A Player's Guide for the
"Pirates of Dark Water"
Campaign


Background
"The Pirates of Dark Water" was a cartoon show from the late eighties. The text on the front page was the opening monologue for every show, and it pretty much explains the whole plot. From what I am able to recall, when the show fizzled and went off the air after 21 episodes, Ren and his friends had only recovered half of the thirteen treasures. This campaign is an excuse to relive that great (in my opinion) cartoon and follow in its footsteps and spirit.

All of the characters in this campaign are going to be the crew (or passengers) of a single ship who have decided to help Ren in his quest to recover the lost Thirteen Treasures of Rul (specifically, the remaining seven that were not found during the broadcast of the original show). While each has their own reasons, they form a united group working for the good of the entire planet. Naturally, this makes them targets for those who have less than an altruistic nature...

Geography
Mer is a water world. The relatively small amount of land that exists takes the form of numerous small (no more than a few miles wide) islands which are scattered across the surface of its oceans. Some of the islands are low-lying, nothing more than a swamp. Others are rocky, and rise sharply to high mountain peaks. Most are fairly dry, with coastal plains surrounding hill country. The oceans themselves are relatively shallow, no more than a few hundred feet deep across most of the planet, and are even shallower near the islands.

The skies of Mer are filled with an impressive array of heavenly bodies. At almost all times, the crown of an immense ringed planet can be seen jutting up over the horizon. This bloated red giant is called "The Fire Moon" by the natives of Mer, due to its red glow and the heat which it provides. There are two other, more proper moons, which orbit in Mer's skies. These are called "The Bright Moon" and "The Shadow Moon" by the natives. The Bright Moon is a silver sphere, which always appears full in the sky. When appearing at night, its glow adds to that of the Fire Moon and makes for a very bright night. The Shadow Moon is a dark body, which tends to blend into the night sky and be lost in the haze of day. Its presence is mainly known through its shadow, which can be seen when it passes in front of the Fire Moon, or eclipses either the Bright Moon or the single sun of the planet. In addition to the sun and three moons, the night sky of Mer boasts an impressive array of stars.

Climate
The presence of the Fire Moon, along with the numerous currents of the shallow seas, makes for a warm climate. Most of Mer experiences a tropical climate and warm waters. This makes for a near-constant growing season - a boon considering that the amount of farm land is extremely limited. The forests on the islands are more properly termed jungles, and teem with life. Humidity is only a problem in the jungles, as the constant breezes which make sailing easy also keep things cool. However, just because the climate is balmy, that doesn't mean it is gentle. The moons of Mer make for very violent weather and dangerous tides. Storms can brew up at a moment's notice, and certain channels of the sea actually become dry land during low tide. Most of the civilized lands lie in the broad tropical zone. Closer to the poles lies a more temperate zone, with arctic conditions only possible at the poles themselves and on the side Mer which cannot see the Fire Moon.

The omnipresent heat shapes every aspect of life on Mer. Resting (or at least slowing the pattern of business) is common during the midday hours. Bazaars are busy during the early morn and late afternoon. But in between they may be empty, save for a few dozing businessmen and half-crazed barbers flashing their blades in the sun. The most obvious concession to climate is dress. Loose clothing is preferred to tight-fitting styles. More importantly, the heat also affects a native's choice in armor. The heavy plate found in other worlds is a rarity here, used for occasional pomp and ceremony if at all. Full metal plate armor, encasing the body from head to toe, is virtually unknown. The reason for this is simple: heavy armor makes movement difficult and even dangerous in a hot (or aquatic) climate.

Culture
Mer is a water world. The natives live either on the numerous islands or else on the oceans themselves in fleets of clan ships. A minority of races live beneath the surface - be it wet or dry. But regardless of where one lives, the ocean is the foundation of life and civilization. The vast majority of food and resources come from the sea, and all transportation is done by ship. Since the islands are only a few miles wide, there is not a lot of open land for farming. Most islands in civilized waters support only a pair of villages, or a single large town. The lack of large areas of land has completely eliminated any concept of using animals as mounts. While pack animals exist, the thought of riding one never occurs to anyone.

