By Fraser Ronald Edited by Chris Groff Cover, Layout and Logo by Rob Wakefield Art by Ed Northcott and from the public domain
Inspired By: The RPG systems Jaws of the Six Serpents, PDQ, the Shadow of Yesterday, Fate 3.0, Savage Worlds and Lady Blackbird The novels and stories of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Robert E Howard, and Fritz Leiber
Many thanks to the playtesters:
The CottageCon Crew, Kieron, Eric, Todd and New Brunswick Chris.
Text copyright 2010 Fraser Ronald. Art by Ed Northcott copyright 2010 Ed Northcott. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coinci- dental. There may be some resemblances to persons not actual, and either living impaired or undead. In these cases, the resemblance is totally in the eye of the beholder, rather than legally actionable. Swear to pants! Let’s just boil this down to: please don’t sue us. We’re poor.
Visit us on the web at swordsedgepublishing.ca
and swordsedge.ca Sword Noir, The RPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Damage Ratings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 You Know What I Mean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Doom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Character. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Qualities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Magic.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Ranks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Dabbling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sorcery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Heroic Character Creation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Framework: Five Chinese Elements (Wu Xing) . . . . . 25 The Details of Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Elemental Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Aspects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Using An Arcane Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Traits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Magic's "Horrible Price" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Qualities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Taboos And Fetishes. . . . . . . . . . . 28 Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Weakness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Lifestyle .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Pivots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Buying And Selling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Reputation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 A Consideration Of The Sword Gaining Reputation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Noir Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Fortune Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Advancement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sword Noir Adventures.. . . . . . . . 37 The Plot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The NCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Mechanics of Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Preparing The Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Narrative Characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Critical Failures Regular Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 and Successes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Minion Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Critical Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Running The Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Critical Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Creating The Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Levels Of Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Everthorn, A Sword Noir City. . 42 The Free City Of Everthorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Combat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Life And Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Important Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Seizing The Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 The East. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Combat Turn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 The West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Important Narrative Characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Multiple Opponents and Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Multiple Opponents and Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Farewell, Something Lovely: A Free For All Combats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Sword Noir Adventure . . . . . . . . 49 Undefended. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Damage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 This RPG is part of an exercise that I have undertaken in genre realization. It began with my fiction. I noted certain overlaps in most of my fantasy fiction between the tropes of sword & sorcery and the hardboiled detective fiction which I discovered through the medium of its film noir adaptations. I have tried to develop and understand this synthesis, and I even gave it a name: Sword Noir, an amalgam of sword & sorcery and film noir. This RPG is part of my attempt to define the genre. As so much of my creative energies are directed toward RPGs— either for personal or commercial purposes—I figured that it might be useful to get some of the ideas into a concrete form as an RPG system. But what is Sword Noir as a genre? Characters’ morals are shifting at best and absent at worst. The atmosphere is dark and hope is frail or completely absent. Violence is deadly and fast. The characters are good at what they do, but they are specialists. Trust is the most valued of commodities–life is the cheapest. Grim leaders weave labyrinthine plots which entangle innocents. Magic exists and can be powerful, but it takes extreme dedication to learn, extorts a horrible price, and is slow to conjure. Each sentence in that description has informed some measure of the game design. I sincerely hope that the rules allow one to replicate Sword Noir as a game. Failing that, I just hope the rules facilitate a fun game, easy to learn and comprehend. The inspiration for the creation of this game comes from Tim Gray’s Jaws of the Six Serpents and published by Silver Branch Games. It is an excellent sword & sorcery RPG. It is based on the PDQ system designed by Chad Underkoffler over at Atomic Sock Monkey Press. Further inspiration was provided by The Shadow of Yesterday by Clinton R. Dixon—another foray into S&S--Fate 3.0 by Robert Donoghue, Fred Hicks, and Leonard Balsera— which provides a more generic game that can be easily focused to represent almost any genre—Savage Worlds from Pinnacle Entertainment Group—a fast, furious and fun pulp PRG— and Lady Blackbird by John Harper from One. Seven Design—which is a kind of pulp/steampunk adventure and system all in one.
1 2 There are a few terms used through the text that are general and are not specifically discussed within the rules, but really need to be understood before embarking on learning the system itself. Some of these terms may be understood by those who already play role-playing games (RPG), which—I’m going to go out on a limb here—likely includes most or all of the readers. A GameMaster (called a GM) is a player who facilitates an adventure. This basically means that the GM controls the world and the narrative forces the characters encounter. Usually, the GM designs and populates the fictional universe of the game. The GM may also prepare adventures in which the characters interact. However, it is entirely feasible to have the adventure creation be a collective construct of some, most, or all of the players. It is important to note that the entire point of a game is for everyone to have fun. This RPG is a cooperative system, meaning that none of the players “wins.” Winning is defined by having fun. While GMs should be proud of their creations—be they adventures, campaigns, worlds or universes—the GM should be more proud of facilitating a fun and fulfilling game for everyone. I might be stressing this too much, but the mechanics of this system assume trust among all the players, and that includes the GM. Players have some narrative control within the mechanics, so the GM cannot be too enthralled with the created setting or adventure, as the players may alter it. The game and all within it is not the possession of the GM, rather it is a communal possession of all the players. A player is someone either acting as the GM, or someone controlling a character in the adventure the GM is facilitating. A player is an individual in the real world. A character is a fictional construct created using the rules of the system and representing an individual within the fictional universe of the game. Just as Conan, Elric, and Phillip Marlowe are fictional characters, so too are the characters which the players will control. A scene is a set of actions or movements revolving around a specific, short-term goal or problem. Those of us who went through high school English courses likely encountered William Shakespeare, and therefore should know all about scenes. Those of us familiar with TV and movies should know this term. Those of us who read comics and other literature know it as well, though the term is rarely used in those media. A single fight is a scene. The scene begins when the characters encounter the opponents and ends when the opponents have been overcome—killed, incapacitated or driven off. An encounter with a snitch at a bar is a scene. The scene opens when the characters enter the bar and ends when their discussion with the snitch ends. If the characters then got into a fight at the bar with opponents other than the snitch, that would be a different scene. A session is a single sitting of gaming. A session is a period in real-life rather than in the game. The session begins when the players—including the GM—begin to play, and ends when the playing ends—whether that leads to some geek discussion, a few drinks, or a parting of ways as the players head home. An adventure is a scenario or story that may last a few sessions, but rarely longer than that. Think of it as a story arc in a comic, an episode in a TV series, or a single novel in a series. Farewell, My Lovely—the Phillip Marlowe novel by Raymond Chandler–and Tower of the Elephant—the Conan short story by Robert E. Howard—would both be adventures. A campaign is an interlinked series of adventures that tells a larger story. Think of the James Bond novels On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, You Only Live Twice and the Man with the Golden Gun. Each tells a separate story (or adventure), but together they are part of an overall story arc. An even longer campaign could be a TV series with a meta-plot, like Avatar: the Last Airbender, the X-Files or Fringe. Dice are used to resolve actions in through Tests. Tests are described and explained below. Dice are categorized based on the number of sides on the die. Therefore, the standard dice used for Monopoly, that have six sides, numbered 1 to 6, is a six-sided die. This is abbreviated as d6. If two d6 are to be rolled, it would be abbreviated as 2d6. Only ten- sided dice are used in Sword Noir, usually two dice are rolled together, therefore 2d10.
3 4 The following are the ingredients for building characters. Mostly, it’s for heroic characters, like the Player Characters, but there’s information about the supporting cast—the regulars and the minions. Along the way, we’ll build one of each—a hero, a regular and a minion. This should help to illustrate how everything comes together.
Qualities The most common element to describe a character in Sword Noir is the Quality. All of the “statistics” that make up your character are Qualities of one sort or another. The Aspects are all Qualities, the Traits are pre-defined Qualities—Qualities are everywhere. A Quality is a short descriptor, which may be a single word like “Fast” or a phrase like “Lightning Sword Draw.” Qualities modify actions to which they apply. If the Quality is “Barbarian of the North,” and the character is faced with scaling a cliff, the Quality applies. Were the character faced with building a cart, the application becomes a bit trickier, unless the barbarian culture has been described and they do, in fact, build carts. Were the character to try to fashion a sword using a smithy, the Quality would not apply. “Blacksmith” or, even better, “Swordsmith” certainly would. Ranks A character in Sword Noir is represented by various types of Qualities—including— Traits and Aspects—and are all ranked. The same ranks are used to measure the difficulty of a task. When a rank is used for any type of Quality, it provides a modifier. When it is used to describe the difficulty of a task, it provides a target number. You will note that there is a Target Number Rank of Mythic, which is not available as a Modifier. This is because there are some Tasks that are beyond the ken of mortal men, and Sword Noir deals with mortal men. This does not mean that it is impossible to accomplish a Mythic task, just that it requires extreme amounts of skill, luck or both. Modifiers, target numbers and their use in Tests are discussed in more detail later. Trait or Quality Ranking and Modifier
Ranks Modifier Description using Description using
Strength Intelligence Weak -6 Physically challenged Intellectually challenged Poor -4 Child or elderly ignorant Basic -2 Couch potato A little slow Average 0 Normal Person Good +2 Some exercise Good grades Great +4 Athlete Honour roll Exceptional +6 Professional athlete Noted intellectual Legendary +8 Olympian Super genius
Task Ranking and Target Number
Ranks Target Number Complexity Example Weak 3 Walking Simple Words Poor 5 Jumping Literacy Basic 7 Catching a Frisbee Basic Math Average 9 Running an obstacle course Basic physics Good 12 Swinging from vines Astrophysics Great 15 Parkour Quantum Mechanics Exceptional 18 Tightrope Walking String Theory Legendary 21 Running and Jumping on a Tightrope Theory for Faster than Light Travel Mythic 27 Scaling a Glass Wall Explantion of Everything
5 Characters Sword Noir Characters are divided into heroes, regulars and minions. PCs are always heroes. NCs may be any of the three, depending on their impact on the narrative and their role in the story. Heroes are significant characters in the narrative. These are the characters that can affect the story, that can make important changes to the narrative. All PCs are heroes. Important NCs may also be heroes, such as the main villain, an important rival, or a PCs trusted contact. Regulars are non-significant characters in the narrative. While not as important as a hero, a regular plays a role in the narrative and has a specific identity. A trusted confidente or contact, the bartender at the PC’s favourite bar, or an important local politician could all be regulars. Minions are insignificant characters in the narrative. This is a faceless character that exists only as an obstacle to the PCs. A minion rarely has a name or a personality beyond that which is required to drive the plot. The method for creating characters below focuses on heroes. Each section will also discuss the differences when creating regulars and minions.
6 Heroic Character Creation Not all characters in the game are heroes, but all player characters are (see Characters below). These steps are for creating player characters or other heroic characters. Later, in the discussion on creating Sword Noir adventures, there will be a similar list of steps for regular and minion characters 1. Create a Concept. This is a Quality that relates to what the player intends the character to represent. The Concept has a rank of Good. It is not linked to a Trait. See Aspects. 2. Create a Background. This is a Quality that represents the character’s past. This could be a culture, a place or even a previous occupation. The Background has a rank of Good. It is not linked to a Trait. See Aspects. 3. Create a Faculty. This is a Quality that represents a character’s aptitude, and is usually a skill or talent. The Faculty has a rank of Good. It is linked to a Trait. See Aspects. 4. Create a Flaw. This Quality represents the character’s failing. The Flaw has a rank of Basic. It is linked to a Trait. See Aspects. 5. Rank the Traits. The Traits Physique, Agility, Wit, Charisma, and Will all begin at Average. The player can advance any of these if the player wishes. It is not mandatory. The player has six ranks total to use to advance these traits OR to use later. See Traits. 6. Create Qualities. If the player has any ranks remaining, the player can use those ranks to create and advance Qualities. This is a short descriptor of some attribute of the character. A new Quality begins with the rank of Good, but may be advanced by spending more ranks. It is linked to a Trait. See Qualities. 7. Create Pivots. This is a goal or other character quirk that helps to define the character. This can be a driver that motivates the character. Completing a Pivot provides Advancement for a character. The character may have up to three Pivots.
7 They say this is where the devil apparently lives. Entirely possible. Then again, this is most certainly where the steps above, in Heroic Character Creation, are given further definition and illustration. Aspects A player creating a character begins with Aspects. Each Aspect listed below requires a Quality that fits its defined purpose. Concept: This is a Quality that relates to what the player intends the character to represent. Think of the definition of a character in movies, comics, TV or literature. Han Solo is a Rogue Smuggler. Ivanhoe is a Noble Knight. MacGyver is a Mechanical Genius. Examples include “Highlander,” “Mercenary infantryman,” “Farmboy in the Big City,” and “Ex- Underworld Thug.” The Concept is not linked to a Trait as is Faculty and other Qualities. Both regular and minion characters have Concepts. I want to build a sword-for-hire as my heroic character. Let’s call her Tara. The regular is Tara’s main source of information in the city, whom we’ll call Athlas. Finally, Tara tends to fight a lot of thugs, so Tug the Thug will be our minion. For Tara’s Concept, I’m going with Mercenary. She’s a sword-for-hire, and that’s pretty much the textbook definition, but I also want her to include the idea of a soldier, of camp life and campaigns. I think Mercenary definitely does that. Athlas, our regular, is Tara’s contact and the GM’s mouthpiece for important information. I guess I could give the Concept of “Snitch” or something, but I want Athlas to be about more than just that. He will be, after all, a returning character, one of the supporting cast. Let’s make him Merchant of Ill-fame. He’s a fence for the local gangs. This gives both something for him to do off screen and a reason for him to have the information Tara needs. Finally, Tug the Thug is easy. Since a minion is defined pretty much by Concept alone, Tug’s Concept is, as you might guess, Thug. Background: This is a Quality that represents that represents the character’s past. This could be a culture, a place or even a previous occupation. Robin Hood could be Outlawed Saxon Lord. Athos could be “Wronged French Nobleman.” For John Blackthorne, it would be English Pilot (while his Concept could be Foreigner Amateur Samurai). The Background is not linked to a Trait as is Faculty and other Qualities. The Background Aspect cannot be used to modify a combat Test. See Combat. Neither regular nor minion characters have Backgrounds. Since Tara is a Mercenary through Concept, there’s no need to double-up with Background. I can use this to say something about Tara and fill in some blank spaces, things that she can access and apply outside of the soldiering and the fighting. Where did Tara come from? I’m going to say she was noviate or apprentice to a monastic order that got totally destroyed by a passing army. This event changed her, made her angry, got her to pick up a sword and right the wrong. She’s been doing it ever since. So for her background, Tara gets “Ex-Monastic Orders.” Athlas and Tug don’t get Backgrounds, which makes that part easy.
8 Faculty: This is a Quality that represents a character’s aptitude, and is usually a skill or talent. Examples include “Ambidextrous,” “Pickpocket,” and “Two-Fisted Fighting.” Faculty begins as a Good Quality. This Aspect is linked to a Trait, just as are other Qualities, as referenced below. Regular characters have a Faculty, but minions do not. What does Tara do that she is particularly good at? Well, I could do something with fighting. I could certainly make her a combat machine. However, much like with Background, I want to fill in Tara’s portrait with details. One thing about being a mercenary or soldier back in the Medieval era right up into the time before the French Revolution would be the requirement to acquire one’s own kit. Soldier’s supplied themselves. So one would expect Tara to be good and finding things she needs. Tara’s Faculty will be Scrounging. I’m going to link it to Charisma, because it’s about her bargaining and coaxing as much as it is about her finding the items. For Athlas, I’m thinking something that allows him to go places, get things and talk to people without much fanfare. He just pretty much gets accepted wherever he goes. I’m going for Social Chameleon. I’m tying that to Charisma as well, because it is—after all—social. Flaw: This Quality represents the character’s failing. Examples include “Loves the Ladies,” “Let It Ride!,” “One for the Road,” and “Rage-ohol.” Flaw begins as a Basic Quality. The Flaw is not linked to a Trait as is Faculty and other Qualities. Neither regular nor minion characters have Flaws. Unlike other Qualities, Flaws can be invoked by any player or the GM when the character attempts an action to which it applies. Flaw can also be invoked when the character faces a temptation or other situation in which the Flaw applies. For example, if a character with “Loves the Ladies” is being plied for information or distracted by a lovely lady, the character would need to make a test (as explained below) to resist giving the information or being distracted. “Let It Ride!” might draw the character into games of chance at inopportune moments, or lead the character to bet too heavily. “One for the Road” could leave the character too intoxicated to participate effectively. “Rage-ohol” could lead the character into a fit of anger, provoking conflict—physical or otherwise. A Flaw cannot be removed unless it is replaced by another Flaw. A Flaw that is Weak or Poor can be advanced to Basic using Advancements (see Advancement), but the Flaw cannot be advanced to Average as it would thereby be removed. If a player would like to remove a character’s Flaw, the player can replace the Flaw with a different Quality, with the GMs permission. The GM and player must both agree on the new Quality or the Flaw cannot be replaced. Regulars and minions don’t have Flaws, so I only have to worry about Tara’s. Hers is actually quite easy. Her time as a Mercenary has left her time in the Monastic Order far behind. One thing she learned pushing the pike? Greed. You don’t sleep and you don’t eat if you don’t have coin. And Tara likes to eat well and sleep long. Her Flaw is Mama needs a brand new bag . . . lots of them. Here is what Tara’s completed Aspects section would look like.
9 Traits Each character has five Traits. These Traits begin at Average and may be advanced by the player at character creation if the player wishes. It is not necessary to advance any of the Traits, and they may be left at Average. Regular characters share the same Traits as heroic characters, however for a regular character, one Trait is ranked Good, two are Average and two are Basic. The Traits for heroic and regular characters are: Physique: This represents a character’s strength and endurance. Agility: This represents a character’s coordination and motor skills. Wit: This represents a character’s intelligence and awareness. Charisma: This represents a character’s personality and presence. Will: This represents a character’s ability to resist influence and to impress the character’s desires on others. Minion characters have only three traits. One Trait is ranked Good, while one is Average, and the last is Basic. The three minion Traits are: Physical: This Trait is used when the minion character makes a Test to accomplish or respond to any physical action, including combat. Intellectual: This Trait is used when the minion character makes a Test to accomplish or respond to any action requiring thought, logic, memory, or intelligence. Social: This Trait is used when the minion character makes a Test to accomplish any social interaction or persuasion of any sort, or is the target of the same. So, let’s start with Tara. She’s a heroic character, so if I want to increase any of her Traits, I need to pay for it. I’m going to boost Agility to Good, on the assumption that she uses Agility for her fighting—she’s a fast, smart fighter rather than a powerhouse. And I’m going to bump Charisma up to Good as well. She has force of personality. When she walks into a tavern, it goes silent . . . then the Morricone score starts to play. For Athlas, the ranks are pre-set. His good rank goes to Charisma, which follows along with this Concept and fits with his Faculty. For the two Average Traits, I’m going with Wit and Will. This is because I don’t see him as a tough, physical type. Following that, Physique and Agility are Basic. Thug only has three Traits. Because he is a thug, his Good Trait will be Physical. I see him as more socially competent than smart, so Social will be Average and Intellectual will be Basic. Here’s what Tara’s completed Traits section would look like. Qualities When creating a new Quality, that Quality begins at Good. Advancing a Good Quality to Great would cost another rank; from Great to Exceptional another rank, etc.
