Numenera Player's Handbook

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE NINTH WORLD NUMENERA OVERVIEW CREATING YOUR CHARACTER CHARACTER TYPE CHARACTER DESCRIPTOR CHARACTER FOCUS EQUIPMENT 2 4 10 16 34 38 61 For a free downloadable copy of the official Numenera character sheet and a step-by-step guide to character creation using this sheet, visit www.numenera.com/charactersheet. CREDITS Writer/Designer Monte Cook Rule Developers Monte Cook and Sean K. Reynolds Additional Writing Shanna Germain Lead Editor Shanna Germain Editor Ray Val Iese Proofreader M ichele Carter Cover Designer and Lead Artist Kieran Yanner G raphic Designer Sarah Robinson Artists J ason Engle, Guido Kuip, Patrick M cEvoy, M att Stawicki, Ad rian Wi lkins, Kieran Ya nner Cartographer Ch ristopher West Alpha Playtesters Shanna Germain, Ray Val Iese, Colin M cComb, J ames Bel l, Erik Mona, Dan ica King, Sean Reynolds, Stan!, Hyru m Savage © 2013 Monte Cook Games, LLC NuMENERA and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC.

�LIME NE � The older man stokes the fire, stirring the embers, some of which float into the night sky. The young girl's gaze follows them as the sparks join the panoply of stars. "Our world is very young," the man says. He leans heavily on his gnarled wooden staff and adjusts his tattered cloak with one hand. "But it is built upon the bones of another, much older world." The girl nods. "Many worlds, actually. Most people say eight, but it could be more. They say eight so that they can call our world the Ninth World." She nods again, but he can see that she doesn't truly understand. Does he? Can anyone comprehend such a passage of time? The face of the world had shifted so much. Even the stars were not untouched by the changing aeons. "The people that came before us, if people they were, commanded great powers." He pulls from his leather pouch a thing made of metal and the light, smooth material called synth. He uses his thumb to touch the clear panel in well practiced, if not entirely understood, ways. The air around the device fills with light that dances and moves in symbols and pictures that mean nothing to him. The girl gasps and then laughs in delight. "Some of their ancient powers remain, even though the people do not," he tells her. "And some bring wonder and beauty. But others bring deaths for which we have no name. Their legacy is a blessing and a curse." "Magic," the girl whispers. The man smiles. "We call it the numenera."

W elcome to the N i nth World, where tech nology is magic and even our most distant future is sti ll very m uch the past. The N i nth World is the setting of the roleplayi ng game NuMENERA™. This book is the Numenera Player's Guide, not the fu ll ru lebook. The Player's Guide offers a brief overview of the setting and the rules of the game, and it provides all the i nformation you need to create a character so you can play N umenera, explore the Ninth World, and d iscover its wonders and dangers for you rself. In a roleplaying game, the pl ayers take on the roles of people in a fictional world. Each player creates a characte r to portray, and together, the players create a story. In their i magination, the pl ayers experience the same challenges and rewa rd s that their characters experience. To faci l itate this, the rules of the game govern whether cha racters succeed or fail at what they try to do. Th is book sometimes refers to the pl ayer characters as PCs. In addition to the pl aye rs who are the characters in the story, there is another pl aye r-the game master-who is not only the arbiter of the rules but also the crafte r of the na rrative. The game master (sometimes referred to as the G M) i ntrod uces compl ications, enemies, allies, twi sts, and surprises i nto the story. He or she should have a copy of the fu ll corebook-Numenera, which includes all the information from this book, plus m uch more. As a PLAYER'S GUIDE pl ayer, you can read through the corebook if you wish, but everything you need is here. N umenera is all about discovery. In the game, your character wi ll discover wonders of the prior ages (our own world's far distant future) and a tech nology so advanced that, as author Arthur C. Clarke wrote, it is indisti nguishable from magic. You wi ll discover mysteries to solve and meet interesting people who populate this strange world. You wi ll discover dangerous foes in the form of extraterrestrials, robots, mutants, or the genetic experiments of the past. You wi ll discover tech nology called the numenera that wi ll aid in your endeavors. The key to playing N umenera is the story. The way to "wi n" this game is to come away with a great tale. Always remember that your character is one of the main heroes in a fabulous science-fantasy narrative. The Ninth World is a weird and wondrous place, and the trials and tribulations you face are part of that story. Through your character, you wi l l d iscover thi ngs unlike anything you've d reamed of, and in so doing craft a tale with your friends that you'll always remember. Read through the N u menera Overview (page 4) , and then jump right in and make a character. You don't have to read through every character option right away-j u st choose a type, descri ptor, and focu s that sound i nteresting, and get going! A whole new world awa its you.

�LIME NE� NUMENERA OVERVIEW ''Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. " -Arthur C. Clarke The key to playing Numenera is the story. The way to "win" this game is to come away with a great tale. T here have been eight previous worlds. You may refer to them as ages, aeons, epochs, or eras, but it's not wrong to think of each as its own individ ual world. Each former world stretched across vast millennia of time. Each pl ayed host to a race whose civil izations rose to supremacy but eventually d ied or scattered , disappeared or tran scended. During the time that each world flourished, those that ru led it s poke to the sta rs, reengineered their physical bod ies, and mastered form and essence, all in their own u n ique ways. Each left beh ind remnants. The Ninth World is built on the bones of the previous eight, and in particu lar the last four. Reach i nto the dust, and you'll find that each particle has been worked , man ufactured, or grown, and then ground back i nto drit-a fine, artificial soi l-by the relentless powe r of time. Look to the horizon-is that a mountain, or part of an impossible monu ment to the forgotten em peror of a lost people? Feel that subtle vibration beneath your feet and know that ancient engines-vast mach ines the s ize of kingdoms-sti ll operate in the bowels o f t h e earth. The Ninth World is about d iscove ri ng the wonders of the worlds that came before it, not for their own sake, but as the means to improve the present and build a futu re. Each of the prior eight worlds, in its own way, is too distant, too different, too incomprehensi ble. Life tod ay is too dangerous to dwell on a past that ca nnot be u nderstood . The people excavate and study the marvels of the prior epoch s just enough to help them survive in the world they have been given. They know that energies and knowled ge are suspended invisi bly in the air, that reshaped conti nents of i ron and glass-be low, u pon, and above the earth-hold vast treasures, and that secret doorways to stars and other dimensions and rea lms provide power and secrets and death. They sometimes ca ll it magic, and who are we to say that they're wrong? More ofte n, however, when they find leftovers of the old world s-the devices, the vast mach ine complexes, the altered land scapes, the changes wrought u pon l iving creatures by ancient energies, the i nvisible nano-spirits hovering in the air in cloud s ca l led the I ron Wind, the information transm itted i nto the so-ca l led d atasphere, and the rem n ants of visitors from other dimensions and alien planets-they call these thi ngs the numenera. In the Ninth World, the n u menera is both a boon and a bane. It makes life very d ifferent from any other time on Earth. In a southern part of the vast, singular continent of the Ninth World l ies a cluster of settled lands col lectively ca lled the Steadfast. Although each of the kingdoms and principal ities of the Steadfast has its own ru ler, a leader known as the Amber Pope guides the Order of Truth, an orga n ization of Aeon Priests that commands a great deal of respect in the region. Thus, the Amber Pope is likely the most powerful ru ler in the Steadfast even though he does not govern a s i ngle square foot of land. The Order of Truth reveres the people of the past and their knowled ge on a quasi rel igious level of adoration and faith. It is a religion devoted to scie nce. Deeper in the wilds l ies a region ca l led the Beyond, where vi llages and commun ities are isolated and rare. Here, Aeon Priests sti ll study the secrets of the past, but they do so cloistered in remote claves. These priests do l ittle more than pay lip service to the Amber Pope, if that, and are not considered part of the Order of Truth. Like the regions in which they l ive, and the cl aves in which they work, they are isolated , islands u nto themselves. THE PEOPLE OF THE NINTH WORLD In the youth of an age, people use the resou rces they have on hand, cou pled with wh atever understanding of their world they can master, to carve out a l ife for themselves. In the N i nth World, the resou rces are the n u menera-the detritus of the prior eras-and the people's understanding of these resou rces is crude and i ncomplete. The Aeon Priests possess just enough d iscernment and knowledge to suggest possible uses for thi ngs, but so m uch remains to be d iscovered . Even

the creatures and plants of the Ninth World are strange byprod ucts of the prior ages; the past left beh ind flora, fauna, and mach ines, some designed by lore or natu re, others transplanted from distant stars or dimensions. The people of the Ninth World clothe themselves in newly spun fabrics but weave the artifacts of the past i nto each garment. They forge armor, weapons, and tools from materials recovered from ancient structures and devices. Some of these materi als are meta ls, but others are (or appear to be) glass, stone, bone, flesh, or substances that defy categorization and u nderstandi ng. Those who risk the mysterious dangers to recover the rel ics of the past provide a va luable service. Typically these brave sou l s-warrior gla ives, science-wield ing nanos, and wily jacks-bri ng their findi ngs to the Aeon Priests, who use the artifacts to fashion tools, weapons, and other boons for the growing civi l ization. As time passes, more individ uals learn to use the n u menera, but it sti ll remains a myste ry to most people. Who, then, are the people of the Ninth World ? Most are humans, although not all that call themselves human truly are. There are likewise the abhumans: some mutants, crossbreeds, genetically engi neered, and their offspring. And then there are the visitants, who are not native to the earth but who now call the Ninth World home, and who have no more understanding of the past (even their own) than anyone else. THE NUMENERA People with knowled ge of the rel ics of older worlds d ivide them i nto th ree types: artifacts, cyphers, and oddities. ARTI FACTS are large devices that typically can be used more than once to prod uce the same result. An artifact PLAYER'S GUIDE might be a belt that creates a sh ield of i nvisible force to protect the wearer or a flyi ng skiff that carries people and ca rgo from one place to another. The term is almost always used for an item that has an obvious pu rpose-a weapon, a defense, a mode of transport, a means of commun ication or learning new i nformation, a means of obtaining food or other necessities, and so forth. Artifacts make their u sers more powerful, or they make l ife easier or bette r. CYPHERS are usually small, minor devices that most cha racters can coax a si ngle effect from before they are depleted and become cu riosities or decorations. They might include a q u ick injection designed to repa ir physical damage in a l iving creatu re or a hand held object that, when manipulated properly, becomes a weapon that explodes with tremendous force. H owever, cyphers are dangerous when gathered together beca use they create rad iation and harmonic freq uencies that are inimical to human life. ODDITI ES are the rel ics that are neither cyphers nor artifacts. They serve no obvious pu rpose but have stra nge fu nctions that are at least curious, if not down right enterta ini ng. Examples i nclude a piece of glass in a metal frame that shows pecu liar images or a box with th ree bel ls that ri ng a t u n p red ictable times. N ot everything from the prior worlds can be u nderstood . In fact, m uch of it ca nnot. LOOKING AT THE NINTH WORLD FROM THE 21 ST CENTURY The Ninth World is a science-fantasy setting approxi mately a billion years in the future. The people of the world dwell amid the flotsam of impossible u ltratech o f e i g h t prior

�LIME NE� civi l izations and ca ll it magic. Uni magi nably h uge mach i nes lie beneath the earth, and satell ites orbit high above, transmitting a web of data and free energy. Nanotech, gravitic tech nology, genetic engi neering, spatial warping, and su perdense polymers allowed the inha bitants of the previous worlds to reshape the planet. Mass and energy were theirs to command. In many ways, the Ninth World is a med ieval fantasy setting without the historicity. When people who h aven't done a lot of homework on the dark ages run a trad itional fantasy game, they often i n sert modern sensibilities or developments such as democracy, hygiene, or matches. But in the Ninth World, these thi ngs, and more, make sen se. Characters can have rain sl ickers, ink pe ns, zippers, and pl astic bags, all left over from the prior eras (or fash ioned from leavings of the past) . They can u ndersta nd how ill nesses are transm itted or how socialism works. They can know that the earth revolves around the sun and be aware of other "anachronistic" bits of knowledge. On the other hand, cha racters in N u menera don't refer to weapons as "gu ns" or veh icles as "cars." The tech nology in the Ninth World is too advanced and too alien for such term i nology to h ave end u red . U s i n g 2 1 st-centu ry terms for weapons and veh icles is as inappropriate as using med ieva l terms. The n u menera is weird-m uch of it wasn't created by humans or for humans. It isn't designed or presented in any way that might be famil iar to the pl aye rs or the characters. Only through experimentation, player insight, and characte r skill can the PCs identify, and possi bly u se, what they find. Perhaps even more i mportant, the artifacts, cyphers, and odd ities that characters use probably aren't serving their original pu rpose. The explosive cypher that a character tosses at an enemy m ight have been the power sou rce for a veh icle. The force field the enemy uses to protect herself from the blast might have been designed to contain the rad iation of the fuel rod s in a miniature n uclear reactor. Welcome to the Ninth World, where every d iscovery might save you-or ki ll you. But you won't know until you try. TASK DIFFICULTY Throughout this book you'll find places where we suggest you ask your GM for additional i nformation. The GM can find this i nformation in the N umenera corebook. RULES OVERVIEW N u menera uses a twenty-sided die (1 d20) to determine the resu lts of most actions. Whenever a roll of any kind is ca l led for and no die is specified , roll a d20. The game master sets a difficulty for any given task. There are 10 degrees of d ifficu lty. Thus, the d ifficu lty of a task can be rated on a scale of 1 to 1 0. Each d ifficu lty has a target number associated with it. The target number is always th ree times the task's d ifficu lty, so a d ifficu lty 4 task has a ta rget number of 1 2 . To succeed at the task, you must roll the ta rget number or h igher. Character skills, favorable circumstances, or excel lent equi pment can decrease the d ifficu lty of a task. For example, if a character is trai ned in cl imbi ng, she turns a d ifficu lty 6 cl imb i nto a d ifficu lty 5 cl imb. Th is is called decreasing the difficulty by one step. If she is special ized in climbi ng, she turns a d ifficu lty 6 climb i nto a difficu lty 4 climb. Th is is ca l led decreasing the difficulty by two steps. A skill is a category of knowledge, abil ity, or activity relati ng to a task, such as cl imbi ng, geography, or persuasiveness. A character who has a skill is better at completing rel ated tasks than a character who lacks the skill. A character's level of skill is either trained (reasonably skil led) or specialized (ve ry skil led) . If you are trai ned in a skill relati ng to a task, you decrease the difficu lty of that task by one step. If you are special ized , you decrease the difficu lty by two steps. A skill can never decrease a task's d ifficu lty by more than two steps. Anything else that red uces d ifficu lty (help from an al ly, a particu lar piece of eq uipment, or some other advantage) is referred to as an asset. Assets can never decrease a task's d ifficu lty by more than two steps. You can also decrease the d ifficu lty of a given task by applying Effort. (Effort is descri bed in more detail on page 11.) TASK DI FFICU LTY DESCRIPTION TARGET NO. GUIDANCE 0 Routi ne Sim ple 2 Standard 3 Demand ing 4 Difficult 5 Challenging 6 I ntim idati ng 7 Form idable 8 Heroic 9 I m mortal 10 Impossible 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 Anyone can do this basically every time. M ost people can do this most of the time. Typical task requiring focu s, but most people can usually do this. Req uires full attention; most people have a 50/50 cha nce to succeed. Trai ned people h ave a 50/50 chance to succeed . Even trai ned people often fail. Normal people almost never succeed . Impossible without skills or great effort. A task worthy of tales told for years afterward . A task worthy of legends that last l ifetimes. A task that normal humans cou ldn't consider (but one that doesn't break the laws of physics) .

To sum up, th ree thi ngs can decrease a task's d ifficu lty: skills, assets, and Effort. If you can decrease a task's d ifficu lty to 0, you automatically succeed and don't need to make a roll. WHEN DO YOU ROLL? Any time your characte r attem pts a task, the GM assigns a d ifficu lty to that task, and you roll a d20 against the associated ta rget number. When you jump from a burning ve h icle, swi ng a battleaxe at a m utant beast, swi m across a raging river, identify a stra nge device, convince a merchant to give you a lower price, craft an object, use a power to control a foe's mind, or use a heat-beam em itter to ca rve a hole in a wall, you make a d20 roll. H owever, if you attem pt something that has a d ifficu lty of 0, no roll is needed-you automatically succeed. Many actions have a difficu lty of O. Examples include walking across the room and open ing a door, using a s pecial abil ity to negate gravity so you can fly, using an abil ity to protect your friend from rad iation, or activating a device (that you already understa nd) to erect a force fie ld. These are all routine actions and don't req uire rolls. Using skill, assets, and Effort, you can decrease the difficu lty of potenti ally a n y t a s k t o 0 and thus negate the need for a roll. Wa lking across a na rrow wooden beam is tricky for most people, but for an expe rienced gym n ast, it's routine. You can even decrease the d ifficu lty of an attack on a foe to 0 and succeed without rolli ng. If there's no roll, there's no chance for failure. H owever, there's also no chance for remarkable s uccess (in PLAYER'S GUIDE N u menera, that usually means rol ling a 19 or 20; see S pecial Rolls on page 8) . COMBAT Making an attack in com bat works the same way as any other roll: the GM assigns a difficu lty to the task, and you roll a d20 against the associated ta rget num ber. The d ifficu lty of your attack roll depends on how powerful your opponent is. J u st as tasks have a d ifficu lty from 1 to 1 0, creatu res have a leve l from 1 to 1 0. Most of the time, the difficu lty of your attack roll is the same as the creature's level. For example, if you attack a level 2 band it, it's a level 2 task, so your ta rget number is 6. It's worth noting that players make all die rolls. If a character attacks a creature, the player makes an attack roll. If a creature attacks a character, the player makes a defense roll. The damage dealt by an attack is not determ i ned by a rol l-it's a flat number based on the weapon or attack used. For example, a s pear always does 4 poi nts of damage. Your Armor characteristic red uces the damage you take from attacks d irected at you. You get Armor from wea ri ng physical armor (such as a stu rdy leather jerki n or chai nmail) or from s pecial abilities. Like weapon damage, Armor is a flat num ber, not a roll. If you're attacked , s u btract your Armor from the damage you take. For example, a leather jerki n gives you 1 point of Armor, meaning that you take 1 less point of damage from attacks. If a bandit h its you with a knife for 2 poi nts of damage wh ile you're wea ri ng a leather jerki n, you take only 1 point of damage. If your Armor red uces the damage from an attack to 0, you take no damage from that attack.

�LIME NE� When you see the word "Armor" capital ized in the game rules (other than as the name of a s peci al ability) , it refers to your Armor characteristic-the number you s u btract from incoming damage. When you see the word "armor" with a lowercase "a," it refers to any physical armor you might wear. Typical physical weapons come in three categories: l ight, medium and heavy. LIGHT WEAPONS infl ict only 2 poi nts of damage, but they red uce the difficu lty of the attack roll by one step beca use they are fast and easy to u se. Light weapons are pu nches, kicks, clubs, kn ives, handaxes, rapiers, and so on. Weapons that are particu larly small are light weapons. M EDIUM WEAPONS inflict 4 poi nts of damage. M edium weapons include sword s, battleaxes, maces, cross bows, spears, and so on. M ost weapons are medium. Anything that could be u sed in one hand (even if it's often used in two hands, such as a quarterstaff or spear) is a medium weapon. H EAVY WEAPONS infl ict 6 poi nts of damage, and you must use two hands to attack with them. Heavy weapons are huge sword s, great ham mers, massive axes, hal berds, heavy cross bows, and so on. Anything that must be used in two hands is a heavy weapon. BONUSES Rarely, an ability or piece of eq u i pment does not decrease a task's d ifficu lty but instead adds a bon us to the d ie roll. Bon u ses always add together, so if you get a + l bon us from two different sources, you have a +2 bon us. If you get enough bon u ses to add up to a +3 bon us for a task, treat it as an asset: instead of adding the bon us to your roll, decrease the difficu lty b y o n e step. Therefore, you never add more than + l or +2 to a die roll. SPECIAL ROLLS When you roll a natural 19 (the d20 shows " 1 9") and the roll is a s uccess, you also have a minor effect. In com bat, a minor effect infl icts 3 additional poi nts of damage with your attack, or, if you'd prefer a s pecial result, you could decide i n stead that you knock the foe back, d istract him, or someth ing simil ar. When not in com bat, a minor effect could mean that you perform the action with particular grace. For example, when jumping down from a ledge, you land smooth ly on your feet, or when tryi ng to pers uade someone, you convi nce her that you're smarter than you rea l ly are. In other words, you not only succeed but also go a bit fu rther. When you roll a natural 20 (the d20 shows "20") and the roll is a s uccess, you also have a major effect. This is simi lar to a minor effect, but the resu lts are more remarka ble. In com bat, a major effect inflicts 4 add itional poi nts of You don't earn XP for ki lling foes or overcoming standard challenges in the cou rse of pl ay. Discovery is the soul of N u menera. damage with your attack, but again, you can choose i n stead to i ntrod uce a d ramatic event such as knocking down your foe, stu nning him, or taki ng an extra action. Outside of com bat, a major effect means that someth ing beneficial happens based on the circumsta nce. For exam ple, when cl imbing up a cliff wa ll, you make the ascent twice as fast. When a roll grants you a major effect, you can choose to use a minor effect i n stead if you prefer. In com bat (and only in combat) , if you roll a natural 17 or 18 on your attack roll, you add l or 2 additional poi nts of damage, res pectively. N either roll has any special effect options-j ust the extra damage. Rol ling a natural l is always bad. It means that the GM i ntrod uces a new compl ication i nto the encou nter. RANGE AND SPEED Distance is simplified i nto th ree categories: i m med iate, short, and long. IMM EDIATE DISTANCE from a character is within reach or with in a few steps. If a characte r sta nds in a small room, everything in the room is with i n i m med iate distance. At most, i mmed iate distance is 10 feet (3 m) . SHORT DISTANCE is anything greate r than immed iate distance but less than SO feet (l S m) or so. LONG DISTANCE is anything greate r than short distance but less than l 00 feet (30 m} or so. (Beyond that range, distances are always s pecified-SQQ feet [l S2 m], a mile [l .6 km], and so on.) The idea is that it's not necessary to measure precise distances. I m med iate distance is right there, practically next to the cha racte r. Short distance is nea rby. Long distance is farther off. All weapons and s peci al abilities use these terms for ranges. For example, all melee weapons have immed iate range-they are close-com bat weapons, and you can use them to attack anyone within i m med iate distance of you. A th rown knife (and most other th rown weapons) has short range. A bow has long ra nge. A nano's Onsl aught ability also has short range. A character can move an immed iate distance as part of another action. In other word s, he can take a few steps over to the control panel and activate a switch. He can l u nge across a small room to attack a foe. He can open a door and step through. A character can move a short distance as his entire action for a turn. He can also try to move a long distance