Due to the relative scarcity of resources on the islands, much of the culture is focused on trade and travel. Many ships travel the sea lanes between the islands, carrying cargo for sale and trade. And of course, pirates also sail the lanes looking for plunder. This constant activity of trade has created a very active economy, such that there isn't really a peasant class. Everyone has the opportunity to be equal; all that matters is how much money you have. So rather than peasant and noble, there is merely rich and poor. (Thus, there is no concept of caste system, also known as station.) The culture is based on the gold standard (gold coins are called "krugars" and silver coins are called "glorns").

In addition to the pervasive nautical influences, the culture of Mer also shows strong Arabian overtones - particularly in styles of dress and speech. However, there are some differences from the typical Arabian setting. Religion is not as important as it is in most Arab cultures, nor is the belief in Fate. For the most part, it doesn't matter who (or what) a person is, only what they can do. There are two exceptions to this general air of racial tolerance. First, the monkey-birds are primarily looked down upon as nothing more than pets as they have been a slave race for centuries. The other exception is that women are not held in equal regard as men. This can lead to a man underestimating those few women who seek to adventure with their male counterparts.

There are three general political forces at work on Mer. The first is the islanders. For the most part, each island can be considered an independent city-state with it's own laws and cultural values. Occasionally, a few islands which lie close to one another will form a loose alliance - more for mutual protection than anything else. The rare exception to this isolationist attitude is the kingdom of Octopon. A full two score of islands pay tribute and pledge allegiance to the Wave Throne. The second political force are the ship-folk, also called wave riders. These people can be nomadic tribes, living on fleets of clan ships, who have no interest beyond their own clan; or they can be ruthless pirate lords, who claim vast stretches of oceans as their personal hunting grounds. The most powerful of these pirate lords is Bloth - who claims all of Mer as his domain and willingly violates the territories of the other lords. The third political group is rarely seen by the islanders or the wave riders. They are the under dwellers, the ones who either breathe water and live beneath the waves or shun both land and sea and live deep underground. These people have their own arrangement of kingdoms and city-states which is completely unaffected by the affairs of the surface dwellers. All of the political groups interact with each other as little as possible. The islanders merely wish to live their lives and ship their goods to keep the money flowing. The wave riders wish the same, while the pirate lords prey on both groups and each other. The under dwellers only occasionally interact with those on the surface, usually with regards to fishing rights or trade goods.

Of Ships and Men
Given the aquatic nature of Mer, the ship holds great importance in the culture. The art of ship design and construction is very advanced. Ships are able to be built smaller and faster than their counterparts on other worlds. These ships are also able to take less crew to properly run them. Some ships are even built from unusual materials with no loss of ability. (The best example of this is The Maelstrom, the ship of the pirate lord Bloth. It's hull is made from the skeleton of an ancient leviathan.) After centuries of use, forests are starting to become scare - especially with the ravages of Dark Water. As such, many people are coming to value ships over people. As such, many of the pirate lords have begun forgoing the use of weapons which might damage a ship and instead are relying much more on boarding actions to capture cargo.

There are two classes of people who are held in high respect by nearly everyone - the shipwright and the navigator. The former is obviously important as he knows not only how to build new ships, but also the best ways for repairing existing ones. The latter is important due to the nature of the seas of Mer. Although the culture is old, and the locations of nearly all the channels and islands and hazards are known, paper is no substitute for actual experience. There are many places on Mer where dangerous tides must be sailed in order to reach one's destination. Also, with the coming of Dark Water, many of the old channels have become impassable and new routes must be found.

Warfare
Due to the relatively isolated nature of Mer's geography, warfare - such as it is - deals almost exclusively with personal combat. Without vast tracts of open land, there is no need for large armies. Mass troop movement can only be accomplished by ship, or powerful magic. This also means that siege warfare is nonexistent. However, the large siege weapons still exist, as they are used to by the larger settlements (and some pirate holdings) to defend against attacking ships. As mentioned before, the presence of Dark Water and the growing scarcity of wood have combined to make ships more valuable than nearly anything else. As such, very few captains are willing to risk their vessels on direct assaults versus towns. Also, only the most wealthy or ruthless captains will use shipboard siege weapons against other ships. Therefore, warriors are trained in personal and small scale melee combat techniques.

This environment of man-to-man combat, combined with the general arabian atmosphere, has led to the development of specialized fighting schools. Each school has a different philosophy on how a warrior should conduct himself in combat. In addition to affecting their students' choice of combat maneuvers, these schools often influence their combat style. Many school-trained warriors seek to impress or humiliate their opponents (and spectators) before finally defeating or killing them.