10 A Quality is a descriptive word or phrase, as discussed above. There is no limitation for creating a Quality, but the idea is to build on the character’s Concept. The GM may disallow a Quality too broad, such as “Fighting,” or may require the player pay extra ranks to create and advance, such as requiring three ranks just to create the Quality at Good. By the same token, a Quality that is too narrow, such as “Fighting Terriers with a Stick” will have little application in the game. “Stick fighting” or “Quarterstaff” would be good Qualities to represent martial prowess with a specific style or weapon. A unique or special item or piece of equipment may also be a Quality, and this is discussed later in Items. All Qualities, like most Aspects, are attached to one of the Traits. “Spent Time Among the Northern Barbarians” might be attached to Physique on the understanding that the culture is about strength and endurance, or it might be attached to Will because it is the barbarian’s force of will that elevates the character within the tribe. Whenever a Quality is used to modify an action, the Trait to which it is linked is used as well. If the character has “Spent Time Among the Northern Barbarians” at Good (+2) and it is attached to Physique, which the character has at Great (+4), then when using the “Spent Time Among the Northern Barbarians” Quality, the total modifier would be +6. For more information on Tests, see Tests. During any Test, only the Qualities attached to a single Trait may be used. Since Concept and Background are not linked to a Trait, they may be used in any Test to which they apply. For example, let us say the character has “Stick fighting” at Good linked to Agility, which is also Good. The character further has “Hard Hitting” at Good linked to Physique at Average. The character’s Concept is “Mercenary bodyguard” at Good. In a fight, the character could use “Stick fighting” or “Hard Hitting,” but not both, because the two Qualities are linked to different Traits. The character could use “Mercenary bodyguard” in either case, given that the Concept is certainly tied to combat. Regular and minion characters do not receive Qualities beyond those already covered in Aspects and Traits. Athlas and Tug are totally without Qualities, so it’s all about Tara. Now, I’ve spent two ranks for her Traits. This leaves four ranks, since I have spent none on her Aspects. First, she needs a fighting Quality, something to link up with her Mercenary Concept. I’m going with plain old Swordplay, and I’m going to spend two of the available four ranks, giving her a rank of Great. I’m going to link Swordplay to Agility, because I see her as a fast, skilful type of fighter. Second, as explained in Combat, Qualities used for actual fighting are not used for Initiative. As such, I want something that I could apply to an Initiative Test, and possibly in a fight as well, depending on what I thought were needed at the time. As such, I’m going with Fancy Footwork as another Quality linked to Agility. I’m going to give it one of the remaining two ranks, so Tara has Fancy Footwork at Good.
11 I have one rank left, so I’m going to give Tara something with which to be intimidating, commanding, or just plain scary. Let’s call it Putting on My War Face and link it to Charisma. With only one rank left, this Quality will be at Good. There we go. Now, if I had raised Tara’s Concept, Background or Faculty, I would not have had four ranks to play with here. I decided that for now, Good for the Aspects was enough, and they could certainly be raised later through something called Advancements that are discussed below. Here is what Tara’s Trait section would look like with Qualities.
Items In general, a character has whatever is reasonable for that character to have in terms of equipment and wardrobe. Items need not be listed, but certainly can be in order to add a level of granularity otherwise absent from the character description. Some items, though, will be Qualities. Things like a signature weapon, a magical device, or a particularly well-made tool could be taken as Qualities. These items will modify any action in which they are used for their purpose--Good lockpicks would not modify an attack and an Exceptional sword would not help when baking a cake. An example of an item that could be a Quality would be Gandalf ’s sword, Glamdring, in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. The Grey Mouser’s sword, Scalpel, would not be a Quality because this is merely the name the Mouser gives to whatever sword he happens to be using. Quality items are intrinsic to the character, and if they are lost or removed, it should only be temporary. The character should be provided with a temporary Quality of equal rank to compensate for the temporary loss of the item. Even though these Qualities are items rather than inherent features of the character, the Qualities are linked to Traits, just as are all other Qualities. Because of the very sparse nature of magic I envision in the setting for Tara’s adventures, I haven’t given her a magic sword or anything. Also, I didn’t want to spend any of those precious six ranks. However, if I lowered the Swordplay Quality to Good, I could give Tara the sword Gram the Ironbiter at Good. If I attach it to Agility, I don’t really lose anything because both Gram the Ironbiter and Swordplay could be used together. But I don’t see Tara has being the kind to have a magic sword, so I’m going to pass on cool items. Weakness A Weakness is a Quality that inflicts a penalty rather than a bonus. It is otherwise the same as a Quality, and is attached to a Trait. Like Flaws, Weaknesses can be invoked by any player or the GM when the character attempts an action to which it applies. See the Flaws section in Aspects above. Weaknesses are created for a variety of reasons, including as the result of a particularly devastating attack or as part of a Doom (see Damage below).
12 A Weakness can be removed by increasing its ranks to Average using Advancements (see Advancement). Once the Weakness is increased to Average, it is removed as it no longer bears a penalty. The Weakness itself may remain as a narrative construct, but it has no mechanical effect on the game. A character with the Weakness “One Eye” does not re-grow the missing eye, rather the character has learned to compensate in such a way that the Weakness no longer penalizes actions. Pivots A Pivot is a goal or other character quirk that helps to define the character. It can be a driver that motivates the character. This signals to the GM the kind of situations and hooks which the player desires for the character. If you would like your character to be involved in swashbuckling derring-do, have a Pivot such as “I use everything in my path on my road to victory.” If the character is searching for a lost brother “I will find my brother, no matter where he might be.” When the character completes a Pivot, the character gains an Advancement. Advancements are explained below. Regular and minion characters do not have Pivots. The Pivots discussed above, in full, could be “I use everything in my path on my road to victory. An Advancement for using furniture or other surroundings/furnishings to win in a fight against a superior opponent.” and “I will find my brother, no matter where he might be. An Advancement when character uncovers a clue to her brother’s whereabouts.” The Pivot for the Grey Mouser could be “I am fascinated my magic, and must learn what little I can. An Advancement upon learning any arcane lore or upon applying any arcane lore to solve a problem or answer a query.” The Pivot for Conan might be “I maintain a Cimmerian code of honour, even among decadence. An Advancement for resisting tempting decadence intended to corrupt you.” The Pivot for Jeff Bailey from Out of the Past might be “I’ve learned from my mistakes. An Advancement for outwitting or foiling his old nemeses or associates or for protecting an innocent from the same.” A Pivot is created by the player but must have the GM’s approval. A player can create a Pivot at character creation or at the end of any session, but not during a session. A character may have up to three Pivots at a time. A player may petition to have a Pivot removed at the end of a session, especially if the Pivot came into play in that session. If the Pivot led to a particularly exciting or memorable event, the GM may “buy” the Pivot, removing it from the character but also awarding 5 Advancements. This is done at the end of a session, but a new Pivot may not replace it until the end of the next session. Once again, Athlas and Tug are left out of the fun. Those two characters were done once we hit Traits. For Tara, I want her Pivot to clue the GM into the fact that I want her doing crazy stuff when she fights. I’m thinking of Oliver Reed’s portrayal of Athos in Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers. In that one, Athos fought like a maniac, and used everything at his disposal to win. Given that, Tara’s Pivot will be: I do what I need to win. An Advancement when the character does something unorthodox and dangerous in order to succeed at a task. Here is what Tara’s Pivot section would look like. And now all three characters are done. You will find Tara’s character sheet at the end of the book, along with some other pre-made characters.
13 Reputation Reputation is a Quality that represents the reaction to the character’s persona by those who recognize or have heard of the character. It is used as a modifier in all social interactions. This is a mechanical effect, just as with other Qualities, and applies to Tests that include social interaction, such as questioning, negotiating, intimidating, etc. A character can gain multiple Reputation Qualities. There is no limit to the number of Reputation. Reputation is not linked to a Trait as are other Qualities. However, given that Reputation only modifies social interactions, its most common usage is linked to the Charisma Trait Not all Reputations are equal, and thus the modifier for Reputation may positively or negatively influence a social interaction, depending on its Quality. “Revenge at Any Cost” should positively influence an attempt to intimidate an opponent. The same Reputation may not help an attempted seduction, unless the target of the seduction finds that element of the character attractive, and so this is a call to be made by the GM, possibly in consultation with the player. An attempt to wring forgiveness from an NC is certainly going to be negatively effected by the same Reputation. If it is germane to the story, a heroic or regular Narrative Character can be provided with a Reputation. The Quality is not earned, as it is by Player Characters, but is fashioned by the GM to provide an in-game mechanical effect to complement the GM’s intention and the NC’s purpose. Reputation always effects social interactions, so in the case of the seduction, it cannot be excluded, a decision must be made as to how it will influence the attempt. Therefore, if the Reputation “Revenge at Any Cost” had the rank of Great (+4), then an attempt at intimidation would gain a +4 modifier, while an attempt to gain forgiveness would receive a -4 modifier. The seduction could go either way, +4 or -4, depending on the decision of the GM. In order for Reputation to effect social interactions, the other participants must be aware of the character’s identity. To do this, the participants must make a Wits test, using any Qualities that might affect such a test (like Streetwise or Well Connected). The Reputation of the character being identified also modifies the test, which is a Great task (target number 15). Gaining Reputation Reputation is gained during play when a character does something noteworthy. It may not even be necessary for the character to succeed, if the action is audacious or noteworthy enough. For example, the Grey Mouser and Fafhrd attacking Thieves’ House to avenge the death of their lovers would be noteworthy, even if they had not succeeded. Solomon Kane chasing the murderer of a woman he did not know from England to Africa is certainly noteworthy. Phillip Marlowe seeking out red-haired Velma for no other reason than that he had encountered Moose Malloy would be noteworthy to anyone who knew of it. In the first case, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser might get the Reputation “Revenge at Any Cost.” Solomon Kane could get “Indomitable Seeker for Justice.” Phillip Marlowe might get “Unselfish,” which, for Sword Noir, is about the most unlikely reputation one could have. And yes Ed, Lieutenant Daniel Inouye, who took out two German machine gun nests at Colle Musatello after being machine-gunned and rifle-grenaded would absolutely get Reputation. I think “Shot to Hell, but still gonna fuck you up” would certainly work. Reputation is not like other Aspects in that it cannot be increased through the use of an Advancement or as the result of a critical failure (both discussed later). Reputation can only be increased or decreased based on noteworthy character actions. If a character with the “Revenge at Any Cost” Reputation Quality again does something extraordinary in the pursuit of revenge, the GM can provide an Advancement for that Quality. If it were already at Great, it would be advanced to Exceptional.
14 Fortune Points Fortune points are rewarded when a character acts in an honourable or humane fashion. Though the world of Sword Noir is dark and cynical, the characters are good people at heart. They are trying to do the right thing. And when they do so, they are rewarded. Some examples of situations in which one would gain a Fortune Point include: keeping one’s word when doing so causes hardship or risk; completing a contract or promise when doing so is difficult or dangerous; helping another individual without consideration of reward; and putting oneself at risk to help a friend. Rick’s self-sacrifice at the end of Casablanca would gain him a Fortune Point, as would Marlowe’s determination to solve Rusty’s disappearance in the Big Sleep. Conan’s barbaric sense of honour would regularly deliver him Fortune Points, though the Grey Mouser might not do so well, gaining some through his devotion to his friend Fafhrd and his revenge on the Thieves Guild for the death of his love, Ivrian—perhaps not a noble act, but one that punished a crime while putting the Mouser at considerable risk. Character’s may also gain Fortune Points through the player providing information on the ongoing adventure, ongoing campaign, previous session or recurring characters. At the beginning of a session, have each player provide a piece of information as part of a recap. For each correct piece of information, provide a Fortune Point to the player’s character usable for that session only. Fortune Points may be spent to do any of the following: Automatic 20: This allows the character to receive an automatic roll of 20 in any test without rolling the dice. This result is then modified as any die roll would be. However, this is not considered a critical success, as discussed in Tests. Exertion: Sometimes, an automatic 20 isn’t enough. A player can spend a Fortune Point to advance any Quality, Trait or Aspect two ranks. These ranks can be split among to different Qualities, Traits or Aspects, advancing each 1 rank. This advance is temporary, and only lasts for the immediate scene. Limited Narration: This allows the player to control some small element of the setting. This does not, for example, allow a character to automatically succeed at a task, however, the player could create a resource—a person, source of information, or monetary amount—to help the character do so. Using a Fortune Point in this way allows the player to create NPCs and locations, as well as past events. A Fortune Point may also be used in any manner a player proposes to the GM to which the GM agrees. Once a Fortune Point has been used in that manner, this method then remains viable for all players, including the GM. Further, a unanimous decision by all other players that this manner of Fortune Point usage should not be allowed would disallow the method. Narrative Characters do not gain Fortune Points, however, if a Fortune Point is spent to counter a successful action by a heroic or regular NC, the GM may transfer the spent Fortune Point to the NC, for later use by that character. Therefore, if a player spent a Fortune Point for an Automatic 20 in a combat Test again an NC, the spent Fortune Point can be given to that NC, at the GM’s discretion. The only Fortune Point use for NCs is Exertion. Therefore, in the above example, the NC could use the Fortune Point to increase a Trait or Aspect by two ranks. Advancement Advancements are gained in two ways: when a character rolls a critical failure—rolling a natural 2 during a test, described in Tests—and by completing a Pivot, described in Pivot above. An Advancement can be used in one of three ways. An Advancement can increase an existing Quality, Aspect (except for Reputation) or Trait by one rank. An Advancement can also purchase a new Quality at the rank of Good. Finally, an Advancement can be used as a fortune point, as per Fortune Point above. Note, Reputation can never be increased by an Advancement nor as the result of a critical failure. Reputation can only be increased (or decreased) based on noteworthy character actions. Advancements are not used for NCs, and therefore do not apply to regular or minion characters.
15 Tests are done when a character attempts an action for which there are consequences or rewards. Not all actions require tests, even those actions that have an associated difficulty and therefore a target number. Climbing a tree should not require a test unless one is being chased, or the tree is hanging over a cliff. In most cases, if a character has a Trait, Quality or Aspect that applies which is a rank higher than the TN, there should be no need for a test. When applying Qualities to a Test (including most Aspects), the applied Qualities must all be linked to the same Trait. For example, if a character is climbing a tree and has the Quality “Monkeyman” linked to Physique and “Grew Up in a Treehouse” linked to Agility, the player would need to choose one or the other Quality, as they are linked to separate Traits. Qualities (including Aspects and Traits) can modify a Test to a maximum of one rank higher than Legendary, or +10. More Qualities can certainly be used, but those modifiers will be lost. The Trait to which each chosen Quality is linked is also applied as a modifier to the test. The Mechanics of Tests There are two kinds of tests: conflict and standard. The mechanics for making either of these Tests is the same. The player rolls two, ten-sided dice (2d10). To the result of that roll, the player adds modifiers provided by Qualities, including Traits and Aspects. The sum of the roll and the modifiers is the result of the Test. In general, only players roll dice in Sword Noir. Narrative Characters have Target Numbers for their Traits and modifiers for their Qualities. As such, when a PC acts against an NC, the NC provides the TN for a standard Test. For example, if a PC were attempting to fool an NC, the TN would be based on the NC’s Wit. Let’s say the Wit is Average, making the TN 9. If the NC has any Qualities that might apply, these would then modify that TN. For example, if the NC had the Concept of Magistrate at Good, the GM could rule that a magistrate commonly encounters deception, and so that Quality would modify the TN. The TN becomes 11 (base TN of 9, +2 for the Concept at Good) Some of the cases in which a GM might roll dice are situations in which the players should not be aware of the Test. For example, if an NC is attempting to sneak up on the characters, the players would know something was happening based on the roll itself and what Traits and Qualities were used. In such a case, the GM should make the roll against the TN provided by the PC. In this case, the TN is created as though the PC were an NC—the Trait providing the base TN and any Qualities modifying this TN. A standard Test is against a target number. If the result is equal to or greater than the TN, the character succeeds. A conflict Test is against another Player Character(s). Each PC involved makes a Test, applying Qualities as usual, and the highest result wins the conflict. Initiative If the order in which actions take place is important, those involved in the action must make an Initiative Test. This is a conflict test between opponents. The Initiative Test may only use either the Agility or Wit Trait, and those Qualities attached to them. When making an Initiative Test against a minion, the Physical Trait provides the Target Number. Qualities actually used in the following actions may not be used in an Initiative Test. Background cannot be used to modify an Initiative Test. The winner of the conflict test is the attacker and the loser is the defender. This does not necessarily mean that they are involved in combat, this merely a designation for the winner and loser of Initiative. If there are more than two characters involved in the actions, an Initiative order can be used, with the highest result first, following by the second highest, etc to the character with the lowest result acting last. Critical Failures and Successes When a player rolls either a natural 2 (a 1 on each of the two ten-sided dice) or a 20 (a 10 on each of the two ten-sided dice), this is considered a critical. A natural 2 is a critical failure and always indicates the character has failed the action. A natural 20 is a critical success and always indicates the character has succeeded in the action. Critical Failure A critical failure provides the character with the chance to increase any of the Qualities or Aspects (except Reputation, which cannot be increased by Advancement) that were applied to the test. The player chooses which Quality or Aspect to increase.
16 If no Qualities or Aspects were applied, the character may spend two fortune points in order to attempt to increase the Trait that was applied to the test. The player makes a standard test with the TN being the TN for the next rank. If the Quality is Good, the test is against the Great TN (15). Only the Trait applied to the critical failure modifies this test. If the test succeeds, the Quality or Aspect (or possibly Trait) is increased to the next rank. It is possible for a character to avoid a critical failure by taking a temporary Weakness with the GM’s permission. The Weakness is at Basic (-2) and lasts for the remainder of the session. The player makes an offer of the Weakness which should relate to the task at hand, and the GM can accept it, reject it, or make a counter-offer. A counter-offer would be a different Weakness which the player can then accept or reject. If the character has a Weakness imposed, then the action which incurred the critical failure succeeds. As such, the character does not have the chance to increase any Qualities or Aspects, which is usually provided by a critical failure. For example, the character is attempting to climb a cliff and rolls a critical failure. The player wishes to avoid this failure, and so suggests to the GM that the character succeeds, but bangs up his arm, and so has a session-long Weakness “Banged up arm” Basic (-2). Critical Success A critical success provides the character with a Stunt. A stunt is a type of very limited Quality. It is ranked Good modifier (+2) and it is tied to one of the Qualities or Aspects applied to the critical success and the situation in which the critical success occurred. For example, if the character had a critical success using the Qualities “Sword and Dagger,” and “My Father’s Blade Quernbiter” during a combat with three opponents, the stunt would need to be linked to one of these Qualities and usable only in combat with multiple opponents. In this example, the player might create the stunt Mighty Swing and tie it to My Father’s Blade Quernbiter. In this case, whenever the character was fighting multiple opponents and using Quernbiter, the player could choose to use the stunt, and therefore gain a +2 modifier on any combat test. Levels of Success If a character succeeds in a test, this is considered an Average success. For every 6 points the result exceeds the required TN (either a TN in a standard test or the next highest result in a conflict test), the success increases one rank. So if the TN for a test was 5, and the character achieves a result of 11, that is a Good success. This means the character completed the action particularly well. Perhaps the character climbed the tree faster than normal. A result of 17 would have meant a Great success, which may or may not carry a further benefit, depending on the action and the GM’s decision. Assistance If it is feasible, others can attempt to aid a character in a Test. This is called assistance. Assistance for something like composing a poem, trying to force open a door, or building a house is feasible. Assistance for running a race or swimming is not feasible. It doesn’t sound feasible to provide assistance for picking a pocket, unless the other characters are providing assistance by distracting the target. When providing assistance, the assisting characters can apply Qualities to the Test but not Traits. So, for example, if a character is composing a poem, and the assisting character has the Quality Troubador, Good as a Concept or Background (or perhaps the Quality Heart of a Poet, Good linked to the Trait Charisma), the assisting character can apply the Quality Troubadour to provide the composer with a +2 to the Test. The only limit to the Qualities used are their applicability, as with any Test. The only limit to the number of characters assisting is the feasibility of the actions. The final arbiter of feasibility is, of course, the GM.
