tipped 4 1d6 x 10 silver-tipped arrows 5-12 3d20 arrows 13-20 2d6 bows plus 30 arrows per bow 21 2d6 silver-coated longswords 22-25 3d12 darts 26-35 4d6 clubs 36-40 4d6 slings 41-44 2d10 short swords 45-50 2d20 hand axes 51-52 2d20 longswords 53-54 2d20 maces 55-56 3d20 metal-tipped quarterstaff 56-70 3d20 spears 71-73 3d20 battle axes 74-80 1d100 daggers/knives 81-85 1d100 wooden quarterstaff 86-89 Armor, padded, 1d6 suits 90-92 Armor, padded splint, 1d6 suits 93-94 Armor, Chain mail 95-97 Shields, small 1d6 98-00 Shields, large 1d6 176

IV) Religious Items 1-10 bell, small, silver 80dn worth 11 Bishop’s vestments, 1d2Gr worth 12-15 Bible, plain, Latin, 160dn worth 16 Bible, Illustrated, Latin, 3d20+10Gr worth 17-23 candelabra, 124dn worth 24-25 church bell (heavy), 3d4Gr worth 26-30 church wine, barrel, 52dn worth 31-32 decorative pagan spear, gold-tipped 2Gr worth (not usable as a weapon) 33-40 frankincense 1Gr worth 41-43 gold offering bowl, 124dn worth 44-55 priest’s vestments, 124dn worth 56-70 relic, unauthenticated 3d10p worth 71-73 reliquary box, 1d8Gr worth 74 saint’s icon, large, high-quality 1d4Gr worth 75-78 saint’s icon, small, high-quality 1Gr worth 79-83 saint’s icon, large, simple 1d100dn worth 84-90 saint’s icon, small, simple 2d6dn worth 91 saint’s statue, ornate 2d10Gr worth (heavy) 92 saint’s statue, wood 1d10Gr worth (heavy) 93 statuette, gold 2d8Gr worth 94 statuette, silver 1d4Gr worth 95-00 statuette, wood, 1d2Gr worth V) Valuables 1-2 Alchemical Lab Materials, 2d6 x 10Gr worth 3 Astrolabe 8Gr 4-5 Book, random topic (not magical or religious), illustrated; 4d20Gr worth 6-8 Bible, illustrated 4d20Gr worth 9-10 Book, demon grimoire with 3d10 sigils/ names/descriptions 11 Cymbaly (musical instrument) 1Gr worth 12-15 Chest, intricate, 2d12Gr worth (heavy) 16-20 Craftsman’s tools, random, fine, 1d4Gr worth 21 Zither (Slavic lyre) 1d3Gr worth 22-23 Fiddle, “mazanky,” 1d3Gr worth 24-26 Fine Perfume 1d2Gr worth 27-28 Ligawka (trumpet) 2d100dn worth 29-32 Fur cloak, 1d3Gr worth 33-34 Fur cloak, noble, 2d4Gr worth 35 Gold cup, 1d8Gr worth 36-37 Lute, Slavic 1d3Gr worth 38-39 Harp 1d6Gr worth 40-41 Heraldic Shield 42-46 Herbalist Supplies 2d4Gr worth 47 Hourglass 2d4Gr worth 48 Lens, magnification 1d4Gr 49-52 Lute, Slavic, ornate 1Gr worth 53-55 Magician’s Incense 2d4Gr worth 56-58 Magician’s Oil 1d3Gr worth 177

59-62 Mirror, 1d3Gr worth 63-65 Noble’s clothes 3d12Gr worth 66 Hurdy-gurdy, 1d3Gr worth 67-70 Rare Spices 1d8Gr worth 71 Reading Glasses, 1d8Gr worth 72-75 Rug 1d6Gr worth 76 Saffron Spice 2d20Gr worth 77 Trumpet, Ligawka 1d2Gr worth 78-80 Silk 3d20Gr worth 81-83 Silver cup, 1d3Gr worth 84-86 Silver hairpin, 1d3Gr worth 87-88 Statuette, gold 2d8Gr 89-90 Statuette, ivory 1d8Gr 91-94 War drum, 3d100dn 95-98 Tapestry 2d8Gr (heavy) 99-00 Throne, 2d6Gr worth (heavy) VI) Jewels Roll for the type of Jewel first: 1-2 armband 3-5 belt 6-10 bracelet 11-15 brooch 16-20 buckle 21-23 collar 24-25 coronet 26 crown 27-35 earring 36-45 gemstone 46-60 money 61-65 locket 66-70 medallion 71-80 necklace 81-85 pin 86-95 ring 96-00 tiara For any item other than gemstones or money, roll on the following table to determine its value and makeup: 1-10 2d6Gr (silver with detailing) 11-20 2d10Gr (silver and gold) 21-40 5d10Gr (gold) 41-70 3d20Gr (silver with gem) 71-90 1d6 x 10Gr (gold with gem) 91-00 4d20 x 10L (gold with ruby, sapphire or diamond) 178

