151 attack made against an opponent who is unaware of either your presence or that the attack has been made cannot attempt to block or dodge the attack. Armour still protects against damage. The difficulty for making attacks would normally be an opposed roll but for instances when the target is unaware, then a Target Number comes into effect. • Head or Arms – TN 10 • Body or Legs – TN 9 This TN can also be increased if the target is moving. • Walking +1 • Running +2 • Sprinting +3 Cover also can effect the stealth attack. Once a stealth attack is made and if the target is still alive then they will be aware and can defend against future attacks. Magic Magic that acts as a ranged attack will be treated as one with the same rules for cover and line of sight. Some magic acts differently depending on the spell, and this will be described in the spell’s description. Mounted Combat Attacking from a horse or vehicle will apply modifiers as the motion and ground that is being moved across can affect aiming and balance. Melee Attacking with a melee weapon whilst riding a horse or inside or on top of a moving vehicle will reduce your attack by -1, it will also reduce Parry by -1, dodging will be impossible. Weapon Damage will increase by +1 Ranged Shooting from horseback or whilst inside a moving vehicle will reduce your attack by -2, aiming will not be allowed but called shots can still be made. Levels of Success or Failure During combat you may roll more than you need to succeed or less than you need to succeed these are called Levels of Success (LoS) or Levels of Failure (LoF). For skills these will create special circumstances that can help or hinder what you are attempting to do, whereas in combat they can have a much more deadly outcome. Levels of Success For every two points you are above the TN (you need 8 and you roll 10 for example) you gain an effect, this will be determined by the numbers of levels with every two points equalling a level. You and the GM can decide what the effect will be based on the current situation or what you were attempting, below are a few suggestions: • Lvl 1: Extra damage, Shield Bash, Second Shot. • Lvl 2: Counter Attack, Knock Down. • Lvl 3: Second Attack, Stun, Third Shot. Levels of Failure Combat can also take a less than favourable turn and drawbacks can appear through failures, like with successes for every two points you are below the TN you have a Level of Failure (you need an 8 and you roll a 6 for example). Like with levels of success the failure should be discussed with the GM what that would mean based on the current situation. Below are a few suggestions of what a Level of Failure could look like: • Lvl 1: Staggered, +1 armour damage • Lvl 2: Dropped Weapon, Snapped Bowstring • Lvl 3: Stunned for a rnd, +2 armour damage Levels of Success with the Iron Die When the Iron Die is instrumental in a level of success the rules still apply for both, a positive outcome will occur and the level of success will also take affect. The GM can also decide to change this to make the Iron Die result create a more damaging or beneficial level of success, and this should be decided in order to make the situation more exciting.
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153 Levels of Failure with the Iron Die Similar to levels of success the Iron Die rolling a 1 will effect the results of a level of failure result, this could be a negative consequence added to the agreed LoF result or a fumble making the LoF result that much more damaging. This should be discussed with the GM based on the current situation and without it negatively impacting the adventure or characters in a way that derails the progress so far too much. Damage and Healing Getting injured and even dying can feel inevitable in the Pale, but as long as you are careful, stay protected, you should be able to keep the wounds to a minimum. If you are prepared, there is no reason for your character to die or suffer irreversible damage. Armour Your first defence against permanant injury is your armour and good armour will negate a certain amount of damage for as long as it is kept in good repair by you. Damage that is lower than the armour is considered to be either minimal or has been deflected in some way, minor cuts and bruises are not considered life threatening. Wounds and Locations You have a number of wounds equal to your Body attribute x 5, which should give a number between 5 and 25. Wounds can be further enhanced by spending experience points. There are also hit locations, these loactions do not have individual points but are just to allow all involved to see where the character was struck. If a location is struck with 5 or more points of damage after armour has been taken from the damage total then the associated attribute is lowered by 1 until such times as the wounds are healed. 2d6 Location Attribute 2-3 Left Leg Agility 4-5 Right Leg Agility 6-7 Left Arm Agility 8-9 Body Body 10-11 Right Arm Agility 12 Head Mind As you can see from the above table in most cases the characters ability to move is often the most affected outcome of injury. Called Shots and Aimed attacks do not use a dice roll to determine the location as you state the location you wish to hit and it is presumed that if successful that is exactly what happens. Hit locations are optional and the GM can choose to ignore them, this could be do to speeding up combat or because hit locations can sometimes be nonsensical with the dice result not really reflecting the attack. Weapon Damage Weapons can do different types of damage based on the type of weapon they are. Heavy weapons like hammers and clubs will bludgeon, whereas weapons like daggers will slash or stab. These types of attacks can have extra effects. Weapons have fixed damage with the attribute offering the random number to the damage. Melee weapons use the Body Attribute whereas Ranged and Thrown use the Agility Attribute. Damage is rolled like a skill with the highest result added to the damage of the weapon. Rolling the maximum damage (even if reduced by the armour) causes an effect. Bleeding (b) – Weapons that stab, pierce or slash can cause bleeding. Whenever maximum damage is scored the target will begin to bleed and lose 1 Stamina per round until the bleeding has been staunched.
The Black Iron 154 Stun (s) – Weapons that Bludgeon can stun the target, causing them to become disorientated and even unconscious for a short time. If the maximum damage is rolled, then the target is stunned for 1d3 (1d6/2) rnds during these rnds they will be unable to attack and will be at -2 to parry, block, or dodge. Critical Hits If the highest dice on a damage roll is the Iron Die then the hit is also a critical strike, meaning that the weapon damage is doubled. Fumbles If the damage roll results in the Iron Die rolling a 1 then the attack has fumbled, no damage comes from the dice roll and weapon damage is halved (rounded down), this is then considered a glancing blow and the weapon loses 1 break level. Healing Once wounded, you must heal in order to survive not only the harsh environments of the Pale but any further conflict you may face. Wounds The healing of wounds can be done by either using the healing skill, Magic or healing potions. Potions will heal back a number of wounds equal to the total rolled on a 1d10, healing salves are used mainly for burns and will heal a number of wounds equal to the number rolled on a d6. Healing wounds removes any penalties the injured person may of received. Wounds can also be healed with rest, for every 8 hrs. of rest and relaxation you will receive back 1 wound. Resting like this will involve a soft bed, food and safety. Magical Healing Having a Necromancer in the party will allow you access to magical healing as long as the Necromancer is willing to sacrifice their own health for yours. See the Arcane chapter for more on magical healing. Dying If you lose all your wounds, you will collapse and be unable to act; this will continue until you are healed or you take further damage which will result in your death. Bleeding will continue to reduce Stamina and reaching zero in stamina whilst collapsed will mean instant death. Other Injuries Below are a few other situations where you may become wounded. Falling For every 3 yards that you fall you will take 1d6 damage. Using the Tumble Knack will half the damage taken. Frostbite Frostbite affects the extremities like fingers and toes and is slow acting and will drain 1 wound per day until treated. Once the Frostbite has removed half the wounds of the PC that appendage will fall off. Drowning You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to your Body Attribute x 3 after which you will lose 1 Stamina per rnd until you either drown or are rescued. Fire Fire will do an initial 2d6 damage (keep the highest result) and then an extra 1d6 per round until extinguished. Armour can effect damage. Armour and Fire Leather, Hide, and quilted armours will be reduced to half AP after being set alight, making the armour more brittle and less likely to protect. Metal armours such as chain and Plate will exacerbate the problem by increasing the damage each round to 2d6.
155 Fear and Stress You will face moments of stress during your journeys across the Pale or the tunnels below, and this stress can affect you in different ways. You have a Courage Rating which is treated similar to an Attribute test, the Courage Rating is your Mind + Instinct Attribute added together add checked on the table below. Instinct+Mind Result 2-3 3d6+1 4-5 3d6+2 6-7 3d6+3 8-9 3d6+4 10 3d6+5 Using Courage Monsters and threats will have a Fear rating similar to a TN, when you face this threat you must roll your Courage which acts similar to an Attribute test if the result is equal to or higher than the TN than you succeed, if it is less than you fail. Levels of Success A simple success means that you are unaffected by the threat and can act normally but as with using skills and combat the better your success the more you can do. With every two points you are above the TN you are at a higher Level of Success and you and the GM can discuss what that means based on the current situation or choose from the list below. Every two points you are above the TN equals 1 Level of Success. • Success: You Face the Fear • Lvl 1: You face the fear and gain +1 to your next action. • Lvl 2: Your courage encourages others and those around you gain +1 to their next action. • Lvl 3: You are bolstered and will be at +1 to Courage rolls when facing that same threat in the future. Levels of Failure Like with combat and skills you can also have a Level of Failure when facing horrors. When you fail discuss with the GM what that will look like or use the examples below. For every 2 points under the TN you will have 1 Level of Failure. • Failure: You retreat backwards unable to act for 1 rnd • Lvl 1: You flee until you can no longer see the threat • Lvl 2: You collapse in shock for d4 rnds • Lvl 3: You suffer a heart attack taking 2d6 damage (armour has no effect) Like with skills and combat the Iron Die is still active for courage rolls and can still result in a positive or negative consequence. Injuries from Failure You can suffer from failing a Courage roll as your mind ceases to comprehend what you are seeing and retreats to protect itself you will suffer shock and collapse, or if the stress is just to much for the body and shuts down causing heart failure. Shock is not permanent but can be dangerous as you effectively collapse unconscious for up to 4 rnds unable to move or defend yourself, other party members can defend you or drag you away but there is no cure for it. Heart Failure can kill, your body will basically shut down causing massive system shock, damage from this will hit you directly and internally causing up to 12 wounds, which could kill. Your armour will not help you with this, and again this could floor you. To avoid this happening enter areas carefully and try to be aware of your surroundings, avoiding nasty surprises could be the difference between life and death.