17 18 Combat is run as a series of tests. It is a very abstract system in which each turn of combat takes an indeterminate period of time. Weapon type is unimportant, as it is the success of the attack that decides the amount of damage done. We will discuss combat by single protagonists first and then discuss multiple opponents. Initiative Initiative is crucial in combat. The one who controls the combat often wins the combat. As such, the first test is the initiative test—a conflict test between opponents. The Initiative Test—as discussed above—may only use either the Agility or Wit Trait, and those Qualities attached to them. When making an Initiative Test against a minion, the Physical Trait provides the Target Number. Qualities actually used in combat—for attack or defence—may not be used in an Initiative Test. Background cannot be used to modify an Initiative Test. The winner of the Initiative Test is the attacker and the loser is the defender. Seizing the Initiative At the end of any turn, a player can declare that player’s defender character will attempt to seize the initiative, that is, switch from defending to attacking. During the turn in which the defender is attempting to seize the initiative, rather than applying Qualities for defence to the conflict test, the player applies Qualities used for initiative. The attacker still uses Qualities used for attack. If the defender wins the test, the defender has gained the initiative. If the defender fails, the attacker has scored a success against an undefended opponent (see below) Combat Turn Each turn in combat, the attacker and defender make a conflict test. Qualities used for initiative may not be used in combat. If the attacker succeeds at the test, the attack is successful. The damage is based on the success of the attack, as per Damage. All the rules for Tests are applicable for Tests in combat. Background cannot be used to modify any Test in combat. Any other Aspect, Trait, and/or Quality may be used, if applicable to modify a Test in combat. However, as with all Tests, only the Aspects and Qualities that are linked to the same Trait may be used for a combat Test. Range Ranges in combat are approximate. In order of increasing distances, the range categories are touch, close, far, and sight. Because combat is so abstract in Sword Noir, these ranges make little difference, however, a weapon such as a sword or axe can only be used when in touching range. A longer weapon, like a pike, might be suitable for close. Any other range requires a ranged weapon, such as a bow or crossbow. If desired, increasing ranges can inflict increasing penalties. Touch could be considered “point-blank” for ranged weapons. Every category beyond touch would inflict a -2 modifier (essentially, lowering the ranks used to modify the test). As such, attacking a target that is far from the attacker would inflict a -4 modifier. If using this method, the range categories must be linked to the weapon, so close for a bow would be a greater distance than close for a thrown stone. Multiple Opponents and Initiative In combat, a single character may face multiple opponents. In a case in which both sides include multiple characters, the various opponents “pair off,” though this may still lead to some individual character facing multiple opponents. When a single character faces multiple opponents, one of the Qualities or the Trait being applied to initiative are downgraded one rank per opponent faced. For initiative, when any of the Qualities and Trait is lowered to Basic, the character automatically loses initiative. This does not apply to any Flaw or Weakness which may apply, as Flaws and Weaknesses begin at or below Basic.
19 As an example, let’s say a single character uses Great (+4) “Fancy Footwork” and Good (+2) Agility for an Initiative Test against three opponents. The single character’s “Fancy Footwork” is lowered to Average (+0)—minus 2 ranks— and Agility is lowered to Average—minus 1 rank, accounting for all three opponents. If the same character faced four opponents, one of the Qualities would then be lowered to Basic (-2) and the character would automatically lose initiative. Multiple Opponents and Combat As with initiative, when a single character combats multiple opponents, one of the Qualities and the Trait being applied to combat are downgraded one rank per opponent faced. For combat, when any of the Qualities and Trait is lowered to Basic, the character cannot make a test against any further opponents. This does not apply to any Flaw or Weakness which may apply, as Flaws and Weaknesses begin at or below Basic. Please note, even if a character faces multiple opponents, the character is not mandated to attack or defend against all the opponents. For example, if a character facing three opponents wins initiative and is the attacker, the character does not need to attack all three opponents, but may attack only one or two. However, the opponent whom the character does not attack may attack the character as undefended (see below). As an example of this, let’s say a single character uses Great (+4) “Swordsmanship” and Good (+2) Agility for a combat Test against three opponents. The single character’s “Swordsmanship” is lowered to Average (+0)—minus 2 ranks—and Agility is lowered to Average—minus 1 rank, accounting for all three opponents. If the same character faced four opponents, one of the Qualities would then be lowered to Basic (-2), and the character could not test against any further opponents. The single character would make Combat Tests at -2. If a fifth opponent were involved, that fifth opponent could attack the character as undefended (see below). Conversely, the character facing three opponents may choose to only attack two of the opponents. In such a case, the character’s “Swordsmanship” would still be lowered to Average, but the modifier for the character’s Good Agility would remain. Of course, the third opponent could attack the character as undefended (see below). Free For All Combats When running combat, there is a winning side—the attacker(s)—and a losing side—the defender(s)—for Initiative, but this presupposes only two sides/parties in combat. Should there be a situation where more than two unaligned groups are in a fight, and initiative order can be used. In such a case the group/character with the highest result has the opportunity to attack first, followed by the second highest, etc to the group/character with the lowest result acting last. This does not result in attackers and defenders, save in the combat interchange. If a party attacks another, that attacking party becomes—understandably—the attacker, and the attacked party becomes the defender. Should the character be required to defend from multiple attacks, the usual penalties for multiple opponents are inflicted. They player may choose to take penalties to attack or defence in order to act against multiple attackers and/or defenders. For example, let us say Marlowe is fighting two members of the Dog Brothers gang, and three members of the Urban Cohorts show up to break up the fight. The Qualities and Traits Marlowe and the Dog Brothers are using for Initiative will be downgraded by three ranks—the Urban Cohorts have three members, the most of any of the groups. Let’s say Marlowe got a modified result of 12, while the Dog Brothers got 7 and the Urban Cohorts got 10. In this case, Marlowe is the attacker, though there are no immediate defenders. Marlowe decides to attack the Dog Brothers, and so the Dog Brothers become defenders. Unless Marlowe takes penalties for fighting multiple opponents, he will be undefended for any future attacks. Now, let’s say Marlowe is only worried about the Dog Brothers. He thinks the Urban Cohorts aren’t going to mess with him. He accepts the penalties for facing two opponents (two temporary Rank reductions). If the Urban Cohorts then attack Marlowe, he is considered undefended. Also, if Marlowe attacks only one of the two Dog Brothers—let’s say he accepts no multiple opponent penalty and punches DB-1 in the face—the Dog Brother that has not been attacked (DB-2) can be a defender. Unless DB-1 accepted penalties for facing multiple opponents, that character would also be considered undefended if the Urban Cohorts attacked the Dog Brothers. Because there are three Urban Cohorts, they could attack all three of the opponents and would receive no penalties for multiple opponents.
20 Undefended There are times in combat when a character is considered undefended, for example when the character faces too many multiple opponents or when a character attempts to seize initiative and fails. The attacker still makes an attack test against the undefended character. The target number for this test is 9. If it is a PC that is considered undefended and being attacked by NCs, the PC must make a Test against a TN of 15. The Test may only be modified by damage penalties (see Damage below). The difference between the result and 15 is used to measure the success for Damage. For example, if the result is an 8, that difference would be 7 and therefore a Good success. A result of 2 would provide a difference of 13, which would be a Great success.
When an attacker is successful in a combat test, the difference between the successful result and the required target number defines the level of damage as per “Levels of Success” in Tests. Therefore, if a character succeeds in a combat test, this is an Average success. For every 6 points the result exceeds the required TN (the opponent’s result), the success increases one rank. For example, if the attacker’s result was 15 and the defender’s result was 11, this is an Average success. If the attacker’s result had been 17, that would be a Good result, and a result of 23 would be a Great result. Damage for the various levels of success is as follows: Average: The character incurs a cumulative -1 modifier on all physical actions, including combat for the length of the combat. Further, for the next combat turn after an Average success, the defender may not attempt to seize initiative. Good: The effects of an Average success, as well as 1 damage rating. Great: The effects of a Good success, as well as another damage rating (total of 2). Exceptional: The effects of a Great success, and the defender is unconscious for the remainder of the fight. Any further attack on the defender is against an undefended character. Legendary: The effects of an Exceptional success, and the defender receives a Doom. In general, a Doom results is an instant kill—the death of the defender--however, this may not be true in your game. If the defender is not killed, the defender either permanently loses one rank from a Quality or Trait (but not an Aspect) or the defender has a new Quality at Basic, which is usually a wound, scar, or other disfigurement resulting from the attack. This is a Weakness, and in such a case, would be in addition to any Weakness required as a result of the Doom (see below). Damage Ratings Damage ratings should be represented by red poker chips if available, or some other token if not. Each damage rating inflicts a -2 penalty to all physical actions and a -1 penalty to all non-physical actions. A regular gains a doom after one damage rating. A minion receives a Doom upon a successful attack, even an Average success. After accumulating three damage ratings, a character is unconscious. A fourth damage rating results in a Doom (see below). Doom In general, a Doom results in the death of the defender, however, this may not be true in your game. If not death, a Doom can be removal of a character for at least the combat scene, and perhaps a longer period of time. When a character survives a Doom, the character gains a Weakness, such as Basic (-2) “One Arm” or Basic “Scarred Visage.” If the Doom is a result of a Legendary damage result, and the character has not died, the Weakness created by the Doom is in addition to the Weakness or Quality reduction resulting from the Legendary result. Healing At the end of a combat scene, a character may make a recovery Test against a Great TN (15). A success removes one damage rating. As with all Tests, applicable Qualities can modify recovery Tests. At the end of each day, a character may make a further recovery Test against a Great TN, success at which removes one damage rating. If after five days, the character has not succeeded at any recovery Test, the character automatically removes one damage rating.
21 At the end of each day, a character may make a further recovery Test against a Great TN, success at which removes one damage rating. If after five days, the character has not succeeded at any recovery Test, the character automatically removes one damage rating.
22 Magic, in Sword Noir, can be powerful, but it takes extreme dedication to learn, extorts a horrible price, and is slow to conjure. Also, it is generally not available to player characters. For those exceptions, such as characters like Elric of Melniboné, a magic system framework is provided, however, most characters who use or are familiar with the arcane are Dabblers, like the Grey Mouser. Dabbling A character may take Dabbler as a Quality, though it always is purchased or otherwise attained at rank Average (+0) rather than the usual Good (+2). A Dabbler is a character versed in magic and arcane lore, but not one who has studied or learned to access it. As a Dabbler, the character will know much about how magic works, the festishes and taboos attached with its access, and the perils of its use. The character will know the ancient and mysterious languages, runes and sigils used by sorcerers. Such a character might even be able to use found arcane tools, such as spells recorded in a book or scroll, or discovered rituals allowing access to magic. A Dabbler cannot cast spells or otherwise access magic such as a sorcerer or other practitioner of magic could. Sorcery Sorcerous power is represented by an Arcane Quality. These Qualities are built through a descriptive framework that combines elements and associations. While the one presented here is based on the five Chinese elements (Wu Xing), other elements and associations could be used, such as the European four elements, the Chinese or European zodiac, constellations, etc. Using both an element and an association, a Quality is described. This can be as short and to the point as “metal, dry” or more descriptive as “Parched Steel Baked in the Sun,” or something like “Charm of Parched Metal.” Just as with any other Quality, its use is linked to its description, as discussed below. Framework: Five Chinese Elements (Wu Xing) The five Chinese elements are more akin to states of being, and infer movement from one “element” to the other. These are not the building blocks of the universe, these are the changing states of a universe constantly in flux. The five elements (or Wu Xing) are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The elements are also involved in both a generative and a destructive cycle. This is important when magic is in conflict. Since in conflict there is an attacker and a defender, if a defender is attacked by its “generator,” it is provided with a boost of a rank in effectiveness—basically a +2 modifier to the test. The generative cycle is wood generates fire, which generates earth, which generates metal, which generates water, which generates wood. Therefore, if a sorcerer using the water school were attacked by a sorcerer using the metal school, the water sorcerer would gain a +2 modifier to the test. If an attacker has a destructive relationship to the defender’s magic, the attacker is provided with a boost of a rank in effectiveness—basically a +2 modifier to the test. The destructive cycle is wood destroys earth, which destroys water, which destroys fire, which destroys metal, which destroys wood. Therefore, if a sorcerer using the water school attacked a sorcerer using the earth school, the water sorcerer would gain a +2 modifier to the test. Elemental Association Below are the elements and some of the associations they have. A sorcerer must choose both a school and an association with which to create an arcane Quality. Wood: flora, generative, wind, growth, thunder, sensitivity, anger, sight, birth, crushing
When a sorcerer wishes to use magic, the spell must in some way be related to the Quality. For example, using one of the above arcane Qualities like “Charm of Parched Metal,” a character could cast a spell that dries out a section of forest, thus killing it. Something as simple as drying off one’s clothing could be done as well. The sorcerer must then build the arcane forces into a spell. This is based on the various components of the spell required, as per the magical component table. The sorcerer must spend a turn building for each rank in each component. Magical Component Table Rank Turns Range Duration Area of Effect Energy Target Required (space/people) Used Number Basic 0 Personal Turn Personal Candle -1 Average 1 Touch Minute pantry/5 Hearth / Good 2 Close Hour room/10 Bonfire +1 Great 3 Far Day field/100 Smithy +2 Exceptional 4 Sight Week village/500 Forest fire +3 Legendary 5 Known Month city/1000 Volcano +4 Mythic 6 Described Year province/ Beyond +5 10,000 comprehension
Therefore, if the character wished to dry out a forest to kill it, the range might be far, it need only last a turn, the area is the size of a field, and the total energy would be akin to a forest fire, which relates to the ranks of Great, Basic, Great, and Exceptional. This in turn would require (3 + 0 + 3 + 4) 10 turns to complete. Once the spell is complete, the character must make a standard Test. The target number for the Test is the TN for the highest component rank added to the target number modifiers for all other components. In our example, the highest component would be Exceptional, for a base TN of 18. The other components are at the ranks Great, Basic, and Great, for modifiers of +2, -1, and +2, for a total TN of 21. An increased level of success (6 above the required TN) allows an increase of one rank in one component. Therefore, in the example above, a result of 27 would allow the character to increase the area of effect to village-sized. A second increased level of success (12 above the required TN) allows another increase of one rank in one component. This can be used to increase the rank of a component already increased. Therefore, in the example above, a result of 33 would allow the character to increase the area of effect to city-sized or to increase the energy to that of a volcano, destroying not just the forest, but the entire area—basically, bombing the forest. A critical success at spell casting raises all components by one rank.
Magic in Sword Noir should exact a horrible price. This is one reason why it is not more common. The reasoning for the horrible price, in much of sword & sorcery, is that magic is based on secrets man was not meant to know, or that it originates with the elder powers—those of unspeakable evils and unknowable purposes.
24 There are two ways that magic exacts its price. One is physical and the other is mental. The physical price comes from failure to properly control the magic. A critical failure on the Test required to cast a spell inflicts an attack against the sorcerer in which the sorcerer is undefended (see “Undefended” in Combat, above). The adjusted spell TN is used as the attack roll. In the example above, the attack would be 21 against the undefended TN of 2. Since this is 19 more than the TN, this would be considered a Exceptional attack (2 would be Average, 8 would be Good, 14 is necessary for Great, and 20 would be needed for Exceptional), and therefore would inflict Exceptional damage. The mental price comes from success. After every successful Test to cast a spell, the sorcerer must resist magic’s corrupting influences. This Test is always based on the Trait Will, and any applicable Qualities attached to that Trait (or, possibly, Aspects not tied to Traits). The TN for the Test is the adjusted spell TN. In the example above, were the sorcerer successful in casting the spell, the player would then make a Test against a TN of 21. Success means the sorcerer succeeded in resisting. A failure leads to a Weakness of “Susceptible to Madness.” The Weakness “Susceptible to Madness” is at Average, meaning it has no mechanical effect. It is a placeholder, indicating that the character’s corruption by magic has begun. A second failure leads to a madness Weakness at rank Basic (-2). The madness Weakness is special in that it affects Wit, Charisma, and Will. The specific type of madness is left to the imaginations of the player and the GM. Together, they should decide what kind of madness this is, and define it using a Quality. The madness will not affect the use of magic, but will effect Tests to resist magic’s corrupting influence and all other uses of Wit, Charisma, and Will. The Weakness does not need to be invoked, it effects all Tests involving Wit, Charisma, and Will other than the actual casting of magic Each failure at spell casting increases the penalty, meaning that the Basic madness Quality will become Poor (-4) on the next failure, and that Poor becomes Weak (-6) on the next failure. Even with a madness Quality at the rank of Weak, the character can still access magic. However, the next failure leads to the Quality “Corrupted by Magic.” This Quality is not tied to a Trait and begins at Good (+2). Each further failure of the resistance Test increases the Quality until it reaches the rank of Legendary. A character with the Quality “Corrupted by Magic” begins to draw power not from within, but from without. Every spell cast becomes an attack on those around him—be they other PCs or NCs. Upon a successful casting, every character “close” to the sorcerer is attacked by the magic. This attack is actually a draining of life essence to power the magic. It is a sacrifice to the engine that provides magic’s energy. The attack can be resisted by Will and any applicable Qualities. The TN for the resistance is the adjusted TN of the cast spell modified by the ranks in “Corrupted by Magic.” In our example above, if the sorcerer destroying the forest had “Corrupted by Magic” at the rank of Great (+4), the spell’s TN of 21 would be modified by +4, and so the TN to resist the attack would be 25. Failure inflicts physical damage. It is a decision to be made by the GM and playing group if the characters are immediately aware of the source of this attack. Circumstantial evidence—this happens each time the sorcerer casts a spell—should lead characters to the realization sooner or later. For a character with the Quality “Corrupted by Magic” at the rank of Legendary, the next failure in the resistance Test required by the casting of magic leads to a specific Doom. The Doom for such a corrupted character is the forfeiture of the character’s soul, the life essence, the mind—however you would like to term it in your game. This essentially turns the character from a PC into an NC—though if the playing group, including the character’s player and the GM agree to it, the story could play out with the group in conflict with the soulless sorcerer. The NC character is a purely evil sorcerer, intent on preparing the world for the coming of the elder entities, though things beyond the barriers of time. Such a preparation requires the creation of hell, the destruction of life, the razing of the planet into a lifeless cinder. Fun!