For money, roll on the following table: 1-10 1d6 x 1000dn 11-20 2d20 x 1000dn 21-60 1d100 x 1000dn 61-80 1d4 x 100Gr 81-00 2d4 x 200Gr For gemstones, roll on the following tables: Type: base value 1-25 ornamental (quartz, agate)60dn 26-50 semi-precious (citrine, onyx)160dn 51-90 fancy (amethyst, garnet, pearl, topaz)4Gr 91-95 Precious (emerald, ruby, sapphire, diamond)12Gr 96-00 magical gem variable Note: magical gems are sometimes variants of more common gemstones. A character with occultism or artifact lore can identify the qualities of magical gems with a DC15 check. Size & Multiplier to base value 01-25 tiny x 1/4 26-50 small x 1/2 51-70 medium x 1 71-90 large x 2 91-00 huge x 4 Magical Gems (1d100) 1 Adamant: a stone that looks somewhat similar to quartz or diamond but is rarer than either and is quite hard. While held in the left hand, it will grant a +1 bonus to STR and CON. 2 Adamas: a diamond-like stone that can reveal poison, darkening the color of any liquid with poison in it. 3-7 Agate: points toward pearls if tied to a string and submerged under water. It only indicates the direction of the nearest pearl, not the distance, though if no pearl is to be found within 100 miles, it won’t work at all. 8 Amandinus: a chalky stone that, if held under the tongue when going to sleep, will ensure good sleep and allow the sleeper to interpret his dreams. It is a very rare stone. 9-13 Amethyst, flawless: this is a very common stone, but a flawless amethyst when held in hand, is said to be of some help in keeping one awake through the night (at the DM’s discretion, it could grant a bonus to saving throws against falling asleep). 179

14 Andromia: a four-pointed stone that looks like silver but is not true silver. Ground up and put into a drink, it can (on failing a saving throw versus poison) drive the imbiber into an irrational rage of murderous fury that lasts for 2d4 hours. 15 Balas: a stone very similar in appearance to a ruby but more pale in color. It is very rare and is said to originate in islands in the Mediterranean. If you place four such stones in the four corners of a building, the building will be protected against damage from storms and prevent any worms or other harmful insects from entering. 16 Beliocolus: a blue stone similar to Beryl in appearance, except that in its center it has a golden dot and a black circle surrounding it. It is exceedingly rare. Held in the bare hand, it grants the bearer a +2 bonus to Armor Class against attacks from any edged weapons. 17 Berica: a bluish stone, if ground into a powder and drunk in a potion, it can cure ailments that cause swelling of the belly. 18 Beryl: a blue-colored stone originating from India. If it is smoothed and polished, when held up against natural sunlight (but only before noon while the sun is still in the East), it can emit a ray that can set fire to cloth or paper and even cause irritation to the flesh. If Beryl is left immersed in water for a day, that water washed into the eyes can cure weakened or damaged eyes, but not blindness. This will only work effectively if the Beryl is of pale bluish-gray color. 19 Bitumen: a dark rock similar to iron but not as strong. If a piece of bitumen is thrown over a flame, it will emanate good heat and burn for very long periods of time, often days in the case of larger stones. 20 Bloodstone: this stone originates in Egypt and is so called because touching a bleeding wound with this stone will make the bleeding stop in 1d4+1 rounds. It is green but with reddish spots. Also, if put into a clear (glass or crystal) vessel of water and held up to the sun out of doors, the water will start to bubble and shortly cause rain no more than 1d4 hours later. 21 Calciphane: a round black stone. If held in one’s hand, it will improve one’s singing voice, granting a +2 bonus to any checks or reaction rolls related to singing. However, this stone has no effect if the person holding it is of an arrogant nature. 22 Calonite: a purple stone said to come from the borderlands of Persia and India. If a diviner puts it in his mouth during the sixth hour of the night of the waxing moon, they will be granted a +4 bonus to any divination checks performed in that hour. 23 Capnite: a white-colored quartz-like crystal; if this is ground up and ingested by someone already ill, they must make a saving throw or die. 24 Carbuncle: a fiery red stone. Most of these have no special properties. But the highest quality of this stone, which is exceedingly rare, will glow like a coal in darkness. If this quality of Carbuncle is in an area where the air is poisoned, the poison will disperse away from the stone, protecting the one who holds it. 25-27 Carnelian: black-colored carnelian can reduce the intensity of menstruation if held to a woman’s “flower.” 28 Celidony: a type of stone found sometimes in the wombs of large female swallows. It comes in two varieties: red and black. The red stone rubbed on a madman’s body, will sometimes cure his madness (allow a saving throw to recover from insanity). The black stone, if immersed in water for several hours and that water then drunk, can help to cure fevers (granting a saving throw to remove the fever). 180

29 Chalcedony: a pale white stone. If someone wears this stone visibly, they will be granted a +1 bonus to any checks or reaction rolls related to eloquent speech. 30 Chrysolete: related to Chrysolite but rarer, when this gold-colored stone is put over a flame for a minute, it will glow with its own light, illuminating like a torch for 1d4 hours. 31 Cimbria: a white chalk-like stone found in the bodies of giant saltwater fish. Whoever sleeps with this stone on their person will only need half the normal hours of sleep to wake up fully rested. 32 Cockstone: a small stone, smaller than a bean, extracted from the gizzard of very aged roosters. Ground up and served in wine, it will certainly cure impotence for a night. 33 Collorus: a gem similar to a sapphire but entirely white. Wearing this gem on one’s person grants a +2 bonus against any saving throws from attacks or powers of supernatural creatures. 34-35 Coral: Green-colored coral from the Red Sea can protect farmlands against storm damage if the coral is placed in the middle of the field. Red coral, fashioned into a ring, will give the wearer a +1 to reaction rolls for seduction. White coral, if worn around the neck, will protect the wearer from lightning (electrical attacks will do half damage or no damage if a saving throw is rolled). 36 Corinth: a black round stone. If it is anointed in rose oil and worn on one’s person over any clothing, then no poisonous snakes will approach them. However, if it is touched to the skin of a pregnant woman, it can cause a miscarriage. 37 Crisolide: related to Chrysolite, this stone is the color of seawater. Whoever carries it on their person, if they be free of sin (devout and having practiced confession), will be granted a +1 bonus to all reaction rolls related to nobles, potentates, and godly men. On the other hand, if someone is wicked and bores a hole in this stone and puts donkey hair through it, they will be able to move through the night undetected (with a +4 bonus to all sneaking attempts in the night). 38 Deadotes: a stone that looks similar to Beryl, it can be proven to be different from Beryl by putting it to your tongue, which will cause your tongue to feel like it is burning. If you touch this stone three times to a corpse, it will rise as a walking dead, though this animated dead will not be able to speak, nor will it obey your commands. Anyone who dies while this stone is touching their skin, will rise again as some form of intelligent undead. 38 Diadose: a clear crystal found in bodies of water, this stone is most virtuous and a protection against evil. If touched by corporeal undead, that undead creature must make a saving throw, or it will be deanimated, turning into a mere corpse. However, when the stone is touched to an undead (or an ordinary corpse), it will darken and thereafter lose its power. 39 Diaffinian: a pale red stone; if you carry this on your person, you will never suffer from diarrhea. 40 Diamond, pink: Demons cannot enter a room where a pink diamond rests on the ground. 41 Dianya: a reddish-black stone; if you grind it up and put it in alcohol, it will greatly improve the taste of even poor-quality drinks. 42 Dionisa: this is a black stone with sparkling flecks. If this stone is placed in wine, the wine will lose all alcoholic properties. On the other hand, if placed in water, it will make water taste like wine (though not cause drunkenness). 43 Dragonblood: this is a dark-red semi-opaque stone so-called because it was 181

