They Came from the North

A fantasy Play-by-Post game run by Max.

Threads

Interest

IC

OOC

Player Characters

Civil Savage

Gruffalo Crumble

JeStor

Leitz

Megazver

ru

Supporting Cast

An NPC - Just some dude.

Another NPC - Some different dude.

Peoples

Dwarves

Subterranean mountain vikings. They are short and stocky, built for power rather than speed or endurance, and as a culture have a strong isolationist streak. On the whole, they are the most technologically advanced group in the world, and jealously guard many truly amazing mechanical wonders in their fortress cities high in the mountains. Only a dwarf, or in a very rare case a human or elf trained by dwarves, can take the Arcane Background (Weird Science).

starting Strength d6
free edge: Brawny

Elves

Shamanistic woodland hunter-gatherers. Elves have keen senses and light builds, well suited to their mobile arboreal lifestyle. They live in traveling tribes of variable sizes anywhere there are deep woods to hunt and forage in. Indifferent metal workers at best, they get their metal weapons and tools mostly in trade for precious furs and skins; however, their artisans are highly skilled with leather, bone and carved wood, and flint knapping is a valued and prestigious (though mostly obsolete) skill. Elven mages are typically shamans and spiritists with the Arcane Background (Miracles).

starting Agility d6
free edge: Alertness

Humans

They're everywhere, like cockroaches - in large part because they're also about as tenacious and adaptable. Concentrated along trade routes and bodies of water, large human cities dot the western plains and south-east coastal regions, while nomadic tribes roam the arid eastern steppes and islanders sail all along the southern coast and even into the Outer Ocean. Most human communities also include important minority groups of other races, present for various economical, political and personal reasons. Practically all wizards of any race have studied the arcane arts in human academies, and most human mages have the Arcane Background (Magic).

starting Vigor d6
free edge: any

Orcs

Invading hordes of previously unknown barbarians from the unexplored North. Unintelligible and assumed uncivilized. The new universal bogeyman of choice.

not currently feasible as a PC race

Geography

The area shown on this map is roughly the size of Europe.

City States

Scores of small nations.

Taldra - A major political power in the north, situated at the crossroads of several important trade routes. The Taldrish language has spread wide and far with its merchants, and is commonly spoken along most major roads and caravan runs north of the empires.

The Holy Empire

A long-standing alliance of three priest-kings, who claim to rule by divine right as the earthly representatives of their three gods.

Kalarian Empire

An expansionistic but largely benevolent tyranny.

Outer Ocean

Beyond the southern islands spread the deep waters of the boundless Ocean. Particularly brave or daft sailors sometimes cast off in search of far southern shores, but none have returned successful and many not at all.

Gear

Armor

Cap - Protective headwear made of hardened leather or padded cloth. The cloth version can be worn under a helm.

Armor +1
Covers head
A raise on the attack roll bypasses completely

Open helm - Light metal headgear, doesn't obstruct vision but leaves the face open to attack.

Armor +2
Covers head
A raise on the attack roll bypasses completely

Full helm - A fully enclosing helmet, protects the whole head but hampers the senses somewhat. These are often visored, in which case you can turn it into an open helm (or back again) in 1 action.

Armor +2
Covers head
Notice -2

Leather/cloth - Armor made of hardened leather or padded cloth, usually in the form of a knee-length coat called a "jack".

Armor +1
Covers torso, legs and arms

Reinforced leather/cloth - Consists of leather or cloth armor with some mail in strategic locations. Typically made piecemeal from bits and pieces looted from the battlefield.

Armor +2
Covers torso, arms and legs
A raise on the attack roll decreases armor by 1

Mail - A long-sleeved, knee-length coat made of interwoven iron rings over a padded undergarment.

Armor +2
covers torso, arms and legs

Reinforced mail - Mail armor with various arrangements of metal plates on top for added protection.

Armor +3
Covers torso, arms and legs
A raise on the attack roll decreases armor by 1

Shields

Small shield - Typically round or square wooden shields, reinforced with leather and metal fittings, about a foot in diameter.

Damage Str+d4
Parry +1
You can use the shield hand to wield a weapon, but won't get the shield's parry bonus while doing so

Medium shield - Round or heater-shaped wooden shields. Usually about two feet wide, large enough to completely cover the wielder's torso.

Damage Str+d4
Parry +1
Provides light cover against ranged attacks

Large shield - Oval, rectangular or kite-shaped shields at least two feet wide and around four tall, covering the wielder from below the knee to above the shoulders.

Damage Str+d4
Parry +2
Provides medium cover against ranged attacks

Weapons

Dagger - A shortish blade usually around a foot long, light enough to throw and sometimes specifically balanced for flight. Everybody should have one, just in case!