The Black Iron 156 When giants walked the Pale, they formed sorceries, twisted nature and corrupted the forces that bind the cosmos. This interference sent a tremor through the realms, which eventually reached the gods. Watchers were sent to discover the nature of the disturbance, and they quickly travelled to the Pale and the realm of the giants. The giants had corrupted everything, oceans had turned black, the forests became twisted and diseased, and the animals that had once thrived now were dead or mutated. The experiments and sorceries of the giants had tainted everything, and their greed was immense. The watchers knew that soon the giants would turn their corruption to the other realms and that their insatiable need to devour and infect would never stop. The gods listened to the watcher’s observations and prepared for war. With heavy losses, the gods finally defeated the giants and left their carcasses to rot upon the earth, and with that, the gods declared the world dead, removing the sigil’s and wards and closing the gateway to the world forever or so they thought. Centuries past and the blood of the giants slowly seeped into the earth, feeding the roots of the mighty forests deep underground. These corrupted roots gave rise to new life, a twisted corrupted being that declared itself Daur, or nature, this first of its kind, who would eventually become the Elves. Clawing their way through the earth, they encountered the dwarves; the Daur were imbued with the power of the giants; sorceries ran through their veins and with this, they first enslaved and then burnt the dwarves within their cities. Eventually, the elves reached the surface world and saw that it was beautiful, where the blood of the giants had seeped into the dark places and corrupted the below, the blood of the gods that had fallen had instead nurtured and renewed the above and had formed new life of its own, the people that called themselves Human. The elves saw potential in this world without a roof, where the below was cramped and dark the above was open and light, and the power that ebbed through the land and the oceans was of the purest kind and was powerful. So began the era of domination. The Arcane
157 How Magic Became It was the elves that introduced magic into the world, they had sorcery running through their veins, and they had quickly sought out the artefacts of the giants, increasing their power in order to dominate the world and those that lived upon it. For decades the humans marvelled in the power of the elves, saw them as gods, feared their magic and felt helpless before it. But what the elves had discovered very quickly as they experimented on the humans was that every human had an untapped well of power deep inside them, a power so strong that it could destroy the elves in a blink of an eye, a power akin to that of gods, and this secret the elves held close for fear that the humans would rebel. Many of the experiments conducted by the elves on their human victims were to see if this power could be tapped, could be utilised by the elves to enhance their own abilities, almost like human batteries, and even though they had learnt to drain this power from the human the power itself was too pure and would kill the elven host. It was by mistake that the humans discovered their potential. The first sign of power came from a small child in a village by the sea, or so the story goes. The boy’s dog had become injured whilst running through a small wooded area and the child so upset by this and unwilling to leave the injured pet managed to heal the dog through magic. Some at first claimed that the boy had called upon the gods and they had listened, but the child had insisted that he had touched the dog and the injury had healed. This revelation began investigations into other claims of magical power being used by humans, and thus began the era of enlightenment. Magic is Dangerous All magic has it’s dangers, no one can wield such power without either paying the price or taking a risk, and as you develop and start to use more powerful magicks, the risks and costs will also increase. Depending on what school of magic you choose, it will determine the dangers that you could face if you attempt to cast spells that sap too much power. Many mages from the Black Fort have regulated their usage and never exceeded their reach and have lived with very little danger but there are those that wish to push the limits, and these mages soon reap what they sow. The Magical Paradox The unspoken truth, or magical elephant in the room is that magic is the cause of so much horror and death, when the elves wielded it they did so in order to control, experiment, torture and gain power, it was magic that brought down the black iron, which turned the world to ice. Magic created the corrupted and even, possibly the Blood Lords. Many realise the paradox in knowing that the very power that almost destroyed the world Is the very same one that many rely on to save it. Mages are not loved and some even look upon them with suspicion and hatred, but for many they are a necessary evil, and to others the next phase of the world’s evolution. The Black Fort The Black Fort is the name of the Mages Guilds main guild house, the building itself is an old fort used before the fall by the elves to patrol the roads leading to the Last City which was then the capital city of the North. The building itself is large but squat and those that have been inside claim that most of the Fort is deep underground. When you approach the Black Fort for the first time you will get a feeling of tightness in the chest like the very air has been sucked out of your lungs, your skin will begin to prickle and a feeling of anxiety will come over you. Some say this is a warning, others believe that this is the magic from the Black Fort seeping out and affecting the very land around it. Becoming a Novice Anyone that shows any affinity to magic must declare themselves to the guild and become a Novice, this involves living and training at the Black Fort until such times as they deem you ready to re-enter the world, this training can take 5, 10
The Black Iron 158 and even 20 years meaning that Novices come in many ages, though it is said that mages that never progress beyond Novice are expected to offer themselves up as aid to the guild and this means that they either become servants or test subjects. Learning by Doing Once the guild has decided that you can return to the world outside the Fort you will then begin moving up the guild ranks. Mages learn by doing, using what they know in real life situations, seeking out relics and knowledge and aiding others is expected. The guilds needs always come first. The Agenda The Mages Guild has an agenda, a secret purpose that is only ever told to those novices that have earned the right to represent the guild in the world. This agenda is to make the guild powerful to the point of control over all other things, this is not calling for outright uprising but slow methodical revolution, a coup to place the Black Fort on the throne whatever the cost. Not Declaring There are those that have powers that never declare, keep themselves hidden from the guild, and this is possible to do. To deny your power is to never use it and these fall into two categories the first are those that are not aware they have power or have never felt it within themselves, the guild states that this would describe most people as everyone has the ability with a little nudge to discover their power. The second are those that feel the magic coursing through their veins but deny it any release, this can be from fear of the power, or of the guild. You may not wish to become a novice or be tested by the guild, and you would think this would be your choice, but the guild seeks out these hidden mages, claiming it is for the safety of all. Using Magic Whatever school of magic you practice, you will learn a number of spells, these spells are given a difficulty number to indicate the complexity of the spell, this is the number that must be beaten or equalled by rolling the Arcane skill The school of magic you follow is often determined by the Knack you have chosen, and Mages are unable to learn more than one school of magic in their lifetime, so choose wisely. Like all skills magic uses Levels of Success and Levels of Failure but the results of each can vary from spell to spell.
159 Schools and Circles There are three schools a mage can choose from Necromancy, Pyromancy and Sorcery, these three disciplines are then separated into circles of study. Each circle holds a number of spells that the mage must learn before beginning the next. The learning of each circle is determined by the mages Mind and Arcane. Circle Mind Arcane First 3 3 Second 4 4 Third 5 5 A powerful enough mage in both mind and skill can learn many of the circles very quickly, but even mages can only hold so much in their memories which is where the Grimoire comes in. Your Grimoire Every mage receives a Grimoire and Scroll Case, the grimoire has a duel purpose, the first is the writing of the spells the mage has learnt and is used for the casting of magic, the other is the writing of notes and discovered texts, so that this knowledge can be returned to the Black Fort intact. The scroll case is used to carry scrolls, as new spells are discovered they will often be offered to the mage in scroll form, the case can also be used to carry any found scrolls to be returned to the Black Fort. Lost Magic Magic is still new to the world in human terms and the few spells that each school knows were found by exploring elven ruins and discovering books and scrolls. The Black Fort knows there is
The Black Iron 160 still much to learn and discover and as mages go out into the pale or venture deep into the dark roads more magic is being found and new spells translated, meaning that as time goes by the circles will grow as new spells are added. The Black Fort are currently deep in translation of dwarven texts and they believe it leads to a new branch of magic, but it is early days and there are still missing texts yet to be found. The Blood Lords and their mages have formed Blood Magic, this is thought to be a pure but corrupted branch of sorcery. Due to the ancient language the Blood Lords use the magic is impossible to understand and its corrupted power is far to dangerous to study. Spell Cost Every spell has a cost, not just to the world but also to the caster. Magic wears away at a mage physically and mentally and can lead to death if not monitored and used responsibly. It can also be dangerous to others, and this means those that are not often a target of a mage. Most spells will absorb Stamina, exhausting the mage. Reducing the stamina of a mage to zero will have two effects, the first being the temporary effect of collapse, reaching zero in stamina will cause the mage to fall unconscious, this will act as sleep and the stamina will replenish over time. The second effect is physical, each discipline has a point when the magic will take you over in one way or another, and each mage has 5 chances to avoid this. Each time the mage pushes themselves too far and collapses from exhaustion they need to cross off a catalyst, these are 5 boxes under the Stamina track, once all 5 catalysts have been crossed off the mage has become the magic and no longer exists. The catalyst is different for each discipline with sorcerers becoming arcane energy, Pyromancers will slowly become a living flame and Necromancers shrivel and eventually fall into dust. Casting There are various methods for casting, and each will have its benefits and drawbacks. All casting no matter the source involves an Arcane vs.. Spell TN roll. Casting from the Grimoire Each mage learns the spells of their school but copying them into their grimoire. The mage will spend a lot of time studying their grimoires allowing them to cast very quickly as it will be part memory using the grimoire as a prompt. A spell can be cast each round when using the grimoire. Casting from Scrolls The mage can create or obtain scrolls which have magical spells inscribed upon them, this allows the mage to carry a number of spells they have not learnt. Scrolls do not disappear once used or turn into a puff of smoke; they can be used repeatedly but casting from a scroll will take two rnds to do. Casting from Books As you journey and discover ancient ruins or lost libraries you may find books of magical formulae. Often found books will be in a language unknown by the mage and must be returned to the Black Fort. Casting directly from a book can take time as you will need to translate the text, it can also be extremely dangerous. Future sourcebooks will go into lost books and the dangers they hold. Casting from Items Some items hold magical spells, how this works is to first transfer power into the item and then whispering the spell to be stored. The spell still costs to cast but instead of leeching the stamina of the mage it will take the power from the item. Casting from an item is like casting from a grimoire, it can happen within a single round for as long as the item has power.
161 Creating Items and Scrolls A mage can create ways of making spell casting and storing easier by using scrolls and items which they have created during their downtime. Creating a Scroll Scrolls allow mages to carry spells they have not learnt and studied; a scroll has no real power it is basically an easy way to read and cast a spell than carrying around a large grimoire. To create a scroll the mage writes the spell on the scroll precisely as it is spoken when cast, this does involve a roll of the Arcane skill and will have the same difficulty as the spell would be to cast as well as the same stamina loss. Once the spell has been inscribed the scroll can be used as often as you like. Creating an Item Spells can also be stored inside items, these are normally jewellery, weapons, or staffs. In order to create a magical item first you need to empower it, and this involves transferring stamina to the item. As the mage leeches their own stamina it will enter the item at a one to one ratio, so for four points of stamina the mage leeches, four points of power enters the item. Once the item has been charged the mage must then whisper the spell into the item, this is similar to casting, it has the same difficulty number that needs to be equalled or beaten and takes up the same stamina. Once this has been done the item can cast that spell as long as the power exists. Items do not have a limit to the amount of power they can hold, a mage could spend weeks leeching Example Your mage has discovered a spell in an ancient tome, but instead of carrying the large book around you decide to grab some parchment, ink, and inscribe the spell onto a scroll. The spell TN is 9 so in order to copy the spell onto the scroll you would need to make an Arcane roll Vs. a TN of 9, you would also lose the Stamina cost of the spell. power into an item every day, replenishing their stamina through sleep or meditation, and then sending more power the next day and so on. Once the spell has been transferred no more power can be added until the current power is exhausted and then the whole process starts again. The Danger of Items Items can be unstable and each time an item is used there is a chance it will backfire or just explode. If the Iron Die rolls a 1 for casting the item may explode, with the current power level determining the damage and radius of the explosion. To determine whether the item explodes and what happens if it does reroll the Iron Die on its own and on a roll of a 1 the item does explode. The table below will show the effects of that explosion. Stored Power Result 01-25 d10 damage in a 5ft radius 26-50 d10 +3 damage in a 10ft radius 51-75 2d10 damage in a 20ft radius 76-100 4d10 damage in a 30ft radius
The Black Iron 162 School of Necromancy The art of Necromancy sprang from the study of death and healing, the surgeries performed by the Black Fort on the corrupted and on those unfortunates consumed by the ice helped build the skills of the budding necromancer. It is also said that those instructions and books discovered in some of the elven prisons and towers used by their own surgeons have aided the Black Fort’s understanding of the melding of flesh and iron as well as the reanimation of dead tissue. The Black Fort hold their studies and resources close to their chest, and it is forbidden for both novice and mage to speak of their training and some of the more secretive practices of the guild, but it is strongly believed that the Fort breaks the laws and have begun to dabble in more dubious research. Dangers of Necromancy Every necromancer must understand the risks of their art and that these risks can be deadly or at least can wear the Mage down over time if they are not careful. The art of healing can involve transferring of the Mage’s vital essence into the patient, the art of purging diseases and poisons can cause the Mage also to become infected or poisoned. Those necromancers dedicated to aiding others have died at a young age after giving their all to their patients. Necromancy is what many consider a tainted art, one which can be used for both good and bad, but unfortunately, the Mage cannot learn the good without also understanding the bad. But whichever path you decide to travel the effects on your health and mind will be the same. Increasing the effect of a spell or exerting yourself will come not only from your stamina but sometimes your health, this can be temporary, but often it is permanent. Permanent loss of health will affect your wounds. Purging a disease or poison will force you to roll resistance against that same disease or poison although at one potency level less, if you fail, then you have cured the patient but have now inflicted yourself. Restoring temporary health that has been lost is as simple as a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, a permanent loss cannot be reversed, and you will begin to suffer the more health you lose until eventually, you will literally die for your art, some feel this is acceptable. The flip side of Necromancy is what is considered illegal within the Last City, and the Below, the creation of golems, the raising of the dead and the draining of health are all considered against the laws of the Black Fort. Necromancy Spells Necromancy spells are listed with a Dark or Light or Neutral Descriptor; this will indicate how the spell will be perceived by anyone seeing the Mage performing the spell. Spell cost will not only be in stamina but in health if applicable and will state whether the loss is temporary (t) or permanent (p). Spell Descriptions and Lists Each spell will have a description of what it does, how much stamina or how many wounds it costs to cast and whether that is (t)emporary or (p) ermanant. Levels of Success or Failure can be decided by the GM based on how the spell is being used, the circumstances and whether the spell was used for dark reasons or light, as most can be used as both. The following list is the current circles of the Necromancy school and the spells held within.