commonly believed to be hardened drops of a dragon’s blood; however, learned men deny this. If dragonblood is mixed by an alchemist with a portion of quicksilver (mercury), it can then be used to coat a metallic weapon making it particularly difficult to break and giving it a stunning reddish sheen. Such a blade cannot be sundered except by magic or truly great force. It will not corrode or rust and will only melt at nearly double the usual temperature for melting steel. Because of the value of this and the stone’s rarity, such a treatment in the construction of a weapon is priced very dearly. 44 Eaglestone: a rare dark-red stone that is so called because it is sometimes found in eagles’ nests, particularly giant ones. It has the special quality that if someone suffering from chronic seizures holds the stone, it will stop the seizures. 45 Egestes: an iron-colored stone, which has the quality of sometimes growing and sprouting off a ‘child’ stone. If egestes is placed on the belly of a woman in labor, she will deliver quickly and with less difficulty. 46 Electron: an amber-colored stone that grants a +4 bonus to saving throws against fear while worn against the body. 47 Emerald, Tyrian: a precious gem, it originated in Tyre. It is sometimes found in the lairs of griffins and cyclops. The stone is of great value but also has the property to help pure and godly men stay pure. However, it will corrupt sinful men to commit greater sins. Emperor Nero was said to have had a mirror made of Tyrian Emerald. The mirror would grant his desires when he looked into it, making things go how he wished them to, but in turn, it made him more and more wicked. 48-49 Enydros: a stone similar to quartz but constantly ‘weeping’ humidity. If held up to the sun, it causes all the colors of the rainbow to appear. 50 Falcones: an unusual yellowish-red stone, which is of use to alchemists. If an alchemist takes this stone and carefully puts it through repeated cycles of calcination and sublimation (requiring a DC13 non-magical alchemy “puffery” check), it will turn into a whitish liquid that can dissolve almost any metal. Weaker metals will dissolve very quickly, while stronger ones take more time; only gold will be unaffected by it. 51-54 Garnet: a pretty transparent-red stone. There is a rarer variety of garnet, tinged with a violet color. This stone has the power to relieve the sorrow of heartbreak. 55 Gerachidem: a very rare stone, deep black in color. Its authenticity can be tested by holding it while one’s hand is smeared in honey. If true, flies and other insects will not approach the honey, as the stone keeps them away. If a person holds this stone in their mouth, it will enhance their perceptiveness (granting a +1 bonus to perception checks). 56 Hepatite: a stone that can be identified by a foul odor it emits when vigorously rubbed. If ground up and mixed with water and honey, it can cure impotence, at least temporarily. If hepatite is put in boiling water, that water instantly turns cool. 57 Hexacontalithos: a wondrous and very rare stone of 60 colors. It is found only deep underground, among the cave-dwelling savages of Libya. Whoever has the stone touching their flesh becomes stronger (granting a +2 modifier to Strength). 58 Hyenastone: said to be formed from the eye of a hyena after it has died, this stone looks like an eye and is found in Africa. It is said that someone who puts the stone under their tongue will receive visions. 59 Jacinth: this stone comes in several varieties. The most common is called ‘water jacinth’ and is pale blue. Then there’s one that’s 182