25 A taboo is something that the character is not supposed to do, eat, say, etc. A fetish is something the character carries or wears that is out of the ordinary and quite possibly disgusting to others. Examples of a taboo or fetish Quality would be “Taboo: never eats meat,” “Taboo: does not trim nails,” “Fetish: necklace of bones,” and “Fetish: monkey skull rattle.” Taboos and festishes are used as Qualities, but they are special. As a Quality, a taboo or a fetish is a Flaw. It is usually Basic, but can be Poor. Taboos and fetishes always modify social interaction, and may be involved in other tests, depending on the Quality, the culture, and the decision of the GM. However, taboos and fetishes also give power. For most characters, this provides protection. Whenever the character takes damage, the level of success is lowered by the number of ranks invested in the Quality—one rank if Basic, or two ranks if Poor. As an example, a character (who is neither a Dabbler nor a Sorcerer) with the Quality “Poor Taboo: does not trim nails” has a -4 penalty on all social interactions. However, if an attacker made a Good attack in combat, it would cause no damage. Even a Great attack would only count as Average (being lowered by two ranks). For Dabblers, the Quality positively modifies all Dabbler tests, and social interaction with other Dabblers or Sorcerers. If the Dabbler has a Basic taboo, social interactions with Dabblers or Sorcerers is modified as though Good, while Poor taboos modify as though Great. As an example, a Dabbler with the Quality “Basic Fetish: necklace of bones” has a -2 penalty for social interactions with non-Dabbler/Sorcerers. With Dabblers and Sorcerers, the Dabbler has a +2 bonus for all social interactions, and when using the Dabbler Quality, also gains a +2 bonus. For Sorcerers, the taboo always modifies sorcery or arcane tests as though a positive. If the Sorcerer has a Basic taboo, all arcane tests are modified as though Good, while Poor taboos modify as though Great. As an example, a Sorcerer with the Quality “Poor Fetish: monkey skull rattle” has a -4 penalty for all social interactions, but when using sorcery, gains a +4 bonus.
26 The characters are considered to live a lifestyle consistent with whatever narrative, setting, or agreed conceit is used in the game. It is possible to have a Wealth Quality and have that as one of the Aspects. In order to motivate the characters, Wealth can always begin at Weak, though the initial free ranks a player can use to create or advance Qualities could be used to advance Wealth. The character’s lifestyle, as per the Wealth Aspect, can be ascertained on the Lifestyle and Purchase Value Table Buying and Selling Sword Noir is not concerned with the minutiae of inventory. If it seems logical that a character would have it, the character has it. Each character can have an inventory of important items, but it should always be expected that the character carries sundry other tools and goods. If it is desired or expected, the Wealth Aspect can be used as a modifier for standard tests to purchase items. The TN would be based on the rank as per the Lifestyle and Purchase Value Table. Lifestyle and Purchase Value Table
Rank Lifestyle Item Service
Weak Beggar Spoon Alcohol Poor Labourer Clothing Meal Basic Tenant Farmer Tool Dodgy Lodgings Average Freehold Farmer Weapon Nice Lodgings Good Knight/Artisan Livestock / Armour Book scribing Great Lower Nobility Farm Honour Guard Exceptional Guildmaster Manorhouse Company Legendary Royalty Estate Army Mythic Imperial Duchy Army with Seige Train
27 28 The concept of Sword Noir is—as mentioned in the introduction—a mash-up of hardboiled fiction, the film noir it inspired, and sword & sorcery. For sword & sorcery, the basis for my understanding of the genre revolves around Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar stories, and Robert E. Howard’s Conan and Solomon Kane stories. These are the sword. The noir comes from movies such as the Maltese Falcon and Out of the Past, and also more modern fare like the Usual Suspects, Thief, and Miller’s Crossing. My knowledge of hardboiled fiction is restricted to the novels and stories of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and—to a lesser degree—Elmore Leonard. The Maltese Falcon and Out of the Past were seminal in getting me interested in noir, which led me to hardboiled fiction. Put all these elements together, and you’ve got Sword Noir. I’ve already deduced what I consider to be the elements that I need to pull from each, but in case you’ve forgotten, let’s go over them again. The definition I have of Sword Noir as a genre is as follows: Characters’ morals are shifting at best and absent at worst. The atmosphere is dark and hope is frail or completely absent. Violence is deadly and fast. The characters are good at what they do, but they are specialists. Trust is the most valued of commodities—life is the cheapest. Grim leaders weave labyrinthine plots which entangle innocents. Magic exists and can be powerful, but it takes extreme dedication to learn, extorts a horrible price, and is slow to conjure. How does one work this into your game? Some of this is about the characters. Some of it is about atmosphere. It’s a collaborative effort. As you might suspect, I’m about to tell you that you need to get player buy-in. You need to get player buy-in. But let’s unpack this. Let’s look at that definition and see what it means for your game. Characters’ morals are shifting at best and absent at worst. The very first line of the definition is really about defining the characters. They are the opposite of what is expected of high fantasy, but fit very well into sword & sorcery. Consider my S&S touchstones: Conan, and Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser. These are not shining paragons of purity. These guys do questionable things. So should the PCs. Deciding to go Sword Noir means that there are constraints or at least expectations in regards to the characters. Consider the shining knight/paladin/holy warrior. You could certainly play such a character in a Sword Noir campaign, but the shining knight would need to be tarnished, the paladin would have strayed, the holy warrior would be questioning her faith. There are no paragons of good. There are no paragons of anything. Nothing is purely good or purely evil. And that leads us to the villain. The characters cannot be purely good and the villain should not be purely evil. The villain should be, of course, a villain–but a sympathetic villain. By that, I don’t mean one feels sympathy for the villain, but that one can understand the villain, why she does what she does. You would not do what the villain does, she goes too far, but you can understand why she does these things. The characters may recognize how close they are to being the villain. One misstep, one ethical lapse, and the characters might find themselves on the same path. Killing that prisoner because he killed your best friend; torturing that old merchant because the word on the street said he knew who kidnapped the boy; turning a blind eye to the fishmonger pimping out young women because he occasionally feeds you information—none of these things would be unacceptable in a Sword Noir campaign. That’s not to say they are expected, but they would certainly fit into the milieu. And these steps could easily lead to others as one paves the slippery slope to villainy.
29 The thing is, while the characters are not lily white, they are usually better than others around them. Neither Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon, nor Jeff Bailey/Markham in Out of the Past is a bad guy, but that’s only in comparison to other characters in those films. They are very flawed, very cynical, and while they do some good acts, they are very self-interested. No, that doesn’t sound like player characters at all! Playing the “bad guys” is also fine, but these would be bad guys only in that they oppose established order. In Sword Noir, the forces of law are about imposing order, not seeking justice. You could make the villain the local magistrate or king’s representative, abusing his power and preying on the locals. The city watch might be as bad as any gang, and are certainly as corrupt. The prince is not interested in the well-being of his vassals, he just wants everything to run smoothly so he can get more taxes. If you are going to fight the power, it’s likely someone is going to bring up the prototypical outlaw hero. However, Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood, the BBC’s Robin of Sherwood, the bombastic Prince of Thieves, none of these would fit into Sword Noir. Make their band of merry men more like a real criminal gang, and you might have something. There’s nothing wrong with them taking care of the locals with the money they steal, but they’d likely keep the lion’s share for themselves. Whether “good” or “bad”—in context—the characters would be talented. This fits with most RPGs, as the characters are expected to be special. They are not “average joes.” They are also not uber-competent characters. They are not super-heroes. They are usually good at something in particular, though that something might be killing. One problem with the inspirations for Sword Noir and gaming is the adventuring party, the PC group. Usually, the characters of hardboiled fiction, film noir and even most sword & sorcery tales are loners. Given that, it’s still not exactly beyond the pale for the characters to form some kind of association. Trust is important in Sword Noir, and that may be one of the things that make the characters special: loyalty. Perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. That’s a lot of stuff to think about, right? However, making characters for a Sword Noir campaign isn’t the most difficult part. So, what is? The atmosphere. The atmosphere is dark and hope is frail or completely absent. Listen, giving an actual description of what constitutes hardboiled fiction or film noir is pretty tough. That’s true of a lot of genres. A lot of people know what isn’t pulp, but it’s tough to catalogue exactly what is. I have attempted to define Sword Noir, but as mentioned above, it is simply a mash-up of hardboiled fiction, the film noir it inspired, and sword & sorcery. It’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser chasing down the Maltese Falcon. It’s Conan trying to find red-haired Velma. And it’s as much atmosphere as anything else. The aesthetics of noir is very much about attitude. But while that attitude is reflected in the characters, much of it is external. Consider the definition of Sword Noir presented. Is not a lot of it setting? To me, setting is more than just a collection of places. Setting is atmosphere. The city of Lankhmar is what it is because of its atmosphere, not its locales and location. What makes Shadizar the city of the wicked? Casablanca isn’t about the actual place–it could be called Singapore or Cairo and the story would still work. Setting is atmosphere. And that dark atmosphere isn’t illumination, it’s a lack of hope, a setting of pessimism in which cynicism is simply being realistic. I would say it is our world, but that isn’t exactly true. Our world has hope in many places. In the case of Sword Noir, dark is a few steps away from dystopia. It’s a look at the poor and abandoned places of our own cities. You know that section of town where you wouldn’t want to be caught alone after dark? It’s that place. And, if we are going to follow the film noir line of inspiration, it’s always raining. Always.
30 This isn’t about anything physical (well, except maybe the rain). This is about a feeling. This is about fear and expectation. You can’t really show this on a map. You can’t use miniatures or models to designate it. This is something that the GM and players must concoct and maintain in unison. I’ll repeat that: This is something the GM and players must concoct in unison. If the players don’t buy into this, it is not going to happen. It is tough to create atmosphere in someone’s basement, or dinner table, or spare room, or wherever. The GM can try to build the atmosphere through words and description. It can be reinforced through the actions and reactions of NCs. What it cannot do is withstand the disinterest or disregard of the players. They must feel it, and they must portray their characters as feeling it. That’s tough. Violence is deadly and fast. One of the aspects of the Sword Noir definition that all but require a mechanical solution regards violence. A system that allows multiple “hits”/successful attacks does not make violence seem deadly or fast. A good GM might be able to provide narrative reasons why these attacks do not end the fight, but a long, drawn-out combat in real time, no matter the length of the fight in game time, is not going to seem fast. I hope I’ve addressed this in the Sword Noir system. I’ve allowed for the possibility of a single hit kill—in the form of a Doom. Fights during the play testing went very fast, and if the intent of the PCs or NCs was lethal, they tended to be very deadly. But that is only part of the way to address this element. The other part, as with almost all of this definition, is about atmosphere and a tacit agreement between the GM and the players. Part of this is the world around the PCs. They are not the only ones perpetrating violence. There may be NCs whose fate matters to the PCs. If one of them is removed in a manner that reinforces the arbitrary nature of violence—if someone got lucky or surprised the NC and took her out—it will help to keep the nature of violence before the PCs. Part of the purpose of making violence fast and deadly is to remove it as the first option when facing difficulties. This may not be an issue with all groups, but if the players are used to a specific kind of fantasy campaign in which violence is an acceptable and effective solution to problems, some work may be required to inculcate an aversion to violence as first recourse. The characters are good at what they do, but they are specialists. This part isn’t so much about the inspirations for Sword Noir as much as how to translate those genres into an RPG that facilitates groups of characters. Unlike high fantasy, sword & sorcery is mostly about loners. In the case of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, two parts of a single abstract loner. And that is really how to take a genre steeped in Conans and Phillip Marlowes and turn it into a game of four or more characters. Characters like Conan and Marlowe—or Solomon Kane, Sam Spade, the Continental Op, etc—can do everything the story needs them to do. In trying to replicate such characters in an RPG, one would end up with a group of uber-competent generalists. That’s no fun. Every character needs to be special and have a spotlight. So we split those generalist loners into a group of specialist individuals. This element of the definition is also one that begs for a mechanical solution. The rules, however, don’t completely enforce specialization. If a player wants to sacrifice the advantages of specializing in order to create a character with wider access to skills and abilities, this is possible. The character created will be less capable than characters created based on specialization, and depending on the size of the group and the type of characters created, the generalist may prove of minor use in the game, as the specialists take their turn in the spotlight. Trust is the most valued of commodities—life is the cheapest. How does one emphasize this in a game? I mean, you can tell your players, but just like setting an atmosphere, it takes more than words. Not only does one need player buy-in, this element needs to inform not only the setting but also the characters. Through the Reputation Quality, Sword Noir can reward actions like keeping ones word, honouring contracts, acting in a humane and decent manner. However, that is for PCs and heroic NCs. These actions would not be all that common in a Sword Noir setting.
31 Even with a mechanical benefit in play, it is important that the GM remember instances when the characters act with honour. Now if the PCs are being good guys due to fear of repercussions, that’s one thing. Coerced honour is not really honour, and completing a contract out of fear isn’t cause for notice. When the PCs are being altruistic, even if it doesn’t result in an Advance for Reputation, it should have an impact. Those for whom the character does a favour or a kindness—or to whom the PCs just do the right thing—will be those to whom the character may turn for support, or who might appear like the cavalry at just the right moment. Sure, adhering to a code of honour or even a contract may mark the characters as naive or soft for some elements of society, and this could lead them into dangers or trouble. However, overcoming these problems will only enhance the characters’ reputations. And as for life being cheap: let’s face it, in most RPGs, it is. In Sword Noir, it is entirely possible for an opponent to get in a lucky hit—the player rolls poorly—and suddenly the PC is under a Doom, possibly dead. Sometimes, though, that mechanical threat isn’t enough. This is linked to deadly, fast violence. Addressing that element helps to address this one. Players used to characters taking immense amounts of punishment before going down, and of having those characters soon return due to some powerful—though ubiquitous—magic may not have the sense of dread that the PC should have when facing even a scrawny bum with a sharpened stick. Things can get messy real fast, and if the player doesn’t believe that, the PC will not. Make the characters fear death. And don’t forget to show them the death around them. Flunkies who fail or who say too much disappear, only to reappear as a corpse. Someone who helps out the characters get a step closer to the Big Bad? Yeah, that guy pays the ultimate price. The characters need to be tough, because a common reaction to enmity is death—why leave someone alive who can come back for revenge? Grim leaders weave labyrinthine plots which entangle innocents. Let’s unpack that a bit. Who are these grim leaders? I’m going with the Big Bad and the Big Motivator. The Big Bad is just an appellation for the main villain. A lot of people refer to the BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy), who is the antagonist for the ultimate encounter. In Sword Noir, it’s unlikely the Big Bad will be the challenge for the player characters. The Big Bad tends to set things in motion rather than get involved. Further, the Big Bad is actively trying to keep everyone in the dark about his or her identity and purpose. In the end, the Big Bad should kind of be the Keyser Soze of the story. And like that… he’s gone. Unlike Keyser Soze, the Big Bad shouldn’t really get involved in the actual machinations, rubbing elbows with the PCs, even under a pseudonym. Unlike in a movie or a book, there is an obvious difference between the PCs and an NC, and should there be some internal problem, the suspicion would fall on the NC. This could be remedied by making one of the PCs the actual Big Bad, but this will only work when there is player buy-in and trust. Making a PC more powerful than the others, and with the purpose of betraying those others, is a rather obvious recipe for dysfunction, unless you are certain your players are all in for that kind of game. The Big Motivator is the person behind the PCs. It may be the PCs’ employer, ally, or simply a source of information. If the PCs are totally solo, lacking contacts or connections, there likely isn’t a Big Motivator. If there is, the Big Motivator is like the Big Bad. The identity of the Big Motivator is closely guarded. One does not simply contact the Big Motivator. The Big Motivator will contact you. For the Big Motivator, anonymity is protection, the best protection possible. Given that this is Sword Noir, the Big Bad is not necessarily evil and the Big Motivator is not necessarily good. Morality is shifting and opaque. The characters might be criminals. If not criminals, they exist in a world in which even those whose duty is to protect, spend much of their time profiting. If the characters are not criminals, much of the world around them is criminalized. Whether they be evil, good, or somewhere in between, both of the “leaders” would be “grim.” Any hint of empathy or ethics would be seen as a weakness to be exploited by those planning to replace said leaders. Their guards are never
32 down, and they must exemplify cold calculation if they are to maintain their lofty positions. As such, while they may have allies, they have no friends, and they will sacrifice whomever needs to be sacrificed to protect themselves and their place of power. From those places of power, they plan and connive to garner just a little more power, just a little more profit. Maybe they are not the top of the food chain, and seek to reach that pinnacle. They may be the master criminal of the city, but wish for the inclusion in “respectable” society—that same respectable society that probably turns to the grim leaders when they wish dirty deeds done . . . possibly dirt cheap. Whatever their aim, the path to their goal is never straight and it is never clear. Their purposes are never truly known, their interests never explicit. The characters may believe that they are stealing from the pimp who double-crossed their boss, only to find out the supposed pimp has nothing of worth, and has the protection of another powerful crime boss. The characters have just put a big target on their chests and have no idea why. Someday, maybe they’ll figure it out. Probably not. Think of the Maltese Falcon. Who are all these characters, and what are they trying to achieve? Think of Out of the Past. Who is telling the truth and does it matter? Granted, this can be overdone. Don’t leave the players totally bewildered. Before getting too deep into a plot, make sure at least some of the loose threads from the last one have been tied up. Be sure to give closure on some mysteries before adding new ones or you risk fatiguing your players, which will lead to a lack of interest. A lack of interest will kill enthusiasm and likely the campaign itself. And don’t forget the innocents. Sometimes, this could be the characters themselves. Though not strictly a noir, think of the Roger Thornhill character in North by Northwest—the innocent man mistaken for another that gets dragged into a pretty labyrinthine plot. The innocents may also be those simply caught up in events, who may or may not have ties to the characters. Remember, the leaders are grim. Sacrificing a few nobodies won’t matter to them at all, be that sacrifice financial, ethical, or lethal. Magic exists and can be powerful, but it takes extreme dedication to learn, extorts a horrible price, and is slow to conjure. This comes from my understanding of sword & sorcery. This is the magic of Conan and Lankhmar. Different than the flash and explosions of the fantasy role-playing games I grew up with, it is more mysterious, and sometimes much more deadly. Does one need magic for something to be Sword Noir? Magic is as much a part of sword & sorcery as, . . . well, as swords. It is a part of Conan’s world and is certainly a part of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser’s. Whether it is a part of Solomon Kane’s word might be open to debate, but he certainly thinks it is, and its effects are there to be seen. I do think magic is necessary. It does not need to dominate, but I believe it must be present, even if only in the superstitions and beliefs of those who inhabit the world of Sword Noir. In a setting with scarce magic, it could be easy
33 to wave away such belief as superstition. Consider that if it takes extreme dedication and extorts a horrible price, how many practitioners do you think are wandering around? And they certainly aren’t doing parlour tricks for the local peasants. This extreme dedication to learn may mean that the centres of learning are secretive and inaccessible. It may mean that there are no centres of learning and that the lost knowledge known only to a few must be hunted down and taken from those who already hold it. Whatever the reason, it is not for the impatient or the dilettante. Learning even the weakest of spells may be an epic quest of itself, suitable for an entire campaign! And once you have learned these secrets, it doesn’t cost points or fatigue or mana. It will likely cost your very soul. Very few of the wizards one finds in sword & sorcery are what might be called good. There is N’Longa the shaman, friend of Solomon Kane. One might consider Sheelba and Ningauble good, given that they are linked to the heroes of Leiber’s Lankhmar stories, but their actions are too often self-interested. And the Gray Mouser is a Dabbler, rather than an actual wizard. Besides, not even he considers himself a hero. So there are some that have either overcome the taint of magic or avoided it somehow. Most wizards and warlocks in the lands of sword & sorcery, and therefore the lands of Sword Noir, have succumbed to madness or evil. Magic is inherently unnatural, and so perhaps it follows that those whom possess it become inhuman. Finally, the magic of Sword Noir is not the quick spell of a few words and a motion that Cugel might ply on one— and that finally found its way into the rules of the world’s most popular fantasy RPG. The magic of Sword Noir is, for lack of a better term, ritual magic. It is about incantations and rituals. Rites that lead back to the most ancient of times. Do these ceremonies contact ancient spirits, otherworldly beings, or just tap mystical energies hidden beyond the curtain of realities? Who is to say? (Well, the GM of course!) Whatever the source of magic, its invocation is time consuming, and the greater the power, the greater the length of the ritual. For this reason, magic is often not important in combat. However, items might be enscorceled and carry powerful enchantments. Perhaps an individual herself has had spells of exceptional power cast on her, making her far more formidable than her usual, formidable self.