as his entire action, but the player m ight have to roll to see if the character s l ips, trips, or stu m bles as the result of moving so far so quickly. For exam ple, if the PCs are fighting a group of abhumans, any characte r can likely attack any abhuman in the general melee-they're all with i n i m med iate ra nge. Exact positions aren't i m portant. Creatu res in a fight are always movi ng, shifting, and jostl i ng, anyway. H owever, if one abhuman stayed back to use his cross bow, a character might have to use her entire action to move the short distance req uired to attack that foe. It doesn't matter if the abhuman is 20 feet (6 m) or 40 feet (1 2 m) away-it's sim ply considered short distance. It does matter if he's more than 50 feet (1 5 m) away because that distance would req uire a long move. EXPERIENCE POINTS Experience poi nts (XP) are rewa rd s given to players when the GM i ntrudes on the story (this is called GM i ntrusion) with a new and unexpected challe nge. For example, in the middle of com bat, the GM might i nform the player that he d rops his weapon. H owever, to i ntrude in this manner, the GM must awa rd the player 2 XP. The rewa rded pl ayer, in turn, must immed iately give one of those XP to another player and justify the gift (perh aps the other player had a good idea, told a funny joke, performed an action that saved a life, and so on) . Alternatively, the player can refuse the GM i ntrusion. lf he does so, he doesn't get the 2 XP from the GM, and he must also spend l XP that he already has. If the player has no XP to spend, he can't refuse the i ntrusion. The GM can also give pl aye rs XP between sessions as a rewa rd for recoveri ng i nteresting artifacts or making d iscoveries during an adventu re. You don't earn XP for ki lling foes or overcoming standard challenges in the cou rse of pl ay. Discovery is the soul of N u menera. Experience poi nts are u sed primarily for character advancement (for details, see Chapter 3: Creating Your Character, page 1 0), but a player can also spend 1 XP to reroll any die roll and take the better of the two rolls. CYPHERS As explai ned in Chapter 2: N u menera Overview, cyphers are a type of n u menera that have a si ngle m i nor use. A character can carry cyphers and use them during the game. You ca n't bear many cyphers at a time beca use a large number of these weird items emit rad iation or dangerous chemicals that PLAYER'S GUIDE I n N umenera, players make all d ie rolls. If a character attacks a creature, the player makes an attack rol l. If a creature attacks a character, the player makes a defense roll. don't mix well. G athering cyphers together in one pl ace is extraord inari ly u n hea lthy. Cha racters wi ll find new cyphers freq uently in the cou rse of pl ay, so pl ayers should n 't hesitate to use their cypher abil ities. Because cyphers are always d ifferent, the cha racters wi ll always have new s peci al powers to try. There are two kinds of cyphers: anoetic and occultic. ANOETIC CYPHERS are simple to use: a pill to swallow, a small hand held device with a switch to flip, or a bomb to th row. OCCULTIC CYPHERS are more complex and more dangerous, but they often have better and more i nteresting effects. An occultic cypher cou nts as two cyphers for the pu rpose of determ ining how many you can bear at the same time. OTHER DICE In addition to a d20, you'll need a d6 (a s ix-sided die). Rarely, you'll need to roll a number between l and l 00 (often ca l led a dlOO or d% roll), which you can do by rol ling a d20 twice, using the last digit o f t h e first roll as the "tens" pl ace and the last d igit of the second roll as the "ones" pl ace. For exam ple, rol ling a 17 and a 9 gives you 79, rol ling a 3 and an 18 gives you 38, and rol ling a 20 and a 10 gives you 00 (a lso known as 1 00) . If you have a dl 0 (a ten-sided d ie) , you can use it instead of the d20 to roll numbers between l and 1 00.

�LIME NE� CREATING YOUR CHARACTER This section explains how to create characters to play in a Numenera game. For a free downloadable copy of the official Numenera character sheet and a step-by-step guide to character creation using this sheet, visit www.numenera.com/charactersheet. CHARACTER ST ATS Eve ry player character has th ree defining characteristics, which are typically ca l led "statistics" or "stats." These stats are M ight, S peed , and I ntellect. They are broad categories that cover many d ifferent but related as pects of a cha racte r. M IGHT: M ight defines how strong and durable your character is. The concepts of strength , end u rance, constitution, hard i ness, and physical prowess are all folded i nto this one stat. M ight isn't relative to size; instead , it's an absol ute measu rement. An elephant has more M ight than the m ightiest tiger, which has more M ight than the mightiest rat, which has more M ight than the m ightiest spider. M ight governs actions from forci ng doors open to wa lking for d ays without food to resisting disease. It's also the primary means of determ ining how m uch damage your character can susta in in a dangerous s ituation. Physical characters, tough characters, and characters i nterested in fighting should focus on M ight. SPEED: S peed describes how fast and phys ically coord i n ated your character is. The stat embodies q u ickness, movement, dexterity, and reflexes. S peed gove rns s uch d ive rgent actions as dodging attacks, s neaki ng arou nd quietly, and throwi ng a ball accu rate ly. It helps determ ine whether you can move farther on your turn. Nim ble, fast, or sneaky characters wi ll want good S peed stats, as wi ll those i nterested in ranged com bat. I NTELLECT: This stat determ ines how smart, knowledgeable, and likable your character is. It includes i ntelligence, wisdom, charisma, education, reasoni ng, wit, wi l l power, and charm. I ntellect governs solving puzzles, remembering facts, te lling convi ncing l ies, and using mental powers. Characters i nterested in com mun icating effectively, being learned scholars, and wielding the n u menera should stress their I ntellect stat. POOL, EDGE, AND EFFORT Each of these stats has two components: your Pool and your Edge. Your Pool represents your raw, innate abil ity, and your Edge represents knowi ng how t o u s e what you have. A third element ties into this concept: Effort. When your character real ly need s to accomplish a task, you apply Effort. Pool Your Pool is the most basic meas u rement of a stat. Comparing the Pools of two creatu res wi ll give you a general sense of wh ich creatu re is superior in that stat. For example, a character who has a M ight Pool of 16 is stronger (in a basic sen se) than a character who has a M ight Pool of 1 2. M ost characters sta rt with a Pool of 9 to 12 in most stats-that's the average ra nge. When your character is injured, sickened , or attacked , you tem porarily lose poi nts from one of your stat Pools. The natu re of the attack determ ines which Pool loses points. For example, physical damage from a sword reduces your M ight Pool, a poison that makes you clumsy red uces your S peed Pool, and a psionic blast red uces your I ntellect Pool. You can also spend points from one of your stat Pools to decrease a task's d ifficu lty (see Effort, next page) . You can rest to regain lost poi nts from a stat Pool (ask your GM for additional information) , and some special abilities or n u menera m ight allow you to recover lost poi nts q u ickly. Edge Although your Pool is the basic measurement of a stat, your Edge is also im portant. When something requires you to spend poi nts from a stat Pool, your Edge for that stat red uces the cost. It also red uces the cost of applying Effort to a roll. For example, let's say you have a mental blast abil ity, and activating it costs 1 poi nt from your I ntellect Pool. Subtract your I ntellect Edge from the activation cost, and the result is how many points you must spend to use the mental blast. If using your Edge reduces the cost to 0, you can use the abil ity for free.

Your Edge can be different for each stat. For example, you could have a M ight Edge of l, a S peed Edge of l, and an I ntellect Edge of 0. You'll always have an Edge of at least 1 in one stat. Your Edge for a stat red uces the cost of spend ing poi nts from that stat Pool, but not from other Pools. Your M ight Edge reduces the cost of s pend ing poi nts from your M ight Pool, but it does n't affect your S peed Pool or I ntellect Pool. Once a stat's Edge reaches 3, you can apply one level of Effort for free. A character who has a low M ight Pool but a high M ight Edge has the potential to perform M ight actions consistently better than a character who has a M ight Edge of O. The h igh Edge wi ll let her red uce the cost of spend ing poi nts from the Pool, w h i c h m e a n s she'll have more poi nts available to spend on applying Effort. Effort When your characte r rea l ly need s to accomplish a task, you can apply Effort. For a beginning cha racter, applying Effort req uires spend ing 3 poi nts from the stat Pool appropriate to the action. Thus, if your character tries to dodge an attack (a S peed roll) and wants to increase the chance for s uccess, you can apply Effort by spend ing 3 poi nts from your S peed Pool. Effort lowers the d ifficu lty of the task by one step. Th is is ca l led applying one leve l of Effort. You don't have to apply Effort if you don't want to. If you PLAYER'S GUIDE choose to apply Effort to a task, you must do it before you attem pt the rol l-you ca n't roll first and then decide to apply Effort if you rol led poorly. App lyi ng more Effort can lower a task's d ifficu lty fu rther: each additional level of Effort red uces the d ifficu lty by another step. App lyi ng one level of Effort lowers the d ifficu lty by one step, applying two levels lowers the d ifficu lty by two steps, and so on. H oweve r, each level of Effort after the first costs only 2 points from the stat Pool i n stead of 3. So applyi ng two levels of Effort costs 5 points (3 for the first level plus 2 for the second level) , applying th ree leve ls costs 7 points (3 plus 2 plus 2) , and so on. Every character has an Effort score, which ind icates the maximum number of levels of Effort that c a n b e appl ied to a roll. A beginning (first-tier) character has an Effort of l, meaning you can apply only one level of Effort to a roll. A more experienced character has a h igher Effort score and can apply more levels of Effort to a roll. For example, a character who has an Effort of 3 can apply up to three levels of Effort to reduce a task's d ifficu lty. When you apply Effort, s u btract your relevant Edge from the total cost of applying Effort. For example, let's say you need to make a S peed roll. To i ncrease your cha nce for success, you decide to apply one level of Effort, which wi ll red uce the d ifficu lty o f t h e task b y o n e step. Normal ly, that would cost 3 points from you r S peed Pool. H oweve r, you

�LIME NE� have a S peed Edge of 2, so you s u btract that from the cost. Thus, applyi ng Effort to the roll costs only 1 point from your S peed Pool. What if you appl ied two levels of Effort to the S peed roll instead of just one? That would red uce the difficu lty of the task by two steps. Normal ly, it would cost 5 points from you r S peed Pool, but after subtracting you r S peed Edge of 2, it costs only 3 points. Once a stat's Edge reaches 3, you can apply one level of Effort for free. For example, if you have a S peed Edge of 3 and you apply one level of Effort to a S peed roll, it costs you 0 poi nts from your S peed Pool. (Normal ly, applyi ng one level of Effort would cost 3 points, but you s u btract your S peed Edge from that cost, red uci ng i t t o 0.) S kills and other advantages also decrease a task's d ifficu lty, and you can use them in conjunction with Effort. In addition, your character might have s pecial abilities or eq u i pment that allow you to apply Effort to accomplish a s peci al effect, such as knocki ng down a foe with an attack or affecting multiple targets with a power that normally affects only one. Effort and Damage Instead of applying Effort to red uce the d ifficu lty of your attack, you can apply Effort to increase the amount of damage you infl ict with an attack. For each level of Effort you apply in this way, you infl ict 3 additional poi nts of damage. This works for any kind of attack that inflicts damage, whether a sword , a cross bow, a mind blast, or something else. When using Effort to increase the damage of an area attack, s uch as the explosion created by a nano's Flash abil ity, you infl ict 2 additional poi nts of damage i n stead of 3 poi nts. H oweve r, the additional poi nts are dealt to all targets in the area. Further, even if one or more of the ta rgets in the area resist the attack, you sti ll inflict 1 point of damage to them. Multiple Uses of Effort and Edge If your Effort is 2 or h igher, you can apply Effort to multiple aspects of a s i ngle action. For example, if you make an attack, you can apply Effort to your attack roll and apply Effort to i ncrease the damage. The total amount of Effort you apply ca n't be h igher than your Effort score. For exam ple, if your Effort is 2, you can apply up to two levels of Effort. You could apply one leve l to an attack roll and one leve l to its damage, two levels to the attack and no levels to the damage, or no levels to the attack and two levels to the damage. You can use Edge for a particu lar stat only once per action. For example, if you apply Effort to a M ight attack roll and to your damage, you can use your M ight Edge to red uce the cost of one of those uses of Effort, not both. If you spend 1 I ntellect point to activate your mind blast and one level of Effort to decrease the difficu lty of the attack roll, you c a n u s e your I ntellect Edge to red uce the cost o f o n e of those thi ngs, not both. STAT EXAMPLES A beginning character is fighting a creatu re called a broken hound. She stabs her spear at the broken hound, wh ich is a level 2 creatu re and thus has a ta rget number of 6. The character stands atop a boulder and stri kes downward at the beast, and the GM rules that this helpful tactic is an asset that decreases the d ifficu lty by one step (to difficu lty 1 ). That lowers the ta rget number to 3. Attacki ng with a s pear is a M ight action; the characte r has a M ight Pool of 11 and a M ight Edge of 0. Before making the roll, she decides to apply a level of Effort to decrease the d ifficu lty of the attack. That costs 3 poi nts from her M ight Pool, red uci ng the Pool to 8. But they appear to be poi nts well s pent. Applyi ng the Effort lowers the d ifficu lty from 1 to 0, so no roll is needed-the attack automatically succeed s. Another characte r is attempti ng to convi nce a guard to let him i nto a private office to speak to an infl uential noble. The GM rules that this is an I nte llect action. The cha racter is third tier and has an Effort of 3, an I ntellect Pool of 1 3 , and an I nte llect Edge of 1. Before making the roll, he must decide whether to apply Effort. He can choose to apply one, two, or th ree levels of Effort, or apply none at all. This action is i m portant to him, so he decides to apply two levels of Effort, decreasing the d ifficu lty by two steps. Thanks to his I nte llect Edge, applyi ng the Effort costs only 4 points from his I nte llect Pool (3 poi nts for the fi rst level of Effort plus 2 poi nts for the second level minus 1 poi nt for his Ed ge) . S pe nding those poi nts red uces his I nte llect Pool to 9. The GM decides that convincing the guard is a d ifficu lty 3 (demandi ng) ta sk with a ta rget number of 9; applying two levels of Effort red uces the d ifficu lty to 1 (simple) and the ta rget number to 3. The playe r rol ls a d20 and gets an 8. Because this result is at least eq ual to the ta rget number of the task, he succeed s. H oweve r, if he had not appl ied some Effort, he would have fa i led because his roll (8) would have been less than the task's origi nal ta rget number (9) . CHARACTER TIERS AND BENEFITS Eve ry characte r sta rts the game at the first tier. Tier is a meas u rement of powe r, toughness, and abil ity. Characte rs can adva nce up to the sixth tier. As your cha racter advances to h igher tiers, you ga in more abilities, i n crease your Effort, and can improve a stat's Edge or i ncrease a stat. Generally s pea king, eve n first tier cha racters a re already q u ite ca pable. It's safe to assume that th ey've already got some experience under their belt. This is not a "zero to hero" p rogression, but rather an instance of com petent people refining and honing their capabilities and knowledge. Adva ncing to h igher tiers is not rea lly the "goa l" of N u menera characte rs, but rather a representation of how cha racters progress in a story.

Every character starts the game at the first tier. Tier is a meas u rement of power, toughness, and abil ity. Characters can advance up to the sixth tier. To progress to the next tier, characters earn experience poi nts (XP) by going on adventures and d iscoveri ng new things-the Ninth World is about d iscovery of the past and what it means for the future. Experience poi nts have many uses, and one use is to purchase character benefits. After your character purchases four character benefits, he or she goes up to the next tier. Each benefit costs 4 XP, and you can purchase them in any order, but you must purchase one of each kind of benefit (after which you advance to the next tier} before you can purchase the same benefit again. The four character benefits are as fol lows. I NCREASING CAPABI LITI ES: You gain 4 poi nts to add to your stat Pools. You can allocate the poi nts among the Pools however you wish. MOVING TOWARD PERFECTION: You add 1 to your M ight Edge, your S peed Edge, or your I ntellect Edge (your choice) . EXTRA EFFORT: Your Effort score increases by 1. SKILLS: You become tra i ned in one skill of your choice, ot her than attacks o r d efense. As descri bed in the Rules PLAYER'S GUIDE Ove rview (page 6) , a character trained in a s kill treats the d ifficu lty of a rel ated task as one step l ower than normal. The skill you choose for this benefit can be anything yo u wish, such as cl imbi ng, jumpin g, persuadi ng, or s n eaki n g. You ca n also choose to be knowl edgea ble in a certa in a rea of lore, such as h isto ry or geology. You can eve n choose a skill based on yo ur characte r's s pecial abilities. For example, if your characte r can make an I ntel lect roll to b l ast an enemy with mental fo rce, yo u can become tra i ned in using that abil ity, treating its d ifficu lty as one ste p lowe r than normal. If you choose a skill that yo u a re already tra i ned in, yo u become s pecial ized in that skill, red ucing the d ifficu lty of re l ated ta s ks by two ste ps instead of one. Pl ayers can also spend 4 XP to purchase other s pecial options in lieu of ga ining a new skill. Selecting any of these options cou nts as the skill benefit necessary to adva nce to the next tier. The s pecial options are as fol lows: • Red uce the cost for wea ri ng armor. Th is option lowers the M ight cost by 1 and lowers the S peed red uction by 1. • Add 2 to your recovery rolls. • If you're a gla ive, select a new fighting move. The move must be from your tier or a lowe r tier. • If you're a nano, select a new esotery. The esote ry must be from your tier or a lower tier. • If you're a jack, select a new trick of the trade. The trick must be from your tier or a lowe r tier.

�LIME NE � SKILLS Sometimes your character ga ins tra i n i n g i n a s pecific skill or task. For example, your focu s might mean that you're trai ned in sneaking, in cl imbing and jum ping, or in social i nteractions. Other times, your character can choose a skill to become trai ned in, and you can pick a skill that relates to any task you th ink you m ight face. The game has no defin itive list of skills. Howeve r, the followi ng list offers ideas: Astronomy Healing Perception Balancing H istory Persuasion Biology I dentifyi ng Phi losophy Bota ny I n itiative Pickpocketing Ca rrying I ntimidation Repairing Cl imbing j umping Rid ing Deceivi ng Leatherworki ng Smashing Escaping Lockpicki ng Sneaking Geography M etalworki ng Swimming Geology N u menera Woodworki ng You could choose a s kill that incorporates more than one of these areas (i nte racting m ight i nclude deceivi ng, intimidating, and persuading) or is a more s pecific version of one (h iding m ight be s neaki ng when you ' re not movi ng) . You could also make up more ge neral, professional s kills, such as baker, sailor, or lum berj ack. If you want to choose a s kill that's not on this list, it's probably best to run it past the GM first, but in ge neral, the most i m portant as pect is to choose s kills that a re appropriate to your cha racter. Remember that if you gain a s kill that you're already trai ned in, you become special ized in that s kill. Beca use s kill descriptions can be nebulous, d eterm ining whether you're trai ned or special ized m ight take some thinking. For exam ple, if you're trai ned in lyi ng and l ater ga in an abil ity that grants you s kill with all soci al i nteractions, you become s peci al ized in lyi ng and trai ned in all other types of i nteractions. Being tra i ned th ree times in a s kill is no better than be ing tra i ned twice (in other word s, s peci a l ized is as good as it gets) . Only skills gai ned through character type abilities, such as the gla ive's fighting moves focus abilities, or other rare instances al low you to become skil led with attack or defense tasks. If you ga in a s peci al abil ity through your type, your focu s, or some other as pect of your cha racter, you can choose it in pl ace of a skill and become trai ned or s peci al ized in that abil ity. For exam ple, if you have a mind bl ast, when it's time to choose a skill to be trai ned in, you can select your mind blast as your skill. That would red uce the difficu lty every time you u sed it. Each ability you h ave cou nts as a separate skill for this pu rpose. You ca n't select "all mind powers" or "all esoteries" as one skill and become trai ned or special ized in such a broad category. CHARACTER DESCRJPTOR, TYPE, AND FOCUS To create your character, you build a simple statement that describes him or her. The statement takes this form: "I am a [fill in an adjective here] [fill in a noun here] who [fil l i n a verb here]." Th us: "I am an adjective noun who verbs." For example, you might say, "I am a Rugged gla ive who Controls Beasts" or "I am a Charming nano who Focuses M i nd over M atter." In this sentence, the adjective is called your descriptor. The noun is your character type. The verb is ca l led your focus. Eve n though character type is in the middle of the sentence, that's where we' ll sta rt this discussion. (J ust as in a sentence, the noun provides the foundation.) Character type is the core of your character. In some roleplayi ng games, it m ight be called your character class. Your type helps determine your character's place in the world and relationship with other people in the setting. It's the noun of the sentence "I am an adjective noun who verbs." You can choose from th ree character types: glaive, jack, and nano. Descri ptor defines your cha racte r-it flavors everything you do. Your descri ptor pl aces your character in the s ituation (the first adventure, wh ich starts the campaign) and helps provide motivation. It's the adjective of the sentence "I am an adjective noun who verbs." You can choose from twelve character descri ptors. Focus is what your character does best. Focus gives your character s pecificity and provides i nteresting new abilities that might come in handy. Your focu s also helps you understand how you relate with the other playe r cha racters in your group. It's the verb of the sentence "I am an adjective noun who verbs." There are many character foci to choose from. �1 4�

SPECIAL ABILITIES Character types and foci grant PCs special abilities at each new tier. Using these abil ities usually costs poi nts from your stat Pools; the cost is listed in parentheses after the abil ity name. Your Edge in the appropriate stat can red uce the cost of the abil ity, but remember that you can apply Edge only once per action. For example, let's say a nano with an I ntellect Edge of 2 wants to use his Onslaught abil ity to create a bolt of force, which costs 1 I ntel lect poi nt. He also wants to increase the damage from the attack by using a level of Effort, which costs 3 I ntellect points. The total cost for his action is 2 poi nts from his I ntellect Pool (1 point for the bolt of force plus 3 poi nts for using Effort minus 2 poi nts from his Edge) . Sometimes the point cost for an abil ity has a+ sign after the num ber. For exam ple, the cost m ight be given as "2+ I ntellect points." That means you can spend more poi nts or more levels of Effort to improve the ability fu rther. Many special abilities grant a characte r the option to PLAYER'S GUIDE perform an action that she couldn't normally do, such as projecting rays of cold or attacking multiple foes at once. Using one of these abilities is an action u nto itself, and the end of the ability's description says "Action" to remind you. It also might provide more i nformation about when or how you perform the action. Some s pecial abilities allow you to perform a famil iar action-one that you can already do-in a d ifferent way. For example, an abil ity m ight let you wear heavy armor, red uce the difficu lty of S peed defense rolls, or add 2 poi nts of fire damage to your weapon damage. These abilities are ca l led enab lers. Using one of these abilities is not considered an action. Enablers either fu nction constantly (such as bei ng able to wear heavy armor, which isn't an action) or happen as part of another action (such as add ing fire damage to your weapon damage, which happens as part of your attack action) . If a speci al abil ity is an enabler, the end of the abil ity's descri ption says "En abler" to remind you.