darker blue, another that is red, and finally one that is green and very hard. Each is more rare than the last. Of these, the green is the most rare, and it is said that when worn on the neck, it will cause people to be more inclined to welcome the wearer when he is traveling far from home (granting a +1 reaction modifier from locals). 60-61 Jasper: Red Jasper has a power that allows whoever wears it on their person (touching their skin) to have a greater ability to avoid being lied to or cheated (anyone attempting to lie or cheat the wearer must make a saving throw or they will act in such a way that gives them away). Green Jasper, when ground and mixed with a plant called heliotrope, makes a potion that turns a man invisible. This requires an Apothecary check DC15 to prepare the potion correctly, and if successful, it makes the imbiber invisible for 1d6 hours. 62 Jet: found in several varieties and relatively common. The purest black jet, when burned, will scare off all manner of snakes. The purity can be tested by rubbing the stone; true jet will cause straws and even thin metal shavings to move toward it. 63 Lippares: a black stone, originating in North Africa. It can burn, and when it burns, the fumes will curiously draw in and attract a variety of wild animals in the area. 64-65 Lodestone: a magnetic stone, usually either black or the color of iron. It will attract all manner of iron to it, and these will then acquire its qualities, becoming able to attract other objects of iron. If a lodestone is taken into a place haunted by incorporeal undead, the undead will manifest in front of the person bearing it. Also, if you put hot coals on the four corners of a house and then burn shavings of lodestone on the coals, anyone sleeping inside will have terrible nightmares, and there’s a chance (depending on a saving throw) that they will wake up screaming and run out of the house. 66-67 Medius: a stone from Persia. There are two forms of these stones: green and red. The green stone, if placed against the place where one is suffering from gout, will greatly alleviate the symptoms. The red stone is harmful to people, and if someone bathes in water where the stone lays, they may die from horrible skin eruptions. Drinking water containing a red medius stone will cause vomiting and death (in either case, a saving throw versus poison allows the sufferer to survive). 68 Melochites: an opaque green stone from Arabia. This stone, if placed on a cradle, will protect the infant who sleeps there from being stolen by elves. 69 Memphites: originally from Egypt, this red stone is made easily into a powder. If mixed with water and drunk, this will make the drinker feel very hot, but it will protect them from feeling any pain from heat (though extreme heat or fire will still harm them). It is said the Egyptians use this as a pain-killer when it is necessary to cauterize a wound. 70 Milkstone: this stone is the color of milk, and if ground and put in water, the water will look and taste like milk. However, whoever drinks it has a chance of going hopelessly mad (anyone who drinks it must make a saving throw to avoid insanity). 71 Moonstone: many stones have sometimes been called ‘moonstone,’ but the true moonstone is a stone with a pattern similar to that of a shell, mostly white but with flecks of many colors. If this stone is put under one’s tongue for the first hour of moonrise on the 10th day after the new moon, it can be used for divination. The diviner must concentrate firmly on whether or not to undertake some action; then, they will receive a very strong sense of whether they should go through with that task. 183

72 Mountainstone: a stone found in three varieties: the most common version is black, the rarer green with white, and the most rare is metallic in color. When rubbed with Rose Oil, this latter kind will prevent reptiles from biting the wearer. If it is worn by a woman, she will not be able to get pregnant. 73 Onyx: a black stone in its common variety. However, it has a rare variant, which is black with distinct white veins. If this variant stone is worn as a pendant or ring during the day, the wearer will have horrible dreams at night and fall into a deep melancholy. This counts as a curse, which must be cured through magic or a miracle if the ring was worn for more than three nights. The curse can also be cured by wearing sardstone for an equal length of time. 74 Ophthalmus: this stone is sometimes referred to as “thiefstone.” It is opaque offwhite, often with multicolored flecks. It has the quality that, if worn as a ring it will alter the vision of those around the ring-wearer, making him more difficult to see (granting a +2 bonus to stealth). Curiously, if the stone is ground and made into a potion, it can cure blindness (granting a saving throw to restore the sight of someone so afflicted). 75 Oriental Ruby: when held up to sunlight, it emanates heat. It is found in the heads of dragons and large serpents. If cut in a special way (requiring a jeweler skill check DC15), the reflected sunlight can project a burning ray (doing 1d4 damage up to 30’ away). 76-78 Pearls, perfect: grinding a perfect pearl into a powder and mixing it with fresh morning dew, when drunk, will grant anyone with any kind of illness a saving throw with a +4 bonus to be healed of their ailment. This effect only works with perfect white pearls, not yellow or flawed pearls. 79 Pyrophilus: in ancient times, some former wizard-alchemists knew how to create a type of poison called “cold poison” that would kill a man by making his body too cold to survive. The poison would accumulate in the heart, so much so that if the body was burned, the heart would be too cold to burn away. The heart of a victim of cold poison, if cooked in an alchemical oven for 3-5 days, would turn into a rock a bit less than half the size of a human heart, mostly red in color with stunning white streaks. Anyone who wears this stone (called pyrophilus) in such a way that it touches his skin will be completely immune to any form of poison. Since the knowledge of making Cold Poison has been lost since before the time of Alexander the Great, there are very few Pyrophilus stones to be found in modern times. 80-85 Quartz, flawless: if this crystal is ground up and dissolved in a potion of water and honey, it will greatly help a woman to nurse, increasing her milk. 86 Quiritia: a black and white stone. If it is placed on the chest of someone asleep, that person will suffer horrific nightmares and may wake up completely mad (roll a saving throw to resist madness). But if they do not, then they will gain the ability to see through illusions (granting a permanent +2 bonus to saving throws to recognize illusions). 87 Ramai: a small reddish stone that is not very hard, originally from Armenia. If a stone at least the size of a bean is swallowed, it will cure any illness that causes looseness of the bowels. 88 Samius: a white stone from the isle of Samos. It dissolves in (alcoholic) drink, and if taken in that way, it will cure headaches or dizziness of even the worst kind for at least a day. However, if taken by a woman who is pregnant, the child will likely die in the womb (saving throw to avoid). 184

89 Sapphire: a most valuable gem, when carried on one’s person this stone allows one to escape from any prison, but only if they are a godly person. 90 Sarcophagus Stone: a very rare stone used by ancient peoples in their tombs. Any corpse placed inside a sarcophagus made of this stone will be completely disintegrated within 30 days. 91 Sardstone: a red semi-translucent stone, but the best quality of this stone is almost entirely translucent. And that quality stone, if worn on the body, will make a person feel less melancholic. It will also counteract the negative effects of Onyx stone. 92 Senditcho: a stone from India. When placed on the body of a person suffering from swelling disease, this stone will gradually absorb the disease from the person, growing in size as it does so, in a process taking 1d4 days to fully cure the illness. If the stone is exposed to direct sunlight, it will then ‘sweat out’ the water from the swelling and can be reused. 93 Spinel Ruby: a red stone, it feels warm to the touch, and whoever bears it against their skin will be resistant to ordinary cold. Also, if you scrape it against sticks, those sticks will catch fire. 94 Terrobolem: stones that come from the Far East. They come in two colors, red and white, which are understood to be ‘male’ and ‘female .’The stones have no special properties when alone or when grouped with their own ‘gender.’ However, if a single red stone and white stone touch each other, they instantly explode in an enormous fireball, doing 8d6 damage to everything in a 50’ radius (with a saving throw for half damage). 95 Thunderstone: a rare stone said to come from Arabia. Whoever holds it in their hand will find that lightning cannot strike them, and fire will move away from them, but only if they are humble and pure of heart. 96-99 Topaz, perfect: when held while sleeping, it removes all nightmares or other disturbances of sleep so one can rest. 100 Vernix: a stone from Armenia, when burned as incense and inhaled, will greatly alleviate the symptoms of someone suffering from lung disorders. The effect only lasts for a day or two. VII) Special Items The GM should determine the nature of special items, but generally, this would refer to a magic item. If a GM wants to determine the nature of such an item semi-randomly, they could use the following guidelines: 1d6 Special Item 1 Pagan Magical Object 2 Potion (either multiple potions of healing or a single more unusual magic potion) 3-4 Minor Magic Item 5-6 Greater Magic Item 185