Greed
As for warriors, the lifestyle of rogues on Mer is affected by its geography as well. The numerous island city-states means that there is always a new place to hide if things get too hot for a thief. As such, the concept of the thieves' guild never developed. Every thief is out for himself, and doesn't worry too much about muscling in on the territory of another. This individual mindset also means that there is no universal thieves' cant. However, given the generally small territories available to them, rogues tend to use two or three different larcenous methods, so as not to "overfish the pond" and either be out of work, or captured.

Bards are the most common type of rogue on Mer. Their primary source of employment is keeping the patrons of the taverns entertained with song. However, they are also highly respected as they are among the few people who are willing to travel between islands these days and carry news across the surface of Mer. Many a bard has been able to go for months at a time without spending any money by living on the gratitude of their audiences. Of course, this means that bards have to keep a good reputation, else they might actually have to spend their money every once in a while.

Magic
The wizards of Mer are a very splintered group. While there are three main approaches to the use of magic, a wide variety of individual styles are used in creation and casting of spells. The first of these actually makes no use of magic at all, and instead seeks to harness the resources of Mer that already exist. They are called the Biotransmuters. These mages are a combination of alchemist and tinkerer. Their magic primarily exists through the use of potions and powders made from plants and animals. They also make use of living animals themselves. Sometimes the animal is merely put on a "leash" (such as the use of Dream Lizards in guns for their sleep gas breath weapon); other times the animal is enhanced and transformed into an entirely new creation (such as the hawk-knife, a bird with metal feathers).

The are three branches of mages follow the example of the priests (see below) and study magic in terms of its elemental associations. There are the Sorcerers, who cast their spells from the realm of two of the four elements. There are the Elementalists, who restrict their spells to a single element in order to gain greater power and mastery. The final group of elemental wizards are known as the Sha'ir. These spellcasters deal with the genies - the living embodiments of the elements - directly in order cast spells. While this last method of spellcasting is the most versatile, it is also potentially the most dangerous.

The final group of wizards are those who view spellcasting as a science like blacksmithing or ship building. These two branches believe in understanding exactly what it is that they are doing so that they will achieve consistent, and more effective, results. The first are the Digitologists, who believe that math is the secret to magic. Each spell is a numerical formulae which explicitly details what the spell will accomplish. The other are the Mechanicians (also known as Clockwork Mages). Much like the Biotransmuters, they do not cast spells themselves, but instead build intricate machines which cast their spells for them.

Religion
The religious philosophy of Mer is fairly simple. There are only four gods in its pantheon. The first, and most powerful, is Shanda, Goddess of Sea and Foam. All water and those that live in it are her domain. As with the sea itself, she is a moody and fickle goddess. The tides and currents move at her whims. The second god, who is only slightly less powerful, is Davron, God of Wind and Storm. The air and its creatures are his domain. He creates the breezes which move the ships; he also makes the storms which sink them. The third deity is Khunda, Goddess of Earth and Stone. She is viewed as the daughter of Shanda and Davron, and is the least powerful of the trio. It was Khunda who created the islands and allowed them to support life. Also, those rare creatures which live below the surface of the ground are her children. The final deity of the Mer pantheon is not worshipped at all. This is the Dark Dweller, the ultimate incarnation of Evil that used to roam the surface of Mer eons ago. Then, the powerful sorcerer known as Rul created thirteen artifacts that he used to capture the Dark Dweller and imprison him deep beneath the waves. (After this act, Rul went on to create the kingdom of Octopon.) Since this imprisonment, the Dark Dweller has become mostly forgotten, thought of as a moral or a bogeyman with which to scare small children. However, his presence has been acknowledged once again with the appearance of Dark Water. It is thought that this vile substance is both his revenge against Mer for being imprisoned, as well as the method by which he will eventually free himself and destroy the world. This threat, along with the recovery of some of the Treasures of Rul, has made this deity's existence real once again to the natives of Mer. Some desperate, or depraved, souls have begun to worship the Dark Dweller in hopes that they might be spared. The members of this cult are known as the Dark Disciples.