163 First Circle All necromancers learn healing and the ability to Purge poisons and disease. Many necromancers never deviate from the healing sphere and spend their lives in the service of others. Some spells will cost the necromancer wounds as they transfer their own life force into the patient. Spell: Cure (Light) TN: 5+POT, Stamina (t): 1+ POT Type: Touch The necromancer draws disease from the victim, taking it partially into themselves. This spell will work on all diseases. If successful, the necromancer must roll resistance against the disease, albeit it with a -1 to the disease potency. LoS 2 - Disease POT -2 for resistance 4 - Necromancer does not need to resist disease 6 - Necromancer gains a +1 immunity to the disease permanently LoF 2 - Spell fails and necromancer must resist disease at full POT 4 - Spell fails Necromancer must resist disease at full POT and also loses +1 stamina 6 - As above and the patient takes d6 wounds. Spell: Heal (Light) TN: 6, Stamina (t): 3 Wounds (t): 1 for 1 Type: Touch The necromancer transfers his own life force into the target to heal the target’s wounds. This is as simple as laying on of hands on the wounded area. LoS 2 - Necromancer heals +1 wound 4 - Necromancer loses only half the wounds they would normally. 6 - Necromancer loses no Stamina and heals +2 wounds. LoF 2 - Spell fails but necromancer loses +1 wound 4 - Spell fails and patient takes +2 wounds 6 - As above and the patient takes d6 wounds. Spell: Healing Aura (Light) TN: 7, Stamina (t): 5 Wound (t): 1 for 1 Type: Ranged, AoE The necromancer sends out an aura of healing that will encompass anyone within a 6ft radius of the necromancer. The necromancer decides how many wounds they will heal if successful. LoS 2 - Necromancer heals +1 wound 4 - As above and spells AoE expands by 4ft 6 - Necromancer loses no Stamina and heals +2 wounds. LoF 2 - Spell fails necromancer loses the stamina and wounds. 4 - Spell fails and everyone with 6ft takes 1 wound 6 - Spell explodes and everyone with 6ft takes d6 wounds. Spell: Purge (Light) TN: 5 + POT, Stamina (t): 1 + POT Type: Touch The necromancer draws out any poisons from the victim taking the poison partially into their own body. The necromancer will need to roll a resistance against the poison but at a -1-potency level. LoS 2 - Poison POT -2 for Resistance 4 - Necromancer does not need to resist poison 6 - Necromancer gains a permanent +1 when resisting the particular poison.
The Black Iron 164 LoF 2 - Spell fails necromancer must resist poison at full POT 4 - Spell fails as above and the necromancer loses +1 stamina 6 - Spell fails as above and necromancer takes d4 wounds. To understand the discipline necromancers must also learn those spells that are considered forbidden. Necromancers that focus fully on this sphere are often seen as evil mages. Spell: Drain (Dark) TN: 8, Stamina (t): 1 for every one Stamina Drained Type: Touch The necromancer can drain the life (Stamina) from a victim using that life to heal their own stamina . The stamina can come from any living creature that is within 10ft of the necromancer. Draining all stamina will kill the victim. LoS 2 - Necromancer receives +1 stamina more than they attempted to drain. 4 - Necromancer can transfer the drained stamina into another being, this will involve casting Heal but with no Wound loss. (they can only replace up to what they have drained) 6 - As above but necromancer does not need to cast the Heal spell, just touch the injured party LoF 2 - Spell fails necromancer transfers 1 stamina to the target. 4 - Spell fails necromancer transfers d6 stamina to target 6 - Spell fails as above and the necromancer loses an extra d4 stamina. Second Circle Spell: Wound (Dark) TN: 9, Stamina (t): 2 per d4 wounds Type: Ranged The necromancer can cause physical wounds to open up on the target these will not stun or stagger the target but will act like wounds in every other way, modifiers etc. Spell ignores armour. LoS 2 - Necromancer inflicts +1 wound 4 - Necromancer inflicts +2 wounds 6 - Necromancer inflicts + 4 wounds LoF 2 - Spell fails necromancer takes 1d4 wounds 4 - Spell fails necromancer takes 1d6 wounds 6 - Spell fails everyone within 6ft of necromancer takes d4 wounds. Spell: Shatter (Dark) TN: 7, Stamina (t): 5 Type: Ranged The necromancer can shatter bone inside the body of the target, this will cause d10 wounds and also crippling effects to movement and using weapons (reduces movement and skills to half). The necromancer should declare the location that they wish to shatter. Uses called shot modifiers LoS 2 - Bone Shatters and causes +2 wounds 4 - Bone Shatters and target is down and out. 6 - Bone Shatters and cannot be healed. LoF 2 - Spell fails and is directed at a nearby ally. 4 - Spell fails and rebounds onto caster 6 - Spell fails boosting targets wounds by +3 for six rnds.
165 Spell: Sensory Death (Dark) TN: 9, Stamina (t): 4 Type: Ranged The necromancer destroys the targets senses, the caster must choose the sense they wish to destroy, be it sight, hearing, smell, or taste (touch cannot be destroyed). On a success that particular sense is removed and modifiers to the target applied. Effect lasts d10 rnds. LoS 2 - Targets loses sense for an extra 2 rnds 4 - Target also loses a second sense, Necromancer’s choice. 6 - Target loses the sense permanently LoF 2 - Spell fails and targets senses are instead improved 4 - Spell fails and rebounds on caster for same effect. 6 - Spell fails and affects everyone within 6ft of caster both friend and foe. Ultimate goal of every Necromancer is to beat death and decay and this is often done in the sphere of Rebirth. This is an extension of the Healing sphere, but can if used in certain ways also extend within the Death Sphere. Spell: Corpse Tongue (Neutral) TN: 7 + Age, Stamina (t): 3 Type: Touch The necromancer can commune with a corpse, ask the corpse a single yes/no question on a subject they would know or have some knowledge of. The corpse age affects the TN. 1-5yrs +1 6-10yrs +2 11-50yrs +3 51 to 100yrs +4 Third Circle LoS 2 - Corpse will answer a second question 4 - Corpse will answer a third question 6 - Corpse will answer a fourth and fifth question in detail LoF 2 - Spell fails Corpse answers but it may not be true, roll a d6 1-4 it is a lie, 5-6 it is true. 4 - Spell fails but corpse answers with a lie 6 - Spell fails and the corpse curses the caster, the necromancer is at -2 to all skill checks for d6 days Spell: Regenerate (Neutral) TN: 9, Stamina (t): 7, Wounds (t): 4 Type: Touch The necromancer can attempt to regenerate a lost limb or organ. The process takes up to 2 hours of concentration by the necromancer with each ten minutes calling for a new skill roll to continue the spell. The stamina and wound loss is for completing the spell, you should adjust the loss if the spell fails. LoS 2 - Spell Success and stamina loss only 5 4 - Spell success and wound loss is halved 6 - As above and patient is +1 for actions involving regenerated limb or organ LoF 2 - Spell fails stamina loss +1 4 - Spell fails wound loss +1 6 - Spell fails stamina and wound loss +2 Rituals take time and effort compared to standard spells, the necromancer needs total concentration for sometimes days at a time and a number of props and other items in order to complete the ritual. At any point the ritual is disturbed or stopped everything must start afresh and everything used up to that point is lost including stamina and wounds. Necromancy Rituals
The Black Iron 166 Ritual: Create Golem Time: 36 hrs. TN: 10. Stamina (t) 1 every 5hrs, Wound (t): 6 Props: Body parts, corpse ash, surgery tools, skinners kit, 8 pints of fresh blood. The necromancer must arrange the body parts on a table or flat surface before beginning the ritual. Once the ritual begins the necromancer must slowly empty the corpse ash and blood over the parts after stitching each part of the body together all done whilst reciting the ritual at all times. As long as no mistakes were made the golem can then be empowered by the necromancer’s own vitality (wounds) after which the golem should awaken. The success of the ritual will determine the abilities of the golem, but a basic golem will follow simple orders (go there, lift that, follow me) but will need to be refreshed each day with 2 pints of blood and 1 wounds of the necromancer. LoS 2 – Golem can follow more complex commands, drive a carriage, recognise items and so forth 4 – Golem is as above but can also communicate in a basic way with caster. 6 – Golem is as above and only needs 1 pint of blood per day, without close scrutiny golem looks alive. LoF 2 - Body parts are ruined and will need to be replaced. 4 - Golem stutters into life but it is a drooling, corrupted thing that will attempt to flee. 6 - Golem lives but is insane, it will attack caster and anyone nearby (see Flesh Golem). Ritual: Reanimate Time: 2 hrs. TN: 8. Stamina (t) 4, Wounds (t): 4* Props: Corpse ash. The necromancer reanimates a nearby corpse that is then controlled by the necromancer for a short amount of time (d4 days). Reanimated corpses continue to keep any physical abilities but lose all mental function with these being supplied by the necromancer. *For every corpse above the first that is reanimated the wounds and stamina increases by 1. LoS 2 – Corpse has +1 wounds 4 – As above with a +1 to attack 6 – As above with +2 wounds and +2 attack LoF 2 - Ritual fails and caster loses +1 stamina 4 - Ritual fails corpse/s animate and turn on caster 6 - Ritual fails as above but corpse/s have +2 wounds and +2 to attack. Ritual: Resurrect Time: 24 hrs. TN: 10. Stamina (t) 6, Wound (t): 6 + 2 (p)* Props: Four pints of blood, all corpses belongings The necromancer can resurrect a recently deceased target to a point where they can accept normal healing to repair any injuries. The target must have died within 12 hrs. in order for it to return to its normal self. A Target will often return with memory loss of the last d6 days. *To return target to 1 wound will cost the caster 2 wounds permanently. LoS 2 – Target awakens with 4 wounds and only d4 memory loss 4 – As above with no memory loss 6 – As above and caster only lose 1 wound permanently. LoF 2 - Ritual fails target cannot be resurrected. 4 - Ritual fails caster loses 3 wounds permanently 6 - Ritual fails as above but caster also loses 2 stamina permanently.