“Pagan Magical Objects” are found in the section of the same name in the setting portion of the book below. Potions can include any number of imbibed magical herbalist mixtures. Some examples (aside from healing potions) could include: ² Potion of Logic: +1 bonus to INT checks to analyze facts, study clues, or determine the credibility of a statement. Lasts 2d6 hours. ² Potion of Rhetoric: +1 to skill checks or reaction rolls in a debate, court case, or to convince someone in a noble court. Lasts 2d6 hours. ² Potion of Grammar: +1 to reciting/ creating poetry, verse, writing poetry or love letters, or making convincing pleas or petitions. Lasts 2d6 hours. ² Potion of Music: +1 to singing and performing with musical instruments. Lasts 2d6 hours. ² Potion of Arithmetic: +1 to mathematical calculations, accounting, logistics, or cryptography. Lasts 2d6 hours. ² Potion of Geometry: +1 to checks related to architecture, engineering, deciphering complex machinations, or locating and disabling secret doors or traps. Lasts 2d6 hours. ² Potion of Astronomy: +1 bonus to observing stars, navigation, and Astrology checks. Last 2d6 hours. Aside from the following section (“Magic Items”), the GM may find more examples of magic items in the Cults of Chaos sourcebook and the Old School Companion 1. The GM may also modify items from other OSR books as appropriate to suit the medieval-authentic style of Baptism of Fire. If the GM does not want to include a magic item in a given treasure, the ‘special item’ in question could always be a non-magic object relevant to the nature of the campaign, potentially something that grants them access to new opportunities or to make connections with powerful people, or that reveals something about the ongoing campaign. Otherwise, it could also be a map to some location containing a significant treasure trove of valuables or jewels; such a location could obviously have its own perils. Minor Magic Items (1d100): 1. Self-Cleaning Clothes: randomly determined as boots, pants, a dress, a shirt, jacket, or cloak. This item has been enchanted so that whatever dirt or stains it obtains will vanish after 1d20 minutes. The clothes could vary from simple peasant wear to fancier city clothes to elaborate aristocratic clothing. 2. Glowing Gem: this crystal, which looks like quartz or amethyst, glows with a soft light. It’s only enough to illuminate about 5’ around. 3. Lucky Penny: This is a single denarii piece. It’s enchanted to always land on one side if dropped or flipped. 4. Incense of Inspiration: this incense stick, when burned, will grant whoever inhales it a +1 to their next INT or WIS-based check. 5. Longshot Arrow: this arrow can fire more effectively at long distances, reducing the range penalty by -1 at medium and long ranges. On a miss, it can be recovered and reused; on a hit, there’s a 1/6 chance it will break and be unrecoverable. 6. Loud Bell: a small bell, able to be held in one hand. But it’s crafted such that its tone can be 186

heard up to 1000’ away when struck. Reduce the range by half for every solid wall it has to pass through. 7. Apple of Good Health: Eating this apple grants a +1 against any checks or saving throws versus disease for the next 24 hours. 8. Elf-string: a very fine string thread ranging from 10’ to 30’ in length. Although it looks very thin, it is impressively strong and can hold up to 100 lbs of weight without breaking. 9. Magic Pickled Egg: Eating this egg lets you drink 3 times the normal amount of alcohol without risk of inebriation; the effect is good for about 8 hours. 10. Healing tea: drinking this tea before sleeping allows one to heal double the regular amount of hit points from resting. 11. Dwarven Pick-Axe: This pickax allows the wielder to cut through stone at twice the normal speed. 12. Oracle Bones: a set of 3 knuckle-bones that can foretell in a vague sense the overall luck a person will have over the next 24 hours. If you toss the bones, there’s a random chance that it will give you either a good augury, a bad augury, or a neutral augury. A neutral augury has no effect. A good augury means the character will have a +1 bonus to all checks throughout the day. A bad augury means the character will have a -1 penalty to all checks throughout the day. Trying to roll again on the same day will have no further effect. 13. Sprite Wine: This fairy wine, when drunk, will grant the character a great sense of clear vision. They will gain a +2 bonus to perception checks, to finding secret doors, or detecting hidden people or objects. However, the wine is quite strong, so he has a -1 penalty to all other D20 checks for the day. 14. Lucky trap: this item looks like a common trap for catching rabbits or other small game. However, it is particularly effective. It grants a +4 bonus to wilderness lore checks for catching game. 15. Divining stick: this fork-shaped stick will point the wielder toward the nearest source of fresh water. It won’t give you any sense of how near or far it may be. 16. The Classic of Poetry: when studied for 2d4 weeks (minus your INT bonus), this text will grant the reader a permanent +1 bonus to reciting or composing poetry. 17. The Writings of the Church Fathers: when studied over 3d4 weeks (minus your INT bonus), this text will grant the reader a +1 bonus to theology. 18. Wojtek Plop’s Impressive Beer: drinking this strong beer will grant the imbiber a +1 bonus to all strength checks and damage from melee attacks for the next 2d6 hours. However, after this, he will feel exhausted and have a -2 penalty to all d20 checks until he sleeps for at least 8 hours. After he wakes, he’ll have a godawful hangover, which causes a -1 penalty to all d20 checks for the rest of that day. 19. Long-burning Oil: This vial of lamp oil will burn 3 times as long as a normal vial. 20. Transdimensional Bottle: this bottle looks like it can hold about 2 pints, but it can actually hold up to 10 pints of liquid. It weighs as though it only has 2 pints, even if it holds more than that. 21. Brooch of Warming: this brooch, if worn, keeps the body at a warm temperature even in below-freezing cold conditions. It does not protect against magical cold. 22. Seven-Day Candle: This item looks like a small candle that wouldn’t be likely to burn for more than a couple of hours but will, in fact, burn for 168 hours. It can be snuffed and re-lit repeatedly. 187