There are a small group of beings who, while acknowledging the existence of these four gods, do not worship any of them. Instead, they feel that while the gods created Mer, they should have no more business with it. Instead, they revere the world of Mer itself, and seek to harness the natural energy of their environment. The members of this rare cult are known as the Ecomancers. They make their home on the island of Andorus.

Dark Water
Dark Water is a horrific blight on the face of Mer. It is a thick, black sludge which floats on top of the water and consumes everything it comes into contact with. Only two substances - glass and the hide of the leviathans - are able to resist its effects, but neither is a permanent barrier. The size of the object does not matter; even a small patch of Dark Water can eventually consume an entire island. The sludge appears to have some sort of life of its own; it has been seen to move against the currents and the winds, as well as to reach out and grab at ships or creatures which pass too close. The one saving grace is that the Dark Water only occurs in patches; it does not keep growing to cover the entire surface of Mer. However, whatever does not flee from the approach of Dark Water does not survive.

The presence of Dark Water has disrupted the fabric of Mer's society and is plunging the world into decay and anarchy. Many of the shipping lanes are disrupted, ending the shipments of much needed supplies. Many islands have become abandoned as their inhabitants had to leave or starve. The seas are less populated now, as many of the merchants refuse to set sail. The pirate lords are becoming more desperate, and some have taken to attacking the island-cities in order to maintain their lifestyle. The Kingdom of Octopon has shrunk in size to its eight core islands, and the capital has fallen into ruin. Many of the aquatic underdwellers have been killed by the Dark Water as it emerged from the core of the planet; a few have fled their homes and have taken to living closer to the islands, sometimes openly with the residents.

Dark Water first appeared a score of years ago. At that time, King Primus of Octopon announced that he would accept the responsibility to find the Thirteen Treasures of Rul and end the threat. Unfortunately, he and his companions were unsuccessful in their quest, primarily due to the interference from the pirate lord Bloth. All he managed to do, before being slain by Bloth, was find a magical compass which could be used to find the Thirteen Treasures.

Ren's Quest

Thirteen Treasures of ancient time,
thirteen lessons of Rul in rhyme.
To find the jewels in secret places,
follow where the compass faces.
If returned from the shore beyond,
a new day dawns for Octopon.
But if they fall into evil hands,
darkness descends on all the lands.
For these riches, two shall vie
in the realm of dark water where the treasures lie.

Ren is the son of Primus and the only heir to the throne of Octopon. He has taken up his father's quest as well as swearing revenge against Bloth. And the young prince has succeeded where his father failed. Ren has managed to find six of the thirteen artifacts and has placed them in a stronghold in the capital of his kingdom. These six have magically restored half of the kingdom to its former glory and have created an area of the seas which are forever free from the ravages of Dark Water. The recapture of these six have also lead a stemming of the tide of Dark Water; while it has not vanished, no more is appearing. Unfortunately, Bloth is still free to roam the seas, and the restoration of the kingdom has forced Ren to take up more of the responsibilities of leadership. It is unknown if he will be able to break away and find the remaining Treasures.

Lexicon
This section is listing of the people, places, and things which were mentioned during the course of the original cartoon.

Common Phrases
People of Note Things of Note Creatures of Note Places of Note

Game Mechanics

Armor Use:
While adventuring in the tropical heat of Mer's climate, characters wearing armor better than AC 7 suffer a penalty to all attack, proficiency and ability check rolls. These penalties do not apply to natural armor classes (such as the AC 5 of Lizard Men), nor to the bonuses due to high dexterity or magical enchantment. An AC rating of 6 has a -1 penalty, 5 has a -2, 4 has a -3, and so on.

Ability Scores:
Players have 80 points to spend on their ability scores. When creating scores, keep in mind that characters will be allowed a maximum of (1) 18 and (2) 17's - before racial bonuses and penalties. The racial adjustments are applied after the base scores have been created. The "split scores" of Skills & Powers (S&P) are not required. However, if you feel a split score is appropriate to your character, you may create such splits for any of the abilities.

Character Races:
The racial make-up of the cartoon is almost exclusively human. However, I am relaxing any strict interpretation of the cartoon in order to make gaming a touch more fun and interesting. However, I am still restricting the races that are available to players. The following list shows the races that I think are appropriate to how I am portraying the setting...