�LIME NE � CHARACTER TYPE Character type is the core of your character. In some roleplaying games, it might be called your character class. Your type helps determine your character's place in the world and relationship with other people in the setting. It's the noun of the sentence "I am an adjective nou n who verbs." You can choose from three character types: glai11e, nano, and jack. GLAIVE G l a ives a re the e l ite warriors of the Ninth World, using wea pons and armor to fight their enemies. H u nters, guard i ans, and sold iers could be glaive s. Sometimes scouts, wa rlords, band its, and eve n at hletes a re glaive s. "Gl a ive" is a common slang term u sed a l most everywhere in the Steadfast and the Beyond for any person skil led with wea pons or a martial a rt, but in truth , it appl ies only to the best of the best. G l a ives a re warriors who command abil ities far beyond those of a typ ical person with a sword . M ost glaives are either strong-u sing the heaviest armor and weapons available and havi ng a high M ight-or fast, sticki ng with light weapons and armor and havi ng a high S peed . A few attem pt to use both M ight and S peed and stay somewhere in the m idd le. Glaives also use ra nged weapons s uch as bows or darts. Some don't rely on weapons at all, preferri ng to use their bod ies in hand-to-hand com batpu nch i ng, kicki ng, grabbing, throwing, and so on. Glaives in Society: In most cities and villages, people hold glaives in great esteem. Although a glaive could just as likely be a thug as a noble warrior, those who help protect their fellow humans from the dangers of the Ninth World are always treated with respect. There is no shame in getting paid for the use of one's skills, so being a blade for hire is a perfectly acceptable profession. Restrictions on ca rryi ng weapons openly are rare, and most gla ives wear the tools of their trade with pride. N ot surprisingly, glaives often get along best with other glaives, or at least sold iers, guards, or similar com rades in arms. N anos, scholars, and people who aren't terri bly physical are less likely to m ix well with glaives, but obviously not eve ry glaive is the same. They focus on their bod ies, but that doesn't mean they don't va lue more cerebral pursuits as well. A glaive need not follow the stereotype of the dumb bruiser with a sword or an axe. GLAIVE STAT POOLS Stat M ight S peed I ntellect Pool Starting Value 11 10 7 You get 6 additional poi nts to d ivide among your stat Pools howeve r you wish. Glaives in the G roup: In a group of explorers, gla ives typically take the lead . They're usually the most phys ically capable, the most durable, and the most ready to meet danger head-on. Sometimes they act protectively toward their companions; other times, they're more self-i nterested. Either way, a glaive's pl ace is often in the middle of the fray. Glaives and the N umenera: When it comes to the n u menera, most glaives are i nterested in weapons, armor, or devices that aid them in combat. The ancients prod uced all sorts of i ncred ibly durable substances, many of which can be made i nto armor that is l ighter and more protective than steel. Sometimes, glaives can scavenge a suit of armor com posed of these advanced materials, but more often they find the materi als and then ask a crafter or smith to make the armor. Of course, the problem is that a substance that is d ifficult to damage is also hard to work. As varied as armori ng materi als m i ght be, n u menera wea ponry is i nfin itely more so. These items include melee wea pons that shock, stu n, or burn wh ateve r they to uch; and ra n ged wea pons that b l ast p rojectiles with i n cred ible power o r b u rsts of stra nge energies. There a re also bombs, damaging energy fields, poisonous gases, and far stranger wea ponry, but some glaives find that such co mplex objects a re better off in the hands of a nano. Maneuverabil ity is just as i m portant as attack or defense, h oweve r, so an item that allows a glaive to move q u ickly or negate gravity is a great prize. As for cyphers, glaives prefer physically enhancing or

restorative objects, such as injections of chemicals that improve reaction time or pills with microscopic repair devices that heal wounds and restore fatigued muscle tissue. They use the n ickname "boost" for any cypher that enhances their strength, stamina, reflexes, or other physical aspects, wh ile one that repairs damage or alleviates fatigue is cal led a "treat." Advanced Glaives: As they progress, glaives become bette r com bata nts, ofte n fe lling multiple foes in a s i ngle stroke. They ga in special types of attacks and learn to use armor more efficiently to get the most out of the protection it offers. GLAIVE BACKGROUND G laives are no mere band its or town guards. They stand head and shou lders above ordinary soldiers and brawlers. Someth ing in your background-whether intensive training, inborn traits, or biomechan ical mod ification-has made you more than the others around you. Choose one of those three options (described below) as the source of your skills, strength, reflexes, and stamina. It wi ll provide the foundation of your background and give you an idea of how you can improve. The GM can use this information to develop adventures and quests that are specific to your character and play a role in your advancement. Intensive Training You are strong, fast, or both, but what rea l ly separates you from the crowd is your traini ng. Perhaps you ascended the highest peak of the Black Ri age or sought the deepest sewers beneath Qi to find teachers who could show you how to move, fight, and end u re beyond normal human limits. You know a thousand ways to ki ll a foe, most of them secret to all but a chosen few. You're privy to tech n iques and fighting styles that most people in the Ninth World have never seen. You have learned that the impossible is possible-as long as you know the secret. Your body is a weapon, and your weapon is part of your body. You have stud ied with the masters, and now you carry that regimen as you ventu re i nto the world. Advancement: You need to train and practice con sta ntly to hone your skills and develop new tech n iques, building on what you've been taught. Pe rhaps a t s o m e poi nt you wi ll retu rn to your secret masters for fu rther i n itiation or find new teachers or lessons that can take you to the next step. When you gain additional poi nts for your stat Pools, an increase to a stat's Edge, or an increase in the level of Effort you can apply, the benefit comes as the result of rigorous exercise and personal development. When you gain a new skill or glaive abil ity, it's the result of the martial arts you have stud ied . Inborn Traits You 've trai ned u nder excel lent i n structors and have experience in many dangerous situations, but what PLAYER'S GUIDE makes you different is deep inside, entwi ned in your genetic heritage. M aybe i t w a s the l u c k o f b e i n g born fit. M aybe you're a hulking brute-a mountainous figure who commands attention when you enter a room. Or maybe your strength is more subtle; you m ight be the descendant of a bioengineered race bred (or designed) for perfection. Perhaps you're a m utant with psych ic abilities that augment your physical natu re; you guide and enha nce your attacks with te leki nesis, or you use a natural m utation in your brain to control matter on a molecu lar level to resist blows and infl ict harm. Perhaps you're someth ing wholly new: an aberration or a human so perfect that you're beyond human. You might be a posth uman-the next step towa rd the true desti ny of the people of the Ninth World. Advancement: You have talents of which you are only dimly aware. You must practice and experiment to find your lim itations, if any. At some point i n t h e future, you m ight have to seek out someone who can help you master your inherent abilities. You were born with great power-now you need to learn how to use that power, even if the ed ucation takes a l ifetime. When your stats improve, it's because you're tapping deeper into the un known reserves within you. When you gain a new glaive abil ity, it's the result of your superhuman traits as much as it is about your study, practice, or knowledge. You can do th ings that other people simply cannot, no matter how hard they train. Biomechanical Modification You m ight be a fighter, but you're no arch aic stereotypethis is the Ninth World, after all. Although you trai ned and gai ned your share of practical experience, you have the n u menera on your side as we ll. Some of your knowled ge of fighti ng tech niques is implanted in your brain and spine, wired i nto your nerves and muscles. Your joi nts h ave surgically implanted servo motors. Subdermal plati ng makes you tougher than should be possi ble. You r m u scle tissue is augmented with artificial fibers. Perh aps your genetic code has been rewritte n by engineered viruses, or the tissues in your body have been reworked by nanotech, turning you i nto an efficient battle mach ine. Or maybe you 've been altered by stra nge science-rad ioactive treatments of biza rre energies, chem ical com pounds and d rugs, or extrad imensional enhancements-that makes you stronger, faster, tougher, and more proficient in attack and defense than anyone around you. Whatever the case, you're the result of ancient knowledge made manifest in the present, and now you're shaping the future. Perhaps your modifications are obvious and visible; perhaps they're not. Regardless, you know that you're more than merely human. Advancement: Your body is an ongoing project. In a way, it's a work of art, although its bea uty comes not from its appearance but from what it can do. As you go forwa rd ,

�LIME NE � you should keep an eye out at all times for new parts and systems that can be incorporated i nto your body, or new doses of d rugs and supplements to mainta in your abilities. You might need to seek out surgeons, mech an ics, or bioen hancement specialists to take you to the next level. Perhaps the Aeon Priests can help. Perhaps the parts you need can be found only in the ru ins of the past or the dangerous black ma rket of a faraway city. When your stats improve, it's beca use you l iterally have added someth ing new to your body. When you gain a new abil ity, it's the d irect result of a ta ngible change in your own physical being. GLAIVE TIERS First-Tier Glaive First-tier glaives h ave the followi ng abilities: Effort: Your Effort is 1. Fighter: You have a M ight Edge of 1, a S peed Edge of 1, and an I ntellect Edge of O. Cypher Use: You can bear two cyphers at a time. Practiced in Armor: Glaives can wear armor for long period s of time without tiring and can com pensate for slowed reactions from wearing armor. You can wear any kind of armor. You red uce the M ight cost per hour for wearing armor and the Speed Pool red uction for weari ng armor by 2. Enabler. Practiced With All Weapons: You can use any weapon. Enabler. Physical Skills: You are trai ned in your choice of one of the followi ng: balanci ng, climbi ng, jum ping, or swi mmi ng. Enabler. Starting Equipment: You start with cloth i ng, two weapons (or one weapon and a s h ield) , light or medium armor, an explorer's pack, two cyphers (chosen for you by the GM), one odd ity (chosen for you by the GM), and 5 shins (coins) . If you start with a ra nged weapon that req uires ammunition (a rrows, for example), you start with 12 of that type of ammunition. Before selecting your weapons, armor, and other gear, you m ight want to wait u ntil after you 've chosen your fighting moves, descri ptor, and focu s. Fighting Moves: You have a s pecial talent for com bat and can perform feats that others can barely i magine. These feats are ca l led . Some fighting moves are con stant, ongoing effects, and others are s pecific actions that usually cost poi nts from one of your stat Pools. Choose two of the fighting moves descri bed below. You ca n't choose the same fighting move more than once unless its descri ption says otherwise. • Bash (1 Might point): This is a pummeling melee attack. Your attack inflicts 1 less point of damage than normal, but dazes your ta rget for one rou nd, during which time the d ifficu lty of all tasks it performs is mod ified by one step to its detri ment. • No Need for Weapons: When you make an unarmed attack (such as a pu nch or kick) , it cou nts as a medium weapon i n stead of a light weapon. Enabler. • Pierce (1 Speed point): This is a wel l-aimed, penetrating ranged attack. You make an attack and infl ict 1 add itional point of damage if your weapon has a sharp poi nt. Action. • Thrust (1 M ight point): This is a powerful melee stab. You make an attack and inflict 1 add itional point of damage if your weapon has a sharp edge or poi nt. Action. • Trained Without Armor: You are trai ned in Speed defense actions when not wea ri ng armor. Enabler. Second-Tier Glaive Second-tier glaives have the fol lowi ng abilities: Skill With Attacks: Choose one type of attack in which you are not already trai ned: l ight bashi ng, light bladed, l ight ranged , medium bashi ng, medium bl aded , medium ra nged , heavy bashi ng, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are trai ned in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler. Fighting Moves: Choose one of the followi ng fighting moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can replace o n e o f your first-tier fighti ng moves with a different first-tier fighting move. • Chop (2 M ight points): Th is is a heavy, powerful sl ice with a bl aded weapon, probably overhand. You must grip your weapon with two hands to chop. When making this attack, you take a -1 penalty to the attack roll, and you infl ict 3 add itional poi nts of damage. Action. • Crush (2 Might points): Th is is a powerful pummeling attack with a bashing weapon, probably overhand. You must gri p your weapon with two hands to crush. (If fighti ng u n armed , this attack is made with both fists or both feet together.) When making this attack, you take a -1 pena lty to the attack roll, and you i nfl ict 3 additional poi nts of damage. Action. • Reload (1 Speed point): When using a weapon that normally req uires an action to reload, such as a heavy crossbow, you can reload and fire (or fire and reload) in the same action. Enabler. • Skill With Defense: Choose one type of defense task in which you are not already trained: M ight, S peed , or I ntellect. You are trai ned in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most fighting moves, you can select this move up to three times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task. Enabler. • Successive Attack (2 Speed points): If you take down a foe, you can i m mediately make another attack on that same turn against a new foe with in your reach. The second attack is part of the same action. You can use this fighti ng move with melee attacks and ra nged attacks. Enabler. Third-Tier Glaive Third-tier glaives have the fol lowi ng abilities: Expert Cypher Use: You can bear three cyphers at a time. Skill With Attacks: Choose one type of attack in which � 18 �

PLAYER'S GUIDE GLAIVE CONNECTION Roll a d20 or choose from the followi ng list to determ ine a specific fact about your background that provides a connection to the rest of the world. You can also create your own fact. Roll Background 1 You were in tlie milita!}'. ana li ave frienas wlio sti ll serve. Your former commanaer remem oers yo" "u ..w'""""" el" "I. ___ _ 2 You were the personal guard of a wealthy merchant who accused you of theft. You left her service in disgrace. 3 You were tlie oou ncer in a local oar for a wli i le, ana tlie patrons tliere rememoer you. 4 You trai ned with a h ighly res pected mentor. He rega rd s you well, but he has many enemies. 5 You trained in an isolated monaste!}'. far awa . The monks th ink of you as a brother, but you're a stranger to all others. 6 You have no formal traini ng. Your abilities come to you natu ral ly (or unnaturally). 7 You s12ent time on the streets and even were in rison for a whi le. 8 You were conscri pted i nto mil itary service, but you deserted before long. 9 You served as a bodyguard to a 12owerful criminal who now owes you his life. 10 You worked as a con stable. Everyone knows you, but their opinions of you va ry. 11 Your older sibling is an i nfamous glaive who has been disgraced . 12 You served as a caravan guard. You know a smatteri ng of people in many cities and towns. 13 Your best friend is a sage and a scholar. She is a great sou rce of knowledge. 14 You and a friend both smoke the same kind of rare, expe nsive tobacco. The two of you get together weekly to chat and smoke. 15 You r u ncle ru ns a theater in town. You know all the actors and watch all the shows for free. 16 Your blacksm ith friend sometimes cal ls on you for help at the forge. H owever, he pays you we ll. 17 Your mentor wrote a book on the martial arts. Sometimes other warriors seek you out to ask about its stranger passages. 18 A man you fought alongside in the mil itary is now the mayor of a nearby town. 19 You saved the l ives of a family when their house bu rned down . They're i ndebted to you, and their neigh bors rega rd you as a hero. 20 Your old trainer still expects you to come back and s h arpen her blades and clean up after her classes, but when you do, she occasionally shares i nteresting rumors. you are not already trained: light bas h i ng, l ight bl aded , light ra nged , medium bas h i ng, medium bladed, medium ranged , heavy bas h i ng, heavy bladed , or heavy ra nged . You are trai ned in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler. Fighting Moves: Choose one of the followi ng fighting moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can also repl ace o n e o f your lower-tier fighting moves with a different fighting move from the same lower tier. • Experienced With Armor: The cost reduction from your Practiced in Armor abil ity improves. You now red uce the M ight cost per hour and the S peed Pool red uction by 3. Enabler. • Lunge (2 M ight points): This move req uires you to extend you rself for a powerful sta b or smash. The awkward lunge i ncreases the d ifficu lty of the attack roll by one step. If your attack is successful, it infl icts 4 additional poi nts of damage. Action. • Sl ice (2 Speed points): This is a q u ick attack with a bladed or poi nted weapon that is hard to defend against. The d ifficu lty of the attack roll is decreased by one step. If the attack is successful, it deals 1 less point of damage than normal. Action. • Spray (2 Speed points): If a weapon has the abil ity to fire rapid shots without reload ing (u sually ca l led a rapid fire weapon, s uch as the crank cross bow) , you can spray multiple shots around your target to increase the chance of h itti ng. Th is move uses l d 6 + 1 rounds of ammo (or all the ammo in the weapon, if it has less than the number rol led) . The d ifficu lty of the attack roll is decreased by one step. If the attack is successful, it deals 1 less point of damage than normal. Action. • Trick Shot (2 Speed points): As part of the same action, you make a ra nged attack against two ta rgets that are with in immed iate ra nge of each other. Make a separate attack roll against each target. The d ifficu lty of each attack roll is i ncreased by one step. Action. Fourth-Tier Glaive Fou rth-tier gla ives have the followi ng abil ities: Skill With Attacks: Choose one type of attack in which you are not already trai ned: l ight bashi ng, light bladed, l ight ranged , medium bashi ng, medium bl aded , medium ra nged , heavy bashi ng, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged. You are trai ned in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler. Fighting Moves: Choose one of the followi ng fighting moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you c a n a l s o replace one of your lowe r-tier fighting moves with a different fighting move from the same lower tier. • Capable Warrior: Your attacks deal 1 additional point of damage. Enabler.

�LIME NE � • Experienced Defender: When wearing armor, you ga in + 1 to Armor. Enabler. • Feint (2 Speed points): If you s pend one action creating a misdirection or d iversion, in the next round you can take advantage of your opponent's lowered defenses. M ake a melee attack roll against that opponent. The difficu lty of the roll is decreased by one step. If your attack is successful, it inflicts 4 additional poi nts of damage. Action. • M inor to Major: You treat rolls of natu ral 19 as rolls of natural 20 for M ight attack rol ls or S peed attack rolls (your choice when you ga in this ability) . Th is allows you to ga in a major effect on a natural 19 or 20. Enabler. • Snipe (2 Speed points): If you spend one action aimi ng, in the next round you can make a precise ra nged attack. The d ifficu lty of the attack roll is decreased by one step. If your attack is successful, it infl icts 4 additional poi nts of damage. Action. Fifth-Tier Glaive Fifth-tier glaives have the fol lowi ng abilities: Adept Cypher Use: You can bear four cyphers at a time. Skill With Attacks: Choose one type of attack, even one in which you are already trai ned: l ight bashi ng, light bladed, l ight ra nged , medium bashi ng, medium bl aded , medium ra nged , heavy bas h i ng, heavy bl aded , or heavy ra nged . You are trai ned in attacks using that type of weapon. If you're already trai ned in that type of attack, you i n stead become s pecial ized in that type of attack. Enabler. Fighting Moves: Choose one of the followi ng fighting moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can also repl ace o n e o f your lower-tier fighting moves with a different fighting move from the same lower tier. • Arc Spray (3 Speed points): If a weapon has the abil ity to fire rapid shots without reload ing (u sually called a rapid fire weapon, such as the crank cross bow) , you can fire your weapon a t u p t o three targets (all next t o o n e another) at once. Make a separate attack roll against each target. The d ifficu lty of each attack is i ncreased by one step. Action. • Jump Attack (5 Might points): You attempt a d ifficu lty 4 M ight action to jump high into the air as part of your melee attack. If you succeed , your attack infl icts 3 additional poi nts of damage and knocks the foe down . If you fail, you sti ll make your normal attack roll, but you don't infl ict the extra damage or knock down the opponent if you h it. Action. • Mastery With Armor: When you wear any armor, you red uce the armor's penalties (M ight cost and Speed red uction) to 0. If you select this fighti ng move and you already have the Experienced With Armor move, you should replace Experienced With Armor with a different th i rd-tier move because M astery With Armor is better. Enabler. • Mastery With Defense: Choose one type of defense task in which you are trained: Might, S peed , or I ntellect. You are s pecial ized in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most fighti ng moves, you can select this move up to th ree times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task. Enabler. • Parry (5 Speed points): You can deflect incoming attacks quickly. When you activate this move, for the next 10 rounds you red uce the d ifficu lty for all S peed defense rolls by one step. Enabler. Sixth-Tier Glaive S ixth-tier glaives h ave the followi ng abilities: Skill With Attacks: Choose one type of attack, even one in which you are already trai ned : l ight bashi ng, l ight bladed, l ight ranged , med ium bashi ng, medium bladed, medium ranged, heavy bashi ng, heavy bladed, or heavy ranged . You are trai ned in attacks using that type of weapon. If you're already trai ned in that type of attack, you i n stead are special ized in that type of attack. Enabler. Fighting Moves: Choose one of the followi ng fighting moves (or a move from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you c a n a l s o replace one of your lowe r-tier fighting moves with a different fighting move from the same lower tier. • Finishing Blow (5 M ight points): If your foe is prone, stu n ned, or somehow helpless or i ncapacitated when you stri ke, you infl ict 6 additional poi nts of damage on a successful h it. Enabler. • Slayer (3 M ight points): When you successfully stri ke an N PC or creatu re of level 5 or lower, make another roll (using whichever stat you u sed to attack) . If you succeed on the second roll, you ki ll the ta rget outright. If you use this fighting move against a PC of any tier and you succeed on the second roll, the characte r moves down one step on the damage track. Enabler. • Spin Attack (5 Speed points): You stand sti ll and make melee attacks against up to five foes with in reach, all as part of the same action in one round. Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that mod ifies your attack or damage appl ies to all of these attacks. Action. • Weapon and Body (5 Speed points): After making a melee weapon or ranged weapon attack, you fol low up with a pu nch or kick as an add itional attack, all as part of the same action in one round. The two attacks can be d irected at d ifferent foes. Make a separate attack roll for each attack. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage appl ies to both attacks, u n less it is tied s pecifically to your weapon. Action. GLAIVE EXAMPLE Colin wants to create a glaive characte r who is fast and strong. He puts 3 of his additional poi nts i nto his M ight

Pool and 3 i nto h i s S peed Pool; his stat Pools are now M ight 1 4, S peed 1 3 , I ntellect 7. As a first-tier character, his Effort is 1, his M ight Edge and S peed Edge are 1, and his I ntellect Edge is 0. His glaive is not particu larly smart or charismatic. He wants to use a broad sword (a medium weapon that i nfl icts 4 poi nts of damage) and a heavy cross bow (a heavy weapon that infl icts 6 poi nts of damage but req uires the use of both hands) . Colin decides not to wear armor, so for his first fighting move, he chooses Tra i ned Without Armor so he red uces the difficu lty of S peed defense actions. For his second fighting move, he chooses Th ru st so he can i nfl ict extra damage with his sword if he spends 1 poi nt of M ight. S i nce he has a M ight Edge of 1, he can use Th rust for free if he doesn't use his M ight for anything else that action. The GM generously gives Colin an extra 10 shins because he chose to forgo armor, and he uses this money to buy more cross bow bolts. The glaive's starting eq uipment i ncludes two cyphers, and the GM decides that Col in's cyphers are a pill that restores 6 poi nts of M ight when swallowed and a small device that explodes like a firebomb when thrown, infl icting 3 poi nts of damage to all with in immed iate range. Colin chooses swimming for his trai ned physical skill. He sti ll needs to choose a descriptor and a focus. Looking ahead to the descriptor rules, Colin chooses Strong, which increases his M ight Pool to 1 8. He also becomes trained in jumping and breaki ng inanimate objects. (lf he had chosen PLAYER'S GUIDE jumping as his physical skill, the Strong descriptor would have made him special ized in jumping instead of trai ned.) Being Strong also gives Colin an extra medium or heavy weapon. He chooses another broadsword as a backup blade. He decides that one sword is sl ightly smaller than the other, and he'll sheathe them together on his left side. For his focu s, Colin chooses M asters Weapon ry. Th is gives him yet another weapon of high qual ity. He chooses a broad sword and asks the GM if his first sword can be a sh ield instead, which wi ll red uce the d ifficu lty of h i s S peed defense rolls (the sh ield cou nts as an asset) . The GM agrees to the cha nge. During the game, Col in's glaive wi ll be hard t o h it-he is trai ned in Speed defense rolls and his sh ield decreases the d ifficu lty by another step. Thanks to his focu s, he also infl icts 1 add itional point of damage with his chosen weapon. N ow he infl icts S poi nts of damage with his blade. Colin's characte r is a dead ly com batant, likely starting the game with some amount of renown as a swordsman. NANO N anos are sometimes called mages, wizards, sorcerers, or witches by the people of the Ninth World. Nano-sorcerer is also a common term, with their abil ities referred to as nanosorcery. Some claim to be the representatives of gods or other supernatural agencies. Whatever they're cal led, nanos master the mysteries of the past to the degree that they seem to perform miracles. They tap into the numenera to alter real ity or learn thi ngs that they couldn't otherwise know.