23. Chalk of Repeating: when you write something with it, this piece of chalk will oblige the next person holding it to write the same message. The message can be up to 300 characters long or a drawing of equivalent size. The message repeats only once, but after that, the next person can write a new message, which will repeat when next held. 24. Needle of Faerie-finding: when placed on a container with water, this needle will float and point in the direction of the nearest fairy creature lair. It will not indicate how far the locale is. 25. The Cheese Wheel: This wheel of cheese, when put on its circumference, will roll in the direction it is nudged and continue rolling until it bumps into a solid object, at which point it will stop. The wheels come in various sizes, from a couple of inches in radius to several feet in radius. 26. Hunter Chicken: this appears to be an ordinary chicken, but it’s actually enchanted. If you name someone the chicken has previously encountered and tell it to find them, the chicken will unerringly sense the direction where the person is found and start to head toward them. It will only fail to do so if the target is dead or not on this plane. In other respects, it is an ordinary chicken, meaning it is vulnerable to harm and can’t continue to follow someone if there’s no way to get closer to them. The chicken will only stop trying to pursue its target once someone holds it and gives it another name of someone they’ve seen to pursue. 27. Sword-Cloak: this cloak appears ordinary but has a small pocket in which one can somehow fit (and effectively conceal) a blade no longer than a longsword. The weapon can be found only if someone puts their hand in the pocket; it cannot be felt through the cloak. 28. Impressive Codpiece: this magical codpiece creates an aura of virility around the wearer, making them more attractive to anyone who would be attracted to a man. It grants a +1 to reaction rolls or seduction checks for getting up to naughty business. There is a cursed version of this item, the Ridiculous Codpiece, that has the opposite effect. 29. Comb of Hygiene: This comb will give anyone who uses it finely styled hair but will also reduce the risk of parasitic diseases, granting the person who combs their hair with it a +1 bonus to saving throws or other checks to resist parasitic disease. 30. Ring of Rat Control: this ring will allow the wearer, with concentration, the ability to control one rat at a time. The rat must be within line of sight for control to be maintained. The rat will essentially be the puppet of the wearer, but it cannot do anything physically impossible for a rat. 31. Crowbar of opening: This magic crowbar adds a +2 bonus to strength checks to force open doors (including chests) and a +1 to bend bars. 188

32. +0 Dagger: this magical dagger is either enchanted or made from metal from the Fae Realms. It has no bonus to hit or damage but can harm creatures immune to normal weapons. 33. Lucky Dice: These are not loaded dice; they are dice that bring special luck to one single person. The first person who touches them will have a +2 bonus to gambling or lucky rolls of other sorts with these dice, while anyone else will have a -1 penalty. If no one touches the dice for 24 hours, they ‘reset’ and will grant their bonus to the next person who touches them. 34. Perfect Hairpiece: This wig (either in a masculine or feminine style, roll randomly if needed) will fit perfectly on the head of whoever wears it so that it will be absolutely impossible to guess that it is not a person’s natural hair. 35. Animated Doll: A child’s doll, about 18 inches tall, it can be commanded to walk, stand up, sit, or hug someone. 36. Alchemical coin: this coin can, when touched and concentrated upon, switch from being lead, copper, silver or gold. 37. Net of fishing: This net, cast in any water where there are fish, will catch a fish in no more than 1d10 minutes of fishing. 38. Bone Flute: A necromantic flute made out of a bone. When played, this will cause any bones (not in a living or undead creature) to “dance” (hopping up and down) for as long as the flute is played. 39. Bouncing Ball: When thrown, this small ball (about the size of a fist) will bounce off any surface and keep bouncing indefinitely unless someone catches it. It is made of soft material; thus, being struck with it won’t cause any real damage, though it might knock light objects over or break glass or other fragile objects. 40. Rainbow Gem: This clear gem, a few inches long, when placed against light, will cause rainbow lights to bathe the area. These lights are not bright enough to blind or otherwise harm, though someone might be distracted by the lights out of pure surprise. 41. Gloves of Pick-Pocketing: These look like fine gloves; they were created by or for some master thief. Anyone wearing them gets a +2 bonus for pick-pocket attempts. 42. Alchemical Bar: this bar of lead can be transformed by heating it over a flame for 1 minute into appearing to be a bar of gold. The value of the gold is about 1Gr. However, after 1d6 hours, it turns back into lead permanently. 43. Cursed Grappling Hook: this grappling hook will appear to be ordinary, but when hooked to something, it will slip off by itself within 1d6+1 rounds. Anyone climbing from a rope attached to the hook will likely fall. 44. Tiny Hammer: this very small hammer is only about 3 inches long. However, it is as strong as a hammer of ordinary size. If used in combat, it does 1d4 damage and can harm creatures immune to normal damage. 45. Sure-burning Log: this big log of wood is enchanted to light in any circumstance, even if it’s soaking wet. However, it cannot light if completely submerged or in a space with no oxygen. 189