I strongly recommend that the S&P method be used for creating a character's race. The cartoon shows that while the world is primarily human, there is a wide variation between one human and the next. (This is most likely due to the relatively isolated nature of settlements; each island ends up with its own 'race' of humans.) To reflect this, I have made changes to the S&P versions of some of the races. Some of the races listed above do not have any entries below, as they are the rarer races and I don't want to spend the time to create lists for them right now. If a player chooses one these races, they can either take a standard version of the race, or try and create an S&P version. Two of the races (Monkey-birds and Korb) do not have any S&P abilities listed. If you'd rather not have the standard package listed, you can attempt to create an S&P version of the race, subject to my approval. Also, these lists are based on rough guesses of play balance. They are open to discussion and modification based on others' experiences.

Humans now get 15 racial points and can choose from the following list of abilities...

Gnomes have 45 points for racial abilities and can choose from the following abilities... (This list is changed from the S&P book. Use these values instead.)

Lizardmen have 25 points for racial abilities and can choose from the following abilities...

There are three major, known subspecies of Lizardmen in the world of Darkwater. They refer to themselves as Island, Shore, and Sea Lizardmen. These major subraces are described below...

Island Lizardmen are reptilian humanoids standing between six and seven feet tall, their forms similar to alligators. They weigh between 200 and 250 pounds, and their hides are covered with tough scales of dark green to brown. Islanders have long, dangerous claws and thick, powerful tails up to four feet in length. They are exceptional swimmers and can hold their breath twice as long as most other air-breathing creatures, but they are slow and somewhat clumsy on land. Although they are a civilized race as humans or gnomes, they tend to be rather greedy and have violent tendencies. Island Lizardmen tend toward Neutral alignments.

  • No modification to ability scores
  • Natural AC of 5 (10)
  • MV of 6 on land (-5)
  • Swim at 12 (5)
  • Natural Weapons (5) - Claws (1d3, x2)
  • Natural Weapon (10) - Tail (1d6)
  • Amphibious (5) - Suffers no penalties for fighting underwater; can hold breath for number of rounds equal to 2/3 CON before checking for drowning
  • Dehydration (-5) - character must wet his entire body (a water skin full will do) three times per day, or lose 2 points of CON per missed bath; character dies if CON reaches 0

Shore Lizardmen are commonly thought of by the others as lazy and fat. They are stockier than Islanders, and are of a much darker tone. Living on the pounding shores of the sea and swimming in the rough, shallow waters, Shore Lizardmen are even more capable swimmers than Islanders are. They stand around 6 feet tall, but still weigh as much as Islanders (200 to 250 lbs). Their tails are longer and flatter, but are not as sharp and rough as Islander tails. The only thing that interests Islanders about the Shore (sometimes called "Beechers") Lizardmen are their capabilities as shipwrights. However, even in that facility, Islanders consider their ships to be frivolous and impractical. Likewise, Shore Lizardmen consider Islander ships to be crude and simplistic. Shore Lizardmen are more adapted to the sea, and are able to hold their breath much longer than Islanders. Shore Lizardmen tend towards Chaotic Good alignment.

  • No modification to ability scores
  • Natural AC of 5 (10)
  • MV of 6 on land (-5)
  • Swim at 18 (10)
  • Natural Weapons (5) - Claws (1d3, x2)
  • Natural Weapons (5) - Tail (1d4)
  • Amphibious (10) - Suffers no penalties for fighting underwater; can hold breath for number of rounds equal to CON X 2 before checking for drowning
  • Dehydration (-10) - Character must wet his entire body (a water skin full will do) five times per day, or lose 2 points of CON per missed bath; character dies if CON reaches 0

Sea Lizardmen are vile and vicious (think aquatic Komodo Dragons). They are taller, leaner, and more agile than the others, and encounters with them always lead to death for one kind or the other. They typically are 7 to 8 feet tall, and tend to weigh between 250 and 300 pounds. They are completely adapted to the sea and can stay underwater indefinitely. They still are effective on land, but tend to dry out much faster. Not much is known about them, as they spend almost all of their time under the waves, which they are capable of because of their crude gills (like a shark). Sea Lizardmen tend toward Chaotic Evil alignment.