�LIME NE � NANO STAT POOLS Stat Pool Starting Value M ight��������� ��������-- S peed 9 I ntellect 12 You get 6 add itional poi nts to d ivide among your stat Pools however you wish. The term "nano" is derived from the nanotechnology that is omnipresent throughout the Ninth World (whether anyone real izes it or not) . Sometimes people ca ll these i nvisible, numinous particles that infuse the land scape nano-spirits. Sometimes these spirits take on a devastating man ifestation ca l led the I ron Wind and move through the air in clouds, which can be far more dangerous than any conventional storm. In truth, nan ites are l iterally everywhere. N a nos wield their power in the form of what they ca ll , although some prefer to call them spel ls, enchantments, or charms. Na nos are proficient with other devices as well, and sometimes their powers are actually the subtle use of such items h idden upon their person. All nanos ca ll forth their powe r in slightly d ifferent ways. Typical ly, nanos are intelligent, learned , and insightful. M ost o f t h e t i m e , they devote themse lves to the n u menera and other esoterica rather than to purely physical pursuits. As a result, they're often well versed in the artifacts and leftove rs of the previous eras. Nanos in Society: Freq uently, com mon folks fear nanos or look u pon them with suspicion. It's easy to be afraid of a brute with an axe, but when it comes to someone who wields invisible powers-magic, for lack of a better term-too m uch is u n known . A nano's stra nge abilities are unsettling even to the bravest souls u n less they have a mod icum of knowledge about the n u menera. That said, not everyone is frightened of or i ntimidated by nanos. There are other people and creatu res that have capabilities far beyond the understanding of normal fol ks-thi ngs that even nanos m ight not understa nd. Th i ngs that even nanos might fear. Like the wizards of fables, some nanos dwell in solitude to study and conduct odd experiments, wh ile others gather in schools and teach those with potential to use their abilities. They enjoy time in the company of people with similar pred ilections and interests. Not every nano is a frail bookworm, however-that's just the stereotype placed upon them by society. Sometimes, peo ple view nanos as rep rese ntatives of the powe rs that be: god s, demons, or spirits. That's n ot too surp rising con sidering that they affect the world a round them in ways that most people can't fat hom. What's more surp rising is that some nanos believe this to be true as we ll. They ca ll them selves priests or shamans and treat their esoteries more like ritu als, p rayers, or invocations. W h e n t h e s e nanos gather, they do so in temples, but just as often one of them l ives alone amid a flock of the fa ithful. Some of these loner nanos don't ca ll them se lves priests; they ca ll them se lves god s. Nanos in the C roup: Typical ly, a nano is the pa rty member who keeps to the back of the group, as far from the danger as possi ble. Com pared to their com rades, nanos are ofte n a bit fragile and less well protected against threats. In addition, most of their abilities work best at ra nge. As u seful and impressive as nanos' offensive powers can be, their knowledge is often most va luable to a group. When the pa rty comes upon myste rious devices, wei rd creatures, or other aspects of the n u menera, the nano is usually the one who knows how to identify or deal with the finds. He or she can best scavenge for new cyphers or figu re out how to use artifacts from the past. M any nanos possess other valuable knowledge in areas such as geography, bota ny, med icine, and more. Nanos and the N umenera: Al l nanos know a fair bit about the n u menera. In many ways, it's their lifeblood . When a group finds a broken veh icle, an i n active automaton, or an ancient mach ine, the nano steps up and searches it for usefu l devices. Almost any n u menera item would be welcome, but general ly, nanos are most i nterested in ra nged weapons, protective devices other than armor, and devices that h ave i nteresting uti l ity effects-u sing magnetism, creating force fie lds, healing wounds, res haping flesh, creating or destroyi ng matter, and so on. Th is is true of cyphers as well as artifacts. Advanced Nanos: As nanos ga in more experience, they typically learn new and more powerful esoteries. They begin their careers by making personal sh ields and blasti ng foes with energy, but eventual ly, they can fly through the air, disi ntegrate matte r, teleport vast distances, and control the weather. NANO BACKGROUND Na nos can do thi ngs that seem like magic to other people, but their powe rs aren't based on charms or spellcastingthe explanation is likely far stranger. Choose one of the three options descri bed below as the sou rce of your abil ities. It wi ll provide the foundation of your background and give you an idea of how you can improve. The GM can use this information to develop adventu res and q uests that are s pecific to your characte r and play a role in your advancement. Forbidden Knowledge You u ndersta nd the n u menera far better than most people. You know that it i s n't just strange mach ines bu ried in old ru ins. The n u menera is everywhere, beyond the perception

of humans. You know that m icroscopic mach ines ca l led nan ites are threaded through every i nch of the world, waiti ng t o b e activated . You know that satell ites in orbit are broadcasting i nformation, waiti ng for someone to access it. H aving studied long and hard, learning the proper ways to tap i nto the forces all around you, you know how to activate these mach ines and make them do what you wish, at least in limited , s pecific ways. These u ses of powe r are called esoteries. Th rough various tiny devices that you possess, which probably seem like magic charms to the uninitiated , you "conj u re" energy. By accessing the datasphere transm itted across the world, you con nect with mach i nes-i ncluding the nan ites-to change your environ ment. Advancement: You must conti nue to study. There's far more to the n u menera than one person can ever know, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to learn it all. More secrets and more knowled ge mean more powe r. At some point in your career, you m ight need to find a teacher or another source of knowledge. So many q uestions need answers. When your stats improve or you learn new skills, it's beca use you h ave mastered another new tech nique that taps i nto the secret world. When you gain a new esotery, it's the result of long hours of study and practice in using your mysterious lore. Psionics You know that the world is fil led with ancient mach i nes and their creations. Some of them are visible, but many are not. It's not just skill or knowled ge that allows you to ga in access to them. You have a psychic talent to i nterface with the mach i nes to prod uce various effects. Some of these mach ines are secreted about your person, and others are i nfu sed i nto the environ ment of the Ninth World. You ca n't conj u re energy or warp matter on your own, but you have the rare and spectacular abil ity to control the i nvisible nano-mach ines that do it for you. Is this gift the natural result of extreme exposure to technology? Is it the fusion of the biological and mech anical? Is it the design of a ge nius arch itect, ge nerations earlier, who manipulated the genetics of you r fa m i ly? Or is it just a ra ndom m utation? In any case, you're the natu ral synth esis of human and mach ine, worki ng as one. Advancement: Understanding this natural talent took time and traini ng, and more of both is needed to expand and refine your powers. In addition to seeki ng help with your i n struction, you m ight need to find d rugs, devices, or other external sti mulation. When as pects of your character improve or you learn new skills or esoteries, it's beca use you have mastered a new facet of your psychic abilities or d iscovered an entirely new use for a mach ine in your environ ment. PLAYER'S GUIDE Ports and Plugs You have a connection with mach i nes for one clear reason: you're practically a mach ine you rself. Your nervous system is laced with circuitry, and your body has implanted jacks and ports where you plug in mod ules and other tech nological bits that provide your capabil ities. When you prod uce effects or manipulate nan ites, you do so through your body's d irect mechan ical i nterface. Your force bl asts might come from a device implanted in your palm or fingertip. Your ability to tap i nto the datasphere m ight come from the receive r plugged i nto a port you built in the back of your neck. Obviously, to become a nano, you have undergone n u merous surgeries and proced u res (either wi lli ngly or u nwilli ngly). You are forever changed . Some people treat you with disdain or derision, but perhaps most of your mod ifications c a n b e h idden by a hooded cloak or similar garment. Advancement: Do you want to gain more abilities? Just find new hardware and plug it in. Although talent and practice are sti ll involved , physical u pgrades are your primary means of picki ng up new tricks. Adding poi nts to your stat Pools m ight mean undergoing new proced u res. Adding a new esotery m ight req uire putting an i m plant in your head , although changing one esotery to another could be as simple as unpl uggi ng one mod ule and jacki ng in a replacement. NANO TIERS First-Tier Nano First-tier nanos h ave the followi ng abil ities: Effort: Your Effort is l. Genius: You have an I ntellect Edge of l, a M ight Edge of 0, and a S peed Edge of 0. Expert Cypher Use: You can bear three cyphers at a time. Practiced With Light Weapons: You can use light weapons without penalty. If you wield a medium weapon, increase the d ifficu lty of the attack by one step. If you wield a heavy weapon, i ncrease it by two steps. N umenera Training: You are trai ned in the n u menera and can attem pt to u ndersta nd and identify its properties. Starting Equipment: You sta rt with cloth ing, one weapon, a book about the n u menera, th ree cyphers (chosen for you by the G M), one odd ity (chosen for you by the G M), and 4 shins (coins). Before selecting your weapons, armor, and other gear, you might want to wait u ntil after you've chosen your esoteries, descri ptor, and focu s. Esoteries: You can tap i nto the n u menera to reshape the world around you. Simil ar in appearance to the way a fabled wizard might seem to cast spells, these expressions of your knowledge are ca l led esoteries. People who are not nanos sometimes call them spel ls or charms. M ost esoteries must be activated , which req uires that you have a free hand and s pend l or more I ntellect points. If no I ntellect point cost is given for an esotery, it fu nctions

�LIME NE � conti n uously without need ing to be activated. Some esote ries specify a duration, but you can always end one of your own esoteries anytime you wish. Choose two of the esoteries descri bed below. You ca n't choose the same esotery more than once unless its description says otherwise. • Hedge Magic (1 I ntellect point): You can perform small tricks: tem porarily cha nge the color or basic appearance of a small object, cause small objects to float through the air, clean a small area, mend a broken object, prepare (but not create) food , and so on. You ca n't use hedge magic to h arm another creatu re or object. Action. • Onslaught (1 I ntel lect point): You attack a foe using energies that assail either his physical form or his mind. In either case, you must b e a b l e t o s e e your target. If the attack is physical, you emit a short-range ray of force that inflicts 4 poi nts of damage. If the attack is mental, you focus your mental energy to bl ast the thought processes of another creatu re with in short ra nge. Th is mindsl ice infl icts 2 poi nts of I ntellect damage (a nd thus ignores Armor) . Some creatures without minds (such as automatons) might be immune to mindsl ice. Action. • Push (2 I ntellect points): You push a creatu re or object an immediate distance in any direction you wish. You must be able to see the target, which must be your size or smaller, must not be affixed to anyth ing, and must be with in short ra nge. The push is q u ick, and the force is too crude to be manipulated . For example, you ca n't use this esote ry to pull a lever or even close a door. Action. • Scan (2 I ntel lect points): You scan an area eq ual in s ize to a 1 0-foot (l -meter) cube, including all objects or creatu res with in that a rea. The area must be with in short ra n ge. Scan ning a creatu re or object always reveals its level (a meas u re of how powe rful, dangerous, or d ifficult it i s). You also learn wh ateve r facts the GM feels are pertin ent about the m atte r and energy in that area. For exa m ple, you might learn that the wood en box contains a device of meta l and synth. You m ight learn that the glass cyl i nder is fu ll of poisonous gas, and that its metal sta nd has an el ectrical field ru nning through it that con n ects to a metal mesh in the floor. You m ight learn that the creature standing before you is a mammal with a small brain. H oweve r, this esotery doesn't te ll you what the information means. Thus, in the first examp le, you don't know what the meta l and synth device does. In the second, you don't know if stepping on the floor ca uses the cyl inder to re lease the gas. In the third, you m ight sus pect that the creatu re is not very intelligent, but scans, like looks, can be deceiving. Many materials and energy fields prevent or resist scanni ng. Action. • Ward: You h ave a shield of energy around you at all times that helps deflect attacks. You ga in + l to Armor. Enabler. Second-Tier Nano Second-tier nanos have the followi ng abilities: Esoteries: Choose one of the followi ng esote ries (or an esotery from a lowe r tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can repl ace one of your first-tier esote ries with a different first-tier esotery. • Adaptation (2+ I ntel lect points): You adapt to a hosti le environ ment for 28 hours. As a result, you can breathe safely, the temperatu re doesn't ki ll you (though it m ight be extremely uncomfortable or debil itating), crushing gravity does n't i ncapacitate or harm you (though, again, you m ight be seriously h i ndered), and so on. In extreme environ ments, the GM might i ncrease the cost of activating this esotery to a maxi mum cost of l 0 I ntellect poi nts. Roughly s peaking, the cost should eq ual the amount of damage you would sustain in a given round. For example, if you enter a hostile environ ment that would normally deal 6 poi nts of damage per round, using Ad aptation to avoid that damage costs 6 points. You can protect other creatu res in addition to you rself, but each additional creatu re costs you the same number of I ntellect poi nts as it costs to protect you. Thus, if it costs 6 poi nts to protect you rself, it costs 12 more to protect two other people. This esotery never protects against q u ick, instantaneous threats, like an attack with a weapon or a sudden explosion of fire. Action to i n itiate. • Flash (4 I ntellect points): You create an explosion of energy at a point with in close ra nge, affecting an area up t o i m med iate ra nge from that poi nt. You must b e a b l e to see the location where you i ntend to center the explosion. The blast inflicts 2 poi nts of damage to all creatures or objects with in the area. Because this is an area attack, adding Effort to i ncrease your damage works differently than it does for si ngle-target attacks: if you apply a level of Effort to increase the damage, add 2 poi nts of damage for each ta rget, and eve n if you fail your attack roll, all targets in the area sti ll take l point of damage. Action. • Hover (2 I ntellect points): You float slowly i nto the air. As your action, you can concentrate to remain motionless in the air, or float up to a short distance, but no more; otherwise, you d rift with the wind or with any momentum you have gained. Th is effect lasts for up to ten minutes. Action to i n itiate. • Mind Reading (4 I ntellect points): You can read the surface thoughts of a creatu re with in short range of you, even if the ta rget doesn't want you to. You must be able to see the ta rget. Once you h ave establis hed contact, you can read the ta rget's thoughts for up to one minute. If you or the target move o u t o f ra nge, the connection is broken. Action to i n itiate. • Stasis (3 I ntellect points): You surround a foe of your s ize or smaller with sci nti l l ati ng ene rgy, keeping it from movi ng or acting for one minute, as if frozen sol id. You must be able to see the target, and it must be within short range. While in stasis, the target is i m pervious to harm, ca nnot be moved , and is immune to all effects. Action.

PLAYER'S GUIDE NANO CONNECTION Roll a d20 or choose from the followi ng list to determ ine a specific fact about your background that provides a connection to the rest of the world. You can also create your own fact. Roll Background 1 You servea as an a1212rentice for a na no-sorcerer res EJectea ana fearea oy many EJeo12le. N ow you oear fiis ma rl<. 2 You stud ied in a school infamous for its dark, brood ing i n structors and grad uates. 3 You learnea nano-sorcery (or ga inea your moa ifications) in tfie temple of an ooscure goo . Its priests ana worshi 1212ers, althou h small in num ber, res12ect and ad mire your talents and 12otential. 4 While traveling alone, you saved the l ife of a powe rfu l abhuman brute. Although unwilling to accom pany you on your journey, he remains indebted to you. 5 Your mother was a powe rful nano while she l ived , hel pful to many locals. They look u pon you kind ly, but they also exi:iect m uch from YR!L 6 You owe money to a number of people around town and don't have the fu nds to pay your debts. 7 You fa i lea a isgracefullY A_ your initial stua ies witfi your teacfi er ana now 12roceea on your own. 8 You learned your skills faster than your teachers had ever seen before. The powers that be took notice and are payi ng close attention. 9 You kil led a well- known crimin al in self-defense, earning the respect of many and the enm ity of a dangerous few. 10 You trai ned as a glaive, but your skills with the n u menera and other types of lore eventually led you down a different path. Your former comrades don't u ndersta nd you, but they respect you. 11 While studying to be a nano, you worked as an assistant for a seamstress, making friends with the owner and the clientele. 12 Your family owns a large vineya rd nea rby known to all for its fine wine and fair business dealings. 13 You trai ned for a time with a group of Aeon Priests, and they sti ll look upon you with fondness. 14 You worked the gardens in the pal ace of an infl uential noble. She wouldn't remember you, but you made friends with her you ng daughter. 15 An experiment you conducted in tfie past went horribly awry. The locals remember you as a aangerous and foolhardy individ ual. 16 You hail from a distant land where you were well known and regarded, but people here treat you with suspicion. 17 People you meet seem put off by the stra nge birthmark on your face. 18 Your best friend is also a nano. You and she share d iscoveries and secrets readi ly. 19 You know a local merchant very well. Since you give him so much business, he offers you discounts and special treatment. 20 You belong to a secretive social cl ub that gathers monthly to d rink and tal k. Third-Tier Nano Th i rd-tier nanos have the fol lowi ng abilities: Adept Cypher Use: You can bear four cyphers at a time. Esoteries: Choose one of the followi ng esoteries (or an esotery from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier esoteries with a d ifferent esotery from the same lower tier. • Barrier (3+ I ntellect points): You create an opaque, stationary barrier of solid energy with i n i m med iate ra nge. The barrier is 10 feet by 10 feet (3 m by 3 m) and of negl igible th ickness. It is a level 2 barrier and lasts for ten minutes. It can be pl aced anywhere it fits, whether against a solid object (including the ground) or floating in the air. Each level of Effort you apply strengthens the barrier by one level. For example, applying two levels of Effort creates a level 4 barrier. Action. • Countermeasures (4 I ntellect points): You i m mediately end one ongoing n u menera effect (such as an effect created by an esotery) with in immed iate ra nge. Alternatively, you can use this as a defense action to cancel any incoming esotery targeted at you, or you can cancel any n u menera device or the effect of any n u menera device for 1 d6 rounds. You must touch the effect or device to cancel it. Action. • Energy Protection (3+ I ntellect points): Choose a discrete type of energy that you have experience with (such as heat, son ic, electricity, and so on) . You ga i n + l 0 to Armor against damage from that type of energy for ten minutes. Alternatively, you ga in + l to Armor against damage from that energy for 28 hours. You must be familiar with the type of energy; for example, if you have no experience with a certain kind of extrad imensional energy, you can't protect against it. Instead of applyi ng Effort to decrease the d ifficu lty of this esotery, you can apply Effort to protect more ta rgets, with each level of Effort affecting up to two additional targets. You must touch additional targets to protect them. Action to i n itiate. • Sensor (4 I ntellect points): You create an immobile, i nvisible sensor with in immed iate ra nge that lasts for 28 hours. At any time during that duration, you can concentrate to see, hear, and smell through the sensor, no matter how far you move from it. The sensor doesn't grant you sensory capabilities beyond the norm. Action to create; action to check.