34 Let’s say that you understand how to create a Sword Noir character, and you’ve digested everything I’ve written about the definition of Sword Noir. That still doesn’t really help with what you are going to do with these rules. We still haven’t touched on adventures. The assumption I’ve been working with is that anyone who has acquired this book has some knowledge—and likely a fair amount of knowledge—of role-playing games. I would be very surprised if someone who doesn’t play RPGs both found this book and then decided to buy it. Given that, do I need to write about creating adventures for Sword Noir? Is it that different from an adventure for any other fantasy RPG? I would say yes and no. Yes, it is different from the standard published adventures for fantasy RPGs with which I am familiar, but no, it might not be different from how you, the reader, have constructed adventures in the past. Here is the thing with Sword Noir adventures: they are very rarely linear. By linear, I mean that there is a single acceptable route to success or completion, and/or a quantifiable number of options for the players to pursue. A Sword Noir adventure is not a “dungeon crawl.” It is not a map with numbered locations. The Narrative Characters (NCs) are not static, only acting when acted upon. None of this is true of a Sword Noir adventure. Sword Noir adventures are about two things: the unravelling plot and the NCs with whom the Player Characters (PCs) interact. The Plot While a Sword Noir adventure is not required to be linear, the GM or adventure author can often guess which way the PCs will jump. In the adventure included in this book, there is an expected route for the PCs to take. Since they are not in a dungeon, with a finite number of corridors to follow, it is possible that PCs will attempt something totally outside the expectations of the author. And the GM will have to roll with that. For this reason, it is extremely important that the GM understand, very well, what is happening in the world around the PCs. Think about what would have happened to the Maltese Falcon if Sam Spade had not gotten involved. It’s pretty easy when one remembers what happened behind the scenes and off the pages in that story. NCs, when not being observed by the PCs, are still active. While the PCs are going about unravelling the carefully tied knots of the NCs, those NCs are trying to patch the holes in their plans this causes—they’re tying entirely new knots. There is going to be resistance. There is going to be opposition. There are going to be alterations to the plan to avoid further problems. With a GM who knows the plot, who knows what was supposed to happen, why it was supposed to happen, and who was going to do it, this is not a problem. Further, let the players guide you and inform you. They are going to have ideas of their own. Some will be better than yours. If you adopt their theories, not only do they get a win, you can save your intricately planned caper for next time. Waste not, want not! The NCs And while it is important to know the plot, to know the storyline, it is the NCs who will be the ones acting and reacting. Once the plans and preparations start going to pot, it is the NCs who will adapt, improvise and attempt to overcome. If the GM understands the NCs just as the GM understands the plot, the spanner being thrown into the works by the PC will not rebound and destroy the whole game. The NCs will react, and the GM will know how they react. To do this, the GM really needs to have a grasp of three main components of any NC in place to steer the plot: the NC’s goal, purpose, and knowledge.
35 If the GM knows what the NC wants, it is easier to intuit NC reactions. The goal likely won’t change, unless it becomes unobtainable due to the actions of the PCs or a repercussion of those actions. In such a case, I would imagine the NCs goal would then shift to revenge. What the NC wants—the NC’s goal—should be linked to the plot somehow. Consider a caper, something like the Maltese Falcon. Most of the NCs connected to it are out for money, but is that all? The Big Man with the Big Plan may be in it as much for the plan itself, and the elegances of the caper as for the money. He might even welcome some shenanigans if only to add excitement to an otherwise drab operation. The con man working with the Big Man might only be out for the money alone, and therefore might not be so cavalier regarding opposition. The con man might also have interests or loyalties beyond the pay off. What of a relationship? Could the goal be to impress or perhaps support some other character in the Big Man’s crew? If so, the con man’s reaction will hinge more on that other character than on any threat to the plan or the payoff. The GM must also have a clear purpose for the NC in the game. Is the NC a spoiler? A possible ally? A nemesis? A source of information? The font of all evil? The role of the NC will help to define the range of actions the NC could undertake. A possible ally can certainly oppose the PCs, but not to the degree of instilling pure enmity—not unless the NC’s role has changed. A spoiler doesn’t necessarily need to win, just make sure the PCs lose. The NC’s purpose helps to make the infinite number of possibilities finite and manageable. And the NC can only react based on the knowledge available. If the NC only knows part of the plot, when the unknown part goes off the rails, the NC won’t react to that unless brought in through another means, like the Big Man. The NC is going to work with what the NC knows, and if the NC is only a cog in a greater machine, the NC may not know where to turn for support. Also, if the NC is captured or otherwise questioned, the NC can only reveal what that NC knows. And what he doesn’t know can certainly hurt the PCs. Preparing the Game There is a distinct lack of adventures available for Sword Noir. Other than “Farewell, Something Lovely”—included in this very book!—there isn’t anything out there pre-canned that you can grab and run. That means you’ll be writing your own. There’s some advice for that above, but there are a few other things you’ll need to get that particular party started. Narrative Characters Yes, you’ll need to build some NCs to populate your adventure. This has been detailed elsewhere, and there are examples to have a look at with “Farewell, Something Lovely.” Just remember that they are Narrative Characters, rather than Narrative Stat Blocks. While the stats may be important, a minion Character is much more about the character than the stats. In fact, the character is—to a great extent—the stats. Just look above, at the section titled “the NCs,” to see the importance of a character’s goal, purpose and knowledge. A stat block does not convey this. Have a look at the NCs in “Farewell, Something Lovely”. That will give you an idea of some of the other aspects—beyond the stats—that you will need to consider. The details for creating the stats for regulars and minions are included with character creation, but here’s a handy breakdown. Regular Character Creation These are the steps to take to build a regular Narrative Character. The information is also included in the following discussion of character creation.
1. Create a Concept. This is a Quality that relates to what the player intends the character to represent. The Concept has a rank of Good. It is not linked to a Trait. See Aspects.
2. Create a Faculty. This is a Quality that represents a character’s aptitude, and is usually a skill or talent. The Faculty has a rank of Good. It is linked to a Trait. See Aspects.
3. Rank the Traits. A regular character has one Good, two Average and two Basic ranks in the Traits Physique, Agility, Wit, Charisma, and Will. See Traits.
4. Consider Reputation. For the purposes of the story, a regular character may have a Quality for Reputation. This is the decision of the GM.
36 Minion Character Creation These are the steps to take to build a minion Narrative Character. The information is also included in the following discussion of character creation.
1. Create a Concept. This is a Quality that relates to what the player intends the character to represent. The Concept has a rank of Good. It is not linked to a Trait. See Aspects.
2. Rank the Traits. A minion has one Good, one Average, and one Basic in the Traits Physical, Intellectual and Social. See Traits. Running the Game So now you’ve got your adventure all ready, or you’ve found a game to run. What now? Be prepared. That means having some contingencies handy in case things don’t move as expected. It also means having the information you need at hand, from PC information to lists of names and areas. Be ready for that point at which the game deviates from its expected course. It’s easy to improvise if you are also prepared. Have some specific locations prepared, locations that have nothing to do with the plot . . . yet! Certainly have some drinking and eating facilities—taverns, inns, ordinaries, or whatever they are called in your culture—but also various artisans and merchants, both their shops and themselves. The population of the area in which the adventure takes place can become reoccurring characters, providing resources, information and possibly even hooks for the PCs in the future. Such locations are easily populated with minions, which are also easy to build on the spot. Successful PCs should certainly have contacts with bankers—if the society is at a level that would have such, and if not, there are always moneychangers. There are also tailors, coopers, smiths, scribes, lawyers and surgeons—be they dentists, physicians or leeches. Look at a list of occupations for the period you would like to represent. Have some of those occupations statted out and handy. Remember that the locations and residents you prepare will be different depending on where in the city they are found. A tavern in one of the slums of a city will be exceedingly different than one found in an area of wealth. Its proprietor and patrons will likewise be quite different. And while a place like Everthorn—the default setting included in this book—has some areas pre-defined, there are lots of neighbourhoods about which nothing has been noted. Many neighbourhoods will have similar characters, but remember that in the past, one would not have an address so much as a location. The smith was not at 125 Forging Way, the smith was at the smithy two doors from the high temple in the neighbourhood of Forgesmoke in the Third Rival quarter, which is in South Tower district. Have lists of names for neighbourhoods and other areas in a city. Some streets will even have names. The smith might, in fact, be on Forging Way or Ironmongers Walk, though in most societies, building numbering is a modern phenomenon. Along with locations and NCs, perhaps have some sub-plots also prepared. Perhaps use the PCs pasts and/or pivots as the bases of some sub-plots. NCs that already have relations with the PCs could also be the drivers for sub-plots. Linking sub-plots to PC pivots is not the only use the GM will have for those pivots, so be sure to have a list of them. I’ve found that the information required for a PC includes the PC’s Reputation, Flaw, Weaknesses, and Pivots. In fact, the basic information on most PCs can be noted in a very small space, so it might not be a bad idea to have thumbnail stats for the PCs handy. Appendix 1, at the end of the book is an example of a PC tracking sheet that can be used to record basic information regarding PCs. Reputation is important because it is going to have a very large impact on how NCs relate to PCs. Reputation effects all social interactions with NCs, so it can have a huge impact on how the story progresses. Flaws and Weaknesses can be invoked by any player, including the GM, so it is very important to have those listed so they can be properly used. Pivots are important not so much during the game—when one is achieved and the PC gains an Advancement, you
37 can be fairly certain the player will make you aware of this—but when preparing the game. It is important that at least some of the PCs can achieve Pivots during any particular session. You, as GM, can decide how quickly you would like the PCs to advance, and then seed the adventures with chances to achieve Pivots accordingly. This is as good a place as any to remind you—the one writing the adventure, preparing the story, getting ready to be the RPG god—that this is not the place to run the players through the story or novel you wrote. This is not a good place to showcase the writer’s craft. Description, dialogue, plot, all of these muscles that the writer flexes and that you may have exercised often may help you to prepare the adventure, but this is not your adventure. You are but one player at the table. You are putting in a lot of work, it is true, but let’s be honest and admit that you like doing that work. It’s why you volunteer to run games. As soon as you start running the adventure, you have surrendered ownership of it. It is now a group endeavour. If you want to control the characters and their options, you will need to run a dungeon crawl. Even then, unless the way down is locked until every room is opened, you can never really control the characters even in that. So, let go. Get inspired, get prepared, then let go of the reins and see where this mule takes you. Creating the Group It’s kind of a worn-out joke, but many of us may remember having our PCs meet some other PCs in a bar as they all agree to contract for a particular job. I’m not talking the pretty cool scene in the Thirteenth Warrior where the “angel of death” calls out for warriors, and the twelve (plus Ahmed ibn Fadlan!) heed the call. No, the joining up in a tavern scenes I remember were nowhere near as inspired. But the Thirteenth Warrior does give us a good example of what would likely happen to a group called together for a single job once that job finished. They’d likely end up going their separate ways. Now for Ahmed and crew, that wasn’t a big deal, as their numbers had taken a pretty severe beating, but the example rings true. Why would such a group stick together? Maybe your players don’t care. Maybe they just want to get on with it. I can certainly sympathize, but it might help them maintain their willing suspension of disbelief if there is a good reason why the group should remain together. Such a reason can help you as well, as it might provide yet more hooks and sub-plots. One method of creating a good narrative link between the characters is to have a group creation session. During that session, brainstorm the linkages between the characters, the reason(s) which have brought the characters together, and why they would remain together, even though some of the characters might actively dislike others. The story that is created may even help to inform the character creation session, such as the Qualities behind Concepts and Backgrounds. Though the game itself, the reasoning of the characters and their linkages may change, but at least a foundation of logic for the creation and maintenance of the group has been presented. It makes it a little easier to understand why the characters would all stand together, even at the peril of their own lives. A group creation session also provides an opportunity to create a group of specialists. If the various players don’t know the niches already filled, they might create overlapping characters. This leads to a loss of spotlight, and one player running a character without a spotlight moment. That’s not fun. As a GM, you are in a position to help oversee the character creation and facilitate communications. Think of the roles that are embodied by characters in both noir and sword & sorcery. One should expect each group to have at least one combat specialist, but multiple specialists are possible with each focusing on a different kind of combat, such as ranged specialist, a melee specialist, and a boxing master. There will likely also be a need for a talker, or a sort of Faceman. Don’t forge the stealthy thief for getting in and out of places, as well as for underworld contacts. A scholar may be needed or perhaps an artisan, depending on the style of play. Does the team need a leader, a healer, an investigator, etc? That’s for your group to decide. The type of game and the roles considered will likely have reciprocating impact, both feeding off and inspiring the other.
38 The Free City of Everthorn Population: 1,690,000 Government: Mercantile Republic Imports: cotton, grain, raw silk, wool Exports: finished silk goods, porcelain, shipping, textiles Travellers call this city the City of Black Fog, the City of Chimneys, The Jewel of the Ocean and Titan’s Port. In the empire it is called Evranothoris. This is Everthorn, the richest city in the known world. Hugging the Yang River where it empties into Mother Ocean, Everthorn has the largest harbour in the world. It is known as the City of Chimneys and the City of Black Fog due to the many brick chimneys spewing out the dark smoke of the coal used both to warm its residents in the chill or winter and to power the industry one finds beyond the slums. Even those mornings when only the fires of industry burn, the fog is dark, almost solid. Those who visit often say the city air has the taste of sulphur. Those who live here say that is the taste of success. The city straddles the Yang River. Near the mouth of the river is the Arrow, a triangular island built of silt and gravel, running from a tip pointing back up the river to the base with its back to the harbour. The Arrow now houses the estates of the city’s richest residents, as well as the Hall of Administration and the Urban Senate. Reaching across the river, and bestriding even the Arrow, is the Guild Bridge. More than just a bridge, it is also a fortification and a community in its own right. Denied the extreme status of residence on the Arrow, but wishing for an address as close to it as possible, various guilds and their members began to take up residence on the bridge. Their buildings hung out over the edges of the bridge, already wide enough for four double-ox carts to pass without incident. If one cannot live on the Arrow or on Guild Bridge, one lives along the river. The city continues to grow north along the river, and the wealthy and influential wish to answer the question of address by saying Left Bank or Right. Beyond the Banks are middle class areas such as the Achaen Quarter, Etrusca Minor, and Coin’s Throw. An artisan or burgher can live in these areas with no shame, but they will never gain election to the Guild Council or the Urban Senate. Most of these quarters are within the massive city walls, but some are beyond, just at gates. Even farther from the Banks are the slums of the Warrens or the Rummel, or the Blight. The Urban Cohort cares nothing for those who live in the suburban quarters, who live outside the walls and far from the river. For those fallen even too far for the Warrens or the Blight, there is the Undercity. Everthorn is ancient, and for thousands of years, each generation has built atop the last. Twice razed, the last time 500 years ago, the city has buried itself, but not well. There is now a city under Everthorn. Its residents are the refuse of society, the hopeless, and the hidden. They are an underclass. The portals that connect the two are few and well-hidden, and the Undercity has become something of a refuge and sanctuary for those who wish to live beyond the grasp of the Senate and the Guilds. The Senate and Guilds maintain order in the city, and many of the precincts beyond the walls, through the Urban Cohorts. While the Cohorts are a military unit, their function is policing. They are known to be brutal and available for purchase if one has enough coin. One company of the Cohorts, based on the Guild Bridge, is known as the Whites. Led by a man known simply as the Captain, the Whites are considered incorruptible. They are also known for the excesses they will perpetrate against any individual or organization that threatens or harms any one of the 100 legionaries of the Whites. The Urban Cohorts are drawn from the Civic Legions. The Legions are the military arm, and technically also encompass the navy. Though known as the Legions, there is effectively only one standing legion. Legions are raised as required using mercenaries. When large armies are required on short notice, the professional legionaries of the
40 For a larger map of Everthorne, see Appendix 4 on page 71 standing legion (I Legio “Eternally Victorious”) are divided among the newly raised legions to provide a modicum of experience and stiffen discipline. The navy provides Everthorn with its real power. A fleet of 25 war galleys, 30 smaller, armed, patrol galleys and 10 freight galleys maintains the trade routes leading to Everthorn free of piracy and allows Everthorn to project force far beyond its nominal area of control. While the slow, cumbersome freight galleys use criminals at the oars, the war galleys and patrol galleys have paid oarsmen, professionals who are prepared to execute complicated manoeuvres, and are ready to take up arms and fight should the ships be boarded. While I Legio is the only standing legion, an auxiliary force of marines, equal in size to I Legio, is maintained by the navy. The marines are attached to I Auxilia Marine. While traditional protocol ranks the legion above the auxiliary, the marines are paid better and—in truth—better trained than the legionaries. The legionaries have never admitted to this, through the continued friction between the two military units may reflect a sense of hurt pride on behalf of I Legio. A strange melding of the middle-class quarters of Fomor Court and Coin’s Throw and the slums beyond the walls, the two main docks—East Wharves and the Jetties—are vital to the commercial lifeblood of the city, but have a much rougher atmosphere than the neighbourhoods that surround them. The Naval Docks, on the Arrow, house the barracks for the marines. Due to the incredible size of the Everthorn navy, a section of the Jetties, nearest the Sea Wall, is an extension of the Navy Docks, and is the standard berth for the patrol and freight galleys. The Sea Wall is both an engineering marvel and intrinsic to the defence of the city. Running along the mouth of the Yang River from the East to the West shores, and cutting along the southern shore of the Arrow, the Sea Wall bars entry to the environs of Everthorn and the Yang River. There are two portals, each guarded by wall-based artillery and massive chains that can be lowered, which allow access and are large enough to accommodate even the most sizeable of sea vessels. Life and Society Ones life within Everthorn depends to a great extent on where one lives within Everthorn. The Arrow and Guild Bridge are places of politics and commerce. To live in these places means that one’s every waking moment is dedicated to protecting one’s position and undermining the positions of others.