46. Pepper egg: This pickled egg seems completely ordinary and tastes fine when initially eaten, but about 2 rounds after biting into it, the egg becomes incredibly spicy, causing the mouth to burn intensely. The eater must make a saving throw to avoid vomiting. 47. Potion of Flavoring: This potion looks like ordinary water. However, adding a drop of this water to any meal or drink will greatly enhance its taste, making even spoiled food taste wonderful and common drinks taste like the finest ale or wine. There’s enough in the potion for 100 doses. However, if the potion is drunk in one go, it’s potentially poisonous. The imbiber must make a saving throw to avoid becoming violently ill for 24 hours (unable to undertake any strenuous activity), and from then on will find that anything they eat or drink will taste incredibly bland. 48. Honey of Good Health: a small pot of honey. When a daily portion is eaten, it will grant the eater a +1 bonus to saving throws involving health/constitution for the day. There’s enough honey in the pot for 2d10 doses. 49. The Book of the Histories: a text on ancient history; anyone who studies this book for 2d4 weeks (minus the reader’s INT bonus) will gain a +1 bonus to all checks related to (ancient) historical knowledge. 50. Multicolored ink: a vial of ink that can change color by tapping on the side of the vial. The ink changes color from black to blue, to red, to gold, and back again. 51. Opening Key: a magical key. When placed into a lock, it will mold itself to that lock so it can be opened. After that, the key will only work on that particular lock. 52. Letter of Presentation: this small scroll appears blank, but when shown to someone, it will instantly take on the appearance of a letter of authority or introduction that the PC states it is to convince the reader of what the PC wants them to think. It will only work once. Note that it does not change reality; it will appear in all respects to be authentic, but it is not. 53. Letter of Expectation: as above, but instead of turning into the letter as described by the PC, it will react to the reader’s own mind and take the appearance of a letter, authorization, or introduction that the reader expects it to be, based on their own expectations of who the characters might be. 54. Bread of healing: a small flatbread that never gets moldy. Whoever eats this bread will heal 1d3 hp. 55. Magic Lockpicks: these lockpicks are enchanted to grant a +1 bonus to all lockpicking checks. 56. Sword of Fancy Swordplay: this sword is enchanted, but not to increase striking or damage ability. It will, however, allow the wielder to make very impressive flourishes and swordtwirling, potentially giving the impression they are much more skilled in using the sword than they really are. This can grant bonuses to reaction rolls or intimidation. The sword is capable of harming creatures immune to normal weapons. 57. Flaming Lute: this lute of very fine appearance grants a +1 bonus to any checks for musical performance. However, on playing a command chord the lute can also light itself on fire. The lute can then be used as a flaming weapon, doing 1d4 points of damage. It does not do magical damage but can potentially cause fire damage on a hit. 58. Magic Manacles: These manacles lock on normally, but will also magically unlock on uttering a specific command word. They are otherwise ordinary. 59. Scroll of magic post-Mapping: this scroll is blank when unrolled, but if kept unrolled in any underground complex (natural or man-made), it 190

will start to draw automatically over the area that the scroll travels. It does not automatically detect secret doors or traps but will note them if they are seen by the scroll-wielder. 60. Glass of Vision: a prism of glass that, when held in front of the eyes, will allow someone to see normally in anything short of complete darkness. 61. Hillfolk Horseshoes: these horseshoes act as normal on a horse, except that they allow horses to climb up steep slopes and difficult rocky terrain without penalty or reduced speed. 62. Dwarven Helm: This helm is slightly tight-fitting on humans; only shorter humans (or those with particularly small heads) can wear it. It has a small gem on the top of the forehead. When tapped, it will project light in a cone 60’ ahead of the wearer. The light can illuminate but not blind. 63. Invisible X: a cloth in the form of a large “X.” If laid out on a certain spot, it will become invisible to everyone except whoever touched it less than 24 hours before laying it on the spot. Once placed on the ground and laid out to form an “X,” it can no longer be removed; it melds with the ground. 64. Mirror of Flattery: Anyone who looks into this mirror will see their reflection as attractive as possible. 65. Poison Pillow: Anyone who rests their head on this pillow for 4 hours or more must make a saving throw (vs. poison) or die of what seems like natural causes. 66. Lucky Penny: A common denarii piece. Any time a character rubs this coin with his thumb, he’ll get a +1 bonus to his next D20 roll. However, every time he does this, there’s a 1/6 chance it will stop working, all its luck having rubbed off. 67. Nail of Holiness Detection: When laid on its side and spun around, the nail will end up pointing to the person with the most favor from God. It is up to the GM to determine who this is. 68. Woodsman’s Cloak: This cloak, when worn, grants any character traveling in wilderness areas a +1 bonus to reaction rolls or charisma checks with non-magical animals (generally speaking, they’ll be less inclined to see them as a threat). This benefit will not work if they have attacked the animals in question. 69. Vial of Oil: This oil vial with a spout contains an oil that can be applied to any kind of hinges or other mechanical junctures to loosen them. This will potentially unstick doors or chests that are stuck or make any objects held together by hinges or junctures easier to separate. 70. Lantern of Invisibility to Insects: this glass lantern, when lit, will give off a reddish light in a 50’ radius. Anyone within that radius will be effectively invisible to any kind of insects (including most giant insects, though possibly not all of them). 71. Cup of Booze-Stealing: This simple wooden cup, placed within 6” of any other cup or glass with alcohol in it, will magically 191