�LIME NE � • Targeting Eye: You are trai ned in any physical ranged attack that is an esotery or comes from a n u menera device. For exam ple, you are trai ned when using an Onslaught force blast because it's a physical attack, but not when using an Onslaught mindsl ice because it's a mental attack. Enabler. Fourth-Tier Nano Fou rth-tier nanos have the fol lowing abilities: Esoteries: Choose one of the followi ng esoteries (or an esote ry from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can repl ace one of your lower-tier esoteries with a d ifferent esotery from the same lower tier. • I nvisibility (4 Intel lect points): You become i nvisible for ten minutes. Wh ile i nvisible, you are special ized in stealth and Speed defense tasks. Th is effect ends if you do someth ing to reveal your presence or position-attacki ng, performing an esotery, using an abil ity, moving a large object, and so on. If this occu rs, you can regain the remaining i nvisibility effect by taki ng an action to focus on hiding your position. Action to i n itiate or reinitiate. • Mind Control (6+ I ntellect points): You control the actions of another creatu re you touch . Th is effect lasts for ten minutes. The target must be level 2 or lower. Once you have established control, you maintain mental contact with the target and sense what it senses. You can al low it to act freely or override its control on a case-by-case basis. Instead of applyi ng Effort to decrease the d ifficu lty, you can apply Effort to i ncrease the maximum level of the target. Th us, to control the mind of a level 5 target (th ree levels above the normal limit) , you must apply th ree levels of Effort. Smart nanos use the Scan esotery on a creatu re to learn its level before tryi ng to control its mind. When the M i nd Control esotery ends, the creatu re does n't remember bei ng controlled or anything it did wh ile under your command. Action to i n itiate. • Regeneration (6 I ntellect points): You restore poi nts to a ta rget's M ight or S peed Pool in one of two ways: either the chosen Pool rega ins up to 6 points, or it is restored to a total value of 1 2. You make this decision when you i n itiate this esotery. Points are regenerated at a rate of 1 point each round. You must mainta in contact with the ta rget the whole time. In no case can this ra ise a Pool h igher than its maximum. Action. • Reshape (5 I ntellect points): You reshape matte r with in short ra nge in an area no larger than a 5-foot ( . 5 m ) cube. If you spend only one action on this esote ry, the changes you make are crude at best. If you spend at least ten min utes and succeed at an appropriate crafting task (with a d ifficu lty at least one step h igher than normal, d ue to the circumstances) , you can make complex changes to the material. You can't change the natu re of the materi al, only its s h ape. Th us, you can make a hole in a wa ll or floor, or you can seal one up. You can fashion a rud imentary sword from a large piece of i ron. You can break or repa ir a ch ain. With multiple u ses of this esote ry, you could bring about large changes, making a bridge, a wall, or a similar structure. Action. • Slay (6 I ntellect points): You gather d isru pti ng energy in your fingertip and touch a creature. If the target is an N PC or a creatu re of level 3 or lower, it d ies. If the target is a PC of any tier, he moves down one step on the damage track. Action. Fifth-Tier Nano Fifth-tier nanos have the fol lowi ng abilities: Master Cypher Use: You can bear five cyphers at a time. Esoteries: Choose one of the followi ng esote ries (or an esotery from a lowe r tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can repl ace one of your lower-tier esoteries with a different esotery from the same lowe r tier. • Absorb Energy (7 I ntellect points): You touch an object and absorb its energy. If you touch a cypher, you render it useless. If you touch an artifact, roll on the artifact's depletion. If you touch another kind of powered mach ine or device, the GM determ i nes whether its power is fu l ly d rained. In any case, you absorb energy from the object touched and rega in l d lO I ntellect points. If this would give you more I ntellect than your Pool's maximum, the extra poi nts are lost, and you must make a M ight defense roll. The d ifficu lty of the roll is eq ual to the number of poi nts over your maxi mum you absorbed . If you fail the roll, you take 5 poi nts of damage and are unable to act for one round. You can use this esotery as a defense action when you're the ta rget of an incoming esotery. Doing so cancels the i ncoming esotery, and you absorb the energy as if it we re a device. Action. • Dust to Dust (7 I ntellect points): You disi ntegrate one non l iving object that is smaller than you and whose level is less than or equal to your tier. You must touch the object to affect it. If the GM feels it appropriate to the circumstances, you can disi ntegrate a portion of an object (the total vol ume of wh ich is smaller than you) rather than the entire thi ng. Action. • Knowi ng the U nknown (6 I ntellect poi nts): Tapping i nto the d ata sphere, you can ask the GM one q uestion and get a ge neral a n swe r. The GM assigns a level to the q u estion, so the more obscure the a n swe r, the more d ifficult the task. G e neral ly, knowledge that you could find by looki ng somewhere other than your cu rre nt location is level 1, and obscure knowledge of the past is level 7. Gaining knowledge of the future is impossible. Action. • Teleportation (6+ I ntellect points): You instantaneously transmit you rself to any location that you have seen or been to, no matter the distance, as long as it is on Earth (or wh atever world you're cu rrently on) . I n stead of applyi ng Effort to decrease the d ifficu lty, you can apply Effort to bring other people with you, with each level of Effort affecting up to th ree additional ta rgets. You must touch any add itional ta rgets. Action.

• True Senses: You can see in complete darkness up to 50 feet (1 5 m) as if it were dim light. You recogn ize holograms, disguises, optical ill usions, sound mimicry, and other such tricks (for all senses) for what they are. Enabler. Sixth-Tier Nano S ixth-tier nanos h ave the followi ng abilities: Esoteries: Choose one of the followi ng esoteries (or an esotery from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier esoteries with a d ifferent esotery from the same lower tier. • Control Weather (1 0 Intellect points): You change the weather in your general region. If performed indoors, this esotery creates only minor weather effects, such as mist, mild temperature changes, and so on. If performed outside, you can create rain, fog, snow, wi nd, or any other kind of normal (not overly severe) weather. The change lasts for a natural length of time, so a storm might last for an hour, fog for two or th ree hours, and snow for a few hours (or for ten minutes if it's out of season) . For the first ten min utes after activating this esotery, you can create more d ramatic and specific effects, such as lightn ing stri kes, giant hailstones, twisters, h u rricane force winds, and so on. These effects must occur with in 1 ,000 feet (305 m) of your location. You must spend your turn concentrating to create an effect or to mai ntain it in a new round. These effects infl ict 6 poi nts of damage each round. Action. • Move Mountains (9 I ntel lect points): You exert a tremendous amount of physical fo rce with in 250 feet PLAYER'S GUIDE (76 m) of you. You can push up to 10 tons (9. 1 t) of material up to 50 feet (1 5 m) . This fo rce can col l apse buildi ngs, red i rect small rive rs, or perform other d ramatic effects. Action. • Traverse the Worlds (8+ I ntel lect points): You instantaneously transmit you rself to another pla net, dimension, plane, or level of rea l ity. You must know that the desti n ation exists; the GM wi ll decide if you h ave enough i nfo rmation to confirm its existe nce and what the level of d ifficu lty m ight be to reach the desti n ation. I n stead of applying Effort to d ecrease the d ifficu lty, you can apply Effort to bring other people with you, with each level of Effort affecting up to th ree additional ta rgets. You must touch any additional ta rgets. Action. • Usurp Cypher: Choose one cyp her that you carry. The cypher must h ave an effect that is not instanta neous. You destroy the cyp her and ga in its powe r, which fu nctions for you conti n uously. You can choose a cypher when you ga in this abil ity, or you can wait and make the choice l ater. H oweve r, once you usurp a cyp her's powe r, you ca nnot l ater switch to a d ifferent cypher-the esotery works only once. Action to i n iti ate. NANO EXAMPLE Shanna wants to create a nano. She decides to be somewhat well rounded, so she puts 2 of her add itional poi nts i nto each stat Pool, givi ng her a M ight Pool of 9, a S peed Pool of 11, and an I ntellect Pool of 1 4. Her nano is smart and q u ick. She has an I ntellect Edge of l, a M ight Edge of 0, and a S peed Edge of 0. As a first-tier cha racte r,

�LIME NE � her Effort is 1. She is trai ned in the n u menera. As her initial esoteries, she chooses Onslaught and Wa rd , giving her a strong offense and defense. She can bear three cyphers, but the GM gives her two: an occultic cypher (wh ich cou nts as two cyphers for this pu rpose) and an anoetic cypher, which together cou nt as three. The occu ltic cypher is a hand held, short-range teleporter, and the anoetic cypher is a device that explodes like a fiery bomb. For her weapon, Shanna chooses a knife, which is a l ight weapon. For her descri ptor, Shanna chooses G raceful, which adds 3 poi nts to her S peed Pool, bringing it to 1 4. That descri ptor means she is trai ned in balancing and anything requiring careful movements, physical performing arts, and Speed defense tasks. Perhaps she is a dancer. In fact, she begi ns to develop a backstory that i nvolves graceful, l ithe movements that she incorporates into her esotery performance. For her focu s, she chooses Rides the Lightn i ng. Th is gives her Shock, another offensive power, which she plans on using with the knife if she ever gets into hand-to-hand combat (though she'll try to avoid th at) . She also gains Charge, which will come in handy when she finds more n umenera artifacts in her explorations. Her esoteries and focus abilities cost I ntellect poi nts to activate, so she's glad to have a lot of poi nts in her I ntellect Pool. In addition, her I ntellect Edge wi ll help red uce those costs. If she uses her Onsl aught force blast without applying Effort, it costs her 0 I ntellect poi nts and deals 4 poi nts of damage. Li kewise, using her Shock abil ity without applying Effort costs 0 I ntellect poi nts. Her I ntellect Edge wi ll allow her to save poi nts to devote towa rd applyi ng Effort for other pu rposes, perhaps to boost the accu racy of her Onsla ught or Shock abilities. JACK J acks are intrepid explorers and adventurers. They are jacks of all trades-hence the name-although the word also hearkens back to fables i nvolvi ng a wily, resou rcefu l hero who always seems to be named j ack. Used as a verb, "to jack" means to steal, to deceive, or to get out of a tight scrape through i ngen u ity or l uck. j acks don't use one skill or tactic excl u sively; they use wh atever weapons, armor, esote ries, or anything else that m ight help them. They are h u nters (particu larly treasure hunters) , con artists, skalds, rogues, scouts, and experts in a variety of fie lds. jacks in Society: j acks are crafters, entertainers, leaders, and thieves. They're arch itects, engi neers, con artists, salespeople, and teachers. This d iversity doesn't mean that the jack is the archetypal everyman-that kind of simple categorization would diminish the character type. j acks are remarkable in that they can do so many d ifferent things, and some do multiple thi ngs. If one jack is an artist and another is an explorer, there's likely a third who is both at once. JACK STAT POOLS Stat Pool Starting Value Might.- .����������1--. .�����-- S peed 10 I ntellect 10 You get 6 additional poi nts to d ivide among your stat Pools howeve r you wish. Skil led and learned jacks who share their gifts with others are prized members of society, well respected for what they know and can do. A vil lage might be protected by warriors, but it's the jack who makes everything run smooth ly by repairing or building whatever is needed, handling disputes, investigating mysteries, and so on. On the other hand, jacks who use their varied abilities to benefit only themselves are distrusted at best and revi led at worst. The murderers and thieves of a commun ity are likely jacks. jacks in the Group: J acks fill in the space between the extremes of nanos and glaives. They frequently do a l ittle of everything and know a l ittle of everythi ng. They can fight alongside a glaive or have a scholarly talk with a nano. There are no right or wrong pl aces, actions, or roles for jacks. They can hold their own in combat or other dangerous situations, but they excel at many assorted tasks like search ing for clues, using d i plomacy with the locals, or repairing a piece of broken gear. The d rawback, of course, is that jacks are rarely the best fighters in com bat or the best hand lers of the n u menera. They might, however, be the best at more special ized skills. They're the most likely characters to know how to climb, how to stand watch effectively, how to jimmy a lock, and how to jury-rig a makeshift shelter or snare trap. jacks and the N umenera: j acks gravitate towa rd cyphers or artifacts that expand their array of options even fu rther. An enhanced piece of armor m ight be fine for a gla ive, but many jacks would rather have an object that allows them to com municate at a distance, wa lk through wa lls, or put foes to s leep. Advanced jacks: j acks are the most flexi ble of the character types, and advanced jacks are no d ifferent. Some learn esoteries, as nanos do. Others hone their combat abil ities. Some jacks do both, gai ning more skills and improvi ng at, well, a little bit of everythi ng. JACK BACKGROUND You m ight hear people say that a jack is just the typical everyman (or everype rson) , but don't believe it. You aren't like anyone else. You can do thi ngs that no one else can do beca use you do so things. You're a warrior, you're a thief, you're a diplomat, you're a sage, and you're a s py. When you choose jack as your character type, come up with an explanation for how you learned your wide variety of talents. Choose one of the three options descri bed

below. It will provide the foundation of your background and give you an idea of how you can improve. The GM can use this i nformation to develop adventu res and quests that are specific to your character and play a role in your advancement. Born Lucky You seem to be bette r than most people because you are. Your ancestors we re part of a genetic experi ment, and your genes are superior to those of the average h u man. You're smarter, stronger, more dexterous, and able to learn mental and physical skills more quickly. Fol ks might ca ll you charismatic, blessed, d ivinely gifted , or just p l a i n l ucky. They probably said the same thing about your parents, their parents, and so on. Some of your genetic advantage m ight even grant you low-leve l psychic abilities that greatly resemble the "miracles" performed by nanos. Advancement: You m ight be a superh uman, but you're sti ll limited by what you learn and experience. Therefore, you must continue to train and study. Practice is the key-it just comes easier for you than it does for others. When yo u improve, it's beca use you h ave honed your natural abil ities or unlocked heretofore u n known genetic tra its. School of Hard Knocks You learned thi ngs the hard way--on your own. Adaptive and can ny, you express the true strengths of humanity in your abil ity to adj ust q u ickly to circumstances, pick up new tricks to succeed , and u ltimately survive when you probably should be dead . M ost l i kely, you grew up on your own, perhaps on the streets, in the wilderness, or amid ru ins. The details don't rea l ly matter. What's i m portant is that you taught you rself how to ove rcome wh ateve r challenges came along. Advancement: J u st keep on keeping on. You got to where you are by observi ng, learn i ng, adapting, and adopting. To adva nce, you need to do more of the same. Con stant wari ness cou pled (somewhat paradoxical ly) with con stant cu riosity allows you to hone your skills and new capabilities. A Cobbled Jumble You're the prod uct of generations of eugenics, bolste red by m i nor cybernetic enhancements, a few small psychic abilities, and the lessons of secret masters. In other word s, you don't have one sou rce of power or one explanation for your abil ities-you h ave many, and as far as you're concerned, that's the best formula for success. You don't put all your eggs in a si ngle proverbial bas ket. To really get ahead, you must re ly on multiple strength s. You 've always got an unexpected trick up you r s leeve or a fall back conti ngency. For example, you m ight have subdermal implants that make you more resi l ient, your training might let you sense a foe's attack before he strikes, and your psychic abilities could allow you to push your PLAYER'S GUIDE enemy's blade s l ightly to the left so you can just barely dodge it. In the end, you're sim ply hard to hurt. Advancement: You have chosen every path, so you must travel each of them. Training and d rugs fuel your body and mind, brain implants grant you additional skills, and devices hidden in your palms give you fresh abilities. Advancement means new teachers and tech n icians, strange su bstances and rad iations, and an ever-i ncreasing need to d iscover the secrets of the past that wi ll prove essential for your futu re. JACK TIERS First-Tier jack First-tier jacks h ave the followi ng abil ities: Effort: Your Effort is 1. Jack of All Trades: You have an Edge of 1 for one stat of your choice: Might, S peed , or I ntellect. You have an Edge of 0 for the other two stats. Cypher Use: You can bear two cyphers at a time. Practiced With Light and Medium Weapons: You can use l ight and medium weapons without penalty. If you wield a heavy weapon, increase the difficu lty of the attack by one step. Skills: You are trai ned in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defen se) . Flex Skill: At the begi nning of each day, choose one task (other than attacks or defen se) on which you wi ll concentrate. For the rest of that d ay, you're trai ned in that task. You can't use this ability with a skill you're already trai ned in to become special ized . Starting Equipment: You sta rt with cloth ing, two weapons, light armor, an explorer's pack, a pack of l ight tools, two cyphers (chosen for you by the GM), one odd ity (chosen by the G M), and 8 shins. Before selecting your weapons, armor, and other gear, you m ight want to wait u ntil afte r you've chosen your tricks of the trade, descri ptor, and focu s. Tricks of the Trade: You have a wide range of abilities that keep people guessing. Some of these tricks of the trade are tech n ically esoteries, using the numenera, wh ile others are more mu ndane. Some tricks are con stant, ongoi ng effects; others are specific actions that usually cost poi nts from one of your stat Pools. Choose two of the tricks described below. You can't choose the same trick more than once u n less its descri ption says otherwise. • Bash (1 Might point): This is a pummeling melee attack. You make an attack and infl ict 1 additional point of damage using almost any weapon except the lightest (such as a wh ip or a small knife) . Action. • Hedge Magic (1 I ntellect point): You can perform small tricks: tem porarily change the color or basic appearance of a small object, cause small objects to float through the air, clean a small area, mend a broken object, prepare (but not create) food , and so on. You ca n 't use hedge magic to harm another creatu re or object. Action.

�LIME NE � • Pierce (1 Speed point): Th is is a we l l-aimed, penetrating ra nged attack. You make an attack and inflict 1 additional point of damage if your weapon has a sharp poi nt. Action. • Practiced in Armor: j acks can wear armor for reasonable period s of time without tiring and can compen sate for slowed reactions from wea ri ng armor. You can wear any kind of armor. You red uce the M ight cost per hour for wea ri ng armor and the S peed Pool red uction for wea ri ng armor by 2. Enabler. • Skill With Defense: Choose one type of defense task in which you are not already trai ned: Might, S peed , or I ntellect. You are trai ned in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most tricks of the trade, you can select this trick up to th ree times. Each time you select it, you must choose a d ifferent type of defense task. Enabler. • Thrust (1 M ight point): Th is is a powe rful melee stab. You make an attack and infl ict 1 additional point of damage if your weapon has a sh arp ed ge or poi nt. Action. • Trained Without Armor: You are trai ned in S peed defense actions when not wea ri ng armor. Enabler. Second-Tier Jack Second-tier jacks have the fol lowi ng abilities: Skills: You are trai ned in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defen se) . If you choose a task you're already trai ned in, you become s pecial ized in that task. You can't choose a task you're already special ized in. Tricks of the Trade: Choose o n e o f t h e followi ng tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can replace one of your first-tier tricks with a different first-tier trick. • Brute Finesse: Sometimes a swift kick is just the trick to popping open a lock or starting a reluctant piece of mach inery. When you apply Effort to a noncom bat S peed task, you can spend poi nts from your M ight Pool as if they came from your S peed Pool. For example, you could s pend 3 M ight points and 2 S peed poi nts t o a p p l y two levels of Effort to picki ng a lock. Enabler. • Experienced Adventurer: When you use a noncom bat skill successfu l ly, if you didn't roll a natural 19 or 20, you can apply a level of Effort (after the roll) to get a m i nor s pecial effect. The stat poi nts spent for this level of Effort must come from the same stat as the one u sed for the skill. Thus, if you made a S peed roll, the cost of the Effort comes from your S peed Pool. Applyi ng the Effort doesn't modify the d ifficu lty of the task-it only creates the m i nor effect. Enabler. • No Need for Weapons: When you make an unarmed attack (such as a pu nch or kick) , it cou nts as a medium weapon instead of a l ight weapon. Enabler. • Push (2 Intellect points): You push a creature or object an immed iate distance in any direction you wish. You must be able to see the target, which must be your size or smaller, must not be affixed to anyth ing, and must be within short range. The push is qu ick, and the force is too crude to be manipulated. For example, you can't use this trick to pull a lever or even close a door. Action. • Reload (1 Speed point): When using a weapon that normally req uires an action to reload, you can reload and fire (or fire and reload) in the same action. Enabler. • Ward: You have a shield of energy around you at all times that helps deflect attacks. You ga in + 1 to Armor. Enabler. Third-Tier Jack Third-tier jacks have the followi ng abilities: Expert Cypher Use: You can bear three cyphers at a time. Skills: You are trai ned in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defen se) . If you choose a task you're already trai ned in, you become special ized in that task. You ca n't choose a task you're already s peci al ized in. Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the followi ng tricks (or a trick from a lowe r tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can repl ace one of your lower-tier tricks with a d ifferent trick from the same lower tier. • Enhancement (4 I ntellect points): You gain a+ 1bonus t o t h e Edge for one stat of your choice (M ight, S peed, or I ntellect) for ten minutes. You can have only one version of this trick in effect at a time. Action to i n itiate. • Hover (3 I ntel lect points): You float slowly i nto the air. If you concentrate, you can control your movement to remain motionless in the air, or float up to a short distance as your action, but no more; otherwise, you d rift with the wind or with any momentum you h ave gained. This effect l asts for up to ten minutes. Action to i n itiate. • Mind Reading (4 I ntellect points): You can read the surface thoughts of a creatu re with in short range of you, even if the su bject doesn't want you to. You must be able to see the ta rget. Once you h ave establis hed contact, you can read the ta rget's thoughts for up to one minute. If you or the target move o u t o f ra nge, the connection is broken. Action to i n itiate. • Onslaught (2 I ntellect points): You attack a foe using energies that assail either his physical form or his mind. In either case, you must be a b l e t o s e e your target. If the attack is physical, you emit a short-range, i nvisible ray of force that i nfl icts 4 poi nts of damage. If the attack is mental, you focu s your mental energy to blast the thought processes of another creatu re with in short range. This mindsl ice i nfl icts 2 poi nts of I ntellect damage (and thus ignores Armor) . Some creatures without minds (such as automatons) m ight be i m m u n e t o minds l ice. Action. • Skill With Attacks: Choose one type of attack in which you are not already trai ned: l ight bashi ng, light bladed, light ra nged , medium bas h i ng, medium bladed, medium ranged , heavy bashi ng, heavy bladed, or heavy ra nged . You are trai ned in attacks using that type of weapon. Enabler. � 30 �

PLAYER'S GUIDE JACK CONNECTION Roll a d20 or choose from the followi ng list to determ ine a specific fact about your background that provides a connection to the rest of the world. You can also create your own fact. Roll Background 1 You come from a large famil� ana haa to fend for }'.Ou rself from an earl}'. ag..::.e ..-------------- . 2 Your older sister is a skil led nano. You weren't able to follow her path, but the n u menera is not u n known to you. 3 You're a memtier of a guild of explorers who special ize in u ncovering ancient m}'.steries. 4 You worked alongside your father, who was skil led in many things, u ntil he d isappeared one d ay with no explanation. 5 You grew LIB on the streets and stud ied at the school of hard knocks. 6 You remember l ittle of your past, which has always seemed strange to you. 7 You came of age in the wild and are used to l iving roug,-'-'h .. .__ _ 8 Your family is wealthy but earns l ittle respect from the locals. 9 You're frienas with man}'. eo12le in the com mun ity ana are generally well regaraed . 10 You have an an noyi ng rival who always seems to get in your way or foil your plans. 11 You're in love with a local shopkeeper, but that person shows l ittle i nterest in you. 12 Severa l exped itions prepari ng to explore old ru ins and odd mysteries would like you to join them because you seem like a promising addition to the team. 13 Your best friend from ch ildhood is now an Aeon Priest. 14 You come from a nearby com mun ity, but the locals consider the folk of your hometown to be u ntru stworthy rivals. 15 You're close friends with a local married cou ple, both of whom are experienced nanos. 16 You're d rinking buddies with a number of the local guards and glaives. 17 You once saved the child of a local noble from a fire, and she is very grateful. 18 You used to work with a troupe of traveling minstrels and performers, and they remember you fond ly (as do people in the places you visited). 19 You're wanted for a cri me you d id n't com m it. 20 You have a friend with an extensive library, plenty of food and drink, and a comfortable home-and the door is always open to you. Fourth-Tier Jack Fou rth-tier jacks have the followi ng abilities: Skills: You are trai ned in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defen se) . If you choose a task you're already trai ned in, you become s pecial ized in that task. You can't choose a task you're already special ized in. Tricks of the Trade: Choose o n e o f t h e followi ng tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier tricks with a different trick from the same lowe r tier. • Analytical Combat: Sometimes the most i m portant muscle in a fight is your brain. If you can pred ict where an opponent will move next or see her weak spot, you can be a more successful combatant. When you apply Effort to a combat M ight task or Speed task, you can also spend poi nts from your I ntel lect Pool as if they came from your M ight Pool or S peed Pool. For example, you could spend 3 I ntel lect poi nts and 2 M ight poi nts to apply two levels of Effort to attacki ng with a sword . Enabler. • Lunge (2 M ight points): Th is move req uires you to exte nd you rself for a powe rful sta b or smash. The awkward lunge i n creases the d ifficu lty of the attack roll b y o n e step. If your attack is successfu l , i t infl icts 4 additional poi nts of damage. Action. • Sl ice (2 Speed poi nts) : This is a q u ick attack with a bladed or poi nted wea pon that is hard to d efend against. The d ifficu lty of the attack roll is d ecreased by one ste p. If the attack is successful, it deals 1 less point of damage than normal. Action. • Spray (2 Speed points): If a weapon h a s t h e abil ity to fire rapid shots without reload ing(usually called a rapid fire weapon, such as the crank crossbow) , you can spray multiple shots around your target to increase the chance of h itting. This move uses l d6 + 1 rounds of ammo (or all the ammo in the weapon, if it has less than the number rolled) . The d ifficu lty of the attack roll is decreased by one step. If the attack is successful, it deals 1 less point of damage than normal. Action. • Transdimensional Weapon (3 I ntellect poi nts) : One melee wea pon that yo u touch vibrates on a dimensional freq uency so that it spans i nto ot her dimensions for one hour. During this time, it inflicts 1 additional point of damage on a successful hit and affects ta rgets that ca n only be affected by s peci al transdimensional effects, such as t h o s e t h at a re out of p h ase. Action to i n itiate. Fifth-Tier Jack Fifth-tier jacks have the fol lowi ng abilities: Adept Cypher Use: You can bear four cyphers at a time. Skills: You are trai ned in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defen se) . If you choose a task you're already