41 On the Banks—Left and Right—one must always concern oneself with wealth and its accumulation. If one ever hopes to become influential enough to live on the Arrow or the Guild Bridge, one must have the coin with which to buy that influence. There are those who work within the Banks, artisans and merchants, who do not reside within those districts. They witness the toll life in the Banks takes. To some, the lure of wealth is enough to maintain the romance of a residence in the Banks. For others, it makes them thankful for what they have, and averse to seeking more. In the neighbourhoods beyond the Banks but within the walls, life in these places is busy, hectic and stressful, but one lives within a protective community, usually around those of a similar trade or craft. Socializing is as much a part of these communities as the pursuit of wealth is a part of the Banks. Networks of support and commerce are forged here. While the guilds are controlled from the Bridge, this is where one would find their heart and blood. Beyond the walls, life can be both harsh and short. The closer a neighbourhood is to the walls, the likelier it is that neighbourhood has some kind of watch or volunteer militia to keep order and enforce the laws. It is rare the Urban Cohorts, the city’s law enforcement detachment, bothers with those communities beyond the walls, but some neighbourhoods provide services or goods for the city, and so the city sees to their protection. In many of the districts beyond the walls, order is enforced by the criminals themselves. All of West Shore outside the walls is controlled by a gang called the Manachan—meaning the Monks, in a religious sense. Members of the Manachan wear their hair tonsured as a sign of their allegiance. The gang maintains order in the slums known as Blue Square, Al-Sham and the Tides. Any crimes that take place without the permission of the Manachan are brutally punished. In many ways, the Manachan provide a better service for the slums of West Shore than the Urban Cohorts could. Tax collection outside the walls of Everthorn is spotty, at best, so the protection money residents pay could be considered a form of taxation. The Manachan ensure that drugs, prostitution and gambling are available only in specific locations, leaving the vast majority of the neighbourhoods under their control free of crime. Important Sites The city is divided by the river into the East and the West. In common parlance, one’s neighbour would belong to either East Shore or West Shore, no matter how far the ward or quarter might be from the river itself. This is not an exhaustive list of the quarters and wards of Everthorn, but rather a set of illustrative examples. The East Flavian Market: This neighbourhood abuts Fishmonger’s Row in the Warrens. It is filled with tenements and small homes. Most of the buildings are two or three stories, often with a workplace or shop on the ground floor, the owner’s residence on the second, and tenant’s apartments on the third floors. Those buildings fronting the main thoroughfare known as Herders’ Way are blocked from the road by the carts and temporary stalls of loud merchants hawking all kinds of products. Along the smaller side-streets, upper storeys jut so far out from the ground floor as to almost touch, allowing people easy passage from one building to the next, and cutting off almost all the sun’s light. The buildings are made of wood with plastered walls. The roads are bordered with channels siphoning off the liquid waste thrown from the windows and the doors down into the sewers. The solid waste needs some coaxing to depart. The streets stink of humanity and all its by-products.
Fishmonger’s Row: This neighbourhood is the southernmost of the wards within the Warrens. While not as wide as Herders’ Way, Fishmonger’s Row was once the site of a fishmarket, and still the sides of it are covered with hawkers and their wares. Beggars lazily stretch out their hands for alms. The upper floors of the surrounding buildings have started to encroach on the row, some needing supports that reach up from the road itself to bear the weight of them. Once paved in stone, the road’s surface has become uneven, leaving some stones buried, others jutting out dangerously, and some cracked or removed entirely.
Old Potters Square: This neighbourhood can be found near the centre of the Warrens. There’s a well, a rather large one with a large wood frame for its pulley. A stone wall, about knee height, encircles it in places. In other places the
42 stone blocks have been taken, either in whole or broken apart. Around the square are a collection of tall tenements, with chipped, yellowing walls of wattle and daub, leaning at odd angles as residents hang from the windows, some conversing, some busy in other ways, and some merely present.
The Warrens: This quarter is the largest of the slums east of the city walls. The buildings here look dangerously unstable. Few are plastered and none stand totally straight. The roads are not paved, and refuse provides a kind of border. There are few merchants or hawkers here, though you note a cobbler on a makeshift platform just inside an alley. The place is loud with people; all the conversations seem to be happening at shouting volume. The West West of the river is known as West Shore, and this encompasses everything from the Left Bank, along the river, to the slums west of the city walls. Al-Sham: This quarter of West Shore is home to those who originate in the deserts and plains across the sea. North of the Tides, Tawfiq ibn Tawfiq runs this tidy, orderly community. He answers directly to the Manachan and is careful to keep on the good side of the Urban Cohorts. While the area is not devoid of the poor or destitute, most residents are middle class artisans and minor traders.
Blue Square: Beyond the walls, west of the city proper and north of Al-Sham, the Blue Square had once been a middle-class enclave. It has since become as much a slum as the Tides. The only thing that remains of its past is the Blue Square itself, a large market square paved in blue tile. None of the tiles have been removed or damaged. This may be due the influence of the Manachan, whose boss resides at the sign of the bull and sword, on the edge of the Square. The bull and sword itself is built of stone, quarried in large blocks, unlike any other building in Everthorn.
Left Bank: A place of paved, cobblestone streets, its buildings boast both stability and grandeur. There are streetlights that burn oil at the nights and are attended by vigiles hired by the neighbourhood associations. Travel in Left Bank is done mostly along the river, using the many water taxis, and one finds the finest and largest estates on the shores of the river. The streets are wide, with neither vendors nor beggars to annoy the pedestrian. The shops of merchants and studios of artisans are open to the street, proudly displaying examples of their wares.
The Tides: This destitute nest of squalor is an illicit harbour for smugglers along the ocean coast. Ostensibly a community of fishermen, this is a den of smugglers and pirates. The Urban Cohorts know this, but until smuggling and thievery out of the Tides causes real problems for those inside the walls, the Cohorts are happy to ignore the troublemakers.
43 Important Narrative Characters Who might the Player Characters meet during their adventures in Everthorn? Here is a small collection of individuals, both important and prosaic, from the city.
Al-Sham Al-Ansar the Many-Eyed, Master of Tawfiq: Thin of face, with a sharp jaw and cold eyes, this man has the poise of a prince or king of legend. His clothing, though utilitarian, hangs perfectly from his frame. He calls himself Ahmed ibn Rashid, a simple man of business. Tawfiq ibn Tawfiq as the master of Al-Sham is a fiction. He is merely a front for the wizard Al-Ansar, known as the Many- Eyed. Tawfiq is an able statesman and negotiator, but the real reins of power are held by his master. Al-Ansar is a powerful wizard in Everthorn. He is a figure of legend among the residents of Al-Sham and one of some terror to those outside the district. He uses his magic to ferret out the secrets of opponents, and his many minions to thwart plans inimical to the well-being of those in Al-Sham. Concept: Hidden Power +2 Background: Tutored in mysteries +4 Faculty: Seeing Through You (Wit) +2 Flaw: I Must Punish the Guilty -2 Phy 9; Agl 12; Wit 15; Cha 15; Wil 15 Mage of Fire: Charm of Revealing (Wit +4); Word of Fire (Wit +4); Chant of Heat (Wit +2
Aterus Pullo, Right Hand to the Many-Eyed: He is a small man with bright, alert eyes, dusky skin and dark hair. He is dressed in tarnished finery with a feathered beret on his head and a slim sword at his hip. He claims to represent a wizard known as the Many-Eyed, but has an independent streak and a tight friendship—closer to brotherhood—with the barbarian, Fasgar, who can be found in the Warrens. Aterus himself resides in Al-Sham with various flophouses and apartments, each with the exterior appearance of pathetic disrepair, but hiding palatial interiors—and many, many trips, traps and locks. Concept: Civilized thief +2 Background: Failed scholar +2 Faculty: Cat Dancing (Agl) +4 Flaw: I am Smarter than You -2 Phy 9; Agl 18; Wit 12; Cha 15; Wil 12 Beauty of Swordplay (Agl +4); Cat Burglar (Agl +2); Cat’s Paws on Carpet (Agl +2); Dabbler (Wit +2); Pupil of Al-Ansar, the Many-Eyed (Wit +2); Al-Ansar’s Crystal of Scrying (Wit +4)
Ghazzi ibn Nazish, master of the Al-Sham Amiables: A short man, wide at the shoulders and waist, with thick arms and no hair. This is the leader of the most powerful of Al-Sham’s gangs—the Amiables. While a big fish in the pond of Al-Sham, he answers to both the Manachan of Blue Square, and Tawfiq ibn Tawfiq, the Master of Al-Sham. Ghazzi lives in Al-Sham on the Grey Stone Road, near the Square of the Temple of the First Star. Concept: Underworld Boss +2 Faculty: Scare You Shitless (Cha) +2 Phy 12; Agl 7; Wit 9; Cha 9; Wil 7
Tawfiq ibn Tawfiq, Master of Al-Sham: He is a man of medium build with skin the shade of roasted coffee and eyes a cold and gray as limbo. He has an easy smile on his thin lips, but that smile does not touch the rest of his face. Tawfiq is quiet and humble, unexpected in a man who wields such power. He lives in a small but immaculate home in Al-Sham on Weaver’s Walk, two doors from the Temple of the Faithful Guide. Concept: Middle Man +2 Background: Child of merchants +2 Faculty: Negotiating (Cha) +4 Flaw: I Hide Many Secrets -2 Phy 9; Agl 7; Wit 12; Cha 15; Wil 9 Believe Me When I Tell You (Cha +4); Map of the Human Face (Wit +4)
44 Blue Square Garbahn the Bull, leader of the Manachan: This man has arms the size of most men’s legs, and a chest that could fill a wine cask. His dark hair is cut fashionably short, though he has a very unfashionable beard. Garbahn can be found in Blue Square, on Old Market Road, near the Blue Square Market, at the sign of the bull and sword. This inn and tavern doubles as Garbahn’s residence and the headquarters for the Manachan. Concept: Underworld Kingpin +2 Background: From the Streets +2 Faculty: Strong Like Bull (Phy) +2 Flaw: I Must Have it ALL -2 Phy 12; Agl 9; Wit 12; Cha 15; Wil 12 Street Fighter (Phy +2), Good with a Blade (Phy +2), Fast for a Guy That Size! (Agl +4)
Guild Bridge The Captain: Broad at the shoulder, his skull shorn clean, this man’s hawk’s nose looks like it has been broken multiple times. His powerful arms show the marks of a hard life. His dark cloak, bordered in red, and the truncheon in his hand mark him as an Urban Cohort. The white of the truncheon marks him as something else—one of the Whites, one of the incorruptibles. Concept: Good Cop +2 Background: Soldier +2 Faculty: Swordplay (Agl) +4 Flaw: I Must Uphold the Law -2 Phy 12; Agl 12; Wit 9; Cha 15; Wil 18 See Into Your Soul (Wit +4); Scare You Shitless (Cha +4); Leader of Men (Cha +2); Word on the Street (Wit +4)
A White: This man walks with confidence, and has the eyes of a predator. His dark cloak, bordered in red, and the truncheon in his hand mark him as an Urban Cohort. The white of the truncheon marks him as something else—one of the Whites, one of the incorruptibles. Concept: Good Cop +2 Faculty: Swordplay (Agl) +2 Phy 12; Agl 12; Wit 9; Cha 9; Wil 12
The Warrens Fasgar, Right Hand of the Invisible Judge: This is a massive brute of a man with long, muscular limbs and a broad chest. His blonde hair passes his shoulders and his reddish beard is plaited. He claims to act for the Invisible Judge, a rumoured enforcer of justice in the Warrens, though he exhibits an independent streak and a tight friendship—closer to brotherhood—with the thief, Aterus Pullo, who can be found in Al-Sham. Concept: Warrior Skald +2 Background: Northern Barbarian +2 Faculty: Swordplay (Phy) +4 Flaw: I am an Honourable Man -2 Phy 18; Agl 15; Wit 9; Cha 15; Wil 18 Brute Force (Phy +4); Wolf in the Night (Agl +4); Charming Rogue (Cha +2); Traveller of the World (Wit +2); Voice like Honey (Cha +4)
Eadric the Boneless, leader of the Black Dogs: This tall, thin man wears browns and greens, tunics and pants—the colours popular in neighbouring realms but in the fashions of the southern lands across Mother Ocean. He has rope sandals on his feet. Known as the Boneless due to his incredible flexibility, Eadric leads a fairly unimpressive crew of thugs and pick-pockets. The Black Dogs have to pay tithes to the Claws of Tanner’s Corners. Eadric lives in the Warrens, in an alley off Fallen Tower Market. Concept: Low Level Boss +2 Faculty: Boneless (Agl) +2 Phy 9; Agl 12; Wit 7; Cha 9; Wil 7
45 Shevas the Blind, the Invisible Judge: There is little to this man, save some skin covering some bones, and all of it hidden beneath loose clothing and a patched cloak. Leaning on a tall staff, this man’s baleful, milky eyes stare out at the world, unfocused and chilling. Shevas uses many names—Adric, Padraik, Salah ibn El-Din. He is thought by many to be the Beggar King, the underworld figure who controls the lowest rung of the criminal fraternity. In fact, the Beggar King died years ago, under Shevas’ blade. Shevas continues to protect the innocents of the Warrens in any way he can, using the wealth plundered from criminals. None attribute these actions to Blind Shevas, rather the Warrens now speaks of the Invisible Judge, the one who brings true justice. Note: While Shevas has the narrative implication of blindness, this is not his flaw and thus does not impact on his character’s actions or senses. This can be attributed to his magic, but—mechanically—the character’s blindness does not penalize the character in any way. Concept: Warrior wizard +2 Background: Street criminal +2 Faculty: Leaf on the Wind (Agl) +2 Flaw: I Must Protect the Innocent -2 Phy 12; Agl 15; Wit 18; Cha 12; Wil 15 The Silent Wind (Agl +2); Swordplay (Agl +4); Wood Wizard: True Sight (Wit +2), Battering Ram (Wil +2)
The Riff-Raff These are the un-named minions that characters might run into out and about in Everthorn Artisan Phy 7; Int 12; Soc 9 Concept: Craftsman Civic Legionary Phy 12; Int 9; Soc 7 Concept: Soldier Guildsman Phy 7; Int 9; Soc 12 Concept: Politician Merchant Phy 7; Int 12; Soc 9 Concept: Businessman Tough Phy 12; Int 7; Soc 9 Concept: Thug Urban Cohort Phy 12; Int 7; Soc 9 Concept: Government Thug Whore Phy 7; Int 9; Soc 12 Concept: Professional lover
46 This adventure is intended to give players and GMs alike an idea of the kind of adventures common to Sword Noir. The basic spine of the adventure is based on the Raymond Chandler novel Farewell, My Lovely, which is somewhat seminal within the canon of hardboiled detective fiction. The shaded portions of text are designed to be read aloud, though—of course—the GM is more than welcome, and in fact encouraged, to adapt such text to fit one’s personal voice and style. Summary Mollo, an old acquaintance to whom the PCs owe a debt, has asked them to find his lover, who disappeared soon after he was incarcerated for a crime he claims not to have committed. That old love is in actuality Drosera, a naiad water spirit who has taken the form of a mortal to taste life. She had taken both club-owner Florian and rich merchant Grayles as lovers at the same time as Mollo. Now she’s a mistress kept by Grayles, lusted after by Florian, and guarded by a ruthless mercenary named Ricenus. The Story Mollo used to run with the Red-Handed Rooks, a low-level group of toughs other gangs would use for dirty work. Mollo worked the Fox & Faun once, and then returned there when he had ready money. He met Marta, the red- headed dancer who said she came from the Kingdoms, while enjoying one of those nights that always left him broke. She saw something in him no one else did, and she offered him her favours. No one would tell Mollo, and he was far too smitten to realize it, but Marta shared her favours with other men, including Florian, who ran the Fox & Faun for the Three Corners Gang—now also amicably swallowed up by the Dog Brothers. Marta also had a liaison with a rich merchant from inside the walls known only as Grayles to those in the Old Bazaar. Just over a year ago, Mollo got coined—turned over to the Urban Cohorts for money. He had no trial, no process at all. He got branded and chained to the oars of one of the navy’s large freighters. He pulled that oar for a year, becoming one of the senior rowers on his ship. Grayles had decided to rid himself of a rival of whom he was aware. He feared, though, that killing Mollo might affect Marta. Better, he thought, to use the monkey’s criminality against him. Grayles had—and still has—a business relationship with “Dark River” Tynan, the leader of the Ravens, the gang to which most of the other gangs in the Rummel answer. Tynan had an Urban Cohort centurion named Croydon in his pocket, and at Grayles’ request, Tynan had Croydon put Mollo to the oars. And with that, Grayles thought he had Marta all to himself. He did not know of Florian. But Florian feared that soon enough he would, especially if Florian continued his dalliance with Marta. At Florian’s urging, Marta introduced Grayles to him as Vitello, a freelance fixer in the Old Bazaar. Florian sold out some of the Three Corners Gang to Croydon, just to get in good with Grayles and get some distance before the Dog Brothers moved in to take the Fox & Faun—and the Three Corners Gang with it. With the Fox & Faun about to be taken from him, and his new identity as Vitello established in the Old Bazaar, Florian faked his own death with a concoction he learned of from Nadr ibn Ali, a supplier of illicit substances. He
47 had Marta’s help making it look as though he had been murdered, and they used plenty of goat’s blood to decorate. His wife, Valenta, however, arrived just as Marta left, and her initial suspicion was that Marta had murdered her former employer. She went to the Urban Cohorts, which in the Old Bazaar meant that she went to Croydon. When Tynan relayed the information to Grayles, his first instinct was to silence Valenta. He didn’t believe the story, but he didn’t want any inconvenience to trouble Marta, whom he maintained in a villa hidden within the confines of Little Sahel, between the Old Bazaar and New East Gate. Marta, though, asked him to spare the woman. Croydon went to Valenta and explained the situation to her—that Marta did not kill her husband, that the Urban Cohorts did not know who did, nor did they care, and if she caused any problems for Marta, she wouldn’t live long. Valenta knew how the Old Bazaar worked, and so she accepted that her husband had died, and that the woman she believed had murdered him would never be punished. And then Florian visited Valenta. Yes, Florian had chosen Marta over his wife, but that did not mean he felt no guilt over the matter. The world accepted him as dead, and he wanted it to remain that way, but he did still love his wife—though his lust for Marta burned much hotter. He provided for her, even finding her a spacious residence in New East Gate—as rich an address as one could have outside the city proper. Though Florian told her he had faked his death due to the dangers represented by the Dog Brothers taking over the Fox & Faun, Valenta knew he lied, and she knew why he had left her. But this was the Old Bazaar, and worse things happened to people every minute. She accepted her fate and began to enjoy the comfort provided by her husband’s guilt. Months passed. Florian/Vitello saw less and less of Marta as Grayles began to suspect that he had not removed his only rival. Through Tynan, Grayles hired a mercenary of impeccable reputation named Ricenus. He became Marta’s shadow and her jailor. It wasn’t necessary. Marta had come to enjoy her life of leisure and luxury. She had become much more human and much less a spirit. Then, a week ago, a magistrate freed Mollo. It seems—and Mollo just can’t believe this is true—that there are actual mechanisms to review and reverse arrests, trials, and punishments. Given that Mollo got the first and the last without the second, the reviewing magistrate signed a release warrant. Finally free, and aware that someone wanted him removed, Mollo only desires to find Marta, make her his own, and flee Everthorn. He has no destination in mind. He has nothing in mind but finding Marta and getting gone. Grayles knows that Mollo is free and looking for Marta. He has turned to Ricenus to sort this problem out. Ricenus has uncovered a lot of secrets in the last ten months, and he has a fairly accurate picture of what happened with Mollo, Marta, Grayles, Florian and Valenta. He could kill Mollo, sure, but first he’d have to find him. Instead, Ricenus has decided to cover the tracks that lead to Marta, and the only way he knows to cover tracks is to bury them. Location The Old Bazaar is a neighbourhood in the Rummel, a slum district that stretches out East from the walls. West of the Old Bazzar is Little Sahel, and then New East Gate, both in the Rummel.