167 School of Pyromancy Pyromancy Spells All pyromancy spells are performed using stamina to determine how many spells can be cast and how frequently they can be used. Some spells are area of effect spells and these can be dangerous not just to the mage but to those around them. Fire is an uncontrollable force that the mage is trying to master, and it takes a lot of effort to stop it raging out of control. Pyromancy Rituals There are no pyromancy rituals as trying to harness flame for long period of time would cause a massive build-up of energy that would eventually become unstable and erupt. Many rooms and areas were destroyed in the early studies before this was considered a bad idea. Pyromancy and the Catalyst The catalyst for the pyromancer works differently to other schools of magic, each of the 5 catalysts leaves a marked effect on the mage. First Catalyst - Mage has red markings on their skin which appear as blotches. Second Catalyst - Mage sweats profusely and their breathe is hotter than normal. Third Catalyst - The eyes of the pyromancer are likes flickering flames and their touch burns. Fourth Catalyst - Mage is robed in flames, no longer able to wear clothing or grow hair, the mage burns contunually, it is at this point the mage would normally donate their hearts. Fifth Catalyst - The mage has become living flame and is no longer in control, they are absorbed into the Aether. Considered the noble art by many and this is due mostly to the fact that Pyromancy is what keeps the ice and corruption from the gates of the city, pyromancy is the hardest and most devastating of the three magical disciplines. Pyromancy began out of necessity with the encroaching ice the Last City needed to find a way to protect itself, discoveries found in the dwarven ruins indicated a form of magic that used the energy of fire that would allow a mage to channel that energy and release it in a different form. After years of study it was discovered that the energy that fuelled fire was not much different than the energy coursing through living things and pyromancy was born. Early experiments resulted in the Pyromancers pushing themselves too hard and this led to early death, this was unfortunate as those that could harness the energy were rare, but when it was discovered that the heart of the Pyromancer continued to burn after death the sun spires were invented and the barrier that kept the Last City safe was erected. Unfortunately, the sun spires need replenishing, and this relies upon sacrifices by the Pyromancers. Many Pyromancers who suffer injury or become too old will offer their hearts for the city, and because of this pyromancy is the most respected discipline taught by the Black Fort Dangers of Pyromancy Children are taught not to play with fire and for good reason it will burn and engulf you, and this is something every novice learns during the study of Pyromancy. Apart from the obvious dangers of trying to control huge amounts of fiery energy the use of fire will slowly engulf the mage, starting as a ball of heat in the stomach and blossoming out to slowly turn the mage into a living flame and then finally energy itself. Over the years this immolation has been slowed and a careful Pyromancer can live for many years studying and practicing the art.
The Black Iron 168
169 First Circle Pyromancy is about temperature as much as it is about flame, and every Pyromancer novice learns to control their own body temperature as well as the temperature around them. Spell: Absorb TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1 Type: Ranged, AoE 10ft+ The pyromancers can absorb all the heat in an area, causing the location to freeze. The amount of stamina loss is 1 per 10ft area. The Pyromancer must expel the heat elsewhere and can do this by casting melt, Jet, or Ball. For each round that the heat is not expelled the caster loses 1 wound. LoS 2 - Stamina loss is halved (rounded up) 4 - Heat can be held for 2 rnds without wound loss 6 - Caster can cast either Jet or Melt immediately without a need to roll. LoF 2 - Spell fails and stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails but heat is absorbed causing 2 wounds per round. 6 - Spell fails heat is absorbed and explodes from the caster causing d6 damage per stamina used to everyone within 10ft. Spell: Boil TN: 6, Stamina (t): 1 Type: Ranged, AoE 10ft+ The Pyromancer can boil any fluid nearby, this will include everything from water to blood, the distance of the fluid can delay the process. Fluids within 10ft of the Mage will boil within a round and for every 10ft beyond another round is added. Sustaining the boil will cost 1 stamina per rnd of boiling. Boil is also an AoE spell with a standard casting covering a 10ft area. When boiling blood or some other bodily fluid all targets within the A0E take d6 damage per rnd as long as the spell is sustained. LoS 2 - Range increases to 12 ft and AoE increases to 15ft. 4 - Target will take 2d6 damage per round 6 - As above plus the AoE doubles LoF 2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and caster takes d6 damage from their own blood boiling. 6 - Spell fails and everyone within 10ft of the caster takes d6 damage as their blood boils. Spell: Burn TN: 7, Stamina (t): 2+ Type: Touch This allows the caster to burn what they touch, damage inflicted is equal to number of stamina points used by the mage, with a d4 for each point. Items like wood, paper, and foliage will burn as expected, wet items will take +1 stamina to burn and items soaked in oil will take -1 stamina to burn. Targets wearing metal armour will not burn but they will begin to boil within their armour with effects similar to the Boil spell. Leather armours will burn causing 2 breaks per rnd. LoS 2 - Stamina loss is halved. 4 - Damage increases to 2d4 per round 6 - Burn targets will also receive the effects of the Boil spell. LoF 2 - Spell fails double the stamina lost. 4 - Spell fails casters clothes catch alight, d4 damage 6 - Spell fails as above with 2d4 damage
The Black Iron 170 Spell: Melt TN: 7, STL: 2 Type: Ranged, AoE 2ft Pyromancer can melt any substance from ice to iron, stamina loss will vary from 1 to 5 depending on what the mage is attempting to melt, (Ice covered watering hole 1, Iron Bar 3, etc). Metal armours can also be melted with anyone wearing the armour taking Boil damage LoS 2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Mage can reshape Iron 6 - As above but AoE is doubled LoF 2 - Spell fails double the stamina lost 4 - Spell fails any metal on caster melts 6 - Spell fails as above but effects everyone or thing within 5ft of caster. The control of fire and how to form and manipulate it in order to turn it into a tool and a weapon. Spell: Ball TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1+ Type: Ranged 10ft, AoE The Pyromancer can form a ball of fire and then throw it as a weapon. This spell will absorb heat around the mage temporarily and can be combined with the Absorb spell. The more heat absorbed, and the more stamina used the larger the ball of flame and the more damage done. For every stamina point used in the spell the damage increases by d6 damage. For every 2ft area of heat around the mage absorbed the ball grows an extra foot in diameter, which in turn affects the AoE of the spell. Creating a 20ft diameter fireball will need to absorb heat from a 40ft radius, and if it does 10d6 damage that will cost 10 stamina. Second Circle LoS 2 - Diameter increase 2ft for no extra cost 4 - Damage is increased 2d6 for no extra stamina 6 - Both diameter and damage are doubled LoF 2 - Spell fails and double the stamina is lost 4 - Spell fails and spell explodes in front of caster 6 - Spell fails and ball expands to double the size and damage then explodes in front of caster. Spell: Ignite TN: 6, Stamina (t): 1+ Type: Ranged 10ft The Pyromancer can make a flammable object nearby ignite. Candles, torches, dry bushes even trees can be forced to burst into flame. Objects doused in oil will burst into flame with less effort (-1 Stamina). The range can be increased by exerting more stamina, but the standard range is 10ft for every stamina point used. LoS 2 - Spell costs less to cast 4 - Caster can ignite two extra objects in the area 6 - Caster can ignite four extra objects in the area LoF 2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails as above and the object burns out 6 - Spell fails and caster ignites nearest party member. Spell: Jet TN: 8, STL: 1+ Type: Ranged 3ft x 2ft The Pyromancer launches a jet of fire from their palm, this follows the same rules as the Ball spell with the amount of heat absorbed and the number of stamina used to determine the length and damage of the jet. For every 1 ft of heat absorbed the jet extends an extra 2ft from the casters palm, and with every 1 stamina pt used damage is increased by d6. The
171 end of the jet can be made to cover a wider cone by expanding a further point of stamina per 1ft spread. LoS 2 - Range and damage is increased one step for no extra stamina cost. 4 - Only half of the stamina needed is used 6 - Cone of jet extends outward for 20ft and does 2d6 damage to all it engulfs. LoF 2 - Spell fails and casters hand bursts into flame causing d4 damage per rnd 4 - Spell fails as above but d6 damage 6 - Spell fails and reverses engulfing anyone within 20ft of caster in flames and causing 2d6 damage per round. Spell: Wall TN: 9, Stamina (t): 1+ Type: Touch 3ft x 3ft x 1ft The Pyromancer creates a wall of flame, this can be straight or curved, thick or thin. Anything passing through the wall will take fire damage. The wall starts as a 3ft tall, 3ft long and 1ft thick wall of flame with each dimension being expanded 1ft per stamina point used. The walls thickness will take time to pass through causing more damage to any that do. LoS 2 - Wall burns extra bright and causes 2d6 damage to anyone passing through it per round 4 - Wall can be moved by the caster 6 - Wall will stand for d6 rounds without any stamina use by the caster (effectively allowing the caster to place it and walk away). LoF 2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails caster transfers 5 stamina to nearest corrupted horror. 6 - Spell fails as above and caster gains one corruption point. The ability to cause the very air to burst into flame or intense heat is to manipulate the very laws of the universe and to risk a misfire or self-immolation. Spell: Explode TN: 9, Stamina (t): 1+ Type: Ranged The Pyromancer causes any nearby flame to explode outward, causing damage to anyone nearby. As the caster forces more stamina into the spell the explosion becomes larger and more intense, to the point when a simple candle could blow apart a building. Source STL AoE Damage Candle 1 1ft 1d4 Torch 1 3ft 1d6 Camp-fire 2 6ft 2d6 Burning Building 4 15ft 5d6 Extra stamina will increase AoE and Damage by 1 step. LoS 2 - Spell increases 1 step without extra stamina cost 4 - All flames in the area explode spontaneously. 6 - Spell increase 2 steps without extra stamina cost LoF 2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and flame nearest to caster explodes 6 - Spell fails as above with double damage Third Circle
The Black Iron 172 Spell: Flash TN: 7, Stamina (r): 1+ Type: Ranged, AoE The Pyromancer throws an orb of light which flashes after travelling a number of feet based on stamina spent (1 per 5ft). The light when activated stuns everyone in a 20ft radius for 2d6 rnds. LoS 2 - Radius increases to 30ft 4 - As above and stun lasts 3d6 rounds 6 -As above plus all stunned take d6 damage also. LoF 2 - Spell fails lose double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and casters party are stunned d6 rnds 6 - Spell fails and caster party are stunned 2d6 rnds Spell: Heat Seeker TN: 10, Stamina (r): 1+ Type: Ranged The Pyromancer sends a spear of energy at a preselected target, this bolt of energy will follow the target for as long as it has stamina charging it (1 stamina per 2 rounds of travel) or it strikes the target causing 5d6 damage. The spear will only travel in a straight path. LoS 2 - Spear will travel around corners 4 - Spear can now pass through walls and doors 6 - Spear will pass through living beings causing d6 damage to each. LoF 2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails spear targets innocent NPC 6 - Spell fails spear targets member of party Spell: Trap TN: 10, Stamina (t): 2+ Type: AoE The Pyromancer marks an area of a floor, wall or door with a sigil that when passed by anyone other than the caster will detonate causing 3d6 fire damage, by spending twice as much stamina the caster can choose to have a delayed detonation or a double detonation with each detonation doing 2d6 fire damage. LoS 2 - Only half stamina lost 4 - Sigil detonates with double damage 6 - As above but with 1 extra detonation LoF 2 - Spell fails double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and explodes causing damage to caster 6 - Spell fails as above but with double damage
173 School of Sorcery The art of sorcery leads back to the arcane magic studied and created in some part by the elves and passed on to them by the death of the giants. The elves had used sorcery for decades to experiment, torture and enslave humans, so the study of it by the Black Fort is considered dangerous and the following of a dark path. The mages guild has attempted to justify this study by claiming that to understand the elves and what they did involves studying how they did it and maybe once understood gain the ability to reverse it. This explanation may appease some but not everyone. The Black Fort pay highly for elven texts and relics in the hope of expanding their knowledge and use of sorcery, after all it was sorcery that created the Chimeer, the corrupted and possibly even the Blood Lords, and imagine what the mages could achieve by fully understanding the magic and rituals involved in the art. The worries of many is not just what the mages intend this power for but what have they already attempted in trying to learn and harness it. Tales have come from the Black Fort of diabolical experiments, strange noises and weather patterns that seem to emanate from the Mages fortress, and the strange and sometimes disorientating feeling that many get as they pass by the Black Fort. Being a sorcerer is to be both feared and despised, few sorcerers are seen as heroes or saviours but are often viewed to be as dangerous and untrustworthy as the elves themselves and every novice that follows this path is warned that the path is not easy. Dangers of Sorcery The study of sorcery is dangerous and is possibly the most dangerous path of all, it is also the study of something that is truly ancient. The origins of sorcery begins with the giants and their sorcery tainted blood is what formed the elves, or so the stories say. Sorcery is linked to the corruption and in some way to every living thing in the Pale, including the Blood Lords who practice a darker and more dangerous form of the art themselves, called Blood Magic, and many of the Warlocks that control the cults will be fluent in this dark magic. What is unspoken is the similarities between Blood Magic and Sorcery, and how often they cross paths. To practice sorcery is to accept and be open to corruption, more sorcerers fall to corruption than mages of the other two paths combined, and this alone speaks of how dangerous the study of sorcery can be to those weak willed or morally flexible. It is also believed that Cultists will actively tempt sorcerers to join their cause offering power and knowledge in exchange for giving themselves to the Blood Lords. Sorcery Spells The study of sorcery teaches three circles of power and it is said that each one takes the mage closer to the ancients. Many presume that the ancients refers to the Giants that first created the discipline, but in recent years study has shown that maybe the Remnant are also linked in some way. All sorcery spells use stamina for casting, and they vary from touch to ranged. Due to its ancient roots many spells will skirt what some would consider ‘light’ magic and the sorcerer will face corruption as a real threat as the use of sorcery can attract the corrupted and the corruption. Sorcery can both alert and invite corruption, to alert means that any corrupted monsters nearby will sense the spell and move towards it. To invite means that the very spell itself can corrupt the caster and a resistance roll (TN 10) must be made to resist it.