  • Natural AC of 8 (5)
  • MV of 6 on land (-5)
  • Swim at 24 (15)
  • Natural Weapons (10) - Claws (1d6, x2)
  • Amphibious (15) - Suffers no penalties for fighting underwater; has gills that allow indefinite survival underwater.
  • Dehydration (-15) - Character must wet his entire body (a water skin full will do) every hour or lose 2 points of CON per missed bath; character dies if CON reaches 0

Monkey-birds are native to the island of Pandowa. They resemble monkeys with bird-like talons and facial features with large, colorful wings growing from their backs. The average monkey-bird stands about 4 feet tall and has a wingspan of ten feet. Their fur is brightly colored and varies from individual to individual. The males generally have red, orange, and yellow coloration, while females tend towards brown and gray. Monkey-birds are generally viewed as cowards, since they are reluctant to engage in close combat. But this is simple self-preservation; their bones are hollow and fragile as those of any bird. They love gems and other shiny objects. Their religious ceremonies are simple affairs involving whistled hymns. Sunset on the first day of each new month is of religious significance. Monkey-birds value their freedom above all other things - partially due to their ability to fly, but mainly due to having been made a slave-race for centuries. As such, all monkey-birds are extremely claustrophobic and will not enter a cave, building, or other enclosed area without very good reason. Monkey-birds are able speak the common language of Mer, but it is interspersed with caws, screeches, and whistles in typical bird- (and monkey-) like fashion.

Half-Orcs have 15 points for racial abilities and can choose from the following abilities... (This list is changed from the S&P book. Use these values instead.)

Half-Ogres have 15 points for racial abilities and can choose from the following abilities... (This list is changed from the S&P book. Use these values instead.)

Korb are a race of large, intelligent insects often referred to as mantis warriors. Mature korb are roughly seven feet tall at the shoulder, with six limbs and a tough, mottled green exoskeleton. They have black compound eyes, short antennae, and a complicated jaw structure. The korb's uppermost four limbs are equipped with opposable claws that can grasp tools or - most often - weapons, or serve as weapons themselves. The korb language is made up of clicks and grindings, and they have difficulty learning the common tongue. The mantis warriors are organized into hunting packs, and they constantly roam their chosen territories. They live for combat and are always willing to engage in a fight. The korb have an impressive array of innate abilities which make them - rightly - the most feared race on Mer. Fortunately, they are rarely seen as they have not mastered the art of shipbuilding and are completely unable to swim.

Character Classes/Kits:
S&P can be used to create character classes. However, I will be checking them over to see if they fit with the flavor of the setting. Any race can be any class (with the exception of the Korb). The following lists indicate some of the classes/kits from TSR that I deem acceptable (and preferable). Quick overviews of the more unfamiliar kits follow the lists. All characters will start at the mid-point of 3rd level in all of the classes that they have (so, multi-classed will be starting at 3/3).

Corsairs are warriors born to the sea, unencumbered by bulky armor, accustomed to swift moves and running battles over open water. A corsair is a cunning rogue and a bold explorer. They combine the traits of rangers and rogues.

Mamluks are professional soldiers who began their training at a young age as slaves. In addition to being trained in the arts of combat, they are also taught the ways of government. As an intelligent slave-labor force, mamluks keep the militia and the government moving forward. They follow a strict chain of command; those of lower rank are expected to follow the orders of a higher-ranking individual without question. Each of the islands which have mamluks are an independent organization. As such, each of these societies have their own unique set of facial tattoos which are used to mark the rank and status of their slave warriors.

Swashbucklers are to cities what the Corsairs are to the sea. Dashing rogues who are skilled in personal combat, they often prefer to steal the hearts of the ladies (or men) rather than their money. Swashbuckler characters will have the option to use the "Fighting School" rules from the Red Steel setting.

Marines are the professional soldiers of shipboard life. They are trained in the arts of war aboard ship: repelling boarders (or boarding another vessel), operating large weapons, and engaging in the tactics of ship-to-ship combat. Marines are made from the elite of any society, and as such have stricter ability requirements (STR 12+, CON 13+, INT 11+).

Sorcerers are magicians who understand the power of all the elements. These mages do not follow the "normal" method of Path Magic; rather, they access their spells based on their elemental associations. In addition to the so-called "universal" spells, sorcerers can choose two of the four elemental provinces (Flame, Sand, Sea, Wind) from which to cast spells.