transfer any alcohol from that other glass to the cup. The effect takes one round to complete. 72. Vanishing Paper: This small scroll of paper (about the size of one sheet of regular paper) can be written on, and then when touched and a command word uttered, whatever was written on it will disappear, and the page will be virgin-blank again. 73. Amber Pendant: A plain pendant with a heart of amber; the wearer can take a small object (not much larger than about a cubic inch) and place it inside the amber, where it will be invisible. He can remove the object from the pendant at will. 74. Sneezing powder: a pouch containing a fine dust. If it is dropped or blown into someone’s face, it will cause them to sneeze uncontrollably for 2d6 rounds. During this time, they will suffer a -4 penalty to all D20 rolls (-2 if they make a saving throw). There’s enough powder in the pouch for 1d6+1 doses. 75. Perfume of Seduction: when applied to the body, this enchanted scent will make the wearer highly attractive to anyone predisposed to be attracted to their gender. This will grant them a +2 to reaction rolls (or seduction checks) with anyone so attracted. The effect lasts 2d4 hours (or if the scent is somehow removed, either by being bathed or covered in some strong scent). A typical vial of perfume contains 2d20 doses. 76. Orb of Mist: a crystal orb about the size of a golf ball. If thrown or dropped on or against any hard surface, the orb will shatter and release a thick mist covering an area of up to 80’ by 80’, obscuring anything within the area. The mist will dissipate in a maximum of 3d10 rounds, though it will dissipate in half the time if there is any wind in the area or a strong air current. 77. Potion of Deathliness: Drinking this potion will cause the imbiber to fall into a deep, death-like trance. Only someone very skilled in medicine (making a difficult check) could realize the person is still alive; they will appear not to be breathing or have a pulse (in fact, they have a very slow, very slight pulse, but it would only be detectable by someone knowing just how to check for it). This death-like state will last for 1d10 hours. 78. Balm of Treatment: This balm, applied over a wound, will heal 1d3 points of damage. 79. Book of Strategies: This book of military studies, when read for 2d4 weeks (reduced by INT bonus), will make the reader a more effective commander of troops, granting them a +1 to military skill checks and a +1 morale/ loyalty bonus for troops under their command. 80. Scroll of Indulgence: this scroll is a religious document that forgives the user of every sin they’ve committed up to this point in their life. This has no special visible effect, but it may allow them to reach some kind of higher plane or interact with certain celestial beings more favorably. 81. Rope of Unknotting: this 50’ rope of medium thickness has a single magical quality: if tied into any number or kinds of knots, on a command word, it will unknot itself. 82. Salt Crystal: a crystal about three inches long and one inch thick; if it is touched to any food or drink, it will make it salty. If held to it for more than two rounds, it will make it extremely salty. Touching the crystal to a normal slug for one round will kill the slug; touching it to a giant slug will kill the giant slug after a number of rounds equal to the giant slug’s hit dice. If the crystal is immersed in liquid for more than 5 rounds, it will dissolve. 83. Sausages of exploding: usually found in a string of 2d6, these sausages look ordinary. If eaten, they are extremely spicy, and the eater 192

must make a Saving Throw to avoid vomiting and becoming violently ill with intestinal upset for the next 2d12 hours. But if the tip of a sausage is exposed to flame and then thrown, it will explode on impact, doing 1d6 damage in a 5’ radius. 84. Elf-Scissors: these ordinary scissors, when they cut any type of thread, weave, or raw material, will cut as perfectly as possible, leaving no frayed ends. 85. Golden Thread: a very thin, fine thread of gold. Its total length is 600’. If you hold one end of the thread, roll up the rest into a ball, and then drop it, it will roll on its own, slowly unwinding toward the nearest exit. This effect will only work indoors or underground. 86. Shovel, holy: this is an ordinary shovel, except that it can be used as an improvised weapon capable of harming creatures immune to normal weapons. It does 1d4 damage but double damage against undead. 87. Folding Bow: This short bow can be folded four times into a stick less than one foot long. It takes one round to fold but can then be unfolded in a single flick of the wrist once a character gets used to doing it. 88. Demon Bell: a bell with no striker; if it is tied to a door or hung from a window, it will ring out if a demon, abomination, or undead creature approaches within 10’ of the entryway. 89. Signal Ring: A gentleman’s ring; on a command word, it can flash a light. The light will only flash for one round each time it’s activated and is not very intense. In daylight, it is only visible up to 50’ away, but at night or in darkness, it can be seen up to 1500’ away. 90. Saint’s Icon: If worn by a believer, this religious necklace will grant a +1 bonus to all saving throws against demons or undead creatures. 91. Holy Crucifix: This holy symbol belonged to a particularly devout Holy Man in the past. A Holy person who uses it gains a +1 bonus to turning undead checks if they have that miraculous gift. 92. Magic Spoon: this metal spoon, held at one end and concentrated upon, will spontaneously twist around and coil. Concentrated upon again, it will magically straighten. 93. Saint’s bone: the relic of a holy saint, this small fingerbone, if held while performing healing through laying on hands, will heal 1d3 extra hit points. 94. Demon’s tooth: worn as a pendant, this tooth of a demon will grant a +1 bonus to attacks and saving throws against any servant of law/ good. 95. Firebox: this small brass box, about one inch by one inch, has a lid that can be flicked open. When opened, a small flame emerges from it. If the open box is submerged in liquid, the flame will be extinguished, and the box will no longer work. 96. Alambus’ Portable Outhouse: This is a little box, 2” x 1” x 4”, which, if placed on the ground over an area of dirt (it cannot be placed on rock, sand, or other terrain or anywhere indoors) will suddenly and instantaneously expand into a full-sized outhouse, complete with freshly dug hole. Tapping on the door four times will make it shrink back to a tiny box, but the hole will remain (as will anything in it). It can only be placed somewhere that there’s enough room for the outhouse to grow, and it cannot be shrunk if a person is inside it. 193