The Black Iron 174 First Circle The first circle is the discipline of protection and defence, most sorcerers learn at least one spell from this circle in the beginning in order to prolong their lives against attacks from both friend and foe alike. Spell: Protection TN: 7, Stamina (t): 2 per rnd Type: Self Corrupted: Alerted The mage creates an invisible force that surrounds themselves and protects them from all damage both physical and magical. The spell lasts for as long as the mage has stamina to keep it active. The mage cannot cast or take any actions whilst sustaining this spell. LoS 2 - The stamina cost is halved 4 - The Spell allows the mage to move and will move with them 6 - The mage can perform actions but not cast spells. LoF 2 - Spell fails and double the stamina is lost (4) 4 - Spell fails and the shield explodes with an AoE of 5ft and causing d6 damage 6 - Spell fails and explodes with an A0E of 10ft and causes 2d6 damage Spell: Push TN: 8, Stamina (t): 1 per 50Ib/5ft Type: Touch Corruptied: Alert The mage converts their stamina into kinetic energy and pushes away the object or opponent, without touching them. For every 1 stamina used the caster can push back a target of up to 50 Lbs five feet back, the more stamina converted the heavier the target and the further the distance. LoS 2 - The spell pushes back the target an extra 5ft 4 - The spell affects two targets 6 - The mage can choose to lift the target up to the push back range. LoF 2 - Spell fails and mage loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and mage is pushed back instead 6 - Spell fails and everyone within 20ft of the mage is pushed back. Spell: Shield TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1 per 10pts of damage Type: Self Corrupted: Alert The mage creates a shield in front of themselves or someone else. Unlike Protection this spell only protects the caster or target in one direction, it does not surround the user. The shield can protect against 10 points of damage per 1 stamina used, once it has deflected the max amount of damage it protects against the spell shatters. LoS 2 - The shields protection increases by 5 pts 4 - When the shield is hit the Melee attacker takes d4 damage. 6 - As above but attacker takes 2d4 damage LoF 2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and random enemy receives the shield at 10pt protection 6 - Spell fails and two random enemies receive the shield at 10pt protection. Spell: Warding TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1 +1 per 25ft Range Type: AoE Corrupted: Alert The mage creates a sigil and places it on a wall, floor, or entrance. If anyone other than the mage passes the sigil the sorcerer will be alerted. The range of the Ward is 25ft per stamina used and placing the ward costs 1 stamina to do.
175 LoS 2 - Range of the Warding is doubled 4 - The Warding does d6 damage against any trespassers within its range 6 - The warding does 2d6 damage to any trespassers and the range is doubled LoF 2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails as above and a roll of 1-3 on the Iron Die will alert nearby corrupted 6 - Spell fails as above except a roll of 1-4 alerts nearby corrupted. The mage learns to control forces which will allow them to move themselves and others. Spell: Kinesis TN: 8, Stamina (t): 1 per 25Ib and throw 10ft Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The mage can lift distant objects and either move them or throw them. This spell will not allow delicate manipulation of an item such as placing a key in a lock. This spell works similar to Push and with every 1 stamina used the mage can lift and move up to 25Ibs in weight and move or throw it 10ft. LoS 2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Throw distance is doubled 6 - Mage can suspend object in the air for d6 rounds without stamina loss. LoF 2 - Spell fails and double stamina is lost 4 - Spell fails and the mage takes d6 damage from strain 6 - Spell fails and mage is unable to move for d10 rnds, can take no actions and feels rooted to the spot. Second Circle Spell: Levitate TN: 7, Stamina (t): 1 per 5ft rise/1pt per rnd Type: Self Corrupted: Alert The mage can levitate up to 5ft above ground per stamina point used and can travel horizontally up to their movement base, crippling injuries have no effect on levitation. Mages can perform actions whilst levitating and the effect will last one round per extra stamina point used. LoS 2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Mage can double their movement base 6 - Mage can triple their movement base LoF 2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and mage loses the use of their legs for d4 rnds. 6 - Spell fails as above but extends to 2d4 rnds Spell: Spirit Path TN: 9, Stamina (t): 6 Type: Self Corrupted: -Invite The mage can enter a spirit world that runs alongside their own and bypass locations in the real world. The spirit path is often seen as a silver path in a world of darkness. The mage must have a clear idea of their destination in order for the spirit path to form. This Is often used to avoid dangerous locations or even armies, allowing the mage to reach their chosen destination safely. LoS 2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Mage gains +1 corruption resistance 6 - Mage can take another person with them on the path. LoF 2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and player rolls an Iron Die, on a roll of 1-2 nearby threats are alerted. 6 - Spell fails as above and if corruption resistance fails the mage gains +2 corruption
The Black Iron 176 Spell: Teleport TN: 10, Stamina (t): Varies Type: Varies Corrupted: Alert The mage can teleport themselves and others to a place they can either see or know of. The stamina cost varies based on distance and how many are to be teleported, see table below. Range Number to be Teleported in Miles 1 2 3 4 5 <1 3 4 5 6 7 1-2 4 5 6 7 8 2-3 5 6 7 8 9 3-4 6 7 8 9 10 4-5 7 8 9 10 11 5+ +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 LoS 2 - Stamina cost is halved 4 - No corrupted are alerted 6 - As above LoF 2 - Spell fails double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails all teleported roll an Iron Die for the alert. 6 - Spell fails but mage and whoever was chosen take 5d6 damage as forces attempt to rip them apart. Spell: Ghost Form TN: 9, Stamina (t): 4 +1 per rnd after the first Type: Self Corrupted: Invite Mage becomes ghost like for 1 round allowing them to pass through walls and suffer no damage from physical injury. When in ghost form the mage will not be able to touch or manipulate anything or one and no one will hear the mage if they speak or shout out. LoS 2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - The mage can make a single attack which will break the spell causing them to lose ghost form 6 - The mage can choose to make an attack or prolong the spell for an extra rnd. LoF 2 - Spell fails Stamina lose is doubled 4 - Spell fails and mage begins to glow brightly, this will last d4 hours 6 - Spell fails mage receives an instant corruption point. Spell: Telepathy TN: VS, Stamina (t): 1 per 10ft Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The mage can send messages or speak to someone mentally, the range is determined by the amount of stamina used. Targets can attempt to resist the telepathic link with an opposed Mind roll. Once linked the mage can communicate fully with the target for as long as they are within range. LoS 2 - Stamina cost is halved 4 - Range is doubled 6 - As above LoF 2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails Mage is struck with terrible head pains causing them to be stunned for d6 rnds 6 - Spell fails mage loses their mind literally, they stand and drool, unable to talk, move or take any action. The mage can be led and fed but will not do so for themselves, this will last d3 days.
177 Third Circle The mage learns how to use their power offensively and can attack their targets either close up or at range. Spell: Crush TN: 7, Stamina (t): 2 per d6 crush dmg Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The mage uses their power to crush the target, be it a living thing or not, the more stamina used the more pressure exerted on the target which translates into damage. The mage can very easily crush stone into powder or a person to dust. LoS 2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Damage is increased 2d6 6 - Mage can choose two targets LoF 2 - Spell fails stamina loss is doubled 4 - Spell fails Sorcerer stunned for 1 round 6 - Spell fails bones in the Sorcerer’s hands are crushed (1-3 Left, 4-6 Right) and crippled. Spell: Pain TN: 8., Stamina (t): 1 per d6 damage Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The mage inflicts pain upon the target, this pain is internal and will not cause any scars or visible marks on the targets body, the more stamina used the more damage inflicted or the more targets affected. LoS 2 - Stamina cost halved 4 - Damage increased by d6 6 - Damage increased by 2d6 LoF 2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails damage is reverted back on Mage 6 - Spell fails damage is reverted back on everyone within 5ft of mage. Spell: Paralyse TN: VS., Stamina (t): 2 per rnd Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The mage causes the target to become paralyzed for a number of rounds based on the amount of stamina used. The target must be in line of sight for the spell to take effect. The target can attempt a Mind opposed roll against the spell. LoS 2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Mage can paralyse target outside of line of sight. 6 - Target is at -2 to Mind roll LoF 2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails mage is paralyzed for the number of rnds. 6 - Spell fails mage and those close to the mage (within 5ft) are paralyzed for the number of rnds. Spell: Strike TN: 9, Stamina(t): 2 per d6 damage Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The mage strikes out with an invisible force to attack the target or targets. The damage caused depends upon the stamina used to power the force. The range is a maximum of 5ft from the mage. LoS 2 - Stamina cost is halved 4 - Range extended to 10ft 6 - Mage can strike everyone in a semi-circle in front of them. LoF 2 - Spell fails and stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails and mage strikes out at those around them both friend and foe. 6 - Spell fails and the mage is wrapped in energy causing 2d6 damage per rnd.