Elemental Mages are magicians, who while understanding the elemental connections of magic, believe that one element is superior to the others. An elementalist may only cast spells from the "universal" province and those from his chosen element. In exchange for this limited spell selection, the mage has additional control and resistance to his chosen element.

Sha'irs are mages who access their spells directly from the elemental genies which inhabit the world of Mer. Since they request each spell from their servant gen prior to casting, they have no limitations on they spells they can cast (thus, ANY spell is available, even priest spells). However, this takes some time, so a sha'ir had best know other ways of defending himself before his gen returns with a spell.

Clockwork Mages craft machines to cast their magic for them. These devices vary greatly in their power, but all are maddeningly complex. Even non-magical items that are constructed by the mechanicians can perform feats that would seem impossible. Clockwork mages use the Path Magic system. It is impossible for a mechanician to cast a spell without using a machine; but the machine does not necessarily have to be "preloaded" with the spell in question.

Digitalogists are mages who have learned the connection between magic and numbers and use their powerful formulae to bend magic to their whims. They have learned to break down and codify each and every spell into its particulate elements. While difficult and time consuming, this sort of spell casting is more powerful and easier to control than are standard spells. Digitalogists make use of the Path Magic system.

Barbers are more than rogues with a talent for haircutting and grooming. They also serve as doctors and surgeons of minor skill. More importantly, barbers are well-versed in folk treatments and herbal medicines. Members of this kit are also fonts of information. All barbers are able to discern the general use and purpose of magical items.

Merchant-Rogues are thieves who have seen the benefits of having victims come to them. They prefer to take a man's possessions via the art of the deal rather than simply lifting his purse. They tread a fine line between honest trade and outright swindling. But ultimately, their lifeblood is trade, not theft.

Rawuns are tale-spinners, lore-keepers, and entertainers. They are the master poets of their people. Rawuns are blessed with a strong memory and an even stronger voice. They know more obscure lore than anyone. As such, they have a better chance of determining the general use and purpose of magical items. Also, they may call down the evil eye on others who have caused offense.

Couriers are the expert messengers of Mer. Their clients trust them to be reliable and discrete, and they in turn enjoy their support throughout their travels. Their primary talent is their specially trained memory - they can repeat verbatim anything they have heard. Also, they can memorize many different messages, and keep them shielded from those who would scan their thoughts. Couriers also find use a translators, as they can quickly and easily transpose messages between any language they know.

Hakimas are intelligent and outspoken women with mystic abilities. Also called wise women, their gaze can penetrate veils of magic and lies to perceive the underlying truth. While women are not viewed as equals, a hakima's input is still highly valued.

Proficiencies:
In general, all characters start with the Swimming and Seamanship NWPs for free. Monkey-birds and Korb are the two races which do NOT get the Swimming NWP; korb can't swim and monkey-birds prefer to fly (although, unlike the mantis warriors, they can learn how if they really want to).

Other Notes:
Because women are not viewed on the same level as men, female adventurers are often underestimated by their foes. As such, any woman gains a +3/+3 bonus on her first strike ONLY against a target. This bonus does not apply against other women, fighters greater than 5th level, other classes greater than 8th, and those who regularly fight with (or against) women.

Base movement is increased by high STR and/or DEX. The "bonus to hit" from STR/Stamina and the "reaction adjustment" from DEX/Balance add (or subtract in the case of low values) to a character's base movements.

Characters can perform called shots in combat. A called shot inflicts a +1 initiative penalty and a -4 to hit penalty. The main benefit of a called shot is that a miss will not result in something (or some one) else getting hit instead of the intended target.

Critical Hits occur only on a natural 20. A critical hit doubles the base DICE of damage for an attack. (Long Sword would do 2d8+STR+others) Note that if you need a 20 to hit, the hit will NOT be a critical.

Magic will be using my Spell Points system. Also, except where noted by character class, magic will be based on the Path Magic system as well. A high INT/Knowledge will result in bonus spell points; every point over 15 will grant one additional spell point.

**An important part of the character creation process is the Character Questionnaire. A character is not complete unless it has one of these associated with it. It will help both you and me figure out what your character is all about. It also really helps the DM create better stories if they can be tailored to your character. The questionnaire has the following "questions" that must be answered...
Authored by: Ken Lipka

E-mail me: krlipka@yahoo.com 		Return to Homepage