48 Names The names used in the adventure fall into two separate styles. Most of the residents of Everthorn had names based on Gallic/Gaelic names, while those from Little Sahel have names based on Arabic names.
Male Gaelic Female Gaelic Male Arabic Female Arabic
49 This man is a stringy, hard-faced, scarecrow, with dead, dark eyes and a hollow-cheeked face. His arms are spare, but roped with muscle, and on his right forearm, he sports a brand of the character for thief.
Concept: Recently released con +2
Faculty: Roughing people up (Phy) +2 Phy 12; Agl 9; Wit7; Cha 7; Wil 9
Mollo He used to run with the Red-Handed Rooks, who have since been swallowed up—none to happily—by the Dog Brothers. He got coined to the Cohorts, spent a year on the oars, and has been released. He doesn’t believe his good fortune and figures whoever coined him is looking to bury him. He wants to find Marta and go, just leave, find somewhere else. He will tell the characters anything he can. The problem is that if Mollo had the information the characters needed, he’d be able to find Marta himself. In this scenario, the main action takes place in the Old Bazaar, so basing the characters there is a good idea, but not necessary. If you are basing your characters elsewhere, you might need another situating dialogue, though likely not. The characters’ location is not as important as what happens when Mollo finds them.
The Old Bazaar
The Old Bazaar is nice for a slum. There’s some sense of order, the place doesn’t stink too bad, and most of the buildings are sturdy enough not to collapse. The locals will tell you this place used to be a major market, a caravan depot, until the walls got higher and the real trade moved into the city. That’s a nice piece of history, if you believe it. The fact is, like so many other places outside of the walls, people barely live behind walls of rotting wood and cracked plaster. The streets are of dirt, ready to turn to mud the instant moisture reaches them, with canals of stinking waste as borders. Where ever and however Mollo finds the characters, he is the initiator of the plot.
Opening You owe Mollo, the guy known as Smiles. It doesn’t matter why you owe him, because the debt has come due. To be honest, you’re glad. You don’t like being indebted to Mollo and you’ll be glad when it’s done. A knife-in-the-back kind of thug, he nevertheless came through for you once when you needed him, and the debt has hung over you ever since.
Mollo knows that someone betrayed him, sold him to the oars, and that same someone will likely bury him given the chance. He’s a relatively resourceful guy, for a knife-in-the-back thug, but he knows he can’t find Marta and keep in the shadows, so he’s calling in a favour. In the Old Bazaar, Mollo had been known as Smiles. He has a second smile just below his chin. Someone tried to settle an argument. It hadn’t worked. He also has the character for thief branded on his right forearm. Mollo doesn’t look like much, but word was that he had gutted more than 50 men. Those men of which you knew won’t be missed. It’s been over a year since you’ve seen Mollo in the Old Bazaar.
“There used to be a place out in the Old Bazaar called the Fox and Faun. There was a red-haired, well-rounded beauty from the Kingdoms there named Marta. She danced the veils. She was mine.”
50 “I went looking for her, went to the Faun, but Florian and the Three Corners Gang ain’t around there no more. The Dog Brothers have got the Faun, and they ain’t saying much. I found Nadr, one of Florian’s friends, and he said she’d gone, disappeared just before the Dogs got the Faun. He didn’t know anything else, at least nothing he was sharing with me.” “I just want to see her again. I just want to know she’s okay.” The one thing that Mollo can do for the character is direct them to Nadr. He’s not hard to find. Everyone in Little Sahel seems to know him. He’s got a room at a place in a flophouse near the Black Crossroads, facing the smithy beside the mule trader. If asked about the brand: “They put me at the oars for a year.” What did he do? “I didn’t do nothing. I wake up one morning with the Cohorts at the door and the next thing, I’m at the oars.” The Cohorts would be the Urban Cohorts—the force for order in Everthorn. Corrupt, violent and generally lazy, they are a force for order but not for justice. Mollo has spent the last year as a prisoner on one of Everthorn’s massive naval freighters. That’s what happens to thieves. The odd thing is that if someone wanted to get Mollo out of the way, why not simply kill him? If someone did sell Mollo into the oars, that person had a reason for not killing him. This has been bothering Mollo for the last year. He’s had plenty of time to think, but he can’t figure it out. Mollo knows that he got coined and that someone wants him disappeared. Other than that, he really knows nothing. He does have credibility in the Old Bazaar. The Red-Handed Rooks are no more, but Mollo’s work is remembered, and if he were to surface, he’d likely find a home with the Dog Brothers. But Mollo can’t surface—or at least rightly believes he can’t—because someone is out to get him. He survived the first attempt through the dumb luck of being the subject of an efficient bureaucrat, but he doesn’t know that. Mollo continually questions the reason for his release, and the only thing that makes sense to him is that whoever dumped him to the Cohorts has pulled strings to get him out and finish him. Taking on this job for Mollo nets each character a Fortune Point. They’re doing this to honour a debt, and in Everthorn, that’s impressive.
The Fox & Faun
While central to the plot, the Fox & Faun has little to offer the characters. No one remains that worked there during Marta’s time. Florian has disappeared and no one there knows how to contact him. Anyone from the Old Bazaar will know of the Fox & Faun. It’s rather notorious. It caters to those inside the walls, those with more coin than the slum dwellers in the Old Bazaar. They come to taste pleasures denied them inside. Florian ran the place until he disappeared about a year ago, in the Month of the Donkey. The Dog Brothers snatched up the place right quick. When Florian ran it for the Three Corners Gang, the Fox & Faun had been mostly pretty girls dancing, illicit things smoked with water pipes, and a particular brand of whores. Things changed. With the Dog Brothers now in charge, the place caters to worse men with worse dreams paying more money. Fewer men are coming from inside the walls, but those that do pay more.
The Fox & Faun
Outside of a building noticeably in better repair than any other in the area, four men lounge on and against a set of wood stairs leading up to a door. The landing before the door actually has railings. This doesn’t belong, not in the Old Bazaar. This must be something special. The shingle hanging beside the door has the images of a goat-legged man chasing a red fox. The building rises up three storeys. All its windows have closed shutters.
51 The four guards won’t give their names, but they will tell that Marta most certainly doesn’t work there. Of course, if the characters ask for Marta, that’s going to remind the guards of Mollo, and they’ll pass this information on to the new boss of the Faun, Edan Splitnose. He’ll in turn pass it on to Minas, leader of the Dog Brothers, who will tell Tynan, who will tell Grayles, who will put a fire under Ricenus . . . not literally. Asking about Marta might also lead to a meeting between the characters and a few select Ravens, sent by Tynan and led by Ricenus. Grayles is going to want to know if someone other than Mollo is looking for Marta, and if so, why. There may also be some suspicion that the characters are the ones who released Mollo—since Grayles, like Mollo, doesn’t believe that an oversight function actually worked as it should without someone paying a bribe. Edan Splitnose, master of the Fox & Faun This man has a sparse frame, dark eyes, a shaved head, and a flat nose that’s likely been broken more than once. That same nose has a slash along the left nostril. Concept: Gang leader +2 Faculty: The Beat Down +2 Phy 9; Agl 7; Wit7; Cha 12; Wil 9
52 A thin, dark-eyed scarecrow of a man, with sad eyes and a lined face Concept: Source +2 Phy 7; Int 9; Soc 12 Nadr was once a supplier of “rare items” for Florian at the Fox and Faun. He is connected through the Red Scarves, but not a part of that group, and had permission to trade with The Three Corners Gang, which protected Florian and his business. He remains a fixer and supplier protected by the Red Scarves and can be found in Little Sahel where he has a room at the inn at the sign of the Singing Swan. He has no compunction about telling what he knows, with the proper inducement. Coin will loosen his tongue with assurance. Threats might, but then he’ll only give out drips and drabs.
Little Sahel Abutting the Old Bazaar, and home to many arrivals from the deserts and coasts across the sea, Little Sahel has a bad reputation. It may well have earned it. The buildings look like the residents—worn, unsteady, and dangerous. Beggars appear at almost every alley corner or crossroad. Hawkers, artisans and merchants shout out their proclamations and pronouncements from their stalls and shops. Singing Swan Beneath a shingle with the characters for food and bed, a stairwell runs down about three hands below street level. The windows have closed, wood shutters.
Interior Inside, the smoke threatens to choke you, yet doesn’t entirely cover the stench of spoiled milk, stale beer, and damp. The straw on the floor squelches moistly underfoot. A few battered tables surround a single un-walled hearth. A hood of tin funnels some of the smoke up and through a pipe in the ceiling. To your left, a counter runs along the wall, with no drink or vessels in evidence.
Nadr At the end of the counter, against the far wall, sits a thin, dark-eyed scarecrow of a man, with eyes empty of feeling and a lined face.
His Room Is On The Second Floor
Everything about the inn sits between poorly maintained and totally decrepit. That includes the stairs that lead up to the second floor. Every one of them creaks, bends and threatens. Somehow, though, none actually break. The stairs empty out onto a hall which has six doors—three on either side—and ends in a bare wall.
Nice Place This room is totally at odds with the rest of the inn. The bed has a real feather mattress, and it looks astonishingly clean. The blanket is thick, the pillow plump. While there is little furniture, each piece reveals strength, durability, and restrained good taste. Other than the bed, this encompasses a small writing desk and a chair for it, an armoire, a cushioned seat, a small table beside that, and a stand with a washbasin and jug. There is also, unseen unless discovered, a pair of matched chests under the bed. They contain clothes—including what can only be called finery—and other personal items. Nadr knows that Marta disappeared about the same time Florian did, and he has his suspicions that they may have had a relationship. He knows for certain that she had someone other than Mollo. How she loved that monster,
53 Nadr cannot fathom, but she saw with different eyes, saw things other people didn’t. This is the first thing Nadr will reveal—it’s pretty straight stuff, easy to get off the street is you ask the right people. Florian’s wife—she was called Amthoris when she used to dance, but her name is Valenta—always suspected her husband had a relationship with Marta. Then, not more than a week after Mollo got chained, Valenta arrived home just in time to see Marta leaving. She stormed into the house to confront her husband, only to find him dead by the door in a pool of his own blood. Nadr will add this to make it look like he is giving something good. If he is threatened, this is as much as he’ll offer, unless prodded further. Valenta related this to him soon after Florian’s “death.” The Dog Brothers, who run the Fox & Faun now, already had Tynan and the Ravens’ permission to take it over when Florian and Marta disappeared. Florian may have known about this, but he never admitted it to Nadr. If Nadr is being threatened, and feels he needs to add something, he’ll add this. For coin or persuasion, he’ll willing divulge a little more that he learned of through his connections with the Red Scarves. Nadr doesn’t know what this could mean, but the Three Corners Gang made no move to protect the Faun or Florian, and there was no conflict with the Dog Brothers. In fact, the Three Corners have pretty much been amicably swallowed up by the Dog Brothers. This last little tidbit, Nadr saves for someone paying him well or someone whom he likes and/or trusts. This is gold. No one else knows this part. Nadr has a hard time believing Florian is dead except that the man’s wife saw him in a pool of blood. He tells it like this: “Florian asked me for a drug, something I had mentioned years before, when I first dealt with him. It makes a man appear dead, but he only sleeps. I told him where to find this, who to buy it from. But his wife, she saw the body. She saw the blood. He didn’t die in his sleep, he was knifed.” Nadr has spoken to Valenta since Florian’s disappearance, but she did not reveal any of her secrets to him. She never told him that the Cohorts had visited her and threatened her into silence. He also has not spoken to her in many months, saying she has become a drunkard. He can’t abide the smell of alcohol on her breath. She’s bitter and angry, and given her accommodations and apparent wealth, she certainly shouldn’t be. She lives in a fine home in New South Gate, right against the city walls—as rich an address as one could have outside the city proper. He can direct the characters there.
54 Pale skinned, empty eyes and limp hair, this woman looks as though she hasn’t eaten in days and hasn’t cared for longer. Concept: Embittered pseudo-widow +2 Phy 7; Int 12; Soc 9 Valenta knows that her husband has faked his own death and is now living as a common daggerman in the Old Bazaar using the name Vitello. She does not know, but certainly strongly suspects that her husband had an affair with Marta, the women Valenta originally believed had killed him. Over the last year, she has become bitter. Her husband visits her, is good to her, supports her, but he is her husband no longer. And it is Marta’s fault that he is not. But what can Valenta do? She does not know. What she has done is drink and wallow in bitterness and bile. The home which Florian/Vitello has provided her is in New South Gate, near the Three Steles
At New South Gate
You reach New South Gate, right against the city walls—as rich an address as one could have outside the city proper. The roads here are still dirt, the structures still frame and plaster, but the roads are tightly packed dirt, and the structures don’t threaten to collapse. Around you are artisans, merchants and common folk, with nary a whore or an emaciated waif in sight.
The Home The place isn’t large. Comfortable, maybe, and in an area like this, conspicuous. A white-washed brick wall surrounds it, and the black iron gate has the mark of the griffon atop it.
The Interior The door opens into a short, entry hall. To the left is a sitting room. To the right, a kitchen. At the end, stairs leading up. The home’s furnishings are minimal and functional, but attractive. The place is clean, it looks comfortable, but it lacks warmth. There is nothing personal to be seen. Valenta believes that Florian faked his own death so he could be with Marta. He told her it was due to his fear of the Dog Brothers. She never believed that. What she cannot understand is why Florian became Vitello. That would make sense if he were hiding from the Dog Brothers, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The rest of the Three Corners Gang joined the Dog Brothers, so why not Florian? It must have been because of Marta. But then why is he not with Marta? She does not know the answer to this. She suspects that Marta used him and has left him. So why has he not returned to her? He still loves the bitch, of course. Valenta remembers when she danced at the Faun—she danced the veil, much as Marta had—and how easy it was to manipulate Florian. A dangerous man with a strong will, perhaps, Florian proved extremely vulnerable to a beautiful face on a woman with a curvaceous body she would allow him to use. That body proved her most valuable negotiating tool. She believes the same is true of Marta, and that Florian remains under her sway. And perhaps more. Florian’s extreme devotion to Marta makes Valenta wonder if this is more than just a fine pair of hips and a full bosom. Did he drink a love potion? If he had, Marta likely would have received it from Nadr ibn Ali, whom Valenta knew. She spoke with him after Florian left her and she does not believe he provided any such thing to Marta. Is Marta a witch of some sort? Perhaps even a demonic seductress? The more Valenta has descended into her cups, the more she believes this to be a real possibility. She will tell nothing, even under threat of death. She can be tripped up, however. She refers to Florian in the present tense, such as “he loves Marta, that red-haired whore” or “he hates Mollo because the whore was his in the light of day.” If the characters reveal that they know Florian is alive, Valenta will relent. She will admit she knows this. She will tell the characters he faked his death to be with Marta. She will lie and say she does not know where he can be found. If the characters reveal that they intend to reunited Mollo and Marta, Valenta sees hope. She will express interest: what will Mollo do once he has his love restored to him? If the answer is that he’ll disappear, that he’ll take Marta away, Valenta will tell the characters that Florian will know where to find her, but that he’ll never reveal it willingly. She suggests they watch Florian. He’ll go to her soon enough, she is certain. After all, the bitch owns his heart. In the end, Valenta wants her husband back. He has ignored her. He has abused her trust. He has cheated on her. None of this, it seems, is enough to quash her love or desire for him. She wants Marta out of his life. She feels certain that with
55 Marta gone, she can recapture Florian’s affections. Too Late In covering the tracks that lead to Marta, Ricenus knows that Valenta is likely the easiest one to bury. He does not need to follow a trail of breadcrumbs to Valenta, he has known about her since beginning his work with Grayles, protecting Marta. Since there is the slightest possibility that Valenta could lead people to Marta, Ricenus decides to remove her. Ricenus intends to blame it the killing Florian/Vitello. He’s paid Croydon to have his Urban Cohorts lie in wait, promising them Vitello or one of his cronies will return. The ten cohorts will be hiding in the alleys flanking the walls of Valenta’s house. They will watch the house for a day at the most before getting bored and setting out to find Vitello. They might be spotted (five in one alley, five in the other) if the characters do a careful survey of the house. There’s also a watcher, pretending to be a sleeping drunk leaning against one of the Three Steles. The watcher will signal the others with a whistle once the characters enter the house (he can see the top of the door from his position, so once it opens, he’ll signal). Ricenus will reach Valenta the night after Mollo contacts the characters. If they don’t reach her before Ricenus does, the door will be slightly ajar, and you can add the following to the Interior description. The furnishings and decoration do not draw your attention. No, your attention is drawn by the body on the floor. It’s a woman, lying face down in a pool of blood.