The Black Iron 178 Spell: Tendrils TN: 8, Stamina (t): 2 per Tendril Type: Ranged Corrupted: Invite Black tendrils erupt from the hands of the mage, lashing out at the target (range 5ft) and burning them. The mage can decide the number of tendrils that appear by spending more stamina. Each Tendril will do d6 damage against the target. LoS 2 - Stamina cost halved 4 - Range is increased to 10ft 6 - Target bursts into flame and takes fire damage. LoF 2 - Spell fails stamina cost doubled 4 - Spell fails and the mage gains 1 corruption point 6 - Spell fails Mage bursts into black flames burning anyone nearby with 2d6 damage. The mage burns for one rnd per stamina spent. Spell: Waste TN: VS., Stamina (t): 2 per rnd Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The sorcerer chooses a target and attempts to drain them of stamina (2pts per rnd), slowly wasting away the targets mind and body. The loss of stamina will affect the target as usual and the sorcerer can choose to either discard the stamina or absorb it, renewing their own stamina pool. The target can resist with an opposed Mind roll. LoS 2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Targets resistance at -2 6 - Targets resistance at -4 and they lose an extra d6 stamina if they fail to resist LoF 2 - Spell fails and stamina loss doubled 4 - Spell fails Sorcerer’s stamina reduced by 1 permanently. 6 - Spell fails and Sorcerer’s stamina reduced by 2 permanently. Spell: Stun TN: VS., Stamina (t): 3 adds +1 to roll Type: Ranged Corrupted: Invite The mage freezes the mind of the target effectively stunning them, the target can resist with a Mind opposed roll. The more stamina used the stronger the effect and the longer the stun lasts. The target will stand frozen unable to move or speak for the duration of the stun. LoS 2 - Stamina is halved 4 - Duration of stun is doubled 6 - Target dies LoF 2 - Spell fails and stamina loss is doubled 4 - Spell fails and mage becomes stunned for the duration. 6 - Spell fails and mage is drained of half their stamina Spell: Terrify TN: VS., Stamina (t): 5 +1 per target Type: Ranged Corrupted: Alert The mage fills the mind of the target/s with terrifying images causing the target or targets to become scared and fearful. Targets must pass a fear resistance check or flee the area. LoS 2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Target is at -1 to fear check 6 - Target is at -2 to fear check LoF 2 - Spell fails stamina loss doubled 4 - Spell fails and sorcerers own mind is filled with horror, they must pass a fear check. 6 - Spell fails sorcerer tempts corruption and they are inflicted by 1 corruption point.
179 Spell Creation The spells shown above are just a selection of spells that are possible for a Mage to conjure, and it has been known for mages, in particular, elven mages to create spells on the fly, based on knowledge they have learnt. Many more recent mages have started attempting this often with good results. How to Create Spells A player can opt to use the following rules to create spells for their mage to cast, this must be done with the agreement and help of the GM. The spell must also fall into the chosen discipline of the mage so basically Necromancers will not try to create Pyromancer spells and so forth. To create a spell the player needs to have an idea of what they wish to do before anything happens and discuss with the GM the possibility of the spell happening, this is based on the difficulty of the spell, the stamina it will cost and the effect. Other factors for creating unique spells could include nearby sources such as a pool of blood, an open fire etc, and the environment the character is in. Any spell created by the mage will be transferred to a grimoire, scroll or item and can also be taught to others. As long as the GM agrees the spell will act as expected but will be also determined by the Levels of Success and Failure like all other spells and these should also be decided by the GM based on the complexity, power and effect of the spell being attempted. The table below shows the difficulty of a spell based on a number of effects and the stamina this would cost the mage to cast. The table will give examples of effects and the GM should feel free to change this or even increase the difficulty based on the situation. Also some spells will allow the target to oppose the spell with a Mind resistance roll This is done similar to an Attribute roll. The GM should also decide whether the casting of the spell will invite or attract any corruption to the mage. Spell Creation Table Target Number Example Spell Effects Stamina Loss Easy (3) Light a candle, boil a pot of water, heal a single wound, drain a small rodent of stamina, deflect a missile, lift a small item. 1 Average (5) Light a bonfire, boil a barrel of water, heal a few wounds, drain an animal of stamina, create a shield, lift a table. 1-2 Difficult (6) Set fire to a house, boil a pool of water, purge diseases, drain stamina from a person, Throw a person, create a protective layer. 2-3 Hard (7) Burn a stone tower, boil a lake, heal a group, drain stamina from range, levitate or teleport short distances 4 Very Hard (9) Burn a village, cast a huge fireball, resurrect the dead or regenerate a limb, create a force wall or teleport miles 5 Extreme (11) Burn a large town, turn an army to ash, create a golem, create an undead army, push back a large force or cause a tornado 6 Near Impossible (12+) Burn a city, boil the blood of an army, resurrect an ancient corpse, create an army of golems, instant kill a god, travel to other worlds. 7 Mages can only create spells from their own school of magic.
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The Black Iron 182 To take on the role of a GM in any RPG is a big step, your players will have expectations and you will be required to prepare in advance. The job of running games can be fulfilling, exciting, rewarding, and frustrating, players that disrupt or tell you where you went wrong are abundant and can break the immersion and fun for everyone else. The following guidelines are designed to help you out in preparing and running an adventure, I will also share secrets that only you will know and give you options and adventure seeds that you can use. The important part of every RPG is for everyone to have fun, and hopefully this chapter will insure this happens at your table. At the Table In recent years, the gaming table has become virtual for many people, and this has allowed many to play with others outside of their friend list. This is also the case with conventions where you will meet people from not only all over the country but sometimes the world. When playing with people that you play with regularly you will know what they will or will not enjoy, groups that play a lot of fantasy RPGs may not be to open to playing Sci-Fi and so forth. Also friends tend to be a lot more forgiving and more open to speak up as well as accepting of any mistakes. This is not often the case with virtual or convention games. Playing an RPG with people you have never met before and may never meet again means that running and playing may be more difficult, as you, and they attempt to gauge personalities. An RPG like the Black Iron has many adult themes and can be very dark, and sometimes people may not like that. I would recommend that you state before play begins that the game will have adult themes, horror themes and some situations that may offend some people. Make this clear from the start, because there is nothing more annoying than someone employing some kind of x card mechanic in order to derail the adventure half way through, your party is made up of a number of individuals not just one, if after you state the intent of the game someone throws an x card, then you warned them and they should leave the table, you should not be forced to change the adventure. GMs Guidance
183 The GMs Role As a GM you are expected to know the rules to a decent level and understand the world in which the game is based. Some rules or situations may take you by surprise and for this you have two options to look the ruling up or improvise (see below) you should choose whichever option you are comfortable with and you feel the group would be ok with. As a GM you will also be expected to have something prepared whether that be a short adventure or a longer campaign. With an adventure I would recommend that everything you need is in place, maps, NPCs, threats, and locations, with a campaign have at least the first couple of sessions set up and ready to go. Make sure you have extra dice, pencils, and scrap paper, if you are playing virtually this step is not as important and for conventions this will be in some ways expected. Improvise Learn to wing it, to think on your feet. An understanding of the rules and experience will help with this, if something comes up that you did not expect (and it will) then be prepared to react almost instantly with a solution or ruling. State Changes Also make clear to the players any rules changes or optional rules you are using, this way you will bypass any confusion or disagreements later. Be Impartial If a character makes the wrong decision then let them deal with the consequence of that decision, if something bad happens because of dice then allow the player the opportunity to come up with a solution. Example The character attempts to jump a crevice, they have the skill to do it and make a run up, but the player rolls badly, and the jump has failed, should the character fall to their death? Probably not, have the character grab hold of the edge, or grab a branch jutting further down. The character attempts to jump a crevice and the player knows that they do not have the skill to make that jump and they fail, should they fall to their death? Yes, the player was relying on the GMs good nature to survive, maybe give the character a chance grab that branch but only if the character is important to the adventure. The Black Iron is a game of danger and survival, not a game of heroics where gods intervene to save the characters even when they are stupid. Fudge Rolls There have been many discussions on whether GMs should fudge rolls, basically state a roll was different than what it actually was. This is up to you and as arbiter of the world and judge then you must do what is needed to keep the players engaged and to move the fiction forward. If a roll you have made you feel will halt the game in its tracks then I say fudge, if it kills off half the party, I say reveal the roll and let the players come up with solutions. The Pale The world of the Black Iron is a dangerous place, it is covered in ice and snow and filled with corrupted monsters, dangerous cults, and cannibalistic tribes to name a few. As a GM you will need to manage this through encounters and obstacles. Encounters Though the Pale is full of dangers not all encounters lead to a fight or running for your life, some can actually be useful or lead to further adventure. As the GM you will need to plan out the encounters well and how often they will happen. Characters should not be facing threats around every corner and a certain degree of common sense should be used, for example the average bandit will be far from a lair of a beast or the temple of a cult, likewise cults will avoid other cults and also beasts.