Damage Str+d4
1-handed
Range 3/6/12 if thrown

Short sword - A one-handed blade, significantly larger than a dagger but too light and short to make use of two hands.

Damage Str+d6
Parry +1
1-handed

Long sword - A longer and heavier blade on a hilt large enough for two hands, but still light enough to use in one hand. Popular with horsemen.

Damage Str+d8
Parry +1
1/2-handed

Great sword - A massive sword, over five feet long, too large and heavy for one-handed use. Mainly carried by elite infantry.

Damage Str+d10
Parry +1
2-handed

Hand axe - A ubiquitous light tool and/or weapon, with a simple blade on the end of a wooden haft about two feet long.

Damage Str+d6
AP 1
Range 3/6/12 if thrown
1-handed

Battle axe - A larger and heavier axe, with up to four feet of haft and a broad blade, sometimes equipped with spikes or a hammerhead.

Damage Str+d8
AP 1
1/2-handed

Great axe - An extremely heavy axe, too large for one hand. Used by shock troops and barbarian warriors.

Damage Str+d10
AP 1
2-handed

Club - A light bludgeon, usually made of wood or bone. Often an improvised weapon.

Damage Str+d4
1-handed

Mace - A bludgeon with a metal head, often flanged or spiked, and possibly a metal haft as well.

Damage Str+d6
AP 2
1-handed

Flail - A metal bludgeon with a short chain connecting the head to the haft. Hits hard, and can wrap around parries.

Damage Str+d6
AP 2
Parry -1
Ignore parry bonuses from weapons and shields
1-handed

Staff - A stout pole of wood, typically around seven or eight feet long.

Damage Str+d6
Reach 1"
Parry +1
2-handed

Spear - A wooden pole with a light blade on one end. One of the most common weapons in the world.

Damage Str+d8
Reach 1"
Range 3/6/12 if thrown
1/2-handed

Pike - An extra long spear.

Damage Str+d8
Reach 2"
2-handed

Polearms - A myriad different weapon forms that all boil down to a heavy blade on the end of a sturdy pole.

Damage Str+d10
Reach 1"
2-handed

Sling - A strip of leather or braided length of cord that adds leverage and power to a flung stone or bullet.

Range 6/12/24
Damage Str+d4
1-handed

Short bow - A light, compact bow used by hunters and skirmishers everywhere.

Range 12/24/48
Damage 2d6
Minimum Strength d6
2-handed

Long bow - A bow with an especially long and powerful stave, most often used by professional archers.

Range 18/36/72
Damage 2d6
Minimum Strength d8
2-handed

Crossbow - These use a much shorter but more powerful stave to launch a heavier projectile, giving them shorter range but more penetrating power.

Range 12/24/48
Damage 2d6
AP 2
Takes 1 action to reload if stationary, 2 actions if moving
Minimum Strength d6
2-handed to reload, can be fired 1-handed with a -2 penalty

Houserules

Guts

Every use of this skill is covered by Spirit, instead. Just pretend it doesn't exist.

Languages

A character knows a number of languages equal to half their Smarts die, plus one for each point put into Knowledge (languages) skill. Most nations and states have their own language that shares more or less elements with their closest neighbours. Some other notable languages include:

Coastal Pidgin - A ragtag amalgam of dozens of tongues used as an informal lingua franca all along the southern coast.
Elvish - A loose but intimately related family of tongues and dialects spoken by the elven tribes. Has no native written form.
Hissing - The supple, sibilant tongue of the nomadic serpent peoples, widely spoken in the eastern steppes and the south-east lowlands. It is written with one continuous line, the letters formed by knots and bends.
Holy Tongue - A formal language used by the clergy and nobility of the Holy Empire.
Kalarish - The common language of the Kalarian empire, where knowing it is a requirement for citizenship.
Sidereal - A highly precise and logical language known only to mages and scholars, allegedly spoken by gods that descended from the stars in ancient times.
Taldrish - The language of Taldra, a northern city state and important center of trade, commonly spoken along most inland trade routes.

Parry Bonuses

Parry bonuses from weapons don't stack with those from other weapons. Likewise, shield bonuses don't stack with those from other shields. Weapons' parry bonuses do stack with shields', though, and vice versa.

Replacement Characters

If a PC dies, the player can make a new one with the same amount of XP the late character had at the moment of death.

Two-Handed Weapons

Using a melee weapon in two hands increases the character's Strength die type one step for the purposes of minimum strength and damage with that weapon. For example, a character with Strength d8 can use a great sword (damage Str+d10) in two hands with no attack penalty for 2d10 damage.

You cannot use a two-handed weapon while riding.

External Links

Invisible Castle - the online dice roller

Savagepedia - the Savage Worlds wiki