The Urban Cohorts will wait in the front of the house, knowing there is no back exit. The Cohorts will arrive the hour after Ricenus murders Valenta, and will remain waiting for a day—in shifts—before giving up hope of ambushing Vitello, and setting out to hunt him down. Just outside of the gate, loitering against the wall, peaked helmets cradled in their arms, ten of the Urban Cohorts in their red-rimmed cloaks and hardened leather breastplates, wielding the truncheons that marked their status, wait for you. The cohort with the bronze bracers of a centurion and the eyes of a jackal smiles. “We want words with you.” Croydon wants to know which of the characters is Vitello. If none of them admit to being Vitello, he wants to know where “the murderer is hiding.” If they claim to know nothing, Croydon will want to “question” them further. He’ll tell them to drop any weapons. If the characters comply, they’ll be tied, taken into the alley and beaten. Croydon admits that he believes the characters. The beating is in case he’s wrong. He wants them to pass on a message. The Cohorts know what Vitello did, they’ll find him and bury him. Ricenus sends his greetings. Croydon’s Corrupted Cohorts are there to intimidate the characters and possibly beat some information out of them. It is possible, of course—and in some campaigns, damn likely—that the characters will turn the tables on the Cohorts and have a chance to get some information out of them. The Cohorts are not intent on killing the characters, but if faced with deadly force, will respond in kind. They have short swords as well as truncheons. Should the characters best the Cohorts, they are more than willing to talk out of fear for their lives. Ricenus tipped them off that Vitello of the Old Bazaar had been hired to off Valenta. They were told that no one would stand trial. Just take care of it. He dropped a few coins for it. They know Ricenus as one of Grayles men. Grayles is a rich merchant who lives in the Right Bank. He’s tight with “Dark River” Tynan and totally protected. Croydon Slim and sharp-featured, with the eyes of a jackal, this man wears the red-rimmed cloak, hardened leather breastplate, and peaked helmet of the Urban Cohorts. The truncheon at his side is a mark of that status, just as the bronze bracers are a mark of his rank: centurion. Concept: Centurion +2 Faculty: Fight Dirty (Phy) +2 Phy 12; Agl 9; Wit7; Cha 7; Wil 9
56 This man walks with confidence, his stride sinuous, his dark eyes darting around, his thin-lipped mouth set with determination. Concept: Dagger-man +4 Faculty: Knifeplay (Phy) +2 Background: low-level gang +2 Flaw: Must Possess Marta -2 Phy: 12; Agl: 15; Wit: 9 Cha: 9 Wil: 12 Fast (Agl) +4; Life on the Streets (Wit) +2 Vitello, known as Florian before Mollo’s disappearance and the Dog Brothers taking over the Faun, has clued in that a storm is coming. He’s heard that Mollo is out and asking for Marta. He knows enough about Ricenus to know that if he gets off his leash, there’s going to be blood. He’s been keeping his eyes and ears open, and knows the characters are asking around about Marta. Between the characters and Ricecnus, Vitello figures the former are his best bet.
The Tenement off Jewelwright’s Course
Valenta could have directed the characters straight to her husband’s whereabouts, but not his address. She knows he resides off the Jewelwright’s Course in the Old Bazaar, near the white bell tower, but nothing more than that. However, spreading some coin around the area will get the characters information. Vitello is known. He’s the sicarae, the dagger-man, known to work for heavies from out of the Banks. The character might even get pointed to the tenement in which Vitello resides, and in which he reputedly owns the entire second floor.
Tenements above the merchants and workshops of the Jewelwright’s Course are common, and the small street that leads from the Course past the white bell tower is no different. The street is barely wide enough for a single cart to pass through, though it widens near the bell tower. That tower, now more properly called the tarnished and chipped light brown bell tower, marks the passage of hours in the Old Bazaar. Should Ricenus have reached Valenta first, he would have learned of Vitello’s residence. He’s in the area, looking for Vitello, and spreading money around. That money is going to buy him the information he wants, but it is also making waves in the Old Bazaar, waves which will alert Vitello that someone is out to get him. He won’t be home when Ricenus torches his tenement—an act of desperation and frustration rather than a well-considered strategy.
There’s not much left of the tenement off Jewelwright’s Course, facing the white bell tower—which, honestly, is more of a sickly grey. Collapsed, burnt timbers and a few smouldering bodies being cleaned up by the black- gowned vigiles is all that remains. Vigiles are the firefighters and watch force for the city of Everthorn. They are not armed like the Cohorts, but are supposed to be supported by them. Vitello is actually waiting for the characters. He’s been trying to keep tabs on them since he found out they were hunting for Marta. He wants to speak to them on his terms. Speaking On His Terms The crowd parts. Standing there, smiling cruelly, are five axe-wielding men, big and beefy if mostly with fat. They wear patchwork armour, but their axes look functional enough. Behind you are another five. They eye you with confidence—dirty, greasy, but with a bully’s assurance and numbers on their sides. Passing through the middle of these is another man. He walks with confidence, his stride sinuous, his dark eyes darting around, his thin-lipped mouth set with determination. “We need to talk, you and I, and I would prefer not to end the conversation dead. You stay friendly, and this will all end well. Do we understand each other?”
Vitello/Florian knows more than almost anyone save Marta. He has figured that Ricenus is after him to cut off the trail to Marta, though why, he’s not certain. He can’t think of a good reason for Marta to send Ricenus to bury the truth. He has his suspicions why Grayles would do so—what with Mollo on the hunt—though he expects that Marta must know what is going on. He already has a fair idea of who the characters are and who they work for, and if they are honest with him, he’ll deal fair with them. If they lie to him and he catches them in it, he won’t totally trust them. He’ll warn them off, telling them that that an assassin named Ricenus is out to remove anyone who knows about Marta. He’ll provide
57 information on Marta, Grayles, Tynan, everyone but himself. If the parley goes well, he’ll throw in his lot with the group. End of the Parlay After a pensive moment of jaw scratching, Vitello gives a word to the men and they start to disperse, apparently disappointed. He goes to the side of the road and sits, hanging his head. “I knew her, knew Marta when she danced for Mollo and played with Grayles. I knew all about them, but either of them would have buried me if they knew my part. Mollo didn’t scare me in the daylight, but even I have to sleep. Grayles, . . . well, he’s got money, and people with money do whatever the Hells they want.” “She’s his. I know that. Everyone knows that. She went to him, went to Grayles after he framed Mollo. She had no idea what had happened. I wasn’t about to tell her. I didn’t know what she’d do. For everything that she did to men, everything she does, she’s naïve. She doesn’t understand just how bad a man like Grayles can be. Or a man like Mollo. Or even me. She’s ridiculous, but she’s like a disease. Once she’s in you, she never leaves.” “I wanted to follow her. I needed her. I faked my death with Nadr’s potion. I left my wife, left everything, and Florian became Vitello, a knife-man in the Old Bazaar that Grayles could use. It kept me close to Marta, but too far away. It’s been a year, a year and I’ve barely seen her. I’ve spoken maybe ten words to her, and I gave it all up for her.” “If you want her, I can take you to her. She’s in the Old Bazaar as well. Grayles set her up right, but not too close. She’s his secret, just like I thought I would be hers.”
58 This assumes the characters find Marta. If they do there are a couple of possible endings detailed here, but these are simply two based on the most general of themes, and your players might have created a story so far removed from the expected that the climax will likewise be unexpected. Grayles has maintained Marta in an expensive manorhouse in Little Sahel, off the Decanter Way, beside the Three Draw Well. The area has three of Ricenus thugs watching it, and after he offs Valenta, Ricenus will be found here, along with Marta.
The Manorhouse This corner of Little Sahel looks like it belongs inside the walls. Many of the homes are made of brick or stone, and all are nicely painted, with tiled roofs and red chimneys. One home stands out from the rest. A couple of stories and surrounded by a wall taller than most men, it is built of brick but painted white, with bright green tiles on the roof. Over the iron gate is the sign of a mermaid.
The Interior As promised by its façade, this home is richly appointed. Its walls are papered in red and ivory stripes. It has landscapes and seascapes in paints hung in frames along the walls of the foyer, along with a bench on each wall flanking the door. In most cases, the characters will not proceed beyond this point. However, if for whatever reason they do, the rest of the house is tastefully, fashionably, and expensively decorated.
Provided here are two endings, one grim and the other simply gritty. The ending used depends on the style of campaign or how the players have approached the situation. These are by not means the only possible endings, just two in keeping with the dark atmosphere of the source material. The characters may want to bring Mollo with them to the manorhouse, assuming that Marta will, in fact, be there. In the “Grim Ending” they will not be able to find Mollo. He might be around for the “Gritty Ending,” and if so, he will learn—either through the characters, Florian (whom he will know on sight) or some other party. Marta herself won’t wish to tell him, but she will. She has changed that much, at least. Grim Ending While this ending is in keeping with the tone of noir and hardboiled fiction, sword & sorcery usually has a slightly more upbeat ending. Also, this ending might make the characters feel as though they have accomplished nothing. That’s not really a great reward for working hard.
As you reach the manorhouse, you notice the street emptying of people. Give the players time to react, but not too much time.
Behind you, a knot of Urban Cohorts advance. Coming out of alleys leading off the road come more Cohorts, led by a shaven headed man, with deep-set, dark eyes, broad shoulders, powerful arms, and a barrel chest. He has a sword in hand. Beside him is a man whose dark hair is greying at the temples. His shoulders are wide, but not in proportion to his belly. He saunters out to the middle of the street, thumbs stuck in his belt. “You were looking for her, yes? Looking for Marta who danced the veil at the Fox and Faun? She’s gone. You’ll not find her and neither will I.” He pauses, his eyes narrowing. “Surely you can guess my name.” Yes, this is Grayles, with Ricenus beside him. There are a total of 20 Cohorts, ten in front and ten behind the characters. Croydon will be with the Cohorts if he has not already met his fate. Grayles knows everything, knows about his wife’s infidelity, everything. He doesn’t care. That no longer matters. He’s ordered Vitello’s death. If Vitello
59 is with the characters, one of the Cohorts will put him down with a crossbow bolt. The characters can, of course, note the Cohort raising the crossbow and decide how to react. If the characters try anything violent, the Cohorts and Ricenus are playing for keeps. Ricenus wants the characters dead, and Grayles couldn’t care less. If the characters play it cool tough, Grayles will explain everything in a traditional Bond villain monologue.
“You knew her as Marta. Her name was Drosera. Do you understand the significance? She was a spirit of water, something natural yet magical the same. No man who heard her voice could ever forget her.” His hands clench into fists. “I don’t know how that mindless brute attracted her, but she had a kind heart. When she danced, she still had a heart, you know. He touched her somehow.” Grayles sighs, his eyes unfocused. “She’s gone now. She feared you would reveal her for what she was. When can a siren ever leave her island? When can one touched by the divine ever escape the gods? She had. She did. But none of that matters now. You have chased her off. You’ve taken the only thing that matters to me.” Grayles’ thin lips draw taut over perfectly white teeth. “Your client is gone also. Smiling Mollo, or at least what is left of him, lies now at the bottom of the sea. At least I will have the satisfaction of knowing he will never paw at her again.” “You are men with uses.” Grayles turns, walking away from the manorhouse. “I sometimes need men with uses. Vitello, or Florian, or whatever he called himself, lived beyond his usefulness. He became annoying. Don’t annoy me, gentlemen.” With a gesture, the Cohorts fall in step with Grayles. They march away.
Gritty Ending This one still ain’t pretty, but at least there is a sense of accomplishment and closure. This remains the noir and hardboiled sensibility, but is not as fatalistic as the first. The characters find Marta, and might even reunite Mollo with her—if only extremely briefly—but this ain’t no fairy tale ending.
Just past the gate, on the step of the portico before the door sits a shaven headed man, with deep-set, dark eyes, broad shoulders, powerful arms, and a barrel chest. He rises and pulls on a cord beside the door. A bell tinkles gently within. Ricenus makes no move to bar the characters. He’s just waiting for them. Marta has told him not to do anything violent.
He opens the door and gestures for you to enter.
Use the Interior description above for the foyer. Given that Marta is speaking to the group, each character will need to make a Willpower Test against her Voice of the Sea. Any applicable Quality can be used as part of this Test.
Standing at the far end of the room is a woman whose flawless, marble skin contrasts with her flowing red hair. Her curvaceous figure moves with fluid grace. “You are persistent and capable. My patron would do well to use you if you bear him no ill will. I am sorry to say that your persistence will not profit you, or the man for whom you sought me. I am not the woman Mollo remembers. I am not a woman at all. I have, though, taken on many unwelcome traits usually assigned to one. “I come from the sea, and my voice has that of the sea that seduces men and calls them to it. When I first took this form, I saw the best in men, I saw the spark of goodness that I could stoke into a fire. Now I have been seduced by comfort and luxury. Becoming more a mortal, I have lost the gift of my sight. “I have nothing more to offer Mollo. Tell him what you will, but tell him I am no longer his. The Marta he knew is gone, perhaps dead to this world. I thank you for your troubles, and I bid you good day.” If Mollo is in attendance, Ricenus will try to warn him off at the door.
60 Yeah, you’re welcome in, but you might want to wait outside, Smiles. You’re not going to like what you find. Mollo will turn to the characters for advice. He’ll do what the characters recommend. If he goes in and faces Marta she will make basically the same speech, but she’ll be talking to Mollo directly. Upon hearing her speak to him in this manner, her spell will be broken, and he’ll be able to leave her. If Vitello is in attendance, Ricenus will warn him as well, but in a different way.
I can’t gut you here and now, Vitello, but be sure it’s coming. You’ve been marked. You might live if you disappear. If you’re in the city at sunrise, you can count yourself dead. As the group leaves, Ricenus will speak to them.
You boys are useful. Grayles is impressed. He ain’t happy with you working for Mollo, but he’s impressed. You need work, you might want to look him up. Whatever happens, you can find me here, you need to talk to him.
Ricenus Shaven headed, with deep-set, dark eyes, this man has broad shoulders, powerful arms, and a barrel chest. Concept: Bodyguard +2 Background: Street Thug +2 Faculty: Fuck You Up (Phy) +2 Flaw: Only the Direct Route -2 Phy: 15; Agl: 12; Wit: 9 Cha: 12 Wil: 9 Fisticuffs (Phy) +2; Bloodhound (Wit) +2; Swordsmanship (Phy) +4 Ricenus is intent on burying all the paths that lead to Marta from her past life. Like every other man, Ricenus has become infatuated with her. It’s not that he thinks he can ever take her away from Grayles, so his infatuation exhibits himself in absolute devotion, including his extreme solution to the return of Mollo. He has kept that knowledge from Marta, and hopes she never realizes the man to whom she first gave herself has returned—and, in fact, did not leave her of his own volition. Grayles This man has dark hair, greying at the temples. His shoulders are wide, but not in proportion to his belly. Concept: Protected wealthy merchant +2 Phy 7; Int 12; Soc 9 Grayles has done much to keep Marta, and he’s willing to do a lot more. He has become, however, somewhat realistic in his expectations. He now believes he might lose Marta. He’s not happy about that, but he got where he is by being pragmatic and cold-hearted. That will serve him well whatever the outcome. Marta Flawless, marble skin contrasts with flowing red hair that tops a curvaceous figure, moving with fluid grace. Concept: Naiad +2 Background: the Goddess Dancer +2 Faculty: Attracting adoration (Cha) +4 Flaw: Naïve -2 Phy: 7; Agl: 9; Wit: 12 Cha: 18 Wil: 7 Rare Beauty (Cha) +2; Tied to the Earth (Arcane Magic): Voice of the Sea (Cha) +4 Marta is in truth Drosera, a naiad water spirit who has taken the form of a mortal to taste life. She lacks many of the social stigmas common among the society of mortals. She has proven to have issues with monogamy. During her time with Mollo, she had an affair with Florian and then became Grayles’ mistress. She is not a bad person, she just has poor impulse control. She lied to Grayles about Florian, fearing he would disappear as Mollo did. She told Grayles that she had, in fact, killed Florian because he threatened her. She fears being revealed as a naiad both due to the reaction it would likely invoke among mortals and the chance she would be found and called back to the sea. She has learned she likes being mortal and the comforts it can offer.
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept: Barbaric champion, Good
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: Northern Barbarian, Good Poor -4 5 Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Swordplay, Good Trait? Phy Great +4 15 Flaw: Barbaric honour, Basic Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
Trait Ranks Linked Qualities
Physique Great Brute Force (Great); Pantherine Prowess (Good)
Agility
Wit
Charisma Good
Will
Pivots: Deeds of renown will bring me glory. An Advance for putting own life at significant risk — such as facing overwhelming odds or a clearly superior opponent — in order to gain some kind of victory.
Notes:
Copyright Sword's Edge Publishing 2011
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept: Gentleman of the Road, Good
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: Failed Scholar Poor -4 5 Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Flexible, Good Trait? Agl Great +4 15 Flaw: Curiosity of the Cat, Good Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
Trait Ranks Linked Qualities
Physique
Agility Good Swordplay (Good); Nimble Fingers (Good)
Wit Been There, Done That (Good)
Charisma Good Charming Rogue (Good)
Will
Pivots: Skills best brawn. An Advance when the character uses cunning or strategy to achieve success against a superior, noteworthy, or particularly nasty opponent.
Notes:
Copyright Sword's Edge Publishing 2011
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept: Confidence Man, Good
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: Raised on the Street Poor -4 5 Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Fast Talk, Good Trait? Cha Great +4 15 Flaw: Trail of Lies, Basic Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
Trait Ranks Linked Qualities
Physique
Agility
Wit Good I Know What you are Thinking (Good)
Charisma Good Social Chameleon (Good), Damn Fine (Good),
Word on the Street (Good) Will
Pivots: I’m so good, I could sell ice to polar bears. An Advance when the character succeeds in an elaborate ruse against a superior opponent.
Notes:
Copyright Sword's Edge Publishing 2011
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept: Mercenary, Good
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: ex-Monastic Order, Good Poor -4 5 Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Scrounging, Good Trait? Cha Great +4 15 Flaw: Papa needs a brand new bag, Basic Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
Trait Ranks Linked Qualities
Physique
Agility Good Swordplay (Great), Fancy Footwork (Good)
Wit
Charisma Good Putting on My War Face (Good)
Will
Pivots: I do what I need to win. An Advance when the character does some- thing unorthodox and dangerous in order to succeed at a task.
Notes:
Copyright Sword's Edge Publishing 2011
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept: Knight Without the Title, Good
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: 3rd Son of Impoverished Nobility, Poor -4 5 Good Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Deeds of Arms, Good Trait? Phy Great +4 15 Flaw: I must Punish the Guilty, Basic Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
Trait Ranks Linked Qualities
Physique Good Knightly Deeds (Great), Lightning Fast (Good)
Agility
Wit
Charisma Good Man of Honour (Good)
Will
Pivots: Evil will always fail if men of good heart stand fast. An Advance for putting own life at significant risk — such as facing overwhelming odds or a clearly superior opponent — in order to protect an innocent or foil evil.
Notes:
Copyright Sword's Edge Publishing 2011
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept: Sorcerer, Good
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: Too Smart Farmer’s Son, Good Poor -4 5 Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Scholarly, Good Trait? Wit Great +4 15 Flaw: I am Smarter than You, Basic Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
Trait Ranks Linked Qualities
Physique
Agility
Wit Great Master of Languages (Good), Mage of Fire,
Charm of Revealing (Good), Word of Fire (Great) Charisma
Will Good
Pivots: I will learn those secrets forbidden to others. An Advance for uncovering arcane or ancient knowledge previously unknown or feared.
Notes:
Copyright Sword's Edge Publishing 2011
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept: Thief, Good
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: Whore’s Child, Good Poor -4 5 Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Agile, Good Trait? Agl Great +4 15 Flaw: Must be in control, Basic Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
Trait Ranks Linked Qualities
Physique
Agility Good Fancy Fencing, Great; Cat Burglar, Good;
Sleight of Hand, Good Wit
Charisma Good
Will
Pivots: I will take from the rich and give to the poor. An Advance for successfully transferring wealth in a criminal manner to those in need
Notes:
Copyright Sword's Edge Publishing 2011
Character Record Sheet Name: Concept:
Ranks Modifier Target Number
Weak -6 3 Background: Poor -4 5 Basic -2 7 Average 0 9 Good +2 12 Faculty: Trait? Great +4 15 Flaw: Exceptional +6 18 Reputation: Legendary +8 21