The Black Iron 184 Encounter Table 2d6 Encounter 2d6 Signs of Threat 2 A camp-fire with a trader and his son 2 A splash of blood in the snow 3 A group of refugees hiding in a cave 3 Smoke rising in the distance 4 A wagon stuck in the snow 4 The sound of a bell on the road ahead 5 A bandit camp, with d6 bandits 5 Chanting coming from within a cave 6 A temple of a blood cult, d6 cultists 6 A dead horse and upturned wagon 7 A holy man and his apprentice walking the road 7 A discarded pack full of wares 8 An injured grey ranger 8 The sound of screams coming from nearby 9 A corpse field, ghouls feast on the remains 9 Dismembered corpse and drag marks 10 A travelling trader heading to the city 10 A still warm camp fire 11 A Scavenger seeking a nearby ruin 11 A bloodied sword stuck into the earth 12 Cannibals searching a hut 12 An arrow embedded in a sign post or tree See Mapping the Pale for more detailed tables that can be used. The Black Iron is a game of survival and horror and this is best shown by making the threats that characters face rare but deadly, use sounds to create tension, have characters find indications of danger such as ravaged wildlife, large prints in the snow or blood flecks. Sounds such as a bell could indicate a cult nearby, don’t ever explain just let the players guess and use their imaginations. Below is a table of encounters that can be used when the characters are travelling the Pale, the table is split into two parts actual encounters and signs of threat, you can roll on each separately to keep the players on the edge of their seats. Obstacles With most of the land under snow and ice many dangers are hidden from travellers, lakes may not be as solid as they seem, hidden roots or holes can injure horses and walkers alike. Climbing and jumping ice covered surfaces and crevasses becomes more difficult as a single slip could see you plummeting to your death. Weather can be a killer, with snow storms not only freezing you but also obscuring vision, hail stones as big as rocks can kill instantly, freezing rain and even just the damp penetrating clothing and boots can lead to frostbite and ailments that could see the loss of limbs, fingers, toes and other extremities. Travel will need to be planned and shelter marked out for possible resting spots as the weather can change instantly, causing you to stray off the road, or worse. As the GM you will need to decide when weather patterns change, how much the cold will affect those without adequate clothing or gear, especially at night as temperatures drop. A snow storm can divert people from a path, it may even reveal something that was once hidden like a building or a marker of some kind. Frostbite For every two days of travel in the Pale the characters must make a body attribute roll vs. a difficulty that starts at 6 and goes to the next difficulty level for every extra two days spent travelling the Pale. The clothing that the characters are wearing will modify the roll as shown below. • Poor Quality will modify roll by -1 • Good Quality will modify roll by – 0 • High Quality will modify roll by +1
185 Characters that find shelter and remove their clothing and dry it will start the process from the beginning, so if the characters have travelled for 6 days and then rest and dry and repair their clothing, then once they start travelling again the TN is reduced back to 6. If the Body Attribute test fails, the characters will have developed frostbite and will lose 1 wound per day until it is healed. Healing frostbite will involve finding a warm and dry location and healing the infected area. If the wounds from frostbite ever reduce the wound total the infected area will need to be removed. Hail Being caught in a hail storm can be dangerous and characters should reach shelter as quickly as possible. For every minute (round) that the characters are in the storm they are hit by 1d6 hail stones doing 1d4 damage each on the head and shoulders, characters not wearing helmets will not get the benefit of armour. Snow Blindness Whilst outside snow blindness can happen, the glare from the snow can have an actual effect on certain actions. Snow Blindness is an optional rule that a GM can use if they want, this will apply modifiers to aiming and attacking whilst in snow during the day. I would suggest modifiers of -1 or -2 to rolls. These modifiers can be cancelled out by snow goggles. Mapping the Pale Before the fall there were maps but not many, maps took time and were expensive, so they were only found in the Palace of the capital and the holy city. Some sailors had basic maps of the coastline but nothing in any way detailed. Most people followed the roads, knew their local area and new where the nearest city or large town was and the direction of many of the other cities, but pointing to them on a map would have been beyond the knowledge of most. One of the more serious threats is falling through ice. With many of the rivers, lakes, and streams etc frozen over falling through the ice that covers them is a real problem. Old maps will help determine where a body of water once was but otherwise a Successful Scout roll Vs a TN of 8 or a Perception roll will indicate that there is a lake or that the party are standing on a river or some other body of water. Falling through ice will involve a Body Attribute roll vs a TN of 9, or the person starts taking 2 wounds per rnd until they are rescued or they die.
The Black Iron 186 After the fall this did not improve, most of the maps that did exist were lost, the ice and snow changed the landscape and the destruction got rid of many landmarks and some locations, meaning that even those that knew their area were now not really too clear on where anything was. Attempting to create new maps would be time consuming, dangerous, and expensive, and the chance of finding a cartographer with that level of skill almost impossible. Those venturing out into the Pale are asked to make maps of their journeys, noting landmarks, length of travel times and dangers. Librarians and academics would then compile these maps to gain an overall picture of the land. This has not worked out too well as the dangers to travellers often either means they are never seen again or mapping their journey takes last place to survival and just reaching some kind of safety. The map below is the only known map of the Pale from before the fall of the Black Iron and this is what most journeys are based upon. You should encourage the players to map their journeys, a piece of white paper would be apt, mark out the Last City to the north, with the mountains above the city and heading down the western side, and that is all the people are currently sure of. Hex paper would be great as then each hex could be a League of travel (League = 3 Miles). Below is a location table that you can use to add major locations to the map ahead of time or in preparation of the characters travelling there. Roll once for the Environment and then based on the result of the Threat and Ruin roll on those tables. You can make three rolls, one for each column in order to mix up the results and keep the party guessing. The threat table is optional and should be used also for many dangerous random encounters. Re-Roll if original roll makes no sense.
187 Environment 2d6 Environment Threat Ruin 2 Forest Yes No 3 Frozen Lake No No 4 Marshland Yes No 5 Small Wood Yes Yes 6 Ruined Village Yes Yes 7 Old Tower Yes Yes 8 Crossroads No Yes 9 Snow Field No Yes 10 Battlefield Yes No 11 Crater Yes No 12 Ruined Town Yes Yes Threat 2d6 Threat 2 Corrupted Beast 3 Bandits 4 Cultists 5 Slavers 6 Lesser Corrupted 7 Ice Raider 8 Wraith 9 Lich 10 Greater Corrupted 11 Ash Raider 12 Ruin Dweller Many of the structures found in the Pale will be ruined or buried by ice and snow, the table below allows you to quickly discover what the party has stumbled upon. This table is optional but can be good for plotting a route or just filling travel between locations. Ruins 2D6 Ruin 2 Old Shack 3 Blacksmith Forge 4 Castle 5 Old Mine 6 Shrine 7 Roadside Tavern 8 Noble House 9 Tower 10 Village Hall 11 Temple 12 Old Fort The Below To the north of the Last City rise the Dragon Claw mountains they sweep from the sea in the east and join the Dragon Tail mountains to the west. The city stands in the mountains shadow and in fact the city was built from stone quarried from the mountain itself. As the city walls grew workers unearthed a great iron door. The door stood 29ft high and was elaborately carved in glyphs and images unrecognisable to the humans. What lay beyond the door no one knew and all attempts to open the door failed, for decades it was attempted by many, but the door stood firmly shut. As the Black Iron fell and those that survived fled north towards the Last City and the protection of the mountains the great door opened. Many tried to enter the city, but as more and more people arrived for refuge the city had to close its gates and those left outside cast their eye towards the now open great door. The door revealed tunnels, mines and road ways crafted by unknown hands, and beyond these stood cities carved from the very mountain itself. As the refugees poured in through the great door those in front pushed forward along the ancient
The Black Iron 188 roads and eventually began to populate these cities and the Below was formed. Cities in the Dark Unlike the Last City, the cities Below do not have a council or even a King, they are run by the families of the first people to settle the city after the fall. These families have held on to power by bribery, assassination and intimidation and are little more than dictators. As the years have passed the Guilds have had more rights and say in how the cities are run, trade and some laws, but as many of the trade guilds are as corrupt as the families, these changes often only benefit those that profit from them. Each of the families are suspicious of the others and this has erupted in skirmishes between the cities on more than one occasion, also embargoes, the barricading of roads and restrictions to the citizens of one city entering another have happened, and in fact it is often the case that a trader will be denied entry to a city on the basis that they also traded with another city which is run by a family that is currently in some kind of dispute or conflict with this cities family, it can become very petty and often deadly. Each family is constantly on the watch for anything that would reinforce their position, or give them the edge over another family and this has led to funded expeditions into the dark areas deeper below in the hope to find artefacts or knowledge that would raise a family above another in standing. Dangers in the Dark Many of the roads that connect the cities are patrolled and lit by lanterns, this is done under agreement of the cities and is mainly for the traders that move from the Last City above and between the cities below. These roads which are well made often have caves or smaller less well-made roads branching off into the darkness. Some of these less patrolled areas have been explored, and the caves are often used to house Vagrants that have been either denied entry to a city or banished for crimes. The dark roads will sometimes lead to dead ends and are thought of as mining tunnels as ancient tools have often been found there, but many go down deeper, lead to more doors, stairways or just the edge of vast deep holes. Those that have ventured deeper claim to hear sounds ranging from weird animal-like growls and cries to strange metallic clanging, some have even claimed to have heard voices speaking in a strange language. All the families, the Black Fort and even the other Guilds have mounted expeditions into the Darkness in the hope to find wealth and knowledge, many of those expeditions have returned with little but some have returned with strange devices and ancient books and scrolls. All have said that the roads go much deeper and that many become well-made and broad, leading some to reason that with well-made roads could come more cities. Many horrors live down below, creatures never seen by humans anywhere in the Pale, and some tell of devious and intricate traps, metal horrors that belch hot smoke and other terrors. The Below Source Book will be coming soon from FeralGamersInc. Mapping the Dark Like the Pale no one has attempted to map the Below except for the Vagrants that will attempt to force their scrawls to whomever is willing to pay. The maps they offer are often just of the roads and the positions of each of the cities and any important locations in between. Maps of the tunnels and dark roads are yet to be produced and it is known that both the Guilds and the Families will pay good money to anyone producing such a map.
189 Creating Adventures Creating adventures be they one shot scenarios or week long campaigns are never easy and can be harder when you are either new to RPGs or new to a setting. Read the background section, know the rules, and try to imagine the world, adventures can start with a Guild or a Family, can be an NPC who is injured or missing, or could just be curiosity. One-shot adventures should be completed in one or two sessions, these are often ‘go to and fetch that’ missions or ‘go to and kill that’ missions. Campaigns build up, they have many layers, what may seem obvious often isn’t, when the characters arrive at the location maybe someone got there first, or the object/threat/hostage/person is not there, where could they be? Below are a number of seeds that could start a short or long adventure. • A Trader never arrives at the Last City • Cult activity is found outside the Sun Spires • Vagrants are being snatched from the streets/ Dark Roads • An anvil must be reclaimed from a village in the Pale • Travellers are being killed along the Dark Roads • Strange magical markings in blood are found on the walls of the city • A guild has found and is hiding a corrupted artefact • The location of an elven library has been discovered • Ice raiders have attacked a small village • A family wish to have someone removed • Strange noises are heard deep underground along with cries for help • Slavers are hunting and capturing Rangers • Corruption is spreading in the slums • The vagrants whisper of a shadow creature haunting the dark roads. In many districts of the cities, often outside taverns and also found within the guild halls are notice boards where traders, people and even the administrators can offer jobs to those willing to risk the Pale or the dark roads in return for favour or Barter Chit. Those wishing to apply for a job removes the notice and travels to the posters location to gather more info. This is the main way many explorers and adventurers receive work, but it is not the only way, and as the party gains influence many will come to them directly.