�LIME NE � trai ned in, you become speci al ized in that task. You ca n't choose a task you're already s peci al ized in. Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the followi ng tricks (or a trick from a lowe r tier) to add to your repertoi re. In addition, you can repl ace one of your lower-tier tricks with a different trick from the same lower tier. • Fei nt (3 Speed points): If you spend one action creating a misdirection or d iversion, in the next round you can ta ke adva ntage of your opponent's lowered defenses. Make a melee attack roll against that opponent. The d ifficu lty of the roll is decreased by one step. If your attack is successfu l , i t inflicts 4 additional poi nts of damage. Action. • Snipe (3 Speed points): If you spend one action aimi ng, in the next round you can make a precise ra nged attack. The d ifficulty of the attack roll is decreased by one step. If your attack is successful, it infl icts 4 additional points of damage. Action. • Successive Attack (2 Speed points): If you take down a foe, you can immediately make another attack on that same turn against a new foe with in your reach. The second attack is part of the same action. You can use this trick with melee attacks and ranged attacks. Enabler. • Targeting Eye: You are trai ned in any physical ranged attack that is a trick of the trade or comes from a n u menera device. For example, you are trai ned when using an Onslaught force blast because it's a physical attack, but not when using an Onslaught mindsl ice because it's a mental attack. You are trained when attacki ng with a death ray em itter because it comes from a n u menera device, but not when using a cross bow because it's a mundane weapon. Enabler. • Mastery With Defense: Choose one type of defense task in which you are trai ned: M ight, S peed , or I ntellect. You become special ized in defense tasks of that type. Unlike most tricks of the trade, you can select this trick up to th ree times. Each time you select it, you must choose a different type of defense task. Enabler. Sixth-Tier Jack S ixth-tier jacks have the fol lowing abilities: Skills: You are trai ned in one task of your choosing (other than attacks or defen se) . If you choose a task you're already trai ned in, you become special ized in that task. You ca n't choose a task you're already s peci al ized in. Tricks of the Trade: Choose one of the following tricks (or a trick from a lower tier) to add to your repertoire. In addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier tricks with a d ifferent trick from the same lower tier. • Energy Protection (4+ I ntel lect points): Choose a d iscrete type of energy you h ave experience with (such as heat, son ic, el ectricity, and so on) . You gain +1 0 to Armor against dam age from that type of energy for ten minutes. Altern ative ly, you ga i n + l to Armor against d amage from that energy for 28 hours. You must be famili ar with the type of energy; for example, if you h ave no experience with a certa in kind of extrad imensional ene rgy, you can't protect against it. Instead of applyi ng Effort to decrease the d ifficulty, you can apply Effort to p rotect more ta rgets, with each level of Effort affecting up to two additional ta rgets. You must touch additional ta rgets to p rotect them. Action to i n iti ate. • I nvisibility (5 I ntellect points): You become invisible for ten minutes. Wh ile invisible, you are s peci al ized in stealth and S peed defense tasks. Th is effect ends if you do someth ing to reveal your prese nce or position-

attacki ng, performing an esotery, using an abil ity, movi ng a large object, and so on. If this occu rs, you can rega in the remaining invisibil ity effect by taki ng an action to focu s on hiding your position. Action to i n itiate or reinitiate. • Parry (6 Speed points): You can deflect i ncoming attacks q u ickly. When you activate this trick, for the next 10 rounds you reduce the d ifficu lty for all S peed defense rolls by one step. Enabler. • Spin Attack (6 Speed points): You sta nd sti ll and make melee attacks against up to five foes with in reach, all as part of the same action in one round. Make a separate attack roll for each foe. You remain limited by the amount of Effort you can apply on one action. Anything that modifies your attack or damage appl ies to all of these attacks. Action. • True Senses: You can see in complete darkness up to 50 feet (1 5 m) as if it were dim light. You recogn ize holograms, disguises, optical ill usions, sound mimicry, and other such tricks (for all senses) for what they are. Enabler. JACK EXAMPLE J ames wants to play a jack. He likes the idea of being crafty, sneaky, and maybe a l ittle devious. He puts 4 of his add itional poi nts in his I ntellect Pool (raising i t t o 1 4) and 2 points in his S peed Pool (raising it to 1 2). Th is leaves his M ight Pool at 1 0. He decides to have a S peed Edge o f 1 , but it was a hard choice-he was tem pted to put his Edge point in I ntellect. As a first-tier character, his Effort is 1. J ames chooses a quarterstaff and a dart th rower for his weapons. The staff is a medium weapon that inflicts 4 poi nts of damage. The dart th rower is a l ight weapon, so he decreases the d ifficu lty of attack rolls with it, but each shot i nfl icts only 2 poi nts of damage. The dart th rower comes with 12 darts. PLAYER'S GUIDE He wears a leather jerki n that gives him 1 point of Armor, so J ames su btracts 1 from all damage he takes. This type of armor normally red uces the wearer's Speed Pool by 2 and costs 1 point of M ight per hour worn. To compen sate, J ames chooses Practiced in Armor as one of his tricks of the trade, which red uces both costs by 2 (meaning they both become 0) . For his other trick, he chooses Skill With Defense and selects Speed tasks. James is very defensive minded. He also chooses a skill to be trai ned in. J ames decides to go with stealth so that whenever he tries to h ide, move quietly, or slip someth ing i nto his pocket unnoticed , he red uces the difficu lty of the task by one step. In addition, his flex skill lets him choose another skill each day, so he has many options. His character can bear two cyphers. The GM decides that one item is an injector that gives J ames a tem porary + 1 bon us to his S peed Edge for one hour, and the other is a belt-mou nted device that projects a force sh ield around him for ten minutes and grants + 3 t o his Armor. J ames sti ll need s to choose his descriptor and focu s. For his descri ptor, he p icks Clever to complement his "devious" theme, so he adds 3 to his I ntellect Pool, ra ising i t t o 1 7. The Clever descri ptor also means he is tra i ned in lies and trickery (wh ich is fitting for his characte r) , d efense rol ls against mental effects, and identifyi ng or assessing thi ngs. Basical ly, his jack is good at figuring out wh atever s ituation he lands in. Conversely, he doesn't exce l at read ing books, studyi ng, or remembering details. Final ly, the descri ptor gives J a mes some extra starting mon eyprobably from being so clever. For his focus, he makes a choice that's devious but overt: Crafts Ill usions. At first tier, he can spend 1 point from his I ntellect Pool to create minor images. The focus also grants him a strange odd ity that involves images in a piece of glass. J ames wi ll use these abilities to create a con artist character who is careful and clever and backs up his l ies with ill usions. � 33 �

�LIME NE � CHARACTER DESCRIPTOR Your descriptor defines your character-it flavors everything you do. The diff erences between a Charming glaive and a Graceful glaive are considerable. The descriptor changes the way those characters go about every action. Your descriptor places your character in the situation (the first adventure, which starts the campaign) and helps provide motivation. It is the adjective of the sentence "/ am an adjective nou n who verbs." D escri ptors offer a one·time package of extra abilities, s kills, or mod ifications to your stat Pools. N ot all of a descri ptor's offerings are positive cha racter mod ifications. For exa m ple, some descri ptors h ave inabil ities-ta sks that a cha racter isn't good at. You can think of inabilities as " n egative s kills"-i n stead of be ing one step better at that kind of tas k, you're one step worse. If you become skil led at a task that you h ave an inability with , they cancel out. Remem ber that characters are defined as m uch by what they' re not good at as what they are good at. Descri ptors also offer a few brief suggestions of how your character got i nvolved with the rest of the group on their first adventure. You can use these, or not, as you wish. This section details the following descriptors: Charmi ng, Clever, G raceful, I ntelligent, Learned, Mystical/Mechan ical, Rugged, Stealthy, Strong, Strong-Wi lled, Swift, and Tough. Choose one of them for your character. You can pick any descriptor you wish regard less of whether you're a glaive, nano, or jack. CHARMING You're a smooth ta l ker and a charmer. Whether through seemi ngly su pernatural means or just a way with word s, you can convince others to do as you wish. Most l i kely, you're phys ically attractive or at least h igh ly charismatic, and others enjoy listening to your voice. You probably pay attention to your appearance, keeping you rself well groomed. You make friends easi ly. You play up the personal ity facet of your I ntellect stat; i ntel l igence is not your strong suit. You're personable, not necessarily stud ious or strong-wi l led . You ga in the followi ng benefits: Personable: +2 to your I ntellect Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in all tasks i nvolvi ng positive or pleasant soci al i nteraction. Skill: You're trai ned when using esoteries or speci al abilities that infl uence the minds of others. DESCRIPTORS Charming Clever G raceful I ntel l igent Learned Mystical/M echan ical Rugged Stealthy Strong Strong-Wil led Swift Tough Contact: You h ave an i mportant contact who is in an infl uential position, such as a minor noble, the captain of the town guard, an Aeon Priest, or the head of a large gang of th ieves. You and the GM should work out the details together. I nability: You were neve r good at studyi ng or retaining facts. The d ifficu lty o f a n y t a s k i nvolvi ng lore, knowledge, or understanding is i ncreased by one step. I nability: Your wi l l power is not one of your strong points. Whenever you try to resist a mental attack, the d ifficu lty is i ncreased by one step. Additional Equipment: You 've man aged to ta lk your way i nto some decent d iscou nts and bonuses in recent weeks. As a result, you have 10 extra shins jangl i n g i n your pocket. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the followi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. You convi nced one of the other PCs to tell you what he was doi ng. 2. You instigated the whole thing and convinced the others to join you. 3. One of the other PCs did a favor for you, and now you're repayi ng that obligation by helping her with the task at hand. 4. There is reward involved, and you need the money. CLEVER You're quick-witted, th inking well on your feet. You understand people, so you can fool them but are rarely

fooled . Because you easily see thi ngs for what they are, you get the lay of the land swiftly, s ize up th reats and all ies, and assess situations with accu racy. Perhaps you're phys ically attractive, or maybe you use your wit to overcome any physical or mental i mperfections. You ga in the followi ng benefits: Smart: +2 to your I ntellect Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in all interactions i nvolvi ng l ies or trickery. Skill: You're trai ned in defense rolls to resist mental effects. Skill: You're trai ned in all tasks i nvolving, identifyi ng or assessing danger, l ies, qual ity, importance, fu nction, or power. I nabil ity: You were never good at studyi ng or retaining trivial knowledge. The d ifficu lty o f a n y t a s k i nvolvi ng lore, knowledge, or u nderstanding is i ncreased by one step. Additional Equipment: You see through the schemes of others and occasionally convi nce them to believe youeven when, perhaps, they should not. Thanks to your clever behavior, you have 10 extra shins. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the followi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventure. 1. You convi nced one of the other PCs to te ll you what he was doing. 2. From afar, you observed that someth ing i nteresting was going on. 3. You tal ked your way i nto the situation beca use you thought it might earn some money. 4. You sus pect that the other PCs won't succeed without you. GRACEFUL You have a perfect sense of balance, movi ng and s peaki ng with grace and beauty. You're q u ick, l ithe, flexi ble, and dexterous. Your body is perfectly s u ited to da nce, and you use that advantage in combat to dod ge blows. You m ight wear garments that enha nce your agile movement and sense of style. You ga in the followi ng benefits: Agile: +2 to you r S peed Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in all tasks i nvolvi ng bala nce and ca reful movement. Skill: You're trai ned in all tasks i nvolvi ng physical perform ing arts. Skill: You're trai ned in all S peed defense tasks. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the followi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventure. 1. Against your better jud gment, you joi ned the other PCs beca use you saw that they were in danger. 2. One of the other PCs convinced you that joining the group would be in your best i nterest. 3. You're afra id of what might happen if the other PCs fail. 4. There is rewa rd i nvolved , and you need the money. PLAYER'S GUIDE INTELLIGENT You're q u ite smart. Your memory is sharp, and you easi ly grasp concepts that others m ight struggle with. Th is aptitude does n't necessarily mean that you 've had years of formal ed ucation, but you have learned a great deal in your life, primarily because you pick thi ngs up q u ickly and reta in so much. You ga in the fol lowing benefits: Smart: +2 to your I ntellect Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in an area of knowledge of your choice. Skill: You're trained in all actions that involve rememberi ng or memorizing thi ngs you experience d irectly. For example, instead of being good at recalling details of geography that you read about in a book, you can remember a path through a set of tunnels that you've explored before. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the fol lowi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. One of the other PCs as ked your opinion of the mission, knowi ng that if you thought it was a good idea, it probably was. 2. You saw va lue in what the other PCs we re doing. 3. You believed that the task m ight lead to i mportant and i nteresting d iscoveries. 4. A col league req uested that you take part in the mission as a favor. LEARNED You have stud ied, either on your own or with an instructor. You know many thi ngs and are an expe rt on a few topics, such as history, biology, geography, the n u menera, nature, or any other area of study. Learned cha racters typically carry a few books around with them and spend their spare time read i ng. You ga in the fol lowing benefits: Smart: +2 to your I ntellect Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in three areas of knowledge of your choice. I nability: You have few social graces. The d ifficu lty of any task i nvolvi ng charm, persuasion, or etiquette is increased by one step. Additional Equipment: You have two additional books on topics of your choice. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the fol lowi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. One of the other PCs as ked you to come along because of your knowledge. 2. You need money to fund your stud ies. 3. You believed that the task m ight lead to i mportant and i nteresting d iscoveries. 4. A col league req uested that you take part in the mission as a favor. � 35 �

�LIME NE � MYSTICAL/MECHANICAL You have a speci al talent that can be viewed in two ways. You might th ink of you rself as " mystical," and thus attu ned with the mysterious and the paranormal, or you might th ink of you rself as " mechan ical," and thus adept with devices and mach ines. In either case, your true talents lie with the n u menera. You likely h ave experience with ancient lore, and you can sense and wield the numenera-though whether that means "magic" or "technology" is up to you (a nd probably up to those around you as well). Mystical cha racters often wear jewelry, such as a ring or an amu let, or have tattoos or other marks that show their i nterests. M echan ical characters tend to ca rry a lot of tools and treat them almost like ta lismans. You ga in the followi ng benefits: Smart: +2 to your I ntellect Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in all actions i nvolvi ng identifyi ng or u nderstanding the n u menera. Sense "magic": You can sense whether the n u menera is active in s ituations where its presence is not obvious. You must study an object or location closely for a minute to get a feel for whether the touch of the ancients is at work. Esotery: You can perform the esotery known as H edge M agic when you have a free hand and can pay the I ntellect point cost. • Hedge Magic (1 I ntellect point): You can perform small tricks: tem porarily change the color or basic appearance of a small object, cause small objects to float through the air, clean a small area, mend a broken object, prepare (but not create) food , and so on. You ca n 't use hedge magic to harm another creatu re or object. Action. I nability: You h ave a manner or an aura that others find a bit unn erving. The d ifficu lty of any task i nvolvi ng charm, persuasion, or deception is i n creased by one step. Additional Equipment: You have an extra oddity, determi ned by the GM. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the fol lowi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. A d ream guided you to this poi nt. 2. You need money to fund your stud ies. 3. You believed the mission would be a great way to learn more about the n u menera. 4. Va rious signs and porte nts led you here. RUGGED You're a nature lover accu stomed to l iving rough, pitting your wits against the elements. M ost l i kely, you're a skil led h u nter, gatherer, or naturalist. Years of l iving in the wild h ave left their mark with a worn cou nte nance, wild hair, or scars. Your cloth ing is probably much less refined than the garments worn by city dwel lers. You ga in the fol lowing benefits: Skill: You're trai ned in all tasks i nvolvi ng climbi ng, jum ping, ru nni ng, and swimmi ng. Skill: You're trai ned in all tasks i nvolvi ng traini ng, rid i ng, or pl acating natu ral animals. Skill: You're trai ned in all tasks i nvolvi ng identifyi ng or using natural plants. I nability: You h ave no soci al graces and prefer animals to people. The d ifficu lty o f a n y t a s k i nvolvi ng charm, persuasion, etiquette, or deception is i ncreased by one step. Additional Equipment: You carry an explorer's pack. If you already h ave one, you can i n stead take 50 extra feet (1 5 m) of rope, two more d ays' worth of rations, and an extra ranged weapon. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the fol lowi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. Aga inst your better judgment, you joi ned the other PCs beca use you saw that they were in danger. 2. One of the other PCs convi nced you that joi ning the group would be in your best i nterest. 3. You're afra id of what m ight happen ifthe other PCs fail. 4. There is rewa rd i nvolved, and you need the money. STEALTHY You're sneaky, slippery, and fast. These talents help you h ide, move quietly, and pull off tricks that require sleight of hand. M ost l i kely, you're wiry and small. However, you're not m uch � 36 �

of a spri nter-you're more dexterous than fleet of foot. You ga in the followi ng benefits: Quick: +2 to your S peed Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in all stealthy tasks. Skill: You're trai ned in all i nteractions i nvolvi ng l ies or trickery. Skill: You're trai ned in all esote ries or special abilities i nvolvi ng ill usions or trickery. I nabil ity: You're sneaky but not fast. The d ifficu lty of all movement-rel ated tasks is one step h igher for you. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the followi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventure. 1. You attempted to steal from one of the other PCs. That character caught you and forced you to come along with her. 2. You were tai ling one of the other PCs for reasons of your own, which brought you i nto the action. 3. An N PC employer secretly paid you to get i nvolved . 4. You ove rheard the other PCs talking about a topic that i nterested you, so you decided to approach the group. STRONG You're extremely strong and phys ica lly powerful, and you use these qualities well, whether through violence or feats of prowess. You likely have a brawny build and impressive muscles. You ga in the followi ng benefits: Very Powerful: +4 to your M ight Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in all actions i nvolvi ng brea king inanimate objects. Skill: You're trai ned in all jumping actions. Additional Equipment: You have an extra medium weapon or heavy weapon. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the followi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventure. 1. Against your better jud gment, you joi ned the other PCs beca use you saw that they were in danger. 2. One of the other PCs convinced you that joining the group would be in your best i nterest. 3. You're afra id of what might happen if the other PCs fail. 4. There is reward involved, and you need the money. STRONG-WILLED You're tough-mi nded , wil lful, and independent. No one can ta lk you i nto anything or change your mind when you don't want it changed . This qual ity does n't necessarily make you smart, but it does make you a bastion of will power and resolve. You likely d ress and act with u n ique style and flair, not cari ng what others th ink. You ga in the followi ng benefits: Willful: +4 to your I ntellect Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in resisting mental effects. Skill: You're trai ned in tasks req u iring i ncred ible focus or concentration. PLAYER'S GUIDE I nability: Wi l lful doesn't mean brill iant. The d ifficu lty of any task that i nvolves figuri ng out puzzles or problems, memorizing thi ngs, or using lore is i ncreased by one step. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the followi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. Aga inst your better judgment, you joi ned the other PCs because you saw that they were in danger. 2. One of the other PCs convi nced you that joi ning the group would be in your best i nterest. 3. You're afra id of what m ight happen if the other PCs fail. 4. There is rewa rd i nvolved, and you need the money. SWIFT You move quickly, able to sprint in short bu rsts and work with your hands with dexte rity. You're great at crossing distances q u ickly but not always smooth ly. You are likely slim and muscular. You ga in the fol lowing benefits: Fast: +4 to your S peed Pool. Skill: You're trai ned in in itiative actions (to determ ine who goes first in com bat) . Skill: You're trai ned in ru nning actions. Inabil ity: You're fast but not necessarily graceful. The d ifficu lty of any task involving balance is increased by one step. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the fol lowi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. Aga inst your better judgment, you joi ned the other PCs beca use you saw that they were in danger. 2. One of the other PCs convi nced you that joi ning the group would be in your best i nterest. 3. You're afra id of what m ight happen if the other PCs fail. 4. There is rewa rd i nvolved, and you need the money. TOUGH You're strong and can take a lot of physical punish ment. You m ight have a large frame and a square jaw. Tough characters frequently have visible scars. You ga in the fol lowing benefits: Resil ient: + 1 to Armor. Healthy: Add 1 to the poi nts you rega in when you make a recovery roll. Skill: You're trai ned in M ight defense actions. Additional Equipment: You have an extra light weapon. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the fol lowi ng list of options, choose how you became i nvolved in the first adventu re. 1. You're acting as a bodyguard for one of the other PCs. 2. One of the PCs is your sibli ng, and you came along to watch out for her. 3. You need money beca use you r fa m i ly is in debt. 4. You stepped in to defend one of the PCs when that character was threatened . Wh ile ta lking to him afterwa rd , you heard about the group's task. � 37 �

�LIME NE � CHARACTER FOCUS Focus is what makes your character unique. No two PCs in a group should have the same focus. Your focus gives you benefits when you create your character and each time you ascend to the next tier. It's the verb of the sentence "/ am an adjective noun who verbs." W hen you choose a character focus, you get a special connection to one or more of your fellow PCs, a first-tier abil ity, and perhaps additional starting equipment. A few foci offer sl ight alterations of esoteries or tricks for nanos and jacks. Each focus also offers suggestions to the GM and the player for possible effects or consequences of real ly good or real ly bad die rolls. As you progress to a new tier, your focus grants you more abil ities. Each tier's benefit is usually labeled Action or Enabler. If an abil ity is labeled Action, you must take an action to use it. If an abil ity is labeled Enabler, it makes other actions better or gives some other benefit, but it's not an action. An abil ity that allows you to blast foes with lasers is an action. An abil ity that grants you additional damage when you make attacks is an enabler. You can use an enabler in the same turn as you perform another action. Each tier's benefits are i ndependent of and cu mulative with benefits from other tiers (un less indicated otherwise) . So if your first-tier abil ity grants you + 1 to Armor and your fourth-tier abil ity also grants you + 1 to Armor, when you reach fourth tier, you have a total of +2 to Armor. BEARS A HALO OF FIRE You can create a sheath of flames around your body. You leave scorch marks wherever you go, and you ca n't handle combustible objects without first dousing your inherent flames. If you perform esote ries (or similar effects beyond the abilities of normal humans). all your effects are tai nted with flame. Fiery visuals accom pany your powers, and in some cases, your pred ilection for flame actually resh apes your abilities to take on a fiery nature where none existed before. You probably wear red and yellow, or perhaps black. Although most of those who take up this mantle are nanos, flame-wield ing glaives and jacks are fearsome i ndeed . Connection: Pick one other PC. Through a quirk of fate, your fire cannot harm that cha racter. FOCI Bears a Halo of Fire Carries a Quiver Commands Mental Powers Controls Beasts Controls Gravity Crafts Illusions Crafts Unique Objects Employs Magnetism Entertains Exists Partially Out of Phase Explores Dark Places Fights With Panache Focuses Mind Over Matter Fuses Flesh and Steel Howls at the Moon Hunts With G reat Skill Leads Lives in the Wilderness Masters Defense Masters Weaponry Murders Rages Rides the Lightning Talks to Machines Wears a Sheen of Ice Wields Power With Precision Wields Two Weapons at Once Works Miracles Works the Back Alleys Additional Equipment: You have an artifact-a device that sprays inanimate objects to make them fire-resistant. All your starting gear has already been treated un less you don't want it to be. Fire Esoteries: If you perform esoteries, those that would normally use force or other energy (such as electricity) in stead use fire. For example, force blasts from Onslaught are blasts of flame, and Flash is a bu rst of fire. These alterations change noth ing except the type of damage and the fact that it might start fires. As another example, Barrier prod uces a wall of roaring flames. In this case, the alteration changes the esotery so that the barrier is not solid but in stead infl icts 1 point of damage to anything that touches it and 4 poi nts of damage to anyone who passes through it. Minor Effect Suggestions: The target or something near the target catches fire. Major Effect Suggestions: An i mportant item on the target's person is destroyed . � 38 �

PLAYER'S GUIDE ORIGIN OF SPECIAL POWERS If you want an explanation for some of the more su pernatural powers provided by your focu s, roll dl 00 and check the followi ng table, discarding results that don't fit logic. Roll Explanation 01 -05 N atural m utation 06-09 Unexpected viral reconstruction of your body 1 0-1 5 1 6-2 1 M utation a ue to ancestral ex12osure to cliem icals, raa iation, or virus M utation d ue to experimental science performed on your ancestor(s) 2-2 7 28 An encou nter with the I ron Wind (unex12ected nanotech recon struction of your body)�--------� Abd uction by extraterrestrial (s) who experi mented or performed s u rge ry on you 29 Abd uction by rogue scientist(s) who ex12e rimented or 12erformed su rge ry on o_ u ___________ _ 30 Abd uction by mach ine i ntelligence that experi mented or performed s u rgery on you 1 32-3 5 6-3 9 40-43 An encou nter with an u ltraterrestrial entity that myste riously changed you I ntentional or accidental fu sion/implantation with mechan ical devices in fingertips I ntentional or accidental fu sion/implantation with mechan ical devices in pal ms I ntentional or accidental fu sion/implantation with mechan ical device in head or eye 44-4 7 48-5 1 I ntentional or accidental fu sion/implantation with mechan ical device in chest I ntentional or accidental i mmersion or treatment with ancient chemicals or rad iation 2-5 6 H idden artifact (s secreted on your person 5 7-60 61 -64 65-66 67 68-69 70 71 -80 81 -00 Cloud of nanotech that follows and responds to you for reasons u n known Implant or m utation that provides knowled ge and power from the d ata_s p -e-re------------� Drugs Training by extrate rrestri al entities in stra nge and mysterious devotions Training by secret order that has mastered mysteries passed down from the ancients Training by mach ine intelligence tli at shared inh uman knowled ge ����---------, Confluence: Roll twice and combine results U n known (G M can secretly roll again and keep the result liiaaen) Tier 1: Shroud of Flame (1 I ntel lect point). At your command, your entire body becomes shrouded in flames that last u p t o ten minutes. The fire doesn't burn you, but it automatically infl icts 2 poi nts of damage to anyone who tries to touch you or stri ke you with a melee attack. Flames from another sou rce can sti ll hurt you. Wh ile the shroud is active, you gain +2 poi nts of Armor that protect only against damage from fire from another source. Enabler. Tier 2: Hurl Flame (2 I ntellect points). While your Shroud of Flame is active, you can reach i nto your halo and hurl a handful of fire at a ta rget. This is a ra nged attack with short ra nge that deals 4 poi nts of fire damage. Action. Fiery Power. When you use the Onsl aught force blast esotery or the Flash esotery, increase the damage by 1 poi nt. If you don't have either of those abil ities, this abil ity has no effect. Fiery Powe r does not affect damage from the Onsl aught mindsl ice. Enabler. Tier 3: Fiery Hand of Doom (3 Intellect points). Wh ile your Shroud of Flame is active, you can reach into your halo and prod uce a hand made of animate flame that is twice the size of a human's hand. The hand acts as you direct, floati ng in the air. Directing the hand is an action. Without a command, the hand does noth ing. It can move a long distance in a round, but it never moves farther away from you than long range. The hand can grab, move, and carry things, but anything it touches takes 1 point of damage per round from the heat. The hand can also attack. It's a level 3 creature and deals 1 extra point of damage from fire when it attacks. Once created, the hand lasts for ten minutes. Action to create; action to direct. Tier 4: Flameblade (4 I ntel lect points). When you wish it, you extend your halo of fire to cove r a weapon you wield in flame for one hour. The flame ends if you stop hold ing or carryi ng the weapon. While the flame lasts, the weapon inflicts 2 additional poi nts of damage. Enabler. Tier 5: Fire Tendrils (5 I ntellect points). When you wish it, your halo sprouts th ree te ndrils of flame that last for up to ten minutes. As an action, you can u s e t h e tend ri ls to attack, making a separate attack roll for each . Each tendril inflicts 4 poi nts of damage. Otherwise, the attacks fu nction as standard attacks. If you don't use the tendrils to attack, they remain but do noth i ng. Enabler. Tier 6: Fire Servant (6 Intel lect points). You reach i nto your h a l o a n d prod uce an automaton of fire that is your general shape and size. It acts as you direct each round. Directing the servant is an action, and you can command it only when you are with in long range of it. Without a command, the servant contin ues to fol low your previous command. You can

�LIME NE � also give it a sim ple program med action, such as "Wait here, and attack anyone who comes with in short range until they're dead ." The servant lasts for ten minutes, is a level 5 creature, and deals 1 extra point of damage from fire when it attacks. Action to create; action to d irect. CARRIES A QUIVER The archer is a skil led com bata nt, deadly in any fight. With a keen eye and quick reflexes, you can elimi nate foes at ra nge before they reach you. A good archer also learns to make his own arrows and bows. You probably wear no more than light armor so you can move q u ickly when needed . Many gla ives and jacks are archers. You can use this focu s with crossbows instead of bows if you wish. Connection: Pick one other PC to be the true friend who gave you the excel lent bow that you cu rrently use. Secretly pick a second PC (preferably one who is likely to get in the way of your attacks) . When you miss with a bow and the GM rules that you struck someone other than your target, you h it the second cha racter, if possible. Additional Equipment: You start with a wel l-made bow and two dozen arrows. M inor Effect Suggestions: H it in a tendon or muscle, the ta rget takes 2 poi nts of S peed damage as well as normal damage. Major Effect Suggestions: The ta rget is pin ned in pl ace with an arrow. Tier 1: Archer. To be truly deadly with a bow, you must know where to aim. You can s pend poi nts from either your S peed Pool or your I ntellect Pool to apply levels of Effort to i ncrease your bow damage. Each level of Effort adds 3 poi nts of damage to a successful attack. Enabler. Fletcher. You are trai ned in making arrows. Enabler. Tier 2: Covering Fire (1 Speed point). In a round where you attack with your bow, if you fire an additional arrow, the d ifficu lty of attacks and special abilities used by the target is increased by one step. Enabler. Bowyer. You are trai ned in making bows. Enabler. Tier 3: Trained Archer. You are trai ned in using bows. Enabler. Master Fletcher. You are speci al ized in making arrows. Enabler. Tier 4: Quick Shot. If you roll a natural 17 or higher with a bow attack, instead of adding damage or a minor or major effect, you can make another attack with your bow. This attack reuses the same Effort and bon uses (if any) from the first attack. Enabler. Master Bowyer. You are special ized in making bows. Enabler. Tier 5: Phenomenal Archer. You are special ized in using bows. Enabler. Tier 6: Powerful Shot (2 M ight points). You i nfl ict 3 additional poi nts of damage with a bow. The M ight poi nts spent to use t h i s a b i l ity are in add ition to any S peed poi nts spent on the attack. Enabler. COMMANDS MENTAL POWERS You h ave always had special abilities that others didn't seem to share. Through practice and devotion, you h ave honed this unique talent so that you can harness the power of your mind to perform deed s. No one can tell that you have this abil ity just by looki ng at you, although you wear a crystal or jewel somewhere on your head t o h e l p focus your power. Either this focusing object was given to you by someone who recogn ized your abil ity, or you came u pon it by accident and it triggered your abilities. Some people with mental powers-often called psych ics or psion ics by ordinary fol ks-are secretive and a l ittle paranoid. Although nanos freq uently command mental powers, psionic glaives or jacks are not u ncommon. Connection: Pick one other PC. You have found that this character is particu larly tu ned i nto your mental powers. Wh ile you're with in short ra nge of him, the two of you are always in telepath ic contact, and he is never harmed by your Psych ic Bursts. Additional Equipment: You have a crystal or jewel artifact that, when worn against your forehead or temple, adds 1 point to your I ntellect Pool. If you're ever without the artifact, su btract 5 poi nts from your I ntellect Pool; the poi nts are restored if you regain the item. Mental Esoteries: If you have the Mind Control esotery or the M i nd Read ing esote ry, you're automatically trai ned in it. If you have both esote ries, you're trai ned in both. Enabler. Minor Effect Suggestions: The ra nge or duration of the mental powe r is doubled. Major Effect Suggestions: You can take another action on that same turn. Tier 1: Telepathic (1 + I ntellect point). You can s peak telepathically with others who a re with in short ra nge. Com mun ication is two-way, but the other pa rty must be wi lling and able to com mun icate. You don't h ave to see the ta rget, but you must know that it's with in ra n ge. You can h ave more than one active contact at once, but you must establish contact with each ta rget individual ly. Each contact l asts up to ten minutes. If you apply a level of Effort to i n crease the duration rather than affect the d ifficulty, the contact lasts for 28 hours. Action to establish contact. Tier 2: Mind Reading (2 I ntellect points). You can read the surface thoughts of a creatu re with in short range, even if the ta rget doesn't want you to. You must be able to see your target. Once you have establis hed contact, you can read the target's thoughts for up to one minute. If you also have the M i nd Read ing esotery or trick o f t h e trade, you can use this

abil ity at long ra nge, and you don't need to be able to see the ta rget (but you do have to know that the ta rget is with in ra nge) . Action t o i n itiate. Tier 3: Psychic Burst (3+ I ntellect points). You blast waves of mental force i nto the minds of up to th ree targets with in short ra nge (make an I ntellect roll against each ta rget) . Th is burst inflicts 3 poi nts of I ntellect damage (and thus ignores Armor) . For each 2 add itional I ntellect poi nts you spend, you can make an I nte llect attack roll against an add itional ta rget. Action. Tier 4: Use Senses of Others (4 I ntellect points). You can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste through the senses of anyone with whom you have telepathic contact. You can attem pt to use this abil ity on a wi lling or unwilling ta rget with in long ra nge; an unwilling ta rget can try to resist. You don't need to see the ta rget, but you must know that it's with in ra nge. Your shared senses last ten minutes. Action to establish. Tier 5: Mind Control (6+ I ntel lect points): You control the actions of another creatu re you touch. Th is effect lasts for ten minutes. The target must be leve l 2 or lowe r. Once you have established control, you maintain mental contact with the ta rget and sense what it senses. You can allow it to act freely or override its control on a case-by-case basis. I n stead of applyi ng Effort to decrease the d ifficu lty, you can apply Effort to i ncrease the maximum level of the ta rget. Thus, to control the mind of a level 5 ta rget (th ree levels above the normal limit) , you must apply th ree levels of Effort. If you also have the Mind Control esotery, the normal level limit is PLAYER'S GUIDE 3 rather than 2. When the effect ends, the creatu re doesn't remember be ing control led or anything it did while u nder your command. Action to i n itiate. Tier 6: Telepathic Network (O+ I ntellect points). When you wish it, you can contact up to ten creatu res known to you, no matter where they are. Al l ta rgets must be wi lling and able to communicate. You automatically succeed at establishing a telepathic network; no roll is req uired. Al l creatures in the network are linked and can communicate telepath ically with one another. They can also "ove rhear" anything said in the network, if they wish. Activating this abil ity doesn't req uire an action and doesn't cost I ntellect poi nts; to you, it's as easy as speaki ng out loud. The network lasts u ntil you choose to end it. If you spend 5 I ntellect poi nts, you can contact twenty creatu res at once, and for every 1 I ntellect point you spend above that, you can add ten more creatu res to the network. These larger networks last for ten minutes. Creating a network of twe nty or more creatu res does req uire an action to establish contact. Enabler. CONTROLS BEASTS To say that you have a way with animals and non human creatures doesn't begin to cover it. Your mastery and commun ication with beasts is positively uncanny. They come to you fearlessly, and it's not uncommon for birds to al ight on your shoulder or for small animals to cl imb up your arms or legs. You probably wear tough cloth ing and have a disheve led or grizzled appearance that suggests a rugged, outdoor l ife. Perh aps you even smell like an animal. Any type of character is likely to h ave this focu s.

�LIME NE � Connection: Pick one other PC. That characte r seems to disturb your creatures in a way that you ca n't explain. You know that you must keep your animals away from him if possible, or you m ight lose control of them. Additional Equipment: You have three d ays' worth of food for your beast com panion, plus a harness, collar, or simi lar accouterment. M inor Effect Suggestions: The duration of ca lmness or control is doubled. Major Effect Suggestions: The duration of cal m ness or control extends to 28 hours. Tier 1: Beast Companion. A level 2 creature of your size or smal ler accompan ies you and follows your instructions. You and the GM must work out the details of your creature, and you 'll probably make rolls for it in combat or when it takes actions. The beast companion acts on your turn. As a level 2 creature, it has a target number of 6 and a health of 6, and it infl icts 2 poi nts of damage. Its movement is based on its creatu re type (avian, swi mmer, and so on) . If your beast companion d ies, you can hunt in the wild for 1 d6 days to find a new companion. Enabler. Tier 2: Soothe the Savage (2 I ntellect points). You calm a nonhuman beast with in 30 feet (9 m) . You must speak to it (a lthough it doesn't need to u ndersta nd your word s), and it must see you. It remains calm for one minute or for as long as you focus all your attention on it. The GM has final say over what cou nts as a nonhuman beast, but u n less some kind of deception is at work, you should know whether you can affect a creatu re before you attem pt to use this abil ity on it. Aliens, extrad imensional entities, very intelligent creatures, and automatons never cou nt. Action. Communication (2 I ntellect points). You can convey a basic concept to a creatu re that normally ca n't speak or understand s peech. The creatu re can also give you a very basic answer to a simple q uestion. Action. Tier 3: Mount. A level 3 creatu re serves you as a mount and fol lows your i n structions. Wh ile you're mou nted on it, the creatu re can move and you can attack on your turn, or it can attack foes when you do. You and the GM must work out the details of the creature, and you'll probably make rolls for it in com bat or when it takes actions. The mount acts on your turn. If your mount d ies, you can hunt in the wild for 3d6 days to find a new one. Enabler. Tier 4: Beast Eyes (3 I ntellect points). You can sense through your beast companion's sen ses if it is with in 1 mile (1 .6 k m ) o f you. This effect lasts up t o t e n minutes. Action to establish. Improved Companion. Your beast companion increases to level 4. As a level 4 creatu re, it has a target number of 12 and a health of 1 2, and it infl icts 4 points of damage. Enabler. Tier 5: Beast Call (5 I ntel lect points). You summon a horde of small animals or a si ngle level 4 beast to help you temporari ly. These creatu res do your bidd ing for as long as you focus your atte ntion, but you must use your action each turn to d irect them. Creatu res are native to the area and arrive under their own powe r, so if you're in an unreachable pl ace, this ability won't work. Action. Tier 6: Control the Savage (6 I ntel lect points). You can control a calm nonhuman beast with in 30 feet (9 m) . You control it for as long as you focu s all your attention on it, using your turn each round. The GM has final say over what counts as a nonhuman beast, but u n less some kind of deception is at work, you should know whether you can affect a creatu re before you attempt to use t h i s a b i l ity on it. Al iens, extrad imensional entities, ve ry i ntelligent creatures, and automatons never cou nt. Action. Improved Companion. Your beast companion increases to level 5. As a level 5 creature, it has a target number of 15 and a health of 1 5 , and it inflicts 5 poi nts of damage. Enabler. CONTROLS GRAVITY G ravity must h ave been quite a concern for the people of prior epoch s because there are many paths with in the n u menera to control it. Through a quirk of fate, some unique device (s) , or supreme devotion (or a combination

of a l l t h ree) , you have learned to tap i nto the power of gravity. With one foot pla nted in the distant past, you are a mysterious individ ual. M ost l i kely, you are also older, havi ng s pent m uch of your life honing your odd, ancient talents. You might prefer billowy garments that display your mastery of gravity's pull and conceal your identity and intentions. No one type of character is more likely to control gravity than another, but the power is rare. Connection: Pick one other PC. In the recent past, while using your gravitational powers, you accidentally sent that character hurtling i nto the air or plum meting towa rd the ground. Either way, she barely survived. It is up to the player of that character to decide whether she resents, fears, or forgives you. Additional Equipment: You have a pen-sized odd ity that tells the weight of wh ateve r you poi nt it at (within short ra nge) . The we ight is d isplayed on a small glass pl ate in runes that only you can deci pher. M inor Effect Suggestions: The duration of the effect is doubled. Major Effect Suggestions: An i m portant item on the ta rget's person is destroyed. Tier 1: Hover (1 I ntellect point): You float slowly i nto the air. If you concentrate to remain motionless in the air, or float up to a short distance as your action, but no more; otherwise, you d rift with the wind or with any momentum you have gai ned. This effect lasts for up to ten minutes. If you also have the Hover esotery or trick of the trade, you can hover for twenty minutes and move your normal speed. Action to i n itiate. Tier 2: Lessening G ravity's Pull. By manipu lati ng gravity's pull on you rself, you ga in + 1 to your S peed Edge. Enabler. Tier 3: G ravity Cleave (3 I ntellect points). You can harm a ta rget with in short range by rapidly increasing gravity's pull on one portion o f t h e ta rget and decreasing it on another, i nfl icting 6 poi nts of damage. Action. Tier 4: Field of G ravity (4 I ntellect points). When you wish it, a field of manipulated gravity around you pulls i ncom ing ra nged projectile attacks to the ground. You are immune to s uch attacks until your turn in the next round. You must be aware of an attack to foil it. This abil ity does not work on energy attacks. Enabler. Tier 5: Fl ight (4+ I ntellect points). You can float and fly through the air for one hour. For each level of Effort appl ied, you can affect one additional creatu re of your size or smaller. You must touch the creatu re to bestow the power of flight. You d irect the other creature's movement, and wh ile flyi ng, it must remain with in sight of you or fall. In terms of overland movement, a flyi ng creatu re moves about 20 m i les (32 km) per hour and is not affected by terrain. Action to i n itiate. PLAYER'S GUIDE Tier 6: Weight of the World (6+ I ntellect points). You can increase a ta rget's weight d ramatical ly. The target is pul led to the ground and can't move phys ically u nder its own power for one min ute. The target must be with in short range. For each level of Effort appl ied , you can affect one additional creature. Action. CRAFTS ILLUSIONS You use the n u menera to create holographic images that appear real. You are, in effect, an artist-a crafter of l ight and sou nd. Holographic images can never infl ict direct harm or exert real force, but they can fool creatures, changing opinions and even behaviors if you craft them cleverly. You likely d ress with flair and color. The appearance of thi ngs is i mportant to you, both their bea uty and their ugli ness. You are a visual performer who can entertain, terrify, or fool everyone you encou nter. A nano is the most likely characte r to be an illusionist, but jacks find ill usions to be hel pful as well. The ra re glaive ill usionist can find ways to use tricks in battle. Connection: Pick one other PC. This character is never fooled by your ill usions and is never affected by the trickery of your special abilities. You can choose whether or not you know this fact. Additional Equipment: You h ave an odd ity that appears to be a piece of clear glass in a synth frame. By manipu lating h idden switches on the frame, you can make ra ndom movi ng images appear on the glass. The images are usually stra nge and sometimes incomprehen sible. Psychedelic Esoteries: If you perform esoteries, they take on flam boyant visual and aud itory qualities of your choosing. This alteration changes noth ing other than the appearance of the effects. For example, your attack esoteries m ight look like mon sters made of energy that assail your foes. Your Stasis esotery m ight look like a tentacled beast that holds the victim in pl ace. Your Teleportation esotery might seem like a hole in space opens up and swallows you. Minor Effect Suggestions: Your ill usion has a speci al qual ity to it-perhaps an observer sees an i mage of someth ing from his past. Major Effect Suggestions: The ill usion lasts for one hour, or if it already lasts that long, it lasts for 28 hours. Tier 1: Minor Ill usion (1 I ntel lect point). You create a s i ngle image of a creatu re or object with in im med iate ra nge. The image must fit with in a 1 0-foot (3 -meter) cube. The i mage can move (for example, you could make the ill usion of a person wa lk or attack) . but it ca n't leave the a rea defined by the cube. The ill usion i ncludes sound but not smell. I t l asts fo r t e n minutes, but if you want to change the origi nal ill usion sign ifica ntly-s uch as making a creature appear to be wounded-you must concentrate on it again (though doing so doesn't cost additional I ntel lect poi nts) . If you move beyond i m med iate ra n ge of the cube, the ill usion va nis hes. Action to create; action to modify. � 43 �

�LIME NE � Tier 2: Disguise (2+ I ntel lect points). You appear to be someone or someth ing else, roughly of your s ize and s h ape, for up to one hour. Once created, the disguise req uires no concentration. For each additional I ntellect point you spend, you can d isguise one other creature. All disguised creatu res must stay with in sight of you or lose their d isguise. Action to create. Tier 3: M ajor Ill usion (3 I ntellect points). You create a complex scene of i mages with in i m med iate ra n ge. The entire scene must fit with in a 1 00-foot (30-meter) cube. The i mages can move, but they ca n't leave the area d efined by the cube. The ill usion i ncludes sound and smel l. It l asts for ten minutes and changes as you direct (no concentration is needed) . If you move beyond i m med iate ra n ge of the cube, the ill usion va n ishes. Action to create. Tier 4: Illusory Selves (4 I ntellect points). You create four holographic duplicates of you rself with in short ra nge. The dupl icates last for one minute. You mentally d irect their actions, and the duplicates aren't m irror i mages-each one can do different thi ngs. If struck violently, they either d isappear permanently or freeze motion less (your choice) . Action to create. Tier 5: Terrifying I mage (6 I ntellect points). You use a bit of subtle telepathy to learn which images would appear terrifyi ng to creatu res that you choose with in long ra nge. Those images appear with in that area and menace the appropriate creatures. Make an I ntellect attack roll against each creatu re you want to affect. Success means the creatu re flees in terror for one min ute, purs ued by its n ightmares. Fa ilure means the creatu re ignores the i mages, which do not hamper it in any way. Action. Tier 6: G randiose Illusion (8 I ntel lect points). You create a fantastically complex scene of images that fit with in a 1 -mile (1 .6-km) cube that you are also with in. You must be able to see the i mages when you create them. The images can move in the cube and act in accord ance with your desires. They can also act logically (such as reacting appropriately to fire or attacks) when you aren't d irectly observing them. The ill usion i ncludes sound and smell. For example, armies can clash in battle, with air support from mach ines or flyi ng creatures, on and above terrain of your creation. The ill usion lasts for one hour (or longer, if you concentrate on it afte r that time) . Action. CRAFTS UNIQUE OBJECTS With the remains of previous civi l izations all around, the raw materials for a crafter offer themselves to those who know where to look. You are a maker, a crafte r, and a bui lder. You might start out worki ng with wood or metal as u nderstood by the people of the Ninth World, but eventually you wi ll master even the mysteries of the ancients. Ca ll it magic or call it tech nology-you know that you can master it and use it for your own designs. You likely ca rry a wide a rray of tools and spare parts whereve r you go. Your work apron is probably a mainstay of your ward robe, its pockets and loops b rimming with the instruments of yo ur trad e. Your ca llou sed fingers m i ght be sta i n ed with grease that wi ll n ever come co mpletely clean, but these marks a re badges of honor among yo ur ki nd. Nanos make i nteresting crafters, sup plementi ng their esote ries with tools and d evices. A glaive builder likely focuses on wea pons or armor. J acks m ight be the most com mon crafters, making thi ngs that work in a variety of ways for a variety of u ses. Connection: Pick one other PC. The character has an extra item of regular equi pment that you fash ioned for her. (S he chooses the item.) Additional Equipment: You begin the game with a bag of light tools, the tools needed to make your first-tier crafts, and any normal item (of level 1 or 2) that you can make with your skills. You also have an additional oddity. Minor Effect Suggestions: Any rolls you make regard ing that artifact ga in a+ 1bon us for 28 hours. Major Effect Suggestions: Any rolls you make rega rd ing that artifact ga in a +2 bon us for 28 hours. Tier l: Crafter. You are trai ned in the crafting of two kinds of items. Enabler. Master Identifier. You are trai ned in identifyi ng the fu nction of any kind of device. Enabler. Tier 2: Tin kerer. If you spend at least one d ay tinkering with an artifact in your possession, it fu nctions a t o n e level higher than normal. Th is a p p l i e s t o a l l artifacts in your possession, but they retain this bon us only for you. Enabler. Quick Work (3+ I ntellect points). One use of any artifact (or one minute of its conti nuous fu nction) is i ncreased by one level if you use it with in the next minute. If you spend 4 additional I ntellect poi nts, the use is i ncreased by two levels if you use it with in the next minute. Action. Tier 3: Master Crafter. You are trai ned in the crafting of two more kinds of items, or you are s peci al ized in two kinds of items that you are already trai ned in. Enabler. Tier 4: Cyphersmith. All cyphers you use fu nction at one level h igher than normal. If given a week and the right tools, chemicals, and parts, you can tinker with one of your cyphers, transform ing it i nto another cypher of the same type (anoetic or occultic) that you had in the past. The GM and pl ayer should col l aborate to ensure that the tran sformation is logical-for example, you probably ca n't transform a pill i nto a helmet. Enabler.

Tier 5: Innovator. You can mod ify any artifact to give it different or better abilities as if that artifact were one level lower than normal, and doing so takes half the normal time to mod ify a device. Enabler. Tier 6: I nventor. You can create new artifacts in half the time, as if they were two levels lower, by spend ing half the normal XP. Enabler. EMPLOYS MAGNETISM Electromagnetism is a fu ndamental force in the u n iverse, and it is you rs to command. You are a master of meta l. You probably wear a lot of metal, perhaps as part of your cloth ing or armor, as part of your accessories (such as jewelry or pierci ngs) , em bedded i nto your body surgical ly, or in some combination of these options. No one type of character is more likely than any other to employ magnetism, although glaives who wield weapons and wear armor wi ll find it an i nteresting com plement to their powers. Connection: Pick one other PC. Whenever you use your powers, the metallic items on that character's body shudder, rattle, clink, and shake if he is with in short ra nge. M inor Effect Suggestions: The duration of the effect is doubled. Major Effect Suggestions: An i m portant item on the ta rget's person is destroyed. Tier 1: Move Metal (1 I ntellect point). You can exert force on meta l objects with in short ra nge for one round. Once activated , your power has an effective M ight Pool of 1 0, a M ight Edge of 1, and an Effort of 2 (approxi mately eq ual to the strength of a fit, capable, ad ult human) , and you can use it to move metal objects, push against metal objects, PLAYER'S GUIDE and so on. For exam ple, in your round, you could l ift and pull a l ight metal object anywhere with in ra nge to you rself or move a heavy object (l i ke a piece of fu rnitu re) about 10 feet (3 m) . This power lacks the fine control to wield a weapon or move objects with much s peed , so in most situations, it's not a means of attack. You ca n't use this abil ity on your own body. Action. Tier 2: Repel Metal. By manipu lati ng magnetism, you are trai ned in S peed defense tasks against any incom ing attack that uses meta l. Enabler. Tier 3: Destroy Metal (3 I ntellect points). You instantly tear, rip, or bu rst a metal object that is with in s ight, with in short range, and no bigger t h a n h a l f you r s ize. Make an I ntellect roll to destroy the object; the d ifficu lty of this task is decreased by th ree steps (compared to brea king it with brute strength) . Action. Tier 4: Magnetic Field (4 I ntellect points). When you wish it, a field of magnetism arou nd you pulls i ncom i ng, ranged , metallic projectile attacks (such as arrows, bul lets, a th rown meta l knife, and so on) to the grou nd. You are immune to such attacks for one round. You must be awa re of an attack to foil it. Enabler. Tier 5: Command Metal (5 I ntellect points). You reshape a metallic item as you desire. The item must be with in sight and with in short range, and its mass can be no greater than your own. You can affect multiple items at once as long as their combi ned mass falls with in these limits. You can fu se multiple items together. You can use this powe r to destroy a meta l object (as the Destroy M etal abil ity) , or you can craft it i nto another desired shape (crudely, u n less � 45 �

�LIME NE � you have the proper crafting skills) . You can then move the new object anywhere within ra nge. For example, you could take a few metal shields, fuse them together, and use the res u lting sh ape to block a doorway. You can use this abil ity to make an attack-ca using a foe's armor to con strict, renderi ng a metal item i nto shards that you fling across the battlefield, and so on-aga inst one ta rget with in short ra nge. Regard less of the form of the attack, it is an I ntellect action that deals 7 poi nts of damage. Action. Tier 6: Diamagnetism. You magnetize any non metallic object with in short range so that it can be affected by your other powers. Th us, with M ove M etal, you can move any object. With Repel M etal, you are trai ned in a l l S peed defense tasks, rega rd less of whether the incoming attack u ses meta l. And so on. Enabler. ENTERTAINS You are an enterta iner: a singer, dancer, poet, storyteller, or someth ing simil ar. You perform for the benefit of others. N aturally charis matic and talented , you have also stud ied to master your art. You know all the old poems, songs, jokes, and stories, and you're skil led at creating new ones, too. You probably wear flam boya nt or at least fash ionable clothes and use cos metics, tattoos, or hair styl i ngs for d ramatic effect. The role of the entertainer fits the jack best, but glaives and nanos sometimes enterta in as well. Connection: Pick one other PC. This character is your worst critic. Your abilities to help or inspire others don't fu nction for her. Additional Equipment: You start with a musical instru ment or other tools needed to perform. M inor Effect Suggestions: You enchant the ta rget, who remains enchanted as long as you focus all your attention on keeping her that way. Major Effect Suggestions: The ta rget is forever favorably disposed towa rd you. Tier 1: Levity. Th rough wit, charm, h u mor, and grace, you are trai ned in all social i nteractions other than those i nvolvi ng coercion or i nti midation. During rests, you put friends and comrades at ease so m uch that they ga in + 1 to their recove ry rolls. Enabler. Tier 2: I nspiration. Through stories, songs, a rt, or other forms of enterta i n ment, you inspire your friends. After spend ing 28 hours with you, once per d ay each of your friends can decrease the d ifficu lty of a t a s k b y o n e step. This benefit is ongoi ng while you remain in the friend's compa ny. It ends if you leave, but it resumes if you return to the fri end's com pany with in 28 hours. If you leave the friend's com pany for more than 28 hours, you must spend another 28 hours together to reactivate the benefit. Enabler. Tier 3: Knowledge. Your stories and songs conta in truth. You are trai ned in two areas of knowled ge of your choosing. Enabler. Tier 4: Calm (3 I ntel lect points). Through jokes, song, or other art, you prevent a l iving foe from attacking anyone or anything for one round. Action. Tier 5: Able Assistance. When you help someone with a task, you always red uce the d ifficu lty of the task by one step rega rd less of your own skill at that task. Enabler. Tier 6: Master Entertainer. Your I n spiration abil ity works more effectively, al lowi ng your friends to decrease the d ifficu lty of a task by two steps rather than one step. Enabler. EXISTS PARTIALLY OUT OF PHASE You have the abil ity to change your phase state. In fact, you're always slightly out of phase, givi ng you a ghostly translucence. With concentration, you can pass your hand through a solid object, al low a solid object to pass harmlessly through you, or l iterally wa lk through wal ls. H owever, moving in and out of d ifferent phase states req uires extreme force of wi ll and can be mentally taxi ng. The explanation for your strange power l ies with in some as pect of the n u menera. Perhaps the ability emerged through the use of (or exposure to) l i ngeri ng transd i mensional tech nology or as the result of an encou nter with a creatu re not native to this world or dimension. Perh aps one of your ancestors first developed the power and passed it down through generations. You might do whatever you can to play up your transl ucent appearance by weari ng d iaphanous, bil lowy clothi ng, or, depend ing on your personal ity, you might do just the opposite. j acks enjoy the i nfiltration possibilities of changing their phase state, and nanos appreci ate the defensive capabilities. Glaives can use the offensive and defensive as pects but m ight find them a bit h i ndering as well. Connection: Pick one other PC. You have known that character for a whi le, and he helped you ga in control of your phase states. Minor Effect Suggestions: Wh ile out of ph ase, you also gain + 1 to all S peed defense tasks. Major Effect Suggestions: Wh ile out of phase, you are also i nvisi ble. Tier 1: Walk Through Walls (2 I ntellect points). You can slowly pass through physical ba rriers at a rate of 1 inch (2.5 cm) per round (m inimum of one round to pass through any barrier) . You ca n't act (other than moving) or perceive anything u ntil you pass entirely through the barrier. You can't pass through energy barriers. Action. Tier 2: Defensive Phasing (2 Intellect points). You can change your phase so that some attacks pass through you harmlessly.

For the next ten min utes, red uce the d ifficu lty of all your Speed defensive tasks by one step, but during this time you lose any benefit from armor you wear. Action to in itiate. Tier 3: Phased Attack (3 I ntellect points). The attack you make on this turn ignores your foe's armor. The abil ity works for wh atever kind of attack you use (melee, ra nged , energy, and so on) . Enabler. Tier 4: Ghost (4 I ntellect points). For the next ten minutes, you are trai ned in sneaking tasks. During this time, you can move through solid barriers (but not energy barriers) at a rate of 1 foot (30 cm) per round, and you can pe rceive wh ile ph ased with in a barrier or object, which allows you to peek through wa lls. Action to i n itiate. Tier 5: U ntouchable (6 I ntellect points). You change your phase state for the next one minute so that you can't affect or be affected by normal matter or energy. Only mental attacks and s pecial transdimensional energies, devices, or abilities can affect you, but likewise you can't attack, touch, or otherwise affect anythi ng. Action to i n itiate. Tier 6: Enhanced Phased Attack (5 I ntel lect points). This abil ity works like the third-tier Phased Attack abil ity except that your attack also disru pts the foe's vitals, deal ing an add itional 5 points of damage. Enabler. EXPLORES DARK PLACES You explore the forebod ing ru ins and mysterious locales of the ancient eras, trai ned in such activities by those who have gone before you. You're the arch etypical treasure h u nter, scavenger, and finder of lost things. You spend so m uch of your time in the dark that you slowly adapt to it, al most becoming a creatu re of the gloom you rself. Eve n in civi l ized areas, you prefer to keep to the s h adows. Most li kely, you wear dark clothing to help you blend into the blackness. On the other hand, you might wear sensible garments and gear because you have serious and dangerous busi ness to attend to in the dark. J acks in particular are su ited to explori ng dark pl aces; those who do so are ca l led shadowj acks. G l aives who follow this path are known as s h adow warriors, and nanos are ca l led shadowcasters. Connection: Pick one other PC. This character has been your adventuring partner in previous exped itions, and the two of you work so well together that you both ga in + 1 to any die rolls when you col l aborate on the same task, fight the same foe, and so on. Additional Equipment: You start with an explorer's pack. If you already h ave one, you can i n stead take 50 extra feet (1 5 m) of rope, rations for two more days, and two minor glowglobes. Dark Esoteries: If you perform esoteries, they make al most no sound, and wh atever visual displays they PLAYER'S GUIDE prod uce are dark and shadowy. These alterations change nothing other than the appearance of the effects. A Flash esote ry is a s i lent bu rst of sh adows, a Barrier esotery is a mass of shadowy wisps, and so on. Minor Effect Suggestions: The ta rget is also dazed for one round, during which time the difficu lty of all tasks it performs is mod ified by one step to its detri ment. Major Effect Suggestions: The ta rget is also stu n ned and loses its next turn. Tier 1: Trained Explorer. You are trai ned in search i ng, listen i ng, cl imbi ng, balancing, and jumping tasks. Enabler. Tier 2: Trained I nfiltrator. You are trai ned in lockpicki ng and tinkering with devices. Enabler. Eyes Adjusted. You can see in extremely dim light as though it were bright l ight. You can see in total d arkness as if it we re extremely dim. Enabler. Tier 3: Slippery Customer. You are trai ned in escaping from bonds, fitting in tight spaces, and other contortion i st tasks. Thanks to your expe rience, you also are trai ned in S peed defense tasks wh ile wearing l ight armor or no armor. Enabler. Tier 4: Resil ient. In your explorations of dark pl aces, you've been exposed to all sorts of terri ble thi ngs and are developing a general resistance. You gain + 1 to Armor and are trai ned in M ight defense tasks. Enabler. Tier 5: Dark Explorer. You ignore penalties for any action (including fighting) in extremely dim l ight or in cramped spaces. Combi ned with your Eyes Adj u sted abil ity, you can act without penalty even in total darkness. You are also trai ned in sneaking tasks wh ile in dim or no light. Enabler. Tier 6: Blinding Attack (3 Speed points). If you have a sou rce of l ight, you can use it to make a melee attack against a ta rget. If successful, the attack deals no damage, but the ta rget is bli nded for one minute. Action. FIGHTS WITH PANACHE You know that style is at least as important as substance. Defeating foes is secondary to looking good while doing it. Some might call you a swashbuckler or daredevi l. You leap through the air, make a flourish with your weapon, and attack, usually with a clever, biting show of wit. Your enemies hate you, but your allies adore you. Just watching you fight is entertaini ng. You very likely wear no armor, instead preferri ng styl ish cloth ing-perhaps even a hat with a feather. J acks and glaives make the best swash bucklers, and they are the most common types of characte r to fight with panache. Connection: Pick one other PC. You're always tryi ng to i m press this characte r with your skill, wit, appearance, � 47 �

�LIME NE � or bravado. Pe rhaps she is a riva l, perh aps you need her respect, or perhaps you're romantically i nterested in her. Additional Equipment: You begin with a set of extremely styl ish clothes and a jeweled weapon. M inor Effect Suggestions: The target is so dazzled by your style that it i s d azed for one round, during wh ich time the d ifficu lty of all tasks it performs is mod ified by one step to its detriment. Major Effect Suggestions: Make an additional attack with your weapon on your turn. Tier 1: Attack Flourish. With your attack, you add styl ish moves, entertaining quips, or a certa in "someth i ng" that enterta ins or impresses others. Choose any number of creatu res with in short ra nge who can see you; each of them ga ins a+ l bon us to its next d ie roll. Enabler. Tier 2: Quick Block. If you use a light or medium weapon, you decrease the d ifficu lty of your S peed defense actions by one step. Enabler. Tier 3: Acrobatic Attack (3 Speed points). You leap i nto the attack, twisti ng or fl i pping through the air. This motion decreases the d ifficu lty of your attack by one step. If you roll a natu ral 17 or 1 8, you can choose to have a minor effect rather than deal extra damage. You can't use this ability if your S peed is red uced from wea ri ng armor. Enabler. Tier 4: Mobile Fighter (3 Speed points). As part of your attack, you can leap on or ove r obstacles, swi ng from ropes, ru n along narrow surfaces, or otherwise move around the battlefield at your normal s peed as if such tasks we re routine (d ifficu lty 0) . You ca n't use this abil ity if your S peed is red uced from wea ri ng armor. Enabler. Tier 5: Block for Another. If you use a light or medium weapon, you can block attacks made against an ally near you. Choose one creature with in immediate range. You decrease the difficulty of that creature's Speed defense actions by one step. You can't use Quick Block while using Block for Another. Enabler. Tier 6: Agi le Wit. When attempting a S peed task, you instead can roll (and spend poi nts) as if it were an I ntellect action. If you apply Effort to this task, you can spend points from your I ntellect Pool i n stead of your S peed Pool (in which case you also use your I ntellect Edge i n stead of your S peed Edge) . Enabler. FOCUSES MIND OVER MA TIER Teleki nesis. Psychoki nesis. M i nd over matter. The power has many names, but in the end, it all boi ls down to one thing-the molecu les that make up all matter are you rs to command. You likely call you rself a te lekinetic or just a TK. Many teleki netics prefer to wear tight clothing without m uch accoute rment so there is l ittle another TK could grab h o l d o f psych ical ly. On the other hand, you have the power to create ve ry minor telekinetic effects at wi ll, so your hair might always be in motion, you cou ld have a few tiny objects floati ng around you, or you m ight wear a long cape that's always bil lowi ng. j acks are the most likely characters to be telekinetics, but gla ives find that the abilities add to their com bat prowess, and nanos, of cou rse, appreci ate the additional power. Connection: Pick one other PC. Th is character can cause your telekinetic powers to act odd ly. Every once in a while, if he stands directly next to you, your powers are cancelled, but at other times, they seem improved when used near him. Mental Esoteries: If you perform esoteries, those that would normal ly use force or other energy in stead use teleki netic force. For example, a Flash or an Onslaught force blast is a teleki netic blast from your mind. Th is alteration changes noth ing except that you don't need a free hand to perform esoteries. Enabler. Minor Effect Suggestions: An object moves faster or more efficiently. Major Effect Suggestions: You can move or affect twice as m uch as normal. Tier 1: Deflect Attacks (1 I ntellect point). Using your mind, you protect you rself from i ncoming attacks. For the next ten minutes, you are trai ned in S peed defense tasks. Action to i n itiate. Tier 2: Telekinesis (2 Intel lect points). You can exert force on objects within short range. Once activated, your power has an effective M ight Pool of 1 0, a M ight Edge of l, and an Effort of 2 (approximately equal to the strength of a fit, capable, ad ult human) , and you can use it to move objects, push against objects, and so on. For example, you could lift and pull a light object anywhere within range to yourself or move a heavy object (like a piece offurniture) about l 0 feet (3 m) . This power lacks the fine control to wield a weapon or move objects with much speed, so in most situations, it's not a means of attack. You can't use this abil ity on your own body. The power lasts for one hour or until its M ight Pool is depletedwhichever comes first. Action. Tier 3: Enhance Strength (3 I ntellect points). For the next ten minutes, tasks that depend on brute force-s uch as movi ng a heavy object, smashing down a door, or h itting someone with a melee weapon-are easier for you. The d ifficu lty of all such tasks is decreased by one step. Action to i n itiate. Tier 4: Apportation (4 I ntellect points). You ca ll a physical object to you. You can choose any piece of normal eq uipment on the standard eq uipment list, or (no more than once per d ay) you can al low the GM to determ ine the object ra ndom ly. If you ca ll a ra ndom object, it has a 10 percent chance of being a cypher or artifact, a l 0 percent chance of being an odd ity, a 40 percent chance of being a