The Black Iron 190 The Feel of the World The Black Iron is a Grim-dark Roleplaying Game, the characters live in a harsh world where most everything is trying to kill them, they are often not heroes, heroes are not needed just survivors and those willing to go to the places or do the things other people are not willing to do. Those that do not take care to know their surroundings, think they can just take anything on or do not prepare themselves well will die, it is that simple, and players need to understand that going in. Every adventure should be a challenge so when the characters are triumphant it will mean so much more and the rewards so much greater. There will be Deaths Characters will die, not may, will, which is why preparation and working together is so important. But what do you do when a character dies? You move on or if they have a Necromancer at hand, they can attempt to resurrect the dead character. Characters should really only die due to their actions or the actions of others not because of dice rolls, if the characters attempt something and they are perfectly capable of achieving that thing but the dice roll terribly, play it out, have them hanging from their fingertips, slowly bleeding to death, ignored by the trader or whatever the outcome but never allow a die roll to determine a character’s ultimate fate. Characters should die when their player makes a stupid choice ‘my character who has just picked up a sword for the first time will take on the master swordsman’ they will die, ‘my mage is near death and exhausted but will attempt to create a huge fireball’, they will probably die along with everyone else nearby, ‘I am crippled in one leg but I will still attempt to jump the chasm’ yeah they’re dead. Everyone has limitations and understanding that is key to survival. If a character dies never allow a player to just appear with a new character, wait until they reach a town or a city and then have the new character enter, having someone just arrive from nowhere is unrealistic. If the party is less likely to survive due to the loss of a party member then maybe they will come across the new member in a ranger hut sheltering from the cold, or held captive by cultists and begs the party to free them, never allow them to just appear from nowhere. NPCs As GM you run the Non-Player Characters or NPCs, this includes the monsters, traders, bartenders, farmers, cultists and the guild leaders, anyone or thing that is not controlled by the player is controlled by you. How an NPC acts towards the characters should be determined by what they ultimately want, those
191 NPC Attributes NPC Type Ave Attribute General skills Combat Skills Arcane Skills Wounds Vagrant +1 2d6+1 3d6+1 None 11 Trader +1 3d6+2 2d6+1 None 11 High Ranking +2 3d6+3 2d6+2 1d6+2 12 Commoner +1 2d6+1 2d6+1 None 11 Militia +2 2d6+1 3d6+3 None 13 Vagrant - Those from the slums or the Dark Roads Trader - Those that sell and create High Ranking - The administrators and Guild Master Commoner - The labourers and workers Militia - The soldiers that enforce the laws and guard the cities
The Black Iron 192 that want nothing could be curious or indifferent, those that want trade would be more friendly and agreeable, those that want to stop or kill the party are always aggressive and cunning. Some NPCs may look down on the characters because of the NPCs social standing or power, others may revere the party for their bravery and deeds. Base your response on what the characters have done recently if they have anything of value or if they come across as scary or kind. Try to see the party from an outsider’s perspective. Experience Unlike some RPGs the Black Iron does not reward characters for the amount of loot they have or for just killing things, this we feel creates a game of murder hobos when the only thing that matters is the chant of ‘kill it and search the corpse’. Instead experience is given for succeeding in tasks, completing missions, fulfilling Guild goals, and learning something new. As the GM you can hand out experience for the first-time encounters of a creature or other threat but not every time that same threat or creature is encountered. The amount of experience should reflect how well the character achieved the task etc. And this can be done in three ways. 1. Individual experience for each character. 2. Group experience that the party shares 3. Less individual experience per character and a small group experience that the group can share. Individual experience is still added to the group total as explained in the advancement section. Characters should receive between 1-5 experience per session based on their performance and what was achieved. Optional Rules Luck/Fate Points It is possible to create a luck or fate point mechanic that characters can use to re-roll a fail or to cancel out damage and so forth. This can be implemented very easily by stating that each character has one luck or fate point per session and once used does not return till the start of the next session. Critical Tables When a Iron Die rolls a 6 a critical is struck, normally this would result in double damage but you can instead roll on one of the critical tables below, based on location and attack effect. Warning: These tables make combat deadly! Arms D6 Result Slashing 1 Cut and bleeding lose 1 wound per rnd 2 Tendon slashed arm useless 3 Muscle cut -1 to lifting and attacks 4 Lose a finger 5 Hand slashed -2 Melee 6 Hand removed -1 Agility Piercing 1 Punctured shoulder drop held item 2 Punctured muscle -1 Melee 3 Heavy bleeding 2 wounds per rnd lost 4 Wrist pierced hand useless -1 agility 5 Hand skewered x2 damage 6 Elbow pierced arm useless -2 Melee Bludgeon 1 Numb arm -1 melee 2 Broken hand -2 melee 3 Smashed shoulder stunned d4 rnds 4 Smashed hand d4 fingers broken 5 Broken wrist -2 melee 6 Broken arm -1 agility and -2 melee
193 Legs D6 Result Slashing 1 Deep cut, base movement reduce to 20ft 2 Foot slashed lose d3 toes -1 agility 3 Tendons slashed base movement 10ft 4 muscle cut make agility roll vs 7 or fall 5 Lose leg below knee and fall over 6 Lose whole leg and pass out Piercing 1 Punctured thigh, base movement halved 2 Punctured foot, -1 agility 3 Pierced knee, roll agility vs 7 or fall over 4 Punctured calf, base movement halved 5 Split kneecap, -1 agility, movement halved 6 Foot pinned to ground, you are prone Bludgeon 1 Crushed toe, base movement 20ft 2 Crushed foot base movement halved 3 Broken knee -1 agility 4 Smashed shin, roll agility vs 8 or fall over 5 Crushed thigh, base movement 10 6 Broken hip, you fall prone, -1 agility Body D6 Result Slashing 1 Rib broken, -3 stamina and -1 melee 2 Chest slashed open, lose 1 wound per rnd 3 Stomach slashed, -2 melee 4 Lung cut, -4 stamina -2 melee 5 Guts hanging out, stunned d6 rnds 6 Ripped open, dead in d6 rnds Piercing 1 Stabbed guts, -1 Body -1 melee 2 Pierced lung, -4 stamina -1 body 3 Punctured organs roll body vs 9 or collapse 4 Lung pierced -2 melee 5 Punctured guts x3 damage, stunned 1 rnd 6 Punctured heart, dead. Bludgeon 1 Rib broken -1 melee 2 D3 ribs broken, -1 Body, -2 melee 3 Gut punch, stunned d4 rnds 4 Ribcage crushed, stunned d6 rounds 5 Guts pulped instant death 6 Chest caved in, dead in d4 rnds Head D6 Result Slashing 1 Teeth shattered x2 damage 2 Lost an ear, -1 Perception 3 Slash across eye, -1 melee 4 Nose sliced off, stunned 1 rnd, -1 melee 5 Lose an eye, -1 Perception, -2 melee 6 Beheaded, dead. Piercing 1 Cheek pierced, -1 melee 2 Pierced throat, lose a wound per rnd 3 Eye poked out, -1 perception -1 melee 4 Skull pierced, stunned 1 rnd, -1 mind 5 Throat pierced, unable to talk d6 days 6 Skull pierced, dead. Bludgeon 1 Jaw broken, -1 melee and -1 social 2 D8 teeth smashed, stunned d4 rnds 3 Skull bashed, unconscious d6 rnds, -1 mind 4 Nose crushed, stunned d4 rnds 5 Skull crushed -2 mind, -2 melee 6 Skull crushed, dead
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The Black Iron 196 As you travel the Pale and the Dark Roads you will encounter threats, these can range from Bandits trying to survive after being banished from the cities, to slavers and cultist gathering disciples and slaves for the Blood Lords or monsters from Corrupted horrors to twisted beasts the result of elven experimentation and the fall of the Black Iron. What follows is a selection of threats you could encounter during your travels, there are many more horrors infesting the world both above and below and these will be discussed in later source books. Where and What Each threat will be marked by either an a or s to indicate if they can be found in the Pale or below in the ancient cities and dark roads. It has been known that certain threats mostly seen in the Pale have been found on the dark roads and sometimes those horrors that infest below have been spotted wandering the ice and snow, but it is rare. Fear Ratings Most threats have a fear rating which acts like a difficulty number. When faced with such a horror you must roll your courage and beat the threat’s fear rating. Multiple sightings of the threat will lessen the fear rating of the threat until eventually they no longer scare you. Threat Abilities Some threats will have unique abilities, and these will be described within the description. Abilities that fall under the same title may differ drastically from one another so each entry should be read carefully. Aural Attack The threat screams or makes a noise that can disorientate, stun or call others for aid. This will vary amongst threats and the effect will differ. Corrosive Blood/Mucus The threats blood/Mucus is corrosive and will eat away at metals and skin equally. When struck with a slashing or piercing weapon the weapon will take 1 Break damage, arrows will be unusable after being used against the threat. Slashing can cause Threats & Abominations
197 splash back and when attacking this threat with a melee slashing weapon a roll on the Iron Die of a 1 and the attacker is hit by splash back which will cause 1 wound per rnd until washed off. Corruption The threat is corrupted and when they successfully attack with a claw, bite, or tentacle the target must make a resistance vs. 10 check or gain 1 Temporary Corruption Point. Natural Armour This threat has natural armour and has no need to wear armour to protect itself. Natural Weapons The threat has claws, pincers, teeth, or other natural weapons and has no need in carrying a weapon. Poisonous The Bite of this threat is poisonous, with the potency and effect of the poison varying by threat. Resilient The threat is resilient, either immune to poisons, or has regenerative powers. Transformation The threat can change its form in order to either confuse, travel or attack, this will differ amongst threats. NPCs There will be a selection of NPCs at the end of the Bestiary that lists the most common people that the characters will encounter, these should be adjusted to indicate whether they are important personalities or not by the GM. Threat Description The following pages describe the most common threats that the characters will encounter in the Pale or the Dark Roads. There are many more. Often dangerous areas or areas controlled by Fanatics or cults are marked by totems to warn people away. It is not understood why a group that engage in slavery and torture would want to scare people away and so it is thought that the totems are placed by unknown others as a warning, who these others are and where they are located or from is yet to be discovered.
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199 Ash Nomads From Dust Many claim that the Ash Nomads that plague the southern ash plains are what is left of the people that once inhabited the towns and villages that once stood there. With skin the colour of burnt sand and faces that are featureless it is clear that these are abominations formed from magic’s. What makes the Ash Nomad truly frightening is their ability to turn into the very dust they live upon, this strange ability allows the Nomad to appear as if from nowhere and to travel through the very ash itself. This unique aspect of the physiology also acts as a form of protection as it has been stated that blades and arrows will pass through them without any obvious physical harm. Slavery The Ash Nomads travel the ash plains moving from city to camp, and from stronghold to market selling their wares and slaves, slaves that were once unwary travellers. Nomads will attack caravans and traders as they cross the plains, stealing their goods and enslaving anyone they feel would collect a good price on the slavers block. They will fight and kill anyone that resists and becomes to much of a threat but generally the Nomads seek to capture. No Loyalty It is not clear whether the Nomads are beholden to any Blood Lords, but it is presumed they are not as the Ash Plains have managed to resist their influence, though cultists and fanatics have been known to explore the plains. It is known that somewhere in the plains can be found a piece of the Black Iron and many at the Black Fort have pointed to this as the source of the nomad’s strange powers, though the location of the piece of rock is yet unknown. Adventure Seeds The most likely place the characters will encounter the Ash Nomads is when they travel the Ash Lands to the city of Antria. As they walk across the grey dunes, the City of Gems in the distance, they are suddenly surrounded by faceless humans that erupt from the dust around them. The nomads surround their prey, moving in formation, almost dance like, wielding ancient weapons. The characters may have been travelling to Antria, but they presumably would prefer to get their as free folk and not victims for the slave markets or the fighting pits that now fill the city. Stat Block Attributes Agility +4, Body +3, Instinct +3, Mind +3 Skills Athletics: 4, Melee: 4, Stealth: 5, Perception: 3, Scout: 3, Survival: 4 Fear Rating Ash Nomads have a Fear Rating of 6 Abilities Transformation - Ash Nomads can transform into dust at will, this allows them to travel through the dust plains undetected. Whilst in dust form they cannot be injured, cannot attack and travel at twice normal speed. Derived Stats Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3 Armour Armour: A collection of leather, cloth and metal armour which seems to be part of the Ash Nomad. AP 3 Weapons Type Damage Range Sword 1d8s +3 - Dagger 1d4s +3 6ft Spear 1d6p +3 15ft
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